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How to Research and Evaluate a Hybrid Publisher
If you’re currently writing a book, or even have a finished manuscript in hand, you’ve probably thought about the next step: How will it be published?
Maybe you’ve struck out in the search for an agent or traditional publisher. Perhaps the prospect of self-publishing feels daunting. You may have heard about “hybrid publishing” and wondered if it’s the solution you’re looking for.
The Publishing Crossroads: Is Self-Publishing or Traditional the Path for You?
Demystifying the book publishing industry is a bit like changing the tires on a moving car. It’s adapting quickly, and unless you’re paying close attention and have industry experience, it’s easy to feel “run over” by all the options.
This post will attempt to demystify the difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing.
Author Gary Laney: “A Book Needs to Invoke a Feeling of Building Something”
Please enjoy this Q&A about the book writing process with leadership author Gary C. Laney.
SPIRITUS BOOKS: Tell us a little about your book and why you wrote it.
GARY C. LANEY: Become a Super Leader instructs leaders and emerging leaders how to identify and develop skillsets they need in order to maximize their performance at a proficient level. It also addresses the importance of identifying one competency in which they may possess a natural ability; this can potentially become their superpower as a leader and later a legacy they can leave behind.
Rituals to Help You Write
Many athletes perform rituals when they’re on a winning streak. For example, some refuse to shave, wear the same socks for each game, or fuel up on the same pre-game snack. While it’s doubtful that these quirky habits play any part in the outcome of a game, these rituals may help an athlete mentally prepare.
Writers also need to put on their "game day" mindset quickly when planning to write. Although professional writers can generate inspiration out of thin air, most of us need to prime the pump to get our heads ready.
Here are a few pre-writing rituals to kickstart your creative process.
Does My Book Need an Outline?
When writing a book, you’re like a tour guide inviting a reader on a journey through your topic. Readers aren’t risking much to spend a few minutes scanning an 800-ish word article. If they’re bored, confused, or even offended, they can move on and still enjoy their lunch. But what about with a non-fiction book, which averages 50,000 to 60,000 words? That’s like going on a weeklong road trip with you.
Is My Life Interesting Enough for a Memoir?
I hear this all the time. The person asking sometimes replaces interesting with words like great, special, dramatic, exciting, or unique.
That question usually implies that memoirs are only for people who’ve lived extraordinary lives or experienced “next-level” events. Or sometimes it implies: Imagine the ego someone must have to write a whole book about their own life.
However, as a ghostwriter of memoirs, I answer this differently.
Author Jenny Lisk: “Memoir Is an Act of Service”
Please enjoy this Q&A about the book writing process with memoir author Jenny Lisk.
JENNY LISK: My first book is a memoir, Future Widow: Losing My Husband, Saving My Family, and Finding My Voice. It’s an account of losing my husband, Dennis, to brain cancer when our kids were nine and eleven, and then trying to figure out how the rest of us would carry on. I know from experience that widowed parents feel lost and alone, so if my story could help some of them, I really wanted to write it.
Can My Journalist Friend or Former English Teacher Edit My Book?
Can your neighbor or journalist friend edit your book? Maybe, but someone who isn’t trained in how to edit a book—meaning how to ensure that it holds engagement, continuity, and clarity across 35,000 to 100,000 words versus, say, 800 words—may be leaving opportunities, and likely errors, on the table.
Four Myths About Ghostwriting and Ghostwriters
Many myths exist around who uses ghostwriters, and how they work. Here are our responses to the four most common myths we hear — to help you navigate your book writing decisions.
Welcome to Spiritus Books!
During our decades as written communications experts, we’ve built our brand by supporting one author at a time. Our advertising has always been word-of-mouth, with clients finding us through referrals from other authors. Throughout the years, we’ve spent hours answering the same questions for each new client. And we’ve identified relevant, meaningful resources for authors as needed.
Now we’re publishing this blog in order to share our knowledge more broadly with you, as a one-stop resource for experienced and first-time authors.