Great news! You’ve finished writing your book. Over many days, weeks, months, and possibly years, you’ve poured your heart and soul into every word. Your family and friends either supported you or rolled their eyes at your “little hobby.” Black ink courses through your veins as you hold the final masterpiece in your hands. But…
Should You Self-Publish Direct or Through a Distributor Site?
You’re all set to publish your first book, but how the heck do you get it on Amazon, Kobo, iTunes, Nook, Google Play, and more, right? Here’s some info and tips. There are two primary ways to get your indie book on the biggest sale sites. One is direct and another is through distributor sites…
Suzanne Brockmann’s Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award Speech
From Samantha A. Cole: Back around 2001, before e-readers, I would go to the local bookstore, or a supermarket with a paperback book section, and load up for the coming weeks. I’d been reading some romances, but mostly thrillers at the time. I stumbled across an author named Suzanne Brockmann. When I picked up her first…
What to Expect at Your 1st Book Signing Event as an Author!
You’ve poured your heart and soul into your book(s), hit the publish button, and done your best to get your name and titles out there to readers. Congratulations! Now, you’ve signed up for your first author event, and the panicking has started. How do I prepare? What should I have on my table? How many…
Tips for Marketing Your Book by Guest Author Kathryn Le Veque
It’s not just writing the book… it’s selling it. You can write the greatest book in the world, the next War and Peace, but unless you can get it in front of a million hungry readers, it won’t make any difference how good your book is. In the world of a writer, the right hand…
Front & Back Matter—Does It Matter?
Whether you realize it or not, the front and back matter of your book is just as important as the story. It needs to be void of typos and errors, have links that work, and kept up to date! What should be included in your front and back matter? Lots of things! But what is…
Social Media Etiquette for Authors
As with everything about the online book community, many of us have learned good and bad etiquette through trial and error. Aside from plagiarism, stealing covers or images, and scamming the system, there are a number of things that are frowned upon in the book community that drive many authors (and some readers, bloggers, etc.)…
What the Heck is a Takeover?
If you’re new to the online book community, you may or may not have heard about takeovers. What are they? They’re another interactive tool to get your books in front of new readers. Basically, a takeover is a Facebook event, (they can be held in groups too) created by other authors, bloggers, and, occasionally, readers….
Same Character Name/Same Title? It Happens!
Over the past few months, there have been many issues that have come up, resulting in the book community to be at each other’s throats. Stop with the “mine, mine, mine” attitudes. If someone is plagiarizing your books, stealing your covers or your exclusive images, or copying your UNIQUE series name or UNIQUE title, then,…
Alphas, Betas, Line Editors, Copy Editors, and Proofreaders Explained
New authors diving into the business of self-publishing have words such as alpha and beta readers, developmental editors, content editors, line editors, and proofreaders thrown at them, without an explanation for each one. Do you need them all? No. Is it better to use them all? Of course. The more people helping you fine tune…