Breaking the Line Books Presents Author Development

Hello, authors! My name is AMera Frieman, and I am going to be facilitating the Breaking the Line Books Presents Author Development workshop today. This workshop is a valuable tool of all of the experience that Ive gathered in my years as a bestselling author. Today, you will learn aspects of creating and publishing your story so that you can make the important decisions about your work. So, lets get started. 1

You want to write a book, so whats next?

Your storyAudienceCommitment and determinationWriting the storyEditing and proofreading Agent queryPublishing optionsMarketing and Public Relations

Ive heard a lot of people say that they want or should write a book, but they never get around to it because they dont know what to do. Breaking the Line Books has developed this author development training to help potential authors understand the process. So, you want to write a book. Whats your next step? Actually, its several steps to get your story to market. The story itself, your future audience, the amount of commitment and determination needed to work on your book, writing the story, editing and proofreading, the formidable agent query, your publishing options, and marketing and PR2

Your Story

Whats your story?How important is it for you to tell your story?What are you passionate about in your life or career?Has something happen to you that you want to tell?Are you ready to share it with the world?

Your story or content is one of the most valuable pieces of your book. You have to ask yourself the following questions to find out what you will write about. (refer to the questions). Once youve answered those questions, youll have a better idea of your content.3

Who is Your Audience?GenderAgeEthnicityLocationOccupationInterestsThink about it and choose your audience well because that will be how your book stands out in a crowd!

The next question to ask yourself is who is my audience. Youll need to think about the type of individual who would like to know about the content or story that youve decided to write. It is very important to pick your audience or genre well because your book has to have a category. You dont want it to get lost in an oversaturated genre.4

Commitment and Determination

CommitmentDuring the entire process of creating your masterpiece, make sure that you stay on task. Write something everydayAllow time for brainstormingRepeat Yes, I can do this several times a day to avoid writers blockDeterminationSchedule time to work on your book every week.Create short-term goals for your book that you can reach Write something in your book everydayThink positively and avoid negativity from others

Two aspects that you wont be able to complete your book without is commitment and determination. (refer to the page)5

Writing the StoryPlanPreparePace, dont panic

Most authors will tell you that writing the story was the hardest part of their bookand Ill have to agree that writing the story is difficult especially if you havent planned well or havent written a paper since high school or college. As an author, Id recommend these steps(refer to the powerpoint information. Dont forget the 3Ps, Plan well, Prepare before you start each writing session, and Pace yourself, dont panic. 6

Editing and ProofreadingEditingCritiqueStructure ClarityRevisionContent developmentCollaboration

ProofreadingPresentationFlowFocus groupTest driveGenre confirmation

So, now, we have a story. Its time to find some proofreaders and an editor. When I wrote my first book, I was so excited that I only had two proofreaders, my husband and my mother-in-law who had no experience whatsoever in proofreading other than they enjoyed reading books. Suffice to say, my book has been reformatted and edited by professionals since its release in 2013. Dont get me wrong, sometimes a second or third set of eyes is okay, but youre going to have to step it up if you want to compete against the thousands of books that are published everyday. (Refer to the powerpoint)7

Whew!

Youre almost there!

Now, its time to decide if you want to have an agent represent your book to a publisher OR if you want to explore other options.

Agent QueryAgent Queries are basic information letters to literary agents to introduce yourself and your book. Authors that chose the agent route can search online agent query databases or literary agencies to find an agent to submit their query. Youll have to confirm whether the agent accepts submissions by snail mail or email.Queries should include the following three elements:

something about the booksomething about youthe first 3 to 5 pages of the manuscript

Agent Anyone?Remember, Im subjective

Literary agents are some of the most exclusive individuals in the publishing industry. The best ones are highly selective and only want celebrity clients. This is typical because they only make money when you do, so they have to ensure that the book is marketable to their standards before they accept you as a client. The volume of submissions that they receive most times guarantees that they issue a rejection or ignore the author totally. Agents are subjective, but they are not elusive. Sending an agent query may help you find an agent to represent your work. (refer to Powerpoint)9

You have other options!Self-PublishingE-book and Print on DemandPrint-On-Demand (POD) publishing refers to the ability to print high-quality books as needed. For self-published books, this is often a more economical option than conducting a print run of hundreds or thousands of books. Many companies, such as Createspace (owned by Amazon.com), Blurb, Lulu and iUniverse allow printing single books at per-book costs not much higher than those paid by publishing companies for large print runs. It is possible to create E-books with no up-front or per-book costs which is popular among readers and self-publishers. E-book publishing platforms include Smashwords, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, and CreateSpace among others. Vanity publishingVanity publishers give unknown authors an alternative to publish any book in exchange for payment up front from the author. It differs from self-publishing in that the author does not own the print run of finished books and is not in primary control of their distribution.

Self-Publishing is a growing industry with E-book and Print on Demand services. (refer to Powerpoint) Vanity presses also lack editors who can improve the quality of content, and their offerings tend to be viewed askance by book stores and distributors, making it hard to break into the market through such publishing houses. They can also be very costly. But dont despair! There is one more option that is a great fit for most authors who want help along the way but want to retain some control over their book. 10

Independent(Indie) PublishingIndependent publishers or small presses are publishers that engage in a book selection process, along with editing, marketing and distribution. Small presses also enter into a contract with the author and pay royalties after they sell the books. Indie publishers own the copies they have printed, but do not own the copyright to the book itself.Small presses take on many of the creative tasks to complete the finished works. These tasks include creative writing and choosing writing software, deciding on an editor, and cover designer.The technical aspects of independent publishers include formatting for printing and digital conversion, as well as distribution and marketing/PRMost small presses work with the author to find the most economical routes from development to marketing the published work. Authors still have to perform some task independently to sell their book.

The independent publisher industry is growing and becoming the popular route that authors are taking to publish their books to retain the rights to their work. Breaking the Line Books is an independent publisher. 11

Your book is published! Now, let the world know! Marketing and Public Relations(PR)Social mediaWebsiteBlogPress ReleasesRadio/TV/YouTubeBook LaunchPromotional Materials such as posters, business cards, post cards, flyers, etc.

Social media is a huge tool to use to get the word out about your book. Use your personal Facebook page to tell your family and friends about your accomplishment and where to buy the book. Create an author page on Amazon Author Central, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. If you dont have a website, create one with GoDaddy, Wix.com, or other website builders. Blogs are important to keep your readers up to date. Use press releases to let other areas know about your book. There are some free press release sites, but research them well before using them. Call radio and TV stations or create online videos with YouTube to get exposure. Schedule a book launch with your local book store, library, or venue to get your book into readers hands and introduce yourself personally. Dont forget your promotional materials to bring more attention to you and your book. Remember, your book is also a business too!12

Breaking the Line BooksGood Luck!

However you decide to create and publish your book, remember to be positive, dedicated, and informed. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know at www.breakingthelinebooks.com. We will be more than happy to assist you with your book project or with an author coach. Good Luck and God Bless! 13