WRITING TIPS - What Are Trigger Warnings? ~ Should I put a trigger warning on my book?

OMG, am I about to offend someone? Quick, put a trigger warning on it! 😲

Alright, calm down.
First, let us look at two different types of triggers.

Emotional Triggers

Someone may make a joke, but to you it hurts and can affect you, making you feel off-kilter.
You question whether the person making the joke respects you or not.

Feelings brought up can include:

• A sense of rejection
• Being left/singled out
• Disapproval

~ basically you feel inferior in some way

Reactions to this can include:

• Withdrawal
• Anger
• Self-medication (drugs/alcohol/food etc.) 
• Compliance

These are normal human reactions, and are often associated with things from your own past. It is your reaction based on previous experience, and not the fault of the person making the joke, which to everyone else is harmless. 

This does not mean in any way it is your fault either. It's just one of those less pleasant experiences of life. Good news is, there are coping mechanisms and people trained to help you with this. 

Emotional triggers are not what trigger warnings are about, as we cannot feasibly all foresee how every single person is going to react. We all have the potential to associate an infinite number of innocuous things with a negative reaction. 

Psychological Triggers

These go way beyond our feelings being trampled on (which is unpleasant enough, right?). These are so much more. 

These types of triggers can be set off with a particular sound, smell or sight which are associated with a trauma, and often cause flashbacks. Often used in conjunction with PTSD (and other anxiety conditions) , and commonly (but not exclusively) include post-war/combat soldiers and survivors of sexual abuse. 

Flashbacks are no laughing matter. They have oddly become more common since movies started. And it is a bit like watching a film, only this is the 3D, fully immersive kind. Your brain throws you right back into the traumatic event, and you relive it as if you were there. It is terrifying, debilitating and to be avoided. It is deeply traumatic in itself. 

These are the folk we need/want to protect, right? 

We do not want to drive anyone to despair. 

In all fairness to them, a little word of caution so there's no nasty surprises is a simple courtesy which can save severe pain and suffering. 

It serves as a warning for them to put their coping strategies in place and/or choose not to read a book they will find too difficult to cope with. 

By the way, they may well choose to read your book anyway. With the correct coping strategies in place, it may help them face/overcome their issue/s. 

What we are doing is offering them the information so they may make an informed decision. 

Trigger warnings give people the power of control and choice.

So, if your book (especially if it's unexpected) contains scenes of:

• Violence/war
• Sexual/physical/mental abuse
• Mental illness
• Oppressive/hateful language or behaviour
• Self-harm
• Eating disorders
• Death/suicide
• Pregnancy/miscarriage/abortion

...please put a trigger warning under the blurb to save long-term psychological damage.

It just makes sense, doesn't it? 

To clarify the 'unexpected': e.g. mafia romance books will likely contain violence or books set during war will likely contain death. 

But, if you've written a romance book which features mental health issues, that's not expected so should definitely mention it in the blurb.

If there are serious issues included in your story, it's nice to list available helplines/support in the back of your book. 

Your book description should give a good idea what readers can expect your story to be about. 

No, you do not need a trigger warning if there's something such as a cliffhanger. 

If book 1 in a series does not say, "And they lived happily ever after. The end." it is NOT going to inflict long-term psychological damage. It will not cause flashbacks. It might just cause mild annoyance/aggravation. 

Please learn this important difference. 

There are people with actual debilitating problems (hopefully seeking professional assistance to come to terms with their trauma).

Demanding trigger warnings for things which cause disgruntlement helps no-one. 

To help you further, the dictionary definition of trauma:

trauma

/ˈtrɔːmə,ˈtraʊmə/

noun

1. 1.

   a deeply distressing or disturbing experience.

   
   

   "a personal trauma like the death of a child"

   • 
     

     
     
2. 
   
3. 1a. mass noun Emotional shock following a stressful event or a physical injury, which may lead to long-term neurosis.
   ‘the event is relived with all the accompanying trauma’
4. 2.

   MEDICINE

   physical injury.

   
   

   "rupture of the diaphragm caused by blunt trauma"

   
   

   synonyms:

   injury, damage, hurt, wound, wounding, sore, bruise, cut, laceration, lesion, abrasion, contusion "the gallstone can be extracted without unnecessary trauma to the liver"

~ basically events outside the ordinary, expected human experience

~ experience which involves actual or threatened death or severe injury (of self or others)

~ involves overwhelming fear, helplessness and/or horror 

This has been a public service blog post, brought to you with concern for mental well-being.  

It is meant to inform and educate, not to criticise or belittle. 

My aim is to help authors decide whether or not to include a trigger warning under their book description, and the reasons why. 

And to bring a little perspective to the confusion that exists out there. 

Always with love and light,

TL

If you are affected by the contents of this blog please do seek help. 

There are so many people, trained, willing and ready to take your call. Don't be alone. 

Thank you.

WRITING TIPS - You've Written a Book - Now What? - a checklist for authors

If you've written a book - congratulations!
So many "have a book inside them" and they just "think about writing one", but few get this far. So give yourself a pat on the back.

But now the real work begins!

1) Edit!!!
Hopefully, you've written draft one and have gone over it at least once.
But it is incredibly difficult to edit your own work - your brain knows what you meant to write.
So, hire an editor and a proof reader or copy editor - seriously!

2) ARC readers
Field test your book! ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) readers are incredibly helpful.
There may still be bits you need to think about.
Incidentally, beta readers are a good idea once you've finished draft 1, in case there's big changes which need to be made in the early stages.

3) Blurb
I've written an article to help guide you through this most despised task.
It's a very different skill set, and worthy of your time & considertaion.

4) Cover
Your cover needs to be awesome. People can tell if it's not professional, and will deter some of your potential readers.
This is one of your main points of contact; your first chance to make a good impression.
They are truly worth their weight in gold.
Personally, I use the fine service of Robin Ludwig, but obviously, choose one who you feel best.

5) Publish
Once you have a fabulous, well-polished product, it's time to publish.
Whether this is via a traditional publisher or yourself is up to you.
A traditional publisher will help you with the editing and cover. NEVER pay a publisher; they should pay you!
My pros and cons of both options are in this handy blog post.

If you decide to publish yourself, are you going to use Amazon KDP?
They hold the market share, so yes, you should.
But they have KDP Select, which means your book is free in Kindle Unlimited BUT limits you to Amazon only.
There's another post about KU vs wide distribution here.

You'll need to create your KDP account.
Also, if you're distributing your book as a paperback as well as ebook, you'll want to consider purchasing your own ISBN number.

OK, so upload your book. I've still not written a post on the KDP process, but you will need to decide which categories (genres) your book goes into and the keywords.
Keywords are the words readers type into their search to bring up a selection of books e.g. billionnaire romance.
Now, certain keywords will open up different, hidden categories.
e.g. the keyword 'witch' will get you into Romance>Paranormal>Witches
A list of these keywords is on the Amazon KDP website.

You will also need to decide on pricing. This needs some research, and depends on the length of your book, amongst other factors.

For things to do for the paperback, please see this post.

6) Reviews
Hopefully, you got some ARC readers lined up from step 2.
But if you haven't, it's not too late.
There are websites such as The Indie View who list reviewers, along with the genres they read and website where you'll find their review policy, if they're accepting requests and how to submit them.

7) Promotion
Now, you need to tell the world!!!
Write to your local paper; is there something special that makes it stand out that a newspaper will want to talk about?
Who's your target market? Where do they hang out? Get to know them, mingle (online).
Is there a book club near you that would like to read your book?
Who are the 'influencers' in your genre? Can you grab their attention.
Befriend other authors, especially the more successful ones ;) Hey, they're nice people, they may lend you understanding if nothing else.
(blog on advertising for introverts here)

8) Advertise
(like promotion, but bear with)
Two of the most important ones I've discovered that work for me:

i) AMS ads (Amazon Marketing Services)
This is located under your KDP account, under 'ad campaigns', 'view your ads dashboard page'.
This is not an easy process. It's worth taking time to study it.
Dave Chesson does a free course, accessed via his YouTube video - he takes you through the long way, but obviously, there is the option of purchasing his Rocket software (but don't feel obliged).

ii) Facebook ads
NOT the boosted posts! No!
Under the top right dropdown list on Facebook you'll find a "create ad" option.
If you've taken the time to learn AMS ads, this is a whole lot easier; it's a similar process.
*UPDATE* this is less effective now and can have costly mistakes!

Plus iii) Bookbub
I've STILL not managed to bag myself a 'Featured Ad' deal - they're like gold dust!
BUT I am told that they're really worth their high price tag. You should at least make back the cost of the ad (but don't blame me if you don't).
It's definitely worth creating an account on their site. More and more people are starting to use this for reviews as Amazon make it harder to do so. And there's lots and lots of readers on there.
They also let you run your own ads (similar again to AMS) and there's pre-release options too.

9) Launch
Have a fb launch party if you want - I've not ever achieved many sales, but have made new author and reader friends there.
*UPDATE* less effective now but still fun and good for networking

Plaster your release day across your social media.

Then 10) Pray...
to whatever deity you are affiliated with! 😉
Because, at the end of the day, it's all luck.
Be in the right place at the right time and your book will get noticed by the right people.

Oh, and secret option 11) Panic 😱
Yep - most of us go through this, especially when the book's with ARC readers.
It goes something like, "My book is awesome, I'm really excited. Shit, but what if it's not? And readers hate it? This could end my career before it's begun. What have I done? Oh dear God, I suck so bad! Why did I do this? Whyyyyy?" 😱
*Please note that this may be slotted in at any step, and often repeated.

This always leads to 12) What was I worried about? 😏

Please, during 'Panic' do remember that you do not suck. That you WILL get through this. Just keep going. Chocolate and/or alcohol is very handy to have in stock to assist the alleviation of 'Panic'.
- This is also another VERY good reason to make friends with other authors. When 'Panic' is reached, message one (or several) authors, who will understand and offer you reassuring virtual pats on the head and soft words of understanding.
*Don't forget to breathe!

So, I leave you, wishing you very good luck.
You got this!

Always in love and light,

TL

WRITING TIPS - How To Get Your Indie Book Into A Book Shop

I shall be talking of the hallowed territory of Waterstones for this blog post.
It is one of the largest book chains in the UK.
WH Smith is another huge goal, but I cannot find an application process for them at all, which is a shame, because I'd love to also get the chance of being in the Richard & Judy Bookclub. Hey ho.

So, you want to get your indie book into a bricks & mortar store?
Great ambition, and not entirely futile.
But I would like to point out: this is just outlining the process. It does NOT guarantee success, and is a LOT of work to set up. So, are you really really sure you want to do this? It might make you cry!

OK. Brace yourself, let's go...

First and foremost, make sure you have an excellent paperback product. And I mean excellent.

The editing must be spot on. The cover must be of a highly professional standard. 

✓ Great book

Tip: make the print a little smaller (not stupidly so; be sensible, it must be readable), but try to keep your page count minimal. 

I like to start each of my chapters on the right hand page, so pay attention to that when you're formatting. 

Try to keep your costs down.

I was lucky; my first paperback was created via Createspace (doh!), but this means I have a handy interior template, which works on IngramSpark. Sadly, IngramSpark do not have such a facility at the moment, but give you guidelines instead.

OK, next step. Grab an ISBN (International Standard Book Number). 

This will need to go on your book cover and pdf file name, so you need this prior to uploading to your printer people (IngramSpark).

tbh, getting your own ISBN just seems sensible anyway, if you ask me. That way, you own the rights, and can publish it where you choose.

In the UK, you will need to obtain this from Nielsen

You will need to create your account as a publisher on here. 

✓ Get an ISBN

Well done. Next, make sure you print via IngramSpark, or a similar company who has the right access.

KDP & Createspace DO NOT have the correct distribution channels in the UK for the likes of Waterstones (at time of writing this post)! 

The top two preferred distributors incidentally are Gardners and Bertrams for major stores. 

✓ Correct printers & distributors

There are many steps and considerations when putting your book into IngramSpark, such as trim size (I like 5x8), cream paper (better than white for fiction books), matt or gloss cover etc. 

Follow their guidelines closely. Ensure your fonts are embedded when you convert to pdf (there's an ISO_19005-1 compliance option under save options, and yes, my Word to pdf file works just fine). 

Once you upload your interior file, you'll be able to generate a cover template to send to your cover designer, with the correct dimensions. 

Once you get the cover file back, upload this too.

You will then get an e-proof in due course, once it's been through the verifying process. 

And once you approve that, you can order a hard copy proof (at your expense).

Phew! Formatting and uploading a paperback can be tough. But if you've got this far, well done. 

Now tell Nielsen Title Editor about your book.

This is a different site from the one where you purchased your ISBN/s.

You will need to know at least:

• ISBN
• Author
• Title
• Subject classification (there is a link to BIC codes on the site to help you choose)
• Publisher & imprint
• UK availability
• UK price (when you set up on IngramSpark all territory prices will need to be worked out, but they have a tool for this - allow a 55% wholesale discount)
• Format
• Territory rights
• UK publication date
• UK distributor (e.g. Gardners and Bertrams)
• Book dimensions (produced on IngramSpark when you go through their process)
• Cover file

✓ Update info on Nielsen Title Editor

Incidentally, Gardners also have the additional requirement of this form.

Hoorah! Very well done on getting this far. It's been a lot of work, but now you're ready to ask the nice people at Waterstones if they would possibly maybe consider stocking your book, pretty please. They accept requests from indie publishers, don't forget.

The magic Waterstones portal is here.

✓ Apply to Waterstones

Each step takes a while. 

Patience is your friend. 

And don't be afraid of asking Nielsen for assistance; their customer service is very good.

Now, Waterstones demand a 55% wholesale discount. Plus printing costs. This means your RRP will be fairly high. The store probably won't like it. So, don't get your hopes up. These are just instructions to give you an outside chance. 

They will be more likely to bung your book on their website, which is a helpful start.

Waterstones say not to approach individual stores, but you know what? If you have a lovely hard copy and you're passing, I reckon it's worth a cheeky question to the manager. Some of them want to support local authors, and will be able to stock if your book is on the system (after this process). But don't be hurt or surprised if they tell you to go away.

Good luck! 

Always in love and light,

TL

**UPDATE** 

3rd November 2018 - TODAY I went into a Waterstones book shop and my book Self Love was on the shelf for sale! Actually there...in...the...shop!!! 

This CAN work! 

Self Love in Waterstones, on a real shelf!

WRITING TIPS - Kindle Unlimited vs Wide

Do I go KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited) or go wide?
This is a question you see debated lots.

So, you can tick the little box on KDP which says 'Select'.
This will make your book available to Kindle Unlimited subscribers for free. They pay a monthly subscription and get as many books as they like in KU for no extra cost. Yay!
And you get paid by Amazon, something like $0.002 per page read.

But, this means you're tied into Amazon exclusively.
Your ebook mustn't be available anywhere else.
And there's the rub.

You're losing out on all the Kobo, Nook, iBooks etc. sales.

And, BookBub (huge promotional site), seems to prefer a wide distribution (meaning your book should be available across all platforms).

So, is it worth it?
Well, you potentially get a lot more readers, as y'know, free book...
And we know my thoughts on those! (see my post on freebies)

And there are many authors out there who declare thousands of page reads per day, and swear by their KDP Select success.

If it's a first book in a series, and your next ones are full price, sure, maybe it's worth it.

But the mighty Amazon seem to be clamping down harder and harder on authors.
They routinely remove reviews, a lot of which were actually genuine, but not according to their algorithm 😩

Many authors have had books removed from sale and/or been threatened as Amazon have decreed reading bots have been used. These authors often have no knowledge of this btw.

Pirated books flag up on Amazon as you publishing your book elsewhere, so they then take yours down from their site. Grr!

Some books have been removed as there was a sudden spike in sales. Well yeah, the author ran a promotion and got sales; it worked. But Amazon don't seem to like this either.

And then you add in the erotic genre who recently had all their rankings stripped out.

Oh, and don't forget Cockygate! I'm not going into details. If you don't know what that was, Google it.

Every day I see authors having problems with the market leader who were originally book sellers.

So, is it time to 'go wide'?
Maybe.

Why put all your eggs in one basket?
Especially when that basket is a little bit shabby and there's a hole forming?

Sites such as Draft2Digital will push your books out to all other platforms at once which is super helpful. However, they don't run promotions on those platforms (at time of writing).
To get your book noticed on the other platforms you'll need to advertise it e.g. on Facebook advertising. I have a blog post on advertising.

It's a deep question.

But there is a relatively simple answer...

Check the top 100 of your category/categories on the Amazon website. If most of them are in KU, you probably should be too.

Up to you. This is just my humble opinion. You can make up your own mind.
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comment below.

Always in love and light,

TL

WRITING TIPS - Social Media and Marketing for Introverts (as a lot of indie authors are)

It's Thursday, so it's TL blog day.
I've got a list of topics yet to be covered. Feel free to offer up suggestions btw.

But today I feel like just having fun. It's all got a bit serious on here lately, and I'm starting to sound like a writing manual.

But this post could get really random and ecclectic if I don't try to focus a little.
That's just my way.

Over the years, those lovely 'Investor in People' employers I've worked for send their staff on courses so they get to keep their shiny award. And the staff are forced to stay awake with free coffee and biscuits. Thanks to many redundancies, I've sat a fair few of those, and I'm fairly sure I'm the 'green' personality. The one that is easily distracted and introverted. The "ooh butterfly" one.

Have you ever done one of these?

I'm also a trained counsellor, and have sat many 'navel gazing' exercises (looking deep within yourself). 

Plus, my holistic training has helped me look at people differently too. 

It may be surprising to some, to hear I'm an introvert. In social situations I tend to overcompensate. I get overly chatty, and loud if alcohol's involved. It's difficult to shut me up. I'm sure there's some people who think I'm full of myself. Nothing could be further from the truth, in fact. You just need to see past my facade. 

I have a point! I'm getting there. Honest. 

Anyway, so whilst mingling with many authors online (love ya), I've noticed some commonalities. Now, I'm not saying EVERYONE. Don't start moaning. But generally, authors seem to be:

• introverts
• pet owners (usually cats)

No harm in that. And as we spend prolonged periods hiding in our writing dens, creating wonderful tomes, perhaps our work intrinsically attracts introverts. 

We love introverts; quiet, studious types. 

Gotta feel the love for extroverts too btw. They help drag us out into the 'outside' and befriend us.

Social situations tend to drain introverts. Doesn't mean we can't go out and have fun. But we need time to recover after. 

Add to this, the fact that I'm an empath. I feel the emotions of others around me deeply. 

Hmm...why did working in an office of 85 intensely intellectual mostly men make me really ill?? 

Back to the point...nothing wrong with introverts. We don't need to be 'fixed'. We are what we are. 

But...it is a bit of a nuisance when it comes to promotion, huh? 

As an author (whether indie or trad, as previously discussed) we need to publicise our work, so lovely readers get to know about it. 

Huh! 

Mercifully, the majority of this can be done online these days.
Your computer becomes your shield.
There's so many things.
Social media is huge. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.
But eek, these mean you have to write stuff. Put information out there! 😨
It's OK. You don't have to divulge your best kept secrets.
But readers do like to know a bit about authors. What are you interests? What do you do?
This is perhaps why we have cats; shove them in front of the camera, and not ourselves 😉

There's some great groups around, who are friendly and supportive, offering quiet corners.
This very blog has a 'hug depository' for when times get tough.
And my own Indie Coffee Lounge fb group is super lovely.
And more is out there.

But there's other ways too.
Blogging is really quite personal a lot of the time, but it doesn't have to be. I'm used to including gumph about me now. I've got used to it over the years. I even enjoy my online interactions.
And to an extent, you should share. But you can focus on your writing/tips as opposed to you.

Giveaways are faceless. Amazon and Goodreads are possibly the biggest ones for this. But don't expect many reviews in return.
(*UPDATE* these are expensive and not generally considered worth it now)

There's also services such as, but not restricted to, BookFunnel and InstaFreebie - great for building your newsletter following and for distributing ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies).

Have we all discovered how to set up an Author Page on Amazon btw?
Under your book title, your author name appears, and it takes readers to your profile.
This, really annoyingly isn't done in KDP (*smacks head*)
You will need to set it up separately for each site.
So, the US has authorcentral.amazon.com
And the UK has authorcentral.amazon.co.uk
This will also show you handy charts on 'Author Rank' and 'Sales Rank', as well as eventually showing you reviews (takes days for it to catch up with latest ones).

There's promotion sites such as Bookbub, ENT (Ereader News Today), Red Feather Romance, Bargain Booksy who will send out messages including details on your book sale, in exchange for a fee.
BookBub is considered the holy grail of book advertising, and even trad publishers use it. However, it has taken me x30 applications to finally get an ad accepted - persistence is key there. And your book (cover, blurb, reviews have to be spot on).

Amazon Advertising (you'll see this referred to as AMS ads on social media), is one of the most effective regular avenues for me.
It is a bit complicated. I recommend taking a FREE COURSE such as the one by The Kindlepreneur or Bryan Cohen runs AMS Ad School courses periodically.

At the end of the day, you need to find what you're comfortable with. Just try stuff out.

I'm not writing to be famous. I write because I love it.
Yes, I really want many readers to buy my books and love them.
But them, not me. I am not my books.

btw there's a reason you never have to go too long on my Instagram before finding Pusskin 😉

Pusskin overseeing my work

For examples of my own social media, feel free to visit:

Goodreads

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Amazon

OK, that's your lot for today. Sorry, it ended up a bit serious after all. Hey ho.

Feel free to offer gentle opinions/thoughts below.

Always in love and light,

TL

WRITING TIPS - Indie author vs Traditional Publishing - which to choose?

It is a question asked many times, by many people, many times a day.

Independent author publishing vs traditional publishing; which is best?

I'm tempted to go 'Harry Hill' on you right now, and say,
"There's only one way to find out. Fiiiight!"
But that would not be terribly helpful, no matter how amusing.

So? How do you decide which is better?
There is no right or wrong here. Both have their merits and their pitfalls. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference.

I'm an indie author, as you probably know by now.
I'm loud and proud to be so. It was a choice for me. My own reason is truthfully because I'm a control freak. I didn't want someone tearing my book apart, and applying their own formula to it, and taking most of the proceeds.
If/when I achieve best seller status, I want to be able to say, "I made that."

But what are the pros and cons?

Indie Authors

This is probably the hardest path, judging solely on the fact it's the one I chose, and I always seem to choose the path of most resistance ;-) 

You are in charge of your own destiny, but this is very much restricted.

You dictate the content of your own book.

You say when, where, how much. 

This in itself can be overwhelming. 

Let's take ebooks only (paperbacks become even more complex): 

Do you publish via Amazon KDP? 

Well, Amazon holds the market share, so that seems sensible.

Ah, but then there's the KDP Select option, which gets your book in Kindle Unlimited (susbscribers then get your book for free, as they pay one monthly fee). 

Ah, but that means your ebook has to be EXCLUSIVE to Amazon. And there's many other platforms out there. 

Do you remain out of KU and 'go wide'? 

I'll probably do a whole blog post on this alone at some point. And how much do you charge? 

You employ your own editor, proof reader, cover designer etc. But this is costly. You have to pay upfront, and it all mounts up. 

And yes, ideally, you do need all these. At the very least, a proof reader, as it's virtually impossible to spot all your own errors. You know what you know, and your brain knows what you meant to write. 

You are responsible for all your own marketing. This is both good and bad, really. I enjoy it. 

Having an 'online presence' is vital. This means creating, maintaining, and regularly interacting on many social media platforms. 

You have your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon author page...the list goes on. 

This really eats into your precious writing time. 

You will also find many doors are closed to you. The major newspapers/magazines/blogs don't review indie authors.

Brick & mortar book shops are virtually impossible to get into. If you use print-on-demand for your paperback, the costs are high, and the stores like a 55% wholesale discount, which prices you out. 

Waterstones have a process. And when I can face looking at it again, I'll write a blog post on that. There's many many hoops to jump through. And you're unlikely to succeed, but there is a teeny weeny glimmer of hope. 

At the end of the day, it's your book your way.

Traditional Publishers

OK, maybe traditional publishing is the solution. All of the above sounds like very hard work. 

If you get into one of the 'top five' success seems guaranteed.

Well no, of course it's not. But maybe you have a marginally better chance. 

The top publishers now require you to have an agent to even approach them.

They are another layer of gatekeepers, another round of applications, with possibly many rejections. This can be really tough to take. 

Bear in mind, even JK Rowling was turned down by multiple publishers though. 

There are many authors applying for their perceived golden ticket, but only a very few places are available. Even if you want to get in, you may not be able to gain access.

But if you do get through the double gateway, you then have a lovely contract, with hopefully an advance. 

NB NEVER ever pay someone else to publish your book. They are vanity publishers, and won't make your dreams come true.

They have their own editing teams etc. They can take care of a lot of this for you. (*sigh of relief*)

However, it's still up to you to make the changes. And you may not agree with what they have to say. 

And you still have to do a lot of your own marketing. They don't have the resources to do all this for every author on their books. They may be able to assist, and maybe you'll get the opportunity to be reviewed by the big hitters. But not necessarily. 

The choice is yours, at least, which to go for.
Obviously, the choice of acceptance by trads is in their hands.

Just know this;
WRITING IS HARD
Whichever door you go through, and path you walk down, it is not easy. But it just may be worth it.
Success is never guaranteed, but a lot of hard work is.

As I have said before: write because you love it.

Incidentally, I ran a series of interviews with different kinds of authors, including best sellers like Amanda Prowse. We all should support one another.


Always in love and light,
TL