Digital Pubbing

Exploring the ins and outs of the publishing industry

indie authors

Indie Authors: Selling Books

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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

Indie Authors: High Quality Book Covers

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When it comes to selling books, having an eye-catching cover is high on the list of getting more readers and buyers. But there's a lot to consider. Should you make the cover yourself? Hire a designer? Use stock photos? To help with this process, BadRedHeadMedia recommends planning everything in advance, including researching your options and coming up with a budget. Also … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: High Quality Book Covers

Indie Authors: Launching a Book

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At first, launching a book may seem daunting. But it helps to plan the launch in increments, and also, know that ebooks have an indefinite shelf life, so that even though it's nice to have a strong start, there's always time to build up buzz and excitement around a book. Creating a Book Launch Plan Direct Contact PR offers an excellent list/set of guidelines on what to do … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Launching a Book

Making Your Stories Available In As Many Formats As Possible

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I recently read an article about going wide, and thought it was a great idea. In this article, on Kobo Writing Life, Tracy Cooper-Posey talks about her publishing success outside of Amazon and Kindle, and how that allowed her to quit her day job. The idea is to be in as many places as possible, and to directly distribute whenever possible. It got me thinking about other ways … [Read more...] about Making Your Stories Available In As Many Formats As Possible

For the Readers: A List of Sites, Tools, and Examples of Beautiful Works

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More and more platforms are springing up to help both indie authors and readers looking for their next great read. One new platform that does just that is The Books Machine, which allows authors to gift their books to hundreds of thousands of readers, according to the website. Readers have 30 days to read the book and write an honest review. Reader membership is free, and … [Read more...] about For the Readers: A List of Sites, Tools, and Examples of Beautiful Works

Indie Authors: Selling Print Books and Working with Bookstores

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For indie authors, it can be harder to sell print books than ebooks. But, there are a number of opportunities and methods authors can use to sell print books, and even get their books into bookstores. Holly Brady outlines tips for authors when approaching bookstores. This includes working with local bookstores, working with POD services not related to Amazon, and how best to … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Selling Print Books and Working with Bookstores

Indie Authors: Tips for Writing Characters That Resonate

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Characters are an important element of every story. So how do you make sure your story has characters that stand out? That readers find interesting and believable? Writers in the Storm posted an article about becoming your character, so that you don't make mistakes like head hop or have multiple viewpoints for one character. The best way to do that is to become your … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Tips for Writing Characters That Resonate

Indie Author Marketing Guide: Google Plus

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Google Plus is a social media platform that is not as talked about as Facebook or Twitter, but can be very important, depending on your niche. Google Plus Basics For those who may not be too familiar with Google Plus, here are a few of the basics. First, you fill out a profile, with a picture, a cover image, and whatever information you feel comfortable sharing about … [Read more...] about Indie Author Marketing Guide: Google Plus

Indie Author Marketing Guide: A Primer to Social Media

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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 … [Read more...] about Indie Author Marketing Guide: A Primer to Social Media

Indie Author Marketing Guide: Facebook

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For indie authors, Facebook is one of the best ways to reach your audience. As of April 2016, Facebook has 1.65 billion monthly active users and 1.09 billion people logging in daily, according to Zephoria. With that in mind, it's probably safe to say that if you're reading this, you are at least familiar with Facebook. Types of Facebook Interactions Facebook has a few … [Read more...] about Indie Author Marketing Guide: Facebook

Ebook Review: SMART Social Media For Authors

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It’s rare when I’m reading a book do I find myself taking notes. But Chris Syme’s SMART Social Media For Authors is packed with so much useful, actionable information, that I couldn’t help myself. The book is both a guide and a resource. Chris gives examples of other sites to check out, as well as handy explanations of some of the social media platforms, so that authors can … [Read more...] about Ebook Review: SMART Social Media For Authors

Indie Authors: Self Publishing Advice

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Being an indie author is tough. There's the long hours of writing, the nail biting and teeth gritting as you revise your work, and of course there's marketing, promoting, and hoping that maybe you'll get a few, or a lot, of readers. Over the years, more and more indie authors have published, and shared their advice and experiences. Though writing tends to be a solitary … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Self Publishing Advice

Indie Authors: Writing and Publishing Tools

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It seems that every day I come across a new site or tool that can help with writing, editing, promoting, or pretty much any stage in the publishing process. (The Book Designer has a great article explaining why authors should embrace new technologies.) Here are links to a few of the best ones: Writing Citation Styles: A repository for help with citations and … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Writing and Publishing Tools

Indie Authors: Marketing Books by Collaborating

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Marketing in teams often pays off more than marketing by yourself. Author assistant Kate Tilton and many others have advocated street teams, which involves getting fans to rally and support a book. But there are also some clever ways to form groups among authors who write in your genre. Jason Kong wrote on The Book Designer about the benefits of working with multiple … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Marketing Books by Collaborating

Offering Readers Extras

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As an indie author, simply writing your book is not enough. You need to have a marketing strategy, and let people know about your work. You also need to find your target audience, and then give them a reason to keep buying your work. One way to do that is to offer extras to your readers. The Write Life calls them "insider treasures." The idea is to make your readers feel … [Read more...] about Offering Readers Extras