The Busy Writer's Book of Checklists (7 page)

#  Check out the options for
independent publishing online. (Some well-known platforms are Amazon Kindle,
CreateSpace, Smashwords, Lulu and a few others. There are many smaller ones. Do
a search for 'independent publishers' and similar terms.)

#  Ascertain your rights as an author.
(Can you publish somewhere else if it doesn't work out? Do you retain digital
rights? Will you have input into the cover design?)

#  Check out options for marketing,
distributing and selling your book. (Will the publisher do all the work? Are
you expected to help with promotion - or to do ALL the promotion?)

#  Decide whether you want to submit
your manuscript to a traditional publisher or an e-publisher that handles
formatting and distribution, or whether you want to go it alone as an indie
(independent) author.

#  Research costs carefully. A
traditional publisher pays and advance plus royalties but doesn't ask for money
upfront. A co-publishing venture may ask you to share upfront costs. As an
independent publisher you pay any NECESSARY costs yourself. If you are e-publishing
with (for example) Amazon, you may have to pay nothing at all if you do the
formatting and cover design yourself.

#  Check the publisher’s reputation.
Ask in forums or do an online search [PUBLISHER’S NAME + SCAM]. If the
publisher has been accused of running a scam it will probably show up
somewhere.

#  When you are satisfied that you have
found the right publisher for you, set up a plan for either submitting to that
publisher or publishing your book yourself.   

You may not need to worry about writing a
synopsis if you are publishing your own book. However, most authors use various
forms of a synopsis to help promote or sell their books. Some authors use a
'working synopsis' as an aid to plotting: this kind of synopsis changes as the
story develops. Basically, a synopsis is a summary of your book, in the TONE of
your book.

#  Do you tell the whole story in an
entertaining way? (A synopsis is a sales tool as well as a story summary.)

#  Does the tone of the synopsis reflect
the tone of your book?

#  Does the opening paragraph hook the
reader and immediately interest him/her in the story?

#  Have you included the ending? (A
synopsis is not the same as a book blurb, which 'hooks' the reader without
giving away the main plot points or the ending.)

#  Do you clearly identify the lead
character(s) and what their goals/problems are?

#  Will the reader relate to your
characters and want to read their story?

#  Does each paragraph flow logically
and entertainingly to the next?

#  Have you hit the high points of the
story, showing the main scenes and major conflicts, without getting lost in the
minor plot points?

#  Does the reader have an overall
sense of how everything unfolds and how everything is resolved - or has something
vital been left out?

#  Have you written your entire
synopsis in the present tense?

#  Have you checked your synopsis to
ensure there are not mistakes with spelling, grammar and punctuation?

#  Have you used paragraphs
effectively? (No large, dense chunks of text!)

#  Have you avoided all grammar,
spelling, and punctuation mistakes?

#  Have you written your synopsis in
different lengths, ready for different purposes? (You may be sending your
synopsis to different people for different reasons - when you want them to read
a review copy, arrange a radio interview, etc. Practice writing a synopsis in
these lengths: half a page, one page, two pages.)

Check the Kindle Direct Publishing site
(KDP) regularly for any changes in policy, upload instructions, etc. Use the
checklist below as a guide, and update when necessary.

#  When your story is finished
(including the final edit and polish) format it ready to upload to Kindle. Keep
formatting simple. Avoid bulleted lists, headers, footers, page numbers or
fancy fonts.

#  Use Word Styles and use Heading 1
for chapter titles, Heading 2 for sub-titles and Heading 3 for sub-sub titles.
You can use 'indent' for a list, but indent it only a few characters (Change
this in the Word settings; don't just hit the space bar.)

#  If necessary, do some online
training/research on the Microsoft site to learn how to use Styles.

#  Create or commission the cover for
your book. Make sure your book has a professional cover! (Take a look on
Amazon's bestseller list to see what you're up against.)

#  Use page breaks, not hard returns.
Start each chapter on a new page. (You can refer to the Microsoft site to learn
how to include a page break with a Heading 1 style.)

#  If you include links (URLs) add
hyperlinks to make them clickable. (Highlight the text you want linked, click
Insert >> Hyperlink.)

#  Insert a TOC (Table of Contents)
based on your header styles. The TOC will then include all your chapter
headings.

#  Do a final save as both .doc (not .docx)
and as an .html file (save as Web Page, Filtered.)

#  Download Mobipocket creator and
convert your file to .mobi (the Kindle format.)

#  Preview it using Kindle Previewer
(you can download this to your computer.)

#  If everything looks OK, write a
catchy book description that will encourage people to buy your book. (Look at
similar titles to yours to see how they describe their books.) Have this ready
to copy and paste into the Book Description section when you upload your book.

#  Sign on with KDP. (Note: you will
need to have an Amazon account to do this. It takes only seconds to create if
you don't have one.)

#  Take the time to read through the
KDP help pages so you will feel comfortable with the experience.

#  Follow the steps outlined by KDP.
(Note: Under 'contributors' you will put your name. If no-one else has
contributed, that's all you need to put. Some boxes that can be left blank are:
Publisher, ISBN and publication date. Do NOT leave the payment information box
blank, unless you don't want to receive royalties!)

#  Upload your book cover. Take note of
the size recommended by Amazon. (This will also appear on the inside of your
book when people download it.)

#  Upload your manuscript. This can be
in the form of a .doc, .html, or a .mobi file.

#  Choose your preferred publishing
rights (usually worldwide) and pricing.

#  Read and check the KDP Terms and
Conditions

#  Click SAVE AND PUBLISH!

These 23 checklists will cover a lot of
ground for you as an author. Of course they don’t encompass every aspect of
writing (I’d be sitting here typing for a year, if that were the case) but they
will get you off to an excellent start.

If you belong to a writing group, an
excellent activity is to encourage everyone in the group to contribute a
checklist, on any aspect of writing or career development. Discuss those
checklists in a meeting, modify them if necessary, and share them around. And then
go home and
personalize
each checklist so you get the most out of it!

And now for the really good news…

I have a special bonus for you
(you’ll love this!) Although a book of checklists on your e-book
reader is enormously handy because it’s so portable, sometimes it’s even more
useful if you can print off ready-made checklists to put on the desk beside you
as you type or edit your work… right?

Right!

So… buyers of
The Busy Writer’s Book of
Checklists
will be able to get ALL the checklists in this book in a printable
PDF format.

Here’s how you do it.
Just forward your
Amazon receipt for
The Busy Writer’s Book of Checklists
to:
[email protected]
  and I’ll
be happy to send you the whole set.
(After you forward your receipt, you’ll
get an email asking you to confirm your purchase and to agree that you would
like the set of printable checklists - so keep an eye out for it! You need to
click the link in that email to finish the process and get your set of
Checklists.)

You might also like to sign up for Updates
on the
Busy Writer blog
–
that way you’ll get to hear about all the special ‘extras’ for our readers!

When they start to write, most writers hit
a snag here and there. They might find that their characters aren’t really
coming to life on the page, or that the dialogue isn’t sounding natural, or
that the pace seems a bit slow in some parts of the novel.

That’s exactly why I started up a website
for writers over a decade ago. I wanted a place where writers could go to find
the advice they needed, or to get extra help at a crucial point in their novel.

You will find hundreds of articles on
writing on this site. Go to
www.writing4success.com
and scroll through the list. There are articles on creating characters, adding
emotional punch, how to solve plotting problems, endings, writing for children,
writing crime and mystery fiction, and building a writing career. You can also
subscribe to a regular writer’s newsletter, the
Writing4Success Tipsheet
– and if you need more personalized help with your writing, there are two 5-module
e-courses with writing tasks that focus on
your
work in progress :
Spotlight on
Plotting
and
Spotlight on
Characters
.

The
Busy Writer
Series

Here’s a list of all the books in
The
Busy Writer
Series. No padding, no fluff… just practical, easy-to-follow
strategies that will help you produce well-plotted, polished books.

The
Busy Writer’s One-Hour Plot
– if you just can’t
come up with a viable plot (or you’re writing yourself into a corner because
you
haven’t
taken the time to plot) this will give you a good, solid
framework for your novel – in just sixty minutes!

The Busy Writer’s One-Hour Character
– perfect for creating vibrant, well-rounded
characters
quickly!
It comes with extra tips on fleshing out characters,
creating a ‘supporting cast’, character growth and series characters.

The Busy Writer’s KickStart Program
– designed to get you up and running, no matter what hurdles are
getting in the way of writing your book. This 8-step program walks you through
clearing the decks to get started fast (even if you’re blocked); how to get
past roadblocks, building in support and rewards, improving style and
technique, and the basics of plotting and character creation.

The
Busy Writer’s Self-Editing Toolbox
– Even if you get feedback from
others, you need to be able to edit and polish your own work. (The less work
your book needs, the more chance you have of having it published.) These simple
and effective “tools” will make your writing sparkle!

The Busy Writer’s Book of Checklists
– What does a writer use all the time? Yes, checklists! Checklists
to fine-tune plots, characters and scenes; checklists to give feedback to
critique partners; checklists to create websites and Facebook pages. This
collection has 20 checklists for writers, plus tips on how to create good
checklists of your own.

Happy writing! I look forward to seeing
your books for sale on Amazon.com. Meanwhile, if you have any questions or
comments, just send me an email at
[email protected]

- Marg

If you enjoyed
The
Busy Writer’s Book of Checklists
,
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Your review will help other authors to make a decision about the most helpful
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