Welcome to this issue of the Carnival of the Indies blog carnival. This issue is for January, 2016. We welcome your submissions on topics related to writing, self-publishing, book design or marketing books.
A collection of outstanding articles recently posted to blogs, your reading here will be richly rewarded.
See the end of this post for links to submit your blog posts for the next carnival, or for participating Bloggers and Featured Bloggers to grab your sidebar badges. Thanks to everyone who participated.
Featured Posts
Dave Chesson presents Amazon Link Anatomy: What You Don’t Know Might Be Killing Your Reviews posted at Kindlepreneur, saying, “Have you ever wondered why some of reviews from your fans get deleted? Turns out that if you don’t use the right amazon URL, you’ll end up having those that click on the link get flagged as “biased.” In this article, I’ll show you how to remove this and have a clean URL to send to your fans as well as an overview of Amazon’s URL anatomy.”
Ron Callari presents 2016 Predictions for the Self-Publishing Industry posted at Bookworks’ Ron Callari Blogs, saying, “As we look forward to the coming year, the self-publishing world will undoubtedly present us with a few new surprises. As self-publishers, you probably have some thoughts on this topic as well. So, I felt it was timely to take a pause to collect a few 2016 predictions from some of the pros—those experts who have a proverbial finger on the pulse of industry changes. Many of these folks you will recognize as they have served us as reliable resources for BookWorks in the past.”
D.G. Kaye presents Listen Up! – 5 Tips to Protect You From Copyright Infringement posted at D.G. Kaye, saying, “I always try and post helpful info for other writers and bloggers. The article is about the perils of using illegal photos for blogging. I was a victim of infringement and wanted to share the importance of using CC0 license.”
Book Design and Production
Kate Tilton presents How to Find the Best Editor for You by Jessica West posted at Kate Tilton, Connecting Authors & Readers, saying, “Finding an editor can be a challenge, editor and author Jessica West breaks down the process for authors in this post.”
Ron Callari presents Artisanal Publishing vs Self-Publishin posted at Bookworks’ Ron Callari Blogs, saying, “Today’s artisanal authors want to present themselves in the best possible light, not only so they can compete with the works of traditional publishers, but also so they can raise the bar for the self-publishing field at large.”
Sarah Bolme presents Are You Using Subject Codes posted at Marketing Christian Books
Indie Author
Alexander Zoltai presents Read Faster? With More Retention? Really?!? posted at Notes from An Alien, saying, “Indie authors must read—for book research, to keep up with the Indie publishing scene, to track other authors’ ideas, for relaxation, and other reasons… Perhaps, it could all be done faster and with more retention?”
Alinka Rutkowska presents 2016 Book Award Contests posted at Random Writing Rants, saying, “A list of book contests for Indie Authors.”
Donald J. Bingle presents There May Be A Reason Your Editor Is Crabby posted at Writer on Demand TM
Marketing and Selling Your Books
Ben Zackheim presents Facebook advertising for writers and authors posted at Ben Zackheim – Amazon Best-Selling Author, saying, “Thanks for the opportunity to be selected!”
Carla King presents Book Reviews for Indie Authors – Part Three: Paid Reviews posted at BookWorks Blog, saying, “This is the 3rd installment of a 3-part series on the topic of Book Reviews.”
Cate Baum presents How Not To Ask For A Free Review – From A Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer posted at Self-Publishing Review
Chris Syme presents How To Know If That Book Promotion Has Value posted at CKSyme Media Group, saying, “Thanks for the opportunity to be considered Joel. Again, I love this feature. It is a great reference for indie authors.”
Dave Chesson presents How To Use Quora To Increase Book Sales posted at Kindlepreneur, saying, “Learn how you can use the simple and free platform of Quora to drive more traffic to your author website of Amazon book sales page. This article will give you all the tools and know-how to convert willing readers into buyers. It includes a couple of case studies and examples.”
David Leonhardt presents Authors, sell your rights posted at Always Write, saying, “As an author, you have more rights than you might think. Get more out of your writing; sell your rights.”
Frances Caballo presents Go Where Your Readers Are – Goodreads! posted at Social Media Just for Writers, saying, “There is a reader haven online and it’s Goodreads. This social network gives writers an opportunity to grow an audience of dedicated readers but first authors need to demonstrate their passion for books. Learn more about this network that’s home to 40 million readers in this new post.”
Guy Anthony De Marco presents Talk Radio and Podcasts posted at The Fictorians, saying, “The Fictorians is a collective where members post articles every weekday.”
Kate Tilton presents How To Connect on Twitter with Twitter Chats posted at Kate Tilton, Connecting Authors & Readers, saying, “Twitter is a huge platform for authors to connect with readers. Learn how you can utilize Twitter chats like #K8Chat as an author to connect with more readers and better market your books.”
M. Louisa Locke presents Marketing Strategy for 2016: There I go, Pivoting Again posted at The Front Parlor
Miles Anthony Smith presents 7 Straightforward Steps to Jumpstart Kobo eBook Sales and Royalties in 59 Days (Without Paying a Dime) posted at Miles Anthony Smith
Nick Daws presents What I Learned From My First TV Appearance… posted at Entrepreneur Writer, saying, “A post looking back at my first-ever TV appearance to promote one of my books, and some lessons I learned from it.”
Randy Stapilus presents Targeted Advertising Strategies for Indie Authors – Part One posted at BookWorks
Stefanie Newell presents Book Signing Events For 2016 – Literary Events You Must Attend This Year! posted at The Write One Blog
Self-Publishing Success
Doris-Maria Heilmann presents Recipes for Writing and Publishing Success posted at SavvyBookWriters, saying, “Bottom line is that people trust editorial content more than they trust advertisements. Why and how to win your readers over with showing off your writing skill – plus several things to do along the way.”
Geoff Hughes presents Why Your New Years Resolutions Crash posted at The Write Stuff
Nate Hoffelder presents Penguin Random House Sells Vanity Press Author Solutions posted at The Digital Reader, saying, “Penguin Random House has sold off Author Solutions to Najafi Companies for an undisclosed sum, but it hasn’t completely gotten out of the vanity press business. It’s still fleecing naive authors in Spain, India, Singapore, and elsewhere through the companies that Author Solutions runs on PRH’s behalf.”
Penny Sansevieri presents Amazon Review for Indie Authors: How to Garner More Reviews – Part 2 posted at BookWorks Blog, saying, “This is Part 2 of a 3-part series on getting reviews for your self-published books.”
Writing Tools and Tips
C.K. MacLeod presents The Fastest Way to Build an Online Home posted at Tech Tools for Writers, saying, “No time to create a website? Don’t let “the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Here’s how to build an online home, fast.”
Deb Dorchak presents Writing Reviews Without Spoilers posted at Behind the Words, saying, “There’s something to be said for secrecy. Nothing worse than going to a movie and finding out all the best parts were given away in trailers, or meandering through your social media feeds and having someone give away a key plot point (anyone recall the King Joffrey fiasco? The Red Wedding? No? Trust me, it was crushing). Book reviewers do it too and they may not be aware they’re doing it. How do you write a spoiler-free review? Take a look at these tips and do your part to keep the internet of nasty spoilers.”
K.M. Weiland presents Coincidences in Fiction: What You’re Doing Wrong posted at Helping Writers Become Authors, saying, “Smart authors know coincidences in fiction are bad news. But how can you stomp them when you see them coming? Here are four ways.”
M.L. Gardner presents Authenticating and Creating Dynamic Characters posted at M.L. Gardner Blog
Rich Adin presents Should Editors Give Trigger Warnings? posted at The Digital Reader, saying, “Not once in my 32 years of editing have I given a warning at the beginning of a manuscript. Have I been remiss? Have I neglected to take into account the sensibilities or sensitivities of my client or my client’s author?”
Rita Carla Francesca Monticelli presents I’m Italian, so why is “The Mentor” set in London? posted at Anakina.blog, saying, “In this article I talk about choosing the right setting for your novel: it must be a setting that you know, but it also must be credible for your story in the eyes of your target readership. I’m Italian and I live in Italy, but I decided to write a thriller set in London. Here I explain why I made this decision. (Note: the original Italian version of my novel “The Mentor” is indipendently published, but the English one is not.)”
Terry Whalin presents 3 Ways to Read More Books posted at The Writing Life
Well, that wraps up this issue. I hope you enjoy some of the great articles here, and let other people interested in self-publishing know about the Carnival—Use the share buttons to Tweet it, Share it on Facebook, Plus-1 it on Google+, Link to it!
The next issue is February 28, 2016 and the deadline for submissions will be February 15, 2016. Don’t miss it!
Here are all the links you’ll need
- Have something to share with our community? Submit your article here
- The original announcement post
- Carnival of the Indies web page
- Bloggers, grab your official Carnival of the Indies Badges here
- Follow Carnival of the Indies on Twitter to get deadline reminders
- Subscribe to The Book Designer Blog
Reviewers Wanted for The Self-Publisher’s Ultimate Resource Guide
We’re still looking for more reviewers. This is your chance. If you’d like to review the new 2016 edition of The Self-Publisher’s Ultimate Resource Guide, we’d love to send you a copy!
Just use the contact form here and follow the instructions. (This link is valid only until February 22, 2016.)
Thanks!
