Category: Staff Articles

Writing advice and insights from the staff of Indies Unlimited.

Can I Make Money off My Non-Fiction Book?

non-fiction HORSE TRAINERA reader sent in this question: I saw the blog about Page publishing, I’m thinking about writing educational equine books (as I broke my foot and can no longer train horses I would like to write about it) but wondering if there is any money in writing? It sounded from the blog that you need thousands of dollars to get published and that there is no profit in writing. I’m wondering if it is realistic to expect a profit?”

Dear Horse Trainer,

I’ve only written one non-fiction book (plenty of fiction), and here’s my take on making a profit in writing: not right away. In order to write a successful book on horse training, first you have to give a whole lot. Continue reading “Can I Make Money off My Non-Fiction Book?”

Should Authors Use Chapter Titles?

book chapter titles texture-1362879_1920I ran across this question recently in a Facebook group, and noted there was a lot of opinion on it. Some authors are vehemently opposed to using chapter titles, while others adore them. So, what’s best?

Well, the simplest answer is that it’s entirely up to the author. However, chapter titles do tend to be more prevalent in certain genres, so if that’s one you write in, you may want to adopt them. Continue reading “Should Authors Use Chapter Titles?”

How to be a Good Guest Poster from a Site Admin Who Kind of Cares

love on steel heart-1211340_960_720
Tough love, honey. That’s how we roll.

Here at Indies Unlimited, we literally get dozens of emails each week from people trying to “trick” us into running their guest posts to advertise products, publish links to their sites, and more. Clearly, those articles would do nothing for our readers, so, those emails are deleted. We love the delete button.

The best guest posts are a mixture of educational and entertaining. For this site, they should include tips to help authors improve their writing, sales, book publishing procedures, or other aspects of their career. This can be done through recounting personal experiences, providing a tutorial, and more. That’s what readers want.

But what do site admins want when you contact them in hopes of writing a guest post? Yes, that’s right. Site admins have feelings, too. Alas, who cares, really? Well, Ben Steele cares, and he has some great advice on how to pitch a guest post here. Ben’s guidance is polite and sensible. Today, we’re going to hop on the snark bus and go for a ride down Guest Post Lane. Continue reading “How to be a Good Guest Poster from a Site Admin Who Kind of Cares”

Want to Get Published? Do Your Homework!

authors do your homework-1815899_960_720I wish I had read the reviews before I wasted my money with this company. 

I’ve spent $1500 and I still don’t have my book.

I gave this company $5000 and all I got was a single box of books.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard or read something like the statements above, I wouldn’t have to buy lottery tickets anymore. I hear it from the students who attend my self-publishing class; the admins here at IU get emails like this almost every day. It’s frustrating, not only for the writers involved, but for us here at IU because it’s so absolutely avoidable. Continue reading “Want to Get Published? Do Your Homework!”