Under Construction: Rethinking the Process of Building an Author Platform
Many writers wait until they've completed a novel—or a screenplay or a short story or any other significant piece of work—before attempting to build an author platform. Here's why you should make expanding your audience a daily practice.
How Upcoming Facebook Updates Will Impact Authors
Upcoming Facebook updates will begin reducing the visibility of posts by publishers in order to prioritize social interaction. Learn what you can do to maintain the interaction of your Facebook audience.
The Ultimate Guide to Book Trailers: How To Produce a Killer Book Promo Video
A good book promo video can go viral and help your book reach new audiences, but a bad one may do the opposite. Here are some key considerations and steps to successfully produce and distribute a book trailer that sells your book.
Websites for Writers: 20 Sites with Great Writing Advice
Here, you'll find our top resources for exceptional writing advice from among the 101 websites for writers featured in Writer's Digest.
Three Keys to Building Your Life Story or Memoir Platform
You’ve written your life story. You’ve edited and assembled it into a compelling narrative. Now a family member or friend is encouraging you to take the next step. Get your story published so the world can read it. Is that possible? Does an outside market exist for an ordinary person’s life...
13 Lessons From an Epic Book Tour
In support of my book, I went on a book tour. After six months, 75 talks in about 60 cities and towns, and lots of networking, I learned a lot. Here are 13 things you should know when doing a book tour.
So, You Want to Work in Publishing: The Role of a Publicist
Senior Publicist Sara Wigal shares her experience in publishing, from working at a literary agency as an intern, editing at a magazine, and now creating creative plans for authors in the form of publicity.
Your Writing Platform: Letting Readers Know the (Sort of) Real You
Need an online platform but feel squeamish about connecting with strangers? Here’s how to create the illusion of intimacy on social media.
How to Develop a Street Team for Your Book
Promoting your book in a digital with a flooded marketplace is more difficult than ever. You need as much help as you can get. That’s where developing a street team to assist you can help. Here are some tips from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.
Tips for Surviving a Book Tour from a Debut Novelist
Book tours can go a variety of ways—from a packed house, bolstered by the support of friends and your publisher, to a sparse crowd. Debut novelist Jason Rekulak shares a few tips for surviving your first book toor.
How to Get the Most Marketing and Publicity Bang for Your Buck
New and established authors alike struggle with how to best market and publicize their books. In my interview with publicist Caitlin Hamilton Summie, we discuss how to do just that.
Promotion on a Shoestring Budget: 5 Tips for Publicizing Your Book
Congratulations on publishing your first book! Maybe it’s actually the second or third book you’ve written, or your tenth, but at long last a publisher has recognized the genius even you had begun to question. Go on and open that bottle of wine that has aged so gracefully, if a little...
Friday Reads: Chart Your Course with Author in Progress
Let me set the scene: You’re sitting at home, perhaps in your office or at your kitchen table, maybe sipping some coffee or tea. You’d like to start writing your novel … but instead you’re staring at the cursor on your laptop screen as it blinks back at you. You’re suddenly possessed of a...
Do I Need A Publicity Firm For My Book?
Here are the six steps you should consider when selecting the right publicity firm for you.
10 Tips for a Successful Book Launch
Events are complex beasts and the devil is in the details, so here are some key pointers to give you the best possible chance for a full house at your book release party.
10 Ingredients for a Spectacular Book Launch Party
Here are a list of 10 ingredients necessary to pull off a spectacular book launch party.
12 Workplace Skills to Apply to Your Writing Career
BY LISA TENER Katherine quit her pharmaceutical sales job in Colorado and moved back east to write her book. She hunkered down in a snug condo and imagined writing in her light-filled sunroom. Despite more time on her hands than ever, she went days without writing. Within six months she took...
How to Promote Your Work Like a Pro
Now more than ever before, there are so many things we can do to promote our books, articles, stories, essays, services, and other creative works and skills—regardless of whether we’re self-published, traditionally published, or even not-yet-published. Bookstore and library events remain staples, of course, as do reviews, mentions and bylines in...
Your 2015 Blogging Roadmap
Thinking of starting a blog in 2015 to build your writer platform and gain a readership for your work? All the best journeys start with a bit of planning. Even if you’re not one for planning and would rather dive in right away, bear with me! In this exclusive excerpt from...
Should I Self-Publish? – Part Three
If you’ve followed this series, you’ll notice that: a) I think most writers have a project that would make for a fun and possibly profitable self-published book, and b) Creating a successful self-published book will require a fair amount of design and technical skills, either your own or someone else’s. I...
One Reason Why You Should Blog a Book: To Build Your Writer Platform
Today’s tip of the day comes from How to Blog a Book by Nina Amir. A Blogged Book Gives You Exposure & Builds Platform Many writers enjoy spending time alone in their “lonely garret” with only the company of a hot cup of coffee or tea, a computer (or a pad...
Freelance Your Way to a Better Platform
Long before you publish your book—and long after—you should be thinking about your writer platform. How do you build that core audience? How do you enhance your reputation as a great writer, as well as a knowledgeable one? How do you build name recognition? There are countless answers to these questions,...
The Basics of Building a Writer’s Platform
If you want to sell more books or simply get your name out there, a writer’s platform is essential. Chuck Sambuchino, author of Create Your Writer Platform explains what a platform is and the common building blocks of a writer’s platform. What is a Writer/Author Platform? Platform, simply put, is your...
5 Marketing Lessons from Fly-Fishing
By Rob Eagar In the last year, I took up fly-fishing as a hobby. There’s something surreal and invigorating about standing in the middle of a river. However, catching rainbow trout is no easy task. They’re smart, skeptical, and elusive. In fact, there are a lot of similarities between the challenge of...