Star Authors
- Bill Noel: Folly Beach Mysteries Highly Acclaimed – Part 6
iUniverse publishing concludes its interview with Star Author Bill Noel who gives aspiring authors tips on self-publishing and writing. Also see the latest book in his series Folly Beach Mysteries, "Missing". iUniverse: Do you have any advice for fiction authors who are considering self-publishing? Noel: First, don’t rush to publish. Focus on making sure your novel is as good as you can make it before submitting it to anyone. Second, do not count on friends or family to edit your work. Take advantage of the editing services available through most self-publishing companies. Many of their editors are freelancers who work for traditional publishers as well as self-publishing companies. Be prepared to be thick-skinned; professional editors know their business and can objectively review your work and I can almost guarantee you that most, if not all, of their suggestions will improve your novel. Third, research the companies you are considering; not all self-publishing companies are created equal. And, finally, savor the moment your book is published. Many people talk about writing a book but very few will. You’re the rare exception. Congratulations! iUniverse: Do you have a mantra or philosophy that helps you with your writing? Noel: At first, I was writing only for myself. I simply wanted to see ...
- Bill Noel: Folly Beach Mysteries Highly Acclaimed - Part 5
iUniverse publishing in this latest excerpt of the intriguing interview with the Star Author of the series, Folly Beach Mysteries, Bill Noel gives his insights into his book marketing techniques. iUniverse: How do you usually market your books? "Noel: When I began writing my novels, I naively believed that writing the books would be the most difficult task I would face. I was wrong, way wrong. Marketing the books made writing them seem as simple as choosing between eating ice cream or having a root canal. A January article in the Wall Street Journal reported that there are 1,500 books published in the US each day. That’s more than a half-million each year. Fewer than 20,000 of them make it into the average chain bookstore. Most authors—traditional and self-published—must do most of the marketing themselves. To succeed in the world of writing, I’ve spent thousands hours marketing and selling my words. To quote the same Wall Street Journal article, “To get noticed, you have to throw more at people than just your book.” I’ve talked to groups ranging in size from three to a hundred fifty; I’ve spent hours traveling to talk to most any size group. I’ve done, and will continue to do, book signings at restaurants, groceries both ...
- Bill Noel: Folly Beach Mysteries Highly Acclaimed – Part 6
Rising Stars
- iUniverse author Ronald Probstein: Living Outside the Law-Part 4
Breaking News......Prof. Ronald Probstein Wins 2013 Pendray Aerospace Literature Award [caption id="attachment_639" align="alignright" width="220"] iUniverse Honest Sid by author Prof.Ronald Probstein[/caption] iUniverse: What advice do you have for other authors who are interested in promoting their books? “Probstein: I believe I got the best dollar value out of Smith Publicity and for selling books directly I believe giving talks in bookstores can be helpful.” iUniverse: What is the one message you would like to convey to your readers? “Probstein: We all, in some way, seek to explore the places and circumstances from which we came, and while my own life as a scientist and academic is about as far removed from the streetwise hustling of my father’s life, he is undeniably a part of me and to understand his story enriches my life, and I hope engages and enlightens the reader.” iUniverse: What’s next? Do you have any plans of writing another book? If yes, what would it be about? “Probstein: I have considered the writing of three other books but because of my limited “success” with "Honest Sid", which has gotten nothing but rave reviews I have not been able to convince myself that the effort would be worthwhile. The first of the three books I had given thought to is the life ...
- iUniverse author Ronald Probstein: Living Outside the Law-Part 3
Breaking News......Prof. Ronald Probstein Wins 2013 Pendray Aerospace Literature Award [caption id="attachment_638" align="alignleft" width="250"] iUniverse published author Prof.Ronald Probstein about his memoir, "Honest Sid"[/caption] iUniverse: When your book first came out, how did you spread the word about its release? “Probstein: Prior to its publication I prepared an e-mail list of several hundred individuals and I prepared an attractive e-mail blurb with a color picture of the visually stunning cover. The book had been selected immediately as an Editor’s Choice and a short time later as a Rising Star. In addition to iUniverse, the book was made available by iUniverse on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com in paperback and hard cover, and shortly after publication in Amazon Kindle. In every e-mail I sent where I knew the recipient I added a personal note. I also set up a web site honestsidbook and through the services of my son the book was extensively sited in Google. The books were made returnable through Ingram by iUniverse. At the end of June ’09 (the book was published in May) I held a book launch at MIT which was attended by about 80 people and at which perhaps 35 books were sold. Costs were of course associated with most of what I have described.” iUniverse: What ...
- iUniverse author Ronald Probstein: Living Outside the Law-Part 4
In The News
- BlueInk Reviews Hails iUniverse Books (Part 2)
iUniverse returns to present the memoir acclaimed by BlueInk, written by iUniverse author Margaret Dexter. Malta Remembered [caption id="attachment_953" align="alignleft" width="200"] iUniverse: Malta Remebered by Margaret Dexter[/caption] Margaret Dexter's memoir of a year spent living in Malta is both a fond family history and globetrotting travelogue. In 1963, husband Stillman's business was booming and he decided the family should live in England for a year. They leased their Santa Barbara home and dove into the experience hungrily, arriving in time to see The Beatles before they were household names. Returning home, they found the business bankrupt and their own prospects grim. To rebuild a nest egg, Stillman took work that placed him in Libya. The separation from his family was too much to endure, so wife, kids and two poodles moved to Malta, which enabled frequent visits. They once again settled in and were loving life when the political climate in Libya forced the family to move yet again. Ever resilient, they packed up and made landfall (eventually) in Connecticut. Dexter is an assured writer who is selective in choosing her anecdotes and curates them well. Her depictions of travel by train and ocean liner reveal the grit and glamour of both. The author also captures her ...
- BlueInk Reviews Hails iUniverse Books (Part 1)
The iUniverse author community has a good reason to celebrate for fellow writers. Two iUniverse authors Loretta Jean Everhart and Margaret Dexter recently gained starred reviews from respected indie-book reviewer BlueInk Reviews. The BlueInk acclaim for Everhart’s math instructional book Math Vitamins: Daily Dose for Students Learning How to Solve Word Problems and Dexter’s memoir Malta Remembered present a rosier literary future for these exceptional iUniverse authors. Math Vitamins: Daily Dose for Students Learning How to Solve Word Problems [caption id="attachment_613" align="alignleft" width="220"] iUniverse | Math Vitamins: Daily Dose for Students Learning How to Solve Word Problems[/caption] “Loretta Jean Everhart knows math instruction—and children. She believes students are more motivated to learn when math instruction is not isolated, but instead connected to other subjects and the real world. Math Vitamins, an 8.5 x 11- inch handbook for parents and teachers, is based on her 30-plus years of teaching math in elementary schools. The book contains easily read foundational information and presents a task-analyzed approach to solving word problems. Chapters cover the importance of various tasks, including: teaching problem-solving skills; establishing math vocabulary; using writing and reading strategies with word problems; understanding and preventing math anxiety, and more. For word problems, Everhart uses Polya’s Four-Step Problem Solving Model: (1) understand the problem, (2) develop a plan ...
- BlueInk Reviews Hails iUniverse Books (Part 2)
These budding iUniverse authors are set to continue their writing journey well into the future.
 |
Featured iUniverse Author iUniverse Author Focus Shines Spotlight on Cathy Niska (Part 3)Welcome back as iUniverse returns with our final part to our three-part interview with iUniverse author Cathy Niska as she explains her self-publishing experience and extends some advice to aspiring authors. The Ease of Self-Publishing “I was floored by the … Read More |
|
|
iUniverse Author Focus Shines Spotlight on Cathy Niska (part 2)iUniverse returns with part two of our three-part interview with iUniverse author Cathy Niska as she shares more about her book The Apple of His Eye and the inspiration behind her writing. Recognizing Her Own Writing Style “I enjoy reading … Read More |
iUniverse Author Focus Shines Spotlight on Cathy Niska (part 1)As a newly-published storyteller, iUniverse author Cathy Niska is off to a good start. The Canada-based author, who is also in the healthcare field, already earned herself positive remarks from readers who bought a copy of her first novel The … Read More |
 |
iUniverse’s Rebecca Bloom: A Novelist Among Many Talents (Part 3)We return to wrap up our three-part interview with the talented iUniverse author Rebecca Bloom as she provides us with a sneak preview of what her next book could be about, as well as her experience with iUniverse Publishing. What … Read More |
|
|
iUniverse’s Rebecca Bloom: A Novelist Among Many Talents (Part 2)iUniverse welcomes you back as we present the second part of our three-part interview with esteemed iUniverse author Rebecca Bloom. Bloom shares with us her inspiration and contributing factors behind her writing as well as the techniques used to spread the word about … Read More |