People make amazing things. That's probably why I spend so much time online—I often go down the rabbit hole of reading about people's cool projects. Speaking of, here are some I've heard about recently: "This Book Is A Planetarium" on Hyperallergic: "Defying every expectation of what a book can be, this pop-up extravaganza transforms into six fully functional tools: a real … [Read more...] about Cool People, Cool Projects
books
20 Stories Related To Writing and Publishing
Sometimes I read stories, and just have to share them. Here's a list of recent interesting stuff (in no particular order): "13 Writers Who Grew To Hate Their Own Books" on Literary Hub: List includes Ian Fleming (The Spy Who Loved Me), Anthony Burgess (A Clockwork Orange), and Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace). "8 Notable Attempts to Hack the New York Times Bestseller List" … [Read more...] about 20 Stories Related To Writing and 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
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
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
Subscription Box Service, A Way to Build Your Brand?
A while back, I came across an article about starting a subscription box service. I'd never thought of that as an option before, but the idea is interesting. One of the examples is Brave Roots Box, which sends religious items to kids and teens each month (the owner was cited in the article I read). Apparently, the subscription box business model is prevalent enough that … [Read more...] about Subscription Box Service, A Way to Build Your Brand?
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
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
10 Audiobooks to Read This Holiday Season (A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes Blog Tour)
Happy November, fellow readers! We’re in the middle of holiday season, which probably means lots of traveling, and also getting ready for traveling. One great way to help you prepare, and to help you relax while you’re traveling, is to listen to audiobooks. And that’s why I’m participating in the “A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes” blog tour. Audiobooks make it easy to … [Read more...] about 10 Audiobooks to Read This Holiday Season (A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes Blog Tour)
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: A Guide To Successful Youtube Video Marketing
By Sheena Mathieson Sheena Mathieson is a freelance writer who shares some helpful tips on using YouTube. Videos are used for various purposes – ranging from educational to entertaining. In fact, YouTube was made in order for people online to find videos quickly. Thanks to its search engine and social media system, their vision was made possible. YouTube also offers a new … [Read more...] about Guest Post: A Guide To Successful Youtube Video Marketing
Indie Authors: Selling Books
![By Strebe (File in w:en) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i1.wp.com/digitalpubbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/1024px-HMCoSecondEdHobbits.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
After doing all the hard work of writing, editing, and designing your book, it's nice to be able to sell it. There are a number of creative ways to sell an ebook these days. Book Promotion Hub recommends selling via online book clubs, which includes Goodreads, Amazon Book Club, BookTalk.org, and Book Mooch. You can also collaborate with people, or as Michelle from Random … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Selling Books
Guest Post: What You Need To Know Before Becoming Your Own Marketer
By Mariah T. Being able to create and implement an effective marketing and promotional strategy can be of the utmost importance for new authors, especially if you aren’t working with a publishing company. You simply don’t have the resources to hire a full-time marketer, so you are going to have to start yourself off until you can get a foothold in the publishing world. In … [Read more...] about Guest Post: What You Need To Know Before Becoming Your Own Marketer
Guest Post: Which Marketing Channels are Most Effective for Books?
By Mariah T. Many writers stay so focused on their work that they forget to promote their product. As a result, they often become discouraged by disappointing book sales. You can do better, especially if you know where to start. Marketing is essential for books, just as with any other good. With the right plan, you can build awareness and excitement about your work, so … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Which Marketing Channels are Most Effective for Books?
Guest Post: 6 Marketing Ideas For The Day Your Book Launches
By Martin Cavannagh It’s the biggest event on any author’s calendar: the day their book launches. And if you happen to be a self-publishing author, it should also be your busiest. A book’s launch can very much set the tone for any success to come. You want there to be as much noise as possible so that you get as many people buying your book and leaving a review in the … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 6 Marketing Ideas For The Day Your Book Launches
