Because no one will know that you wrote a book unless you tell them.

A lot of new writers and authors think that only self-publishing authors are in charge of their own advertising. This is a common misconception. More often than not, publishing houses are leaving advertising and marketing in the hands of the authors. Unless you’re a big name, like Stephen King, you’ll be handling your marketing and advertising regardless of whether you self publish or are traditionally published.

When it comes to advertising the best way to go is online. This sounds easier than it actually is. Where print publishing and advertising has a set place in the physical world, online advertising and marketing is ever-changing real estate.

Advertising online is a complex system and strategy.

To list just a few of the advertising options:

• Google Adwords
• Blog link exchange
• Kontera Link Ads
• Social networking profiles
• Micro-blogging
• Blogging
• Author website
• and so much more

While this is just an overview of the advertising aspect of being a writer and author, you can find countless articles and books on the subject of advertising online. I will attempt to cover as much as possible on this site to help you gain some perspective on online advertising.

It’s important to point out that advertising is just as important, if not more so, than any other aspect of publishing. You could write the next New York Times bestseller and absolutely know in it in your heart, but if no one knows you wrote it then it will never achieve the success it deserves.

So don’t be scared of advertising. Be excited, be willing to learn, learn from others, take classes if you have to, and get the word out about your book.

After all, no one is going to care more about your novel than YOU.

***

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The word count of a novel/ette/ella is what determines what it is defined as in the literary world.

A novella is shorter than a novel but longer than a novelette. To understand what that really means, we should look at what constitutes a novel and what constitutes a novelette.

In the way of definitions, they are all stories; they all have themes, plots, characters, etc. Mostly, it has to do with length.

A Novella is between 10,000 and 70,000 words.

A Novelette is between 7,500 and 17,500 words.

This means that a short story of 16,000 words could be called both a novella and a novelette, and would stand correct when compared to definitions.

Roughly, the smallest length is a Novelette, which is usually very short ‘Prose’ and a novella is a short story, followed by a full length novel.

There is much debate over what constitutes a full length novel. A novel has been argued to have aspects beyond word count that make it qualify as a novel. In other words, there can be such a thing as a novel of 750 words, but it is all speculative. Typically, when it comes to the literary world of awards and recognition, the word count is higher than a novella by a few thousand words.

My personal opinion puts it at somewhere over 80,000 words but some assume it should be much higher. It really comes down to the story, saying what needs to be said and worrying about the word count definition later. If you are going to sacrifice the authenticity and flow of your story for the sake of it being defined as a ‘Novel’ versus being called a ‘novella’ then you are playing with fire by adding fluff. But hey, who am I to say what to do with your literary masterpiece. By all means, if you feel the need to fluff, fluff away!

Citing Sources: Wikipedia (Gotta Lov’em!)

According to Wikipedia, “The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fictiondefine the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000.^[1] Other definitions start as low as 10,000 words and run as high as 70,000 words.”

So, a Novella constitutes between 10,000 and 70,000 words.

Well, that is a great difference. Let’s take a look at what makes a Novelette a Novelette.

According, again, to Wikipedia, “The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula awards for science fiction define the novelette as having a word count of between 7,500 and 17,499. “

Vanity Press or Vanity Publishing as it is commonly referred is self-funded publishing of a book by an independent author. This means that no matter the quality of the book, as long as the author has the money to do so, the book gets put out ‘on the presses’ and offered to readers.

There are publishing houses that specifically do Vanity Publishing. These publishing houses make a majority of their money by offering package deals and services to assist in producing a more polished product for the author. Such services could be anything from cover jacket design, editing services to marketing campaigns and placement in particular book stores around the country or even the world.

A lot of vanity publishing also offer ‘Print on Demand’ for their clients now, so that the self-funding, independent author no longer has to pay thousands of dollars to have first-prints run and then stored until sold, but can simply print one book each time one is ordered and have it drop shipped directly to the customer.

There has been a lot of speculation about the quality of work that gets published through vanity publishing, but there has also been a type of hysteria through the publishing world as authors wise up to their profit potential.

As publishing houses require more and more self-marketing, self-promotion and a building large platforms before contracts are signed, authors are wondering what the point to a traditional publisher is any more.

Are there pros and cons to both vanity publishing and traditional publishing? Yes. Do I have a preference? Personally, I am going with vanity publishing. Just a personal choice.

It is all about personal preference. Are you going to sit back and wait for approval from conservative low-risk-taking publishing houses or are you going to go full-steam-ahead on the book you have put so much time and confidence in?

More times than not, Vanity publishing is winning.

Digital publishing is especially winning as more authors become aware of the low demand for housing books, no supply to control and the relative zero-cost for materials beyond the invested time in writing, editing and marketing their book.

So Vanity Publishing has its place in the publishing world and I don’t think it is going anywhere any time soon.

What do you think? Do you think Vanity Publishing is a good thing or a bad thing? Do you think Traditional Publishing houses are at risk now that the ‘power is in the hands of the authors’ of the world?

Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great day and I would love to hear more on your thoughts about Vanity publishing!

Thanks again!

Genre means ‘kind’ and it is the equivalent to the word ‘category’. So, to interchange the word, ‘What Genre is your book?’ would sound like ‘What Category is your book?’ and of course the word Category is much easier to think of when asked about something as monumental as your book.

What kinds of Genres or Categories are there?

• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• Horror
• Romance
• Thriller
• Mystery
• Murder Mystery

And the list goes on.

One of the more popular genres at the moment is the Steampunk genre. So, instead of getting overwhelmed by the word genre, just think of it as ‘Steampunk Category’ which doesn’t sound fancy or difficult at all.

It is possible to write a novel or story that fits into more than one category or ‘genre’ but it is very important to try and decide your overall genre or category. If your story is more science fiction than it is romance, you will want to choose the ‘Science Fiction Genre’ for any questions you may get. If, however, you have a story mostly about Romance with a slight mystery in it, it would be a Romance.

The only time I don’t see this being the case is if your genre or category, as you would have it, were Steampunk, which is a very trendy genre right now. Not only would it ‘pay’ to point out that you are writing a Steampunk themed novel, it would be important to have Steampunk as a primary since it is in such high popular demand and just about every publishing house in the world is snatching up Steampunk fiction faster than you can say ‘Moby Dick’.

Is Steampunk a fad? I could say yes, and I could be right, but I could say yes and I could be wrong. That is the humor with Pop fiction, there is no telling if a fad will stick long term but regardless, it is here for the moment. That is why it is called ‘Popular fiction’ followed closely with titles like ‘On Hit Wonder’ etc.

Just write what you love and pick a ‘category’ that best fits the category of your book.

A Happy Genre to you!

And Thanks for Reading!

A plot is an overall conflict of a story, or a ‘general theme’. Beyond the mood and characters of a story, a novel’s plot is the main conflict and setting; such as searching for murderers.

A plot ‘structure’ is usually complex and makes a story ‘cohesive’. The basic elements include conflict, action and climax as well as an overall resolution, success or failure.

The most important part of a plot is that it gives your novel structure and don’t  you forget it. By defining your plot early on, you are deciding who your main characters conflict is with, what the main characters dilemma and goals are and where you are leading your readers.

It is easy to see if your writing is getting off track if you know where the end is. Without knowing where the end of the story lay, you could write for the rest of your life and be walking your main character almost literally in circles.

There are many great resources available to the new and rising author. Here is a collection of some of the more definitive resources on the subject of plots:

Wikipedia: A Plot or Narrative

Web Definitions of Plot

Then the more conversationally bound bloggers discussing plots

Plots and Stories

Has great in-depth information on structure and building a solid, strong plot for your novel.

What a Plot IS by Bill Johnson (An Essay)

A well written essay to persuade the everyday writer the importance of a plot, what it does for a writer as well as what its purpose is for the reader.

Plot structure: a Literary Elements Mini-Lesson

While targeted for primary school, Plot Structure is a basic of writing that no one wants to ignore.

Well, I hope this quick overview into what a Plot is and how important it is to the everyday writer, like you and I. Keep an eye out for more concerning character creation, plot structure, planning and organization as we delve deeper into the workings of writing a novel for the first or the tenth time.

Thanks for reading!

I am doing a ‘run-down’ on all types of writing software and assistance tools, so check out the article soon to be >here<. But over all I am looking at the tools we writers need. One of the tools I hear a lot about is Speech to Text. (Not to be confused with Text to Speech; which is a completely different program) It is also known as ‘Dictation software’.

Today I am talking about the built in Speech-to-Text functionality that comes installed with the general Microsoft Office products and Dragon Naturally Speaking by a company named Nuance.

Just to clarify, Speech-to-text is voice recognition software is where you talk into a computer microphone of some kind and your words are transcribed into a word document. The software boasts many functions, but this one is primary for the writers of the world. Can you imagine the day when you TELL the computer what to write, at 120 words per minute, and you finish a novel in under a week? That time is near…

Now, I have been contemplating getting a copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking by Nuance. Nuance is said to be the leader in voice recognition software and from all the hype, I would have to say I am fairly hyped about it as well.

To get my dictation feet wet, so to speak, I have been toying around with the Speech-to-Text functionality of the Microsoft Office programs. The voice commands seem to be the same between the software but I find them completely different when it comes to actual performance.

Honestly, I don’t know how anyone gets voice recognition software to work using speech to text of it is not Dragon Naturally Speaking. I have tried for some time to get the program in Microsoft Word to work and now I am just typing it by hand. Some things are just better the old fashioned way, I guess.

Will I give Dragon Naturally Speaking a chance? Yes. Why? Because I get a student discount on it so it doesn’t feel like I would be so ripped off if it turns out to work just as badly as Microsoft’s version.

Would I recommend trying to utilize the Speech-to-Text function built into Word? No, not particularly. I spent 6 hours trying to train the program and it has about a 60% success rate with general words. That is a whole lot of time to spend frustrated.

Could this make your life easier? I think it will be a different pony show utilizing Dragon Naturally Speaking now that I have exposed myself to the horror of the included Microsoft functionality that comes with my regular Microsoft programs.

(If you want to utilize the Speech-to-Text function in Microsoft word, go to: Tool>Speech> and when you get a pop up that you don’t have the file/installation downloaded, you just click the ‘Yes’ button to state you want to download it.)

I think it will be a pain to go through the training with Dragon Naturally Speaking all over again after spending so much time with the Microsoft Training and getting no where, but I have a feeling that since Nuance specializes in Voice Recognition, it is probably very good at it. I only say that because Microsoft has a lot of programs to maintain where Nuance really just has the voice recognition. It makes since that Nuance would make sure their program was outstanding.

So, I have given the built in functionality of the Microsoft Word Speech-to-Text program a chance and it has failed me. Next, we will be looking into how the Dragon Naturally Speaking program does in comparison and if speech recognition software is software to go with now, or a thing of the future.

Either way, that elusive one-week-novel-without-typing-a-single-word is a heck of a fantasy. If only…

Thanks for reading!

Hurray! Finally! We are HERE! THE TOP! The best, I said BEST GIFT to get a writer!

Are you ready for this?

Are you excited?!

Are you scared? You should be….

The #1 Gift to get a Writer is…

A trip to a Writer’s Retreat!

One that I have found looking exceptionally relaxing is the Whidbey Island Writer’s Retreat in Washington!

Whidbey Island Writer's Retreat

What’s better than going on vacation? Going on vacation to WRITE! Whidbey Island Writer’s Refuge is a collection of quaint cabins nestled into the peaceful forest. This is as rustic as you get for a writer. A nice cozy place to write, people that are like minded and like goaled, great food, nature and your thoughts.

Cabin in Autumn

Of course we had to put a retreat as the #1 gift because if you get this gift for a writer, there will never be another gift that could top it! And THAT is why it is at the top of the Top Ten Gifts for Writers list.

Makes sense, don’t you think?

Alright. Speak your mind, speak your peace. What did you think of the list?

Would you consider this THE list of TOP gifts for writers? Would you add something? Take something out? Comment! Let me know!

For a recap of Top Ten Gifts for Writers:

#1 – A Writers Retreat!

#2 – Dragon Naturally Speaking

#3 – Personalized Classics

#4 – Fill-in-the-Blank Autobiographical Journal

#5 – I am NOT a Paper Cup!

#6 – Writer’s Remedy

#7 – Invisible Floating Bookshelf

#8 – Coffee Inspired Jewelry

#9 – Typewriter Jewelry

#10 – Customized and Personalized Bookstore Giftcard

Thanks for reading!

We are so close to the top! And we are getting pricier. Up until now, we have covered gifts that averaged around 20.00-30.00 and now we are getting to the really neat stuff.

This next item on the list is a dream come true to the writer that may have a bit of trouble typing quickly or for long amounts of time. This is a tool every writer should at least look into. It can save you time, save you stress, and make writing as easy as sitting around the campfire.

Dragon Naturally Speaking

Not the best picture, that one there, but the point is the software is amazing.

Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 is the newest version of the best Speech to text software in the world. Nuance has been the leader in Speech-to-Text software for as long as people have been reviewing it and it’s only just recently become the wave of the future.

The skilled writer can usually pound out 60+ words per minute. Dragon Naturally Speaking responds at (reportedly) 120 words per minute. The difference? You don’t get tired of typing with Dragon Naturally Speaking as you do when you type by hand.

This means, as long as you are not too tired to talk, you can be writing.

Personally, I have been hearing great things about this software for the past year and it is shipping to me currently. I’m going for the wireless headset so that I can write from anywhere I like.

It also transcribes MP3’s and other forms of media. I would say that is an awesome software.

Anything that makes life easier goes at the top of the list for me. What about you? Do you think this is a gift you would consider getting a writer?

Don’t wander too far. Next is the big finale!

Top Ten Gifts for Writers – # 1!!!!

Did you like this post? Would you change anything? Add anything? Have a comment? Would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!

Can you guess what the #1 gift for a writer is? We are almost there!

#3 Top Ten Gifts for Writers

Personalized Classics: Write Yourself Into the Story

Poetic License PERSONALIZED CLASSICS

We’ve already covered that writers like to read and writers would love to have their own life story in print, but what about being the main character in a classic tale?

UnCommonGoods.com has this service available! (I think it is ingenious) so that you can put your significant others name, as well as friends and family, into their favorite story!

You can choose between Romeo & Juliet, Dracula or Alice in Wonderland. If that isn’t a great gift, then I don’t know what is! I’m sure if you look around long enough, you could find other titles, but I am fond of Alice in Wonderland.

So, if you think your writer would really love a gift as priceless as being the main character in a classic novel, this is the gift you should be slapping a bow on!

Not for you? We still have a couple more items on our list. Get ready for our next item on the list: Top Ten Gifts for Writers – #2

Did you like this post? Be sure to comment! Have an idea about what writers would love as a gift? Are you a writer and want to contribute the gift YOU would want as a writer? Please share!

Thanks for reading!

We are so close to the #1 spot on the Top Ten Gifts for Writers list I almost can’t contain myself! But I must. So we will go on.

If you know how difficult it is to write a story, then you are probably a writer.
But even if you are not a writer, you can appreciate the complexity at trying to write YOUR OWN story.

Help your writer with this thoughtful gift. Give the gift of an autobiographical journal, to cement the memories and get the foundation to their life story on paper.

Autobiographical Journal - What's your story?

Whether it is a story of love of a story of great struggle, overcoming great obstacles, make telling the story a snap. In this ‘color-by-numbers’ format, this will at least get the ball rolling.

This way, your writer can spend less time worrying about organizing it all and just fill it in at their leisure. What a great gift!

And it is great for all in the family, not just the writer. Fill it in yourself and give YOUR favorite memories of being together to your significant other. There is no greater gift than putting your love story down on paper.

If you liked this gift idea, you will love the next one on our list to the top of the Top Ten Gifts for Writers – # 3

Comment if you liked this post or if you have your own ideas of what the best writers gifts are!

Thanks for reading!