Thursday, June 8, 2017
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
One Year of GenZ Publishing
Press release from GenZ:
Aberdeen, NJ November 8, 2016: GenZ Publishing is clearly the fastest growing publisher of 2016!
Having published over thirty books (four of them topping the Amazon bestseller list) and mentoring dozens of new and innovative authors, GenZ is turning the literary publishing world upside down. This past year has been a whirlwind success, and there is no telling what will come next for this publishing startup.
Morissa Schwartz, bestselling author and literary whiz, founded GenZ Publishing after determining that there was a need for more new, young, and innovative voices in literature. Her vision was to shake up the industry by finding the very best talent and showcasing their work in trendy, new ways. She wrote her business plan for GenZ Publishing just four days after she graduated college, and the rest is history. Morissa said in a statement on her website MorissaSchwartz.com, “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.” Through perseverance and hard work, Schwartz has found many talented authors with just as much drive, motivation, and work ethic. “It is definitely a team effort,” Schwartz explained.
GenZ publishes books in many genres, so long as the work is innovative, positive, and forward thinking to stay with GenZ’s mission of being ‘publishing of the future.’ The company’s first book release, TALES OF A RECEDING HAIRLINE by K.W. Peery, was ranked #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases List and is being heavily praised by critics for its prolific prose. Mr. Peery’s follow-up, PURGATORY, also hit #1 on the charts. GenZ and Mr. Peery are currently working on their third collaboration due out in 2017. Other popular titles from GenZ Have included young adult romance novel LEARNING TO FLY, an exploration of the trials and tribulations of a military family THE TIES THAT BIND, and psychological thriller A CONFESSION. Additionally, a sequel to mystery thriller, AN HOUR FOR MAGIC, titled Hollow be Thy Name is due out in early 2017.
GenZ celebrated the anniversary with a 45-minute-long video and podcast episode about the past year.
About GenZ™ Publishing from GenZPublishing.org
GenZ™ is on a mission to improve the world one word at a time. That is why we are the place for voices to be heard in a way not previously done in print and on digital media.
We know from experience that building a portfolio can be difficult for writers and artists. Starting a long term career is even tougher. It can be most trying on the young people who are just getting into writing, journalism, and the workforce. Whether these young people are applying to college, graduate school, or a job, having a standout sample of their work is necessary. Being published is difficult without an agent or the establishment that comes with age and having work recognized in a sea of so many writers can be the most challenging.
GenZ™ Publishing provides new writers the opportunity to have their books published that can be shared with friends, family, prospective employers, fans, and readers alike. When they have a book published, it is their way of proving to the world what they can do and how the new generation will change the way the world is looked at.
- To learn more email editor@GenZPublishing.org
Filed under: editor, Media Appearances, Read Now, writing
Monday, October 3, 2016
Advice for Freelancers
Filed under: editor, Media Appearances
Friday, September 9, 2016
Things You Probably Didn’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.
Filed under: editor, Read Now, writing
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
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.
Sources:
Filed under: Blog, editor, Entertaintment Weekly Community, Read Now
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Fiverr Feature
Read about the journey from freelancing college student to GenZ founder here.
Filed under: editor, Media Appearances
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
The Gig Economy
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
The Importance of Copyediting Quality Content
Media is changing our language, and it is up to us to preserve it. Take it from me, a proud advocate of and for generation Z and young millennials. There are so many news reports and articles about how our language is changing “for the worse.” However, with a proactive approach, we can be sure that it progresses for the better. We can use new media to share our innovative ideas through carefully crafted words.
The internet has allowed many people who would have never written in a public forum to share their ideas with the masses. This means that we are connected with writers’ words from around the world. The very idea that I can read a guide about meditation by a writer from Africa, a paranormal romance book by an independent author residing in the UK, and an eBook about vampires by a young author in New York City (all books that I did read this week) is a truly magical idea that our ancestors could have never dreamed of. The ease of finding such varied topics written by authors of all nations is a great opportunity to create a smarter, more well-rounded, and more connected society. However, without properly curated content, this will not be possible.
My concern and the concern of many copyeditors is the ease of sending and receiving this information, which causes the quality of some content to decline. It is all too easy to publish a work with errors. I see many “they’re” and “their” mix-ups, incorrect adverb usage, and careless misspellings on a daily basis that could have been easily avoided with just a bit more time and attention to the work. I cite this as proof of how we must be more careful when crafting our content and why copyeditng is crucial.
Copyediting is more important than ever. Instead of information overload and saturation, if we put more thought into what was released, we would all benefit from the higher quality of content. Copyediting is a crucial step in the process of releasing the best content possible, and there are many talented copyeditors who are dedicated to working diligently on such content. Technology has afforded more people the opportunity to copyedit because of this increase in online materials and ease of connecting with others. I began freelance copyediting when I was still in high school. Each essay and article I copyedited varied in topic, and I would help the authors shape their works into something that would add societal value. When a work is free of errors, it appeals to the reader, unlike works with blatant errors that negate an author’s intentions.
The future of language is still evolving. As the Internet and technology develop, so will our communication. We must be more mindful of the information we release, as to preserve the English language. This means that copyediting is more important than ever. It is only through the thoughtfulness of copyediting that we can release our best work.
Filed under: editor, Writer, writing
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Writing Advice: Be Not Afraid
GenZ Publishing Founder gives advice to writers about being unafraid in their writing. More advice can be found in Morissa’s book, Writing for the New Generation” here, FREE for Kindle Unlimited.
Visit GenZPublishing.org for more information on GenZ.
Filed under: Contests, editor, Performer, Writer, writing
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Giving Back to the Community
Morissa has partnered with the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University to give back to the coastal community in NJ. Her project aims to bring communities closer together while maintaining an eco-friendly lifestyle. Read more about her project here.
Filed under: Contests, editor, Fiverr, MTV Copycat, Performer
Friday, January 22, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
New 2016 Releases
The new year is bringing some great talent to you. Morissa’s publishing company, GenZ Publishing, is preparing for the release of some great books in the beginning of the new year. Learn more about them here.
From GenZ Publishing:
- R.J. Rogue will thrill you with this new spin on vampires in Evanescence, a book about a late-blooming vampire from New York named Evan, Macrae who has trouble accepting his reality. It is a supernatural, yet relatable novel that you won’t be able to put down.
- Learn about growing up and how to get through even the toughest of times with K.W. Perry’s poetry collection, Tales of a Receding Hairline.Perry is a prolific musician, and his book of poetry is just as enthralling.
- Thinking about writing a book? How about getting your writing published? Have you fallen victim to writer’s block? Then, the new bookWriting for the New Generation by GenZ Publishing founder and ‘Voice of Generation Z,’ Morissa Schwartz is the book for all you writers out there.
Filed under: editor, Performer, Writer
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