Every author needs editorial feedback. But not all feedback is good. If you accept every edit, you risk losing your voice and writing something bland. If you ignore all edits, you risk writing something sloppy that readers won’t buy. So how do you know which edits to take and which to toss? In this week’s episode, you’ll learn: 7 “Bewares” to help you sort out good and bad editorial suggestions Whether AI or human editors are helpful or hurtful How to develop good tastes that guide ...| Novel Marketing
Most writing conferences teach you how to write a better book or how to pursue a literary agent. But what if you have already written a great book and you need help selling it? Is there a conference for you? Yes! Announcing the 2026Novel Marketing Conference, a live, in-person event focused on helping you market and sell more books. The 2026 conference is packed with innovations you won’t find anywhere else: 100% live, interactive sessions A small group of writers who write in your genre Gu...| Novel Marketing
Learn which Facebook ads work best for connecting with interested readers, growing your author email list, and ultimately selling books.| Author Media
Learn how to find your readers, write the book they want, and overcome the fear of promoting your book to them.| Author Media
Tricia Goyer explains how authors can connect with an enormous market of faithful readers in the homeschool community.| Author Media
Author Media helps writers build a platform, sell more books, and change the world with writing worth talking about. Listen to our podcast: Novel Marketing.| Author Media
If you write picture books, chapter books, or middle-grade fiction, you know the challenge: kids read your books, but adults buy them. So how can you let young readers know about your books? Where can you connect with your readers? By meeting them in person in school classrooms! In this week's episode, award-winning author Becca Wierwille shares how school visits became her best book marketing strategy and how you can start doing them too. In this episode, you’ll discover: How to get your f...| Novel Marketing
What’s up with ruthless heroes and romantasy? And what if the real reason your book isn’t selling has nothing to do with your writing and everything to do with the zeitgeist? In this week’s Novel Marketing episode, we’re featuring an episode of Author Update. We unpack the massive cultural shift that's changing what readers crave. From romantasy's domination to the hunger for noble dark heroes, we explore what sells and why in the new "spirit of the age." In this episode, you’...| Novel Marketing
Ever wonder how some authors consistently sell a thousand books a month? What marketing tactics are they using? How can I get those results too? In the latest episode of the Novel Marketing Podcast, I talk with Susan Neal, author of nine books and CEO of the Christian Indie Publishing Association. Susan shares how she layers her marketing efforts—from podcast interviews to press releases—to drive book sales month after month. Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn: Which tactics helped h...| Novel Marketing
Publicity has always been important for authors. Mark Twain promoted his books by writing letters to the paper, and even Agatha Christie, who was known for being very private, still did interviews with prominent newspapers. Yet some authors think this kind of publicity is old-fashioned. In a world dominated by social media, do we even need traditional PR anymore? If you've ever wondered how to get your book featured in the media—or whether it's even worth trying—you won’t want to mis...| Novel Marketing
You’ve optimized your book for AI, updated your website, polished your metadata, maybe even watched our AI Optimization for Authors episode. But how do you know if any of it is working? In this week’s episode, you’ll discover how to measure your AI optimization success. Because the hard truth is that if ChatGPT, Grok, or Gemini doesn’t know your book exists, it won’t recommend it to readers. In this episode, you’ll discover: How to find out if AI has read your book Whi...| Novel Marketing
Well, this is embarrassing. After 12 years of teaching authors how to build better websites, I realized I’ve never covered the most important page on your site: your book page. Your book’s webpage isn’t just for selling your book anymore. It’s now key to showing up in Google search results and getting recommended by AI tools like ChatGPT. In this week’s episode, you’ll learn: The biggest mistake authors make when creating book pages (and the easy fix!) The elements your book page ...| Novel Marketing
The publishing industry is facing significant challenges. We just went through a major zeitgeist shift, and reader preferences radically changed. AI also showed up in a big way, so it should be no surprise that several traditional publishers are struggling to adapt. What happens to you and your book if your publisher goes bankrupt? How will you know if your publisher is headed that way? In this week’s episode, we uncover eight warning signs your publisher might be on the brink and wha...| Novel Marketing
You work hard to create content for your audience. But how do you get more mileage and reach out of each piece you create? One way is to adapt your content for another platform. I recently started adapting my podcast into a YouTube channel. But how do you do that? I learned the hard way how not to do it. To gain traction on YouTube, you have to respect YouTube as a platform. You can't just shovel your podcast audio onto it and expect good results. I had an interesting conversation about this ...| Novel Marketing
Have you been dreaming about publishing a book that actually sells? The hard truth is that most authors fail because they jump straight into writing. They spend months writing a book only to find out later they made a key mistake, and nobody wants to buy the book. I've helped thousands of authors go from blank page to profitable launch, and in this week's episode, I'm giving you the roadmap. You'll learn my complete six-step process as well as how to avoid common pitfalls and rookie mistakes....| Novel Marketing
Have you ever followed popular marketing advice that worked wonders for someone else but completely fell flat for you? Or have you watched another author succeed with a strategy you were told would never work? That’s because book marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all. In this week’s episode, I talk with USA Today bestselling author Russell Nohelty about Author Ecosystems—a framework that helps you understand the type of author you are and which marketing strategies are most likely to work...| Novel Marketing
Most authors are thinking about AI the wrong way. AI isn’t really a tool for writing books, but it’s quickly becoming the most powerful tool for selling them. Even if you’re not using LLMs like ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, or Claude, your readers are. In fact, today, readers across the globe asked AI, “What book should I read next?” Did ChatGPT recommend your book? How can you make sure it does? If your book isn’t showing up in AI-generated recommendations, this week’s episode will te...| Novel Marketing
What if you had a toolbox filled with over 30 expert-level resources to help you sell more books and spend less time marketing? In this week’s episode, I reveal the suite of powerful tools I’ve built to simplify writing and marketing for authors like you. From crafting irresistible blurbs to designing reader magnet covers, optimizing email campaigns, and even generating book launch plans, these tools are changing the game. In this episode, you’ll discover tools to help you: · Get a...| Novel Marketing
Are you leaving money on the table every time you share a link to your book? In this week’s episode, we talk with Jesse Lakes, co-founder of Geniuslink, to explore how universal book links and affiliate marketing can help you reach more readers and earn extra income. You’ll learn: Why Amazon.com links could be costing you sales The tools that make it easy to start earning today (and keep you compliant!) How to future-proof your book links You’ve already done the work to write the book a...| Novel Marketing
Without advertising, most books only sell to the author’s friends, family, and neighbors. People across the country or across town may never hear about your book. Amazon ads can help you reach beyond your social bubble. Many authors think they need a series to make ads work, but that’s not true. You can run profitable ads even if you only have one book published. In the latest episode of Novel Marketing, you’ll hear from author and Amazon advertiser Scott LaPierre. We discuss proven str...| Novel Marketing
Publishing is changing faster than ever before. New AI tools are dropping every time you turn around, and the way authors write, publish, and sell books is being rewritten in real-time. On Novel Marketing has been committed to sharing evergreen marketing principles that do not change, which is why it's become such a trusted resource for authors. However, this strategy has left many authors on their own to sort out weekly publishing news. The result is that they find a lot of sensationalistic ...| Novel Marketing
Too many writers waste hundreds or thousands of dollars on laptop features they’ll never use. Worse yet, some struggle along with outdated, unreliable machines that sabotage their creativity and productivity. Here’s what tech companies don’t want you to know: That pricey laptop with all the bells and whistles? Most of those features are totally useless for authors. This week’s episode is my 2025 Laptop Buying Guide for Authors. You’ll discover: • Why the processor everyone o...| Novel Marketing
Ten practical steps to help authors overcome procrastination, reclaim focus, and start writing and promoting books with confidence.| Author Media
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How effective is your author website? In this week’s episode of Novel Marketing, I review the websites of top Christian Historical Romance authors, analyzing what they’re doing well and where they could improve. From SEO wins to missed opportunities, you’ll discover practical ways to enhance your own website. Find out: What bestselling authors get right about website design Common mistakes that could cost you readers and sales Simple fixes to improve SEO, navigation, and revenue L...| Novel Marketing
It’s 2025, and authors are at war over AI. Some are embracing it, others are retreating to bunkers, and a few think it’s just another passing fad. But amid all the controversy, most authors are missing out on the AI advantage that everyone can agree on: AI can help you market your books, which gives you more time to write. Most of us became authors because we love writing, not because we love marketing. But what if AI could handle some of the heavy lifting for you? What if you could ...| Novel Marketing
Science fiction is changing, and so are its readers. The cultural landscape that shaped the last 40 years of sci-fi is shifting, including thoughts about wokeness, AI, WWIII, population, and more. If you're still writing about overused and cliched sci-fi themes, you're missing the mark. In this week's episode of Novel Marketing, we explore: Why climate-change narratives are losing their grip on sci-fi readers How population change can impact the next big sci-fi stories The new role of AI in t...| Novel Marketing
To indie publish or traditionally publish? That is the question. For years, indie publishing was seen as a fallback for authors who couldn’t land a traditional contract. But times have changed. Many indie authors now outsell and out-earn their traditionally published counterparts. And yet, while many traditionally published authors are switching to indie, it’s far less common to see a successful indie author sign with a major publisher. What would make an indie author turn down a traditio...| Novel Marketing
Have you ever set up a book table and stacked your books neatly, only to walk away with disappointing sales? You're not alone. But there is a better way to sell books from your book table at in-person events. In this week's episode of Novel Marketing, I sit down with Sarah Hickner, an expert in book table sales, to uncover: Common mistakes authors make at book tables (and how to avoid them) Simple tricks to draw readers in without feeling pushy How to use giveaways, bundles, and book covers t...| Novel Marketing
Congrats on getting booked for a podcast interview! Whether you’re promoting your book or lead magnet, your audio quality on the podcast can make or break your credibility. In our latest episode, we share pro tips on: How to prepare for your interview (beyond just showing up) Microphone techniques that make you sound like a pro The gear you need (that doesn’t break the bank) What to do after the interview is done I’ve been podcasting since 2007, I’ve tested a lot of gear, and I’ve m...| Novel Marketing
Serialized fiction has been captivating readers for centuries, from nightly bedtime stories to Charles Dickens' Great Expectations to modern writers on platforms like Royal Road and Wattpad. In this episode, I interview bestselling author Seth Ring, who shares how serialized fiction helped him write 25+ books, build a dedicated fanbase, hone his craft, and achieve financial success. Discover: The benefits of writing serialized stories The key differences between Wattpad, Royal Road, and other...| Novel Marketing
Where is publishing headed in 2025? Are we witnessing the end of traditional publishing or the birth of something new? In this week's episode of Novel Marketing, we’re unpacking: The surprising trends reshaping the industry. Why successful indie authors are rejecting six-figure advances. How romantasy, premium books, and shifting political preferences are transforming bestseller lists. And of course, we can’t ignore AI. We'll even see what AI has to say about the future of publishing and ...| Novel Marketing
Many authors feel stuck. They're toiling away in obscurity, and none of their promotion efforts seem to go anywhere.Success in publishing is as much about who you know as what you know. And sometimes, the lack of knowing the right people keeps you from finding success.We still live in a world that's run by human people, and your connection to those humans will lead to your success. If the word networking makes you feel awkward, you need to change your mindset.Networking is about relationships...| Novel Marketing
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the endless task of writing, publishing, and marketing your book? From deciding which software to use for writing to figuring out how to keep track of all the characters in your story, the choices can feel paralyzing, and the number of things that need to be done can be very overwhelming. Besides your writing tasks, you have the business side of things: scheduling meetings, tracking your finances, recording book sales, running ads, and figuring out if your busin...| Novel Marketing
Your author platform is your ability to spread the word about your book. As an indie author, your platform is directly linked with how large your book launch can be. Bigger platforms lead to bigger launches. All else being equal, traditional publishers always prefer large-platform authors to authors with no platform. So, how do you grow your author platform? This week’s episode is a webinar I recently presented. You’ll learn · Two myths about author platform · What you...| Novel Marketing
Is your website’s Contact page serving your readers and web visitors? In the past, authors simply shared their email addresses on their websites. But that opened the door to a flood of spam, which drowned out real messages from readers. Connecting with your readers is essential to building your readership, so you can’t simply remove your email address from your website. But how do you create an effective Contact page that helps readers connect but keeps spammers out? In this week’s epis...| Novel Marketing
Choosing the right setting can supercharge your book sales. Some people read a book just for its setting. A good setting can lead to spin-off products like board games, art books, coloring books, calendars, comic books, and even movies. Setting not only turns people on to a story, but it also turns people off. Every author must answer the question, “How can I place my story in a setting that readers want to spend time in?” And the answer to that question is an art and practice called worl...| Novel Marketing
Sometimes in marketing, it pays to zig when everyone else is zagging. In this digital age, when authors race to do everything online, it's easy to forget the magic of face-to-face interactions. Personal connections can transform your relationship with your readers and fellow authors. A book festival is a fantastic way to meet with readers and writers at the same time in real life. But what is a book festival, and how can you organize one? In this week's episode, I asked Dave Cohen to talk wit...| Novel Marketing
As Yoda says, “Difficult to see the future is.” But difficult is not impossible. Causes have effects, and the more you have a sense of the rhythms of the past, the better you can sense the future. If it takes you two years to write a book, you owe it to yourself to ask, “What kinds of books will be popular in two years?” Reader preferences change over time, but sometimes they change rapidly. If you don’t keep up, you may get stuck writing a book people no longer want to read. So, ho...| Novel Marketing
Has inflation eaten away at your book profits? Perhaps you want to start advertising and need some margin. Or maybe readers are not taking you seriously with your book's current low price. You need to raise the price of your book, but how should you do it? Most authors raise prices quietly. One day, the price just goes up, and they hope no one notices. But that approach is a massive mistake and a missed opportunity. A future price increase is a rare opportunity, and in this week's episode, yo...| Novel Marketing
The last time I visited Barnes and Noble, I marveled at the comic book section. Western comic books only filled a couple of shelves, while around the corner, there was an entire aisle of manga comic books. I wondered, “Why is Eastern manga so much more popular than Western comic books from DC and Marvel?” As I investigated, I discovered an interesting and shockingly ancient answer. Western storytelling is typically based on the three-act structure, which dates back to Aristotle. But one a...| Novel Marketing
Reader magnets are like real magnets. Sometimes, they aren't very magnetic, and other times, they're so magnetic that we can rapidly grow an email list of tens of thousands of readers. A reader magnet is supposed to magnetically draw readers onto your list so that when you have a book to announce, lots of folks are ready and eager to learn more or buy. But what if your reader magnet doesn't seem to be working? In this week's episode, I interviewed Jonathan Shuerger to learn how his company, T...| Novel Marketing
Are your book sales starting to dip a bit? Perhaps your book sales were once great and are now starting to fall. You may see this drop in sales for several reasons, but you don’t have to stand by and watch them drop indefinitely. Most bestselling books see their highest sales during the pre-order period, followed by the launch month, and then experience a slow, steady decline. But you can extend a book sales lifecycle. In this week’s episode, we’ll talk about Why your sales may be decli...| Novel Marketing
The Holy Grail for many authors is to write a popular book series where readers of book one go on to read book two and so on. Writing a popular book series provides many marketing advantages, namely that your advertising is far more profitable. But writing a series is also risky. Generally, you can only sell subsequent books to folks who purchased, read, and enjoyed the first book in the series. For some authors, writing books in a series has shackled their otherwise good books to a relativel...| Novel Marketing
I'm excited to announce that tickets are now for sale for the 2025 Novel Marketing Conference. The conference will be held in Austin, Texas, on January 17th and 18th. This event is not a typical writer's conference where you learn how to write and publish a book. Our conference is focused on book marketing, and our goal is to help you make 2025 the best year of your author career so far! In this episode, you'll find out · Three special ingredients that make the Novel Marketing Confer...| Novel Marketing
A few weeks ago, Dazed Digital published an article asking why men no longer read novels. The article itself had no satisfying answers, but the question triggered a big discussion online, particularly on X, where everyone had a hot take. But men are buying and reading books. And authors who write what men want to read are making millions of dollars. In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from Alexander Macris, who wrote a rebuttal of sorts to the assumption that men don’t read novels. In o...| Novel Marketing
Authors often refer to their books as "babies." As I've worked in the publishing world with authors and now that we are awaiting the birth of our fourth child, I'm starting to see a lot of similarities between birthing a book baby and a human baby. We can learn a lot about delivering a book baby by looking at the process of delivering a real baby. In this week's episode, you'll gain insight on The author's experience in each stage of book-baby development How to cover the expenses related to ...| Novel Marketing
Novelists often struggle with what to write or say in their email newsletters, blogs, and podcasts. Unpublished novelists often feel like they have nothing to talk about, and published authors know readers tire of constant book promotion emails. So, what should novelists write about? Writing a novel is a bit like woodworking. When you craft something from wood, you often have leftover pieces of lumber you can use elsewhere. Savvy carpenters and writers know how to put the leftovers to use. A ...| Novel Marketing
Have you ever wondered if a course would be a better way to present the material in your book? Have your readers asked you to develop your book into an online course? You probably know that online courses tend to sell at higher price points than books, but you also know they are a lot of work. Will it be worth it for you? For your readers? I’ve been creating and teaching online courses for over a decade and had to learn many things the hard way. In this week’s episode, you’ll learn the ...| Novel Marketing
You probably know that offering a reader magnet on your website is imperative to growing your email list, tantalizing readers with a sample of your writing, and eventually getting them to buy your book. If you write novels, your reader magnet should be a short story, but if you don’t know how to write a great one, you’ll miss out on the many advantages short stories provide. In this week’s episode, Steve Diamond, author and cohost of the Writer Dojo podcast, and I discuss the art of wri...| Novel Marketing
Your website is one of your most critical book marketing assets. It’s where you manage your online reputation, grow your email list, and sell books. But before you build a website, you need web hosting. You have thousands of web hosting options, which can feel a bit overwhelming. How do you know what kind of host you need for your website? In this week’s episode, you’ll discover What a web host does for your website Which kind of web hosting is best for authors (and which to avoid!) How...| Novel Marketing
Feeling overwhelmed by book marketing can lead authors to look for shortcuts. Shortcuts lead to expensive complications. Expensive complications lead to dead ends. Dead ends lead to suffering. Yoda would call this “The path to the dark side.” Does this sound familiar? How do you escape this overwhelming cycle? There are ten different stressors that can lead to book-marketing overwhelm. Most authors face at least one, and if you are completely overwhelmed, you may be facing all of them. In...| Novel Marketing
Being an author requires you to have hundreds of online accounts for different software and services. Websites such as Amazon, ConvertKit, Publisher Rocket, Patreon, K-lytics, Bookvault, AuthorMedia.social, AuthorsXP, BookBub, Kickstarter, Teachable, Bluehost, WordPress, Grammarly, and Plottr (to name a few) all require a username and password. Some authors avoid using helpful tools simply because they don’t want to create and remember yet another username and password. It seems like too mu...| Novel Marketing
Can you make a living as an author without selling through Amazon? Many authors wonder. Amazon is the sole revenue source for many indie authors, but Amazon’s algorithms can disable your KDP accounts and cut off your income without any human reviewing the action. Authors find themselves pleading with a computer to reactivate their accounts while their livelihoods hang in the balance. While this scenario is rare, it does occur. That’s why some authors connect with their readers without rel...| Novel Marketing
With the rise of AI authors, how do you prove you are a human author? Most authors prove their humanity with their names and photos. Your identity protects you from being called a bot writer. But what if you use a pen name? Will AI bring the age of pen names to an end? While pen names are going out of style, there are some reasons you might still consider using one. In this week’s episode, you’ll learn seven reasons authors use pen names and if those reasons still make sense in an era w...| Novel Marketing
I remember watching Steve Jobs's keynote presentation for the original iPhone. This magical new device, he said, would revolutionize our productivity. And at first, it did. But then, along came apps. Soon, user experiences were scientifically optimized to be as addictive as possible. An author's productive output is inversely correlated with time spent on the phone. In this week's episode, we'll talk about how to spend less time on your phone and more time writing. You'll learn How to boss yo...| Novel Marketing
Authors around the world are trying to reduce their reliance on Amazon. However, most of us still use and like Amazon. In fact, many authors earn most of their money from Amazon. But any company with a 90% market share can't be fully trusted. One way indie authors can reduce their reliance on Amazon is by selling directly from their own author websites. Selling directly provides protection from the changes at an international company. It allows you to retain more money, control, and flexibili...| Novel Marketing
One key to becoming a bestselling author is the selling. And one element of sales is the sales pitch. Some authors think pitches are only to be used for pitching agents at writers conferences, but you can actually use a sales pitch whenever you talk about your book. Your sales pitch convinces readers to care about and read your book. The stronger your pitch, the better your sales. I’ve talked a lot about pitching novels in the past, but in this week’s episode, we’ll discuss a powerful r...| Novel Marketing
My first DOS computer had no mouse. Its screen had two colors: green and white. Today, computers have mice and complex graphics, and there is no need to be a computer programmer in order to use a computer. Technology gets easier to use each year. Even though it's easier than it used to be, sometimes you still need help. Many authors find that the biggest obstacle keeping them from writing, publishing, or marketing is technology. Authors lacking technical sophistication often get pulled into o...| Novel Marketing
A few months ago, we released an episode called The Starving Author: How to Market Books When You Have No Money. After the episode aired, several authors asked me a similar question: “What do we do if we do have money to spend?” You see, not all authors are starving. Some writers have spent years saving money, and they want to know how to get the best return on that money when they invest it in book marketing. So, how do you supercharge book sales if you have money to spend? In this week'...| Novel Marketing
Author Media has a list of over 10,000 subscribers, and around half of them open our emails, which means our open rates hover around 50%. That’s a high open rate! It’s partly because new subscribers join our email list through webinars I present for writers and authors. By the end of each webinar, attendees know enough to want to open emails from Author Media and me. Plus, the comments, questions, and polls associated with the webinar allow me to get to know my audience better. If you wan...| Novel Marketing
An Uber driver's most valuable asset is his car. A photographer's camera is critical. An Uber driver with a broken car can't make money, and a photographer with a cheap camera will slowly starve. What is the critical tool for an author? What tool will help you earn money and keep you from starving? Your laptop! You write, edit, and promote your book on your laptop. A reliable, compatible computer is key to your success. Put another way, an old, unreliable computer is a terrible liability. Inv...| Novel Marketing
When readers browse Amazon, they have already decided to purchase a book. The only question is: Which book will they choose? What if there was a way to reach readers at this pivotal moment and persuade them to pick your book from the list they're considering? There is! It is called Amazon Advertising, and it has become one of the most popular forms of book promotion for indie authors. However, many authors feel intimidated by the idea of running Amazon ads. In this week's episode, you'll hear...| Novel Marketing
The tools we use for writing have evolved over the centuries, from quill and inkpot to the printing press, to the word processor to AI. Recent developments in AI tools for writers have sparked everything from laughable images to controversy and fear. Is AI evil? Is it safe? In this week’s episode, we’ll discuss what you need to know about AI in our current day. You’ll learn How (and how early) it developed What threats it poses to writers What advantages it offers How to wield it for go...| Novel Marketing
Almost every traditionally published book goes up for preorder before it comes out. However, the advice surrounding preorders can be confusing for indie authors. Some indies say preorders are critical. Others say having a preorder for your book can hurt sales. Who is right? Should you set up a preorder for your book? Are preorders a good idea or a bad idea? Preorders can help or hurt, depending on what kind of author you are. In this week’s episode, you’ll learn: What kind of author is he...| Novel Marketing
You’ve heard me talk about the Five Ps of Marketing, and in this week’s episode, we tackle the third P: Place. In other words, where should you sell your book? Many authors struggle to find the right place to sell their books. Whether you're an indie or traditional author, you must discover the best places to sell. So, how can you unlock the power of place for your book? In this episode, you’ll learn: Why the location where you sell your book is important and powerful Three case studies...| Novel Marketing
This year marks the end of an era. The Book Launch Blueprint is entering its seventh and final year. Since we began offering it in 2018, it has been one of our most popular courses. Launching a book is one strategy that works well for indie and traditional as well as fiction and nonfiction. But why is a book launch so important? In this week’s episode, you’ll discover Who needs a book launch (and who doesn’t) Other methods that work for some authors What a successful book launch does fo...| Novel Marketing
How much money does it cost to become a professional author? Any profession will cost you when you're just getting started. If you're broke, I recommend listening to my episode titled The Starving Author: How to Market Books Without Money. Assuming you have some money, you need a spending plan. But how much money do you need to budget for the first five years of your writing career? I asked Kent Sanders, host of The Profitable Writer Podcast and founder of the Profitable Writer Community, a m...| Novel Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools for connecting with readers and selling books. Obviously, you want a lot of email subscribers, but it doesn't matter how many subscribers you have if they don't open and read your emails. How do you craft the kind of emails that capture your reader's attention and help you sell more books? In this week's episode, you'll learn Three elements that make readers open your emails Which element is least important What to write in your email newslett...| Novel Marketing
A few years ago, the popular buzzword in the author world was "tribe." Building a tribe of readers was seen as the key to success. Reader relationships are still important for authors, so why did the term "tribe" go out of fashion? Having a tribe of readers is still an incredible asset that will help you sell your books and raise your profile amongst readers, but you need to know how and where to build a tribe if you want it to grow. In this week's episode, you'll learn: The difference betwee...| Novel Marketing
Two authors recently asked me the same question: “What should I do if I have no money for book marketing?" It’s a question that requires exploration and evaluation. If you have the same question, you may be at a crossroads. You have two options if you want to write but have no money for marketing. In this week’s episode, we’ll examine the two paths forward from the no-money conundrum. You’ll discover Whether money spent on writing is an expense or an investment How to turn the “ex...| Novel Marketing
Are you thinking about quitting publishing or writing? You started full of energy and optimism, but it has been a hard road, and you feel tired. Should you quit? My answer may surprise you. Maybe you should. Publishing is an industry where almost everyone has a financial incentive to see you keep going. People in the publishing industry don’t earn money if you quit. But there is a lot of money to be made by telling writers exactly what they want to hear: “You will be the next bestseller a...| Novel Marketing
Google Chrome is the most popular web browser, but if you're just using basic Chrome, you're missing out on some amazing time-saving tools and assistance. Wouldn't it be great if you had an assistant who could correct a typo in your email before you hit send? How much time would you save if you didn't have to think of a new password for every account? Would you get fewer headaches if you didn't have to scroll past obnoxious ads as you research? Chrome extensions are tools that can help solve ...| Novel Marketing
Did you know that one in five Novel Marketing listeners lives outside the United States? Authors living overseas view America as the land of plenty because there are so many American readers. However, foreign authors often struggle to sell their books in America. Why? These United States are made up of 11 ethno-geographic regions, each with its own culture. Your book will resonate with one region more than others, but how do you find out where it will sell? In this week’s episode, which wil...| Novel Marketing
Most authors build their websites on WordPress, partly because of its powerful and enormous plugin repository. A plugin is like an app for your website. Each of WordPress’s nearly 60,000 plugins can add specific functionality to your website. But how do you know which ones you need and which to avoid? In this week’s episode, you’ll learn Three categories of WordPress plugins How to tell if a free plugin is good (or not!) Which plugins your author website needs Which plugins you should a...| Novel Marketing
For the last 11 years, audiobooks have seen double-digit sales growth year over year. The audiobook market is now $1.8 billion. That means audiobooks are no longer an optional, nice-to-have feature when you launch your book. But how do you make an audiobook? Should you read it yourself or hire a narrator? In this week’s episode, Scott Sigler walks us through the steps of turning your book into an audiobook, and you’ll discover you have several good options. You’ll learn how to Write a...| Novel Marketing
When I was in college, I experimented with cooking Asian food, but my stovetop-cooked rice never tasted very good. Then, one of my Asian friends introduced me to the right tool for the job: a rice cooker. Its only function was to perfectly cook rice, and it worked every time. While I never got good at cooking Asian food, I always had great rice because I had the right tool for the job. When we're cooking up books, many of us waste time doing things the hard way because we don't have the right...| Novel Marketing
So you're thinking about self-publishing a book. You've heard self-published authors can make more money, control the content and design, and have better access to marketing data. But self-publishing a book can be daunting. There are so many factors involved: writing, editing, formatting, finding a cover designer, uploading to Amazon, setting up a sales page, and promoting your book. Self-publishing, also known as indie publishing, is not for the faint of heart. But sometimes the overwhelm co...| Novel Marketing
Black Friday marketing phenomenon is an opportunity, but it's also a threat. In this week's episode, I share some powerful tips to supercharge your book sales! You'll learn What motivates people to buy books on Black Friday Which book promotion tactics work best on the big day Three mistakes to avoid when running your holiday promotion What to do if Black Friday marketing stresses you out! Black Friday isn't technically a holiday, but you can still maximize your book sales while readers are i...| Novel Marketing
There is a new scam targeting authors. An enterprising scammer can use AI to write a book similar to your writing style. They can use an AI-generated cover similar to yours, and publish the book with a pen name that also happens to be yours. Sometimes, Amazon even puts this fraudulent book in your Author Central account so customers see the AI book you didn’t write listed with the books you did write. The crazy thing about this attack is that it might not be illegal. It is such a new type o...| Novel Marketing
How much should your book cost? Your answer is critical to your book's success and your career as an author. Authors have a wide range of pricing options, from free ebooks to $200 collector's editions. You might be wondering, "What is the best price for my book?" but that is actually the wrong question. Instead, you should ask, "What are the best prices for my book?" In https://www.authormedia.com/book-marketing-101-price/, you'll learn how your book's price impacts sales and discover 14 stra...| Novel Marketing
New York City is home to the Big Five publishers and the newspaper that publishes the New York Times bestseller list. Publishing culture is concentrated in New York City. But since most of the gatekeepers, publishers, and agents live in New York City, many authors ask, "Don't I need to comply with New York values in order to succeed in publishing?" In this week's episode, we'll hear from Larry Correia, who ran into that conundrum and has modeled a solution for everyone asking that same questi...| Novel Marketing
Success in publishing requires more than just writing a great book. It requires people. People to publish your book, talk about it, buy it, and recommend it. People. People. People. Some authors struggle in their careers simply because they are isolated. How do you connect with people who can help make your book successful? My grandparents’ generation called this “winning friends and influencing people.” My generation calls it “networking,” which strikes fear in the hearts of ...| Novel Marketing
Novel Marketing turns 10 years old on September 30th, 2024! In this episode, Thomas Umstattd Jr. and James L. Rubart share highlights and lessons learned from 10 years of Novel Marketing. You can find the blog post version of this episode, along with links to everything we talk about here. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Find out how running a Kickstarter campaign for your book can solve one of indie authors' biggest challenges. You can find the blog version of this episode here. The post How Karyne Norton Successfully Kickstarted Her Book in 1 Hour appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Find out how the 2024 Novel Marketing Conference will help you apply your book-marketing knowledge and facilitate in-person connections. You can find the blog version of this episode here. The post Announcing the 2024 Novel Marketing Conference appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Learn what types of events are available and discover how to pick the best writers conference for your stage in the publishing journey. You can find the blog version of this post here. The post Workshops, Retreats, and Pitches: How to pick the best writers conference for you appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
If your book isn't a good product, marketing gets harder. Find out whose opinion counts and learn to create a good book readers want to buy and read. You can find the blog version of this post HERE. The post Book Marketing 101: Product appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Learn how running your own independent publishing company compares with publishing with a small house and how you can start your own company. You can find the blog version of this episode HERE. The post From Passion to Print: How to Run an Independent Publishing Company appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Authors dream of having a book club pick their book to read and discuss. Find out how to make your book book-club-friendly. You can find the blogpost version of this episode HERE. The post How to Get Book Clubs to Pick YOUR Book appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Learn how a free tool can help improve your book description, increase your sales, and improve the effectiveness of your Amazon sales page. You can find the blogpost version of this episode HERE. The post From Book Blurb to Bestseller: How to Craft Compelling Amazon Pages With Dave Chesson appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Find out how the actors and screenwriters strikes will affect authors and provide some unprecedented opportunities. You can find the blogpost version of this episode HERE. The post How the Hollywood Strikes Will Help (& Hurt!) Authors appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Avoid author burn out by establishing a sustainable publishing pace for the next 20 years. Learn how and when to plan your publishing tasks. You can find the blogpost version of this episode HERE. The post The Tortoise Release Method: Why Slow and Steady Beats Rapid Release appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Find out how to market your book in the four stages of its lifecycle and how to extend book sales on older books. You can find the blogpost version of this episode HERE. The post The Lifecycle of a Book: How to Extend Your Book’s Life With Effective Marketing appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Find out if it's better to create an author brand that is good or big. Discover the difference between the two and which should come first. You can find the blogpost version of this episode HERE. The post Good Brands Vs. Big Brands appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Find out why and how creating a reader survey can improve and transform your writing and relationship with readers. You can find the blogpost version of this episode HERE. The post The Amazing Power of Reader Surveys appeared first on Author Media. Support the show| Novel Marketing
Find out which printing method makes the best business sense for your book's genre and your author career.| Author Media
Expert advice for the 10 critical decisions of indie publishing.| Author Media
Learn how to get stellar book sales while spending LESS time on marketing. If book promotion stresses you out, these steps are for you.| Author Media
Follow these four crucial principles to avoid author burnout and maintain a healthy writing career.| Author Media