Checklist for Self-Publishing Print Books

print book self-publishing checklist-372766_960_720Occasionally I’ll get an email or message from a newbie writer who’s read a bit about my journey and is looking for direction. The gist of the message is almost always: “I’ve written a book and I’d like to publish it, but I don’t know what to do next.” This, coupled with the fact that I recently facilitated a sold-out workshop on how to self-publish, made me realize that there are a lot of people in this same situation. It’s not surprising. There’s a ton of information out there on the web — some good, some bad — and it takes time to sift through it all and figure out the best way to proceed. Looking back, I know my own journey evolved over years, but now, with almost twenty self-published books under my belt, the process is a snap. If I could do a Vulcan mind-meld and parcel my experience out to others, I would, but failing that, maybe at least I can help some to the onramp without their having to reinvent the wheel.

I self-publish with CreateSpace, Amazon’s subsidiary, and this tutorial is geared to that. Note, too, that this is a very brief overview of the process, but it will give you, in a nutshell, what you need to do and have in order to self-publish your print book. Continue reading “Checklist for Self-Publishing Print Books”

Tips to Get Your Guest Posts Featured on Blogs

blog-970722_960_720Guest Post
by Brenda Perlin

As an author, most of us find we also have to be bloggers in order to let the world know about our books. This sort of blurs the lines of what makes a true blogger – and why would someone who is not a writer want to spend the hours it takes to share content? Where are their rewards?

If you have your own blog, you know that it’s a lot of work. And featuring other people on your blog can sometimes turn into a nightmare. But what about getting yourself featured on other blogs? Here are some tips from bloggers to help you do it the right way. Continue reading “Tips to Get Your Guest Posts Featured on Blogs”

Your Beautiful Backlist

authors backlist by anatomography from wikimedia commonsauthors backlist by anatomography from wikimedia commons
Image courtesy of Anatomography from Wikimedia Commons

There was a thread on Kboards this week that focused on what authors thought their best writing was. Almost without exception, writers thought their most recent books were their best. That feels like human nature to me, for several reasons. One, we tend to love new things. Our old projects had been sweated over, rewritten, edited, re-edited, and proofread ad nauseum, while our current project is still full of infinite possibilities. Second, we improve as we go. When I go back and read my first book, I admit I cringe a bit. It was the best I could do at the time, and it was professionally edited and proofread, but, if I’m honest, I have to admit that I’d like to get in there and give it a good scrubbing.

For these and other reasons, we tend to spend the majority of our time on our newest releases – seeking reviews, booking promo sites, organizing blog tours, etc. I just want to remind you of the power of your backlist, and ask you to not neglect it too much. Continue reading “Your Beautiful Backlist”