Writers' Remedies

Market your Book with an Author Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:06:00 +0000

How you plug your book can impact upon your book sales. But unlike networking your book with tweets and facebooking, or pitching your book on Amazon, an author blog gives the writer free reign to offer information about the book to an audience wanting to find out more about you and your work.

Where to Plug Your Book Free

Numerous publishing platforms can be used to market your book, namely Shelfari, Librarything, Linkdin, Smashwords and of course, Amazon. I have written a separate article on the best websites to plug your book. An author blog however gives you the opportunity to go more in depth about your book(s) in a way not always possible when posting material about your book on a host site. This is the key to ebook marketing.

Blogging for Book Sales

A book synopsis is the only requirement on a typical ebook publishing platform such as the Kindle store or Smashwords. Both allow authors to back link to their own website so that readers can find out more about the author’s work. You can of course link it from your Facebook page or Twitter. Amazon’s Author Central however enables the writer to link a live feed direct to his/her blog, so that the latest post is visible on the Author’s page. Why not use this book marketing resource?

What Does the Writer Blog About?

Rather than repeating lengthy information about your book on various sites, provide a link back to your blog from book marketing sites. Offer information that will enhance the sales of your book, suggestions of which might be the following:

Background information on your book(s) such as what inspired you to write the story, how long it took you to write and how you overcame technical issues with the plot.
When your next book will be out; similarly if your latest book is to be the first of a series and how many books will be in the series. When will each be released?
Provide a book sample that might not be accessible on the Look Inside feature of Amazon or Smashwords. This might be a pivotal part of the novel midway through.
Dates when your book(s) will be offered at a reduced price.
Free promotion days when your book(s) can be uploaded free.
If and when your book will be available on the Kindle Lending Programme, allowing Prime Members to borrow your ebook for free.
Where print copies of your book can be purchased.
Where and when books signings are to occur.
Novel writing competition short-listings or winnings.
Reviews of your books by noted individuals, book magazines or periodicals.
Author interviews.
Write a Novel in a Month updates.

Market You Book by Blogging

Blogger and Wordpress are two examples of free blogging platforms. I personally prefer Blogger because it is part of Google. So long as Google stays around, so will Blogger; it is easy to use, easy to perform analytics and easy to Adsense for additional income to royalties. The original purpose of Blogger was to keep a weblog, an online diary, hence the name. The tradition has continued. Bloggers still use a more informative and personal writing style than on hosting websites. This allows the writer to connect with the audience in a way not always appropriate on a hosting website.

Book Marketing with an Author Blog

Most readers require only the synopsis (or pitch) of an author’s book and a clear decision on whether to purchase. Others might like to find out more about the author’s work. An author blog is the ideal method. There are few guidelines to adhere to, you can freely plug your book in a way that most suits you. You can offer additional information on your book regarding dates it will be free, if sequels will be released and your ideas behind your novels. Such a writer’s blog will enable you to link back to this information from networking and marketing websites for an audience that wants to find out more about your books.

Helpful Tips for Marketing Books

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Top book marketing websites
Beginner's guide to using Createspace
Tips on writing a crime novel

Ten Tips on Niche Blogging for Profit

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:23:00 +0000

Making money blogging is straightforward if you know how. The crucial requirement is finding a niche subject matter you love and love writing about – all the better if your niche blog serves a gap in the market. Here are my top ten tips on enhancing your blog’s earning potential.

Write Quality Articles on your Blog on a Niche Subject

Make your blog content original, interesting, useful and worthy of visiting. Give visitors a reason to stick around. This will lower your bounce rate (the rate at which visitors click in and click straight out). Each post should ideally be a sufficient length of around 400 to 1000 words long broken down in to bite-sized paragraphs that is easier on the eye than monoliths of text. It must be free of typos, bad grammar and gives something useful. This is the most important element of your blog: your content.

Make your Blog Big

Search engines like substantial blogs. Add content to it regularly and keep building it up until your blog becomes a real player in its website genre. Who wants to hang around if a blog only has ten pages to offer? A well-sized veteran blog will eventually earn back-links if the content deserves this sign of approval.

Adsense your Blog

Making a living from your blog means monetizing it. Sign into Google’s Adsense and get your blog site approved. This will only happen if you already have good articles posted. Adsense is one of the best ways of making money from your blog as the adverts displayed are usually contextual, and visitors are more likely to click on an ad. Clicks equal Adsense revenue, nice for your pocket.

Make your Blog User-Friendly

Garish background colours are harsh on the eye and small fonts frustrating for the poor-sighted. Give your blog a professional look. Get a happy balance between images and text. Think about how the visitor can navigate around easily. Organize you post links into categories. 'Google Translate' is an invaluable tool to put on your blog for non-English speaking visitors.

Affiliate your Blog

Affiliate links is a great way to earn from your blog; if a visitor clicks on a product link and makes a purchase, you will earn commission on sales. One of the largest affiliates is Amazon Associates. If your blog is about house renovation, why not include products related to home improvement? This will unlock your blog’s earning potential. Take care not to go overboard with affiliate links or this could make your blog look more like an advertising placard.

Keyword you Blog for SEO

SEO marketing comes with practice, but with good keyword use, you can make you blog easier to find for those looking for information your blog offers. This is known as search engine optimization (or SEO). Using keywords in article posts is a lengthy subject, so I have dedicated separate articles to beginner’s guide to using keywords and the money word matrix.

Write for an Online Magazine that Allows Back links

Back links, or links pointing to your blog from a large, respectable website will improve your blog’s ranking, valuable Google juice. There are many online magazines that will allow you to do this. Write an article that relates to the niche topic of your blog and link back to it. Use Facebook or Twitter to the same end. Link-farming should be avoided (buying hundreds of links for the sole purpose of improving your blog’s ranking).

Preserve Good Standards in Blogging

Avoid any gadgets that cause adverts to pop up when visitors come. It is the quickest way to deter people. Copying and pasting someone else’s work or consistently sourcing Wikipedia will undermine your credence as a writer. Avoid link farming, content farming, spamming, keyword stuffing and viruses. Don’t post offensive content. Keep your blog clean and respectable and people will keep visiting.

Be a Persistent Blogger

Your earnings will go up and down. This is normal. A lean patch may dent your motivation. Don’t let it. Blogging is a long term game. The more content you add, the more your blog will be worth. And if your niche subject interests you, you are more likely to keep blogging and your blog will succeed in time.

Give your Readers what they Want

Once you get regular traffic to your blog, you will be able to view ‘traffic sources’, keywords people are using to get to your blog. Look out for any search queries you have yet to fulfill on your niche subject. Searching ‘all time’ will give a bigger picture. If a regular theme keeps coming up, write an article to satisfy that search query.

Secrets to a Good Money Blog

You can earn money from your blog if your write about a niche topic you love and few others are writing about. Keep adding content. Adsense your blog and conduct some keyword research before posting your articles. Make it easy to navigate around and free of unpleasant surprises. Most importantly, make the blog interesting, useful, original, funny, or whatever. And be persistent. Blogging is about numbers as well as the quality, the bigger the blog, the better.

Tips on Freelance Writing

Beginner's guide to keywords
The money word matrix
Top questions for online magazines
Tips on writing novels

The Scourge of Planted Negative Book Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

There is more freedom now than ever for customers to review books to help other readers make the decision of whether to purchase a book. But with growing abuse of the book review system, how can a potential reader tell is a bad book review is a planted review or not?

When Amazon’s Rating System is Gamed

There has been a lot of talk about so-called planted reviews, bogus book reviews from people who have a vested interest in the writer. This might be a family, friend or an affiliate. A rash of five-star reviews always looks suspicious, but what about the negative review? Sadly, negative reviews can also be given for all sorts of unprincipled reasons, which at the heart, has little to do with the actual book.

Abuse of Amazon’s Book Rating System

Some writers ask other writers to reciprocate good reviews or click the ‘like’ button if done in kind; other writers will refuse to reciprocate if the book is deemed substandard. Still, the negative review is not left where otherwise, it might. Such a system open to abuse is likely to result in a mound of five-star reviews and ‘likes’ from an unbiased foundation. Most avid readers trawling for a good book to read will only see the five-star reviews and purchase on the weight of what is displayed, only to be disappointed with the book. But in similar fashion, a good book given a one-star review for an unethical reason could result in the reader passing on what could be the ideal book to read. How does the Kindle customer tell if a one-star book review is bogus or not? Well, take note of the following:

When Negative Bad Book Reviews Should Not be Trusted

Amazon is reluctant to remove a one-star review unless it contravenes their guidelines, which are:

The review attacks Amazon’s services rather than the book.
It contains obscenities.
The review reveals confidential information.

This still leaves the book ratings system open to abuse. Bad reviews are freely left for all sorts of reasons and there is little the writer can do about it. I personally believe a bad review should be removed if:

The book review contains spoilers.
If it makes reference to the overwhelming positive reviews received, due to suspicion they were planted. Reviews should be about books, not about other people’s reviews.
If there is any reference to the book being written by a self-published author.
If there is evidence the review is written by a rival author.
If it attacks the author in any way.
If the reviewer admits to only the reading the first part of the book.
If the reviewer didn’t understand the book.
If there is evidence the reviewer has multiple accounts with Amazon and is leaving bad reviews under different personas.
An ill-conceived review with only 1 or 2 lines.

I could say, a rambling review that goes on and on and on, but this has on occasion helped the book’s sales.

Bad Reviews by Rival Authors

Sadly, some authors deem it necessary to ‘bash’ rival authors within their genre with a bad review to dent their sales. A writer can also receive a torpedo simply for spamming their book on author forums and blogs. Yes, spamming is a nuisance, but is not cause to leave a negative feedback on their book. There is also a culture of disdain for the indie writer, particularly from mainstream writers and publishers who see them as a scourge on what was once a monopolized publishing platform.

How to Tell a Bad Book Review is Planted

If a potential reader stumbles upon a one-star review and decides to take caution, consider the following:

By all means, read the bad review. But then read the sample pages free from the look inside feature. Does what the negative reviewer say really add up? A bad review that be-cry a book full of clichés and poor writing would not stand up if the first ten pages or so prove a compelling opening with original writing style.

Click on the reviewer’s other reviews. If the book review is the only review left (and more crucially time has elapsed since without any other reviews), take the bad review with a pinch of salt.

Is the review an avid reader too? Are the other reviews on books or totally unrelated products? Has the review proved ‘helpful’? Beware of this too, for it is too easy to click ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Read the comments thread left by other reviewers if there is one. How does the reviewer rank on Amazon’s reviewer’s ranking system? This can be ascertained by clicking on the reviewer’s link.

A Truly Bad Book

A negative review only has credence in my view, if the reviewer has good grounds to give it one star. This might be because of the following:

Careless typos and grammatical mistakes throughout the book.
Full of clichés and stereotypes.
If the book has substandard narrative, characterization, a flabby plot or is poorly-researched.

The bad review should be properly and thoughtfully written and be only about the book, not the author, not about other reviews and not about Amazon’s service. Reviews as a result of a verified purchase should be ranked higher.

Helpful Articles on Self Publishing

How to deal with negative book reviews
What is the best price for my book?
Sell your books through Adwords
Stop procrastinating over your novel

Book Marketing with SEO Firms

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:51:00 +0000

You have published your novels and need to drive traffic to your blog or webpage selling your book. Search engine optimization and Adwords would appear to be the most effective way to market your books, but it all seems confusing. The option of finding a good SEO expert would seem to be answer.

Leading SEO Firms for Writers

You do not have to look far to find lots of SEO companies promising to increase traffic to your site and get your blog ranked number one on the internet, or in this case, get your book sales going. The trouble is, they are all promising the same thing, and if the testimonials are not accurate, you may have already shelled out a lot of money before this becomes apparent.

SEO Firms to Avoid

I would personally recommend finding out how Adwords work and how to use keywords to drive traffic to your site. My articles on this blog: beginner’s guide to keyword marketing and use Adwords to sell your books will help clarify how the system works. All you need to do is create an account with Google to get access to all the free resources needed to SEO your book blog. This will undoubtedly save hundreds of pounds on book marketing. However, if you have some money to spend and would rather spend the time writing, I would recommend Google’s certified partners.

Google Adword Partners

I am naturally very wary of websites that promise something without recognized qualifications to back up their testimonials. I like to see the backing of reputable firms and customer reviews. This is why, if presented with the dilemma of finding an SEO company to help market my book, I would look to Google Certified Partners. These are Google-approved firms that can maximize use of Google’s tools such as the Adwords Programme, keyword marketing and analytics. Each firm has to pass a certified exam by Google which is pretty rigorous.

Google Endorsed SEO Help

Really, there are three levels of Google partners within each area: Google Certified Partners, Google Certified Trainers and Google Premier SMB Partners, offering different levels of expertise in each area, which might be Adwords campaign, website marketing (SEO) or search engine marketers (SEM). Their job is really to manage Adword accounts for clients wishing to market their business.

Where to Find the Nearest SEO Expert

A Google Certified Partner can be found worldwide, so you just need to conduct a search. Put in your location, your budget (your weekly spend on Adwords consultancy) and some basic information about your business, in this case, selling books. You will be presented with a list of SEO consultants that hold Google’s badge. Click on one and you will find out how many qualified employees are in the business and where their specialty lies, which might be search advertising, reporting and analytics or display advertising. You can also report a complaint if services offered do not live up to expectations.

Saving Money on SEO Consultants

Writing a series of books is time consuming in itself, which may lead the writer to hire an SEO expert to drive traffic to his/her writer blog where the book is being sold, (or at least to a webpage linking to your books). Doing this could save the writer the headache of trawling through instructions on how to create an Adword campaign or how to use effective keywords to market books. I would personally try to learn this skill myself, but if you have a suitable budget and little time, there is little harm in hiring an SEO consultant to help market your books. Google certified partners might be a safer bet.

Tips on Using Keywords to Market your Books

Use the money word matrix to drive traffic to your books
Beginners guide to using keywords
Selling your book via Adwords
The first pages of your novel
Google certified partners

Elements of a film script

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:57:00 +0000

You have a film script is in progress, but have spent so many hours on it you can no longer see the wood for the trees. To get a fresh view of your screenplay, take a look at the following questionnaire; it may help make your script project easier to manage and highlight issues unforeseen.

Screenwriter’s Check List

Screenwriting is not easy, but what to cut out is as important as what to keep in. Remember a screenplay is not like a novel, there are only around 100 pages or so to play with. The first 10 pages are most crucial, so think about the following questions when it comes to the opening of your screenplay:

Top Five Tips for the Best Screenplay Opener

What is the genre of the screenplay? Is it science fiction? Romantic comedy? Action movie? Erotic thriller? Spoof? Psychological? Or fantasy? The genre of your film is also your intended audience. Keep the film genre in mind when writing your screenplay.
What time or place is the script set? Is it set during WW2, is it contemporary or a futuristic scene? Is the story set in England? What is significant about the time or place regarding the plot? How does it impact upon the characters and the plot?
Establish the main characters. What sex are they? What do we need to know about them? How do they contribute to the opening scenes? Are we supposed to like them?
What is the main premise of the story, what is it about? This part might help conceive the logline of the film script, such as, ‘a gigolo meets a client only to be framed for murder.’
What is the general message or theme of the screenplay? Is it money and greed? Love conquers all? Is it about the spirit of the small person at odds with a large force, such as a corporation or nature?

Finally, with these five elements established, is there a hook at the beginning of the screenplay? The hook is the precursor to the conflict to follow. It should draw the audience in. Can the hook be made more interesting or sinister or embarrassing or excruciating?

Writing Scenes for Scripts

Look out for scenes that serve no purpose or recap the purpose of another scene. Cut them out. Cut the length of scenes if this is possible. This means opening the scene as late as possible and ending early. No preamble is allowed; get straight to the action. Consider the following:

What location and time does the scene takes place? Is this influence the plot? Could an alternative time and place add tension to the scene? For instance, a couple arguing in a car could be more constrained if the scene occurs in a library.
Can a series of short scenes be made into a montage or series of shots? This can often add dynamism to the screenplay and advance the story more quickly.
Does the scene move the story forward?
Does the scene say something about the character(s) within? Can fewer characters improve the scene (it often does.)
Can the scene be changed to make it more original? (Watch out for subconscious sourcing of scenes previously seen in movies.) Can a clichéd element be replaced to make the scene more memorable for the viewer?
Do the characters’ motives contrast with one another? Can a little tweaking heighten this contrast?
What are the characters doing and where are they at the opening of the scene? Remember, action description should always follow a slugline.

Although integral to action scenes, dialogue is a crucial element in a screenplay and is looked at next.

How to Script the Best Dialogue

Is the dialogue necessary? Can any of it be substituted for body language? This is known as subtext and can often improve the screenplay.
Is it clear who’s speaking? Is the dialogue too similar? Can the words each character uses be made more different to one another? Can their backgrounds, attitudes or upbringing colour the words each character uses? Does the dialogue sound natural?
Is any of the dialogue simply there to inform on the story? Does it sound forced?
Are the characters’ motives reflected in what they say?
Is any of the dialogue wordy? Can some of the speech be cut? Can fewer words do? (it often does).
Is there any irony used? Can what is actually being said and character action be made different, as different as possible?

Essential Characters to a Script

The characters in your script are crucial for the story. If a problem exists with the plot, it is probably due to a lack of character drives. The following tick-off list will help highlight problems with characters within your screenplay and improve the plot.

Are all the characters crucial to the story? Can any be cut out? Can two minor characters be combined into one?
What are the motives of your characters? Are each character’s motives suitably different from one another? Is this sufficiently reflected in the action scenes, dialogue and subtext?
Do any of the action scenes not ring true of the character(s)?
Can altering the sex, age or culture of a character improve the story, create tension or an interesting spin?
Are there any stereotypes lurking within? Is each character plausible and interesting?
What stands in the way of the character(s) goal and how does this affect their actions and dialogue?
Are the characters’ strengths and weaknesses reflected in their actions and dialogue? Is this relevant to the story? Are we meant to sympathise with each character?

Plot Outline for Screenwriting

The plot of the story often comes out of character drives in a screenplay, and with sufficient conflict, obstacles and high stakes, can improve a screenplay. Think of the following elements when conceiving the plot.

Does conflict in the screenplay have peaks and troughs? Does this trend generally increase between acts 1, 2 and 3?
Do obstacles that stand between the character(s) and goal increase throughout the screenplay? Are the stakes high enough? What does each character have to do to win their objective? Can this be made more difficult?
Is there a logical passing of time with each scene? Is it day or night? How is this relevant to the story?
What is the ratio between character action and dialogue? Is there a lot of talking going on? Could the characters be doing something as they speak? Where are they in relation to one another in a scene?

Troubleshooting a Script

Working too closely on your screenplay can make problems harder to see. As well as getting some distance, completing a screenwriter’s questionnaire will help keep each element in sharp focus. Even if it is not revealed in the screenplay itself, try to answer all the questions. If any of the questions are unknown or not clear, this might reveal a potential issue with the screenplay.

Great Tips for Screenwriting

How to write a screenplay synopsis
Writing dialogue for film
Platforms for screenwriters
Add tension to your screenplay

Sell your Books Online as an Affiliate

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:57:00 +0000

Did you know you could earn extra income from your books by becoming an affiliate? Not only would you earn royalties but also commission on sales if someone buys your book through one of your affiliate links on your website.

How to Affiliate to Market your Books

Different affiliate programmes can be found on the internet to serve every demand. Examples are Ebay, Amazon and others. I use Amazon because it is pretty straightforward and it sells all manner of things. The principles are the same: a sale through one of your affiliate links from your own website, blog or estore will earn you a commission. You can sell what you like, but it is a good strategy to have a theme as opposed to random products. Listing contextual products to your website or blog will ensure visitors looking for information offered on your site, will also find a product they want.

This article focuses on how to make extra money from your books by selling as an Amazon affiliate (otherwise known as an Amazon Associate).

How to Earn Money from Books as an Amazon Associate

Browse to Amazon Associates website and become a member by using an email and password. Incidentally, you can become a member of Amazon.com, UK, Canada and Japan. These work separately, so separate accounts will be needed. I stick to .com and .uk. Once you have become a member, you will need to explain what your blog or website is (so make sure it is of good standard with quality content on it) and then wait a few days for Amazon to approve it.

Marketing your Book Through Affiliate Links

Once your website has been approved by Amazon, you can start building affiliate links and estores. On the webpage that features your book, insert an affiliate link to your book from Amazon. Once you could do this direct from Blogger but now you have to sign into your Amazon Associates account and then browse onto the main Amazon website. You will notice a ‘site stripe’ at the top. Find your book on Amazon and then use the site stripe to create your affiliate link by clicking ‘link to this page.’ Your link can be text only, an image or both.’ I use an image only. Copy the html code, which will have your code identifier embedded within. Paste this code onto the html page of your blog post. When you click on ‘compose’, you will see the affiliate link how it will appear. Format the page so that the image is located how you want on your webpage.

How to Make a Product Link of your Book

Now when someone finds your blog post describing your book, and creates enough interest to warrant a purchase, not only will you earn royalties, but also 4% - 6% commission on sales of your book as an affiliate. This might amount to only a few cents or pence per book, but this will soon mount up if your sales are healthy and you get good traffic to your author webpage.

Create an Estore to Sell your Books

Other tools can be used to market your book as an affiliate. You can create your own ebookstore with your books on it. In your Amazon Associates account click on ‘create estore’. This will generate your own url page with your own estore that can be embedded in your website or blog. You can name it, insert your books from Amazon into it and choose the colours. Click to see one of my ebook stores.

In my example, I have inserted my novels on the first page. Click on any produce image and you will find more details about the book, including reviews and pricing.

Extra Income from your Author Blog

You can also place an affiliate search box on your blog if someone simply wants to browse the Amazon site without leaving yours. Anything they purchase through this widget will earn you commission as an affiliate. Simply copy the code for the Amazon widget from the ‘widget’ section of Amazon Associates and paste the html code into a gadget on your blog.

The Amazon Affiliate programme has a range of affiliate links you can put on your website or blog including rotating gadget or all colours and sizes. I prefer to keep it simple.

Make Commission on your Books from Affiliation

By selling your books as an affiliate, you can earn commission on sales as well as royalties if your novels sell through one of your affiliate links on your website or blog. All you need to do is become a member. Amazon Associates is the example used in this article. From there, you can build affiliate links to your books from your blog, create and estore or place a search box on your site.

More Helpful Advice for Authors

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Self publishing made simple
Books on self publishing

Increase Book Sales Online Via the Money Word Matrix

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:59:00 +0000

The money word matrix is a little known but great SEO method that could get your book page seen by people looking for a book like yours. But this isn’t simply about finding high traffic keywords and phrases.

Book Marketing with SEO

Briefly, search engine optimization (or SEO) is a means of using keywords to get a webpage discovered by a person looking for information on that webpage. Keywords in this context are basically a search term a person might use before stumbling across your webpage, which in this case might be an author blog. So if I wanted to find a ‘cheap Kindle thriller’, I would Google this search term in order to find such a product. A series of websites containing these search terms would be displayed. This search term is known as a ‘keyword.’ Or ‘key phrase.’ Good use of keyword phrases lies at the centre of getting relevant traffic to your blog or website.

Ways to Make Money Selling Books Online

But search terms you are using might not necessarily be what everybody else is using, which is where the Google Adwords Keyword Tool comes in. Sign in into your Google account and browse to this invaluable SEO resource.

In the tool bar, put in words or phrases that relate to your book. In my case, I have written psychological thrillers available as Kindle and print copy. I might put in the following phrases: Kindle thriller, crime ebook or psychological thriller. Being a virtual unknown (at this point), no one is going to use my name to find my thrillers or the title of my books, so this would be of little use to getting my books found.

Your list might resemble the tags readers use to tag a book on Amazon, and the principle is similar, as such tags are used to make books more easily found. But to make your book discoverable on the internet is different to making it discoverable on a publishing platform, such as Amazon.

Google Keywords Tool and Kindle Book Sales

Once you have put your list of words and phrases into the Google’s SEO tool, it will return with keywords people are actually using, as opposed to ones you think they’re using. As well as search volume of each keyword per month, the tool will also list synonyms and alternative terms to your suggestions.

Make a note of all relevant keywords given, preferring the ones with the highest search volume, anything over 1000 per month (I take the global results rather than local). Try more search keywords into the tool to find more keywords. Expand your keyword list until you have a good list of keywords and phrases people are using that relates to your book.

But it doesn’t end there. Now for the money word matrix part.

Earning Money through the Word Matrix

SEO experts will tell you that including a high search volume keyword or phrase in your webpage does not guarantee that it will be found, as lots of other websites could be using the same keywords. Your webpage, as a result will be buried beneath a pile of other webpages using the same keywords as yours. The way around this? Find a keyword that is not often used on the internet. This is what the matrix is all about.

The best way to establish if a keyword phrase is often used in the internet is to enclose the phrase in speech marks in the Google home page and see how many search results come up. This will be displayed in small text below the tool bar. Anything over 10,000 results is pretty high. Below 5000 is OK. 1000 or less is very good. The principle of the money word matrix is that the higher the search volume and the lower the competition, the better the keyword phrase choice would be for promoting your book.

Ideal Keywords for Book Marketing

As well as using highly-searched words with low competition, tag on a few words to short key phrases with high search volume to create lower competition, such as the following:

Thrillers with good reviews, suspense novels set in England, Contemporary novels less than £1, abduction novels set in England, mystery murder books. And so forth. These are known as long tail keywords. The more specific your key phrases are, the more relevant to your website your traffic will be. Remember to do research before committing. Not all long tail keywords have low competition.

Good Use of Keywords on Your Author Blog

Use the strongest keywords in the title of your blog post or article. Dot the other keywords around the page informing about your book, but not too much or the text won’t flow. 6-12 keyword phrases within a 600-1000 word article will suffice. With increased traffic to your author blog describing your book, you can link straight to your books for sale on Amazon or Smashwords, or whatever. I prefer to use an image link.

Increase Sales of Kindle Books

The money word matrix is an invaluable SEO technique for selling your books on your author blog. Using keywords with high search volume (more than 500 per month) and low competition on (less than 2000 or so) will help your author blog rank higher on the net. This means your ebook will be more discoverable by people looking for a book like yours.

Articles on Book Marketing

Make the most of Amazon's Look Inside Feature
Write the best opening for your novel
Pricing your novel
Writing dialogue in fiction

Make the Most out of the Look Inside Feature of Your Ebook

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:12:00 +0000

Few things are more offputting to a potential reader than to view the first pages of your ebook online only to see formatting errors, a messed up table of contents and typos. If your book is well-written, more’s the pity if such issues deter the reader. What is the easiest way of creating a great preview for your novel online?

The Best Preview of an Ebook

Book publishing platforms offer the reader the ability to sample the first part of the ebook free; in Amazon, this is around 10%; with Smashwords, this can be anything up to 20%, which is why it is crucial the writer ensures the opening pages of the novel are perfect in every way. Sadly this means not only a compelling opening that is free of typos, but also free of formatting errors. The self-published author must be a techie as well as a wordsmith.

A Great Story Opener

Making the most of your opening chapters is an involved process, and therefore, I have dedicated separate articles to the matter of novel writing with such issues as:

How to begin your novel.
Improving your writing style.
Turn your passive writing into active writing.
How to tighten your novel.

Cleaning Ebook Formatting Errors

So, the plot, narrative and writing style are fabulous. Now to the separate matter of formatting errors which can be caused by a number of things, which might be:

Inserting a table to format your table of contents. Kindles and other book readers do not like tables and will cause all sorts of horrible formatting errors, not visible on your Word document until you see the preview of your novel on a Kindle or online. So avoid them.

Hidden formatting instructions. Saving your enovel onto Word 2007 (the latest version) can often cause formatting errors. Ensure your novel is saved on the older Word 2003, but before doing so, expunge hidden formatting symbols that could stowaway into the older Word by copying and pasting onto Wordpad. Wordpad will strip the document to its bare essentials. Paste it onto Word 2003 only once this is done.

Once you have cleaned up your document and saved it as Word 2003, ensure the entire document is formatted under ‘normal’. Select ‘all’ by pressing ctrl and A at the same time. Navigate to ‘styles’ (to the right of your screen) and click on ‘normal.’ You can now reformat your document to how you want it to look. Don’t use fancy fonts and lots of sizes, keep to Times New Roman or Tahoma and limit to points 12 and 14. I would use point 12 for the main body of text, as Amazon’s Look Inside Feature will display your book in larger fonts first-off, convenient for the poor-sighted. Bold and italics are fine.

Formatting a Table of Contents

The prematter, I try to keep simple and to a minimum, as I want the reader to get to chapter 1 as soon as possible. Always insert the book cover on the first page. Compress the picture to make the file smaller. I will then display the copyright details as small print (points 8 or 9), as no one will want to read it anyway. A short dedication might follow. The table of contents comes next, and this is crucial.

Create a TOC for your Ebook

As previously mentioned, inserting a table will mess up your formatting for sure and this will drive readers away. However, if you have more than 20 chapters or so, putting them in a long list can be unsightly. Instead, I centre my chapters and display two on one row. No table is inserted, it is just down to line spacing; one between chapter and number; two between each chapter. Putting two chapters on one row saves on lines and it looks visually more appealing. See the following example:

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Chapter 5 Chapter 6

Inserting hyperlinks to your chapters in the contents page can easily be done by linking the chapters to the page concerned. Follow these steps:

Inserting Links to Your Table of Contents

Navigate to the page where your chapter is located (say chapter 1 is on page 9). Place the curser at the beginning of the chapter heading.
Click ‘insert bookmark.’ A bookmark box will open. Name your bookmark. For ease, use the same name as the chapter itself. Don’t use spaces. For instance, ‘chapter1.’ Close the box.
Navigate to the table of contents and highlight the words ‘chapter 1.’
Right click on the mouse to hyperlink and click on ‘insert in this document.’
The bookmark box will open again. Highlight the bookmark name (chapter1) and press OK.
Test the link by clicking on it and see if it takes you to the page concerned (page 9).

These links will work on the online book previewer as well as the Kindle reader.

The Best Ebook Previewer

The first part of your ebook is the most crucial in generating sales for the self-published author. This not only means being a great wordsmith, but also understanding how ebooks format on various Kindle readers. I keep the pre-matter simple and to a minimum. Avoid formatting errors on the ebook by steering clear of tables and Word 2007. Use simple fonts and minimal point sizes. Time New Roman point 12 is easy to read first-off when previewed on Amazon’s Look Inside Feature. A great novel perfectly formatted will increase the likelihood of books sales.

Helpful Tips on Ebook Publishing

Self publishing seems complicated
How do I claim back tax on my royalties?

Stop procrastinating over your novel

How can Selling my Ebook for Free Make Me Money?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:45:00 +0000

The self published writer can sell ebooks for free on online publishing companies to increase downloads. But how can this sales strategy help the writer make more money from ebooks in the long run?

Make Cash from Free Ebooks

Unless you are on Amazon’s KDP Select (explained briefly in a moment and fully in a separate article), you cannot sell your ebook for less than 99c (around 70p) on Amazon’s Kindle bookstore. The only way around this is to price your book for less (or free) on another sales channel. Amazon will then adjust the price of your ebook on their store to match. However, this process can take anything up to a few weeks which can be a clunky process.

Online Marketing Tools for Writers

You can price your novels what you like on other epublishing platforms. However, my personal experience has shown that Amazon cannot be matched when it comes to ebook sales. So if you want to price your books for free to get lots of downloads, KDP Amazon is the place to do it.

Since the launch of KDP Select, the writer can put the price of their ebooks for free on ‘special promo days,’ of up to a maximum of 5 days per 90 – a more straightforward process. Briefly KDP Select is an Amazon programme that enables the writer to earn additional income by including ebooks on Kindle’s Lending Library. Kindle owners who are ‘Prime Members’ (who have paid a small annual fee) can borrow an ebook for free (one at a time) without a return date. However, the writer still earns a lending fee, which amounts to a share of Amazon Kindle’s pot of money.

But how on earth does selling an ebook for free help the writer?

When to Sell your Ebooks for Free

If fact, there are many advantages to putting your book out for free on epublishing platforms. Firstly, free ebooks often results in lots of downloads. Lots of downloads results in higher rankings on the Amazon bookstore, more likely customer reviews, recommendations, tweets and back links to your book. Free promotion days of your ebooks can be the ideal marketing tool to getting your book noticed.

Free Downloads of your Ebook

Before offering your book for free, some factors need to be put into the equation.

If you enroll into KDP Select, you cannot sell your ebook anywhere else; Amazon has exclusivity of your book, so think carefully before enrolling.

Think about the time of year. Are more downloads likely on some times than others? The Christmas period (from my experience) has shown some of the best sales in the year. This might be due to lots of Kindles in Christmas stockings, or the dark, dreary nights. Summer can also be a good time, as beach reads are sought after. If a good time of year is due, plan your free promo days for then. Give plenty of notice on your author blog, Facebook page or Twitter. Make sure everybody who is likely to read your book aware of your book(s) promo date(s).

Think about which book you intend to offer for free. A novel that has failed to yield sales regardless of previous strategies has little to lose by being included in free book offers that could attract a new readership.

Consider offering the first book of a series (or one with a sequel) free. Lots of free downloads are likely to generate sales of the subsequent books in the series. This could entice more readers to read you book series and perhaps even start a fan base.

Selling short stories for free might be a good way of enticing the reader to sample your work. Who knows, it could result in the purchase of a full-length novel? A short story (generally) takes less time and planning than a novel. Including a short story on the free marketplace is a great way of hooking a new readership with less effort.

The 5 free promo days per 90 need not be spent at once. Consider spreading them out. If few downloads materialse after a day or so, pause the promotion and re-launch later that month.

The Best way to Make Ebook Sales

You can still offer your ebooks for free for as long as you like on other epublishing websites, such as Smashwords. This might suit the writer who wishes to extend the free offer. If the book is included with the Premium Catalogue, the free book will seep into other e-pbublishing platforms Smashwords ship to, including Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple and Itunes. As previously mentioned, Amazon will match this free offer without the writer having to join Amazon Select to do so.

When Not to Offer your Book for Free

Think again about offering your book for free if your book has yielded good sales generally. Make sure the free offer yields returns in some way, such as a promotion tool for a book series; it would seem pointless to offer your book for free if sales of your book are bringing in healthy royalties.

Tips for the Self Published Writer

Simple guide to Amazon's KDP Select
How much should I charge for my novel?
Practical advice on writing a novel
Writing scenes for novels

How Can I Use KDP Select to Generate Sales of My Books?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:55:00 +0000

The indie writer can now distribute ebooks through a lending library, where Prime Members can borrow your books for free on Amazon. Each ‘loan’ earns the writer a share in Amazon’s pot of money. But how can the writer make the most of Kindle’s lending library?

Exclusive Ebook Publishing Platform to Make Money from Home

Writers can earn a new source of royalties by enrolling with Amazon’s KDP Select, which works like a library, as customers who are Prime Members (Kindle owners who have paid a small annual fee to borrow books for free) can upload your book without paying for it. However, the writer still earns money from ebooks loaned, as the scheme works like the libraries’ Public Lending Right (or PLR). Every ebook borrowed, earns the writer a share of money from Amazon’s pot (KDP Select Fund). Writers can view the performance of their ebooks enrolled in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL).

Books enrolled in KDP Select are still for sale in the normal way, as customers who are not Prime Members can still purchase it. However, depending upon the size of the pot and the total number of loans, the share per loan could earn the writer more than ordinary royalties. Prime Members can only borrow one book at a time, but there are no due dates, so he/she can take as long as needed to read your book.

Buying Ebooks for Free

KDP Select also has a range of marketing tools via the Promotions Manager tool, for writers wishing to promote their books to a wider audience. Each book that is in the Kindle’s Lending Library can be offered for free for up to 5 days per 90 days (to all customers, not just Prime Members). But how does giving your book away free help the indie writer make money? Before signing up for KDP Select, the writer needs to be made aware of a few things and also to use the scheme’s features to optimize sales and make more money from ebook sales.

When Not to Go for KDP Select

A clause in the KDP Select contract states that a book enrolled in the programme must not be available digitally anywhere else (and this includes Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo, Itunes, your own blog/website or any other similar ebook platform.) And once the writer enrolls, there is no going back. Even if you opt out, you cannot make your ebook available anywhere else but on Amazon. (This clause applies only to ebooks, not the hard copy) So think carefully before enrolling.

How to Make KDP Select Sell More Ebooks

If you have ebooks performing well on non-Amazon platforms such as Smashwords, then perhaps it might not be wise to go for KDP Select. Also, if you have books containing colour images, such as children’s picture books, art books or how-to books, for example, then think again before enrolling them onto KDP Select, as other readers, (such as the Nook) might display your content better. Although Kindle Fires have sold well, the majority of Kindle owners have the black and white variety, which will not display colour content. This is bound to affect the ratio of colour book sales between colour readers and non-colour readers.

How Selling your Ebook for Free can Make you Money

Unless you put your book for free on Smashwords for free and Amazon matches it, you cannot put your book for a lower price on Amazon than 99c. It is a clunky process that sometimes takes weeks to take effect. However, enrolling onto KDP Select means you can offer your book for free immediately on ‘free promo days,’ up to 5 per 90 days. Free books often means lots of downloads, lots of reads, more chances of customer reviews, recommendations and tweets.

Putting your ebook for free might sound like madness at first, but if you have written episodic novels, offering the first one for free on promo days might generate sales of the sequel(s). Another advantage of selling your ebook free is if you have a particular book that does not perform very well, you could create a new readership. There is little to lose by offering the novel for free if it gets some downloads and reads.

When to Sell Ebooks Exclusively on Amazon

KDP Select is might not be the best marketing strategy for every ebook, as once you opt into KDP Select, you cannot sell your ebook anywhere else on the Internet. This might not be wise if the ebook(s) are selling well on other epublishing platforms. But offering your ebook for free on special promo days is a great way of generating a bucketload of downloads if this is desired, for instance, to generate customer reviews or sales of sequels. Furthermore, there is little to lose if the ebook has not performed well after every other marketing strategy at the writer’s disposal.

Tips for Marketing your Ebooks

How do I design my book cover for free?
What is the best price for my ebook?
Improving the first ten pages of your novel
Writing dialogue in fiction

My Novel Has Died a Death

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:08:00 +0000

Writing a novel conjures romantic Austenesque notions of tapping away on a word processor with a sure-sell blockbuster where the words simply flow from the keyboard like silk. Even the declaration, ‘I’m going to write a novel’ sounds thrilling. However, halfway through the project, you feel you are wading in mud. Writer’s block strikes you down, even on the first page. What are the secrets to writing a novel without losing the will?

Don’t Write a Novel Like This

Fiction writing sound grand, exciting, but the reality is different. From personal experience I have learned some dos and don’ts of novel writing that has kept me focused and may help you keep to a deadline, or even to complete a novel during National Novel Writing Month.

Don’t discuss your novel with anyone else. Some writers have ‘writing buddies.’ This might be helpful for some, but I think a creative idea is like a battery. If you share your creative fervour with anyone, that creative energy is being spent. You could get carried away with discussing your idea and when it comes to putting pen to paper, your may find your energy has been depleted; your pen falls still. Bluntly put, keep your creative ideas to yourself.

Sleeping on Your Novel

The alpha or dream state can do wonders for the novel. If you hit a brick wall with a plot or technical problem, don’t force it or novel-writing could become a chore. Get away from it. Sleep on it, let your ideas drift or divert the mind. Work on another aspect of your novel if a deadline is due. You may be surprised to find your subconscious has been working on the problem without your knowledge, yielding an unexpected solution. A problem can be overcome with lateral thinking presenting ‘what ifs.’ Keep a notebook handy for when this moment occurs.

Novel Writing Timetable

It is true that the creative process is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. This means getting a little disciplined, but in a way that works best for you. Get possessive about your writing time. Some writers work in a particular corner, room or shed, or a particular time of day. Procrastination is the enemy of the novel writer so the following are no-nos: Computers, radio chat-shows, TVs, telephones, curtain-twitching, worrying and dozing off. It matters little if you manage to eke only a paragraph in an hour or a chapter in half-an-hour. Progress is progress.

Don’t Over Plan your Story

Over-planning your novel in my view kills the life out of it. I may know what happens next, but not always how. Getting there with open questions can be fun or exciting. Leave some blanks in your novel to keep the writing organic. Remember to engage all five senses in your action scenes to keep the writing alive, this means sights, smells and emotions. This will help transport you into the novel where everything else falls away.

Make Key Scenes Excruciating

Why not inject something extra into your key scenes? Of course, conflict is a given, but what about embarrassment, terror, misunderstandings? Why not include a pathological liar, a narcisst or obsessive in your character list? Injecting something precarious into your novel will make it more fun and exciting to write. You may anticipate writing a scene with relish rather than languor.

Give the Novel a Life

Cut stereotypes, clichés and anything humdrum. This includes the studious librarian, discourse about the weather or a lost lottery ticket. Cut the deadwood and the life in the novel will be released. By getting down to the essentials, the novel will also be easier to manage. I like to have as few characters in my novel as possible (why include numerous characters to keep up with?) Similarly, cut redundant scenes or combine two into one. A streamlined novel is one more likely to be completed.

Care About Your Characters

I don’t mean like your characters. Care about what happens to them. This will equally apply to villains as heroes. A novel without believable characters is like a novel without a pulse. If you find your characters are getting wooden, complete a character questionnaire, inject a little of yourself into them. Empathise with their emotions and your novel will soon have a life of its own. A character-driven story is your ultimate aim.

Secrets to Completing the Novel

A novel that withers and dies in mid-completion can be revived with some writing strategies. Don’t discuss your novel with anyone whilst it is in progress. Let it be your secret. Make your characters believable and interesting. Empathise with them. Cut the deadwood and anything clichéd about the plot. Inject something precarious into your novel to make it exciting to write. And finally, get a little disciplined about your writing time. With these strategies, you could realistically complete a novel by your own personal deadline.

Tips and Tricks to Writing a Novel

Active and passive writing
Preventing writing procrastination
Character questionnaire for writers
I wish I had the time to write a novel

How to Sell Books Through Google Adwords

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:42:00 +0000

The self-published writer could get better sales of novels through the use of Google Adwords. With tactical use of keywords and ad placements on SERPS pages and websites, your books could be seen after relevant search words have been placed in the Google bar. In other words, your product becomes visible to one who is looking for a product like yours. But how does Adwords work for the author?

Using Keywords to Increase Book Sales and Downloads with Adwords

The writer would be wise to use every sales strategy available to increase sales of books; Google’s Adwords is one such method. To clarify, Adwords are small ad boxes exhibiting blue links advertising services or products. These Adwords can be seen to the right of SERPS pages (search engine results page) after a search term has been put into the Google toolbar.

These small ad links will also appear on relevant websites and blogs. So if someone was browsing on an ebook store for a cheap kindle thriller, he/she might see a list of relevant adverts on that website. See screenshot to view an Adword advertising Kindle art books on a SERPS page. As you can see, the search term used in the tool bar was ‘oil painting books.’ These words triggered this Adword. Such an advert could also show up on a website on oil painting.

How to Sign up for Adwords to Sell Online Books

In order to create your own Adwords campaign for your ebooks, you will need to sign up for an Adwords account with Google. You will need to put some funds into your account to pay for ad clicks first. This is the cost to you each time someone clicks upon your Adword advert.

Having said this, Google occasionally issue a free Adwords coupon worth between £50-£100, which enable the writer to use Adwords for free. Either way, the small expense could be worth it if the customer clicks upon your ad link and makes a purchase worth more than the cost of the click, (for instance if your book is worth £20 and the click cost 20p). A high purchase rate per click is more likely if you write a great Adword that fulfils what the Adwording implies. In other words, don’t promise something that cannot be delivered, or you could end up paying for clicks without a purchase.

Once you have signed up for Adwords, think about how you want to pitch your Adword campaign, which should be informative, enticing and accurate. An example of an Ad campaign by a writer might be: ‘Buy thriller ebooks for £1’. The link to your website/blog selling the ebook will be shown beneath.

Qualify this ad title with a little more information, which might be: ‘Save up to 50% on kindle bookstore,’ or ‘gripping thrillers with good reviews.’ Get to the point and be sparing on words.

Selling Your Books Online with Keywords

Getting your Adwords to show up when it is supposed to could be helped by using Google’s Adwords Keyword Tool, which informs on what search terms people are actually using to find products or information. This tool will also inform on monthly search volume of search terms, whether locally or globally (whichever market you are trying to reach). An author selling ebooks, might want to reach a global market.

In the Google’s Adwords Keyword Tool, put in some relevant words, which might be ‘Kindle thriller, ‘Ebooks,’ ‘cheap fiction,’ etc. The results this tool will bring up may offer keyword suggestions and synonyms you may never have thought of. Make a list of these keyword terms with the highest volume. The word ‘ebook’ for example may have a higher search volume than ‘Kindle book’ or ‘digital book.’ In your Adwords campaign, prefer the keywords with the highest volume. This list of keywords will come in useful not only for your Adword itself, but for getting your ad to display when it should.

Create You Adwords Campaign to Sell Ebooks

Make a list of all suitable keywords and search terms that could be used in your campaign. Try alternative search terms in the Keyword Tool and add to this list.

Think carefully about the wording of your Adwords. This is crucial. Remember to be informative, enticing and accurate. You do not need to use a keyword term to title your Adword; you can use whatever title you like, so long as it fulfils what it promises. Follow this title with a little more information (as previously described).

You will need to link your Adword to a ‘landing page’, the page where the ad links to, which might be your own website, estore or blog. Google has to approve your landing page, so ensure it does not contain affiliate links, spam, viruses or poor content.

Mine was a special case, as I could not sell my ebooks from my blog, but to link my books from Amazon. I could not create an Adwords campaign that linked to a website that was not mine, so my landing page had to work like a ‘bridging page’ (a page that redirects to another website) containing information about my ebooks. A bridging page is not normally approved by Google.

However, if you are selling your ebooks directly from your own website or blog, you will not need to worry about this, but do ensure your landing page is of good quality and meets Google’s standards.

Using Keywords to Make Book Sales

Once you have created your Adword campaign, you will need to type in the list of keywords suggested by the Keyword Tool. This list of keywords will trigger your ad to appear if someone uses those keywords in the Google search bar. Some will have a low search volume, others will have higher. But every keyword will count. You can add more search terms at any time or some of your own.

Getting Your Adwords Approved

Once you have gone through all the steps, you will need to wait for your Adword campaign to be approved which could take a few days or weeks. If you are aiming for a Christmas market, create your campaign well in advance. You can pause your campaign if it gets approved early, and then activate it when required.

How to Read Adwords Reports

Once you are up and running, you will see the following Adword terminology:

Clicks: The number of times someone has clicked upon your Adwords ad.
Impressions: The number of times your Adword displays on SERPS or a website/blog.
Click through rate (or CTR): the ratio of click occurrence compared to ad impressions.
Cost per click (or CPC). The cost to you each time someone clicks upon your ad.

Making Adwords Sell your Books

Adwords could be a great tool to help sell your books. By signing up for a Google Adwords account, your book advert will show every time someone puts in a search term that relates to what you are selling. You just need to learn about key words and creating a great Adword. Campaign. You can control your budget and pause whenever you like. If a cost per click is less than the profits for your books, you are on to a winner, particularly if you get lots of purchases per click (or high click through rate).

Useful Tips for Writers

How to use keywords

Improving your writing style

Developing narrative style

How do Make My Screenplay Shorter?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:23:00 +0000

You’ve written a great screenplay in the hope of getting commissioned by a production company or shortlisted for a screenwriting competition only to find it is too long. How can you shorten the screenplay without ruining the story?

The Best Screenplay Format

One page of film script (not TV script) equals one minute of screen time; it stands to reason the ideal screenplay should be between 80 to 120 minutes long (the average length of a feature film). Screenplay competitions guidelines are pretty strict on how long a screenplay should be; if it is too long (or too short for that matter), it will stand no chance of winning the competition or of being taken on.

Length of Screenplay Guide

The first draft of a screenplay is often an organic process and the writer has little idea of how long it will be before typing ‘FADE OUT’. If it runs over the 120 page mark, the screenplay most likely contains superfluous prose or redundant scenes. Regardless of how precious you may feel about these elements, cutting will often improve the screenplay. Never feel tempted to tamper about with the screenplay format, for instance if you are using Movie Magic, ScriptSmart or Final Draft. The fonts and line-spacings are there to ensure one page does equal one minute of screen time and no more.

What to Cut from a Script

Remember, screenwriting is a show only medium. Do not include back-story, what the characters are thinking or reams of descriptions. If it ain’t on the screen, it should not be on the screenplay. Also, film makers loathe to see writer’s suggestions on what camera angles or music to use in a particular scene. Now with that out of the way, what else can you cut?

The perfect screenplay should contain lots of white spaces smattered with dialogue and short action descriptions. If a paragraph of scene description is in excess of 5 lines, cut to around 2 – 3 lines long. This may entail cutting adjectives and adverbs (description words) or reiterations.

Tips for Script Cutting

Look out for dialogue that meanders. Who needs smalltalk about the weather? Begin a scene late and show by subtext (body language) what the characters are thinking rather than use dialogue to inform the audience on what is going on.

Look out for scenes that serve no purpose or do not move the story forward. Consider also of combining two minor characters into one, or even of cutting them out altogether. The most efficient way of saving page count is to cut dialogue, as dialogue takes up more lines per word than action descriptions.

Fitting the Script Format

I recently cut one of my screenplays from 100 words to an hour-long 60 page drama, which was a pretty brutal process. But after several drafts, I was able to hone my page count by the following means:

Replace short scenes that follow consecutively by placing them into a montage or series of shots. This will save on sluglines, (scene headers).
Substitute long words for short ones. This can save on lines if these long words cause sentences to run into a new line. A thesaurus will prove invaluable for this purpose.
Cutting dialogue can save more space than scene descriptions, as dialogue uses more lines per word. Look for ways of showing what the characters are thinking rather than putting it in dialogue. When it comes to dialogue, less is really more.
Shorten sluglines if they are more than one line long. An example might be INT. SAM PETERSON’S LIVING ROOM – EVENING. Substituting ‘living room’ for ‘lounge’ could shorten a two-lined slugline into a single line – useful if this slugline is used repeatedly throughout the script.

The Art of Cutting a Screenplay

A screenplay that runs over 120 pages is likely to contain flabby elements that need cutting. Page count in a script can also be crucial when entering a screenwriting competition or looking for a film agent. Look for superfluous characters, wordy descriptions and too many scenes. Use shorter words, cut dialogue, characters and scenes that serve no purpose in the story. Substitute lots of short scenes for a montage or series of shots for a punchy feel. Cutting is a brutal process, but could result in a streamlined screenplay that will keep the story moving forward and the reader engaged.

Helpful Tips for Screenwriters

Writing dramatic scenes
Guide to editing a screenplay
Platform for screenwriters

How do I Claim a Tax Refund on Royalties Earned?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:37:00 +0000

You’ve earned a good income from home via royalties from books sold overseas, only to discover a third of your earnings have been withheld in tax. How does the writer claim back this withholding on royalties?

Get More Money by Claiming Tax Back

This article focuses upon the writer living outside the US earning royalties from overseas agents such as Smashwords, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Sony and Apple, etc. The writer may notice that a third of the royalties earned in the US will be withheld. For example if royalties earned are $90, $30 of this will be held back and you will receive $60. This is because, in accordance with the US Tax rules, royalties paid to a writer living overseas (or any entity, for that matter) are subject to withholding of earnings in the US.

Get Money Back on Royalties from the IRS

If you are a non-resident alien in a country that has a tax treaty with the US, you are eligible to reducing your tax withholding. In order to claim the earnings withheld, the writer must complete a form W7 (downloadable from the Internal Revenue Service Website) in order to get an individual taxpayer identification number, or ITIN. Only then can you file a W8-BEN.

Guide to Fill in the W-7 Form

To fill in the W7 form, you will need your personal details, your UK (or country of residence’s) foreign tax id number and supporting documentation. Examples of supporting documents are a valid passport, civil birth certificate, military ID card, VISA issued by the Department of State or driving license. You will need to have a certified copy of the deed made which may accrue a small fee and take a few weeks to issue to you. This is because the deed must be officially certified by the issuing body. Once received, send the supporting document along with the W-7, and an ITIN number will be allocated to you in around 6 weeks’ time. Don’t worry if your application gets rejected; you can still claim royalties back; you just need to file for a tax refund after the end of the year. Note, indicate if you have had a temporary taxpayer identification number (TIN) or Employer identification number (EIN).

Author’s Guide to Getting Royalty Payments Released from Withholding

Once you have been given an ITIN number, you will need to fill in a W8BEN with the ITIN number included, sign and date (in blue ink). A hard copy of the W8 form must be issued to every agent that withholds your earnings overseas. Examples of the withholding agent might be Amazon.com, Smashwords, Apple, Createspace and Sony etc. This process must be repeated every three years.

Amazon will provide the writer and the IRS with a Form 1042-S per year, detailing US taxes that have been withheld and remitted to the IRS. Note, monies withheld can only be claimed back in the current year it was withheld.

Extra Funds for Authors Via Claim of Tax Treaty Benefits

Authors earning money from royalties overseas may notice a third of these earnings will be withheld according to the US tax rules. So long as you are resident in a country that has a US Tax Treaty, you can claim tax back on these earnings. First, you will need to apply to the IRS for an ITIN number via a W7 form. Once the ITIN number has been allocated to you, you need to issue a W8-BEN to every agent that withholds these earnings. The process must be repeated every three years.

Helpful Articles for Writers

Why is my book not selling?
How to handle rejection letters from publishers
Self publishing made easy

Breakthrough Opportunity for Writers from Amazon and Penguin

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:29:00 +0000

A free competition for novel writers, Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award is an ideal opportunity for writers to take their chances upon a manuscript languishing in a drawer or a self-published novel as yet unnoticed on Kindle. The prize is a publishing contract with Penguin.

Opportunities for Fiction Writers

Amazon’s annual novel writing competition is an unmissable opportunity for writers wishing to get their manuscript read and seen by agents/publishers who could make a difference to their writing career, not least by Amazon itself and Penguin publishers.

Submissions are held in January/February every year limited to 5000 entrants of each category, so it is a good idea to submit your novel as soon as the competition opens. The two categories are: the adult fiction category (for readers between the ages of 12 and 17) and the general fiction category (for readers over the age of 17. Once the number of entries has exceeded 5000 in each of these categories, Amazon will stop accepting more entries.

How to Register for the Breakthrough Novel Award

To enter this writing competition, you must first register with Createspace/ABNA, Amazon’s platform for self-published writers who wish to sell paperback copies of their books. Once you have registered, you must have prepared:

The first 5000 words of your manuscript (or not less than 3000 words) excluding the copyright details of your book or the table of contents. This will be referred to as ‘the excerpt.’ You must not put your name or pseudonym anywhere on the excerpt.

You must also have prepared the pitch of your manuscript, which will be the synopsis of your story, outlining the plot and the backbone of your novel. The pitch is critical, as it will be used to judge whether your entry deserves to go through the next round. The pitch must inform on what the book is about and hook the reader. How to write a great synopsis can be found in a separate article. The pitch must be no more than 300 words long.

Preparing for a Big Annual Novel Competition

You will need to fill in your personal details upon a separate form to the novel itself. You should also have prepared the full manuscript of your work should your novel get through the next round. Collectively, these items will be known as the ‘entry.’

The novel must be between 50,000 and 150,000 words long and the work must be a full-length work of fiction, not a short story, poem or novella. The work must also be your own original creation, be in English, without images or be involved in a publishing contract elsewhere (previously or imminently). Your work may however, be self-published so long as you retain all publishing rights.
The excerpt and the full manuscript can be uploaded as Word (either as .doc or .docx), rtf or txt format.

Free Writing Competition for Novel Writers

There is a writers’ forum dedicated to the ABNA for tips and ideas. You can also watch a short presentation to help improve your book’s chances of getting through the next round. This is broken down into writing a great pitch, writing the first ten pages of your novel, writing the author bio and hooking the reader. Of course, the excerpt should be as perfect as possible, that the pitch is tight and that the novel is original and compelling. The finer points of crafting a novel can be found on my sister site, novel writing site.

Competitions Deadlines

You can sign up for updates to the ABNA competition where you will be kept informed on the competition’s progress. There will be several ‘rounds.’ The first round, (based upon the pitch) will narrow the entries down to 1000 per subcategory (or in total, 2000). The next round will narrow the numbers down, (based upon the quality of the first 5000 words) to 250 entries (or 500 in total.) For this reason, the first pages of your novel are crucial. By the quarterfinals, only 100 entries will remain, where the judges will read the full manuscript. Works who make the semi-final round will be read by Penguin Publishers, where the number of entries will be thinned to 6 semi-finalists.

Finally, Amazon customers will vote upon the best entry in each category, resulting in two grand prize winners of a Penguin Publishing Contract.

Great Opportunity for Writers

The Breakthrough Novel Award sponsored by Amazon and Penguin is a free fiction writing competition that could yield a turn in the writer’s career. An excellent pitch, the first 5000 words of the novel and the full manuscript are the requirements. Uploading the novel as soon as the competition opens would be wise, as only the first 5000 entries per category (or 10,000 in all) will be accepted in the competition.

Helpful Articles for Writers

Writing the perfect pitch for your novel
The perfect beginning to your novel

Self Publishing my Novel Seems Complicated

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:26:00 +0000

You can publish your novel on many self-publishing platforms on the internet. Does the author need to open several accounts on different ebook websites, reformatting and uploading the novel each time? Well, it needn’t be that difficult to get your book included on all the main self-publishing websites.

How to Ebook Publish

There are a number of websites available to the indie writer, the main being, Amazon’s Kindle Store, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Apple. But you don’t have to surf the net and upload your novel onto every self publishing platform out there. By uploading your novel onto three main self-publishing platforms, you are pretty well-covered. These are KDP Amazon, Createspace and Smashwords’ premium catalogue. Let’s look at each in turn.

How do I Publish My Novel on the Kindle Store?

The biggest opportunity for self published authors to get seen and make sales can be found in Amazon’s Kindle Platform (KDP Amazon), and is therefore the first port of call for my novel. Once the novel has been correctly formatted, upload your novel onto the KDP platform. Follow the onscreen instructions regarding pricing, assigning a category and writing the blurb. Amazon will allocate a free isbn number for your kindle book. It will take around 2to3 days for your book to show up on the Amazon’s Kindle Store.

Publishing your Novel on Smashwords

My next port of call is Smashwords. If your book is correctly formatted, simply upload as before, but remember to alter the copyright page to show ‘Smashwords edition’ rather than ‘Kindle edition’. Smashwords will also assign you a free isbn (to be used only on Smashwords, not Kindle). If all is satisfactory, your book will be put onto the Smashwords’ premium catalogue. This means Smashwords will ship your ebook to all the main ebook publishers, which are (including Smashwords itself), Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Sony, Kobo, Apple and Diesel. This means you will not have to create multiple accounts for each channel. Your sales report will be generated by Smashwords periodically, showing a breakdown of sales into each channel.

Amazon’s KDP Select Restrictions

It must be noted here, that Amazon has introduced Kindle Select programme which offers the indie writer extra promotional tools and also earn a share in a pot of money from Amazon’s loaning program, which works like public lending right in libraries, For a small annual fee, the Kindle reader may borrow as many books as he/she likes (but only one at a time) and you earn lending rights on each loan, an extra source of income. You can also offer your book free on special promotion days, a sure way of getting lots of people to read your books, get recommendations and possibly reviews. The only snag is that if you opt into the Kindle Select your book must not be available digitally anywhere else, which means you must withdraw from Smashwords (and all the channels they ship to). Opt in with care. Once you opt in, you cannot opt out again.

Selling your Book on Createspace

Create space is Amazon’s opposing limb to the Kindle platform for it deals with the production of paperback books (not ebooks). Again, the hardcopy of your book is assigned a free isbn from Createspace which must be used only on Createspace. Formatting your book for Createspace is totally different to formatting for Kindle and is a little in-depth, so I have written a separate article on publishing your book on Createspace. Createspace is a print on demand (POD) setup, which means your book is printed only if it is sold – no overheads, no bulk printing. You only pay for your own books if you order a proof.

I Want to Sell My Paperback Book to Other Booksellers

Joining Createspace automatically gets your paperback book on Amazon’s store as well as entitle you to your own ebookstore (standard distribution). If you want to get beyond Amazon, and to other book retailers, libraries and academic institutions, you must enroll for Expanded Distribution channel (EDC) which means your book will be available to the aforementioned channels. The old system of enrolling for Pro Plan has now changed for a simpler system.
To join EDC, you pay a fee of $25 per book, but to make royalties, you must price your book a little higher than with the standard distibution. The question the writer needs to ask is, will book retailers buy my book for a slightly less competitive price?

The Best Sales Outlet for the Indie Writer

In summary, the three main channels available to the self-published author are: KDP Amazon, Smashwords and Createspace. By putting your book on all three platforms, you are pretty well covered and not have to part with a penny. Not bad for a self-published writer who wants to get read by the world. But self-publishing is ever evolving and who knows, as I have written this, there could be other epublishing platforms for self-published writers being developed or about to blossom. Self-publishing is an ever-evolving process.

Articles on Writing Novels

How to deal with bad book reviews
Effective use of adjectives in novels
How to make fictional characters believable

I’ve published my Novel on Kindle and my Book isn’t Selling

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:55:00 +0000

You’ve crafted your novel, studied guidebooks on writing a blockbuster, crime fiction, romantic suspense or whatever. You have edited every sentence, tightened the plot and created what you thought to be a sure seller for Kindle, yet have failed to sell a handful. What’s gone wrong?

Reasons a Kindle Book Might not Sell

Poor sales on Kindle store can be disheartening for any writer. The conclusion may be drawn the book isn’t good enough, the plot is flat, the characters are clichéd or the writing style is poor (such writing issues are covered on my sister site). Although these elements are essential to a book’s chance of success, it does happen that a great novel can remain unnoticed on the epublishing platforms for all manner of reasons which might be as follows.

The Cover Design of the Book is Bland

The book cover may fail to convey the quality, style, genre or feel of the novel. The cover image might be bland, dull or blend too much into what’s out there. Some potential readers make snap judgments on how good a book is likely to be by its cover image. It is the first visual element of your book on the webpage and if it fails to grab the attention of the reader or smacks of amateurishness, the reader is likely to move on.

Remember, a book cover is thumbnail-sized – lots of small text and detail will be undecipherable on the screen. Stick to the essentials: the book title and author name. Use bold fonts, striking imagery and be original. Take the time over the over image of your book or get someone professional to do it for you. More about designing the book cover yourself can be found on a separate article on this blog.

Blurb and Synopsis for the Book is Boring or Tame

If your book cover passes the test, the reader will scroll down and appraise the synopsis. I like to begin with a tagline on what the book is about. A tagline is a hook consisting of no more than 25 words. A hook is often used on movie posters to draw potential movie-goers. An example of a tagline is (for Alien) ‘In space, no one can hear you scream.’ In my novel the Shuttered Room, I used the tagline: ‘Little do they know their captive holds a deadly secret.’

Follow the tagline with a story synopsis, an outline of the novel. The synopsis is really the blurb or the text found at the back of any novel. Break the synopsis down into short paragraphs. Tighten it, make it as compelling as possible. Pose a mystery, a question, a hook. Don’t make the synopsis too short or too long. I have seen synopses one line long; I have also seen those that ramble on in huge paragraphed blocks. Getting it right requires time; I have dedicated a separate article to writing a great story synopsis.

The First Three Chapters of Your Novel Does not Grab the Reader

Remember Amazon’s Kindle store and Smashwords enables the reader to read the first part of your book online, so the first several pages (and especially the first page) are crucial. Make sure the opener is as thrilling/creepy/original/mysterious/curious as possible. Of course, no typos are allowed. I have written a separate article on writing a great story opener.

Is Your Book Tagged on the Amazon Book Store?

Take a look at books in your genre on Amazon and you will notice that they have been tagged by customers to make them easily found. These tags, which are short phrases or words, can be found halfway down the page screen. If your book has not been tagged add some of your own that you think will help other customers find your book. My novel, the Shuttered Room, a story about abduction, contains the tags, Kindle thriller, kidnapping, female main character, psychological suspense etc.

Your Novel Hasn’t got a Category

When you upload your book onto the Kindle Store or Smashwords, don’t forget to give it a category. This is not the same as the tags just mentioned, but the store’s own categorizing system. You can give your book up to 2 categories. Try looking for a subcategory that contains fewer books. In this way, your book will have less competition and is more likely to find its way into the top 100 bestsellers of that category.

Your Novel is Hard to Find

Use every resource available to promote your books and make it easier to find. Write an author bio to promote yourself and put it onto Amazon Central. This is an Amazon webpage for authors to write about themselves and provide links to their books. You can also join the ‘search inside’ feature.

There are lots of websites for promoting your books out there, including Shelfari, Goodreads and Librarything. Sign into each and make sure your book is included. You can edit your book’s details on Shelfari, the biggest bookclub in the world. Read my article on the best websites for authors for more details. Remember, you can upload your book onto Smashwords, which will ship your book to other outlets, namely as Barnes and Noble, Apple, Sony and Kobo.

Tell others about your book without spamming. Use Twitter, Facebook and seek support from fellow indie writers on Kindle forums and Kindleboards. A wealth of information can be found there. Ask honest opinions from fellow writers on how you can make your book more enticing to customers or point out issues, but expect a favour in return.

Have You Got An Author Blog?

Start your own writer blog or website to tell others about yourself and your books. Create links back to your blog for those who wish to find out more about your books. Use keywords to make your site easily found. Using keywords effectively can be found on a separate article in this blog.

Using Amazon Associates to Sell Your Book

By joining Amazon as an affiliate, you can create your own ebookstore and put your books on there. Create affiliate links to your books on Amazon from your blog and earn not only royalties, but also affiliate fees if someone buys your book. Use keywords to name your bookstore to make it easier to find on the internet and create links back to it. More about how to use keywords effectively can be found on a separate article on this blog.

Is the Price of Your Novel Too High?

Keep an eye on the pricing of your ebook. It should be considerably cheaper than a typical paperback. I price my kindle novels at around £1 each, but you can go down to 70p (around $1.40). Amazon enables you to offer your book for free on special promotion days (available only on Amazon Select programme.) Free days often results in hundreds of downloads from readers, increasing the chances of reviews and/or recommendations. Opt for Amazon Select with care, as once you opt in, you cannot sell your book digitally anywhere else, including Smashwords. Pricing your book is explored more in-depth on a separate article.

Beating the Competition on Amazon’s Kindle Store

I have found from experience that book sales are seasonal. Sales around Christmas often peak, and lulls occur intermittently throughout the year. This is to be expected. But when one considers there are around 1 million kindle books out there, small wonder there is ferocious competition. Perseverance is the only way forward. Keep writing. More writing means more books (without compromising on quality) and more books mean more chances of discovery, a fan-base and sales.

Helpful Articles for Indie Writers

How to price your book
Publishing your book on Createspace
How do design your own book cover
How to write a great story synopsis

What Book Price will Get the Most Sales for my Novel?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:02:00 +0000

The self-published author has complete control over pricing the digital novel or paperback equivalent, but what is the magic figure to getting optimum sales for your novel?

Increasing Sales of Your Novel

It is generally understood that a kindle novel should be considerably cheaper than its paperback counterpart for there are no printing or shipping costs, but marketing your book on the Amazon kindle Store means getting competitive with the price.

We will cover the matter of paperbacks in a moment, but firstly, publishing your ebook on Amazon gives you the choice of 2 royalty options, which are 35% and 70%. If you price your book at between $2.99 and $9.99, you can go for the 70% option (transmission costs will apply – determined by the size of your book file); if you price your book outside this frame, you only have the 35% royalty option available. (Note: sales of books in certain countries will earn a 35% royalty, even if you have opted for the 70% royalty.) On Amazon’s Kindle store, you cannot price your book for less than 99c unless you have priced it for less elsewhere and Amazon price-determines your book to match it. On Smashwords, for instance, you can price your book for what you like. If you enroll into Amazon’s Select programme, you can price it for free on special promotion days (more about KDP Select in a moment.)

How Not to Price Your Digital Book

From personal experience, I have found the pricing of a novel to be a fine art, but basically, the price should reflect:

The length of your book, for instance if it is over 100,000 words long, you could price it a little higher than average; if it is a novella, it would make sense to price it for less. Put the word count in the synopsis so that the customer can see how long the book is.
If the writer is of note, has won awards or has had success in the publishing world, garnering good reviews and consistent sales, the price of the book could be set a little higher.
If the book contains special features, for instance images or diagrams.
Or if the book is more than 2 or 3 megabytes in size.

Always conduct research before pricing your novel. Take a look at the average price of a book in your genre, book length and a-like author. There is an equal danger of being too cheap as too pricey. There are a lot of indie novels out there for 99c and there is a culture by association that a cheap book will equal a cheap read. Reflect the quality of the book in the pricing. I sell all my enovels for around £1 each (or $1.50). But I have seen kindle books for around £10 or more, which are unlikely to generate sales.

Generating Book Sales on Kindle

The indie writer can sell the book for less than 99c on Amazon if it is priced less elsewhere (Amazon will try to match it if you have priced it for less on Smashwords). But if you have enrolled into Amazon’s KDP Select, you can price it for free on special promotion days, which could generate sales in the long run. Free books could equal lots of readers, exposure, recommendations and reviews. But the question remains, should you price your book for free?

When to Put Your Book out for Free on KDP Select

KDP Select Programme enables the writer to earn extra income by enrolling the book into a Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Kindle customers who are ‘Prime Members’ (who have paid a small annual fee to borrow books for free) can borrow your books (one at a time) and you can earn lending rights. This works rather like the library’s public lending right (PLR). Each loan earns you a share of Amazon’s annual pot of money. You can also sells books for free for up to 5 days per 90 days. A kindle customer (regardless of being a prime member or not) can upload your novel for free, and this often generates hundreds of uploads over the promotion period. But how can offering your book for free help the indie writer make money?

Making Money from Free Ebooks

Putting your digital books out for free could generate sales in the long run in the following ways:

If you have written a book series or sequels to a novel, you could entice the reader by offering the first book for free. This could generate sales of the sequels.
If one of you books isn’t selling well regardless of marketing strategies, there is little harm in opting this book into the KDP Select programme, but do so after careful consideration, for once you opt in, you cannot sell you novels digitally elsewhere and you cannot opt out again.
If you sell your book for around 99c anyway, you could earn more money by ‘loans’ than by the royalties. But you can continue to earn royalties at the same time, as your book will still be for sale in the normal way.
Of course, free often means lots of downloads, and lots of downloads could lead to reviews, recommendations and exposure.

What is the Best Price for My Paperback on Createspace?

Createspace is really Amazon’s other publishing limb that deals with the production of the paperback as opposed to ebooks. Createspace is a print on demand setup which makes overheads a little more costly than a mass-produced paperback. However, there is no danger of surplus books to sell or outlay, as the book is printed only when it is sold. For these reasons, pricing the paperback is completely different to pricing the ebook.

Createspace offers several sales channels on which to sell your book. Your book will automatically show up on Amazon and on your own ebookstore once you join Createspace. Your book’s price is determined by:

Book dimensions
Page count
And if it is colour or black and white.

Black and white is much cheaper to produce than colour, which is good news for the novel writer. I try to price my paperbacks as cheaply as possible but aim to get at least $1 royalty per sale. Royalty yields are larger if you make a sale on your own Amazon estore as opposed to Amazon.com.

What is Expanded Distribution Channel and How can it Help the Writer?

For a one-off fee of $25 per book you can go for Createspace’s expanded distribution channel (EDC). Until recently you only had access to this channel through Pro Plan, but that has now changed.

You can now opt into EDC to sell your books outside Amazon, such as academic institutions, libraries and book retailers. The downside is that the overheads are slightly increased, meaning you have to charge a little more for your book. Within such a cut-throat industry as book selling, would retailers allow for this extra charge per book?

The Best Price for Selling Your Books

Indie writers have lots of control over pricing their books, but factors remain. Consider the following summarizing points:

A kindle book should be cheaper than its paperback counterpart.
The price should reflect the quality of the novel, the author’s reputation, the book’s length and any special features.
The price should be competitive but not to give the impression it is a cheap read, particularly if it is a book of quality.
Strategically offering your book for free on promotion days could generate long term sales with more reviews and enticement to buy sequels/series.
As for the paperback counterpart, overheads are larger, as there are production costs to consider. Deciding factors are the book’s dimension, page count and whether it is colour or not. I try to get at least $1 royalty per book.
Opting into EDC for a small fee enables you to sell your books outside Amazon. But this means increasing the price of your book slightly. Opt in only if you are confident your book will sell to outside book outlets.

And lastly, experiment. Change the book price now and again to see how this affects sales. It is a long term game and seasonal fluctuations occur, regardless of the price setting. Keep in touch with how like-books are priced across digital platforms and on Createspace to remain in touch with how your book’s pricing fits into the marketplace.

Helpful Articles on Writing and Selling your Books

Tips on writing crime fiction
Character development questionnaire
How do I use keywords to sell my novel?

Where Do I Market My Novel Once Self Published?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:44:00 +0000

You’ve completed your novel, published it on Kindle, Smashwords and Createspace. Now what do you do? If the indie book sales don’t come rolling in, it is time to do some book marketing. Of course, there is FaceBook and Twitter on which to plug your book, but which websites specialize in book marketing?

Websites to Promote your Book

Linkedin is a website dedicated to professionals who wish to exchange opportunities and ideas and therefore is ideal for authors wishing to get noticed. Linkedin can be used as a network platform for self published authors to connect with others in the industry such as literary agents and publishers.

Goodreads is a huge online bookclub where avid readers can impart what titles they have enjoyed and give recommendations. The Goodreads Author Programme helps authors reach their target audience with your own webpage. You can advertise your book, post a bio, post excerpts from your book and even a quiz about your book. It is recommended that your book is already on Amazon or Barnes & Noble before applying for the author programme.

Shelfali is a part of Amazon. Go to the Shelfali homepage and sign in with your existing Amazon account. Search for your book and you can make changes and additions, such as a rundown of the characters of your book, a logline, the location of your book, excerpts from your book and other interesting things about your book. Shortly, you will find the logline and character list part of your book appear on the Amazon.com page where your book is located.

Sell Your Book Through the Best Book Sites

Author’s Den is a site that brings writers and readers together. Via this site, authors may link to their articles, blogs and other author links. An author page provides a platform for an author bio, details of publications, books and a place for other readers to review.

Librarything, essentially is the largest bookclub in the world. You can capture your book from Amazon or libraries worldwide and add it to your own library for cataloging and adding tags. Create an author profile to help you connect with readers and raise your profile. A Zeitgeist page shows fun statistics about the site in general such as the top reviewers and the most prolific reviewers.

Networks for Authors

The Book Marketing Network as its name suggests is a networking site for authors, epublishers and publishers. Once creating an account you can upload an author bio, picture, details of your books via a My Page and create links to your blog. A forum enables authors to network and exchange tips with other writers. Ask a question through booksellers, book designer or publicist.

Book Blogs Ning is a site for book lovers and writers but is really to let writers with blogs know about you and your blog. Plug your book through a My Page and blog about your book. Start a discussion about your book (but never plug your book in an unrelated discussion). You can post book giveaways and deals through this site.

Breakthrough Bookstore is a site dedicated to the reader looking for that special book by an unknown or undiscovered author. The site is powered by Amazon, by clicking through to find Amazon’s highest-rated indie books. There is an editor’s choice and a shop by category in the site.

Other Sites for Promoting your Book

Further platforms for authors (these I haven’t checked out) might be worth investigation are, Bookwhirl, Indieauthorsunite, Book Daily, Bookhitch and Writetobreathe. Some of these sites are still under development.

Guide to Promoting your Book on the Web

The cardinal rule when plugging your book is never to spam. This will make your appear unprofessional. I myself never plug my books on Amazon or hijack someone else’s discussion with an unsolicited sales pitch. Promoting your book effectively means putting placing it in contextual sites. This means making it discoverable by someone searching for a book like yours. By this means, it will get read, reviewed and even recommended.

Articles on Book Publishing

How to write a book synopsis
Dealing with rejections from publishers

Platforms for Screenwriters to Get Discovered

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:05:00 +0000

You do not have to wait for the next screenwriting contest deadline or response from a film agent to get your screenplay discovered. You can also upload your screenplay onto various online platforms where they are viewable 24/7 for people in the movie industry looking for new screenwriting talent.

Getting Your Screenplay Read

Screenwriting platforms are basically websites that host your screenplay for public view. On registration, you will have access to screenwriting forums and discussions with other screenwriters, get reviewed by those like yourself and/or those in the movie industry. You will also get exposure to those looking for screenwriting talent. Most screenwriting platforms are free, but some charge for registration and/or hosting on the site. Look out for prizes and opportunities to improve your craft of screenwriting.

Should I Upload My Screenplay for Public View?

Of course it is always advisable to register your work with the WGA or similar before uploading. Unless the work is copied verbatim or parts of it lifted, the screenwriter will find it hard to prove that someone else has made some basic alterations to your screenplay and given it a different title. The premise for a story or an idea cannot be copyrighted. However, hiding the screenplay away in fear of this happening is also not ideal. Some of the following screenwriting platforms offer security against this happening and all recommend protecting your copyright as much as possible.

Inktip

More than 120 films have been produced from writers who are a member of Inktip. Members include writers, producers and film agents. A logline and synopsis (not the screenplay itself) can be uploaded for free. The site is also accessible to almost 3000 industry professionals making the site ideal for the right exposure. Only industry professionals (not other writers) have access to reading your screenplay which makes it more secure against plagiarism. The screenplay must also be fully copyrighted with the Writer’s Guild of America or similar, prior to upload. Just register and this screenwriting platform could help you sell your script. Registration is free, but including your script onto InkTip’s searchable index costs $60 per 6 months. You must sign and return a release form to become a member. Read carefully before uploading.

Talentville

Created by Ben Cahan, the creator of Final Draft screenwriting software, this screenwriter’s platform provides exposure for full length features, hour-long dramas, shorts and snippets. A logline voting system enables the logline for your screenplay to get praise or a makeover from Script Pipeline as well as a ‘screenwriter’s lounge’ for advice and to swap ideas. A virtual TalentDollar currency enables you to ‘earn’ by reviewing other screenplays in order to ‘buy’ a review for yours from someone else. Feedbacks for scripts are broken down into concept, story, character, structure, dialogue, writing and overall. A Hall of Fame offers awards for the best screenplays and further exposure and opportunities from Scriptapalooza.

Amazon Studios

A screenwriter’s platform set up by Amazon and Warner Brothers, this site offers screenwriters the chance to be read, reviewed and work in collaboration with other writers for monthly prizes and a chance to get produced. The first 30 pages of your screenplay are guaranteed a read by an industry professional on upload. Other writers and film producers may create a film trailers, shorts and dialogue tracks from your screenplay. You must read the developmental agreement carefully, as upload automatically options your screenplay for 18 months. A clause prohibits uploading your screenplay elsewhere during this period, so uploading onto Talentville, for example after uploading onto Amazon Studios would conflict with the developmental agreement.

Triggerstreet

A platform for screenwriters, authors, film makers and film lovers to share, network and learn from others. A veteran site starting in 2002, film lovers and industry specialists may review screenplays regarding concept, character, dialogue, story, structure and overall. Short stories and short movies can also be found here. Like Talentville mentioned above, you earn review credits by reviewing others. To earn credits, you must request an assignment and then review. If your screenplay becomes featured by TriggerStreet, TriggerStreet have first option to buy your screenplay for a period of no less than 90 days. A ‘Hall of Justice’ is set up by seasoned users to regulate the site.

Websites for Screenplays

The screenwriter does not have to wait for replies from film agents or the next contest deadline. Websites holding databases for screenplays viewable at any time by industry professionals as well as film lovers to review, collaborate, swap ideas, and perhaps even get discovered. Of course, putting your screenplay on public view always poses the risk of plagiarism. Always register your screenplay with the WGA or similar beforehand.

Links to Other Articles on Screenwriting

Scriptwriting workshops
Copyrighting your screenplay

Which Screenwriting Competition?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 23:46:00 +0000

Entering scriptwriting contests is an exciting activity, but care must be taken the competition is fair. I always garner reviews from screenwriting forums. The prize fund must correlate with the entry fee, for example, a high entry fee for a small prize fund should be questioned (unless further opportunities are offered). Look out for hidden costs and beware of competitions with spam or have pop-up ads. Competitions that enable the screenwriter to retain the rights are to be preferred.

The Best Screenwriting Contests

The following links provide information on annual screenplay contests, with good cash prizes and/or good prospects on offer. The entry fees are pretty much the same, around $50 or so. Always read the competitions rules carefully.

The Page International Screenwriting Awards

Started by a group of producers, writers and agents from Hollywood, winners of this annual competition resulted in movie productions and options from established film makers such as Fox Films and Zero Gravity Productions. You need to assign your entry into a film genre such as comedy, drama, thriller or science fiction. Shorts as well as TV pilots can also enter. Prizes for each category will be given from a total prize fund of $50,000. You may submit your entry online. Earlier submissions are cheaper than late ones (between $40 and $70). For an additional fee, you will get a script feedback.

Zoetrope Contest

A motion picture company belonging to Francis Ford Coppola, the American Zoetrope Screenwriting Contest could result in consideration by big names such Samuel Goldwyn, Fox Searchlight or Sony Pictures. Held annually, the prize fund amounts to $5000 but could yield untold opportunities, not least the top 10 finalists to be considered by William Morris Endeavour, the Gersh Agency and others. Online entries are accepted. Entry fee between $35 and $50 depending on the tardiness of submission.

Final Draft Big Break

Final Draft Big Break is an annual global screenwriting competition that accepts online entries of feature length screenplays only. Fees vary between $40 and $65 depending upon how early you enter. Screenplays that have been optioned are not eligible. Prize money vary from $15,000 for the winner to $2000 for finalists.

Hollywood Screenplay Contest

An annual competition costing from $30 to $55 for late submitters. Winners and finalists have the opportunity to attend a gala event to meet and network with producers and film makers. Prize fund amounts to $5000 plus.

Amazon Studios

A partnership set up between Amazon and Warner Brothers. Upload your screenplay and the first 30 pages are guaranteed to be read by the powers that be. The screenplay is also automatically entered into a monthly and an annual competition the prize fund of which collectively amounts to around $2 million. Your screenplay could also be produced. Read the development agreement carefully before joining.

Bluecat Screenplay Competition

An annual screenplay competition that offers $10,000 to the winner and $2000 to the finalists. Extra prizes can be found in the Cordelia prize, for the best US screenplay, and the Joplin award for the best non US screenplay. A live reading of the screenplay will be performed at the George Eastman Film Festival. The fee to enter the competition includes 2 script analyses per screenplay.

New York Screenplay Contest

An annual competition offering different genre categories, including thrillers, comedy and drama with prize fund amounting to $10,000. Entry fees depend upon the length of the script and the tardiness of submission but is between $25 to $65. For an extra $50, a judge feedback is given. Winning screenplays and finalists will also receive promotion to targeted press releases within the entertainment media.

Screenwriting Contests Tips

Before submitting your screenplay, read the competition rules carefully to ensure no rule breach, for instance, some competitions prohibit a screenplay that has been optioned elsewhere. Watch out for hidden costs too, as some competitions demand a registration fee as well as the entry fee itself. The best way to decide if a competition is worth entering is to check out feedback on screenwriting forums.

Screenwriting Advice

Writing dialogue for film
How to write a synopsis for a screenplay
Is Amazon studios for me?

Beginners’ Guide to Self Publishing Your Novel on Createspace

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Createspace, one of Amazon’s limbs in the self-publishing business is a free and convenient way to getting your novel published in print copy. Not to be confused with Kindle, which is Amazon’s ebook store, for reading novels on a reader, such as the Kindle. Createspace is free to self-published authors for its Print on Demand services (POD), which means the book is only printed when it is purchased.

Self-Publishing Your Novel for Free

Publishing on Createspace is a different experience to publishing on Kindle (or KDP Amazon – Kindle Direct Publishing). You will basically need 3 things: a typo-free, perfectly crafted novel, a synopsis (blurb or sales pitch for the novel) and a book cover.

Firstly the novel. Take care the desired font is used. Times New Roman, Aerial or Bookman Old Style are most often used. I favour font sized point 10 for my novels but 11 or 12 might be more suitable for children’s fiction. Take a look at other novels to see how they are formatted and copy a style you like regarding chapter headings, page numbers or graphics. I try to keep these elements simple.

Formatting your Novel

You will need to consider the dimensions of your book. Createspace has a range of sizes to choose from, 8x5in (which I used for my novels) to 8.5x11in. You can alter the size of your pages on Word by selecting ‘page layout’ on the Word toolbar and then selecting ‘size’. By selecting ‘more page sizes,’ you can tailor the size of your novel to accord with any Amazon’s Createspace offer. Whatever margins you use, ensure they are ‘mirrored.’ (I allow 1in approx on the outer edges, top and bottom and a little wider for the inside or ‘gutter’ of the page). Note, that odd page numbers are always the facing page, and therefore chapter one will be placed on an odd page number, (say page 3 or 5). Set indentations for new paragraphs to 0.3.

Your Novel as a PDF

Once the look of your novel is how you want, you need to save it as a PDF. To do this, open your word document, hover over the office graphic button on the upper left of your screen, click on ‘save as’ and then select PDF. You will then find 2 options, either minimum size (for online publishing such as on Kindle) or standard (for printing). Select the latter and click ‘publish.’ A separate PDF file will open. This is the file you will need to upload onto Createspace. Note: PDF is a read only document. If you notice a typo, you will have to delete the PDF file, correct the typo on the word document and save as a separate PDF.

Publishing on Createspace

Create an account with Createspace by following the online instructions. Next, you will need to input the title information (the title of your book) followed by the synopsis for your novel. Writing a synopsis for the novel can be found as a separate article on this blog. Next, the ISBN. You can have a free Createspace assigned ISBN or use one you have purchased from a separate agency. I will put the ISBN in the copyright page of my book and keep a separate copy of it for reference.

Uploading Your Book onto Createspace

Before uploading your PDF file onto Createspace, select the page colour, which is white, cream or a ‘colour’ option if you have colour illustrations within your book. Note, publishing in black and white is much cheaper than a colour book, so unless it is a children’s picture book, avoid using a one-off colour graphic, which will make the whole book much more costly to produce. For my novels, I use ‘cream’ rather than white, but it is up to you. Now you simply need to select ‘with bleed’ or ‘without.’ A bleed is required if illustrations or text run off to the edge of the page, and Amazon needs to trim off the edge. Most novels require no bleed, so select this button and then upload your PDF file onto Createspace. This will take a few moments.

Book Cover Design

You will obviously need a book cover design for your novel. This is a lengthy process which I have covered in a separate article. Briefly you have the choice of either designing your own from scratch, using one of Amazon’s templates and a myriad of copyright-free images from their database, or you can use one of their cover designers for $299. It is up to you.

Pricing Your Novel

Now you just need to “complete setup.” This involves pricing your novel and deciding on which channels to sell it on. A price checker can be used to help you decide how much to price your book as. All you need to do is input the size and page numbers. Your book will automatically be available on Amazon as well as your own CreateSpace Estore, which you can design yourself and provide links to. You also have the option of Standard Distribution, or Expanded Distribution Channel. (The old system involving Pro Plan has now been changed).

What is Expanded Distribution Channel?

It is up to you, but for a fee of $25 per book, you can upgrade to Expanded Distribution Channel (EDC). EDCopens distribution channels of your book onto other sales channels such as bookstores, libraries and overseas retailers. I like to see how my books perform on Kindle before committing to EDC, as you will also have to price your books a little higher to make royalties than if you remained with the standard channel.

Once you have completed all required fields, you can submit your book for review, which will take around three days or so, after which, the print copy of your book will be available on Amazon.com.

At this point, I will order a copy of my book as a keepsake. Note however, that if you live outside the US, you will have to pay overseas postage costs which I have found can often exceed the production cost of the book itself, and which a lengthy wait is likely.

Free POD Publishing

Having said that, I think Createspace is the best POD (print on demand) option for the self-published author, as the book is created at no cost to you other than the purchase of your own book and the option of EDC. So long as you have taken special care over the novel itself, the formatting of your book and the cover design, the quality of the book compares with those of mainstream publishers.

Links to other articles on writing novels

Questionnaire for developing your characters
How to develop narrative style

Why I Uploaded my Script onto Amazon Studios

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:49:00 +0000

There has been mixed reactions to Amazon Studios’ terms and conditions in their developmental agreement. Well, I have been doing a lot of cogitating and research before uploading my screenplays onto their site. Let’s look at the contentious issues that may deter other untested screenwriters from uploading their screenplays onto Amazon Studios and tackle them one by one.

1 Uploading onto Amazon Studios opens your screenplay up to getting messed up by other writers. (Other writer meaning those who have an Amazon Studios account like you, not Amazon Studios itself.) Well, the option ‘closed’ has been added to ‘with permission’ and ‘open’, meaning you keep total control over the drafts of your screenplay. Having no collaborators, means you keep all monies from prizes, option extensions or purchases for yourself and you retain complete control over your screenplay.

Of course, your screenplay will still be ‘messed with’ by other writers and/or producers within Amazon Studios if they decide to purchase the rights to your screenplay, but this applies to the film industry in general, not just Amazon Studios.

2 By uploading onto Amazon Studios opens your screenplay up to being ‘copied’ by another writer. One of the clauses in the developmental agreement prohibits you from taking a law suit against Amazon Studios if they work on another project that happens to have similar plotline or elements to your screenplay. Well, this could happen the moment any reader opens your screenplay. According to the Writers’ and Artist’s Yearbook, you cannot copyright an idea or a concept. Similarities and influences between movies can be seen throughout history. However, copying someone’s work verbatim is prohibited. The best thing to do is to register your work at the copyright office. The alternative is to allow your screenplay to languish in the drawer to collect dust. No risk of someone copying your idea then, is there?

3 If your screenplay is good enough, you will find representation and/or a better deal elsewhere without a need to upload onto Amazon Studios. Well, in my experience, few literary/film agents will even look at an unknown/untested writer. I have spent months writing letters/emails, printing and sending scripts to the largest agents in the UK and few will even respond. Recently, I sent ten polite query letters after a hiatus of giving up and had one response. They are either ‘too busy’, have ‘full books’ or have simply ‘lost your correspondence’. The waiting is the most difficult part. Some agents prohibit you from approaching another agent whilst they consider your work and yet expect you to wait months for a response. You’d have to live to a hundred to approach all agents and wait for their responses one after the other.

From my research, it seems working within the industry and being ‘in the know’ really does increase your chances of getting your screenplay read. The quality of the screenplay has no bearing within this point. The screenplay I had touted had received excellent feedback from BBCWritersroom having gone very far up their feedback system and was almost been taken on by PFD a few years back. Despite this, my efforts have given me nothing to show for. You could have a fantastic screenplay, yet will likely remain unread unless you have some connection within the industry or have the time, funding and resources to attend workshops/events/meet people in the business that likely take place miles from where you live. Not easy if you have a full-time job, family commitments, and if like me, you live in some backwater. Screenwriting talent and the power to get your script read, from my experience, are two very separate things.

4 You can’t sell your script elsewhere for 18 months once you upload due to the option agreement. Well, see point 3 above on this. From my experience, it is hard to even get a screenplay read by a producer/agent if you are an unknown. But on Amazon Studios, at least others can read it and give reviews; the first 30 pages of your screenplay are guaranteed to be read by someone who makes the decisions on whether to purchase. You are also automatically entered into monthly competitions on Amazon Studios which could win you thousands of dollars. Think of the time, expense and effort to enter just one screenwriting competition? I have checked them out, and each competition is on average $50 each to enter. Having your screenplay up on Amazon Studios enables you to sit back, relax and see what happens for free. And whilst waiting, why not use the time to do what writers really want to do: write?

I must add the point here that Amazon Studios allow you to enter screenwriting competitions so long as the rights to the screenplay are not sold away. You must read through the rules, as some screenplay competitions prohibit screenplays that have been (a) optioned elsewhere or (b) entered into other competitions. By uploading your screenplay onto Amazon Studios, you are automatically optioning your screenplay for 18 months and entering into their monthly competitions.

5 Amazon Studios has the right to extend the option period for a further 18 months in exchange for payment of $10,000 and there is nothing you can do about it. What if another producer was gagging to produce your screenplay for more? See point 3 above. The chance of anther producer wanting to buy your screenplay if you are an unknown is tiny. Look at it this way, you could upload your screenplay, forget it, and possibly get $10,000 payment for little effort in 18 months’ time, whereas otherwise, your screenplay could be sitting in the attic collecting dust or waiting to be read by a disinterested agent (again, see point 3). And surely, if Amazon Studios decide to purchase the option extension, that has to be a good sign. If Amazon Studios do not extend this option, you are free to tout your screenplay elsewhere. In some cases, Amazon will even release you from the option agreement early if you ask them to (so long as they have no plans to do anything with it.)

6 Amazon Studios has the right to sign on your behalf any documents you have not signed and returned within 5 days as a right of attorney. You will only be expected to sign documents outlined in their developmental agreement on their website which refers to documents like the option agreement or the purchase contract of your screenplay. Read carefully. If you don’t like anything within the developmental agreement, do not upload your screenplay.

7 Amazon Studios pay you a flat fee if they decide to purchase your screenplay. That’s all. Yes, you will be paid a flat fee of $200,000 purchase price for you screenplay. And you could get an additional $400,000 bonus if the film makes $60 million profit in the US box office. Oh, and you may possibly have received option fees and contest prize money as well. You could earn more if your screenplay has spinoffs or episodes. You could become more attractive to the screenwriting market if you write more screenplays, and other film producers/agents could be vying to buy your next screenplay.

If you have written a novel from the screenplay, think of the sales this could generate for your novel? The rights to your novel are still yours (if you are self-published as I am). In total, you could end up with at least half or a million dollars for uploading your screenplay. Rather unlikely otherwise.

8 Amazon Studios retains the right to produce my screenplay forever, even once the option period has expired. Well, they still have to pay you $200,000 to buy your screenplay to do so (plus you could get more if the film does well – see point 7 above). And that’s a good thing for your purse-strings, isn’t it?

Screenwriters who have broken into the industry may not see the benefits of Amazon Studios, and understandably so if they have found someone open-minded enough to read their screenplay in the first place. But from this lofty position, it is easy to attack Amazon Studios. From my experience, there really is a huge brick wall to getting your screenplay read…by anyone. And getting on really does depend upon where you live, who you know and the resources at your disposal. Talent comes into it very little, it seems.

Read article is Amazon Studios for Me?

Is Amazon Studios for Me? – The Screenwriter’s View

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:19:00 +0000

Amazon have partnered with Warner Brothers to find screenwriting talent via a platform for screenwriters known as Amazon Studios. Monthly prize money amounting to a few million dollars per year is awarded to quality screenplays and other film-associated creations. Entry is free and fellow screenwriters and film makers can provide feedback or help strengthen screenplays via collaborative writing. But Amazon’s Development Agreement has caused some controversy.

What is Amazon Studios?

Amazon Studios is an opportunity for screenwriters to get out there and be discovered, reviewed and possibly win some cash in the process. For those who are unsure of what Amazon Studios is, it is really a platform for writers, film makers and actors to make their work visible. Scripts, test movies (inexpensive full-length movies) and dialogue tracks (an audio recording of actors reading the dialogue part of a script) can be uploaded onto this site, and members, whether they are writers, film directors, actors or movie fans can rate or contribute towards someone’s work. Monthly prize money is awarded to the most rated creations, which may pique the interest of Warner Bros, one of Hollywood’s biggest film producers. This article explores the viewpoint of the screenwriter in the process.

Uploading a Screenplay onto Amazon Studios

When you create an account, you will be asked to provide some information about yourself, and then invited to upload your screenplay. You can then select whether you will invite other writers to contribute to your screenplay (if, for example, you feel it needs work) or not. The options ‘open’ ‘with permission’ or ‘closed’ speaks for itself. If your screenplay wins any of the competitions on the site, the prize money is apportioned to each contributor (if any) of your work including yourself.

Amazon Studios Development Agreement in a Nutshell

But the screenwriter must understand Amazon’s development agreement before uploading any screenplays onto this platform. To put it bluntly, as soon as you upload your screenplay onto Amazon Studios’ website, you are powerless to sell it elsewhere for 18 months. This situation in screenwriting context is known as an ‘option.’ At the end of this term (if Amazon has done nothing with the screenplay), Amazon Studios may decide to pay you $10,000 to extend this option by a further 18 months if they wish.

During this term, Amazon Studios will have exclusive rights to buy your screenplay for a fixed sum of $200,000 and make a movie from it. If, however, Amazon still has done nothing with the screenplay by the 18 month period, they lose exclusive rights and you are free to shop elsewhere. But in theory, Amazon could continue to extend this option.

Amazon states that 18 months is necessary for reviews to build up, have test movies made and see if the screenplay works commercially. The first thirty pages of each screenplay are guaranteed to be read by someone who has the powers to make the decision to buy the script and have that movie made.

If the film script is purchased from you by Amazon Studios, as described above, and the film makes 60 million dollars on initial release in the US box office, you will earn a bonus of $400,000.

Screenwriting Contest Money

It must be made clear that any prize money the screenwriter may have won on Amazon Studios’ monthly competitions is unconnected to the purchase or bonus money Amazon may pay the scriptwriter if the movie is made; collaborators are excluded from this money. However, there is plenty of opportunity for collaborators to earn competition cash from rewriting or improving someone else’s screenplay if the screenwriter grants permission.

Is Amazon Studios a Good Thing?

As can be seen, there are advantages and disadvantages to uploading your screenplay to Amazon Studios. Your script is made visible on a platform for other writers and film makers to see where otherwise the script could be languishing in a bottom drawer. Careful consideration however needs to be given over the Development Agreement before uploading. The option to purchase (or not) the screenplay could tie the screenwriter’s hands for years, where another film production company might be willing to purchase your script for a higher price, and if your screenplay does do well on Amazon Studios, the chances are, it may have done well elsewhere and yielded a better deal for the writer.

Articles on my Screenwriting site

How to write a screenplay synopsis
Guide to editing a screenplay
Why I uploaded my screenplay onto Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios website