How to sell 1M+ books per year | Self-pub secrets from a NYT bestselling author @PaperTigerProductions

Paper Tiger @WillWightAuthor revealed exactly what it takes to sell 1 MILLION BOOKS a year. Here's 4 big takeaways from his Kickstarter writing and self-publishing livestream. Full replay here → youtu.be/nYPzrUZ98bA

// JUMP TO
0:00 What's the secret?
0:48 Takeaway 1
3:37 Takeaway 2
6:24 Takeaway 3
8:31 Takeaway 4

#authortube #selfpublishing #willwight

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Go watch the full livestream replay. Seriously!
→ youtu.be/nYPzrUZ98bA

// REFERENCES
Will Wight's Writing & Publishing Livestream
→ youtu.be/nYPzrUZ98bA

Stephen He's Emotional Damage skit
→ youtu.be/miD_TWmdGIY

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

updated 2 years ago

How to sell 1M+ books per year | Self-pub secrets from a NYT bestselling author

Paper Tiger 2022-08-19 | @WillWightAuthor revealed exactly what it takes to sell 1 MILLION BOOKS a year. Here's 4 big takeaways from his Kickstarter writing and self-publishing livestream. Full replay here → youtu.be/nYPzrUZ98bA

// JUMP TO
0:00 What's the secret?
0:48 Takeaway 1
3:37 Takeaway 2
6:24 Takeaway 3
8:31 Takeaway 4

#authortube #selfpublishing #willwight

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Go watch the full livestream replay. Seriously!
→ youtu.be/nYPzrUZ98bA

// REFERENCES
Will Wight's Writing & Publishing Livestream
→ youtu.be/nYPzrUZ98bA

Stephen He's Emotional Damage skit
→ youtu.be/miD_TWmdGIY

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

The Amazon KDP Alternative ALL Authors Should Use (But Most Dont) | w/ Emma L. Adams & L.L. MacRae

Paper Tiger 2024-06-01 | Two of my fellow SPFBO authors—Emma L. Adams and L.L. MacRae—are joining me LIVE to answer questions about selling direct.

#authortube #selfpublishing #directsales

// MANY THANKS TO THE PANELISTS!
Here's where you can find them and their books:

Emma L. Adams
Website: emmaladams.com
Corruption's Claw Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/emmaladams/corruptions-claw-an-exclusive-hardcover-epic-fantasy-novel?ref=9dlc4h

L.L. MacRae
Website: llmacrae.com

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:

Using Kickstarter to Fund Your Audiobook: What You Need to Know
→ youtube.com/watch?v=bihhjFMVods

Live Q&A on the role of generative AI in cover design with an award-winning cover designer
→ youtube.com/watch?v=j9XzctDrzRw

// JUMP TO
0:00 What is selling direct?
5:21 Why sell direct?
23:27 Where can you sell direct?
26:06 Author subscriptions
39:03 Crowdfunding
48:27 In-person sales
1:05:38 E-commerce
1:22:06 How to succeed in selling direct
1:25:01 Start direct sales today
1:28:20 Audience questions
1:47:20 Final thoughts & wrap up

// REFERENCES
Sandersfans revolt: "No Patreon"
→ youtube.com/watch?v=5Gyri9QxzY0

Publishing Industry Value Chain Explained
→ youtube.com/watch?v=-HOxb90DxHk

// RESOURCES
BookVault: https://bookvault.app/
BookFunnel: bookfunnel.com
WooCommerce: woocommerce.com
Shopify: shopify.com

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My epic fantasy series, Resonance Crystal Legacy:
BUY DIRECT → delilahwaan.com/shop
Follow my Kickstarter → kickstarter.com/projects/delilahwaan/supplicant?ref=5khkfs
Buy from retailers → books2read.com/petition

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
BUY DIRECT → catlikestudio.com/shop
Buy from retailers:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring
My Rescue Cat → books2read.com/myrescuecat

Using Kickstarter to Fund Your Audiobook: What You Need to Know | LIVE Q&A SPFBO Author Panel

Paper Tiger 2024-04-06 | Three of my fellow SPFBO authors—Tim Hardie, M.T. Zimny, and Steve D. Wall—are joining me LIVE to answer questions about using crowd funding platforms like Kickstarter to fund the production of their human-narrated audiobooks.

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS HERE: https://app.sli.do/event/sRTdecLzgAomX2mMpGAYLr

#authortube #selfpublishing

// MANY THANKS TO THE PANELISTS!
Here's where you can find them and their books:

Tim Hardie
Website: www.timhardieauthor.co.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/TimHardieAuthor
Facebook: facebook.com/Tim.Hardie.Author.Public
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/timhardieauthor.bsky.social
Books:
- Hall of Bones (books2read.com/HallofBones)
- Sundered Souls (books2read.com/SunderedSouls)
- Lost Gods (books2read.com/Lost-Gods)
- A Quiet Vengeance (books2read.com/AQuietVengeance)
- The Anatomy of Fear (books2read.com/theanatomyoffear)

Steve D. Wall
Website: stevedwall.com
The Way of Renegades
- ebook & paperback: amazon.com/dp/B0BTDN2H5Z
- audiobook: audible.com/pd/B0CC43W381
Twitter: twitter.com/Stevedwall
Facebook: facebook.com/Stevedwall.author

M.T. Zimny
Website: mtzimny.com
TikTok: tiktok.com/@mtzimny
Instagram: instagram.com/mtzimny
Books: amazon.com/stores/M.T.-Zimny/author/B08K7MWQCV
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/20714836.M_T_Zimny

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:
Live Q&A on the role of generative AI in cover design with an award-winning cover designer → youtube.com/watch?v=j9XzctDrzRw
Accountant analyzes Brandon Sanderson's record-breaking Kickstarter → youtube.com/watch?v=b9D37-3xrWQ

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring
My Rescue Cat → books2read.com/myrescuecat

My epic fantasy series, Resonance Crystal Legacy:
Petition (Book 1) → books2read.com/petition
Supplicant (Book 2) → kickstarter.com/projects/delilahwaan/supplicant?ref=5khkfs

2024 Planning Stream (Daily Writing Stream #2, Mon 1 Jan 2024)

Paper Tiger 2024-01-01 | Come join me and do some planning for 2024!

// STREAM AGENDA
0:00 Welcome
10:00 Planning time
2:10:00 Self-review and wrap up

// PLANNING STREAM SCHEDULE

Planning Stream #1: 05:45-07:45 Sydney (13:45 Eastern / 12:45 Central / 10:45 Pacific)
Planning Stream #2: 08:15-10:15 Sydney (16:15 Eastern / 15:15 Central / 13:15 Pacific)

Head over to youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

#writingsprint #authortube #selfpublishing

// CHECK OUT

Follow me on Twitter:
→ twitter.com/DeborahLau

My NaNoWriMo 2021 Goal, KPIs and Plan:
→ youtu.be/hvMVb64ulxg

NaNoWriMo 2021 Vlogs:
Week 1 → youtu.be/g0TX32X2XVk
Week 2 → youtu.be/oSI4Ii_cOlQ
Week 3 → youtu.be/gGWXAnvy0Cg
Week 4 → youtu.be/ygBpEMXDLTU
Reflection → youtu.be/wnGInMrkBF4

All of my NaNoWriMo 2021 videos and livestreams:
→ youtube.com/watch?v=hvMVb64ulxg&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp6TCRSO0hZo_2M09HZcwDUJ

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My new adult fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → http://books2read.com/petition

// RESOURCES
Lots of folks having great success with the awesome outlining template Kaycie shared:
→ iulianionescu.com/blog/master-outlining-and-tracking-tool-v3-0

2024 Planning Stream (Daily Writing Stream #1, Mon 1 Jan 2024)

Blurb Writing Stream #2 (Fri, 15 Dec 2023)

Paper Tiger 2023-12-15 | IT IS THE BLURBENING. Come work on your blurbs with me! Sign up here 👉 https://forms.gle/ZbUqr1Vqf3L5Zzuv5

// STREAM AGENDA
0:00 Welcome and writing session goals
10:00 Round 1
40:00 Round 2
1:10:00 Round 3
1:40:00 Round 4
2:10:00 Self-review and wrap up

// BLURBENING STREAM SCHEDULE

Friday, 15 December 2023
Blurb Writing Stream #1: 05:45-07:45 Sydney (13:45 Eastern / 12:45 Central / 10:45 Pacific)
Blurb Writing Stream #2: 08:15-10:15 Sydney (16:15 Eastern / 15:15 Central / 13:15 Pacific)

Head over to youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

#writingsprint #authortube #selfpublishing

// CHECK OUT

Follow me on Twitter:
→ twitter.com/DeborahLau

My NaNoWriMo 2021 Goal, KPIs and Plan:
→ youtu.be/hvMVb64ulxg

NaNoWriMo 2021 Vlogs:
Week 1 → youtu.be/g0TX32X2XVk
Week 2 → youtu.be/oSI4Ii_cOlQ
Week 3 → youtu.be/gGWXAnvy0Cg
Week 4 → youtu.be/ygBpEMXDLTU
Reflection → youtu.be/wnGInMrkBF4

All of my NaNoWriMo 2021 videos and livestreams:
→ youtube.com/watch?v=hvMVb64ulxg&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp6TCRSO0hZo_2M09HZcwDUJ

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My new adult fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → http://books2read.com/petition

// RESOURCES
Lots of folks having great success with the awesome outlining template Kaycie shared:
→ iulianionescu.com/blog/master-outlining-and-tracking-tool-v3-0

Blurb Writing Stream #1 (Fri, 15 Dec 2023)

Damonza Answers AI Book Cover Design Questions | LIVE Q&A

Paper Tiger 2023-06-30 | Damon Freeman, founder and creative director of best-selling cover design firm Damonza, is joining me LIVE to answer questions about AI book covers.

SUBMIT & UPVOTE QUESTIONS HERE: → https://app.sli.do/event/oztvc8qi4weLqNPQyJkDBM

Make sure you hit the "NOTIFY ME" button because you do NOT want to miss this livestream if you're a self-published author. And here's some stuff to check out BEFORE the event:

1. My coverage of the first AI book cover from trad pub → youtu.be/ACQZvQ_Qwwk
2. My thoughts on AI and the future of publishing → youtu.be/SisnessVDsA
3. My review of Damonza's book cover design service → youtu.be/xRdOt8dm_7M
4. Damonza's NEW generative AI images policy → damonza.com/generative-ai-image-policy
5. Damonza's thoughts on the legal and ethical use of AI in book cover design → damonza.com/the-legal-and-ethical-use-of-ai-in-book-cover-design

#authortube #aiart #coverdesign

// DAILY WRITING STREAM SCHEDULE
I do LONG writing sprints (2 hours) every day from 05:45 Sydney time (15:45 Eastern / 14:45 Central / 12:45 Pacific). Head over to youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

// CHECK OUT

Follow me on Twitter:
→ twitter.com/DeborahLau

My self-publishing journey:
→ youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAPT6aE7WPp5UIHX9q9mFac_FQkgWHTc2

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My new adult fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → http://books2read.com/petition

Join the Paper Tiger Discord:
→ discord.gg/Vv7VNxbTZu

IngramSpark BURIES new price hike | Self-published author reacts

Paper Tiger 2023-04-28 | Another smack in the face for indie authors and self-publishing from IngramSpark, the industry juggernaut in print-on-demand and print distribution.

// JUMP TO
0:00 IngramSpark's announcement
0:35 IngramSpark pricing structure
2:24 Promo codes & membership associations
3:35 What IngramSpark buried in the fine print
4:02 The good news for new indie authors
5:31 ...and why this isn't actually that good
7:02 Why IngramSpark got rid of title setup fees
8:52 IngramSpark does not care about authors
10:55 Authors have no viable alternatives
12:05 IngramSpark's sneaky behavior
13:19 Other unclear stuff
14:51 Takeaways for self-published authors

#authortube #selfpublishing #indieauthors

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:
Maximize your profit margins as a self-published author
→ youtu.be/-HOxb90DxHk
All major self-publishing platforms ranked
→ youtu.be/DbgwNfAd3TM

// REFERENCES
Thumbnail created using Tweetgen (tweetgen.com/create/tweet.html). IngramSpark did not tweet this out, but they DID legit send an email to everybody on their list on 28 April 2023 with the literal subject line "🚨🆓📚COMING SOON: NO MORE BOOK SETUP FEES!":
→ ingramspark.com/coming-soon-no-more-book-setup-fees-1

The IngramSpark help page buried in the weird miscellaneous section with the fine print:
→ help.ingramspark.com/hc/en-us/articles/15276524164749-IngramSpark-Celebrates-10-Years

My Twitter thread on the subject:
→ twitter.com/DeborahLau/status/1651687659721609217

IngramSpark March 2022 rate card (most recent as of time of upload):
→ ingramspark.com/hubfs/IngramSpark-pricing-services-march-2022.pdf

The spreadsheet I made and was using in the video, if you want to figure out the impact on your self-publishing business:
→ bit.ly/IngramSparkSneakyPriceChangeCalculator

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

AI Made This Book: The Future of Publishing (2023 & beyond)

Paper Tiger 2023-01-20 | You can now write, illustrate, and publish a book in a single weekend. RIP human authors—AI books are here.

// JUMP TO
0:00 My 2021 prediction
1:06 What happened in 2022
1:48 The future of picture books
2:07 The future of novels
3:58 Some hard questions

#selfpublishing #chatgpt #midjourney

Also guys, check this out:

*** AI GENERATED VIDEO DESCRIPTION FROM VIDIQ TOOL ***
In this video, I'm talking about AI and how it's changing the future of publishing. AI is making books possible that no one could have imagined before, and it has the potential to completely change the way books are written.

If you're interested in how AI is changing the future of publishing, then be sure to watch this video! I'll discuss how AI is used to write books and the incredible potential it has for the future of writing. Whether you're a writer or not, this video is a great way to learn more about AI and its impact on the world of publishing.

*** END AI GENERATED VIDEO DESCRIPTION ***

All I did was feed it some keywords: future of publishing, using ai to write books, ai novels, and Brandon Sanderson. It spewed back this generic stuff which is NOTHING like what I'd write but uh, I guess it works for SEO? Its Brandon Sanderson related text was hilariously off (and I'll post screencaps of those in the Community tab) but the text above? That was the AI's first attempt.

...yeah I'm worried.

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy:
My deep dive on AI cover art → youtu.be/ACQZvQ_Qwwk
My deep dive on AI auto-narrated audiobooks → youtu.be/lUxVmvs4LuM

// REFERENCES
How Brandon Sanderson became Brandon Sanderson → youtu.be/JUse268-N10

How we find new books is BROKEN. Let's fix it → youtu.be/jW83UuYFU78

Ammaar Reshi's Twitter thread on his AI written and illustrated book, "Alice and Sparkle":
→ twitter.com/ammaar/status/1601284293363261441

20booksto50k discussion post:
→ facebook.com/groups/20Booksto50k/posts/5374450252661395

Full context of Neil Clarke's answer to my r/Fantasy AMA question:
→ reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/vmrark/comment/ie47fka/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

"AI is the end of writing" by Sean Thomas, via Spectator:
→ spectator.co.uk/article/ai-is-the-end-of-writing

Some examples of other uses of AI in other domains:
→ @thespiffingbrit AI creating videos youtube.com/watch?v=PVbOPhTcTxA
→ @FilmBooth AI running a YouTube channel youtube.com/watch?v=P1BusWrlwSA
→ @BennJordan AI improvising live on a piano with a pro musician youtube.com/watch?v=5YoRVTpttqs

Current lawsuits
→ Class action lawsuit against Stability AI: stablediffusionlitigation.com
→ Getty Images sues Stability AI, via The Verge: theverge.com/2023/1/17/23558516/ai-art-copyright-stable-diffusion-getty-images-lawsuit

r/Fantasy book request with ChatGPT response:
→ reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/10fyndx/comment/j50k487/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

LaMDA's sentience:
Washington Post article → washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/06/11/google-ai-lamda-blake-lemoine
Wired article → wired.com/story/lamda-sentient-ai-bias-google-blake-lemoine
Blake's evidence → s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22058315/is-lamda-sentient-an-interview.pdf
@BloombergTechnology interview with Blake → youtube.com/watch?v=kgCUn4fQTsc

// FURTHER READING
"The Top 10 Publishing Trends for 2023" via Written Word Media:
→ writtenwordmedia.com/the-top-10-publishing-trends-for-2023

Bryan Blears' Twitter thread experimenting with ChatGPT, from concept to outlining to writing prose to querying:
→ twitter.com/bryanblears/status/1601146805281951744

Even more AI written and illustrated children's picture books:
→ twitter.com/LCBrennan/status/1615298665710604288
→ twitter.com/yanatweets/status/1602128989673308160

// RESOURCES
Kindlepreneur's Amazon bestseller rank calculator
→ kindlepreneur.com/amazon-kdp-sales-rank-calculator

A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

2023 Planning Stream #1 (Tue, 3 Jan 2023)

Paper Tiger 2023-01-03 | Time to do some 2023 planning. Come work on your own 2023 plans, writing and book/s with me!

// STREAM AGENDA
0:00 Welcome and session goals
10:00 Planning
2:10:00 Self-review and wrap up

// JANUARY 2023 WEEK 1 STREAM SCHEDULE

EVERY DAY, Tuesday 3 January 2023 to Monday 9 January 2023 Sydney time (Australian Eastern Daylight Time, UTC+11)

Daily Stream #1: 05:45-07:45 Sydney (13:45 Eastern / 12:45 Central / 10:45 Pacific)

BONUS STREAMS, Tuesday 3 January to Friday 6 January and Monday, 9 January, Sydney time (Australian Eastern Daylight Time, UTC+11)

Daily Stream #2: 08:15-10:15 Sydney (16:15 Eastern / 15:15 Central / 13:15 Pacific)

Head over to youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

#writingsprint #authortube #planwithme

// CHECK OUT

Follow me on Twitter:
→ twitter.com/DeborahLau

My self-publishing journey:
→ youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAPT6aE7WPp5UIHX9q9mFac_FQkgWHTc2

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My new adult fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → http://books2read.com/petition

// RESOURCES
Lots of folks having great success with the awesome outlining template Kaycie shared:
→ iulianionescu.com/blog/master-outlining-and-tracking-tool-v3-0

2023 Planning Stream #2 (Tue, 3 Jan 2023)

Blurb Writing Stream #2 (Thu, 15 Dec 2022)

Paper Tiger 2022-12-20 | IT IS THE BLURBENING. Come work on your blurbs with me! Sign up here 👉 https://forms.gle/hS2HDFragDhq1oGs5

// STREAM AGENDA
0:00 Welcome and writing session goals
10:00 Round 1
40:00 Round 2
1:10:00 Round 3
1:40:00 Round 4
2:10:00 Self-review and wrap up

// BLURBENING STREAM SCHEDULE

Thursday, 15 December 2022
Blurb Writing Stream #1: 05:45-07:45 Sydney (13:45 Eastern / 12:45 Central / 10:45 Pacific)
Blurb Writing Stream #2: 08:15-10:15 Sydney (16:15 Eastern / 15:15 Central / 13:15 Pacific)

Head over to youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

#writingsprint #authortube #selfpublishing

// CHECK OUT

Follow me on Twitter:
→ twitter.com/DeborahLau

My NaNoWriMo 2021 Goal, KPIs and Plan:
→ youtu.be/hvMVb64ulxg

NaNoWriMo 2021 Vlogs:
Week 1 → youtu.be/g0TX32X2XVk
Week 2 → youtu.be/oSI4Ii_cOlQ
Week 3 → youtu.be/gGWXAnvy0Cg
Week 4 → youtu.be/ygBpEMXDLTU
Reflection → youtu.be/wnGInMrkBF4

All of my NaNoWriMo 2021 videos and livestreams:
→ youtube.com/watch?v=hvMVb64ulxg&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp6TCRSO0hZo_2M09HZcwDUJ

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My new adult fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → http://books2read.com/petition

// RESOURCES
Lots of folks having great success with the awesome outlining template Kaycie shared:
→ iulianionescu.com/blog/master-outlining-and-tracking-tool-v3-0

Blurb Writing Stream #1 (Thu, 15 Dec 2022)

Things I wish I knew BEFORE writing a sequel

Paper Tiger 2022-12-17 | It's been a real rough six months. Here's what I wish I'd known before I started writing a sequel.

#authortube #selfpublishing #writingvlog

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy my vlogs on writing Book 1 during NaNoWriMo2021:
→ youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAPT6aE7WPp6Xak6PrXqHy8FSxploV4Ng

// REFERENCES
Naomi Novik AMAs:
2022 → reddit.com/r/TheScholomance/comments/ysin2b/im_naomi_novik_author_of_the_scholomance_series
2018 → reddit.com/r/books/comments/8xppqk/comment/e250a4h/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

The BEST place to find new readers? | Book Club Giveaway Experiment

Paper Tiger 2022-10-28 | How many copies can a self-published debut author with no platform move? Full results from my r/Fantasy giveaway experiment during September 2022.

// JUMP TO
0:00 The experiment
0:21 Why Reddit?
2:23 The setup
3:12 Results
7:22 The costs
10:12 What I learned

#authortube #selfpublishing

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these videos:
Using AI art on book covers → youtu.be/ACQZvQ_Qwwk
What I learned doing my first giveaway → youtu.be/9qO10B_HUhY

// REFERENCES
Ryan Cahill on not being afraid of free, in his interview with @libraryofaviking:
→ youtu.be/iUi5yoV25ZA?t=2008

r/Fantasy links:
My giveaway post → reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/x2qbjy/petition_by_delilah_waan_signed_fantasy_hardback
RAB Book Club → reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search/?q=title%3ARAB&restrict_sr=1&sort=new
Weekly Self-Promo posts → new.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search/?q=%22r%2FFantasy%20Dealer%27s%20Room%22&restrict_sr=1&sr_nsfw=&sort=relevance&t=week

Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off
→ mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-official-self-published-fantasy.html

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

Trad Pub put AI Art on a book cover & READERS HATE IT | Self-published author reacts

Paper Tiger 2022-10-14 | Bantam Press put AI art on book cover instead of commissioning a cover illustration from long-time cover artist, Steve Stone. For a NEW RELEASE from Ian C. Esslemont, a traditionally published author who's sold over 1 million books. From an imprint of Penguin Random House. For Malazan, one of the biggest fantasy series in existence. 🤦🏻‍♀️

The news:
Penguin → penguin.co.uk/books/440306/forge-of-the-high-mage-by-esslemont-ian-c/9781473571242
Malazan Empire → forum.malazanempire.com/topic/34182-forge-of-the-high-mage-news
Werthead:
1. Twitter → twitter.com/Werthead/status/1577559771623858179/retweets/with_comments
2. r/Fantasy → reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/xw82es/ian_cameron_esslemonts_new_malazan_novel_finally

Reactions:
3. r/Malazan → reddit.com/r/Malazan/comments/xvxipw/forge_of_the_high_mage_uk_cover
4. @DanielGreeneReviews
Twitter → twitter.com/DanielBGreene/status/1578438385210834946
Fantasy News → youtu.be/5i8BfbpOXOw?t=202
5. @PetrikLeo→ youtu.be/JBbhHFmON98?t=1243

Full list of references further down in the description.

// JUMP TO
0:00 Reactions
2:29 Who did this?
3:31 Why use AI art?
4:37 A Midjourney experiment?
5:04 Implications for publishing
6:57 How will this affect book sales?
7:58 How will this impact cover artists & illustrators?
9:32 What does this mean for trad pub authors?
10:21 Bantam Press messed up
10:48 How AI art generators work & why they're so problematic
14:21 Is there a solution?
15:02 Another problematic application of AI technology
16:04 Should publishers use AI art to produce books?

#authortube #selfpublishing #aiart

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
My tinfoil hat theory on Amazon and AI fiction:
Amazon's top secret plan is BAD news → youtu.be/FRdUkz3s3Rk

// REFERENCES

Bantam Press structure → thebookseller.com/news/transworld-launches-new-imprint-and-unveils-refreshed-branding-and-promotions
Esslemont sales → thewertzone.blogspot.com/2021/09/ian-c-esslemont-sells-million-books.html

Steve Stone:
Artist website → stonenexusdarkarts.com
Instagram → instagram.com/stonenexus
Twitter theory → twitter.com/CoreyBrickley/status/1577762235493105665

Michael Whelan:
Stormlight covers → michaelwhelan.com/stormlight
Dataset → http://laion-aesthetic.datasette.io/laion-aesthetic-6pls/images?_search=%22michael+whelan%22&_sort=rowid

AI TECHNOLOGY:

James Zou, Stanford researcher, on AI data deletion:
Presentation → youtu.be/BSTWzl8rbjw
Research paper → proceedings.neurips.cc/paper/2019/file/cb79f8fa58b91d3af6c9c991f63962d3-Paper.pdf
References "Humans Forget, Machines Remember" research paper → papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3018186

Getty Images & Shutterstock ban AI art, via Peta Pixel → petapixel.com/2022/09/21/getty-images-ban-ai-generated-pictures-shutterstock-following-suit

ALLi:
Practical and Ethical Guidelines for AI use → selfpublishingadvice.org/ai-for-authors-guidelines
Impact of AI art on authors → selfpublishingadvice.org/ai-art-indie-authors

20Booksto50k discussion: facebook.com/groups/20Booksto50k/posts/4947445975361827

How it works:
Neural networks → youtu.be/jmmW0F0biz0
Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) → youtu.be/TpMIssRdhco
Convolution Neural Networks → youtu.be/QzY57FaENXg
Maths behind CNNs → towardsdatascience.com/gentle-dive-into-math-behind-convolutional-neural-networks-79a07dd44cf9

AI art generators:
Stable Diffusion public release → stability.ai/blog/stable-diffusion-public-release
@Vox explainer → youtu.be/SVcsDDABEkM
AI data laundering, via Waxy → waxy.org/2022/09/ai-data-laundering-how-academic-and-nonprofit-researchers-shield-tech-companies-from-accountability
Stable Diffusion data set, via Waxy → waxy.org/2022/08/exploring-12-million-of-the-images-used-to-train-stable-diffusions-image-generator
AI copying a signature, via Kotaku → kotaku.com/ai-art-dall-e-midjourney-stable-diffusion-copyright-1849388060
AI copying a watermark, via @Jazza → youtu.be/4zEYcFlv3HM?t=473
AI understanding → garymarcus.substack.com/p/form-function-and-the-giant-gulf

Midler vs Ford 1988 judgement → https://cyber.harvard.edu/people/tfisher/1988%20Midler.pdf

AI Fiction, via The Verge → theverge.com/c/23194235/ai-fiction-writing-amazon-kindle-sudowrite-jasper

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

How we find new books is BROKEN. Lets fix it!

Paper Tiger 2022-09-30 | Can we stop judging books by their covers, their hype, and their marketing budget and go back to judging them by how they're written?

Since the solution I propose doesn't exist yet (to my knowledge), I've got some fantasy-specific alternatives for you over in this community post → youtube.com/post/Ugkxlt5D7j_MaqNncp2zm6aGVp2IWFq5CE60
And if you're looking for some advice on how to succeed at self-publishing, here's some advice from New York Times best-selling self-published author, Will Wight → youtu.be/0Xoqx_GUxoE

EDIT: Both Nikky Lee from the Indie Accords discord and @cassie_hart mentioned there's a little NZ-based start-up called Narrative Muse that is trying to do something similar—you can check that out here: matchmaker.narrativemuse.co

And many thanks to @jimf2525 for calling me out on some suspect maths. Check out his pinned comment and my reply, and if you're good at maths, please jump into the discussion!

// JUMP TO
0:00 This is embarrassing
0:43 Publishing's discoverability problem
3:11 The mathematically PROVEN solution
4:52 Fixing the way we look for books to read

#authortube #selfpublishing #books

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:
Will Wight's advice for self-publishing → youtu.be/fqpnlY2ZOLQ

// REFERENCES

Where to find indie/self-published books
→ reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/vsb24g/comment/if0r35c/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Barnes & Noble's change in policy
→ publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/90151-daunt-addresses-furor-over-middle-grade-fiction-buying-policy.html

Trad pub is doing less and less editing:
1. @Jed_Herne interview with Sarah Chorn
Clip → youtube.com/clip/UgkxJfLkOleS0c-gcwUblFu5-pFU9-Ip14Q7
Community post discussion → youtube.com/channel/UC5KfSLtFfjCDGRuIxBX5ifg/community?lb=UgkxRUBMBjuSIIYJjfWH5zu4Nfhn2B_bWojV
2. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Twitter thread → twitter.com/DeborahLau/status/1503494502433976320

How much Chris Fox has spent on his epic fantasy series:
Financial disclosures start here → youtube.com/watch?v=4NbQPtk0Ahg&t=454s
Community post discussion → youtube.com/channel/UC5KfSLtFfjCDGRuIxBX5ifg/community?lb=UgkxyDbINFA3cHFCmhOCU6mqFOIaAt2aw-mq

Optimal stopping problems explained:
@numberphile's explainer using toilets (😅 same principle though) → youtu.be/ZWib5olGbQ0
Thomas S. Ferguson, "Who solved the secretary problem?" Statistical Science, Vol. 4.,282–296, (1989) → projecteuclid.org/download/pdf_1/euclid.ss/1177012493

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

The REAL truth about self-publishing & money

Paper Tiger 2022-09-16 | I don't understand why we don't talk about this more. If you want to be a successful author, trad pub OR indie, you need to know this.

// JUMP TO
0:00 How to self-publish when you don't have any money
1:05 What are you self-publishing?
1:51 How much does it cost to self-publish a book?
7:43 How to raise money for self-publishing
11:38 Getting to "published"

#authortube #selfpublishing #budgeting

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:
1. Why self-publishing does NOT require financial privilege → youtu.be/j_D-9JXCRHg
2. Self-publishing advice from a NYT-bestselling author → youtu.be/0Xoqx_GUxoE

// REFERENCES
Self-publishing costs:
Spreadsheet with recommended baseline self-pub costs & variations → bit.ly/minselfpubcosts
Title P&L template → bit.ly/35SVA6k
How to create a title P&L → youtu.be/gy6VGPtzKqA
ISBNs and barcodes, explained → youtu.be/KiqM0vUPLRo

Cover design resources:
Damonza → damonza.com/papertiger (use coupon code "PAPERTIGER" at checkout to get 10% off)

[Disclosure: This is an affiliate link. By using my link and discount code, you'll get 10% off the price of any Damonza book cover design services you purchase and I'll get a 5% affiliate fee, which helps support this channel. I paid full price for my cover. This video was not sponsored by Damonza—I just had a really good experience with them! You can check out my review here → youtu.be/xRdOt8dm_7M]

Miblart → miblart.com/services/ebook-cover-design
GetCovers → getcovers.com/book-cover-design

Derek Murphy's DIY Book Covers → diybookcovers.com

Using AI art generators for cover art
U.S. Copyright Office Rules A.I. Art Can’t Be Copyrighted via Smithsonian Magazine → smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/us-copyright-office-rules-ai-art-cant-be-copyrighted-180979808
MidJourney AI art for book cover design (how is this legal?) by Derek Murphy → creativindie.com/midjourney-ai-for-book-cover-design-how-is-this-legal
What I learned today while making 28 covers with Midjourney and Canva by Maria Korolov via Metastellar
→ metastellar.com/nonfiction/on-writing/what-i-learned-today-while-making-28-covers-with-midjourney-and-canva
Robots vs Lawyers by Lauren Panepinto → muddycolors.com/2022/08/robots-vs-lawyers

Ryan Trahan survived on $0.01 for 30 days
→ youtube.com/watch?v=JEqi3VVLYkg
// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

The Night People by Caitlin Strauss → amazon.com/dp/B09Z8VNQ7Z
(Disclosure: Caitlin is in my writing group and I beta-read this book. It is a great urban fantasy police procedural!)

The Best Self-Publishing Platform in 2024

Paper Tiger 2022-09-05 | Spoilers: it's not Amazon KDP OR IngramSpark. Here's my ranking of every major self-publishing platform.

2024 update: my opinion has not changed!

Your turn to rank them! Here's the template: tiermaker.com/categories/books/self-publishing-platforms-excl-serials-15312487

// JUMP TO
0:00 Going wide
0:37 Apple Books
2:30 Google Play
4:24 Kobo Writing Life
5:44 Barnes & Noble Press
8:00 Draft2Digital
10:18 Smashwords
12:02 Amazon KDP
17:48 IngramSpark
20:37 Wordpress (direct website sales)

#authortube #selfpublishing #tierlist

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:
Why Amazon pushes so hard for exclusivity → youtu.be/FRdUkz3s3Rk

// REFERENCES
Major self-publishing platforms ranked, in alphabetical order:
Amazon KDP → kdp.amazon.com
Apple Books → authors.apple.com
Barnes & Noble Press → press.barnesandnoble.com
Draft2Digital → draft2digital.com
Google Play → play.google.com/books/publish
IngramSpark → ingramspark.com
Kobo Writing Life → kobo.com/p/writinglife
Smashwords → smashwords.com
Wordpress → wordpress.org

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My epic fantasy series, Resonance Crystal Legacy:
BUY DIRECT → delilahwaan.com/shop
Follow my Kickstarter → kickstarter.com/projects/delilahwaan/supplicant?ref=5khkfs
Buy from retailers → books2read.com/petition

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
BUY DIRECT → catlikestudio.com/shop
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring
My Rescue Cat → books2read.com/myrescuecat

REVIEW: IngramSpark Hardcover Jacketed Case Laminate Finish

Paper Tiger 2022-08-29 | IngramSpark is the only print-on-demand service that offers a case laminate hardcover with a dust jacket. Is it worth the hassle and cost?

// JUMP TO
0:00 Why IngramSpark?
0:44 Cost
2:20 Turnaround time to print & ship
2:57 Delivery
3:39 Print quality
5:53 Claims process for damaged books
7:29 Overall conclusion

#authortube #selfpublishing #reviews

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:
Damonza Cover Design Review → youtu.be/xRdOt8dm_7M

// REFERENCES

IngramSpark jacketed case laminate hardcover:
→ ingramspark.com/jacketed-case-video

IngramSpark March 2022 rate card:
→ ingramspark.com/hubfs/IngramSpark-pricing-services-march-2022.pdf

IngramSpark book printing & shipping cost calculator:
→ myaccount.ingramspark.com/Portal/Tools/ShippingCalculator

IngramSpark file creation guide:
→ ingramspark.com/hubfs/downloads/file-creation-guide.pdf

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My epic fantasy series, Resonance Crystal Legacy:
BUY DIRECT → delilahwaan.com/shop
Follow my Kickstarter → kickstarter.com/projects/delilahwaan/supplicant?ref=5khkfs
Buy from retailers → books2read.com/petition

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
BUY DIRECT → catlikestudio.com/shop
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring
My Rescue Cat → books2read.com/myrescuecat

The 4 Biggest Self-Publishing Mistakes I Made With My Debut Novel

Paper Tiger 2022-08-12 | Three self-published books in and I'm still screwing up. At least I'm making different mistakes? 😅

// JUMP TO
0:00 Debut novel regrets
0:08 Big Mistake 1
0:51 Big Mistake 2
1:49 Big Mistake 3
2:51 Big Mistake 4

#authortube #selfpublishing

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:
New self-published author mistakes → youtu.be/PtvhsxgEM8I
Amazon's secret plan and why it's bad news → youtu.be/FRdUkz3s3Rk
My review of David Gaughran's Let's Get Digital → youtu.be/sGyrO42tgTo

// REFERENCES
Self-publishing advice from Ryan Cahill
1. SelfPublishedFantasyMonth guest post → selfpublishedfantasymonth.com/things-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-started-self-publishing-by-ryan-cahill
2. @libraryofaviking's interview → youtube.com/watch?v=iUi5yoV25ZA

Free promo opportunities for new fantasy authors:
1. Rob J Haye's monthly self-published fantasy releases (Aug 2022 page, new link every month) → robjhayes.co.uk/self-published-fantasy-releases-august-2022
2. r/fantasy collection of upcoming sci-fi/fantasy new releases → reddit.com/r/Fantasy/collection/14c870c3-3b31-49f8-955d-6ad5f8488228
3. r/fantasy Resident Authors Book Club → reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search/?q=title%3ARAB&restrict_sr=1&sort=new
4. Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, run by Mark Lawrence → mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-official-self-published-fantasy.html

ARC platforms (paid):
Netgalley → netgalley.com
BookSprout → booksprout.co
Book Sirens → booksirens.com

Other promo platforms (paid)
StoryOrigin → storyoriginapp.com

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

7 stages of dealing with Amazon KDP Customer Support

Paper Tiger 2022-08-05 | It's like the 5 stages of grief except there's more of them and the cycle never ends.

#authortube #selfpublishing #skit

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:
What being self-published is like → youtu.be/LSMufge7dhU

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My epic fantasy series, Resonance Crystal Legacy:
BUY DIRECT → delilahwaan.com/shop
Follow my Kickstarter → kickstarter.com/projects/delilahwaan/supplicant?ref=5khkfs
Buy from retailers → books2read.com/petition

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
BUY DIRECT → catlikestudio.com/shop
Buy from retailers:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring
My Rescue Cat → books2read.com/myrescuecat

How much I paid for my author website

Paper Tiger 2022-06-25 | With more "Gutenberg-ready" Wordpress themes coming out, it's easier than ever to build a professional-looking author website for just the cost of your domain name and web hosting.

// JUMP TO
0:00 Don't spend $300/year
1:47 Is Wordpress hard to setup?
4:22 The actual hard part
4:47 Homepage
8:38 Single page
10:01 Single post
12:04 Header & navigation menu
14:06 Footer
16:03 Extras
18:07 Report an error
20:40 Unlinked pages
21:36 Conclusion

#authortube #selfpublishing #wordpress

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy my other video explaining how websites work:
→ youtu.be/py88jM45AYU

// REFERENCES
David Gaughran’s Following Resources page
→ davidgaughran.com/FollowingResources

W3Techs CMS historical trends
→ w3techs.com/technologies/history_overview/content_management/all/y

What I use for my epic fantasy author website:
Domain name registration → namecheap.com
Web hosting → nearlyfreespeech.net
Livro theme → wordpress.com/theme/livro
Airtable → airtable.com (for tracking reported errors)
Typeform → typeform.com (for reporting errors)

// RESOURCES
Wordpress:
Explore Gutenberg-ready free themes → wordpress.com/themes (search "feature:full-site-editing feature:custom-colors" and select "Free" themes only)

A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

REVIEW: Damonza’s Book Cover Design Service

Paper Tiger 2022-06-17 | Damonza.com is one of the most recommended book cover designers in the business—and they charge premium prices. What exactly does spending $595 USD with Damonza get you?

// JUMP TO
0:00 Self-publishing commandments
0:40 Damonza's book covers
1:00 Pre-made book covers
1:26 Damonza's budget ebook design service
2:55 Why Damonza is more expensive
3:53 Front cover: Damonza's first draft
5:01 Revisions
6:07 Paperback cover
6:47 Files from Damonza
8:16 Final considerations
10:36 How I rate Damonza

If you plan on using Damonza's book cover design services, you can get 10% off if you visit damonza.com/papertiger and use coupon code "PAPERTIGER" at checkout!
[Disclosure: This is an affiliate link. By using my link and discount code, you'll get 10% off the price of any Damonza book cover design services you purchase and I'll get a 5% affiliate fee, which helps support this channel. I paid full price for my cover. This video was not sponsored by Damonza—I just had a really good experience with them!]

#authortube #selfpublishing #bookcoverdesign

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy my other review videos:
"Newsletter Ninja" by Tammi Labrecque → youtube.com/watch?v=apuxpFBzgfQ
"Let's Get Digital" by David Gaughran → youtube.com/watch?v=sGyrO42tgTo

// REFERENCES

PRE-MADE BOOK COVERS

My recommendation:
Damonza → Visit damonza.com/papertiger and use coupon code "PAPERTIGER" at checkout for a 10% discount
[Disclosure: This is an affiliate link. By using my link and discount code, you'll get 10% off the price of any Damonza book cover design services you purchase and I'll get a 5% affiliate fee, which helps support this channel. I paid full price for my cover. This video was not sponsored by Damonza—I just had a really good experience with them!]

If you're on a really tight budget but you need reasonable quality:
GoOnWrite.com → goonwrite.com

If you have a lot of patience to sort through thousands of covers in a marketplace:
The Book Cover Designer → thebookcoverdesigner.com (they are currently running a sale: use "JUNE2022" at checkout for 20% off between 1–30 June 2022)

A more affordable alternative to Damonza:
Book Cover Zone → bookcoverzone.com

Get a free copy of Derek Murphy's "Cover Design Secrets" here:
→ diybookcovers.com

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

I tried to make a professional fantasy map for FREE

Paper Tiger 2022-05-20 | Does the rule about not doing your own covers also apply to interior art and fantasy maps?

// JUMP TO
0:00 Epic fantasy readers expect original maps
1:09 Free fantasy map generators
1:53 Paid fantasy map generators
2:43 Where I should have started
3:49 YouTube mapmaking tutorials
4:09 Map drawing with Procreate
4:42 Lots and lots of tracing
4:58 Drawing the details
6:45 Blank spaces, labels and legends
7:32 Fantasy map critiques
8:34 The final result

#authortube #selfpublishing #mapmaking

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Looking for more walk-throughs? Here's one on how to create a title P&L for your book → youtu.be/lHXdFCiMmXg

// REFERENCES

My cover designer is Damonza. Visit damonza.com/papertiger and use coupon code "PAPERTIGER" at checkout for a 10% discount
[Disclosure: This is an affiliate link. By using my link and discount code, you'll get 10% off the price of any Damonza book cover design services you purchase and I'll get a 5% affiliate fee, which helps support this channel.]

Isaac Stewart:
On commissioning maps → isaacstewart.com/copy-of-resources
A fascinating interview about map making and working with authors and publishers → youtube.com/watch?v=7bufBAo9mes

Printer requirements:
KDP → kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GVBQ3CMEQW3W2VL6
IngramSpark → ingramspark.com/resources/tools

YouTube map making tutorials:
WASD20's entire fantasy map making playlist → youtube.com/watch?v=2q-eDLiqtdg&list=PLq8DIL0O-i-mYmd-rt-xvy-MfvkGMvJf7
@Caeora's 6 hour livestream masterclass → youtube.com/watch?v=7-w7ROkmWIo
@JPCoovert's D&D city map creation → youtube.com/watch?v=63DZ7nLpSDE
@QuestingBeast on drawing a city map → youtube.com/watch?v=vQgRU2Kq_zc
@MapsbyOwen on drawing forests → youtube.com/watch?v=2dXymefWOuc
@BrandSanderson also totally covered this waaaaay back when in his older lectures → youtube.com/watch?v=4_cQfhgA89I
@LeoLeonis on using GIMP → youtube.com/watch?v=faDvbIF1nuI
@devRat on using Krita →
youtube.com/watch?v=vOXhra7UD9I

Traditionally published epic fantasy novels and their maps:
Janny Wurts' Athera, from Wars of Light and Shadow → paravia.com/StudioShop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=23_35
Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, by Isaac Stewart → coppermind.net/wiki/Category:Maps_of_Roshar
Seth Dickinson's Audwynn from The Masquerade (Baru Cormorant) →
web.archive.org/web/20151102215742/http://www.omnivoracious.com/2015/10/how-seth-dickinson-built-the-epic-fantasy-world-of-baru-cormorant.html
Fonda Lee's Kekon, by Tim Paul Illustrations → fondalee.com/books/jade-city/jade-city-extras
Trudi Canavan's Imardin from The Black Magician trilogy →
trudicanavan.com/books/the-black-magician-trilogy/illustrations-maps-sketches
Leigh Bardugo's Ravka, from the Grishaverse →
grishaverse.com/map-of-the-grishaverse
leighbardugo.com/grishaverse/ravka-map
R.F. Kuang's Poppy War → rfkuang.com/2018/05/07/its-a-map

Self-published epic fantasy and their maps:
Alec Hutson's Araen from the Raveling →
deviantart.com/stratomunchkin/art/Araen-Commission-630007828
Will Wight's Damascus from the Traveler's Gate trilogy → willwight.com/a-blog-of-dubious-intent/i-think-i-dropped-my-map
Melanie Cellier's Ardann, Kallorway and Sekali Empire from the Spoken Mage → melaniecellier.com/extras

// RESOURCES
Map generators
Free:
Azgaar → azgaar.github.io/Fantasy-Map-Generator
Watabou → watabou.github.io

TOOLS
Free:
GIMP → gimp.org
Krita → krita.org/en
Photopea → photopea.com
Inkscape → inkscape.org

Paid:
Inkarnate → inkarnate.com
Wonderdraft → wonderdraft.net

A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

It said Id become an expert | Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque (Review)

Paper Tiger 2022-05-13 | This is the most recommended self-help book for self-published authors looking to build their mailing list. I'm not sure it lives up to the hype.

// JUMP TO
0:00 Everybody loves this book
0:50 Tammi Labrecque's credentials
2:07 Tammi Labrecque's philosophy
2:45 Set-up & onboarding
4:39 List building
5:12 List maintenance
7:28 My conclusion

#authortube #selfpublishing #newsletter

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy:
My breakdown of the 5 levels of mailing lists → youtu.be/WPm_npkImEs
My review of David Gaughran's "Let's Get Digital" → youtu.be/sGyrO42tgTo

// REFERENCES
Newsletter Ninja by Tammi L. Labrecque
The book → amazon.com/dp/B07C6J8HP9
Linked resources → newsletterninja.net/links

David Allen's "Getting Things Done" flowchart by moehrbetter.com
→ http://www.moehrbetter.com/gtd-advanced-workflow-diagram.html

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

when someone asks you about your book

Paper Tiger 2022-05-06 | I have written and rewritten my blurb like five times now and it still sucks. Why is this so hard...

// JUMP TO
0:00 You wrote a book?
0:14 Be more specific
0:24 Fantasy Proper Nouns

#authortube #selfpublishing #skit

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy this skit on what being self-published is like:
youtu.be/LSMufge7dhU

// REFERENCES

Music:
Stalking Prey by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Artist: http://audionautix.com

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

Google Play just changed the game

Paper Tiger 2022-04-29 | Self-published authors can now turn an .epub file into an audiobook in as little as 2 hours for $0 cash outlay.

// JUMP TO
0:00 Google Play announcement
2:53 Twitter reactions
3:34 Title P&L considerations
6:37 Auto-narrated audiobooks are a game changer
9:37 The future of audiobooks

#authortube #selfpublishing

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these videos next:
How ebooks disrupted print publishing → youtu.be/av64WXh_f80
Draft2Digital acquires Smashwords → youtu.be/PAurKVm8iuM

// REFERENCES

Google Play Auto-narrated Books:
Dec 2020 announcement → youtube.com/watch?v=-TfASLwVlUs
Get started → play.google.com/books/publish/autonarrated
@zippywings's video walkthrough → youtube.com/watch?v=Mje2qODPBzo

Twitter reactions:
→ twitter.com/cs_poe/status/1519041492328894470

Coverage of the Dec 2020 announcement:
Chrome Unboxed → chromeunboxed.com/auto-generated-narrators-google-play-books
9to5Google → 9to5google.com/2020/12/03/google-auto-audiobook
List of free Google Play auto-narrated titles → 9to5google.com/2020/12/17/free-google-play-audiobooks

ALLi article on ACX rates
→ selfpublishingadvice.org/how-audiobook-authors-are-paid-by-audible-acx

ACX submission requirements:
Human narrator required → help.acx.com/s/article/what-are-the-acx-audio-submission-requirements
No text-to-speech → help.acx.com/s/article/does-acx-accept-text-to-speech-audio

Brandon Sanderson
Kickstarter results → kickstarter.com/projects/dragonsteel/surprise-four-secret-novels-by-brandon-sanderson
NYT article → nytimes.com/2022/03/03/books/brandon-sanderson-kickstarter.html

Travis Baldree's excellent self-publishing A to Z:
Audiobook production → medium.com/@travisbaldree/self-published-book-launch-a-z-39ec6f9257e1#9dfc

Damonza cover design:
→ damonza.com

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

Title P&L:
Template → bit.ly/35SVA6k
IS Print Cost Calculator → myaccount.ingramspark.com/portal/tools/pubcompcalculator
KDP Print Cost Calculator → kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GSQF43YAMUPFTMSP

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

I found the next Brandon Sanderson

Paper Tiger 2022-04-23 | This is @WillWightAuthor's crazy journey to being a two-time NYT Bestselling author. He started from zero with $200 in his bank account and has now sold 2+ MILLION books.

// JUMP TO
0:00 Who is he?
3:28 Will Wight's advice for success
6:01 How Will Wight makes decisions

#authortube #selfpublishing #willwight

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy this video next:
youtu.be/av64WXh_f80

// REFERENCES

A fantastic series of interviews with Will Wight on @Jed_Herne's channel:
10 May 2021 → youtube.com/watch?v=anAKvzfEhdI
17 May 2021 → youtube.com/watch?v=HHo5FHQIaP8
13 Dec 2021 → youtube.com/watch?v=CAUPhKskSAI
20 Dec 2021 → youtube.com/watch?v=k-qY0BhO7H4

A really great interview with Brandon Sanderson on @DanielGreeneReviews's channel:
16 March 2021 → youtube.com/watch?v=02vvaHjMzTA

Amazing fan cover art by Evan Teuteberg
Artstation → artstation.com/artwork/klN210

Will Wight
Website & blog → willwight.com
Words of Will at Abidan Archive → abidanarchive.com
Facebook → facebook.com/willwightauthor
Reddit → reddit.com/u/Will_Wight
Kickstarter → kickstarter.com/projects/author-will-wight/fantasy-novels-cradle-1-3-by-will-wight
Interview with The Road Less Written → theroadlesswritten.com/author-interview-will-wight-travelers-gate-trilogy

Brandon Sanderson
Official list of students → faq.brandonsanderson.com/knowledge-base/have-any-of-your-students-gone-on-to-publish-books

Brian McClellan
Website → brianmcclellan.com
500k copies milestone → tor.com/2019/10/28/announcing-the-glass-immortals-a-new-epic-fantasy-series-from-brian-mcclellan
TV adaptation → deadline.com/2021/01/utopia-falls-joseph-mallozzi-adapt-fantasy-novel-powder-mage-as-tv-series-with-no-equal-entertainment-frantic-films-1234673264

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

Second time self-publishing is NOT better | A Paper Tiger Vlog

Paper Tiger 2022-04-08 | You just see the same mistakes coming...and ALSO screw up in other ways. Here's what happened when I self-published my second bilingual kids' book.

// JUMP TO
0:00 Day before launch
10:56 Launch day
14:36 Day after launch
16:21 Week after launch

#authortube #selfpublishing #vlog

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy this video next:
New self-published author mistakes (Book 1 reflection) → youtu.be/PtvhsxgEM8I

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

Sanderson Kickstarter Countdown | Accountant & Self-Published Author Reacts LIVE!

Paper Tiger 2022-04-01 | I made a bet that Brandon Sanderson's Kickstarter would fund at $31.7 million...and he blew past that with 1 week to go. Watch me count down and react LIVE to the end of the Kickstarter and we'll chat all things self-publishing.

Here's the video breaking down my original bet → youtube.com/watch?v=b9D37-3xrWQ

#brandonsanderson #selfpublishing #kickstarter

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

How Brandon Sanderson became Brandon Sanderson

Paper Tiger 2022-03-25 | Who is Brandon Sanderson? How did he become one of today's best selling fantasy authors? And can other authors do what he's done? I trawled through twenty years of his internet history to discover the answer.

// JUMP TO
0:00 What is his secret?
1:19 A publishing fairy tale
4:10 Digging deeper
7:37 What is he doing different?
11:22 That doesn't explain everything
15:10 Things become obvious
22:51 Ultimate takeaway

#authortube #selfpublishing #brandonsanderson

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy this video on my attempt to write to market next:
→ youtu.be/wnGInMrkBF4

// REFERENCES

@BrandSanderson's "Brandofandonitis" video → youtube.com/watch?v=RmMHmimYHdo

WORDS OF BRANDON:
2020 BYU Lecture #1 → youtube.com/watch?v=-6HOdHEeosc&list=PLSH_xM-KC3Zv-79sVZTTj-YA6IAqh8qeQ
Discovering Dragonsbane & raising awareness → wob.coppermind.net/events/357/#e10793
Selling his first book and finding his voice → wob.coppermind.net/events/5/#e3228
Emotion vs thought, revisited → web.archive.org/web/20070829061952/http://www.brandonsanderson.com/article.php?id=47
WPH → wob.coppermind.net/events/101/#e895
Timewasters Guide (TWG) - wob.coppermind.net/events/202/#e5965
TWG Archive → twg.17thshard.com/index.php
Jordon Eulogy → brandonsanderson.com/euology-goodbye-mr-jordan
Harriet on choosing Brandon → theoryland.com/intvsresults.php?kwt=%27how%20brandon%20was%20chosen%27
Writing to market → wob.coppermind.net/events/340/#e10178

Michael Anderle and LMBPN Publishing
→ publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/83653-lmbpn-feeds-whale-readers.html

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

Wheres the $$$ going?! | Accountant analyzes Brandon Sandersons Kickstarter funds

Paper Tiger 2022-03-12 | What is Brandon Sanderson going to do with all the money from the biggest Kickstarter in history? Let's break down the financials behind this crowd funding campaign. And watch me countdown and react to the final result here → youtu.be/Wi1i0VZ71g0

EDIT: a day or so after I posted this video, Brandon Sanderson himself posted a breakdown of the numbers on his website here →brandonsanderson.com/some-faqs-you-might-enjoy

// JUMP TO
0:00 Sanderson breaks records
1:05 Total funds raised
5:21 Kickstarter expenses
9:26 Should Sanderson use Kickstarter?

#kickstarter #selfpublishing #brandonsanderson

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you found this video interesting, you should check out this video next:
The ONE thing you need to make money self-publishing → youtu.be/gy6VGPtzKqA

// REFERENCES
IPOs → iposcoop.com/ipos-recently-filed

Sanderson sales figures:
Sanderson sales via Reddit → reddit.com/r/Stormlight_Archive/comments/8h25ie/no_spoilers_question_on_sales_figures_for
Rhythm of War sales via Reddit → reddit.com/r/Stormlight_Archive/comments/k15tvm/1_in_our_hearts_and_on_the_charts
New York Times → nytimes.com/2022/03/03/books/brandon-sanderson-kickstarter.html
Stormlight Archive sales via Tor → tor.com/2019/12/10/brandon-sandersons-stormlight-archive-book-4-arrives-on-november-17-2020
Brandon Sanderson "About the Author" blurb via Penguin Random House → penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/168928/brandon-sanderson

Kickstarter:
Fees → kickstarter.com/help/fees

Kicktraq
Way of Kings Leatherbound → kicktraq.com/projects/dragonsteel/the-way-of-kings-10th-anniversary-leatherbound-edition
Four Secret Novels → kicktraq.com/projects/dragonsteel/surprise-four-secret-novels-by-brandon-sanderson

Title P&L:
Editorial rates → the-efa.org/rates
Audiobook costs per Travis Baldress → medium.com/@travisbaldree/self-published-book-launch-a-z-39ec6f9257e1#9dfc

ACX:
Production earnings → acx.com/help/what-s-the-deal/200497690
ALLi article on effective royalties → selfpublishingadvice.org/how-audiobook-authors-are-paid-by-audible-acx

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

Trad Pub is Dead. Long Live NEW Publishing | Self-Pub Author Explains Brandon Sanderson Kickstarter

Paper Tiger 2022-03-04 | Here's my reaction to Brandon Sanderson's record-breaking secret Kickstarter. Let's celebrate the future of publishing!

Sanderson's announcement → youtu.be/6a-k6eaT-jQ
Q&A livestream → youtu.be/WuLtfMYiYTU

// JUMP TO
0:00 Sanderson comes clean
1:22 Brandon Sanderson self-publishing
2:01 How Sanderson wrote secret novels
3:04 Why can't other fantasy authors write that fast?
7:07 Can other authors replicate his success?
9:34 What about normal authors?
11:05 What this means for traditional publishing
13:42 Publishing TODAY
15:52 Traditional publishing's value add
16:35 The NEW publishing paradigm
18:38 Everything wrong with traditional publishing
19:03 The future of publishing

#authortube #selfpublishing #brandonsanderson

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
More Brandon Sanderson analysis:
→ youtu.be/5Gyri9QxzY0&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp54ZV20-Ek1qAb22vY75_ql

// REFERENCES
My prediction: → twitter.com/DeborahLau/status/1498883475025195008

Paper Tiger videos referenced:
Sanderson's secret → youtu.be/gSifbG4lCmY
How Sanderson writes so fast → youtu.be/Y9H3-_41nNc
Publishing is gambling → youtu.be/TrgRWJvhLjw
Breaking even → youtu.be/lHXdFCiMmXg
Indie publishing → youtu.be/j_D-9JXCRHg
Self-pub value chain → youtu.be/-HOxb90DxHk
Writing Livestreams
Nov 2021 → youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAPT6aE7WPp6TCRSO0hZo_2M09HZcwDUJ
Dec 2021→ youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAPT6aE7WPp7iqipigZ_NRYG42Yz0-Xm6

Sanderson's Kickstarters:
The Way of Kings Leatherbound (2020) → kickstarter.com/projects/dragonsteel/the-way-of-kings-10th-anniversary-leatherbound-edition
Surprise! Four Secret Novels by Brandon Sanderson (2022) → kickstarter.com/projects/dragonsteel/surprise-four-secret-novels-by-brandon-sanderson

Reactions:
John Scalzi → whatever.scalzi.com/2022/03/01/very-quick-thoughts-on-brandon-sandersons-mega-kickstarter
@Daniel Greene → youtu.be/8EVgZzb5ZKo
@TreeBeard Book Reviews → youtu.be/0ZxeKIjOOOw
@Library of a Viking → youtu.be/Sv9Gi6DbjjM

Brandon Sanderson as an author
Harriet McDougal on choosing him → theoryland.com/intvsresults.php?kwt=%27how%20brandon%20was%20chosen%27
Self-publishing in 2012 → web.archive.org/web/20120525155438/http://fantasy-faction.com/forum/advertising-your-novels/advertising-some-of-my-smaller-projects/msg31754/#msg31754
Compared to other authors → reddit.com/r/brandonsanderson/comments/kaqlon/brando_sando_vs_some_other_authors
Rsyn interlude → youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSH_xM-KC3ZviGuhA9pT7ETB481Fw-VEL
Cosmere → behance.net/gallery/63201987/Brandon-Sanderson-Cosmere-Infographic-Map

Brandon Sanderson's publishing company
Dragonsteel Entertainment → opencorporates.com/companies/us_ut/6725139-0160
Team Silverlight → youtu.be/aBTfWrCvim0

@Will Wight:
Reaction video → youtu.be/KjoQate39Po
1 book takes 6 months → reddit.com/r/Iteration110Cradle/comments/db1q2p/comment/f20932c/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
NYT Audio Fiction Bestseller
Bloodline → nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2021/05/02/audio-fiction
Reaper → nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2021/12/19/audio-fiction
Paolini/Sanderson panel → medium.com/@gpetticrew/the-day-author-will-wight-became-my-hero-45a01546cc9
Stay self-published → reddit.com/r/Iteration110Cradle/comments/gu04ok/why_not_go_with_a_big_publisher

Other
"Self Published Book Launch A-Z", Travis Baldree (March 2022) → medium.com/@travisbaldree/self-published-book-launch-a-z-39ec6f9257e1#9dfc
Tolkien timeline → tolkiensociety.org/author/timeline

Traditional publishing
Leaked HarperCollins presentation → amazingstories.com/2013/06/a-publishers-perspective-on-profits-ebooks-vs-print
"Digital truths traditional publishers don't want to hear" (April 2013) → theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2013/apr/29/digital-truths-traditional-publishers
"Eisler on Digital Denial" (April 2013) → http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2013/04/eisler-on-digital-denial.html
"The Brutal Truth About Earning Out" → blakeatwood.com/the-brutal-truth-about-earning-out
"How do publishers choose which books to bet on?" (July 2020) → janefriedman.com/how-do-publishers-decide
"The Book P&L: How Publishers Make Decisions About What to Publish" (July 2015) → janefriedman.com/book-pl

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

What being self-published is like

Paper Tiger 2022-02-25 | Me, just living the dream as a self-published author. Everything in this skit is 100% true and happened in the last two weeks.

#authortube #selfpublishing #selfpublishedauthor

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy this skit on serialized fiction:
→ youtu.be/H0qjsbRxRFY

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

I should have read this last year | Reviewing Lets Get Digital by David Gaughran

Paper Tiger 2022-02-18 | An in-depth review of "Let's Get Digital" by @David Gaughran with a summary of the main takeaways from each chapter and whether you need to read it.

// JUMP TO
0:00 You're doing it wrong
2:28 Overview
3:12 Intro & Chapter 1
6:06 Chapter 2
9:29 Chapter 3
12:58 Chapter 4
14:56 Chapter 5
17:00 Chapter 6
17:51 Chapter 7
19:42 Chapter 8
21:26 Chapter 9
23:50 Chapter 10
25:35 Overall thoughts

#authortube #selfpublishing #booktube

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy this video next:
→ youtu.be/WPm_npkImEs

// REFERENCES
David Gaughran's credentials:
SFWA award winner → nebulas.sfwa.org/sfwa-announces-2020-kate-wilhelm-solstice-award

DavidGaughran.com:
Get your copy of "Let's Get Digital" → davidgaughran.com/books/lets-get-digital-how-to-self-publish
The supplementary resources → davidgaughran.com/digital-indie-self-publishing-resources

Covers for GRRM's A Game of Thrones:
GRRM website → georgerrmartin.com/cover-art-gallery/?id=249

// RESOURCES
Self-publishing scam watchdogs:
David Gaughran's blog → davidgaughran.com/category/bewares
Writer Beware (SFWA) → sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

Is this the end for Amazon KDP?

Paper Tiger 2022-02-11 | Draft2Digital acquires Smashwords effective 1 March 2022. This is the BIGGEST development for self-publishing since Amazon acquired CreateSpace (now KDP). If you're an indie or self-published author, you need to be across this.

I'm breaking down the business fundamentals behind the Draft2Digital acquisition of Smashwords. We need this merger to work because Amazon's market dominance is out of control. Here's what Amazon is doing: youtu.be/FRdUkz3s3Rk

Send questions/comments/suggestions/concerns on the merger direct to the D2D and Smashwords teams by following the instructions at the bottom of these pages:
Draft2Digital → draft2digital.com/united
Smashwords → smashwords.com/united

// JUMP TO
0:00 This is HUGE
2:05 The KEY to success
3:27 Why merge?
9:01 The financials
12:48 Tech, systems & processes
15:28 Biggest expected wins for authors
19:42 Overall goals
21:22 Key takeaways

#authortube #selfpublishing #draft2digital

Watch the full replay of the live Q&A with Mark Coker (Smashwords CEO) and Kris Austen (Draft2Digital CEO) on the @Draft2Digital YouTube channel: youtube.com/watch?v=ZX-TWtf8cy8

@SelfPublishingwithDale has a detailed breakdown of the press release here: youtube.com/watch?v=QVFQMmVR5kw

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you're not across Amazon's strategy, you need to watch this next:
→ youtu.be/FRdUkz3s3Rk

// REFERENCES

DRAFT2DIGITAL ACQUIRES SMASHWORDS:
Press releases
D2D → draft2digital.com/blog/pr-d2d-smashwords
Smashwords → smashwords.com/press/release/46

Blog articles
D2D → draft2digital.com/blog/draft2digital-has-acquired-smashwords
Smashwords → blog.smashwords.com/2022/02/united.html

Most mergers & acquisitions fail:
Harvard Business Review → hbr.org/2011/03/the-big-idea-the-new-ma-playbook
Australian Financial Review → afr.com/chanticleer/why-most-m-and-a-deals-fail-20210721-p58bpf

Forbes:
2012 interview with Mark Coker → forbes.com/forbes/2012/0625/entrepreneurs-mark-coker-smashwords-book-value.html
2013 interview with John Ingram → forbes.com/sites/avaseave/2013/12/26/ingrams-lightning-source-building-competitive-advantagethroughtech-and-scale

Talon News:
2016 interview with D2D founders → http://www.talon.news/features/oklahoma-start-up-founded-by-oc-graduates/

Publishers Weekly:
Ingram and Baker & Taylor rumors → publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/78781-what-happens-if-ingram-and-b-t-tie-the-knot.html
Baker & Taylor exit retail wholesale business → publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/79933-b-t-to-close-its-retail-wholesale-business.html

IngramSpark:
Global distribution → ingramspark.com/how-it-works/distribute
Official Facebook group → facebook.com/groups/641752356577267
Dale's explanation of how KDP's expanded distribution is really just IngramSpark's global distribution → youtube.com/watch?v=dRZnWKYP3HI

Audiobook distribution:
ALLi on audiobook distribution → selfpublishingadvice.org/audiobook-publishing-alternatives-to-acx
Draft2Digital partnership with Findaway Voices → draft2digital.com/blog/how-to-create-an-audiobook-from-your-ebook-with-d2d-and-findaway-voices-d2d-answers
Spotify acquires Findaway Voices → techcrunch.com/2021/11/11/spotify-expands-into-audiobooks-with-acquisition-of-findaway

Draft2Digital print beta:
Print beta sign-up → draft2digital.com/printbeta
Announcement → draft2digital.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-d2d-print

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

This is NOT my idea of fun | Self-pub author 2022 TBR List

Paper Tiger 2022-02-04 | I hate marketing, but I did screw up my last book launch so...I need to learn this. Here's how I messed up last time: → youtu.be/PtvhsxgEM8I

The first book I'm gonna read is "Let's Get Digital" by David Gaughran. Download a free copy here and read along with me: → davidgaughran.com/books/lets-get-digital-how-to-self-publish

// JUMP TO
0:00 Marketing is terrifying
1:58 The sales funnel
4:53 Starting from zero
6:44 My TBR list for marketing

#authortube #selfpublishing #marketing

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Here's what I screwed up during my last book launch: → youtu.be/PtvhsxgEM8I

// REFERENCES
Download a free copy of "Let's Get Digital" by David Gaughran:
→ davidgaughran.com/books/lets-get-digital-how-to-self-publish

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

Beta Reader HATES my book

Paper Tiger 2022-01-28 | Got some brutal feedback from a beta reader. Let's unpack it together using my 5 step method for taking feedback.

// JUMP TO
0:00 Brutal feedback
1:49 My method: Step #1
3:19 Step #2
5:49 Step #3
8:06 Step #4
8:50 Step #5
16:13 BONUS TIP

#authortube #selfpublishing #feedback

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, check out this video on how I set my goals & KPIs: → youtu.be/hvMVb64ulxg

// REFERENCES
System 1 and System 2 comes from Daniel Kahneman's work, summarized in his book "Thinking, Fast and Slow":
→ amazon.com/dp/B005MJFA2W

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

Romance authors solved Amazons algorithm | Why dont you SERIALIZE your book (Part 2)

Paper Tiger 2022-01-21 | Hats off, because it's brilliant. Here's how it works and why. Missed the first part? Catch it here: youtu.be/H0qjsbRxRFY

// JUMP TO
0:00 Tried & true self-pub tactics
1:01 Amazon's algorithm
3:02 What this means
6:38 Keys to success

#authortube #selfpublishing #amazonkdp

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy this video next:
youtu.be/FRdUkz3s3Rk

// REFERENCES
The OG Amazon research paper on using item-to-item collaborative filtering in its recommendation algorithm:
→ https://www.cs.umd.edu/~samir/498/Amazon-Recommendations.pdf

The history of Amazon's recommendation algorithm:
Keynote → youtube.com/watch?v=GSQj27ps854
Blog post → https://www.amazon.science/the-history-of-amazons-recommendation-algorithm

@DavidGaughran has a book called "Amazon Decoded" which explains the Amazon recommendation system in more depth:
→ amazon.com/dp/B08F7ZXZ78

The Guardian article on Amazon's data tracking:
→ theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/03/amazon-kindle-data-reading-tracking-privacy

@SelfPublishingwithDale has done an overview of Kindle Short Reads:
→ youtube.com/watch?v=CZFs6hRGb4Q

@HeartBreathings (a.k.a. Sarra Cannon) did a video on how she plotted her serial, "Sacrifice Me":
→ youtube.com/watch?v=dwLQsiBOro8

@AuthorBrittanyWang also did an interview with two serial authors:
→ youtube.com/watch?v=8OVoAhKdZjw

So did the Six Figure Author Podcast:
→ youtube.com/watch?v=mndE3OZLknw

Roz Morris did a guest post on Jane Friedman's blog about her experience serializing literary fiction on KDP:
→ janefriedman.com/serialize-kindle

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring

My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition

Why dont you SERIALIZE your book?

Paper Tiger 2022-01-14 | Me, thinking about serializing my book while fighting my revisions.
Watch part 2 next: youtu.be/w3S74fm--Zg

REAL TALK: Mad respect to all the web serial authors out there - you gotta be courageous and tough beyond belief to do what you do. Also "Beware Of Chicken" is a fun little story, if you're into xianxia—I enjoyed it, typos, spelling errors, pacing issues and all.

If you are interested in writing a web serial, make sure to check out this excellent guide from TheFirstDefier, author of Defiance of the Fall:
royalroad.com/forums/thread/116847

#authortube #selfpublishing #serializedfiction

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy this next:
The 6 types of readers authors encounter → youtu.be/YU_rTMPnimo

// REFERENCES

Stephen King:
Serializing "The Plant" on his website 20 years ahead of his time → electricliterature.com/stephen-kings-experiment-with-online-self-publishing-was-20-years-before-its-time
The Green Mile → firewireblog.com/2016/04/15/stephen-kings-the-green-mile-is-being-republished-in-digital-serialized-form

Margaret Atwood:
On Wattpad → wattpad.com/user/MargaretAtwood
On serialization → entertainment.time.com/2012/10/08/margaret-atwood-on-serial-fiction-and-the-future-of-the-book

Casualfarmer:
"Beware of Chicken" on Royal Road → royalroad.com/fiction/39408/beware-of-chicken
Patreon page → patreon.com/user?u=48733767
Historical stats via Graphtreon → graphtreon.com/creator/user?u=48733767

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My epic fantasy series, Resonance Crystal Legacy:
BUY DIRECT → delilahwaan.com/shop
Follow my Kickstarter → kickstarter.com/projects/delilahwaan/supplicant?ref=5khkfs
Buy from retailers → books2read.com/petition

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
BUY DIRECT → catlikestudio.com/shop
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring
My Rescue Cat → books2read.com/myrescuecat

Learning scientist reviews my learning goals | LIVE CRIT

Paper Tiger 2022-01-07 | 2022 goal: LEARN MARKETING. This is hard, so I'm calling in an expert: learning scientist Benjamin Keep. Watch him do a live teardown of my plan!

// STREAM AGENDA
0:00 Why a learning expert?
5:00 How to set learning goals
29:45 LIVE CRIT
1:06:03 Wrap up

#2022 #authortube #goalsetting

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this live crit, I think you'll enjoy Ben's video next on how you can learn WAY more from Youtube: youtu.be/_67Pw73x7Ms

// REFERENCES
How to compare yourself to other authors WITHOUT getting depressed:
→ youtu.be/kaArOrc-B4M

My NaNoWriMo 2021 Goal, KPIs & Plan:
→ youtu.be/hvMVb64ulxg

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.

// CHECK OUT

Follow me on Twitter:
→ twitter.com/DeborahLau

My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story book for kids aged 2-6:
→ bit.ly/birthdaycantobook

Best Present EVER! (Dec 2021) | A Paper Tiger Writing Vlog

Paper Tiger 2021-12-24 | And it only took 209 hours, 40 mins and 13 seconds. 106,399 words later and I have a complete first draft. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

// JUMP TO
0:00 Writing AFTER NaNoWriMo
1:56 Act III is the worst
3:35 Chapter lengths
4:05 So much revision ahead

#authortube #selfpublishing #nanowrimo

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:
6 types of readers → youtu.be/YU_rTMPnimo

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS ON PAUSE UNTIL 1 JAN 2022
Follow me on Twitter for my livestream schedule: → twitter.com/deborahlau

Head to my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story book for kids aged 2-6:
→ bit.ly/birthdaycantobook

Sanderfans revolt: No Patreon | Self-published author reacts to Brandon Sanderson Patreon proposal

Paper Tiger 2021-12-17 | Brandon Sanderson's proposal did not go well. Let's unpack why and what he could have done differently.
Also check out my video on this self-publishing financial disaster: youtu.be/PH7dAPot6YY

This is a react video to the latest @BrandSanderson weekly update video:
→ youtube.com/watch?v=-87GZw8tQDE

I am a HUGE Brandon Sanderson fan both as a reader (I buy almost everything he releases without a second thought) and as an author (he is my author goals) so this critique comes from a place of love.

!!! SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR SURVEY:
Are you wide or exclusive to Amazon KDP (i.e. enrolled in Kindle Select so your ebooks are only available on the Kindle store and in Kindle Unlimited)? Fill out the survey here, so we can get some actual data on this question → airtable.com/shrDN4xYqLmX7QXlk

// JUMP TO
0:00 Sanderson's proposal
2:19 Unpacking fan reactions
3:19 Was there ANY interest?
5:00 Sanderfan concerns
16:50 Lessons learned
19:34 Fixing Sanderson's mistakes

#authortube #selfpublishing #brandonsanderson

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this breakdown, I think you'll enjoy my analysis of Austin McConnell's self-publishing financial disaster: youtu.be/PH7dAPot6YY

// REFERENCES
The Hamiltome:
→ nytimes.com/2016/05/04/books/hamilton-the-revolution-races-out-of-bookstores-echoing-the-musicals-success.html
→ vulture.com/2016/01/hamilton-revolution-book-interview.html
→ thestar.com/entertainment/books/2016/06/11/hamilton-the-revolution-the-story-of-a-revolutionary-musical.html

N.K. Jemisin:
→ newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/27/nk-jemisins-dream-worlds
→ twitter.com/nkjemisin/status/1374737854845292552
→ graphtreon.com/creator/nkjemisin

Other authors on Patreon:
Tamora Pierce → graphtreon.com/creator/tamorapierce
Ursula Vernon → graphtreon.com/creator/ursulav
Daniel Green → graphtreon.com/creator/DanielBGreene

Pat Rothfuss:
Twitch → twitchstats.net/streamer/patrickrothfuss
Twitch Stats → sullygnome.com/channel/patrickrothfuss/365
Kingkiller Chronicles → doms2cents.com/doors-of-stone-release-date-coming-soon-says-patrick-rothfuss
Doors of Stone prologue → winteriscoming.net/2021/12/15/patrick-rothfuss-reads-the-prologue-to-the-doors-of-stone

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story book for kids aged 2-6:
→ bit.ly/birthdaycantobook

This is bad news for self-published authors & small businesses

Paper Tiger 2021-12-10 | This new 23-page report says Amazon is ripping off small businesses to fund its monopoly. Here's what it means for self-published authors.

!!! SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR SURVEY:
Are you wide or exclusive to Amazon KDP (i.e. enrolled in Kindle Select so your ebooks are only available on the Kindle store and in Kindle Unlimited)? Fill out the survey here, so we can get some actual data on this question → airtable.com/shrDN4xYqLmX7QXlk

The whole report from the Institute of Local Self-Reliance is worth reading in full here: ilsr.org/amazons-toll-road

H/T to @AllianceofIndependentAuthors for the tip via Twitter (follow them on Twitter @IndieAuthorALLI) and weekly blog round up → selfpublishingadvice.org/self-publishing-news-how-much-does-amazon-really-make-from-its-sellers

// JUMP TO
0:00 In the near future...
0:38 What is Amazon up to?
1:28 Amazon's secret plan
4:59 How Amazon makes money
7:19 Distribution & retail: exclusive VS wide
10:54 Alternatives to Amazon's KDP
11:38 Impact on self-pub authors

#authortube #selfpublishing #amazonkdp

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Given Amazon's plans, you should probably sort out your mailing list ASAP → youtu.be/WPm_npkImEs

// REFERENCES

NYTimes article on why monopolies are bad:
→ nytimes.com/2015/09/21/business/a-huge-overnight-increase-in-a-drugs-price-raises-protests.html

Amazon's market dominance:

1. Joint letter dated 17 Aug 2020 to the House Judiciary Committee → publishingperspectives.com/2020/08/us-publishers-authors-booksellers-call-out-amazons-concentrated-power-in-the-book-market

2. Analyst Ben Evans on Amazon's market share → ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2019/12/amazons-market-share19

3. Book Sliced's estimates → booksliced.com/books/the-exact-ebook-market-shares-of-the-major-players-in-the-industry-are-rather-difficult-to-come-by-but-here-are-some-esitmates

4. Amazon's SEC filings → ir.aboutamazon.com/sec-filings/default.aspx

Amazon's secret plan:

1. Business Insider, on what investors don't understand → businessinsider.com/amazon-third-party-seller-business-bigger-more-profitable-than-aws-2020-1?r=AU&IR=T

2. CNBC, Amazon competing with FedEx & UPS → cnbc.com/2021/09/04/how-amazon-is-shipping-for-third-parties-to-compete-with-fedex-and-ups.html

Breaking up big tech:

1. Vox explains why → vox.com/recode/2019/5/3/18520703/big-tech-break-up-explained

2. AFR on why it won't happen → afr.com/technology/why-no-one-s-going-to-break-up-big-tech-20210407-p57h1p

3. New Yorker on what's next → newyorker.com/business/currency/whats-next-for-the-campaign-to-break-up-big-tech

4. Amnesty International says Google & Facebook's data collection models threaten human rights → https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-21/google-facebook-privacy-amnesty-international-human-rights/11724696

Amazon's infrastructure:

1. AWS goes down and takes large parts of the internet with it
Tech Radar → techradar.com/news/aws-is-down-and-taken-whole-chunks-of-the-internet-with-it
CNBC → cnbc.com/2021/12/09/how-the-aws-outage-wreaked-havoc-across-the-us.html

2. Forbes, on the number of small businesses relying on FBA → forbes.com/sites/kirimasters/2021/10/20/the-most-surprising-stats-from-amazons-2021-small-business-empowerment-report

3. The Verge, on growth in Amazon Prime subscribers → theverge.com/2021/4/15/22385370/amazon-prime-subscription-jeff-bezos-2020-shareholders-letter

4. Growth in Kindle Unlimited subscriptions
→ writtenwordmedia.com/kindle-unlimited-royalties
→ rogerpacker.com/kindle-unlimited-kenp-rate-for-october-2021-stays-steady

5. Audiobook growth → vulture.com/2018/09/audiobooks-are-booming-but-how-long-will-that-last.html

AI capabilities today:

1. Art
→ twitter.com/UrsulaV/status/1467652391059214337

2. Writing
→ blog.theliteracysite.greatergood.com/ai-novel
→ electricliterature.com/i-got-an-artificial-intelligence-to-write-my-novel
→ wired.com/story/ai-text-generator-gpt-3-learning-language-fitfully

2. Music
→ aiva.ai
→ time.com/5774723/ai-music
→ openai.com/blog/musenet

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story book for kids aged 2-6:
→ bit.ly/birthdaycantobook

How did I mess up THIS badly?! (NaNoWriMo 2021 Reflection)

Paper Tiger 2021-12-03 | I literally did ALL THE THINGS you're supposed to when attempting to "WRITE TO MARKET" and I still failed.

// JUMP TO
0:00 My NaNoWriMo 2021 goal
2:16 Previous attempt
4:24 Creating a market
5:33 Market research
9:14 Market blueprint
13:45 How did I go?
16:45 What went wrong?

#authortube #selfpublishing #nanowrimo2021

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you enjoyed this video, I think you'll enjoy these other videos:
The secret to publishing frequently → youtu.be/j4nR0B-rdu4

// REFERENCES
@Brandon Sanderson on his journey as a writer:
→ youtube.com/watch?v=-6HOdHEeosc&t=853s

Will Wight:
On his publishing process → reddit.com/r/Iteration110Cradle/comments/i3rnhn/new_blog_post/g0pnpvw
Official fan reddit → reddit.com/r/Iteration110Cradle

Andrew Rowe on progression fantasy:
→ andrewkrowe.wordpress.com/2019/02/26/progression-fantasy-a-new-subgenre-concept

Patreons of notable progression fantasy authors:
Sarah Lin → patreon.com/sarahlin
Domago Kurmaic → patreon.com/nobody103
John Bierce → patreon.com/johnbierce

@Chris Fox on:
2020 income report → youtube.com/watch?v=67UCXxgFFSo
Write to Market → amazon.com/dp/B01AX23B4Q

T Taylor's "7 figure fiction: How to use Universal Fantasy to sell your books to anyone"
→ amazon.com/dp/B09FGZQV4D

// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS
Didn't make it to "THE END" by the end of NaNoWriMo? Fear not, I didn't either. That's why I'm gonna keep going with more daily writing streams! Come join me in getting the rest of the words on the page.

Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story book for kids aged 2-6:
→ bit.ly/birthdaycantobook

The end is nigh (NaNoWriMo 2021) | A Paper Tiger Writing Vlog

Paper Tiger 2021-11-26 | Week 4 of NaNoWriMo brought continued plot problems plus internet gremlin attacks !

// JUMP TO
0:00 Rollercoaster
1:20 Hitting rock bottom
1:55 Get thyself a wiki
5:04 The hot mess that is my plot
6:22 ...wait a minute

#authortube #nanowrimo #nanowrimo2021

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
All of my NaNoWriMo 2021 videos:
Preptober → youtube.com/watch?v=v6flr8_aKAo&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp5U1ihQfCj0Y6Izg3VroZ3H
Vlogs→ youtube.com/watch?v=hvMVb64ulxg&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp6Xak6PrXqHy8FSxploV4Ng
Week 1→ youtube.com/watch?v=y5hM2ej7ho8&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp4MZ6blYHvW8_NEFOBvuuBt
Week 2 → youtube.com/watch?v=UdKsPhipiO0&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp4x_Cccl7JNw4QGpe9yq8Gb
Week 3 → youtube.com/watch?v=RzPyGcIPizs&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp7VH6HkUISk4DgxMuP7d668
Week 4 → youtube.com/watch?v=BicNp_bzVpI&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp5LxPyuR6FnkuibCMlMC__z

// REFERENCES
Mary Robinette Kowal explains the try/fail cycle (watch the whole lecture, it's fantastic):
→ youtube.com/watch?v=blehVIDyuXk

Check out "The Night City", the debut novel by Caitlin Strauss from my writing group:
→ amazon.com/dp/B09KP5NVZ1

// RESOURCES
Save the Cat/MICE Quotient template via Shalon @ Learning2Grow.org:
→ learning2grow.org/plot-your-novel-with-mice-quotient-and-try-fails

TiddlyWiki, which is what I'm using to organize my world building notes:
→ tiddlywiki.com

WikidPad, which is what Brandon Sanderson uses for his world building notes:
→ http://wikidpad.sourceforge.net

The map generator I'm using for my world map!
→ azgaar.github.io/Fantasy-Map-Generator

A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// NANOWRIMO LIVESTREAMS
I'll be livestreaming every single one of my NaNoWriMo sessions! BYO work or just come hang out and chat with me while I freak out about how terrible my writing is.

Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story book for kids aged 2-6:
→ bit.ly/birthdaycantobook

Everything is terrible (NaNoWriMo 2021) | A Paper Tiger Writing Vlog

Paper Tiger 2021-11-19 | I wrote 2 entire scenes I'm pretty sure I'll need to delete in revision because they just don't work and I have no idea how to fix them.

// JUMP TO
0:00 Week 3 is a slog
0:50 Everything is terrible
6:29 Process over outcome

#authortube #nanowrimo #nanowrimo2021

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
All of my NaNoWriMo 2021 videos:
Preptober → youtube.com/watch?v=v6flr8_aKAo&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp5U1ihQfCj0Y6Izg3VroZ3H
Vlogs→ youtube.com/watch?v=hvMVb64ulxg&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp6Xak6PrXqHy8FSxploV4Ng
Week 1→ youtube.com/watch?v=y5hM2ej7ho8&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp4MZ6blYHvW8_NEFOBvuuBt
Week 2 → youtube.com/watch?v=UdKsPhipiO0&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp4x_Cccl7JNw4QGpe9yq8Gb
Week 3 → youtube.com/watch?v=RzPyGcIPizs&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp7VH6HkUISk4DgxMuP7d668

// REFERENCES
Mary Robinette Kowal explains the try/fail cycle (watch the whole lecture, it's fantastic):
→ youtube.com/watch?v=blehVIDyuXk

Brandon Sanderon lecture on viewpoint, and on adding more POV characters as a fantasy author:
→ youtu.be/1NCiuI6F5O0?t=3028

Steven Erikson on elliptical narrative (a.k.a. "ringing the bell"):
→ steven-erikson.org/deconstructing-the-siege-of-pale-aftermath-scene

// RESOURCES
The map generator I'm using for my world map!
→ azgaar.github.io/Fantasy-Map-Generator

A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// NANOWRIMO LIVESTREAMS
I'll be livestreaming every single one of my NaNoWriMo sessions! BYO work or just come hang out and chat with me while I freak out about how terrible my writing is.

Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story book for kids aged 2-6:
→ bit.ly/birthdaycantobook

What is happening?! (NaNoWriMo 2021) | A Paper Tiger Writing Vlog

Paper Tiger 2021-11-12 | I didn't get enough time to finish my outline so I've been forced to discovery write my way to a 75,000 word novel.

// JUMP TO
0:00 It's been rough
0:54 What is happening
4:37 The perfect sprint length

#authortube #nanowrimo #nanowrimo2021

// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
All of my NaNoWriMo 2021 videos:
Preptober → youtube.com/watch?v=v6flr8_aKAo&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp5U1ihQfCj0Y6Izg3VroZ3H
Vlogs→ youtube.com/watch?v=hvMVb64ulxg&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp6Xak6PrXqHy8FSxploV4Ng
Week 1→ youtube.com/watch?v=y5hM2ej7ho8&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp4MZ6blYHvW8_NEFOBvuuBt
Week 2 → youtube.com/watch?v=UdKsPhipiO0&list=PLAPT6aE7WPp4x_Cccl7JNw4QGpe9yq8Gb

// REFERENCES
Mary Robinette Kowal explains the try/fail cycle (watch the whole lecture, it's fantastic):
→ youtube.com/watch?v=blehVIDyuXk

// RESOURCES
The map generator I'm using for my world map!
→ azgaar.github.io/Fantasy-Map-Generator

A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator

A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w

// NANOWRIMO LIVESTREAMS
I'll be livestreaming every single one of my NaNoWriMo sessions! BYO work or just come hang out and chat with me while I freak out about how terrible my writing is.

Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau

// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story book for kids aged 2-6:
→ bit.ly/birthdaycantobook