Writing the Ten-Minute Blog

April 30, 2012 by 5 Comments
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Yes, this blog post is being written for purely selfish reasons. And yes, we sometimes need a get-quick solution for producing a blog post fast. For the record, this blog was created in ten minutes to prove that this can be done. So, when all else fails and you need a blog fast, here are our tricks of the trade that never fail. 1. Event/Photo Post. If you’re somewhere cool, like at a book fair, festival, concert, food truck–anywhere that you don’t frequent regularly–post a picture as your post. Include a caption, ask a couple questions, or for a twist invite your readers to submit a caption if the photo is funny or quirky. 2. Video Post. If there’s a… [read more]

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , ,

The 5 Principles to Book Reviews and Endorsements

April 27, 2012 by 2 Comments
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In the book world, reviews and endorsements are extremely important… Both official reviews and unofficial consumer reviews are vital to a book’s launch into the market. Readers are becoming more and more dependent on reviews of all kinds when choosing which books to buy, and bookstore buyers tend to look at a book without reviews as less professional—but, of course, it depends on how the reviews are handled. Below is a list of the five principles for review/endorsement submissions! 1. Don’t solely target traditional book reviewers and book bloggers, such as Kirkus Book Reviews, Publishers Weekly, or Bookslut.com.  These sources receive tons of submissions every week, and while a review from one of these places will speak highly for your book, it… [read more]

Filed Under: Audience, Pitching, Planning, Pub. Industry, Query Letter, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Printing Galleys 101

April 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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To Galley or Not to Galley? It’s certainly our experience that readers pay attention to books that have been endorsed by people they respect. So how do you get one of those blurbs on your book? One way is to send galleys to the people that you want to endorse your book. A galley proof or galley, also referred to as an advanced reader copy or ARC, is a bound proof of your manuscript produced at least two to three months prior to printing. A printed galley (you can create a digital galley) looks just like a book with a cover and book binding, except there’s usually a notice on the front cover that reads “Uncorrected Bound Galleys. Not For Sale.”… [read more]

Filed Under: Book Marketing, Planning Tagged With: , , ,

11 Powerful Networking Groups for Authors

April 23, 2012 by 1 Comment
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We live in one of the best cities for networking–Minneapolis. Speakers, small business owners, young professionals, seniors, women, and bloggers all have networking groups with impressive attendance. The more successful authors we meet, the more we’ve discovered that networking is an integral part of an indie author’s trek to name recognition. We asked several authors, friends, and publishing industry folks which networking groups were key for helping an author market their books with speaking engagements, book selling opportunities, and good ole fashioned word-of-mouth promotion and answers poured in. Several networking groups probably just exist in your city. We looked for groups that can be found in major cities all over the country and general groups that continually prove supportive for… [read more]

Filed Under: Book Marketing, Speaking Tagged With: , ,

20 Memorable Quotes on Writing and Publishing from Famous Creatives

April 20, 2012 by 2 Comments
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Happy Friday! Phew—how was your week? We had an awesome week filled with humbly helping and serving some incredibly creative, brilliant, and talented people to navigate the world of writing, publishing, and marketing. But sometimes…you just need some advice from the greats. The list below is compiled of some of the best quotes we know on writing and publishing  from famous creatives. Enjoy! “To write is human, to edit is divine.” -Stephen King “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; the editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” -Mark Twain “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” -Ernest Hemingway “All I’m writing is just what… [read more]

Filed Under: Motivational, Quotes, Storytelling, Writing, Writing Tips Tagged With: , ,

Pinterest: How Indie Author Teresa Fritschi Uses it to Market

April 18, 2012 by 1 Comment
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This Guest Post is by Teresa Fritschi, author of All That I Need Marketing your Indie book – authors, get ready for some heavy lifting with Pinterest. Over the last six months the ascent of Pinterest has come almost equal to the dominance of Twitter and Facebook. You have likely asked yourself “what is all the noise about?”  So I did. I asked. Except that unlike you metaphorically asking, I naively posed my query to syndicated radio talk show host @carol_mcmanus, The Linkedin Lady, and her Wednesday afternoon co-host @KenHerron.  What? You mean you didn’t hear that vortex sucking sound come through your computers’ speakers? Astonishing.  If you are inclined to listen to the following week can be heard here.  … [read more]

Filed Under: Book Marketing, Guest Post, Self-publishing Tagged With: , , ,

5 Signs Your Presentation is Weak

April 16, 2012 by 3 Comments
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If you’re thinking about writing a book or are already published, speaking is a surefire way to grow your readership. It establishes you as an expert and it’s a solid strategy to become connected with diverse groups of people who you might not reach otherwise.   From the earliest days of working with authors, we learned two things early: Authors should be speakers. And speakers should be authors. I (Dara) just completed a six-month Speak and Get Results Boot Camp and I have to say, I’ll never be the same again. Before this class (and I’m not too ashamed to admit it) I wasn’t as good a speaker as I thought I was. In fact, I was a weak speaker…. [read more]

Filed Under: Book Marketing, Planning, Speaking Tagged With: , ,

5 Ways to Save Money in Self-Publishing (and NOT Compromise Quality!)

April 13, 2012 by 5 Comments
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Becoming an indie author is a big investment. We understand—we help indie authors manage their publishing budgets every day. While the general rule of “you get what you pay for” is definitely true when it comes to indie publishing/self publishing, there are some tricks that indie publishers know that can help you save money. 1. Hire a editor to write a critique before a full edit. A seasoned and fastidious editor will be able to spend a few hours to read through your manuscript and write a thorough critique of the strengths and weaknesses. If you effectively use this criticism and apply it to your manuscript throughout, you will have saved many hours (and dollars) in the editor’s job of… [read more]

Filed Under: Book Marketing, Design, eBooks, Editing, Planning, Revising, Self-publishing, Social Media, Writing Tagged With: , ,

Got Apps? Five Apps Authors Should Add to Their Toolkit

April 11, 2012 by 2 Comments
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Ease on Down the Aisle—The App Store Aisle! If you have an Android phone, iPhone, iPad, or iPod take the time to peruse the Android or iTunes app store for the latest and greatest writing-related apps. I’ll assume you have the basic must-have apps: Google, iBooks, Nook,  Kindle, and Wikipedia. Here are more of our favorites to jumpstart your app shopping; most are free, and none are more than $2.00. WordPress WordPress has quickly become the most preferred platform for bloggers. The WordPress phone app is complete with the ability to upload your blog post, highlight the location from where you’ve uploaded it, and insert high resolution photos. If you think blogging is not for you, the ability to do… [read more]

Filed Under: Planning, Technology, Writing Tips Tagged With: , , ,

10 Twitter Lists Every Author Should Follow

April 9, 2012 by 8 Comments
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One of our favorite tools for authors are Twitter Lists. Looking for expert advice on book marketing, publishing tools, trends, writing, and blogging? Add Twitter Lists to your repertoire of tricks to keep you informed. If you’re an author who uses Twitter, we recommend creating lists as a tactful way to network and also to spread your insight about who you think should be followed. Creating lists on Twitter raises your profile and is the secret weapon of marketing aficionados and those with a platform. Here is a comprehensive listing of 10 impeccable Twitter Lists created by thought leaders and experts who offer enriching tips and links helpful to authors. For the record, you can find other lists by tracking… [read more]

Filed Under: Book Marketing, Pub. Industry, Social Media Tagged With: , , ,
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