Jane Friedman's Blog: Jane Friedman, page 220

3 Barriers You Must Eliminate to Maximize E-Book Sales

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You have to be where the people are: That's the first lesson I learned from releasing
my e-book.



To be sure, it's something I already knew—but the friction of any purchase is made
VERY obvious when readers encounter the following barriers.



3 Barriers You Must Eliminate to Maximize E-Book Sales




An unfamiliar site or retailer. This is especially true for sites where readers
have to create a new account. Readers will abandon the process if they feel irritated,
even if they really want to buy your book. Test the purchase process as a new customer
to see how easy it is to buy.



An unfamiliar format. Especially for e-books, there are a LOT of different
formats, and readers are inevitably confused about what formats are available, what
a particular format can do, why a particular format is best, and if that format will
work on the platform they need it to. (E.g., many people may not realize that a PDF
can be viewed on a Kindle, and may not know how to load a PDF on a Kindle.) You must
offer straightforward and comprehensive explanations of your book's format availability—and
what each format is appropriate for—whenever marketing your book.



Loyalty to a particular retailer, device, or format. If someone is already
invested in buying books for their Nook or Kindle or Sony reader, it's extremely unlikely
they will buy an e-book for a different device or from a different store. As a Kindle
user, this is indeed a big factor for me. If an e-book isn't available for Kindle,
I'm probably not buying it. I do make an exception for PDF documents, since I can
read those on my mobile device/laptop—or I can print them out.

Right now, Amazon Kindle accounts for at least 50% of e-book sales in the United States,
sometimes as much as 70%+ depending on the genre/category. Nook's (Barnes & Noble's)
percentage of the market is increasing considerably, and the other players share the
rest of the pie (e.g., Sony, Kobo, Apple, Google eBookstore).



My recommendation? Try to distribute your work across every possible device and format,
if it makes sense for your work. Start with Kindle,
then possibly use a multi-channel distributor such as Smashwords, FastPencil,
or BookBaby to get your work on other platforms
efficiently.



Photo credit:
hmobius


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Future of Publishing Round Up

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Okay, this is the last dedicated round-up (at least for a while) on the future of
publishing!



My
interview with Writer Unboxed on the future of publishing




My
interview with The Writer Mama on the future of publishing




Virtual
Davis summarizes Web response to my thoughts on the future of publishing




My
free e-newsletter covering the top 3 sources on the future of publishing


My e-book imagines 14 different futures of publishing. You
can read variations #1 and #3 for free here.




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Best Tweets for Writers (week ending 4/1/11)

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I watch Twitter, so you don't have to. Visit each Sunday for the week's best Tweets.
If I missed a great Tweet, leave it in the comments.



First, check out these live, online classes from Writer's Digest:

5
Essential Components of a Strong Author Website — presented by yours truly,
on April 7.

Best of the Best

How to Use Kickstarter to Fund a Self-Published
Book


@NathanBransford



Kurt Vonnegut story grids show how successful plots (from
Cinderella to disaster stories) work

@GalleyCat



More Eisler vs. Hocking. Lee Goldberg concludes: "There
isn't just one approach to publishing any more."


@glecharles

Craft + Technique

What one
writer has learned from judging writing contests


@elizabethscraig

Publishing News + Trends

Amanda
Hocking explains the reasoning behind her publishing deal


@teleread



How publishers can and must add value in digital era from
@TheFutureBook


@twliterary



Smart commentary from @MarionManeker on challenges
of e-publishing


@twliterary

Marketing + Promotion

When
Content Is Everywhere, Marketing Is Queen


@glecharles



The Anatomy of a Successful Ebook Giveaway


@BubbleCow

Blogs + Social Media

How
authors can make money from their web presence


@NathanBransford



The Unsexy Truth about Finding Traffic for Your Blog


@copyblogger

Self-Publishing + E-Publishing

"No writer wants to hear that success could
take 12 years. But sometimes, that's how long it takes to get lucky."


@DanBlank



Does Your Ebook Need Its Own ISBN?


@KimsCraftBlog



Paying For Self-Publishing Help


@deanwesleysmith



Why your self-publishing service probably didn't
cheat you


@victoriastrauss




Top 8 Cover Design Tips for DIY Self-Publishers


@JFbookman



Great blogs for self-publishers


@JFbookman

Writing Life

Why Pen Names Suck & Can Make Us Crazy


@KristenLambTX

Celebrating Enigma (My First E-Book): A Round-Up

Tomorrow, everyone will be asking, "What's
your favorite variation?"


@JaneFriedman



Jane Friedman fans, are you sleeping? You could be
reading & laughing along w/Jane's Enigma Variations on the Future of Publishing


@thewritermama



"Paper books will become talismans, souvenirs, collectors'
items for paper sniffers" says Jane Friedman


@40kbooks



"The omnipresent Google, the omnipotent Amazon, and omnificent
Apple" = GAA(d) in future publishing.


@Porter_Anderson



Needless to say, @janefriedman is one of my heroes. love
this. Enigma


@booksquare



If you're a Writer or seriously ensconced in publishing, its ESSENTIAL that U follow
this lady --> @JaneFriedman **ALSO GET HER NEW BOOK!


@KolaBoof

Looking for more?




Want to know about the best stuff I read each week?


Click here to subscribe
to my shared items.




Get Best Tweets for
Writers — Daily!

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The Future of Publishing: Enigma Variations

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Today marks the long-anticipated release of The
Future of Publishing: Enigma Variations!




It
is now available as an e-book (PDF only) for $1.99. It's packed with 39 pages
of juicy predictions.



To get a taste of what's in store, read
this Q&A I did with Christina Katz on the future of publishing.






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70% of Books Used to Fend Off Zombies

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My predictions in The
Future of Publishing (which releases today!) leave no stone unturned. For
example, here is a graph illustrating what people of the future do with their old
books:






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Would you like more predictions? Check
out the 39-page book, just $1.99.




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The Future of Publishing: Enigma Variations

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Today marks the long-anticipated release of The
Future of Publishing: Enigma Variations!




It
is now available as an e-book (PDF only) for $1.99. It's packed with 39 pages
of juicy predictions.



To get a taste of what's in store, read
this Q&A I did with Christina Katz on the future of publishing.

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Can the Short Story Survive?

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Matt Lapata wrestles with declining readership of the short story, and what can be
done to keep the genre vibrant, in the latest
Glimmer Train Bulletin. Here's a little bit of what he had to say:

If the [short story] is to survive (and I don't
have space to say why I think it'll survive—suffice it to say I'm writing them), then
it has to throw itself into the ring with these [other competitors] and find out where
it fits. We should address the more difficult and more useful question: What, after
all this time, can short stories do or be that comics, TV, and video games can't?
We writers need to answer this question. We need to redefine our narrative niche.

Go read the full
piece, or view
the entire Glimmer Train Bulletin.

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How to Get Reviews for Self-Published Books

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Today's guest post is by Joel Friedlander, one of the most informative people I
know on the topic of self-publishing. Go visit
his blog, or follow him on Twitter.





--



It's never been a better time to be a self-published author, and there have never
been more book reviewers available to the writer who decides to go indie.



Book reviewers help spread the message about your book by publishing a review to their
own network. But if you're new to publishing, you have to figure out how to get those
book reviews that can bring you more readers.



First, Get Your Kit Together


Before you go hunting for reviewers, make sure you've got the essentials you'll
need. At the minimum you should have:



Complete PDF of your book. Either include the covers if you can, or have the cover
available as a JPG



Print copies and mailing supplies. If you're publishing via print on demand, order
in enough books to respond to reviewer requests.



Press release about the launch of your book. Try to make it sound like a story you
would read in the newspaper.



Cover letter. This should be a brief introduction to you and your book, but keep it
short.



Photos of the book and author. You'll need high- and low-resolution images if you're
approaching both print and online reviewers.



Author bio. This is a good place to show your qualifications, particularly if you're
a nonfiction author.



How to Find Reviewers


There are literally thousands of book bloggers online, and most of them review books
even though they aren't paid. Nevertheless, many are thoughtful reviewers and good
writers, and have a significant following.



There are also reviewers offering paid reviews. I avoid these, since there isn't any
good reason to pay for a review that I can think of. Some review services offer free
reviews and another level of service if you pay. My opinion is that there are better
ways to spend your money, and plenty of free reviewers, so at least when you start,
explore those first.



Here are some places to look for reviews:



One of the best new references to find reviewers online is the
list put together by indie author Christy Pinheiro of Step-by-Step Self-Publishing.




Midwest Book Review welcomes
self-published books, and their website is a wealth of information on reviews.



Indie Reader, a new website, invites
authors to submit their books for review, and they have published over 150 reviews
on their site already.



Self-Publishing Review allows reviewers
to post book reviews, and members (just an opt-in) can post to the site.




Some of the online writer's forums and community sites are great places to look for
reviewers. Absolute Write is a favorite,
but don't overlook newer communities like the forums at Nathan
Bransford's site.



Book Blogs, a site for book bloggers, has
over 1,500 bloggers who say they review books. It's a good place to explore.



For print reviewers, consider
the programs run by the Independent Book Publishers Association. These mailings
of books for review go to over 3,000 newspaper and magazine editors and reviewers.



5 Key Tips for Getting Book Reviews


So you've got your materials together, you've got access to lots of reviewers, you're
ready to go. Here are my 5 best tips for getting book reviews:



Pick the right reviewers. This is the single most important thing you can do
to help your review program. Find out what kind of books the reviewer likes to review,
and only select appropriate reviewers.

Query the reviewers. Check each reviewer's requirements. Some want you to just
send the book, but many ask for a query. Some review e-books, many do not. Conforming
to their requirements saves both of you time.

Send the book. In your query make sure to offer both versions of the book,
the PDF and the print copy, or both.

Follow up. Don't stalk or harass the reviewer, who is probably doing this in
her spare time. But if you haven't heard anything after a few weeks, follow up to
see if they still intend to write the review.

Thank the reviewer. It's common courtesy, but it also shows you appreciate
the time and effort someone else took to help bring your book to the attention of
more people.

Book reviews can be very effective in spreading the word about a good book. Nothing
sells books as well as word of mouth, and you can get people talking about your book
if you can bring it to their notice. Book reviews will do that for you.




Additional Resources




Dan Poynter: advice for organizing your review
mailings




Bards and Sages page on Book
Reviews with sample letters







A
useful article with lots of links by self-published author C. Patrick Schultze



Example of a book blogger reviewer






--



Joel Friedlander is the proprietor of Marin Bookworks in San Rafael, California,
a publishing services company where he's helped launch many self-publishers. He blogs
about book design, writing and self-publishing at www.TheBookDesigner.com.
Joel is also the author of the newly-published A
Self-Publisher's Companion: Expert Advice for Authors Who Want to Publish.




--



Do you know of other resources for finding book reviewers? Any tips to share? Please
share in the comments!




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How to Start a Professional Newsletter for Free

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Last year, I talked about why authors need to start
building an e-mail list … NOW.




Even though it may sound antiquated in light of other tools available, e-mail is still
one of the most effective ways to reach and engage with readers. (One exception: It's
not so great at reaching teens, college students, and young adults.)



Most writers and authors, aren't familiar with the tools and skills needed to get
started in e-mail marketing. Fortunately, there are a range of services that can help
you through the process.



My favorite is MailChimp. (No, they're not paying
me to recommend them; I really just love the service!) Here's why it's awesome.






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You can sign up for a free account to get started—if
your list isn't greater than 2,000 names. No trials, no contracts, no expiration!
Chances are, if you're new to newsletters, you don't have that many names yet, so
this is a wonderful deal.





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A wonderful and easy-to-browse design/template library. Some
services make the design/assembly process more difficult (and more code-heavy) that
it ought to be. MailChimp is perfect for those who are neither designers nor coders.
Their templates/designs are easy to edit and make you look good without trying. If
you pay extra, you can get access to "designer" templates. They also offer a "design
genius" to help match your newsletter design to your site or business design.





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Plenty of analytics and list analysis tools—to
help you understand what your readers respond to. You may not like the sound of list
analysis, but MailChimp delivers the information in a way that makes it easy to understand
and derive meaning from. Their goal is to make you successful—so that you'll use their
service more, send more newsletters, and of course end up paying fees once your list
becomes ginormous!



Whatever fees you might end up paying, in the long run, are almost always worth the
expense.





But use your list wisely. Decide what value you're providing with every
send. Don't spam, and don't take your subscribers for granted. They are giving you
their most precious thing: their time and attention.



For more information:




Click here to check out MailChimp for yourself.




Click
here to read my reasons for authors to use e-mail lists.




For advanced instruction in e-mail newsletters, read
this excellent post on e-mail marketing.



Click here to sign up for my newsletter, "3
Happy Things," which has about 1,000 subscribers, as of today.



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10 Steps to Secure Your WordPress Blog From Hackers

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Today's guest post is from Triona Guidry, a computer consultant and freelance writer
in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Her
blog offers tech support for Windows and Mac, security alerts, and advice on blogs
and social media.







--



Writers depend on blogs to promote their work, interact with readers, and attract
the attention of agents and publishers. But what if you discover that all your links
have been changed to porn sites, or that your readers are being spammed?




You need to know how to protect your blog, and what to do if it's hacked.




The following advice is geared toward those running their own installations of WordPress,
but also applies to those hosting their blogs with WordPress, Blogger,
or other services.




The main idea behind computer security is to avoid being the "low-hanging fruit," meaning
that hackers are deterred and move on to easier targets.

1. Use strong, unique passwords, for your blog plus your other accounts.


You may groan at the idea of different passwords for every site, but ask yourself
whether you would rather remember passwords or deal with the aftermath of being hacked.
Passwords should be eight characters or more and contain a mix of letters, numbers,
and symbols. Try mnemonics like substituting symbols for letters in words, or use
a password generator. But please don't rotate between the same two or three passwords,
and don't use common words with exclamation points at the end.




2. Post as "editor" instead of "administrator."


Editor accounts can create, modify, and edit posts, but can't make changes to WordPress
itself. Create a new administrator account and disable access to the default one to
make it harder for hackers to infiltrate.




3. Keep WordPress up to date.


There will be a reminder on your Dashboard if there is a new version available. Don't
forget to update your plug-ins also.




4. If applicable to you: Keep your server's system software updated with the latest
bug fixes and patches, and don't run beta software.


If you want to test something, create a server you can use for experimentation. Old
computers are great for this purpose.




5. Use the WordPress Exploit Scanner Plug-In.


It's a good idea to
run this utility on a regular basis.




6. Never access WordPress from public wireless networks.


Hackers and their automated password-harvesting software often lurk there.


The same advice goes for e-mail, Facebook, and especially your financial accounts.




7. Keep the computers on your network free of viruses.


The easiest way to do this is to follow my four steps to computer security: a security
software suite, a firewall, strong unique passwords, and a method for updating of
your software including your applications (Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader, Flash,
etc) and your operating system (Windows or Mac).




If you are using free antivirus, consider a paid version. I used to recommend the
freebies, but I've seen so many infections in my consulting business that I decided
they don't offer adequate protection anymore.




8. Make backups of your
blog.


There are a number of WordPress plug-ins that compress your blog files into an archive
which can be stored on your local computer.




9. Monitor your server's logs.


If someone is trying to get in, you may find the first evidence here.




10. Moderate comments, and never approve spam comments.


To tell if a comment is spam, look for poor grammar and punctuation, web sites that
don't match e-mail addresses, foreign languages, lengthy lists of links, and comments
on ancient posts. When in doubt, don't approve.

What if your blog has been hacked?


First, how do you know if your blog has been hacked? Usually your links have been
changed or posts appear you didn't create, that's a good indication. But there may
not be any visible signs, which is why monitoring is so important.




If you discover you've been hacked, here's how to rescue your blog:




Change all passwords immediately, for WordPress and for the server itself. This won't
get rid of any bad links or back doors, but it will give you time. You should also
change your password for your e-mail account if someone has attempted to use the "reset
password" page to commandeer your account.



Next, change your secret keys. Otherwise the hackers will be able to stay logged in
even if you change your passwords, because their cookies will still be valid. You
can find out how to do this in the WordPress Codex FAQ on what to do if you've been
hacked.






Scan your computer for viruses and malware. There's no point in using a contaminated
computer to fix a contaminated server.






If your WordPress server is hosted elsewhere, contact your provider. Other blogs on
the same server may have been affected, and your provider can offer information and
assistance.




While it's possible to clean up WordPress after it's been hijacked, it's safer and
easier to wipe WordPress, reinstall it, then restore your blog from backup. If you
choose not to do this, you need to check anywhere hackers could have installed back
doors: in your .htaccess file, in your PHP scripts, and so forth. Again, the WordPress
Codex has advice on what to do. Be sure to download clean versions of your theme and
plug-ins. When WordPress is clean, change your passwords again. Finally, make another
backup of the cleaned blog and monitor your logs to look for further hijack attempts.




If you make blog security part of your routine, like checking your email, you can
dismiss your worries and get back to your writing.




Additional Resources




Hardening WordPress from
the WordPress Codex


WordPress Codex: Security FAQ 


Triona's
Tech Tips: How To Create Secure Passwords






--



Many thanks to Triona for this excellent advice on site security. Be
sure to visit her blog.




If you're thinking of starting your own website, or would like information on how
to improve your site/blog—from a content perspective, not a technical/security perspective—you'll
want to check out the class that I am offering on April 7. Registration
will soon appear here.


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