Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience
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“BRIANbio”
Brian Whiddon is the Managing Editor of WritersWeekly.com and the Operations Manager at BookLocker.com. Brian is an Army vet and former police officer, and spent several years chained to a desk, commuting Tampa's congested roadways, working in corporate management and training, while writing in his spare time. He is now an author, and avid sailor, and NRA-certified firearms instructor. Brian lives and works aboard his 36-foot sailboat, the “Floggin’ Molly” in St. Petersburg, Florida. He calls her his "rescue boat" that he found abandoned in a boat yard and rebuilt himself - fulfilling a dream he had to one day live aboard. Brian no longer commutes, and has donated all his business slacks, collared shirts, and ties to Goodwill.
How Many Copies Of Your Book Would You Have To Sell In Order To Break Even?
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“BOOK—HowMaster”
HowMaster: The Writer's Guide to Beautiful Word Crafting
Author Linda M. Gigliotti draws from years of practice as a private
writing tutor in the guidebook that teaches writers how to format visceral
writing that pulls readers into their book. She explains with instruction
and samples of published works how to craft writing that come to life in the reader's mind.
HowMaster is a wise choice for the writer who wants to weave words around the reader’s heart.
Author Linda M. Gigliotti draws from years of practice as a private
writing tutor in the guidebook that teaches writers how to format visceral
writing that pulls readers into their book. She explains with instruction
and samples of published works how to craft writing that come to life in the reader's mind.
Practical resource outlining the self-syndication process, step-by-step. Packed with detailed information and useful tips for writers looking to gain readership, name recognition, publication and self-syndication for their column or articles.
It's A Dirty Job...Writing Porn For Fun And Profit! Includes Paying Markets!
Fact is, writing porn is fun! It's also one of the easier markets to crack and make money at while you're still honing your skills. "It's A Dirty Job..." is one of the only resources that can teach you everything you need to know to create your stories and target your markets.
So, You Wanna Be a Ghostwriter - How To Make Money Writing Without a Byline
Many freelance writers find it difficult to break into the publishing world. What they don't know, however, is that there's a faster and easier way to see their words in print. It's called ghostwriting, and it's an extremely lucrative, fun, and challenging career.
But how do you get started as a ghostwriter? How do you find new clients who will pay you to write their material? How do you charge? And what kind of contracts do you need to succeed? All these questions and more are answered in So, You Wanna Be a Ghostwriter...How to Make Money Writing Without a Byline.
Writing FAST: How to Write Anything with Lightning Speed
A systematic approach to writing that generates better quality quickly!
Chock full of ideas, tips, techniques and inspiration, this down-to-earth book is easy to read, and even easier to apply. Let author Jeff Bollow take you through a process that brings your ideas to the page faster, more powerfully and easier than ever before.
Writing is a constant dialogue between author and reader.
The craft of writing involves an interchange of emotions between an author and a reader. An author creates a story line, conflict, and characters, gives his characters words to speak, and then hands off these materials to a reader. This process results in a constant dialogue between the mental imagery produced by a reader and that proposed by the author.
TRAVEL WRITING 2.0: Earning Money from your Travels in the New Media Landscape - SECOND EDITION
Completely revised edition of the ground-breaking travel writing book that provides a road map to success in the digital age. It dives headlong into the entrepreneurial world of blogging and digital books, while still acknowledging the real money to be made in declining print forms.
Drawing on interviews and survey responses from more than 100 successful travel writers and bloggers, this is the definitive guide to creating success instead of waiting for permission. Written by a veteran, award-winning writer with two decades of experience as a book author, online publisher, freelancer, and blogger.
Do you want to REALLY keep 100% of your royalties?
Do you want to REALLY self-publish your book?
Do you want direct contracts with the world's largest Print on Demand printer as well as Ingram, the worldís largest book distributor, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, and any other ebook retailer you choose?
7.625 STRATEGIES IN EVERY BEST-SELLER - Revised and Expanded Edition
At this moment, thousands of would-be authors are slaving away on their keyboards, dreaming of literary success. But their efforts won’t count for much. Of all those manuscripts, trade book editors will sign up only a slim fraction.
And of those titles--ones that that editors paid thousands of dollars to contract, print and publicize--an unhealthy percentage never sell enough copies to earn back their advances. Two years later, most will be out of print!
Acquisition Editor Tam Mossman shares seven essentials every book needs to stay in print, and sell!
Involved in Internet marketing since 1995 (when it officially became a profession), Richard Hoy is now focusing his years of online marketing expertise on using Facebook advertising to promote books.
His new company, Boost A Book, offers simple, affordable, and effective book promotion packages that make tapping into the full power of online marketing effortless for authors. Find out more at BoostABook.com.
Need an online marketing question answered? Contact him by clicking here.
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“BOOK-thereporter”
Named a "Hot New Release" by Amazon, and ranked #7 in the Metaphysical Fiction category less than a week after release!
"A real page turner. I can't wait to read the next installment." -Debbie Martindale Behrends, The Elburn Herald
Nic Pappas, a reporter with the Palatine Star newspaper, is assigned to cover a cold murder case known as The Brown's Chicken Massacre. Pappas meets, and falls in love with, Mary Jane Santos, who lost her brother, Roland, Jr., in the tragedy, tempting Pappas to violate the ethics of the reporter-source relationship. Believing the only way to end his dilemma is to solve the case, Pappas and Santos make a pledge to catch the killers...
Have a Freelance Success Story to share? We pay $40 on acceptance, non-exclusive electronic rights only. Success stories run around 300 words but we're very flexible. Our guidelines are here:
Angela Hoy is not only publisher of WritersWeekly.com, she's also co-owner of self-publishing services firm BookLocker.com and works directly with each author.
That's right, you work directly with the owner of BookLocker. No revolving customer service reps, no layers of bureaucracy to navigate, and absolutely no outsourcing to low-paying overseas call centers. We don't use call centers or telemarketing at all. You will never be shuffled from one "customer service rep" to another because we don't have any of those.
You will communicate directly with Angela about any needs you have at all, as well as Richard (book marketing advice), Brian (ebooks and technical issues), Ali (print formatting), Gwen (color-interior books) and Todd or Nancy (our awesome cover designers).
Since we are selective about which books we publish, we are able to work with every author one-on-one. In the past 18 years, BookLocker has published more than 9,000 titles.
Angela's been in the print-on-demand and self-publishing business for nearly two decades. She's seen it all, and is a great source of information. To ask her anything click here.
“expiredjoblinks”
Some or all of these links to writing job have expired. See the latest writing jobs by clicking here.
Ask Angela About Print On Demand and Self-Publishing
Angela is the Publisher of WritersWeekly.com and co-owner of the POD firm BookLocker.com
According to attorney Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print, BookLocker is:
"As close to perfection as you're going to find in the world of ebook and POD publishing. The ebook royalties are the highest I've ever seen, and the print royalties are better than average. BookLocker understands what new authors experience, and have put together a package that is the best in the business. You can't go wrong here. Plus, they're selective and won't publish any manuscript just because it's accompanied by a check. Also, the web site is well trafficked. If you can find a POD or epublisher with as much integrity and dedication to selling authors' books, but with lower POD publishing fees, please let me know."
Got questions? Ask Angela about Print On Demand and Self-publishing.
Have a POD Book with another publisher? See if BookLocker can give you a better deal. (BookLocker offers "disgruntled author discounts" to those who want to move from other POD services.)
Follow BookLocker on Facebook to keep track of self-publishing news and marketing resources.
“BOOK-33worstmistakes”
33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Blind Characters
I admire any writer who wants to tackle a blind character. But so many writers take up this challenge and FAIL. They research blindness by reading other fiction books, by observing their blind colleagues and acquaintances, and by tying on a blindfold and pretending to be blind themselves.
I understand the challenges your characters face, their triumphs, their hopes and their fears, because I've lived them. I work with people who have varying degrees of blindness every day, so I've seen every challenge, every situation you could imagine.
Let me share my knowledge to improve your writing. You can create blind characters that readers will fall in love with.
Each time I start trying to write, ideas and thoughts start to fly around in my head. So, then I start taking separate notes because those ideas don’t fit in the part of the book I’m writing, or aren’t part of writing my book at all.
Now, I find I have done far more note-taking than writing. And, each time I try to get back to writing, the ideas start all over again and MY BOOK ISN’T GETTING WRITTEN!
Any advice you can give me?
M.B.
A –
I TOTALLY understand! I have a very active (okay, OVER-active) brain as well and, when I’m doing one thing (writing), my mind is often separately going in a million different directions. Some of those thoughts are related to the book (and, yes, I take notes on the side, too) while others couldn’t be farther from the topic of the book (i.e. “I need to remember to check Mason’s English lesson,” “Did I add Thousand Island dressing to the grocery list?” “Do I have any appointments tomorrow?” “I only have one pair if clean undies left…must do laundry tomorrow!”).
The best advice I can give you is to sit down with a cup of coffee or tea every morning, before you even check your email, and write for an hour. If your overactive brain invades your writing, IGNORE IT. Those thoughts and reminders will come back to you later in the day. DO NOT WRITE THEM DOWN.
Even if it’s a difficult writing session, and if you have to rewrite that part later, at least you’ll have something to go on (lead you) the following day. Also, it helps me immensely to read what I wrote the previous day just before I begin writing anew in the morning.
And, finally, don’t try to edit what you’ve written until that hour is up. Your productivity will be much higher if you resist the urge to go back and tweak the spelling on something, or change punctuation. Write now. Edit later.
For the past two years, I have been working with a client who is slow to pay, and who demands more work before paying for previous work. At one point, he owed me for more than 100 articles. He finally paid, and then asked me to start writing for another website and he promised to be more professional.
Later, he claimed he’d already paid for that work but he had not. He always acts happy and appreciates my work until it’s time to pay me. I don’t think I can deal with the anxiety anymore.
What do you think would be the best approach from here?
L.
A –
To be completely honest, I would have “fired” that client LONG ago.
My advice is to get the most recent payment and then bolt, or demand he pay you up front, in full, for all future work. That guy isn’t worth the trouble. It’s only a matter of time before he leaves you high and dry on your most recent batch of articles.
BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - by Angela Hoy
Peek over the shoulders of highly successful, published authors to see how they landed publishing contracts worth $10,000 to $100,000! An enticing yet professional book proposal is the key!
BONUS! Successful ghostwriter, Anton Marco, shares his secret for landing ghostwriting clients. Don’t miss Anton’s real ghostwriting contract at the end of this book! It provides an example of what he charges and the payment terms he requires from each client.
The Best of Boyd's Blogs: 87 Solutions to a Life of Better Speaking and Listening
Ever wish you could have your favorite blog in book form? There's nothing like flipping through the pages and reading helpful snippets here and there.
In this book, Steve Boyd gives you that very opportunity. He has intrigued his readers and clients for years with his insightful newsletters and blog posts. This book includes some of his most interesting stories and communication tips, from listening to speaking. As he quotes this Chinese proverb, "From listening comes wisdom and from speaking repentance."
You won't need to repent from your next speech if you use these articles to guide both your preparation and delivery. As an avid reader of his blog said, "These articles are priceless! People need what you have to say."
Steve Boyd's articles on motivation and communication-related topics have appeared
in various publications. His books on public speaking have sold over 30,000 copies.
He is a popular after-dinner speaker and conducts workshops for businesses and associations
whose members want to speak and listen effectively to improve personally and professionally.
So, You Wanna Be a Ghostwriter - How To Make Money Writing Without a Byline
Many freelance writers find it difficult to break into the publishing world. What they don't know, however, is that there's a faster and easier way to see their words in print. It's called ghostwriting, and it's an extremely lucrative, fun, and challenging career.
But how do you get started as a ghostwriter? How do you find new clients who will pay you to write their material? How do you charge? And what kind of contracts do you need to succeed? All these questions and more are answered in So, You Wanna Be a Ghostwriter...How to Make Money Writing Without a Byline.
Thank you for going to bat for writers. I have a question and I hope you can help? I wrote a book and I’m trying to sell it. My social media posts just aren’t working. I keep posting the same ad over and over again and my book is NOT selling. What am I doing wrong?
LD
A –
Without seeing your ads, I can’t give specific advice. However, I can tell you why some social media posts don’t work:
1. Limited audience
If you only have 100 friends on Facebook, or 25 followers on Twitter, and if most of those folks aren’t interested in the type of book you wrote, repeatedly posting ads for your book to the same group over and over isn’t going to work. (And, in fact, it might lead to people unfriending and unfollowing you). If your friends list isn’t large, I recommend purchasing ads on Facebook and other social media sites. Whatever you do, don’t “buy” friends and followers. Those services are scams. You’ll be buying bots, not people.
2. Private Facebook Page
If you have your Facebook account set up so only “friends” can see your posts, that greatly limits your visibility. I recommend, when doing your marketing posts, set those specific posts to “public.”
3. Text vs. Graphic Ads
Posting text about your book isn’t likely to attract many eyeballs. Creating memes in a graphics program is more likely to catch someone’s attention. What performs even better are video ads and they’re not difficult nor expensive! Read more about those RIGHT HERE.
4. Boredom factor
If you’ve created a meme to promote your book, and you’re running the same meme over, and over, and over, people just aren’t going to see it anymore. Keep your ads fresh by creating new ones every couple of weeks or so.
5. “Follow” the Facebook and other feeds of major news companies.
When they post a link to an article that might be of interest to your specific genre of readers, post a helpful comment underneath their post, and casually mention your book. You can even provide a link where they can buy it.
90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy
Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.
We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts
and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!
Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor,
which makes it fun for creative folks like you!
Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!
Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience
I’ve been reading that Netflix is the way to go with getting a movie made from a book now. My book could even be a series. It’s action-packed and would look great on the screen. Should I mail them a copy of my book with a pitch letter?
R.R.
A –
You’re going to be very disappointed. You can read a detailed answer RIGHT HERE and I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I do know an author whose mini-series is being filmed now, and will be on Netflix. The process was very time-consuming, and very expensive. Luckily, he found investors. Unfortunately, simply sending your book to Netflix is not how it works.
90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy
Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.
We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts
and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!
Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor,
which makes it fun for creative folks like you!
Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!
HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY
Angela Hoy's popular online class is now available in book format!
Remember Your Past
Write It and Publish It
in as little as 12 weeks!
Angela Hoy's book will get you started!
Using Angela's MEMORY TRIGGERS, recall memories that have been dormant for years
Record those memories in chronological order in your memory notebook
Using the memory notebook as your outline, write your autobiography!
I hope you can help me. I run a very niche writing service. For a long time, I was the only person that I knew of who was offering this service. A few months ago, I learned of another website that looked eerily similar to mine. Apparently, this person found my website, thought it was a great idea (it is), and decided to do the exact same thing.
While healthy competition isn’t a bad thing, what happened next was awful. The owner of the website started posting negative reviews about my service online. She has never used my service. As far as I know, she and I are the only ones offering this service. She posts under different names but the claims made and the writing style show it’s the same person.
I don’t have the money to hire a lawyer to subpoena websites for the true identify of this person. Her website is so new that I doubt she’s making much, if any, money yet so I doubt any lawyer would take my case on a contingency basis. I don’t know what to do! I can’t sleep at night anymore because I am so angry and I feel like I don’t have anywhere to turn!
Is there any advice you can give me?
L.P.
A –
Bad press really can be good press. When you are attacked by an unknown adversary, you MUST come out swinging. The absolutely worst thing you can do is to ignore the negative posts, and hope people will just forget some day.
If you are absolutely certain that the woman who owns that website is the one posting the comments, your offensive actions should include:
1. Posting a page on your website featuring legitimate customer reviews. If you did not solicit those comments from your customers, state, at the top of that page, that they are “Unsolicited Customer Testimonials.” That is very important.
2. Posting an article on your own blog telling the story about what your competitor has done to you. Don’t be afraid to include information on how much she has hurt you, caused you lost sleep, etc. Personalizing the story will get far more attention.
3. Grab a BIG cup of coffee, and start posting responses to ALL the negative reviews she has posted about you. Simple go to those websites, and click on the option to “respond” or “comment” under her scam posts. I would write it something like this:
The poster above is my competitor, and is online posting false negative reviews using a variety of fake names. To see unsolicited testimonials from my customers, please visit: (include the link of your testimonials for #1 above).
To read about my experience dealing with this scammer, please see: (include link to your article for #2 above)
When companies don’t respond to “negative press,” they always look guilty. While it may take some time, and may be stressful, once you come out swinging, that person will eventually skulk away into the night. Unfortunately, she’ll probably find someone else to victimize in the future.
A few years ago, a similar thing happened to us at WritersWeekly. We’d previously exposed a scammer in WritersWeekly Whispers and Warnings, detailing his illegal activities. He got mad, sent us actual physical threats, and then started an online smear campaign across a variety of websites.
After we laid out the details of what was transpiring in an article posted to our site, and promoted the link on social media, writers and authors were so impressed with our aggressive actions against libel that our business went through the roof! The following month, we had more sales than we’d had in any other month in the history of the company.
So, you see, you really can turn a negative into a positive. People love to read “dirt” online, and exposing a scammer for what she is definitely IS juicy. Give your article a good title that makes clicking irresistible, and watch how the chips fall. You may find that this scammer actually helped your business in the end. 😉
So, You Wanna Be a Ghostwriter - How To Make Money Writing Without a Byline
Many freelance writers find it difficult to break into the publishing world. What they don't know, however, is that there's a faster and easier way to see their words in print. It's called ghostwriting, and it's an extremely lucrative, fun, and challenging career.
But how do you get started as a ghostwriter? How do you find new clients who will pay you to write their material? How do you charge? And what kind of contracts do you need to succeed? All these questions and more are answered in So, You Wanna Be a Ghostwriter...How to Make Money Writing Without a Byline.
Writing FAST: How to Write Anything with Lightning Speed
A systematic approach to writing that generates better quality quickly!
Chock full of ideas, tips, techniques and inspiration, this down-to-earth book is easy to read, and even easier to apply. Let author Jeff Bollow take you through a process that brings your ideas to the page faster, more powerfully and easier than ever before.
Writing is a constant dialogue between author and reader.
The craft of writing involves an interchange of emotions between an author and a reader. An author creates a story line, conflict, and characters, gives his characters words to speak, and then hands off these materials to a reader. This process results in a constant dialogue between the mental imagery produced by a reader and that proposed by the author.
90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy
Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.
We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts
and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!
Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor,
which makes it fun for creative folks like you!
Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!
My previous publisher stopped paying royalties so I fired them and republished my book with someone else. It just went on the market and, today, the old version is showing up above the new one when I search on Amazon. How can I get them to remove the old version from their site? I don’t want my previous publisher stealing even more money from me.
Ava
A –
If Amazon has copies of an old book for sale, they can legally sell those copies because they already purchased them. And, your previous publisher has already been paid for those copies. If those copies have been on Amazon’s shelf for a long time, their system makes the old version more visible to potential buyers in order to move that inventory. Unfortunately, the only option to get rid of those books is to buy the old copies from Amazon.
However, even if you do that, Amazon still won’t remove the old listing because they allow people to sell used copies of books on their site. But, if you have purchased Amazon’s existing inventory (for self-published books, it’s usually only a handful of copies), Amazon’s system should point people searching for your title to the most recent page, showcasing your newest edition.
For future reference, when you republish a book, I always recommend giving it a new title. That way, when new readers are searching for your book, they won’t get confused by seeing the old version.
Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience
How Many Copies Of Your Book Would You Have To Sell In Order To Break Even?
BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - by Angela Hoy
Peek over the shoulders of highly successful, published authors to see how they landed publishing contracts worth $10,000 to $100,000! An enticing yet professional book proposal is the key!
BONUS! Successful ghostwriter, Anton Marco, shares his secret for landing ghostwriting clients. Don’t miss Anton’s real ghostwriting contract at the end of this book! It provides an example of what he charges and the payment terms he requires from each client.
I have a question regarding cover art. I have a photograph that I took of a statue that I would like to use as cover/back cover art for a book I’ve written. The statue sits in a public space but on the campus of a private university. Do I need permission to use this image?
– T.R.
A –
Aaaah, the easiest questions I receive are the ones I can Google in mere seconds. 😉
Joel's BookProgram: The Simple Secret To Writing A Non-Fiction Book In 30 Days, At 1 Hour A Day! - SECOND EDITION
If you are a solo professional, having your own book is one of the best investments of time and money you can make, to promote your business and gain more clients. Why?
If you are an author, you are an authority--an expert in your field.
A book is a tangible credential.
Your book can differentiate you from your competition.
It's an opportunity to explain your uniqueness, your "special sauce."
Order "The Simple Secret To Writing A Non-Fiction Book In 30 Days, At 1 Hour A Day!" right away. And picture yourself handing your own book to a prospect, in just a short time!
TRAVEL WRITING 2.0: Earning Money from your Travels in the New Media Landscape - SECOND EDITION
Completely revised edition of the ground-breaking travel writing book that provides a road map to success in the digital age. It dives headlong into the entrepreneurial world of blogging and digital books, while still acknowledging the real money to be made in declining print forms.
Drawing on interviews and survey responses from more than 100 successful travel writers and bloggers, this is the definitive guide to creating success instead of waiting for permission. Written by a veteran, award-winning writer with two decades of experience as a book author, online publisher, freelancer, and blogger.
Writing is a constant dialogue between author and reader.
The craft of writing involves an interchange of emotions between an author and a reader. An author creates a story line, conflict, and characters, gives his characters words to speak, and then hands off these materials to a reader. This process results in a constant dialogue between the mental imagery produced by a reader and that proposed by the author.
I have scheduled a blog tour to promote my newest book. What’s the best thing I can offer to people who haven’t yet decided to buy my book?
B.K.
A –
The best piece of advice we can give is to offer people something for free if they come to your website and subscribe to your own newsletter or blog. That way, you can keep contacting them (with quality editorial content, of course – not spam) if they don’t buy your book right away.
Also, be sure to tell them they can click to read a free excerpt of your book, and have that on your website as well. Don’t send people directly to Amazon because….you never know what Amazon might to do a book listing in the future. Always send potential readers to YOUR online real estate (your website) first.
Additional advice on offering freebies to get people to subscribe to your mailing list is available in this book:
Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience
The Best of Boyd's Blogs: 87 Solutions to a Life of Better Speaking and Listening
Ever wish you could have your favorite blog in book form? There's nothing like flipping through the pages and reading helpful snippets here and there.
In this book, Steve Boyd gives you that very opportunity. He has intrigued his readers and clients for years with his insightful newsletters and blog posts. This book includes some of his most interesting stories and communication tips, from listening to speaking. As he quotes this Chinese proverb, "From listening comes wisdom and from speaking repentance."
You won't need to repent from your next speech if you use these articles to guide both your preparation and delivery. As an avid reader of his blog said, "These articles are priceless! People need what you have to say."
Steve Boyd's articles on motivation and communication-related topics have appeared
in various publications. His books on public speaking have sold over 30,000 copies.
He is a popular after-dinner speaker and conducts workshops for businesses and associations
whose members want to speak and listen effectively to improve personally and professionally.
I have a story that must be written. The world needs to see it! I’m certain movie companies will be interested in it. I am not a writer so I need someone to help me with it. I can’t pay them. I don’t mind sharing royalties with them but I can’t do the writing myself. Can you refer me to someone who can help me?
M.G.
A –
This is actually a common question I receive and, to be completely honest, it’s insulting.
I’m not aware of any writer who would take on this project without expecting payment in advance. Lots of people try to find writers to write their stories for them, even offering credit and, occasionally, all royalties. But, writers will require payment up front for such a project. A lot of research would be involved (hundreds of hours) for someone who was not involved in the circumstances of the story. Also, for non-fiction, there are legal liabilities that writers must consider and the money they earn must make it worth the risk involved.
Our recommended list of ghostwriters is RIGHT HERE.
90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy
Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.
We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts
and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!
Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor,
which makes it fun for creative folks like you!
Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!
7.625 STRATEGIES IN EVERY BEST-SELLER - Revised and Expanded Edition
At this moment, thousands of would-be authors are slaving away on their keyboards, dreaming of literary success. But their efforts won’t count for much. Of all those manuscripts, trade book editors will sign up only a slim fraction.
And of those titles--ones that that editors paid thousands of dollars to contract, print and publicize--an unhealthy percentage never sell enough copies to earn back their advances. Two years later, most will be out of print!
Acquisition Editor Tam Mossman shares seven essentials every book needs to stay in print, and sell!
Writing FAST: How to Write Anything with Lightning Speed
A systematic approach to writing that generates better quality quickly!
Chock full of ideas, tips, techniques and inspiration, this down-to-earth book is easy to read, and even easier to apply. Let author Jeff Bollow take you through a process that brings your ideas to the page faster, more powerfully and easier than ever before.
My publisher hasn’t paid royalties to me in months and they have not honored most of the clauses in their contract with me. They are now ignoring my emails and even a certified letter I sent. I checked Google and there are many other authors with the exact same complaints. They seem to have disappeared (they don’t even answer the phone anymore) but their website is still functioning and it appears they’re still trying to get new authors to sign up!
I DO have my production files (I think). How can BookLocker help me get my book back on the market – and how fast can you do it?
A.D.
A –
Production files are the print-ready pdf files that your publisher uses for printing. There is one for the cover and one for the interior. Even if your publisher claimed all rights to your production files, it’s highly doubtful they will come after you for using them elsewhere, especially if they already owe you back royalties, and if they’ve been ignoring your emails and other correspondence. Non- or late-payment of royalties and ignoring authors are the top signs that a publisher is about to go out of business. They may even be willing to give you a written release (via email) of your ownership of your production files just to get you to “go away.” If you’re very lucky, their contract didn’t claim all rights to production files. Unfortunately, almost every publisher does claim ownership of those files. (BookLocker does NOT.)
How can BookLocker help?
YOUR INTERIOR PRODUCTION FILE
BookLocker would create a new copyright page, removing all mention of the previous publisher, and assign a BookLocker ISBN (or your ISBN if you have your own). We would convert that to a pdf file, and replace the copyright page in the original pdf with the new one.
COVER
BookLocker would replace your publisher’s barcode with one using the new ISBN. If your publisher had a logo on the back cover or spine, we would cover that with BookLocker’s logo (or yours, if you have one). We never force authors to use BookLocker’s name and/or logo on or in their books but, when a previous logo exists, if the background of the cover is not a solid color, the only way to “hide” the previous logo is to cover it with another one.
BookLocker can do all of this for only $78, which is the cost of our DIY program.
The only downside to all of this is that the author can’t make any edits/changes to the interior or cover file. If the author does have changes to make, additional charges at BookLocker would apply. Also, if you want to make changes, we would need a copy of the interior file as an MSWord or other word processing document. Text can’t easily be altered in pdf files because each page is like a photograph. That means text won’t flow from one page to the next during the editing process. Finally, adding text to a pdf file creates unembedded fonts. All fonts must be embedded for the printer to be able to print books from that file.
To sign up for BookLocker’s DIY program, use THIS LINK.
The process only takes 1-2 weeks.
To see the prices for our other publishing programs, CLICK HERE.
33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Blind Characters
I admire any writer who wants to tackle a blind character. But so many writers take up this challenge and FAIL. They research blindness by reading other fiction books, by observing their blind colleagues and acquaintances, and by tying on a blindfold and pretending to be blind themselves.
I understand the challenges your characters face, their triumphs, their hopes and their fears, because I've lived them. I work with people who have varying degrees of blindness every day, so I've seen every challenge, every situation you could imagine.
Let me share my knowledge to improve your writing. You can create blind characters that readers will fall in love with.
~Stephanie Green
90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy
Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.
We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts
and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!
Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor,
which makes it fun for creative folks like you!
Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!
Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience
Have a question for Angela (writing/publishing) or Richard (marketing)? Contact us here.
“shortangiebio”
Angela Hoy lives on a 52' Irwin Center Cockpit Ketch (sailboat) with her family and pets. She is the publisher of WritersWeekly.com, BookLocker.com, and AbuzzPress, and the author of 19 books. Keep up with her family's adventurous liveaboard lifestyle at GotNoTanLines.com.
Angela Hoy is the publisher of WritersWeekly.com, the author of 19 books, and the co-owner of BookLocker.com (one of the original POD publishers that still gets books to market in less than a month), PubPreppers.com (print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish), and Abuzz Press (the publishing co-op that charges no setup fees).
Angela lives on a 52' Irwin Center Cockpit Ketch (sailboat) with her family and pets. Keep up with her family's adventurous liveaboard lifestyle at GotNoTanLines.com
WritersWeekly.com - the free marketing ezine for writers, which features new paying markets and freelance job listings every Wednesday.
BookLocker.com - According to attorney Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print, BookLocker is: "As close to perfection as you're going to find in the world of ebook and POD publishing. The ebook royalties are the highest I've ever seen, and the print royalties are better than average. BookLocker understands what new authors experience, and have put together a package that is the best in the business. You can't go wrong here. Plus, they're selective and won't publish any manuscript just because it's accompanied by a check. Also, the web site is well trafficked. If you can find a POD or epublisher with as much integrity and dedication to selling authors' books, but with lower POD publishing fees, please let me know."
Abuzz Press offers FAST and FREE book publication, but only accepts a small percentage of submissions, and only works with U.S. authors.
PubPreppers.com - "We Prep, You Publish!" Print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish. Offers formatting and design services only, and then provides simple instructions for authors on where to sign up to have the print and ebook editions printed/listed/sold. Cut out the middle man. Keep 100% of what bookstores pay for your book!
Angela's POD Secrets Revealed Series can be found HERE.
Have a POD Book with another publisher? See if BookLocker can give you a better deal. (BookLocker offers "disgruntled author discounts" to those who want to move from other POD services.)
Joel's BookProgram: The Simple Secret To Writing A Non-Fiction Book In 30 Days, At 1 Hour A Day! - SECOND EDITION
If you are a solo professional, having your own book is one of the best investments of time and money you can make, to promote your business and gain more clients. Why?
If you are an author, you are an authority--an expert in your field.
A book is a tangible credential.
Your book can differentiate you from your competition.
It's an opportunity to explain your uniqueness, your "special sauce."
Order "The Simple Secret To Writing A Non-Fiction Book In 30 Days, At 1 Hour A Day!" right away. And picture yourself handing your own book to a prospect, in just a short time!
“BOOK-fine”
The FINE PRINT of Self-Publishing - Fifth Edition - by Mark Levine
The Fine Print of Self-Publishing has been lauded by many experts as the Consumer Reports of the self-publishing industry. This book has helped thousands of authors choose the right self-publishing company and avoid the ones with unfair contracts or low-quality services.
"If you're considering paying a company to publish your book, don't do anything until you read The Fine Print and consider the alternatives. It will save you a lot of time, money, and heartache." -Dan Poynter, The Self-Publishing Manual
“BOOK-bookproposals”
BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - by Angela Hoy
Peek over the shoulders of highly successful, published authors to see how they landed publishing contracts worth $10,000 to $100,000! An enticing yet professional book proposal is the key!
BONUS! Successful ghostwriter, Anton Marco, shares his secret for landing ghostwriting clients. Don’t miss Anton’s real ghostwriting contract at the end of this book! It provides an example of what he charges and the payment terms he requires from each client.
“90days”
90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy
Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.
We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts
and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!
Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor,
which makes it fun for creative folks like you!
Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!
“SocialMedia”
“EmailSignup”
It's FREE!
(We won't sell your address, or spam you.)
After clicking "SUBSCRIBE" above, check your email to confirm your subscription.
Once you click on the link in your email, you'll be taken to a page on our site where you can instantly download your free book.
Yes, it's that easy!
NOTE: If you don't receive our email, please check your spam filters. Please whitelist emails coming from writersweekly@writersweekly.com.
“BOOK-QueryLetters”
QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments
Peek over the shoulders of highly successful freelance writers to see how they earn thousands per article! The query letter is the key!
In these pages, you'll find real query letters that landed real assignments for national magazines, websites, and corporations.
Also includes:
Abbi Perrets' form letter that brings in $30,000-$45,000 annually
Sample phone query from Christine Greeley
The Six Golden Rules of Queries and Submissions...and How I Broke Them! by Bob Freiday
Your Rights As a "Freelancer"
and ANGELA HOY'S SECRET for finding ongoing freelance work from companies that have a stable of freelancers, yet never run ads for them!
“COLOR TEST”
THIS IS A COLOR TEST
“Book – Boyd’s Best Blogs”
The Best of Boyd's Blogs: 87 Solutions to a Life of Better Speaking and Listening
Ever wish you could have your favorite blog in book form? There's nothing like flipping through the pages and reading helpful snippets here and there.
In this book, Steve Boyd gives you that very opportunity. He has intrigued his readers and clients for years with his insightful newsletters and blog posts. This book includes some of his most interesting stories and communication tips, from listening to speaking. As he quotes this Chinese proverb, "From listening comes wisdom and from speaking repentance."
You won't need to repent from your next speech if you use these articles to guide both your preparation and delivery. As an avid reader of his blog said, "These articles are priceless! People need what you have to say."
Steve Boyd's articles on motivation and communication-related topics have appeared
in various publications. His books on public speaking have sold over 30,000 copies.
He is a popular after-dinner speaker and conducts workshops for businesses and associations
whose members want to speak and listen effectively to improve personally and professionally.
