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 […]
Read Full ArticleWondering how to write a memoir? There are few publishing projects more personal than a narrative of your life’s most pivotal moments, and the process holds unique challenges. While you are the world’s top expert on your own life, the closer you are to the story the harder it can be to take an objective […]
Read Full ArticleGreat 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 […]
Read Full ArticleUnderstanding 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 […]
Read Full ArticleAmazon Book Publishing For years, Amazon has been the primary driver of not only ebook sales but also the self-publishing world in general. A whopping 85 percent of all US ebooks are sold through Amazon, and in 2016, 40 percent of the company’s 4 million ebooks released that year were self-published. Amazon book publishing may […]
Read Full ArticleChanges 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 […]
Read Full ArticleWhat 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 […]
Read Full ArticleUnderstanding 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 […]
Read Full ArticleAudiobooks, 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 […]
Read Full ArticleWriting 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 […]
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