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Welcome to Paul's Podcast Diary for Thursday 4th April, 2019.
Coming up this week:
- It’s a celebration of 3 years of this podcast today!
- To mark the occasion, I’m going to share 50 things that I’ve learned which may be useful
- If you’re new to the podcast, this will be useful as a jumping off point … it’s a Reader’s Digest style summary
This diary charts my self-publishing journey – the ups the downs, the successes and the failures.
Everything goes into this diary, week-by-week, but you'll also find it a source of great tips, resources, tools, podcast recommendations and so on.
If you're new to the podcast and want to easily access the back catalogue of podcast diaries, in chronological order, please check out this page.
If I ever miss something out, or you'd like more information, just drop me an email at paul@paulteague.com.
75 Useful Tips, Tricks & Resources For Indie Authors
Part One
10 x Things I’ve Learned Since Starting This Podcast
{Personal opinion only – other authors' experiences will differ!]
1) Don’t spend money on paperback covers when you start out – you’ll make more from e-books
2) Don’t enter competitions … not as a priority!
3) Write a book about 75-90k words in length – this is optimal for time taken/pricing in my opinion
4) Plot – at least a little bit
5) Write in trilogies and probably series (though I haven’t tested series yet)
6) Be crystal clear on your genre and your market … if it falls between two stools, it had better be a great book or it won’t sell
7) Have a standalone book in each genre that you write in … this will be used for promos and giveaways.
8) Separate your author names if you write in different genres … even an initial will do it, but do NOT mix genres and author names, it will poison your well
9) Get your USA author tax arrangements sorted out ASAP … one minute you’ll be making nothing, the next you’ll regret that you’re losing all that money in tax!
10) Choose your editor carefully – if you’re going to allow somebody to slice and dice your work, make sure they’re the right person. If they make you feel bad about your writing, ditch them! Always ask for a sample edit first.
10 x Essential Promotion Tools
11) BookSweeps: https://goo.gl/P1Wc2a [My referral link]
12) BookFunnel: https://bookfunnel.com/
13) AuthorsXP: https://authorsxp.com/?atid=45 [My referral link]
14) FreeBooksy: https://www.freebooksy.com/
15) BKKnights: https://www.fiverr.com/bknights/submit-your-free-kindle-book-to-the-15-best-kindle-promotion-sites
16) Ereader News Today: https://ereadernewstoday.com/
17) The Fussy Librarian: https://authors.thefussylibrarian.com/
18) My BookCave (if they let you in! 1 out of 3 so far): https://mybookcave.com/authorsandpublishers/
19) BookBub – rules them all – promote a series or trilogy, not standalones: https://partners.bookbub.com/users/sign_up?form=partner_type
20) Prolific Works – not keen on the interface, but does add a lot of leads … also you get a MailerLite discount if you pay: https://www.prolificworks.com/
Bonus Tip
Get yourself an online accounting software which links to your business bank account to make end of year accounts easier … this will become compulsory eventually in the UK. I use Quickbooks Self-Employed.
Part Two
10 x Writing Software Services That I Use
21) Novel Factory for planning: https://www.novel-software.com/
22) Scrivener for writing: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview
23) Canva for social graphics: https://www.canva.com/
24) BookBrush for promotional graphics: https://bookbrush.com?ap_id=pault [My referral link]
25) MacinCloud to allow me to use Vellum: https://www.macincloud.com/
26) Vellum for book formatting: https://vellum.pub/
27) MailerLite for email [Mailchimp is also fine]: https://www.mailerlite.com/invite/22d2b30d9fe85 [My referral link]
28) GeniusLink for GeoLinking: https://geni.us/Ati9kZ [My referral link]
29) MyEcoverMaker.com … 3D covers: https://www.myecovermaker.com/ref=ptm/e9248ed0.html [My referral link]
30) KDPRocket – to help with the tedious job of finding keywords for your Amazon ads 🙂 https://kindlepreneur.samcart.com/referral/IWu0V6R9/r0HbTOyS8Vy3jP6p [My referral link]
15 x Writing Craft Books & Audios
31) Red Sneakers – William Bernhardt … Story Structure/Creating Character/Perfecting Plot/Dynamic Dialogue etc [Audiobook] https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B000APOS7G
32) Chris Fox series of books … Plot Gardening/Relaunch Your Novel/Launch To Market https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B00OXCKD2G
33) How To Write A Sizzling Synoposis/Bryan Cohen https://www.amazon.co.uk/Write-Sizzling-Synopsis-Step-Step/dp/1540345408/
34) Monica Leonelle – Prosperous Creation + Nail Your Story + Get Your Book Selling etc [Audiobook] https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B0045P4IT0
35) Understanding Show, Don’t Tell by Janice Hardy https://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Show-Dont-Tell-Builders-ebook/dp/B01M0BE4UP/
36) Save The Cat! By Blake Snyder https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B00LWI2JXA
37) The Emotion Thesaurus – Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B00825H5DA
38) Killing The Top Ten Sacred series … Sacred Cows of Publishing/Sacred Cows of Indie Publishing … Dean Wesley-Smith [Audiobook] https://www.amazon.co.uk/Killing-Sacred-Cows-Indie-Publishing-ebook/dp/B00KYT3ZJA/
39) Cathy Yardley – Rock Your Plot/Write Every Day/Rock Your Revisions https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rock-Your-Plot-Plotting-Writing-ebook/dp/B008CC5L8Y/
40) Write, Publish, Repeat – Sean Platt & Johnny B. Truant [Audiobook] https://www.amazon.co.uk/Publish-Repeat-No-Luck-Required-Self-Publishing-Success-ebook/dp/B00H26IFJS/
41) Do The Work – Steven Pressfield [Audiobook] https://www.amazon.co.uk/Do-Work-Overcome-Resistance-Your/dp/1936891379/
42) Fiction Attack James Scott Bell [Audiobook] https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiction-Insider-Secrets-Writing-Selling-ebook/dp/B00AWU9B26/
43) Unleash Your Writing William Stanek [Audiobook] https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unleashing-Writing-Presentation-Skills-Classroom/dp/B002SQ24US/
44) Platform: Get Noticed In A Noisy World – Michael Hyatt https://www.amazon.co.uk/Platform-Get-Noticed-Noisy-World/dp/B0085Y78EO/
45) Fiction Writing Demystified – Thomas B. Sawyer https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiction-Writing-Demystified-Techniques-Successful/dp/B00A925Z9K/
Bonus Tip
Bootstrap your business … pay for everything with earnings rather than supplementing from your household income, it builds good business discipline
Part Three
10 x Essential Writing Podcasts
46) Sci-Fi & Fantasy Marketing Podcast https://www.marketingsff.com/
47) The Creative Penn https://www.thecreativepenn.com/
48) The Story Studio/The Self-Publishing Podcast https://sterlingandstone.net/series/story-studio-podcast/
49) Create If Writing – Kirsten Oliphant https://createifwriting.com/
50) Sell More Books Show (skip first 10 mins of listener book blurbs and winners of various prizes!) http://sellmorebooksshow.com/
51) The Writer’s Well https://shows.pippa.io/thewriterswell
52) New Author Podcast > Jerry Evanoff http://www.jerryevanoff.com/podcast/
53) The Worried Writer Podcast > Sarah Painter https://www.worriedwriter.com/podcasts/
54) Awkward Author Podcast > Alissa Grosso http://alissagrosso.com/awkward-author/
55) Dip into The Self Publishing Formula & The Kobo Writing Life Podcast https://selfpublishingformula.com/spf-podcast/ and https://kobowritinglife.com/category/kwl-podcast/ [Interview-based podcasts – both great podcasts, but some guests just won't be of interest to you.]
10 x Miscellaneous tips
56) FrostBite Publishing – for book formats http://www.frostbitepublishing.com/
57) Join ALLi and make sure you access their online events which they hold about once a quarter https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/
58) Join and watch the 20BooksTo50k Facebook Group, it’s currently the best source of info https://www.facebook.com/groups/20Booksto50k/
59) Only read your reviews when you’re feeling resilient and confident. If you get a 1-star or a 2-star, just walk away if it’s just a trashing comment, it goes with the territory. Beware a 1-star or 2-star review written by an articulate and discerning reader – they probably carry a sting which you need to take notice of. Don’t reply to reviews, even if you feel like you want to punch the lights out of the person who wrote it. Most of them will never write a book … if they have written a book, they should know better.
60) If you get the opportunity, get some professional author images taken – they’ll come in handy! See my Press Room: https://thesecretbunker.net/the-secret-bunker-press/
61) Get a website up asap – use Wix if you’re not technically minded, consider WordPress if you are https://www.wix.com/ and https://wordpress.com/
63) Twitter is a great place to follow and connect with other authors, book bloggers, readers and podcast hosts – Facebook is a great place to connect with readers
63) Make sure that you build a mailing list from day 1 – use MailerLite or Mailchimp http://www.mailerlite.com/a/ok7xhm5vgk [My referral link] and https://mailchimp.com/
64) You will have to pay for advertising, whether it be Facebook/Amazon/BookBub or any other service … you’re running an author business and these are the costs of doing business
65) Take a look at K-Lytics at http://k-lytics.com/
10 x Business & Mindset Books, Podcasts & Audios
66) Flight Plan … anything by Brian Tracy https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flight-Plan-Secret-Success-Paperback/dp/B00M0SHBYI/
67) The One Thing by by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Thing-Surprisingly-Extraordinary-bestselling/dp/1848549253/
68) The Success Principles by Jack Canfield https://www.amazon.co.uk/Success-Principles-How-Where-Want/dp/0062364286/
69) The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman https://www.amazon.co.uk/Luck-Factor-Scientific-Study-Lucky/dp/0099443244/
70) Life Leverage/Money by Rob Moore books/audios https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B00S9RX6P2
71) Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill https://www.amazon.co.uk/Think-Grow-Rich-Napoleon-Hill/dp/0091900212/
72) Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Koyosaki https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rich-Dad-Poor-Teach-Middle/dp/1612680194/
73) The Disruptive Entrepreneur & The Money Podcast – Rob Moore http://robmoore.com/podcast/ and https://robmoore.com/the-money-podcast/
74) The Mastery Sessions Podcast with Robin Sharma https://www.robinsharma.com/podcast/
75) The Digital Marketing Podcast from Target Internet https://www.targetinternet.com/digital-marketing-podcasts/
Bonus Tip
Keep going! As long as you can keep putting one step in front of the other, keep going 🙂
Paul's Podcast Diary Archive
You can access every episode of Paul's Podcast Diary, in chronological order, here.