Writing – Page 163 – Jean's Writing

Are you almost ready?

Published on September 5, 2015September 5, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell19 Comments

To publish that book!

Where to go, what to do and how!

The questions are many, but hopefully these two experienced writers can help us all figure out the maze of self-publishing.

I’m playing with Createspace and trying to familiarize myself with the process. It can be intimidating, at least for this newbie.

However, after reading the step by step instructions provided by by Bryan Hutchinson over at Postive Writer, I feel a lot better. Bryan was kind with a quick response to my question too.

How to Publish a Paperback Book for FREE Using Createspace by Bryan Hutchinson

I wanted to know if I should use Ingram Spark in addition to Createspace. He suggested I publish everywhere, including Ingram Spark and even Nook Press.

From all I’ve read Ingram Spark is a must to get into stores. Still a bit confused, I was thrilled to open the following post by Jen Lang. She wrote a follow-up piece to article on How to Use CreateSpace and IngramSpark Together by Karen Myers.

Book Production: More Tips on Using CreateSpace and Ingram Spark Together by Jen Lang

Not that’s what I call Kismit.

Maybe you’re not ready yet to pull this trigger, but I think it’s important to be ready for that big day. So curl up on this long weekend and read these amazing articles. You’ll be glad you did.

After all luck is when preparation meets opportunity. (Something like that.)

Hope you learn as much as I did from the two articles and soon we all will say, “Published.”

You’ve made it this far so let me know what you think, and then give me just two more seconds. Hit Facebook and Twitter and share.
Thank you!
If you’re not already, I’d be much obliged if you would follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Do you want to connect with writers’ groups?

Published on September 4, 2015September 2, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell13 Comments

There are a lot of good groups on Facebook.

Keeping up with the helpful groups is so important. I can’t tell you how much I learn from other writers and groups such as the one Kelly Gurnett was so kind to put together in one place. A quick reference such as this can lead you to just the right nugget of information.

Take a look and see if you can find a group to will encourage and enhance your writing efforts. As she states this list was compiled by writers who said they could not live without these groups.

You’ll find everything from a writers life community, Kindle publishing, and my favorite, a call for submissions. With this FB Group you’ll never run out of places to send your writing.

Just in case you missed this, must have information, from The Write Life, here it is again.

16 Facebook Groups for Writers You Don’t Want to Miss By Kelly Gurnett August 28, 2015

Now go out and mingle!

Readers, you’ve made it this far, and I thank you, so give me just two more seconds and hit Facebook and Twitter and share.

Thank you!

If you’re not already, I’d be much obliged if you would follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Need to get organized?

Published on September 3, 2015September 2, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell10 Comments

Do you need help organizing your writing?

Well, I do!

Because sometimes I’ve had so many files swirling around in my computer that I forgot which one was the last one.

I check the dates. Grab what looks like the right one, but lo and behold there is another one way over on the other side of a black hole.

Head slap! How in the hell did a 100 pages end up with the cookie recipes?

Listen, I’ve always considered myself a pretty organized person. I like the potato chips on the bottom shelf of the pantry. Drives me nuts when someone moves them around.

But sometimes my fiction runs rampant, and like scurrying little mice, stories duck into hiding spaces on the far side of my computer.

Glad I found the following article in my inbox.

Hope it helps you too.

How to for Authors…

Writing: How to Keep Your Manuscripts Organized by Betsy Talbot

Lots of terrific ideas to keep your murder and mayhem away from the cookie dough. So now I need to grab a dust cloth and clean out some files.

Whew! Half done! My file system is looking much better after a full day of weeding out stray stories, WIP, and ideas for the future.

The next issues is to remember what I named the new files. Hmm, maybe I should’ve made a cheat sheet. Oh well, that’s a project for another day.

Readers, you’ve made it this far so give me just two more seconds and hit Facebook and Twitter and share.

Thank you!

If you’re not already, I’d be much obliged if you would follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter or jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Don’t lose the big question!

Published on September 2, 2015August 26, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell

Have you lost track of the Big Question?

Tons of little questions just muddying up your story?

I’m bad to get tangled up in a web as I write. But as Heather Jackson over at Write On Sisters all questions, like the roads of the Empire that lead Rome, all questions must lead back to the BIG ONE.