One of things that a publisher doesn't have to ask a client who is self publishing is "how are you going to sell this book?" Believe me, it is all I think about now! I would love to be able to hand them $20,000 and say go to it! Make me a star! Unfortunately, between paying the mortgage, property taxes, Christmas, phone bill, gas bill... we're a little strapped for cash!
Thank goodness, the consultant was very understanding, if a little doubtful that my plan was going to work. He has no conception of what the world is up against with me! LOL... I am the mother of a two teenagers, one of whom has autism. I am nothing, if not determined. I am an EA. Hell, nothing fazes me!
So going to the company's website for ideas last night, I came across something they call a 'sell sheet'. It seems to be a one page advertisement for your book that you present to booksellers in order to get them stock your books. I followed the instructions. I placed a small picture of my book cover in one corner and then realized it was in the middle of the page. I adjusted it and now it was in the upper left hand corner, but it was right on the corner. "Okay," I am thinking. "That's not right." I fiddled with it and got it lower down but now it is too low. I tell myself that I will make adjustments as I go along and leave it for the moment.
Next I attempt to put the title at the top of the page. I cannot get the cursor to go where I want it so I have to make a text box which I can then drag around the page and place wherever I want it. I put my title in and adjust the font style and size. I discover that I can do some really cool things to my text, like add a reflection, and make it so that it appears to glow. This is cool! Who needs a graphic artist?
Ten minutes later it becomes apparent that I need a graphic artist. I have added another text box, moved below the title, next to the photo and for some unexplained reason this displaces the title. As the new text box and the old one jockey for position, I note that a little anchor has appeared at the top of the page where the photo was and wonder if WordPerfect is trying to tell me that this ship is sinking.
I get the text box issues sorted out so that they can live together on the same page in harmony. I add the synopsis from the book cover to the new text box. Then I decide to move the tag line to the bottom of this new text box. It works perfectly. No tinkering, no problems. I am suspicious.
I make another text box to add the details of the book: author name, number of pages, ISBN, etc. I check a print preview and realize that there are way too many boxes on this little page. I struggled for some minutes with how to delete the box with the title without deleting the text. I have visions of all that tinkering going right down the tubes with the little anchor dragging behind it. I manage to do it without losing anything important- except my sanity. I am now referring to the 'sell sheet' as "stupid piece of $%8&!"
I need to add one more piece of information to the "stupid piece of $%8&!" The author bio from the book cover. Okay. So, I do a copy and paste and put it in a little text box. Suddenly the text above flickers and I realize that for some strange reason my program has decided to change the font without telling me first. This errant decision on the part of the program causes half of the text to disappear into obilivion. I argue with the program, ending the discussion with a firm "I will make the decisions here!" and we compromise by changing the font to something we can both live with.
I am nearing the end of the sell sheet and my rope, when I have a "brilliant idea" (note that this is in quotes) to add my e-mail and website info to the bottom of the page. I do it only to realize that the text box is not long enough. Things must be shuffled. I do this while my husband stands at the doorway of my office demanding to know if I am going to stay up all night or what. I tell him "just a few more minutes". Yeah right. I finally figure it out. I check the print preview. Everything looks good. I check it again. Still looks good. Triumphantly, I print a copy that I can show off. The computer says the colour cartridge is running low. I tell it that it had better have enough to print one stinking copy of this sell sheet. I'll photocopy the rest, but I need this one to be perfect. The printer complies (probably threatened by the discussion I'd had with the computer) The sell sheet prints off with no further issues. I turn off the computer, pick up my sell sheet and take it into the bedroom to show my husband.
Everything still looks good... until I look closer. The e-mail and website info has been cut off from the bottom of the page.
I glance at the top of the page. Well, that explains it. The anchor is gone. And took my e-mail info with it.
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