SACHA BLACK

publishing

Do you want to learn how to advertise your books?

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Advertising your book feels like the ugly elephant in the corner of the I-just-typed-THE-END-room. You’ve managed to get your book cover design, you’ve had the book formatted and your proof copies have arrived.

Now what?

Previously you might have organised a blog tour, thrown up some tweets, a Facebook page post, maybe scheduled a couple more tweets, told your friends and then…? Well, back then, maybe your got sales. Today? I doubt it.

With the rise of the ‘pay to play’ market, getting serious levels of organic traffic to your book sales pages is next to impossible UNLESS you join in and pay to advertise. [Read more…] about Do you want to learn how to advertise your books?

Book hooks and blurbs – Can you catch a reader? #Mondayblogs

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As an indie author there are many aspects to publishing that are important, hell, all of them are, you’re in charge afterall. But for selling purposes, your cover and book hook are THE most important.

You slave over a book for weeks, months… possibly even years. Sweat, blood, tears and probably a number of other bodily fluids go into the masterpiece that is your glorious book-baby.

But then what?

You wrap it in a shiny cover, then throw it lovingly onto a number of retailers websites and wait…

and wait…

and wait some more.

There’s a problem. No one’s buying your book.

There are a thousand reasons why someone might not buy your book, but two you can do something about quickly. [Read more…] about Book hooks and blurbs – Can you catch a reader? #Mondayblogs

10 Steps To Hero: How To Craft A Kickass Protagonist OUT NOW

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Most people think their hero is the most important character in their book. I argue it’s the villain. After all, the villain is – for the most part – the source of conflict in your story. And without conflict you don’t have a story. Conflict is your hero’s catalyst for change, which means it’s quite literally the holy grail of story telling.

So your villain is important. But surely your heroes are too?

Yes. Yes, they are.

Your hero is the lens through which your reader experiences your story. Without your hero there is no narrator, no filter for which the story can be told. It would be like going to the movies and wearing headphones and a blindfold.

That’s why I wrote 10 Steps To Hero: How To Craft A Kickass Protagonist.

And guess what?

It’s out today.

Grab my copy of 10 Steps To Hero

Want to know more? Read on… [Read more…] about 10 Steps To Hero: How To Craft A Kickass Protagonist OUT NOW

The Burnout Bitch: writers beware

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Here’s the thing. Burnout is inefficient. And there’s literally nothing I hate more than inefficiency. It’s my archnemesis. It slows me down, makes me angry and ragey, and mildly violent… (toward my keyboard)1

But worse, if you’re anything like me, you’re completely incapable of realizing you’re tired, let alone reaching the brink of total burnout. I’m blind to burnout. It’s like fighting a custom built invisible demon while blindfolded and strapped into a straight jacket. Suffice to say, I’ve probably gone through at least six months of piss poor writing performance, chronic exhaustion, a terrible mindset and insomnia. Because I know what’s useful when you’re tired, NOT SLEEPING.

Okay, I’ll wind my neck in because I like to be a sparkling ray of positivity here.

LIES.

We all know I’m a scathingly cynical, intensely sarcastic rage-beast from the depths of your nightmares.  But that slight tangent aside, I do like to be helpful.

So here’s me being helpful:

[Read more…] about The Burnout Bitch: writers beware

Victor Launch Day – Plus a dose of Second Book Syndrome

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Once you’ve written a book, it’s easy to assume you can do it again. Surely you just sit your ass down, pound out some words, and hey presto, another shiny book-baby.

Not so much people, not so much.

I’ve written more than one book, but Victor was my second fiction book. That seemed to make a difference. [Read more…] about Victor Launch Day – Plus a dose of Second Book Syndrome

Learn How To Market Your Books #MondayBlogs #amwriting

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I get asked a lot of marketing and publishing questions. Most are easy to answer. But a teeny tiny nanosqueak percentage of them make my eye twitch. The ‘answer on a plate’ types who think there’s a magical panacea-button that will shower them in glittery dollar bills from their millionth book sale.

Anyway. I’m leashing my rant because contrary to excessive sarcasm and perpetual moaning, there is nothing I love more than helping people, especially if that help leads to selling or publishing books. And you know what helps you sell books?

Forehead creasing, caffeine addictions, midnight dates, multiple RSI cures and a laptop for a BFF.

Okay, fine. There are a few other things that rise out of the sweaty exhausted writer ashes to help bring in the dollars: [Read more…] about Learn How To Market Your Books #MondayBlogs #amwriting