Holly Lisle: Writer

Think Sideways Self-Publishers’ Bulletin


Okay. How To Think Sideways for Self-Publishers is a go. I’ve figured out how to do it, how to keep the price way down, how to put it up on the big platforms (Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace), and how to get the essentials like worksheets that won’t work in e-book readers into the hands of the people who buy the course.

So this is going to be my first BIG course on anything other than my own site and my own platform.

If you’re interested, and you want to know when the course starts going live on the various platforms, sign up for the notice list below.

For folks who can’t see the Javascript version of the signup box above, I’ve created an alternate page where you can sign up on the HTML version of the form…which won’t, of course, work on the page of WordPress…

The Alternate Sign-Up Form

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22 responses to “Think Sideways Self-Publishers’ Bulletin”

  1. mitzim Avatar
    mitzim

    Hi Holly,
    I have a quick question. I noticed you’ve now let your students list their works on your “I’m Published” forums. Though some of us may not have purchased your online classes, we have bought several of your books on how to write–i.e. clinic bundles, dialogue, scenes, etc. We may have purchased these before you created your online courses, and are happy with the materials we have. We still consider you our teacher. Would it be possible to also list our work on the “I’m Published” forum and be able to log in there? Also, it would be nice to be able to participate on the general forums too. Not sure where you draw the line on who’s a student and who’s not. I would think that those who have purchased your how-to writing books might count too (?). Just a question. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    1. Holly Avatar
      Holly

      Hi, Mitzi,
      😀 I’m actually ahead of you on this, and yes, I do consider my short-course students my students.

      And I’m actually almost ready to take this live, though the implementation is NOT simple.

      Margaret has put together a complicated arrangement of levers and pulleys, gears, drives, and motors…

      No. It just seems that way to me. 😀

      Margaret has built some software for me that will allow me to open up parts of the forum to writers who wish to join the general writing discussion boards, the I’M PUBLISHED board, the Renegade Marketing Board, the Self-Pub Resources boards, the Free Plot Outline board, the Yes, We NaNo board, and such other boards as I decide to open to general membership.

      We’ve done initial testing, and are moving to live testing in a few days, with a small percentage of members of one of my courses who currently have no access to the forum. Following that, barring disasters, we’ll go to Free Plot Outline and HTWAS with upgrades.

      And after that, I’ll offer membership to everyone else.

      General memberships are probably going to be:
      1 month trial membership: $3.00
      6 month membership: $8.00
      12 month membership: $14.00
      Lifetime membership: $36.00

      Memberships in the community have always been paid, though previously, the costs of the two linked courses, HTTS and HTRYN, covered the boards, too.

      Since I’m unlinking the courses and moving them to Kindle, Nook, etc., and since I’m now working to make the community available to more than HTRYN and HTTS students, Margaret and I had to figure out another way to create protected memberships.

      The community is ONLY available through protected, paid membership for two reasons.

      One, to keep out most spammers. The boards are locked to all but members, and at the moment we have NO spam.

      Open membership or even a free protected membership would encourage everything we DON’T have on the boards now—NFL ads, porn ads and other garbage posts, flames, a general lack of responsibility among some folks—and through that, excessive wear and tear on my moderators.

      I have a LOT of experience running a free writing community, and the wear and tear on ME was excessive.

      PAID members, on the other hand, have an investment in doing good writing, on staying focused, on learning from each other, and on publishing—which is the point of the community; they also have an investment in keeping the community someplace people want to stay.

      Two, to cover the cost of customer service, hosting, software upgrades, and site work. Margaret and I do all the customer service, and issues like “I lost my password,” “I’m locked out of the boards,” and so on take time and effort on both our parts. I pay Margaret for her time, and I pay myself for mine.

      Might be more than you wanted to know. But this is getting close to being a reality.

      Reply
      1. mitzim Avatar
        mitzim

        AWESOME!! Great, thank you, Holly!
        I don’t mind paying a membership–you’re fair and very affordable. I think you deserve to enjoy some passive income for your time and effort. That’s how to make nice, honest money too. You’re first class in everything you do, and I’ve learned so much from you. I know I’ll continue to do so. Thanks again.

        Reply
  2. Geraldine Ketchum Avatar
    Geraldine Ketchum

    This is probably obvious to more e-friendly course members, but I want to be sure that I will get this course online; I don’t have to get it on an e-reader, right? Mine is a Sony, and I can’t wait until all these reader types get their act together and make it so we can just buy a book and read it, no matter who ‘publishes’ it.
    Holly, I love your site and lessons. I’m learning all the time. I had no idea how hellpful the walkthroughs would turn out to be.
    Thanks.
    Gerry

    Reply
    1. Holly Avatar
      Holly

      Gerry,

      If you have HTTS , you already have the full version of the course, and will get the new lessons for free as I write them.. You don’t need the Self-Pub Version.

      Reply
  3. Ric Avatar
    Ric

    You fired my imagination a little while back, and you’ve got me looking critically at the journey ahead. Now, you’re offering to give me a map to help me to actually get there? Yes, please!

    Reply
  4. Elmi Avatar
    Elmi

    Hmmm, good to see you won’t share our “inforamtion”, LOL! 😉

    Reply
  5. Iloveyou Avatar
    Iloveyou

    Please tell us what the course is about.
    I reduced a mail explaining that the sign-up sheet was wrong. But I never got a mail explaining the course.
    I am new to your site, and before I sign-up, I would like to know more.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Holly Avatar
      Holly

      You can get a description of the full course here:
      http://howtothinksideways.com/members

      You can take a look at what current students are learning by visiting the public boards HERE:
      http://howtothinksideways.com/forum

      And you can read the course weblog here:
      http://howtothinksideways.com

      While HTTS Self-Pub will be a leaner version, it will include ALL the critical lesson elements, though some lessons will be revised to emphasize the self-publishing skills needed rather than the commercial publishing skills.

      Reply
      1. Holly Avatar
        Holly

        I need to add, however, that the Self-Pub course will NOT include the bonus lessons or the Walkthrough, and because there’s no way to include the forums as an integrated part of the course when I deliver it via ebook or print book, those students who are interested will be able to create a membership for a small monthly fee—or, if they love the community, pay a one-time “Lifetime Membership” fee.

        Reply
        1. Iloveyou Avatar
          Iloveyou

          Hi Holly.
          I think I am confused.
          The first link you gave me hooks to a general writing course, not about self publishing.
          I can see I will be taking lots of your classes!
          But right now I am interested in knowing what exactly will be the content for the self-publishing course? Will you explain how to format? Which books to buy to guide us? I can’t seem to see this, at least inthe first link. I will go see the others now. Thank you! Awesome site and resource center you have here. Do you have an affiliate program?

          Reply
          1. Holly Avatar
            Holly

            It IS a writing course. You can find out the basics of self-publishing from any of a dozen $5 books on Amazon.

            While I’ll include the necessary nuts and bolts of putting up your work, my objective is to teach you how to write a career full of books people will pay to read, even though you’re self-publishing them. And how to know when what you’ve written is good enough to sell. I want to create a group of PROFESSIONAL self-published writers.

            If you’re just looking for a quick guide to how to format your manuscript for e-pub, you don’t want this course.

            Reply
          2. Holly Avatar
            Holly

            And I do have an affiliate program. Students only. I only want the folks who have taken my courses representing them.

            Reply
  6. Rhea Avatar
    Rhea

    I want to sign up, but there’s no place to do so. No pic of desk and blackboard either.

    Reply
    1. Holly Lisle Avatar
      Holly Lisle

      Sorry about that. It’s Javascript, which works on a WordPress main page, but doesn’t work with all browsers. I created a new page, linked above, with the HTML form, which WILL work with all browsers.

      Reply
  7. Esther Avatar
    Esther

    Here’s wishing you, Holly, and all your students tons of success with course!

    Reply
  8. Diana Layne Avatar
    Diana Layne

    this is terrific news! As a grad of both of your courses, I’ve watched most of the self-pub module you included in our course. I’m still very confused about DRM. I absolutely understand your position and applaud it, but as I am a ‘no-name’ who will be self-pubbing (plus I have a book coming out with an e-pub), then I almost feel obligated not to DRM. This guy sums up the argument I’ve been reading about on several blogs. http://storytellingnomad.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/the-benefits-of-book-piracy/

    I, too, almost feel obligated to put up my book for .99 as well, rather like John Locke, and I’m debating over that, too.

    Thank you for all your work in helping writers, I’m very grateful.

    Reply
    1. Holly Avatar
      Holly

      People are going to steal your work. There are, unfortunately, scumbags and assholes in the world, and we can’t get rid of them.

      BUT, do you want to be the idiot who is encouraging them to steal from you?

      Neil Gaiman has enough money he doesn’t have to worry about praising thieves. Do you? I know I don’t, and I have no intention of pretending I think it’s okay.

      I offer a ton of free stuff on my site, and a few things, like Mugging the Muse, that I also permit to be posted ANYWHERE, so long as folks don’t charge for it.

      But I work, and deserve to be paid for my work, and if you’re a writer, so do you.

      And there’s an immense difference between acknowledging that the people who steal from you aren’t destroying you, and equating (as Gaiman does in the video) theft and what he chooses to give away.

      They aren’t the same thing, and his suggestion that they are does not reflect well on him.

      Reply
  9. Holly Avatar
    Holly

    Yeah, sometimes WordPress is just so …

    … SPECIAL. Argh.

    You’ll notice the signup form above, with the picture of the desk and blackboard.

    Reply
  10. LotusblossomK Avatar
    LotusblossomK

    I would be interested, thanks

    Reply
  11. AndtheCreativist Avatar
    AndtheCreativist

    I cannot find the notice link however.

    Reply
  12. AndtheCreativist Avatar
    AndtheCreativist

    Me and the cheerleading squad agree, and are with you 100% plus 1.
    I’mma dive in holly!

    Reply

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