Nielsen book sales share
Discussions about the "resurgence" of print and the comeback of independent bookstores amounts to wishful thinking, not an understanding of ...
land an agent for self-published book
If you've given up on the self-publishing route and want to try traditional publishing, then there are several approaches you ...
/ Literary Agents, Self-Publishing
Indie Author Fringe
Is it better to have a long or short book description on Amazon? What should go in the first line? ...
ebook publishing resources
In this post I regularly update the best resources I know of related to learning to publish an ebook, finding ...
abandon draft
Sometimes that first draft is never going to become a final draft. That doesn't mean it's a waste, though ...
Mall of America
The Mall of America residency isn’t going to be an appropriate opportunity for even a majority of writers. But it’s ...
/ Author Earnings & Careers
statistics about Amazon
Did you know Amazon’s print book sales grew by 15% in 2016—and the gain was primarily driven by Amazon's own ...
online writing class
A course’s success depends on anticipating and understanding the needs of writing students and producing the outcomes they most desire ...
/ Author Earnings & Careers
online education
In my latest column for Publishers Weekly, I discuss the potential of online education for book marketing, particularly prior to ...
/ Marketing & Promotion
book distribution
The most important thing any author needs to know about book distribution is that more than half of all book ...
map and pins
Any accomplished writer is also a reader—and usually a reader first. For the writer who is the least a bit ...
Using NetGalley and Goodreads
Sarah Miniaci at Smith Publicity and Kristina Radke at NetGalley review the marketing and publicity strategies that can help increase ...
BookExpo
BEA is a quality industry event, and it is a legitimate marketing and promotion opportunity. But for the majority of ...
Digital Book World 2017 - photo by Porter Anderson
My industry newsletter for authors, The Hot Sheet, released a special (and free) issue last week with original reporting from ...
Pronoun ebook distribution
Pronoun works with independent authors to distribute their ebooks to the five major online retailers: Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, ...
story ending
Sometimes endings are designed to satisfy, answering the questions posed along the way. Endings that allow you to leave as ...
/ Creativity
agents or editors
Is it better to look for a literary agent first, or to approach editors and publishers? Much depends on the ...
marketing roundup
Every year, I share hundreds (even thousands) of articles and reports on book marketing. Here, I look back on the ...
author platform building
If you're preparing to pitch your nonfiction work to agents or publishers, you may have heard about the necessity of ...
book publishing industry
A round-up of important 2016 publishing news and trends that will affect authors in the years to come ...
princess saves herself
How a self-publishing poet achieved visibility for her book—and landed a book deal with traditional publisher Andrews McMeel ...
hybrid publisher
Defining a "hybrid publisher" is difficult; you will hear different descriptions depending on who you ask. Here's what you need ...
when brevity is bad
It's sometimes easier to cut a piece of writing if you can't see how to fix it. Just remove the ...
Writer Unboxed
There are many analogies drawn between writing and sports: exercising your creative muscles, learning to go the distance, pushing up ...
/ Creativity
great story roundup
A round-up of the best and most popular advice on writing craft and technique I've featured since 2010 ...
checklists for publishing
When embarking on a process that is new or unfamiliar, often you don't know what you don't know. A checklist ...
Parc Slope laptop stand
Before you buy another pen-and-pencil set for that writer in your life, consider some gift options that take their digital ...
/ Creativity
hiring a pro editor
But being able to truly see if you’ve been successful in writing a compelling work requires objectivity and distance than ...
Create If Writing interviews Jane Friedman
This week, I was a guest on the Create If Writing podcast, discussing traditional and independent publishing ...
/ Getting Published, Self-Publishing
get 10000 visits
Getting traction for your online presence—especially a new blog—can feel like an impossible task when you're an unknown writer. But ...
early experiences
Author Kurt Rheinheimer discusses how the most precious vein for material is from just before he knew who he was ...
Indie Author Fringe
Watch my 30-minute talk on how to bring together the art and business sides of your career in a way ...
author-publisher disappointment
The No. 1 disappointment of published authors is the lack of marketing support from their publisher. Here's how to prepare ...
Nov/Dec 2016 Writer's Digest
I'm proud to have a feature in Writer's Digest magazine on how to monetize your website and blog. I detail ...
writing for free
When deciding whether to write for free—or for exposure—here are 5 questions writers should ask ...
literary publishing
Last year, I began regularly contributing to Publishers Weekly on the topic of independent authorship and publishing. Here's a list ...
call-to-action
Just about every writer would love to have more readers—more readers of their books, their blog, their articles, or whatever ...
When the Writing Life Isn't About Talent, Discipline, or Stubbornness
Author Melissa Yancy shines a new light on what failure brings to the writing life—and it isn't the usual reflection ...
/ Creativity
publishing industry
Traditional publishers are experiencing a slump, and the decline of Barnes & Noble isn't helping. A look at news and ...
coast
When writers talk about where their ideas come from, the answers are as varied as wildflowers ...
/ Creativity
Sage Cohen
The way we write can define (and transform) the way we live. Author Sage Cohen believes ferocity is our best ...
/ Creativity
A pen resting on a blank journal page.
You can find depths of meaning in the shared language and goals you've developed with the writers around you ...
/ Creativity
email autoresponders
How do you treat subscribers after they sign up for your email newsletter? An autoresponder can usefully and effectively welcome ...
pop-ups
Pop-ups have long been despited by the Internet world, but the difficulty is: They work. Here's how to implement them ...
authorship
Why are we so curious about authors' own lives in relation to their books, and the ways that they do ...
/ Creativity
author platform
Author platform is one of the most difficult concepts to explain, partly because everyone defines it a little differently. Here's ...
copywriting for authors
Join me for a live training to learn to write sales copy that’s as impressive as your story; you'll improve ...
/ Marketing & Promotion
rationing your ideas
Writers can be like misers with their money when it comes to ideas—and ultimately that behavior can prevent you from ...
/ Creativity
blogging mistakes
Wondering why you don't have more blog traffic—or if it's worthwhile to continue your blogging effort? Here are the mistakes ...
should you self-publish
Should you self-publish? There is no single right answer to this question—it's always situational. It depends on you, your book, ...