Self-publishing can be a minefield of misdirection and out-and-out fraud. Many “publishers” (in the past known as “vanity publishers”) who work with self-published authors claim to take your manuscript and turn it into a finished book. Often, they will take … Read More
Lots of classic novels started out with very different titles. How much do you think their titles helped with their enduring popularity? Would Of Mice and Men still be read in English classes if Steinbeck had kept his working title … Read More
“When eating an elephant, take one bite at a time.” — Creighton Abrams I recently met with a new marketing client. This author was close to publishing his book and freely admitted he was totally overwhelmed by the experience. He … Read More
How hard is it to revive interest in a book published several years ago? It depends. Can you tie your topic into current events and trends? Or is your topic sooooo 2004? So here’s my list of when to either … Read More
I’ve been watching my sales on Amazon.com go up and down like my hemlines in the 70’s for the last 4 months. For the first time in 5 years of selling new and used books on Amazon, I’ve gone entire … Read More
I saw a news item yesterday on The Power of Two. The Power of Two is having two healthy habits that will add years to your life. Yesterday’s segment suggested that you (1) find out your family medical history in order … Read More
Brick and mortar stores are losing to online bookstores. I’ve been seeing a lot of articles online on how many bookstores are closing their brick and mortar stores while keeping their online store. The internet, they say, has killed their … Read More
I just read about two novelists in San Francisco who produced serial podcasts of their novels one chapter at a time. Along the way, they acquired thousands of raving fans of their work and attracted agents and publishers eager to … Read More
The whole world does not want to know about your book. But, the world does want to know what your book can do for them. Your elevator speech – your 30 second spiel for when someone asks you what your … Read More
The October meeting of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association featured a talk by self-publishing guru Dan Poynter. I’ve heard Dan speak on two occasions now and always feel energized by his can-do attitude about writing and selling books. Aside from … Read More