Create ISBN and bar code

You're editing is complete. Now what do you do?

 

You want to register/catalog your work, which also acts as your copyright. You also want to set you work up to be carried in bookstores and libraries, and the way to do this is with an ISBN which you can obtain at the following link - https://www.myidentifiers.com/

 

You can buy your ISBNs one at a time or in blocks,just depends on how much money you have available. I recommend purchasing a bar code at the time you purchase your ISBN. which is only an additional $25.00 and is available for download in less than 48 hours. Why the bar code? Stores and libraries must keep track of their inventory, and they do so through the use of bar codes. So, to make your work more attractive to stores and libraries, you should purchase your bar code at the time your purchase your ISBN and have the bar code "embedded" in your cover design (I'll talk about cover design in my next blog entry). Your bar code can also "contain" your price if you know what you plan to charge for your work, however, the tricky thing about setting a price before you know how much it's going to cost to print your work is that you could end up with little or no royalties. So I recommend picking a printer and finding out what it's going to cost to print your novel prior to setting a retail price. I will cover Picking A Printer in a future blog entry.

 

You should be prepared to upload your manuscript at the time you purchase your ISBN, as Bowker has to associate the ISBN with a specific body of work which why you want to complete your editing first so that you associate a "clean" version of your manuscript with your ISBN.

 

If your cover design (Again, I'll talk about this in my next blog entry) is complete, then you can upload it as well.

 

For such a simple task there are a lot of things to consider, so I'm going to let you muddle over what I've just shared before giving you more to think about. However, don't let what I've shared with you make you feel overwhelmed. While the process of self-publishing is complex, it's also simple and very rewarding once you hold your finished product in your hand!

 

Until next time, Happy Writing
G

 

P.S. I do one on one consultations, and the first 30 minutes is free of charge.

Second Round of Editing

Sorry to have left you for so long, but my second daughter gave birth to her first child last Friday so I've been a little distracted. But I'm back, and we'll pick up where we left off.

So you've finished your novel, you've done the first round of editing, and now you need to know what to do next!

More Editing!

No, the editing process isn't over.

This time, you need to find an "outside" editor to review your work. For while you know your story best, you know it too well and will thus see what you "know" the story should say instead of what is actually typed on the page.

And even though today's "word" programs have a built in spelling/grammar check, they don't catch everything and sometimes flag things that don't need to be corrected. So it's best to have a "real live" person, other than yourself, review your work.

Professional Editors can be expensive, family and friends my not have the expertise to properly edit your work, so who do you "hire"?

I recommend another author, and you might be able to work out a barter system where they edit your book and you edit theirs. The only potential problem with this method is neither of you may not have enough experience in the editing process because this is your first novel or you hated English in high school and didn't pay that much attention, and in that case you want to go with a more seasoned author.

Do not letting the editing process or the multiple rounds of editing dissuade you from publishing your work, for while it may seem daunting right now you will be extremely happy with the end result!

Once this second round of editing is complete, you are well on your way in the publishing process!

Until next time . . . .

Happy Editing
G Styl

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Where do you begin

So you have an idea for a book, but you don't know where to begin.

First thing to do is  . . . .  Write!

Yes, it's that simple.  Begin by writing.  Take your idea/concept and begin writing, and don't worry if your writing deviates from the original idea or concept.  Just let the story take you where it wants you to go. Unless it is autobiographical or based on true events, the story doesn't have  to stay on track with your original concept.  So let it lead you, and if you don't like the path your traveling with the story you can always stop and start over again.

What do you do once that initial first draft is complete?

Edit it!

I recommend doing the first round of editing yourself for you should know your characters better than any one else, and if you have a hard time relating to them so will anyone else who reads the manuscript.  Also, you know the locations where the story takes place better than anyone else, if it doesn't sound realistic to you it's not going to sound realistic to someone else.  So your first pass during the editing process should be for content and continuity, although you're bound to pick up some spelling and grammatical errors along the way your focus should be on your character development and story line development - Content and Continuity!

I think that's enough of a start!  I'll check back in a few days and see if you're ready for more!
Happy Writing!
G Styl

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