Writers...Download Your FREE Copy of "HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK"
The path from writer to published author can be downright soul-crushing but it doesn't have to be.
We’re so lucky to have such a vast and cohesive writing community here on Steemit. Writers of all types and experience levels on this platform seem to coexist peacefully and offer helpful support to those authors who are still developing their skills (which in reality is all of us). The great thing about being a writer is there’s always room for growth, a career as an author is a path of lifelong learning.
When I began to seriously pursue writing in the early 1990’s it was an entirely different world. Those were the days before the internet became mainstream and writers had two frustrating choices, getting a “Yes” from a traditional publisher or paying a vanity publisher to produce your book. Vanity publishing was never a good idea and the doors to the world of traditional publishing houses were closed to most unpublished authors who weren’t already famous in some way.
Thankfully today there is a third viable path, self-publishing.
Around the time I was finishing the draft of my first novel, Alarm Clock Dawn in 2013 I found a publication called Authors Publish through my Facebook author page. They published articles to help writers like me -- self-published authors trying to build their brands, find their voices, and grow their readership. After a year or so I began occasionally writing articles for Authors Publish, sharing lessons I learned in my two decades of writing.
Fast forward nearly five years...you can imagine how surprised I was to hear from one of the co-founders of Authors Publish, Caitlin Jans, a few months ago when she asked to republish one of my articles in their new book.
When I learned about what the book’s content I knew immediately that I needed to share it with you here on Steemit. I want to thank this community for all of the gifts it's given to me and I hope you find this book helpful in some way. Here's a small token of gratitude.
CLICK HERE FOR A FREE COPY OF HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK
Here’s to your success,
Eric
(Gif sourced from Giphy.com)
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
Alarm Clock Dawn, one of the first full length novels published on the blockchain, and the book that started it all for me can be found HERE. Or Click Here to read it for free on the Steemit blockchain
My book on meditation, The Perfect Pause, is priced at $12.99 (paperback) and $4.99 (eBook). Buy the paperback and receive the eBook for free!
Let’s Keep In Touch
You've been writing for such a long time really and it's not surprise to see your inclusion in this book, I'm betting it would be such a delight, the thing is, self publishing has really given a whole the chance that publishing companies hadn't and has it not been for steemit, no company accepted my work, I'll definitely have to see this, thank you for sharing
I hope you get something useful out of it @josediccus! The piece they included of mine is a bit outdated (written 5-6 years ago) but a majority of it still applies. The best option, in my opinion, right now is to self-publish on Amazon.
@ericvancewalton, do you mean the best option in terms of self-publishing or the best option overall?
And if it's the best option overall (even over traditional publishing), why? I'm very curious :)
I just meant best option in terms of overall advice on book promotion. I believe self-publishing is the best option for most authors at any stage in their career.
I was traditionally published once and vowed to never go that route again. I received zero marketing help from the publisher and had to end up doing all of the marketing myself anyway. There were other negatives as well like lack of final say over the book cover and retail price . The cover is so important because it provides the first impression of your book and there's a definite "sweet spot" when it comes to setting a retail price....if it's priced to low it makes readers think your book isn't worth reading....too high and they won't buy either.
Yes, I've read such stories online, about the publisher not doing anything for the book and the lack of final say scares me, honestly. But I do think anything should be tried once (except for like the dangerous stuff :D). Yes, you are so right about the cover, I've come to see that in the past few months, from observing how other readers interact with books. It's always the ones with the great covers that get all the attention, which is worth remembering.
It's certainly an interesting opinion :) I'm quite curious to see if I will come to a similar conclusion later on. In any case, I always appreciate the advice :)
That was my experience with my small publisher. They did one or two emails to subscribers of their mailing list with links to the book and that was the extent of it. You are smart to try it for yourself, each publisher is different and you might "hit the jackpot" and have a wonderful experience. If not, it'll be something you can learn from. You win either way!
Indeed, it is now easier to become a famous and recognized writer, but you still need to be talented.
Absolutely, your words have to "attract a crowd" in some way. Building a readership willing to support you is proof enough now that you have what it takes. Thankfully, you don't need the approval of a gatekeeper anymore who must deem your work "worthy".
Excellent information Eric and you are right, this book will help many authors, especially young and beginners!
I hope so!
This is awesome Eric, coming at exactly the time I need it! I feel so blessed that I stumbled onto steemit and met you, so many synchronous moments :) I hope you are doing as fabulous as you are!
That is wonderful, @dreemit! I'm glad our paths crossed also, you're one of the kindest people I've ever met. I still can't thank you enough for the table of contents you did for Alarm Clock Dawn and the wonderful posts promoting my books throughout the years. Doesn't it sometimes feel like we were all magnetized to this platform for some larger purpose? What's your new project?
:)
Indeed it does, for me, especially in the beginning, it felt like jumping into a pool of inspiration. As if the universe concentrated creativity in this place. And as all things come in waves, I suspect a new wave of that inspiration will hit at some point :)
I'll be publishing the stand alone novel I put through steemit- Unproven- soon, and the second book of my series this summer as I work on another stand alone novel and finishing book three. Taking up 'real estate' in Amazon is the primary goal at the moment, but I definitely need to develop marketing skills.
And yourself? What is new in the extraordinary life of @ericvancewalton? xo
OMG, the beginning. From mid-2016 until after SteemFest1 it felt as if we found utopia. For me, it felt like a taste of what the Woodstock generation must have felt. I'll never forget what that was like. It's bound to happen again, if not here somewhere.
Your projects sound very exciting! Book launches are so much work but so satisfying...there are so many correlations between a launch and raising a child. Lol. I wish you the best of luck on your launches. The most important thing I've learned is to capture as many email addresses as you can so you can reach out to your readership independently of any platform. Also, get a good bunch of reviews posted by your readers prior to your main public launch. You can offer the book at a discounted retail price (or free) if people are willing to write an honest review. Lots of reviews (whether good or bad) are tremendously valuable.
I have lots of different things I'm working on at the moment. HardFork is still moving forward and we should see some exciting developments with it in the next few months. We've changed our focus a bit and will be working towards releasing a feature film before the episodic series. We're also launching a chain-based virtual card game that people can play with our cinematic offerings.
It's going to be a fun year!
I KNOW! That time period in steemit history was imbued with magic. I felt like a child again, filled with wonder and awe. Every time I opened a new post I had the sense I was walking through a Narnia-like wardrobe, stepping into someone's world and I could see it- a trendy coffee shop, a worn but comfortable used book store, an art gallery in a distant city, an ancient civilization, a remote wilderness, a comedy club- and the list goes on. The energy in this place was magnificent, as if everyone with a heart and spirit similar to mine had found a secret door into yes, you said it, Utopia. Heaven on earth.
I too will always remember, and always be grateful for it. And wherever that 'somewhere' is, I'm sure we'll find our way to it.
The future of Hardfork sounds incredible, what a journey! I so look forward to that film and series!
I feel so grateful to have been a part of it. That feeling will be what I measure the remainder of my years against. If I'm not experiencing that same level of joy then it's time to find what's next.
The crypto bear market set our timeline back a bit but I think HardFork will be better because of it. I'm so excited to share it with everyone, the fictional world we created is so rich and it's made me grow in ways I would have never imagined.
Please let me know when you're ready to launch your books. I'd love to buy copies and help however I can!
💪👍
Things are definitely not the same anymore.
In fact, trying to get published by a big publishing house is, in many respects a bad move today.
As in, you can get pennies per book or
you could get dollars per book self publishing.
AND! you will have to do the same amount of promoting in either scenario.
That's the thing that really gets me... that even if you have a publisher... it just means that bookstores can order your book. Not that anyone will ever see it or order it. Its all on you to get it into stores.
So, maybe the better question is why do publishing houses still exist?
You are so correct, @builderofcastles. The traditional publishing world is, for the most part, a closed loop of hand-picked individuals who've they've made "stars".
I can tell you from experience, self publishing is MUCH better and more profitable for 99% of authors out there.
Traditional publishing houses exist people the general public allows them to be by supporting them with their dollars. I very rarely will buy a book from a mainstream publisher.
For writers, publishing is part of what they want, it's one of the dreams we long for. Thank God that dream can come true today. I'm happy for your new achievement, @ericvancewalton. Since I came to steemit, that was just a year ago, you're one of those I've followed and I've enjoyed reading, commenting on you every day. Your tone is close, entertaining and you have the particularity of making poetry as simple as possible. No doubt I will download the copy and read it with enthusiasm. Congratulations and a big hug!
Thank you @nancybriti! Your support means a lot!
This is so kind and generous @ericvanvcewalton, will share this with fellow steemit foodies @plantstoplanks who has just recently published her first vegan cookery book and @birdsinparadise who's busy with hers. I'm also really keen to put together an e-book on some of my cookery posts, just have to make the time to get going. Thank you!
It's my pleasure, @lizelle and I thank you for spreading the news. I always said if I was lucky enough to make it that I would pay it forward. I hope this helps your friends!
P.S. I have a great book designer who can take your document and turn it into a finished ebook. Let me know if you're ever interesting in me making that introduction and I'd be happy to.
Thank you Eric, I will remember that!
Thanks for the information and opportunity for the download.
Your help is always appreciated. :)
done and resteemed!
Awesome, my friend! I appreciate you sharing!
sure thing.. ;)
@ericvancewalton upon closer inspection I see it is for submitting poetry to literary journals .. I thought it was something else. Still there are folks that will be happy to get this so I am happy I resteemed it.LOL I did not read the whole title on the download.
The book is for a lot more than that @rebeccabe. It's pretty much for every aspect of book promotion. There are several links to click on once you reach Authors Publish landing page. I'm wondering if you clicked a different one? Here's the synopsis...
How to Promote Your Book
This book presents real-world strategies from writers who have been in the trenches, promoting and selling their books.
This book will show you how to build an author’s platform, give a successful reading, launch a new book, build a fanbase on social media, and more.
In the six years that Authors Publish has been around we have published a lot of quality content about promotion by authors at various stages in their careers. This is the first time we have collected and updated the articles, along with a few new ones, into a more comprehensive format: an eBook.
Book promotion is necessary for both traditional and self-published authors, and this book presents strategies equally relevant to both groups.
Haha! I downloaded the wrong one.
I am so glad I said something to you.
Here is the one I originally downloaded
It's easy to click the wrong link! They have a pop-up window that the link immediately takes you to advertising the book you mentioned above (Submit, Publish, Repeat) instead of the one they're actively promoting now. I'll have to let them know about that little snafu. Thanks!
Haha I'm doing the email for free ebook thing too :)) Wow, you have been writing for a long time. I'm so glad you posted this, I will definitely have to read this. I went through the table of contents and it really looks like a lot of help.
Well, in as much as there is a one-size-fits-all promotion method, which isn't really the case, but I'm sure there are a lot of useful tips to be found :)
Thank you for posting this, Eric, and for being here :) You're one of my favorite writers on Steem!
Thank you so much @honeydue and I'm glad you're enjoying my work! I like what you're doing as well, I think you have a great future as a writer.
Over twenty of those years I was working a full-time job that had nothing to do with writing. I know a lot of writers that are in that same predicament. Writing is one of the most difficult professions to break into on a full time basis. James Altucher's podcast really helped me more than anything in that respect.
Your impression of this book was the same as mine, it's more like a cornucopia of offerings that authors can pick and choose from according to what resonates with them.
I hope you're having a great week!
Thank you, Eric :) Your words always mean a lot to me, I hope you know that.
It is a hard profession to break into, but I don't really think there's a choice. Only the other day, I was reading how hard it is to make decent money as an author and I thought how sad and awful, but then, I kept on doing it, you know?
I love that you let go of that job and that you are following your passion. It's exactly the sort of feeling that drives an artist.
I haven't heard of his podcast, but I will look into it :) As any writer, I always love some inspiring words.
I am :) Just sent out a manuscript to agents. I hope you're having a great week as well!
It's my pleasure to help in any way I can.
You have the perfect attitude to be a writer, @honeydue. Persistence is what it takes to be a success. I would definitely recommend devouring those James Altucher podcasts and maybe even reading his book Choose Yourself. The podcasts and the book will shift your mindset in a way that will greatly shorten your road to success as an author. He (indirectly) is how I found my way to Steemit in 2016.
How exciting! I hope you get the response you're looking for on the manuscript. Best of luck!
@ericvancewalton, Yes, every phase of time hold it's own dynamics and issues. And in my opinion for writers, path was never easy and it's not today also because no matter how much we talk about the subject of Different aspect means, we say that every human being is different and unique from others but actually we are in full blown competitive world and we have to stay on the toes to achieve next expansion step. Stay blessed.
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True, @chireerocks. We happened to be born into a time of great transition. What most authors don't realize is, today, you have to put as much effort into building your audience as you do writing. Once you've built an audience of true fans you can make a living writing things they enjoy reading.
Absolutely true words, everything is the game of value and if our work can produce value then our audience will grow and inturn we can grow our Niche but definitely it needs, time, efforts, consistency, patience, strong mindset and most importantly passion.
Have a great time ahead.