12 Tips for Your Professional Amazon Author Page

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Once your book goes live on Amazon you are eligible for an Amazon Author Central Account – and your very own web page on Amazon! Best of all: There is no advertising on your site, up to seven images (of you, your book(s), an “about the author” article and your book’s description. 

Use your Author Central page to provide more information for your readers: upcoming events, a complete listing of your books, more images, and videos, your book trailer and even excerpts from your blog.
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Not only get your Amazon website a very high page rank, Author Central tools are very effective in marketing your books and promoting yourself as an author.

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How to Set Up Your Amazon Author Central Account
Amazon explains: once published, expect to receive an email from Kindle Direct Publishing announcing the news that your book is available for purchase.  They are inviting you to create your Amazon Author Central Account.  Note your book’s ASIN enclosed in the email.  You will need this number to locate your book later and associate it with you as the author.  Follow the instructions to set up your page:

Be the “Face” of Your Book:

1. Add a professional author photo & biography
2. Add all your books
3. Add videos (e.g. trailers for your books)
4. Add up to seven additional photos, e.g. you writing your books or scenes from your book
5. Add images or graphics from your book’s content
6. Add a biography – make sure to update it frequently
7. List events, such as book readings or book launches
8. Add your Twitter address so people can see your latest Tweet and easily follow you
9. Set up the “Search Inside/Look Inside” feature – if it is not already set up
10. Add an RSS feed, linking to your blog – a great way to get your blog in front of new people and encourage them to follow you
11. View and edit the list of books you have written – the Amazon system doesn’t always get it right. If you have written more than one book, it will link your titles together, and allow your readers to find all of your work.
12. Edit your product description and “about the author” section, add any professional reviews/editorial reviews you have had.
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More Features
Track Your Sales – Find out where your sales are happening using the geographic location function and find out your Amazon ranking.
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One of the biggest advantages of an Amazon Kindle published Author is your own web page, complete with a URL, on a powerful Amazon website just for you! Use these links for advertising your books or for blog articles.  If you shorten them, using bit.ly for example, you can double the number of links for your posts.

You need separate accounts, for the UK, CA and US versions of Amazon; You have to do the site for each country separately – however, it is just a matter of copy and paste.  Try to create your foreign country pages in their language.  Either via Google translation or even better, ask a native speaker of the language for which you need the short text.
Use the Amazon Central account for each country.  For example:
Amazon Author Central UK: http://authorcentral.amazon.co.uk
Amazon Author Central US: http://authorcentral.amazon.com
Amazon Author Central Canada: http://authorcentral.amazon.ca
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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $179 for three months – or less than $2 per day! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/
to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts on this blog (there are more than 1,200 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it.
There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and LinkedIn.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS   111Publishing @ Google+

https://www.linkedin.com/in/doris-maria-heilmann-65345595/

 

 

 

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Stop: Vanity Publishing aka Subsidy Publishers

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99% of All Manuscripts Will Be Accepted
Within half an hour I was asked today about two different “Self-Publishing” companies who had the authors’ manuscripts accepted. Both writers had tried to find a trade publisher and after receiving numerous rejections, they were glad to get an “offer” – as long as the authors are willing to pay totally inflated prices for printing, editing and cover art. It took me only one minute, using the word “complaint” along with the companies name to find long lists of complaints on author websites, blog posts and “Writer Beware” on Google.
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Vanity publishers are often working under several names, change addresses and their websites. Some trade publishers, up to at least one of the “Big Five”, affiliated recently with subsidy publishers and also directs authors, who’s manuscript they had previously rejected, to these companies. The main goal of these vanity publishers is to have their printing company busy, so they are not really into executing the work of a traditional publisher. A background check reveals in almost all cases that they are either printers or affiliated with a printing company. Even one of the best Canadian book printing companies went into vanity publishing a year ago.
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You often might have seen these small ads in literary magazines or on the internet: “If your book deserves publication, send your manuscript now to …”. And authors do not have to wait long for a response to their submission.  A real publisher doesn’t need to advertise!  They are overwhelmed with queries from authors.

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Money Upfront
Authors are certainly surprised when they encounter a “publisher” who wants money up-front. It should be the other way around shouldn’t it? After the author, having signed a hefty check, eventually learns that paying for publication is no guarantee that a single copy of his book will appear in any book shop, not even the local ones.
Many vanity publishers will charge somewhere between $8,000 to $20,000 (or even more) to publish a book depending upon its length. Why would an author pay $20,000 when he or she can have the same book printed for $2,000?
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Contract Full of (Empty) Promises
Nevertheless, the contract will be full of promises, it will state what exactly will be paid to the author for subsequent reprinting, subsidiary, for audio and e-books, mass-market paperback rights, for TV & Radio rights, merchandising and commercial rights and even film and foreign rights – to make the author believing that his “publisher” actively solicits his manuscript in Hollywood.
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Free Copies
Vanity contracts include usually a certain amount of “free” copies for the author; sometimes even as much as 10 books and if he/ she require more, they have to be paid.  Which means, that the author is paying for them twice…  I also have never met an author who goes into the print shop to watch his or her books manufactured or to see them stored in the warehouse. In most cases, only a certain number of copies (I suspect not even this will happen) in an edition will actually be bound; the rest will remain in the warehouse as flat printed sheets until required, which is probably never.
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Reviewers are Wary of Vanity Presses
Vanity / subsidy publishers are not concerned with editing, promotion, sales or distribution – unless the author pays additionally. For most vanity books, neither exists, and should review copies really being sent out: Reviewers are wary of vanity presses because they know that little attention is paid to the editing of the book. Unless the vanity house has a proven distribution and sales organization, authors will have to sell their printed book themselves and usually it will sell fewer than 200 copies.
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As seen in a Vanity publisher contract:
“In the event of bankruptcy or liquidation of the publisher for any cause whatever, the author shall have the right to buy back the publications at fair market value to be determined by agreement or arbitration.” (That means, die author has to pay a second time for all his unsold books). “If the author does not purchase remaining copies of the book, the representative of the publisher shall have the right to sell same at the best obtainable price without payment of royalty to the author.”
Unbelievable! Unethical! Criminal!
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Beware of These Signs:

• Don’t trust flattering letters concerning your manuscript.
• Be suspicious of vague promises of quality production. You will not get it in writing…
• Be wary of promises to sell television and film rights, serial books and other money-making options.
• Read, read and read once more the contract.
• Don’t pay a dime, get a copy of the contract and show it to a lawyer that is specialized in contract / copyright law.
• Watch out for contract clauses, that allow the publisher to renegotiate his initial pitch, and also where the “Publisher shall have the right to license the rights set forth”.

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Bound to the Vanity Publisher for Life!
Beside their over-the-top printing prices, Vanity publishers might cheat you in a contract that expires only 50 years after your death and with worldwide rights, even universe rights – a contract that a friend of mine signed in Renfrew, Ontario, Canada (and paid dearly) stated:

“The author hereby grants the publisher, during the full term of copyright, the sole and exclusive right to manufacture, print, publish and sell and to otherwise use, as set out further in this agreement, including, but not limited to, acting as agent and/or exercising any or all subsidiary rights, throughout the universe the work.” And: “The copyright remains with the author, until fifty (50) years after the death of the author. All covenants and grants of the author shall bind the author’s successors or assigns.”
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Vanity Publishers / Subsidy Publishers are not actively promoting books. Their business is not publishing, but printing and selling authors all kind of over-priced services. Despite so many warnings all over the Internet, there are still writers who fall into the trap of vanity / subsidy / self-publishing. And as soon as one vanity publisher stops his “business”, another fills the gap.

Please read also a comparison of Publishers – Vanity Publishers – and REAL Self-Publishing here:
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/comparison-of-trade-publishing-vanity-author-publishing/

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months – or less than $2 per day! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/
to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 980 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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9 Writer Residencies, Grants and Funding

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Earlier this month we wrote already about it:  Winter and early spring are good times to apply for Writer Grants, which includes fellowships, workshops, residencies, travel expenses, sometimes even meals or small allowances … and not only in North America, but worldwide. Here are nine additional tips and addresses where you can apply. 

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Australian Publishing and Promotion Grants
This grant supports Australian book publishers and overseas publishers to publish literary work by Australian writers and supports innovative publishing projects that contribute to the development of Australian culture.  Applications are accepted from: Australian book publishers (established and emerging publishers), overseas book and magazine publishers.
The Literature Board will accept applications from Australian and overseas organisations for support towards airfares, fees and expenses for the participation of Australian writers at literary festivals and conferences and other promotional activities.
Deadline March 23
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/artforms/literature

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Art Kibbutz Residency Program / Scholarship
Art Kibbutz is delighted to announce the launch its spring residency program at Eden Village Camp – a spectacular 248-acre venue bordered on three sides by the wooded hills of Clarence Fahnestock State Park in the Hudson Valley, 50 miles north of New York City.
The pilot residency provides participants with the power to shape an innovative new program, the only one of its kind to explore creative art, Jewish teachings and tradition and environmental awareness. Scholarships are available based on need. Art Kibbutz will also work with accepted artists to find funding for their other expenses; provide letters of invitation and prepare individualized budgets. Artists are expected to participate in events that foster relationships with the international Jewish community.
Deadline March 23
http://www.artkibbutz.org/environmentalland-art-residency.html

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Atlantic Center for the Arts New Smyrna, FL
During the residency, artists participate in informal sessions with their group, interact/collaborate, and work independently on their own projects. The relaxed atmosphere, unstructured program and lush, unspoiled environment provide considerable time for artistic experimentation, exploration and creation. Location New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Application deadlines: Full and partial scholarships provided.
Deadlines: March 24 for Summer, May 19 for Fall residency.
http://www.atlanticcenterforthearts.org/master-artist-residence-program-details-0

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Harlem Community Arts Fund
Grants from US $1,000 – $3,000 for artists and arts organizations based in and providing services within the Harlem community. Individual artists of all disciplines of literary, media, visual, music, and performing arts may apply to support specific, forthcoming professional development opportunities or the cost of a work in progress. Deadline: March 31
http://www.harlemaa.org

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Jack Jerouac Writer in Residency
Provides four residencies a year to writers of any stripe or age, living anywhere in the world. Each residency consists of approximately a three-month stay in the cottage where Jack Kerouac wrote his novel Dharma Bums.
Utilities and a food stipend of $800 are included. Electronic applications only.
Location Orlando, FL. Application fee $25.  Deadline: March 31
http://kerouacproject.org

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Rhode Island Fellowship Grants
Rhode Island artists who have created a substantial body of work that they are prepared to present in a professional manner are encouraged to apply for a RISCA Fellowship award. Artists who are residents of Rhode Island, and working in the disciplines of: Film & Video, Fiction, Photography, Play/Screenwriting, Poetry and Three-Dimensional Art can apply for one $5,000 Fellowship and one $1000 Fellowship Merit Award in each discipline annually.
Deadline April 1
www.arts.ri.gov/grants/guidelines/fellow.php

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The Writer’s Center Bethesda, MD – Fellowship
Three fellowships are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Fellows who live within a 250-mile radius of the center receive a $250 honorarium each, and others receive $500 each. Fellows also give a reading at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Poets who have published no more than three books and prose writers who have published no more
than two books are eligible. There is no entry fee. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the website for complete guidelines. Deadline March 15
http://www.writer.org/page.aspx?pid=927

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Bogliasco Foundation
Bogliasco, Italy. Residencies of an average of 32 days for qualified persons engaged in advanced creative work or scholarly research in archaeology, architecture, classics, dance, film/video, history, landscape architecture, literature, music, philosophy, theatre, and visual arts.
Residency provides housing, meals, and studios. Artist are responsible for travel, materials, and any additional living expenses.
Deadline: April 15
http://www.bfny.org/english/fellowships.cfm

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Hub City Residency
The Writers House provides two residencies per year in a historic cottage in downtown Spartanburg, S.C. The program is open to emerging writers in the United States who have completed a graduate school degree in creative writing within the past five years.
Residents receive lodging, utilities, and a twice-monthly stipend; they are responsible for their own transportation and meals. The 10-week summer residency runs from June 15 to Aug. 24. A nine-month residency runs from September 3 to May 31of the following year. Both residencies include a community service element. The program is targeted at early-career writers, preferably without a published book.
Deadline April 1
http://hubcity.org/writersproject/fellowships-and-scholarships/the-writers-house-residencies//?/residencies/

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For more grant offers, check out this website periodically:  Res Artis (can be sorted by deadlines or countries, however not all listed are free, some are paid retreats). Read also my former posts: Get the Money! Apply! and 10 Important Steps when Applying for Grants.

Everyone knows Kickstarter and IndieGoGo in the meantime. But there are other sources to fund writing projects, workshops, prints, publicizing efforts or lectures. Writers and small publishers are offered quite a number of grants and funding money.  Most are geared towards projects, rather than core funding. Think writing projects for example instead of business/office supply or salaries.
Show an interest in the Funders’ organization, call them for further information and find out the name of the person you should address the proposal if it is not stated specifically.

Study the organization and successful grants. Some of them make samples of grant proposals they have funded online available. You can see the “language” they prefer and get an idea what type of projects were successful. Learn and understand the meanings of the vocabulary being used in grant guidelines. It’s important how well your written presentation answers their questions.

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Checklist for Successful Book Sales Campaigns

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No matter if you are organizing a book launch for your latest work (or your first book), planning your Goodreads Giveaway or if you prepare to have your book on sale, or for free for a couple of days:  these campaigns need to be well organized and promoted – and all that well in advance.

I have seen it too many times, that authors decide on Monday morning to have a book sale from Tuesday on and expect it to be a successful one. Or they hurry editing, formatting and slap a cover image together, in order to get the book on Amazon’s sales pages before Christmas.

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Start EARLY !!!
You have about three months to promote a new print book (paper back or hardcover) before the bookstores clear their shelves for the next bestseller. But if you can rack up enough pre-orders BEFORE the pub date, then you can kickstart your book launch. Once it hits the New York Times or other lists, then a couple of weeks on those lists become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Again: the more time you give your book to be listed on Amazon and other online retailers BEFORE your publication date, the better.
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The Minimum You Can Do To Make it a Success:

1. Write Several Blogs About Your Campaign Including Images
Tell potential readers the benefits, e.g.:

• Low price or even free
• Send as inexpensive gifts
• Give them a great incentive for a review
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2. Write a FREE short e-Book About Your Book : )
Include all the sales links and an author biography, and if you will participate in Amazon’s “Matchbox”, bundles of print and e-book, explain your potential readers their benefit of ordering a “bundle“.
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3. Campaign Announcement
Cross promote your campaign: Always post and promote your event on your own website, blog and through email as well, so that non-Facebook/Twitter/Google+ users can learn about it and share your book sales campaign event without having to use these social media sites. What’s more: Use Twitter to generate buzz and use LinkedIn to leverage business communities and post the event to LinkedIn.

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4. Google+ Posts
Add your blogs about your book launch or your book sales campaign – not only on your own Google+ timeline and your author / book page, but also at the dozens of Google+ reader communities where you are (hopefully) a member.

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5. Tweets
At least one tweet per hour, each one in a variety of text and accompanied by a cover image photo of your book or photographs from book scenes or areas where it takes place. Sign up to several Twitter accounts. You can have up to five accounts. But don’t post the same tweets everywhere! And schedule well in advance, using Hootsuite or any other free scheduling service to find the best times to post on Twitter.

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6. Create a Re-tweet Button in a Free eBook
Give away the first chapter of your book as an immediately accessible PDF on your web page or on Amazon. Include a re-tweet button in several strategic locations in the chapter. This allows people who love what they read, to easily share with friends on Twitter.  When someone clicks on this re-tweet button, it shows a pre-crafted tweet that says: “I’m reading @……. new book: … Get the first chapter free here too: http://………” You get the idea?
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7. Announce the Campaign in Your Newsletter
It’s one of the reasons you ask your blog readers or website visitors to sign up for your newsletter: to inform them about specials and sales campaigns or book launches – beside giving them regularely useful and entertaining content.
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8. Most Important is to Have Your Event/Campaign on Google+
Google+ offers a great tool to invite people to your upcoming event. Are you still thinking about joining? Or are you one of the more than 300 Million users of Google+ yet?
Announce the event or book sales campaign on Google+ and also on Goodreads at least three weeks before the date. They both offer a free event function. A site that is very easy and fast to set up. Promote this event (can be real life or virtual) heavily on FB, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, your blog and to your email list. And if your local newspaper, neighborhood paper etc. has an event page, or if they have an online version, get your event in! Search the internet for events/websites in your area and announce it there too.
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9. Create a photo contest
It can be a fun and friendly competition to get people excited about your book. And there’s no better platform than Social Media sites to do just that. You can call it the “Know my Book?” photo contest. All participants need to do, is to take a creative photo with the words “Know my Book?” or “Help Me Launch.” The three best images might receive the book or you can offer an additional first prize for a Kindle or a digital camera.

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Create Your Campaign Well in Advance
Give your event promotion enough time to spare, this also gives you time to notify / invite the people who you know are most likely to attend. With so many book sales to choose from, the key is to know your potential customers. Create your invitations, posts and tweets so as to reach as many individuals as possible with your marketing message.
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A Lot of Work You Say?
Yes, sure, if you see it as WORK. But if you like to write about your book, tell people about it, help your readers to find inexpensive copies of your book and to sell more books and get more reviews.  No one said that having a business involves only laughing all the way to the bank.

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $179 for three months – or less than $2 per day! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/
to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 1,100 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Best and Worst About Literary Agents

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Most US writers have to go through an agent – over 80% of all publishing deals are made through a literary agency. Publishers in the USA don’t want to deal directly with authors. In Canada, only ten percent of authors / books are agent-ed. Aspiring and established authors successfully submit the majority (10,000 plus) of the titles published every year directly to editors at publishing houses.
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IMPORTANT:
Study the agents’ website and submission guidelines carefully and learn how to write a query.
Be prepared when meeting for the first time with the agent for questions like this, that can make or brake your contract:

• How are going to market your book?
• What’s your platform
• Why do you want to be published?
• What’s your next book about?
• What else are you working on?
• Where do you see this series going?

Even more in your favor will be when you are already working on your second book and have at least the outline for the third. Your manuscripts don’t have to be a part of a series but should be in the same genre as the book the agent will pitch.This will show both the agent and publisher that you have the potential of becoming a career author. Have a sense of how long it takes you to write a book, including all of its editorial stages. This way, you will know what kind of delivery commitment you can make.
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Agent’s Fees
As an author trying to find a literary agent you have heard or read from, is not an easy task. And you might find an agency describing itself as “non-fee-charging” but then nevertheless wants money up-front. Most professional agents’ associations adopted policies prohibiting members from charging fees, called “reading fees” or “evaluation fees”.
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Reputable agents will NOT charge you a fee up front to represent your book. They earn their living by selling your book to a publisher and gaining a commission. That commission is a percentage of the proceeds your book earns. For one thing, this gives the agent an incentive to actually market your book around to various publishers likely to buy it for publication. This is another reason why many agents pick submissions carefully. They know what publishers are looking for and they will not accept anything which is not ready for submission or close enough that a few days of editing will make the difference.
Most agents these days charge 15% commission on domestic sales (North America).
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A literary agent gets his commission AFTER the book contract with a publisher is signed and the first money flows. If they charge reading or evaluation fees or any of the following fees – author beware:

• marketing fees
• submission fees
• travel fees
• legal fees
• advance fees
• or “per hour” fee
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Have a look at the do’s and don’ts of both sides:
Never under any circumstances should you pay expenses or any fees up front: Agents only receive money by deducting his or her 15% commission from your eventual earnings. Should an agent tell new writers that she/he was charging 15% commission plus expenses — that’s a rip-off; don’t agree to it. The Association of Authors Representatives (professional organization of literary agents) also forbids the charging of “reading fees.” If an agent asks you to pay a fee for his or her “evaluation” of your manuscript, refuse!
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So, what could you encounter?
Some agencies pressure authors into various additional services and charge fees for websites, sample cover mock-ups or illustrations or social media listings.
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AgentQuery (Database of Literary Agents) wrote on their website: Industry Red Flags:
“Be wary of any literary agent that contacts you out of the blue, especially if you have not queried that specific agent and do not have a public platform or presence. Fiction writers should be particularly cautious unless the agent has a logical reason to contact you, like you’ve recently won a prestigious writing contest, or they’ve seen your blog or read your published stories, etc..”

“Beware of agents that offer representation for a fixed fee, offer representation only if you pay them money to edit your manuscript, or charge you up-front fees in the range of thousands of dollars to off-set the cost of submitting your manuscript to publishers. These are all warning signs—unethical behavior from an unprofessional scammer. Scammers will tempt you, especially if you are desperate and inundated with rejections. They will tell you how fabulous your manuscript is and you will want to believe them.”

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WRITER BEWARE notes: 
“Not all agents who charge marketing fees are dishonest. Some are simply inexperienced or inept. But scam or amateur, the bottom line for the writer is the same: a lighter wallet and no book contract.”

Remember, that many of these publishers operate under more than one name and as “in-house” referral services. This means they always find a reason to refer you to another company which they also own… Editors Nielsen-Hayden summed it up: “Writing may be an art or a craft (or both), but publishing is a business. It’s best to know the business before diving in.”
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Resources and More blog posts regarding Literary Agents:
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How Agents work and How to work with Agents
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/how-agents-work-how-to-work-with-agents/
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Must-Read Blog to learn more about agents and how to approach them
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents

Database of Literary Agents
http://www.agentquery.com/
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What Literary Agents Want to Know From You
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/what-literary-agents-want-to-know-from-you/
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How to Write a Query Letter
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/5-tips-for-successful-book-submissions/
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100′s of Links to Publishers and Agents
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/100s-of-links-to-publishers-and-agents/
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Which Literary Agent is Right for You?
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/which-literary-agent-is-right-for-you/
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Association of Author’s Representatives (lists agents)
http://aaronline.org/

Lynnette Labelle Editorial Services
www.labelleseditorialservices.com
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Visit often and get the latest alerts from WRITER BEWARE:
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/alerts/
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Prequels: Author’s Benefits of Writing Them

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J.K. Rowling did it for Harry Potter – every writer should create them too: Writing a Prequel for their upcoming book.  According to the FreeDictionary:  “A literary, dramatic, or cinematic work, whose narrative takes place before that of a pre-existing work or a sequel. [pre- + (se)quel.] prequel.” They are teasers in short story form that preview the key characters and settings of an upcoming novel.
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Prequels: Promote Your Future Book Through Short Stories
Savvy authors are building excitement and attract readers to their upcoming books. Editor Alan Rinzler describes them: “Back stories for the longer book to come. Others are like outtakes from the novel, standalone narratives that add to our knowledge of the characters but don’t appear in the books themselves.  Prequels provide readers with the flavor and quality of the forthcoming book in a way that makes them yearn to read more. This technique has had notable successes lately, like propelling a book from obscurity to six-figure advances, and building pre-publication buzz and momentum.”
Rinzler mentions two authors, published by the “Big Five”: Brittany Geragotelis and thriller author Mark Sullivan.
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When and What to Write?
It is never too early to write a prequel.  You might write it even before starting to write your book, using your research, character outlines or your first draft manuscript. Often your novel has to be shortened to create a faster pace. Don’t delete these text parts! Create your prequel out of it. Or use locations where your novel takes place to elaborate and write in detail about it. For example:  If you write a thriller and your protagonist is an art dealer in Paris, you can write several prequels how and where in Paris your mystery unfolded, a comprehensive description of the main character and his dealings or a pre-story of the events.

No Limit on the Number of Prequels
The prequel can be one story or a dozen. However, it should be an irresistible preview of the book itself, short, but with a revealing scene from the draft manuscript of the novel, and a great teaser for the upcoming work. The author’s goal should be: to make the reader want more…
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Where to Publish a Prequel?
There is no limit how you publish a prequel. It could be a short story in the form of a magazine or website / blog article, a short (free or inexpensive) e-book or a guest blog, and even a video or slide show.  Most import is that you post it in as many venues as possible, including your Social Media sites. Even better are reader communities or forums, where people tend to spend more time, including sites, such as Google+, Wattpad and Goodreads or FictionPress, and send an invitation to load it down to your readers on your mailing list.
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Prequels are beneficial for you and your readers: Show off the quality of your forthcoming book, build pre-publication buzz and momentum and create back stories for the longer book to come. Don’t see prequels as a marketing gig, they are valuable parts of your author platform and brand.
Don’t forget:  Promotion of your book must start long before you finish your manuscript if you don’t want to loose sales and success!  Competition is growing by the day… Do what you as a writer likes most:  WRITE!  Not only 90.000-word-manuscripts, but also short stories and blog articles.

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing:  We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months – or less than $2 per day! Learn more about our individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars

Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/
to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 980 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Treasure of Saint-Lazare, a Novel About Paris

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Sharon Fawley for Readers’ Favorite:

“Treasure of Saint-Lazare“, by John Pearce, is a mystery about events far distant in time and space that profoundly affect the peaceful life of a wealthy American businessman living in Paris.”

“… Pearce weaves richly textured descriptions of life in Paris through an intricate plot with believable, well-drawn characters.”

“Overall, this is a satisfying mystery, a surprising love story, and an up close look into the dark days of Europe as WWII drew to a close.”

Reviewer:
“One thing I loved about this book is that the author beautifully describes Paris in a very romantic way, and its description appears seamless within the story.”

About the Novel:
An older lover brings a cryptic letter to Paris, pulling Eddie Grant reluctantly into a treacherous web of intrigue and death — but giving him a slim chance to find the terrorists who murdered his family seven years before.
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It launches him on a dangerous quest through Paris and the Loire Valley for the most valuable piece of Nazi loot that remains missing, a famous Raphael self-portrait from the early 16th century, along with the crates of Nazi bullion that accompanied it — all intended to finance the Fourth Reich.

Jen Wetzmuller, daughter of his father”s World War II colleague in Army Intelligence, arrives in Paris, bearing a letter she found after her father was run down by a car on the streets of Sarasota. Its clues take Eddie from his Paris home to Florida, where he works to solve the mystery, barely escaping with his life. Then it”s back home to burrow into the darkest reaches of the German occupation in search of the treasure. Along the way he and Jen restart the brief, fiercely passionate affair that he abandoned, to his regret, 20 years before Sarasota.  Most of all, Treasure of Saint-Lazare is a novel about Paris.
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John Pearce:
“Treasure of Saint-Lazare is based on fact, the theft in 1939 of the priceless Raphael painting “Portrait of a Young Man,” which disappeared in 1945.  Even though it covers much ground — from my current home of Sarasota, FL, to my part-time home of Paris, to Poland during the war, it is at heart a novel of Paris.”
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About the Author
John Pearce is a part-time Parisian, but lives quite happily most of the the year in Sarasota, Florida.  He worked as a journalist in Washington and Europe, where he covered economics for the International Herald Tribune and edited a business magazine. After a business career in Sarasota, he spends his days working on his future books – a sequel he expects to publish later in 2014 and a prequel after that. For several months each year, he and his wife Jan live in Paris, walking its streets, and chase down interesting settings for future books and his blog, JohnPearceAuthor.com. They lived earlier in Frankfurt, Germany, which gave him valuable insights for several of the scenes in his sequel, whose working title is Last Stop: Paris.
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Treasure of Saint-Lazare:  Kindle Countdown Deal, starting January 24

Paperback, 296 pages, 115 customer reviews, $13.46
http://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Saint-Lazare-John-Pearce/dp/0985962615

Kindle e-Book, Countdown Deal, from $0.99  Regular $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Saint-Lazare-John-Pearce-ebook/dp/B009MD6EM4

The audio version of Treasure of Saint-Lazare has been released on Audible.com and
Amazon.com, $17.95.  You can hear a sample and order it at  http://j.mp/12mxGb2

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 980 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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How Can Bookstores Survive?

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Carmen Amato asked me the other day what I think, how bookstores could survive. And yes, we all want them to survive, both, independent local bookstore and even big chains. It’s not an easy task for brick&mortar booksellers. However, it’s the growing popularity of the “shopping local” movement, in which booksellers were at the forefront.” And further: “many consumers across the country find the grassroots accessibility of indies appealing”, wrote The Atlantic.
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My “wishlist” and ideas how bookstores could strive:

1. e-Book Order Feature
Since years I was wondering why bookstores did not offer their customers devices where they could order the e-book version if they liked what they found in print in the store. Or at least “bundle” print books with an e-book version. Amazon now tries to partner with bookstores (which might meet some resistance…) to offer exactly what I had envisioned.
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2. Carrying Author-Published Books
Trade-published books do not automatically mean quality. There are so many wonderful books from independent authors out there – and it would be a smart move to offer them as well. Readers don’t care who publishes a book, they just want a good read.
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3. Order Directly from Author-Publishers
This way, bookstores could circum-navigate the wholesalers and increase their profit quite a bit! As these connections are mostly with local authors, the bookstores could play the “local” aspect into their promotions to the communities around. Most people like to “know” the author who’s books they buy.
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4. Offer Book-Layout, Cover-Image and Editing
Why not band together with professionals and offer authors these services to make sure the books’ content and layout gets a great start and is prepared for the Espresso Book Machine. Many authors would be happy to get technical help in the book production and publishing process.
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5. Set up an Espresso Book Machine
Many authors (professional and hobbyists) struggle to create very small numbers of print books, e.g. for book signings, Goodreads Giveaways or as gifts. Bookstores would be the ideal place to offer this inventive book printing device. Motto: “Get your book printed while having your Java”, which brings me to the next suggestion:
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6. COFFEE!
Most chain stores, such as B&N or Chapters have a Starbucks in a designated area, but very few bookstores offer this pleasure. Independent bookstores need to give customers more reasons to come in!
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7. More Space and PR for Author Readings
Supporting events such as readings and book signings should be a priority of bookstores – and organizing these professionally, including PR, should be a no-brain-er. After all it is a promotion for the store as well.
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8. Providing Space for Author Meetings
Charging a small fee (as libraries do) and renting meeting space for authors or even organize a writers conference could be profitable and at the same time a good PR for bookstores if they have the space.
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What is YOUR view, how do you think, bookstores can survive and even strive?

Check out what writers and author-publishers suggested on Carmen Amato’s website.
Who else wrote about survival of bookstores?
Can traditional bookstores survive the digital marketplace?
Barnes & Noble’s troubles don’t show why bookstores are doomed.
The Man Who Took on Amazon and Saved a Bookstore
How ‘Indie’ Bookstores Survived (and Thrived)

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5 Tips for a Perfect Author Website

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In a survey, commissioned by the Romance Writers of America  41 per cent of all readers visited authors’ websites and 20 per cent more planned to do it.  This means almost two third of readers visit author websites eventually – while only 18 per cent ever visited authors’ Facebook pages.
It shows the importance of a visitor-friendly and regularly updated site.  Website visitors often decide in 5 seconds or less, if they will scan your content or if they click away from your site.
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Before you or your web designer start creating your website make a plan that should cover at least these points:

• Easy to Read
• Easy to Navigate the Website
• Easy to Use Links to Other Sites
• Contact Form for Visitors
• Sales Page e-Commerce for Your Books
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Writing for the Web
Web design consideration: In what pattern do people scan (not read!) your website?  Your first two sentences of each web page must convince the visitor to stay on your page.
Learn how to write for the web: from most important on top to less further on.  Keep your text short, use lots of paragraphs, sub titles, bullet lists and to make your web page appealing, add lots of images and graphics.  Here are some samples of author websites: http://www.thewritingplatform.com/2013/02/ten-author-websites-that-really-do-the-business/.  Check out these websites from famous writers too:

• http://www.stephenking.com/press.php
• http://www.jamespatterson.com/about_biography.php
• http://www.thisisliteracy.ca/teenagers/resources/365

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Easy to Navigate
One thing, with many websites have in common, is lots of clutter which hide the key messages. It’s almost as if some people want to put everything on one tiny page. Removing some of the clutter, particularly from the main page or what visitors can see, without scrolling down, can help to deliver the key messages. Ask yourself: Is my site easy to navigate, and does it have some empty space to make it easy to read?
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Links to Other Sites
If you have links to other sites: what happens when the visitor to your site clicks them? If they are taken
directly to another site in the same window, and they find something more interesting, you have lost them.  All your external links should be set to open in a new window, leaving your site still on view.
SEO: To move up to the top of the search list, you need to have lots of links from other web sites to your page; submit your web pages to various sites that deal with your topic and encourage them to link their readers to you in return of the favor. Get lots of tips how to get more inbound-links. 
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Contact Form
Set up a comments box on your site for visitors to communicate directly with you through email.
Ensure your visitors, that their email addresses are only used to respond to messages, and not being
sold or used for any other purposes.  Don’t place your email address on your site, to avoid getting junk emails.
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Maximize Your Web Traffic and Sell Online
Improve your visibility on search engines by using clear and accurate keywords in your web site title, description and body text. 
If you are selling your books directly from your site:  is it fully secure, from the buyers perspective? Any web pages which require sensitive customer details, need to be fully encrypted. If your web page has no https in the address bar, it shows that it is not secure.  Read also how to get lots of visitors and book lovers to your website.
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Usability as Common Courtesy – Why People Really Leave Web Sites:
Want to learn more about a professional author website: this is the most important and useful book, you should read before anything else:  Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability  2nd Edition, by Steve Krug  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SEGQNS

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Web Design and Best Practices Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C50yf24lRfQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOMFy3LcQG4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR04bFzUiyg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Xt3a-Ce9Q

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Interesting Publishing Predictions for 2014

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J. A. Konrath did it again: outlook to this years’ publishing future – as he sees it. He explains what works and what not – and what could be done better. Here an excerpt from his predictions:

• “Paper book sales will no longer be significant enough to sustain the nation’s largest bookstore chain, maybe stores closing.”
• “Libraries will buy e-books directly from authors.”
• “Indie bookstores will need to start selling self-pubbed books, or perish. If indie bookstores deal directly with self-pubbed authors, and print their own copies to sell in their stores, they can build inventory and cut out the share normally taken by publishers.”
• “Big 5 mergers and layoffs and bankruptcies. As the publishing cartel loses its quasi-monopoly on paper distribution, there will be no way to support its infrastructure.”
• “The publishing biz has become a tech biz. You don’t win at tech by playing catch-up. You win by innovating.”
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J. A. Konrath’s prediction:
“Visibility will become harder. As more e-books get published, and virtual shelf space expands, it is going to become harder to get exposure. Self-pubbed authors who don’t focus on their current, core readership will see sales diminish. The future will be about actively cultivating a readership. So far we’ve been lucky. With KDP Select Free Days, authors have been able to get visible without reconnecting with longtime readers. There have always been enough new readers to sustain sales.

Maintaining a fan base is going to become increasingly more important.
That means having an up-to-date website, making it easy to sign up for your newsletter, staying active in social media, and regenerating your brand with new titles and continued promotions.

Change is hard. It’s also inevitable.
The best thing you can do right now, as a writer, is look to the future and try to find your place in that future. That might mean you’ll need to forget the past. It also might mean you’ll have to learn to accept, and forgive.”
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Furthermore:
“It isn’t a stretch to believe tens of millions of self-published e-books are being sold annually. We don’t need Vanity publishers / called: self-publishing services. We don’t need to pay Kirkus or PW for reviews. We don’t need writing organizations (MWA, Authors Guild) who don’t look out for our interests.”  And he continues to explain what we need.  Read the whole, interesting post on J.A. Konrath’s blog.
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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/  to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 980 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Social Media: The Secrets of Success

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Word of Mouth Marketing
If you are in the midst of developing one of the more than one million books that are published every year, it’s time to start thinking about how you are going to market your book … because in today’s publishing environment, it’s up to you to build momentum for your work.
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It is All About Relationships
Social media marketing is the darling of the marketing world. However it is NOT about selling – rather about building relationship with your readers, educating them about your writing and then making them love your books. Avoid that all you do on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook is to hawk your book or try to interest agents and editors in your manuscript. This is not to say you can not ever talk about the interesting things you’re doing.
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People on Social Media Want Content
Sharing content has become an important aspect of these networks. Create content that your readers love! Social sharing signals to Google’s Search Engines which content is high quality while Social Media provides networked, word-of-mouth publicity for your writing.
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10 Commands of Social Networking

…. such as Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, websites…

• Schedule tweets in advance to gain time for interacting with your followers
• Use Hootsuite to schedule your posts at the best times and also to several sites at the same time
• Don’t expect fast results. Readers need time to become familiar with you and your books
• Don’t try to do everything at once. Take it one Social Network at a time.
• Treat connections with respect. Followers and friends are important.
• It’s not about the most connections when it comes to Social Networking, It’s about having relevant connections.
• Be comfortable in the network(s). Be able to be your authentic self.
• Ask your readers to refer you to their friends and acquaintances.
• Ask questions and share, share, share. Everyone has questions, some have answers. Get a dialog going…. After all, Social Media is about sharing.
• Set-up your bio for keyword optimization. Use key words that will attract the type of people that you want to connect with.
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How Social Media has changed word-of-mouth marketing is shown in this slide-share.  Read also an article on Forbes: “7 Social Media Tips You Can Learn From Richard Branson”, who is still tweeting most of the content himself.
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Ask yourself ”if I go to a party will I listen to people who constantly talk how good their business products are, or when I turn on the TV, do I prefer to watch the movie or do I rather watch the commercials?” Compare this with Social Media…
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You will get really frustrated if you think it’s an immediate fix. Social media is important, maybe even crucial for writers today. Don’t forget: customers always buy from those they know and like. Create posts and tweets that are worthy, start by developing attainable goals, learn what your audience likes, create content that is useful, and make it easy to share.

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/  to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 980 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Is this You? Make it Right from the Start!

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Would you learn to drive a car, a totally new profession or fly a plane without a flight instructor?
It makes sense to have a professional for “showing you the ropes”, someone who has studied the subject and has many years experience. The same is true for the “new profession” that you, as an independent authors choose: Publisher.

Getting help BEFORE you write or at least before you publish, can save a lot of headache, beginner mistakes, lots of time and most important: Money! And even when you get help after your book is published, it will improve your appearance as a serious author tremendously.
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Evaluating Book Appearance and Author Platform
Before we start our Publishing and Book Marketing consulting/coaching we ask our clients to fill out a questionnaire in order to evaluate their book’s appearance and if the basics of professional publishing are known and if the author platform or any kind of author brand are visible.
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These are some of the gaps we discover:

• No knowledge about the “competition” of their book
• No clear picture about the potential readership demographic
• No professional author image on Social Media
• Missing author pages on Amazon or Goodreads
• Cover image not in line with the content / not attractive
• No Google+ Page for each of their books
• No email opt-in on their webpage
• No own ISBN, which means not their own publisher
• Not registered with Bowker for worldwide listing of books
• No regular blog posts on their site
• No guest posting on other blogs
• Follows only other writers on Twitter instead of readers or reviewers
• Book is in the “wrong” category on Amazon
• No transfer of Twitter / Facebook followers to Goodreads
• No interesting tweets, just hawking their books
• No email signature, or no “about.me” on blogs
• No articles written for newspapers or magazines
• No free event invitation on Goodreads or Google+
• Social Media sites are not connected with each other
• Book Cover that screems “self-published”
• No pre-publishing reviews are sent out
• No Goodreads Giveaway before book launch

…. well, this list could go on and on …

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Never Too Late
My favored quote is “You never get a second chance for a first good impression”. However, there is always still a good chance to improve the author platform and the author brand, one step at a time.  When all these gaps are closed, sales will pick up!  But you have to do the necessary steps and the groundwork first!  Let’s help you with our 30+ years of professional publishing experience and marketing studies. See also samples how we can support your marketing efforts.
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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/  to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 980 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Social Media Obsession? Building Your Networks?

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Jeff Bullas, Marketing and Social Media Guru, explained in a recent post:
“Businesses who are relentless in building a following on social media are in fact creating their own publishing platforms, growing their marketing channels and content distribution networks. It is a digital asset that grows every year.”

This info-graphic shows very clear that Google+ is becoming by far the second most popular Social Media Network on the planet, and Google+  should be at the top of your list when it comes to digital marketing. Check out our blog post: 15 Top Reasons for Writers to Be on Google+
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Take Advantage of FREE PDF copies of What the Plus! Courtesy of Google. Please, share this link with as many people as possible. Get a copy http://goo.gl/eRy6z
Read also a short description: How to Get More Followers on Your Google+ Page

Source: The Growth of Social Media v2.0 [INFOGRAPHIC]
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Search Engine Journal wrote: “Social media has transitioned into an obsession and almost a way of life for online culture, changing the way we communicate with our colleagues, loved ones, and our favorite brands. As social media continues to grow in almost every market, the idea that social media is “just a fad” is no longer worth consideration as more and more demographics move toward utilizing social media on an every day basis.”

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/
to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 970 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Author Interview Cleveland O. McLeish

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Today’s Author Interview is with Cleveland O. McLeish, a prolific writer, screenwriter and play wright. 

Cleveland, thanks for telling us a bit more about yourself and your books. How would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it? For example your latest work Chloe.

Chloe represents everyone who has ever made a difference in somebody’s life. She was that unplanned pregnancy that came with an option to abort, who grew up to change the world…or did she.

Chloe is a mystery/thriller that will keep the reader guessing. I have a friend who read the book, and skipped to the end, only to be forced to go back and read the book from where she left off.
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What inspired you to start writing ?

I have been writing plays for my church since 1999. It was fun to be able to add some structure to the productions we did, as opposed to just improvising. That led to my online ministry at www.christianplaywright.org. I loved writing so much, that I have tried my hand at all types of writing.

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How did you get the idea for the novel?

It was originally a play, that morphed into a screenplay that ended up as a novel. Each version has won an award, so it’s easily one of my favorite stories. I was inspired to write it many years ago from a “What if” thought I had.

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Who is your favorite character and why?
Chloe, of course. She has easily grown to be a part of me….a part of the family. She is real, honest and open about how she feels and what she is thinking. She is not afraid to be herself, despite what others may think of her.

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Are your characters based on real people?
Fragments of real people, no one particular character.

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Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
This was written by a non-Christian:  “I don’t agree with the message of this book and I think some of its points are a bit of a stretch, but that doesn’t mean that the story didn’t catch me by surprise and present an argument that was not only concise but well written. Instead of shoving points of view in your face, it guides you through a scenario that is a valid way to approach this topic. (I won’t spoil it for you future readers)I didn’t realize the impact of what was going to happen to the characters until it really hit me and I realized the intent of the story. It did make me think for a moment about my own personal beliefs and though they differ than what is in the book, I still think it’s a good read because of how thought out and well written it is.”

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If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be?
Purpose of Life

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How much of the book is based on real life (either yours or someone you know)?
Not much. I created a world I was not familiar with, and characters I was meeting for the very first time.

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Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you have learned as a writer from then to now?
Being persistent and consistent in writing will make us better writers.

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What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Well, it’s hard to say with spoiling it for future readers, but without saying it…I am sure everyone who reads the book will agree that that is the best part lol.

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If your book would be made into a movie, who should play the main character?
Emma Watson would do well as Chloe.

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How did you get published? Please share your own personal journey.
I have had written material for a while, as well as hundreds of length plays. I have approached trade publishers in the past, but found it to be too tedious a task, so I was quite content with the reach and success of my website. One day while browsing, Amazon took me to CreateSpace.com.  It caught my interest, so I tested the system with a few of my plays, as customers keep asking me for hard copies of plays from my website. It worked out pretty well, and I was sold on their system…so I have been using them since.

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What general advice do you have for other writers?
Keep writing, and never stop. Write everyday. Write consistently everyday. Rejection from publishers and peers is not a failing grade for your talent. Most of all, believe in yourself, and what you write.
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What is the best part of being a writer?
Touching and prompting a change for the better in someone…maybe bringing comfort or laughter to those who mourn or are dejected.
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Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what’s your favorite part of the process?  What’s your least favorite? Creating a story on a blank piece of paper is priceless. Marketing and getting the book on the shelves is a difficult stage for me.
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What is ONE thing that you have done that brought you more readers? 
Announce the availability of my book during a Church service.
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What’s the most challenging part of being a writer?
Writing everyday.

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Where’s the one place in the world you’d like to visit?
Jerusalem.

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What is your favorite book?
Anything by Frank Peretti or Randy Alcorn

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How would a close friend describe you?
Troublesome. LOL

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Where can people learn more about your writing?
My website www.christianplaywright.org

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These are Cleveland McLeish’s latest books:

Chloe: A Novel, available on Amazon as paperback and e-book

Who I Am In Christ: 101 Daily Declarations of Faith, paperback and e-book

 

Visit Cleveland McLeish’s Author Page on Amazon to see all his books

or meet him at Facebook

or his webpage to learn more about this multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter, who considers himself one of God’s modern-day scribes. He has penned over 100 plays and several
screen plays, some of which have won Bronze, Silver and Gold medals in competition, including the Screenplay Chloe Cleopatra Taylor. He is also a youth director and lay minister in the Church of God of Prophecy in Jamaica. He is a born Jamaican living in Kingston with his lovely wife, Nordia.

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/  to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 980 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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10 Tips: How to Sell Your Books to Libraries

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US Libraries purchase books for nearly $2 billion per year. But not only books, also audio books and other forms of publications, such as e-books.  How can authors reach out to this lucrative market? And what about the distribution channels?

Ask the Library:
Ask if the library needs a purchase order for every book it purchases. Many libraries are publicly funded, and a purchase order, or PO, helps them keep track of their budget.
Ask for a current list of books the library needs to acquire. Most libraries put an emphasis on acquiring very new books; however, they may also be in need of replacements for lost or stolen copies. Find out whether they prefer hardcover, paperback or library bound books. Most libraries prefer library-bound or hardcover books.
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Distributor to Libraries
Quality Books Inc.  provides libraries with small press books that are not widely available through other
distributors. Their inventory is devoted ONLY to libraries.They explain:
“For the small publisher, getting noticed, by the appropriate librarian can present an
overwhelming challenge.  Since the vast majority of books and non-print resources produced annually never reach a professional review page, Quality Books Inc. has a stringent review process for all of the
titles we distribute. Our Title Selection Committee is made up of two MLS-degreed librarians and three publishing professionals. The committee uses more than 20 criteria with which to evaluate every title submitted to QBI for possible distribution.”  They give very detailed info what they are looking for at Quality Books’ webpage. They also state clearly how to submit your book, audio-book, CD etc.

Another major distributor to libraries is UniqueBooksInc  and specialist in non-fiction books and DVD’s. “We are a full service library resource providing our customers with newly copyrighted titles. Unique Books Inc. solves the small press dilemma of reaching the elusive, high maintenance library market profitably.”
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How Else Can You Promote Your Book in the Library Market?

• Offer a free (1-2 hour) class in local libraries, where you can certainly mention your book and maybe even sell it.
• Most online retailers, bookstores, and libraries find books through purchasing relationships with large distributors.
• Find out the dates of library trade shows and exhibit through co-operative exhibit programs such as those offered through IBPA, the Independent Book Publishers Association.
• Authors with several books, or those who can join with another small publishers, might try to get a booth at the ALA (American Library Association) Annual Conference in June 14, in Las Vegas, or at their other conferences, to show your books.  See a video about the Publisher halls at the Conference.
• However, such conferences are not a place to sell hundreds of books, it is a place to introduce and take orders or hand out business card and ask librarians for theirs (maybe an iPad as drawing price, when people give their card into a fishbowl.)  It’s more of a PR stunt, than big sales.

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When is the Best Time?
Many libraries make the majority of their acquisitions at the beginning of their fiscal year, whatever this might be. This is a good time to buy books. If you want to approach Libraries directly: The best time to approach libraries might be in early December and early June (also mostly quiet months there) – as this is when they typically do their purchases.

More tips

https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/myths-and-truth-about-selling-to-libraries/https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/how-to-sell-your-book-to-libraries/

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/
to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 970 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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