There, I Said It!
Six Steps to Grow Your Author Platform
If you want to sell more books, you have to extend your reach beyond family and friends. You need to grow your author platform so that people know who you are. You need to stretch, get your name out there, and become an influencer. But how? Develop a Plan: Nothing...
Instant Gratification: Why Someone Should Want to Read Your Book
We live in an instant world. The Internet offers news at our finger tips. We click – we read. Our photos are virtual – snap – no developing – we share. At every turn, we seek the quick fix. We don’t have time to absorb too much. We’re on the move. So give it to me...
Designing My Book Cover: “Oh Magoo – You’ve Done it Again!”
Ever stumble around in the dark? Hit your big toe? Struggle to find the light – only to trip over the dog? Well then, you know all about my journey to design a book cover. And because I had no clue what the heck I was doing, I was just lucky enough to have a friend...
Fighting with Technology: From India and Back
The other day, my router went down. I’d never realized that your router is kind of like the heart of your entire home office. No router - no phones - no Internet - no Netflix - no printer/fax/scanner. Now, I’ve had problems before with my modem – but that is easily...
My Ideal Reader: Or Why Looking in the Mirror is Probably Not the Best Answer
Being a new author, I’ve learned late in the process that we should be writing for a target audience. If you don’t know your reader, how can you know how to reach them? Okay. That makes sense. It’s marketing 101. You can’t provide someone what they need unless you...
Elevator Pitch: Stuck Between the Floors?
I grew up in NYC in a high-rise building, living on the 6th floor, so you'd think it would be a no-brainer for me to come up with an elevator pitch for my book. I've spent countless hours riding up and down - not to mention stuck between floors - hearing bits and...
Lead With Love
We’re approaching that scary time of the season, and I don’t mean Halloween. I’m talking about Election Day. I don’t think anything happening on October 31st can be quite as scary as what America is facing on the day after November 8th. There is a growing sense of...
Five Reasons Why Beta Readers Can Help an Author Fine-tune Their Novel Before Publishing
Ever think of using beta readers for that new book that you’re about to self-publish? Beta testing is a “best-practice” approach in healthcare to confirm that IT technology is “clean” ahead of widespread adoption. So why should you think about beta readers? You’ve...
Five Thoughts on Launching Fiction
Patience is a Virtue You’ve just published your book on Amazon and you’re getting nervous. You’ve read all the tips from the self-help gurus. You need to be out there connecting with your audience. Promoting, selling, and marketing. You’ve sent off an announcement to...