Tag: books

A Bad Review Can Be Your GOLD

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[found on blog.bookbaby.com]

“A Bad Review Can Be a Learning Experience

Writing a book is a very emotional experience.  A bad review can feel like a personal attack, making you experience anger, hurt or both.  Take a moment (or several days) to work through those feelings.  When you can breathe again, move on.

Resist the urge to casually dismiss a bad review.  Ignoring those hurtful comments might be the best solution for your mindset; however, forgetting what your critics said could seriously hinder your writing.

As you were writing your book, you probably developed a sort of tunnel vision.  Now that the writing process is over, you must remove the blinders.  Find a way to look at the piece objectively and you can turn the bad review into a learning experience.

Sift through all the “I hate this book,” sentiments.  Find the real substance of the review – characters are flat, grammar and punctuation wasn’t perfect.  Take these tips to heart the next time you pick up your pen.  Look for ways to improve your writing.

A Bad Review Can Boost Book Awareness

You’ve heard of the book Fifty Shades of Grey, right?  Why has that particular literary piece drawn your attention?  Because of all the controversy!  People are reading the book just to see what the fuss is about.  Let me tell you, this is the ultimate example of a bad review doing good things for a book.

If you were to go to Amazon right now, you would see Fifty Shades of Grey has received 15,987 reviews.  Of those, nearly 30% are one star reviews!  And guess what, nearly half are 3 stars or less!”

For more tips on writing from BookBaby click HERE.

[found on http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/01/you-can-benefit-from-a-negative-book-review]

Are You A Writer? Or Are You A Writer?

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[found on businessbuildingbooks.com; by  Lynne Klippel]

“Personally, I love hobbies. In my former profession as an Occupational Therapist, I taught people how important it was to have hobbies that bring them joy, reduce stress, and add meaning to life.

If you write simply for the pleasure of creating art with your words, I salute you. Writing is a hobby that you can enjoy for the rest of your life.

However, if you want to write a book and use it to help others while making an income, you are an entrepreneurial author. As an entrepreneurial author, you need more information and support than the hobbyist writer.

You need a solid plan to write, market, and use your book to build your business. In short, you need a way to create a great book and a great income so that the time and effort you invest in your book pays off.”

To read more from Lynne Klippel on writing helps, click HERE.

[found on http://businessbuildingbooks.com/your-book-just-hobby]

Audiobooks, Your Friend

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[found on thecreativepenn.com; by  JOANNA PENN]

“Your book is not just a physical book or an ebook. There are plenty of other subsidiary rights that you can exploit and audiobooks are high on the list because of the rise in popularity of listening during commutes or workouts, and the increased penetration of smartphones. In today’s interview, we explore how you can get into this market.”

To read the info from Joanna Penn on creating your own audiobook, and listen to the podcast, click HERE.

[found on http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/03/06/audiobook]

Write A Personal Bio

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[found on blog.brandyourself.com; by ]

“1. Make three versions: short, medium and long. 

Most of the time, someone else will dictate the length of your bio. They will likely tell you how many words you can use to ensure that yours is the same length as other bios. Because of this, one bio will not do. You need three bios:

    • One sentence bio
    • 100 word bio
    • 250 word bio

Each bio has its place. You will save you time and energy when the time comes time to post it, and establish consistency between every professional bio about you that is published.

2. Introduce yourself as if you’re meeting a stranger.

Lead in with your name. People need to know who you are before they hear what you’re all about.

3. Immediately state what you do.

If you are “Portrait Photographer,” don’t wait until the last moment to say it. Your most important details should go in the first sentence. Remember: people on the web rarely read more than the first and last sentence.

4. Touch upon your most important accomplishments.

Don’t list them, and make sure they fit. A bio is not a resume; it is simply a quick summary of who you are. If you have space, mention them. If not, ignore them.”

To see the rest of the ideas on writing a personal bio, click here.

[found on http://blog.brandyourself.com/how-tos/8-tips-on-how-to-write-a-personal-biography]

How To Write A Travel Guide

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[found on writersworkshop.co.uk; by Robin Lloyd-Jones]
  • Do your research – pre-travel research enriches the whole experience; post-travel research adds depth and accuracy to what you write. While travelling keep notes or you will forget; and take photographs to illustrate your words.
  • Be curious – about everything and everybody. What makes many travel books enjoyable is the people encountered along the way. Talk to everyone and never stop asking questions. Listen with a sympathetic ear. Look behind the glossy façade, delve beneath the surface.
  • Have a sense of wonder – Colours seemed so much brighter when we were children. Try to see the world with that same freshness of vision.
  • Use all your senses – sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Develop a feeling for the culture and history of a place. And a sense of humour allied to keen observation can make the most ordinary of experiences entertaining.
  • Don’t neglect your inner journey – Many of the most successful travel books are as much about the emotional journey the author makes as they are about the physical journey. The resolution of a personal issue or a change in attitude adds interest and brings the reader closer to the author.
  • Write with passion – To fully engage the reader (or indeed, a literary agent) your book must have something in it that you care about strongly –  an issue, a cause, the pursuit of a lifelong ambition. Without this your writing is in danger of seeming flat.
  • Be an open door, be receptive –  Travel with open eyes, ears, mind and heart.

For more tips on writing from Robin Lloyd-Jones, click here.

[found on http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/Travel.html]