Plan
There’s lots of helpful info here in the Bay Area Independent Publishers panel presentation, “The Real Life of Selfies (Self-Published Authors).” My talk about the “Five Things I’ve Learned about How to Launch Your Book” runs from...
Plan
Here’s a good problem to have: Let’s say your book launch is wildly successful. You’ve written a great book, received glowing reviews, created a big buzz, enticed 200 of your best friends to attend the launch event, and convinced them all to buy two...
Plan
I was terrified about reading in public when I first started. Yes, terrified! As in sweaty hands, red face, big knot in my stomach — well, maybe that’s too much information. But if you’re going to get your work out there, you have to be willing to read it....
Plan
When I think of author events, I imagine an author reading in a bookstore — many bookstores — as part of a grand tour. I’ve attended these events for big-name authors, and I figure if they do it to promote their books, it’s got to be a good idea, right?...
Plan
Lots of smart people have done lots of testing to figure out what works best on a website. Although you don’t need to follow all these “rules,” it’s a good idea to be aware of best practices. Keep it Simple. You have fewer than ten seconds to...
Plan
Congratulations! Your launch was a success. You’ve received reviews and accolades, developed and executed a marketing plan, coordinated with a promotional partner, blogged and had a book tour, podcasted and talked about your book on the radio a few times. You had a...
Plan
It’s important to get in the mood. You’ll need to transition from writing (which is an interior process) to event-planning (which is outer-focused). What helped me make the transition was considering the Who/What/When/Where/Why of my launch party. Why? Celebration:...
Plan
Connecting with a promotional partner who has the same target audience as your book does can be a brilliant move. Your partner might provide publicity opportunities (access to a mailing list; promotion in their newsletter, on their website, at conferences or events)...
Plan
… and plan to pace yourself. I didn’t, and I hope you can learn from my mistakes. Like many writers, I’m an introvert; author appearances were even more draining than I’d anticipated. I had more than a dozen author events for Lost, Kidnapped, Eaten Alive!, and...
Plan
What do you want from your book? How much time, money, and effort are you willing to invest in it? You might simply want to publish the novel you’ve been working on for a decade, and have no interest in selling actual books (perhaps you’d rather start writing your...
