# What's one thing you think a starting author at kboards should know?



## Sever Bronny (May 13, 2013)

So when I first joined kboards, it took me way too long to discover the simplest thing--that some of the best wisdom of these threads is in the darn sticky, titled "Tips, FAQs and Useful Threads for Authors."

If I only could have paid attention a little more (I mean, it's right there at the top of the forum!) I would have saved myself a lot of time and trouble.

Okay, that's mine. What's yours?


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## ricola (Mar 3, 2014)

If you fail for a long time, you just fail.  You can't fail into success.

If you are failing, chances are, you need to do something different to start succeeding.

Amazing how few people want to face that.


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## Mark Tyson (Sep 22, 2014)

The difference between KDP and KDP select! They are not the same thing. I am always seeing veterans explaining that you can stay published through KDP and still publish elsewhere but you can't be enrolled in KDPS and publish elsewhere. So many still believe that you have to be exclusive to KDP as well as KDPS.


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## amyates (Feb 17, 2014)

In light of recent posts, I would say to the newbie author at kboards (as if I'm some old hat) that they should take nothing personally. This forum is full of brilliant, helpful, interesting authors, editors, artists, and readers. But even they aren't right one hundred percent of the time. Opinion is just that. Don't sweat any piece of feedback given, especially if you feel as though it's meant more to provoke more than to assist, or if you just don't agree. That's okay. Also, realize that some people are just blunt and they're not trying to hurt your feelings. 

And in terms of success... what works for one author isn't guaranteed to work for another. Don't assume that because Author A started making a living wage by doing x, y, and z, it means that you will also begin to do so by following their steps exactly. It also doesn't meant that your work is any less well-written than that other guy's. But there's lots of good info here and it never hurts to try.


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## 77071 (May 15, 2014)

Remember it's a public forum.  Like, open to the public.  So try to be nice to everybody!


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## Nope (Jun 25, 2012)

.


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## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

HSh said:


> Remember it's a public forum. Like, open to the public. So try to be nice to everybody!


This is mine, too.

If you say anything bad in this forum, it can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion.


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## Mark Tyson (Sep 22, 2014)

HSh said:


> Remember it's a public forum. Like, open to the public. So try to be nice to everybody!


This is very true and also very easy to forget when you are posting about something you are passionate about (like bad reviews! Never a good idea to talk about bad reviews on a public writer's forum)


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## ruecole (Jun 13, 2012)

How to do a search! There's a wealth of info on these boards, but not many newbies can find it due to the clunky search feature. 

Rue


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## DGS (Sep 25, 2013)

Find members you feel the same vibe with. Bonus points if they're successful. Then SPONGE everything off them.

Also, it seem the status quo is "people here dont; make $"  That's wrong. There are TONS of people here making their rent payments and many more making bank. You can make bank too, but as Camile says "you have to do what those people do. If you don't want to...well, that's that"


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## Sever Bronny (May 13, 2013)

ruecole said:


> How to do a search! There's a wealth of info on these boards, but not many newbies can find it due to the clunky search feature.
> 
> Rue


I've discovered the way to search the forums best is to google what you're looking for, click on "advanced search", and point the thing at kboards.

Voila


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## kathrynoh (Oct 17, 2012)

Look at who is giving advice. There's a world of difference between advice from someone who is just starting out and those who are earning the big bucks. Not that people who don't sell a ton don't have valuable advice. Sometimes it's good to know what someone who is around the same level as you is doing to get to the next stage.


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## Michael Buckley (Jun 24, 2013)

Find a place where you belong, experiment with different genre's until you find a place where you feel comfortable. If someone makes a ton of money writing erotica, let them... I suggest don't always follow others, let them follow you. It's important to build a mailing list, it might take you years to get a lot of followers, so what? Keep writing. If you write someone, somewhere, will find you who likes what you write.

If your first book fails write another and another, don't give up and don't expect to be making a fortune either. It could take you a few years before people start liking what you write. Some people never sell a book and some sell millions. Keep your expectations low and continue to drive forward.

Take some of the advice given here and disregard the rest. Every one here does not know what is best for you. Put your blurbs up and your covers and be prepared to be blasted. In the end you will get a better product to put out for your readers, just remember everything here is not helpful, most of it is though. 

Have faith in yourself. I read in a KDP newsletter one lady was turned down over a thousand times, her book was not good enough. She struggled to buy baby formula, not anymore she self published and is doing very nice now with sales. She did not give up and either should you.

FInd your niche, if your not a good story teller, self help books? Cook books or something. The internet is vass, and if we continue we can make a few extra dollars. Don't give up your day job if you have a few months of selling a lot of books, give it time and see where you are in a few years. I would say give it a few years anyway and see if writing is for you. If someone tells you that your writing s*cks, keep faith in yourself and strive to make improvements, read a lot of other books and learn how the other authors tell their story. I have been at it for over a year, I have not lost hope and nor should you.

I feel I have a few more books in me that will sell. I will not live in a million dollar house or drive a fancy car, but with perseverance, just maybe I can survive and afford to buy real food, enjoy the simpler things in life, such as not being homeless.


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## Caddy (Sep 13, 2011)

!. Remember it's a public forum
2. Never b*tch about reviews 
3. For every 5 minutes you spend here, spend 55 minutes on writing.


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## Mark Tyson (Sep 22, 2014)

Caddy said:


> !. Remember it's a public forum
> 2. Never b*tch about reviews
> 3. For every 5 minutes you spend here, spend 55 minutes on writing.


I agree with 1
I also agree with 2
OMG I better get to doing #3!!!!


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## 77071 (May 15, 2014)

Caddy said:


> 3. For every 5 minutes you spend here, spend 55 minutes on writing.


I need to be reminded of this one!


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

What works for one genre might not work for another. 
READ AMAZON'S TOS BEFORE HITTING UPLOAD.


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## wtvr (Jun 18, 2014)

kathrynoh said:


> Look at who is giving advice. There's a world of difference between advice from someone who is just starting out and those who are earning the big bucks.


^This.


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## Susan Alison (Jul 1, 2011)

Keep clear in your mind the difference between fact and opinion - both when reading others' and when writing your own.


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## Sapphire (Apr 24, 2012)

Writing and publishing isn't a _get rich quick _scheme. It's hard work.

Cinisajoy mentioned reading Amazon's TOS. I'll add to read everything as many times as it takes to absorb and understand it. So many new people come one here who don't understand their royalty payout or how KU figures payment or what exclusivity does and doesn't involve. It's all spelled out in black and white. You just have to take the time to read it and not gloss over everything because you just want to publish.


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## Michael Buckley (Jun 24, 2013)

Kayla. said:


> True, but what about if you were somewhat successful with one of your books but don't manage to get those results again?


I was selling pretty good at one time as well, now I am lucky to sell 30 books a month across all channels. 20 to 40 a month will not buy you anything, bank charge to use atm machine is 5 per bank. One bank in the Philippines and one in the USA, plus my monthly bank charge of 5 dollars. If I sell 30 a month that leaves me only 15 dollars, that won't even paid the internet.

If you could sold once before you can sell again, you have to believe that. Keep writing and going forward. Ignore the people who say you cannot do something, let them doubt you all they want. It's the reader you need to make happy. Keep writing until you have something the readers will enjoy or need.

We all have to do the best we can with what we have, keep hope and don't let nothing block your path. If you doubt yourself how can the reader ever want to read your stuff. Don't doubt, be strong and write more stuff and try to find something that you had luck with before with your readers. You sold before, sometimes what readers like a year ago is different today. I am in the same boat, it fills with water but I have large pales to bail the water out, it has not sank yet, nor will it. I know I have stuff to write that my readers will need to read. My biggest hardship is Christmas, it's a time of loneliness and self doubt, not about my writing but about life in general. After the holidays I will be strong again, there almost over now. I have nothing here and the people around be don't fail to let me know that daily. I will push through it, all I can say watch the charts, 2015 I will have another book that will take off.


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

1) Read the TOS and the help pages, download the book Amazon has for self-publishing on KDP.

2) Do the same for Smashwords, if you plan on uploading there.

3) Find good writing books, and study them. Each one will be different, and only by learning and doing can you find what works for you.

4) If you don't have a basic grasp of the English language, find a class or read some books -- and practice -- until you do.

5) Read, read, read. Read anything you can get your hands on. Read for fun and read to see how writers structure their books, how they use dialogue, how they describe scenes.

6) Practice, practice, practice. Although there are cases of people making sales with their first book, it's not something you should expect to happen to you. You've got better odds of being struck by a meteor.

7) Be patient. You will likely be publishing books for years before you start making enough money to be happy, much less to live on. How many years? No one knows. How many books? No one knows.

 While doing all that reading, take people's advice with a grain of salt. Some people are making a good living selling books to other people who want to be writers. Some of them are scam artists.

9) There's nothing wrong with doing what a good-selling writer is doing so far as choosing a genre, marketing ideas, etc. Just be able to accept that what works for them may not work for you. Heck, it often doesn't work for their next book.

10) If writing is in your soul, don't give up. You may not make a lot of sales, but you can feel really good just knowing someone you aren't related to has read your books. On the other hand, if you think writing ebooks is a guaranteed path to wealth and fame (and you have the special offer to prove it), it's best to find something else to do with your time.



Kayla. said:


> True, but what about if you were somewhat successful with one of your books but don't manage to get those results again?


Study that book and try to figure out why it did better! It might have been a fluke, or you might have tapped into a market that needs good books.

Disclaimer: I'm not one of those who say they sell a lot of books. I don't. But I can give out general knowledge and information I've been learning. It might save someone time and heartache.


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## sarahdalton (Mar 15, 2011)

You're the boss. It's you who makes the decisions at the end of the day. Listen to advice, take it in, do some research and then make informed decisions. One of the hardest things to learn is when to take advice and when to ignore it.


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## RBK (Nov 28, 2014)

Write the best book you possibly can, make it as professional as possible, publish it, do a little marketing and then repeat.

Absorb advice but remember every writer is individual, and what works for one may not work for you.

Be willing to learn and keep any ego or pride at home when doing so.

Enjoy yourself.


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## Ancient Lawyer (Jul 1, 2013)

All forums are different. Don't make any assumptions about what it will be like. This is a brilliant resource. There are lots of helpful and interesting people on here.

It is also very big indeed. It is easy to be intimidated by the sheer size of the place, not to mention the ebullience of the members.

To quote _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ - "Don't panic!"


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## psychotick (Jan 26, 2012)

Hi,

Avoid the temptation to compare yourself. Some guys here are incredibly successful. Most aren't. Don't assume that because you don't sell x books a month like y does, that you're a failure. Don't assume you're a success either. And don't assume that what works for others will work for you.

Just assume that if you are going to become a success you will have to give it your all and then hope for some luck.

Cheers, Greg.


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## DawnLee (Aug 17, 2014)

If at all possible, don't make your most important book your first book. There's already too much learning, stress, doubt and juggling involved in publishing your first book. If you insist on publishing the one that means the most to you first, you will add to the mix the huge stressor (and time suck) of seeking perfection.

If you can, start with a secondary story, a story that you would write just for fun and possibly to capitalize on current trends. One in which "really good" would be good enough for you.

For the record, I did not take my own advice, which is why I'm stuck thinking that every marketing and design decision carries the import of world peace and every word should birth rainbows and fireworks.


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## Sonya Bateman (Feb 3, 2013)

Don't ever play "Lady of Spain" again.

Oh, and don't listen to S.W. Vaughn. She's an idiot fresh out of advice. 

[Edited per mod request ]

_hmmm. . . . name calling is kind of a 'no no' -- even if you're calling yourself a name. _


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## Guest (Dec 16, 2014)

1. If someone suggests a technique to use or how to improve, write it down quickly because ten others will follow and say everything doesn't work for everybody before you even try it. So, don't assume you're that person it won't work for.

2. Write down each technique and give them a real try. Don't come on KB saying you did it, and people can see you didn't. It becomes clear you're actually looking for hugs. That's fine, but be truthful with at least yourself.

3. Be open to suggestions for improvement. Don't be so in love with your one book, you can't move on to the next and the next.


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## Graham C. (Oct 19, 2014)

Every now and then someone will post a thread saying that they hate first person point of view.  Write it anyway if that's what works for you. Two of the biggest sellers -- Twilight and Hunger Games -- are first person.


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## Alyson (Apr 26, 2012)

ruecole, you can use Google to search kboards.

Just use the following:

site:www.kboards.com  searchword searchword searchword....


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## zoe tate (Dec 18, 2013)

Sever Bronny said:


> What's one thing you think a starting author at kboards should know?


(With apologies for making a negative point) it's that a small but very vociferous proportion of the active members here apparently have such deep-seated and ill-informed prejudices against trade publishing that a significant proportion of the "information" offered here about publishers and agents ranges from sadly mistaken to downright ludicrous.


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## Elizabeth Ann West (Jul 11, 2011)

Find someone in your life that believes in what you're doing. Even the most introverted artist benefits from outside support from time to time. This profession takes a certain level of fearlessness, and no matter how many times we click publish it still heart stopping each time. That person in your life that offers you unwavering support can be a much-needed parachute.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

If you need a hug just say so.  
Someone said try many different things,  just make sure to give them all time to work.  1 day is never enough time.
Also don't self inflate you or your books.    Let the reader do that.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Sever Bronny said:


> Okay, that's mine. What's yours?


Every starting author should have it branded into their brain that there is no one right way to do anything in this business. Editing, covers, writing, publication schedule, etc. Listen to all the advice on the boards and elsewhere with a gigantic grain of salt, and use what works for you.

Also: Don't read reviews, and other writers' careers are not your career.


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## Avril Sabine (Jun 18, 2014)

Michael Buckley said:


> I was selling pretty good at one time as well, now I am lucky to sell 30 books a month across all channels. 20 to 40 a month will not buy you anything, bank charge to use atm machine is 5 per bank. One bank in the Philippines and one in the USA, plus my monthly bank charge of 5 dollars. If I sell 30 a month that leaves me only 15 dollars, that won't even paid the internet.


If Amazon transfer fees are eating into your earnings, you can put your Amazon payments on hold until they build up enough not to make those fees dramatically decrease your payments.


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## 75910 (Mar 16, 2014)

It's a business.  It's not personal. I'll repeat that.  It's business.


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## Walter Spence (Nov 22, 2014)

Having your work in the public eye.

When Bookbub accepted my novel for a promotion, even after the three day sale period expired I continued to see a significant sales increase over what it had enjoyed previously, which I attribute to it being listed on the front page for that particular genre. The sales boost lasted for a couple of months or so, and I could see how decreased visibility over time (as my book continued to be pushed further and further down the list by newer arrivals) resulted in fewer sales. Once the next book in the series is available, I plan to experiment with listing the first book in a different - albeit more expensive - genre (assuming the second book isn't picked up by the Kindle Scout people, which might affect how both are promoted).

Which I believe is one reason why mailing lists are so important. The more eyes there are actually looking at your work, the higher the sales. With so much product out there, anything that makes your work more visible to potential customers appears to  increase sales. The only question that remains being (for any such method), "Is it cost effective?".


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## Lionel&#039;s Mom (Aug 22, 2013)

Jim Johnson said:


> Also: Don't read reviews, and other writers' careers are not your career.


x 1million. Seriously, the good ones make you stressed, the bad ones put you in a ball of despair. Once you get to a certain number, they don't really matter anyway.
And comparing yourself to anyone else is just as crazy-making, though it's hard. I have to constantly remind myself to rein it in.


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## HappyToHelp (Sep 27, 2014)

Caddy said:


> !. Remember it's a public forum
> 2. Never b*tch about reviews
> 3. For every 5 minutes you spend here, spend 55 minutes on writing.


LOL on #3! Kboards is an AMAZING resource. There's so much to learn--but nothing takes the place of "butt-in-chair time". I try to reward myself with kboards during writing breaks. If I just let myself go and don't monitor my time here, next thing I know six days have passed and I've done nothing but read the posts here.


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## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

You may _never_ be able to quit your day job.

Trade published or self-published, plenty of authors still need another source of income to survive.

Yet, someday, maybe you _will_ quit your day job.

Clear as mud.


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

I love the advice about saving your best ideas for later!  I have quite the epic MG fantasy that is my longest-running WIP and I have decided to work on things I don't care quite so much about first.  I need more practice before I can do justice to it.


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## Sever Bronny (May 13, 2013)

I just discovered the simplest but most useful function: At the bottom of every thread, there is a "notify" button. This will tell you when there is a new response to the thread.

I've been here for over a year and I just discovered this. Me right now:


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## egcamby (Aug 20, 2014)

"There are three rules for writing a novel.  Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." ---W. Somerset Maugham

^^^ That's what I try to keep in mind.  Lots of great advice here, but also trust your gut.  That's what's great about self-publishing--you're the boss!


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Sever Bronny said:


> I've been here for over a year and I just discovered this.


Don't feel bad. I was here over two years before I realized there's a bookmark button for each thread. Really saves time trying to find a specific discussion!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Jim Johnson said:


> Don't feel bad. I was here over two years before I realized there's a bookmark button for each thread. Really saves time trying to find a specific discussion!


Well . . . . to be fair . . . . . I think the bookmark button was only added in the last year -- maybe in March when the software upgrade happened.


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## Sever Bronny (May 13, 2013)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Well . . . . to be fair . . . . . I think the bookmark button was only added in the last year -- maybe in March when the software upgrade happened.


Oh, that's a relief to know.










EDIT: Wait, you're talking about the bookmark button not the notify button!
I'll see myself out.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Sorry . . . the 'notify' button has been there as long as I have.  (And that's longer than most!  )


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Well . . . . to be fair . . . . . I think the bookmark button was only added in the last year -- maybe in March when the software upgrade happened.


Oh? Nice.


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## Guest (Dec 16, 2014)

Betsy has a cattle prod and knows how to use it. 

There are other parts of the forum besides the Cafe.  

Don't worry. My light sabers are set to stun. Nobody has ever lost a limb or anything.  

But in all seriousness, I always say an author should lurk for a week or so, read EVERYTHING, and get a feel for the place and see what has already been discussed. For some of us "old timers" we do get a little tired of answering the same questions over and over. There are some topics that have been discussed in incredible detail, often quite recently, and a simple search will turn them up. There are sometimes new authors who post a question and, when they don't get an immediate answer, bump their question with something obnoxious ("What? Nobody knows?  ")  Meanwhile, there is a fifteen page thread on the same topic, but it is on Page 2 and the newbie didn't look there. So the new author thinks they are being ignored, when in reality it is just that everyone is exhausted on the subject and has moved on.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Sorry . . . the 'notify' button has been there as long as I have. (And that's longer than most!  )


But doesn't the notify function send you an email every two seconds? That would drive me into a rage hotter than a thousand suns within seconds. Although I am easily irritated.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

That our culture is such that questions by new folk are tolerated even if the old-timers (with their walkers and everything) are tired of answering them, and that if people are tired of topics that they can move on to another thread and not participate.  

Just sayin'.

*checks charge on cattle prod.*

  

Betsy


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## Guest (Dec 16, 2014)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> That our culture is such that questions by new folk are tolerated even if the old-timers (with their walkers and everything)


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Lydniz said:


> But doesn't the notify function send you an email every two seconds? That would drive me into a rage hotter than a thousand suns within seconds. Although I am easily irritated.


If you go to http://www.kboards.com/index.php?action=profile;area=notification; you can set *For topics and boards I've requested notification on, notify me:* to notify you -instantly
-instantly but only for the first unread reply
-daily
-weekly

You can also use the links near the top of every KB page--to the right of your profile pic--Show unread posts since last visit or show new replies to your posts. Though if you've posted in a lot of threads, like I have, the second one has less benefit.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


>


 Yes, the SNL bit was what made me think of that when you said light saber.

EDIT: For anyone who hasn't seen it:
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/star-wars-teaser/2832821

Betsy


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Though sometimes us old timers get confused as to who said what.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> You can also use the links near the top of every KB page--to the right of your profile pic--Show unread posts since last visit or show new replies to your posts. Though if you've posted in a lot of threads, like I have, the second one has less benefit.
> 
> Betsy


Thanks. I just clicked the show unread posts link and it brought up a link to every single thread on these boards! I do find the bookmarks function useful, though.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Lydniz said:


> Thanks. I just clicked the show unread posts link and it brought up a link to every single thread on these boards! I do find the bookmarks function useful, though.


Sorry, I look at the whole forum!

After you've read all of the posts you are interested in on a forum, click on the *Mark Read * button in the upper right hand side, above the thread listing. Then all the old ones you don't care about won't show up. You'll have to do that for each forum on KBoards if you want to keep track of the whole forum.

If you're only interested in the Writers' Cafe, click on this link and bookmark it (using your browser functions, not the KB bookmarks):
http://www.kboards.com/index.php?action=unread;boards=60

Then use that bookmark to browse the WC. I have a similar bookmark set in my browser's bookmark bar.

And, after you've read all the threads that interest you, click On the *Mark Read* button.

Betsy


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## Vaalingrade (Feb 19, 2013)

1) Read things that aren't books about how to write. Thing about them. Think about what worked for you and what didn't as a reader.

2) If an offer is too good to be true, or pays off in 'exposure' -- RUN.

3) It's just business, but don't use that as an excuse to be that guy.

4) Do the research. Don't just take majority opinion here or anywhere else as gospel. Use this place in the same way you use Wikipedia: a starting point to direct you to places to do independent observation.

5) No. your advertisers, sales channels, et al don't care. Most readers won't either unless they're big fans. No matter what's in your head, in reality, you're not an artiste, or special snowflake. You are a Big Dumb Object that money and/or content comes out of. Anything better than that, you've gotta earn. And you've gotta learn to deal with that.


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## DawnLee (Aug 17, 2014)

Kayla. said:


> Now, I'm stuck with "sub-par" ideas, or topics I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. (health-related).


Kayla, right there with you. For the last five years, I've ghostwritten health books for clients. I'm extremely grateful that I've been able to put food on the table and in the cat dish, but one more Paleo or skin condition book and I'd have to beat myself unconscious. Actually, that would probably be unnecessary.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> If you're only interested in the Writers' Cafe, click on this link and bookmark it (using your browser functions, not the KB bookmarks):
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php?action=unread;boards=60
> 
> Betsy


Thanks, Betsy. Will try that.


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## I&#039;m a Little Teapot (Apr 10, 2014)

... that the best way to search the kboards is to go to Google and type:  site:kboards.com whateveryou'relookingfor.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Sever Bronny said:


> So when I first joined kboards, it took me way too long to discover the simplest thing--that some of the best wisdom of these threads is in the darn sticky, titled "Tips, FAQs and Useful Threads for Authors."
> 
> If I only could have paid attention a little more (I mean, it's right there at the top of the forum!) I would have saved myself a lot of time and trouble.
> 
> Okay, that's mine. What's yours?


No matter how many tell you, "Just do X and you'll me making X in no time," it's not true for everyone.

Being a writer is not "get rich quick."

You might not even EVER be rich.

It's a job. The harder you work at being great at it, the better your results OVER TIME.

And by OVER TIME, think at least a decade.

Those expecting it to be easy can and will be disappointed by their results.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Oakwood, you're no fun at all!  *pouts*

Betsy


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

oakwood said:


> With all due respect to the forum and all its illustrious members be they glossy-eyed newcomers, the *cough* old-timers, or electro-modulation crew, my advice is... to disconnect.
> 
> As in
> 
> ...


I write with the television on (usually a television set on Blu-Ray) but I agree about turning the Internet off while writing. I actually plug my phone in to charge in another room and turn my Internet hub off while working. I don't turn it back on until I'm done for the day.


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## Sever Bronny (May 13, 2013)

oakwood said:


> With all due respect to the forum and all its illustrious members be they glossy-eyed newcomers, the *cough* old-timers, or electro-modulation crew, my advice is... to disconnect.
> 
> As in
> 
> ...


You've found my kryptonite! *faints*


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Remember that no matter what you do or say:
Someone will love it and agree whole-heartedly.
Someone will hate it and think it is the stupidest thing ever.
Someone will not care one way or the other.

And I just want chocolate.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Do not, on the pain of death, start any threads about:

1. Review swaps
2. "Censorship"
3. Quality vs quantity especially in relation to writing and publishing speed
4. Bad reviews
5. The oxford comma
6. Anything I missed?


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Patty Jansen said:


> Do not, on the pain of death, start any threads about:
> 
> 1. Review swaps
> 2. "Censorship"
> ...


How could readers not love my book?
I published yesterday why am I not a best seller?


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## pauldude000 (May 22, 2013)

ʬ said:


> If you fail for a long time, you just fail. You can't fail into success.
> 
> If you are failing, chances are, you need to do something different to start succeeding.
> 
> Amazing how few people want to face that.


True, too true.


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## katrina46 (May 23, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> Don't feel bad. I was here over two years before I realized there's a bookmark button for each thread. Really saves time trying to find a specific discussion!


There's a bookmark button AND a notify button? Cool.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

The most important marketing happens before you publish the book.

Genre, writing, editing, formatting. 
Title, subtitle, cover, blurb. 

Get those right, and you've just made your "marketing" about 100x easier. If any of them put up roadblocks to your potential reader--your marketing just became an uphill battle.


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## katrina46 (May 23, 2014)

kathrynoh said:


> Look at who is giving advice. There's a world of difference between advice from someone who is just starting out and those who are earning the big bucks. Not that people who don't sell a ton don't have valuable advice. Sometimes it's good to know what someone who is around the same level as you is doing to get to the next stage.


That's true, but as someone who is still learning, I have given some advice on what not to do, as I post my failures and well as my successes so people don't make the same mistakes I did. It can be a little embarrassing, but if it saves someone some time, effort and money I'll do it. For example, I didn't know Amazon supplied a list of the best keywords. I felt stupid for overlooking it, but I posted a link to them and did get a couple of thank you replies from people who didn't know about them, either.


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## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

1) If you say "Hugh Howey" in your post, you automatically get ten more sales. 
2) All covers need moer red.
3) KB Lexicon
KB=Kboards 
BB=Book Bub
POI=Pixel of Ink
KDP=Kindle Direct Publishing
D2D=Draft2Digital
ENT=Ereader News Today
KND=Kindle Nation Daily
ILVN=I Love Vampire Novels
ARE=All Romance eBooks
use iBooks vs. iTunes (their promo staff pays attention)
KU=Kindle Unlimited
APub=Amazon Publishing


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## katrina46 (May 23, 2014)

KateDanley said:


> 1) If you say "Hugh Howey" in your post, you automatically get ten more sales.
> 2) All covers need moer red.
> 3) KB Lexicon
> KB=Kboards
> ...


Especially D2D because Apple and barnes and Nobles are such a pain to publish to directly. Would like to add Freebooksy to your list. I found out this weekend I make money on KU borrows giving the book away for free.


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## Sever Bronny (May 13, 2013)

Thought of another good one:

Many of the successful authors here use paid advertising and loss-leaders to chart. Once the book charts high enough, Amazon's internal marketing engines help boost it even higher. Don't be afraid to experiment and lose a couple bucks to see what works. Simply publishing a book and hoping for the best is a recipe for disappointment. Combine your paid advertising with blogging, a mailing list, and the many other marketing strategies posted in the forum, and you stand a much higher chance of success 

_NINJA EDIT:_ Oh and if I recall correctly, Amazon's algorithm _penalizes_ zero sale days by halving the next days' sales' impact against ranking. I know, I worded that terribly, sorry. Essentially, for every day you get zero sales, the algorithm penalizes you by making it twice as hard to chart the next day. So four days in a row of zero sales makes it like sixteen times as difficult to chart when you make a sale. *Until I find the source (I know I read it somewhere), this is all conjecture.*

This is why marketing is so crucial. The point is to avoid zero sale days like the plague. The more time you spend planning your marketing, the better chance you have of avoiding this. A lot of authors push for writing more books and less marketing, and that's a very fair point too, so you have to make up your own mind as to what to do. As you've heard enough times in this thread already, everyone has a different opinion on how to succeed.

As self-published authors, we are each other's mentors


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## AnonWriter (Dec 12, 2013)

telracs said:


> Remember that no matter what you do or say:
> Someone will love it and agree whole-heartedly.
> Someone will hate it and think it is the stupidest thing ever.
> Someone will not care one way or the other.
> ...


So true! Haha!

As a newbie who appreciates all the advice/wisdom/hand-holding here...

Newbies should not be afraid to give opinions themselves on book covers and blurbs etc. Even though we're not wise veterans, all opinions help in our very subjective industry.


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## J.J. Thompson (Aug 10, 2013)

1) Always keep writing, no matter what. (muse? what's a muse?)
2) Accept advice in the spirit in which it is given. You don't have to follow it, but accept it.
3) Always listen to the man named Hugh.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

General internet advice: if something or someone ticks you off, wait an hour or even a day before replying. Chances are, a day from now you'll realize whatever it was isn't worth going to war over.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Carol (was Dara) said:


> General internet advice: if something or someone ticks you off, wait an hour or even a day before replying. Chances are, a day from now you'll realize whatever it was isn't worth going to war over.


Corollary #1: remember that not every post needs to be responded to.

Corollary #2: some people just like to have the last word. Let them. It's okay. They haven't won anything.

I can't tell you how many times I've started a reply here only to leave a thread before posting.



Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

AND . . . . if you find it's the same people tempting you to respond when you KNOW you REALLY SHOULDN'T . . put them on 'ignore':

Go to your profile (menu bar across the top) and look for the option at the left that says "buddies/ignore list".

Mind you, you'll still see that they _have_ posted, but it won't show what they've said. You can click to see that so you do still need to exercise a little bit of will power.


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## Guest (Dec 17, 2014)

Sever Bronny said:


> _NINJA EDIT:_ Oh and if I recall correctly, Amazon's algorithm _penalizes_ zero sale days by halving the next days' sales' impact against ranking. I know, I worded that terribly, sorry. Essentially, for every day you get zero sales, the algorithm penalizes you by making it twice as hard to chart the next day. So four days in a row of zero sales makes it like sixteen times as difficult to chart when you make a sale.


Where did you get this? Because it makes no sense to assume Amazon "penalizes" anything. This would actually be counter-productive to Amazon's goal of making sure they get products in front of people when people want to buy them.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Go to your profile (menu bar across the top) and look for the option at the left that says "buddies/ignore list".


What does the buddies list do?


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Lydniz said:


> What does the buddies list do?


Mostly, nothing. See this thread http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,196455.0.html


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

crebel said:


> Mostly, nothing. See this thread http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,196455.0.html


Aha. Thanks.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Patty Jansen said:


> Do not, on the pain of death, start any threads about:
> 
> 1. Review swaps
> 2. "Censorship"
> ...


Permafree, pricing in general, KU, Dean Wesley Smith....


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## a_g (Aug 9, 2013)

Sever Bronny said:


> _NINJA EDIT:_ Oh and if I recall correctly, Amazon's algorithm _penalizes_ zero sale days by halving the next days' sales' impact against ranking. I know, I worded that terribly, sorry. Essentially, for every day you get zero sales, the algorithm penalizes you by making it twice as hard to chart the next day. So four days in a row of zero sales makes it like sixteen times as difficult to chart when you make a sale.


You have a source or link for this?


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## Vaalingrade (Feb 19, 2013)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> Where did you get this? Because it makes no sense to assume Amazon "penalizes" anything. This would actually be counter-productive to Amazon's goal of making sure they get products in front of people when people want to buy them.


I think he's misstating the findings of the last analysis of the algos where it's been shown that rankings weight for one sale decays by half each day. Which does effectively penalize sales spikes vs steady sales, but not really no sale days.


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## Sever Bronny (May 13, 2013)

Vaalingrade said:


> I think he's misstating the findings of the last analysis of the algos where it's been shown that rankings weight for one sale decays by half each day. Which does effectively penalize sales spikes vs steady sales, but not really no sale days.


That's it, yes! What's the source on that, anyway? I know I read it somewhere and remember it blowing my mind ...


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## The world would be prettier with more zebra strip (Apr 20, 2011)

I have not consented to the new Terms of Service, which were implemented without any announcement and without the ability to accept or reject them. My continued participation on the forum is related only to addressing this issue and cannot be construed as implied consent.  9/21/2018


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## Philip Harris (Dec 15, 2013)

Don't neglect the craft of writing.


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## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

Sever Bronny said:


> That's it, yes! What's the source on that, anyway? I know I read it somewhere and remember it blowing my mind ...


I can't think of her name, but she is a regular here and she runs a small press.


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