What people are saying
“I had thought that self-publishing a book could be daunting, but Giles at PublishMe made it so easy. He was unfailingly cooperative, helpful, imaginative, and efficient. A pleasure to deal with.”
Bob Gregory.
New release!
Hot on the heels of Confounded Biographies in 2022 and Drifting the Meander in 2023 comes Flat Pack, another magical word-fest from author Michael Glynn.
Per the back cover, this is “An odd yarn shot through with malice, murder and suicide. Will Detective Otoko arrive in time to unravel the story?”
If you’d like to find out, and are interested in Mr Glynn’s other books, he’d be very happy to hear from you at glynn.mw@gmail.com where you can order Confounded Biographies for $32.99 and Drifting the Meander and Flat Pack for $21.99 plus $6.50 for postage. Gotta say I love them all. Lel.
Originally from the UK, Liz Fry BSc Hons, PGDip, is a Certified Life Coach and Founder of The Enoughness Project. Liz trained and registered as a nurse in the UK, then worked for the Prison Service and ran a pub before reaching burnout and heading away to travel, resulting in Liz becoming a citizen of New Zealand.
This is one heart’s story of how it broke through the defences that were keeping her stuck, trapped, feeling not seen and not heard. A heart that went on to find freedom, a life that felt authentic, colourful, adventurous and where she really came to believe that she was, and is, enough. Liz includes journal entries from her healing journey, where she is regularly questioning what is going on for her. Liz reflects on these writings with what she has come to understand, what has helped and what she has created to help others too.
“This incredible taonga, A Heart That Broke Free, shares the raw, real healing journey Liz has been on to connect back to her enoughness and to help you connect back to yours.” Jamie Allen.
Struggle with that feeling of not being enough? Imposter syndrome? Maybe feeling too much, feelings of failure, regularly comparing yourself to others and falling short? In A Heart That Broke Free Liz shares her healing journey where she got to the bottom of some of these things and as Certified Life Coach has now created tools, ideas and tips that could also help you build self-respect, confidence and feel a sense of worthiness again.
Who is it for? A heart that broke free is about that feeling that affects most of us in some way and at some point in our lives – that feeling of not being enough. This book could be suitable for someone in business who struggles with imposter syndrome, it could be for a parent who feels they are getting it wrong. It could be for someone who is struggling with addiction, low self-worth, being too much. It can also be for those who are supporters for friends, loved ones, or maybe their kids who are struggling and want more tools and ideas.
To get your copy, go to https://linktr.ee/lizfrycom
And the link to Liz’s Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/lizfrycom if you’d like to join her community. Lel.
New release!
Folks, I’d like you to meet Tooks. I really enjoyed making his acquaintance and I think you will, too. He features in the latest book by Robert Philip Bolton, one of my favourite PublishMe authors. I’ve genuinely enjoyed all of his books and eagerly await the next.
But the subject of this post is his latest, The Artist as an Old Man (Self-Portrait), and this is what you can expect:
“After twenty years in London a somewhat notorious artist returns home when his life falls apart as a result of fraud, death and depression. The Artist as an Old Man (Self-Portrait) is a personal hour-by-hour journal of the day of his first New Zealand exhibition.
“Accustomed to always being busy, the restless artist — eccentric, irritable and ageing — suddenly has nothing to do until the exhibition’s evening opening. And so we follow him and his sometimes angry and unreasonable thoughts, including lingering doubts about his own work, through the long day.
“Having experienced financial relief before the exhibition, an unpleasant encounter at the exhibition, and sadness after it, he returns home at the end of the day ready to face his new life, alone and lonely, in Dunedin.”
If this description piques your interest, you can find the book here: https://bolton.co.nz/ along with the author’s extensive back catalogue.
Highly recommended ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lel.
Announcement!
Announcing a terrific new resource for self-publishing writers! The New Zealand Indie Publishing Directory has been recently set up by Kate Gordon-Smith of The Kiwi Kids’ Bookstore https://kiwikidsbooks.nz/kate-gordon-smith/ and while it’s still growing, it’s already an excellent place to discover the various types of assistance an author may need to complete his or her book. These currently include publishing coaches, editors, proofreaders, illustrators, publicists (Kate herself) and… well, why not have a look at https://nzindiepublishingdirectory.co.nz/ and see if you can find someone you’ve been looking for. Lel.
New release!
Here’s our latest new release from author Wayne Benton. By reading this book, you can:
Become a student of happiness by using the simple technique of an Attitude Check as a powerful tool to negotiate your way through life’s challenges. Learn simple techniques to improve your life, improve your career and professional growth, and create great relationships by learning from Wayne’s lived experiences. Master the ability of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, leading to personal freedom and living the life you desire.
This book is a light-hearted, easy-to-read guide to living a purposeful life.
To get your copy of Wayne’s book, as well as his first publication, Real World Ready, you can visit his website at Wayne Benton – Author | Speaker | Mentor, where you can also learn more about him and his philosophy, or you can go to his Amazon page at https://amzn.asia/d/cA0eWog
New release!
Jack Melrose has a fan in Edinburgh who will be particularly pleased to hear that book two of Back tae Auld Claes an’ Porridge entitled A New Age, is now available for purchase. He’s been writing to Jack because he enjoyed the first book, A New Start, so much and was keen for the sequel. If you’d like to discover James Swanston’s Edinburgh presented in a highly engaging and charming style, here’s your chance. Head to https://www.jackmelrose.nz/ to get your copy, in either paperback or Kindle version. I highly recommend both books, and they’d be a perfect read for Christmas, either for yourself or as a gift. Lel.
New service!
We are often asked how to market a book once it’s published, but book marketing is a big undertaking which would take time away from what we do best, which is helping you create your beautiful book. Thankfully, we recently met a New Zealand-based book marketer who can help you with the marketing aspects.
Wānaka author Kate Gordon-Smith has published three novels and a journal for readers aged 7 to 10 with her Relish Books company. She also runs the Kiwi Kids’ Bookstore, an online bookstore devoted to books by New Zealand authors for children and teens, where she supports independent as well as traditionally published authors.
With 30+ years’ experience in marketing and publicity, she knows there’s a LOT to learn and plenty of hard work to get your book into the hands of readers, but it’s a challenge she loves.
Kate is now sharing her knowledge as an indie publishing coach, helping New Zealand authors with various marketing tasks or taking on the work herself on an agreed fee basis. Her focus is primarily the New Zealand market, but she also sells her own books on Amazon, Kobo, etc., so can offer some insights there, too.
The main tasks Kate can help with are:
- An initial discussion about the likely markets for your book, and how to reach them.
- Getting your book listed correctly with Nielsen Data and Wheelers in New Zealand (important to reach public libraries and schools).
- Creating book marketing tools like the Advance Information Sheet, author bio, book description and barcode (if going into bookstores).
- Suggestions on how to reach bookstores and libraries.
- Book publicity – getting your book out for review and seeking relevant media opportunities.
- Publishing your eBook edition on Amazon or other eBook platforms
- If you need one, she will set up a newsletter template and mailing list system for you.
- Setting up an author website.
- Deciding which social media channels, if any, will help your book marketing efforts.
Kate likes to have an initial conversation with the author about a new book well before it’s published – ideally, at least two months prior. She says, “There’s nothing worse than doing all the hard work of writing, editing, design, and proofreading to produce a fabulous print book and finding out that your back cover blurb could be more compelling, or that the front cover design simply won’t help your book stand out to its target audience, either online or on a physical bookstore shelf.”
That’s why Kate also offers what she calls her “bookseller’s critique”, which is a half hour assessment of your cover design and content, first 2-3 chapters, and any marketing material you’ve already created. If any of these important elements need work, it’s better to improve them before you press print with PublishMe.
Recently, Kate worked with a local Wānaka author to publish an historical murder mystery, and before the book was even officially released, an order for five copies from Auckland Libraries was placed with Wheelers, thanks to Kate making sure all the technical aspects were correct from the outset. The author freely acknowledges she didn’t know where to start with any of these tasks and has been delighted with Kate’s attention to detail.
Find out more about Kate’s indie publishing coaching services on her website, https://www.kategordonauthor.com/nz-indie-publishing-coaching/
New release and a wonderful testimonial
“Working with Lel and Giles was a breeze. They both showed their expertise and professionalism right from the start, which put me at ease in an area I had no prior knowledge of. Having their friendly guidance made publishing a book not so scary for me. I had plenty of questions along the way, which the team helped me understand. I would not hesitate to use their services again. If you are thinking about self-publishing a book, I highly recommend reaching out and starting the conversation as you will quickly realise that you are onto a winner with Lel & Giles. “
Blake Marston, author of Reconnect: The Healing Power of Earthing, and Founder of Grounded Kiwi, New Zealand.
Grounded Kiwi have released a very informative and interesting e-book on a subject which has rapidly been gaining traction in the world of natural health. And it’s free! You can get your copy here:
https://www.groundedkiwi.nz/pages/free-ebook-reconnect-the-healing-power-of-earthing-pdf-download
On a personal note, I have to say I was blown away by the testimonials in the book from people whose ailments have been helped and, in some cases, cured by Grounded Kiwi’s earthing products. Have a look yourself and you’ll see what I mean. Lel.
Wonderful testimonial
Very happy to help you get your lovely book out there, Montana 😊
“I previously had a challenging experience with a traditional publisher overseas I have been working with for some time, leading me to cancel and request a refund just three weeks before my book launch. I then turned to Giles of PublishMe and was thoroughly impressed with their service. From our initial contact through to the delivery of my books, Giles maintained a high level of professionalism, providing timely updates and addressing all my questions. Despite the tight timeline, PublishMe managed my last-minute request efficiently and ensured that my book launch proceeded as planned. I highly recommend PublishMe for their excellent support, top notch communication and reliable service.
Thank you so much, Giles and the team at PublishMe.”
Montana Sefilino,
Author of ‘Crossing’ poetry book.