Category: writing

#8 Converting your original book layout to an ebook format

Once you have completed your book and had it proofed, you can go ahead and offer your book for sale as a digital book. You needn’t wait for the bound copy to be printed or even sent to the printer. You will be doing the latter while you set up the digital versions and get [...]

Thursday May 23rd, 2013 in articles, digital publishing, e-publishing, fiction, iPad, Kindle, Lightning Source, LSI, Lulu, niche publishing, Nook, novel writing, product development, publishing, self-publishing, small publishers, Smashwords, treasure hunt, writing | No Comments »

Your book’s cover is its own best salesperson!

Your book only needs three kinds of covers, but they can all be designed from the same model. 1. Your bound books will require a full cover, meaning a front, a spine, and a back. (In the rare case you produce a cloth-covered book–a hardcover book–the needs are the same except that you might also [...]

Monday May 20th, 2013 in articles, Blurb, digital publishing, fiction, iPad, Kindle, Lightning Source, LSI, Lulu, niche marketing, niche publishing, Nook, novel writing, open publishing, product development, publishing, self-publishing, small publishers, Smashwords, webmarketing, writing | No Comments »

(#7 of 10) Publish your book as a paperback, almost free

The purpose of this 10-unit series of blogs is to answer the working question, “How can I publish a just-finished book six times, all within a couple of weeks?” This unit will discuss publishing your book as a paperback, with the publishing part nearly free. In earlier blogs we read of getting the book in [...]

Friday May 17th, 2013 in articles, Blurb, digital publishing, editing, fiction, iPad, Kindle, Lightning Source, LSI, Lulu, niche publishing, Nook, open publishing, self-publishing, small publishers, Smashwords, writing | No Comments »

What must you have in your book?

Take an hour, for starters. Go some place where you won’t be disturbed and write down your book’s purpose statement. It may be easier to start with a working question, like “What will your book be about?” The answer is the “purpose statement.” Your book will help realize that purpose. The statement might be: “The [...]

Monday May 13th, 2013 in articles, Blurb, e-publishing, editing, iPad, Kindle, Lightning Source, LSI, Lulu, Nook, product development, publishing, small publishers, Smashwords, speaking, writing | No Comments »

Landing pages help sell your books (#6 of 10)

If you’re writing a book to sell, you need some launching pad where the potential buyer can see the book cover, the title, the copy on the title, the copy on the back cover (if it’s a paperback)–or the copy that would go there if it’s an ebook, some selling prose that would be on [...]

Friday May 10th, 2013 in 1 Shopping Cart, articles, Blurb, digital publishing, e-publishing, fiction, iPad, Kindle, Lightning Source, LSI, Lulu, niche publishing, Nook, open publishing, publishing, self-publishing, small publishers, Smashwords, webmarketing, writing | No Comments »

How many book pages a day should you write?

A hard reminder: if you really want to write a book (even better, get it published), the whole writing issue is up to you. Novelists often write two to five pages a day, unedited. Old veterans can plunk out 10-20. Nonfictionfolk pretty much write once they have the facts. Somebody wrote the story of the [...]

Wednesday May 8th, 2013 in articles, Blurb, digital publishing, e-publishing, editing, fiction, Kindle, Lightning Source, LSI, Lulu, Nook, open publishing, product development, publishing, Smashwords, writing | No Comments »

Writing a book? You need three copies at all times

You need to have your book in three places: in your computer (seeable on the monitor), on a USB flash drive (or some equivalent) just in case, and in a three-ring binder. The first is obvious. The second gives you peace of mind and lets you work on others’ computers and keep your results safe [...]

Friday May 3rd, 2013 in 1 Shopping Cart, articles, Blurb, editing, fiction, iPad, Kindle, Lightning Source, LSI, Lulu, Nook, novel writing, publishing, Smashwords, writing | 3 Comments »

(#5) Your book needs a description, a price, and your bio

#5 in our “how to publish your own book” series focuses on a description of your book, its price, and your biography to list in your book “open” publishing listing. Since the submission form requires all three items to have your book published free, or almost free, at Kindle, Nook, Smashwords, iPad, CreateSpace, Scribd, and [...]

Monday April 29th, 2013 in article selling, article writing, articles, Blurb, digital publishing, e-publishing, editing, fiction, iPad, Kindle, Lightning Source, LSI, Lulu, Nook, novel writing, open publishing, self-publishing, small publishers, Smashwords, webmarketing, writing | No Comments »

Why publishing is upside down in your favor…

Long ago there were monks who “printed” books with quills. Later, the printing press appeared in Europe. Many authors sold books first, then wrote them if enough people bought enough copies in advance to pay for the printing. Move past World War II. If you wanted to be a published author (particularly of novels or [...]

Monday April 22nd, 2013 in ancillary publishing, articles, Blurb, digital publishing, e-publishing, fiction, iPad, Kindle, Lightning Source, LSI, Lulu, niche publishing, Nook, novel writing, open publishing, product development, publishing, self-publishing, small publishers, Smashwords, webmarketing, writing | No Comments »

Why aren’t you, your kids, and your folks in print right now?

Do you have a book inside you just shouting to escape? Do you have something to say and time is running out? Are you afraid that if you don’t get to it soon, will you be the zillionth person who dies bookless? Maybe it’s a novel, a kid’s book, a joke book, a memoir, or [...]

Monday April 15th, 2013 in articles, Blurb, digital publishing, e-publishing, editing, fiction, iPad, Kindle, Lightning Source, LSI, Lulu, niche publishing, Nook, novel writing, open publishing, product development, publishing, Smashwords, writing | No Comments »