There are several blogs I follow; I read them whenever I can. Sometimes I just read, and other times I read and comment. Only a small percent of blog readers take time to comment. The reasons are many: too busy, a lack of confidence, not knowing what to say, fear, and so forth. There are, […]
Book publishing is more than just writing and producing books; it is also about selling them. Selling books requires a host of skills, including marketing, promotion, and public relations. Yes, public relations—PR for short. At its most basic level, public relations is managing the flow of information from an entity (a company, organization, or an […]
Too many experts say writers must blog, but that may not be good advice As writers, we’re told that if we want to be successful at publishing our work, then we need an author platform. Yes, this is true. Publishers expect writers to have a platform. In fact, it seems, the platform may supersede writing […]
Today’s hot writing advice may prove embarrassing in a few years I still have the mimeograph handout from high school, from oh so many years ago. The title boasts “50 Substitutes for Said.” The opening instruction says, “Both color and drama can be added to a story by using other verbs as substitutes for said.” […]
Marketing can have one of two goals: make sales or create awareness. Although any marketing effort can do both of these, it will only do one of them well. This post will discuss ways to create awareness—and when done right, top-of-mind awareness. That is, having our author brand be what a reader first thinks of […]
Strategic marketing can improve book sales. However, it can quickly waste a lot of money with little return when done haphazardly. Review each advertising option carefully before committing money to it. Here are five ideas to consider: Save Save
As authors, our websites are our home base, the destination all of our online activity points to. We need to make sure our sites are up at all times and working correctly. When there is a problem, we limit our ability to connect with others about our writing. Here are six things to check: The […]
As part of my publishing business, I send email messages to magazine subscribers on behalf of our advertisers. This is one of the services we provide. It’s commonly called e-blasts, but it’s just a different twist on email marketing. I’ve done this for several years and have tracked vastly different response rates depending on the […]
The goal of advertising is to get our name and book in front of readers. But advertising is expensive; it is a quick way to lose money if we advertise in the wrong place. However, when we find the right place to advertise—one where our audience hangs out and that provides a good return on […]
As we consider ways to market our books, we need to be aware of the “marketing measurement myth.” This is an alarming trend with marketers, especially those with affection for the Internet. Their perspective is that if it can’t be measured, it doesn’t matter and isn’t worth pursuing. Consider, for a moment, applying this bias […]