Sandy Appleyard's Blog, page 12
March 10, 2014
Rejection Letters Aren’t Always Bad-Here’s Why
Image courtesy of colourbox.com
In a previous post, we discussed how to translate a publisher’s rejection letter. The post covered various words used in the letter that may not necessarily mean their face value.
That being said, when you do receive a rejection that isn’t a flat out ‘rejection’, meaning that they’ve given you points which you can use to improve your manuscript, you can use the tips to your advantage.
A rejection letter can sometimes be the most valuable piece of free information...
March 6, 2014
Authors: Are Indie Book Reviews Doomed?
Not unlike many indie authors, I’ve been diligently trying to acquire book reviews for months. Any author will attest: it’s extremely difficult. Not only do book reviewers and book bloggers have a list of to-read books longer than their life span, but most have become so discriminating in their choices, because their lists are so long, that most newer authors don’t have a fighting chance.
Paid book reviews, while most websites guarantee reviews completed in a specified time frame, the prices c...
February 27, 2014
Cliffhangers: Cheating or Shrewd Marketing?
Image courtesy of withabook.blogspot.com
We all have our opinions of books, whether they’re stand-alone novels, trilogies or full-length series, but one thing I’ve noticed from reading reviews and feedback is that readers are changing their opinions of how certain storylines end.
Personally, I get more pleasure out of reading a book that has a clean conclusion, whether or not there is a sequel, but that’s just me.
In the last year I’ve done a lot of reading for the purpose of reviews, and I’ve f...
February 24, 2014
Authors: Two Ideas for Running Promotional Contests
As an author, it is very important that my book promotions get noticed, otherwise the purpose is defeated. For many authors, our free promotion days can be monumental in getting sales ranks up, especially if it’s for a book launch.
There are many ways to market your book, both for free and paid options. Some ways to do it for free or minimum cost I’ve outlined in a previous post. In this post, I’d like to explore one free and one paid option that can potentially make your promotions go viral.
T...
February 19, 2014
Book Review-Sunshine: Diary of an Affair (Book#1)
Image courtesy of Goodreads
What the book is about
Eric, a single and hard working male, is trying diligently to place himself and the school where he teaches on the radio broadcasting map. At the same time he works part-time at a gym where he meets up with an intriguing and attractive woman named Tina.
Eric’s attraction to married women is attributed to his unwillingness to commit to a relationship (as his mother eloquently points out); that is, until Tina appears. While Tina is a married woman...
February 17, 2014
Authors: Facebook Group for Amazon Rank Help is Here
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Image courtesy of Softicons.com
In a previous post, we discussed the importance of having an Amazon Author Central profile page, and how to create one. Many authors included their profile links in the comments section of that post, and we all contributed by liking each other’s pages; it was great!
Since that post was so successful, I decided to open a Facebook group entitled ‘Amazon Author Support‘.
The purpose of this group is primarily to provide a venue for authors to give and receive Amazon...
February 13, 2014
Authors: Do you Have an Amazon Author Profile Page?
My Amazon.com profile picture.
This post is for all authors; whether or not you have an Amazon Author Profile page.
It’s surprising, actually. I suppose some new authors don’t realize it’s available. The Amazon Author Central Profile Page is a rather important book marketing tool, whether you’re a new author, or you’ve written several books.
If you do not have one, click on this link and follow the steps to add your information (bio, books, picture, etc.) Have a look at my profile page if you wo...
February 10, 2014
Authors: Another Free Book Marketing Tool
This one was right under my nose! It wasn’t until I stumbled upon another author’s Facebook page that I realized it was free…and anyone can use it.
It’s the ‘ReadMy Book‘ Facebook application, and until today I had no idea how to access or use it. But here’s a quick walk-through and the best news is that that’s all you’ll need.
If you already have a Facebook Fan or Author page, simply click hereand login to your Facebook account. Then click on ‘Let’s Get Started’, select which Facebook page you...
February 5, 2014
Authors: When is it Time to Shift Gears on Twitter?
I’ve written multiple blogs and even a book about how to get followers on Twitter. There are many ways to do this. However, once you get to a point where you have lots of followers, then what do you do?
Of course, maintaining your following is important, so we all must keep up with retweets and supporting our fellow authors. But there does come a time, as an author, where we must shift gears. Why? Because what starts to happen is you just get so many retweets of your posts and tweets that you...
February 3, 2014
Why Authors Should Keep Their Websites Fresh and How
Over the course of a year I’ve probably changed the entire layout and theme of my webpage-for various reasons, at least five times.
One of the main reasons is book sales. If my sales have dropped it’s time to revisit some core items that can be changed relatively simply and with little to no cost as outlined in a previous post.
I’m an indie author and therefore my budget does not include paying for a private webpage designer, so I’m left with the task of surfing Google in search of webpage desi...
