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FAQs, Rules, Tips, and "Forum Decorum" for the Writers' Cafe

552K views 223 replies 134 participants last post by  KimberlyK 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
;) ;DFAQs, Rules, and Tips for Users of the Writers' Cafe

Authors, readers, and vendors: learn how to make the most of your experience in KBoards. Also, scroll down for an index of useful discussion threads for authors.

1. Forum rules. What are the general conduct rules for posting on KBoards?

KBoards is a great place for authors to discuss writing and publishing, and to promote their work. But before you post, know our rules of Forum Decorum. This is a moderated forum; posts and threads that break our rules will be edited or removed. Accounts that repeatedly require moderator intervention will be banned.

The site's overall terms of use are here. Please be aware of this material.


2. Promotion. What are the forum rules for how I promote my books?

Self-promotion is not permitted within posts in the Writers' Cafe or on our Facebook page. However, you may promote your books in your signature (see below for rules and directions on signatures). You may also maintain a single thread for each of your books in the Book Bazaar area of the forum, and we offer a number of other free ways to make your books visible (see below).

3. Clickable book covers in your posts. How do I put a linked book cover in my post?

You can make book cover links, and text links, for your book using our Link-Maker. You can use it for items other than books, too -- you can make image links for almost anything available on Amazon. (We also have a UK version.) Edit: For the time being, the Link-Maker and Author Signature Tool are not working. You can still make clickable images, but you will need to construct them by hand using BBC (bulletin board code).

4. Signatures. How do I make a signature that includes clickable images of my book covers?

For a simple author signature, use our Author Forum Signature tool.Or click here for a tutorial on how to manually make linked text and book cover graphics in your forum siggy. Edit: For the time being, the Link-Maker and Author Signature Tool are not working. You can still make clickable images, but you will need to construct them by hand using BBC (bulletin board code).

Is there a max size for signatures?

The maximum size for signatures is 140x800 pixels. This allows for a single row of up to nine book covers at a max height of 125 pixels (the max height for images in signatures) and two lines of text.

5. Get listed on our KB Authors page!

Go to the link above, and then follow the instructions to get listed on our page that shows KB authors and e-book sales information.

6. Online samples of your books. How do I let readers open an online sample of my book?

One easy way is to use our sample page. Just put your book's ASIN into the following link:
Kindle Forum

Got questions about this? Here's more info.

7. Profile page for your book. How do I get a profile page for my book?

A profile page is a clean web page for your book -- with no distracting links or menu options. Everything on the page is all about your book. We even include worldwide links for your book for international Amazon locations.

And we've already provided it for your book! Just put your ASIN into the following link:
http://www.kboards.com/book/?asin=XXXXXXXXXX

You'll see a link to an author control panel, if you haven't set one up yet. Just add the genre for your book, and save your changes. You're all set!

If you wish, you can customize things further with the author control panel, adding other links to your book, video trailers, and more. Comments or questions? Chime in here.

8. Appear on our KB Books page. How do I get my book to appear on the KB Books page?

This is easy ... you just have to customize your book's Profile Page using the author control panel, described above. This thread has more info.

9. Get connected with KB. How do I connect with KBoards on social media?

Check out our KB blog (with its email mailing list), Facebook page, Twitter, and Pinterest. "Like" or "follow" each of these to ensure you stay connected with KB updates and promotional opportunities for you and your books.

10. Advertising on KB. How can I advertise on KBoards?

There are several ways, and links to the sign-up forms for each are at the bottom of any forum page. They include:

Forum promotions:
Banner ads
Featured Book

Newsletter/Facebook/Blog promotions:
Bargain Book
Book Discovery
Spotlight
Series Spotlight
Box Set Spotlight
Audiobook Spotlight

Promotion of author services via a thread in the Writers' Cafe (see No. 14 below)


Troubleshooting: If you're having difficulties with advertising on KBoards, the contact email is customerservice@verticalscope.com. You can also use our PM system to contact the site's owners via the vsAdmin account.


11. KDP Select "Free book" promo on KB. I'm offering my e-book for free. How can I promote it on KBoards?

If you'd like to advertise see: Kindle Forum or https://www.kboards.com/author-service-banner-promo/.

Troubleshooting: If you're having difficulties with advertising on KBoards, the contact email is customerservice@verticalscope.com. You can also use our PM system to contact the site's owners via the vsAdmin account.


12. Recommend a book. Is there an easy way for readers (or me) to recommend my book through Facebook or Twitter?

Yes. Use our "Like it!" page.

13. KBoards Yellow Pages. Need an editor? Cover designer? Translator? Audiobook narrator?

Find what you need in the KBoards Yellow Pages.


14. Author Services. Are you a cover designer, formatter, editor, or other provider of author services?

You may advertise your business to our authors in the Writers' Cafe, but we do ask you to follow certain rules:

1) Vendors may maintain a single thread about their service. The vendor may use this thread to advertise their service and answer questions from potential clients. Clients may use this thread to report on their experience with the service. These reports may comprise feedback to the vendor or recommendations to other authors. This feedback may be positive or negative. Vendors may respond to both types of feedback within the thread.

2) Since vendors may have no more than one thread, all interaction relating to a service should take place in the same thread; a vendor may not reject certain kinds of posts -- negative feedback, for instance -- so long as posts follow KBoards' rules.

3) As with other threads, all interaction on vendor threads must proceed according to our forum decorum. This means no name-calling, no fighting, and no trolling. While authors are encouraged to post accurately about their own experiences with a vendor, hearsay is not welcome and will be deleted if noticed or reported.

4) While vendors may defend themselves within reason, this is not the place to try to resolve or hash out conflicts with clients.

5) Neither vendors nor clients may use the PM system to attack one another.

6) KBoards is not an adjudicating body. We provide a space where both clients and vendors may lay out their sides of a situation, within the bounds of forum decorum. Our members can read those posts and come to their own conclusions about what happened and whether they want to use the service in question.

15. Search KBoards. Trying to find info or a specific past thread? Think your question might have been answered before?

Here are some Forum Search Tips.

16. Our moderators. Still have questions?

Please feel free to contact the main Writers' Cafe moderator, Becca Mills.

Useful Threads for authors

(Want to recommend a thread to include here? Post a reply and include a link to the thread.)

Getting Help from Peers

KBoard Acronyms: help!

Make it Free (requests to report books to Amazon)

Is your book in a 'Top 100' Best Seller category on Amazon NOW? List it here!

Have You Posted to Your Blog Recently?

Publishing and Marketing How-Tos

TK's Google Play Uber-Post by TK aka BB

BookBub Q&A session

Book Bombs, Release Days, & Other Good Free Marketing Tips Update by H.M. Ward

Helpful Links for Indie Writers by Sophrosyne

How much should it cost to self-publish a book? by Kelsye

The (All-New) Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Covers, Blurbs, Prices & Keywords by Nicholas Erik.

The Ultimate Book Marketing Formula: A Career + Habit Blueprint by Nicholas Erik

How I write so many books: A system, some theories, and a few random thoughts by Elle Casey

Evenstar's Monster Post on Amazon Keywords by Evenstar

Sales Advice and Success Stories

A very quick, short, and dirty guide to slowly building sales by ゴジラ

Career building advice for new authors by ゴジラ

15,000 books in two months, 32,000 books first year. Advice for newbies! by anniejocoby

How I made $40k in 10 days by nlw759

My 2-year anniversary today. Some ramblings and Top 10 Tips. by Elle Casey

Milestone: 2 Million Books Sold & A Few Tips by H.M. Ward

The self-published authors I want to hear from by Hugh Howey

Sell Loads of Books -- My System Spelled Out by blakebooks

54 Titles - My Results by KMatthew

Time Will Pass: Encouragement for our Lurkers and Noobies by Michael Wallace

What Worked For Me by Rosalind James

I have to share this crazy cool moment with my fave indie buddies! by Bella Andre

Cautions

Warning: Using FreeBookService.com Can Result in Termination of KDP Account

Julie's End-All, Be-All Post on Paid Reviews! by Bards and Sage (Julie)

Edited to update information. Edits are italicized. Drop me a PM if you have any questions. - Becca
Additional edit: Following a software update by the forum's new ownership, the additional tools mentioned here no longer function. This includes the Yellow Pages, Author Pages, Signature Tool, and Book Profile Pages. - Becca
 
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#3 ·
An ASIN is the 10-character identifier that Amazon uses to identify your book. You can see it in the "Product Details" area of your Amazon page. Example: the ASIN for the Kindle edition of "Half Broke Horses" is B002PMVQCW.
 
#4 ·
Harvey said:
KindleBoards Tips and FAQ for authors
How do I get a profile page for my book? A profile page is a clean web page for your book - with no distracting links or menu options. Everything on the page is all about your book. And, we've already provided it for your book - just put your ASIN into the following link:
http://www.kboards.com/book/?asin=XXXXXXXXXX
Comments or questions? Chime in here.
I am new and please bear with me.
What do you exactly do with the profile page of your book? Where do you use it for max exposure of your title.
 
#5 ·
drdln (dr s dhillon) said:
I am new and please bear with me.
What do you exactly do with the profile page of your book? Where do you use it for max exposure of your title.
I think I got it. It's cool and thanks a lot, Harvey. You mean something like this on these boards or other places on the web:
http://www.kboards.com/book/?asin=B003T9UX9M
 
#7 ·
MikeAngel said:
???Why create yet another serial number for each book? Why not simply use the ISBN number? Oh, maybe some don't have one for their book.

Never mind... ;D
Actually Amazon uses a unique ASIN for all of their products, not just books. It's basically their internal stock number.
 
#12 ·
Harvey said:
KindleBoards Tips and FAQ for authors
7. Recommend a book. Is there an easy way for readers (or me) to recommend my book through Facebook or Twitter?
Yes. Use our "Like it!" page: http://www.kboards.com/like
This is totally new and neat tip I have seen. Thanks a million Harvey.

Here I got the URL but don't know what to do with it.
http://www.kboards.com/like/index.php?Keywords=Dr+Sukhraj+Dhillon&Action=Search&ItemPage=1

Just share this URL or something else to do with it. Excuse my ignorant about promotional stuff. Thanks.
 
#14 ·
I love my new signature. I quick copy and past of HTML or BBC code and every forum post now offers everyone the option to read the first five chapters of my book just by clicking, follow me on twitter, check out a complete author bio, and see my cover and pages comes to life with animation. It automatically attaches to every email that I send through google chrome, and I'm currently trying to see if there is a signature app on my droid where I can use this same signature :)
Technology is really amazing! I basically just typed into google what I wanted to do and found three easy sites that did it for me within minutes! I'm still trying to get the hang of the marketing game, but this definitely helps!
 
#15 ·
Thanks for the tips, very helpful. I did not know about the sample and book pages.

I do wish Amazon would just use an ISBN rather than their own internal ASIN, but I think it is one of their many techniques to control the traditional supply chain. It makes everyone have to conform to their standard. But I digress...

Just to show that I learned something, here's a sample from my book:
http://www.kboards.com/sample/?asin=B0050OJ4GC

And here's a profile page:
http://www.kboards.com/book/?asin=B0050OJ4GC
 
#18 ·
Harvey, two questions from a newbie to the boards:

1. How is the NEW link (in the white box) generated in posts on the front page of any forum, and what is the purpose?

2. What does "Topic you have posted in" icon mean (in left column). I got this on a post and I don't know what it means. It did not seem to apply to that post.

Thanks
 
#19 ·
Lee Rogers said:
Harvey, two questions from a newbie to the boards:

1. How is the NEW link (in the white box) generated in posts on the front page of any forum, and what is the purpose?
That "NEW" icon appears for any threads that have new posts since the last time you viewed the thread. Once you view the latest page of posts in that thread, that icon goes away.

2. What does "Topic you have posted in" icon mean (in left column). I got this on a post and I don't know what it means. It did not seem to apply to that post.

Thanks
That icon appears for any threads in which you have made a post.
 
#22 ·
#24 ·
ThatGurlthatlife said:
I love my new signature. I quick copy and past of HTML or BBC code and every forum post now offers everyone the option to read the first five chapters of my book just by clicking, follow me on twitter, check out a complete author bio, and see my cover and pages comes to life with animation. It automatically attaches to every email that I send through google chrome, and I'm currently trying to see if there is a signature app on my droid where I can use this same signature :)
Technology is really amazing! I basically just typed into google what I wanted to do and found three easy sites that did it for me within minutes! I'm still trying to get the hang of the marketing game, but this definitely helps!
Your signature is very cool!
 
#26 ·
Dear Harvey,

Why don't any of my posts show up anywhere in Book Bazaar?  How can I stay with one thread, if I cannot check to see where I have posted?  Many of the topics are very similar.
 
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