http://www.selfpublishing.ca/ After you have written your manuscript, it has to be edited. No one (not even Stephen King) is so good a writer that they can neglect having their work edited. There are basically two kinds of editing - content (or substantive) editing and copy editing.
Content editing is the process of finding ways to make what you have written better. The editor looks at the manuscript more as a whole and works with the writer to improve the telling of the story or the presentation of the material.
Copy editing is the line-by-line and word-by-word search for errors in the text. Grammar, punctuation and spelling are looked at critically in order to ensure there are no mistakes. In the newspaper business it's called proof reading.
Done correctly and methodically, editing will give your manuscript a polished professional look. Neglect the editing and your book will look amateurish. Professional editing will polish your book so it holds its own with other books in the field that have been published by established trade publishing houses.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
There's nothing so invigorating as a workshop
On Saturday I put on a workshop at Vancouver Island University called "You've Written a Book - Now What?" that I developed to reach a broader audience than those who were only interested in self-publishing. The workshop covers the four ways to be published - trade published, subsidy published, self-published, and e-published. It's a long and very informative workshop.
The students ages ranged from 15 up to grandmothers. Some have written a book and some haven't started yet. But they all bring a special energy to the class and are willing to talk about their writing projects. It's really invigorating.
Another writing workshop was being held the same day in another facility. I don't know how the response was, but I know that two people came into our classroom looking for it. We sent them on their way and got back to work. I think it is great that writers take workshops. That is the best way to improve your craft.
Sometimes, in the quest to publish our books, we forget that we are writers first. We become so focussed on the publishing that we don't continue to hone our craft. I can't stress enough the importance of keeping up with workshops, articles and courses to help you improve as a writer. You will appreciate that your writing will become better and your material will be more readily accepted. Writing is how you came to this point and you should not stop improving your ability just because one project is completed. You will find as a publisher that you will need to write all kinds of material and a good workshop can help you do it better. http://www.selfpublishing.ca/
The students ages ranged from 15 up to grandmothers. Some have written a book and some haven't started yet. But they all bring a special energy to the class and are willing to talk about their writing projects. It's really invigorating.
Another writing workshop was being held the same day in another facility. I don't know how the response was, but I know that two people came into our classroom looking for it. We sent them on their way and got back to work. I think it is great that writers take workshops. That is the best way to improve your craft.
Sometimes, in the quest to publish our books, we forget that we are writers first. We become so focussed on the publishing that we don't continue to hone our craft. I can't stress enough the importance of keeping up with workshops, articles and courses to help you improve as a writer. You will appreciate that your writing will become better and your material will be more readily accepted. Writing is how you came to this point and you should not stop improving your ability just because one project is completed. You will find as a publisher that you will need to write all kinds of material and a good workshop can help you do it better. http://www.selfpublishing.ca/
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Questions from my emails.
http://www.selfpublishing.ca/I was out of town and apologize for this blog getting behind. For those of you thinking about blogging, you need to post a minimum of once a week. I usually update on Sunday afternoon.
Nick Gretener of Qualitas Publishing asked why I am sending readers to the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDBC) to register their Copyright. The cost for a Basic Package is $120. Apparently the Canadian Copyright Office in the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is still registering copyrights directly - and for only $50. The website is http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/wr00051.html. He wondered why we would go through a middleman like the BDBC. Thanks Nick! I will definitely change my tips page.
Arayna wants to know if she should let her printer produce the barcode for her book or should she do it herself. Do what ever is convenient. The cost is not very high to have it done. You either have to order software or pay for someone else to make the barcode up. I prefer to have it done. It's cheap enough and one less hassle for me to deal with. I have enough software to learn how to use.
The deadline for the Independent Publishers Book Award (IPPY) is March 20. It is the longest-running unaffiliated contest open exclusively to independent publishers. The cost to submit a book is $85 (US) per category.
More and more emails ask "When are you writing a new book?" I am currently working on the Second Edition of Self Publishing in Canada: A complete guide to designing, printing and selling your book. It will be full of updated material and give more information on e-publishing than in the first edition. It will be available in the fall of 2010.
I am teaching a workshop called "You've Written a Book, Now What?" at Vancouver Island University, Cowichan Campus on March 20 from 9:00-4:00. If you live on south Island, sign up. It's a worthwhile course.
I will be teaching this workshop at the VIU Nanaimo campus on May 1, and a Self-publishing workshop at Nanaimo campus on April 24.
I am again teaching Self Publishing in Canada as part of the Simon Fraser University summer publishing workshop series in Vancouver on July 15.
Nick Gretener of Qualitas Publishing asked why I am sending readers to the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDBC) to register their Copyright. The cost for a Basic Package is $120. Apparently the Canadian Copyright Office in the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is still registering copyrights directly - and for only $50. The website is http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/wr00051.html. He wondered why we would go through a middleman like the BDBC. Thanks Nick! I will definitely change my tips page.
Arayna wants to know if she should let her printer produce the barcode for her book or should she do it herself. Do what ever is convenient. The cost is not very high to have it done. You either have to order software or pay for someone else to make the barcode up. I prefer to have it done. It's cheap enough and one less hassle for me to deal with. I have enough software to learn how to use.
The deadline for the Independent Publishers Book Award (IPPY) is March 20. It is the longest-running unaffiliated contest open exclusively to independent publishers. The cost to submit a book is $85 (US) per category.
More and more emails ask "When are you writing a new book?" I am currently working on the Second Edition of Self Publishing in Canada: A complete guide to designing, printing and selling your book. It will be full of updated material and give more information on e-publishing than in the first edition. It will be available in the fall of 2010.
I am teaching a workshop called "You've Written a Book, Now What?" at Vancouver Island University, Cowichan Campus on March 20 from 9:00-4:00. If you live on south Island, sign up. It's a worthwhile course.
I will be teaching this workshop at the VIU Nanaimo campus on May 1, and a Self-publishing workshop at Nanaimo campus on April 24.
I am again teaching Self Publishing in Canada as part of the Simon Fraser University summer publishing workshop series in Vancouver on July 15.
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