Do you participate in holiday group giveaways?

Group events are a great way to have multiple people sharing the advertising load. All the participants send an announcement to their mailing lists and post on their social media to spread the word and in some cases, to build those mailing lists.

Many authors swear by mailing lists. The trouble is, if you keep one, you then have to come up with content. It all takes time! I do have a mailing list that I’ve built through a giveaway, but as I have so little time, I’ve promised those on it that they will only hear from me if there’s a new release or a special sale.

Personally, as a reader as well as a writer, I don’t want to be on hundreds of mailing lists if they are going to send regular emails about anything else. It fills the inbox with…

on Jami Gold site:

A common piece of advice is to include some type of conflict on every page. For new writers, that advice might bring to mind scenes of characters fighting, but the truth of what counts as conflict is much broader than that. We’ve talked many times about different styles of conflict, from antagonists vs. villains to characters’ external vs. internal arcs.

Conflict is what creates the story and not just a tale of “she wanted X and she got it. The End.” Why does it take them pages and pages to reach their goals or fulfill their desires? (Assuming they do succeed and we’re not writing a tragedy.) Whatever those obstacles standing in the way of their goals are, that’s conflict.

However, it’s often still easier for us to think of conflict in the context of villains or “bad guys,” as that type of conflict feels…

on BookBub Insights:

Over the past few years, advertising via BookBub Ads and other display ad platforms has become an increasingly important part of many authors’ book marketing plans, but getting started with ad campaigns can be a daunting experience.

To help guide authors who are dipping their toes into digital advertising for the first time, we interviewed four authors who created their very first BookBub Ads campaigns earlier this year. We’re sharing their experiences in a four-part series where they each discuss why they decided to start running BookBub Ads, what resources they used to set themselves up for success, how they set up their first campaigns, and everything they learned along the way!

In this post, cozy mystery author Sophie Brent — who also writes traditionally published romance and self-published nonfiction guides for writers under the name Nina Harrington —  shares the lessons she learned about running…

on The Book Designer:

If you’re a writer, by now you likely personally understand the phrase: all writing is rewriting. Writers get an idea, convert that idea into a draft, and then edit, edit, edit until they’re satisfied with every word.

It’s a long process, but knowing the impact writing makes in the lives of readers is worth it.

Here’s some good news: You can shorten the process.

Taking the time to really understand the different types of editing and which one is best for your particular process will save you time and energy. It will also help get your book out into the world with edits specific to your book’s needs, and take it from good to great.

As said above, all writing is rewriting. But there are different types of rewriting. Each type of rewrite focuses on a different aspect of your story. Depending on what you’re writing…

on New Shelves:

Why BookFunnel?

Authors often ask me why I recommend BookFunnel and which subscription they should choose.

Continue reading HERE

Ask any successful author what question they get asked the most, and they’ll likely say “How do you come up with your ideas?”

I mentioned in my previous post how we had some American friends stay with us over the summer. One of them was a teen girl who, as teens do, used “like” every now and then. A habit I soon found myself repeating.

Then I came across an interesting article on The Economist on this very subject and I started to wonder: like, where does “like” fit in? And is it useful, or simply an irritating extra word, to be cut off a sentence with the ferocity of a gardener weeding off his prized roses?

To answer that question, we must first understand the many uses of like.

The Beatnik Like

As The Economist explains, the first kind of like, sometimes referred to as “beatnik like,” is an expression of wonderment. It is found in decades-old exclamations such as “Like, wow, man.”

This use is now considered so rare that…

on New Shelves:

Have you always dreamed of having your book carried in airport stores?

You’re not alone. And, after sharing What I Learned from a Hudson Newsstand Book Buyer, questions started pouring in about how to pitch a book to airport stores.

In this article, I’m sharing how to pitch your book to airport stores, including the three things you need on hand for a successful pitch. But first, it’s time for research and education on the airport market.

Top Selling Genres in Airports

• Mystery, Suspense, Thrillers
• Women’s Fiction
• Chick Lit/ Romance
• Literary Fiction
• Inspirational Non-Fiction
• Self-Help
• Business
• Children’s Picture and Board Books

Continue reading HERE