Platform

Starting an Author Newsletter Before Winning a Book Contract

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 14, 2018

Writers often wonder how to start a newsletter before their book is released. The process might not seem to make sense when you’re publishing a newsletter to promote yourself as an author. However, since a newsletter is meant to establish a relationship with potential fans, being in communication with readers is a great idea. Here are some strategies:

Include personal tidbits. You aren’t an author yet, so think about what you’d say to the new volunteer at church you’d like to get to know better. You can share some personal aspects of your life without disregarding safety and the privacy of others. Perhaps you can share your pet’s antics. Vacation photos shared well after your return may be an option.
Promote other authors. Who are your favorites? Authors you’ve been reading for years deserve to be discovered by your newsletter readers.
Promote other books. Is an author you enjoy breaking into a different genre? Have you discovered a new author or type of book you like? Let readers know.
Share the travails of the publishing process. Talk about your publishing journey.

Having trouble writing proposal or struggling with Chapter Two? People with any day job can relate to toiling on their least-favorite aspect of work.
Anxious about submitting your work to agents? Everyone has been nervous. They’ll get it.
Rejection letters? We’ve all been rejected. Learning we are not alone is one reason everyone enjoys connecting.
An offer of representation? By now, your readers are rooting for you and will be happy.
Sending the manuscript off to editors? Another point of excitement and nervousness. Let your readers feel these emotions with you.
A contract offer! Joy!
Now that you have news about your book, readers will be thrilled to follow along. Now they are invested in you and most will want to read your book because they now feel as though you are a friend.

Your turn:

What is your favorite author newsletter?

What do you like to read about in author newsletters?

Did you start a newsletter before you got a book contract? What tips can you offer?

Don’t Put Everything in Your Book

By Dan Balowon May 29, 2018

One reason platform-building is a such a problem for some authors is the feeling they must place everything important in their book, leaving little or nothing left to say for platform purposes. This puts an author in an awkward position where they either deviate from their core book-message for their platform (social media and other efforts) or they treat their platform only as a “teaser” or …

Category: Branding, Career, Marketing, Pitching, PlatformTag: Branding, Marketing, Message, Platform

Your Author Photo

By Steve Laubeon April 30, 2018

A number of questions were raised when I wrote about the “bio” portion of a book proposal and suggested that you include an author photo. Here are some practical considerations. Make it Look Professional Quality photographers will tell you that background, lighting, how you look at the camera, and what you are wearing have a great influence on how the photo appears. I once saw an …

Category: Book Proposals, Pitch, Pitching, PlatformTag: Author Photos, book proposals

Make Much Ado of Your New Book

By Bob Hostetleron April 18, 2018

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(5 Ways to Plan a Success-Guaranteed Book Launch Event) I am no marketing genius, and though I’ve written fifty books, I still have much to learn about author and book publicity. But I nonetheless had a great time launching my book, The Bard and the Bible: A Shakespeare Devotional, a book of daily reflections drawn from a quote from Shakespeare and a verse from the King James Version of the Bible …

Category: Book Sales, Career, Marketing, Platform, The Writing LifeTag: Book Launch, Book Sales, Marketing, Platform

Book and Author – Traveling Companions

By Dan Balowon April 17, 2018

In publishing circles, we frequently refer to the “launch” of a new book when it is first published, but often tend to overlook the fact that it is not an unmanned rocket controlled at the publisher/mission control. Books need a pilot. The author must travel with the book. I am uncertain if there ever was a time in the history of book publishing where an author didn’t need to join their book out …

Category: Branding, Career, Get Published, Marketing, PlatformTag: Book Launch, Getp Published, Marketing, Platform

The Bottom Line – Get It Done, Well

By Dan Balowon April 10, 2018

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Writing books is a performance business. At the end of the day, week or whatever time period applies, an author produces something on a schedule. I know many people write without any firm deadline as they are just starting out writing for illumination and enjoyment, but honestly, I can’t imagine working without a deadline and not self-imposing one. I’ll intentionally place myself in a position …

Category: Book Business, Career, Platform, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Career, Deadlines, The Writing Life

Creative Boundaries

By Dan Balowon April 3, 2018

Creative people usually don’t like being told what to create or what not to create. Similarly, explorers and researchers don’t like being told, “Don’t look there,” or “Explore over here.” By nature, they follow their training and instincts from place to place and thought to thought. As a writer, while the worst thing you could do is plagiarize someone else’ work, the worst thing someone else could …

Category: Career, Communication, Creativity, Inspiration, PlatformTag: Career, Creativity, Faith, Inspiration, The Writing Life

When the Market Is Too Tight

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 22, 2018

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Previously I posted about sending rejections saying the market is too tight as a reason for the decline. Let’s take a closer look. Subjective? “The market is too tight,” sounds objective, doesn’t it? As in, “There isn’t enough room for your book because no one is buying this type of book.” However, this is one time we can get philosophical and admit this reason for a decline is actually the …

Category: Book Proposals, Genre, Get Published, Pitching, Platform, RejectionTag: book proposals, Get Published, Rejection

Getting Started in Social Media

By Dan Balowon March 20, 2018

Actually, the title was a bit of click-bait to entice aspiring authors and platform builders to open this post. Sorry. Getting started in social media is not a problem. It’s as simple as 1-2-3 and grade school children around the world do it every day. If you are having trouble getting started in social media, it could be your rotary-dial phone, thirty-year-old modem and Commodore 64 computer are …

Category: Branding, Marketing, Platform, Social Media, Technology, The Writing LifeTag: Branding, Marketing, Platform, Social Media

Can Death Cleaning Spark Joy?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 8, 2018

One of the most challenging aspects of being successful in nonfiction is choosing a topic general enough to interest a broad swath of readers, but unique enough to make them think of the question in a new way so they’ll want to buy your book. Take decluttering. I follow at least three decluttering blogs. My daughter says, “How about just cleaning instead of reading about it? Then you’d get it …

Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Marketing, Pitching, Platform, The Writing LifeTag: Marketing, Nonfiction