Writing

Lauren Clark is a Duolit Indie Ninja and author of two indie books — Stay Tuned and her new release, out today, called Dancing Naked in Dixie (which was formatted for paperback and eBooks by your favorite Duolit chicks!). Lauren is a great example of an author who goes above and beyond to market her [...]
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1. Do You Still Enjoy Writing? (And What to Do if You Don’t) [Guest Post]
   The following is a guest post from Michael W. Roberts and an entry in February’s Self-Publishing Writing Contest. Click here to vote for…
2. 7 Tips for Great Layout Design [Repost]
   The post below was originally posted on April 20, 2010. Fire your Book Designer! No, I’m just kidding. Please don’t…
3. A Great Author Blog Example…
   Just a quick post to share a great article over at The Creative Penn — it examines one example of…

Continue Reading 10 Tips for Writing a Great Author Bio [Guest Post]

Tags: Guest Posts

Once upon a time, there was a house called BoGaHo. Built by the calloused hands of Pop, my great-grandfather, the rustic home was the backdrop of summer memories for three generations of my family. My mother grew up there, swimming in the muddy waters of the lake with her cousins, and years later I did the same. [...]
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1. What are your thoughts on goals/resolutions? [Discussion]
   The new year brings renewed commitment to goals for many, and writers are no exception. The flipping of the calendar from…
2. New Year’s Resolutions/Goal-Setting [Self-Publishing Linkup]
   Have an awesome idea for a post that’s not related to goals/resolutions? Consider entering it in our Self-Publishing Writing Contest…
3. No Excuses: 15-Minute Goal Setting for Authors
   I’m a sucker for time savers. One of my favorite parts of the magazine Real Simple is the monthly feature…

Continue Reading How Do You Choose Your Setting? [Discussion]

Tags: Discussion

The followng is a guest post by self-published author Rich Denoncourt. Visit his website to find out more about his first book, Trainland and his upcoming YA novel Milo Banks and the Tower of Light. Want to submit a guest post? Read our overview and drop us a line! Three years ago I received my 300th rejection letter. It [...]
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1. The Long Game of Self-Publishing [Guest Post]
   The following is a guest post from Merry Farmer and the first entry in February’s Self-Publishing Writing Contest. Click here…
2. Self-publishing is not a new thing! [Guest Post]
   The following is a guest post from William Joel and an entry in February’s Self-Publishing Writing Contest. Click here to vote for the…
3. The Old Shell Game of Publishing [Guest Post]
   The following is a guest post from Allan Douglas and an entry in February’s Self-Publishing Writing Contest. Click here to vote for the…

Continue Reading From New York to Cartagena: A Journey in Self-Publishing [Guest Post]

Tags: Guest Posts

success (noun): 1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors. 2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like. Fact #1: We all have a speech prepared in the event that Oprah selects us for her book club. Fact #2: Oprah will probably never call. Fact #3: We will go on writing anyway. Every one of us has an ultimate, higher-than-the-summit-of-Everest dream for our writing career. Something that would mark [...]
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1. How Do You Define Success As an Indie Author? [Discussion]
   In its second weekend of release, The Avengers made over $100 million here in the US. Add that to its…
2. [Discussion] What’s YOUR Definition of Self-Publishing?
   Indie publishing. Vanity press. Subsidy publishing. Many throw around these terms when referring to certain self-published work (and services), but…
3. You Can: Self-publishing Success – What it is and How to Achieve It
   The following is a guest post from author Carol Buchanan. If you’d like to be a guest poster, we’d love…

Continue Reading Self-Publishing Success: 3 Tips to Finding Your Definition

How much research do you usually put into your writing? I’m not talking about Internet research — forget Google, Wikipedia, and MapQuest. — I’m talking about real, down deep, get your hands dirty research. The kind of exploration that really helps you get into the mindset of your characters or the surroundings of your book’s [...]
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1. Decisions, Part III: 6 Details to Consider When Self-Publishing [Self-Publishing Basics]
   Grab your PT gear and head out to the parade deck, troops!  It’s time for another installment in our two…
2. The Long Game of Self-Publishing [Guest Post]
   The following is a guest post from Merry Farmer and the first entry in February’s Self-Publishing Writing Contest. Click here…
3. Do you find the book or does the book find you? [Discussion]
   As authors, it’s nice to know that we can chalk up an obsessive reading habit to research, right? I’m always…

Continue Reading Q & A with Jesse Grillo: Diving into the Details

Tags: Interviews & Stories

In its second weekend of release, The Avengers made over $100 million here in the US. Add that to its ridiculous total from last week, and the movie has made almost $400 million in two weeks. By any measure, I think we’d call that a success! But, what about you as an indie author? How [...]
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1. You Can: Self-publishing Success – What it is and How to Achieve It
   The following is a guest post from author Carol Buchanan. If you’d like to be a guest poster, we’d love…
2. Do You Read Indie Books? [Discussion]
   Good news: the online writing community is, for the most part, extremely supportive of indie authors and self-publishing. Bad news:…
3. [Discussion] How Do You Support Your Fellow Indie Authors?
   Let’s face it: self-publishing is a difficult path to take. Contrary to what we often hear, for those serious about…

Continue Reading How Do You Define Success As an Indie Author? [Discussion]

Tags: Discussion

The followng is a guest post by Grant Piercy. Check out Grant’s previous guest post, Quoting Lyrics and Dodging Copyright Issues. Want to submit a guest post? Read our overview and drop us a line! It might interest you to know that even though I consider myself a writer and an author, I’ve never submitted [...]
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1. The Old Shell Game of Publishing [Guest Post]
   The following is a guest post from Allan Douglas and an entry in February’s Self-Publishing Writing Contest. Click here to vote for the…
2. Short but Sweet [Guest Post]
   The following is a guest post from Barry Skelhorn and an entry in February’s Self-Publishing Writing Contest. Click here to vote for the…
3. Self-publishing is not a new thing! [Guest Post]
   The following is a guest post from William Joel and an entry in February’s Self-Publishing Writing Contest. Click here to vote for the…

Continue Reading Giving It Away [Guest Post]

Tags: copyright, freebies, Guest Posts

Picture this: you’re chilling in an elevator, minding your own business, when Matt Lauer (host of the Today Show and my favorite celebrity example) hops onboard. He’s yammering away on his phone, lamenting the loss of an author guest. As the doors close, he tells the person on the other end to find a replacement [...]
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1. Get noticed: 5 Steps to Boosting Book Publicity
   As they say–better late than never, right? We are getting back on track with this week’s blog post and will…
2. Writing and Self-Publishing Links of the Month: April – June 2011
   I suppose it should be ‘Links of the Quarter,’ huh? At any rate, here is our monthly list of popular…
3. Decisions, Part I : Pre-Planning [Self-Publishing Basics]
   Decisions, decisions. When deciding to self-publish or, heck, when deciding to write a book — many decisions must be made. The…

Continue Reading Think Fast! 10 Minutes to the Perfect Elevator Pitch

Tags: elevator pitch, Marketing & Promotion

As authors, it’s nice to know that we can chalk up an obsessive reading habit to research, right? I’m always involved in one book or another — often one or two on my kindle, two or three in paperback and then suddenly I’ll shove all five of those aside to indulge in something else. It’s [...]
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1. Do You Read Indie Books? [Discussion]
   Good news: the online writing community is, for the most part, extremely supportive of indie authors and self-publishing. Bad news:…
2. If Professional Book Design Were Free, Would You Still DIY? [Discussion]
   One of the most common complaints we hear from self-publishing authors is that professional services to aid in their publishing…
3. Turn Summer Reading into Summer Writing Inspiration
   On the beach, by the lake, or in your home, few things are more enjoyable on warm summer days than…

Continue Reading Do you find the book or does the book find you? [Discussion]

Tags: Discussion

When executed properly, a book trailer can be the sharpest tool in your media kit. When executed properly, a book trailer can be the perfect attention grabber for potential readers. When executed properly, a book trailer can make your self-published title a legitimate, professional piece. Do you see the common thread? It’s all about the [...]
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1. Book Trailers — What Do You Think? [Discussion]
   Let’s face it: much of book marketing is rather, well, static. Enter book trailers — much like the familiar trailers (previews)…
2. Reader Mailbag: Rushing Plot, Book Trailers, Getting Started
   Last month, we announced a new feature: the reader mailbag! Here we take your questions about anything involving writing, design,…
3. Get noticed: 5 Steps to Boosting Book Publicity
   As they say–better late than never, right? We are getting back on track with this week’s blog post and will…

Continue Reading 4 Steps to Making Your Own Book Trailer

Tags: book trailers, Marketing & Promotion