Bye-Bye, Blue Light Blockers: Studies Show the Glasses Don’t Protect Your Sight against Screens
Studies Show You Don’t Need Fancy Eyewear to Protect Your Sight from Extended Screen Use Blue light-filtering glasses sound like the perfect solution to computer eye strain. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence to support their effectiveness. Systematic reviews of multiple studies, in 2017 and 2021, found no benefits to the lenses. Double-blind clinical trials found no […]
The (Un)Balancing Act: Bring Creativity Back to Your Business
When your creative career is designed solely around stability, you may be tempted to resort to strict word counts, long hours, and crushing deadlines. That’s a classic make-more-to-earn-more model. A creative career works best when it’s diversified. Steady, eddy, income–however small at first–is a worthy goal. But how do you make it grow? Once you […]
Beta Readers vs. ARC Readers: The Differences, Explained
If you already swap chapters with author friends, you know what it’s like to have critique partners. But have you considered beta readers to deepen your storytelling or ARC [advanced reader copy] readers to create pre-release buzz about your amazing new book? First, let’s make sure we keep our expert readers straight. The difference between […]
Four Tips for Preserving Your Energy and Streamlining Your Creative Process
Four R’s to Find Your Essential Work . . . Instead of Rabbit Holes! You’ve heard people talk about creating a minimum viable product. How about a minimum viable process? Your time and energy are valuable—and limited—resources. How much work do you really need to create and market your books? Use these 4 R’s to […]
You Go Faster When You Go Slower
The Power of Slow in the Writing World The indie author life can easily swamp authors with opportunity. The writing life can turn into a weary slog that never seems to bring success any closer. What if there was another way to supercharge your career? Rest—Rest is the key to making connections, gaining insights, and […]
Marketing Translations
Introducing your translated book to readers can be an excellent form of virtual travel. Just think of all those new friends you can visit when the world opens back up. Travelers—especially writers—often collect surprising experiences and specific, colorful, and possibly useless details. When your book travels, you may learn that Malaysia’s currency is called a […]
Hardbacks Made Easy
Your Step-By-Step Guide to Deciding Which Hardcover Options Are Right for You Why Consider Hardcover? Bragging rights alone are a solid reason for hardcover editions. A hardcover omnibus—the print equivalent of a digital box set—would look impressive on your next Zoom call. Hardcovers are perfect for libraries and schools, a crowdfunding campaign (how about a […]
Rocket Fuel Doesn’t Come in a Can
Why Wide Authors Need A Custom Launch Plan Laurel Decher Book launch plans are all over the internet, including the twelve in my “Read Later” folder. They are fun to look at but can be dangerous for your author business. You want your book to blast off into a fuel-efficient orbit and find more readers […]
Light Up Your Writing Brain With These Healthy Snacks
How to Eat Your Way to Creativity What’s the best fuel for a writer? For the 2021 Summer Olympics in Japan, 59-year-old Yoko Nishimura created a healthy salad to keep athletes in top form and combat the heat. She boiled edamame beans, added protein-rich noodles, fresh fruit, herbs, and vegetables. Like athletes, authors need energy […]
Publishing Wide: The Direct vs. Distributor Debate
In “Wide vs. Exclusive: Which is for You?” (IAM May 2021), we covered the pros and cons of publishing e-books as widely as possible. The alternative is publishing through programs requiring exclusivity, like Amazon’s KDP Select program. When authors decide to publish their e-books wide, the next question is: “go direct” or use a distributor? […]