Why all that anal fussing over your book cover design? It’s not supposed to win design awards… what you want is for it to look legit. To help with sales. What you don’t want is that crappy homemade DIY look (speaking of which, what’s up with that? Are you nuts?).
When was the last time you went to YouTube to check out book trailers when you wanted to find and buy a book to read? Oh please. Quit with the book trailer BS, unless you’ve got a specific book marketing job in mind. It sure isn’t discovery.
Why are you spending all that time hanging around other authors in online forums? Hang out with your readers.
You’re not just an author — you’re a reader. Think like one, and you’ll find where others just like you are hanging around online.
And here’s probably the most powerful book marketing tip ever, and it’s very old school: Go find an influencer and get them to do an honest-to-goodness review of your book on their blog, newspaper column, etc. None of this rinky dink ARCs for Amazon reviews you’re all screwing around with. Get ARCs in the hands of influencers.
That’ll do it for now. Enjoy today’s featured selections!
— EES
Please Share the Love!
Indie Author/Publishing
![1+tip[1]](https://wordpreneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/1tip1-167x130.jpg "1+tip[1]")
“Can’t you give me just 1 tip (for getting book reviews)?” she asked
“The other day a newly published author who had befriended me 5 minutes earlier asked me if I could give her just one tip how to get book reviews from Amazon top reviewers.
I told her to read my book.
She came back with, ‘Can’t you give me just 1 tip?’
Hmm… Apparently this author was not aware how much in demand these reviews are; on average Hall-of-Fame reviewers get 250+ review requests per month.
So, I told her that getting a book reviewed by an Amazon top reviewer isn’t a ‘1-tip thing,’ especially if the book did not have any reviews yet. Getting reviews is a challenging task that encompasses many steps; which is why my book has 100 pages.
She immediately un-friended me.
I guess that says it all. Just another wannabe author who does not really want to learn the trade. The indie author industry is overrun with people like that. The sooner they get out and make room for the people who really hone their craft and all skills, the better for all.
Of course, from experience I know that most indie authors work a lot harder than this one.
So, here is one tip for authors whose books received already a few reviews (including from top reviewers).
‘Like/find helpful’ the reviewers’ reviews!!!”
Continue reading @ Gisela’s Straightforward Blog »
“Self-Made” is a Myth; Here’s the Real Formula for Success
“[T]hat’s what most people get wrong. They never learn how to reach out. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there…”
» Medium
$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising
“I had a plan. A big plan. Heck, I had the plan of the universe — to sell thousands of copies of my new release Science Fiction book, Project Atlantis, during the first month I published it.
This plan started six months before I started writing the book. The plan entailed rapidly finishing three books in a series — Project Atlantis, Destination Atlantis, and Colony Atlantis — and once it had been edited, beta-read, and sent out to my ARC reviewers, I’d release Project Atlantis, then Destination Atlantis seven days later, and Colony Atlantis fourteen days after Destination Atlantis. Additionally, I’d have the fourth book, Beyond Atlantis, almost 100% written. Yet, I’d have Beyond Atlantis’s pre-order already up and running before Colony Atlantis was released, all the while dropping over $1500 dollars in Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, and on Promo Sites, and whatever else I could get my greedy paws on.
Well, I did none of the above.
Here is what happened that led me to only spending $30 on Facebook and Amazon ads and how I was able to make $4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book.”
Continue reading @ Medium »
10 Actionable WordPress Security Tips for the Layman
“[T]he more popular something is, the more people want to leverage on it for nefarious means… Fortunately, WordPress is a platform that offers you a multitude of opportunity to defend yourself.”
» WHSR
Free
Writing Advice Examined: On Traditional and Self-Publishing
“…
But her glossy portrayal of indie publishing made me think of other misguided advice I’ve heard from the traditionally and indie published alike. As a hybrid author (three of my books are self-published, and four are traditionally published) who sees value in both camps, I think it’s worth examining those bits of advice often tossed about:
‘Put your work up on a blog or WattPad. The important thing is to get stuff out there.’
At a glance, this might seem sensible. We can probably all name an author or two who got book deals because they found a bajillion fans on WattPad or their personal website. Who doesn’t want Matt Damon to star in a movie adaptation of their book?
But success stories like The Martian are pretty rare. Most of the time what happens is you put your writing out there, your friends comment, and that’s about it. It’s not a bad thing to do, and it can be a great way to hone your craft and learn how to write for an audience. But it’s not a realistic strategy for getting published, if that’s what you’re after.
And in response to that whole idea of ‘just get stuff out there,’ the goal is really to get the RIGHT stuff out there. Stuff that’s so good people want to read it. Having a lot of junk out there doesn’t do you any good, and is potentially harmful.
…
“Self-publishing is the way to go because there are no gatekeepers.”
When people say this, the gatekeepers they’re referring to are book buyers, the people who curate the shelves for book stores. But there are still gatekeepers even if you go indie—they’re called readers.
Remember that self-published author I mentioned earlier? The one who didn’t like the negative vibe of traditional publishing? What grated on me about her comment is the way it made self-publishing sound like a shortcut. Like this is the way to not get rejected, which is something none of us enjoy, And while it may be true that Kindle Direct Publishing doesn’t care about if your book is polished enough or if you used Comic Sans on your book cover, readers do.
Just because you put the story out there doesn’t mean anyone is going to read it. And just because they read it, doesn’t mean they’re going to like it or buy another book from you.”
Continue reading @ Go Teen Writers »
5 Self-Editing Essentials to Give Your Manuscript a Solid Foundation
“A solid foundation is one of the first things our editors look for as soon as they open a manuscript. This helps them determine how much work needs to be done and how much more attention and care the manuscript will need to make it solid.”
10 Tips on Landing an Agent at a Writers’ Conference
“When I was ready to seek representation, I chose not to approach agents in the usual way—by email query—even though most agents prefer that method. I wanted to get a face-to-face impression of my future agent’s personality and communication style, so I decided to attend writers’ conferences. Over six months, I pitched to nine agents at two conferences and ended up with a 100% success rate for material requests. After a few weeks of follow up, I signed with Rachel Ekstrom at Irene Goodman Literary Agency, who later sold my debut novel, SYMPTOMS OF BEING HUMAN, as part of a two-book deal with HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray. Here are 10 tips that helped me land my agent at a writers’ conference.
BEFORE THE CONFERENCE
1. Find out which agents are attending. This information is usually available on the conference’s website.
2. Read their bios with these questions in mind:
- Are they taking on new clients? Some agents only offer critiques and feedback during pitch sessions; focus on the ones who are open to new clients.
- Do they represent the kind of material you’re pitching? If you pitch your Dystopian Sci-Fi to an agent who specializes in Non-Fiction, you’re probably wasting your time and the agent’s.
3. Do your homework. Now it’s time for some next-level research. Find each agent’s website and read their bio. Google their name. Read interviews with them and blog posts by them. You can even follow them on Twitter—but keep a respectful distance. (Liking and re-tweeting appropriately is ok—spamming them with random tweets about your WIP is not.) The point of all this research is to learn more about the agent’s preferences and perhaps discover something you have in common:
- Do they represent anyone you know? Any authors of whom you’re a fan?
- Do you like the same books?
- Do you share any favorites—a love of dogs or Harry Potter, for instance?
Don’t be creepy; just learn about the agent to whom you’re pitching. You may sense a connection with one that moves them higher up the list.”
Continue reading @ Writer’s Digest: Guide to Literary Agents »
Writing Tips: Using A Comic Relief Character For More Than Comedy
“One of the most effective techniques in fiction writing is to build up tension, and then to break it with comedic elements, regulating the pace for the reader, even as you ratchet up to the next scene.”
» The Creative Penn
Marketing
“Can’t you give me just 1 tip (for getting book reviews)?” she asked
“The other day a newly published author who had befriended me 5 minutes earlier asked me if I could give her just one tip how to get book reviews from Amazon top reviewers.
I told her to read my book.
She came back with, ‘Can’t you give me just 1 tip?’
Hmm… Apparently this author was not aware how much in demand these reviews are; on average Hall-of-Fame reviewers get 250+ review requests per month.
So, I told her that getting a book reviewed by an Amazon top reviewer isn’t a ‘1-tip thing,’ especially if the book did not have any reviews yet. Getting reviews is a challenging task that encompasses many steps; which is why my book has 100 pages.
She immediately un-friended me.
I guess that says it all. Just another wannabe author who does not really want to learn the trade. The indie author industry is overrun with people like that. The sooner they get out and make room for the people who really hone their craft and all skills, the better for all.
Of course, from experience I know that most indie authors work a lot harder than this one.
So, here is one tip for authors whose books received already a few reviews (including from top reviewers).
‘Like/find helpful’ the reviewers’ reviews!!!”
Continue reading @ Gisela’s Straightforward Blog »
“Self-Made” is a Myth; Here’s the Real Formula for Success
“[T]hat’s what most people get wrong. They never learn how to reach out. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there…”
» Medium
$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising
“I had a plan. A big plan. Heck, I had the plan of the universe — to sell thousands of copies of my new release Science Fiction book, Project Atlantis, during the first month I published it.
This plan started six months before I started writing the book. The plan entailed rapidly finishing three books in a series — Project Atlantis, Destination Atlantis, and Colony Atlantis — and once it had been edited, beta-read, and sent out to my ARC reviewers, I’d release Project Atlantis, then Destination Atlantis seven days later, and Colony Atlantis fourteen days after Destination Atlantis. Additionally, I’d have the fourth book, Beyond Atlantis, almost 100% written. Yet, I’d have Beyond Atlantis’s pre-order already up and running before Colony Atlantis was released, all the while dropping over $1500 dollars in Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, and on Promo Sites, and whatever else I could get my greedy paws on.
Well, I did none of the above.
Here is what happened that led me to only spending $30 on Facebook and Amazon ads and how I was able to make $4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book.”
Continue reading @ Medium »
10 Actionable WordPress Security Tips for the Layman
“[T]he more popular something is, the more people want to leverage on it for nefarious means… Fortunately, WordPress is a platform that offers you a multitude of opportunity to defend yourself.”
» WHSR
Writing
“Can’t you give me just 1 tip (for getting book reviews)?” she asked
“The other day a newly published author who had befriended me 5 minutes earlier asked me if I could give her just one tip how to get book reviews from Amazon top reviewers.
I told her to read my book.
She came back with, ‘Can’t you give me just 1 tip?’
Hmm… Apparently this author was not aware how much in demand these reviews are; on average Hall-of-Fame reviewers get 250+ review requests per month.
So, I told her that getting a book reviewed by an Amazon top reviewer isn’t a ‘1-tip thing,’ especially if the book did not have any reviews yet. Getting reviews is a challenging task that encompasses many steps; which is why my book has 100 pages.
She immediately un-friended me.
I guess that says it all. Just another wannabe author who does not really want to learn the trade. The indie author industry is overrun with people like that. The sooner they get out and make room for the people who really hone their craft and all skills, the better for all.
Of course, from experience I know that most indie authors work a lot harder than this one.
So, here is one tip for authors whose books received already a few reviews (including from top reviewers).
‘Like/find helpful’ the reviewers’ reviews!!!”
Continue reading @ Gisela’s Straightforward Blog »
“Self-Made” is a Myth; Here’s the Real Formula for Success
“[T]hat’s what most people get wrong. They never learn how to reach out. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there…”
» Medium
$4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book Only Spending $30 on Advertising
“I had a plan. A big plan. Heck, I had the plan of the universe — to sell thousands of copies of my new release Science Fiction book, Project Atlantis, during the first month I published it.
This plan started six months before I started writing the book. The plan entailed rapidly finishing three books in a series — Project Atlantis, Destination Atlantis, and Colony Atlantis — and once it had been edited, beta-read, and sent out to my ARC reviewers, I’d release Project Atlantis, then Destination Atlantis seven days later, and Colony Atlantis fourteen days after Destination Atlantis. Additionally, I’d have the fourth book, Beyond Atlantis, almost 100% written. Yet, I’d have Beyond Atlantis’s pre-order already up and running before Colony Atlantis was released, all the while dropping over $1500 dollars in Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, and on Promo Sites, and whatever else I could get my greedy paws on.
Well, I did none of the above.
Here is what happened that led me to only spending $30 on Facebook and Amazon ads and how I was able to make $4,344.81 in 40 Days with my Fiction Book.”
Continue reading @ Medium »
10 Actionable WordPress Security Tips for the Layman
“[T]he more popular something is, the more people want to leverage on it for nefarious means… Fortunately, WordPress is a platform that offers you a multitude of opportunity to defend yourself.”
