As a writer your book marketing to-list can seem endlessly long. Often authors are already juggling multiple roles with full-time work, writing, childcare and other responsibilities. You may be navigating the steep learning curve of self-publishing, on top of which you are expected to do all your own book marketing and now maintain a regular presence on social media as well. How to fit in time for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram when it all seems too much? Let’s look at how you can work smarter instead of harder by simplifying your social media in three easy steps.
If you’ve already successfully launched your website but are finding there are barely any visits and even fewer purchases of your book, it may be time to reassess your website strategy. Here we run through some quick ways to boost your traffic and reach new readers.
If we take up a new sport or learn a language or musical instrument we don’t hesitate to tell our friends. Yet to admit to writing, not on your life! For this reason, most writing advice books begin with the sage advice to declare yourself a writer. Surely beginner music lessons don’t begin with the advice to declare yourself a musician as you pick up your instrument every day. So why does the simple act of arranging words inspire so much self-doubt and public angst?
Looking for the best hashtags to grow your readership? Wondering how many to use for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube? Hashtags remain one of the most effective ways to grow your visibility and increase reader engagement. In this post we look at the golden rules of hashtag usage on every social media platform and essential hashtags for writers.
Social media is an integral part of your book marketing strategy but how long do your posts remain effective for? How many days or minutes until your content no longer appears on your reader’s Facebook feed or Instagram stream? All authors can benefit from knowing the average lifespan of their social media posts and how to extend post visibility to reach more readers. So let’s examine the major social media platforms further.
You’ve slaved over every word, edited mercilessly and added an eye-catching cover. You’ve posted and promoted on social media, done author interviews and grown your email list. So where are the influx of readers? Why aren’t you getting more sales for your books? It’s beyond frustrating. What can you do? Is there a way to reach more readers? Where are they?
There is a simpler, easier way. Try this exercise to reach more readers today.
Your book content is edited and polished to perfection, your cover art is on point and all that is left is to capture your reader's interest with a concisely crafted book blurb. Your blurb is your big chance to draw your readers in with your compelling storyline, evocative characters and cleverly-written plot twists so that they feel that they must (yes, absolutely must) purchase your book. Here are some top tips (with examples) to help you write a reader-attracting blurb in no time.
Video has been dominating marketing for some time now and going live leverages the benefits even further. Live streaming on social media is a fantastic way to stand out from the author crowd and connect with your readers in real time. The average adult consumes more than five hours of video per day and over a fifth of that amount is on mobile devices. With live streaming being available on almost every social media platform it’s becoming easier than ever to connect with your followers in real time.
If you are keen on trying out live streaming keep these tips in mind.
It seems that anyone trying to make it in a creative field has at some stage struggled with the dark cloud of self-doubt. It hardly comes as a surprise when you are going against the mainstream, creating something from nothing and in many cases working in isolation. Putting your work out for public consumption means rejection is inevitable.
As a writer you must grow a thick skin and not waste a second of your time worrying what anyone else thinks of you. Build your self-confidence and you will be bullet-proof. Know the following on your journey.
Facebook remains the world’s largest social media platform with over 2 billion monthly active users, many of whom use the site on a daily basis for both work and business. This number still continues to grow, with Facebook reporting a 14% audience growth annually. With such popularity surely Facebook should be the number one social media platform on which to promote your book? Dig a little deeper however and a different picture emerges.
'To be a writer is to embrace rejection as a way of life' - Dana Stabenow.
The journey of every author comes with the challenge of rejection. Throughout history, talented authors have been rejected and overlooked. Even literary geniuses such as J. R. R. Tolkien and John Steinbeck have suffered the sting of dismissal. Here’s six famous authors that once faced rejection.
With over 800 million users, Instagram is a massive marketplace that writers can’t afford to ignore. A solid Instagram following means more readers, more book sales and stronger connections with your audience.
So how do you grow your Instagram following? Here are 11 top tips that will help you grow your influence and reach more readers.
Don’t be scared of making mistakes. Never stop learning. Highlight what makes you unique. Identify your voice early on. Read widely. Write voraciously. Cultivate a love of writing.
We asked authors for their number one piece of advice to novice writers. Here’s their answers.
Our authors’ answer to their most overwhelming struggle was unanimous: Market Saturation. Their secret weapon? Instagram, Book Bub, email newsletters, and bloggers were amongst the most popular. We also chatted networking and approaching publishers with many authors stressing the need to consider all publishing options before going the traditional publishing route.
Perseverance is the backbone of every successful author. The literary world is forged on tales of not giving up, from J.K. Rowling’s 12 rejection letters to Agatha Christie's five years of applying before landing a publishing deal. Every author I interviewed had something to say about perseverance. The ability to ‘keep going’ despite obstacles and set-backs is what sets successful authors apart from those that give up on their writing dreams.
It’s been an amazing year for WildMind Creative. We’ve had the opportunity to work with some exceptional authors and interview some outstanding writers. Coming into a fresh new year it’s the perfect time to look back over all the interviews we’ve done and consolidate what we’ve learnt. So without any further ado here are our key takeaways from a year of author interviews.
Your author website is the center of your online marketing. A hub for connecting with your readers, engaging new fans and ultimately selling more books. A successful author website helps build your author brand and credibility while promoting your work. To ensure that your site is magnetically attracting readers we’ve put together a list of essentials so you can quickly review what is working, what is missing and what can be improved upon.
Many authors tell themselves that they don’t have time for book marketing because they dread the thought of doing it. They know it is something they should be doing but week after week these marketing tasks remain at the bottom of their to-do list and nothing happens. Successful authors are masters of getting stuff done and somehow managing to fit it all in. So how can you join their ranks?
Build your own buzz with a virtual book tour, a two-week blitz of blog and social media appearances to reach new readers and connect with current fans. You don’t need a professional to do all the networking for you. Organize your own online promotional whirl-wind by following these steps.
Despite recent criticism of Amazon the company continues to dominate the growing e-book market, accounting for more than 80% of English-language purchases, while their competitors lag far behind. This means it's essential that authors take the time to properly optimize their book listings, or risk not being found in relevant searches and losing out on potential customer views. While there are many companies that offer paid optimization services for authors, there is no reason why you can’t do it yourself.
