As a designer, I meet a lot of authors that are confused as to their publishing options. Not a surprise. Publishing has changed dramatically. My primary advice is “Do your homework BEFORE you sign on the dotted line!” Jane Friedman has done an excellent job in simplifying the various publishing paths. She has provided a […]
How Authors need to be promoting themselves
“There’s a very simple rule: 90% of your content should not be about yourself or your book. You should be sharing other people’s posts, researching and finding useful information online, helping out people solve problems, and making positive relationships by providing value.” — Derek Murphy, Creative Indie The problem that most authors have is “soap-boxing” their […]
Book Trailers: How to create an effective book trailer
You’ve seen the enticements on TV when a slew of new movies are soon to be released. The ominous TV voice, spewing forth enticements for you to venture out and watch the next blockbuster film– beckoning you like a siren’s song –triggering the overwhelming desire to relinquish hard earned cash for 2 hours of visual […]
Blake Crouch, Author of Wayward Pines, Snowbound and RUN
I am thrilled to have as my guest this week, BLAKE CROUCH. Widely popular author of such thrillers as ‘ABANDON’, and ‘RUN’. We discussed Blake’s latest book “RUN”. To call this book a thriller is an understatement. An excellent read, RUN pulls the reader into the flight of one family trying to stay alive in a world is inexplicably inflicting mass Genocide.
Interview with Award-Winning Author, Andy Martello
King of Casinos ~ Willie Martello and the El Rey Club You started the project when you discovered the primary character, Willie Martello, had the same last name as yours. I am sure it started as sheer curiosity at first to see if he was a relation but what enticed you to go to the […]
Wholesale Discounts: Create Space vs. Ingram Spark
An Expanded Distribution Channel (EDC) offers authors access to a larger audience: online retailers, bookstores, libraries*, academic institutions*, and other US distributors. However, Create Space is not a distributor, not really. They utilize Ingram Distribution for their “expanded” service. *You must use a Create Space ISBN to be included in their EDC for libraries and […]
Interview with Author, Kimberly Wenzler
Many people don’t start out as writers nor do they have training. For many it is a love of reading, and so it is with Kimberly Wenzler. When I sat down with her, we discussed the typical writing formulas and idea generators. I soon found this remarkable woman extremely talented and funny. As you […]
Amazon Buy Button Hurting Authors and Publishers
The Amazon Buy Button. It isn’t something we really think about, whether as a customer or as a seller (author / publisher). On May 9, 2017, Amazon rolled out a new policy regarding the way in which it promotes listings in the Amazon Buy Button on a book’s homepage. This can severely hurt publishers and […]
Marketing Health: Pinpointing Marketing Problems
What is your Mid-Year Marketing Health Measurement? Marketing Health: When a helicopter is at rest, the dials on its dashboard are all askew with arrows pointing in different directions. However, when that helicopter is flying straight and level, with no problems, all the arrows are pointing straight up. The pilot can glance at the instrument […]