100 sites for fiction writers: #8 - Publetariat

This is an ongoing series looking at websites that can be of help to fiction writers with their craft and career.

Publetariat

If you have been thinking about becoming a self-published author in today's world of digital publishing, there's no better place than to get started than Publetariat.

Publetariat has one of the strongest online communities for self-published writers, often called indie authors, and helps those writers keep track of the events and news going on in the indie author world. What sets this site apart from many others is that its focus is almost entirely upon the indie author and matters of importance to indie authors.

Who is in charge of Publetariat? April L. Hamilton, author of fiction and non-fiction books alike, including The Indie Author Guide. But April does not work alone on the site. She has picked a number of others to lend a hand and provide information and steering for indie authors.

This website has loads of knowledge for beginning self publishers, including information about writing, book design, selling and more.

One of the great things about Publetariat is that it is a site that focuses upon demystifying and destroying the stigma that used to come along with being a self-published author. That stigma is still strong in some circles, though those circles are growing smaller and smaller all the time, and Publetariat can somewhat help a beginner emotionally deal with that stigma themselves and provide honest answers to those who continue to stand against self publishing. How does Publetariat do this? By being one of the best cheerleading sites around for indie authors.

The site does have a forum, though it is not the most popular feature to be found at Publetariat. What is popular? The scores upon scores of articles and postings from authors, about authors and for authors.

Also popular is the Book Trends section of Publetariat. Written by Bob Spear, an author and musician and bookseller, the Book Trends articles are cross-posted with Bob's blog. In Book Trends, you hear about the world of book publishing from an actual bookseller, someone you could talk with, someone who work on the street-level of book sales.

If you're considering becoming an indie author, check out Publetariat.

A mission statement for writers

Courtesy of Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith, "A Clear Mission Statement:"

“Writers! Learn your own damn business. Do your own business yourself. Be business people. Stop expecting someone else to do everything for you – and stop complaining and being surprised when they rip you off. They’re ripping you off because you’re an easy mark. Learn your own business! Now! Or you won’t have a career at all in this modern era.”

100 sites for fiction writers: #7 - Absolute Write

This is an ongoing series looking at websites that can be of help to fiction writers with their craft and career.

Absolute Write

If you are a fiction writer and you spend just about any amount of time searching online for sites about writing, you are bound to come across Absolute Write.

The site pretty much covers everything when it comes to writing. Such as what? Well, for one thing, there is a comprehensive list of Recommended Resources. Then there are links to recommended Writing Classes, lists of other sites about writing, book reviews, and much, much more. Most famously, Absolute Write is well known for its busy Forums.

And it doesn't matter what kind of writer you are. Fiction or non-fiction? Doesn't matter. Absolute Write will have something of interest to you. Screenwriting? It's there. Poetry? Yep. Greeting card writing? Yes, even that. The list could go on.

Besides the fair amount of information, and links to places to get more information, the Forums community at Absolute Write is known for its continuity and for opportunities for writers to talk amongst themselves and also to learn of writing news, new places to send stories, new writers, etc. Admittedly, as with many online sites, the forums at Absolute Write can get a bit heated and overly dramatic at times, but that should be expected among a sizable gathering of writers.

Because this website is so broad in its scope and so popular, there are plenty of people who hang out there who can offer advice, or at least point you in the right direction.

On the downside, I find the Absolute Write site a little difficult to navigate. There is a ton of information to be found there, but often you have to do some fairly extensive online digging to get to the good stuff. Still, it is there to be found, and you can always pop into the forums to ask someone for information or for a link to a particular page. Just remember, the site has a lot of information, but sometimes much of it can be found in the forums.

If you are a beginning fiction writer looking to find out more information or to make some writer friends, you need to check out Absolute Write. But even if you're an old pro, there should be something of interest for you here.

100 sites for fiction writers: #6 - Lightning Source

This is an ongoing series looking at websites that can be of help to fiction writers with their craft and career.

Lightning Source

Print-on-demand (POD) technology has been around for more than a decade now, and it has changed the way much of the book industry works, especially for small, independent publishers and self-publishing writers.

What is POD technology? Imagine a giant laser printer that can print out a book in less than a half hour, and that also includes the cover. That's a very basic explanation of print on demand. Such technology allows publishers and retailers to wait until an order for a book is filled before printing the book instead of doing it the old-fashioned way, printing off a ton of books and storing them in a warehouse somewhere. The old way was quite expensive, and for years precluded many smaller publishers and self-publishing writers from remaining in the business, or even starting in the business.

But then in the late 1990s, POD came along. Pretty much from the very beginning, the leader in POD has been Lightning Source.

Most recently Lightning Source has been utilizing the Espresso Book Machine to print books in a flash.

Below is a video explaining how the Espresso Book Machine works.



To simplify things, Lightning Source is a service company that prints and distributes books that have been printed on demand. Publishers and writers and retailers put in an order for their book or books, Lightning Source whips out the book and mails it off.

Quite simple.

But how does this help the writer?

The most direct way is that writers can become a client of Lightning Source. Basically, the writer becomes a publisher, then turns their book(s) into files which Lightning Source can use for printing, which the company does for the price of some initial fees and a percentage from the book(s).

To clear things up, keep in mind that Lightning Source is basically just a printer with some distribution networks. The company will not edit your books, nor format them for you. You, a publisher or self-publishing writer, have to take care of all that before sending your computer files to Lightning Source. This company does have some cover design services, but the last I checked they were fairly rudimentary, so you might be better off designing your own covers or having a graphic designer do it for you.

One of the great things about working with Lightning Source are all the options available to you, the publisher and/or writer. Do you want your book in paperback or with a hard cover? Lightning Source can do both. Do you want just a few books or a wharehouse-load of them? Don't worry, Lightning Source has you covered.

Another great thing about Lightning Source is its distribution network. Through Lightning Source, your books are made available to Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and Gardners and Bertrams. If the majority of those names mean nothing to you, then you've got a few things to learn. Let's just say that list includes the top book distributors on the planet, and those distributors are the ones who get books into the hands of paying customers.

If you are wanting to self-publishing your own books in print, or you are considering becoming an independent publisher who deals with other writers, Lightning Source can be a boon for you. Check out the company's website for a full list of services and costs.

100 sites for fiction writers: #5 - Scrivener's Error

This is an ongoing series looking at websites that can be of help to fiction writers with their craft and career.

Scrivener's Error

Fiction writers are often nuts. That's especially true when it comes to legal matters concerning writing and publishing.

Often enough there seem to be two types of writers, those who act as if they have not a care in the world when it comes to legalities (as if it is all "beneath them" or some such), and writers who just won't shut up, who sit around worrying themselves into franticness over thoughts of legal troubles.

A sensible writer should be somewhere in the middle. A writer should be aware of their rights concerning their intellectual properties (you know, the stories you write), but shouldn't drive themselves crazy fretting about this stuff. At least not unless they're in true legal trouble somehow.

Generally speaking, probably the best thing a writer can do if facing some sort of legal problems is to hire an intellectual properties attorney. Yes, it might get expensive, but remember this is your work you are dealing with and it might pay off big-time in the future.

But before we go any further, let me say right here and now that I am not providing nor offering any legal advice. This is all merely commentary.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the point of this post: Scrivener's Error.

What is Scrivener's Error? It's a blog containing legal commentary about publishing, generally from side of the writers. Who is Scrivener? I don't have a clue. Well, who runs the Scrivener's Error blog? Again, I don't know, but the pages are copyrighted by someone who identifies themself as C.E. Petit, which might be a real name or it might be French, meaning something like "this small."

Regardless, as a writer and someone who had a few university-level courses on publications law, whomever is in charge of the Scrivener's Error blog seems to know what they are talking about. However, there is a disclaimer at the top of the page stating the site is for legal commentary, not legal advice. That's a good safety net to have. Only attorneys should offer any legal advice, and C.E. Petit has not identified himself or herself as an attorney.

What can a fiction writer find at Scrivener's Error? All kinds of stuff, mostly concerning legalities with fiction or book publishing.

Every few days there is a new blog post, usually keeping the readers updated about what's going on with things like copyright law, attacks on writers' rights, how different countries and companies are dealing with plagiarism, etc. This blog pretty much covers the gamut when it comes to writing and legal stuff related to writing.

If the latest posts aren't about anything concerning you in particular, that's alright. On the bottom right of the blog are rather extensive lists of links leading to other sites that have to do with the legalities of writing and publishing. There are links to plenty of well-respected law professors, as well as links to other sites, blogs, groups and associations that are concerned with publishing and the law. There's even a link to the blog for the Supreme Court of The United States.

Obviously if you are a writer in need of legal help, the Scrivener's Error blog isn't where you want to wind up. Instead, this blog is where you can get started. If you should need an attorney concerning a matter having to do with your writing, the Scrivener's Error blog is a solid place to begin your search for such an attorney and a good place to begin learning a little about the law yourself.

Books read in 2011: No. 27 - The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

by Katherine Howe

Started: May 31
Finished: June 6

Notes: I bought this one for the wife recently as she'd been wanting to read it for a year or so. It deals with a modern woman who discovers she has some relation to the Salem Witch Trials. I'm not sure if this book will be a historical mystery, paranormal fiction or something else, but it sounded interesting. The wife hasn't gotten to this novel yet, but I figured I'd give it a go while she's busy with other things.

Mini review: A pretty good read. I felt it was a little wordy. Just a little. Could've lost 50 or so pages I wouldn't have missed much. Somewhat predictable, but not completely so. The history was interesting, though I already knew the basics. The story itself was probably the most predictable part, but still, not so much as to ruin the book for me. I'd give this author another chance, and I've heard she's working on her next novel.

100 sites for fiction writers: #4 - Ralan.com

This is an ongoing series looking at websites that can be of help to fiction writers with their craft and career.

Ralan.com

One of the challenges of trying to make a living, or to just bring in a little extra cash, as a fiction writer is to find places where you can sell your stories. Writers are all the time looking for new book publishers or magazines or e-zines or whatever in hopes of finding someplace that might be interested in buying one of your stories for publication.

To help with that search, there are a handful of websites out there that bring together much of the information writers need for selling. Ralan.com is one of the best of such sites.

At Ralan.com you will find lists upon lists of book publishers, magazine publishers, online sites, e-zines and other sites that are looking for short fiction, novels, flash fiction, etc. This site also features listings for fiction writing awards, anthologies, audio books, as well as some humor.

There is also a Market Notes page where you can find out some of the latest news on what's been happening with some publishers. For example, if you submitted a short story to a publisher a while back and have not heard anything within the appropriate time period, check out the Ralan.com Market Notes, because you might find out what's going on; perhaps the publisher has closed shop or is backed-up with work or something else.

Speaking of submitting stories, there is also a Response Times page so you can get an idea for how long it takes some publishers to get back to a writer.

The Writing Links page at Ralan.com is quite extensive, as well. Here you will find all kinds of links to publishers, literary agents, blogs, helpful sites ... if you can think of it, there's a good chance it's on the Ralan.com Writing Links page.

There is so much to be found at Ralan.com that you will just have to spend some time perusing the site. Ralan himself has penned some fiction work, so don't forget to check that out.

One last thing about Ralan.com: The site has a focus on speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror, etc.), but don't be fooled by that. There are all kinds of links for all kinds of fiction writers to be found here.

As an aside note: Though this article uses common parlance like "sell" or "selling" when referring to what writers do with their stories concerning stories, this is technically incorrect. Writers do not "sell" their stories, whether a short or a novel or something in between. Writers give publishers temporary rights to publish the story, but the story still belongs to the writer. Exceptions to this are the rare cases when a writer signs away all rights in a contract, which is a foolish thing to do. Who is to say your novel or short story won't become the next big thing? And if you've given away all your rights, you won't make a penny. One other exception is work made for-hire, but often in such instances the writer is writing using characters and worlds which he or she did not create.