This Week in the Blogs, January 13 – 19, 2018

by Shelley Sturgeon | Jan 21, 2018

By Shelley Sturgeon

There’s always so much to learn and remember on your self-publishing journey, but hey, you’ve got this, right? Don’t forget that we’re here to help, too. Past articles from The Book Designer can always be found here by topic. We’ve also got a great selection of templates and author toolkits to simplify your indie publishing experience. And, this week’s selection of articles will help you to stay on top of things, too.

Dan Wagstaff on The Casual Optimist
Book Covers of Note January 2018
“I was sure that 2018 would be different from 2017, and yet here we are… Happy New Year!”

Frances Caballo on Social Media Just For Writers
Feeling Introverted? No Problem. Read These 10 Tips
“As a writer, you need to break out of your introverted nature enough so that you can market the books you spend so much time in solitude writing and perfecting.”

Stephanie Chandler on Nonfiction Authors Association
Promote Your Book with Online Groups
“One under-utilized opportunity for authors is online groups—I’m talking about Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups and other online forums. Online groups are mini communities where you can connect with your target readers long before your book is published.”

Melissa Bowersock on Indies Unlimited
Looking for Professional Help with Your Book? Think Reedsy.
“I was introduced to Reedsy by a friend who had just hooked up with an editor for her new book.”

Sandra Beckwith on Build Book Buzz
How to get kicked out of a Facebook group
“If you need to spend less time in online discussions, here are 13 ways to ensure you get kicked out of a few groups. As a group moderator, I guarantee they will work.”

Self-Publishing News You Can Use

By Amy Collins

CreateSpace Closing Author Services Division

Amazon announced it was laying off 58 of its employees in South Carolina. This employee group was responsible for covering interior design as well as editorial and marketing services. In 2018 CreateSpace plans to get out of the author services side of the business altogether.

“After a thorough review of our service offerings, we’ve made the decision to discontinue Createspace’s paid professional editing, design and marketing services,” Amazon said in a statement. “We will work closely with impacted employees through this transition to help them find new roles within the company or assist them with pursuing opportunities outside the company.”