Hello and thank you for
allowing me to be here. I will also be awarding two lucky people who comment a
PDF or paperback of their choice. The choices are: Murder Most Foul-a
detective/mystery, Loves, Myths, and Monsters-a fantasy anthology, Wicked
Intentions-a paranormal anthology, Flagitious- a crime/mystery anthology, The
Crime of the Century-a biography true crime, Twisted Love:12 cases of love gone
bad-a biography true crime anthology, and Poems About Life, Love, and
Everything in Between.
The best thing about self-publishing is you are
guaranteed to be published, no matter what type book you choose to write.
Traditional publishers often look for something not yet written about, or
seldom written about; such as true life alien abductions, or what Earth might
be like in the year 4000, if humans last that long.
Self-publishing allows the
author more leeway with subject matter. The author can tell it like it is;
unlike traditional publishers who generally follow a code of conduct, for the
fear of treading on someone’s toes. Traditional publishers always have that
fear of being sued for libel, whereas self-publishers tend to not care what
others think.
With self publishing every detail is up to the author.
From hiring a professional editor if the self publishing author is not prolific
in the English language. Editing is expensive, and every book, even self
publishing needs some editing to help polish the final product. Self-publishing
does offer editing and marketing services, but for an additional price, that
can be expensive. All that work is taken care of by a traditional publisher,
which means less headaches and work for the author.
When it comes to book covers, self-publishing companies
usually give the author a selection of artwork to choose from. Some of this
artwork is free, but some usually costs a few dollars. The free artwork is
seldom great, and might not coincide with the book's material. For paid artwork
at self-publishing companies, the artwork is upgraded and more pleasing to the
eye, but is an extra cost, which might for some self-publishers mean an extra
dent in their pocketbooks. Traditional publishers have their own art
department, which means the author is guaranteed a terrific book cover included in the contract. Both self-publishing and traditional publishing
companies, though, usually allow the author to use their own artwork if the
author chooses to, especially if the book is about the author’s family, pet,
friends, or profession. Using personal
artwork adds a touch of personification and genuine sincerity to the book; always a good selling point.
When it comes to any type of artwork, whether it be
books, jewelry, or candles, artwork is usually a hard product to sell. If it
were easy, all artists and authors would be wealthy.
With many traditional publishing houses, they get an
average of 60% of sales, and the author is left with 40%. I understand Lulu
allows 80% of the royalties to go to the author, and Amazon allows 70%, but
that percentage is only applicable for books sold to certain countries outside
of the U.S., such as Brazil, Japan, Mexico, and India, and only for titles
enrolled in KDP Select. This in reality,
means that the author receives an average 35% of the sales, and Amazon gets the
other 65%.
An author can struggle with locating a traditional
publishing company for many reasons. They have written a book that only they
are interested in; such as their family history. I don’t believe most would be
interested in reading about someone’s family tree, unless it is as
brilliant as the book Roots. If a author is struggling with locating a
traditional publishing company, then self-publishing is for them. I for one
believe that if a writer has written a book, they should continue seeking out
the traditional publishing company. This only applies if their book is polished
and ready for sale. If a book has many graphical errors, it will not be taken
seriously by a traditional publisher. Getting away with graphical errors in a
self-published book is possible, but it would be disappointing and frustrating
to the reader. Whether the book is
self-published or traditionally published, the final product should be free of
errors, and entertaining, and pleasing to the eye. In my opinion, when it comes
to Lulu versus Amazon, Amazon bites the dust. Good luck.
Forethought: It’s a chilling reality that homicide
investigators know all too well: the last face most murder victims see is not
that of a stranger, but of someone familiar.
Blurb: When deaf students are
murdered in the prestigious Rose Brick College of the Deaf in 2008, everyone is shocked when
discovering the killer is one of their own.
Excerpt:
According to Dillon Short, Jose
Nezda, would never realize the amount of pain he caused his victims’ families’.
The tall father with the receding hairline and glasses said there was no amount
of apology from Jose that would fill the emptiness in their hearts. Jose, said
Short, was exactly where his kind belongs.
At a time when young people are a
step closer to their future, and parents look forward to being empty nesters, a
parent’s worse nightmare took place, in a small college town, in up-scale
Massachusetts’.
Using sign language,
forty-two-year-old Sandy, said good-bye to her eighteen-year-old son and
youngest child Jeremy, as he excitedly exited her vehicle in front of the
Prestigious Rose Brick School for the deaf. “Call me every night,” the slender
freckle faced mother said in sign.
“Don’t worry,” signed the scrawny
red-haired boy who suffered from Cerebral Palsy, as he smiled and walked into
the four-story brick building.
Forty-seven-year-old Dillon,
recalled how thrilled the family was upon hearing of Jeremy’s acceptance into
Rose Brick. “It was his first choice of
college,” he said.
The energetic and always smiling
student, shared his west wing dorm with similarly knowledge-craving and elated
students, many far from home like him. Nineteen-year-old Mitch, a slender
dark-haired and dark-eyed drama student, who dreamed of being the next Steven
Spielberg, recalled how Jeremy religiously kept the door of his room open. He
said the two became “fast friends.”
Everyone
seemed to like the outgoing Jeremy with his infectious smile. He talked to
everyone. No matter how late it was, if someone had a problem to talk out,
Jeremy’s shoulder was readily available.
A female student recalled that
Jeremy had two older sisters, and it didn't embarrass him to discuss girl
stuff, such issues as boys or weight or jealously. He always gave good advice, she said. His
advice and their talks were what she said she would miss the most about him.
Everyone at school missed Jeremy
that early morning, just one short month after the start of the semester.
Mitch, who had the room two doors down, reported Jeremy missing from math
class. He recalled that when leaving his room that morning, he had noticed
Jeremy’s door closed. He thought that strange, because Jeremy’s door was always
open. “He liked watching people walk down the hall and would wave at all of us,”
Mitch said.
Author Bio:
I have been a long-time
resident of southeastern Ohio, and worked in the blue-collar industry most of
my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I canvas paint.
When not busy with hobbies or
working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, my dog Jasmine, and
volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the International
Women’s Writing Guild, Savvy Authors, Coffee Time Romance, Paranormal Romance
Guild, True Romance Studios, National Writers Association, the Hocking Hill's
Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and
Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. I believe in family
values and following your dreams. My original canvas paintings, can be found
at: booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com
Other Available Books:
Murder Most Foul-a
detective/mystery
Wicked Intentions- a
paranormal anthology
Loves, Myths, and Monsters- a
fantasy anthology
The Crime of the Century- a
biography true crime
Poems About Life, Love, and
Everything in Between
Flagitious-a crime/mystery
anthology
Other places to find Jo Anne
and her books:
Email: joannemyers@frontier.com
