Quit Your Day Job, A Guide for the Self Published Author

by H.P. Mallory

Bestselling Kindle and Nook self-published author, HP Mallory, details how she sold over 200,000 ebooks in less than one year.A former online marketing director, HP took her online marketing experience and knowledge and applied it to the self publishing market.Not only did her writing career take off, but HP quit her day job and recently signed a three book deal with Random House, Bantam imprint.In this book, you will learn actual tips and tricks that HP used in order to reach her level of success. HP * What is the best approach to take when creating book covers* How to optimize your book's description page* Choosing the category of your book* The question of pricing your book* The importance of Social Media and, more specifically, Facebook, Twitter and Blogging* How to get reviews including interviews with leading Review websites such as Dear Author* What to feature on your website* The importance of Search Engine Optimization* A Q&A with the people from Pubit!, the self publishing platform of Barnes and Noble* The seven steps of self publishing success from the owner of Smashwords, one of the largest and most well known self-publishing platforms* Tips and tidbits from Goodreads, the world's largest online book club website* And so much more!

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

137 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2011

About the author

I’m a huge fan of anything paranormal and I always have been. I get super excited whenever they have those Twilight Zone Marathon days and anything ghost or vampire related will always attract my attention.

My interests are varied but aside from writing, I’m most excited about traveling. I’m extremely fortunate to have been able to live in England and Scotland, both places really having a profound effect on my books.

Thanks for checking out my books and I hope you enjoy them! Happy Haunting!

H.P.

Reviews

[Patrick Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent one year researching how to be a successful self-published author. This book takes all that research and lays it all out in a clear, short manner. I especially liked how there was a list at the end of each chapter to review the specific points to take note of. This is a great book every new author should read!

[Rachel Simeone · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a book marketing consultant, I try to read everything that is written about book marketing and given that background, I have to say that this little book is a gem.

H.P Mallory shares everything that a new writer needs to know about how to promote his or her book. The best thing about the book is that the information is presented in a very clear, straightforward manner that should be highly accessible to someone being introduced to these concepts for the first time.

The next best thing about the book is that there is no filler. Mallory shares what you need to know and not one thing more. New authors are frequently overwhelm to the point of paralysis by the the hundreds (thousands?) of ideas that are out there on how to marketing a book. Mallory boils all this down to the things that work and leaves out the superfluous.

The only thing that would have improved the book would have been a litle more detail on Twitter, since this is such a important way for new writers to connect with their audience. But there are several very good books on Twitter for authors, so just make sure you read one of those as well.

[Katherine Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did learn some things from this book that I haven't read elsewhere before. My one criticism of the book is that the information may become obsolete because, in some ways, the e-book publishing industry changes so quickly. H.P. Mallory's success may not be duplicated, even by her, in the exactly the same way, since the heady days of 2010. There are more self-published authors and the 99 cent phenomena is no longer such a viable marketing tool as the self-published world becomes more crowded. More relevant marketing answers for self-publishers will become evident in late 2011-2012. I'm not convinced that Mallory's book will still hold relevance with the changing times.

Also, the author tends to gloss over some of the technical aspects related to google and Facebook. I guess that's one way to handle the technical stuff, but it's not particularly helpful.

[Noor Jahangir · Rating 4 out of 5]

HP Mallory is one of the big success stories of the self-publishing world, having masterminded her own ascent to becoming a Kindle Bestselling Author. In this book, Mallory shares some of the secrets that helped her increase her reader base exponentially.

The book features chapters on how to list your book properly on purchasing sites, how to build up a social media following, how to use Google to improve your understanding of your market, how to approach book reviewers (which was an interesting read for me). There are also contributions from PubIt, Smashwords and a number of other services, including Goodreads that offer support and marketing tools for self-publishing authors.

Mallory utilizes a conversational voice, speaking directly to other writers as equals, or even comrades, rather than the patronising tone that more traditional ‘how-to’ books may affect. Mallory illustrates a good knowledge of IT and is clearly speaking from experience. The structure of the book flows naturally, from subject to subject, and Mallory uses examples of how she has gone about doing what she does so well. Each chapter concludes with a recounting of the most salient points and practical actions to take.

Quit Your Day Job comes across as a genuine attempt by an author who has met success trying to share best practice with other writers. Mallory is very generous in sharing her best tips and personifies the camaraderie of writers supporting each other. I highly recommend this book to all writers thinking of self-publishing their novel, as a way of understanding what it takes to make it in the field. I myself will be keeping this in my current reads carousel as a reference book to refer to as a checklist whenever I have a book published, self-published or traditionally.

[Josette Reuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great resource for those thinking of being a self-published author. It is full of great advice and insights from those in the publishing world. I think H.P. did a great job of providing an insightful look into her process for publishing and marketing in today's market. I really enjoyed the information she provided from her contacts. The information may be a few years old, but can still provide a lot of guidelines that you can use or discard to set up your own self-published author career.

I will say that I was hoping for more information on the step-by-step - maybe more of a "self-publishing for dummies" book, but this book is still a great source of information.

Covers marketing yourself and your books, online presence (Web sites and social media), covers, editors, contests, making contact with reviewers/bloggers, etc.

[Tina Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Quit Your Day Job", author H. P. Mallory spills the goods on how to make your book a success. The focus in on self-published ebooks, but there is plenty of information vital to all writers with a book for sale, especially the sections on marketing and book promotions.

Ms Mallory covers it all, in fun easy-to understand language, and gives plenty of examples and useful links. Cover design, book description, how to be found on searches, choosing a category, Twitter and Facebook, pricing, and much more. The author sold over 200,000 ebooks in paranormal romance/urban fantasy genres, then recently signed with Random House, so she knows her stuff.

I strongly recommend this book for any writer wanting to further their career.

[Brooks Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great primer for the indie author on how to handle your book(s) after writing them, including some very good advice on social media promotion. I actually joined Goodreads after Mallory suggested it in this book. Lots of links, and a great explanation on choosing the right category and keywords. She's also invited experts (including Mark Coker from Smashwords) in a couple of areas to share what they know, which adds credibility. There are a growing number of books like this in the Kindle store, but Mallory is one of the few who actually have both the sales success to back up her assertions AND a book full of good information. Recommended for anyone who wants to publish their own e-books.

[J.M. Jeffries Jeffries · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be read by every author, either self-published or traditionally published. Ms. Mallory gives so much information on how to market yourself that it will leave you brimming with ideas and have your fingers itching to get started. This simple step-by-step process is so easy to understand anyone can follow it and expect to see results. I've read a number of books on how to exploit the digital evolution, but this one is the best of the six I've already read. If Ms. Mallory does a POD, I will be first in line to get a copy to keep on my bedstand for nightly rereading.

[Don Cram · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book helps so many because H.P. Mallory wrote it based on her experience as a marketing professional and highly successful self-published author. And she shares all the secrets, including clear advice on your book's cover, keywords and category, the best use of social media, your website and email lists, and how to get reviewers. The book ends with a section on Pubit, Smashwords, and Goodreads. Highest recommendation.

[Starr West · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone considering self publishing and promotion.

HP Mallory has gathered many useful resources to help to promote your book.

By the end of the book I had created an amazing list of things to do that I had never even considered.

It's a good quick read with heaps of follow-up ideas.

[Sylvia McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best book on self publishing that I have read. Very explicit and detailed on how to market your books, I learned a lot from H.P. Mallory and highly recommend her book. I'm going to read it a second time to see what I missed. If you're a self-published author, get a copy.

[I_love_a_happily_ever_after · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contained quite a bit of the basics and several chapters on marketing. I found the most valuable information in the Smashwords and google discussions. If you are thinking of being and Indie Author, this book does offer some valuable gems.

[Kenya Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book rocks! Great marketing tips for indie authors. I more which other people didn't know about it.

[Crystal-Rain Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this. A great resource of tips for ALL authors, not just self-published.

[Angela Myrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for aspiring or indie authors. It has so much great information and little of everything. You rock H.P. Mallory!

[M.G. Silverstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and inspiring!