publishing

You Don’t Need an Agent to Publish

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In the world of publishing, there has long been a common belief that to successfully navigate the complex and competitive industry, one needs to secure the services of a literary agent. While having an agent can certainly be beneficial, the notion that they are an absolute necessity for finding a publisher is not entirely accurate. In fact, in today’s digital age, there are numerous ways for writers to connect with publishers on their own, with no representation.

One of the most effective ways for writers to find a publisher without an agent is by attending writing conferences and networking events. These gatherings offer invaluable opportunities to meet and connect with editors, publishers, and other industry professionals who may be interested in your work. By taking the time to build relationships and make connections at these events, writers can often secure publishing deals by acting as their own agent.

Another effective method for finding a publisher without an agent is by submitting directly to publishing houses. Many publishers, particularly smaller independent presses like us, accept unsolicited submissions from writers and are open to reviewing manuscripts by authors without representation. By carefully researching and targeting publishers that align with your genre and writing style, writers can increase their chances of success in securing a publishing deal on their own.

The rise of digital publishing platforms and self-publishing options has made it easier than ever for writers to bring their work to the market without a traditional publisher or agent. By self-publishing their work online, writers can reach a wider audience and maintain creative control over their projects. While self-publishing may not be the right choice for every writer, it is certainly a viable and increasingly popular option for those looking to bypass the traditional publishing route.

While having a literary agent can certainly be advantageous, it is not always a prerequisite for finding a publisher. By utilizing networking opportunities, researching and targeting publishers directly, and exploring self-publishing options, writers can successfully navigate the publishing industry and bring their work to the market without the need for representation. Ultimately, the key is to be proactive, persistent, and resourceful in pursuing publishing opportunities. So don’t let the misconception that an agent is always necessary for success in the world of publishing deter you.

How to Write An Author Bio That Attracts Readers

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So you've been putting off writing your author bio. Or maybe you wrote one in 10 minutes just to get it done, then you slapped it up on Amazon Author Central with a dulled-out selfie. After all, very few of us enjoy an afternoon of bragging about our books and other accomplishments. And no one reads them anyway, right?

Wrong!

Your author bio is your business card. It helps you stand out from the rest of the authors out there. Besides showcasing your books, your author bio should reflect your personality and achievements. It affirms that you are a real person, qualified in your field, and worth reading. People read author bios because they want to relate to you and pursue reading your other publications, be it other books, a blog, column, etc. A catchy bios help you sell books!

What's In An Author Bio?

Your author bio needs to speak to your target audience. This is key to ensure the right reader picks up your books. For example, you wouldn’t market children's books to post-apocalyptic zombie readers. And it's short, only 90 words or less, with the following sections:

  • Writer Profile
  • Credentials
  • Interests/Personal Info
  • Call to Action
  • Internet Presence
  • Headshot

How Do You Write An Author Bio?

Sitting down to write your author bio can be difficult. So, before you tackle it, start by answering the questions below. Provide at least 3 short, striking responses for each. These questions will assist you in compiling a striking bio.

1. Who are you writing for? Men or women? Certain professionals? Kids or adults?

2. What are your publications about? What genres do you write? Who are your characters? Where does your book take place? Is there something historic that readers should know about? Are your works funny or serious?

3. What do you know? What special training do you have? What has happened in your life that influences you? What have you experienced that makes you an expert in your field?

4. How are you involved? What do you do to make the world a better place? How are you involved in helping people? Are you solving problems?

5. Who are you personally? What are your interests? What are your hobbies? What do you want people to know about your family life?

6. What do you want readers to do? When people read your bio, do you want them to go to a blog or website? Or do you want them to go to a popular article you wrote? Do you want them to sign up for one of your classes?

7. What are your most important accomplishments? Have you won a contest or award? What can you tell readers to increase your credibility?

Now use your answers to write your author bio in third person. Pull out your most interesting and highest accomplishments from the answers. Start with something captivating from the list that speaks to who you are as a writer. Continue by building your credibility. Add your interests and personal information, and end with a call to action that could lead to a book sale.

After you write your first draft, remove irrelevant words, then remove some more irrelevant words. Get that word count down to 90 or less. Make changes as needed, but don’t spend more than a half an hour on your bio. Ask a friend to critique your draft, then complete your final copy.

Don't forget about your headshot. Forget that dulled-out selfie and go with a more professional and personalized photo. If you are a doctor, the photo better look professional. If you are a horror writer, consider a dark and mysterious background with a raised eyebrow. It's okay to show off your personality, considering your career. A comedian that looks like an accountant won't attract readers.

Also consider that you will need a different author bio for a number of websites, contests, awards, articles, and more. You will also need to update your bio on your own website and social media accounts regularly. So keep that list around because you're not done!

Got EPUB and Paper Book Formatting Questions? ArmLin House Can Help

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From the very beginning of self-publishing, formatting books has been one of my favorite things to do...like a hobby. I first learned the eBook process by writing the HTML and XML that encompass a book you can read on an eReader. After working in tech jobs for the early part of my career, it was a given that I'd delve deep into the guts of an eBook before learning any other method or tool to build a book. I had also published various types of manuals in the Air Force and a corporate environment, so paper books were a cinch to jump back into.

Some may tell you it's easy to use a word processor or other tools to format books, but it's not. I run into formatting issue after formatting issue in self-published books. I'm not quite sure how do-it-yourself authors don't see the extra spaces, strange characters, giant white spaces, inconsistencies, and more when they quality check their book before publishing. Or maybe they're not bothering to quality check their product. You can bet your reader notices, and a poorly formatted book is more than enough for someone to throw your book aside and reach for one of a million other books out there.

I still run into crazy strange things that happen while formatting books. I keep it all documented, every last freaky thing I run into. For example, I once found an issue where MS Word had put invisible ASCII characters into the manuscript that you could see in the eBook but not in Word. Until I opened the manuscript in a coding app like Notepad++ or Komodo Edit, I could not see or find the characters.

Consider that the average time frame for an author to write their first book is 10 years. MS Word alone does the weirdest things to your manuscript over that length of time. Sure, you could strip your manuscript down to a text file, but guess how long it will take you to build it back with all the formatting. Do you really want to re-highlight and re-italicize all the needed text again. Oh, and stripping the manuscript won't get rid of the ASCII character issue I had found.

Yes...there are ways around the mess, and I've made it my mission to figure out how to clean it up the most efficiently.That's why I'm open to helping you with any book formatting issues you encounter, no matter the method you choose. I've created a form for your questions under the Services menu. Just click on Book Formatting Questions, and I'll do my best to answer or provide instructions on how to fix your problem. I'm even looking forward to you challenging me with new issues.

Not everyone can afford to pay someone to format their book, which is why the process should be fun, not frustrating. But like a puzzle, all it takes is one piece missing to send you on a frantic and time consuming search for the piece. And each missing piece is a flaw in your book you can't afford readers to see.

We’re a New Publisher and Production Company

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Welcome to ArmLin House. We are a new publisher and production company. Our mission is to help you create your media or manage its production for you. What does this mean? You can hire us to help you bring your media to market such as editing and formatting a self-published books. Or submit your book to us for publishing the traditional way.

Books are not all we produce. We can also assist you with YouTube channels, training videos, websites, social media images, and more... We can produce whatever you need to promote your story, your product, or your service. Whatever you need to get noticed.

We specialize in nonfiction book publishing and are looking for instructional, self-improvement, and memoirs in particular. We also produce media for children.

Come back soon and frequently as we improve our website for more news and instructions on how to submit your requests to work with us. We can't wait to read your pitch.