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Regardless of your experience level, Amazon has democratized the publishing business so anybody with an interest and desire to write and publish a book can do it. You don’t have to be a professional writer… or have been previously published… or have any internet business experience at all to start with Amazon self-publishing. Anybody can use this platform to get their work out into the world and into the hands of waiting audiences, but can you make money self-publishing on Amazon?

The traditional format of a book launch tends to involve a few different components; an author, a venue, an audience, copies of the book and free wine (if you’re lucky). Most of these elements can be transferred online with a little ingenuity.

If you’re unable to hold a book launch in person (or you’re hoping to reach a new audience online) here are our top tips for hosting a virtual book launch.

Authors are said to fall into one of two groups: the plotters, those that outline every step of their novel before they begin, and the pantsers, those prefer to ‘fly by the seat of their pants’, creating the story as they write. Both plotting and pantsing have their pros and cons and both can produce fantastic novels. If you fall into the pantser camp then you thrive on discovering your story as you progress. 

Writers describe this as letting their characters lead the way. They like the surprise of taking their story in unexpected directions and feel creatively restricted when they have to stick to a rigid outline. Plotters, on the other hand, like having a roadmap leading to their destination. 

 out their stories means that they can write faster with more focus and fewer revisions. Many authors fall somewhere in the middle of these two outlining approaches. They are the plantsers, beginning with a flexible outline that offers them some guidance along the way.

No matter your preference, every author, even the most hard-core pantser can benefit from some pre-planning. As with all things writing, the trick is to find what works for you. 

Think about how you prefer to write: do you feel lost if you don’t know every inch of your story or do you get bored if the ending is clear before you begin? Which part of the novel writing process do you find the most problematic? Do you lose the threads of your plot in the middle? Or have difficulty writing a satisfying ending? If you are struggling with your plot or finding yourself endlessly editing your work try a different approach. To get you started, here are six tried and proven ways to outline a novel.

Has this ever happened to you?

You sit down at your computer to begin writing, but instead you find yourself having a stare down with the blank screen.

You may type a few lines, but after several minutes you delete everything. You just can’t seem to find the right words to continue.

It’s as if your inspiration inkwell has suddenly dried up.

If you are suffering from writer’s block (or have suffered in the past), you are not alone!

Even famous writers have struggled with creative blocks at some point in their careers. Thankfully, many of these writers have also shared their methods for how they overcame these dry periods and became successful writers.

JTM Books Podcast Now Available

When it comes to being an author, your best bet for success is attracting the right readers.

Contrary to popular belief, you should never aim to attract all types of readers, because your content isn’t going to speak to all of them the same way.

As an author, establishing a brand is one of the best ways you can put yourself out there and show people what you’re about in a simple glance.