Information and tips, focusing on publishing, publicity, promotional ideas, author profiles, design resources and more.
Author Bill Poulos has been getting plenty of press for his excellent new book Bush Tragedies. Bill has been using Facebook and Instagram to good effect and tapping into his community connections.
https://arr.news/2023/09/01/new-release-bush-tragedies/
https://www.nswcountryandpicnicracing.com.au/former-racing-writer-launches-new-book/
https://www.netimes.com.au/2023/08/20/new-crime-book-from-moree-author-accidental/
Author of Red, Angela Dawson reports on her recent promotional activities and opportunities:
ABC Radio Melbourne: Angela Dawson publishes her novel Red - ABC
Plus, as well as Readings bookstores, I managed to get books into Dymocks, Camberwell after being part of a panel of authors presenting to a packed audience at Rivoli Cinemas, Camberwell, for their 'First Tuesday Book Club'. Catherine Deveny was one of them! Fun, but quite nerve racking! I got to speak for 15 mins, and afterwards we all sat in the foyer for book signings, like real authors!
I've entered lots of competitions, and so far have managed to get short listed in the Santa Fe Writers Project 2022 Literary Awards (27 selected out of 2000!)
This was their feedback:
Thank you for participating in the 2022 Literary Awards Program and, again, congrats on making it into the finalist lists! You beat out nearly 2000 manuscripts to get where you are.
While you did not make the winners' circle, your manuscript showed strong promise and shined through a rigorous judging process. Congratulations!
I'm still waiting for a few more comp results, some of which come out at the end of the year.
I have a few things I want to pursue - I've joined this FB page, which might help with getting some online traffic:
I even wrote a short blog today, after a massive hiatus!
There are definitely some great opportunities out there for writers to get their work critiqued. I found a few legitimate sites, including an American one which frequently has competitions with no entry fees - usually for short essays, poems. I'm on their monthly list for the newsletter. Their site states they are, 'One of the Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers'.
Winning Writers, Inc.
351 Pleasant Street Suite B PMB 222
Northampton, MA 01060-3998
USA
Her website can be found here.
In April 2022, I released my debut novel, ‘The King of Rhye,’ after a productive six months working alongside Sid Harta Publishers. It entered the world to a fair reception (for an untested indie author); though as anticipated, it did not smash any records or win any Nobel Prizes. Nearly a year later, it will be receiving a shot in the arm, with the imminent release of an audiobook likely to find another modest reader base.
By my own estimation, the true success of ‘The King of Rhye’ has been its permeation into various corners of cultural awareness. It has moved sideways, into several other forms of media, both auditory and visual, to create not so much a story as a multisensory experience. There now exists an official soundtrack of original music, produced for songs lifted directly from the story. A rich (and expanding) gallery of bespoke ‘canonical’ art adorns social media pages, clothes, other merchandise, the cover of vinyl records and the walls of my house. It is also soon to receive its second language publication, having been diligently translated to French. It is anticipated that the French version will hit the market later in 2023.
Not too bad, for a book less than one year old.
I attribute this ‘lateral progression’ to a combination of two main factors. The first: a consistent and front-loaded assault on selected social media. The second: an awareness of target audience, and a reasonable understanding of how best to capture that audience’s attention.
For completeness, it is worth highlighting that Lady Luck certainly played a role (I should have included her in Acknowledgements). One or two steps of the journey came courtesy of the right people stumbling over my work at the right time. I guess that is something that may or may not happen to any author, in their fledgling career.
A few words, then, about my approach to social media. I am now a man in my early forties. I am well aware that a plethora of social media platforms exist these days; every time I turn around, the youth of today have launched a new one (most of which, I’ll be honest, I don’t understand). I am most active on Facebook (being somewhere on the cusp of Gen X and Gen Y). As it turns out, my target demographic also use this as their go-to place for doomscrolling. Of course, I did know this before I started, so it was no accident that I chose Facebook as the main place to launch my campaign.
I also started early, which I think a lot of wannabe authors don’t think to do. They write their book, then they start trying to sell it to an audience. I started over a year before the eventual release date. I told people what I was aiming to do, what I hoped to achieve with it, and what they might expect from it. From humble beginnings, I built a following. Slowly. It still isn’t huge, but it has grown consistently. That takes time – there are almost no ‘overnight sensations’, despite the illusion.
I don’t pay for Facebook ads. That worked, exactly one time, right at the beginning. Eventually, the algorithm only shows your sponsored ads to people who already follow you. So, it was necessary to use other platforms to increase exposure that way. I have a Reddit presence (useful), an Instagram page (quite useful), a LinkedIn profile (useless) and am dabbling in YouTube – which has the potential to be the most useful of all, if I actually had the time to produce a series of videos.
I’m aware that TikTok can work, but I’m horrible at dances, so I’ll leave it alone.
Next, to discuss target audience. One might say that I had the advantage of being able to ride on the coattails of one of the world’s largest rock music fandoms, in finding people who might pay attention to my book (‘The King of Rhye’ is an ode to the wonderful music of Queen). But it is more complicated than that: linking your work to an existing cultural phenomenon only works if you also know how to harness the connection.
It needed to be clear in my language, in my visual style, and in the way I presented my project, that I understand what fans love about the band. I also needed to reach for the stars themselves, and see just what support I might be able to garner from the inner sanctum. I contacted Queen, via the International Fan Club. Whilst guitarist Brian May has been too busy with the endless stream of commitments, I did learn that he is generous and willing to embrace the efforts of fans to further Queen’s legacy. He did offer to help promote ‘The King of Rhye’; an offer that was seen by many, and not only gave me a boost of confidence, but also gave the project credibility in the eyes of others.
To broaden the potential reader base, I had to also emphasise that this is not just a book for Queen fans. It is at its heart, a fantasy epic in the ‘Hero’s Journey’ tradition. To that end, I became involved in a number of online fantasy author groups, getting involved in discussion as often as I could; helping other budding authors with editing, and taking opportunities to introduce myself and what I was doing in return. It all helped.
Once ‘The King of Rhye’ was finally released, I focused my attention in again, to invest some energy in my local community. I live in a town of strong social connections, so I found that pursuing radio interviews and a showing at the regional library was also beneficial. Word of mouth travels quickly.
To speak of ‘people stumbling over my work at the right time’: the Queen connection brought British illustrator Luc Hudson, and French musicians Louis Henry Chambat and Thibaut Sergeant (‘Fat Bottomed Boys’) into my sphere of awareness. They introduced themselves to me; gentlemen in completely separate walks of life, on the far side of the world, due to a shared interest and a united sense of purpose. They found me because I made my mission statement clear, and because I highlighted the strengths of my work – the worldwide love for a classic rock band.
Where has all of this gotten me? I travelled to Europe in late 2022, to present my book at a convention. I built more of an audience. Demand for a follow-up has swelled. Certainly, another story was in the offing; but now that promotion has produced momentum, I draft my second novel knowing that a hum of anticipation already builds.
I have loved this journey. It has been worth every moment of effort.
Craig Mulhall
‘The King of Rhye’ © 2022 Sid Harta Publishers
Books Go Social occupies a niche I have been interested in for a while — helping independent authors unfamiliar with social media to promote their books.
They offer:
Assistance with Amazon advertising
Editing of book descriptions
Netgalley campaigns
Assistance with email campaigns
Facebook advertising
Focus on the UK and US markets only, the two largest English speaking markets
According to their introduction: “Our Amazon and Facebook Ads for authors have received over three hundred million impressions (views) by readers. You will reach more readers with us. We advertise books on Amazon US and UK and have 11 Twitter accounts with 450,867 real followers (Nov, 2021 count). We also can email your book offers to 150,000+ readers. And our YouTube channel has 1,000+ followers who can see any book trailer or video interview you send us.”
“We know where the most effective places to run ads are for your book, and how to build your long-term monthly royalties and your career as a writer.”
Google Reviews are generally positive, and the business responds to comments. A representative sample: “I've used Books Go Social the past few years for a number of services, and they consistently over-deliver. The Books Go Social team is fast and efficient at helping authors figure out how to move their books into the marketplace and get them selling.”
The package prices are not exorbitant, and may be worth trying when you have done your due diligence…
Author Ian Burrett has constructed an excellent website to promote his book. The one page site is very simple, has clear opportunities to purchase and good supporting information. Also available online at Booktopia and other booksellers. Ian reports that the book has been selling well.
The book blurb and author biography are as follows:
Many war veterans and their families have endured years of debilitating physical and emotional problems, and as a result they and their families have arguably suffered as much or more that those who have died during all conflicts in which Australia has participated. Because of this the author believes that returned service people have just as much right to be named on community war memorials as those who died during or as a result of their service.
Hundreds of thousands of our returned heroes, primarily from the two World Wars, have not been named on community war memorials. This book explains why this has happened and gives step-by-step guidelines to assist communities to update their memorials. It includes many points not previously revealed to the general public on this topic. It also provides assistance to those wishing to research their service person ancestors as well as school students and other researchers studying our wartime history.
No similar book has been previously published. With respect to community war memorials the orientation of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Australian War Memorial and the RSL is primarily directed towards those who died during or a result of their service. Their assistance is orientated to people researching individuals, not community researchers desirous of updating their local war memorials with a large number of names. This book can be regarded as a text book for those wanting to give our returned heroes, and those who died, the long-overdue recognition they so rightly deserve.
About the Author
Ian Burrett is a retired Vietnam veteran. His inspiration for writing this book is his father, Lt Col Athol Frederick Burrett DSO MID. Of the 12 000 Aussies who landed at Gallipoli on April 25th and 26th, 1915, Athol was one of less than 300 still fighting when World War I ended. Ian is currently the treasurer of the Portland NSW RSL sub-Branch. He has been a JP in NSW for nearly fifty years. Ian’s formative years were spent in Goulburn, NSW, and he was heavily into sport. He represented Goulburn in hockey, table tennis, swimming and snooker. He played a side drum in scout and school cadet bands at Anzac Day marches.
Ian has had a varied career, primarily in real estate, an area he worked in for about twenty-five years. He was the principal of Raine & Horne franchises at Kincumber and Avoca Beach, on the Central Coast of NSW. Prior to that, based in Sydney, he was regarded as one of Australia’s leading authorities in assisting accountants in public practice to install internally-managed superannuation funds for their corporate clients. He wrote articles for CCH Australia Ltd and conducted seminars on the topic in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. He was working in the security industry prior to his retirement in 2007.
Now single, Ian was married twice. Ian has two children from his first marriage—Lisa, a solicitor, born 1973 and Brett, a doctor, born 1979.
An author client writes with a roster of his speaking engagements — not all relating directly to his book, but providing a good opportunity to mention its existence. Other clients have reported that public speaking events have been quite effective in sparking sales of their books.
The Outback Writers Festival is a three-day event to be held in Dubbo on 9,10 and 11 September. I shall attend the first day.
I am doing a presentation-talk with videos and photo to the Lions Club of Gilgandra on 3 September at their change-over dinner.
On 8 September I am to do my regular presentation at the University of the Third Age, In Dubbo.
On 9 September I am to speak at the monthly meeting of the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association in the morning and then to attend the Writers Festival as above in the afternoon/evening.
On 10 September I am to address the Country Women's Association, not about writing but travel to other lands as it is their International Day.
Valerie Britton-Wilson reports in regarding the promotion of her excellent book “A Touch of India”
You asked to hear news of promotional stuff - I’m not sure how much info you want but I’m attaching here all the successful exertions of Wendy McWilliams - it’s her ‘Media Report’ doc and has more than you need - but if you scroll down from page 18 onwards you will find pretty much everything. She was very good indeed.
But even so, book sales generated during her efforts nowhere near covered costs. Hiring a PR person, even at Wendy’s more moderate rates, is expensive - I put a cap on it at the outset and would recommend others do the same as the chargeable hours mount up v quickly.
I still have not got a handle on FaceBook or blogging though I have tried. (I even paid a teenager for a few hours of lessons!)
I’ve got a few book groups and speaking events coming up so that will help.
I’m so glad I put a gmail address on the back cover because the biggest pleasure for me has been feedback from strangers.
Here are a few of them:
Love the photos. It's interesting, the photo of your mother on the back cover does make her look perfectly beautiful, but in other shots, I can see what you mean, that she was lively and appealing, rather than classically beautiful. There's a photo of your parents both laughing, where she looks absolutely irresistible.
All the threads are fascinating. The bios of your parents, and your feelings for them. The extraordinary story of the Indian great-grandmother, the poignancy that you could find out no more about her, the illusiveness, some care and love for her which was good, but so removed from the record. Your impressions of India are vivid and thoughtful. Thoughts on Indian culture, politics, history all extremely interesting. Bits of history always just what I needed; never felt like information dump.The stories from people you knew in India. All those threads are very well woven together, which is very impressive and effective. Very difficult to pull that off, I would have thought.
It is intriguing – did you find this disconcerting? – that her writing style is somewhat similar to yours. Voices in families are often similar. Great quotes from all the primary sources. The letter from the fiancee is utterly heart-breaking. Can he really have written hundreds of thousands of words to her? All buried in the jungle.
Your relationship with your parents, your scattering of their ashes, is very moving.
MOTI was a remarkable achievement, especially since neither you nor Sue really had any experience in fashion design, let alone the business. It was perfectly pitched – wearable, flattering, but really interesting and stylish design. Pearl is such a nice name. I've been waiting for it to come back into fashion, but that doesn't seem to have happened.
I found A Touch of India such a compelling read and enjoyed every page. I wanted the story to go on forever and saved the last few chapters to read very quietly by myself at home.
When I arrived at the part which mentioned Pearl receiving Woody's letter I could feel my eyes brimming with tears which did not stop until well after the Postscript: Note to Mabel.
I commend your courage in writing about your family with such honesty and sharing with readers your personal thoughts and feelings.I just have to tell you how much I am enjoying your book. I ordered it from the local library because I thought it looked interesting but I had no idea that it was in part the biography of Mr Britton. It is so beautifully written. I love the humour. I have not visited India but your descriptions tell me that you have a very deep love of the country.
I knew your dad in his capacity with music education in Brisbane. I had asked different people about him some time ago but nobody knew where he lived at that time.
I found your book in the Hill of Content Bookshop the Saturday before lockdown, and I read it from cover to cover at Pellegrini's Coffee Shop over the next two hours. I too have had a long association with India, and found it very evocative with many similar experiences.
Adrian Caesar is a talented and experienced writer, the author of: Novels: The White: Last Days in the Antarctic Journeys of Scott and Mawson 1911-1913 (1999), The Blessing (2015), Collected poetry: Hunger Games (1996), Life Sentences (1998), The June Fireworks: New and Selected Poems (2001), High Wire (2005), Dark Cupboards New Rooms (2014).
He reports on the recent publication of A Winter Sowing under the Arcadia imprint with Australian Scholarly Publishing:
”I’m happy to report I’ve had some fabulous responses to A Winter Sowing in the form of twenty-odd personal emails, texts etc. Someone mentioned it on the ABC Book Club website and a small book club down here read it. All this is great, but it isn’t as yet translating into sales. I’m finding the contrast between reader response and sales frustrating but it was the same story with my previous book. My wife and I will plug on doing what we can. A couple of bookshops are interested in hosting events in late Feb and March and we’re thinking of hiring a student to do some marketing work via social media. I’ll keep you posted. I’m not giving up. I’m learning to live with the idea of ‘fit audience, though few’!”
Please click here to download our updated client information pack, containing much practical information and advice from other authors.
Author Jenny Graves has just released a very well written and meticulously researched book (Naturally Supporting Cancer Treatment, available here) on supplementing cancer treatments with “evidence-based ways to help prevent cancer formation and and recurrence, and assist treatment”. Jenny plans to promote her book in various cost-effective ways, and emailed us with the following specifics:
“Because of the subject matter, I’m targeting other naturopaths, some of whom don’t have much knowledge about treating cancer patients, and also for them to stock in their dispensaries to sell to their patients. I’m contacting the universities offering naturopathic degrees to see whether they would suggest it to their students as associated reading or even as text books.My local health food store has told me that they will stock it in their two stores locally, but the manager is also on the board of the company (Go Vita) and I’m hoping that they will stock it nationally and publish an article in their magazine to promote it. I have a Business Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NaturallySupportingCancerTreatment and my website, www.naturallysupportingcancertreatment.com.au is due to go live shortly, with plans to produce blog articles regularly on it and a regular newsletter containing those articles to be sent to those who sign up on the website. I have an author page on Books2Read, https://books2read.com/b/3LwPzN?edit=maybe-later and their Universal Book Link, https://books2read.com/NaturallySupportingCancerTreatment. I’m toying with the idea of using a media publicist if I can get over my terror of speaking in public. 😊 I’ve also got plans to submit articles to various websites for them to publish as a Guest Author. I may put my toe in the water with Facebook and Google ads, but I believe that they can be something of a money pit unless you get them right, so I’ve been doing training courses on those.”
Guest post contributed by Chloe Harris
If you have an idea under your belt that you genuinely believe should reach a wider audience, consider publishing your own book. Historically, authors need an agent who can convince a publisher to take a look at their manuscript. In fact, many publishing companies work only through established agents, which makes it difficult, especially for first-time authors.
Self-publishing may sound outlandish, considering all the work needed to be even noticed by readers. But with meticulous planning, creativity, resourcefulness, and proper implementation, your book can be the next bestseller.
Even you’re self-publishing, the book will go through the hands of people who will judge it. Minor errors can hinder its success. If you’ve never edited a book before, here’s a guide on how to edit a book.
Do the following to get you started.
Wait at least a week before editing so that you can look at the book with fresh eyes.
Review the plot and characters. Take note of significant structures. For example, do the characters have dynamic personalities? Is the conflict sensible? How is the audience going to feel about the ending?
If you’re not ready to edit the significant elements, start with line edits. Are you using the right voice?
Feedback is invaluable. The book may sound perfect to you, but are you sure that’s how readers would feel? Share your manuscript with trusted individuals and ask for feedback.
To help them make more candid feedback, create an online form to share opinions on specific elements. Also, ask them how you can improve.
Feedback may be obtained from friends, family, book critics, and writing communities.
“A professionally-formatted book sends a good impression. This part can be a bit more complicated for self-publishing authors because your book must be 100% ready for publication after this. Many authors are anxious about formatting; after all, it’s an entirely different skill from writing.”, explains Direct Appliance Rentals CEO Karina Wolfin.
Here are some formatting options.
Free formatting software: Apple Pages and Kindle Create provide free templates. However, they also cater to their own platform, which means all or some formatting options will be discard when you upload to other retailers.
Paid formatting software: Vellum ($200) and Scrivener ($45) creates beautifully formatted print versions and E-books. Plus, you can format as many files as you want with a licensed account.
Professional typesetters: For print on demand, authors usually hire a typesetter to ensure immaculate formatting. This is the most viable option, especially for printed editions, because you don’t want unevenly spaced text and images.
The cover creates the first impression to the readers. A strong cover is attractive and lets those who see it know that the book was made for them.
Consider these tips for the book design.
Striking yet sophisticated. Whether it’s a photo, an illustration, or typography, the cover should look professional.
Indicative of the genre. Some design elements are associated with specific genres. Your book cover must conform to these principles to reach the right audience.
Spine and back cover. This is only for printed versions.
Unlike formatting, the cover should be made by a professional. This is your most crucial marketing tool, and you shouldn’t take risks.
The book description is another element that can attract readers. Here are the basics of writing a good description.
Hook the readers. Use a dramatic headline, such as a quote from a book or a strong review from a known critique. The point is to intrigue the readers.
Introduce the storyline. Don’t give away everything, though! Instead, give readers a sneak peek of what they’re going to find inside.
Create a cliff-hanger. End the description with a hint of a shocking twist or an intriguing question.
Read the descriptions of some bestsellers of the same genre, and you’ll definitely see a pattern.
The launch will raise awareness and jumpstart the hype about your book—just like a movie trailer.
Consider including the following in your launch plan.
Build a website. A large fraction of modern-day consumers rely on the internet for information; therefore, your book should be there. Hire a web designer to build a dedicated website for your book and follow the pointers we gave for the cover design.
Ask for the support of family and friends. People will be looking for social proof, so it would be beneficial if your family and friends promote your book on their social media accounts.
Ask for book reviews. Contact known book reviewers and politely ask them if they can review your book.
Organise a virtual launch party. Partner with influencers and send them party packages. Give a speech and ask attendees to share their thoughts about your book.
You’ll be glad to know that self-publishing can be fast on Amazon and other platforms.
For printed editions, the process is a bit longer. But you should have no trouble if all the materials are ready.
The work doesn’t end after publication. The marketing campaign has started during the launch, but you still have more legwork to do.
Reach out to relevant blogs and ask if you could write a guest post to promote your book.
Organise events at bookstores. This can a signing, reading or Q&A.
Work with a third-party advertising agency. Self-marketing can be exhausting, especially if your fan base is still in its early stages stage. Instead, consider hiring the services of an ad agency that specialises in reading materials.
With so many titles being released each year in Australia, it can be hard for your manuscript to find its way to the publisher’s desk. If you think self-publishing is the best method for you, contact WorkingType for design and print solutions.
Guest post by Chloe Harris.
Marketing your first book is never easy. And it so much harder for self-published authors these days. Thousands of titles are published in Australia each year, and Amazon alone offers around 30 million books on their website.
But don’t despair! With the right blend of marketing techniques, you could become the next best-selling author.
Creating a buzz just two weeks before the book launching won’t build the momentum you need.
According to Alister Clare, Credit Capital’s senior financial planner, the marketing should start at least 6 to 12 months before the book is released to the public. He says, “This way, you have sufficient time to build momentum. You need months to collect followers and earn their loyalty. There should also be intervals between marketing stunts so that your book can properly permeate the mind of the audience.”
Figure out the persona that you want to portray. Do you want to be a mysterious whodunnit writer or an all-smiling romance novelist? Ensure that your persona reflects on the book cover, website, teasers, emails, social post, etc.
Consider asking the guidance of a branding expert on effectively building a persona.
Many readers base their decision on what they should read next on the reviews. Approach a respected journalist or book critic for their insights. You can also find Australian book reviewers and bloggers here.
It might take a while before they get back to you, consider thousands of other writers are also asking for their review.
Did you that, as of January 2021, there are already 22.31 million internet users in Australia? So, if your book still doesn’t have a dedicated website, it’s probably losing many potential readers.
Solidify your book’s online presence by investing in a professionally designed website. Make sure it has the necessary plugins to allow sharing through social media platforms.
You don’t have to load the website with information; just input the following:
● Your biography with a recent photo
● Summary of the book and a few teasers
● Links to your social media profiles
● Links to online stores where the book will be available
Engage more with potential readers through social media. Tell them to drop questions, and you’ll answer as much as you can. Reply to their comments on your post. Share the posts where you’re tagged. Create a unique hashtag. It’s only essential to maintain your brand voice.
Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Amazon Ads, Bookbub Ads, etc.
Calculate if you can afford daily paid to advertise. If yes, it’s advised to hire an expert on these types of ads to maximise your investment.
Various factors can affect the performance of your ads. These include the targeted audience, relevance score, ad copy, social proof, and timing. All of these should be aligned to get the best cost-per-conversion.
Working Type is an established provider of design + layout and print solutions. Through our expertise, creativity, and passion, we’ve helped numerous authors reach the right audience.
Highly recommended by an author client, How to be an Author’s blurb begins with:
This is an indispensable book for writers. Between its pages is everything you need to know about the business of being a writer, from people who live and breathe books. Keep this book by your side as you pursue your publishing dream.
“‘From Nandi Chinna’s advice on how to tackle the dreaded writer’s block to Natasha Lester’s tips on how to gracefully accept rejection, this book provides both the expected and unexpected advice on questions many have pondered or never considered.’ ”
Available from Fremantle Press.
