By Shelley Sturgeon
I shared a meme on Facebook a couple of days ago. It was a picture of a dog outside in a snowy backyard and the caption read: “Today feels like January 94th.” I could completely appreciate the humor in this as I looked out the window to yet more snow falling and covering the ground.
Self-publishing our books may sometimes feel a bit like that. We anticipate the publication of our books but the journey to publication–the editing, designing the covers and the interiors, etc., all necessary to produce the best books possible, may seem to take forever.
But, just as I am trying to focus my thoughts on a spring that will eventually get here, you need to try to focus on the satisfaction you’ll experience once your book is published and looks amazing!
And, in the meantime, check out this week’s selection of articles for some great self-publishing tips and information from some of the best writing and self-publishing blogs on the web.
Sandra Beckwith on Build Book Buzz
How to promote your audiobook
“Pour a cup of coffee . . . make a cup of tea . . . and prepare to learn about how to promote your audiobook. The questions are mine; the answers are Karen Commins’s.”
Stephanie Chandler on Nonfiction Authors Association
Online PR – How to Locate and Pitch Bloggers
“While there are a lot of rules around how to pitch traditional media sources, the rules for pitching online sources are often looser, and the opportunities could keep you busy for years.”
Jane Friedman on Writer Unboxed
A Smarter Author Platform for the Digital Era of Publishing
“Author platform, in its simplest form, is an author’s ability to sell books. What that platform looks like, or how it works, varies from author to author”
Melinda Clayton on Indies Unlimited
Terms You Need to Know Before Signing a Publishing Contract
“Several years ago I wrote a book, now out of print, warning of some red flags when it comes to signing with a publisher. One of those red flags had to do with contracts.”
Nate Hoffelder on The Digital Reader
Amazon is Shutting Down Its Crowd-Sourcing Platform, Kindle Scout
“Amazon informed authors on Monday that they were no longer accepting new submissions to Kindle Scout.”
Blog Schedule Change
We’ve been publishing three times each week for years. In recent years posts have appeared on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays.
Now, we’re changing that schedule.
We’ll still have the same number of great articles from experts in book publishing, marketing, and promotion.
But now they will appear on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Okay, now you know. Onward.
Self-Publishing News You Can Use
By Amy Collins
Smashwords Offers Audiobook Production and Distribution with Findaway Voices
Smashwords today entered the audiobook market via a partnership with Findaway Voices.
Over 100,000 Smashwords authors and publishers now have access to audiobook production and distribution services. The agreement gives authors and publishers greater control over audiobook pricing, rights, and distribution, and all without exclusivity or lockups.
Effective immediately, the new feature is visible in the Smashwords Dashboard.
Links of Interest
Smashwords
Smashwords Enters Audiobook Market with Findaway Voices
Photo: pixabay.com
