by Thomas Umstattd | Mar 25, 2013 | Blog Posts, Blogging Tips, Website Tips, Writing Tips
If you build it they won’t come. The only way to get people to visit your author website is to give them something they are looking for. But what is that? This article summarizes research done by the Codex Group about what readers want from author websites. 1....
by Caitlin Muir | Mar 14, 2013 | Blog Posts, Blogging Tips, How To, News
In an announcement that seems to go against their “Don’t be evil” policy, Google has declared that Google Reader will be shut down on July 1. Google’s official line was that they are shutting down Google Reader because it has decreased in...
by Caitlin Muir | Jan 18, 2013 | Blog Posts, Facebook, How To, Platform Building Tips, Social Media Tips, Viral Marketing
Facebook isn’t rocket science. Yet. With the ever-changing algorithm, the new Facebook news feed, corporate greed, and the finicky trends of human behavior, you do have your work cut out for you. A good social media manager knows that there’s more to...
by Caitlin Muir | Aug 30, 2012 | Blog Posts, Blogging Tips, Platform Building Tips, Social Media Tips, Viral Marketing, Writing Tips
That got your attention. Like you, people are curious. They want to know secrets, tips, and the answers to their burning questions. You may have the best articles and blog posts in the world on your website, but if your title isn’t enticing enough to make people...
by Rob Eagar | Aug 14, 2012 | Blog Posts, Platform Building Tips, Writing Tips
“Why isn’t my book selling? I should be a bestseller by now.” As a marketing consultant, I’ve been asked questions like these from numerous authors. There is no simple answer, but there are a few tell-tale signs that can offer clarify and steps you can take to...
by Caitlin Muir | Aug 3, 2012 | Blog Posts, Blogging Tips, Platform Building Tips, Social Media Tips, Website Tips
It’s not enough for an author to write books. Authors need websites. It used to be that an author could sit in a tiny garret late at night and scribble out his manuscript or pound it out via typewriter in a smokey cafe. That’s the writer’s life...
by Caitlin Muir | Apr 23, 2012 | Blog Posts, Blogging Tips
On the Author Media blog, we focus on the technology side of writing; how to set up your social media sites, use WordPress like a pro, and understand how technology influences your chances of getting published. But there’s another side to the coin that you...
by Caitlin Muir | Mar 20, 2012 | Blog Posts, News, Platform Building Tips, Reviews, Social Media Tips, Technology
For thousands of years, reading has been a solo activity. With the advent of the e-reader, the game has been rapidly changing. Remember our 2012 publishing predictions? They are starting to come true. “I think ‘social reading’ is still a huge...
by Katie Hornell | Mar 14, 2012 | Blog Posts, News, Productivity, Reviews, Technology
“The iPad is so ubiquitous, and so entwined in mainstream culture already, that it is hard to imagine a time without it.” – Tony Bradley, PC World Last week Apple presented a keynote on the soon to be released New iPad. For those of you writers who haven’t seen it or...
by Caitlin Muir | Mar 5, 2012 | Blog Posts, How To, Platform Building Tips, Productivity, Website Tips
Monday morning. There are 130 emails waiting for you in your inbox. Typical. You can’t tell which ones are urgent and which ones are just a waste of digital memory. What are you going to do? Option A: Carefully read each and every one of them. Option B: Declare...
by Caitlin Muir | Feb 24, 2012 | Blog Posts, Blogging Tips, Books, Platform Building Tips, Reviews, Viral Marketing, Writing Tips
Once upon a time, Seth Godin wrote a book that changed the marketing world. It was called Purple Cow. Godin tells a story about driving through the countryside. He and his fellow passengers were amazed by the sheer number of cows that were surrounding them. They...
by Caitlin Muir | Feb 6, 2012 | Blog Posts, Blogging Tips, How To, Platform Building Tips, Website Tips
What’s the most important relationship you have as an author? It isn’t with your agent. It isn’t with your editor. It’s your relationship with your readers. How well do you know them? Do you know what they want from your website? You have a...
by Caitlin Muir | Jan 30, 2012 | Blog Posts, Blogging Tips, How To, Platform Building Tips, Writing Tips
There’s a trick to building a community. It’s not the 89 book marketing tips. It’s not a formula. It’s not what you’re thinking, either. It’s knowing that you can’t “build” anything. People aren’t bricks,...
by Caitlin Muir | Jan 26, 2012 | Blog Posts, GoodReads, Social Media Tips, Writing Tips
Quick, what was the last book you read? Not the last book you wrote. The last book you read. If you can’t remember, you need to get online. GoodReads is a community of almost seven million readers who use the site to track their reading, share their reviews, and...
by Thomas Umstattd | Nov 30, 2010 | Blog Posts, Blogging Tips, Website Tips
Most author websites fail to sell enough books to reimburse the author for the cost of building the website. The reason is because most authors don’t know the following seven secrets. Secret #1: People Don’t Care About You. This is a painful truth. People care...
