You know, how to get their books published and on sale at Amazon as Kindle ebooks and print-on-demand books.
Fair question. But as you can imagine, there’s a significant amount of information to cover, so hitting the forums at this starting stage isn’t the best of strategies.
Could even prove confusing as all hell, judging from the quality of the responses, which, as expected, were all over the place in complexity and detail, covering issues beginners aren’t possibly equipped to comprehend, not without the basics squared away in their mental toolboxes.
Par for the course with forums.
Here’s a better strategy for learning KDP basics — and anything that requires more than three short, simple steps to accomplish, for that matter:
Learn the basics first. Then hit the forums to ask about specifics, for elaboration on any concepts, etc., you aren’t quite clear on yet.
It’s just more productive for you that way. Likely less confusing and destructive as well (wrong and misunderstood info can do that, obviously).
Amazon’s KDP and CreateSpace sites are chock full of info, basic or otherwise, that will help you get going, of course.
Even better for your Kindle publishing: Get this absolutely free Kindle ebook Amazon published to help us along:
There’s no shortage of 3rd party titles on Kindle Publishing and CreateSpace as well. It’s not uncommon at all to see many of these titles on free promo — I’ve actually amassed quite a library of these guys without spending a cent, and the way these periodic free promos work, once I “buy” a copy (for $0.00), it’s permanently part of my Kindle library, something I technically “own” the right to read whenever I want. Of course, if you already have a Kindle Unlimited account, you can read most if not all of these titles for free.
Don’t have a Kindle? That’s a no-cost non-problem as well: Get Amazon’s totally free Kindle Reading App, letting you read Kindle ebooks on pretty much any computer and mobile device or gadget you’ve got. All you need is an Amazon account!
Maybe I should produce a Kindle edition of the Wordpreneur Reader. Hmm. In the meantime, enjoy today’s featured selections below!
— EES
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Indie Author/Publishing
![1+tip[1]](https://wordpreneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/1tip1-167x130.jpg "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 »
“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
$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 »
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
Free
How To Run A Profitable, Debt-Free & Remote Company For 17 Years – Lessons From Wildbit
“I won’t have you if your goal is to work from a coffee shop… You need to have an office in your home somewhere, with a door that you can shut.”
peeps: Deborah Cooke
In 1992, Deborah Cooke sold her first book, The Romance of the Rose, under her pen name, Claire Delacroix. More than fifty
romance novels and a bunch of novellas in various genres later, she piled up numerous best-sellers, nominations and awards for her work, including the Orange County RWA Book Buyer’s Best and the Colorado RWA’s Award of Excellence. In 2009, she was the writer-in-residence at the Toronto Public Library, the first time it hosted a residency focused on the romance genre. And she was honored with the Romance Writers of America PRO Mentor of the Year Award in 2012.
Very busy? Seems like it. Besides Delacroix and her real name, she also publishes work under another pen name, Claire Cross. She has done historical romance, time travel romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and paranormal YA. So far.
And now she has added indie publishing to that impressive resume.
How Deborah Got Started Self-Publishing
She first met author Julie Ortolon back when they were both with Dell Publishing in the late 90s, and after not seeing each other for ages, they reconnected at the RWA National convention. “[Julie] was very excited about indie publishing and new opportunities for authors,” Deborah remembers, “and her enthusiasm was infectious.”
Just a few years prior, the rights to some of Deborah’s backlist reverted back to her, and her then-publisher had no interest in acquiring them. So, encouraged by Julie’s enthusiasm, Deborah started publishing them herself. After 17 novels, 2 short stories and 4 boxed sets of that, she felt it was time to take the next step: publish new work.
Liberating. Deborah quickly realized that on her own, she could do anything she felt like doing. “I’d wanted to continue my medieval romance series set at Kinfairlie for years but had been unable to find a publisher for it. I published The Renegade’s Heart by Claire Delacroix last spring, my first original indie title and my first medieval since 2005. The next book in that series, The Highlander’s Curse, will be published in April.”
Her eighth Dragonfire paranormal romance was also published in October of last year by Signet, and she’s decided to continue that series on her own as well.
And she now also has the freedom to try different things. “One of the reasons I enjoy publishing this way is that there’s latitude to play,” she says. “I like to write novellas and short stories linked to my ongoing series, for example, which are difficult formats to accommodate in traditional publishing. Last month I published Kiss of Danger by Deborah Cooke. This is the first of three linked novellas which together will be Dragonfire #9 — they’ll be published monthly, then ultimately compiled into an anthology.”
Self-Publishing Tips and Observations
- “One of the most fascinating things about indie publishing is that it’s constantly changing. It’s so fluid, because the various portals can change their algorithms at any time, without notice or explanation. Because of that, indie authors must be constantly evaluating and experimenting. On the upside, it’s a market filled with opportunity.”
- “This year, I think the portals will be competing for audience in non-US English territories (Australia, Canada, the UK, even Germany). Since I have always sold well in those markets, I’m pretty excited about the future.”
- “We’re also going to see more diversity in the market due to the growth of portals other than Amazon. I like that consumers will have choices, but that certainly means that there will be more changes in how digital books are sold.”
- “The market is increasingly competitive, because there are just so many titles available — the bar gets higher every day. Authors need to ensure that their product is polished and professional — you can’t be afraid to hire the expertise that you need. Discoverability is always a problem in a crowded market, and that’s amplified for authors just entering the market. I think we’re going to see some interesting and innovative kinds of self-promotion in the next few years.”
Learn more about Deborah and her work by visiting her Amazon author page and her website. You can also follow her on Facebook.
Originally published: March 12, 2013
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making Any Changes to Your Website
“[Y]ou need to keep a balance between the goals of your visitors and your own goals.”
How to Succeed as a Thrifty Startup: 5 Must-Do’s to Keep Costs Way, Way Down
Web Article
How to Succeed as a Thrifty Startup: 5 Must-Do’s to Keep Costs Way, Way Down
Wordpreneur
Reader
This is just one of many useful Wordpreneur Reader “discovered” Web articles and content. For lots more, click below!
Social Media
“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 »
“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
$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 »
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
Entrepreneur
“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 »
“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
Writing
“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 »
“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…”
