The Writer’s Lexicon volumes I and II are based on edited versions of blog posts that appeared at KathySteinemann.com. In fact, the idea for publishing the posts came from my blog followers.

If you google how to blog a book, you’ll find thousands of pages that tell you how do it.

But some of the rules have changed.

After uploading the files for Lexicon II to CreateSpace, I received the following email:

Hello Kathy,

Thank you for publishing with Amazon.

I am contacting you regarding the following content:

Title: [title]

Author(s): [Author, foreword author, and ID]

During a review of your catalog, we found your title(s) contain content that is freely available on the web. We were unable to verify your publication rights over this material, therefore this material has been suppressed through your account and removed from all sales channels until you have provided the requested information.

To reinstate your title’s availability, please verify your publication rights by providing the information listed below. If your content is a collection of works, the same information is required for each individual work in the collection.

–    A contract from the author or publisher verifying you have retained publishing rights.

–    URLs for all the websites where this content is published AND a statement via email from the domain(s) saying you have retained publishing rights

Please respond within 7 days with the requested URLs so we can verify you have the exclusive publishing rights. If the title(s) are in the public domain, please confirm this and include the information you used to make this determination.

Additionally, if you do not hold the exclusive publishing rights for other title(s) within your catalog, we ask that you provide us with the Title ID for each title that closely matches content that is freely available on the web within the next 7 days.

As a reminder, since publishing books without holding the necessary publishing rights is against our policy, we may suspend or terminate accounts that try to do so.

We appreciate your understanding.

Sincerely,

The Content Validation Request Team

[Return email address]

Arrgh!

I checked the status of Lexicon II via my CreateSpace dashboard. It was labelled as suppressed.

With the exception of two chapters, which are revised versions of guest posts elsewhere, all content came from my own website. I let CreateSpace know, and sent the blog owners the following authorization to sign and return to me:

[Date]

To Whom It May Concern:

I hereby affirm that Kathy Steinemann retains all publication rights to her guest post on my blog at:

[URL]

Yours truly,

[Full name of blogger]

[Name of Blog]

[Email address of blogger]

One blogger was able to sign, scan, and email the authorization to me within hours. The other snail-mailed it.

After CreateSpace analyzed the paperwork and the forwarded emails from the bloggers, they sent me the following:

Hello Kathy,

Thank you for your response.

We’ve reviewed the information provided and we are happy to inform you that your book will now continue to the File Review process.  

The File Review process ensures that your files were created according to our submission guidelines and can take up to 24 hours to complete.

Once your files pass File Review, you can either view a digital proof or order a printed proof copy of your title. After the proof is received and you’re satisfied with it, you will be able to approve your proof for sale once it leaves our manufacturing facility.

We appreciate your cooperation in this matter and thank you for publishing with CreateSpace.

Regards,

CreateSpace Validation Request Team

[Return email address]

Next steps:

Order a proof. Edit. Upload.

Wait.

My book was delayed for several days until it entered the CreateSpace-Amazon publication loop.

However, that’s not the end of the delays.

I edited the file for Lexicon I to let readers know they could purchase a second volume in the series, and mistakenly uploaded Lex I into the Lex II slot.

I realized my mistake before finalizing the process, and re-uploaded the proper files. Unfortunately, this put both books into review status.

Then I received an email from the CreateSpace Content Validation Request Team regarding Lexicon I.

Thank you for publishing with Amazon.

I am contacting you regarding the following content:

… During a review of your catalog, we found your title(s) contain content that is freely available on the web. We were unable to verify your publication rights over this material, therefore this material has been suppressed through your account and removed from all sales channels until you have provided the requested information. …

[Blah blah blah]

Not again, please not again.

I replied in part:

… Since I am the owner of the website, and the author of the book, I retain all publishing rights.

They approved the uploaded file within hours but in the meantime, Lexicon I was in suppressed status for close to a day. When I approved the proof, it reappeared at Amazon.com within hours. Some international sites took a couple of days to redisplay the book, although resellers with exorbitant prices still paraded their stock.

Is it still worthwhile to blog a book?

Yes.

But be prepared for possible delays, and don’t pay for promotion packages until your book is live.

Although I was upset at first, I support CreateSpace in their endeavors to protect copyrighted material. By their vigilance they are safeguarding all authors, including me.

My resolution going forward:

Arrange for copyright confirmation for all short stories, poetry, guest blog posts, and articles as soon as they are published, then save the confirmations for possible future use.

Three more blog-a-book lessons I learned over the last two years:

1. Establish a format that works for both book and blog. The less reformatting you have to do of either, the more time you save.

2. Always copy and paste from your book file to your blog, not the other way around. If you choose the latter approach, you’ll transport codes that affect your book formatting: non-breaking spaces, character borders, and other undesirables that remain invisible even with your word processor’s reveal codes function activated.

3. Don’t allow reblogs.