For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers

Donna Marie Williams's Blog (31)

Honor your readers

I received an email today from Smashwords. The …

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on March 28, 2011 at 11:28am — No Comments

Easy book writing for people who talk

Speakers, if you haven’t written a book yet, you’re cutting yourself off at your financial knees. The tried and true business model for speakers includes writing a book that can be sliced and diced in multiple ways, including CDs and DVDs, eBooks, articles, blog posts, even Apps. But the book lays the foundation.

For 3 painfree ways to write your book, visit…

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on February 1, 2011 at 7:58am — No Comments

How to get a book out of your head

Writers feel frustrated when they are unable to move from daydreaming to writing. …

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on January 28, 2011 at 10:42am — No Comments

Jumpstart Monday // write with CONVICTION

I was only a girl when John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. were slain, but I can clearly remember the shock and grief of my parents, the angry gun shots thundering in the neighborhood, and the ghostly, empty playground at my school. …

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on January 17, 2011 at 9:26am — No Comments

Petite model shares 5 big social media self-promotion tips for self-publishers

If you've never heard of author, model, and petite model advocate Isobella Jade, then you haven't been on the Internet in awhile. Thanks to her saavy and relentless online self-promotion, this petite model (5' 4") has a big online presence. …

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on January 7, 2011 at 7:16am — No Comments

UPGRADE your writing space

Maybe we don't do enough to prepare for success. There's something to be said for beginning a new diet with a clean sweep of the refrigerator, pantry, and kitchen cabinets.…

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on January 3, 2011 at 10:30am — No Comments

Jumpstart Monday // managing emotions, dealing with writer's depression

Probably the greatest obstacle to writers' success is lodged like a ticking time bomb in our souls. Triggered by setbacks, mistakes, failures, wrong turns, and disappointments, depression and frustration explode when things don't go our way.

I'm not a psychologist, but I know that if you don't manage your emotions, if you succumb to depression, writer's…

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on December 13, 2010 at 12:55pm — No Comments

How a once broke single dad is self-publishing his way to success

Today I read an inspirational story about a writer who is self-publishing his way to success via Smashbooks, "an e-book publishing and distribution platform for ebook authors, publishers and readers." Brian S. Pratt, writer of fantasy novels and single father of 3, is, as Smashwords founder Mark Coker put it, "the future of publishing."…

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on December 10, 2010 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Jumpstart Monday // whip words to SUBDUE writer's block

It happens to even the most experienced writers. You get stuck on a passage. You just don't know what your next article or book will be about. You fear the fountain of creative ideas has run dry.… Continue

Added by Donna Marie Williams on December 6, 2010 at 6:36am — No Comments

A writer's quest for balance

Nonwriters may think the writer's life is dull, with all its reading and writing, but never judge a profession by how it looks. We writers are always chasing ideas and dreams. We're always rushing to capture thoughts into books and articles. We live and breathe by our…

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on December 3, 2010 at 8:29am — No Comments

Tim Ferriss' amazing new book trailer

If you've been following The Celebrity Editor, you know that I tend to go on and on about boring book promotions. See here and here. Well, what do you think…

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on December 1, 2010 at 10:30am — No Comments

How self-publishers can become sought after media experts

Goal: to become the media's go-to person in your area of expertise. Problem: in some circles, self-published books are not viewed as credible. Challenge: how can self-published authors position themselves in the media as experts?

To learn how to position yourself as a media expert, read this highly informative article at…

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on November 30, 2010 at 12:30pm — No Comments

To self-publish or not? That's the question!

Recently a writer asked, "Should I self-publish or should I seek a deal with an established publisher?"

Writing a book is the easy part. How will you publish it? With the variety of publishing options to choose from today, the decision is far from simple. Read this thought provoking article to help you sort through your options on… Continue

Added by Donna Marie Williams on November 29, 2010 at 3:30am — No Comments

Secret weapons of successful self-publishers

A hot topic on many online writing and publishing forums is whether or not to self-publish. The naysayers complain about lost money, poor quality, low sales, and the many other challenges that go with publishing your own book.

For the past few years I've provided editing, ghostwriting, and production management services to self-publishers. We've pretty much accepted that there always will be challenges. That's… Continue

Added by Donna Marie Williams on November 26, 2010 at 6:30am — No Comments

Black Friday for self-publishers

Might I humbly suggest a couple of different ways to spend your Black Friday?

1. Rather than spending hundreds or thousands of dollars the day after Thanksgiving, why not use at least a significant portion of that money to invest in your self-publishing project? Use it to publish your book. Hire a good editor or…

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on November 25, 2010 at 1:30pm — No Comments

How to fast track your author marketing platform in a reality tv world

Infamy and controversy sell today. If you're desperate to sell millions of books, here are 5 ways that will guarantee you financial success, but will you be able to sleep at night?

1. Release a sex tape. Kim Kardashian's sex tape launched an empire, and now the sisters' book, Kardashian Konfidential, is #40 on Amazon. Note: releasing a sex tape should not be confused with "sexy marketing," as I explain… Continue

Added by Donna Marie Williams on November 24, 2010 at 5:00am — No Comments

Published novelist forced to market like self-publisher

I met novelist Kenn Bivins at an online book marketing forum, where we talked about the challenges of marketing…

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Added by Donna Marie Williams on November 23, 2010 at 5:00am — No Comments

Jumpstart Monday // TRICK writer's procrastination

If you're battling writer's procrastination (in which writer's block may be lurking), you may be suffering from the alleged "Monday morning blues." Read this article for 2 powerful ways to trick the urge to dally and dawdle: TheCelebrityEditor.blogspot.com.

Added by Donna Marie Williams on November 22, 2010 at 6:14am — No Comments

How to jazz up your next book signing

The author book signing is a time honored marketing event used by publishers to promote authors and sell books, but I've never attended one that wasn't, well, boring. How many times have you attended a book signing that followed this formula: read-sign-go home. That's no fun.

For 4 ways to make your book signing more entertaining for fans, read this… Continue

Added by Donna Marie Williams on November 21, 2010 at 12:19pm — No Comments