Promote
Most authors find that Goodreads giveaways don’t help sales much. Nevertheless, they can be helpful in getting reviews and in building buzz. There’s lots of information available about how to set up giveaways, and there are a few simple best practices you...
Promote
You probably either love social media or hate it (OK, you probably hate it); either way, you need to know how to use it to promote your book. If you’re already using social media, good for you! If not, do some research, choose one platform to experiment with,...
Promote
Your mailing list is your most important asset. After your actual book, that is. You can use it to build a rapport with your audience, announce upcoming events, build a buzz for your book, request blurbs and reviews, launch a crowdfunded campaign, ask your audience...
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“Long-lead PR” means public relations activities that have a long lead-time—they take awhile to set up. Magazine articles are a typical example. Most national and high-end regional magazines plan their content at least six months before they publish it, so...
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It’s hard to beat crowdfunding as a means of engaging your audience and getting the word out, because people who contribute to your project think of it as their baby, and want it to succeed. In fact, some people use crowdfunding not so much to raise money...
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The time to engage your audience is well before your book comes out. Think, for a moment, of your book as a person — let’s say a baby being born. The birth day (or launch) will be much more successful if everyone participating already knows the parents, and has...
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What’s the difference between a blurb and a review? Blurbs are short, pithy statements about your book; reviews are more comprehensive, and are typically done by established reviewing entities. Reviews, including the consumer reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, can...
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Having your book reviewed by credible sources can help sales to bookstores and libraries. Timing is important here, because most reviewers need to see your book well before it has been published. Also, if you want to include the review (or an excerpt) on your book...
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It’s a huge thrill when your book wins an award! They come in all shapes and sizes, from ones that are highly respected in the publishing industry to scammy ones that are essentially money-makers for the award company — taking authors’ money and not...
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And Why Do I Need It? I knew I was supposed to “build a buzz” about my book, but I didn’t really understand why, let alone how to do it. That’s because I didn’t really understand PR—but I did know that lots of smart, experienced people thought it was important. My...
