Resources Archives - Page 13 of 18

23 January, 2013

7 myths about being an author

By Grael Norton|2023-06-09T11:33:23-07:00January 23, 2013|Marketing, Publishing, Resources, Writing|Comments Off on 7 myths about being an author

Ever dream about becoming an author? Today it’s easier than ever. And I will be first in line to encourage you to pursue your dream. But making your dream come true means one also takes into account the cost, the reality, and the practicality of how to make that dream actually happen.

The following seven “dream-busting” myths are not meant to discourage you but rather to toughen you up for the exhilarating but often difficult journey almost every author encounters.

1. Publishing a book will make you an instant celebrity. The truth is, it may make you a celebrity in your circle of family and friends but there’s a lot of book competition. In 2011, three million books were published in the United States and the count has been doubling, tripling, rising steadily every year.

2. Becoming a published author will make you rich. The average book sells 500 copies. That’s an average. […]

5 January, 2013

9 guerilla book marketing survival tips for bestselling authors

By Sam Henrie|2023-06-09T11:33:41-07:00January 5, 2013|Marketing, Resources|Comments Off on 9 guerilla book marketing survival tips for bestselling authors

Ever wonder how popular authors seem to be everywhere at once and still have time to write another bestseller? Super authors do not have magic powers. What they do have, though, are a few secret weapons in their arsenal that keep them on the front lines while giving them time to type away on their laptops in the back.

Here are nine book marketing survival tips and tricks they use that make a difference:

1. Basic strategic planning is number one on their list. Getting to the top by luck might happen to a few authors once in a decade. Most of them, though, carefully calculated what it would take, mapped out a strategy, and kept to it. Many of these authors had a coach or special mentor that advised them. Others simply read and studied what worked for other authors and implemented those actions into their own battle plan.

2. Budgeted their […]

4 January, 2013

The secret to selling more books like Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

By Support@wheatmark.com|2023-06-09T11:33:46-07:00January 4, 2013|Marketing, Resources|Comments Off on The secret to selling more books like Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

Here are five ways to promote your books nonstop, following the bookselling successes of Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, authors of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series.

1. Believe in your book even when no one else does.

It’s always fun to look back after success and smile with satisfaction. The difficulty is keeping up that smile in the beginning when victory is nowhere in sight. Holding a mental picture in your mind of what success will look like is one of the things that Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen used to keep them going. They actually took a cover of their own book, clipped off a New York Times bestseller image from another book, and pasted it on their own book cover. This simple “magic” trick of illusion implemented strongly in their mind a vision of success.

You can do the same. Before you lose hope with your […]

21 December, 2012

19 Pinterest board topics for authors

By Grael Norton|2023-06-09T11:33:55-07:00December 21, 2012|Marketing, Resources, Social Media|Comments Off on 19 Pinterest board topics for authors

More and more authors, libraries, and publishers are finding creative ways to use Pinterest to draw in new readers. Even the big players like Random House and Scholastic have pin boards that are actively pinned and promoted.

This got me thinking about different board topics that authors might use to promote themselves. I decided to create a small list of topics that would give authors newly jumping onto the Pinterest platform a source of ideas.

Once I got started, I found that there were more topics than I ever dreamed of. Dozens and dozens of creative ways that authors were pinning themselves with reckless delight and abandon for book promotion. Most of these authors, libraries, or publishers have 30, 40, or 50 boards each, so I’m only including a few boards that struck me the most. Specifically, those that closely tie into book promotion.

This list then […]

20 December, 2012

Make Goodreads a part of your book marketing strategy for 2013

By Grael Norton|2023-06-09T11:34:09-07:00December 20, 2012|Marketing, Publishing, Resources, Social Media|Comments Off on Make Goodreads a part of your book marketing strategy for 2013

I had a friend once who carefully and patronizingly explained to me that if you want to catch fish you have to go where the fish are. The more fish, he stated, the easier it is to get a nibble and make a catch. As an author, if you want more readers you had better follow this same advice, pack up your book tackle and head on over to Goodreads and lay down some hooks.

If you’re not experienced with Goodreads you’re in for a surprise. It’s sort of like the super mall of the universe for readers. It was created in December of 2006 by Otis Chandler as a privately run cataloging site for books. One year later it had over 650,000 members and over 10,000,000 books in its system. Now, five years later, the numbers are astounding. 330 million books have been rated. It has almost […]

7 December, 2012

9 book marketing tips for introverts

By Sam Henrie|2023-06-09T11:34:15-07:00December 7, 2012|Marketing, Resources|Comments Off on 9 book marketing tips for introverts

Surprisingly, some of the best book marketing done today is done by introverts. It’s not how loud you shout your message but how well you spread it. Here are nine tips to get the word out about your book without appearing before a camera, holding a microphone, or standing on a stage.

1. Create a book marketing strategy that you will enjoy the most. If it’s interesting and fun, you’ll do it.

2. Pick a marketing project that is within your comfort zone. I know there’s a lot of self-help advice that says if you don’t get out of your comfort zone you won’t get ahead. Well, that’s one bit of advice. Here’s another just as powerful: Better to do something than nothing.

3. Create a blog. Most introverts have no problem writing and sharing in print. If this is you, then blogging is the perfect medium to get the word out. […]

4 December, 2012

Free photo images for your author website

By Support@wheatmark.com|2023-06-09T11:35:04-07:00December 4, 2012|Marketing, Resources, Social Media, Writing|Comments Off on Free photo images for your author website

Are you wondering whether it’s worth the trouble to add photo images to your author blog posts? You don’t have to wonder any more. The results are in. A recent study by Skyword revealed that a relevant photograph or infographic added to a published article increased total views by 94%.

Have you noticed how shared photos on Facebook receive a lot more comments and likes than just a text status update?

With that kind of information in your back pocket it’s a total no-brainer that adding images is a “must do” task for any blog post you write.

Here’s a list of free great photo resources.

10 Free Photo Image Sites

Morguefile.com: “The morgue file contains free high resolution digital stock photographs and reference images for either corporate or public use.” Plus, you “are allowed to copy, distribute, transmit the work and to adapt the work. Attribution is not […]

29 November, 2012

How to sell more books during the Christmas season

By Support@wheatmark.com|2023-06-09T11:35:33-07:00November 29, 2012|Marketing, Resources|Comments Off on How to sell more books during the Christmas season

Christmas is a wonderful time to gift someone with a book. It’s also a wonderful time to encourage others to give books to their friends and family. Below are 15 ideas for how to sell more books during the holiday season.

1. Mention that your book will make a great holiday gift idea on your blog, twitter, or ezine.

2. Offer to autograph books for Christmas giving.

3. Have a Christmas contest and give away a free book for Christmas.

4. Offer free Christmas gift-wrapping for your books that you sell from your website.

5. Sell your books at Christmas bazaars and events. Give a share of the proceeds to the cause.

6. Partner with two or more authors to promote each other’s books at Christmas with a special e-message. Each author sends the book promotion to his or her list for added exposure.

7. Offer special Christmas bonus with your book: free report, audio, a special […]

28 November, 2012

28 press release sites for authors

By Sam Henrie|2023-06-09T11:35:39-07:00November 28, 2012|Marketing, Resources|Comments Off on 28 press release sites for authors

Getting media coverage is all about developing relationships. This is why when sending out press releases or news releases it is usually best to start with your local media. You will have a much better chance of making a connection. To get started, make a list of all the top TV stations, news radio stations and newspapers in your city. You can use newslink.org to find a state and national listing of US newspapers, radio and TV.

Once you have targeted a media website to send a release, look for a link such as “Contact us,” “News tips,” or “Submit press release.” If you can’t find a link or an email, call the news department and ask who you can email or fax a press release to directly. Many news sites have forms that you can paste your press release into and and submit it. Once you have […]

26 November, 2012

Author news release headlines that get noticed

By Grael Norton|2023-06-09T11:35:45-07:00November 26, 2012|Marketing, Resources, Writing|Comments Off on Author news release headlines that get noticed

The purpose of this article is to help writers create news release headlines for their books. This is part three of the series ‘Sell more books with news releases.’

A news release to a media outlet is not a sales letter to promote your book. It’s a one-page presentation to get an interview or share something newsworthy. Your headline should deliver the message that you have something of value that the editor will want.

Your mission is not to sell books at this point but to help the editor, reporter, or blogger with a story, message, helpful tip or information that their followers will be interested in.

Editors will often get a hundred or more news releases a day. They barely have time to scan the headlines. If a headline is interesting enough they will move on to the first sentence and, if that is intriguing enough, take in the whole paragraph.

A […]