One of the most popular blog posts on AuthorImprints is this interview with book publicist Julia Drake of Wildbound PR. The questions Julia answers were asked by attendees at a book marketing panel discussion I moderated for the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC). Even though the event took place in 2012, the questions are timeless and Julia’s responses have been updated and contemporized for the 2017 book marketing landscape. More about Julia follows the interview. Q: Should … [Read more...]
How to Create a Press or Media Kit: Essential Content for New Book Authors
Even if you do not plan to pitch your book to traditional media, a press or media kit is both a useful addition to your website and a valuable exercise. As David Meerman Scott asks in his classic bestseller The New Rules of Marketing and PR: Reporters and editors use the Web to seek out interesting stories, people, and companies. Will they find you? You may have no plans—yet—to hire a publicist but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare a collection of information about you and your book. My … [Read more...]
Kindle Pre-Order Basics: 3 Important Things to Understand to Maximize the Benefits
One of the great advantages large publishers have over self-publishers—really anyone using KDP—is that they can offer their books for pre-order. This allows them to market the book and capture early interest in the form of book orders. Once the book is released the pending orders are fulfilled and the Amazon algorithms take over and potentially reward the book with a sales ranking that gives it even more visibility, ideally “best seller” status. Under perfect circumstances it becomes … [Read more...]
The Essential Guide to Running a Goodreads Giveaway
Goodreads Giveaways are a low-cost way to promote your book and solicit book reviews. And since every new book needs reviews, and a Goodreads Giveaway is free, it pays to make early and regular use of this important promotional tool (btw, this is for print books only, no eBooks allowed). In this brief guide I’ll explain the key benefits and steps to take to running a successful Goodreads Giveaway and link out to some additional wisdom you might find helpful. Why Run a Goodreads Giveaway and … [Read more...]
What to Expect from a Goodreads Giveaway
The challenge for most first book authors, especially those without a large pre-existing audience of followers, is to get their work in front of as many people as possible. An obvious reason is to get sales. But often more important in the early days of a book's release it’s getting reviews. This is where the Goodreads Giveaway program comes in. The cost: Free (other than copies of the book and shipping). The catch: You must have a print book (eBooks are not eligible). Author Lee Van Ham’s … [Read more...]
Book Reviewer Yellow Pages: An Unwieldy But Invaluable Resource
Are you someone who would rather rely on a physical book directory than an online directory? If so, I highly recommend this fourth edition of The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages: A Promotional Reference Guide for Authors and Small Publishers, Fourth Edition (formerly The Indie Book Reviewer Yellow Pages) but be sure to read my caveats below. Check out these stats: 8”x10” 1.75” thick 778 pages ~370 book review website profiles Each year the author sends out a query to websites that … [Read more...]
8 Ideas for Planning Your eBook Holiday Sales Strategy
I’ve read that holiday sales for some retailers account for as much as 40% of their annual revenue. Even if that number is inflated, us eBook publishers should be able to sell a few more books than our usual monthly average, right? Like any marketing effort it requires advance planning, and a budget. After all, sales during this period are no different than any other sale—it’s the theme that’s different. Let’s brainstorm a few ideas… As with any sale some of these work together, some are … [Read more...]
Amazon Blocked from Bookstores but the Door is Open to Professional Self-Publishers
One of the bigger industry stories to break this past weekend was Amazon’s so called retreat from traditional book publishing presumably because they can’t get their author’s books into bookstores. Amazon’s strategy seems to have run into 3 problems: Distribution to physical bookstores is still critical if you want mega-sales (70% of book sales are print books). The ranks of physical bookstores are decreasing (ironically, thanks to Amazon) giving existing bookstores more leverage. … [Read more...]
Where to Put Testimonial Blurbs in eBooks
The point of those short testimonial blurbs from experts or famous people is to convince you to buy the author’s book. She must be an expert! Look at what everyone is saying about her book! If you are shopping for a print book they can be invaluable. Sometimes placed on the front cover, certainly placed on the back cover, and often included in the front of the book, they are like a marketing brochure that travels around with your book. Without an online storefront the shopper often needs help … [Read more...]
How Publishers Can Create and Use Linkedin Company Pages to Form Relationships
Situated in the middle between authors and book retailers (Amazon!), book publishers must develop relationships with readers or face potential irrelevance. The key then for publishers is building an addressable audience that they can reach when it comes time to announce a new book, a new author relationship, or some other noteworthy news. That’s where Linkedin Company Pages come into play. Like other forms of permission marketing—email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.—your Linkedin company page … [Read more...]
