Posts Tagged Kindle Unlimited
Conferences and New Directions
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Events, Lifestyle on August 16, 2024
There isn’t a writer in the world who doesn’t sometimes (or most of the time!) feel dispirited, discouraged and disappointed about the words they are producing (or not producing) and about their writing career in general. The best way to combat this is to come out into the world, blink hard in the bright light, and then TALK TO OTHER WRITERS.
Flying the flag for the Birmingham Chapter at #RNAConf2024
I spent the whole of last weekend talking to other writers at the RNA 2024 Conference. We commiserated with each other about what a tough and fickle mistress the publishing industry is. We clapped and congratulated award winners as they received their trophies. We exchanged tips and advice for navigating the writing world. And we followed each other on social media so that we can continue to champion each other in the coming months.
We were also bamboozled by a plethora of information from wonderful speakers. We filled our phones with pictures of their bullet-pointed slides and scribbled down nuggets of sage advice.
And, on Saturday night, we let our hair down and danced like no one was watching! And no one was watching – everyone was too busy waving arms, gyrating hips and booming out the song lyrics.
If you get the chance to go any sort of writing conference (or to a gathering relating to whatever passion floats your boat), please go! You will find your tribe. Like me, you’ll come home feeling a whole better (and totally exhausted!)
Everything I learned at the conference is now pointing me in a new direction for my books. It’s going to take a long time to come to fruition so I’m not going to jeopardise anything by revealing it yet. But watch this space!
A new direction that I can tell you about is an occasional new series on this blog, to be called ‘Five Questions About Writing With …’ It will reveal the lives and tips of a variety of writers across different genres. First up will be Sarah Rodi who writes Viking Romance for Mills and Boon. Stay tuned!
Finally, I’ve been playing around with Canva and produced a graphic for my very first novel, Bedsit Three. What do you think?
Bedsit Three is a psychological thriller featuring family relationships and it is now free to read on Kindle Unlimited for the first time ever! And only 99p to buy.
Updated for 2015 – Kindle Direct Publishing for Absolute Beginners
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Computers & Technical, Resources, Self-publishing on April 8, 2015
In February 2014 I pulled together everything I’d learnt about publishing a Kindle e-book and produced Kindle Direct Publishing for Absolute Beginners. This concise e-book covers everything a writer needs to know in order to publish their first Kindle e-book and it’s written in simple language. 
But nothing stays the same and over the last twelve months there have been some changes over at Amazon KDP. For example, UK writers who enter their National Insurance number in the Amazon on-line tax interview (not as scary as it sounds!) no longer have 30% tax withheld on their US royalties, pricing for EU Amazon sites is now inclusive of VAT (see my previous blog post for more information) and it’s now possible to allow pre-orders of a new e-book before it is published.
Therefore, I have updated Kindle Direct Publishing for Absolute Beginners to reflect these changes plus a few more bits and pieces, such as the advent of Kindle Unlimited allowing e-books enrolled in KDP Select to be borrowed and earn royalties and the ability for authors to run paid-for ad campaigns on Amazon.com.
So, if you’re thinking about e-publishing a collection of short stories, a ‘how-to’ book or a novel then Kindle Direct Publishing for Absolute Beginners will show you the way – and it currently costs less than a nice coffee (but I’m toying with the idea of putting it up slightly to reflect the extra work that’s gone into it).
And remember, the nice thing about e-publishing is that anything goes! There’s no rules about genres or word counts – as long as the product description and price reflect the content.
Extract from one of several 5* Amazon reviews:
“The field of e-publishing through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing is full of tall grasses and hedges, but Sally’s straightforward advice offered a tidy path for my first foray into becoming an online author! Easy-to-read, this guide is clearly written by a writer who has experience with the format, and can either be read as a standalone account or dipped into as you’re on the Amazon website.”
Walk the Cleveland Way – Accommodation, Attractions and Advice
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Books, Lifestyle, Non-fiction, Promotion, Self-publishing, Travel on November 25, 2014
Regular readers of this blog will know that I enjoy walking, especially long walks. 
Getting outside in the fresh air for the day is a great way to unwind and a complete contrast to sitting in front of the computer all day (which I do for my ‘day’ job, as well as when I’m writing).
In August 2013, my husband and I walked the 109 mile Cleveland Way in North Yorkshire over ten days. It’s a fabulous route because the first half meanders over the deserted moors where you’re lucky to even find even a solitary tea shop but, in contrast, the second half is along the coast through bustling resorts like Whitby and Scarborough. This path is also great for beginners because the signposting is excellent – so you are unlikely to get lost (but a map is always advisable, just in case …).
I may like the fresh air but I’m definitely not a backpacker. We stayed in comfortable guest houses and small hotels and had our luggage transported. So we carried only day-sacks and our suitcases were waiting when we arrived at the next overnight stop. All we had to do was hop in the shower and wash away the weariness of the day before changing for our evening meal. And there was always a great cooked breakfast to look forward to the next morning …
Being a writer, I carried a notebook for the 10 days we were walking and I jotted down everything about our trip, from details of the English Heritage properties we found along the route to the tea shops providing good cakes and the display of knitting we found on Saltburn pier. It seemed a waste to keep all this information to myself – it’s all stuff we would have found useful when deciding if this was a holiday we would enjoy and would have helped us in the planning too.
So, I typed it all up into a coherent format, used one of the photos from our trip as the basis for the cover and published it on Kindle.
It’s now available for you to gaze at in awe, ‘look inside’, borrow for free (if you’re in Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited) or even purchase. Simply click here.
If you fancy returning from holiday with a clear head, feeling fit and strong (despite eating many cakes and cooked breakfasts!) then I recommend the Cleveland Way to you.
Sally Jenkins 