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Hey friends I’m new!

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Kimberly Lecar

Kimberly Lecar

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Joined
Sep 15, 2019
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England
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Hey friends,

I’m new to this community and am looking forward to learning more about publishing, writing, marketing and networking.

I’m a military spouse living in the UK with my first self-published book “Crowned in Beauty: a devotional of songs and the testimonies that inspired them,” available through amazon.com. For the moment I am self-publishing under the publishing name Crowned in Beauty Publishing.

The book is a short read. It is a reading and listening experience designed to interact with the readers. I share my testimony of faith and also have the readers listen to original songs I have written. I call it a Devotional Testimony of Songs. I’m not sure if there is anything out in the publishing world like it, but I am looking forward to where this new season of life is taking me to.

I welcome feedback/ suggestions. Currently, I have a dedicated page in the book that tells the readers that in order to get the most out of the reading, it’s recommended to download the music that goes to the lyrics in the book. The eBook version has attached links where once clicked, you’ll be taken to my personal website and there you’ll download the songs. The audiobook will be out soon. It’s the best deal I say because you get all the songs in one book.

I guess my question is: What would be the easiest way to explain how the book is to be read?

I tried finding a manufacturer that would sell both book and songs to make things easier but for that I would have to stock pile and I can’t afford that right now. So as of now, the songs are available digitally only at online music stores.

My second question is given the nature of the book: are there any specific literary agents/ publishing houses that work specifically with Music and Literature combined?

Thanks friends, Have a blessed day!
 
To your questions.
What would be the easiest way to explain how the book is to be read? I'm assuming your talking about conveying this in your blurb? If so, pretty much how you have explained it above. ie "..Each devotional has a recomended song, free from the author, that you might enjoy."

Given the nature of the book: are there any specific literary agents/ publishing houses that work specifically with Music and Literature combined? -- I have never heard of one, but there may be some out there? Also, if your trying to pitch this particular book, you are going to find that already published works without huge sales (tens of thousands of copies) will get rejected immediately.

My question is, you talked about a manufacturer for both book and song. Do you mean like selling a CD to go with it?
 
Hi Kimberly, I’m guessing you’ve already looked at publishers with books out at your local Christian bookshop? There may even be some that distribute books and CDs??

Either way, welcome! Helped run my first kids group at church today - loved it!
 
Jackson Banks said:
To your questions.
What would be the easiest way to explain how the book is to be read? I'm assuming your talking about conveying this in your blurb? If so, pretty much how you have explained it above. ie "..Each devotional has a recomended song, free from the author, that you might enjoy."

Given the nature of the book: are there any specific literary agents/ publishing houses that work specifically with Music and Literature combined? -- I have never heard of one, but there may be some out there? Also, if your trying to pitch this particular book, you are going to find that already published works without huge sales (tens of thousands of copies) will get rejected immediately.

My question is, you talked about a manufacturer for both book and song. Do you mean like selling a CD to go with it?
Click to expand...

Thank you for replying and helping me out on the wording for blurb!

I haven’t done much marketing, just some youtube videos, tweets and Facebook post for the book. Currently I have less than 10 pre-orders. I’d love to find an agent or even a publisher that will take my project to a wider audience.

Yes, I was looking online and found a couple of companies ie, Bookbaby, that could produce the books and the songs on a disk and then I’d have to package them together and sell them direct.
 
Kimberly Lecar said:
Thank you for replying and helping me out on the wording for blurb!

I haven’t done much marketing, just some youtube videos, tweets and Facebook post for the book. Currently I have less than 10 pre-orders. I’d love to find an agent or even a publisher that will take my project to a wider audience.

Yes, I was looking online and found a couple of companies ie, Bookbaby, that could produce the books and the songs on a disk and then I’d have to package them together and sell them direct.
Click to expand...


Thanks again for your feedback!
 
Andy D said:
Hi Kimberly, I’m guessing you’ve already looked at publishers with books out at your local Christian bookshop? There may even be some that distribute books and CDs??

Either way, welcome! Helped run my first kids group at church today - loved it!
Click to expand...


Hello Andy!

I actually have not. I’m new to the area here in England, time to start shopping around. Then again, I’m not even sure where to start, and if I should contact publishers in the UK considering I will move back to the US. I am interested in exhibiting at the London Book Fair in March, and hoping that may open a door?

Thanks again- Hope the group went well!!
 
RK Capps said:
Welcome aboard, Kimberly! I'd recommend the same as @Andy D. Browse your local Christian bookshop for something similar then read their Acknowledgements. BUT only do this as research for your new work, not already published work (unless like @Jackson Banks says, you have big sales). Watch this. She's a former agent:

Click to expand...



Thanks for the video! On my to do list this weekend- Visit the Christian bookstore.

I can always pull the book from amazon right?
 
Kimberly Lecar said:
Hello Andy!

I actually have not. I’m new to the area here in England, time to start shopping around. Then again, I’m not even sure where to start, and if I should contact publishers in the UK considering I will move back to the US. I am interested in exhibiting at the London Book Fair in March, and hoping that may open a door?

I’ll go check out some bookstores this weekend.

Thanks again- Hope the group went well!!
Click to expand...
 
RK Capps said:
Welcome aboard, Kimberly! I'd recommend the same as @Andy D. Browse your local Christian bookshop for something similar then read their Acknowledgements. BUT only do this as research for your new work, not already published work (unless like @Jackson Banks says, you have big sales). Watch this. She's a former agent:

Click to expand...



Great tips here! Thanks
 
One more thing. I would advise taking the time to see what companies like bookbaby are offering versus what you can do yourself. In my opinion there are a lot of companies that are offering 'services' which are free elsewhere. For example, you can offer your book as Print on Demand on Amazon. There is no reason to have another company do it.
You can format and upload your book for free by yourself. The list goes on.
If they offer 'marketing help' ask for hard numbers. Who do they market to? Which authors have testimonies of their service. And again hard numbers not 'they were the nicest people' type of reviews.
There is a LOT of money being made by offering services in self publishing, so tread carefully.

EDIT- The company you mentioned are a Vanity Publisher. The reviews of their service is pretty poor.
 
Jackson Banks said:
One more thing. I would advise taking the time to see what companies like bookbaby are offering versus what you can do yourself. In my opinion there are a lot of companies that are offering 'services' which are free elsewhere. For example, you can offer your book as Print on Demand on Amazon. There is no reason to have another company do it.
You can format and upload your book for free by yourself. The list goes on.
If they offer 'marketing help' ask for hard numbers. Who do they market to? Which authors have testimonies of their service. And again hard numbers not 'they were the nicest people' type of reviews.
There is a LOT of money being made by offering services in self publishing, so tread carefully.

EDIT- The company you mentioned are a Vanity Publisher. The reviews of their service is pretty poor.
Click to expand...

Wow, that’s a big help. My hope is that at some point when a book is purchased the songs will also be sold (in a sleeve in the book) together.

I’ve looked at some of those publishers and just couldn’t justify paying for services I can do myself like audiobooks (which I have experience in voice-over and have narrated in the past) and artwork and so on.

The book is set to publish this Friday, the print version is already available as the songs are too. The audiobook is not yet available as I’m still editing.

Appreciate your feedback Jackson! So much to do and consider.
 
Welcome!
Just to warn you, even if you unpublish from Amazon it doesn't disappear entirely. Having an ISBN means it will never not exist.
Good luck with it.
 
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