I’m on the distribution lists of many indie authors who occasionally send out promotional emails about their books. Marketing is a lot of work, so I respect the efforts of these individuals to boost their sales. Unfortunately, however, many of the emails I receive are peppered with errors, and that doesn’t instill much faith that […]
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A great way to get your readers to tell their friends about your book is to stay in touch with your readers. A newsletter is certainly one method to do this, but it’s not the only one. A creative way to maintain a relationship with your readers over time is to bring your main character to […]
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Last week I received a lovely email from a man named Keith. He’d recently published his second book and signed up for my newsletter looking for any and everything he could learn about marketing. Beneath the message he included his name and a (LONG!) hyperlink to his book’s Amazon page, so in my reply I […]
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Do you have a mailing list of readers who enjoyed your writing? If so, good for you! Whether it’s through a newsletter program or email, reaching our to your fans is a good way to keep a connection with them. The question is, what do you tell them? In my semi-regular newsletter I include one […]
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If you’re an indie author, you know how hard––it not impossible––it is to get your book onto the shelves of brick-and-mortar stores. Some shady companies offer “distribution packages” that make it sound like your book will be everywhere, but all it really means is that your book will be on a massive list of titles […]
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If you’re like most authors, promoting your work doesn’t come naturally to you. The same goes for the vast majority of your readers. They may love your book(s), but it would never occur to them to actively spread the word. And even if they want to help get the word out, they probably don’t know how. That’s […]
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By far the most common complaint I hear from authors, especially those who go the indie route, is, “I have no clue about marketing!” A close second is, “I have no money to spend on marketing!” Here are two things you can do that won’t cost more than time and effort: Reach out to book […]
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A few years ago I attended a seminar on starting a small business, and each of the six or seven speakers I heard that day emphasized how important it is to build the list! At the time I remember thinking that was the one thing they all had in common. Now I also think they were right. […]
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I’m a big fan of applying for book awards. My first novel (Perfect on Paper) was originally self-published, and I believe that one of the reasons it got picked up by a traditional publisher was that it won multiple awards. However, like every book marketing strategy, applying for awards has its drawbacks. I asked Lauren […]
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I once met up with a friend to visit a store I wanted to describe in the novel I was writing at the time. It was dreadfully hot that day, so after I’d finished my research we b-lined for a quiet (and air conditioned!) pub on a random side street in Manhattan. As soon we’d […]
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