Wednesday, July 6, 2011

How I published my award winning scifi novel online


It took me 15 years to create, produce and finally give birth to my scifi book, Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force. In 2007 I started looking into online publishing. I tried the traditional route and got no reaction except no thanks. I found out I needed a totally finished product before I could publish my book tradtionally or online. So I decided to have my book professionally edited at this time.
Discourage with the traditional route I hooked up with LuLu.com. I found their set up to online publishing was like a smorgasbord of online publishing. I opened an account for nothing and up loaded my book and cover for nothing. I had a copy printed for about $10 and realized I needed to have my book professionally formatted. The print was way to small. I had the book professionally formatted to a 6 x 9 size with all the chapters on the right side and all the numbers and headings looking good.
I read my book and found a mistake on every page. I had a friend proof read the book and I made the corrections, that took two nerve racking months. You understand it took me 15 years to finish, I'm so close I can taste it. Fame and furtune is right around the corner, yea right.
I find now that for a $1,000 to $1,500 somebody will do all that for you. The one thing they don't help you with is marketing.
I enterd my book in 2 contest. Lord Skyler won Honorable mention in the teen category at the 2009 LA Book Festival. It also WON Best Scifi/Horror novel at the 2010 DIY New York City Book Festival. The awards dinner was at the Algonquin Hotel in NYC. A great time had by all.
But still the books were not flying off the online book shelfs. I learned to do free press realeases and my wife hooked me up with a couple book signings but still only a couple books sold here and there.
It is my beleif there is no standard way of promoting an online book except for blogging and networking. Its modern day door to door salesman has become a blog to blog salesman.
Keep in mind that online publishing is still new. Who knows how things are going to go.
Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

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