I received a copy of Get Your Book Selling Wide through an offer in author Monica Leonelle’s Newsletter. All opinions stated here are my own. One of the best things about this book though, is the fact that it is always permafree, which means you too can get a free copy at the purchase link above.
You can read my review of
I’ve often mentioned that I am a wide author, which means I publish WordCrafter Press books on as many platforms as possible, and in as many formats as I can. I’m not a fan of exclusivity. It doesn’t make much sense to me to put all my eggs in one basket. So, it will come as no surprise to most of you that this book would be of interest to me.
Monica Leonelle has put together a comprehensive volume that explains what it means to be a wide author, and goes over several of the marketing platforms, and the different formats in which your books can be offered, as well as different types of marketing strategies for the different formats.
I be looking particularly at the pricing and marketing strategies for my print books, which are areas where I feel I have been lacking. The book industry is changing quickly and for an author to survive and be noticed above the competition, the author mindset must adjust to those changes. Digital and print books are two different beasts when it comes to marketing, with different target audiences. It only makes sense that you must reach out to those audiences in different ways.
I was also interested to learn that the pricing strategy for traditionally published books does not work so well for independent authors. Leonelle claims that independently published print books need to be priced slightly higher than traditionally published books in order for authors to make a decent profit.
I found the information on pre-orders and the discussion about their durations to be useful. I’ll be taking Leonelle’s advice under consideration in the future. The timing of pre-orders is an area I have struggled with in the past. My release of Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures missed the pre-order altogether and was released early. Obviously, an area where I can hone my skills as I continue to try and get it right.
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 Time Travel Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.
When a Girl with a Guitar Meets a Man with a Gun, It’s Time to Travel
I was received a digital copy of this writing reference as a part of the 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle currated by Kevin J. Anderson, which also featured my writing reference, The D.I.Y. Author.
I recently started writing one of three stories that have been bouncing around in my head for the Curses themed anthology, which WordCrafter Press will put out in September of 2025, and I feel mood and atmosphere will be extremely important in telling the stories for this collection that I want to tell. The one I just started has a working title of “The Curse of the Death Clock” begins in France during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte and the right atmosphere for the setting is going to be a challenge.
I read Essoe’s Guides to Writing: Mood & Atmosphere with the writing of the Curses stories in mind and I’ll be keeping them in the forefront of my mind as I write this first story. To try and set the right mood and atmosphere for these Curses stories, I’ve implemented the exercise in Chapter 3 and started a word list which aligns with the mood I’m going for, which is slight unease and a feeling of doom. As with all the tools in my writing tool box, I’ll keep all my new tools on hand as I write the other two stories.
However, as I read, I found suggestions that can be use to improve mood and atmosphere in by taking another look at my sentence structure and word choices, as well as my pacing, in my latest WIP, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, which I just got back from my beta reader and I’m preparing to do a final edit. I’m using another exercise from Chapter 3 to help nail the pacing for this story, which is very fast, with lots of action, making a list of keywords from a story which evoked a strong emotional reaction, which I’m aiming for in my own tale. The book I’ve chosen is Velocity, by Dean Koontz. The man is a master of suspense and knows how to keep the pages turning. I’ll also be taking another look at the conflicts in this story for parallels and counterpoints to the main conflict. Essoe includes many useful writing exercises to illustrate his points and can be used with WIPs, to improve on current projects.
I found useful exercises in chapter four on setting and atmosphere which I plan to utilize with yet another story, an out and out horror for Midnight Oil. Robbie is helping me with the research on this one, since it involves zombie elephants. Because of the subject area, the setting will be one that I am unable to visit and experience for myself. Robbie’s expertise will be a great help in this area, but I’m going to have to work to achieve the right atmosphere, and “The Shorthand” exercise will be useful. I’ll be taking note of possible points of interest and the emotional impact it has on my characters when describing the South African savannah setting. Most of my characters move my stories forward through action and dialog, but I think in this story, their internal reactions will be particularly important.
I’m picking and choosing the pieces that I feel I need to work on in the stories I’m working on for 2025, but Essoe gives us a list of eight tools which make up mood and atmosphere, and suggests that we should use at least five of them in every story we write to develop a strong, purposeful mood. In The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, I think I have a few already in place, so I’ll be working on those I may be missing. With the Curses and Midnight Oil stories, I’ll be implementing these tools from the start. The other story I have planned for 2025 is the third book in my Women in the West adventure series, Marta, and while I’ve begun an outline for that novel, it requires such a completely different mood that I think I’ll hone my skills with the other stories first, but I know I’ll be referring back to Essoe’s Writing Guides: Mood & Atmosphere when the time comes to get that one on the page.
About Essoe’s Guides to Writing: Mood & Atmosphere
Mood and Atmosphere defines and delves into the 8 primary tools used to create the emotional framework of your story–its emotionality–by breaking them down into easy-access chapters on:
Plot and structure blueprinting your intended emotionality
Pacing that steers your story line-by-line and chapter-by-chapter
Language and word choice guiding your story in the most direct relationship with readers
Setting developing an atmosphere that will make readers experience your world
Character expression creating powerful moods that will make readers feel their traumas and triumphs
Conflict controlling the ebb and flow of your emotionality throughout your story
Theme acting as the conductor, setting your emotionality to a purpose
Reader expectation and what promises you must keep or can use to throw in twists
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, her the first three books in her kid’s book series, My Backyard Friends, her poetry collection, Small Wonders, and her writer’s resource, The D.I.Y. Author. 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 Women in the West Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.
If you’re an author who wants to improve your craft, publishing expertise and marketing know how, (and who doesn’t?), this Story Bundle is a must have for you. IT’s only available through the end of November, so don’t wait! Get your 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle today.
For StoryBundle, you decide what price you want to pay. For $5 (or more, if you’re feeling generous), you’ll get the basic bundle of four books in .epub format—WORLDWIDE.
Romance Character Tropes by Tara Grace Ericson and Jessica Barber
Dollar by Dollar by Kerrie Flanagan (Story Bundle Exclusive)
Essoe’s Guides to Writing: Mood and Atmosphere by Joshua Essoe
Booking the Library by Jessica Brawner
If you pay at least the bonus price of just $20, you get all four of the regular books, plus 9 more books, for a total of 13 (with 5 StoryBundle Exclusives), plus a year’s subscription to Indie Author Magazine!
Super Secrets: Illustrated by Wulf Moon
Falling to Fly by Todd Fahnestock
From Page to Platform: How to Succeed as an Author Speaker by Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn
A Writer’s Guide to Branding for Success by Mark Leslie Lefebvre (StoryBundle Exclusive)
On Being a Dictator by Kevin J. Anderson (StoryBundle Exclusive)
Word by Word by Kerrie Flanagan (Story Bundle Exclusive)
The D.I.Y. Author by Kaye Lynne Booth
Steps to Self-Editing by Jana S. Brown
Wit and Wisdom by Craig Martelle (StoryBundle Exclusive)
Indie Author Magazine: One Year Subscription by Indie Author Magazine
This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get a DRM-free .epub for all books!
More About this great Story Bundle
You can find out more about the books in this Story Bundle at the links below.
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.
One of the advantages of being in a Story Bundle, is that you get a free copy of all the books included in the bundle. That means you get to read everyone else’s book. With the 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle, for me, it, means I get to read a lot of writing reference books and I can discover from them, bits of writing wisdom which I can utilize in my own writing and publishing processes to improve my own work. Word by Word and Dollar by Dollar, by Kerrie Flanagan, are both exclusive to the 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle, so that means you can’t get them anywhere else.
About Word by Word
Word by Word by award-winning author Kerrie Flanagan, shows you how to unlock your creativity and transform your writing. This is an essential guide for writers that offers inspiration, genre-specific strategies, and practical tips.
My Thoughts on Word by Word
This is the book I wish that I’d had when I was earning my first M.A. in Creative Writing. Flanagan offers a comprehensive overview of writing in each of the various genres, with interviews and advice from various authors in each one.
When I first entered graduate school, I didn’t know what a trope was, and it would be impossible to cover the tropes of every genre, even in the intensive M.F.A. program which I attended, so these overviews were quite valuable to me because they helped me to understand the genres in which I haven’t yet dabbled, but may consider in the future. I’ve been playing with the idea of writing a mystery recently, and I have a couple of romance stories in with my trunk novels which could be worthy of taking another look at.
I found the section on children’s writing particularly helpful, as this is a genre I have recently tried to break into with the My Backyard Friends kid’s book series. I have a couple of other books written for kids that I’d like to put out there, too, so the section on using humor when writing for children was especially interesting to me and gave me some ideas about how I could incorporate humor into my own stories. (If you’d like to hear more of my thoughts inspired by this section, catch my November “Writer’s Corner” on writing for children.)
About Dollar by Dollar
Dollar by Dollar by Kerrie Flanagan is a comprehensive guide packed with proven strategies to help writers boost book sales, increase income from writing, and succeed in both traditional and self-publishing.
My Thoughts on Dollar by Dollar
Dollar by Dollar, by award winning author and journalist, Kerrie Flanagan covers the ins and outs of the publishing world, including both traditional and independent publishing, with a full section of valuable advice about ways to make your writing pay beyond crafting books.
While I have chosen not to take the slow traditional route to publishing in favor of taking control of my own writing career, I found the section on traditional publishing to be spot on with my understanding of the industry. Flanagan covers areas such as writing a book proposal or query letter, landing an agent and what to expect once you do, and how to navigate the world of small presses.
At first glance, I thought that this book would be in competition with my own book, The D.I.Y. Author, but the section on independent publishing covers more information on publishing through Ingram Spark, while mine focuses on using an aggregator such as Draft2Digital, so they really are complimentary to one another. Flanagan covers things to think about when deciding if self-publishing is the right route for you, tips on making your book stand out in the crowd, and the challenges and independently published author may face.
In addition, I found the section on other paid writing venues to be quite valuable. Flanagan covers magazine and freelance writing, blog writing, travel writing, resume writing, and more. These are avanues which all authors may not have considered as means to make a living from their writing and should be explored.
But what I found to be of the most value were the sections on newletters and email lists, and about building your author tribe. If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that my newsletter is one area where I have not been consistant at all, and Flanagan reminded me of what a valuable marketing tool that email list really is. This is an area on which I really need to work on and I’ve added it to my list of things I need to do for 2025. She also offered tips on what to put in a newsletter which I found thought provoking.
Building an author tribe is another area which I know is a valuable asset, and I’ve found being a part of Kevin J. Anderson’s tribe of authors to be of great value.But every author has their own tribe, even if it is a small one. These are the authors you work with in some capacity on a regular basis; those who support and encourage you; those who inspire you. My tribe is almost exclusively online and includes the members of my blog team, my blog tour hosts, and authors that I’ve worked with in various anthologies, as well as fellow authors which I’ve met through Facebook groups who are open to exchanging services such as beta reading or proofing, interviews, or reviews. But compared to tribes like that of KJA, my own tribe is small and I need to work on growing it in the coming year.
The 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle
Word by Word and Dollar by Dollar, by award winning author, Kerrie Flanagan are both offered in the 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle, along with my own The D.I.Y. Author and ten other valuable writing references that every author should have at their fingertips. This bundle offers valuable writing advice from successful authors such as Kevin J. Anderson, Mark Leslie Lefabvre, Wulf Moon, Joshua Essoe, Craig Maretlle, Jessica Brawner, Jana S. Brown, Jessica Barber and Tara G. Ericson, Todd Fahnestock, Matty Dalrymple and M.L. Ronn, and a year’s subscription to Indie Author Magazine. A percentage of every bundle sold goes to the Neil Peart Brain Cancer Research Fund from Cedars Sinai. These digital books are DRM-free and compatable with any digital reading device. And you get a lot of books for one great price.
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, and her kid’s book series, My Backyard Friends. 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 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.
One of the methods I use of becoming more prolific in my writing is to use NaNoWriMo each November as a sort of spring board to get a good start on a novel, and hopefully, complete and publish it the following year. I’ve found it to be an effective way to help meet my writing goals. I have my own method of time blocking, which is more like grab every minute you can to write because I have a busy life, but even when I don’t reach my daily wordcount goals, I get on writing streaks where I more than make them up. And even in situations like last year, when my computer crashed with a week and a half left to go, so I was unable to make the 50,000 word goal, I come out with a healthy start to my novel, offering me a descent foundation to build on. (You can learn more about my NaNoWriMo strategies in my writing reference, The D.I.Y Author.)
This year is no exception and I’ve been busily outlining the sequel to The Rock Star & the Oulaw in preparation for next month’s NaNoWriMo challege to pound out at least 50,000 words of a new novel. Come next Monday, I will be up to my elbows in the writing of book 2, and I can already tell you, it’s going to be a wild ride. The ending of the first book was such that there has to be a second. My readers will be expecting and anticipating it. In this book, Amarylis will be expanding her horizons as she changes and grows, and my inspiration will expand beyond the music of The Pretty Reckless, which served as inspiration for her character in the first book.
I have most of my November blog posts written and scheduled, so my writing efforts can be focused on the book. The dark anthologies are launched in time for the Halloween season and their initial promotions have come to an end. In order to meet those daily wordcounts, I will be doing a minimal amount of promoting, so I won’t be as visible on social media as I usually am, and it may take me a bit longer to respond to email correspondence. The only promotions I will be making are my normal promotions of blog posts on Writing to be Read, and the 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle, which includes The D.I.Y. Author and runs through the end of November.
The 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle – Currated by Kevin J. Anderson
This year’s Writing Tools StoryBundle, curated by bestselling author and publisher Kevin J. Anderson, is another treasure chest of vital handbooks covering aspects of the writer’s craft, business, and way of life. We have thirteen titles on a range of subjects, plus a 12-month subscription to Indie Author Magazine, your best source to stay up-to-date on the industry.
On writing craft, there’s The Illustrated Super Secrets of Writing, Vol. 1—Wulf Moon’s award-winning system on how to write stories and does so with creativity, fun, and humor. Tara Grace Ericson presents Romance Character Tropes—far more than your average trope list; this is an encyclopedia packed with info to help you use and leverage each trope successfully.
Freelance editor Joshua Essoe teaches about Mood and Atmosphere in his series of special-edition writing guides, each examining the most-common issues he encounters from writers he works with. Word by Word by award-winning author Kerrie Flanagan, shows you how to unlock your creativity and transform your writing. This is an essential guide for writers that offers inspiration, genre-specific strategies, and practical tips.
Jana S. Brown gives you Steps to Self-Editing. You’ve finished your novel! Now learn the self-editing steps to smooth off the rough edges and really make it shine!
And in the new revised edition of On Being a Dictator: Revised Edition, by Kevin J. Anderson, Martin Shoemaker, and Greg Vose—available exclusively in this StoryBundle,—you’ll learn how to use dictation to increase your productivity. One of the foundational books on a popular writing method, On Being a Dictator will help you think outside the box and up your game in the fast-paced ever-changing world of publishing.
Now, on to the writing business. Dollar by Dollarby Kerrie Flanagan is a comprehensive guide packed with proven strategies to help writers boost book sales, increase income from writing, and succeed in both traditional and self-publishing. Mark Leslie’s Author’s Guide to Branding for Success shows you how to make your Author Brand into one of your best long-term Intellectual Property assets!
Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn provide guidance and inspiration to share your message with the world from the stage in Page to Platform: How to Succeed as an Author Speaker.
AndBooking the Librariesby Jessica Brawner is tailored for authors, speakers, storytellers, musicians, puppeteers, and all living-wage entertainers. This guide is your key to unlocking fresh markets, cultivating a dedicated fanbase, and revolutionizing your livelihood.
And finally, on the writing life, these titles will help you stay inspired and remain strong as a creative.
The D.I.Y. Authorby Kaye Lynne Booth shows you the ropes in the business of being an author.
Wit and Wisdom by Craig Martelle—exclusive first release in this StoryBundle—is chock full of quips and snippets to help authors stay focused on the right things to accelerate their business.
AndFalling to Fly by Todd Fahnestock is a deeply personal exploration into the creative process and the publishing industry. This is truly the book to read before you give up on your writing dreams.
In addition in this StoryBundle, you will receive full year’s subscription toIndie Author Magazine, your go-to resource for news, tips, and advice on self-publishing. Stay up-to-date on the latest trends in the industry.
A note on the designated charity for this StoryBundle, the Neil Peart Brain Cancer Research Fund from Cedars Sinai. In 2020 we lost Neil Peart, legendary drummer and lyricist for the rock band Rush, to glioblastoma. He was my mentor, friend, and collaborator on numerous books, and his loss affected me deeply. Neil’s friends and colleagues and fans worldwide have contributed to this glioblastoma research fund in Neil’s name, and we are proud to add our efforts on this Writing Tools StoryBundle as well. – Kevin J. Anderson
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For StoryBundle, you decide what price you want to pay. For $5 (or more, if you’re feeling generous), you’ll get the basic bundle of four books in .epub format—WORLDWIDE.
Romance Character Tropes by Tara Grace Ericson and Jessica Barber
Dollar by Dollar by Kerrie Flanagan
Essoe’s Guides to Writing: Mood and Atmosphere by Joshua Essoe
Booking the Library by Jessica Brawner
If you pay at least the bonus price of just $20, you get all four of the regular books, plus 9 more books, for a total of 13 (with 3 StoryBundle Exclusives), plus a year’s subscription to Indie Author Magazine!
Super Secrets: Illustrated by Wulf Moon
Falling to Fly by Todd Fahnestock
From Page to Platform: How to Succeed as an Author Speaker by Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn
A Writer’s Guide to Branding for Success by Mark Leslie Lefebvre (StoryBundle Exclusive)
On Being a Dictator by Kevin J. Anderson (StoryBundle Exclusive)
Word by Word by Kerrie Flanagan
The D.I.Y. Author by Kaye Lynne Booth
Steps to Self-Editing by Jana S. Brown
Wit and Wisdom by Craig Martelle (StoryBundle Exclusive)
Indie Author Magazine: One Year Subscription by Indie Author Magazine
This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get a DRM-free .epub for all books!
It’s also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.
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 post is sponsored by The Rock Star & The Outlaw and WordCrafter Press.
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
In 1887, LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
As many of you may know, if you follow Writing to be Read, The D.I.Y. Author is included in the Novel Writing Story Bundle, organized by Kevin J. Anderson. But what you may not know is how useful Story Bundle is as a marketing tool. The fact is, it’s a great way to sell books.
This is the second Story Bundle in which I have had a book included. Back in 2022, Ask the Authors 2022 was included in the Writer’s Toolkit Story Bundle, also organized by KJA. That bundle sold quite well and WordCrafter and the contributing authors made a little bit of money from it. This year, the Novel Writing Story Bundle promises to do just as well, if not better, so I highly recommend it.
What is Story Bundle?
What Story Bundle is, is a platform that gathers together several authors with books in the bundle category, whether it is writing references, such as the two I’ve had books in, fantasy books, science fiction books, or romances, etc…, and they all get together virtually and cooperatively market and promote the whole bundle. This extend’s the reach of single authors immensely, and I can testify to the fact that their efforts are effective. By using the power of the masses, promotions are found on all of the social media sites, not just those of any one single author, and it gets your book in front of the readers of every author in the bundle. But I’m just an author with a couple of books in a couple of Story Bundles, and I’m still learning, too. So to give you all the details, I chatted with Story Bundle founder, Jason Chen, to let him tell you what Story Bundle is, how it works, and what the advantages are.
Interview with Jason Chen
Kaye: What inspired the idea for Story Bundle?
Jason: I started StoryBundle all the way back in 2012 because back then, the concept of bundling similar books in one package hadn’t been done yet! Selfishly, I wanted somebody to make bundles of similar books—if you like this book/author, then you’ll like all THESE—and because nobody had, then I saw the need for it. Also, in 2012, the indie authors were lacking for a place to reach more readers, which made it a perfect fit for letting folks discover authors they would have a hard time finding otherwise.
Kaye: Story Bundle uses the power of numbers, gathering many authors together and offering their books as a group, rather than individually. Could you explain the advantages of having a book included in a Story Bundle?
Jason: Not only does being part of a StoryBundle get you in front of the StoryBundle fans, but the core concept is that it gets you readers from other authors who write in similar genres as you. Because all our bundles are curated, the books in them make sense together, which means that if you like one author in it, you’re more than likely to like another. So getting awareness of your books out to fans who already like the genre is a big plus.
Kaye: What determines whether a book is included in the original bundle for the minimum amount , or as a bonus book for a larger donation?
Jason: There’s no secret to the sauce. The curator and I work together to make sure both the regular bundle and the bonus bundle are balanced for the amount that they cost. Sometimes an author will be in the bonus bundle and if they’re in another bundle, they’ll be in the regular bundle. It depends on what makes sense for that particular bundle.
Kaye: The Novel Writing Story Bundle is the second Story Bundle which I’ve been a part of, mainly because I am fortunate enough to know Kevin J. Anderson, who organizes the ones I’ve participated in. I know other big authors like Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Katheryn Rusch organize them, too. But how do you get into a Story Bundle if you don’t know someone organizing one? Can you create your own?
Jason: Yes! The only caveat we have is that (99% of the time) the bundles are curated by someone who’s been in a bundle before. Once you’ve been in a bundle, you understand what the bundle is about and what makes for a good bundle and what works for participating in a bundle. This way you know which authors to look for when you’re assembling one. You work with us to figure out a genre that you want, and we refine the idea and can help you get in touch with some other publishers if you need to.
Kaye: Both Story Bundles I’ve had books in are writing resource bundles. Can you make a story bundle of any genre?
Jason: Yes, any genre is fine, but to get a little inside baseball, there are a couple of genres that don’t do well on StoryBundle. The biggest one is romance, which for whatever reason doesn’t appeal to StoryBundle readers. But even more of a surprise is that romance authors’ own fans don’t really enjoy the bundling concept—at least on StoryBundle. We’ve tried all types of romance bundles in all varieties of flavors, but none of them ever have good uptake.
Kaye: Is there a cost to organize your own Story Bundle?
Jason: There’s no cost to curating a bundle!
Kaye: Now I know why as an author, I might want to have my books in a story bundle. But why would readers wnat to buy books through Story Bundle? What are the benefits to readers in purchasing a Story Bundle?
Jason: As a reader, there are a few benefits. First, there’s just the core concept of vetting—we choose our books carefully with our curators, and they have to meet a certain bar of quality to get in. Of course, it’s impossible to guarantee that you’ll like all the books in the bundle, but if you already like one or two of the authors in it, you’re likely to enjoy the rest.
There are other tangible benefits, such as getting DRM-free copies of books that you can load on any ereader, tablet or phone without having to worry about compatibility. You’ll also support indie authors and be able to donate to a worthy cause!
Kaye: Does every Story Bundle donate to charity?
Jason: Every bundle has a charity donation, but it’s up to each person if they want to donate part of their purchase to charity. If they don’t, that’s perfectly fine!
Kaye: What types of charities does Story Bundle support?
Jason: We have a long list of charities that we’ve supported before, from literacy charities, animal charities, science and gaming charities, to health and medicine and worldwide refugee focused charities, so there’s no real limit to what can be a charity target for StoryBundle. If there’s a specific one that a curator would like to have in their bundle, we can make it work!
Would you like your book to be in a Story Bundle?
Now that I know what it takes to currate a Story Bundle, I’m thinking of trying one of my own, because I know that they sell books. Since I’m a multi-genre author, I could do western, women’s fiction, paranormal, science fiction, dark fiction, or children’s books. If you’re interested let me know and tell me what genre(s) you write in. Either let me know in the comments, or email me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com. Let’s see if we can get together and sell some books.
About the Novel Writing Story Bundle
The Novel Writing Story Bundle features writing references on writing craft, writing business, and the writing life, which should be on every author’s bookshelf. In addition to my own The D.I. Y. Author, which is a bonus book, there are also featured Dollar by Dollar and Word by Word, by Kerrie Flanagan; Romance Character Tropes, by Jessica Barber and Tara G. Ericson; Booking the Library, by Jessica Brawner; Kevin J. Anderson’s On Being a Dictator; Steps to Self-Editing, by Jana S. Brown; A Writer’s Guide to Branding Success, by Mark Leslie Lefabvre; Mood & Atmosphere, by Joshua Essoe; From Page to Platform, by Matty Dalrymple and M.L. Ronn; Wit & Wisdom, by Craig Martelle; Wulf Moon’s Illustrated Super Secrets of Writing, volume 1; Falling to Fly, by Todd Fahnestock; and a year’s subscription to Indie Author Magazine. That’s 13 writing references plus the magazine subscription. What a deal!
A note on the designated charity for this StoryBundle, the Neil Peart Brain Cancer Research Fund from Cedars Sinai. In 2020 we lost Neil Peart, legendary drummer and lyricist for the rock band Rush, to glioblastoma. He was my mentor, friend, and collaborator on numerous books, and his loss affected me deeply. Neil’s friends and colleagues and fans worldwide have contributed to this glioblastoma research fund in Neil’s name, and we are proud to add our efforts on this Novel Writing StoryBundle as well. – Kevin J. Anderson
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.
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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 hear the word prolific, I think of Kevin J.Anderson, who puts out between 7-9 books per year. He’s one of the most prolific writers that I know of, although veteran bestselling authors, Dean Wesley Smith and Kathryn Christine Rusch, may rival, or even surpass him. But we cannot all be that prolific. But we can learn from authors like these, who have spent their lifetimes writing professionally, and making a decent living at it.
For many years, I did not know how to be prolific. Delilah took me three years to write, and then I worked almost another year revising it to re-release as the first book in the Women in the West Adventure Series. I even wrote a post in about accepting the fact that “We Can’t All be Prolific” because of how not-prolific I was back in 2022. It was something which I didn’t know could be changed or how to go about changing it.
Since then, I’ve learned a few things that have helped me to become more prolific, and I’m now publishing between 5 – 8 books per year. That’s why the first section of The D.I.Y. Author is dedicated to the methods I’ve used to increase my productivity and become a more prolific author; because I wanted to share some of the methods I’ve used to increase my writing productivity. By becoming prolific, I’ve been able to get my name out there where it can be recognized and having more products, in this case, books, to sell. When you publish 5 books per year, that’s 5 different chances to reach new readers, but its also five chances to remind current readers that you’re still around and active.
The following, are tips that I’ve accumulated, from The D.I.Y. Author.
Becoming Prolific
Outlining: Creating at least a working outline to help guide the direction of your story. If you have an idea of where you are going before you start, you can get words on the page faster.
Doubling Down on Research and Promotional Materials: Research is something that needs to be done for every book, regardless of genre. If you can find other uses for this same research, you can essentially make it do double duty. For example, during the historic research I did for the Women in the West Adventure Series, I uncovered many interesting facts that may or may not have been used in the story, and could also be used to make interesting blog posts for the tours for their releases, thus becoming a marketing tool, as well as a good story inspiration. Or you can use the same inspiration for a second story in some cases.
Write the Damned Book: Just sit down and write. It’s a simple piece of advice, but one many authors, or would-be authors, fail to recognize. In The D.I.Y. Author, I offer a couple of methods of achieving the desired results, including Binge Writing, which isn’t always for everyone, and Persistant Determination, which is plugging away at it every chance you get.
NaNoWriMo: The principle is to set aside the month of November to work exclusively on your novel at every opportunity and setting a daily wordcount which will allow you to reach a goal of 50,000 words within that timeframe. But you don’t need to wait until Novemeber to do this. Just set aside a 30 day period and dedicate to writing your story. I use NANoWriMo to get a start on one of the two novel length works I write and publish each year. In the book, I offer a couple of strategies for making the most of your time, including Time Blocking, and Tracking Your Word Count.
Dictation: This is a strategy for becoming prolific that isn’t right for everyone, but works well for those who are comfortable with it.
Networking and Collaborations: It takes longer to write a novel length work than it does to write a short story or two to include in an anthology, and it’s a great way to add more titles to your author pages. Through WordCrafter Press, I publish at least two anthologies per year, and sometimes more.
Maximizing Your IP: Intellectual Property are the rights to your creative endeavors, or copyright, and an author needs to understand their copyrights, and take care not to sign away more than absolutely necessary when entering into a contract with a publisher. It is also important to understand when your rights will be returned, because when you hold the copyright, you can use that work in any way which you deem fit, allowing your writings to do double, or even triple duty.
Optimizing Your Backlist: Many authors don’t put a lot into their backlist, but there are things you can do to keep your backlist items in front of readers’ eyes and on their minds, such as creating multiple formats, special editions, and price promotions.
Taking Care of Mind, Body & Spirit: Keeping yourself healthy is also condusive to being prolific, as we all write better when our minds are sharp and alert, out bodies are well rested and healthy, and we have a place of our own, dedicated to writing.
Outsourcing: When there is too much for one person to do it all, and believe me there will be, outsourcing certain tasks can be of great advantage, even to the D.I.Y. author.
Why Become Prolific?
To put it simply, the more prolific you are, the more books you have to sell. The bigger your library of books, the more opportunities for readers to discover you and your writing.
I’ve offered a basic list of the methods I’ve used to become more prolific. Some have worked better than others for me and I talk about them in more depth in The D.I.Y. Author. To learn more, you can get your copy from your favorite retailer here: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author.
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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. 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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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.
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 but 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.
Topics Include:
Becoming Prolific
Writing Tools
Outlining
Making Quality a Priority
Publishing Models & Trends
Marketing Your Book
Book Covers & Blurbs
Book Events—In Person & Virtual
And more…
Meet the Author
Greetings! Thank you so much for dropping by to help us celebrate the release of The D.I.Y. Author. You all know me as author Kaye Lynne Booth, but with the release of this book, I hope to be known as the D.I.Y. author. This is the book that only I could write, where I share knowledge and experience as I build my author business. This is not a book on craft, but a reference for authors and aspiring authors who wish to expand and grow their author business on a limited budget. Learn the tips and tricks, sites and tools, which took me over a decade, and three masters degrees to amass.
I’ve always been a do it yourself kind of gal. I’ve built my author business up around this blog, finding ways around obstacles which stood in my way, learning new skill sets because outsourcing was more than I could afford. My first novel was published by a small independent publisher. But as the five-year contract ran out, I felt I could do better through my own small independent publishing house, WordCrafter Press, so I re-published it as the first book in my Women in the West adventure series last year, and I sold more copies than that other publisher had over a five year stretch. I just released the second book in the series this month. When Covid struck, I organized and hosted two virtual writing conferences, because writers are tribal bunch, and we need contact with like minded people. Networking is a huge part of building an author business. I use that networking to build not only my author business, but my own author tribe. I’ve published my own books, and collaborative anthologies, as well as publishing books for others. And I’ve built a winning blog team here on Writing to be Read with Robbie Cheadle, Jeff Bowles, Arthur Rorsch, and DL Mullan.
No one else has shared in these exact same experiences that I have, and that’s why only I could write The D.I.Y. Author, and why I can hold that title. But enough about me. The D.I.Y. Author is a great reference packed full of links to sites and tools and tips for increasing productivity, publishing choices, and marketing your books.
We have a great release party ahead to send this book off right. We’ve got exclusive offers running this week only. After Saturday, the whole D.I.Y. store will disappear, so take advantage of them now. By buying direct, you are supporting this author and her works more than when you purchase from retailers.
My D.I.Y. Video
Author Video Introduction – Author Kaye Lynne Booth
On with the party!
Thanks for dropping by for The D.I.Y. Author virtual release party. We’ve got some great things planned, including a giveaway for all attendees, so be sure to leave a comment, so I’ll know you were here. I’ll be monitoring the comments throughout the day and will answer any questions you might want to post there. While you’re here you can peruse the D.I. Y. store below, for exclusive and discounted offers that you won’t find anywhere else. The store will come down at the end of the week. After that you’ll have to pay full price through retailers, and signed copies will no longer be available.
And if you are already a bestselling author and you don’t need this book or the WordCrafter services offered here, you can still offer your support for the author and this project by using the ‘buy me a soda’ button below.
Buy me a soda
Show your support for author Kaye Lynne Booth and her many endeavors through WordCrafter Press & Writing to be Read.
Thanks for joining me today for The D.I.Y. Author Release Party. I hope you found a few useful tidbits here. For more tips and advice, you’ve got to buy the book. If you miss the window for the D.I.Y. Store, you can still purchase this useful writer’s reference here: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author
Writing a book is hard. Marketing it can be even harder.
Marketing a book in 2023 can seem like a full-time job, what with the crazy number of things authors seem to be expected to do: social media, blog tours, advertising, price promotions, mailing lists, giveaways, you name it.
But here’s a little secret: you don’t need to do all those things to successfully set your book on the path to success. What you need is a solid plan to find the one or two tactics that will work, and start to drive sales… in a minimum amount of time. And that’s exactly what you’ll find in this book.
Instead of drowning you in information or inundating you with hundreds of different tactics and strategies that eventually prove fruitless, this book will guide you through a step-by-step framework to find the ones that actually work for you and your book, so that you can start marketing more efficiently.
In particular, you’ll learn:
✔️ How to change your mindset and sell more books with less effort.; ✔️ How to write books that guarantee a lasting, profitable career; ✔️ How to get Amazon’s Kindle Store to market your book for you; ✔️ How to get thousands of readers into your mailing list before you even release the book; ✔️ How to propel your book to the top of the charts at launch; and ✔️ How to automate your marketing so that you can spend less time marketing and more time writing,
After helping over 150,000 authors crack the marketing code through a popular weekly newsletter, Reedsy’s Co-founder Ricardo Fayet is sharing everything he’s learned over the past few years in this beginner-friendly, jargon-free guide to book marketing.
Today’s author needs to be able to do all stages of the publishing process in order to run their author business, but one person cannot do it all. It can be overwhelming, even for the D.I.Y. author. (That’s me. 😉 ). I share my experience and knowledge about doing my marketing and promotions myself in my book, The D.I.Y. Author, which will be released on June 4th, 2024. But learning to run an author business doesn’t end when you publish a book, and although I just wrote a book about building and growing your author business, I still have much to learn on this never ending road to success. That’s why I took advantage of the free ebook by Reedsy‘s Ricardo Fayette, How to Market Your Book: Overperform in a Crowded Market. Fayette knows a lot more than I do on the subject of book marketing, so I refer my readers to his book in my book.
I don’t do paid advertising, and that is what a good portion of this book is about.
“But couldn’t I reach a larger audience with paid advertising?” Absolutely.
Someday, I hope to be able to expand into the paid advertising arena, so I read through those sections, and I must say, Ricardo Fayette explains things in such a way that even someone like me, who gets headaches when thinking analytics, can understand, and he is very thorough. He lays out the differences between Amazon Ads, Facebook Ads, and BookBub Ads, weighing the pros and cons of each. And man, did I learn a lot, particularly about BookBub Ads. He really gave me a lot to think about. Hopefully, I will be able to include what I’ve learned about paid advertising from this book in the revised edition of The D.I.Y. Author by putting it into practice at a future date.
Fayette also talks about the importance of a mailing list and how to set up a newsletter with a reader magnet, reminding me of another area where my efforts have been lacking. He compares several email servers and offers the basics of a good newsletter. I set out two years ago to find a new email server because I wasn’t happy with MailChimp. But things got busy and life happened, and my quest for an email server got laid to the side. I opted to stick with what I knew, not wanting to take the time to learn a new server system, let alone the time it takes to research them first. This book offers a list with some I wasn’t familiar with which are geared more toward authors. This peaked my curiosity, as it sounded like it might be just what I’m looking for. I haven’t sent out a newsletter in over six months, and my readers have probably forgotten me. This might be the motivation that I need to get a newsletter up and running, and keep it running.
He shares tips for working the Amazon system, as well as some of the other retailers, for those who publish wide. He even talks about selling direct from your website, and how to make each of these methods work for you. He covers keywords, backcover copy and book covers.
On the subject of book covers, I have to disagree with him as he insists you must outsource your book cover with an expensive professional cover designer. I do outsource many of my book covers because I’d rather put my time into my writing, but although I am a writer and not a book designer, I posess the design knowledge and most of the skills to create a good book cover. I designed the covers for my Women in the West Adventure Series and I’m quite happy with them. I wasn’t happy with the cover I did for The Rock Star & The Outlaw, so I outsourced it to someone who had more skill than I did, and changed the cover three months after publication. So, while I’m not saying you shouldn’t outsource your book covers, I don’t think that it is an absolute necessity. While Fayette is adament on this point, reminding us of it repeatedly throughout the book, I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one.
This is one of the most comprehensive books on book marketing that I’ve come across, and one I will be referring back to many times in the future as I grow and expand my author business. A great value from a free book.
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About Author 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. 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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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.
Get all your favorite WordCrafter Press books today!
If there are WordCrafter Press books on your TBR list, now is the time to buy them. All WordCrafter Press Books are 50% off for the Smashwords 2024 Read an Ebook Week. That’s right. All titles in the WordCrafter Press catalog are on discounted 50% this week only on Smashwords.
Titles Included:
Ask the Authors: Writing Reference Anthology, by Kaye Lynne Booth, et. al.
Ask the Authors 2022: Writing Reference Anthology, by Kaye Lynne Booth, et. al.
Behind Closed Doors: A Collection of Unusual Poems, by Robbie Cheadle
Delilah: Book 1 of the Women in the West adventure series, by Kaye Lynne Booth
Feral Tenderness: Poetry & Photography, by Arthur Rosch
Hidden Secrets: Paranormal Mystery Novella, by Kaye Lynne Booth
Last Call and Other Short Fiction: short story collection, by Kaye Lynne Booth