On the back of every book you’ve bought in a bookstore, you’ll find a string of numbers, usually punctuated with dashes. It looks something like this: 978-0-9997003-0-3. This mysterious code is an International Standard Book Number, or ISBN. If you’re a self-publishing author, you should consider having them for your books. What Is An ISBN?… Read more »
Self-publishing is many things: creatively empowering, professionally challenging, fun. One thing it’s not? Free. Okay, through the miracles of modern technology it’s possible to publish a book for virtually nothing, but you won’t produce a product people will want to buy. Remember, self-publishing is a business. If you want success, you’ll have to spend some… Read more »
As an independent author, you’re also a publisher. You set the vision for all the writing that will be published and create plans to ensure its success. Independent publishing can be a breathless enterprise: There’s so much to learn, and business evolves constantly. Countless shiny opportunities and ideas wait to distract you from your focus…. Read more »
In my last post, I talked about the most important creative talent an indie author should add to her publishing team: the editor. This time, we’ll look at the creative in a close second position. That’s the cover designer. If your editor helps you get your manuscript ready for public consumption, your cover designer entices… Read more »
Indie publishing can be a lean operation. That’s one of the advantages—you’re in control of your publishing timeline. But lean shouldn’t mean a solo act. You need other creative talent on your team, and in this post and the next we’ll talk about the most important team members: Your editor Your cover designer Some people… Read more »
Maybe you’re a pantser when it comes to writing, but to have a writing career, you need to be a plotter. As I discussed in my last post, successful independent authors craft business plans for themselves. They don’t have to be complicated, but they do have to exist. We know that people who write down… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! You may have noticed that there are some new faces and names around here on Mondays and Tuesdays. We are SO excited to be launching these new columns, and bringing you more awesome advice and expertise to help you Write With Focus, Read With Purpose, and Build Your Community. One of… Read more »
Maybe you’re sold on the independent publishing model. Maybe you’ve even written a book and published it on Amazon, but nobody’s bought a copy except your mom. Where is the publishing glory you were promised? You can’t leave it all up to Amazon. If you want to make a success of independent publishing, be prepared… Read more »
A decade ago, most people perceived independent publishing (also called self-publishing) as a last option, something that was not so much chosen by the author as for him (i.e., no one wanted his work). But today a growing number of authors, including those who’ve been traditionally published, choose to publish independently for a part or… Read more »
