Blog

how to promote your book

How to Promote a Book: 9 Marketing Strategies for Self-Published Authors

By Ali Luke

So you’ve written a book. Congratulations! Break open the champagne – you deserve to celebrate. After months, maybe years, you’ve finished your manuscript, got it edited, and self-published it. But once you’ve taken some time to congratulate yourself for all you’ve achieved, though, here’s the bad news. There’s still work to do. Your book won’t […]

Read More
how much do authors make

How Much Do Authors Make? An Author’s Guide to Making a Living (Infographic)

By Ali Luke

Would you love to write for a living? Maybe you’ve daydreamed about champagne-fueled book launches, hitting the New York Times bestseller list … or simply being able to make a living doing what you love all day. You might worry it’s not realistic. You may think only a tiny number of authors really make good […]

Read More
cost of self publishing

How Much Does it Cost to Publish a Book? A Guide to Self-Publishing Expenses (Infographic)

By Ali Luke

The rise of self-publishing over the past decade has given authors an unprecedented amount of control over the publishing process. It also offers the prospect of impressive financial rewards: you’ve probably come across plenty of self-publishing success stories of authors earning six or seven figures from their writing. You might feel excited about the prospect […]

Read More
writing prompts

111 Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire You

By Ali Luke

Maybe writing comes easily to you. You simply sit down at your computer, open up a document, and the ideas—and the words—flow instantly. No? That’s not how it goes for me either! Like most writers, I have days when I feel completely uninspired. Even looking at my novel in progress feels daunting. Writing prompts make […]

Read More

How to Write a Book Proposal: A Comprehensive Guide For New Authors

By C.S. Lakin

At some point in your writing journey, no doubt you’ve thought about submitting your manuscript to an agent or publisher. Even if you’re on the self-publishing track, there may come a time when you want to pitch your manuscript or book idea with the hope of landing a traditional publishing contract. And you’ve probably heard that […]

Read More
author website

A Comprehensive Guide to Building an Author Website

By C.S. Lakin

You know you need one. Or maybe you already have one. But is your author website everything it needs to be? What is the point of having an author website, and what does it need to accomplish? The answer seems obvious: your website is the place readers discover you and your books and, one hopes, […]

Read More
how to copyright a book

How to Copyright a Book: A Step-By-Step Guide

By C.S. Lakin

As a writer, you’ve no doubt heard about copyrights. And maybe you’ve wondered if you need one to protect your precious writing from being stolen. While it’s unlikely your greatest worry is story theft, there are other reasons to copyright your work. And not every book needs to be registered with the Copyright Office. So, […]

Read More

KDSPY Review: Get an Edge in Book Sales

By C.S. Lakin

There’s no worse scenario for an author than launching a new book out into the world and watching, waiting, and hoping for sales, week after week, and … nothing. Knowing how much competition there is for book sales, writers need every edge in getting their books discovered, and acquiring real-time data on what books sell […]

Read More
Amazon Keywords 101

Amazon Keywords 101

By Penny Sansevieri

Imagine you’re at a busy networking event: there’s a hum of conversation, and as you navigate through the various groups of people talking, you pick up words here and there. You hear one group discussing publishing, and since you have a book coming out this year, you’re particularly interested in this. So you introduce yourself […]

Read More

How to Price your Self-Published Book: Everything You Need to Know

By C.S. Lakin

You’ve written your book and it’s ready to publish. Congratulations! You now upload your manuscript and cover files and put your keyword phrases. Just a few more items to complete before you click “Publish” and send your masterpiece out into the world. But … now you have to set a price for your book. At […]

Read More