author bio

How to Improve Your Amazon Author Page

Author-Page

I recently went through dozens of author pages of bestselling and famous writers to show one of my publishing consulting clients how a professional author page at Amazon should look like.  Boy, was I in for a surprise!
Unfortunately, many authors skip this powerful marketing tool – or don’t know about it.

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Either the author portrait was missing, or the page contained only an article “About the Author” and a listing of the book – but no book trailer, or a video from an interview, no listing of events (such as book readings or upcoming book launches), either no or only one or two photos (seven would be possible), and often no blog articles – also these writers have a blog or website. Not even Stephen King – who has a pretty good website – has a great web presence on Amazon. Just an author bio and listings of his books.
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However, most of the book covers that where shown, were amazing and the book covers showed “corporate identity” with a certain theme or an identical font on the cover. Needless to say, these bestselling authors had mostly a dozen or more books under their belts.
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So, What is Missing?
I assume, these writers earn enough to let a marvelous author page create – which can be done in an hour. Or they have enough influence on their publisher to demand a professional site at Amazon…

If you are an independent author, upload your books directly to Amazon, to avoid any discussions with distributors – who deliver only to sales pages, and are not creating yourAmazon author pages.

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You Never Get a Second Chance…
to make a first good impression!  Readers go to your author page to learn more about their favorite writer and his or her books – and to see more pictures or a book trailer – than just the book cover…
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Why not put a bit of an effort into your author presentation?  After all, Amazon gives you this website for FREE!  No other online retailer offers such a lot of space and features to their author-book-suppliers.
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Improve Your Book’s Sales Page Too!
Before you start setting up or improving your author page, check your book’s sales page and make sure to use all the space (350 characters) for that Amazon gives you for your editorial reviews and testimonials of your book in this paragraph.  Copy the most favorable parts and sentences to stay within the 350 character limit.  Important: Editorial reviews are what potential customers read first as it is “above the fault”, while all reader reviews are way down on the sales page and customers have endlessly to scroll down.

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Here is a quick checklist what should be shown on your author page at Amazon:

– an interesting authors bio
written in the 3rd person

– 7 photos
For example of your book, of your writing desk, elderly people, compassionate scenes
if you don’t have any, check out the pages for FREE photos (below)
Only JPEG (or JPG), GIF, or PNG photos, no other formats
No more than 4MB in size
Between 300 and 8000 pixels in width and height.
To see the dimensions, right-click on your image and select Properties or “View Image” Info

– reader reviews
copy / paste them
Customer reviews are in order from newest to oldest with the exception of “Spotlight Reviews” that are based on how well the review was written and how helpful it was deemed by our customers.”
(Hint: ask your friends to click on “helpful” at the best reviews of your book).

– From the Author – From the Inside Flap – and From the Back Cover—up to 8000 characters

– About the Author—up to 2000 characters

– your book trailer

– interview videos/podcasts of radio shows/videos from book signings
You can share your book trailer, video interviews, book signing videos or the new Google Search Story trailers with readers. Your video should focus on specific features of your book or your experience as an author.

– List events
such as book readings or book launches

– blog post feeds

– Twitter Feeds

A detailed list of how to best set up your author page can be found on Amazon’s Central help site:
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help?topicID=200649520
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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 separately 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

For other countries, just exchange the .com with .de (for Germany) or .fr (for France) in the Amazon link.

See some examples of author pages (also they are not all perfect):
https://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Wingate/e/B001HCX5WK/
https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Niven/e/B001KHAA4S/
https://www.amazon.com/Leigh-Bardugo/e/B005ZZ8XQS/
https://www.amazon.com/Maggie-Stiefvater/e/B001JSBZZ6/

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You might ask why I write here only about Amazon’s author page: But Barnes & Noble and Kobo don’t offer author pages which you can create yourself!
One of the biggest advantages of an Amazon Kindle published Author: it 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 to your posts.

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Interview With Multi-Book Author D.G. Kaye

DG-Kaye
Today’s Author Interview introduces prolific Canadian writer D.G. Kaye.  Her memoirs are enchanting for a huge following, and we are happy to welcome her to our blog.
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Debbie, what inspired you to start writing?
Growing up in a dysfunctional family life inspired me to journal.  Journaling gave me a place to vent my feelings, frustrations, and observations I wasn’t permitted to voice.


How would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?
P.S. I Forgive You
was written as a sequel to Conflicted Hearts, although it’s a standalone book in its own right. Both books involve my life and torment living with a narcissistic mother. In this book, it is about my journey to understand my mother and finding a place of forgiveness for her before she died.
People sometimes behave inappropriately either because of their conditioning, illness, or lack of guidance.  I didn’t want to continue resenting my mother, so I chose to look into what things inspired her to become the person she was.  I found that by seeking to understand my mother became a stepping-stone in my path to finding forgiveness.
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Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp?
Yes. We can still find forgiveness in our hearts for someone who has wronged us, without having  to allow them back into our lives.
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Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
This is heartbreaking and heart-mending at the same time.  It is an important book that should be read by many who are struggling to forgive and move on.  It’s not an easy task but one very well worth your while.”
~ Christoph Fischer

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If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be?
How to seek understanding and refuge from the clutches of a damaged parent.
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How much of the book is based on real life (either yours or someone you know)?
The book is a memoir, all truth, and unfortunately, real life.
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What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author?
I write raw and honest from my soul. No holding back and making things appear prettier than they were.
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Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
Readers want truth. They want to be able to learn something from our experience. They want to understand the conflict of our story to be able to form their own opinions and emotions, not to be forced to solely feel the author’s view point of view.
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Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what ís your favorite part of the process?
My favorite part of writing is writing the first draft. This is where I get to write freely, exposing all my emotions in the raw out of my head, almost like a purge before re-writes begin.

What’s your least favorite?
My most challenging and probably least favorite part is writing the blurb. This is the part where a whole story is condensed into one or two short paragraphs, where we have to pull out the essence of the story to capture a reader’s attention, without giving out spoilers.
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What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of, and why?
After my mother passed, my brother and I had to decide what we should have engraved on her headstone.  The chapter is aptly titled: The Stone. It was an emotionally difficult process to have to decide the words that would give her some dignity, yet not sugar-coat her memory with undeserved praise.

What genre have you not yet written but really want to try?
I sometimes think about writing women’s fiction. But I realized I’m just not a fiction writer.  I’m a storyteller about life and situations.  Writing my books as fiction would be like wearing a mask, hiding truth in a story that would have come from real life anyway.  I think if I ever were to endeavor into any other style of writing it would be screenwriting.
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If your book would be made into a movie, who should play the main character?
Now that’s a tough one.  I don’t think I’ve ever thought that far.  I’d have to say it would have to be someone who could portray both, a compassionate side, but a strong-willed character to represent me.  Perhaps someone like Natalie Portman, Kate Winslet, or maybe Reese Witherspoon would be suitable.
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How did you get published? Please share your own personal journey.
I’m a self published author.  I spent a year learning about the self publishing industry while I was writing my first book, Conflicted Hearts.  I subscribed to newsletters from some of the pioneers in the industry, joined forums, watched many webinars and podcasts, and made some good friendships along the way with other writers who already had experience under their belts, and were generous in their help and support.  It’s a big job to self publish because there is so much that goes under that umbrella, and consequently does eat up quite  a bit of writing time.
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What general advice do you have for other writers?
Read a lot. Read in different genres to get a sense of different writing styles to find what you like and don’t like about those styles.  Write every day no matter how little or how much.  Write for a blog, a book, or just use word prompts to keep your minds current and to better your writing.  I don’t believe to committing to a daily word count and there will be days when the pen (or fingers) just flow and days you may only get a paragraph or two out, but it’s a start for tomorrow’s writing.  Like anything else, writing daily makes us better writers.  Many authors including myself will tell you when they look back at their first book, they can see how far they’ve grown as writers by a difference in their writing as time passes.
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What is the best part of being a writer?
I’m my own boss. I make my own work schedules. I can write anywhere if I choose to travel. And I can write in my pajamas!
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What’s the most challenging part of being a writer?
I love everything about being a writer. Self-publishing is the challenging part because it takes up so much of writing time. Being self published and trying to become successful means putting a lot of time into social media to build a readership. Writing a blog and following up with comments daily and emails, and reading other people’s blogs eats up a lot of time but is necessary to make connections with others. This is all part of promoting our own work if we want to give our books any visibility in a very crowded market.
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Where’s the one place in the world you’d like to visit?
I’ve been to many places, but I left my heart in Arizona, and that’s where I hope to live one day.

What is your favorite book?
The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough. A story about  life, heartbreak and forbidden love.

How would a close friend describe you?
Energetic, empowering, outgoing, empathetic, compassionate, honest, and relentless.
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Where can people learn more about your writing?
I run a blog www.dgkayewriter.com where I post articles on everything from writing, to personal stories, helpful articles for technical issues I come across, random thoughts about life, book reviews, guest posts and interviews with other authors.  You can also type a subject in the search bar there to check out any of my many blog posts and interviews I’ve done.  The latest place I’m wanting to participate more with posts is www.niume.com.
All my books can also be found on my Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/dgkaye7
And of course I’m on social media everywhere!
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What is ONE thing that you have done that brought you more readers?
Engage with readers and followers!  When people take the time to read what I post and leave comments or emails, I always reply.  I also follow back my readers on their blogs and social media and help to share what they promote. This engagement makes others want to reciprocate, and by sharing each other’s posts and promotions, it brings new eyes to our work.
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What’s one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about you?
As outgoing and forthright as I am, I’m quite shy when it comes to public speaking and talking on video.
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How do you practice authenticity, in your life?
I live it!  I’m an optimist always looking for the up side of a down side. I speak the truth, I write my truth.  I’m a person of my word.  I always try my best to build people up because I’ve worked hard to build my own self-esteem.  I know what it feels like to be on the crappy side of the fence.
I speak from experience.  I preach kindness because it doesn’t cost anything to be nice to someone.  And anybody in my real life and virtual, online world knows if I can help someone, I will.
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What do you know, or perhaps represent – that others may not know or have?
I know what’s it’s like to be abused, neglected and demeaned.  That was a long time ago, but we never forget adversity.  In times of doubt or darkness, I remember how far I’ve come and I continue to rise.  We all have the ability to rise above adversity.  No, it’s never easy, but if there’s a will there’s a way. And that’s what I try to pass on to my readers.  Knowledge is power.

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As you look at your life story, at what point would you say you knew you have to write?
When I turned twenty and was already living on my own for a few years, journaling about life, I knew I needed to write.  My life was still unsettled while trying to get my act together, and I was too young to take writing seriously.  But I knew I was going to write books at some point.  It took me a few more decades to discipline myself.
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What values are most important for you as a writer?
Honesty in my writing. Helping other writers because I know when I first began writing there were other writers who gave of themselves with their time to help me when I was learning the ropes.
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Short Bio:
I’m a nonfiction memoir writer who writes about life, matters of the heart and women’s issues.  I write to inspire others by sharing my stories about events I encountered, and the lessons that come along with them. I love to laugh, and self-medicate with a daily dose of humor.  When I’m not writing intimate memoirs or posts, you’ll find me writing with humor in some of my other works and blog posts.

Memoirs

Book Links:

Conflicted Hearts                                         http://www.smarturl.it/bookconflictedhearts

MenoWhat? A Memoir                             http://www.smarturl.it/bookMenoWhatAMemoir

Words We Carry                                            http://www.smarturl.it/bookwordswecarry

Have Bags, Will Travel
http://www.smarturl.it/bookHaveBags

P.S. I Forgive You                                           http://www.smarturl.it/bookPSIForgiveYou

 

Where to find D.G. Kaye:

Website:           http://www.dgkayewriter.com

Author Page:   http://www.amazon.com/author/dgkaye7

Goodreads:      http://www.goodreads.com/dgkaye

About me:        http://www.wiseintro.co/dgkaye7

Twitter:            http://www.twitter.com/@pokercubster (yes there’s a story)

Linkedin:          http://www.linkedin.com/in/dgkaye7

Facebook:         http://www.facebook.com/dgkaye

Google:              http://www.google.com/+DebbyDGKayeGies

Instagram:        http://www.instagram.com/dgkaye

Pinterest:          http://www.pinterest.com/dgkaye7

 


Blurb for P.S. I Forgive You

“I hurt for her. She wasn’t much of a mother, but she was still my mother.”

Confronted with resurfacing feelings of guilt, D.G. Kaye is tormented by her decision to remain estranged from her dying emotionally abusive mother after resolving to banish her years ago, an event she has shared in her book Conflicted Hearts.

In P.S. I Forgive You, Kaye takes us on a compelling heartfelt journey as she seeks to understand the roots of her mother’s narcissism, let go of past hurts, and find forgiveness for both her mother and herself.

After struggling for decades to break free, Kaye has severed the unhealthy ties that bound her to her dominating mother—but now Kaye battles new confliction, as the guilt she harbors over her decision only increases as the end of her mother’s life draws near. Kaye once again struggles with her conscience and her feelings of being obligated to return to a painful past she thought she left behind.

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How to Write a Great Author Bio

Author Bio

An author bio is an important – and an often overlooked – marketing tool.  For some authors writing their bio might be a daunting task.  But it is important to give your bio the same attention as you do when writing your books or an avatar for your social media sites.

When pitching to trade publishers or to magazine editors, the bio you are submitting with your manuscript is mostly intended to first sell the publisher that you are qualified to write about your subject, be it fiction or non-fiction. And your bio will later be used to help sell your book to readers.
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First: Study the Author Bios in Your Genre.
Search for the bestseller author pages in your genre on Amazon and other online retailers, or study their author bios on the back cover pages of their books in a store or a library.  As more you read, as more ideas you get for your own author bio.
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Write in the First Person.
You might be loathing to write about yourself in the 3rd person at first, but it does make it easier to talk confidently about your achievements.  So, always write your bio in the third person.  To make it easier for yourself, just pretend you are a reporter writing about someone else.  Non-fiction authors should focus more on subject knowledge and credentials, while bios for novelists can be more personal.  A touch of humor and being relatable doesn’t hurt at all. Let your bio reflect your personality.
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Stay Relevant to You as a Writer.
Leave out any information that has no relevance to the book or your author credentials.  For your readers it is not important where and when you are born, how many siblings you have or that you supported yourself as a fast-food attendant or in retail, while starting your writing career…  On the other hand, don’t leave out specifics that are important for your writing fiction, or establish their credentials for non-fiction.  Readers want to know what’s in it for them.  So explain for example in your bio how your book will help them solving a problem.
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Keep it Short and Sweet.
Your author bio is not the place to tell your whole life story.  Around 100-250 words is a good length.  You don’t want to write an author bio that fills up the entire back cover of your print version.
A universal bio that you copy and paste everywhere is okay, but you can tailor it to your specific situation.  Keep various versions of your bio in your computer files, including versions at 50 words, 100 words, 200 words, and 500 words.
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What to Include:
Reporters, producers, bloggers and other media people will read your author bio at your press kit and it’s pretty much the only tool for you to proof you are the best person to write this book and to write it well.
For non-fiction writers it needs to show the professional background for the topic you are writing.  Why are you qualified to write on this subject?  Include enough information that demonstrates your credentials to write this book.  You might also want to mention the amount of research you put into writing your non-fiction book.

  • Your Education
  • Work experience
  • Professional memberships
  • Industry leadership roles
  • Industry awards

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Fiction Writers Might Include:

  • Where you grew up or live (even vaguely)
  • Writing awards or acclaim
  • Fiction writing education or training
  • Explain how you came to write this story

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Don’t forget, your author bio is a part of your brand, so it should be a reflection of who you really are as an author.
Check out the practical examples in this blog article: 10 Tips for writing an author bio.

If you are really stuck with your bio writing: there are lots of professional copywriters at Elance.com, Guru.com or Upwork.com etc. who can help you to accomplish the task.

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Pen Names – Reasons Why You May Need One!

pen-name.

Or even several!
If you spent years working on your novel you want to see YOUR name on it.  But there are reasons to use one or several pen names, like many famous authors do and did in the past:

  • When readers found out that J.K. Rowling – Joanne Kathleen Rowling – the author of Harry Potter changed her name to Robert Gailbraith, writing The Cuckoo’s Calling, they stormed the bookstores. Within days of Rowling being revealed as the author, sales of the book rose by 4000 percent.
  • Bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch has not only four pen names, but also a website for all of these:
    – Kris DeLake
    – Kristine Dexter
    – Kristine Grayson
    – Kris Nelscott
  • E. L. James – Erika Leonard, born Erika Mitchell, Author of Fifty Shades of Grey.
  • Dr. Seuss and Theo LeSieg – Theodor Seuss Geisel.
  • Georges Sand – Amandine Lucie Aurore Dupin, 19th-century French novelist and early feminist.
  • Jack Higgins (his pen name) writes Mystery. Martin Fallon, James Graham, and Hugh Marlowe are other pen names under which he writes.
  • John le Carré – David John Moore Cornwell, 20th-century British writer.
  • Voltaire – François-Marie Arouet, 18th-century French Enlightenment writer and philosopher.
  • Surprisingly even Stephen King used a pen name. He started his writing career with short novels, such as “The Regulators,” under the pen name Richard Bachman.
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Using a pen name is completely legal.  In fact, it is often a wise business choice.  But writers should take a few common-sense steps to avoid confusion and protect their rights: You need inspiration to find the perfect name – perfect because it will stick with you for a long time, or as long as you want to sell your book(s).  Usually when choosing a pen name, authors choose both a first and last name. Or initials and a last name. Here is a list of reasons for using pseudonyms:

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Privacy.
If you are a surgeon, do you want your patients to know you pen high-body-count thrillers? If you write erotica fiction, do you want to share that information with neighbors, employers, or even your church group? Choosing a pen name is one of the main reasons here. Think about it: are you comfortable with the idea that fans and detractors may be able to find you in the phone book and show up at your house or your place of business?
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Avoiding Confusion.
Three of my book marketing clients have problems on Goodreads and on Amazon: Either books of authors with the same name are on their shelves – or vice versa, their books do not show up and are on the shelves of the other author(s). Despite many attempt to solve these problems, they still persist. So, if a writer has a common name, or the same name as someone famous, a pen name avoids confusion.

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Variety of Genres.
Nora Roberts, a bestseller authors, started to write futuristic suspense and chose to write under the pseudonym, J.D. Robb for this new genre to not confuse her romance readership. Same with author Kristine Kathryn Rusch (see above).
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Don’t Want to Know Your Boss.
If your day job is accountant or bank teller, you might not let your supervisor or boss know that you pen thrillers including bank robbery or data theft. It could potentially hurt your career.
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Collaborative Authorship.
If several writers want to give the impression their collaborative work has been written by one author, they may choose a pseudonym.
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Sensitive Topics and Radical, Political, Religious Books.
Far right / nationalistic topics, or extreme religious books might result in harrassing actions of controversy groups, or if you live under oppressive regimes, or uncover and write about powerful people. However, keep in mind when using a pseudonym: it will not protect you from any legal action that might result from your writing, such as libel – you are still responsible for your writing.
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Difficult Family Name.
Starizhynskokaya might be an example of a family name that could be converted in Stariz or Staric or Kokaya or any other easier to pronounce pen name. You don’t want to correct people on how to pronounce your last name at every single meet-up and interview.
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Writing in a Genre, Common to the Opposite Sex.
Thriller novels that might contain combat, male sport, or scenes in car races or aviation might at present be better off with a male pseudonym. And cook books (unless from a famous male chef), craft books or romantic novels sell maybe better with a female pen name on it, if you don’t want let people know your sex
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Writing for Competing Publications.
Another good reason for using a pen name is when authors are writing for competing publications in the same field. This is not only useful for book authors, but also writers of magazine and newspaper articles.
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When you are Just Released from Prison.
An example of a famous writer:  When William Sydney Porter was released from prison in 1901, his criminal past – he had been jailed for bank fraud – was detrimental to a career in literature, so he chose a pen name: O. Henry. If you should ever come into a similar situation… : )
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Claim Your Pen Name.
Immediately buy or reserve the domain name and email address. Also file a “Fictitious Business Name Statement” – FBN – if you will be getting payments made out to your pen name. Place the pen name on your book’s cover and your copyright notice, © 2015 as well as your pen name, in order to run your authorship / copyright under an assumed name.
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Read also:
http://www.writing-world.com/business/pen.shtml
http://www.outsourcedfreelancingsuccess.com/self-publishing-101-when-to-use-a-pen-name
http://www.standoutbooks.com/write-pen-name/

 

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If you would like to get a mentor and our support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer for three months all this and more for only $179 – or less than $2 per day!  Learn more about this customized Online Seminar / Consulting / Book Marketing for your success: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars

To learn more about professional book marketing and publishing, please read also
“Book Marketing on a Shoestring”
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UAVL3LE

Our email newsletters with free insider tips are sent out once a month. To sign up, just go to the form on the right site of each blog post.
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Fantasy Lovers: The Ghostcrow

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Ghostcrow.

Today’s interview guest is Kay Theodoratus, a prolific Fantasy writer who published almost a dozen short stories.   She welcomes readers to her magical, paranormal world and describes it: “Fantasy, a wonderful way to run away from mundane annoyances.”

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Kay, thanks a lot for taking the time for your readers, Fantasy lovers and fans.  
How would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?
The Ghostcrow is a supernatural fantasy where Dumdie Swartz learns there are worse things in life than seeing ghosts; a demon might decide it wants to possess you.

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Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp?
Things aren’t always as bad as you think they are; they could be worse.

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What inspired you to start writing?
I have always told stories, ever since an imaginary friend started coming to play with me when I was about three.  Writing stories didn’t occur to me until the sixth grade when a teacher assigned the class a short story.  Everyone did their three-five pages. I wrote 25 pages of an incomplete story Nancy Drew pastiche, and got a “C”, but finished a full-length middle-grade novel the next summer.  I’ve been writing something, more or less, ever since.  Selling what I wrote is another story, but I’ve done that fairly often when I tried.

One of the reasons I like writing Fantasy is that I can design the rules which my characters play with.  It’s a way to leave the mundane world behind and ask “what if?” and then, follow the consequences wherever they take me.  The big difference now is that I am more willing to share my pretend worlds.

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Is there a book review that you especially remember?
One review of Showdown at Crossings, also set in my world of Andor, sticks in my mind, though: “This is a fantasy fiction story that was so innovative.  There’s magic, a world that is different from what we know, and plenty of suspense.  The main character isn’t your usual strapping young man; in fact, he’s older and yet we love the hero he strives to become to protect his town.
If you love Fantasy then this is the tale for you.  It is so different from what I have read before and that’s a good thing.  Too many fantasy stories seem to start out the same way or strive to be like the others and this did not – it’s innovative and excellent.”

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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?
The most important thing a writer can do is to get an ending on their stories, whether short or novel length.  Once they are written you can always revise and polish.  While I’ve always written something or other over the years, most of my fiction languished for lack of an ending.  Now almost all my new writing gets endings.  It’s finding the time to do the revisions and polishing that causes me problems now.
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What’s the most challenging part of being a writer?
Finishing what you start.
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What is ONE thing that you have done that brought you more readers?
I started self-publishing Fantasy.  I find it must be more interesting than the magazine articles I used to write where thousands potentially read what I said.

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Kay-Theodoratus
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The Ghostcrow is available at:
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U5RTMC0
Amazon Author Page — http://www.amazon.com/M.-K.-Theodoratus/e/B0055EBKVE/
Smashwords — https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/524046
ITunes — https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-ghostcrow-a-tale-of-andor/id973215103?mt=11
IBookstore — http://www.ibookstore.com/products.php?i=B00U5RTMC0

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Visit Kay Theodoratus’ Online Presence

Blog – http://kaytheod.blogspot.com
Author Website – http://www.mktheodoratus.com
YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdjWx7V6i04lHyTABHzqVrA
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Meet Kay Theodoratus on Social Media:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/kaytheod
Google+ — https://plus.google.com/114959381917569899950
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5478544-m-k-theodoratus
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-K-Theodoratus/235376633158175?ref=hl
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/kkaytheod/

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TWO DAYS IN JUNE

 

Two-Days-in-June

Two Days in June


TWO DAYS IN JUNE
 John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History  by Andrew Cohen.

In June 1963, John Fitzgerald Kennedy has been president of the United States for almost two and a half years.  That spring he is grappling with the two seismic forces of the early 1960s:  the proliferation of nuclear arms and the struggle for civil rights.  On two consecutive days, in two lyrical addresses, he appeals to Americans to see both the Russians and the “Negroes” as human beings.

His speech on June 10 leads to the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963, the first arms control agreement of the Cold War. A day later, his next speech on June 11,  leads to the famous Civil Rights Act of 1964, a watershed in American history.  In lily-white, Cold War America, this kind of language is unprecedented, if not almost subversive.

Andrew Cohen, an award-winning journalist and bestselling author, evokes the writing of William Manchester and Theodore White as he presents a president pivoting dramatically and decisively on the two biggest issues of his time. Based largely on hours of unseen documentary film shot in the White House and the Justice Department on these two days, as well as fresh interviews and a rediscovered draft speech.  Two Days in June elegantly captures Kennedy at the high noon of his presidency in new, rich, granular detail.
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There were 1,036 Days in the Presidency of John F. Kennedy
Moment by moment, JFK’s feverish forty-eight hours unspool in suspenseful, cinematic clarity as he addresses “peace and freedom.”

Kennedy faces down George Wallace over the integration of the University of Alabama, which Cohen shows was not scripted, as many argue.  In this tick-tock of the presidency, we see Kennedy up close as never before: signing a bill on pay equity for women, and planning a secret diplomatic mission to Indonesia, reeling from the midnight murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers.  Big issues converge while smaller ones emerge – open immigration, lower taxes, physical fitness, space exploration…

Under Cohen’s steady gaze, we see Kennedy’s extraordinary relationship with his brother, Robert, who acts as field marshal as the administration manages George Wallace;  his partnership with Theodore Sorensen, his gifted if mercurial speechwriter; and his affair with Mary Meyer, a free-spirited painter.
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About the Author
Andrew Cohen is an award-winning journalist and former Washington correspondent whom the New York Times has called one of “Canada’s most distinguished authors.”
He has had an interest in the Kennedys from the time he learned of the president’s assassination as a third grader at Roslyn School in Montreal.  He attended Choate Rosemary Hall (where JFK went), McGill University, Carleton University and the University of Cambridge.

Among his Best-Selling Books

 

He has written for United Press International, the Financial Post, the Financial Times of London, Time and the Globe and Mail from London, Berlin, Toronto and Ottawa, where he is a professor of journalism and international affairs at Carleton University.  In Washington, he covered the Clinton administration and reported on his impeachment and trial and the disputed election of 2000. He made several trips to the South, writing about the re-opening of civil rights cases from the 1960s.  He has won three National Magazine Awards and two National Newspaper Awards, and he has been twice been awarded the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal. Cohen writes a nationally-syndicated column for the Ottawa Citizen and appears as regular commentator on CTV News.

What’s New in: Two Days in June
Two Days in June is an original, intimate reconstruction of two momentous days in the presidency of John F. Kennedy. It is a chronicle like no other in the Kennedy literature, brimming with fresh insights and revelations, drawing on hours of newly-uncovered documentary film shot in the White House on June 10 and June 11, 1963, as well as the days before and after.  Andrew Cohen is said to be the first to see the raw footage since it was shot for a celebrated documentary broadcast fifty-one years ago.

In revisiting these two days, the single most important resource is Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment, the 52-minute cinéma vérité film made by Robert Drew, one of the pioneers of the genre in the United States. Drew, a photographer at Life, would become one of the acclaimed documentary filmmakers of his time. In making Crisis, Drew had unprecedented access to President Kennedy in the White House and to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in the Justice Department over these feverish days. Drew also sent crews to Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Birmingham and New York City with Richard Leacock, Greg Shuker and D.A. Pennebaker, all emerging filmmakers. The subject was the confrontation between George Wallace and the Kennedys over the integration of the University of Alabama, which climaxed on June 11, 1963, what some historians call the most important day in the civil rights movement. Crisis aired on ABC in the United States on October 23, 1963, less than a month before JFK was assassinated. Its reputation grew. In 2011, it was named to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, one of twenty-five films a year deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant.

The archivists believe that Andrew Cohen is the first to see the film since they received it sixteen years ago, and quite possibly, since it was made fifty-one years ago.  Two Days in June also draws on the recently opened diaries and letters of Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., the eminent historian and presidential assistant, as well as those of Charles Ritchie, Canada’s Ambassador to Washington that spring.

 

Excerpt from a press release of McClelland & Stewart Doubleday Canada Publishing Group, part of Random House of Canada Ltd

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Why Follow these 3 Top Rules on Social Media?

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No one joins Twitter, FB, Google+ or Pinterest to constantly read about your book. That’s not very entertaining or interesting at all. Some writers don’t buy books from other writers, they want to sell their own. If ALL writers are doing on Twitter, Google+ or FB is self-promoting they are not only NOT attracting readers, but turning potential book buyers away.

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Yes, famous writers may attract attention for what they have to say – not normally related to their books – but rather to their writer’s life or ideas – and they are often interesting or funny. It’s called social networks not selling pages… Authors should rather focus their promotional efforts on trying to get people to talk about things and yes, even about their fellow writer’s books:

  • by reviewing them,
  • reading and recommending them,
  • taking them to their book groups,
  • writing articles or blog posts about their friends books

instead of constantly trying to get people to sell their own books.  Great places to do this is on some of the hundreds (if not thousands) of reader forums for each type of literature can be found, such as Goodreads, Shelfari, Bibliophil, Biblio Connection, BookTalk and the like.

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1. Choose your following carefully:
You want to interact mainly with READERS, NOT writers. The question is: How to find readers?  All Social Media sites have a search function on top of the page. Type in: book bloggers, read, reading, book lovers, book club, love reading, book worm, love to read, mystery book reader, science fiction reader, or YA readers, YA book bloggers, readers, word nerd, non-fiction book blogger, reading books, reviewing book… and even librarian.  Click on “people” or scroll down a lot, as the first names that appear are often publishers and other commercial accounts. How to get more (reader) followers on Social Media sites is also explained in another blog post.

You can also type in the names of very successful books in your genre and find readers there, talking about this very book. Follow those readers that you feel belong to your book genre, based on what they say in their tweets.  Re-tweet their posts, engage in meaningful conversation, be funny or refer to blog posts you wrote, but don’t mention your book. They will find out about it soon enough. A subtle way to build your network and to promote your book…
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2. Be professional
Set-up your bio with a studio portrait, the same you use in your book(s) and create an inviting avatar. Use key words that will attract the type of people that you want to connect with. This bio (or an avatar, or “about me”) can be used for all your presences, for your Amazon website, your blog etc. Same as with your photograph: once established you can use it everywhere, even if you have to shorten it on some places, such as on Twitter. Use lots of keywords and add abbreviated links to your web site or Amazon page. And choose your username wisely!  More tips how to act like a professional are explained in a former article.
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3. Understand the meaning of Social Media
Being SOCIAL and NOT constantly talking about your book!
I noticed one writer on Twitter who writes 100% only and only about his book. He seems to use automatic tweets, as he never, ever engaged in any conversation with others. Kind of autistic … For sure, I was not the only one who un-followed him.

  • Write about interesting things that are happening
  • Give valuable advice
  • Engage in a humorous way with your readers

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Following these three basic rules for your online platform: Finding the right followers “readers”, be “social” and have a professional appearance on Social Media is the key to successful promoting your books.

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To get more book marketing help, see what we can do for you in individual sessions. If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 179 for 3 months of one-on-one instructions. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars

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 to StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Tagged: 111Publishing.com/Seminars, author bio, Boosting Your Books Success, Get Book Marketing help, how to choose the right followers, how to find followers on social media, meaning of social media, professional avatar, social networks

How Important is a Great Author Photo?

Look Great in Your Author Photo: Key element to design your author photo: Quality
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Rolleiflex-Kamera
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If you’re not seen as a professional,  you will be seen as an amateur.  Professional authors have professionally taken profile photos. This is immensely important for any author – no matter what genre you write. You can’t use a Facebook photo, not even a high quality wedding image that you might have cropped to show only your head.  Or a snapshot with a cluttered background, out of focus image, and an unflattering and uninteresting picture.  Even worse:  Party or holiday photos with several persons, or with your dog or toddler. To top it: some authors show instead of a portrait or head shot an image of their dog, cat or their car.  I cringe every time I see these images
used on Twitter or Google+.  Don’t forget:  Literary Agents and Publishers are on these Social Media sites too.  And you never get a second chance for a first good impression!
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Every Author Needs a Professional Head Shot.
If you promote yourself and your book, you will need one and a photo can do wonders in terms of giving you credibility or establishing trust. The prices for these photos are varying a lot, it depends on the location, on the experience of the photographer, on his or her popularity etc.  The honorary can vary from less than $100 to thousands.
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An Author Photo is an Important Piece of Your Brand.
If you have a photo you like, you can use it for years – and use it everywhere, not only on your books, but also in articles, promo material or your avatar for Social Media. When people see it, they will think of you and of your writing.  Have a look at the famous photos of people like JK Rowling or Stephen King and how they convey so much at a glance. Pick your photographer by looking at the photographer’s web site and if possible meeting him or her before you decide having him/her as your portraitist.
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A Book’s Back Cover Will Often Include the Author’s Photo.
On a hard cover, the photo and bio are often placed on the back flap, while the books back cover is used for blurbs and reviewer comments. Paperbacks typically have the sales copy, an author photo and brief bio all on the back cover.  Get both: a black and white glossy print and a full color cover. It’s important to realize that your author picture is for a different purpose than any photo you have ever had taken.  Its main objective is to sell you as the expert.
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Have it Done by a Professional!
This part of your “brand” will present you to the world via social media, book jackets, etc. If you have a photographer friend who will do it for free or at a discount, all the better.  Ask the photographer to give you both versions digitally: in TIFF for print and in jpeg for the web, and also preferably in several sizes, if you are not an expert in Photoshop or other image programs.
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Make Sure the Photo Reflects YOUR Personality.
Have your expression match your personality. For instance, if you are considered a pretty upbeat person and you are usually smiling, a pout would look ridiculous. The author photo needs to give the viewer a good sense of the persona of the author and, most of all, be close up enough that the face is almost format-filling. It should also be a well-composed and an effective photograph of high-resolution quality.
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In this cyber-over-exposed world, your photo may stay with you for a very, very long time.  Ask yourself how you want to be seen by the world…

Get More Tips from a Photographer

http://www.fromthewriteangle.com/2013/02/author-photos-step-by-stepthe.html

http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/02/how-to-take-good-author-photo/

http://indiereader.com/2013/02/tips-for-avoiding-awkward-publicity-photos/

http://www.ebookpublishinghq.com/5-tips-for-taking-a-good-author-photo/

http://www.authormedia.com/how-to-take-portraits-for-an-author-website/

http://authorculture.blogspot.ca/2012/02/is-your-author-photo-sending-right.html

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $159 for 3 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 950 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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Tagged: author bio, author photo, author portrait, Author portrait is part of the author brand, avatar, Google Image Search, how to organize photo archives, image caption, photographer, professional head shot

3 Top Rules to Follow on Social Media

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Followers-on-Social-Media

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Are you promoting your book like crazy on Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook or Goodreads … but nothing seems to happen, no book sales? Are you competing with other writers in “buy my book, buy my book, buy my book… Are you choosing to follow other writers, hoping they will buy your book?
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1. Choose your following very carefully:
You want to interact mainly with READERS, NOT writers. The question is: How to find readers?
All Social Media sites have a search function on top of the page. Type in: book bloggers, read, reading, book lovers, book club, love reading, book worm, love to read, mystery book reader, science fiction reader, YA readers, YA book blogger, readers, word nerd, non-fiction book blogger, reading books, reviewing book… and even librarian. Click on “people” or scroll down a lot, as the first names that appear are often publishers and other commercial accounts. How to get more (reader) followers on Social Media sites is also explained in a blog post from January.

Another method is to type in the name of a very successful book in your genre and find readers there, talking about this book. Follow those readers that you feel belong to your book genre, based on what they say in their tweets. Re-tweet their posts, engage in meaningful conversation, be funny or refer to blog posts you wrote, but don’t mention your book. They will find out about it soon enough.
.

2. Understand the meaning of Social Media
Being SOCIAL and NOT constantly talking about your book!
I noticed one writer on Twitter who writes 100% only and only about his book. He seems to use automatic tweets, as he never, ever engaged in any conversation with others. Kind of autistic … For sure, I was not the only one who un-followed him.

  • Write about interesting things that are happening,
  • Give valuable advice
  • Engage in a humerous way with your readers

No one joins Twitter, FB, Google+ or Pinterest to constantly read about your book. That’s not very entertaining or interesting at all. Many writers don’t buy books from other writers, they want to sell their own. If ALL writers are doing on Twitter, Google+ or FB is self-promoting they are not only NOT attracting readers, but turning potential book buyers away.
Yes, famous writers may attract attention for what they have to say – not normally related to their books – but rather to their writer’s life or ideas – and they are often interesting or funny. It’s called social networks not selling pages… Authors should rather focus their promotional efforts on trying to get people to talk about their books (review them, read and recommend them, give them awards, take them to their book groups, write articles or blog posts about them) instead of constantly trying to get people to buy their books. A much better place to do this is on some of the hundreds (if not thousands of reader forums for each type of literature can be found, such as Goodreads, Shelfari, Bibliophil, Biblio Connection, BookTalk and the like.
.
3. Be professional
Set-up your bio with a studio portrait, the same you use in your book(s) and create an inviting avatar. Use key words that will attract the type of people that you want to connect with. This bio (or an avatar, or “about me”) can be used for all your presences, for your Amazon website, your blog etc. Same as with your photograph: once established you can use it everywhere, even if you have to shorten it on some places, such as on Twitter. Use lots of keywords and add abbreviated links to your web site or Amazon page. And choose your username wisely!  More tips how to act like a professional are explained in a former article.
.
So, following these three basic rules: Finding the right followers “readers”, be “social” and have a professional appearance on Social Media is the key to successful promoting your books.

.

<><><><><>

.

To get more book marketing help, see what we can do for you in individual sessions. 
If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 159 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.international-ebooks.com/book-promo to advertise your new book, specials or KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 900 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 to StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+
http://pinterest.com/111publishing/
.

.

Hyper Smash

Pingate


Tagged: 111Publishing.com/Seminars, author bio, Boosting Your Books Success, Get Book Marketing help, how to choose the right followers, how to find followers on social media, meaning of social media, professional avatar, social networks