Self - Publishing - Things To Look For, Part Two

This article contains information for those who decide to self publish their own book. There are certain things that should be included in the package offered. It is the second of three articles.

We discussed four things in the previous article to look for in a self-publishing package. This article continues that train of thought.

Fifth: Does the publisher offer an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) or European Article Number (EAN)? Most publishers now offer the EAN, which includes the ISBN embedded within it. This is comprised of a series of numbers and a bar code, normally on the back or inside front cover of the book. These numbers enable the seller of the book to identify the book, the publisher, and even the price within its database. You should have the ISBN number at the least. Some publishers will include this assignment with the book-publishing package; others may require that you go through the effort to secure it. It is easier to choose a package that includes it already for you. You do not want to publish your book without it. It also helps to track your book's sales, as well as inventory and availability.

Sixth: How much are the author discounts? Do they make it easy for you to buy your own books to sell yourself? A 50 percent discount should be the minimum offered. Most packages provide a number of "free" books as well. However, assuming you do your homework—and footwork—hopefully you will need to order more books. The discount allows you to make a nice profit on those books you sell yourself. In most cases, you should be able to double your profit per book—at least—when you sell them yourself to friends or new lovers of your work.

Seventh: Can bookstores return your books if they do not sell? Almost every self-publishing company will say that your book will be available for sale at any bookstore. While this is theoretically true, it does mean the store will choose to carry your book. You may feel that everyone will be clamoring to pick up your book at the nearest store. The fact of the matter, however, is that you will need to work hard to get stores to offer it. If you do your job promoting it as you should, however, you might be able to work out a deal with your local independent store or chain. They will be much more likely to carry the book if it is returnable. If they cannot, they will rarely take the risk. Beware at this point: some publishers offer this valuable feature with your package; others may charge you hundreds of dollars a year for this. Unless you sale a thousand copies in bookstores, you do not want to pay extra. On the other hand, this feature cannot be overlooked either.

Eighth: What is the retail price of your book going to be with the publisher you choose? While you may have a worthwhile book, if the price is set too high, when compared to similar books (page count and content), you are setting yourself up for failure. Some publishers artificially inflate the price in order to brag about their large royalties. However, if your book does not sale because it is too expensive, it really does not matter how large the potential royalty.

In the next article, we will conclude our discussion of things to look for in a self-publishing package.

Simply Sestinas

Repetition isn't necessarily a bad thing in poetry. There are ways to use it without sounding redundant. It means more than repeating the same words or phrases. It also refers to using sounds or patterns that are common throughout the poem.

Sometimes, repetition is so subtle that it's not recognized instantly. It's better when an author creates a poem and the reader doesn't see what's coming next. The last thing you want is to have your readers tired from reading recurring lines or words. The best advice I can give you is to keep your readers intrigued by using your repetition in a flavorful way.

For example, sestinas use repetition but if it's done the correct way there's nothing tiring about hearing the words being used more than once. Every line can sound fresh if a little creativity is put behind the poem.

Sestinas can be a tough challenge to master. It's made up of seven stanzas, the first six stanzas have six lines, while the seventh stanza has only three lines. There is a very precise and complicated pattern to the sestina's stanzas. However, since there isn't a rhyming pattern or a specific meter to follow there's still a lot of freedom in this form.

The first stanza determines the rest of your poem; the six words you use at the end each line will be repeated in different places throughout the rest of the poem. Even though you are using the repetition of words, your poem won't sound redundant if you use your words wisely.

The second stanza is created by taking the last six words you used in your first stanza and placing them in a certain order. Here's the breakdown of your second stanza:

The last word in the last line of your first stanza ends the first line in the second stanza.


The last word in the second line of your first stanza ends the fourth line in the second stanza.


The last word in the third line of your first stanza ends the last line in your second stanza.


The last word in the fourth line of your first stanza ends the last line in your fifth stanza.


The last word in the fifth line of your first stanza ends the last line in your third stanza.


The last word in the last line of your first stanza ends the first line in your second stanza.

Sestina Format

The end words rotate their position with each of your new stanzas in the following pattern.

First Stanza- ABCDEF


Second Stanza- FAEBDC


Third Stanza- CFDABE


Fourth Stanza- ECBFAD


Fifth Stanza- DEACFB


Sixth Stanza- BDFECA

Seventh Stanza- There are three lines, using the last three ending words, and then the other three inside each line in no particular order.

If you're ever up for a challenge try your hand at writing a sestina. The outcome is very rewarding and feels like quite the accomplishment.