Eminent naturalist David Hollands has released his latest magnum opus and we highly recommend it to all lovers of Australian nature. David Hollands’ Birds of Prey Australia contains a beautifully written chapter on each of the birds of prey found in Australia. The photos were all taken by David in the field. Full of fascinating insights and amazing images, the book is available from his website, and from many bookstores. David has many earlier titles available such as Cranes, Herons and Storks of Australia, Owls, Frogmouths and Nightjars of Australia and Waders, the Shorebirds of Australia, among other titles.
Naturally Supporting Cancer Treatment by Jenny Graves
Author Jenny Graves has just released a very well written and meticulously researched book (Naturally Supporting Cancer Treatment, available here) on supplementing cancer treatments with “evidence-based ways to help prevent cancer formation and and recurrence, and assist treatment”. Jenny plans to promote her book in various cost-effective ways, and emailed us with the following specifics:
“Because of the subject matter, I’m targeting other naturopaths, some of whom don’t have much knowledge about treating cancer patients, and also for them to stock in their dispensaries to sell to their patients. I’m contacting the universities offering naturopathic degrees to see whether they would suggest it to their students as associated reading or even as text books.My local health food store has told me that they will stock it in their two stores locally, but the manager is also on the board of the company (Go Vita) and I’m hoping that they will stock it nationally and publish an article in their magazine to promote it. I have a Business Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NaturallySupportingCancerTreatment and my website, www.naturallysupportingcancertreatment.com.au is due to go live shortly, with plans to produce blog articles regularly on it and a regular newsletter containing those articles to be sent to those who sign up on the website. I have an author page on Books2Read, https://books2read.com/b/3LwPzN?edit=maybe-later and their Universal Book Link, https://books2read.com/NaturallySupportingCancerTreatment. I’m toying with the idea of using a media publicist if I can get over my terror of speaking in public. 😊 I’ve also got plans to submit articles to various websites for them to publish as a Guest Author. I may put my toe in the water with Facebook and Google ads, but I believe that they can be something of a money pit unless you get them right, so I’ve been doing training courses on those.”
Shirley la Planche, author of The Fatal Path
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.
An Honest Broker
Music historian, composer and critic Ted Gioia has penned an interesting essay on Substack about being ‘the honest broker’ in your particular field. Someone honest who knows how to get things done, how the particular system works and the key players. No matter how shonky and uncertain the particular field of endeavour, and how many sharks circle in those particular waters, there is always an honest broker, if you look hard enough. Well may we all strive to be that person to our customers, assisting rather than exploiting.
Recommended texts for Independent authors:
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
Online Resources and Advice for Independent Authors
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.
Let's Get Digital: How to Self-Publish, And Why You Should (Fourth Edition) (Let's Get Publishing Book 1) by David Gaughran
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.
Our Take:
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.
How to Market a Book: Overperform in a Crowded Market (Reedsy Marketing Guides Book 1) by Ricardo Fayet
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.
About the Book
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.
Our take:
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.
Amazon Ads Unleashed: Advanced Publishing and Marketing Strategies for Indie Authors (Self-publishing Guide.) by Robert J Ryan
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.
Our Take:
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.
Amazon Selling Services from Helium 10
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.
Our Take:
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.
The Creative Penn with Joanna Penn
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.
Our Take:
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.
Conclusion
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.
The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac audiobook
Accomplished local author Kathryn Gauci has dipped a toe into the audiobook world and recorded a version of her highly rated The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac. The print edition has an impressive 877 reader reviews and her other books are very much worth checking out.
Book Cover Designs for October 2021
The usual wide variety of topics and typefaces and approaches this month. Never a dull typographic moment…
10 Useful Photo Sites for Book Cover Images (Paid + Free)
Guest post by Ivy Attie
Although you are not supposed to, judging a book by its cover is a skill we all employ from time to time. Whether standing in a queue at a bustling bookstore or reviewing thumbnails on our favorite digital platform — the cover is often the only element we have time to peruse.
If you are a writer, you will agree that you usually don’t have the time or the resources to carry on a customized photoshoot for your book covers. Especially if you are an independent publisher, you may not boast the budget to hire a professional illustrator to do the artwork for your book. In that case, stock photographs come to the rescue and provide you with readily available material for book covers.
What Are Stock Photographs?
Stock photos are a repository of pictures or illustrations taken by photographers. They are available in numerous categories, are high quality, and boast similar attributes as a professional shoot.
Most of the stock photo sites offer images for free. However, various reliable stock agencies charge a nominal amount for the license they provide. These agencies have professionals working for them who ensure the images they receive are from the copyright holders. The images are also more competent and less overused than the ones available on free photo sites.
But of course, the final choice of agency depends on your budget. To help you make the selection, here is a list of stock photo sites, both - paid and free, for your print and design needs.
Best Paid Stock Photo Sites
Let’s start with some of the best sites where you can get high-quality stock images.
1. iStock
iStock by Getty Images offers an exclusive and extensive collection of photos, vectors, illustrations, videos, and music clips. They have over 20 years of presence in the stock photo industry and curate some of the most outstanding genre images for your publishing needs.
When it comes to pricing, iStock is not the cheapest. However, they have some flexible payment plans that let you choose between monthly and yearly plans along with single image purchases, on-demand packs, and bulk purchases. You can also take advantage of an iStock discount and save money on your purchase.
2. The Stock Alchemist
The Stock Alchemist is a boutique-style stock photography site that specializes in book covers and album sleeves. The exclusive collection is hosted by Regina Wamba, a renowned personality popular for her creative brains.
Here, you will find a range of book cover options for different genres, including romance, science fiction, and dystopian. You can download a low-resolution file for free. However, a substantial fee applies to each image for license and high-quality versions.
3. Shutterstock
Shutterstock offers one of the largest collections of stock photos and vectors. They also regularly update their database, so you will be no short of choices on this platform. One of the best features of Shutterstock is that it allows online editing directly from the browser, besides integration with Adobe Creative Cloud apps.
The pricing plans of Shutterstock are pretty manageable. Besides on-demand packs, the company offers subscription plans for teams and enterprises. You can also receive a free trial of 10 images for a month. All you need to do is sign up with their services and receive your free credits.
4. StockPhotos.com
Stockphotos.com is probably one of the newest additions in the stock photo industry. Created by a team of stock photo experts, the site completes all the requirements you have for a photo site and more. New pictures are also added daily to the site.
One of the best things about stockphotos.com is the resource page. Here, the team covers everything you need to know about stock photos, licenses, and editing limitations. So, if you are still discovering the industry, this is the website you should visit.
5. DepositPhotos
DepositPhotos is one of the most affordable options on this list. It boasts an exquisite collection of pictures, vectors, illustrations, and videos with a royalty-free license. The license allows you to use stock assets in any way you want without giving attribution to the original owner or the agency.
The pricing plans for DepositPhotos start at $9/month. You can choose to go with either bundle subscription packs or on-demand packs. An app for iOS and Android is also available for members to pick pictures on the go.
Best Free Stock Photo Sites
Now that we've covered some paid options let’s look at the free stock photo sites for budget-conscious authors. Before using images from these sites, you must check out their license details & terms and conditions to remain legally safe.
6. Pixabay
Pixabay is a go-to solution for designers and marketers looking for a quick and free option to fill the visual gap in their projects. It contains a massive database of more than 2.4 million photos, vectors, and illustrations.
Pixabay operates under its own license that allows anyone to use the pictures wherever they want. You also don’t have to give credits to the original author (even though it’s a good idea to do so).
7. Pexels
Pexels is another free photo site you would definitely enjoy. And just like Pexels, you can use the images found here any way you want without giving credit to the original photographer. The collection is extensive as well, with new photos added daily.
One of the best features of Pexels is its search filters. You can quickly vet down your choices through the easy-to-use interface according to the niche, subcategory, orientation, and even trending topics. You can also modify the size of the picture you download - saving you tons of time in post-processing.
8. New Old Stock
As the name implies, New Old Stock is slightly different from the others present in the stock photo game. This site features pictures from the past era - primarily black and white for the history buffs out there. So, if you are writing about history or nonfiction, this site is for you!
Images presented here are available under the public domain license. This means that all pictures are available by the public and for the public - without any cost.
9. StockSnap
Another freebie stock photo site is StockSnap. The pictures offered here are free from copyright restrictions and can be used in any way you want.
One of the best collections at StockSnap is their landscape and scenery collection. If you are curating pictures for a travel-inspired novel, this site is a must-check. You can also choose the images you find here and integrate them with other artworks to create a unique yet beautiful book cover picture.
10. Unsplash
Last but not least is Unsplash. In fact, a list of stock photo sites will be incomplete without the mention of Unsplash, as it has one of the largest free stock photo libraries with over 1.5 million assets. And just like others mentioned in this list, Unsplash boasts a well-curated collection of professional photographs.
All the photos found here are entirely free to use. They can be used in any project, including personal and commercial, without giving attribution to the owner.
Final Words
Hopefully, the above 10 sites will give you a good start at designing your book cover. Do your research before making the final choice to ensure you are using the pictures legally and ethically. And if you are looking for professional help, feel free to contact us at Working Type to let us handle your book. Happy publishing!
Book Cover Design for September 2021
A few of our recent covers and cover drafts, covering the usual broad range of subject matter. Striving for high contrast and high impact and interesting type combinations.
Steve Nurse Discusses his New Book "Cycle Zoo"
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.
Book Covers for August 2021
A few recent book covers, from thoughtful spiritual tomes to legal advice…
8 Steps to Self-Publish Your Book Like a Bestseller
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.
1. Edit Thoroughly
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?
2. Ask for Feedback
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.
3. Format Your Book Properly
“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.
4. Choose a cover that converts
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.
5. Maximize Your Book Description
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.
6. Prepare the launching
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.
7. Publish
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.
8. Market Your Book
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.
A Backpackers Progress
Jason Rebello’s excellent Red Earth Diaries about his travels around Australia as a newlywed is due to launch soon, and he has left absolutely no stone unturned in placing information on all the social media services and print on demand and ebook services. Here are some of the links…
The book is available for preorder on the below online bookstores (more will be added in the coming days):
Amazon, Kobo, and Booktopia, Barnes and Noble, Google Books and Apple
Travel and Inspirational Blog: https://theevolvingbackpacker.com/
Author Website: https://evolvingwordsmith.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theevolvingbackpacker/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheEvolvingBackpacker
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wordsmith_jason (wordsmith_jason)
Cracking Author Websites
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.
Keywords are the Key
The most important part of uploading to Amazon KDP with ebook files is getting the metadata right. This turns out to be a little more complicated than one might expect. Fortunately, others have done the legwork and put the information out there for KDP users.
The following two free titles are well worth consulting on this front:
Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran
Ricardo Fayet's How to Market an ebook
and David Gaughran posted some verypractical tips recently:
https://davidgaughran.com/amazon-book-category-kindle-categories/
and he put up a video too on a related topic before that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fXU8R0cHOM
Joanna Penn goes into this topic too in some detail:
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/book-categories-keywords/
https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/the-basics-of-book-metadata-and-keywords
Useful Texts for Independent Authors
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
Tips for Marketing Your First Book
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.
1. Start Marketing Months Before You Launch the Book
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.”
2. Establish Your Brand
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.
3. Ask for a Review
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.
4. Build a Website Dedicated for Your Book
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
5. Intensify Social Media Presence
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.
6. Consider Paid Advertising
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.
Inspired by a Greek Island
Local author Tony Whitefield has just simultaneously launched both his mythical tale “The Queen of Limnos” and his historical saga “George’s Cafe” at Golf House Hotel in Ballarat. Both books draw upon the history and culture of the beautiful Greek island of Lemnos. Tony and his wife usually spend several months a year living in Lemnos, and will no doubt continue to do so once Covid 19 abates. Both books are available online.
Ebook version: https://www.booktopia.com.au/george-s-cafe-tony-whitefield/ebook/9780645100853.html
Print on Demand: https://www.booktopia.com.au/george-s-cafe-tony-whitefield/book/9780645100822.html
Also available from Amazon, Dymocks, Book Depository and other outlets.
How to be an Author — an Invaluable Resource
Highly recommended by an author client, How to be an Author’s blurb begins with:
This is an indispensable book for writers. Between its pages is everything you need to know about the business of being a writer, from people who live and breathe books. Keep this book by your side as you pursue your publishing dream.
“‘From Nandi Chinna’s advice on how to tackle the dreaded writer’s block to Natasha Lester’s tips on how to gracefully accept rejection, this book provides both the expected and unexpected advice on questions many have pondered or never considered.’ ”
Available from Fremantle Press.