So there I was, innocently typing along — and monkey wrenches started flying! I grumbled when I put up my dukes, but I didn’t flinch. No, sirree, Bob! STUFF happens, and sometimes a body just needs to knuckle down and buckle down and do it. Then one of the wrenches hit me in the head. Ouch! Let’s back up a little bit. Before I went to Hawaii (I won’t say how long, but it was a while…), WordPress decided it would only publish some of the new pages I wanted to add and it would look the other way for the […]
Category Archives: marketing
4 Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make on Twitter
Social media platforms have become a marketplace for authors promoting their works — and it’s a great option if you do it the right way. Of course there are a lot of opinions about what is “right,” but there are a few things an author (or entrepreneur) can do that actually work against them.
Mug Shots — 10 Dos and Don’ts for Author Pictures
A lot of people don’t like being photographed. It makes them feel awkward and self-conscious. (I know all about that!) But people like, well, people, and providing a face to go with a name helps us to connect. When we have a face to associate with something—like a song or a book—we tend to remember it better. Just like your book cover, your author picture (or “headshot”) has a job to do. You want to make a good impression. You want to look professional. Why? Because it helps establish trust between you and your readers. An amateur shot will establish […]
Getting Graphic
The word “graphic” comes from a Greek word that means “writing, drawing.” Graphic representations are visual, symbolic, illustrative … and written. Graphic descriptions are vivid, detailed, descriptive, illustrative. Do you see a connection here? Authors who want to sell their books (as I suppose most authors do) will draw more attention to themselves and their books if the package (author and books) is attractive. I’ve talked before about what an important job book covers have. Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, points out that: A book’s description is the “first and foremost concern” of the blogger and book reviewer known as “The […]
Care and Feeding of Authors
Traditionally, publishing houses were the ones to discover and nurture notable authors. With the shift to indie publishing, the responsibility falls upon the reader themselves. Isn’t it cool? You have the power! “After conducting more than 250,000 interviews about reading behavior since 2004, Codex has found that a major shift has taken place in discovery in the past two years, as digital books have become a significant part of the book world. Two years ago, 35% of book purchases were made because readers found out about a book in bricks-and-mortar bookstores, the single-largest site of discovery. This year, that figure […]
Business Cards for Authors
The other day I was perusing Lindsay Buroker’s wonderful blog, and I came across an article she wrote about business cards for authors: Adventures in Business Card Creation. My interest was immediately piqued. Part of that might have been due to an overwhelming desire to procrastinate the editing I really need to finish, and part of it was because I’m currently working on some graphics I’ll be using across my “internet presence.” Yes, I match myself! What I came up with is, as yet, a work in progress, and will be printed on the back as well. Lindsay’s tips from […]