Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
by Penny Sansevieri Amazon ads are a very popular go-to for the majority of authors and we know it’s a big revenue driver for Amazon. But do Amazon ads make money for authors? In some cases, yes, but sadly the majority of authors aren’t using the platform in a way that benefits them. And […]
by Anne R. Allen Talk about self-publishing has diminished in the last few years. Most of the “Kindle Millionaires” that surged onto the scene a decade or so ago have evaporated from indie writing communities. Some of them are, of course, busy writing their next bestseller. But a lot either got traditional publishing contracts, […]
You can market your book with these 10 strategies By Rachel Thompson It can be daunting for authors when you have no idea how to market your book, yet it is essential to get your book in front of readers to make it successful. Here are the most important and effective book marketing strategies […]
Fragmenting Social Media Creates a Problem for Book Marketing By Anne R. Allen I know how it is: your readers started fading from Facebook all through 2022, disgusted by invasive advertising and slimy tactics that spy on your every move. They are also fed up by those bizarre, arbitrary algorithms that send you to Facebook […]
by Sue Coletta When the buzz of TikTok started spreading, I wanted no part of it. With two Facebook accounts, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Goodreads, etc. the last thing I needed was another social media site. I could barely juggle the audience I’d amassed on social media over the last twelve years. Then I […]
by Anne R. Allen Bad marketing is worse than none. And I’ve seen some breathtakingly bad marketing strategies recently. I assume authors are hiring cut-rate online marketers who have more experience selling real estate in Mumbai and knock-off designer sunglasses than books. Do I need to say this is a bad idea? Being annoying may […]
BookBub: You can use it even if you can’t afford their ads. by Anne R. Allen Isn’t BookBub Just a Bargain Ebook Newsletter? They started out with the daily bargain newsletter. And it’s still going strong. BookBub has become the most successful of all the bargain newsletters in the US and UK. As a reader, […]
Competing book titles can help sell your book! By Penny Sansevieri As an author you’ve probably been told to look at competing titles through multiple stages of your journey from writing, to publishing, to book promotion. Competing book titles can be lucrative references for cover design, book length, and choosing your categories and keywords. They’re […]
Maybe what readers want is peace and quiet and good books. by Anne R. Allen The latest trend in online marketing is building a “personal relationship” with customers and readers. Sending newsy emails about your fab summer vacation isn’t enough anymore. Now you have to ask them about their fab summer vacations. This is supposed […]
by Nate Hoffelder Self-publishing a book can get quite expensive. A good cover designer can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, and the editorial costs can set you back even more. While there are many important expenses, there are also many ways to spend money and get nothing useful in return. For example, take the […]
New Book Marketing: how today’s author launches a book. By Melodie Campbell New Book!! Gak – I have a new book coming out January 29. The Goddaughter Does Vegas is number 6 in an award-winning series (Derringer and Arthur Ellis – yay!) Because of that, I do have some expectation of sales from previous readers of […]
Twitter is important for authors, but not for direct sales. by Rachel Thompson (@BadRedheadMedia) Twitter is a terrible selling channel… …if your goal is to spam your book links and hope for the best. Most writers write their book and then realize, oh hey, there are millions of potential readers just waiting to buy […]
An Indie Author CAN publish with dignity and rise above the sleaze. by Derek Murphy I was at a writer’s conference recently where a woman was upset because the agent she pitched didn’t believe in her book. She wanted more support, more sympathy, more understanding. The speaker pointed out that the agent’s job is not […]
