Jon Reed's Blog, page 6
December 6, 2020
MASTERCLASS: How to Build a Writing Habit in 2021 – with Bec Evans (Online, Weds 6th Jan, 2021)
How to Build a Writing Habit in 2021, with Bec Evans – Online, Weds 6th Jan 2021
Join productivity expert Bec Evans of Prolifiko, and get your writing year off to a flying start.
Masterclass: How to Build a Writing Habit in 2021
Speaker: Bec Evans
When: Wednesday 6th January 2021, 6:30pm UK time
Where: Online – join us from anywhere in the world
Booking: Eventbrite (Limited places available – book now!)
This post contains Amazon affiliate links to the books mentioned. See our Affiliate policy for more details. Books by our masterclass speakers are also available in our Bookshop.org bookshop.
Want to write more in 2021? You don’t need a New Year’s resolution: you need a sustainable writing habit!
Do you struggle to find time to write? Do you get distracted by important or urgent tasks, feel blocked, or fail to make progress with writing projects? Then stop worrying and sign up to our January masterclass!
Being productive is about more than New Year’s resolutions. To achieve your writing goals you need to find time, support and the systems that keep you writing long term. Bec Evans of Prolifiko will guide you with tried and tested approaches that will help you create a writing habit in the busyness of your life.
What we will cover:
Prioritise your writing and make time for it
Set motivating and achievable writing goals
Beat distraction by understanding what stops you writing
Improve your productivity and feel positive about your progress
Bec’s top tips for keeping going long term.
Workshop includes:
Valuable insights, practical tips and inspiring advice from Bec Evans
Your chance to ask Bec anything about starting and keeping going with writing
A PDF resource
Access to a video replay of the event.
About Bec Evans
Bec Evans is a writer, speaker, coach and consultant who works with the publishing and creative writing sectors. As co-founder of Prolifiko, she helps people become more productive writers, and offers courses including a free 7-Day Writing Sprint and an intensive 4-Week Writing Bootcamp.
Bec has spent a lifetime reading, writing and working with writers. From her first job in a bookshop, to a career in publishing, and several years managing a writers’ retreat centre for Arvon, she’s obsessed with working out what helps writers write.
Bec’s first book, How to Have a Happy Hustle: The Complete Guide to Making Your Ideas Happen, won the Startup Inspiration category at the 2020 Business Book Awards.
It is available from Amazon and all books by our masterclass speakers are also available in the Publishing Talk Bookshop.org bookshop, which helps support local, independent bookshops in the UK.
About the Publishing Talk Masterclasses
Our online masterclasses are talks, interviews, seminars and workshops from successful authors, publishers, agents and industry experts designed to help you fulfil your potential as an author. Find out more on our masterclasses page.
Discounts available for Patrons. See our Patreon page for details.
You will be sent a link to the online workshop 1hr before the start time of 6.30pm (GMT).
You can join this masterclass from anywhere in the world. If you’re outside the UK, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.
6.30pm GMT | 10.30am PST | 1.30pm EST | 7.30pm CET
The post MASTERCLASS: How to Build a Writing Habit in 2021 – with Bec Evans (Online, Weds 6th Jan, 2021) appeared first on Publishing Talk.
December 2, 2020
Advice for Writers – call for submissions
Are you a pubished author? What’s your top piece of advice for new and emerging authors?
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Our core purpose at Publishing Talk is to educate new and emerging authors – so they can navigate the publishing industry successfully and reach their full potential as writers. If you’re a published author (traditional or self-published), I’d love to involve you in a new project.
Advice for Writers
I’m looking for short pieces of advice for new writers from those who have gone before and got a publishing deal or successfully self-published. I’m also interested in hearing from you if you’re a creative writing tutor, agent, editor or other industry professional with valuable advice to share.
It can be anything from a pithy phrase to a short paragraph, and about any aspect of becoming a successful author, such as:
how the industry works
the publishing process
how to get an agent
advice about writing – from the broad (e.g. productivity tips) to the specific (e.g. tips about writing dialogue)
inspiring, philosophical or psychological advice (e.g. about handling rejection)
tips for book marketing and promotion
tips for dealing with being a published author – such as how to handle press interviews or successfuly attend literary festivals
…or anything else you can think of!
What is your best piece of advice for new writers starting out? What do people always ask you – and what do you usually tell them?
How will you use my piece of advice?
If chosen, I’d like to use your advice in one or more of the following ways:
In a blog post, which I will update periodically
In a short ebook, grouped by topic or theme (if we get a lot of submissions)
As quote cards on our Instagram account – which I can share on other social media too.
What’s in it for me?
The warm glow of helping new and emerging authors with your best piece of advice!
If used on the blog, your affiliation will include a link to your book and/or company or institution.
If included in an ebook, the proceeds from this will help us continue and develop our educational programme for new authors – including our masterclasses and any other events we run.
If used on our social media channels, visibility to our large number of followers (we have 300,000+ on Twitter, for example, @publishingtalk), along with a tag of your name (if you’re on the social media channel your quote is shared on). You might want to include your social media handles along with your submission for this reason.
Sounds great! How do I send it to you?
Use the contact form on this site, with ‘Advice for Writers‘ in the subject line.
Please make sure you include your name and affiliation. Which could include the title of your latest or best-known book (e.g. Jon Reed, author of Get Up to Speed with Online Marketing), or your job title (such as lecturer in creative writing at Birkbeck, University of London or literary agent at Curtis Brown). Or whatever makes most sense for you.
When do you need it by?
I’ll keep the blog post updated periodically – for a while at least – unless and until it gets too unweildly! If we do an ebook, that will be compiled and published once we have enough entries.
So… there’s no deadline as such – but the sooner you send something, the more likely it is to be included, and the sooner we can start sharing some of these on a blog post and on our social media.
Many thanks in advance – and I look forward to hearing from you!
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash.
The post Advice for Writers – call for submissions appeared first on Publishing Talk.
November 26, 2020
MASTERCLASS: How to Become a Kindle Bestseller – with Nicola May (Online, Weds 9th Dec, 2020)
How to Become a Kindle Bestseller, with Nicola May – Online, Weds 9th Dec 2020
Join self-publishing sensation Nicola May in conversation with Jon Reed – and find out how she became a #1 Kindle bestselling author.
Masterclass: How to Become a Kindle Bestseller
Speaker: Nicola May
When: Wednesday 9th December 2020, 18:30 UTC
Where: Online – join us from anywhere in the world
Booking: Eventbrite (Limited places available – book now!)
This post contains Amazon affiliate links to the books mentioned. See our Affiliate policy for more details. Nicola May’s books are also available in our Bookshop.org bookshop.
Want to get to #1 on Kindle? Let Nicola May show you how.
Have you been thinking of publishing a Kindle ebook? Perhaps as a way to earn some extra income? There’s never been a better time: people have been reading more than ever in lockdown. In this illuminating masterclass, chart-topping self-published author Nicola May reveals her top tips for sales success.
Our December event is full of seasonal sparkle and goodwill to all authors, as not only will Nicola impart words of wisdom about her success, she will also introduce her cracker of a new release, Christmas in Cockleberry Bay.
The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, book 1 in Nicola’s bestselling Cockleberry Bay series, became the #1 bestselling Kindle book across all genres in the UK in 2019, and gathered thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon. But how did she do it? All will be revealed in this essential masterclass for any author who wants to become a bestseller.
What we will cover
What it takes to become a Kindle bestseller
The pros and cons of self-publishing v. traditional publishing
How to spot trends and write what people want to read
Writing in genres and series
The Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform
Nicola’s top tips for marketing your book.
Workshop includes:
Valuable insights, tips and advice from Nicola May
Your chance to ask Nicola anything about self-publishing
A PDF resource with Nicola’s top tips for self-publishing success
Access to a video replay of the event.
About Nicola May
Nicola May is a rom-com superstar. She is the author of a dozen romantic comedies, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. Two of them won awards at the Festival of Romance, and another was named ebook of the week in The Sun. Described by Winifred Robinson of BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours as ‘the invisible bestselling author’, Nicola campaigned successfully for the introduction of ebook charts in the publishing trade press. In November 2020 she also signed a three-book deal with Hodder (see Nicola May’s interview on this blog for more details).
Christmas in Cockleberry Bay is out now and can be purchased from Amazon. You can also find all books by our masterclass speakers in our Publishing Talk Bookshop.org Bookshop, which also helps support local independent bookshops in the UK.
About the Publishing Talk Masterclasses
Our online masterclasses are talks, interviews, seminars and workshops from successful authors, publishers, agents and industry experts designed to help you fulfil your potential as an author. Find out more on our masterclasses page.
Discounts available for Patrons. See our Patreon page for details.
You will be sent a link to the online workshop 1hr before the start time of 6.30pm (GMT).
You can join this masterclass from anywhere in the world. If you’re outside the UK, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.
6.30pm GMT | 10.30am PST | 1.30pm EST | 7.30pm CET
The post MASTERCLASS: How to Become a Kindle Bestseller – with Nicola May (Online, Weds 9th Dec, 2020) appeared first on Publishing Talk.
MASTERCLASS: How to Become a Kindle Bestseller – with Nicola May (Online, Weds 9th Dec, 200)
How to Become a Kindle Bestseller, with Nicola May – Online, Weds 9th Dec 2020
Join self-publishing sensation Nicola May in conversation with Jon Reed – and find out how she became a #1 Kindle bestselling author.
Masterclass: How to Become a Kindle Bestseller
Speaker: Nicola May
When: Wednesday 9th December 2020, 18:30 UTC
Where: Online – join us from anywhere in the world
Booking: Eventbrite (Limited places available – book now!)
This post contains Amazon affiliate links to the books mentioned. See our Affiliate policy for more details. Nicola May’s books are also available in our Bookshop.org bookshop.
Want to get to #1 on Kindle? Let Nicola May show you how.
Have you been thinking of publishing a Kindle ebook? Perhaps as a way to earn some extra income? There’s never been a better time: people have been reading more than ever in lockdown. In this illuminating masterclass, chart-topping self-published author Nicola May reveals her top tips for sales success.
Our December event is full of seasonal sparkle and goodwill to all authors, as not only will Nicola impart words of wisdom about her success, she will also introduce her cracker of a new release, Christmas in Cockleberry Bay.
The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, book 1 in Nicola’s bestselling Cockleberry Bay series, became the #1 bestselling Kindle book across all genres in the UK in 2019, and gathered thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon. But how did she do it? All will be revealed in this essential masterclass for any author who wants to become a bestseller.
What we will cover
What it takes to become a Kindle bestseller
The pros and cons of self-publishing v. traditional publishing
How to spot trends and write what people want to read
Writing in genres and series
The Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform
Nicola’s top tips for marketing your book.
Workshop includes:
Valuable insights, tips and advice from Nicola May
Your chance to ask Nicola anything about self-publishing
A PDF resource with Nicola’s top tips for self-publishing success
Access to a video replay of the event.
About Nicola May
Nicola May is a rom-com superstar. She is the author of a dozen romantic comedies, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. Two of them won awards at the Festival of Romance, and another was named ebook of the week in The Sun. Described by Winifred Robinson of BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours as ‘the invisible bestselling author’, Nicola campaigned successfully for the introduction of ebook charts in the publishing trade press. In November 2020 she also signed a three-book deal with Hodder (see Nicola May’s interview on this blog for more details).
Christmas in Cockleberry Bay is out now and can be purchased from Amazon. You can also find all books by our masterclass speakers in our Publishing Talk Bookshop.org Bookshop, which also helps support local independent bookshops in the UK.
About the Publishing Talk Masterclasses
Our online masterclasses are talks, interviews, seminars and workshops from successful authors, publishers, agents and industry experts designed to help you fulfil your potential as an author. Find out more on our masterclasses page.
Discounts available for Patrons. See our Patreon page for details.
You will be sent a link to the online workshop 1hr before the start time of 6.30pm (GMT).
You can join this masterclass from anywhere in the world. If you’re outside the UK, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.
6.30pm GMT | 10.30am PST | 1.30pm EST | 7.30pm CET
The post MASTERCLASS: How to Become a Kindle Bestseller – with Nicola May (Online, Weds 9th Dec, 200) appeared first on Publishing Talk.
November 17, 2020
INTERVIEW: Kindle bestseller Nicola May considers the pros and cons of self-publishing v. traditional publishing
Nicola May is a self-publishing sensation. She’s the author of a dozen romantic comedies, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. In 2019 she hit the #1 Kindle bestseller spot in the UK, across all genres, with The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. It spawned a series, and the fourth book, Christmas in Cockleberry Bay has just published. Now she’s signed a three-book deal with Hodder. Jon Reed asked her why.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links to the books mentioned. See our Affiliate policy for more details. Nicola May’s books are also available in our Bookshop.org bookshop.
Jon Reed: You’ve had huge success with the Cockleberry Bay books as a self-published author. Why have you now turned to traditional publishing?
Nicola May: I was happy self-publishing and not looking for a traditional publisher but when approached by Hodder, I weighed up the options. The main one is that I have not hit the dizzy heights with paperback sales and am only stocked in a handful of high-street stores. One of my dreams has been to become a Sunday Times bestselling author. Just to see my name on that list in Culture Magazine would make my Sunday roast taste a whole lot better. With the backing of a mainstream publisher now behind me, I should be able to achieve this. Importantly, I am not in any way turning my back on self-publishing. I still own all the rights to the 11 books on my backlist, which include the four-book Cockleberry Bay series. I see my relationship with Hodder as another string to my publishing bow.
JR: The Cockleberry Bay books were picked up by Lightning Books after your success with the first one – but for print only. How did that come about – and what are the advantages of that model for self-published authors?
NM: Scott Pack, previously with Harper Collins and Waterstones, has always championed my writing. Now working with Lightning Books, he saw the opportunity to take my print books on. Being honest, I don’t think many publishers would entertain this model as ebooks cost so little to produce, so are less of a risk to publish. For me it is a perfect scenario, as managing suppliers and paperbacks from home had become a bit of a chore. I was constantly packing boxes in my front room and making trips to the courier stop or post office. If an author can secure this model, then it is a big win, as keeping your own rights for ebooks is obviously more lucrative.
I continue to happily sell paperbacks of my Cockleberry Bay series through Lightning. And now that I will be known as a traditionally published author, it will be interesting to see if my current and future self-published books start to gain more attention from bookshops.
JR: You were described on BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours as ‘the invisible bestselling author’ last year, because self-published authors – at the time – didn’t appear in ebook charts. How has your campaign changed things?
NM: I was delighted that Philip Jones, Editor of The Bookseller, listened and actioned this important industry breakthrough immediately. The magazine now includes the Bookstat E-Book Top 10 chart, which includes weekly sales from self-published authors. It is another step forward for the recognition of indies, and for the industry and booksellers to further acknowledge that it isn’t just mainstream publishers who snap up talent.
JR: What can you tell us about the new books for Hodder? Are they a departure from your previous writing?
NM: The Ferry Lane Market trilogy will be based around a street market in the fictitious estuary town of Hartmouth in Cornwall. Each novel will centre on a different lead character and feature a set of core characters from the tight-knit community in and around the market. They will take on a similar style to the Cockleberry Bay series as that formula has worked so well for me.
JR: Will you stick with traditional publishing now, or still self-publish some books? What are the pros and cons of each approach?
NM: Firstly, unless you are incredibly lucky, publishing your book by any method is not a guaranteed get-rich-quick scenario. In both cases you need to be prepared to keep writing and keep working hard. I can’t answer your question about traditional publishing as I need to see how it goes. I will definitely continue to self-publish.
Self-publishing pros
You retain control of your work
You can choose your own timings for book release
Financially, you receive the whole piece of the pie.
Self-publishing cons
You need to be good at self-promotion
You need to be driven and dedicated
If you want to expand to paperbacks, you may not be taken seriously by the industry or booksellers.
Traditional Publishing pros
You are under the umbrella of a reputable and respected organisation
You have the weight and experience of a whole team of people behind you for marketing, promotion, editing etc.
You are given the opportunity to enter new markets with paperbacks at home and overseas
Your access to media is greatly improved.
Traditional Publishing cons
The control of your work is taken out of your hands
Deadlines can cause pressure
You have to share the money pot.
JR: What would you advise new authors considering self-publishing?
NM: Head straight to the Amazon KDP portal, sign up and start reading. They make the process simple from the start.
Nicola May’s latest book in the Cockleberry Bay series, Christmas in Cockleberry Bay, is out now. Welcome to Ferry Lane Market publishes in July 2021, and is available to pre-order now.
Sign up for Nicola May’s masterclass on How to Become a Kindle Bestseller, on Weds 9th December 2020, for her top tips, advice, and a live Q&A.
The post INTERVIEW: Kindle bestseller Nicola May considers the pros and cons of self-publishing v. traditional publishing appeared first on Publishing Talk.
October 28, 2020
Welcome to publishingtalk.org
Welcome to Publishing Talk – an online educational community for new and emerging authors.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Oh, hello. Yes, it has been a while. It’s been a strange year, hasn’t it?
I hope you’re safe and well and have been coping with lockdown. And please don’t feel bad if you’re not writing that novel we’re all supposed to be knocking out during these stressful times. I mean, who has the time, in between trying to stay afloat, working from home, home-educating the kids, staying safe and coping with all sorts of anxieties and horrors? It’s not a sabbatical, and you really don’t have to be productive.
That said, one thing I have finally produced is this re-launch of the Publishing Talk website. You may have noticed a domain name change, from .eu to .org. Why? Because Brexit. I’m based in the UK, which is sadly no longer in the EU, and .eu domains will be turned off at the end of the year for people outside the EU.
It’s a sad moment for me. Not least because, in 2008, I was invited to an event at the European Parliament in Brussels to mark the second anniversary of the .eu domain, along with small businesses from around the EU who were also early adopters of the domain. It was great to get a deper insight into the work of the EU, and to meet fellow European small business owners from every corner of the EU.
Jon Reed meets Sharon Bowles MEP at the European Parliament in Brussels, 2008
At the time, I chose .eu because it was more international than .co.uk, and seemed modern and forward-looking. I’m choosing .org now for similar reasons: it’s even more international (about a third of our readers are in the US – howdy!), and it also fits with where I want to take Publishing Talk in the future: as a supportive virtual organisation with social goals as well as business ones.
So much has changed since the Publishing Talk blog launched. 2007 was pre-ebooks, pre-iPhone and pre-Kindle (though all those things were available by the end of that year – in the US at least). Social media was new, and digital was seen as a threat to publishers – yet has since been embraced, albeit with varying degrees of enhusiasm. And self-publishing, enabled by the new Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform, was just about to take off.
The other thing that’s changed since this blog launched is our audience. My background is as a publisher, before I moved into social media consultancy and training for publishers and others. So when I launched, I thought I was writing for publishers, about how to navigate social media and this new digital landscape. But the main audience – of course – turned out to be new and emerging authors. Authors have always been ahead of the curve, looking to the future, and embracing new technologies and opportunities.
There’s a lot more to come, including new resources for authors. I hope you’ll join our community and be a part of its development as we grow and increase our support for new authors. You are very welcome here.
Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash
The post Welcome to publishingtalk.org appeared first on Publishing Talk.
November 23, 2019
EVENT: How to Get Published – London, 2020
Is your New Year’s resolution to get published? We’re running our popular How to Get Published masterclass again in 2020!
How To Get Published
A one-day masterclass for writers
** NB We have, unfortunately, had to postpone this event from 8th February. It is now likely to take place in early June 2020, at a new venue in central London TBC. Tickets go back on sale in March. **
Do you want to get published? Have you written a book but have no idea how to take the next steps? Brought to you by Publishing Talk, the How to Get Published masterclass is an essential day for all authors starting out – whether traditional or indie.
Meet bestselling authors, literary agents, publishers and self-publishing experts as they explain the publishing landscape, the various routes to publication and equip you for career success. Expect no-nonsense, practical advice to motivate you to write that book – and get it published!
Includes a FREE copy of Write a Bestseller by Jacq Burns to help you on your way – plus a reading list and handouts. You will also have the opportunity to pitch your book and get some instant feedback (optional).
Join us for a packed day of great speakers, discussions and plenty of time for networking with fellow writers.
Confirmed Speakers
Our confirmed speakers for 2020 include:
Scott Pack, publisher, editor and author of How to Perfect Your Sumbission
Nicola May, Number one bestselling self-published author of 10 novels including The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay
Mark Stay, screenwriter, author and co-host of The Bestseller Experiment podcast
Debbie Young, self-published author and Author Advice Centre Manager, the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)
Bella Pagan, editorial director, Pan Macmillan
Bec Evans, co-founder of Prolifiko, writing productivity expert and author of How to Have a Happy Hustle.
Programme
Our programme for 2020 will cover both traditional and self-publishing – from how to get an agent to working with editors to being a successful self-published author. It’s shaping up as follows (NB this is indicative and subject to change):
Morning
09:00 Registration and networking
09:30 Welcome and Introduction
Jon Reed, Publishing Talk
09:40 What are agents looking for?
The most important step to a traditional publishing deal is to get an agent. What are they looking for – and how do you get one?
Speaker TBC
10:20 How to perfect your submission
Practical tips on how to put together your proposal, sample material and query letter.
Scott Pack, editor, publisher and author of How to Perfect Your Submission
11:00 Coffee Break
11:20 Case Study: How to write and publish a bestseller
Ten things learned from three years of The Bestseller Experiment.
Mark Stay, author and co-host of The Bestseller Experiment podcast
12:00 How to build your online platform
How to build your online platform to equip yourself for career success as an author
Jon Reed, Publishing Talk
12:40 Lunch Break
Please write a one-sentence pitch for your book on the postcard provided over lunch, if you’d like to take part in the ‘Pitch Your Book!’ session after lunch.
Afternoon
13:40 Pitch your book!
Putting into practice what you’ve learned in the morning, you will have the opportunity over lunch to either write down a one-sentence pitch for your book, or just think of one to share with the group in the session. Our panel will make brief suggestions for improving your pitch. We’ll try to fit in as many as possible!
14:20 How do editors work with authors?
Bella Pagan of Pan Macmillan, plus a debut author, discuss how books get commissioned, what happens during the editing process leading up to publication, and examine the crucial author-editor relationship.
Bella Pagan, editorial director, Pan Macmillan plus author TBC
15:00 The business of self-publishing
Could self-publishing be for you? What you need to know to be a successful indie author.
Debbie Young, The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)
15:40 Coffee Break
16:00 Case Study: How to top the Kindle charts
Nicola May, self-published author of 10 novels including the number one bestseller The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, in conversation with Jon Reed
16:40 How to finish your book
The first step to getting published is to write – and finish! – that book.
Bec Evans, productivity expert, co-founder of Prolifiko and and author of How to Have a Happy Hustle
17:00 Final Q&A and Closing Remarks
A final opportunity to ask our panel any questions you have about the publishing process.
17:30 ENDS
—–
17:45 onwards – Networking Drinks
We hope you can join us for a drink for continued discussion and networking with your fellow writers (venue TBC).
Gallery
Here are some pictures from our 2019 event:
Début author Molly Flatt speaking at How to Get Published 2019
Literary agent Jacq Burns speaking at How to Get Published 2019
Jon Reed chairs our 2019 author panel: Liz Fenwick, Natalie Fergie and Nicola May
Tickets go on sale in March 2020. Register your interest now.
Learn more
Audience and speaker images of our 2019 event are courstesy of A.D. Flint (author of The Burning Hill).
The post EVENT: How to Get Published – London, 2020 appeared first on Publishing Talk.
August 8, 2019
EVENT: How to Get Published – Saturday 8th February 2020, London
If you missed out on this year’s event, never fear: we’re running our popular How to Get Published masterclass again in 2020!
How To Get Published
A one-day masterclass for writers
Saturday 8th February 2020 – Foyles, Charing Cross, London
Do you want to get published? Have you written a book but have no idea how to take the next steps? Brought to you by Publishing Talk, the How to Get Published masterclass is an essential day for all authors starting out – whether traditional or indie.
Meet bestselling authors, literary agents, publishers and self-publishing experts as they explain the publishing landscape, the various routes to publication and equip you for career success. Expect no-nonsense, practical advice to motivate you to write that book – and get it published!
Includes a free book to help you on your way (title TBC), plus a reading list and handouts. You will also have the opportunity to pitch your book and get some instant feedback (optional).
Following the success of our 2019 event, we’re making this an annual writers’ conference, and returning once more to the iconic Foyles bookshop on Charing Cross Road, London. Join us for a packed day of great speakers, panels, discussions and plenty of time for networking with fellow writers.
Our programme for 2020 is currently being developed, but you can get an idea of what to expect from the 2019 programme.
Début author Molly Flatt speaking at How to Get Published 2019
Literary agent Jacq Burns speaking at How to Get Published 2019
Jon Reed chairs our 2019 author panel: Liz Fenwick, Natalie Fergie and Nicola May
Limited super early-bird tickets are on sale now. Don’t miss out – book now!
Book now
Audience and speaker images of our 2019 event are courstesy of A.D. Flint (author of The Burning Hill).
The post EVENT: How to Get Published – Saturday 8th February 2020, London appeared first on Publishing Talk.
January 5, 2019
EVENT: How to Get Published – Saturday 9th February 2019, London
Is your New Year’s resolution to get published? Join our How to Get Published masterclass at Foyles in London!
This event has now ended. We had intended to run it again in London in 2020 but the global pandemic changed our plans! We hope to run similar events in the future.
How To Get Published
A one-day masterclass for writers
Saturday 9th February 2019 – Foyles, Charing Cross, London
Do you want to get published? Have you written a book but have no idea how to take the next steps? Brought to you by Publishing Talk, the How to Get Published masterclass is an essential day for all authors starting out – whether traditional or indie.
Meet bestselling authors, literary agents, publishers and self-publishing experts as they explain the publishing landscape, the various routes to publication and equip you for career success. Expect no-nonsense, practical advice to motivate you to write that book – and get it published!
Join us at the iconic Foyles bookshop on Charing Cross Road, London for a packed day of great speakers, panels, discussions and plenty of time for networking with fellow writers.
We’re also giving away a FREE copy of Write a Bestseller by literary agent Jacq Burns (one of our speakers) to all delegates – so you’ll have no excuse not to get on and pursue your publishing ambitions!
What you can expect to learn:
How to get an agent
What publishers are looking for
How traditional publishing works
Alternatives to traditional publishing
How to build your platform online
Full programme and book online
Confirmed speakers include:
Molly Flatt, author of The Charmed Life of Alex Moore
Jacq Burns, literary agent, founder of London Writers’ Club and author of Write a Bestseller
Scott Pack, publisher and author of How to Perfect Your Submission .
Debbie Young, self-published author and Author Advice Center Manager, The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)
Mark Stay, The Bestseller Experiment podcast
Anna Lewis, founder of CompletelyNovel
Nick Coveney, Publisher Relations and Content Lead, Rakuten Kobo
Clare Christian, founder of Red Door Publishing
Liz Fenwick, author of One Cornish Summer (Orion)
Natalie Fergie, author of The Sewing Machine (Unbound)
Nicola May, author of nine novels including The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay (self-published)
This event has now ended.
The post EVENT: How to Get Published – Saturday 9th February 2019, London appeared first on Publishing Talk.
November 17, 2018
7 ways to use pay per click marketing to promote books
From Google Ads to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter there are lots of options for paid advertising online. So where do you start – and what works for books?
4 minutes to read
You can do a lot to promote books online for free. So why would you pay for ads? Because they’re cost-effective – and they work. Pay per click (PPC) marketing is the most common form of advertising online. You only pay when someone clicks your ad, can limit your spending and target your ads. So you can reach niche audiences for niche books without spending a fortune.
But since books (especially ebooks) are rarely high-priced, be careful when setting budgets that you’re not spending more than sales are worth. However, direct sales aren’t always the real prize. Even a few PPC clicks can boost a book’s Amazon sales ranking – which will lead to higher visibility and increased organic sales. Think long-term. Ads can also be used to grow social media followings and email lists. But with so many options, where do you begin?
Search Marketing
PPC for search works because your ads are shown to people who are actively looking for what you’re selling. They ‘capture intent’ when people are ready to buy. They don’t care who you are: only the search terms you use.
1) Google. Google is the biggest PPC platform. Google Ads are triggered by the keywords you choose, plus the relevance of your ad, and the cost per click is determined by a live auction: the more competitive the keyword, the more expensive. Choose niche keywords for niche books: they’ll be cheaper and more effective.
2) Amazon. You can also use PPC on the world’s largest search engine for books. There are three options available: sponsored products, headline search and product display. The first two appear in Amazon search results, targeted by keyword. Product display ads appear directly on product pages. Does your book have a strong competitor? Place an ad on their product page!
Social Ads
Social ads target people based on who they are: demographics and interests. They work because of this ‘microtargeting’. You can reach a small number of people cheaply – but they’ll be the right people. User intent is different here: people aren’t necessarily in ‘buying’ mode – so you’ll have to work harder to engage them, perhaps with a giveaway. Seasonal promotions also work well.
3) Facebook. Ads are more important than ever for visibility on Facebook. You can use them to ‘boost’ an existing post to reach a wider audience; or create an ad with a specific offer. Contests and giveaways work well, and can be used to gather data.
Don’t let the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal put you off: you’re not trying to undermine Western democracy – you’re just trying to sell some books! But do be careful how you handle data, particularly since the EU’s GDPR came into force in May 2018. If you collect email addresses in exchange for a download, or send people to a specific web page that has the ‘Facebook pixel’ embedded (a bit of code that tracks visits), you can use that data though only with explicit consent to show ‘remarketing’ ads to those people.
Go further with custom audiences and lookalike audiences. A custom audience can be built from a list of emails you upload to Facebook (many of whom will have Facebook profiles); or a group of people who have visited a specific page on your website (with the Facebook pixel); or engaged with your Facebook content. A lookalike audience takes this data and extrapolates it to similar, wider group of people, increasing your target audience. Similar tools are available for most social ad platforms.
4) Instagram. Facebook owns Instagram – so you just set these up in the same ads manager and tick an extra box. ‘Learn More’ tends to work better than ‘Buy Now’ as a call to action, as it sounds less salesy. Aim to make your ads feel like a natural part of your audience’s Instagram feed.
5) Twitter. The real-time nature of Twitter means you can reach people at just the right moment for a date or even time-specific topical promotion. Targeting works differently: you can reach people based on interests, but also on which Twitter accounts they follow. Want to reach people who follow a competitor? Target them with an ad!
6) LinkedIn. LinkedIn is an essential place to be if you publish business books – but also books aimed at any professional group. It’s also good for lead generation. It tends to be the more expensive option – but also has a higher conversion rate. Options include sponsored content, text ads and sponsored InMail (‘cost per send’ rather than ‘cost per click’).
7) YouTube. 18-34 year olds are the age group most influenced by YouTube – so it’s a good place to be if you’re trying to reach young people, such as students. Google owns YouTube, so if you’ve got to grips with Google Ads, it’s the same ad platform. The trickier part is creating video ads in the first place. But if you already have a book trailer, author interview or other promotional video, don’t leave it on your own YouTube channel: use it as a ‘skippable’ video ad.
Finally, measure everything you do, from cost per click to click-through rate to conversion rate. Use that data to refine, improve and optimize your next campaign. Use split-testing to improve your ad copy. PPC marketing is a dynamic medium. Start small, think long-term, and you’ll reap the rewards in awareness, audience growth – and book sales.
Find out more about Jon’s in-house training course on Pay Per Click for Publishers.
This post first appeared on FutureBook on 15 Oct 2018.
The post 7 ways to use pay per click marketing to promote books appeared first on Publishing Talk.
