marketing

It Was a Nice Trip, But…

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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We just returned from a vacation up north, where we experienced a reprieve from the summer heat. It was a nice trip, but I agreed with my husband when he said he was “ready to go home.”

I thought about his remark this morning as I  completed another chapter of my book. I’m winding down. Writing it has been a good experience, but I’m ready to finish this latest book.

Although title, cover, publishing, marketing all lie ahead, I always feel I’m “home” once the writing is done.

If you’ve been looking forward to reading Sunset Pointe, you won’t have to wait much longer. It could be out by the first of the year, or perhaps it will find its “home” in the midst of this year’s Christmas releases.

Remember Me: A Sonnet for Marigold

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

I’ve blogged to readers and writers about book covers, “Hooks,” keywords, suspense, punctuation, back cover blurbs, choosing one’s audience, marketing, pen names, and so on. 

Can any one single book can possibly deliver on all fronts?

This one comes close. From cover-to-cover, Remember Me: A Sonnet for Marigold, was written with each aspect of the writing process in mind.

Here are excerpts from the back cover copy and blurb, along with the stunning cover. Who wouldn’t be drawn into this story?

Does true love really last forever? Author Mia Michaels creates a world where all reason is lost to the magic of love.

From the moment Mike’s plane crashes, Natalie’s world is turned upside down. As she struggles to remember the details of her life after suffering a brain injury in the same crash that killed Mike, a shocking revelation about an affair with the handsome pilot surfaces, leaving her questioning everything. 

Almost losing Natalie in the horrific incident gives Paul a wake-up call. He is determined to be the husband she needs, but at every turn, someone tries to sabotage their new commitment to one another. Who is sending her gifts, trying to turn her heart away from Paul? And what is the role of Mari and Pierre, two mysterious figures who seem to be connected to this love triangle?

 If only Natalie’s memory would return, perhaps she and Paul could rebuild their relationship before it’s too late.

Just when you think you’ve figured out the truth behind this love triangle, author Mia Michaels throws in an unexpected twist in this gripping Romantic Suspense novel. Remember Me will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Sprinkled with humor and a dash of fantasy, you’ll find everything you like—and more—in this modern breakout novel.

Don’t miss this unpredictable journey of true love. BUY NOW on Amazon.com

AI and Authors

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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With all the talk about AI these days, have you ever wondered what it can do? The list grows longer by the day. Glance thru the list below and you’ll see just what this topic means for authors.

You may already have had Amazon ask you to what extent you might have used AI in your writing. As authors, we need to be aware of Amazon’s policy where AI is concerned. Here’s what I found:

“The policy doesn’t prohibit the use of AI but requires disclosure by authors in certain situations. Amazon is making a distinction between using AI to generate content, which the company will require authors to disclose; and using AI to assist in the process of editing and refining copy, which will not need to be disclosed.”

  1. Creates art, music, and videos.
  2. Assists writing blog posts, manage appointments, keeps track of finances.
  3. Creates avatars and logos.
  4. Keeps contact lists up-to-date, helps write and organize social media posts, does image editing.
  5. You can converse with AI, getting answers to questions and delve deeply into ideas you have.
  6. You can use various tools to create your own AI designed to meet the needs of your business.
  7. Marketing, website, and design software for brochures and so on. 
  8. You can use AI SEO to write copy, and check for plagiarism.

We must act ethically and responsibly when using AI. My feeling is, once you invite AI into your life, it may be hard to disengage from it if, for any reason, you decide not to continue using it.

You’ll Still Love to Write If You Do This

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Over the years, I have heard authors (myself included) lament over the fact that while writing a book is hard work, there is nothing so difficult as having to spend an exorbitant amount of time on editing, publishing, and marketing.

We DREAD it. And it often saps the joy right out of our labor of love.

I’m writing this as I watch the daily struggle of a friend and first-time author as she attempts the task of formatting for paperback and e-book. As she becomes more and more disheartened and discouraged, I tell her 

It doesn’t have to be so!

I will be the first to admit that it does cost money for cover design and all of the rest. Money that I scrimp and save for each week so I can pay for help each time I need it.

So, if you’re about to publish your very first book, here’s my suggestion: Do it all.

That’s right. Try to do everything for yourself. Even keep a log of your hours. In the end, I think (unless you’ve been technologically blessed) you will agree you never want to have to go through that again!

Professionals can get the job done in a mere fraction of the time it took you—and using them for your next book will assure you of coming away from the whole experience still loving to write!

Why Pen Names??

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

You may find this information interesting and thought-provoking. Even if you question whether this will ever be relevant for you, it is information worth saving for the future.

For the next several weeks, I will be addressing the controversial topic of pen names. The internet has A LOT to say about pen names, but because it is from so many sources, I have condensed it HERE.

Anne Rice, Dr. Seuss, Mark Twain, C. S. Lewis, George Elliot, Lewis Carroll, George Orwell. These are just a fraction of the Pen Names used by authors over the years.

A pen name may be used to make the author’ name more distinctive, to separate the author from their other writings, to disguise the author’s gender, to protect the author from retribution for their writings (if their political or religious viewpoints may be seen as radical or unpopular), to allow an author to try writing in multiple unrelated genres, to conceal/protect family relationships, assure the author’s privacy, or for any of a number of reasons related to the marketing of their work.

There is nothing illegal about using a pen name. If you are self-publishing through Amazon, follow the directions I will be sharing. They assure that your privacy will be protected on Amazon; however, there are ways you can be “found.” (After all, the internet shared the names above, along with hundreds of others). Amazon just makes it more difficult for you to be “found.” 

The essential requirement is that your pen name be memorable ( more memorable than your real name). Try to come up with a name that suits your genre and writing style—a name that sounds like the age range you are targeting with your writing and represents your genre. (A fun exercise is to use one of several Pen Name Generators you can find online.)

At the time you setup your Author Central Account, KDP asks for an author name. Give your pen name under the ‘Primary Author’ section.

Once your book is published, your pen name will be shown on your Author Central account-Bookshelf page. Your real name will not be visible on your Amazon book page once your book is published. 

When using a pen name your real name stays anonymous. Your actual account is set up under your real name, so you will get payments in your real name. 

Note: Once your book is published, you CANNOT change your book’s primary author field. (You can create a new edition with the updated author name, but this may be a hassle.) Just be careful when filling out the information boxes.

I look forward to sharing more next week!

Three Changes in KDP

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

There are at least three recent changes within Kindle Direct Publishing that may prove helpful.

First, there is a new version of KDP reports that allow you to gauge real-time book sales, compare performance of your titles, and estimate royalties.

Second, there is new feature “Marketing” section that has quick links to Amazon Advertising, Author Central, KDP Select, and Price Promos. They’ve also added a new tool called “Kindle Deal Nomination.” Once you sign up, and your nomination is accepted, your kindle book can be featured on the KDP website for an indefinite amount of time at a discount. (You can nominate 2 books at a time and re-nominate your book every 90 days).

Finally, they’ve made it easier to arrange your books in a series within KDP. You no longer need to reach out to customer service to do this for you, saving you a lot of time. 

I hope you’ve found the past three weeks of information about the Amazon changes helpful!

Is Hybrid Publishing Best?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Hybrid Publishing combines elements of both traditional and self-publishing. The difference being that in hybrid publishing, authors pay or subsidize most or all of the costs of publishing and are NOT given an ADVANCE on royalties. The publisher takes care of the editorial, design, and marketing of the book. 

Hybrid publishing works well for authors who just want to write, write, write, without having to spend time in those others areas. Appealing. Yes?

Remember: Although with traditional publishers, authors may get less in the way of royalties, self-publishing lets you keep the most, with hybrid falling somewhere in between.

Unfortunately, some hybrid publishers are little more than vanity publishers, which try to scam authors and spend very little of YOUR marketing dollars toward marketing. 

Self-publishing, along with hiring a marketing person (or firm) seems to be the best way to go for the author who doesn’t want to spend their time doing their own marketing.

Ready to Make a Few Changes?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

A few months ago, I told a new acquaintance about my struggles in marketing. (We had been talking about her daughter who is graduating from high school this year and her need for a part-time income. I told her mother that it was amazing to me that “young people” find technology so easy to use.)

So I saw this meeting as an opportunity to make some changes.

I’m hiring this eighteen-year-old to put a fresh face on my Facebook pages and my Amazon advertising—and earmark some of my marketing dollars toward a new “look” for my online presence.

Will my marketing dollars be well spent?

I hope so. 

Because the story about the guy who never saw any changes in outcome because he kept trying the same strategies time after time is really my story.

Is it yours, too?

Maybe it’s time for you to change where you write—or when. Perhaps you need to read a few books on the craft of writing or attend a conference.

Whatever you need to change, there’s no time like the present to make that commitment—to yourself and your readers!

Face Your Fear of Public Speaking

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Self-promotion is the name of the game. Even though we writers may say it is about the message in our writing (which, of course, it is) no one will “get it” if they don’t hear about us.

Blogs, Podcasts, Facebook, Twitter—these are certainly tools to accomplish the same thing. But none of these, alone, will accomplish what “in person”, face-to-face contact will do. Whether it is speaking at a critique group, local writing club or writing conference, our spoken words are powerful ways to connect to others.

Self-confidence  in public speaking is built by years of experience in snatching up speaking opportunities wherever, and whenever, they come along. If we don’t, we may very well be giving up our opportunity to be heard via our writing, also.

We can get over our insecurities and fear of public speaking by building our confidence in doing exactly the very thing we are most afraid of. Push ourselves to our most uncomfortable limit.

The problem is, even while I write these words, I can feel my heart rate escalating. I feel the all-too-familiar hives creeping up toward my neck…. 

You can run, but you can’t hide. You can avoid for years, but if we are honest with ourselves, it can actually feel good to face our fears.

Let’s get out there and do something about it.

There are opportunities to speak at schools, public libraries, even bookstores. We cannot make a difference in the world if we are not able to articulate our message, both in written and spoken speech. 

It’s going to take practice.

We’ve come too far to quit. We have so much to say!

Grab your phone. Dial the number for a public speaking self-help group in your area (Toastmasters may be a good place to start).

Remember:  in order to be a recognized name in the field of writing, one also must be a public speaker!

Promote Your Book

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

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Back to our research on book promotions for Indie Authors:

The article I mentioned in my past blog recommended three companies: Books Butterfly, Kindle Nation Daily, and Bargain Booksy.

I went to each of these sites. I scouted around for different promotions, cost, layouts, ease of use, and overall appeal for readers.

Of the three, I found that only https://www.Bargainbooksy.com ticked off all of my boxes.

The other two were unappealing, expensive, and didn’t offer what I wanted for my specific genre. Feel free to visit those websites and check them out. 

I read the general information on Bargain Booksy as well as followed links they supplied for examples, additional information, and customer reviews.

First of all, their site is attractive and fairly straightforward. They supply a handy chart of genres and the cost of advertising for each genre. 

They claim over 305,000 registered users. They also say that a Bargain Booksy feature will help drive sales of your e-book, find a new audience of readers, generate reviews, and improve your book rank on retail sites.

With a paid promotion, your book will be in their daily email of Kindle readers who have expressed an interest in your genre.

They will link your book on Bargainbooksy.com with Kindle, Kobo, Apple, and Nook.

Your promotion will feature your book’s front cover and a short description.

You must price your book between .99 and $5.00 for the length of your promotion. (There are articles that explain how to do this.)

Your book will be in a daily newsletter to over 294K combined subscribers of all genres AND a customized email to readers of your specific genre. [Each with book cover, purchase links, description, and price.]

Additionally, your book will be featured on the Bargain Booksy website and their Facebook Page, which claims 20K followers.

Note: There is a Deal of the Day Premium feature which has different pricing, but it is only for these four genres: Romance, Mystery, Fantasy, and Science Fiction. See their site for details. 

Audiobooks can be promoted on their sister site,  https://ReadingStacks.com