My journey to publishing
This platform is intended to document my writing experiences while I navigate the independent publishing landscape (small press publishing) in addition to announcing upcoming engagements and publishing milestones.
I hope that this writing blog will provide some valuable resources to self-publishing authors who are also encountering the same roadblocks while finally cutting the red tape.
So, what is a book trailer? A book trailer is a promotional video that highlights the narrative of your book (similar to a synopsis). It brings your book to life and also plays a major role in your online platform presence. The video does not have to be lavish nor expensive to be successful, it just needs to entice the reader/viewer enough for them to go buy your book (or at the very least to view it online).
Do I need a book trailer for my published works and is it effective? This answer will all depend on your project, budget, and marketing techniques. Everyone and just about everything is online now; we as humans are addicted to technology, pictures and more importantly videos. With social media platforms like TikTok (689 million users), YouTube (2.3 billion users) and Facebook (1.85 billion users) attracting viable viewers, video sharing is the most popular forum for self-expression.
What must a book trailer contain? There are 6 essential elements that a book trailer must have in order to be fruitful of which I have outlined below:
The “Author Bio” section of your book is a vital piece of information because it will impact sales, reputation, book marketing and social media. It is one of the most underestimated elements of the book writing process (for self-published authors anyway), and you as the author will have to complete all of the legwork (meaning you will have to write this section all on your own).
Below you will find the steps to crafting a compelling author’s biography. Keep in mind that these elements are a must and the order does not matter so long as they are covered.
An author’s bio should contain the following information:
1.) Qualifications/Credibility of author to write the book
State facts and stick to credentials (without overselling) that DIRECTLY RELATES to the content/genre of your book. Qualifications may include but are not limited to: college degrees, awards, bestseller lists or accolades. This statement should be one sentence max and should not contain a lot of info (this will overwhelm the reader)!
2.) Personal Information
Personal information humanizes you to readers who do not know anything about you. Include general information about your family, where you live (state or city), hobbies and/or interest.
3.) Link to website
As an author, you should definitely have a website and it doesn’t need to be extravagant, but it has to exist. Your website will eventually become your online base for all future published works. If you do not have one, then make it a goal to get one (this topic will be covered in a future post).
4.) Write in Third Person
An author’s bio should be “ABOUT YOU” the author INSTEAD OF WRITTEN BY YOU. Readers tend to trust a bio if it sounds like it was written by someone else. Research examples of various authors bio’s and start drafting your own as soon as possible.
Copyright exists automatically in an original work of authorship once it is fixed, but a copyright owner can take steps to enhance the protections. The most important step is registering the work. Registering a work is not mandatory, but for U.S. works, registration (or refusal) is necessary to enforce the exclusive rights of copyright through litigation. Timely registration also allows copyright owners to seek certain types of monetary damages and attorney fees if there is a lawsuit and also provide a presumption that information on the registration certificate is correct.
Copyright registration also provides value to the public overall. It facilitates the licensing marketplace by allowing people to find copyright ownership information, and it provides the public with notice that someone is claiming copyright protection. It also provides a record of this nation’s creativity.
Did you know that you only have 3 months to register your copyright once your work is:
1.) Published/Distributed, and
2.) Before infringement occurs, to recover full damages and attorney fees
If you’ve written a book or created some other original work such as a blog, photo, or illustration, you must register your copyright to prevent unauthorized use. Copyright’s registration protects you against illegal copying and theft or plagiarism of your work. In order to protect your work, you must first register your copyright with the U.S.
Copyright Office to fully enforce your rights and the ability to:
1.) Recover up to $150,000 in statutory damages
2.) Protect your work for life
3.) Establish a legal record of content ownership
How to begin registering your published works?
1.) First you go to: www.copyright.gov
2.) Click on “Register Your Works” and follow the online instructions
3.) Once your work has been submitted, pay the filing fee and you should receive confirmation via email regarding the approval of your application. Since the Copyright Office is currently teleworking, a Copyright’s Certificate will be sent when the staff returns to the office
4.) Use this tool to assist with the Copyrights process.
Please note that:
1.) You do not need an ISBN to register your literary works
2.) Minimal metadata required
3. Fee ranges from $45-65
4. Registering creates a public records of ownership
5. Will require a copy of your finalized literary work
6. Standard Application (online)will be required for 1 literary work
A table of contents is a list, usually found on a page before the start of a written work, of its chapter, section titles or brief descriptions with their commencing page numbers. Is a table of contents necessary for your self-published book? Well, this all depends on the genre and preference, but it is not an absolute “must” for a paperback. Keep in mind that more pages added to a book will only increase the price.
Also, I would suggest researching the genre of your book to determine if this option is suitable for your project. I’d like to note however that all e-books must have a table of contents as the e-pub file will have hyperlinks to direct the reader to a certain chapter of the book.
For instance, for my paperback I decided not to include a table of contents for various reasons but most notably the price increase of my book. With that being said, I do intent to include a table of contents in my next project just as a personal preference.
If you’d like to read more information on whether a table of contents is right for your book, then I would recommend researching before making a final decision.
At some point in the process of publishing your book, you’ll need to turn your attention to the sales copy. This is the copy that you see as part of a book’s description when shopping online or on a book’s dust jacket (if hardcover) or back panel (if paperback). A sales copy hints at the genre, introduces the main character(s), does not give away the plot and entices the reader to buy the book.
For example, my book, PNĔUMÄ starts off with:
“A prohibited union between two species…Marred by deception and greed…”
This caption is brief but straight to the point, confirms that there is a conflict on the horizon and promises that a villain or two is surely to make an appearance.
When in doubt, write several drafts of the sales copy until you are completely satisfied. You may even take it a step further and have a few beta readers provide additional feedback before finalizing.
