Publication - Seller Connections, Photos

24 November 2011, Publication - Seller Connections, Photos

Introduction: I realized that I need to introduce this blog a little.  I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.  The working title was Daemon, and this was my 21st novel.  Over the last year, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing.  In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes.  You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published.  I'll keep you informed along the way.  At this moment, I'm showing you the marketing material I put together for a novel.

Today's Blog:  To see the steps in the publication process, go to my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/. 

Your photo is very important.  Almost every site you need to put data on--including your own websites need a photograph of you.  This means you need a great photograph to put up at Author Central, your own websites, wherever you happen to put up information (like your blogs), and for your publisher. 

Your publisher will ask right away for a photo to put in your book, for press releases, to place on their website, etc.  This means you need a really great professionally taken picture.  Self portraits or the ones taken by your brother-in-law (unless he is a professional photographer) won't do. 

You don't want a whimsical shot (unless you are a comedy writer).  One of my good author friends, is indeed a writer of comedy novels.  He pasted a fake mustache on his picture and that was great--for the rest of us, a clearly professionally taken photo (sans mustache) is necessary.

If you don't have one already, get on a professional photographer's schedule and have one taken.

There is much more you need to know about photos.  I'll get to that tomorrow.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples:   http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites:  http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.