“Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out.” - Karl Augustus Menninger Self-published authors are “self-employed” professionals. Your place of business is your keyboard, and the products you manufacture are books. In order...

Independent book stores believe in hand-selling books. The big chain stores don’t always have knowledgeable staff. The big box stores place the books on shelving with little thought to staging and no thought to selling. The big chains are unlikely to...

Read the acknowledgement notes of any book and there you will find a list of people that have helped the author create his or her book. Most authors thank almost a page of people for their help, because there are so many kinds of feedback available....

You’ve done your homework and created a jazzy blog with excellent content. Now all you need is readers. How do you become part of the conversation and engage the blogosphere? What’s the blogosphere? It’s the sum of all blogs and their connections out...

Writers need to understand that writing is a business. Successful businesses are born out of careful planning. Every writer should create goals for a successful writing career. One way you can get on the road to success is with a clear business plan...

A great way to get your work noticed is through an author website. Looking at an author's website can give readers, publishers, interviewers and the rest of the writing community a chance to see what your work is about and what you are about as a writer...

Have you offered a free excerpt on your Facebook page? How often should you change your cover photo? Is your avatar a picture of you or your brand? Self-publishers were among the attendees of a fast-paced 2012 BookExpo America (BEA) session on Advanced...

A blog is a content driven website created by an individual or a group of individuals. Generally these sites require no fees. Many authors create blogs to enhance book sales. You don’t have to be published to start one. Building a faithful blog readership...

Have you ever thought of entering a writing contest but stopped because the rules were complex, and you didn't want to spend that much time preparing. Is winning a contest worth the time and effort? Yes, winning a contest can be worth the time and effort...