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Writing Techniques

5 Tips on Writing a Standout Self-Published Book From Someone Who's Read Hundreds of Them

WD competition judge AJ Wells breaks down what will make or break your self-published book, from cover design to plot construction.

  • By AJ Wells
    Jan 6, 2021
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Interviews

Gary F. Bengier: Indie Publishing Philosophical Speculative Fiction

Former eBay CFO Gary F. Bengier shares his journey to self-publish his debut speculative fiction novel based on his nonfiction philosophy book.

  • By Robert Lee Brewer
    Nov 1, 2020
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Self-Publishing

4 Tips for Transitioning From Self-Publishing to Traditional Publishing: How I Found Writing Success After a DIY Start

Mystery novelist Robert McCaw shares how he went from self-publishing his novels to getting an agent and traditional publication, including why the transition made sense for him.

  • By Robert McCaw
    Oct 12, 2020
Audrey Wick On The Market
Preparing Your Manuscript

Using Recipes in Your Non-Cookbook Manuscript: What You Need to Know

Want to make your story more savory? On The Market author Audrey Wick suggests including the recipes your characters devour.

  • By Audrey Wick
    Aug 5, 2019
 Your First Novel Revised and Expanded Edition
The Writer's Life

In the Chorus That Surrounds Every Writer, Listen to the Voice That's Your Own

It is easy to get lost in the flurry of feedback you get after sharing your writing for critique. Lorraine Devon Wilke shares how not to lose track of your own voice in the process.

  • By Guest Column
    Apr 9, 2019
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Creating a Cover

5 Tips for Better Book Cover Typography

This post will dive into this crucial component of a book cover. Read on to find out how to handle book cover typography — and how to make yours stand out and sell your book.

  • By Guest Column
    Mar 13, 2019
Guid to Publishing Audiobooks
Writing Goal

Self-Publishing Audiobooks: Why Should You Consider It?

As WD author Jessica Kaye shares in the opening paragraphs of her book The Guide to Publishing Audiobooks, audiobooks are reaching more people than ever. Here are her thoughts about why you might consider self-publishing audiobooks.

  • By Amy Jones
    Feb 27, 2019
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Choosing a Publishing Service

indieLAB: The Rise of Self-Publishing 3.0

What is Self-Publishing 3.0? Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) founder Orna Ross explains the shift from the earliest iterations of self-publishing to today's landscape with Self-Publishing 3.0.

  • By Orna Ross
    Feb 18, 2019
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Publishing Insights

Crowdfunding a Novel: Fantastic and Frustrating

Interested in crowdfunding a novel? Susan K. Hamilton, who has crowdfunded two novels, shares the joys and frustrations authors can expect when publishing via this 21st century route.

  • By Guest Column
    Feb 12, 2019
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Publishing Insights

Breaking In: Debut Author Christy Stillwell on Perseverance and Publishing with Small Presses

In our Breaking In column in Writer’s Digest magazine, we talk with debut authors—such as Christy Stillwell, author of The Wolf Tone—about how they did it, what they learned and why you can do it, too. Here, Stillwell talks about her experience publishing with a small press and more.

  • By Jess Zafarris
    Jan 30, 2019
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Creating a Cover

7 Tips for a Successful Relationship with Your Book Cover Designer

To help you get the most value out of a partnership with a book cover designer, we turned to some of the top professionals for their across-the-aisle tips on how authors can build and maintain such successful working relationships.

  • By Guest Column
    Jan 23, 2019
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Publishing Insights

How to Crowdfund Your Writing With Patreon

Patreon offers creatives a more sustainable model for crowdfunding—ongoing micro-payments from interested benefactors.

  • By Lucy A. Snyder
    Dec 22, 2018
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Publishing Insights

Shelf Savvy: How Book Categorization Helps Maximize Sales

Book categorization is key to finding readers and maximizing sales. Here’s what you should know.

  • By Elizabeth Sims
    Dec 21, 2018
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Audiobooks

A Starter Guide to DIY Audiobooks

Audiobooks are the fastest growing segment of the publishing industry. For indie authors or traditionally published authors who have retained their audio rights, now may be the perfect time to consider creating your own audiobooks. Here's your how-to guide to DIY audiobooks.

  • By Kerrie Flanagan
    Dec 9, 2018
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Publishing FAQs

Why Writers Have a Love-Hate Relationship With Technology

These days writers hoping to write, pitch, publish and platform-build have little choice but to surrender themselves to their laptops and smartphones—a complicated predicament for the dreamers of the world. Here are several pros and cons of the writing world's love-hate relationship with technology.

  • By Cassandra Lipp
    Dec 4, 2018
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Writing Habits and Practices

Maximizing Writing Productivity While Working Full-Time

Rather than seeing full-time work as a hindrance to the craft, writers can channel advantages of their situation to maximize writing productivity. Here’s how to do that.

  • By Audrey Wick
    Nov 20, 2018
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Writing Articles

The Anatomy of a Book Cover: A Guide for Authors

Knowing and understanding the constituent parts of a book cover will help you make the best marketing decisions when you design or commission your own.

  • By Guest Column
    Oct 3, 2018
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Self Publishing

Insider Secrets for Indie Authors and Small Presses from Amy Collins of New Shelves Books

Amy Collins of New Shelves Books shares insider secrets about book sales and marketing tips for indie authors and small publishers, as well as small and indie publishing trends.

  • By Jess Zafarris
    Sep 14, 2018
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Children's

Zetta Elliott on Starting Her Own Imprint & Character Development in Children's Fiction

Zetta Elliott discusses addressing complex topics in children's fiction, starting her own imprint, Rosetta Press, and what she'll address in her upcoming keynote at indieLAB.

  • By Jess Zafarris
    Sep 5, 2018
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Writing Articles

7 Ways to Turbocharge Your Ebook Marketing

Smart ebook marketing works like a magnet to bridge the gap between readers’ unmet desires and your book’s ability to satisfy those desires. Here are seven proven ebook marketing strategies you can implement immediately, at no cost.

  • By Guest Column
    Sep 3, 2018
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Publishing Insights

The Self-Publishing Path: It’s Often Anything But “Self”

The best approach to self-publishing depends on your goals and available resources. Jane Friedman notes the key considerations authors must make when deciding on the right path for themselves.

  • By Jane Friedman
    Aug 28, 2018
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Writing Articles

indieLAB—a New Event for Entrepreneurial Writers

If you're an author, aspiring novelist, freelance writer or small publisher who wants to expand your readership, improve your business prospects and earn more from your writing, join us this September at indieLAB, an all-new event from Writer's Digest.

  • By The Editors of Writer's Digest
    Aug 28, 2018
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writing conferences

100 Writing & Publishing Tips from the 2018 Writer's Digest Annual Conference

In case you didn't make it to the 2018 Writer's Digest Annual Conference, or you didn't manage to catch a session you were dying to attend, we've selected 100 of the greatest writing and publishing tips from the speakers who graced us with their knowledge and experiences.

  • By Jess Zafarris
    Aug 17, 2018
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Writing Articles

The Novel in the Drawer

Many writers who can't get their first novel published put it in a drawer and write a second one. Gayle Abrams discusses the decision to put that first novel in the drawer and move on to book two, or to persevere with the first.

  • By Guest Column
    Jul 20, 2018
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