“There are three difficulties in authorship: to write anything worth publishing – to find honest men to publish it – and to get sensible men to read it.” – Charles Caleb Cotton

“Writers are schizophrenic. On the one hand we tell ourselves, ‘This is a work of genius! I’ve created Art!’ Then we try to peddle it, like a widget, to The New Yorker, Playboy, or SF Age.” – Ken Rand

“Most writers can write books faster than publishers can write checks.” – Richard Curtis

“Sir, nobody but a blockhead ever wrote except for money.” – Samuel Johnson

“Instead of marveling with Johnson, how anything but profit should incite men to literary labor, I am rather surprised that mere emolument should induce them to labor so well.” – Thomas Green

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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past 15 years, I’ve helped more than 400 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of the Storytelling 101 writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.

Check out some of my writing guidebooks:

One of the best ways for authors to put their book to work for them is to create an online class based on it. For example, if you’ve written a book about how to draw, you could offer an online class on the same topic. Or you might branch out a little; a financial consultant who’s written a book about saving for retirement might deliver an online course on saving for your child’s college education.

Online classes are a powerful revenue engine. You usually can charge $47-$197 based on the length of and demand for the course; if you get 10 people a month to take the course, that’s a gross income of $5640 to $23,640 of income a year. Online classes also can be a powerful lead generator. If you offer consulting services, for example, your course will appeal to those who are extremely interested in what you offer, and some of those who sign up likely will hire you for assistance.

Creating a course is not something you can slapdash together by just writing text to read and questions to answer. Most authors who’ve put together an online course spent about as much time on it as they did writing their book. In many ways, creating a course is writing a book. If your course is based on your nonfiction book, though, you probably won’t need as much creation time.

Design your course using the writing process – brainstorm for ideas, create an outline, write a first draft, revise the draft at least a couple of times, and then begin producing it by placing text on a website with photos and shooting video. Before outlining, be sure to review other online courses to see how they are commonly organized; jot down and use ideas you like (such as videos to break up the reading) and nix ideas you dislike (perhaps audio-only portions of the course).

Aim for courses that run at least 30 minutes to three hours; most people are unwilling to pay for a shorter course (Why should they when they probably can watch a free YouTube video on it?) and are unwilling to invest the time in a longer course (Three hours already is quite lengthy in our busy lives!).

While you want to keep your costs down to maximize profits, you also don’t want to sacrifice quality. So, if videos are part of your course but you’ve never put together one before, then you may want to hire someone who has that experience. You’ll also probably need to purchase an app for your website to able to offer an online course, so there also is a small technical learning curve for putting the class together.

Of course, once you create the class, you will need to promote it across several social media platforms, just as you do for your published book. If you don’t, the course largely will go unnoticed. Promote it, however, and if you done a great job putting together a class that interests people, you’ll soon be watching your revenue and book sales climb!

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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional book editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past decade, I’ve helped more than 400 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of 80 books including the Storytelling 101 writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.

Check out some of my book marketing guidebooks:

Before your actual book begins – particularly if writing nonfiction – you may want to include material that that introduces readers to it. The idea of these introductions is in large part to establish why readers actually should read the book.

There are three general types of introductions that you might include in your book:
• Foreword – This is an essay about the book written by someone other than the book’s author. Ideally, a recognizable name in the book’s genre or subject matter writes the foreword. As the author, you might consider seeking out well-known names to write the foreword. It is always signed, meaning the essay’s author gives his name and usually the date and place of writing.
• Preface – This is written by the book’s author. Typically, it tells how the author came up with the idea for the book, explains the importance of the subject matter (or the book’s approach to it), and may include a list of thanks and acknowledgements at its end. It’s usually signed with the date and place of writing given. The preface always comes after the foreword.
• Classic introduction – Traditionally, an introduction gives information that the reader ought to know to better understand the book, such as how it’s organized, how it’s laid out, special features, and so on. In that sense, it’s a like set of explanatory notes.

Some authors combine the preface and introduction into one and label it as an introduction. I did that in my book “Hikes with Tykes” because explaining how the book came to be was essential to understanding how the volume was organized. Some authors also opt for an acknowledgements page rather than listing the names at the end of a preface or an introduction; other authors use both methods in the same book, saving the acknowledgements page for the most special contributions.

Page numbers for the foreword and preface typically are done in Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) while the introduction is in Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3).

Authors also should know that very few readers actually will sift through any of this introductory material. After all, most readers don’t need to be convinced to read the book as anyone considering such a purchase probably will rely on the back cover blurb, reviews by other readers, or maybe a quick paging through to see what the various chapters cover. Still, indulge that small fraction of readers who do look at forewords, prefaces and introductions, as they will appreciate gaining insights into your book from this material.

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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional book editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past decade, I’ve helped more than 400 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of 80 books including the Storytelling 101 writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.

Check out some of my self-publishing guidebooks:

Suffering from writer’s block or need to add some spunk to your writing? The problem may be that you need to change up your routine.

To that end, try this tip: Often the opening sentence shows something out-of-whack in the world. This then sets up the story’s central problem that the main character needs to resolve. Look around your house and think of what would need to change for a situation to be off-kilter. For example, “Each time I picked up the telephone, no one was there” or “She reclined in my pool chaise as if completely at home, but I didn’t have a clue as to who she might be.” After writing five such opening lines, select one as your book’s first sentence.

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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past 15 years, I’ve helped more than 400 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of the Storytelling 101 writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.

Check out some of my writing guidebooks:

You’d think someone with a college education would know whether or not to use an apostrophe, but apparently they don’t teach this anymore.

The professor says use an apostrophe. Why you ask, o seeker of knowledge? Because bachelor has two meanings: An unmarried man and someone (male or female) who has earned a college degree. Since the degree is owned by this graduate, an apostrophe is needed to show possession.

One more thing: Lowercase bachelor unless giving the name of a specific degree. So you can have a bachelor’s degree or a Bachelor of Arts Degree.

Bonus for advanced students seeking additional coursework: The same rules apply for masters degree vs. master’s degree.

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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past 15 years, I’ve helped more than 400 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of the Storytelling 101 writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.

Check out some of my writing guidebooks:

Organizing a media kit about your book or event is only half of the process in promoting yourself. The other half is distributing it.

Your distribution philosophy should be simple: Get the media kits in the hands of editors and writers who’ll be most interested in giving you or your book coverage.

Begin by compiling a list of who might be interested. Among those people are:
• Media (newspapers, magazines, radio station and television news reporters, bloggers, websites) that cover community in which you live
• Media in communities where you used to live/work
• Media in communities that cover where you attended school (both high school and college)
• Media in communities mentioned in the book
• Media that cover topics addressed in your book (such as outdoors magazines if the book is about rock climbing)
• Clubs interested in topics addressed in your book
• Press release distributors (Many companies will post your press release for free online; type “free press release distribution” into a search engine for a current list of distributors.)

If your press release is about an event, focus exclusively on media that cover the area where the event will be held.

When sending the media kit, try to find names and email of a specific reporter or editor who deals with the topics or covers the geographical area related to your address.

Also, for each media kit sent, you likely will need to rewrite the press release’s lede (its opening paragraph) or a closing paragraph, connecting the press release to the geographical area or the topic that you had in mind when sending it.

Send the media kit at least a week before any upcoming event. If announcing the results of an event (such as the publication of your book or the receipt of an award), send the media kit immediately after – usually within a day – of the event.

Finding email and snail mail addresses of media and clubs interested in covering you or your book will take some time. For mainstream media, begin by typing “media contact list” into a search engine, You can purchase media contact lists, but to keep your expenses low, simply use them as a starting point and go directly to the media outlet’s website. You’ll have to dig around, but usually there’s a list of staff with contact information on the website.

For blogs (and non-mainstream media websites), type “blogs” or “websites” plus a keyword that describes what your book is about. For example, if you’ve written a hiking book, type “hiking blogs” or “hiking websites” into a search engine. You’ll probably have to go to several different blogs and websites to find the ones that would be most interested.

For clubs, type “clubs” plus that descriptive keyword into a search engine. You’ll likely have to visit a variety of websites and dig around to find contact information.

While doing this groundwork, begin compiling a list of media contacts that you can use for sending out future media kits. Remember that these lists will have to be periodically updated as staff members change, blogs go defunct, and clubs elect new officers.

Sending out the media kit is fairly easy. Simply email it, with the press release as the body text of your email and the other materials, such as photographs, as attachments. Be forewarned that some media will not open attachments, and a few who are interested will want you to send paper copies of your book.

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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional book editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past decade, I’ve helped more than 400 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of 80 books including the Storytelling 101 writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.

Check out some of my book marketing guidebooks:

Once you’ve written your novel or short story, the question arises of where to you send it. If following the traditional publishing route, the answer depends on what type of work you’ve written.

If a novel, you need a list of literary agents. There are several reputable guidebooks (Writers Digest’s guides are fairly good) for sale at bookstores or online that list literary agents, whether or not they’re accepting submissions, the type of writing they handle, their unique submission requirements, and contact information. You’ll need to spend some time perusing the guidebook to create your own list of the literary agents that would be most interested in your work. Make sure the guidebook you use is no more than a year old.

With novels, don’t limit yourself to literary agents, however. Also submit your work to publishing houses. A few accept unsolicited submissions. Lists of those companies also appear in published guides, on the same library or bookstore shelves where you’ll find the literary agents guide. Should a publishing house show interest in your work, immediately reach out to a literary agent to represent you; you’ll find that at least a couple will be interested.

If you’ve written a short story, seek out magazines that publish works in your genre. Published guides exist as well for this, but as magazines can rise and fall in a matter of months, your best bet really is to simply type into an online search engine the genre you want to publish in, such as “science fiction magazines” or “murder mystery magazines.” You’ll have to do some sifting but should come up with a list of a dozen or more magazines in a matter of a few minutes. In fact, you’ll probably discover a number of magazines (especially emagazines) that you never knew existed.

Should you decide to self-publish, you’ll want a list of companies that offer such services. Simply type “self-publishing companies” into a search engine. You’ll come across a number of sites that compare these various companies as well as the company’s sites themselves. Spend a little time doing some comparison shopping; all offer various services (such as designing a cover, editing your text, formatting the book, etc.) at varying prices, and all provide different outlets for marketing your book as well as different royalties.

A note of caution: With online guides, always be wary … some of those lists are quite old, and even those created just a couple of years ago can be outdated. In addition, some of those lists are created with the intention of scamming you – for example, a few so-called literary agents recommend specific editors (who happen to work for them or who they get a kickback from) to work with you on your book with the suggestion that they then might take it on. It’s a highly shady practice. Still, some of the lists you’ll find online are updated regularly, giving you the opportunity to submit to new magazine editors before they’re inundated with short stories and novellas once they’re listed in a mainstream guide such as what Writers Digest publishes.

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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past 15 years, I’ve helped more than 400 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of the Storytelling 101 writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.

Check out some of my self-publishing guidebooks:

Suffering from writer’s block or need to add some spunk to your writing? The problem may be that you need to change up your routine.

To that end, try this tip: Select any object in the environment where you write – maybe a barista in a coffee shop, a poster in the den, or the refrigerator in the break room. Write a description of this found object, even if it has nothing to do with the story you’re working on. The goal is to “train” yourself to write at any moment.

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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past 15 years, I’ve helped more than 400 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of the Storytelling 101 writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.

Check out some of my writing guidebooks: