My Writing Guides
Basic Fiction
$4.99 FREE
“I can’t speak highly enough of Creativindie’s Plot Dot outline method. It’s phenomenal. I used to struggle through the Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet, but Derek explains things so much better.”
★★★★★
Advanced Writing
$19.95 $8.99
“This is the writing book equivalent of being in a wizard’s hut as he tells you his secrets. You either enjoy the ambiance or you don’t. I fell under the spell.”
★★★★★
Nonfiction & Memoir
$12.99 $4.99
“So I bought this a while ago and it slipped down my reading list on the kindle. Do not let this happen to you! Read it straight away. It’s brilliant. A fun read and packed with useful info. Not long either so quick and practical to put into action.”
★★★★★
I’ve been writing and self-publishing books for two decades, and try to share as much useful resources as possible. I turned my little Plot Dot guide into a 24 chapter outline and novel-writing journal, so I recommend picking up the print version to map out your book.
Then I wrote a very long, possibly absurd and tedious, guide to writing called Book Craft. There’s a lot of great stuff in there but it’s heavy and involved. And if you’re writing memoir or nonfiction, I’ve got that covered as well. I’ve written a few million words about it all, but am always finding new secrets to improve my writing and sell more books.
PS. You can get these three writing guides if you join my online writing course.
My Publishing Guides
Publish
$12.95 FREE
“Why reinvent the wheel, and spend money uselessly, when we can leverage off the info from this book. The book contains a treasure trove of actual resources, not just advice.”
★★★★★
Promote
$12.95 FREE
“I hate to admit this, but the tips and tricks in Book Marketing is Dead were so great I, uh, well I purposely didn’t tell anyone about the book. There, I said it. I’m selfish and was looking for an edge.”
★★★★★
Platform
$12.95 FREE
“FINALLY some actual, helpful advice. If you’re an author who’s tried everything and you find nothing seems to work for you to sell your book, please pick this up… before you waste a bunch of money on marketing.”
★★★★★
I keep a list of my favorite writing and publishing resources, that helped me improve my craft. Here are my top picks for best books on writing and I have another free guide all about book cover design.
I talk a LOT about writing fiction, because I’m obsessed with literature and have written 20+ novels. But I don’t want to pollute my also-boughts by selling the wrong audience, so unless you read YA fantasy those books are not for you. I also published my MA and PHD theses as books on esoteric mysticism and astrological symbolism in popular fiction but let’s not discuss those… I was going through a weird phase.
PS – why do I give my books away for free? They’re all available on Amazon, so you can buy them there; but I’m happy to share all the lessons learned after earning over six-figures in book sales, and I know that publishing and book marketing is complex…
I can give away ALL the knowledge and you’ll still probably need to hire someone like me for book design, editing or marketing – so if you find the books useful but overwhelming, or don’t have the skills to really publish a quality product and become a bestselling author – I can help with that! Explore the top menu for more details on what I offer.
Pay it forward by learning as much as you can, and then helping out less experienced authors when they need guidance.
So, grab my books, or get lost in my free resources. Whichever path you choose, I sincerely hope I’ve been able to help you on your journey.
The 3 unskippable steps to self-publishing success
I put out my self published non-fiction research book about a year ago. I did almost everything wrong. I’m starting to come to grips with what I should have done, which I’ve arranged in the following 3-step plan for those who can benefit from my mistakes. 1) Distribution. The book has to be OUT
Read moreHow to choose the PERFECT author pen name: and when you should!
Update: this is an older post that still gets a lot of traffic, so I made a video on some critically important pen name tips that will help you sell more books. Watch the video to learn more. For a long time I thought using an author pen name was disingenuous. Plus it gets confusing
Read moreWhy I’m taking a year off to write novels: a $100,000 publishing goal
In the last couple of years, I increased my online businesses to the point where I could make $100,000 a year. A month ago, I launched DIY bookcovers and made $50,000 in 6 weeks. With that success behind me, a very low cost of living and no debt, I now get to focus on something
Read moreBest free online graphics editors for making your own book cover designs
Looking for a book cover maker? So was I! But I’ve built some recent solutions to book cover design, scroll down to see the latest stuff! So here’s an interesting problem: self-publishing is exploding globally. People want to publish quickly and cheaply. Formatting can be automated to some extent. But getting a high quality book
Read moreHow to make a full print book cover in Microsoft Word for KDP, Lulu or IngramSpark
A few years ago I put out a package of DIY book cover templates in Microsoft Word and revolutionized publishing with a how-to guide to designing amazing book covers in an easy to use program you’re already familiar with. But it took me a while longer to figure out how to customize your front cover
Read moreIs self-publishing “real” publishing? (aka I want a real book, not an ebook)
I was at a conference this weekend talking to a lot of smart people; many of whom wanted to write a book. They’d inevitably ask, “are you self-publishing?” and then scowl, because they “want a real, physical book, not just an ebook.” I explained that print on demand has been around for a decade and
Read moreMy favorite 21 people in self-publishing
I’ve learned so much about self-publishing in the last few years, and now – as I begin to focus on publishing more books of my own – I wanted to share my appreciation for some of the amazing people who keep me inspired. I started this list awhile back thinking I could get pictures with
Read more134 publishing questions answered (the ULTIMATE resource guide on how to self-publish and market a bestselling book)
If you’re interested in publishing or self-publishing a book, you’ve probably got a lot of questions. There are so many tools, resources and services offering tips and information. How does it all work? How do you put a book together, get it out into the world, and get people to buy it? You might have
Read more29 new ways to sell more books RIGHT NOW
Recently I wrote about how most authors will never make any money. I was surprised by the comments, which I expected to be more negative. It seemed to comfort people to learn that they weren’t failing at being an author – they were doing as well as 99.9% of other self-publishing authors, because almost everyone fails. But
Read moreWhy you should never try and get your books in bookstores or libraries
The first time I published, I went with Ingram Spark because I heard it would be easier to get into bookstores and libraries. That claim is false. While theoretically your books can be ordered by libraries, it’s unlikely they will – you need to get them reviewed by MG/YA book reviewers or big organizations. You
Read moreA simple 10-step book launch plan you can easily use to outrank bestselling authors.
I tend to go overboard with my courses and tutorials, and am trying to simplify. Today I’m at the San Francisco writer’s conference and I keep finding myself repeating my book launch formula to authors. I told one writer, “Authors don’t like book marketing because they think it means telling strangers about your book.” She
Read moreHow to design 3D book mockups and promo graphics with Google Slides (FREE TEMPLATES)
UPDATE: after several months of work, we just launched a brand new 3D book cover mockup tool, and it’s amazing. Scroll down for the direct link (it’s free). I’ve been trying to find a way for authors to make better graphics for a long time – for book covers mostly, but also for book promotion
Read more