The Perfect Book Title

December 7, 2012 by 5 Comments
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Choosing your book’s title is one of the most important and most influential parts of the production process. The book title is the tool to connect with the audience. It is the medium through which readers’ brains make synapses that cause them to register the thought, “Hmmmm . . . I wonder what this is about.” The title is how your book will be known, recommended, and become a  become a pop-culture phenomenon! If I’ve gotten you nervous about picking the right title, calm down. Here are some questions to ask yourself to start narrowing it down to the perfect book title.   1) To subtitle or not to subtitle? First of all, the purpose of the MAIN title is… [read more]

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The 3 Top Reasons Readers Hate Good Books

September 26, 2012 by 1 Comment
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I was recently trying to get through a memoir. The writing was fine. The topic was interesting, but I wasn’t engaged as I thought I would be. All the signs were there that I would love this book. But it wasn’t working out. I quickly moved on to something else and haven’t thought about that book since. Not until this post anyway… It got me thinking: Why didn’t I like that book? Here’s why: I felt lost. The language, tone, style — all of it didn’t enhance my reading experience. A good book cradles my imagination or for nonfiction, thoughtfully leads me down a path I’m excited to explore. This book just couldn’t get me there. Here are the top… [read more]

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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: , , ,

5 Tips to Great Writing

July 16, 2012 by 2 Comments
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In the words of Richard Bach, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” Below are five tips to getting past the “I want to write a book” stage to “I’m on draft ____ of my book!” 1. Read, read, read! Before you become a famous writer, you should read the works of famous writers. Lots of writers with lots of variety. Pay attention to the different and subtle ways they connect with their audience. You might read two fantasy books, but one may be all about world building while the other is all about character building. Even though I love the fantasy genre, I know that I’m much more invested in character-driven plots than world-building plots, or rather I appreciate when authors are clever… [read more]

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3 Excuses Authors Use to Avoid Social Media

June 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Like most citizens of the universe, I have been aware of the explosion social media has created in human communication. I have seen how it has localized communities a world away, and created new communities. I have seen how it has allowed so many of my authors to connect with their readers in a direct way that was never before possible. Yet, for some reason, in this era when social media has progressed so many industries and entrepreneurs, I am still having conversations with some of my authors where I am convincing THEM to engage in social media. Let me repeat: I still sometimes have to convince my indie authors to engage in the platforms that have–for the first time… [read more]

Filed Under: Audience, Book Marketing, Literary Trends, Media, Motivational, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Indie-Author Marketing Pie: Bite-Sized Tips for Your Book’s Success

March 23, 2012 by 7 Comments
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“You mean I have to try to get on radio stations nationwide, and have a crazy-active Twitter account, and have a blog, and also do a blog tour, and have book signings, and worry about getting my book in bookstores, and have book reviews, and write a newsletter, and have a book trailer, and do speaking engagements, and what about a book launch? And sell it to my friends and have them do book clubs, and Facebook, and submit my books for awards, and how do I get readers? This is all so overwhelming!” We agree. It’s a big bite. When you’re an indie author and you try to swallow the whole big marketing pie, of course you’re not going… [read more]

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Oops…My Audience is Too Big

February 8, 2012 by 3 Comments
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Example conversation with an author whose audience is too big: Wise Ink (WI): So, you’ve written a nonfiction book on dating in the modern world. Who is your target audience? Author (A): Well, I think my book is really for everyone who wants to learn how to date by the rules of now. WI: No, but really, specifically, who are you trying to reach? A: Well…I guess men and women, ages 18 – 95. WI: Do you think men or women would be more likely to read it? A: Hmmm…I think it will probably be equal. WI: Okay, so do these people have any shared interests? A: They would probably be people interested in learning how to date by the… [read more]

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