How To Edit Your Self-Published Book Like A Pro In 8 Steps

So you have decided you can edit your own book? It’s a notoriously dicey option, but SPR’s book editor Cate Baum has put together a quick guide to the professional process using digital techniques for proofreading and the general sweep edit needed to complete your book before market.

Firstly, I want to say I don’t condone this idea. Editing yourself is scary and dangerous, and usually starts and ends with a bruised ego. Many writers have done it, some have ended up abandoning it and hiring someone else to finish it, or worse, find out they need to have it […]

Cate Baum2019-04-12T14:02:50+02:00November 25th, 2014|Categories: Features|Tags: Book Editing Tips|

Is Marketing Now More Important Than Your Book’s Content?

With a slew of self-styled “marketing gurus” with all sales guns pointing to the vulnerable self-published author, who’s to be trusted in this newly-grown jungle of book “experts”? And now Chelsea Peretti is doing book signings without a book. Is this a trend for marketing over content? Does it actually matter if your book is good quality or not? SPR’s Naka Jackson, a lit postgrad, decided to take a look at the people behind the top five guides on Amazon today to see if their own advice is selling their own novels.

Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Reference […]

Naka Jackson2014-11-15T02:42:29+02:00November 14th, 2014|Categories: Features|

Eight Tips For Writing Character Voice In Your Novel

What are we talking about when we discuss the “voice” of the character you have created in your book? We’re discussing the way in which your character communicates with others in dialogue, but also how the character thinks and narrates to your reader. This is more than just how your character talks. This is the whole inner world of your character.

1. Physical Aspects

Your character needs to be able to communicate from within the body you gave them. A deformed mouth may mean no talking out loud, but the character can think and communicate to the reader. If your […]

Cate Baum2014-11-05T09:48:58+02:00November 5th, 2014|Categories: Features|

Winners of The SPR Full Moon Awards Announced!

We are happy to announce the winners of the 2014 Full Moon Awards! In the next few weeks we will be featuring these books in our reviews and interviews section. In the meanwhile, please take a look at the lucky authors!

Horror

Winner – Matt Drabble – Gated

Michael and Emily move to Eden Gardens, a US gated community that offers “Heaven on Earth and Twice as Nice”. The people are warm and friendly and welcome them with open arms. The town is a beautiful throwback to a bygone age, where the sun always shines and the sky’s always blue.

[…]

Cate Baum2019-04-12T14:12:25+02:00October 31st, 2014|Categories: Features|Tags: SPR Book Awards|

28 Free How-To eBooks For Self-Publishers

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? Or perhaps you just need some direction, inspiration or technical help with your book? We’ve put together a list of 28 totally free ebooks you can download right now that should help you get going!

Writing

How To Write Fiction
Award winning writer, trained journalist and qualified trainer, Gurmeet Mattu, brings you a 15 Module Complete Creative Writing Course aimed at those who’d like to learn the nuts and bolts of writing fiction. The Modules include instruction on how to develop characters, write believable dialogue, how to vary tempo and how to ‘find your […]

Lysa Grant2018-10-22T12:30:36+02:00October 28th, 2014|Categories: Features, Resources|

Eight Ways To Be A Rockstar Author

In a time of blogs and tweets and quick shots of how to, ten tips, why you, why you shouldn’t, what this means, etc. ad nauseum, it’s not enough to write a book and try and blog about it. Now, you have to own your stage. In other words, you need to be a rockstar when it comes to representing yourself online. What exactly is a rockstar author?

In Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel “Gone Girl”, Tanner Bolt, the ‘rockstar’ lawyer hired by Nick Dunne suspected of killing his wife Amy, is having a conversation with Nick.

‘Juries love

[…]

Cate Baum2014-11-01T04:55:55+02:00October 27th, 2014|Categories: Features|

Ten Ways To Publicize Your Book You May Not Have Thought Of

You’ve tried putting your book on all the usual sites, getting reviews and talking about it on forums and still you aren’t getting the sales you imagined. What can you do to improve this situation? Here are ten lesser-known insider ways to publicize your book.

1. Engagement, engagement, engagement

It’s not going to be enough to rock out a load of reviews and post your book on all the usual websites. It’s akin to spreading your wares very beautifully on a market stall that nobody can see. You’re going to have to get in deep with forums, groups and reading […]

Cate Baum2019-02-03T09:04:29+02:00October 23rd, 2014|Categories: Features|Tags: Book Promotion Articles|

Creative Commons Licensing For Authors

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about whether self-published authors need to use Creative Commons licenses for their work. This quick guide should explain how CC licenses work and when you should and should not use them.

Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that has one goal: To utilize the possibilities for access the Internet gives content creators, and that includes you.

Free, easy-to-use copyright licenses provide a simple, standardized way to give the public permission to share and use your creative work — on conditions of your choice. CC licenses let you easily change your copyright terms

[…]

Cate Baum2021-07-30T05:20:19+02:00October 22nd, 2014|Categories: Features, Resources|