FREE Lectures on Writing and Publishing

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https://authorspublish.thinkific.com/courses/2024-lectures

 

These lectures include talks from bestselling authors, industry professionals, and editors of prestigious publications.

Get full access this exclusive lecture series collection and learn from world-class authors and publishing experts. 

This special collection includes talks from bestselling novelists, poets, and industry professionals, covering a wide range of topics that will help you improve your writing skills and take your career to the next level.

Collections like this regularly sell for hundreds of dollars. We're giving you full access -- completely free of charge.

Here's what you'll be getting with this special collection:

• How to Submit Your Manuscript to Publishers & Agents: In this talk, you'll learn how to put together an industry standard submission packet, so you can submit your manuscript with confidence.. 

• How to Increase Your Chance of Acceptance by 50%: In this talk, the editor of ONLY POEMS shares strategies for increasing your chances of getting published in literary journals.

• Essential Book Publicity for Authors: Join the director of publicity at Tor Books for a talk on the essentials of book publicity. (So you can get publicity, sell books, and gain readers.)

• The Art & Craft of Sound in Creative Writing: Get practical tools and strategies for elevating your writing, no matter the genre.

• 7 More Lectures covering a wide variety of topics from world class authors.

These lectures include talks from best selling authors, industry professionals, and editors of prestigious publications.

If you want up-to-date information on publishing and writing, then this series is for you.  

You're welcome to get the entire collection for free, or choose to support the continuing lecture series for a modest fee.

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https://authorspublish.thinkific.com/courses/2024-lectures

For lots more resources for writers, authors and publishers, go here to join my FREE group, Book Marketing and Financing.  

 

 

235 Ebook Listing and Review Websites

This list of 235 Ebook Listing and Review Websites is very out of date, but some of the sites are still live.  Have you used any of them?  If so, what results did you get?  

BookLife, a site owned by Publishers' Weekly, looks very interesting.  It has lots of features, like this article on DIY Twitter ads for Indie Authors.  And it lists lots of service providers for authors and publishers. 

Have you used this site?  If so, please post about your experience below.  

What site(s) do you recommend?  Please comment below and please share this blog post.  Thanks!  

Publishers Currently Seeking Submissions

 

I have just discovered this list of publishers who are accepting submissions now. Check it out:  Authors Publish. 

Plus Camberwell Scribes are looking for short stories for a forthcoming anthology on the theme of "Summer". Please message us here if you would like to submit a story, or for more information.

 

And go here for more places to submit your short stories.  

What are your favourite places to submit short stories?  Please comment below and please share. 

21 Awesome Book Marketing Promotions and Predictions for 2021

                                                                                                                      

As 2021 is coming to an end, it will be interesting to check out these marketing promotions and predictions. 

I want to know your thoughts:  How many of these predictions have come true?  And which of these methods have you used?  Have you held, or attended, more Meetup events?  More online events?  More school events?  What other changes have you seen? 

Are you seeing a lot more competition now?  

Please leave your comments below.  

Also, want to know how Alinka can help you to become a bestselling author on the U.S.A. Today bestseller list?  Go here to download my FREE ebook, Book Marketing Genius, and read my interview with Alinka.  Then contact me here. 

Alinka's books have made the U.S.A. Today bestseller list over and over again.  She has been featured in Forbes. 

See also:  10 Free Things You Can Do to Promote Your Books.  

For self-published authors,  getting book reviews is essential for success.  I have lots of material about how to get reviews for your books.  Book Marketing Genius can help you with this.  See also: 

How to Make the Most of Your Book Reviews, by Ingram Spark; 

How to Get 1,000+ Book Reviews; 

and more.  

Please leave your comments below and please share.  Thanks.  

10 Free Things You Can Do to Promote Your Books

John Kremer

 

Check out this great post from book marketing genius John Kremer, 10 Free Things You Can Do to Promote Your Books.  

What I like about all of John's tips is that they are practical and you can implement them immediately.   

Plus, want to become a U.S.A. Today bestselling author?  Alinka has done so over and over again, and can help you to do it too!  She has been featured in Forbes and shared some of her tips with me.  

For my interviews with John and Alinka, go here to download my FREE ebook, Book Marketing Genius. 

Want more information?  Go here to contact me for a FREE consultation.  

 

How to Make the Most of Your Book Reviews, by Ingram Spark

Ingram Spark, who offer many self-publishing resources including printing and distribution, have raised some points about making the most of your book reviews, including:  

1. Add Excerpts from Rave Reviews to Your Book Cover

2. Include Book Reviews on Your Author Website

3. Use Book Reviews on Social Media

4. Include Book Reviews in Press Releases

5. Use Reviews on Marketing Materials

6. Use Book Reviews to Get More Reviews

7. Use Reviews to Approach Booksellers and Librarians

8. Include Book Reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

9. Add Reviews to Your Book Metadata

10. Use Reviews to Boost Your Confidence

11. Use Reviews to Improve Your Work.

They go through these in more detail at:  How to Get Book Reviews for Your Self-Published Book.  

 

See also:  

How to Sell Your First Book (Not Just for Newbies); 

How to Get 1,000+ Book Reviews.  

What is your best strategy for getting book reviews?  Please post below and please share this link.  Thanks.  

 

 

How I Get Tons of Amazon Reviews Without Breaking Amazon's Terms of Service

 

This video explains great, strategic ways to get reviews on Amazon, while staying within the Amazon terms of service.  He also talks about other ways to increase your sales. 

Have you used this method?  Or do you plan to use it?  Please comment below.  Thanks.  

Plus what's the fastest way to increase your sales?  

 

How to “Write to Market” (Plotting and Tropes) - Derek Murphy

In this blog post, Derek Murphy talks about the importance of being able to "write to market" in order to be sure you books will sell.  

He says:  "Writing to market is about satisfying readers, and making sure they read till the very end, so getting the conclusion right is critical". 

Meanwhile, Hilary Mantel talks about whether to write for your audience or for yourself.  

What do you think:  write for your audience or for yourself?  Please comment/share.  Thanks.  

On another note, we are looking for short stories for a forthcoming anthology..  Please message us on this site if you would like more information or to submit your story.  

Hilary Mantel on How to Learn to Trust Yourself as a Writer

Hilary Mantel

Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, gives loads of great advice in this article.  

She reflects on: 

   - how to read or re-read your own work    

   - what to do if you can’t bear to;
   -  how to make the most of your time;  
   - whether to write for your audience or for yourself; 

 

and more.  

Go here to read this article.  

For more on how to develop, and market, your book, go here to download my FREE ebook, Book Marketing Genius.  

 

 

Does Publishing Short Stories Matter?

This article examines whether short stories are worth writing from a financial/commercial point of view, as well as from a creative/artistic perspective. 

What can short story writing offer in terms of finding one's voice?   What can it tell us about the writing process? 

The short story is often considered to be much more challenging to write than a novel.  It requires specific discipline.  Does the short story matter?  Please leave your comments below.  

My writing group is compiling an anthology of short stories on the theme of "Summer".  If you would like more details, please contact us via this website.  

 See also:  

How to Write a Short Story

15 Tips for Writing Better Short Stories

30 + Places to Submit Short Stories

 

Please comment below and please share this with your networks.  Thanks.  

 

 

The Costa Short Story Award

If you live in the UK, one place you can submit your short story is the Costa Short Story Award.  The most recent winners are listed on this page, and you can download their stories there, too.  For more information, contact them at CSSA@booksellers.org.uk. 

Plus go here for a list of 30+ places to submit short stories.  

I am posting lots of short story resources at the moment, so in order to keep seeing them,   please 

•  subscribe to this blog; 

•  join my Book Marketing and Financing group; and 

• "like" my FB page, Writers' Secrets.  
  

What's your best short story resource?  Please comment below, and share this with your networks.  Thanks!  

My writing group is looking for short stories for a forthcoming anthology on the theme of "Summer".  If you would like more information and/or to submit your story, please contact us via this website. 

15 Tips for Writing Better Short Stories! | Writing Tips

This video is a great follow-up to How to Write a Short Story.  She goes into a lot more detail about how to write a good short story.  This short video contains loads of tips - things to think about and experiment with.  She covers theme, and has unique takes on setting, POV and story structure.  And, as she says, there are no rules. 

The short story is an art form in itself.  It must be concise, precise and to the point.  

We are looking for short stories for a forthcoming anthology on the theme of "Summer".  Please contact us here for more information or message me on the same site.   

See also:  Where to Submit Short Stories.  

What are your best tips for short story writing?  Please leave your comments below and share this with your networks.  Thanks.  

How to Write a Short Story | Writing Tips

I have recently discovered this author, ShaelinWrites, and I am really enjoying her videos.  

I am a little in awe of people who can describe the process of writing a story, as I struggle with this.  She is absolutely right, everything in a short story must be directly relevant to the character and/or the story.  No room for any excess weight here. 

We are looking for short stories for a forthcoming anthology on the theme of "Summer".  Please contact us here for more information.  

See also:  Where to Submit Short Stories. 

What are your best tips for short story writing?  Please leave your comments below and share this with your networks.  Thanks.  

Where to Submit Short Stories

If you write short stories and are looking for places to submit them, check out this article: Where to Submit Short Stories:  30 Magazines and Websites that Want Your Work.  

I think you will enjoy this great resource.  I have not vetted this list, so can't give any personal recommendations as to any of the websites or magazines listed here. 

In the comments section, readers have listed lots more resources.  

I have to declare an interest as my writing group is looking for short stories for a forthcoming anthology on the theme of "Summer".  If you would like more information and/or to submit your story, please contact us via this website.  

Have you submitted to any of these sites and publications?  If so, what was your experience?  Please comment below and please share this with your networks.  Thanks.  .  

Facebook Groups for Writers, Authors and Indy Publishers

FB Groups for Writers

Facebook can be one of the most effective ways to promote your work, either for free or with paid ads.  

I have listed over 40 Facebook groups and pages for writers, authors and readers, and I am constantly added more.  

To download this FREE list, go here to join my group, Book Marketing and Financing.  We also have loads of other methods for you to market your book for FREE.  

Plus, podcasts are the fastest-growing way to market your books.  Go here for my list of podcasts for writers, authors and readers.  If your favourite is not listed, please add it.  

See also:  "The Power of Podcasts".  

What is your favourite way to promote your books?  Please leave your comments below and please share this with your networks.  Thanks.  

This Is Why We Don't Hit Our Goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this GREAT article on why we don't reach our goals, Heather Quisel states that there are two kinds of people:  

1. Those who set grand, lofty goals; and 
2. Those who don't set goals out of fear of embarrassment or shame when others see them fail.  

She left out the third category:  those of us who beat ourselves up when we fail to reach our targets. 

As a writer, I don't tend to set specific goals.  I fall into both categories 1 and 3.  I'll think to myself, "I need to work on my novel", or "I need to finish my novel".  Perhaps it's because of the vagueness and loftiness of my goal that it becomes unreachable.  

In college, we had a target of writing 1,000 words of our novels/day, 5,000/week.  I learned how to produce vast amounts of words, and I reached these targets every week.  However, this did not guarantee the quality of my work, and it took a long time for me to regain confidence in my ability to write well - confidence I had had before I had a word count target to meet.  Eventually, the words flowed, but I went through searing self-doubt before I reached that stage. 

This article suggests that we set an activity goal, rather than an achievement goal.  .This will definitely help with problems two and three:  self-criticism and fear of criticism from others.  

I've decided to set myself a minimum goal.  Not to finish my novel, just to work on it a little every day, five days a week.  (I'm not disclosing the specifics here, but I do have them).  

If you feel anxious about meeting your target, or you are disappointed in yourself and wish you had achieved more in 2020, give yourself a break.  Set a minimum activity goal, one that is truly achievable for you, and  stick to it.  You may surprise yourself by what you achieve! 

What are your goals for this year?  What strategies do you use to reach your goals?  Please comment below.  

Go here for my audio on How to Achieve the Results You Want.  

Please share this with your networks.  Thanks.  

Book Marketing: The Power of Podcasts

A podcast can be a great way to promote your books.  Podcasts are the fastest-growing way to reach your readers.  Check out this highly informative short film from Dave Chilton on how to pitch to podcasts and their producers. 

Plus book marketing genius John Kremer has this excellent article on the Power of Podcasts, with lots more tips on how to pitch to them. 

Go here for a list of podcasts for writers, authors and readers.  

For lots more ways to market and promote your books, go here to download Book Marketing Genius.  It includes my interview with John Kremer. 

Please share this with your networks and please comment below.  Thanks.  

Podcasts for Writers, Authors and Readers

Joanna Penn

What have you been listening to under lockdown?  

If you are interested in podcasts by, for and about writers and writing, here are some that may interest you.

If your favourite is not listed here, please list it in the comments section below.  Thanks.

One of my favourites is The Creative Penn with Joanna Penn.  This is the one I listen to most frequently.  She has great guests on every podcast, including bestselling authors, as well as experts in the publishing and self-publishing industries.  Plus she talks about other relevant podcasts.  

 What better way to spend your time than listen to other writers talking about their books?  Beats writing, dunnit?  

Here are some more book podcasts.  These are mostly British.  You can get most of these on more than one platform, including Google, Itunes, Apple Podcasts, or SoundCloud, to name a few.    

Author Hour

 

The Book Riot Podcast

 

The Guardian Books Podcast 

Confessions with Giles Fraser

The Penguin Podcast

Go here for 12 Must-Hear Podcasts from Penguin Authors

You're Booked

Literary Friction

Sentimental Garbage

BBC Radio 4 Book Club

Backlisted

Simon Mayo's Books of the Year

Go here for Simon Mayo's Books of the Year 2019.  

The Slightly Foxed Podcast 

As most of the above are very white and middle-class (in the British sense), and are woefully lacking in Black authors among their guests, I was so happy to find:  

The Black Book Podcast 

Black Chick Lit

Books & Boba  

Plus individual podcast episodes:  

Ambassador of Hope:  Andre Norman.  

Armstrong:  What Black and White America Must Do Now 

From the Black Book Talk Vault: Isabel Wilkerson, The Warmth of Other Suns  This also lists lots more podcasts with Black authors.   

Most of Oprah's selections do not appeal to me, but you might find a gem:  

21 Best Book Podcasts   

For more wisdom from Oprah, download:  Treasures of the Geniuses of Transformation.  

See also:  Top 30 Best Book Review Podcasts.  

See also:  31 Podcasts for Every Kind of Book Lover. 

If your favourite book podcast or author podcast is not listed here, please post it in the comments section below.  And please share this link.  Thanks.  

Enjoy!  

For lots more information about how to promote your book, go here to join Book Marketing and Financing.  

How to Sell Your First Book (Not Just for Newbies)

Book Marketing Genius

I've recently come across this guest blog post from Shoshi Herscu, How to Sell Your First Book.  In it, she outlines exactly which methods she uses to promote and sell her indy-published book.  It is well worth having a look, especially if you write narrative nonfiction.  It's not just for first-timers.  

This blog post also includes a link to 127+ of the Top Free and Paid Book Promotion Sites, which is a brilliant resource.  As this is on the Kindlepreneur site,  it is particulary useful for ebook authors and publishers.

For more great content about how to market your book, go here to join my online group, Book Marketing and Financing.

Plus go here to download my FREE ebook, Book Marketing Genius, which details how to build your street team, to gain feedback, reviews and help with promoting your books. 


Please share this with your networks and please leave your comments below.   Thanks. 

Major Update of Secrets of Manifestation

Lately, I have been learning a lot and posting a lot about manifestation.

I am already a master manifestor and have been for many years.  As a result of having learned so much more about manifestation, I have done a major update of my ebook Secrets of Manifestation.  

I have included a new section specifically for writers, authors and indie publishers about how to attract more readers and customers.

Do you seriously want to attract more readers and customers?  Do you want to bring about positive changes in your life, your work, or your business?  Then you need to read it. 

Manifestation means attracting what we want.  It can include anything - relationships, money and finance, career, business, health - whatever we want.

Bottom line:  You can have what you want.

Secrets of Manifestation is still FREE at this time.  Go here to download it now.

Please share this with your networks and please leave your comments below.  

For more great content about how to market your book, go here to join my online group, Book Marketing and Financing. 

For more great content about how to bring about positive changes in your life, go here to join my online group, The Key to Everything.

Here's to your success!