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Writing and Releasing Rapidly
From USA Today Bestselling and Kindle All-Star Author Elana Johnson comes the ultimate guide to writing and releasing rapidly for self-publishers. You've heard the term "Rapid Release" and you're wondering if it's a viable strategy for you. This book has everything you need to get started writing and releasing quicker, as well as half a dozen case studies outlining 6 different Rapid Release Launches Elana has tried for herself. There's something for every Indie author, in every stage of their self-publishing career, though this isn't a how-to book on self-publishing. You'll get tips and tricks to organize a Rapid Release, as well as an entire chapter dedicated to the how-to of writing faster. Elana is transparent with her numbers, and she outlines many marketing strategies while detailing her thoughts behind her Rapid Release strategies that can be applied to any launch, regardless of how quickly the books come out. Get inspired in your Indie career with Elana!
170 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2019
295 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Elana Johnson
178 books2,077 followers3-time USA Today bestselling author Elana Johnson writes adult contemporary beach romance. She is the author of over 130 books across two names, and there's nothing better than sun, sand, and swoon-worthy kisses! Unless it's a sweet-and-sexy cowboy - read those under her pen name of Liz Isaacson. Or an emotional, heartfelt women's fiction novel - read those under her pen name of Jessie Newton.
Learn more at:
www.elanajohnson.com
www.lizisaacson.com
www.authorjessienewton.com
Learn more at:
www.elanajohnson.com
www.lizisaacson.com
www.authorjessienewton.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
August 27, 2023
Elana's work ethic and marketing acumen is inspiring. I really recommend this book for the helpful case studies it contains, but it's worth reading even to motivate yourself as to what's possible for an indie author. I'm not seeking the same financial success Elana has, but what I love about it is that she emphasizes the liberty we have when indie publishing to prioritize what matters most to us. I found it very empowering. My only complaint is that I wish the practical writing parts were more fleshed out - but honestly, she seems to be a superhuman machine, so I'm not convinced I'll ever have quite that strength anyway, lol.
May 19, 2019
This was pretty great! I really enjoyed it. My guess is there's a lot more behind the scenes stuff going on that made the books be successful, like a great cover designer(s) (and her covers are quite professional and fit the industry), editing, and her having years of experience in the writing world. (I mean, really, the biggest thing is that she's writing to market. That's HUGE. Argg, I love my genre, but if I really wanted to make it big, I would write to market. :P Butttt... eh, never gonna be me. Though I can still research!)
Finished at 2 AM. Mostly just read through the case studies in that time. Because sleep is weird.
Anywaysss, packed with helpful inspiration, a bit of humor, and very inspiring!
Finished at 2 AM. Mostly just read through the case studies in that time. Because sleep is weird.
Anywaysss, packed with helpful inspiration, a bit of humor, and very inspiring!
August 5, 2020
An absolutely game-changing book about rapid release. The author has a wonderfully breezy style that I really like and her experimental tactics and hard data were fantastic.
February 10, 2020
I'm not planning on doing a rapid release anytime soon (if ever), but this book still has a lot of great information about productivity, marketing, and release strategies. Johnson's tiered launch strategy, discussed at length, is something that can be applicable to any launch, even if not rapid releasing.
July 11, 2019
Lots of good advice and data to back it up. :D
She claims to have done so well with her rapid release and self-publishing. So I'm curious.
:D I wanna see what makes her books so popular. :D I may have downloaded a couple of her books & I plan on reading them soon. Wanna see what all the fuss is about. I don't read nearly as much romance as I'd like, so it'll be fun for me. Surprising as it sounds, with how much dark stuff I read, I do have a soft spot for the occasional sweet and fluffy read.
Anyway! I want to make a career out of writing, and I picked this one out because it sounded helpful. :D I think it was. It had some good advice on planning and how to launch your books.
And deadlines. I really want to get better at deadlines. Recommended for indie authors looking for advice on writing and releasing a bit faster. :D
She claims to have done so well with her rapid release and self-publishing. So I'm curious.
:D I wanna see what makes her books so popular. :D I may have downloaded a couple of her books & I plan on reading them soon. Wanna see what all the fuss is about. I don't read nearly as much romance as I'd like, so it'll be fun for me. Surprising as it sounds, with how much dark stuff I read, I do have a soft spot for the occasional sweet and fluffy read.
Anyway! I want to make a career out of writing, and I picked this one out because it sounded helpful. :D I think it was. It had some good advice on planning and how to launch your books.
And deadlines. I really want to get better at deadlines. Recommended for indie authors looking for advice on writing and releasing a bit faster. :D
May 26, 2024
Excellent book! Taught me so much!
I originally avoided this book because I’m not at a time in my life when I’m ready to rapid release, but the book had so much wisdom about launches in general and building series that I still learned a lot. Elana’s prose is also easy to read, and I look forward to getting her other indie inspiration books!
I originally avoided this book because I’m not at a time in my life when I’m ready to rapid release, but the book had so much wisdom about launches in general and building series that I still learned a lot. Elana’s prose is also easy to read, and I look forward to getting her other indie inspiration books!
August 8, 2020
Excellent
The case studies alone are worth the book. I've read different rapid release books before but I connected with this one the most. So glad I took a chance on it - you should too!
The case studies alone are worth the book. I've read different rapid release books before but I connected with this one the most. So glad I took a chance on it - you should too!
April 7, 2021
A lot of great information in this book, especially when the author breaks down what worked and didn't work in the many and varied case studies. It gives you a lot to think about with your own releases as an author.
Read
September 28, 2019I quit. Writing 5-10k words a day while working fulltime and having family responsibilities? Nah.
February 5, 2020
Very informative
April 4, 2021
Excellent!
May 13, 2022
A great introduction on how and why rapid release can work. The case studies were interesting. And her suggestion to reward yourself at benchmarks is something I can totally relate to.
October 1, 2022
Highly highly recommend. Even if you aren’t releasing “rapidly” it’s extremely helpful and a great tool for self publishing
February 7, 2020
A fast and fascinating read for indie authors in 2020. Appreciated the various launch strategies implemented AND the data to go with each one, so authors can weigh for themselves what would work best for them. This'll be a go-to for me in months to come.
April 5, 2023
Wow, so much great info
This book is exactly what I was looking for. I highlighted and saved so many good tips.
While part of me appreciated the profit breakdowns in each case study, there were a lot of them and I found myself scrolling to get the gist or outcome of each. But perhaps other people like that.
Regardless, besides that one thing, this book was amazing, and I immediately went to get her others. As a brand new author, I feel like I'm kind of drowning in what to do, I loved all the planning, scheduling, organizing tips presented in this book and feel like I have a rough pathway outlined now.
This book is exactly what I was looking for. I highlighted and saved so many good tips.
While part of me appreciated the profit breakdowns in each case study, there were a lot of them and I found myself scrolling to get the gist or outcome of each. But perhaps other people like that.
Regardless, besides that one thing, this book was amazing, and I immediately went to get her others. As a brand new author, I feel like I'm kind of drowning in what to do, I loved all the planning, scheduling, organizing tips presented in this book and feel like I have a rough pathway outlined now.
January 24, 2022
Having read all of Elena Johnson's other books I eventually decided to pick this one up too as I like her writing and advice. The topic of this one didn't appeal as much to me as releasing rapidly often sounds like a recipe for writer burnout to me, but I actually found myself really enjoying this book and I liked how Elena Johnson focused on how to pull off rapid releasing without burning out. She shares various strategies and schedules for releasing rapidly and also shares tips and advice on how to pull it off. I also liked the fact that she tries a lot of things and isn't afraid to experiment and how she makes it clear you can do a rapid release for a series or part of it and then go back to another release schedule again.
I think this book is a great one to read if you're a writer who wants to know what's involved in rapid releasing and whether it's for you. The first few chapters are general tips about what to get in place and how to determine if you want to rapid release and then there are some chapters with case studies. I thought the case studies where interesting as we got to see the author's thoughts and strategies for her different rapid release attempts. I only wish she would've listed her costs for these as well as I feel that the actual sales numbers don't give the whole picture if you don't know what she spend to make it. Even so I thought it was pretty insightful to see which of her rapid release strategies worked well or not or how some books or series did less well and others worked really well.
To summarize: I thought this was an enjoyable read and full with great advice about writing and releasing rapidly. The author discusses multiple different rapid release strategies and shares case studies of her own rapid releases. I also liked how the focus on whether you as the author can pull this off and how to determine that and set things up if you want to do rapid releasing. All in all I can definitely recommend this for people who want to give rapid releasing a try.
I think this book is a great one to read if you're a writer who wants to know what's involved in rapid releasing and whether it's for you. The first few chapters are general tips about what to get in place and how to determine if you want to rapid release and then there are some chapters with case studies. I thought the case studies where interesting as we got to see the author's thoughts and strategies for her different rapid release attempts. I only wish she would've listed her costs for these as well as I feel that the actual sales numbers don't give the whole picture if you don't know what she spend to make it. Even so I thought it was pretty insightful to see which of her rapid release strategies worked well or not or how some books or series did less well and others worked really well.
To summarize: I thought this was an enjoyable read and full with great advice about writing and releasing rapidly. The author discusses multiple different rapid release strategies and shares case studies of her own rapid releases. I also liked how the focus on whether you as the author can pull this off and how to determine that and set things up if you want to do rapid releasing. All in all I can definitely recommend this for people who want to give rapid releasing a try.
August 3, 2019
Book publishing has changed dramatically in the past 20 years, primarily due to the advent of the e-book and indie (independent) publishing. Authors are no longer required to find an agent and go through a trad (traditional) publisher to get his/her book published. In recent years, some of these new indie writers and publishers have embarked on a path to publish as many books as possible in order to rise in the Amazon algorithmic rankings and to sell as many books as possible. Some of them have been spectacularly successful and are making well over $100K each year. Many are writing and releasing a book each month.
Elana Johnson is one of these writers. Her book Writing and Releasing Rapidly is a guide to the process of just that, rapid writing and rapid release of books. She has put into action her advice on rapid writing and release. She is the author of over 100 books (mostly romance), her income is over $100K each year, and her goal is a yearly income of half a million dollars.
This book gets five stars from me because it explains in a clear and organized way just how to write and release that fast. She writes and releases frequently one book a month, but if that’s too fast for you, she has advice on less frequent releases. She gives advice on how to outline a new book and she goes into case studies from her own work specifying how to write, release and market these books. Obviously, this method won’t work for people who consider themselves “pantsers” (writing by the seat of your pants). But if you are willing to get really organized and outline, then this book is worth a read.
So you find this option for writing and publishing intriguing, this book is very helpful. I’m still trying to figure out if I could do this, if I want to do it, and if I’m even capable of doing it. We’ll see.
Elana Johnson is one of these writers. Her book Writing and Releasing Rapidly is a guide to the process of just that, rapid writing and rapid release of books. She has put into action her advice on rapid writing and release. She is the author of over 100 books (mostly romance), her income is over $100K each year, and her goal is a yearly income of half a million dollars.
This book gets five stars from me because it explains in a clear and organized way just how to write and release that fast. She writes and releases frequently one book a month, but if that’s too fast for you, she has advice on less frequent releases. She gives advice on how to outline a new book and she goes into case studies from her own work specifying how to write, release and market these books. Obviously, this method won’t work for people who consider themselves “pantsers” (writing by the seat of your pants). But if you are willing to get really organized and outline, then this book is worth a read.
So you find this option for writing and publishing intriguing, this book is very helpful. I’m still trying to figure out if I could do this, if I want to do it, and if I’m even capable of doing it. We’ll see.
January 27, 2022
Oh, wow! This book is a must-read GEM!
I have been around the publishing industry since 2008 and I have NEVER experienced the transparency Elana shares in this book. Seeing her actual data in case studies that span YEARS of her own experience was so illuminating and inspiring. I took pages and pages of notes all throughout the book.
This books feels like a gift. I've met plenty of helpful authors, but the level of gratitude I feel for Elana for honestly and openly sharing her experience is astronomical. You can see her strategies, her pitfalls, her successes, and her future plans. This book is written in a playful, easy manner that feels like you're sitting across a table from Elana, herself. If I sound like I'm fangirling, it's because I am--and with good reason. Elana truly seems to realize that lighting your own candle doesn't make anyone else's shine less bright. There's enough fire for all of us--and this book can definitely light a fire under you!
Not only do I highly recommend this book, but I have already purchased the rest in the series and can't wait to get to work. Elana, if you read this, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I would have paid double the price (or more) for this treasure trove of knowledge. Thank you!
I have been around the publishing industry since 2008 and I have NEVER experienced the transparency Elana shares in this book. Seeing her actual data in case studies that span YEARS of her own experience was so illuminating and inspiring. I took pages and pages of notes all throughout the book.
This books feels like a gift. I've met plenty of helpful authors, but the level of gratitude I feel for Elana for honestly and openly sharing her experience is astronomical. You can see her strategies, her pitfalls, her successes, and her future plans. This book is written in a playful, easy manner that feels like you're sitting across a table from Elana, herself. If I sound like I'm fangirling, it's because I am--and with good reason. Elana truly seems to realize that lighting your own candle doesn't make anyone else's shine less bright. There's enough fire for all of us--and this book can definitely light a fire under you!
Not only do I highly recommend this book, but I have already purchased the rest in the series and can't wait to get to work. Elana, if you read this, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I would have paid double the price (or more) for this treasure trove of knowledge. Thank you!
January 29, 2020
This is not the first book that I've read about the rapid release method. Previous knowledge about this strategy did not detract from the lessons I learned in this book.
I recommend this book for new writers, those who have not yet published a book and are considering the rapid release marketing strategy. Ms. Johnson lays out all the information you need to know if you want to pursue this route in your publishing journey. She writes in simple, clear to understand chapters that explains all that she learned along her own path. Her writing style is easy to read, like conversing with a friend about the ins and outs of publishing. (If you like talking to friends about this topic.)
I also recommend this book to seasoned writers, those who have been publishing for a while and would like to learn about rapid releasing your books. Even if you already have pursued this course, Ms. Johnson includes several case studies with detailed numbers and other data that was interesting and informative. I enjoyed learning of her successes and mistakes.
This is a book that I will most likely read again. It was helpful and full of valuable information.
I recommend this book for new writers, those who have not yet published a book and are considering the rapid release marketing strategy. Ms. Johnson lays out all the information you need to know if you want to pursue this route in your publishing journey. She writes in simple, clear to understand chapters that explains all that she learned along her own path. Her writing style is easy to read, like conversing with a friend about the ins and outs of publishing. (If you like talking to friends about this topic.)
I also recommend this book to seasoned writers, those who have been publishing for a while and would like to learn about rapid releasing your books. Even if you already have pursued this course, Ms. Johnson includes several case studies with detailed numbers and other data that was interesting and informative. I enjoyed learning of her successes and mistakes.
This is a book that I will most likely read again. It was helpful and full of valuable information.
February 27, 2022
Essential Reading for Indie Authors
I loved this book. There is a wealth of information for how to plan, write, and release using the rapid release method. Elana Johnson does a great job of explaining everything in just enough detail to get your own mind working on the possibilities of utilizing these techniques for your own writing, and she does it with a light and fun voice. I would highly recommend this book for people who can write A LOT OF WORDS and are ready to take their catalogues to the next level. I was surprised when I got to the halfway point in the book and reached what was essentially the end of the teaching section (how to plan, write, and release rapidly), then discovered that the last half of the book was a VERY detailed breakdown of doing the rapid release method using different time frames. It is great for people who love numbers and crunching the numbers. Those case studies are definitely worth picking apart. Overall, I would recommend this book if you are an indie author and are considering pushing your game to the next level by writing quickly and releasing rapidly. An excellent read.
I loved this book. There is a wealth of information for how to plan, write, and release using the rapid release method. Elana Johnson does a great job of explaining everything in just enough detail to get your own mind working on the possibilities of utilizing these techniques for your own writing, and she does it with a light and fun voice. I would highly recommend this book for people who can write A LOT OF WORDS and are ready to take their catalogues to the next level. I was surprised when I got to the halfway point in the book and reached what was essentially the end of the teaching section (how to plan, write, and release rapidly), then discovered that the last half of the book was a VERY detailed breakdown of doing the rapid release method using different time frames. It is great for people who love numbers and crunching the numbers. Those case studies are definitely worth picking apart. Overall, I would recommend this book if you are an indie author and are considering pushing your game to the next level by writing quickly and releasing rapidly. An excellent read.
August 25, 2024
This is a motivating example of an indie author succeeding, and I enjoyed reading through all of her experiments and case studies. Sometimes the way that the data was presented was confusing, but I did glean some very helpful strategies from what she learned. I've been aiming to try rapid releasing soon, and this gave me some much-needed encouragement and tips.
It seems too good to be true that she makes as much as she does on her indie publishing, and I suspect a large portion of that is her tendency to write to market (which she explains, as profit is her main goal for writing), as well as her chosen genre of romance novellas series. But obviously she's doing those very well, as she's made such a name and living from her work.
Nothing earth-shattering here, but it was a helpful, specifically-focused guide that inspired me! If you're interested in learning from her experiments regarding rapid release, this is worth checking out.
It seems too good to be true that she makes as much as she does on her indie publishing, and I suspect a large portion of that is her tendency to write to market (which she explains, as profit is her main goal for writing), as well as her chosen genre of romance novellas series. But obviously she's doing those very well, as she's made such a name and living from her work.
Nothing earth-shattering here, but it was a helpful, specifically-focused guide that inspired me! If you're interested in learning from her experiments regarding rapid release, this is worth checking out.
Read
February 4, 2020After reading the case studies Elana puts forth in this book, I’m not sure I could pull off a rapid release strategy, lol.
I’m also guessing that genre really makes a difference here. Romance readers read a lot and can probably handle (read) monthly releases in long series. I feel that fantasy readers have different expectations, though, not least of which is the length of the books.
The best takeaway is her way of looking at earning money predominantly through backlist instead of expecting a book to earn out during or shortly after launch. That does take a lot of anxiety off one‘s shoulders.
So this was definitely a good strategy book to have read and be able to mull over, but I’m not sure I’d recommend it without asking other indie authors in the Fantasy genre if they can confirm what Johnson shows here.
I’m also guessing that genre really makes a difference here. Romance readers read a lot and can probably handle (read) monthly releases in long series. I feel that fantasy readers have different expectations, though, not least of which is the length of the books.
The best takeaway is her way of looking at earning money predominantly through backlist instead of expecting a book to earn out during or shortly after launch. That does take a lot of anxiety off one‘s shoulders.
So this was definitely a good strategy book to have read and be able to mull over, but I’m not sure I’d recommend it without asking other indie authors in the Fantasy genre if they can confirm what Johnson shows here.
January 5, 2022
I watched Elana's presentation from 20Books Vegas '21 and found it to be much more motivating than this book itself, although that could be due to her energy on stage.
The book says basically the same thing as her presentation: what rapid releasing is, what you need to prepare for it, setting goals, and 5 case studies. The difference is that the book goes much further in-depth as to the process and the hard data of the studies. I like that she has questions at the end of each chapter to help the reader take action for themselves.
However, I really felt like the book was dragged on too long...and that's saying a lot, considering only half of the book is instructional. It really would have done better as an online article. If you get this book, I suggest buying the eBook. The paperback is nice enough, but it really feels like what it is: an eBook translated to a paperback.
The book says basically the same thing as her presentation: what rapid releasing is, what you need to prepare for it, setting goals, and 5 case studies. The difference is that the book goes much further in-depth as to the process and the hard data of the studies. I like that she has questions at the end of each chapter to help the reader take action for themselves.
However, I really felt like the book was dragged on too long...and that's saying a lot, considering only half of the book is instructional. It really would have done better as an online article. If you get this book, I suggest buying the eBook. The paperback is nice enough, but it really feels like what it is: an eBook translated to a paperback.
May 14, 2019
Excellent
This book had tons of information! Elena was very thorough and I loved that she went into so much depth. She not only talked about her writing process, and gives more information and gives detail and resources about that information, she talks directly about different strategies. This is so refreshing! I think that this is such a great book and I think that this is a book that need to keep on my shelf for the rest of my Indy career. She just has so much information here it’s absolutely unbelievable. In so many ways when we read books, usually it feels like theres something left out – but with this book, I feel like I got an entire crash course on Indy publishing.
This book had tons of information! Elena was very thorough and I loved that she went into so much depth. She not only talked about her writing process, and gives more information and gives detail and resources about that information, she talks directly about different strategies. This is so refreshing! I think that this is such a great book and I think that this is a book that need to keep on my shelf for the rest of my Indy career. She just has so much information here it’s absolutely unbelievable. In so many ways when we read books, usually it feels like theres something left out – but with this book, I feel like I got an entire crash course on Indy publishing.
October 21, 2022
Elana is such a great communicator. I can tell she's a former teacher - well, I suppose she's still a teacher, just not in a formal classroom! I learned so much about how to fix mistakes in my writing journey-even the steps to understand how to know what to fix, and how to plan out my future as an author. I identify with her style of writing and her humor. This book is not difficult to understand and it never feels like Elana has all the "real help" hidden behind a paywall as some other authors have done. She is candid and incredibly transparent about her successes and failures. I am jumping into her next book in the series!! Thank you, Elana, from a secret (now, not so secret) fan girl! You seriously rock!
April 21, 2019
I have admired this author from a distance for a long time, so when I saw that she had written a book for authors, I immediately one-clicked it. I've read many books and taken numerous courses on writing and publishing, but this is the first time I've seen anything that was so transparent. Elana includes case studies from her numerous releases over the past couple of years where she details exactly what she did and why. She reveals what worked and what didn't work with actual data and real numbers to back it up. If you want to learn from an incredibly prolific and financially successful author, grab this book and learn all of her secrets!
May 20, 2019
I thought this was an interesting and inspiring read about what it's like to run your business as an indie-author. Though it does provide some info on outlining, this is not a craft book that will tell you how to write the book. What it does do, is provide an interesting insight in what it takes to make it as an indie-author (especially if you're considering writing romance). The author shares how much she earns and how much she invested to get there. I'm not quite there yet with my own writing career, but I thought it was an inspiration that, yes, if you set your mind to it, making it as an indie-author can actually be done.
March 14, 2022
Literally Shows Strategies In Action
While the author may primarily write romance novels, she certainly takes the romance out of rapid release strategies for independent publishers — and that’s a very good thing!
The strongest part of this book is the second half, where the author discusses various strategies she has used in rapidly releasing her novels, backing it all up with very compelling data. I find this level of honesty brave and very refreshing, showing the possibilities for indie publishers when they not only write to a specific market, but develop a release schedule for it as well.
While the author may primarily write romance novels, she certainly takes the romance out of rapid release strategies for independent publishers — and that’s a very good thing!
The strongest part of this book is the second half, where the author discusses various strategies she has used in rapidly releasing her novels, backing it all up with very compelling data. I find this level of honesty brave and very refreshing, showing the possibilities for indie publishers when they not only write to a specific market, but develop a release schedule for it as well.
May 3, 2019
Definitely recommend
Reading this book is like sitting with a respected friend discussing the way she handles her publishing business. Elana’s style is conversational. She presents her journey in a straightforward way, giving you questions to think about and strategies/facts to mull over to see if they might work for you. The case study section was great with lots of data and analysis.
This book will go in my library for future reference and inspiration. I’m looking forward to the next books in the series.
Reading this book is like sitting with a respected friend discussing the way she handles her publishing business. Elana’s style is conversational. She presents her journey in a straightforward way, giving you questions to think about and strategies/facts to mull over to see if they might work for you. The case study section was great with lots of data and analysis.
This book will go in my library for future reference and inspiration. I’m looking forward to the next books in the series.
September 23, 2019
This book was a good case study, but I felt like a lot of the techniques this author used (like being able to get Bookbubs almost monthly) do not work now or are not possible. It had good basic information, but it's definitely for beginners.
If you're not a beginner, if you're already familiar with rapid-release techniques, there's nothing new in here that's going to help you do it better. If you're someone like me who has tried it before without success and are looking for some new tricks you might have missed to help you succeed the next time, you won't find it here.
If you're not a beginner, if you're already familiar with rapid-release techniques, there's nothing new in here that's going to help you do it better. If you're someone like me who has tried it before without success and are looking for some new tricks you might have missed to help you succeed the next time, you won't find it here.
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