Interview with Indie Author Matthew J. Beier, “The Breeders”

August 31, 2012 by 2 Comments
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With self-publishing, you either pay for quality control, or you do it yourself. This week, Matthew J. Beier, indie author of The Breeders, joined me for some Earl Grey tea and some conversation. Beier has several other books in the works, including a seven-book series that begins with The Confessions of Jonathan Flite, coming  fall of 2013. His July 9, 2012 article in Publishers Weekly titled “Of Decisions and Dream Chasing” explores his decision to self-publish, even though he was getting enough attention from agents to trust that a deal was likely to come through at some point. As it turns out, the self-publishing route allowed The Breeders—which subtly and not-so-subtly deals with many high-profile social justice issues—to come out right at the perfect… [read more]

Filed Under: Agents, Audience, Editing, Indie Publishing, Literary Trends, Pub. Industry, Publishers Weekly, Quotes, Self-publishing, Traditional Publishing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

A Deadline to Publish: Amanda Hocking Doesn’t Let Hundreds of Rejections Stand In Her Way!

August 29, 2012 by 6 Comments
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We love Amanda Hocking. She’s that fabulous success story author who really did know better than the hundreds of agents who rejected her seven novels. But, she had the goal of being a published author by the time she was 26, just like Stephen King, and used it as a “deadline” for herself: If she didn’t get a publishing deal by the age of 26, she’d do it herself. As we know now, she DID do it herself, and it ended up leading to that big publishing deal she had been pushing for for so many years. We know that the biggest (and safest) slush pile out there right now for traditional publishers is self-published authors who are making waves…. [read more]

Filed Under: Agents, Audience, Authorpreneur, eBooks, Indie Publishing, Literary Trends, Pub. Industry, Royalty Publishing, Self-publishing, Traditional Publishing Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Is It Necessary to Hire a Publicist? Pros and Cons

August 27, 2012 by 3 Comments
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For every indie author, the time comes when the question must be asked: Should I hire a publicist? There are good reasons for both sides, and each author is different. If you’re considering whether or not to take this step, take a look below at some pros and cons to hiring a publicist.   PRO Publicists have connections (and know how to make new ones). Publicists aren’t necessarily the end-all-be-all solution for getting your book media coverage, but they do have ready-made connections, they know who/where to go to make new ones.   CON There are NO guarantees. Publicists know and rely this fact. Obviously, it is in the publicist’s best interest to do good work for you and get… [read more]

Filed Under: Self-publishing

A Simple Marketing Plan Outline for Indie Authors

August 24, 2012 by 4 Comments
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Recently on the phone with a buyer for a large bookstore retailer, she very casually mentioned a major pet peeve she has with ALL authors. She asserted that most authors would do much better in sales if they only had one thing. A marketing plan. Though we think authors need other things too: distribution, a good book to begin with, an unlimited supply of coffee and Advil…we get it. Authors need a marketing plan. Why? Retailers want to see that you’re at least thinking about promotion ideas and have plans in the pipeline. Marketing plan align your book to a strategy and help keep you focused. Every marketing plan is different, but here are the nuts and bolts of what… [read more]

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

Book Design 2.0: Crowdsourcing Your Cover Design

August 22, 2012 by 2 Comments
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Our favorite step in the publishing process is the book design phase. Last week a few of the authors we work with received their first cover concepts from their designers and we had a great time pouring over each design. There’s something about seeing your book title paired with cover art. Your book suddenly becomes real. You finally have a visual of what you’ve pictured for so long. Finding the right person who will connect with your book and then design a cover and interior that compliments your content is major. We personally have asked around for recommendations and have found great designers that way. But, if you’re in search for a cover designer only, and you’re interested in working… [read more]

Filed Under: Design, Technology Tagged With: , ,

Creative Book Marketing Idea: Decoupage Shoes!

August 20, 2012 by 3 Comments
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In this post, you’re not going to learn about self-publishing. You’re not going to learn about book reviews, or about how to get into the swing of eBook marketing on Twitter. You’re going to learn about a very specific and specialized method for your book’s promotion! DECOUPAGE SHOES! Now, you can do this with any book you might choose, but I chose to use Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (don’t worry Potterheads, I didn’t use either of my two hardcovers, I bought a special softcover just for the occasion). Steps: 1) Get supplies! See: shoes, suede/leather glue, decoupage glue, paint brushes, scissors, razor cutter, and of course, the book of your choice!     2) Cut out beloved quotes… [read more]

Filed Under: Book Marketing, Branding, Fun Tagged With: , , ,

The Well-Rounded Authorpreneur: Make Your Content an Experience (Part 2 of 2)

August 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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In being a well-rounded authorpreneur (an author who recognizes what it takes to be successful as an author in today’s world), we know that authors have to think of themselves as thought leaders. With that mindset supporting your book marketing endeavors, the horizon is much more expansive. An author’s goal is to sell books; a thought leader’s goal is to sell an experience. This brings us to the second piece of being a well-rounded authorpreneur:   Make your CONTENT an EXPERIENCE.   So what does that mean, exactly? Of course, we all put out content whether we know it or not. A text message is “content,” even though it’s probably only seen by one person. A book is made of content. A… [read more]

Filed Under: Audience, Authorpreneur, Content, Pub. Industry, Self-publishing, Thought Leader

The Well-Rounded Authorpreneur: Be a Thought Leader (Part 1 of 2)

August 15, 2012 by 4 Comments
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In today’s world, there are about as many ways to publish (self-publishing, scholarly publishing, nonprofit publishing, digital publishing, etc.) as there are reasons (fame, passion, creating a movement, legacy, preservation, etc). In any publishing realm not solely for personal/family reasons, every author should be an authorpreneur. An authorpreneur (author + entrepreneur) is an author who recognizes what it takes to be successful as an author in today’s world–not twenty years ago. An authorpreneur takes habits from highly successful entrepreneurs and implements them into selling their book. An authorpreneur isn’t just a writer; an authorpreneur is a speaker, social media strategist, networker, etc. The  authorpreneur recognizes that the book is just a piece of the puzzle, a product that supports and is… [read more]

Filed Under: Audience, Authorpreneur, Book Marketing, Branding, Literary Trends, Motivational, Pub. Industry, Speaking, Storytelling, Thought Leader Tagged With: , , , , ,

10 Signs Your Indie Publishing Expert is Not a True Expert

August 13, 2012 by 2 Comments
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We often meet authors who have spent pretty pennies getting their books published only to be disappointed by the end results. It’s usually the case that the author trusts a person or service to deliver on the promise of publishing a book and bringing it to market. In the end, the company doesn’t deliver—in one way or another. Sometimes the book is put together haphazardly and doesn’t look professional. In other cases, companies don’t follow through on promised services such as customized printing or adequate distribution, leaving the author with a product that’s nearly impossible to sell. Sometimes, sadly, companies inadequately advise an author about the quality of his or her manuscript, and bring a poorly written and unedited (or… [read more]

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

Indie versus Traditional: Do Traditionally Published Authors Work Harder?

August 10, 2012 by 11 Comments
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Scrolling down the Twitter timeline this week, we came across a link to an article where bestselling author Sue Grafton had much to say about self-publishing. In response to a question about her advice for writers, here’s what she had to say, Quit worrying about publication and master your craft. If you have a good story to tell and if you write it well, the Universe will come to your aid. Don’t self-publish. That’s as good as admitting you’re too lazy to do the hard work. She goes on to say more, even referring to indies as “wannabes.” This got us thinking. Do indies put in less elbow grease than trads? It would be too easy to write Ms. Grafton… [read more]

Filed Under: Indie Publishing, Literary Trends, Royalty Publishing, Self-publishing, Traditional Publishing Tagged With: ,
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