Category: Business of Writing

Newsletters for the Reluctant Author

Business of Writing

Row of mailboxes.

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’ve mentioned here before that I was slow to start sending out a newsletter. What really made me finally commit to sending them (in 2013) was that readers were getting irritated.  They wanted me to send out a newsletter to let them know when I had a new release.  I had been a published author since 2009, so I was 4 years late to the party.

So I finally followed through.  I realized that, for the readers who wanted to sign up for my newsletter, they expected me to notify them of releases.  That’s how I started out and how I still handle my newsletters today.

I use MailChimp which is free for up to 2,000 subscribers.  I do have more than that, so I have to pay to send out my newsletters. Since I only send out newsletters when I have a release, I send out only 3 or 4 emails a year and decided to choose the pay-as-you-go plan (they also have a monthly plan).  More on costs here. Continue reading

The Importance of Keeping a Book Inventory

Business of Writing

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Fortunately, the olden days of being a self-published writer are over.  Those days involved keeping large quantities of paperback novels in your garage or closet or even carrying them in the trunk of your car as John Grisham famously did for his first book (he had a small publisher instead of self-publishing…but the distribution wasn’t there).

Today, it’s all about POD, print on demand.  Amazon’s KDP Print (formerly CreateSpace) and IngramSpark wait until there’s an order from a reader to print a book.  No inventory or storage required.

Because it’s so easy, it’s also easy for me to get very absent-minded about my own personal inventory.Continue reading

Why You Need a Tagline to Improve Your Author Platform

Business of Writing, Uncategorized

by Colleen M. Story, @colleen_m_story ‏ 

When your readers come to your website, how long does it take them to figure out what kind of writing you do?

If it takes more than a few seconds, you may be losing readers, subscribers, and others who could be interested in your work.

According to research and consulting firm Nielsen Norman Group, users often leave web pages in 10-20 seconds. To gain user attention, you have to clearly communicate your value within 10 seconds.

That may seem a bit drastic, but if you think about it, you’ll find it rings true. Just take a few minutes to browse the Internet and discover how patient you are. You may be surprised at how quickly you move on if a site doesn’t hold your interest.

Fortunately, you can take full advantage of those 10 precious seconds with your potential readers by including one important thing on your website: a tagline.

Here’s why this can be so helpful to you and your readers.Continue reading

Using IngramSpark for Print Preorders

Business of Writing

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

There are several reasons why I have my printed books available through print on demand distributor IngramSpark.  For one, it’s a cheaper option for international readers than KDP Print (formerly CreateSpace).  For another, I like to have a print distributor for bookstores (if a reader requests a book from Barnes & Noble, for instance).  I also like a print distributor for libraries (and the option for my books to be in hardcover). Here’s an excellent article from Debbie Young on why authors should use KDP Print and IngramSpark together.

There’s another reason why I like using IngramSpark.  They offer the ability for a printed book to be available as a pre-order on Amazon.

KDP Print doesn’t offer a pre-order option, but you can set your release date on IngramSpark and, if the release date is in the future, it will show as a pre-order on Amazon (and the book will be delivered at the release).Continue reading

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