The Best Writing Prompts We’ve Ever Come Across

June 29, 2012 by 10 Comments
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Why do we need writing prompts?   Because staring at a blank page is no joke. Sure, that dent in the wall from banging your head against it is a rite of author passage… But, we’ve found that writing prompts are a quick and reliable fix for rejuvenating a weary writer moment.   Trying to come up with your next greatest scene? Trying to add grit, humor, or depth to dialogue? Can’t find words to begin the story you have floating in your head? Writing prompts are your answer.   With writing prompts, the trick is truly being open to whatever flows from your fingers (or pen). Overthinking your response to a good writing prompt is like attempting to guess… [read more]

Filed Under: Writing, Writing Prompts, Writing Tips Tagged With: , , ,

15 Signs Indie Publishing is for You

June 27, 2012 by 3 Comments
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We’re always speaking to authors about what attracted them to the indie publishing process and we’ve heard it all. Below are the most common reasons indie author choose indie publishing (emphasis on choose). Indie publishing is not a last resort for rejects. There are certainly people who still hold this view, but with all due respect those are the dinosaurs who can’t part with old publishing models. If you are researching indie publishing seriously here are the signs that it’s a perfect fit for your book: 1. Building your book(s) as a business appeals to you 2. You want to control your book’s direction and destiny 3. You’re interested in growing a business, brand, blog, or movement 4. You’re launching… [read more]

Filed Under: Indie Publishing, Self-publishing Tagged With: , ,

The First Line: 4 Tips to Writing an Opener that Keeps Readers Reading!

June 25, 2012 by 5 Comments
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(Reposted from February 24, 2012) The first line of your book is unquestionably the most important one you will write. It is the line that eggs the reader on, pushes them forward, encouraging them to take a chance with their valuable time on the next line, the next paragraph, the next page, chapter, and ultimately, the entire book. I’m going to say it again, more explicitly: your readers’ time is valuable. Especially readers of today. Readers of today are constantly inundated with information, to the point that it takes a great deal of interest for them to want to know more about any given topic. Add to that an almost complete devaluing of information due to the fact that it is so immediately… [read more]

Filed Under: Storytelling, Writing, Writing Tips Tagged With: , ,

Revamp Your Twitter Page in 7 Days!

June 22, 2012 by 3 Comments
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Twitter is a wonderful yet overwhelming beast. When used properly, it will be one of the greatest tools in your arsenal for making new connections, building relationships with readers, and becoming an established voice in your topic/genre. When used improperly (i.e. not really used all that much), your Twitter page with 67 followers and 93 Tweets over the course of 6 months is going to do more harm than good! A Twitter page like that sends potential followers the message that you don’t take it seriously; if you don’t take it seriously, they figure you must not be that professional or that much of an expert, and definitely not worth their follow. A moment for sympathizing: I get it. I… [read more]

Filed Under: #hashtags, Blogging, Book Marketing, Branding, Social Media, Technology, Twitter Tagged With: , , ,

The Secret to Becoming an Amazon Bestseller in 4 Fool-Proof Steps

June 20, 2012 by 2 Comments
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This guest post is by Ken Thurber, author of Big Wave Surfing and Do NOT Invent Buggy Whips   Many authors hope that their book will become a bestseller. The harsh reality: it’s not impossible to accomplish this feat but it is very improbable. This blog post will examine the reality of becoming a bestselling author. One would think that best sellers are books that sell the most copies. But, my research has indicated that traditional retailers don’t exactly operate that way. There is no question that big publishers influence the best seller lists. Dirty truth: Best seller lists are compiled by surveying the sales from a selection of retailers. If you are not able to sell your book through the specific outlets… [read more]

Filed Under: Book Launch, Guest Post, Indie Publishing Tagged With: , ,

Operation: Write the Next Book Already!

June 18, 2012 by 2 Comments
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For months I’ve (Dara) been “wrapping up” my first book, The Indie Author Revolution. I’ve procrastinated and prolonged getting it to press (another post is coming about that) and now it’s almost to the printer…maybe? I kid. It’s going to press this month. Hold me to it. But now that that book is done (though the work is never done), I have  ideas for my next book. That’s right. Ideas are already swirling in my head for book two. It took approximately two years, eight months, 21 days, and counting to complete the first book. And despite the countless sleepless nights, 41 edits, outrageous wine consumption, and a  barrage of emotions (doubt, fear, self-loathing, excitement, and nervousness), I would like… [read more]

Filed Under: Planning, Writing Tagged With: , ,

Words to Avoid When Pitching Your Book

June 15, 2012 by 7 Comments
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Right off, we want you to know that you should be shameless when it comes to marketing your book. Your success as an indie author depends on it. But there is an art to pitching your book to agents, booksellers, media, bloggers, and ultimately to your readers. If you have a Facebook or Twitter account there are even rules to pitching there, especially on Twitter. You can read our take on that here. As you’re moving toward a marketing strategy for your book, including developing copy for your book summary, resist the urge to use the following words in your updates, tweets, pitches, elevator speeches, and in any of your other marketing endeavors. These words are overused, redundant, and don’t… [read more]

Filed Under: Audience, Book Marketing, Media, Pitching, Planning, Press Releases Tagged With: , , ,

Take a 6-Minute Writing Break NOW!

June 13, 2012 by 2 Comments
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If you’re anything like me (or any other writerly type in the universe), you might be accustomed to creating brilliant (and sometime quite logical) reasons why you can’t be writing or working toward writing in the present moment. These are often called “excuses.” They sound like, “I’m in a staff meeting” or “I have a meeting in twenty minutes” or “I have to invoice my client.” Okay, those are all pretty good reasons to not be doing anything else. Still, I often get stuck on the idea that every time I write I have to make a significant time investment. Not true! If you’re sitting at your desk, and you’re up for a coffee break, below are six easy writing… [read more]

Filed Under: Motivational, Storytelling, Writing, Writing Prompts Tagged With: , , ,

Does Your Book Have a Theme Song? Capitalize on Your Book’s Brand!

June 11, 2012 by 5 Comments
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Every book has a genre. But within in that genre, what is your book’s brand? What integral parts of your book make it truly different from others out there? Let’s use Charlene Harris’s vampire series (and by extension, True Blood on HBO) as an example. In the wake of Twilight, everyone and their uncle began writing YA/adult vampire romances. Charlene Harris decided to also roll in social commentary with hers, addressing social issues with sexuality and religion. Many members of the True Blood cast (the HBO series based on the books) partook in “It Gets Better” videos to address bullying, another extremely popular topic in the media today. These positive-message videos were appropriate with the original brand of the books and… [read more]

Filed Under: Audience, Book Marketing, Branding, Pitching, Social Media Tagged With: , , ,

3 Excuses Authors Use to Avoid Social Media

June 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Like most citizens of the universe, I have been aware of the explosion social media has created in human communication. I have seen how it has localized communities a world away, and created new communities. I have seen how it has allowed so many of my authors to connect with their readers in a direct way that was never before possible. Yet, for some reason, in this era when social media has progressed so many industries and entrepreneurs, I am still having conversations with some of my authors where I am convincing THEM to engage in social media. Let me repeat: I still sometimes have to convince my indie authors to engage in the platforms that have–for the first time… [read more]

Filed Under: Audience, Book Marketing, Literary Trends, Media, Motivational, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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