Create If Writing

Successful Self-Publishing with Angela England - 025

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We are living in an age of options. You can traditionally publish (if you get through the gatekeepers, that is). You can independently publish through Kindle. Or with a PDF. Or print on demand. You can sell through booksellers or through you own website. For clarification, in this episode Angela and I throw around self publishing and independent publishing interchangeably, though some people are more specific and use independent to mean publishing on a format like Kindle and self-publishing to create something like a PDF or having copies of your book printed. 

(I talked with Ed Cyzewski about this as well in Episode 10 and he had some great thoughts on this as well!) 

Angela England runs two fantastic sites: Untrained Housewife (all about things related to homemaking) and AngEngland (dedicated to writing and publishing). She is a scrappy entrepreneur (which you will hear when she talks about promoting her book AND making money doing it) and has had great success publishing. We are doing an INSANELY actionable training this Friday, November 27 about how you can break free from depending on ads and sponsored posts for your income and make money with your own writing! You are NOT going to want to miss it OR miss the fantastic bundle we have put together just through Cyber Monday. Find out more about Creative Profitability!

 

Quotable

"Anytime you can begin to be really creative with the way you're marketing and think outside the box, you are going to be in a position to create long-term buzz and revenue."

At a Glance
  • To find the best topic for your (non-fiction) ebook, try to find the sweet spot where it's not too broad, but not too narrow. Bad Examples: How to Knit Everything or Knitting Purple Hedgehogs. Good Example: 52 Baby Gifts to Knit You Can Knit in a Weekend. Go for achievable, specific, and targeted toward a particular audience. 
  • People feel like there is only ONE option: independent publishing or traditional publishing. Instead you should consider what is the best format for your project or writing and what your goals and needs are. 
  • Editing is a huge piece of the puzzle when you are publishing independently. (Listen to Episode 8 with Sarah Steidl to learn more about working with an editor!)
  • If you do need to have help with editing, formatting, or other pieces of your independent books, Angela recommends HIRING, rather than bartering. I've had great experiences bartering, so I would say that I agree with her, but if you are going to barter, it can be successful if you have the expectations aligned. 
  • For promotion, you can give people the book ahead of time to promote and write testimonials that you can use on the sales page. Trying to get in front of other people's audiences is a GREAT way to get your product out in front of people. 
  • You can also reach out beyond blogs to magazines and even utilize paid opportunities. Yes, you can get PAID to promote your book. 
    • Questions to Ask When You are Trying to Decide How to Publish

    Time-Frame - How quickly do you need your book? Traditional publishing takes MUCH longer. If you have a time-sensitive topic or reason to hustle, self-publishing is the way to go. Angela talks about how she independently published two books while waiting for her book to be traditionally published.

    Technical - What kind of book do you want to produce? CAN you do it yourself or hire someone you trust? Would a traditional publisher be the best choice to have the right quality? 

    Relevant Links

    Problogger Podcast- How I Lost 80% of My Traffic
    My advent devotional I talked about - Make Him Room 
    Sign up for the Webinar - Creative Profitability

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    Create If WritingBy Kirsten Oliphant
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