Book Writing & Publishing

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Understanding the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is crucial for indie authors. But new authors often wonder what the heck it is and feel a bit "silly" asking! 

In short, the ISBN is a unique identifier for books, similar to the UPC for products. It allows books to be easily tracked and purchased globally and enables indie authors' work to be more easily discovered by a larger audience, including libraries, bookstores, and online retailers.

But still, new authors are left with questions such as:

1. Why do I have to have an ISBN?
2. Where do I get them (and how much will they cost?)
3. Should use a free one from Amazon/KDP?
4. Do I only need one for each book?
5. Does an ISBN provide copyright protection? 

This episode clears it right up! 

Mary Jones' book, The Goodbye Process (July 30, 2024, Zibby Books), is, in four words, hard to put down. Her raw, vivid descriptions of characters and experiences alike quickly pierced my soul and extended my bedtime!  

In this episode, Mary and I discussed her love of the short story form, some (perhaps surprising truths about writing and organizing short stories/essays, thoughts on beta readers, the querying and submission process, and our mutual love of "Days of Our Lives."

CONNECT WITH MARY

Book: The Goodbye Process

Instagram: @maryjoneswriter

X: @maryfjjones 

Threads: @maryjoneswriter

Website: www.maryjoneswriter.com

WHAT MARY'S READING

All Fours by Miranda July

MENTIONS

I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott 

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith 

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

I've recently had a key realization about book writing, especially when it comes to writing memoir and non-fiction. 

Many times, people think the writing process will allow them to quickly (and easily) unlock or unravel buried feelings or insights. But this misconception sets an unrealistic expectation and creates potential roadblocks. 

As is the case with therapy (ask me how I know), there’s no set timeline for completing a book, and the process is often more complex and time-consuming than anticipated.

So here's my $0.02 on how to best navigate the unexpected detours that often arise while writing a book you'll be incredibly proud to release to the world.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOOK WRITERS COLLECTIVE

When it comes to book writing, "I'm waiting for inspiration/motivation" is often code for "I have no idea where this is going and it scares the sh*t out of me so I'll figure it out another day." 

But there are ways around (read: through) this challenge. 

In this episode, I offer some of my favorite tips so that you can get out of "waiting" and into writing!

Looking for more support on this adventure? Check out Write the Damn Book Already or The Book Writers Collective!

WRITE THE DAMN BOOK ALREADY

A program for writing powerful, thought-provoking nonfiction or memoir.

This is for you if you:

Want to write a powerful book, making sure you're avoiding common (and unnecessary) mistakes along the way 

Crave the support of a proven book-writing process as well as knowledgeable guidance and compassionate ass-kicking (when necessary) when the adventure feels “sticky” and you begin feeling unsure of what you’re doing, why you...

Gail Priest is the author of five books (including a trilogy). Her latest, Soul Dancing, was released on April 2024 through Red Adept Publishing. 

In this episode of Write the Damn Book Already, Gail shares her writing process using mind mapping and discusses her approach to marketing and pitching her work.

CONNECT WITH GAIL

Instagram: @gailpriest_author

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGailPriest

Website: gailpriest.com/

GAIL'S BOOKS

Soul Dancing

Eastern Shore Shorts 

Annie Crow Knoll: The Complete Collection:

WHAT GAIL'S READING NOW

A Very Crowded House by Kelly Elizabeth Huston 

Of Lies and Honey by Donna Norman-Carbone 

When the World Goes Quiet by Gian Sardar

NEED A LIBRARY OF AMAZING BOOK MOCKUP SHOTS?

I've used MockUp shots for years to create attention-grabbing images great for social media.

It usually costs $207, but they're offering a 60% discount on lifetime access with lifetime updates....

Drew Linsalata has been my go-to for years when it comes to audiobooks and podcasts as well as any "How do I get the most bang for my buck?" questions when it comes to tech hardware. 

In this episode of Write the Damn Book Already, he helps dissect the why, when, and how of audiobook creation. 

Topics include:

• Gear setup (for under $70)
• The popular mic everyone thinks they should use (but shouldn’t)
• What device to read your book from for best flow and quality
• Recommended audio editing software (that’s free!)
• The truth about the cost of producing an audiobook as well as expected earnings (advertised numbers are a bit misleading)
• How to determine if it’s “worth it” to create an audiobook  
• The biggest misconceptions authors have about audiobooks

CONNECT WITH DREW

The Anxious Truth:  A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Panic, Anxiety, and Agoraphobia

Seven Percent Slower: A Simple Trick for Moving Past...

In the latest episode of Write the Damn Book Already, Joselyn Takacs and I discussed her first novel, Pearce Oysters (Zibby Books, 6/25/2024).

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• Her writing process (and the system she and her adviser had for keeping her consistent)
• Free writing versus stream-of-consciousness writing 
• The fun way she’s including the book’s theme in her upcoming book events
• Joselyn's top tricks for getting through writer’s block
• How writing ahead can help authors figure out the book’s trajectory

ABOUT JOSELYN

Joselyn Takacs holds a PhD in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Southern California and an MFA in Fiction from Johns Hopkins University. Her fiction has appeared in Gulf Coast, Narrative, Tin House, Harvard Review, The Rumpus, DIAGRAM, Columbia: A Journal of Art and Literature, and elsewhere.

She has published interviews and book reviews in the Los Angeles Review of Books and...

Ava Dellaira’s adult debut novel, Exposure, comes out with Zibby Books on September 10th, 2024. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed young adult novels In Search of Us and Love Letters to the Dead, which was named Best Book of the Year by Apple, Google, BuzzFeed, the New York Public Library and the Chicago Public Library.

She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow, and the University of Chicago. She grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and now lives in Altadena, CA with her husband and their two young children.

INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

• The challenges of writing in identities that aren’t your own (and the risks involved in writing outside your own point of view)
• Where Ava’s story ideas originate, and what she aimed to tackle through writing Exposure
• Ava’s editing process preferences, including how she views the editing process and ensures she receives feedback most...

One can never receive too much advice when it comes to the "how" of writing a book (unless they spend too much time ruminating over which of the advice is "right" or "best"). There are as many approaches as there are writers, and what's most important is finding the advice that lands best with you at any point in time and gets your butt in the chair! 

In this episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, I share two of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve received (and I've received a lot of it over the years!). The second one is thankfully responsible for getting my own butt back in the chair after an 11-week hiatus due to crippling "writer's block." 

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Just Do Nothing  by Joanna Hardis

Joanna's Instagram: instagram.com/joannahardis

Ep 55: How to Write While Feeling Discomfort (with Joanna Hardis)

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Ava Dellaira's forthcoming book, Exposure (Zibby Books,...

One of Jessica's most remarkable accomplishments is as a mom of three amazing kids. When her beautiful daughter Dalia passed away in March 2022 from an ultra-rare mitochondrial disease called MERRF syndrome, she was compelled to transition from how-to format and personal essay to long-form memoir.

Her newest book, Breath Taking, will be released in 2024 (which cannot come soon enough). 

In this episode, we talked about her journey through the writing and acquisition of this newest book. 

 Highlights include: 

• Discovering in what unexpected ways her story was extraordinary WHILE writing. (This marks the difference between “Here’s what happened” and “Here's why it mattered.”)
• How the book kept blossoming into a bigger and bigger story (and how she got her arms around all while not getting overwhelmed by the massive amount of content)
• Going from "This is a tough read" to writing so people will be uplifted and...