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DONNA MARIE'S WORLD OF WRITING

One of the best things about my writing journey has been meeting all of the great authors who are trying to help each other!

Today Donna Marie's World of Writing spotlighted me and my new book! 

This is her biography! Please stop by and tell her we sent you!

Along with my wonderful husband, I have raised four incredible sons while living in a Chicago suburban neighborhood. By day, I am an Insurance Specialist for over 200 physicians. By night, my love for writing is behind my creation of freelance articles, blog postings, and my greatest accomplishment of two published novels. Aside from writing, some of my favorite pastimes include reading, glass painting, cooking, and spending time with my family.

My first book, LOVE FOR ANGELA, was originally published in print version in 2004, and is now in a second edition eBook at Amazon. This debut novel was a story of love, romance, and family. During the time of publication and promotion, I had the thrilling honor of being interviewed by Marie Osmond on her radio program which was aired in several states at the time.

WE CAN LOVE AGAIN, also a novel of romance and family, was published in 2010 in print and e-book format. This novel received several 5-star reviews, all of which mentioned my style of writing which brings my characters to life.

When reading one of my novels, the stories will be found as believable, and the characters will be credible and significant. My writing is tailored to not only include love, passion, and romance, but also a genuine focus of family issues relevant to most readers.

Coming Soon.....

Coming in May 2014 

 Jane's Journey, Book 1

The McClusky Series

Written by Rhoda D'Ettore 

with Jonathan West 

In approximately a month, Jane's Journey will be released as the first book of The McClusky Series.  

1820 - Follow Jane as she and her son, Liam, venture to America from Ireland, leaving her husband behind to save money for his trip. She moves in with relatives that she has never met, and is even expected to work in a factory--which she has never done. Follow this woman through sorrow, pain, exhilaration, and more. Each book in this series will follow a different generation of the family.

Will be available as ebook, paperback, and audiobook

Coming in July 2014

Newborn Nazi

One family must survive during Nazi Germany, although their principles are divided.  When a 10 year old boy is taken by Nazi soldiers and is  inducted into Hitler's youth camps, his older sister starts begins her journey of rage, hate, and deceit.  As the decade moves forward, she begins housing and helping Jews, and eventually American soldiers. Her brother eventually becomes an officer in the SS, and finds out. Does he turn her in? Does he help her?  In the meantime, there are two other brothers who emigrated to America, they too are divided in their loyalties, one to the US and one to the Fatherland.

Will be available as ebook, paperback, and audiobook

Goin Postal: True Stories of a U.S. Postal Worker

NEW PROJECT CONTEST

Want to help with the ending? 

You could win a free ebook!!!

This is what I am currently working on...

The McClusky Series: Book 1

Jane's Journey

 I have an ancestor named Jane who came to America from Ireland in 1820. I used this as inspiration to write a new series. The story itself that I am writing is purely invented, as I truly do not know much about the family, however, it inspired me to write this new book.

It opens as a 22 year old woman and her 3 year old son are embarking on her voyage to Philadelphia. She leaves her husband behind to live with family she has never met, as they came to America before she was born. Her husband had no family in America, and he was planning on taking in boarders to increase their income.  

When she arrives in America, she is surprised that the family already found her a job---in a manufacturing plant. She had never expected to have to work, she thought the money her husband would send every month would be good enough.

Obviously I do not want to tell you any juicy parts.. but would you like to see a happy reunion with the hubby, or some sick twisted way of keeping them apart?

If I usse any of the suggestions I receive, I will send the person a FREE ebook... so email me with your preferred ending at:

rhodadettore@gmail.com

SELF PUBLISHING MADE EASY

 TOTALLY FREE SELF PUBLISHING ON CREATESPACE

The easiest way to self publish that I have found is with Create Space.  In an earlier post, I told you why--- now I am going to show you "How", in a few easy steps.  You pay NO fees, only for the actual books that YOU order.  The customers who order them from the sites pay for the production of their book, and you collect a royalty.  When you order, you are charged a discounted rate + shipping and handling. My 220 page book came to under $5 each INCLUDING the shipping.  Then I could sell them for $10 or more if I wanted.

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Step 1 -   Sign up for a FREE account  

You have done this plenty of times!

Once logged in, you will be brought to the Member Dashboard.  This keeps a record of your different projects, the number of copies sold, and your royalties that are yet to be paid.   This screen will tell you "Attention required" in Red, as it does here for "Jane's Journey".  When you click on the project, it will give you a step by step guide to fixing the problems, or which questions you need to answer.  

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 Step 2 - ADD NEW TITLE

On the upper left of the dashboard above, you will see "Add New Title".
And this screen appears. You answer the typical questions: Title, Author, Series, Edition.
The next page is self explanatory as well.  Then you get to the ISBN.

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Step 3 - ISBN 

Don't be scare, overwhelmed, or tricked into paying hundreds of dollars from another site.  Although it will cost over $100 for you to purchase your own, CreateSpace, Smashwords, and others buy them in bulk and give you the option of choosing a FREE one from their site.  There are reasons why you may want your own, but we can discuss this later. If you have never published before and are strapped for cash, you might just want to start off with the FREE ones!


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Step 4 - Choosing your trim

 Choose whether your interior is going to be black & white or color, whether you want white paper or Cream (WARNING- ask for a sample, some people say it looks yellow, not cream), then choose the size of the book you want.  The site recommends 6x9 because various distributors have certain requirements. However, there are even custom sizes available.

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Step 5 - Upload your file

 I will discuss layout later in this post, however, I VEHEMENTLY recommend that you upload PDF files, not the .doc  that CreateSpace says it accepts.  It will save you a great deal of time.

I originally thought "What's the big deal? I uploaded the Open Office files, and Libre files.  Trust me when I tell you that the converter will add extra spaces and pages.  My 220 page book became 800, then 600, and quite a few other numbers.  I did not realize just how easy it is to save into PDF... on the word program FILE>Export as PDF> name the file and save, just like a regular file!

Once you upload the file, the automatic converter will check it for margin problems. I have yet to see it reject for anything else. BE AWARE:  This is not checking for spacing, spelling, Chapter headings to be properly located. The only thing I could see it declined was if the text ran too far out of the margins.  It has a neat program where you can turn every page and see what it looks like in book format.
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Step 6 -  Design Your Cover

CreateSpace has a cover editor which allows you to design the cover yourself. You can upload your own pics, or choose one of theirs.  You then choose a theme you like, background & text colors, you can insert transparency on certain styles.  It is VERY easy.  I have very little Photoshop type of experience--- this was MUCH easier, saved a lot of time, and was a click type of step by step process.

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  Step 7 - Review, Proofs, and Sales

Once you have completed the above steps, you must "Submit For Review".  Again, I only saw it reject for margins. This is supposed to be an "indepth review" that takes 24 hours from the time you submit it.  Once it is accepted, you can do two things:  View Digital Proof.  It appears in a book like form on the screen, and you can turn each page.  The other thing is ordering a physical proof.  My proof cost $4 + $1 for shipping.  You get an exact copy of what the book will look like, but it is labelled proof in the back-- not for resale.  

You then can approve the proof, and then you set the price and distributors. It will go up for sale immediately on CreateSpace Store, but take a couple days for other sites.  I think that CS does a lousy job of explaining this.  I had NO idea whatsoever that my book would go on sale on Barnes & Noble.  I seriously thought since they were the competition, that the Amazon owned CS would not put it there. My family called and told me they saw my book there.  You get a much higher royalty from the CS store, so try posting your links there first. But most of your sales will come from Amazon & B&N.

What if you don't like the book or have typos?    Then you go back to step five, upload the files, change the cover if you need to, and wait the 24 hour review period... AGAIN!. UGHHH! 

What about Kindle?

CS will convert your work into a Kindle format and make it available on Amazon if you choose.  You can then choose to join the "Kindle Direct Publishing Select" which gives you more marketing capabilities, and much higher royalties if you agree to a 3 month exclusivity contract.  If you do not opt for this, your royalties will be less, but you can post it yourself on Nook Press or Smashwords... they are free, and you sit back and collect the money. 

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Royalties

You can track your sales on the Member Dashboard. Royalties are paid out depending on the different distribution channels, and each takes a certain amount of time to record and post. 

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The hardest part of the CreateSpace process is the layout.  I will discuss this in my next post, when I have more time. 

As always, thanks for reading!

WANT TO PUBLISH AN AUDIO BOOK?

It is recommended by some NYT Best Sellers that you publish an audio book for every book you write.  People perceive audio books to be more difficult to manufacture, therefore, having one made of your book gives both your book and your name credibility with readers.

 

 CLICK HERE FOR ACX

Amazon owned ACX now makes it easier than ever! And, you have the option of paying the Narrator/Producer an upfront negotiated flat rate, OR sharing the royalties, meaning there is no upfront costs to you!

Step 1 - Your book must be available on Amazon, either ebook or print.

Step 2 - You set up a profile for your book:  Give a description, post whether you want to pay the upfront flat rate or share royalties with the narrator, then you post an audition script.

Step 3 -  Finding a Narrator 

There are literally thousands of narrators with samples

on their site. You punch in the demographics you are looking for:  Age, Gender, Genre, Style (sarcastic, humorous, upbeat, sexy), the language, even the accent! 

You can message narrators after listening to their samples, and narrators can message you after you begin accepting auditions.

Step 4 -  Auditions

Once contact is made with a narrator, they have the ability to post an audition for you.  This is approximately 7 minutes to give you an idea of their abilities. You can listen to the audition as many times as you like, and you can compare the different narrators who audition.  All you need do is click the button to play.  When you make a decision as to who you want to narrate your book, you go to step 5, Make an Offer.

Step 5  - Make an Offer  -  This is the truly easy part-- You select the person you found to be the best, set a time frame for the project, and submit.  When the person accepts, you now have a Project in Production.  What is an adequate time frame? Keep in mind that they are doing all of the work.  The author's part is just to sit back and listen along the way, and approve or give feedback. So be considerate! I set both of my project deadlines at 2 weeks for the first 15 minute track, and two months for the final project. This is a binding contract, so be considerate, but keep in mind, the narrator wants to get the project done just as quickly as you do.

Step 6 - Offer Accepted! 

Upload your manuscript!   

Step 7 -  15 Minute Sample 

Once you upload the manuscript, the narrator then produces a 15 minute segment for your approval.  According to your contract, the first 15 minutes is due by the deadline you set during Step 5.  Once you listen to it, you can approve it, or give the narrator feedback to improve the quality of the finished project.  Once this is completed, You are on your way.

Step 8 - Periodic Approvals  -  The narrator will send you clips for periodic approvals, most likely for every chapter.  Again, feedback and approval are necessary.

Step 9  -  Final Product - It's Finished!!!  

Step 10 -  Distribution

 The audiobook then goes on sale on Amazon, iTunes, Audilbe.com, and others, depending on the options you choose.

Cover Design - Anytime

The cover of your audio book must be a perfect square, 2100 x 2100 with at least 70pi.  You as the author can work on this, while the narrator is doing their thing!

Promote the heck out of your new audio book!!!!!  

I am currently involved with having my ebook, 

"10 Shades of Blush: The Softer Side of Kink"  and my print book "Goin' Postal & The Creek" made into audiobooks.  So far the process has been simple, fun, and interesting meeting some great people!  It is an awesome way to network with the narrators, as you both make money on the quality of the product! 

COMMON WRITING MISTAKES

Word Confusion, are you guilty?

After some research, I have found that many people use the wrong word, or spell a word incorrectly.  Along with the conveniences of technology, we have also lost some skills.  Being able to click "Spell Check"  has made many of us lazy.

The most common mistake on the internet, which shocked me was:

lose  vs.   loose

This is a verb vs adjective mistake.  

Verb:          Do not lose your money.

Adjective:  Your shoe laces are loose.

One of my pet peeves that I must correct when I see it?

accept  vs  except

Verb:          The college will accept application soon.

Adjective:  She applied to all the colleges except one.

The following I had to look up for my own writing:

towards  vs toward

They are BOTH correct, however, towards is commonly used in Britain, whereas toward is used in the US.

seperate  vs separate

seperate is not a word, to remember this, you can use the ER is similar to ERror

who vs whom

This is a biggie just because people do not use proper grammar.  Whom should be used as an object in a prepositional phrase.

To whom does this book belong?

Of whom are you speaking?

A MUST FOR HISTORICAL WRITERS!

Do you write historical fiction?  Do you need appropriate slang or info about certain time periods? Check out this incredible site! 

 For Writer's Dream Tools Click Here!!!

You select the decade from 1650s to the present, and you will find an incredible list of information of that decade, including slang, events, people, and other useful data to make your stories and novels more believable.

I came across this site while writing my new book The Creek: Where Stories of the Past Come Alive, which spans time from 1777 - 1990.  I found it a must have for my upcoming book, Jane's Journey, about an Irish immigrant coming to America with her toddler son in 1820.  Seeing the events that could possibly affect my characters gave me ideas to expand the stories in new directions.

INTRO TO DEBORAH JAY

I recently met an author, Deborah Jay, who will appeal to any of you fantasy fans.  

Desperate Measures
Her romantic fantasy "Desperate Measures" has been described by reviews as a steamy, fun, and and actioned packed-- which "does not rely on the sex scenes to keep one's interest".  Sounds like a winner to me!!! Be sure to check it out!


The Prince's Man
Her other Book, is being touted as keeping the reader "glued to this book for two days! WOW"  This seems to have it all, nobles, kings, revenge, fear, action, and of course, someone trying to usurp the throne!

Be sure to read more about Deborah Jay at her CLICK HERE

My debut novel, award winning fantasy The Prince’s Man was published July 2013. With over fourty 5 * reviews now, it was an Amazon Top 100 Hot New Release, and pops up often in the Epic Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery Top 100s.
Think James Bond meets Lord of the Rings - a fun, fast, action-packed story featuring a pair of mismatched spies who are struggling to save their kingdom whilst trying not to kill each other.

NEW PRINT BOOK!

Goin' Postal & The Creek have been printed as a "Two books in One" combo!

Be sure to get your copy for $10.99

It will soon be available on Amazon

BEST SELF PUBLISHING

Do you want to get published but don't know how?  You went to the places like Author House which want a $1,500 minimum, and when all is done you could spend $10,000?  You check out places like DiggyPod that look nice and easy, but charge you a ridiculous price by the book that you make nearly no profit? 

Forget them!!!

They are not going to market and distribute your book anyway, so you are going to have to do all the work, with none of the rewards!  So what should you do?

FOR CREATESPACE CLICK HERE

Createspace is an Amazon owned printing company which you can use to self publish. There are NO upfront costs, except for the first book, you need to buy as a proof in order to grant production approval.  No lie, mine was $3 plus shipping!  I am entitled to buy as many copies as I like at that price so that I can promote sales myself.

Once you approve your book for publication, you can choose to distribute it on Amazon and other distributors, and whether you want the book converted to a kindle format!

You still own the rights to your book, so you can still have it published elsewhere.  And, it was easy to upload from a MS Word .doc.  They have some great tools that help you make a professional looking cover, and then you see a virtual proof.  Once they review the book for their requirements, they will send you a message/email saying that your book is ready for you to approve the physical book.  They give you the price of your order for one physical copy which is determined by the page numbers and trim size.  Once you receive that, you can submit your approval for printing and distribution. 

The royalties are not bad either. With my book, the royalties are between $3.50-$5 for online orders, and even more for the copies I physically distribute myself.

If you have any questions, be sure to contact me, either here or on Facebook.

Want your ebook reviewed for free?

NEW SERVICES FREE!!!!

Ebook Reviews - 3 to 5 stars

Would you like an honest opinion of your book?  Do you want to boost sales with reviews?

I am willing to read and review your ebooks completely FREE!  Only reviews of 3 to 5 stars will be attached to your book profile, reviews below that will NOT be published.  Instead, I will send you an email with suggestions of possible corrections and any proofreading that needs to be corrected.

What do I want?  Share my blog.  Share my Facebook page.  Review my work.

Proofreading & Editing FREE!

If you submit your work to me, I will be willing to proofread and make suggestions for FREE!  For this service, I would appreciate a "contribution" credit on your book as Editor.

We all know what it is like to read the same thing over and over, and eventually we see what we want, rather than what is there.  We also know what it is like to have friends and family tell you it is great, not wanting to cause hurt feelings.  Let's help each other, promote me, and I will help to promote and improve your work!!!

Submit your .epub to rhodadettore@gmail.com

Ebook Publishing

Smashwords Self Publishing CLICK HERE

Do you want to try to publish an e-book?  The best way I have found is to use Smashwords.com.  This is a great and free site, that converts your MS Word file into an ebook for distribution.  You get to select the many formats that it will be printed in, as well as the languages, the distribution houses (such as B&N, Sony, iApple, etc) you set your own prices, and you get most of the profit! Its a win/win.  Smashwords gives you a free ISBN, which is one of the scary items of publishing that makes people shy away from trying. You can still buy your own, then upload it to Smashwords, but why?  Amazon and B&N on the other hand will provide you with their own numbers, that are very similar, and are still recognized throughout the digital world.

The site's founder has many free ebooks that will help you to not only format and create a book, but gives you tips on increasing your sales through marketing, as well as assisting other authors on the site.   

There are two downsides to Smashwords that I have seen thus far: 

FORMATTING  
The formatting to upload it to Smashwords can be so incredibly frustrating the first time.  It literally took me a week with hours of throwing my laptop around the room.  Guess what?  The site's owner realizes how frustrating it can be. So not only did he write a 50 some odd page ebook to guide you through it, but he offers a list of proven formatters who are willing to do the work for a fee.  The first time, I seriously considered doing this. Then I realized that this was not a one time thing, and prices varied from $25 to $100 just to format it.  They are no smarter than I am, so I insisted on figuring it out myself.

If you have any questions on formatting, please feel free to write me.  I know your frustration!

LIMITED AMAZON DISTRIBUTION  
You need to have sold more than 2,000 copies to get the best distribution.  Therefore, I suggest that you also publish separately on Amazon.  YES, you can!!! Because you keep 100% of the rights to your creation! You can upload directly to Nook Press also, but it is uneccessary.  Otherwise, your ebook may be listed twice on B&N--which is confusing if you set the book at different prices.  Because you earn a higher royalty on Smashwords, you can choose to place your book higher on Amazon and B&N....it is still your book, at your price!

Another great thing about Smashwords is that as you review the work of other authors, you are building links and marketing your own work.  Authors helping authors--great concept.  Smashwords allows you to generate coupons, choose future publications dates as opposed to immediate publishing, and even allows you to enter emails of friends to send them coupons to receive your book as a gift!

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing CLICK HERE

This is not to be confused with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing Select Program which offers higher royalties, but to which you must agree to provide your book exclusively on Amazon for the first 90 days.  You still keep the rights to your book, you just agree to limit the distribution in the beginning.  I would recommend this for a new book, because it appears that removing your book from previous sites can cause an exclusivity violation---- as some sites are taking up to 90 days to remove them.

With The Select option, you have the ability to promote your works for free, either permanently, or for a limited time.  Your book may also be included in email promotions sent out to readers.  Another interesting tidbit, many of the "promote your ebook here" type of sites require that your ebook be available for free on Amazon--- but to do that you must be a member of AKDP Select--- and to do that, you must be willing to only sell on Amazon for the first three months! 

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing Select CLICK HERE

The down side to AKDP Select?  That you can only promote Kindle products for the first 90 days, after that you can use a service such as Smashwords that will format it into PDF, Kindle, Nook, Sony, Text, and most other formats.

Currently, I have my books on Smashwords and Amazon Direct Publishing.  I get a lower royalty rate with the KDP rather than the Select, however, I was able to market more formats to test the waters and see which format sells better.  As it stands, I have sold twice as many ebooks through Smashwords as I have on Barnes/Noble and Amazon, so to me, it has been worth it.

Amazon's Author's Forum CLICK HERE

Amazon has a great forum for authors and readers to meet, ask questions, and promote their books. It's totally free, and you are permitted to join regardless of whether you partake of AKDP  or AKDP Select.  

Regardless of whether on Smashwords, Amazon, B&N, or Wattpad (or any others), a great way to market your work is to give a free chapter or scene away.  Turn your book into a few different short stories, and at the end, promote the entire book. 

Research, research, research!!!  There are companies charging hundreds of dollars for the same thing you can do for free!!! So why pay?  Take the time to put into your work, and research.  If you do not understand something, there is google, and there are others online to help.

Good luck!!!

Love, Revolution Style

Love, Revolution Style 

 This is the first story in my new ebook, The Creek: Where Stories of the Past Come Alive.  The Creek is comprised of four stories which take place at different times periods of the Mantua Creek, outside Philadelphia. 

In the first story, Love, Revolution Style, Lieutenant Scott James and his weary men are in search of a safe place to camp and rest after a tough battle outside of Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War.  They stumble upon a secluded tributary of the Delaware River where they rest at a farm, occupied by only a young woman.  Lieutenant James falls madly in love with her, and now he must figure out how to win the war, stay live, and win the girl... Can he do it?

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE COPY OF LOVE, REVOLUTION STYLE

NEW EBOOK!!!

The Creek:  

Where Stories of the Past Come Alive

Be sure to check out this new ebook!!!

The first three chapters is each set in a different time period along the same creek front.  Whether surrounded by the Revolutionary War, Spanish Influenza, or the consequences of Vietnam, the residents of the creek must deal with life the best way they can.  They suffer through heart ache, death, love, joy, and some of those emotions are so powerful, that they punch a doorway into the present time, where some very sensitive kids can feel their presence.

Available now, for $2.99 on Smashwords

Click here to Choose Your Format!!!!

Now on Amazon!!!!!  $2.99
Buy ebook NOW!

NOW for NOOK!!!!!  $2.99
Buy Nook Version Here 

10 Shades of Blush: A Softer Side of Kink

10 Shades of Blush:  

A Softer Side of Kink

This is the first book in a new series which contains eight chapters of real women's fantasies, and two chapters of information to make your sex life better!

The series will be touching on domination, role playing, bondage, anal, oral, homosexuality, and much more.  The author requests that any woman who wishes to submit her fantasy for publication please do so here, or on her Facebook page.

This book is available at smashwords in various formats:
All Formats Available CLICK HERE!








This book is available at Amazon for Kindle:

For Amazon CLICK HERE

  This is also available at Barnes & Noble for Nook:

For Barnes &Noble CLICK HERE

To include your fantasies in the next book, please contact the author on her Facebook page:

Rhoda D'Ettore Facebook Page CLICK HERE

GOIN POSTAL -- Now on Kindle at Amazon!!!

Do you have a Kindle?  Don't miss out!

The new ebook by Rhoda D'Ettore is now on Amazon for $5.99!

 Click Here for Amazon

Does that sound too high?   

Then hit LIKE on Rhoda's Facebook page and you will automatically receive a 20% OFF coupon to be used at smashwords.com, AND you will be given coupons for all future epublications on smashwords!!!

 GOIN' POSTAL:  True Stories of a U.S. Postal Worker

 NOW AVAILABLE as an Ebook!!!!

Have you ever wondered what's it's like to be a postal worker?

Ever wondered what kinds of wacky things go through the mail?

I bet you couldn't imagine that it would entail human heads, alligators, crickets, and drugs! Single pieces of fruits, Vietnam Vets with PTSD, and zany practical jokes that will make you spit out your soda onto the computer screen! Read about the events employees dealt with on 9/11 and the anthrax crisis that followed shortly after!

Read about the crazy employees, supervisors, and situations that they find themselves in. This book has everything: humor, sex, compassion

Check out the new Ebook:

"Goin' Postal: True Stories of a U.S. Postal Worker"

by Rhoda D'Ettore

available now for $4.99 at 

All Formats Available HERE!!!!