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Kobo for Indie Authors Part One: What is Kobo Anyway

Kobo for Indie Authors Part One: What is Kobo Anyway

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With KU raising prices and lowering author royalties, many indie authors and supporters of indie books are considering leaving the program. I mentioned on Twitter that this is a great moment for indie authors (and the folks who want to support us) to switch to Kobo and its subscription program, Kobo+, and was met with a question that honestly surprised me: what is Kobo? So I decided to write an article explaining what Kobo is, how it works, and how you can be part of it. And I asked my Twitter followers for their questions, which led to people asking so many questions that I realized I need to write a series on this subject. In this first article, we'll explore: What is Kobo? My experience with Kobo Kobo FAQ…
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Tools for Writers: Atticus Review

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This article is the first in a series of articles reviewing publishing and marketing tools for authors, featuring a mix of reviews from staff and guest posts. Today's article is a guest post from Blair Cousins. If you have a product you want to review on Business for Authors, email diannalgunn@gmail.com for guest article guidelines. Atticus homepage As an indie author, there is no shortage of tasks that must be done. Whether it’s drafting the next novel or gathering invoices for taxes, you really are an army of one. That’s why I was excited to hear about the release of the new book formatting software, Atticus. Advertised as a mash-up of Scrivener, Google Docs, and Vellum, I was curious to try it. Especially if it works as well as I’ve…
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LIMITED TIME OFFER: Fast Track Your Writer Education with the Write Publish Profit 5.0 Super Stack

LIMITED TIME OFFER: Fast Track Your Writer Education with the Write Publish Profit 5.0 Super Stack

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Write Publish Profit 5.0 collage of products available in the bundle There are a lot of things you need to learn to become an author. You need how to choose a story idea strong enough to form the basis of a novel, create compelling characters, use story structure to facilitate good pacing, edit your own work, and so much more. If you're planning to self-publish, you need to learn even more: formatting, marketing, and the ins and outs of running a business. Luckily, Infostack is here to help with the Write Publish Profit 5.0 Super Stack. I'm excited to share this great deal (so great I'll be grabbing it too!) and answer some key questions: What is Infostack?What is Write Publish Profit 5.0?Who can benefit from Write Publish Profit 5.0?How…
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Harnessing The Elements: the Potential of Elemental Magic Systems

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Harnessing The Elements: the Potential of Elemental Magic Systems - June 4, 2022 at 5:30 - 6:30PM EST The archetypal and primal resonance of elemental magic systems make them a staple trope in fantasy magic systems — but how can we uniquely adapt this classic magical expression to simultaneously build up characters and the secondary world? On this panel, we’ll explore techniques and modifications that can be used to refine the classic elemental magic system and provide more in-depth worldbuilding and story development. Learn how to enrich your reader’s experience by providing a fresh take on a much-loved convention in your own fantasy writing! This panel is part of Storycrafting Sessions: Fantasy, a 100% FREE virtual conference happening on June 4th! Sign up for this panel or look at the…
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They Call Me… Tim!: Passive Worldbuilding with Names, Epistolary, and Food

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They Call Me… Tim!: Passive Worldbuilding with Names, Epistolary, and Food - June 4, 2022 at 4 - 5PM EST Framing devices like epistolary and footnoting can be powerful tools for enriching your story and your world. Naming schemes, epistolary, and food are a few simple but powerful tools to more smoothly integrate your secondary worldbuilding. This panel will discuss how and why you might want to use or expand on these passive worldbuilding aspects to avoid info-dumps, provide cultural and character signals to readers without using dialogue, and enrich your fantasy world! This panel is part of Storycrafting Sessions: Fantasy, a 100% FREE virtual conference happening on June 4th! Sign up for this panel or look at the full event schedule! The Moderator Dan Fitzgerald Dan Fitzgerald is a…
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Beyond Elves and Dwarves: Creating Unique Fantasy Species

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Beyond Elves and Dwarves: Creating Unique Fantasy Species - June 4, 2022 at 2:30-3:30pm EST Fantasy has endless possibilities, but many fantasy worlds seem stuck on the same handful of species: elves, dwarves, maybe a goblin or an orc. This panel will encourage you to go beyond these fantasy staples by looking at under-utilized mythological species and how to create whole new species of your own to populate your fantasy worlds! This panel is part of Storycrafting Sessions: Fantasy, a 100% FREE virtual conference happening on Jun 4th! Sign up for this panel or look at the full event schedule! The Moderator Dianna Gunn Dianna Gunn is a freelance writer by day and a fantasy author by night. Her sword and sorcery novel, Moonshadow’s Guardian, was released in November 2018.  When she’s…
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What I Learned – and What I Regret – About Launching My First Book on Kickstarter

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Kickstarter for authors Earlier this year, Brandon Sanderson ran a Kickstarter to publish four novels he wrote during the pandemic and earned a whopping $41.7 million. This wasn’t the first Kickstarter run by an author or even by Sanderson himself, but the size of this campaign brought it into the public eye and got everyone talking about the potential of Kickstarter for authors. After much debate, I thought I would share my own experience funding my book on Kickstarter: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've broken the story down into five parts: My KickstarterWhere things went wrongWhat I learned from the KickstarterWould I run a Kickstarter again?My advice to other authors considering Kickstarter This story will help you understand what Kickstarter is like for new authors and, I…
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Urban Fantasy: Layering Another World Over Our Own

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Urban Fantasy: Layering Another World Over Our Own - June 4, 2022 at 12:30 - 1:30PM EST While the medival period tends to inspire the bulk of older fantasy stories, the genre has expanded to include the unique terrains and challenges facing city-dwelling protagonists. Urban fantasy writers face the challenge of balancing the fantastical and realistic elements of their stories in a way that highlights meaningful themes and situations. This panel will explore how to layer your character development and focus your worldbuilding to reach Urban Fantasy readers! This panel is part of Storycrafting Sessions: Fantasy, a 100% FREE virtual conference happening on June 4th! Sign up for this panel or look at the full event schedule!  The Moderator Bethany Baptiste Bethany Baptiste grew up in Jacksonville, Florida where she thrived…
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Fantasy as a Safe Space: Using Fantasy to Explore and Critique Social and Political Themes

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Fantasy as a Safe Space: Using Fantasy to Explore and Critique Social and Political Themes - June 4, 2022 at 11AM - 12PM EST The innate narrative distance in Fantasy Fiction creates a unique cultural space for important social and cultural critique. In this panel, we’ll explore how to mindfully build into your stories ways to cultivate ideas, validate concepts and develop conversations so you can participate in creating safe spaces in the fantasy genre. This panel is part of Storycrafting Sessions: Fantasy, a 100% FREE virtual conference happening on June 4th! Sign up for this panel or look at the full event schedule! The Moderator Dianna Gunn Dianna Gunn is a freelance writer by day and a fantasy author by night. Her sword and sorcery novel, Moonshadow’s Guardian, was released in…
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Best Patreon Alternatives for Content Creators and Authors

Best Patreon Alternatives for Content Creators and Authors

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Patreon provides millions of creative entrepreneurs with the tools they need to build a sustainable monthly income, but the company has faced several controversies the past few years, most recently when it suggested incorporating NFTs into its systems. As decisions like these have eroded trust in Patreon, more and more people are seeking Patreon alternatives for content creators. Luckily, there are several other companies you can turn to for help if you want to create a paid subscription to sustain your content. And I’ve saved you some time by testing out the options and evaluating them in four categories: Number of features availableEase of useTransaction fees and other costsTrustworthiness or, put more plainly, whether or not they’ve made a statement about their stance on cryptocurrency and NFTs When you’re finished…
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