Once upon a time there was a lovely author who wanted to write things she loved. So she worked hard, slaving away night and day, between all her other chores, and against all odds, and produced a fantastic tale!But when she submitted her work to agents, none of them wanted it. She was devastated, and…… Continue reading The Beauty and Beastliness of Self-publishing
Indie Publishing
Hey you! Look at me!
Even a robust email list and thriving social media presence aren’t enough to guarantee your success as an independent writer. You will want to seriously consider putting some time and money—yes, money again—into advertising. Marketing experts say that it takes five to seven impressions before someone will respond to an ad. This means that while…… Continue reading Hey you! Look at me!
Make a list, check it twice
Now you have an awesome website full of engaging content, and are active on social media with growing followings, and you’ve written (or are busily writing) an amazing book—how do you let everyone know about it? Well, duh, you say, that’s what social media is for. And you’re partly right. You can post on your…… Continue reading Make a list, check it twice
The Real Deal
Now that you’ve established your brand and social media presence, the last piece of your Author Platform is your website. You need to create a personal space where people can go to satisfy their craving to know everything there is to know about their favorite author (that’s you). Social media is limited in its showcasing…… Continue reading The Real Deal
You’ve Got Presence
With your brand all set, you’re ready to begin building your Author Platform, which is simply your online presence. The main components of the Author Platform are various social media accounts and your website. Utilizing these will establish your brand in multiple places across the internet, thus increasing your searchability and giving your fans (and…… Continue reading You’ve Got Presence
Who do you think you are?
Authors used to be able to hide behind their names or publishing houses, only becoming recognizable if they became wildly famous and had their pictures plastered on the back of their book covers or on tabloids. But now, we live in a very public world, where everyone shares the most personal details of their lives…… Continue reading Who do you think you are?
The Right Stuff
Anyone can independently publish. Just not anyone should independently publish. Don’t get me wrong—it’s not because independent authors are a cliquish set. No, we just like to feel successful, and not every genre has the right stuff to feel successful in indie publishing. Now that I’ve sounded all snooty, I’ll redeem myself by pointing out…… Continue reading The Right Stuff
The Truth about Agents
When I first started writing, I had big dreams (let’s be real: they were straight up delusions of grandeur). I had a fantastic story idea, and awesome characters, and a natural talent for writing. I was going to be a star! Fast forward four years and two manuscripts (with about 20 complete revisions each) later.…… Continue reading The Truth about Agents