Writing / Publishing

Yes, another 7am morning because I was so enjoying working on my 1773 Connecticut Colonial America story. I grew up in Connecticut and adore its landscapes.

I love history, too, and this is one of my favorite time periods.

It’s a perfect melding of my interests.

You guys are waking up as I head to sleep. I hope you have a delightful day!

Yup it’s my weekly Monday Zoom writing workshop at 7pm EST! Coming up in a half hour.

We cover writing, publishing, marketing, drawing in authentic positive reviews, and much, much more.

Let me know if you’re interested in joining us!

What are you guys up to this fine evening?

Hurrah! I just found a narrator for my story set in Korea, featuring a Navajo heroine. So happy!

I also finished writing a novella set in the colonial copper mines. Progress is being made!

How are you doing this fine Friday evening?

Many authors write under pen names for a variety of reasons. It makes sense, if your book is published under a pen name, that you’ll want your audiobook to be published under that same pen name.

First, let’s be clear. A pen name CAN file for a copyright. That is fine. Many authors do that. Even if you choose to file through the US Copyright Office, to get that extra protection, their forms have the ability to handle a pen name field. You can be wholly protected and shielded. Nobody will ever know the actual person who wrote that work.

But if you head down this path you should have some sort of legal protection.

Somehow you need to establish that you, Lisa Shea, are also writing under your pen name, XXXX YYYYYY. Otherwise, let’s say you choose the pen name Stephen King before he becomes popular. Now he becomes popular and your works are “claimed” by him. How do you have recourse? How do you prove that you were actually using that pen name first and you own the rights to those works you wrote?

These are all issues to work out before you get to the audio book stage, of course. But if you haven’t resolved them yet, now is the time to get them under control. Chat with a lawyer.

In any case, know that whether you use ACX or any other system, you should be able to just make ONE account. You create your personal account for you as a person. Then you load in books for whatever pen names you write under. The system will be able to distinguish between whichever names you want to claim them under.

It’s up to you to remember, as you fill in the fields, that you put in the correct values for the book you’re setting up. If you end up putting your real name into all the fields that go along with your pen name book, then that will be shown to the world.

Always be attentive when filling in fields.

Hurrah! I’ve found a narrator for my Cinderella / Snow White / etc. series! She’ll be starting up soon. I’m so happy!

Guess that means I have to get going on the Sleeping Beauty tale.

I’ve spent all day writing about copper mines though :).

What are you up to today?

Hurrah! I think I’ve found the narrator to read my 31-part time travel series! Elizabeth and Robert are reborn during the Civil War, in feudal Japan, during the Trail of Tears, at the Library of Alexandria, and more. Fate tosses them together and rips them apart.

So happy this is getting done.

What are you guys up to today?

Here’s the link to try book 1 for free! 

Hurrah! Bob and I had an absolutely amazing time today researching the Newgate copper mines / prison. It was a powerful experience to be there.

NOTHING was flat or level. The “ground” was tilted, sloped, twisting, bumpy, so you were always walking at an angle or changing tilt from step to step. This played with our minds enough just for the half hour we were down there – imagine that being your world for months? It would absolutely mess your head up.

What were you up to today?

Hurrah! I found an awesome narrator for my pixie series. It’s set here in Whitinsville.

If you’re an author, you NEED to create audio versions of your books. Even the short ones. It lets you reach a massive new audience, and it also causes your existing versions (ebook, print, etc) to gain a more professional aura.

Do you guys listen to audio books?

If you’re an author, are your works available as audio books?

I recently finished proof-listening to the narration for book 1 in my four-part science fiction romance. The narrator did an AMAZING job. I got so sucked into my own story that I then had to re-read books 2-4 to finish it off. Ah, the challenges of being a writer :). Do you binge-read books once you get started in a storyline?

Book 1 in this series is FREE for you to read and enjoy! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.