Self-Publish and Succeed: The ‘No boring books’ way to write a non-fiction book that sells by Julie Broad
Thanks to Netgalley for my preview copy of this book
Self-Publish and Succeed
When reading a self-help book, it is always gratifying to see that the author has taken their own advice in the production of their book. Julie Broad is that author.
Whether it’s making the chapter titles interesting (tick), knowing your hook (tick) or even the important subject of choosing the right title and subtitle (tick, tick) Julie Broad has an opinion on all of these matters, and more importantly, she uses her own self-help book to prove why they are important.
Follows her own advice
Every chapter has something of value to the reader. Every chapter contains interesting nuggets of information and every chapter helps to build a full picture relating to the subject of the book. Julie shares stories of her first self-publishing venture and her second. By the third, she has learned a great deal and is able to share her wisdom to the benefit of non-fiction authors everywhere.
Not only did I find this book readable, helpful and interesting, but I found that what it had to say about self-publishing would also apply to fiction books in a lot of ways. Fiction books also need a good hook to keep the reader reading, an intriguing title and a ‘try me’ front cover. Any aspiring author will learn a great deal from picking up this book and reading it from cover to cover. The book also links with Julie’s website and business, so it helps to plug her business while demonstrating her knowledge of the subject matter.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, yes, I would. More importantly I would actually consider buying my own copy, I found it that helpful. Highly commended. Thank you, Julie.
“the purloining or wrongful appropriation of another’s ideas, writing, artistic designs, etc., and giving them forth as one’s own,” 1620s, from -ism + plagiary (n.) “plagiarist, literary thief” (c. 1600), from Latin plagiarius “kidnapper, seducer, plunderer, one who kidnaps the child or slave of another,” used by Martial in the sense of “literary thief,” from plagiare “to kidnap,” plagium “kidnapping,” from plaga “snare, hunting net” (also “open expanse, territory”), which is perhaps from PIE *plag- (on notion of “something extended”), variant form of root *plak- (1) “to be flat.” De Vaan tentatively compares Greek plagia “sides, flanks,” Old High German flah “flat,” Old Saxon flaka “sole of the foot.” (Accessed 19/1/2021)
Starting an article on plagiarism with a copied definition from another website may be an unusual way to start an article, but there is a reason for it. This quote is within quote marks or inverted commas, it is attributed and referenced correctly. The copying of another’s work or plagiarism seems to be growing more common. It seems that where there are websites, there are people willing to create tools to copy them. It can happen to blog posts, e-books and pictures too.
Examples of Plagiarism
I came across this topic while attending an online business group as a guest. I arrived, was deposited into a Zoom breakout room and was asked a question. A business had had a former client set up their own business in the same field which involved renovating properties. The original business had a gallery as a form of testimonials of the work that they had done. The former client had chosen to copy all the photos from the original website which seemed to indicate that they had done the work. It is illegal to copy another’s work, but also dishonest. Those photographs are a means of persuading potential customers to hire them as a renovator. What if their skills are not up to par? The original owner had tried to get them to take it down but had so far been ignored.
I have also known blog owners who have found their blog posts on someone else’s website and mailing list owners finding their content copied across onto other mailing lists. If you post content regularly, then it is worth checking regularly that no one else is taking it and passing it off as their own.
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer nor trained in any form of law. If you are thinking of taking action against someone who has stolen your intellectual property, then please consult a legal professional.
Why do We Need to Add Fresh Content Regularly?
Business websites add content to their websites for several reasons: to
Show testimonials and pictures from satisfied clients
Raise their business blog in the search engines, so they update content regularly
Communicate with their customers and indicate that they are a live business.
They may also update promotions and offers to their customers.
If there is duplicate content on the internet and Big G finds it, then it can do one of two things: it may determine which is the older content and penalise the newer website or it might penalise both.
Consequences of Plagiarism
Consequences of plagiarism can include a loss of reputation among peers, a legal challenge and even a lawsuit for damages. Copyright laws differ in the countries of the world, so the actions a plagiariser faces may depend on the country where the original creator lives.
Intellectual Property
In the UK intellectual property such as a story, book, drawings or photographs are automatically covered by copyright. You do not need to do anything further to protect them and you can take legal action against anyone who steals them. It is wise to put a copyright protection signature on your intellectual works, particularly photographs. You can add a watermark while editing if needed. It is possible to read an overview on intellectual property. Make sure that you use images that you have permission to use or are Creative Commons on your website.
Protecting Your Words and Images
If you become aware that someone is using your intellectual property, then you can send a ‘cease and desist’ letter as a first resort. You can ask legal advice before sending it. There are examples available on the internet. You will need to send it to the owner of the blog. Some people advise to send an invoice for the use of the property. Your aim is to get them to take it down. If that doesn’t work, then get legal advice. Quite often, a legal letter from a solicitor is enough to get the content removed. You could contact their hosting platform if you get no answer from the person, themselves.
Writers’ Code of Conduct
Writers also need to protect ourselves from allegations of plagiarism. Following a code of conduct will help to protect you.
Top Tips
Use a range of sources so that you can find evidence for your writing and back up the facts
Never just copy a chunk of writing or cut and paste
You CAN describe what other people have said and talk about the relevance to what you are writing about
Quoting what is said (using quote marks and an attribution to the author, usually with a date) is an acceptable way to use other people’s work
If you are not sure how to reference correctly, ask the person you are writing for as there is usually a guide
Keep notes on your sources. This enables you to prove that you used them. Helpful when putting a bibliography together too or to help add footnotes or appendices
Businesses, what is the best way to protect your intellectual property and have you ever had to warn someone off? Leave comments below.
In the first post on Apostrophes, we looked at using them with plurals and singular nouns to show possession. The second post looked at using apostrophes with contractions. This post will examine a simple little word, yet the apostrophe is often used wrongly in it.
Its or it’s?
Do you know which is which?
In this case, the answer is simple – disregard the possession rule. So if you have a sentence:
The dog lolled out its tongue.
This is correct. You do not need to put an apostrophe in because you do not need the apostrophe to show possession of ‘it’.
However:
I love going to Spain. It’s a great place to have a holiday – lots of swimming pools and sunshine.
In the case of this sentence, ‘it’s’ is actually a shortened form of ‘it is’ – a contraction. So you will need the apostrophe.
In short when deciding whether to use ‘its’ or ‘it’s’, you need to know whether the word is showing possession or if it is a contraction. Only use the apostrophe if a letter is missing.
Try these out just for good measure. Is the apostrophe right or wrong?
The horse was lame in one of its hind hooves.
It’s OK you don’t need to explain it to me.
The house was old and ramshackle: it’s whole outward appearance was one of neglect.
Its dangerous to go water-skiing when the red flags are out.
Did you get it right?
The horse was lame in one of its hind hooves. – CORRECT
It’s OK you don’t need to explain it to me. – CORRECT
The house was old and ramshackle: it’s whole outward appearance was one of neglect. WRONG – NO MISSING LETTER.
Its dangerous to go water-skiing when the red flags are out. WRONG – ‘ITS’ IN THIS CASE IS SHORT FOR ‘IT IS’ SO IT SHOULD BE ‘IT’S’
Using apostrophes can be easy once you know how. This concludes this series of posts on apostrophes.
I saw a question on a writers’ forum the other day. It read:
‘Is it time to abolish apostrophes completely?’
I can understand the writer’s frustration. Apostrophes are one piece of punctuation that it is very easy to get wrong – as demonstrated regularly on pub notices round where I live. Yet in the opening three sentences, I have used two apostrophes and used them perfectly correctly. So it is possible to learn how to use apostrophes. Here is a guide of when to use apostrophes and how to use them correctly.
E.g. Jack’s computer
Jane’s bag
Both these objects belong to the person mentioned and so we use an apostrophe before we add an ‘s’.
However, sometimes the person’s name already ends in ‘s’ or more than one:
The bag belongs to Jess.
In this case, it is more usual to drop the extra ‘s’. Some writers may include it as a force of habit.
Jess’ bag (but it is still said, ‘Jesses bag’)
Easy enough when dealing with someone’s name but what if it is an animal, an object or even a pronoun?
The lion’s roar was loud.
The mouse’s squeak was quiet.
What if there can be confusion over whether the word is singular (one) or plural (more than one).
E.g. The girls’ shrieks followed them on the roller coaster.
Here there is more than one girl. The word is plural, so the apostrophe goes on the outside of the word.
What about this?
The girl’s shrieks followed her on the roller coaster.
There is only one girl, so there is an apostrophe and an ‘s’. The use of the word ‘her’ rather than ‘them’ later on in the sentence confirms that there is only one girl rather than two or more.
You know that you might have got an apostrophe wrong if the sentence doesn’t quite seem to make sense. Are these right or wrong?
The boy’s shouts echoed through the woods as they tramped home.
The rabbits’ burrows were dotted all over the hillside.
The girl’s tobaggan overturned, throwing them into the snow.
The horse’s field provided plenty of fresh grass for him.
The ant’s crumbs seemed too big for them to carry.
How did you do?
The answers were: wrong, right, wrong, right, wrong. In every case there was another word in the sentence which confirmed whether the initial word was singular or plural.
The boys’ shouts echoed through the woods as they tramped home.
The rabbits’ burrows were dotted all over the hillside.
The girls’ tobaggan overturned, throwing them into the snow.
The horse’s field provided plenty of fresh grass for him.
The ants’ crumbs seemed too big for them to carry.
So if you are unsure where to place your apostrophe, then look for other words in the sentence which may help you to decide. Alternatively, decide which would make more sense.
When you are producing your piece of writing for a client, it is best to be consistent with grammar and spellings, particularly when using headings. Here are some of the most common things to look out for.
Headings
The beginnings of words in a heading should be capitalised unless they are small words such as ‘and’, ‘is’ or ‘of’. It is sometimes helpful to bold the heading to make it stand out from the rest of the text. Make sure that if you decide to do this, that all the headings are capitalised and in bold.
The Main Body of the Text
Start with your opening paragraph which sums up what the article will be about. Keep it short and succinct. It does not need a sub-heading over it – in fact your first sub-heading should be at least one paragraph in.
If you are writing for the web, then keep paragraphs short and to the point. There should be two to three paragraphs underneath each heading and of course they should be relevant!
Consistency, Checking and Counting Words
Photo by Martin Hagberg and used under Creative Commons licence
When you are writing your first draft, then just get the ideas down and let them flow. Write until you have finished, Then go back over it and read through. Check for spelling errors (be aware of the differences between American and UK spelling and use one consistently throughout). Also keep an eye out for grammatical problems and check out the word count.
Clients are usually very definite about the amount of words used in a piece of writing, but it is important to write in a focused way on the topic. Beware of fluff or filler. Take out any words that are unnecessary, read your work aloud to check for flow and ensure that your sentences are short and to the point rather than long and wordy. This makes them much easier to read.
End your writing with a strong point or call to action. Revise it again and again until you are happy with it.
Finally when you think your work is done, put it away for at least 24 hours before getting it out and reading it again. The distance is important: it allows you to view your work with fresh eyes and improve it.
Consistency and care is the key to producing strong work which you can be proud of and which is more likely to please your client and bring in more work commissions for you.
You’ve checked out the jobs boards, you’ve trolled the best sites and you’ve found a job that you are reasonably confident that you could do. Now what?
Now get up the confidence to apply for it! No job ever applies for itself and if you don’t try then you will never know if you could have got it. Here are a few pointers when applying for a writing job.
Send Your Best Writing
This sounds obvious, but its amazing how many writers don’t think of it: if you are applying for a writing job, then you need to write at your best. This is not a time for spelling mistakes or glaring grammar errors!
If you are applying to a job advert, then read it carefully. Some employers put instructions in the ad to ensure that applicants have read it thoroughly. Follow the instructions: if they ask for a CV then write a CV. If they ask you to call, then call; email then email. If they ask you to put “buckaroo” in bold in the middle of your CV, then do it! (They were probably testing you to see if you read the application thoroughly or not!)
Email as though You Were Writing a Letter
If you are applying through a jobs board, then the first contact is likely to be an email. Although these are usually informal, it will do you no harm to approach this as though it were a formal letter. Begin with ‘Dear’ and the client’s name and end with the appropriate ‘Yours Sincerely’ or ‘Yours Faithfully’. It sets you out as a business-like person. It creates a good impression and sets you out from the rest.
Explain why you are suited to the job and why you should be considered for the role. Keep it brief and relevant – no major life stories here. At the end of the letter, say that you look forward to hearing from them and sign off.
Include Contact Details
Make sure that you include full contact details so that any prospective employer can get in touch with you quickly.
Leave your email for a while before sending it (some people recommend 24 hours – but give it as long as you have got). Read it through again and correct any errors. Reading out loud will help.
Attach your CV if required. Send the email. Jobs boards usually have a closing date, so you could have a week or more to run before notifications are sent out. Keep an eye on the site to see if the job closes early.
If you have written on speck, then you may get a reply quite quickly. It may be “no thanks, I’ll keep you on record”, in which case keep applying to other people.
If you got the job, congratulations.
If there is no answer, don’t wait on it forever – get on with the next application. As previously stated: the more applications you send in, the more likely it is that you will get a ‘yes’.
The Internet is a great place to be involved in sometimes, especially for writers. No longer do writers have to sit in a solitary place, banging out another article on their keyboard.
Now we can network, share blogs, contact other writers and share details. We can even write a novel in a month!
Contact with other writers is essential so that we can share success and horror stories and help one another. We are no longer restricted to our own locality, but now the world is in our own backyard.
Here are some of the writing blogs that have inspired me. Go check them out and feel free to add some of your own.
http://www.aboutfreelancewriting.com/ Anne Wayman’s blog which is one of the best ones out there for newbies to read.
http://allfreelancewriting.com/ Jenn Mattern’s blog tells it how it is. She has strong opinions and pulls no punches, but her advice is always sound. Her blog is entertaining and she offers a free e-book – on writing e-books!
http://menwithpens.ca/ Men With Pens show you how it should be done. It’s a great blog with good advice.
http://bloggerillustrated.net/ If you want to understand what SEO, backlinks, and web sites have to do with the writing world, then you could do worse than visit Allyn Hane’s site. He explains it all simply and easily in video.
You’ve written a story. It may have flowed easily from your pen, or it may have come in fits and starts. You have got it in front of you: on a laptop, a notebook or a piece of paper. Now what?
Leave it for 24 hours. Or 48, or for a reasonable amount of time. You want to lose the immediacy of having written the story and to have forgotten some of the details. Then read it through again, trying to read it as a reader rather than the author of the piece. You will pick up on annoying phrases, repeated words, spelling mistakes. Ignore them for the moment and read through the story as a whole. Jot down impressions, ideas. Did it all work or was the thinking behind it a little woolly?
Go through the story again and pick out the weak points. Mark them out. Check out discrepancies, spellings, grammar. On a computer this can be easy as most desk top publishing packages will help you pick out any glaring errors. Make sure that you are working in the correct language so that the spellings are correct as English and American spellings can vary.
Your story is as good as you can make it? Now what?
Some people are happy to leave it there and just keep their stories in a file on the computer or in a drawer. Others want to know: is it any good?
The easiest way to know is to ask someone else to read it through. Did I say ‘easy’? Actually that is one of the hardest things to do! We all own our writing and can be very sensitive about it. Choose someone you trust and who knows you well. You may find that they have something that they would like you to read as well. The main thing when critiquing someone else’s work is to be kind and gentle, but fair. It is a difficult thing to learn.
Another way to find out if your writing is any good is to join a local writing class or group. Many local colleges offer creative writing courses these days and it can be a good way to get to know people with similar interests and a way to have your stories read. It can be a real confidence booster when you come up with a story that everyone enjoys.
There are also online groups which allow you to post stories to be critiqued and to give you the opportunity to critique someone else’s story. Be warned, however that the anonymity offered by some of these sites can be seen as an opportunity to be blunt.
It is good to take risks. Sometimes the result is a pleasant surprise. If you want to get serious with your writing, then seeking others’ advice is a good way to take. It can be difficult to get your confidence at first, but can also become addictive.
Try showing someone else your writing today and add in the comments if you were brave enough to do so.
