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8 contributions to Lessons in Self Publishing
15d •
BOOK BLURBS 📚📝
What makes a strong book blurb? There are a few key things that I like to remember when helping authors write theirs and I shared a few tips during our Saturday morning coffee. If you missed it, no worries, I'll share it on Monday. 😁
1 like • 5d
@Danielle Marietta Both Bryan Cohen and Dwight V. Swain have written books that offer blurb-writing tips. Swain touts writing the blurb first, during your initial flush of creativity, and using the blurb as a sort of outline to assure you cover the salient points.
0 likes • 14h
@Santina Timothy Since I was 5.
11d •
My Journey from Discouragement to Consistent Book Sales
Hello everyone, I'm is Cal Newport, a fiction and nonfiction author passionate about creating stories and ideas that connect with readers and add real value to their lives. There was a time not too long ago when I struggled to generate consistent sales for my books. Despite putting in significant effort running multiple promotions, testing different strategies, and staying persistent the results were discouraging, and honestly, it took a toll on my motivation. Things began to shift when I connected with someone who helped me take a more structured and informed approach to what I was doing. With the right guidance and a clearer strategy, I was able to identify what wasn’t working, make the necessary adjustments, and start seeing real progress. Today, I’m in a much better place. My book sales have improved significantly, and more importantly, I feel confident and excited about the direction I’m heading in as an author. I’m sharing this because I know many authors go through similar challenges. Sometimes, all it takes is the right perspective and support to turn things around. If you’re currently in that phase, keep going progress is possible with the right approach and consistency.
2 likes • 5d
@Cal Newport @Jeremy Holst @Danielle Marietta I don't worry about sales any more. I write because I can't NOT write, and I may or may not publish☺️. I send out sporadic emails to a loyal band of followers who, for some reason, are interested in whatever has caught my eye--orchids; veggie gardening; herbs--growing, cooking with, and medicinal uses; classical piano music; music theory; roses; birds; wildlife; dogs and dog shows; clothing design and pattern-making; humane pest control; pollinators; sock knitting; music of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome; folk medicine; chickens and urban farming (my iconoclastic view is that all lawns should be used to grow vegetables--grass, in the main, is useless except to feed animals); creating puzzles; and more. I never run out of subjects for writing, and I never have writer's block because if I'm stuck, I move on to the next subject and, as Stephen King says, turn the blockage problem over to the boys in the basement to solve (i.e., your subconscious).😁
1 like • 14h
@Cal Newport Hi, Cal☺️-- yes, I've thought about it. but it's a daunting task (I also thought about curating my columns in the AKC Gazette by subject, but it would be a time-consuming task with little reward, so I took a nap instead😁). Actually, the columns from 2010 to 2017 are in my website (the AKC gave me permission to put them in my website (https://www.GoodFoodGreatDogs.com)as long as it was AFTER they were published in the Gazette --the same rule applies to their re-printing in Pepper 'n Salt, the Standard Schnauzer Club of America's magazine. I had a stint in the hospital in 2018 and never got back to putting in the columns from 2017 until now, and I'm really busy, so. . . .🤗. But the Gazette has on-line archives of all its publications going back to 1880, they're out there if you know where to look.
13d •
Tips for Writing Your Book Blurb!
A discussion on creating a strong blurb is now posted! You can find it, and more tips, under the CLASSROOM tab at the top of our Skool's community. **Drop your book blurb below! Link to the video: https://www.skool.com/lessons-in-self-publishing-8733/classroom/3c049402?md=ea95f9220eb844a09ca0a375e778e43e
2 likes • 12d
@Danielle Marietta Thank you for the blurb tips. I always have trouble condensing a book into a few short paragraphs suitable for a KDP thumbnail. One blurb tidbit I've treasured for many years is found in Techniques of the Selling Writer, by Dwight V. Swain, then Professor in Oklahoma U.'s (or is it U. of Oklahoma?) writing program, available in paperback and kindle. Quoting from Amazon's sales page, "Techniques of the Selling Writer provides solid instruction for people who want to write and sell fiction, not just to talk and study about it. It gives the background, insights, and specific procedures needed by all beginning writers. Here one can learn how to group words into copy that moves, movement into scenes, and scenes into stories; how to develop characters, how to revise and polish, and finally, how to sell the product." It covers more advanced topics, as well. An oldie but goodie published in January 1981, I used excerpts for teaching Writing for Publication at UNM.🥰
3 likes • 17h
@Elara Stroud Welcome! I hope you find this group to be supportive and educational!
10d •
FREE WEBSITE DESIGN
Hey there 👋 I’m currently offering a limited number of website design and redesign spots at a special discounted rate. I’m building up my portfolio and gathering client testimonials, so it’s a great opportunity if you’re looking for a high-quality website without breaking the bank. If you’re interested, feel free to send me a message!
1 like • 5d
@Lawrence Miller I'm interested, but the only way I know how to send a message is here.🥲
2 likes • 5d
@Lawrence Miller I have several Web addresses for which I've been paying for several years, meaning "to do something, someday." Before we get started, I need to sort them out. Right now my "brain"--the notebook in which I keep all my computer accounts--is misplaced, and I need that to find out which pen names and/or interest I have a site.🤑
Mar 10 •
📚 Authors — Quick Question
Many great books don’t struggle because the writing is bad… They struggle because readers never discover them. Publishing the book is one step. Getting the right readers to see it is another. For authors here: 👉 What has been your biggest challenge after publishing your book? • Getting readers • Marketing the book • Getting reviews After publishing your book, what has been the biggest challenge for you?
1 like • 12d
@Jeremy Holst This exactly my problem--too many books (like around 40) on assortment of subjects gathering electronic dust in varying stages of completion, a few having been rewritten completely several times. My husband refers to them as my "Obsessions du jour," which is the name of my publishing company (ODJ Books).
1 like • 7d
@Michael James @Jeremy Holst Actually it isn't clear. I click on the notification, see a weird screen, try to answer, but there''s no guidance where to type and the screen just stares at me--so I give up. There must be a secret that I'm missing.🥲 If anyone out there has tried to contact me via DMs or inboxing, please just use regular responses, and share with the group whatever pearls of wisdom you were willing to tell me privately. We're all here to learn from @Danielle Marietta and each other.☺️
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