Marketing pro Sharon Spaulding has promoted tech startups, authors, international nonprofits, Fortune 50 companies and celebrities. But when it came to promoting herself—establishing her author brand, building a platform, and cultivating a devoted following of readers—she was flummoxed. “I’m very good at what I do but cannot do it for myself,” Sharon says. “I was
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Feeding the hungry reader: The business of self-publishing with Amanda Clay
by Amanda Clay Over the past few months, we’ve talked through some key foundations to the business of indie publishing—why you might consider it, the various platforms, and the basic upfront costs and earning potential. Hopefully you’re still intrigued about this creative and independent endeavor! But a question you might be asking yourself is, what
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The Dollars and Cents of Self-Publishing
By Amanda Clay When I first started on the path of self-publishing, something I found a bit shocking was how candid everyone was in talking about money. In the Facebook groups, at the conferences, authors were discussing how much they’d made and how much they’d spent to get there. I don’t know about you, but
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Beta Readers and Your Path to a Successful Book Launch
by Carla King While teaming up with other writers can help you finish your book, beta readers can help you answer the question: Will my book succeed? If you’re like most authors, you don’t want to show readers your book until it’s perfect: perfectly edited, perfectly proofread, and perfectly formatted. Don’t wait! Find people who
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New Year, New Day in Publishing
On March 27th SFWC Director Laurie McLean gave a presentation as part of the Mechanics Institute – San Francisco Writers Conference partnership entitled: New Year, New Day in Publishing. Here is the Powerpoint presentation for anyone who would like to see her thoughts on publishing in 2021. New Year, New Day in Publishing
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Beyond The ‘Zon—There’s more than one way to publish a book
by Amanda Clay Are you exclusive or wide? It’s a question asked in every indie author circle. Exclusive—meaning you publish your ebooks exclusively through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing; or Wide—your book is available on all digital platforms such as Kobo, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble, and in libraries. It’s a distinction that’s highly debated, often
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