I’ve been keeping an eye on a recent trend in the indie publishing community — paid reviews (and family/friends reviews) and the controversy surrounding them. But I fail to see why it’s such a hot topic. On one hand, when I see people asking the question of whether or not it’s okay for authors to … Read more
(The original version of this article—adapted and augmented here—was published in the IBPA Independent in November 2011) I attended college at the University of Virginia, one of a relatively small group of schools (including all the military academies) with an honor code, and one of the very few whose code is totally student-administered. The terms … Read more
I weighed in on a publishing forum post a few weeks back. One commenter said: I know of an author whose book launches this summer with one of the top publishers, top editors in the industry. The book is truly phenomenal. The publisher is even putting money behind a tour (sounds antiquated). But the author … Read more
When you publish your own book with the intention of selling it, you should always have a marketing plan. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen indie authors make is assuming they don’t need one. They just wing it or rely on a low price or a single distribution outlet to cover all of their … Read more
Book marketing and book publicity aren’t afterthoughts to writing your book or e-book. You should be thinking about book marketing before you even sit down and begin writing. While pre-launch book marketing efforts are important for all authors, they’re especially vital to indie authors. Because indie publishing means you’re going into business and bringing your … Read more
Let’s go over some common components of the author (or book) media kit. While most of these will work for a hard copy media kit / press kit, let’s focus on online author media kits (those in newsroom formats on your website or downloadable .pdf files). Author Media Kit Components – Essential Author bio Published … Read more
Most authors and publishers these days understand that online book promotion is important, whether for a new release or encouraging sales of existing titles. Blogger relations can play a significant role in the success, or lack thereof, of your online book marketing efforts. Blogger relations is a topic somewhat regularly discussed among PR and social … Read more
Does the thought of having to travel across the country (or further) to deal with interviews and book signings make you cringe as an author? Would you rather be home working on your next book instead? The good news is that virtual publicity tours have been picking up steam for a while now in the … Read more
Before you can think about promoting your book, you have to identify your target market – the people most likely to buy your book. Why? Because if you don’t properly target your audience, you’ll waste time and money on ineffective marketing or promotional tactics. Planning is as important in marketing a book as it is … Read more
How much should you charge for your e-book? How do you set your e-book’s price? There’s no single right answer for every person or every e-book. However, there are a few factors that every e-book author should consider when setting a price that works for them: 1. What You Need to Earn Start by thinking … Read more