Juliet Dillon Clark's Blog

There is nothing more disturbing than buying a book on Amazon, only to be disappointed by how bad it is. With so many self- published authors out there, how do you decipher if the review is real or faked? Yes, Amazon has the “Amazon Verified Amazon Purchase” link but is that really enough? The answer is NO!

Author’s frequently ask friends to read their books to boost reviews. Think about it for a moment, if your best friend reads your book and hates it, do you really think they will tell you? Author’s just want their books to sell and sometimes don’t realize the implications of such behavior. For instance, what if the book is poorly edited? Do you think that your friends are going to tell you that? No. You can bet that readers with no emotional investment are going to write about the poor editing.

Here are some tips I use to figure out my buying experience:

1. First of all, if all of the reviews are 5-Star, be wary. Different people have varying tastes. Many people may like the book, but there will also be people who don’t. That is the nature of reviews.

2. Click on the reviewer’s name and see what other books that reader has reviewed. If the reader has reviewed many books, chances are that the reader is giving an honest assessment. If the reader has only reviewed this particular book or this book and three appliance purchases, move onto the next reviewer.

3. Amazon Reviewer Ranking System- Amazon reviewers actually get a ranking number. The smaller the number, the more participation in the review process. People who are ranked low, are avid readers.

 4. Lastly, you can always tell how well a book is selling by the Amazon Best Sellers Ranking. Check both the Kindle and the book sales. Many times, Kindle copies are selling better than the actual book. This section will tell you where the book falls in the sales ranking. If the book is in the top 100,000 best sellers, it is probably selling fairly well. If it is ranked at 400,000 or more it is probably not selling well. This ranking changes frequently so check a couple times before purchasing.

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of six books and the CEO of Winsome Entertainment Group, a self- publisher. For more information on how you can get your book published and maximize your royalties, call (661)251-6900.

 

     Several years ago, when I published my first novel, I used an editor who claimed to be the editor for some famous writers. I attended his online classes and tried to listen to his advice. While he edited my novel, he also cautioned that he did not in any way comment on the quality of the story. When I received the edited version back, I was horrified at all the errors. His advice to me was to correct them and submit to a publishing company. Traditionally, he told me, self-publishing was a fad and no one would take my book seriously.

     Most people would have taken his advice seriously and submitted the book to traditional publishing companies. Always marching to the beat of my own drum, I decided to self-publish. It was then that I searched for the perfect self-publishing company. I was naïve. Like most beginning writers, I thought that when my book was published, it would become a bestseller. I would quit my day job and become a full-time writing genius. I would be rich and enjoy a comfortable life, signing books at bookstores. My books would be made into movies. Oh, and while I was indulging the publishing fantasy, I might add that I could eat all of the chocolate and cupcakes I desired and never gain a pound.

     And so the nightmare began. I began comparing self-publishing companies. I looked at their pricing and compared. I analyzed the services they had to offer. I read books to find out what I needed. I purchased items that I found out later were not necessary or useful.

     The reality of the traditional publishing companies resembles other business: they have cut back. There are fewer editors than reviewing more manuscripts. They do not provide the marketing and publicity services as in the past. Book advances are a thing of the past, unless you were previously president of a country or you are a celebrity. You might be able to get an advance if you did something scandalous with a celebrity or a president but, let’s face it; the opportunity for such a scandal is rare. There is not much behavior that we consider scandalous anymore.

     So we are left with self-publishing. Old timers will tell you that these authors lack credibility. Their assessment is wrong. Self- publishing is good for authors and consumers. It provides reading material that was unavailable before because it wasn’t what the traditional publishers considered “mainstream”. It also provides readers the opportunity to embrace a whole new generation of authors.

     This book is meant to be a guide to avoid the pitfalls that I encountered with my first self-publishing company and help you ask the right questions when choosing the right company for your needs as an author.

     You might be asking if there are advantages to self- publishing. Here is a few of them:

-   You retain all of the rights to your books

-   You have complete control over your book’s design

-   You can publish quickly

-   You can distribute your book worldwide

-   Your book will remain in print

-   You have availability in all formats (soft and hard cover and e-book)

-   You can target your niche market

-   You control of your book’s pricing and your royalties

 

All of these are considerations in self-publishing. If you go with traditional publishing companies, it can take years to find someone to accept you manuscript. After that, it can take eighteen months or more to get it to market. With self- publishing, your book can be ready for market in as little as two months.

     Most traditional publishers do not allow you to retain the rights to your books. That takes the creative control out of your hands and gives it to the publisher. Self- publishing allows you to retain the rights to your books and create the book exactly the way that you envision it.

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of five novels and CEDO of Winsome Entertainment Group. For more information about how you can get your book published, call (661)251-6900 or email juliet@julietclark.com.

 

It is not often that I enjoy a book so much that I want to tell the world about it. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is one of those books you just can’t put down.

     I have to admit, the beginning had me miffed. Nick and Amy were portrayed as such a cute, cozy married couple; I thought I had mistakenly purchased a romance novel. When Amy disappeared, it was tragic and mysterious. With each turn of the page, as the police began to focus in on Nick as a suspect, it became more and more apparent that Nick was not the good guy that he pretended to be. What begins as a straight forward, open and shut husband kills wife murder case morphs into something so manipulative and calculating it is consuming. A game of chess played with human pawns.

     The author did a great job with poking fun at the Nancy Grace reporting style that infiltrates the airwaves in a high profile murder case. It effectively highlights the use of media to sway the public opinion that goes a long way towards tainting a jury pool.

     I can guarantee, after reading this book, you will never look at your significant other in the same way again. This novel was so frightening and creepy that you will not forget it.

 

 

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of four novels and CEO of Winsome Entertainment Group, a self-publishing company. If you are interested in publishing your novel, call us at (661)251-6900 or e- mail juliet@julietclark.com.

 

Almost every self-publishing company offers services from copyrighting to printing. The problem is that all of the services can be overwhelming to the first-time author.

     You need to copyright your book. This is the first requirement. Many people believe that if they can prove they wrote the book and someone steals their idea or manuscript, that they are protected. If you go to court, you need your copyright. It is proof that the material is your intellectual property.

     ISBN’s are your second need. You need one for each version of the book, with the exception of a Kindle version. Amazon has its own system to designate Kindle products. That means one ISBN for your hard cover, one for your soft cover, and one for your e- book.

     You need your book edited and formatted. Many people feel that they are adept enough at the English language that they do not need their book edited. There is an old saying about lawyers who represent themselves are fools. The same principle applies here. You will not have the objectivity to correct your own mistakes. You need to have your manuscript edited. In addition, it should be proofread after it is formatted.

     Next, you must to decide how you want your book to appear in print. My personal assessments from publishing my own novels show that hard covers do not sell well. Unless your family wants them as souvenirs’ or you are a bestselling author and we all are waiting with bated breath for your next book, you will not sell many. Yet if you choose hard cover, you will pay set-up fees for this type of book.

     Soft-cover books are good sellers if they are priced well. One of the traditional drawbacks with self-publishing has been that books are priced high to make a profit. This is because, most self-publishing companies take a cut of the profits. My first book from with a self-publisher was priced at $15.99, very high for a 218- page mystery novel.

     A Kindle version is also an essential. The Kindle formatting is separate from the book formatting. Many people are using the Kindle e- reader to read book for good reasons. It is portable and can store many books. In an era of extra luggage charges, it is an excellent way to store your vacation reading. This method is also more economical. The best reason for you to publish your book in Kindle format is Amazon and their Indie-friendly policies. Indie’s are independent publishers. Amazon has programs that are free to authors to enlarge their readership.

     Your next question asking concerns the difference is between Kindle and an e- book. I wouldn’t waste my time on having an e- book made unless I am a non-fiction author who may sell it from my website. E-books are distributed to small sites that don’t have the consumer visibilty that Amazon provides. Don’t be alarmed because your e- book is not on Barnes and Noble. Barnes and Noble shuns independent authors. Your best bet is to be listed on Amazon.

 

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of four novels and CEO of Winsome Entertainment Group, a self-publishing company. If you are interested in publishing your novel, call us at (661)251-6900 or e- mail juliet@julietclark.com.

Remember the days when self- publishing a novel could run thousands of dollars? If you were one of those people who self-published your own book prior to the innovation of the e- book, it may be time to consider converting to e- book  and re-releasing your novel. Here are some reasons that may persuade you to produce and publish an e- book.

1. Your E-Book investment won’t cost a bundle- If your novel does not contain illustrations or photographs, your conversion may be inexpensive to produce.

2. You can rewrite or update portions of your book before producing- If you have a book that can be updated or you just didn’t care for part of your book, you can rewrite/update and reproduce.

3. You can choose your price point- E-books can be uploaded and controlled by the author. That means you can choose the price that you want to sell at and your royalty rate. This is beneficial because you can run your own low- cost romotions to increase your audience.

4. You can broaden your readership- E-books can be sold anywhere in the world. You could broaden your name recognition world wide.

5. Your book will never go out of print- E- books are forever on the worldwide web.

If you would like to convert and publish your old novel, call Winsome Entertainment today. We can help you reproduce your novel in E- book format and republish. Call us today at (661)251-6900 or e- mail at juliet@julietclark.com.

 

 Not so long ago, the word, self-publishing sent collective groans through the publishing world. Self-published writers were looked down upon.

There were two main reasons that self-published writers faced and many times, deserved the stigma. The first reason was quality. Self- published authors paid to publish their own work, most of them on a tight budget. Self- publishing is cheap and quick. The problem with those concepts was that cheap did not always translate into high quality product. The market was flooded with low quality books.

 The second reason was quality control. There was an abundance of books that were poorly edited and written. This, combined with the perception, perpetuated by the large publishing houses, vanity writers were rejected writers. Publishing companies like to believe that they are the arbitrators of quality control.

Much of the stigma surrounding self-published books has fallen to the wayside. Authors now have networks of professionals that they can hire to do the work that the traditional publishers previously did for their authors. Authors are spending the money to hire good editors, reviewers, marketers, and other professionals to get their books sold.

The result of those efforts is that many self-published books are now on bestseller lists. Reviewers, who once shunned Indie books, are changing their policies to include Indie books. The best part of all of this change is that readers play a role in determining what is on the best seller lists. Traditional publishers used to be the gatekeepers, deciding what was worth publishing. They also decided what manuscripts were not worth publishing. This process was more driven by what was considered mainstream and would sell, rather than embracing new ideas. Readers are now choosing authors with new and creative ideas that the traditional publishers rejected.

The stigma of self- publishing has not been erased entirely, but it has certainly come along way.

 

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of four novels and CEO of Winsome Entertainment Group, a self-publishing company. If you are interested in publishing your novel, call us at (661)251-6900 or e- mail juliet@julietclark.com.

Promoting books can be an expensive proposition. Here are some inexpensive ways to pump your book and not break the bank.

Be a guest blogger- Contribute articles to other bloggers. There are a lot of other writers out there who will be sympathetic to your desire to promote your book. This will drive traffic to your website and enhance your search engine position.
Hold a social media contest or giveaway- Everyone loves to win something. Use your social media pages to give away free copies of your book. This is even a cheaper giveaway if you make the promotional book an e- book. This saves on shipping.
Ask a friend to host a book signing party- An intimate party with close friends and family is a great way to promote books.
Post all positive reviews to your website- Make sure that everyone that visits your author website sees what readers have to say about your book!
Start your own newsletter- This is a great way to interact with fans on a regular basis. Provide a place on your website where visitors can leave their contact information.

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of four novels and CEO of Winsome Entertainment Group, a self-publishing company. If you are interested in publishing your novel, call us at (661)251-6900 or e- mail juliet@julietclark.com.

 

 

 More and more people are choosing to self- publish their books. Some people have the time and patience to do it themselves and others employ self- publishing companies to do this for them.

     Self- publishing companies differ in the way they make money. Some will profit from fees, some from mark-ups on printing, and some from add-on services. When shopping for a self-publishing company it is important to listen carefully to the sales pitch and decipher items that seem to be pressure points for sale.

     All companies offer most of the same services. Be sure to ask specific questions about the services. For instance, a custom cover may be a cover done on a canned template. What does that mean? It means that consumers should ask questions about the cover prior to purchasing. Will I be able to supply my own artwork? How many graphics will I be able to use. What are the colors I will be able to use? What seems like a bargain may be a custom cover that doesn’t look like anything you envisioned.

     Another area that needs to be carefully scrutinized is book pricing. If you check out the self- publisher’s website and find that books are sold at one price and then go to Amazon and the same book is listed for retail at higher price, this is a publisher who takes their profit from marking up your book. The problem with this business model is that your books will not be priced competitively. They may be a competitive price on the self-publisher’s website. The problem with that is that people don’t go to the publisher’s website to buy books. They shop with the distributers they trust.

     Lastly, the add- on self-publishers, are the companies which will get you in the door with a cheap package and then start piling on the extras. This is deceptive if you thought you were paying $499 to have your book published and suddenly you are at several thousand dollars to publish.

     This practice is deceptive. These are the same companies who will pump you up with promises and then hit you with add-on fees. Use common sense when purchasing add-ons. Some may be beneficial but most will be useless. These companies play on your ego. I recently had a friend with small book that was less than a hundred pages. The company she used wanted her to pay twenty thousand dollars to have it developed into a screenplay.

     Do your research judiciously and don’t be afraid to ask questions. The more questions you ask, the better your decisions will be.

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of four novels and CEO of Winsome Entertainment Group, a self-publishing company. If you are interested in publishing your novel, call us at (661)251-6900 or e- mail juliet@julietclark.com.

Local writer, Marv Roter has published h is second book. The Three Circle Charm is part romance novel and part fantasy novel.  Marv Roter was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and grew up in California’s San Fernando Valley. He currently lives in Saugus, California with his wife Lillian and a Doberman named Poncho. He worked thirty-five years in aerospace engineering, which provided experience and knowledge, along with a vivid imagination, to write his first book “A World to Die For”.

Teri always wore the gold amulet given to her by her father. It had come to them through centuries of secrecy and darkness. Its purpose was to protect the wearer. Harrison J. Totman, a popular man on campus had a passion to know this silver-haired beauty. He pursued her relentlessly. “My name is Teresa Sabrina Spinetigne. I’m a genuine gypsy,” she finally told him.

He cleverly, wheedled a date to accompany her to a Halloween Party at her parents house. She insisted that he carry the three-circle charm or he would be in danger. Harrison was not one to believe in “Gypsy stories,” but he was anxious to indulge her.

At the party he was his usual brash self; they treated him like a laughable fool until he accidentally fouled a Black Mass. The coven turned on him in a fury. He ran with the very denizens of Hell in pursuit. In the confusion he dropped the charm. It seemed his death was eminent.

For some reason, Teri decided to save him. She found the charm and went after him. For the moment they were saved but then the two of them had to live together to be under the charm’s protection.Trying to solve the mystery of the Charm, Harrison was later thrown back in time to the fourteenth century where he had to survive among Gypsy Musicians, a “rough and rowdy” bunch. Living out his days in a past century was not an acceptable end for Harrison. Would  he ever find a way back?

 
Check out Marv’s book today on Kindle!
 
http://www.amazon.com/The-Three-Circle-Charm-ebook/dp/B008G39UAE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341938095&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Three+Circle+Charm
 
 

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of  Dead By Dawn and other novels. See her work at www.julietdillonclark.com. She is also the CEO of Winsome Entertainment Group, a self- publishing company.

 

Up until a few years ago, Indie authors were considered players in a publishing fad. Self-published books and their authors were considered second-class citizens in the publishing world. Today, that has all changed. Indie authors are the movers and shakers of the publishing world.

With all of the Indie authors and publishers out there, it is still almost impossible to get major chains to carry books in store. Many Indie publishers offer a return policy with their packages. This option is costly. In order to take part, authors must give a 55% discount to the book chain. This still doesn’t guarantee that the book will be ordered by the book store. Competition for shelf space is fierce and book pricing is a factor. Another factor is the sales force that large publishing companies have to sell their books. Placement in stores is usually given to well-known authors.

So, you are probably wondering if it is possible to get bookstores to carry your books at all. The answer is yes, if you are willing to develop relationships with store owners in your area. Should you let this discourage you? No, the publishing world is a rapidly changing market. As more Indie authors prevail on the best seller lists, the industry will change. Amazon is still the world’s largest book store and it caters to Indie authors.

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of four novels and CEO of Winsome Entertainment Group, a self-publishing company. If you are interested in publishing your novel, call us at (661)251-6900 or e- mail juliet@julietclark.com.