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How to self-publish your book in New Zealand

27/1/2020

 
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There are different ways to get your book published (that's a whole other topic!). But once you have made the decision to self-publish your book, there are more decisions to make.

Will you make print copies or e-books? Or both?
Will you use a local designer and printer, or one of the many platforms to create your book yourself?
Which platform should you use?
Will you print many books and hope they sell, or will you print only as they are ordered?

It can be overwhelming.

​So, let’s break it down.
​

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Formatting your manuscript for submission

21/8/2018

 
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Submitting your newly completed novel to a publisher can be a scary prospect. But knowing how to make sure you have a professional-looking manuscript is one step in the right direction to getting a contract. ​

When submitting your novel to a publisher or agent, you want to give it your best shot, so make sure their first impression is a good one. For a busy publisher, a messy manuscript can indicate a messy story, and you don’t want to put them off from the start. 

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How to order the pages of a book

23/6/2018

 
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​Usually we never take much notice of the style and order of the pages that come before and after the main text in a book. But if we want to self-publish our own book, we need to know how to do this, and that can be confusing and overwhelming. Getting it right will help your book look professional and credible.
​
This is a basic guide to all the pages you can have in both a fiction or non-fiction book. There are some variations in house styles, though they are all very similar. The description below is based on the New Oxford Style Manual.

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How to fix common formatting errors in Word

22/6/2017

 
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As an author, you want to show your best work when you take your manuscript to a publisher or agent. Your story may be the next best seller, but to be noticed among the masses, it may help to have tidy manuscript – every detail counts. There are several formatting errors that many writers make when using Microsoft Word which are an easy fix if you know how.

Below are several common errors and how to fix them. Some of the errors are made as a result of the way things were taught in school and the remnants from days of typewriters, some are made as conventions have changed over the years and some are made just because.

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How to use basic Word Styles

13/6/2017

 
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​Whether you are writing a novel, a business document or an academic paper, using Styles in your Microsoft Word document is the best and most time-efficient way to make a document look neat and consistent. The Styles 'codes' are applied to the various parts of the document for quick navigation and formatting.

Using Word Styles means that all headings, text and spacing are consistent throughout the document, and any formatting change made on one page is automatically reflected in the rest of the document. The most exciting part at the end is making a table of contents with just a few clicks!

Here are some basic, step-by-step instructions for adding Word Styles to your document. It can get a lot more complex, but this is a start which will make your document look tidier and more professional.


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How to use Tracked Changes in Word for Writers

5/6/2017

 
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​For many of my clients it is the first time they have hired an editor to have their writing proofread or copy-edited. Often they have never used or even heard of the Tracked Changes function in Word.
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The Tracked Changes function is an editor’s best friend, but many people get a surprise when they get their document back ​with red and blue lines through it and are not sure what to do next. If you are one of these people, this is for you.

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    Hi, I'm Marja! 

    You'll find all my advice about creating professional, 
    ​on-brand business writing here.

    I'm an editor and plain language specialist. I work with writers of business publications, government content and non-fiction books to create clear, user-friendly writing
    .

    For more information or enquiries, please see my website.​ I'd love to hear from you.

    Categories

    All
    Business Writing
    Editing
    General Editing
    Grammar
    New Zealand English
    Plain English
    Technical

    Previous Posts

    Plain language
    • ​What is plain language?
    • Why you should use plain language 
    • How to write in plain language
    • Empathy helps to write in plain language
    • Can you use jargon in plain language writing?  
    • 5 reasons to use plain language for reports 
    • ​Using plain language for complex ideas

    Business editing
    • How to work with a business editor
    • How to write emails that get read
    • 5 benefits to outsourcing editing
    • ​How does an editor help your business
    • How to keep your organisation's writing on-brand
    • ​How to structure your report

    New Zealand English series
    • How to write bullet lists
    • How to use a semicolon
    • The 'singular they'
    • How to use italics
    • How to write numbers
    • How to write abbreviations
    • How to punctuate dialogue
    • hyphens, en dashes and em dashes
    • How to write times and dates
    • Possessives
    • Is our spelling different?
    • Burned vs Burnt
    • Using Māori words in English text
    • -ise vs -ize endings
    • Single or double quote marks
    • Punctuation inside or outside quotation marks?

    The editing process
    • How to write a non-fiction book that sells
    • How to write a book to promote your business
    • Copyright and Permissions
    • How much does editing cost?
    • How to self-publish your book in New Zealand
    • ​When is my book ready for publishing?
    • Types of editing
    • 5 things to tell your editor
    • The revision and editing process​
    • What are beta readers?
    • What to expect when you get your manuscript back
    • How to order the pages of a book
    • Fact checking fiction writing
    • ​Formatting your manuscript for submission
    • How long does it take to edit a book?

    General editing
    • Why I belong to editing associations
    • How to write recipes for cookbooks and blogs
    • ​The basics of writing a cookbook

    Technical
    • How to use Tracked Changes in Word
    • How to use basic Word Styles
    • ​How to fix common formatting errors in Word
Talk to me today for clear, professional content!

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  • Home
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    • Business Editing and Proofreading
    • Plain Language Editing
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    • My work
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