You may have started writing a novel before, only to find that your story just wasn't coming together. Or maybe you lost motivation. Perhaps life just got in the way, as it tends to do.
Forget all that, starting today. Onwards and upwards!
This time, let's start out with the tools you need to succeed.
Over the next 365 days, you'll learn a lot, build a following, and write and publish an excellent book.
Whether you're writing your first book or your tenth, the work you do this coming year is a small investment in a bright future.
Join us for the 365-Day Indie Author Challenge, and we'll help you see it through to the end!
Stay active, stay inspired, and earn credits for your hard work!
We'll Mini-Quests for you to complete to keep you moving forward as you write your novel.
First chapter evaluation
Does your first chapter grab the reader's attention? Does it set the stage for your story? Are you on the right track?
I'll personally read over your first chapter, then privately give you feedback on what's working ... and what you could do to make it even better.
Build your readership
Building your author platform is so important.
ChapterBuzz offers plenty of chances to attract followers. That way, when your book is published, you already have a base of loyal readers who can help you start moving up the Amazon charts.
A self-paced novel-writing course
This course in story structure* is an eight-week, self-paced way to learn the fundamentals of writing a terrific story.
Each lesson arrives in your e-mail inbox for you to complete. Available starting Month 2 of the Challenge.
Connect in our private writer forum
You'll get exclusive access to our private writer forum, where we'll be having discussions, asking questions, and learning from each other.
Think you could benefit from talking with others who are on your same journey? This approach has helped many of our writers achieve their goals over the years.
We're here to cheer you on
When you're part of a friendly group of motivated writers like this, you're more likely to stick with it.
Stop by each day and chat. We'll cheer each other on, talk over ideas, and celebrate our successes.
Lasting bonds
Perhaps best of all, some of the professional connections you make with other writers could even turn into personal friendships that last a lifetime.
It seems to happens a lot here ...
Your book, published on Amazon
Congratulations, you're a published indie author!
You'll get a gorgeous book cover designed by a professional graphic designer. Your text will be formatted and published as a Kindle e-book.
You don't need to know how to do any of this, because I handle the details and technical stuff. All I need is your creative input and final approval.
*Available during the second paid month of our applicable Challenge Mastery Plans. This course is offered by a third party. In the event that it's no longer available, it will be substituted with 150 ChapterBucks.
You'll have a published e-book at the end of the year!
You'll be a published author with your novel available in the Amazon Kindle store as an e-book, complete with a beautiful book cover designed by a professional.
Hold that paperback book—with your name on it—in your hand!
You'll be a published author with both formats: a paperback book and an e-book in the Kindle store. The beautiful cover and stunning interior layout will impress.
Our Early Bird Discount saves you $360 on our top-tier plan. Hurry, it's only valid until Day 14.
Hurry! Sign up for FREE, upgrade later.
†Prices for first chapter critiques apply to my own service only. Other service providers who offer critiques through the ChapterBuzz Service Directory work on a freelance basis and set their own prices.
At ChapterBuzz, we've hosted many different writing challenges over the years. Here's what our writers have to say about them:
“
This Challenge was a huge boost for my writing and my ego. It was refreshing to receive so much feedback on my work-in-progress that I can't stop now. Thank you for creating this amazing opportunity.”
This ... Challenge is the most rewarding thing that I have ever been a part of—the pivotal moment my novel needed. I enjoyed the feedback, and reading how much others were enjoying what I was writing. If you haven't joined us yet, you should really consider it!”
I don't think I've ever wanted to work so hard for something before. I'd written for hours on the last night of the Challenge trying to hit that 10,000 word mark, and I am so happy that I managed to get through and finish.”
These are the first words I've written on the book I've wanted to write since 2007. Thanks so much for getting me to actually begin. ChapterBuzz is the best!”
I thought to myself that if I committed to this Challenge, I'd force myself to finish my book. I was so nervous just looking at the blank document. Then the first line came to me, and I was off!
As I wrote, I could see scenes in my head and I typed them up. I was really doing it! I was writing! Sometimes it would be challenging to keep up the word count, and some days I couldn't write at all. But in the end, I finished the Challenge—mentally exhausted, but so very happy. It was the first complete story I had finished.”
The Challenge pushed me to write more than I ever have before—every day—which in itself has given me so much pleasure. I have made a start on my very first novel, which is something I'd always thought only other people did! The sense of pride and personal achievement is immense. I have made some new friends who share my enthusiasm and excitement in the process.
I am convinced that this month will absolutely stand out as one of the high points of this year for me.”
Just about! Most of our writers are working on fiction novels, but not all. For a little more detail about genres, please see Is any genre allowed? in our general FAQ.
Do I have to post my writing publicly?
You do not have to post your material publicly in order to complete the Challenge, but you would be missing out on half the fun! Feedback from readers and other writers can be especially useful and informative at this stage.
Is the 365-Day Indie Author Challenge free?
Yes! Our Novice Plan is totally free, for all 365 days.
Our Apprentice and Master Plans include many more benefits to help you write an excellent novel. Have a look at our Challenge Mastery Plans to see which one is right for you.
Not sure which Plan to choose? Start with our Novice Plan, and you can upgrade later.
Do I have to choose a Plan now, or can I upgrade later?
If you're not sure which Challenge Mastery Plan you want, or you want to try out the Challenge first, choose the Novice Plan now, and you can upgrade after the Challenge starts.
Either way, go ahead and grab your ChapterBuzz Pro membership now. You'll need it to save big on our Challenge Mastery Plans, and it also comes packed with benefits to help you be successful on ChapterBuzz!
This Challenge was a huge boost for my writing and my ego. It was refreshing to receive so much feedback on my work-in-progress that I can't stop now. Thank you for creating this amazing opportunity.”
This ... Challenge is the most rewarding thing that I have ever been a part of—the pivotal moment my novel needed. I enjoyed the feedback, and reading how much others were enjoying what I was writing. If you haven't joined us yet, you should really consider it!”
I don't think I've ever wanted to work so hard for something before. I'd written for hours on the last night of the Challenge trying to hit that 10,000 word mark, and I am so happy that I managed to get through and finish.”
These are the first words I've written on the book I've wanted to write since 2007. Thanks so much for getting me to actually begin. ChapterBuzz is the best!”
I thought to myself that if I committed to this Challenge, I'd force myself to finish my book. I was so nervous just looking at the blank document. Then the first line came to me, and I was off!
The Challenge pushed me to write more than I ever have before—every day—which in itself has given me so much pleasure. I have made a start on my very first novel, which is something I'd always thought only other people did! The sense of pride and personal achievement is immense. I have made some new friends who share my enthusiasm and excitement in the process.