Ronda J. Del Boccio's Blog: Writing is pure Bliss, page 23
August 28, 2015
Digital Publishing Resource Book Review: Author’s Quick Guide to Making Money with Your 99 Cent Kindle Book by Kristen Eckstein
If you've perused the digital shelves of Amazon Kindle looking for advice on how to earn more as an author, you're not alone. Every author wants to earn more, because the fact of the matter is that royalties are no big whoop, even if you're selling a $20 tome.
"Authors earn more money BECAUSE they're authors than they do from actual book sales."
-- Ronda Del Boccio
I have a couple books at 99c. Perhaps you do too. This little volume by Kristen Eckstein is right in line with what I teach all my mentoring students about earning money from y your books. You have to think outside the cover. So heer's my review of a helpful little book
Author's Quick Guide to Making Money with Your 99-Cent Kindle Book by Kristen Eckstein
99-cent Kindle books seem to be winning the book publishing popularity contest. Every day more of them are released, flooding the market with affordable information. The key with 99-cent Kindle books is to deliver an instant solution to a relevant pain point, and to have a solid back-end in place to make your money elsewhere. This book will show you:
How to get (and keep) happy email subscribers - and build your platform
The truth about using Amazon Advantage affiliate links inside your book
A dozen products and services you can recommend in your e-book - and make money from later
How affiliate marketing works - and when it's a good fit for your book
What exactly to advertise in the back of your book and how to build a system of passive income
Exactly how each sale of one of my 99-cent Kindle books nets me a minimum of $27
And more!Get this Author's Quick Guide today and start earning more profits for each book you sell!
See all our Author's Quick Guide Kindle books at AuthorsQuickGuide.com
Is this a worthy book for authors?Yes.
This quick guide is a crash course in building other income streams around your book. You'll learn about growing an email subscriber list, finding related products on which you can earn money (affiliate products), and how to find sponsors.
Here is part of the Table of Contents for the book:
It's a mini-course in book form. While it is a high level overview, which is what one would expect from a short volume, it may be just what you need if you're beginning your journey of understanding marketing.
The tone is friendly, and Eckstein lays all the concepts out simply. We like simple!
Get your copy of the AQG to Making Money with Your 99-Cent Kindle Book now.
About Kristen Eckstein
It's been proven that entrepreneurs who become published authors get more speaking engagements, are seen as more credible, and can charge more for their services. This is why Kristen Joy has chosen to follow her passion in the world of books and publishing.
Having started over 50 publishing companies and being a self-proclaimed chocoholic, Kristen is The Book Ninja. She's a multi-book best-selling author, award-winning international speaker, regular contributor for leading industry websites like The Future of Ink and IBPA's Independent, founder of the "21 Ways" pocket guidebook series, the Author's Quick Guide series and the exclusive Kindle in 30 Challenge.
She's worked on books authored by celebrities Guy Kawasaki, Dr. Daisy Sutherland, Carrie Wilkerson, and Paul Evans and shared the stage with experts like Kim Garst, Stephanie Frank, and Bob Burg.
Introduced to books as entertainment and education since birth, Kristen read her first Nancy Drew book when she was six years old and began her professional publishing journey in 2003 when she served as Marketing Director for a vanity publishing company with a traditional arm.
In-between worldwide travel to speak at business events about writing, publishing, and book marketing, Kristen helps authorpreneurs reach their dreams and create books that bring them business.
Amazon's Kristen Eckstein Page
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best 
selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
PS Before you go - Join NOW for FREE Tools for Writers!
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7 Ways to Earn Money While Still Writing Your Book" special report and video mini-class
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Invitations to FREE right-to-the-point classes on everything from book marketing to e-publishing to social media for authors.
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August 27, 2015
How to Add a Send to Kindle Button to Your Author Website or Blog
imagine you're putting out great material on your blog and your reader is too busy to digest it all right then. You can add a special button that lets them send it to their Kindle app or reader to read later, even when they're not on the internet.
If you'd like to add a Send to Kindle button to your website/blog, here's how to do it.
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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August 26, 2015
Authors: how’s your linkedIn Profile?
have to admit I'm not a huge LinkedIn user. Oh, I go in every day and RIPL (my "social media quickie" technique for posting quickly to the main networks), but I don't hang out there. I do, however, have a strong profile.
Here are tips for rocking your LinkedIn profile so you can build a strong author platform..
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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August 20, 2015
What Does Grumpy Cat Teach Authors about Book Marketing?
You've probably heard of Grumpy Cat. It all started with some pictures with a few words added. The phenomenon has now grown to merchandise like stuffed toys and bookmarks. Now, there's a movie - Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever.
Watch the video.
Consider what else you can offer BESIDES your book. This will help you with book marketing and beyond.
Classes
CDs
DVDs
Workshops
Related products (equipment, toys, etc.)
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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August 19, 2015
9 Woes of the Writing Life
The writing life is wonderful - and woeful!
Thanks to Leslie Lanfields for this graphic!
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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August 17, 2015
Enter the Hither and Thither Fantasy Writing Contest!
Do you write fantasy stories? Here’s a chance to win prizes for our work!
Hither and THither Fantasy Writing Contest Details
Contest DescriptionHelp us escape reality with your most fantastic fantasy stories yet! Submit accounts of beasts, pixie dust, and witches, or enchant us with spells and poisons. We want to read tales that are so lifelike they make us forget we aren’t surrounded by kingdoms and dragons.
Submit your best original fantasy fiction stories of any length. And, as always, there is no entry fee. The top 10% based on reader votes get the chance to be picked by the Inkitt staff for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize.
Authors will retain all rights to work submitted to the contest.See more
Submissions close on August 10th, but voting will continue for an additional week
Multiple entries are allowed, but each individual participant may win only one prize.
Physical prizes can only be shipped to the United States, Canada, countries in the EU, and Australia/New Zealand. Cash prizes can only be transferred to PayPal supported countries.
There is no age requirement for participation but all stories must be rated appropriately by their authors.
Inkitt staff are not eligible to receive prizes, or be chosen as winners.
Before submitting a story be sure to check our guidelines page to ensure that you comply with all of our publication rules.
Judges
Deadline11:59pm PST on August 17th
Prizes for Winners
1st Place$25 Amazon gift card, Inkitt custom mug, Inkitt custom notebook, custom cover design for the Inkitt story of their choice (created by Inkitt’s designer).
2nd Place$20 Amazon gift card, Inkitt custom mug, Inkitt custom notebook.
3rd PlaceInkitt custom mug, Inkitt custom notebook.
Top 10%
All top 10% contestants receive a badge to their profile!
August 14, 2015
Writing Skills Book Review of Creative Characterization by Jan Morrill
Having taken Jan Morrill's live workshop on creative characterization, I was thrilled when I saw the announcement that she had made a print (and Kindle) workbook to accompany it.
Creative Characterization by Jan Morrill
In Creative Characterization, award-winning author Jan Morrill discusses six different methods she uses to develop characters such as those in her historical fiction, The Red Kimono:
• Interviewing
• Describing Photos and Paintings
• Writing Letters
• Writing in a Different Point of View
• Accessing Character’s Inner Child
• Internalization
The exercises in this workbook will help develop characters, and may even lead to a bit of self-discovery along the way!
Do I find this book helpful for me as a fiction writer?
This book is essentially a workbook to accompany her presentation on the topic, great for back of the room sales. However, it stands alone perfectly well. I used some of the techniques in this workbook during NaNoWriMo 2014 when I wrote the first draft of They All Died Smiling and for other writing projects, both short and long..
The tools in this book work well whether you're writing a short story or a novel, because the help develop insight into the characters.
Here is what floated to the surface when I used a couple sample exercises from the book.
"Write a letter from one character to another."
You'll be amazed what insights arise when you allow your subconscious reveal the depth of your characters. Since there is so much emotional charge between mm heroine Kassidy and her father. I decided to let her write a letter to him. She hasn't seen him in well over a decade.
Background - Kassidy's letter to her estranged Pa
To give a little background, Kassidy is writing the letter to her Pa, who sent her away as a young child, saying he was demon possessed. Yes, lots of pain there..
Randy is her husband who died in the war in Afghanistan. Russ is a friend who becomes a possible love interest in the book.
Randy and I started dating in high school. I think Russ wished I’d have gone out with him. I liked him a lot, but Randy and I were like peas in a pod. He asked me to the school dance. We used to get an ice cream on Saturdays and sit at the picnic bench watching the sun set.
Yeah, we were high school sweethearts. He gave me a promise ring.
It was real cute what happened Before Randy gave me the promise ring, he came over to my house and went to Aunt Beck. He acted all jittery and strange, not at all like his usual self I didn’t know what was up. I wanted to hear, so while he was in the kitchen talking with her, I went around back and held a glass to the back door. Who’s the spy now?
He told her he wanted to give me a promise ring and to make me his wife when we were both old enough. I was so excited and startled I dropped the glass. It broke on the porch, I didn’t want to get caught. No critters to rustle up into making noise. Beck opened the door and I said I had tripped on the steps and dropped my lemonade. Good thing that’s what had been in the glass before I used it for surveillance.
We thought we’d be one of those couples who celebrates 60 or more years and grow old together, but it wasn't to be.
I did not know about the ring until Kassidy wrote that letter to her Pa. As I crafted my first draft and filled in more later, this exercise is one of the reasons I know Kassidy so well. The promise ring story will not be in the book, but it could become a short story or it may appear in a future book in the series.
"Interview Your Character"
Russell is Kassidy's childhood friend. They meet "by chance" in Chicago where he works for the FBI and she as a writer. Here is a portion of the interview.
Here we are in a trendy Chicago coffee shop. Russell orders a double shot espresso and a cronut. He has forsaken his FBI black suit for designer jeans and a sweater suited to the cold November weather, showing off his well-toned physique.Russ always wants to be on the cutting edge, whereas Kassidy cares nothing about being trendy.
"Russ, you look happy here."
"Yes. I've always wanted to live in the city." His boyish smile gives him dimples. He leans back, sips his espresso and looks around the room like king of the castle. "I didn't like living in the middle of nowhere."
"Tell me about Kassidy. You grew up together, didn't you?"
His pulse quickens. "We were neighbors when she and her family moved into town.”
“Did you know her before she move to town?”
“Yes. My mom and her aunt were best friends. Mom took us out to the country, to Beck and Walt’s farm.”
“Did you like Kassidy right away?”
Russ laughs. “Depended on the day. I liked her as well as any boy can like a girl. She was bossy at times, but she had a lot of work to do around the farm, plus she cooked for the family.”
“How did she boss you?”
“That’s probably not fair. She got mad at me for tramping mud into the kitchen, and she kicked me out of there when I knocked apples all over the floor. Can’t really blame her.” He sips his coffee, rests hand on chin. “She worked awfully hard.”
“Did you date her?”
He stares out the window for a moment. “Kinda. Not really. Our group hung out. She dated Randy and they were a thing. He gave her a promise ring when she was a junior and he was a senior in high school. I never really had a chance with her.”
“But you wanted to.”
“Yeah.” He looks at me then away. ”
I didn't know Russ had a crush on her and always wished she had dated him back in high school until this interview.
What I wish were in Creative Characterization
1. Spiral binding.
While this isn't a big deal, it's difficult to write in a book that doesn't lie flat. Morrill includes lines in the book so you can write in it. I would prefer a spiral binding.
For me as a mostly blind person, it's easier to type, but it is true that writing by hand taps a different part of the brain and is better for most people.
I also understand that Morrill used Amazon's CreateSpace to publish, and they do not make spiral binding an option. Lulu does, in case you are seeking a better workbook format.
2. Examples from workshop students
It would also add huge credibility as well as keen interest to include examples from successfully published who used her characterization methods and found it helpful in writing their books. I know that many authors, including myself, have benefited from these exercises.
What I Love about Creative Characterization
1. Short and sweet
I appreciate that this book gets right to the point without fluff.
2. Brief examples of the exercises from Morrill
it's useful as well as interesting to read the revelations from Morrill herself using the activities to help her write The Red Kimono. She also gives links to see the full versions of these excerpts on her blog.
3. Simple, clear instructions.
You won't read the instructions and ask yourself what you're really supposed to do.
4. Simple yet powerful exercises.
Don't let the evident simplicity of the exercises fool you. Doing them will provide a wealth of information you provably never knew about your characters.
The more you know about the characters in your book, the better you can write them. Dialogue will probably come more easily as well.
I gave Creative Characterization a 5 star review on Amazon. Read it here.
Get your copy of Creative Characterization.
I read and reviewed her bookThe Red Kimono. Read it h.
About Jan Morrill
Jan Morrill's debut novel, THE RED KIMONO, was released by the University of Arkansas Press in February, 2013.
Jan was born and (mostly) raised in California. Her mother, a Buddhist Japanese American, was an internee during World War II. Her father, a Southern Baptist redhead of Irish descent, retired from the Air Force. The Red Kimono, as well as many of her short stories, reflects memories of growing up in a multicultural, multi-religious, multi-political environment.
Her award-winning short stories and memoir essays have been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul books and several anthologies. An artist as well as a writer, she is currently working on the sequel to The Red Kimono.
For more information, visit her website at .janmorrill.com or her blogs www.TheRedKimono.com or HaikubyHaiku.wordpress.com.
Connect with Jan Morrill
The Red Kimono Blog
Amazon author page
Website
blog
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Read More Book Reviews by Ronda Del Boccio
Looking for more book reviews? I share insights on books in most genres. See them all in the Book Review Category
About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
PS Before you go - Join NOW for FREE Tools for Writers!
What you get: The Author Profit Pack and MORE, including...
7 Ways to Earn Money While Still Writing Your Book" special report and video mini-class
7 Ways to Make Your Book Irresistible" special report and video mini-cl
Invitations to FREE right-to-the-point classes on everything from book marketing to e-publishing to social media for authors.
Free weekly author success top delivered to your inbox
and more!
August 13, 2015
Authors: How to Invite People to a Facebook Event
Facebook is a HUGE part of social media for authors. No matter what kind of event you're doing, you can set up a Facebook event and invite your friends and contacts.
Speaking
Reading from your book
Book signing live in person,
Book launch party
Webinar
Teleseminar
Virtual book tour
You want to do this from your FACEBOOK PAGE, not your profile.
A PAGE is for businesses, authors, etc. It says "Like" or "Liked" when you're on someone' else's
A profile is the personal presence EVERYONE on Facebook has. It's where you go when you login. It says "Add friend" or "friends" when you're on someone' else's
When you host an event,
go to your author PAGE,
click events, and click ADd Event,
complete the information,
then invite guests.
This short video shows you how to invite friends to a Facebook event. Watch the video.
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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August 12, 2015
7 Simple Writing Hacks to Improve Your Skills
I came across this excellent, to-the-point article by Michael Hyatt in which he shared some simple ways to improve your writing skills. As a veteran writer, I can tell you that he is right.
Here are a couple of his tips. You can see original article source for the rest.
Here are seven quick “tricks” that can improve the very next piece you write.
Know your reader.
This means more than knowing a few demographics (how old they are, their average income, etc.). To know your readers means you understand their fears, frustrations, and aspirations. Writing from the reader’s perspective will dramatically change the way you write.
Know your objective.
Every piece you write (blog post, press release, video script, or anything else) must have only one objective. I call this objective the Most Wanted Result, or “MWR.” Knowing your MWR forces you to write with crystal-clear focus.
Use short words.
To persuade, you must be easy to understand. Using short words is one of the best ways to do this. Don’t show off how many big words you know.
Thanks, Michael! People are busy. They don't want to be hit with grandiose words and mounds of pointless verbosity.
Michael Hyatt is author of the New York Times bestseller, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. It is also a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon bestseller.
Want more help along your author journey? Get a free weekly tip plus a mini-class to help you write an irresistible book! The mini-course and special report teach you 7 elements of an irresistible and PROFITABLE book, delivered quickly and simply so you can have a great result..
Jump over to WriteOnPurpose.com/free right now and get started.
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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August 6, 2015
How to Add Playlists to Your YouTube Profile: Video Tutorial
How you show up in social media is a huge part of your author profile. And while some networks have no organization (Twitter and Facebook, for example), YouTube allows you to organize the videos you upload and/or those you want to systematically share into playlists.
See how I do it on my profile - and be sure to subscribe while you're there! View & Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Now.
You'll observe I have playlists for things like Amazon Help for Authors, Book Marketing and more. You can do the same thing for your audience, choosing categories (playlist names) that tell your reader/viewer what to expect.
Here's how. Watch the video tutorial.
The more robust your YouTube channel is, the more helpful it will be to you in building your author platform!
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About Ronda Del Boccio
Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning and best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction. She tells transformational tales and helps visionary authors turn their dreams and imaginings into published books. See and order Ronda's books on Amazon.
Join Ronda's readers for free stories, sneak peeks at her next books and more at WriteOnPUrpose.com/read
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Writing is pure Bliss
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