10 cool lists and links for authors

 
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The following is an eclectic mixture of websites with information to help writers, particularly those in the marketing phase of their careers. 

1) Join a professional organization for writers in your genre.

Most have low-cost classes, webinars, and information for novice writers, including Sisters in Crime and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators 

2) Make 3D images of your book

These images can enhance your social media posts: https://diybookcovers.com/3Dmockups/#

3) Learn more about promotion

Dana Kaye is a publicist interest in sharing her ideas about book marketing.

4) Optimize your online presence

Jane Friedman is incredibly generous in sharing her expertise in online promotion for authors. In addition to her own advice, she includes links to other websites she’s found to be useful.  

5) Snag a literary review

Kirkus Indy Reviews Authors are of several minds about paid reviews. In my opinion, a positive review from Kirkus can add clout to your promotional campaign. It’s expensive though. Wait for a 25% off sale (you can pay for the review and then use it prior to your next book release.)

6) Get the word out about sales and new releases

BookBub is the big gun when it comes to newsletters alerting readers to books on sale in their preferred genres. Explore their site to learn about new services they are adding all the time. While the price is steep, I know no authors who’ve lost money on a BookBub campaign.

7) Take a virtual tour

For most writers, book tours are a nostalgic memory of an earlier age of publishing. The good news? You can now conduct a book tour in your pajamas. While opinions differ on the efficacy of tours, authors whose readers skew older (mysteries) can still benefit. Cozy authors might try the Great Escape Tours. Others are Hidden Gems and Goddess Fish 

8) Consider a book review service

Nicholas Erik has this handy list of services : https://nicholaserik.com/book-review-mini-guide/

9) Consider alternatives to BookBub

If you’re a debut author with no reviews it can be difficult to snag a BookBub slot. Luckily a myriad of competitors exist, including those for readers who’d like to tailor their preferences more tightly than BookBub allows. Here are some links to reviews of BookBub’s lower cost (and narrower reach) competition. 

10) Auto-repost blog entries and social media announcements.

Amazon’s Author Central and Goodreads both allow authors to link their blog posts to their profiles. Hootsuite and other similar services will help you schedule your social media posts and repost them automatically on other platforms (Instagram, Twitter, etc.) 

Authors typically spend an hour or more a day on promotion. It can be a huge time sink. But most experts agree that the best way to sell books is to write another book. In sum, that means writers must budget their time and creative energy wisely. You cannot do it all. Try a variety of promotional techniques. If you enjoy them, do them again. If you don’t like them or they aren’t beneficial for your book, avoid them, no matter how successful they are for your pal Barnaby Bestseller. 

 
Mary Feliz