Tag Archives: authorship

Marketing by Comparison

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Marketing by Comparison

Marketing your book by comparing it to other books is something that Amazon already does for you. There’s a whole section on every book in the Amazon store labeled Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought. The goal of this section is to get a potential customer to buy something based on their interest in another product.

If this is a marketing method that works well enough that Amazon uses it on every product, it seems like one we should take a look at! The “also boughts” section on Amazon can’t be edited, but there are things you can do to get your book in front of people based on what they are already interested in. Let’s see how you can make this strategy work for you. Continue reading Marketing by Comparison →

How to Write a Fantastic Author Newsletter

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How to Write a Fantastic Author Newsletter

It’s surprising to me how many authors have been convinced that one of the best ways they can build a platform is simply starting a blog. Nobody tells them what to blog about; just blog about something on a regular (usually weekly) basis and if you build it, they will come.

What doesn’t surprise me at all is how many authors I know who have started the whole weekly blogging thing, then petered off as they realize that they will quickly run out of things to talk about if they write solely about themselves, and that most of their normal readers don’t care about another blog full of writing tips.

And so, my question to you authors is this: Are you happy blogging?

Ralphie
“Are you happy wearing that?”

If you feel like Ralphie, read on. Today, I’ll show you how to get out of the bunny suit blogging trap. Continue reading How to Write a Fantastic Author Newsletter →

The Number One Way to Build Your Author Mailing List

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If you’re like me, you’ve read dozens of blog posts promising to tell you the best strategy for how to “grow your author platform.” You’ve probably seen several online courses that promise to show you how to generate more sales for your book if you’ll only shell out enough cash for the course.

And if you’re like me, you’re tired of it. You want to improve your sales. You want to build your author platform. But you haven’t found anything that really works and you’re starting to feel like you’ll never figure it out until you buy someone’s expensive course.

The reason I’m starting this post with this dim picture is because I’m about to tell you about a strategy that has the potential to grow your author platform by leaps and bounds, which in turn has the potential to increase your sales. But I don’t want you to get the wrong idea: This article isn’t going to turn into a sales pitch. This strategy is something every indie or self-published author should know about, and I’m going to tell you about it with no strings attached. Continue reading The Number One Way to Build Your Author Mailing List →

How to Optimize Your Amazon Search Keywords

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How to Optimize Your Amazon Search Keywords

You probably know that when you add your book to the Amazon Kindle store, you’re allowed to choose up to seven search keywords to help people find your book. It sounds like a great tool, but how do you make sure the keywords you’ve chosen are going to bring traffic and sales to your book?

I’m here to help! I’ve been through the process of Amazon search keyword optimization with my own books and I’d like to pass along what I’ve learned in this comprehensive article.

We’ll look at what search keywords are so you can understand how they work. I’ll show you a process for checking out your existing keywords to decide if they are performing well for your book. Finally, we’ll look at how you can choose great keywords. Let’s jump in! Continue reading How to Optimize Your Amazon Search Keywords →

Does an Author Really Need a Mailing List?

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Author Mailing List Image

So far in this series about what “things” an author really needs, we’ve looked at websites and blogs. Today, let’s finish out the triumvirate of oft-recommended author site things with a look at the mailing list.

An author mailing list, in my humble opinion, is one of the most essential tools for both building your audience and selling your work. In fact, I would even rank it above an author website if you had to choose between the two. To be perfectly clear: yes, you do need a mailing list.

Let’s look at why, shall we? Continue reading Does an Author Really Need a Mailing List? →

Four Don’ts (Plus One Do) for Authors on Facebook

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Four Don'ts Cover Image

You’ve decided that to succeed as a self-published author, you’re going to need a Facebook page. Good for you! But now you might be a little bit confused about how it works and what you should do. Don’t worry! Here are four don’ts and one do that will help you use Facebook as an author.

Don’t Use Your Personal Profile

I really can’t believe how many authors I’ve seen using a personal Facebook profile as an author page. They change their name to include the word author and off they go. Unfortunately, there are a few things wrong with this approach. Continue reading Four Don’ts (Plus One Do) for Authors on Facebook →