Category: self-publishing

How to Price an Ebook: 7 Questions to Help You Decide

One of the most-asked questions I got from writers who took my recent self-publishing survey was, “How much should I charge for my e-book?”

There’s no simple answer to this one. Many factors go into this decision.

I’ve learned how much to charge for my e-books, through trial and error. But every author’s situation is different. How much should you charge for your e-book?

My short answer: All e-book pricing is an experiment.

When you pick a price, always keep in mind that you could revisit that price, halve that price, or maybe double that price, depending on the reception your price gets.

Or you might decide to make your e-book free.

The best price for your e-book depends on a number of factors. Here are some important questions to ask yourself in deciding on your e-book price:

How I Earned $45K Self-Publishing 10 Ebooks: Top Takeaways

It feels like yesterday that I was self-publishing my very first e-book, Make a Living Writing: The 21st Century Guide. That one did so well that it’s no longer available (cough).

But I lived and learned, and created better e-books. As I prepped to release my latest, Small Blog, Big Income: Advanced Ninja Tricks for Profitable Blogging, I realized I now have TEN e-books available for sale, counting my free e-book for subscribers.

I’ve learned a ton along the way, so I thought I’d save others some time and unpack it all.

I’ve made over $30,000 selling e-books over the past 6 years, without a lot of effort (I added it up when I was writing this e-book, because I was curious!). So it can add up to a substantial chunk of change, over time.

What helps me earn well from each e-book I release these days? Here are my hard-won tips for self-publishing success:

6 Ways to Find the Right Editor for Your Book

But once you’ve got your book written, there’s at least one more step in the process…editing. And it’s something a lot of writers dread. Sound familiar?

So what do you do when you’ve written a book and want to make sure you’ve done your best work? You could try and self-edit, or pass off your prose to a family member or friend for free feedback. But either way fails to give you the kind of objective view you need to make the biggest impact. Both editing options are frequently plagued by bouts of frustration and procrastination, and conjure up horror stories about the editing process.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Find an editor who is competent and affordable, and you’ll sound smarter, reduce roadblocks that could prevent you from publishing, and give your readers greater value.

Want to know how to find the right editor? Here are six ways to find the right editor for your book:

Publish An E-Book: 6 Strong-Arm Secrets to Get It Done

6 Strong-Arm Secrets to Publish An E-Book. Makealivingwriting.com

Want to publish an e-book?

Maybe you’ve thought about it, but it seems too hard to get it to the finish line. Yes?

It’s a smart way to help you build authority and stand out in your niche.

Maybe you’ve got something important to say or knowledge to share that can help other people.

Or you could offer “publish an e-book” as a service and write for clients to help them build their brand.

If you’re already thinking…”Sounds good, but I don’t know how to publish an e-book,” you’re not alone.

Here’s the thing…If you’ve got a great idea for an e-book, it doesn’t have to take you years to write and publish it.

When I was a personal trainer and fitness coach based in Australia, I wanted to publish an e-book, but I kept making excuses.

Kind of ironic for a coach pushing people outside their comfort level every day, right?

Well, I finally got fed up with not taking action and figured out a way to write and publish an e-book in three months.

Here’s the six strong-arm secrets I used to get it done:

Self-Publishing on Amazon: 3 Expert Ways to Sell More Books

Self-Publishing on Amazon: 3 Ways to Sell More Books. Makealivingwriting.com

Ever thought about self-publishing on Amazon?

If you’re a newbie freelance writer or you’ve been writing for years, chances are pretty good you have thought about writing a book.

Everybody has a great idea for a book, right?

Maybe you want to publish a novel.

Maybe you’ve got an idea for a book to help you build your brand and authority in your niche as a freelance writer.

Or maybe you’ve got a sweet five-figure ghost-writing gig to write a book for an expert. Is self-publishing on Amazon the way to go?

Sure, Amazon is one of the most widely used sites in the world for book sales (hard copies and ebooks). This year, an estimated 2.14 billion people are expected to make an Amazon purchase.

So do you take the “self-publishing on Amazon” route, put your book up for sale, and voilà, your book starts selling like crazy.

Ahem…it’s going to take a little more work than that. But the cool thing is that Amazon recently released some online tools to help you sell more books.

Want to learn how to sell a truckload of books?

Check out these tips for self-publishing on Amazon.

Self-Publishing: One Writer’s 3 Phases to Hit the Best-Seller List

Self-Publishing 3 Steps to Hit the Best Seller List. Makealivingwriting.com

What’s the secret to self-publishing success?

You write a book, get it on Amazon, and voilà…it’s a best seller.

You’re rolling in money. Publishers are banging down your door with a fat contract to buy your book. You’re tapped for radio, TV, and media appearances.

Ahem…it doesn’t really work like that, especially if you’re a writer without an audience, massive following, or fat marketing budget.

So how do you take the self-publishing route, write a book, get tons of traffic, and sell copies?

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed about self-publishing a book, marketing it, and making sales, you’re not alone.

It’s easy to think there’s just too many moving parts for you to manage. But that’s just fear and uncertainty trying to stop you.

If you have a marketable idea for a book, self-publishing is a great way to go.

Chances are pretty good you’ve got the writing chops to make it happen. But you’ve got a lot of questions about the marketing side of self-publishing. Yes?

That’s exactly where I was. But I decided to give it a shot anyway.

Without a big audience, massive following, or unlimited marketing funds, I turned my book into a best seller based on a three-phase strategy.

Here’s how it’s done:

10 Mistakes I Made Publishing My eBook, and How You Can Do it Better

Back in 2008, I started this blog with the idea that I could post a lot of advice for freelance writers, and that eventually, I could expand that into an eBook. It sounded so empowering. No editor! No waiting! Just write it, have a designer pretty it up, and poof --...

Got a Good Book Idea? Learn if it Will Sell With These 4 Steps

Do you have a book idea, but aren’t sure whether or not it would succeed in today’s market?

Undecided whether or not that book would be worth all your time and money?

You’re not alone. Many authors ask this very question. With Amazon becoming more crowded, some believe that you have to be famous or have a following before succeeding in self-publishing.

But this isn’t true.

No longer do you have to blindly guess at whether or not a book will do well on Amazon. It turns out, there are vital numbers, analytics, and even some tools that will help any author figure these things out before they decide to write a book.

I like to call this process “Book Idea Validation.”

Book idea validation, a/k/a book market research, doesn’t guarantee sales and success – I’m not talking about a silver bullet. However, it does give you a better understanding of the book market before you dive in.

So, if you’d like to know a little more about your potential book market, and find ways to give your book a better chance to succeed, then read on.

Self-Publishing Secrets: 6 Punk-Rock Tips to Sell More Books

6 Punk-Rock Riffs to Self-Publishing Books. Makealivingwriting.com

What if you could carve out a niche self-publishing and selling books like a rock star?

Sounds a little crazy, right? Kind of like punk hair, heavy-metal riffs, insane vocals, and a whole lot of attitude.

Hi…I’m Steff Green. I’m a freelance writer and big fan of classic punk rock and heavy metal.

Steff Green

And my first jobs as a freelancer were writing for underground clothing brands and records labels.

Ever wonder what it would be like to dominate self-publishing, sell more books, and build an author brand with a massive following?

I know I did. A few years ago, I took a look at those rising punk-rock stars and brands. And I decided their rebel-approach to marketing, selling, and promoting their work could help me make some noise self-publishing books.

Well,…it worked. I’m a best-selling author and sell thousands of books every month. And I want to show you how to rock self-publishing, build a niche audience, and sell more books.

Thinking about embarking on a self-publishing adventure? You’re about to become part of the book world’s punk rock underground.

Here are my 6 tips to sell more books like rocker-legend Sid Vicious.

How to Sell Your Book: 5 Launch Secrets from a Pro Writer

Launch Secrets for How to Sell Your Book. Makealivingwriting.com

Wondering how to sell your book?

You’ve put in countless hours of writing to finish your book.

You put it through the sometimes-painful process of editing and rewriting. Then more editing.

Slap a cover on your book. List it on Amazon. And voilà, your book is selling like crazing and rising up the ranks. Right?

Ahem…Self-publishing isn’t all rainbows and unicorns.

As the author of more than 30 books, I can tell you with absolute confidence, it doesn’t work like that.

Finishing a book is a massive undertaking, and you should absolutely celebrate this win.

But you aren’t done yet.

If you want to actually sell your book—this book you poured your time and heart into—then the work has just begun.

A successful book launch is crucial to get your book into the hands of your readers.

Preparation is key. The more time you invest in planning your book launch, the more success you’ll have.

Here’s the thing…too many new authors scramble into action without a book launch plan. And then nobody buys. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Check out my best launch tips to help you sell more books.

Publish Your Own Book: Use This Author’s Blueprint for Success

The Success Blueprint to Publish Your Own Book. Makealivingwriting.com

Publish your own book. That ever cross your mind? If you’re a freelance writer, chances are pretty good you’ve thought about it.

Maybe you’ve got a compelling story to tell. Or you’ve got some useful skills to share with others.

Maybe you want to publish your own book to position yourself as the writer in your niche. Or you’re just hoping to create another income stream as a freelancer.

Seriously, have you thought about it?

It’s a lot easier than it used to be to publish your own book. You don’t need to write a proposal, hire an agent, pitch dozens of publishers, and wait months or years before someone can buy it.

Today, there’s more than one way to publish your own book. And the most popular by far is publishing your book on Amazon.

But before you write a book, slap a cover on your masterpiece and put up a for-sale sign, there’s a few things you should know to publish your own book.

And there’s one guy who knows this better than most. Dave Chesson. He’s a nuclear engineer turned Kindle book-publishing expert, and founder of Kindlepreneur.

Want to publish your own book? Here’s the blueprint for success.

Selling an E-Book: Results of My Kindle ‘Permafree’ Experiment

After writing and marketing more than 10 self-published e-books, I thought I knew something about selling an e-book.

I mean, it’s not like I’ve done too badly — I’ve earned over $50,000 from my e-books, over the past 8 years or so. I’ve done that mostly on my own blog, right here.

And I’ve done free-book offers before — just did a 5-day one for two of my ebooks, a few weeks back.

So I thought I had a clue how to market an e-book, and how to do a free-book promo.

Then I released The Recession-Proof Freelancer, in April. That’s right — as Covid-19 spread, I basically locked myself in a closet for 3 days, and wrote about how I grew my freelance income to six figures in the last recession. I also unpacked a 12-point action plan for how you can thrive in the current downturn.

My plan was to unleash this as a permanent-free e-book on Amazon, as well as selling it on my site.

But here’s what really happened…

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