R. Shannon's Blog, page 3
September 16, 2025
Pre-Orders – Tapping into Amazon’s Algorithms
Every author knows what a great feeling it is to publish your first book. Even when publishing additional books, it's still a great feeling of accomplishment. However, once any book is published, it's then time for an author to turn their attention to marketing the book. This is where it can get a little tricky.
Jumping around on social mediaMost authors I know are generally shy, camera shy, quiet, reserved, or not comfortable jumping around on social media to create buzz about their book. I know exactly how they feel.
Once you do focus on book marketing, every author is always looking for book events, holidays, new ideas, or reasons to create a marketing campaign around. By opting to list the book as a pre-order, this becomes an event in the life cycle of the book. It's an event that can cover one month of time and present several opportunities to talk about it as a marketing approach. It can also be included as a pre-order in an author's weekly or monthly newsletter.
Another advantage of a pre-order on Amazon, you can list the price higher than it will be once it is released. While at this price on pre-order, any Advanced Reader Campaign will be seen as a better deal to get for free in exchange for a review when the book is released. Lowering prices after a product loses it's shiny and new status is very common in the world of marketing.
By setting the Release date a month away -- or more, you can offer a free download on giveaway websites like Bookfunnel or StoryOrigin. Then after the release, you can email these readers and ask for a review.
Amazon will send an email around to people who are following you on your author page. I have included a picture of the upper email so you can see it.
Another marketing promotion can revolve around an invitation to follow you on Amazon or AuthorCentral. You can include this invitation when you announce your Pre-Order or you can even do this campaign before your book is up for pre-order. Those more-seasoned authors will know what I mean by creating opportunities to post about your book that is a slightly different angle than here's my book with a link to purchase it. That marketing approach gets old very fast.
The more followers you accumulate, the broader the pre-order and new release campaign will get. I actually found the Amazon count for my followers which I was shocked to see. If I had to guess how many I had before seeing this number, I would have guessed maybe 40 -- with my eyes closed and fingers crossed. I missed out on this hidden marketing opportunity for the first years of my self-publishing and marketing efforts, so learn from my mistake!
I use a Note to Reader page at the back of all of my books. On this page, I thank the reader for choosing my book to read and also a link to a questionnaire if they want to give me additional feedback. I also include my email in case anyone wants to contact me about the book or for any other reason.
I will be adding a request to follow me on Amazon with a link to my author page, so readers can follow me if they choose to.
TIP FOR THE NEWBIES: When you are scrounging around for another reason to build a marketing campaign around, take a screen shot of your author page and the follow button, with a post about following you to hear about your upcoming book releases. This can be used over and over again right before you get ready to release a new book.
The target of Amazon's email is the author's followers. Everything else involved in who Amazon chooses to notify about the release of your book is proprietary, so no one can say. There is more marketing tip for you as the author that I go into below.
ANOTHER FREEBIE FROM AMAZON:
Above is another screen shot from the email about my new release. This shows three other authors that Amazon includes in an Customers also bought items by with similar authors' names. This information is a HUGE giveaway to you as an author. This information comes from the Amazon algorithms and you can be sure these are the best authors that match your new release.
I would suggest that you follow these authors to see if you can learn anything from how they market to their readers using Amazon. I have followed my three authors and I'll make another blog post if I find any other ways to use this feature at Amazon.
ONE MORE SLIGHTLY-OFF-TOPIC TIP: The names of these similar authors can be valuable when running Amazon ads. I use a tool called Publisher Rocket, which is a paid tool, and they offer this kind of information. With a new release, Amazon is giving you this information for free!
I hope this helps new and seasoned authors alike. Check back to my website often as I do post weekly.
Click here to download a free copy
Click here to purchase at Amazon.com
Click here to download from Amazon
Click here to download from Bookfunnel.
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Pre-Orders – Tapping into Amazon’s algorithms
Every author knows what a great feeling it is to publish your first book. Even when publishing additional books, it's still a great feeling of accomplishment. However, once any book is published, it's then time for an author to turn their attention to marketing the book. This is where it can get a little tricky.
Jumping around on social mediaMost authors I know are generally shy, camera shy, quiet, reserved, or not comfortable jumping around on social media to create buzz about their book. I know exactly how they feel.
Once you do focus on book marketing, every author is always looking for book events, holidays, new ideas, or reasons to create a marketing campaign around. By opting to list the book as a pre-order, this becomes an event in the life cycle of the book. It's an event that can cover one month of time and present several opportunities to talk about it as a marketing approach. It can also be included as a pre-order in an author's weekly or monthly newsletter.
Another advantage of a pre-order on Amazon, you can list the price higher than it will be once it is released. While at this price on pre-order, any Advanced Reader Campaign will be seen as a better deal to get for free in exchange for a review when the book is released. Lowering prices after a product loses it's shiny and new status is very common in the world of marketing.
By setting the Release date a month away -- or more, you can offer a free download on giveaway websites like Bookfunnel or StoryOrigin. Then after the release, you can email these readers and ask for a review.
Amazon will send an email around to people who are following you on your author page. I have included a picture of the upper email so you can see it.
Another marketing promotion can be about following you on Amazon, or AuthorCentral at Amazon for this very reason. The more followers you get, the easier a new release will be. This suggestion can be added to the Note to Reader page at the end of the actual ebook, with a link to your Author page. And when you are scrounging around for another reason to build a marketing campaign around, an invitation to follow you on Amazon is a legitimate reason to post with a snapshot of your page with a link to follow you.
The target of Amazon's email is to your followers. Everything else involved in who Amazon chooses to notify about the release of your book is proprietary, so no one can say.
ANOTHER FREEBIE FROM AMAZON:
I have included all the content of the Amazon New Release email above. Amazon includes authors that your customers or followers have also followed or bought books from. For anyone who hasn't confronted the expense of professional marketing, this is a HUGE giveaway.
I would suggest that you also follow these authors to see if you can learn anything from how they market to their readers.
Knowing who the similar authors to you are is very helpful when it's time to run Amazon ads. So follow the authors so you know their names and books because you can add them into a manual Amazon ad campaign.
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September 14, 2025
Author Blogging – Everything You Need to Know
How to Start BloggingChoose a blogging platform. There are many different blogging platforms available, such as WordPress, Blogger, and Tumblr. You can even use Substack as a website and/or a blogging platform.Choose a domain name and web hosting provider. Your domain name is your website's address, and your web hosting provider is the company that stores your website's files.Install your blogging software. Once you have chosen a blogging platform, you will need to install the software on your web hosting account.Create your blog's appearance. You can customize the appearance of your blog by choosing a theme and adding widgets.Start writing blog posts!What to Blog About?Blog about topics that you are passionate about.
Blog about topics that you are knowledgeable about.Blog about topics that are relevant to your target audience.Blog about topics that are timely and interesting.Blog about topics that are visually appealing.How Often Should You Blog?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. The frequency at which you blog will depend on your own personal preferences and goals.
If you are just starting out, it may be helpful to blog several times a week. This will help you to build an audience and establish a regular presence online.Once you have established a following, you can gradually reduce the frequency of your blog posts.How to Promote Your Blog
Share your blog posts on social media.Guest blog on other websites.Submit your blog posts to directories and search engines.Run email marketing campaigns.Attend industry events and conferences.Network with other writers and bloggers.Post articles that can help fellow readers or writers.Offer giveaways in order to get emails to grown a newsletter.How to Monetize Your BlogThere are a number of ways to monetize your blog, such as:
Displaying ads for 3rd partiesSelling products or services on your blog: Tshirts, mugs, hats, etc.Charging for access to premium contentCreating affiliate marketing partnershipsIf you are not enrolled in Kindle Select, sell eBooks, Paperbacks & Hardcovers from your website.Tips for Successful Blogging
Be consistent. The key to success with blogging is to be consistent with your posting schedule.Be original. Don't just copy and paste content from other websites. Write your own unique content that will engage your readers.Be social. Share your blog posts on social media and interact with your readers.Decide ahead of time how much you want to let your hair down. If you give your viewership and readership a behind the scenes look at authoring -- or whatever it is you do -- this can be more popular than a series of dry informational blogs. But there are various degrees of revelation and levels of intimacy. Think hard before you choose your level of exposure.Be patient. It takes time to build a successful blog. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results overnight.IN CONCLUSION:Having a website is a commitment. However, it can start out as a showplace for your books and be nothing more until you reach a point where you have things and interests to share about.
Decide ahead of time that you won't use building a website or establishing a web presence on another platform (Instagram, WordPress, or Substack) as a battering rod on yourself. Decide ahead of time that this will enhance what you are presently doing, but it won't add to your "to do list," at least not until writing a blog post and peppering it with images, graphics and/or clickable links becomes second nature.
Be sure to check back to ReadFirstChaper.com often. I do post new book releases, new how-to articles for fellow writers, free giveaways, and more!
Click here for Series at Amazon
Click here to download from Bookfunnel.com
John Walsh is a successful funeral director with a loving family but he has a weakness for other women. The modern world thinks cheating is a victimless crime, but is it?
Click here to download a free copy for a limited time.
Check out my YouTube ChannelCHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/@Regina-readfirstchapter
Click here to see the entire
Newport Vampire Stories Series
Click here to download a free copy
Click here to purchase at Amazon.com
Learn to make 3D Book Covers
from a simple template
September 13, 2025
Coloring Page – Born to Read – Forced to Work
Click here to download an 8.5" x 11" file from Google Drive
Check out my new Brainstorming Workbook!
Click here to purchase at Amazon
Free Download for a Limited Time
Click here to download from Amazon
Click here to download from Bookfunnel.
John Walsh is a successful funeral director with a loving family but he has a weakness for other women. The modern world thinks cheating is a victimless crime, but is it?
Click here to download a free copy for a limited time.
Click on the graphic of my books and you will be brought to a page on my website where you can read a sample of my books in your browser. It's much easier than downloading samples from Amazon.
Check back often as I give away books all the time.
Coloring Page – Happy-Autumn-Squirrel
Click here to download an 8.5" x 11" file from Google Drive
Check out my new Brainstorming Workbook!
Click here to purchase at Amazon
Free Download for a Limited Time
Click here to download from Amazon
Click here to download from Bookfunnel.
John Walsh is a successful funeral director with a loving family but he has a weakness for other women. The modern world thinks cheating is a victimless crime, but is it?
Click here to download a free copy for a limited time.
Click on the graphic of my books and you will be brought to a page on my website where you can read a sample of my books in your browser. It's much easier than downloading samples from Amazon.
Check back often as I give away books all the time.
September 7, 2025
Writing in Layers – Layer 5 – Peek at Author’s workflow
This blog post will be a peek behind the author workflow in Layer 5 of my Novel Writing in Layers Series. I am writing Book 6, Majestic Landings, in my police procedural series, Jack Nolan Detective Series.
Let me set the table, so to speak, about where I am in the book right now. I just finished Layer 4 which is the Down and Dirty First Draft, which I believe is the hardest layer to write.
BEGINNING LAYER 5
Above is a snapshot of the book as it now exists in Scrivener, which is the program I write Layers 1 to 6 in. I have gone ahead and filled in a few of the scenes so that I can explain to you what I do in Layer 5.
ON THE LEFT SIDE IS THE BINDER: The top folder is called draft, which is a default in Scrivener. Each sub-document is one scene in the novel. I also add in a few blank documents between Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4, so I can see how the story action is balancing inside the plot structure.
IN THE CENTER PANEL: This is where I write the scenes.
ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS THE INSPECTOR WINDOW: This section allows you to add a scene synopsis on another tab, but above, I have captured what it looks like on the Metadata Section.
WHAT HAPPENS IN LAYER 5?This is my first layer of proofreading. I only focus on the following things in this layer of writing.
1. Making sure the scenes line up and flow smoothing and fill in the Synopsis box if I forgot to do it in Layer 4. I have a snapshot of the Synopsis box to the right or below. This allows me to look at my work in the Outline Mode where I can see the novel from a bird's eye view.
Since it's in the photograph here, I will also mention that I copy my scene outlines and paste them into the Notes section in case I want to review them.
2. I enter all of the character descriptions and location descriptions in this layer too.
3. I also check on the crime and investigation timeline as well as the novel timeline.
3A: The crime timeline I track with the metadata, which I will mention again below. I also use the Scrivener Highlighter to set off anything that references the crime timeline. This way, towards the end of this layer, if I decided to tighten up the timeline or find out I need a little extra time, it is very easy to quickly scroll through the novel and find any references to the timeline easily.
3B: All novels have a timeline too. A crime novel is usually a day to several weeks; whereas Gone with the Wind cover years and years. In each scene, I start with a little template referencing the point of view, the time/location and the clues/purpose.
As stated above, I read through the scenes, making sure that the last scene flows into the next scene. For example: If my detectives 'get into the car to return to the station,' I make sure I'm not referencing where they were before they got into the car, and stating again that they are entering the car.
I also watch my novel timeline to make sure the timing in the day is lining up with what's possible for human beings. In my humble opinion, authors have a lot of leeway to stretch the day, if needed, but if we go overboard, at some point, it pulls the reader's mind out of the book when they realize there's too much activity for one day as humans. By keeping an eye on the novel timeline, this prevents me from stretching a little too much.
THE METADATA - HOW AND WHY TO ADD CUSTOM META DATA.
Some authors probably don't use the metadata section and that's fine. But I like to look at the novel in the Outline Mode and this is where the custom metadata comes into play.
Every novel is different, so I am focusing on different things in each one. In this novel, there are multiple suspects, all of whom have shaky alibis, so the crime timeline and some other things are very important. So in this novel, I created metadata sections as follows:
Major Event - What happens in the sceneTechnical information - Names, addresses, where body was found, first witness, etc.Clues dropped - Chronological list of clues that dropTime Line of the Crime - Time of death, time body was found, etc.Relationships - Romantic Subplot and Character ArcsWHAT'S NEXT IN LAYER 5?
Once I proofread all the way through, add in the descriptions, and my meta data, then I want to look at certain things to check on myself. I can set up the Outline Mode so I can see the Synopsis, the Clues, and the Crime Timeline side by side. I will post a picture below.
I can then look closely to make sure I don't mention a lab report that hasn't been delivered. Or one of the suspects is mentioned before anyone points them out, things like this.
I can see the chronology of the clues that have dropped to make sure that they are chronologically correct. I'm sure you get the drift.
My color scheme in Scrivener may make some of these things hard to see, so I have posted the Custom Metadata diagram below so you can see where things go and what the icons look like.
After looking at the various meta data in this bird's eye view setup, I'm ready to enter Layer 6, which is another round of proofreading; and again, I only focus on a few things.
I have done a short video about this in case you want to see me go over it inside Scrivener. There is a bit more information here for beginners, but it's good to watch it live too.
Be sure to check back to see another Live Peek Behind Layer 6! Be aware that I am not proclaiming myself as an expert novelist or the knower of all things. However, I used to search all the time for authors' workflow, but nothing ever showed up. I believe I could have advanced a lot faster if I had tips from more season's authors and that's my purpose here.
By seeing how one author does things, you may only take away one tip that will help you in the system you already use. I hope this blog post helps!
Free eBook Download
Click here to download from Amazon
Click here to download from Bookfunnel.
Click the graphic to see the entire series
Downloadable Reading Chart
Click the graphic to see the entire series.
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August 30, 2025
Epstein-crossword
I usually try to avoid any 'gossip-like' videos on YouTube, but find myself fascinated by so many of the controversy videos all over YouTube. And now YouTube is fetching them and recommending them faster than I can keep up.
I thought sharing a crossword to see who else has been keeping up would be fun to include in my newsletter so here it is! Click on the puzzle if you want to print out the puzzle with the answers on the last page!
Click here to do the puzzle online
Brainstorming Stories Workbook
Click here to purchase at Amazon
Uninvited Remains - A Novelette
John Walsh is a successful funeral director with a loving family but he has a weakness for other women. The modern world thinks cheating is a victimless crime, but is it?
Click here to download a free copy for a limited time.
PI Ryan Mallardi is crazy about the beautiful and statuesque Angelica. Colleen Kessler is married for nine months but something doesn't feel right.
Will PI Mallardi find out what is really going on in her life? Will this truth
change Colleen's life or both of their lives? Some journeys are painful but well worth the effort.
August 29, 2025
Coloring Page – Born to Read – Forced to Work
Click here to download an 8.5" x 11" file from Google Drive
Check out my new Brainstorming Workbook!
Click here to purchase at Amazon
Free Download for a Limited Time
Click here to download from Amazon
Click here to download from Bookfunnel.
John Walsh is a successful funeral director with a loving family but he has a weakness for other women. The modern world thinks cheating is a victimless crime, but is it?
Click here to download a free copy for a limited time.
Click on the graphic of my books and you will be brought to a page on my website where you can read a sample of my books in your browser. It's much easier than downloading samples from Amazon.
Check back often as I give away books all the time.
August 27, 2025
A New Adventure Begins – Posting Book Ads on YouTube
I had been running Amazon ads for several years now, and I have gotten a steady stream of one or two "sales" a day. However, when the books are in Kindle Select, the profit is very complicated. Recently, I decided to put the Amazon ads on hold and try to promote my book videos to see if they could lead to a little better showing.
I wasn't ready for what happened! The response to a promoting a few videos with a few dollars each, took me from 406 subscribers to over 6,000 in less than three weeks. The view numbers went through the roof as well. So it's goodbye Amazon Ads and Hello YouTube Ads -- at least for now.
LET ME SET THE TABLE FOR YOU:I wanted to start making short videos in PowerPoint for my books. I was told over and over that in social media, you need to be on camera, but I'm camera shy, introverted, and the thought of jumping around on social media like I see some of these younger authors do, was out of the question. This advice kept me from venturing out into the short videos on YouTube and Tiktok for a long time.
I went ahead with my faceless book promotional shorts and I'm happy to report that I received a response I wasn't even ready for. However, this huge response happened because I also promoted one or two of these videos. I promoted the first one for views and put maybe $10 on it. The third or fourth video I did, I changed the purpose of the promotion to subscribers. Again, I was very impressed with how much interaction I received.
In order to monetize on YouTube, you need at least 3,000 subscribers and I believe 3 hours of content -- I'm going by memory here, so don't quote me on this. Monetizing on YouTube was really never a specific goal as I'm retired and I don't think it's going to change my life at all. However, it is nice to at least get the feedback of the views, the new subscribers, and likes.
So the first change I made was in creating these short videos, each one targeting a specific book, and mentioning the series name at the end of the video. I'll post two of the short videos below so you can see what I'm talking about.
THREE KINDS OF PROMOTIONS:
After you upload a video to YouTube, and click on the "content" tab on the menu on the left side, a list of your videos will pop up.
On the right side, there are three or four dots indicating a drop-down menu. When you click on that, a few choices will come up, one of which is Promote. This is where I started with my first promotion, right on the dashboard at YouTube.
THREE PROMOTION TYPE CHOICES:
Once you get inside the choices, you need to first choose what type of promotion you would like to run, which is another way of asking you what your goal is or what you want to accomplish. Your goal will fit under one of three choices as I explain below.
I searched for a YouTube Video that would explain how to set up a book marketing ad, but only got generic book marketing ads that had nothing to do with promoting an Amazon book on YouTube. I tried different keywords: Promoting a book link on Youtube, YouTube Lead Promotions, and on and on. I found nothing helpful.
Somewhere between researching on YouTube and on Google Ads, I came upon a small link that said something like "get more control" and I chose that one. This is where I found the next right pathway in setting up the type of ads I had in mind.
I'm posting the link here for you -- and for me, if any time lapses and I can't remember my exact route through the maze of choices at YouTube. https://business.google.com/us/ad-solutions/youtube-ads/
HOW I SAVED $40 AT YOUTUBE THE FIRST DAY
The last link takes you to a place where you will be invited to log into your google account. Once inside, there are hundreds of choices. Earlier in my research, I found a link where for $39.99, you could set up a consultation call with a Google Ads expert and they would help you. I fully intended to pay for this service because I knew ,based on how complicated the Google Ads Dashboard was and how many choices there were -- may of which are hidden in the drop-down lists, I thought it would be well worth it to get advice from an expert. The $40 conferences are for 30 minutes.
Before I set up the paid-conference I decided to first gather my thoughts and make a list of questions so I was prepared for the conference. I went to Google Ads and clicked on New Campaign to see what type of information I would need to post an ad, like the book cover, links, headlines, etc. To my astonishment, I saw a link to consult with a Google Ads manager FOR FREE!
I clicked the link and set up a conference. He walked me through my first ad campaign, which at the time of this writing is called Demand Gen. This allows you to sell something and target another link besides a website. At the end of the zoom call and screen sharing, I had one ad featuring 5 different short videos on my books.
MY FIRST AD TWEAK:This google consultant has been assigned to me now and we have scheduled a follow-up zoom call and screen share in two weeks. They usually set the follow-up for one month, but when I told the consultant I wanted to specifically target the headlines to one specific book, that's when he said, let's go broad, see what happens for two weeks and then we can take it from there. I agreed because I knew I wasn't ready to go forward with focusing on one book. I needed to make additional short videos, beef up my long and short headlines that I will explain below. So I just went for it.
For the next two weeks when this ad runs, I will make sure I have the following elements for my book entitled Beware - Things Are Not Always as They Seem:
This way, I will be ready to either tweak the first ad or cancel the first ad and do a more specific ad campaign targeting the second book in this series. Either way, I feel hopeful and am excited to see what happens.
WHY THE SECOND BOOK?
Some of you may wonder why I would target a second book in a book series. My first book, Groomed for Marriage, is permafree on Amazon, which was done through a program they call price-matching. By giving away Book 1, I get new readers who have nothing to lose to try my book and often, they read through the series.
In all honesty, I think of giving Book 1 away for free as a marketing approach. This free book is casting a broad net to hopefully capture new readers. If they like my first book, they will read through the others too.
By offering Book 2, people will have to purchase the book or they will download it as a Kindle Unlimited selection. Either way, this book will be more profitable than a permafree book that is outside of Kindle Select.
PHASE ONE IS NOW COMPLETED:My ad is up. I had to work with the consultant and go with this broad campaign, but it's okay. From this broad campaign, I will learn more about the ads themselves and see what kind of response I get with this type of ad.
I also have enough to do over the next two weeks to prepare for my second ad that I want to try, which I went over earlier.
I hope this helps any newbies who are interested in advertising their books on YouTube. I'll do a follow-up blog post on this and I'm sure I will have more to report.
Check out the two short videos I made in PowerPoint below. I chose music from the Youtube Audio Library.
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August 25, 2025
New Post Draft
Is anyone interested in putting their books into a "Hidden Treasures" Marketing Poster like the ones I have below? I made mine with just books from the best sellers lists.
We can all post this on our social media with the list of links that go directly to the book for download or sale. By all posting to different audiences, maybe we can increase our marketing reach. I will need at least 6 to 8 participants to make it work. If there are more, we'll figure out how to make it work.
If you are interested, I will need a link to the book where I can save the cover image. If you are interested, please send me an email as follows:
To: rshannon@readfirstchapter.com
Subject Line: Interest in Participating in Hidden Treasure Posters
Book Title: Name of the Book
Attach a book cover if you have a small one, meaning 72dpi for the web, or a link so I go to the book and create a small photo of it. (Amazon or similar):
Purchase or Download Link: Link you want the potential readers to go to purchase or download the book:
I have a row of poster examples so you can see what I mean.
Is anyone interested in putting their books onto a page together on my website. It doesn't have to be my website, but I would volunteer to upload the book covers and links. We can coordinate one day every two weeks to post about the books and come up with another title similar to "Hidden Treasures" or "Christian Fiction" or "Catholic Fiction" -- I'm open to whatever will title fit for everyone's books.
I will post a row of examples below so you can see what I envision the shared webpage will look like. Each panel will open to a larger panel 1000px by 1000px (social media size) and that panel will contain a link to purchase or download the book.
If you are interested, I will need a book panel (see below for three examples) in the following size: The panel itself is 1000px by 1000px. The Book cover is on one side, preferably on the left, with the Headlines & Titles similar to what I have in the examples.
Now, if you are a member of CWG and you don't have the graphic skills to create this artwork, it's okay. Just send me an email with a link to a "flat" cover (No 3d covers), include the Titles, headlines to be in bold and a short synopsis of the book. I will do it for you.
To: rshannon@readfirstchapter.com
Subject Line: Interest in Shared Web Page - Art panel attached
Book Title: Name of the Book and author name
Headline for the Book: This is one sentence that will be bolded
Short Synopsis and Link: Include the synopsis so I can easily print out the emails and have all of the information on one page.
Book Link: Where you want the book link to go.
I have a row of images that will fill the web page below.
I have recently started to run YouTube ads on my YouTube Channel. The response has been the best ROI I ever had. Now, my goal on some ads was to get more views, and on some ads, I selected the goal of getting more subscriptions. When I started, I had a little over 400 subscribers. By the way, it took me 3 or 4 years to get those 400 subscribers organically.
In only three weeks, I went from 400 to 5,548 subscribers at the time of this writing. I've never seen any type of response or ROI like this. Maybe some of you have built up a YouTube channel faster without advertising, and maybe this doesn't seem like a big deal to you, but I was astounded.
Anyway, at the same time I used Powerpoint to create 'shorts' for my books and these were the videos I started ads on first. They are very simple to make. I can make a short video in Powerpoint in about an hour once I have written the short script. If anyone wants to learn how to do this, I can do a short course on how easy this is.
I will post examples of these videos below so you can see two of the shorts which are about my books, and one short video that I made of a recent Bookfunnel Promotion that I do every week.
Let me know if there is any interest in a course like this. I buy Microsoft 365 every year because I use a lot of their tools, but I'm sure you can use google slides to do the same thing for free. If you already know how to use Powerpoint and create AI images, you can figure out how to do them by looking at the videos. However, If you're interested in learning how to do this, let me know by sending an email as described below. Please use the proper subject lines on any responses you send to me today as I am very easily frazzled and can get mixed up and turned upside down if I have to keep track of more than two things.
To: rshannon@readfirstchapter.com
Subject Line: Interest in Short Video Course
Your Name:
Your Email:
Have you ever used Powerpoint or Google Slides before?
JOINT MARKETING IDEA #3
As I watch the diversity grow all around us in this country, I do notice that many subgroups join forces based on ethnicity, religion, country of origin, sexual orientation, political views, etc., and they help one another get ahead. I've also taken notice how much faster and easier they move forward when they organize their efforts together into a common goal.
I am hoping to link up with some other Catholic authors who want to combine some marketing efforts to tap into the power of organized goals and shared efforts. I'd be interested in anyone's thoughts on this concept.
