Photo courtesy of limbi007|Stockfresh.comWith the Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN) Challenge just a week and a half away, it’s time to prepare for your 30-day nonfiction writing event. As with any activity that requires that you produce or do more in a short period, you have to get ready. For instance, you can’t just go out and run a marathon…
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If you are like most aspiring or published authors—or like most writers, you see your work from a biased perspective. If you are savvy, however, you hire a developmental or line editor to obtain a more objective viewpoint on your manuscript. However, the most important perspective from which to see a book idea—and even yourself—is through the eyes of an…
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Copyright Martin |Fotolia.comI’m a big proponent of authors planning out their careers. When they come to me with one book idea, I ask them what other books they plan to write. This allows me to see the possible trajectory of their career and how all their books might work together. One book builds on the next and helps them sell…
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Blogging for Authors—Lesson #11 Lot’s of people will tell you blogs are dead. Too many of them exist. The Internet is too noisy. No one will ever find your site.I know you’d like to believe them because you’d rather be writing your book than blogging. But they are wrong. Blogs are alive and well. Not only that, they provide authors…
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An email list serves as your most powerful platform element. However, with the amount of email we all receive today, it’s difficult to obtain new subscribers without offering huge value in return for that email address a new subscriber provides. That’s why you must create a compelling “call to action” that makes visitors to your site want to “opt in”…
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Copyright Rawpixel|Fotolia.comBranding can seem an ominous job for an author. The “big brands” like Nike, Levis, Audi, and Apple have put millions of dollars into plans that ensure they are perceived and known a specific way by potential customers. How can an author accomplish the same feat, and why should you bother? Tell Readers What You and Your Writing…
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Copyright Scott Maxwell|Fotolia.comWhen I advise aspiring authors to become bloggers, they usually ignore me. They don’t want to begin a promotional activity that takes time away from writing their books. When I tell them they can blog their books and build author platform at the same time, they pay attention. If you are like most writers, you don’t like…
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Copyright milanmarkovic78|Fotolia.comIf you are a writer who dreams of landing a traditional publishing deal, you might have a nagging question in your mind. It’s probably phrased something like, “Is my book idea what a publisher wants?” In fact, a better question to ask yourself is, “Do I have what publishers really want?” What publishers seek in an aspiring author involves…
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Copyright vectorfusionart|fotolia.comDespite the popular stories of indie authors making a killing with Kindle books or as authors, in general, the income most nonfiction authors receive from book sales isn’t enough to pay their bills. According to the 2014 Digital Book World and Writer’s Digest Author Survey, which was based on responses from more than 9,000 aspiring and seasoned authors, just…
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