Computer Savvy Authors

Author’s of Today

As an author of today we must all have some technical skills.  It is a sink or swim scenario in many ways though if you are a member of a writers group in your local town or online then you may just have the support you need to see you though some of the tough areas you will undoubtedly touch.

You see being an author isn’t just about writing the story anymore.  It is like a small business.  You need to either learn certain skills or find a team who can help you.  This can cost a small fortune and as most of us know, Indie Authors are generally on tight budgets making the need for a place to discuss and get help even more essential.

If you belong to a writers group online, then you know how to turn on a computer, how to connect to the internet and how to open a browser, meaning you are tech savvy – well to a degree.  Now comes the hard part.  What does come after the story is written.

EDIT, Edit and more edit until you are sick to death of edits and start calling them ‘fedits’ like a lovely friend of mine Markie Madden does (she invented the word), Markie is a wonderful author who runs her own website to assist Indie Authors.  You can find her at Metamorph Publishing.  She has a fantastic site with pages showing lots of Indie Author Books.  

Anyway you have to edit your work, so you need an editor.  They come in all shapes and sizes.  I know quite a few now.  Some experienced, some like Ooops Editing Service which is run by Sharon Houltham, who has recently finished training and needs the experience like many of us do to get on in life.  Sharon has been my editor and proofreader for 2 years.  She was one of the first who spotted me using the wrong words – being and been –  I am so much better due to her help.  She is also great to toss ideas around with.  Book two of my Garrett Investigation Bureau would never have happened without her assistance.  Thanks Sharon, you’re a gem and I’m very proud of how you are growing in your business.

So you have in your email an edited draft.  You download it, open it and go “What the Hell?”  Okay, so not all of us do, I suppose it depends on who your Editor is how much they know, if they fit with your type of novel and how much you are paying them.  Finding the right Editor for you can be difficult.  Next you scroll through your file, making amendments as you go, agreeing or disagreeing as is your right – after all it is your work.  Once this is done you read through the whole thing – or do you? – This is when you go “Why did I write this?  I could add more here!  “This doesn’t make sense anymore.” etc.  It happens to us all at some stage.  So what do we do?  We send our draft novel to our Beta readers to see what they think, what they would change  – if anything – and wait until they have all gotten back to you and once again agree or disagree with what they say.

FORMATTING – What’n the hell is that and why do we do it.?

Well if we want a print version and eBook version then we need to format a manuscript in certain ways to be accepted by the websites most authors use to sell their work.  There are many formatting issues and errors that can be made.  It can be a huge learning curve or frustrating.  This is where I come in.  I Format draft manuscripts for PRINT and eBook editions which you can upload onto Kindle, Smashwords, Draft to Digital and for Print Createspace.

What is Formatting?

Pick up a Print book and have a look at how it is set out.  This is what I do.  With eBooks it is set out differently, there doesn’t have to be page numbers, headers or blank pages.  Though they do need Hyperlinks.   I get paid to set this up for you and for those who aren’t and don’t want to do it themselves.  Once the book is approved by you the copyright owner then you can publish it by uploading it online.

Happy with your book?  YAY now you can publish it online.  The easy part!  NO, well okay for some it is, others have to learn how, some have to be shown how and the rest have to ask someone to upload their work for them.  I also upload clients work and if they wish teach them how to do it themselves for a small fee.

In my next blog post what out for advice on CREATESPACE.