By Anna Kucirkova This article was originally published on Cornerstone University's blog. You’ve probably heard that reading can be good for you. You may have heard it your whole life. But maybe reading just isn’t your thing. Maybe you enjoy reading, but you have trouble comprehending difficult material from your classes or your workplace. Good news—this article can … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 5 Ways Reading Can Change Your Life (And Best Practices)
Guest Post (Excerpt): Social Media Video Marketing – The Ultimate Guide
By Koushik Marka Today we have a guest post from Koushik Marka, founder and CEO of Studiotale, about video marketing and social media. The post is an excerpt from Studiotale's full guide, "Social Media Video Marketing – The Ultimate Guide." The guide is divided into four chapters: types of video content, actionable tips, platform-specific tips, and online video tools. Read on … [Read more...] about Guest Post (Excerpt): Social Media Video Marketing – The Ultimate Guide
An Interview With Alexis Marie Chute, Author of Expecting Sunshine
Alexis Marie Chute is the author of Expecting Sunshine. Read on for her interview. Anyone who has experienced—or knows someone who has experienced—miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, or other forms of pregnancy and baby loss should read Expecting Sunshine, including those considering or already pregnant again. After her son, Zachary, dies in her arms at birth, … [Read more...] about An Interview With Alexis Marie Chute, Author of Expecting Sunshine
Learning New Skills (Courses and Platforms)
As an indie author, there's always something new to learn. It's exciting, but sometimes it's hard to know where to go to pick up new skills. Here are a few platforms and courses I've found useful. Some are more about coding, which can also be useful (for building an author website, or a cool app, or scripting something to help you with your writer's block): Absolute Write: … [Read more...] about Learning New Skills (Courses and Platforms)
Associations and Websites for Writers
Being part of a community can be empowering and important as an indie author or publisher. Here are some associations and websites that can help: Publishers Global: "An information marketplace for the global publishing industry - publishers, authors, literary agents and all kinds of publishing service providers." Indie Write Net: The indie writer's network. Community … [Read more...] about Associations and Websites for Writers
Thinking About Book Covers
Having a good book cover is an important aspect of indie publishing. The cover is the first thing your reader will see, and if the cover speaks to them, they'll be more likely to try out your book. Author M. J. Patrick has a great post that shows a cover, and asks you what you think of the book, based only on the cover (such as who's the audience for this book, and what's … [Read more...] about Thinking About Book Covers
Book Events and Festivals
Going to book events and festivals is a great way to meet people and get inspired. Since I've mostly lived near two coastal cities, most of the events and places (which include some pretty cool bookstores) I've found are either in New York or San Francisco. Still, a good start! Feel free to add more suggestions in the comments. New York NY Literary Events Calendar … [Read more...] about Book Events and Festivals
Finding Your Next Read (or Review)
As an indie author, it's important to get book reviews. As a reader, it's helpful to get book recommendations. Below are some resources that combine the best of both worlds. Getting Book Recommendations 3-Panel Book Review: Reviewing books in comic strip format LitPick: "Through student book reviews, we promote reading and writing among preteens, teens, and young adults. … [Read more...] about Finding Your Next Read (or Review)
Tools and Resources for Editing Your Manuscript
We all know that after writing comes editing. It's good to work with professional editors, but there are tips and tricks and tools that you can use before working with an editor that can help you save a bit of time and money. Here are a few. Etherpad: "A highly customizable Open Source online editor providing collaborative editing in really real-time." Grammarly: … [Read more...] about Tools and Resources for Editing Your Manuscript
A Look at Data and Metadata
Data is fascinating. It can inform and tell stories, and it can be fun to share information. Mashable created an infographic to display how much information is generated every minute (it's a lot). So it also doesn't surprise me that many people say they're addicted to the internet. It's not necessarily a bad thing. There are a lot of resources and projects online with really … [Read more...] about A Look at Data and Metadata
Designing Effective Content
For my day job, I've been doing a lot of what's called content design. Content is everywhere, and that includes in software products, as technical documentation, in emails, on marketing websites, and more. For authors, it can be useful to think about content design, since it also involves SEO and search, measuring the effectiveness of content you put out there, and creating … [Read more...] about Designing Effective Content
Job Boards and Resources for Writers and the Publishing Industry
When it comes to books and jobs, there are a few routes you can go: the writing route and the publishing industry route. For people interested in getting involved with book publishing, and being in the industry, there are a number of job listing sites. Some of the ones I've found helpful over the years include: Publisher's Weekly Jobzone Publishers Lunch Job Board … [Read more...] about Job Boards and Resources for Writers and the Publishing Industry
An Interview With Danielle Ledezma, Author of Izzy in El Mareo
Danielle Ledezma is the author of Izzy in El Mareo. Read on for her interview. Izzy’s trying to cope with life, love, and loneliness, but her fast life in Houston is rapidly spinning out of control. So when the twenty-three-year-old American takes a job at an international resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, she hopes her old life is behind her at last—and with it, all the … [Read more...] about An Interview With Danielle Ledezma, Author of Izzy in El Mareo
Guest Post: How to Create a Social Media Marketing Plan?
By Marquis Matson After blogging sites started becoming popular in the late 90s, early into the 2000s, sites such as LinkedIn and MySpace quickly gained prominence. By 2005, social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube had made their debut, creating entirely new ways through which people across the globe could communicate, share with each other, and do … [Read more...] about Guest Post: How to Create a Social Media Marketing Plan?
Guest Post: How Indie Authors Can Establish a Strong Digital Presence
By Josh Wardini In an era heavily dominated by technology, it is not so surprising to find the publishing world gradually moving into online selling, whether it is print, ebook, or audio books. As an integral part of independent publishing, marketing is even more imperative in the digital era. Readers tend to do their research online, from new releases to the authors they … [Read more...] about Guest Post: How Indie Authors Can Establish a Strong Digital Presence
