Karen's blog: October 2017

Here are the latest bookbaby newsletters, including a free NaNoWriMo survival guide, for my followers to peruse:

Saturday, October 28, 2017

With Halloween lurking just beyond this weekend, let’s turn to Stephen King for some inspiration. The master of the horror genre has shared thoughts about writing in numerous interviews and in his own memoir entitled On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. This is a must read for every aspiring writer as King shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

Here are a few of my favorite King-isms:

"People want to know why I do this, why I write such gross stuff. I like to tell them I have the heart of a small boy... and I keep it in a jar on my desk."

Or this: "I am convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing... Good writing is often about letting go of fear and affectation."

And my all time favorite: "The road to hell is paved with adverbs."

For more inspiration, I’ll point you to a few recent BookBaby blog posts on the art of writing.

My friend Scott McCormick shows us how to understand–and maybe break–the rules of narrative structure. Check it out here.

Next up is Nancy Erickson—aka The Book Professor and a speaker at next weekend’s Independent Authors Conference. She has some ideas about constructing scenes that rely heavily on sensory language. Give it a read here.

Finally, Dawn Field helps us to find our voice as a writer. Read her tips here.

To get you in a spooky mood, I offer up this list of great horror films about writers. For thrills and chills, go here.

All the best,

Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby

Featured Article:
Nine Manuscript Editing Software Programs You Should Consider

While a good, professional (human) editor is invaluable to your book—the purchase of manuscript editing software can be another prudent investment. Read more.

How to Make the Most of a Professional Book Review

Professional reviews from trusted sources command credibility from the outset and can be used in ways consumer reviews cannot. Here are eight ways to make the most of a professional book review. Read more.

Things I Learned About Storytelling From Stranger Things

It’s good practice to reverse-engineer the stories you love most and apply the best storytelling elements to your own writing. Stranger Things had that effect on me, and here’s what I learned. Read more.

Your Plan to a Professionally Printed Book

Top Stories:

5 Ways attending a publishing conference can help you succeed

Making magic with Twitter hashtags

Our best social media posts for authors

How to go from author to salesperson

All great writers make a contribution

18 Uniquely Philadelphia attractions: Your IAC extracurricular planner

The best of both worlds: Publish, promote, and profit on Amazon KDP with the convenience of your BookBaby account.

Saturday, October 21, 2017

I’ve got no words for you this weekend. Luckily I have a few friends who have plenty to share.

All these folks are presenters at the upcoming Independent Authors Conference in Philadelphia. As I prepare for the big event, I asked each speaker to send me a key point—that one must-know takeaway—from their presentations. As I received this yesterday I realized: These were too good not to share with everyone I know.

Nancy Erickson—aka The Book Professor–is coming to Philly to share her presentation about Ten Mistakes That Nonfiction Authors Make and How to Avoid Them. She wants authors to know that: “Self-publishing doesn’t mean do-it-yourself publishing. It means working with professionals all along the way to write, edit, and publish your book—so that you produce a professional product.”

Scott Bilker is the founder of Book Lemur and is presenting My Parents' Experience with Traditional Publishing Led Me To Self-Publishing. Scott wants you to know: “Self-publishing is 10% writing and 90% marketing. It’s much easier to write a book than to sell a book—and writing a book ain’t easy!”

Dana Kaye is the founder of Kaye Publicity, Inc., a boutique PR company specializing in publishing and entertainment. Dana is presenting her talk entitled Your Book, Your Brand. Her central message to authors is this: “A unique author brand will make you more memorable and clearly convey who you are and what you write. This reduces the risk for readers and encourages them to take a chance on a new author.”

These words of wisdom are the virtual tip of the iceberg, a small representation of the amount of amazing self-publishing information to be gained by coming to the Independent Authors Conference. It’s a can’t miss event for writers across the spectrum of genres and publishing experience.

I’m happy to report the Independent Authors Conference is almost a sellout. I’m happier to say that you can still register for the event by going here. But please: Do. It. Now.

And next weekend I promise I’ll have some of my own words to share.

All the best,

Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby

Featured Article:
5 Ways Attending A Publishing Conference Can Help You Succeed

Looking for support as a self-published author? Here are five reasons why attending a publishing conference can help your career. Read more.

Making Magic With Twitter Hashtags

Judging from questions I get in my inbox, many people don’t understand Twitter hashtags. Maybe they are just plain annoyed by them, but they can be useful in your book marketing. Read more.

Our Best Social Media Posts For Authors

We’ve posted numerous articles to help authors navigate and optimize their promotional exploits on different social media platforms. Here’s a tour of our best posts focused on social media for authors. Read more.

NaNoWriMo is Almost Here. Gear up with our free kit.

Top Stories:

How to go from author to salesperson

All great writers make a contribution

18 Uniquely Philadelphia attractions: Your IAC extracurricular planner

The drama is in the details (the humor, horror, and suspense are too)

Want reviews? Assemble a book review team.

Sensory language IS the detail in your writing

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Unless we designed it.

Only The Strong Survive: And this is the guide to give you some extra muscle.

NaNoWriMo isn’t a leisurely stroll around the block. It’s a 50,000-word ascent to one of writing’s most fulfilling accomplishments—writing an entire book in just one month.

If you plan on making the journey, you’ll want this NaNoWriMo Survival Guide by your side. It’s full of essential tools and resources:

Helpful NaNo-centric how-to articles
A 30-day NaNoWriMo word-count calendar
Inspirational messages to keep your writing on pace
Special offers on tools every writer needs
And much more!

Mountaineers don’t scale Mt. Everest without the right supplies. And you shouldn’t take on NaNoWriMo without this guide. Get your free copy now.

Free download

Tuesday, 31 October 2017

bookbaby newsletters