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: , , , , , , ,

5 Myths You Should Never Believe About Your Book Idea

March 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Do you have a book idea? Of course you do, or you wouldn’t be reading this post. Be prepared to experience a roller coaster of emotions: fear, doubt, excitement, and insanity. Emphasis on insanity. You will wrangle with your neurosis and you will learn more than you ever cared to know about book production, marketing, sales, and distribution. It’ll be freaking fantastic. We promise. However, if you should find yourself in need of a reality check at any moment, keep reading. Here are the five myths you should put out of your mind about your book idea:  1. It’s original In our business we hear new ideas daily. And we love it. It’s rare, however, that we hear an idea we haven’t… [read more]

Filed Under: Motivational, Planning Tagged With: , , ,

3 Ways Indie Authors Make Good Content Irresistible

February 22, 2012 by 4 Comments
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Not long ago we posed a question to our Facebook followers. We asked, “What makes a book, website, blog, or article irresistible?” Answers poured in. Everything from “if I can’t wait to tell someone about it, it’s irresistible” to “Content has to keep and hold my attention.” Based on the responses, the following are the three common threads. If you include at least two out of the three, we guarantee happy readers.  1. Solutions Your readers are asking questions and seeking answers daily. If you offer answers, you’ll hook them. Even more, create questions they haven’t yet thought of and then provide answers. As an example, an indie author we know is a top seller because she’s known as the… [read more]

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