Wordpress plug-ins

The WordPress Plugins I Can’t Live Without

Plugins are one of the most wonderful and useful things about Wordpress. Here are some of my favorites for writers.
Aleatha Romig

Fan-Friendly Marketing and Kindle Worlds Licensing: Q&A with Aleatha Romig

Primarily an indie published author, Aleatha Romig participates in Kindle Worlds, which allows other authors to write about the characters in her work.
bestsellerdom

How Do Books Become Bestsellers? (Can Authors Increase Those Chances?)

Is a book's success all luck, even if 'luck' includes hitting the right subject matter at the right time, or is it marketing—and can an indie author in any way compete with a publisher?
social media follower count

Stop Focusing on Follower Count: 5 Better Approaches for Improving Social Media Use

When I ask most clients what their goals are in hiring me, I usually get some version of “to get more followers and sell more books.” I encourage them to think both bigger and more deeply about social media.
marketing roundup

Book Marketing Resources for Authors: The Best of 2016

Every year, I share hundreds (even thousands) of articles and reports on book marketing. Here, I look back on the best of what I found in 2016.
princess saves herself

A Self-Published Poet’s Path to Her First Book Deal

How a self-publishing poet achieved visibility for her book—and landed a book deal with traditional publisher Andrews McMeel.
checklists for publishing

Marketing and Publishing Checklists for Writers

When embarking on a process that is new or unfamiliar, often you don't know what you don't know. A checklist helps you recognize what you don't know, so that many months later, you're not beating yourself up for complete ignorance. Without further ado, here are some of my most favored checklists, from sources I trust.
author-publisher disappointment

3 Things Your Traditional Publisher Is Unlikely to Do

The No. 1 disappointment of published authors is the lack of marketing support from their publisher. Here's how to prepare for what will—and won't—happen.
market locally

How to Network Effectively (Even If You Hate Networking): Start Close to Home

If you want to sell books and have people read them, you have to meet other people and tell them about it. Learn the best networking strategies for people who hate networking.
writing for free

When Should You Write for Exposure? 5 Questions to Ask

When deciding whether to write for free—or for exposure—here are 5 questions writers should ask.
literary publishing

A Round-Up of My Columns for Publishers Weekly

Last year, I began regularly contributing to Publishers Weekly on the topic of independent authorship and publishing. Here's a list of all my columns so far:
email autoresponders

My Pop-Up Strategy, Part 2: The Autoresponder Series

How do you treat subscribers after they sign up for your email newsletter? An autoresponder can usefully and effectively welcome people to the community.
author platform

A Definition of Author Platform

Author platform is one of the most difficult concepts to explain, partly because everyone defines it a little differently. Here's what agents and editors mean by platform, plus a clear definition of what platform is NOT.
blogging mistakes

5 Common Mistakes That Even Longtime Bloggers Make

Wondering why you don't have more blog traffic—or if it's worthwhile to continue your blogging effort? Here are the mistakes that commonly afflict authors.
authors guide to pinterest

Pinterest for Authors: A Beginner’s Guide

Learn four reasons writers might want to use Pinterest, how to best use the platform, and best practices to get the most traction for your work.
book publicity

How to Find and Work With a Book Publicist—Successfully

What every author needs to know before they hire a publicist, and how to work with one successfully.
traditional publishing

Traditional Publishing: What’s It Good For?

No one used to question the value of a publisher, but now everyone's wondering: What are they good for?
Collaboration

How 7 Literary Authors Collaborated to Launch a Box Set

A group of literary authors have launched a limited edition box set of novels. How did they make the collaboration work?
Improve Your Author Website

3 Ways to Improve Your Author Website Today

To maximize the effectiveness of your author website, it's necessary to study the data behind how people find your website, navigate it, and use it. Here are three of the most important areas to watch carefully.
Facebook strategy

Facebook Strategy for Authors: In-Depth Discussion

If you're like most authors I know, you've wondered about how to best use Facebook. Should you stick to your