Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts

Guest Post: How to record and produce your own audiobook by Claude Viens


You neither have to be or hire a professional recording engineer or narrator nor do you have to submit your work to a publisher in hope they will accept to distribute your audiobook. This simple guide will take you step by step through the production and distribution process without complicated technical terms. If you can use a smartphone, computer or pad, you can record and produce your own audiobook at minimal cost. It does require some work but since you have written a book, I am guessing you already master the art of getting things done.

PREPARE YOURSELF

Getting ready to perform is the most important task you will be doing. Even if you were not so great at oral presentations in school, there is a way to deliver a good audiobook. The factor that is working in your favor is that you can stutter, cough, mumble, swear or run out of breath, you always have the possibility of starting over as often as you wish. The best way to prepare yourself for this performance is to read your book out loud at least 10 times. Sounds daunting? Hey I said it wasn’t complicated but it does take time. The more you know your stuff, the better the experience will be for both you the narrator and the listener. When you know your text, it will sound more natural as if you were telling a story. It will be easier for the listener to give into it without realizing that you are actually reading a book. Once you think you are ready, record yourself on your smartphone and listen back. This will give you a good idea as to what pace and you should read at and how much energy you should put in your voice.

FIND A SPACE

Before we get into the technical stuff, let’s locate an ideal spot to make the recording. Look around your house, apartment or office for a quiet place that is as dead as possible. What I mean by dead is: A room with enough soft material inside it to cut out the echo. I found that my walk-in closet was the deadest and also the quietest room in the house thanks to all the clothing lying around that absorbs the sound. It also provides me with double insulation from the rest of the house by closing both the closet and the bedroom doors. I just needed to put a pillow in the window and hang a bathrobe in front of the door to make it completely dead. If you aren’t sure about the deadness of your room, just clap your hands. If you don’t hear an echo, it’s dead enough. If you can’t find such a place, try hanging curtains all around you or simply throw some clothes and cushions everywhere to absorb the sound.

SPEAK INTO WHAT?

So now we can start thinking about the material you will need.

1. A microphone

2. A recording device

3. Something to link the microphone to the recording device

4. Something to hold the microphone

5. Something to read (ie: a book)

Oh my god, there go the big bucks! Calm down, there is an inexpensive way to produce a quite decent quality of recording without forking over thousands of dollars. Let’s take this one step at a time. 




The microphone

Although it may not be a good idea to use the microphone you bought at the dollar store, there are many affordable solutions. I suggest using a condenser microphone to get a richer sound. I have a Studioprojects C1. You can find this particular microphone on ebay for about 125$. If that is over your budget then you can look at other brands that are less expensive or you can rent one from a local music shop but I suggest you buy it used instead. This way, you won’t have the stress of finishing your work at a certain date before they charge you another month’s rental. If you think you will never use it again after this project is completed, you can always re-sell it for just about the price you paid for it.

The recording device

This might seem to be the most complicated part and yet it is the simplest. Chances are you already have that in your pocket or are holding it in your hand right now. Any smart phone, tablet or computer will do the job. I recorded my audiobook on my old iPhone 4. I simply bought the I-rig recording app for under 3$ and voilĂ ! You may also want to record directly to your computer using the same formula and the Audacity free software (I will elaborate on this later on).

The link

This is the important part; Linking the microphone to the recording device. Condenser microphones need power to operate. Some may have the option to insert a 9 volt battery but most likely, you will need to feed it with 48 volt phantom power. Sounds complicated, not at all. There is a little device you can buy that goes for around 70$ new and if you are lucky, you will find one for less than half that price used. It is called iRig pre, manufactured by Ik multimedia. It is basically a microphone pre-amplifier. You simply insert a 9 volt battery, hook your microphone to it, plug it into the headphone jack of your iPhone, flick on the switch and away you go. Why not talk directly into the microphone on the iPhone? Well, that works too if you don’t mind your audiobook sounding like you read it over the phone.

This pre-amplifier is dirt cheap and will do the job. However, if you have a bigger budget, this is where you would want to invest. The better the pre-amplifier, the more you will sound like a professional radio announcer. Having owned a recording studio, I went for a high quality tube pre-amp. I used the Avalon 737 SP worth about 3,000$. But you don’t have to get as crazy as I did, I will show you how to fake it afterwards.

The holder

You might want to use a real microphone stand for this but you can always hang the microphone by the wire on a clothes hanger or from the top shelf of your closet. Nobody will ever know except your spouse of course. That is the part I cannot help you with. You will have to negotiate the space you take up. My wife gave me her ok as long as I kept all the gear on my side of the closet for the month it took me to record my book.

Something to read

That of course is your book. You may want to transfer it onto a pad and sit it on some kind of stand or holder so you don’t have to turn pages and make unnecessary noise. I made a special PDF of my book with larger than normal characters and read it on my android pad. This way I could place it at a certain distance and still be able to read it without effort.



PLACING THE MICROPHONE

The closer your mouth is to the microphone, the better the sound quality will be. However, talking directly into it straight on can increase the possibility of provoking unwanted pop sounds and mouth noises. I placed the microphone close but slightly to the right of my face avoiding breathing directly into it. This also freed my vision so I could get a clear view at my pad. You may hook up a set of ear buds to the I-rig Headphone outlet. This will allow you to monitor your voice being recorded as you read your book. Should you hear any unwanted sound or background noise, you can re-read your sentence right away and edit it later. Try making a few takes with different voice tones and volume. Then listen back and see what combination works best. Once you are comfortable with your positioning, take the time to note how and where you are standing (or sitting). Be sure to recreate the exact same environment and placement for every recording session.

HIT RECORD AND READ AWAY

This is the fun part but also the most demanding. You will need to keep a steady pace and voice tone throughout the entire book. I suggest that you make two takes of everything. I recorded one chapter at a time and re-recorded the same chapter (take 2) right away. Having two takes will give you an extra option should you catch a bad pronunciation or noise during editing that you might have missed while recording. At the end of each chapter or part, stop the recording and give the file a proper name (e.g. ch1-take1). These files will later be transferred onto your computer for editing and final formatting. Keep on recording as long as you have the energy and drive to do so. You do not have to transfer your files right away nor do you have to record your whole book before doing so. Once you have finished your day’s recording session, it would be wise to transfer whatever files you have at least to provide a backup.

TRANSFERING THE FILES TO YOUR COMPUTER

Skip this part if you are recording directly to your computer. If you are using the iRig app, there is an upload button at the top of the screen. This will give you the option to transfer your files via E-mail, iTunes, Wi-fi (my favorite), Cloud, etc... From this point on, we are diving into the technical stuff. Should you get stuck, you can always go to YouTube and type away your problem to get several solutions instantly. Or you may want to go shopping on Fiverr to find someone who can do it for you at a very affordable price.

EDIT YOUR AUDIO FILES

Once your files are transferred onto your computer, you will need to edit them with audio software. Audacity is free and easy to use. You will also find many videos on YouTube that will show you how to work it. This is where the magic happens. You will see your voice in the form of a wave track. Think of it as a piece of magnetic tape (y’know wayback yonder when we’s used to listen to music on mechanical machines?). The wave form can be manipulated, cut, shrunk, copied, deleted, moved as you would cut up and glue back pieces of magnetic tape.

This is where you will cut out the bad parts, the omnipresent breathing, hesitations, mistakes and so on. You will want to have both takes 1 and 2 of each chapter in front of you on separate tracks. This way, you can grab pieces from the 2nd take and bring them into the 1st take if need be. Do not get discouraged if you don’t understand a word of what I am saying. Once you have played around with the software a little and have watched a couple of tutorials, you will get the picture. It is not any harder than learning to navigate on Facebook.

  


Here is a trick or two from the old studio engineer:

Once you are satisfied with your chapter, it is time to make it sound big. Almost as if you had recorded it in a broadcasting studio. You will want to use the following plugins: Normalize, Limiter, Gate, compressor and Eq. You will find all of these goodies under the ‘edit’ tab. What they basically do is this:

Normalize: Brings your voice to the highest level of sound without distortion.

Limiter: This is even better because it boosts your overall level while limiting the max volume.

Gate: This one is even cooler and does somewhat the opposite. It sets a bottom threshold. What I mean is that all sound under a certain level is eliminated i.e.: breathing and undesirable noises like you scratching yourself or your dog barking in the far background.

Compressor: This is the most impressive one because it just plainly makes you voice sound big. It boosts the volume and gives your voice that warm close-up sound.

Eq: Stands for Equalizer. Funny because it does not equalize anything. It gives you the freedom to cut away or boost a given frequency as you wish. This is where you can bring down that annoying “s” sound or boost the bass to give it that oomph feeling. Play around with it and see what you like best.

Just keep in mind that your goal here is to make the listener comfortable. So whatever you do, please take the time to compare your work with other audiobooks to make sure you are within the norms. I remember one time where I had been playing around with a song for hours and hours. I compared it to a Madonna and U2 recording and found that my song sounded much better than theirs. Yeah right! Until I dumped it on a CD and played it on my friend’s sound system. That’s when I discovered that I needed to get some sleep and stop thinking that I could actually compare myself to the musical world’s geniuses.

Oh and yes, do take the time to watch some of the countless YouTube tutorial videos. You will find a multitude of tips and tricks that will save you a lot of time.

Once your files are all polished up and ready to go, it’s time to publish. Yay! Strangely enough, this is the easy part. Yep, all you have to do is go to www.authorsrepublic.com and follow the instructions to upload your files. That’s it. They will take care of the rest and you will find your audiobook available all over the place in no time. Oh and you will also see your royalties arrive through your Paypal account without effort. That is, if your book is selling of course. 



 
Have questions? Do not hesitate to contact me anytime. I will be glad to assist you in any way I can.

Happy recording!

Claude Viens 

Author, Motivational Speaker 
www.mostpowerfuldevice.com 
claude@mostpowerfuldevice.com

Guest Post: Getting More and Better Reviews by Dr. Gary Webb


Today's guest post is from fellow self-publisher and author, Dr Gary Webb. Gary has had remarkable success with gathering great reviews for his books and boosting sales as a result. The following post reveals some of his secrets and tips for gathering reviews. Please make sure to sign up to Gary's Publishing Points newsletter here and check out his informative books on publishing and sales here


Getting More and Better Reviews
Dr. Gary Webb
Many authors are naĂŻve about reviews.  They assume that after writing their spectacular book, reviews will be automatic.  That is as foolish as believing that every book published will sell millions.  Such authors don't understand how important reviews are for increasing book sales and rankings.

If you hope to get more and better reviews, you cannot afford to be passive.  I recently surveyed over 100 books on Amazon.  Even though these books are all over five years old, they still have not received a single review between them.

Have you ever noticed how often a new, bestselling book releases with 25 or more reviews on its first day?  That is no accident.  Not only that, but it will generally continue accumulating more reviews over time. Many of those reviews will take their cue from the ones posted within the first few days.

Once an author realizes how reviews can help increase sales, they are likely to become more engaged in getting them.  Too often, however, authors use methods that produce little or no results.  They chase reviews by posting on dozens of Facebook review groups.  Or, they send hundreds of Tweets to their followers and unknown #readers. 

Some will use the free book promotions, with hopes that five-star reviews will flood in.  These are the easiest methods to get book reviews; but, they are also the least effective. Many authors complain about negative reviews from readers who got their book for free during this type of promotion.  

Instead of broadcasting pleas for reviews across the entire internet, I recommend focusing on carefully chosen reviewers, especially during a book launch.

The key to better reviews is BETTER REVIEWERS.

The key to more reviews is MORE REVIEWERS.



To ensure success, every effort to get more and better reviews should focus on finding high quality reviewers.  Find people who have favorably reviewed books like your own.

Let me be very blunt about this issue.  Not all reviewers are equal.  Some have a tendency to give a high star rating with little comment on the value of the book.  Others may write a lot without saying much.

As an author, it is best to find reviewers who often give high ratings and remarks that motivate others to buy the books they review.

According to the Pew Research Center, only about 23% of American adults read even one book each year.  That means they did not open a paperback, turn on a Kindle, or listen to an audio book in the previous 12 months. The number of readers in our country is rapidly declining.  Among those readers, even a smaller number have ever written a book review.  A former executive with Amazon has estimated the number at 2-5% of buyers.  Good book reviewers are scarce!

Simultaneously, almost one million new books are available every year. Bottom line:  you have lots of competition for getting any reviews.   

I want to share a simple approach that is the most reliable method for gaining more and better reviewers – and reviews.  As I said, it is simple, but that does not mean it is easy. Using this method does not limit sending a blast to Facebook review groups.  However, your goal should be building a list of reviewers who have a history of reviewing books like yours.

A Step-by-Step Strategy to Get Reviews



Your aim is to collect a list of reviewers who can be contacted to write great reviews for your books.  At first, my reviewers list came from two sources.  I contacted those who were following me on my Facebook account asking them to do reviews.  Secondly, I used my mailing list. Between the two methods, I found about fifty prospective reviewers.  Understandably, few of these proved to be the reviewers I wanted. In fact, I only got about five to agree and two who actually wrote a review.

The following method is where I achieved the best results I getting quality reviewers and reviews for my titles. Here are the practical steps to build a solid core of reviewers for your books:

1.      Use Amazon to find books like your own that have many high-rated reviews.

You can find such books by searching for keywords in the Amazon search bar.  Try using the topic of the book for nonfiction or the sub-genre for fiction.  Try looking for similar books in the same categories as your book.  If you are unsure on a particular book, go to its sales page, read its description, and/or “Inside the Book” feature

2.      Develop a list of reviewers who have written good reviews.

After finding books like your own, you can easily see the best reviews for those books.  When you’ve found one, click on the reviewer’s name to look at his/her reviewer profile.  I don’t bother with fake names like “Amazon customer” because those are seldom useful for building a list.  

When looking at a reviewer profile, quickly check to see if it includes any contact information. Some reviewers give an email address, a website, or a social media contact.  When I've found a reviewer who does good reviews, I have even taken another step to look them up on Facebook.

Adding to this manual technique, I have also used a software app called "Book Review Targeter" by Debbie Drum.  It allows me to search hundreds of book listings for good reviewers with much less time invested. Although it is a little expensive, it’s a great investment for authors who intend to write several books. You can get it at http://getbookreviewsnow.com.  Another approach is to hire a virtual assistant to do this tedious research for you.  One of these is Alexandra Marquez from fiverr.com.  You can reach her at http://bit.ly/26d48P6. I’m sure many others are available on fiverr and on upwork.com.

Some authors suggest looking for and contacting Amazon’s top book reviewers. These reviewers can be found via this link http://www.amazon.com/review/top-reviewers. I, however, have not found this particular method to be worth my time. So many authors target these reviewers, that your chance of getting a review is low. Sometimes these reviewers can also be the most critical. Their insight might be helpful to improve your writing skills, but a bad review during the early days after a book’s release can hurt sales and create future trends for the reviews that follow.  

4.      Develop a listing or spreadsheet for these reviewers.

After finding potential reviewers, I use an Excel spreadsheet to track the review process. On the spreadsheet, I set up columns for several kinds of information.  I have columns for the reviewer’s name, contact (email) address, date of first contact, two follow-ups, date of review, and date of appreciation.  When possible, I use email addresses for contacts. Sometimes, I also use a Facebook message link.  If you’d like a copy of my spreadsheet, just contact me (gary@mgwebb.net ).

5.      Contact the reviewers via email or social media to ask for a review in exchange for a free advance copy.

I usually send an email like the one below.  I send it about two months before the book release or my target date for getting more reviews.

Subject:  Book Review Request

Hello, [[reviewer’s name]]

My name is [your name], an author of books about [niche or category name].  My next release will be [name of the book], which should be live on Amazon on [release date].  It will include:

[Bullet points about the benefits and features of the book].

I am currently seeking 30-50 high-quality reviewers who will post an honest review of this book in exchange for an advance review copy.  The advance copies should be available for distribution on [date you plan to send the review copies].  Reviewers will have their choice of a Mobi, ePub, or PDF version of [name of the book].

I have read several of your reviews and was impressed with your thoroughness and helpful approach.  Would you be willing to read and post your review of [name of book] soon after its release on [release date]?  If so, please email me at [your email address].  If you have questions or comments, please contact me.

[Your name]

I have given review copies in two ways.  I have directly sent them as an email attachment, or by sending a link to bookfunnel.com

7.      Update the record to show those who agree to review the book.

I list the date they agreed to write a review and the version of eBook I sent them.  I do not drop the others from the spreadsheet.  I keep them for two reasons.  First, I will contact them when I have other books available.  Even if they don’t review one book, they may be interested in the next one.  Secondly, when the book live on Amazon, I send them an email or Facebook message to let them know it is available.  You’d be surprised how often I’ve sold books to people after the release — and later gotten a review from them! Make sure to send a copy of the book in the format they prefer (pdf, mobi, or epub).

Many authors only send pdf versions. I have found that I get a better response when I offer all three versions. 

9.      Follow-up with a reminder near the release date or deadline.

Remember that your reviewers are doing you a favor. They could just read the book with no regard for your deadlines. They have busy lives of their own. So, it may not be surprising for a few of them to forget writing a review. I've heard that the normal response for getting reviews posted is less than one in 25.  I have not seen that. Usually, one out of every three that I've asked to write a review agree to do it.  Of those, one out of two actually write and post one.  I think gentle reminders are the key.

I contact my potential reviewers by email. I let them know that I'm looking forward to reading their review. I also describe how much reviews like theirs can help other readers to find and enjoy my book.

Sometimes, I’ve gotten responses that admit having forgotten to write a review.  I’ve also received a few emails saying they never received a copy of the book when I first sent it out.

10.    Record the date each review is posted.

This will help you see how prompt these reviewers are. I can keep that in mind for future books.  I also will enter a 5* (or whatever ‘star’ rating they gave the book) to show that that they rated my book with a five-star (or other) ranking.

11.    Send a note of appreciation to your reviewers.

These reviewers are crucial allies in your success.  A few may even become part of your launch team for future books.  Take the time to show them your appreciation.  A quick email will do the job.

Later, you should try to be a help by sending them special links to articles or free books. You should stay in contact like this between your own book releases.  You could send them an offer for a lead magnet that gives them a chance to opt into your mailing list. Think about building a good connection with them.  If you do, you improve your chances of getting more and better reviews from all your reviewers.

There is no magic in getting great reviews.  Even the best authors have gotten some very negative reviews. The best answer to negative reviews is a strong foundation of well-written, high-rating reviews. Then, keep adding more. If your book is good quality, it will soon begin accumulating some "organic reviews."  

When unsolicited, organic reviews come, you should know what I would suggest to do in response, right?  By now, you know that I will find that reviewer's contact address and add them to my spreadsheet.  I will probably even send a note of appreciation.  I urge you to do the same!


Dr. Gary Webb is best-selling author of Book Reviews That Sell: Discover the Secrets of Getting a Boatload of Great Reviews.  It is currently available on Amazon.



Should you self-publish in 2016? Guest Post from author, Iain Rob Wright

Iain Rob Wright, best-selling Indie author has kindly granted me permission to repost this interesting and inspirational article about the pros and cons of self-publishing (in 2016). Please read and make sure to check out Iain's great website for lots more articles and resources for indie authors.

Should you self-publish in 2016?

Yes, so long as you set realistic expectations. Wanting too much too fast will deflate your passion quicker than a monkey in your underwear drawer (I have no idea what that means).

So, what is my story of self-publishing? In early 2011 I was in my 5th or 6th year of being a mobile phone salesman in a shop. For the last few years, I had flitted between companies and into and out of management positions (I was never any good at cracking the whip). I was constantly stressed and miserable–mostly because I loathed what I did. Everyday, I grew more and more irritable with the public, and a little bit lazier with my efforts to sell to them. Every morning, I wanted to cry rather than go in and face another day. And don’t even get me started on the immoral area managers who expected results at any cost (Simon Little I am calling you out, bitch!) and felt it was right to treat staff like dirt. Phones4U went bust a couple of years ago and I can’t say I wasn’t a little pleased to see such a dishonest company fall. By that time I was already earning a shit load of cash doing what I love. Charlie, I was winning!

Bosses be like 

I walked out of my job in May 2011 after being spoken to like dirt for the 100th time that week by a manager. I just sauntered off the shop floor and never came back. It felt good. My wife (although girlfriend then) was not pleased. But she’s also my best friend so she didn’t force me to go back (that would have been embarrassing). In my desperation, I said I would try and get that book I’d been working on published (it was my dream). The plan was to send it to an agent, but I was already well aware of the lottery of trying to get published. Fat dudes with goatees don’t generally get deals with big London book magnates. What other choice did I have though? I was Sean Bean in the cells of the Red Keep. I needed a way out, man.

My frantic googling threw me upon KDP and the means to self-publish (I always thought it meant flogging books out of a car boot). The more I read about the scheme, the more I did a sex-wee in my pants. It seemed too good to be true–but it was a chance! Joffrey might just let me live! My wife (then girlfriend) gave me 6 months to earn £1000 a month from self-publishing, or I would have to get a full-time job again (something that terrified me as at that point I only had experience as a salesman and retail manager). So I cleaned up The Final Winter and published it on KDP. I did all the usual first-time author stuff and begged people on Facebook to check it out. And fortunately some of them did–people who still support me to this day. I made a few quid. It was nice. Even more wonderful was that I got some great reviews. I was a horror fan and I was pleasing other horror fans.

The next month I sold a few more copies. The month after that, even more. My earnings in that dreaded month 6 deadline? £1600. Booya! I had met my goal and beat it by 60%. What the fuck just happened? I just published a book and made the same as I did in my former day job, right? Fuck yeah, I did!

So I wrote another book as quickly as I could. With my sudden success, I thought I would be an exciting prospect to a publisher. Animal Kingdom ended up with a small American Press. Woohoo! They did professional artwork and everything! While that was being handled, I wrote my third book, ASBO (inspired by Intensity by James Newman). I self-published that book and damned if it didn’t fly. My first month earnings for ASBO? £3800. Say what? With the earnings I made in May 2012 (exactly a year after I published my first book) I brought a new flatscreen tv and a sofa. Damn straight!

At the rate I was going, I would be a millionaire in a few years, right? Well, no, because the bottom fell out of KDP. Of course it did. Nothing lasts forever. What I didn’t know at the time was that I had lucked out by being one of the first guys to turn up at a goldrush. In 2011 Amazon had less than a million self-published books. Now it has several million. That’s a whole lot more competition. Also, customers were used to high prices, which made my books seem like a bargain. Now customers are a little more jaded and ignore ‘bargain books’. Things changed. They always do. Self-publishing is tougher now than it was then, and if I had tried to get my start in 2016 I would have had a completely different experience (maybe even failed).

Despite the decline, I remained a full-time writer by learning how to survive in the current climate. I kept new releases coming which allowed me to benefit from my existing customer-base, and I branched out into paperbacks and audiobooks. I looked at foreign editions too. I built a darn-tootin website and started signing people up to my email list with a great free book offer (see here). I started advertising and running competitions. Then I started–Yikes, this sounds a lot like a business, doesn’t it?
Yep.

The best advice I can give to a self-publisher today is to think of themselves as business people, not writers. Writing books is the easy part to get right. Read a few books about craft, practice, and keep producing content. The tricky stuff is getting people to pick your book over someone else’s, or even getting someone to see it in the first place.
You need to face the same problems that all businesses do, is what I am saying.
So is it worth it?

Here are the reasons not:
  • Success takes a LOT of time and effort
  • You will need to learn a shitload of new skills from web design and blogging to marketing and branding
  • No one will hold your hand
  • It will consume your life. Check with your other half!
  • You might have to lose a little money first
  • Traditional authors will be mean to you
  • You need to do it all yourself
  • Except for editing and artwork which you need to purchase with your own coin
  • You might fail anyway
So, in a nutshell, I am trying to say that the downside to self-publishing is that it is hard work with possibly little reward. You should understand that your chances of quitting your day job in year 1 are slim today, but that isn’t what success should be measured by. You should set realistic goals and concentrate only on meeting them one at a time. Your first goal should be to sell 1 book to a stranger. Goal 2 should be to sell enough books to pay your cell phone bill. Then your car loan. Then, maybe, contribute towards a holiday. If you earn a $100 dollars a month and still have to work fulltime, then that’s a pay rise at least, right? Your life is better. You can afford to buy more tacos. Mmmm, tacos.
Geez-louise Iain, that’s sounds like some gash darned hard work. Is it really so bad? No, of course not. 

Here are some of the reason you SHOULD self-publish:
  • You are your own asshole of a boss
  • Writing is what you love
  • You will make lots of cool friends
  • You get to do everything just how you want
  • Hard work will pay off and you decide your fate
  • You get to tell the God of Death, NOT TODAY.
  • It’s easier to make money than any other publishing route (70% royalties, yo)
  • It’s hella fun
  • The fans you make are your own and can become your buddies for life
  • No one can pick you up and drop you (*cough* big publishers)
  • You get to write exactly what you want to write (leprechaun porn is life)
  • Make your own hours and put in whatever time you decide
  • See the money you are earning right away and get it in your bank account quickly
  • If you nail it, publishers might come running to you!
  • No resume or achievements required
  • Earning potential is millions! Good luck!
While my above points might be vague, the summary is that self-publishing has the potential to change your life. Work hard and grow your business a little bit at a time and there is no reason you can’t make writing your living. Things change and you need to be ready to change with them. Competition will grow, so you need to stand out. Readers are hard to gain, so don’t lose them with sloppy editing or dodgy formatting. Just remember to EARN – EDITING ARTWORK FORMATTING NEXT (as in get the next book finished). Although you should start at the beginning and work towards your goals, getting your first book as professional as can be is a must. Work quick, but don’t work sloppy. And never drive angry, but that’s just good advice in general. Should you self-publish in 2016? Hell yes.

Anyway, if you are looking for more detailed help on what to do and how, then keep checking back as I will be posting many articles in 2016 designed to help the wily author. In the meantime, here are some books I recommend you read to get started: The Newbie’s Guide to Publishing (Everything A Writer Needs To Know), On Writing, Write Publish Repeat, How to Make a Living Writing.
 
Toodles, Iain.
 
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At the moment, readers can take advantage of a great offer on Iain's website. If you sign up to his no-spam newsletter you will get free copies of his great horror ebooks: The Picture Frame, Animal Kingdom, 2389, Sea Sick, and D is for Degenerate. Five books for free plus all the other regular resources and articles related to self-publishing.
 
His website address is: www.iainrobwright.com or you can go immediately to the sign up form here: http://eepurl.com/baDkyT

You can find Iain's fantastic selection of books via Amazon here.

Also, make sure you check out the recent interview we did with Iain where he generously shares his best tips on how you can improve your sales, marketing and author platform.
 

Self-Publishing, Iain Rob Wright, Amazon, KDP Select, Kindle Unlimited, Indie Author, Authorship, Self Publishing in 2016