Five New Year’s Resolutions for Writers

Dec 18,2017 / By Monica Martinez / No Comment

1. Write every day

A study conducted by University College London claims that there is no definitive amount of days required for a habit to stick; it varies depending on the activity. However, most habits will become a part of your daily routine after several weeks. Once you have your flow going, it is easy to produce dozens of pages in a matter of hours. Unfortunately, the hardest part is getting started. Depending on your writing objective, your quota can be something like a blog post, diary entry, or a page towards your novel. What you write does not have to be Shakespearean quality. In fact, this resolution focuses more on the process of writing by encouraging you to incorporate this activity into your everyday routine. Here are a few tips to help you achieve this goal:

Schedule in time – Commit time in your agenda that is strictly dedicated to freewriting
Start small – Spend 10 minutes per day on writing for the first week but gradually add more time as this becomes a regular activity
Create projects – It might be difficult to write something if there is no purpose for the work. Write for a reason. Submit your pieces to a writing contest, start a blog, or send reviews to a media publication.

2. Read every day

Reading is just as important as writing when you are trying to perfect your craft. Similar to the tips mentioned in resolution one (see above), you are going to need to dedicate a bit of time out of your day to reading. Most people will choose to read for 15 minutes before hitting the hay to calm themselves before bed. Reading on a regular basis can help make you a better writer, since it will expose you to new words, writing styles, and perspectives. Additionally, reading makes you more intelligent, empathetic, and relaxed.

Tips & Tricks

Editing Process: Traditional vs. Assisted Self-Publishing

Dec 13,2017 / By Tellwell Publishing / No Comment

Completing the writing process of your book is a huge and exciting feat! Now you can carry on to the editing stage, which is extremely important as you will receive valuable insight from an unbiased professional. Some writers may feel like they want to opt out of editing; however, we highly recommend that everyone invest in the editing process. This process is crucial, as it can turn a good book into a GREAT book! Having someone else’s eyes on your writing allows you to receive feedback that you may have overlooked.

As a self-published author, when considering editing services it is important to understand the differences in the process between traditional and assisted self-publishing.

Tellwell News

IngramSpark Welcomes Landscape Print Option!

Oct 25,2017 / By Tellwell Publishing / No Comment

We are very excited to announce that our print-on-demand partner IngramSpark has just introduced their first ever Landscape print option! This is very exciting for us as it opens up a new option for books like photo books, children’s books, and the like. The newly introduced print option is 11×8.5. It is available in premium colour, and comes in both paperback (Perfect Bound) and hardcover (Case Laminate) options.

Ingram Spark is one of the world’s largest print and distribution networks with Print-On-Demand (POD) printers located in 4 countries around the world and distribution to over 39,000 retailers. For more information, visit their website: http://www.ingramspark.com.

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Guest Post Meet the Team

Guest Post: Publishing Consultant Mitchel Anderson celebrates two years at Tellwell

Oct 25,2017 / By Tellwell Publishing / No Comment

What brought me to Tellwell at first was my determination to have a career in books and literature. As soon as I could reliably make my way through a novel at a young age, I would be asking for a new book every week until I had amassed what is a small library. The value of a good book was never lost on me which can be heard in stories my family would tell about how particular I was about the condition of my books. This carried me through my English Literature degree from York University in Toronto where I had the pleasure of arguing about the meaning of books with people much smarter than myself.

What drew me to Tellwell specifically was the different perspective we take to publishing in general. While authors I have known would lament about the difficulties of finding a publisher I would always ask why they didn’t self-publish, but the logistics never seemed to make sense for them. When I first arrived here at Tellwell and spoke to our founder Tim Lindsay, I realized the rare opportunity we had to put the freedom and control back in an author’s hands and help contribute to the global body of literature.

Coming in at the ground floor I had rare opportunities to be heard in the development of our company and I have always made it my responsibility to listen to the feedback we receive from our authors about their experiences here and elsewhere and use that to help shape our direction going forward. My favourite parts of my job are listening to our authors discuss their projects and being able to step in with my expertise to show them that what was previously an intimidating venture is actually very approachable as long as you have clear information and the right team.

At the end of the day, I firmly believe that creator-owned fiction and nonfiction is the only way to guarantee a diverse and lively discussion in literature. If every author listened to rejection and never took a chance on their vision, we would never have seen the likes of Dr. Seuss nor would we have the influential The Joy of Cooking, which was originally self-published during the Depression and used as a proof of concept for further consideration with traditional publishers. This is a route many of our authors take here at Tellwell and we do everything in our power to make sure they are situated in the best possible way to do so.

Tips & Tricks

September is the perfect month to hit the shelves as students hit the books

Aug 29,2017 / By Tellwell Publishing / No Comment

With summer drawing to a close and students heading back to school, we think it’s time to share some information for authors who wish to see their titles on the shelves of public libraries.

Demand for titles has been increasing and waitlists for books have been lengthening at libraries across North America, the most popular categories being children’s picture books, general fiction, mystery/thrillers, cookbooks, and memoirs/biographies. This is great news for both readers and writers as library budgets are growing to facilitate this.

Here in Victoria, BC, the Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) encourages the community to make recommendations for additions to its collections as libraries aim to provide desired and relevant content for its patrons. Recommendations can be made on the GVPL website at https://www.gvpl.ca/suggest-a-title/. Librarians make selections based largely on the credibility or relevance of a book. Once a book is in a library’s collection and reports on checkout rates are viewed, other libraries will often order the same books. As well, library users can request books be circulated from one branch to another.

Alternatively, the GVPL accepts donations which “enhance its collections.” Book donations must be suitable in subject and style for its intended audience, relevant to community needs and interests, and representative of notable trends, genres, and cultures. Many libraries are currently seeking additions to their e-book collections which are increasingly made available online. Find out more here.

Tellwell Books

Canadian Authors from Coast to Coast

Jun 26,2017 / By Tellwell Publishing / No Comment

Alberta

Author Name: Angie Pierce

Book Title: Dale’s Journey: Receiving Inspiration From Our Own Mortality

Chapters.ca link: Click here.

What is the most inspiring place in your province for you to write?

The most inspiring place for me to write is from my picturesque horse farm in rural Beaver County, AB. There, I am peacefully surrounded by nature and all the creatures that make this place their home.

What is something uniquely Canadian about you or your book?

I was born in Vancouver, BC and Dale, my late husband, whom the book is about, was born in Winnipeg, MB.

How are you going to celebrate Canada 150?

I will be competing in a 25 mile competitive trail ride near Milk River, AB.

BC

Author Name: Camilla Joubert

Book Title: Unravelling

Chapters.ca link: Click here.

What is the most inspiring place in your province for you to write?

I love to write in my backyard in West Vancouver looking up to the North Shore mighty snow-capped mountains while listening to the birds chirping in the trees. I’m privileged to live in what I think is Canada’s most majestic province, and I’m constantly inspired by nature in my immediate environment.

What is something uniquely Canadian about you or your book?

Although I was born in South Africa I have lived in Canada for 27 years and feel more Canadian than South African. I chose to print in Canadian English; hence Unravelling has two l’s. Six of the writers who contributed to the book of stories in Unravelling are Canadian, and three of them are BC born and bred locals!

How are you going to celebrate Canada 150?

I’m planning to pack a sumptuous picnic and hike the Chief in Squamish to take in the vistas of our gorgeous Howe Sound passage with my family.

Manitoba

Author Name: Anthony Nelson

Book Title: Awaykin with Colour

Chapters.ca link: Click here.

What is the most inspiring place in your province for you to write?

The place I was most inspired while working on my colouring book was my completely secluded cabin a little north of Gimli, MB.

What is something uniquely Canadian about you or your book?

My book includes many images that celebrate cultures from around the world, showing how they can work in unison. I feel this is an idea important to Canadians.

How are you going to celebrate Canada 150?

My boyfriend runs an arts organization that will be doing live mural painting at the Forks Market in Winnipeg, so I will be helping with their event.

New Brunswick

Author Name: Mildred Drost

Book Title: Until Each One Has a Home. Heartfelt Stories From DunRoamin’ Stray and Rescue –A Canadian Pet Rescue

Chapters.ca link: Click here.

What is the most inspiring place in your province for you to write?

I write from my home along the banks of the Saint John River in New Brunswick. There, I see the results of the work we do – the pets that have been rescued form dire circumstances, and have gone on to live in safe, loving homes. Many are now my neighbours; many of their owners keep in contact via Facebook and email. They all inspire me to do more.

What is something uniquely Canadian about you or your book?

I think that we are uniquely Canadian in that we aspire to help as many as possible, pets, wildlife or people, and we do it with no expectation of being compensated, except by the good feeling resulting from having helped. We believe in fairness, justice and kindness toward everyone.

How are you going to celebrate Canada 150?

We celebrate Canada Day every year with the Canada Day Dog Wash, with newly washed dogs sporting the red and white bandanas. We have a barbeque with hotdogs, hamburgers and many red and white desserts. We welcome old and new friends to our gathering and enjoy their company, human and canine alike.

Tellwell News

IngramSpark changes Print on Demand book pricing structure

May 22,2017 / By Tellwell Publishing / No Comment

Effective June 5, 2017, IngramSpark will be adjusting their print rates and no longer offering the bulk order discounts that were previously available (10% per 100 books). The adjusted print rates can be found here. If you have any questions about the new pricing structure, please feel free to reach out to IngramSpark’s customer support team: 1-855-99SPARK.

For all of our published authors, please take some time to check the new print rates and adjust your suggested retail price if necessary. IngramSpark provides information on how to adjust your retail price here.

Most books with a black and white interior will decrease in print costs. In some cases, colour interior print costs have increased.

About IngramSpark and POD

The book distribution process within the book publishing industry, which refers to the process of making your book available to the public, has changed dramatically over the past 20 years; it is now possible to make your book available to over 30,000 booksellers (Amazon.com, Chapters.ca etc.) through IngramSpark, our central Print on Demand distributor. POD is an effective avenue for self-published authors because you can print one book at a time at economical prices.

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Author of the Month

How Tellwell author Angela Campagnoni is using social media to gain exposure and publicity

Apr 26,2017 / By Tellwell Publishing / 3 Comments

After losing her beloved father at a young age, Angela Campagnoni set out to write a book that helps children going through similar devastating losses. In March, she published I Want to See My Papa, a touching, illustrated book to help children understand loss, bereavement and healing through love and acceptance.

Writing was a self-healing process for Campagnoni, but the real journey had just begun. “It’s a lot of work, once you hit marketing,” she admitted.

Campagnoni was fortunate to already have a strong social media following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, from her work in the fashion industry. Even with her pre-established networks, she still considers the online marketing to be a fulltime job.

“If you don’t have a social media presence already, start it early, early, early,” she said. “Even with my amount of social media, I still felt like I was late. It’s hard when it’s your first time because you don’t know what you should share, and what you can share.”

Tips & Tricks

Affordable online advertising for authors

Apr 21,2017 / By Tellwell Publishing / No Comment

More than 2.34 billion people are using social networking, and there are more than 3.6 billion internet users worldwide. Online marketing is integral to building your author platform to reach your target markets and promote your book. One of the best ways to boost your online presence is advertising.

As an independent author, you may not have the budget to invest thousands of dollars into online advertising, but don’t rule it out just yet. Here are some affordable online advertising options to consider:

Facebook Advertising

Facebook advertising is open to anyone who has created a Facebook Page, to promote their business, product, or brand. Facebook ads are broken down into three parts: the campaign, the ad set and the ad itself.

When setting up an ad on Facebook, the first step is to identify the objective or goal of the campaign. Authors can use Facebook advertising to promote their Facebook page or their website, boost a post from their Facebook page, or promote an event. Facebook ads are most effective for driving traffic to you page or website, to boost your subscribers. They can be a great tool to develop your online following.

Guest Post

Help Us Help You by Tellwell editor Rachel Peterson

Apr 7,2017 / By Tellwell Publishing / 1 Comment

Whenever I receive a submission to edit, I can say with some aplomb that no two are alike. While each manuscript varies in its editing needs, the editing approach hardly deviates. There is but one goal in the mind of every editor: make the book better. As an editor at Tellwell, I’d like to provide some insight regarding the role of the editor, what editors look for from authors, and how you can prepare your submission. If you’ve completed your book or haven’t yet started, read on. Tellwell editors are ready to help you when you are, akin to that quotable from the Jerry McGuire movie, “Help me help you.” To know that, you need to know what we do.

What is the role of the editor at Tellwell?

Generally, Tellwell editors look for the same things that other editors do, but it’s probably easier to start with what Tellwell editors are not. We are not acquisitions editors and we don’t hear from literary agents. So, what do Tellwell editors do exactly?

We make mark-ups and comments: suggestions to reach clarity and total readability of a book, so the book does its job of reaching its readership.

That’s editing in short, and we do that in four ways.

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