OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
I've been a fan of Mark Coker and Smashwords for years now, and Mark continues to deliver value to authors through his distribution platform but also through sharing his vast knowledge of digital publishing.
Free ebook: The Secrets To Ebook Publishing Success
I learned heaps from the book. It really is well worth your time whether you are indie or traditionally published. Here are just some of things you will learn about.
- A great overview of the changes in the industry
- Some financials around self-publishing, bootstrapping and resource allocation
- Tips on ebook covers that work
- Metadata magic and why it's important as well as the algorithms that impact our book sales
- Why writing more books and books over 70,000 words is critical for longer term success
- How trust and brand loyalty work
- Why distributing through one site is short-sighted, even if that site is the biggest bookseller in the world. [OK, so I was one of those authors who took my books off Smashwords in order to try Amazon KDP Select which requires exclusivity. However, next week I will be republishing my books on all platforms based on some of Mark's points in this well-written chapter – as well as how impressed I am with Kobo.]
- Using strategic pricing as well as free
- Why patience is important and the sales behavior of different books – the invisible book, the slow boil, slow builder and breakout book.
- Why you shouldn't fear piracy
- On long term platform building and marketing
- Word of mouth and how books go viral, or not
- How readers find books and how to optimize your touch points
- It's not about book launches anymore, it's an ongoing marketing approach
- Think globally about your book and the expansion of ebook markets
- How to behave as an indie – let's be generous with each other – this is not a zero sum game
…and much more.
So what are you waiting for? Click here to go and download Mark's ebook on Ebook Secrets and then spend an hour reading it – and take notes!
* My interview with Mark Coker when we met live in Australia in 2010 – we get enthusiastic about the possibilities for authors
* Interview on Smashwords blog with Brian S Pratt who went from earning $7.82 in a quarter to $25,000 in a quarter, and $200,000 in a year from his books.
* Interview on Smashwords blog with Ruth Ann Nordin, romance writer who went from earning $0 to $75,000 on Smashwords
* Ruth Ann Nordin's little ebook about marketing available on Smashwords (also free)
* The Smashwords Blog where Mark shares lots of great data
View Comments (4)
Great summary Joanna! I too read Coker's book and think his insights are very valuable, particularly since they come from the experiences of successful e-book authors.
This is awesome! Thanks!
Thank you for this, I have downloaded it and am looking forward to working through it.
I am very impressed with how much indie writers support each other with information. (It makes so much sense, and - as a social worker in my day job - fits with my ideology too.)
Plus, I'm just embarking on this process - heaven knows I need all the info I can get!
Steven
This is a great resource, and truly a help to authors looking into e-book publishing. It is also remarkable how e-books are selling; it looks like the sky is really the limit as e-book sales figures continue to show growth without any foreseeable end in the future. Now what makes e-book publishing even more attractive are the royalties BookTango is letting their authors keep. You should definitely check this out: http://goo.gl/iwgHL