Novel Marketing Episode Archive

Good Brands Vs. Big Brands 

Find out if it’s better to create an author brand that is good or big. Discover the difference between the two and which should come first.

How to Save Money as an Author

There's an old saying that the way to make a small fortune in publishing is to start with a large fortune. While the early days of publishing favored independently wealthy authors, things have changed. Publishing may be cheaper than it once was, but it’s not free....

How to Hire a Good Editor

Every successful author needs a professional editor. Learn three simple steps for finding a good editor who will improve your book.

AI Tools for Authors

When you use artificial intelligence tools for writing, you can improve your craft and create books faster. Find out which AI tools will benefit you most.

Tools To Make Publishing Easier

We are in the process of replacing the dirt and rocks in our backyard with grass for the children to play in. At first, things went well using the shovel but then when we got to the final rocks, the shovel just did not work well. Then we tried a rake, and boom!...

Amazon Advertising

Amazon continually tests and changes their ads platform, and authors must stay up to date. Bryan Cohen reports on what’s changed this year.

Lessons from Blogging a Book

For years I’ve had Thomas Umstattd’s voice in my head telling me to blog my book. “Test out your ideas,” he said. “Start building your audience,” he said. “It’ll be easy,” he said. Well, maybe he didn’t say it would be easy. Blogging my book was, in fact, one of...

The Enclave Files

Get a behind-the-scenes look at what a traditional publisher’s marketing director does. Find out which strategies work and which don’t.

Bonus Book Launch Q&A

In this special bonus episode of Novel Marketing, we answer YOUR book launch and book marketing questions. You can watch a video version of the Q&A below. 

How to Use Facebook To Promote Your Book

In this episode we are going to talk about the right way to use Facebook to sell more books! Last week we talked about why Facebook is overrated for book marketing, but we didn’t say it’s completely useless, so today we’re going to talk about the ways Facebook CAN...

How to Sound Great As a Podcast Guest

Are you scheduled to come on a podcast as a guest? If you want to be invited back, or appear on any other podcast interviews for that matter, you need to have good audio. Many authors make the mistake of using their laptop's microphone and speakers. This will...

The Launch Your Book Blueprint

Your book is finished. Polished. Ready for the world to read. But then the questions enter your mind, yes, those questions … how do I launch my novel in the most impactful way possible?  How do I do it without feeling overwhelmed? And where do I find the time? We get...

Why American Authors Don’t Need to Worry About GDPR

Learn what GDPR is, why Americans don’t need to worry about it, and why you may want to follow it anyway. TL;DR: The EU is not the government of the world and it can’t force Americans to do anything. But you should follow some of the regulations anyway.

130 – Myths Authors Believe  

In this episode, we are going to talk about a few of the myths and lies writers are prone to believe which can derail us or send us in wrong directions or keep us from going in the direction we should be headed.  

How to Blog Your Book

You can blog your book ahead of time. You just need to do it the right way. Learn how to blog your book and what traps and pitfalls to avoid. Blogging can help you create a best seller. Here is everything you need to turn your blog posts into an amazing book.

What’s New in MyBookTable 3.1

MyBookTable, the most popular bookstore plugin on WordPress, just got better. MyBookTable 3.1 comes with several new features, including some that were previously available only in the paid Pro and Dev versions. Here's what's new. Added Universal Buy Button to...

127 – How to Connect with Anyone in the World  

In this episode, we talk about connecting with anyone in the world that you want to. In the last two episodes, we talked about why Word of Mouth is not working and How to Make Word of Mouth Work for You by connecting with Mavens, Connectors, and Salespeople. But HOW do you meet these people?

125 – Why Word of Mouth Isn’t Working for Your Book

v In this episode of the Novel Marketing podcast, we’re going to talk about what has been consistently cited as the number one way to sell books … Word of Mouth.   You’ve heard that, yes? Studies have shown that Word of Mouth sells more books than any other marketing...

Episode 100 LIVE Extravaganza

Q Evelyn Williamson is going to kick us off with three questions. She says, “I’m working on my first novel and would like to know how much money I need once I publish … to promote my book. Also, she’ like to know what kinds of things are acceptable expenses to write...

093 – What Authors Can Learn from Bad Super Bowl Ads

Intro Paragraph: Expensive, but the REACH is unparalleled. 1967 the cost was $42,000 for a 30. Today 5 million   Spending that kind of money means you have to create a great ad Talking Points: Seahawks   One of the biggest TV shows in the world   If you...

090 – Q&A Extravaganza #7

Q Cadel Sterling says, “I found a local, self-published author, with a really cool sounding book premise, and I bought his e-book and told him I'd review it. It stinks. Just awful. Painful to read. So, what do I do now? Hide and pretend I never read it, or honestly...

087 – Website Hosting for Authors

What is Web Hosting Web hosting is where your website lives on the internet. It is like rent for your website. It is important because if your site goes down people can’t find you. Why is web hosting important? Agent Hack Story Bad hosting can ruin your reputation....

085 – How to Sell More Books with MyBookTable 3

What is MyBookTable? WordPress Plugin Sell More Books New Features in the Free version MyBookTable 3 Updated Look MyBookTable book pages have been redesigned to be prettier, more mobile-friendly, and conversion-optimized. If you prefer the classic look, don’t worry--...

7 Website Visitors Every Author Needs to Thrill

Instead of discussing what you need to do for your website, we will profile the seven different kinds of readers who visit and how you can thrill them. If you can thrill them, they'll leave your website happy and may even purchase a copy of your book. Each visitor I...

080 – Q & A Extravaganza

  Intro Paragraph: (Thomas) Our first question comes from Runescape Gold dot com. No, that’s not his name but he or she didn’t give one. But I love this question. Do I have the guts to quit my job? Dave Smale I know it's never a good idea to get a friend (or a...

MyBookProgress 1.0 is Here!

I have a confession to make. Most author websites irritate me. I read a lot of books and the primary reason I visit an author's website is to check on the progress of their current Work In Progress. Not a single author website (other than Brandon Sanderson's) had a...

When Your Writing Career is Re-Storied

I had big dreams a decade ago. On the cusp of moving overseas to start a church in France, I landed two publishing contracts. Part of my worry of moving over there involved the very real fear that my publishing career would tank before it even started. Thankfully,...

Cyber Monday Deals from Author Media

We are excited to announce the following Cyber Monday deals: MyBookProgress: $5 FREE We are offering the base version of MyBookProgress for free for Black Friday. More Info | Download | Buy Upgrade MyBookTable: 50% off A WordPress plugin to boost your book...

070 — Q&A Lightning Round

Denica McCall, author of Flowers in the Darkness Question: While I do write novels, I have just put out a poetry book(my first published book). The book is partly being used to raise funds for a local organization fighting human trafficking. What I'm wondering is,...

We Are Revolutionizing Author Websites… Again

What happens when your superfans visit your site looking for the status of your upcoming book? If your site is like most author websites, they leave disappointed and frustrated. You just lost the opportunity to get them excited about your upcoming book and onto your...

062 – 7 Ways to Avoid the Email Spam Filter

Jim how do you tell if you are a spammer? If people click “mark as spam” on your email, you are a spammer as far as that person is concerned. Spam is in the eye of the beholder. How Spam Filters Work Before we give you tips on how to avoid spam filters we should talk...

How To Install a Plugin on Your WordPress Site

Plugins are magical things.  Similar to apps that you install on your smartphone, plugins add certain features and functionality to your website. But plugins aren't much help if you don't know how to install them!  That's why we're here to help.  Here's a step-by-step...

How to Update an Amazon Widget

Amazon widgets are a lot of fun to create and utilize on your blog. The downside is that they tend to slow the site down, but for some bloggers that isn’t a major concern. Here are step-by-step instructions for adding resources to an existing Amazon widget.

MyBookTable 2.1 Now With Pre-Orders

So far, MyBookTable 2.0 has been a huge hit. In just two months, it has already outsold MyBookTable 1.0 (excluding Kickstarter backers). But, just because MyBookTable is the #1 Bookstore plugin on WordPress doesn't mean we have stopped working hard to make it better....

060 – Q&A Extravaganza & Big Announcement

Question from Jen Q: I really enjoyed this podcast, but I'm curious as to how aspiring writers are supposed to use Facebook and Twitter differently? Question from J.T. Stoll   Author of The Rift I'm an indie fantasy author and trying to figure out how much time...

059 – Novel Tax Tips for Authors

In this episode we are going to talk about how to stay out of jail … when it comes to your taxes ... I am excited to introduce our guest. So, we brought in a CPA who has coached authors, celebrities and small businesses for over thirty years. He is the guy that the...

055 – Book Scavenger Hunts

A book scavenger hunt is an effective way to connect with authors and new readers. Find out how it works and how you can host your own.

MyBookTable Passes 10,000 Downloads

A few years ago, we realized that trying to sell your book through your website can be a pain.  That's why we created MyBookTable.  It's a Wordpress plugin designed to help authors sell more books and make affiliate money through sites like Amazon and Barnes &...

050 – Q&A Extravaganza #3

This is our 50th episode, and to celebrate we are throw yet another Q&A extravaganza. Questions: Sarena Masco What advice would you give to someone who is in the process of creating two identifying brands for separate fields? For example, one brand would be as a...

MySpeakingEvents Now on Kickstarter

At Author Media we work with a lot of professional speakers. Their websites all need an event calendar to help build enthusiasm for upcoming events. The problem is, all the WordPress event calendars either were either way too complicated or did not work.... or both....

048 – The Right Way and the Wrong Way to Sign Books

Book signings are likely the most personal connection you’ll have with a reader. Because of that, it’s an important opportunity that could either leave the reader with a memorable experience, or could alienate a new friend. In this episode, we discuss the right way to...

A Viral Recipe for Your Blog

“You don’t need to write a book to change the world with your ideas. A good blog post can reach more people in one month than the typical book reaches in a lifetime.” This my common refrain when I speak at writers conferences.

I had the chance to prove my theory this month. A post on my personal blog about courtship went viral to and sparked a nationwide discussion.

040 – 40th Episode Q&A Extravaganza

In this episode we answer questions from listeners like you. If you would like to ask a question for a future Q&A episode click here. Question 1 “I was recently divorced and remarried and now I have a new last name. Should I change the name on my website and...

028 – Book Rollouts Vs Book Launches With James Scott Bell

A  popular marketing strategy is to put together a huge launch even focused around the launch date of the book. You are not a fan of the big fan of that strategy. Why not? Walk us through the marketing techniques you used for your last book. Tell us about your...

022 – 12 Ways to Get More Facebook Fans

In this episode we are going to talk about Facebook. And more specifically, how to get more Facebook fans. Why Facebook is still important: Still the biggest social network (after email) Publishers pay attention to Facebook, particularly your PTAT score. 12 Ways to...

020 – To Brag, or not to Brag, that is the Question!

I know, you’re wondering where we’re going with this. You’re probably saying, “Isn’t that the Novel Marketing podcast is all about?” Yes, it is, but in this episode, we’re going to tackle the age old question, should you promote yourself, or find someone else to do it for you?

Announcing MyBookTable 1.3

MyBookTable is now the #1 WordPress Bookstore plugin on the WordPress repository. We have been hard at work making MBT even better. We are excited to announce version 1.3 now with GetNoticed! Integration and much more.

Why I Love (And Hate) Digital Books

You would think that, working at a company called "Author Media," all of the employees would be digital book fanatics, carrying around our Kindles all the time, everywhere. But that's not the case. I, for one, have had a hard time being won over by digital books. I...

016 – How to Prepare for a Podcast Interview

Show Notes Resolve to be as entertaining and helpful as possible. The more value you offer the more in demand you will be. If you shoot for being helpful you will be both helpful and will sell books. If you shoot for selling books you will be neither help nor sell. If...

013 – Publishing Predictions for 2014

Every year, Author Media polls a panel of industry experts and collects a list of publishing predictions. We are going to share those predictions with you along with our commentary.

82 More Tweetable Quotes for Authors

Earlier this year, we made a list of 101 tweetable quotes for authors. It was a hit. So we've done it again. We've gathered a list of quotes for authors to tweet when they have Twitter block, need a dose of inspiration, or just because they find these quotes...

009 – An Introduction to Twitter for Novelists

If you’re not using Twitter, it might be because you don’t understand it, or you might not know the secrets to using it correctly. Join us as we talk about what to do, what not to do, and how Twitter can help you sell more books, as well as sell yourself. Helpful...

10 Holiday Season Blog Prompts

'Tis the season to be busy. There are parties to attend, presents to buy and/or make, meals to cook, traditions to celebrate, family to visit, and a million and one other things to do that come with the holiday season. But despite being busy, you don't want to let...