THE PUBLICIOUS BLOG ...

At this time of year, many of us take the opportunity to look back over the year that has passed, and take account of what we feel we achieved in the various sectors of our lives.  A bit of a break and distance over the Christmas break rewards us with some perspective about what we wish to achieve in the New Year. Perhaps you finished writing your book during the course of the year. That's a fantastic achievement. Or was it completed a few years ago, and is still hidden in your computer files? Many aspiring authors have already made a great start on their fiction or non-fiction book, and may even have finished it, but are unsure about the next step. Therefore, they don't take any action and another year passes without being able to say they are the published author of a Professional quality Ebook. During the next few weeks, as you take some time out from your normal occupation or daily routine, I encourage you to create an achievable plan that will put you on...

When creating your novel, there is an abundance of information to be found online about book cover designs, manuscript assessments/copy editing/proofreading, as well as practical tools such as book typesetting services and essential topics such as book marketing/publicity. But the practical parts of publishing, like print on demand and Ebook distribution, are just part of the puzzle to creating and publishing your first novel.  Most of the real blood, sweat and tears takes place at the start, when drafting and writing your novel and a lot of it comes down to character. When you've spent months, or indeed years, slaving over your novel, there is nothing worse than a reader saying that your characters were 'thin', soulless or otherwise unbelievable.  Writers could learn a lot from actors, who use tools such as 'Method Acting' or the 'Michael Chekhov Acting Technique' to achieve robust, deep and authentic characters. Several world class actors ...

There is nothing more exciting than seeing your book at a bookstore the title peeking out amongst writers you might admire or aspire to. If you are lucky enough to have the cover facing out, shiny and colourful in its resplendence, then be even more grateful; shelf space is limited as publishers vie for attention in a hyper-competitive market and only the most eye catching book cover designs tend to be displayed. But how likely is it that your novel will even make it into a physical bookstore? By looking around at any major retailer, you wouldn't think it would be difficult, but for every book you see, there are countless others which didn't make it. Based on the trends of global book and Ebook distribution, I'd like to talk about the challenges and opportunities for getting your book sold at a physical retailer, compared to relying solely on Print on Demand (POD) and Ebook distribution channels. Like many industries today, the publishing industry is incred...

Have you always dreamt of being a children's author?  Or maybe you have been inspired by the children's books you have discovered whilst browsing in the book store for a child who is close to your heart?  I spoke with Publicious author of children's book Trip to Greece, Melina Mallos, about her tips for writing for children.  Melina, who was born and raised in Greece until the age of 6, is a high profile blogger and commentator on the subject of childhood intercultural understanding and appreciation for a number of years. She published her first bilingual children's picture book in 2015, titled Catch that Cat!  Publicious published her second book, Trip to Greece, a few months ago! Here is some advice for all those who are keen to explore the world of print on demand and Ebook distribution in the children's book sector. Once you have completed the hard part, which is creating the story, the rest is quite straight-forward. There are nume...