PRAISE for Jess C Scott Dear Jess, I just wanted to say how much Ive enjoyed your writing:

your writing reflects something genuine, something real, about our generation that few writers have had the talent or the courage to uncover. Than you.! e-mail from a male reader, 2010 """ #Jesss writing is$ raw sometimes and a little rough around the edges, but its full of brio. Its very contem%orary. It has %ersonality and energy. It deals with modern issues in a very modern way.! Joseph Grinton | Dont Run Away rom !e" """ &ased on the three boo s Ive read, I can say that youre a brilliant writer. They are not shallow reads. 'our boo s do not only entertain but they also ma e you reflect on what is really im%ortant in one(s life.! e-mail from a reader, 2011 #$he %hilippines& """

SELF-PUBLISHING WIZ By Jess C Scott

)ublished by jessI*+ , -mashwords .dition /o%yright 0 1231 by Jess / -cott. /over Image 0 1231 by Jeffrey Thom%son. Jesss 4ebsite: www.jessI*+.com Jeffreys 4ebsite: &ig-toc )rofile 3. -elf56el%78otivational 9 Ins%irational 1. *on5:iction7-elf5)ublishing -ummary: The founder of jessI*+ shares a selection of blog %osts ;from 122<51231= which ca%ture the true %ower and s%irit of the 13st5century self5%ublishing revolution.

T>&?. @: /@*T.*T)reface I. I*TA@DB/TI@* II. CB.-T )@-T)>AT 3: -.?:5)B&?I-6I*C TI)3. The *eed for -elf5)ublishing 1. &oo /over Design Ti%s D. :ormatting Ti%s ;lin ed T@/= )>AT 1: -.?:5)B&?I-6I*C A.E@?BTI@* 3. Indie vs. Traditional )ublishing 1. In Defence of -hort -tories D. Cender -tereoty%es F. 4riting that >%%eals to &oth Cenders G. -teve Jobs >dvice H. The Aeal Dysto%ia! I. /ommercial Aomance and -elf5.steem J. -aying the Bnsayable <. Aeal 4riters 32. Truth, &eauty, Justice 33. 4riting to 8e is... Teen Cuide Interview @ther &oo s &estseller&ound +indle >ll5-tars >uthor &io

SELF-PUBLISHING WIZ Preface: Jess / -cott is the author of 'ye(eash) A *lo+ ,o-el ;122<=, .)%lay ;122<=, $he /ntern ;1232=, the 0y1erpun2 'l-en $rilo+y ;1233=, %rimal !3ream ;1233=, and the *ad Roman3e seven deadly sins! anthology ;1231=. -he is also the founder of jessI*+, an innovative %ublishing com%any that focuses on substance over current fads and mar eting hy%e. !elf-%u1lishin+ 4i5 is not an e&oo about how to get rich Kuic ! with self5%ublishing. Its an e&oo for writers who wish to a%%roach inde%endent %ublishing with %assion and %ur%ose. In this e&oo , Jess shares her %ers%ectives with writers who dont wish to die as %enniless artists, but whod still li e to ma e a difference! with their wor . """ Introd ct!on: 6ello, my name is Jess and Im an authorLartistLnon5conformist. Im also the founder of jessI*+, an innovative %ublishing com%any that focuses on substance over mar eting hy%e. Im in my mid5twenties at the time of this writing. I self5%ublished my first boo , 'ye(eash) A *lo+ ,o-el, in June 122<. Id s%ent several months Kuerying agents and %ublishers, and was determined to have it %ublished before I turned 1D. The furthest I got with 'ye(eash was a discussion with an editor for H months, before he decided to leave for another %ublishing house. I have to say I was rather naMve in the %ast. I thought whatever writing talent I had would be instantly recogniNed by the %rofessionals in the field.! -urely, I thought, des%ite my lac of Kualifications ;no 8:> here=, and %ublishing credentials ;I have some now=7surely there was -@8.&@D' out there with the vision and courage to give as%iring talent a chance. Its ha%%ened in the %ast to authors. >ll it ta es is that one %erson to believe in you. I used to thin having my manuscri%t acce%ted by a literary agentLeditorL%ublisher would be the hallmar of success. I changed my mind within two wee s of trying out indie %ublishing. @ne of the things I loved ;and still love= having is full creative control7from designing the boo cover, to the actual boo s content, to deciding whenLwhereLhow Id li e to mar et my wor . I greatly a%%reciate the s%eed and relative smoothness of the whole %rocess as well. In 122<, I read an article on %u1lishers 4ee2ly which stated that some writers would be willing toOestablish a direct relationshi% with a retailer such as >maNon, thereby undermining the ePclusive role of %ublishers in the long run.! I have to say that I li ed the %art about undermining the ePclusive role of %ublishers in the long run.! I elaborate more on the why! behind my sentiment with the first guest %ost in this e&oo , titled $he ,eed for !elf-%u1lishin+6 4hile some writers are %rimarily interested in ma ing as much money as %ossible from self5 %ublishing, being motivated solely by money has always been something very coarse! to me. I res%ect the writing craft, and the disci%line and effort involved with ta ing this a%%roach ;even if nobody is watching how I do things=. To me, ma ing a living from doing something I enjoy is im%ortant, but how I ma e money is just as ;if not more= im%ortant. Ive always wanted to wor on %rojects that can be remembered, as o%%osed to cashing in on current fads which might very well be forgettable in less than a decade.

I also resist commoditiNation because of its de5s%iritualiNing effects on society. :or more information, you can chec out Real (o-e 7s6 Roman3e ;a collection of essays I wrote on fluff! versus substance!=. >s I write in Guest %ost 89) !ayin+ the :nsaya1le ;where I challenge the notion of leaving things as they are!=: #The system might be corru%ted$Obut it doesnt 8>+. T6I*C- AIC6T. It doesnt mean that we cannot strive for something better. >fter all, how good can a society really be if its ePistence is to serve cor%orate entities that are fueled by nothing but cor%orate greedQ! The guest %osts in this e&oo were written from 122<51231. -ome were written as %art of blog tour sto%s for my various novels and anthologies. The %osts in )art I focus on maPimiNing the efficiency and effectiveness of the self5%ublishing o%tion. The %osts in )art II ca%ture the true %ower and s%irit of the 13st5century self5%ublishing revolution. >t the moment, I wor in a diverse range of genres such as urban fantasy, erotic fiction, young adult fiction, short stories, %oetry, and cyber%un . >s a creative %rofessional, I eP%eriment with a variety of genres and styles to %roduce authentic, original wor . . .rather than the same old re5 %ac aged mass5mar et %ul%! ;&ibrary.com=. Aegardless of the category,! I li e my brand of fiction to contain the element of meaningful entertainment! ;as o%%osed to mindless entertainment!=. .P%loring the human condition is something that will always interest me. I ho%e you enjoy the !elf-%u1lishin+ 4i5 e&oo Ive %ut together. If you need some in%utLguidance on anything related to self5%ublishing, dro% me an email anytime and Ill see how I can hel%. Than s to all of you who are chec ing this out7both new and old readers := R Jess / -cott L jessI*+, 8ay 1231 """

II" GUES# P$S#S PAR# %: SELF-PUBLISHING #IPS %" #&e Need for Se'f-P ('!s&!n)

; Guest %ost written for $he ear Girls #to 1e pu1lished in June 2012& The articles on $he ear Girls touch on many ey social issues. I was een to contribute a guest %ost. -ince Im a %rofessional full5time writer, Ive decided to share some of my %ers%ectives with self5 %ublishing. If self5%ublishing is something youve been thin ing about, I ho%e this guest %ost serves as an ins%iration to you as you get your writing %rojects off the ground. %* Se'f-P ('!s&!n): W&at+s Great A(o t It I was very ha%%y to read /hloes %ost on 4omens 8agaNines, %ublished on $he ear Girls on >%ril D2, 1231. I thought the following lines were so, so true: The reality of it is this: #these magaNines$ cater to the idea that women should value a%%earance over substance, %lease our %artner before %leasing ourselves, and that the best way to achieve fulfillment in life is to ma e sure that our cleavage is dis%layed with just the right amount of visibility. . .if we allow ourselves to consume #womens magaNines$ with too much freKuency, we will become intellectually lethargic, driven by a need to refuel our damaged confidence with another dose of sugary garbage.! -u%erficial and shallow values were what ins%ired my debut boo , 'ye(eash A *lo+ ,o-el. Its a semi5autobiogra%hical story that ca%tures self5discovery in the 1222s. There seems to be an e%idemic of young %eo%le ;tween and teenage girls, es%ecially= with low self5 esteem. Instead of combating this low self5esteem, the mainstream mass media tends to fully eP%loit it. I now that the bottom line of any business is about %rofits. I now that traditional %ublishers are in the business to ma e money. That being said, I dont thin that %rofits should com%romise certain %rinci%les. @ne of the biggest gifts of inde%endent %ublishing is that it offers a writer full creative and business control. In my eP%erience, it allows me to wor with a cleanLclear conscience too, which is %retty much %riceless if youre the ty%e that li es to maintain a certain amount of %ersonal andLor artistic integrity. -elf5%ublishing allows a writers voice and vision to remain in its clear, undiluted state. It gives a writer the chance to create something uniKue and memorable, versus something thats commoditiNed and forgettable.

There might always be a tension between art and commerce, de%ending on your goals and motivations as a writer. &ut at least you have a real o%%ortunity where you can ultimately decide what you want your writing to really be all about. ,* Se'f-P ('!s&!n): #!-s for S ccess 6ere are a few ti%s to be efficient, %roductive, and focused as an inde%endent author. a= Be Profess!ona'" 4hen youre committed to Kuality, it shows in your body of wor . This also reflects well on the self5%ublishing community on the whole ;the reverse is true tooS=. It hel%s to have a neat and organiNed website ;ideally, it should also be visually %leasing=. 4eb %resence is im%ortant when your business is online. b= Use Soc!a' .ed!a W!se'y" -ocial media is great for self5%romotion, cross5%romotion, and socialiNing. I try not to s%am my friendsLfollowers too often. Im not on social media all the time either ;it can get %retty distractingO=. 'ou dont need to be on every single social media %latform. Its more conducive if you select a few that you really li e, so that you can utiliNe each to the fullest. Try to discern the difference between ranting and venting.

c= Be $-en to Co''a(orat!ons" I now of a few indie authors who seem to be very %roud of the fact that they o%erate by themselves! only ;without as ing other authors for anything!=. 4hile its good to be self5sufficient, wor ing together with others can be enjoyable if the %eo%le involved sincerely believe in the %roject theyre wor ing on. This was the case with $een Guide to !e" and Relationships, a no5nonsense T9> advice boo I co5authored with *'/ teacher, 8att )osner. The boo wouldnt have been as com%rehensive if only one of us had authored it. d= Ha/e A Pos!t!/e Att!t de" If you fail at first, try again, and try harder nePt time. 'ou tend to im%rove the more you %ersist at something. To borrow a Kuote from the astrologer &ob 8ar s, remind yourself that being miserable all the time is im%ractical.! 4hen o%timism is grounded in reality, it hel%s you maintain a %sychologically and emotionally healthy state. e= Ha/e Se'f-Res-ect" 'oull be res%ected by readersLcustomers if you stay true to whatever it is that motivates you, or what you feel %assionate about. Dont be afraid to say the unsayable. f= #&!n0 Lon) #er1" Dont get discouraged if you see other authors sail ahead, or if you dont see magnificent sales straight off the bat. 'our focus shouldnt be on creating one! master%iece, but on building u% a bac list over time in order to strengthen your brand. -ome %eo%le are tem%ted to ta e short5cuts, though %erseverance tends to draw out the best Kualities of a %erson. Its nice to buc the system and be successful, even if a hundred million other %eo%le are also aggressively trying to do what you do.

2* Se'f-P ('!s&!n) At Its Best 3 Re/o' t!onary Res!stance -ince my mid5teens, one of the things Ive been %assionate about is resisting the mainstream media. > lot of my creative wor contains a Urebellious strea against the ;often stereoty%ical= messages from the mainstream media. I es%ecially loathe the medias tendency to reduce love, seP and relationshi%s to mere commodities. )ublishers are mostly interested in finding the nePt cash cow franchise. In a tumultuous climate of change and u%heaval, I su%%ose one cannot blame traditional %ublishers for focusing on whats guaranteed to bring in the big buc s. -elf5%ublishing doesnt need to be defined by the cor%orate culture that ePists in all media conglomerates. -elf5%ublishing isnt defined by cor%orate %olitics or maintaining the status Kuo. >t its best, self5%ublishing cham%ions inde%endent thought and action, which allows driven and motivated writers to really get their wor out there and ma e a difference somehow. I li e resisting the hegemoniNing mindset of megacor%orations everywhere, where the goal is to unite the world as one %eo%le and one wallet. Its coarse when a %erson or industry is entirely driven by greed and money. I dont now about others, but I find merging the idealism of art and the %ractical as%ects of business more fulfilling. The creative tension never gets dull or boring. Its the best time for a writer to get their wor out on the mar et via digital self5%ublishing, a %rocess thats efficient, convenient, and economical. 13-t5century self5%ublishing is an invitation to writers everywhere to join in the revolutionLresistance front. @nce youre ready to join, jum% right in, and be willing to learn new things along the way. :or best results, ee% the following Kuote in mind: Cive u%V give inV or give it all youve got.! """

," Boo0 Co/er 4es!)n #!-s ; <ri+inally pu1lished on 2= <3t 2012 at >om5s 1lo+6 5$.Z: 4hen you go to a boo store ;even virtual ones li e >maNon= to buy a boo , the first thing that catches your eye is its cover.! -ometimes, the decision to buy the boo is made in those few seconds and then you read the blurb or fli% the %ages to see what is inside. -o, lets not underestimate the %ower of a good! and well5designed! boo cover. @ne big %ositive is that it boosts the sales of the boo . >lso, who does not li e a nice glossy loo ing boo sitting on ones boo shelfQ ?ets be honest, we all doS To cut the long story short, when I came to now that Jess, an ePtremely multi5talented artist not only writes boo s but also ma es her own boo covers, I had to as how she does it all. I am sure her write5u% will hel% you in understanding how can you go about designing the coverLillustration for your self5%ublished boo and how can you do it yourself using chea% tools available online. &efore you move on and read her article, have a loo at the covers she designed. I thin they loo su%er5+.4?S

#&oo /overs for $he 0y1erpun2 'l-en $rilo+yV &oo W3 and &oo W1$ Ho6 to des!)n a Boo0 Co/er7By A t&or: Jess C Scott JESS: Im an inde%endent authorLartistLnon5conformist, and I write in a range of different genres. >ll of my boo covers are self5designed7creative freedom and flePibilityLversatility are one of the things I enjoy the most about being an indie author. I used an old s etch for the cover of my first boo , 'ye(eash) A *lo+ ,o-el, because I was wor ing with an ePtremely low budget and wanted to ee% costs low ;that was in mid5122<=. -ince then, Ive continued designing my own boo covers, because 8%* !t !s en9oya('e, and 8,* I '!0e t&e c&a''en)e of creat!n) co/ers t&at are (ot& /!s a''y a--ea'!n) and n!: e. Boo0 co/er des!)n co/ers t&ree (as!c e'e1ents: %* Base 4ra6!n) ; I'' strat!on

,* Fonts 2* Co'or ; Sty'e ; Fee' The base drawingLillustration for the cover is the im%ortant element, and its @+ if you dont have the time or s ills to do the drawings yourself7you can loo for //5licensed and royalty5free images online instead ;I usually use flic r and deviant>AT when I need some hel%!=. 8any artists charge reasonable licensing fees for commercial use of images. The one drawbac is that you might see the same image being used on several different boo covers by different authors ;es%ecially if the boo falls into a %o%ular commercial genre=. Dont get too craNy with fontsS 'ou want something that loo s sim%le, nice, and is easily readable and identifiable when the boo cover is viewed as a small thumbnail. I li e using Brban :onts and :ont-%ace for ty%ogra%hy ;I only use those that are labeled as free for commercial use!=. The colorLstyleLfeel of a boo covers design are also im%ortant7the bottom line is that a boo cover has to ;3= have visual a%%eal, and ;1= attract the right audience. > loudLstrong gra%hic would be o ay for a mainstreamLedgy ind of boo ;which is what I want going for with the above two boo covers=, though the same gra%hic style %robably wouldnt wor for a historical romance novel ;which generally reKuires a cover with a more chivalric! feel=. I use an old hand5me5down version of )hotosho% to arrange and enhance certain elements of the cover design. If I need any ePtras! or chea%Lfree tools available online, Ill run a search for )hotosho% alternative online! on Coogle and see what comes u%. If you do want to learn how to draw or im%rove your design s ills, a boo that might hel% you is John Aus ins $he 'lements of Drawin+. This boo isnt a ste%5by5ste% how to draw! ind of guideboo , but it teaches you to use your eyes and be observant and a%%reciative of nature ;and that all drawing is dirtying the %a%er delicately!=. Aus ins boo is very demanding and reKuires you to be very dedicated with %racticing, but I thin the results are worth the time and effort. )ersonally, I thin learning how to draw is just as im%ortant as learning how to read and write. Drawing teaches you to be observant and disci%lined, and its a great joy to be able to eP%ress oneself with words as well as with %ictures. The im%ortant thing is to ee% %racticing and learning new things along the way. It is never too late to start. Ill end this guest %ost by than ing +omal for graciously hosting me, and giving me this to%ic to write aboutS I ho%e some of my ti%s have been useful. """

2" For1att!n) #!-s 8'!n0ed #$C* ; *ased on an email to an indie author as2in+ for help with a lin2ed ?ta1le of 3ontents6@ > %oorly formatted e&oo is agoniNing for both the author and the readerLcustomer. Its im%ortant for an e&oo to be well5formatted and flePible! so that the tePt loads correctly across various ereader %latforms ;unless you enroll your boo s in +D) -elect, in which case the e&oo s have to be ePclusively on >maNon only=. I li e having a lin ed T@/ for +indle files too. I do it through a relatively %ainless %rocess without any 6T8? coding. I dont hate 6T8? coding, but if theres an easier alternativeO Ive %rovided a few lin s below for you to learn how to format your document so that ;a= its ready for %ublication, and ;b= the T@/ loads %ro%erly ;for +indle files=.

;3= -mashwords -tyle Cuide 8ar /o er is the founder of -mashwords ;I actually joined -mashwords before >maNon +indle, bac in mid5122<=. !mashwords !tyle Guide is a com%rehensive yet concise guide full of ti%s on how to create sim%le and effective formatting. Its an ePcellent and free guide available for download at the following lin : htt%:LLwww.smashwords.comLboo sLviewLG1 ;1= /reating a lin ed T@/ for +indle Co to /reating 6y%erlin ed T@/! in the !mashwords !tyle Guide ;it is Ste- ,<( in the )D: or e)ub file= ;D= I use 8obi)oc et /reator to create +indle files, but you have to download the )ublishers .dition! in order to do T@/. If you already have the 6ome .dition! installed, you have to uninstall the home edition, then download again and install )ublishers .dition! ;select )ublishers .dition! when you receive the %rom%t during installation=. >s of 8ay 1231, 8obi)oc et /reator can be downloaded at the following lin : htt%:LLwww.mobi%oc et.comLenLDownload-oftL)roductDetails/reator.as% ;F= @nce you have 8obi)oc et )ublishers .dition, follow 6ow To /reate > +indle Table @f /ontents,! an ePcellent %ost written by Dar *eon L 6uw /ollingbourne. The %ost can be found at the following lin : htt%:LLdar 5neon.blogs%ot.comL1233L2DLhow5to5create5 indle5table5of5contents.html

"""

PAR# ,: SELF-PUBLISHING RE=$LU#I$N %" Ind!e /s" #rad!t!ona' P ('!s&!n) ; <ri+inally pu1lished on 1 June 2010 at Jess 0 !3otts 1lo+6

This is a condensed version of my Kuite5long ;DG5%age= advertising %lan which I submitted for *:! A.B) Ad-ertisin+, in the -%ring 1232 semester. The %a%er was written with regards to establishing my brand identity as an author.! I scored full mar s for the %a%er ;yay=. " This %ost was featured on )ubletariat ;which %ublishes the most valuable content from the web for indie authors and small im%rints=. WWW Ind stry Ana'ys!s of #rad!t!ona' P ('!s&ers II" SI#UA#I$N ANAL>SIS ,"< H!stor!ca' Conte?t >ccording to Doug Crad ?iterary >gency, whose founder s%ent twenty5two years as a senior editor at four major *ew 'or %ublishing houses: )ublishers, unfortunately, have a co%ycat mentality, so once a genre gets hot, they Kuic ly overbuy and over5%ublish until the mar et%lace is saturated and the %ublic gets sic of the rotten imitations on the shelves. ?oo at what ha%%ened to the /hic ?it genre, and is ha%%ening to the 'oung >dult Eam%ire genre right now.! ;Crad, 1232= ,"% Ind stry Ana'ys!s 1.3.3 /urrent Industry /limate Ceorge &ernard -haw, a famous and controversial 12th century .nglish dramatist ;whose first boo was %ublished fifty years overdue7when %ublishers would %ublish anything that had his name on it=, had this to say about %ublishers: I object to %ublishers: the one service they have done me is to teach me to do without them. They combine commercial rascality with artistic touchiness and %ettishness, without being either good

business men or fine judges of literature. >ll that is necessary in the %roduction of a boo is an author and a boo seller, without the intermediate %arasite.! ;&ernard, 3<<2= Inde%endent %ublishing in the digital era offers what Ceorge &ernard -haw dreamed of. >nyone can write a boo , and get it in the hands of %otential readers, without having to wade through a sea of literary agents and editors. The entire traditional %ublishing industry is made u% of a series of costs, overheads, and ways of using u% incredible amounts of time which might be used doing something %roductive. &ig %ublishers will not loo at unsolicited manuscri%ts from un5agented writers, and ta ing H531 months to res%ond to the submission of a full manuscri%t is considered an industry standard for wor ing in a timely manner.! The endless series of %rocedures for sim%ly getting a boo considered by a literary agent, are obstructive. ?iterature is com%eting with %owerful media for s%ace in %eo%les lives, and inefficiency doesnt hel% ;4allis, 122<=. >uthors also often have no say andLor control in the traditional %ublishing %rocess. >ccording to established author, critically acclaimed novelist, and *ational &oo >ward finalist John .dgar 4ideman: Ive been thin ing about alternatives for a long time. I li e the idea of being in charge. I have more control over what ha%%ens to my boo . >nd I have more control over whom I reach.! ;Aeid, 1232= 4ideman notes his distaste! for what he calls mainstream %ublishings bloc buster syndrome!7 the tendency for large trade %ublishing houses to focus the bul of their resources on only the boo s deemed to have bestseller %otential ;Aeid, 1232=. 1.3.1 -elf5%ublishing is no longer a last resort! Inde%endent authors have been Kuic to ado%t e5boo s as a format for ra%id %ublishing. 4hereas traditionally %ublished %rint boo s reKuire months or years to sell to a %ublisher ;if ever=, and then 315 3J months more before the boo s a%%ear in boo stores, e5boo s offer instant %ublishing. The tools to %ublish and distribute e5boo s are available to any writer at little to no cost. :ree e5boo self5%ublishing %latforms, such as >maNon Digital TePt )latform, -mashwords, and -onys recently announced )ublisher )ortal, allow writers to u%load their manuscri%t as a 8icrosoft 4ord document, and start selling it online to a worldwide audience within minutes or days. 8ajor e5boo retailers such as &arnes 9 *oble and >maNon have o%ened u% their stores to inde%endently %ublished e5boo s, allowing authors to by%ass %ublishers altogether ;/o er, 122<=. >s an indie author, the author has full control over both the creative and business as%ects of the %ublishing %rocess. )ublishing5on5demand ;)@D= is also an attractive feature of self5%ublishing, where hardco%ies are only %rinted when a %urchase is made. This saves resources such as trees and warehousing s%ace. Through accelerated self5%ublishing techniKues, it is now %ossible to go from conce%t and idea to finished %roduct to retail distribution within FG days, versus 3153J months with most traditional %ublishers. 1.1.D /oncentration: .5boo s over )rint 8ar /o er, founder of the e5%ublishing %latform -mashwords, made the following %redictions for &oo )ublishing in the year 1212: 3. <GX of all reading will be on screens. 1. There will be fewer boo stores, though boo s will be more %lentiful than ever before. 4e will all be authors, %ublishers and boo sellers. D. The entire boo su%%ly chain from author to customer will become atomiNed into its com%onent bits. Ealue5adders will continue to find great success in %ublishing. Dinosaurs, leeches and %arasites will be flushed out of new %ublishing ecosystems faster than ever before.

F. There will be more %ublished authors than ever before, and collectively they will earn record revenues, yet individually the average %ublished! author 32 ears from now will earn less than the average commercially %ublished! author today. >dvantage will go to those with best ability to reach their audience. G. >uthors will write for a global mar et. ;Aivera, 1232= 1.D.D -tanding out as an indie author in the internet era If indie authors want to stand out, they must invest the resources and effort necessary to %roduce and %romote Kuality wor that satisfies readers ;/o er, 1232=. >ccording to *athan &ransford, a well5res%ected literary agent: The traditional tools at %ublishers dis%osal arent as effective as they used to be: Oboo stores are closing and ta ing with them the %recious hit5ma ing front5store real estate ;which %ublishers %ay dearly for=, advertising is costly and s%oradically effectiveO%ublishers have been slow to ada%t to the %otential of the Internet and es%ecially social networ ing.! ;&ransford, 122<= =III" C$NCLUSI$N @"< Conc' s!on The indie author that will succeed in todays mar et%lace has to be a boot5stra%%ing solo%reneur. The ey recommendation for success lies in seiNing the o%%ortunities offered by indie %ublishing. 8aintaining a strong online %resence, by eP%loiting the range of social media %latforms online, is a ey recommendation for success. The fact that an indie author does not have the overhead costs that the traditional %ublishing industry is saddled with allows one to wor with s%eed and efficiency. The following Kuote is a variation of the motto that indie author and 8&>5holder, +.?. &rady, ee%s to, for the best com%etitive edge over mainstream %ublishers who focus too much on money: +ee% it realOand ee% it sim%le.! ;&rady, 1232= WWW Aeferences " &rady, +arla ?. ;1232, >%ril 33=. 4hat Is 'our 8ar eting )lanQ Aetrieved >%ril 33, 1232, from: htt%:LLchea%indieauthor.blogs%ot.comL " &ransford, *athan ;122<, *ovember 33=. 8oving the *eedle. 6uffington )ost. Aetrieved >%ril 33, from: htt%:LLwww.huffington%ost.comLnathan5bransfordLmoving5the5 needleYbYDGD<DG.html " &ernard, >ndreZ. Aotten Aejections: a ?iterary /om%anion. 4ainscott, *.'.: )ushcart, 3<<2. )rint. " /o er, 8ar ;122<, @ctober 3F=. 4hy .5&oo s are 6ot and Cetting 6otter.6uffington )ost. Aetrieved >%ril 33, 1232, from: htt%:LLwww.huffington%ost.comLmar 5co erLe5boo 5mar et5 eP%loding5coYbYG2I32I.html " /o er, 8ar ;1232, 8arch 11=. .5boo 8ar et .P%loding, /onfirms *ew ID): -urvey. 6uffington )ost. Aetrieved >%ril 33, 1232, from: htt%:LLwww.huffington%ost.comLmar 5co erLwhy5e5boo s5are5hot5 and5gYbYD12<JH.html " Crad, Doug ;1232=. :>Ts R Doug Crad ?iterary >gency, Inc. Aetrieved 8arch I, 1232, from: htt%:LLwww.dgliterary.comLfaKs.html " Aeid, /alvin ;1232, 8arch G=. John .dgar 4ideman to -elf5)ublish *ew &oo via ?ulu.com.

)ublishers 4ee ly. Aetrieved 8arch I, 1232, from: htt%:LLwww.%ublisherswee ly.comLarticleLFG3<<D5 JohnY.dgarY4idemanYtoY-elfY)ublishY*ewY&oo YviaY?uluYcom.%h% " Aivera, Jeff ;1232, January F=. -mashwords: &oo )ublishing 32 'ears in the :uture. 8edia &istro, 4eb8edia&rands Inc. Aetrieved >%ril 33, 1232, from: htt%:LLwww.mediabistro.comLgalleycatL%ublishingLsmashwordsYboo Y%ublishingY32YyearsYinYtheYfutu reY3FII2G.as% " 4allis, )aul ;122<, >%ril 3H=. >ssessing self5%ublishing vs. traditional %ublishing. Aetrieved 8arch 3<, 1232, from: htt%:LLwww.helium.comLitemsLDFFH<F5assessing5self5%ublishing5 vs5traditional5%ublishing """

," In 4efence of S&ort Stor!es ; <ri+inally pu1lished on 1. ,o-em1er 2011 at James '-erin+tons 1lo+6

#&oo /over, !2ins by Jess$ """ JA.ES: 8ore short story writer goodness this wee , this time courtesy of Jess / -cott, who is the author of new collection of flash fiction U-+I*-, on animal rights and the de%lorable ePotic s ins trade. >nyone who ends a %iece with an @scar 4ilde Kuote is alright by me. Ta e it away Jess... JESS: Ive always li ed reading and writing short stories. I sometimes wor on GG5word ePercises to develo% a technical style that %ossesses clarity and brevity. :lash fiction ;a category which the GG5word story falls under= allows me to get to the %oint Kuic ly and without any fuss. :or ePam%le: [[[[[ *o >nswer ;from my writing %ortfolio, %or3elain= Its so brightS! my younger sister ePclaimed. -he %ointed to the %lanet Eenus, which was high in the night s y. 4ill it be there alwaysQ! -ure it will,! I answered, straining as I thought the %lanet had flic ered for a s%lit second. -uddenly it disa%%eared altogether. /ould that ha%%en to .arthQ! I couldnt answer her. :ather &ear 9 &aby &ear ;from my flash fiction collection, !2ins= /ongratulations on your first ill, sonS!

Junior %roudly held u% the fresh ill hed made, as blood see%ed into and soa ed the ground below. Junior finally felt li e he was somebody ready to face the world7he had a human head to mount on his wall now. 'our mother will be so %roud of you.! [[[[[ 4hile I do write full5length novels, it is %oetry and short stories7the two genres which are the most disdained in terms of commercial mar etability7that have hel%ed me the most with regards to writing. )oetry is all about %recision and aesthetics, while short stories allow a writer to continuously eP%lore new styles, themes and conce%ts. > %oem or short story can also turn out to be the foundation for an eP%anded, more develo%ed %iece. The short story, li e %oetry, is an art form. It reKuires disci%line on the writers %art to be succinct ;it is a form that allows less o%%ortunities for word %adding!=, and it reKuires effort because the focus is on Kuality ;substance= over Kuantity ;word count=. >ny writer that doesnt res%ect these forms ;whether or not they choose to wor in these forms= is an individual that lac s res%ect for the actual craft of writing. -ome commercially successful writers can get very aggressive and outs%o en about how artistic integrity isnt a reKuirement to be commercially successful. I li e to thin of what John Aus in had to say on the subject: >ll boo s are divisible into two classes, the boo s of the hour, and the boo s of all time.! 4riters li e .dgar >llan )oe, @scar 4ilde, Aoald Dahl, Aay &radbury, Eladimir *abo ov, .rnest 6emingway, 6erman 8elville, J. C. &allard, >nais *in, and D. 6. ?awrence have all written memorable and su%erlative short stories. >s the great @scar 4ilde once stated: ?Any1ody 3an write a three--olume no-el6 /t merely reCuires a 3omplete i+noran3e of 1oth life and literature6@ """

2" Gender Stereoty-es ; <ri+inally pu1lished on 2D <3t 2010 E (on+ (i-e the (it6 Gender Stereoty-es7G est Post (y Jess C Scott 8,A $ct ,<%<*

&@@+ -B88>A': > 3I5year5old intern must choose between trusting an irresistibly suave dance instructor7or her instincts. -I*-2I is a series featuring lighthearted tales that eP%lore each of the seven sins in order, beginning with lust. 8y most recent %ublication is a '> novel titled, 1) $he /ntern, %art of a -I*-2I seven deadly sins! series. 4hile my first boo also focused on the theme of lustLdesireLsePuality, 1) $he /ntern is more mainstream ;the blog novel features blog %osts and I8 chats throughout=. There are certain elements, however, that feature throughout my writing %rojects. @ne is the conce%t of stereoty%es7gender stereoty%es, es%ecially. The girlsLfemalesLwomen in my boo s tend to not be afraid to thin , andLor have an o%inion ;which does not necessarily mean theyre self5righteous bitches7thin ing clearly has nothing to do with how malicious one is, as a %erson=. The ladies I write about tend not to obsess about their weight andLor how s inny they are. They also have seP drives, and arent afraid of it ;1) $he /ntern doesnt contain anything eP%licit=. 6aving a man! in their life is not their one and only aim in life. >s for the boysLmalesLmen, the guys I write about generally arent afraid to feel, andLor tal about or eP%lore their feelings #which does not necessarily mean theyre gay7 nowing oneself includes being aware of both the masculine and feminine traits in oneself ;as the eminent -wiss %sychiatrist /arl C. Jung mentions, in his wor =$. -tereoty%ically, masculine! feelings would include aggression and sePual desire. If I were a guy, I would find life to be very dreary and tense, if I were to live life according to those limitations. 4hen I was a gaw y eleven5year5old ;on the brin of teenagedom=, I used to bash males for a while. I was very aware of the divide! between the sePes. ?ater on in life ;maybe once I hit 3I7Ill turn 1F in -e%tember=, I started realiNing that either gender bashing the other wasnt really going to hel% anyone, essentially. This has begun to settle into ;what I ho%e is= an inner wisdom, which allows me to eP%ress more generosityL indness and acce%tance towards others ;unless theyre really mean5 s%irited5to5the5core sorts, devoid of any conscience=. @ne of the reasons Ive always loved to write is the freedom it allows me7to discover new things, about myself, others, life, love, humanity, and everythingLanything in between. ?ife is a journey toward inner wholeness, and something which I eP%lore and record via the stories I share.

B" Wr!t!n) t&at A--ea's to Bot& Genders ; <ri+inally pu1lished on 1D ,o- 2011 at Jess 0 !3otts 1lo+6 I li e to write stories that a%%eal to both genders ;men, women, boys, girls=. I also li e to write about characters with alternative gender labels! #though thats another discussion for another time :=$. .ditor 8organ &isho% writes: Its shoc ing, how few articles there are on the to%ic of writing a boo that a%%eals to both genders. Im not sure whether that means %eo%le dont now how, or dont want their boo to a%%eal to both genders, or thin its unnecessary because a%%ealing to both genders is easy, or what.! Incidentally, I was recently chatting with 8att )osner, author of the !3hool of the A+es series.

8att )osner on the subject: I thin a good way to a%%eal to both genders is to have %lot lines of every ty%e. Thats why I mention that my boo ;!3hool of the A+es= has both action and romance. This %robably wor s for me because I use an ensemble style of characters ;li e a TE series= and they all have their own sub%lots.! 4ith regards to romance, I thin both genders enjoy and can a%%reciate a love story ;I define a love story! as being something more than two hot guys in a love triangle with a 8ary -ue female %rotagonist=. I went through a brief male5bashing %hase during my early to mid teens, till I one day came to the realiNation thats ind of li e reverse discrimination ;i.e. either gender bashing the other is not really going to solve any issues or ma e the situation any better=.

The above was my debut bac in mid5122< ;'ye(eash) A *lo+ ,o-el=. Its a coming5of5age story set in the digital era, written from the %oint of view of a 3I5year5old girl.

I su%%ose it a%%ears to be a boo for girls! but for some reason it attracts male readers also ;and a miPture of ages too=. 8aybe because its una%ologetically sePually charged! ;after all, we do live in a culture thats sePually charged!=. Ive mostly chosen not to associate 'ye(eash with a feminist! label, because that might suggest that the boo ma es or su%%orts o%enly hateful anti5male statements ;such as those listed on this blog %ost7horrificS=. 4hich isnt really what any of my %rojects are meant to be about. In the end, both genders have good and bad %oints, and my %ersonal a%%roach is to a%%reciate what each gender has to offer. In stories, I li e to focus on authenticity more so than gender stereoty%es ;and I li e to send the characters on some ind of evolution in terms of %ersonality or outloo on life. I can get violently agitated with stories that feature one5dimensional cardboard characters who dont somehow either grow as %eo%le or discover anything worth nowing about themselvesS=. I was reading one of 8att )osners interviews, where he says: #8y$ wor for young %eo%le deals with death as well as many other crucial themes ;love, family relationshi%s, teaching and learning, friendshi%=.! I guess I follow the same ind of %ers%ective. It is universal themes7not genre conventions7that give a story real substance. That is something that can be valued regardless of a %ersons gender. [[[ -6@AT B)D>T. on Dar er -ide of ?ife:

" Im currently enhancing! ;a lot more wor than it sounds, lol= the love triangle %lot in $he Dar2er !ide of (ife ;I want to ee% the a%%eal to both genders, which is a bit tric y when the love triangle is %rominent, but Ill do my best \\=. [[[ :BAT6.A A.>DI*C: " Aeal ?ove Eersus Aomance! , jessI*+ ;informal essay by Jess= " Aomance *ovels can be as >ddictive as )ornogra%hy! , +-? ;article= " 8ale .motions in the 8edia ;Jesss guest %ost for :emmedia , 8arch 1231=

A" C#&e Rea' 4ysto-!aD ; <ri+inally pu1lished on 2A April 2012 at !6<6!6 Foms 1lo+6 8ar Twain defined a literary classic as a boo which %eo%le %raise and dont read.! Ive enjoyed reading classics since I was siPteen years old ;a )oe anthology had me com%letely mesmeriNedS=. I read Ceorge @rwells 1=9. during my early 12s, and its by far one of the best boo s Ive ever read. 1=9. can be considered a classic cyber%un and dysto%ian novel. /yber%un can be defined as a genre that is about eP%ressing ;often dar = ideas about human nature, technology and their res%ective combination in the near future.! ;/yber%un Aeview= Dysto%ia can be defined as: >n imaginary %lace or state in which the condition of life is ePtremely bad, as from de%rivation, o%%ression, or terror.! ;The :ree Dictionary= I was tal ing to a friend from the B.+. recently, who had this to say about commercialism: 4owS I never new about *attle Royale. To be honest, I hated $he Gun+er Games without nowing anything about it. )artly it was because I e%t seeing it in the +indle best seller charts. I assumed it was just some badly written self5%ublished garbage that had been hy%ed on Twitter. &ut I see now it has been hy%ed everywhere and has big money behind it. These big com%anies are businesses first and foremost. -tories are %roduct. The ones they %ic u% are largely irrelevant. The mar eting cam%aign is the main thing. 4ell, in fact the return on ca%ital is the main thing. The mar eting cam%aign is the way to achieve that. The %roduct is just one small %iece in the cor%orate %lan. I have always been %ut off by commercialism in any media. In fact Im %rejudiced against commercially successful things. Too much trash is touted as worth our while. Journalists des%erate for readers jum% on any bandwagon they can. Things are famous because they are famous and not because of any intrinsic merit. This is truer now than its ever been.! I thin its scary how dysto%ia! itself has become a mar eting label. I thin its scary when %eo%le trash classic boo s as being for %retentious %eo%le! only, while they %raise modern5day bestsellers as being su%erior to classic boo s because these boo s were more %o%ular! than classic tePts that ;3= had some amount of de%th to them, and ;1= have stood the test of time. I thin its scary how Kuality doesnt seem to matter anymore, because some %eo%le see the Uelite as being Uelitist. /rass commercialism and cor%orate greed often go hand in hand. This is the real dysto%ia, where hy%e re%laces meaning, where mediocrity is celebrated over something original and substantial, all in the name of %rofits. >fter all, how good can something really be if it can be re%laced by another manufactured franchise in the nePt G532 yearsQ +ee% that in mind when the nePt hy%ed franchise comes around :=S

E" Co11erc!a' Ro1ance and Se'f-Estee1 ; Guest %ost written for Gil ,am1ata3s 1lo+ #to 1e pu1lished in June 2012&6 /-e deleted the first part of this +uest post to a-oid repetition in H!elf-%u1lishin+ 4i56 . . .Im not against marriage %er se, though Ive never defined my self5worth according to my boyfriendLother halfLthe relationshi%s Im in.

I have a co%y of ifty !hades of Grey, which was originally written as $wili+ht fan fiction. Ive gotten a headache from the amount of times Goly shitI has a%%eared in the tePt of :-oC, but thats another story for another dayO @ne of the %assages caught my eye the other day, where >na, the female %rotagonist, is tal ing with her mom over the %hone: ;)age 1I<=: >na, %lease, youre worrying me.! I ta e a big breath. Ive ind of fallen for this guy, and hes so different from me, and I dont now if we should be together.! Just ta e it easy with him and ee% him at arms length until you decide whether hes worthy of you.! 4owOits unnerving when my mother is so insightful, but shes just too late on this. Is he worthy of meQ Thats an interesting conce%t. I always wonder whether I am worthy of him. Ive noticed that ifty !hades of Grey seems to follow the same %attern of $wili+ht ;virgin female %rotagonist with sePual desires,! who defines her entire sense of self5worth, self5identity and self5 esteem according to her man! who comes in the form of the rich, handsome! %iece thats %art of the whole fairy tale syndrome=. 4ishing for all men to be li e the rich handsome men! in commercial romance novels is a in to males wishing for women to loo li e the models with %lum%ed5u% li%s and fa e boobs in %orn films. &oth are fantasies. Its funny how being addicted to romance novels isnt seen as a serious addiction. In fact, it is just li e all other forms of addiction which hide the real and un%leasant issues that lie under the surface. I ho%e hardcore romance fans ;who do not enjoy a story that stands on its own without the romance!= will someday be ins%ired to chec out good boo s ;such as the novels of >nais *in and D.6. ?awrence= that go beyond a%%earances and commercial romance! ;which is mostly, nowadays, about satisfying emotional lust=. >fter all, according to this article in the &ritish news%a%er, $he

Guardian, we tend to become li e the characters in the novels we read. If youre a hardcore romance fan, I ho%e youll someday consider the freedom of develo%ing your own %ersonality and a genuine sense of self5worth, instead of allowing your se'f-estee1 and sense of se'f to be defined by your man,! the relationshi%s! youre in, or whether you identify as a good girl virgin! or badass whore! ;de%ending on whats the flavor of the wee LmonthLyear=7or whatever else society and the mainstream mass media says you ought to be.

@" Say!n) t&e Unsaya('e ; <ri+inally pu1lished on 1D Apr 2012 at Jess 0 !3otts 1lo+6

JGraphi3 from *i+ !to32 %hotoK """ (iterary Geroin is a Twilight %arody I recently com%leted.

I didnt really mean to write a %arody, but I guess thats what the novella turned out to be. Its ironic ;in real life, I rarely go with the flow! with %o%ular o%inion, but I always go with the flow! when it comes to writing=. (iterary Geroin is %art of my u%coming *ad Roman3e seven deadly sins anthology ;(it Gero covers the sin of gluttony=. -ome info: -B88>A': Isobels fanfiction dream comes true when .dwin and Jacobus materialiNe out of thin air. &ut the two hun s secretly have the hots for each otherO .]/.A)T #(iterary Geroin$: 8s. Isobel -wann, the .nglish teacher, loo ed at her star %u%il. -o, what did you thin of $wue 4u-Q! Isobel as ed with a sweet smile. I learned that its o ay to feel the way I do: that my life has no meaning unless I have a boyfriend,!

gushed -te%henie, Aenesmees &::. -te%henie was overweight but enjoyed dressing %rovocatively. -he thought the guys couldnt handle her. 8ost of them were scared off by her seductive ways and non5sto% a%%roaches towards anyone in class who owned a %air of testicles. > real man is li e the %erfect vam%ire5boy and all the %erfect guys in $wue 4u-.! " 8ore Info ^ ?iterary 6eroin , jessI*+ In the %ast, I used to just ignore whatever I didnt li e. I focused on creating more of what I wanted to see instead ;a form of ta ing the high road,! I guess=. I was also always worried about offending %eo%le with saying it as it is ;because I tend not to mince my words if I really want to give a %erson a %iece of my mind, lolS=. 6owever, I guess Ive reached a %oint where I have to as myself if Im more fulfilled by eP%osing hy%ocrisy, or succumbing to it. >m I ha%%ier eP%osing corru%tion,! or am I ha%%ier to %lay nicey5nice in the ho%es of someday eP%eriencing a stro e of luc ! and being rewarded by the system ;Im mainly referring to the multi5 million boo Lmovie deal which defines literary success nowadays=Q I guess Im ha%%ier with the former. I joined ;and subseKuently left= a mass communications course in my late teens because I was fascinated with the %ower and influence of the mainstream mass media. I found the course unchallenging because it seemed to be more geared towards grooming %eo%le to be broadcasters on radio and TE than for %eo%le who were interested in /AITI/>? >*>?'-I- of the media. /ritical analysis is something that seems to be lac ing more and more in the mainstream mass media, with every year that goes by. The mere act of thin ing for myself! begins to feel more and more of a crime as time goes on tooS I care about critical analysis because there I- a correlation L relationshi% between the mass media and society. 4hat is considered good art! or bad art! is a reflection of the culture and society that %roduces as well as consumes this art ;in the form of boo s, movies, music, etc=. -ometimes I really Kuestion how useful! a certain thing is. :or ePam%le, its easy to convince oneself that reading '> novels! is wholesome and %ositive because its '> literature! ;as a %ublicist told me, '> literature is all about innocenceS!=. I really Kuestion the value of something when its mar eting and %ac aging is more substantial than the actual contents of the %roduct. I really Kuestion society when it buys into hy%e, again and again and again. 8y whole life, %eo%le have told me things li e, 6ollywood and *'/ %ublishers are a business, its all about money and there are no ethics involved7thats just the way it is!7>sians do not ePist in most 6ollywood movies, just live with it7thats just the way it is!7The media %roduces rubbish because thats what %eo%le want7thats just the way it is.! That might be the way it is,! but it doesnt 8>+. T6I*C- AIC6T. It doesnt mean that we cannot strive for something better ;how good can a society really be if its ePistence is to serve cor%orate entities that are fueled by nothing but cor%orate greedQ=. I intend to continue writing %arodies for the following three %ur%oses: ;3= To eP%ose hy%ocrisy, ;1= To shame society into im%rovement! ;as is the %ur%ose with most other satires=, and ;D= To entertain ;and educateO=. I am done being nicey5nice7more %eo%le have to say the unsayable.! >ll I ever wanted to do with writingL%ublishing was to ma e a difference! somehow ;to borrow another Kuote from 8argaret Thatcher=. >strologically5wise, maybe its because I have an >ries *orth *ode and a *orth *ode thats in the

first house. The following %aragra%h from Aaging Bniverse really resonated with me: 6onesty. @ne of the finest traits of this nodeholder ;*orth *ode in the :irst 6ouse= is his honesty. 6e sees t&e -retense a'' aro nd &!1 and remembers well the need to co1-ro1!se the truth in order to gain a--ro/a'. 6e is now ready to a(andon this %ractice and fully eP%ress his li es and disli es no matter what the conseKuences. The freedom to be his genuine self is one of his greatest joys, and other %eo%le are often entranced by the clear light that emanates from his eyes and his refreshing ability to tell it ePactly li e it is.! >nd I received some wise words from the blog owner of Aaging Bniverse ;I wrote him a short note of than s for the article=. 6is re%ly: Oand I sometimes forget how im%ortant it is to eP%ose the hy%ocrisy. I cant stand the sugar5 coating, and I find that those who are offended arent worth clinging to. 4iser ones will re%lace them.! jm ^ Aaging Bniverse

F" Rea' Wr!ters ; <ri+inally pu1lished on 2= Apr 2012 at Jess 0 !3otts 1lo+6

J/ma+e from ,e"us%le"us | FasterfileK ; $his post mi+ht 1e a 1it disLointed, thou+h perhaps itll ma2e sense in terms of ?3haoti3 order6@ @ne of the reasons I li e the cyber%un genre is the blend of intros%ection and self5reflection it encourages ;it ma es us Kuestion where were headedV it ma es us %onder on the interactionLinter%lay between humanity and technologyV so on and so forth=. Dragonsinn.net has been u% for almost 3D years, and Ive been meaning to write a dragon5themed series for some time. Ive ta en my time! with it because I have high eP%ectations for it #the original version of Dragonsinn was one of the first small dragon websites on the net, first u%loaded in 3<<< V=$. @nline social media in 3<<< wasnt li e what it is now in 1231 ;which %robably means the scene will be very different once another decade has %assed=. I enjoy the social as%ects of social media, though I %ersonally would %refer to see more %rofound or witty status u%dates and %osts. I su%%ose I may be a little bit of a hy%ocrite since I dont %ost %rofound or witty u%dates! 322X of the time. &ut I do now that my %ersonal %reference is for something with mentalLemotionalLs%iritual de%th and variety. Thin ing about the early social media scene ma es me thin about the inde%endent writingL%ublishing scene in 122<51232. &oth werent over5commercialiNed or saturated at that %oint in time yet ;though I get that these two factors are subjective! to an ePtent=. Ive never doubted a single word ;not even a comma= of Ceorge @rwells writing. )erha%s the introduction to @rwells 4hy / 4rite says it best: :rom a very early age, %erha%s the age of five or siP, I new that when I grew u% I should be a writer. . .4hen I sit down to write a boo , I do not say to myself, UI am going to %roduce a wor of art. I write it because there is some '!e that I want to e?-ose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a &ear!n). . .It is no use trying to su%%ress that side of myself. The job is to reconcile my ingrained li es and disli es with the essentially %ublic, non5individual activities that this age forces on all of us.! R Ceorge @rwell: 4hy I 4rite ;Introduction= I often see the same themes on the blogs and social media %latforms of indie authors ;ePce%tion [ %oets=. 'es, its fun to sail high on the >maNon bestseller ran s and ra e in the dough. 'es, its tem%ting ;and comfortingQ= to convince oneself that Kuality writing doesnt matter because the %ublic only cares about entertainment, not technical standards. 'es, it boosts the ego and things ha%%en! when someone in the industry contacts you because they

can see the commercial value in your boo L%roduct and want to ma e a %rofit from it. 'es, %ublishing is a business and traditional %ublishers have to do whatever they can to ma e a %rofit. 'es, many %eo%le enjoy writing and if they can succeed at self5%ublishing and gaining an audience for their wor , more %ower to them. 'es, writing well and being %raised doesnt mean youll be able to %ay the bills with your writing. 'es, money is good. &ut I li e to ee% in mind the authors who write to have a good time! ;.s" .eyer of the $wili+ht series=, versus the authors who write because theyre fuelled by a %assion and %ur%ose ;li e Geor)e $r6e''=. I now that you are what you consume,! which is why Im selective with what I choose to ingest both %hysically ;food= as well as mentallyLemotionally ;information, entertainment, infotainment, etc=. 4riting is a means of communication7I li e to %roduce stories that could be branded as meaningful! entertainment ;versus mindless! entertainment=. Im ha%%y carving a niche out for myself, since the mainstream media seems to be infinitely more interested in hy%e than substance. >nd I do now7and am very ha%%y to have met7several indie authors who also have a %ur%ose behind their interest in writing. These %eo%le, to me, are the real writers. :or me, at the end of the day, both moneyLmaterialism and s%irituality are real! things I have to face and deal with. &ut I wont sacrifice either one for the other ;both are im%ortant=. I ho%e to see more %eo%le in the indie writingL%ublishing scene who have a real message to share, and whod li e to ma e a difference somehow. > lot of %eo%le still consider the traditional lottery5tic et bigshot agent5boo 5movie deal to be the %innacle of ;literary, or general= success. Theres nothing wrong with that ;unless you disli e ePtreme commercialism andLor commodification=. &ut I li e resisting! systems and ideologies that arent interested in ma ing a difference at all. .m%ires have every reason to maintain the status Kuo. @bedient shee%le are guaranteed to ee% the em%ires in ePistence via buyingLconsuming what theyre told by the media em%ires is good! for them. That, itself, is what I enjoy resisting. &ecause when were shee%le, who are we as individualsQ 4here is our sense of self5identity, and dreams, and thoughts, and motivationsQ @r are all those things defined by an ePternal system that wishes to mold and control us sim%ly for the sa e of %rofitsQ -urely there is more to human life than being %art of a shee%le audienceQ >strologically5wise, maybe its because I have an >ries *orth *ode in the :irst 6ouse ;%sychological ground5brea ers S!)1 nd Fre d and Car' J n) both had the >ries *orth *ode=. I instinctively resist and %ut u% a fight ;in my own way= against anything that threatens my sense of individuality, autonomy and sense of self.! Coing bac to the beginning of this blog %ost, cor%orate control! is a cyber%un tro%e Ive always been drawn to as well. I dont thin cyber%un is a genre anymore7its become an actual reality ;%erha%s more Kuic ly than science fiction writers actually antici%ated=. That is reason enough for me to have some ind of %ur%ose to what I write. That %ur%ose, in and of itself, is more im%ortant than whether I decide to labelLcategoriNe certain %rojects of mine as cyber%un ,! or whether I consider myself a real writer.! >nd I ho%e the small but s%iritedLvery motivated grou% of real resistors! out there will always be dedicated to their cause. Ive this instinctive nowledge that once you sto% fighting, you become both in and of the systemLThe 8atriPLwhatever you want to call it ;the thing that deletes your freedom of thoughtLs%eechL action, your identity=. I now that when you sto% fighting, you are, essentially, forever under the influence of the

hegemoniNing one world, one %eo%le, one wallet! mindset of megacor%orations everywhere. >s a writerLartistLnon5conformist, that really scares me7even if society doesnt give a damn about where its headed. ).-. I enjoyed the following D articles on social media: 3= The Decline of :aceboo , Jim ?astinger 1= The unsocial networ you can never leave , 8artin Btreras /arrera D= -ocial 8edia -mart &ut )eo%le -tu%id , 8argie /layman

%<" #r t&G Bea tyG J st!ce ; <ri+inally pu1lished on 1= April 2012 at Gillary ' %ea2s 1lo+6 Than s for hosting me today, 6illaryS I read on one of your author bios that you set out to change the world! by being a lawyer. I thin many %eo%le have this desire to change the world, es%ecially those with original views and who want to ma e this difference via the wor they do. These usually arent fol s who are -r!1ar!'y motivated to be rich and famous. They often have to truly ma e it on their own if they want to stay true to their art andLor vision. The latter is more im%ortant than winning a %o% mar eting lottery, where ones wor ;or %ersonalityLimage= is seen as a mar etable commodity by large cor%orations. Ive always li e the subjects of writing and astrology, because theyve always guided me with regards to my dreams and ambitions. The %lanet 8ercury is the sign of communications. I have 8ercury in ?ibra, and I can wholly identify with the following line:

#Artwor2) (i1ra 1y Josephine 4all$ /reatively, 8ercury in ?ibra is at its best when they fight for their ideals of truth, beauty, and justice ;>strology BnboPed=.! I guess many %eo%le who want to ma e a difference are drawn to writing, where one has the freedom to create the world they wish to see. The most ideal scenario is being able to ma e a decent living from ones art ;which is an art form in itself7to maintain a balance between art and commerce=. That in itself can bring tremendous joy and satisfaction. To me, one of the ideals! that I have is ins%iring others to favor socialLs%iritual values over shallow values. This doesnt mean that Im trying to convert others to be a dee%5thin ing %hiloso%hical ty%es 1FLI ;some amount of fun is always goodS=. &ut I dont thin embracing ram%ant ePtreme consumerism and materialism are the tic ets to ha%%iness either. It is my way of changing the world,! however I can, with stories that are entertaining without being gimmic y or sensationalist, with stories that have some de%th to them without being drab. Im always glad to meet other writers who share the same outloo , writers who care to s%end the time and effort on the actual craft of writing ;to create something of Kuality and thats memorable, versus something thats %otentially forgettable=. Im still thin ing about some recent comments made by C@) Ae%. &ob 8orris, on how the Cirl -couts are %romoting social agendas one coo ie at a time. @ne word at a time is how a writer eventually ma es a difference. >s a writer, its something Im

ha%%y to continue being committed to.

%%" Wr!t!n) to .e !s""" ; <ri+inally pu1lished on 2= April 2012 at %andoras 1lo+6 &y Jess / -cott L jessI*+ 4riting is a s ill and technical ability that every literate %erson can do. 6owever, Ive always been aware of the difference between writing ;that has some ind of standard=, andLor ty%ing ;the %rocess of stringing words and sentences together!=. 8ediocrity tends to be forgettable or re%laceable. 4riting thats remembered usually reKuires a combination of time, effort, blood, life, sweat, and tears. 4riting can be necessary for ones survival and sanity ;brings to mind the self5discovery L self5 awareness a %erson can undergo when they ee% a diary or blogV and how Dlisted.com ee%s things real! in the celebrity world=. 4ritings a form of eP%ression: it can clear the mind and allow a %erson to re5loo a situation with a fresh %ers%ective. 4riting is a great outlet for the Imagination7via language, dreams can become real. > %ersons ideals of beauty, truth and justice can be created and sustained via nothing but words. 4riting reflects the writer. It can show a %ersons character and mind: whether the %erson is shallowLfrivolous or dee%Linsightful, whether a %erson is scatterbrained or sensible. 4riting is how I stay connected to both myself and others. I li e my %rivacy, though I also li e to socialiNe when I feel li e it. 4riting is a way I record all my eP%eriences, so that I can learn from them and ee% challenging myself to grow and evolve as a human being along the way. I dont thin a %erson needs to have su%erb intellect or technical ability to be able to enjoy writing. ?i e tal ing, writing is a mode of communication, and without communication, human relationshi%s are heavily com%romised. Aeading and writing tend to go together too. 4riting needs to be read in order for a messageLthoughtLemotionLsentimentLconce%t to be understood. 4riting is one of the sim%lest and greatest joys in life. It can bring a little bit of heaven ;or hell, or both= onto earth. Ive always been drawn to words, and I ho%e others find the written word to be as fascinating as I do. Its magical to discover ;and re5discover= that words are words7and so much more.

Teen Guide Inter/!e6 Fatt and Jess 3o-authored the no-nonsense ad-i3e 1oo2) ?Teen Cuide to -eP and Aelationshi%s@ #!prin+ 2012&6 $his inter-iew was ori+inally posted on Bnwritten on 29 April 20126

.>S#I PAR5ER: I+1 t&r!''ed to &a/e Jess C Scott &ere todayG ta'0!n) a(o t t&e f!rst non-f!ct!on (oo0 feat red on Unwritten" A'on) 6!t& .att PosnerG 6&o I+/e &ad t&e -'eas re of !nter/!e6!n) and &ost!n) for contestsG Jess &as 6r!tten t&e Teen Guide to Sex and Relationships" Lon) a)o and far a6ayG I 6as a teena)er 1yse'fG and t&!s (oo0 1!)&t &a/e co1e !n &andyH Let+s see 6&at !t+s a'' a(o t" We'co1e to UnwrittenG Jess" F!rstG -'ease te'' s 6&at yo do 6&en yo +re not 6r!t!n) a(o t teena)e an)st" J.--: Than s for having me today, 8ysti ;and hello! to all your blog readers too=S Creat Kuestion. 4hen Im not writing about teenage angst, I guess Im writing about adult angst ;theres usually some ind of inter%lay between love and seP, thought and emotion, and other conflicting desiresLmotivations!=. .>S#I: I+1 a'6ays !nterested !n &o6 co''a(orat!ons co1e a(o t" F!rstG &o6 d!d yo 1eet .attG and 6&ere d!d t&!s !dea co1e fro1I J.--: &ac in 1232, 8att saw a message I %osted on >maNon ;I thin it was a reKuest for some %roofreaders for one of my boo s=. 4e ePchanged some emails and su%%orted each others novels in terms of cross5%romotion on our various social media %latforms. 8att and I enjoy writing in different genres ;fiction as well as non5fiction=. @ne of the genres I s%ecialiNe in is relationshi%5based erotic fiction ;where the focus isnt solely on gra%hic scenes! meant to titillate the reader=. In late 1233, 8att as ed if Id be interested in co5authoring a boo hed had on the bac 5burner for a while. 6e described it as a boo that offered straight tal about seP to teens! via both a male and a female %ers%ective on similar issues.

The conce%t was cool and sincere7Id have to be insane not to have jum%ed at the o%%ortunity to contribute to the %roject. .>S#I: I snoo-ed aro nd yo r 6e(s!teG 9essIN5 - ('!s&!n)G and see t&at t&e (oo0 !s !n a J K A for1at" 4!d yo as0 teena)ers to send !n t&e : est!ons for t&!s (oo0 or d!d yo 9 st do researc& to f!nd o t 6&at concerns teena)ers &a/e !n t&!s areaI J.--: The Kuestions are based on informal nowledge and eP%erience, with no attem%t to be %articularly scientific or thorough. 4e wanted to %rovide mostly common5sense and basic information, written for those who now very little or are confused. 4e did enlist the hel% of some teens who were ind enough to beta5read the first draft and %rovide us with some feedbac . 4e ended u% incor%orating a cou%le of Kuestions that were reKuested by the very insightful beta readers. .>S#I: I 0no6 .att !s a N>C teac&erG so &o6 (!) of a ro'e d!d &!s /ocat!on -'ay !n t&!s -ro9ectI J.--: 'es, and hes a very hardwor ing teacher. I thin his vocation was one of the motivating factors for the %roject. >s a city teacher, its tough for 8att to give straight tal about seP to teens without the ris of being accused of sePual harassment. Teachers may observe teens engaging in ris yLdangerous behavior without understanding how to handle the minefield of 13st5century seP and relationshi%s, but its difficult for teachers to directly intervene. >s a writer, though, 8att new he could still %ut his ideas out there and %otentially hel% someone. .>S#I: It+s (een a 6&!'e s!nce I+/e (een !n &!)& sc&oo'" Ha/e yo d!sco/ered t&at t&!n)s &a/e c&an)ed o/er t&e -ast t6enty years 6&en !t co1es to teena)ers and !nt!1ate re'at!ons&!-sG and !f soG &o6I J.--: I grew u% in -inga%ore and graduated from high school about ten years ago7I thin the s%eed! of life tends to increase with each new generation. There are smart %hones and an endless amount of entertainment being %roduced ;in the form of boo s, movies, music, magaNines, etc=, though I thin these things can sometimes be a form of information overload.! > %erson ;whether theyre a teenager or an adult= isnt ePactly encouraged to reflect on things or %ay attention to their emotional health, so to s%ea . )eo%le might be connected via social media and technology, but this doesnt necessarily mean the actual Kuality of their relationshi%s is better. In the long run, it is im%ortant not to sacrifice Kuality for Kuantity ;whether its with human relationshi%s or anything else in life=. .>S#I: JessG I &ate to (rea0 !t to yo G ( t no one !s !11 ne to 1y rando1 : est!onsG not e/en non-f!ct!on 6r!ters" So &ere+s yo rsG t&o )& yo 1ay f!nd !t not-so-rando1: If yo co 'd )o (ac0 and )!/e yo r teena)e se'f one -!ece of ad/!ceG 6&at 6o 'd t&at (eI J.--: Aandomness Aules ;it ee%s things fresh and interesting=. I thin Id tell my teenage self to carry on! with the way shed done everything. >s a teen, Id do whatever I was %assionate about because I li ed giving my 322X when I cared about something. Its a tradition! Im %roud to continue into my mid5twenties.

.>S#I: Last'yG 6o 'd yo )!/e s an e?cer-t fro1 t&e #een G !deI J.--: -ure7heres a short ePcer%t: Qn. Should I undergo plastic surgery to look more attracti e! "att# > girl may thin that if she has bigger breasts, boys will li e her, or that if her nose were smaller, she would be more admired. -he may thin she is ugly and that %lastic surgery is necessary to ma e her beautiful. 6owever, a genuine smile or a laugh can ma e even a relatively una%%ealing face attractive. I have met %lenty of women over the years whom I did not consider attractive but who had husbands and children. /onfidence, ha%%iness, and sincerity are attractive. &eing in good health hel%s, too. 'our %hysical loo does matter, and some girls get overloo ed while others get a lot of attention, but eventually, this always sorts itself out. Jess# ?oo s eventually fade7aging is a %art of life. @ne might s%end a lot of money andLor many hours a day ;or wee Lmonth= on loo s, but those hours are not going to hel% a %erson become a better %erson. Ive always thought that theres more to human life than ePternal loo s. @ne has a mind and %ersonality and heart to cultivate. I thin these things deserve as much, if more attention, than ones %hysical a%%earance. Just because vain and shallow values are %revalent doesnt mean theyre good values for society. >nd you dont have to buy into any message or brand or %roduct, if you decide not to. .>S#I PAR5ER: #&an0 yo /ery 1 c& for sto--!n) !nG JessG and I &o-e yo can ret rnH For /!deos and 1ore !nfor1at!on on Teen GuideG /!s!t Jess+s 6e(s!te at: &tt-:;;666"9essIN5"co1;teen) !de"&t1 88888

Se'ect!on of $t&er Boo0s (y Jess C Scott .'.?.>-6: > &?@C *@E.? #teena+e memoir M 3omin+-of-a+e M se"tin+& F:)?>' #a 3ontemporary 3o32tail of eroti3 short stories& 3: T6. I*T.A* #*oo2 81 J(ustK in the !ins0N series& ?IT.A>A' 6.A@I* #A $wili+ht %arody& )AI8>? -/A.>8 #eroti3 antholo+y602& A.>? ?@E. E-. A@8>*/. #essays& TA@B&?. #poetry 3olle3tion& *>+.D 6.>T #in3u1usMsu33u1us antholo+y& T6. @T6.A -ID. @: ?I:. #*oo2 81, 0y1erpun2 'l-en $rilo+y& &>D A@8>*/. #se-en deadly sins antholo+y& -.?: #se-en -irtues antholo+y& T..* CBID. T@ -.] 9 A.?>TI@*-6I)#3o-authored with Fatt %osner&

B$$5S (y JESS C SC$## Jess writes in a variety of genres including urban fantasy, young adult fiction, cyber%un , and %oetry. 6ere are three of her novels mentioned in the %osts in !elf-%u1lishin+ 4i5.

%* EyeLeas&: A B'o) No/e' " Aecommended for older teens. 'ye(eash ca%tures self5discovery in the 1222s, and showcases the colorful, intricate drama in two youths relentless search for themselves7and whats really in their hearts. C.*A.: *ew 8edia L )o%ular /ulture L Teenage 8emoir L /oming of >ge L Dating 9 -eP 8@A. I*:@: www.jessI*+.comLeyeleash.htm Pra!se for $ye%eash# & 'log (o el: Jess / -cott is the 13st century Judy &lume.! 7 >maNon Aeview ;unsolicited=, 1233 """

,* #&e Intern 8Boo0 L%G Sins)* Ser!es* " -core: F.G2 L G R > Aeviewer To% )ic ^ *ight @wl Aeviews &oo W3 ;?ust= in Jess / -cotts -ins2I seven deadly sins! series7a teenage version of Dirty Dan3in+ meets %un2d6 C.*A.: /ontem%orary :iction L '> with adult crossover a%%eal 8@A. I*:@: www.jessI*+.comLsins2IYlust.htm Pra!se for +# The Intern: Des%ite the Ulust #-uNie$ feels for Josh, there is a certain innocence about -uNie, which I cant hel% but li e. 4hat I li ed best about the boo was the descri%tion of the dancing. I love how Jess describes dance moves. They have been so vividly described that it was as good as watching a movie.! 7 Aeview ^ Fy (o-e Affair 4ith *oo2s """

2* #&e $t&er S!de of L!fe 8Boo0 L%G Cy,erpunk $l en Trilogy* > thieving duos world turns u%side down when an .lven rogue uncovers the heinous dealings of a megacor%oration. .lven intrigue, cyber%un action, and a deadly dose of danger come together in $he <ther !ide of (ife #&oo W3 in the ;/yber%un = .lven Trilogy$. C.*A.: Brban :antasy L /yber%un 8@A. I*:@: www.jessI*+.comLtosol.htm Pra!se for The -ther Side o. %i.e: I have to honestly say I was %leasantly sur%rised by $he <ther !ide of (ife. *ot only was it ePtremely well edited, but the %lot was more well written than some house %ublished boo s Ive read. Truly, this was an incredible fantasy novel and a series Im ho%ing Jess / -cott ee%s u% with, because shes obviously ePtremely talented.! 7 Aeview ^ $heres A *oo2 """

The Cy,erpunk $l en Trilogy &oo I: The @ther -ide of ?ife. )ublished 1233. &oo II: The Dar er -ide of ?ife. /oming -ummer 1231. &oo III: The >rcane -ide of ?ife. /oming -ummer 1231. >lso chec out Jesss freebie short story for animal lovers, !2ins, featuring ?aer the dar elf ;)C53DV brief mention of non5gra%hic nudity=.

Bestse''erBo nd

*estseller*ound is an indie collective created by sus%ense novelist, Darcia 6elle. >s a member of &s&, I can tell you its a vibrant writing community where indie writers can contribute to short story anthologies and moreS I was the last %erson to contribute to &s& >nthology Eolume D ;I sent my story in at the last minuteO=. 6eres an ePcer%t from my review on &s& >nthology Eolume 1: This anthology features tight writing and each authors style is given the freedom to shine. @ne of the things I li ed most about all the stories is that they all show a genuine care for character develo%ment, which is refreshing ;a lot of commercial fiction tends to be heavily %lot5driven, with less em%hasis on de%th and insight=. . .! /hec out &s& if youd li e to meet a friendly, motivated grou% of indie authors := 4ebsite: www.bestsellerbound.com

5!nd'e A''-Stars

The +indle >ll5-tars ;+>-= )roject is the brainchild of eboo author &ernard J. -chaffer. The intent of +>- is to unite a grou% of authors from different genres in various stages of their careers to %rove one thing: there are Kuality eboo s to be found at affordable %rices. +>- wants to dis%rove the theory that great writing can only be found in %rint via large %ublishing houses. +>- is honored to say that their list of authors includes two living legends of s%eculative fiction: 6arlan .llison and >lan Dean :oster. 4ebsite: www.faceboo .comL+indle>ll-tars

A t&or B!o M Jess C Scott: Jess is an authorLartistLnon5conformist whos dedicated to writing original stories that are both meaningful and entertaining. Jess holds an .nglishL&usiness degree from >dams -tate /ollege. 6er literary wor has been featured in a diverse range of %ublications, such as /$0G Fa+a5ine, $he *attered !uit3ase, BB 4ords, and 4ord Riot. 8ost of Jesss wor is fueled by an intense drive to ins%ire others to favor socialLs%iritual values over shallow values. Jess is also the founder of jessI*+, an innovative %ublishing com%any that focuses on substance over short5term success with current fads and mar eting hy%e. Connect 6!t& Jess $n'!ne: :aceboo : ;www.faceboo .comLjesscscott= Twitter: ;www.twitter.comLjesscscott= 4ebsite: ;www.jessI*+.com= .5mail: missfey^gmail.com