Digital Book World Archives - Social Media Just for Writers

Indie Author Weekly Update – June 23, 2017

This week’s Indie Author Update includes posts on book promotion, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter from Lilach Bullock, Digital Book World, The Write Life and others. Enjoy them!

Meanwhile, I’m still trying to survive the the 100+ heat here in Northern California. Is it hot where you’re at? If so, share with me your favorite tips for remaining cool.

Indie Author Update

Authors, Grow Your Fan Base By Leading A Book Club by Digital Book World: “I have always maintained that the author-as-a-brand is the strongest selling link across the publishing chain. Whether self, indie or traditionally published, the emotional connection forged by dedicated readers is never with a publisher or an imprint—it’s with the author him or herself. This relationship is, more than anything else, built on trust.”

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Indie Author Weekly Update – May 19, 2017

May 19, 2017 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

Today’s Indie Author Update includes posts on blogging, social media tools, word-of-mouth marketing, and so much more! I hope you enjoy these posts, ones I considered the best from all the post I read this past week.

How ‘word-of-mouth marketing’ REALLY happens by Dan Blank: “Today I want to share a small case study with you, illustrating how word-of-mouth marketing really happens. My goal is to encourage you to connect in meaningful ways with others who resonate with the writing and creative work you are passionate about. Okay, let’s dig in…”

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Indie Author Weekly Update – April 28, 2017

April 28, 2017 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

This week’s Indie Author Update includes posts on blogging, social media, the importance of author bios, Amazon Central Author pages, and more. I hope you enjoy the list of books Joanna Penn recommends and the blogging post by Jeff Bullas, one of my favorite social media bloggers.

Indie Author Updates

How to Create a WordPress Blog in 5 Minutes by Jeff Bullas: “I started my blog using the WordPress platform and I have found it a great technology to publish your content online. A WordPress theme provides flexibility and customisation features that Facebook could never provide.”

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Indie Author Weekly Update February 3, 2017

February 3, 2017 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

Today’s Indie Author Weekly Update encompasses every topic, from increasing ebook sales to book promotion and from Facebook to building a website. I hope you enjoy these blog posts from across the internet from experts in publishing and social media.

On a personal front, I’m busy getting ready for the San Francisco Writers Conference, where I’ll be teaching two sessions and participating in two panels. If you’ve never been to this conference, you should check into it. Even if you can’t attend the entire conference, there are pre- and post-sessions that are available separately. Besides, you can’t beat the setting: the conference is at the Mark Hopkin Hotel. I hope to see some of you there.

Indie Author Updates

A Powerful Shortcut for Discovering Keywords to Increase Ebook Sales Digital Book World: “Indie authors and ebook publishers have a powerful tool for increasing book sales that costs nothing and already exists in their online book selling setup: keywords. The keywords associated with an ebook in an online store can help drive readers to your sales page. When you attract more people to your book’s sales page, the more opportunities you have to make sales.”

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Indie Author Weekly Update – January 27, 2017

January 27, 2017 By Frances Caballo 2 Comments

Welcome to today’s Indie Author Weekly Update. You’ll see new bloggers on a range of topics from ebook sales to Snapchat spectacles to hashtags.

On a personal note, we received a break from the storms. Yes, finally. The sun has even shined a few hours every day. Thank you for your patience as I return to my regular blogging schedule.

Indie Author Weekly Updates

A Powerful Shortcut for Discovering Keywords to Increase Ebook Sales from Digital Book World: “Indie authors and ebook publishers have a powerful tool for increasing book sales that costs nothing and already exists in their online book selling setup: keywords. The keywords associated with an ebook in an online store can help drive readers to your sales page. When you attract more people to your book’s sales page, the more opportunities you have to make sales.”

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Indie Author Weekly Update January 6, 2017

January 6, 2017 By Frances Caballo 2 Comments

I hope you enjoy this installation of the Indie Author Weekly Update. I’ve got quite a potpourri for you. Don’t miss Jane Friedman’s look at platform building as well as Joanna Penn’s video on looking forward to accomplishing your goals in 2017. Both are great pieces. There are many great posts in this week’s update and I hope you have time to check them all out.

On a more personal note, I hope you had a lovely holiday break. I know that I did. And best of all, it’s been raining here in Northern California, where we’ve suffered a terrible drought in recent years. So that’s cause for celebration, right? Okay, get busy and enjoy the weekly updates!

Indie Author Updates

Building a Platform to Land a Book Deal: Why It Often Fails from Jane Friedman: Platform, in a nutshell, is your ability to sell books based on your visibility to the intended readership. If you’re a total unknown, then you may be turned down for lack of a platform to support your book’s publication.

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Indie Author Weekly Update December 16, 2016

December 16, 2016 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

Welcome to another edition of the Indie Author Weekly Update. There were so many brilliant posts on the internet this week that I hope I’ve captured the finest among them. Or at least I’ve gathered those that will most serve you in your writing career.

I chose the above picture today because lately it seems to either rain or be foggy. I can’t complain though. The drought has been, well, awful and I welcome any form of moisture that comes from the sky. Besides, I grew up in Monterey, which has the same weather patterns as San Francisco, so I rather like the fog. I hope you’re enjoying the weather and the season wherever you are.

Indie Author Updates

Today’s Indie Authors Are Media Owners from Joel Friedlander: “Have you ever thought about the fact that you’re a media owner? It’s a weird thought, isn’t it? Yet, it’s probably true. Yeah, probably. Why the modifier? Well, not every author has a self-hosted blog and website. But if you have both, guess what? You’re definitely a media owner.”

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Indie Author Weekly Roundup September 30, 2016

September 30, 2016 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

As an indie author, what steps are you taking to sell more books? How to sell more books is the continual question for authors and so I hope this week’s indie author weekly roundup will provide some answers for you.

And …

Don’t forget to sign up for next Tuesday’s Conversations with Frances when I’ll be interviewing blogging and self-publishing expert Joel Friedlander. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask him anything you’d like as well. So join us October 4 at 11 am.

Indie Author Updates

10 Things Authors Need to Stop Doing on Social Media Immediately from Digital Book World: “Almost every author has been told at some point, “You gotta get online and promote.” But only a small percentage of authors have actually been coached on social media best practices, resulting in hundreds of authors using social media completely wrong and turning readers off rather than attracting them. If you are guilty of any of the following social media practices, for the sake of your readership, please stop immediately.”

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Indie Author Weekly Roundup September 2, 2016

September 2, 2016 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

This week’s Indie Author Weekly Roundup focuses on book marketing. There are a diversity of related topics and opinions in the selection below. I hope you enjoy them.

Can you believe it that summer is drawing to a close? I’m rather bummed because we dance at outdoor concerts all summer long (at least four days a week) but I guess the upside is that there will be more time to read and write, eh? Here’s to new things to come!

Indie Author Weekly Roundup

Authors: Boost Book Marketing with These 5 Apps – A post I wrote for Joel Friedlander’s blog: “In the words of a certain presidential candidate in today’s online world, images are “huge.” In other words, if content is king, then images are, well, Godzilla. Let me explain. In 2014, mobile marketing took over online navigation. People who surf the web using a desktop computer are in the minority. What’s the next big thing? Well, it’s already here: images. Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat are popular because they are image- and video-based.”

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Indie Author Book Marketing Weekly Update

June 24, 2016 By Frances Caballo Leave a Comment

The Indie Author Book Marketing Weekly Update contains insights from across the web. You’ll find below information about Snapchat, metadata, developing content, and scams to be aware of. Enjoy them!

Indie Author Book Marketing

Do You Write for Young Adults or Millenials? Then Try Snapchat from TheBookDesigner.com and by Frances Caballo: Social media aficionados like to jump on the newest, shiniest objects on the internet and today there are few sites attracting more buzz than Snapchat. The Verge reported in April 2016 that Snapchat has 100 million daily users who spend on average 25 to 30 minutes using the app. An estimated 60% of them use the app to create images and videos. Major brands that market to young adults and millennials are using this app to promote their wares. Buzzfeed, MTV, and Tastemade offer stories on Snapchat—and so do CNN and The Wall Street Journal.
Note: Snapchat is no longer just a messaging app for teens. It has more daily users than Twitter and is user base of 25 – 34-year-olds grew by 103% last year. According to Business Insider, there are now more millennials on Snapchat than any other social media platform. If you’re trying to reach YA and millennial readers, you at least need to consider include Snapchat in your strategy. [Read more…]