Digital Pubbing

Exploring the ins and outs of the publishing industry

indie authors

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

Indie Authors: Building Your Brand and Writer Platform

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To be a successful indie author, you need to have a brand / writer platform. At first, this may sound like a daunting task. And yes, it is a lot of work. But I've found that it helps to outline goals, and then break down your plan into small steps that you can easily do a little of each day. Even if you only spend 10 minutes a day, over the course of a few months, you can … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Building Your Brand and Writer Platform

Indie Authors: Using Giveaways to Find New Readers and Sell More Books

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A giveaway is a powerful tool that can help indie authors attract new readers. You can incentivize people to spread the word about your book through social media, sign up for your email list, and garner interest in your other books (which can lead to more sales). There are at least four big tools authors can use for book giveaways: Goodreads LibraryThing Amazon … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Using Giveaways to Find New Readers and Sell More Books

Indie Authors: What’s in a Book Cover?

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It's well known that a good book cover is a key component of selling a book (aside from having a great story, of course). But with so many books out there for readers to choose from (especially now that indie authors as well as traditional publishers are now making high quality book covers of similar caliber, according to Publishing Perspectives) what can make your cover stand … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: What’s in a Book Cover?

Indie Authors: Social Media Marketing Tips

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Jane Friedman recommends joining all social media platforms, even if you don't intend on using it right away (hint: you want to have a good username for if you do decide to use that platform). It's one thing to join a social media network, and it's another thing to maintain and grow your presence on it. Here are some news updates and ideas for how to use different platforms … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Social Media Marketing Tips

Indie Authors: Researching Your Books

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When writing books, there are a lot of things you can research. What genre should you write in (if you don't already have a preference)? How can you attract readers? Who are your target or ideal readers? What should your book title be? Below is a list of resources that can help answer those questions: Find My Audience: Learn about your Twitter audience. Hasghtagify: … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: Researching Your Books

Overcoming Writers Block and Writing a Strong Story

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When it comes to writing, there are a lot of factors to consider. Writer's Block The first thing is to overcome writer's block, if you have it. Writer's block comes in a couple flavors: not being able to write and not being able to finish a writing project. Ellis Shuman Writes has a great post with tips on how to cure writer's block, which includes writing something every … [Read more...] about Overcoming Writers Block and Writing a Strong Story