The Most Useful Info on Writing, Self-Publishing & Marketing
Our goal with the MindStir Media Author Learning Hub is to educate prospective and current MindStir Media clients with valuable info on book writing, self-publishing and book marketing. Simply read the excerpts below and click the related links to start stirring your mind with helpful information.
Book Writing Help
How to Write a Book: The Beginner’s Guide to Writing a Book (FREE 16-page download):
Thousands of people around the world will feel the pull to sit down and write a book for a variety of reasons today. Whether you want to impart your expertise with readers on a certain niche topic, share a fantasy world that abounds in your head with conflict and resolution, or simply pen down experiences and events that have happened to you, writing a book can be a valuable way to make it happen … [Read More…]
Top 5 Writing Lessons from Harry Potter Author J.K. Rowling:
Persist: Here’s where some aspiring authors fail. They get caught up in a get-rich-quick mindset and expect overnight success. They hear stories about how the idea of a spectacled wizard boy popped up into J.K.’s mind…and then they hear about the billion dollars she’s made and see her name all over the media. According to her own words, writing the complete story of Harry Potter was a 20-year process! 20 years! Maybe you’re struggling with writer’s block at the moment or you’ve developed some doubts. Please, don’t give up. Persist. Don’t give up after 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, a decade, two decades, three … If you love writing, write and persist. Don’t expect overnight success. It’s a marathon, not a race, right? … [Read More…]
Writing Lessons from Downton Abbey:
Strong characters – Downton Abbey isn’t heavy on action or special effects so it depends on strong characters that the audience immediately responds to, whether positively or negatively. There’s the no-nonsense butler who has a typically hidden but endearing gentle side. Then there’s the white knight who can’t seem to connect with the eldest daughter when it’s clear they are in love. There’s also the conniving footman in cahoots with her Ladyship’s maid. No matter what genre you write, you will never go wrong developing strong characters. Give your heroes a flaw. Give your villains a sympathetic reason for their villainy. Make them opinionated and active, because they are the reason your readers keep turning pages … [Read More…]
What Running has Taught Me About Writing:
Be patient. Progress comes slowly. Good grief, it took forever to build up any real endurance. In the same way, writing progress, building a reader base, hearing from folks you submitted work to are all slow-moving things requiring tremendous patience … [Read More…]
Imagine for a moment … shelves and display tables stacked with gleaming copies of your latest epic … Now, who stops at the table and picks up a copy? That’s your reader. That’s who you need to focus on. Yes, it may be mostly a function of genre, but not always. For example, YA for girls is much different than YA for boys. Identify your reader, your audience as completely and specifically as you can, with regard to things like age, gender, profession, interests, and life experiences. The more information you have on them, the better … [Read More…]
As a writer, one can have the greatest support system surrounding them but the you is all that matters when faced with the music of silence and the hum of the blank page. You are what matters when fatigue after the day job makes the mere idea of writing feel like it possesses its own weight. You are what matters when the remote control teases you with the promise of zoning out by tuning in. You are what matters when the dog’s bark reminds you of the mailman which reminds you of rejection letters. You are what matters when the queries go unanswered, when revision number thirty-two looms, when you receive the notice of insufficient funds in your bank account … [Read More…]
Self-Publishing Help
Self-Publishing Guide (FREE 13-page download):
We’ve created a downloadable & printable Self-Publishing Guide to help you answer the age-old question “how to publish a book?” Consists of information about our self-publishing process; self-publishing packages and pricing; marketing and advertising services; and more … [Read More…]
5 Rarely Discussed Self-Publishing Mistakes: What NOT To Do:
Don’t self-publish your first draft: If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of a self-published author banging his head on his desk. It happens every few seconds. Listen very, very carefully. There’s another bang. He thought the book was genius when he clicked publish and he had even “spell-checked” the manuscript beforehand, but now the Amazon reviewers are saying some really nasty things about his book. Things like, “I couldn’t get past the first chapter because of all the errors” and “This was obviously self-published.” … [Read More…]
How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish? (Self-Publishing Packages Explained):
What makes our self-publishing packages so different? Not only will we surround you and your book with your own professional team (book designer, editor, project manager, etc.), but we’ll even assign a bestselling author as your mentor/coach. Our exclusive mentor/coach is J.J. Hebert. He’s the 9-time award-winning author of four #1 Amazon bestselling books, with over 100,000 copies sold. He’s also the president of MindStir Media LLC. J.J. has helped produce hundreds of books for authors nationwide and has also provided thousands of consultations. The Good Men project hailed J.J. as “The Self-Publishing Guru.” … [Read More…]
Book Marketing Help
Top 5 Recommended Book Awards for Self-Published Books:
As a self-published author, it can be difficult finding reputable book award competitions to enter. Many of the most prestigious book awards have rigorous entry rules and requirements not suitable for self-published books. To help aid in your search, and for your convenience, I’ve compiled a list of what I believe to be the top 5 book awards for self-published authors. I’m the 9-time award-winning author of four #1 Amazon Best Sellers (and publisher of over 600 books) — and my recommendations below are based on my own research and experience … [Read More…]
Market Your Book Like A Bestselling Author (75 Book Marketing Tips & Strategies):
Today, I’m going to take some of the guesswork out of book marketing. I’m going to share with you a list of 75 book marketing tips and strategies that I personally recommend to authors writing and publishing in any genre. Think of this list as your “book marketing plan.” Obviously, you can feel free to make it your own and flesh it out as you see fit. Also, as you do some testing and tweaking of your own, go ahead and add to the book marketing plan. Whatever you do, stick to the marketing plan! … [Read More…]
Authors Need to Provide Exceptional Customer Service:
Whether you want to believe it or not, writing is a business. It’s a lot of fun but you should always remember that you need to make a profit in order to stay in the writing business. What do all successful businesses have in common? Exceptional customer service. Great customer service creates happy and loyal customers. Make them happy and they’ll keep coming back for more of your books. These sales generate profits. Treat your customers badly and you’ll ultimately go out of business … [Read More…]
10 Ways to Get Your Book Reviewed:
NetGalley: This site puts a digital version of your book in front of 145,000+ reviewers, who can download the PDF. Whenever a reviewer downloads your book, he/she MUST review the book before downloading any other books from the website. MindStir Media authors have the option to get reviewed via this service … [Read More…]