Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Self-publishing? Try adding short stories to your publishing mix

After coming from the world of trad publishing where it takes two years from idea to published book, I still get shivers at the power of self-publishing.

Imagine: you can get an idea in the morning. By mid-afternoon, you’re publishing your new book. What’s not to like? Oh—you get to keep more of the profits too, which is as it should be.

Here's a secret: every story you write acts as a "taster" and introduction to your writing. You'll sell more, when you're visible to more readers. It's a wonderful way to build your fan base.

Writing short fiction has many benefits in self-publishing, as you'll soon discover... Learn more.

 

 

Writing fiction? End your struggles to sell books

Stop struggling. Build a relationship with your readers, instead.

Self-publishing: build a relationship with your readers

How do you build a relationship with fiction readers?

You do it the same way you build a relationship with anyone. They meet you; they get to know you.

Readers meet you via your books. If a reader loves one of your books, he wants more of the experience you gave him.

Give fiction readers more of the experiences they enjoy: write a series.

My new new series-writing class may help.

Read the article.

 

New: create a fiction franchise (bestselling series)

WHY DO AUTHORS WRITE SERIES FICTION?

In a word: sales.

In traditional publishing, if a publisher expects a book to sell, he'll offer an experienced author a multi-book contract; often for three books. This happens for a simple reason: one book sells the next.

If you're a self-publishing author, you know that it's a major challenge to promote one book. The more books you write, the more you need to promote.

Writing a series means that you can promote Book 1, or even offer it for free. Readers are drawn into the series, and buy the following books. You've saved the time and energy it takes to create (and pay for) endless advertising.

But how do you create a series?

Learn more.

 

Stop dreaming: start self-publishing

Have you nixed an idea because “it’s already been done?” When you’re looking for nonfiction ideas, competition should encourage you, rather than dismay you. It means there’s interest in your topic.

Fiction authors commonly procrastinate because “I hate plotting…” or “I hate my main character…”

Whether you’re writing nonfiction or fiction, if you’re dreaming of self-publishing, take action on your dreams today.

Self-publishing: dive in, start today

You can do it: you can get an idea, and publish it quickly, and you should. When you dive in, and start writing, your creativity will blossom.

Let’s look at some quick tips to help.

1. Create a cover to give your idea reality (images boost your creativity)

As you may know, I adore Canva—it’s an ideal tool to prevent procrastination, because it offers easily-edited templates.

Read the article.

 

Why write serial fiction?

I’m a huge fan of serial fiction, because it’s such an easy way to promote yourself as an author, and win readers and fans.

Unsurprisingly, Amazon realized that there’s money in serial fiction, and launched the Kindle Vella serial fiction platform in 2021. Although Kindle Vella is limiting for professional authors, if you’re a new author (and you’re in the US) it’s worth trying it.

I coach writers and authors, so I often recommend serial fiction to my students: it’s huge fun to write and has many benefits for authors. It’s great for new authors, because they get readers within weeks, rather than months or years. 

You can launch a serial within days—many authors do.

A serial is a great strategy to do many things. Such as:

• Launch a new novel;

• Give your older novels a sales boost;

• Introduce a new character for a series;

• Win new readers and fans;

• Get out of a sales (or writing) slump…

Learn more.

 

Why write short fiction?

Why write short fiction? Here’s the answer in two words

It sells.

A rainy afternoon’s work could sell more copies than your most recent novel. Today, readers are happy to pay for short fiction; it gives them a quick hit of entertainment in their favorite genre.

Let’s look at four tips to help you to write and sell short stories and novellas.

1. The all-important stakes: who stands to gain or lose?

There aren’t any rules when you’re writing short fiction, so you can write whatever you choose.

However, to satisfy readers, aim to make the stakes high. Someone wants something and is determined to get it, no matter what.

Read the article.

 

Book marketing: use the news

 Your book is news; so is anything related to it

When I’m mentoring social media professionals, I encourage them to think: news.

News sells. Be informative, rather than overtly promotional. Tip: subscribe to the Publishers Lunch newsletter; it’s free, and helps you to start thinking of your book as news.

News to be aware of and promote:

• Announce your book: fiction or nonfiction? What’s it about? Why are you writing it? Progress?
• You’re writing a specific book. It has a genre if it’s fiction, and subjects if it’s nonfiction. Anything related to those genres/ subjects is newsworthy, so talk about the news on your blog and on social media.
• Always be positive and upbeat. Everyone has challenges. Treat your challenges as positive experiences.

Discover more ways to market your book.

 

 

Self-publishing? Use Amazon's free marketing solution

Now let’s look at the easy and FREE book marketing solution Amazon gives you.

Amazon KDP will help promote your book (for free) with its pre-orders’ facility

From KDP:

With a pre-order, you can start promoting your eBook (we don’t currently offer pre-orders for paperbacks) before it’s released. You can promote your eBook’s pre-order page… even before your eBook’s released. This can help more readers discover your book.

I love pre-orders. They’re the easiest, no-cost, and most efficient way to market your book while you’re writing it; you know that you’ll have sales on publication day.

Read the article.

 

If you're a self-publishing author, and can't find time to write

Manage your Work In Process (WIP)

Think about the term: “self-publishing author.”

“Self-publishing”: that’s just the adjective.

“Author” is the noun: it’s what’s important and it’s YOU.

You write, then everything follows on from that.

Many authors, just as Mel did, forget about the “author” part when they’re wrangling book covers, social media, paid advertising, et al. However, author is the operative word. It’s what you do. Everything else is just details; they can be managed. But not if you stop writing.

Your process:

• Write;
• Edit;
• Publish.

Fit in everything else somewhere. Mel does a lot of the “extra” work on her phone, while she’s waiting for her kids to come out of school, or while’s she’s air-frying potatoes for dinner.

Read the article.

 

Self-publishing sales: an easy way to sell more books

You’re a self-publishing author: sell your books on your own website

When I suggest selling books from their own website, authors are confused. “Yes, but…” they protest, why make sales from their website when their books are already selling on Amazon, et al?

In a word, dear author: money. Many of my self-publishing students, even those with tiny websites, find that they make money from website sales.

Another reason: competition. There’s huge competition on the major book retailing websites. When a visitor arrives at your site, he’s there for a reason. You may have an itty bitty audience, but on your website, there’s no competition for sales.

Read the article.

 

Self-publishing: build your catalogue, make more sales

THREE PROGRAMS, THREE STRATEGIES, IN ONE UNIQUE OFFERING

Whatever else you’re writing and selling:

• Write short fiction (and nonfiction too, if you wish.)
• BUNDLE your ebooks.
• Write mysteries, because readers love them.

Regarding mysteries, be aware that you can combine genres. Writing romance? Write a romantic mystery. Writing fantasy? Write a magical mystery. The combinations of genres are endless, limited only by what you like to read and write and your imagination.

Of course, every author is an individual, with unique challenges. Mentoring helps you to leapfrog your challenges, often within hours.

Discover Savvy Self-Publishing Strategies.

 

Press release from Angela: a savvy book marketing strategy

With some six million books available on Amazon’s Kindle Store, effective book marketing is a challenge for all authors.

The strategic release of short stories and novellas has become a popular promotional strategy for traditionally-published authors. Publishers recommend this strategy to their authors, because it works.

Author and writing teacher Angela Booth says that traditional publishers are aware of Amazon’s algorithms, and how sales are helped by consistent publishing. “Traditional publishers watch indies, because indies are smart. Indie authors pioneered the sequential rapid-release of an author’s novels years ago.”

Eventually this strategy stopped working for many authors.

Savvy authors switched to a new publishing strategy, releasing short fiction to win fans.

Read the full press release here.

 

Do you hate social media? Think it doesn't work to sell books?

Book marketing on social media: start with a strategy

Here’s a simple strategy:

• Decide how many post you want to make each week, on each platform, as well how much time you’ll spend;
• Generate content ideas you can use repeatedly;
• Aim for engagement: ask questions, even if you only have one follower;
• Track what you’re doing, as well as your results.

Let’s look at these ideas in more detail.

Read the complete post, Book Marketing On Social Media: 4 Savvy Ideas To Create A Strategy.

 

You're An Author: 4 Fast Tips Boost Your Self-publishing Program

The more books you publish, and the more your self-publishing catalogue grows, the busier you become. You need to focus on your business: what do you want to achieve? I suggested to Mel that she think about what she wanted from her business, set a few goals, then create some strategies to achieve them.

Self-publishing author? Plan your strategies

Everything starts with your goals, and your strategies.

Review your progress first. What do you need to manage? How many books have you published? What are your deadlines for in-progress books?

Next decide what you want your self-publishing business to do and set goals. Once you’ve set your goals, it’s time to plan some strategies to achieve them.

Now let’s look at some self-publishing tips to boost your program.

Read the full article on Angela Booth's site here. 

 

Fiction Writing: How To Entertain Your Readers

Fiction is entertainment and unfortunately, as a fiction author, you’ve got lots of competition for your readers’ attention. How do you drag your readers away from video games and from Netflix binge-watching sessions?

You can only do that when you focus on the entertainment you’re providing readers.

Fiction is entertainment: what entertains YOU?

Start with yourself. Make a list of what you find entertaining in your own reading. Also, get into the habit of highlighting interesting material. If you use a Kindle or the Kindle app on your device, Amazon helpfully collects everything you’ve highlighted in a book onto a Notes and Highlights page.

When you read an especially entertaining scene, think about how the author managed to maintain your attention — what kept you reading?

These tips may help.

1. Use suspense in every scene

Suspense keeps readers reading.

Anticipation builds suspense. Avoid giving readers too much information — give them what they need to know when they need to know it. Delay giving information, and delay some more, to build the reader’s anticipation, and suspense.

The more you can delay, without annoying the reader, the better. For example, let’s say you’re writing a thriller in which your main character’s daughter is kidnapped. The daughter’s boyfriend has disappeared. Is he involved in the kidnapping? You may decide that he isn’t, but you don’t reveal that for four chapters.

2. Increase the stakes for your main characters

What will happen to your novel’s main character if he doesn’t get what he wants? Can he survive?

Your answer must be NO. Your main character must win through, or die. If his life goes on much as it did before, win or lose, then the stakes in your novel aren’t high enough.

Create a logline for your novel:

You must know what you're selling, so selling your book starts with a one sentence summary, much like a movie’s logline:

When INCITING INCIDENT happens, OUR PROTAGONIST decides TO DO ACTION against ANTAGONIST.

Think about novels you’ve read. What are the stakes?

Consider Pride & Prejudice, for example. Midway through the novel, Lizzie Bennet refuses Mr Darcy and sends him on his way.

Then Jane Austen raises the stakes for Lizzie. Lizzie visits Darcy’s magnificent home, Pemberley; her sister Lydia elopes with Wickham. Darcy owns Pemberley and rescues the entire family from ruin.

3. Remember to play

It’s impossible to be creative if you’re not having fun with your writing.

From The Artist's Journey: Bold Strokes To Spark Creativity, by Nancy Hillis:

Play is the work of childhood—and it’s the work of your life as well. The great British child psychiatrist D.W. Winnicott was a virtuoso psychotherapist and brilliant theorist. He believed that play was essential to health, and that to help his clients play, whether they were children or adults, he needed to be able to play himself.

Think about how you could make your writing fun. It might be as simple as creating a music playlist, or rewarding yourself with a chocolate truffle when you finish a chapter.

NEW: Write And Sell A Novella In 7 Days: Your Blueprint For Success

Check out our new program, Write And Sell A Novella In 7 Days: Your Blueprint For Success. It’s powerful, practical, and tested. Use it to enhance your sales when the holiday buying season starts in October.

How many novellas could you write before Christmas, if you could write a novella in seven days?

You’ll enjoy writing novellas; make this holiday season the best-ever for your self-publishing business.