₦airaland Forum

5 Things For Authors To Tweet About (That Aren’t “Buy My Book!”)

A major trap that authors fall into on Twitter is trying to get too many people to buy their book.

Of course, as a self-published author your goal is to get people to buy your book, but constantly repeating “BUY MY BOOK!” (or some variation) on Twitter will get old very quickly and cause your readers to stop following you.

You worked hard to get a reader to follow you, you don’t want to lose them!

To keep yourself from falling into that same trap, you need to find something else to tweet about it. Here are 5 ideas of stuff that you could tweet about that aren’t just the same ol’ “BUY MY BOOK!”.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/5-things-for-authors-to-tweet-about-that-arent-buy-my-book/

Online Book Tours and Why You Should Do Them

When you imagine a book tour, you might picture authors trekking from city to city, entertaining crowds of avid readers with special readings or signing copies of their latest book until their fingers bleed and their shoulders require icepacks. Isn’t that the dream?

For some it might be (because books are selling and they have a massive fan base). For others it’s a nightmare. Then there are those who fear being faced with a handful of zip-fronted sportswear wearing readers who aren’t even part of their YA target audience—or being faced by no one at all.

Fortunately, there’s an innovative alternative: online book tours. This tactic isn’t only being praised for its efficiency, but it’s also being applauded by indie authors for its economical approach to reaching multiple communities while having just as much impact as its offline version. After all, our budgets aren’t bottomless and live tours aren’t always sponsored.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/online-book-tours-and-why-you-should-do-them/

Online Book Tours and Why You Should Do Them

When you imagine a book tour, you might picture authors trekking from city to city, entertaining crowds of avid readers with special readings or signing copies of their latest book until their fingers bleed and their shoulders require icepacks. Isn’t that the dream?

For some it might be (because books are selling and they have a massive fan base). For others it’s a nightmare. Then there are those who fear being faced with a handful of zip-fronted sportswear wearing readers who aren’t even part of their YA target audience—or being faced by no one at all.

Fortunately, there’s an innovative alternative: online book tours. This tactic isn’t only being praised for its efficiency, but it’s also being applauded by indie authors for its economical approach to reaching multiple communities while having just as much impact as its offline version. After all, our budgets aren’t bottomless and live tours aren’t always sponsored.
Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/online-book-tours-and-why-you-should-do-them/

Your checklist for the components of a nonfiction book

There is more to a nonfiction book than a catchy cover and table of contents… much more.

Wherever you are in the process of writing your book, if the chapters adequately convey your message, everything else you write must attract, inform, clarify, or sell.
Book covers

Front cover: If the book is a hardback, it will have a book jacket; if it is a soft cover, the cover will contain the same information as a jacket. The front cover contains the title, your name, an illustration, and perhaps an endorsement or quote from a favorable review.
Back cover: The back cover is your billboard. It should include a description of the main features of the book, a category, your photo and a brief bio, the publisher, an ISBN number, a Library of Congress number, a bar code, and the price. Much of this will already exist in your book proposal and can easily be converted to the appropriate language if the book is being translated.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/your-checklist-for-the-components-of-a-nonfiction-book/

What You Should Know Before Publishing Your First Ebook

Publishing an ebook is a daunting task — so daunting many writers keep their brilliant messages to themselves rather than attempt to navigate the publishing process.

What if I told you it’s not as hard as you think?

That it doesn’t have to take as long as you think?

That it won’t cost as much money as you think?

The ebook publishing process involves a lot of steps and plenty of research, yes. But if you know what to expect before you get started, the process isn’t as intimidating as it seems.

Here’s what you can expect:
Writing and editing

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/what-you-should-know-before-publishing-your-first-ebook/

5 Ways to Improve Your Book’s Description to Sell More Books Today

You spend months (or even years) writing the book, you get it formatted (or find out how to), you get a cover, you learn how to self-publish… then you enter a quick description about the book and hit publish. Unfortunately, your book description is probably not as good as it can be, but luckily with self-publishing, you can change it instantly. In this guest post, author Kevin Wood shares some great tips on how to improve your book’s description to help you to sell more books.

Most book descriptions, even books published from major publishing houses, are severely lacking. If you’re an author who’s trying to sell more books then focusing on your book’s description is a great place to start.

Your book cover and description work together to get your book into the hands of new readers. Below we’ll dive into a repeatable process that will improve your book’s description and turn casual visitors into new readers.
Where the Standard Book Description Fails

Most authors write a few sentences describing the general topic of their book and call it good. Other authors write even fewer words and just copy and paste the description on the back of their book jacket.


Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/5-ways-to-improve-your-books-description-to-sell-more-books-today/

Self-Publishing Basics: How to Organize Your Book’s Front Matter

Many writers who think about self-publishing are taken aback when they start to put their book together for publication. It’s one thing to work on a manuscript, sometimes for years, getting the ideas right, the words to flow, the overall thematic arc to shine through for attentive readers.

But how do you turn that manuscript into a book? After all, there are lots of things in books that you’ll never see in a manuscript. Things like running heads, page numbers, half-title pages, indexes… stuff like that.

And the part of a book that most confuses new independent authors, in my experience, is the front matter.
What is Front Matter Anyway?

Books are divided into three basic parts:

front matter
body of the book
back matter

What you’ve been working on, the manuscript you’ve sweated and struggled over, will form the body of the book.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/self-publishing-basics-how-to-organize-your-books-front-matter/

Understanding the Current “Dos” and “Don’ts” of Amazon Book Reviews

Amazon and Amazon’s rules are changing so fast!

We would like to bring you up to date on the current rules and share some guidelines we have found most helpful when trying to get reviews for your book on Amazon.

Here you will find the most frequently asked questions around the Amazon review process and Amazon’s answers. I have gone right to the source and given you the Amazon rules right from the horse’s mouth.
Can Anyone post a review on Amazon?

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/understanding-the-current-dos-and-donts-of-amazon-book-reviews/

Editing for Frugal Self-Publishers

You want to write (and sell) an amazing book, but you don’t want to spend a ton of money doing it. If you aren’t careful, the costs of self-publishing a book could run your bank account dry.

In fact, the average cost of self-publishing a book can be between a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars.

And one of the most expensive parts of publishing is editing.

Editing is not something you want to skip. With a weak storyline, the reader won’t read past the second chapter. And a book littered with grammatical errors and typos screams amateur.

So what can you do to have a professionally edited book without spending thousands of dollars?

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/editing-for-frugal-self-publishers/

Does Anyone Care About Your Book?

I have some bad news for first-time authors.

Nobody cares about your book.

Nobody cares about your newsletter.

Nobody comes to your site looking to subscribe to your blog posts—nobody.

Oh, people will come.

They come looking for an answer to a question.

They are trying to solve a problem.

They are looking for information they can trust.

Maybe they want you to entertain them.

Read more at; https://valourdigest.com/5-signs-youre-in-the-wrong-career-and-how-to-make-a-change/

13 Places to Speak and Meet New Readers

Ask 10 book coaches their favorite way to sell books, and I’ll bet at least half of them say through public speaking.

Selling a book at the back of the room to an audience member who has just seen your dazzling performance is easy peasy. You’ve already proven yourself. And your adoring fans want to take a piece of you home with them.

Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd, wrote an excellent summary a few months ago on why authors should be speaking on their books and expertise.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/13-places-to-speak-and-meet-new-readers/

5 Questions on the Book Production and Marketing Matrix

It can be a challenge to explain to new authors that they need to consider their marketing plans before making arrangements for book design and production.

They want to know why they can’t just publish the book they want to publish and worry about the rest of it later?

After all, many new authors have pictured their first book—the one they’ve been working on for so long—in their minds for a long time. But in book publishing, we don’t plan and produce books to please the authors, we do it to please our readers (and buyers).

Here are five questions you might ask yourself before getting too deep into your launch planning:

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/5-questions-on-the-book-production-and-marketing-matrix/

9 Mental “Tools” for Writing When the Clock is Ticking … and Beyond

Deadlines. Sometimes they are self-imposed; at other times, by others. Some writers and authors are juiced up when deadlines loom. Just some—not most. If you are in the “most” group, you can easily back and slide step as the clock ticks … and the OMG hour approaches.

Usually, I’m one of the ones the gets “juiced” … but, there have been times when my creative brain just doesn’t want to keep time. As a columnist for 10 years with the Denver Business Journal, I was always on the lookout for something that would tie in with the “Career Moves” column I penned monthly. I began to love the one-word sentence. The one-sentence paragraph. I bulked when I came across what I call “paragraph perpetuity”—I wanted the writer, especially a biz writer, to get to the point.

Everyone works differently. It’s a button pusher for me when I hear others—from book and writing coaches to the casual commenter—who advises that every writer/author needs a set schedule? Really.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/9-mental-tools-for-writing-when-the-clock-is-ticking-and-beyond/

Seth Godin’s Marketing in 5 Steps (for Authors)

I just received an early holiday present from Tracy, Seth Godin‘s latest bestseller, This Is Marketing.

Seth Godin has been a “companion” for the last 10 years, and his short, pithy, and often surprising blog posts have taught me plenty about marketing and, even more important, how to think about the connection between marketers and their audience.

Although I’m only partway through the book, I can already see that like his previous bestsellers, Godin is—once again—re-orienting our approach to marketing in the online world, bringing us right up to date with what’s working today.

It takes incisive thinking to be able state complex ideas in a short, simple way that anyone can understand, and that’s long been one of Godin’s appeals.

Near the beginning of the book, the author sets out what he calls “Marketing in five steps.”
Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/seth-godins-marketing-in-5-steps-for-authors/

What to Look for When Editing Your Manuscript

n her ThrillerFest session “So You Have a First Draft, Now What?,” acclaimed novelist Patricia Gussin (Weapon of Choice) answered that question with this fantastic list of edits writers should consider before sending their work off to an agent or publisher.

Once you have a great plot, story line, multidimensional characters, danger, a fast pace, a killer beginning, a middle that doesn’t sag and a striking ending, Gussin said, it’s time to tackle the 5 Reread Program—in which you reread your manuscript five separate times. Sure, it’ll be a lot of work, she said, but “It’ll make an incredible difference when your manuscript gets to the agent or editor.”

Here’s a breakdown of what each read entails. [Regardless of whether you do all five or not, we think these are excellent essentials to be aware of in any manuscript, at any level.]
Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/what-to-look-for-when-editing-your-manuscript/

What Are the Major Advantages of Online Book Publishing?

Traditional book publishing methods have long been a lengthy and difficult process. Getting your book printed and published can be challenging, not to mention expensive. Have you got a great book but you don’t want to spend the time and money on finding a publisher to print it? Instead, you should consider online book publishing.

The number of ebooks purchased reached its peak last year as there were over 266 million units sold. Now is the best time to start publishing online.
Why Should You Consider Online Book Publishing?

Online book publishing could be the best and cheapest way for you get your book out there. You won’t have to pay any ridiculous fees, and you get to keep the sales profits!

So, what are the advantages? Here are some reasons you should consider online publishing for your book.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/what-are-the-major-advantages-of-online-book-publishing/

How to Create a Book Marketing and Publicity Campaign

Creating a book marketing and publicity plan is necessary for all authors, whether your publisher is a traditional house or you’re trying to self-publish. Authors who set up some personal market tactics to execute, whether standalone efforts or those in tandem with their publisher, sell more copies.

A strategic publicity and marketing campaign helps spread the word about your finished book. When you’re the publisher, it’s obviously critical to devise your own detailed plan for your book’s publicity and marketing.

But even when a traditional publisher is releasing your book, paying attention to publicity and marketing is critical. The book marketing department and the publicity department sometimes have dozens of other books to be concerned with, so your efforts as an author to create opportunities are important to the book’s success.
Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/how-to-create-a-book-marketing-and-publicity-campaign/

5 Tips for Choosing Images for Your Book Cover

Choosing a photograph or illustration for your book’s cover can obviously be a daunting task. No matter how imaginative writers can be, visual imagination is not always included. For many authors, the fact that an entire novel requires only one picture to illustrate it is a blessing. The problem is that you still need to come up with that one picture — and it needs to be a good one. Because it’s just one picture. One. The following are a few book cover design tips to help you formulate and execute a concept for your cover’s imagery.
1. Solidify Your Ideas

Is your book about the plight of a young waitress trying to make it in the cut-throat world of fine dining while juggling her love life? If so, an illustration of a moving truck is probably not your best option for a cover graphic. Think of elements from your story that would fit well in a background image.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/5-tips-for-choosing-images-for-your-book-cover/

5 Ways to Combat Author Anxiety

It turns out Author Anxiety is a Thing. It’s not just me.

I discovered this on the eve of publication of my debut novel, DECEPTION ISLAND, when I was silly enough to Google my shiny new title. Up popped a Netgalley reviewer live-tweeting as she read it. Only she was hating it—pulling it apart chapter by chapter.

I’d had loads of great reviews—in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, RT Book Reviews, on dozens of blogs—but this one hobby reviewer withered my fragile confidence. It was the intimacy of it. I could see what she looked like, I could see what page she was reading, I could certainly see exactly what she thought of the story. And I couldn’t stop refreshing. Because I’m an idiot.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/5-ways-to-combat-author-anxiety/

8 proofreading tips and techniques

Whether you are writing a magazine article, a college essay or an email to a client, getting your text free of mistakes is essential. The spelling checker helps, but it is far from foolproof. That is where proofreading comes in. Below you will find eight tips and techniques to make your proofreading sessions more effective.

1. Concentration is key.

To spot mistakes, you need to concentrate. That means getting rid of distractions and potential interruptions. Switch off the cell phone, turn off the television or radio and stay out of your email.

2. Put it on paper.

People read differently on screen and on paper, so print out a copy of your writing. If you read aloud, your ear might catch errors that your eye may have missed.
Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/8-proofreading-tips-and-techniques/

6 Self-Publishing Myths That Need to Die

In 2015, Joanna Penn hosted a talk at Nottingham Writers’ Studio on how to make a living from your writing.

Her talk dispelled many of the myths around self-publishing and inspired me to pursue it too.

Sadly, many of these myths still remain. They often — but not always — stem from outdated information and literary snobs who don’t like it when the status quo is challenged.

And to them, I say tough.

Things change. Move with the times or fall behind, it’s up to you.

I know which path I prefer.

Here’s some of the big self-publishing myths that need to die because they’re a load of nonsense.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/6-self-publishing-myths-that-need-to-die/

Why You Don’t Have to Be a Great Writer to Be a Successful Writer

I’m not the best writer.

Heck, I know I’m not the greatest writer out there either.

But, many new writers think or feel they need straight A’s in English or to major in Journalism to be a freelance writer. But, that’s not the case.

Online writing is much different than writing for print magazines or publications. While having the formal training in writing can totally help you with your freelance writing gigs, it isn’t essential for you to start or succeed.


Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/why-you-dont-have-to-be-a-great-writer-to-be-a-successful-writer/

5 Simple Actions You Can Take If Your Book Is Not Selling

With millions of Kindle ebooks currently available, plus an even larger number of paperback and hardcover books listed on Amazon, it’s no wonder that your book can get lost in the crowd.

Sure, some book promotion can help a little, but most book sales are made by book buyers who search Amazon, or other online ebook and book retailers for their next read.

So the key to improving your book sales is to make your book not only easier to find but also more tempting to buy.

Step 1. Change your two book categories.
Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/5-simple-actions-you-can-take-if-your-book-is-not-selling/

10 Tips For Self-Publishing A Multi-Author Anthology

Self-publishing doesn’t just make it easier to publish your own work, it also facilitates the publishing of anthologies, whether a collection of short stories or non-fiction essays. This year I put together an anthology of non-fiction writing for Ada Lovelace Day, the international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), which I organise.

I started Ada Lovelace Day in 2009 as a day of blogging about women in tech, and each year it has steadily grown. This year on 15 October we held our flagship science cabaret event in association with Imperial College London and the Biochemical Society, and there were well over 40 grassroots events in eleven countries, including Belgium, Brazil, Ecuador, Italy, Uganda and the USA. We also had masses of press.

But whilst events are fantastic for focusing attention, also I wanted to produce something that would last a bit longer and so A Passion for Science: Stories of Discovery and Invention, was born. It is a fantastic collection of essays examining the lives of some of the most inspiring women in STEM, including scuba-diving ichthyologist Eugenie Clarke, known as The Shark Lady, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, whose discovery revolutionised our understanding of how stars could behave, and, of course, Ada Lovelace herself, the first computer programmer.
Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/10-tips-for-self-publishing-a-multi-author-anthology/

The Art of Proofreading and Why You Should Learn It

Most people focus on learning the techniques to write a stellar essay. However, it is easy to overlook mistakes in your own writing. To ensure you have created a quality written work, you need to proofread effectively. No matter how important the content of the piece is, if there are notable issues within the essay, you can lose a level of creditability.

If you are interested in learning to proofread with the highest level of skill, consider the following tips to get you started.

1. Step Away from the Essay
Your first step to becoming an effective proofreader is to simply walk away from your work. This allows you to return to the piece with fresh eyes, making it easier to spot mistakes. One of the biggest issues with proofreading immediately after you finish writing is that you know what you intended to say. This can lead you to simply skim across the words instead of examining them individually. By walking away, you are less likely to remember exactly what you wrote. When you read the piece again, it will feel less familiar and you will read the text more carefully, and errors will be more apparent.
Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/the-art-of-proofreading-and-why-you-should-learn-it/

The 13 Most Common Self-Publishing Mistakes to Avoid

For every new venture, there is a learning curve. When it comes to self-publishing your book, however, that curve can be steep. After spending all that time and effort writing (and maybe even illustrating) your book, you want to make sure you do everything right—or at least as right as you can.

The shiny side of this coin is that a lot of authors have already made their mistakes, and many of them have been generous in sharing both their trials and successes. In other words, you are now in the very enviable position of being able to learn from other people’s experiences so that your own experience is positive.

1. Skimping on cover design
When it comes to book sales, first impressions aren’t just important—they are everything. Many authors opt to save money and create their own front covers. Unfortunately, unless you have a background in book publishing and serious design chops, going the DIY route could mean a sales disaster.

There are many ways to invest in your book with your own hard-earned cash, but the best possible value for you is to hire an experienced book designer with a good reputation; check out design firms like The Book Designers, The Book Makers, and Damonza. This is very much a “get what you pay for” scenario, but a polished, professional, and visually arresting book cover is worth its weight in gold (by which we mean “sales”).

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/the-13-most-common-self-publishing-mistakes-to-avoid/

How To Switch Writing Genres Successfully!

Writers often lock into one genre, whether by choice, at the urging of their mentors, or simply by accident. But what if you’ve had success as a poet, but you long to give prose a try? Or maybe you’re a suspense writer who is itching to try your hand at a Western. If lately you’ve felt your writing is a bit stale, switching genres can be a great way to successfully refresh your writing career—and maybe even gain some new fans—but only if it’s done correctly!

How To Try A New Genre Without Damaging Your Writing Career
1. Read, read, and read some more! Reading like a writer is especially important when you’re preparing for a genre switch. Read a wide range of selections in your prospective new genre: established classics, offbeat contemporaries, recommendations from your friends, etc. If you’re thinking about giving poetry, short stories, or personal essays a try, browse through a selection of literary journals for pointers on what editors are currently publishing.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/how-to-switch-writing-genres-successfully/

You Can Save Time And Money By Choosing The Right Editors

The title of this article says it all: Not all editors are created equal.

Despite what you may think, editing is not an exact science, it’s an odd mixture of knowledge, skill, and intuition. Your work is very personal and you want to find an editorial partner who values not only your project, but your individual voice and style as well.

With so many independent editors and editorial services to choose from, that can seem like a daunting task. You might be tempted to just go with the first listing that pops up in your search engine, but that could turn out to be a big mistake. Let me walk you through the process of choosing an editor, and I think you’ll feel more empowered to make an informed decision.

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/you-can-save-time-and-money-by-choosing-the-right-editors/

How to Build your Fan Base as a Writer

There is a business side to every venture and this is what most talented people forget. You might be William Shakespeare reincarnated, or a love child of George Orwell and J.K Rowling, but if you cannot get people to read your work, your talent is all useless. So while writing, editing and marketing your work is one half of your job, the other half is getting people to read your work. Here are five unconventional ways to build a fan base.

1. Let your Accessories speak:
Have you ever met anyone who tries to slip what he does in every little conversation you have with him? You are talking about politics and the next thing is “well, I once wrote about politics…” You start talking football and he goes, “I was meant to go to a game but had to write my book…” This is a pretty annoying strategy and might make people avoid having conversations with you. So what’s the way out? Accessories. Imagine having lots of cool shirts that have cool inscriptions telling people what you do? It can have something like “I am a psychotic writer.” If you wear these shirts to events or movies or any gathering, it speaks to people about what you do and can make them bring up the topic of what you do first. “Your shirt says you write..?

Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/how-to-build-your-fan-base-as-a-writer/

How to Build Alliances with Book Bloggers

Not everyone has a million-dollar publishing company behind them, not everyone gets a chance to have their works published in the biggest publishing companies in the world, after all, you are probably a relatively unknown writer and no one might be willing to take a chance on you.

Here’s the deal! Self-publishing brings a lot of pride and accomplishment. If you wrote, published and promoted your work all by yourself and you become a household name, you can proudly say “I did it on my own with no help!” But can you really? No man is an Island and we all need partnerships. So, if you are a writer, who do you need to build partnerships with?

Book Bloggers are the first promoters of your work in a Self-publishing world because they are the first to read works from publishers like you and what they have to say about your work really counts as it shapes the perception of your readers. So, it is pertinent you have a positive relationship with as many book bloggers as possible.
Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/how-to-build-alliances-with-book-bloggers/

Self-Editing Basics: 10 Simple Ways to Edit Your Own Manuscript

Writers’ victories are short-lived indeed.

For a brief moment after completing a first draft, writers sit back, breathe a sigh of relief, post a self-congratulatory humblebrag about finishing our manuscript, and then immediately think about that one character whose arc we forgot to complete, or that we’re pretty sure we overused the word “that,” or that those squiggly red lines scattered throughout our manuscript are surely incorrect.

In other words, the joys of #amwriting give way to the trials of #amediting.

As a strong (and biased) believer that every author needs an editor, your first line of literary defense shouldn’t be a professional editor. Rather, you need to learn how to self-edit before sending your manuscript off to be edited.
Read more at; https://www.issacharprojects.com/self-editing-basics-10-simple-ways-to-edit-your-own-manuscript/