book launch for first time author

A Book Launch Plan for First-Time Authors Without an Online Presence

While it's not easy to launch a book without any kind of online presence, many first-time authors are in exactly that position. Here's a 4-step game plan.
author without social media presence

So You’re an Author Without a Social Media Presence: Now What?

Social media is just one component of your author platform, and not necessarily the most important component. It works best as part of a holistic book marketing and promotion strategy.
fomo marketing

5 Steps to Kick Your Marketing FOMO to the Curb

Marketing FOMO is more debilitating than distracting—and if you suffer from marketing FOMO, your marketing tasks will never be done.
Debra Eckerling

5 On: Debra Eckerling

Debra Eckerling (@WriteOnOnline), founder of the writers' support group Write On!, discusses common writer challenges, the value of blogs, what it means to take writing to the next level, tragic networking mistakes, and more in this 5 On interview.
social media follower count

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.
marketing roundup

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.
princess saves herself

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.
get 10000 visits

How to Get 10,000 Visits to Your Blog in One Day with No Platform

Getting traction for your online presence—especially a new blog—can feel like an impossible task when you're an unknown writer. But it can be done.
Reddit book marketing

How to Use Reddit to Market Your Books (Carefully)

Reddit is an online community where you can get your book in front of hundreds of thousands of readers for free. That is, if you have the right strategy.
literary publishing

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:
push-or-pull marketing

Are You a Push Marketer or a Pull Marketer?

If you want to be successful at selling today, you need to quit pushing your needs (please buy my book) and messages at potential readers and concentrate on figuring out how to pull them in by putting their needs above yours. Give them something valuable.
Hot air balloons being filled and prepped for launch

Getting Ready to Launch a Book? Start with These 5 Questions

Social media and marketing expert Andrea Dunlop lists five questions you should ask yourself when starting to plan your book launch.
A laptop computer featuring an image of a handshake on the screen

How to Leverage the Power of Someone Else’s Platform (Without Being Smarmy)

Kirsten Oliphant explains how to reach out to others who can help you build your author platform and how to generate a great pitch for collaboration.
Hands forming a heart symbol over a keyboard

Not Sure How to Approach Social Media? CARE about Your Readers

Author and social media expert Frances Caballo discusses the CARE acronym and how to use it to guide your interactions with readers on social media.
author platform

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.
blogging mistakes

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.
Two cherries on a rock shelf

When Less Is More on Social Media

Social media expert Chris Syme explains why less is more in social media, and how to make the most use of primary and secondary social media channels.
Chang Kim of Tapas Media

A New Platform for Serialized Work: Tapas Media

Chang Kim, Tapas Media For years, serialization has been discussed as a significant area of opportunity for reading and publishing
Porter Anderson Digital Book World

4 Lessons for Authors on the Current State of Publishing

What authors need to know about current marketing practices and emerging business trends in the book publishing industry.
social media for writers

Why You Should Join All Social Media Networks

I think it's fair to say that most of us are not looking to add more social media activity to our lives.
A Former Book Publicist's Advice to Traditionally Published Authors

A Former Book Publicist’s Advice to Traditionally Published Authors

Andrea Dunlop, a former Doubleday publicist, discusses how to approach a book launch from a publicist's point of view.
authors guide to pinterest

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.
Friedman Penn podcast

Digital Publishing and Authorship in 2016: A Discussion with Joanna Penn

In conversation with Joanna Penn, I discuss digital publishing trends and what authors need to know as they head into 2016.
Patrick Walsh

5 On: Patrick Walsh

Book publicist Patrick Walsh discusses effective social media promotion, what it takes to make the same old book-marketing advice work for you, questions to ask yourself when trying to decide whether your story should be a book or a screenplay, and more.
Best Practices for Author Facebook Pages and Groups

Best Practices for Author Facebook Pages and Groups

Kirsten Oliphant discusses how to effectively use Facebook pages and groups.
A flock of birds in the sky

Overcoming My Fear of Twitter

Chris Jane, who writes the biweekly Q&A series 5 On, discusses overcoming her fear of joining the Twitterverse.
Elisa Lorello

5 On: Elisa Lorello

In this 5 On post, bestselling author Elisa Lorello discusses authenticity, using social media to connect with readers, rejection, and the differences between self- and traditional publishing.
Fans gathered on one side of a railing.

How to Use Facebook Contests & Giveaways to Build a Fan Base

Social media marketing expert Chris Syme discusses how to use Facebook contests and giveaways to turn fans into super fans.
The secret to my productivity

The Secret to My Productivity, Or: Thoughts About Luxury and Privilege

I'm often asked: How can I be so productive? Or how does one balance creative work and other life demands? Here's the most truthful answer I have.
author business

5 Observations on the Evolution of Author Business Models

As publishing becomes increasingly digital-driven, how are the business models for authorship changing?
I Heart Social Media

Beware of One-Size-Fits-All Advice for Social Media

Be careful before applying someone else's social media advice to your situation.
Book marketing on Pinterest

Using Pinterest to Market Children’s Picture Books

A children's author shares her strategies for promoting her picture books on Pinterest—as well as what adult fiction marketing techniques haven't worked for her.
What Marketing Support Looks Like at a Big 5 Publisher

What Marketing Support Looks Like at a Big 5 Publisher

Thriller author Todd Moss describes his own marketing efforts and the marketing efforts of his Big Five publisher, Putnam, for his book The Golden Hour.
by Richard O York / via Flickr

That Overused Word “Community”—But Why We Still Have to Talk About It

What does it mean to "engage" with a community? And what's the benefit?
What Authors Can Learn From Startups

What Authors Can Learn From Startups

You can find marketing inspiration in what others have done, but also know that the less advertised “strategies” might actually be the ones worth pursuing.
saner internet life

10 Resolutions for a Saner Internet—and Life

For me, the hardest thing about being online is remembering what I think and the "why" that I'm working for. The multiplicity of voices can make you forget your center.
Long Term Change in US Fiction - Nielsen 2014

How Ebooks Have Changed the Print Marketplace: Digital Book World, Day 3

Nielsen offers specific figures on how ebook sales have affected print sales in adult fiction, adult nonfiction, and juvenile categories.
Author Biz podcast

Building Your Business As An Author [Interview]

I was delighted to be a guest on Stephen Campbell's podcast, The Author Biz.
Facebook for Authors

Facebook for Authors: Getting Started Guide

This 101 guide describes best practices for authors using Facebook for book marketing, with tips on when you should set up a fan page.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/35468148654@N01/7252970518/

2 Easy Ways to Measure the Impact of Your Social Media Use

Learn how to easily study the impact of your social media use on your marketing and promotion efforts.
Writer Unboxed

Does Building an Online Presence Stress You Out?

You're not alone. Being told to build an online presence creates internal conflict for a lot of writers. This is the topic
7 Reasons Twitter Isn’t Building Your Author Platform (And How to Fix It)

7 Reasons Twitter Isn’t Building Your Author Platform (And How to Fix It)

Note from Jane: Today's guest post is by Marcy Kennedy (@MarcyKennedy). Almost as soon as authors were told they should
What Should Authors Blog About?

What Should Authors Blog About?

The chain of events goes something like this: An author's book nears its publication date (or perhaps the author is attempting
finding your readers

4 Ways to Find Readers Who Love Your Work

So you want to find those raving fans, right? Awesome. We’re about to give you the most boring advice possible. You’re probably going to be disappointed that we’re not going to offer you a magic way to get a ton more readers, but unfortunately that’s not how it works. Ideal fans and readers are gained a few at a time, and it takes time to build that bond, even if you experience a sudden and serendipitous burst of exposure.
Writer Unboxed

Is Your Bio Working Hard or Hardly Working?

Learn how to write a better bio note and improve the opportunities that come your way.
book marketing and publicity

Book Marketing 101

It is possible, if not desirable, for an author to launch an effective book-marketing campaign without a publisher’s support or assistance. Mainly, it requires time and energy. Here's a comprehensive rundown of the main strategies in use today.
5 Reasons to Use a Facebook Profile (Not a Page) to Build Platform

5 Reasons to Use a Facebook Profile (Not a Page) to Build Platform

A Facebook Profile is often a better option than a fan Page for building author platform. It’s simpler and easier to get your content in front of people, takes less time to manage, and will build a tribe or platform faster, especially if you don’t plan to run ads.
Alexis Grant

Launching an Online Community: Q&A With Author-Entrepreneur Alexis Grant

What does it take to launch a new website and online community? A Q&A with author and entrepreneur Alexis Grant.
Best Business Advice for Writers: August 2013

Best Business Advice for Writers: August 2013

Best Business Advice for Writers is a monthly link round-up where I share the best online articles focused on the business of writing and publishing.
Audience Development for Writers: Your Life-Long Career Investment

Audience Development for Writers: Your Life-Long Career Investment

In this talk from the 2013 Midwest Writers Workshop, I explain the process of growing my readership since 2008, then share a few key principles I follow to make it an enjoyable and sustainable process.