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
Recent Cover Designs
The usual wide range of subject matter and design treatments. Never a dull moment…
Move Over Murakami...
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.
Proofreading Services Available
Dianne Wadsworth of Gumhill Proofreading offers a comprehensive proofreading service for independent authors. We asked her to summarise the full extent of her services, which we reproduce below:
I provide proofreading for Australian publishers, self-publishing authors, businesses and ESL students. To date I have over 11 years’ experience proofreading an extensive range of written material, including more than 140 books for independent Australian publishers, publicity material and reports for small to medium-sized businesses, quarterly newsletters for not-for-profit organisations and assignments for university students. I save my clients’ time and money through providing a quality service. I also proofread website copy material for businesses and website developers.
Services
I provide a proofreading service
assist and work with you to ensure that your work is clearly understood by any reader
ensure your work is free of embarrassing mistakes
providing quality, accurate proofreading is my business
Special interests
Health and wellbeing, Oracle and Tarot cards, self-help books, biographies, business books, the environment, aged care and Australian plants.
Dianne can be contacted via her website.
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.
Marketing Your Book in a Flooded Market
Author G. W. Lücke writes about his experiences marketing his excellent fantasy Relevation series of books (book two is out shortly):
“I focussed on book reviews from well-known critics (e.g. Kirkus) early on, and while I received good reviews, they didn’t translate into book sales.
A few reviews from bloggers also did nothing much — a couple of books sold.
I read the David Gaughran book on how to use BookBub and followed it to the letter. I’ve sold the most books through this — but the bottom line was that I was paying more for the Bookbub ads than I was getting back in book sales (all sales of the eBook at 0.99c).
Such an approach is not sustainable.
“Given I’m new to all this — my objective opinion about the whole publishing business is the book market is currently flooded and selling books is bloody hard. ”
Given I’m new to all this — my objective opinion about the whole publishing business is the book market is currently flooded and selling books is bloody hard. Way too much choice for people. Global best-selling authors sell their eBooks for $1.99 on Bookbub — why would readers try an unknown author given they can get known authors so cheaply?
There are lots of sites claiming to help you develop marketing plans — but I doubt any of them work. And I don’t have the time to do all the social media marketing. Writing is my hobby, not my job. I do it for the love of it.
Selling lots of books was way down my priority list when I started this journey. It still is.
I’ve had the most satisfying experience selling to friends and their friends – sold about 50 hard copies via word of mouth alone (and I get a much bigger margin from this).
Selling directly to people I know or made contact with via email, also means I get feedback from them when they finish the book. I think I’ve had over 50 formal and informal reviews of the book via various channels.
Out of those, I’ve only had one negative review. So most people who read the book like it – which is all I could ask for.”
With review quotes like this, hopefully interest in this series will gradually build:
“When Darkness Descends' follows multiple narratives in the fictional world of Enthilen, with particular focus on the (human) protagonist Tom Anderson as he battles to uncover the mystery behind his grandmother's death when he finds himself lost within this mysterious world. G.W. Lücke's storytelling is absolutely captivating, and had me hooked from the very first page. The characters and plot line have been very clearly carefully constructed, with the author able to find a perfect balance of authenticity in character personalities mixed with the complete fantasy of the setting they live in. The novel has been left at a frustratingly exciting end point, leaving me (and I'm sure other readers too!) desperate to see what comes next! Highly recommend to older teenage readers who enjoy fantasy and adventure.”
Essential Marketing Tips for New Authors
A Guest Post from Chloe Harris
Despite the bells and whistles of computer games and streaming platforms, 95% of Australians still read for pleasure or interest.
But with thousands of titles released each year, how can you make it to their shelves?
Naturally, new authors need to work harder in marketing because they still lack an audience. Whether you’re backed by a traditional publisher or working on your own, it’s unlikely to get morning show interviews, TV commercials, or full-page ads in renowned literary magazines. The important thing is to be discerning with your marketing methods—no matter how small.
Here’s how to increase readership for new authors:
1. Create A Brand Identity
Effective branding is the foundation of any audience-building strategy. It is even more critical when you’re about to release your first book.
A brand is a concept that captures your uniqueness, relevance, and significance. To put it simply, your brand is your promise. And because this is a promise, you need to be consistent with the tone, design, colours, etc., to be recognisable.
Cultivating a persona is also an effective way to establish a relationship with the audience.
2. Approach Newspapers and Magazines
“Newspapers and magazines are still deemed as trustworthy sources of information. Having your book reviewed by an established critic or journalists can be a good start in drawing the readers' attention. They’d think that if the critic or journalist took time to read your work, there must be something about it.”, recommends Shane Perry, a financial consultant at Max Funding.
Remember not to push too hard and not to expect an instant response.
3. Create a Website
According to a survey, 60.8% of Australians say their primary source of news is the internet. As a new author, you must seize this opportunity and create a website through which the audience can find important information about you and your book.
A professionally-designed website with a brand persona gives an impression that you’re serious about your craft. With specific plugins, the audience can easily share your website through social media platforms.
The site doesn’t have to be elaborate; it simply has to contain relevant information, such as:
Your biography
Your photo
Summary of the book
Excerpts from your book
A link to sites where they can purchase the book
Links to your social media profiles
Reviews or a short clip of you talking about your inspiration
4. Book Launching and Signing
Book launching and signing is a traditional way to gain traction for new authors. You’ll have to bring out some cash for this, but a well-thought event can be effective in stirring the audience.
Start by setting a budget for an invite-only or an open house event. Then, choose a venue that’s accessible for your expected audient. Consider partnering with bookstores and libraries where many readers are always on the lookout for new authors. If you want a more casual event, strike a deal with a local bar or café.
5. Join Literary Events
As a new author, it is essential to connect with industry professionals. Taking part in literary events is an opportunity to gain fresh perspectives and get to know other emerging authors.
Working Type has been helping authors create deep emotional connections through customer-focused design and layout. Using our experience, expertise, and attention to detail, we ensure that your book correctly represents its content and reaches the right audience. Contact us now to know more.
Recent Cover Design Drafts
Bookstore Profile: Blarney Books and Art in Port Fairy
For tourists and book lovers alike, a trip to Port Fairy should include a visit to Blarney Books and Art. Don’t be fooled by the somewhat ordinary outside of the ’60s brick building. Entering is ‘like walking into a rainbow’ as one young visitor has described it.
In 2004, Jo Canham was a young graduate with a dream of opening a bookshop in the country. She and her partner did exactly that. Their choice of Port Fairy for their enterprise turned out to be brilliant.
The bookshop is pumpkin coloured, has fairy lights, strobe globes, billowy curtains, comfortable old couches, nooks and corners. And of course books everywhere. Behind her desk Jo is a serene, friendly presence, always ready to talk books, art or anything at all. Need I add that cats, dogs and kids are most welcome. As second hand as well as new books are available one can often pick up bargains and hard-to-find gems.
Books range from coffee table heavy weights to paperbacks. Australiana, Philosophy, Art, travel tales, environment, history, contemporary fiction, the best of children’s stories are all there to browse through. Prominently displayed are regional and local writers. She flies rainbow pennants and has a large shelf of LGBTQI writers and their stories represented. Jo is also happy to provide display space for all kinds of local talent. Strewn around Blarneys are bright and cheerfully upholstered chairs, the kind that would be perfect to curl into in one’s own reading nook. These are by Liz Gannon. She re-upholsters old chairs in quirky ways, bringing to life well-loved stories with inserts, embroidery and recycled fabric. The charming Alice in Wonderland chair is to die for.
When the bookshop first opened Jo had lots of damaged ‘vintage’ books, long past their read-by dates. Nothing if not inventive, she introduced the ‘Biblio Art’ prize in 2009. The prize encouraged innovative ways of using these old books in art. Biblio Art has since become an important event in the Art world. The 2020 competition initiated the referencing in art of contemporary fiction. Entries were received from all over Australia and overseas, including New Zealand, The U.K. and the U.S.A. The dedicated gallery space now hosts exhibitions throughout the year.
Book launches, poetry readings, author interviews, workshops, musical gigs and more are now on offer on a regular basis. Visiting authors have included Helen Garner, Geoffrey Robertson, Bruce Pascoe and Abe Nouk. Brian Nankervis, Reg Mombasa, Shane Howard and Mick Thomas have performed at Blarney’s. Leunig the cartoonist and Richard Weatherly the birdlife artist, are both due to appear here this March.
With passion, imagination and hard work, in a little under two decades Jo’s dream has come full circle. Blarney Books and Art has become a much-loved icon and cultural hub for this little country town and is getting known well beyond the South-West and Victoria.
To check out her website, go to www.blarneybooks.com.au
Article kindly contributed by Ganga Powell. See also our post on her excellent book.
Mutton Birds are Go!
Ganga Powell’s lovely children’s book “Do Mutton Birds Have Maps and Other Poems” (brilliantly illustrated by Eileen Curd) has been selling very well at Blarney Books and Art in Port Fairy. Here’s the Facebook post from the bookstore in question. If you can’t make it all the way to Port Fairy, the book is also available on Amazon and Booktopia.
More Recent Book Covers and Drafts from WorkingType
How to Write a Good Cover Design Brief
The benefit of a good cover design is that it has the potential to turn a curious or potential buyer into a purchaser. For the author, a striking book cover is the most powerful marketing tool which can mean the difference between the success or failure of a book.
Approaching a designer
When considering having a cover design created by a professional graphic artist the author must have a clear idea of what would be the ideal finished product. However, that is not to say that the designer's flair should be constrained. By paying for expertise in graphic design, a certain amount of freedom is granted to the artist to be 'creative'. Constant communication throughout the design process will mean that feedback can be exchanged which should allow for the author to receive a finished cover design that will be fit for purpose and not merely what the designer wanted to produce.
It should be remembered that the role of a 'brief' should be to provide succinct instructions while allowing the designer the freedom to be creative. A creative brief will provide a useful framework in which the designer can work within margins without having creativity compromised. The author should provide guidance only, regular and honest feedback will be the secret to developing a successful cover design. The author must make clear to the designer any information regarding items which 'must' appear in the design.
For the designer to be able to use his creative skills to the full it will be necessary for the author to provide a precis or synopsis of the contents of the book to allow the designer to 'get a feel' for the content and style of the work. The genre and target audience should be discussed to enable the designer to select the correct styles and fonts for the cover. The demographic, gender and age of the target audience should be made clear. If the book is part of a series, the author should provide details of fonts, colour schemes and any famous logos as part of branding already in use. Precise details of sizes, resolutions and file formats should be provided to the designer to allow for continuity in the finished product.
Dealing with technical issues
Throughout the process of designing the cover, it will be important for the author to remain in contact with the designer. At this stage it will be necessary for the size of the cover to be discussed along with its utilization; will it be used as an e-book cover, for a traditional printed book or both. This information will be necessary as the designer will need to know the dimensions and the amount of space there is to work with.
The wise writer will utilize the designer’s expertise, creativity and experience to produce the most appropriate artwork for the book cover. Try not to be too rigid in requirements and give the designer freedom to work without the author indulging in micro-management of the project. There are various colors and fonts which will appeal to the different reader groups and genres. Give any information concerning specifying colors or any preferred fonts. These elements will set the tone of the cover and should reflect the content of the work as close as possible. Constant communication between author and designer can build trust and bring about high-quality results.
By looking at other, similar books already published it will be possible to understand what colour schemes, images and fonts are used on the most successful titles. As previously mentioned, a carefully crafted cover can turn potential purchasers into buyers, particularly in the case of e-books, where the cover is the thing that will, hopefully, attract the interest of potential buyers.
Conclusion
When consulting a graphic designer to provide a cover for a book the designer must be given a complete oversight of what the subject matter and content of the book concerns. This would be achieved in an ideal world by the designer reading the complete text, unfortunately, it is generally impractical. The author should therefore provide a synopsis of the text contained in the book to allow the designer to get 'a feel' for the project.
The author and designer must agree on terms regarding consultation during the development of the cover so that any modifications can be made before the project has advanced too far. There must be a very high level of trust between the two parties if the project is to be a total success. When evaluating the progress of the project, the author should be 'firm but fair' in any criticism of the work provided by the designer. Conversely, when the work is considered to be of a high standard and entirely acceptable to the author, praise should be forthcoming and positive feedback given regarding working with the designer.
Providing the designer with an accurate precis of the subject matter, offering support and assistance during the process and allowing the designer to 'do his job' will result in a final cover which will be a huge asset. The promotion and ultimate sales of the book will benefit and it will be a useful addition to the portfolio of the designer. This will be a win-win situation for all concerned.
Author Bio: Kieran Fallon is the owner of a Dublin Graphic Design Agency Éire Graphic Design. We are here to help your organisation 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.
Thoughts on a Year as a Self-Published Author
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.
How to Promote Your Book—5 Strategies for Authors
Guest article from Chloe Harris
Books with compelling content are often passed over due to ineffective promotion. Convincing people to read a book is quite different from convincing them to buy clothes, cars, and houses.
We’ve gathered a few useful strategies to promote your book:
Choose a Professional Book Cover
The old saw runs “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But people do judge a book by its cover. A 2017 study revealed that a whopping 52% base their decision on the jacket artwork.
Work with professional book cover designer in conveying the right message, attracting the right audience. Your ideas will be the basis of the design, while the artist manipulates the elements to arrive at a professional, attention-getting result.
Author-designed covers run the risk of potential readers identifying the work as self-published, and therefore passing over it.
Use Social Media Effectively
“As of January 2020, over 3.8 billion people are using social media. This means that by simply introducing your book through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you could stir the interest of many. However, you will have to optimise social media use for this happen.”, said Alistaire Clare, Credit Capital’s business consultant.
Social proof is vital in earning recognition. With an official page, it will be easier for potential readers to find your book. Make sure to include the following:
A high-resolution photo of the book
A photo of yourself with a short biography
A snippet about the book
Some testimonials from those who’ve read your book already
Facebook ads are also useful in reaching specific targets in terms of location, gender, age, and preferences.
Organise an Event in Local Bookstores
Avid book buyers visit local bookstores to hunt for old and new masterpieces. So, make sure not to miss this fanbase. Here are 21 charming bookshops in Australia.
Many local bookstores regularly feature new authors. Often, they also have a relationship with local book clubs that could review your book.
Prepare a good pitch, explaining how the bookstore can benefit from your book.
Ask if you could display promotional banners and posters.
Plan an entertaining presentation
Hold a live Q&A
Sign books for free or hold small contests
If things go well with local bookstores, you might contemplate further events in larger venues.
Reach out to Book Reviewers
It’s essential to gather as many reviews possible, mainly if you’re selling online. Books with more reviews get more visibility. They also create an impression that the content is promising.
Search for book reviewers who are interested in your genre. Ask them to leave an honest review. You might have to send a free copy, but that’s totally worth it, especially if the reviewer has a large following. Here are some great choices:
Aussie Reviews
Booktopia
Ragamuffin Books
Readability Australia
Lost in a Good Book
Goodreads
Also. try sending a letter to Australian Book Review. ABR is an independent, non-profit magazine that publishes book reviews.
Are you an independent author who wants to have a professionally-designed book? Working Type offers design, layout, and print solutions that can transform your manuscript into a best-seller. We also assist in e-book publishing and digital and print promotions. Contact us now for more information!
From the Far East to Fantasy — new cover designs
A few recent cover drafts from Working Type Design, covering the usual range of genres and subject matter.
An Independent Author Talks About Getting Her Book Right and the Process of Designing the Cover
Jacqueline Hodder, author of the fine historical drama “The Sentinel” has some kind words about the cover design process at WorkingType Design, and also some very interesting thoughts overall on the process of bringing out a work of fiction and getting all of the elements right.