Most authors would love to make $10k a month from their writing business. I know I would. I’m always looking for ways to increase my writing income. So when I was offered a free copy of a book titled $10k Secrets, I snatched it up without a second thought.
This free book is not a How To, but rather a collection of essays by different creators, marketers, and entrepreneurs who share their methods of generating $10k a month from their work. Many can be applied to a writing business, even if the author of the piece references coaching or teaching, etc…
Many give testimony to the value of an email list, (an area in which I’m lacking), or Social Media Following, which we all know is important. Most of them involve use of the Substack platform, which I am not familiar with, but the principles can be applied on other platforms which I do use, or plan to use in the future. I’ve been toying with the idea of using a subscription platform for some time now and I’ve been looking at the Ream platform to publish my Playground for the Gods science fantasy series. Since Ream is geared more toward fiction writer’s, and my understanding of Substack is more of a newsletter platform, the two are quite different, but I see possibilities for adapting some of the Substack concepts suggested.
I realize that all my past attempts at doing a consistent newsletter have been dismal failures, and my email list is non-existent. The essay by Claudia Faith which shares how to grow your newsletter through story telling sparked some ideas for me on this subject, too. I know this is a weak area for me, so perhaps a new newsletter platform is the solution.So, I’ll be checking out the Substack platform in the near future.
However, I have to wonder if my audience would be receptive to the idea of either a subscription newsletter or a subscription for a story in serial form. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments, especially if you have used either of the two platforms.
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But, growing a substantial email list is not the only way to build your income, and among the fifteen featured essays author Phillip Hofmacher shares how he does it by marketing online courses and digital merchandise, Ana Calin shares how to do it with brand deals, Landon Poburan shares how to do it with free content, high- ticket offers and diversified income streams, Karen Cherry shares her method using niche B2B content, Jari Roomer shares how to build and launch a $10k mini-course, Nick Wolny shares how to write big ticket service proposals, and Sinem Gunel shares how to use a webinar to generate $10k in sales each month.
Many of these methods are still out of my grasp, but I picked up tidbits from each essay which could be useful and tucked away those that might be useful down the road. The essay by Russell Nohelty shares how to take content from blog to book to create monetized content was of particular interest. I’ve taken blog content and transformed it into a book with the Ask the Authors series, which began as a two month long, weekly blog series interviewing different authors. It’s a lot of work- first to create the blog content, and then compiling it all into book format, but this essay made me consider giving it another try.
What I didn’t like about this strategy was the fact that in order to publish on Amazon, the content could not be available for free online, so before publishing each book, all that blog content had to be pulled down. I don’t like having to disassemble my blog to publish a book. The last Ask the Authors book I published was in 2022, so I’m wondering if this is still the case. Definitely something to look into.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This segment of “Review in Practice” is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
The first three books in the My Backyard Friends kid’s book series are available for pre-order in digital format now!
Don’t miss these fantastic new kid’s books inspired by the birds and animals which visit me at my mountain home, and brought to life in the vivid illustrations of Robbie Cheadle.
Meet Heather Hummingbird
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend is a picture book with a message of friendship and cooperation. (Ages 3-5)
Heather Hummingbird and Ethan Eagle are two unlikely friends who discover that it is good to accept help from others and that is what friends are for.
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans is a picture book with a moral message from a young turtle’s perspective. (Ages 3-5)
Meet Timothy Turtle, who has a sweet tooth. He eats too many jelly beans and finds himself in a pickle. His friends Katy Cat and Betsy Beaver try to help, and Timothy learns that you can get too much of a good thing.
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home is a story of survival from a young bird’s perspective. (Ages 6-8)
Charlie Chickadee is happy with his family in their cozy nest. But whem the violet-green swallows thake the nest for their own, Charlie finds himself alone, seperated from his parents and on his own to face the dangers of the forest. His new friend Nicholas Nuthatch shows him the ropes and teaches him about the other birds and the woman who puts out food each day, and by a stroke of luck, Charlie discovers the perfect spot and builds a new nest that he can be proud of.
I’m so excited to tell you about the new things happening on Writing to be Read, starting this month. We’ve got a new way to build revenue for the blog and promotion opportrunities for you, as well as two new blog series on Saturdays. Read on to learn more.
Sponsor page is now live
I’m happy to be able to tell you that the new sponsor page on Writing to be Read is now live . Now you can be a WtbR sponsor and get your books or services promoted right here on this blog each month. Sponsors must be book, writing, or publishing releated. That’s the only rule. By becoming a WtbR sponsor, you not only help to support this blog and my author business, but you take advantage of affordable marketing opportunities that help you to reach a wider audience with your books and services.
Here’s how it works. You can choose from a single time promotion or a weekly ad for a sponsorship of three months or annualy. The new page has all the pricing and other details. All sponsors will also be listed on the sponsor page, as well. You can be a WtbR sponsor and sponsor your favorite WtbR blog series for as little as $5 a month. If you are interested in being a sponsor, I encourage you to contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com prior to submitting payment found there. Let’s chat to find the sponsorship plan that will work best for you.
If you’ve been following this blog for a few years, you may remember this blog series, although it has been a couple of years since I ran a segment. It’s not a new blog series as much as a revived blog series where I interview seasoned professionals to gain insights into the worlds of writing and publishing. We’re starting out right, with national and international bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson as my guest for the first segment. He’ll share insights into the publishing industry, talk about what works for him, and offer advice on increasing your writing productivity.
“Chatting with New Blood”
This series is a companion series to the “Chatting with the Pros” series, where I will be interviewing new authors and chatting about their author journey and their debut novels. For this series, my first guest with be author Julie Jones, and we’ll be chatting about her weird western novel, Blood Follows Blood.
Will I see you there?
I hope I have piqued your interest in the upcoming changes. Watch for the two new blog series on Saturdays and be sure to visit the sponsor page to become a member of the WtbR sponsors. Your support is always appreciated.
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For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
This post is sponsored by The D.I.Y. Author and WordCrafter Press
Being an author today is more than just writing the book. Authors in this digital age have more opportunities than ever before. Whether you pursue independent or traditional publishing models, or a combination of the two, being an author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.
In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.
When I was a kid, my mom and my grandmother would pile into the car, and we’d drive to the mall, and we’d spend the afternoon going from one store to the next, carefully making our shopping selections. I remember how my mother would pick up items and carefully examine the packaging to be sure she had the correct item that she wanted or needed, before making the final purchase.
A lot has changed since then. The rise of the internet turned the whole shopping experience upside-down with the birth of online shopping. And then, COVID came along and even those resistant rebels, who enjoyed holding possible purchases in their hands and analyzing the packaging to determine whether or not to buy it were forced to shop online, or go without.
The Cover is the Packaging
As authors, we are faced with similar dilimmas. We write books, and the covers are the packaging. The cover is the first thing a potential reader sees, and if it doesn’t immediately grab their attention, there is a whole slew of other books out there to choose from, and they’re gone. Many readers still enjoy the feel of a physical book in their hands, that will never change, but digital readers judge books by their covers, too, because an image of the cover is the first thing any of us see, whether online or in a brick-and-mortar stores. And just like those in person, physical shoppers who hold and feel the product, read the label, and check out the packaging, readers look over the cover, read the blurb and back cover copy, maybe even take a quick peek inside, before deciding whether or not this book is for them.
When I was listening to the 6 Figure Author podcast with Lindsay Buroker, Joe Lollal, and Andrea Pearson, there was one piece of advice which I heard over and over consistently. If your book isn’t selling look at the cover and the back cover copy first. That is probably where you will find the problem. And they’re right.
We don’t have the space here to talk about the back cover copy. That subject is deserving of a post of its own. In fact, I did last year. If you want to start exploring back cover copy, see my “Review in Practice” here.
What Makes a Good Cover?
More advice given by the 6 Figure Author crew: Go onto Amazon and take a look at the top selling books in your genre. This will give you an idea of what kind of covers are expected in the genre. This is good advice, but what it means, is that a good cover for one genre will not be good for another. As a multi-genre author, this was important to know.
I think a cover should be representative of the story it represents, not only the genre on which the story falls. While a good cover needs to meet genre representation and follow the laws of good cover design, a good cover also contains elements of the story itself in its composition. I’ve developed this belief over time from my own experiences, as I’ve learned to design my own covers. Here is where I add my disclaimer that I am not a professional cover designer. (Of course, when you see my covers, you could probably guess that.) Everything I’ve learned about cover design, I’ve picked up on my own. I’ve had no formal training.
To show you what I mean, let’s take a look at the early covers for Delilah.
Cover 1
This is the cover my publisher wanted to give Delilah. The text is stiff and rigid, but my story is a western adventure with action and movement. I was hoping for something a little more fluid.
Anyone who has read the book would take one look and know that isn’t Delilah. This is a contemporary cowgirl. Note the modern jean jacket and hoop earings.
As covers go, the design isn’t bad, but it does not represent the story inside. As a first time author, I knew I didn’t want to publish my book with this cover, so I hustled to come up with a cover at the last minute.
Cover 2
A friend offered to come up with a cover for me on the fly. What did I want it to look like? I had no idea what I wanted. What should a western cover look like? I gave her some vague instructions. Unsure of what I needed myself. This is the cover she produced for me.
The title is much more fluid and I liked that. It offered a feminine touch that said female protagonist, yet was still bold and active, sort of like my character.
The cover image was vague, possibly due to the vague instructions my friend had been given, and I had several people see it and claim they couldn’t tell what it was. I thought it was obviously a horse, representative of the western genre, and perhaps of Delilah’s horse, which becomes sort of a supporting character in the story.
So, this cover was kind of representative of the story, I liked the text better, and it would do in a pinch. I felt the publisher’s cover to be very misleading, and as a reader I would have been surprised when I found that it didn’t match the story, or more likely, I would never even pick it up because the cover does not represent a historic western, and I don’t read a lot of contemporary.
Cover 3
Eventually, I tried my hand at creating my own cover. This was my first attempt. This cover was representative of the story and it had elements which were actually part of the story. It has both prison gates and a hangman’s noose in the background.
But the text isn’t large enough. Both the title and the author’s name should stand out more. Something I learned from Allyson Langueira of WMG Publishing was that you should be able to read the title and author name in a thumbnail. It’s got to look good small. So my text definitely needed to be bigger.
The sillohuette stood out too much in the black & white version, so I added that putrid yellow, thinking of sunlight, just to give it some color. And my sillohuette isn’t doing much of anything. Better, but not great.
I will say my publisher was pretty gracious about switching covers for me. This was the third cover switch for this book, but it wasn’t selling, and the cover was the only thing I had control over that might help. This cover was better than the covers Delilah had had so far, but I had to admit it was not the ideal cover for the book.
We were coming to the end of my five year contract with the publisher, and Delilah had not done well in the sales department. I decided not to renew my contract, as I felt I could do better with it myself. Although the publisher claimed to have done promos, I never saw them. If Delilah was going to do well, I was going to have to promote it myself.
Final Cover
Almost a year later, a revised Delilah, closer to the original I had intended, was released as a part of the Women in the West adventure series. This is the cover I designed for the re-released edition.
The fluidity of the text and the illusion of a moving horse indicate movement. This Delilah is not stagnant, but on the move. She busting out of those prison gates and moving away from that noose fast. In this way, the cover almost tells a summary of the story for me.
The bars have been faded back in this version, so the cover doesn’t look too busy. The woman looks a little bit like a contemporary cowgirl, but not as much as the publisher’s cover did.
Was it the Cover?
In January, I ran a Kickstarter campaign for Delilah and the Women in the West adventure series, which funded, so apparently, I do have a few die hard fans and/or friends out there. During that thirty-day campaign, I sold more copies of Delilah than my publisher managed to do over the period of my five year contract. That doesn’t count copies that sold after the release through distributors, as a result of the book blog tour and other promotinal efforts. It’s not like Delilah became an overnight bestseller, but I do find it curious that in only a few months, this edition of the book has outsold what all of the others did across a five year period. There are other things that could have been the cause of these results, like the new back cover copy, or my extended promotional efforts. So, was it the cover? What do you think?
Covers for the Series
At the time when the Kickstarter ran, I had been playing with the cover for Sarah a little bit, but I had to throw together a cover for the third book, Marta; a story for which I only had a vague concept for, so I only had a very rough draft of a cover to display for the Kickstarter campaign.
I said that part of the money raised in the Kickstarter, would go to redesign the covers for the series. I had two different cover designers, who both stepped down due to personal issues, but I found a cover designer friend who was willing to offer some pointers, so I ended up redesigning them myself. Here is the final result. I think you’ll agree that these covers are much better and I feel that they feel like they go together, and each seems to represent the series brand.
A Word of Thanks
The timing for this post is syncronistic, for as it posts Delilah has been nominated in the 2023 Connections eMagazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards! It looks like Delilah has finished in the top 10 with 85 votes. Considering the contest began on July 25th, and I didn’t find out Delilah had been nominated until the 29th to try and rally support, I think that’s pretty good. I want to thank all of you who did your part and voted for Delilah, some of you several times, since you clould cast your vote once a day. I also want to thank whoever it was that nominated my book. This was the first time I’d ever been involved in such a contest, and it was very exciting, so my thanks for this are huge. I don’t know who you are, but I love you.
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
This year, for Memorial Day, WordCrafter Press is offering up a free digital copy of my paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets. (This book is not available in digital format on Amazon, but the Books2Read link above will allow you to purchase from most of the other digital book distributors.) It’s my gift to you, just because you are my readers. I do hope you will click on the link and get your free digital copy today.
Thank you for being my readers!
About the Book
By Author Kaye Lynne Booth
Cassie is nervous about her return to her ancestral lands with her boyfriend Tony for more reasons than one. She hasn’t been up in these mountains since the unexplained drowning of her parents. And her parents aren’t the only ones who have died or mysteriously disappeared in the area. Cassie doesn’t really believe the old legends passed down from her Native American ancestors, but she harbors no desire to become the keeper of her tribal legacy or the protector of the gold that goes with it. In fact, she plans to tell her Grandmother to pass the legacy to someone else, perhaps her cousin Miranda, who has been searching for the treasure for years. Cassie wants nothing to do with it now that she carries Tony’s baby in her womb.When Cassie forces herself to go out on the lake that took the lives of her parents and she discovers a cave which holds the treasure of her people, she must admit that the legacy is real, which means the curse that guards the treasure and threatens the males of her tribe must also be real. When Miranda’s boyfriend, Jake disappears on the lake, Cassie must find a way to stop the curse, before Tony becomes the next victim.
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
The world is filled with amazing things, if we will just stop a moment and take notice. In this vast universe, we are but tiny individuals, filled with awe and amazement. From reflections on first love, to reflections on growing old. The poems within these pages express a lifetime of unique reflections on Small Wonders.
Thanks to contributing author Joseph Carrabis giving us a taste of the stories in the new Visions anthology from WordCrafter Press. Follow the link to learn more.
Thanks to contributing author Joseph Carrabis giving us a taste of the stories in the new Visions anthology from WordCrafter Press. Follow the link to learn more.
Thanks to contributing author Joseph Carrabis giving us a taste of the stories in the new Visions anthology from WordCrafter Press. Follow the link to learn more.
Thanks to contributing author Joseph Carrabis giving us a taste of the stories in the new Visions anthology from WordCrafter Press. Follow the link to learn more.
