The Creative Penn

Writing, self-publishing, book marketing, making a living with your writing

Writing and Publishing: Facebook Live Q&A Replay 3 July 2016 with Joanna Penn

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We had another fun Facebook Live session last weekend, so thanks to everyone who came along.

facebook live 3 july 2016I'm a morning person so doing evening stuff is always difficult, so I thought I would just do 20 minutes, but it turned into another full hour and everyone was very enthusiastic! It turns out that these live streams are useful AND fun, so I will continue to do them.

The video recording is below, with time stamps so you can fast-forward to the questions you’re interested in. Or click here to watch on YouTube.

And I’ll be doing it again on Sunday 24 July 3pm US Eastern / 8pm UK time.

Just come along to Facebook.com/TheCreativePenn at that time and I will be there, answering your live questions!

Time stamps for the video

1:56 – Book launches
5:34 – What would you do differently in your habits if you were just starting as a full-time author?
7:30 – How far down the line were you before your podcast got traction and what helped grow the audience the most?
10:32 – What are your thoughts about “just in time” purchase of ebooks?
12:25 – How important are book trailers and streaming audiobooks?
14:25 – Any tips for finding keywords for books? Click here for an article on keywords.
15:24 – How is your Bookbub beta ad going?
16:52 – How do I market my book? Lots on book marketing here.
18:26 – Any ideas to promote a first in a series if I'm not a proven name?
19:41 – When you write fiction novels do you stop reading other fiction?
20:44 – What are you thoughts on starting one's own publishing company? An interview on companies with Helen Sedwick here.
22:28 – Would you consider publishing books for other people?
24:07 – Finding interior book designers. Lots of book designers here. Lots of formatters here.
25:07 – Where did I buy my mug?
26:09 – What is the best approach to organise co-writing with Scrivener?
27:31 – Perma-what? – Permafree
28:31 – How can I do better when I have lots of books?
29:27 – How long does it take you to write a full-length novel from idea to published?
30:14 – Be as generous as you can but don't let it impact your own creative work
31:07 – Thoughts on promoting your own books in book fairs
32:26 – Do you know any successful authors who write using dictation and are “pantsers”? I mention this interview with Elle Casey.
33:00 – What location/venue is the most beneficial for selling books?
34:35 – Do you recommend removing pictures in an ebook version of a book?
36:16 – How can you get Amazon to bundle parts of a series into one product? See this post on ebook box-sets and bundles.
38:31 – What is your recommended word count for a non-fiction book?
39:28 – What made you decide to sell books from your website in dollars instead of pounds?
Successful Author Mindset Cover 3D JPEG40:47 – My experience with Stone of Fire prior to publication.
42:08 – How do you get so much done?
43:08 – Does the perma-free strategy work for books that aren't part of a series eg literary fiction?
46:13 – Long-term strategy for writing
47:28 – What do I think about a book of children’s' poetry or picture books? See this interview with Karen Inglis on children's book publishing.
48:25 – How are you finding working on screenwriting after working on novels?
49:15 – What am I doing next week?
50:31 – Do you have any suggestions for books on improving dialogue. See this interview with James Scott Bell on dialogue.
51:08 – For a mystery series do I need to commit to self-publishing versus traditional?
51:54 – What is your favourite writing advice book? Lots of books on writing here.
52:34 – Is it OK to plan a lot of books in advance?
53:47 – Do I use Smashwords or Draft2Digital? More on how to publish an ebook here.
54:13 – Do you consider research on consumer psychology for book cover design?
55:49 – Where do you find experts to advise on cultural elements of books?
56:35 – Do you think an author should stick to one genre?
57:14 – How do you stay so positive when it feels like nothing is working? Check out The Successful Author Mindset book 🙂

I hope you found this useful!

Come along to the next Facebook Live Q&A on Sunday 24 July at 3pm US Eastern / 8pm UK.

Just turn up at Facebook.com/TheCreativePenn and I’ll be there! You can just type your questions as comments and I’ll answer them live.

If you can’t make it, no worries, I’ll post the replay the week after. If it’s popular again, I’ll make this a semi-regular event. Please do let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed this more casual approach.

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Writing and Publishing: Facebook Live Q&A Replay June 2016 with Joanna Penn

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I'm generally pretty reticent about doing live online stuff. I pre-record the podcast and edit it so you get a smooth audio, and I get really nervous before anything live.

facebook live pennBut my friend Mark Dawson encouraged me to do a Facebook Live video Q&A. He even said it would be fun.

So I tried it … and it was fun!

The video recording is below, with time stamps so you can fast-forward to the questions you're interested in. Or click here to watch on YouTube.

And I'll be doing it again this Sunday 3 July 3pm US Eastern / 8pm UK time.

Just come along to Facebook.com/TheCreativePenn at that time and I will be there, answering your live questions!

Time stamps for questions

2:20 – What is the most effective advertising for authors – Facebook, Google or Twitter?
5:32 – Will you be releasing the mindset audiobook at the same time and how are you recording it? Yes, and the details are here: www.thecreativepenn.com/mindset/
7:39 – Do you have a template to share from deconstructing a novel in detail?
9:34 – Lulu vs Createspace
10:44 – Is it best to start with a novel, a novella or a short story?
12:01 – What do you do daily for marketing?
14:40 – What are your thoughts on crowdfunding?
16:09 – How do you transition from non-fiction to fiction?
18:27 – When should you start an author platform?
20:34 – Is non-fiction essential for steady income from books early on?
21:13 – When should you get an editor? More on editors and a list here: www.TheCreativePenn.com/editors
22:19 – What setup do you use for walking dictation?
22:56 – Does YouTube help sell books?
23:47 – Series vs stand-alones
24:28 – If you're in Canada, should you get started with publishing on Kobo?
25:13 – How do I publish print books? Ingram Spark / Createspace / Lightning Source. Lots on publishing print books here.
26:50 – What size should the books be?
27:29 – Using images in books
29:45 – How do you get on Audible if you can't use ACX? Check out AuthorsRepublic.com
30:25 – Can you get hardback books on Createspace?
30:42 – How can I make sure my characters aren't boring?
30:51 – Tracking taxes for direct sales
32:54 – How do you find the time to write and market?
33:54 – Do you have stories you have never published?
34:37 – What about writer's block for fiction? Lots on writer's block here.
35:40 – When did I first publish?
36:45 – Have I ever done NaNoWriMo? More on NaNoWriMo here.
37:07 – Where can I get a book cover? My recommendations: www.TheCreativePenn.com/bookcoverdesign
37:23 – Are ebook sales decreasing? See this article.
39:04 – Why I don't use ISBNs
39:35 – What about publishing a personalized print book?
40:11 – Would I ever write to market?
41:01 – Any advice for couples working together?
42:25 – Should you wait to have a few books done before publishing?
43:58 – Should indies focus on one genre?
45:16 – When is it too late to start writing?
45:56 – What is the % split in my income between fiction and non-fiction? All the detail in this income breakdown post.
46:34 – Do I recommend any specific Scrivener training? Yes. www.TheCreativePenn.com/scrivener
46:50 – How does an unknown author reach out to bloggers and podcasters?
49:27 – What about outsourcing the writing of a book?
50:32 – How many times should I edit a book?
51:57 – Should you send print books to Amazon for them to sell?
52:18 – How has selling direct gone for you?
52:57 – How do you keep track of multiple plots in a novel?
53:56 – Is it important to sell an ebook as well as a print book? Yes. More on publishing ebooks here.

I hope you found this useful!

Come along to the next Facebook Live Q&A on Sunday 3 July at 3pm US Eastern / 8pm UK.

Just turn up at Facebook.com/TheCreativePenn and I'll be there! You can just type your questions as comments and I'll answer them live. I'll also be talking about what I did for my launch this week so you get some inside info 🙂

If you can't make it, no worries, I'll post the replay next week. If it's popular again, I'll make this a regular event. Please do let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed this more casual approach.

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Q&A Show On Self-Publishing And Book Marketing With Joanna Penn

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 54:08 — 43.5MB)

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In today's show, I tackle more of your questions from The Creative Penn survey about self-publishing and marketing. The last Q&A show was one of the most popular of the podcast, so I hope you enjoy this one too.

Q&A on self-publishing and book marketing ep 230In the intro, I mention that I visited Highgate Cemetery yesterday and if you're a fellow taphophile, you can see my pics on Pinterest here. I also mention the ups and downs of Amazon this week, with Joe Konrath and Hugh Howey both singing the praises of KDP Select, while a report on working conditions in the New York Times has been getting a lot of negative press.

I also talk about my progress on the course website for the new Creative Freedom course and how I'll be unveiling the roadmap video this week. It's my attempt to demonstrate what most authors are missing in their author business and why most authors don't make a living with their writing. You can get all the free videos at TheCreativePenn.com/freedom

99designs-logo-750x200pxThis podcast episode is sponsored by 99 Designs, where you can get all kinds of designs for your author business including book covers, merchandising, branding and business cards, illustrations and artwork and much more. You can get a Powerpack upgrade which gives your project more chance of getting noticed by going to: 99Designs.com/joanna

Special Keyboard - HelpIn the Q&A section, I go through:

  • Draft2Digital and Smashwords and the different sites they distribute your book to.
  • Paid advertising, hiring help for all that indie publishing entails, and the motivation behind being an indie author.
  • The different lengths of novels and novellas and the distinction between book series and serials and Wattpad's model for serialized book releases.
  • The different audiences for print and eBooks.
  • Blogging and ISBNs and whether they're necessary for a writing career.
  • On the advisability of crowdfunding for authors and the motivations for marketing your books.
  • Getting traffic to a website without a platform and the reasons for that traffic.
  • The hard work of being an indie author and the choices we make about what we want to do with our time.

If you enjoyed the Q&A, then you can get more videos and audios on making a living with your writing and managing your time at TheCreativePenn.com/freedom.

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Q&A On Writing, Self Publishing And Book Marketing

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 48:18 — 38.8MB)

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Today I’m answering some of your questions from The Creative Penn survey – talking about self doubt, what defines a good book, discipline and habits, ideal genres, editing and time spent on marketing.

Q&A on self-publishing and book marketing ep 222In the intro, I mention the changes with Amazon Kindle Unlimited payments move to page reads as well as machine learning for reviews; Apple's change to pre-orders allowing up to a year in advance without metadata. I also mention the Facebook Ads for Authors course and Self Publishing Podcast #62 show on autoresponders.

This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets kobo writing lifethrough the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors.

Kobo’s financial support pays for the hosting and transcription, and if you enjoy the show, you can now support my time on Patreon. Thank you for your support!

joanna penn grinIt's just me today! I'm assuming you know who I am – if not, check out the About Me page 🙂

  • On self-doubt about our writing, how it continues to affect even well-established authors. Strategies for tackling that doubt, including working with editors, and getting on and publishing despite self-doubt.
  • On why books sell and what defines a ‘good' book. The importance of emotional resonance in books, and the impact indie authors have had on traditional publishers around what readers want to read.
  • Having the discipline to write and questioning if you need to write every day. Habits and their importance, your personal definition of success and why enjoying the act of writing matters so much.
  • On ideal genres for books, including paying attention to what you read, to your Creative Muse and respecting your readers.
  • On juggling work, life and writing. Can we have it all? And the importance of focusing on learning at the beginning of a writing career.
  • The process for editing fiction and knowing when to draw a line in the sand and stop working on a book, including figuring out what you want for the book, cost vs. return and investing money in your author business. Also what to do when the first book is finished.
  • On answering the question, “Who is your publisher?” and strategies for the reply, including comparisons to indie music and film.
  • On how much time authors should spend on marketing, including examining where your writing career is now, Business for Authors 3Dwhat end game you have in mind for your books and your career, and balancing marketing vs. creation.
  • Return on Investment for writers, examining the income return for the time you spend and how much being creative matters to you.

OK, I'd love to know if you enjoy the Q&A format. Just leave a comment below or tweet me @thecreativepenn

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Writing Q&A: Finding Time, Finishing Work, Short Story Markets And What To Do After A First Draft

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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

Here are some questions that have been sent in by readers.

How does one find the time between work, family, and other commitments to write the book one wants to write?

This is one of the most common questions asked, and basically there is only one answer.

There is not enough time to do everything, so what are you going to give up in order to write your book?

I personally went down to working 4 days per week, plus gave up TV ( I do download shows from iTunes but it cuts out watching crap!). I also have very little social life, but am a happy hermit! Here are some more ideas for finding time. Here is a free audio on Beating Procrastination.

What is your inspiration that keeps you moving towards finishing your book? I've got lots of “chunks” of text that i need to assemble into a coherent title (or series of titles).

The only thing that can keep you moving is wanting to achieve the goal of writing your book. Much of the ‘assembly' can be boring but you have to push through that. Persistence and discipline have to be the hallmarks of anyone successful at anything. Here is some more help:

I've almost finished my 1st draft, what do I do next?

“Writing a book is rewriting”, I think Michael Crichton said that, but many other writers will say the same thing. The first draft is just the very start, but at least it gives you the rough material to work with. From here, you need to think about the following:

  • Rewriting, editing, proof-reading and rewriting cycle – here is a great post on different types of editing from Self Publishing Review. Whether you are going to submit to an agent, or going down the self-publishing route, you need to go through editing and rewriting to make the book as good as it can be. Yes, you will be sick of it, but it will be a better product. I have hired editors before to get a professional viewpoint.

Short Story markets. For question #–I'm a short story writer and would be interested in doing an anthology.

Here is a post I have written on finding short story markets on twitter. I hope that helps get you started!

Image: Flickr CC Oberazzi

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