From Our Blog
Book Cover Design (Part 1): Strategies, Tactics, and AI
Gather savvy authors together and guess what we’re going to chat about? Writing craft, publishing, our latest manuscript woes, marketing techniques, and, yes, book covers.
We asked what you wonder about when it comes to cover design, and you answered. You wanted to know about book cover strategies, tactics, and the use of AI (artificial intelligence). Even if you didn’t submit a specific questi…
Substack as an Email Alternative
I was first introduced to Substack by Joanna Campbell Slan, who migrated her newsletter list there in December 2023.
“Substack has brought me 207 new subscribers,” she said. “Since I don’t pay Substack, I count that as a huge win. Previously, I was paying around $120 a month, and the other email list servers sure didn’t recommend me to anyone.”
Should you use Substack to deliver your newsletter…
Three Non-Writing Books That Transformed My Author Business
The author business books we immerse ourselves intend to be related to craft, processes (such as outlining for plotters), or productivity for authors. Those are fine and helpful, but I’ve learned valuable lessons from books that are not author or writing focused and believe it’s beneficial to pull ideas from outside our industry to help build a successful author career.
The following books help…
A Guide to Rock-Star Customer Service for Authors Selling Direct
Let’s face it—happy readers come back for more. While the digital age has transformed how we connect with our audience, one truth remains: creating lifelong fans beats making one-time sales. The best part? Readers don’t expect perfection. They just want to know you’ve got their back when issues pop up.
The common support scenarios
Tech troubles. What button do I push?
Most SOS calls are about e…
Add Print to Your Sales Plan with IngramSpark
What is IngramSpark? IngramSpark (IS) is a service by Lightning Source, the print-on-demand division of Ingram, part of Ingram Content Group. IS distributes to more than 40,000 locations around the world, including libraries, independent bookstores, big box stores, and airport retailer Hudson.
Even if you are exclusive to Amazon for ebooks, you can make print books available through IngramSpark…
What’s in a Book Title? A Rose By Any Other Name
In Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare writes this line from Juliet to Romeo:
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.
Likewise, authors sometimes wish readers would judge our books purely based on prose, character, and plot. But let’s face it, readers are often swayed by an eye-catching book cover or a clever title.
The reality is that there are mil…