Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: launching a book

  • How to Market Your Works Like a Book Publicist – a Primer by Kiffer Brown

    First, let’s address the question of

    “How is Book Publicity Different than Book Marketing?”

    Generally speaking, marketing involves spending dollars for ads, promotions, events, swag, etc. where publicity is trying to connect people with the author.

    If something organic works publicity-wise, then perhaps consider spending marketing dollars (and time) to amplify the results.

    MARKETING is about CONVERSIONS.

    PUBLICITY is about EXPOSURE and BUILDING CREDIBILITY.

    Another way to think of the difference is that publicity is more like hashtags in social media while marketing would be more like purchasing ad directed toward people/platforms that using those hashtags.

    Publicity helps marketing direct campaign dollars. Publicity should help you target your marketing dollars.

    Authors should try to zero in on what their potential readers could look like and which outlets are the best for reaching those targets. Sometimes (more often than not), going in deep (some say guerilla marketing) towards a specific target audience for podcasts, blogging, and events (publicity) and then expanding the spheres if a strategy that works (marketing).

    Marketing campaigns can happen at any time for almost any product (books are products).

    However, publicity campaigns cannot. Publicity campaigns need to be news worthy! And your book’s most newsworthy event is its launch.

    Create a solid PLATFORM from which to LAUNCH

    1. A Website that echoes your branding along with how to connect and contact you.
    2. Branding – your author brand for the genre that you are writing in
    3. Social Media – again, posts and backgrounds should echo your author brand and book storyline. Give social media posts time to percolate. It takes time to build transaction. Keep at it! Be sure to use hashtags and tagging for cross-promotion.
    4. Pre-launch book reviews (the cornerstone of your marketing & publicity strategies
    5. Pre-launch book blurbs from peer authors and authors up the “food chain” from you.
    6. Business cards – that projects your brand along with website address, social media handles, email address, and any other means of connecting with you.

      NOTE: Make sure that you reserve a different email address for your one-to-one business correspondence that you can make known after initial contacts to avoid SPAM. For business cards, perhaps: Author@BestBookEver.com instead of LastName@BestBookEver.com

    7. Press & Media kits – for those entities that want to promote your book! A media kit is a collection of materials that you can send to journalists, bloggers, and other media outlets, and even other author’s newsletters. It should include your book’s cover, blurb, author bio, and any other relevant information.
    8. Determine the best SEO, Meta-Data, Targeting, ISBNs, etc. for your book to be discovered digitally and on the global market. * See Item 4 Book Reviews.

    Launching – Probably the Most Useful Tactic to Create Book Buzz

    Are Launch Dates Important?  A resounding YES! 

    Launch dates hold immense potential in creating a buzz around your book. Here’s how to make  your book’s  launch effective:

    • Designate a launch date at least six months before publication. It takes time to coordinate:
      • Launch parties (and, yes, you may have more than one). Consider having launch parties in bookstores, local book clubs, private parties, events that your potential readers might attend, clubs, and organizations. Consider your sphere on influence.
      • Also, launch digital, print, audio, omnibuses, and foreign releases separately. However, the first launch party is main event.
      • Signings, targeted events, refining your website, develop branding, obtain advanced reviews with ARCs, build excitement via podcasts, blogs, virtual events, etc.
      • Enter your work into award programs
      • Send out invitations to all the events, create social media events, ZOOM events, In Real Life Events.
    • There are certain promotions, that can only happen before a book is published. New books and book launches are newsworthy only if promoted before publication date.  There is only so much even a professional book publicist can do after the book has been published.
    • Be selective with your launch date(s). Make sure that they don’t conflict with major holidays or busy seasons. Is your work a beach read? Or a cozy fall mystery? A chilling Nordic thriller? Or a romance? Or historical fiction (release on an important date related perhaps). New Year reads for Self-Improvement? My rule of thumb is try not to release/debut books from November 1 until December 31st. Even if you book is only six weeks old, it will be considered a year-old in the upcoming new year by most of the publishing and book industries.

    Food for Thought: Think how you would react to a “wedding invitation” versus a “wedding announcement.” One is inviting you to share in the celebration itself. Sometimes with a “Save the Date” announcement to build excitement and to help people with scheduling time to take part. Think about how special the invitation and the “Save the Date” announcements make you feel. Remember, the last time one of your author friends invite you at the last minute – day of or the day before – to join them at a book event, but you already had made plans. A wedding announcement (akin to you telling people about your book being published) is a “has been” event.

    Collaboration takes time.

    Just because your work is ready to publish, doesn’t mean that you should. My advice (and that of book publicists and traditional publishers) is to wait until you have your launch date and preparations underway.

    Snowflakes and Books

    • Book publicity campaigns are like snowflakes. No two are ever alike.
    • Promoting a children’s book is different than promoting a young adult book, or a How-To or Self-Help Guide, or a cozy mystery, or science fiction.
    • This circles back around to identify and then knowing and understanding your targeted readers for your book. And, no, it isn’t “everybody” will want to read my book.
    • Collaborate and Follow Other Authors in Your Book’s Genre. Discover what they are doing to promote their books.

    READERS

    Identify Who your readers are, which can be different than Who makes the purchase. For an example: Children’s books are not purchased by children. Or would your books make a great gift? Or those who are rabid fans of a genre (Sci-Fi, Fantasy, etc.) looking for the next series.

    Then discover Where They Hang Out (Facebook? TikTok? Instagram?  Podcasts?  YouTube? Magazines? Hobby Hangouts? etc.)

    When are the times when purchases are made for your books? Is it a summer read? A hunker down Fall & Winter read? A holiday read? Gail Noble-Sanderson’s Lavender Series (historical fiction) books sell exceedingly well during lavender season. I read Michelle Cox’s “A Spying Eye” novel based in Strasbourg in the Henrietta and Inspector Clive series while on vacation in Strasbourg. How fun was that!

    INFLUENCERS

    • Who are the influencers of your genre?
    • Who are the top ten authors in your genre?
    • Who are the non-book influencers of your genre? (Book clubs? Bloggers? Reviewers? Book-Tok?)
    • Who are you considering to request book blurbs and peer reviews from?

    CORNERSTONES – A Review

    • Author Branding across all media (website, social media, in-person events, podcasts, Zoom calls, book clubs)
    • Reviews:
    • Compelling Website – that is dedicated to your author brand/books. Remember all digital roads (social media campaigns, blogs, podcasts, etc.) should lead back to YOUR website – not Amazon.
      • Collect emails so you can stay in contact with your potential readers and fans.
      • Links to selling platforms?
      • Newsletter, blog, information sharing (where people can connect with you – at conferences, conventions, author signings, wine tastings, presentations, etc.) Where you have been and where are you going.
    • ENGAGE!  Blogging? Newsletters? Book Clubs? Author Events? How are you going to interact with potential readers?
    • How is a best-seller in your genre marketed? Not that you need to copy, but to become more aware of different strategies.

    Tips and Reminders for Generating Publicity for Your Book

    If you’re an author, you know that getting your book noticed can be tough. But there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of success. One of the most effective ways to generate publicity for your book is to use a simple, direct, and conversational writing style.

    Here are a few tips for using this writing style to generate publicity for your book:

    • Start early. The best time to start generating publicity for your book is as soon as you finish writing it. This will give you plenty of time to build excitement and anticipation for your book’s release.
    • Create a media kit. A media kit is a collection of materials that you can send to journalists, bloggers, and other media outlets. It should include your book’s cover, blurb, author bio, headshot and photo reflecting your author brand, along with any other relevant information, affiliations, and events.
    • Reach out to influencers. Influencers are people who have a large following on social media or in their industry. They can be a great way to get the word out about your book.
    • Host events. Hosting events, such as book signings or launch parties, is a great way to connect with potential readers in person.
    • Use social media. Social media is a powerful tool that you can use to promote your book. Make sure to post regularly about your book, and interact with your followers.
    • Enter Book Awards for accolades along with  third-party validation and promotional opportunities that you can cross-promote.
    • Be patient. It takes time to generate publicity for your book. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Keep at it, and eventually you’ll start to see your book gain traction.

    Every reader counts. Each and every review counts. You only get one launch per book. Make it count! 

    As a company frequently used by book publicists, Chanticleer has an insider’s view of the industry to discover expert tips that will help set your book up for success!

    More that 2,000 new titles are published in the English language each and every day. However, most authors will not make the time or effort to effectively publicize and market their works. Make your work standout in a crowded field. It can be done!

    Keep on writing. Kiffer 

     

  • SUGAR BIRDS by Cheryl Grey Bostrom – Coming-of-Age Fiction, Small Town Fiction, Friendships and Relationships

    SUGAR BIRDS by Cheryl Grey Bostrom – Coming-of-Age Fiction, Small Town Fiction, Friendships and Relationships

    Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom is a heart-pounding coming-of-age story about two heartbroken girls who land at crossroads during one treacherous summer, as one runs to a dangerous forest and the other to a dangerous relationship in the Pacific Northwest.

    As the story opens, Aggie, aged 10, and Celia, 16, have something in common: anger at their parents. That anger takes each of them on roads through very dark places – roads from which they barely manage to escape.

    Aggie accidentally lights her family home on fire, then watches in horror as firefighters extract her unresponsive parents from the burning structure. She loses herself in the woods, practicing the survival techniques her father taught her, afraid that she caused her parents’ death and certain that she will be sent to jail if she is caught. But the arrest, she soon learns, is the least of her worries, as dangers imperil her survival and as guilt threatens to undo her. She is desperate and in constant danger – not from the searchers who only want to help her, but from being alone in the woods that she has never truly faced without her father’s protection.

    Celia is angry with her parents for lying to her about pretty much everything involved with her summer exile to her grandmother’s farm. It’s when she joins the hunt for Aggie that Celia meets autistic savant Burnaby and charismatic, sensual Cabot. As her relationships with both grow, she must choose between the one who can help her understand herself and the one determined to claim her.

    Aggie’s story is one of survival, while Celia’s is a more typical story of rebellious adolescence – or so it seems at first.  Despite the difference in their ages, Aggie and Celia start from similar places. They have both lost trust in the adults in their lives and don’t know where to turn. Neither is mature enough to deal with the situations facing them.

    Both girls are lost – until they come together just in time to save one another.

    Readers who like survival stories will love Aggie’s journey, while those who enjoy coming-of-age stories featuring heroines who learn to rescue themselves will resonate with Celia’s path. Bostrom takes her readers gently by the hand and plunges them into an immersive tale straight from page one. Sugar Birds is a powerful coming-of-age story of betrayal and loss, rebellion and anger, friendship, forgiveness and redemption, all woven into a testament to the wondrous natural world.

    5 Star Best Book Chanticleer Reviews Silver Sticker

     

     

  • GIFT CARDS are Experiencing Unprecedented Sales – AUTHORS, are YOUR Selling Platforms Ready? – Kiffer Brown

    GIFT CARDS are Experiencing Unprecedented Sales – AUTHORS, are YOUR Selling Platforms Ready? – Kiffer Brown

    Tis the SEASON for HOLIDAY GIFT CARDS – REDEMPTIONS for ONLINE and BRICK & MORTAR STORES

    Perhaps you are thinking, “But Kiffer, it is December 27th! Isn’t it too late to do anything about this holiday season?”

    And, I would have to reply, “No, it isn’t dear Chanticleerian. It is is just in the nick of time because of GIFT CARDS!”

    And I think that is why this fellow is named Ol’ Saint Nick—not for Nicholas but for JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME! 

    What is the Market Size of GIFT CARDS?

    • AMAZON has almost 60% of the market share. Walmart comes in next at 15%.  *Of course, we hope that many people purchased gift cards from their local independent bookstores and local community stores.

    And we know who the biggest bookseller on this planet is—digital or print! —Amazon.

    • The Global Gift Card market size was valued at 619.25 billion USD in 2019. It is much higher this year. See *
    • The USA Gift Card market size was estimated to be 160 billion USD in 2018. It is projected to be approximately 400 billion dollars in 2020.

    COVID-19 will bring healthy holiday web sales for Gift Cards and e-Gift Cards.*

    Software provider Salesforce.com Inc. says holiday sales in the U.S. will rise 34% year over year for the 2020 season. That’s a major jump from the estimated 13.6% growth in November and December 2019.

    2020 News

    Amazon announced plans to hire 100,000 seasonal workers for its fulfillment center on top of the 75,000 it hired in April and the 100,000 it brought on in September. Meanwhile, FedEx is hiring 75,000 seasonal employees for this holiday season, an increase of 27% over 2019. And, Walmart Inc. (No. 3) hired 20,000 seasonal workers this holiday season after hiring more than 500,000 workers since the beginning of COVID-19. DigitalCommerce360.com

    What are the Top Driving Factors of Sales Growth of Gift Cards?

    • The Pandemic Fuels Gift Card Sales – Gift Card Sales were up by 50% by September 2020.*
    • The High Adoption Rate of Smartphones

    Gift cards have become more innovative with rapid evolution of smart phones. Use of modern technology and marketing strategies has created different ways for gift card lovers and smartphone users to integrate everything into one convenient package. Rise in adoption of smart phones is expected to boost the gift cards market by offering flexible & convenient ways of payment for customers. Allied Market Research

    The first annual National Use Your Gift Card Day is Saturday, January 18, 2021—an extra prompt for consumers to use their gift cards to buy something they didn’t get for the holidays, take advantage of post-holiday sales or to treat themselves.

    • Gift cards topped all other potential presents, including jewelry, clothing, books, movies, music, electronics and sporting goods. National Retail Federation report. 
    • Gift cards are the most popular items on wish lists — 14 years straight.
    • The majority of recipients of these GIFT CARDS do not begin shopping with them until late December at the earliest! 
    • Gift Cards have extended the Holiday Buying Season all the way through the month of January into the end of February. 

    INCREASING ONLINE BOOK SALES

    When was the last time that you checked out your Amazon, Kobo, B&N, Bookchain, Smashwords, etc. page(s)? 

    Visit your Selling Platform Pages and Tidy Them and Add some SPARKLE! 

    • Most importantly, do you have the latest cover of your title uploaded?
      • I see this all the time, the author sends me her latest cover (because as you know, I am all about the cover!) but then for some reason fails to upload the dazzling new cover to the title’s selling pages on the different platforms.
    • Update your selling pages with the latest tweaks to the title’s description. Is the description as compelling as it can possibly be? Amp it up! 
      • Make sure that every word of your book’s introduction/marketing blurb (that first paragraph that comes after the title and to the right of the cover) is effective—especially the first ten introductory words. These first ten words are “crawled” by the online sales platform’s search engine whenever a reader does “a search.” If it is a series or you are planning to make the work a series, then be sure to conclude the book’s marketing blurb with this information.
    • Have you listed the title’s latest awards and kudos near the end of the description to seal the deal?
    • Have you updated the reviews in the Editorial Reviews section? Add new ones and author blurbs (recommendations) in the Editorial Reviews section.
      • Sixty-one percent of customers read Editorial Reviews before making an online purchase (Harvard Business Review)
      • Editorial/Trade Reviews set the tone for Customer Reviews – which is (from what I hear) quantity is more important that than quality (number of stars). 100 customer reviews tend to be the magical number.
    • The Editorial Reviews section is where blurbs of reviews from Chanticleer, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly should be posted along with VIP Author Blurbs.
    • Or to that matter, do you have anything in the Editorial Reviews section? If not, you are missing some SEO goodness. In fact, each of Chanticleer Reviews come with a turbo-charged SEO package and Meta-Data built in to help your book’s digital footprint populate the internet.
    • If your books are available in other languages besides English, list the languages in this section.
    • Is it time to liven up your author bio? Does it reflect the latest YOU? Does it make the reader want to meet you (like at your next book event?) as someone who he/she would enjoy meeting at a cocktail party?
      • Make sure that your photo resonates with readers’ expectations. A great example of this is Diana Gabaldon’s Amazon photo; it is one of her standing in front of the Stonehenge monument with a timeless black shawl wrapped around her. The Stonehenge background hints at the historical/fantastical nature of her works and the opening of her series.

    Author Photos

      • Take a close look at your Author Central photo. If it doesn’t move your author brand forward, take a look through your photographs for one that does. It doesn’t have to be a photo taken by a professional photographer. It does have to have a layering effect and convey your author branding/personality. If you have a photograph that does convey elements of your author branding and is taken by a professional photographer, then that is even better. Here is an example of a professionally taken author photograph that exudes the author’s branding as a post-apocalyptic fiction writer. Notice that the setting and outfit exude the dystopian aspects of his Deserted Lands series:Robert Slater author of ALL IS SILENCE
    • In your Author Information section, list any other published works that are related to this particular selling page–especially if you have series or multiple titles in the related genre.
    • While you are on the title’s selling pages, double-check that all the different formats that your title is available on in any given platform are available and ready for sale!
      • Print? e-pub? combo — purchase a print book and receive the digital e-pub version for a discount or for free? (Amazon used to call this package “matchstick” )
    • Make sure that the links to purchase books from your website work and do not go off into cyberspace.
    • Test your “Look Inside” feature on Amazon and make sure that it works and that it isn’t just opening to the Table of Contents or the front matter of the book.
    • Double-check your pricing on each selling platform that the title is available for sale on. Really. 

    OVERALL

    Make sure that your information is up-to-date, fresh and relevant!

    Like a well-written book plot,  make sure that each piece of information on your title’s selling platform moves your book and author branding forward and into the hands and minds of eager book buyers? 

    Handy Amazon Links

    Holiday Book Buying Online

    BUT WAIT, WE LOVE LOVE LOVE Independent Booksellers!

    So make sure that you help them sell your books! Win-Win!

    Make sure that YOUR BOOKS get some of that Gift Card LOVE!

    Quick and Easy Tips to Get Your Books Ready for the Biggest Book Buying Season of the Year

    Here is a Handy Checklist for Brick and Mortar Stores Where Your Books Are for Sale.

    Help Your Booksellers Sell Your Books! 

    These Point of Sale items can make a huge difference in book sales!

    Shelf talkers are proven to increase book sales!
    • It seems obvious, but make sure that wherever you have your books for sale or on consignment have them IN-STOCK. (yes, I am yelling here)
    • NEXT — make sure to promote in social media wherever your books are for sale and TAG the store/shop/bookseller. Be sure to use a photo of the shop and its location.
    • Promote your book’s cover and genre and tag the merchant again on social media.
    • If you can, make sure that your books have book stickers on them for any awards or kudos.
    • Don’t forget SHELF-TALKERS
    Chanticleer Shelf talker
    • If you have a series or other books, does each one of your books have a “bookmark” inside with all of your books listed?
      Does this bookmark have your website and social media handles printed on it? If not, get on it — you can print your own at your local copy shop.
      You can even add an invite to visit your website/blog to win prizes
      In your next printing, make sure that at the end of your book that  you include an invitation to visit your website/blogpost/social media posts for:

      • more information
      • a chance to win free prizes
      • for advance notifications of your next book
      • to have a character named after the reader
      • Book Club Benefits (ZOOM – Virtual Visits and Discussions)
      • You can have these printed off and slip them into the books — they should not be bigger than the book. Remember, this is a surprise for the reader to find and must not add to “clutter” the book.
    Your Books at Indie Booksellers

    If you don’t live close to the booksellers selling your books, see if any of your street team members, family, friends, or other authors (you know, the ones that you are cross-promoting with) if they would stop by the shops in their neighborhoods and help implement the P-O-S plan. Of course, make sure that they utilize all safety and health pandemic protocols. Make sure that they have a letter from you (they can print it out if you email it to them). Have your “street team” introduce themselves to the shop’s staff and explain what is going on.

    We all have to PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT in these unprecedented times.

    AND now is a good time to schedule your VIRTUAL Author Events and Book Club Meetings for 2021!

    And add the events to your website and social media platforms.

    Good Manners for Point of Sale Tips

    • Use magic tape (and carry it with you) so that you will not gum up the store’s shelves with shelf-talkers — and you don’t have to ask the staff to take time to look for some for you.
    • If the staff is busy, consider coming back at a later time. The holidays are a “make or break” season for most small brick and mortar stores so you don’t want to impede the staff from making sales and helping customers during this crucial time. [This is a pet peeve with booksellers about authors #justsaying]
    • If your books are “shop-worn” ask about exchanging them out for fresh new books.
    • Offer to help out-of-the-area authors with the books that are for sale in your neighborhood. Connect and reach out!

    REPEAT. RESTOCK. RE-POST. REMIND.
    Remember the GIFT CARD buying season stretches into the end of February.

    Take advantage of this busiest season of the year and help your bookseller sell more of your books.

    Now make sure that some of those  billion dollars on Holiday Gift Cards are used to purchase YOUR BOOKS!


    That would be me, Kiffer Brown–Mother Hen and Head Hen at Chanticleer Reviews.

    Happy Holidays from the Chanticleer Team!

     

  • HOW to INCREASE ONLINE BOOK SALES – Part 3 – Kiffer Brown

    HOW to INCREASE ONLINE BOOK SALES – Part 3 – Kiffer Brown

    Tips to Selling More Books Online from Kiffer Brown

    Part Three

    • Keep on Writing! You need a back list of books to in order to do real promotion efforts such as using BookBub or Book Funnel where you give away (or for 99 cents) the first in a series to get readers hooked into your series and your works. These platforms do a lot of marketing and have subscribers that do email blasts promoting books that they accept along with an active web presence along with professional search engine algorithms (Google, Bing, Firefox, etc.).
    • Published a short story or novella to give away on Bookbub or Book Funnel– a prequel perhaps to get readers hooked. Robert Dugoni did this with The Academy  that comes in at 44 pages. This is a great way to hook readers into your character. Or Hugh Howey’s Wool that came in at 12,000 words (60 pages). Make sure that the cover is strong and compelling.

    • Yet another short story that launched an author’s career is The Witcher, a short story by Polish author Andrzegj Sapkowski in the late 1980s. Fast forward to 2020 to see his works turned into the The Witcher TV series on  Netflix. The company said the series with its 76 million households was the most watched television series on Netflix. I will not even go into Fire in the Hole short story series  by Elmore Leonard launching the Justified TV series.
    Geralt of Rivia – The Witcher
    • Ann Charles, USA Today Bestselling author, supplements her five (at my last count) novel series with short stories. Some are seasonal (winter holidays, Halloween, summer reads). Ann says that it is a great way to hook new readers.
    Ann Charles with her famous violet boots!
    • ALL social media posts, Tweets (Oh how I despise clicking on a tweet to just ending up on an Amazon selling page!– How rude!) guest blog-posts, emails, ads, marketing materials should direct readers to your website –NOT to the Amazon page where your book is for sell. Or let me put it this way: Your Website is Your Internet Business Portal.  Amazon is not.
    • Meanwhile, get your books out on as many platforms as possible and create links on your website to each selling platform. Give your readers a choice of where to purchase your work.
      • Bookchain.ca — securely sell ebooks directly from your website and receive the largest amount of royalties possible. Funded by Canada Media.
      • PublishDrive – E-book, audio, print books. To reach global markets and the Asian markets. REMEMBER that there are more Asians who speak English than North Americans or United Kingdom people who speak English. PublishDrive is based out of Budapest, Hungary. They have a great relationship with CCP’s (China) Amazon equivalent. They also coordinate with Amazon and GooglePlay. They have worked out many of the bugs that they had early on.
      • LuLu.com – retail distribution to 40,000 retailers, schools, and libraries. Based in North Carolina. They restructured and reorganized. May 19, 2019 LULU sent out a press release stating that they have paid out more than $100 million US dollars in royalties to authors.
      • Ingram – based in Nashville, TN Ingram Content Group has the publishing industry’s largest active book inventory and Ingram is the world’s largest wholesale distributor of books.
      • Scribd – Online subscription base — the Netflix of ebooks and audio-books
      • Google Play – Billions of Users ( Don’t overlook this market)
      • Amazon – Kindle (nuff said)
      • KOBO – ebooks and audiobooks to reach markets outside of North America such as Europe, Japan, — based in Japan and Canada.
      • Barnes & Noble 
      • Smashwords.com – one of the first platforms for selling self-published books – 2008
      • Payhip.com – based in London, U.K. integrates blogs, ebooks, merchandise
      • Books.Apple.com
      • Audible.com for audio books
      • tolino – mytolino.com – German based with Global Reach. PublishDrive lists Tolino as one of their selling platforms that they coordinate with.
    • The exception to this is if your book is participating in Amazon’s KDP Select program. This program grants Amazon exclusivity to the books that are enrolled in it.

    Interesting to Note:  Beyond being the world’s preferred common language, English is also an Asian language in both a demographic and an official sense. Asia has approximately 800 million English speakers, which in effect means it has far more English speakers than the entire Anglosphere. ABC News Australia 

    • Make sure that each one of your selling platforms’ book pages’ information  is current and compelling to read.
    • Pay attention to BISAC codes, meta-data, tagging, and other digital information describes your work on the Internet. Each code does matter! Link below.
    • The COVER! Again — the cover must compel your targeted reader to click on it in less than three seconds. Make sure it is powerful! And BookBub is ALL ABOUT the COVER. If you want to get considered for their program, make sure that your cover is in tip-top form. Good enough will not do.

    WEBSITE Housekeeping

    • Make sure that all the platforms where your books are for sale have working links.

    Below is a copy and paste of how award-winning author of fantasy fiction, Susan Faw, does this:

    Or USA Today Bestselling Author Ann Charles 

    Or international bestselling author J.D. Barker’s website’s

    • 2. Have you updated your website with your latest awards, book blurbs, reviews, honors, and accolades and happenings?

    • 3. Are you keeping your website current with what you are working on—your work in progress? Your own contests events and the winners? Your book club appearances? Your ZOOM events? Your working links to your social media pages? IS your SUBSCRIBE to AUTHOR’S  NEWSLETTER easy to use or does it ask for to much (I run into this all the time–then I pass on subscribing).
    • 4. Have you included and listed where and when you have been interviewed, blogged? podcasted? ZOOM chats/rooms? Facebook events?
    • 5. Do you have a section that allows your readers to become acquainted with you? Do you like board games? Do you paint? Do you grow lavender? Do paint action figures? Do you love to bake? Are you a photography buff? Does your photo and your bio description reinforce your author branding?

    KIFFER’s advice:  Remember that you can sell a short story or novella for 99 cents or a full-fledged novel for 99 cents.

    Think about what kind of backstory that is in your novels that you could turn into a short story to use as another prong of your marketing and promotion strategy. Potential readers may be more apt to spend time reading a short story to try out a new author than committing to a novel...just something to thing about.  Click here to read more on Short Stores and having an author career. 

    Click here to find out more about Chanticleer’s Book Awards for Short Stories, Novellas, and Novelettes. 

    Please stay tuned for Part Four of How to Increase Online Book Sales by Kiffer Brown

    HANDY LINKS – Chanticleer Reviews Tool Box Series 

    Below are links to blog posts on the Chanticleer website that have more information on the above points: 

    How to Increase Book Sales Online – Part One

    How to Increase Book Sales Online – Part Two

    BISAC CODES – Not Just Alphabet Soup

    Book Reviews – 4 Types and Why You Need All Four

    Social Media and Creating and Keeping Top of Mind Association with Readers

    Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox

    Thank you for reading this Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox post on Marketing and Book Promotion to Increase Online Book Sales.

    Part 4 in the How to Increase Online Book Sales series will address Hashtags and Social Media.

    Also, we will continue to post the 2019 CIBA Finalists, so please stay tuned.

    And, we will have new writing craft posts from top editors coming your way to keep you writing and editing during these unprecedented times.

    We encourage you to stay in contact with each other and with us  during this stint of practicing physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

    Let us know how you are doing, what is going on where you live, how are you progressing on your writing projects.

    I invite each of you to join us at The Roost – a private online Chanticleer Community for writers and authors and publishing professionals. You are welcome to email me for more info also.

    We are active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can find us by using our social media handle @ChantiReviews

    Minimize physical contact! Maximize social connecting!

    Here are our contact emails:  

    General information:  Chanticleer@ChantiReviews.com

    Editorial:  BookEditor@ChantiReviews.com

    Reviews: Sanderson@ChantiReviews.com

    Me:  KBrown@ChantiReviews.com

    Take care, be safe.

    Keep writing and creating magic! 

    Kiffer and Sharon & Entire Team Chanticleer 

     

  • Elana A.Mugdan – Author, Screenwriter, and Dragon Speaker to Present at the Chanticleer Authors Conference

    Elana A.Mugdan – Author, Screenwriter, and Dragon Speaker to Present at the Chanticleer Authors Conference

    Elana A. Mugdan, Dragon Speaker
    Elana A. Mugdan is an author and screenwriter based in New York City. She has received many accolades in the film industry, including a number of awards for her feature-length comedy, Director’s Cut. In 2015 she stepped away from film to focus on her writing career, and in 2016 her debut fantasy novel, Dragon Speaker, was released in the UK via Pen Works Media.
    OZMA Grand Prize Award Winning Author Elana A Mugdan

    For the past two years, Elana has devoted her time to traveling across the country on book tour. She has appeared at schools, libraries, and bookstores nationwide to talk about her award-winning series, The Shadow War Saga. Her second novel, Dragon Child, launched in May 2019 at the Union Square Barnes & Noble, the world’s largest bookstore. Her third novel, Dragon Blood, is slated for release in March 2020.
     

    Elana A Mugdan on the Today Show

    Recently, Elana garnered acclaim and media attention for her year-long stint without use of a smartphone. In a contest sponsored by Coca Cola and vitaminwater, Elana agreed to forego use of any handheld scrolling technology for 365 days. She found the experience liberating and enlightening, and has done a series of talks on the subject.

    Here is her interview on the Today Show – “Vitaminwater in December launched a nationwide contest looking for one person to go one year without a smartphone in exchange for a $100,000 prize. The brand selected Elana Mugdan, a New York-based author who joins TODAY to talk about the challenge.”

    https://www.today.com/video/meet-the-woman-giving-up-her-smartphone-to-win-100k-1445408835921

    Elana currently resides in Queens, living a quiet but eccentric life with her pet rescue snake, Medusa.

    Elana is presenting and participating in the following sessions at CAC20

    1. How to make your own audiobooks — by an author who did! (with Hindenburg) From set-up to ACX upload
    2. KaffeeKlatch Round Table Discussion — The Scroll Free Life  (Writing Life) Her experience with the vitaminwater challenge and how it fits with her promotional strategy
    3. Promotional Strategy for Your Books and Your Brand
    4. Beta Readers & Revisions – writing craft session
    5. Film and Authors – panel (this panel is coming together)

    Don’t delay. Register Today! For the Chanticleer Authors Conference – held September 4-6, 2020. There are five different registration packages available so you can choose the one that is right for you!  For more INFO, please click here: https://www.chantireviews.com/chanticleer-conference/

    To register, please click here: https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Conferences-&-Awards-Banquet-c9758702

    To check out the Master Classes, please visit this link: https://www.chantireviews.com/master-classes-and-workshops-for-cac20/

  • Creating Your Marketing and Promotion Calendar for 2020 and Beyond – Part Two

    Creating Your Marketing and Promotion Calendar for 2020 and Beyond – Part Two

    Number Two of Twelve Must-Do’s for Authors – Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Publishing

    We discussed in Point Number One of Twelve — Pay Attention to Your Computer 

    Our second post (No. 2 of 12 – Part A) discussed developing the Big Picture for your marketing and promotion strategy. Ten Points to Consider and Implement were given.

    If you have not completed the work for the Ten Points, I invite you to go do so now before proceeding.

    Point One: Identify 10 best-selling author in your genre that you would like to ask for an author blurb? 

    Tips on How to Obtain a Notable Author’s Blurb for Your Book 

    First WHY should you do this?

    There have been a number of studies done using A/B testing. These tests show that book descriptions that include book blurbs by Notable Authors receive at least a 30% higher click through rate on selling platforms. BookBub is one of the companies that conducted the A/B testing.

    [Note: *I am using Notable Author in place of names of real notable authors and sometimes abbreviating to NA. ]

    Task #1   Begin following and interacting with your selected Notable Authors in Social Media. Search for them in social media and then make a friend request, follow, LIKE, SHARE their posts.

    Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linked In, —wherever you can.

    Schedule to interact in social media platform at least twice a month for each notable author on your list and M&P calendar  (Marketing and Promotions Calendar).

    If you have time, you start with two Notable Authors and keep adding to the list on a monthly basis.

    Schedule these events on your calendar. Social media — twice a month, maybe three times if there is a major event such as a book release or an appearance. You don’t want to flood their comments with your stuff or appear “creepy.”  But you do want to be on the notable author’s radar just enough to be recognized but not nagging or stalking. Or worse yet, not be like that super chatty person who corners you at a cocktail party.

    Task#2    Purchase and read at least one book a year by the Notable Author. Then LEAVE a REVIEW on Amazon. The review can be short and sweet, but make sure that it is well worded and sincere. Showing off your writing prowess is a good thing. Make sure that the review can be traced back to you –-if it is positive. If it in not, then don’t post it and maybe reconsider your selection of Notable Authors. If you have a different name for reviews, then use that. But, then submit the review to the Notable Author using “contact info” on the Notable Author’s web-page with your writing/as name.

    Interesting factoid: Amazon’s share of ALL new book unit purchases was 41%  and 67% of the e-book market. Amazon controls 64% of printed books that are purchased online. Source:  The Atlantic.  Note: These percentages continue to increase from the time this article was published.

    If the  Notable Author has a back-list, then leave another review for another book in three months.

    Objective:

    When you are ready to ask the Notable Author if you may send your ARC  (advance reader’s copy) to her, hopefully, she will be familiar with you and your writing-as name (pen name). You may be able to ask for “the favor” in Messenger or Direct Message. Or at the very least complete the contact form on the Notable Author’s website for your request.

    The reason to identify 10 Notable Authors? It is because you will have about a 20 percent (2 authors) chance of having a NA  respond to you (as opposed to zero by not doing tasks). Of these 2 authors, you may only end up with one blurb from your original 10 authors selected. Everyone is busy and that is especially true in the publishing industry. There are always deadlines to be met.

    Each year, determine which Notable Authors that you are going to continue trying to connect with. Then replace the ones that you have decided to move on from. But always work on connecting to NA’s long as you are serious about your writing career.

    And start doing this way before you are ready to publish. You don’t want to put a time limit on the Notable Author to get you your cover quote. You can  state the publication date and they can take if from there. A six-to-three month lead time should be just about right. And don’t worry about the manuscript being absolutely perfect. NA’s understand the publishing process. Just make sure that the work is a compelling read.

    Cover Art – 

    Also, send along the cover art concepts. You have been working on that haven’t you.

    Make sure that your cover is a winner! Something that will make your Notable Author proud to be associated with. The cover doesn’t have to be ready for print, but it should show that you are being careful and strategic in the design of it.

    A compelling cover design will get you a YES more quickly. The NA understands how important cover art is to the success of any book.

    Consistency, Persistence, and Sincerity 

    Please note that you can’t just do a review and a few social media posts to get the Notable Author’s attention. You will have to be consistent and persistent and sincere. That is why this needs to be on your To-Do M & P calendar. It will be very easy to just not do it this month. That, my dear aspiring author, is a slippery slope that is too easy to go down.

    How do I know this strategy works? It because I have seen it in action.

    I’ve been in the “faculty break rooms or green rooms” with many a Notable Author and have overheard or been told directly something to the effect of this:

    “Can you imagine, this person thrusted  a copy of his/her book into my hands and then asked me I would give her/him a blurb…? I don’t know this person from Adam or Eve.  I’ve never seen the person on my social media. I don’t have time to read every book given to me me for an author blurb. And why bother anyway–the book has already been published….And just look at this cover…

    The blurb attempt is SHOT DOWN with the copy of  said book (probably) left in break room. The above scenario goes on far more often than one would think. #justsaying

    But imagine, if the aspiring author could say to the Notable Author, “I find your Facebook posts so interesting. I’ve even shared a few of them.  And your last book, (give the title –music to any author’s ears), was the best–especially the part about (fill in the blank). I left my review for it on Amazon (name the platform).”

    Can you see how one might then be able to ask for permission to send the Notable Author an ARC or a digital file (many prefer digital PDFs)? IF not then, you could mention that you met at ??? and that you were so excited to meet one of your favorite authors.

    It is just good manners. And make it easy for the Notable Author to get you the review/author blurb. And always send a thank you note (preferable hand written and in an email) before for taking the time (and a great gentle reminder) and after.

    USES of the Notable Author Blurb

    Then use the blurb!

    • On the book cover
    • in the front matter of the book’s interior
    • on your website
    • on shelf-talkers as a point-of-sale tool
    • on book marks and promotional tools
    •  in the Editorial Reviews section of your Amazon page
    • in your social media branding elements
    • in your social media posts
    • in your contests and giveaway promotions
    • in your launch banners

    Always be sure to tag the Notable Author whenever possible, every always giving credit to the author and the book that the Notable Author would like for you to promote. Or if the Notable Author is “royalty” in the publishing world there is no need to list a book title, but do list the “royalty” title. Notable Authors do book blurbs because it promotes their name and author brand.

    Examples

    “What a truly wonderful story! I’ve read it three times, and with each reading I find myself caring about the fabulous characters and their lives even more.”—P.J. Alderman, New York Times Bestselling Author of A Killing Tide

    “J.D. Barker is a one-of-a-kind writer and that’s a rare and special thing. Stephen King comes to mind and Lee Child, John Sandford. All one-of-a-kinds. Don’t miss anything J.D. writes.”James Patterson, #1 International Bestselling Author

    In conclusion – a Notable Author’s endorsement or blurb for your book will enhance your competence and credibility factors as well as gaining the attention of the Notable Author’s readers and fans. And may just enlarge your readership.

    Sure it is a lot of work, but it will be worth the time when you are ready to launch your book.

    And remember one day, you too will be a Notable Author. How will you decide whose books to blurb…probably the ones who have helped you generate that ethereal book buzz.

    12 Must-Dos for Authors and Publishers for 2020! Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Publishing

    My next post  will continue with the 10 Steps be the next post will be Point Two. Identify any seasons or holidays that are associated with your titles — no matter how unknown (even better) or mundane. 

    Dear Chanticleerians, I have decide to write and publish this series in shorter blog-posts so I can get them out more quickly.  This post is already more than 1,000 words and we have nine more points.

    And I already posted one post today. I invite you to read the blog post that I wrote earlier today about the exciting Breaking News.

    I will write and publish Point Two in then few days and then Point Three. Target Book Clubs – Online and Groups that Meet in Person after Sharon and I are attend the Pulpwood Queen Book Club — Annual meeting in Jefferson, Texas.

     

    Thank you for reading our blog posts. I do hope that you find these Chanticleer’s Writer’s Toolbox Tips and Tools informative and helpful reminders.

    As always, we would love to hear from you — especially if you suggestions about what to add to the blog posts.

    Please check out our 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference where we Unlock the Secrets of Successful Publishing 

  • 12 MUST-DO’s for AUTHORS for a Successful and Productive 2020 and Beyond. Number Two of Twelve – a Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox Series by Kiffer Brown and Sharon Anderson

    12 MUST-DO’s for AUTHORS for a Successful and Productive 2020 and Beyond. Number Two of Twelve – a Chanticleer Writer’s Toolbox Series by Kiffer Brown and Sharon Anderson

    Number Two of Twelve Must-Do’s for Authors

    Creating Your Marketing and Promotion Calendar for 2020 and Beyond… Part One

    I’ve been in marketing a number of years (dare I say decades?). Marketing and Promotion have always been moving targets, but now with the internet they are targets that move at light speed.

    If you want to sell books and you want to have your author career advance, you will need to have a promotion and marketing plan that can pivot and is flexible.

    Plan for your Success!

    And if you have an M & P plan already, you will need to constantly update it, add to it, and evaluate what works and what doesn’t.

    First of all, the M & P Calendar is complex and integrated at many levels, which can make it overwhelming. But that is where Chanticleer can assist.

    Do keep in mind, that many of the moving parts are small and incremental steps that are not hard to do, but they will add up and add up substantially.

    Promotion of a book (or any product) is a continuous exercise of good marketing and promotional habits. Many are not difficult or time consuming but most be done on a regular basis. Marketing  and Promotion are NOT one trick ponies.

    Let us start at the beginning. Laying the Groundwork for your M&P calendar.

    Strategy – First start with the Big Picture.

    What I do is keep a notebook and a calendar. I tend to be old school and like paper and pencil for my reminders and calendar. I then add the information to my Google calendar so that it will remind me on my smart phone.

    Andy prefers to go all digital with no paper. He uses integrated digital calendars and custom project management software—thank goodness because that is how we track and manage the CIBAs.

    Here are 10 Points to consider and implement.

    We will then fill in with more detailed information in Part Two of this blog-post.

    One. Identify 10 best-selling author in your genre that you would like to ask for an author blurb? 

    It doesn’t matter if you are launching a new work or promoting your back list.

    Write their names down in your M&P notebook. We will come back to this in the next blog post. Promise.

    Two. Identify any seasons or holidays that are associated with your titles. 

    I always think of Love of Finished Years by Gregory Erich Phillips at Christmas time because of his touching WWI Christmas Eve scene that takes place in the heat of battle. It is book that I can read and reread.

    Gregory Erich Phillips Love of Finished Years won Chanticleer International Book Award for Best Book while it was still a manuscript.

    Or Ann Charles’ Deadwood Series that feature Violet Parker, real estate agent and single mom gets me in the mood for Halloween.

    Would your books make awesome vacation reads? Or cozy sit by the fire reads? Or perfect for traveling?

    Are your books page turning thrillers that will have readers consuming it at one sitting? Or something for a reader to look forward to reading a chapter or two a night?  Know your readers.

    A personal favorite cozy mystery series of mine that I like to read is Michelle Cox’s Henrietta and Inspector Howard mystery series because I enjoy tthe time frame that series takes place in, and I like the protagonists. Reading the series is a wonderful escape for me.

     

    What holidays or seasons can you target to promote your works? Write them down in that notebook.

    Three. Target Book Clubs – Online and Groups that meet in person

    Book clubs tend to chart out their reads months in advance if not a year in advance. Start getting “Top of Mind” share and getting on the “think about list.”

    Make sure that your website, author description, Facebook page, Twitter, blog posts, and any other media alerts readers that you are available for Skyping, showing up in person, supplying stimulating questions for the group, and that you just adore BOOK CLUBS. If there are libraries that have your books in their book club kits, list them on the Book Club section of your website.

    Keep a running list of Book Clubs that you want to reach out to and keep in contact with them. Put reminders in your calendar to continually reach out to book clubs of all types. They can propel an author and have far reaching affects on readership gains.

    The Roost at Chanticleer will have a running list of book clubs and how to contact them. This will be up and running before the end of January.

    Four. Author Events

    Again, dates fill up at book stores, retail outlets, book fairs, book conventions, libraries,  and specialty events. Chanticleerians have passed on to me that they have had great success at wine bars, grocery stores, flower shops, seasonal events such at the Lavender events in the PNW, comic cons, brewpubs, entertainment events if your work has a connection with them, re-enactments, hobbyists, the list can go on and on.

    The award-winning Janet Shawgo has presented sessions on this at the Chanticleer Authors Conference. All in attendance were inspired by her creativity and willingness to share.

    Janet Shawgo’s author event at a winery.

    And I have it good advice that one shouldn’t discount small events. It is better to be a big fish at a small event rather sitting idly by while a line a mile long forms for a celebrity author. I’ve seen this happen more times than I can count.

    Guerrilla marketing is the friend of aspiring authors. It can even the playing field with its unconventional interactions and surprises. Remember, readers are acquired one by one—which makes guerrilla marketing especially effective.

    Be creative. Be open. But get those gigs lined up and on the calendar. Pronto! And start on next year’s events.

    Make your list with the venue, date, date of contact, date of recontact, results. Continuously add venues and events as you discover them.

    Add the confirmed dates to your Promotion Calendar. There will be more work to be done.

    Jesikah Sundin, award-winning author of The Biodome Chronicles excels at  guerrilla marketing, branding, and author events that build loyal readership. And her books deliver and keep her readers coming back for more!

    Jesikah Sundin

    Five. Discover experts who will resonate with your books. (We call this SLANT in the marketing industry).

    Who is an expert in the field that your work is associated with?

    Ann Charles is a full-time author of mysteries. Her popular protagonist is Violet Parker, a real estate agent in Deadwood? Guess who her biggest fans are? Real Estate agents! And she has targeted them and they have become evangelical fans for her series. The real estate network is huge. And so is her fan-base.

    For instance, Pamela Beason writes mysteries that tend to take place in wilderness areas. She is a career author (making a living at writing) and a retired private investigator. Pam targets hikers, backpackers, wilderness protectors. One of her mystery series is focused around Neema, a communicating gorilla who can communicate using sign language. Pam targets these folks in social media. Her YA series has a rescued elephant. You get the picture?  Did I mention that I am a Neema fangirl?

    Pamela Beason’s wildly successful Sam Westin wilderness series.

    What are your books’ angles? What is the slant? (what is the voice? what is your underlying message?) 

    This exercise is one that you should repeat each year with your back list.

    If you can get an endorsement from experts that have a common interest in your books, you will be able to broaden your target market. It doesn’t matter if the expert is a real estate agent, or a barista, or is leader in a knitting circle… This is how word of mouth is created. Create these bonds. It will make your next book launch much more easy.

    Remember Jesikah from Point #Four. Her books crossover from fantasy, YA, cyber-punk, eco-punk, gaming, science fiction, steampunk, and … just imagine all the blurbs, recommendations, and READERS and their reviews that Jesikah’s marketing attracts.

    Six. Identify 10 Authors to Network within Social Media and in Real Life. 

    These should be authors whose readers will also enjoy your works and authors that your readers will enjoy their books.

    If you have ten, then add ten more. You can never have enough.

    This is called increasing your CIRCLE of INFLUENCE. The relationship should be reciprocal. We will circle back around to this.

    A good test is to determine if your works and the selected authors works would be shelved together at the book store or at the local library.

    Write this list down in your M & P book/ledger. Each year, continue to expand it.

    J.D. Barker, a masterful storyteller,  recommends that your genre should crossover… just imagine having your books shelved in more than one location at booksellers. Get the picture?

    Shameless self-promotion here … you should check out his interview in the last issue of the Chanticleer Reviews magazine.

    Order your copy today… 🙂

    Seven. Focus Your Author Brand. 

    Each and every visual element associated with you as an author should have focus and should move your author brand forward on your website, in your social media, in your type fonts, in the background imagery. A reader should be able to tell in less than three seconds what overall genre you are writing in. Are your books dark and mysterious? Fantastical? Sexy? Historical? Dystopian? Everything from the icon that marks your website in the browser to the background that coordinates with all of your internet and real marketing collateral (covers, book swag, business cards, etc.). Make sure that your author photos resonate with your works. That doesn’t mean you have to be brooding in person if your books are dark and mysterious, but you should have a persona, a brand that distinguishes you from the other millions of authors and writers. A visual brand.

    Ann Charles is a maestro at author branding. Visit her website and Facebook pages for inspiration (and to buy her U.S.A Today bestselling books).

    Ann Charles

    Eight. Become an Expert in Some Area of Publishing and Share Your Knowledge

    Writers by far make up the largest number of readers. We just can’t help ourselves. An excellent way to get on writers’ reading list is to present at writer’s conferences. It is widely known that after a writer gives a presentation, his/her/they see an increase in sales. Most would say a direct correlation.

    Many best-selling authors have gotten their start and created an ever increasing fan-base by sharing their knowledge and expertise with other authors and aspiring writers. Diane Gabaldon shared (and continues to) her knowledge for years by presenting at writers’ conferences. She is known for being extremely generous with her knowledge and expertise as is Robert Dugoni. The list goes on and on with international best-selling authors who share and mentor authors—authors such as J.D. Barker, C.C. Humphreys, Ann Charles, Ursula Le Guin, George R.R. Martin, Pamela Beason, are among the authors who believe in mentoring aspiring authors and giving back to the writing community.

    Robert Dugoni is one of our most popular speakers at CAC. Pam Beason is conducting the panel discussion.

    Discover your publishing expertise. Is it coming up with inciting incidents? Or world building? Or a knack for dialogue? Or social media  posts that garner attention? Or being creative in where to do book promotions? Or how to get that first draft out of your head and into black on white? Or discovering new platforms to sell works on? Or working ? Or posture while writing? Or?

    The main thing is to share your knowledge and expertise.

    So start asking to present or participate in panels at author events, in schools, at libraries, in your local writing groups, or the conferences that you are planning on attending.

    Write down your opportunities. Find out the deadlines for proposals. Keep a list and add to it.

    Nine. Podcasting and Video Blogging — Be the Interviewer or be the Interview-ee but be in the Podcast Airwaves

    With the advent of voice-driven assistants, podcasts are becoming more and more a part of daily life. Just like audio books. ( the fastest growing segment of publishing).

    Chanticleer has podcasts and video blogs. It is the new and latest that is certain to replace  “blog hopping.”  Make sure that you get your foot in the door! Even this blog post is converted to a podcast.

    As with any transition, you will need to do both: blogging and podcasting. Learn how to build your content pyramid at the Chanticleer Authors Conference 2020.

    Podcasting is going to be a feature at CAC20 this year with Hindenburg Systems (programs and apps to create podcasts and audio books) presenting sessions and podcast work shops.

    Paul Cutsinger, head of Amazon’s Alexa Code Labs will present and keynote.

    He will discuss

    • Why Voice Enabled Technology is Here to Stay 
    • The Publishing Industry and Voice Technology
    • StoryTelling and Voice Technology
    • Audiobooks and Voice 
    • Engaging Readers with Voice-driven Devices

    With more than 100 million Alexa devices in use, this a market segment that should not be overlooked in any author or publisher’s marketing plan.

    Time to start lining up your calendar with podcast and video blog events.

    Ten. Enter Your Works into Book Award Competitions and Contests

    Of course, we want to promote the Chanticleer International Book Awards with its 14 genre divisions and 2 non-fiction divisions.

    Book awards are a time honored tradition that help to distinguish best books and manuscripts from the millions of books that are written each year (and published).

    They give authors talking points, interviewers talking points, allow for point of sale marketing, social media marketing and so much more.

    Make sure to enter your works and see how they stack up against the others in your genre.

    Deadlines are closer than they appear! And there is nothing like a blue ribbon to help sell more books at a book fair or author event. #justsaying

    CIBA Grand Prize Ribbons!

    That calendar should be starting to fill in.

     

    Click here for a Handy Worksheet that you can print out to help  you to create your Market and Promotion Calendar.

     

    This Second Installment will take time to complete and you may need to work on it intermittently (but consistently) to get everything logged.

    Then the real work will begin.

    The next post will discuss implementing these first 8 Goals and creating discrete tasks to implement on a regular basis:

    Annually, Seasonally/Quarterly, Monthly, Twice a Month, Weekly, Almost daily.

    And social media postings, and blog postings, and articles, and…

    We elaborate on the first ten items and incorporate them into the calendar and create a schedule.

    Thank you for joining us in this Writer’s Tool Box series: The 12 MUST-Do’s for Authors Number Two of Twelve blog-post articles.We hope these were handy reminders or something new to consider. 

    If there is something we should add to this blog-post or you have an experience that you would like to share or a question that you would like to ask about this blog post, please contact us at KBrown@ChantiReviews.com or SAnderson@ChantiReviews.com

    We’d love to hear from you! 

    Thank you for joining us and please stay tuned for the next article!The Secret to Successful Publishing

     

     

  • Creative Tools for Gaining Media Attention by Allison Vborva, Publicist

    Creative Tools for Gaining Media Attention by Allison Vborva, Publicist

    Pitching Your Book Release to the Press: Creative Tools for Gaining Media Attention

    “Is it even worth my time to send out a press release for my book launch?”

    This question came up during a kaffeeklatsch at last year’s Chanticleer Authors Conference and judging by the lively discussion at the table, it was a dilemma on the minds of many participants that weekend. In today’s flooded media landscape, is it still possible for small press and indie authors to get press for their book releases? And if so, how?

    My answer that day? Yes, but…

    As an indie or small press author, you can still gain earned media attention (print and digital) for your book launch. But if you think you’re going to get there with a run-of-the-mill press release, think again.

    In preparation for this year’s conference, I want to expand on the answer I gave that day, along with a few new pieces of advice to help authors gain earned media attention with a little luck and a whole lot of creativity.

    There are four to seven thousand new titles released daily. Your book release is not the headline.

    Your Book Release Is Not the Headline

    When I sit down to work with an author on a press release or an earned media package, here is the first thing I tell them: your book release is not the headline. To get the attention of the press, we need to hand them news that goes beyond “Author Releases New Book.”

    Think about it: editors and bloggers get sent dozens of press releases every day. Unless you’ve just written the sequel to a New York Times bestseller, you need to give them a reason to care about you and your book above all the others. In other words, you need to present them with an angle that will help them place your book release as part of a larger story. What makes you stand out and why will their readers care?

    Brainstorming Your Media Angle

    It can be difficult to step back from your book and look at the bigger picture. But that’s what you have to do if you want to create a human interest story around your book release.

    Here are a few questions to get you brainstorming:

    • What compelled you to write this book?
    • How is it different from other books in your genre?
    • Was your process for writing or researching the book unusual? If so, how?
    • Is the subject of your story particularly relevant to current events?
    • Is the subject or setting of your book particularly relevant to a niche group of people?
    • Is there anything about your personal story that would interest readers? For example are there obstacles you’ve overcome, or an unusual current or former profession?

    Targeting Your Message to Your Audience or Come Up  “Crickets”

    Once you’ve brainstormed all of the things that make your book release unique, it’s time to dial down and refine your message.

     Remember though: when it comes to media pitches, one size doesn’t fit all. The surest way to guarantee zero response for your news is to send a blanket email to the media that contains a formulaic press release. I can promise, you’ll hear crickets in return. 

     

    Your media pitch should change depending on the outlet and the intended audience. For example, a regional print magazine featuring notable women might be interested in how your memoir ties to current events or why your novel is set in a particular location. A book blogger, on the other hand, will probably care more about the background story of how you became an author or the quirky methods you use when you research historical fiction.

     I usually recommend writing two or three different press releases — one for industry-specific press like book blogs; one for local and one for regional presses; and if it applies, one for a niche audience. The more targeted you get — both in your press release and in the personalized emails you send to the media — the better your chances of getting your news featured.

      Don’t come up “crickets”  in your press releases and book launch strategy.

    More Tips On Getting Media Attention – Session at Chanticleer Authors Conference

    If you plan to attend the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference, I will have even more tips and plenty of time for questions during my session, “Getting Media Attention as a Small Press or Indie Author.” You’ll walk away with concrete tools for writing press releases, pitching to the media, and preparing for press interviews.

    Allison Vrbova, Two Willows PR & Marketing

     

    Publicity and marketing consultant Allison Vrbova has helped countless small press authors, independent artists, and entrepreneurs beat the odds to gain media attention in regional and national publications. You can learn more about her consulting work at www.twowillowseditorial.com

     

  • A New Tool to Improve Performance on Amazon’s Sponsored Product Ads by Kiffer Brown

    A New Tool to Improve Performance on Amazon’s Sponsored Product Ads by Kiffer Brown

    Finally, a tool that will amplify your marketing efforts on Amazon!

    Amazon’s Sponsored Products ads are among the most powerful marketing strategies for authors who sell ebooks on Amazon.

    However,  the learning curve of how to use Amazon Sponsored Ads prevents many authors from ever taking advantage of this robust and proven advertising strategy.

    What are Amazon Sponsored Product Ads and Why are They Important to Authors?

    Amazon’s Sponsored Products are cost-per-click ads for individual product listings that appear on product pages and search results throughout Amazon’s website. If you’ve ever been browsing for a new book on Amazon, then you’ve seen Sponsored Products. They look like regular book product listings, but they have a little tag that says “Sponsored.”

    Can you see “Sponsored” in the copy and paste below? It is to the left of the blue arrow on the second book listing. In reality on Amazon, there is no blue arrow—just an unassuming Sponsored tag.

    The great thing about Amazon Sponsored Products is that they directly target readers:

    1. who are already fans of the genre that you are promoting
    2. and who are actively looking for their next reads

    OR Let’s Say…

    Someone is browsing for a new sci-fi book, so they type, “scifi space opera” into Amazon’s search bar. Along with the search results, sponsored ebook listings (ads) will appear based on those search terms and related products.

    Product Targeting

    Instead of targeting keywords, you can also target specific products, such as best-selling and/or competing books in your genre. For example, if there’s a great book out there that’s similar to yours in terms of style and content, you can target your competitor’s book in hopes of attracting their readers. Additional functions with this option include targeting specific categories and excluding certain products with negative product targeting.

    With PublishDrive’s Advance Targeting Tool,  authors now have more options and greater control over their campaigns. So do keep on reading and stay with me…

    Another nifty point about Amazon Sponsored Products Ads is that the tool can be easy on your marketing budget. You only pay for clicks. You can budget how much you want to pay per click—so no surprises, and you can measure the results of your campaign along with insights on how to optimize performance by adjusting the AdWords that you select.

    The bottom line:

    You are only charged when your ad receives a click. This amount is deducted from your Amazon seller account.

    How much are Amazon AdWords? 

    Now that is the question, isn’t it?

    Amazon Sponsored Products operate on a cost-per-click, auction-based pricing model. You bid the maximum amount that you are willing to pay when a shopper clicks an ad for your product. The more competitive your bid is, the higher the chances that your ad will be displayed when it matches an Amazon shopper’s search.

    Adwords are determined by selecting keywords for the book that you want to promote on Amazon. Keywords are similar to Metadata. The more popular the keywords are the more expensive your AdWords will be and the more that you must bid to have them associated with your Sponsored Product ad.

    And this is where PublishDrive’s new tool will come in to play.

    The PublishDrive team invested months of research into finding the best ways to simplify this tool for authors, and we are beyond excited to tell you that PublishDrive is the first self-publishing platform to integrate Amazon advertising for ebooks. Now authors can manage global ebook distribution and powerful advertising in a single platform.

    SPECIAL OFFER: 

    LIMITED TIME ONLY – Try it out during the BETA TESTING of the TOOL – Visit PublishDrive

    Until the end of March 2019, beta-testing of this feature is available to all PublishDrive users who sell ebooks on Amazon. This means you can use the tool even if you distribute directly to Amazon rather than going through PublishDrive.

    Publish Drive’s revolutionary tool will help you to:

    • Refine your Amazon ad campaigns
    • Reduce costs associated with irrelevant ad clicks
    • Improve overall ad campaign performance

    PublishDrive offers one of the most robust and flexible distribution networks in the publishing industry that includes Amazon, DangDang (China’s Amazon), GooglePlay, Scribd, Tolino (Germany), Odilo (Spain), Bibliotheca (U.S. Libraries), Apple Books, and dozens more. PublishDrive’s list continues to expand.

    If you haven’t heard of the award-winning international PublishDrive, you will. 

    PublishDrive works with the New York Times and Amazon bestselling authors, niche indie publishers, and #seriousauthors. Read more about PublishDrive at  www.chantireviews.com/2019/02/28/publishdrive-an-international-and-technologically-innovative-publishing-platform/

    PublishDrive will present sessions on their innovative and easy to use digital platform that distributes ebooks on a global reach by using the latest in technology at the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    Next Chanticleer articles:  Read about SAVANT, PublishDrive’s proprietary artificial intelligence program that helps identify the most relevant keywords and target their associated bestselling books for optimal Amazon Sponsored Products Ads to help authors boost their book sales and optimize their AdWords campaigns.

    Also, there will be a third article about the nitty-gritty of AdWords — like how much should you bid, what are the time projections for Amazon AdWords campaigns, and how does an author/publisher bring it all together to optimize book sales.

    At the Chanticleer Authors Conference, we will delve more into detail about promoting on Amazon and other digital book platforms. Have you registered? Hurry!  Seats are limited!

  • PublishDrive – an International and Technologically Innovative Publishing Platform

    PublishDrive – an International and Technologically Innovative Publishing Platform

    If you haven’t heard of the award-winning international PublishDrive, you will. 

     

    PublishDrive provides authors and publishers a global reach to readers by using the latest in digital technology.

    The company has an easy to use digital platform to distribute e-books to a global audience so that authors and publishers may reach untapped markets.

    PublishDrive offers one of the most robust and flexible distribution networks in the publishing industry that includes Amazon, DangDang (China’s Amazon), GooglePlay, Scribd, Tolino (Germany), Odilo (Spain), Bibliotheca (U.S. Libraries), Apple Books, and dozens more. PublishDrive’s list continues to expand.

    E-commerce giant Dangdang and self-publishing platform PublishDrive announced a partnership that, for the first time, allows authors in the West to make their self-published e-books available on the website. Forbes, August 31, 2018. 

    PublishDrive works with the New York Times and Amazon bestselling authors, niche indie publishers, and #seriousauthors.

    PublishDrive offers:

    • Independent, total control for PublishDrive authors and publishers
    • Free, Accessible Ebook Conversion for all Indie authors and publishers
    • Reach all major ebook selling platforms from one distribution point (or not-it is up to you)
    • Upload hundreds of titles or one title within minutes
    • Track all sales and invoices in one place
    • An easy-to-use platform to distribute ebooks to a global audience
    • A complete package that includes: distribution, financial reports, and automated billing
    • No upfront costs and global ebook publishing
    • See real-time analytics and powerful statistics
    • Metadata Management – (FINALLY – Kiffer)
    • Ebook Marketing Features  – (YES! -Kiffer)

    What about ROYALTIES? 

    There are no hidden costs. PublishDrive only gets paid 10% of the digital list price when your books are sold. There are no subscription or hidden fees.

    PublishDrive pays royalties monthly. We compile monthly sales reports, prepare your invoice, and pay you accordingly.

    I met the CEO of PublishDrive, Kinga Jentetics, at Digital Book World 2018 conference held in Nashville, Tenn. this past fall when she was on a panel that I was moderating. The panel was ” Artificial Intelligence and  Machine Learning in Content Distribution.” It was then and then at discussions afterward where I learn about what PublishDrive offers Indie Authors and was impressed. Intrigues as I was, I did more research about PublishDrive and our conversation continued.

    The PublishDrive Team

    I am excited to announce that this company with a global reach is participating at the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference. PublishDrive is also contributing the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards prize packages!

    PublishDrive is sending their expert, Adam Woods, to present sessions on Metadata, their new built-in tool to market books on Amazon’s Advertising Campaigns, and Book Marketing Strategies at the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference.