Author Archive

There are hundreds of programs available to help writers no matter what your genre. Here at PWW, we LOVE free, so without further ado…

7 FREE Tools for Writers

OpenOffice — OpenOffice is a FREE alternative to Microsoft Office. OpenOffice is compatible with Microsoft Office documents and I have used it professionally for three years. I’ve never had cross platform formatting problems and find it a suitable replacement. OpenOffice is easy to use. The interface is similar enough to Office to make it easy to figure out as soon as you install it. There are tons of documentation to execute any task you can do with Office.

 

FocusWriter — FocusWriter is a fullscreen word processor designed to remove distractions from the writer. This tool is LOADED with features including: autosave, themes, music player, goal tracking, and spell checking. FocusWriter removes flashy menus and covers toolbars so you can focus  on your writing project. If you are easily tempted by the Internet, instant messenger, or other programs, FocusWriter can help.

 

Wordnik – As they say on their website: “All the words, and everything about them, for everybody.” Wordnik is fast-growing dictionary of words in today’s language and how to use them. You can become a member of the community and add works or your opinions about words. There is nothing to download. Wordnik works right from your favorite browser as a kind of word search engine. It’s worth a bookmark.

 

Zoho.com – Zoho is a complete in-browser business suite. That means there is nothing to download. If you are limited in download space based on the device you use to write, Zoho might be your answer. The less room you use for programs, the more space you have for writing. Zoho documents are compatible with Office, you can export as a PDF, as well as a number of other formats.

 

Storybook — Storybook is a free, opensource plotting software. If outlining isn’t quite your style, Storybook will help you organize your novel. Storybook helps you keep track of your scenes and characters as you craft your story. This prevents plot mistakes and eliminates the possibility of elements of your books not adding up in the end. Storybook allows you to work on your novel as a multi-level project in manageable chunks.

 

 

yWriter5 — yWriter5 is a lot like Storybook. It helps you organize your novel in small bits instead of trying to memorize, digest and organize a huge amount of text all at once. The maker of yWriter5, Scott Haynes, also makes a myriad of other tools and FREE software to help writers complete their projects. Since Scott is an author, you can count on usefulness and quality from his work. ALL his software is free.

 

 

JaLingo — JaLingo will bring a convenient dictionary to your desktop where you can check the spelling and meaning of words. JaLingo will work on any operating system. JaLingo is also equipped with a simple drag and drop feature that allows you to drag and drop words directly from webpages. In addition, you can conveniently search and find words in JaLingo from the convenience of your desktop.

 

And One Honorable Mention

Liquid Story Binder XE — Liquid Story Binder is second to none when it comes to writing software. It is distributed widely across the Internet as Shareware, but you can get a license for less than 50 bucks. I know this is a list of free software, but LSB XE merits a mention since you can try it before you buy it. There is nothing you can’t do with LSB XE. It does it all from organizing and plotting to creating dossiers of your characters. It’s more than worth a try.

 

 

 

 

 

Writing a novel is a huge undertaking and there are a number of ways to go about it. Some authors write an extensive outline that acts as a sort of road map as they write. Basically, the author plots the entire book in the outline. It’s the written equivalent to say, a storyboard like filmmakers use to make a movie. Some authors just write and then revise and revise and then, revise again. There is no right way to do it. You do what works best for you.

I began writing at the beginning of April. I completed more than 10000 words in the first week. The sense of accomplishment was awesome. I’d never written anything that long. Then I choked. It’s like the writing gods stole my motivation. I haven’t even opened my manuscript in 3 weeks. I had set a goal to have the rough draft completed by month’s end. I’m not going to reach that goal.

I don’t have some miraculous tip that will help you make it through the duration of this endeavor. I can only relay the advice any writer would give you and I’m talking to myself: KEEP WRITING. Don’t get wound up in doing too much research or reading too much “help” information (like this post). Just write. Anything that is not writing is procrastination. Any time that you spend doing other things is time you are NOT writing.

If you feel unmotivated, write anyway. In my next post, I’m going to provide some links to FREE writing software. I actually downloaded an alternative software to my word processing program to motivate myself further. Why? Word processing programs are designed to handle A LOT of different tasks including, but not limited to, novel writing. There are several programs available just for the writer that help you compartmentalize and organize your writing in manageable chunks.

This will help not only with feeling overwhelmed, but it’s much easier to proofread and organize small chunks rather than pages and pages of text. At 10000 words, pages and pages is what you have. So stay tuned and find out if any of this software will help you in your journey.

If you’ve already choked, get some advice: http://prowebwriter.com/too-late-im-stuck-at-10000-words/

Smashwords and Why You Need It

Smashwords is a listing and distributing site for ebook authors. All you have to do is format your ebook according to their guidelines and upload it. Smashwords throws it in their conversion software called Meatgrinder, and it comes out the other side formatted to distribute to all the channels you specified when you uploaded. Smashwords has distribution through the following ebook retailers:

• Apple iBookstore
• Amazon.com
• BarnesandNoble.com
• Sony
• Kobo
• Diesel

There will be more. If you are self-publishing your ebook, you WANT to be here. Check out their FAQ to learn more. Oh yeah, and you’ll want to download their Style Guide: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52 It’s free of course…because here at PWW, we LOVE free!

Kindle and Nook

You are probably here because you heard somewhere that you can publish your book to the Kindle, Nook, or both. Somewhere would be correct, and if you want to just stick with one or both of these, there is nothing wrong with that. Ignore what I said up there about Smashwords.

I’ve read in more than one self-publishing book that you want to deal with Amazon and Barnes and Noble DIRECTLY even if you do put your book on Smashwords. Both authors have multiple ebooks self-published through tthese services. I’m gonna take their work for it.

Formatting for the Kindle and Nook

…is NOT that fun. All of these sites have conversion software that is very limited. When you put your book in there, it is not going to look right when it comes out. Do yourself a favor, focus on writing the book, not the formatting. I mean don’t even use Tabs ever! Why? Because you’re going to end up taking them ALL out in then end. Here are a few quick tips:

• Use normal boring fonts. Stick to ONE in this list: http://www.ampsoft.net/webdesign-l/WindowsMacFonts.html
• Don’t underline anything. Use bold (limited), italics, and no more than 14 pt font size to show any sort of emphasis
• Use the Paragraph styling in your word processing software to set a first-line indent for your paragraphs. DO NOT use Tab.
• Do not use the Enter key to create page breaks. In fact, just don’t set your heart on page breaks at all.

TRUST ME and the self-publishing books I’ve read recently.

I suggest going with HTML for Kindle and a barebones Word doc for Nook. Here’s a FREE ebook I wrote about how to format your book using HTML. It’s not as hard as it sounds, I promise!

Book Suggestion

It’s Zoe Winters hands down, people. Her book, Smart Self-Publishing: Becoming an Indie Author, lays it out for you. It’s $3.95, and it covers a priceless amount of information that you could only learn through endless trial and error. Click it and go buy it, yesterday!

Why are you still sitting here? Go get started!!!

My good friend and former boss (best boss in the world), Mark Linsenbardt, posed  few questions to me about indie publishing via Facebook. This post is the result of that conversation. Thanks for asking. PWW answers.

 

This is the 100th post on ProWebWriter.com!

We’re just over a year old. There will be many more. I’m going to take a look back at the last year and then I’m going to share with you some of the exciting and upcoming things planned for PWW in the coming year.

Casting an Eye on the History Books

I bought the ProWebWriter.com domain in February of 2010 and quickly set about building a WordPress website. Prior to the existence of this site, I used Blogger, a free blogging service owned by Google. Here’s the site: http://waxingpoeticwrites.blogspot.com I have nothing bad to say about Blogger, and I recommend the site for anyone who needs a website on the free. It’s packed with features and a user-friendly interface.

ProWebWriter.com originally started out as my personal and professional website to help me procure freelance opportunities. I had the blog from the beginning, but in the beginning I used it to showcase different types of writing I’ve done. The remnants of that portfolio still exist on the site. It’s much easier to direct potential clients to a website than to attach writing samples to an email. Which is why writers should have websites!

I also chose to write about some personal interests on PWW which is why you see categories like Attention Deficit Disorder and Intracranial Hypertension. Oddly enough, these are some of the most popular topics on the site. It’s not really what I was going for, but I’m okay with it.

After the start of 2011, I decided to convert this website into a community and resource for writers everywhere. As writers, we all take a journey, and this is mine. I hope it can help other writers as they travel. My goal is simple, I will move forward in my writing career while helping other writers get where I am.

ProWebWriter now has a  newsletter, forums, and regular articles to help other writers and to build a community where writers can help each other.

Upcoming

Throughout the coming year, PWW hopes to garner more members and become a resource to writers who are seeking to become independent authors. In the near future, we will be covering how to get your book up for sale at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, as well as a number of other venues. We will tackle getting your book out in print too. Bookmark us, if you haven’t.

The requests are starting to come in. How can I get my books on Kindle? I’m here to help you answer that question, but it’s going to be a process because I’m doing this as I go, people. I have ONE book out. I’m going to be throwing out a lot of commands without a lot of reasons. So, if you’re a person who has to know why you do everything, I understand, but bear with me. I’ve included some brief Whys below to help you. Time is of the essence.

Let’s go with what we know so far, quick and dirty like:

• HTML worked best for me in the Amazon Digital Publishing conversion process
• I wrote a FREE ebook on how to format your book in HTML for Kindle. GET IT HERE
• Barnes & Noble (For the Nook) likes Word .doc files
• There is one more IMPORTANT place to upload and sell your ebook: http://smashwords.com
• Don’t distribute your ebook to Amazon and B&N through Smashwords, deal with these two directly
• Facebook, Twiiter and Goodreads are your best choice for marketing

You need to read some books on Indie Publishing. Don’t read any more than a couple because it can become a form of procrastination. Check out Kindle’s Bestsellers List and find out who’s seeing some success. I’ll tell you a few: Amanda Hocking, John Locke, Zoe Winters, and J.A. Konrath. Two of these people have books out on Indie Publishing. These are the “couple” I read:

 

 

I recommend both of these, but moreso Smart Self-Publishing: Becoming an Indie Author by Zoe Winters. It’s a shorter read and much more concise. Not to mention, she’s entertaining and funny. These are good people who are helping other writers. Both these books together will set you back less than $10.

Why?

Because you will gain a much better insight getting the information yourself than if I regurgitate it for you. If you don’t have a lot of time, seriously, the Zoe Winters book is the only one you need. Also, if you’re that pressed for time, you might not have time for self-publishing. Just saying.

Get established on these sites if you are not already:

• Kindle Direct Publishing
• Barnes & Noble PubIt
• Smashwords.com
• goodreads.com

Why?

Because you are going to need to be there if you are serious about self-publishing. The first 3 sites are distribution sites, and the last one is for marketing.

Bookmark me and stay tuned. Much more to come.

Why?

Because I’ll be telling you more as we go along…or you could just read Zoe Winters’ book. I don’t know her, she’s not my friend, but her book helped me immensely. I have ADD and it was a short and entertaining read. That’s all I’m saying.

I got a Kindle for Christmas. Before the thing even came in the mail, I was researching, planning and conniving. Oh, the fun my Kindle and I would have. I have thoroughly enjoyed the convenience of the Kindle. I can take it anywhere. It holds loads of books. The thing is just awesome. I have access to millions of books for free, and millions more at discounted rates.

I first wrote about Kindle HERE. I didn’t even have one then, and really no hope of getting one at 400 smackers. It sure sounded cool, but as with most gadgets, it would be a cool I would only read about. Thank goodness technology gets a price drop over time. It’s funny how they price everything so sky high when it first comes out and then the price drops when the next generation comes out…and the next generation is better!

What interested me the most about Kindle was the fact that anyone could create content for it. You didn’t have to be a best-selling author to get your stuff out there. Needless to say, when I got mine, I put this blog on it right away…just for kicks. It’s exhilarating to see your own stuff on sale at Amazon. I’ve since published a book and am currently working on my first fiction novel.

Get To The Broken Screen Part Already!

All good things must come to an end. I stowed my Kindle away in my bag like always. I found myself up in the wee hours of the morning unable to sleep. So as I munched a Pop Tart, I pulled my Kindle out of my bag to find this:

I nearly cried. It looks like the screen is broken, but there’s no physical crack. I couldn’t fathom what could have possibly happened to it just sitting in my bag. I hadn’t moved my bag since I had put my Kindle WORKING into the bag. The next day I started looking around on the Internet, and found others with similar problems.

http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/29/kindle-screen-woes-anyone-else/

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/05/26/this-is-what-a-broke.html

Well, at least I’m not alone. I ran through the trouble shooting at Amazon. There’s quite a lot. I finally hit the big yellow Contact Us button hoping for the best case scenario since this seemed to be a widespread problem. I got this page:

You pick your problem using the drop-down menu and then Amazon suggests the best way to contact them concerning that issue. So, I went with their recommendation and clicked the button.

Then Amazon goes a step beyond that. Check it out.

All I had to do was put in my phone number and either click the Call me now or Call me in 5 minutes button. This is perfect for people like me who have a little anxiety about calling customer service stuff. Of course, it that’s not you, you can also call them on one of the two numbers provided below these options.

I did the Call me now and was connected directly with Amazon Customer Service. I explained to the representative what was going on and that I had attempted to troubleshoot the problem myself without success. Since my Kindle was still under warranty, I had a new working device in my hands just over 24 hours after I placed this call. Amazon gets it done!

In addition, they sent me an email with a printable mailing label so I can send the damaged Kindle back at no cost to me. They also preloaded the new Kindle with instructions on how to transfer my content over to it with ease. I’m back in business! FIVE stars for Amazon, and FIVE more for Kindle.

I can understand needing free. I have some options for you if you’d rather not shell out 50 bucks for a website. I know, it’s not a very good sales tactic on my part, but I’m not here to make sales. I couldn’t sell booze to an alcoholic anyway. I’m here to help writers, and writers need to have websites! I was in the process of reading The Newbie’s Guide to Publishing by J. A. Konrath when my Kindle broke, but that’s beside the point. The point is J.A. says this about writers needing websites:

“Every author needs a home page. It’s a 24 hour advertisement for your book. But the best web pages, the ones that keep people coming back, are more than just ads. They focus on what they have to offer, rather than what they have to sell.”

Who is J.A. Konrath?

This is also beside the point, but he’s this dude who finally got published the traditional way after 9 books and 10 years. He does A LOT to help other writers newbies or not. He also does some publishing straight to Kindle and other ereaders now. He has run the gamut of the publishing world and seeks to advise other writers in doing the same. I highly recommend the book above whatever avenue you are seeking to publish be it on or offline. There will be links below.

Now back to YOU getting a website for FREE

J.A Konrath also says this in The Newbie’s Guide to Publishing:

“Help Each Other. One hand should always be reaching up for your next goal. The other should be reaching down to help others get where you’re at. We’re all in the same boat. Start passing out oars.”

So, if you’re asking yourself how am I qualified to help you…well, I’m a writer with a website trying to help you get one too. No, I haven’t published a book traditionally, no, I don’t hold a degree in writing. “I am what I am; are you what you are or what?” Moving on.

FREE Websites

I started out at Blogger. Konrath has a Blogger blog; Amanda Hocking has one as well. What is Blogger? It’s a FREE blogging platform owned by Google. I know, you keep saying you’re not a blogger. You don’t have to be, because like WordPress, Blogger allows you to set up your blog like a website. However, I’d just like to share that ProWebWriter was never meant to be a blog either, but I’ve found that’s the best way to get this stuff out there to you. Originally, the “blog posts’ were articles that I had written to show what a great writer I am (I know, right?) while I was trying to procure freelance work. No more.

So if you want FREE, use Blogger. You can find a million and one free templates, Blogger sites index quickly in Google, you don’t have to worry about crashes and so much more. It doesn’t matter how you are represented, just make sure that you have a web presence. Like Joe Konrath says, “It’s a 24 hour advertisement…”

Stay tuned for more posts and get J.A.’s book on Amazon. And hey, if you need help…FREE help, Contact Me.

Sources:

J.A. Konrath’s Website

Are you in need of a website?

ProWebWriter has the answer. I am offering a new service to all of you website-less writers. I will set up your website comparable to this one for the unbeatable price of $50.

This sounds like a scam.

I know, right!?! Fifty bucks for a website! This is not a scam, this is a break. ProWebWriter is a community that seeks to help writers.

What does $50 get me?

• A unique dot com domain of your choosing for ONE year
• Reliable cPanel hosting (ongoing monthly cost of $2.95)
• WordPress installed
• A website, blog or BOTH based in WordPress
• A unique theme with colors of your choice
• A link for life on ProWebWriter.com

What is a domain?

A domain is a web address like ProWebWriter.com. It’s what users will type in their address bar to view your website.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is one of the best blogging platforms available. It indexes quickly in the search engines and is highly customizable. You don’t need to know any special programming to operate a WordPress site. If you can get around Microsoft Office or even Facebook, you’ll have no trouble with WordPress.

What if I don’t want a blog?

That’s no problem. WordPress works just as well as a website. It’s easy to maintain and update your content.

What are the requirments?

• A PayPal account
• $50 upfront payment
• A completed form (see below)
• Open line of communication

How do I know I can trust you with the upfront payment?

Well, you don’t. However, you can see that I am pretty open and all lines of communication to me with the exception of a phone number are open to you here. I have nowhere to run with your money. Also, keep in mind that a good portion of your funds will be used to buy your domain and the first month of your hosting.

What’s this about a form?

I need you to copy and paste the following form into an email -OR- directly into the contact form on my Contact Page. My email address is also listed on my Contact Page if you would prefer. Highlight the text of the form. Right-click and select Copy. Click the OK button on the pop-up window. Right click in the body of your email and select Paste.

Name:
Email:
Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk or AIM Username:
Preferred Username:
Temporary Password:
Website Author Name:
Chosen Domain:
1st Choice Domain Backup:
2nd Choice Domain Backup:
Base Color Hexidecimal:
Additional Color:
Additional Color:
Additional Color:
Additional Color:
Additional Color:

I’m not sure how to complete this form?

See Additional Notes below.

How long is this going to take?

I will start as soon as I receive your payment. I will keep you updated via email throughout the process. I can set up a site within 4 hours. Probably less. Please allow for life. Again, if for some reason I can’t start immediately, I will send you an email telling you when I will begin working.

Additional Notes

• To Search for the Availability of Your Domain: Please go to http://instantdomainsearch.com/ and search for your desired domain to make sure it is available. Then find 2 back-ups to complete your form above.  This may take a little brainstorming on your part. If you don’t know how to choose a domain, please Contact Me.
• To Get Your Color Scheme: Go to http://kuler.adobe.com and click Create to the left under the search box. Click Custom under Select a Rule in the top center of the page. Choose your 5 colors using the click and drag tools available. Fill in your form with the 6-digit codes beside HEX below each color. You may also just put in color names and I will take care of this step for you and get your approval via email.
• Send your PayPal payment to waxingpoetic75 at yahoo dot com.
• Support: I can offer you some limited support. If I cannot answer your question, I will find the answer or direct you to someone who can.

I’m interested, but I have a lot of unanswered questions.

Contact Me.

I cannot emphasize proofreading enough (yet again, I’m pointing self-ward as I write). I very recently read a book from a self-published author. I reviewed the book on Amazon, and one of the main things I noticed was that every other page in the book had a typo. Grammatical and spelling errors are a distraction. That being said, you will find them rampant on this website. We’ll cover that later.

The aforementioned author is quite the success and there’s really a lot of buzz around the Internet about it. I’m attempting to avoid being a part of that buzz; positive or negative. On the author’s blog, he/she states that he/she had hired an Accountant, Financial Adviser, and a Personal Assistant. Should you or I “hit it big” with self-publishing, I’d like to stress that an Editor might be a wiser hire before the Personal Assistant.

Sure, sure, I’m positive the hype is difficult to handle and the flood of email, tweets, and other communication is probably overwhelming; however, first things first. It’s your craft that is bringing in the fortune. More than that, it is your readers who are supporting your efforts at your craft. Shouldn’t your first actions be centered toward further perfecting your craft and source of fortune? I think so.

Some Facts About Proofreading

• It is nearly impossible for you to proofread your own writing. I proofread every post and page before I hit Publish on this website, but the typos abound.
• Proofreading is not the same as Editing. Learn the difference.
• Final proofreading on your own should take place some time after the writing. A day is not long enough, a week is okay, but a month is better.
• It’s a necessity.

At the Very Least…

When you complete a chapter, proofread it. Do it by the paragraph if you have to, and then the whole chapter. That’s even better. When you’ve completed your rough draft, scan it for those red squiggly underlines. Correct the mistakes. Run Spell Check. Proofread until you’re sick of proofreading. Then…proofread some more. Ask your friends and/or family to proofread. Give them a little time without hounding them. If you haven’t heard anything, proofread on your own again.

At the VERY least, proofread until it feels like overkill. Proofread until the story is nearly memorized…until you’re sick of it. If you have the means, hire someone to proofread for you. After all of this, I can nearly guarantee you that there will still be mistakes present in your book, BUT they will be few and far between. That is what you want…at the very least.

At Most…

Hire yourself a bonafide Editor/Proofreader to check your book professionally for mistakes in grammar, spelling, flow, and content. Again, there will still be mistakes, but they will be few and far between. It’s worth your time, your money, and it’s worth it to your readers. First things first.

Here I am procrastinating on the brink of writing my first novel. I’ve tried a few methods to outline my book by mind-mapping it, staring at sample outlines, downloading outline templates…only to come to the conclusion that I have to create it MY way. Writing is an art; a creative process. Classically trained artists study the processes of the masters and some even try to emulate their style. In the end, you find that your best work comes when you just…LET GO.

That’s where I am. It is by no means my intention to undermine the advice of countless successful authors, but they did it their way. Creation is as unique to the individual as a fingerprint. You can’t create something new and different by emulating someone else. Take advice, but mold it to work for you. Let the process take over and control every aspect of creation from the method you use to outline to the last period. “Bob’s outline” might look great on the page, but it’s Bob’s.

If you flow better with a physical pen to the page, start doing your hand exercises because 50,000+ words is A LOT. If you want to spend some quality time with your laptop because your brain is too fast for your cursive slant, what are you waiting for? Brew some coffee, tea, buy a 6-pack of Pepsi, a pack of smokes, a Large McDonald’s French Fries or whatever you need to feed your vices. Cut out the distractions and prepare to virtually hibernate…because the time is now.

Do this thing YOUR way. That’s the only way it’s going to get done. All the specialized software and sample outlines in the world won’t feed your creative juices. Get the $ signs out of your head. This is for you and them, your readers. Write. Write like never before. Write like there’s no tomorrow. Push. Push yourself…push until you have that rough draft…until it sits before you tangibly. Then proofread. Stay tuned, because that’s the next post.

My pricing listed on this site has accidentally ended up being a year long experiment. I tried to go with the school of thought that if I listed higher rates, then I would command higher rates. I undersold SEVERAL competitors to cover more bases. I’m sure there’s some marketing rule written or otherwise that I am breaking, but basically, neither tactic worked.

A lot of freelance writing sites would have you believe that you are selling out if you take low-paying work. Somehow, it devalues THEIR work. I’ve heard this before when I moved in the web design circles as well. In fact, designers have a whole movement devoted to the idea. The situation of Speculative (Spec) work is that you work on a design, enter it in a contest, and hope you win the specified pay. 99designs is the best example of this type of work.

When I was in design school (2004), my professors would say that a logo or “corporate identification” paid $3000 on average. “You may say that I’m a dreamer…but I’m not the only one.” What I found is that the places willing to pay that are few, far between, and called things like Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and McDonald’s. It’s the same with writing.

A Look at My Pricing Table with Commentary

First off, ALL of these prices are inflated except maybe the How To Articles and Tutorials depending upon length. In the current economy, there are few companies that have the resources to invest this much in written content. Limiting yourself to only those few companies is a significant limit. You might as well forget working with small businesses or working locally in your area unless the businesses you contact ( or sit around and wait to contact you) are extremely successful.

I can’t tell you how to price your services, but I can tell you what has and has not worked for me…and these prices DO NOT work. The best judge of price is YOU. How much would you pay? I surely wouldn’t pay $25 for a blog post. I would write it myself first…even if I weren’t a professional writer. Make sense?

I’ve adopted a new strategy:

• Do your own thing; don’t listen to the competition or any naysayers
• Go with your gut
• Price with your heart
• Negotiate
• Be transparent
• Interact positively with the community

I wrote an e-book explaining how to format your manuscript in HTML for easy upload to Kindle Direct Publishing. This is sort of a quick and dirty tutorial with links to information and a few screen shots to help you out. Don’t let HTML scare you, it’s one of the simplest programming languages on the planet. Because of the repetition you will use when formatting your book, I’m confident that you will find it easy to learn.

The most intense (and I use that word loosely) formatting you will do will be your first chapter, then it’s repetition after that. Basically you can format a chapter with less than 20 HTML tags, so don’t let it intimidate you. I would estimate that even a novice could code their manuscript in under 8 hours if it had a lot of images and links. If your manuscript is straight-up fiction or mainly text, it should take you a lot less time than that.

Keep coming back to ProWebWriter to learn more about self publishing through the various channels available to you. If you’ve ever considered self-publishing before, NOW is the time. If you’ve ever thought about writing e-books or even written a couple just throw out there and didn’t have much success. NOW could be the time when your luck changes. E-books aren’t just for people with money-making secrets anymore.

The world is slowly coming around to the idea of reading books in digital format. While I believe the novelty of the printed page is here for a long, long time, e-books are quickly becoming a hot commodity. E-Readers like Kindle and Nook are seeing phenomenal sales because digital books benefit the the reader’s pocketbook with deep discounts on all kinds of books.

The zip folder below available for download is packed with the following:

• The Basic HTML for Kindle Publishers e-book in PDF format
• Sample HTML documents in HTML and plain text format

You don’t need any special software to get started TODAY!

Basic HTML for Kindle Publishers

And those naysayers are usually people who think their way is better than yours. I guess I’m naysaying on them a bit. Even WordPress can be a naysayer…like it just told me that naysaying is not a word. Well, I just made it one, so there. Let’s keep on topic.  I’ve been writing for the web professionally for 5 years, and I’ve come across my share of naysayers. First, they tell you that writing for free makes you a loser even if you are just trying to get your name “out there”. Then they tell you that writing articles for only a few dollars each makes you a loser and you are bringing down the value of their hard work.

So, then you start writing for the upper echelon of the content mills, and still they persist. They say it’s still peanuts because they command much higher rates. Furthermore, they procure work by merely resting on their laurels and letting it roll in to them without so much as an outgoing email. They’ve always done it better, longer, and more than you have no matter what. The clencher: They never offer any sort of proof because that is beneath them. From upon their high horse they naysay with vigor. I’ve never understood why they work so to bring down the little person.

My mom would say, “They are just trying to make themselves feel/look better.” With egos so large, I’m not sure how they might go about being better. I mean, according to them, they have arrived. They can’t get any higher. So, when the little person gets tired of getting kicked around and rejected at every turn, they, well, WE get feisty because we’re not the sort that gives up…EVER.

So I would encourage all writers everywhere to DO IT YOUR WAY. It doesn’t matter how you do it as long as you do it and you are not directly hurting others. Start at the bottom and work your way up. You can’t just put effort into things blindly and NEVER get a result. There is a pay off at some point. That pay off may not necessarily be monetary. I encourage you to put the $$$$ out of your mind. Write because you love it. Ponder the success stories of people who did something because they loved it and it paid off: Anne Frank, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling. Ignore the naysayers. They will ALWAYS be there.

 

I can’t emphasize enough (and I’m talking to myself as well) that NOW is the time to get in on the indie publishing scene. Up until recently, the only way to make it as a writer was to gamble and hope against hope that your luck would hold out or take a turn for the better. Becoming a published author entailed a grueling routine of submitting your manuscript to publishers. This task could entail jumping through a series of butt-kissing hoops and hoping you caught someone’s eye. It could be months before you received that letter saying the publisher just wasn’t interested in your blood, sweat and tears.

Amanda Hocking received a stack of rejection letters. She finally decided to try publishing her books for Kindle after doing a bit of research on the subject. It is IMPORTANT TO NOTE that if you are only seeing dollar signs $$$, perhaps you have more work to do on yourself mentally. The money is hard to ignore, but it can’t be your focus in this endeavor. Just trust me on that. Amanda says on her blog, “I decided that even if I only sold a few copies of any book, it’d be better than the pile of rejections I had building up. And the no money I had in my checking account could use a boost.”

Amanda has 9 works available via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple and Smashwords. In the previous article, we talked about John Locke’s numbers. Amanda is doing just as well if not better. What’s more is that she is transparent regarding her success. She has chronicled the process on her blog and seems very down-to-earth. She’s just as shocked as we are at her success. There’s no need for me to reproduce her numbers here. We got an idea of what kinda money we’re talking about in the previous post. Besides, you can find all that on her site. The link will be included below.

WRITERS, I am appealing to you. It’s worth a try. ProWebWriter.com currently has a book published for Kindle and Nook. You can read about it in this post if you missed it. The first week, I’ve gotten 2 sales. It’s a start. Every sale is a shock…a good shock. My focus is almost completely on producing more books for self-publishing and running this Writers’ Community. Please keep in mind that I am available to consult with you about e-book publishing. In the near future, ProWebWriter.com will be producing A LOT of free information on how you can get in on this scene.

Find Amanda Hocking Online:

Amanda’s Blog

Amanda’s Twitter

Amanda’s Amazon Author Page

No, no. Not that bald guy from LOST who will track you and you can’t really tell him what to do. Not him. Not that English guy from he 1600′s either. I’m talking about the John Locke who currently has 5 books on Amazon’s Kindle Bestsellers list.

The significance of this is, WRITERS, that this fellow has been mentioned a few places because he’s selling self-published e-books. *ding ding* Are you listening? On his Amazon Author’s Page, his bio states,

Every 7 seconds, 24 hours a day, a John Locke novel is downloaded somewhere in the world.

Let’s look at the math. John’s books are all priced at $0.99, so that makes it easy.

How much revenue do John’s books make?

• Per minute – $5.94
• Per hour – $356.40
• Per day – $8553.60
• Per month – $256,608.00

At $0.99, John only gets a 35% royalty on his books, but even so…let’s take a look at his approximate take home pay. Thirty-five percent of $256,608.00 is $89,812.80. That’s not a bad monthly paycheck. Just in case you were wondering, that kind of revenue would make you a millionaire in only ONE YEAR’S TIME. What more is there to say? If you’re a writer today, and you are not interested in getting your stuff on Amazon for the Kindle and Barnes and Noble for the Nook, what is wrong with you!?!

Stay tuned to ProWebWriter.com because in the coming weeks and months, I will be writing about how to publish to these e-book readers among other things. NOW is the time. Don’t wait until this market is saturated and don’t let it intimidate you. YOU CAN do this.

Follow John on Twitter.
Read John’s Blog.

ProWebWriter.com is currently in transition. I have been working to convert this site from a professional site that represents my writing and skills to a community for writers. With the downturn of the economy, thousands of people have turned to the Internet to supplement their income or just to find any kind of work at all. Those of us who just dabbled with writing before have turned to seeking ways to make money by filling the Web with content. It’s not an easy thing.

One of the first steps you need to take to market yourself as a professional writer is to have your own website where you can showcase your work. This also simplifies the task of procuring work in that you can simply link potential employers to your site where they can peruse your samples and get an idea of the range of your writing skills.

I’ve set out to help other writers with exactly that by writing a book on the subject which is available for purchase on Amazon for the Kindle and Barnes and Noble for the Nook. I will also be providing additional information here at ProWebWriter.com for enhancing your website to bring more traffic. I’m also available for consultation regarding how to do a number of things with your new WordPress site including graphics, themes, plugins, and more.

Furthermore, ProWebWriter.com is currently accepting guest posts to get you started writing for the web if you don’t have a website of your own yet. Don’t hesitate to contact me for details.

Want to read the book, but don’t have a Kindle or a Nook?

No problem. Check out these links for how to read Kindle and Nook books FREE…and of course, legally.

• Kindle for PC and Other Devices
• Nook for PC and Other Devices

Click one of the images below to find out more about and/or purchase WordPress Websites for Writers.

I did a post a couple days ago called “Free Kindle”. As with that post, it’s important to note that this is not a scam or a lame contest you’ll never win. This is to let you know that you don’t have to own a Nook to reap all the convenience of having an e-book reader. You can still take advantage of the discounted pricing, millions of free titles, and sheer awesomeness WITHOUT having to shell out the $150 to $250 it costs to own a Nook or Nook Color.

As Amazon did with the Kindle, Barnes and Noble has developed several FREE applications to make Nook books available to more people (mostly EVERYONE). They have apps for the following devices currently available at the time of this writing:

 

• PC
• iPad
• iPhone
• Android
• BlackBerry
• Mac

How about some linkage!

Click the image below to download apps from Barnes and Noble.

So, you’ve created a web presence. Whether that presence refers to a profile on a social media site like Facebook or to your website/blog, there is always a spot to tell the world who you are and what you do. Many people, myself included, struggle with what to put in this space. You want to sound interesting and intelligent without being narcissistic. It’s a difficult balance.

I’ve developed an exercise to help. Follow these basic steps and you will have some information about yourself that you can work with and perfect for your site.

Step 1. Create the following lists in whatever way you’re comfortable either using your computer or a pen and paper.

• List 5 experiences that led you to creating your website. If you’re using this exercise for an online profile, list 5 experiences that stand out in your life. These can include educational, professional and life experiences.
• Answer these 5 questions regarding your website:
  1.  What is my main purpose for creating this website? Money? Representation? Keeping in touch?
  2.  Who am I trying to reach with this site?
  3.  How much experience do I have?
  4.  What is my experience with computers and the Internet?
  5.  Does this website represent my profession?
• List 5 things readers can get from your website. What kind of information do you provide? Who is your audience? What basic categories does your site fit into? Note anything of importance that your site provides to your readers.
• List 5 things you are seeking to accomplish with your website. What are some of your goals? Why are they important? What objectives does your site provide for the community? Answering these questions not only give you insight, but it provides your readers with a larger picture of your vision. If your goals parallel with others, you will earn a readership that looks up to what you have to say. There is no better way to network.
• List 5 facts about yourself. What are some of your accomplishments? What are some transitions in your life that have defined you? Have you made any major impacts using your website? List them here and how others can do the same.
• List 5 ways to contact you. If you don’t have five, that’s OK, but you should at the very least have one. Don’t be a stranger. You can remain anonymous, but still be a reachable entity to your readership. The more personal your approach, the more attractive you are to readers. It’s never a bad thing if you don’t mind providing personalized advice via e-mail or instant messenger.

Step 2. Develop each list into a 5 to 8 line paragraph. You should have 5 solid paragraphs.

If you want to create a shorter, more concise page, now is the time to weed out the information you don’t want included. Think about it in the context of keeping your reader interested and informed without boring them. I suggest a 500 word maximum limit…300 minimum.

Step 3. Put the paragraphs together in order and work on making sure all of the information flows and transitions smoothly.

Step 4. PROOFREAD!!! Very important. You don’t want typos or bad grammar on this page. This page needs to effectively convey what you’re about without distraction.

Step 5. Include an image. If you would prefer not to have a photo of yourself, that is fine, but at least put up some kind of image. You can either create an interesting graphic, if you’re the graphic type, or hire someone to do it for you. If you don’t want to spend money, select a nice stock image, resize it, and put it in on your page.

No, this isn’t a scammy give away or a laborious contest. Unlike the iPad, you can gain the benefits of ALL Kindle has to offer for absolutely free. That’s right, FREE. Amazon is so confident that readers will dig the Kindle, that they have created FREE applications for a number of devices (including the iPad) so that you can have access to Kindle ebooks WITHOUT owning a Kindle. This gives you access to more than a million FREE ebooks available for Kindle. These cost nothing to purchase and nothing to download.

Many avid readers are apprehensive about relinquishing the experience of the book. You know, the feel, turning a page, the smell of the pages…it is an interactive experience. I urge you to try the Kindle…just try some of this free software. You will find that many of your beloved stories are free and some on your wish list are cheaper than you imagined.

Let’s cut the banter, and get to those free applications.

Here’s where you need to go: CLICKY or click the image below.

Choose you device from the list and find out how to get Kindle software for your device completely FREE. Here’s the list of currently available software:

Give it a try. If you enjoy reading, you will like having access to books no matter where you are.

Read the first part of this story HERE

Neuro-Ophthal-What?

Immediately, following my diagnosis, I was sent to a Neuro-ophthalmologist. In fact, when the diagnosing doctor left me alone in the room following those two frightening words: Peudotumor Cerebri, he was placing a call to get me into the Neuro-ophthalmologist’s office. I was there in the next couple days to meet this guy. His bedside manner was horrible. He had an assistant come in the exam room with and he dictated in medical terminology his notes to this assistant. He looked in my eyes and dictated in his unfriendly monotone, “Bi-lateral papilledema with hemorrhage.” For the laypeople, that means, “Your optic nerves are swollen and bleeding.”

He ordered a stat or immediate MRI of my brain to rule out tumors. I asked if it was okay to continue taking Ibuprofen for pain, he advised that was fine. I bounced along to my MRI which was normal. I returned to Mr. Personality, and he ordered a stat lumbar puncture (LP) or spinal tap to relieve the pressure on my optic nerves. His office called me the next day to prep me for the procedure. When they asked what types of medication I was currently taking, I told them about the Ibuprofen to which they responded with caution. Come to find out, Ibuprofen is a mild blood thinner and it made them cautious to do the LP.

The saga continues…

I go into the doctor’s office so they can tell me not to take any more Ibuprofen. Mr. Personality then prescribes me Lortabs and sends me home to sit for a week when he should have been sending me to the ER. This was on a Tuesday, I went home, took one of the Lortabs, and went to bed. The next morning I woke up with the worst headache of my life, spots in my vision, and I was throwing up profusely. I was scared to death and too sick to really do anything. My roommate finally convinced me to let her take me to the hospital about 3 or 4pm that afternoon.

I sat in the waiting room of the ER throwing up in a bucket for 7 hours. I was so dehydrated and I could barely hold my head up. I would have happily laid on a slab of solid concrete if I could just. lay. down. It was the worst ordeal I have ever been through and definitely the sickest I have ever been in my life. It was that night that I learned about the wonders of  hospital drugs. They ordered Morphine for the pain, and the relief was welcome and instant. That moment inspired this poem.

Late Thursday night, I met my new Neurologist. He was AWESOME. He told me for months after when I went on my office visits, “When I first see you Ahva, it was baahd. I didn’t know if you see or not.” He ordered an LP for me the next morning. I was so sick I didn’t have the wherewithal to be scared. They could have chopped my legs off at that point to drain the fluid, and I would have been game.

The Meds

That first lumbar puncture was performed with the assistance of x-ray and went over without a snap. It really wasn’t a big deal, and I felt so much better afterward that I could have danced a jig. Friday, I went home. I went home with my still swollen optic nerves, no promise to ever see right again, a sore back, and several doctors to see. My Neurologist put me on two medications: Diamox and Topamax. Diamox is pretty standard with Pseudotumor Cerebri. At it’s most basic, it acts as a diuretic and helps your body drain off the excess spinal fluid. Topamax is a migraine medication with some rippin’ side effects. For example, anorexia is a side effect. Topamax makes all carbonated beverages taste like you have garnished with rebar and a few pennies. It’s disgusting. However, since some severe headaches can accompany Pseudotumor, it is a must for some.

These two medications have some additional nasty side effects and it takes a while to get used to them.  You can read more about them below:

• Diamox
• Topamax

Recovery

My prognosis was questionable. While Pseudotumor Cerebri is not necessarily life-threatening, it can cause blindness. My doctors made no promises regarding the blurry state of my vision. I really couldn’t see anything outside of 18 inches of my vicinity with any clarity. Not to mention, I had to force-feed myself because I was trying to get used to the medications. For a while, I felt like I was going crazy. Foods that I loved were a chore to consume and I had to fight my gag reflex every bite. It was a month before my eyes had healed enough to see beyond my 18-inch realm and my vision began to return. I returned to work and was able to drive again.

With my symptoms relatively under control with medication, my recovery continued in an upward motion. Because of the sheer duration of the pressure on my optic nerves, a small portion of them had died due to lack of blood flow. I do have some blind spots, but am able to function normally in life by the grace of God. I’ve had about 10 LP’s since that first one…some better than others. At this point, I am able to recognize the symptoms of my condition and know when an LP is necessary. It has been a ride.

I just began seeing a new Neurologist since I’m home in North Carolina now. He said a couple things I really liked: #1 Pseudotumor lessens with age, so it could disappear at any time, and #2, he is actually looking for a cause and attempting to rule out various things such as a congenital narrowing of the veins that drain blood from my head. I’ll keep you updated.

Do You Suffer From Pseudotumor Cerebri?

If you would like to contact me and talk about it, you can reach me several ways from my Contact Page.

A sharp thump becomes the pain.
The pressure throbs within.
I relinquish everything
To this terrible ache.

The burn is bittersweet
As it goes into the vein.
The numbness spreads in
Warm waves vanishing the pain.

©2007 Ava

Download a free copy of The University of Hard Knocks below.

I don’t often get excited about books. We have a sordid affair. I never liked reading much as a kid…maybe it was the continuous pounding I received in grade school over reading. It was always a competition. Who could read more books? Who had the “I Read 100 Books” t-shirt? I just didn’t like it. So, once I got further along school, I stopped reading for “fun”. I only remember reading 2 real books from 3rd grade on: The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever and Ramona Quimby Age: 8.

I really do like to read in spite of it all, but I must be engaged. I enjoy historical books with a lot of pictures. I enjoy books that contain facts, short stories, and lists. I need rapid change to hold my interest. As I perused the classics available for my Amazon Kindle, I mostly went for the timeless classics every book lover should own. Aesop, Grimm’s, The Wizard of Oz…but nothing that really said, “Read me now”.

As I was shopping, I saw it. I’m not sure what made me click it…The University of Hard Knocks. The tune from Annie played in the background of my mind…”It’s the hard knock life…for us!” I read the customer reviews…there are 3 at the time of this writing. Well, it’s free, I’ll give it a shot. I haven’t been able to put it down since.

The University

The University of Hard Knocks is a figurative school, but it’s lessons are far from figurative. The idea behind this University is the education one receives from one’s life experiences, and how they put that knowledge to use. Are you easily educated or hard-headed? Ralph Parlette uses a number of personal stories and object lessons in an artful and interesting plea for you to see that living life is the only true education. Formal education only gives us finer tools, but no experience in how to use them.

He begs you to see that if you are not actively learning, giving, and serving then you are not genuinely moving upward. He draws an equal sign between the executive and the janitor. He advises on teaching children how to support themselves rather than buying them a way through life. This book is categorized as a classic, but its language and meaning are very much relevant to today. In its pages you will find that you already know how to be great and how to be happy…you just have to use your experience in the right way to take you upward.

You will find the most important lessons of life in this book. That is why I am including it here, courtesy of Project Gutenberg, for download. Download it, read it, and change your world for the better…a vibrant person you will always be.

For months now, I’ve ignored the spam comments that I received on this site. I don’t know what made me stop and take a look one day. I realized the untapped potential for humor that I was ignoring and decided to periodically share this with you.

PLEASE NOTE – These comments are not left by actual commentators on my website. They are the work of bots: tiny pieces of software that crawl blogs and leave spam comments. The “authors” of these comments were filtered by a spam filter and were unable to complete a CATPCHA. I would never poke fun at actual commentators.

One friend told me that this might be bad PR on a “professional website” which is kind of what I’m trying to run here. However, I do have a sense of humor and I’d like to attract readers who have one too, so this is for y’all.

Click the images to view them at full size. Then utilize your browser’s Back button to continue reading. The first column is the commenter information, second column is the actual comment, and the third is the article on which the comment was posted.

Craziness

Um, did you just answer yourself?

There are comments I wish were real…

“Finicky” isn’t really a good word in English. You should fire your translator.

How much do you charge for a resume…I want to post it on my site to laugh at if it’s anything like your comment.

No hablo espanol or whatever…

That.

Wouldn’t it have been easier to just say, “I like to wear a bra” ? Weirdo.

Only if you “maintain” to stop spamming my site.

Thanks you so muck.

Get your own stinkin’ ideas!

NO! And I don’t feel bad saying so since it appears your site is about an entirely different subject. Quack!

Your colleague was doing an analysis on Fun With Spam from MY website!?! Well, what do ya know?

“Additional you” to my spam folder.

I “almost cried” when I had to delete your comment.

There’s Something Wrong With Your Site

Nope, you’re stuck. That’s what you get for spamming me.

Try buying your software instead of using that free crap.

YOU should probably update your Internet Explorer…what are we on…like 9 now?

I get a number of spam comments on my website. People sit around and make these little pieces of software called “bots” that scan blogs and leave spam comments usually along with a link to some kinda crazy website where they sell something or show porn. Yeah. Often the comment that are left are quite humorous, so I thought I would share…with my commentary of course.

PLEASE NOTE – These are not actual commentators on my website. These comments have been screened by a spam filter and the author was unable to complete a CAPTCHA. Therefore, these comments were collected in the WordPress equivalent to a Recycle Bin.

ENJOY!

The first column is the author of the comment, the second is the comment itself, and the third is the article the author commented on. Click the image to view it larger.

My, aren’t we creative with the different colored text and question marks! This one hit me multiple times. Same jibberish.

With words like “intimately”, “thirstily”, and “lucidity”….I’m left with just one word: CREEPY.

This one is all over the place, he’s talking about health care on a post about Wilmington, NC while his link points to home job placement and his name refers to the iPhone. Perhaps you should consider reading my posts on ADD, my friend.

Lesbian porn for those who are hooked on phonics.

You know, Amy, I think you might be onto something. The Twitter Yellow Pages just might be the answer to the recession!

This might actually help someone. Plus it was too awesome to leave out since it was posted on one of my poems.

The obligatory “Live Sex” comment…boy, that Twitter Yellow Pages post is booming.

Gino is speechless.

Huh?

Uh, thanks. That’s why it’s called ProOxygenDeviceBrands.com.

That’ll do for now. Hope you enjoyed these and got a chuckle out of them. I’ll post more from time to time.

I received a Kindle as a Christmas gift. I was given a choice between the Kindle and an Android tablet. After checking features and reviews, I decided the Kindle was for me. I have a laptop for videos and other things the tablet would have been good for; however, I don’t read books on my laptop much. I read a lot of websites and blogs, but books, meh.

All the reviews in the world couldn’t hold a candle to holding a Kindle in your hands and experiencing the features, well, firsthand. I’ve argued long and hard that having access to books electronically is great, but there’s nothing like flipping through a book, magazine, or newspaper. This still holds true, BUT Kindle is the next best things and in some ways, it’s better!

Initial Pros

• Small and thin. It feels great in your hands
• eInk technology is so cool
• User friendly interface. Getting started is EASY
• Menu is short and to-the-point
• TONS of free books from Amazon and other sites FREE EBOOK COLLECTIONS
• I LOVE the highlighting and annotating features, and Kindle saves them all to a file for you
• 2 built-in dictionaries – AWESOME – I’ve never read with a dictionary so convenient before
• 14-day FREE trials on all blogs, magazines, and newspapers
• FREE sample of any book for sale on Amazon
• Amazon threw 3 experimental features they are testing on Kindle 3: a web browser, mp3 capabilities, and text-to-speech. All 3 are fully functional, and pretty cool to play around with

Initial Cons

• The Next Page and Previous Page buttons are huge, on both sides, and I hit them accidentally sometimes
• No lighting. I like that there is no backlight but it would be nice if they included a clip on light rather than buying them separate for no less than $15.
• When you are annotating a passage, you can’t capitalize the first letter without having to delete the lower case, and then go back and capitalize
• Navigation and typing are only slightly better than a QWERTY keyboard on a cell phone

The Initial Conclusion

I am VERY HAPPY with my Kindle. The pros far outweigh the cons. Kindle is the closest thing to flipping through a book there is in the electronic/digital world. I predict that the next generations of Kindle will only improve with color and touch features that slam the competition. iPad, eat your heart out. I’m not looking for a laptop wannabe…I’m looking for an e-book reader that focuses on READING, and Kindle is the answer.