Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
The Author Blog: Easy Blogging for Busy Authors is here! by Anne R. Allen I’ve made some spectacular blunders in my blogging career. But since we learn from our mistakes, I’ve got a boatload of information now. As Ruth and I say: “We made the mistakes so you don’t have to.” The worst decision I […]
Social Media can feel like a monster. Here’s how to slay it. by Chris Syme When it comes to book marketing, there is no bigger potential time waster than social media. There are approximately 210 social media sites listed on Wikipedia (global numbers). Of those 210, there are about ten that you can probably name […]
Everybody listens to podcasts, but do they sell books? by Allison Tait Podcasts. It seems as though everyone is talking about them, listening to them and starting one. But should you? Australian author Allison Tait is the co-host of the popular So You Want To Be A Writer podcast. She’s a multi-genre writer with 25+ years […]
Amazon’s New Review Rules: Nobody expects the Amazon Inquisition! by Anne R. Allen Amazon has been tweaking its customer review rules. Some revisions appeared in late September and others debuted early in October. So how do they affect authors? Should we be worried? Is the Amazon Review Inquisition going to excommunicate more reviewers and banish our reviews? […]
Selling books on social media can be a time-suck by Chris Syme A mind-boggling 78 percent of Americans have a social media profile. And a little over half of them are on more than one channel. It is a given that authors can develop loyal audiences and sell more books with the help of social media. […]
Facebook ads work to reach the elusive niche reader by Barbara Morgenroth Eight years ago when I began a second career as an indie author after many years in traditional publishing as well as television, my middle grade book, Impossible Charlie, was the only new book in its category. Total book visibility! By the […]
Blogging authors can break the”blog rules”! by Anne R. Allen Authors get lots of conflicting advice about blogging. Most of it isn’t terribly useful—and some can hurt or even destroy your career. It nearly happened to me. That’s because most of the blogging advice out there is: Out of date. Aimed at bloggers who want […]
by Cat Michaels Writing is a solitary experience, but it needn’t be a lonely pursuit. In addition to discoverability, writers use social media to share ideas and find support. First, however, they must be R*A*R*E and learn the unwritten ‘rules’ of virtual interaction. Whether you’re an author, blogger, or budding entrepreneur, read on to […]
by Anne R. Allen First I have to say how jazzed I am to be named one of the 16 Best People to Follow on Twitter by book marketing guru Penny Sansevieri at Author Marketing Experts, Inc. Thanks Penny! It’s a great list and I’m honored to be on it. Okay, I know why […]
We’ve got a must-read guest post for you this week. David Congalton, screenwriter and radio superstar here on the Central Coast of California, tells us how to be a good radio guest. Radio is still essential to book promotion in the digital age. Most car-commuters still listen to broadcast or satellite radio and the popularity of […]
by Anne R. Allen Ruth and I get lots of email from fledgling authors, both indie and trad-pubbed. The majority ask pretty much the same question: “I’ve got great reviews, I’m on social media, and I send out a newsletter—just like [my publisher/agent/a blog guru/this book I read] told me to: why isn’t my […]
by Anne R. Allen We are always hearing about authors who have phenomenal success with a “first novel.” I’m sure most writers fantasize about being that author sometime in our early careers. I sure did. But here’s what I didn’t know back then: the novels that are published first are rarely the first novel […]
by Anne R. Allen Let’s Face it: Getting Reviews is Tough Whether we’re newbies or superstars, traditional or self-publishers, pretty much all authors stress about reviews: getting them…and surviving them. From the time our first book launches, we’re told our number one job is to get reviewed. We send out ARCs, desperately query book bloggers […]
