We all know how important word-of-mouth is for book sales, but how and why it happens is usually a mystery. As authors, what can we do to encourage word-of-mouth other than asking our fans to tell their friends? There’s nothing wrong with that, but even our most diehard supporters might have no idea what to […]

A general rule of thumb for using social media as a marketing tool is to follow the “80/20 rule.” In other words, only 20 percent of your tweets should be about your work. The rest of the time you should provide interesting content that is relevant to your target audience. This makes sense, because think […]

When I consult for authors looking for marketing advice, I often find that they have put a lot of effort into branding a single book. This approach can lead to headaches down the road, which is what happened to me when I wrote my first novel, Perfect on Paper. Here’s what unfolded: As part of […]

A friend of mine named Red who runs a yummy dark chocolate company once asked for my help with a few newsletters. English isn’t her first language, so she wanted to make sure everything sounded okay. She sent me some copy she’d prepared and asked for my thoughts, and after a few sessions of back-and-forth […]

If you’re working on a book, the first question most people will ask you when they find out is, “What’s it about?” Do you have a good answer to that question? If not, you might have a problem. Coming up with a good hook (or angle, or one-line description) isn’t easy, but it’s important. Movies […]

When’s the last time you received a hand-written thank-you note in the mail? Or sent one? If you’ve done either in recent years, you’re probably in the minority. So think what a positive impression you can make by sending one when appropriate. Everyone likes to feel appreciated! Here are some examples of where a physical […]

Unless you have a publisher calling the shots, when your book “launches” is up to you. In my opinion, the ideal launch time is as soon as the book is finished. No one can buy it if it’s not available, and you can’t make any money if no one can buy it, right? The marketing […]