How to Become a Successful Author: Audiobook and ebook
Figure out the perfect book idea, write it flawlessly, and market it successful
Are you tired of writing books that release to crickets? Are you sick of reading hundreds of articles about how to find more readers? Are you lost in a sea of information without any direction on how to move forward?
Then How to Become a Successful Author is the perfect book for you.
Russell Nohelty is a USA Today bestselling author who has spent a decade in the writing trenches building his own career, growing a network of successful authors, and helping hundreds of authors with their marketing. This book compiles the best tips, tricks, and hacks from his life, and the most powerful secrets he has learned from other authors about how to make six figures or more as an author.
Inside:
- Learn the secrets to self-publishing success
- Discover the exact steps to landing a publishing contract
- Find out how to build a network of successful authors
- Launch a book successfully into Kindle Unlimited and wide on all platforms
- Build an audience that's eager to buy your books every time you launch
How to Become a Successful Author is broken up into three sections: Mindset, all about how to build focus, grit, and resilience, Writing, where Russell breaks down how to build a successful book from the ground up, and Marketing, where you'll learn how to take your book and share it with the world.
This is the best book you'll ever read on building a successful author career from the ground up, packed with everything you need to know to become a successful author, starting today.
Your Instructor
Russell Nohelty is a USA TODAY bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy books that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. He fills his books with action, adventure, mystery, and thrills.
Russell was born in northern New Jersey, grew up in Northern Virginia, went to college in Maryland, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and dogs, which he loves.
He's been writing as long as he can remember and hopes to do so far into the future. When he's not writing, he's usually reading or watching movies.
Course Curriculum
I originally received a digital ARC of this book from the author, but later purchased the final publication, because I’ve supported several of his Kickstarter campaigns and follow his creative business advice group and listen to his podcast from time to time. What can I say, I’m still having trouble getting into podcasts. In any case, I love this guy’s passion for his personal works and his indie press releases. I know I’ve learned so much from him already, so reading this book was a no brainer.
Initial thoughts- this book was great. It wasn’t too long, but it was a hefty length because it covers a lot of information. I like that, before the book dives deep into the how-tos of the creative business, the author explains the necessity of passion. Passion is the one thing I think, anyone who encounters Russell Nohelty, notices about him. He loves what he does and frequently reiterates that that has to be the number one reason a person decides to create something, whatever it is.
Then the book starts to dive into the how-to of business, but not just general stuff. Everything Nohelty discusses is directed specifically to creative people who want to make money with their creativity and break the stigma that all artists have to be starving. He speaks to the readers as if there’s a conversation happening. He’s quite frank and down to earth, but still concise and purposeful with his words. There are times when you can almost hear Russell yelling into the pages that yes, this is going to be hard, but it’s not impossible.
Nohelty is also upfront and honest about what has and hasn’t worked for him while leaving it to the reader to decide what they want to try because he or she might have a completely different experience. There are certain aspects of the book that feel like life hacks. They are literal step-by-steps of what he did, so why not try it yourself.
I feel like a large part of the book, when reading in between the lines, is about gearing the reader up to break out of their comfort zone. There are things he mentions in this book that I’ve thought about doing but just didn’t think that was the way things were done. Now I know that they can be the way, there are just so many people who are too afraid to try them. He also mentions a few things I never would have thought of, which I now realize is a reflection of the lack of confidence I sometimes have in my own work.
I don’t know that this is the greatest book ever written about the business of creativity, but it’s pretty darn good. I’d totally recommend it. Heck, that’s what I’m doing right now.
- Toinette Thomas, Author, What Does Joe Need
One of the hardest things to do when you are a creative person is to sell your own work, especially when our society is stuck on this notion that all artists/writers/creators must starve and suffer for their art. Well, Russell Nohelty is here to tell you that it’s a load of crap and I agree with him. Luckily, he’s also written a handy-dandy guide to walk you through the emotional and practical aspects of selling your work.
Mr. Nohelty has done a great job of breaking down the basics of selling. It can be a bit intimidating to the beginner, so I strongly suggest you implement his suggestions in stages. I have personally found many of his selling techniques to be very effective, but I would add that you should tailor your own selling practices to fit your personality otherwise they could come across as forced or desperate. My favorite section in that part was Buying Triggers. I found it to be accurate and very concise. Part 4 was spot on with its discussion of how to make money on live events. I would add a caveat to the Splitting Tables section as I have found as my own inventory has grown that I like to have my own table for branding purposes. I whole-hardheartedly agree that splitting a table is a very good idea when you are first starting out. (I did that my first two years exhibiting.) And thank you for adding a chapter on budgeting. I know many people who just don’t get how important that is.
I do have a couple of minor nitpicks. It would have been nice to have a paragraph or two discussing getting a DBA (Doing Business As) or incorporating. No need to get into any legal aspects, but simply making creators aware that having one or the other is necessary for getting a business account at bank or for tax purposes. I’m also not sure why he devotes two chapters about not launching your dream project first other than he finds this point to be really important. I completely agree with him, but the first chapter on it pretty much covers this topic. A nod to it in the Afterword would have been sufficient in my opinion.
This book is packed with fabulous information so I would recommend reading it over a few times or breaking it up into sections so you aren’t overwhelmed. As a creator myself and a veteran of many Cons, I know just how hard it is to create, then turn around and sell. It definitely would have been nice to have had this book when I first started out.I love this book! It's full of actionable steps to get your creative career of the ground. Russell does not mess over words. He's straight forward with his direction, he not trying to withhold information so he can push another book on you. He wants you to succeed! I'm 65% done with the because I'm taking the steps to make a sustainable career. I tell every creative I know to pick up the book and I hope they take my advice. And you should too if you want to have a sustainable creative career.
- Madeleine Holly-Rosing, Creator, Boston Metaphysical Society
Russell knows that there is no louder silence in a creative person's life than sending your work into the world and watching it languish in the Amazon sales ranks or fail to gain traction on social media. Selling is hard! Managing your product to keep it afloat in a sea of desperate indie creators isn't a simple task and takes MONTHS of careful thought and planning, time that many neglect to spend.
This is a title from the trenches - Russell has done (and sometimes failed) and learned and documented the real-life moments that will take a creative from dreaming to doing. Still, this manual reads easy and fast, and should resonate with anyone who feels like they are approaching that point of their artistic career where it's time to go big and get recognized
Good luck in your creative endeavors, I hope to enjoy the fruit of your hard work that is shared by the knowledge in this guide.
- Cordell Falk, Author, Valley of the Damned