#Question

Looking for Some Advice on How to Approach a Project

/ Marcia Meara / 24 Comments

Good Morning, Folks! Hope your Freya’s Day is off to a great start, and you have a wonderful weekend ahead!

I’ve been contacted by my friends at the Enterprise Museum on behalf of someone who wants to tackle an ambitious project. She isn’t sure where to start, and wondered if self-publishing via Amazon was the way to go, or if she needs to seek out a smaller, inexpensive traditional publisher. I have no experience that is really helpful for her, but thought some of you might. 

In a very condensed version of her own words, this is what she’d like to do:

“I want to develop a history of Enterprise through illustrations, maps, drawings, portraits, etc. beginning with the indigenous inhabitants of the area  …  and up to today. “

“This would be just the highlights of Enterprise history that would interest the general public and secondary students, not an academic record of all the history of the area  ….  It would include a series of side-by-side “then and now” illustrations … Text would be limited to captions, side bars, callouts, brief snippets, … “

Yes, it’s an ambitious project, but a worthy one, I think. Her idea  is to make this a small, probably paperback book (not a coffee table tome) that could be sold in gift shops and the like, and she’s hoping to find a way to pull it together with some volunteers for funding, etc, but that’s another topic.

What I would like to find out for her is if Amazon is a good fit for this type of book? (I’ve heard some conflicting opinions on how well they do with books that have  a lot of photos and  illustrations.) Or do any of you know of better publishers to handle this type of project?

Any advice you have, or experiences (good or bad) you can share would be very helpful to her. While she is chock full of historical knowledge about the little town of Enterprise, she’s never attempted anything like this before. The director of the museum put her in touch with me, because of my experience with self-publishing, but I write fiction novels and poetry. I know nothing about what would be involved (besides a lot of work) in a project like this, or if Amazon is even a place to start. But I figured it wouldn’t hurt to put the question out there to see if any of you had suggestions.

I’d love to see this idea become a reality! Thanks for any help you can offer.  😊

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NOTE TO ALL: My new friend, Lani, is having a hard time accessing the blog in order to respond to your comments. She asked me to tell you this:

“Hi to everyone who commented! I am immensely grateful for your wonderful outpouring of suggestions and truly helpful advice for my proposed project! I will try to print them out. Maybe Marcia can tell me how to do this because each one has valuable information that I need to review. Marcia, esteemed hostess, how do I do this or can I get this page sent to my email?
 
I am bowing in humble appreciation for all of your kindness and encouragement! Such nice people!! You have all made my day/week/month. Sorry for the delay posting this message. I had tried to post several times over the past two days, but I had huge problems with WordPress which dear Marcia has since resolved.
 
The most important thing I got from your posts is encouragement, that so many writers(!) no less think it’s a good idea. Wow. That in itself is priceless. I will start (as many of you suggested) by checking out similar local history publications and see where and how they were published. I am also going to check out the links to the online publishing websites/aids you so kindly provided. This is SO helpful! I have been totally in the dark. You each turned on a light for me. Endless thanks to everyone, Lani

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What’s Up With This?

/ Marcia Meara / 37 Comments

Sometimes you just have to wonder what the heck is going on in people’s minds. I’d say this isn’t for real, but it’s been in this range for several months.

You think maybe these stores are having a hard time finding someone who wants Finding Hunter this badly? (Especially given that it is not out of print and is still available on Amazon for the low, low price of $13.99. )

Hey. Maybe these are signed copies! Oh, yeah. That would explain it. (Insert derisive snort here.) 😀 

Don’t get me wrong. It is a great book, of course. (Just ask me.) But get serious!

 Anyone else find things like this now and then?  Just curious. 😀

 

 

Anyone Use Publisher Rocket? (Formerly KDP Rocket)

/ Marcia Meara / 24 Comments

I have known for some time that my books are not in the right categories and I haven’t selected the best possible keywords for them. This is something I plan to work on after September 28, when I finish the last of my local wildlife presentations. I’ll have all of October, November, and December to sort things out, and hopefully lead more people to my books. 

My biggest problem is that I don’t sit down to write a story that fits a specific genre. I tell the tale as it unfolds, and it generally touches on (or wallows in) several genres. I started by placing Wake-Robin Ridge in Romantic Suspense, because–well, because I didn’t know where else to put it. But actually, most of my books are more Suspenseful Romance, with romance being the dominant theme.

One difference this makes to readers who might be misled by the category is that Suspense and Mystery lovers expect the book to wrap up as soon as the big reveal happens. Once they know “who-dun-it,” in other words. Romance readers can get downright angry if they go through all the drama with a couple, and yet the book doesn’t deliver the HEA they’ve been waiting for. So, putting books into the best category can help writers avoid readers who either end up bored with the last few chapters of the book, or who feel shortchanged because they didn’t get invited to the wedding.

I keep reading great reports about the effectiveness of the new version of KDP Rocket, which is now called Publisher Rocket. Not only does it help you “drill down” to specific categories, but it helps you find the best possible keywords, so folks can find your books. I’ve read posts by some pretty knowledgeable folks in the writing/blogging world, and I’m seriously thinking of investing in this to help me find the best way to market my books, past and future.

Before I commit, I’d like to know if any of you have tried Publisher Rocket, and if so, are you happy with it? I’ve been impressed with the videos and testimonials, but I’d like to hear from people I know a bit better. 

Any and all comments, pro or con, would be useful in helping me decide if this is the right choice for me. THANKS!


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