I’ve been ranting for the last week or two about atrocious examples of marketing from companies like Upwork, Freshbooks, and Canva. So it feels like a good time to change gears and get back to the things writers should focus on rather than avoid. This week’s quick tip for writers is a bit of a lead-in to Friday’s podcast episode. There, we’ll explore ways indie authors
When you promote a new book release, chances are good you’ll send out at least one press release. And one of the biggest book launch press release mistakes I see authors make is sending a release with nothing newsworthy to say. That fact that you’re releasing a new book is very rarely newsworthy on its own, unless you’re a well-known author. Instead, you can increase
Planning a virtual book tour on a series of blogs can be time consuming, both for you and your hosts. One way you can make the most of your time is to diversify the types of posts included in your blog tour. Let’s look at some of the most common types of virtual blog tour stops for authors. Some will save you time directly. And
For this week’s “weekend reading” collection, let’s look at short fiction. Is it worth your time as an indie author to publish short stories and flash fiction? Will people read it? Can it be profitable? Where can you get your fiction published? These three posts answer some of these questions. Enjoy! Why You Should be Writing Short Fiction By Anne R. Allen at annerallen.blogspot.com This post
In this week’s “short share,” we have a two-year book writing plan from HuntersWritings.com. While two years might be an unnecessarily long time for many indie authors these days, I think it’s a great plan for new authors — especially those trying to write their first book alongside a traditional day job. If you find yourself with limited time to write, but you’d like to
My next Scrivener template is now available for download: a murder mystery novel template. This one is based on my own template that I’ve been using for my upcoming mystery series. It allows you to plan, outline, and draft your next murder mystery all in one project file. Plus, there’s a place to write up some of your promotional copy, like your book launch press
In our previous “weekend reading” segment, we looked at revising your manuscript. Now let’s talk about what comes next — gathering feedback. One way you can get feedback on your manuscript before submitting it to publishers or sending to the editor you’ve hired is to send it to beta readers. These three posts will help you figure out how you can get the most out of
Are you earning as much as you want to from your indie published books? Many authors aren’t happy with their sluggish sales. And when they come to me with marketing questions hoping to improve their situation, I often ask two questions: What does your marketing plan include? What other revenue streams have you set up around your book’s brand? If you’re still working on your book marketing plan,
I love first drafts. I love creating something new. Revising them into a second draft? Not so much. Or at least that’s the case with longer manuscripts. That first round of revisions is the most challenging (and the most frustrating) for me. But it has to be done. So it ends up taking longer than I’d like. Do you ever struggle with the self-revision process,
For this weekend’s short share, I wanted to feature an infographic that applies to authors and copywriters alike: What Really Makes a Good Story? from Tom Albrighton at ABCCopywriting.com. Check out the original discussion or leave a comment to tell me what you think. Are there other vital elements to a good story? Do you disagree with anything in the infographic?