Sue Collier | July 26, 2010
Guest blogger: Fiona Ingram
I live in South Africa and I am published in the USA. Distance has made it impossible for me to go the traditional marketing route. Online is all I have open to me. I have worked very hard to go from “Fiona Who?” to not quite “Aha, Fiona Ingram, the famous children’s [...]
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 today’s marketplace, you [...]
Sue Collier | June 30, 2010
So I read a post on self-publishing over a Kidlit today. I’ve commented there, but I couldn’t resist more pontificating.
I’ll start by saying that I am not the average person who has no idea what lurks in slush. I spent many years in the trade, going through those very awful slush piles that [...]
Sue Collier | June 25, 2010
When I talk with most authors, I find that writing their book isn’t the biggest challenge; marketing is. Many authors tend to be more introverted, so blatant promotion of their work makes them very uncomfortable. It’s disappointing when I see authors invest so much of themselves—emotionally and financially—into their book only to see their enthusiasm [...]
Sue Collier | June 7, 2010
(Cross-posted at the Writer’s Digest website.)
What message do you find yourself repeating over and over to writers?
Sue: The difference between true self-publishing and the so-called “self-publishing companies”—and why that difference is so important for authors to understand.
Marilyn: Marketing. Marketing. Marketing. It’s mandatory in today’s publishing environment to be proactive and get behind your own work.
Would [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Sue Collier | May 21, 2010
Title: The Wealthy Author: The Fast Profit Method for Writing, Publishing & Selling Your Non-Fiction Book
Authors: Joe Gregory and Debbie Jenkins
Publishing Academy, 2009
Back cover synopsis: Renegade publishers, Debbie Jenkins and Joe Gregory, share their hard-won experience to show you exactly how to make a fast and impressive income as a non-fiction author in six easy-to-follow [...]
Sue Collier | May 20, 2010
Note: This is part 1 of a 3-part article
Guest blogger: Dana Lynn Smith
As a book author, you’ve probably seen the term author platform used a lot, but you may be wondering: what is a platform and how do I get one?
Your author platform determines your reach in the market and it’s a valuable tool in [...]
Sue Collier | May 19, 2010
One of the biggest mistakes I see authors make is waiting until after they have books in hand to start promoting them. Initial sales are often disappointing, and authors end up discouraged. A book marketing plan should be in hand well before the book’s publication date, and there are many steps authors can take to [...]