Why Your Book Isn’t Selling (Part One)

May 14, 2013 by 5 Comments
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This week Amy and I are on cloud nine. The launch of Wise Ink as a full-service publishing option for authors is going swell. We’re working with authors and doing what we do best. In the process we’ve encountered more book marketing questions than ever. Let’s just say this right off the bat: It’s hard to market anything. Book marketing is especially challenging for two reasons. 1. Competition is steep and 2. The road to “success” is long (and slow) One author I talked to recently was particularly frustrated that her marketing efforts weren’t working. “I’m giving up if something drastic doesn’t happen this year,” she said to me. I understood where she was coming from. There’s that point when… [read more]

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

Guest Post: Authors and the Art of Self-Promotion, by Rachael Oku

April 25, 2013 by 1 Comment
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Authors and the Art of Self-Promotion by Rachel Oku   In every industry, the cliché goes that you have to “pay your dues” before you can make it. Is this really true of writing? Recently published author Rachael Oku wonders. . . . If someone told me I’d be a published author within five years when I graduated college in 2008, I’d have laughed in their face. If someone told me I’d be a published author within five years when I graduated college in 2008, I’d have laughed in their face. Surely I’d have to labour over my ideas and live as a tortured artist in order to hone my craft? Not so. In this the digital age, it’s easier… [read more]

Filed Under: Authorpreneur, Book Launch, Book Marketing, Branding, Guest Post, Motivational, Pitching, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Author Interview: Indie Author Genese Davis’s Gamer Fiction, “The Holder’s Dominion”

March 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
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This week, we (electronically) sat down with one of our favorite indie authors, Genese Davis, to talk about her journey in indie-publishing!   On March 1, 2013, Davis released her very first novel, The Holder’s Dominion, a new-adult gamer-fiction title. Though Davis never thought she would become a gamer—nevermind a gaming enthusiast—she discovered the world of gaming as an adult through Final Fantasy XI, and has since cracked the top 100 in the world for her class in World of Warcraft. Her experiences in gaming laid the groundwork for The Holder’s Dominion, a book meant to encourage excitement around the gaming world.       Genese, please tell us a little bit about yourself. I grew up in Santa Fe,… [read more]

Filed Under: Author Interview, Authorpreneur, Book Launch, Branding, Indie Publishing, Literary Trends, Publishers Weekly, Self-publishing, Thought Leader Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to Creatively Market Your E-Book: An Interview with Author Julia Tagliere

December 10, 2012 by 3 Comments
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Today we’re excited to share an interview with author Julia Tagliere. Her book Widow Woman was just released as an e-book and we were thrilled when she recently shared with us some of her marketing strategies.   We’ve always had the belief that e-book authors should be as zealous with marketing as “tree book” authors. Julia is a wonderful example of an author who has done it right. Her marketing plans are just as agressive, thoughtful, and consistent as they would be with a printed book. In the video we discuss how: Social media is a key tool for marketing your e-book. Julia uses Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Goodreads, her blog, and because her book audience is primarily female, also uses Pinterest…. [read more]

Filed Under: Author Interview, Book Launch, eBooks, Self-publishing Tagged With: , , , ,

The Single Best Way to Sell Books Without Trying

October 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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One of the biggest surprises since my book was released a month ago has been discovering how ineffective traditional marketing and media has been. The stuff that traditional publishers do to market books, doesn’t work in the same ways for indie authors. In fact, we would argue that some things you should steer clear of all together. Press releases, newspaper outreach, and radio show appearances haven’t worked…yet. But I’ve been able to sell the most books through one tool: Live Events I’m not talking about book signings, although I’ve had one and I sold a nice number of books. But, I’m talking about a live event that you host very soon after your book is released. It can look any… [read more]

Filed Under: Authorpreneur, Book Launch, Book Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

What I Did to Launch My Book in its First Seven Days

October 5, 2012 by 20 Comments
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It’s here!! My book The Indie Author Revolution is finally in print. I can’t help but cringe just a little that my words will be read by at least a few people (mom, dad, hubby, grandma) and I no longer have it on my computer screen to scrutinize in private. I always tell authors I work with that this is the real work — marketing your book. There’s no break from writing and publishing — you’ve got to get your book in front of as many people as possible from the beginning. I’ve advised hundreds on what to do. Confession: now that it’s my turn, I can’t say that I’d give myself an A+ in my first week of marketing,… [read more]

Filed Under: Authorpreneur, Book Launch, Book Marketing, Self-publishing Tagged With: , ,

Viva La Indie! ‘The Indie Author Revolution’ by Dara M. Beevas

September 28, 2012 by 5 Comments
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      It’s not a trend.   It’s not a fad.   It’s not deniable.   It’s the age of the indie author. Above: Dara M. Beevas. Photo by Bridget Marchesi I (Amy) live in a career (yes, that verb choice was intentional—I brainstorm about my authors in my sleep!) where I am constantly surrounded and inspired by creative, innovative, driven people who write books for hundreds of reasons and for innumerable audiences. One of the most inspiring authors I’ve come across? One particular author motivated to write for the audience described above—the audience of creative, innovative, driven people who just need to know how to navigate the crooked, difficult, and infinitely rewarding path of independent authorship. Last night, I… [read more]

Filed Under: Authorpreneur, Book Launch, Indie Publishing, Literary Trends, Motivational, Pub. Industry, Self-publishing, Traditional Publishing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

35 Ways to Engage Your Book Audience in the First 90 Days

September 19, 2012 by 6 Comments
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Your book is about to drop and you need a marketing plan fast? After you use our handy outline to start the book marketing process, remember: marketing is about engaging your audience consistently. Consider your readership a vision of beauty across the room waiting for YOU to swoop in and woo her…or him. Your audience has to find you, discover your book, and then become devoted readers. In order to get them there, as a savvy authorpreneur, you’ll have to do some courting. So let the road to engagement begin! Here are thirty-five fool-proof tips that you should implement in the first 90 days to show your readers that you’re in it with them for the long haul: 1. Ask. Ask… [read more]

Filed Under: Authorpreneur, Book Launch, Book Marketing, Self-publishing Tagged With: , , ,

An Indie Author’s Best Kept Secret: The Ultimate Pre-Publishing Checklist

July 25, 2012 by 4 Comments
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Not quite ready to publish? Still tying up your loose ends? Here’s a checklist to make sure you’ve thought of everything prior to jumping into publishing Whether you’re indie publishing or targeting agents, you should still establish a web presence, research competition, and network. Bottomline: it doesn’t matter how you intend to publish your book. Your foundation is essentially the same. Here are the basic tasks that you should add to your to-do list to give your book the best possible start.   Write your book and self edit Start interviewing and researching mentoring presses (DIY authors should interview editors, book designers, and proofreaders) or literary agents that compliment your book’s genre Draft a publishing plan to guide your publishing… [read more]

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The Secret to Becoming an Amazon Bestseller in 4 Fool-Proof Steps

June 20, 2012 by 2 Comments
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This guest post is by Ken Thurber, author of Big Wave Surfing and Do NOT Invent Buggy Whips   Many authors hope that their book will become a bestseller. The harsh reality: it’s not impossible to accomplish this feat but it is very improbable. This blog post will examine the reality of becoming a bestselling author. One would think that best sellers are books that sell the most copies. But, my research has indicated that traditional retailers don’t exactly operate that way. There is no question that big publishers influence the best seller lists. Dirty truth: Best seller lists are compiled by surveying the sales from a selection of retailers. If you are not able to sell your book through the specific outlets… [read more]

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