This is my last blog post for the calendar year! And what a year it has been! We have built more than 50 new author sites, redesigned/rebuilt dozens of others, and added a variety of social networking assistance to our services. A lot has changed in the world of author websites (and websites in general) […]
5 Things That Have Changed Author Websites in 2013 Read More »
Remember when getting a book review involved a pre-pub copy of your book being sent to the NY Times, Publishers Weekly, etc…? Boy, how times have changed. And while those reviews are still golden, today’s world of self-published authors, Amazon, and online reviews have turned the concept of book reviews upside down. With that in
9 Ways to Get Book Reviews (Not All of Them Ethical) Read More »
For the past few months, Publishers Weekly has been printing a monthly report from CoverCake about the most talked about books in social media. And these lists (and the corresponding analysis) have taught me a thing or two! First, here’s how CoverCake describes itself: At CoverCake, we are focused on helping organizations, their brands and
5 Things CoverCake Has Taught Me About Books and Social Media Read More »
Oh Facebook and Twitter … they’re so 2012. But seriously, we all know that those are the two most commonly-used social networking tools in the digital world. But that doesn’t mean authors should be ignoring all the other social networking avenues out there. In the past few weeks, I’ve stumbled across a slew of articles
Beyond Facebook and Twitter: Social Media Avenues for Authors Read More »
I’ve worked in the web industry for 15 years. I’ve been talking about SEO and ROI for as long as I can remember. But what I often don’t remember is that most people don’t know exactly what those acronyms mean. With that in mind, here are the translations of a wealth of abbreviations you might
Website Acronyms That All Authors Should Know Read More »
Picture this. You go to an author’s website. Or you end up on the website because … well … you’re not quite sure how. The homepage of the website includes the author’s name in huge letters, on top of a large, adorable photo of him or her. “Aw … what a nice photo,” you think.
The Importance of an Author Tagline (and How to Write One!) Read More »
Look out! Amazon continues to innovate …. and (hopefully) authors can benefit from these latest new offerings. Case #1: Kindle Countdown Deals Here’s how Amazon describes it: Kindle Countdown Deals is a new KDP Select benefit that allows authors to run limited-time discount promotions on their books, which can help earn more royalties and reach
New Author Marketing Tools from Amazon! Read More »
Okay, so you’ve built an author website. Congratulations! But just because the site is live doesn’t mean that people will find it. Here’s what you need to know about all the ways people can and will find your site, and what you can do to increase the odds of it happening. 1. Search engines. Optimize your
10 Ways a Reader Can Find Your Author Website Read More »
I’ve helped build websites for hundreds of authors. I’ve seen the best and the worst. And while I could list a whole lot more than 20 “don’ts” here, I’m going to limit the damage to just the most egregious errors. Without further ado … 20 things not to do with your author website: 1. Incorporate
20 Things NOT to Do With an Author Website Read More »
I came across a really interesting conversation on LinkedIn this morning. The question: What are the most ridiculous myths you’ve heard about writing and writers. Here are the responses I’ve found (so far). And please use the comments section at the bottom to share your own! That people don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
The Most Ridiculous Myths About Writing and Writers Read More »
