As you might have been able to deduce from my various blog posts and Facebook updates, I've decided to take another crack at self-publishing. There are but three major reasons as to why I would self-publish:
1} I have a few regularly published stories as well as a regularly published novel under my belt;
2} I feel extremely confident (but not to the point of being stupid) about my writing:
3} I'm still undecided about querying my novella, so I really nee to have something else published in order to keep my name out there and to drum up a little interest in my other novel.
With reason number three gently but firmly chipping away at my psyche, I decided to take that giant step forward again. Having both learned my lesson the first time around and watching what others did for self-publishing, I had a very good idea on what and where I should do it.
The what was pretty easy, in that i had three good stories that I had previously published on my now closed short story blog a few years ago, in a slightly different telling/format.
The reason why I chose those stories was directly due to the fact that they perfectly fit the theme of love, but with a slightly different twist.
Story number one is about new love being found, with a town festival being the backdrop; story number two is about love misconstrued and story number three is about love that is taboo.
The where was also pretty easy to choose as well.
There are really only two good self-publishing websites that you can use if you're genuinely serious about putting out a good product: Smashwords and CreateSpace.
Smashwords is exclusively e-books, while CreateSpace is almost exclusively print. And since e-books is not quite the seismic wave of the future that people make it out to be but still a very viable alternative for those who want to put out short stories, Smashwords is where I'm going.
I also took the liberty of setting up an account at iStock Photo, since I really want to have good solid cover for this trilogy. As for the design aspect, I got an offer from a fellow writer in a writer's group that I belong to, of her help with the design for free. So within a week or so, I plan on checking back with here to see if the offer is still valid.
In the meantime, I have a blurb that I want to share with you. I wasn't too sure on how much detail I should go into for each story, so I would like your honest opinion on the blurb. Is it a dieter's delight or should it be more beefy?
Love anew. Love misplaced. Love taboo.
Three short stories that present a fresh twist to those common themes.
In "The Right Thing", Tim is forced to work through the heartache of his childhood sweetheart dropping him for another as he roams a local festival.
"Singularly Married" showcases how love for another can be sadly misconstrued and misinterpreted.
And finally, "Friends With Benefits" showcases how two longtime best friends take their deep respect for another to a place that no one can truly understand.
I'm gonna have to check out that stock photo place. I've used only one stock photo on an ebook. usually I use Lana's photos.
ReplyDeleteI want editorial approval on anything you create for a book cover haha
ReplyDeleteCharles: It's pretty decent. If you can't find anything there, they have links to Getty Images. And the pricing is good.
ReplyDeleteBearman: I would love to work with a flaky editor. Gotta have that skewered outlook from time to time.
I think it's perfect. Succinct, and I am curious to read them.
ReplyDeleteM: Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe blurb sounds good to me, although the last one made me think of the film with the same title.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the shorts, G:) I am planning to release a collection of short stories in the autumn too whilst I look for a traditional publisher for my novel. I am almost there now - it's been a long journey:)
ReplyDeleteCheck out Fotolia for photos too - they are not free but really not that expensive. I have got some great pictures for my blog for just a few pence.
I think those lines describe the stories perfectly.
ReplyDeleteJoe: Thanks. I've heard about the movie "Friends With Benefits" but haven't seen it yet as the short synopsis for it doesn't really make me want to watch it.
ReplyDeleteJane: Thanks for the wishes and thanks for the tip. Good luck on the hunt for a publisher.
Lynn: Thanks.
G, I thought the blurbs were good. Enough to entice, but not enough to give it all away. There is a movie called "Friends with Benefits" so you might consider a title change...people might have preconceptions with that particular one.
ReplyDeleteTalon: Thanks.
ReplyDeleteNot so sure about changing the title as I wrote the story a few years ago. And somehow I doubt that they'll mix this story up with that movie.