Category: Tips for Self Publishing

It’s pushing me into premature old age…

Tips for Self Publishing

This is a cautionary tale for my fellow bloggers.

I had thought my art site, Rohvannynshaw.com, was fairly safe.  I had set up a couple of passwords that did the whole numbers, letters and symbols thing.  I guess my FTP password, which I didn’t think of much because I don’t really use FTP, was too easy to guess.

This opened the site up to scammers!

It started with the multiple spam comments a day.  After I locked that down by requiring sign up for commenters, I still got a few.  Then the spam through my contact form started.  Then I found a couple of blog posts that I hadn’t written.  I changed my passwords and deleted the content, figuring that would be the end of it.  It wasn’t.  Then a couple of users I hadn’t added showed up.  I deleted them, changed the password again…

Then someone built a phishing page that was harassing hotels in Germany, using the hosting I was paying for.  Then they took over my email and started using that to spam people, and locked me out…

So I contacted my hosting company to see what I could do.

It turns out that FTP password, which I rarely even thought of, was the weak link.  It had been too easy to guess and had given scammers access.

So my entire site had to be deleted and now I have to start from scratch.  I’m waiting a bit to see if anyone is putting any other files on my site or database, before rebuilding the site.  As many gray hairs as this has given me, I’ve learned a lot.  So here are some things you can do to prevent the same thing from happening.

Keep an inventory of all your passwords and make sure they are ALL hard to guess.  You may want to keep a little book, hidden or locked up somewhere, as a master list that is not accessible online.  That way you can change things on a regular basis and not forget anything.  I have done this.  I know people say never write down your password, but honestly that’s probably the safest way to keep it – just don’t leave it where people can find it.

Watch for spam comments, new files you didn’t upload, and new users on your site.

If you pay for hosting outside WordPress, know how to get into your database and your files list so you can check for new things you didn’t add.

Watch for blog posts you didn’t write.  They may be hidden in the middle of the list.

Get two factor authentication if you can.

Keep your blog updated with any security updates or patches.

Run an antivirus (I recommend Spybot S&D) or use a Linux machine.  That way, you aren’t as likely to be hit by keyloggers that will save your password.

If you have a security issue, go to your hosting service – a lot of times they can be helpful.

Back up your site in some way.  That way you don’t have to start from scratch in case you have to redo it – like I did.  I have my blog entries for my art site saved on Goodreads so I know basically what I had.

Stay vigilant!  If something looks odd, investigate.

Keep blogging!  Sites with few or infrequent updates are prime targets for scammers and hackers because they know they aren’t watched as well.

May the Source be with you.

 

via Daily Prompt: Age

Publishing Particulars for Draft2Digital

Tips for Self Publishing

Read below for my special offer for authors!

As many of my fellow authors know, Pronoun is closing down.  Pronoun was actually a really great eBook publishing platform, and gave authors a great profit share.  Probably too great – since they are shutting down.  Anyway I’ll miss them.

On a recommendation, I gave Draft2Digital a try.  I found the conversion and formatting easy, the eBook templates varied and nice looking, and the interface was awesome!  Profit share is still good, too, and they distribute to multiple vendors.  They do provide universal links for ease in marketing, and there’s even a neat feature where your readers can sign up for email alerts for you publish a new book.

I had one little issue with one of the vendors, but the Draft2Dgital rep was responsive friendly and corrected it immediately.  So far I’ve had nothing but good to say about them.  I like retaining control over my books, and being able to price them at any rate I wish, without paying up front.  I also like how you can set any payment threshold you want, and they pay you via an assortment of methods.

So that brings me to my special offer, particularly for authors!  If you follow my affiliate link and join, then send me a message or an email, I’ll feature you in an author interview to promote your new book.

Just follow the link here!  My email address is on the About page.

That link, if you want to save it, is:  https://www.draft2digital.com/mindflight

If you want to see what one of their universal book pages looks like, check this out:

https://www.books2read.com/u/mdNP2W

 

Happy creating!

 

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/particular/

Pronoun’s shutting down and I’m feeling Faint

Tips for Self Publishing

Pronoun was a great self publishing resource that was run by McMillan, the publishing company.  It offered great terms for authors, a top notch interface, and awesome distribution.  I’m sad to see it closing because it worked so well.

It came as something of a shock.  The other day I logged into my email, and there it was – the notification.  I definitely had a sinking feeling when seeing that.  On the bright side, though, I know a lot more about eBooks than I used to.

Now I’ll have to migrate my books over to Amazon or some other service, and also do the same for my father’s stuff that we published together.  I’ll now be dealing with multiple editions as well, since there will be a Pronoun edition as well as an Amazon edition.  I’m sure I’ll find a way with deal with it but it’s still a big pain in the neck.

If anyone out there wants the scoop on what’s happening, here’s a link to the FAQ.  Pronoun is staying open till after the holidays so authors can finish up any sales they might have going.

http://support.pronoun.com/knowledge_base/topics/pronoun-shutdown-faq

It’s too bad, really, and I’ll miss the service.

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/faint/

How to Respectfully Fire a Client

Tips for Self Publishing

I don’t like to fire clients.

I really don’t.

Especially when I know they are going to have a hard time finding someone else to do what I do, or if it’s going to be a financial hardship for me.  Besides, it’s scary.  I hate being disapproved of or disappointing people.  I have trouble putting myself first.

However, sometimes it needs to happen, for a number of reasons.

Why fire a client anyway?

Each freelancer has their own “hard limits.”  That line they won’t cross.  It’s best if you decide that before you even start work, so when you encounter that situation, you already know how to react.

Here’s an example of what I mean. 

I had been working with a friend of the family for years.  This individual hadn’t been the easiest person to work with, yet I finished several projects.  The content of the books this person wrote had massive inaccuracies and they refused to correct anything.  I continued assisting this person because I figured “well, if they want to do this, it’s on their head” even though I really didn’t feel right about helping spread bad information. However, I knew they were not the richest person in the world and I wanted to help them achieve their dream of being published.  I was on the fence about it but not quite at the firing stage.

A few days ago, they came to me with another book proposal.  Because of past issues I had said I would no longer do any art or editing but would assist with preparing the books for publication.  When I actually read the manuscript I was appalled! Without going into detail, this “children’s book” actually had descriptions of animal abuse and torture and contained mentions of sexually transmitted diseases.  In a children’s book!  It was an odd hybrid of an alphabet book for toddlers and something aimed for sixth grade or older.  This book, by the way, was also wildly inaccurate with many of it’s “facts.”

They had crossed the line.

So, I wrote up a letter.  My spouse helped me make sure it was clear and professional, helped me chop out some clunky verbiage.  I was not rude, but I was direct.  It’s never easy to fire a client, and part of me regrets this because I know the author meant well.  They were trying to help people with learning disabilities.  However, I think their passion for the project overrode their good sense, and since they never were good about taking editing suggestions, the only option I was left with was to fire them.  If they had been better at working with an editor, we probably could have salvaged the book – which is too bad, the illustrations were gorgeous, and the intent was laudable.

Here are some tips I hope are helpful for other freelance authors and artists.

Tips for Firing Clients

Stay professional in all ways.  Never, ever, ever be rude.

Avoid blaming language.  Use “I statements” instead of “you statements.”

Avoid excessive explanation.  You don’t have to defend yourself, and defensiveness will make others think you were in the wrong.  You weren’t if you thought this through properly, so don’t explain too much.

Watch out if your client won’t accept feedback, no mater how gently put.

Don’t run your clients down.  Not then, not ever.  It makes you look bad to other potential clients.

Keep everything simple and clear in your last letter.

Maintain meticulous records and back them up.  Especially, keep records of your final email to the client.  This will help protect you if they decide to sue.

Don’t Panic.  If they decide to sue, or threaten you, keep your cool, seek help if you need it, and keep your towel handy.

Don’t compromise your principles.  Not once, because if you do it once, you will do it again.  Just make sure your principles are fair and reasonable first.

Fire clients only after serious thought, and never over anything minor.

Remember, sometimes firing a client is the wakeup call they need to moderate their behavior.  You could be doing them a favor.  For example, if I had published the book I mentioned above, the author might have encountered angry parents, internet scorn, and even death threats.  If the author went on to publish it elsewhere without considering the points I made in my termination notice, it’s on their head not mine.  I gave them the chance to improve whether they took it or not.

Also keep in mind, no matter how irritated you might be at a client, or no matter how sorry you might feel for them, there are lines that no one can make you cross.  Staying positive and professional in all your communications will help you in both cases.  Then if they are disappointed, angry, or hurt, you know you did the right thing – and you can prove it.

As a footnote, I don’t actually wish anything bad for that client.  I hope they learn from what I said in my final letter, and I hope they also learn to take in constructive criticism and advice.  That will allow them to grow and maximize their potential instead of circling around in a self created prison, shut off from the fresh air of feedback. 

 

“To err is human, to admit your mistakes and fix them is professional.”

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/glaring/

Freelancer tip: Avoid clients who pay… later.

Tips for Artists, Tips for Self Publishing, Tips for Writers

Payment can be a tough subject for many of us who are freelancers.  Yet, it’s important!  After all, why are we working?  Sure, we truly enjoy our craft, whether it be writing, visual art, graphic design, crafts, or whatever the case may be.  But we don’t do it purely for love.  We do it because we need something to pay the bills and put food on the table.

That’s why today’s post is dedicated to that most uplifting of prose, “pay to the order of.”  We’ll talk about pay, getting paid, and things to do to make sure you get paid!  If anyone has questions, feel free to ask and I’ll probably add it on as another question.

Tips for Freelancers:

Set clear expectations.

Have a place on your website that explains when you expect to be paid, how much, and when.  Then you will have a leg to stand on when someone starts to argue.  For an example, check out my commissions page:  http://rohvannynshaw.com/commissions/

Have a contract.

This helps both client and creator understand the terms of the deal, and protects both if something goes wrong.  When is pay expected?  When is the work supposed to be complete?  What is the scope of the work, and how many rounds of editing are allowed before the client needs to pay more?  This prevents clients from adding extra things or deciding to pay… later.  Keep all copies and send the contract in a PDF if you have to email it, that way nothing can be changed.

Price fairly.

This means not pricing too high, but it also means not pricing too low.  Do research in your field, and see what other people doing similar work get paid.  If you price too high, you may not get customers.  If you price too low, you devalue other people’s work and you also may drive customers off.  After all, no one likes to buy at a fire sale.

Keep all records.

I said it above, but it bears repeating.  Don’t just keep the contract.  Also keep all emails (preferably archived in PDF format) related to the project, all materials provided to you, and any other correspondence.  Keep it in a separate folder and if possible archive it on a thumb drive, just so you have it ready to hand in case you need it.  This way, if someone takes legal action against you, or you need to do the same, you’ll have everything and won’t have to go hunting around.

Don’t discount.

Family and friends are famous for asking for “buddy discounts.”  The trouble with this is, they often start offering that same discount to their own friends.  Pretty soon every available client seems to think they should get the family rate.  I didn’t think this would happened to me and it did – so it can happen to anyone.  It can happen to you.  So price fairly and then if they give you static, calmly explain that this is the going rate for professional work.

Don’t “do it for the clicks.”

Doing work for exposure only goes so far.  I write for free on this blog and I feature artists and authors for free.  However, I never do art, editing, or manuscripts for free.  You can’t eat clicks, you can’t pay bills with exposure.  Not only that, but every time someone does something for free it drives down the value of what other freelancers do!

Fire clients if you have to.

It can be scary to fire a client.  You may think “I’ll never find another,” or “how am I supposed to work if I fire my clients?”  So I’m not saying to fire every client, or to do it quickly and easily.  However, some people are just not worth your valuable time or stress level.  If you have a client who keeps trying to get you to lower your rates after you’ve agreed on a price, or if they treat you badly, or if they make it impossible to do a good job, fire them.  Do it simply, do it calmly, and you don’t have to explain why.

Set limits on how much you will do for a certain fee.

If you write, put a clause in your contract saying “includes three rounds of editing.”  You can do something similar for art.  If you build websites, find out up front  how many pages you’ll be designing.  Think similarly for any other project.  Otherwise, you may have a client who creates a seemingly endless project for one low starter fee.

Don’t undersell the competition by too great a margin.

If everyone is designing book covers for $200-$500, don’t say “hey, I’ll do just as good a job for ten bucks!”  You’ll see this all over DeviantArt.  People will do amazing work for five or ten dollars, or even for free.  Now, the artists are just thinking about having fun and not considering the effects of what they are doing.  However, you have a choice.  For every freelancer who offers services at rock bottom prices, other freelancers can’t put food on the table because people are using the ultra-cheap options offered by the irresponsible freelancers.  Sites like Fiverr.com, by offering extremely low prices, are ultimately harming the industry.  Don’t be part of that trend.  Remind your clients and potential clients that they get what they pay for, and can rely on  you to provide professional, responsible service at a fair price.

Be responsive to questions.

When someone asks a question about you or your business, be friendly, informative, and respond quickly.  This is especially true if they contact you via your contact link on your website.  One of the great things about hiring a freelancer is being able to communicate openly with them, so help people see that advantage by being there.

Be punctual and professional.

Similarly, if there is a time expectation set, meet or exceed that expectation.  Use good business style in all your communications.  Be unfailingly polite and cheerful.  Explain things clearly and answer all questions.  If there is a misunderstanding, be as clear as you can and try to help your client understand.  Sometimes misunderstandings can be as simple as a different use of language, and easily solved with a few questions.

Being a freelancer can be a lot of fun and a very rewarding career.  Following these tips will help it be even better!

via Daily Prompt: Later\

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/later/

Legitimate Author Loses Amazon Publishing Account

Tips for Self Publishing

There’s this indie author I know a little bit from the Kboards.com forum. Her name is Pauline Creeden, and she’s an ordinary midlister, like so many of us. I remember PMing her some time ago and gushing about how particularly beautiful one of her book covers is—the one for Chronicles of Steele: Raven. Here, I’ll include […]

via THINK YOU COULDN’T POSSIBLY LOSE YOUR AMAZON PUBLISHING ACCOUNT? THINK AGAIN. — Adidas Wilson

New eBook: “Self-Publishing Made Easy.”

Books and Stories, Tips for Self Publishing

Within the next few days, my new eBook will be available.  In it is all the material on the “Self Publishing” tab on my main site, plus a lot of additional information, clarification, and suggestions.  I hope everyone likes it and finds it useful.  It’s short, easy to read, and to the point.  Best of all, it’ll be sold for only 99 cents!

Stay tuned, I’ll make another announcement when it’s available for everyone.

 

self-publishing-cover-900

When you want Exposure – don’t use ads!

Tips for Self Publishing

I’m going to tell you a secret.

I don’t buy anything I see in ads.

If you make something and want to share it with people, or have a business you want people to use, ads generate very little business.  These days, most folks have an ad blocker up anyway, or even if they don’t, the ad blocker in their brains is working full force.  That’s one of the reasons why my blogs and websites are ad free.

Sometimes I’ll share something in a post that I think my readers might like to know about, or I’ll let them know about a good deal, but I do not allow outside advertisers to put up ads.

If you want exposure, what does that mean for you?  

It’s really good news when you think about it.   Engagement is the key to building trust and getting sales.  Posting on forums about something OTHER than your business, whatever it may be, but including a discreet signature link can work wonders.

Guest posts, blog reviews, casually talking to people, those all work too.  If done well, it can be very successful.  Spammers are now trying to copy this technique, with little success.  Now they are trying to make their responses topical!  This shows that it does work, and you can be far more successful by being honest, engaging with people, and discussing things they are interested in.  Once they like you, they want to know more about you.

A note:  I’m not talking about saying something in a forum such as “I really liked your post.  It was interesting.  By the way, I have a book to sell…”  That’s just crass and intrusive.  What you want to do is go to forums/blogs/message boards of people who might be interested in your book.  Enjoy discussions, give advice, help people.  Then let them notice your signature.

I wanted to share this secret because I know there are still people out there who can use it.  Honest, sincere engagement helps everyone.  It improves the quality of forums and message boards, it helps those who have services to offer, and it reduces reliance on annoying ads too.  It’s more work to do it right, but it’s far, far cheaper.

Happy Communicating!

 

via Daily Prompt: Exposure

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/exposure/

How to Self-Publish: eBooks and Kindle

Tips for Self Publishing, Tips for Writers

Most of my discussion so far has been regarding paperback books. However, it’s pretty simple to also offer eBooks, and a great way to increase your readership, as well as give more value to your customer.

Converting files to eBook

It’s not hard to use a converter like Calibre and convert your existing PDF to ePub, and offer it as a file on your own site.  Calibre is free and simple to use.  It’s just a few mouse clicks to do most conversions.

However, Lulu.com and Kindle Direct Publishing also offer ways of doing that, as do many of the other self publishing sites.

CreateSpace makes it especially easy to offer an eBook of your work. At the end of your publishing process, they will ask if you want them to convert your existing work to Kindle. Then they send you over to Kindle Direct Publishing, where you can set your prices and territories. You have to wait about a day for review on those as well but it’s not a big deal. There is no fee for that either.

You can even offer a package where someone can get an ebook version of your book, either cheaply or for free, when they buy a print copy.

Kindle Select

When you tell them to bring your book over to Kindle, I highly recommend taking a copy of your book and converting it to .doc. That makes a much better looking product and the Kindle software has an easier time converting. LibreOffice does that easily, it’s just a matter of hitting “save as” and selecting “.doc” in the file dropdown.

You will also be offered to join Kindle Select. I usually do this as it offers some great benefits. It lets you run promotions for your book at no cost to you, lets you take a bigger cut of the profits, and gives you more sales options. The only tradeoff is you are agreeing to only sell your eBook on Kindle while you are a member of Kindle Select, but it’s a limited term in case you change your mind later. I’ve never regretted it.

Kindle Select also makes your book free to people who have Amazon Prime. You’re still paid when they read it – you are paid a proportion of the profits, which usually works out to be about a half a cent per page. It’s great to be able to say to your buyers “check out my book for free if you already have the Kindle subscription.”

If you end up using CreateSpace, your paperback and Kindle versions will show up on the same Amazon listing and that makes it really easy for customers to pick what they want.  It also means that if a person reviews your paperback version, that review will be visible on the Kindle version, and vice versa.

eBook covers

The only other note about eBooks as opposed to print books, is the cover is a little different. You only need the front half of the cover. I generally go into Gimp, use rectangle select to isolate the part I want, hit “crop to image,” save that new file, then boom. Done.

Some people do the Kindle or eBook version first, then set up a paperback later, some do the other way around.  Either way is fine.  Kindle Direct Publishing is starting a feature where they convert your Kindle boosk to paperback without you having to use CreateSpace, but that option is currently very new and I haven’t used it yet.