Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience
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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.
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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.
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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.
I’ve read several articles on WritersWeekly about writing about real people. I know it’s dangerous.
Three of my characters are based directly on real, living people. All three have read my novel, and given me permission to represent them as I have. I’ve referred to “Business and Legal Forms for Authors and Self-Publishers” by Tad Crawford and cannot find a release form that applies to this situation.
If I write a letter for my publisher stating these people consent to my representing them in my novel and release me from any legal action, including their signature, would this suffice?
A –
I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice. That said…
You’ll need to obtain written, notarized releases from each of them. You never know what money might do to people, even family and friends. If your book sells well, and if you have not protected yourself and your publisher, you just might find yourself embroiled in an expensive lawsuit.
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.
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.
I ordered a copy of my own print on demand book from Amazon. I was then shocked to receive an email from Amazon saying they couldn’t obtain my book. And, they cancelled my order! It’s print on demand for crying out loud! Amazon sells other books by my publisher and Ingram ships those books to Amazon! What can I do?!
A –
Amazon was doing this same thing about a year ago. I’m not sure exactly what happened with their system but it did get fixed back then. There is, apparently, another problem now because we are receiving reports of this happening once again. You need to immediately contact your publisher, and telling them to tell Ingram to “open a ticket with Amazon.” They will contact Ingram, which will contact Amazon. For better service, have a copy of the email that Amazon sent to you or your customer AND have the Amazon order number.
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!
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?
I just published a new book and (this is embarrassing) I haven’t told anyone in my family about it. I’m too nervous! What if my siblings make fun of me? Yes, they are those types of people. What if my parents think it’s awful and are too embarrassed to tell their friends about it?
I know this probably sounds silly but I just don’t know what to do. Should I just not tell them? I was hoping if I did that they might tell their friends or co-workers and I might make some sales. I feel more comfortable telling strangers about my book than I do my own family and friends. Is this normal?
– Roberta B.
A –
This is actually NOT a unique problem. It’s often easier to “perform” in front of strangers than it is to do so in front of our families. And, sharing your writing is performing…in a literary sense. If someone is raised in an overly-critical family, the fear can be quite real.
Let me preface this by saying there is a not-so-fine fine line between critiquing a book and personal criticism. If I ask someone to read my book, and give me an honest critique, I expect to get it. But, I also expect that critique to be professional, not rude. It seems your family, or at least your siblings, might be inclined to be nasty (i.e. “YOU wrote a BOOK? I bet it SUCKS!”). THAT is not a critique.
When I published my first book, I sent free copies to several family members. I didn’t need to worry about criticism because only one person read it. ONE. (Yeah, that stung.) Now, granted, it was on the topic of writing and my family members, with the exception of my brother, are not writers. But, still, it felt like a slap in the face.
The same thing happened with my second book. So, by the time I published my third (I’ve published 24 books now), I stopped sending out free copies to my family members. Nowadays, I don’t even tell them when I release a book. Instead, I spend my time promoting the book to an audience that I know will be interested in it based on the genre of that book.
I have heard from authors in the past whose families have poked fun at them for publishing a book. All I can say to those authors is…the problem likely stems from jealousy. Almost everyone has a book in them but few, statistically, actually write and publish that book. You’ve done something that most other people will never have the courage to do!
If it’s not jealousy, it simply means your family members are jerks. If that is the case, I definitely don’t recommend sending copies to them, nor even telling them about your accomplishments. Nobody needs that in their lives. Blood may be thicker than water but it’s certainly not thicker than many people’s skin when it comes to family bullying. And, why should we need thick skin in order to deal with the pressures or meanness of family members? If this describes you, find supportive, loving friends and make your OWN family. 🙂
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.)
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!
I’m a short story writer and sometimes a person will say a word or phrase that “inspires me.” I did this when a friend inspired me with her story. I wrote a short with a phrase but I used the word “I,” implying to readers I was referring to myself.
Then I sent it to her, stupidly saying, “I wrote a story about you.” I used the wrong stupid words. I don’t think she even read it and said, “get rid of it or else.” I didn’t get rid of it because it’s one of my best stories. I just changed the title.
When I got my short story book published, I sent it to her. She said, “thank you,” and didn’t even notice the story, which shows it didn’t reflect on her in any way, except for her few inspiring words.
But, I confessed three years later that I felt sorry for using the wrong words “about you” when telling her about it, and upsetting her. She responded with, “If you write about me, I’ll sue you.” I explained that the “offensive story” was in the book I gave her three years ago and that she didn’t even notice.
I’d never write about someone without their permission, not because I am being threatened with a lawsuit, but because I don’t want to hurt them.
Am I in danger from this deranged ex-friend from hell?
A –
I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice. Please consult with an attorney for any legal questions you have. This is simply my opinion.
My first question is…why are you still friends with that person after she first threatened you with, “Get rid of it or else?”
Second, after she threatened you, why did you then tell her you went ahead and used her inspirational words as the catalyst for a short story years later?? I understand the need to be brutally honest with people (I am the exact same way) but…why did you put yourself in legal jeopardy by doing so, especially since it would not bring any harm to her at all?? Uggg….
Third, she said something that inspired you to write the story. The story is not about her. You simply used some words she said as inspiration. And, you wrote the story in first person and referred to yourself (“I”).
I can’t imagine any lawyer who would take a case like this – not even one of those slimy ones who file frivolous lawsuits.
I’d love to see the story in question.
In the meantime, don’t contact that person again. Nobody needs friends like that…especially writers! If she writes to you, ignore her. If she texts you, ignore her. If she calls you, ignore her. She’s probably just a drama queen who likes making other people miserable in order to get attention.
Only if you get a letter from an attorney should you respond and I seriously doubt you ever will.
Remember that engaging bullies feeds them. Every response gives them added incentive to keep bullying. I have found, over my two decades of exposing scammers, and receiving false threats from those bullies, that not responding to them is the best tactic. They eventually give up and seek out another victim.
If she wants to hire a lawyer, fine. Some lawyers take on ridiculous clients knowing they have a losing case. Only after billing them for dozens of hours will their sleazy client learn what a poor case they have (no case at all!). Let her rack up thousands in legal bills on a frivolous lawsuit. That’ll teach her a lesson.
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
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.
Well, my book is on the market for a few months but it’s not selling. I really don’t know how to promote a book, or anything for that matter. I just want to write but it would sure be nice to have some money coming in.
Should I cut the price of my book in half? Maybe that will spur some sales. What do you think?
– V.R.
If a book isn’t being consistently promoted, it’s not likely to sell regardless of the price because people won’t know about the book. There are millions of books for sale on Amazon. There is simply too much competition and it’s doubtful people will stumble upon a book unless they’re searching for that specific book title. That’s why promotion is so important.
I know some authors think they can’t promote their own book but, the fact is, they CAN and the process can actually be FUN, and involves WRITING! Please see:
Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience
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.
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!
I have a question. I’m getting a lot emails from book promotion sites like (name removed), (name removed), and (name removed). Are these legitimate sites? Do they really help sell books? Are they worth the money?
Thanks for your help.
Karen
A –
Those companies get on Amazon to find new books, and then use a search engine until they find the author’s contact info. They then start spamming the author repeatedly. Worse, if they find your phone number online, they’ll start calling you over and over again as well. And, even worse than that, if they can find your family members’ contact information online but not yours, they’ll spam or call them instead, asking for YOUR contact info. Many of them will pretend to be a traditional publisher to try to sound legitimate in their quest to get your info. so they can try to sell you their (crappy) services.
Avoid, avoid, avoid! If a so-called marketing company must resort to spamming and telemarketing to market their own services…that means their marketing tactics SUCK.
Your money would be far better spent elsewhere. Check out legitimate book marketing services 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!
How Many Copies Of Your Book Would You Have To Sell In Order To Break Even?
Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience
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.
It appears that there are lots of book review sites online. One that caught my interest is (name removed). However, they’re going to charge me $1.50 for every person who downloads my ebook. The reviews get posted to Amazon later. Is it worth it?
L.R.
A –
I do NOT recommend listing your ebook on that site. Why in the world should an author PAY people to read his or her book rather than the other way around? I checked out that site and anybody can sign up to review books there. So, they get free books and they may or may not write reviews for them. They could not read the entire book, and write a very short, fake review (that could even be negative). People can sign up with that site just to get free books and I bet many of them are doing just that! The site gets $1.50 each time one of their so-called reviewers downloads a copy. And, YOU have to pay for it.
What if hundreds of people download your file? You’ll have to pay $1.50 for each of them. And, how would you even know the site is being honest? It would be very easy for them to commit fraud with this type of scenario.
I’m having a hard time trying to think of a worse book review deal for authors. NEVER pay to have your book reviewed and certainly NEVER, EVER pay a website $1.50, or anything at all, for every copy of your ebook that they give away for free.
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.
If I decide to publish my memoir, what’s the bottom line on 1400 pages? Can it fit into one paperback volume?
D.S.
A –
At BookLocker, our limit is 1,050 pages but I wouldn’t recommend a book that large. It would be very cumbersome for readers to hold while reading, and expensive to purchase.
I recommend publishing it in two or three volumes. That not only makes it more palatable for readers in terms of size and price, but will also give you the opportunity to use the first book to promote the second and third. This is called a loss leader…though you don’t have to sell it at a “loss.”
One method that works very well for promoting subsequent books in a “series” is to offer the ebook for the first in the series for free on Amazon, or at a very low price, like 99 cents. Then, you can include ads for the second and third books in the first book.
We offer this service to authors who have published a series with BookLocker.
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.
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
My publisher charges $700 to design a professional cover. That’s in addition to the $1500 they charged to publish my book. I wanted to avoid that expense to I found a cover designer on that cheap website, (name removed). The designer did a fantastic job. It looks GREAT! I uploaded it to my publisher and they rejected it for several reasons I don’t understand. I don’t know what RGB and CMYK are. They said my cover was designed in MSWord (what’s wrong with that?). They said something about bleed and the front and back covers being different sizes. They said there must be a spine. Why can’t they add that for free? All of the hard work is finished already.
I’m very frustrated! I wanted my book finished by Christmas but now it seems like I’m right back and step one. Worse, my designer has disappeared. She stopped responding to my emails after telling me the job was “finished.” She charged me $150.
I’m attaching the covers she designed here. Is my publisher just trying to rip me off by forcing me to buy their design services?
M.P.
A –
You are one of many authors who have been sucked into the “cheap” freelance cover design industry. Anybody with a computer can start a virtual business, and pretend they know what they’re doing.
I looked at your files and your publisher is right. They can’t be used. What your designer did was a complete waste of time on her part, and a complete waste of money on your end. Everything your publisher said about the covers is correct.
RGB and CMYK are color modes used in graphic design. RGB looks better on a computer screen but CMYK is used for print. When you convert an RGB file to CMYK, the colors will change. Sometimes they’re barely noticeable while, at other times, they are glaringly apparent. For example, a rich blue cover on your computer screen might print in purple. Print covers must be designed in CMYK from the get-go so the author knows that what they’re seeing is how the cover will print.
MSWord is a horrible program to use for cover design. The files you sent to me are only 72 dpi. Files must be 300 dpi for printing. A professional graphics program is needed to create book covers for print publication. A hallmark sign that a cover has been designed in a word processing program is there is usually white space surrounding the actual cover (it’s on a “page” in the word processing program).
Bleed is also required. That’s the extra space around a file that allows the colors to extend past the trim lines. The printer will then cut off the extra at the trim-lines. Your files don’t have that.
Yes, your back and front covers are different sizes, which is bizarre. Also, there is no spine. When authors don’t buy cover design from their publishers, the cover must be submitted as one file only – back, spine, and front all together as one file, ready to print.
Sadly, there are also typos and missing spaces between words in your back cover description.
THE DANGERS OR ORDERING COVER DESIGN FROM YOUR PUBLISHER
Almost every print on demand publisher takes all rights to covers they design for their authors. (BookLocker does NOT take rights from authors under any circumstances.) Do NOT get stuck in this type of “forced marriage” with your publisher. To avoid this, find a real cover designer who has been vetted, and who knows the specs for the largest print on demand printer, which virtually all of these firms use. You can find that person RIGHT HERE. And, YOU will own ALL RIGHTS to the cover design YOU paid for.
Incidentally, you paid $1500 to your publisher + $150 to your cover designer. BookLocker would have only charged you $875 for the same job, and it would have included original cover design. And, of course, you would own all rights to your cover and interior print-ready files.
Make Sure Your Marketing is Targeted at the Right Audience
The Art and Craft of Writing and Editing
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’ve been writing for on online publication for the past year, primarily for a column they run that features different people in our city.
I’m interested in taking my interviews and turning them into a book that features each person, especially the advice they’ve given as part of their interview.
Can I use those stories and turn them into my own book, or do those pieces belong to the magazine? I wouldn’t print those, but take my notes to create new pieces.
– J
A –
I’m not an attorney and this isn’t legal advice. Please contact an attorney with your specific questions.
That said:
You’ll need to ask the magazine for a copy of your contract with them if you don’t still have it. If they didn’t give you a contract, tell them you’re planning to compile your interviews into a book. If you mention the magazine in the book, they probably won’t mind. Absent a work-for-hire contract, it’s highly doubtful they would be able to claim all rights to the work since you’re a contractor.
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.
