Tools for Authors and Writers

Jackson Pollock using paint as a tool.

Here is my gift of tools for writers who want to publish ebooks, or print on demand.

 Please feel free to rate or add input to sites you feel are helpful.

ebooks, paperbacks, editing software, books, tools for writers

INFORMATION ON EXISTING TOOLS FOR WRITERS

Advanced Authors or Do it Yourself Indie Publishing

Author uploads files (Mobi, Epub, HTML, PDB, PDF, RTF, LRF, plaintext, worddoc etc. ) directly to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Apple, Diesel and a multitude of foreign sites that can also translate to other languages. This allows author the most “commission split.” Author provides camera ready format to each different site (all have a variety of size and pixel requirements) Author is savvy enough to either hire an editor or contract with artist to complete cover art. Author determines price points and manages own “platform.” Authors talk about their platform as their whole brand that includes blog-site, website, social marketing, attending conferences, public speaking, blog tours, and face to face marketing. This Advanced author is usually a midlist author who has more than four novels and has been published traditionally. Author might have copyrights reverted back from books published prior to 2008 and they are now uploading and selling old “backlist” books as e-release. Ebooks can boost visibility and sales direct to author.
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Moderate Skill levels for Authors needed to use:

Split your profits direct with a publishing site while they provide conversion software

Publishers who will convert your word doc file completed for free into all ebook formats:

Smashwords owned by Mark Coker

Takes a percentage of sales with no upfront costs. Uses their converter called “meatgrinder” from a word doc file that has no text boxes, no tab spaces into all formats. Not simple to get a clean enough file to fit Smashword’s format. Book is live published worldwide in a week. Smashwords’ own website is not reader friendly nor optimized to attract readers to purchase direct.

LuLu another site that offers independent publishing and an Author “store”

Bookbaby $99 or $199 plus monthly $19 conversions, editing, cost for corrections a little steep


No skill needed, the publisher charges for the uploading and takes a cut of sales:
Ones that charge fees or are considered vanity publishers: TATE, Dorrance Chronicle,,Iuniverse Outskirtspress, Author House, IPRC, Independent Publisher, Hayhouse, Authorsolutions, Author solutions is $2000- 3000 super pricey Sillowaypress Upublish, Spannet, Berhahn, Continuum, justbookingJustbooks, instantpublisher, bookmarket, Baen, and a couple hundred more...

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Blogging sites that are free and easy: Blogger owned by Google and Wordpress privately owned

Wordpress is more user friendly owned by Matt Mullenwag ( also owns buddypress and Akismet)

The reason why authors will choose these as opposed to their own website the posting is fast and Google will rank a blogspot (Blogger site) better than a new website. Author controls content and can sell Adwords, make links, create page rank and link directly to Amazon, B&N, Sony, Diesel and Apple. Author makes a little side money from the blogs.

 Createspace (owned by Amazon) is a pay site that is cheap. Authors can print on demand a book paperback only and ebooks by coordinating with Amazon (Kindle Direct) for little or no cost. Create Space offers a smorgasbord of services needed: cover art, full editing, blogs, chat rooms, advice, some goofy scams.

Penguin’s Bookcountry allows authors to find agents, Harper Collins has Authonomy Authonomy. Etc.. Traditional publishing houses (Big Six) already have their own e-publishing, promotion sites and market only their own contracted author media.

Author promotion sites: Redroom, Red Room charges a small annual fee and is a well-respected author website

Also: Absolutewrite, Authorsden, and Salon are a few others to review and compare.

Online editing as we all know is not infallible. Word’s understanding and auto correct can give a write a false sense of spelling.

Editing online software:

Grammarly annual fees

Prowritingaid FREE

Whitesmoke software pricey

Broken Doorbell

    Made it to 53900 words on the current novel. The point of view changed. Almost through the door to the finish line. Please do not ring my doorbell or pull my chain, I am not answering right now.

   This was such a struggle in Toxic Assets, as I wrote the first and second revision in first person. Then after two readers complained about the point of view, calling it a contemporary fu-fu style. I changed it and then editing became this voice in my head nightmare. I am going to use a literary trick and switch the middle half of the book that is written in second person over the shoulder of the eco-terrorist, and then the first person narrative will be the ending. Not as flashbacks, I need to use something else, not certain what that will unfold.

    In my last book I wrote in beats or poetry scenes like a movie. This one is written in another method. I'm intrigued by the story location and that this one is more of a thriller. My lead and heroine is fifty something, I may need to make her younger to be realistically able to complete the athletic actions she takes. Writing this post very fast as time is so valuable with doing Nanowrimo my goal is to be finished on the 24th.

     Take a look in the photograph, there are lucky horseshoes on the door, a common western theme. I had expected to have The Lucky Boy Advance Reader copies in my hands yesterday, but UPS left a delivery slip- I guess I didn't hear them. If you want to review, contact me and I will send a copy.

   I apologize if I have not been very present in my usual promoting others but I am very focused on creating new work and the muse is singing all over the place. Do this Do that hurry up and scat.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064FOCZO


http://mywjb.com/caroline-gerardo


Showtimes for the Novel

     I have kept pace with my goals for Nanowrimo. My word count this morning at 4:55 AM is 25608. There are a number of these writer meetings and mini contests that I can't get my head around, and don't understand how they help in getting the first draft completed. By the time I read the rules of these special mini stunts or drive to the event the learning curve would distract me from my goal - Plan being to get a first draft done this month.

    Meanwhile, life seems to not want to cooperate with my lists and writing targets, melodrama in my personal life stirs up trouble.

     What problem do I describe first?

      EDITOR NOTES XXX I have removed these comments to keep my heart from breaking.

      Needless to say, I have not signed on to Facebook because I feel I must change my status back to single. When I switched it to "in a relationship" I had no idea the information was publicly displayed. Friends commented in happy support. This surprised me, how many around me cared enough to read some little sign of my status. What is that quote, hmm, "There's going to be a hoo-too tonight so stay in your hut."  I was biding time for some show of better fortune or turn of events but this morning I need to move on. I am going to hang my status back to solitary. A strange thing happened in the brief time of being both feet back into an "us" all these men came out of the cracks interested in me. I think there is something about being unavailable that puts a flag up signalling, "come on down."

    Other melodramas in my life- we discovered someone broke in the house and stole Blair's camera and some personal items. The burglary gives me an uneasy feeling, as we speculate who is the creeper.

I have my novel The Lucky Boy up early on Amazon.

 http://www.amazon.com/The-Lucky-Boy-ebook/dp/B0064FOCZO/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321103305&sr=1-6

The paperback won't be available until November 18th.

If you are reading this please go to the Amazon link and check the tags or write a review in support.

The baby needs new shoes.

 I promise there's not going to be a hanging in an hour, unless you fail me and don't buy my book.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064FOCZO



Swimming Turtle

Lust

Turtle Bravely swimming into the dark future.

Copyright Caroline Gerardo

Ebook Freedom

Merideth Greene's review of Read Mill

http://bit.ly/p9Pefa

Intelligent article about choices, my hand is up in the air when called upon. Me first.

I love the freedom of reading in all formats.

There is something sacred about wandering through Laguna Beach Books and chatting with Jane Hanauer about novels she stacks. I still adore the smell of vanilla pages in my hands, dog earing the pages or leaving them upside down on a beach towel in the summer. An ebook does not fulfill the same piece of soul.

However, I also enjoy the ability to order ten books on my Kindle and decide after reading two Chapters what I will or will not continue in a faster delivery method. It is a less emotionally connected purchase. I buy on impulse on Kindle, often not reading the whole book. Why you ask? Like my teens, the siren song lures of so many other things to read and taste while online.

An interactive reading style will further develop the internet. I see authors like myself who also are visual artists using linking websites, music, and interactive story telling. Writing might be something where three authors begin a premise and readers change the direction of the tale. Not the same as gaming, prehaps in real time. I embrace the idea that ereading is the Gutenberg press of our time. Authors and artists must join together to find new ‘guilds’ and new art forms that will push the limits of narrative experience.

That a company chooses to limit or change the font I chose, certain I dislike the edges of that. Will they also censor the violence or sexual overtones in my writing?

It is an amazing time of growth ahead of us, happy to see Meredith Greene, you are asking questions.

Readmill Site in Progress