KN Magazine: Articles
Who Me? Self-Published? / Shannon Brown
It seems there are many paths to publishing. Self-published author Shannon Brown shows how she became the parent of her “paperbound child” after much time and research. The information she shares is just as beneficial for the traditionally published as it is for the author who must wear many hats. Read and learn from her experience.
And until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Who Me? Self-Published?
By Shannon Brown
When I decided to self-publish, I did it knowing my book would have to be the same quality as one from a major publisher in order for it to be well received by major reviewers, librarians, and me. Self-published books carry a stigma of low quality, and I didn’t want any part of that. Every step of the book from writing to editing to the cover to the interior was important. Each step had to be perfect before going to the next step.
Before I move on, I want to give a plug for editing. I hope everyone knows they need to hire an editor. I’ve written more than 600 articles and that taught me that everyone makes mistakes. I knew I needed a pro to help with my editing. One tip: pay a potential editor to do a few pages or a chapter before going forward to make sure their style is your style. Then you won’t get really frustrated and have to pay a second editor like I did.
Knowledge is Power
A cozy mystery has a different style of cover than a medical thriller or a middle grade mystery—ages 8-12—like my book. As a journalist I’m used to doing extensive research so I began there.
My favorite self-publishing design site is Joel Friedlander’s The Book Designer. He has excellent articles about self-publishing and his monthly e-book cover Design Awards give details for why a cover worked and looked professional—or didn’t work and looked self-published.
I also went to bookstores and studied first the cover of the books, then on later visits, the interior. Research taught me that books have a specific format and when that’s ignored, it no longer looks professional. For example, a book begins with a half title page, then a full title page with the copyright information on the reverse (known as title verso). Not placing your copyright on the title verso announces it is self-published in flashing neon lights. (Yes, I’ve seen that done.)
Cover Charge
Covers for my genre are still usually hand illustrated with few exceptions. When I searched for a cover, I began with illustrators, but the cost chased me away. Instead, I did a photo shoot with two girls that looked like my characters, but didn’t like the resulting cover. Then I had an artist I know do some sketches, but the girls he drew looked like they wanted to kick some serious butt and that didn’t fit with my fun but suspenseful concept.
I ended going back to an illustrator I’d found months before and rejected because of the cost. The cover gets a positive response from everyone and helps open doors. (It isn’t about the money you spend on the cover though; I have a friend with stunning book covers who’s found someone to do it on the cheap.) I also wanted to have a line drawing at the beginning of each chapter. When I ended up with 27 chapters, that idea was nixed due to cost. I used a swirl that related to the cover instead.
Inside Job
Books for kids need to be in print and also available as an ebook. I wanted a book interior that could hold its own with the big boys. If you’re thinking that you don’t plan to do print so it doesn’t matter, go to the “look inside” feature on Amazon to see the difference in an ebook by a major publisher and one that isn’t. Some of the formatting carries over from the print book to the ebook. I also wanted that. (Yeah, I’m pretty high maintenance.)
I’d spent enough on the cover that I felt I couldn’t hire someone to do the interior. Since I have a fair amount of experience with computers including building some websites, but would in no way call myself an expert, I decided to try doing it myself. I knew I had to use a professional level program like InDesign or Quark and chose InDesign because it seemed to be the best for making an ePub file for my e-book later. InDesign had a huge learning curve. (I mean huge.) I went step-by-step using a Lynda video tutorial, and I can’t say enough good things about their videos. Would I recommend that everyone do their own interior? No. It’s doable but I’ll gladly pay someone to do it when I feel like I can.
I have a copy of my book sitting on my desk right now. I’m the proud parent looking at my paperbound child, and I’m happy with it. Of course, I discovered the real work begins upon publication.
Award-winning journalist Shannon Brown had the idea for a mystery for kids—a briefcase full of feathers—pop into her mind while driving on a busy freeway. "The Feather Chase", the first book in the Crime-Solving Cousins Mystery series, was published in 2014. After writing more than 600 articles about almost every imaginable subject including opera, Daniel Boone, and her specialty of jewelry, Shannon switched her focus to marketing her book and writing the next book in the series. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, she now calls Nashville home. Visit her website at cousinsmystery.com
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.
Who Me? Self-Published? / Shannon Brown
It seems there are many paths to publishing. Self-published author Shannon Brown shows how she became the parent of her “paperbound child” after much time and research. The information she shares is just as beneficial for the traditionally published as it is for the author who must wear many hats. Read and learn from her experience.And until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Who Me? Self-Published?
By Shannon Brown
When I decided to self-publish, I did it knowing my book would have to be the same quality as one from a major publisher in order for it to be well received by major reviewers, librarians, and me. Self-published books carry a stigma of low quality, and I didn’t want any part of that. Every step of the book from writing to editing to the cover to the interior was important. Each step had to be perfect before going to the next step.
Before I move on, I want to give a plug for editing. I hope everyone knows they need to hire an editor. I’ve written more than 600 articles and that taught me that everyone makes mistakes. I knew I needed a pro to help with my editing. One tip: pay a potential editor to do a few pages or a chapter before going forward to make sure their style is your style. Then you won’t get really frustrated and have to pay a second editor like I did.
Knowledge is Power
A cozy mystery has a different style of cover than a medical thriller or a middle grade mystery—ages 8-12—like my book. As a journalist I’m used to doing extensive research so I began there.
My favorite self-publishing design site is Joel Friedlander’s The Book Designer. He has excellent articles about self-publishing and his monthly e-book cover Design Awards give details for why a cover worked and looked professional—or didn’t work and looked self-published.
I also went to bookstores and studied first the cover of the books, then on later visits, the interior. Research taught me that books have a specific format and when that’s ignored, it no longer looks professional. For example, a book begins with a half title page, then a full title page with the copyright information on the reverse (known as title verso). Not placing your copyright on the title verso announces it is self-published in flashing neon lights. (Yes, I’ve seen that done.)
Cover Charge
Covers for my genre are still usually hand illustrated with few exceptions. When I searched for a cover, I began with illustrators, but the cost chased me away. Instead, I did a photo shoot with two girls that looked like my characters, but didn’t like the resulting cover. Then I had an artist I know do some sketches, but the girls he drew looked like they wanted to kick some serious butt and that didn’t fit with my fun but suspenseful concept.
I ended going back to an illustrator I’d found months before and rejected because of the cost. The cover gets a positive response from everyone and helps open doors. (It isn’t about the money you spend on the cover though; I have a friend with stunning book covers who’s found someone to do it on the cheap.) I also wanted to have a line drawing at the beginning of each chapter. When I ended up with 27 chapters, that idea was nixed due to cost. I used a swirl that related to the cover instead.
View on Amazon.com
Inside Job
Books for kids need to be in print and also available as an ebook. I wanted a book interior that could hold its own with the big boys. If you’re thinking that you don’t plan to do print so it doesn’t matter, go to the “look inside” feature on Amazon to see the difference in an ebook by a major publisher and one that isn’t. Some of the formatting carries over from the print book to the ebook. I also wanted that. (Yeah, I’m pretty high maintenance.)
I’d spent enough on the cover that I felt I couldn’t hire someone to do the interior. Since I have a fair amount of experience with computers including building some websites, but would in no way call myself an expert, I decided to try doing it myself. I knew I had to use a professional level program like InDesign or Quark and chose InDesign because it seemed to be the best for making an ePub file for my e-book later. InDesign had a huge learning curve. (I mean huge.) I went step-by-step using a Lynda video tutorial, and I can’t say enough good things about their videos. Would I recommend that everyone do their own interior? No. It’s doable but I’ll gladly pay someone to do it when I feel like I can.
I have a copy of my book sitting on my desk right now. I’m the proud parent looking at my paperbound child, and I’m happy with it. Of course, I discovered the real work begins upon publication.
Award-winning journalist Shannon Brown had the idea for a mystery for kids—a briefcase full of feathers—pop into her mind while driving on a busy freeway. "The Feather Chase
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.
Who Me? Self-Published? / Shannon Brown
It seems there are many paths to publishing. Self-published author Shannon Brown shows how she became the parent of her “paperbound child” after much time and research. The information she shares is just as beneficial for the traditionally published as it is for the author who must wear many hats. Read and learn from her experience.And until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
Clay Stafford,Founder Killer Nashville,Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Who Me? Self-Published?
By Shannon Brown
When I decided to self-publish, I did it knowing my book would have to be the same quality as one from a major publisher in order for it to be well received by major reviewers, librarians, and me. Self-published books carry a stigma of low quality, and I didn’t want any part of that. Every step of the book from writing to editing to the cover to the interior was important. Each step had to be perfect before going to the next step.
Before I move on, I want to give a plug for editing. I hope everyone knows they need to hire an editor. I’ve written more than 600 articles and that taught me that everyone makes mistakes. I knew I needed a pro to help with my editing. One tip: pay a potential editor to do a few pages or a chapter before going forward to make sure their style is your style. Then you won’t get really frustrated and have to pay a second editor like I did.
Knowledge is Power
A cozy mystery has a different style of cover than a medical thriller or a middle grade mystery—ages 8-12—like my book. As a journalist I’m used to doing extensive research so I began there.
My favorite self-publishing design site is Joel Friedlander’s The Book Designer. He has excellent articles about self-publishing and his monthly e-book cover Design Awards give details for why a cover worked and looked professional—or didn’t work and looked self-published.
I also went to bookstores and studied first the cover of the books, then on later visits, the interior. Research taught me that books have a specific format and when that’s ignored, it no longer looks professional. For example, a book begins with a half title page, then a full title page with the copyright information on the reverse (known as title verso). Not placing your copyright on the title verso announces it is self-published in flashing neon lights. (Yes, I’ve seen that done.)
Cover Charge
Covers for my genre are still usually hand illustrated with few exceptions. When I searched for a cover, I began with illustrators, but the cost chased me away. Instead, I did a photo shoot with two girls that looked like my characters, but didn’t like the resulting cover. Then I had an artist I know do some sketches, but the girls he drew looked like they wanted to kick some serious butt and that didn’t fit with my fun but suspenseful concept.
I ended going back to an illustrator I’d found months before and rejected because of the cost. The cover gets a positive response from everyone and helps open doors. (It isn’t about the money you spend on the cover though; I have a friend with stunning book covers who’s found someone to do it on the cheap.) I also wanted to have a line drawing at the beginning of each chapter. When I ended up with 27 chapters, that idea was nixed due to cost. I used a swirl that related to the cover instead.
View on Amazon.com
Inside Job
Books for kids need to be in print and also available as an ebook. I wanted a book interior that could hold its own with the big boys. If you’re thinking that you don’t plan to do print so it doesn’t matter, go to the “look inside” feature on Amazon to see the difference in an ebook by a major publisher and one that isn’t. Some of the formatting carries over from the print book to the ebook. I also wanted that. (Yeah, I’m pretty high maintenance.)
I’d spent enough on the cover that I felt I couldn’t hire someone to do the interior. Since I have a fair amount of experience with computers including building some websites, but would in no way call myself an expert, I decided to try doing it myself. I knew I had to use a professional level program like InDesign or Quark and chose InDesign because it seemed to be the best for making an ePub file for my e-book later. InDesign had a huge learning curve. (I mean huge.) I went step-by-step using a Lynda video tutorial, and I can’t say enough good things about their videos. Would I recommend that everyone do their own interior? No. It’s doable but I’ll gladly pay someone to do it when I feel like I can.
I have a copy of my book sitting on my desk right now. I’m the proud parent looking at my paperbound child, and I’m happy with it. Of course, I discovered the real work begins upon publication.
Award-winning journalist Shannon Brown had the idea for a mystery for kids—a briefcase full of feathers—pop into her mind while driving on a busy freeway. "The Feather Chase
Submit to our blog! (Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com or www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com)
Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.
Know your Audience: Writing for Children / Author Charles Suddeth
Adult readers would not be content with a story meant for a child; so it stands to reason, the converse is true. Children don’t give a hoot about what adults are reading. That is, unless, it’s an adult reading to them. In this week’s blog, author Charles Suddeth says, what probably should be said repeatedly and before putting fingers to a keyboard or pen to paper, for whom am I writing? Charles offers some clear and poignant guidelines for those who may consider writing for the younger set. It is tougher than you may realize.
Happy reading!
Clay Stafford,
Founder of Killer Nashville
Know your Audience: Writing for Children
By Charles Suddeth
One of my favorite writing rules is: There are no rules. But I would add: you have to know the rules and your audience before you can break the rules.
I am primarily a children’s writer. I belong to the Society for Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, or SCBWI, and I host two critique groups: a picture book group and a middle-grade/young adult group. Members often submit manuscripts that either aren’t children’s books or their main character is the wrong age. For an annual contest I sponsor, some of the submissions I receive are poems or short stories with children as the main character, but with adult feelings and observations. I also receive memoirs of an adult looking back at childhood, which is also not what children enjoy reading.
If your interest in writing children’s books, the rule of thumb is that children like to read books with a main character their age or slightly older. Although recommended ages for readers and main characters differ from publisher to publisher, here are a few guidelines you should keep in mind:
Picture Books: Ages 3 to 7, with main character’s ages 5 to 9 (Board Books for younger readers and Easy Readers for slightly older readers will extend this range in both directions).
Middle Grade (Middle Reader’s): Ages 8 to 13, with main character’s ages 10 to 14 (slightly younger readers may read Chapter Books, which are early middle reader’s books with a limited number of illustrations).
Young Adult: Ages 14 to 18; high school readers. Main character’s ages high school freshmen to seniors. (New Adult, Young Adult fiction geared toward college-age readers, is becoming popular).
Two years ago, an adult fantasy anthology published my dark/horror short story about a little boy almost drowning in a well. It didn’t deal with a child’s issues or problems, so I never considered submitting it to children’s publications. Here are the issues the main characters usually deal with for each category:
Picture Books: Searching for Security. Children this age, even while playing and having fun, need to know their parents are there for them with love, protection, and life’s necessities. The Llama Llama series of books by author/illustrator Anna Dewdney is about a baby llama that endures various adventures and challenges, but above all, Mamma must remain nearby. Llama Llama Red Pajama, I believe, was the first book of the best-selling series.
Middle Grade: Searching for Identity. Children in this age are not certain who they are or what their abilities are. They often do things in groups to obtain peer approval, because they lack self-confidence. JK Rowling’s early Harry Potter books are an example. Harry didn’t know he was a wizard with powers or that he would have a quest. And he didn’t know who his allies (his group) would be, but he gradually learned.
Young Adult: Searching for Independence. Teenagers are famous for their rebellion against their parents, sometimes called “attitude.” Psychologists have described this as subconscious psychological efforts to separate themselves from their families so they can become adults with their own families. Most people think of the Hunger Games as pure survival. But it’s more than that. Katniss loses her father, her mother is weakened and out of touch, so she seeks independence from the oppressive, totalitarian society that has crippled her family.
Another peculiarity of writing for children is that boys prefer to read books where the main character is a boy, but girls will read books where the main character is a boy or girl. I don’t believe this applies to adults.
I understand that most of the writers in Killer Nashville are genre writers, but nowadays children’s books come in all genres. This year, 4RV Publishing will release my picture book, Spearfinger, about a Cherokee witch battling a little boy. The story of Spearfinger could have been a horror story, but I adapted it as a picture book for ages 5 to 8.
My other favorite rule for writing is: Take your reader where they are not expecting to go. This rule also applies to children. Once you know your audience you can take them to destinations unknown and even undreamed.
If you would like to read more about Charles Suddeth’s books please click here.
Charles Suddeth was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana, grew up in suburban Detroit, Michigan, and has spent his adult life in Kentucky. He lives alone in Louisville with two cats. His house is a few blocks from Tom Sawyer State Park, where he likes to hike and watch the deer. He graduated from Michigan State University. He belongs to the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI Midsouth), International Thriller Writers, Green River Writers, and the Kentucky State Poetry Society.
Books: Halloween Kentucky Style, middle readers, Diversion Press, paperback, 2010. Neanderthal Protocol, adult thriller, Musa Publishing, e-book, 2012. 4RV Publishing will release three books: Picture book, 2014, Spearfinger; Young adult thriller, 2014, Experiment 38; Picture book, 2015, Raven Mocker. He moderates two critique groups for children’s writers, and hosts a monthly schmooze (social/networking meeting) for Louisville children’s writers. He is also the Contest Director for Green River Writers’ yearly contest. Visit his website at www.ctsuddeth.com
(Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com)
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