One of the biggest changes the e-reader has brought to the publishing industry doesn’t get much cyberink in the online book community. It’s the huge international market that’s opening up now that we don’t have to pay to ship physical books around the world. If, like me, you’ve ever experienced that terrible moment on vacation […]
Blog Communities: Forming a Safe Place for New Writers in a Scary Online World
Some pretty scary things have been happening in the online book world recently—stuff that’s been shocking to those of us who expect our fellow book-lovers to behave like civilized adults. I spend a lot of time telling new authors how to use social media to create a “platform,” but I probably don’t warn you enough about the […]
Anthologies are Hot: How to Tell a Great Opportunity from a Pay-to-Play Scam
by Anne R. Allen The Oxford dictionary says the word “anthology” comes from a Greek phrase meaning a collection of flowers. I love that image. An anthology is a place to display literary or musical works that have been chosen to work together—like a floral bouquet. I’ve had the privilege of contributing to […]
METADATA 101: A Non-Techie Does Her Best to Explain Metadata (and Why it Matters) In Plain English
by Ruth Harris First of all, what the &%^# is metadata? AccordIng to Wikipedia, it’s “data about data.” But we’re writers and we’re talking about books, so, huh? Let me try again: when it comes to a book, metadata can be defined both by what it is and what it isn’t. Metadata’s everything in […]
Social Media Secrets, Part III: What Should an Author Blog About?
by Anne R. Allen This is the third in my series on my “Social Media Secrets.” If you haven’t read the first two yet, you might want to check out #1: How to Avoid Twitter-Fritter and Facebook-Fail and #2 How to Blog Your Way Out of the Slush Pile and onto the Bestseller List.When I teach blogging, the […]
Why Go to A Writers Conference? 10 Reflections and 10 Tips to Get the Most out of Your Conference Experience
I kind of have a love-hate relationship with writers’ conferences. I’ve been to some that left me dazed and confused (and considerably poorer) but I’ve attended others that energized and inspired me. So are conferences necessary to launch your writing career? No, but it can be a great way to learn the basics of the […]
Social Media Secrets Part II: How to Blog your Way out of the Slush Pile and onto the Bestseller List
by Anne R. Allen “Blogging doesn’t sell books.” “Don’t waste your time blogging.” “Spend more time on Facebook/Pinterest/Tumblr/Twitter/YouTube/ Goodreads/Soliciting reviews/Spamming your friends with newsletters.” You’re hearing this stuff every day. But in a survey published this week, 63% of readers said they discover books most often on author websites (a blog is a website.) Facebook nearly […]
Social Media Secrets Book Marketers Don’t Tell You—Part I: How to Avoid Twitter-Fritter and Facebook-Fail
by Anne R. Allen First: many thanks to Indies Unlimited, which named this blog to its 10 Blogs and Websites Every Indie Should Know. If you’re an indie, or thinking of going indie (self-publishing or small-press), do follow them for great tips and news from a very savvy team of writers. Most writers these days […]
Rejection, Rotten Reviews, and Social Media: 7 Ways Writers Need to be Like Rhinos
by Ruth Harris Writers are always urged to have or develop “rhino skin.” But let me add a few words about rhino skin. When I wrote ZURI, I did lots & lots of research about rhinos. As it turns out, rhinos have thick hides but sensitive skin—quite different from the usual perception. What rhinos […]
Is Your Author Website Working Against you? Top 10 Things to Avoid on your Author Site or Blog
by Anne R. Allen I visit a lot of author websites and blogs. Most are delightfully creative. I love how so many of the sites—especially the blogs—express the author’s personality and genre in a unique and clever way. But then there are the others… I’m talking about the sites that seem to have forgotten […]
7 Ways Authors Waste Time “Building Platform” on Social Media
by Anne R. Allen Authors are getting hammered with more and more demands on our time. We get escalating pressure to blog more! tweet more!! send more newsletters!!! churn out 12 books a year!!!! And don’t query unless your Klout rating is as high as Justin Beiber’s !!!!! It’s making us all feel as […]
How NOT to Self-Publish: 12 Things for New Indies to Avoid
by Anne R. Allen Self-publishing has lost its stigma, and it’s the publishing path of choice for a lot of writers these days. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Or that everybody who self-publishes will succeed. Unfortunately, I’m seeing a lot of writers dive in head first without having a clue what they’re doing. Even long-time […]
Top 10 Questions from New Writers: Answers to Your Most Burning Questions
by Anne R. Allen We welcome questions from readers, and we always try to offer an answer or at least steer you to a place where you can find one. A good place to get more detailed information is a book I co-wrote with Catherine Ryan Hyde: How to be a Writer in the E-Age…and […]
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