Where Normal Need Not Apply
Queries, synopses, blurbs, and packaging tips and advice. Sample topics: writing pitches and back cover copy, book covers, writing a successful synopsis, creating reader expectations, book tours, etc.
We often hear advice about online marketing, but we shouldn’t forget local opportunities. Elizabeth Randolph is here to give her unvarnished look at a few local promotion options—what worked, what didn’t, and what she wants to try in the future.
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Every genre and medium of storytelling uses tropes, and they often have a bad reputation—for good reason. All too frequently, they can indicate lazy storytelling or worldbuilding. But they don’t have to be a bad thing.
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Many groups and forums for self-published authors compare notes on what works (or doesn’t work) for promoting our work. I’m not a promotion expert—at all. But I’m sharing my experience on what I’ve tried so we all have another data point to consider.
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There’s no end to the struggles we face as a writer, including gathering reviews for our books. With Amazon’s algorithms, the quality, quantity, and recency of reviews can affect whether potential readers ever see our work, so it’s important to encourage reviews of our story.
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Last week, Jeff Lyons shared how to make every story idea the best it could be. Today he’s delving into the tricky description of high concept. Many agents and editors say they prefer high-concept stories, but what does that mean?
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No matter how much we try different approaches, we often struggle with our story’s first pages. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for new ways of thinking about that critical opening page. Today Shaila Patel shares her insights on the right mix of elements for creating a great first impression.
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No matter how we publish, we need to introduce our story to potential readers and interest them enough to want to look closer. Whether we’re pitching and querying agents or enticing readers with back-cover blurbs, we need to grab their attention.
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Marketing a book—including its cover, title, tagline, and blurb—to appeal to readers is a different skill set from writing a book, and getting feedback on those elements can be tricky. Today Jefferson Smith shares a resource for improving those critical aspects of our writing.
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One way we can keep our readers from one book to the next is to start a “new release” newsletter. But first, we have to know the best practices for newsletters.
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One way we can keep our readers from one book to the next is to encourage them to connect with us or our stories. Bonus content on our website is one way to create engaged readers.
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