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freelance

Guest Post: How to Establish Yourself as a Freelance Writer

Monday, July 5, 2021 by Sabrina Ricci

By Jori Hamilton So you’re considering the possibility of becoming a freelance writer, but you’re not really sure what steps you need to take to make it all happen. Sound about right? Becoming a successful freelance writer is a bit of a whirlwind; nobody seems to fall cleanly into the career path. Instead, those who ultimately become successful will almost always tell you … [Read more...] about Guest Post: How to Establish Yourself as a Freelance Writer

Job Boards and Resources for Writers and the Publishing Industry

Monday, May 27, 2019 by Sabrina Ricci

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

21+ Magazines To Write For

Monday, April 29, 2019 by Sabrina Ricci

Writing for magazines is a great way to build your portfolio (quick self-promotion: you can see my new portfolio here). Here are some magazines and presses that accept submissions, in a variety of genres. Some pay for work, some do not. Please read the submission guidelines! Vestal Review: Flash fiction. All-Story: Short fiction. Sleet Magazine: Poems, flash fiction, … [Read more...] about 21+ Magazines To Write For

A List of Tools for Freelance and Indie Authors

Monday, December 17, 2018 by Sabrina Ricci

Having trouble staying motivated? Sometimes it helps to use some new tools to keep you organized and ready to work. Here are some new tools and resources I've found: Mattermost: An open-source chatting tool, so you can easily connect with clients, editors, publicists, or anyone on your author street team. Compatible with Slack. Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator: To help … [Read more...] about A List of Tools for Freelance and Indie Authors

Resources and Advice for Writers

Monday, September 3, 2018 by Sabrina Ricci

Albert Anker [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

There are many types of writing: novels, short stories, articles, technical documents, copywriting, business plans, and the list goes on. Looking for some inspiration or help in your writing career? Here are some programs and pieces of advice from fellow writers. Fiction Writers (and creative non-fiction writers) Thinking about getting an MFA? Then go through New Page's … [Read more...] about Resources and Advice for Writers

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

Thursday, April 19, 2018 by Sabrina Ricci

By Ramchand Bruce Phagoo (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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 … [Read more...] about By the Numbers: 189+ Tips and Tricks on How to Write, Edit, Market, and Sell Your Books

Guest Post: 60 Freelance Writing Resources

Monday, October 16, 2017 by Sabrina Ricci

By Joe Flanagan If you're considering moving into freelance writing or have already chosen this path as your career then these 60 helpful freelance writing resources are for you. It covers freelance writing resources for the modern day including writing tools, social media groups and forums, blogs and podcasts, plus much more. You'll never be stuck for ideas on how to write, … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 60 Freelance Writing Resources

Guest Post: Two Interesting Ways to Organize Your Workplace

Monday, October 12, 2015 by Sabrina Ricci

By Emily Johnson - Omnipapers Writers who work from home, or anyone who works from home, will find this infographic useful for keeping organized and staying healthy. Every freelance worker may agree that working from home needs concentration and self-organization. And more often than not, people don't pay attention to their workplaces. However, a well-organized workplace can … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Two Interesting Ways to Organize Your Workplace

Working as a Freelance Writer

Monday, February 23, 2015 by Sabrina Ricci

There's been a lot of chatter lately about how writers earn a living. The Write Life has an excellent post, "Talking About Money: Why Writers Need to Be More Honest About How We Earn," which covers Ann Bauer's Salon essay on being sponsored by her husband, as well as how other writers earn a living and how much they make. A lot of stories pop up of writers who are able to … [Read more...] about Working as a Freelance Writer

The Ins and Outs of Blogging as a Professional Writer

Monday, April 28, 2014 by Sabrina Ricci

Social media is a big part of indie author marketing strategies these days. But for those just starting out, it may seem daunting. When I first began using social media for platform building, I felt slightly overwhelmed. But now, after lots of practice and just incorporating social media into my daily routine, I've come to embrace it. And instead of seeing it like a chore, I see it as another way to connect and interact with people, and I've been able to build real relationships through it. Here are a few things I've learned along the way. (And if you want guidance on how to overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed, read Your Writer Platform's "Are You Building Your Writer Platform at Gunpoint?") Don't use social media just to sell books Kristen Lamb's "Social Media, Book Signings & Why Neither Directly Impact Overall Sales" goes into depth on why this is not a good strategy, but basically you don't want to spam people/just make noise, and you will not develop any real relationships this way (meaning, you won't attract real fans). Rachel Thompson suggests spending more time online finding people who may be willing to review your books, and she gives a list of suggestions in her article "Why ‘Read My Book!’ Doesn’t Work…And What To Do Instead" Focus on one or two platforms first, then build from there Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. Pinterest. Google. Youtube. Goodreads. LinkedIn. Tumblr. The list goes on and on. You can be active on all these channels, but it's probably best to pick one or two and work on growing an audience there first. Every social media channel works a little differently, caters to a different audience, and has savvy users who expect others to use the network a certain way. The Book Designer's "Do You Make These Online Marketing Mistakes?" offers tips, such as establishing one audience per channel and using landing pages. Social Media Just for Writers also recommends researching your target market and then choosing your social media platform based on that in "How to Stop Wasting Time and Focus Your Book Marketing." For advice on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and YouTube, read DBW's "The Book Marketing Social Media Hierarchy: Which Sites to Use for Which Purposes." Business Insider broke down the demographics of some of the social media platforms. According to them, the 45- to 54-year-old demographic is growing, "27% of 18 to 29-year-olds in the U.S. use Twitter," LinkedIn and Google+ are mostly male, Pinterest is mostly women on tablets, and Tumblr is mostly teens and young adults. Eventually you can expand into other platforms. For a case study on why, read Kate Tilton's "Why I Use Different Social Media Networks (And You Should Too) by @K8Tilton." For help determining which platform is best for you, read these articles: "Instagram: Should You Be On It?" on Indies Unlimited "How Tumblr Turned a Book Into a Bestseller" on GoodeReader "Pinterest Unveils Buyable Pins, A Way To Purchase Things Directly Within Pinterest" on TechCrunch "Pinterest Update: More Ways Authors Can Use Pinterest!" on Writers Win "Indie Author Marketing Guide: Pinterest" on Musings and Marvels "How I Made it to the Front Page of BuzzFeed Twice, and How You Can Too" on Matthew Barby "Surprising News in Social Media – And a Twitter Tip" on Social Media Just for Writers "Indie Author Marketing Guide: Twitter" on Musings and Marvels "Guest Post: 8 Secrets to Increase Your Twitter Followers" on Musings and Marvels "Guest Post: What Everybody Ought To Know About Facebook Account Management" on Musings and Marvels "Guest Post: Want to Step Up Your Facebook?" on Musings and Marvels "Indie Author Marketing Guide: Goodreads" on Musings and Marvels "Indie Author Marketing Guide: LinkedIn" on Musings and Marvels "Indie Author Marketing Guide: Google Plus" on Musings and Marvels "Which Social Media and Marketing Tools Are Publishers Actually Using Successfully" on DBW Strategize how you will build your platform Erindor Press's "Platform Building Primer" is a good start, and advocates setting expectations and figuring out the best way to share content, either via blogging, email newsletters, or something else (and you can use social media to promote that content). The Loneliest Planet shared a post, called "One Writer's Platform (Part 2) Events and PR," which goes over techniques of marketing offline (such as doing public readings and lectures) but also adds that it's worth taping these performances and uploading them to Youtube to share. Use lots of images/visuals People tend to engage more with posts, tweets, etc. that are visual. According to Rebekah Radice's "5 Steps to Get Massive Engagement With Your Visual Content," "43% of social media users share pictures." She recommends having consistent colors, using templates, appropriate fonts, and to create infographics, images, and videos. Build Book Buzz recommends creating different types of images, including picture quotes, tipographics, and infographics. For tips on how to actually create these images, read Social Media Just For Writer's "Writers: Use Visuals to Market Your Books." Make use of social media tools Here's a list of resources, along with helpful tips and links to additional tools: Kate Tilton Social Media Resources Kate Tilton Authors on Instagram Kate Tilton Book Bloggers on Instagram Social Media Examiner Storyfinds Momentum RelayStation Magnolia Media Network Books Go Social Keep up to date on new platforms and tools Lastly, the social media landscape is constantly changing, so it's good to stay up to date. One example of a relatively new tool/platform is Aerbook, which according to PW turns social media into a virtual bookstore. Earlier this year, Social Media Just for Writers wrote about how indie authors can use Aerbook, which allows you to share previews and even sell ebooks on social media networks, as well as see analytics on your shares. According to the article, there are three product plans to choose from: Aerbook Retail is free, no credit card required. It gives you the social look inside the book, email capture popups within the sample, stats on how the book is used, and the ability to share the link and also get web page widgets that launch the Aerbook. This plan lets you sell the book directly through Aerbook, and our service earns 15% of the purchase price after credit card fees are deducted. Aerbook Plus gives you everything Aerbook Retail delivers, plus lets you add links to other retailers, like Amazon, iBooks, or even your own purchase page. Aerbook Plus is $49 per year. Aerbook Flyer includes everything above, but there’s no direct sale through Aerbook’s commerce service. You’ll add links to other retailers. Flyer also lets you do book giveaways, and includes 500 directly delivered, complete books annually. Flyer is $99 per year. Got any social media tips? Please share in the comments!

Blogging is one of the best ways to build a platform, both as a book author and as a freelance writer. I plan on posting more about the specifics of being a freelancer, now having done it for a while, but blogging seems a good place to start, since it applies to both types of writers. There are a lot of benefits to blogging, especially if you do it regularly. In the past few … [Read more...] about The Ins and Outs of Blogging as a Professional Writer

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Books for Indie Authors

Books for Indie Authors

Your First 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book
Your First 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book
by Tim Grahl
tagged: indie-publishing and to-read
The Author Training Manual: Develop Marketable Ideas, Craft Books That Sell, Become the Author Publishers Want, and Self-Publish Effectively
it was amazing
The Author Training Manual: Develop Marketable Ideas, Craft Books That Sell, Become the Author Publishers Want, and Self-Publish Effectively
by Nina Amir
Other reviewers have called The Author Training Manual a must-read, and I have to agree. Nina Amir has compiled a great amount of research, experience, and real-life samples that can help any other, self-published, traditionally publishe...
tagged: indie-publishing

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