Social media platforms (and online platforms in general) are constantly changing. Here are a few new features and tips: Pinterest Pinterest now has a more ways of shopping via the platform. Pins now have pricing and stock information, and have links that go directly to the retailer's site. These Product Pins are also more discoverable on the home feed and other parts of the … [Read more...] about Social Media Tips and Tricks
10 Audiobooks to Read This Holiday Season (A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes Blog Tour)
Happy November, fellow readers! We’re in the middle of holiday season, which probably means lots of traveling, and also getting ready for traveling. One great way to help you prepare, and to help you relax while you’re traveling, is to listen to audiobooks. And that’s why I’m participating in the “A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes” blog tour. Audiobooks make it easy to … [Read more...] about 10 Audiobooks to Read This Holiday Season (A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes Blog Tour)
Authors and Publishing
If you're serious about publishing, you'll treat it as a business. That holds true if you decide to go the traditional publishing route or they self-publishing route. Kristen Lamb has a great post about the odds of author success, where she talks about putting in the hard work to develop discipline, write and edit the book, network, and much more. Published to Death … [Read more...] about Authors and Publishing
Guest Post: How to Make Professional Looking Covers for Your Ebooks with DesignCap
By Rita Fong Self publishing is now getting easier than ever. Here the question arises: how do you make your ebook stand out from massive others? As an old Chinese saying goes, Clothes make the man. An eye-catching ebook cover will help you to hook people to read. But here is another question you need to consider: How do you make your ebook covers? Hire a designer, do it … [Read more...] about Guest Post: How to Make Professional Looking Covers for Your Ebooks with DesignCap
Storytelling and Marketing with Videos
There are many ways to tell stories, and to market your work. One way I've been toying around with recently is video. Here's an example of a video I made for my I Know Dino channel: In the future, I may add some audio narration. At the time, I was thinking people would only be interested in the visuals. Anyway, Content Marketing Institute shares a number of reasons … [Read more...] about Storytelling and Marketing with Videos
An Interview with Jack Woodville London, Author of Children of a Good War
Jack Woodville London is the author of Children of a Good War. Read on for his interview. Eleanor Hastings knew from experience that some bombs lie buried for decades before blowing up to hurt someone. Now, forty years after World War II, a cache of faded wartime letters is discovered in a cellar, causing Eleanor's husband, Frank, to understand that he really was a bastard and … [Read more...] about An Interview with Jack Woodville London, Author of Children of a Good War
Media Kits and Author Websites
When it comes to marketing, it pays to have a strategy. According to Content Marketing Institute, you should build systems, figure out goals, and streamline your processes. One way to do this is by building an author website. But before you do that, you'll want to determine your target audience. Your Writer Platform has a step by step guide on finding your audience, which … [Read more...] about Media Kits and Author Websites
209 Examples and Trends Impacting the Future of Storytelling
Storytelling comes in a variety of formats: as books, articles, podcasts, films, and more. It seems every week there's something new and cool coming out of the works, so I thought I'd highlight some of them here (in no particular order). Also, there's a lot that can be learned from other people's stories! New Tech / Tools / Platforms Book Marketing Book Title Generator … [Read more...] about 209 Examples and Trends Impacting the Future of Storytelling
Tips for Getting Opt Ins to Your Email List
I've been doing a lot of research lately about building email lists and writing effective newsletters. Of course, one of the keys is to get people to opt in to your email list. There are a lot of examples and articles about how to entice people to opt in. The most simple way is to have a box on your site where people can sign up (like I do), but it's not necessarily the most … [Read more...] about Tips for Getting Opt Ins to Your Email List
Tips and Tricks for Promoting Your Book
After writing (and editing), marketing and promotion is a key step in book publishing. It helps to keep this in mind throughout the whole process. For example, The Book Designer recommends authors take into account a couple key questions: Who are you writing for? Where does your reader hang out? With this information, you can make sure you craft a pitch that … [Read more...] about Tips and Tricks for Promoting Your Book
4 Big Reasons to Create Your Own Ebooks
The title says it all! Ebooks are getting easier to create, and if, as an indie author, you're up for learning a new skill, then I highly recommend you try it out. See my slides below for more details: 4 Big Reasons to Create Your Own E-Books from Sabrina Ricci … [Read more...] about 4 Big Reasons to Create Your Own Ebooks
Amazon News and Tools
It's been a while since I've posted about Amazon, so thought I'd share some links I've been collecting. It covers a wide range of topics, but hey, that's Amazon! Amazon Tools and Tutorials ACX University Kindle Create Amazon Sales Estimator Tool on Jungle Scout Amazon Sales Rank Calculator on Kindlepreneur "Tutorial: Enabling X-Ray for Your eBooks on Amazon" … [Read more...] about Amazon News and Tools
Want to Know More About Podcasting? Here’s Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Own Podcast
If you've been following my blog, you probably already know that my husband and I have a weekly dinosaur podcast, called I Know Dino. A while back, I gave a webinar talk about how to start your own podcast, breaking it down into 7 steps. Here are the slides if you're curious and want to know what to do to start your own podcast: Podcasting 101: Everything You Need to … [Read more...] about Want to Know More About Podcasting? Here’s Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Own Podcast
Guest Post: Get a Headstart on NaNoWriMo with These 6 Tips on Structuring Your First Draft
By Mariah T. All of us have a story inside of us. For many, that story begs to be told. That's why so many people turn to novel writing. WIth National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) fast approaching, you may be inspired to finally start and finish your novel. To participate in NaNoWriMo, you have exactly one month (November 1-30) to write a 50,000-word novel. You could … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Get a Headstart on NaNoWriMo with These 6 Tips on Structuring Your First Draft
Guest Post: How to Create an Engaging Author Website That People Will Actually Visit
By Mariah T. The key to being a successful author is exposure. You have to get your book out there. You can thank the internet because the PR game is now in your hands. The architecture of a solid website is enough to get readers curious about what you wrote. But getting started creating a site with good SEO, aesthetic design, memorable branding, and more is a work of … [Read more...] about Guest Post: How to Create an Engaging Author Website That People Will Actually Visit
