What We Can Do For You

I know from experience that it is not easy to write a book and even harder to get published.

I also know that once you’ve achieved publication, it gets easier and easier to get published again.

This happens for two reasons:
First, you will have honed your skills and be writing up to publishable standards by the time this happens..

Second, agents and editors recognize your skill through your published credits.

So the big questions are, how can you know when you’ve arrived at a publishable level, and how do you then determine the best publishing route for your works?

A critique of your work by a knowledgeable professional in publishing will answer your questions. A good critique will tell you if your work is up to publishable standards, and will even inform you about the size of the market for your work -which will, in turn, point you to either a large publishing company, a midsize to small niche publisher, or self-publishing. This information will save you immeasurable time, expense and heartache. It will help you avoid pointless submissions and the pain and discouragement of rejection letters.

We at A Cappela Publishing aim at helping you over all these hurdles - through books, CDs and classes to hone your skills; through professional critiques, and through book packaging (designing, printing and marketing of your work)----------------------------Where are you in your efforts to get published? Check out our website (www.acappela.com) and learn more about how we can help.

Want To Be A Published Author?

Writing well enough to get published is a skill, an art – something that requires perseverance hard work. Saying that everyone is good enough is like saying that everyone can compete in the Olympics. Those that get published have reached a skill level that is derived from taking classes; many many hours of writing and then submitting their writings to a qualified person for a critique. This doesn’t mean that those friendly folks in your writing group are qualified
A qualified person will be someone within the publishing industry who understands what editors (and ultimately readers) are looking for. This someone will understand the current tastes of the market as well as the size of the market for your particular offering.

Getting such a critique can inform you of your chances of being accepted by a publishing house and whether your best bet is one of the larger houses or a midsize to small house. A qualified assessor of your works can also tell you if your material is good but only for a niche market - in which case your best option is to self-publish.

In today’s publishing world, self-publishing is no longer the same as vanity publishing, which ignores quality of writing in favor of getting your work out there, between the covers of a printed book . And it makes sense, since publishing houses now expect authors to provide much of the marketing for their books. Self-publishers also have the advantage of being able to keep 80% of their books’ profits, as opposed to the typical 10% advance on royalties of the first printing offered by publishing houses. There are many roads to being a published author, and it makes good sense to get an expert opinion on your work to move you in the right direction with your works.

Our goal at A Cappela Publishing is to help authors achieve successful publication. We can work with you at any stage of the writing process to steer you in the right direction. Get in touch.

New Services

Publisher Adds Ghostwriting Services

Publishing success today depends on a sophisticated meshing of writing skills, publishing know-how, and an awareness of today’s marketing realities – a combination few self-publishing authors possess. "The success of our book packaging has led to the expansion of our arsenal of book and manuscript development services for self-publishing authors," announces Patrika Vaughn, CEO of A Cappela Publishing.

Ghostwriting is finding a new niche in the growing self-publishing market . For self-publishing authors, ghostwriting can fulfill the role of acquisition editor, content developer and partner. Unlike traditional publishing, the self-publishing author will remain in the driver’s seat through the process with the ghostwriter working to develop direction, based on the best interest of the author.

Ghostwriting functions as a collaborative effort between the self-publishing author and an experienced professional ghostwriter. Ghostwriting services run the gamut from preliminary conceptualization to complete manuscript composition, to helping overcome writer’s block and putting the finishing touches on a nearly finished manuscript.
A Cappela’s ghostwriting services begin with the signing of the publishing contract, following an initial consultation between the author and ghostwriter to determine the project’s direction, timeframe and scope. Final cost estimation of ghostwriting services follow.

"Ghostwriting is just one of our initiatives to help authors become as successful as possible," says Vaughn. "Whether the book is a memoir or one that proves expertise in your profession, it needs the services of a publishing group that knows its way around today’s publishing realities.".
To learn how A Cappela Publishing can help make your book a reality, go to www.acappela.com/ah.htm

Now is the time, writers!

This is the time to be thinking long term for publicity that will fit in with holiday themes. Most monthly magazines work four to six months or more out so if your title has an angle that fits with Thanksgiving or Christmas, now is the right time to send out your queries


Getting booked to talk about your book on TV doesn't have to be as difficult as some authors make it. Here are some tips for becoming a guest:
1) Be Timely. Study the news and if your book ties in with any of it, send out your proposal/query.
2) Choose the right show. Watch the show;do they interview authors? Feature books? Don't pick up the phone or send a news release to the producer until you know.
3) Be charming and brief. Producers are busy. Don't waste their time.
4) Write a headline for your news releases that reads like a newspaper headline. then give the who-what-where-when.
5) Wait for a slow news day. The holidays are the slowest news times of year, when reporters are scrambling to find something to cover. Pitch even an average story on a day when the media is starving for news and you're much more likely to get coverage.Get more information at http://www.acappela.com/

WRITING TIP The best way to write effectively, regardless of your purpose, is to write economically. Every word that doesn't suit your purpose must go away. For me, that translates into a savings of between 16,000 and 20,000 words between the first and second drafts of a novel. Every time you use a big word and a smaller word will do, you're better off with the smaller word. Simpler is better.

Hi

My mission statement is to help new voices achieve publication. To do that, I've created the one-stop-shop for authors that can make it happen.

Getting published is getting more and more complicated. It's also getting more competitive, and that's why it's critical that you (or someone on your team) understands all parts of the business. I can help you do that --
1) through my free newsletter for writers (sign up at http://www.acappub@aol.com/).
2) through online classes aimed at those aspects you need help with
3) through consults or critiques that tell you if your work is ready for publication or, if not, what it needs
4) and finally, once you have a publishable manuscript, we can turn it into a published book and do the promoting and marketing on it.

You choose the help you need. We provide it. Check us out at http://www.acappela.com/.
My best,
Patrika Vaughn

I'm a wordsmith so I'm always interested in our changing, evolving language.

--Subprime (1995) 1: having or being an interest rate that is higher than a prime rate and is extended especially to low-income borrowers; 2: extending or obtaining a subprime loan.

--Supercross (1983): motorcycle race held in a stadium on a dirt track having hairpin turns and high jumps.

--Texas Hold 'em (1995): Poker in which each player is dealt two cards face down and all players share five cards dealt face-up.

--Webinar (1998): live, online educational presentation during which participating viewers can submit questions and comments.

--Wing nut (circa 1900): Slang: one who advocates extreme measures or changes; radical.

GHOSTWRITER

Everyone has a story to tell, but few have the time, patience, inclination or skill to produce a compelling script. Perhaps you've had an experience you'd like to write about? Maybe a family saga to preserve for your children or grandchildren? Writing a book has been the dream of many, but the actual labor seems daunting and the job never gets started. Organizing the material, correcting the spelling and grammar, and making it readable just seems like too much work. Perhaps I can help. I've worked closely with authors of all types, with more than 50 million copies in print, and I've been able to provide my services to a wide range of individuals with varying needs. All of my assignments have been handled with total confidentiality and care. I prefer to work from your manuscript and build from your initial efforts, even though I've worked from taped interviews in the past. I will then rewrite, edit it for flow (the words remain your own) and enhance the scenes and characters from my research and imagination. You will then be presented with a chapter by chapter rough draft, which you will check for accuracy of content. It may also spark some new memories, or ideas, which would be great! I can add them to the manuscript.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
The cost of writing is difficult to estimate, as every project is unique. The price will depend, among other things, on the subject matter, the type of story required, and research material available. My fee is $60.00 an hour, and the average cost of most projects will be between $5,000 and $10,000. I also require an advance payment of $1200.00 to cover the first 20 hours of my work, and this advance also reserves a place for you on my waiting list. Providing a professional service means that I charge a fee for every piece of work undertaken. I cannot accept work unless I'm going to be paid for my time and effort. Writing projects must be paid for before the completed work is handed over to the client. It is impracticable and legally complicated for me to accept payment by way of percentage of future profits from any commercial project, and so I only work on a fee basis. Ghostwriting, which for my own reasons I undertake entirely and solely on the basis of work-for-hire, is done with absolutely no claim to copyright. You will own the final document outright, and I will in no way and at no time divulge my role in the creation of the manuscript. If you have a great idea for a novel, memoir, or nonfiction book--spend a moment thinking about the time and effort involved in preparing the piece. If you don't have the funds to cover even a deposit, then you may want to take a step back and reexamine your options.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
The time required depends on several factors, including the length of the book, the amount of research required and the availability of source materials. Work may be done via email, regular mail, telephone, or meeting with the client. I carry out research in libraries, archives, computerized databases and the Internet to support the theme in the project. It normally takes three to four months to edit, four to five months to rewrite, or six to seven months to ghostwrite a 250-page nonfiction book or a 350-page novel.
HOW AND WHEN DO YOU PAY FOR THE WORK?
After the deposit, you will be presented with product as each chapter (or segment) is completed. Any changes that you deem necessary will be made at this time, and you will be informed of the balance remaining from your last payment. You may cancel the work at anytime. All fees paid or due as of the "kill date" are non-refundable. I suggest you e-mail me at acappub@aol.com and we can start defining the project, and at this point I will advise if I'm interested, and when I'll be available. There is no charge for the initial consultation. We'll agree in advance whether you have the right to dictate changes of substance or style, and I'll have a reasonable chance to cure any problems. I will work with you and collaborate in every reasonable way, but I cannot guarantee that a publisher will buy any specific piece of work. At any time, if you aren't satisfied, you can remove me from the project, and I'll keep the money for the stages I've completed up to that point. I realize that the process of writing/ghostwriting a book seems complicated and confusing, most clients have many questions about the process, but I am here to answer yours at any time. I look forward to discussing your project with you soon.
Patrika Vaughn
A Cappela Publishing
www.acappela.com

TIP

IS YOUR WRITING ANY GOOD?
FIND OUT WITH A PROFESSIONAL CRITIQUE

I'll let you know if your work is up to publishable standards.
If it isn't, let a publisher tell you what it needs.
www.acappela.com/critiques.com


Writing TIP: At some point in your plotting, ask yourself what is the lesson or insight - the new way of seeing things - that you want the reader to glean. This is your theme.

New Words to use this week!

--Prosecco (1881): a dry Italian sparkling wine.

--Racino (1995): racetrack at which slot machines are available for gamblers.

--Soju (1978): a Korean vodka distilled from rice.

Fiction Guidelines

Since it helps to know what you're offering before you actually approach markets here's a quick list of lengths for the various types of fiction. If you aren't sure what kind of fiction you've been writing, here are the word count guidelines to help you figure it out.

* Up to 1,000 words -- short-short story, flash fiction or vignette
* 1,000 to 6,000 words -- short story
* 6,000 to 15,000 words -- long story or novelette
* 45,000 to 120,000 words -- novel (though most commonly 50,000-80,000 words)

Anything more than 120,000 words will probably need to be broken up into a series of books or condensed.

Novels tend to be published by book publishers originally, though excerpts can be sold to magazines. Short-shorts, flash fiction, vignettes, and short stories are usually sold first in magazines--with the possibility of releasing a collection in book form after several have been published.

Long stories, novelettes, and novellas can be tougher to place, but the norm is for them to originally appear in magazines or collections of short fiction.