Helpful Resources

Time travel 2

What do I to get my writing ready for readers?

 

Great question. I wanted to share the steps I took to get my work ready for the market. I do not claim to have THE answer. These are tools, sites, and people who guided me to where I am now. This page is a working document and from time to time I hope to add to it. Please let me know if any of these helps at garyavants66@gmail.com.

 

Your Friend in time,

 

GPA

 

 


WD Logo

Writer’s Digest

 

This was one of the best Christmas present I ever received. Writer’s Digest is worth every penny. I get so many great ideas or reminders that I am at least on the right track. I have found other author’s stories inspirational, agents who might be looking for my book, and sites that could help with making me a better writer. See what it is all about at: http://subscriptions.writersdigest.com/Writers-Digest/Magazine

 

 

 

 Join a local writer’s group

One the things about being a writer is that it can easily be a solitary job. That is why it is important to be a part of team. I found a local group that helped me update, define, and find my audience. What was it said about becoming more than the sum of your parts? It’s so very true.

Writing from the heart in Temecula, CA has been a blessing to me. I try to attend as much as I can. They meet once a month in the area.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153027888027523&set=gm.957009524339880&type=3

 

 

 

Create Space

 

Self-Publishing-Amazon Create Space

 

There are so many steps to take to getting your book into the hands of readers. Some people will approach a publishing company or find an agent to represent them to a publisher. The market is changing and many publishers want to see your work already ready to get out into the hands of the public. That use to mean paying to get your book self-published up front. Not anymore.  Amazon has set up Create Space to help you get your story organized, add graphics, and turned into a traditional or e-book. It is very easy to set up and they take a percentage of your sales as their fee. You can by copies at price and sell yourself or you can let Amazon advertise for you. Check them out at : https://www.createspace.com.

 

 

Editors

 

Having an editor is so important. They are a valuable part of your writing team. I was blessed to have editors who helped me fine tune Chronolocity. I had them help with content, grammar, word usage, and verb tense. Every writer has their challenge and to have another set of eyes.

 

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Dollar Photo Club

 

Are you looking for great stock photos that you can use for your website or book? I was told about Dollar Photo Club. I found some great images that we used for the book cover and stockpiled for the website. From there you can use Adobe or Canva to help you edit those photos for your use. See what you find at:  https://www.dollarphotoclub.com.

 

Canva

 

Canva

 

Loved this site. It was FREE to get started and let you do a lot of creative projects. I took my Dollar Photo photos and created flyers, book covers, and other documents for school and home. Once you get a handle on the tools at this site you might want to do the monthly subscription. Great place to learn how to do basic graphic design. Here it is:

https://www.canva.com.


Band camp

 

Band Camp

 

We chose Band Camp because it was the best deal we found for presenting our music.

Band Camp didn’t ask for any upfront or outrageous monthly hosting fee. They only ask for 10% of any sales that you have. Great site. We highly endorse it. You can find them at https://bandcamp.com.

WeBrand Digital Marketing Web Design Murrieta CA 1020x689

 

We Brand Marketing

 

I have a number of friends who are living the dream. They have begun their own businesses and ventures out to provide great services for others. One of them is Simon Cooper at We Brand Marketing. He and his team helped me developed and maintain a great website. One of the great things is that he helps people also learn how to work on their own website as well. I am learning how to update my pages, my blog, and graphics. As a teacher I think part of our job is to teach others how to become more independent and knowledgeable. Simon was the one who directed me to Canva, Dollar Photo, etc. in order to help me to have more control of my advertising and marketing choices. There are a lot of website builders out there to get your author website up and going. If you want to check out We Brand, here they are. http://www.webranddigital.com

 

Word Press

Word Press- Blog

 

One of the things that I have discovered in the past few years is the importance of blogging. This has so many valuable skills that writer’s need. You can build a readership. It is a way to showcase something that you are passionate about and possibly use it as part of your book’s platform. Since may character, Levy Roarke is a nerd, I decided that was my audience, geeks and nerds. Since I enjoy all the Marvel & DC movies, and many of the TV shows related to them, I was able to create two blogs using Word Press: The Realm of Nerdatonium http://www.chronolocityhq.com/blog-2/

and God Among Geeks

https://wordpress.com/stats/insights/godamonggeeks.wordpress.com

(Which I use to network with other Neridians and Geektoids, or NEEKS). Word press is FREE and easy to use.

 

Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Adobe Creative Cloud

 

I am currently learning how to use Adobe Creative Cloud to get my work ready for a publisher or an agent to pick up. That means that I need to get my Social Media and my graphic presentation up to snuff.  Since I am beginning to teach a class revolving around this I am learning how to use all the fantastic tools in the Adobe Creative Cloud. I am glad that they include how to videos or you can find them on You Tube. If you are ready to get your big kid pants on and get into the game, you might want to check it out:

 

http://www.adobe.com/creativecloud