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  4. Reader 06/01/18 Edition

June 1, 2018

Reader

So we figured out last issue the Big Five sabotages ebook sales. Not that it’s really needed at this point, but what more can we throw on the fire to render those periodic “industry” reports and sales numbers even more useless as industry barometers?

How about this doozy:

Amazon’s ebook sales numbers aren’t included in those “industry” counts.

Wha? Why the heck not? It’s not as if there’s a doubt in anyone’s mind that the company’s the #1 seller of ebooks on the planet.

Well, we can’t blame the “industry” for this one — Amazon doesn’t report its sales data to anyone. It’s under no obligation to do any such thing (told you the “industry” lost control of this part of the market), so what do they do when anyone asks for it? I picture someone over at the Zon just going, “OK, sure, we’ll get right on that. LOL!”

We’re not talking about sales of Big Five ebook editions, of course — those are counted because obviously, the B5 will have those figures. It’s our numbers, the indie stuff, that Amazon’s keeping under its hat.

I don’t think I have to point out that a lot among our ranks are doing very well. Heck, I interviewed a good number of former B5 mid-listers right here in Wordpreneur years ago, back when they were first becoming aware of the possibility of reclaiming the rights to and reviving their practically dead B5 titles… and a bunch of them did and have been doing just that. Then there are the “rapid release” folks, the “serial” dudes, the “erotica” bunch, and on and on and…

…well what? This is still all just anecdotal evidence. There are no official counts reported by Amazon. At all. And again, can’t blame the “industry” for that.

What we can blame them for, however, is pretending all this activity doesn’t exist. Which they argue then ergo means since their ebook <cough cough sabotaged cough> sales figures are flatlining, the dead tree book market must be alive and well and healthy! And the claims and data in all these “industry” reports must be true because, look, all these important news media vehicles are reporting them without question! (“Oh, don’t look in that ledger with all the B5 ad spend records, silly rabbit, none of that’s important. Here, have you seen James Patterson’s 14th new book release this week? Already on the NYT bestseller list!”)

Uh huh. Anyone else besides me smells bullsh*t? Or are you really that much into fairy tales?

Now, I’m not saying this is a good thing — only Amazon has the complete, clear picture! — but what I am saying is all those reports about ebook sales stagnating, even sinking?

Phfft.

You’ll have a much better chance convincing me the Illuminati’s behind all the bookstore closings.

I think that about covers this topic simply but sufficiently enough. Takeaway? I think there’s only one, really: Don’t trust any of these guys. Not the Big Five. Not Amazon. These guys are at war and using information as weapons. We best try to pay close attention to everything and hope our biases don’t get in the way of making clear judgment calls.

Well, enough of that. Maybe I can interest you in a dozen decent to good articles to help expand your wordpreneur know-how? Just look below!

— EES

wp reader 060118

Please Share the Love!

Indie Author/Publishing

1+tip[1]

“Can’t you give me just 1 tip (for getting book reviews)?” she asked

“The other day a newly published author who had befriended me 5 minutes earlier asked me if I could give her just one tip how to get book reviews from Amazon top reviewers.

I told her to read my book.

She came back with, ‘Can’t you give me just 1 tip?’

Hmm… Apparently this author was not aware how much in demand these reviews are; on average Hall-of-Fame reviewers get 250+ review requests per month.

So, I told her that getting a book reviewed by an Amazon top reviewer isn’t a ‘1-tip thing,’ especially if the book did not have any reviews yet. Getting reviews is a challenging task that encompasses many steps; which is why my book has 100 pages.

She immediately un-friended me.

I guess that says it all. Just another wannabe author who does not really want to learn the trade. The indie author industry is overrun with people like that. The sooner they get out and make room for the people who really hone their craft and all skills, the better for all.

Of course, from experience I know that most indie authors work a lot harder than this one.

So, here is one tip for authors whose books received already a few reviews (including from top reviewers).

‘Like/find helpful’ the reviewers’ reviews!!!”

Continue reading @ Gisela’s Straightforward Blog »
Spread the love
Elon Musk

“Self-Made” is a Myth; Here’s the Real Formula for Success

“[T]hat’s what most people get wrong. They never learn how to reach out. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there…”

» Medium
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$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising

$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising

“I had a plan. A big plan. Heck, I had the plan of the universe — to sell thousands of copies of my new release Science Fiction book, Project Atlantis, during the first month I published it.

This plan started six months before I started writing the book. The plan entailed rapidly finishing three books in a series — Project Atlantis, Destination Atlantis, and Colony Atlantis — and once it had been edited, beta-read, and sent out to my ARC reviewers, I’d release Project Atlantis, then Destination Atlantis seven days later, and Colony Atlantis fourteen days after Destination Atlantis. Additionally, I’d have the fourth book, Beyond Atlantis, almost 100% written. Yet, I’d have Beyond Atlantis’s pre-order already up and running before Colony Atlantis was released, all the while dropping over $1500 dollars in Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, and on Promo Sites, and whatever else I could get my greedy paws on.

Well, I did none of the above.

Here is what happened that led me to only spending $30 on Facebook and Amazon ads and how I was able to make $4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book.”

Continue reading @ Medium »
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wp-admin

10 Actionable WordPress Security Tips for the Layman

“[T]he more popular something is, the more people want to leverage on it for nefarious means… Fortunately, WordPress is a platform that offers you a multitude of opportunity to defend yourself.”

» WHSR
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10 Best Uses of Video Marketing – Promo by Slidely – Video ads and Marketing

10 Best Uses of Video Marketing

“All brands need a video marketing strategy. Digital marketing professionals and video makers understand how integral video is to growth hacking the current market.”

Promo Blog »

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10 Bestsellers That Began as Self-Published Books

10 Bestsellers That Began as Self-Published Books

“There is much to be said for self-publishing, especially if you have spent a year or ten (see Michael J. Sullivan below) trying to get publishing houses interested in your work.

If you self-publish, and do a proper job of marketing, your book may not only achieve success in its own right, but may be picked up by a major publishing house. (Ironically, it may even be published by one of the houses that has previously sent you a rejection slip.)

All of these books have one thing in common – their authors did not simply publish and then lean back and enjoy their success. They marketed, pitched, and sold the heck out of their books.

And they continued to write.

Here are a few best-selling books whose authors did not give up on them.”

Continue reading @ Publishing … and Other Forms of Insanity »
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books on a library shelf

10 books that will make you a better writer (and why)

“…

I love borrowing books. But there are some books that a writer really should have in their own personal for-keeps libraries. These are the books that you’ll keep coming back to, over and over, through your career.

Here are my top ten writing craft books. Some of them I’ve owned for twenty years or more. Some are new to me. Some are classics that you might already own. Maybe there are some that will be new to you.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

“You want to draw your readers into the world you’ve created, make them feel a part of it, make them forget where they are. And you can’t do this effectively if you tell your readers about your world secondhand.”

In 2004, when I was eight months pregnant, I won Nanowrimo for the first time. I wrote a truly awful first draft of a romantic suspense story. Then I had a baby girl on December 8. I never looked back. Once I knew that I could finish writing a novel, I knew that I could learn how to write well.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers is the book that taught me how to be a better writer. I finished my first manuscript and took a solid year, going through this book, chapter by chapter, exercise by exercise, and applying what I learned to my work.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

“I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room.”

Ray Bradbury’s little book of essays about writing and creativity is an essential little pocket of inspiration. I’ve read it half a dozen times and every single time, I pick up something new. Because it’s a collection of essays, you can pick it up and read what you need, when you need it.

Bradbury’s advice for fiction writers has shaped my writing life. He believed, especially, in short stories and in reading a lot. And watching movies. One of my favorite parts of Zen in the Art of Writing is the way that Bradbury breaks down how and why he wrote some of my favorite short stories.”

Continue reading @ Startup Grind »
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overcoming sales objections

10 Common Sales Objections (and How to Overcome Them)

“The remedy lies in anticipating and tackling customer objections head-on so you’re prepared and confident.”

» Rambl
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Free eBooks

Publishing … and Other Forms of Insanity: How to Edit Your Own Manuscript

How to Edit Your Own Manuscript

“The first draft of anything you write needs to be your little secret. Hug it to your breast, murmur sweet nothings to its pages, but don’t let anybody read it.”

Read @ Publishing … and Other Forms of Insanity »

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How to Publish and Sell Your Article on the Kindle by Kate Harper

Kate Harper

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Kate Harper Wordpreneur Peeps Interview

Wordpreneur Peeps logoIndie author Kate HarperKate Harper is the author and publisher of How to Publish and Sell Your Article on the Kindle: 12 Steps for Short Documents. For over a decade, she taught adult education in the San Francisco Bay Area and then became a card and gift designer. She is active in the podcast, art licensing and DIY communities, and has a special interest in creating public “street art” in her local community.

How Kate Got Started Self-Publishing eBooks

Since Kate had some technical skills, she volunteered to help a friend publish a poetry book for the Kindle. But before she began work on it and to minimize the possibility of errors, she wanted to practice on another document first. So Kate published a travel article she had sitting around on her computer, not expecting that anyone would even notice that it was published and available on Amazon.

How to Publish and Sell Your Article on the Kindle by Kate HarperShe was surprised to get a few sales the very first month her travel article “book” was up for sale. But surprise then turned into amazement when sales kept increasing each month, up to ten times a day!

After that unexpected and very encouraging start, Kate decided to start publishing articles on her area of expertise, gift and product design. She pulled content from her design blog, Kate Harper Designs, and also published parts of a manual she’d written on the greeting card business. Sales were strong. Kate explained that information on gift design is hard to find, and very few books have been written on the subject.

It has been a very enjoyable and rewarding experience for Kate, and she believes there are many untapped possibilities publishing articles on the Kindle for writers who have enthusiasm for all kinds of topics. “I believe the future looks bright,” she said, “especially for people who want to live and work in the creative sphere.”

Kate currently has eight Kindle Edition ebooks selling on Amazon, including How to Publish and Sell Your Article… and 20 Steps to Art Licensing: How to Sell Your Designs to Card and Gift Companies. Visit the Kate Harper author page on Amazon to see the complete list.

Originally published: October 24, 2012

 

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wp reader 052518

Reader 05/25/18 Edition

Reader

It never fails: Every time Luddites get wind of someone even remotely alluding to ebooks chomping away PacMan-like at the book market, they’ll pop up arguing why that’s completely wrong.

As if we’ve never heard all that BS many times before. Sigh.

Got a few of them by email and social media. Surprise! And nope, not running any of them. Same sh*t, basically, so why bother. Besides, they want a soapbox, they can write their own blog and social media posts. As far as this is concerned here, this isn’t a damn dialog.

Besides, there’s no “dialog” against the following. It’s always what I state first and up front, which interestingly enough, makes them pause:

“What makes you think we don’t love traditional books? What makes you think got us interested in ebooks in the first place? Want a pic of my bookshelves?”

Translation: “Better than even chance that what they know about trad books, we know, and then some. Not being blinded by dumb biases and scared sh*tless of evolution can be quite useful.”

That single truism is so loaded with implications, I’ll leave you with that to think about before continuing on about this in a future issue. Because now, it’s time to do some cool reading!

Here are today’s dozen featured selections, my friends. Have at them…

— EES

wp reader 052518

Please Share the Love!

Indie Author/Publishing

1+tip[1]

“Can’t you give me just 1 tip (for getting book reviews)?” she asked

“The other day a newly published author who had befriended me 5 minutes earlier asked me if I could give her just one tip how to get book reviews from Amazon top reviewers.

I told her to read my book.

She came back with, ‘Can’t you give me just 1 tip?’

Hmm… Apparently this author was not aware how much in demand these reviews are; on average Hall-of-Fame reviewers get 250+ review requests per month.

So, I told her that getting a book reviewed by an Amazon top reviewer isn’t a ‘1-tip thing,’ especially if the book did not have any reviews yet. Getting reviews is a challenging task that encompasses many steps; which is why my book has 100 pages.

She immediately un-friended me.

I guess that says it all. Just another wannabe author who does not really want to learn the trade. The indie author industry is overrun with people like that. The sooner they get out and make room for the people who really hone their craft and all skills, the better for all.

Of course, from experience I know that most indie authors work a lot harder than this one.

So, here is one tip for authors whose books received already a few reviews (including from top reviewers).

‘Like/find helpful’ the reviewers’ reviews!!!”

Continue reading @ Gisela’s Straightforward Blog »
Spread the love
Elon Musk

“Self-Made” is a Myth; Here’s the Real Formula for Success

“[T]hat’s what most people get wrong. They never learn how to reach out. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there…”

» Medium
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$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising

$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising

“I had a plan. A big plan. Heck, I had the plan of the universe — to sell thousands of copies of my new release Science Fiction book, Project Atlantis, during the first month I published it.

This plan started six months before I started writing the book. The plan entailed rapidly finishing three books in a series — Project Atlantis, Destination Atlantis, and Colony Atlantis — and once it had been edited, beta-read, and sent out to my ARC reviewers, I’d release Project Atlantis, then Destination Atlantis seven days later, and Colony Atlantis fourteen days after Destination Atlantis. Additionally, I’d have the fourth book, Beyond Atlantis, almost 100% written. Yet, I’d have Beyond Atlantis’s pre-order already up and running before Colony Atlantis was released, all the while dropping over $1500 dollars in Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, and on Promo Sites, and whatever else I could get my greedy paws on.

Well, I did none of the above.

Here is what happened that led me to only spending $30 on Facebook and Amazon ads and how I was able to make $4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book.”

Continue reading @ Medium »
Spread the love
wp-admin

10 Actionable WordPress Security Tips for the Layman

“[T]he more popular something is, the more people want to leverage on it for nefarious means… Fortunately, WordPress is a platform that offers you a multitude of opportunity to defend yourself.”

» WHSR
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Entrepreneur

1+tip[1]

“Can’t you give me just 1 tip (for getting book reviews)?” she asked

“The other day a newly published author who had befriended me 5 minutes earlier asked me if I could give her just one tip how to get book reviews from Amazon top reviewers.

I told her to read my book.

She came back with, ‘Can’t you give me just 1 tip?’

Hmm… Apparently this author was not aware how much in demand these reviews are; on average Hall-of-Fame reviewers get 250+ review requests per month.

So, I told her that getting a book reviewed by an Amazon top reviewer isn’t a ‘1-tip thing,’ especially if the book did not have any reviews yet. Getting reviews is a challenging task that encompasses many steps; which is why my book has 100 pages.

She immediately un-friended me.

I guess that says it all. Just another wannabe author who does not really want to learn the trade. The indie author industry is overrun with people like that. The sooner they get out and make room for the people who really hone their craft and all skills, the better for all.

Of course, from experience I know that most indie authors work a lot harder than this one.

So, here is one tip for authors whose books received already a few reviews (including from top reviewers).

‘Like/find helpful’ the reviewers’ reviews!!!”

Continue reading @ Gisela’s Straightforward Blog »
Spread the love
Elon Musk

“Self-Made” is a Myth; Here’s the Real Formula for Success

“[T]hat’s what most people get wrong. They never learn how to reach out. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there…”

» Medium
Spread the love
$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising

$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising

“I had a plan. A big plan. Heck, I had the plan of the universe — to sell thousands of copies of my new release Science Fiction book, Project Atlantis, during the first month I published it.

This plan started six months before I started writing the book. The plan entailed rapidly finishing three books in a series — Project Atlantis, Destination Atlantis, and Colony Atlantis — and once it had been edited, beta-read, and sent out to my ARC reviewers, I’d release Project Atlantis, then Destination Atlantis seven days later, and Colony Atlantis fourteen days after Destination Atlantis. Additionally, I’d have the fourth book, Beyond Atlantis, almost 100% written. Yet, I’d have Beyond Atlantis’s pre-order already up and running before Colony Atlantis was released, all the while dropping over $1500 dollars in Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, and on Promo Sites, and whatever else I could get my greedy paws on.

Well, I did none of the above.

Here is what happened that led me to only spending $30 on Facebook and Amazon ads and how I was able to make $4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book.”

Continue reading @ Medium »
Spread the love
wp-admin

10 Actionable WordPress Security Tips for the Layman

“[T]he more popular something is, the more people want to leverage on it for nefarious means… Fortunately, WordPress is a platform that offers you a multitude of opportunity to defend yourself.”

» WHSR
Spread the love

Free

1+tip[1]

“Can’t you give me just 1 tip (for getting book reviews)?” she asked

“The other day a newly published author who had befriended me 5 minutes earlier asked me if I could give her just one tip how to get book reviews from Amazon top reviewers.

I told her to read my book.

She came back with, ‘Can’t you give me just 1 tip?’

Hmm… Apparently this author was not aware how much in demand these reviews are; on average Hall-of-Fame reviewers get 250+ review requests per month.

So, I told her that getting a book reviewed by an Amazon top reviewer isn’t a ‘1-tip thing,’ especially if the book did not have any reviews yet. Getting reviews is a challenging task that encompasses many steps; which is why my book has 100 pages.

She immediately un-friended me.

I guess that says it all. Just another wannabe author who does not really want to learn the trade. The indie author industry is overrun with people like that. The sooner they get out and make room for the people who really hone their craft and all skills, the better for all.

Of course, from experience I know that most indie authors work a lot harder than this one.

So, here is one tip for authors whose books received already a few reviews (including from top reviewers).

‘Like/find helpful’ the reviewers’ reviews!!!”

Continue reading @ Gisela’s Straightforward Blog »
Spread the love
Elon Musk

“Self-Made” is a Myth; Here’s the Real Formula for Success

“[T]hat’s what most people get wrong. They never learn how to reach out. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there…”

» Medium
Spread the love
$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising

$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising

“I had a plan. A big plan. Heck, I had the plan of the universe — to sell thousands of copies of my new release Science Fiction book, Project Atlantis, during the first month I published it.

This plan started six months before I started writing the book. The plan entailed rapidly finishing three books in a series — Project Atlantis, Destination Atlantis, and Colony Atlantis — and once it had been edited, beta-read, and sent out to my ARC reviewers, I’d release Project Atlantis, then Destination Atlantis seven days later, and Colony Atlantis fourteen days after Destination Atlantis. Additionally, I’d have the fourth book, Beyond Atlantis, almost 100% written. Yet, I’d have Beyond Atlantis’s pre-order already up and running before Colony Atlantis was released, all the while dropping over $1500 dollars in Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, and on Promo Sites, and whatever else I could get my greedy paws on.

Well, I did none of the above.

Here is what happened that led me to only spending $30 on Facebook and Amazon ads and how I was able to make $4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book.”

Continue reading @ Medium »
Spread the love
wp-admin

10 Actionable WordPress Security Tips for the Layman

“[T]he more popular something is, the more people want to leverage on it for nefarious means… Fortunately, WordPress is a platform that offers you a multitude of opportunity to defend yourself.”

» WHSR
Spread the love

Writing

1+tip[1]

“Can’t you give me just 1 tip (for getting book reviews)?” she asked

“The other day a newly published author who had befriended me 5 minutes earlier asked me if I could give her just one tip how to get book reviews from Amazon top reviewers.

I told her to read my book.

She came back with, ‘Can’t you give me just 1 tip?’

Hmm… Apparently this author was not aware how much in demand these reviews are; on average Hall-of-Fame reviewers get 250+ review requests per month.

So, I told her that getting a book reviewed by an Amazon top reviewer isn’t a ‘1-tip thing,’ especially if the book did not have any reviews yet. Getting reviews is a challenging task that encompasses many steps; which is why my book has 100 pages.

She immediately un-friended me.

I guess that says it all. Just another wannabe author who does not really want to learn the trade. The indie author industry is overrun with people like that. The sooner they get out and make room for the people who really hone their craft and all skills, the better for all.

Of course, from experience I know that most indie authors work a lot harder than this one.

So, here is one tip for authors whose books received already a few reviews (including from top reviewers).

‘Like/find helpful’ the reviewers’ reviews!!!”

Continue reading @ Gisela’s Straightforward Blog »
Spread the love
Elon Musk

“Self-Made” is a Myth; Here’s the Real Formula for Success

“[T]hat’s what most people get wrong. They never learn how to reach out. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there…”

» Medium
Spread the love
$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising

$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising

“I had a plan. A big plan. Heck, I had the plan of the universe — to sell thousands of copies of my new release Science Fiction book, Project Atlantis, during the first month I published it.

This plan started six months before I started writing the book. The plan entailed rapidly finishing three books in a series — Project Atlantis, Destination Atlantis, and Colony Atlantis — and once it had been edited, beta-read, and sent out to my ARC reviewers, I’d release Project Atlantis, then Destination Atlantis seven days later, and Colony Atlantis fourteen days after Destination Atlantis. Additionally, I’d have the fourth book, Beyond Atlantis, almost 100% written. Yet, I’d have Beyond Atlantis’s pre-order already up and running before Colony Atlantis was released, all the while dropping over $1500 dollars in Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, and on Promo Sites, and whatever else I could get my greedy paws on.

Well, I did none of the above.

Here is what happened that led me to only spending $30 on Facebook and Amazon ads and how I was able to make $4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book.”

Continue reading @ Medium »
Spread the love
wp-admin

10 Actionable WordPress Security Tips for the Layman

“[T]he more popular something is, the more people want to leverage on it for nefarious means… Fortunately, WordPress is a platform that offers you a multitude of opportunity to defend yourself.”

» WHSR
Spread the love
Zero-Cost Book Publishing: Write, Publish & Sell Your Book Yourself… for Free!
Free Domain Names: Where to Get Them and How to Use Them
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The Girl From Long Guyland by Lara Reznik

peeps: Lara Reznik

Wordpreneur Peeps logoIndie author Lara ReznikNative New Yorker Lara Reznik was ambidextrous at birth, and largely preferred doing stuff with her right-brain creative side. Her left-brain skills, however, made it easier to make a living, so in 1985 she pursued a career in IT.

But she also wrote and finished her first novel then. Despite what looked like possible interest from a big-name agent, it wasn’t picked up by that agent nor by anyone else. She wrote two more with similar results. So Lara proceeded to try her hand at screenwriting. Over the next ten years, she managed to get three option agreements, two agents and a manager for her work, but none of it made it to the screen.

Fast forward to …

How Lara Got Started Self-Publishing

The Girl From Long Guyland by Lara Reznik… November 2012. Lara finished a new novel, The Girl From Long Guyland. Her previous experiences with the industry coupled with watching many of her talented author friends “waste two or three years submitting with little success” led her to make a “no-brainer” decision: forget about sending even a single query letter to a legacy publisher and proceed immediately to publishing her book on Amazon herself.

Was it the right decision? Rhetorical, obviously, since you’re reading about it here. But how rhetorical? Well, Guyland has been ranked #1 on Amazon in both the Suspense and Contemporary Fiction categories and downloaded over 80,000 times. That kind of rhetorical.

Can’t help but wonder how her older novels would do if she puts them out there too, huh?

Self-Publishing Tips and Observations

  • “After you’ve written the best book you can then have it professionally edited and proofread.”
  • “Don’t have the money for a pro? Join a critique group with other serious writers, and have them do the work for trade.”
  • “Get an awesome cover designed. It’s the single most important thing you’ll need for success.”
  • “Write a dynamite book blurb. Spend the bucks on a professional or use your critique group.”
  • “Learn how to format your manuscript or hire a professional. It must look perfect in both print and ebook formats.”
  • “Try and garner at least twenty book reviews.”
  • “Do your homework on how to market an ebook on the Internet. I recommend starting with the KDP Select on Amazon.”

Learn more about Lara and her work by visiting her Amazon author page and her website. You can also follow her on Facebook.

Originally published: May 8, 2013
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Content & Ideas

1+tip[1]

“Can’t you give me just 1 tip (for getting book reviews)?” she asked

“The other day a newly published author who had befriended me 5 minutes earlier asked me if I could give her just one tip how to get book reviews from Amazon top reviewers.

I told her to read my book.

She came back with, ‘Can’t you give me just 1 tip?’

Hmm… Apparently this author was not aware how much in demand these reviews are; on average Hall-of-Fame reviewers get 250+ review requests per month.

So, I told her that getting a book reviewed by an Amazon top reviewer isn’t a ‘1-tip thing,’ especially if the book did not have any reviews yet. Getting reviews is a challenging task that encompasses many steps; which is why my book has 100 pages.

She immediately un-friended me.

I guess that says it all. Just another wannabe author who does not really want to learn the trade. The indie author industry is overrun with people like that. The sooner they get out and make room for the people who really hone their craft and all skills, the better for all.

Of course, from experience I know that most indie authors work a lot harder than this one.

So, here is one tip for authors whose books received already a few reviews (including from top reviewers).

‘Like/find helpful’ the reviewers’ reviews!!!”

Continue reading @ Gisela’s Straightforward Blog »
Spread the love
Elon Musk

“Self-Made” is a Myth; Here’s the Real Formula for Success

“[T]hat’s what most people get wrong. They never learn how to reach out. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there…”

» Medium
Spread the love

Marketing

1+tip[1]

“Can’t you give me just 1 tip (for getting book reviews)?” she asked

“The other day a newly published author who had befriended me 5 minutes earlier asked me if I could give her just one tip how to get book reviews from Amazon top reviewers.

I told her to read my book.

She came back with, ‘Can’t you give me just 1 tip?’

Hmm… Apparently this author was not aware how much in demand these reviews are; on average Hall-of-Fame reviewers get 250+ review requests per month.

So, I told her that getting a book reviewed by an Amazon top reviewer isn’t a ‘1-tip thing,’ especially if the book did not have any reviews yet. Getting reviews is a challenging task that encompasses many steps; which is why my book has 100 pages.

She immediately un-friended me.

I guess that says it all. Just another wannabe author who does not really want to learn the trade. The indie author industry is overrun with people like that. The sooner they get out and make room for the people who really hone their craft and all skills, the better for all.

Of course, from experience I know that most indie authors work a lot harder than this one.

So, here is one tip for authors whose books received already a few reviews (including from top reviewers).

‘Like/find helpful’ the reviewers’ reviews!!!”

Continue reading @ Gisela’s Straightforward Blog »
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Elon Musk

“Self-Made” is a Myth; Here’s the Real Formula for Success

“[T]hat’s what most people get wrong. They never learn how to reach out. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there…”

» Medium
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Zero-Cost Book Publishing: Write, Publish & Sell Your Book Yourself… for Free!
Free Domain Names: Where to Get Them and How to Use Them
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