Writing, Publishing and Productivity: Links

I thought I'd try something different today and share links to articles I found interesting or helpful.

How Amazon Grew My Audience By More Than 24,000 Readers in Three Days
How to successfully market your books on Amazon.

What if your slogan is true?
Seth Godin on the importance of having a true story.

7 Writing & Productivity Articles Worth Reading
The best way to be productive is to stop reading this and write! But reading this article comes in a close second. :)

Book Spine Poetry: Your Turn
Poetry is writing! And this looks fun.

The Science of Sleep: Dreaming, Depression, and How REM Sleep Regulates Negative Emotions
This article has nothing to do with writing, it's about what may be one of the primary functions of dreaming: the regulation of emotion.

I hope it's sunny where you are and that a tall cold glass of lemonade is in your near future. That and writing. Cheers!

Other articles you might enjoy:
- Jane Friedman: How To Build An Awesome Twitter Bio
- Seth Godin on Creativity, Childhood and Heroes

Photo credit: Light Cue 23

Self-Publishing Tips

Here's a great article by Marie Force on how to format a manuscript for Amazon: Self-Publishing Tips for the Uninitiated.

Also, I would like to recommend Zoe Winter's book, Smart Self-Publishing: Becoming an Indie Author. I have read this book and use it now as a reference.

Although not about the nuts and bolts of formatting, etc., Joe Konrath's blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, is a must read for anyone thinking of independently publishing their work. Not only will it introduce you to other indie authors but Joe gives excellent advice on how to market your book(s).

Although not directly related to self-publishing, Dean Wesley Smith's blog, especially his Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing series, contains invaluable information about the business of writing. After reading his blog posts, I'll never think about writing the same way again.

Dean's wife, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, has her own blog where she discusses, among other things, the business of publishing (contracts, etc.)

Another blog I have found a wealthy of information on is The Passive Voice, especially when it comes to anything to do with contracts.

There are many more blogs I want to include here but I need to run or I will be late for my day job! Cheers!