Reader Magnets, Mind Visualization and Finishing What You Start: This Week's Free Non-Fiction

by Nick Stephenson

Nick Stephenson's guide to building an email list is aimed squarely at fiction authors. Its pitch is that readers come to you through a free 'reader magnet,' then become fans, then buyers. Readers call it short and to the point, and one says the idea of using two books to supercharge your list was their biggest takeaway. It's sitting at 4.22 with more than 1,100 ratings, which is solid for a marketing book, and if you're an indie author it costs you nothing to check out.

“Short, but sweet. Stephenson sketches out a very clever approach to gathering subscribers to a fiction author’s e-list. Non-fiction, in general, is so much more intuitive to market that it’s a joy to see a formula directed specifically novelists. The book is fast, doesn’t waste readers’ time, and...”

by Aaron Kennard

Aaron Kennard's book opens with a big 'do not read this unless you're ready to feel amazing every day' warning. Reader opinion is split. At 3.57 across more than 1,100 ratings, it clearly works for some people, but the reviews I found are brutal. One reader quit right after the introduction, and another complained about too much oversharing about bodily functions. Not for everyone, but it's free, so you can decide within a few pages.

“Yuck writer is ego-centric and I really could have read less about his biological excrement. feel sorry for his wife. this book doesn't help others find ways to be more positive, it just rAmbles on and on about his bowel issues .”

by Judi A Schwab, Cherie L. Prater

This memoir by Judi A Schwab and Cherie L. Prater is about surviving childhood abuse and what happens when the people meant to protect you become the source of the pain. It's heavy, so go in knowing that. It has a 4.39 from nearly 300 readers, though no written reviews yet, so I can't tell you much about the tone beyond the blurb's focus on facing painful truths and reclaiming your life. Best for readers who gravitate toward survivor stories and are in the right headspace for one.

by Orly Ziv

Orly Ziv gives you 34 no-fail Israeli-Mediterranean recipes, with color photos and step-by-step pictures, and the focus here is sweets and holiday food. The cookbook is kosher, and a reviewer who is a Brit who has lived in the US for thirty years called it an interesting collection of home recipes. A 4.07 from just over 200 readers tells me it's a pleasant, practical pick. Good for home bakers who want something beyond the usual cookie rotation.

“Interesting Collection of Home Recipes This was an interesting cookbook for me as a ex Brit having lived in the USA for more than 30 years now. These recipes aren't typically the sort of sweets that I generally either make or eat but they do have many of the flavor profiles and use ingredients that...”

by Vincent Santiago

Vincent Santiago's guide walks you through creative visualization in six steps, built on the idea that the images you repeatedly hold in your mind shape your goals, confidence, health and finances. It's a 4.26 from 131 readers with no written reviews, so I'm going on the blurb here. It's probably a good fit if you like the practical side of manifestation more than the mystical side, though I'd want to see how concrete those six steps actually are.

by Steve Levinson

Steve Levinson's Following Through first came out in 1998, and its pitch is to explain why good intentions vanish into a 'black hole in inner space' and why we shouldn't just blame ourselves. That's a more interesting angle than the usual 'try harder' advice. It's at 3.81 from 188 readers, a lukewarm score, so I'd call it a maybe. Worth a download if you have a graveyard of half-finished projects like I do.