• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Start Here
  • Sabrina’s Books
  • I Know Dino

Digital Pubbing

Exploring the ins and outs of the publishing industry

  • Industry
    • Apps
    • EBooks
    • Future
    • Legal
    • Marketing
    • Metadata
    • Publishing
  • Publishing
    • Self-Publishing
      • Design
      • Distribution
      • EBook Conversion
      • Editing
      • Funding
      • How to Create a Fixed Format Ebook
      • Indie Authors
      • Marketing
        • Indie Author Marketing Guide
      • Services
      • Techy
      • Writing
    • Traditional Publishing
      • Writing Contests
  • Author Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Policies
    • Fiction
      • Action-Adventure
      • Childrens
      • Crime and Thriller Fiction
      • Family Life
      • Fantasy
      • Historical Fiction
      • Humor
      • Literary
      • Political Fiction
      • Science Fiction
      • Young Adult
    • Non-Fiction
  • Musings
    • Grammar
    • Photos
      • Blog Photos
      • Still Life
      • Videos
    • Science
  • Want to be a podcaster? Take our quiz!

tools

Guest Post: 4 Computer Hacks for Writers

Monday, May 18, 2020 by Sabrina Ricci

By Ashley Wilson When you think of the most common difficulties facing writers, you probably think of writer's block, time management, and burnout. Have you ever stopped to wonder how many hours the average writer loses to tech-related issues? In the modern world, the vast majority of writers use computers with word processing applications for their craft. Some amongst … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 4 Computer Hacks for Writers

Cool Projects, Fun Tools, and Interesting Reads

Monday, December 9, 2019 by Sabrina Ricci

It's almost the end of the year, so I thought it'd be fun to do a smörgÃ¥sbord type of post. So here's a mix of cool projects, tools, and reads that get you thinking, to inspire you. Cool Projects The Rhythm of Food "I Created 5 Maps That Show How Small Our World Actually Is" on Bored Panda IndyKids! (A free paper by kids, for kids) "Thinking About Starting Your Own … [Read more...] about Cool Projects, Fun Tools, and Interesting Reads

Guest Post: The Complete List of Infographic Tools and Platforms (Updated for 2019)

Thursday, October 10, 2019 by Sabrina Ricci

By Andre Oentoro There are millions of content being published every day, in many different forms tooã…¡ articles, videos, social media posts, and others. Some people like to read written blog posts, while others prefer something more visual like videos. Each has its own benefits. Words can explain something deeper and more throughout, while visual content attracts people’s … [Read more...] about Guest Post: The Complete List of Infographic Tools and Platforms (Updated for 2019)

Guest Post: The 6 Best Tools for Video Marketing

Monday, July 22, 2019 by Sabrina Ricci

By Candy Video marketing is an attractive, versatile, and extremely effective way to reach your target audiences. As all we know, the mother of all social networks, Facebook, has been strongly favoring video content in its news feeds. To help you create compelling, inspiring, and actionable marketing videos, I list some main video marketing tools that you should know. 1. … [Read more...] about Guest Post: The 6 Best Tools for Video Marketing

A List of 194 Tools and Resources: Apps, Trends, Marketing Tips, and More

Thursday, January 10, 2019 by Sabrina Ricci

By Heffloaf (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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

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

209 Examples and Trends Impacting the Future of Storytelling

Thursday, November 8, 2018 by Sabrina Ricci

Storytelling comes in a variety of formats: as books, articles, podcasts, films, and more. It seems every week there's something new and cool coming out of the works, so I thought I'd highlight some of them here (in no particular order). Also, there's a lot that can be learned from other people's stories! New Tech / Tools / Platforms Book Marketing Book Title Generator … [Read more...] about 209 Examples and Trends Impacting the Future of Storytelling

Indie Author Marketing Guide: A Primer to Social Media

Monday, May 21, 2018 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!

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 Authors: Writing and Publishing Tools

Monday, April 2, 2018 by Sabrina Ricci

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

Design Tips and Tricks

Monday, February 26, 2018 by Sabrina Ricci

Design is an important of any aspect. For indie authors, this could mean books or websites, or any other digital or physical products they sell. With that in mind, here are some design tips and tricks, in case you feel like learning a new skill! Read about the latest features in Adobe InDesign, which can help with book design Learn about design systems with Atomic … [Read more...] about Design Tips and Tricks

Annotating and Having Fun With Data

Monday, January 29, 2018 by Sabrina Ricci

By Everaldo Coelho (YellowIcon) [LGPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Being able to share data in a number of different ways is one of the perks of living in the digital age. Warning: this post is for the fellow geeks out there. Annotation Online I'll start with sharing some cool annotation tools. According to Library Journal: Web annotations are an attempt to recreate and extend that functionality as a new layer of interactivity and linking … [Read more...] about Annotating and Having Fun With Data

Ebook Formatting Options for Indie Authors

Thursday, November 23, 2017 by Sabrina Ricci

By Per Palmkvist Knudsen (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

For indie authors, one great way to save money when it comes to publishing your books is to learn how to make your own ebooks. Personally, when it comes to creating ebooks, I recommend using Sigil, and I teach an online course on Udemy on how to use Sigil and other free tools to create your own beautiful ebooks. But there are a myriad of other options. Below are some … [Read more...] about Ebook Formatting Options for Indie Authors

Fun Tools for Authors

Monday, September 18, 2017 by Sabrina Ricci

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

Book Insights Based on Data

Thursday, March 23, 2017 by Sabrina Ricci

By Adrien1018 (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Data is powerful, and can provide a lot of insights. Data also makes it easier to market books. For example, having good metadata makes it easier for readers to find certain books online. Here are some tips for how to use data to your advantage, as well as some awesome examples of what we can learn from data. Metadata "3 Ways You Can Plant Metadata in Your Book Blurb" on … [Read more...] about Book Insights Based on Data

Guest Post: Proofreading Style and Grammar with Document Grader

Thursday, January 7, 2016 by Sabrina Ricci

By Patrick Roberts Patrick Roberts is the creator of Document Grader, a tool designed to grade writing on a deeper level than the average grammar checking program. Authors can easily use the tool to help with their work. Document Grader goes beyond finding superficial grammar or spelling mistakes, as most grammar checking tools already do.  Instead, the service highlights a … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Proofreading Style and Grammar with Document Grader

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Sign up to get Digital Pubbing articles direct to your inbox!

Success!

Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

.
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Advertisements

 

Popular Posts

  • Taking a Closer Look at Amazon's Kindle Unlimited
    Taking a Closer Look at Amazon's Kindle Unlimited
  • McDonald's, the Book Distributor
    McDonald's, the Book Distributor
  • Resources for Indie Authorpreneurs
    Resources for Indie Authorpreneurs
  • Guest Post: How to Market Your Book to Teens
    Guest Post: How to Market Your Book to Teens
  • Guest Post: Top 8 Platforms to Sell Your Ebooks
    Guest Post: Top 8 Platforms to Sell Your Ebooks
  • Guest Post: Using Book Trailers to Promote Your Book as an Indie Author
    Guest Post: Using Book Trailers to Promote Your Book as an Indie Author
  • 7 Strategies and 110+ Tools to Help Indie Authors Find Readers and Reviewers
    7 Strategies and 110+ Tools to Help Indie Authors Find Readers and Reviewers
  • Authorly, Turn Your Book Into An App
    Authorly, Turn Your Book Into An App
  • Guest Post: Get More Blog Traffic with These Free Keyword Research Tools
    Guest Post: Get More Blog Traffic with These Free Keyword Research Tools
  • By the Numbers: 189+ Tips and Tricks on How to Write, Edit, Market, and Sell Your Books
    By the Numbers: 189+ Tips and Tricks on How to Write, Edit, Market, and Sell Your Books

Also Find Me On…

  • Amazon
  • BookBub
  • Skillshare
  • Goodreads
  • Scribd
  • About.me
  • Storybird
  • Quora
  • Slideshare

Pages

  • Writing and Publishing Conferences

Footer

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

goodreads.com

Recent

  • Guest Post: 10 Tips and Tricks to Get Writing Inspiration Anywhere and Anytime
  • Guest Post: Social Media and Hashtags For Writers
  • Marketing Funnel Part 6: Sharing Your Story With a Webinar
  • Marketing Funnel Part 5: Driving Traffic to Your Content with Paid Ads
  • Marketing Funnel Part 4: Building and Making the Most of Your Email List

Subscribe via Email

Join 1,828 other subscribers

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Tags

Amazon author interview authors book book review books content digital ebook ebooks editing Facebook fiction google indie authors interview kindle marketing metadata publishers publishing readers reading self-publishing social media thriller tools Twitter writers writing

© Copyright 2009-2022 Digital Pubbing · All Rights Reserved ·

Sign up to get Digital Pubbing articles direct to your inbox, FREE!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a third party.
 

Loading Comments...