Zopim. There, I said it. Rather than making you wait till the very end of the post to reveal the powerful secret promised in the headline, I’ve given it to you in the beginning. What is it, you ask? Zopim is a chat-software you can install on your blog or website, and then link up
I’m pretty good at setting big goals, but tonight I decided I better make a nice “Vision Board.” Basically, it’s a collage of the things you want out of life. The idea is you look at it everyday and “align” yourself with your goals, until they start coming true. Wanting to become a successful author
Recently I’ve been subscribing to a lot of email mailing lists. I look at the professional bloggers who seem to have their shit together, and I subscribe. I want to know what they’re doing, how they talk to their readers, and how they represent their brand. I pay attention, because I want to do it
You may have noticed I’ve narrowed my blog down to three main topics: tips for artists, authors and entrepreneurs. That may seem ridiculously wide-ranging, and indeed it’s clumsy to always have to say all three together. I sometimes shorten it to “authors, artists and entreps” but I wish I could say...
Adding a custom author box, using a photo or your gravatar, at the bottom of your wordpress posts should be a snap. Links to your social profiles, a short bio, a picture, a reminder to subscribe: these are very basic and powerful features that you should be using on the bottom of every post to
Recently some authors I’m working with needed a fantasy map to put in the beginning of their book, Legend of the Chosen. Sometimes it’s helpful to put a map in the beginning of your book, so that readers can have an idea of where everything is. But how do you make one? It’s not
Are you trying to write a book? If not, you’re the only one. The temptations of writing and publishing a book are many: the feeling of empowerment that comes with finishing a large project; the respectability and deference that comes with introducing yourself as a “published author”; and of course the opportunity to make...
Like many self publishing authors, when I was getting my first book ready to birth into the world, I realized that I had no platform, no support and very little marketing ability. How could I get people to find my book, like it and buy it? What tools could I use to self-publish – should
I like Jeff Goins. Although he only came into my radar recently and I don’t know much about him, he makes me feel like I’m taking a calm stroll through the woods, next to a stream. I can hear acoustic guitar playing in the background. Unlike bloggers who stand out for being edgy, tough, or
I just got my first “Cease and Desist” order, in an email claiming to be from a lawyer defending the rights of Angry Birds. It happened just after I sent the following sketch to some painting companies in Dafen China, in a project aiming to explore whether fine art can be outsourced. Obviously, somebody turned
I’m thrilled to see a new book out by Chris Guillebeau called “The $100 Dollar Startup.” I’ve followed Chris with a lot of interest, being a fellow globe-trotting Portlander, and have enjoyed many of his books and products. This one in particular looks like it will focus on precisely the topics that I’m developing...
Book sales may seem like a mysterious void of uncertainty, but the truth is most authors fail for very predictable reasons. Luckily, if you’re doing these things wrong, they’re (mostly) easy to fix. 1) You have no reviews. Are you driving people to buy from an amazon page with no reviews on it? Good luck
