How to Publish a Book and Sell Your First 1,000 Copies

by Joe Bunting | 102 comments

I work with a lot of writers, and by far the most frustrated, disappointed, and confused writers I work with aren't the ones chasing after the publication of their first book, trying to figure out how to publish a book for the first time.

It's the ones who have already published their first book.

How to Publish a Book and Sell Your First 1,000 Copies

How do you publish your book and sell your first 1,000 copies?

The Frustrated Writer's Journey

Here's what happens:

Step 1: Slave Over the Blank Page. You spend thousands of hours over several years writing your masterpiece. It becomes your baby, a creation birthed from nothing.

You can't wait to see it in print. You can't imagine how it could not become a bestseller.

Step 2: Submit. You finally finish your book. You google “how to publish a book” and send your manuscript to agents and publishers. Their websites say you might have to wait three months to hear back, but you can't imagine it will take them more than two weeks to realize your book needs to be published immediately.

Step 3: Receive Rejection Letters. Two weeks go by, then a month, then three months. Four months later, you finally email the publishers. You receive a form rejection letter in reply: “…this book doesn't match our current needs…”

Step 4: Self-Publish. You're disappointed, sure, but this isn't 1992. You have other options. You decide to self-publish, and find a company online who will edit, design, print, and market your book for only $4,997. You swallow hard before writing the check, but you're sure you'll recoup your investment in no time.

Step 5: You Read Your Name In Print, Finally! Your book is published. It's live on Amazon. It's up on Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Library Thing, and everything in between. You're even getting a few reviews from blogs and on Amazon. You can't wait to get your first royalty check. Show me the money!

Step 6: Crickets. But then the sales don't come. You send increasingly desperate emails to your friends and family: “Have you bought my book yet? Are you telling people about my book? You do know I just wrote a book, right?” You sign up for Twitter to promote your book, but you only have seven followers. Your friends and family stop responding to emails. You receive your first royalty check. It's $58.13.

You have just caught frustrated author syndrome. What the heck happened?

5 Steps to Avoid Frustrated Author Syndrome

You probably don't think this could happen to you, but I've talked with enough first time authors suffering from frustrated author syndrome that I know this story is closer to the rule than the exception.

It doesn't have to be like this. But to avoid this experience and discover how to publish a book successfully, it's not enough to just do more — more promotion, spend more money.

You have to completely change your approach to publishing.

Below are five things you can do to avoid frustrated author syndrome. These are the principles we practice in the Write to Publish course, principles that will help you build a solid foundation for publishing and spread your stories far and wide.

1. Publish Early and Often

I know you want to write booksbut while you're working on your first book, you can publish other forms to build your audience.

I always recommend that people recycle chapters from failed novels and works in progress into short stories. You can also create a blog and share excerpts from your work in progress. Post stories as notes on Facebook. Compose 280 character stories on Twitter.

These “small shares” won't make you famous, but they will help you start to create a core group of fans you can leverage later on.

2. Build Your Cartel

Every writer needs a Cartel.

A Cartel is defined as an agreement amongst competitors. You can choose to treat other writers as competitors for the attention spans of busy readers, or you can choose to treat them as potential allies. In other words, as your team.

C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien had the Inklings. Virginia Woolf had the Bloomsbury Group. Jack Kerouac had the Beats. Hemingway had the Lost Generation. Most of the writers we consider masters had a Cartel. Before you publish your first book, you need to start building yours.

3. Write a Better Story

Marketing is important, but the best marketing you can do is to make your story as good as it possible could be. In my work as an editor and book reviewer, I've noticed five major mistakes authors make in their creative writing. Here are the solutions:

  1. Your Protagonist Must Choose. A protagonist who doesn't make important choices that determine his or her fate isn't a protagonist at all. He or she is a background character. 
  2. These Choices Must Be Hard. The most important decisions we make, such as who to marry, whether to change careers, when to have children, are difficult, and we rarely make them in a moment's notice. Your protagonist shouldn't either.
  3. Cut Superfluous Characters. Stephen Koch says, “The warning sign of a story that is growing disorganized is likely to be too many characters.” It's difficult to cut characters or merge two together — these are your creations, your friends, after all — but it will tighten your story and add drama.
  4. Set the Scene. Readers shouldn't be confused about where or when your scenes are taking place. Unless it's already clear, make sure you describe the setting and time at the start of every scene.
  5. Three Drafts. Most professional writers write in three drafts. The first is for figuring out what your story is about, the second, for major structural changes, and the third is for polishing. One draft is rarely enough.

4. Writers Read

Reading is a vital tool to improve your writing. As Stephen King said, “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write.”

It's also a great way to network and build your Cartel. As you gear up to publish your book, read other books within your genre, and consider reaching out to the authors for advice and help.

5. Generosity Sells Books

The key to selling books is word of mouth. How do you build word of mouth?

Generosity.

Your friends, family, and core readers should never have to buy a book. Give them as many copies as they want. Ask them to read it, and if they enjoy it, to share it with their friends. My friend Mike Worley works with publishers to market books, and he told me he can predict sales three months later by the number of copies he gives away today.

Plus, generosity feels good. Build your fan base and your joy as a writer by giving away books.

The Antidote to Frustrated Author Syndrome

Frustrated authors expect readers to flock to their writing as soon as it's published. Successful authors realize they can't do it alone. They share their writing generously, early, and often, and they build connections with other writers and readers who will be excited to share.

The best part of all these principles is that they work regardless of whether your books are self-published or traditionally published. No matter how you choose to publish your books, you can magnify your reach (and sell more books!) using the steps above.

So go and share your writing. Share early, share often, and share generously.

The process will never be easy. But it will definitely be worth it.

Which of these steps have you already mastered? What steps do you struggle with? Let us know in the comments.

PRACTICE

For today's practice, you're going to start and finish writing a story you can share right now. Take fifteen minutes to write a story in 280 characters.

When you're done, share your story in the comments below. Be sure to read your fellow writers' stories and leave feedback.

And for an extra bonus, head over to Twitter or Facebook and share your short short story with your followers, too!

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris, a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

102 Comments

  1. Pamela Hodges

    Great course. No, really I mean it. Joe, is very active in the forums, reading and giving suggestions. I was in the first class. Now off I go to write and publish a book.

    Reply
    • Ruby De'Brow

      My book is The Long Journey Home, A Likely Story, I would like help with audio book, any suggestions

    • Odey joshua.o

      I love all the advice and suggestion over here. but i will like to get a genuine review about my book titled ” Daily food for thought; I need motivation, because i realised that no matter your major or area of expertise, motivation is that driving force needed to keep you going when all hopes are lost. so you can check it out on amazon here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HJXVW0C

  2. Desiree M. Mondesir

    This perfectly describes me!!! And I love the wisdom provided in this post as well as the course! I look forward to completing and implementing it!

    Reply
  3. George McNeese

    This is a great post. I am looking forward for the opportunity to participate in this course. I want to become a better writer, and one day, write a book.

    Reply
    • Joe Bunting

      We’d love to have you. This could be a great foundation for you, George.

  4. Christine

    I love the idea of giving away books, but… I’ve gone the route of self-publishing. My books will cost me $7 each plus $2 each for the publishing package, plus copy editing, artwork, shipping & handling. Do the math. How many can I afford to give away at over $9 each?

    Reply
    • R.w. Foster

      I’m curious: Why is it costing you that much?

    • Christine

      Breakdown:
      For 160-page book, poetry and short fiction stories, “print on demand”, $6.90 each (Hopefully no tax added!)

      Initial publishing package $1500 –add $2 per book (if I sell 750 copies. If I sell 1500 copies it will only be $1 per book.)

      Artwork $100 (10 images from Shutterstock.) I’m doing some myself as well, but must pay $5 for each graphic insertion over the first free ten. (If I want 15 graphics it will cost me $25 extra, etc.)

      Copy-edit –which the printing company won’t do for free– ??
      (I somehow thought it would be included. I thought they’d supply the graphics, too, or at least the cover photos. Nope, only the cover design. There’s a difference. You learn a lot as you go along.)

      If I had the upfront cash to pay for printing, say1000 ($5-6 K) each book would probably have cost me half this amount.

      Shipping and handling.

    • R.w. Foster

      Wow. That’s a lot. I’m not 100% certain, but I think Create Space, and KDP is much cheaper with the POD. I believe Create Space takes care of the costs of shipping and printing from their cut (which, I think is 30% of each book), and all you have to do is set the price & upload to them. I’m still investigating which is why I’m not 100% on them. In the future, I can hook you up with the gentlman who’s doing my cover for $130. Somthing to think about, though?

    • Joe Bunting

      Hi Christine. First, I wouldn’t give away print copies unless people asked for them. Kindle and Nook files (or even a PDF) are generally sufficient. For your closest readers, a hard copy might be a good investment. A traditional publisher might give away 100 copies of a book to journalists, bloggers, and tv and radio shows.

      Second, who are you doing print on demand with? I’ve published several books with both CreateSpace and Lightning Source and pay about $2.35 per copy, POD, for a 150 page book. $7 seems awfully high.

    • Christine

      Being a Canadian, I opted for Friesen Press from Victoria BC. I chose them because I thought I’d get to go over my manuscript with a professional editor — and maybe I will yet. But their package hasn’t proved as “all-inclusive” as I would have expected. As I’ve said, live & learn.

  5. Jay Warner

    Joe’s upfront and personal approach is exactly what a new writer (or a procrastinating one) needs to push to the next level. If you’ve ever wanted to write, have written but now you need to publish, have published but now you need to market, this course will get you there. Best investment I have made this year was signing up for the Story Cartel Course. And the biggest bonus of all is being part of the Story Cartel. I’ve met some wonderful people who I hope will become lifelong friends as we all pursue our dreams of writing and publishing, and being read.

    Reply
    • Joe Bunting

      Wow. This means so much to me. Thanks Jay!

  6. Ryan Hodge

    You’re killing softly Joe…but my first royalty check was $62.49, so there! :p

    I’ve been peddling my book, Wounded Worlds, on Amazon HARD — but the best success I saw was when I offered it free for four days. It was PAINFUL to see it moved 281 copies and not see a cent for it, but it’s got multiple 5-Stars so far…so I hope it’s a matter of time before the WOM starts to spread. I tell you what, though, I really want a professional review -but the book’s online only. Any thoughts how I should go about seeking one?

    Reply
    • Joe Bunting

      Ha! Way to go, Ryan. That’s one cup of coffee more! 🙂

      Reviews are worth it, man. You know John Locke paid $25 per review (which was sleazy and evil, don’t do that). You got all those for free. Count your blessings. Many reviewers will take eBooks. I’d look to radio, maybe your local NPR station, places like that.

      Also, remember journalists are writers too, and they’re often aspiring novelists. While I wouldn’t go guns blazing pitching your book, try making a few friendships with them. It won’t just help you figure out how to get your book into traditional media, these kinds of friendships will also hone your chops. The key is never ask them for favors until your close. They all have sharp noses for self-interest.

    • gdufyrjrjf

      I know the post is from years ago, but I strongly disagree with Joe on this one – if you give away books for free, why would people buy them? A few books, maybe ten, is probably alright so people can read the whole thing (make sure you ask them to give reviews), but for the rest of the copies, a better idea is to give away extracts so people can read part of the story, get hooked, and want more.

  7. R.w. Foster

    Say Joe, how rough can we upload for opinions? I’ve finished my first draft and am getting ready to do my first round of edits before I look up a professional editor.

    Reply
    • Joe Bunting

      On StoryCartel.com? It should be a finished book, not a manuscript. However, I definitely recommend getting 30 beta readers or more before you publish. (Friends, family, and core readers are great people to ask for this.) But my process is to do two drafts before showing anyone, then hiring a pro for draft 3, then sending it to beta readers. It’s tempting to get it into people’s hands as soon as possible, but they’ll be a lot more likely to talk about your book if it’s nearly finished when you give it to them to read.

    • oddznns

      Hi R.w. for story cartel it shouldn’t be rough. Now, on the course, it can be whatever you like. Then you wait for the comments. We’ll be friendly, but we’ll also be honest. There is a website called leanpub.com where you can post your WIP and see what the audience reaction is. I’d say do the storycartel course first. Leanpub is way too public for a first or second draft.

  8. Suzanne D Williams

    Great advice, which as a self-publishing author, I’ve used, and I can say it works. I’m well over 1k now.

    Reply
    • Joe Bunting

      That’s awesome, Suzanne! Where can I find your book?

  9. Mirel

    I add my endorsement to those of all the other first-course graduates. A wonderful course, and a great way to connect with like-minded people. I certainly think I’ve made some new friends, and will probably do the course the second time as well, to reconnect with old friends, meet some new ones, and get another chance to digest it all.

    Reply
  10. Chaitanya

    ‘Change Your Thinking’ kind of useful advice. Really, useful.

    Reply
  11. Reba Linker

    I am formatting my new book, Follow the Yarn, to be read on Kindle. (I am also getting it published in paperback, but that is another matter). My question is: once I upload my file to Amazon/Kindle, how can I give away FREE copies? My book is too long (I think) to send out a ‘homemade’ PDF file. Do I have to ‘buy’ the book from Amazon in order to give it out? (even if I just charge $1.99, a thousand copies is still $1,999!) Thank you so much – I really appreciate your answer to this question!

    Reply
    • Joe Bunting

      You have a few options here. The first is to do Amazon KDP Select and give your book away for 5 days on Kindle. Second, you can upload your book on Smashwords and set the price to $0, then Amazon will price match to free as well. Last, you can give it away free on storycartel.com. I’m biased, but I think this is the best option. You keep the email list of readers you get, plus you get reviews. Not a bad deal.

  12. oddznns

    This is a great course. If you want to write and you want to be read, you should take it.
    This is what has happened to me since taking the course.
    (1) I relaunched an e-edition of my hardcopy book Learning to Fly on Amazon. I’ve got 200+ downloads. This is more of an international audience that I’ve had ever!
    (2) There were lots of writing prompts in the course. I got loads of tough love feedback, much more than on The Write Practice, where we tend to be gentle. When I repackaged 3 of the short stories that came from the course and sent it off to one publisher and got a Yes immediately. So even for an experienced writer, there was a quantum leap in the quality of my writing.
    (3) I’m learning how to promote my next novel AND I’ve stumbled on a new formula … Sell the rights to a traditional publisher in my little country of Singapore but RESERVE my US book rights. Next year, if I don’t get a US publisher to buy my book, self-publish it for North America using everything I’ve learnt on the course.
    Go for this course guys! It will reap unbelievable dividends.

    Reply
  13. Vincent

    Hello,

    You can publish your writings by using the web application Bookonlive. http://www.bookonlive.com

    More than simple narrations, you can choose to publish living texts. As each new chapter is published, your subscribers receive a notification by e-mail.

    Earn money by selling access to your texts, choose the price and the currency.

    Increase the impact of your writings by customizing the appearance of your livebook and by styling the characters.

    With Bookonlive the authors are the exclusive owners of any text published. http://www.bookonlive.com

    Have a nice day.

    Reply
  14. Randy L. Pendleton

    Great post. I rarely ever post comments these days, but I had to with this. I have a book being released in January & will definitely sign up for this. It seems practical and hey, Joe sounds nice. I’m hoping I’ll benefit 🙂

    Reply
  15. Carlos Antonio Ojeda

    Carlos Antonio Ojeda
    (Cerebrum) La Verdad Enganosa.

    Apariencia: una mentira ficticia que nos lleva a
    dejar de vivir la realidad.

    Desde el pricipio de los tiempo el hombre se ha enganado a
    si mismo y tratando de enganar a los demas mostrandose como
    realmente no es, tratando de que los otros vean lo major solamente y nos los
    defectos, mostrandose de una forma que realmente no es.

    En todo libro de ensanasa tantos religiosos como
    de formacion personal o psicoligia hablan de una u otra manera de la apariencia. Y todos considen con
    que no es mas que un engano asia los demas y lo peor que
    asia nosotros mismos.

    Vivimos en una sociedad que vive mas de apariencia que
    otra cosa. Intentamos mostrar una imagen al mundo ,que no somos. Lo hacemos
    todo el tiempo. Usamos ropa de marcas , Relojes que tardamos anos en pagar al
    haber sacado a credito, Celulares caros y no nos alcanza para comer una Buena
    comida cuando la deseamos. Nos hipotecamos hasta el cuello quedando
    completamente insolventes, pero compramos la mejor casa aunque nos cuente
    noches de suenos y dias de estress pensando como la vamos a pagar . Alardeamos de lo populares que somos, de las mujeres o los
    hombres que tuvimos como novias o novios, pero la verdad que estamos
    completamente solos en casa cada noche. Tenemos en Facebook miles de amigos que
    no conocemos nada de ellos, ya que te dicen lo que quieren que tu sepas acerca
    de ellos, aparte hablamos con dos o tres de vez en cuando. Nos mostramos muy
    seguros de nosotros mismos, atrevidos y proactivos, pero somos inseguros y
    dudamos de todo.

    Todo el tiempo estamos mostrando una imagen para ser
    aceptados, pero que no es lo que somos en realidad. En los adolescentes es bien
    notorio pero aceptable. Ya en personas adultas (o supuestamente maduras), es
    algo patético y lamentable. Sin embargo, aunque lo censuramos en otros, lo
    hacemos nosotros.

    A veces nos engañan, a veces engañamos, pero hay una
    realidad. No importa que quieras aparentar, hay alguien que no compra la imagen
    que querés vender. Tu propia realidad. Dios sabe bien quien eres y que eres.
    Dios el Creador siempre supo, sabe y sabrá que hay en tu corazón y en tu mente.
    Cuanto hay en tu bolsillo o en tu cuenta de banco, cuantos conocimientos tiene
    tu memoria y hasta donde puedes llegar. A Él no lo podemos engañar. Porque Dios
    te ha creado.

    Dios no actúa por las apariencias ni cambia el juicio por
    lo que escucha de vos o sobre vos. Las personas somos influenciables. Y si 10
    personas hablan mal de vos, no cambiara nada, solo sera lo que ellos piensan de
    ti. Dios lo sabe. Él tiene perfecta justicia al evaluar a cada uno. Y no se
    deja llevar por las apariencias.

    Y
    hay algo que a Dios le encanta. Es que sus hijos tengan amor de Él. No es una
    imagen espiritual, ni vender una mirada o una frase religiosa. No es asistir a
    las reuniones y cantar con los ojos cerrados. No es orar largo y complicado en
    público o hacerte el predicador de turno. El Amor a Dios se ve en tu conducta
    cotidiana, cuando viajas en el autobuss a la mañana, cuando jugas al futbol con
    los amigos, en tu casa al hablar con tus padres o hermanos. Con tu esposa, en el trabajo cuando hablás con los
    demas.

    Es bien
    conocido que como lucimos ante los demás esta relacionado con nuestra
    autoestima y con nuestra auto percepción; es por ello que cualquier cambio en
    nuestra apariencia física puede afectar nuestro estado actual del yo si es que
    no tenemos la capacidad para aceptar y adaptarnos a estos cambios, de la misma
    forma esto repercute directamente en su estado emocional, en su calidad de vida
    y en su funcionamiento personal, familiar, social y laboral.

    Numerosos estudios muestran cómo la
    insatisfacción con la imagen corporal está asociada a una baja autoestima,
    pobre autoconcepto, problemas en la identidad de género, ansiedad
    interpersonal, problemas sexuales y trastornos depresivos. Partiendo de la
    definición de Raich vamos a considerar la imagen corporal como un constructo multidimensional que hace
    referencia a cómo uno percibe, imagina, piensa, siente y se comporta respecto
    a su propio cuerpo.

    Como podemos observer en las Religiones y Deciplinas mas
    populares del mundo hablan de lo mismo, no importe a que grupo
    pertenescas, lo importante es aceptar que a todos se les dio principios, reglas
    e informacion para que podamos entender el sentido de la vida y darnos cuenta
    que todos somos hermanos. Ya que todos venimos de una misma primera molecula. El ARN: la molécula precursora
    de la vida

    Cristianismo: Esta religión nació en el año 30 después de Cristo,
    tiene más de 2,100 millones de seguidores a lo largo del mundo (principalmente en Amércia Latina y en Europa). Nosotros, los cristianos creemos en
    Cristo (de ahí su nombre) y esta religión se divide en varias Iglesias, como: la católica, la ortodoxa, la bautista, la
    evangélica, la protestante, etcetera.;

    La Biblia uno de los
    Libros mas leidos del mundo, pone
    bien en claro la problematica de la apariencia.

    Samuel 16:7 – “Y Jehová respondió a
    Samuel: No mires a su parecer, ni a lo grande de su estatura, porque yo lo
    desecho; porque Jehová no mira lo que mira el hombre; pues el hombre mira lo
    que está delante de sus ojos, pero Jehová mira el corazón”.

    Lo que
    realmente somos no esta ligado con nuestra apariencia. Está en la Biblia, 1
    Timoteo 2:9-10, “Asimismo que las mujeres se atavíen de ropa decorosa, con
    pudor y modestia; no con peinado ostentoso, ni oro, ni perlas, ni vestidos
    costosos, sino con buenas obras, como
    corresponde a mujeres que profesan piedad”. 1 Pedro 3:3-4, “Vuestro
    atavío no sea el externo de peinados ostentosos, de adornos de oro o de
    vestidos lujosos, sino el interno, el del
    corazón, en el incorruptible ornato de un espíritu afable y apacible, que es de
    grande estima delante de Dios”.

    El Islam: Surgió en Arabia
    Saudita en el siglo VII. Su libro sagrado es el Corán, y tiene alrededor de
    1,300 millones de seguidores, que su mayoría vive en el norte de África, Bangladesh e Indonesia.

    Vestirse
    con fines de ostentación y vanidad La regla general para el goce de las cosas buenas de la vida, como la
    comida, la bebida y la vestimenta, es que deben ser usadas sin extravagancias o
    vanidad.

    La extravagancia consiste en exceder los
    límites de lo que es benéfico en el uso de lo permitido; mientras que la
    vanidad es algo relacionado a la intención y al corazón más que a lo físico y
    material. La vanidad es la intención de verse superior y por encima de los
    demás: “Para que no desesperéis sino conseguís
    algo y para que no os regocijéis si lo conseguís. Dios no ama a nadie que sea
    presumido, jactancioso” (57:23).

    El profeta (B y P) dijo: “El
    día de la Resurrección, Dios no mirará a aquella persona que arrastra su túnica
    tras de sí por vanidad” [79].

    A fin de evitar incluso las sospechas de
    vanidad, el Profeta prohibió a los musulmanes vestir las “ropas de la
    fama”, que son las que se visten para impresionar a los demás y que generan
    vanas competencias inútiles y más inútiles esfuerzos. Hay un hadiz que dice: “El
    día de la Resurrección, Dios vestirá con las ropas de la humillación a aquel
    que viste las ropas de la fama” [80].

    Un hombre preguntó a Ibn Omar: “¿Qué
    clase de ropas debo vestir?” Ibn
    Omar respondió: “Aquellas que no provoquen la burla de los
    débiles de mente (por ser feas y baratas) ni las que provoquen la crítica de
    los sabios (por ser excesivamente caras)”[81].

    Llegar
    a extremos en el embellecimiento al cambiar lo que Dios creó

    El Islam denuncia tales excesos al
    embellecerse pues requieren alterar los rasgos físicos que Dios creó. El Corán
    considera tales alteraciones como inspiradas por Satán, quien dijo “…He
    de extraviarles, he de inspirarles vanos deseos, he de ordenarles que hiendan
    las orejas del ganado y que alteren la creación de
    Dios. Quien tome como amigo al Demonio, en lugar de tomar
    a Dios, está manifiestamente perdido” (4:119).

    Hinduismo: Su
    nacimiento fue en el año 1750 antes de Cristo. Es una religión politeísta, con
    más de 870 millones de creyentes, la mayoría de India, Bangladesh, Nepal,
    Indonesia, Malasia y Pakistán.

    La apariencia, engano, mentira.

    Religión
    Tradicional China: Creencia politeísta e influenciada por el budismo,
    confucianismo y taoísmo. Tiene 405 millones de seguidores en China. Algunos de sus dioses son: Guan Yu (de la verdad y
    lealtad), Baosheng Dadi (emperador de la vida) y Hu Ye (espíritu guardián).

    Budismo: Fundada
    en el siglo V antes de Cristo por Siddharta Gautama, o mejor conocido como Buda. Tiene cerca de 378 millones de fieles,
    principalmente en China, Japón, Tailandia, Vietnam, Corea del Sur, Taiwán e
    India

    Sijismo: Fundada por
    Gurú Nanakm, es una mezcla del hinduismo y
    el islam. Tiene más de 25 millones de creyentes, en el que el 90 % está en
    India, y el otro 10 % está esparcido en el mundo.

    Judaísmo: Es la religión monoteísta
    más antigua, surgida en el año 2000 antes de Cristo, en Canaán (Israel). Tiene 15 millones de seguidores a lo largo del planeta

    La
    Torá dice: “Distánciate de las palabras de falsedad” Este es el único pecado
    sobre el que la Torá nos advierte que nos “distanciemos”

    La Tora nos ordena “te alejarás de las mentiras”

    Ahora como es possible que no nos damos cuenta que estamos
    tan enfocados en mostrarnos de una manera bonita y agradable a la sociedad de
    que nos olvidamos de quienes somos realmente y ser felices, hasta nos olvidamos
    de lo que nos gusta, y hacemos cosas que en realidad no nos llena, las hacemos
    solo para agradar a los que nos rodean. Estamos tan concentrados en nuestra
    apaciencia que llegamos a entrar muchas veces en un deprecion sin salida, ya
    que hagamos lo que habamos no podemos gustar a todo el mundo, hay personas que
    simplemente piensan distinto y les gusta otra cosa, y eso es lo lindo de esta
    vida, que nos gusta cosas diferentes. Imaginese l orroroso que seria si a todos
    los gusta la misma mujer el mismo hombre, el mismo automovil, la misma casa, lo
    mismo en todo, seria una querra interminable entre nosotros ya que hay tantas
    cosas en este paraiso que vivimos que nunca terminariamos de querer lo que la
    otra persona tiene.

    La idea de este pequeno escrito que hoy les ofresco es
    ayudar a que nos demos cuenta un poco de las cosas erroneas que estamos
    enfocandonos cuando se trata de la apariencia.

    En la mayoria de los libros antiguos, nuevos o the cualquier
    tiempo tanto religiosos como de cualquier dotrina, bueno en un sin fin de
    libros de esta indole encontraremos que nos habla de nuestra apariencia, y
    apesar de todo esto nosotros seguimos con la misma idea hacerca de esta.
    Creemos que se trata de como me veo
    enfrente de los demas o que piensan de mi, y esta es una completa burrada.

    Quedan en ustedes decidir si siguen enganandose or si
    empiesan a disfrutar de la perfection que la creacion ha construido en todos
    nosotros.

    Carlos Antonio Ojeda (Cerebrum) La Verdad Enganosa

    Reply
  16. Joshua M Swenson

    Great advice! Working on building my author platform and starting with short stories, which I’ve been self-publishing through Smashwords, KDP, and Google Play. Still waiting to see any form of royalty… but I’m focusing on improving my craft and writing writing writing! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  17. test

    test

    Reply
  18. Jay

    This a great coarse to me. My writing much improved.

    Reply
  19. Claudionor Ayres

    Hello, Joe!

    Great advice.

    I pretend to sell my mom’s book. She wrote a history based on poems and cronics.

    Is it different selling this kind of book?

    And more: We still haven’t an online version of the book. Is it really necessary?

    Thanks

    Reply
  20. Kenneth Chamberlin

    Interesting promo for your site Story Cartel. It will be interesting to see how much you are going to try collect off me before you finished the promo. My first three books are published and available at http://kennethchamberlin.wix.com/author I did the cover, edit/proofing and published for free so why pay you. After further research this is a promo for Joe to get you to pay him to tell you how to write, go figure?

    Reply
  21. P.K Malik

    I have write a my first Novel about life and in this Novel One alone survivor are survive in another country and he is so desperate from his life and he find a many answers of our questions ….. and this Novel are motivational Novel and am sure your life are changed and you motivate from this book ……….

    Reply
  22. Kindle Books

    Great

    Reply
  23. Audrey Culpepper Childers

    I am posting everywhere and blogging on my website Thehypothyroidismchick.com about my book: A Survivors Cookbook Guide to Kicking Hypothyroidism’s Booty. Where I share great tips for everyday living with hypothroidism. I’ve created a face book page Got Hypothyroidism? I am trying to get my name out there and the word about my books. Yes, books. 4 books later… 3 are self published and 1 is through Page Publishing. I am selling some not like I would like. I am hitting every avenue there is to hit to advertise my book ( free).. Anyone have any idea’s for me to help me? It would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply
  24. Jaz Counting with Taffy face

    Having a difficult time selling my Children’s ebook published through kdp. Its my first book looking for any tips or advice thanks. http://amzn.to/1WYZvG4

    Reply
    • RRando

      Quality looks low. Get a good cover and work on the content is a good start.

    • Rosalyn

      I am a childrens book illustrator just starting out, maybe we could help each other? email : rosalynfenton@gmail.com

    • Andrea Cladis

      I am seeking a children’s book illustrator for a manuscript I have. Please contact me if interested — andrea.cladis@gmail.com
      Thank you!!

  25. Jack Cotter

    Hey, I just wrote my own book, and I sent it out to a friend who’s encouraging me to publish it, but I’m pretty young and I don’t know how to handle the responsibilities, should I wait until I’m older, publish now with the help of my parents, or just scrap the idea? (It’s a really good fiction book by the way, I wrote 4 drafts for it over 3 years.)

    Reply
    • dontgetrippedoff

      You may want to look into getting a good literary agent, or ask someone who has actually SOLD published books. If you’re pretty young, that alone might help you become a sensation – but only HELP. Your story needs to be good (get others to read it who will tell you honestly things they think could be changed, and take it as helpful advice, not an attack on you). In any case, be careful, don’t get ripped off, and good luck! Oh and I personally disagree with Joe’s advice about giving away free copies – remember that just because someone has good avice on many areas, it doesn’t mean all their advice is accurate. I personally think that only a very limited number should be given away, otherwise why would people buy it if they can get it free? But you could give people extracts to get them hooked, and give only a small number of copies away to get reviews (make sure you ask the people for reviews).

    • Jack Cotter

      Thank you! This’ll help a great deal!

    • Real Woman

      Publish now! Being the “young” author feels great! You are younger than me which is awesome. Go to http://www.createspace.com to publish your book. Youtube has plenty of tutorials on how to use Create Space.

      Also you will need to make an account on Fiverr and Vistaprint if you don’t have one already. http://www.fiverr.com
      http://www.vistaprint.com
      Fiverr: professional editing, book website, press release and more.

      Vista print: Author business card, bookmarks, and more.

    • Jon W

      IngramSpark is good too if you want hardcovers for a max of $49 bucks.

    • Jon W

      Also embrace age with life experiences. With more experiences, the more you will have to write about.

    • Akshay Kumar

      I can increase the sales of your books..

  26. TCG-Vadmin

    Great article, I identified with quite a bit of it. 🙂
    My issue is the subject of my book. Even though the world is waking up to the truths about cannabis, the world of advertising doesn’t care.

    Any tips for someone who published “Secrets to Growing Trichome Dense Cannabis,” and has zero advertising budget? 70+ followers on facebook. lol Been quite the experience. 🙂 Appreciate any advice. 🙂

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HZW

    Douglas

    Reply
  27. Derek Watson Sr.

    Hey I just got my first book published Down For The City it is a lot of responsibility, however I’m incarcerated without many options on how to help my book sale more. Any suggestions? Derek Watson Sr.

    Reply
  28. conifer

    please how do i get my book published

    Reply
  29. KEITH POTT TURNER

    I am a self-published 5 Star award winning author and recently Amazon accidently hijacked my amazing book trailers for the BEST family history BOOK called TURNER TREES. It can assist people in discovering famous relatives and is a REAL page-turner featuring REAL heroes. Because of my links to famous artists, authors and composers I should be able to also market my own art and music to readers as an investment. Any ideas on these points Joe?

    Reply
    • Manan Vadiwala

      Congratualtions because you got 5 stars rating .

  30. Manan Vadiwala

    Thank you .

    Reply
  31. mohad

    thank you for this text.can people really make money out of online publishing?where can we publish our books?

    Reply
    • Olivie

      only if your books are able to get a lot of people willing to buy.

    • Big gee

      Never lol

  32. Robin Jackson

    Hi,
    Can you explain the correlation between giving away your book to friends and relatives and then gaining book sales?

    Reply
  33. Esther

    Thank you for this guide. I have been in the process of writing my first book for several years. Initially, I wrote a couple copies but didn’t like them so I sacked them! Now I’m trying to churn out something I actually like.

    Reply
  34. Coskun YUKSEL

    Thank you for the advice..I published my e-book a few days ago..more than 35 downloads..I have no idea if it is good or not..you may want to check it out https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XH5C7DK

    Reply
  35. Paul Rance

    This is actually the best piece I’ve ever read re advice on creating and selling a book successfully. It’s a sad mistake to think that hundreds of likes on social media sites will always lead to many sales.

    Reply
  36. David H. Safford

    I am the Frustrated Author…. And I thought I was the only one!

    Reply
    • Christaff Thompson

      No u are not.am 16 anguish to publish my book

  37. LilianGardner

    Thanks for the first lesson, Joe. I will apply the guide to my story that I’m revising for the second time.

    Reply
  38. TerriblyTerrific

    Thank you for this article. It can be so hard to sell your book. Even support from your family. I agree with the free books given. Mom, Dad, sisters brothers, sisters, etc. should receive them for free. It helps to gain interest.

    Reply
  39. Gabby

    Thank you for the advice. I am going to try this.

    Reply
  40. Carina Cardoso

    I’m loving these advices and I’m happy to know that I’m in the right path!
    I started writing in a fanfic group and we ended up building a cartel without noticing.
    Maybe I haven’t reached 1,000 units sold, but these are the people who push me forward, that’s for sure!
    I’ll certainly stay tuned!

    Reply
  41. Laura E. Aranda

    I have written a Christian fiction novel concerning human trafficking in Houston Texas area AuthorLauraAranda.com

    Reply
  42. Ankurita Saikia

    Initially i was really too terrified if my book will nt be accepted by anyone even most of the time I kept thinking what ‘ll happen after published or would anyone publish my book.but now i’m just focussing on how to give my book the best , full of adventure , mystery and suspension. I just want to take everyone to my wonderful and winsome world of magics. I want them to see my world through me.

    Reply
  43. Ackshat Deoli

    The new bestseller ,”kilol Bruges express:the fading nomad”…..whattttta book….

    Reply
  44. Donna Ring Altman

    Remotes and Revelations is now available in print and in e-reader format. A Christian show of faith in the miraculous work of God when you have no where to run. It is my testament of how God showed me a revelation when I turned the remote of my life over to Him.

    Reply
  45. god

    I am writing a book about the secret world of high flying bankers and how they pull the strings of the politicians and the worlds economy, when reading it, you will feel like your a fly on the wall at a federal reserve meeting or the Bilderberg conference, you wont be able to put my book down, you will see how the banksters order wars and conflicts like we common folk would order a pizza 🙂
    The bankers work in cahoots with the military arms manufacturers, because when a conflict happens, the bankers win, and so to do arms manufacturers.
    Hopefully when my book is a success and its not too “hardcore” for the media etc… I will make it into a movie, a huge blockbuster, I will need to find a great trademark lawyer for when I get my royalties from ticket and book sales, I will make JK rowling look like a bag lady.

    Reply
    • Laura L. Smith

      I notice your post has run on sentences. Does your manuscript? Is you book fiction or non-fiction? As far as the topic, I have read much of the same material in David Wilcock’s best selling books, The Ascension Mysteries and The Synchronicity Key. Another reason why authors need to know the competition.

    • Akshay Kumar

      Hi Laura, Do you want to increase the sales of your books? I can help you with this as I am an professional book promoter.

    • Laura L. Smith

      Thanks for the offer, but I have friends that do what your company does. I am looking for a literary agent for my latest manuscript Seven Degrees of Drama.

  46. Laura L. Smith

    The profile photo I use is not a spam item, but is one of my self-published books. It is hard to get your book noticed by literary agents and publishers. The opening of a book has to grab the agents and publishers by the lapels. It has to be concise and to the point. What I notice is when I read many stories is the author languishes on at the beginning of their story with too much fluff, instead of jumping right into the story. The sentences are not short enough and use too many adjectives. There is too much explanation on needless things and describes what is not happening. Plus the point of view goes out through the periscope into the abyss.

    “Swim my friend so we shall not sink,” said the shark to the whale.
    “I can rest,” said the whale, “For the air is holding me up.”

    Reply
  47. Balaka Ghosal

    Hi Joe,
    I really appreciate this post, in fact your entire intention to help other writers. Your style is very lucid and conversational, it’s super awesome!
    I’ll look forward to your subsequent posts, too.
    I hope you won’t feel bad if I point out a typo I’ve noticed. I know some do, some don’t. Some feel criticized when I gently point out a typo. I know they know the spelling or the grammar rule. So, I’m not trying to be preachy there. I’m only trying to make the whole piece flawless and all the praise that it rightfully deserves.
    LOL!
    Keeping all that fluff aside, I just wanted to point out the type for Step #5 — “You’re(sic) book is published.”
    I am definitely going to use your tips and preserve them for reviewing later.
    Thanks, once again!
    Balaka

    Reply
  48. Ken Lord

    I’ve given them. Now if those people would only read them. I can’t do that for them.

    Reply
  49. Anshu

    You have really given great advice on book publishing. For more information related to book publishing, check this website – https://notionpress.com/sg

    Reply
  50. Francesca Brown

    hi joe my wife had two books published and has written a third and has publish it her self but we are no good at marketing it we want to get someone to do it what is the best to do this fran

    Reply
    • Akshay Kumar

      Hi Francesca, I can help you to increase the sales of your books as I am professional book promoter. Please share your thoughts so that we can discuss about it.

  51. Paul Nieto

    I’m a bit frustrated, but over time I got a bit more then the $58.13 that you mentioned in the post without spending the $4997 on a publishing package. One book got a horrible review and maybe I deserved it. I Iearned my lesson. Even though the books came out in the black,because I self published, my website costs about $120 per year. So I am still loosing money every year, but very little; less then a couple cups of coffee per month. My first step now is actually MAKE money every month. I will build from there. I am very interested in the writing cartel also. As soon as I get caught up on the books I already ordered, I hope to be active.

    Reply
    • Akshay Kumar

      I can help you to increase the sales of your book as I am an experienced Book promoter. Can we discuss about it?

  52. loretta r

    I am writing my first book and I’m new to all of this. I am a horror fan and my book, so far id like to think will be tailored to that kind of audience.

    Reply
  53. elizabeth Romel

    I have been keeping journals and writing poetry and some philosophical stuff for over 35 yrs or more. I have been printing up some of the stuff I wrote. What do I do now?

    Reply
  54. Michael Stewart

    the best mindset is like everything else. Write it, publish it and forget about it. If you get checks great but if not you have other things to worry about. Consider of writing books that will lead to a sequel, then while the first one might be gaining readers you are already working on something else.

    Reply
  55. Conny Manero

    Why would I spend $5,000 to publish my manuscript if I can do it myself for free on CreateSpace?

    Reply
  56. Amarachi Anne Osonwanne

    Nice book. Have you read mine? ” A simple guide to being a beauty queen.” Search for it and enjoy.

    Reply

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