Glimmering, Leaving, and Cahas

The other day I blogged about using CreateSpace for self-publishing books and noted that I owned several books that were self-published that way. During the past year, I've read three CreateSpace novels—all debut novels.

Last month, I read The Glimmering of Scotch Whiskey, by R. Lee Tipton, whom I've met only via FaceBook and her blog, Song of the Rain Crow.

If you like the magical realism genre, you'll likely enjoy this book. For those unfamiliar with magical realism, Goodreads defines it thus: "Magical realism is a fiction genre in which magical elements blend to create a realistic atmosphere that accesses a deeper understanding of reality. The story explains these magical elements as normal occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of thought."  And that's exactly what The Glimmering of Scotch Whiskey does.

The plot: Duncan Logan, a ne'er-do-well Scotsman, aspires to be a model but hasn't been able to achieve his dreams. Left at an orphanage when he was an infant, he's never quite been able to find himself—much less find love, a career that will support him, etc. After a particularly unsuccessful day, he happens upon Kenna Shaw, an American whose business as a PR person has taken her to Scotland. As she sorts through contracts, Duncan plops himself upon her work. Of course, she rejects the arrogant stranger. Later that evening, Duncan consumes a good bit of whiskey and has a brief run-in with a crone who sprinkles him with glimmery dust, and before long he finds himself only six inches tall. Kenna comes along, finds him, and soon smuggles him through customs as she returns to America. Kenna makes dollhouses, and soon Logan is ensconced in one. Eventually, he helps her build them, she uses him as a model for a doll, and they adjust to life with each other. Before long, Logan is falling in love with Kenna who has saved his life in more ways than one. And therein lie more complications. . . .

The other two novels I read were more realistic.

I met Melissa Powell Gay, the author of When Are You Leaving?, at the Franklin County Library in April and we exchanged books. Her novel is women's fiction—a "you can come home again" story, although it could also be considered a mystery. It's set in Mount Pleasant, a small town in fictional Fallam County (near Franklin County). If you enjoy books about about family dynamics and small towns, you'll likely enjoy this one.

The plot: Iris Lee, recently terminated from her high-power job, is summoned home to see to the affairs of her elderly parents. Her father has been letting his business interests slip and her mother is developing dementia. While going through her mother's things, Iris finds an ornate brooch that might have been a medallion given to Gen. Jubal Early while he was in Mexico. If it is, then the family financial problems are solved. But how to prove it, and how to lay claim to it? Therein lies the story. . . .

I've known Linda Kay Simmons for several years. She's a member of my writing group, Lake Writers, and had workshopped parts of her Appalachian novel, Cahas Mountain, through the group before self-publishing it last year. Set in Franklin County, Cahas Mountain—told in rotating first person narration by the main characters Rhodessa Rose, Willard Grimes, and Lily—covers several decades and the trials and tribulations of a mountain family from the 1930s to the1950s. If you like family sagas set in real places, this novel should appeal to you.

The plot (quoted from the back cover): "Cahas Mountain chronicles the love, heartbreak, and redemption of Rhodessa Rose and Lily . . . whose lives connect through Willard Grimes, a man with a mouth full of sweetness and broken promises. A small moonshine operator with big ambitions, Willard courts and weds Rhodessa Rose in the shadows of Cahas Mountain. But his ambitions take him into dangerous company . . . . Left alone, gutsy Rhodessa must battle a tuberculosis epidemic and her desire for the local sheriff against a backdrop of World War II and its aftermath. All this takes Rhodessa far from the mountain she loves so much. A fragile orphan, befriended by spiders, unexpectedly finds the way back. Lily leads those she loves to Cahas Mountain and the spirit of Rhodessa Rose." More about the novel and Linda are in this article.

These three novels—all available on Amazon as well as from the authors—should give you an idea of the variety of material to be found in CreateSpace books. Plus—and I'd be remiss if I didn't put in a blatant plug—there are my novels, Them That Go and Patches on the Same Quilt.

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CreateSpacing Books

WARNING: This will be incredibly boring if you aren't interested in self-publishing.

If you're considering self-publishing a book, probably the easiest and cheapest way is CreateSpace. Here are some of the CreateSpace books I own.

Two of the above books are my own novels:

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Patches on the Same Quilt was a 2013 reissue of my 2001 novel, and Them That Go was a brand new  2016 Appalachian coming-of-age novel. To create the finished books, I downloaded a pre-formatted template and filled it in with my Microsoft Word text. However, I know other self-pubbers who have used Word without a template or who have used Adobe InDesign.

I will use CreateSpace again. A collection of my short stories will go that route in a few months. I also might do another novel one of these days—or one of these years.

If you're young and picture yourself becoming a well-known author, self-publishing (whether via CreateSpace or another self-pubbing source) isn't the way to go. Self-published books are not legit publishing credits, they won't be in chain bookstores, and you will sell most of your books yourself at readings or appearances. You want to go to conferences, perfect your craft, and find an agent who can  submit your work to commercial publishers.

But—if you're older and/or have unsuccessfully pursued commercial publishing but have a book that you really, really want to get "out there," self-pubbing might work for you. It helps if you already have a readership in place (blog, column for local paper, previously published work, etc.) It helps if you have connections to a lot of readers. It helps if you have a marketing plan in mind. The "If you build it, they will come" does not apply to self-pubbed books. CreateSpace will get your book listed on Amazon, but you'll be the one to let folks know it's there.

Sometimes your friends or pets can help you promote.

Before you jump into self-pubbing, do some research. There are many, many online resources to check. Here are a few:

• "A Guide to Reviewing Your Book Proof"
• "Don't Make These 5 Newbie Book Layout Mistakes"
• "9 Book Design Tips That Authors Need to Know"

A bit of Googling will turn up lots more. Besides online articles, many YouTube videos exist about using CreateSpace. I recommend you watch a bunch, but these will get you started:

• "My CreateSpace Experience" from ShaelinWrites gives a basic explanation of what the process.
• "CreateSpace: Self-publishing Thoughts and Tips" is another good place to start. Author Jennifer Kelly tells about her experience.
• The webinar "Self-Publishing' with CreateSpace" is long and boring (think lecture with an occasional image), but gives you an idea of what's involved. Basically it's a promo for services, but it still has some good info if you're new to self-pubbing.
• How to start with CreateSpace? This video—"CreateSpace Tutorial—Self-publishing Books on Amazon.con in Less than 7 Days!"—briefly (only 10 minutes) explains the process. In fact, you might want to view this video first. 

In other words, know what you're getting into and learn what you need to know about formatting and uploading your book. If you're determined to do everything yourself, I really recommend you use a formatted template—doing so will avoid much anguish and gnashing of teeth. After you've created an account with CreateSpace and uploaded your book and cover, don't use the publish button just yet. Order a proof copy (yes, you have to pay for that), so you can see exactly how your book will look. When your proof arrives, read it several times, marking any errors. Then correct your manuscript and upload the corrected version. 

Doing a CreateSpace book isn't terribly difficult, but it is tedious. 

Did I mention I just happen to have two CreateSpace books for sale? You can find them here and here on Amazon.

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More of What Doesn't Work

Warning: Another in a multitude of posts about self-publishing, so you're likely to be bored if you're not an "under-published" writer like I am. But I included pictures of cats.

"Doing more of what doesn't work
 won't make it work any better."

I heard a professor say this in a class I took in the mid-80s for teacher recertification. I can't remember his name, only that he taught at UVA.

No matter how many times George tries, he's not going to fit in that box.

Recently, I was reminded of what doesn't work for self-pubbed writers when I read a HuffPost article, "Dear Self-Published Author: Do NOT Write Four Books a Year." From the article:

Beyond the fact that the marketplace is glutted with an overwhelming number of books already (many of dubious quality), writing good books simply takes time, lots of it. There's no getting around that time. It involves learned skills, unhurried imagination, fastidious drafting, diligent editing, even the time to step away, then step back, to go over it all again. And, unless you're a hack (and we know there are plenty of those out there), isn't the whole point of this exercise to write good books?

I'd recently become aware of some of these articles about cranking out books to keep your name out there. But if you're a self-pubbed author, your name isn't "out there." It's hidden.

I'm also aware that some authors can crank out several books a year, and that some of the books are worth reading. Author John Scalzi, who refuted the above article in "How Many Books You Should Write in a Year"  apparently can do that. His post is worth a read. So is Larry Correia's "Fisking the HuffPo, because writers need to GET PAID." But Scalzi and Correia are pros who earn money writing and their goals are to write books that readers enjoy and will pay for. The more they write and the faster they write them, the more they will earn. They're not self-pubbed writers who have no fan base (outside of family and friends) and who are unknown by most potential readers.

Apparently, lots of self-pubbers are cranking out books. A 2014 Publisher's Weekly article reports that there were over 450,000 books self-pubbed in 2013—and that doesn't include Kindle books. How many were multiple books from the same author is anybody's guess.

The Big Three in 2013 were Amazon’s CreateSpace which registered 186,926 ISBNs last year, followed by Smashwords which registered 85,500 ISBNs and Lulu which had 74,787 ISBNs. The different Author Solutions divisions had 44,574 ISBNs.

Author Solutions is, as many already know, a vanity-publishing conglomerate, not a real self-publisher. Its imprints want big money for their publishing "services." But I'm digressing.

The fact remains that self-pubbed authors face a lot of competition from a glut of books. And most won't be successful. This article, "Only 40 Self-Published Authors are a Success, says Amazon," pertains to Kindle but can probably also be applied to self-pubbed print books. A Publishers Weekly's story from last fall, "New Guild Survey Reveals Majority of Authors Earn Below Poverty Line" doesn't bode well either.

If some authors are cranking out four books a year, how do they have time to promote them? From my own (albeit limited) experience, I know the main way I sell my books is directly to the reader at book-signings or presentations. A lot of the buyers are friends. I couldn't ask my friends to buy four books a year from me. While some could afford it, a lot can't.

I confess that I'm a slow writer. Them That Go—which I began in 2007, finished in January, and is on track to be self-pubbed via CreateSpace at the end of this month—is likely to be my last book. I can't see myself doing more of —well, you know.

If self-pubbing isn't working especially well for most of the 450,000, why are so many doing so much more of what doesn't work?

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