By the Numbers: 189+ Tips and Tricks on How to Write, Edit, Market, and Sell Your Books

So many wonderful authors, publishers, and people just interested in the book industry have written numerous guides, case studies, and resources to help others interested in writing and publishing.

Sometimes the best way to share resources is via lists, like my post 7 Strategies and 110 Tools to Help Indie Authors Find Readers and Reviewers. With that in mind, here are links to more than 184 articles full of advice and tips on how to write, edit, market and promote, publish, and sell books. Most of them give a top [insert number here] list, and all of them involve numbers in some way. Enjoy!

Awards

1. Writing: 50 Book Awards Open to Self-publishers on ALLi
2. Kirkus unveils three $50,000 book prizes on The Washington Post

Blogging

3. 34 Blogging Topics Just for Writers on Social Media Just For Writers
4. 5 Steps to Blogging Mastery for Fiction Writers on Your Writer Platform
5. 20 Ways To Reuse, Recycle and Repurpose Content on Magnolia Media Network
6. Hundreds of Blog Post Ideas for Writers on Bound and Determined
7. TEN REASONS FOR AUTHORS TO BLOG on Anne R. Allen
8. Repurposing Your Event Content: 33 Awesome Ideas on PageWiz
9. 5 Awesome Benefits to Writing Flash Fiction for Your Email Subscribers on The Book Designer

Book Marketing (General)

10. 2 enduring, low-cost book marketing tactics on Write and Publish Like a Pro
11. 2 Must-Dos to Make Your Book Marketing Infinitely Easier on Your Writer Platform
12. 20 Marketing Questions Self-Published Authors Must Answer on Digital Book World
13. 1066 Design
14. 28 awesome tips creating marketing ebooks infographic on SteamFeed
15. 5 Steps for Restarting Your Book Marketing Efforts After a Break on Self Publishing Team
16. 5 WAYS TO FIND A HOOK TO MARKET YOUR BOOK on The Cadence Group
17. Building Grassroots Support for Authors: 10 Steps on Writers Win
18. Top Four Best Practices for Writing Great Book Blurbs on Digital Book World

Book Promotion / Publicity

19. 10 Tips to Promote a Book When the Author is MIA…or Dead on Publishing Perspectives
20. 7 ways to promote your book while watching TV on Build Book Buzz
21. 4 quick tips about book publicity on Build Book Buzz
22. Fifty Things Under $50 Bucks To Promote Your Book on Author Marketing Experts
23. 15 WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK WITH A BOOK TRAILER on BookBaby

Book Reviews / Endorsements

24. 12 Additional Mistakes to Avoid When Asking For a Book Review on ePublish a Book
25. 7 Steps to Successfully Get Endorsements on Magnolia Media Network
26. 10 WAYS FOR AUTHORS TO HANDLE BAD REVIEWS on Indie Author News

Book Series

27. Self-Publishing: 6 Valuable Lessons I Learned Between Book #1 & #2 on Molly Greene
28. 6 Lessons Learned Between Books 4 & 5 on Molly Greene
29. Writing A Series: 7 Continuation Issues To Avoid on The Creative Penn

Book Tour

30. 27 Places to Get a Book Tour (and the Top Ten) on Self Publishing Review
31. 14 Definitions You Need to Know When Creating an Author Media Kit on The Book Designer

Ebooks

32. Six Things You Should Be Including in Your EBook (and Probably Aren’t) on The Book Designer
33. 3 Ways Ebooks Could Help Improve Your Content Marketing Strategy on The Huffington Post
34. 5 Things NOT To Do When Creating An Interactive eBook on Business 2 Community

Editing

35. 8 Proofreading Tools for Beta Readers on Tech Tools for Writers
36. 4 Levels of Editing Explained: Which Service Does Your Book Need? on The Book Designer

Email Marketing

37. 7 Email Marketing Secrets Every Fiction Writer Should Know on The Book Designer
38. 6 Actionable Tips to Build Your Email List on Earnworthy

Events

39. 29 Networking Tips for Live Events on Training Authors
40. 5 Things To Do Before Your Next Book Event on Ness Graphica
41. 8 Essentials Tips for a Successful Book Reading by a Self-Published Author on The Book Designer
42. 5 Tips for Going on an Offline Book Tour on The Book Designer

Facebook

43. 4 Tips For Using Facebook Events to Their Full Potential on Training Authors
44. 5 Facebook Marketing Tips for Authors on Lindsay Buroker
45. 5 Steps to Get Back the Time Facebook is Stealing From Your Writing on Training Authors
46. 60+ Facebook Groups for Authors – Promote Your Books, Blogs, and More on Training Authors
47. 7 powerful Facebook statistics you should know for a more engaging Facebook page on The Next Web
48. Analysis of 9 Facebook Pages & Profiles by Famous Writers on Social Media Just for Writers

Imagery

49. The 8 Types of Images That Increase the Psychological Impact of Your Content on Copyblogger
50. 7 Tips for the Camera Shy Author on Bound and Determined
51. 5 Ways Instagram Beats All Other Social Media Sites on SteamFeed
52. 13 SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET FABULOUS FREE PHOTOS on Published to Death
53. 5 Ways In Which Sketching Inspires Writing on R.S. Mollison-Read

Kindle / Amazon

54. Kindle Textbook Creator in 6 Steps on Tech Tools for Writers
55. How to Proofread on a Kindle: 5 Easy Steps on Tech Tools for Writers
56. 7 Item To-Do List for Amazon Author Central Profile on How to Make, Market and Sell Ebooks
57. How to Get 100+ Reviews on Amazon: Different Types of Reviewers – Do They All Matter? Part 1 on Author Marketing Experts
58. Amazon’s Top 100 Books for 2014: What can we learn? on Bound and Determined
59. There Is One New Book On Amazon Every Five Minutes on Tech Crunch
60. [Kindle Launch] Behind the Scenes of a 20,000 Download Book Launch on Steve Scott Site
61. Amazon Expands Self-Publishing to 3D Printing on Digital Book World
62. Why do people sell used books on Amazon for $.01? on Quora

Legal

63. 10 Tips for Avoiding Defamation on Keeping It Legal
64. 3 Simple Censorship Rules Can Safeguard Self-Published Ebooks on Digital Book World

Market Research

65. 10 Inspiring Statistics About Self-Publishing on WiseInk Blog
66. The 4 books you need to read to become a self publishing success on ePublish a Book
67. 25 things you might not know about the web on its 25th birthday on The Guardian
68. 5 charts that describe the state of digital publishing on Digiday
69. 40 years of ebooks (infographic) on Ebook Friendly
70. 9 Self-Publishing Fiction Writers You Should Follow Today on The Book Designer
71. 61% of eBooks Consumed Online for Free in the UK on GalleyCat
72. Iceland: Where one in 10 people will publish a book on BBC News
73. Self-publishing surging to 31% of ebook market, claims report on The Guardian
74. The World’s 56 Largest Book Publishers, 2014 on Publisher’s Weekly
75. Marketing Myth #1: Audience Research Is Time Consuming and Expensive on Digital Book World
76. Third to a billion (Android) on ASYMCO
77. Apple reality distortion field goes right up to 11 on ebook autographs on Teleread
78. Managing Two Companies at the Same Time on The Scholarly Kitchen
79. How I Convinced My 8 Year Old To Choose Books Instead Of Minecraft on Forbes
80. 4% of Readers Read eBooks Exclusively on GoodeReader
81. Five Digital Channel Management Challenges Facing Publishers on Digital Book World
82. Four Things Trade Publishers Can Learn From STM Publishers on Digital Book World
83. 5 Reasons Why Indie Bookstores Are Perfect Models for American Small Businesses on FlavorWire
84. 10 Analytics Mistakes I Learned the Hard Way (So You Don’t Have To) on HubSpot

Metadata

85. 6 Things to Consider When Writing Promotional Copy for Your Book on The Book Designer
86. 7 Tips for Metadata Magic for Self-Publishers on The Book Designer
87. 8 Ways For Self-Published Authors to Rise Above Their Fear of Metadata on Digital Book World
88. Five Things You Should Know About Metadata on Digital Book World
89. Four Ways Book Metadata Is Changing on Digital Book World

Reading

90. Top Ten Book Recommendation Platforms on Digital Book World
91. 3 ways to add own ebooks to any iOS book reading app on Ebook Friendly
92. Three Open Source E-book Readers Worth a Look on Ostatic
93. E-ink Unveils a 19 Foot E-ink Screen on The Digital Reader

Resources / Tech

94. 21 free resources for authors on Build Book Buzz
95. 50 Websites Every Author Should Bookmark in 2014 on WiseInk Blog
96. 8 Powerful Influencer Research Tools That Get Fantastic Results on Blogging Wizard
97. 21 RESOURCES FOR WRITING AN EBOOK (WHEN YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE DOING) on Write Hacked
98. 8 Gmail Hacks That Will Change The Way You Use Email on Buzzfeed
99. 10 Online Resources for Writers Who Want to Write Well on Dana Leipold
100. 21 Free Résumé Designs Every Job Hunter Needs on Buzzfeed
101. 29 Tools I Use To Run My Business on Aidan Booth
102. 42 AWESOME WRITING RESOURCES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT on Write Hacked
103. 6 Cool New Apps for Writers on Social Media Just for Writers
104. These 11 Apps Will Help You Finally Finish Your Novel on The Huffington Post
105. 5 Digital Media Resources for Every Writer’s Toolbox on Writer Unboxed
106. BEA 2015: Ten Tools For Authors on The Digital Reader
107. 13 Chrome Apps You Won’t Believe You Survived Without on The Muse
108. 100 Most Brilliant Tech Hacks You Need To Know Right Now on CarlCheo
109. 3 Great Free Alternatives to Adobe Design Products on Blue Sun Studio
110. 65 Beautiful Fonts You Can Download For Free on Pixel Curse

Self Publishing

111. 3 Ways to acquire an entrepreneurial mindset for success on The Bay Net
112. 5 Mistakes You’ll Make on the Way to Publishing Success on Jane Friedman
113. The 7-Step Business Plan for Writers on Jane Friedman
114. Three Self-Published Author Mistakes that Hinder Financial Success on Book Coaching
115. Author Nick Spalding’s top 10 self-publishing tips on BBC News
116. ONLY $500? HERE’S HOW I’D DO IT… on Write Hacked
117. Hindsight is 20/20: My First Year in Self-Publishing on She Who Writes Monsters
118. Self-Publishing An E-Book? Here Are 4 Ways To Leave Amazon’s 30% Tax Behind on Forbes
119. Ten Things I’ve Learned from Evaluating Self-Published Books for a Year on Writer Unboxed
120. Making a Full-time Living from Self-Publishing – 6 Lessons Learned, with Lindsay Buroker on The Write Lifestyle
121. Can You Turn a Book into a Bestselling Subscription Site? 7 Criteria on Marketing Sherpa
122. Self-Publishing Secrets Revealed – Five Free Ways to Expose Your self Books to Readers on Martin Crosbie
123. The Definitive Guide to Pricing Your Book (7) on WiseInk Blog
124. 3 Ways For Self-Publishers to Break Into the Public Library Market on The Book Designer
125. Five Years of Grit and Determination: Self-Publishing a Pop-Up Book on Publisher’s Weekly
126. 10 Lessons I Learned My First Year As A Hybrid Author on SheWrites
127. A Tale Of Two Author Brands on The Creative Penn

Selling

128. 17 Bestseller Tips – from Trade Publishers on Savvy Writers & e-Books online
129. 100% of Independent Publishers Who Do This Will Sell More of Their Work on Copybogger
130. The 3 Pillars or Selling More Books on Digital Book World
131. 5 Ways To Boost Your Christmas Book Sales on Training Authors
132. 4 proven ways to sell 75%+ of your freelance writing on Gordon Burgett’s Blog
133. Three Tips for Monetizing Your Back-List on Digital Book World
134. How 6 Pieces of Self-Publishing Advice Led to Averaging $1,250 a Month in Book Sales on Self Land Publishing
135. How to Sell Ebooks: 5 Proven Tips on Digital Book World
136. Three Easy Steps to Selling a LOT More Books and Information Products on The Book Designer
137. How I Sold 10,000 Ebooks in One Year (+ surpassed the income from my day job) on 30 Day Books
138. HOW SAMUEL HULICK MADE OVER $37,000 WITH HIS SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK on Nathan Barry

SEO

139. The Big List of 189 Words That Convert on Buffer
140. #1 Keyword Tool on Keyword Spy

Short Stories

141. The three reasons I have fallen in love with writing short stories on M. Louisa Locke
142. The power of the short story – 5 reasons we should write them (and read them) on Ian Martyn
143. The Top 10 Reasons to Write Short Stories on Writers Write

Social Media (General)

144. 10 Great Resources Writers [You] Need to Know About on Social Media Just for Writers
145. 10 Tips To Manage Your Social Media Presence [INFOGRAPHIC] on AdWeek
146. 18 Months of Social Media: One Writer’s Progress Report on The Loneliest Planet
147. 45 Ways To Sabotage Your Social Media Success on Molly Greene
148. 7 Reasons Why Social Media Isn’t Growing Your Fiction Readership (And What to Do About Them) on The Book Designer
149. 7 Untapped Social Media Tactics For Smart Bloggers on Aha Now
150. 9 Free Social Media Analytics Tools for Writers on Social Media Just for Writers
151. How NOT to Sell Books: Top 10 Social Media Marketing No-Nos for Authors on Anne R. Allen
152. 12 Things Every Author Should Know about Social Media on Social Media Just for Writers
153. What NOT to Post When Marketing Your Book – 8 Common Mistakes to Avoid on Magnolia Media Network
154. Personal Branding With Social Media – 3 Easy Ways on Magnolia Media Network

Twitter

155. 10 SURPRISING TWITTER STATISTICS TO HELP YOU REACH MORE FOLLOWERS on Fast Company
156. 12 TIPS FOR HOLIDAY TWEETING: LAST MINUTE TWITTER BOOSTS on Social Media Today
157. 15 Must-Follow Twitter Accounts for Self-Published Writers on The Book Designer
158. 3 Twitter Tips You May Not Know on Book Promotion
159. 5 Things For Authors To Tweet About (That Aren’t “Buy My Book!”) on Book Marketing Tools
160. 6 Advanced Twitter Tips To Help YOU! on Book Promotion
161. 6 Ways Twitter Lists Can Help Build Your Author Platform on The Book Designer
162. 8 Twitter Resources for Authors on Book Marketing Tools
163. 50 Things to Tweet About on Author Marketing Experts
164. Top 10 Ways to Use Twitter Without Losing Your Soul on C.G. Andrew
165. Twitter Etiquette 101 on Writer Unboxed
166. 10 WAYS TO FIND YOUR IDEAL AUDIENCE ON TWITTER (FOR WRITERS) on Published to Death
167. GROW YOUR TWITTER FOLLOWERS IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES A DAY on The Writing Life
168. 9 Twitter Tools and Apps to Ease Your Tweeting on The Book Designer

Writing Advice

169. 12 Most Unforgivable Writing Mistakes on 12 Most
170. 15 Ways To Tell You’re Onto Something Good on Writers Village
171. 15 Words That Don’t Mean What You Think They Mean on Buzzfeed
172. 22 Story Telling Guidelines on The Indie Writers Guide
173. 4 Writing Prompts That Will Change How You Write on T. L. Shreffler
174. 5 Ways To Improve A Perfect Story on Write to Done
175. Five Words That Weaken Your Writing on Marcy Kennedy
176. Four Fiction Felonies that Make Your Plot Unbelievable on Marcy Kennedy
177. Three Ways To Draw Pictures In Your Readers’ Heads on Ninie Hammon
178. 14 Examples and 2,300 Words on How to Sharpen Your Sentences on Jenni with an “i”
179. Sizzling Romance – 10 tips to write love scenes on Charmaine Clancy
180. The Seven Deadly Sins of Prologues on Kristen Lamb’s Blog
181. 6 Clues You’re Overusing Internal Dialogue in Your Fiction on Marcy Kennedy
182. 10 Writing Mistakes that Kill Your First Chapter on Marcy Kennedy
183. 5 LinkedIn Groups for Writers on Bound and Determined

Writing Productivity

184. 8 Ways Scrivener Will Help You Become A Proficient Writer Overnight on The Creative Penn
185. Stop making excuses. 6 ways to get your writing on track on Mad House Media
186. HOW I WENT FROM WRITING 2,000 WORDS A DAY TO 10,000 WORDS A DAY on Pretentious Title
187. How I improved my writing productivity by 100% on Novel Experience
188. A 5-Minute Guide to Evernote on Tech Tools for Writers
189. The best $55,000 I never earned on Good Words

Just For Fun

• The Saturday Review, July 23, 1966 Issue – 39 Articles, 76pp on UNZ.org
• Capo3 on iTunes (chord detection in music, to help blow off steam)
• Nearly 100 years ago, baseball almost banned broadcasts on The Conversation
• 50 Shades Text Generator on xwray (“Computer generated erotica in the style of Fifty Shades of Gray, for the discerning technophile.”)
• 26 Of The Greatest Book Dedications You Will Ever Read on Buzzfeed
• The Art of Remixing Your Material and Selling 9 Stories on Contently

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on August 10, 2015.