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Finish Your Writing ProjectSession 3—How to Publish

Presented Wed. July 23, 2014Ann Arbor Rec and Ed @ Skyline High School

Debbie Merion, MSW, MFA

www.essaycoaching.comdebbie@essaycoaching.com

Goals of this Session

• Familiarize you with some amazing local publications

• Provide a brief overview of the process of publishing your work in print and online

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Publishing Articles Locally

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Five steps to publishing locally (1)

1. Clarify your story

2. Explore local online publications on the handout and read

--writers’ guidelines

--deadline for submission

--who is the editor?

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Five steps to publishing locally (2)

3. Envision—where exactly will the story go? Look at the number of words, and the style. Write for that space.

4. Email an editor a query/pitch if you don’t have the entire story written.

5. Submit and be patient, but check back.

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Publishing Online and Nationally

• Online: Research the site and send for guidelines. Stronger competition nationally.

• Journals and Magazines Published Nationally: Get a sample copy. Ask for writer’s guidelines.

• Find options at Writer’s Market. writersmarket.com

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Ready to Publish a Book?

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Publishing Books

• Is your idea a book?

• Is your idea a book that hasn’t been written?

• Do you want to write without thought of publishing?

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To publish a completed manuscript:

• Find an agent– Ask other writers you know – Publisher’s Marketplace and Query Tracker– Read preface in similar books

• Contact editors directly - use Writer’s Market (book or online at writersmarket.com) or contact Ann Arbor publishers.

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Ann Arbor Area Book Publishers

• Huron River Press

• Robbie Dean Press

• University of Michigan Press

• Dzanc books

• Wayne State University Press

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To self-publish a completed manuscript (slide 1):

• eBook (e.g. Kindle is kdp.amazon.com)

• Print on demand (through createspace.com, U-M Espresso book machine

• Printhouse like bookbaby or lulu.com.

• Local printer (Kinkos, Thompson-Shore)– ISBN: bowker.com– authorsguild.org websites for writers – http://www.marketingnewauthors.com/

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To self-publish a completed manuscript (slide 2):

• Photobook: mixbook.com, photo-book-review.toptenreviews.com/

• Book from blog postings: http://www.blurb.com/bookmaking-tools

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E-book

• Tool to create and format your file: Word

• Tool to convert and format your file: aspose.wordsexpress, smashwords or calibre-ebook.com to convert to .epub, .pdf, .mobi, .txt

• Upload your file to sell (distribution): smashwords, kdp.amazon.com/pubit.barnesandnoble.com

• Royalties

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Espresso Book Machine www.lib.umich.edu/espresso-book-machine

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Books on Publishing Books

• Putting Your Passion Into Print-Eckstut and Sterry

• Thinking Like Your Editor-Rabiner and Fortunato

• How to Write a Book Proposal-Larsen

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Books on E-Publishing

• How to Make, Market and Sell Ebooks – Jason Matthews 2010

• How to Publish an Ebook on a Budget – Stephanie Zia 2012

• Word to Kindle and Nook – David DeWitt 2012• How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months – John

Locke 2011• Do it Yourself: Format a Simple MS Word Doc -

Lisa Frase 2011

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Conferences about Writing

• Erma Bombeck conference-Dayton

• American Bookseller’s Assoc. Conven.

• Listing: http://writing.shawguides.com/

• New York Pitch Conf. http://newyorkpitchconference.com/

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Once published, how to use your online publication links?

• In your email signature

• On Facebook

• On Linkedin

• In work proposals

• Book proposals

• Resume

• Biography

Websites about Writing

• www.writersmarket.com/

• www.writersdigest.com/

• www.pw.org/

• www.awpwriter.org/magazine/

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Goals of this lecture

• Familiarize you with some amazing local publications

• Provide a brief overview of the process of publishing your work in print and online

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“Writing is a dog’s life, but the only life worth living.”

--Gustave Flaubert, French novelist

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Finish Your Writing ProjectClass 3 Lecture—How to Publish

Presented Wed. July 23, 2014Ann Arbor Rec and Ed @ Skyline High School

Debbie Merion, MSW, MFA

www.essaycoaching.comdebbie@essaycoaching.com