Tag: LinkedIn

What to Like about Like-Fests

young buck by KSBrooks
Like-fests are fun and leave your breath minty fresh.

Each Wednesday morning at 5 a.m. Pacific time, we here at Indies Unlimited host a “like-fest.” Sometimes it will be for Amazon.com author or book pages, Facebook pages, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, Goodreads or other social networking platforms. One thing is certain – every Wednesday a large community of authors, readers and reviewers stop by and a good time is had by all.

This past Wednesday, we ran an Amazon.com like-fest. The turn-out was great and we had lots of new participants and books. An interesting question was posed to me by an author: Maybe you can explain something to me about this amazon.com Building Your Empire-Fest. Why should I care about other writers following me or liking me on Amazon? I’m trying to get readers to read my work, not other writers.

Valid question. It’s debatable what technical purpose “likes” serve. There have been rumors that Amazon.com “pushes” books up in the search results if they have over a certain number of likes. I have not been able to corroborate this from an actual source, so as far as I know, it’s still a rumor. Continue reading “What to Like about Like-Fests”

At Last … A Plan!

We all know that marketing ourselves can be a real pain in the you-know-what. Some people love it and others wish they would never have to look at another Tweet. Anecdotal evidence here on Indies Unlimited has suggested that if you do nothing, your book sales will not slip.

Planning and Scheduling = Success

My belief is that if you have a strong platform and multiple books on the marketplace, then that might be true. However, if you are a new author or just have a single book out, then you had better find a way for people to find you.

Today, I’m sharing with you a simple method to make sense of all of this. We are going to put together an “Editorial Calendar” (fancy terminology adopted in the social media marketing business) to help you stay on track with your plan. Continue reading “At Last … A Plan!”

Listen and Learn

"I can't hear you!"

“When did you ever learn anything when you were talking?” – Tom Welsh

It’s 11:24 at night and I’m rewriting my post after reading one by a colleague. Do great minds think alike? Yes, I believe this is true. Moreover, it is entirely possible that the active discussions encouraged here at Indies Unlimited have spurred action for and against certain organizations. Freedom of speech is alive and kicking at Indies Unlimited!

So, what should I write about? That’s easy. Listening, observing, and researching are three skills crucial to personal and professional success. These skills are particularly important to newbie authors as you wade through the white noise around you. If you don’t listen carefully, observe the interactions of peers, and research before you make critical decisions you may find yourself surrounded by naysayers and scam artists.

Newbies have one definite advantage over some tenured writers. Since we don’t know how “it” used to be, we don’t approach every change with fear. We’re open to what’s new because we have no past to draw from. It is an entirely different perspective. Continue reading “Listen and Learn”