self-publishers

Writing is Design: Avoid Writing Clichés for Better Prose

Since time immemorial, clichés have sneaked in the door when we least expect them to. They're low-hanging fruit for writers…

11 months ago

Want a Traditional Publishing Contract? Do Your Homework

This article discusses the pros and cons of traditional publishing. Abandon your biases, study the business of publishing, and choose…

11 months ago

The Perfect Book Sales Page

Tom Morkes published The Perfect Book sales Page on his blog. I'm usually the first person to reject formulaic approaches…

11 months ago

Publishing Scams and How they Work

Many self-publishers start their book projects with unrealistic expectations and misunderstandings about how publishing works. A huge industry has arisen…

11 months ago

How to Produce Audiobooks with Amazon ACX

This article explains how to produce and market a professional quality audiobook using Amazon ACX. Through ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange),…

11 months ago

Self-Publishing Scams: Keep the “Self” in Self-Publishing

Here's an addendum to Publishing Scams and How they Work. I wonder why so many authors, after spending thousands of…

11 months ago

Not Selling Books? Did you do the Math?

You threw a grand party but nobody came. Your novel is so good but you're not selling books. What happened?…

11 months ago

The Grammar of Book Design

Are images analogous to words? Is what makes a sentence sound "right" the same thing that makes an image "pop"…

11 months ago

Blogging to Build a Speaker or Author Platform

How can speakers, indie writers, and self-publishers use a blog to build a platform? This article explains how to publish…

11 months ago

Book Cover Design: Judging a Book by its Cover – Part 2

Part 1 of Book Cover Design: Judging a Book by its Cover critiqued "professional" covers taken from Amazon's Editor's choice…

11 months ago

What’s a Professional Editor Worth?

What do you think a professional editor's pay scale should be? Assume that a proofreader would be at the bottom…

11 months ago

Book Cover Design: Judging a Book by Its Cover – Part 1

Nothing screams “amateur” like a poorly crafted book cover. The standards for book design aspired to by trade publishers are…

11 months ago

Co-Publishing – Alternative Path or Another Trap for Writers?

I recently published a post about the difference between vanity publishing and true self-publishing. Fundamentally, the article defines a publisher…

11 months ago

Reality Checklist for Self-Publishers

One question that loops endlessly on writers’ forums is “How can I sell more books?” The question is a natural…

11 months ago

Self-Publishing & Vanity Publishing: Confuse Them and Pay the Price

What is true self-publishing? What is the difference between self-publishing and “vanity publishing” or “subsidy publishing?” How do these differ…

11 months ago

Gatekeepers and Self-Publishing

Indie publishers complain that the mainstream publishing establishment acts as a "gatekeeper." Many readers rely on big publishing houses to…

11 months ago

Self-Publishing: Art or Business?

The very idea of "book marketing" is vague. It's like subsuming advertising and fine art sales into a single realm…

11 months ago

Book Design Basics Part 1: Margins and Leading

Book design is a lost art. Though book design discussions usually focus on covers, consider how much more time a…

11 months ago

Book Design Basics Part 2: Optical Margins, Indents and Periods

Part 2 of Fundamentals of Book Design explores optical margins, paragraph formatting and spaces. Read about margins, layout and leading…

11 months ago

Self-Publishers Should Not Be Self-Editors

Editing is one of the first hurdles you’ll encounter as an independent writer. Your fan club is your enemy. Encouraging…

11 months ago

Many Unhappy Returns – Think Outside the Bookstore

If you're hoping to have mainstream bookstore distribution, using a Vanity Press may present some obstacles. Book buyers will likely…

11 months ago

Stop Picking on POD

A great technology is getting a bad rap for the wrong reasons. Print On Demand (POD) technology is often mislabeled…

11 months ago

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