Features | Self-Publishing Review

Writing a Book Through Ill Health

We all face a bout of sickness in our lifetime at some point. But what if this hits as we are writing a book?

“I was literally in the middle of a three-month sabbatical to write my book when I was diagnosed with Lupus. Plagued with fatigue and nausea, as well as insomnia, I had no idea how I was going to finish what I had started,” says Pam, a self-published author from London, UK. “And I had a deadline of less than two months. After that, I’d have to go back to work.”

Cathy had planned her time off […]

SPR2019-07-24T10:53:06+02:00July 22nd, 2019|Categories: Features|Tags: Writing Tips|

Kindle Promotion Tips to Maximize Your Newsletter Marketing Campaign

The window for marketing is pretty small. Certainly, you should never give up on a book once it’s had its major marketing push, but Amazon only gives a 3-month window to end up in the Hot New Releases section, or to benefit from other ranking factors that fade over time the older a book gets. So it can make sense to put all your eggs in one basket and try to make a giant push all at once.

Think of movie marketing – there are a few weeks of heavy advertising leading up to a release, there’s an opening weekend, […]

SPR2020-02-21T04:34:42+02:00July 14th, 2019|Categories: Features, Resources|Tags: Book Marketing Advice and Tips, Book Promotion Articles, Newsletter Campaign|

Ten Steps to Format Your eBook

When it comes to uploading your eBook for KDP or even for selling it yourself from your author website, it seems like a really fiddly job. But there are ten easy steps to getting it right.

This is a very basic 101, and there are many other fancy things you can do. But these are the bare minimums you should aspire to.

You can click the images if you wish to see them bigger.

1. Use Word

1. There’s no point in using a PDF because it’s counter-intuitive to Kindle. Amazon’s system will automatically recognize chapter headings and paragraphs if […]

Cate Baum2020-02-21T03:45:36+02:00July 10th, 2019|Categories: Features, Resources|Tags: Book Formatting Tips|

20 Book Marketing Strategies for New and Experienced Authors

At SPR, we see a lot of books come our way, and we see some of the same mistakes being repeated over and over again. This is not just the case for a novice author, but for authors who have 10+ books out. Obviously, new authors should take heed most of all, so follow this book promotion checklist to make sure you’re doing everything you can – potentially for no cost at all.

Sign Up for Amazon Author Central

This is one that seemingly a lot of authors haven’t heard of because too often it’s not used. Amazon’s Author Central[…]

SPR2019-07-02T03:47:25+02:00July 1st, 2019|Categories: Features, Resources|Tags: Book Marketing Advice and Tips, Book Promotion Articles|

How To Get An Agent As An Indie Author

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Cate Baum2019-06-20T06:43:56+02:00June 13th, 2019|Categories: Features|

How Authors Can Help Other Authors

Another author’s success can sometimes sting. But remember: we’re all in this together – that’s why something like #WritingCommunity exists. If a writer is successful, that’s a success for everyone, as books are the underdog in the media landscape.

It can feel counterintuitive to support another author’s book, as they can seem like a competitor in your own field, and you may feel like you should be spending your time only on your own book. However, self-promotion is not normally as effective as word of mouth, so if you spend your days wondering why you’re not receiving enough attention, the […]

SPR2020-02-21T06:49:14+02:00June 3rd, 2019|Categories: Features, Resources|Tags: Book Marketing Advice and Tips, Social Media|

The Best Premade Cover Designers for Indie Authors

In this day and age, there’s no reason to have a bad book cover. Though there are more tools available to make your own book cover, that doesn’t mean you should, as designing a book cover takes as much finesse as any creative art, so if you all you can draw are stick figures, you have no business getting into graphic design.

This is especially true because the cost of book cover design has come down a lot in recent years, while the quality has gone up. This is true as well for premade book covers. You supply the […]

SPR2019-05-23T11:55:07+02:00May 23rd, 2019|Categories: Features, Resources|Tags: Book Cover Design Tips|

Ten Reasons Your Book Is Not Ready To Publish

You’ve had the line edit and worked on the notes your editor gave you. You’ve had the manuscript proofread. Then why is the biggest issue with self-published books is that they get published too early in the process? Editor Cate Baum gives you ten reasons why your book may not be as ready as you think it is.

Lately, I have been editing books for authors who have already paid for edits, some with reputable editors. I have seen a sharp rise in remedial edit work coming my way. The issue is that their edits just were not aggressive enough, […]

Cate Baum2019-05-14T10:48:51+02:00May 14th, 2019|Categories: Features|Tags: Book Editing Tips|