Karen's blog: Book Baby newsletters

Here are the latest Book Baby newsletters for my followers to peruse:

Let’s start this weekend with this inspiring thought about writing: “Writing is a journey of discovery because until you start, you never know what will happen, and you can be surprised by what you do—expect the unexpected.”

So says Mini Grey, the award-winning British illustrator and writer of children’s books. Her book The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon was named the best illustrated children’s book in the UK. And she’s right—writing a book is a true adventure, with all the ups and downs, surprises and plot twists of a thriller!

For some would-be authors, the journey sounds too daunting, too challenging. It’s sad to think how many potentially wonderful books never made it to the printed page because the task seemed so overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Our friend Micah Solomon recently penned a BookBaby blog post about overcoming those feelings of self-doubt about starting—and finishing—that first book. Have a look here.

I’ll leave you with more inspiration from another legendary children’s book author. Our friends at Bookish collected some of Judy Blume’s words of wisdom about the craft of writing. Read it here.

All the best,

Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby

The 2017 BookBaby Self-Publishing Survey Results. Find more success as an author with these insights about the self-publishing industry.

Free download

It’s the largest self-publishing survey ever performed.

“What are other indie authors doing to reach their goals?”
“How do my promotional efforts compare to others?”
“Where is self-publishing headed?”

A lot of questions pop up along the self-publishing journey. That’s why we asked 8,000 aspiring and published authors about their book promotion tactics and compiled the data into one complete white paper. And now you can see the results for free.

Learn key data about important topics, including:

The wide range of tactics used by authors across all popular genres.
The professional services used by the most-successful authors.
Who successful authors reach out to for book reviews.
How a body of work leads to stronger sales and an increased fan base.
Where the most successful authors focused their time and money.

See what’s working (and what isn’t) for indie authors and apply it to your own book promotion efforts.

Free download

Featured Article:
Elmore Leonard and Hollywood

Elmore Leonard’s punchy style and compelling characters has Hollywood continually coming back to his work. Some of the many adaptations of his writing are highlighted in this post. Read more.

How To Promote Your Christian Fiction Book on Social Media

If you’re promoting your Christian fiction book, these links and pages will get you off the ground connecting with groups and forums likely to embrace your title. Read more.

Image Formatting and Cover Design Advice

The graphic appeal of your book—both the book cover and the pages within—plays a big part in the perception and professionalism of your work. Read more.

The results are in
Learn what indie authors are doing to find success in the largest self-publishing survey ever conducted.

Top Stories:

eBooks and Printed Books: Why Not Both?

15 Book Publicity Commandments You Need to Follow

Our Best Posts on Social Media for Authors

How to Fail as a Writer

Three Things to Do Before You Write a Book

Choosing the Best Categories for Your Book Sales on Amazon

Save $600 on The Complete Self-Publishing Package

One of my favorite summertime activities is firing up the BBQ grill. So today when I search my local market for Copper River Alaska Sockeye Salmon steaks, I’m not going to be wandering up the housewares or condiments aisle.

You might already be asking one paragraph in: What does satisfying my wild-caught fish urges have to do with self-publishing?

The answer: Everything.

Far too many self-published authors are listing their books on Amazon in the wrong category. Lets say you wrote a book about helping your child go to sleep with relaxation techniques. You wouldn’t call that a “children’s book.” It actually belongs in a category like "parenting.”

In fact, that’s exactly what happened to one of BookBaby’s most famous authors, Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin, and his New York Times bestseller, “The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep.” He asked our publishing experts for their opinion on book categories and we steered him towards a better choice. The rest, as they say, is history.

In a huge book marketplace like Amazon, authors need to help their readers find their books. Frequent BookBaby blog writer Shelley Hitz penned a popular post about picking the perfect place for your book. Have a look here.

I’ll end this message today with a story about a pig–and no, not one destined for my BBQ! Daisy the pig is touring libraries across the country helping to spread the joy of reading. Bon appétit–errr–the article is right here!

All the best,

Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby

Featured Article:
eBooks and Printed Books: Why Not Both?

When it comes to eBooks and printed books for your self-published title, it’s not an either/or situation to find your maximum reading audience. Read more.

15 Book Publicity Commandments You Need to Follow

If you can’t really afford to spend a lot on a book publicity campaign, carve out some time to do it yourself and apply these 15 commandments. Read more.

Our Best Posts on Social Media for Authors

Check out these articles with tips and tricks to help authors navigate and optimize their promotional and professional exploits on different social media platforms. Read more.

The early bird gets the discount: 15% book editing for all early-bird registrants. Available until June 15th.

Top Stories:

How to Fail as a Writer

Three Things to Do Before You Write a Book

Choosing the Best Categories for Your Book Sales on Amazon

How to Write a Great Author Bio That Will Connect With Readers

Crutch Words: Why They Cripple Your Writing

Six Things You Need to Write a Book

Happy Half Year! Today marks the halfway point of 2017, and many of you are still pursuing the goal of publishing by year’s end.

To help you keep your eyes on the prize, I invite you to look through three great articles about the craft and process of writing.

BookBaby blog contributor Hope Clark starts us off with advice about how to infuse style, personality, and color into your characters to make them memorable. Read all about it here.

“Method writing” is a technique described by Deena Nataf, freelance author and author mentor. She says it provides everything you need to be a writer: a way to get deep into your characters’ hearts and your readers’ pain points, a framework for writing every day, and an end to writer’s block. See what you think.

All writers—and readers too—know that the heart of a great book is a strong plot. As Dawn Field explains, the core of a good plot is the cause and effect chain. Her recent BookBaby blog post illustrates how to check and tighten the chain. You can read it here.

If reading is on your ’to-do’ list over the upcoming 4th of July holiday, I leave you with a short list of books to bring out your patriotic spirit. Check out the list.

All the best,

Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby

SEO Workshop with Miral Sattar, Bibliocrunch CEO & Founder. Saturday, November 4th | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM | Only 17 spots available!

Are you looking to gain more visibility for your author website?

Bibliocrunch’s very own Miral Sattar will show you how to optimize your website and teach you best practices to rank higher as an author in Google.

Topics covered:

What is SEO and why is it important?
Blogging, guest blogging, press releases, and using relevant keywords in copy
Sitemaps and site structure
Linking and share links
Metadata, tags, and keywords
Mobile optimization
Amazon optimization

Make it easier for readers to find your book online and join this two-hour workshop. But don’t wait—this intimate learning session is limited to 17 people.

Get your ticket

What else is happening at The BookBaby Independent Authors Conference? Take a look at what’s to come!

Now available for new eBook titles: Amazon KDP Select and worldwide distribution with BookBaby

Learn more

You can now get your new eBook title on Amazon KDP Select and worldwide distribution to iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, OverDrive, Hoopla, and dozens more via BookBaby distribution—all with one account.

Why self-publish your eBook with BookBaby’s Amazon Priority service instead of going to Amazon directly?

Take advantage of Amazon KDP Select’s audience and promotional pricing plans.
Get to market fast and keep control of your rights.
Introduce your book to readers worldwide with BookBaby’s eBook retail network—the largest in self-publishing.
Sell directly to your readers with BookShop™ and earn 85% royalties on all eBook sales.

How does it work?

Select “Kindle Select + BookBaby eBook distribution” in your account.
Debut your eBook exclusively through Amazon: Choose either the Free eBook Promotion or Kindle Count Deals program.
Take your eBook worldwide: Opt-out of Amazon’s KDP Select program and gain access to 60+ stores across 170 countries.

Give your next eBook a comprehensive launch with Amazon KDP Select and worldwide distribution via BookBaby.

Learn more

Featured Article:
Your Story Needs A Good Straight Man

You need a good straight man (or woman) to bring your comedic, heroic, or otherwise unconventional characters into sharper focus. Read more.

In Case You Forgot, Reading Is Important!

For children and adults, writers or not, reading is important to personal development, well-being, and the learning mind. Read more.

10 Tips For Creating Your First Children’s Picture Book

A children’s picture book may seem simple, but creating a brilliant one is no easy task. How do you make yours smart, engaging, and fun—rather than clichéd, saccharine, and didactic? Read more.