How Can Authors Protect Their Works in Progress?

locking up your computer-1591018_600 (002)This question gets asked by readers a lot here at Indies Unlimited: How can I protect my manuscript from being taken by someone I let read it? And as common as the question is, it’s an easy answer: you can’t.

That’s not the answer most people want to hear, but Indies Unlimited is an “Alternative Facts Free Zone,” so only the truth appears here. And the truth is, you really can’t stop someone from doing unauthorized things with a document you give them.

The good news is that most people don’t do untoward things with your document. Most people do what was asked: read your manuscript and then either provide you feedback or write a review. However, occasionally, an unscrupulous person may share your book. Like I said, there’s really no way to stop someone who wants to do wrong with your file, if they have it.

While you can’t guarantee anything, there are some things that people do to try to prevent readers from sharing their work, taking credit for their work, or uploading it to pirated book sites. Here are a few: Continue reading “How Can Authors Protect Their Works in Progress?”

Managing ARC Reviewers

Chris leippi headshotGuest Post
by Chris Leippi

There comes a point in every self-pubber’s journey to the bestseller charts when they realize it’s time to launch their books with some reviews already in place. Those reviews will help boost sales by instilling confidence in readers that your book is worthy of their money and time. On top of that, many major book promotion websites require a minimum number of reviews in order for them to consider featuring it. If you want to start booking these, you’ll need those reviews!

But, how do bestselling authors go about managing all of those reviewers? Are they sending out hundreds of copies, hoping that a small percentage of them will follow through and review? Or, are they keeping track of each individual who requests a copy and following up with them until they write their review? Continue reading “Managing ARC Reviewers”

The Difference Between Alpha, Beta, and ARC Readers

arc-beta-alpha-reader-book-1836380_960_720We’ve had articles about each of these three kinds of readers, the purpose of each, and where they fit in the overall book creation process. But we’ve seen some confusion among our readers and some thought a discussion comparing and contrasting all three in one place might be useful. Continue reading “The Difference Between Alpha, Beta, and ARC Readers”

Mailing Lists and Advanced Readers and Bookfunnel, Oh My!

author email list building tipsIn my years as an Indie publisher, there have been a number of schools of thought as to what it took to be successful. In the salad days of 2012, the advice was, “Do a free run, then sit down and wait for the Brinks truck to back up with your money.” Those were good days, almost certainly too good to last. Since then, the advice has ranged from “write in a series and make the first book free” to “drive sales through Facebook ads,” to “use keywords and sharpened metadata to drive traffic.” Through it all, though, one thing has been constant: you need a mailing list.

The reason why is simple: You control how and when you access a mailing list, as opposed to investing everything into working the Amazon or social media algorithms. The problem with algorithms is, they change. What might be golden today can turn to lead tomorrow. A mailing list is yours forever, though, or at least until someone unsubscribes.

The key frustration I hear from most writers, though, is that it is awfully difficult to build a list into any kind of size that will deliver results. I feel your pain. Let’s look at the various ways to build a mailing list. Continue reading “Mailing Lists and Advanced Readers and Bookfunnel, Oh My!”