Tag Archives: publishing

Let’s talk about screenplays

Featured

Posted on by

So you’re asking, what does a children’s book writer (me) know about screenplays and scripts for television or radio? Until a few months ago, absolutely nothing. Forward a few months, and I find myself representing a screenplay writer, who has also published many books. I know many facets of the publishing, editing, and promoting industry of writing, so how hard could this be?

Well, editing the writer’s 1st screenplay had me baffled as an editor.  Why are so many words in capital letters that aren’t technically capital letter words, and why are so many things in parentheses? According to the author, the capital letters are to emphasize the tone for the actor/narrator to use; the words in parentheses are to inform the technical crew of what needs to be done.

A script (or screenplay) is the written content for a visual story such as a play, television show or movie. While scripts often contain information for performers and crew, such as stage directions and production notes, they primarily focus on the dialogue between characters in the story.

The purpose of writing the script a certain way is to help actors know what to say to portray specific characters correctly—hence the capital letters to portray intensity. The script also includes cues for the stagehands to know when special effects are needed.

What type of media requires a script? Television, films, radio, documentaries, plays, and even video games. All these types of scripts have different word count specifications to fit their needs. So check out specific requirements for each type of screenplay before submitting it to contests, agents, etc.

Here’s some good advice about screenplays and scripts.

Want to know more about the writer I’m representing who has created an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Sci-fi script for television entitled Gardens, Grove, and Mechanical Trees.

Original artwork cover copywriter G. Mitchell Baker.

Gardens, Groves, and Mechanical Trees

Screenplay reviews for Gardens, Groves, and Mechanical Trees:

Dog-Eared Reviews May 2023  I loved it and did not want it to end. Brilliant job.

Literary Titan, April 2023  Its engaging format, consisting of dialogue and narration, is both informative and intellectually stimulating.

Book website for G. Mitchell Baker: http://gmitchellbakerauthor.com Facebook G Mitchel Baker: https://www.facebook.com/gmitchell.baker/about_details

I am a children/teen author and love good deals for children. Check out deals for children’s books here.

The #1 biggest thing you can do for a successful book launch.

Posted on by

You’re thinking about writing a book, you’re writing a book, OR you’ve published and you’re feverishly trying to write a book. And no matter which phase you’re in, you’re probably a bit frustrated.

Am I right?

 

Today I’m going to share something amazing with you that’s going to provide solutions to all of those woes.

Why do you think most people want to write a book?

You’ve probably heard about the stats… according to research and a New York Times article, 81% of people had a book in them, and should write it.

That’s a lot of people (millions!) who want to write a book. Bowker estimates there were 625,327 books self-published in the United States in 2015.

So guess what that means? Of the 250 million Americans that WANT to write a book, only 2% actually do it!

WHAT?

That means, if you’re anywhere in this process, you’re pretty much a unicorn!

But even unicorns need magic. OK, this analogy might be getting a little (uni)corn-y. 🙂

We know that books can be a passion, but we also know that they are an incredible way to grow a business, earn more credibility, launch a speaking career, and even change the world! So many things!

So, I’ve got a special treat for you. My friend Alexa Bigwarfe has spent the last six months gathering a group of unicorns – incredible women who are either authors, publishers, editors, marketing specialists, graphic designers, and so forth, who are providing their magic for YOU.

A full week of tips on writing, publishing, and SELLING your book.

You do NOT want to miss it!

Click here to get your free ticket for the Women in Publishing Summit ONLINE Conference.  https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/aap/ https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip/5a5e1b393365c/

As I mentioned, Alexa has invited over 40 authors, publishers, editors, and book marketing experts to join her at the Women in Publishing Summit (online), including:

  • Joanna Penn – NY Times best-selling author and host of The Creative Penn podcast
  • Alinka Rutkowska – founder of LibraryBub, and extraordinary author-preneur
  • Kate Butler – mutliple-time best-selling author and co-speaker with Jack Cannfield
  • Dana Malstaff – founder and CEO of Boss Mom, a wildly successful community for working moms
  • Orna Ross – founder and CEO of the Alliance of Independent Authors – the world’s most comprehensive support organization for Indie Authors
  • Christina Nicholson – the Media Maven – former TV anchor and current marketing expert
  • Diane Mae Robinson – international multi-award winning children’s author
  • And many, many more

This is the first and only time all of these speakers will join together for one purpose: to show you how to write, publish, and sell the heck out of your book (and grow your business!!!).

Grab your free ticket to the Women in Publishing Summit (limited time).   https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/aap/ https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip/5a5e1b393365c/

You do NOT want to miss this event. It’s the first EVER writing and publishing event that is 100% WOMEN. And they are so incredible!

Remember, this event is FREE to register for but only for a limited time. The videos will be available for 48 hours and then will be only available through the All Access Pass.

Make sure to claim your free spot while there is still time: : https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/aap/ https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip/5a5e1b393365c/

Can’t wait to see you there!

Diane

P.S. The Women in Publishing Summit (free online event) kicks off next Monday, March 5th. Grab your free seat NOW!  https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/aap/ https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip/5a5e1b393365c/

An ALL FEMALE Writing & Publishing Conference!

Posted on by

March is Women’s History Month. And we have some women in the writing and publishing world who deserve some applause. {Including me! Yes, I own it!}

Join me for this fantastic free event and grab the free ebook Ditch The Fear and Just Write It!   https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip/5a5e1b393365c

Read More About The Event:

It’s been a big year for Women. I’m happy to be part of a celebration of women who are absolutely rocking it in the writing, publishing, and selling of books. (Plus the other people who make amazing books come to life – the editors and the graphic artists, the PR and marketing professionals, and so forth.)

I get chills as I look through the line up of talent in this FIRST of its kind – an all FEMALE summit about publishing and marketing a book, including me!

I’ll be speaking about how I became a traditionally published author and what it took to get there, then several years later deciding I wanted to become a self-published author, and how I moved forward to having my own publishing company.

What exactly are we trying to achieve with this summit? Well, a couple of things.

One, we’re celebrating and honoring the achievements of women who often go uncelebrated. But really, what they have done and continue to do is worthy of an Olympic style parade.

Two – we want to provide the support and encouragement for other women who are trying their best to grow their business with a book, change the world with their book, or otherwise leave a mark on the world with their writing.

We recognize there is a LOT to learn and know. So you can consider this week-long virtual conference your free Bachelor’s Degree in writing, publishing, and selling a book!

Grab this free ebook (before it goes away) and your FREE ticket to the Women in Publishing Summit HERE. https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip/5a5e1b393365c/

Do you have a book inside of you that you’ve been dreaming of dropping on the world?

Have you already published a book that didn’t do as well as you thought it would?

Do you have a million questions on when, where, why to start or how to improve?

You will find all the answers in this incredible, week-long FREE virtual conference, including popular industry leaders such as Joanna Penn, Brooke Warner, Orna Ross, Kate Butler, Dan Malstaff, and so many more!

Do you have fears or concerns about how to get started? Is overwhelm your biggest issue?

You are totally normal!

So many of us do!

So, as a special gift for you, in addition to your free ticket to the Women in Publishing Summit, you can also download a free copy of the book Ditch the Fear and Just Write It! The No-Excuses Power Plan to Start Your First Book. This is a free gift from my friend Alexa Bigwarfe, who is the founder of Kat Biggie Press and Write|Publish|Sell. She’s published dozens of books for female writers and knows exactly what holds people back from writing and publishing their books.

Click here to get your free book download AND free ticket to the summit. (Did I mention it’s FREE?). https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip/5a5e1b393365c/

Have you already published your book? That’s okay, there may be some tips, tools, and resources included you hadn’t considered that you can use for your NEXT book. Either way, hop on over and get your free pass to the Summit.

There are thousands of books published every day (literally). MILLIONS of books on Amazon… Why would anyone pick up your book when they have so many others to choose from?

LET US HELP YOU market better… superstars like Christina Nicholson, Alinka Rutkowska, Lise Cartwright, Kristi Dosh, and Angela J. Ford dish out marketing tips that will leave you spinning!

 Want to know what resources are available to you as a writer? We’ve got representatives of major organizations that support writers and publishers, plus marketing programs. Join Orna Ross, Kathy Meis, Angela Bole, and others as you learn what is available to help you.

 And this just touches the surface…

Bottom line: if you’re writing, have written, or ever plan on writing a book… this week-long conference is one you cannot miss.

Click here to get your free book download AND free ticket to the summit. (Did I mention it’s FREE?). https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip/5a5e1b393365c/

No more struggling with fear, insecurities, overwhelm… we’re going to answer all your questions, give you inspiration, encouragement, and support. Because the world needs your book, your message.

Now’s the time to break out of obscurity:

Click here to get your free book download AND free ticket to the summit. (Did I mention it’s FREE?). https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip/5a5e1b393365c/

I’m truly so excited about this event… it’s been a long time in the making, and I am so proud to be part of such an incredible line-up of women who are making things happen in the publishing world.

Cheers, and see you at the event!

Diane

p.s. Grab the free book Ditch The Fear and Just Write It!  (before it goes away). https://dianerobinson–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip/5a5e1b393365c/

 

From idea to bestseller, here’s everything you need.

Posted on by

Is it just me, or does the idea of becoming a bestseller author really intimidating?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against hard work…

But sometimes I feel like the advice for marketing and publishing a book is pure overwhelm.

Think about it.

What’s the typical process for writing and publishing a book?

Outline your book

  1. Pick a title (make sure it’s SEO optimized!)
  2. Write your manuscript…and then 3 years later:
  3. Look for an editor
  4. Realize you don’t have $10,000 for a “professional” editor – hire someone on Upwork with questionable portfolio
  5. Get feedback from editor
  6. Rewrite your entire book (it was all wrong)…and then 3 months later:
  7. Check in with your editor
  8. Get more feedback to rewrite the book again
  9. Fire your editor
  10. Write your final draft
  11. Scrap your old title – come up with a new title
  12. Look for a publisher
  13. Realize you need an agent
  14. Try to get an agent
  15. Send book proposals to hundreds of publishing houses…6 months later:
  16. Decide to self-publish
  17. Hire an interior formatter
  18. Find a graphic designer for the cover
  19. Get your first cover back from the designer
  20. Throw out the cover and ask for a new one
  21. Pick a new title (this is it)
  22. Get a website
  23. Try to get it looking good but give up because it’s so time consuming and you still have a book to publish
  24. Pick a publishing date
  25. Wonder: how do I market this thing?
  26. Try “marketing” on social media…give up because no one is hearting your tweets
  27. Hit publish
  28. Look at first day sales – good, looks like you got a couple sales (Mom came through!)
  29. Check sales a few days later – 0…
  30. Cry deeply

Overwhelming, right?

But what if it didn’t have to be like this?

What if the process of writing and publishing was simple?

And what if you could essentially guarantee being an Amazon bestseller by following a proven, step-by-step process?

According to Jesse Krieger, founder of Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press, and someone who has published multiple international-best-selling books, there is a better way.

And Jesse has taken his learning and compiled it into a new guide:

The Bestseller Blueprint (click here to get free access)

The Bestseller Blueprint is a guide that will show you what’s working RIGHT NOW in the publishing space.

No generic information compiled from some random Amazon forum last updated years ago…

No fluff.

The Bestseller Blueprint will show you how to:

  • Finish the manuscript and rough draft of your book 70% faster than normal (this is the process that Jesse’s authors go through so he can speed up the publishing process)
  • Quickly and affordably design a killer book cover and interior layout for your book
  • Implement a campaign to build your email list before you launch your book
  • Find readers and customers on Amazon who you wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach – thanks to a special trick
  • Roll out your launch calmly and confidently – always aware of what steps to take next
  • Build on your book launch to grow a 6-figure business as an author, speaker, coach, and entrepreneur!

And did I mention it’s free?

Click here to get your copy of “The Bestseller Blueprint” for free.

Here’s the deal:

You don’t need to feel overwhelmed about publishing your book.

Not only that, but if your goal is to become a bestseller, it’s totally within your reach.

Throw away the stress, the uncertainty, and the guesswork…

Say hello to your new best friend, who will walk you through each stage of your book launch process, from idea to Bestseller:

Follow this step-by-step guide to market and launch your bestseller.

Make sure to grab it before it’s gone (only available for a limited time).

Next week, I’m going to share some information about a new virtual event that’s going to show you how to implement “The Bestseller Blueprint” from start to finish…

More on that later.

Wishing you success in your writing.

Diane Mae Robinson

P.s. Click here to get a free, proven, step-by-step guide on becoming a bestseller.  

 

What does an author do when not authoring?

Posted on by

When I first started writing and creating stories, I thought that was a tremendous amount of work.

Then along came the part where a couple of my stories were ready to start looking for a publishing home. The process that follows in researching publishers and the children’s book markets to see who is accepting what and what is the process for submitting, became more work still.

After many years of researching those markets, writing query letters, submitting my manuscripts when requested, waiting for an answer, researching some more, submitting again, waiting some more, my first manuscript was accepted by a publisher—27 rejections later, in fact.

So, finally, a contract. Here comes the easy street of being an author, right?  Wrong.

Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird for Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures, book 1.

First, comes the editing of the book, which is quite a huge process to begin with. Then, I’m assigned a marketing manager who informs me about all the things I am required to do as an author. The marketing manager puts my book is distribution all around the world and is in charge of marketing, what would I possibly have to do?

Well, putting a book in distribution to book stores and on-line book sellers apparently isn’t enough. With the amount of new books being published by traditional publishers and self-published authors (approximately 40,000 books per month), a new author has to get their name out there.

So an author must learn marketing skill also. My marketing manager told me I would have to set up a blog, make regular posts, attend book signings he set up for me, talk about my book on Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc, schedule events to speak at schools and libraries,  attend interviews he set up, seek out reviews for my book, regularly update the website the publisher set up for me, and join other blogs about writing and hopefully in responding to these blogs, they will in turn respond to mine. All this to try and stir up interest in my book.

Now, these things are all a lot more work than I ever anticipated. I do everything my marketing manager suggests–sometimes with gritted teeth, but I do listen to him.

So just when I think my time is taken up to the max, I decided to hire a marketing-publicity person to  set up a more professional website with key word rich formatting. He also writes and sends out news releases with key word structure, maintains and updates my new website, and in general, is a computer savvy person that knows how to stir up a lot of interest and also how to get my new website into the top pages of Google hits. After all, people have to find me in the sea of writers.

All these things do work to get my book, and myself as a writer, noticed. But it is also a lot of work on my part to follow the instructions given to me by these book selling geniuses.

Every week, I also have fan mail to answer, and write new posts for two blog sites that I maintain.

So, what does an author do when not authoring? Well, about 20 hours per week dealing with the list above.

By the way, I have a full-time job at a dental office and a part-time job as an art teacher. My writing days are now limited to a few specific days I set aside during any given month.

And just when I thought the writing part was hard work.