Success in self-publishing
Local writer Angie Gallion is thankful for the decision she made four years ago to self-publish her first three novels, “Intoxic,” “Purgus” and “Icara.”
Though small press and independently published novels are often dismissed, the practice of publishing one’s own books is gaining in popularity and has spawned a subculture of passionate writers and a world of great reads.
“When my first novel was published, I contacted some local media and reviewers and said, ‘Hey, I’ve written a book, and I’m from around here,’” Gallion explained. “In most cases, as soon as I mentioned that I was self-published, I was told they wouldn’t read it.”
Gallion admitted that because self-publishing can be easy and relatively inexpensive, it leaves the door open for the general public to publish and promote almost anything.
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BookBaby is giving away free book editing all month to independent authors
BookBaby believes that every book needs a professional edit. And they’re prepared to back up that statement with a massive editing giveaway all through the month of August. Self-publishing authors will have 31 chances—one chance per day—to win professional editing for their book.
“Giving away that many editing packages might sound crazy,” says BookBaby President Steven Spatz. “But publishing your book without having it editing? That’s really crazy.”
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Professional romance novelists can write 3,000 words a day. Here’s how they do it
Writing is not a sexy business. It’s not a rare butterfly that floats down and gently kisses you on the nose with a brilliant idea that conjures a hurricane of cash. It’s frustrating, and it’s lonely, and for most people, it doesn’t pay.
But one genre consistently makes it work. Romance writers who are able to get published or sell their books through self-publishing are true hustlers. The women who succeed here are not just writers, they’re business people, and they spend hours keeping up with fans online and doing their own marketing, in addition to writing.
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The Mexican-American Book Connection
A recent symposium looked at issues keeping Mexican books from the U.S. market
As part of a cross-cultural exchange between Mexico and Los Angeles, the California Institute of the Arts, the Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles, ProMexico, and the Los Angeles Times presented MXLA, a symposium on exploring the economic and cultural value of this binational relationship, on June 26 and 27. The symposium included panels on the film, music, arts, and book publishing industries.
Participants in the book publishing panel included Marisol Schulz, director of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) and LéaLA, the University of Guadalajara’s Spanish-language book fair in Los Angeles; Jorge Volpi, Mexican author and coordinator of cultural diffusion for the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM); David Shook, poet, translator, and publisher; Chiara Arroyo, co-owner of La Librería, a bookstore of children’s books in Spanish; and Edgardo Moctezuma, owner of Latin American Book Source, an importer and distributor of books in Spanish. The panel was moderated by this reporter.
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Chester County author uses new marketing techniques
Of all the industries affected by social media and the meteoric rise of online marketing, perhaps none has been as transformed as book publishing.
That’s what Cat Hoort will tell you, anyway.
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Author Don Massenzio 