Want to sell more books? Optimize your Keywords
I recently heard the author Nick Stephenson say that to be successful as an author you had to think of Amazon is a search engine and not a book retailer. It was light bulb moment. To ensure being found by readers, you have to optimize your book’s search engine metadata—the keywords (and categories) associated with your book. Keywords are the words or phrases you use to…
How to make it irresistible for my readers to sign-on to my list
For the past several months, I’ve watched my book sales decline. At first, I was not concerned because the ratings remained constant. I thought that perhaps the whole market was in a slump, or that the approaching summer, the political unrest or whatever was taking readers away from books. When my ratings dropped from the…
To be successful book reader, engage the audience
At a recent book event, I listened to several authors discuss and read from their books. I was surprised by how many authors mumbled, spoke too softly, and failed to engage the audience while reading an excerpt. No matter how eloquent the prose or how descriptive the scene, failing to captivate the people who came explicitly to learn more about your books…
How to create a professional media kit
In my last post I talked about what to do after you have finished your first book. If you have not already prepared a media kit (sometimes called a press kit) for yourself and your book, I suggest you do so. You can do these on your own, but I purchased templates from Joan Stewart that simplified the…
To be a successful author, promote yourself and your books
When I saw this twenty-second TV ad from the “International Best-Selling Author” James Patterson, I just had to purchase the book. Not only was the book trailer thrilling, but the writer was JAMES PATTERSON. When I later discovered that this trailer was not for the book but for a summer 2015 CBS series based on the book, it did not change my decision to…
How to get new readers
You’ve had a successful book launch, but how do you keep the momentum going? How do you get new readers? The most important thing is to write a good book. Eye-appeal counts—get a professional book cover designer. Hire a professional editor. If you don’t understand book formatting, get it professionally done. Don’t forget to ask…
To supercharge your sales, use your best-looking portraits
In the past, I’ve talked about the importance for authors to see themselves as authorpreneurs, the CEOs of their writing business. Just like with those corporate leaders, authors need professional portraits. Writers know that people judge a book by its cover. The more compelling the cover, the greater the odds that a reader will pick up the book…
Creating a book marketing plan
In a recent blog (To be a successful writer, look to business), I wrote about the need to take a business approach to writing. I expounded the necessity for indie authors to become “authorpreneurs” to get the clarity needed to make sound decisions. Whether you decide to use a publicist or do the work yourself,…
Catering to your tribe
This is the third post in the series Developing a Stellar Social Presence: Attract, Bond, and Cater. In business, the number one go-to person is the one who can best help you make appropriate contacts for promoting you and your business. Developing a stellar social presence is akin to becoming that invaluable business contact. In…
Build your tribe with bonding
This is the second post in the series Developing a Stellar Social Presence: Attract, Bond, and Cater. In the previous post in this series, I discussed ways to attract followers. I asked you to imagine a business networking luncheon at which you were trying to make contacts. In business, the person who develops bonds with…