The WordPress Plugins I Can’t Live Without
Plugins are one of the most wonderful and useful things about Wordpress. Here are some of my favorites for writers.
Tag Archives: author promotion
Fan-Friendly Marketing and Kindle Worlds Licensing: Q&A with Aleatha Romig
Primarily an indie published author, Aleatha Romig participates in Kindle Worlds, which allows other authors to write about the characters in her work.
How Do Books Become Bestsellers? (Can Authors Increase Those Chances?)
Is a book’s success all luck, even if ‘luck’ includes hitting the right subject matter at the right time, or is it marketing—and can an indie author in any way compete with a publisher?
Stop Focusing on Follower Count: 5 Better Approaches for Improving Social Media Use
When I ask most clients what their goals are in hiring me, I usually get some version of “to get more followers and sell more books.” I encourage them to think both bigger and more deeply about social media.
Book Marketing Resources for Authors: The Best of 2016
Every year, I share hundreds (even thousands) of articles and reports on book marketing. Here, I look back on the best of what I found in 2016.
A Self-Published Poet’s Path to Her First Book Deal
How a self-publishing poet achieved visibility for her book—and landed a book deal with traditional publisher Andrews McMeel.
Marketing and Publishing Checklists for Writers
When embarking on a process that is new or unfamiliar, often you don’t know what you don’t know. A checklist helps you recognize what you don’t know, so that many months later, you’re not beating yourself up for complete ignorance. Without further ado, here are some of my most favored checklists, from sources I trust.
3 Things Your Traditional Publisher Is Unlikely to Do
The No. 1 disappointment of published authors is the lack of marketing support from their publisher. Here’s how to prepare for what will—and won’t—happen.
How to Network Effectively (Even If You Hate Networking): Start Close to Home
If you want to sell books and have people read them, you have to meet other people and tell them about it. Learn the best networking strategies for people who hate networking.
When Should You Write for Exposure? 5 Questions to Ask
When deciding whether to write for free—or for exposure—here are 5 questions writers should ask.
A Round-Up of My Columns for Publishers Weekly
Last year, I began regularly contributing to Publishers Weekly on the topic of independent authorship and publishing. Here’s a list of all my columns so far:
My Pop-Up Strategy, Part 2: The Autoresponder Series
How do you treat subscribers after they sign up for your email newsletter? An autoresponder can usefully and effectively welcome people to the community.
A Definition of Author Platform
Author platform is one of the most difficult concepts to explain, partly because everyone defines it a little differently. Here’s what agents and editors mean by platform, plus a clear definition of what platform is NOT.
5 Common Mistakes That Even Longtime Bloggers Make
Wondering why you don’t have more blog traffic—or if it’s worthwhile to continue your blogging effort? Here are the mistakes that commonly afflict authors.
Pinterest for Authors: A Beginner’s Guide
Learn four reasons writers might want to use Pinterest, how to best use the platform, and best practices to get the most traction for your work.
How to Find and Work With a Book Publicist—Successfully
What every author needs to know before they hire a publicist, and how to work with one successfully.
Traditional Publishing: What’s It Good For?
No one used to question the value of a publisher, but now everyone’s wondering: What are they good for?
Feeling Like an Old Geezer at the New Social Media Party
A closer look at a few of the “new” social media networks I’ve tried lately, which offer potential for writers who want to enjoy being an early adopter and creating a space for themselves in a community or environment that hasn’t become completely filled with marketing and promotion messages.
How 7 Literary Authors Collaborated to Launch a Box Set
A group of literary authors have launched a limited edition box set of novels. How did they make the collaboration work?
3 Ways to Improve Your Author Website Today
To maximize the effectiveness of your author website, it’s necessary to study the data behind how people find your website, navigate it, and use it. Here are three of the most important areas to watch carefully.
Facebook Strategy for Authors: In-Depth Discussion
If you’re like most authors I know, you’ve wondered about how to best use Facebook. Should you stick to your personal page, should you create a fan page, how do you promote a fan page, and what exactly does a marketing strategy look like on Facebook? I’ve written several posts addressing the basics, as well […]
5 Principles for Using Facebook
It’s difficult to give advice about Facebook because it keeps changing—in structure, functionality, and effectiveness. For instance, I used to think accepting all friend requests for my personal profile was a workable policy, as long as I kept everyone organized in lists. But now that Facebook has a subscribe-to-profile feature, it doesn’t make sense to friend […]