I frequently get the question “How long should it take to write a book?” And I answer, as all good consultants do, “It depends.” I’ve seen clients write books in as little as six weeks or take as long as several years. Factors that influence book-writing timelines A couple of factors can help estimate “longer” […]
Position Your Book for Top Billing on the Publishing Stage – Part 1: Front-of-House Bling
You’ve written your book; it’s been edited by a professional. Your beta readers loved it. It’s finally time to send your baby out into the world. Whether you’re publishing in the Amazon ecosystem or going broader, make sure you’ve considered both front-of-house and behind-the-scenes essentials of indie publishing. In this two-part series we will look […]
Manage Your Fear of Visibility & Set Your Book Free
You’ve worked on your book for months. Drafting, revising, editing, formatting. It’s time to send it out into the world. You should be feeling excited and ready to celebrate, yet you’re more nervous than excited, ready to hide rather than celebrate. Or, you’ve refined your book as much as you can, and it’s time to […]
The Amazon Ecosystem for Authors: A Field Guide
Originally published August 16, 2018; most recently updated June 21, 2022. With an estimated half of the US print book market and three-quarters of the ebook market, Amazon is the behemoth in the indie book space. There are other self-publishing companies of course, but I so frequently get questions about Amazon that I thought it […]
Why You Should Give Your Book Away (for Free!)
In a recent discussion about writing books and using them as marketing tools, one participant asked, “Why should I give away my intellectual property?” After all, he argued, writing and publishing a book requires a significant investment of time, energy, and money—not to mention the hard-won professional experience behind it all. Indeed. On the whole, […]