Introducing Mo Rhys

The GenZ Podcast with E.A. Stripling

We have a new episode of the GenZ Podcast out with special guest, actress and author E.A. Stripling.

Stripling wrote the “Internal Conflict” series.

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GenZ Podcast with AJ Wilcox

On today’s episode, Morissa interviews AJ Wilcox, speaker, LinkedIn marketing expert and founder of b2linked.com/.

They speak about entrepreneurship, hard work, and thinking innovatively.

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10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About the Publishing Industry

When it comes to the publishing industry, I have pretty much seen it all: self-publishing, traditional publishing, and everything in between. I self-published my first book in high school, had a book traditionally published in college, and started my own publishing company in grad school. I think about how much I didn’t know about the industry when I was just a starry-eyed high schooler writing a book, and when I talk to people about publishing now, there are misconceptions about the industry I hear over and over.

1. There are usually between 600,000 and 1,000,000 book published per year in the US. Yes, that’s a lot of books. And that number keeps growing. Because of the ease of self-publishing allowing more authors to share their work and new niches and topics to write about all the time, there is a big market for book publishing. Also, of course, the internet has been a tremendous help in helping people to connect with publishers or learn about the publishing industry on their own to get their books out there.

Of course this means that there is big competition for authors, which brings us to the next pointl…

2. You Probably Won’t Sell a Million Copies unless you’re a Kardashian or Trump or some other non-authory celebrity. The point is new authors so rarely make that million books sold mark that it is like winning the lottery. That is why book sales are really not the best marker to determining an author’s success. Instead, book reviews are a better indicator. Amazon has been doing a good job of keeping phoney reviews out of their website, going so far as to actually sue those who were being paid to review books. While not all book reviews are created (they are based on someone’s opinion), if a book has some good reviews on Amazon, that is a pretty good indicator that it is a good book.

3. Being Published Doesn’t Automatically Make You Famous.

As you may have guessed by the stats of just how many people publish books per year, being an author does not equate to fame. I learned the hard way. I self-published a book in high school, and when the paparazzi didn’t start stalking me, I just assumed that it was because I was self-published, and there is a stigma around self-publishing. So, I wrote a new book and started sending queries to publishing houses. When my book was picked up by one, I figured this was my big break. Again, no dice. At least not in the earth shattering can’t walk down the street sort of fame people imagine authors having. I did get to be in some newspapers and magazines and do readings at Barnes & Noble, so that is a nice mini taste of ‘the good life.’ If authors are prepared realistically about their chances of fame (which are slim to none) they will really appreciate the smaller things (like local readings and signings or when someone actually Tweets about your book.)

4. You Probably Won’t Be Published by the Big Four book publishers. And even if you are, if you’re not famous, you’re probably not going to have a bestseller.

The big four are so selective. They’re like ivy league colleges, only there’s a lot more competition and it’s even tougher to get in. An agent can help, but you really need to have a large following on social media and be pretty notable. These companies have different tiers of authors and if you are a new author who is lucky enough to be published, you won’t get the same treatment as big name authors. You will have to do a lot of work and promotion yourself, because having that publisher’s big name behind you is your reward. Oh, and about author advances, you probably won’t get one.

5. Books Aren’t Dying.

Don’t believe everything that you read. Contrary to what some will have you believe, the book industry is not dying. It is changing, but not dying. There may not be as many brick and mortar bookstore, but that doesn’t mean that people aren’t reading books. In fact, more people read today than ever.

6. Self-Publishing is Not Ruining the Publishing industry.But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a stigma attached to it. Don’t let that discourage you, though, because there are many quality self-published books.

Self-publishing is introducing more and more people to the literary world. That is bringing more books of varied topics to the world and spreading many new ideas not previously talked about. It’s actually pretty incredible to think just how amazing all these new ideas are and how they are shaping the world, especially through their ease of sharing online.

7. The Publishing Industry Unveils More New Products than Any Other Industry Every Year.

You probably don’t think of it, but every book is a product. It must be designed, produced, manufactured, delivered…they are products like any other. Can you imagine if there were 600,000–1,000,000 new models of cars released in the US every year? I don’t think we would have room for them.

8. E-books are Not Replacing Paperback Books.

There are two types of people: eBook readers and paperback readers…or are there? Many readers like to use both. eBooks are great when you are traveling and do not want to carry an obscene amount of books, but can anything ever really compare to the sweet smell of a nice paperback? For a while, eBooks were looking like they were going to outdo paperbacks, but that trend seems to be reversing, as the two forms are now pretty well matched.

9. Book Publishers are Not Publicists.

Back in the pre-Internet era, a lot of publishers would do a lot of publicity for authors, and they still do. BUT now it is also on the author to get publicity and promote themselves. Most authors become their own brand-like entity, forming powerful social media personalities and promoting that way. That is something a publisher, no matter how good, just could not do for an author. Heck, some authors are even known to hire their own publicist in addition to their publisher. But the publisher does give something self-publishing does not provide: notoriety.

10. There are Many Ways to Write and Publish a Book.There’s not just self-publishing. There’s not just big four publishing. There are also indie publishers (like GenZ Publishing), where you get the best of both worlds of self publishing and big publishing. See, with an indie publisher, you have more creative control than you do at a big publisher, and the avoidance of being labeled a self-published author. With an indie publisher you are a published author.

By Morissa Schwartz

Morissa Schwartz is owner of GenZ Publishing (GenZPublishing.org). She is an author, Guinness World Record Breaker, singer, and proud semi-colon supporter. Morissa has a website at MorissaSchwartz.com. You can follower her on Twitter @MorissaSchwartz and on Instagram atMorissa_Schwartz.

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Awaken Your Creativity

Morissa gives some practical tips and prompts on staying creative.

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GenZ Publishing

Morissa’s publishing company, GenZ Publishing is still accepting submissions from talented new writers. Submit your book to http://ift.tt/1O22NPH

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A Special Message from Morissa About GenZ

“Last June, after graduating from Drew University, I was all set to begin my life as a grad student at NYU. I had my acceptance letter in hand when I decided that this was not actually the school for me. It was time for a new plan.

I was in the process of having VIP Ink Publishing publish my book, but at the same time, I saw so many young writers and students with talent not getting the recognition that they deserved. I realized how difficult it is for new and young writers to be published. And thus, GenZ Publishing was born.

I started writing up my business plan. I showed it to my father (Leon), an entrepreneur himself, who encouraged me more than anyone could possibly dream. He gave me advice and steered me in the right direction. I kept planning my business for months, while I began graduate study at Monmouth University. Then, VIP Ink released my book, and it became a bestseller. That reinforcement reignited my need to help other talented new writers get published.

I officially launched GenZ on November 23. I had no marketing budget or allowance. I only had my work ethic. I began promoting my new company via social media. I would often stay up until 4am, trying to find the perfect new writers for my company and ways to make GenZ a success.

Then, in December, I received an email from Kevin W. Peery who had written an incredible poetry book. I was a huge fan of Mr. Peery’s music (If you haven’t heard “Life’s Too Short,” you’re really missing out) and decided that he would be GenZ’s first published author. I am so glad I did.

Mr. Peery’s book is now in the top 10 of Amazon’s Hot New Releases for American Poetry, and I could not be prouder.

The past couple months have felt like years in how quickly GenZ has grown. We now have twelve signed authors and have gotten dozens of query letters in the past few weeks. The authors have formed an amazing community and are such talented and kind individuals. We are publishing everything from supernatural thriller to autobiographical inspirational books to YA sci-fi.

GenZ has grown so quickly to become something even better than I could have possibly imagined. I am so thankful and cannot wait to see what happens next.”

Filed under: Blog, Fiverr, Writer, writing

NextStep Magazine Remember When

This article came out about Morissa four years ago in Next Step Magazine. Things sure have changed, but she still retains that positive attitude and tenacity.

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“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” The Interview

Read the always awesome interview with David Hornsby (Cricket) that Morissa conducted here.

 

Filed under: Blog, EW, Performer, writing

The Voice of Generation Z

Filed under: Blog, Blog, editor, Fiverr, MTV Copycat, Performer, Singer, Writer, writing

Look

"It's not what you look at that matters. It's what you see." That is one of my favorite Thoreau quotes. It's all about perspective. Appreciate the positive aspects of everything.

And that's why I love Long Live The Internet. It's is a blog written by two guys from Miami who share their stories about building online businesses. They help beginners get started with starting their first online business and do an amazing job of walking you through things step by step. They are authors of the best seller "How To Start an Online Store" and offer a free crash course for starting an online store. If you are thinking about getting out of your job or starting an online business on the side you should take a look at http://www.longlivetheinternet.com.

Comments and Suggestions

Hi readers! It is almost time to start celebrating the one year anniversary of My Neon Green Notebook!

Sharing my favorite parts of my notebook with you has been a blast, and I hope to keep this blog growing. But I need your help.

Comment. Let me know what you love and what you'd like to see more of. And most importantly, spread the word!

I Before E

So 932 words break the I before E rule. And how many do you think follow it? Ready for this: 44. Talk about an exception to the rule...the rule is the exception in this case!

What's your favorite odd grammar fact? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter: @Feefeertr