What was the first thing that you noticed about the last book you wound up buying while browsing a bookstore or online retailer? Chances are, it was the cover. It’s the first thing readers see, and before they pick up the book and decide whether your title, description, or first few pages are engaging, they’ll […]
What is a memoir? Memoirs are a new form of a very old kind of storytelling. Imagine sitting by a fire, captivated by someone’s life-changing stories—not just what happened play by play, but the lessons and emotions that came with it. That’s the power of a memoir. Unlike an autobiography, which emphasizes facts and chronology […]
Great characters are arguably the single most important element of great fiction writing. Characters aren’t just props in your story, they act as a window allowing readers to step into the story and setting. To be emotionally impacted, readers need to relate to the characters that are experiencing the events. And the most effective stories […]
Understanding Microsoft Track Changes Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature is an enormously useful took that’s generally still poorly understood, and underutilized, by authors. Whether you want to track your own changes for yourself, implement changes from an editor, or get feedback on your ideas, tracking changes will make your life easier once you learn the […]
Complete Guide to Amazon Book Publishing Introduction to Amazon Book Publishing Amazon has revolutionized the publishing world, offering a platform where aspiring authors can quickly bring their books to market and reach a global audience. As an independent author, leveraging Amazon’s vast resources and user-friendly tools can be the key to transforming your manuscript into […]
Changes for Amazon Print-on-DemandThings are changing for Amazon print-on-demand services. Earlier this year, Amazon’s CreateSpace announced plans to discontinue services like layout and cover design for authors. And last month, they finally said that CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing will merge into one service. Many in the self-publishing world who prefer to go through self-publishing […]
What is Amazon SEO Search engine optimization (SEO) is the art of using keywords to ensure your content appears as close to the top of search results as possible. Anyone selling a product or producing content online should understand the basics of SEO. But for authors marketing a self-published book, SEO is one of the […]
Understanding and Researching Book Competition As we discussed in the first blog of our research series, the research stage of your publishing process will aim to strike a delicate balance between finding an area of the book market that is in demand, and one that is not completely saturated with competition. You’ll also be able […]
Audiobooks, along with ebooks, are an increasingly popular way to enjoy books in our busy, technology-saturated era. Offering your book in audiobook format is a great way to put your content in front of a new audience. Audiobooks Fit Today’s Culture Audiobooks are on the rise, according to data from the Association of American Publishers. It’s not […]
Writing Tips A writer with no experience is unlikely to become a good writer just from reading a few short writing tips and rules. As we discuss in the rest of our Writing Skills blog series, you’ll need feedback, persistence, and if you’re starting with no experience, even some writing classes. But there are a […]
