This Week on Books Direct - 30 June 2013

This Week on Books Direct - 30 June 2013

Here's a list of the articles you may have missed this week:

"Buy Links Simplified" - Article by Indies Unlimited.

Purchase links can be hideous long disasters. So, which part of that link do you actually need to give someone?

"Health and Fitness" - Brought to you by Bundle of the Week.

Every week Bundle of the Week presents 5 related ebooks for only $7.40. Are you looking to lose weight, take control of your health or get stronger? If so, this week's bundle is for you! With 5 unique guides to health and fitness, you'll discover recipes, exercise tips and motivation to make real, lasting changes in your life. Get this bundle for more than 85% off this week only.

"Sixty Second Writing Tips: I Think My Writing Sucks, and That’s How I Like It" - Article by Matthew Wright.

 All good writers think what they're doing sucks – and this is what drives them on to get better. It happens because of the inevitable problem of turning the perfection of concepts into something mundane – the written word. So, do you think your writing sucks?

"Stephen Fry Takes A Firm Stance On Grammar. He Doesn't Go The Way You'd Think." - Posted by Rollie Williams on Upworthy.

What do you think?

"Is It Possible to be a Great Artist and a Good Person?" - Article by Mason Currey for Powell's Books.

Mason talks about his book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work and comes to the conclusion that, if you're looking for guidance on how to be a better person, more connected to your family or peers, healthier, or more even-keeled, history's great artists are pretty much the last people you want to emulate.

"Infographic – Steps for a Successful eBook" - by Widbook.

A great infographic on how to create a successful ebook. You can get more information about each step here.

"5 Tips on How to Run a Writing Group" - Article by Mark Nichol for Daily Writing Tips.

You've got your writing group up and running. All the hard work's over, right? Wrong. Just like any smooth-running machine, a writing group requires maintenance. Here are some tips for tender, loving care. What are your tips?

"Press Release Tutorial" - Tutorial by K. S. Brooks for Indies Unlimited.

Are you one of the authors and entrepreneurs who are not taking advantage of this free opportunity? All it takes is a little legwork (and a lot of clicking). Once you've gotten your distribution lists together, it's just a matter of sending emails.

"You're Too Stupid to Build a Platform" - Article by Nick Thacker (The Golden Crystal) for LiveHacked.

Nick wrote this blog post calling out someone whom he believes think we're all too stupid to build a successful platform. If you know anything about Nick, you'll know that he truly believes anyone - with dedication, hard work, and perseverance - can build and launch their own successful online platform.

"Best Websites for Marketing Your Amazon KDP Select Ebook Free Days" - Article by Rachel K. Burke for HubPages.

As an indie author, it can be a bit overwhelming when it comes to learning how to market your books. There is so much information on the internet - lists upon lists of indie book reviewers, paid promotions, free promotions, etc. - that at times it seems like you spend more of our time researching marketing strategies instead of writing the actual books! Rachel has compiled a list of the top 50 best websites that allow you to promote your book's free days. Books Direct has been included! Thanks, Rachel!

"CREATIVE WRITING TECHNIQUES (Part I): From Writer’s Block to Writing Flow" - Article by Cinta García de la Rosa.

Have you ever panicked while looking at the blank page? Do you start writing but you feel blocked soon after that? So, what causes writer's block and how can you fix it?

"Using Your Email Signature as a Marketing Tool" - Article by Judith Marshall.

Authors need to use every tool possible to market their books.  One tool that is often overlooked is the email signature.

"The Do's and Don'ts of Self-Published Book Promotion" - Article by Shawnassey Brooks on Yahoo! Voices.

If you're going to self-publish, you've got a lot of work ahead of you. While producing a great manuscript can feel a lot like giving birth, the hardest part about the process isn't the hours of writing, re-structuring, more re-writes and proofreading. It's the promotion.

"How Do I Claim My Vanity URL on Facebook… and Why?" - Article by Scott Ayres for PostPlanner.

Claiming a custom-branded "vanity" URL for your Facebook page is a no-brainer. It gives your page an easy-to-find and easy-to-share URL that looks professional and branded. Go claim your page's URL right now! Scott shows you how.