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Self-Publishing Your Audiobook: Royalty Share or Not? (The $26,000 Lesson)

Author: Laura Resnick

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Self-Publishing Your Audiobook: Royalty Share or Not? (The $26,000 Lesson)

Of my 16 self-published books, only half are in audiobook format. This is mostly due to the significant underwriting cost of bringing each to market (from $1,500 to $3,000 each). I have tried various methods for getting these to market, including selling my audio rights to a traditional publisher and self-publishing—either by underwriting the cost myself or royalty sharing with no up-front cost. When self-publishing your next book, here is why I learned it is best to retain your audio rights (instead...

audio production, business, Publishing, sales, self-publishing, Tools

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How to Avoid LGBTQ+ Stereotypes

It would be impossible to sit down and list every LGBTQ+ stereotype that might pop up in a work of fiction. For one thing, stereotypes change as society changes, and they can be hard to pin down, it’s more a feeling you get while reading than a specific image. A stereotype might only be noticeable to someone from the group being depicted, which means that authors writing outside their own experience need to take steps to make sure they won’t hurt or alienate their readers. Is this my story to...

characterization, DEI, LGBTQ+, professionalism, Publishing, self-editing, Writing

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Crafting the Cozy Mystery

Cozy mysteries have been popular since the days of Agatha Christie. Readers enjoy these stories that are a subgenre of the traditional mystery. Detective stories, police procedurals, and courtroom dramas also fall under the mystery umbrella. In a traditional mystery, there’s a murder that must be solved. Missing persons or theft are other possibilities, as long as they present a puzzle for readers to solve. In addition to a whodunit, cozies have distinctive qualities that give them a special appeal. Elements...

change, craft, creativity, genre, mystery, Publishing, Writing

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Finding Success in Niche Markets

We’ve all heard the widely accepted advice given to authors who want to succeed in today’s crowded fiction space: write a series, stick to popular genres and sub-genres, and target a wide audience. This all make perfect sense and has yielded enviable levels of success for many authors. But sometimes going for the widely popular just isn’t the path for us, and deciding to go a niche route is a valid choice as well. The choice The decision to go niche, or to travel what may be a harder road to success,...

change, craft, creativity, goals, indie, Marketing, Publishing, sales, self-publishing, Writing

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Creative Things Authors Can Do With Their Email Lists

Building an email list is one of the best things any author can do. Why? Simple. You own your email list. You certainly don’t own Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and all the other social media platforms where you promote your book. Most of us (while we might own stock) do not own a controlling interest in Amazon, where many of our sales likely come from. In fact, the only retailer you own is your website, and the only channel to reach your readers that is yours to take with you (no matter...

advertising, branding, business, career, email list, mailing list, market research, Marketing, reader engagement, sales, Tools

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NFT 101: Is It Time for Authors to Add an NFT to the Bottom Line?

When I was a newly published author, marketing to readers was mostly done blindfolded. Authors created swag to give away at events, to bookstores, and to libraries: branded pens, sticky notes, calendars, bookmarks, etc., and handed them out far and wide with no way to measure whether any of their efforts resulted in enough book sales to cover the cost of the swag. There was only cost involved, with hope of profit being made at some future time. Now we can measure the effects of our digital giveaways,...

blockchain, branding, business, cryptocurrency, digital, legal, Marketing

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