Authorpreneur Magazine - Issue 4 by Jeannie Barker

May 2013

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THAT EASY Ludwina Dautovic

My First Publishing Experience - Wai Chim 6 Year Old Pens Storybook - Jamie Lee 12 Things I Learned from Amazon -Rhys Tate

AUTHORPRENEUR MAGAZINE Have you missed an isue?

Now you can get all three of our previous editions in one bumper magazine

Download it from the website www.authorpreneurmagazine.com

A NEW INTREPID ADVENTURE: FROM SELF-PUBLISHING TO STRADDLING THE TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING DIVIDE - Chris Allen HOW TO HOST A VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR - Maria Dismondy FROM BUSINESS CARDS TO BLOGS: CREATING A MARKETING PLATFORM - Christina Hamlett TWO FEET FORWARD - Linda Benton THE EDITOR: WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES - Candice Lemon-Scott SOCIAL MEDIA CHEAT SHEET OMM WRITER SELF PUBLISH WEEKEND WHAT THE PLUS!

E-READER DIGEST - Alicia Freile FROM COACH TO AUTHOR - Andrew R Miller

PITCHING FOR BUSINESS - Hazel Edwards INDIE RECON MEDIA CENTS AND SENSIBILITY COLUMN: TWENTY FIVE WORDS OR LESS - Christina Hamlett VIDEO BOOK TRAILERS THE BESTSELLER INCUBATOR AUTHOR WEBSITES - Jeannie Barker WHITSUNDAY WRITERS FESTIVAL - Gloria Burley MENTION APP AUTHORGRAPH

INSPIRATION TO PUBLICATION AND BEYOND - Jenn J McLeod THINGS I HAVE LEARNT FROM STUFF - OR RATHER THE LACK THEREOF! - Aoife Brennan WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM PROJECTS WHICH DIDIN’T GET UP: A NEW WAY TO ANALYZE PROFIT AND LOSS FOR WRITERS - Hazel Edwards I WRITE - Nicky Johnston LITERARY FESTIVALS: A WRITER’S SURVIVAL GUIDE - Sophie Masson MEDIA CENTS AND SENSIBILITY: PAID ADVERTISING VS EARNED MEDIA - Christina Hamlett WOMEN IN EPUBLISHING - J’aimee Brooker BOOK COVER MAKEOVERS UX WRITE APP

MY FIRST PUBLISHING EXPERIENCE Wai Chim

CHANGE IS FOR SHARING AS 6-YEAR-OLD PENS STORYBOOK Jamie Lee

12 THINGS I LEARNED BY PUBLISHING VIA AMAZON Rhys Tate

I WRITE. . . Christina Hamlett

HUMOR AND HURT Kerrie Louise Connelly

FINDING AN ILLUSTRATOR... THE EASY WAY Maria Dismondy

5 REASONS WHY AMAZON’S AQUISITION OF GOODREADS IS A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN Qwantu Amaru

THE TAX MAN COMETH... Christina Hamlett

72 PLACES TO PROMOTE YOUR KINDLE BOOK WHEN IT’S FREE Sarah Arrow www.authorpreneurmagazine.com

Jeannie Barker

INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS

IT’ THAT EASY Ludwina Dautovic

Founder & Editor Welcome to the fourth edition of Authorpreneur Magazine. This month Ludwina Dautovic tells us how easy it is to publish a book... and how she carried on when things were not so easy. Make sure you check out her Facebook page for her book It’s That Easy: Online Marketing 3.0, and take a look at how she did her online launch on Facebook. We’re also pleased to announce that you will be seeing more of Ludwina in the future as she joins us as a regular contributor. In Author Journeys Wai Chim shares her first time publishing experience, and we have a remarkable story of six year old Adeline Tong publishing her first book. Christina Hamlett shares her fascinating work space in I Write... What an amazing office she has! Maria Dismondy returns with a short article on how she sources illustrators, Kerrie Louise Connelly tells us how she uses humour and explores pain with her writing, and Christina Hamlett gives us some tax tips in her regular column. It seems like we’re playing a numbers game this month with 12 Things I Learned by Publishing via Amazon from Rhys Tate, 5 Reasons why Amazon’s acquisition of Goodreads is a match made in heaven for Author Discovery and Book Marketing from Qwantu Amaru, and 72 Places to promote your Kindle book when it’s free from Sarah Arrow. Plenty of great tips there for you to learn from and share too. Competitions - Congratulations to Magdalena Ball who won the Bestseller Incubator competition from Rochelle Stone at Barefoot Basics. There is still time to enter the 3D Book Cover Conversion competition - just add a comment on this page to be in the draw. The winner will be drawn on the first of June. Until next time,

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It’s That Easy by Ludwina Dautovic

I’m now a published author! Whoot whoot! I’m so excited. It’s been a dream of mine for more than 20 years. I finally bit the bullet, decided how I wanted it to look and then went for it. I knew there’d be things that would come up along the way that may cause some challenges, but hey, you don’t know what you don’t know so don’t worry about it until it happens. Boy, was I in for a surprise. Anyway, I bit the bullet, went for it and have learned a lot along the way. I hope my journey gives you some insights, ideas and enthusiasm for your first or next book. Let me begin with telling you about my book. It’s That Easy – Online Marketing 3.0 shows business owners how to better connect and engage with their market online. It’s a compilation book made up of 18 world leading online engagement and business specialists who each wrote a chapter on their area of expertise. The 18 chapters cover topics from: storytelling in business, social media, media channels, broadcasting, blogging, membership sites, leveraging your time and much more.

Why a compilation book? I’ve wanted to write a book for almost 20 years and I knew this was the right time for me in terms of writing a business book. I have been developing my profile over the past five years as an online marketing specialist, particularly in the area of digital new media and broadcasting. However, there is only so much I could write about on the topic for a complete book. Consequently I decide to make it a compilation book and draw in other experts in various areas of online marketing to add the extra value and interest I felt it needed. Furthermore, I 4

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decided to write the book using this method as it would provide me with 17 contributors who have a vested interest in the book, giving it a broader reach and greater potential for sales.

How I sourced the contributors My main source for finding contributors was SourceBottle: www.sourcebottle.com. SourceBottle is a media lead generation site that enables journalists, bloggers, broadcasters and publishers to publish ‘call outs’ for content, whether it’s a quote, an article or contributors for a larger project like this book. Once I had a good selection, I decided on the content I wanted from each source ensuring a good cross section of topics in the online marketing genre. Once this decision was made, I then had to go through a vetting process to guarantee that the people were genuine plus had the online profiles and success to back it up. The final stage was having the authors sign contracts for their contribution that included our expectations, what they could expect from us, deadlines, etc.

Format for the book I have written a number of eBooks over time but was certain this time it would become a print book. It’s That Easy – Online Marketing 3.0 is available in various digital formats, but the idea of having a ‘real’ book in my hand and in the hands of others, somehow gave it more weight. I’d got to a place where my words and voice had value and the idea of having my words on the bookshelves of many was very appealing.

Online Marketing Our online marketing plan consisted of a fully integrated website with profiles of all the authors and regular blog posts for good SEO. We also produced an audio podcast show of interviews with all the authors. We listed the show on iTunes and before we launched the book, the show was listed

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number 10 in the new and noteworthy section for business podcast shows. We then added the interviews to the website along with the author’s profiles. We turned those audio interviews into videos and added a playlist on my YouTube channel. Essentially we integrated all aspects of our online marketing strategy within our website and had iTunes and YouTube linked back to it.

Social Media Campaign Our tagline for the book is: ‘How to better engage and connect with your market online’. It was my goal to make certain that this book reflects that in every way. So I created a private Facebook group where the readers and the authors can connect with one another. To join the group you have to buy a copy of the print or digital book. Once accepted, the readers can then ask questions directly of the authors which not only gives the authors direct connection to their target market, but also gives the readers instant access to pertinent information that helps them with their online marketing. We also created a business page on Facebook. We post regularly in this group and add ‘take outs’ from each author’s chapters to give potential readers a taste of what to expect. The group went from zero ‘likes’ to a week later having over 300 with 2000 views in that week. We also used this page to launch our book online. Essentially I had a ‘tweet chat’ style interview format on Facebook where I interviewed the authors a half hour apart from midday to midnight. It was quite a feat but we managed to increase our online profile and activity on the business and we sold quite a few books on the day. Overall, it was a successful launch that utilised social media to the max.

PR I have a book partner, Mithra Publishing [www. mithrapublishing.com] in the UK. The founder, Kizzi Nkwocha, is also a PR agent. Kizzi wrote individual press releases for the authors focusing on their individual chapters. He also wrote a primary press release focusing on me and the book which is being distributed to various press outlets throughout Australia, England and the US. We have already received a number of press opportunities from feature articles in magazines, (like this one) to

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Many people still like to hold a print book in their hands: it has a very different feel and gives your book more credibility. AuthorpreneurMagazine

interviews on podcast shows, and featured blog posts. Understand that PR takes a little longer than online marketing and social media do, but it is a crucial part of your campaign.

We also have an affiliate program set up for the digital book via Clickbank. This allows the authors and anyone wanting to sell the book to get a 30% commission. Clickbank also promotes the book to other affiliates within their system, giving us a much broader reach. Likewise, we sell the digital book on Facebook. You can directly purchase the digital version with one click on our Facebook page. This is incredibly handy as it means the purchaser doesn’t have to leave Facebook to go offsite and buy it. Many people still like to hold a print book in their hands: it has a very different feel and gives your book more credibility. With Print on Demand services now available, you can get short print runs at a very fair price. I always have about 100 on hand at any time and I can always get more within a week. People can purchase the print book on the website in the same way they order the digital book. However, it’s at live events that I see the print book doing exceptionally well. It’s my plan to have book talks in libraries and book stores all over Australia. I also plan on speaking at a number of business events, networking events and conferences. Although they can order digital copies, it will be the print books that will sell better at events.

Blow your own trumpet!

Book Sales It was vital to ensure that we had a variety of methods to sell the book. Considering we had both digital and print, it gave us many options. However, you have to make the process as simple as possible to guarantee you gather the sales you’re aiming for. Online book sales for the digital book were easy, it’s instant and you don’t have to mess around with postage and handling. Though, you must test and measure your sales processes regularly. To sell the digital book on our website we used Paypal as the payment gateway and a sales page with a link to buy. After purchasing, customers are given a page to download whichever digital version they desire.

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At the end of the day, the book is a tool that will open many doors, but those doors won’t open unless you ask if you can enter. You have to blow your own trumpet and be willing to put yourself in the spotlight. I don’t mean be a pain in the butt or a nuisance, but simply let the right people know you are an author and you have a book that may interest them. If you don’t, they won’t come looking for you. Why would they seek you out? How would they find you? Why are you interesting? Have these questions answered and be ready to talk about your book in a clear and succinct way. Have your pitch, yourself and your book ready to let as many people know about it as possible.

Tools to succeed Apart from your book, there are a few tools you need to help you along the way. We have already mentioned a good website and Facebook business

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page. You also need a lightweight pull up banner to use at events. Kylee Legge from The Publishing Queen gave me this tip – have a business card that on one side has your information about the book and where to buy it. On the other side have information about you as a speaker and where they can find more information on how to book you. Here are some of my favourite tips: • Have a good ‘about me’ page on your website that showcases you and your books story. • Have a ‘media’ page on your site with high and low resolution images of you and your book, your press release and social media posts. • Include a page for ‘in the media’ that shows where you have already been highlighted in the media. • Keep your website updated constantly. Always be prepared to talk about your book and make sure that your personal appearance reflects the quality of your book and what you wish to convey.

Challenges along the way In closing, let me say this, life will always interfere and when you least expect it, you’re going to have to show behavioural flexibility and sometimes even completely change your plan. I had a few major challenges that happened all in the one day and it was the actual day that my book was being released. I had been on the waiting list for an open surgery that was serious and really needed to be done. I was in quite a lot of pain and discomfort for a long time

and as soon as I got that call, I’d need to be be right there. However, I had to announce a date that the book would be available and at the same time, I had no idea when I’d get the call for the operation. I bit the bullet and picked a date. Wednesday March 20 2013. This would be the day that it would be made available on our website, Facebook and Clickbank. The authors would be set up and ready to start promoting it to their people. Well, a week before, I received a call from the hospital with a date for my surgery. Wednesday 20 March. If I didn’t take that date, it would be another month. I had to do it. Sadly, that same week a close friend of my daughter passed away and the memorial service was to held on the same day – Wednesday March 20; three major events all on the same day. I had to say yes to the surgery at the expense of not being there for my daughter. I had to let go of the book and trust that I had done everything I could within the resources I had to let it be released. I relied on my amazing team of co-authors and with lots of love and support, the book was launched, my daughter had lots of love and support around her and my surgery, although very painful and long, was a success. The journey has just started and I know it’s going to bring me a plethora of opportunities. Already it’s provided me with new friendships, investment opportunities, access to new technologies and more. As this magazine so aptly puts, being an author is about much more than publishing a book; it’s about being an authorpreneur. I hope that what I’ve shared with you here can help you garner more attention, more success and more confidence in your own publishing journey.

Ludwina Dautovic

is an inspirational entrepreneur, broadcaster, speaker, publisher and mother from Melbourne Victoria. She has often been referred to as Australia’s premier broadcasting voice for small business, is a multi-award winner, accredited master coach and has been listed in the Who’s Who of Australian Women four years consecutively. Ludwina has develop her global brand via podcast shows which have seen her interview world leading entrepreneurs, CEO’s of major corporations , A list actors and Telstra award winners. Ludwina recently forayed into the world of self-publishing with her first book It’s That Easy – Online Marketing 3.0, which shows business owners how to better connect and engage with their market online. www.itsthateasy.com.au | www.facebook.com/ItsThatEasyOnlineMarketing www.authorpreneurmagazine.com

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My First Publishing Experience by Wai Chim

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When I first moved to Sydney, Australia in 2006, back to me, which I found puzzling. Years later, I would learn that the founder of that small publisher I knew that I wanted to become a writer. I’m quite an analytical person and when I decide on things, I can be quite focused and determined in steering myself towards success. I think the valuable lesson I learned here is that just because I set my mind to do something, I really had to work hard at it. The end game was long and I absolutely ‘gave up’ or got distracted more than once. But like most writers, writing is something that burns in you. Something you have to do to feel complete as a human being, and that is probably what spurs most of us onwards. I joined the NSW Writers’ Centre and did a course with local children’s author, who to this day remains a great mentor. I took a lot of copious notes, formed an online children’s writers’ group and was determined to take the children’s book world by storm. I did a course on creative writing at Sydney University where I learned about voice, characterisation and all the important stuff that makes for a great story. I felt pretty confident and wrote a manuscript about a meerkat that escaped from the zoo and sent it around to all of the big publishing houses and independent presses and then eagerly awaited their replies. Now that I look back on it, that manuscript was pretty darn awful. Sure, it had a few strong points, but the structure and story was pretty rubbish. But I was so excited and keen when I sent it around. And of course, I was disappointed when the tide of rejection letters came in. But I wasn’t completely deterred. I had seen a call for submission of manuscripts from a small Australian children’s book publisher for stories based on other cultures. Perfect, I thought and went back to the keyboard, this time to punch out a story about a little girl and her pet chooks.

had actually passed away that year. She had been an icon in the Australian children’s publishing world and her presence continues to be missed. After that incident, bits of life took over. I started working full time at a magazine, then as an online editor for a digital marketing company. I almost believed that it was time to grow up and put away childish things. And I almost forgot about the little girl and her pet chooks entirely. Until five years later, I saw a tweet from the Sydney Writers’ Centre saying that UQP was accepting unsolicited children’s manuscripts. Getting plucked from the ‘slush pile’ was a pretty darn good feeling, I admit that I walked around for awhile thinking I was pretty awesome. But of course, getting a contract isn’t the end of the hard work at all, it’s only just the beginning. The learning curve has been really steep and more than once I’ve felt like I was in way over my head. Thankfully, I had my wonderful publisher and editor to guide me, to answer the silly questions and to help me work on making a good story even better. And I had my wonderful partner who kept me relatively sane. It’s been about six months since Chook Chook: Mei’s Secret Pets hit the bookshelves, and I’m still learning every day. Even with my background in digital marketing, it’s still been a bit of a steep learning curve and everything is once again all new, nerve wrecking, exciting and confusing at the same time. But it’s been a great journey so far and like any good story, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Wai Chim is a children’s writer based in Sydney, Australia. You can find her online at www.waichim.com or I finished an early chapter book called Chook Chook on Twitter @onewpc. and sent it off to the publisher. I was absolutely Her first book, Chook stunned when this time I got a reply back. She liked Chook: Mei’s Secret Pets it! She also had some questions. I answered the its sequel, Chook Chook: questions painstakingly, made some edits and sent Little & Lo in the City the whole thing back, dreaming of published fame. are both published Nothing happened. Weeks and months went by. by the University of Finally, I sent a follow up email and it got bounced Queensland Press. www.authorpreneurmagazine.com

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Change is for sharing as 6-year-old pens storybook for financial literacy by Jamie Lee

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6-year-old Adeline Tong released her “By teaching them about financial literacy, I hope self-published picture book Little by Little, to show them the true value of money – using it

written based on her time at creative learning centre Kids at Switch.

Little by Little tells the story of Hubert the turtle, who is forced to sell his shell after overspending on luxury items like lollies and a car. Adeline’s book, which can be purchased through Kids at Switch’s website, was inspired by classes held by Kids at Switch that aim to impart basic financial literacy and entrepreneurial principles to younger children. “The idea of my book is that if you always buy the things you want, soon you will have to sell the things you need,” Adeline said. “I wanted to share the lessons I learn with other children who might not have the same opportunities as me.” The book is illustrated with professional photographs of the clay-made Hubert at each stage of his journey. Kids at Switch founder Jamie Lee created all of Little by Little’s clay sculptures and assisted Adeline as she wrote the story. “Little by Little goes to show that with encouragement and support, our children are already capable of accomplishing great things,” said Lee. “From her inquisitiveness about words to a passion for recounting her everyday stories, Adeline has loved writing ever since I met her.”

“Watching her talents and selfconfidence grow by writing Little by Little has been hugely inspiring to not only myself but her family and peers.” Kids at Switch is an independent teaching centre which seeks to foster children’s sense of play, passion and generosity, by exposing them to ideas and hands-on projects which challenge them to develop “a sense of unshakeable purpose”. “Too often, kids get told success is measured by how much money you make, or the career position you hold,” said Lee. “That view is one I’ve had to constantly fight against, not only in building up Kids at Switch but also in standing up for the creative abilities of my students.”

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to pursue one’s passions and help others in the process. Adeline’s book is just one example of just how much potential every child has within them to achieve great things, no matter how young they are.” “I like learning about how to use my money from Jamie,” Adeline said. “So when my friends are buying lollies or toys, I learn to think first and I know I don’t have to follow them.”

How we’ve launched the book Before we started selling the book, we asked all of our friends either in person or on social media on how much they would be willing to pay to purchase Adeline’s book Little by Little. This assisted us in setting a reasonable price and also generated a couple of leads. We promoted Little by Little using both Facebook, Twitter as well as announcements in our Newsletters. Three weeks after all the books had arrived we threw a small launch party for Adeline. We invited all of our friends, families and colleagues into our school where Adeline showcased her passion by reading her book out loud to the audience. On that night, Adeline signed and sold more than 35 books! The book launch event generated interests from the local media and slowly words started to spread.

About Adeline Tong Adeline is a quiet-six-year old girl who is currently in year 1. She is a passionate learner, avid reader and challenge seeker. Adeline is the co-author of Little by Little and it is her wish to use her gift in writing to serve the world.

About Kids at Switch Kids at Switch, a innovative and unique programme seeks to educate financial literacy to kids aged 5 to 12 by creating a playful mini economy. Instead of learning in a traditional classroom setting, the children learn within a dynamic and encouraging play mini economy environment that is filled with shopping baskets, pretend shops, banks and other props. kidsatswitch.com.au

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Twelve Things I Learned by Publishing via Amazon independent musicians, programmers and directors, among many others. So why not authors, too? It’s up to us to have the confidence and pride to create ebooks of a professional standard, and therefore wrest back the language that describes us from slurs like ‘self’ and ‘vanity’ publishing.

from the desk of Rhys Tate

At the start of 2013, I decided to publish an upper primary chapter book, Saving Davey Gravy, on Amazon. I had warm feedback regarding the manuscript from traditional publishers (but not that warm), and, like many, I’d been seduced by the stories of overnight success that run through the book media. Feel free to snort softy at my naivety. However, there was more to it than that. Everyone was raving about Amazon’s rise and traditional publishing’s woes and I wanted a place on board. At the worst, even if I sold almost no copies of the book, I’d learn much more about publishing, marketing, social media and website construction via independent publishing, and it would force me to write. Here’s a brief summary of what I wish I’d known four months ago.

1. It’s not self publishing, it’s indie publishing Thanks to technology and the internet, the tools of professional creative production are now available to artists, as are alternative modes of distribution. There is top-notch output from 12

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The lines ‘traditional’ and ‘self’ are blurring, anyway: the Big 5 publishers are getting into indie publishing in a big way, via fronts like Author Solutions (Simon and Schuster) and Book Country (Penguin), which market packaged ‘e-publishing solutions’ to hopeful authors … all at a hefty price, of course.

2. Indie publishing is not a shortcut If anything, it’s a longcut. Think of the array of people working at a traditional publishing house and ask yourself whether you feel comfortable taking on those roles: that of editor, proofreader, lawyer, coder, designer, artist, accountant, researcher, marketer and publicist. Then ask yourself if you’re happy to do all that for free. I know you’ve all heard the advice that writing is no place for people who want to make money, but it’s probably good to tell yourself this again before you commit to the process of indie publishing.

3. You better have a thick skin Instead of rejection, you will have to handle disinterest. It’s a subtly different take on that feeling of worthlessness all writers experience periodically; a manuscript submission is still very much a work in progress, but a completed eBook is (or should be) a statement of the very best you can achieve. So, in an odd way, people saying, “Meh,” can sting worse than people saying, “No.”

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It’s important to realise that readers are drowning in content – not just books, but the whole array of consumer entertainment that’s available. I have boxes of assorted media that I have to ‘catch up on’, but who has time to watch three seasons of Game of Thrones any more? After all, we’re too busy creating more content.

4. Indie publishing is far from free Even if you can competently handle most of the roles mentioned above, is it wise to learn how to perfect these, or are you allocating time that you could use more efficiently in earning money to pay specialists who know what they’re doing? Your first book cover will take days, maybe weeks to get up to scratch, even if you have a solid grasp of image manipulation. Similarly, very few writers can effectively edit and proof their own material to a professional standard. It’s worth working out the costs associated with your eBook production in advance, because you will incur them. The Taleist Self-Publishing Survey recently covered the sales and expenditures of over a thousand Amazon indie publishers and found this: those that spent money on their publishing ended up selling more copies of their books. However, first-time authors may find that the process of spending money to increase sales takes time to pay dividends. http://blog.taleist.com/ 2012/05/24/report-selfpublishing-survey/

5. WYSIWYG e-publishing programs do not deliver perfect results Although ‘what you see is what you get’ software like Calibre has come along a fair way, it still produces inconsistent results. To have full control over how your Kindle eBook appears, you will need to learn to hand-code it, or pay www.authorpreneurmagazine.com

someone who knows how to do this. I use the freeware program Notepad++ to create HTML (the manuscript body), OPF (metadata) and NCX (chapter structure) files, and then use Amazon’s KindleGen to generate a MOBI file, which can be uploaded directly to Amazon. It sounds complicated, but with a decent guide and template files, the process is actually rather simple.

6. Don’t ignore established channels The rise of Amazon has likely made the traditional publishing route more difficult for first-time authors. With publishing houses contracting and consolidating, even established authors are having new manuscripts rejected. There is a school of thought that ebooks have become the new slush pile, anyway: successful indie authors tend to be courted by traditional publishers. Nevertheless, keep submitting manuscripts, pitching articles and entering competitions. Emerging authors need every win they can get, so it makes sense to keep casting your net across as many channels as possible.

7. Positive reviews are crucial for indie publishers However, it’s not so easy to get them. As with any system, people learn how to game it in a variety of ways, and the results of this is that Amazon won’t take reviews from family members, fellow authors, or people it believes have a vested interest in the success of your book. This, of course, includes paid review services, although some of these seem to be able to fly under Amazon’s radar, for now. Book blogs are deluged and also targeted by traditional publishers, as are Amazon Top Reviewers. The two big review channels are Amazon or Goodreads (which has just become an Amazon subsidiary), but many people you contact will not have active accounts on either site. Independent media channels are groaning under the avalanche, as well, and established media won’t touch indie publishers, unless it’s for the aforementioned ‘sudden success’ story. It’s

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a problem requiring persistence and the sense that you are playing ‘the long game’ with your writing career.

ask that, if they enjoyed it, they write a review / recommend your book / buy another of your titles.

8. Branch out to get your name seen

10. Your chance of breakout success from one eBook is infinitesimal

Social media can be a black hole for time, and authors need to establish a working routine so they are engaging with their audience without impacting on other, more important areas of their lives. Social media needs to be wellmanaged, and it makes much more sense to use a couple of platforms properly (I would suggest Goodreads and Facebook to begin) rather than a dozen poorly. Construct an author website with content-heavy posts, via WordPress, Blogger or Joomla. Pitch for guest articles on popular sites, as I have done here. Sign up to Gravatar / Disqus and post incisive comments on web posts that you read, to lead people back to your own site and writing.

9. You have to give something to make anyone pay attention People like things that are funny and / or informative, and providing content like this is a good way to get noticed online, especially if you concentrate your efforts on a specialised area. Similarly, everyone loves a freebie, and you’ll find that authors will either run limited giveaways of their ebooks to gain exposure, or offer some free works alongside the ebooks that they actually want people to buy. Another method used by series writers is to make the first book free (although Amazon does not allow authors to do this, it will price-match other outlets like Smashwords that do), and hope that readers are reeled in far enough by the first volume to buy the rest. Ebook DRM, or copy protection, is dead, dead, dead and actually hurts indie publishers, whose target audience is effectively unlimited. It is the publisher’s ability to spread through this audience which is the limiting factor. This means that piracy can actually help you, especially if you can appeal to the better nature of the pirate and 14

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The trope of the overnight success is very strong, especially with traditional media, because people love the vicarious nature of it. The truth is that there are currently over two million ebooks on Amazon alone. List rankings are skewed towards authors with a large back catalogue, because on the internet, recognition is cumulative, and for the vast majority of indie publishers, the classic formula of success equalling hard work plus persistence still holds true. Authors should play publishing as a long game.

11. There are three types of people making money on Amazon People who have a breakout success which lifts the rest of their catalogue People who write and publish vast amounts of material People who target evergreen genres (fantasy, romance, sci-fi) or current fads (emo vampires, light BDSM and sword operas) It is very possible for these people to treat writing as a second job, or even survive on their writing income. Want to be like them? If you can’t bash out five to ten thousand words a week, it will be difficult, though not impossible.

12. Publish for the right reasons When I was just starting to write, an established author told me that if I was after fame and money, I should become a musician. It was a maxim designed to pop that bubble most writers feel for the first couple of years until they find out how competitive the industry is, but the truth remains: writers really should feel compelled to write, because then every step forward will feel like a small win. Similarly, you should dismiss the genre-targeting mentioned in the previous point and write what makes you happy. After all, if you

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enjoy what you’re doing, then you’re a lot closer to ‘making it’ already.

So, is publishing via Amazon worth it? For me, the answer is yes, absolutely. I’ve gained skills like HTML programming which have a variety of uses for an author, and learned more about how the publishing industry works – invaluable at a time when it is undergoing rapid change. Indie publishing provides exposure; even the limited exposure I’ve received has resulted in the novel being recommended to a children’s book editor by a reader who happens to be on publishing’s inside track. Finally, it’s forced me to pick up my game and treat writing as something that must be done every day, instead of when I feel like it. The little wins add up, and they sure can be addictive.

Want to follow in Rhys’ footsteps?

Rhys Tate is an English / ESL teacher who decided, perhaps unwisely, to learn how to code a website and publish an ebook at the same time. His writing has featured in The Victorian Writer, The Big Issue and Crikey!, and on ABC Radio.

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Would you like to be featured in Authorpreneur Magazine? You can submit your own story for our Features: Authorpreneur, Authority Publisher or Author Journey. You can write an article on any topic that would be of interest to other writers and authorpreneurs. Or you can contribute a short piece for an aticle we are currently working on. See the website for our submission guidelines: www.authorpreneurmagazine.com/ submission-guidelines/ And also check out the articles we have in the works which you may like to contribute to: www.authorpreneurmagazine.com/ upcoming-articles/

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A 32 step walk through of the entire process, including template files, is available on his website: http://rhystate.com/ so-i-hear-you-wantto-publish-a-kindleedition-ebook/

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To cater to different reading preferences the magazine is available in three formats: Web Magazine – If you prefer to read online you can read all the content online on the website www.authorpreneurmagazine.com Digital Magazine – If you prefer to read a digital magazine you can view it at the www.magcloud. com website, or via the MagCloud App Print Magazine – If you prefer a print magazine you can order your copy at www.magcloud.com or via the MagCloud App. We invite you to share your author story or contribute an article or short piece on a topic of interest to authors. Please see our submission guidelines or email info@authorpreneurmagazine.com.

May 2013

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I Write . . .

by Christina Hamlett

When guests come to our home for dinner, there are two rooms to which they always gravitate – the kitchen (where my gourmet chef husband works his magic) and my home office (which abounds with its own eclectic enchantment). It’s here I’m surrounded by the things that inspire me – books, art, music, and unabashed theatricality harkening back to the years I spent on stage. The French doors to my workspace are flanked by a suit of armor (his name is Fred) and a black velvet dragon named Mischief. Holding court in the middle of my Oriental rug is Viktor the Siberian tiger (one of 310 stuffed animals I’ve collected throughout my life). My L-shaped oak desk has a high, 6-foot long hutch with lots of cubbyholes and cabinets which prompted one of my friends to remark that it reminds her of a really quirky Advent calendar. My love of books is evidenced by all the bookcases behind me, and my love of photography (we travel a lot) is reflected in the fact that virtually every square 16

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inch of wall space has something hanging on it. (I suspect one day the drywall will completely collapse from the weight of all the frames.) And who wouldn’t be inspired having a life-sized Captain Jack Sparrow! Not only does he have my back but he’s also holding my business license in his right hand. (When the City of Pasadena told me it should be displayed in a prominent but safe place, I took this instruction very seriously. Hey, who’s going to try to wrest it away from a pirate with a sword? And even if they do, they’ll still have to contend with Fred and Mischief on the other side of the room.) I often turn on the miniature white lights in my silk ficus tree when we have dinner parties; they throw off just enough light that guests who haven’t been here before have been known to freak out that there’s a swashbuckling scallywag standing in the shadows by my chair. As for the Wicked sign, it’s a two-part story. The first is that Wicked ranks among my top three favorite musicals. Secondly, my beloved hugsman was driving past a wonderfully whimsical gift shop in San Marino and saw it in the Halloween window display. He promptly went inside and asked if the sign was for sale. As it turned out, the owners were out-oftown that day and the flustered clerks weren’t sure how to answer. They called the owners and said, “There’s some guy here who wants to buy part of the window display. Is it for sale?” Savvy shopkeepers that they are, the owners said, “Sure, why not?” and quoted a price. They had actually had two Wicked signs custom-made and knew they could simply take the spare out of storage once they returned home. Unfortunately, the spare fell out of the box and broke on its way to replace the one sitting in

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my office and which – like its owner – is now officially one-of-a-kind. Last but not least, the advantage of working at home (besides an incredibly short commute) is that every day is Take Your Dog To Work Day. In my case, it’s my Chief Canine Officer, Lucy, who is a rescue dog from The Pasadena Humane Society. When she’s not sleeping on her princess pillow under my desk, she’s in my lap and taking great interest in what’s on my monitor, occasionally applying a paw to my keyboard and sending a mirthful string of xghuyippprtrhs across the screen.

Christina Hamlett Former actress and theater director Christina Hamlett is an award-winning author, playwright and media relations expert whose credits to date include 30 books, 152 plays, 5 optioned feature films, and squllions of articles and interviews. She is also a professional ghostwriter and a script consultant for the film biz (which means that she stops a lot of really bad movies from coming to theaters near you). www.authorhamlett.com

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May 2013

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Humour and Hurt

by Kerrie Louise Connelly

I believe humour is a necessary part of life. Imagine going through life without the hint of a smile, a chuckle, a grin – what a deeply depressing existence that would be. Times can get rough – because life can be rough, and whether humour is used as a defence mechanism, a way to relate to others or simply as an off-the cuff remark to brighten someone’s day – it’s definitely a necessity. That’s why I use humour in a lot of my writing – it’s needed, it’s a necessity, a way to relate to others and a hell of a lot of fun! However, no one has all the answers, hell – not even me! But one thing I certainly do is try. I try to learn and educate myself as much as I possibly can, by talking to others, participating in healthy debates and trying to understand different people’s perspectives. There’s so much you can learn from other people and other cultures – if you just open up and allow a different viewpoint to embed itself in your conscious. I heard a saying once that ‘Your twenties can be the hardest time in your life’. While that’s most likely true in terms of figuring out who you are, I think in general, life can have its tough moments for everyone, and it doesn’t discriminate against age, race, gender or status.

Have you ever heard that saying ‘You’ve got to laugh or else you’ll cry’, or ‘Turn that frown upside down’, or ‘There’s no use crying over spilt milk’? Well, life really is a playground, accidents happen, bad decisions get made and there are often people out there who will try to steal your milk money. I suppose that’s why ‘always look on the bright side of life’ became such a widely understood, positive global phrase. 18

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So how can we make it through when life throws us a confusing, frustrating, unhappy, rough, or overwhelming situation? By trying to understand and learn from it – and by using humour to help lighten the load. That was the concept for my current title Observation City. Observation City was the joyous manifestation of many day-to-day heart felt experiences,

May 2013

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situations and concepts I had either experienced myself, that had happened to friends, or I had heard about in one form or another. These interesting concepts of feeling pressure to conform, wondering about your direct karma, doing things that you know you shouldn’t, or wanting someone you can’t have, (to name a few), were all produced from ‘spilt milk’, and handled with understanding and humour. I once had an unattainable ‘love’. A man who was married to the woman of his dreams, who I had a natural affinity and affection for. Well, what a rubbish situation that was for me! Before me stood a beautiful man in all senses of the word, handsome, smart, charming and naturally charismatic, a new-aged gentleman who you wouldn’t think could actually exist. I could feel nothing but happiness around him. Now why would the universe let me meet such a man when he clearly was unattainable? How frustrating! Was it just cupid’s idea of a joke? And so Cupid’s Sly Eye was born, the first piece in Observation City.

with surviving emotional abuse, which links up with depression just like the pairing of bread and butter. The important thing to know for those in an emotionally abusive situation or people who are suffering depression as a result of it – you are seriously not alone. It’s a hurtful and confusing experience to go through, but one you can get through. By writing a book inspired by personal experience, I hope to reach out to people who may need some clarification and advice. Life can be a bit rough sometimes, but who ever said that it was going to be easy? I hope my readers are able to take something away from reading my books, whether it be advice, inspiration or simple entertainment.

It tackles masochistic behaviour – in not being able to let a relationship go, the notion of throwing in a job you dislike to be spiritually happier in something you actually want to do, and the effects of people’s uncourteous behaviour. Humour can be injected into many a situation – if you choose to do so. On the other side of the coin, sometimes situations you find yourself in can be emotionally or physically devastating, which can take a little more than a good sense of humour to completely understand and heal from. Such a topic is that of my upcoming book, Shaken: A story of emotional abuse and depression. Which is why – like I said – education and perspective are so important. Having had anxiety issues since childhood, I have had my own battles with depression and that of emotional abuse. Becoming my own therapist in order to understand and educate myself on my feelings, I started writing down some of my experiences in order to start healing myself. Upon commencing writing I found that there is so much emotional damage that comes along www.authorpreneurmagazine.com

Kerry Louise Connelly, a naturally

gifted writer is an English born, Australian author. Having worked previously in radio, journalism and retail management she now enjoys dual roles as an education assistant and author. Being an avid reader, mainly of non-fiction and having also studied film and television, Kerry enjoys autobiographies and memoirs and loves to indulge in a well crafted television show, Lost and Homeland being among her favourites. www.kerrylconnelly.wix.com/authorklc

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Finding an Illustrator ...the easy way by Maria Dismondy I have been in the publishing industry since 2008. After a number of experiences, I have found my diamond in the rough, an agent that represents illustrators. I no longer seek out illustrators on my own, I use an agent that helps me save time with her expertise. Meet Bernadette Svost. Bernadette is the owner and agent of Portfolio Solutions, LLC, an agency representing illustrators of artwork for children. portfoliosolutionsllc.com Born and educated in England, Bernadette relocated to the United States in the eighties. In 1986, she began her career in the publishing industry as the operations manager for a highly successful agency representing illustrators of children’s books. Bernadette went on to become co-founder of Portfolio Solutions, LLC, which was established in 1999. She became the sole owner and agent in December of 2004, and strongly believes she owes the continued success of Portfolio Solutions to the remarkably talented and adaptable illustrators in her agency. As the popularity of Apps and eBooks increases in the markets, the agency’s illustrators have enthusiastically embraced the ever-changing needs of an immensely challenging, but hugely exciting children’s book publishing industry.

as well as my deadlines. I preview artist portfolios and give her a few that I think might be a good fit for the project. Bernadette will pull in a few more illustrators that she represents for my consideration if they match the style we are looking for. After narrowing down our choices to about three illustrators, Bernadette then checks on availability of the artists and their project price ranges. Once we find an artist, negotiations go through Bernadette. The contract is reviewed, changes are made if need be and after the contract is signed, deposits go to Portfolio Solutions LLC. During the process, the illustrator emails proofs for me to review. Portfolio Solutions handles finding the illustrator, the contracts, negotiations and payments. I think the best part about working with an agent is that I am guaranteed quality work and there are no questions about whether or not we are going to meet the deadlines. There is a level of professionalism that has exceeded my expectations.

As a small business owner, I am learning to delegate my time. Writing and speaking to schools is what I am truly passionate about. When it comes to the ins and outs of the business, dealing with contracts and finances, I don’t find that to be as Working with Bernadette has expedited the rewarding. Developing a team of professionals to process of publishing in many ways. She previews help bring my books from idea to print has been my manuscript and share my visions for the art extremely worthwhile versus doing it all on my own.

Maria Dismondy

is an award-winning children’s book author. She is a dynamic speaker who in one month alone, spoke to 10,000 children at local elementary schools and other venues. She speaks on a number of empowering topics such as bullying, building character and reading and writing for young authors. Maria continues to write books and blogs regularly. Website www.mariadismondy.com Be the Difference Blog www.mariadismondy.com/blog

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May 2013

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5 Reasons why Amazon’s acquisition of Goodreads is a match made in heaven for Author Discovery and Book Marketing by Qwantu Amaru I enjoy taking the contrary point of view whenever possible. When everyone is running to the right, I invariably have to go left. It is with this spirit that I review the recent acquisition of Goodreads.com by Amazon for an undisclosed sum. If you’ve been reading the articles, following the tweets, and reading the blogs, apparently, this is the worst thing to ever happen in publishing. It is fashionable these days to deride all things Amazon, but the fact is that without Amazon’s aggressive business practices, innovation, and business model, independent publishing would still be on the outside looking in. I think all the naysayers need to take a hard look at themselves and answer the following questions:

publishers currently up in arms about another extremely savvy move by the online giant. Yes, it’s true that over the past 15 months Amazon has flexed its muscles, and not always in author / publisher friendly ways. First, there was the introduction of the KDP Select Program that forced authors to choose between Amazon and every other online eBook retailer for distribution; then there was the whole fake reviews fiasco that caused Amazon to take down reviews by authors for other authors; and most recently Amazon removed product tags and Facebook likes from their algorithm which were significant boosts to past book discoverability on the site.

Would Amanda Hocking, EL James, John Locke and others have received million dollar book deals without Amazon?

These same changes, however, are exactly why I’m so bullish on the Amazon / Goodreads integration. Adding Goodreads into the fold is sure to boost ways for books to be discovered, especially those on the Kindle platform. I have already reviewed the ways Amazon’s algorithm boosts book discoverability here, but now let’s discuss how the Goodreads integration makes up for some of Amazon’s past sins and current gaps.

Would independent authors everywhere be cashing decent royalty checks each month from book sales without Amazon? Would indie authors be selling books everywhere from Canada to Japan without Amazon? Would indie books be making their way on to bestseller lists without Amazon? No way. The basic fact is that Amazon (and the Kindle family) is the best thing to ever happen to independent publishers and authors – the same authors and

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More Reviews = More Visibility Although Goodreads CEO, Otis Chandler, has not yet confirmed whether the existing Goodreads reviews and Amazon reviews for current titles will be integrated (let’s hope not), the mere fact that Amazon is gaining 16 million fairly active book reviewers into

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the fold (with the various genre groups, book clubs, fans, friends, and followers) can only help indies looking to boost the number of reviews. Goodreads has a number of groups dedicated to exchanging honest reviews for free eBooks and now these reviews will be a part of the Amazon ecosystem that helps books get found by readers. And now Amazon (and the prospective eBook buyer) has a way of identifying which reviews are coming from a book’s fans and followers vs. other reviewers (and the detailed data attached) so they can make a more informed decision of a books merit and avoid sockpuppet and other review boosting scams.

and notes you save can become discussion topics? What if Amazon automatically redirects readers to Goodreads to review the title once they’ve completed the book? More books being discovered is the result, and if you can get your book read by the right people in bunches and they favorably review your work, expect the noise level around your book to spread like wildfire across Goodreads and your Amazon author ranking to dramatically improve.

More Promotional Tools = More Sales

Amazon has a vested interest in making Amazon Prime and the Amazon Cloud service exponentially more valuable to potential consumers. It was this interest that led them to entice thousands of authors to enroll in KDP Select, as the more content available for Prime members to borrow for free the more satisfied would be said Prime members. Amazon will want Goodreads’ 16 MM users to become Prime members, and they are going to be advertising this heavily once the integration is complete. If the KDP Select fund continues, then more potential eBook borrowers means higher potential monthly royalties from KDP Select borrows. And can you imagine the scenario when Prime borrows and lends also become visible to your network on Goodreads?

For years, I have been lamenting an easy (and inexpensive) way to advertise within Amazon to boost my book’s visibility and sales. With the addition of Goodreads, I have just gained this access. Goodreads has a variety of promotional tools to help authors reach readers; from book giveaways (hopefully now Goodreads will allow for digital book giveaways) to pay-per-click advertising, to events. Authors will have more tools at their disposal to attract potential book buyers than ever before. I can see KDP Select freebies getting a large visibility boost on Goodreads as well as a result of this integration.

A More Social Amazon = Faster Potential Word of Mouth Amplification One of the most powerful tools available on Goodreads is the bookshelf. When a friend adds a book or reviews a book, their entire network is notified of this occurrence. Now imagine this happening auto-magically once someone begins reading your book on their kindle. What if the notifications of reading status were automatic instead of something the Goodreads user has to manually fill in? What if sections you highlight immediately become accessible by your network

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More Incentives to Join Amazon Prime = More eBook Borrows and Shares = More Money in your Pocket

Better Targeting = a Better Amazon Algorithm = Better Author Discovery Last but not least is the improved product recommendations that Amazon hopes to gain with the user data acquired from Goodreads users. But this works in the favor of the author as well. The more bookshelves your book is added to on Goodreads can be added into the recommendations algorithm, increasing your book’s Relevance and Popularity on Amazon, and exposing your work to more readers both on and off Amazon.

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I don’t have a crystal ball, but I do believe many of the predictions above will come to fruition and I will keep you posted as soon as we know for sure what this integration means for discovery of your books. As for Barnes & Noble, Apple, eBooks.com, Kobo, traditional publishers and others, this move may not yet mean check mate, but it’s only a few moves away. If you have a counter in the works, now would be a good time to bring it out. What are your thoughts on the Amazon / Goodreads integration and my predictions?

Qwantu Amaru

has been writing since the age of 11. An avid reader, he has always aspired to write suspenseful page turners and socially significant literature like those of his writing influences Richard Wright, Harper Lee, Walter Mosley, Tananarive Due, Anne Rice, Wilbur Smith, Michael Connelly, Dan Brown, Brandon Massey, and Stephen King. wantu draws his inspiration from his modest Q upbringing in small towns and cities across the US as well as experiences living abroad in Brazil and Turkey. In addition to his first novel, One Blood, Qwantu has published five volumes of poetry and one Spoken Word Album - Mic Check. Qwantu is an active member of the outstanding socially active poetry collective Black on Black Rhyme out of Tallahassee, FL. He has performed spoken word in poetry venues from New York to Los Angeles. He is also part owner and one third of The Pantheon Collective, an independent publishing venture dedicated to bringing high quality independent books to the masses while empowering and inspiring other authors to follow their dreams. www.qwantuamaru.com

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Media Cents and Sensibility by Christina Hamlett

The Tax Man Cometh ...and Taketh Away The good news is that the investments of time and energy you have poured into your writing career are finally starting to pay off. Literally. Whether this takes the form of book advances, royalties, or $-per-word checks for articles, you’ve earned the right to be proud of yourself. The bad news is that this marvelous moolah isn’t all yours to keep. Nope. Come tax time, the government is going to want a percentage of your publishing success and you’d best be prepared to account for yourself. Here are six tips to lessen the pain (and possibly avoid an audit): 1. Even if you have yet to make the transition to full-time author (and your relatives still refer to this quest as your ‘little hobby’), it’s critical to treat your craft like the professional enterprise it is. If you don’t have one already, there should be a designated ‘home office’ space in which you can perform, uninterrupted, the principal tasks relevant to your writing biz. If this space is used exclusively and regularly for that purpose, you may be able to claim a tax deduction for costs associated with its maintenance (including utilities and repairs). Note: If your writing really is a hobby, the deductions you claim can’t exceed the total amount you have earned. 2. When you work for someone else, a lot of deductions come out of your paycheck before you ever see it – the largest of these typically being state and federal income tax. If you’re a freelancer, the responsibility to estimate these amounts is up to you. For every check you receive, set aside approximately 25 percent of it so you won’t be caught short when annual taxes are due. If you’re bringing in large sums of freelance money on a regular basis – as opposed to occasional dribs and drabs – you’ll need to make estimated tax payments every quarter.

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3. Familiarize yourself with what’s a legitimate business expense and what’s not. If, for instance, you’re writing a biography about Beethoven, you’re likely to show up on a tax auditor’s radar if you went out and bought yourself a grand piano for $100,000 to just sit in your living room and inspire you. On the other hand, a $2 pair of earplugs so you can immerse yourself in Ludwig’s world of silence would qualify as a research tool. Other deductible expenses include resource materials (books, periodicals, tapes), office equipment and supplies, business insurance and licenses, membership fees, conferences and subscriptions, telecommunications, photocopying and postage, and marketing. Travel, meals and entertainment may also be deductible if there’s a verifiable correlation to your writing business.

6. Hire a professional who is well versed in the tax laws and filing requirements specific to freelance writers and home-based small businesses. Even if you’re as savvy with numbers as you are with words, tax preparation can be stressful. (And really now, shouldn’t you be putting your brain to better use thinking of a plot for your next book?) If you do try to go it alone, second-guessing what’s allowable, what isn’t and which form to fill out could get you in trouble. FAQs can be found on your country’s tax authority website along with a help line to speak with an expert.

4. Keep detailed records and receipts for everything you plan to claim as a business-related expense. And no, we don’t recommend throwing everything into a shoebox. Set up an Excel file or purchase an accounting software program to judiciously log every money transaction that comes in or goes out. Create a back-up file and store it somewhere other than where you keep the original.

Internal Revenue Service (U.S.) www.irs.gov

5. Don’t toss your rejection letters. Yes, yes, we know they’re painful reminders that someone didn’t like your work and you’d just as soon rid yourself of the evidence. When you’re just starting out, however, this paper (or email) trail of correspondence serves as proof that you have actually been trying to hone your craft. Otherwise, that pricey new computer you’re claiming as a business expense could raise suspicions that you’re only using it for games and watching cat videos on YouTube. Keep in mind that you have to be earning something from this creative endeavor and that it has to be more than what you’re trying to claim on deductions.

Resources Australian Taxation Office www.ato.gov.au

HM Revenue and Customs (U.K.) www.hmrc.gov.uk/local/ Public Finances Directorate (France) www.impots.gouv.fr Italian Tax Office www.icaew.com/en/library/subject-gateways/ tax/tax-by-country/italy National Tax Agency (Japan) www.nta.go.jp/foreign_language/ Income Tax Department (India) incometaxindia.gov.in Tax, Accounting and Payroll Sites Directory www. taxsites.com/associations.html International Tax Offices (H&R Block) www.hrblock.com/taxes/doing_my_taxes/ international.html

Christina Hamlett

is a media relations expert and award winning author whose credits to date include 30 books, 150 stage plays, 5 optioned feature films, and squillions of articles and interviews. In additional to being a professional ghostwriter, she is a script consultant for the film industry (which means that she stops a lot of really bad movies from coming to theaters near you). Christina’s latest book, Media Magnetism: How to Attract the Favorable Publicity You Want and Deserve, is targeted to authors, artists, entrepreneurs, business owners and nonprofits. www.authorhamlett.com

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ereadernewstoday.com/category/free-kindle-books/ www.freebookdude.com/p/list-your-free-book

72 Places to promote your Kindle book when it’s free

authormarketingclub.com/members/submit-yourbook/ (you have to be a member, but membership is free) blog.booksontheknob.org/p/about-this-blog-andcontact-info www.freebooksy.com/editorial-submissions www.thatbookplace.com/free-promo-submissions/ snickslist.com/books/place-ad (one of my favourite places)

addictedtoebooks.com/submission www.kindleboards.com/free-book-promo/ indiebookoftheday.com/authors/free-on-kindlelisting/

by Sarah Arrow

www.ebooklister.net/submit.php digitalbooktoday.com/12-top-100-submit-your-freebook-to-be-included-on-this-list/ thedigitalinkspot.blogspot.com.es/p/contact-us

You’ve enrolled your book in Amazon’s KDP and you now have up to 5 days in a 90 day period to give away your book for free. This promotion is a powerful way to kickstart the sales of your Kindle book, so to get lots of downloads you need to advertise your free days in as many places as possible. Each site listed here is one that I’ve used or have been recommended to use by another author. Each location will have it’s own terms and conditions. Some sites ask that you have at least 5 reviews others specify no erotica, check out the details before you start submitting your books.

freekindlefiction.blogspot.co.uk/p/tell-us-aboutfree-books www.freeebooksdaily.com/ www.freebookshub.com/authors/ www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,97167.0/ www.frugal-freebies.com/ www.ereaderiq.com/about/ freekindlefiction.blogspot.co.uk/ www.mobileread.com/forums/ (membership required)

flurriesofwords.blogspot.co.uk/ If it seems like a lot of work check out Fiverr.com and askdavid.com/free-book-promotion see if there is a gig that will help. You can often find someone who’ll submit your book to free websites digitalbooktoday.com/join-our-team/ or submit press releases for you. ebookshabit.com/about-us/

Websites for free book giveaways

www.ereaderperks.com/about/

These sites can be done in advance of your free days, although some will only allow you to list them if they are currently free. These sites are in no particular order. www.pixelofink.com/sfkb/

www.goodkindles.net/p/why-should-i-submit-mybook-here

bargainebookhunter.com/feature-your-book/

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thefrugalereader.wufoo.com/forms/frugal-freebiesubmissions/

www.blackcaviar-bookclub.com/free-bookpromotion.html#.UXFB27XYeOc

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www.totallyfreestuff.com/

but two friends have done it with good outcomes.

www.icravefreebies.com/contact/

As well as free giveaway groups and pages, join groups where your target market is active. They are more likely to download and review your book. Spamming any group will not win you any friends.

uk.hundredzeros.com/ freedigitalreads.com/

Some of the websites offer enhanced listings and these seem to increase downloads by around 10%, so if you are after every download you can get consider a budget for enhanced listings. Facebook for promoting (they all seem to have the same name…) Facebook works best when the book is free. I’ve found that groups appreciate it if you go back after your free download day and let them know how it worked for you and to thank them for their help. Free Kindle Books FB group www.facebook.com/groups/426282137432533/ Free Bookclub www.facebook.com/FreeBookClub.org Free Kindle Book Club www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Kindle-BooksUpdated-Daily/155923931093850 Free Kindle Books www.facebook.com/freekindlebook I love free Kindle books www.facebook.com/pages/I-Love-Free-KindleBooks/451765604869800 FKB.me www.facebook.com/fkbme

Free books for Kindle UK www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Books-for-KindleUK/246923732000349 Today’s free Kindle Books www.facebook.com/eReadingBooks

Again, something you organise for the day of the free promotion. #Amazon

#Kindle

#eBook

#KindleBargain

#BookBuzzr

#KPD

#BookGiveaway

#WLCFreeToday

#BookMarketing

#FreeKindleReads

I recommend using #free with the other hashtags as well – #free #kindle or #free #ebook. If you book is geographically sensitive I’d add the area hashtag as well – #Free #Kindle #UK. I’ve found that 6 tweets at varied times throughout the day with different hashtags work well. You don’t overwhelm your followers but you get a good amount of downloads and ReTweets.

Remember to schedule emails to your newsletter letting them know about the free promotion and of course, inviting them to share your book. One of my co-authors has a large email list and this always kick-starts our promotion.

Press Releases

Free ebooks and tips www.facebook.com/fkbooks

Some authors like to do a free book event on Facebook where they invite all their friends to an event and update them throughout the day. These work better when you give aways spot prizes to people who share images and quotes related to your book. I’ve not tried this, it’s just not my thing

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Twitter Hashtags

You can also organise a Twitter party for your free book promotion. www.sarkemedia.com/how-tohold-a-social-media-sales-party/

Kindle (free) book club www.facebook.com/KindleFreeBookClub

Promoted posts work okay on Facebook but ads for the free book can be costly (as you are taking someone off of Facebook) and not as good value for money when compared to paying for an enhanced website listing.

Press releases work best when backed up with a PR person making calls and generating conversations around your books. Free press release sites can work just as well for you, providing you tailor the press releases and they have an interesting hook and story. Remember to contact your local newspapers as well as online press release sites.

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newslink.org

www.blogtour.org

www.marketwire.com

www.pumpupyourbook.com/tag/virtual-blog-tour/

www.prnewswire.com

Better than blog tours - a series of targeted guest posts on sites that share your audience.

www.newswire.ca/en/index

Okay that’s 72 places you can promote your free Kindle book when it’s on promotion (I’ve not included the Twitter hashtags). You can also utilise social media, networking groups and forums to help promote your book.

www.prweb.com businesswire.com www.pr-inside.com 24-7pressrelease.com

Networking and social media tools to promote your books

www.pr.com www.mediapost.com

www.authorgraph.com Create a slidedeck on Slideshare Create videos on You Tube Get interviewed on podcasts and radio shows bookgrow.com www.worldliterarycafe.com 4networking.biz (blatant ads section)

www.tmcnet.com us.cision.com www.newswiretoday.com www.prlog.org pressreleasenetwork.com/index.html betanews.com www.promotionworld.com

What doesn’t work when it comes to marketing your free book?

clickpress.com www.businessportal24.com/en

Not telling your family. My family have no frickin’ idea what I do but that doesn’t mean they won’t tell people about my book. I realised this when I found my teenage daughter proudly sharing one of my free books with her friends. Just because they don’t understand your work it doesn’t mean you can’t let them be proud of you.

www.webnewswire.com www.przoom.com urlwire.com groupweb.com

Blog Tours I’m in two-minds whether these work or not. I’ve organised one for a client and it went down really well. He generated a lot of interest in his book (and sales). I’ve done one for myself and that did well. Friends have done them and they’ve not done too well. As a blogger I’m well-connected, I chat to a lot of people and perhaps I just found it easier than other authors. It’s up to you to decide if you wish to go down the blog tour route. Blog tours can cost the author a lot of money, so budget wisely and remember to link them with your free download days or just after, when you are high up the Amazon charts. authorblogtours.com bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.co.uk/p/tour-pricing

www.authorpreneurmagazine.com

Not telling your friends. Many of my friends are social media fanatics. When I published Zero to Social Media I kept quiet. I didn’t tell them about my books as I thought they knew everything that I had to say. Apparently not. Tell your friends, even if you think they know everything and it’s not of interest to them. Thinking that Amazon will do everything for you. Amazon do an awful lot to keep promoting a popular book. But you have to start the process. You cannot sit back and think “I’ve published, it’s free… I’m done now”. Your job as a published author is only just beginning. This article originally published www.sarkemedia.com/free-kindle-book-promotion

May 2013

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