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Videos

Resources for Making Videos and Marketing With Them

Monday, September 9, 2019 by Sabrina Ricci

Videos can be a great tool for marketing. But there's a lot to learn. Below are some resources to help you get started, and links to updates on major platforms. How to Use Video for Marketing How to create videos to promote your book on Front Edge Publishing How to create a successful YouTube channel on My Wife Quite Her Job A video hack to boost ecommerce sales on … [Read more...] about Resources for Making Videos and Marketing With Them

The Hunger Games + Beanie Babies

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 by Sabrina Ricci

Epic video of the Hunger Games portrayed by beanie babies. This is almost as good as the movie and book--but I might be biased because I used to own all of the beanie babies in the video. Find out more about the group who made the video on their Facebook page. … [Read more...] about The Hunger Games + Beanie Babies

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Saturday, February 25, 2012 by Sabrina Ricci

Amazing short film inspired by a book and nominated for an Oscar award. Watch the whole film and download the app! … [Read more...] about The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Ann Patchett on The Colbert Report

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 by Sabrina Ricci

This is probably one of my favorite interviews on The Colbert Report. Author and bookstore owner (Parnassus Books) Ann Patchett holds her own against Stephen Colbert and in the fight between independent bookstores and Amazon, wins him over to the side of the indies. … [Read more...] about Ann Patchett on The Colbert Report

The Joy of Books

Friday, February 17, 2012 by Sabrina Ricci

Amazing video! Here's what the creators said about it: After organizing our bookshelf almost a year ago (http://youtu.be/zhRT-PM7vpA), my wife and I (Sean Ohlenkamp) decided to take it to the next level. We spent many sleepless nights moving, stacking, and animating books at Type bookstore in Toronto (883 Queen Street West, (416) 366-8973). Everything you see here can be … [Read more...] about The Joy of Books

Making Money with Mobile

Saturday, June 4, 2011 by Sabrina Ricci

By FBI Buffalo Field Office (http://buffalo.fbi.gov/images/c3.jpg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Between the iPhone, the iPad, and the Android platform, mobile and tablets are on their way to becoming hugely profitable. But it's not just the apps that are making them popular. Mobile web is still an important component of mobile as a whole, and McDonald's certainly knows that. Advertising and monetizing mobile is still being experimented with, and McDonald's has come up … [Read more...] about Making Money with Mobile

The Future of Publishing…We’re In It

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 by Sabrina Ricci

Three interesting articles about the publishing industry caught my eye today. But first, I've found that reading and thinking critically about articles goes more smoothly with music, so I invite you to play the video below and enjoy the sweet sounds of "Stereo Love" while reading the rest of my post. (And yes, I may be a little obsessed with this song right now). First, … [Read more...] about The Future of Publishing…We’re In It

So You Want to Write a Novel

Saturday, March 5, 2011 by Sabrina Ricci

After taking a ton of creative writing classes and working in the publishing industry a little bit, I can say that this video is hilarious and touches upon all the issues/ideas new writers may have. I remember once I saw Jeffrey Eugenides, author of The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex, speak, and he addressed the condension most writers face. "Writing is the only profession … [Read more...] about So You Want to Write a Novel

New Year’s Eve in Sydney, Australia

Saturday, January 1, 2011 by Sabrina Ricci

The first fireworks show at Darling Harbor...more details coming soon. Happy New Year! … [Read more...] about New Year’s Eve in Sydney, Australia

Will California’s Prop 8 Finally Be Overturned?

Monday, December 6, 2010 by Sabrina Ricci

Social media is a big part of indie author marketing strategies these days. But for those just starting out, it may seem daunting. When I first began using social media for platform building, I felt slightly overwhelmed. But now, after lots of practice and just incorporating social media into my daily routine, I've come to embrace it. And instead of seeing it like a chore, I see it as another way to connect and interact with people, and I've been able to build real relationships through it. Here are a few things I've learned along the way. (And if you want guidance on how to overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed, read Your Writer Platform's "Are You Building Your Writer Platform at Gunpoint?") Don't use social media just to sell books Kristen Lamb's "Social Media, Book Signings & Why Neither Directly Impact Overall Sales" goes into depth on why this is not a good strategy, but basically you don't want to spam people/just make noise, and you will not develop any real relationships this way (meaning, you won't attract real fans). Rachel Thompson suggests spending more time online finding people who may be willing to review your books, and she gives a list of suggestions in her article "Why ‘Read My Book!’ Doesn’t Work…And What To Do Instead" Focus on one or two platforms first, then build from there Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. Pinterest. Google. Youtube. Goodreads. LinkedIn. Tumblr. The list goes on and on. You can be active on all these channels, but it's probably best to pick one or two and work on growing an audience there first. Every social media channel works a little differently, caters to a different audience, and has savvy users who expect others to use the network a certain way. The Book Designer's "Do You Make These Online Marketing Mistakes?" offers tips, such as establishing one audience per channel and using landing pages. Social Media Just for Writers also recommends researching your target market and then choosing your social media platform based on that in "How to Stop Wasting Time and Focus Your Book Marketing." For advice on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and YouTube, read DBW's "The Book Marketing Social Media Hierarchy: Which Sites to Use for Which Purposes." Business Insider broke down the demographics of some of the social media platforms. According to them, the 45- to 54-year-old demographic is growing, "27% of 18 to 29-year-olds in the U.S. use Twitter," LinkedIn and Google+ are mostly male, Pinterest is mostly women on tablets, and Tumblr is mostly teens and young adults. Eventually you can expand into other platforms. For a case study on why, read Kate Tilton's "Why I Use Different Social Media Networks (And You Should Too) by @K8Tilton." For help determining which platform is best for you, read these articles: "Instagram: Should You Be On It?" on Indies Unlimited "How Tumblr Turned a Book Into a Bestseller" on GoodeReader "Pinterest Unveils Buyable Pins, A Way To Purchase Things Directly Within Pinterest" on TechCrunch "Pinterest Update: More Ways Authors Can Use Pinterest!" on Writers Win "Indie Author Marketing Guide: Pinterest" on Musings and Marvels "How I Made it to the Front Page of BuzzFeed Twice, and How You Can Too" on Matthew Barby "Surprising News in Social Media – And a Twitter Tip" on Social Media Just for Writers "Indie Author Marketing Guide: Twitter" on Musings and Marvels "Guest Post: 8 Secrets to Increase Your Twitter Followers" on Musings and Marvels "Guest Post: What Everybody Ought To Know About Facebook Account Management" on Musings and Marvels "Guest Post: Want to Step Up Your Facebook?" on Musings and Marvels "Indie Author Marketing Guide: Goodreads" on Musings and Marvels "Indie Author Marketing Guide: LinkedIn" on Musings and Marvels "Indie Author Marketing Guide: Google Plus" on Musings and Marvels "Which Social Media and Marketing Tools Are Publishers Actually Using Successfully" on DBW Strategize how you will build your platform Erindor Press's "Platform Building Primer" is a good start, and advocates setting expectations and figuring out the best way to share content, either via blogging, email newsletters, or something else (and you can use social media to promote that content). The Loneliest Planet shared a post, called "One Writer's Platform (Part 2) Events and PR," which goes over techniques of marketing offline (such as doing public readings and lectures) but also adds that it's worth taping these performances and uploading them to Youtube to share. Use lots of images/visuals People tend to engage more with posts, tweets, etc. that are visual. According to Rebekah Radice's "5 Steps to Get Massive Engagement With Your Visual Content," "43% of social media users share pictures." She recommends having consistent colors, using templates, appropriate fonts, and to create infographics, images, and videos. Build Book Buzz recommends creating different types of images, including picture quotes, tipographics, and infographics. For tips on how to actually create these images, read Social Media Just For Writer's "Writers: Use Visuals to Market Your Books." Make use of social media tools Here's a list of resources, along with helpful tips and links to additional tools: Kate Tilton Social Media Resources Kate Tilton Authors on Instagram Kate Tilton Book Bloggers on Instagram Social Media Examiner Storyfinds Momentum RelayStation Magnolia Media Network Books Go Social Keep up to date on new platforms and tools Lastly, the social media landscape is constantly changing, so it's good to stay up to date. One example of a relatively new tool/platform is Aerbook, which according to PW turns social media into a virtual bookstore. Earlier this year, Social Media Just for Writers wrote about how indie authors can use Aerbook, which allows you to share previews and even sell ebooks on social media networks, as well as see analytics on your shares. According to the article, there are three product plans to choose from: Aerbook Retail is free, no credit card required. It gives you the social look inside the book, email capture popups within the sample, stats on how the book is used, and the ability to share the link and also get web page widgets that launch the Aerbook. This plan lets you sell the book directly through Aerbook, and our service earns 15% of the purchase price after credit card fees are deducted. Aerbook Plus gives you everything Aerbook Retail delivers, plus lets you add links to other retailers, like Amazon, iBooks, or even your own purchase page. Aerbook Plus is $49 per year. Aerbook Flyer includes everything above, but there’s no direct sale through Aerbook’s commerce service. You’ll add links to other retailers. Flyer also lets you do book giveaways, and includes 500 directly delivered, complete books annually. Flyer is $99 per year. Got any social media tips? Please share in the comments!

Arguments for Proposition 8 began at the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today at 10 a.m., PST. The ruling will come later, but in the meantime, you can watch live coverage at SF Appeal and read live updates at California Beat. … [Read more...] about Will California’s Prop 8 Finally Be Overturned?

12/06/10: This Week in Publishing

Monday, December 6, 2010 by Sabrina Ricci

It has finally happened! Google launched the Google eBookstore on Monday. The bookstore is an extension of Google's book project, "an effort that began in 2004 to scan all 130 million books in the world, by Google’s estimate." Because it is cloud-based, it is an "open-ecosystem," which means consumers can buy their books once through the eBookstore, store them in a "central, … [Read more...] about 12/06/10: This Week in Publishing

Douglas Adams: Parrots, the Universe and Everything

Sunday, December 5, 2010 by Sabrina Ricci

Don't panic. It's just a video. I love everything Douglas Adams, so I was thrilled when my friend sent me the link to TED of Adams giving a talk at UC Santa Barbara (my alma mater!) And then, as I do with everything I'm interested in, I did some research. I knew that Adams had died somewhere in the early 2000s, before the newest Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie … [Read more...] about Douglas Adams: Parrots, the Universe and Everything

Book Launch 2.0

Tuesday, November 30, 2010 by Sabrina Ricci

Here's a good example of how some (usually older) authors are reacting to the changes in the writing world, mostly to how they're now expected to market themselves. It's a pretty entertaining video. … [Read more...] about Book Launch 2.0

This Week in Publishing

Thursday, November 18, 2010 by Sabrina Ricci

Here's what's going on in the publishing industry this week: It's JFK month. Makes sense, since this year marks the 50th anniversary of his election. On Monday The Perseus Books Group, along with NBC News, released a new iPad app, JFK: 50 Days. The app complements the new book, "JFK Day by Day," and it features 50 days of JFK's presidency, including rare footage from … [Read more...] about This Week in Publishing

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Books for Indie Authors

Books for Indie Authors

Your First 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book
Your First 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book
by Tim Grahl
tagged: indie-publishing and to-read
The Author Training Manual: Develop Marketable Ideas, Craft Books That Sell, Become the Author Publishers Want, and Self-Publish Effectively
it was amazing
The Author Training Manual: Develop Marketable Ideas, Craft Books That Sell, Become the Author Publishers Want, and Self-Publish Effectively
by Nina Amir
Other reviewers have called The Author Training Manual a must-read, and I have to agree. Nina Amir has compiled a great amount of research, experience, and real-life samples that can help any other, self-published, traditionally publishe...
tagged: indie-publishing

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