When it comes to blogging, there's a lot to know. Here are some resources to help you, whether you're starting out or looking to grow your blog. Blog Posts "12 Steps to a Great Blog Post" on Australian Christian Writers "13 Blog Post Blunders You Should Avoid (And What to Do Instead)" on Your Writer Platform "9 Grammatical Errors (and How to Avoid Them)" on Self … [Read more...] about Starting and Growing Your Blog
Social Media Updates and Resources
Social media is an important piece of an indie author's platform. And there are always new features and trends to learn about. Below are some recent news items, as well as tips and resources for using social media. Instagram "Instagram seems to be testing direct messaging on web" on Mashable "Pinstagram? Instagram code reveals Public Collections feature" on … [Read more...] about Social Media Updates and Resources
Interactive Stories
With digital storytelling, there are new, interactive, immersive ways to share stories. Here are a few cool examples: StoryNexus: Access hundreds of interactive worlds, from science fiction to romance to historical adventure. You can choose how the story flows, and there are also options for creators. The Cornwall a-book: An Augmented Travel Guide Using Next Generation … [Read more...] about Interactive Stories
Using a Pen Name
I don't use pen names, but I can understand why an author may want to use one. Writers Write recently published a post on why writers would want to use a pen name. They mention a lot of reasons, including keeping your identity secret, using a shorter name that's easier to remember, writing in multiple genres and targeting different audiences, and to use a different name from an … [Read more...] about Using a Pen Name
Online Tools for Building Your Author Platform
As indie authors, so much of our work and efforts go into online marketing, and content on the web. With that in mind, here are some tools (both free and paid) that can help you build your platform and promote your books. Book Advertising "Changes to Amazon Advertising: What Authors Need to Know" on Jane Friedman: A breakdown of new advertising modes, the improved dashboard, … [Read more...] about Online Tools for Building Your Author Platform
Cool Tech-Related Projects and News
These were all too good not to share. Awesome Projects "The Lab Discovering DNA in Old Books" on The Atlantic: "Studying the DNA in artifacts is still a relatively new field, with many prospects that remain unexplored. But in our own modern world, we’ve already started to change the biological record, and future archaeologists will not find the same trove of hidden … [Read more...] about Cool Tech-Related Projects and News
Guest Post: The Impact of Cloud Technology on The Publishing Industry
By Joe Peters Many of the changes in the publishing industry have been evident over the years. We’ve seen a significant shift from print to digital, where people are just as likely to read from a smartphone or computer screen as they are to buy a book from their local store. Digital Transformation Makes Publishing Easier The digital transformation of the industry has … [Read more...] about Guest Post: The Impact of Cloud Technology on The Publishing Industry
A Roundup of Publishing News
A lot has been happening in the publishing and writing world. Here is a quick roundup. Publishers and Companies "Microsoft has closed its e-bookstore, and everything you purchased will vanish in July" on PC World: "Microsoft will offer refunds, plus a bonus if you've marked up an ebook." "Epic Launches Original Content Program" on Publisher's Weekly: "Redwood, Calif.-based … [Read more...] about A Roundup of Publishing News
Guest Post: The Complete Guide to using Facebook to Market your Writing
By Naomi Nakashima Installing a well-planned and thought out chatbot can invite your audience to engage with your page in a whole new way. Naomi Nakashima goes into detail about the changes to Facebook marketing, including how building a chatbot into your Facebook strategy can help you connect with your audience. Below is an excerpt from Naomi's post. Using Facebook to … [Read more...] about Guest Post: The Complete Guide to using Facebook to Market your Writing
Guest Post: The 6 Best Tools for Video Marketing
By Candy Video marketing is an attractive, versatile, and extremely effective way to reach your target audiences. As all we know, the mother of all social networks, Facebook, has been strongly favoring video content in its news feeds. To help you create compelling, inspiring, and actionable marketing videos, I list some main video marketing tools that you should know. 1. … [Read more...] about Guest Post: The 6 Best Tools for Video Marketing
Guest Post: 6 Savvy Business Lessons You Can Learn from a Car Salesperson
By Zach Painter If you’ve ever worked in sales, then you’re all too familiar with the process of delivering a successful sales pitch. As a skill you cultivate and hone over time, creating a strategy that has a high rate of success is no easy feat. The fact is, pitching is a necessary skill set that professionals in every industry need to perfect — and the same goes for … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 6 Savvy Business Lessons You Can Learn from a Car Salesperson
An Interview With Katie (M.K.) Rainey, Editor-in-Chief of Dead Rabbits
I often hear about really cool publishing projects, and one of the recent ones is the launch of Dead Rabbits, a new press that started as a reading series and now aims to provide a creative community and support for authors. Read on for an interview with Dead Rabbits' Editor-in-Chief, Katie (M.K.) Rainey. S.R.: What is the Dead Rabbits Reading Series, and how did it … [Read more...] about An Interview With Katie (M.K.) Rainey, Editor-in-Chief of Dead Rabbits
Guest Post: Learn From Social Media Influencers How To Create Your Personal PR Strategy
By Ellie Chapman Social media influencer isn't just a buzzword. Pixlee defines it as a “user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry and who has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach.” More importantly, as an indie author, you can learn a lot from social media influencers and incorporate … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Learn From Social Media Influencers How To Create Your Personal PR Strategy
Guest Post: 10 Tips and Tricks to Get Writing Inspiration Anywhere and Anytime
By Lucia Tang Writers aren’t prophets. No matter how hard we wish, we can’t just take dictation from some divine voice in our ears — we’re supposed to find our own inspiration. But when you’re on the run from a deadline, in a fight with a chapter, or just sick of wishing the book in your head would magically appear on your laptop, finding inspiration can feel like a DIY root … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 10 Tips and Tricks to Get Writing Inspiration Anywhere and Anytime
13 Apps for Reading and Creating Your Own Content
Apps are great. They're convenient, and there are many that make it easy to create your own content, and of course read a lot of content. Below are a few I've found interesting: Authors: "You get your own custom Authors App. Your App appears in the major Android tablet app stores - Amazon, NOOK, Google Play - with your own custom icon. Plus, when your readers and fans … [Read more...] about 13 Apps for Reading and Creating Your Own Content
