Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 34

Digital Marketing Tips For Authors

Learning digital marketing tips for authors can really boost your visibility as a writer. If you think that writing is your only job, yet dream of being a successfully published author, it might be time to get your head out of the clouds.

An author who only writes is like a swimmer who only floats but forgets to move their arms and legs or a store owner who sells their wares but fails to charge money for them.

Marketing tips for authors - we've all got something to learn.

The reality of publishing a book in today's landscape is that as well as being a fantastic writer, you also need to be a publicist, marketer, PR guru, and so much more.

It can be challenging to wear so many hats at once, but if you want to enjoy the most significant success, you need to figure out how to juggle all these different demands. If you struggle with the digital marketing side of things, here are some useful tips:

Begin ASAP

The earlier you create and begin to implement a digital marketing strategy, the better. Even when your book is just in its formative stages, you can start building your author brand and reaching out to your audience. It takes time to find a following so consider now who your book is for and why they would find it valuable, and then find that audience online and start to communicate with them.

Invest as much as you can

To build your professional brand, you need to be willing to invest in yourself. Don't just blindly start building a website and putting content out there. Take time to consider what it is you want to communicate, what you can bring to the marketplace, what problems you can solve. Offering consistent value will help to build an audience and generate more interest in your work.

Figure out what your audience wants

If you want your digital marketing efforts to be fruitful, it's best not to go for a scattergun approach. The better you know your intended audience, the easier it will be to see which social media platforms you should focus on and what it takes to engage them. Remember, you don't have to do everything all at once.

Identify some goals to work towards

Establishing clear goals will help keep you working productively and effectively and give you something to focus on. Prioritize your goals and work out what steps you need to take to achieve them. This will help shape the time spent online and make sure your marketing efforts are aligned with what you want to achieve.

Remember that little and often works best!

Don't be disheartened if your social media posts don't go viral, you only get a couple of blog comments, and no one clicks on your ad. You have to accept that digital marketing takes time and small efforts still count. Be consistent and persistent, and you will slowly but surely make readers more aware of who you are and what you have to offer.

If your true passion is writing, it can feel overwhelming to have to think of the other side of things. However, by making an effort with your digital marketing, you can build an audience and expose more people to your book - so it is well worth it!

Now you've learned some digital marketing tips, why not read about tips for email marketing campaigns?

Get A Free Writer's Toolkit By Visiting http://www.writerslife.org/gid

The post Digital Marketing Tips For Authors appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

30 Non-Fiction Writing Tips

Improving your nonfiction writing is useful in so many areas of your life. From writing a letter to a loved one to writing an email to your boss, prepping for a presentation, or submitting a business proposal. 

Non-Fiction Writing Tips For Every Writer

Here, you can discover some great tips on how to make your nonfiction writing better. 

Read the greatsWork on your personal voiceDiscover new wordsWrite dailyWrite with authority and clarityWork on your research skillsKnow your purposeCheck the toneCreate an outlineLet your first draft flowStart with a hookChoose the best workEliminate unnecessary modifiersWatch your adverbsKeep sentences short and sweetAvoid complicated language and acronymsBe authentic and genuineFocus on one idea per paragraph.Employ Active Verbs.Avoid the Passive VoiceMix Things Up. Check for repetitionCheck for monotonyUse a spell and grammar checkerAvoid Run-On Sentences.know your readerbe uniqueLet someone else read itSense checkAlways strive for improvement

By following these 30 great non-fiction writing tips you can improve your non-fiction writing by miles! Working on your non-fiction writing in this way will help you write more precise, effective, and interesting content - whatever you are creating it for. So next time you are writing a piece of non-fiction, be it a blog or a business proposal, make sure you follow the tips above and you should see better results because of it. 

Now you know how to write non-fiction, why not discover how to write a proposal for your non-fiction book?

Get A Free Writer's Toolkit By Visiting http://www.writerslife.org/gid

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Common Submission Mistakes

When you have spent so much time perfecting your manuscript and have gone through the grueling writing and editing process, the last thing you want to do is then make silly submission mistakes when it comes to submitting.

If you are hoping to land a traditional publishing deal, it is imperative that you follow submission guidelines and prepare your manuscript properly to ensure that you have the best chance of success.

By learning about the pitfalls that many writers fall into when submitting, you can ensure that you avoid them!

What are some of the most common submission mistakes to be aware of?

Let’s take a look.

Not obeying the submission guidelines

The number one rule that can’t be broken is obeying the unique submission guidelines of each individual publisher. If you choose not to follow the directions or guidance or somehow think that not doing so will make your manuscript stand out, you are wrong. Or it might well stand out but not for the right reasons. 

Most of the editors will automatically reject submissions that do not follow guidelines, so do so at your peril.

Not submitting to the right agent or publisher

It’s not always easy to determine whether the agent or publisher will be a perfect fit for your book. However, it is easy to eliminate those who are obviously not. Take your time to look at the genre and interest of each place you plan to submit your novel. It will quickly become apparent if they are not interested in books like yours, and if that’s the case - don’t waste your time. A book such as The Writer's & Artists Yearbook provides a wealth of information to help you choose the best publisher for your book.

You did a mass submission

If you want to try and make a publisher or agent take notice of you, make sure that you bother to submit to each one individually. Mass submissions are really obvious, and a little insulting. The majority of publishers will reject your work outright if they feel like you can’t even be bothered to take the time to learn little about them. Also, if you make a mistake in a mass submission you are less likely to have followed the guidelines correctly, and if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, they’ll be on every single submission. 

Overuse of Rhetorical Questions

Agents and publishers are not fans of rhetorical questions. They want clarity, they want you to sell them your vision and your story, and yourself. They might seem like a great way to intrigue the recipient, but when you’re reading submissions all day long, they quickly become more of an irritation so it’s best to avoid them when possible. 

You follow up too soon

If the agent or publisher mentions a time frame within which they’ll try to get back to you, make sure you don’t follow up before then. Querying too soon will seem like you are hassling and they’ve already got a lot to do! So wait a week or two after the time frame they said, and then it’s OK to drop them a short, polite message. 

You are too familiar

Politeness and formality are imperative. You are essentially pitching a business idea every time you submit. Make sure that you come across this way - professionalism is key.

These common submission mistakes can help ensure that you are aware of what not to do and your submissions should be all the stronger because of it. Good luck!

Now you've learned about submission mistakes, why not learn about other avoidable writing mistakes?

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Author Branding – Why Is It So Important For Writers?

Before you read this stop for a moment, go to Google, type your own name in. What comes up as the top result? The second? The third? Is it your book on Amazon? Your author's website? Your Linkedin profile? Nothing at all? A different person with the same name? The results will tell you whether or not your author branding is on the right track.

Author Branding: Are the results what you want them to be?

Being happy with the way you are perceived online is an important part of being a successful writer. For a start, you need to be visible and have a strong and positive online presence. If you hope to sell lots of books this is quite critical. You also need to make sure that your personal branding is aligned with your vision. 

The search results you see are what your potential customers will see - they are basically the first impression they’ll have of you as an author, a person, and a brand. 

Personal Branding - what is it?

While branding used to be a term you’d most commonly associate with big businesses, now a personal brand is something almost anyone can have. Your personal author branding should encompass who you are and what you do and what you stand for. Your skills, knowledge, and areas of expertise, coupled with your passion, your reputation, and your experiences. 

First impressions count

As a writer, building up your personal brand has many benefits. More people use social media than ever before. If you want to stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons, build reader loyalty and trust, you need to put time and effort into developing an author brand.

A unique and authentic online presence

Making an impact online is important as it will set you apart from other writers. It will help you stand out as a thought leader who demands attention, it can help build connections with others who may be able to help you in the future and can help boost your fanbase so you’ll always have people who will support you and champion your work.

Readers tend to stick to authors they trust or who have been personally recommended to them. By building your brand you can help to develop trust in your audience and boost your credibility. People buy from people, and so the more readers can relate to you on a personal level, the more likely they’ll be motivated to purchase your book. 

Branding - the key to writer success!

So if you are hoping to gain the attention of your target readers and turn them into loyal fans who are clamoring for more. Pay attention to your author branding and consider what you could do to make it more prominent, authentic, and exciting - it could make a big difference if you do!

Now you've learned about author branding, why not read about tips for author marketing campaigns?

Get A Free Writer's Toolkit By Visiting http://www.writerslife.org/gid

The post Author Branding – Why Is It So Important For Writers? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Why Is Personal Branding So Important For Writers?

Before you read this stop for a moment, go to Google, type your own name in. What comes up as the top result? The second? The third? Is it your book on Amazon? Your author website? Your Linked in profile? Nothing at all? A different person with the same name?

Are the results what you want them to be?

Being happy with the way you are perceived online is an important part of being a successful writer. For a start, you need to be visible and have a strong and positive online presence. If you hope to sell lots of books this is quite critical. You also need to make sure that your personal branding is aligned with your vision. 

The search results you see are what your potential customers will see - they are basically the first impression they’ll have of you as an author, a person, and a brand. 

Personal Branding - what is it?

While branding used to be a term you’d most commonly associate with big businesses, now a personal brand is something almost anyone can have. Your personal branding should encompass who you are and what you do and what you stand for. Your skills, knowledge, and areas of expertise, coupled with your passion, your reputation, and your experiences. 

First impressions count for a lot and as a writer, building up your personal brand has many benefits. More people use social media than ever before. If you want to stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons, build reader loyalty and trust, you need to put time and effort into developing an author brand.

Having a unique and authentic online presence is important as it will set you apart from other writers. It will help you stand out as a thought leader who demands attention, it can help build connections with others who may be able to help you in the future and can help boost your fanbase so you’ll always have people who will support you and champion your work.

Readers tend to stick to authors they trust or who have been personally recommended to them. By building your brand you can help to develop trust in your audience and boost your credibility. People buy from people, and so the more readers can relate to you on a personal level, the more likely they’ll be motivated to purchase your book. 

So if you are hoping to gain the attention of your target readers and turn them into loyal fans who are clamoring for more. Pay attention to your author brand and consider what you could do to make it more prominent, authentic, and exciting - it could make a big difference if you do!

The post Why Is Personal Branding So Important For Writers? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Make Your Facebook Author Page Stand Out!

When it comes to marketing our books, having a good social media platform can be very helpful. For most authors, Facebook is one of the least daunting places to start book promotion, and having a Facebook author page is a great place to begin.

However, with more and more authors using Facebook to try to get their books noticed by their audience, how can you make yours stand out?

First, let’s look at why you should have a Facebook author page. There are many benefits to creating one. For a start, Facebook has over a billion users, so chances are that a huge majority of your target audience will use it. This means you can gather and communicate with all your fans at once here, and it’s a fantastic place to grow your fan base as well. If people are impressed with what they see, they can easily share content and get their friends to like your page too. So any kind of interesting information can go here.

Facebook is where you can communicate directly to individual readers, you can announce new releases and upcoming events and you can link to your author website, to published articles, and to where customers can buy your book too. You can also use it to create advertisements to promote your book to a wider audience and specify your target demographic so you can rest assured your advert will be seen by those most likely to engage with it. 

So once you have set up your Facebook page and added all the information, what can you do with it?

Use it to grow your email subscribers.

Every author knows that having a strong email list can make or break your book’s success. So the more time and energy you invest into growing this list, the better. You can install buttons such as a sign-up button to link to a page on your author's website to sign up for your newsletter.

Share news

Facebook is also a great place for you to share news about what’s going on with you. If you use it wisely, Facebook is the ideal platform for getting to know your readers and allowing them to get to know you, this forms a deeper connection and loyalty, which means your fans will go with you all the way through your writing journey. 

Try out Facebook live

Facebook live is another great feature that can help you engage with your fans. This is where you create a live video that people can join into and comment on as you create it. Ideal for virtual book readings and Q&A’s, or even conducting interviews.

So there you have it, to make your Facebook page stand out, make sure you are taking advantage of all its features and use the metrics and analytics features to help you see what’s working and what’s not too. If used well, a Facebook author page can help you secure success as a writer, so don’t underestimate its power!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

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The Best Dictionaries For Writers

Writers love using language and discovering the best dictionaries for writers can help them to master it.

Dictionaries For Writers - Why Are They Important?

Having a way with words and knowledge of which words to use and when is what helps us to craft exciting and engaging stories. Writing is a skill. While there are those who have natural talent, it’s also something to be worked at and improved upon over time. Learning how to position words together so that they flow and paint a picture and conjure up imagery, is crucial. Dictionaries can help writers learn new languages. They can help them better understand the origins and meanings of words. Dictionaries can help us gather a huge bank of words from which to create our stories. 

Thanks to the internet, you know don’t have to have an actual physical dictionary to hand every time you are feeling a bit lost for words. Instead, there are some truly brilliant online dictionaries we can turn to. Ones that no only help us decipher the meanings and spellings of words but also help us find alternatives too. 

So with that in mind, here are some of the top online dictionaries for writers that you can use to help you write.

Grammarly

Grammarly takes the top spot because of its ease of use and many handy features. While there is a free, basic version, the paid version is inexpensive and incredibly useful to writers at all stages of the process. You can pop anything you’ve written in Grammarly and they’ll highlight any mistakes (spelling, punctuation, and grammar). Grammarly also has fantastic features such as pointing out to you when you’ve overused words, highlighting any sentences written in the past tense, suggesting alternative words to replace overused ones, and it even has a plagiarism checker too. 

The Free Dictionary

The Free Dictionary is another fantastic resource that can be used as a one-stop shop for writers. It's great who need some help with their word choices. You can use its in-built thesaurus, perform Wikipedia searches, and discover acronyms and idioms. If you want to practice your language skills you can play one of its word builder games or try to complete its challenging word searches. 

Google Translate

Google translate is an excellent dictionary that is perfect for those who like to set their stories in foreign lands. This site does what it says on the tin. It will translate words and phrases you type in into any language you desire, and vice versa. It has speech translation and text-in-image translation features too. 

Wordnik

Wordnik is a not-for-profit organization that is fantastic if you are looking for an up-to-date resource of all the words in the English language. It provides lots of definitions for each word. Each definition is ranked based on its usefulness. You can also choose to hear audio definitions for each word too. 

Urban Dictionary

Urban Dictionary is a fantastic, funny, and clever dictionary that gives users access to lots of funny phrases. All the strange, unusual colloquial, and slang terms that are used in different scenarios are on here. If you are searching for clever puns or slang words, this is an invaluable resource. 

Merriam-Webster

The Merriam-Webster site is not only a trusted and well-respected dictionary but also a thriving online community. You can discover a new language and get inspired by writing at the same time. 

BrainyQuote

Finally, BrainyQuote is a brilliant site to find inspiring, clever, and downright funny quotes from a huge range of people. There is a quote of the day section and you can even enter your own quote. If you want to be inspired by interesting, insightful, and witty things that people say, BrainyQuote is the site for you. 

If you want to boost your writing skills, take the time to refer to the above dictionaries for writers as you do. Make it part of your learning process and you’ll soon find that you have a naturally improved love of language and are rarely lost for words again!

Now you know about the best dictionaries for writers, why not learn some fun facts about the English language?

Get A Free Writer's Toolkit By Visiting http://www.writerslife.org/gid

The post The Best Dictionaries For Writers appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

The Best Dictionaries To Help You Write

Writers love using language. Having a way with words and knowledge of which words to use and when is what helps us to craft exciting and engaging stories. Writing is a skill and while there are those who have natural talent, it’s also something to be worked at and improved upon over time. Learning how to position words together so that they flow and paint a picture and conjure up imagery, is crucial. Dictionaries can help writers learn new languages, better understand the origins and meanings of words, and can help us gather a huge bank of words from which to create our stories. 

Thanks to the internet, you know don’t have to have an actual physical dictionary to hand every time you are feeling a bit lost for words. Instead, there are some truly brilliant online dictionaries that no only help us decipher the meanings and spellings of words but also help us find alternatives too. 

So with that in mind, here are some of the top online dictionaries you can use to help you write.

Grammarly

Grammarly takes the top spot because of its ease of use and many handy features. While there is a free, basic version, the paid version is inexpensive and incredibly useful to writers at all stages of the process. You can pop anything you’ve written in Grammarly and they’ll highlight any mistakes (spelling, punctuation, and grammar). Grammarly also has fantastic features such as pointing out to you when you’ve overused words, highlighting any sentences written in the past tense, suggesting alternative words to replace overused ones, and it even has a plagiarism checker too. 

The Free Dictionary

The Free Dictionary is another fantastic resource that can be used as a one-stop shop for writers who need some help with their word choices. You can use its in-built thesaurus, perform Wikipedia searches, discover acronyms and idioms and if you want to practice your language skills you can play one of its word builder games or try to complete its challenging word searches. 

Google Translate

Google translate is an excellent dictionary that is perfect for those who like to set their stories in foreign lands. Google translate does what it says on the tin and will translate words and phrases you type in into any language you desire, and vice versa. It has speech translation and text-in-image translation features too. 

Wordnik

Wordnik is a not-for-profit organization that is fantastic if you are looking for an up-to-date resource of all the words in the English language. It provides lots of definitions for each word and each definition is ranked based on its usefulness. You can also choose to hear audio definitions for each word too. 

Urban Dictionary

Urban Dictionary is a fantastic, funny, and clever dictionary that gives users access to all the strange, unusual colloquial, and slang terms that are used in different scenarios. If you are searching for clever puns or slang words, this is an invaluable resource. 

Merriam-Webster

This site is not only a trusted and well-respected dictionary but also a thriving online community. You can discover a new language and get inspired by writing at the same time. 

BrainyQuote

Finally, BrainyQuote is a brilliant site to find inspiring, clever, and downright funny quotes from a huge range of people. There is a quote of the day section and you can even enter your own quote. If you want to be inspired by interesting, insightful, and witty things that people say, BrainyQuote is the site for you. 

If you want to boost your writing skills, take the time to refer to the above dictionaries as you do. Make it part of your learning process and you’ll soon find that you have a naturally improved love of language and are rarely lost for words again!

The post The Best Dictionaries To Help You Write appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Understanding Publishing Terms

If you haven’t encountered them before, some publishing terms can be a little confusing. Whether you are trying to land a traditional publishing contract, or are going down the self-publishing route, learning and understanding these terms can help ensure that you feel confident when it comes to trying to get your novel out there and for all the world to see. 

So let’s start to familiarize ourselves with some of the common terminologies used in the publishing world. To begin, here are some of the most commonly used publishing terms.

ISBN

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. This is a unique 13 digit number that helps each book be identified. Every published book should have an ISBN which can be found on the back cover of the book. This is essentially a bit like a barcode - it identified the product and is used by not only book publishing houses but also libraries and stores that sell your book. 

The primary three digits in the series are called the prefix element, after this, the following two will identify the country or region from which the book is registered in the system. The following 5 numbers identify the book’s publisher and the next 2 will reveal information on the edition and format of the book. Finally, the last digit is referred to as a check digit and validates the ISBN. The majority of countries make it mandatory for every book to have an ISBN and without it, you can’t make your book available in the public domain. 

Book Trim Sizes

We know that books come in all shapes and sizes and usually, the size of your printed book is decided upon by classifying the genre in which it will be placed. Typically fiction books such as suspense and thrillers, romance, or murder mystery’s come in 5*8 inches and 5.5*8.5 inches as this is the universally accepted standard for a work of fiction. This is generally because books this size are easy to hold and to carry around with you. 

Nonfiction content is more varied and tends to be slightly larger than fiction books such as travelogues and product manuals which are typically 6*9 inches. However, the subject matter will determine the trim size as it could be anything from a large coffee table book to a small pocket guide. 

Book Formats

Formatting in the publishing world can be lots of different things but when you hear the phrase, 'book formats', it’s referring to how the book will be bound. Your book will usually be available in hardcover or paperback (or both). A hardcover is created from cardboard and the spine is sewn together. Paperbacks are usually crafted from thin paperboard as this makes them lighter to carry around. 

Online Distribution

The term online distribution is important to understand. If you want your book to reach the widest possible audience. You have to sell it online. It’s a sad fact that bookstores across the globe are closing at an alarming rate. The vast majority of people buy books online and so if you want to be in the game, you have to make sure that yours is available for online distribution. 

Print On Demand

If you are making your book available online, you might well be considering turning it into an eBook so that readers who have handheld devices can add it to their online libraries. However, if you still want to give your readers the option of holding an actual physical copy of your book in their hands you might want to consider opting for print on demand. This term means that your book will only be printed when there is a demand to do so. So if a customer buys your book it won’t be fetched from a shelf somewhere, it will be printed specifically for that order. This saves waste and energy so is a pretty environmentally sound option too. 

These are just some basic terms that you’ll come across during the publishing process. But they are certainly good to understand to make sure that when it comes to the publishing process, you feel totally in the know!

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Book Cover Price: How Much Will It Cost To Design A Book Cover?

A book cover price can vary greatly from provider to provider. Understanding what is good value and what's not will help you find a book cover designer to suit your needs and budget.

We all know that have a professionally designed book cover can make all the difference when it comes to sales. A professional cover will indicate to the reader that you are a proper writer. It will demonstrate that you have taken pride and care over your novel and will be more eye-catching and intriguing to them. This should thus motivate them to buy it!

However, some authors fret over the costs of book cover design and this can put them off seeking out the help of a professional. So let's investigate exactly how much a book cover design is going to set you back, and what’s included in the price. 

Of course, there is no precise figure for the cost of a book cover. Projects vary greatly as do the amount that designers charge. Cost can scale up or down depending on how much time designers spend working on it. So if it’s a simple cover with stock photography, this will naturally cost less than a uniquely designed cover with lots of intricate artwork. 

Book cover price - What do you get for your money?Images

By hiring a professional book cover designer, you are paying for studio time. A designer will listen to your ideas and get to know what your book is about and what genre it has been written in. They will then choose professional licensed stock photos and graphics to make up the cover. Book designers also need to purchase the graphics. They will include this when costing up your cover design. Images usually cost around £5-10.

You might think about trying to source images yourself for your book cover. While there are lots of free images available online they may only be for personal rather than commercial use. Images may require attribution which you obviously won’t be able to give on your cover. If you use them and don’t credit the photographer you could get in a lot of trouble. 

Fonts

Your book cover designer will also have access to commercial fonts. These can be used to create the title for your book. Different fonts may be used for the blurb at the back and your name. Book designers usually have a large library of already purchased commercial fonts to choose from. However, if they do think a new font would be the perfect fit for your book, this could up the cover price. Naturally, this should always be discussed with you first. 

A professional book cover designer should explain exactly what is included in their costing before you agree to choose them. They should be happy to send you a full breakdown of the fee and the total cost of the project. Book cover designers who try to add on lots of extras as the project develops are not reputable and should be avoided.

You can also discuss with your cover designer whether the costs include any amends. That is if you don’t like the design or have some feedback or tweaks, will they allow these changes to be made for free? Will these cost extra? Being clear about everything from the outset will ensure that you are both on the same page. 

Reasons why you should pay for professional book cover design

Books are judged by the covers and a professional design will massively increase the chances of you selling more books. You know that your book cover will print well and they’ll use the latest technology and software to produce the best possible version. You ever will be unique, genre-specific, and something to be proud of!

The average cost of book cover design is varied, but usually between £250 and £450 for using stock imagery. It costs anything up to £1500 if the artwork is produced bespoke for you. However, it really is an investment worth making!

Now you know the book cover costs, why not learn about how to work with a book cover designer?

Get A Free Writer's Toolkit By Visiting http://www.writerslife.org/gid

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