APE, Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur


Book Description

APE’s thesis is powerful yet simple: filling the roles of Author, Publisher and Entrepreneur yields results that rival traditional publishing.




The Business of Being a Writer


Book Description

“Destined to become a staple reference book for writers and those interested in publishing careers.” —Publishers Weekly Writers talk about their work in many ways: as an art, as a calling, as a lifestyle. Too often missing from these conversations is the fact that writing is also a business. Those who want to make a full- or part-time job out of writing are going to have a more positive and productive career if they understand the basic business principles underlying the industry. This book offers the business education writers need but so rarely receive. It is meant for early-career writers looking to develop a realistic set of expectations about making money from their work. or for working writers who want a better understanding of the industry. Writers will gain a comprehensive picture of how the publishing world works—from queries and agents to blogging and advertising—and will learn how they can best position themselves for success over the long term. Jane Friedman has more than two decades of experience in the publishing industry, with an emphasis on digital media strategy for authors and publishers. She is encouraging without sugarcoating, blending years of research with practical advice that will help writers market themselves and maximize their writing-related income—and leave them empowered, confident, and ready to turn their craft into a career. “Friedman’s 20-plus years in the industry, launching and managing the social media presence of Writer’s Digest, along with her expertise in business strategies for authors and publishers, combine to create an invaluable compendium of practical advice.” —Library Journal (starred review)




Firefly Magic


Book Description

Lauren Sapala coached Highly Sensitive Writers for years before she discovered one of the biggest obstacles holding them back in their writing careers: a rock-solid resistance to marketing. Regardless of the wealth of book marketing tools and resources available to writers and artists today, most highly creative people still feel suspicious, confused, or just plain turned off by marketing and sales. The hidden reason behind this resistance is a deeply rooted fear that marketing for writers always results in a loss of integrity for the writer. Almost all highly creative people are also Highly Sensitive People, many of which are INFJ or INFP personality types. These Highly Sensitive Writers feel any possible threat to their integrity intensely. The fear they feel around marketing takes root in limiting beliefs that shut them down before they even begin. Lauren Sapala shares stories and strategies to help Highly Sensitive Writers shift their mindset and open up to new ways to promote their work. She helps all writers realize that—due to their Highly Sensitive nature—they might just make the best salespeople of all.




Write Your Book


Book Description

Have you started writing a nonfiction book that you are struggling to finish? Do you have an idea for a book but dont know how to get started? Now you can start and finish your book sooner rather than later following an easy 7 step process that forms the foundation for the way most nonfiction books are written. This insiders guide starts by helping you find the time to write your book and then walks you through creating your proposal, developing your writing plan, and writing your first draft. Along the way youll determine when you could finish your book based on your personal writing output and the time you have available to write. Youll also discover the 7 secrets to finishing your book sooner rather than later including how to transform your dreams into your vision and how to establish the goals and action steps needed to make your vision a reality. Writing a book is similar to taking a journey. Having a plan and putting in the necessary time gets you from where you are to where you want to be. This book takes you step-by-step through the process of developing your plan and following through to write your book sooner rather than later. If you're ready to finish your book and to begin to see the impact it has in the lives of others then read this quick guide and take the steps to make it happen!




The Soft Edge


Book Description

What Does it Take to Get Ahead Now—And Stay There? High performance has always required shrewd strategy and superb execution. These factors remain critical, especially given today’s unprecedented business climate. But Rich Karlgaard—Forbes publisher, entrepreneur, investor, and board director—takes a surprising turn and argues that there is now a third element that’s required for competitive advantage. It fosters innovation, it accelerates strategy and execution, and it cannot be copied or bought. It is found in a perhaps surprising place—your company’s values. Karlgaard examined a variety of enduring companies and found that they have one thing in common; all have leveraged their deepest values alongside strategy and execution, allowing them to fuel growth as well as weather hard times. Karlgaard shares these stories and identifies the five key variables that make up every organization’s “soft edge”: Trust: Northwestern Mutual has built a $25 million dollar revenue juggernaut on trust, the foundation of lasting success. Learn how to create an environment that engenders trust and propels high performance. Smarts: In most technical fields your formal education quickly becomes out of date. How do you keep up? Learn how the Mayo Clinic, Stanford University women’s basketball team, and others stay on top by relentlessly pursuing an advantage through smarts. Teamwork: Since collaboration and innovation are a must in the global economy, effective teamwork is vital. Learn how global giant FedEx stays focused and how nimble Nest Labs relies on lean teams with cognitive diversity. Taste: Clever product design and integration are proxies for intelligence because they make customers feel smart. But taste goes further into deep emotional engagement. Specialized Bicycles calls it “the elusive spot between data truth and human truth.” How can you consistently make products or services that trigger these emotional touch points? Story: Companies that achieve lasting success have an enduring and emotionally appealing story. What’s your company’s story? How do you tell it your way? Gain the ability to create a powerful narrative in a world where outsiders often exercise the louder voice.




Creative Confidence


Book Description

IDEO founder and Stanford d.school creator David Kelley and his brother Tom Kelley, IDEO partner and the author of the bestselling The Art of Innovation, have written a powerful and compelling book on unleashing the creativity that lies within each and every one of us. Too often, companies and individuals assume that creativity and innovation are the domain of the "creative types." But two of the leading experts in innovation, design, and creativity on the planet show us that each and every one of us is creative. In an incredibly entertaining and inspiring narrative that draws on countless stories from their work at IDEO, the Stanford d.school, and with many of the world's top companies, David and Tom Kelley identify the principles and strategies that will allow us to tap into our creative potential in our work lives, and in our personal lives, and allow us to innovate in terms of how we approach and solve problems. It is a book that will help each of us be more productive and successful in our lives and in our careers.




Mistakes Authors Make


Book Description

“Features 50 of the most common errors book authors make in writing, publishing, and promoting their books.” —John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books The publishing landscape can be a tricky one to navigate. There are so many aspects to authoring and publishing a book that it’s easy for you to make critical mistakes that can set you off course and significantly decrease your chances for success. How many of the 50 biggest author mistakes are you making? When you learn to avoid them, you can greatly enhance your chances for success in the publishing world. In this insider’s look at the worlds of publishing and book marketing coauthors Rick Frishman, Bret Ridgway, and Bryan Hane bring their 65 combined years of experience in the publishing world to you and share their secrets to success. You’ll learn: How to master media and other key marketing channels authors should use Keys to capturing the browsing buyer in bookstores and online The new publishing landscape and how it impacts you How to increase the readability of your book so readers keep coming back How your book is the key piece of your own information marketing empire And much, much more “If you want to write a book or make sure that your book is a smashing success read this now and take action! You’ll be amazed at the difference it will make in your success!” —John Assaraf, New York Times–bestselling author of Innercise and The Answer “I LOVE the book so far! Clear-concise-comprehensive with practical info the aspiring author needs!” —Laura Venecia Rodriguez, author of Yoga at Home




Indie Authors


Book Description

Self-publishing is not a new phenomenon. Indeed, it was commonly practiced in the 19th and 20th centuries; the fact that Dostoyevski (incidentally, one of the pioneers of crowdfunding) asked his friends for money to finance his books, that Nietzsche paid for the self-publishing of 50 copies of "Thus spoke Zarathustra" out of his own pocket and that Lewis Carroll did the same thing with "Alice in Wonderland", as did Marcel Proust, Alexandre Dumas, Rudyard Kipling, Mark Twain, Edgar Alan Poe, George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Hemingway, is not something to be overlooked. All of these writers started off as independent authors in the days when paying for the publication of books out of one's own pocket was not looked down on and those who wished to make their work known could use their own means, without shame, to reach a limited audience without being treated with contempt. First and foremost, because it was considered that the author in question believed in his work to the extent that he was willing to invest in it. Self-publishing platforms cannot be overlooked. They are technological companies that publish, distribute and promote on demand. They are fast and have a large portfolio of authors. One of the key elements of this decade (2010-2020) will be the consolidation of self-publishing in the book world. In this context of change, the objective of the study "Indie Authors: The Self-publishing Revolution" is to provide professionals in the book world - be they publishers, agents, authors, booksellers or librarians - with a broad analysis of the impact of self-publishing in the publishing sector so that each one may establish the business opportunities and advantages of self-publishing.




The Art of Social Media


Book Description

By now it's clear that whether you're promoting a business, a product, or yourself, social media is near the top of what determines your success or failure. And there are countless pundits, authors, and consultants eager to advise you. But there’s no one quite like Guy Kawasaki, the legendary former chief evangelist for Apple and one of the pioneers of business blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, Tumbling, and much, much more. Now Guy has teamed up with Peg Fitzpatrick, who he says is the best social-media person he’s ever met, to offer The Art of Social Media—the one essential guide you need to get the most bang for your time, effort, and money. With over one hundred practical tips, tricks, and insights, Guy and Peg present a bottom-up strategy to produce a focused, thorough, and compelling presence on the most popular social-media platforms. They guide you through steps to build your foundation, amass your digital assets, optimize your profile, attract more followers, and effectively integrate social media and blogging. For beginners overwhelmed by too many choices as well as seasoned professionals eager to improve their game, The Art of Social Media is full of tactics that have been proven to work in the real world. Or as Guy puts it, “great stuff, no fluff.”




Inbound Marketing, Revised and Updated


Book Description

Attract, engage, and delight customers online Inbound Marketing, Revised and Updated: Attract, Engage, and Delight Customers Online is a comprehensive guide to increasing online visibility and engagement. Written by top marketing and startup bloggers, the book contains the latest information about customer behavior and preferred digital experiences. From the latest insights on lead nurturing and visual marketing to advice on producing remarkable content by building tools, readers will gain the information they need to transform their marketing online. With outbound marketing methods becoming less effective, the time to embrace inbound marketing is now. Cold calling, e-mail blasts, and direct mail are turning consumers off to an ever-greater extent, so consumers are increasingly doing research online to choose companies and products that meet their needs. Inbound Marketing recognizes these behavioral changes as opportunities, and explains how marketers can make the most of this shift online. This not only addresses turning strangers into website visitors, but explains how best to convert those visitors to leads, and to nurture those leads to the point of becoming delighted customers. Gain the insight that can increase marketing value with topics like: Inbound marketing – strategy, reputation, and tracking progress Visibility – getting found, and why content matters Converting customers – turning prospects into leads and leads into customers Better decisions – picking people, agencies, and campaigns The book also contains essential tools and resources that help build an effective marketing strategy, and tips for organizations of all sizes looking to build a reputation. When consumer behaviors change, marketing must change with them. The fully revised and updated edition of Inbound Marketing is a complete guide to attracting, engaging, and delighting customers online.