Answers to Some of the Questions Authors Ask—I'm Ready for the Big Time!

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

#5 in a series where I answer questions I suspect you are asking

Indie Author:How do I get a traditional publisher to buy the book I indie published? It’s awesome and I could really use the bookshelf space I’d get from going trad. Also, how much money should I ask for when they offer me the deal?

Answers to Some of the Questions Authors Ask—Help Pirates!

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

#4 In a series where I answer questions I suspect you are asking

Indie Author:

I’ve been robbed! Google told me my book is free on a site and I KNOW that’s where all of my sales are going! I would have been rich if it hadn’t been for this site stealing my intellectual property! What can I do? How do I fix it? Is all hope gone? Can I sue them? Can I call the police? Can I speak to the manager?

Deep breath.

It’s going to be okay.

Answers to Some of the Questions Authors Ask—But Everyone Else is Cheating, Why Can’t I?

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

#3 in a series where I answer questions I suspect you are asking

Indie Author: But it’s the name of the game, isn’t it? Aren’t we supposed to pad our books with extra paragraph spaces and big fonts and extra unrelated or repeat content to make them longer? Aren’t we supposed to add a link in the front that leads directly to the back to get easy page reads? Aren’t we supposed to buy reviews and use forbidden keywords? We’re supposed to be good stewards? This is just getting the most from our books, right? Besides everyone else is doing it. 

Oof.

Ug.

Sigh.

Please, don’t cheat. Please don’t game the system. Please don’t make a hundred little sacrifices of your integrity for the sake of an extra sale and tell yourself that everyone is doing it, your book’s message is doing more good than the rules are doing, or you need the money.

Answers to Some of the Questions Authors Ask—What If I Can't Do It?

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

#1 in a series where I answer questions I suspect you are asking

Indie Author: I took an indie class by some girl named Tracy Tunes Hooton or something like that, and she said I have to publish a book every 90 days or I might as well not do it at all. But I can’t do that. It’s not how I work. Do I have to give up on my dream of being my own boss and running my own empire?

Professional Polish for the Indie Publisher Step Three: Seek Industry Approval

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

One thing those pesky traditional publishers have that I have always wanted is editorial reviews. But where? How? Kirkus charges indies over $5oo and Romantic Times just closed!

I strongly encourage you to Google the heck out of options, hunting for all of the review sites you can. While hunting for your future reviewers, you can also hunt for contests!

Professional Polish for the Indie Publisher Step Two: Become an Expert

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

Professional Polish for the Indie Publisher, Step One

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

One of my “made it moments” in indie publishing was the first message I got from an author asking if Proverbs 31 House Publishing was accepting submissions. It’s not. It’s barely even taking my own work. But I knew when I got that message that I was managing to make books that felt like “real” books to other authors. 

How Authors Can Build an Indie Empire—What Your Book Cover Looks Like Matters

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

*disclaimer. This series is about following rules. I know that Indies don’t have to follow rules. That’s the whole point of being indie. But indies who pay attention to what rich and famous authors do, have a much better shot at fame and riches.*

What Your book Cover Looks Like Matters

1. Readers do judge a book by the cover. For $40 or less at times, you can get a professional quality stock cover. Unless you are experienced and trained as a graphic designer, do this. For $300 and up you can get a custom cover. Totally do that if you can afford it. It’s worth it.

How Authors Can Build an Indie Empire—Building Your Newsletter Matters

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

*disclaimer. This series is about following rules. I know that Indies don’t have to follow rules. That’s the whole point of being indie. But indies who pay attention to what rich and famous authors do, have a much better shot at fame and riches.*

In part two of this series, How You Advertise Matters I explained the importance of advertising. It is vitally important. What I didn’t explain was why those sites I recommend work so well. 

How Authors Can Build an Indie Empire—How You Release Books Matters

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

*disclaimer. This series is about following rules. I know that Indies don’t have to follow rules. That’s the whole point of being indie. But indies who pay attention to what rich and famous authors do, have a much better shot at fame and riches.*

Very few authors have a series of reader-satisfying books burning a hole in their pockets. These books have to be written and released successfully for the empire to be built. This is a particularly poignant article for me to write. I need to launch a new series. The series that has formed the foundation of my indie success has been completed. No new books are coming for it, and it has been around long enough now--almost 7 years since book 1 released!—that it has reached market saturation. So everything I write in this post is also for me. A prod to both do the job, and do it right.

How Authors Can Build An Indie Empire—How You Advertise Matters

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

*Disclaimer from Traci. This series is about following rules. I know that indies don’t have to follow rules. That’s the whole point of being indie. But indies who pay attention to what rich and famous authors do, have a much better shot at fame and riches.*

Have you ever heard of a loss leader? The grocery store has 18 eggs for just 75 cents! Limit 3! You would never pass up that deal, even though you are clever and know it’s just a trap to get you to come into the store and buy a bunch of stuff marked up enough to make up the difference in the cost of the eggs.

This is what you have to do with your books. But how do you do it?

How Authors Can Build an Indie Empire—What You Write Matters

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

*disclaimer from Traci. This series is about following rules. I know that indies don’t have to follow rules. That’s the whole point of being indie. But indies who pay attention to what rich and famous authors do, have a much better shot at fame and riches.*

Russell Blake taught me his guaranteed method to building an audience for your work. It starts very simply: Give readers exactly what they want.

I could end the blog there, but like me, you might need help figuring out what readers want.

What Readers Want

This Year I’m Going to Take My Own Writing Advice

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

My Best Writing Advice

As a Writer, Whose Fame are you Seeking?

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

Almost ten years ago a woman got very famous very fast with her indie publishing. The name Amanda Hocking was on the lips of every indie in the country. Readers loved her and she made a million dollars on the ten books that had previously been gathering dust in her drawer.

Of course I’d trade my experience for hers. I’d be a fool not to. But as I started my own journey I watched her and was determined to do it a little differently. I didn’t want my name to be famous. I wanted my characters to be famous. I wanted people to be talking about Mitzy Neuhaus, not Traci Tyne Hilton.

Good & Bad Reasons to Self-Publish

Things to consider before going the indie publishing route.

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

Great Reasons to Self-Publish

Should an Indie Author Go to a Writing Conference?

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

Writing classes are critical to the success of ALL writers!

I just have to chuckle if anyone is still asking this question As far as I can tell the big conferences all have great big indie tracks full of expert teaching.

The Magic of Price Control for the Indie Author

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

Keys to making price control work for the Indie Author!

It’s no secret by now that to make a living as an indie mid-lister, you have to write, write, write, and write more, and then invest in advertising like it’s an addiction. Indie authors have a magical power called “price control” that sets us apart from traditional authors. It comes with a cost, of course (one I call bookstore invisibility) but price control is what elevates the indie advertising experience. While we can speak at events, sell paperbacks at book tables, hand out bookmarks, and other traditional advertising stuff, we can also say, “Hmmm! I think it’s time to have a sale!” and drop the price of our books.

What Indie Writers Can Learn From the Great British Baking Show

by Traci tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

What Indie Writers Can Learn From the
Great British Baking Show

Have you fallen in love with The Great British Baking Show yet?

The hugely popular British baking competition is available on Netflix for our viewing and learning pleasure.

The premise of the show is simple: There are some great home bakers hiding in Great Britain. Let’s see who is the best!

When the Doctor Says, "Stop Typing"

by Traci Tyne Hilton 
@TraciTyneHilton

Tendonitis.

Carpel Tunnel.

Arthritis.

Autoimmune diseases.

Neurological diseases.

Accident with experimental flying machine.

You get the picture. There are an awful lot of people who have heard they will have to stop typing.

What Authors Can Learn From Tyra Banks

by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton

Last night I watched an old episode of America’s Next Top Model. (Series 16, ep 6 available at hulu.com.) It was from one of the seasons that still seemed professional and serious. Very little girl fighting, lots of modelling. No male contestants for dirty hook ups, no weird online voting. Just young women with a dream and industry professionals challenging them to reach for it.