After a database crash, we were unable to restore many of our blog posts from the past several years (despite having backups, which failed). However, we had already begun to moving our blogging efforts over to our sister site: The Nonfiction Authors Association. You will...
Guest Blog Post by Norm Schriever Has your book ever received a one-star review? Ouch, that hurts. It’s hard enough being an author these days without bad reviews to stunt our sales. Already we’re shunned for being self-published authors, like it’s some sort of contagious...
Authors often ask me why their books appear on Amazon under the Used Books category, especially if their book has only recently been released. Not to worry! There are legitimate reasons for this. Most books are distributed through Ingram, the world’s largest supplier of books...
I just returned from speaking at the San Francisco Writers Conference, one of my favorite events each year. And this year there was a clear theme among the aspiring authors I spoke with. Many were writing books in different genres, and they weren’t sure how...
Amazon has a handy featured called “Give as a Gift” which you can use to send someone a Kindle book via email. For authors, this can be quite handy for book promotion purposes. If you can drive more sales to your Kindle edition by getting...
If you’re working on your first book, you will inevitably have to sit down and write the sales copy that appears on the back of your book (also known as “jacket” copy). For authors who haven’t had to do this before, it can feel like...
A blog carnival is a blog post that features a round-up of interesting blog posts from other websites. For example, a weight loss blog might feature a round-up of recent blog posts from various weight loss experts, personal trainers, and other industry blogs. The round-up...
At least half of the media interviews I’ve given over the years have come to me without any effort on my part. Why? Because I have positioned myself as an authority and have consistently promoted my work online. Many interviews have come from reporters who...
Professional Editor – If you’re self-publishing your book, and most people are these days, nothing is more important than having your book professionally edited. It’s fine to have it reviewed by a friend or relative, or by teachers and people with English degrees (I hear...
Like it or not, reviews on Amazon help sell books. The vast majority of potential buyers will look at your reviews to assist them in making a buying decision (I know that I do). If you don’t have many reviews, it can make your book...