Thursday, March 9, 2017

Indie Cool



I am sitting outside listening to the cicadas and thinking hopeful thoughts that the two weeks of summer we have just had isn’t all we are going to get. The weather suddenly turned cool and now the north of the country is getting record rainfall and floods. It’s a worry.

In the publishing world Hachette just bought a boutique ebook publisher. Why? Is it because they were niche and top of their game in the Indie publishing world? Is it because now it is cool to be seen as Indie... (In last weeks roundup Waterstones disguises their chain bookstores as Indies in the high street.)

What is in the future for the publishing industry now that colouring books are no longer the break out hit?

This week Joanna Penn interviewed a music industry veteran Dave Kusek about the changes that happened in the music business and what might be around the corner for publishers. This is an interesting article. (Merch anyone?) Along with that great article she also has a standout post on Using Amazon Ads.

And where is eCommerce going in the future? Writers need to keep an eye on the real paying world here too. After all a sale could be only as far as your smart phone.
Do you have an Epic Author One Sheet? It can make a sales difference- Judith Briles. And a Stand Out Author Bio- Epic post from Anne R Allen.

Make the reader care! Mary Kole said in her excellent article on writing feelings, so the fact that Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are about to celebrate their 200,000th book in the Emotion Thesaurus series is a big tick from writers. I was first linking to their Emotion Thesaurus for Writers (Bookshelf Muse) site about six years ago. I have the first book in the series and it’s a nifty resource. I’m waiting for the next one on Emotional Wounds.

Productivity is the name and writers are always looking for ways to amp it up... so treadmills... yes? Abbi Perets says Walking and Writing= productivity.

The London Book Fair is coming up... and Alli are running their awesome Indie fringe online event around it. Check out the speakers they’ve got lined up... and it’s free.

In The Craft Section,






Conflict and suspense in every novel- James Scott Bell- Bookmark



In The Marketing Section,

The epic guide to book launch teams- Bookthority- Bookmark!


Why your about page matters?- Joel Friedlander- Bookmark


How to sell 100x more books – Bookbub Insight


10 step book launch plan- Derek Murphy- Bookmark!!

 Publishing your first book- Frances Caballo



To Finish,

Among the more interesting bookshops I have wandered into is The Comic Bookshop. It is a haven for the geek and nerd with collectable merch but also amazing comic books.
They are Indie in every way. Litreactor has an interesting article about 8 things a Comic book store can teach booksellers. As I was reading this I was thinking of all the bookstores I know that fit the bill. They are all Indie... funny that. Indie must be where the cool kids hang out.

Maureen
@craicer

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Thursday, March 2, 2017

The Act Of Writing


I was reflecting this week on the dark night of the soul. That’s the part of the book at the end of act 2 when the protagonist has to make a choice and carry on....
This week I was coming across articles that could have come from the dark night of the writers soul.

The Book Designer had an article about another publisher who went belly up owing millions in law suits. He did some quick author life saving. Recognise the signs and Beware Sharks!

Ruth Harris had an article on how to recognise overload in writers. Is it stress or burnout?

March McCarron had one on data loss and what to do when it strikes you.

Book works has a comprehensive article on estate planning for authors.

Tara Sparling asks if there is a slush pile on our Kindles?

And then there were the glimmers of dawn...

Heather Webb kicked off a great discussion on Writer Unboxed on what fiction trends say about us.

Joanna Penn added a list of great writing books everyone should read.

Elizabeth Craig had a great article on organisation. How do you organise your life around your writing...

The moments when the dawn shadows revealed rocks that looked like dragons...

Roz Morris on whether you are showing off or sharing your writing. Should you be killing your darlings? A great read. What is your motivation...

Fine Art Views on the depth of your fan growth. Is it quantity over quality? How can you engage them better in what you produce?

Kris Rusch on Writer finances in a paycheck world. What you should be doing with that unexpected windfall of cash.

Now the sun is up and you can see what lies in the shadows... and just when you think the way seems clear news comes out that a large bookstore chain is secretly opening up independent shops in a trojan horse play....

You need to arm yourself with the best apps for writers going into the third act.

In The Craft Section,

Zero Draft 30- An interesting writing challenge.




The dark night of the soul- Sara Letourneau – Bookmark



In The Marketing Section,


Optimising the back cover-Bookworks- Bookmark

Social Media Checklist- Caitlin Burgess


Is expecting help to market your books lazy?- Excellent discussion from Rachel Thompson

Newsletter surveys- Kate Tilton – Bookmark

To Finish,

Chuck Wendig has put together his vital list of writing advice that you cannot ignore as you head out into the third act salt mines and to the eventual glory of writing the words... The End.

Maureen
@craicer

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