Information and tips, focusing on publishing, publicity, promotional ideas, author profiles, design resources and more.
Alisa Beagley writes and illustrates action-packed books set in a world of superheroes and supervillains. Her latest book, Clash of the Powers is out soon and follows on from Captives of the Killer and Second Chances.
Alisa promotes and sells her books via her well-designed and informative website.
Author Natalie Gretton recovered from the recent bankruptcy of her publisher by holding a very successful book launch for The Healer of Marchmont. Here is her account of the event:
My young adult medieval adventure novel was due for release five weeks after the publisher went into liquidation. After negotiation with the printers, I purchased the 1500 copies of The Healer of Marchmont. Neither my husband, Mike of I had much idea of how to market the book to sell, so listened to anyone who had advice for us.
I was offered our local Neighbourhood Centre to have a book launch and chose a date some weeks from that. Flyers went out to the whole town and outlying areas of Trentham through the postal service, advertising the launch using the cover of the book, part of the blurb and a little about me. I also placed books in the local Trentham bookstore, Aesop’s Attic in Kyneton, New Leaves bookshop in Woodend, Stoneman’s Bookroom in Castlemaine, and Paradise Books in Daylesford. These were on a commission basis. Friends were contacted by Email, on Facebook, through my new website set up by my IT guru son, and word of mouth. A visit by friends who live in Canberra was good, because they took a box of 64 books back with them to sell for me. At present there are five books in Harry Hartog bookshop in Woden, Canberra, and more are being advertised by the friends. Other people took 10 books and sold those as well.
The book launch went very well. The day was lovely, sunny, still and warm. People came from many different places and were old and new friends we have known for short times and long times. We had some local people attend as well. Fifty people altogether. Some people had bought the book earlier and came to give comments about it or to get it signed for their children and grandchildren. Diane Parsons, a local retired secondary school teacher, launched the book for me and, after that, a critique was given by Charlie Wells. Charlie’s mother is the manager at the Trentham Neighbourhood Centre and had asked Charlie to read the book. His comments were very interesting and insightful for a ten-year-old young man. All the comments we had on the day and in Emails since have been very positive. The day of the launch we sold $500 worth of books, which did not include more that were sold prior to the launch.
There are still very many books to sell, but at least I have more than some other writers who were left in the lurch. I think I was more fortunate than some other writers as at least I have something tangible, unlike writers who were left in the lurch by a publisher.
So with a bit of advice and some energetic Emailing, phoning, flyer producing and a launch with a good afternoon, good friends, some lovely snacks and a few drinks, one can recover from what could have been a total disaster.
Eleanor Hecks discusses the importance of graphic design in enhancing the reader experience:
Authors live in an age where attention spans are dwindling and competition for readers is fiercer than ever. Today, readers crave stories that capture their imagination while captivating their senses.
For writers and book designers, this is where visuals become a must-have tool for deepening engagement and enhancing the storytelling experience. Whether through a book cover or carefully crafted book opener, graphics and design can amplify a narrative’s impact, making it linger long after the final page.
Visual storytelling is the art of conveying a narrative through images, typography and design. It goes beyond the written work, enhancing a story’s emotional impact and immersing readers in its world. For authors, visual storytelling is the connection between content and experience. It creates a richer, more engaging passage for readers.
In publishing today, this system has become increasingly important. Consider that publishers and independent authors sold over 767 million print books in 2023. When you factor in e-books, the figure climbs even higher. With so many options available, authors must find ways to stand out, and designs are one way to achieve that.
Visual storytelling is crucial because it fits the human brain’s natural preference for visuals. Humans prefer graphics over text because of a phenomenon called picture superiority, which psychologist Allan Paivio studied. According to Paivio’s dual coding theory, humans store visuals in two ways — as an image and as a word or phrase that describes the image.
In contrast, humans only store words as verbal representations. This means images are inherently more memorable, making visual storytelling better for capturing and holding readers’ attention. By integrating visuals into books, authors can create more relatable narratives on multiple levels.
When adding images to content, authors create an experience that complements and enhances the narrative. Understanding the key components of graphics can create lasting impressions on readers. Success depends on the type of experience created, as 80% of consumers now consider it to be just as important as the quality of the product when making future purchasing decisions.
To give readers what they want, the visuals must contain various components, including:
Typography
Illustrations and graphics
Color theory
Layout and white space
Cover design
Carefully combining each of these elements enables writers to produce books that are visually appealing and emotionally impactful.
Today's authors find creative ways to weave graphics and design into their storytelling, making books more dynamic and engaging. In fiction, many successful authors add maps to orient readers in complex fantasy worlds or use character illustrations to breathe life into protagonists.
In nonfiction, authors leverage images like infographics, charts and diagrams to simplify complex ideas and present data in a digestible format. For memoirs and biographies, authors typically include personal photos or handwritten notes to add authenticity and emotional resonance. By incorporating visuals strategically, they can enhance the reader’s connection to the content while making their books distinctive.
The following strategies offer ideas for authors and designers to use graphics and design elements to captivate readers.
An evocative cover is a great way to capture potential readers at first glance. The new Game of Thrones covers’ design perfectly exemplifies this. The series “A Song of Ice and Fire” uses traditional linocut art to create intrigue about the world the reader is about to enter. The covers perfectly capture Westeros and the danger that lurks within it, garnering attention and setting the tone for the epic narratives.
Whimsical chapter headers or illustrations can provide readers with visual cues. Such elements offer a glimpse into upcoming events, building anticipation and enriching the storytelling experience.
Inconspicuous visual elements that follow the story’s plot or characters can delight attentive readers. These hidden gems encourage deeper engagement, as readers feel rewarded for their attention to detail.
Impactful lines with elegant designs draw the reader’s eye to significant moments. This technique spotlights key passages, amplifying their emotional connection and making them more memorable.
Creative typography can accentuate pivotal moments or emotions within the narrative. Authors can deliver intensity, urgency or tranquility by varying text placement and style, adding another dimension to the reading experience.
Authors must use visual storytelling through graphics and design to connect with today’s readers. Visual storytelling elevates a book from a story to an unforgettable reading experience. As readers increasingly value the experience a book provides, investing in visual storytelling is a strategic creative choice. Start experimenting with visuals to convert stories into ones that readers will cherish.
Eleanor Hecks is a writer and web designer who is passionate about helping other writers grow their online presence. Her work can be found on her site Designerly, as well as publications such as IndependentPublishing.com and I Need a Book Cover.
Independent author Tony Whitefield has been profiled by the Greek Herald. Tony explains how his love for Greek culture, landscape and history led to him writing several works on history and fiction.
““I never ever thought that I could write a novel,” Tony said.
I’m a great believer that anyone can write, and having been a high school teacher for years, I thought, well I’ve written lots of articles, listing things and curriculum things and I’ve completed a master’s thesis and a PhD, so I just wanted to take that next step and commence writing.”
The 64-year-old said what he loved most about writing was the “aha moments.”
“I just love when I’m focused on such miniscule things and I can’t work out how to construct something, so I go away and clear my mind. Then, when I come back and start typing, it clicks,”
Some very good advice and an ansight into the publishing process from experienced editor Euan Mitchelle. Excerpted from his book “Your Book Publishing Options”
The Publishers’ Paradox
Publishers want a submission that is different yet has been done before.
A paradox is a statement that appears to contradict itself yet contains a slippery truth. How can publishers expect something different – that is, new – but somehow it has been done before? This doesn’t seem to make sense. The answer is that publishers want evidence your genre or type of book is already selling in viable quantities, and your submission has at least one marketable point of difference from the existing competition.
Remember the example of the new atlas on page 31? If you think your book can’t be pigeonholed into an existing genre or combination of genres (cyborg-romance, gothic-crime), think again. This can be particularly confronting for fiction writers, as I found when my first manuscript was summed up by publishers as a coming-of-age/on-the-road tale. Up to that point it was my unique story that I didn’t like to categorise.
To a publisher it was just another text whose commercial potential could be guesstimated. Therein lies the key difference that your submission needs to overcome.
You are going to improve your chances of pitching to a publisher if you can put yourself in their shoes. But I have read too many submissions – in my later role as a publisher – that are self-centred (including a new writer’s career goals), rather than focused on how a book might fit with the publisher’s existing list of titles. The following alternatives aim to turn an ordinary submission into an extraordinary pitch.
In welcome news, IngramSpark have dropped their excessive new title charges, and also removed revision charges if corrections are made within 60 days. This aligns them better with their competitors at Kindle Direct Publishing. The revision fees were particularly egregious — one of the advantages of Print On Demand is the ability to correct and update when necessary, unlike long print runs, and IngramSpark were effectively penalising people for doing so.
Of course, what one hand giveth, the other hand taketh away — a new ‘Global Distribution Fee’ has been added:
Effective July 1, 2023, a market access fee will be charged for every print book sold through Ingram’s Global Distribution network, reaching 40,000+ bookstores, retailers, libraries, and schools. The fee will be 1% of the list price of the title sold. For example, if your book has a US list price of $20.00, the market access fee will be $0.20 cents.
Books + Publishing recently published a fairly lengthy and nuanced discussion on the state of ‘hybrid publishing’ in Australia. The article defines hybrid publishing as “a situation where ‘a writer pays money for publication, and grants the company a licence of rights or the company takes a share of any profits”. Hybrid Publisher Shawline Publishing is mentioned, along with their recent opening of a bookstore in Ballarat focused on promoting indie authors. Their Facebook page is here.
Books + Publishing also posted a useful checklist for authors considering signing on with a hybrid publisher. Reedsy’s take on hybrid publishing is here.
Book marketing guru Joanne Penn practises extreme financial openness, breaking down her book sales by format, genre and country… Her advice is always worth considering.
Please click here to download our updated client information pack, containing much practical information and advice from other authors.
It’s often said that everyone has at least one book in them. Good. A thriving culture is loaded with storytellers of both fact and fiction. You don’t have to be a mega-seller to enrich yours and other people’s lives with your writing. If you have written your first book, then what should you reasonably expect in terms of publication and success?
The biggest myth to bust is that your book will sell itself. Yes, your words might be captivating; yes, you might have a stunning cover; yes, you are wrung out from the many months or years of effort to create a retail-ready book; but – and it is an important but – are you genuinely ready to promote your book? Promotion is a whole other game, which requires planning, strategy and many hours of intense work. Just when you thought you could sit back, relax and wait for the phone to ring!
Creating a print book, ebook or audiobook for a global readership has never been easier. That’s the good news. However, this also means there are millions more first-time authors around the planet competing for the attention of readers. It is often said in the book publishing industry that 95% of new titles will sell fewer than 100 copies. This includes traditionally published as well as self-published titles. A sobering statistic.
In Australia, ABC Radio is the most accessible and effective network for publicising new books. Yes, TV would be even better, but good luck getting that level of exposure unless you are already a celebrity or well-connected with TV insiders. Perhaps you think a good review in a newspaper, magazine or journal should sell truckloads. Not really. Even though a review is typically more objective than listening to a radio interview of an author spruiking the wonders of their latest title, potential readers usually find the subjectivity of the author more engaging. And what about commercial radio? Yes, this can work, but more book buyers listen to the ABC.
But before you pick up the phone to dial your local ABC Radio station, you need to know that, as a rough average, they will be able to publicise only about 1 in 20 of the books they receive. And every day a particular show at a metropolitan station, like 774 (Melbourne) or 702 (Sydney), might receive 20, 30 or more books seeking an interview for their author. This includes traditionally published authors.
Believe it or not, you can beat these odds, like I did, and score interviews with ABC Radio stations in capital cities, if you write an engaging one-page media release with a headline that hooks your potential interviewer. You will need to post a copy of your book along with your media release addressed to a particular announcer or their producer, who you’ve researched online. You might even go that extra metre with a follow-up phone call a few days later to see if they received your ‘media kit’.
If this all sounds like too much hard work, then why not Google freelance book publicists? Yes, you can do this, but don’t be surprised if a professional’s publicity campaign costs $5,000 or even $10,000 with no guarantee of success. Yes, really. Unfortunately, even that amount of money cannot guarantee high-profile announcers at key radio stations will choose you and your book. You might receive some incidental publicity opportunities, such as a community radio interview, but these will be lucky to translate into significant sales.
The above is an outline of how to pitch your print book to the traditional media: radio, print, TV. Of course, you can also promote your book on social media. If you have only an ebook version of your title, then you can forget about traditional media (who expect your book is important enough to warrant a print edition to be worthy of broadcast time) and focus all your promotional efforts online. The best material I have found on how to promote your ebook is a free downloadable guide titled Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran, an Irish writer living in Portugal. Google him and also sign up for his regular and very helpful emails.
Then there are paid-for ebook marketing services, such as BookBub and similar companies like Book Gorilla, The Fussy Librarian, Freebooksy and Booksends. They all have various terms and conditions that may or may not suit you and your budget. Or Google the website of Alessandra Torre Ink and check out her resources and courses that show authors how to use Goodreads to attract and retain readers. There are numerous other ways to promote your ebook and/or print book, but you get the idea: marketing know-how is crucial if you want to compete successfully.
The above suggestions all point to one difficult-to-escape conclusion: first-time authors need a solid marketing plan to compete in the marketplace. Yes, your launch might sell 40 or 50 copies of your book to family and friends, but how do you become one of the 5% of authors who sell more than 100 copies? A good marketing plan can take a year or more to create.
“That said, how do you measure success? Is it only through the quantity of public sales of your book?”
That said, how do you measure success? Is it only through the quantity of public sales of your book? In 1998 I had a self-published bestseller that was short-listed for a readers’ choice award and the screen rights were licensed by a film company (even though the movie didn’t go into production). However, now all the glitter from publicity and sales has well and truly settled, I can offer you another perspective on what success means. I’ve long since spent all the money I earned from that bestseller – a healthy five-figure sum – but when I calculated the total number of hours I put into writing and promoting that book, approximately one thousand, my hourly rate wasn’t much more than the minimum wage. Another sobering statistic.
With the advantage of more than two decades of hindsight, there are three enduring measures of success from my self-published bestseller experience – and it wasn’t the money!
Firstly, it was the satisfaction of actually finishing that book, because there are so many millions of writers who have half-finished manuscripts that never see the light of day. But I got mine done. I beat the odds against me completing that book. I didn’t die wondering. Not ‘I coulda, woulda, shoulda …’
Secondly, it was the legacy value for my children. My book offers them a snapshot of a time in my life that was so different yet so similar to their own, and the passing of time increases the value of that story to them. I still regret that my family had only just started recording the stories of my paternal grandfather when he died in 1977. It was like a library had burned down. His stories may or may not have been bestseller material, but the small number I heard revealed fascinating insights into our family history through two world wars and two depressions.
Thirdly, my book is now permanently stored in the National Library of Australia (NLA) and also my state library. By law in Australia, a print or electronic copy of every published book must be sent to the Legal Deposit units of the NLA and your state/territory library. You can be fined if you don’t. But the pay-off is that your book becomes a permanent part of Australia’s cultural history collection, which can be accessed by anyone online via Trove. If you have never used the NLA’s Trove search engine, then use Google to see what treasures await your discovery.
“Now, with the advantage of perspective, I can see this type of commercial success is fleeting, yet a different sense of success can endure. What will be the enduring measures of your book’s success?”
In summary, if I hadn’t had a bestseller and I told you that personal satisfaction, family legacy and contributing to Australia’s cultural heritage are the three enduring measures of my book’s success for me, then you would probably dismiss these claims as rationalising my lack of success in the marketplace. But I did sell many thousands of copies of my book and enjoyed the publicity while it lasted. Now, with the advantage of perspective, I can see this type of commercial success is fleeting, yet a different sense of success can endure. What will be the enduring measures of your book’s success?
Dr Euan Mitchell is an author and former senior editor for a major publisher.
He can be emailed via mitchell.words at gmail.com
Shirley La Planche emailed with a brief account of the recent progress of her excellent thriller The Fatal Path.
“It’s not easy being a self-publisher but I’ve sold more than 100 books to friends and associates and the reports back have been fantastic – couldn’t put it down, read until finished, great plot, scary – sort of comments that are what a thriller should do. Now I’m looking at ways of getting it into mainstream media which his not easy for a self-publisher because reviewers prefer to deal with a big publisher.”
This excellent, fast-paced book is available via the Mosh Shop and Amazon. Initial reviews on Goodreads have been positive.
Independent authors are faced with a bewildering new world when they attempt to promote their books on snd offline. The following authors and sources do an excellent job of making sense of the contemporary publishing and promotional landscape, and all are worth reading.
Euan Mitchell's Your Book Publishing Options
How to Be an Author from Fremantle Press
Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran
Ricardo Fayet's How to Market an ebook
Amazon Ads Unleashed by Robert J. Ryan
Amazon Selling Services from Helium 10
Author 2.0 Blueprint by Joanna Penn
If you are a veteran writer who has been in the industry before the internet boom, you may already have known what it was like when writers had to struggle with writing and even more so trying to find a good publisher. This could be why the market stayed relatively small. At least for the talented ones with limited resources and had geographical challenges.
Fortunately, nowadays, with some knowledge and the willingness to labor for your niche and craft, you finally get the opportunity. That is the chance to be able to reach an audience base that would otherwise have taken you forever to find.
Let's look into some of our recommendations of the best sources on resources for Independent Authors.
About the author:
Apart from being an author of a practical guide such as "Let's Get Digital," David writes historical fiction and science-fiction books under a pen name. This particular book has undergone revisions to meet the needs of the self-publishing writer of today, And it includes bonus resources as well. His engaging writing style is simple enough to understand but not to the point of being too simplistic. He covers the essential basics such as:
Using tried and tested marketing strategies that work to increase sales of your book
Getting the best editors without spending a ton.
Attracting more readers by improving how your brand is presented.
Making your eBooks easy to find, and so much more.
This book will help the new writer who wants to do it right the first time. That is, getting discovered and earning well in the process. Remarkably, it doesn't only cater to newbies but will also be a helpful resource for the more experienced writer who needs updates to this ever-changing landscape of internet publishing.
Overall, this resource is as comprehensive and as informative as you can get. It is a complete go-to reference for both the new and veteran writers alike.
Ricardo Fayet is an author/consultant and co-founder of Reedsy, an online marketplace that connects authors with editors, cover designers, translators, and publishers. The platform has been successfully helping hundreds in marketing, online ads, growing their mailing lists, and establishing news streams of income.
The book itself is a comprehensive distillation of years of coaching and teaching writers to become full-time authors and eventually make a good living out of their writing skills. Just be aware that some points of view of this author are not of an independent publishing writer since he works as a marketer and concentrates on the publishing business.
Nevertheless, you will find everything you need in this book on how to maximize the tools of the internet to snag better revenue and increase readership. He even includes essential tips on logo design to make your book appear even more attractive.
This book is all about finding your market and growing it-a practical way of looking at things to help you keep your passion by being profitable too.
This book goes into reaching in and tapping into a buying audience and converting clicks into sales. It also talks about what types of ads to avoid and the best practices for optimization. It does a no-nonsense look at how Amazon Ads works. Most of the time, it challenges the effectiveness of Amazon ads and offers methods on how to maximize them and make them work for you.
It takes on a more rigid stance compared to the softer views of other books. Nevertheless, being on top in sales rank and being one of the best sellers in this category does make it a credible source. This is especially if the friend who recommends it to you has already doubled their revenue.
If this book is recommended and in itself has sold more than the others of the same category, then it should be a must-have. Never mind that it is hard to read, provided that it is rich in reference and is an expert in the subject matter at hand, it will profit the author both in the short and long term.
Helium 10 is an all-in-one Amazon software that will help you sell your self-published book. Assembly recently acquired this software in 2019, which was aimed at helping small businesses increase their revenue through the use of content, education, and community. This software makes use of state-of-the-art resources that contain optimization tools that are intuitive and useful to help you grow your business.
It focuses on research and boosting the visibility of your product in the Amazon search engine.
Helium 10 doesn't claim to produce great listings directly, nor does it promise to increase your revenue for you automatically. But with its advanced management tools puts you in a position that will give you all the opportunities to promote your product on the world's bestselling platform. Not to mention that, currently, Helium 10 is an industry leader in its category today.
With over 1+ million users and 4 billion+ in monthly Amazon GMV, it lets its numbers speak for themselves. And for writers who like real-time marketing leverage using technology, this software is precisely what you need.
A bestselling author of New York Times and USA Today, Joanna Penn is also a podcaster, speaker, and an awarded entrepreneur. Enough said about her credibility. Ms. Penn has authored over 30 books and sold more than 600,000 copies in 162 countries, translated into 5 languages.
She is offering her book for aspiring writers entitled: "Author 2.0 Blueprint".
She has her website "The Creative Penn."m where she aims to help writers learn the basics of building a "platform" to market a book. She shares her personal experience over the past few years, detailing how she effectively marketed her book and generated and still generates sales as a best-selling author.
Her book "Author 2.0" is now available for free of which can be downloaded directly from her site after you sign up. The book itself is not about writing your best but how to market after writing your masterwork. Learning the pros and cons of publishing with necessary apparatuses like advances, contacts, and royalties, all these coming from the pro herself, is definitely worth the read.
Today, the book publishing landscape for authors has been turned on its head, as it carries both opportunities and some risks. Even minute details like logo design may make or break your masterpiece Self-publishing has finally arrived. And investing in your education on how to do it ultimately pays well in the long run.
Writer: Kieran Fallon is the owner of Logo Design company Éire Graphic Design. We are here to help your organization become more memorable through designing striking logos, eye-grabbing flyers, posters that pop, exciting animated emails and dynamic lightweight digital advertising campaigns – always backed by flexible and insightful support.
Steve (right) with Jesse Heath, OzHpv Challenge 2021 Photo John Hagan
There is a saying in recumbent bike manufacture, “The best way to make a small fortune making bikes is to start with a large fortune” and the same thing can be said about self-publishing a book. Its hard to rely on self-publishing to make money. It might happen, but don’t bank on it! In the first instance self-publishing should be about wanting to get your message out.
To get to my book story, I have been building and designing bikes since about 1987, went on the first long-distance rides on bikes I’d built around 2000, and wrote the first version of my Cycle Zoo book in about 2009. Back then I wrote, edited, illustrated and laid out the whole book, and supplied finished pdfs to Publishing Solutions. They then organised the ISBN and printing of about 1000 copies.
After that it was up to me to sell and distribute the books but that was difficult. Sometimes I’d take books to bookshops to sell, and they’d never pay. It was impossible for me to sell all the books, so I still have boxes of books in the back of cupboards at home. However the first edition of the book helped with entry into an industrial design master’s degree which gave me paid work designing bikes for 2 years. Putting it out was worth it just for that.
I’ve stayed in touch with a couple of the contacts I made after the first book. I designed a cycling board game and Anki Toner put that on his cyclingboardgames.net website. Link here. And I was interviewed by Chis Starr at 3cr. I usually attend local recumbent bike gatherings and this didn’t stop. As well I’ve kept on building bikes, and became the editor of the Australian Human Powered Vehicle Magazine Huff.
Somewhere along the way I got the urge to write a book came again, and I had enough new material to add to my previous book so set about rewriting Cycling Zoo. Fairly early in the process I got editor Neil Conning and book designer Luke Harris on board. I conversed with and interviewed a few people involved in cycling to broaden the book’s appeal, and I’m happy how the stories came out. So Adam Hari about spoke about speedbikes, Gayle Potts about refurbishing bikes for refugees, Nell Sudano about electric bikes and teaching cycling, and Alyson Macdonald about boardgames and her cycling.
Publication for the new book is by print on demand, so the book is available anywhere in the world, and is printed in quantities as small as one in the nearest printing centre including Melbourne, the UK and the USA. I have ordered and sell or give away copies for myself, family, friends and reviewers. Normally I will give away books to reviewers. An example is Chris Starr who volunteers for and runs the Yarrabug Cycling show on 3cr.
Where to buy Steve’s book:
After a phone interview with Chris, she mixed the show and put up a podcast page for the show, a resource I can use to let people know about the book. She deserves at least a free book for her efforts. The weblink is here .
Anki Toner really only wants to document every cycling board and card game no matter how obscure, and a lot of these are based on European races such as the Peace Race, Tour de France, Vuelta D’Espana and Giro D’italia. An example is here, analysis of the games is well researched and concise. But he was happy to showcase a new game I had developed and put online, called Cycle Challenge. He’s included a link to my book page in his excellent coverage of my game which is all you can ask for.
Adam Hari features in my chapter about speedbikes, which are fully enclosed, highly aerodynamic cycles designed to break speed records. I was happy to mail him a book at cost, and he was happy to publicise it on his Instagram, showing a video of the book pages involving him and his machines.
Coming up in early October I will be part of the Laidbackbike report Youtube series but meanwhile I will continue improving websites, contacting potential reviewers, contacting those mentioned in the book, and working on ebook versions. I put a book poster on the side of one of my bikes yesterday and have already been asked about it (a mum and her kids caught up to me on their electric bike and were chattering furiously) so will work on improving that too.
Have fun promoting your book. Selling oodles of copies and making money might be your initial aim but you might come away with something more valuable..
Leaning trike with poster.
Guest post contributed by Chloe Harris
If you have an idea under your belt that you genuinely believe should reach a wider audience, consider publishing your own book. Historically, authors need an agent who can convince a publisher to take a look at their manuscript. In fact, many publishing companies work only through established agents, which makes it difficult, especially for first-time authors.
Self-publishing may sound outlandish, considering all the work needed to be even noticed by readers. But with meticulous planning, creativity, resourcefulness, and proper implementation, your book can be the next bestseller.
Even you’re self-publishing, the book will go through the hands of people who will judge it. Minor errors can hinder its success. If you’ve never edited a book before, here’s a guide on how to edit a book.
Do the following to get you started.
Wait at least a week before editing so that you can look at the book with fresh eyes.
Review the plot and characters. Take note of significant structures. For example, do the characters have dynamic personalities? Is the conflict sensible? How is the audience going to feel about the ending?
If you’re not ready to edit the significant elements, start with line edits. Are you using the right voice?
Feedback is invaluable. The book may sound perfect to you, but are you sure that’s how readers would feel? Share your manuscript with trusted individuals and ask for feedback.
To help them make more candid feedback, create an online form to share opinions on specific elements. Also, ask them how you can improve.
Feedback may be obtained from friends, family, book critics, and writing communities.
“A professionally-formatted book sends a good impression. This part can be a bit more complicated for self-publishing authors because your book must be 100% ready for publication after this. Many authors are anxious about formatting; after all, it’s an entirely different skill from writing.”, explains Direct Appliance Rentals CEO Karina Wolfin.
Here are some formatting options.
Free formatting software: Apple Pages and Kindle Create provide free templates. However, they also cater to their own platform, which means all or some formatting options will be discard when you upload to other retailers.
Paid formatting software: Vellum ($200) and Scrivener ($45) creates beautifully formatted print versions and E-books. Plus, you can format as many files as you want with a licensed account.
Professional typesetters: For print on demand, authors usually hire a typesetter to ensure immaculate formatting. This is the most viable option, especially for printed editions, because you don’t want unevenly spaced text and images.
The cover creates the first impression to the readers. A strong cover is attractive and lets those who see it know that the book was made for them.
Consider these tips for the book design.
Striking yet sophisticated. Whether it’s a photo, an illustration, or typography, the cover should look professional.
Indicative of the genre. Some design elements are associated with specific genres. Your book cover must conform to these principles to reach the right audience.
Spine and back cover. This is only for printed versions.
Unlike formatting, the cover should be made by a professional. This is your most crucial marketing tool, and you shouldn’t take risks.
The book description is another element that can attract readers. Here are the basics of writing a good description.
Hook the readers. Use a dramatic headline, such as a quote from a book or a strong review from a known critique. The point is to intrigue the readers.
Introduce the storyline. Don’t give away everything, though! Instead, give readers a sneak peek of what they’re going to find inside.
Create a cliff-hanger. End the description with a hint of a shocking twist or an intriguing question.
Read the descriptions of some bestsellers of the same genre, and you’ll definitely see a pattern.
The launch will raise awareness and jumpstart the hype about your book—just like a movie trailer.
Consider including the following in your launch plan.
Build a website. A large fraction of modern-day consumers rely on the internet for information; therefore, your book should be there. Hire a web designer to build a dedicated website for your book and follow the pointers we gave for the cover design.
Ask for the support of family and friends. People will be looking for social proof, so it would be beneficial if your family and friends promote your book on their social media accounts.
Ask for book reviews. Contact known book reviewers and politely ask them if they can review your book.
Organise a virtual launch party. Partner with influencers and send them party packages. Give a speech and ask attendees to share their thoughts about your book.
You’ll be glad to know that self-publishing can be fast on Amazon and other platforms.
For printed editions, the process is a bit longer. But you should have no trouble if all the materials are ready.
The work doesn’t end after publication. The marketing campaign has started during the launch, but you still have more legwork to do.
Reach out to relevant blogs and ask if you could write a guest post to promote your book.
Organise events at bookstores. This can a signing, reading or Q&A.
Work with a third-party advertising agency. Self-marketing can be exhausting, especially if your fan base is still in its early stages stage. Instead, consider hiring the services of an ad agency that specialises in reading materials.
With so many titles being released each year in Australia, it can be hard for your manuscript to find its way to the publisher’s desk. If you think self-publishing is the best method for you, contact WorkingType for design and print solutions.
Independent authors should have a place online where potential readers can discover more about them and their work. It might be a social media page or a website. Here are two websites that do an excellent job of providing information about the author in a professional and interesting way. Nic d Alessandro’s and Mary Garden’s respective sites are high impact, easy to navigate and provide extended information about their work.
Independent authors face a tough road promoting their work, but there is a huge amount of information out there to assist them. The following four titles bring order to that information — I highly recommend all four:
Recommended texts for Independent authors:
Euan Mitchell's Your Book Publishing Options
How to Be an Author from Fremantle Press
Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran
Ricardo Fayet's How to Market an ebook
A recent cover design for Mundaca, an accomplished work of fiction combining Generalissimo Franco, the Basques and Australian surf culture. Spotted on the shelves of the Village Bookshop in Noosa.
Guest post by Chloe Harris.
Marketing your first book is never easy. And it so much harder for self-published authors these days. Thousands of titles are published in Australia each year, and Amazon alone offers around 30 million books on their website.
But don’t despair! With the right blend of marketing techniques, you could become the next best-selling author.
Creating a buzz just two weeks before the book launching won’t build the momentum you need.
According to Alister Clare, Credit Capital’s senior financial planner, the marketing should start at least 6 to 12 months before the book is released to the public. He says, “This way, you have sufficient time to build momentum. You need months to collect followers and earn their loyalty. There should also be intervals between marketing stunts so that your book can properly permeate the mind of the audience.”
Figure out the persona that you want to portray. Do you want to be a mysterious whodunnit writer or an all-smiling romance novelist? Ensure that your persona reflects on the book cover, website, teasers, emails, social post, etc.
Consider asking the guidance of a branding expert on effectively building a persona.
Many readers base their decision on what they should read next on the reviews. Approach a respected journalist or book critic for their insights. You can also find Australian book reviewers and bloggers here.
It might take a while before they get back to you, consider thousands of other writers are also asking for their review.
Did you that, as of January 2021, there are already 22.31 million internet users in Australia? So, if your book still doesn’t have a dedicated website, it’s probably losing many potential readers.
Solidify your book’s online presence by investing in a professionally designed website. Make sure it has the necessary plugins to allow sharing through social media platforms.
You don’t have to load the website with information; just input the following:
● Your biography with a recent photo
● Summary of the book and a few teasers
● Links to your social media profiles
● Links to online stores where the book will be available
Engage more with potential readers through social media. Tell them to drop questions, and you’ll answer as much as you can. Reply to their comments on your post. Share the posts where you’re tagged. Create a unique hashtag. It’s only essential to maintain your brand voice.
Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Amazon Ads, Bookbub Ads, etc.
Calculate if you can afford daily paid to advertise. If yes, it’s advised to hire an expert on these types of ads to maximise your investment.
Various factors can affect the performance of your ads. These include the targeted audience, relevance score, ad copy, social proof, and timing. All of these should be aligned to get the best cost-per-conversion.
Working Type is an established provider of design + layout and print solutions. Through our expertise, creativity, and passion, we’ve helped numerous authors reach the right audience.
Independent author Gail Meath writes well-researched historical romances. She has summarised her first year as a self-published author in some detail, with plenty of practical tips and advice, and has kindly allowed us to post her thoughts below.
My First Year Self-Publishing:
All or most of these sites are probably familiar to authors, but my purpose is to share my experiences and, in part, to give great credit to some sites that have either been good promotional sites or simply because their customer service was so outstanding, I wanted to pay tribute to them for helping me in my self-publishing endeavor this past year.
(I compiled the following list from my own experiences during my first year of self-publishing. Everything listed should not in any way be misconstrued as advice, suggestions or any type of guidance to other authors. I am a new author, not a best-seller or veteran, and these are my opinions only.)
Goodreads:
A great place for both readers and authors. Actually, it is an excellent place for authors!!! My definition of this site, “The best place ever where Indy authors come together to help one another.”...through endless groups and discussions. There are also some great author blogs that help you promote your books even more. And, of course, a lot of fantastic readers!!
Thank goodness I found Goodreads even before I started publishing. I won’t go on as most/all authors know about the site, but I can’t believe how everyone has been so wonderfully helpful and I’m so grateful to all!
A couple things to remember:
Groups have Rules! Yes, I shamefully admit that I’m guilty of posting a link where I wasn’t supposed to (oops).
Don’t contact readers directly to promote your book.
Try not to change your book covers too much....you cannot get rid of the old ones!!
Sometimes, scammers infiltrate Goodreads, so beware. There is a ‘flag’ option for inappropriate posts (needed that once the past year).
I’m sure their giveaway promotions are great. The cost has been out of my reach.
AllAuthor.com: Free to upload books
I cannot say enough nice things about AllAuthor.com. First, it is an extremely professional promotional website for authors that includes creating your own marketing mockups of your books: even GIFs, if you’re premium, which is about $40, I think, for four months. Uploading and updating a book is a breeze, the author page is great with tabs for awards, reviews, etc. And free. They have several different promotional packages that are very reasonably priced and worth the cost.
While the site is run by a ‘Team AllAuthor’, I have only had contact with Mady Joshi, Business Development Head. He is fantastic to work with, answers all your questions, sends unique book mockups every week for premium and they have instagram and Facebook accounts that you can join for additional promotion opportunities. He is exceptional. If I were rating these sites, AllAuthor would by far surpass all others.
VoraciousReadersOnly.com: Free Intro/$20 Evergreen Program
This is a great site if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to reach new readers and gather some reviews...if you’re willing to give away books. For me, I limited my book giveaways and received more reviews from their FREE intro offer rather than their $20/month Evergreen program. They send review reminders to readers who receive your book, but during the six-week program, I received very few. Much more during their intro.
But Larry is wonderful to work with. He’s the man behind-the-scenes and he will answer all your questions quickly and personally. I was involved in this when I first started publishing and I was able to compile a nice start-up mailing list. I grew tired of giving books away, but it was a nice place to start
ReaderFavorite.com: Free to upload books and request reviews
I do love this site, too, although I believe that their ‘free’ reviews come few and far between. For $59 you can receive a professional editorial review, which is what I believe they hold out for. They do offer paid promos and contests...one of my books won their 2020 western, so that may explain why I’m partial to them.
But, despite that, I had a book that I worried wasn’t as good as my others and contacted them to see if I could pay for a review and write a message to the reviewer beforehand asking them for a brutally honest review so I could determine whether to publish the book or not. One of their reps instantly contacted me. He understood my dilemma and was willing to ask their top reviewer to look at it, knowing the person would be, well, brutally honest.
To me, he went above and beyond my expectations, so I highly recommend this site to anyone interested in what they have to offer. I don’t believe there is anything better than having internal people/reps who are willing to help authors in any way they can.
Bookbub.com: Free to upload books
Another very professional site and very easy to upload books with a nice author page. They also offer different promotion opportunities, from reasonable to costly. I have two complaints.
To change a book cover, description, etc., you need to send them a note then wait until the change takes place. At least a few days – AllAuthor, it is instant.
Also, I set up a five-day-promotion for one of my books and used their ad template, rather than uploading my own. My promotion began and within less than 6 hours, I received an email from them saying that I should halt my ad and change it as there hadn’t been any ‘clicks’ to it. Huh. I tried uploading my own ad template, but it kept getting rejected. I gave up.
I do know that Bookbub is supposedly a great place to market books. Unfortunately, I am one of the few where it was not.
Amazon KDP/AuthorCentral:
Like Goodreads and Facebook, all/most authors are already using these sites so there isn’t a whole lot more for me to add. I use Kindle Create to upload books to Amazon Kindle and it’s a breeze, including paperback. I had changed some book covers and a month later, I ordered author paperback copies so I could have a copy of the new cover and I received the old cover copy. I contacted them and their rep was so very helpful. They tossed the leftover old cover paperbacks and assured me that only the new ones would be sent in the future. They were great.
I do like Author Central’s new ‘author page’ setup. They’ve been very helpful to me a couple of times. Lately, I keep trying to bold the first line of my book descriptions and once that’s done, their fine for a while, then bold disappears again. I need to contact them about that, but otherwise, I have enjoyed working with them.
Draft2Digital.com/Books2Read.com: Free marketplace for books
Only recently I discovered these sites. They go hand-in-hand...Draft2Digital to upload books, Books2Read to connect to different retailers. It was extremely easy to upload my books and kind of fun to watch all the retailers accumulating.
I did have a little trouble (surprise!) after customizing my UBL (universal link that gives buyers a snapshot of all retailers/costs for your books), I ended up with 2 UBLs each. Their rep was super helpful, corrected the problem, walked me through each step and sent me a cool easy reference page of instructions. I love great customer service people.
I haven’t been on this long enough to say much else, but I was so very impressed by them.
Smashwords.com: Free marketplace for books
I have a few books on this site. Uploading books is easy, until it comes to being approved for the premium version. This was pretty time-consuming and confusing, at least for me. I struggled a ton with the Table of Contents. You can download a huge file of instructions, but I finally contacted them. One of their reps responded and was very helpful...apparently, there were hidden bookmarks in the Table of Contents and I finally, after a great deal of time, was able to fix that.
They have a nice reporting system. And promotional opportunities at a reasonable cost.
Facebook:
Well, this one is universally known, so I cannot add much about it. They do offer reasonable promotions where you determine the cost and choose targe audience. I also belong to several other FB groups that focus on my genre of books and those are great to meet other authors and promote your books to readers.
Pinterest.com: Free to join and post
I use Pinterest for book specials/promos only. You can set the amount you’re willing to spend and choose your target audience. I usually do a $10-20 ad for a few days. I don’t have a huge following there, but I know I have sold several books every time I advertise there.
Alignable.com: Free to join - Local business contacts
I believe this is available nationally, I’m not sure. It is a sort of local business yellow-pages, although you have your own ‘page’ and can earn other business’ recommendations. I’ve been using to connect with people in my area. I’ve made a lot of friends there and I post my book promotions for free under ‘events’. They also offer a paid promo through their weekly newsletter. It’s an additional site that doesn’t consume a lot of time.
RWA.com: Contests & Membership - For Romance Authors Only
I was first introduced to RWA through entering one of my books into their 2020 contest. I was not a member and the cost for me was $35 to enter. After I won for the historical genre, I joined the group. The cost was $124/year (I hated to spend the money, but...I was so thrilled to have won! I received a really cool plaque and supposedly, I will be invited to an awards ceremony in FL next spring.)
This is a huge group and for a more social romance author, it’s probably worth the cost. They do send out a booklet with a lot of great writing information, but it does seem to me as though they spend way more time deciding upon/voting for new admin people, than anything else. And all their conferences, contests, etc., cost additional money rather than being included in the membership fee. Which I kind of resent.
BookSirens.com:
In this site, you request approval of your book before any cost passes to them. All I can say is, they have quickly rejected all my books without any reason or explanation or even an email informing of the rejection. I needed to go back onto the sight to find out, so I gave up on them. Honestly, I would have thought at least one of my books deserved inclusion. But that’s me and obviously not. I would not rule them out until you try!
There are sites like Netgalley ($$ over my budget) and Bookviral (over $200), and several others, that are too expensive for me to even consider their promotions. They are probably super sites for authors, but I cannot afford the cost.
Several ‘smaller’ sites that offer Twitter-only to promote:
I have not had any luck with these, but perhaps other authors have. I didn’t want to post specific sites here, but I have been, shall I say, suckered into paying $20-50 for a few of these in the past with zero return. Again, other authors may have had better luck.
