Category Archives: Self-Publishing

Goal Posts: Your SMART GOAL’s Timeline

heatherericksonauthorReach Your Goals, Self-Publishing, WritingDecember 26, 2018

Today we’re going to talk about putting a deadline on our goals and incorporating them into a reasonable timeline. Then, we will combine the timeline with the other elements we’ve been looking at for the past month, in our “Goal Posts” series, and write some SMART Goals. For a general overview of what SMART GOALS are, check out this post that I wrote a year ago.SMART goals are written based on criteria using the pneumonic acronym SMART which stands for the following:S=SpecificM=MeasurableA=AchievableR=RelevantT=TimeWe will take all of the elements of your SMART goal and combine them.We will start with the first Read more…

Self-Publishing with Print-on-Demand

heatherericksonauthorSelf-PublishingSeptember 5, 2018

It’s the 1st Wednesday of the month again. That’s when I take part in Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group. I encourage you to check out their website and even sign up for the IWSG Newsletter. Today I’m going to explore self-publishing with print-on-demand, as I answer the #IWSG question for September –What publishing path are you considering/did you take, and why?When I first decided to write my book, Facing Cancer as a Friend, I felt as though I was looking at a timer, counting down the amount of time I had to get a platform set up and some words Read more…

Working with Beta Readers

heatherericksonauthorSelf-Publishing, WritingAugust 8, 2018

Most authors use beta readers to help them prepare their book for publication. It’s extra work and takes more time, but this is a step you won’t want to skip if you want your book to be as good as possible. How do you get beta readers? What do they do for you?Beta readers go by several different namesBeta readersStreet TeamAdvance ReadersLaunch TeamBook CrewReview CrewI call my beta readers “Advance Readers,” because they read my book in advance of it being in its final form (more about that later).What do Beta Readers Do?Authors not only use a variety of names Read more…

Formatting Your Ebook (Including Clickable Table of Contents)

heatherericksonauthorSelf-PublishingJuly 18, 2018

There are several things to keep in mind as you approach formatting your ebook. An ebook isn’t just a paperback that you can read on your e-reader. It has distinct properties that make it not only different but in some cases, better than a print book. After all, a paperback can’t transport you to a linked website. You also can’t change the font style and size nor have a linked table of contents in a paperback. These unique aspects of an ebook bring with them some, “side effects” if you don’t format your ebook properly.For example, because the reader can Read more…

How to Set Up an Amazon Author Page

heatherericksonauthorSelf-Publishing, WritingJuly 11, 2018

Today I will be exploring Amazon Author Central. What is it? How do you set up an Amazon Author Page? What can it do for you and your audience?Let’s start with Amazon Author Central. What is it?Amazon Author Central is your go-to place as an author who is selling books on the world’s largest online bookstore. There, you can find links to tools you can use as an author to write your books and sell them on Amazon. You can find the reviews people have left for your books as well as your sales statistics. I think the most interesting Read more…

Making Your Book Look Good with Formatting

heatherericksonauthorSelf-Publishing, WritingJune 27, 2018

In today’s post, I will be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at me putting together my next book, Facing Cancer as a Parent: Helping Your Children Cope with your Cancer. Today, it’s all about making your book look good with the right formatting.Making Your Book Look Good starts with no formatting at allI’ve found this to be incredibly important. To help you see the transformations process that happens when you are making your book look good I have taken some screenshots of my manuscript along with some hints.Putting Your Best Font ForwardWith print projects, I often forget about the importance of font Read more…

Editing Your Manuscript: Self-Publishing

heatherericksonauthorSelf-PublishingJune 20, 2018

In this post, we are going to look at editing your manuscript. When people think of editing, they tend to have flashbacks to their 4th-grade grammar class when they were parsing sentences and ensuring the spelling and punctuation was correct. We have moved up to the big leagues now.Editing your manuscript has gotten a lot more complicated. For one thing, there are different types of editing. Whether you hire an editor (recommended), have a smart friend help, or do it yourself, you will need to be familiar with the various types. Because of everything involved in editing your manuscript, I Read more…

Outlining Your Non-Fiction Book

heatherericksonauthorSelf-Publishing, WritingJune 13, 2018

I am big on using an outline in my writing process. Since (for now) I would like to avoid the whole pantsers vs. plotters debate, I will focus this post on outlining your non-fiction book. There are several reasons I recommend outlining your non-fiction book …Outlining your non-fiction book will help you come up with ideasThink of it as a method of brainstorming. You are getting all the ideas that have been swirling around in your head, out and onto paper. Some of these ideas will work and will be worth exploring deeper. Others will seem disconnected from the group. Read more…

Do You Really Need a Style Guide?

heatherericksonauthorSelf-PublishingMay 30, 2018

You’ve written your book proposal and decided that your idea for a book is definitely worth pursuing. As a self-published author (or an independent blogger) you will want your content to look as professional as possible. This means doing some of the same things professional publishers do. In this “Behind the Scenes of Self-Publishing” post, I will be sharing why it’s important for every self-published writer to have a style guide.Create your style guide, or adopt one that someone else has created, early on in your writing process (the earlier the better). In your style guide, you will answer questions Read more…

Guide to a Self-Publisher’s Book Proposal

heatherericksonauthorSelf-Publishing, WritingMay 23, 2018

According to one survey, 81% of people believe they have a book in them. Unfortunately, most people don’t[i]. They might have a story in them, but a book is another thing, entirely. A book is written for an audience. In the past, publishers have asked the questions that ensured whether or not a book would likely sell. Writers answer these questions in the form of a book proposal. With the ability to self-publish, no one is asking these questions.Today, most writers:Don’t know what sellsOverestimate the demand for their book idea in an already saturated marketOverestimate their ability as a writerDon’t Read more…