You’re an Indie author, you just finished a new book and you know the only way to sell it is to promote it. But you’re also told by successful authors that without 10 – 15 reviews promotion is a waste of time and money, as most readers won’t buy a book with few reviews. But how can you get 15 reviews, without promotion and sales? It’s a circular and exasperating predicament. Here are a few tips to building those prized reviews quickly (what I suggest for Amazon can be replicated on most other … [Read more...] about Reviews Are The New “Gold” in Publishing Currency. – Guest Post by AFN Clarke
Using Facebook To Get Sales! – Guest Post by Debra Jayne East
Wow, besides having my children, becoming an author was the thrill of my life ! When I saw my book on my XOXO Publisher’s web site and then on Amazon, I thought I was queen for a day ten times over! As any good writer knows, the hard part has only just started when you publish your book, because then there’s the dreaded p word ~ promotion! If I knew then, what I know now, I’d be a lot richer and have another book under my belt! Promotion takes time and experience so, I have decided to share … [Read more...] about Using Facebook To Get Sales! – Guest Post by Debra Jayne East
Marketing for Authors – Guest Post by Luke Murphy @authorlmurphy
My marketing started with the writing of my book. I always had a plan, an idea of the plot, but now I had to think about the characters and setting, and I had to think about my target audience in this stage. I wanted characters who readers could relate to. Characters that were real, not fictional to the point of unbelievable. My protagonist, Calvin Watters, is as real as they come, with faults and weaknesses like us all. Because of my sports background, I wanted Calvin to also have an … [Read more...] about Marketing for Authors – Guest Post by Luke Murphy @authorlmurphy
Six Highly Ineffective Habits of Starving Authors (Part Two) – Guest Post by Joanne Brothwell
1. Doing The Same Thing Over And Over Again And Expecting Different Results I’ve been on three book blog tours. I’ve had my book tweeted hundreds if not thousands of times. I’ve spent innumerable hours writing guest posts, answering interview questions and creating song lists for other people’s blogs. I’ve been featured on over sixty blogs and online media sites. Guess how many sales that translated into? Less than 200. That’s right. You do the math: 8% royalty from a $15 book = squat. Even … [Read more...] about Six Highly Ineffective Habits of Starving Authors (Part Two) – Guest Post by Joanne Brothwell
How I Built my Novel from Foundation to Gables and Roof – Guest Post by Kenna McKinnon
My Novel from Foundation to Roof SYNOPSIS My debut novel, SpaceHive, features a 12-year-old boy, Jason Anderson, who finds himself kidnapped by giant alien wasps in a ship called SpaceHive, from which he wants to free himself by destroying the wasps and saving the world. However, the Black Wasp General Vard wants to stop him from this, and if he's successful, will cause Jason to experience the end of the Earth as he knows it. Can Jason save Earth or will the vicious General Vard kill … [Read more...] about How I Built my Novel from Foundation to Gables and Roof – Guest Post by Kenna McKinnon
Inexpensive Places to Promote Paid Books – Guest Post by Kathryn Elizabeth Jones
I don't know about you, but the idea of marketing my next book created a bit of anxiety. There was so much to do and so little time. Besides, where was the money going to come from? The good news is that when I began researching places to market my second book, "Conquering Your Goliaths: A Parable of the Five Stones," I was forced to do some FREE market searching. I just didn't have the money to do anything else. And what happened was a miracle even to me. I had scraps of paper all over my … [Read more...] about Inexpensive Places to Promote Paid Books – Guest Post by Kathryn Elizabeth Jones
How to Use Your Mornings to Write – Guest Post by Kyle West
I am quickly learning that writing books is not just about writing books. There is promotion, and critically, putting in the time every day to ensure your book succeeds. Time is the tricky part. We only have 24 hours a day, and roughly 16 hours we are awake. Everyone gets those hours, but not everyone uses them efficiently. If you're anything like me, time slips away. By the time the sun sets, I will have done all the things I absolutely NEEDED to do, but none of the things I WANTED to … [Read more...] about How to Use Your Mornings to Write – Guest Post by Kyle West
No Cure for Murder – Guest Post by Lawrence W. Gold, M.D.
I'm promoting this novel for the obvious reasons, but, in addition, I'm hoping that readers will enjoy another novel in the Brier Hospital Series and fall for my characters Jacob and Lola. I knew that it was risky having octogenarian protagonists and that the thirty-somethings might not be interested, but our population is aging and what's wrong with highly intelligent, competent, world-wise, and humorous characters of any age. When I pitched the screenplay for No Cure for Murder in LA … [Read more...] about No Cure for Murder – Guest Post by Lawrence W. Gold, M.D.
