It’s a new year!
In 2015 I decided to focus on my writing, and this month I’m gearing up to launch my first fiction. I’ve been posting a lot of advanced Amazon hacking and guerrilla book marketing stuff on my blog, but I realized that’s too much for people who are still struggling to finish their first book, get it published, and build an author platform.
So last night I stayed up late and made a bunch of videos, about the more basic, “production” side of publishing: formatting and book design, setting up an author website, finding an editor, and putting your book up for sale.
I also talked about book marketing, marketing funnels and visibility, building your email list, SEO for authors and more.
I wanted to make it as easy as possible for new authors to get published quickly, while avoiding some of the frustration and overwhelm that’s common for writers to encounter.
It’s basic, getting started stuff (for me) but a lot of it is probably new to you, even if you’ve already published some books. So if you’re working on book and plan to publish in 2016, please go watch the videos – they’ll save you a ton of time and money.
I even made a graphic:
If the videos, resources and tools are helpful, please consider linking to them or sharing them. You should also check out this post, 134 Publishing Questions Answered. It’s massive.
I’m a huge fan of DIY publishing, but I appreciate that learning to do all this stuff can take too much time and energy. And a great deal of authors never even reach the “publishing” stage because even though they desperately want to write a book, they can’t find the time to get it finished.
If you need more accountability and support, or if you’ve wanted to publish for a long time but can’t seem to get it done, I recommend checking out the Self-Publishing School – it’s not free, but Chandler Bolt has set up a rigorous system to guide you through the process of actually getting your book finished and published. You can watch one of his videos for free here, and see if it’s a good fit for you.
Writing isn’t easy, and publishing can be a minefield unless you have personal help and guidance – there’s just too much information out there, and not all of it good.
Finally, if you want a more dramatic option and are ready to make a big commitment to your writing, this November I’m renting a castle for Nanowrimo in France. You’ll be cut off from the world and forced to focus on your writing; but you’ll also be surrounded by publishing and design experts, and other experienced authors for one month. You’ll learn more about publishing and book marketing in those four weeks than most authors learn in a year, and I’ll personally help you design and launch your book.
My friends tell me it’s a dumb idea, because I’ll probably lose money on it, but come’on, it’s a castle. How cool will that be? And I’m not doing it to earn money: I’m doing it because I know it will be great for my own writing, and I want to surround myself with successful authors I can learn from.
So, to recap, here are three options for you:
1. Lots of free videos, resources and templates on my sites to help you publish your book on your own.
2. The Self-Publishing School if you need support and accountability.
3. Split a castle with me and spend a month picking my brain.
Even if you’ve already published a book or two, there’s always more to learn. If you’re ready to take your writing career seriously and get to the next level, you need to put your writing first.
I’m a philosophy dropout with a PhD in Literature. I covet a cabin full of cats, where I can write fantasy novels to pay for my cake addiction. Sometimes I live in castles.
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