hildie block's workshop

So, then it came to pass, on April Fools Day, that the Washington Post ran this little wonder . .. .

ME, a BOOK EXPERT!

Seriously.  Okay, so that's pretty exciting.  Would have been more exciting if they hadn't cut me from the print edition (I suspect over photo quality, as I was told I would be in it on Friday and yet there seemed to be on going drama with me not understanding what High Resolution was). 

I should NOT become a photographer.  Okay.  So that said.

Anyway, I had a lot more to say than there was room for about the topic -- so I'll keep I think I'll do a series here on my own.

The reality of ebooks and publishing is that a lot more responsibility is gonna fall to you, the writer, for making this thing a success. 

And that, well, sucks in many ways.  But at least it does give you control of your own destiny.  Publishers were backing off before there was an Internet to make it easy for you to pick up the slack.  In the late 90s, my mom had a friend who pubbed a great handyman's handbook with a major label and he was so angry that they didn't really promote it.  Now, at least, you don't have to wither on the vine if you choose not to. 

Right?

Oh and have you seen this?  okay just a little excited!

--hildieblog

Shhh.  It's a secret.

I'm writing something for the Washington Post.   (YAY! right?)

And the deadline is noon.

And it was pretty much done since Friday, but I'm touching it up.  You, know.  Over and over.  'Cause, this is a nice thing, right?  Should be good?

Then, BAM, the husband, who is oblivious to all this, walks, in and hands me a LIVE GENADE.

For real.  Hands me a LIVE GRENADE (not a typo, just for emphasis).

And article from WIRED about the same topic that uses two of the EXACT SAME EXAMPLES pretty much in the same way.  Enough that I checked the byline.  (Duh, no HILDIE, you didn't write it.)

And my first thought was, well, okay, but right, so like HOW MANY PEOPLE GET WIRED? 

Then Leslie Pietrzyk posts the article on Facebook -- and like 30 people read and comment.  Seriously.  This all happened after 4pm yesterday.

And now I'm rewriting. By noon.

So now you know.  The backstory.  When you see the thing in Style.

Call me Sysphus.

--hildieblog

This is another great blog entry by Janet Reid on what to do if you have

           *queries out to agents on a novel

           *and then a small press offers to pub your OTHER book.

I know it's something that has crossed a lot of folks minds  . . . what if . . . .

check it out --

There are only so many ways and times I can say this.

Rejection means nothing.

But sometimes, saying something -- well -- it also means nothing.  What means something is SHOWING -- as in you, know like proof.  Empirical, scientific-ish evidence-y things.

So here you go.  Proof.

and it start liks this:

The New Yorker Rejects Itself: A Quasi-Scientific Analysis of Slush Piles  By David Cameron

It began as the kind of logical argument that seems airtight to anyone who has never studied logic.

If the New Yorker is the most desirable literary magazine in the world, and if the New Yorker can have any short story the New Yorker wants, then whatever story the New Yorker gets would—logically—be so intrinsically desirable that all lesser literary pubs (e.g., everyone) would pine for it. Just like the prettiest girl at the dance: the guy she picks is the guy chicks dig. Basic deduction 101.       

This story, which appeared in the Review Review -- does just that.  Takes and accepted story and shows how random the process is.  (follow the link to keep reading . . .)

--hildieblog

Welcome to the new Hildieblog on the Hildie Block's Workshop website!  You can register, see schedules, and get your book on right here in one place.  Let me know what you think!  

Jan. 22nd, 2012 at 11:42 PM

Hildie Meets Guttenberg

So, if you've been hanging out with me on Facebook, you probably know I finally grabbed the bull by the horns and epubbed a story.

Here's the backstory --

*My story "People" won the 2nd prize from the DelMarVa Review -- a really nice and happy thing. I was thrilled to let folks know. But DelMarVa only publishes the first place win (I really need to read the fine print!). And people kept saying "when can I read it?" So I thought about sending it out and about. I did, but that would take a year probably until folks had a place where they could go read it.

And I'd really been meaning to try that epub/Nook/Kindle thing. If for no other reason than to be able to speak of it intelligently.

So I did.

you can download the nook or Kindle version of "People" here:

for Kindle

and

for Nook

(no, you don't need a nook or Kindle to read this story -- you need only download a nook or Kindle FREE app to your computer, Ipad, or phone.)

Was it easy? Yeah, it was.

Super easy? Not sure I'd got that far.

Fun? Yeah! Hell yeah!

Groovy cash flow?

Not what you'd think.

So here goes how to:

And before I start -- a huge HUGE HUGE thank you to Raima Larter for paving the way. Bloody feet, sisters, has worn smooth the path which you come up hither. That's all I got. Gratitude.

ONTO THE GOOD STUFF --

STEP ONE:

First you have to format your publication. This is the most time consuming part, assuming you do it right.

I watched youtube videos that walked you through the process. I used ones by a writer and former editor named Jill Williamson whose YouTube user name is Jwilliamsonwrites.

There are a series of 4 minute long videos on how to "format a manuscript FOR SUBMISSION" -- start there. Then on how to format for nook and Kindle (it's not the same. Of course.)

this is the first one -- part 1 of 5 of formatting . Keep your manuscript open in a window as you go through these steps. Just pause the video, do the advised action -- "search and replace tabs" or whatever -- and then unpause the video and go to the next thing. It starts off simplistic, but trust me, if I found it worthwhile, you will, too.

STEP TWO:

You need to go to the Amazon and Barnes and Noble sites to get accounts on "PubIt" for Nook

and

Kindle Direct Publishing for Amazon.

side note: Nook files use Word .doc -- Kindle uses HTML files. No biggie -- just know you have to go through both processes -- and save them with different names on your 'puter.

As you go through Jill Williamson's steps to formatting for Kindle, she will suggest you download free software called MobiPocketCreator to help you do this. HTML can be tricky, if you aren't used to it and I did it this way and it worked out -- okay -- not perfect but definitely serviceable. There are page breaks I don't love in the beginning that I COULD NOT FIX, but that's life. Maybe folks didn't notice? Maybe?

Covers???? -- yep, you'll have to design your own cover. It HAS to be a .jpg. If you design it in WORD, you will have to convert it to a .jpg by copying/pasting into Publisher or Powerpoint and saving as .jpg. Or you can do this crazy thing in Paint. Don't. Better to just create it in Powerpoint.

And you have to own the art. Remember that. I used a photo I took at the National Aquarium last summer.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INFO:

**if you agree to be exclusive to AMAZON for the first 90 days you can get a higher royalty rate.

HEY! Is she talking about money?

Yes, I am.

If you go in do it too fast and don't pay attention -- you miss it.

Nook pays 40%, and Kindle 35%, unless you agree to certain exclusivity rules with Kindle, then it can be 70%. But they might also give it away free.

That sounds kinda evil, right? I didn't pay too much attention to all this because I did Nook first because it was easier, so by the time I read this, I could no longer offer it exclusively to Amazon.

Also, an interesting non-scientific note -- 5 times as many people have downloaded "People" onto Kindle than onto Nook.

On a more money related note, you don't get royalties paid until you have $10 in royalties (and then it's 60 days after the end of that month). At 35 cents royalties a download for a short story, you have to sell a bunch to make anything at all.

Yeah.

So there you have it.