Marketing for Writers

Discover Your Author’s Brand

April 27, 2013
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Branding is a simple concept. For an author, in a nutshell, it’s what people expect when they hear your name attached to a book (or story). If you think of the name Mark Twain, or Stephen King, or Toni Morrison, or J.R.R. Tolkien . . . many things likely pop into your head. For me,…

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Proper Persistence for Writers – Or How Long Should I Keep Trying To Get Published?

April 6, 2013
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In emerging-writer discussions, I often hear versions of this question: How long do I keep trying if I’m not seeing any results in my pitches to agents or publishing houses? There are many ways to approach the answer. You can just buy into Winston Churchill’s advice to youngsters: “Never give in. Never give in. Never,…

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Alert to Writers Using Facebook for Marketing

November 6, 2012
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Facebook is no longer as free and open as you may think. Did you know that the average post you do on Facebook now reaches only 12%–14% of your friends? The FB marketing director defended this, saying, “There are pieces of content you create that are interesting, and there’s some that are not.” Per their…

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How Authors Can Help a Publisher Promote a Book

October 25, 2012
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Of course, if you self-publish, you are both author and publisher. Then you’d also do standard “publisher” marketing tasks: send review copies to key review periodicals, sites, and influential people; design a standard catalog sheet or flyer with key specs, summary, and order/availability details; create any additional sales tools (postcards, shelf cards, etc.); make sure…

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Simultaneous Submissions (Should I or Shouldn’t I?)

September 20, 2012
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I’ve often heard writers ask whether they should follow a “no simultaneous submissions” policies, as requested by some publishers. The question of multiple submissions, also call simultaneous submissions, is daunting to an emerging writer. Here is how the policy is often stated: Please do not send us work which is also being submitted elsewhere. We…

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Book Club Discussion Questions – A Great Example from a Mystery Writer

January 21, 2012
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I like to use this blog to share good examples of things that book authors (and/or their publishers) can do to market their books. I recently ran across this online list of book-club discussion questions, a reader’s guide for a mystery book by Dee Garretson, author of The Gargoyle in the Seine. What did I…

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Virtual Book Presentations for Authors – Using Skype and YouTube

August 19, 2011
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Given the availability of easy-to-use and inexpensive technologies, here are two great ways to present your work personally to far-flung audiences. 1. Skype Barbara Techel is the author of  Class Act: Sell More Books Through School and Library Author Appearances. You can order this great book on doing school and library presentations for under $10…

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How to Attend a Book Launch for a Friend’s New Book

November 20, 2010
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A reader of this blog asked the following excellent question: Hi, I’m invited to a book launch party this evening. I believe my friend self-published. I was wondering what the protocol was for such an event? It is being held in her home. Do I purchase the book there? Do I bring a gift? I…

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Book Launch for Historical Novel, by Hilda Demuth-Lutze

June 8, 2010
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Here is a guest post with more good tips for a great book launch, by author Hilda Demuth-Lutze. Hilda shares details of a successful event (in Valparaiso, Indiana) earlier this spring to launch her historical novel Kingdom of the Birds. Subtitled: Seppel and the Secret of the Wartburg Castle, the book is published by Kirk…

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Of Book Launches and Chocolate, by Leona Wisoker

April 22, 2010
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Here is a guest post with excellent tips for a great book launch, by author Leona Wisoker. Leona shares some details of a very successful event (in Williamsburg, VA) to launch her first fantasy novel, Secrets of the Sands, published by Mercury Retrograde Press. She also showcased several artists, and a massage therapist. One artist…

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