Resources for Writers – An Appendix from my Forthcoming Book, Success Beyond Royalties

by | Dec 28, 2017 | Author Promotion | 7 comments

Resources for Writers – An Appendix from my Forthcoming Book, Success Beyond Royalties

Introduction:  This list of resources for writers (with links) is based on the appendix I’m developing for my forthcoming book, Write Now! Writing YOUR Book – to Attract New Clients and Make You a News Media Expert, which focuses on what benefits authors receive from having published their books – beyond the money they make selling their book.  These benefits include credibility with the news media (note that the root word for “Authority” is “Author”), as well as the development of new prospects and new leads because of the credibility that having written a book creates. This book is largely based on my experience, including how one hand-out book landed me a six-figure two-year consulting gig, and how just the mention of another book paved the way for 5x interviews with both Cavuto and Imus, plus 156 other interviews.  However, this book is also filled with mini-case studies from other authors have accomplished from publishing their own goals.

I hope you find this list of resources for writers useful. I plan to keep updating it as I identify new resources, so check back often.

Name Brand Input

Shelley Hitz:  http://trainingauthors.com/sellmorebooks

http://www.shelleyhitz.com/freetraining

Tom Corson-Knowles and Adam Houge – Four-Step Formula to Grow Your Rank on the Amazon Algorithm: http://www.thefanbaseformula.com/tck: 1:52 hour training video

Adam Hogue Fan Base Formula for Authors – $497 or $49 a month:  https://course.thefanbaseformula.com/fanbaseformula?affiliate_id=580299

The Couch Manager, Hassan Osman (Write Your Book on the Side):  http://www.thecouchmanager.com/write-your-book-on-the-side-bestseller/

Marketing for Writers – Building Author Platforms that Sell More Books:  http://marketingforwriters.com/

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/

KD Sales Machine:  http://ebookbestsellersecrets.com/kdsales/ –

Derek Doepker Authorship:  http://derekdoepker.com/authorship/

Mark Dawson’s Advertising for Authors Course:  https://selfpublishingformula.com/courses/

Mark Dawson’s Self Publishing 101:   https://selfpublishingformula.com/courses/

SPF 101 with Mark Dawson:  https://selfpublishingformula.com/spf-042-self-publishing-101/

Mark Dawson’s Self Publishing Formula YouTube Network:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Qu8GvA0lUm3GmzBqmmfeg

Free Course: List Building for Authors:   https://selfpublishingformula.com/courses/

Derek Murphy CreativINDIE YouTube Network: https://www.youtube.com/user/holyblasphemy123

Chris Fox’s YouTube Network:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu6RYg6_-pTQxLVq3Fv6lYg

Tom Corson-Knowles: TCK Publishing – Free Self-Publishing Training YouTube Network: https://www.youtube.com/user/Tcorsonk

Jane Friedman:  https://www.janefriedman.com/self-publish-your-book/

https://www.janefriedman.com/how-to-publish-an-ebook/

Topical Resources

 Self-Publishing Guides

News and Trends

 Creating Basic Ebook Files:

If you don’t want the headache of creating your own ebook files, check out the services at eBookPartnership.

  • Vellum: easy-to-use software for Mac users only to produce EPUB files
  • PressBooks: a WordPress-based system for producing both EPUB and print files
  • Scrivener: this writing software is not free, but it can export EPUB files
  • Apple Pages (can export EPUB files)
  • Sigil: an open-source software for producing EPUB files, requires some tech savvy
  • Reedsy: you can copy/paste your work into its free online editor, then export EPUB files
  • Draft2Digital: you can upload your Word doc for EPUB conversion even if you don’t use them as your distributor
  • Calibre: free software that’s useful for file conversion to/from EPUB, but some find it difficult to use

Enhanced Ebooks

  • KDP Kids’ Book Creator: for creating children’s picture books
  • Apple iBooks Author: will limit you to Apple iBookstore, but the software is free; supports multimedia
  • Blurb: produces print + digital full-color books, with distribution to major retailers
  • Book Creator: iPad app for illustrated books, great for children’s authors
  • Again, if you need assistance preparing your ebook files, try eBookPartnership.

E-Retailers and Distributors

  • Amazon. Probably sells 60-80% of all ebooks, more for some authors and titles.
  • Apple iBookstore. Widely considered the No. 2 ebook retailer in U.S.
  • Barnes & Noble Nook Press. Sales have been dropping significantly over the last couple years.
  • Kobo. Gaining ground, international presence. Important for the Canadian market.
  • Smashwords. The largest ebook distributor of self-published titles that’s been around the longest and has the widest reach, particularly to the library market. No upfront cost; they take a cut of your sales.
  • Draft2Digital. Similar to Smashwords, but smaller and more customer-service focused. They take a cut of your sales.

Optimizing Product Page and Description

Promotion, Marketing, Sales, Advertising

Discounts and Freebies

Reviews

Social Media Strategies

Pinterest

Facebook

Freelance Help

WordPress Guidelines

A Ten-part Video Series on Setting up WordPress Blogs and websites:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ-eL7zH6rQ – this is the link to the first of ten on YouTube – search from this to the other nine videos

7 Comments

  1. Shiela Lambert
    Shiela Lambert on December 29, 2017 at 12:11 am

    why did you do this? you’re promoting a few known scammers and services proven wasted money.

    Are you new to self publishing?
    I mean within the past 5 – 7 years

    • Ned Barnett
      Ned Barnett on January 1, 2018 at 11:59 pm

      Shiela – yes, while I’ve been marketing my books and clients’ books since the mid-80s, all my previous books were royalty-published or ghost-written and the clients got them published. I located these sources from a variety of published sources posted by people I deemed more knowledgeable than I am. I have not had the chance to use many of these services, and do not vouch for them. I figure it’s “buyer beware” out there in such a wild-west marketplace. However, I do know that people who have bad outcomes tend to blame the source, and some organizations or sources that have bad reviews might not be bad (I’ve had to deal with Better Business Bureau a time or two, generally based on complaints from people who either expected something for nothing, or who blamed me when their PR campaigns generated coverage but no sales, because the “product” wasn’t worth it). For example, one client who I gained more than 500 favorable press messages, including interviews on five network/cable news programs (but who refused to sell on Amazon because he wanted all the profits, and had a lame website he used for sales), sent me death threats because he only sold ten ebooks. I delivered on my end, but he expected results he’d already self-sabotaged with his lame website and his refusal to do business with Amazon.

      That being said, Shiela, I would be glad to have you identify wonky or unreliable sources I’ve listed; I’ll check them out, and if I agree with you (and I can’t see why I wouldn’t), I’ll remove them from my list.

      You can reach me at ned@barnettmarcom.com – please mark the subject line FAULTY RESOURCES (or something like that), so I’ll find it among the hundreds of emails I get most days.

      Thanks for bringing this to my attention, and please continue the process so I can improve the quality of my resource list.

      Ned in Nevada

  2. Jean Wise
    Jean Wise on December 29, 2017 at 4:15 pm

    Great list, especially Shelley Hitz group. I would also add anything by Amy Porterfield. She has a wonderful list building course plus great podcast too.

    • Ned Barnett
      Ned Barnett on January 2, 2018 at 12:01 am

      Thank you, Jean. I have searched Amy Porterfield, and I will identify links I can share on this resource. And yes, I agree with you about Shelley – I’m taking a “coffee break” right now from watching one of her 90-minute free webinars on marketing. She’s a gem and the real deal.

    • Ned Barnett
      Ned Barnett on January 2, 2018 at 12:08 am

      Jean – another thought – I have seen your name and read your comments on Shelley’s Author Audience Academy Facebook page, and am impressed with your insights there. I’m proud that you sought out my website and my blogs. FYI, I finished the first draft of my next book, “Write Now!” (about how published authors can make money and generate press-driven leads even if their book doesn’t sell well (though half the book is about using tried-and-true methods of selling a lot of books), and I will be publishing 20 or so more blogs based on contents from that book. So please check back. Now, my virtual coffee break coming to an end, I’m going back to Shelley’s online webinar on marketing effectively, and in the spirit of the Lord, which makes all kinds of sense to me.

      Speaking of the Lord, may God bless you, your writing and your family on this glorious new year He has just given us.

      Ned in Nevada

  3. James Medley
    James Medley on December 29, 2017 at 4:31 pm

    This collection of resources for writers is invaluable! THANK YOU so much for researching and sharing it with us. God bless you.

    • Ned Barnett
      Ned Barnett on January 2, 2018 at 12:02 am

      Thank you, James, and may God bless your writing and your life in this new year of ours. Any time you find resources not here, please share them with me (this applies to everybody) as I plan to periodically update this list. You can contact me at ned@barnettmarcom.com and include in the title NEW RESOURCE LISTING and I’ll be sure to snag it and add your recommendations to my list.