Every week, I see a new piece on Publishers Weekly about a new app related to a book. Here’s this week’s piece. And here’s last week’s. Notice anything? Yes, they’re all apps related to children’s books. Some of the cool things that these apps offer include games, an audio reading of the book, artwork, zoom […]
Apps for Authors: When Is It Going to Saturate the Adult Market? Read More »
Several of my clients have asked me to send out newsletters to their mailing lists recently. But none of them seemed to understand exactly what a newsletter can do (or the information you can cull out of sending a newsletter). With that in mind, I thought it might be helpful to outline exactly what an
Author Newsletters: Tips, Misconceptions, and More! Read More »
Can social media really turn your book into a bestseller? Well, first and foremost, it has to be a good book. If it’s not, even the best marketing tactics won’t make you sell hundreds of thousands of copies. But using social media to your benefit can make the difference between a good book that doesn’t
Tweeting Your Way Onto the Bestseller List Read More »
We all heard the news earlier this week: Border is shutting down all its stores. So how does that impact the average author? Here are some quotes, collected from various sources (with varying opinions), that should help to shine a light on things. ——————- “Borders was known as a retailer that took special care in
The End of Borders and What It Means for Authors Read More »
It used to be that an author could just be an author: sitting at home and doing what they love. That’s no longer the case. Whether today’s authors are self-publishing or going through a publishing house, one thing is a given. They have to do their own promotion. Publishers will only put time and money
5 Ways to Market Yourself as An Author (Even If You Don’t Want to) Read More »
I came across this article on Publishers Weekly this morning. It talks about a firm’s new marketing strategy for authors, which allows them to promote books for a long period of time — not just the weeks leading up to and following a book’s release. Basically, the idea is this: the marketing firm builds a
7 Steps to a Group Author Website (With Lots of Traffic) Read More »
There’s no question that having an active presence on Facebook can increase an author’s visibility (and book sales!). But exactly how to make your Facebook presence lively and active can be harder than you think. Here are some words of advice, courtesy of Internet and Marketing Report, on how to do just that. 1. Be
4 Ways to Liven Up Your Author Facebook Presence Read More »
One of the things I frequently recommend for an author homepage is a “welcome” message, in which you give first-time visitors a good understanding of who you are, what you write about, and what people will get out of your book and your website. It’s Marketing 101: If a visitor can’t figure out the point
Authors: Where’s Your Message? If It’s Not on Your Homepage, You’re Missing Out Read More »
I’ve said for a long time that every author website should include a photo of the book cover(s) and links to buy on every page. But what’s become even more of an issue of late is the various ways a book can be sold, and the various vendors that sell it. When I first started
Selling Books Online? Offer Options! Read More »
The internet is a vast world. There are millions of websites, any of which could be talking about you and/or your book right now. So how is an author supposed to know what’s being said? Or worse, how to find the source of incorrect information? Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to
Authors: Monitor What’s Being Said About You and Your Book Read More »
