Networking Opens Doors to Promotional Opportunities for Writers

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

Hire Help If You are Clueless and Without Connections

You can start networking with author friends or start with knowing almost no one. Years ago, I wanted to be a guest on TV shows with my books. I had been a TV host with a puppet show but knew no Christian TV hosts. I hired a publicist with the goal of booking me on TV appearances to create video footage.

One Appearance Leads to More

The PR agent scheduled me for two shows. I made friends with the host of the show in my state of Florida and became a regular guest with any new releases The other show included a producer from South Carolina who invited me to be a guest plus connected me to a producer in Georgia. The host of the show in South Carolina also connected me to a show in another city in the state. I’ve been back on all those stations multiple times, including with my 2021 spring release.

My recent trip for the stations in SC opened new doors. One host plans to connect me to a host in my state, in a different city. One of the other stations had a host who is new to me. She has her own show with the station and invited me on for my next release. I love meeting producers, hosts, and other guests for the show.

Learn to Promote Your Book & Your Brand from the 2020 CAN Crown Marketing Award Winners

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

The 2020 CAN Crown Marketing Award winners created great campaigns to promote books and brands. Each campaign had a specific focus, but the authors worked in multiple directions to achieve their goals. We can learn from their success.

Marketing Your Book From the Heart of Your Brand

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

As I help people discover their brand, I look for the intrinsic value within the person that always comes out in the writing. This is a message that resonates with them and thus connects with their readers. It may boil down to one word like hope, overcoming, or joy, but it flows from the heart. For you as a writer, this is something that naturally finds its way into most of what you write. That should be clear within the brand.

To Market to Market to Sell A Fat Book

by PeggySue Wells @PeggySueWells

“I sat around for six months after book publication waiting on my publisher to do more. I assumed they would. They didn’t,” said Jennifer Maggio, author of Overwhelmed. “I learned that all of my book’s success rests on my shoulders and I better get busy doing something. Something is always better than nothing.”

In a day when book sales are predominantly the author’s responsibility, what are authors doing to market their titles?

Recovery from a Book Launch Disaster

Edie here. Today I'm so excited to present a publishing industry giant. Terry has an incredible amount of knowledge and since he's just published a new book—10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed—I convinced him to come on and share some of it with us. I know you will be blessed. Give him a big TWC welcome!

Recovery from a Book Launch Disaster
by Terry Whalin @TerryWhalin

How do you recover from a book launch disaster? Over 4,500 new books are published every day.  As someone who has been in publishing for years, I understand without the author's active role, little happens. 

Book Marketing Through Writing Contests

by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga

Contests are an excellent promotional tactic for authors. When your book is a finalist in a competition, you can use that information to promote it through many outlets. Entering book contests should be a part of every author’s marketing plan. This article will help authors navigate the process.

Book Launch Teams – What Authors Need to Know About Picking Members, Part 2

by Cynthia Owens @EfficiencyADict

Earlier this year, I contacted authors Mesu Andrews, Cathy Baker, Lynn Blackburn, and Rachel Dylan to learn about their experiences with book launch teams. They shared so many great ideas, I had to break their insights into multiple posts. 

Last month we looked at how to design your book launch team. If you missed the tips for envisioning your team, getting help, or initial planning, check out part one of What Authors Need to Know About Book Launch Teams.

This month, we’re taking the next step, investigating how to fill your team.

5 Creative Ways to Share Your Work While on Vacation

by Cathy Baker @CathySBaker

The month of June offers summer vacations, time by the pool, and family road trips but who says we can’t also share our work while we’re away? If we put in a little time prior to packing, three of the following ideas will take care of themselves while you’re busy soaking up the sun. 

What Is Amazon Marketing Services, and Should I Be Using It? (Part 1)

by Cyle Young @CyleYoung

Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) is the newest marketing opportunity that you can utilize as an author. You must have an Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) account to participate. The best benefit of AMS is that your advertisements will be seen by buyers who are kindle readers.

Unlike Facebook Ads, which can cost you hundreds of dollars in advertisements to people who do not own a kindle, AMS offers you the opportunity to define your audience to a very specific group of people—readers who use kindle apps or platforms, and readers who buy books on Amazon.

You can be assured that by using AMS you will have the best opportunity to acquire sales from kindle readers. No other advertising platform can offer such a defined market—not even the infamous, Bookbub!

One of the great benefits to AMS, is that it allows you to customize the keywords that you are targeting. For one of my recent adds, I imported a list of over 1000 keywords and phrases that covered every conceivable and searchable term or chain of words related to my topic.

AMS reports specifically on the success of each keyword, showing you how many impressions the keyword delivered, how many clicks came as a result of the keyword, and how many sell throughs were associated with that keyword. No other marketing platform can give those kind of specific details.

Every promotion and marketing service has its strengths and weaknesses, but for an author with books listed on Amazon, AMS is currently providing excellent results. I highly suggest it at this time.

Be forewarned, as with any marketing opportunity, overtime as more people begin to use AMS it will become less effective at delivering results, but for now it is still providing a wonderful return on your investment.

Should an author begin using Amazon Marketing Services?

Yes, Immediately.

Comment below with any questions about AMS, and/or comment about your results with AMS if you have used it so far.

TWEETABLES
What is Amazon Marketing Services, & Should I be Using It? @CyleYoung (Click to Tweet)

Literary agent @CyleYoung explains the benefits of using Amazon Marketing Services (Click to Tweet)

Don't Miss Part 2!
What is Amazon marketing services, and should I be using it? (Part 2)

Cyle Young is thankful God blessed him with the uniqueness of being an ADD-riddled…SQUIRREL!...binge writer. Not much unlike the classic video game Frogger, Cyle darts back and forth between various writing genres. He crafts princess children’s stories, how-to advice for parents, epic fantasy tales, and easy readers.