Here are the latest newsletters for my followers to peruse:
|
|
|
|
|
Writing a book
will never amount to an emergency—that's why you need to make a
conscious decision to put it on top of your list. Is your book a
priority for you? Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One tactic to
selling and making money from your poetry is to pursue outlets other
than bookstores. This post can help you think creatively about how to
make a dime selling rhyme. Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 150 to 200
words you'll choose to place on your book's back cover might just be
the most important words in your entire book project. Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What do all writers want? Improvement.
But the only way to get better is to sit down and put in the work.
Thankfully, you don’t have to do so on your own. Pair your writing with
ProWritingAid—the editing software colossus that helps you edit faster,
find the right words, and improve your craft as you write.
|
|
|
|
|
ProWritingAid won’t ghostwrite your
book, but it’ll make becoming a better writer easier. And starting right
now, you can enter to win one of 16 free licenses to ProWritingAid,
including:
- 1 lifetime premium license ($210 value)
- 5 two-year licenses ($90 value each)
- 10 one-year licenses ($60 value each)
This giveaway ends July 31st.
Take your shot at winning before it’s too late.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Good morning,
I'm winging my way home from an Irish holiday, so I'll let one of my new
favorite BookBaby authors present today's self‐publishing message.
Frank Moriarty has published over a dozen books to date, most of them
through traditional publishing houses. For his latest book, Modern Listener Guide: Jimi Hendrix, Frank chose a different route to the
marketplace. Why? I'll let Frank tell you himself.
"Having
traditionally published so many books in the past, I'm aware of problems
that happen with authors losing creative control. That can be anything
from the content of the interior and the way the book looks to the cover
design, to the number of images and how the images are laid out. Having
self‐published a few books previously, it
seemed to me that BookBaby had taken all the concerns I had had with
other times I self‐published and resolved those
issues."
Our recent blog post, "Self‐Publishing Lets You Take Creative
Control," tells
much more of the story.
|
|
Watch to hear
Frank's thoughts about publishing and why he chose to self‐publish this book:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All the best,
|
|
|
|
|
Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Good morning from the Emerald Island, Karen.
I'm in Ireland this weekend for the Dublin Writer's Conference participating on panels,
delivering remarks, and spreading the self‐publishing gospel to this corner of the
globe. It's my first trip to this beautiful country, and I'll be taking a
few days to explore a bit next week.
Knowing this international trip was coming up in my calendar, I've saved
a couple of questions to answer about the importance of worldwide
distribution:
Esther W. wrote in to ask: Thanks
for inviting questions. I am a few months away from publishing my 3rd
book. I self‐published through CreateSpace in the
past (now KDP) and my 2 previous books are on Amazon as POD paperbacks.
If I understand correctly, BookBaby publishes on Amazon but also gets
books into online stores like Barnes & Noble and others outside the US,
is that correct?
And John R. asked: I've
written five new books and published them on Amazon using KDP. How does
someone get into international online bookstores or other distribution
channels?
To best answer these questions, I recalled an earlier trip to this side
of the Atlantic—attending my first London Book Fair to be exact. Meeting
authors from all around the world truly opened my eyes to the
opportunities for selling books everywhere. I came back to the office
with this mindset: Self‐published authors should not settle for
less than global distribution—it must be a priority in your publishing
plans.
I wrote a blog post on this subject, "It's Time to
Publish Your Book Internationally," that emphasized my interest in providing
worldwide distribution for our authors. One of my main points was that
BookBaby's "books without boundaries" approach to retail store
distribution has been a real game changer for today's authors for both
eBooks and printed books.
We've placed tens of thousands of eBooks onto Amazon—and 60+ other
bookstores that serve a huge potential audience of eager international
readers. Here's a list of all the online retailers in our eBook
retail network.
We recently added an exclusive Amazon KDP
Select Publishing
option so that you can take advantage of all the great free Kindle book
promotion and sales ideas. Once the Amazon exclusivity period ends, you
can then enjoy the reach of BookBaby's network. As we add new stores to
our retail lineup, your titles are delivered to them automatically—free
of charge.
For printed books, BookBaby's Print On
Demand
program makes your title available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble,
Powell's and thousands of other stores and wholesale bookstore catalogs
like Ingram around the world. Just like the big-name authors!
When the Dublin Writers Conference concludes tomorrow, my exploration of
the city will probably begin here at The Long Room Library at Trinity College, which holds the collection's
200,000 oldest books.
|
|
|
|
All the best,
|
|
|
|
|
Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You’re ready. After all of the plotting, writing, and
editing, you’re finally ready to print your book. But you’re not quite
ready to purchase 100 copies—you want to make sure your book looks just
like the one in your dreams.
Start with just
one
For just $39 you can print one retail-quality proof of your book no
matter what kind of book you’re making:
- Any genre
- Any trim size
- Any binding style
- Black & white or
full-color printing
So what’s the catch?
No catch. No hidden fees. No shipping costs either. Just you bringing
your hard work to life. Put our quality to the test and print one copy
of your book today.
We’ll be ready
for more when you are
You’re going to love your book proof. So much that you’ll want more
copies. When you’re ready, put one of these book printing discounts to
good use:
|
|
Take $100 off
100 books with code: 100OFFBOOK
|
|
Take $300 off
300 books with code: EM300OFF
|
|
Take $500 off
500 books with code: 500OFF500
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've got a question for you,
When was the last time you tried a new restaurant without a
recommendation? If you're like me, it's probably been a while.
It seems to be human nature for people to ask for opinions before trying
someplace or something new. And now that reviews are featured across the
Internet, it's easier than ever to learn before you buy. In fact, a
recent Bright Local Consumer Survey reported a whopping 97% of customers read online
reviews before they buy. And almost half of those interviewed
will only trust 4‐stars or better.
Of course, the same need for good reviews goes for books. That's why L.
Wickstrom's great question about book reviews merits this entire Saturday
message. She asks: "Do
you have a list of reviewers (and their contact info) by genre who will
be likely to review my book if I send them a copy? These can be
newspapers, magazines, bloggers, or perhaps something I haven't thought
of yet?"
Building up a stack of reviews is critical to a strong book promotion
plan. I'd start out by downloading my 5 Steps To Self‐Publishing guide to learn the best ways to contact and
encourage reviewers to consider your book.
Next, I'd search for reviewers at resource sites like Reedsy,
BlueInk Review, or AuthorsXP.
Plus, our BookBaby Blog is filled with great articles and advice for
generating reviews:
And here's one more tip: Go onto Google and search for your book's genre
and the phrases "book review" or "book reviewer."
Also, you might try "book review blog," "free book
reviews," "self‐published book review," or
"independent book review."
Visit some of the sites you find to see if any of the reviewed books are
by self‐published authors
and if your book might fit in.
|
|
|
|
All the best,
|
|
|
|
|
Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Good morning,
Today's Q&A session focuses on that all‐important element to your book: editing.
Here's a question from J. Elkon: "I
need an editor to ensure the book is structurally sound, the plot
relatively consistent and the characters exact. But to get it exactly
right, the editor does need to know something about and appreciate
Baroque Opera! Where can I get a list of editors with a description of
their specialties and interests?"
J, if you are still in the drafting stage, your book may require a
developmental edit from a specialist. It's a good idea for your editor to
be experienced in the type of book you're writing. When you search for an
editor, you should ask what kinds of books they've edited. I wouldn't
want a YA editor to work on my next business book, and so on.
Here are three sites that aggregate editors and offer a search function
by specialty, location, and rates:
- Editorial
Freelancers Association
- Association
of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders and Indexers
- Society for
Editors and Proofreaders
Once you are satisfied with the story after several
rewrites, you'll want to work with a line editor. This kind of editing
doesn't require a subject matter expert to improve your novel. Line
editing focuses on grammar, syntax, and consistency and is recommended
for all kinds of novels on any topic, including Baroque Opera. BookBaby works
with a vast network of editors, and we match the book type or genre with an
editor best suited for the job.
L. Brooks asks: "I
have done a little self‐editing to fit my flavor of the book. I
would like to publish it, but I know that it needs to go to a
professional editor. I'm leery about a professional editor who might
change the message of the book."
This question highlights one of the best reasons why authors should
choose a professional editor. These highly trained and experienced
wordsmiths take great care in preserving the author's original message or
theme. Their job is not to change the book, but to improve its structure,
accuracy, and readability. Authors are in good hands when they invest in
working with pros.
Here's another tip: One of our most popular editing posts on the BookBaby
blog, "What Type of
Book Editing Do You Need? And When?," examines the different types of editing:
Developmental, Line, Copy, and Proofreading.
One final editing note: The winners of our recent BookBaby Editing
Sweepstakes have been announced: Authors Andrea Toussaint, Peter
Bergeron, Victoria Johnson, Teresa Dietrich, Natasha Brown, and Jarod
Jeffery have each won a full line editing job for their next book.
Congratulations!
|
|
|
|
All the best,
|
|
|
|
|
Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amazon may be one of the best places to distribute your
book—but it isn’t the only place. The greater your reach, the more
success you can enjoy. Here are four ways publishing with BookBaby
benefits your book on Amazon and
a range of other leading retailers across the globe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Being prepared
and flexible are two keys to success in an on‐air interview. But remember, what makes
a good guest for the show does not always make a good show for the
guest. Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do you want fear
to be the reason you're not sharing your story, helping others, and
making a difference? Put fear aside and write your book. Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audiobooks are
growing in popularity and market share, but independent authors should
focus on the more foundational aspects of publishing and promotion that
will bring a higher return on investment. Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The freedom
provided by self‐publishing,
along with the changes in traditional publishing, opened up more
avenues for me, as an author, to take creative control of my own
projects. Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here's a formula
to help you make the transition from author to marketer. It is not a
scientific, qualitative equation, but a quantitative approach to book
marketing success that is adaptable to your personality and genre. Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marie peddles
the concept of perfect control over your things instead of letting your
things control you. Writers, we can take a page out of Kondo's book. Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
A message from one of our trusted
partners:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books
|
|
Sponsored by Winning Writers, this
contest will award $3,000 in cash to the grand prize winner. Six category
winners will each receive $1,000. All seven top winners will receive
additional benefits from our co-sponsors, BookBaby and Carolyn
Howard-Johnson, to help market their books. Everyone who enters will
receive a free digital copy of Ms. Howard-Johnson’s handy guide, The Great First Impression
Book Proposal.
Choose from six categories:
- Mainstream/Literary Fiction
- Genre Fiction
- Creative Nonfiction & Memoir
- Poetry
- Children’s Picture Book
- Graphic Narrative (new this year)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Special bonus #1 for the top seven winners
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Howard-Johnson
is the author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for
writers.
“The Frugal Book
Promoter [is] one of my very favorite books on how to build
the buzz for your book. You could spend the rest of your life following
all her tips. If you do, you’ll sell lots of books.”
–Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound
|
|
|
|
|
Special bonus
#2 for the top seven winners
|
|
|
|
|
Enjoy a $300 credit at BookBaby, free to spend on editorial, design, production, printing,
distribution, and promotional services.
|
|
|
|
|
Special bonus
#3 for the top seven winners
|
|
|
|
|
The grand prize winner will receive 3 free ads in our Winning Writers newsletter (a $450 value). The six category winners will each receive one
free ad. All seven winners will receive digital and printed award seals
for their books at no charge.
|
|
|
|
|
Prefer to enter
by mail?
|
|
You may mail your entry and $60 fee
to Winning Writers, Attn: North Street Book Prize, 351
Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060-3961, USA.
Please include your name, email address, mailing address, phone number,
and category for your book. Your payment should be US funds drawn on a
US bank (payable to Winning Writers), or US currency.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Good morning,
Let's go back to the mailbag for some marketing questions:
C. Nguyen asks: "Are
there any marketing programs offered by BookBaby? If so, can you explain
them?"
It doesn't matter if you're a first‐time self‐published writer or New York Times best‐selling author. Every single book needs
to be marketed. BookBaby offers several marketing products that focus on
key marketing and promotion areas for self‐published authors:
- Here's
one that I recommend to every author: Metadata Optimization. How does
your book get noticed? It's your book's metadata that allows your
book to be searched and discovered across many platforms like
Amazon, Google, library catalogs, bookstores, and search engines.
Our service edits your metadata and makes suggestions for new
keywords, genres and sub‐genre lists, plus more.
- Book Marketing Consultations,
powered by Smith Publicity, the nation's leading book publicity
service. We offer Amazon, Social Media, and Marketing Planning
consultations designed to teach authors the most important aspects
of marketing their books.
- Facebook and Instagram Author Ads —
Tap into Facebook and Instagram's massive user base with your own
targeted ad campaigns.
Next, Greg Harm checks in: "Greetings, Steven! Bravo for soliciting
more questions from self‐published authors. How beneficial!
Here's mine: Once you get your book self‐published, what are the most critical
marketing steps an author needs to perform to promote his or her
book?"
Thanks, Greg. Here's a good time to make this point: No two book
marketing plans are identical. What might be the most important thing for
Greg to do may not be the same as any other author reading this message.
Your own book marketing game plan is dependent on a variety of factors,
including your time and resources available, book genre, your geographical
location, and much more.
So let's explore Greg's situation a bit more. He's already done some
important things—listing the book on Amazon and many other sites,
building a dedicated website, and more. But his book, Lee Lawrie's Prairie Deco:
History in Stone at the Nebraska State Capitol is seeking an
ultra‐niche audience.
Here's what else I'd recommend.
- Start
a Facebook and Instagram social media ad program and choose local
audiences in Nebraska, art deco design fans, and historical art
fans.
- Press
releases don't work for many books today, but I think local Nebraska
newspapers or bloggers might be interested in this book.
With so many more marketing questions in my inbox, we'll
return to this fascinating—and important—topic for self‐published authors again next week!
|
|
|
|
All the best,
|
|
|
|
|
Steven Spatz
President, BookBaby
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There's this
cult of the opening sentence, as if crafting a perfect first line is
the only key to writing a best‐selling novel. Here's my take: it isn't.
Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reading—in
addition to being plain fun—can make you a better (smarter, more
informed, satisfied) person. In my experience, successful people are
often voracious readers. Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Authors have
been quoting song lyrics in their books for eons, but if you plan to
quote lyrics written after 1923, be prepared to do some research—and
get out your checkbook—long before releasing your book. Read
more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© BookBaby
7905 N. Crescent
Blvd., Pennsauken, NJ 08110
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment