Amazon reviews go crazy, Ads for Authors closes today, and 2020 is just around the corner.
Weekly Write-Up: 18th December 2019
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Who is Reading What?
Women, or men? Children?!?
Weekly Write-Up: 11th December 2019
BookBub display their best author profiles, Libbie Hawker gives an interview, and female readers keep fiction afloat (apparently).
Why I Don’t Want a Beautiful Book Cover
I want a book cover that sells.
Weekly Write-Up: 4th December 2019
Wonderbly joins “self-publishing” (or what it thinks is self-publishing), and Lithub lists the “best” covers of 2019.
The Curious Case of the Novella
Is a novella more than just its word count?
Weekly Write-Up: 27th November 2019
Kindle Quotes is rolled out as a new Kindle app feature, and John Leguizamo self-publishes a comic book.
How to Write Horror For Kids
Horror is scary. Can children handle it?
Weekly Write-Up: 20th November 2019
The new opportunities an indie boost brings, the lies budding writers tell themselves, and the 29 best SP podcast episodes of all time (apparently).
How to Deal With Self Doubt
Everybody feels self-doubt at some point or another. Just keep going.
What is NaNoWriMo?
What is NaNoWriMo? Here are some tips to “win” it.
Weekly Write-Up: 6th November 2019
Entrepreneur runs a how-to piece on self-publishing, LJ Ross sets up a publishing imprint, and Margaret Atwood passingly mentions self-publishing.
Your Author Website: The Joy of Keeping It Simple
Websites don’t have to be tough. Here’s how to keep them simple.
Weekly Write-Up: 30th October 2019
How to make a living from your writing, ghostwriting is on the rise, and a list of new SP books.
Should You Use a Pen Name or Not?
Whether you’re writing about something sensitive or jumping across genres – here’s why you might want a pen name.
Weekly Write-Up: 23rd October 2019
Two literary prizes are awarded – the Kindle Storyteller award, and the Man Booker Prize.
How to Use Comedy in Your Writing
From building characters to creating contrast.
Weekly Write-Up: 16th October 2019
Kobo Writing Life now accepts self-published audiobooks, and how to make the most of your Kindle keywords.
Why Word Choice Matters
From gender-popular verbs to expanding your vocabulary.
Weekly Write-Up: 9th October 2019
Welcome to the SPF Weekly Write-Up, where each Wednesday we collect together the self-publishing news of the week so you don’t have to.
This week: the Kindle Storyteller shortlist is revealed, the KDP dashboard allows for ads in UK and Germany, and the 101 course is open for enrolment.
The Kindle Storyteller Shortlist Is In
And the lucky titles/ authors are…
The Bookshop of Hopes and Dreams, by Hannah Ellis
I Have Sinned, by Caimh McDonnell
The Army of Wolves, by Claire Moore
Tragedy at Piddleton Hotel, by Emily Organ
The Picture on the Fridge, by Ian W Sainsbury
These five authors are all in with a chance to win £20,000 and a marketing campaign for their book, plus the finalists from all six international Kindle competitions will be considered for a rights option with Amazon and the chance for their book to be turned into a Prime video production.
Amazon Ads… in the UK and Germany!
In case you haven’t noticed yet, authors are now able to advertise their books in both the UK and German markets via the KDP dashboard. This is in addition to the US, which has been readily available via the Promote & Advertise button for a while.
From what I can see, it’s only the Sponsored Ads which are available in the two new territories, and the ads run without copy (which if anything makes them even easier to put out).
The SPF 101 Course is Open for Enrolment
That’s right – for the second (and last) time this year, the 101 course is open for new students to enrol. If you’re looking for a way to establish your indie author platform and supercharge your writing career, then 101 is the course for you.
You can check out some of our successful alumni here: https://selfpublishingformula.com/socialproof-101
And you can enrol here: selfpublishingformula.com/101
Be quick though – it’s only open for three weeks and then it’ll be closed again until next year.
Tom Ashford
Tom Ashford is a professional copywriter, author of numerous dark fantasy and sci-fi novels, and the Head of Content at the Self Publishing Formula Blog. His books include the Blackwater trilogy and the Checking Out series.
He lives in London with his wife, in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets. Find out more about Tom here.
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