Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
by Anne R. Allen When a writer complains that everybody in traditional publishing is crooked, or that the whole industry is rigged against new writers, you can usually be sure the author’s manuscript needs work. But it could also be that he doesn’t know how to write a query. I know some excellent writers who […]
Make a solid reader connection and they’ll spread the word about your books *** I’d like to thank Penny Sansevieri for stepping in this week, while I have spent some exciting time in the hospital having fun medical adventures. It turns out what I have is “just” sciatica, a fiendishly painful thing that happens to […]
by Anne R. Allen “Chapter titles!?” sez you. What is this, the 18th century? What am I supposed to write? Something like this? Chapter the first, in which our hero is born, discovers that fire is hot, learns to pull up his own breeches, and slays a smallish dragon. Hey, those 18th century writers knew […]
by Ruth Harris Your blurb (aka Production Description on Amazon) has one — and only one — purpose: to make the reader an offer s/he can’t refuse. How do I know? Because over the years, I’ve written hundreds — more likely thousands — of blurbs. From the slush pile to the editor’s office. When I started […]
An ARC review team helps launch a book effectively by Dave Chesson As authors, we need reviews. There’s no way of getting around it. While it doesn’t appear that reviews directly affect things like the Amazon algorithm, reviews are still a crucial tool to sell books. For example, if you’re trying to choose between a […]
An author blog gets Google’s attention by Anne R. Allen Should all authors blog? Of course not. We’re all different and we write for different audiences. There are lots of ways to establish an online presence. Anne Rice does a good deal of publicity from her Facebook page, and Stephen King is big on Twitter. […]
Amazon and Bookbub offer great marketing tools. And they’re free! by Ruth Harris Yeah, we know… A BookBub feature will rocket your book skyward. Stacked promos can help you tickle the algos and ride the tsunami. A great launch strategy well executed can get your book a bestseller badge. But all these options are pricey—especially […]
by Anne R. Allen One of our most popular posts in recent years has been a guest post from mystery author Sue McGinty. She wrote about Hometown Marketing, and the importance of getting our books known in our own communities. It helps if you’ve written those books with that community in mind. Not just to […]
By Nate Hoffelder With COVID-19 slowly becoming less of a pandemic, it looks like it might be safe to start gathering again in large groups. This means that it is time for introverted authors to start brushing off their people skills and get ready to meet readers at book fairs and public events. After 18 […]
How’s Your Amazon Bio? Can it sell books by the truckload? Today’s guest post is an excerpt from How to Sell Books by the Truckload on Amazon: 2021 Amazon Ads Powerhouse Edition by Penny Sansevieri, Founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, a cutting edge book marketing firm. By Penny Sansevieri Since I first published […]
by Nate Hoffleder If you Google author bios you will find a million different articles, each with their own recommendation. Be short and too the point. Use the third person. Simply say who you are, and give your publishing credits. Be formulaic. A lot of this advice is good, but I also think it is […]
Publishing scammers prey on newbies and seasoned pros alike by Anne R. Allen 2020 was a terrible year in so many ways. But one group seems to have thrived: the scammer community. Publishing scammers are everywhere now. I hear about new ones every week, each more heartbreaking than the one before. And more outrageous. Phishing […]
Does the idea of “branding” yourself or your work make you cringe? (I’m an artist, dammit—not a corporate sleaze bag!) Are you confused by what “branding” for novelists, essayists, poets, or even general non-fiction writers even means? Or, conversely, are you sold on the necessity of branding your writing and excited about the opportunity, but […]
Anne R Allen’s Blog With Ruth Harris