Tag: Indie Authors

Straight Up: Q&A with Mark Coker

Mark Coker

I recently had the opportunity to interview Mark Coker, one of the visionaries of the indie author movement. In 2008, Mark founded Smashwords to accelerate the death spiral of the bloated, inefficient, out-dated publishing industry—or as he put it:  to change the way books are published, marketed and sold.

Mark and his wife co-authored Boob Tube, a novel that explores the wild and wacky world of Hollywood celebrity. He also wrote the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, The Smashwords Style Guide and The 10-Minute PR Checklist.

Mark says when he’s not writing or working on Smashwords, he enjoys gardening, traveling and hiking tall mountains, the tallest of which has been Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Here, I ask him nine questions, and he gives expansive and fascinating answers.

So buckle up and get ready for the word straight up, from Mark Coker. Continue reading “Straight Up: Q&A with Mark Coker”

Book Signings R Fun! by Nicole Storey

Author Nicole Storey

[This is a golden oldie—it ran on Indies Unlimited back in October 2011.] “How did you go about setting up the book signing?” “Weren’t you nervous?” “What would you have done if no one had shown up?” These are the common questions I have been asked since my book signing event. The answer to the second question; YES, I was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs! However, I also want people to read my book. Let’s face it, even in today’s time; many people just don’t love the internet as much as we do. Heck, even if they are the type that spend 23 hours a day on the net, there is still a huge chance that they will never come across my Facebook page, website, or blog. I had to find another way to advertise; a more personal way. To answer the third question; if no one had shown up, I would have come back home with a box full of books, but at least I would have the satisfaction of knowing that I tried. Continue reading “Book Signings R Fun! by Nicole Storey”

SIX things all indie authors should know

Indie authors understand that being out there on one’s own means having to tackle all aspects of book writing, publishing, and promotion. It might seem daunting, it is certainly hard work, and a steep learning curve, but help is available.

Six!

Few participants in other industries help each other in the same way that authors pitch in for others like them. The huge helpings of camaraderie and assistance, advice and support, must be seen and felt to be believed.

It’s possible to learn enough in a year to be able to write a book and present it to one’s readers in a form that satisfies industry standards, simply because so much help is available.

Here are some points that one needs to know: Continue reading “SIX things all indie authors should know”

Professionalism in Indie Publishing –– The Value of a Collective by Liza Perrat

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines professionalism as: the conduct, aims or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person. So, how does this relate to an authors’ collective?

For years, self-published novels evoked to me images of poorly-written, shoddily put-together books. Unprofessional products. Something I certainly did not want for the months, or years, of slaving over a novel.

Several years ago I was fortunate to join an online writing group, and thanks to the keen editorial eyes and unfailing support of the members, my writing improved. After endless revisions, I finally had a story I believed was fit for the public eye, and happily packed it off to my agent. But she was not able to arouse the slightest interest from any of the big traditional publishing houses. So, what next? If I wanted to get my book to readers, self-publishing seemed my only viable option. But I wanted a professional-looking book, in content, design and marketing –– a task that, alone, seemed beyond my reach.

At that point, two writers from the online group in a similar situation approached me. We discussed our fears: homemade covers, poor typesetting, unprofessional presentation and inappropriate marketing. Not to mention the sense of isolation. None of us wanted this; we wanted to create books that would be indistinguishable from those professionally produced. After months of planning and discussion, sharing everything between three seemed far less formidable, and the authors’ collective, Triskele Books was born. Continue reading “Professionalism in Indie Publishing –– The Value of a Collective by Liza Perrat”