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Why having a Facebook author page for your book is (mostly) useless

Why having a Facebook author page for your book is (mostly) useless

You’re writing a book. You want to make sure you do the marketing part right so people know about it, buy it and read it (so that they can rave and tell their friends about it). You know having a “Social Media Strategy” is important, so you might be thinking about setting up a special

Derek Murphy facebook author, facebook book promotion, facebook fan page 805
Are a you a Wantreprenauthor? (aka: Is vanity killing your publishing?)

Are a you a Wantreprenauthor? (aka: Is vanity killing your publishing?)

A lot of indie publishing gurus talk about being an Authorpreneur or Entreprenauthor – basically referring to the importance of treating your writing and publishing as a business. But something real entrepreneurs are very familiar with is the guy going through the motions of business without actually doing anything. Trying to act like a...

Derek Murphy making money online, self-publishing, wantrepreneur 64
Will this simple Amazon trick double your book sales?

Will this simple Amazon trick double your book sales?

I put out “Book Marketing is Dead” almost 2 months ago and haven’t thought much about it. It’s doing pretty well and earning positive reviews. Then I showed it to some indie author friends in Puerto Galera, Philippines this week and they both commented on the title: After the main title, the subtitle was all

Derek Murphy kindle ranking 115
Medicating procrastination: how “smart drugs” can keep you motivated

Medicating procrastination: how “smart drugs” can keep you motivated

Most people have goals. They want to write more. Produce more. Start a business. Do the chores. And if you really want to do something, and you enjoy doing it, you may not face too much of a motivation challenge. Except that the things worth doing probably involve some stuff that’s not too much fun.

Derek Murphy modafinil, motivation, procrastination, productivity, smart drugs 2236
High price = higher satisfaction: except when selling books (+a defense of Hugh Howey)

High price = higher satisfaction: except when selling books (+a defense of Hugh Howey)

A couple nights ago I met up with Hugh Howey Fan Fic writer Wes Davies over pizza and beer in Tainan, Taiwan; as indie authors we discussed marketing and pricing strategies. The best plan (I continue to affirm) is cheap or free – especially at the beginning, and especially as a lead-in to a series.

Derek Murphy book reviews, Kindle pricing, pricing strategy, sell books 127
Being happy isn’t enough: finding a life purpose you REALLY care about.

Being happy isn’t enough: finding a life purpose you REALLY care about.

I recently had an “Aha!” moment reading Sebastian Marshall’s Ikagai. I’ve written earlier about how “chasing your passion” is bad business advice, but I still essentially cling to the idea that happiness is a worthwhile goal. We have absolute freedom, so – given the option – why not be happy?...

Derek Murphy happiness, how to be happy, meaning of life, what's my life purpose 193
Why I hate fine art: lessons from the Taipei contemporary art scene

Why I hate fine art: lessons from the Taipei contemporary art scene

I tried to make it as a fine artist for several years. I climbed up the ladder. I networked. I even got into a few high-brow galleries and sold some work. But then I quit – because, although there’s the potential to make a huge amount of money for something mediocre that didn’t take long

Derek Murphy how to sell art, investment art, taipei, taipei artist, taipei gallery 281
How to make a “Donate” or “Pay What You Like” button for PayPal

How to make a “Donate” or “Pay What You Like” button for PayPal

It’s tough to decide what to charge for things. High prices can signify value and authority. Low prices may mean more sales but less satisfied customers. Giving stuff away for free build trusts and brand appreciation. There’s definitely a science to it all. Right now I’ve been working on a project that has a lot

Derek Murphy flexible pricing, optional payment, pay what you want, paypal donate button 660
The 8 brilliant fonts you NEED to use in your book layout (with type combos & samples)

The 8 brilliant fonts you NEED to use in your book layout (with type combos & samples)

If you were formatting a book – just the inside – you’d have to choose a strong, perfect body font for the main paragraphs and a complimentary and interesting font for titles, subtitles and chapter headings. Except you don’t really need to do that, because (I assume) you’ve already put together an amazing cover...

Derek Murphy 7575
The secret to finishing your novel (8 tips for self-motivating persistently)

The secret to finishing your novel (8 tips for self-motivating persistently)

This is a guest post from Bridget at Now Novel – she’s going to get the conversation started and I’ll finish up with my own thoughts. You’ve taken the leap into actually putting words on paper and getting started on that novel you’ve always wanted to write, but how do make sure that you keep

Derek Murphy finish a novel, finish your book, writer's block, writing a novel, writing motivation 89
How to save thousands of dollars publishing your book (9 reasons you shouldn’t work with a small press).

How to save thousands of dollars publishing your book (9 reasons you shouldn’t work with a small press).

I’ve been sitting on this post awhile. It’s opinionated. I’m rankled. Which means my judgment may be clouded, and I don’t want to pass my cloudy judgment on to you. On the other hand, I’m getting pretty damn good at helping authors publish books and just about every aspect of self-publishing. I can take a

Derek Murphy self-publishing, small press 140
Why not using your time travel powers is selfish and stupid (a review of “About Time”)

Why not using your time travel powers is selfish and stupid (a review of “About Time”)

I’ve seen a lot of time travel movies over the years, but none have made me seriously consider the issue of time travel until I started watching “About Time.” I think the charm of the movie is watching the disaster unfold as socially awkward, disarmingly frank but also very creepy and strange “Tim” (Domhnall...

Derek Murphy creativity, inspiration, time travel 348
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Book Writing & Publishing Tips from a Creativity Alchemist
From starving artist to creative genius. Marketing tips for artists and writers... so you can create your best work and thrive.

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AI detector: How to Detect if a Text is Generated by GPT-4 or Another AI Writing Tool
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Free fiction writer’s template to help you plan and structure your novel (24 chapter plotting outline for word, scrivener, G-Docs, plottr)
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The 8 brilliant fonts you NEED to use in your book layout (with type combos & samples)
The 8 brilliant fonts you NEED to use in your book layout (with type combos & samples)
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