Happy New Year to all our followers and friends. It has been a wow of a year with many of us working from home. The toll on the human race is still growing though with vaccines, perhaps we can beat this virus and the many strains. Please be safe and take care of each other so we can grow and help each other. We are lucky to be based in New Zealand, where though we are on level one, our lives are closer to normal than it is for many other countries around the world. Be careful out there.
Thank you for continuing to be with us over 2020 and on into 2012. We look forward to sharing your work, books, interviews, educational articles and helping out clients – past, present and future. Let’s get those manuscripts built into books and uploaded to distribution platforms.
We have a great team here at Plaisted Publishing, our contractor list just keeps growing. If you know a small business contractor who works in Editing, Graphic Design or Marketing, please contact us. We’d love to help you help our clients and grow each others businesses.
This year we will be introducing you to our contractors, each with their own expertise in a certain area of publishing. You will get to know them and what they can do for you if you are planning to publish a book. We do Interior Book Design in house and have over six years experience in Fiction, Non-fiction, Anthologies, Memoirs, Poetry, Children’s Picture Books and Family History Books/Family Reunion Books.
We also off help with Family History Research and have twenty years experience gathering information for various books we’ve made over the years for reunions and birthday celebrations. If you’d like to talk to us about Family History, please contact us here or email at plaistedpublishinghouse@gmail.com
We are also looking for Content Writers within the publishing world. If you write educational material for Independent Authors, please contact us, we’d be delighted to hear from you. It is important for us all to continue to learn and grow in the publishing world with the ever changing technology we use.
We will also be opening a page to favourite weblinks for educational purposes. If you know of a great website please email us the link and we’ll check it out prior to posting the link on the page.
At present we are updating out website. We will have a library of all the books we’ve assisted with over the last six years along with a list of Author Names. Eventually we hope to also add a profile of each author as well and send those links out to each client so they can share and celebrate each others work.
Our magazine has been on hold for the just over two years now. We hope to re-establish the magazine with a new title, new and easier layout with less formatting work involved. We hope this magazine will be every two months. Here is hoping all this scheduling will work. By the end of this year, we may need a PA…
Distribution Platforms we use Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Lulu Ingram Spark Smashwords Draft to Digital
Looking into using Kobo Barnes and Noble (Nook)
Here is hoping for a wonderful year. Take care and be safe.
Sometimes a little competition is what you need to get back in the writing game. What better way to do that than to enter writing contests and see how well you’ll do?
As writers, we’re often plagued with a whole lot of self-doubt which can have a negative effect on our mental health and our writing. Add to that, the fact that we are prone to losing traction when we don’t have a specific deadline in sight. What’s great about writing contests is that they give you a chance to ignite your creativity and get back into the swing of writing.
On that note, we’ve compiled a list of writing contests to help get you started!
LULU has been publishing books since 2002 with over 2 million titles published. Lulu has developed into an outstanding company with many advantages over both Createspace and Kindle which in recent years caused to many hassles for me personally to want to use them any longer.
One of my favourite parts of Lulu is the LIVE CHAT which helps you through the process of uploading your manuscript if or when you get stuck. It is a bit of a learning curve and I have gathered the images of the process for everyone to use for any paperback publishing with Lulu. I will eventually do eBooks as well.
First of all you need to create an account using your email address and finding a unique password. After you sign in you’ll need to click on CREATE to find the image below.
In Image1 (above) you will find two tabs PRINT BOOK and EBOOK. For this presentation you need to click on PRINT BOOK and it will open to image 2 shown below.
In image 2 you get to choose how you would like to publish your print book. If you look at the selection you will find they also do hardback covers. Most authors use the Standard Paperback and the US Trade size (6 x 9)
In image 3 it gives you the details of what your paperback will be. It also gives you the manufacturing costs. In the box it says 100 pages will cost $3.25 USD. Obviously the more pages the more the cost. This cost is also what the author will be able to buy their own paperback copies at. You can download the Template, look at Volume discounts and Spine measurements. To proceed to the next stage you click on MAKE THIS BOOK
Image 4 tells you what Binding you have chosen, what Size your book is and what the Interior will be like.
Image 5 is the start of making your book. As you can see you need to put in your BOOK TITLE and AUTHOR NAME and then tell them what you wish to do with your project. The choose depends of what or who the book is for. Some people may do memoirs or family history books which they like to keep private. Most fiction authors tend to pick the RECOMMENDED so the book is distributed worldwide.
In Image 6 you get to choose what kind of ISBN you want or even if you want one. Some authors buy their own ISBN and those on a budget generally pick the ISBN from Lulu.com, which can only be used on Lulu.com.
Most distribution/publishing websites you upload your paperback manuscript to will offer their own FREE ISBN to you. You may have your paperback on several sites and they will all have their own ISBN…that is unless you bought your own which cost quite a lot. Also note if you chose not to use and ISBN then you will be restricted with what you do with your book.
In Image 7 we have decided to get the FREE ISBN which gives you the barcode for the back of your book and you can also put this number inside your book. You need to download and save your BARCODE to a safe place on your computer.
Now we are getting to the interior of your book. In Image 8 (above) you need find your manuscript. Click on CHOOSE FILE, hunt down your story (we find PDF is best) and then click UPLOAD and wait for the file to load. Fight at the bottom you will find the Filename once it is loaded. Make sure there is only one file there and delete any extra or old ones in the instance you have to upload again.
Image 9 shows you your manuscript uploading.
Image 10 Shows the file finally uploaded. It is at this stage you can download the new file to review it at your leisure and check for issues.
Next comes the BOOK COVER. Your graphic artist will have sent you a full wrap PDF book cover or the individual front and back images for you to upload.
In the Image 11 is shows the old cover system. This is where you can upload a front cover and back cover jpegs. Lulu will make the Spine for you. You will need to pick a book style, remove the writing on the cover because it should already be on your images. This is unless you are going to use their template and build your own book cover. As you can see above your barcode is already set. You will only need to add it if you are NOT using their template. You will also need to choose a colour for your spine to match the images you uploaded and put in the book title and author name etc. Remember all images need to be 300 dpi.
I WILL DO A PRESENTATION FOR THE OLD BOOK COVER STYLE IN ANOTHER POST.
Image 12 is the one piece PDF book cover. Like with your manuscript you CHOOSE FILE and UPLOAD. This cover must have the exact measurements of the book it is covering.
All cover images need to be 300 dpi images
Image 13 is showing your book cover being uploaded to Lulu. As you can see it works the same way as it did for your manuscript.
Image 14 shows your Print Cover is ready to be downloaded and be reviewed prior to proceeding to the next stage.
Now it is time to describe your project. In Image 15 (above) you need to fill in the category, if it has explicit content and also the keywords for future readers to find you book to buy.
In Image 16 – it is a continuation of the page. Every book needs a synopsis or a book blurb. This is a description of what your book is about. Make sure it entices your readers in. Like with the first line in a book, the first line of your book blurb is important to your SALES.
Underneath the description you pick your language, copyright notice, license, the edition of your book and who your publisher is. The copyright notice will generally use your name. Many Indie Authors also use their name, and small publishing house name (depending on how much work the said company does for them) or make their own company to use as Publisher.
Now it is time to work out the cost of your book. In Image 17 it shows you three columns. In the first one is SET YOUR PRICE. They show you a minimum price (£8.00) and a price they choose of £15.50. In the next column it shows what your revenue would be if you abide by their pricing. From Lulu you would earn £7.73 and from extended distribution you would get £3.00.
£15.50 is a bit high for a book. This particular client chose £10.00 which meant their revenue ended up lower. The good thing to remember is you can change your prices at any time.
Also in column one is the DISCOUNT Tab. It is here you can run a SALE with whatever Discount you wish. Many authors do this type of thing with a new release or during special holidays they celebrate.
In image 18 it is generally for first time customers. You will need to sort out your payment and tax records. For authors not in the USA you will need to fill in a W-8-BEN. Once the tax info is filled in, email it to the company. Lulu pay via PayPal which means you end up getting paid once your sales hit a certain target.
Time to REVIEW your PROJECT in Images 19 & 20
This is your final opportunity to check out and review your book cover and book interior online. Download the PRINT READY FILES. It reminds you what your BOOKPROPERTIES are. Also check the DESCRIPTION – usually on the right, for spelling errors and grammar.
Image 20 with the final details. Note you can change the PRICING and LICENSE here as well as who can see the book. Once you hit the next SAVE & CONTINUE it will PUBLISH to LULU and YOUR AUTHOR PAGE.
YOU HAVE PUBLISHED YOUR BOOK TO LULU
What else do you have to do? You need to decided if you want to extend the distribution to Amazon, Ingram and Barnes & Noble. To do this you have to purchase a PROOF COPY from LULU.
GLOBAL REACH FOR YOUR BOOK
You want to go for GLOBAL REACH? You’ve ordered your PROOF COPY? Then you can move forward. You click on the Global Reach tab in the below image and it will take you to another page.
Your submission will be pending until you have received and proofed your paperback. Once you have approved the book you will be able to GO GLOBAL. Please remember if you have to make any changes to your book you will have to upload a new copy and order another PROOF COPY. This is why it is imperative to make sure the PDF copy you download in REVIEW YOUR PROJECT is correct.
As an Author I have had to order three PROOF COPIES due to something I missed. Triple check if you must.
FINAL APPROVAL OR CREATE A REVISION. TO GIVE FINAL APPROVAL GO TO YOUR PROJECTS PAGE AND YOU CAN APPROVE IT THERE. oVER THE FOLLOWING WEEKS YOUR BOOK WILL BE DISTRIBUTED WORLDWIDE TO ALL ONLINE STORES.
ALSO REMEMBER YOU CAN BUY IN YOUR OWN COPIES TO ON SELL AT BOOK EVENTS, SIGNINGS ETC.
THAT IS ALL FOR NOW. I DO HOPE THIS HELPS. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
Contractions in fictional dialogue….Where the heck has it gone? I read ebooks and cringe at the long-winded speech patterns. It’s horrible. I do wish writers used them more. Ok so if you’re writing formal text you don’t need to use contractions…In fiction it’s another matter, especially in speech. You may not learn to use them at school or college, however you do need to listen to how you speak, this will give you an idea on how many contractions you use in a sentence and on a daily basis. We all do it so why don’t we use them in our creative writing.
I for one – write how I speak. I know it isn’t for everyone. I know editors can be picky about the over use of them, however use them, we must!
I still see a lot of bad formatting, some of which means I can’t or won’t read the book at all be them free or bought. The thing that is REALLY getting me at present is CONTRACTIONS in fictional dialogue.
DO YOU REALLY SPEAK WITHOUT THEM? WHY DON’T WRITERS USE MORE OF THEM?
Yep you got it, it drives me nuts. I know I don’t talk without using contractions. In fact I use them in most of my speech. My brain also automatically changes most words which could be contractions into what my brain thinks they should be.
I HAVE HAD – I’ve had
WE WILL GO TO – We’ll go to
I WILL TAKE MORGAN TO – I’ll take Morgan to
The latest one in New Zealand is Yeah nah….meaning Yes I know…rather than Yes – No…It seems to have gotten lost in translation. I hate hearing this as much as I dislike hearing people swear with every other word. Needless to say you don’t have to be long-winded with words to get your speech correct.
Honestly, I know many don’t like to use contractions, however not to use them at all, especially in speech is a ruddy nightmare.
I DO NOT SPEAK LIKE THIS. I WILL ALWAYS SHORTEN MY WORDS WHERE I CAN. I HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT CHOICES. CAN NOT YOU SEE WHY THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT.
Doesn’t that sound horrible?
I don’t speak like this. I’ll always shorten my words where I can. I’ve so many different choices. Can’t you see why they are so important!
MUCH BETTER...even if it isn’t brilliant. Glad it was only a sample. Of course this is only my opinion as well. It’s not for everyone.
Bubba Tails from the Puppy Nursery at The Seeing Eye Written by Patty L. Fletcher Told by, King Campbell Lee – The Seeing Eye Dog AKA Bubba
Spring and Summer 2017
In this magical and love filled tail, King Campbell AKA Bubba travels to the puppy nursery at The Seeing Eye to help ready a group of puppies who are just about to embark on the fabulous journey of learning to become Seeing Eye dogs. Just as he is about to finish his tail, a wee pup becomes very frightened of all that lies ahead, and one frightfully stormy night she runs away! Will King Campbell hear the urgent call from the puppy nursery in time? Will they find her and save her so she can fulfill her destiny?
The use of Tail instead of Tale for story and Magik instead of Magic is intended for these short stories. A great play on words from King Campbell
I’m a 49-year-old single mother with a beautiful daughter, of whom I am very proud. I have a great son-in-law and five beautiful grandchildren. Three girls, and two boys. I hope to be able to write more about them later on.
I own and handle a Black Labrador from The Seeing Eye™ named Campbell Lee—a.k.a. Bubba Lee or King Campbell, to give just a couple of his nicknames.
Where I was born
I was born in Kingsport, Tenn., where I also grew up.
About my blindness
I was born one and a half months premature. My blindness was caused by my being given too much oxygen in the incubator. I was partially sighted until 1991, at which time I lost my sight due to an infection after cataract surgery and high eye pressure. I used a cane for 31 years before making the change to a guide dog.
Where I live and work
Currently, I live and work in Kingsport, Tenn.
I used to work for CONTACT-CONCERN of Northeast Tennessee, Inc. I left that position in order to spend time with family and pursue my writing full time.
Why I write.
I wrote Campbell’s Rambles: How a Seeing Eye Dog Retrieved My Life to tell the story of how going to The Seeing Eye™ and getting Campbell, learning to love, handle, and work him, then coming home and adding him to my life, gave me true freedom.
I tell of how changing from being a 31-year cane user to being a guide dog handler taught me things about myself I had never known before. I tell of the wonderment I experienced when I finally took that chance.
A major goal of mine is to help others who find themselves in domestic violence situations. I also want to help others learn more about mental illnesses and how different situations and environments can drastically affect those with such challenges.
I tell how training affected me physically as a result of the fibromyalgia I deal with, along with the side effects of the medications I take.
I focus on bipolar disorder, on how it can go horribly wrong and cause a person to behave in ways they normally would not.
Another thing I have attempted to show is how, in certain institutional settings, attachments can develop—and how those attachments can become unhealthy for all concerned if they are not handled correctly.
Most simply, I want others to know more about me.
In Bubba Tails From the Puppy Nursery At The Seeing Eye, it is King Campbell Super Seeing Eye Dog A.K.A Bubba’s turn to tell his tale.
While helping to ready a group of pups to go and meet their puppy raiser families, so they too, might one-day become Seeing Eye dogs, he tells of what it was like for him, to grow up and become a Seeing Eye dog.
My hobbies
My hobbies include reading, writing, music, and standup comedy. I also like nature walks, light hiking, tent camping, and fishing. No, I am not afraid to bait a hook.
Music I enjoy
My favorite types of music are classic rock, rhythm and blues, and classic country, as well as some present-day country music. I also like meditation music.
My favorite books and authors
I enjoy fantasy, science fiction, and books about the supernatural. I love the books by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and many more. My favorite books include Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.
My spiritual faith
I am a spiritual walker. I claim no particular faith, either Christian or pagan. I simply know that there is God and Goddess, or Mother Father God, as some call her/him. I lean toward the natural approach, or Druidism (Druidry), as it promotes harmony and respect for all beings, including the environment. I am also very interested in herbs and their healing properties. I recently enrolled in a course that will allow me to earn a certificate in the field of working with herbs.
