The Difference Between Books: A Guest Post

7:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 14 Comments

Dancing Lemur Press (DLP) has published around seventy books and we’ve a checklist we follow for each title. There are many items on the list, but at its most basic, books go through these stages: 

• Plan marketing
• Edits
• Cover & artwork
• Formatting
• Start executing marketing
• Compose list of reviewers and contact
• Edit again
• Compile reviews & format final
• Release day and more marketing 

My own books run through those same steps but with two major differences. 

Before even thinking about marketing and editing, I have to write the darn things. And since I am super busy taking care of other DLP books, time to write is scarce. I usually take advantage of short lulls and do quick bursts of writing to get stories finished. (And with the In Darkness series, they are novellas, which made them easier to finish.)

 Then of course, I have to edit, edit, edit each one. Fortunately, we have a great self-editing checklist for DLP authors and I use that. Plus Spellcheck. (You’d be surprised how many manuscripts DLP receives that have not even been run through Spellcheck—red lines everywhere!) 

Then I get feedback from a couple beta readers. That’s where I shift things a bit, maybe change certain aspects or how a character reacts or whatever part of the story doesn’t fit well or causes issues or a disruption in flow. Those adjustments and rewrites need their own edits again, too. (I don’t need to edit in so much depth before sending to beta readers, but I don’t want them distracted by typos and such.)

All that happens before our primary editor sees it and our illustrator starts working on the cover art. 

Now, besides all of that work up front, there is another difference during the process. The little things we ask our authors to do as far as marketing plans, reviewers they know personally, etc. all fall on me for my own books. Of course! My work is multiplied as I have to do it all myself. When there are other books in the pipeline, that becomes quite the juggle. (Add to the fact this series is rapid releasing—four books in one year—and that really crunches the time I have to complete everything.) 

So, if you are considering doing it all yourself, remember what that entails—you really will be doing it all yourself, with no publishing team behind you or anything. It’s a lot of work. Then again, you probably won’t be juggling several other books at the same time, too! Lucky you.

Thank you, Elizabeth!

Thank you, Diane! I'm so glad you stopped by! 

Diane is a professional speaker and author, L. Diane Wolfe conducts seminars, offers book formatting, and author consultation. She’s the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and contributes to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

http://www.spunkonastick.net/ - Spunk On A Stick
http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com - Spunk On A Stick’s Tips
http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/ - Insecure Writer’s Support Group

In Darkness: The Shark

By L. Diane Wolfe

Souls shrouded in darkness…

Focused on her studies and duties at the aquarium, Jewels prefers her solitary life. Burned many times and short on trust, she has more in common with her aquatic friends than the people around her. But she never imagined coming face to face with a shark named Clarence…a shark who talks!

As their friendship grows, Jewels must overcome her deep set mistrust. There are dangers, both in the Australian ocean and on dry land. Can Jewels depend on the great white or will his animal nature betray her?

Romance/Paranormal - Fantasy/Paranormal - Fantasy/Romance
eBook ISBN 9781939844910 $3.99

Links:
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKTLKMG4
iTunes - https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6444053123
Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940165956393
Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844910
Scribed - https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844910&language=0
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63208820-in-darkness