Writing can be tough. You need support. Not just for the writing side of things, but also the self-publishing and the marketing.
Thankfully, help is at hand because several brilliant authors have written guides to all of these things. Here are five of the best...
1. On Writing by Stephen King - hands down, the best guide to writing that I have read. King offers concise practical advice, drawing on his own experience which adds an interesting autobiographical twist. Also, King is clearly an avid reader. He drops in references to a wide range of literature throughout the book, which shows he knows his stuff, but also that he absolutely loves stories of every kind. It is also very funny.
2. Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran - self-publishing is an extremely accessible avenue for authors nowadays and allows you immediate exposure and income. In this book, Gaughran explains the advantages in more detail and valuably explains how to self-publish with simple, digestible tips. His follow-up book, Let's Get Visible, goes one step further and provides advice on negotiating the Amazon algorithms to move your novel up the charts.
3. How To Market Your Book by Joanna Penn - Penn is an author entrepreneur (authorpreneur?) and another prominent ambassador for self-publishing. Her book, one of many, offers bite-sized advice on how to independently market your book and hopefully stand out in a world when every self-published author is tweeting like mad to get noticed. If you have just finished your first ever novel then you should read this without delay.
4. Write. Publish. Repeat. by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant - this tells the success story of Platt and Truant who published 1.5 million words in just one year, by launching over one hundred titles across 15 separate franchises. The two writers address the realities of independent publishing, focussing on the art of franchise-building and how their psychology-driven marketing plan shaped their stories into must-have 'products'. If you want to make money from writing, and you are willing to work, then this is the best starting point.
5. How To Write a Collaborative Novel by Heide Goody and Iain Grant - why write by yourself when you can halve the work by writing with a partner? Goody and Grant have co-written the Clovenhoof novels since 2012 and have a proven formula for success. They also led the Ten To One writing project which resulted in the ten-person collaborative novel Circ. If you know a fellow writer who shares your enthusiasm for the craft, then read this book and make some money together.
Thankfully, help is at hand because several brilliant authors have written guides to all of these things. Here are five of the best...
1. On Writing by Stephen King - hands down, the best guide to writing that I have read. King offers concise practical advice, drawing on his own experience which adds an interesting autobiographical twist. Also, King is clearly an avid reader. He drops in references to a wide range of literature throughout the book, which shows he knows his stuff, but also that he absolutely loves stories of every kind. It is also very funny.
2. Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran - self-publishing is an extremely accessible avenue for authors nowadays and allows you immediate exposure and income. In this book, Gaughran explains the advantages in more detail and valuably explains how to self-publish with simple, digestible tips. His follow-up book, Let's Get Visible, goes one step further and provides advice on negotiating the Amazon algorithms to move your novel up the charts.
3. How To Market Your Book by Joanna Penn - Penn is an author entrepreneur (authorpreneur?) and another prominent ambassador for self-publishing. Her book, one of many, offers bite-sized advice on how to independently market your book and hopefully stand out in a world when every self-published author is tweeting like mad to get noticed. If you have just finished your first ever novel then you should read this without delay.
4. Write. Publish. Repeat. by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant - this tells the success story of Platt and Truant who published 1.5 million words in just one year, by launching over one hundred titles across 15 separate franchises. The two writers address the realities of independent publishing, focussing on the art of franchise-building and how their psychology-driven marketing plan shaped their stories into must-have 'products'. If you want to make money from writing, and you are willing to work, then this is the best starting point.
5. How To Write a Collaborative Novel by Heide Goody and Iain Grant - why write by yourself when you can halve the work by writing with a partner? Goody and Grant have co-written the Clovenhoof novels since 2012 and have a proven formula for success. They also led the Ten To One writing project which resulted in the ten-person collaborative novel Circ. If you know a fellow writer who shares your enthusiasm for the craft, then read this book and make some money together.