27 things you can do to promote your book—Before you write it, before you launch it, and after you’ve published it

Sue Collier | April 14, 2011

I’m fond of telling authors that after they’ve written their book, the hard work begins—and by that I am referring to marketing and promoting. In reality, though, your book promotion plans should begin well before you start writing the book. In this post, I’ve listed those things you can do before you start writing, before [...]

13 easy tips for virtual author book tour hosts

Sue Collier | October 22, 2010

Virtual  book tours continue to grow in popularity with authors. From the comfort of their own computers, authors can tour the world, saving time and money while reaching a potentially large audience. Bloggers benefit as well since tours can drive new traffic to their sites. If you’d like to host a virtual author book tour [...]

11 Questions for the Indie Publisher…Featuring Lillian Brummet

Sue Collier | October 20, 2010

This is another installment from our series 11 Questions for the Indie Publisher. This time we are featuring indie author Lillian Brummet. Please let me know if you would like to be featured! Your name:  Lillian Brummet Your website/blog: www.brummet.ca; http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com Your bibliography: Lillian Brummet is the co-author of the books Trash Talk and Purple Snowflake [...]

Building your author platform—Connections

Sue Collier | July 7, 2010

Guest blogger: Dana Lynn Smith This post, the third of a three-part series on building an author platform, highlights the importance of connections. Part one of this author platform series covers branding, while part two discusses reputation. When selling your book, it’s not just what you know, it’s who you know! To sell books in [...]

Just because publishing is changing does not mean it’s dying

Sue Collier | May 28, 2010

When I first read this article by Garrison Keillor, I kind of chuckled to myself—I mean, how seriously can I take the opinion of modern publishing from the dude who hales from the (albeit fictitious) “little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve.” Obviously, he would prefer that the publishing world stay just [...]

Organizing a successful virtual author book tour

Sue Collier | May 28, 2010

Let’s face it: Unless you are a celebrity, traveling the country and hitting up bookstore after bookstore for signings is probably not going to sell many books. You’ll more than likely spend way more for travel than you’ll make in book sales. Enter the virtual age. From the comfort of your own home or office, you [...]

Three writing secrets to give your novel a PR edge

Marilyn Ross | February 8, 2010

Promoting fiction is never easy. Yet you can craft a manuscript that has built-in promotional and sales angles. It simply takes some forethought and creative planning. By following the secrets revealed below, fiction writers can greatly enhance their chances of getting print, radio, and TV exposure. 1. Provide a local angle. Set your story in [...]

10 Steps to Obtaining Reviews for Your Book

Sue Collier | February 1, 2010

If there is one thing about promotions I try to impress upon authors, it’s that reviews sell books. The process for obtaining reviews can be somewhat overwhelming, though, so here is a step-by-step approach.  Well in advance of your publication date (at least two or three months), gather your list of potential reviewers in print, [...]

Social media marketing—new rules for added revenue

Sue Collier | January 18, 2010

In the old days of promotions—before the Internet came along and changed the way we do pretty much everything—you had two options for garnering attention for your product or service: advertisements and the media. But now you have the World Wide Web as your oyster. And a new paradigm, with terms like “Twitter,” “friending,” “LinkedIn,” [...]

New Harlequin line: self-publishing or subsidy publishing in disguise?

Sue Collier | November 19, 2009

If you are even remotely tapped into the publishing world, you’ve heard all about the new Harlequin Horizons, wherein authors can pay $600 to $1,600 for their book to be “published.” (Hmmm…sounds like a vanity press to me.) This might be a fabulous idea–if you’re Harlequin. And that is probably true only in the short [...]