Tag: social media

Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self Publishing Week in Review: 1/8/13

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self publishing industry. This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self publishing process, which will lead to a greater self publishing experience. To help you stay current on self publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Tuesday to find out the hottest news in self publishing this week.

TEXAS READS: Self-publishing a way to release the book in you, but do it right

This article for a Texas newspaper shares the columnist’s opinion on and experience with self publishing. As a book reviewer and fellow author, he offers useful and interesting insight on the subject.

Sumner Library hosts event about self publishing

I love to see people besides self publishing companies promoting self publishing. It shows that people are truly interested in the topic and proves that the information out there isn’t just companies marketing themselves to convince you to self publish. Self publishing really is a great option for many authors. If you live in the area, be sure to check out this free event at Sumner Library on January 18.

Self-published book chronicles cancer journey

This is a fascinating story about a cancer survivor who chronicles her journey by writing a book. The book covers the hardships, indignities and triumphs she experienced during her battle with cancer. In the article, she also talks about her experiences during the self publishing process.

Outskirts Press Kicks Off 2013 with Free Social Media Set-Up for Self-Publishing Authors in January

Social media is one of the most powerful, persuasive tools authors can use in their book marketing efforts. During the month of January, Outskirts Press is offering authors free social media set-up services – a savings of up to $499. This is a great deal for self publishing authors!

If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self Publishing Week in Review: 12/18/12

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self publishing industry. This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self publishing process, which will lead to a greater self publishing experience. To help you stay current on self publishing topics, I’m starting a new weekly post that will give you summary of the recent hot topics. Simply visit our blog every Tuesday to find out the hottest news in self publishing this week.

5 Ways to Reduce Your Self-Publishing Costs

This post offers great tips on how to save money while self-publishing. It is great because it doesn’t save you money by sacrificing quality. Instead, it offers simple solutions to avoid costly mistakes.

Guy Kawasaki on the Top Ten Reasons to Self-Publish

This bestselling author discusses his top ten reasons to self publish. He shows that there are more benefits to self publishing than just avoiding the traditional publishing politics.

Authors Exercise Their “Write” to Self Publish

CBS news recently covered the self publishing trend and authors who have chosen to self publish their books. One of the key points is that traditional publishers are looking at self publishing best sellers list to find new talent. Self publishing is changing the way authors get discovered.

If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self Publishing Week in Review: 12/11/12

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self publishing industry. This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self publishing process, which will lead to a greater self publishing experience. To help you stay current on self publishing topics, I’m starting a new weekly post that will give you summary of the recent hot topics. Simply visit our blog every Tuesday to find out the hottest news in self publishing this week.

Self-Publishing Case Studies

This video blog includes interesting statistics and case studies about self-publishing authors. The five case studies cover successful self-publishing authors who have topped the Self-Published Bestselling List. Their stories will inspire you.

Chicken Little and Self Publishing

This blogger talks about the recent news surrounding Amazon’s changing algorithms and deleting of book reviews. He also provides insight into the changing publishing industry and shares some of his personal experiences as a self-published author.

Self Publishing and Web Presence

This post offers great advice on creating a strong web presence, which is essential for self-publishing authors. The post covers everything from blogs to social media pages to Goodreads to Amazon.

Self-Publishing Authors Could Win $1,500

The deadline for Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award is fast approaching. You only  have until December 14, 2012 to register. Check out this post for more information.

If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Wendy Speaks

Five Ways Self Published Authors Can Improve Blog Traffic

By now you know that self-published authors must have an online presence. One of the best ways to build your online platform and promote yourself and your book is blogging. However, a blog is only useful if you are regularly attracting your target readers. Your goal is not to simply post a certain number of blogs per week but to also build an audience and increase the traffic to your blog. Here are a few ways to improve your blog traffic.

1. Study the numbers.

Most blogging programs monitor how many people visit your blog and what content they view. Often it also tells you how the readers found your blog. For instance, if someone discovered your blog by searching the key words “self published” and “children’s book author,” that is important information. You want to pay attention to what keywords are bringing in readers and what content readers are viewing. This will help you further target your audience and will tell you if you are attracting the right readers.

2. The key is new, useful content.

If you want to improve your blog traffic, you MUST regularly post new, useful content. People expect blogs to updated almost daily, and they want to read information that helps or interests them in some way. When choosing blog topics, ask yourself, “Why would my audience read this?” If your audience won’t find it helpful or interesting, don’t post it.

3. Tone down the keywords.

Yes, keywords are important because you want your blog to appear in search engine results. However, you also want your blog to sound genuine. Readers hate when blogs are crammed with keywords. They can tell when you tried to stuff as many keywords as possible into your posts. Keep the writing natural, and the keywords will happen on their own. It is also useful to use synonyms for keywords. Remember how your English teachers told you to expand your vocabulary and never use the same word multiple times in a paragraph or sentence? The same is true for blogging. Readers still expect good writing.

4. Edit! Edit! Edit!

Everything you put online represents you as an author. If you want to be taking seriously and be viewed as a professional, all of your online work must  be professional. Never post a blog without proofreading it. Remember all of the grammar and writing tips your English teachers have taught you. While there is more flexibility in online writing, readers still expect the work to be professional. If grammar and spelling are not your strengths, hire a professional to proofread your posts.

5. Share links.

The power of social media is unbelievable. Bloggers get more traffic from social media than search engine results. Always share links to your posts on your social media pages. Also encourage your followers to share your links. (Retweeting a fellow blogger’s links is a great way to earn brownie points.) However, don’t use social media solely to promote your blog. Followers like to build genuine relationships with the companies and people they follow, and they don’t use social media to constantly be sold to.

Building a great blog requires time and skills. If you aren’t able to commit to maintaining a great blog, you can hire someone to help. There are plenty of professionals who can write, edit, and manage your posts. Just because you are the author of the blog doesn’t mean you have to do all the work alone.

I’d love to know, what have you done to improve your blog traffic?

ABOUT WENDY STETINA: Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction, or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.
Elise Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book

3 Reasons Why You Should Constantly Talk About Your Book on Social Media

Book marketing professionals often discuss the importance of brands (authors, books, etc.) embracing the idea of transparent and natural engagement with users of social media. What if you don’t agree? Are there ever good reasons for constant promotion of your book on social media sites? Sure, here are just a few of the best:

  • You like annoying others. Sure, people are on social media sites to start, build, and grow relationships, but they want to hear about your book book all of the time. Not really. People want to connect with relevant people who engage/participate in relevant discussions. If you annoy them, they will either ignore you or disconnect (unlike, unfriend, unfollow, etc.) from you.
  • You know that everyone needs to know about your book, and they all need to buy it. Target markets? Who needs ’em? Your book was written in gold, and there’s no reason they wouldn’t want to read it. Not necessarily. Every product on the market has a target market. Think about it… not everyone is interested in even the most common things – TV, internet, telephone service, etc. Why would your book be any different? Define your target market and aim to connect with them in a natural way.
  • You want to be ignored. For every person who ignores you, there are 100 more people who will listen, right? Not exactly. People that you connect with are not “a dime a dozen.” They also don’t grow on trees. Cherish the relationships you have built with the goal of building even more meaningful relationships.

Social media can be a powerful book marketing tool – especially if used correctly by authors who take the scenic self-publishing route. You don’t have a traditional publisher standing behind you or throwing their marketing dollars at your book. So, you have to figure out how to “go it alone.”

Interacting with new potential readers on sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. could be a potential goldmine for opening the door to earning even more royalties from your book. You not only have a chance to connect with people that you already know, but you can meet new people and form new relationships. Make every opportunity count!

Elise Connors ABOUT ELISE L. CONNORS:
Elise works as the Manager of Author Support of Outskirts Press.  She also contributes to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com.Elise and a group of talented book marketing experts assist self-publishing authors and professionals who are interested in getting the best possible exposure for their book.