Author Photos: Putting Your Best Face Forward (Part 4)

"10 Simple Steps to becoming a successful published author" continues with the importance of the author's photograph, by Maureen Shelley.

Pic source:  Link Delight

The author photo is the most important piece of your marketing material. We recommend that you use a professional photographer. 

A professional portrait will range from $150 to $400, depending on the photographer.

What you'll need:

• You should ask your photographer to take portrait and landscape photos with a headshot, mid shot and full length. 
• You need to have these with a formal and informal look.  In one, wear a suit jacket and, if appropriate, a tie. The other can be more informal but should still be professional. 
• If you are writing a specialty book such as a cookbook, family memoir, children's book then you may need different photo choices. You should discuss this with your editor, graphic designer or writing mentor or group.

 

Can't afford a professional?

If you haven't budgeted for a photographer, you can use a digital camera or phone camera to take the shot. Ask someone to take the photo for you or use a tripod. You can improvise a tripod using a flat surface.  

Don't take a selfie but you can use the controls on your headphones to give you a 'remote'. Remember, to leave about 1.5m to 2m between you and the wall behind you, so that you control the shadows.

Also, if you can use multiple lights (standard lamp, desk lamp on the floor behind you - but out of shot), then do so. The more professional you can make the photo look the better.

Planning is essential

Multiple photo choices gives you more options for your book cover, marketing materials and digital assets such as website and social media pages.

Planning your shoot and thinking about your photograph options can ensure that your book looks like a professional production.

If you're looking for professional help. In Sydney, we use Toby Zerna Photography, Asterisk Photography or UberPhotography. Any of these studios will produce a great shot at a reasonable price. Mention Red Raven Books and they will look after you.

June is Author's Month to celebrate the launch of Red Raven Books. Red Raven Books is the publishing and imprint arm of The Copy Collective. Find out how we can help you today.

Book Cover Design and Editing: How to create a good-looking book that sells (Part 3)

Maureen Shelley continues with Part 3 of "10 Simple Steps to becoming a successful published author" series, on crafting a cover as good as your content.

Although we say "don't judge a book by its cover" everyone does. That makes the selection of the design for the cover of your book the most important decision you will make - apart from choosing the title.

"Hope in 60 Seconds" By author Graham Agnew

Front cover design

Graphic Designer: You should definitely budget for a graphic artist to specifically design the cover for your book. Although it will cost you between $250 and $500 it will be the best single investment you make in the creation of your work. Your designer should be able to offer you three choices of design. You will need to tell them what the book is about, who is the audience and what target market you are seeking. Your designer will know what are the current and upcoming trends in book design (yes, book covers have fads and fashions) and the colours that will appeal to your market segment.

Marketplace designs: If you really can't afford a graphic designer, then consider running a competition on www.99designs.com.au and set a budget for what you can afford. Please don't be too mean and please provide a reasonable budget for the competition. After all, if you are joining the creative community you need to respect your fellow creatives and provide fair compensation for their efforts.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY): If you really, really can't afford a designer then you could publish your book through a self-publishing website that offers standard book templates for your cover. This is the least desirable option but still at least gives your book a professional look. Try www.lulu.com or www.blurb.com.au for examples of book packages that can deliver a good quality result and a range of publishing options.

Back cover elements

Testimonials or endorsements: Once you've got the front cover design sorted, the back cover is the next important project. It is important to have organised your endorsements from people who have read your manuscript.

The blurb: You also need a good blurb of about 150 words that really encapsulates your book and its aim. Take time and care when writing this and ask someone else to read it for you before submitting it to your designer.

ISBN and barcode: If you are going to print your book, you will need an ISBN and a barcode. In Australia, the site to go to is Thorpe and Bowker at www.thorpe.com.au and they can supply both ISBNs and bar codes. However, if you use a site like Lulu or Blurb your package may include a barcode and ISBN.

The spine

Some people will first see your book as the spine on a bookshelf, so it has to work for you too. Before commissioning your design, study the shelves of your local bookshop and library. See what appeals to you. Look at other books in the same genre as yours - what elements do they include? You will most likely only have room for the title, your name and your publishing imprint logo.

This is where the title of your book has to do the most work, so ensure that your title sums up your book or is engaging or intriguing or all three. The width of your spine will depend on how many pages are in the book. If yours is light on, consider asking your typsetter to increase the spacing or the type size or the margins. A book that might be 60 pages of A4 text can turn to 300 pages in a Trade B paperback if the correct font, spacing and margins are used.

The wider the spine, the brighter the cover colours, the greater the contrast of type to cover, the more eye-catching your book's spine will be.

June is Author's Month to celebrate the launch of Red Raven Books. Red Raven Books is the publishing and imprint arm of The Copy Collective. Find out how we can help you today.

Editing: The Art of Asking the Right Questions (Part 2)

Maureen Shelley continues with Part 2 of "10 Simple Steps to becoming a successful published author" series, putting the spotlight on masterful editing.

An editor will proof read and undertake more substantive edits to a work. Proof reading involves checking for semantics, typographical errors and grammar.

Pic source: Tumblr.com

In searching for grammatical errors, an editor will consider a range of issues; and here are just some.

1.    Has the writer made the correct use of definitive articles?

2.    Has the writer avoided confusing modifiers?

3.    Are the subject and verb in agreement, in grammatical terms?

4.    Has the writer used appropriate punctuation within sentences?

5.    Does the sentence structure follow established principles? If not, is it appropriate for the work?

6.    Are there any spelling errors?

7.    What is the style for capitalisation and is it used consistently?

8.    Are the pro-noun (s) /noun (s) in agreement?

9.    Has the writer split their infinitives?

10. Are there squinting or limiting modifiers used?

11. Are there incomplete comparisons in the work?

12. Has the writer solved the great gerund mystery?

13. Are there redundant pairs?

14. Has the writer misused or confused 'like' and 'as'?

15. Has the writer taken the long way round to say something? That is, are there circumlocutions?

16. Has the correct punctuation been used, particularly in regard to question marks?

17. Has the writer confused self and personal pronoun use?

18. Is there pronoun and antecedent agreement?

19. Has the writer used double negatives?

20. Has the writer begun or ended sentences with a conjunctive?

21. Is there comparison of absolute adjectives?

22. Has the writer used unbalanced quantifiers or dangling modifiers?

23. In regard to semicolons; are they used correctly?

24. Is the verb form use appropriate?

25. Has the writer used prepositions at the beginning or end of sentences? If so, is that appropriate for the text?

26. Has the writer indulged in noun strings?

27. Do the verb tenses agree?

28. Has there been misuse of subordinate or subjunctive clauses?

29. Is there incorrect pronoun case agreement?

Apart from resolving these issues, an editor will also (if paid and directed to do so) check facts, gain permissions where appropriate, insert appropriate references (biblical, geographical and literary are just a few), index, mark citations, insert footnotes and endnotes and create a glossary.

In addition to all of this, a good editor will ensure that a work is readable and makes sense. That it has a consistent structure and sensible flow or a cohesive narrative.

A good editor is worth their weight in gold. (And they will check for cliches too!) Oh, and they will eliminate exclamation marks or 'screamers' as they are known.

June is Author's Month to celebrate the launch of Red Raven Books. Red Raven Books is the publishing and imprint arm of The Copy Collective. Find out how we can help you today.

The Red Raven flies with “Hope in 60 Seconds”

Guest Blogger Graeme Innes gives a bird's eye view from yesterday's book launch of “Hope in 60 Seconds”, Red Raven Book's first title in print.

Crows Nest is a great place from which to launch a new bird.  So Northside Community Church in Crows Nest, NSW provided an excellent launch-pad for Pastor Graham Agnew's first book, Hope In 60 Seconds.

It was fitting that the driving force behind the launch, boosting the book into the stratosphere of sales, was new publishing house Red Raven Books, the imprint arm of The Copy Collective.

When I endorsed Graham Agnew's (or GA to his friends) book I said:

“A super-charged buzz is on every page of Graham Agnew’s Hope is 60 Seconds. The messages throughout this book will renew your hope. I’ve been riveted by his sermons, loved his radio messages, and his book will make a permanent appearance in my daily reading.”

In launching the book, world-renowned author and speaker Michael McQueen commented the book contains 100 stories each with that vital ingredient of hope. He smilingly encouraged those at the launch to buy and read the book, as one of the stories could be about them.

I met a man walking away from the launch with five copies of the book in his hands.  In response to my question about his bulk purchase, he said "I've bought five of these books to give to five kids.  If one kid reads one story in the book, and it changes their life, it will be $100 well spent."

Hope in 60 Seconds can be obtained in print through Graham Agnew's website: grahamagnew.com. It will also be available as an E-book in July 2014.

June is authors month at The Copy Collective. We will profile new titles published by Red Raven Books; the publishing and imprint arm of The Copy Collective.

How to ask the right questions to deal with dodgy copy briefs

The Copy Collective’s Mr Romance, Jim Butcher, delves into the world of dodgy briefs and hands out some helpful suggestions for navigating your way through.

 

Dealing with dodgy briefs (Pic source: Hoopla)

There’s nothing worse than those cold sweats from fretting over a brief to which you just can’t respond. You’ve spent way too long pondering the job but you still can’t get into the swing of it.

Behind the brief

This could be because the brief is inadequate. It happens frequently; so don’t be too surprised. And there are many reasons for it:

• Perhaps there was more than one person working on the brief. Too many cooks spoiling the broth and all that.
• For some, creating a watertight brief isn’t important and they just want it off their desks, so what you’ve received could just be a bit of a palm-off.
• This might be the person’s first brief, you never know.

Whatever the reason, don’t worry. As long as you’ve caught this early enough, there are things you can do. 

Asking the right questions 
As you read through your brief, which you should do thoroughly as soon as you can, make sure the following questions are answered. If they’re not, then ask the client:

• Audience - who are you writing for?
• Tone - does this need a conversational tone? Is it a report or an emotive piece?
• Purpose - is this going to be a letter asking for donations? A blog post? A promotion or sales pitch?
• Additional material - is there reference material that hasn’t been provided that may support the information that is attached? Make sure you ask for all relevant material.

If there is a lot of background information, it’s OK to ask for direction on to the specific focus of the piece. Sometimes a client will just give you everything, which is great. But trawling through a 900-page document for a 300-word piece isn’t going to work for you or the client. 

Getting the job done 

Ask your questions and plan to ask as many as you need to at once. By planning, you will save your client time on separate phone calls or emails. And if you’re still not clear, ask again.
Your client won’t mind fielding your questions. Deep down, most people know when they’ve written a brief that may be missing the mark. 

Tell us your tricks

So,what do you do if the brief you’ve received isn’t up to scratch? Comment away...

What you can learn from someone else's business disaster

A disaster for one suburban cafe is a learning opportunity for all small businesses, writes Maureen Shelley.

In leafy Lindfield, the day started well for Tablespoon cafe owner Scott. Breakfast business was brisk and the full complement of about 10 staff had turned up and were soon hard at work serving soft-boiled eggs with Turkish toast soldiers and pots of Earl Grey tea to anyone that asked.

Lindfield is on Sydney's leafy North Shore

Tablespoon is in Tryon Road, Lindfield on Sydney's North Shore. It's popular with business types, mums and kids and the grey-haired stay-at-homes who populate the area.
In the adjoining street Downer EDI were carrying out roadworks for Ku-Ring-Gai Council. The hum of machinery could be heard in the cafe but not at an uncomfortable level.
As The Copy Collective's COO I (Maureen Shelley) was hosting a small business MeetUp in the cafe, as I do every month. One of the attendees noticed the staff packing the chairs in the outside dining area.
A river of comment rippled through the restaurant and people started asking: "What's going on?"
In Tryon Road, the road workers had hit a Sydney Water main with their machinery and it had burst. The cafe had no water. There was no indication of when there would be water and Scott had decided to cut his losses and close early - just 2 1/2 hours into the day.
"We have no water," a waiter told the MeetUp members. "We can't do anything without water."
Another staff member went around offering the remaining diners the freshly-cooked scones to take home for free. Business owner Scott had told all the staff that they would be going home - on full pay, of course, because they hadn't any notice that they wouldn't be needed for a full shift.

Lindfield shopping village, corner of Tryon Rd

Not understanding that the water being turned off was accidental rather than planned, Scott was asked if he'd been given notice of the shut down.
"No," he said, "And none of the people in the street knows when the water will be back on.
"No one can tell me anything. I can't run the business like this."
He said that he did have "business disruption insurance" and that he'd be seeing if he could make a claim.
Tablespoon is open 7am to 5pm most days and operates seven days a week.
One customer (an experienced marketing strategist) estimated that, apart from loss of business revenue and reputation, the restaurant would have had to have paid $3,000 in wages for staff to go home and have a swim. Then there was the food that couldn't be kept for another day - such as the scones being handed around -  and the losses were starting to mount up.
No one can prevent these things - road workers burst water mains, heat waves keep people home, computers crash - random events can impact on any small business.
So, apart from having business disruption insurance like sensible Scott, what can you do to minimise the damage?

Sign at Tablespoon 16 January 2014

1. Have a plan
Thinking about the risks to your business before they happen can help. You may not need to ensure that your executives fly on different planes every time but would it hurt to implement it as a strategy?
2. Make sure everyone knows what the plan is
How often has your business paid expensive consultants to develop a business plan and then it has lain around collecting dust? Make the plan short and relevant. Keep it simple - maybe just 10 bullet points that address the most likely things that could hit your business - like computers crashing, the internet being down, the phones being cut off. Simple stuff but can you operate without them?
3. Take out the insurance and pay the premium
If disaster does strike, knowing that you have insurance to cover it can make the difference between your business surviving or going through a really tough time.
4. Look on the bright side - it might be a good thing
I spoke to a business owner who had a fire that destroyed her business premises. They had good insurance cover and she said to me: "It's actually quite scary how well we did out of the fire. Everyone was very sympathetic, our business was back up and running within six weeks, we were able to fix all the things that were wrong with the previous processing plant and the insurance company money really saved the day."

How to be a freelance writer people want to use again and again

The Copy Collective's Andrea O'Driscoll knows what it takes to be a good writer.

Be a shining light in the freelance world

Being a good freelancer isn’t just about being a good writer. Sure, having some talent is a great place to start, but there are a lot of gifted writers out there who barely make ends meet. Why? Too often it’s because they don’t have the rig

ht attitude. People don’t want to work with a tortured artist, they want to work with someone who is reliable, honest and professional.

So what exactly does that involve? Here are 10 tips for becoming the kind of freelance writer that everyone wants to work with.

1. Accept feedback

Repeat after me: feedback is my friend. It might not always be what you want to hear, but feedback will make you a better writer. Editors are busy people. If one has taken time out of his or her schedule to discuss your work, it’s a compliment, not a criticism.

2. Don’t take it personally

 Yes, I know you put your heart and soul into every word, but that doesn’t make every criticism a personal attack, or every rejection an insult. Editors make client-focused business decisions more often than they make personal digs.

3. Turn copy around

In other words, get the job done. It’s no good leaving half-written jobs languishing on your laptop while you wait for inspiration. You need to finish what you start.

4. Be available

This can be a tough one. Every freelance writer has a horror story or two about taking on too much or having to work through a family holiday. But the fact is if you turn down too many jobs, people will stop asking.

5. Do what you say

People need to know that you can be relied upon to deliver on your promises. Be a (wo)man of your word.

6. Meet deadlines

It’s not just about you. If you miss a deadline it affects everyone – designers, proofreaders, editors and (God forbid) clients. That’s not going to make you popular.

7. Be flexible

Everyone knows that things can change. It’s a fact of freelance life.

8. Your client has a client – so make them look good

You need to be on their team. If their client makes a last minute change, you need to help accommodate them. If asked, you need to say nice things. And of course you need to maintain consistently high standards.

9. You are precious, but don’t be precious

Once you’ve filed your copy, you need to cut the cord. If an editor decides to change ‘effervescent’ to ‘bubbly’ despite your careful word choice, let it go. They know what they want better than you do.

10. Ask questions, but accept the answer – even when you don’t like it

It’s good to ask questions, but not everything is open for debate. Once a decision has been made, accept it and move on.

Writing for the Web

Your digital audience is internet-savvy and time poor. So don't waste their precious time (and yours) with long-winded explanations of why they should buy from you.

• Make it short and sweet.
• Make it visual.
• Give them something, and then
• Go home.

Here's a present for you

If you like our infographic, then download the PDF here

If you like our infographic, then see more work by this talented Chicago-based graphic artist