Joey’s Comments (group member since Nov 05, 2011)

Joey’s comments from the Q & A with Joey O'Connor group.

Hi Linnette,
I am very happy with the quality. They print only softcover, but the paper is better than some of my previous trade books.

POD...so you can test one to see if you like it...nice cover and paper quality!

Marlayne wrote: "Thanks for the recommendation Joey - I just uploaded In Plain Sight. So quick and easy! Do they set the retail price of the book or do I after the conversion? What price point would you recommend? ..."

Hi Marlayne,

Sorry for the delay in responding. You should be able to set the price as you go through all the menu options. I once forgot about this and had to go through the system again, but it is easy to do.

I think $9.99 is a good place to start. I sold a good number of my marriage books at $8.99, but I recently all my books to $4.99. I'm hoping this will be a sweet spot.

I went through our last set of emails and I never received your book. I'd love to read it...please send!

Thanks for your input Ursula. Yes, in going with a traditional publisher, a lot of first-time authors don't realize that many items in the contract are negotiable.

For self-publishing, many book "printers" try to get authors into purchasing large quantities of books by enticing them with a lower per book cost for more books purchased. I am a huge fan of POD (print on demand) and only purchasing the copies you need. I've had many friends sit on loads of unused inventory. One in particular dumped thousands of copies when he and his writing partner couldn't figure out how to best market the book.

If you're looking for a good new POD publisher, I'm using Snowfall Press...they're pricing is much better than Amazon's Createspace. I'm paying about $2.50 per book.

Let me know how it goes and thanks for your comments!

Hi Marlayne,

I use Bookbaby.com, which is a great service for converting to ebook. They post the ebook to Amazon, iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, and Sony ereader. Then, they manage all the royalties and you get 100% of your royalties after the retailer takes their cut.

$99 per book (some people charge hundreds to create an ebook) and $20 annual admin fee.

I know some readers will say, "Hey, what about Smashwords?" I have reviewed their service and have found their Meatgrinder ebook setup doc extremely onerous and outdated...I will get my books up in their library eventually, but it is a low priority.

I'm in Florida Tues-Thursday, so we'll have to meet in a few weeks after Nov. 21.

Thanks!

Hi Marlayne,

Thanks for your comment. We should have coffee soon and compare notes because I've been doing so much work/research on self-publishing, ebook development, as well as having traditional publishers review my work.

Are all your books in ebook format right now? I am loving ebooks as I have no physical inventory, which is why I shut down my old website a few years ago.

I am not for authors buying 1000 books at a time just to sit on inventory for years. Just-in-time publishing has been a game-changer.

Since authors are expected to do so much social media marketing on their own, there are definite trade-offs with going for a traditional publisher...though it's nice to get a good advance.

Give my best to Mike!

Sending now...have a great day (or night!) in NZ!

In mentoring young or new writers, I've written a number of practical and inspirational blog posts to help people with a lot of common questions asking about the writing life.

I hope you find these writing posts, resources and inspiring stories helpful. I'd love your thoughts and comments.

1. Write A Winning Book Proposal!
http://www.joeyo.org/2011/09/write-a-...

2. Inspire Me! Help from ‘The Help’
http://www.joeyo.org/2011/08/inspire-...

3. Swimming in Grace
http://www.joeyo.org/2011/05/swimming...

4. Read 'Save the Cat' (Screenwriting Book-Resource)
http://www.joeyo.org/2011/04/read-sav...

5. A 'Must-Have' Screenwriting Book
http://www.joeyo.org/2011/03/a-must-h...

6. Seth to Artists: Stop Waiting!
http://www.joeyo.org/2011/03/seth-to-...

7. Writing a Book? 9 Solid Steps to Writing the Perfect Book Proposal
http://www.joeyo.org/2011/02/writing-...

8. Creativity, Old Age, & the Art of Lastingness
http://www.joeyo.org/2011/02/creativi...

9. 5 Specific Ways to Become a Better Writer Today
http://www.joeyo.org/2011/02/5-specif...

10. My Top 5 Books on Writiner: Improve Your Writing Now!
http://www.joeyo.org/2011/01/the-top-...

Marita...welcome!

You should receive a grand prize for being the first participant...I'm honored!

And thank you for your recent invite...I'm a bit behind on my email.

You offered great input in your post by aligning yourself with the Chamber of Commerce who WANTS to promote your book. How wonderful!

Best to you in all your endeavors...please send me your email address and I'd love to send you a copy of my book, The Longing, for free (it's a PDF).

Blessing to you!
Joey

I Love You Unconditionally...On One Condition is a marriage book that is all about making everyday choices for an extraordinary marriage.

I've been married for 22 years and written four marriage books, but I'm convinced there are no marriage experts. The only experts are good choices that lead to a loving marriage.

I'd love your comments and questions.

If you've read The Longing, I'd love to talk with you about what it means to walk as a chosen, loved, accepted child of God.

If you haven't read it, I'd love your thoughts as well.

As the author of 19 books, all my books have been published by large and medium-sized publishers.

I'm now in deep self-publishing as well and well-versed in the pro's and cons.

If you're going to submit to a traditional publisher, your proposal is the most important element to securing a book contract. On my blog, I offer a number of excellent writing resources.

Here are two posts you may find useful:

1. Write a Winning Book Proposal: http://www.joeyo.org/2011/09/write-a-...

2. 9 Solid Steps for Writing the Perfect Book Proposal http://www.joeyo.org/2011/02/writing-...

Do you want to self-publish or go with a traditional publisher?

I'd love your thoughts and comments.

This discussion is about the writing life. What works, what doesn't, publishing, and how to best focus your time.

Since I have a number of projects I'm working on (don't we all...), balance and focus are key priorities for me. At times, I have really good writing rhythms. Other times, commitments and various responsibilities keep me from being as focused as I'd like to be.

What about you? What questions do you have about the writing life? What rhythms have you established to bring your projects to completion?

I'd love your comments, thoughts, and ideas.