Author Interviews Archives - Social Media Just for Writers

Indie Author Weekly Update – June 7, 2019

June 7, 2019 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

Love this edition of the Indie Author Weekly Update. There were so many great posts this past week. Wow. It was hard to trim the list. Plus, I’ve got a great tip for you in my last entry. Enjoy writing, writing, and summer!

Publishing

The #1 Mistake New Self-Publishers Make That Leaves Them Vulnerable to Publishing Scams by Anne R. Allen: “I hear about new publishing scams all the time. Sometimes scammers approach me personally, but more often I hear a sad tale of woe from some newbie who has fallen for the latest con. This week I realized that almost all the victims of publishing scams have one thing in common: they don’t understand the most important part of the digital self-publishing revolution that started in 2009.”

Psychology of Success For Authors: Do You Think Self-Publishing is Second Best? by the Alliance of Independent Authors: “Anyone who regularly attends author events tells the same story about how such rooms tend to divide. At the trade-published side of the room, aspirants share their concern, or sometimes despair, about their chances of ever being “published.” They’ll report that the conference’s agent-in-residence liked their work but wasn’t going to make an offer to represent it, for this reason or that. Those who already have a publisher often complain about what they, or their agents, have failed to do for them.”

How I Caught a Publisher Unexpectedly by Nancy Jorgensen and from Jane Friedman’s Blog: My book is published by a company I never heard of and didn’t query. After years of writing, workshopping and revising our book, my co-author (who is also my daughter Elizabeth) and I marketed it to agents and publishers. It was the story of Elizabeth’s sister, Gwen, a CPA turned Olympic triathlete.”

Facebook

Facebook Adds New Page and Group Ranking Factors into News Feed Algorithm by Andrew Hutchinson: “After announcing a News Feed algorithm update earlier this month, which focused on boosting content from the people you care most about, and reducing the reach of clickbait, Facebook has now issued an amendment to that update to also add in new ranking signals for content from the Pages and Groups that people are most interested in.”

Indie Author Book Marketing

Didn’t go to Book Expo1 9? Here’s a recap of top book promotion tips and trends mentioned at the conference: “At last week’s BookExpo 2019, the biggest annual publishing conference in the US, there were several educational panels featuring publishing professionals and book marketers. These industry thought leaders were buzzing about a wide variety of topics this year, from marketing debut authors to working with indie bookstores. We’re excited to share some of the top book promotion trends and tips here for anyone who couldn’t attend BookExpo 2019!”

Tip of the Week

Want to read book reviews from a phenomenal writer? Ransom Stephens is now writing book reviews on Medium. He’s the reason why I’m reading Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, my first YA novel. Go to his reviews. You’ll love them and discover new books. He reads a variety of genres.

Quote of the Week

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course.

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

Indie Author Weekly Update – May 31, 2019

May 31, 2019 By Frances Caballo 2 Comments

I think you’re really going to enjoy this installment of the Indie Author Weekly Update. I liked Beth Barany’s post for NaNoProNo as well as two of the posts on Jane Friedman’s blog. Heck, they’re all great. Go to all of these sites and learn how to sell more copies of your books.

NaNoProNo

How to Create a Book Marketing Roadmap by Guest Beth Barany: “We writers want to be read. Otherwise, why would we publish our work? Well, it is so gratifying to hold the book and see it on the shelf. But it’s the readers’ joy in reading is what it’s all about. Otherwise, why publish?”

Book Covers

Top 5 Free Book Cover Makers–Don’t Break the Bank, Create Your Own! from Kindlepreneur: “Your cover is arguably one of the most important selling points of your book. As authors, however, we often face tight budgets. Deciding where to spend our money and where to tighten the belt isn’t easy. Covers are one of the more expensive aspects of production. Pre-made covers often start at $100, and custom, full-spread artwork alone can cost up to $4000 a book depending on the artist.”

KDP Reports

KDP Reports Beta – Now With Income Estimation by David Gaughran: “Amazon has implemented some long requested new features to the KDP Reports Beta, including *drumroll* INCOME IN DOLLARS. At last! It doesn’t have all the slicing and dicing capabilities of BookReport just yet, but it makes it a lot easier to press cancel on that $19 a month subscription, which I imagine I’ll be doing before I have to re-up in a couple of weeks. I was a huge fan of BookReport and recommended it to everyone, being particularly fond of their approach of not charging authors until they were making $1,000 a month, which I thought was both fair and smart business.”

Book Marketing

Pinterest and Instagram For Writers with Frances Caballo and from Joanna Penn: “You can listen above or on iTunes or your favorite podcast app or watch the video here, read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.”

Identifying the Best Self-Published Books by State: The Indie Author Project from Jane Friedman’s blog and by Ryan Walker: “Longtime authors in the self-publishing community may recall the library program known as SELF-e, launched in 2015. It’s a partnership between Library Journal and BiblioBoard to make self-published ebooks available to libraries nationwide. Any author can submit their work for inclusion in SELF-e (at no cost); Library Journal curates what ebooks go into the national SELF-e collection. Books not selected are still accessible to local library patrons through state collections.”

9 Ways (and 2 Rewards) of Marketing Your Own Book by Beth Alvarado and from Jane Friedman’s blog: “When I found a good home for my essay collection Anxious Attachments, I knew I would have to take an active role in marketing. After all, while Autumn House Press is a fine press, it’s also small and independent, with no marketing department and limited funds. I published both of my earlier books, Not a Matter of Love and Anthropologies, through university presses—also wonderful, prestigious presses that don’t have marketing departments.”

Quote of the Week

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

Indie Author Weekly Update – April 19, 2019

April 19, 2019 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

This week’s Indie Author update is chock-full of wonderful tips and strategies to help you with your book sales. As always, David Gaughran wrote a terrific post. There are also blog posts on Twitter, Instagram, content marketing, search engine optimization, and lastly, BookBub ads. Whew! Enjoy the posts.

Author Platforms

How To Build An Author Platform by David Gaughran: “What is an author platform? Which elements should it contain? And is any of this stuff more important than just writing another book? Perhaps not. But certain aspects of an author platform are important tools for reaching readers and, especially, for holding on to them.”

Twitter

Saying No to Twitter: What Authors Need to Know from Jane Friedman’s blog and by Daniel Berkowitz: “Tell me if this is a situation you’ve been in before: Your agent just sold your book to a publisher, and now you want to do everything you can to ensure your book’s success. The publisher tells you to get a website and to get on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You have a Facebook profile, and you’re not opposed to creating a separate author page, and you really enjoy Instagram—but you don’t like Twitter.”

Instagram

10 Instagram Hashtag Hacks Tricks You Definitely Want to Try from Later and by Benjamin Chacon: “If you’re searching for some great Instagram hashtag hacks to get more followers and boost your engagement, you’ve come to the right place! Whether you want to find out which hashtags are generating the most interactions on your account, hide your hashtags in your Instagram Stories, or add more than 30 hashtags to your post’s caption, we’ve got a hack for you.”

Content Marketing

Sell More Books With Guest Blogging from TheBookDesigner.com and by Sandra Beckwith: “There’s no question in my mind that guest blogging helps sell books. But it’s a powerful book marketing tactic for other reasons, too.”

Search Engine Optimization

SEO for Authors and Other Search Ranking “Secrets” by Jenny Hansen: “SEO for authors … It’s a catchphrase that makes all my writing pals shudder. As one of our gals at WITS said, “I know how to spell it, but that’s about all.” SEO doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, some of the best techniques are the easiest for writers, because they involve writing.”

BookBub Ads

8 Ways to Target Readers Using BookBub Ads: “With BookBub Ads, authors and publishers can promote any book to BookBub’s millions of power readers at any time. While this is a valuable audience of book buyers to begin with, BookBub Ads’ targeting options let advertisers refine their audience even further.”

Quote of the Week

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

Indie Author Weekly Update – January 4, 2019

January 4, 2019 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

I hope you enjoy this new edition of the Indie Author Weekly Update. While the weather is cold these posts are hot! Don’t miss the first two; they are chock-full of information that you’ll need in 2019.

2019 Publishing Predictions from Agent Laurie McLean from Anne R. Allen and by Laurie McLean: “The last year has seen a maturation of many of the trends that were sparked by the revolution in publishing that began a decade ago. Indie publishing. Social media marketing. The birth of Author-preneurs. Smart phones as reading devices. Digital diversity. The democratization of publishing. While a lot of these trends will continue to deepen and extend, there are a few speed bumps or even large potholes ahead that you’ll have to watch out for. Here are my predictions for 2019.”

12 SEO Tips to Drive Traffic and Sell Books from TheBookDesigner.com and by Lee Foster: “Sometimes truly happy events occur in the life of a writer/author/publisher who is posting articles on a blog/website. The writer usually hopes to gain audience share, possibly ultimately selling more books or other “products,” such as paid talks and consulting.”

Authors and Book Clubs by Sandra Beckwith: “Fortunately for authors, many book club members take their club commitments seriously, reading the assigned book and arriving prepared to both socialize and discuss the book. This is good news for you if you think your book is book club material.”

19 Author Marketing Gurus to Follow on Twitter in 2019 by Penny Sansevieri: “These types of lists are always hard for me because there really are a lot of standouts when it comes to finding solid author marketing advice. I’ve put this list together based on real professional experiences I’ve had with people, and of course the go-to resources I use to stay current on what’s happening in different areas of author marketing and book promotion. You may want to add a reminder to your book marketing calendar to check in with their feeds.”

How to Promote Your Book for Free from BookBub Partners: “So, you just put out a new book! (Hooray!) Or maybe you have that one book that never really got the sales or exposure you wanted it to get. With all the marketing tools available online, promoting a book — whether it’s a new release or a title that’s been sitting in your backlist — can be an overwhelming task. And many popular promotional options, from self-serve advertising platforms to email blasts, come with a price tag, which can be tricky if you’re on a budget.”

Quote of the Week

Want to know all of my best social media marketing tips? Get a copy of Social Media Just for Writers.

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, and finding new readers. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course.

Online Book Marketing Strategies for Writers

Indie Author Weekly Update – September 28, 2018

September 28, 2018 By Frances Caballo 2 Comments

Thank you for checking out my new Indie Author Weekly Update. There were so many posts this past week that it’s difficult to select one or two that were my favorites. But if I’m pushed, and if you only have time for one post to read, then don’t miss Anne R. Allen’s phenomenal post on how to self-publish successfully. Her advice is priceless.

Well, fall is officially here, which means that we are in my favorite season. Who doesn’t love seeing leaves turn color or feeling the chill in the air first thing in the morning?

Want to Self-Publish Fiction Successfully? Follow These 9 Tips by Anne R. Allen: “Back when the new-fangled Kindle was flying off the cybershelves and Amazon had no imprints of its own, indie authors were Amazon’s darlings. That’s no longer the case, so selling self-published books is more difficult than it was. But “more difficult” doesn’t mean impossible. Plenty of indie novelists are starting out right now who will make the bestseller lists. Some will make considerably more money than their traditionally-published counterparts.”

Pre-Publication Marketing: A Van Tour to Bookstores by Jane Friedman: “In November, Weather Woman by Cai Emmons will release from Red Hen Press. To spread the word this summer, Cai drove “the Weather Woman van” to independent bookstores in the Western United States, distributing advance reader copies and chatting with booksellers.”

How Authors’ Openness on Social Media Makes Reading Better from Book Riot: “There’s a lot that’s toxic about social media, for authors, fans, and reviewers alike. But one thing that’s really rewarding for readers and aspiring writers is the transparency that many published authors have brought to Twitter and Instagram about the writing and publishing process, in all its good, bad, and in-between.”

How to Market Your Books with a Specialist Blog from Alliance of Independent Authors: “It’s received wisdom that every indie author should have a website as the central and authoritative source of information about their books and their writing lives – but how does an unknown author attract potential readers to that website? British crime writer B L (Barry) Faulkner shares his lateral thinking solution that has helped him raise the profile of his books a different way: via a specialist blog about a subject that will appeal to potential readers, including those who have never heard of him.”

6 Ways Video Blogging Can Save Your Author Promotion by Penny Sansevieri: “If saving time isn’t a sweet enough payoff, here are a few more benefits to adding video blogging to your author promotion.”

Book Promotion: Do This, Not That – September 2018 from TheBookDesigner.com and by Amy Collins: “I recently met with a Chicago-area author for breakfast who was concerned that she was doing something wrong. This author had written a terrific book, designed the cover properly, promoted the book heavily, placed ads on Amazon, got reviews and consistently worked to sell her book to stores, libraries, online and to organizations. So what was the problem?”

How To Put Together An Indie Author Street Team from Writer’s Edit: “There’s a lot for indie authors to do when it comes to book promotion and marketing. In fact, there’s so much to do that it can often get a little overwhelming. But while being an indie author is largely a solo pursuit, you don’t have to tackle everything entirely on your own! Enter: the indie author street team.”

Quote of the Week

Social Media Just for Writers is now just $1.99! But the sale price won’t last forever so get your copy now!

Well written, well researched – well thought out. This book is a must have!

Ryshia Kennie

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She wrote several social media books including Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, and finding new readers. Her clients have included authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for her free email course.

Online Book Marketing Solutions for Writers

Meet Rebecca Vnuk of IndiePicks Magazine

November 20, 2017 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

Today’s blog post is an interview with Rebecca Vnuk, Editor in Chief of IndiePicks Magazine. Rebecca was most recently the Editor for Collection Management and Library Outreach with Booklist Publications and has an MLIS from Dominican University. Before her editing career, Rebecca worked for a decade as a public librarian, in a variety of positions from Readers’ Advisor to adult services management. She is the author of three reference books on the topic of Women’s Fiction, as well as a best-selling book on weeding library collections.

Please explain why IndiePicks was formed and what it hopes to accomplish.

Our publisher, Naomi Blackburn, is a huge fan of indie authors. She noticed that the review magazines she’d look at in her local library rarely mentioned indies and never mentioned any self-pubbed authors, so she decided she wanted to create a review magazine that would.

Do you see IndiePicks as filling a void in the industry?

Yes–it’s hard enough for librarians and readers to keep up with what the “Big Five” are putting out there, and many times, libraries won’t/can’t order books without a professional review.

Which categories or genres does IndiePicks consider? Are there genres that IndiePicks won’t consider?

Right now, we have started with ten reviewers who cover General Fiction, General Nonfiction, YA, Children’s, Romance, Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Mystery/Thrillers. We hope to grow in the new year to separate out even more fiction and non-fiction categories. We’ll consider any book that’s well-written!

What is meant by the statement that “IndiePicks is a recommended-only resource”?

Some review sources do offer negative reviews, but we’d prefer to use our space to promote only books that our review team would recommend to readers or purchase for their own library collections.

Why don’t libraries include independently-published books? Or, do some libraries carry these books that you know of? Is there a process for considering them?

Some do, many do not. There are a lot of factors at play, from whether or not they are getting requests for these books to whether or not they are seeing reviews for them (can’t buy them if you don’t know about them!). That’s where we’d like to think we come in. Several of our reviewers are actively adding indie books to their public library collections, and that’s part of the reason they’ve been selected to review for us!

Why do you think some libraries are hesitant to include independently published books?

I would wager that it’s mostly because they don’t know enough about them. If they aren’t getting professional reviews, then librarians don’t know if they are any good or not. We are in tough times right now for most library budgets, and many librarians simply aren’t comfortable spending precious dollars on unproven works or unknown authors. It’s a difficult spot to be in.

What is your vision as editor for IndiePicks Magazine?

I hope that we continue to grow and add more reviewers, which equals more books that we can review each month! I also would love to see us branch out into a one-stop shop for indies. Who knows? Webinars? Lists? All kinds of opportunities await.

[Read more…]

Platform Building & Media Relations for Indie Authors

October 16, 2017 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

Chris Well recently joined me on a Conversations with Frances broadcast. Hear what he had to say about media relations and platform building for indie authors.

Chris started young in the media; by college he was writing for national magazines. Later, he worked in radio and worked as an editor with a magazine. Over the years, he has accumulated 25 years in the media working with a number of brands. This is what he had to say:

The right email to the right reporter will get you coverage. That said, any author can find media coverage.

[Read more…]

Protecting Your Rights and Your Wallet with Helen Sedwick

June 26, 2017 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

In this hour-long webinar, attorney and author Helen Sedwick reviews a wide range of issues from intellectual property, copyright issues, publishers to be wary of, and fraudulent entities wanting complete control over your book and its film rights.

Here are a few notes from Helen’s presentation:

Intellectual property is a product of the mind.
You can protect intellectual property just like you can protect your car or home.
There are people and companies who will try to take control of your intellectual property from you.
Some of the worst entities are contests where the prize is the content sponsors get the right to publish your book, merchandizing rights, film rights, etc.

[Read more…]

Indie Author Weekly Update – June 16, 2017

June 16, 2017 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

In this week’s Indie Author Update, bloggers write about book launches, legal myths, how to write remarkable content, and how to pitch your book too media. Great topics, right?

Meanwhile, summer is here and I’m thrilled. In Northern California where I live, our winter and spring consisted of one rain storm after another. While our water-starved state needed those downpours, I’m so happy that summer is here and with it, warm, dry weather. What’s happening in your world?

Indie Author Update

Launch Higher: How to Get Book Reviews Before Your Launch Date by Kate Sullivan: “We all know that reviews sell stuff. After all, when’s the last time you took a chance on buying something online, sight unseen, without checking the reviews? You want to know what other people who’ve already bought it think so that you can be sure you’re making the right choice.”

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Secrets of Successful Book Launches with Howard VanEs

May 15, 2017 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

In this webinar, as part of my Conversations with Frances series, I interviewed Howard VanEs about successful book launches. A master at selling books, Howard shared some of his best strategies.

Here are some notes from our conversation:

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