This podcast is for authors and writers considering iPhone apps as a way to make sales and promote themselves. Making an app is one of my goals for 2010 so this interview was one of the first steps along the way.

Tom Evans is an author, bookwright and poet who mentors writers on how to unleash the book inside themselves. He specialises in removing writer’s block which we covered in a previous podcast. Tom has also just released 3 iphone apps as well as starting an iPhone app publishing platform, Commutabooks.

In this podcast, you will learn:

• How you can publish your own books in multiple formats to a) get more readers and b) make more income. Tom has done this with ‘100 years of Ermintrude‘ and it has previously been published in print, PDF, audio and video.
• How your fans will buy the same book in multiple formats, for example, I have Gary Vaynerchuk’s ‘Crush It’ in print, audio book, Kindle version and Vook format.
• How Tom has created Commutabooks to publish ebooks for the short commute market
• How creativity and tech can blend, just like the alchemists!

The steps you need to take in order to create an iPhone app

• Understanding even the basic technicalities will save you money and help on design, so download the Apple Developers Kit. Tom also bought a few books on how to build an app.
• Decide on what you want to do and whether you already have the material/text/images etc

• Design the app by knowing what you want to achieve as well as how the technology can be used.
• Find yourself a programmer. Tom used Twitter, but you can also use Elance, Guru or Odesk
• Submit to the Apple store for the approval process

• Is it worth it to have an iPhone app? Tom explains how the marketing aspect is very valuable even if you don’t make huge sales, although some apps do sell and make money for authors. There is a market for book apps, especially while it is a new idea.

• Marketing on the Apple store. You have to market your app just like marketing a book. There are tags that can be used on the app store. You can also market to app review sites with free promo codes. Get people talking on the social networks and try to achieve the ‘tipping point’ that gets you in the Top 25 on the store.

• On opportunities for the iPad including interactive experiences
• It is also easier to migrate to other platforms once you have material converted e.g. Google phones, possible
• Tons of ideas for what can be done with the apps – think experience, not just as a text based book

You can get Tom’s iPhone apps here (priced free, 99c, $1.99 so all affordable)

• 100 Years of Ermintrude
• Appreciating Angels
• Cards of Blessings
• Crystals of the Divine Reality

You can also get Tom’s book ‘Blocks’ here which I also mentioned in the podcast.

Related posts:

1. Podcast: Neal Hoskins on Publishing Books as iPhone Apps I am an iPhone geek! I love mine and...
2. Podcast: Bookwright Tom Evans on Dealing with Writer’s Block Many writers have to deal with blockages of different...
3. Podcast: How To Become a Wealthy Author of Non-Fiction Books With Debbie Jenkins If you want to be a financially successful author,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It’s my 35th birthday today and so here is a personal post about my lessons learned.

35 seems to be a landmark birthday for me, perhaps bigger than 30 and this blog is extra accountability for me as well as (hopefully) encouragement for you!

• There is time to write, you just have to decide your priorities. People often say they have no time to write. It has to be the most common reason why people don’t start or finish writing the book they always wanted to write. 2 years ago I moved to 4 days a week at my day job. That one decision has changed my life. I spent that extra day researching and writing my first book, “How to Enjoy Your Job“, then I started this blog, and then wrote 2 more books, now I am about 1/3 of the way through my first novel. My massive lesson learned is how much difference one day makes. I urge you to consider whether it is worth giving up 20% of your income to achieve your dream.

• You can conquer your demons with affirmation and action. I spent many years believing I wasn’t creative, that everyone else in my family was (they are mostly visual artists) but I was the business one, the all-rounder. I also believed that if I wrote a book, it had to be a Booker prize winning literary fiction novel, critically acclaimed with huge sales. These 2 beliefs held me back from seriously writing for around 20 years (aged 12 to 32). Then I wrote down this affirmation “I am creative, I am an author“. I wrote it on a card and kept it in my pocket. I said it as I walked to the train to go to work and on the way home. After about 4 months, I started my business ‘The Creative Penn’ and registered this domain name. It has become a self-fulfilling affirmation and I know now I am creative! Affirmations are not enough though. They need to be paired with action, hence the books, the blog, the podcast and the rest. Creativity comes with effort and persistence as well as the occasional insight from the muse.

• You can write a book. It just takes time and effort. My first non-fiction book took 9 months of nights, weekends and that extra day off. The next 2 only took a few months each. Now I am onto my first novel and it has been 3 months and a long way to go! I’m loving the journey which is important because books take time and effort you could be spending on other things – like your family, a more lucrative business, exercise, social life and much more. I’m not famous (yet!), I’m not rich (yet!) and I don’t have a global publishing deal (yet!). But I have written 3 books of around 50,000 words each, edited them many times, self-published them and promoted them. I have learnt so so much and still learn every day, hence I never stop blogging. I guess the lesson learned here is that you can write a book, you can achieve your dream – and then you discover the next dream, and the next book.

• Writing a novel is much harder than writing a non-fiction book. But it is also more fun! This is a recent learning for me as I started my first novel quite fearfully for NaNoWriMo last November. I was apprehensive about my imagination being lacking or my story being naff. I was becoming crippled with the thought of failure which is a recipe for blockage. Mur Lafferty’s podcast “I should be writing” really helped me as Mur gives you permission to suck, and also allows the inevitability of the first novel being pretty crappy (click here for interview with Mur). This released the fear and kick started me. I then used Tom Evans wonderful program on Blocks to help me get my first ideas (click here for the interview with Tom). I am now immersed in my novel’s world, character building and just alive with ideas. I am loving the process (although some days it is very hard to write). I have 33,000 words and am on track for finishing the novel this year. Who knows where it will go, but I am enjoying the journey!

• Marketing and building an author platform is fun and it works. You might think I am crazy but blogging and networking on Twitter are two of my favorite things to do. I do them for fun! I started this blog to build an audience, just like wannabe authors are meant to do. I did it because I was supposed to, but I had no idea how rewarding it would be. It took about 6 months of blogging to get some traction, some readers and some decent search traffic, but by then I found my stride and now I define myself as a blogger. It is a core part of who I am. I have been on twitter a year now. Again, I joined because I was ’supposed to’ and now it is absolutely my favorite social network. I have met amazing people on Twitter, including most of the people who have appeared on the podcast. Yes, it has driven traffic and sales for me, but more than that, I have made friends all over the world. Brilliant! So don’t expect any slow down in my blogging, podcasting and tweeting in 2010!

Please do share your lessons learned about writing and creativity in the comments. Has it taken you 35 years to get this far?!

Image: Flickr CC D Sharon Pruitt

Related posts:

1. NaNoWriMo: Day 26 Lessons Learned on Writing My First Novel I have to admit I am struggling with my...
2. NaNoWriMo Day 18: Lessons Learned on Writing My First Thriller Novel My word count = 17,399. Here’s my video with...
3. Character Based Writing: Lessons Learned From Sebastian Faulks I read this brilliant book over my Christmas break...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

A few weeks ago Simon & Schuster told authors they should blog, social network … and use video sites. You might be freaking out at the thought of being on video, and consider YouTube a waste of time, but here’s why you should seriously consider getting your face, and your books on screen:

• Video search is increasing and you want to be found. People go online to find information and entertainment so if your videos are there, people will find them. If you have a lot of videos on a particular topic, you will become a place people subscribe to and come back to. Videos are also highly ranked in Google (which owns YouTube). You will often find videos at the top of a topic search.

• Future technologies will soon be reality. Google is developing voice recognition and automatic captioning, so that soon videos will be easily searchable through text. This means your ranking for a particular topic could be fantastic if your videos are on a theme. This would be great for non-fiction authors with a particular niche, as well as fiction authors talking about writing and their book ideas.

• Book sales are all about a human connection. If people know you and trust you, they are more likely to buy your book. Video is fantastic for creating an instant connection. When people see your face and your expression, when they hear your voice, they will make a decision as to whether they like you. The greatest proportion of communication is in non-verbal cues, which can’t be communicated in plain text.

• Video can be the basis of your platform. Video may suit your style and personality. If it does, you will certainly stand out as an author as most are shy, retiring types! Gary Vaynerchuk got his 10 book deal with Harper Collins on the basis of his video blog and online platform. Or you can use it in addition to your text/audio blogging which adds a new dimension and another way people can find you. I personally don’t like watching video all the time, but I definitely check out videos of authors if I can find them.

• Video drives traffic to your main author site. You can pique someone’s interest in your book with a book trailer or an interview, then direct them to your site in the notes next to the video or with a website embedded in the video itself. This increases your traffic and hopefully your subscriber list, and potentially your sales.

• The demographics for video may surprise you. YouTube (and other video sites) are not just teenagers loading funny videos. Check out the demographics here. YouTube has analysis for channel videos and mine shows that 60% of people watching my YouTube channel are 45-64 and around 50:50 split between men and women.

• Video is not ubiquitous yet and you still have a chance to be at the forefront. Authors are not very techy people and are often slow on the uptake with technology. (I get so many comments about hating computers when I speak!) Therefore, in the writing/book niche there are not many videos compared to say the internet marketing, technology, health or wealth niches. Certainly, very few authors are producing much video. So you can stand out and be seen as well as get known through video.

So how do you make a video and get it online?

Here are some quick tips, with a full post to come:

• Basic quick start for talking head video. Buy an iPod Nano or a Flipcam, they are cheap (under $200) and just talk into it. Plug in and upload to YouTube. You may also have video capability on your cellphone, or you can use the webcam on your laptop or PC as YouTube has a recording facility.

• Book Trailers. Book trailers: 11 steps to make your own. This post will help you create a basic book trailer with static images and sound. It includes my own first book trailer attempt! Here is another self-made example from author Grant de Graaf that includes stock movie footage from iStockphoto.com. For a professional book trailer, check out Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (which will be made into a movie!)

• How to get your video online. Lots of free info from video guru Gideon Shalwick at GetYourVideoOnline.com (warning, pop up video on start so mute first if in public). We will be having Gideon on the podcast in the coming weeks to explain this in more detail.

• Screen Capture. If you want to make teaching videos, you need screen capture video. I have used Camtasia on the PC but it costs to buy the program. You can also use Screenr which is free but only for short videos. You could also try JingProject.

Personal note: I need to practice what I preach, and fully intend to post more video in 2010. Here’s a video I did last year on How print on demand has changed my life. Do you feel you know me better after watching even 30 seconds of it?

How will you use video in your promotion activities?

Related posts:

1. Authors should podcast: 5 reasons you should start now I have recently talked to a few podcasters who...
2. Video: US Publishing Trends Report: Sydney Writers Festival 2009 This week I have been at the Sydney Writers...
3. Video: How Gary Vaynerchuk built a “platform” and attracted a 10 book deal I got so excited about Gary Vaynerchuk’s book deal,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Some days the first draft of a book feels like hacking away at a huge block of stone, just hoping something will emerge.

You can type words on a page and they end up a rough version of the story in your mind. They don’t resemble anything like a finished novel, and you can’t see how it will get from that rough draft to a final, publishable book.

Well, take heart from a master.

In Florence, the stunning statue of David is displayed in the same hall as the unfinished slaves that Michelangelo carved (at least it was when I was there last!). At the end of hall, in natural light from a dome surrounding the white Carrara marble, David stands in pristine and perfect glory. Perhaps this is intimidating because in the literary world, David would win the Nobel Prize for Literature – but he started in the same way as those slaves.

They are trapped in marble, hints of the bodies emerge but the majority remains hidden. The muscles are shown but not in detail, they are just rough starting points. It gives us a hint of how they were carved.

The outline of a finished idea was seen within the stone and great lumps hacked off to make the basic form. Then the next layer of detail was added as the limbs were shaped, the torso was formed and the musculature added. Finally, the perfecting details would have been added so that the final statue would be awe inspiring from all angles.

Perhaps we will not all be able to create a masterpiece like Michelangelo’s David but we can take heart from the process of sculpture as demonstrated by the emerging slaves. Just hack away at the top layer until you see your story emerge, then move to the finer detail when that is in place. Of course, it takes time, but part of the fun of writing is the process and what we learn along the way.

(Image: Flickr CC JessoHackberry)

If you like visual art, you might also like this post: 15 Ways Modern Art Galleries Can Inspire Writers

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This fantastic podcast roams over some interesting topics so I hope you enjoy it!

Warning: There is some questionable language and talk of horror, violence and religion so please don’t listen if you might be offended.

Alan Baxter is the author of dark fantasy novels Realmshift and Magesign as well as many short stories. He owns an independent publishing company, Blade Red Press and his novels have just been picked up by Gryphonwood Press. He is an indie author success story! You can find his blog, novels and stories at AlanBaxterOnline.com

In this podcast, you will learn:

• How indie author Alan got a deal with Gryphonwood Press and also his opinions on how self-publishing can help authors who take it seriously
• Why writing about myths, religion and the supernatural are fascinating topics and can help readers resonate with the story
• How these topics can offend people, but writers need to write what is driving them and not be concerned about what others think. Don’t compromise your story.

• To write in a genre, read as much as possible. If you are using established mythologies, you must stay true to the myth.
• On writing graphic violence and horror vs thriller
• On making bad guys who are demons and therefore not 3D. Does this go against the writing ‘rules’?

• Tips for writing interesting fight scenes by Alan, who is a Kung Fu Instructor and personal trainer. No 1 rule: Run away!
• Can an author go from self-published to indie author/small press to being picked up by a traditional publisher? Yes, and how Alan’s journey has developed.

Definitely check out Alan’s books if you enjoyed the podcast. You can get free chapters here – Realmshift and Magesign

You can connect with Alan on twitter @AlanBaxter

Related posts:

1. Dark Fantasy as a Writing Genre: What is it anyway? This is a guest post from Alan Baxter as...
2. Podcast: Tips for Sci-Fi and Fantasy Authors from Philippa Ballantine, Chris Lester and J. Daniel Sawyer It is podcast mania this week! I am delighted...
3. Podcast: J.C Hutchins explains the cross-media phenomenon “Personal Effects: Dark Art” J.C. Hutchins is the author of trans-media novel “Personal...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I have been reading Donald Maass ‘Writing the Breakout Novel‘ and there is a whole chapter on raising the stakes in your writing. This lifts the novel from mundane to the memorable. Once you have established character, then you have to put them through the wringer and set the stakes high to keep the interest.

A great example of this type of writing is the last Dr Who series, written primarily by Russell T. Davies. I have never watched any of the other Dr Who shows but was immediately gripped by the Tenth Doctor and his adventures. I spun off into Torchwood, an equally brilliant show written by the same team. So why were these shows so good? (and even if you don’t like sci-fi you could learn something from them!)

• The stakes were high every time. For some reason, all the bad guys want to destroy earth and often the plot has the Doctor saving Earth, or another planet or race. You might think this idea gets tired but with fantastic writing, it was gripping every time. What impressed me about the series was how intricate and believable the stories were, even when quite fantastical. The world building aspects draw you in and makes it real.

• Even on grand planetary scale episodes, the stakes were made personal. So in the destruction of Pompeii, we see the story of one family. When Daleks attack earth, we see the effect on a few people who we already care about. In one episode we even care about a single Dalek who is part human. In the same way, we don’t respond to headlines like “War kills 2 million people” but we do respond to a charity that asks us to adopt one child, whose face we can see and whose life we can effect. So when you write your high stakes story, make sure the reader has a character to care about rather than a cast of thousands.

• The episodes often end on cliffhangers, even as the the present situation is resolved which keeps the viewer ready for the next one. This is what writers aim to do with chapters in novels. Keep the reader turning the pages. Each situation also gives the Doctor a chance to reveal more of his character, which makes us care for him and his fate – raising the stakes as we get more involved.

High stakes don’t mean you have to write a disaster thriller or have a world-destroying plot, but the stakes have to be high on an individual level. They must be of importance to the protagonist and enough for the reader to care what happens.

Can you answer these questions for your novel?

• What are the stakes in your novel? Why should the reader care what happens?
• If the protagonist does not achieve their goal in the novel, then what happens? Are the consequences ‘big’ enough?
• How can you raise the stakes to make them more significant?

Related posts:

1. Writing Thrillers: Lessons Learned From James Rollins Learning by modelling is a powerful technique, and as...
2. NaNoWriMo Day 1 Update and Lessons Learnt on Writing My First Novel NaNoWriMo has started and thousands of people round the...
3. Lessons Learnt From Dan Brown: The Lost Symbol WARNING: May contain spoilers! It has been the biggest...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Here is the Ezine for February, containing more posts on writing, a few on book marketing and some great podcasts.

Also, remember that Read an Ebook Week is coming up from Mar 7-13 so if you are interested in publishing your own before then, check out the great podcast interview with Joshua Tallent, all about ebooks.

Right click here to download the Ezine in PDF format, or read online below.   Here are all the previous Ezines if you want to catch up!
Writing and Book Promotion: The Creative Penn Ezine Feb 2010

Related posts:

1. Ezine: January 2010 RoundUp On Writing, Publishing and Book Promotion Here’s the January Ezine, packed with information and inspiration...
2. November Ezine on Writing, Publishing, Book Sales and Marketing Here is the November Ezine, a PDF round-up of...
3. Articles and Tips for October: The Creative Penn Ezine I do a monthly Ezine that includes links to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Many people ask me for more information on blogging, ebooks, self-publishing, how to use twitter, making video, podcasting and much more. I really love to help and this blog is free as are the podcasts and downloads available, but sometimes this is not enough. People sometimes just want all the info in an easily consumable product.

I currently have a full size online multimedia course with 12 modules which covers all this, Author 2.0, but it is a bit pricey for some people and is also about 6 months of work to get through all of it. So I will soon be offering modular bite size chunks of the course with video, audio and ebooks per subject so people can work through the items they most need information on.

I need to decide which modules to offer first so I would like your help to decide which ones have most interest.

Please could you fill in this VERY brief survey (less than 5 mins) => Click here to complete The Creative Penn Product Survey

Related posts:

1. Win a place on the Author 2.0 program by completing this short survey I am currently in the last weeks of completing...
2. Author 2.0 Survey Results… and the winners are…. Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your...
3. Best Of The Creative Penn 2009 Free Ebook and Survey Results Thanks so much for all the information you have...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Ebooks are everywhere in 2010 and many people email me asking for more information on what they can do to jump on the wave of digital publishing. I just had to interview Joshua as he is an expert on the biggest platform out there, the Amazon Kindle.

Joshua Tallent is the author of ‘Kindle Formatting” and is a specialist in formatting books for the Kindle and other ebook platforms. He is also the founder of EBookArchitects.com, converting print books into high quality formatted ebooks and taking the pain away from non-techy authors!

In this podcast you will learn:

• What has changed in the world of ebooks in the last year that has meant the explosion of ebook consumption
• Why you should care about ebooks as a reader, AND as an author
• The steps you need to take your Word document and publish it on the Kindle platform
• The level of technical skill you need to create a Kindle book – and how you can get help if you don’t want to DIY
• What books are most suitable for ebooks vs print books
• How children’s books can also be ebooks and which platforms are best for picture books
• What the best platforms are for publishing ebooks and how you can get started
• Ideas for selling ebooks on your own website

You can find Joshua at EBookArchitects.com or on Twitter @jtallent

Links from the Intro section:

• Write or Die software
• Holly Lisle’s shop – lots of great resources [affiliate link]
• Storyfix – Larry Brooks
• Storylogue – Robert McKee
• Bali Writer’s Retreat details
• Simon & Schuster.biz site Author online tools
• Early signup for Author 2.0

Related posts:

1. Podcast: Medialoper Kirk Biglione on Ebooks and Digital Media Kirk Biglione is a new media consultant, writer and...
2. Amazon, Apple and Ebooks I love the magazine Fast Company and await it...
3. What is the Problem with International Ebooks? This is a bit of a rant from the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Mega-publisher Simon & Schuster have recently relaunched their website. It has loads of interesting things for authors and readers, but what is particularly of note to me is the Author Resources section.

Under the sub-section of Online Tips and Tools, they promote the use of blogs, social media, book sites and video for authors who want to market themselves and their books. This is essentially the Author 2.0 Model where you have a central hub site with lots of ’spokes’ linking to it and bringing you people, traffic and sales from around the net.

The need for an author platform has been talked about for a few years now, but it seems the mainstream publishers are now actively encouraging it, even for established authors. I don’t think the tools S&S list are well researched or easy to use, so here are some other resources you can use to get started.

Blogging

I frequently get questions about how to set up a blog, how I manage this one and what people can do to get more traffic, so here are some links to resources and articles. [Many of the links are affiliate links and I stand behind all of them. I only recommend what I use myself].

• This blog is written on free Wordpress software hosted on my own domain. I bought the domain at GoDaddy.com and I use Hostgator to host all my sites.
• I use Thesis theme which is a paid theme and highly customisable. I used to use a free theme but switched after this site review and it has improved my rankings and also my subscribers.
• I set up the blog myself using the free information at BecomeABlogger.com. I have since used Joel, the BlogTechGuy to help me do techy things I just want to outsource. I do believe in paying for information from experts to improve ranking and performance.
• Podcast: Joel Williams on Blogging Basics
• 10 Reasons Authors Need to Have a Blog
• How to set up your own blog
• Top 10 tips for effective blogging

Social Networking and Book Sites

• Writers need social media… and social media needs writers
• How to feature on the most influential sites in the world
• Social networking and book sites for authors
• Twitter overview [I really must update this post but it gives you the basics!]
• Facebook: How authors can use it for book promotion
• Podcast: Book Marketing and Promotion … Your Questions Answered

Videos

• Book trailers: 11 steps to make your own
• Top viral videos are just like great books
• Get Your Video Online – free resources and tips for making online videos from Gideon Shalwick [warning: streaming video]
• I did a whole stack of videos for NaNoWriMo – you can see them here. They certainly helped boost my twitter following and also my blog subscribers.

What else do you want to know in order to build your online platform?

Note: I am currently re-writing some of the modules for Author 2.0: Building your platform using Web 2.0 technology. You can register here for notice of the pre-launch specials.

Related posts:

1. How to Start Your Own Blog: Learn From An Expert Blogs are a fundamental part of the author platform,...
2. Writers Need Social Media… and Social Media Needs Writers I’m struck by 2 posts today that I need...
3. Podcast: Joel Williams on Blogging Basics for Writers I get a lot of questions about blogs and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.