The Self-Publishing Stigma: Do We Deserve It?

July 30, 2012 by 3 Comments
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Publishing is on the cusp of the indie-publishing revolution–if you are a reader of our blog, you know that we talk about this all the time. There are lots of reasons to be down on traditional publishing that we don’t shy away from (the eBook pricing scandals, the elitist attitude, etc.), and Wise, Ink exists to comment on the changes in publishing and call it like we see it. On that note, we clearly see the self-publishing practices that have caused the “stigma” that “elitist” publishing folks turn their noses up at. And guess what, self-published authors: YOU SHOULD TOO. It’s time to stop whining about the stigma and DO SOMETHING about it. I could write a list of all… [read more]

Filed Under: Indie Publishing, Motivational, Pub. Industry, Self-publishing, Writing Tagged With: , , , ,

Mary Higgins Clark’s Advice to Writers: Write What You Read

July 30, 2012 by 2 Comments
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We taught a class last week about the joys of publishing and in preparing for it, gathered a couple videos that tend to inspire us. One comes from Mary Higgins Clark. Her advice about writing what you read really strikes a cord. Torn about which direction to go with your writing? Wondering if you’re on the right track? Watch this video:   [youtube id=6E9Iy_55OfE width="620" height="360"]   What are your thoughts? Are YOU writing the kind of book you read? Do you agree with Mary?

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

An Indie Author’s Best Kept Secret Part 2: The Ultimate Book Publishing Checklist

July 27, 2012 by 2 Comments
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You’ve checked everything off of your pre-publishing checklist and now it’s time to start building your books. Here’s the next installment in your checklist. Let us know what we missed!   First Things First Secure your ISBN via www.myidentifiers.com Secure your Library of Congress Control Number by opening an account with the Library of Congress Begin working with your book editor Review changes when they’re done. The editing and revisions process takes on average four to six weeks Start building your list of important contacts including friends, family, colleagues, media contacts, organizations, authors, and events coordinators Select your book designer Begin working with your designer to craft your book’s promotional materials (sell sheet, postcard, business card, and bookmark) Create your back cover… [read more]

Filed Under: Indie Publishing, Planning Tagged With: , ,

An Indie Author’s Best Kept Secret: The Ultimate Pre-Publishing Checklist

July 25, 2012 by 4 Comments
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Not quite ready to publish? Still tying up your loose ends? Here’s a checklist to make sure you’ve thought of everything prior to jumping into publishing Whether you’re indie publishing or targeting agents, you should still establish a web presence, research competition, and network. Bottomline: it doesn’t matter how you intend to publish your book. Your foundation is essentially the same. Here are the basic tasks that you should add to your to-do list to give your book the best possible start.   Write your book and self edit Start interviewing and researching mentoring presses (DIY authors should interview editors, book designers, and proofreaders) or literary agents that compliment your book’s genre Draft a publishing plan to guide your publishing… [read more]

Filed Under: Book Launch, Planning Tagged With: , ,

5 Unexpected Lessons I Learned Writing My Indie Book

July 23, 2012 by 1 Comment
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I’ve (Dara) mentioned before that I’m really close to being done with my book The Indie Author Revolution. Fall 2012 I’ll be getting off this writing train and will officially enter the world of Authorpreneurship. I’m getting excited.   I wish I could tell you that this journey played out the way I expected. I wish I could tell you that writing my book was easier than I expected. There were twists and turns, highs and lows, and many lessons along the way that quite frankly caught me off guard. Here are the five lessons that smacked me in the face, but might help you:   1. Writing a book isn’t a quick affair   I tried hard to be… [read more]

Filed Under: Motivational, Planning, Self-publishing, Writing Tagged With: , ,

3 Reasons Your Tweets Are Not Working!

July 20, 2012 by 1 Comment
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You think you’re doing everything right–multiple tweets per week, retweeting the right people, using #hashtags, sharing interesting articles–but it doesn’t seem to be gaining you any new followers. Or maybe you’re just not tweeting the right way because you’re not into it…yet. Below are 5 reasons your tweets alone might not be working! Reason #1: You aren’t promoting others The culture of Twitter is very much tit-for-tat. The more you support others, the more they will support you. It’s easy to fall into the mindset that you have to be promoting yourself all the time. In reality, Twitter is a tool you should be using to find allies! To find allies who will support you, you need to reach out and show… [read more]

Filed Under: #hashtags, Pitching, Social Media, Twitter Tagged With: , , , , , ,

15 Fill-In-the-Blank Blog Ideas for Every Authorpreneur

July 18, 2012 by 3 Comments
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Does it ever happen to you that you’ve got a blog entry to write and . . . nothing comes? Below are 15 blog ideas (and examples) that any authorpreneur can quickly fill in with the themes and needs of their own markets! Use them for FREE! 1. The 10 Best-Kept Secrets for Reaching ________ (The 10 Best-Kept Secrets for Reaching CEOs) 2. The Top 5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before ________ (The Top 5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Sending Your Manuscript) 3. 6 Rules You Can Break when Trying to ________ (6 Rules You Can Break when Trying to Make Sales Online) 4. 20 Twitter Hashtags for ________ (20 Twitter Hashtags for Reaching Readers) 5. The… [read more]

Filed Under: Blogging, Social Media, Twitter, Writing Prompts Tagged With: , , ,

5 Tips to Great Writing

July 16, 2012 by 2 Comments
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In the words of Richard Bach, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” Below are five tips to getting past the “I want to write a book” stage to “I’m on draft ____ of my book!” 1. Read, read, read! Before you become a famous writer, you should read the works of famous writers. Lots of writers with lots of variety. Pay attention to the different and subtle ways they connect with their audience. You might read two fantasy books, but one may be all about world building while the other is all about character building. Even though I love the fantasy genre, I know that I’m much more invested in character-driven plots than world-building plots, or rather I appreciate when authors are clever… [read more]

Filed Under: Audience, Motivational, Revising, Storytelling, Writing, Writing Tips Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Seth Godin’s Advice to Writers: Chart Your Own Course

July 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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We heart Seth Godin. Purple Cow should be on your bookshelf.  His blog should be bookmarked in your favorites. As a content creator, consider Seth Godin your very own Mr. Miyagi. That’s right — he warrants a throwback to The Karate Kid. Check out Seth’s commentary below on why indie authors should chart their own course and in his words embrace indie publishing as an opportunity to, “earn (not take) their readers attention over time.”   [youtube id=yfuOzP1-Ev8 width="620" height="360"]   What do you think? Do you agree that with traditional publishing, “none of your expectations will come true,” as Seth says?.

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

The Top 10 Awards for Indie Authors

July 11, 2012 by 6 Comments
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As we sipped cocktails tonight brainstorming work stuff, planning events for the fall (one we’re especially excited about), and discussing our wonderful Wise Ink readers, it crossed our mind we haven’t yet tackled one of our favorite resources for authors. Awards.   We’ve witnessed doors open for authors because they took the time to apply for awards. It’s quite simple: awards raise your cred.   A sticker on your book, “award-winning author” before your name, and a list of the awards your book has won all leave a powerful impression in your readers’ minds. Check out this impressive list of awards on indie author Ken Thurber’s website.   With all of the time that goes into marketing, applying for awards… [read more]

Filed Under: Awards, Book Marketing, Self-publishing Tagged With: , , ,
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