By Anne R. Allen. This week, Jane Friedman reports some bad news for new novelists who want to go the traditional publishing route. She says fiction markets are increasingly “more competitive and risk-averse due to continued dwindling sales.” And she tells us that agents and publishers are now combing queries looking for “authors who demonstrate they […]
Guest Blogging for Authors: How NOT to Query a Blogger…and 10 Tips for Doing it Right
Want to land a guest blogging gig? Don’t clown around. by Anne R. Allen Marketing gurus will tell you guest blogging is one of the best ways to get your name out there to sell books and/or writing services. And they’re right. Here are some reasons why. But the gurus don’t often tell you how […]
How Book Launches Have Changed in the Digital Age
by Anne R. Allen Most writers have been picturing it since we started scribbling ideas for our first novel. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel, the goal that keeps us slogging along, the Holy Grail of our writing journey— It’s your BIG BOOK LAUNCH PARTY!! We’ve watched the scene in so many […]
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 […]
How to Blog VI: 15 Tips for Guest Bloggers
by Anne R. Allen Guest posting on blogs is a great marketing tool. The frenzy for blog tours seems to have quieted down a bit recently, but whether you’re launching a new title, promoting an editorial service, or simply building platform, providing content for other people’s blogs is still an effective way to reach potential new readers […]
RIP the Author Book Tour—and why you shouldn’t be sad to see it go
by Anne R. Allen We’ve all fantasized about book tours, haven’t we? That glamorous trip we’ll take when our novel makes it big? Our publisher will send us off in a whirlwind of glamorous travel: booksignings, readings, and personal appearances with our adoring fans all over the country—maybe the world! But this week, BookTour.com […]