We all know every social media platform is different, and as indie authors you should have different approaches for each. Each platform is constantly updating and evolving. Here's the latest on some of them. Twitter Some people use Twitter to tweet novels, one line at a time. People also use Twitter to share news and stay in touch. People also build bots and in some cases, … [Read more...] about Keeping Up To Date With Social Media Platforms
Self-Publishing
Two Indie Author Choices: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Although Amazon works with a wide variety of industries now, it originated in books. And it still dominates the book industry. The Wall Street Journal recently wrote about how Amazon "commands an unrivaled customer base for the books, e-books and audiobooks it publishes." Part of what helped Amazon with ebooks is KDP, the platform where indie authors can upload and sell … [Read more...] about Two Indie Author Choices: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Editing in the Writing Process
Editing is an important part of the writing process. But sometimes, it's easy to get so excited about having a first draft, it's hard to take things to the next level. Publisher's Weekly has a post about how every writer needs an editor, even if the writer is an editor. In brief, it takes a lot of courage and perseverance. These worries can go both ways. The Write Life also … [Read more...] about Editing in the Writing Process
Becoming a Speaker
One of my goals this year is to do more speaking gigs. I've done a few, mostly about dinosaurs (but also about self-publishing). There are many articles out there about the benefits of public speaking. As an author, it can be a way to help sell more books, or vice-versa: you can publish a book in your niche to get more speaking gigs. Additionally, getting more comfortable … [Read more...] about Becoming a Speaker
Guest Post: How to Name a Character
By Emmanuel Nataf It’s the new year and you’re ready to actually carry out your resolution of writing a book. You’re excited and sitting down to put down the first word when you stop short — because you’ve realized that you’re missing one of the most basic ingredients of all: a name for your character. Though it might seem like a given, a name is actually one of the most … [Read more...] about Guest Post: How to Name a Character
Starting the New Year Strong: Writing Advice and Resources
Yes, I know it's now February, but it's still early in the year! Also, congrats if one of your resolutions for the year was to write more, and you've made it this far. There are many writing resources and articles out there. Here are a few that may help you with your next novel, broken down by theme. Conflict and Tension "5 Ways to Create Strong Internal Conflict" on … [Read more...] about Starting the New Year Strong: Writing Advice and Resources
Tips and Tricks for Content Marketing
Content marketing can be very powerful. According to Content Marketing Institute (CMI): Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action. When it comes to the type of content to create, there … [Read more...] about Tips and Tricks for Content Marketing
Ideas for Promoting Your Book
Book promotion comes in all shapes and sizes. Here are a few things to keep in mind. Book Visuals and Pricing It starts with your book cover. The Book Designer talks about recent cover trends that may give you some ideas (what colors to use, how to use typography, types of images, and more). For print books especially, you'll also want to work on the spine and the back … [Read more...] about Ideas for Promoting Your Book
Social Media Updates and Trends
It's the beginning of a new year, so it makes sense to revisit the world of social media and marketing. There's been a lot of updates. Some of them pertain more to personal use, and others can be handy for building your brand. Influencers and Content Trends It's good to stay on top of trends. CMO published an article about how people check email less, smart speakers are … [Read more...] about Social Media Updates and Trends
Tips for Writing a Series
I've had a series in the works for a while now (spoiler, it's about dinosaurs). I've been really slow in writing it, but I have been reading up lately on tips for how other authors write their series. Elizabeth Spann Craig has a post about evaluating a series, and deciding how long a series should be. Some things to consider are whether you as the author have fresh ideas, if … [Read more...] about Tips for Writing a Series
Useful Productivity Hacks and Tools
![By elian (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i0.wp.com/digitalpubbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/cat.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
For those of us who are multi-taskers and like to do everything at 1.5-2x speed (I've even started watching TV shows on fast forward), the New York Times has some bad news: "Sorry, you can't speed read." But on the bright side, there are many tools and hacks out there to help you speed up your productivity. I'll get into the writing-specific ones first. Author Specific … [Read more...] about Useful Productivity Hacks and Tools
A List of 194 Tools and Resources: Apps, Trends, Marketing Tips, and More
![By Heffloaf (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i1.wp.com/digitalpubbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Stack_of_Books.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
It's about that time again for another roundup post. This time I've got a bunch of tools and resources that cover a wide range of topics, from freelancing to marketing to reading and more. Book Creation Tools/Help Book Creator Comic Book Paper Omnibook Vellum Vivliostyle (and why it's important) "Automated Cleanup for Word Manuscripts" Beyond XML … [Read more...] about A List of 194 Tools and Resources: Apps, Trends, Marketing Tips, and More
What Makes a Book Successful? A Case Study of 4 Bestselling Books
At first glance these four books, The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep, The SheepOver, The Girl on the Train, and Henna House, may not seem to have much in common. What's interesting about them though is how they became best seller books. The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep From August to October of 2015, The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep by Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin was a … [Read more...] about What Makes a Book Successful? A Case Study of 4 Bestselling Books
140 Tools and Resources for Building Your Author Website and/or Blog
![By Matthew Bowden www.digitallyrefreshing.com (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/145972) [Attribution], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i2.wp.com/digitalpubbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1024px-Woman-typing-on-laptop.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
Author websites and blogs are important components to building an author platform. With that in mind, here is a list of resources that can help you set up and optimize your site. Setting Up Your Website Find Available Domain Names on Namestation "+300 Awesome Free Things for Entrepreneurs & Startups" on Growth Supply "11 Essential Elements of an Author Website" … [Read more...] about 140 Tools and Resources for Building Your Author Website and/or Blog
5 Strategies for Writers to Market and Monetize Their Work and Expand Their Audience
As an indie author, there are so many tools and strategies you can employ to grow your audience and even monetize your work. Below are 5: videos, podcasting, merchandising, crowdfunding, and social media. Videos Videos are a great way to connect with your audience on a more personal level. There are a few tools and resources to help you get started in creating content: … [Read more...] about 5 Strategies for Writers to Market and Monetize Their Work and Expand Their Audience
