Since time immemorial, clichés have sneaked in the door when we least expect them to. They're low-hanging fruit for writers…
There are plenty of good reasons to self-publish, but not all are profit-oriented or even rational. Before you invest in…
Business, technology, and how-to books can be viewed as one-sided sales conversations. Though the author may hope to sell products…
Book cover design tells the story of the story. It must convey the spirit and intentions of the author authentically,…
The following publishing advice is based on my own experiences and those of my clients. I hope you find it…
This article discusses the pros and cons of traditional publishing. Abandon your biases, study the business of publishing, and choose…
Tom Morkes published The Perfect Book sales Page on his blog. I'm usually the first person to reject formulaic approaches…
Many self-publishers start their book projects with unrealistic expectations and misunderstandings about how publishing works. A huge industry has arisen…
Should you give away books for free? The value of book giveaways can't be assessed by formula. The prevailing mythology…
This article explains how to produce and market a professional quality audiobook using Amazon ACX. Through ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange),…
Here's an addendum to Publishing Scams and How they Work. I wonder why so many authors, after spending thousands of…
This article explains the tab ruler found on every word processor and typesetting application. Understanding the simple and elegant split…
Book design has changed since publishing became a gigantic industry. Typesetting was once performed by trained craftsmen who apprenticed to…
You threw a grand party but nobody came. Your novel is so good but you're not selling books. What happened?…
Are images analogous to words? Is what makes a sentence sound "right" the same thing that makes an image "pop"…
How can speakers, indie writers, and self-publishers use a blog to build a platform? This article explains how to publish…
Part 1 of Book Cover Design: Judging a Book by its Cover critiqued "professional" covers taken from Amazon's Editor's choice…
Few subjects arouse more passion among writers and designers than the debate over how many spaces should follow a period.…
What do you think a professional editor's pay scale should be? Assume that a proofreader would be at the bottom…
I recently published a post about the difference between vanity publishing and true self-publishing. Fundamentally, the article defines a publisher…
Nothing screams “amateur” like a poorly crafted book cover. The standards for book design aspired to by trade publishers are…
One question that loops endlessly on writers’ forums is “How can I sell more books?” The question is a natural…
What is true self-publishing? What is the difference between self-publishing and “vanity publishing” or “subsidy publishing?” How do these differ…
After completing the final draft of a manuscript for my fifth book, I wanted a reality check. I hired a…
The word processor has placed new burdens on writers to understand how to use italics, big and small capitals, dashes,…
Book reviews are critically important. Have you ever read a book hoping it would get better, only to find that…
Indie publishers complain that the mainstream publishing establishment acts as a "gatekeeper." Many readers rely on big publishing houses to…
The very idea of "book marketing" is vague. It's like subsuming advertising and fine art sales into a single realm…
Indie publishers are everywhere and so are indie bookstores, but apart from their names, the two have little in common.…
The notion of real publishing as opposed to self-publishing and the stigma surrounding it is obsolete. I have no objections…
Many readers still love to feel the subtle emboss of letters stamped on paper with metal type. I was rummaging…
Part 2 of Fundamentals of Book Design explores optical margins, paragraph formatting and spaces. Read about margins, layout and leading…
Editing is one of the first hurdles you’ll encounter as an independent writer. Your fan club is your enemy. Encouraging…
There is a direct relationship between the number of sales you can expect from a book distributor and the value-added…
There are plenty of good reasons to self-publish, but not all are profit-oriented or even rational. Before you invest in…
Thesis writing is one of the purest forms of self-publishing. In my work as a professor, I regularly encountered students…
Most book designers make the same errors. One sore spot for me and with many of my university design students,…
If you're hoping to have mainstream bookstore distribution, using a Vanity Press may present some obstacles. Book buyers will likely…
A great technology is getting a bad rap for the wrong reasons. Print On Demand (POD) technology is often mislabeled…
Here's a useful definition. Think of a publisher as an individual or entity that assumes the financial risk for a…
Transcript Dave Bricker (00:06) Want to expand your speaking and storytelling skills and grow your influence business? This is…
One of my colleagues has written a blog post every week for the past 17 years. If you’re that disciplined…
Celebrities can charge enormous fees because people will pay to be in the same room with them, and when an…
I’ve written and published 14 books… And as far as book sales go, that’s made me tens of dollars. Two…
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