Recent Posts

Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 »
41
Jan, the page numbers will depend on the trim size. You don't want to use the e-book for page numbers. Word can generate the TOC if you use styles. It's been a while since I've done this (2020) and I'll need to learn it in Libre Office Writer. But if I can do it (tech-challenged) you can do it.

Thanks.
I've never used styles  :icon_rolleyes: Was going to try it but decided it was easier to go with what I've done. I've got the book mostly sorted for print but just wary of adding the page numbers to the TOC. I guess I'll have to give it a go and see what problems crop up.
After reading other formatting problems it looks like I might have to upload in PDF rather than Word. 
42
Marketing Loft [Public] / Re: What the heck happened?
« Last post by alhawke on March 22, 2024, 06:19:14 AM »
Be cautious with Google Ads. I was getting impressions but lackluster to zero sales. So I stopped using it.
And... wow:
Google ADs - The short answer is targeting a geography as wide as the "US" now requires this: "recommended budget would be around $55-60 per day."
:icon_eek:
If ads keep driving up in cost, I don't see an avenue for indie writers or small businesses. I don't get it. We have more things available but we seem to be losing avenues for sales. Where's all this money coming from? $55/day is absurd for writers That's $1650 per month, $20k per year. (Unless you suddenly hit some kind of ad ceiling where your revenue jumps into the tens of thousands :dizzy, I can't afford this sort of publishing ad madness). Maybe Google ads is only for big business?
43
Formatter's Forge [Public] / Re: Tips and advice on including page numbers in a TOC
« Last post by Vijaya on March 22, 2024, 05:37:25 AM »
Jan, the page numbers will depend on the trim size. You don't want to use the e-book for page numbers. Word can generate the TOC if you use styles. It's been a while since I've done this (2020) and I'll need to learn it in Libre Office Writer. But if I can do it (tech-challenged) you can do it.
44
One option, easiest for Wordpress but also works with others, is Surecart. It's free and has Tax calculation/EU VAT calculation. Paid versions have more capabilities but most aren't needed for indie authors:

https://surecart.com/


Supports payment options of:
SureCart currently supports Stripe (13+ Payments Methods in 135+ Currencies in 45+ Countries), PayPal, Mollie, GooglePay, ApplePay, you name it.

45
Maybe we should have a list of what is holding people back from selling direct?  Then, we can address those issues if possible.

From this thread and others, the starter list would seem to be:

1) Whether it is worth the effort
2) Technicalities of building/running a website with sales capabilities
   a) Having a cart/checkout system
   b) ADA-accessible website
3) Payment processing
4) Sales tax issues
5) Providing support for readers with issues downloading, etc.

Anything else?

Maybe add a few positives to the list?  If all we looked at were the negative aspects of doing anything...would we even be selling books?
46
If it's a print book, including page numbers is reasonably safe.

You're not doing them manually though, are you?

I've used Pages (Mac) and InDesign.  Both have features that allow you to semi-automatically build your Table of Contents.  They can automatically number the pages and, if anything in the book changes, you can have the Table of Contents updated and it will automatically update any changed page numbers.

I imagine Word has a similar feature.

Makes things a lot easier.

Thanks.

I'm using the TOC from the ebook (minus links) and intended to add the page numbers manually. I'm not good at learning new programmes etc and prefer to do it manually rather than struggle with something new (unless it has plain vanilla instructions and is free  :icon_rolleyes:) I will give it a try, though.
47
If it's a print book, including page numbers is reasonably safe.

You're not doing them manually though, are you?

I've used Pages (Mac) and InDesign.  Both have features that allow you to semi-automatically build your Table of Contents.  They can automatically number the pages and, if anything in the book changes, you can have the Table of Contents updated and it will automatically update any changed page numbers.

I imagine Word has a similar feature.

Makes things a lot easier.
48
I'm about to do a print version of my public speaking book. Haven't done a print of anything since Create Space days  :icon_rolleyes:.
I've divided it into four parts with sections and sub-sections and bullet points etc.
Need advice and bewares on putting page numbers in the TOC
I have checked the similar non-fiction books in my library and will follow a similar layout.

Part 1: Preparing and Writing The Speech
1.   Where are my notes? ……………………………………………………………………………. 6
        Using cards, scripts or an electronic device?
2.   What should I talk about? ………………………………………………………………………12
        Choosing a subject.
3.   Who’s going to be there? …………………………………………………………………… 20
        Writing for your audience
4.   Does this make sense? …………………………………………………………………………25
        Constructing a logical beginning, middle and ending
5.   What should I call my speech? …………………………………………………………….28
        Choosing a title
6.   Do you understand what I mean? ……………………………………………………….31
         Using a suitable vocabulary

I haven't numbered the pages yet. Thought it was best to get the layout done first.

Has anyone had experience doing this and can give me some tips?

Thanks in advance.
49
Marketing Loft [Public] / Re: What the heck happened?
« Last post by R. C. on March 22, 2024, 03:57:10 AM »
UDPATE - UPDATE - UPDATE

After several weeks of futile attempts to generate impressions, I gave in and contacted support for FB Ads and Google Ads.

Google ADs - The short answer is targeting a geography as wide as the "US" now requires this: "recommended budget would be around $55-60 per day." Emphasis added by me. Targeting a "city could be as low a $10-12 per day."

I switched the geography to my state. I'll keep you posted.

FB ADs - This is a little more complex. I was targeting people interested in reading, a specific genre, in the US. Initially, I was told the algorthms for FB Ads do not like a well defined audience. They perfer to issue as many impressions as possible. Of course, this is counter the the market strategy of defining a target market well enough to justify a higher CPC. When I questioned the answer, the support agent switched and said I should narrow the target audience to a specific genre.

I pulled way back on the targeting, using just a couple of audiences. I'll keep you posted.


UPDATE TO THE UPDATE

While writing the response above, after weeks of ZERO results, Google Ads is issuing impressions.

R.C.
50
Maybe we should have a list of what is holding people back from selling direct?  Then, we can address those issues if possible.

From this thread and others, the starter list would seem to be:

1) Whether it is worth the effort
2) Technicalities of building/running a website with sales capabilities
   a) Having a cart/checkout system
   b) ADA-accessible website
3) Payment processing
4) Sales tax issues
5) Providing support for readers with issues downloading, etc.

Anything else?
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 »