Personal confession: I’ve been a guru chaser, particularly when I sense a weakness in myself. (Don’t know how to build that following? Pay this person to coach me–that’s what I did).
I’ve learned that my guru-chasing has cost me much. …
Marketing & Publicity
How Readers Discover Books
One of the biggest challenges for an author, a publisher AND readers consists of the increasing difficulty of matching a wannabe reader with the type of book he or she is looking to buy. A new survey recently was conducted …
What is your marketing slingshot?
Marketing your book is difficult, and it’s hard to discover your unique marketing pathway.
There’s a familiar Old Testament story about David and Saul that struck me. David is ready to face the giant Goliath, so he slips on the …
The Lost Art of Hand Selling
At a recent staff meeting, Janet Grant filled us in on a Bookspan/Publisher’s Marketplace webinar she attended a week or so ago. She took great notes on many topics but one point stood out to me. The presenter observed that …
So. . . what’s your novel about?
By Wendy Lawton
Wanna see a writer stand frozen with that deer-in-the-headlights look? Just ask them this question: “So. . . what’s your novel about?”
Here’s a list of the WRONG things to answer:
- An issue— “My book is
Why Book Pre-Orders Matter
Publishers will tell you that one of the best ways to build momentum for your upcoming book is to encourage pre-orders from readers. What’s the big deal about pre-orders?
Pre-orders are stockpiled and then counted officially as sales the first
…
Reading Groups and Why We Love Them
Writers, for the most part, are readers. And that means they have two reasons to feel fondness for reading groups: as a grand place to connect with fellow readers and discuss a book; as an author who knows connecting with …
Social Media Exhaustion: 9 Ways to Cope
Blogger: Michelle Ule
Sitting in for Rachelle Gardner
How do you deal with social media exhaustion?
By Airman 1st Class Devin N. Boyer [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsIf you’ve been working to promote yourself, build a platform, keep current …
Focus on Velocity Rather Than Sales Numbers
by Janet Kobobel Grant
We all care about how many copies our book sells, right? But who among us is thinking about sales velocity?
Velocity is created when you emphasize garnering significant sales for the day (or week) the book …
Why Write a Book Review?
Blogger: Michelle Ule
Sitting in for the traveling Rachelle Gardner.
Why do writers always want readers to write a book review?
What difference does it make?
A lot.