It's hard to make a living from writing. Below are different ways to get funding for your work. Grants and Scholarships The Elizabeth George Foundation: "[...] committed to providing emerging playwrights, short story writers, poets, and unpublished novelists with one-time funding that will enable them to live and work for a period of time as a writer" MacDowell Colony: … [Read more...] about Monetary Options for Authors
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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
Writers: Traditional or Self Publish
When it comes to books, authors have many options for how they want to connect with readers. The first question to ask is, do you want to be traditionally published or do you want to self publish? Jane Friedman has a great breakdown of the publishing paths, the value of each route, and things to watch out for. The Porch Swing Chronicles also has a post about being a hybrid … [Read more...] about Writers: Traditional or Self Publish
An Update on Amazon
It seems Amazon is always in the news, and that makes sense. It's a giant company with a huge reach. For this post, I'm going to focus on the non-book items of Amazon. Some of it is related to indie publishing, and some of it is just plain interesting. First up, a writer on Gizmodo tried to block Amazon from here life, and found it was impossible. This is because in addition … [Read more...] about An Update on Amazon
Indie Authors: Book Sales and Other Income Strategies
As an author, there's a lot of things to consider when it comes to earning money. Some indie authors are able to earn a full time income, according to The Guardian and Russell Blake. Print sales are not the most lucrative, according to LG O'Connor, and print and ebook bundling doesn't always work out, according to Copyright and Technology. It can also be hard to find the right … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Book Sales and Other Income Strategies
Social Media Tips and Tricks
Social media platforms (and online platforms in general) are constantly changing. Here are a few new features and tips: Pinterest Pinterest now has a more ways of shopping via the platform. Pins now have pricing and stock information, and have links that go directly to the retailer's site. These Product Pins are also more discoverable on the home feed and other parts of the … [Read more...] about Social Media Tips and Tricks
Amazon News and Tools
It's been a while since I've posted about Amazon, so thought I'd share some links I've been collecting. It covers a wide range of topics, but hey, that's Amazon! Amazon Tools and Tutorials ACX University Kindle Create Amazon Sales Estimator Tool on Jungle Scout Amazon Sales Rank Calculator on Kindlepreneur "Tutorial: Enabling X-Ray for Your eBooks on Amazon" … [Read more...] about Amazon News and Tools
Guest Post: Why You Should Consider SEO When Self-Publishing a Book
By Adam Steele This is a guest post, courtesy of Adam Steele, the founder of Loganix, a popular SEO fulfillment company located in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. If you are an author who’s opting to self-publish instead of going through a publisher, the one big thing you lack is the marketing power that you'd get from a publishing company. That puts all of the … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Why You Should Consider SEO When Self-Publishing a Book
Editing Tips and Resources for Authors
![By Ernest-Mtl (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i0.wp.com/digitalpubbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Post-Wikimania_2016_-_Ernest-Mtl_-_Wikisource_in_train.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
When it comes to editing your book, authors have a lot of options. The first step is to self-edit. This can help cut down on costs later when you start working with a professional editor (which I highly recommend doing). Jane Friedman has a great post on how to write a book in three drafts. There's the messy draft, which is a first draft and often unorganized. Then there's … [Read more...] about Editing Tips and Resources for Authors
Artificial Intelligence and Publishing
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining steam, and there are lots of really interesting experiments and initiatives happening. One example is using AI to get an idea of a book's market potential. Enter Booxy, which analyzes "a book to generate comps (comparable titles) and predict reader experience," according to Huffington Post. It uses natural language processing and … [Read more...] about Artificial Intelligence and Publishing
Guest Post: 28 Boring Words Alternatives—Improve Your Writing
By Jack Milgram Think about the last interesting conversation you had with a friend of yours. What made it so pleasant? Chances are, what made it so great was your friend’s relatively rich vocabulary. And no, we are not talking about snooty guys throwing obscure terminology at you. We are simply talking about people who have the sense to use words more expressive than … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 28 Boring Words Alternatives—Improve Your Writing
Guest Post: 5 reasons authors should create and sell an online course
Baidhurya Mani is the author of "How to sell online courses from your own website: A complete beginner’s guide." By Baidhurya Mani Selling online courses has changed the lives of so many individuals. I have worked with a number of online course creators and have seen how they have turned their expertise in yoga, health and nutrition, cyber security, music, religious … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 5 reasons authors should create and sell an online course
Fun Tools for Authors
I do love a good list. Below are some tools that can help you as an author, whether you're looking to write, find books to read, research words, and more. Authors.me: Platform for connecting authors with agents and publishers. AZ Screen Recorder: An app that lets you record your Android screen. Beemgee: Tools for authors. Binded: Gives you copyright certificates for … [Read more...] about Fun Tools for Authors
Guest Post: Where to Find the Best New Authors; 5 Online Writing Communities To Explore
By Allison Phillips The environment is changing for authors. What once was thought to be a solitary pursuit is evolving into an interactive process with the introduction of new technology. As we move from the printed page to the screen, it invites readers and writers to engage and share the experience through online writing communities. Writers now have access to networks … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Where to Find the Best New Authors; 5 Online Writing Communities To Explore
An Interview with Richard Billings, Founder of Leafless
The publishing industry is full of opportunity. Today, publishing startup Leafless, a digital distribution platform and publisher, is launching (after rebranding). Leafless aims to solve the problem of authors paying for reviews and honest reviews disappearing from sites like Amazon. Through Leafless, authors can give copies of ebooks to readers for reviews, and popular books … [Read more...] about An Interview with Richard Billings, Founder of Leafless
