author marketing help
Book Marketing, Publicity

Finally Getting Help with Author Marketing

Talking to authors of late, many whom have a lot to offer the world, I noticed there is still the fear of putting themselves in the spotlight. Folks, you don’t have to do what doesn’t feel right for you when it comes to author marketing (sometimes called ‘being an influencer’). Some authors are great at interviewing, so podcasting/guest podcasting becomes their thing. (Podcasting also has an extremely good take-up rate of regular listeners buying). Have a look at (Facebook group) We are Podcast by Ronzley Vaz. Some jovial guys and gals make videos their thing; whether reading a book passage or showing others their world or creative use of video. Some new authors take their first steps in blogging on a theme… (some never leave ;-)) Some authors are social creatures, so they create interesting content to tie in what…
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Advertise book using Amazon Ads

Should I Advertise My Book?

Should I advertise my book? is a common question, especially with the number of book launches today. Moreover, should I use Amazon Ads? In AuthorU, a LinkedIn group, I posed this question to expert in book publicity, Sandra Beckwith. Here’s what she replied to whether a newbie should use Amazon Ads: “Nobody — regardless of whether it’s their 1st or 10th book — should be buying ads until they have a lot of positive reader reviews. If it’s the former (authors doing it themselves), authors can manage their own advertising, but should learn how it works first. There are a lot of courses available that will help with that. Just as authors shouldn’t self-publish until they spend time learning how to do that, they shouldn’t spend on ads until they truly know what they’re doing. And…the books that will do…
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networking for authors
Book Marketing, Publicity

Networking to Improve Your Book Attraction!

Once published, it takes a strong story to stand out at a book fair or author meet. But what about in general business groups?  Here, a published author can appear special and maybe capitalise on the pain point that her book talks about, but in a business context. Some books relate to the business mindset and other stories relate to the personal life challenges. Either way, a business person is a human being first! Most can relate to your story if you include it in conversation. For instance, my book Creative Ways with Money has parts that apply to personal life (saving and investing wisely, productivity, income) and business life (skills and passion to start a new business). If your past (as related in the book) is a bit too deep for light conversation, then start your story with the…
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Media Kit Template

Media Kit Examples for Authors

Find the more up-to-date author media kit templates on this newer post. Why not create a media kit for when you approach Podcasters? An author media kit can give you something professional-looking to back up your media pitch with. It could also be used for approaching editors for guest posts. So I thought, oh surely there will be a media kit example or template on Adobe’s store. Yes, there are quite a few lovely ones, but they are all for blogger-influencers! Not a single one for authors… So, the press kit template found wasn’t terrible relevant, with its sponsored posts part and social stats part, but I pressed on. My three-page effort is probably not the most suitable for you either, as every specialist will have something different they want to include. The main thing is to think about what…
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Book Creation Success Club
Publicity, Self-Publishing

Why a Book Creation Club for Indie Authors?

To answer the question of why a self-publishing membership is needed, let’s go back to 2008, when I was navigating self-publishing my first full book to sell to the public. There was little information available to me to find out how to print cheaply, get a cover design done (DIY ugh!), and sell my well-researched book to people other than my own network. I tried a public seminar—what a failure. I handed out flyers about it, and people looked startled. I would like to have known many different realities and knowledge about self-publishing, starting with the philosophical question: is this all worth it?  Each of us have our own criteria, and therefore our own answer.  But one thing is for sure, a Book Writing & Publishing club offers a handy resource for indie authors. To me, being an author-publisher-entrepreneur is…
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authors doing book launch
Publicity

Publicity Planning for a Book Launch

Something that many of us non-professional authors struggle with is getting media attention for us and our book, i.e. book publicity planning. First of all, you will need to tick off the fundamentals: Is your book and ebook available in the usual places online: Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, and big and bold on your website? Is your book cover professionally designed? Is your book edited to within an inch of its life? Do you have a good story around your book… is it a newsworthy topic right now? Planning some publicity might start with a good ‘book blurb’ and a press release tied in with a newsworthy angle. The book blurb need not be long for this purpose. The places to release or pitch your story to include: Digital magazines:  at the bottom of a non-promotional article, e.g. Women in Focus community, BusinessBusinessBusiness.com.au,…
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