One of the most important strategies for a successful writing career is to make sure you have the right tools. The first thing you need is a relatively fast computer loaded with virus and spyware protection software. To elaborate, I recommend obtaining the free version of AVG for virus protection and Spybot Search and Destroy for spyware protection. Both programs are … [Read more...]
Authors of Children’s Books Will Love New iPhone App
As a book publicist I am always on the lookout for new tools and technology to reach consumers and convince them to purchase my client’s books. During the past decade, the most important tool has been the Internet, especially email, online search (like Google and Yahoo), and social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. During the past couple of years, it has become very clear … [Read more...]
How to Plan a Virtual Party
Planning a Virtual Book Launch, a Virtual Book Birthday or a Virtual Book Tour are great compliments to a book marketing campaign. They are free, effective, and can stick around in the blogsphere forever to immortalize your book and marketing efforts. Anyone can throw a Virtual Party for any reason and the set up is fun and free. CREATE A PARTY WEBSITE Do this at least … [Read more...]
For Book Marketing Research, Authors Can Use a Nifty New Tool Called TitleZ
Effective book marketing begins long before the book is actually written and the more diligence paid to pre-publishing efforts the better the author’s chance of success. Before hiring a book publicist to garner book publicity for you, get a cup of coffee and get ready for a little online research on book marketing. A key strategy in any marketing program is to know your … [Read more...]
Critiquing Coffee and Donuts – Online Critique Groups
I love those little donuts covered with powdered sugar, but I don't want to be cleaning their dust off my blue jeans when I'm taking part in a critique session. That sort of thing happens during the let's-have-coffee-and-chat break at the average face-to-face critique group for writers, doesn't it? I prefer an on-line critique group. All right, I confess. My computer … [Read more...]
What Do Your Customers Want? Find Out With Skribit
If there is one thing I know, that’s book marketing, and from time to time I learn about a neat new tool that makes selling books online just a little bit easier. I would like to introduce you to Skirbit. Skirbit.com allows an author to easily add a small widget to their blog which gives readers a chance to communicate directly with the author. At the end of the blog, … [Read more...]
Get a Good Computer Keyboard
Sometimes I think I’m the only person on the planet without a BlackBerry. I must be the only person who doesn’t sit in restaurants or theaters or coffee shops texting to my friends. I’m really boring, I guess—when I’m sitting at a keyboard, it’s right here, and I’m sitting here because I’m writing something I want people to read. Some of the authors whose books I’m editing … [Read more...]
What Is in Your Writer’s Library?
POD Publicity – Sell More of Your Print on Demand Book
Print on demand publishing is an easy, fast and inexpensive way to publish your own book. However, unless you promote it is unlikely that you will sell more than a few copies. Heather Wallace can help you to sell more books, with the helpful information in her book, POD Publicity - How to Take a Print on Demand Book from Obscurity to Profitability. In POD Publicity, Wallace … [Read more...]
Writing Better Fiction – Beware when Action does Not Constitute Movement
One of the most serious issues facing many writers is the ability to maintain the action throughout the narrative. Unfortunately, the mere creation of a dramatic occurrence does not guarantee plot movement. The literary critic for The Palm Beach Post, Scott Eyman, has written many outstanding books on the legends of the cinema. In an article he wrote some years ago … [Read more...]