Hey, There's no time to mess around this week, I'm coming in hot with 20 Black Friday deals for authors so you can save money on a whole bunch of tools and services to grow your business - and avoid the dreaded Crevice of False Bargains. Some of these are affiliate links, meaning I might get a small commission if you make a purchase. Others are not and I will have to survive on kudos and good vibes instead. It's all gravy to me, but they are all marked as appropriate for you to keep things on the level. As you will see, though, these are all tools I use at pretty great prices. Onwards to the deals, say ye.
Pre-Made Covers – 50% off!The best pre-made cover site around - GoOnWrite.com - has the biggest Black Friday discount running! Grab any pre-made cover here at half-price – not an affiliate link BTW, just a cracking deal. Pre-made covers are exactly what they sound like. You take them as-is, bar cosmetic changes like the title and author name. But you can also spin a design into a series if you really love the concept and want to carry it across multiple books. This sale is flexible. If you're humming and hawing, you can simply buy credits now and pick your cover later. Or you can grab the cover you want now and decide on the title further down the line – just so no one else gets it first, because these designs are unique and won't be resold. When it's gone… it's gone. GoOnWrite.com is broken down by genre and all covers are just €20 until November 30.
Stock Photos ftw
I shared this early deal last week and lots of you jumped on it, if my Replies were anything to go by. Just noting that the deal is still running for those yet to pounce, or who need more credits. It's $39 for 100 stock photo credits on AppSumo instead of the $35 earlier in the week (affiliate link) – but that's still yards better than DepositPhotos own Black Friday deal on their site of $100 for 100 credits, so it's still fantastic value and the best price you'll get anywhere this weekend. And, as usual, you can stack as many credits as you like, they never expire, and you are covered by AppSumo's excellent 60-day moneyback guarantee on everything, which is great.
Any Other AppSumo Deals?While you are over at AppSumo, there are two more deals you might like to check out. I usually have several AppSumo deals to share on Black Friday – and it's where I usually make most of my own Black Friday purchases – but the selection this year is a little thin IMHO. All I could scrabble up was EmailBadge – a handy tool for making your email signature more professional which I picked up last year. The same deal is now available for $19 (aff link). To avoid confusion, I mean regular emails you send from your Gmail account – not the newsletters you send to subscribers. But for those Gmail-type regular emails, it can be nice to have a clean, tidy, enticing signature with links to your books, websites, social channels, newsletter sign-up, or whatever is most important to you. There's also a handy video on the sales page there if you want to see how it works. The only other thing which caught my eye at AppSumo – after hunting high and low – was a $1 course on How To Make A $1000 A Month Business. I haven't started it yet but what made me curious – aside from the price – was that it's run by Noah Kagan, the guy who founded AppSumo and a couple of other 7-figure online businesses, so I'm curious if there are any morsels I can apply to my own endeavors. Besides… it's a dollar.
Email MarketingThe two email marketing services I generally recommend are MailerLite and ConvertKit – both of which I use for different names, MailerLite generally being cheaper and suitable for most authors, and ConvertKit my preferred choice for those who want fancier automations, more integrations, or ecommerce capabilities and the like. Both are affiliate links below – and are quite tasty Black Friday deals – but note the caveats, particularly around that MailerLite offer, which might require some thought before you act on it.
MailerLite – 3 months freeIf you are a new MailerLite customer, you can get 25% off your MailerLite plan this weekend – three months free, essentially. For existing customers of MailerLite Classic, you get the same offer too – if you transfer to the new MailerLite, which might not want to do, at least not yet. MailerLite says that legacy users can stay on MailerLite Classic for the moment – so if you are happy doing that, then stay doing that. (This is what I have done for the pen name using MailerLite.) The new MailerLite has some new features, but also some new (i.e. higher) prices, so research that carefully before making the switch. (I don't see quite enough personally to switch just yet. YMMV.) I haven't covered the launch of the new MailerLite yet because some basic things weren't in place like migration tools and whatnot, plus the email boffins over at the Newsletter Ninja FB group were advising caution. However, I believe those migration tools are coming onstream now, in case you were waiting for those. Anyway, the deal is there if you are one of those who is already primed to move, and will save you quite a bit. ConvertKit – 4 months freeConvertKit's Black Friday deal is easier to recommend for anyone considering ConvertKit – which is more expensive, although with the price increase on the new MailerLite packages, that gap has closed considerably. So, if you want a more premium email marketing service, or if you are an author who might need those extra features mentioned above, ConvertKit is offering the Creator plan for prices starting at $199 a year until Monday – a huge saving on the usual price of their most popular plan, and its biggest deal of the year. You're pretty much getting four months free there.
Writing ToolsI've recently finished setting up two new offices. The first is my lovely new office/writing sanctuary/recording studio (big plans for 2023, yo). My second? Wherever I want it to be! There's a lot of construction happening near my house and sometimes I need to take the show on the road to get anything done. I've kitted myself out with a couple of different set-ups so that I can turn any café, bar, restaurant, or even beach into my office-on the go. And there's some fab deals this weekend on the tools I'm using.
Nuphy Wireless Keyboards – 20% offI did a lot of research on keyboards a couple of years ago and ultimately went for the DasKeyboard 2 – which is a beast but is also a wired keyboard, meaning you can't really take it on the road. Plus it's huge and heavy. Perfect for bashing away on a manuscript at home, but definitely not a mobile device – which is why I grabbed something else once I saw a great deal pop up. The Nuphy Air60 only weighs around a pound and is a slimmed-down, low-rise, 60-key wireless mechanical keyboard – meaning you can take it with out on the road, but also use it as your primary keyboard at home if you want something more minimal. It's available this weekend at 20% off (discount code: BF20).
Plus it's GORGEOUS. I mean... seriously. I just bought this myself a few days ago, so I'm still waiting for it to arrive, but this is arguably the best wireless mechanical keyboard around, and I know I'm going to absolutely love it because I spent waaaaaay too much time researching this and watching YouTube videos and so on. If you are worried that a 60-key keyboard is a little too minimal for your tastes – you're basically missing the numpad and the function row – then the Nuphy Air75 might be more your speed. A little heavier, but just as clicky and pretty. Oh and it's the same price and the same 20% off deal. Make sure to use discount code BF20 to get that reduction. I also recommend adding that beautiful cover which doubles as a very handy stand for your tablet, phone, etc. and looks good value at $19 – I nabbed it too. If you are new to mechanical keyboards, and don't know whether to other brown, red, or blue switches with your keyboard, just go for brown. That gives you a bit of resistance on the keypresses, and a nice clicky sound. (If you're curious, blue is like that but turned up to 11, and red switches are the opposite – no resistance and none of that clickiness. There are lots of YouTube videos around if you want to research more on that.) And if you want expert video reviews on a range of keyboards, Switch and Click is hilarious.
MoKo Foldable Keyboard $24Sometimes I can't take a larger keyboard with me, and that's where this $24 gizmo comes in. It's super light and is small enough to fit in my pocket – genuinely, it's the size of my hand when folded up – meaning I don't even need to take a bag with me. Great on a hot day or any time I want to feel footloose and fancy free. Anyway, it's Bluetooth, rechargeable via mini USB, and automatically powers on/off when you open or close the device. It instantly pairs with my phone every time – accompanied by a nice satisfying bing – which makes it perfect for writing an email or a shorter creative session. I honestly thought this was going to be horrible to type on and thought of it more as a kind of novelty purchase, but it's surprisingly good for a $20 foldable keyboard! The ergonomic design takes a little getting used to, but I'm using this quite a lot more than planned. OK, being real for a sec, I might not want to type on this for an entire day, but it's super easy to use, takes up very little table space, and I really, really love the complete lack of faff – just open it and start typing. This doesn't come with the stand pictured above, BTW. That's a nifty little kickstand built into my $17 Spigen phone case – also on Amazon, for a wide range of phone models. Just make sure the one you order has the kickstand as some of their cases are without. It's super handy for like $2 extra. Google Pixel 6a - $150 offSpeaking of, while I don't normally recommend phones, I had to get a new one recently and this really is one deal worth mentioning because you're essentially getting flagship level quality at a fraction of the price. I got my Google Pixel 6a a few weeks ago and I really love it. The price dropped considerably when the Pixel 7 range dropped about a month ago, but this phone was actually only released in July of this year, so you're getting more or less the latest tech at a real bargain. Less powerful processor aside, the main difference between this and the higher priced Google phones seems to be the selfie camera being slightly lower grade, which I don't particularly care about, but other than that you are basically getting a premium phone for less than half of what that would usually set you back. Exact price will vary based on your location, but you can get it in multiple places for around $299 – a saving of $150 for Black Friday – making an already great deal an unbeatable one IMO. Here's the link for Amazon. Not an affiliate link either, just a great deal for anyone looking for a phone. Similar deals are available from Best Buy and Target in the USA, if you prefer to shop there, as well as at the various international Amazons and official Google stores. Remarkable 2 Bundle DealsIf you read my email a few weeks ago on the Remarkable 2, you will already know how much I love my new toy – essentially a digital notepad (but read that email for a more detailed review). I'll be doing a video review on it soon, but for those interested in purchasing already, the Remarkable store has a special Black Friday discount on their premium bundle, which varies based on the options you pick, but the packages I checked were coming in $40-$50 cheaper. That's not an affiliate link and while I mentioned discount codes before in my previous email on this, the Black Friday deal above looks to be a bigger reduction again so go with that if you are purchasing to save more again. Either way, you have 100 days to test out the device and see if you want to keep it, although I must warn you that I was smitten on Day 1…
PublisherRocket + Free CourseI believe this is the first Black Friday deal for PublisherRocket, a tool I've recommended before. This deal is a little different to those above, as there's no discount on the sticker price of $97 – but you do get lifetime access for that price, and all future updates etc. Instead of a sale, for Black Friday Publisher Rocket is now bundled with an interesting looking course on Amazon keywords and categories which has a regular $50 pricetag (aff link). Some authors like to use PublisherRocket to generate big keyword lists for their Amazon Ads. Honestly, I don't really use it for that – I prefer a more minimal/hands-on approach there. What I do use PublisherRocket for is learning more about how Amazon works, and especially what people are searching for, the KDP keywords I should use for my books, and even the importance of different titles and subtitles (this kind of thing can be much more important for non-fiction). So, this could be an interesting bundle if you really wanted to dig into that side of things. Deal runs until Monday.
Website WotsitsYour website is your Author HQ no matter what you write. You might be a fiction writer just starting out, perhaps with a simple website focusing on your books and your sign-up page (the minimum I recommend). Or you could be established non-fiction writer with a info-rich website forming the anchor of your content marketing strategy. Either way, it's important that your site works, looks good and loads quickly. Strangers – aka new readers – won't hang around forever if they can't easily find what they need or if everything loads like your site is cosplaying a 1995-era dial-up connection. My freebie Following (download free here if you never got your copy), shows you how to put the parts together but here's some killer deals on the key building blocks.
Namecheap - 97% offThe most fundamental of those is your domain name – your address on the internet. Namecheap is my recommended provider, after escaping from the clutches of GoDaddy several years ago. Honestly, it's not so important where you buy your domains, but Namecheap gets extra points for being cheap, as the name suggests, but also for having good customer service and ensuring that things like transfers and redirects work smoothly (GoDaddy is awful with the latter BTW). If you need a domain name – or some alternate domain names to redirect back to your existing site – then check out their big Black Friday sale with up to 97% off. The .com domains are less aggressively discounted, but you're still getting them for less than half price so worth stocking up if you are planning any pen name escapades in 2023, or just want to grab some alternates of your name for redirection. That's an affiliate link above, but if you use code BFCMTLD22 at checkout you'll be the master of your own domain (name) at the best possible price. Namecheap also does hosting, but I personally prefer two other companies for my hosting needs, both of which have deals this weekend too. How serendipitous…
Siteground - 84% offThe value choice here that will suit most author needs. Siteground is reliable – the most important quality in your hosting service – professional, and competitively priced. One of the cheapest around, in fact, despite its huge popularity with authors, and it's even better value this weekend. So, if you were thinking of moving, now's the time. I can tell you from personal experience after using this for a side project, their site migration tools genuinely take a lot of pain out of the process. Siteground hosting packages are up to 84% off, a huge discount (aff link). This means you can lock in prices starting as low as €1.99 a month – but deals end today according to themselves. (Although sometimes these things get extended.)
WPEngine - 4 Months FreeFor authors with more advanced website notions, I recommend taking a look at WPEngine's Black Friday deals. I've been using WPEngine/Flywheel for my main site for several years now and I can strongly recommend them for those who have – or want to build – more complex websites. WPEngine is offering four months free on plans bought this weekend. Check out the packages here and make sure to use the code CYBERWEEKEND22 on checkout (affiliate link).
DiviThe most popular website theme among authors is Divi and this week brings its biggest ever discounts. The Divi Black Friday sale page has more details on the wide range of offers, including 25% off Divi itself, 25% off Lifetime upgrades, 25% off renewals, and then up to 60% off Divi Marketplace if you need any wotsits and whatnot. That is an affiliate link, but by using that link you get access to even better discounts than are available publicly, including some exclusives in the Divi Marketplace. Sale ends Monday. There's also freebies bundled with every purchase and some raffle shenanigans also.
Yoast - 30% offFor anyone who wants their website ranking higher on Google, then Yoast is my recommended WordPress plugin – and all their premium plugins are 30% off this weekend. Not an affiliate link, just a good deal. Anyway, I strongly recommend you check out the free version first if you don't know what Yoast is and are just starting out with SEO. However, if you have been using and enjoying the free version and were planning to upgrade, now is the time to do it. Fiction authors will almost certainly get by with the free version. But for non-fiction authors or anyone else working a content marketing strategy, or otherwise needing more traffic coming in from Google, Yoast is a great tool for making sure your content gets more eyeballs. I switched to the Pro version a few years ago after trying the free plugin for a while. It has lots of extra useful features and I recently upgraded to the Yoast Video Premium bundle which has really added some useful visibility for the increasing amount of traffic coming into my site from Google video search. This in turn increases my views on YouTube, who shares a big chunk of their ad revenue with content creators, so it easily paid for itself quite quickly.
WPRocket - 30% offAnother one mostly of interest to non-fiction authors – fiction authors can skip ahead. But for the content marketing crew, you know that users won't tolerate a slow loading website these days; it can tank conversion rates completely. I used WPRocket to speed up my website for years. I was particularly impressed with how it showed out-of-the-box improvements – even before I started fiddling with the settings. I recently upgraded to Nitro, which is quite a bit more expensive, but if you are just starting down the path of SEO, or improving the performance of your website, then WPRocket is a better choice IMO. There's no free version of this premium plug-in, but you can get it for 30% off this weekend – making it just $34.10 for the year – plus they have a 14-day moneyback guarantee if it doesn't work out for you (affiliate link). NitroPack (4 months free)This is even more niche and will only be of interest to authors who make content marketing central to their approach – so more for non-fiction authors with advanced needs. NitroPack is basically like a turbo-powered WPRocket i.e. much more powerful but quite a bit more expensive. You would need a decent amount of web traffic to justify the cost, but for Black Friday you get four months free on your annual plan, which makes the price more palatable. I've been using Nitro for a couple of years now and it does make considerable difference in speeding up your site, and passing those tricky Google Core Web Vitals, which are increasingly influential in SEO these days – a trend likely to continue. This deal only runs for another 36 hours so if you want four months free, head this way. That's an affiliate link, but you can apply my discount code DECODERS to get the best possible price. You can even run a free test on the NitroPack site to see how useful it might be for you.
TubeBuddy - 40% offThe final deal is another for those authors more at the content creation end of the spectrum, or doing anything with YouTube generally. Afte trying a few, the most useful tool I've found to improve your visibility on YouTube is TubeBuddy – 40% off this weekend (affiliate link). TubeBuddy helps you understand what users are searching for on YouTube, and shows you how to write descriptions to increase your visibility, and what kinds of tags you should add to your videos. Comes with a handy plug-in that lets you see what the competition are doing too, for all your sleuthing needs 🕵️. Plans start as low as $2.40 a month so you can test it out at a lower cost and then decide if the extra features on the premium plans would be useful.
YegadsThat's it. I officially have Deals Fever. And the only cure is beer. See you next week! Dave P.S. Music this week can only be The Clash with Lost in the Supermarket. |
Friday, November 25, 2022
👉 the 20 best Black Friday deals for authors
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