Reaching New Readers Part 1-Strategies and Practices

Listen to the companion podcast episode

You’ve published your book (maybe two or three). You’ve used best practices. You’ve done everything you can to get off to a good start. Now your sales have stalled. How do you go about reaching beyond your existing audience and reaching new readers? 

Visibility is the key.

• A reader can’t buy your books if (s)he doesn’t know it exists.
• Even with Amazon, which is better than its competitors in terms of providing visibility, you won’t get much attention if your books aren’t selling.

How to get visible?

• Write multiple books in the same genre (readers don’t tend to cross over), preferably in the same series. The more titles you have, the greater the chance someone will discover your work.
• Make sure each book links to the next in your series.
• Offer your first book at a discount or free.
• Price pulsing- strategic, short-term price changes as a way of gaining visibility on bestseller lists or moving up on also-bought lists.
• Be sure to spread the word when you do this.
• Write a prequel and give that away for free (a short story could work in this case.)
• Put a “call to action” right after “The End.” (Try my next book, join my mailing list.)
• Write Kindle World stories for other authors in your genre.
• Don’t need permission
• Gets your name in front of readers in your genre
• You can make a little money.

Social media

• Facebook
• Images perform better than just text.
• Posts with hyperlinks are suppressed.
• The more engagements (likes and comments) the more likely it will appear in others' feeds.
• Twitter
• Use an image.
• Search out appropriate hashtags. 
• Separate links for different stores, use their handle and hashtag.

Cross-promotion with other authors in your genre.

• Announce one another’s new releases or special sales/giveaways.
• Newsletter "swaps."
• Boxed sets of your own books
• Good for short-term promos.
• Always have something at full price- don’t put everything in the set.
• Boxed sets with other authors (not short story collections.)
• Mutual promotional efforts
• If you curate it, have a plan in place before you approach other authors.
• Bundle Rabbit

Giveaways

• Insta-Freebie- give away free ebooks, bring in new subscribers to newsletter, gain new readers. Free or paid options.
• Goodreads giveaway- don’t give away more than a copy or two. Limited effectiveness.
• Amazon giveaways- jury is out.
• Wattpad- probably not much potential here, but some authors have had modest success, especially in YA/NA.

Next time- Paid Advertising

Indie Publishing Success- Pre- and Post-Launch Checklist

Listen to the companion podcast episode

What are the steps you take when preparing for a book launch, and then launching your new book? Here is an overview of some of the things I and other authors do.

Well in Advance

Know your genre/subgenre and know what’s selling, particularly among indie authors. Pay close attention to: book cover, product description, and pricing. (Many authors with big publishing houses sell books on their name and publisher’s marketing clout and not as a result of their book cover, etc. No harm in looking at those too, but definitely pay attention to the indies.)

 

Get a good book cover. This will be a great promotional tool. If your budget is limited, check out some of the great sites that offer pre-made covers. If even those seem to expensive, save your pocket change, skip the coffee and fast food, look for ways to cut corners. Your cover is worth the investment.

Familiarize yourself with the categories and subcategories that will be the best fit for your book. Look for those where you’re likely to get visibility. Don’t go for crowded categories that are dominated by the bestsellers.

Preorder or not? There are valid arguments on both sides of the discussion. I won’t rehash them here, but if you go with a preorder, take the time to understand how preorders work on the various sites, and definitely don’t miss your deadline, especially with Kindle. In fact, it’s probably best if you don’t even get close to your deadline before you upload your final manuscript.

Send out ARCs to review sites. I don’t believe these lead to many sales, but it doesn’t hurt. It can also provide you with promotional material (quotes that you can use on the product page, teasers…)

 

Solicit blurbs/endorsements from other authors. These aren’t crucial, but, like reviews, they can provide promotional materials, and can also be a source of keywords if you include them with your product description.         

Sparking Interest

Send book to street team/ARC group

Set up an ARC giveaway on Goodreads.

Post teasers on Facebook author page

•             Cover reveal
•             Announce release date
•             Post cover image and synopsis
•             Preorder link if appropriate
•             Author blurbs/endorsements
•             Snippets from the book

 Post a preview of the first chapter on website

Shortly before release, give away a few ebook copies of the previous book in the series. If the new book is not part of a series, you can give away something else, though that’s not nearly as likely to spark excitement in the new book. Don’t give away copies of the new book (except for your street team/ARC group.)

Create a custom header for your Facebook author page, using the book’s cover art. Include the title and the date it’s scheduled for release.

Depending on timing and your relationships with other authors in your genre, you might be able to plan a “newsletter swap” in which each promotes the other’s new book. This isn’t something I’d recommend unless you have a close working relationship with the author, and your books are in the same subgenre.

“Housekeeping”

Your new book should include: an invitation to sign up for your newsletter, an invitation to buy another of your books, and a hyperlinked list of your available books. Invitations to buy book/join mailing list should be immediately after The End and on the same page- not after a page break, otherwise the reader is unlikely to see them. Some authors also like to put a newsletter invite in the front matter. There’s no harm in that, but due to the way reading apps work, there’s a good chance it won’t be seen.

If your book is Kindle-exclusive, use “SmartUrl” to create hyperlinks. If your book is “wide,” use Books2Read. That way you can use the same set of hyperlinks for every vendor (or you can use SmartURL for Kindle and Books2Read for everything else.)

 Make good use of your keywords on Kindle. Utilize them to get your book into as many (appropriate) categories as possible. You don’t have to limit yourself to the two you select.

Remember that your product description can be used to generate keywords. If you have a blurb/endorsement/review snippet that compares your work to that of a popular author, you may include that in your product description as “Praise for…” and that author’s name becomes a keyword attached to your book.

Add the new book to:

• Website
• “Books by” lists in other books
•  Claim the book in Author Central
• Catalog list on Amazon author page
• If you use other Author Central Features, such as “From the Inside Flap” or “From the Back Cover” to list your books, add the book there, too. 

If book is part of a series, go to the previous book in the series and, immediately after The End, add an invitation (with hyperlink) to buy the new book.

If book is published “wide,” consider using a service like Books2Read to set up a single landing page with links to all the different vendors.

If book is Kindle-only, create a SmartUrl to create a single hyperlink that will automatically redirect customers to the Amazon store for the country in which they reside.

When Kindle and paperback versions have appeared on Amazon, you might have to contact KDP and request that the two versions be linked. It’s supposed to happen automatically, but it often doesn’t.

Launch Prep

Choose your price. Some authors like to launch at a reduced price as an added incentive. If your regular price is $4.99, consider launching at $2.99 and advertise it as 40% off the regular price (or go $3.99 and advertise it as 20% off.) Emphasize it’s a limited time offer.

Set up a newsletter announcement

• Snappy bit of copy about the book.
• Include cover image
• Synopsis
• Endorsements
• “Buy” links
• Make sure to have something else of interest in your newsletter; not just “buy my book.” I like to include a giveaway of some sort, “Coming soon” info on books in-progress, and maybe something else interesting (anecdotes, autobiographical bits…)

 Update the appropriate part of your website/blog with appropriate info.

Schedule Facebook post(s.)

I like to post the cover and synopsis as the main post, and then post links as replies. Facebook seems to suppress posts with links unless you pay to boost the post.

I restrict almost all of my publishing-related posts to my author page, but I make an exception for new releases and special sales.

Plan/Schedule Tweets

            Twitter isn’t particularly effective for book sales, but there’s no harm as long as you don’t overdo it. Consider separate tweets for various vendors and use the appropriate hashtags for the vendor and genre. You never know- you might get some retweets.

            Spread the tweets out so you don’t overdo it.

            Include the cover image or other visual with your tweet- not just the link.

Plan/Create/Schedule Ads

            I’ve been experimenting with AMS ads with enough results to feel like they’re worthwhile. I like to use custom keywords, with author names and book titles in my genre, and titles of popular new and upcoming releases.

            If the book is part of a series, it might be worthwhile to also run ads for previous books in the series.

            Facebook ads- I’m seeing less and less ROI, but I still work a FB ad into my launch strategy.

            If you publish through Kobo, check your dashboard for advertising options.

           

Launch Day and After

Post the announcement to your social media, website, etc…

Newsletter blast(s)- I prefer to split my list into segments and send out announcements either on three-four consecutive days, or every-other day. Having several consecutive days of good sales helps your rankings more than one very good day and then nothing.

Ads- I like to run AMS ads from the start and save the Facebook ad until the book has been out for a few days.  Monitor the results of your AMS ads and increase the “bid” amounts for keywords that seem to be performing well.

Bookbub new release announcement- If you have a Bookbub author profile with followers, you can “claim” your new book and Bookbub will send out a new release announcement shortly thereafter. I like to wait until all of my newsletter blasts have gone out, and then claim the book in Bookbub a few days after that.

If your book is part of a series, run a special promotion on a previous book in the series. I recommend waiting until post-launch sales have slowed down. If you can’t schedule a Bookbub ad, look at sites like Freebooksy, Robin Reads, Book Barbarian, or a Bookbub sponsored ad (if you’ve been approved.)

That's the basic overview. If you have other suggestions, please share them!

Indie Publishing Success- Pre-Publishing Decisions

Click here to listen to the companion podcast episode

You've written a great book. You've laid all the groundwork. Your plans are in place. Now it's time to publish. It's time to make some decisions.

Ebooks

Kindle Unlimited vs Going Wide

•  Kindle unlimited requires Amazon exclusivity but can be an excellent revenue stream
• Risk of losing your account
• Know your genre
• See how others are doing
• Limited "wide" periods?

Other vendors:

• iBooks 
• Have to be a Mac user?
• Nook 
• Poor customer service experiences
• Lack of commitment?
• Kobo Writing Life
• Can take advantage of advertising options
• New lending program
• Sales reporting limitations
• Google Play 
• Discounting policies
• Open to new authors?

Distributors 

The advantage of these services is you can upload a single set of files and they will publish it to a variety of platforms on your behalf. The trade-off is  you will get a slightly lower royalty, although at certain price levels you might make out better.

• Draft 2 Digital 
• Easy to use
• Responsive
• Fast
• Can go free to Nook
• Sometimes get better Nook customer service through D2D
• Reaches a few vendors others do not
• Advertising and promotions
•  
•  
• Pronoun
• Distributes to five majors including Amazon
• Better Amazon royalty on books below $2.99 and above $9.99

• Smashwords 
• Also reaches a few vendors D2D does not
• Improving
• Variable compensation depending on the type of purchase.
• Doesn't support co-authors

Selling from your website

• Limited success. 
• The average customer values convenience over price. 
• Better for non-fiction?
• Sites
• Selz
• Gumroad

Paperbacks

Likelihood of  selling into bookstores.

Createspace

• Free setup and revisions
• Pricing for expanded distribution
• No flexible discounting
• No annual listing fees 
• Poor quality gloss covers

Lightning Source

• Expensive setup and revision fees
• Flexible discounting
• Annual listing fees
• Good quality product 
• Makes returns possible, but...
• Only accepting publishing houses?

Ingram Spark

• Accepting individuals
• Very similar to Lightning Source
• Lower setup fees. Coupons.
• Same listing fees.
• Fewer discounting options. 

KDP

• Still developing, working out the kinks.
• Doesn't seem to be as good a deal as CreateSpace

Nook Press

• Run in the opposite direction as fast as you can 
• Overpriced, no distribution, not a good deal.
• Basically an expensive printing service.

Audiobooks

ACX 

• Connects publishers with narrators/producers
• Distributes to Audible, Amazon, iTunes
• Whispersync program
• Pay for production vs Royalty Share
• Exclusive vs Non-exclusive
• May provide your own files
• Flat percentage
• Promo codes
• No gifting
• Problem finding narrators

Other distributors are cropping up if you have your own files to provide. No opinions on any of them. Do your research.

Translations

Babelcube

• Works like ACX.
• Is the translator any good?
• Promo/marketing limitations.

Indie Publishing Success- Best Practices

Listen to the companion podcast episode

This post is going to be very beginner-oriented, but hopefully vets will find something of value.

If you spend time on indie publishing forums or in author/publisher groups, you'll likely hear the term "best practices." While there's no hard-and-fast definition, "best practices" are the things indie authors can do that are generally a good idea, and have often proved effective for commercially successful authors. Obviously, there are no guarantees, but it's my belief that emulating the best practices of successful authors improves your odds of success greatly. Here are a few:

Produce a Quality Product 

Pay Attention to Craft 
 We covered this topic in detail here
*Attending to craft includes, but is not limited to things like:
*Writing Workshops
*Critique partners
*Reading widely

Identify and Study Your Genre/Subgenre 
*Make sure your work fits the tropes
*Study the bestseller lists and learn from the successful indies.
*Figure out what's selling and what isn't. Mass market readers don't necessarily want "unique," "new and different," or subversion of tropes. Most of the time, they want "more of the same."

Have a Good Book Cover
This should go without saying, but it doesn't. Take a look at Lousy Book Covers.
*Emulate the bestselling indies in your subgenre.
*Remember, the book cover is a sales tool, not an artistic reflection of the contents of your book. The cover needs to entice the reader and capture the general spirit of your book and subgenre. Don't pass up an amazing book cover because the cover model's hair is too short, etc...
*Don't clutter your book with a bunch of images from your book.
*If you can't afford a custom book cover, look for premade book covers. Lots of professional designers are making high-quality covers for a very reasonable price, and the price is only going to get lower as more and more artists offer premades. (I won't list sites here. A simple Google search will turn up plenty of results.)

Product Description
Some people call this the "blurb," "synopsis," or "back cover copy." In short, this is the description/summary of your book that will appear on your book's Amazon (or Nook, iBooks, Kobo...). There are many things that could be said about this, but in general:
*It's an ad, not a summary.
*Open with a hook. A couple of examples:
-A lost world has been found again... and no one is getting out alive. (The Valley by William Meikle.)
-Sometimes, the legends are true.(Primordial by yours truly and Alan Baxter.)
*Keep the description snappy and not overlong.
*Focus on what the story is about and what the character will face.
*This is not the place to load up on back-story. Don't tell us the history of your fantasy world, your character's life-story, etc...

*Learn from bestselling indie books in your subgenre.

Proofreading and Editing
*There are many editors professional content editors and proofreaders doing freelance work nowadays. Many are working both freelance for indies and traditional publishers. If you can afford it, it's possible to get trad-pub quality editing for your work.
*If you can't afford the best editors and proofreaders (yet), take steps to make your manuscript as clean as possible:
*Before making your final pass over the manuscript, change the font and font size. Some authors find this helps put them in different headspace and helps them catch errors.
*Read the book aloud to yourself.
*Read the book page-by-page beginning with the back page. This prevents you from focusing on the plot.
*Use a text-to-speech program to read the manuscript back to you.
*Use a program like Grammarly to help check for errors. (Note- a program like Grammarly will identify possible errors, but you will still have to be the judge of whether or not what you've written is incorrect. It will be of little help if you don't understand the rules of grammar and punctuation.)
*Get as many eyes on your manuscript as you can. Perhaps you can find people among your street team who are skilled editors.
*Network with other indies to find affordable editors and proofreaders. Check the Kboards Yellow Pages.

None of the above is intended to suggest you shouldn't hire an editor or proofer. I simply recognize that, for some people, it might be years before they can afford those services. I believe that if your book is well-written and you make it as clean as possible, readers will forgive a few mistakes. My first books had many mistakes and I've had them re-edited and proofed. It's not ideal, and I might have lost a few readers along the way, but that's my journey and it's turned out all right. I do encourage you to engage the services of good editors and proofers as soon as you can afford them.

Models/Mentors 
*Learn from the indie authors who are enjoying success in your subgenre. Look at how they go about their business. See if they've written blog posts or articles, or have given interviews in which they talk about their best practices. Understand and emulate those practices. (Please, do not contact authors and ask them to be your mentor. The successful authors are almost certainly too busy to take on a mentee and they'll feel guilty about saying "no.")
*Listen to podcasts like The Creative Penn, Self-Publishing Formula,  and Sci-Fi Fantasy Marketing Podcast for info and advice on the business and shows like Writing Excuses or The Roundtable Podcast for advice on the craft.

Be Careful About the Advice You Take
*Give greater consideration to those who are where you want to be in terms of commercial success. especially those who are succeeding in your genre.
*Does the person giving advice share your goals? If your goal is commercial success, the person whose focus is elsewhere might not be the best person to offer guidance.
*When it comes to business decisions, take the advice of indies who have "made it on their own" rather than "name" authors whose brand identity can overcome their publisher's bad marketing decisions. Also, if an author whose small-to-midsize publisher has cultivated a solid niche audience, beware when that author tells you "I don't worry about branding or marketing." In short, look for apples-to-apples publishing circumstances.
*Before handing money over to advice-givers, check to see if they're actually making a living selling fiction, or if they're actually making their living selling advice to authors in the form of workshops, books, etc... (It's a red flag if they say- "I make all my fiction money through my super-secret pen names.)
*Don't believe every indie conspiracy theory you read, especially about Amazon/algorithms.
*It's not all about luck. This could open a can of worms, so I'll cut to the chase: the harder I work, and the smarter I work, the luckier I get. Focus on what's within your control. Using best practices and learning from successful indies is no guarantee of success, but it gives you your best chance.

Publishing/Writing Considerations
*Be productive! Producing regular content is essential
*The longer you go between new releases, the sharper the sales decline.
*Writing novellas is a great way to keep a series going and produce regular content. My novellas sell almost as well as my full-length books, and the occasional "this is too short" review doesn't hurt sales.
*Short stories have their uses, but aren't particularly effective as tools for generating new sales/keeping momentum in the sales rankings.

*Writing a series tends to be much more effective than writing a variety of disconnected works.
*Putting out a new book in a series tends to lift the sales rankings of previous books in the series.
*Don't believe the old publishing "truism" that an author's books compete with one another. The opposite is actually true. Some indies have even found they can put out a book a month without detrimental effects on their catalog.

Consider Your Own Consumer Behavior
*Before spending money (or time) on a given strategy, ask yourself: has this particular strategy ever led me to buy a book? If so, how often?

*Here are some things that have never persuaded me to buy a book:
-Bookmarks
-SWAG (stuff we all get) bags
-Book Trailers
-Author TV/Radio appearances
-A Facebook ad proclaiming a given author as "better than..." This is an automatic "no" for me.

*Here are some things that have often persuaded me to buy a book:
-Recommendation from a friend who shares my reading interests.
-A sharp-looking book cover
-Finding the book in the also-boughts of my favorite authors.
-Finding the book in the besteller lists of my favorite genres.

Whew! This was a lengthy post. If you've made it to the end, thanks for reading and I hope you've found something useful. 

Indie Publishing Success- Street Teams

Listen to the companion podcast episode

Today, let's talk about "Street Teams" or "ARC Groups."

An ARC Group is a group of dedicated readers who receive advance review copies (ARCs) of your books in exchange for an honest review when your book is released.

I like the term "street team" because an effective group does more than just review your book; they "take to the streets" upon release and spread the word about your book, and talk you and your work up in general. They're your grassroots marketers. They help provide the essential "word of mouth" buzz that helps you reach new readers. 

What are the advantages of a street team?

 -Your book has reviews right out of the gate. Because your team will be comprised of people who enjoy your work, the reviews will likely tend toward the positive. Don't buy into all the "algorithm voodoo" you hear claiming that "after your book gets ____ reviews, Amazon's recommendations kick in." While confirmed purchase reviews play a part in recommendations, the greatest factor by far (and I mean far) is sales. What reviews give you is social proof. A book with a decent number of reviews and a good average rating is going to have a lot more appeal to a potential buyer than a book with no reviews.

-Word of mouth advertising. As mentioned above, having your Street Team members spread the word about your book to other readers is invaluable. And if you treat them well, they'll likely spread the word about you in general, not just when you have a new release. Some will blog about your books, others will post on social media, still others will talk you up on book clubs.

-An added layer of editorial feedback. Some of my team members love catching typos. Some have specialized knowledge and will catch factual errors. Others will give you general feedback about the story. Your team shouldn't take the place of editors and proofreaders, but their help is invaluable none the less.

-Cultivating relationships with readers. We've discussed the importance of this before. Ideally, your  team becomes your "insiders." I've gotten to know some of my best readers much better through my street team and have met some truly delightful people in the process!

When am I ready to form a street team?

Ultimately, you'll have to trust your instincts. It's not something I'd recommend doing right off the bat, but you can take it in steps from the outset. Begin by asking your beta readers to leave reviews. As your Facebook author page grows, you can give away a limited number of review copies upon release, and eventually work up to a full-blown street team.

How do I set up my street team?

Start by creating a signup form on your website.
-Clearly state your expectations. Make it clear the subscriber must read and review all the books you send.
-Ask for a link to where the person currently leaves reviews. (Amazon or Goodreads profile, Audible listener profile, blog...)
-Ask why the person believes (s)he would be a good member.
-You might want to make it clear that you are only sharing advance ebooks, and that the reader must know how to side-load or open the ebook file on their device.

Decide how you will send out advance reader copies. Some authors keep a list of email addresses, and simply send out a mass email (be sure to put the team members' addresses in the "blind copy" section.) Others use an automated system like you might use for a newsletter.

Create a "special access" point for your team. Your team deserves more than the occasional $3 ebook in thanks for what they do. I have created a secret Facebook group for my street team. They get direct access to me, I can bounce ideas off of them, we can interact, but also the group gives me an opportunity to give them special treatment by sharing things like news, previews, and book cover reveals.

Decide how to recruit your first members. Since I started out by giving away review copies in my Facebook author group, that was the natural spot for me to begin. Once I reached a target number, I deleted the post, stopped actively seeking new members, but left the signup form on my site for a while. Once I reached the next benchmark, I removed the form from my site. I'll re-post it from time to time to add new team members. Some authors like to start small, then let it be known that new members will be added in X months, and acceptance will be based on the applicants' review history.

Other tips, questions, and concerns

Is there a limit to how many readers I should have on my team? That's your call. The number of reviewers you accept will likely be a reflection of how well your books sell. Some highly successful authors have ARC lists of over 1,000 while others cap the number at a much, much lower total. Do what's comfortable for you.

Should I periodically  cull my list of readers who aren't reviewing? Again, your call. Some authors aren't worried about it, others check from time-to-time. One effective tool is simply to send out a group email, BCC'ing those who haven't been reviewing, and asking if they still wish to be on the list. Sometimes life legitimately gets away, so you might wish to take that into consideration.

Should I worry about people scamming me? It's something to at least be aware of. Definitely beware of people who want paperbacks, people who tell you all the reasons they "can't afford" your $3 ebook, people who get on as many ARC lists as possible just to get the free books... I'm not suggesting that many of those who are interested in being on your team are grifters, but it's a reality in the industry. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it, but keep it in mind.

Parting thoughts-

-Know your expectations at the start and stick with them.
-Some authors suggest that reviewers not  use language like "I received an ARC for an honest review" in their Amazon/Goodreads reviews, or else Amazon will remove the review. Use something like, 'I voluntarily read an early copy of this title.'
-Don't fret that giving away a few books will cost you money. A well-managed team will more than pay for itself through reviews, promo, and positive reader relationships. Some will still purchase the book when it comes out as a way of supporting you.
-Don't feel bad about cutting a member loose if you feel it's warranted.
-Remember, the above is simply an example of a "starter" team. Some authors take it to the next level, with point systems, rewards, and challenges. Remain open to ideas and possibilities.
-Don't be afraid to ask your team for help, but never miss an opportunity to thank them and tell them how awesome they are!

Indie Publishing Success- Facebook Pages for Indie Authors

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Facebook author pages is a subject that is frequently discussed in author circles. Publishing houses

often push their authors to establish a dedicated author page, yet the author doesn't know how to best utilize it. Meanwhile, many indie authors are questioning the value of these pages due to decreased engagement with their posts. I believe these pages are still of great value for a few reasons:

The Value of Facebook to Authors

Opportunities for genuine interaction with readers.
Comment threads can develop into conversations, which allows the author to build connections with her or his readership in a way that a newsletter, tweet, or blog post does not.

Easy sharing of information.
Word of mouth (yes, virtual/cyber word of mouth counts) is critical in book marketing. When a dedicated reader shares your post about your latest release, that implicit endorsement carries weight with her/his Facebook friends who are also readers, particularly if they read in your genre. If these readers are not familiar with your work, there's a good chance they'd never have heard about your book if your announcement was limited to your website and newsletter.

It's more active than a website.
Active marketing strategies are critical. It's the rare author who can rely exclusively on passive strategies, like putting up a post on her/his website and waiting for the sales to roll in. Yes, a non-sponsored Facebook post is still a passive post, but for people reading it, the opportunity is there to share it, thus putting it in front of new and different readers. That sharing of information makes it active, and it gets you and your work out in front of new people.

Building a support network.
Some of the nicest people I know are people I've met through my author presence on Facebook. Some are readers who love my work, seem to like me, and are always happy to go the extra mile to help me out in a variety of ways. Some became the core of my "street team" (which is a topic for another day). I've also developed friendships and professional relationships with authors, editors, cover designers, and audiobook narrators. I don't know where I'd be without those connections.

Facebook is huge.
Despite its shortcomings, Facebook is still the big dog in social media. (Or, at least 'a' big dog). Not having a presence there is a missed opportunity.

How Should I Utilize My Author Page?

Don't just advertise your works for sale.
You can't, and shouldn't, keep up an active Facebook author presence if all you do is post new release announcements, "buy" links, and news of sales and giveaways. You need more, and it needs to be interesting. Some of the things I include:

-Snippets from my work in progress. (Preferably something funny. If a character makes me laugh while I'm writing him/her, there's a good chance my readers will get a chuckle out of it too.)
- Interesting things I learn during my research.
- Photographs from my research trips.
- Other interesting photos, for example, if I meet up with a fellow author or another industry professional.
- Cover reveals
- Updates on my writing progress.
- Celebrations
- Freebies
 -Content to draw readers to my website

Remember it's "Social" Media
Try to be interactive. Reply to their comments. Be open to questions. Solicit their opinions and suggestions. Always remember to say thank-you. Without readers, we don't have a career.

Newsletter Signup and Other Features
Facebook's author page makes it easy to set up a newsletter signup form on your author page. Use it. Visitors to my page also see things like: "Author App", which provides cover images, synopses, and links to my books for sale; a link to Authorgraph, an app which allows authors to e-sign Kindle books; a link to my website, and info about me. All of it is very easy to set up.

Pay Attention to the "Insights" Tab
"Insights"will give you information on views and interactions with your posts, so you can see what is most interesting to your page visitors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Facebook changed the way they handle news feeds, and now my post views are low. Can I do anything about it?

Yes, many of your posts will have low views, but not if they're interesting. For example, I have a little over 700 likes on my Facebook author page. Some only get 20% engagement, but some do very well. I posted a link to a free audio short story, and it has over 1,400 views. I did a cover reveal for a forthcoming book and it has about 1,300 views. So, it is possible to get solid engagement. Things to consider:


-Likes tend to snowball on Facebook. The more people who "like" your post right away, the more likely it is to turn up  in other feeds. Thus, if there's something you really want people to see, you might want to post it at a time that most of your audience is likely to be on Facebook. For me, it's after 5:00 US Eastern time.

-Posts with a picture or video tend to get better engagement than a post without.

-Be interesting. Post things on your author page that are exclusive to that page. 

I've tried that and I'm still getting a low percentage of engagement. Should I keep my author page?
-Yes. Stop thinking about who isn't viewing your posts and focus on who is. Every person who engages with you on your author page is someone you might not have reached otherwise. Consider them your foundation and look for ways to build up rather than excuses to tear down. Also, it's a good look to have a professional Facebook presence independent of your personal page, and, as mentioned above, it's something many prospective agents and publishers look for.

How can I get more "likes" on my Facebook page?
The most engaged segment of your audience will probably be the readers who like your books and then seek out your Facebook page. Be sure to put the Facebook link in a place on your website that's easy to find. Also, most mailing list templates have spots for quick links to social media. You can use your author bio (in your books and ebooks, on your Amazon page, on your website) to invite people to connect with you on Facebook. Finally, you can use a Facebook ad targeted at readers in your genre to bring new readers to your page.

How else can I use Facebook?
We'll elaborate in future podcasts, but Facebook ads, parties, and launch events can be effective ways to market your works and your brand.


As always, feel free to comment or contact me with question, thoughts, added info, or disagreements.

Indie Publishing Success- Author Websites

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST EPISODE


A web presence is an important tool for the successful indie author. It's one of the places readers can learn about our books, get news about our new releases, and sign up for our newsletter. But what should our website look like? What should it contain? A few helpful tips:

Think like a reader
Your website isn't for you (nor is your book cover, but we'll talk about that another time). It's not a place for creative self-expression. It's a tool for selling books, which means it should be consumer-focused.Your website should be designed with discovery and ease of purchase in mind.


Design
-Keep it clean and uncluttered. Don't make me work to find your catalog of books, news of new release,  your newsletter opt-in, and a contact form.


-White space is your friend. The text sections on my site are black text on white background.

-Avoid light fonts on dark backgrounds. Horror writers, I'm looking at you. I don't want red text on a black background.

-Don't overload me with text. I want to find your books, in order, see the cover image, read a short synopsis, and click on a "buy" link.

-Make it easy to navigate. The modern consumer wants convenience. Reading is a leisure activity. If I have to work to find what I want on your site, I'll go elsewhere, and maybe even give my money to someone else.

- Avoid videos or music that automatically start playing, and things that make for slow loading. Many of us still live in areas where the only available internet service is slow. (Also, it's obnoxious.) Watch out for flash, as it's unsupported on some devices.

-How does it look in mobile? Lots of people browse and shop on their phone or tablet, so make sure your site is easy to navigate on a mobile device.

-Does overall "feel" of the website match the sorts of books you write? A science fiction writer's website should have a different vibe than a writer of cozy mystery. That doesn't mean you should go over the top with your design. Just consider the overall feel. If you write in a wide variety of genres, consider a simple, professional design that says "author" but doesn't necessarily imply a genre.

-Design with an eye to the future. Choose a look that won't need a massive overhaul every time you choose to branch out as a writer.

-Choose a url that identifies with you as a writer. If you also want to secure urls for your character or series names, and link them to your site, that's fine, but don't make them primary.


Content
-Start with the essentials: Complete catalog of books, grouped by series and listed in order; newsletter opt-in; a place for news of new releases.

-Individual books pages should be simple. This isn't the place for lengthy reflection on the work or your writing process. It needs a cover image, product description, and "Buy" links. When creating those links, be sure to select the "Open in another window" option so the reader isn't forced to leave your site. If you're publishing "wide" (on stores other than Amazon/Kindle), includes those links, too, at least to the major stores.

-Links that support your social media presence: Facebook author page, Twitter, and your Amazon author page are the most important. Some authors load up their business cards with urls for all the above. I don't like a cluttered business card, so I put only my website url on my card and make sure links to the other important sites are easy to find.

- Consider having an "About " section with a little bit about you. Your interests, particularly those which impact your writing, your favorite authors or books, a few photos of you. This isn't an essential, but it's good for self-revelation and building connections with the readers who are interested in learning a bit more about you. "Hey! He likes Neil Gaiman too!" "Whoa! She and I both prefer the Battlestar Galactica reboot to the original!" "Wow! We're both into..." If you've won awards, list them here, particularly if they're prestigious awards.


My Own Website
My site  www.davidwoodweb.com isn't perfect and I'm in the process of streamlining it. (The indie author life is a perpetual treadmill of refining, adapting, revising, re-thinking...) My Catalog section, in particular, is problematic. The catalog page shows my various series in order, but when the reader places the cursor over the Catalog link in the main bar, it shows a drop-down menu of all my books. Thus, it isn't clear that the reader could click on the word "Catalog" and navigate to a catalog page. That's #1 on my "to correct" list.

My site includes:
Catalog of books
Blog- This is where I share news and notes.
A page for my lesser-known pen name
About Me
Contact Form
Translated Works
A separate page for audiobooks I'm on the fence about keeping this page. I've been told by successful indies that Audible, in particular, likes for audiobooks to be listed separately, though it's rare for an author to get much love from Audible unless you're a "big hitter." I do all right, and Audible hasn't featured me in a long time. 

My newsletter opt-in is a small box in the sidebar of every page. It's small, unobtrusive, and easy to find. I also use a pop-up.

In addition to Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon author links, my links section includes my podcasts, YouTube channel, and a link to International Thriller Writers, the professional organization of which I'm a member. If you're a member of such an organization, there's no harm in including links as a subtle form of social proof. I also include a link to Indiebound. Many indie booksellers frown on authors who only link to Amazon.


Frequently Asked Questions

What hosting service should I use?
There are too many to list here. I use GoDaddy and Wordpress, but there are many options.

I'm broke. Do I need a hosted domain?
At minimum, you need a custom domain name, preferably not too complex. It looks more professional and makes for easy browsing.Others might disagree, but I think you can make use of a free service like Wix or Blogger and produce a professional-looking site that incorporates the essentials.

Do I need to maintain a separate blog?
No. If you see a successful author who's still maintaining a blog that's entirely separate from her/his website, it's probably because said blog has been around for a while, had lots of traffic, and the author doesn't want to lose the blog. If you're starting out, go with a site that has both. Give the reader the complete experience at one site.

But what about [insert author name here]? His/her website breaks all the rules. Why can't I?
Some authors succeed in spite of the choices they make. Some are so successful that it doesn't matter what their website looks like. Ultimately, your website isn't going to make or break you. Theoretically, you could have a successful career with no website at all. A website is simply another tool at your disposal that can potentially enhance your success, and following the practices that have worked for other authors probably gives you your best chance at success.

But..but... my [friend/partner/seven Twitter followers] says my website looks awesome, even though it breaks all the rules.
Did you ask the right questions?
Don't ask "How does this look?" "What do you think?" or "Does this look cool to you?" 
Instead, ask things like, "When you go to my website, how long did it take you to find all my books in order?" or "How hard was it to sign up for my newsletter?" or "When you first look at my site, in what genre do you think I write?" (Hey, that rhymes!" or "Can you tell, at first glance, that this is the website of a professional author?"

Also, remember the limited value of small sample sizes, and of people who already know and like you and your work. If I get 100 of my dedicated readers to give me feedback on my site, that's of limited value. They only represent a tiny fraction of my core readership, and they already like my work, so they're likely to be biased. I'm better off looking at the websites of, and seeking advice from, a large number of successful authors and finding out what works.

Should I sell book off of my site?
There's no harm in setting up a digital site through a site like Selz or Gumroad, but I've found that I get little return for the amount of time I invest. The average consumer values convenience over price, and doesn't want to bother with side-loading a book or even emailing it to him/herself.


I hope this has been helpful. Feel free to ask questions, add thoughts and suggestion, or disagree in the comments or using the contact form!