Imagine a platform with more than 120 million readers and no ads where you can publish whatever you want and get paid for it. It's not a fantasy–it's Medium. I was first introduced to this platform in 2019 by someone who asked me to write an exposé about a sleazy seminar company and publish [...]
If you're writing a book, don’t be a one-trick pony. Early in my writing career, when I was freelancing for magazines and before I had the opportunity to write my first book, I was at a writers conference where I heard an editor with a major New York publishing house say this: We don’t want [...]
As a self-publishing consultant and citizen, I was interested in the story about Catherine Pugh, the former mayor of Baltimore, who pled guilty to federal conspiracy and tax evasion charges in November 2019. Here’s the lead paragraph from the Associated Press report of her sentencing: The disgraced former mayor of Baltimore was sentenced to three [...]
Book reviews are an essential element of any book marketing plan. This guest post by Desiree Villena provides some great tips for getting those reviews. Whether you’ve written a brilliant new novel, a life-changing self-help book, or an innovative volume of business advice, you’ll need a plan for getting it into people’s hands. And regardless [...]
It’s an exciting time to be a self-published author, but mistakes can doom your book. One of the most common mistakes self-publishers make is sloppy proofreading. Errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, word usage, and so on are one of the primary reasons for negative book reviews and returns. A good proofreader will catch and correct [...]
When I had the privilege of speaking to the Space Coast Writers' Guild about mistakes self-publishers make, I shared some predictions about what would change for self-publishers in the 2020s. One of the most important trends we’ve been seeing and that will only get stronger is that authors are becoming increasingly empowered. Traditional publishers no [...]
One of the most common questions prospective clients and aspiring authors ask me is, “How long should my book be?” It’s an important question with a simple answer: It depends. Your book needs to be long enough to accomplish its purpose. For some books, that could be as few as 5,000 words; for others, it [...]
Have you heard that books are the new business card? That’s a bit of an overstatement. In fact, though electronic contact lists have replaced Rolodexes for most of us, traditional business cards are going to be around for a long time. Still, if you have a book, giving away a copy of it (instead of [...]
10 Publishing Myths: Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed W. Terry Whalin Morgan James Publishing The best source for information is someone who has “been there, done that”—and when it comes to publishing, W. Terry Whalin has been there, done that, and generously shares what he knows in 10 Publishing Myths. I wish this book [...]
Aspiring authors often ask if they should self-publish or try going with a traditional publisher. Of course, it’s a decision they’ll make based on their specific situation and goals, but here are 10 points that may tip the scales in favor of self-publishing. When you self-publish: 1. You have creative control. When you self-publish, you [...]
