It's the beginning of a new year, so it makes sense to revisit the world of social media and marketing. There's been a lot of updates. Some of them pertain more to personal use, and others can be handy for building your brand. Influencers and Content Trends It's good to stay on top of trends. CMO published an article about how people check email less, smart speakers are … [Read more...] about Social Media Updates and Trends
Indie Author Marketing Guide: Google Plus
Google Plus is a social media platform that is not as talked about as Facebook or Twitter, but can be very important, depending on your niche. Google Plus Basics For those who may not be too familiar with Google Plus, here are a few of the basics. First, you fill out a profile, with a picture, a cover image, and whatever information you feel comfortable sharing about … [Read more...] about Indie Author Marketing Guide: Google Plus
Indie Author Marketing Guide: A Primer to Social Media
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 … [Read more...] about Indie Author Marketing Guide: A Primer to Social Media
Guest Post: 10 Tips on How to Be Google Friendly in 2018
By Chris Hickman As an indie author, it’s important to have a website so people can find out about you and your work. Chris Hickman has some tips on how to make sure your website is easily found in Google’s search engine. Webmasters who want to rank high in Google’s engine need to ensure that their sites conform to Google’s standards. Google wants its highest-ranked sites … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 10 Tips on How to Be Google Friendly in 2018
Publishing in VR
Virtual reality (VR) isn't only for games. More traditional publishers are also incorporating the new medium into their content, and it's exciting to see it all unfold and think about how stories may exist in the not-too-distant future. According to Digital Book World, "VR could be the next frontier for publishers as a new revenue source." One example of a publisher using … [Read more...] about Publishing in VR
New Ebook Fonts Make Ereading More Like Print
The average reader probably doesn't think a lot about fonts, but they are important contributors to the reading experience. A few weeks ago, Google announced a new typeface for Google Books, called Literata. The Next Web goes into more detail, but the gist is Google ebooks now have a font that distinguishes it from ebooks read on a Nook or Kindle, and it was created to give … [Read more...] about New Ebook Fonts Make Ereading More Like Print
Comparing the Ebook Submission Process: Self-Publishers v. Publishers
I recently wrapped up a freelance project with a small publisher, where I uploaded/submitted ebook files and metadata to Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Google. In the process, I thought about the similarities and differences between how a self-publisher would go about distributing an ebook versus a publishing company that is submitting files themselves instead of … [Read more...] about Comparing the Ebook Submission Process: Self-Publishers v. Publishers
Marketing with Metadata and Algorithms
In our digital world, data is becoming increasingly important, both for creating content and finding content. Major companies use algorithms for these purposes. However, this strategy is not new. For books, data has always played a role in marketing. Best seller lists are compilations of data, created based on algorithms, and some people have been taking advantage of this … [Read more...] about Marketing with Metadata and Algorithms
Self-publishing ebooks: Why maximizing distribution matters
New technologies and startups have made it easier than ever to self-publish ebooks. But they don't make it any easier to make a living writing. The most important thing you can do as a self-published author, however, is to make sure your ebook is available through as many retail channels as possible. (FYI, ebook sales accounted for 20% of book sales in 2011, up from 10% in … [Read more...] about Self-publishing ebooks: Why maximizing distribution matters
Google eBookstore–A Chrome Experiment
Google has found a creative way for readers to find good ebooks. If you're using Chrome, you should check out the WebGL Bookcase, which allows you to browse through a virtual circular bookcase, click on covers that interest you, and read a synopsis of a book by flipping through it online. If you like what you see, you can click on the book and you'll be directed to the Google … [Read more...] about Google eBookstore–A Chrome Experiment
Google Loves Lucy
Today would have been Lucille Ball's 100th birthday, and Google paid tribute to her. Until midnight tonight, anyone who goes on the Google search home page can play six clips from the famous "I Love Lucy" TV show. Read more at searchenginewatch and Google's blog. … [Read more...] about Google Loves Lucy
BEA Day 1
First day of my first BEA, BookExpo America. Fortunately, because of this publishing blog, I was able to attend for free! I spent about five hours today at the Expo, and I still wasn't able to cover everything. It can be a little overwhelming, as some attendees may agree, but totally worth it. This year, BEA was held at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan. BEA took up … [Read more...] about BEA Day 1
This Week in Publishing
Apple and Google are offering publishers different ways to charge for their content. For one thing, Apple will take a 30 percent cut of subscription revenue and will work with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, while Google will only take a 10 percent cut and will work with tablets, smartphones, and websites. But an even bigger difference between the two models is the fact that … [Read more...] about This Week in Publishing
This Week in Publishing
Penguin Group is embracing new technologies. They've started a TV and Radio Satellite Media Tours department, so that they can "produce TV and radio satellite tours for Penguin authors," according to Publisher's Weekly. Penguin Brings TV, Radio Satellite Tours In-House Amazon has been working to make it easier and more profitable for authors to self-publish. New features, … [Read more...] about This Week in Publishing
This Week In Publishing
I'll keep it short and light-hearted, since it's almost Christmas and all. First, Nick Bilton, from the New York Times, has declared that this year was not in fact the year of the tablet. It was actually the year of the iPad, and next year there will be more competitors. It will be interesting to see, since so many people want the iPad for Christmas. 2010 Was Not 'The … [Read more...] about This Week In Publishing