SPQ 038: How Do You Balance Attributing Sources with Telling Your Own Story?

girl with a laptop sitting on newspapers

The Question…

“If you use ideas you got from other people, how do you balance the need to credit your sources with the need to tell your own story?”

Biggest Takeaway…

[Tweet “You need to understand ALL legalities of running a book-based business. “]

The Answer…

Steve is not a lawyer, nor does he play one on TV, so he recommends checking out The Self-Publisher’s Handbook by Helen Sedwick. She covers everything related to running a self-publishing business, from trademarks to libel and slander. You really need to understand the legalities of running a book-based business.

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SPQ 036: What Are the Best Books for Self-Publishers?

spq36 header

The Question…

Alex asks, “What are some of your favorite books?”

Steve’s Answer…

Steve says a lot of his success has come from reading books on a daily basis. It’s really difficult to pick a list of favorites from all the books he’s read, so this list is limited to books on self-publishing and business. These eight books have a lot of valuable information for authors.

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SPQ 029: My Presentation – The 80/20 of Building a Nonfiction Author Platform

spq29 author platformSteve’s Presentation

In one week, Steve is participating in the Author Marketing Live event. The virtual event, which runs from January 26 to January 30, has 20 speakers giving one-hour presentations. Learn more or register for Author Marketing Live at www.amlticket.com.

Steve will cover the following topics during his presentation:

  • How to identify what works for your business
  • Email marketing
  • Which platforms to focus on
  • How to maximize your book launch
  • Simple marketing tricks that have a long-term impact on sales
  • How to scale your business into a full-time income

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SPQ 027: How to Organize Book Research Using the Evernote App

spq27 newThe Question…

Rick is a prolific researcher who has trouble trimming extra information from his books. He wants to know how Steve decides how much research to do. Rick also wants to know how to use Evernote to organize his research.

Biggest Takeaway…

[Tweet “Ideas pop up at random times, so make a habit of writing down EVERYTHING.”]

Steve’s Answer…

Ideas pop up at random times, so make a habit of writing down all of your ideas. Steve does this with his Kindle publishing checklist. The checklist has all the steps needed to move from initial idea to published book.

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SPQ 018: Prolific Writing – What Tools and Processes Do You Use to Write On a Daily Basis?

SPQ018: Prolific Writing – What Tools and Processes Do You Use to Write On a Daily Basis?

The Question…

What tools and processes do you use to help you be a prolific writer?

Biggest Takeaway…

[Tweet “When it comes to being a prolific writer, it’s all about habits.”]

Steve’s Answer…

Prolific writing makes things a lot easier for your book-based business. When it comes to being prolific, it’s all about habits. The right habits help you take large projects and break them down into doable daily processes.

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SPQ 012: How Do I Find a Book Editor?

How Do I Find a Book Editor?

The Question…

Eric of ThirtybyForty.com wants to know how to find an editor and how much money to budget for editing.

Biggest Takeaway…

[Tweet “Investing in a good editor will turn an average book into a great book. “]

Steve’s Answer…

Finding an editor is one of the most important things you can do as a self-published author. In fact, Steve says it is one of the two best investments you can make (the other is cover design). Investing in a good editor will turn an average book into a great book.

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SPQ 008: How Do You Manage Multiple Book Projects?

SPQ 008: How Do You Manage Multiple Book Projects?

The Question…

A reader asks how many projects Steve typically has in his publishing pipeline. In this episode, Steve explains how he moves from idea to completed project.

Biggest Takeaway…

[Tweet “Don’t sit on any finished titles; publish them immediately! “]

Steve’s Answer…

Steve usually works on no more than two or three books at a time. He doesn’t sit on any finished titles; he publishes them immediately. If he has an idea for another book, he writes it down and then continues working on his current project.

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