Frances Caballo's Blog: 10 Twitter Tips Writers Need to Know, page 17

Indie Author Weekly Update – August 9, 2019

I hope you enjoy the newest installment of the Indie Author Weekly Update. If you only read one post, be sure to read Anne R. Allen’s on why genre fiction is so important in today’s world. I love Joanna Penn’s podcast and in her newest one her guest makes a good case for content marketing. I hope you enjoy all the posts this week.

I will take a break from blogging and return August 30th with a new Indie Author Weekly Update. I hope you’re enjoying the summer and your summer reading.

Content Marketing

10 Quick And Easy Ways To Overcome Writer’s Block (when trying to write a blog post)  by Blogging Wizard: ”

Writer’s block is the complete lack of ability to put your thoughts on paper in any coherent way. When I started this article, I was grinding my teeth in annoyance because I couldn’t get going. And the more my annoyance grew, the harder it was to actually write. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle where the only way to beat it is to get out of the situation entirely.

Sell more books for the long term: Content Marketing Strategy from Joanna Penn and with Pamela Wilson: “Paid advertising may spike your book sales for the short term, but if you stop paying, you stop selling. With content marketing, you can create value for the long term, attract your target market and sell sustainably for years.”

Indie Author Book Marketing

The Decline of Mainstream Fiction: Why Authors Need a Genre in Today’s Fragmented Publishing World. by Anne R. Allen: “Choosing a genre for your novel is one of the toughest challenges for many new writers. This week both former agent Nathan Bransford and current agent Jessica Faust wrote posts telling authors their books must have a genre. But new writers may not know why this has become such a hard-and-fast rule, or why the publishing world has become so fragmented.”

Book Marketing Ideas: 14 Habits of Highly Successful Authors by Penny Sansevieri: “One thing that remains consistent among highly successful authors across all genres is they’re not short on smart book marketing ideas. And I want to be clear that book marketing ideas come in many forms and at many stages. I know we’re all primed to immediately think about discounts and creating blog content, but the execution of those kinds of strategies is actually just one piece of the book marketing pie.”

Twitter

Encore Month: How to Run a Twitter Chat from Alliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing Advice Center and by Timothy Lewis: “A Twitter chat is where a group of people come together on Twitter during a particular time and all tweet using the same hashtag (e.g #IndieAuthorChat).  They then monitor the hashtag (usually using a tool like Twitter’s Tweetdeck) and then reply to questions and comments from other users who are also using the same hashtag.”

Of Note:

Author, professor, and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison died on August 5. She was a brilliant writer who taught me so much in her novel “Song of Solomon.” Be sure to read one of her novels.

 

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie 

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course. And follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

The post Indie Author Weekly Update – August 9, 2019 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Book Launch Case Study with Mike Sahno

I met Mike Sahno on Twitter and was impressed by his book launch success. So I asked him to share his experience so that you could learn his tips. Here is our interview.

When did you start writing? And what was the experience?

I wrote a lot of poems and songs in high school and college. Everyone knew me as Class Poet or Editor-in-Chief of the literary magazine. I was a real literature fanatic. I tried my hand at a few short stories in college, but I didn’t really know what I was doing. It wasn’t until I finished graduate school that I started writing my first novel, Brothers’ Hand.

I’ve always been in love with the experience of having written. The actual writing time is often torturous.

How long have you been using social media to reach your readers?

I didn’t even know how to enroll readers at all until 2016 when I started my own publishing company to publish my first three novels. I’d been on Twitter for a year by then, but again, didn’t know what I was doing.

Which platforms do you use regularly?

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. I also have a LinkedIn profile for my publishing company, but I don’t expect to get many fiction readers on that platform. You never know, though.

Soon after you launched your book, Whizzers, your Amazon ranking in your categories was phenomenal. (Mike’s rankings for his categories were in the low one hundreds.) Please detail every step you took in terms of prelaunch, presales, and formal launch. What did you do and what was your approach? Did you release any advanced reader copies?

I certainly didn’t do it alone! One challenge I’ve faced all along has been my unwillingness to join the KDP world on Amazon. I’m sure I’ve paid the price by going wide, but I’m not comfortable with Amazon “giving” me an ISBN or having any control over when I can publish my books on other platforms. I’ve read some negative feedback on their POD service, too, and that was a deal-breaker. I’m a stickler for high-quality print for the paperback versions of my books, and IngramSpark has been solid in my experience.

For Whizzers, I put more time, effort, and money into the entire launch process than I had with the other novels. I’d learned lessons about how hard it is getting book bloggers or reviewers, so I reached out to well over a hundred to set up a blog tour to run from 7/19-7/31, with the actual publication coming towards the beginning of the tour, on 7/21. I also invited a zillion people to an in-person launch event on 7/20. Lastly, as a follow-up to the initial launch, I’m running a marketing campaign to get Whizzers into as many libraries as I can.

At writer’s conferences, experts encourage writers to form a VIP list or street team and dedicated readers who will spread the word online about our new books. Do you have a street team?

I do, and here’s where I answer the rest of the previous question! I went through my contacts list, including some fellow authors I’ve connected with on social media, and invited many people to join my launch group. That group is a separate segment of my email newsletter list, so they’re getting my regular emails and special messages just for them, with unique content. I also created a private Whizzers VIP Launch Group on Facebook.

  I made ARC’s available to the entire launch group, and I put the novel up for pre-order a good month before the publication date.

  There were a few glitches: for one, I tried to roll out a cover reveal in stages on social media to build interest in the book. By the time that got underway, IngramSpark had already sent the book data to Amazon, so Amazon was already listing it. If someone wanted to see more than, say, 2/3 of the cover, or whatever I was revealing, all they had to do was find it on Amazon!

I hear some authors complain that readers are unable to leave reviews on Amazon. Has that been a problem with any of your readers?

So far, so good, but the jury is still out. A couple of people have messaged me that they submitted reviews, but they’re not up yet. However, Amazon hasn’t sent them an email indicating it rejected their reviews.  I find Amazon’s review process to be wildly inconsistent. Sometimes a submitted review goes up within hours; other times, it takes days.

Do you think that your master’s degree in English helped you to become a better writer?

Absolutely. I know it’s common now for folks to become very successful with little to no formal post-secondary education. But I familiarized myself with much of “the canon,” plus a good deal of lesser-known European literature, around 30 years ago. Balzac, Proust, those kinds of writers. People can read all this stuff on their own, but I benefited from those lively discussions with professors and other students. Also, I’ve worked full-time as a writer since 2001. I think that, for me, there’s a real benefit to that combination of education and practical experience.

We hear that it’s essential to publish a lot of books as quickly as possible. How do you feel about that advice?

I think it depends on your goals. For me, I would say the opposite is true: take the time required to create the best possible lasting work of art. It might be two years. It might be seven. Each of my first three novels took around seven years since I was working full-time when I wrote them. If someone wants to churn out a product quickly to make a buck, that’s their prerogative. But if I want to create novels that will outlive me, I can’t write them that fast. 

Have you considered writing a series? It seems as though your books are quite disparate.

It’s a great business model for a writer, especially when you can hook a reader with a freebie to introduce them, and they’ll want to buy all the others. But I don’t have it in me to write that way. I could crank out some genre fiction, and I’d probably make more money, but I’d hate every minute of it. My models are more like John Gardner, who wrote Grendel, John Fowles, of The French Lieutenant’s Woman fame. William Styron. I’m not saying I’m in the same league as those guys, but I aspire to that kind of greatness.

Do you already have an idea for your next book?

I have two works in progress, and they’re about as disparate as you can get. Once the dust settles on this Whizzers launch, I’m going to play around with them and figure out which one it will be. Whatever it is, it’s going to be different!

 

 

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie 

 

Born in Bristol, CT, Michael J. Sahno began writing stories at an early age. He obtained a Master of Arts in English from Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY at the age of 24, going on to become a full-time professional writer in 2001.

Since founding Sahno Publishing in 2015, he has gone on to achieve national and international recognition, gaining over 20,000 followers on Twitter and publishing and selling four novels both in the U.S. and abroad.

Sahno has ghostwritten books for entrepreneurs in the U.S., and continues to electrify audiences with his story and his natural gift for entertaining while informing. He is available for professional speaking engagements upon request.

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course. And follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

The post Book Launch Case Study with Mike Sahno appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Indie Author Weekly Update – August 2, 2019

This week’s Indie Author Update has so much super information to help you succeed as an indie author. Be sure to check out master blogger Anne R. Allen’s advice on author blogs. She has a stellar blog herself. David Penny also has some advice that makes so much sense for the indie author. Well, just read all of them if you can.

Elevator Pitches

Razzle-Dazzle: The Art and Craft of the Elevator Pitch by Ruth Harris: “What works on Broadway in the hit musical, Chicago, also works for selling a book because you do want a reaction that will be passionate.”

Indie Author Book Promotion

Put Readers First – an Essential Ingredient of Successful Book Marketing – from Alliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing Advice Center and by David Penny: “When I started self-publishing historical novels in 2014, I connected on social media with a frenzy as I attempted to persuade people to buy my books. Oh, I was a good social member and didn’t spam my titles, but I had made a big mistake with who I was connecting to.”

5 Best Book Promotion Strategies for Romance Authors by Penny Sansevieri: “Romance writing is such a unique market. We know it’s busy and popular, but your readers are also veracious. They read a lot, and they love discovering new authors. Romance authors have been given a wonderful opportunity to really speak to readers on a very personal level, and every element of their book promotion must reflect this. Every time they purchase one of your titles, they’re inviting you into their lives and admitting their (sometimes very secret) fantasies and desires!”

Amazon Advertising

Amazon Advertising Insights with Black Books – Podcast by Joanna Penn and with Russell Blake: “Surf the changes and get to grips with Amazon Ads — or outsource them if you’re ready to. Some hard talking — and encouragement — with Russell Blake today, as well as tips from Michael Beverly.”

Author Blogs

Blogging Is a Potent Tool for Author Platform Building – from BookWorks and by Anne R. Allen: “If you tell your non-writing friends you’re thinking of starting a blog, somebody is sure to tell you that blogging is “totally over.” Just give them an indulgent smile. People have been declaring blogging dead pretty much since it started. Google “blogging is dead” and you’ll see thousands of entries. But it turns out the blog is a pretty resilient medium.”

Quote of the Week

 

 

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie 

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course. And follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

The post Indie Author Weekly Update – August 2, 2019 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Indie Author Weekly Update – July 26, 2019

It was fun reading the posts below for this week’s Indie Author Update. Be sure to read the post explaining how to use Canva.com to create book trailers or any type of video for that matter. It’s a great primer.

I hope you benefit from all of the posts below. Have a great weekend!

Social Media

15 Twitter bio ideas and examples to attract new followers from SproutSocial: “When it comes to your social media bios, are you putting a good bit of thought into writing a creative and engaging intro? If you just treated it as an afterthought or rushed to finish, there’s a chance it’s probably not as strong as it could be.”

Book Marketing

13 Ways to Use a Book Award for Marketing from TheBookDesigner.com and by Sandra Beckwith: “When one of indie kid lit author Cat Michaels’ books wins an award, she doesn’t just pose for a grip and grin at the awards banquet. Michaels, who has won four book awards in the past two years, makes sure her audience hears the good news, too.”

How to Increase Your Global Reach from Alliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing Advice Center: “In today’s encore post, Alison Clifford, author member shows you how to increase your global reach. Many self-publishing platforms have an extensive world-wide reach for potential sales. But what should authors think of in order to be global and create a global audience?”

Fast and Easy Book Trailer Videos Using Canva: A Step-by-Step Guide – Publishing services for self publishing authors and businesses by Manon Wogahn: Videos are one of the best and most popular new mediums for connecting with your audience. For example, on Facebook videos perform better than any other content types, generating 59% more engagement.

Indie Author Publishing

Why Self-Publishing Authors Should Consider Establishing Their Own Imprint from Jane Friedman’s blog and by David Wogahn: ” Since 2012, the year I began working exclusively with self-publishers, I’ve helped more than 100 authors create self-publishing imprints. Some of these were formed as corporations and LLCs, but most were in name only. The common thread between all of them—one of the earliest decisions made—was to choose a name under which to buy an ISBN, short for International Standard Book Number, a unique number assigned to every published book.”

Quote of the Week

 

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie 

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course. And follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

 

The post Indie Author Weekly Update – July 26, 2019 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Indie Author Weekly Update – July 19, 2019

This week’s Indie Author Update is filled with lots of great tips to help your market your books. There are posts on blogging, email marketing, self-publishing, and more. Personally, I love the variety in this week’s blog posts. I hope you feel the same way about them. Enjoy!

Blogging

5 Tips for Popular Posts on Your Author Blog from TheBookDesigner.com and by Shelley Sturgeon: “You’ve heard it over and over and over again. Having a popular author blog can be a key ingredient of a successful author platform. A successful author platform can be key to being a successful author—translation: selling lots of books!”

Email Marketing

How to Grow Your Email List from Convince & Convert: Growing your email list and getting your readers to opt-in is getting harder and harder these days. Why? Because web users have less time to read your blogs due to the abundance of content these days. And they are even less willing to become your regular readers and subscribers.

Instagram Stories for Indie Authors

Are you using this engaging Instagram feature? See this article about how authors are using stories to reach readers! from BookBub Partners and by Julia Hansen: “Instagram is a popular social network with over 1 billion active users on the platform each month. Of those, 500 million use the Instagram stories feature every day. Similar to Snapchat, Instagram stories let users capture and share photos, videos, text, and other features that can be viewed in a slideshow format. These stories appear at the top of users’ Instagram feeds and disappear after 24 hours unless the creator saves them to their profile as a ‘Highlight.'”

Self-Publishing for the Indie Author

Wattpad: What Self-Published Authors Need To Know by Writer’s Relief: “Launched in 2006, Wattpad is a free online publishing platform with over 70 million writers and readers. … Most recently, Wattpad has caught the attention of HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Paramount Pictures, and NBC, among others.”

Indie Author Business

Encore Month: Indie Authors Broaden Your Business from Alliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing Advice Center & by Karen Myers: Authorpreneur Karen Myers explains why your need to keep learning and broaden your business activity to remain vibrant, profitable and dynamic. She draws on examples of opportunities she has seized upon to grow her expertise, her reach and her reputation.

Quote of the Week

 

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie 

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course. And follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

 

The post Indie Author Weekly Update – July 19, 2019 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Indie Author Weekly Update – July 12, 2019

Here’s another Indie Author Weekly Update for you. There are posts on book marketing, book launches, and book sales. I hope that the tips you glean from these posts help you in your own book marketing efforts. Enjoy!

Software

The Top Software for Writers of 2019 + [Coupons and Extra Resources] from Dave Chesson: “By now, you’ve probably realized the advantages of using professional-grade software. Pro tools can give you a timesaving edge throughout your entire writing process. But how many programs do you really need? And which ones are the best?”

Book Marketing

Book Marketing: How To Make Your Blog Work For Books And Author Brand with Amy Shojai and from Joanna Penn: “Your author website is the one piece of internet real-estate that is entirely under your control. Amy Shojai shares how to make the most of the blog on your site to attract new readers, build your author brand, and sell more books.“

Attraction Marketing And Tips For Creative Business With Andre Chaperon from Joanna Penn: “Many authors are introverts and prefer creation to marketing, but what if you could use your words to attract your perfect target market? In today’s episode, André Chaperon gives some valuable tips for building a sustainable creative business.”

Book Launches

How to Run a Book Launch for Maximum Sales from BookBub Partners and by Diana Urban: “When you’re preparing for a book launch, there’s a massive amount of book marketing tactics you can choose from — but which will make the biggest impact on sales? Which will give you the best shot at hitting a bestseller list? And if you’re a traditionally published author, what can you do in tandem with your publisher to become a bestseller?”

Book Reviews

A Short and Sweet Beginner’s Guide to Securing Amazon Reviews from Jane Friedman’s blog and by Penny Sansevieri: “Reviews can be a tremendous help in driving the sale of a book. In fact, a marketing survey company found that 61% of online purchases were made after reading a review. Reviews on Amazon can also help your book turn up more often in customer searches.”

Quote of the Week

 

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie 

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course. And follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

The post Indie Author Weekly Update – July 12, 2019 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Indie Author Weekly Update – July 5, 2019

I have another Indie Author Weekly Update for you to enjoy. This week’s update focuses on two issues, book promotion and social media. Messenger chatbots are the future of Facebook so be sure to check out the post from Mobile Monkey. And have a great weekend!

Book Marketing

Book Promotion Ideas for Author Events in Creative Venues by Penny Sansevieri: “If you’ve been looking for creative book promotion ideas for booking more (or first) events, take heart. It’s not uncommon to strike out at trying to set up events, but what if I told you I’ve set up successful book signings almost everywhere?”

Public Libraries: How Authors Can Increase Both Discoverability and Earnings by Jane Friedman: “When you see headlines discussing the staying power of print and the decline of ebooks, it’s important to remember those headlines are describing only sales of traditionally published books. Such headlines aren’t factoring in other market trends, such as digital subscription services, self-publishing, and—perhaps the most overlooked sector—library lending.”

Top 10 FAQs About Book Publicity and Promotion from TheBookDesigner.com and by Joan Stewart: “What’s the one question authors ask me most frequently? How long do I have to market my book? I never deviate from this answer: ‘Only for as long as you want to sell it.’”

Social Media

How to Use a Messenger Chatbot for a Facebook Group from Mobile Monkey: “Wouldn’t it be cool if you could send a chat blast to your entire Facebook group? Click. Whiz. Bam. Well, you can. Sort of. Admittedly it’s not click-whiz-bam, but it is possible with some hacky workarounds that we’ve cooked up using MobileMonkey. In this article, you’ll learn and be able to execute exactly the simple hacks that will allow you to message your Facebook group members.”

6 Inspiring Instagram Bio Ideas from Grammarly: “Your Instagram bio is your chance to make a good first impression—and that chance is extremely short-lived. According to Buffer, it takes less than two-tenths of a second for someone to form an opinion of you based on your Instagram. We blink slower than that!”

Quote of the Week

 

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie 

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course. And follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

 

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

The post Indie Author Weekly Update – July 5, 2019 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Indie Author Weekly Update – June 28, 2019

It’s Friday so that means it’s time for a new Indie Author Weekly Update. You’ll find posts on blogging, book marketing, creativity, and author websites. Be sure to take a look at the websites profiled in the post from BookBub Partners. When planning yours, or even updating one you have, you’ll definitely get some ideas from the author websites profiled in the post.

Blogging

We’re all Bozos on this Bus: 10 Lessons from 10 Years of Blogging by Anne R. Allen: “Ooops. I seem to have missed my 10-year blogiversary! I posted my first attempt at blogging on Friday, March 13, 2009. Yes, Friday the 13th. Apparently I have a need to tempt fate.”

Creativity

Creation Is Messy–And That’s Okay from Writer Unboxed and by Julie Duffy: “Late last summer I ran down to the basement to throw on a load of laundry before meeting a friend for coffee…and stepped, ankle-deep, into my own private paddling pool.”

Book Marketing

Book Marketing from a Standing Start as an Indie Author from Alliance of Independent Authors and by Alastair Crombie: “The longer you’re in an industry, the more knowledge and information you build.  It’s hard to remember those early days of no readers and single-sale days. But there’s a huge number of debut authors publishing every day. ALLi experience shows that it can take up to seven years for an indie author to earn a living from their books. Author member Alastair Crombie has just launched his first book and explains what book marketing from a standing start is like in the current market.”

A New Book Blurb Could Revolutionize Your Sales from Alliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing Advice Center and by and by Adam Croft: “One of the main advantages of being an indie author is being able to be flexible and adaptable. We can make small, immediate changes and alter entire strategies by turning on a sixpence. But what if I told you the most powerful change you can make is free and will take less than an hour?”

Author Websites

45+ Author Websites with Stellar Designs from BookBub Partners: “Many successful authors have websites that are the hub of their online marketing activity — they provide a central platform for everything from blogging to book sales and email newsletters. But what should you include in an author website?”

Quote of the Week

 

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie 

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course. And follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

 

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

The post Indie Author Weekly Update – June 28, 2019 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Indie Author Weekly Update – June 21, 2019

There’s a lot to love in this week’s Indie Author Update. If your Facebook page needs more engagement, be sure to read the post from WordStream. It’s a great one. Also, there are book marketing tips and information on how to dump MailChimp.

Have a great weekend!

Facebook

5 Emotional Writing Tactics to Skyrocket Your Facebook Post Engagement from WordStream: “Here are five emotional writing tactics to try out for improved engagement on Facebook.”

Book Marketing

7 Game-Changing Tips for KDP Authors from Alliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing Advice Center and by John Doppler: “One of the highlights of my day is learning something useful from the indie author community, and passing that along to other authors. With that in mind, here are seven of my favorite tips that permanently changed the way I publish on Amazon’s KDP.”

7 Ways You Can Make More Money from Your Book from Alliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing Advice Center and by Leslie Ann Miller:  “It takes so much time and effort to become an indie author. Now, how about a little ROI? Truth is, now that you’ve crystallized your ideas into book form, there are multiple ways to spin your book into gold …. In this post, Leslie Lam Miller has seven suggestions to help you do just that.”

5 Book Marketing Strategies All Authors Need to Try from BookBub Partners and by Barbara Freethy: “Keeping your books in front of readers is a challenging task, especially over a long writing career. I’ve tried many different strategies, and I continue to experiment as the publishing industry evolves.”

Email Marketing

Switching from MailChimp to MailerLite for Budget-Conscious Indie Authors from Alliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing Advice Center and by Rachel McCollin: “Mailing lists are the bread and butter of indie author marketing. With the recent changes at Mailchimp, the prospect of paying extra fees may lead you to consider switching providers. ALLi author member Rachel McCollin talks about switching from MailChimp to MailerLite for budget-conscious indie authors.”

Great Article from the New Yorker

The Strange Story of a Secret Literary Fellowship from The New Yorker and by Daniel A. Gross: “One afternoon a little over a year ago, I got a brief and mysterious e-mail from a man named Jackson Taylor. It was sent from a personal Gmail account. ‘I am heading up a new literary fellowship here in New York,’ he wrote. ‘You have been secretly nominated for a spot in the inaugural group—and I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time to speak by phone?'”

Book Reviews

3 Dos for Getting Reviews (and 4 Don’ts) from TheBookDesigner.com and by David Kudler: “One of the most powerful tools for marketing your book is always going to be reader reviews. We all dream of a featured review in The New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, or Library Journal. But other reviews — whether from influential bloggers to readers on social media like Goodreads or Facebook or retailer sites — can be very important for reaching your audience.”

Quote of the Week

 

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

 

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie 

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course.

 

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

The post Indie Author Weekly Update – June 21, 2019 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Indie Author Weekly Update – June 14, 2019

There seems to be a little bit of everything in today’s Indie Author Weekly Update. From indie author publishing to BookBub ads to social media I think you’ll find what you need. Enjoy the posts!

Indie Author Publishing

Self-publisher Help with Library of Congress PrePub Book Link & LCCN by David Wogahn: “PrePub Book Link is the new, modern online system for requesting a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN). It replaces the 1990’s-style web portal that publishers and self-publishers used to submit LCCNs and CIP requests.”

Don’t Crowdsource Your Cover Design from Publishers Weekly and by Jane Friedman: “It’s a beloved truism in publishing that the cover is the key marketing tool for a book. Even those outside of the industry know the cliché, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But, in fact, we all make snap judgments about whether we’d enjoy books based on looks alone. It’s not so different from shopping for clothing or anything with a distinct look and feel—some things match one’s identity and others don’t.”

Why Do an Indie Author Blog Tour from Alliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing Advice Center: “In an ever-changing industry, lots of marketing tactics go in and out of fashion more often than I have hot dinners. But sometimes marketing isn’t about generating sales, but growing awareness and building an audience. ALLi author member and children’s book author Sue Wickstead explains why you should do an indie author  blog tour.”

BookBub Ads

Are you making any of these mistakes when designing your BookBub Ads? by Melina Hsiao and from BookBub: “There are many different components you could include in your ad design — a cover image, a tagline, a five-star review, a quote from another author, a blurb from a publication, an award or accolade, a logo, series information, and more. Because of this, it can be tempting to cram a lot of these elements into a single ad. However, ads with lengthy text, multiple images, and a brightly patterned background come across as busy and cumbersome.”

Social Media

5 Things You Need To Know About Posting On Social Media On Weekends from The Social Marketers: “I have seen it over and over again, people, blogs and brands being very active on Social Media on weekdays – and turning utterly silent on social media on weekends. I am not sure whether this is due to their social media manager doing a 9 to 5 job and going home on Friday afternoon or if the idea behind this is that people are not that interested in “work-related” content on weekends.”

How the Facebook algorithm works and ways to outsmart it from SproutSocial: “The Facebook algorithm often feels like a mystery, doesn’t it? And as a result, brands are rightfully concerned about their presence on the platform. Even if you haven’t been impacted by the recent algorithm changes yourself, you’ve probably heard horror stories of brands watching their organic reach take a nose-dive. But Facebook algorithm changes don’t necessarily signal trouble for brands.

Quote of the Week

 

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

 

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie 

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course.

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

The post Indie Author Weekly Update – June 14, 2019 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.