tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post8506124700188134705..comments2024-03-28T02:00:11.260-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Guest Post by Celeste BuieJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-68607771708294212672014-05-30T11:55:40.250-05:002014-05-30T11:55:40.250-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.John Ellsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10253978941460283164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-30599616345525661322014-05-24T10:13:46.549-05:002014-05-24T10:13:46.549-05:00A big THANK YOU to all for commenting!
Best of lu...A big THANK YOU to all for commenting!<br /><br />Best of luck to all who read this!!<br /><br />CelesteCeleste & Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403203484001501223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-45436393656632084712014-05-24T10:12:49.003-05:002014-05-24T10:12:49.003-05:00John, thank you for the well-wishes. The more I th...John, thank you for the well-wishes. The more I think back to my engineering days, I realize I had to write reports on test data and draw conclusions, so there was writing involved. And I guess some creativity, too, depending on if we were for or against a product or supplier change. ;)Celeste & Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403203484001501223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-5171218577393082212014-05-23T16:35:50.515-05:002014-05-23T16:35:50.515-05:00Celeste --
I got my mechanical engineering degree ...Celeste --<br />I got my mechanical engineering degree the year before you were born, so that makes at least 2 engineers and one lawyer (I read w. adam mandelbaum esq's book on psi warfare a while back -- good read) who can string coherent sentences together. I didn't publish my first novel until I was 57, so you have a good head start. Good luck with your book sales and future writing!John Erwinhttp://goodstorypress.com/into-snow-sample/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-24337608151069579992014-05-23T10:04:21.567-05:002014-05-23T10:04:21.567-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.canonizerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02588897092776189106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-46910005520907225832014-05-22T21:55:28.327-05:002014-05-22T21:55:28.327-05:00Hi Celeste,
Congratulations on your new release. ...Hi Celeste,<br /><br />Congratulations on your new release. It is very exciting I'm sure. I am almost there myself...to many other things getting in my way lately :(<br />I'm very happy for you. I'll pick up a copy once I'm done here. <br /><br />For two years I downloaded books from Amazon and converted them for my Sony Reader. Calibre made this quite easy. Occasionally I found books with DRMs that posed a problem. There is a patch for Calibre if you Google How to strip DRM using Calibre it will come up but as Joe mentioned recently, this may be considered illegal. If you can't strip the DRM or the converted format doesn't work in the reader the person is trying to use, they can always return the ebook to Amazon for a refund -- No risk, really.<br /><br />I haven't done this in a while since I got a tablet and use a Kindle App.<br /><br />Best of Luck on the book. I'm off to get my copy.<br /><br />Silas<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07504475401820135087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-34002799836514536912014-05-22T19:36:19.166-05:002014-05-22T19:36:19.166-05:00Kate, I Googled Rifftrax and Twilight, and all I c...Kate, I Googled Rifftrax and Twilight, and all I can say is that's hilarious! Thanks for letting me know about it. It's such a unique thing to both love Twilight and be a 'fan' yet be able to have a laugh at its expense. I get sucked in whenever I happen to find the movies on tv. They bring back such great memories.<br /><br />Alan, thank you so much! Twilight will always hold a special place in my heart, and I'm not afraid to say it! ;)<br /><br />~ Celeste Celeste & Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403203484001501223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-26039153992340918452014-05-22T17:37:50.582-05:002014-05-22T17:37:50.582-05:00Congratulations and Happy Birthday! I hope the boo...Congratulations and Happy Birthday! I hope the book brings many sales and wonderful reviews. :-)<br /><br />Regardless of what we may think of Twilight, it did get many young people like yourself reading. That is the important thing to remember.Alan Tuckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06003811594552160836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-88571343926537532212014-05-22T16:07:00.739-05:002014-05-22T16:07:00.739-05:00Celeste, now this is funny! The reason I asked was...Celeste, now this is funny! The reason I asked was because the amount of pages you had to read (Twilight is long), combined with the reading in one night and buying the other three in the series, I thought, "This HAS to be Twilight." LOL<br /><br />Been there, sister. You are not alone. So, so many of us fell victim. ;)<br /><br />If you haven't checked it out yet, Google Rifftrax and Twilight. It's the Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew. So worth the money! =)Katenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-48809515709598275482014-05-22T15:31:41.669-05:002014-05-22T15:31:41.669-05:00I always read the books that come from quality boo...I always read the books that come from quality book publishing companies. They won't publish it if it's not good. That's why I stick with my publishing company.<br /><br />Aaron Carter | <a href="http://www.peanutbutterpublishing.com/services.html" rel="nofollow"> http://www.peanutbutterpublishing.com/services.html</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05871301026243662291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-52657099825029399322014-05-22T13:45:36.130-05:002014-05-22T13:45:36.130-05:00Diana, I agree, and thank you for the well-wishes!...Diana, I agree, and thank you for the well-wishes! I feel like as long as people give it a shot, there's a good chance they'll like it. It sounds conceited, but it's not meant that way. The challenge, of course, is making them aware of it. I'm anxious to have some official reviews roll in. But all in time!<br /><br />W. Adam, thanks for the laugh. It was a challenge for me to pick one career for the rest of my life, because there are so many things that interest me. I worked for 3 years on passenger car calipers before I had enough of corporate life. And I like the way your mind works for the future success of the book! ;)Celeste & Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403203484001501223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-27141115858373879432014-05-22T13:34:30.456-05:002014-05-22T13:34:30.456-05:00Buron, thank you for the input! I felt her respons...Buron, thank you for the input! I felt her response wasn't accurate but couldn't articulate why. Your post made me LOL too.<br /><br />Kate, I had wondered if someone would pose the question of what book it was, and boy does it seem like a lifetime ago. It was 2008, and the movie was about to come out, so all the moms were reading it...Twilight. I got adult peer-pressured into reading Twilight. And I became obsessed with the story itself as well as the story behind it with Stephenie Meyer. It was absolutely fascinating to me how all of it came about! And I will be forever thankful because it helped lead me here. :)<br /><br />Peter, thanks for the reminder about Calibre! That's the key, and I'm going to use your explanation to clear up some other confusion with friends/family who keep asking "Only available on Kindle?"<br />Celeste & Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403203484001501223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-63701603157618795162014-05-22T12:15:08.627-05:002014-05-22T12:15:08.627-05:00I majored in mechanical engineering WOW! You did ...<i>I majored in mechanical engineering</i> WOW! You did that, and you can write English well. I now believe in unicorns. Good for you, and may you make so much money on your book, your tax bill takes care of the national debt. w. adam mandelbaum esq.http://www.amazon.com/FOUR-HOUR-DAY--Real-World-Management-ebook/dp/B00E1XVQ5U/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1400778872&sr=1-7&keywords=w.+adam+mandelbaumnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-41111293227512621872014-05-22T12:10:53.254-05:002014-05-22T12:10:53.254-05:00Like you, Celeste, (though I'm decades older),...Like you, Celeste, (though I'm decades older),I thought traditional publishing was the only way to go. I wanted the stamp of approval that comes with getting an agent and then a publisher. I've since learned there are no guarantees. I did have an agent years back for my screenplays and that came to naught. There are so many reasons why books sell. It's luck, positioning in the marketplace, persistence, word of mouth, and of course a good story well written. <br /><br />I'm about to self-publish my own debut novel and it's been an interesting journey. As you mention, sites like Joe Konrath's have been a big help. They've not only provided insight into the whole process but also much needed encouragement that it can be done and done well. <br /><br />Wishing you the best of luck. Your storyline is intriguing and should get a lot of sales. Diana Stevanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17591685644423301966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-44697405668864904042014-05-22T11:58:36.923-05:002014-05-22T11:58:36.923-05:00@Celeste,
If, for some odd reason, a person can’t...@Celeste,<br /><br />If, for some odd reason, a person can’t find a Kindle app to fit his or her device, one of the options from Amazon is to download a book to one’s computer as a digital file, from which one can transfer it to somewhere else.<br /><br />If the file needs conversion before it’s transferred to your device, there is a free conversion app called <b>Calibre</b> that is designed to do exactly that: convert a DRM-free eBook from one format to another. Actually, one can even read the eBook file on one’s computer right from the Calibre app itself, without a device.<br /><br />Calibre is the most comprehensive converter that I’ve ever found. It can go <i><b>from</b></i> just about anything <i><b>to</b></i> just about anything. It’s also pretty easy to use.Peter Spenserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18317246557600202574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-486540976439061732014-05-22T11:45:10.353-05:002014-05-22T11:45:10.353-05:00Great article, Celeste. May I ask which book spark...Great article, Celeste. May I ask which book sparked your interest? <br /><br /><br />Burton, Amanda Hocking stated (at least in the post I read. I'm not a frequent reader)that she wanted to "just write" and not have to deal with all the other aspects of publishing. She said she went with a smaller publishing house so she'd still retain some input.Katenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-88942221427428076712014-05-22T11:30:44.877-05:002014-05-22T11:30:44.877-05:00@ Celeste,
You can download a Kindle-capable app ...@ Celeste,<br /><br />You can download a Kindle-capable app on just about anything. I have one on my iPhone and PC. I'm not sure what the person was talking about. If your PC can't "run a Kindle app," it must be 30 years old and still running on DOS. Once you have the app/software installed (free), you can log in with your Amazon account and buy Kindle books.<br /><br />Thanks everyone for the Amanda Hocking story. I didn't know about her journey, but oddly enough, I did read one of her zombie books (I think I got it during a free promo) and enjoyed it enough to buy the sequel.Buronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-51624773649997105062014-05-22T11:17:24.303-05:002014-05-22T11:17:24.303-05:00Also, I received the following comment on my FB Au...Also, I received the following comment on my FB Author page. Can anyone shed light on this? I had read here that it's easy to get a Kindle book on a non-Kindle device, just an extra step even while DRM free. This isn't something I have experience with since I have a Kindle, so any further experience is appreciated. I don't want to misinform anyone.<br /><br />"Just to let you know, your instructions assume that interested readers have a Kindle-capable device, along with the willingness to play musical e-book library. Not everyone does. The Kindle-for-Mac apps, for instance, only work on certain models onwards, and then some phones literally don't have the memory available to run the Kindle for Android app, which makes that not an option, either.<br /><br />If you don't have a Kindle-capable device, Amazon won't let you download even DRM-free Kindle e-books for conversion into other formats."<br /><br />Thanks in advance,<br />Celeste Buie<br />Celeste & Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403203484001501223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-87800629021797754832014-05-22T11:06:21.237-05:002014-05-22T11:06:21.237-05:00Thank you Alan, I always enjoy reading about every...Thank you Alan, I always enjoy reading about everyone's journey, and mine was particularly fitting with the timing of Joe's previous post!<br /><br />~ Celeste BuieCeleste & Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403203484001501223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-15992739920855245502014-05-22T09:59:23.913-05:002014-05-22T09:59:23.913-05:00With respect to the idea children aren't readi...With respect to the idea children aren't reading anymore, I was actually surprised by the number of kids in my 6th grader's class who listed as their fondest wish to have a library with comfortable chairs and every book every printed. (My son listed it too, but there were several with the same wish.) Another surprise for me was how many of them wanted to be writers/authors. They're all reading Hunger Games and Divergent and Matched and Monument 14 and...well, you get the idea. I think that we'll be okay with respect to actual readers...Scotthttp://scottdyson.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-28234946418674698502014-05-22T05:36:47.065-05:002014-05-22T05:36:47.065-05:00Celeste, I found your journey as an author, and es...Celeste, I found your journey as an author, and especially as a reader, heartening. Best of luck for your book!<br /><br />@Burton: Amanda got a $2 million deal for her series with St Martin. It's amusing, when you go back to the comment section of this blog, to note she posted comments in 2010. And Joe did blog about her early, too: http://jakonrath.blogspot.fr/2010_12_08_archive.html<br /><br />As an author, I mostly sell my books on signing sessions, and when I compare my reading experiences with readers, I find more and more that we share something: our time is more divided up these days, with the Internet. I find it more difficult to immerse myself for a couple of hours in reading, as much as I would like to do that. <br /><br />I also find it's more easy to read for briefs amounts of time with an ereader device than with a book. <br /><br />When I had a dayjob, I used to write in the train for periods of fourty minutes, so my writing was also more sequenced - it could be very frustrating, by the way. <br /><br />I guess abundance generate its own problems, but like Joe, I don't fear about the future of reading.Alan Spadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12265515535005420739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-13182631743690244062014-05-21T22:51:52.541-05:002014-05-21T22:51:52.541-05:00I Googled Amanda Hocking and read up on her story....I Googled Amanda Hocking and read up on her story. She really cut out early, around 2011, barely what, a year into publishing on the Kindle? I guess it was true what they say. Those were the Gold Rush Days!Burtonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-67985972300546105472014-05-21T20:52:59.081-05:002014-05-21T20:52:59.081-05:00Thank you for your support, Kathie!
Hollis, I und...Thank you for your support, Kathie!<br /><br />Hollis, I understand what you're saying. I have a friend that has to have all the newest gadgets, yet is waiting for my book to come out in paperback because she likes reading on paper better than electronic. It's like a glitch in her brain!<br /><br />Josie, my favorite part of the process is knowing I did it all myself...with the help of a few key people (cover artist, editor, beta readers). It was a tremendous growth curve!<br /><br />~ Celeste BuieCeleste & Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403203484001501223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-84152938148805556142014-05-21T19:18:58.153-05:002014-05-21T19:18:58.153-05:00BTW Celeste
What is your favorite aspect of the in...BTW Celeste<br />What is your favorite aspect of the indie publishing process? I think mine is putting the book together so it looks like a book, formatting etc. I love to try and do fancy formatting. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14854069146203177768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-7030790513878374432014-05-21T19:17:24.246-05:002014-05-21T19:17:24.246-05:00I'm a year younger, 1981, I went with self pub...I'm a year younger, 1981, I went with self publishing because I didn't want an editor to change my story and I just didn't want to have to submit query letters. I just wanted to find readers. I haven't regretted publishing this way yet. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14854069146203177768noreply@blogger.com