How I Became an Author

How I Became an Author

1. Decide what genre you want to focus on. Do you like horror? SciFi? Mystery?
2. START WRITING
3. Self-Publish. Start a blog. Publish online. Print your own or find a Print-on-Demand company such as createspace.com (I’ve been publishing with them for years now. They do fantastic work!)
4. Run yourself as a business. It’s great to be creative, but you also have to think like a business. Set a schedule like you would a job. Set aside time to write. Plan out your goals. Are you setting up a web site? Social media sites? Are you hiring artists for book covers or illustration? Graphic Designers? Printers? How are you going to handle sales and royalties? Do you want to be a sole proprietor or incorporate? In other words, also plan to the business side so you can reach your goal of publishing your work. It will also make you look more professional. Copyright your work. Here's a link to the Copyright site.
5. My planning looks something like this: I have two files I keep: One if for “Writing and Ideas” and the other is for “Publishing”.

Writing and Ideas Planning Sample:
Write for an hour every day
Research ideas and locations to better describe a location
Develop characters
Devote a weekend to writing a chapter
Have a friend read a passage to see if it flows

Publishing Planning Sample:
Research online DIY/Print-On-Demand Publishers
Find a graphic designer for book covers
Find events to promote book
Find online sites that sell PDFs of my book
Create social media site to market book
….. and so on

This will give you a better picture on how you can reach your goal, and become an actual published author.

You basically are becoming your own publishing company.

And now the fun part!: Promotion! Make it fun! Really!

I take it a little further to promote my image as an author through these steps:

1. Create a persona. Are you a Vampire writer? You don’t need to dress like Elvira but you can create a mood and look about you that people can identify with. Steampunk fiction? Dress the part!
2. Create a logo. If you are doing a series on Vampire books or SciFi books, a catchy logo will be great on stickers that you can have on hand with your web site.
3. Create a web site. It does not have to be an expensive one, but it can be your online “booth” for promoting and selling your work. Or even a blog.
4. Have photos of you as an author with your books, in costume.
5. What is a one line that you can come up with that would describe your work? For me, my “tag lines” are “A New Breed of Vicious Vampire” or, “Your Guardian Angel is now a Vicious Vampire.” What’s yours? What would you say that would catch people’s attention? Another way to do it is to write your description after the words “What if………..?”
6. Start “living” in your world. Decorate your writing space. Visit places for atmosphere. “Co-Splay” your character. People are visual. Create an audience for yourself and your work.
7. Don’t be afraid to promote and market your work through web sites, business cards or stickers, blogs, social media, instagram. If you are passionate about your work, share it.

You can't accomplish anything if you're negative

Copyright Lia Scott Price

I've always done things my way: producing and publishing on my own. I didn't have to ask anyone's permission to do so,  and I didn't settle for the word "no". When I was born, there was no contract from anyone that I signed where I had to follow a path carved out by family, certain societal and cultural expectations, or even significant others. I've had my fair share of lessons and mistakes and frustrations, but I never gave up. I don't like to fully rely on someone to get my project done, which was one of the reasons why I learned to do everything from filming to editing to composing. (Of course, if you do work with people, make sure they are professionals who follow through. There is nothing more frustrating than having a project held up by someone on your team. On a side note, this is why I prefer to never take on partners, or work on other people's projects. I get more done, and when I hire people, I make sure they are reliable. That's just my choice.)

Besides staying true to working on my own, I made it a strong point not to listen to other people who tell me I can't do something, I can't fulfill my dreams, or that it will be too expensive to publish a book or produce a film. Of course, I listen to constructive criticism from colleagues who suggest better ways to do something, or not to do something. I listen to constructive and helpful suggestions. I don't listen to people who judge and I don't make 20 excuses on why I can't do something. If I felt passionate enough about a project, I find a way to make it happen. I only work with people who can get the job done. And if one project doesn't work out, I re-work it or find another way. I re-invent it and myself as well until I come up with what works.

I have tried to inspire and help other people as well. It's easy to come up with ideas but hard to actually make them a reality. I have told people time and again to analyze what you can do realistically, and to be prepared to adjust, improvise, and find ways on their own, to make mistakes and learn from them, to improve and to do their research. I can't magically transfer all I know into someone, and sometimes even if I could they are still skeptical about their own abilties. It just doesn't work that way. I can only share what I know and you need to do the legwork.

However, in the process, there are some things about people that I've found that I cannot help them with. One is negativity, and the other is desperation.

I don't like having to waste my breath trying encourage people who come up with 20 excuses on why they can't do something for every piece of advice I give. Constructive questioning is OK. Whiny, what-if-everything-I-do-fails is not. That is something you yourself have to work on, because no amount of advice from me or any other professional author or filmmaker is going to help. The second thing that turns me off is pure desperation, the "I'll-do-anything" kind of attitude. No, you won't do anything. This means you're not thinking clearly. Do you really think Hollywood is about giving up your entire life and even your dignity? It's not. Instead, your thinking should be "I'll do whatever it takes with research and reason and planning. I'll analyze things, approach it as a business, and see what I need to do to get it done." And I always try to avoid the "desperation" part, as in the "I'll-do-anything-to-make-it-happen, bargain-on-anything; sell-my-house, give-up-my-life-for-this-project, sign0anything-etc." That may not work either and you may lost everything in the end, and you will regret being so desperate.

Another thing I've come across with people is that they worry too much, or become too much of a perfectionist, and nitpick on every little thing. Now, keep in mind that being cautious is OK, after you've analyzed all the pros and cons and not made brash decisions without thought, of course, and it's OK to have standards so that you can make a good product, but too much perfectionism can derail a project. People worry too much if something's not good enough, not perfect enough, or become too obsessive-compulsive about a sentence, a piece of music, or the color of a DVD cover. Months, years will pass and they can never get the project done because it's not perfect yet and everyone else has either quit or moved on. A word of advice: don't be too hard on yourself, or you will never get something out there. It will stay in your head until it;s good enough, and in that case, it will never be good enough. It makes you lose focus on the main goal.

My rule is to keep it simple, get it out, and always follow through. I know people out there will say I am settling for "good enough", but the point is, I got something out there: It's produced, it's published, it's out there. I never procrastinate or out it off unless I'm waiting on an important decision or element, but I am not held back by fears of "it's not good enough". And how will you know if you never publish it? The worst that can happen is that you simply learn from your mistakes and move on, and try again. Nothing happens until you do something. You will never get anything accomplished if, to you, something is never good enough. If it doesn't work out, find something that will. It's all trial and error. It took me years to find out what is successful for me. I started out with novels and films. A graphic novel project I started failed, but I wanted to improve on that, and it led to an even better project: my current comic book series, and it is by far the most successful project I've done, but I guess in a way it would never have happened had I not failed with that one graphic novel.

Another is the people who surround them, and if they are negative, chances are, it will affect a project---badly.

I've seen a lot of reasons why people fail, or who just do not get anywhere with their projects. They get discouraged by their friends judging them, they listen to reasons why they should not et it done, they hang around "enablers", people who, for whatever reasons of their own, tell them what they do its not good enough, or that something sucks, and instead of putting their energy into the project, they put their energy into trying to please the naysayers. I make it a point to get rid of enablers and negative people in my life, but for those of you who can't, maybe it's time to think about who, or what, may be holding you back and how to best handle them.

Would you want your future and your projects controlled by naysayers, or would you want to control the direction of your own future?

So you have choices. You can decide whether or not to continue coming up with excuses on why you can't do something, or you can start making a plan and finding ways.

You can be negative, or you can stay (realistically) positive and work towards your goal. If one thing doesn't work, find another way.

You can keep worrying about what others will say, or you can ignore them and seek more positive advice and encouragement.

I can't begin to count how many people I know who have given up or who are simply stuck because of these reasons.

Just remember that nothing happens unless you work towards it.

My General Writing and Publishing Advice and Tips

Here’s a compilation of some of my advice:

1. Think Outside the Box: I know it's a cliche, but when I heard that phrase today, I don't think I would have become a self-publisher or independent film producer without it. I remember agonizing about how I would ever get to publish a book. So I sat down one night and just searched the Internet, looking for ways to get published. I found other DIY ways such as online publishers. In filmmaking, I researched what was needed to make a film--cameras, actors, etc, and did it myself. In short, I thought outside the box. What was needed? How do I get it done? it's like building or cooking something--what are the materials or ingredients you need? Can you improvise? What can you use?  Start thinking beyond the ordinary, beyond the unconventional. Imagine. Create. Don't limit your mind. So go ahead--start thinking. Get out of the box, don't get stuck in it. :-) Think outside the box---even if you're actually, um, in the box, as in the case with horror. :)

2. Allow Your Mind Wander. Don't Try to Think Too Hard or Force the Ideas: I get my best ideas when I'm in the shower, doing laundry, or washing dishes or doing simple chores.

3. Frugal Self-Publishing and Marketing: A Simplified List
How I accomplished publishing my novels:
1. Go online and check out self-publishing sites such as createspace.com and iuniverse.com.
2. Write your own bio and book descriptions. Check out other author bios and book descriptions online and get some ideas.
3. Design your own book cover, or find an affordable artist, such as art students, or talented friends.
4. Marketing: Use social networking sites. Create online “flyers” with book or project images and web site URL
5. Create a web page for your work.
6. Create a blog for your book.
7. Determine what your niche market is and what your book genre is. Research web sites that you can submit your book to for review.
8. Go online and research press release formats. Learn to write your own. It's basically who, what, why, when, where, and how. Submit your press release to web sites.
9. Learn to create your own online flyers to market the book. Use email to promote your work.
10. Contact libraries or bookstores to set up book signings. Market the event on social networking sites. Be persistent, and learn to toot your own horn. You are your own best publisher and publicist!

4. Staying Focused
Someone asked me recently how I stay focused on one story idea, especially if you have a lot of ideas for a lot of stories. How do you sort them all out? First, I have my "jigsaw puzzle" method that I often talk about. You take folders and notepads. You label each folder with the title of the idea for your story. Example:
a. Mafia Crime Story, 19--s
(Title, if any)
b. Romance Novel (17th Century Love Triangle)
(Title, if any)
c. ScifFi Novel, 1950s (Time Traveler)
(Title, if any)
And so on. Then pick an idea that interests you the most for that day, week, or month. Make a timeline for working on that project. For instance, you plan to work on the SciFi novel for 6 months, and the romance novel for a year because it may require more historical research.
a. Romance Novel (17th Century Love Triangle)
(Title, if any)
b. ScifFi Novel, 1950s (Time Traveler)
(Title, if any)
And so on. Then pick an idea that interests you the most for that day, week, or month. Make a timeline for working on that project. For instance, you plan to work on the SciFi novel for 6 months, and the romance novel for a year because it may require more historical research. Then, get out your notepads. You may have several separate notepads or notebooks for each idea, each corresponding to the folder. Schedule a time each day to jot down notes for each story: outlines, thoughts, plans etc. Don't worry about putting them together. You can lay the notepads or notebooks all out on a desk so that if you happen to be, say, washing the dishes, and you have a thought about one of those projects, you can go over to the desk and quickly jot it down. (after you dry your hands, of course!) This method made me feel more organized and focused when I wrote three books in the same year, all completely different from each other. Think of it this way: if you happen to cook, you file away recipes by dish: Chicken dishes, dessert, and pasta. Each recipe has a title and ingredients. Simply think of your folders as the filing system for those ingredients. You will put them all together later. In terms of priority, say you have a scifi or crime novel, and a romance novel, and you don't know which one to start with first. Think of whether the Halloween season is approaching. If it's February, you may want to start work on the crime or the scifi novel so you have something to announce for Halloween. if the novel is, say, an anniversary gift for your loving spouse, then that's the one you can start on. it depends on how strong your interest is on each subject and maybe the purpose and timing of it. Schedule our writing like you would a job or a chore. You can schedule anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 hour a day. it's up to you, but treat it like an important, but fun and fulfilling, task.

5. Keep it Simple: I often find myself overwhelmed because I have too many ideas and too many projects I want to accomplish. What helps me is simplifying, and narrowing down what each idea really is about. How would I describe the idea to someone in less than a minute? And if I were to write the story down on paper, how would I describe it? Would I tell the story the way someone would clearly understand it? Simplify. Summarize. Simplifying a project helps me make better decisions, especially financial ones. Sure I want a big flashy web site, and I'll write down all sorts of ideas and goals, but then I'll narrow it down to what I can afford both in time and financially. I can link videos. I can make my own graphics. I can design the site in a way that it's simple to update. If I'm short on time, I'll break my films up into "mini-films". Or mini-stories. Again, an example of simplifying. My stories and films are now more to the point.  I also run myself as a business, in addition to the creative work. It seems complicated, but it's actually a simple concept. I make time for my projects and treat them as i would a job. That way, I know that "work" time is for projects and I can break it up into simple schedules and time management. Can I consolidate errands? Can I schedule the more urgent things sooner and schedule other tasks later in the week, or month? That way, I get stuff done little by little, and I feel more accomplished.

6. Keep a Work Journal: I keep a work journal whenever I do projects. It's basically a daily record of what I am doing towards a goal. What have you done today? What have you done this week? It helps keep me on track. For instance, I would write down that I worked on a blog idea for 10 minutes, or I purchased some miniDV tapes for an upcoming film shoot, or that I worked on a short story for half an hour. It also helps me see how much time I've devoting to a project, and helps me keep track of what's working and what's not. if I'm not spending time on something, I may not be as interested in it as I thought. If I'm constantly planning for something, then I am able to record my progress in the journal towards the goal.

Copyright Lia Scott Price

Please read my writing and self-publishing disclaimer here

Writing and Publishing Help Disclaimers

I do give advice on writing and self-publishing, and I publish those methods here on my blog, or if I am invited to speak at a panel, a class or seminar, in interviews, or if you meet me at a convention and I have a Q & A going. I am open to being part of panels on comic books, writing and self-publishing, giving media interviews, or answering questions at conventions. :)

I’d rather be honest with my fans than make the think that I am blowing them off by seemingly not wanting to give advice on a one-on-one basis. At the same time, due to so many requests, I would end up having to charge for giving advice, and that’s not why I want to end up doing because I do want to help in some way. But there has to be a balance and a middle ground. Hence, I added some sections on free writing and self-publishing advice on this blog.

Otherwise, in general, please note the following:

I get a lot of individual requests from people who send me messages if I can read/review/edit their manuscript/story/book etc. or publish their books for them. I have made it my general policy to not do so only because it is a full time job and takes away from my own work which is a full-time job in itself.

Although I do encourage readers to read my blog writing advice, I don't have the luxury of giving writing advice one on one or publishing other people’s works full time. It’s not what I do and I need to concentrate on my own works. Otherwise, I’d be working on other people’s projects that are not my own and that is not what I want to do.

My production company also does not accept screenplays for producing, and I don't review screenplays. That's the full-time job of a script reader, which I'm not. I don’t produce other people’s movies, unfortunately.  There are other companies that do and you should seek them out.

If you do email me with questions, I will direct you to my blog for tips and Q & A that I have already posted. If I get enough questions about something I haven't addressed yet, I will make a blog entry on it.

So all I can provide is general tips and advice that you can find on my blog. As far as editing and review of our work, you will need to find or hire an editor. (Some of my own  books have been independently edited/reviewed, and even though I am a DIY author, I do make it a point to hire an editor, or I take the time to do it myself.)

So please respect my time as a creator as well. I will find way to share my advice such as the entries in this blog, and please understand that I have to draw the line somewhere.  It would be difficult to answer 10 plus requests a day. I've found that I give the same answers to questions anyway, so those answers are reflected in my posts, so please see my articles in the Writing Methods and Self-Publishing Methods sections.

Copyright Lia Scott Price

Any Customer Service Job is Free Public Relations Training

Copyright Lia Scott Price

In a way, it is. If you're an aspiring self-published author, musician, filmmaker or artist and you have to have a day job where you deal with the public, you might as well take advantage of this "free training". Why? Because publicists are expensive, and one of these days you may have to deal with the press on your own, and field inquiries on your own about your work. I've had friends who work in customer service positions who are artists and who grumble about having a day job, and I tell them there's opportunity there. What can you learn in customer service? It's public relations training, and even sales training Here's what you can learn:

-Professionalism
-How to market or talk about a product. This can definitely apply to the marketing of your own work. How do you talk about it? How can you help someone learn more about it?
-How would you respond to a difficult question?
-How would you respond to frequently asked questions?
-How would you respond if someone doesn't like what you do?
-What would you write and say in your own press release and public statements and responses?

These are just some of the things that you can apply to your own work. Explore life and be inspired by everything around you. There are so many things to be learned from it, even from the most unexpected of places.

Please read my writing and self-publishing disclaimer here

What “Secret Formula” ?

Copyright Lia Scott Price

I was recently asked by someone about how to go about writing and publishing. I gave him my usual advice of balancing creativity and business, running yourself as a business, and my writing techniques. I said it was simpler that you think, and that he didn’t need a big publisher to get started. In terms of writing, when I tried to share how I put together ideas, overcome writer’s block etc, he got agitated, telling me to stop making it sound so easy and that I was holding back the “good stuff” from him. He implied that the only way to become a “writer” was to take classes and form sentence structures correctly and take proper grammar lessons and that was the only way and he had to do all that before he even out a sentence to paper.

I tried to tell him that the process was not that complicated. Instead of listening, he became even more angry at me because he was convinced the process was very difficult and that I was hiding  the “Secret Formula” and that I was refusing to share it with him (What “Secret Formula”? Really? There is one? Then I must be going about this all wrong!). He said that nothing I said or did worked and that I was not giving him the “real” ways to write and publish. As he rambled on, I kept thinking to myself that if nothing I did “worked”, then how was I able to publish my novels and comic books? (And I’m on my 5th published issue of my comic books now). He called me selfish for refusing to divulge “secrets”. He was completely convinced that there was some sort of magic writing formula that he was supposed to follow, that there was only one “correct” way to write and that I was “cutting corners” and “making things up”, and to “deviate” from that was “not real writing”. He also kept insisting that the only way to be a writer was through a big publisher and that whatever I did was “not legit”. (Never mind the fact that I’m on amazon).

He finally ended his rant by saying he was too “skeptical” and scared of trying my methods and that I couldn’t help him and that he would find someone else who could, who would help him do it "the right way". Well, I wish you al the luck in the world. In the meantime, I will keep doing what I’m doing. I really don’t feel I should waste my time again with negative people who ask for advice and then put you down for it. When I asked if he planned to get started and take his classes and go about things his way, he scoffed and said “Nah, it’s too complicated. And I don’t have the time.” Well, there you have it.

I'm not sure what advice to give for this, but I guess I can sum it up this way: Don't be this guy. If you ask for advice, listen to what someone has to say, especially when they ARE a published author. Don't be negative. I guess that is sort of a secret formula: Don't put something down and give up before you try it because of some preconceived notion of what a published author should be. You've failed before you even tried. The only thing stopping this person was himself.

Please read my writing and self-publishing disclaimer here

Cosplaying my own character in my comic book series

It’s kind of like life-imitates-art-imitates-life. It’s kind of fun to base a character from my novel and comic book series on myself and I get to actually cosplay that character for real. In the novel and comic book, my character is an author, which I am in real life. (As for whether my vampire characters are real….well, who knows.) I’m an author playing an author who brings my characters "to life" which I also kind of do in real life through a comic book. In the novel’s story I brought my vampire characters to life accidentally through supernatural means.  I can look and dress like my own character on a daily basis, so it’s kind of a fun motivation to “get into character” as they say in the film industry, and inspires me to write more sequels. In any case, life definitely isn’t boring when you’re doing something creative!

I am a Type A Personality

Small talk generally bores me, but there’s an exception. The one time small talk will not bore me is when I’m meeting other creative types such as metal bands, indie authors, artists, entrepreneurs etc, or fans, because I feel we have a lot in common and we can share experiences and advice. I’m a very genuine person and I love meeting fans and independent artists I can relate to, and I do express a genuine interest in talking to them and listening to what they have to say. That’s the exception.  But this does not mean I will be rude to you. I will treat you with respect and listen to you, but eventually my mind might drift off.

I have chosen the hard, sometimes lonely, path to do what I love, and there are times when I don't think people understand what goes on in my head. I tend to go into my own little world because my brain is busy creating. It's my obsession and my passion to write, and to create something like a comic book series, or a film. It's almost like I don't want to just be ordinary. I want to create an extraordinary, imaginary world using a chosen visual media.

But I’m also rather reclusive in the sense that I hate wasting time. I have a serious phobia of wasting any time. I’d rather lock myself in a room and work, and I need to always be doing something productive towards my projects. I am very annoyed by anything and anyone who cuts into my creative time or slows any progress towards my getting things done and because I’m so efficiency-driven.  I hate waiting too. But I’ve managed to cope with this by being productive on my iPhone while waiting a a doctor’s office or waiting in a line. I also make a to-do list and schedule my time so if there are times I have to wait, I have something to do, such as promotions on social media using my phone. I live by to-do lists, task and project lists, and I have plans of action and preliminary schedules at least five years in advance. I need everything to be streamlined (even down to planning my meals and wardrobe) and running like a machine.

This tends to make social situations a little bit of a challenge for me. I have little patience and when a conversation or social situation starts to bore me, and the talk is just about non-creative stuff,  I just tune out or even leave, because I feel like it’s a waste of my time and I could be putting my energy towards something else. I could be getting a lot of things done. I guess that’s the one quirk I have. If I want to socialize, I’ll just go on Facebook. Or to a local metal show, where I will never ever get bored when I’m around hard-working bands and promoters and metal heads I admire.

The reason of course is that I have a goal-oriented, deadline-driven mindset and an intense drive to devote my time to my projects. There’s always a sense of urgency and impatience that I am trying to control. What usually happens is that my brain goes into overdrive and I always feel the intense urge to create, write, and make my ideas happen. You can say I’m an obsessed overachiever and workaholic. It takes some really devoted friends to put up with me, lol.

However, along with my driven personality comes anxiety, over-worrying,  and becoming agitated and frustrated if things don’t go my way. I always want to stay on top of things and I’m a little bit of a control freak when it comes to my projects. But I’ve managed to control this by staying as professional as possible, and instead of constantly worrying about a problem or a future problem, I now create a problem-solution list that helps me cope.

The hardest thing I try to control though is that I’m always in a rush. I feel like every minute must be filled with something productive, I can’t be idle, and I need to get things done. It may not show in the outside, but inside, I’m freaking out because, you know, time is of the essence and I need to get things done. Can it wait until tomorrow? My mind says not really— it will feel like a long, painful, endless wait, so I usually don’t sleep but when tomorrow comes, I’m off and running. I get such a single-minded, laser like focus that yes, I will sacrifice my social life. I tend to be good at accomplishing my goals, but sometimes I sacrifice a lot. Because I’m so work-obsessed  I’m constantly multitasking— writing while I eat, seeing eating as slowing me down and so I eat fast, and wishing that someone would invent computers in showers— that I’d rather be working every single minute of the day and night and do more than one thing at a time, and I probably even work in my dreams.

Relax? What’s that? Ask me to take two days off to go camping or go on a vacation and I will look at you like you have just placed a brick wall in front of my speeding Ferrari. I’m always like a racehorse at the gate—eager to go and get my stuff done.

I do have one fault: I do get frustrated and snarky because I am less tolerant than others when it comes to anything that gets in my way, or if I feel that a person doesn't have the same sense of urgency. I am extremely impatient with any perceived unproductive time. I don’t always show it because I try my best to be professional. Sometimes I act as if everything had to be done yesterday. But I’ve been really working on these tendencies by trying to lighten up a little more, turn my worries into more positive thoughts, not dwell of the negative what-ifs, and develop a little more trust in people who I work with, slow myself down and be more patient. I now keep records of progress and write down my fears and possible solutions, and I find that things aren’t so bad or urgent after all. Oh and the breathing exercises friends have recommended to me help a whole lot!

I’m not a difficult person. I’m extremely friendly, supportive, genuinely nice, welcoming, and approachable in social situations, online, and when you do meet me in person, I'm genuinely interested in what other people do. I work to treat my fans and friends with respect. I just tend to be Type A when it comes to my work and projects. I don’t make unreasonable or impossible demands, but my driven personality will sometimes take over and become the priority over everything else. So sometimes I tend to socially isolate myself so people don’t see this side of me (because it’s pretty brutal). I tend to be a loner so I can move about quickly and independently and not have to wait for people and I don’t like relying on others. Fortunately I’ve been able to work on self-control by being as professional as I can be.

Some tips on how to deal with a Type A personality like me:

1. Don’t beat around the bush. Be direct and honest and communicate with me. GET TO THE POINT. Don’t make me have to analyze your messages. I also hate messages that begin with “Hi.” and that’s it, no other context or follow-up. Or the next response I do get will be “How are you?” I am frikin’ fine, get to the point, what are you contacting me for? Don’t drag things on. Be concise because you will instantly lose my attention. I’ll  be respectful, but know that it does irk the hell out of me.

Also, don’t wait until the last minute on a problem. Let me know right away so I can work on it.

2. Never ever ever be  constantly late especially to a business meeting or any meeting without giving me an update.  I value my time too much, I myself try to always be on time, and it show disrespect for people to be late and to not let me know. Also, don’t expect me to veer off track from a schedule at a whim. It’s hard for me to do. Well, in general, never show up late with me (unless your plane is delayed or something like that).  I am very time-sensitive and it’s the quickest way to get on my nerves, although I am trying to be understanding if there are unforeseeable delays.

3. Know that I need my “me” time because the drive is sometimes so overwhelming a lot of people don’t understand it. But it comes first and I may become unrealistically and unfairly resentful of anyone and anything who stands in my way. I get too anxious. But I’m working on that. Also, don’t use me as a therapist and dump your problems on me. Hence, a theme in my books). If you do bring a problem to me, I will give you my advice, follow up,  and expect you to start working towards solving the problem yourself and move on. But I’m not patient enough to have to listen to and endure constant venting of someone’s personal problems every day and the person making no effort to do something about it (and if your problem is serious enough, please see a therapist—  don’t rely on me to play one). I see it as a waste of my time. I’m not trying to be insensitive or non-supportive, but it’s one of the quickest ways to drive me away from someone. I’d rather hear about your solution and your plan of action. Then I even will cheer you on.

4. I tend to see things in black and white with no gray areas. I’m stubborn and come across as inflexible because I like concrete answers to problems. But  sometimes there are  “maybe’s” and I hate uncertainties (well, who doesn’t). But I’m working on that too, because I know that there may not be definites and that I have to be flexible.

5. Don’t be offended by the above.

Thankfully for the artists who work with me, they have not experienced this extreme side of me, and have not given me any reason to do so. They are probably the only people I've been extremely patient with--which is how much trust and respect we have developed with each other. I’ve learned not to micromanage and I’ve learned to communicate clear goals and deadlines with them, and be a little more flexible and understanding because, well, sometimes things can get pushed back and because life happens. They have helped me learn that, after working with my artists who are dedicated and reliable and trustworthy people and who are also my friends and who have not let me down, to sit back and finally make an effort to relax and not worry so much, and know that things will get done.

The Appeal of the Underground

I love being underground. It appeals to my rather non-conforming, independent underground attitude (in terms of publishing). My comic book is not mainstream, and it is not my goal to appeal and please the pop culture mainstream readers. If it remains "underground" (other than amazon and indie publishers), that’s fine with me. I’m not out to change my writing to appeal to the pop culture masses. This comic book is borderline sacrilegious, (and it’s a vampire comic book. It’s supposed to be disturbing) and atheist. (Which is also why I love underground music such as black metal music—the dark, atmospheric music is quite perfect for my dark, creepy writing and imagery. I find bliss and peace in the darkness. Extreme music for extreme comic book writing.)

I’m not trying to be offensive or culturally transgressive, but I won’t apologize for writing what I write about. What appeals to me, including in music, is that it is totally and uniquely my own and not always influenced by pop culture opinion. I could do a cookie-cutter comic book that conforms to what society thinks should sell, but I don’t want to sacrifice my artistic integrity and vision, which is what makes my comic book so unique. And I don’t want to apologize to anyone who might be offended by my comic book series. If you like it, fine. if you don’t, then don’t read it. There’s nothing subtle about the series. It’s brutal, different, and yes, it’s a horror genre that some people are too afraid of reading. It questions some aspects of religion as well. I’m not anti-religion. I’m writing the way I feel and creating a world all my own from my own traumatic personal experiences, which sometimes pushes the envelope in terms of belief. But everything in life, including what society thinks you should believe in (Guardian Angels or higher powers for instance) is meant to be questioned, explored, even pushed to a certain limit. Writing is creating, and sometimes it does affect and scare people and their deeply entrenched beliefs on what should be acceptable in society.

So welcome to my world. Stay a while. If it freaks you out, then go back into the light. But remember, the light burns as well.

Why is this a Non-Mainstream and Underground Comic Book Series?

People have often asked me why I don’t go with a big publisher. My answer is always the same: I am an underground, non-mainstream comic book series. I don’t partner with anyone and I choose to DIY and publish on my own and have creative control over my work. I’ve been approached before but everything either has to be “changed” to fit the mainstream, to make it PG13 or suitable for other countries or commercial purposes etc. and I’m not willing to do that with my work at this time. I choose not to compromise the originality of the characters or the storyline. This is a comic book meant for a niche market and a niche audience and to try to cater it for different purposes to make it more “commercial” and appeal to everyone would compromise my work. So it’s either you like the series, or you don’t. It’s not for everyone.  I meant it to be for the non-romance audience,  scary and vicious vampire purist and horror and comic book genre. So the answer is that I may be eccentric in the sense that I choose to be underground and different and non-mainstream and I choose to remain true to my work.

FAQ: How I feel about Self-Promotion

Copyright Lia Scott Price

I get questions from fans about how I self-promote and what it takes and do I get discouraged, or is it hard. My answer to that is that you have to develop a work ethic. It's a job. You set up a schedule, a plan of action, and you work on it. You have to run yourself like a business, as an entrepreneur. And I'm quite happy and enthusiastic to be self-promoting.

You can't expect to put something out and always rely on others to do your promotion. Sure, any help is great and I always appreciate those who take the time to spread the word about the comic books. My point is that, no one will know about it or even help you out if you don't put the word out and constantly promote your own work. You have to give people a reason to work with you and to spread the word for you. You have to actively take part in your own promotion of your work.

For instance, I hear people complain that they publish something, and then they sit back and wait, and then get upset if nobody buys their work or knows about it. The biggest complaint I hear is that promoting or marketing is not their thing, it's too hard, or that they are not good at it and that it takes away from their creativity and their time used to create. You have to make a case for yourself as to why people should notice your work. When your accomplishment and exposure start to pile up and get more out there, you get more noticed. Have the discipline, work ethic, and positive mindset to do so. Make it a goal. But most of all, do it because you love what you've created.

I think of it this way: It's all about trial and error. When I put something out there, I'm very eager to try out new slogans, images of the comic books, little write-ups about the characters on my blog, behind-the-scenes, photos etc. to see what fans react to. If a slogan doesn't really vibe with fans, then I try another one. And it gives me a chance to be more creative. It only adds more to my creativity because this "market research" helps me either improve the stories, think up more exciting, fun ways to promote the comic book. use the most interesting pics from the comic books, and find other venues or ways to promote. It does not take away from my time to be creative, it only enhances it. Don't be afraid to do it. It also gives me a chance to see what works and what  doesn't, and if something doesn't quite work, I switch gears and experiment some more until I see what "clicks".

It also gives me a chance to engage my audience and interact with them. I realize of course that the comic books are not going to promote themselves and that I don;t have to be a sales expert. I just have to really like what I do and be proud and passionate of my work, and be glad to promote it.

How I Format and Publish my Comic Books

I'm often asked about what software I use to write or format my comic books, and what's my process:

Script:
-I use Apple's iWork Pages application to write the script in screenplay format. I turn the final script into a PDF file and send this along with sample images of how I want backgrounds and characters to look like to my artists.

Comic Book Panels/Pages:
 -My artists Andrew Setter and Chad Hammontree draw, color and scan each individual page. I edit and proofread the dialogue and the pages for story flow.
-After final proofing and editing and any changes made, my art director Chad Hammontree sends the final PDF files of each page/panel to me, which I convert into .tif and add to a new document in iWork's pages application. One image/panel= one page, and I could have up to 25 pages of images. I convert the final pages into PDF and upload to my print-on-demand publisher, createspace.com as an interior file, and createspace prints the book.
-Covers: My art director also sends me final pdfs of the front and back covers which I format into one .tif file on photoshop, and upload the exterior file to my print-on-demand publisher createspace's cover creator template.
-Publishing: I use createspace.com print-on-demand publishing, really easy to use and they do excellent work, with glossy covers and a fantastic print job.

Note: I chose to publish my comic books in an 8.5 x 11 size, 'cause I'm pretty much a rebel and a little non-traditional. I also like to do things a little bit differently. I feel that the artwork needs to be showcased at a much larger size. And can be framed too!

 That's pretty much it. I could also use Microsoft Word as long as it has a PDF converter. The programs I use are basic: a word document program, a PDF converter, Photoshop, and a print-on-demand online publisher. I store my files on an external HD, and through online file storage.

Please read my writing and self-publishing disclaimer here

Why I Chose To Self-Publish

I chose to self-publish because have more control over my work and more freedom in decision-making, and my work actually gets to reach an audience.

There is a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in creating and producing something myself. I see success as being able to do what I love.  But I also view what I do as a business, and one where I learn to wear many hats and gain more knowledge on what to do and how to do it. I get to do exactly what a traditional publisher does: marketing, press, production, promotion, sales etc., although on a much smaller scale. Being a self-publisher does not make you any less of an author, but you do have more control.

I also don't have to wait for someone to do something for me. I can get things moving right away and on my own timeline. I can add my works to as many online platforms: downloadable formats, etc., and create merchandise when I want to.

I also became a self-publisher because I’ve heard many writers complain that they can’t get noticed by an audience. I feel that as a writer, you may be more likely to be noticed if you establish a track record that you produced something, even if it’s self-published.

But there's something a lot of writers often forget: you have to think of yourself as a business and run yourself as a business, no matter what. You have to learn to balance both creativity and business. You have to show that you can provide a product as well. An audience wants to see a "result", and a product.

I see a lot of writers wait for someone to "pick them up" for publishing or someone to do things for them, or they never finish what they started, saying that "someday" they will be recognized, but with no further action. So even though you can say you are working on something, waiting to hopefully hear back from a publisher, or planning to write your novel "someday", it still takes action on your part to get to where you want to be. You are more likely to be taken seriously if you have produced something tangible.

It’s like walking up to an investor and saying “Can you invest in me, and in my product?” Potential investors will ask why, and if you just say “I just have this cool idea, it's in the works”,  people are going to wonder if you are even serious about actually having something finished. And if all you have are ideas and you never finish anything, you will likely be turned down because they don’t see a product or its potential. You’re asking an audience to “invest”, both emotionally and monetarily, in your work, but if you don’t have anything to show other than ideas or talks of plans to get a project done, you may not get the results or success you want.

So if you want an audience to see you as an author, publish something: a blog with your work, a novel through an online publishing company,  go for it.

FAQ: How I Self-Published: The Bare Basics

My Process: Self-Publishing Tips

PHASE 1: PRODUCTION

Start writing. (See my "Writing Methods" article for writing tips which apply to novels and comic books.)

Edit and proof your work.

Find or hire someone to proof for you. (If you are doing a comic book, you will need to research, interview, and find the right artist(s) ).

Copyright your document. You can add "Copyright (your name, year)" to your document.

Log on to copyright.gov to register your work.

See what do-it yourself templates online print-on-demand publishers offer. This will depend on the size of your book.

Turn your work into PDF format, if this is the format that online print-on-demand publishers require.

Book Design Cover: Some print-on-demand publishing services can design a cover for you for a fee, or some may have free templates, or you can design it yourself, or hire someone.

PHASE 2: PUBLICATION

Choose an online print-on-demand publishing service such as createspace.com that can format, publish, and print your work for you.

Establish an estore through online print-on-demand or build a web site, and you can use paypal to accept credit card payments. 

PHASE 3: PUBLICITY AND MARKETING

Learn to describe your book clearly in one sentence.  People often only have seconds to listen to and absorb your pitch.

Learn to write in one paragraph or less your book’s synopsis. You can find samples of these online on bookseller sites.

Learn to write short, one-sentence promotional “blurbs” and slogans about your work. I use gossip newspapers and newspaper headlines that are catchy. “In this book, you won’t believe what this Vampire does!” Find catchy lines that inspire curiosity. When you talk to someone about something exciting, you always start off with “You won’t believe what happened!” These blurbs are the same way. They cause people to react with “What? Tell me more!”

Find "buzzwords" and "keywords" that describe your work. Mine are "BadAss Vampires" or "Unusual Vampires" What would get people curious or excited about your work? For instance, I tell people I am bringing back brutal, vicious Vampires, therefore appealing to those who like their vampires, well, scary and gory. Who is your target audience? Mine tends to be not only horror fans, but of course anyone who likes comic books and Vampires (but a certain type of vampire, of course.) Know what makes your different from other writers. What is your message?

To market and promote your work, utilize social networking sites. Build a web site. Schedule a time each day to post and promote your work. What do you want people to know about it? Be sure to include links and images. Create blogs with info about your work, background info on your stories and characters, images etc.

Utilize video ads. Even simple text, images, and music in a 15-20 second video about your books will do. You don't have to do a big budget production to promote your work through a video. There are simple video software and video programs you can utilize.

Learn to design your own ads, or hire someone to do it for you. Create ads with your blurb, book image, and URL of where to purchase, to the point and enough to catch someone’s eye.  Convey enough information in a few seconds when people glance at it. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but have the book cover, your name, book genre, and URL of where to purchase. Imagine someone looking at the ad and saying “Hey, there’s a new gory Vampire book out by this author (name), here’s the web site. Let’s check it out.”

When you design your promotional text, do this test. Have a stack of “junk mail” or ads. Go through them fast. If something catches your eye, and you stop to look at the headline, ask why. Is the text large? Was the headline catchy that it made you stop and look twice? 

Learn to write your own press releases. Samples can be found online. A press release announces the who, what, when, where, and why of a product. It can be about you  becoming a newly published local author for local publications, or a newly published horror author for horror sites, etc. Write a few different press releases depending on the media you are planning to submit to. Also include a link to your web site or social networking site.

Research blogs online where you can send the info to (for instance, if you have a horror novel, find horror blogs to submit to). Most blogs welcome news submissions, but always ask first before sending anything and follow their submission guidelines. Remember to thank them when they do publish you.

If you have the funds, invest in membership in a press release distribution site. 

There are also many genre-specific conventions that you can purchase a booth/table in (if you do have the funds) to promote your book. Check out their submission guidelines. It’s a good place to test market your book and meet fans. Find out if there are also group booth sharing for authors.

MOTIVATIONAL TIPS

Don’t try to please everyone or let anyone tell you how to write or what to write about. People will have different opinions and suggestions and criticisms and you can’t accommodate them all. Write for yourself first. Then have a professional proof and edit for grammar, flow etc.

Stop worrying that what you are writing about is not good enough. You do not need anyone to validate your writing. People will like what they like, and if they don’t, then that’s not your audience. If you constantly worry about what people will think, you will never accomplish anything.

Don’t worry about rejection from the “big publishers” or that you have to give in to demands to rewrite everything in order to be published by someone else. You can publish the work yourself, the way you want it. So what if it's not the biggest best seller. The point is, you published SOMETHING. 

I’ve heard many writers complain that they can’t get noticed. You may be more likely to be picked up by a publisher if you establish a track record that you produced something, even if it’s self-published.  Publishers are a business, and they want to see a RESULT and a product. Even though you can say you are working on something, waiting to hopefully hear back from a publisher, or planning to write your novel someday, you are more likely to be taken seriously if you have produced something tangible. It’s like walking up to an investor and saying “Can you invest in me?” They will ask why, and if you just say “I have this cool idea”, you will likely be turned down because they don’t see a product or its potential. You’re asking a publisher, and the public, to “invest” in  your work, but if you don’t have anything to show other than ideas or talks of plans to get published, you may not get the attention you want.

If you keep thinking that you are a horrible writer and comparing yourself to others, then you are eventually going to believe that’s what you are. It’s up to you to motivate yourself and think positive about your work. 

If no one will do it for you or no one else can make your publishing dream come true, (and not everyone will) then you have to learn to do it yourself.

Remember that a lot of writers end up never accomplishing anything because the work and the process is "too hard and time-consuming", “a lot of work", and they always ask "why can't someone else just do it for me", and they give up too soon without even finishing what they started. Self-publishing takes discipline and motivation, resourcefulness, and research. If you choose this route, you are the one who needs to make self-publishing happen, along with finding the right services and , when necessary, hiring the right people to help you produce your work. It all begins with you. 

Remember that Self-Publishing is a business, and you have to treat it like one. Learn to mix business sense and discipline with your creative side.

Please read my writing and self-publishing disclaimer here

FAQ: How Do I Publish my Books

I became my own Publishing Company:
I did research on what a publishing company does in terms of production, marketing, publicity and promotion. I pretty much realized I could do the same things a publishing, marketing, and publicity company could do. I set up my own publishing company to publish my own works and produce a published and printed book, become an author, and I retain all of my rights. I'm not restricted by any contracts and I don't have to wait for anyone to publish anything for me and I control the timeline and all production aspects. I don't have to worry about any publisher pulling the book "off the shelf". And I can turn the book into films, comic books, eBooks, and whatever else I want. There still is the outdated perception that only a major publishing company or agent can turn you into a "legitimate" author. Self-publishing is just as credible and legitimate, but of course it still depends on the work being done well. It's up to me to get my name and works out there in the best way possible. Even established authors have to do legwork to get, and keep, their name out there. Remember that even a big publishing house may not necessarily make you famous. After all, it's still your work and you're relying on someone else to promote it for you.

Production:
I did research on cost-effective ways to get my book published and printed and decided to utilize digital publishing with no up-front setup fees. I used online print-on-demand publishing companies such as createspace.com to print hard copies of my books. I keep my initial production costs very low. I can edit my book if needed, create sequels faster, and change formats as needed.  Anything I can't do such as, say, the book cover design, I hire someone else to do it, just like a regular business would. I interview and hire the right people such as freelance comic book artists, graphic designers, editing services, etc. Being a publisher is also about getting the right services to create a quality product. There are new technologies today that help self-publishing become possible and online selling more convenient.

Sales and Royalties:
I utilized createspace's e-store and amazon for global digital inventory and online ordering. I can determine my own cost and what formats I want the book in. My royalties get paid much faster and I can keep track of them online. I can also keep track of what title is making sales.

Marketing, Publicity, and Promotion:
I became my own agent, publicist, and marketing company. I set up my own book signings and booths at conventions. Although I do have to pay for travel costs, at least I control when and where I make an appearance for marketing purposes. I can even make autographed copies available, which I set up through PayPal. Since I do a lot of my selling online, I cut down on the need to place the book in traditional bookstores, and I can sell pretty much anytime online. I learned how to write my own press releases and networked professionally with bloggers and media contacts to promote the releases and announcements of my works. I utilized social networking sites to get the word out about my books and used web sites as marketing and promotional platforms. I also write my own marketing blurbs and slogans (I get inspiration from tabloid newspapers and media headlines to come up with catchy slogans and ads). I actually look at flyers and junk mail to see what "headline" catches my eye. It's a lot more work but I don't have to pay anyone else to do it and it is a lot of fun. I learned Photoshop and created my own ads. I set up a publishing and promotional schedule and campaign, month by month, year by year, so I know what to promote and when and keep track of how and what promotional ad, blurb/slogan, or book is getting attention, and adjust things as I go along.

Running yourself as a Business:
I learned to balance creativity and business. You have to run yourself like a business as well and think like one if you want to get a "product" (your book) produced, promoted, and sold. It takes trial and error and practice, but that's basically what a publishing company does anyway. My method is DIY (Do it Yourself). To sum it up in the simplest terms, self-publishing is a mix of both business and creativity. You will have to run yourself as a business.You have to think like a business, while balancing your creative side. You essentially become your own publisher. Your project or creation is your "product". You have to design and create your own project/product, write your own press releases, find and hire the right people or service to help you (which I do, btw. If I can't do it myself or I don't know how, I personally hire or consult with experts.), book your own events, do your own promotion, market your own project, create merchandise, and run your business professionally to market your "product". It takes thought, time, effort, patience, research, worry, and energy.

Please read my writing and self-publishing disclaimer here