Ellen Frances
Bio
Daily five-minute reads about writing — discipline, doubt, and the reality of taking the work seriously without burning out. https://linktr.ee/ellenfranceswrites
Stories (208)
Filter by community
You're Doing Five Things To Market Your Self-Published Book. None Of Them Work. Here's Why.
After publishing 1 Lovelock Drive, I did everything I thought I was supposed to do. I posted about it on social media. I told everyone I knew. I shared the Amazon link in my bio, stories, and group chats. I waited for readers to discover it; I refreshed my sales dashboard daily, then hourly, then compulsively.
By Ellen Francesabout 2 hours ago in Writers
This Is How To Build An Audience For Your Book While You're Writing And Editing It
When I published my first book on Amazon, I made one fatal mistake. Ok, sure, there were a couple of big mistakes, a dozen small ones, but there was one that was my kryptonite. And I know I'm not the only one who has done this.
By Ellen Francesabout 24 hours ago in Writers
What I Wish I'd Known About Book Categories Before I Published
I picked my Amazon categories for my self-published book in about three minutes. "Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction" seemed like the obvious choice. My book focused on relationships, personal growth, and the emotional journey of its main character, so placing it under "Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Women" felt like a natural fit as well.
By Ellen Francesabout 24 hours ago in Writers
I (Nearly) Used Amazon's Free ISBN. Here's Why That Was (And Wasn't) A Mistake.
When you publish on Amazon, you have two choices: Use Amazon's free ISBN, or buy your own for $125. I went to choose the free option. Why spend $125 when Amazon offers it for nothing? That's a no-brainer, right?!
By Ellen Frances6 days ago in Writers
Should You Publish Wide or KDP Select? I Chose Wrong.
One of the first decisions you make when self-publishing is whether to use KDP Select. This means you're faced with a dilemma: Amazon exclusivity, where your book is only available on Amazon, or publish widely across every self-publishing platform.
By Ellen Frances8 days ago in Writers
How I Write When I Only Have 30 Minutes
Most days, I don't have two hours to write. I don't have an hour, and some days I barely have 30 minutes. Between everything else I need to do in my writing business, life, obligations, and being human, pure writing time gets compressed.
By Ellen Frances10 days ago in Writers
Why Writing Gets Hard Right Before It Gets Good
I almost quit three days before my breakthrough. A little while ago, I'd been writing daily for two months, and it was hard (impossible, brutal, exhausting) the entire time. But around week eight, it became unbearable.
By Ellen Frances12 days ago in Writers
Missed a Day of Writing? Read This Before You Panic
I missed yesterday. I didn't write, not one word, not even a sentence in my notes app, nada. I went to bed feeling like I'd failed, like I'd broken something important and assuming the entire habit I'd built was now ruined.
By Ellen Frances13 days ago in Writers
Amazon's Algorithm Didn't Promote My Book. Here's What I Should Have Done Instead.
I believed the myth: write a good book, upload it to Amazon, and the algorithm will do the rest. There are millions of readers browsing Amazon, and the platform's sophisticated recommendation system pushes my book to fans of romance fiction (my book's genre). There is this "Customers who bought this also bought…" magic that would introduce my book to the right people.
By Ellen Frances14 days ago in Writers
Stop Telling Writers They Don’t Have Real Jobs
"That's nice that you have a hobby." That's what the lady at the gym, a woman using the adjacent treadmill, said when I told her I was a full-time writer, working for myself at my desk in my spare room. She asked me what I did for work, and I answered honestly.
By Ellen Frances16 days ago in Writers
