Market research is an essential step of the book creation process no matter how you publish. It is basically seeing what is already out there in the market and how your book will (or will not) fit in. Luckily for us, we live in the age of Amazon so you don’t have to spend hours at a book store picking through different titles. If you are working to be published traditionally, you will often have to list what are called … Read More »

You spend hours upon hours on your blog, why not make sure as many people as possible see it? The point of a blog is to reach readers, and there are little tricks you can do to boost your visibility and gain more readers. Also, you want to make sure your content is delivered in a way that makes sure people are actually reading what you post. Blog audiences have expectations for content, just like genre readers. In fact, thinking … Read More »

As I write my third FWA blog from quarantine, one reality is becoming abundantly clear — no one knows when this is going to end. Health experts are now saying we should all prepare for the long haul. This could be the “new norm” for some time. What does this mean for authors? I’ve seen many writers posting online about having extra time to be productive (but this hasn’t been my case). The truth is writing doesn’t require you to … Read More »

You’re reading a blog post now. That means you either opened an email, clicked on a social media link, or found this on Google. FWA’s marketing plan is working—you found us! Now how can you get readers to find you online, and even better, buy your books? The three must-haves for an author’s digital marketing plan include: a website, blog, and newsletter. Let’s take a look at all three and how they work together. Your Author Website This is your … Read More »

Greetings from the quarantine. While most of my blog posts have been about the writing craft, I’ve decided to focus on how the book industry is faring with COVID-19. It’s not looking good right now for publishers, booksellers or authors. International book expos and conferences have been canceled, while many bookstores have laid-off their workers and closed without any idea of when they’ll open again. Authors who had planned book appearances —  a way to promote their new books and … Read More »

The Halloween candy is long gone from stores and the shelves are already sporting goods in reds, greens, and blues. Many people complain about how early this type of merchandise appears. Why is it out already? Because people buy it. Holiday sales make up a whopping 20% of annual sales for retailers. You can cash in on the biggest spending season of the year with a few simple strategies to get shoppers to notice and buy your books. Start Promoting … Read More »