Book Signing Check-Lists

Bowersock Book SigningThere have been several excellent guidelines posted here in IU about book signings. To mention a few: K.S. Brooks (1), Brooks (2), StoreyWyer, and Hertzberger.

If you’ve been taking notes, you’ve probably noticed that book signings can be wildly different depending on the venue, the time of day and the planning. You may have also figured that book signings can require a lot of effort and may show little in the way of monetary payoff, but the fact is they can be invaluable for getting your name out there and may result in sales spikes after the fact.

I recently did a book signing and felt it was very successful, so thought I’d share my experience here. Continue reading “Book Signing Check-Lists”

Ad Copy Writing Techniques

Ad Copy word cloudBooks exist at the intersection of art and commodity. As art, they suffer from the same malady of all art: they often get short shrift in the multiple priorities of daily life. People can and do live their whole lives without reading for pleasure. It is difficult from a marketing perspective to argue for a novel as essential.

People have a multitude of ways to spend their entertainment dollars, too. It might seem as if reading is being squeezed out as a pastime, but according to research by the Pew Center, Americans read about as much as ever. That’s good news, but it’s not great news. While Americans may read as much as ever, they don’t read a ton: Continue reading “Ad Copy Writing Techniques”

Author Interviews – Using the Tool to Your Best Advantage

There is constant discussion in online forums about how to promote our books, how to get our names out there in front of readers, and there are a zillion ways to do that. One such way is the author interview, a particularly friendly, chatty way to connect with our readers.

I know, I know; many of us authors are introverts and not terribly comfortable talking about ourselves. We’d much rather stand behind our books and talk about them instead of ourselves. But it’s a proven fact that people are much more liable to buy books from an author if they feel they know and like that person, rather than just recognizing a name on a cover. And with social media on the rise, people are coming to expect more of that kind of connection with their favorite authors. Continue reading “Author Interviews – Using the Tool to Your Best Advantage”

Seven Things to Avoid When Self-Publishing

So This is Christmas, new novel by Jim DevittHere at Indies Unlimited, we share with you things that you should do to help you be more successful in your craft and business. Having just published my Christmas novel, So This is Christmas, I’d like to write about some of the things you shouldn’t do when publishing your book.

  1. If you are publishing a Christmas book, don’t think that picking it up in August to revise and edit is enough time. Aaaaaaagh. I wrote the book last year with the thinking that I could put it out for December 2012. Hah! I shelved it and brought it back out for revisions and editing in August. All of the sudden—it was Thanksgiving. Continue reading “Seven Things to Avoid When Self-Publishing”