Tag Archives: Publishing

Aug5

Creative Juice #306

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Things to admire, and things to try out.

Beautiful winter quilt.
King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, England.
How to paint colorful whites in watercolor.
I know you don’t know these people, but if you like to look at wedding photos, these are beautiful. The bride is one of my favorite bloggers, and I enjoy wedding pictures, especially because my youngest daughter got married last December.
Insect portraits.
Award-winning photographs on Flickr.
A fun painting tutorial. I can’t wait to try this!
Quilters, do you prewash fabric yardage when you bring it home from the store, in order to preshrink it and get rid of sizing and excess dye? And does it tie itself up in knots so that no amount of ironing gets the wrinkles out? Try this technique, which greatly reduces the wrinkles.
Back exercises for writers. (Sitting at a computer for hours is bad for your posture.)
Tips for becoming a better photographer.
I love these sketches of people busy in the kitchen.
For prospective first-time authors: How much do you really need to know about publishing if your manuscript isn’t finished yet?

May6

Creative Juice #293

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Things to amaze you. Things you can do yourself.

Excellent advice.
Do you like star quilts? Maybe you’ll like these wall quilts. Many of the patterns are free.
How to get your short story published.
Do you wish you understood the ins and outs of copyright law? Harvard Law School has put its Copyright Law class on YouTube FOR FREE!
I love this quilter’s Instragram page.
A man in Brazil has worked at the same company for 84 years.
Adorable felted animals.
Typography in Bracque’s and Picasso’s work.
Broadacre City, envisioned by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Sketch artist uses her sketchbook to understand another artist’s art.
Gorgeous watercolors.
Hold a tie-dye party!

Jan29

Creative Juice #227

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Topics serious and entertaining:

For the writers: information about all possible book publishing paths.
For the writers: how guest blogging can help you promote your novel.
How the gift of books helps change lives in prison.
Some beautiful quilts—including three on Mazie Hirono’s wall.
How to review poetry books (many of the points cross over to other reviews as well).
Some ideas for generating worthwhile social media content.
If you love cats, you’re going to love this.
Todd Brison writes about 50 things that helped him get through 2020. They might help you with the rough start of 2021.
A different interpretation of a well-known Bible story. I never thought about it quite like this before.
Gifts to sew for every occasion. Get started now for next Christmas.
What it’s like to have Covid. If it hasn’t touched your circle, you just don’t know.
How an artist’s pandemic experience influenced his illustration work.

Jul5

Guest Post: Using Amazon Categories to Sell More Books by Peggy Sansevieri

Posted on July 5, 2018 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Guest Post: Using Amazon Categories to Sell More Books by Peggy Sansevieri

Thank you to Peggy Sansevieri for this fascinating book marketing article which previously appeared on Writers in the Storm.

By now most authors know the importance of choosing great keywords on Amazon, but Amazon’s categories are equally important. Choosing the right categories can boost your exposure. And exposure drives book sales.

So, while it’s good to spend a lot of time focusing on keywords, you should also focus on finding narrow categories on Amazon. The reason to look narrow is this: categories with fewer books have lower competition for the #1 spot. And the top ten is a great place to hit, not only because it creates more visibility for your book, but Amazon’s algorithms kick in as you start to spike within categories.

The BIG Secret about Amazon Categories

When speaking to a contact at Amazon recently, she told me they had rolled out ten categories for each book. Which means that instead of just two categories, you can have up to ten for each of your titles. Why is this good? Well, the more categories your book has, the more places it will show up. And because you have more flexibility now, you can pick some super niche categories, along with less niche ones. This is especially good in markets where there aren’t a ton of niches. Business books often sit in this segment. Having more categories levels the playing field a bit more.

How to Choose the Right Categories

First, when I talk about Amazon categories (and in previous posts I’ve done for this blog), you’ve probably noticed that I always refer to the eBook side of Amazon. This is because the categories on the eBook side are more creative because there are more of them.

To continue reading this article, click here.

Nov8

Book Submission Roundup

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Your baby has gone through several drafts and multiple revisions. You’ve had trusted readers pore through it and you’ve applied all their best suggestions. You’re confident your book is ready to go to print. What next? These sixeen articles will help you find a home for your book.

Photo by Bill Ward

Do you want a traditional publisher, or would you rather self-publish? Pros and cons.
Attending writers’ conferences is an excellent way to network with other writers and meet agents and editors. Here are some good ones.
You chances of landing a book contract are much better with representation. How do you get a literary agent?
Tips for effective elevator pitches.
Four questions agents ask at pitch sessions. Maybe you want to think up answers for these in advance.
Here’s what your literary agent’s contract should spell out.
How to write back cover copy as good as Harry Potter and Hunger Games.
Write a book synopsis.
How to write a nonfiction book proposal.
How to write a fiction book proposal.
No agent? Strategies for finding a publisher.
What your book contract should address: read the fine print.
What kind of advance and royalties should you expect?
What you need to know about self-publishing.
Self-publishing through Amazon.
An alternative to Kindle.

Nov4

Scouting Out Kindle Scout

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Have you ever wished you could be a first reader for a publisher? Maybe even be instrumental in getting a new book published?

Or have you written a book that you’re thinking of self-publishing, but you really wish you could have some kind of an advance instead of shouldering all the expense of doing it yourself?

On October 14, 2014, Amazon launched Kindle Scout, sort of a crowd-scourced publishing program.

Found on kindlescout.amazon.com

What’s in it for authors?

Kindle scout is open to U.S. authors of romance, mystery, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, action/adventure, contemporary fiction, and historical novels. Submissions are bound by a 45-day exclusivity period with Kindle. Within two days of receipt, Amazon will notify the author if the book is approved to participate.

Then a date is determined for a campaign launch, which lasts 30 days. During that period, anyone can read an excerpt (about 5,000 words) on the Kindle Scout website and “nominate” it. At the end of the campaign period, the books with the most nominations earn the attention of the Kindle Scout team and possibly receive a 5-year Kindle Press contract at 50% royalty with a $1500 advance.

What’s in it for readers?

I’ve read several of the excerpts on the Kindle Scout website and nominated some of them. At any given time, you can have three active nominations; as their campaigns end, they are removed from your Kindle Scout account to make room for more recommendations (or if you find some that are even more deserving, you can delete them yourself and replace with your new choices). And if a book that you nominate is chosen for publication, you get a free advance copy. Plus, there’s the additional satisfaction of helping an excellent author attain the goal of publication.

What are other people saying about Kindle Scout, pro and con?

Here are four excellent articles. Click on the titles to read Scouting Kindle Scout, Kindle Scout: What’s in it for Authors?, Kindle Scout—A Survivors Report, and Should You Kindle Scout?

What do you think?

Is this a good direction for publishing? Could print publishing adopt this model? Have you submitted to Kindle Scout? Would you attempt to go this route? Would you participate from the reader’s end? Please share your comments below.