Originality by Design: #editor

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Ruth Ross Saucier

Ruth Ross Saucier was born and raised on the continental U.S., where its only fjord meets its only rain forest.

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Our Perception of Success ~ by Bambi Sommers

Tell me, are you a success? If your answer is yes, good for you! If you’re answer is no, maybe it’s time to look at your definition of what success is.

When I was growing up, people who had “prestigious” jobs were looked upon as being successful; doctors, lawyers, bankers, and the like. But time and circumstances have changed things. The cost of day to day living has gone up drastically and wages have had a hard time keeping up.

The cost of insurance has pushed some doctors out of practice. And hospitals are gobbling up private practices left and right, making it easier for doctors because the hospital is absorbing the cost of the malpractice insurance.

So, bottom line is unless you are one of the super-rich, the picture of success is not what it used to be.

In the writing world of indies, self-publishing has become the norm. What used to be a negative word has developed into something writers actually want and plan to do. It has become easy and inexpensive and is filled with choices as to how and where to publish, allowing the writer to have the final say on covers, pricing, and the like. This doesn’t mean that just because you’ve self-published, your books will sell. Once you publish, now you have to market and, with thousands of books flowing into that market every day, it can feel like being in a soccer arena with everyone screaming and trying to be heard above the deafening roar.

This is why most indie authors work day jobs and write because they love it. Very few actually make a livable wage. It’s not because the books aren’t good. There are many talented writers who, unfortunately, get overlooked on a daily basis. It’s marketing among the masses.

Why am I raining on your parade? I’m trying to get you to see that success isn’t necessarily about money, at least not anymore. For most people in present day, success equals happiness.

In the days of success being judged by your occupation, social media wasn’t even on the radar. Those who self-published were considered writers who weren’t quite good enough to be picked up by a publisher (even though that was not true.) Writers had to send their books to publishers or “query” which many still choose to do today. This is a much longer process and usually entails the writer having to withstand many rejections.

Modern day comes with more than its share of stressors that weren’t a factor years ago. Social media has panned out to be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in the fact we can instantly obtain information, ideas, entertainment, and conversation. A curse meaning social media, and technology in general, has increased many stressors in children and adolescents that were not there before, such as the need to keep up in a fast-paced, constantly changing world and learning how to deal with cyber bullies.

Check statistics of the amount of medication given to children in present day for things such as ADHD compared to the days when children played outside and used their imaginations more.

Not to say it hasn’t affected adults, it has. The need to keep up, once again, is a huge factor, along with the constant barrage of information, right down to eye strain. I’m not knocking technology; I actually use it constantly for my business. I’m just saying that information that we used to take days to absorb now comes to us within seconds. And it doesn’t stop there. There’s more information right behind it. And so on, and so on.

If you don’t believe technology has caused stress, look at all the information now about self-care. Books, classes, YouTube videos, CD’s, even entire stores are dedicated to it. This might not have come about if we didn’t feel the need to disconnect with all the technology that rushes at us every day.

We used to talk on our land line telephones (corded, of course!) or face-to-face when we wanted to be in contact. Computers, when they did come, took up almost our entire desks with their bulkiness, and cameras were something with actual film that we had to wait days, sometimes weeks, to develop. The plus side of this was no one filmed you when you were making a fool of yourself in public!

To sum all this up, things in our world today have changed drastically and our interpretation of success needs to change with it. If you can find happiness in what you do for a living, you are successful! If you have happiness and passion – even if you can only do it part of the time, you are a success! You have found something that brings you joy!

If writing is your joy, keep doing it – even if you’re making little or no money, keep that joy, that positive energy, flowing. Rethink things and enjoy your success!

Bambi Sommers has written eight romance thrillers. She also is a stylistic editor who keeps the author’s style while making their words better. You can contact her by email at sommersbambi@gmail.com, or by clicking these links. AMAZON WEBSITE

Life of an Indie Author ~ by Joanne Jaytanie

There is a multitude of balls to juggle when you're an indie author. The primary one is to produce a quality story, a story that readers will be interested in reading. Lucky for me, I love that part of my job – if I didn’t, I’d be in the wrong business, right? However, you can't just write a story, throw it up on Amazon, and believe it will sell like the next Harry Potter series. It could, but chances are it won't. To get to this step in the process, you need to:

Be dedicated and disciplined to writing every day. This is something I continually work on.

Find a few great editors. Have your manuscript read and edited. Rinse and repeat, over and over. And no matter how many times you do it, something will slip through.

Find a fantastic book cover designer.

Get your ISBNs. Every book has its individual ISBN. Every format, print, audio, eBook, has its own ISBN.

Format your manuscript for the company where you want it published.

While you’re editing your manuscript, or even before, you should be doing marketing and promotion. Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram are a must. Create a website and a newsletter. Join writers’ groups, do book signings, podcasts, book trailers, and write blogs.

I just happen to know of a blog that always supports the Arts.

Support other authors and they will support you.

Marketing and promotion is a must if you're publishing your own books and even if you're a traditionally published author. You've put in the blood, sweat, and many, many tears. You don't want your book sitting around, collecting cyber-dust. You want it READ!

And don’t forget the continuing education: on-line classes, conferences, workshops, workbooks, and my favorite – writers’ retreats (and not just because there is wine involved.) I am a firm believer in the school of thought that you can never stop learning. Things change, they evolve. What worked last year might not work now. What works for one author might not work for you. Something new is always on the horizon.

I’ve simplified the process, but I’ve touched on most of the main points. It’s a tough business, but a fulfilling one. I’ve made so many amazing friends. Friends who are near and dear to my heart, people who will always be in my life.

To be successful as an author, you will need three things - Discipline, Dedication, and Determination.

What am I doing now? I’m continually promoting. I am finally working on a course I should have started months ago. Twice as Bad is in the editing loop. I’m revising my series bible for The Winters Sisters Series by reading through the books and refreshing myself with the details so I can jump back into book 5. And I can’t wait to get started!