CANVA not only helps you create gorgeous graphics but you learn as you go by using the templates and learning the components of good design.
I was never very good at putting graphics together. I ‘sort of’ knew what I wanted but every time I tried to put something together for a Facebook post or a book cover, I ended up with a graphic that looked homemade. You know what I mean, right?
And then I found CANVA and all my excursions into Graphic Design World became fun and easy and best of all, my graphics looked professional. It’s free to use unless you need extra functionality but for most people, the free version will do. I used these checklists for my learning curve and now I fly through creating designs for blog posts, social media and book covers.
If you want to see how it’s done simply sign up below to receive the checklists by return
32 Checklists for you to follow to create amazing graphics
Buying items for ‘free’ and only paying for shipping is increasingly being used by marketers. If you’ve got a paperback book it’s a great way to get it out there and hopefully get reviews. Of course, you will have to pay the cost of printing yourself.
You can copy and paste the checklist below or if you’d like the full list of 18 checklists in printable (PDF) format, just send me your email address below and you’ll have them by return.
If you have any questions or comments drop me a note below and I’ll be delighted to hear from you.
The Free Shipping Book Funnel checklist is arguably the best book funnel type to use as it allows you to attract buyer leads. Your leads will get your book for free, but they pay for the shipping and handling.
Free + Shipping Funnel Pre-Sell Checklist
1 Have you books ready to be shipped? Yes No 2 Will you be sending the books yourself? 3 Will you be using a book fulfillment company? 4 Have you your lift letter done (letter to be sent with book)? Free + Shipping Sales Page / Order Page Checklist 1 Have you created your book sales page/order page? 2 Does your sales page have a benefit-driven headline? 3 Does your sales page have a 3d image of your book? 4 Does your sales page have benefit-rich bullets? 5 Does your sales page have testimonials? 6 Does your sales page have an “About the Author” section? 7 Does your sales page have a bio photo of you? 8 Does your sales page have multiple clear calls to actions (CTAs)? 9 Dies your sales page have a high-quality video? 10 Have you linked the sales page with your autoresponder? 11 Have you created your book list in your autoresponder? 12 Have you linked your book order form to your merchant account? 13 Have you included an irresistible order form bump?
Free + Shipping Book Funnel Checklist
Using the free + shipping book funnel model allows you to monetize your leads quickly so in your book funnel you should have 1-3 one time offers or upsells related to your book that will make your prospects life easier, help them get results faster and offers them advanced training.
Some possible funnel combinations are:
Free + Shipping Book > $27 Order Bump > $97 Offer > $197 Offer Free + Shipping Book > Webinar > High Ticket Offer/ Coaching Free + Shipping Book > Survey > Consultation > High Ticket Offer /
Coaching
1 Have you decided on your book funnel combination? 2 Have you created the rest of the pages in your funnel? 3 Have you created your book download page? 4 Have you created a 5-7 follow up email series for after someone buys your book? 5 Have you created a cart abandon campaign for those who start the checkout process but don’t buy?
The Self-Publishing Writer's Checklist
I’m using these lists myself and they’re absolutely chock-a-block with valuable information. Enjoy!
The giveaway book funnel is where you give away your book 100% free as an eBook. Giving away our products for free doesn’t instinctively feel like good business sense but when you’re selling books, you need good reviews and one way to get them is to practice “Giver’s Gain”. Ask for reviews in exchange for free books. While not always recommended, it can be a great way to generate lots of leads fast.Remember to send your customers on to publications that are not free.
You can copy and paste the checklist below or if you’d like the full list of 18 checklists in printable (PDF) format, just send me your email address below and you’ll have them by return.
If you have any questions or comments drop me a note below and I’ll be delighted to hear from you.
Project Name: Date:
Yes No
Giveaway Landing Page Checklist
1 Have you created your book Landing page / sales page? 2 Does your landing page have a benefit driven headline? 3 Does your landing page have a 3d image of your book? 4 Does your landing page have benefit rich bullets? 5 Does your landing page have testimonials? 6 Does your landing page have an “About the Author” section? 7 Does your landing page have a bio photo of you? 8 Does your landing page have multiple clear call to actions (CTAs)? 9 Have you linked landing page with your autoresponder? 10 Have you created your book list in your autoresponder?
Giveaway Thank You/Download Page Checklist
1 Have you created a thank you page (for after someone opts in)? 2 Have you inserted a security measure to ensure that only people who enter a valid email address will get your book? You can do this by having both a thank you page and a download page. The thank you page confirms their request and lets them know the link to the book has been sent to their inbox. In your first follow up email you then link to a separate download page where they can download your book. 3 Have you created your book download page? 4 Have you created a 5-7 follow up email series after someone requests your book? 5 Have you bridged in the next step in your sales process? 6 Have you made your new leads an irresistible offer (paid offer) to monetise them? 7 Have you offered them a physical copy of the book (paid offer)? 8 Have you stacked your giveaway funnel with other paid offers to monetise those leads?
The Self-Publishing Writer's Checklist
I’m using these lists myself and they’re absolutely chock-a-block with valuable information. Enjoy!
You can and should advertise your book online to make more book sales. As self-publishing writers we have many options available for marketing our books online.
You can copy and paste the checklist below or if you’d like the full list of 18 checklists in printable (PDF) format, just send me your email address below and you’ll have them by return.
If you want to start at the beginning, you can find Checklist 1 here.
Project Name: _____________________ Date: _____________ Yes No
Pre-Advertising Checklist
1 Have you your advertising assets (images, baseline copy etc.)? 2 Have you decided where you are sending people (website vs Amazon)? 3 Have you set a Macro level budget and targets for your campaign? If you have a book funnel send to your funnel, if you don’t simply send them to Amazon. Bear in mind, tracking of sales will be harder of you’re just sending them to Amazon.
Facebook Ads
1 Have you setup a Facebook ad campaign for your book? 2 Have you installed your Facebook Pixel and created audiences? 3 Have you chosen your campaign goal? 4 Have you targeted people interested in your book topic? 5 Have you chosen people interested in pages/influencers related to your book topic? 6 Have you layered your targeting to get more specific? 7 Have you setup multiple ads and ad campaign to split test different angles? 8 Have you layered your targeting to get more specific?
Twitter Ads
1 Have you setup a Twitter Ad Campaign? 2 Are you targeting people based on interests related to your book topic? 3 Are you targeting your own followers? 4 Are you targeting followers of influencers related to your book topic? 5 Are you targeting Hashtags? 6 Have you installed the Twitter tracking pixel on your site?
Google Ads
1 Have you setup a Google Ad Campaign for your book? 2 Have you installed the Google Tracking Pixel on Your site? 3 Have you done keyword research related to your book and book topic? 4 Have you grouped together keywords and set up ad campaigns for each group? 5 Are you targeting your own business name, your own name and book name?
The Self-Publishing Writer's Checklist
I’m using these lists myself and they’re absolutely chock-a-block with valuable information. Enjoy!
It makes sense to advertise to the people who enter your marketplace so this is why advertising on Amazon for self-publishing writers is crucial. It’s a simple process, particularly when you follow this checklist.
If you’re only stumbling across this series of posts now you can go back to the beginning and start at #1 on this page.
And remember, you can copy and paste the checklist below or if you’d like the full list of 18 checklists in printable (PDF) format, just send me your email address below and you’ll be able to download immediately.
The Self-Publishing Writer's Checklist
I’m using these lists myself and they’re absolutely chock-a-block with valuable information. Enjoy!
I first wrote this post in 2016 when I stopped putting off writing a book and realised that NOW, right NOW, is always the perfect time. Since then, I’ve published 4 more books (1 fiction) and over 100 low-content notebooks, journals and planners. I’ve also left New Zealand and moved back to Ireland and now writing is what I do. It was thanks to SPS that I felt comfortable calling myself a writer and for that alone, I’ll forever be grateful.
Folks I’m so excited I can’t keep still. For years I’ve dreamed about seeing my name on a book – not on the inside because I own it, but out there on the front cover. In December I finally did it. I self-published a non-fiction book and on Monday the book reached Num 1 in two categories. On Tuesday I put it out free for three days. There are nearly 71,000 books in the Free category on Kindle and my little offering got to number 607. It’s still doing well in the Secretarial & Office Skills and Business Skills categories.
I’m already planning my next one and I’m feeling so lucky and blessed to be doing what I’ve always wanted to do. Someone asked me earlier today what had changed to make this happen and I answered that it was really a perfect storm.
Without giving it an awful lot of thought last year, we upped and left Auckland. It was another thing we’d talked about doing for years but it was only when we saw this house that we had the impetus to actually put our house in Auckland on the market and move to the country. Once here I created the office/library I always wanted and set myself up to write.
I then paid a reasonable amount of money to join SPS – the Self Publishing School – which was founded by a young guy who is so motivating and enthusiastic that you can’t help but be carried along on the crest of the waves he makes. The best bit? I actually wrote. This is the hardest part for the majority of writers – getting your bum on your seat and words on paper/screen.
The more I did, the more I did. We all know that activity creates its own momentum but how many of us ignore that and wait for the perfect time to do things? I did for years. I used to say I’d write “when I settled down”. Hah! As if that’s ever going to happen! I’d never have written a word if I’d waited for that. NOW is always the perfect time.
I’ve also prioritised what’s important to me. It’ll be no surprise to my sister Lucy that I’ve decided that housework is not one of those things. I lost my way for a few years and was never happy if the house was untidy. Now, I’d rather be happy and busy doing what I love. Of course, if anyone says they’re visiting, a great spurt of housework will be undertaken.
Don’t wait for your life to come to you. Get out there and grab it and shake every bit of enjoyment you can out of it. It’s the only one you’ve got!