About rjmoan


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rjmoan has written 5 articles so far, you can find them below.


About Us

Filed under Uncategorized by on February 25, 2012 at 1:22 am {no comments}

 

Inspirí Press is a publishing company that specializes in spiritual entertainment. The name comes from the Latin root for inspiration: “inspirare.” It’s also a word currently in use in Italian that means “to breathe in,” so literally “to inspire.”

Have you ever read a book, loved it, and wished there was an easy way to read more books like it? But not necessarily by the same author? Us too! That’s why we created Inspirí Press. We’re committed to publishing entertainment that’s inspirational and uplifting. Memoirs, poetry books, graphic novels, kids books, you name it. As long as it meets our submission guidelines we’re interested.

You can contact us via e-mail at rebekah@inspiripress dot com or via telephone: 415-857-4677. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Submission Guidelines

Filed under submission guidelines by on January 13, 2012 at 12:00 am {no comments}

In order to be considered for publication with Inspirí Press, the work must be inspirational and uplifting. That means it:

  • Portrays human nature 
  • Feels expansive 
  • Indicates progress in at least the mental and spiritual spheres ­
  • Ultimately uplifts

If you need more information, direct your questions to submissions@inspiripress dot com.

If you think you meet these criteria, please send the first three chapters or first 75 pages (whichever is fewer) via e-mail to: submissions@inspiripress dot com. We also ask that you include a book proposal. Even if you’re doing assisted self-publishing, it will help when it comes time to market the book. Specifically we want:

  • A brief synopsis of what the work is about. Three paragraphs or fewer will suffice.
  • The hook. In one sentence, why would people want to read the book?
  • Since we only want the first 75 pages, describe what will be contained in the rest of the book.
  • How long will the work be and when will it be finished (if it’s not already)?
  • The market. Who will want to read the book? Who will be the primary audience? Who will be the secondary audience?
  • Promotion. What will you do to promote your work? How do you plan to get the word out?
  • Competing books. What are the titles of books similar to yours? How is your work different from the competition? What can you offer the competition does not?
  • Tell us about yourself. What are your credentials related to your book? Have you won any awards for writing? What makes you the best person to write this work?

In addition, the work must be 1.5 spaced, in 11 pt font and with numbered pages. Large files may be sent via Yousendit. If you’d rather, you can mail us your manuscript via media mail. Contact us for the address.

E-mail again is submissions@inspiripress dot com.

(Please note, your manuscript may or may not be returned. If your heart’s set on getting it back, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.)

Lastly, make sure you include in your submission a way for us to contact you! If you meet our criteria, we’ll be in touch. We look forward to reading your work.

Note: Image on the homepage is courtesy of Anankkml / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Assisted Self-Publishing

Filed under Uncategorized by on November 14, 2011 at 9:08 pm {no comments}

So you want to be an author (or perhaps you already are)! Congrats! Maybe you’re drawn to self-publishing because you’ve done your research and you know a traditional publisher will give you 10% of the sales on your book if you’re lucky. Or you’ve had a bad experience because your publisher made you change your title and called all the shots, yet they’re the ones that made all the money off of your book. (I mean, I understand why, they’re the ones who invested all the money into getting it published so of course they’ll want to get a return on their investment. I just think there are different ways to accomplish the same task, like co-publishing.) Given all this you’ve decided to self-publish.

Consider this. If you self-publish you and you alone are responsible for:

  • Finding a good editor
  • Locating a graphic designer who specializes in typesetting
  • Picking a cover that will not only look good but move your title
  •  Purchasing the ISBN
  • Submitting the copyright
  • Partnering with a print-on-demand company
  • Marketing and advertising your book
  • And more

On paper it may not look like much, but as someone who just published her own book, I can tell you there was many a time I wished I had help. Someone I could turn to and say, “What do you think of this font choice for the cover?” or “Do you think I need to flesh out this paragraph?” Not to mention someone else willing to sell my book. It’s tough man. People talk about self-publishing as if it were the easiest, best thing in the world, but it’s not. It’s a lot of fumbling around, crossing your fingers, praying you made the right decision because you actually have no idea what you’re doing. That’s fine for some people who don’t mind spend hours researching or who are super confident in their decisions, but what about everyone else?

I present to you: assisted self-publishing! Again, if you’ve poked around on the Internet you’ve likely come across some information about vanity publishers, who some people call scam artists. I am NOT a vanity publisher. Here’s why:

  • YOU own the ISBN. You. Which makes you the publisher.
  • I don’t make a cent off of the sales of your book.
  • I have submission guidelines because I only want to be associated with certain kinds of books.
  • You own all the rights to your book. Want to pitch your book to a publisher? Go ahead.
  • You pay me at cost plus for my time. For instance, it costs $35 to electronically copyright a book. If you don’t want to bother with filling out the form (which I completely understand because there are a LOT of questions) you can pay me $50.
  • You only pay for the services you require. You don’t want me to copyright your book? You don’t have to pay me for it.

If you paid for everything it would cost about $7,000 but we can talk about what services you’d like and which you wouldn’t. Contact me for more information. I look forward to hearing from you!

Co-Publishing

Filed under co-publishing by on November 14, 2011 at 9:07 pm {no comments}

Co-publishing is similar to traditional publishing. The publisher is ultimately responsible for putting the book out and raising the money for it. However, co-publishing is more team-oriented in that the publisher and the author have a say.  It’s about co-creating something that otherwise wouldn’t have been born. We’re a small indie press though, so in order to ensure a book is a success, both parties have to put in the hard work. To get that “guarantee” we ask for a small monetary contribution. Don’t worry, depending on how much you put in, that will be your share of the profit up to 40%. Even if your contribution is small, you’ll be guaranteed 15% of net sales of your book. Still interested?

Benefits of co-publishing:

  • Working as a team with the publisher to make joint decisions
  • Less risk than self-publishing
  • Greater profit sharing
  • Professional copy editing, design, and printing
  • Less effort on the author’s part than in assisted self-publishing
  • Help with advertising and marketing

If co-publishing is something you’d like to pursue, please look at our submission guidelines and then contact us at submissions@inspiripress dot com.

 

Copy Editing

Filed under Uncategorized by on November 7, 2011 at 8:58 pm {no comments}

When I tell people I’m a copy editor most of them don’t know what that means or why it’s necessary. I understand that — especially because it’s so easy to publish, well, anything these days.

In 2010, the Atlantic published an article on why copy editing is necessary. I’m going to add a couple of reasons myself:

  • Clarity. Even the best writer can get stuck in their head. A copy editor is necessary to provide clarity for the reader. In fact, the copy editor’s primary responsibility is to the reader, not the writer.
  • Professionalism. Proofreading is equated with quality and expertise. Nothing shouts “I wrote this completely by myself” quite like a typo. If you’re interested in looking like a pro, having someone else copy edit your writing is crucial.

I, too, am a writer and I can tell you from my own experience copy editors are invaluable. When I can’t get a sentence quite right they’ll swoop in and fix it making me sound smart and elegant. Really though, they’re extremely helpful because they see things I cannot.

If I’ve convinced you copy editing is worthwhile, now  is the time to tell you my rate. I charge $40/hr* and will copy edit anything: resumes, cover letters, manuscripts, research papers, web copy, whatever. I’m familiar with AP style and the Chicago manual of style. Just let me know what you need!

Regarding my credentials, I’m currently an associate editor with AuntMinnieEurope.com and freelance for other writers and publications. If you’re interested in working with me, drop me a line.

I look forward to hearing from you.

*I’m also open to bartering.