The Book Creator Podcast

Hey There bookcreators, welcome back to episode # 37 of the book creator podcast! I was working on a couple of client books projects that will launch in this fall and I noticed that there have been some MAJOR updates to the Library PCN, or Preassigned Control Number, website! So today I wanted to fill you in on all the changes to help you figure out to get your title the the appropriate cataloging information that it needs for self publishing, or if you have your own indie  publishing label. Alright book creators, let’s get down to book creating business. 

Learn all about the NEW DIY Picture Book Academy-- created based on listener feedback! Hope you enjoy it! Check out the details on https://www.thepicturebookacademy.com!

I NEED to talk to you about something that I honestly don’t know why it isn’t a focused theme taught in high school, college or really anywhere for that matter! And this is the art of Creative Prospecting. Creative Prospecting is the ability to partner with the ‘other half’ to your creative whole. So for example, let’s say you make birthday cakes, the prospect would be the person who is in the market for a birthday cake! The act of prospecting is how to find that person so that we can do business and turn that passion into a profit! This week we are going to investigate creative prospecting.

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Whether you are an author an illustrator or both, it usually means that you are of the personality type where you genuinely enjoy some quality YOU time working on your next creation. I am with you! But it is also super important that we involve ourselves with the market and publishing community so that we can stay on top of our game and also make connections in the field. This week we are going to talk about how to get involved in the publishing world everywhere from clubs, to guilds, to societies, challenges, conferences, writers and illustrators groups and more.

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When it comes to books, we are designing a story that works just for our character. If we could easily remove our character and replace her with someone else, then it is a good indication that we probably need to rework our character a bit to make sure her purpose exists within the story telling. How do we make sure we have a detailed and complicated character? We spend time to create a Persona. 

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I am just getting back from an awesome author visit and thought that this would be the perfect time to answer some of the top questions that you all send over about author visits! 

Author visits are a big deal. When you come out with your book, one major service that you can offer (and that people will ask you to do) is to come speak about your work. 

Today I am going to answer your questions all about author presentations and visits so that you can get out there, spread your message, and start making an income doing what you LOVE!

I know a lot of you want to know more about the self publishing route to see if it’s right for you or could fit somewhere in your long term publishing strategy! So today, I wanted to give you a high level overview of all of the stuff I wish someone would have told me ahead of time in a a 10 minute dose about what would be in-store for you if you decide to take your manuscript out in the world on your own and pursue self publishing! 

How do we manage a combination of life, a day job perhaps, maybe kids, and yet continue to stay motivated to pursue our creative calling? We ALL could use some help finding that drive sometimes-- especially on days when we are tired and the weather may not be so delightful! This week we are going to talk about how to staying motivated as creative individuals. Alright book creators, let’s get down to book creating business.

So this whole subject of web presence is a big topic. If we are going to get out there as creators: start to make pitches, try to start selling our book, or try to line up author talks-- whatever it might be, we need the right information out there that not only sells our products and services, but allows us to be found in the first place!

I get to talk to a lot of you at varying stages in your book making process! Some are just getting started, some have made a book in the past and want to create a second book maybe in a different genre, and others have put work into their first book and are wondering-- is it done? Am I ready to self publish this? Should I pitch? Is this book even ready to pitch? 

Today, we are going to talk a bit about this situation-- how do you know if a book is ready to pitch or self publish and at what stage are you ready to go? 

I thought it would be fun to talk about how to start drawing! Maybe you haven’t drawn in a while and just want to get back into it, or maybe you’ve always wanted to learn: in this episode we will talk about how to start learning to draw! And these are the things that EVERYONE can do.

You’ve written something, you’re excited, and someone tells you DON’T SHOW THIS TO ANYONE OTHERWISE SOMEONE MAY TAKE YOUR IDEA! How much of this is true? Is this something to worry about? When should you show someone your idea? Today, we are going to discuss fear/question as it is something many of us struggle with! We will talk about copyright, confidants, and our digital world.

Of course we can pitch our manuscripts to agents and even go direct to publishing, but there are so many other ways to get going as a book creator as well: especially if you consider what it is you are actually pitching!

As I get to know more about you and your publishing aspirations, I want to make sure that I am telling you about all of your possible publishing opportunities that might fit your project. Today I want to tell you about one such opportunity called iBooks Author: a free application, yes I said FREE, that you can download in the Mac App Store and it is a diamond in the ruff that you need to know about!

This topic really does not get enough attention! For all the illustrators out there, as well as writers, it is super important to show a cohesive body of work. But what does this mean exactly? I learned so much recently from Cecilia Yung, the art director at Penguin Random House, and I wanted to share with you some of my big take aways as well as what I have learned from years of trial and error to hopefully help you make an awesome portfolio from the get-go!

The title of Episode #21 says it all! It is so important as illustrators and writers to know how to get out of a creative blocks, ruts, low points: what ever you want to call them! These are periods we ALL got through as artists. I am just getting out of one of these periods, and I realized that it is so important to talk about what we do when we are feeling this way because there are many actions that we can take to get us back on the right path. Alright book creators, let’s get down to book creating business.

In Episode #20, we are going to have some fun thinking outside the box a bit of ways that you can sell your book and start to make a living from your title. Here are 8 tips for you to pursue. Alright book creators, let’s get down to book creating business.  

Welcome back to episode #14 of the Book Creator Podcast. Today we are going to have some fun talking about Book Business Plans. Building a business plan is not something you want to skip over! Remember, your book is a product-- and a product that you hope will be purchased by actual consumers! If we treat a book like any other product development, we can have confidence that what we are developing will fly in the marketplace. Alright book creators, lets get down to book creator business.

Please connect with Rachel on Instagram and Facebook @TheBookCreatorPodcast or @ThePictureBookAcademy. Grab your free Book Creation worksheets on http://TheBookCreatorPodcast.com! If you have an idea for an episode, feel free to reach out to Rachel through any of these channels! Talk to you soon Book Creators!