Why Writing is a Business – and How to Win at it [Guest Post]

The following is a guest post by Nick Thacker.

I’ve been writing books for only a couple years – I’m releasing a thriller later this year, and I have a few nonfiction books on writing and self-publishing under my belt.

But I’ve been a “writer” for over seven years. It doesn’t seem like much, but that’s well over a quarter of my life (go ahead and do the math; I’ll wait).

What I’ve learned throughout my career blogging, writing articles, and maintaining content networks for clients and businesses is that writing, whether for personal desire or as a career path, is best handled as if it were a business.

I know, blasphemy, right?

But it’s true: if you approach writing as if it’s a business, you’ll have a much better chance at winning it.Continue Reading

10 Things to Write to Help You Rock Your Book Launch [Guest Post]

The following is a guest post by Dana Sitar.

You’ve written 20,000 to 80,000 words to craft a product that is irresistible to readers, and you’re ready to push your keyboard aside. Launch Week is just around the corner, and you want to focus on tweeting and monitoring your Amazon reviews.

Not so fast!

Unfortunately, that book isn’t going to sell itself. Fortunately, you possess a key skill needed to promote it: writing. You’ll have to create a lot of content to pimp your book throughout Launch Week, so use this checklist to plan ahead and get started early!

Email announcements

Email is one of the best ways to tell your contacts about your new book, but not if you’re generic and impersonal!

  1. Break your contacts into categories by how you know them: friends, family, colleagues, readers, niche acquaintances, etc.
  2. Determine what you want from each group; for example, encourage influencers in your niche to spread the word, but encourage readers to purchase the book.
  3. Craft a template message for each group based on those goals, and personalize it for each person you email. Yeah, really, every. one.Continue Reading

Making Your Launch Day Count [Guest Post]

The following is a guest post by Matthew Turner.

As you read this - assuming you’re reading it the day it goes live - I’m going through a very exciting/terrifying time. Tomorrow is the launch of my debut novel, Beyond Parallel.

What a crazy, chaotic, and wonderful time it is!

You may read this and nod your head, having gone through this process yourself. Then again, maybe you haven’t and you’re curious as to what to expect. Whatever your position, I hope you’ll raise a glass to my novel.

It’s been a heck of a journey.

Making Your Launch Day Count

I’m a marketer by trade so I understand the importance of aligning all of your stars. There’s no right or wrong way to approach a launch, as the personal touch you add is the most vital aspect of all. Continue Reading

Don’t Let the Overwhelm Keep You From Your Best Book

The following is a guest post by Brenda Errichiello.

For an indie author, the editing process can be wholly overwhelming. Do you need a content editor? A line editor? A copy editor? What do these things even mean? How many times should someone look at your book? How do you know the person you’re working with is good?Continue Reading

A Beginner’s Guide to Marketing Indie Literary Fiction [Guest Post]

The following is a guest post by James Campbell.

Over the past few months, certain members of the literati have been occupying themselves with the question of genre vs. literary fiction – what do these terms mean, which is better, and so on.

First there was Arthur Krystal’s piece in the New Yorker, followed by Lev Grossman’s reply in Time, completed by Michael Kardos’s rebuttal to both on the Huffington Post’s book blog.

A quick summation: yes, there is a difference between genre fiction and literary fiction; no, genre fiction is not necessarily ‘lower’ than literary fiction or mere escapism; yes, literary fiction has just as many cliches and tropes as genre fiction; and yes, there are many examples of top quality work and utter crap in both categories, and people shouldn’t pigeon-hole their reading habits to solely one or the other.

Left Out of the Discussion

One thing that wasn’t discussed, however, was how books of each type tend to be marketed specifically within an indie pub context.Continue Reading