Welcome to Flash Courses for Authors
We offer a variety of quick “flash” courses for self-study you can complete in 90 minutes or less to help you gain proficiency in specific topics.
These courses are taught by industry experts. When you enroll in a course, you get instant lifetime access to video recordings, slides, and any related handouts so you can get started right away and watch again later.
If you’re a member of the Nonfiction Authors Association you get 33% off all courses. Visit your member dashboard for details. Thought Leader members attend for free!
Not a member yet? Join us here.
New courses are added often. Check back for details.
We also offer 3- and 6-week courses covering publishing, marketing, promotion, and more. These are offered both live and on-demand.
Learn more about intensive courses for authors here.
We hope you enjoy these Flash Courses!
DISCOUNT BOOK PROMOTIONS COURSE: BOOST YOUR BOOK’S SALES, VISIBILITY, AND AUDIENCE WITH ANNE JANZER
Whether you’re launching a book or want to generate fresh sales for an older book, consider knocking the price down for a short time to give the book a burst of support.
Short-term discount promotions are like interval training for your book marketing—they make the book stronger over time. In this course, you will learn:
click for FULL details - discount book promotions course
Short-Term Discounts for Long-Term Success
Whether you’re launching a book or want to generate fresh sales for an older book, consider knocking the price down for a short time to give the book a burst of support.
Short-term discount promotions are like interval training for your book marketing—they make the book stronger over time. In this course, you will learn:
- How to use occasional discounts to reach new readers, elevate your book’s profile on Amazon, and earn more reviews
- How to set the sale price and what royalties you can expect to earn during and after the sale
- How paid book promotion sites like BookBub and Bargain Booksy put your discounted book in front of new audiences, and when and how to use them.
- Other powerful promotion activities that don’t cost you anything (except effort) and that can send the right people to your discounted book
- How book promotions fit in your book marketing strategy as you build your platform and readership
In addition to course video, online resources, and short assignments, you’ll receive planning templates for creating your own promotions. By the time you’re done, you’ll be ready to plan and execute your own book sale, or to make a convincing case to your publisher to try the promotion.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Anne is the author of six books about writing and marketing, a nonfiction developmental editor, and an author coach dedicated to helping authors to get their best work into the world. Grounded with a background in marketing, she is constantly learning about and experimenting with book promotion, and loves to share those findings with other authors. Her books include The Writer’s Process, Writing to Be Understood, and Get the Word Out.
COURSE DETAILS
This self-study course includes four recorded video lectures for a total of 86 minutes, a digital copy of the instructor’s slides (PDF Format), and a bonus handout.
Course Rate: $97 non-members
Members save 33% (visit your member dashboard for code)
Optional: Join the Nonfiction Authors Association with registration and receive member pricing!
Course access is available as soon as you complete the registration below.
LEGAL ISSUES FOR AUTHORS COURSE WITH JOSEPH PERRY, ESQ.
In this detailed course, led by literary attorney Joseph Perry, you will learn about essential basics of copyright law, how to protect your work, and how to use copyrighted content.
You will also learn about trademark law, what you can and cannot use in your own work, and how trademarks can protect certain types of work. You will also discover various ways you can protect yourself against libel and right of privacy.
click for FULL details - LEGAL ISSUES FOR AUTHORS course
In this detailed self-study course, led by literary attorney Joseph Perry, you will learn about essential basics of copyright law, how to protect your work, and how to use copyrighted content. You will also learn about trademark law, what you can and cannot use in your own work, and how trademarks can protect certain types of work. You will also discover various ways you can protect yourself against libel and right of privacy, whether you’re writing a memoir, prescriptive nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, or other genres.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Joseph Perry is a literary agent and publishing attorney at Perry Literary, Inc., and The Law Offices of Joseph J. Perry, P.C. As an agent he represents bestselling cookbook authors, athletes, musicians, journalists, influencers, academics, and more. As an attorney, Joseph counsels clients in the publishing industry, where among other things, he drafts, reviews, and negotiates various publishing agreements and conducts prepublication review of manuscripts.
Joseph obtained his Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law and a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in English from St. Bonaventure University. He is a graduate of New York University’s Summer Publishing Institute.
COURSE DETAILS
This self-study course includes a recorded video lecture (55 minutes) and downloadable copy of the instructor’s slides in PDF format.
Course Rate: $97 non-members
Members save 33% (visit your member dashboard for code)
Optional: Join the Nonfiction Authors Association with registration and receive member pricing!
Course access is available as soon as you complete the registration below.
ALL ABOUT ISBNS AND OTHER BOOK IDENTIFIERS WITH CARLA KING
In this detailed self-study course, led by Carla King, you will learn about ISBNs, LCCNs, CIP Blocks, and other book identifiers you need to get your book in the correct categories in online bookstores, bricks-and-mortar bookstores, and libraries. You’ll learn how to purchase ISBNs, and how to retire an ISBN and replace it with a new one, and when you need a second edition (or not). You’ll learn where to get a bar code and how to place it on the cover (or direct your cover designer to handle it). You’ll learn how to register your book with the library systems with an LCCN, so you can make money when readers borrow your book.
CLICK FOR FULL DETAILS - ALL ABOUT ISBNS AND OTHER BOOK IDENTIFIERS FLASH COURSE
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Carla King is the Nonfiction Authors Association’s Vice President of Business Development and the Nonfiction Authors Podcast host. In 2005, she founded Self-Publishing Boot Camp, a series of educational books and workshops that help independent authors publish their books. She is a frequent speaker at writing conferences, a consultant, and industry advisor. Her Self-Publishing Boot Camp Guide for Independent Authors is in its 5th edition.
A former technical writer and avid adventure traveler, Carla self-published her first book in 1995 and, in 2005, started helping other authors by teaching, blogging, and speaking on the topic. Since then, she has reviewed hundreds of products geared to the independent author. Those reviews are the basis for her Consumer’s Guide to Publishing Tools and Services, a free, constantly updated resource for the community.
COURSE DETAILS
This self-study course includes a recorded video lecture (55 minutes).
Course Rate: $97 non-members
Members save 33% (visit your member dashboard for code)
Optional: Join the Nonfiction Authors Association with registration and receive member pricing!
Course access is available as soon as you complete the registration below.
CANVA FOR AUTHORS WITH CALVINA NGUYEN
Create better visuals to promote your book. Whether you’re still writing your first book or promoting your 5th, Canva can help you create better visuals that make your books and promotional materials more attractive and compelling. This course simplifies Canva and gets you started ASAP. Instead of overwhelming you with ALL the features, it shows you the possibilities before diving deeper into each necessary tool. It will open up a world of creative options for authors.
CLICK FOR FULL DETAILS - CANVA FOR AUTHORS
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Calvina Nguyen is a designer, photographer, and visual brand strategist. She has spent nearly two decades in the creative field, helping small businesses to build a solid visual brand foundation that empowers them to be confident, professional and grow a thriving business. With a marketing background, her specialty is storytelling, bringing to the surface the depth and heart of each individual and organization. She now educates small businesses to communicate their brand effectively and beautifully to attract their ideal audience.
COURSE DETAILS
This self-study course includes four recorded video lectures for a total of 115 minutes and a copy of Canva Shortcuts for both Mac & Windows.
Course Rate: $97 non-members
Members save 33% (visit your member dashboard for code)
Optional: Join the Nonfiction Authors Association with registration and receive member pricing!
Course access is available as soon as you complete the registration below.
MARKETING BOOKS TO MULTICULTURAL AUDIENCES WITH PAM PERRY
Niche marketing. Target marketing. Ethnic Marketing. Multicultural marketing. It’s all the same. Getting your books to sell to a specific audience, particularly a Black audience, is what you will learn during this session.
You will discover why targeting will sell books faster, how to leverage media to connect with the black reader, top audiences buying books today, and what you need to do today to reach a robust market of buyers.
CLICK FOR FULL DETAILS - MARKETING BOOKS TO MULTICULTURAL AUDIENCES
Dr. Pam Perry is an award-winning communications professional with a 30+ year career expertise in marketing, public relations, and journalism. She teaches and mentors speakers and authors on how to build a platform and attract major media and publishing contracts. She is also the publisher of SPEAKERS MAGAZINE and co-founder of Digital Business Acceleration.
COURSE DETAILS
This self-study course includes one recorded video lectures for a total of 54 minutes, and a digital copy of the instructor’s slides (PDF Format).
Course Rate: $97 non-members
Members save 33% (visit your member dashboard for code)
Optional: Join the Nonfiction Authors Association with registration and receive member pricing!
Course access is available as soon as you complete the registration below.
