[stylist] Marketing and Recent Posts

[Lynda Lambert]

Writers,
I will tag onto this post because if I try to post directly it usually is 
kicked back to me and is undeliverable. I have not an idea why but it 
happens often.

I was writing an article today that will be published soon on another 
organization's website. I thought you all might find some good information 
in this article I wrote about my recent publishing experiences.
This article will be fit into another piece by a fellow writer - so here you 
have my part of the big picture. This is my draft and will be edited further 
before it is published.  L Y N D A

_____
Navigate Publishing Opportunities
by Lynda McKinney Lambert

When my new book, Walking by Inner Vision: Stories & Poems 
https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Inner-Vision-Stories-Poems/dp/1543121624/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500929581&sr=1-1&keywords=Walking+by+Inner+Vision%2C+Lynda+McKinney+Lambert 
was published this year, it was the culmination of eight years of work. I 
wrote it because I wanted to share my journey into sight loss with readers 
who may be facing the same challenges I encountered in 2007 when I suddenly 
lost my sight due to Ischemic Optic Neuropathy. Shortly after this sight 
loss began, I started writing a blog which I called “Walking by Inner 
Vision,” as a way of encouraging readers. I wanted to share my story to 
provide educational information as well.

Get Organized

First, I compiled a collection of memoirs which appeared on my blog, 
“Walking by Inner Vision,” My book would be divided into twelve chapters and 
my intention was to take the reader on a journey through the year- one 
chapter for each month. The 27 poems & 16 stories begin in January and end 
in December. Each chapter has a focus on a season, theme, holiday or event 
in a calendar year.
Map Out a Plan
I knew I needed a workable plan. I’m a visual artist and I like to see a 
plan mapped out so I can keep it nearby and check it often to be sure where 
I am at and where I need to be in the process of writing the book. I have 
low vision but I can see a page if it is white and large; I use an enormous 
black marker on it. I made a BIG calendar that I could hang on my office 
wall. I drew a grid, one block for each of the 12 months. On my grid, I 
wrote out exactly what had to be accomplished each month in order to reach 
my goal and  have my first draft completed in 1 year. I did not think about 
a publisher during the first couple of months.

Begin to Research Publishers

I wanted my book to be timely and fresh. I didn’t want to go the route of 
contacting a hundred or more traditional publishers. I felt an urgency to 
get the project completed in a year. I did not want to waste valuable time 
chasing after traditional publishers. I watched as some other writers worked 
diligently for months until they exhausted all options. At the end of a 
year, they still ended up without a publisher.
Choosing Your Publisher
Gradually, as I worked during the year I was writing my book, I began to 
contact several publishers. Each of them called me on the phone and sent 
E-mail messages regularly. Each was friendly and anxious to get the 
opportunity to publish my book. I looked at all the statistics they provided 
and they looked good. They were clear about what they provided and the 
expenses involved. Most started at $1,500 and some went up to $15,000. to do 
the book. A couple of the publishers are of-shoots of major publishing 
companies that are quickly recognized. That is their selling point. They 
want you to think that if they publish your book, the “big company” they are 
a part of might pick you up as one of their star authors. I found very 
little or actually no evidence that this was the case. It was a great 
selling point and could easily entice a new author to pay the big bucks for 
a possible opportunity of making it big in the publishing business.
Find the Publisher that Fits Your Dream
During my months of research and gathering information on publishers, I 
began to learn about a business in Denver, Co that specializes in working 
with blind authors. It is DLD Books, run by David and Leonore Dvorkin. This 
information perked my imagination. I purchased a few books created by DLD 
Books; impressive books and professionally done.  In addition, I learned 
that their niche was working with blind authors to get their books 
published. This intrigued me even more.
What to Expect After you Select Your Publisher
I could the Dvorkins and explored ideas for my book publication. We chose a 
starting date when my draft should be ready for them. The publication fit 
perfectly into my ideal time-line which I was working on – it would be ready 
by the end of the year and they would take it at that time.

Some Positive Points

One: I’m a visual artist and writer. I usually produce the photography that 
goes with my essays and I wanted to do that for my book. No problem! I sent 
several photos I was considering for the book covers (front and back) and as 
illustrations with some of the material in the book. We worked on this 
together to select the best ones. I am so thrilled with the book cover. One 
reader told me, “The book cover is so beautiful, that I intend to have it 
framed for my home.”  Others have remarked about the stunning cover and I am 
completely delighted with it, too!

Two: The Dvorkins kept in close contact with me and often several times a 
day as different questions or changes came up. Near the end of the editing 
process, I did a complete change and made major revisions and 
re-organization in the format and order of the essays. The Dvorkins were 
probably in shock, but they worked with me to make the deep changes I 
required. I’m a former English Professor and that means I am subject to 
revisions and edits at any phase in the project. I wanted the book to be 
spot-on and they understood that and worked with me through the extra work 
it created for them.

Three: The Dvorkins work on a per-hour rate. I liked the way they billed me 
for services after every 10 hours so that it was easy for me to make the 
payments during the process of editing and formatting the book for 
publication. Their fees are fair and reasonable and the caviat is that they 
are also affordable.

Fou: My editors understand writers and their publishing goals. They offered 
realistic options.   They provided services to me even after the book was on 
the market. In fact, they ordered professional cards to distribute to 
various locations and people to advertise the book.  They provided an 
authors Page on their website that is updated as needed. This website gives 
information on the book as well as a free sample so that a reader can access 
a sample of my book.  My Author’s page is updated with my latest news about 
book signing events and presentations I am doing.  They remain open to 
helping their authors in every way possible and the help does not end once 
the book is produced.
How long did it take for the completion of the book? In my case, five months 
from the date it was sent to them in draft form. Much of that time was due 
to the changes I made during that time.  We did three drafts before the book 
was published.

Five: The book is visually attractive as well as technically well done as a 
text. I wanted a book that would be a work of art, and I got it! Not only is 
the book beautiful on the outside, the stories & poems inside are formatted 
to perfection. I am one happy client. In one review, the writer stated that 
she was “sad” when she reached the end of the book because she “did not want 
it to end.” Other reviewers echo the same sentiment.

I’m already working on my next book (a collection of new and selected poems) 
targeted for publication late in 2018. I’ll be following the instructions 
and plan for that book, exactly as I have outlined in this essay. It works 
well!












-----Original Message----- 
From: David Russell via stylist
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2017 12:48 PM
To: stylist
Cc: David Russell
Subject: [stylist] Marketing and Recent Posts

Hi Writers,

Bridgit, I knew about the Braille Navigator when that came out in the
80-s or early 90-s. I was working for the Department of HUD then as a
clerk typist but chose voice on my desktop work computer instead.

I know any of that media is expensive, and it's not easy to get on the
roles of state Blind Commissions unless one is headed for a definite
vocational direction. It's amazing though what case workers will
charge for rendering services. That's a whole topic in and of itself.
I do 98% of my reading via talking book. The only braille I receive
from NLS now are sport schedules.

This question is for anyone, if you publish a book and use an online
seller and physical location to sell your book, have an author page
and perhaps a blog, and you're not planning to publish regularly on
your own, can you market successfully without a website?
I did not know of you, Shelley or Cindy until joining this list. How
would I know you otherwise? Vice versa?
If you have a common name, what criteria do you use to come up with a
website name if you do secure one?
Perhaps we will always be up against the good old disconnect. It's a
baffling matter to address alone isn't it?
-- 
David Russell
david.sonofhashem at gmail.com
Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.
James A. Michener

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