Articles, how-to’s, opinion and tips and tricks in the self-publishing arena
“The Successful Author Mindset: A Handbook for Surviving the Writer’s Journey” by Joanna Penn
Joanna Penn is a veteran self-publisher who has made a decades-long career in writing and speaking about her journey.
“On Writing” by Stephen King
Yes, that Stephen King. King used to be a writing teacher, and he was a fabulous one. Here, he imparts […]
SPR’s Cate Baum takes a look at what methods work and don’t work this spring for ranking higher in Amazon’s Best Seller charts with your Kindle eBook.
Now categories are expanded with search terms, it’s more important than ever that you stay in your genre and categories.
Indie romance books will still be able to gain very high ranking when they make sales due to advertising within a niche market. However, without […]
There’s something going on with ranking on Amazon again, and there’s been lots of speculation this week without much real evidence being posted on various blogs for authors. So we’ve done some real-life tests on ranking, and here’s a set of live findings so far on real book promotions, offered without too much speculation.
Real data conclusions from Amazon promotions run in this period of various genres.
The main finding, and not always applicable, is that there is a general lag in ranking of about 18 – 24 hours right now on […]
Here’s why, as a book editor and reader, Cate Baum can’t stand this beloved flowery operator, and why you should stop using it so lavishly in your book.
When I receive manuscripts to format into paperbacks or eBooks, I cannot do what I would […]
MYTH: NEVER! OR YOU AND YOUR BOOK WILL BURN!!
TRUTH: You should pay for a professional book review when you need a respected opinion to use as copy for promotional purposes. This is exactly what any author, from Stephen King to JK Rowling does when they hire a publicist. You then own the copy and can use […]
There are various discussions about getting Verified Amazon reviews for your book, but there’s only one sure way that works.
While the humble mailing list has been touted in many corners of the publishing world, it still rules as the only definite way of selling your book and getting Verified reviews.
But not all mailing lists are equal.
While it seems easy enough to add friends and family to your mailing list, here’s what to bear in mind: Once they bought your book, you can’t keep touting them for business.
The second issue is that Amazon does not […]
What does it take to write a book review? What are the different types and uses of book reviews? In this final installment, we look at Beta reviews.
A Beta Reader’s Report (or Review) is written by an experienced reader with a good understanding of story, grammar, and style. A Beta read should be carried out on the final edited version of your book just before you publish it for sale. A Beta report is not a review, but a private assessment of your work as a […]