In this issue:

• NaNoWriMo updates
• Spray Paint Magazine updates
• The business of being a writer

Hi everyone!

NaNoWriMo Updates

There are less than two weeks left of NaNoWriMo! However, there are some goodies you get if you win and if you participate.  In this newsletter, I’ll be highlighting a few of them. You can view the entire list here.

• 20% off of Scrivener for participants and 50% off of Scrivener for winners
• You can upload your book for free with IngramSpark
• 25% off of Aeon Timeline for participants
• “Wrimos Write Free This November With Campfire—Participants Get 20% Off Lifetime Purchases, Winners Get 30% Off” (NaNoWriMo, 2022)

Spray Paint Magazine Updates

There are also less than two weeks left to submit to Spray Paint Magazine.  Issue Two’s theme is Memories. 

“Memories. We all have them, whether good or bad, and we want to hear about them. Submissions for Issue Two can be fiction or nonfiction, and we accept poetry, prose, and visual art pieces.”  Submissions for Issue Two close November 30th, 2022, and you can view the submission guidelines here. 

This newsletter’s third and final topic is about the business behind being a writer, explicitly surrounding being an author.

The Business of Being an Author

One (well, three) things I want to focus on are being traditionally published, being self-published, and being a hybrid author.

Traditionally Published

When an author says they are traditionally published, they mean that a publisher (like Linton Press, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Anvil Press) offered them a contract and published, printed, and sold their book through places such as Indigo/Chapters, Barnes and Nobel, Target, etc.).  

The publisher takes care of the book cover and editing; however, that does not mean that an author should submit the first draft of their manuscript to them.  The publisher will also be responsible for paying the author through royalties.  However, the author does not take all of the royalties. For example, a publisher must pay for a cover designer, editors, etc.  Additionally, they have to pay for distribution, whether they have their own distribution or use a service such as IngramSpark.

Additionally, if you submit your manuscript to a publisher, you will not need to pay them to publish your work.  They will be paying you.  For example, if a publisher says you have to send them a 5-dollar fee for them to publish your work, run.  However, a publisher is different from a literary magazine, and publishers can have a literary magazine.  There are a lot of literary magazines that have people pay a fee to submit to them.  

Question of the day:  Would you guys want a newsletter talking about literary magazines?

Another thing to note when sending your manuscript to a publisher is that some of them may require you to have a literary agent. In contrast, others simply allow you to send your manuscript to them without having an agent (unagented).  As with a publisher, you don’t pay for an agent. Instead, they make money when you make money (the same with a publisher). 

An agent can take anywhere from 10-15 percent of the book deal.  If an agent requires you to pay them, don’t go with them.  Finally, an agent and publisher should have more information about their requirements and more on their website. 

Self-published

When an author is self-published, that means they didn’t submit their manuscript(s) to a traditional publisher; instead, they published their manuscript(s) themselves.

When you’re self-published, you’re responsible for editing, distribution, the book cover, the ISBN, formatting the inside of the manuscript, and more.  You can hire someone to edit your book, format the inside of the book, and design the cover for you.

Line editor

According to Reedsy, “Line editing is a more in-depth version of copy editing, one that focuses on style as well. Both types of editing aim to produce more readable prose, but line editing is more nuanced” (Reedsy, 2022).

Copy editor

A copy editor is an editor after you get a developmental editor (which I will talk about next).  A copy editor “[…] will read your work on the lookout for anything that makes it less readable, like word repetition or character inconsistencies. This type is also known as mechanical or line editing, depending on its particular application” (Reedsy, 2021).  Reedsy also states that a copy editor will look for and subsequently correct the below “elements” in your or someone else’s manuscript:

• “Spelling
• Grammar
• Capitalization
• Word usage and repetition
• Dialogue tags
• Usage of numbers or numerals 
• POV/tense (to fix any unintentional shifts)
• Descriptive inconsistencies (character descriptions, locations, blocking, etc.)” (Reedsy, 2021)

Developmental editor

A developmental editor will focus on the “big picture” of the story, and they will give feedback on that big picture.   “They’ll refine your ideas, shape your narrative, and help you fix any major plot or character inconsistencies to tell you if there are any elements of your story which just don’t work. It’s similar to an editorial assessment but contains much more detail” (Reedsy, 2021). 

Proofreader

You would get a proofreader at the very last stage of this entire editing process.  They are the  “[…] eagle-eyed inspectors who make sure no spelling or grammar errors make it to the final version of your work” (Reedsy, 2022).  Additionally, they’ll look for the following:

• “Inconsistencies in spelling and style;
• Inconsistencies in layout and typography;
• Confusing or awkward page and word breaks;
• Incorrect captioning on any illustrations and page numbers in the contents” (Reedsy, 2021). 

A lot of the time, the writer would receive a document (could be a PDF, Word Document, or another one) of the manuscript with marks.  

Also, something I want to mention is that you don’t need to get all of these editors.  If you think you only need a developmental editor (for example), then please only get a developmental editor.  

The cost of an editor depends on the number of words your manuscript has. Most editors go based on words.  For example, 0.005 per word. Linton Press also offers a combination of line and copy edits with in-line comments.

Formatting

As mentioned earlier, you can hire someone to format your book.  However, I recommend doing it yourself. In addition, there are platforms you can use for formatting, which I will outline below.  

Google Docs

Google Documents is a free online platform made by Google.  You can get plugins, and one you can use is the Page Sizer plugin.

Vellum

Vellum is a paid platform only available for Macs.  Vellum Press (where you can create an unlimited amount of eBooks and Paperbacks) costs 399.99 CAD, and Vellum eBooks (where you can create an unlimited amount of eBooks) costs 269.99 CAD.  Their website states that the prices I previously mentioned don’t include taxes.

Scrivener

Scrivener is another paid platform; however, it’s available on Macs, Windows, and IOS devices.  Scrivener isn’t just used for formatting novels.  You can use it to write your manuscript, plan it, or do both.  The price for the Standard License for Windows costs 84.99 CAD.  The Standard License for macOS costs 84.99 CAD.  For more pricing information, please click here.

Microsoft Word

You can also use Microsoft Word for formatting.  Compared to the other platforms, this is a monthly subscription. However, you can have it for free if you’re a student.  If you’re using Microsoft for home, it costs 69.99 dollars per year for one person, and you get Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.  For more information regarding Microsoft pricing, please click here.

Hybrid publishing

Finally, when someone says they’re a hybrid author, it means they have some books traditionally published and some self-published books.

Thank you, guys, for reading, and I hope to see you next time! 

About the Writer

Angel-Clare Linton is a poet, writer, editor, and publisher. She is also the founder of Spray Paint Magazine.