Carla King

Carla King is a publishing coach and the founder of the Self-Publishing Boot Camp educational program of books, workshops, and online courses. Her books include the Self-Publishing Boot Camp Guide for Authors, the Consumer’s Guide for Self-Publishers, which reviews the products, tools, and services you use to write, publish, and promote your books, and IngramSpark’s Book Formatting Guide. Carla started self-publishing in 1995 with her travel guide, Cycling the French Riviera, followed by a memoir titled American Borders and a collection called Stories from Elsewhere. She runs the Indie Publishing track at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference and hosts the Author Friendly Podcast. Find the podcast, along with her books, courses, free resources and advice at www.selfpubbootcamp.com.

Recent Posts

The Basics of Book Metadata and Keywords

Book metadata and keywords might seem scary, but they’re really only the words and phrases that you use to describe yourself and your book. Your book metadata will consist of basic things such as your title, author name, author bio, book description, publication date, etc. Keywords are one or more words used to indicate the content of your book. Simply put, metadata and keywords are what make your book appear when a reader goes looking for a specific thing online, whether that thing is a book or not.

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Social Media for Authors: Branding, Choosing a Platform, and The Rule of Thirds

Social media is one of the best ways to connect with readers. But, where do you start? In this post, I'll share tips for branding on social media, choosing what social media platforms to use, and following the social media "rule of thirds."

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5 Steps to Build a Strong Author Platform

For some writers, building a strong author platform comes naturally, but for others, essential book marketing steps might feel uncomfortable. Here are some tips that will make it easier.

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Ebook Formatting: How to Create Standard and Full-Color Ebooks

It isn’t as hard as it sounds. You don’t need to compose a query letter, secure a literary agent, or cut through miles of a traditional publisher’s red tape before the book is released to the world. You can create an ebook from the comfort of your officeor couchwith the right tools, information, and help from the experts. Here are some ebook formatting tips:

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How to Increase Book Discoverability with Meta Tags in Your Book Metadata

Achieving book discoverability with readers means making search engines aware of you and your book. You may have heard of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as being important to your website; that IS book discoverability. Discoverability is your biggest marketing partner as it provides reliable, continuous passive marketing. Successful book discoverability means that your readers can find you simply by entering words that describe your book into a search engine. It’s a disservice to you and your book if you don’t leverage these words for your benefit.

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3 Most Common Book Formats for Self-Publishers

The first thing to know when entering the book world is the differences among your book formatting options. There are three main book formats used to create and design your book, each offering a different set of pros and cons. Read about the benefits of each to decide the best option for making your book publishing dreams come to fruition.

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How to Create an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) for Reviewers

ARCs, or Advance Reader Copies, are remarkable assets to authors because they get the books straight into the hands of book reviewers, peer reviewers, bloggers, and other people who may offer input, endorsements, or publicity for your book. ARCs are different from proofs because they aren’t just for the author’s perusal; they are sent to reviewers prior to the public release of the book, generally about three months in advance. ARCs also give you the chance to see what reviewers think about your material, allowing changes or edits before it’s released. Here are a few tips for how to create an ARC.

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