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Question about the writer´s blog (Kindle)

by Sandra Martinez
63 replies
Hi,
so... Paul says again and again branding is important and authors should have a blog. And he is not the only one. So far so good...

I am building a fast assembled blog to release a book. My question is: how full should it be so it doesn´t feel puny?

What should I write about, besides advertising?

I am adding some information about the background world, and connecting to part of the satellite sites I will use for promotion.

The site is just four pages. Is it enough to start?

Thanks for any help,
Sandra
#blog #kindle #question #writer´s
  • Profile picture of the author EmilyAbbott
    Banned
    It is important, I think, to find the right starting point. You will get feed back so you will know what to write and what not to write about.
    Just be creative.
    :-)
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Hi Sandra,

      I read this a few days ago: Make A Killing On Kindle (Without Blogging,...Make A Killing On Kindle (Without Blogging,...

      It was a real eye-opener to me. One of those "Everything you think you already know might just be wrong" books. But very well argued and well explained, by someone who clearly knows the subject inside out. I found it hugely interesting.

      His explanations for many things fly very much in the face of "conventional wisdom". It costs only $5 and is a "provocative/stimulating read", if nothing else. (I suspect it's actually a lot more than that, too).

      Recommended (by me, though some "Kindle teachers" may hate it!).

      I mention it in this context because he has a lot to say about "writers' blogs"!

      Originally Posted by Sandra Martinez View Post

      The site is just four pages. Is it enough to start?
      I suspect this author might tell you that that's actually four pages more than you need.

      Bear in mind that I haven't yet submitted a book to Kindle at all and have no direct experience ...
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      • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        Hi Sandra,

        I read this a few days ago: Make A Killing On Kindle (Without Blogging, Facebook Or Twitter). The Guerilla Marketer's Guide To Selling Ebooks On Amazon: Michael Alvear: Amazon.com: Kindle Store


        It was a real eye-opener to me. One of those "Everything you think you already know might just be wrong" books. But very well argued and well explained, by someone who clearly knows the subject inside out. I found it hugely interesting.

        His explanations for many things fly very much in the face of "conventional wisdom". It costs only $5 and is a "provocative/stimulating read", if nothing else. (I suspect it's actually a lot more than that, too).

        Recommended (by me, though some "Kindle teachers" may hate it!).

        I mention it in this context because he has a lot to say about "writers' blogs"!
        Thanks Alexa! I will get it right away and have a look.

        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        I suspect this author might tell you that that's actually four pages more than you need.

        Bear in mind that I haven't yet submitted a book to Kindle at all and have no direct experience ...
        Ahh, but I do feel I need the blog. With the other book I did not really need it, I had the community. After reading, people registered and added very interesting conversations.

        But with this one, I have no hub already done. And I do need a hub. A place to gather the info of all the other places where I play. A place for feedback, for conversation.

        I will probably add a forum after kunena catches up and releases a version for j3.0.x

        It is a matter of why we do what we do. I write to learn and grow, if does makes sense. I learn while writing, and learn from others feedback to the writing; it is all part of the whole life experience (sorry, wrong forum, maybe ).
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      • Profile picture of the author cashcow
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        Thanks Alexa - I'm going to pick that one up myself!

        I think your author blog should have your books listed on it front and center. That's it. That way the people click from the book they have just read and are presented with the links to buy your other related books.

        I've been making quite a few sales of my books since I change my blog to have the static page instead of blog posts.


        I guess, you could have articles and stuff too if you want. The articles might bring customers to your blog and the might find your books that way. But then if you are going to do that, you have to promote the blog to get traffic to the articles.

        These are all things that take time away from writing more books.

        So, the question is, really, would your time be better spent building up a blog or writing more books?

        I say you definitely should have that homepage with your books listed... anything else I'm not so sure is worth the time.
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        • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
          Originally Posted by cashcow View Post


          These are all things that take time away from writing more books.

          So, the question is, really, would your time be better spent building up a blog or writing more books?

          I say you definitely should have that homepage with your books listed... anything else I'm not so sure is worth the time.
          Yeah, time is the big issue here.

          Ok... no more procrastination. I will upload and see how it goes.



          If I feel I need to do more (for example because not even my dad buys it), I will probably blog and add other round of conversations.
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      • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        Hi Sandra,

        I read this a few days ago: Make A Killing On Kindle (Without Blogging, Facebook Or Twitter). The Guerilla Marketer's Guide To Selling Ebooks On Amazon: Michael Alvear: Amazon.com: Kindle Store


        It was a real eye-opener to me. One of those "Everything you think you already know might just be wrong" books. But very well argued and well explained, by someone who clearly knows the subject inside out. I found it hugely interesting.

        His explanations for many things fly very much in the face of "conventional wisdom". It costs only $5 and is a "provocative/stimulating read", if nothing else. (I suspect it's actually a lot more than that, too).

        Recommended (by me, though some "Kindle teachers" may hate it!).

        I mention it in this context because he has a lot to say about "writers' blogs"!



        I suspect this author might tell you that that's actually four pages more than you need.

        Bear in mind that I haven't yet submitted a book to Kindle at all and have no direct experience ...
        Is this review about his book accurate?

        "or worse, tells you that maybe you should open several fake accounts on amazon and write your reviews yourself."

        If he is recommending stuff like that, I'd run the other way.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Paul Gram View Post

          Is this review about his book accurate?

          "or worse, tells you that maybe you should open several fake accounts on amazon and write your reviews yourself."
          I don't think so - I certainly didn't notice that, anyway (and would have been horrified, needless to say)! :p
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          • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
            Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

            I don't think so - I certainly didn't notice that, anyway (and would have been horrified, needless to say)! :p
            It's in a couple of the reviews for his book. I don't have the book so can't verify but I did find 2 different people saying that in their reviews.
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            • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
              Banned
              Originally Posted by Paul Gram View Post

              It's in a couple of the reviews for his book. I don't have the book so can't verify but I did find 2 different people saying that in their reviews.
              Hmmm ... either I missed it (certainly didn't see anything like that, but I read the second half more quickly than the first half which seemed to me to contain most of the "meat"), or they're reviews written by competitors, or something? Alarming, I agree! And perhaps unlikely that two people would confabulate the same claim?
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by Paul Gram View Post

          Is this review about his book accurate?

          "or worse, tells you that maybe you should open several fake accounts on amazon and write your reviews yourself."

          If he is recommending stuff like that, I'd run the other way.
          I have the book, and just went back to check. This is one of those things that's almost right. But, paraphrasing Mark Twain, the difference between accurate and almost accurate is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

          He compares getting some starter reviews to salting a tip jar - no one wants to go first. The closest he comes to advocating fake accounts is saying that he leaves it up to the individual to decide that issue.

          He goes on to give the following criteria for these starter reviews:

          1. The reviewer must purchase the book.
          2. Make sure the critiques read like a real review. "Judge on merit, be helpful, shed light."

          I'm not quite ready to abandon the idea of building a hub for publishing activities, but Alvear does offer some evidence for his point of view.
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      • Profile picture of the author sal64
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        Hi Sandra,

        I read this a few days ago: Make A Killing On Kindle (Without Blogging, Facebook Or Twitter). The Guerilla Marketer's Guide To Selling Ebooks On Amazon: Michael Alvear: Amazon.com: Kindle Store


        It was a real eye-opener to me. One of those "Everything you think you already know might just be wrong" books. But very well argued and well explained, by someone who clearly knows the subject inside out. I found it hugely interesting.

        His explanations for many things fly very much in the face of "conventional wisdom". It costs only $5 and is a "provocative/stimulating read", if nothing else. (I suspect it's actually a lot more than that, too).

        Recommended (by me, though some "Kindle teachers" may hate it!).

        I mention it in this context because he has a lot to say about "writers' blogs"!



        I suspect this author might tell you that that's actually four pages more than you need.

        Bear in mind that I haven't yet submitted a book to Kindle at all and have no direct experience ...

        You gotta love Kindle... it's the new black.

        I read one about a guy (details on my laptop) who sold over 1m books. He simply uses his blog as a means to build his list and then pre sell any new releases.

        So I guess that there are many ways to do this and like anything else, you have to find what suits and works for you.

        I personally wouldn't spend a huge time trying to build a massive blog on this case.

        Cheers,

        Sal
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by EmilyAbbott View Post

      It is important, I think, to find the right starting point. You will get feed back so you will know what to write and what not to write about.
      Just be creative.
      :-)
      Thanks Emily.

      In the starting point is where I am spinning my wheels, because I am linking to the blog from inside the book.
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
    Sandra,
    What I recommend in terms of an author blog is starting out with a hub that tells readers and potential readers who you are. Make sure you have a good "About Me" page, links to any social media that you have, and more information about your books and topic that you are writing about.

    It doesn't have to be huge, especially to start, and you can build it up over time.

    Also, make sure to have a prominent optin box front and center.

    Before publishing anything on the Kindle a few years ago, I studied some of the top authors (non famous ones) and still do to this day. Having a good author blog and building your brand will definitely make you more money and help set you apart from all of the authors that don't.

    One of the examples I like to give is Amanda Hocking. She is the real deal...wasn't famous, didn't buy fake reviews, none of that "crap", and she's made multiple millions of dollars on the Kindle.

    Before she made her first million, she setup her author blog and consistently blogged 2-3 times per week without fail. It really helped her build a strong following.

    You are going to do great! Let me know if you have questions
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by Paul Gram View Post

      Sandra,
      What I recommend in terms of an author blog is starting out with a hub that tells readers and potential readers who you are. Make sure you have a good "About Me" page, links to any social media that you have, and more information about your books and topic that you are writing about.

      It doesn't have to be huge, especially to start, and you can build it up over time.

      Also, make sure to have a prominent optin box front and center.
      Ok, so the only thing missing is the opt in page. On it.

      I tried to build a couple of loops, one centering on the world, the other on the book per se. Not complete until uploading.

      If you have time, would you tell me if it looks ok-ish?

      Blog

      Sandra
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    Bottom line here: It's really about the book. It has to be good to sell in the first place. The rest is secondary.

    Speaking from experience here.

    Sal
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    • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
      Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

      Bottom line here: It's really about the book. It has to be good to sell in the first place. The rest is secondary.

      Speaking from experience here.

      Sal
      While I agree that a book needs to be good to sell, there are MANY excellent, well written books that don't sell because there are tens of thousands of people publishing on the Kindle.

      Marketing your book properly and building an author brand (in addition to writing a great book) needs to happen to give someone the best chance of success so I wouldn't consider them secondary at all
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      • Profile picture of the author sal64
        Originally Posted by Paul Gram View Post

        While I agree that a book needs to be good to sell, there are MANY excellent, well written books that don't sell because there are tens of thousands of people publishing on the Kindle.

        Marketing your book properly and building an author brand (in addition to writing a great book) needs to happen to give someone the best chance of success so I wouldn't consider them secondary at all
        Yes it's all part and parcel of the journey. Not disputing that at all.

        There are a ton of books on kindle but only a few sell well. Why? Because most of the books are ordinary same old stuff.

        So as someone who ran a bestseller mentoring program as well as a REAL author who hit bestseller in Australia a few years back, the marketing begins with the book itself... title, content etc.

        What change will the book make in the reader's life? Why should I buy your book ahead of the other 100,000 similar books on Amazon?

        Problem with most authors is they are clueless about marketing, so they they come up with lame, vanilla titles which gets no ones attention except their own.

        Author brand as you call it comes from being a renown author.

        Now there are 2 ways you can go about this...

        Firstly, build the blog... fill it for a year and hope that people actually visit it and read what you have to say... then hopefully maybe they will buy your book.

        Or you write a killer book with a killer book title that grabs attention and actually sells.

        I prefer the latter.

        Sal
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        • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
          Originally Posted by sal64 View Post


          Now there are 2 ways you can go about this...

          Firstly, build the blog... fill it for a year and hope that people actually visit it and read what you have to say... then hopefully maybe they will buy your book.

          Or you write a killer book with a killer book title that grabs attention and actually sells.

          I prefer the latter.

          Sal
          You make it looks like if it is an "or" exclusive...

          I don´t see it that way, at least not for this book. Why not do both? or more? why choose?

          This book has many reading layers, so I can work the blog and even a forum to explore those layers.

          For example, I mention cords. That is a concept people can grasp easy into context, but you can go deeper.

          Or the process of soap making.

          Or facts about ancient China. Some are mismatched for the period, but they were so amazing - like a special way to paint lips in the shape of a flower.

          So, it is not about building a blog to make advertising. It is about having a hub to encourage conversations about history, spirituality, and the building of that other world.
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        • Profile picture of the author John Galt
          What an excellent thread! Thanks for being so generous with your ideas, guys. I'm inching towards publishing a book myself, so it's always cool to get insights whenever I can.

          Originally Posted by Sandra Martinez View Post

          Ahh, but I do feel I need the blog. With the other book I did not really need it, I had the community. After reading, people registered and added very interesting conversations.

          But with this one, I have no hub already done. And I do need a hub. A place to gather the info of all the other places where I play. A place for feedback, for conversation.

          It is a matter of why we do what we do. I write to learn and grow, if does makes sense. I learn while writing, and learn from others feedback to the writing; it is all part of the whole life experience (sorry, wrong forum, maybe ).
          Just to understand Sandra, is the purpose of your blog solely to build up a community? Or is it pulling double duty as a way to drive traffic as well as to cross sell your other titles?

          This thread has made me think more critically about creating an audience for my own titles. I wonder if a blog is the best way of going about this. I guess it depends on the purpose of the blog.

          Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

          There are a ton of books on kindle but only a few sell well. Why? Because most of the books are ordinary same old stuff.

          So as someone who ran a bestseller mentoring program as well as a REAL author who hit bestseller in Australia a few years back, the marketing begins with the book itself... title, content etc.

          What change will the book make in the reader's life? Why should I buy your book ahead of the other 100,000 similar books on Amazon?

          Problem with most authors is they are clueless about marketing, so they they come up with lame, vanilla titles which gets no ones attention except their own.

          Author brand as you call it comes from being a renown author.

          Sal
          Helluva comment Sal. It made me think of Joshua Foer, the author of "Moonwalking with Einstein".

          Foer made is way onto my radar only recently. What struck me about his work is that he picks extremely interesting topics. They are always "newsworthy."

          In reality, he doesn't even have to be a good writer. I mean, his writing IS excellent, but it's topic selection that earns his audience.
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          • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
            Originally Posted by John Galt View Post

            This thread has made me think more critically about creating an audience for my own titles. I wonder if a blog is the best way of going about this. I guess it depends on the purpose of the blog.
            Not only a blog, but an email list and social media helps as well.
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          • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
            Originally Posted by John Galt View Post


            Just to understand Sandra, is the purpose of your blog solely to build up a community? Or is it pulling double duty as a way to drive traffic as well as to cross sell your other titles?

            This thread has made me think more critically about creating an audience for my own titles. I wonder if a blog is the best way of going about this. I guess it depends on the purpose of the blog.
            Said it short and blunt, the purpose of the blog is to show off.

            It is a matter of branding.

            Did you see when they release a movie? just before or around hitting the cinema, they release another movie called "the making of...". Well, I see the blog as that. A place to know lil details of the making a book, to know more the author as a person.

            This book in particular lets me play a lot with details. I talk about edible weeds, essential oils, different type of weapons from ancient China, things like ger construction, soap making from scratch...

            Things related with my wohoo side, like windows of intent for manifestation, cords...

            I also get into creation myths of Babylon (and Greece, and Rome, they are the same...). Did twist them, but they are there...

            Will stop now, because don´t want this to become a self promotion thread (have a hard time to keep my mouth shut when I get excited, sorry ).

            Thing is, there are a lot of elements that can open conversations. This is why I was thinking on attaching a forum to the blog. Will have to wait for kunena to catch up, I installed joomla 3.0 and they are still not there.
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          • Profile picture of the author sal64
            Originally Posted by John Galt View Post

            What an excellent thread! Thanks for being so generous with your ideas, guys. I'm inching towards publishing a book myself, so it's always cool to get insights whenever I can.



            Just to understand Sandra, is the purpose of your blog solely to build up a community? Or is it pulling double duty as a way to drive traffic as well as to cross sell your other titles?

            This thread has made me think more critically about creating an audience for my own titles. I wonder if a blog is the best way of going about this. I guess it depends on the purpose of the blog.



            Helluva comment Sal. It made me think of Joshua Foer, the author of "Moonwalking with Einstein".

            Foer made is way onto my radar only recently. What struck me about his work is that he picks extremely interesting topics. They are always "newsworthy."

            In reality, he doesn't even have to be a good writer. I mean, his writing IS excellent, but it's topic selection that earns his audience.

            Aaah... you get it. Well done!

            Best of success to you.

            Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author Karry
    Joe Konrath publishes an interesting blog. He's been a fiction writer for years and now self-publishes on Kindle. He writes about what he has to do to make money selling his ebooks. His experience does fly against "conventional wisdom."
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    Don't get me wrong... it's a personal choice.

    Where I am coming from is where do you spend most of your time and is it the most productive use?

    So if you believe the answer is yes, then carry on. You know your audience and subject better than I ever will.

    For my clarification, where is the traffic coming from?

    Are you hoping to send book buyers to it, seo or both?

    That's all I was getting at.

    I have a simple rule: If you are going to spend X hours every day, make it pay off in the quickest way.

    That said, I also am a fan of extracting blog content from the actual book. Leverage the content. Re write and make it more opiniated but don't give away the whole farm so to speak.

    Best of success.

    Sal

    UPDATE: I have also read the book that Alexa refers to. In my opinion, I see someone who is promising that you can make a ton on kindle without the hard work. In other words I rate the book as nothing more than a kindle version of an average wso.

    Now getting back on topic... kindle books just like any IM product requires targeted traffic.

    If you have different topics, have you considered seperate short books and point them back to your blog? Also I would look at (am doing) setting up a facebook club based on your interest group. name it your name's candle club or whatever. this takes very little time and will build your audience quickly. of course, you don't duplicate content... you merely update FB everytime you post on your blog and drive traffic that way.

    Sorry if I am getting ahead of myself, just trying to help.

    Here is my #1 fave blog because I restore and build furniture as a hobby: http://ana-white.com see how she does it.

    Reagrds,

    Sal
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

      UPDATE: I have also read the book that Alexa refers to. In my opinion, I see someone who is promising that you can make a ton on kindle without the hard work. In other words I rate the book as nothing more than a kindle version of an average wso.

      Regards,

      Sal
      Sal, I took a different view than yours. In my mind, I drew parallels to search engine optimization, in that one can split the process into 'onpage SEO' and 'offpage SEO'. Alvear concentrates on the Kindle equivalent of onpage SEO - the things you can do within the Kindle marketplace.

      As I said, I'm not convinced that you can ignore the outside world like that. But I didn't see anything about making a ton without work - he just had a different focus for that work.
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        I'm not convinced that you can ignore the outside world like that. But I didn't see anything about making a ton without work - he just had a different focus for that work.
        This was my reading of it, certainly.

        That said, he does have some pretty interesting information about the fact that the "off-page" approach may actually be widely credited with considerably more success than it really deserves. Even a confirmed skepchick like myself managed to find him persuasive, logical and convincing on this subject, which was why I mentioned his book in this context.
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      • Profile picture of the author sal64
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        Sal, I took a different view than yours. In my mind, I drew parallels to search engine optimization, in that one can split the process into 'onpage SEO' and 'offpage SEO'. Alvear concentrates on the Kindle equivalent of onpage SEO - the things you can do within the Kindle marketplace.

        As I said, I'm not convinced that you can ignore the outside world like that. But I didn't see anything about making a ton without work - he just had a different focus for that work.
        I think his title sums it up for me. I am referring to his angle and how he differentiates himself from the pack. There are some good details in there for sure. But I think it is wrong to dismiss other important aspects of promoting your book.

        I'll get the title of the other book and post it.

        Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    Ok...

    How I Sold 1 Milllion eBooks In 5 Months

    By: John Locke.

    Obviously, I like this guy's business model and I honestly think his bona fides are real because he talks about what he has done. In other words, you get to know where he pulls his numbers from.

    As I mentioned above, creating a series of books rather than relying on 1 book which may or may not sell is a more prudent way to go. Purely because they allow you to cross promote to your audience.

    Once again it comes down to the individual's main goal...is it a labor of love or are you looking to make a decent income from your efforts. I am obviously of the latter... and that's not to say that there is anything wrong with the former. Not everyone is motivated by the money.

    I have been blessed to work / be mentored by a twice NY Times best seller for just over 5 years. It was all about actually becoming a printed author because of the credibility it gets you. It's the reverse of what we are discussing here. If that makes sense.

    I too found that when people see you as an author, they listen to what you have to say. Hence my view that you create the books (80%) and build a blog (20%) of your time.

    Then when you have the captured audience you can introduce the community aspect. I would also have a FB club and separate blog for each book.

    This is where I am heading in 2013.

    Best of success,

    Sal
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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      Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

      Ok...

      How I Sold 1 Milllion eBooks In 5 Months

      By: John Locke.
      Ah yes - this was also very interesting! I originally read about him on Joe Konrath's blog, where he did a guest post (the 200+ comments and replies are interesting, too), this is possibly a bit out of date now, though ... A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Guest Post by John Locke
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

      Ok...

      How I Sold 1 Milllion eBooks In 5 Months

      By: John Locke.

      Obviously, I like this guy's business model and I honestly think his bona fides are real because he talks about what he has done. In other words, you get to know where he pulls his numbers from.

      Regards,

      Sal
      Sal, the book I was talking about is Make A Killing On Kindle (Without Blogging, Facebook Or Twitter). The Guerilla Marketer's Guide To Selling Ebooks On Amazon: Michael Alvear: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

      Yes, he differentiates himself by claiming that you don't need to do a lot of the things taken as gospel. And I've said a couple of times that I don't necessarily buy that premise in toto.

      But I still haven't found anything about getting rich without working at it, as you first mentioned.

      I have Locke's book as well. Since he was outed for buying phony reviews I've sent the jury back out on his methods as well.

      Time will tell which combination of both works best for me.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dailybread
    Hi Sandra,

    I like your blog. It is simple and attractive with an opt-in box. Well done!

    Like some others, I enjoyed Michael Alvear's book and it set my mind thinking that there are many ways to skin the Kindle cat. Having a blog like yours is in no way a bad thing at all. It gives your interested readers somewhere to go to find out about you and your other books. It helps you to build a list.

    One of the major things I got from Michael Alvear's book is that there is only a finite amount of time to work on your projects - and that includes writing books. Where is our time best spent at this stage of your business?

    Keep trucking! I have the feeling you are going to be writing inspirational stuff on WF sharing your success, in the next little while.

    Martin
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by Dailybread View Post

      Hi Sandra,

      I like your blog. It is simple and attractive with an opt-in box. Well done!

      Like some others, I enjoyed Michael Alvear's book and it set my mind thinking that there are many ways to skin the Kindle cat. Having a blog like yours is in no way a bad thing at all. It gives your interested readers somewhere to go to find out about you and your other books. It helps you to build a list.

      One of the major things I got from Michael Alvear's book is that there is only a finite amount of time to work on your projects - and that includes writing books. Where is our time best spent at this stage of your business?

      Keep trucking! I have the feeling you are going to be writing inspirational stuff on WF sharing your success, in the next little while.

      Martin
      Hey Mr.

      thanks for the kudos!!

      I have been looking around, and some authors even have communities. That would be so much fun!!

      this article is interesting:

      Book Communities: a Powerful Tool for Author Discovery and Promotion | Ning's Official Blog on Social Networking Sites

      (of course it is biased...)

      question: did you try press releases when you published your novel?

      I´m feeling like giving a try. But others stats are always welcome.
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
    This has turned into a great thread with lots of people sharing good opinions and information, way to go Sandra!

    If anyone wants to see Amanda Hocking's blog, here is a link:

    Amanda Hocking's Blog
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      This has turned into a great thread with lots of people sharing good opinions and information, way to go Sandra!
      I´m very thankful to everyone. Great people around here.

      If anyone wants to see Amanda Hocking's blog, here is a link:

      Amanda Hocking's Blog
      She also has a site, found it very inspiring: World of Amanda Hocking

      She has the books, video trailers, characters, and behind the scenes.

      I did a characters´ review at the end of the book, but wanted to go deeper in the concept.
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    • Profile picture of the author sal64
      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

      Sal, the book I was talking about is Make A Killing On Kindle (Without Blogging, Facebook Or Twitter). The Guerilla Marketer's Guide To Selling Ebooks On Amazon: Michael Alvear: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

      Yes, he differentiates himself by claiming that you don't need to do a lot of the things taken as gospel. And I've said a couple of times that I don't necessarily buy that premise in toto.

      But I still haven't found anything about getting rich without working at it, as you first mentioned.

      I have Locke's book as well. Since he was outed for buying phony reviews I've sent the jury back out on his methods as well.

      Time will tell which combination of both works best for me.
      Wow I wasn't aware about locke being outed/ Very sad and dissapointing. Cant trust anyone these days.

      Regardless, I still subscribe to his method of blogging as I know it works as part of an overall strategy.

      The way I see it is that we ignore social media at our peril and we abuse social media at our peril.

      As mentioned, it begins with a great book with a great hook. All the principles we know still apply to both paper and ebooks. KW research, using the KW in the title etc.

      My simply approach will be to set up a FB club on the topic as well as a blog.

      Originally Posted by Paul Gram View Post

      This has turned into a great thread with lots of people sharing good opinions and information, way to go Sandra!

      If anyone wants to see Amanda Hocking's blog, here is a link:

      Amanda Hocking's Blog
      Yes, I agree that this thread has become awesome. Further to that, if any of the main contributors want to link up in a private group to share ideas etc, I'm in. I have a lot to bring to the table and am always happy to help others succeed.

      Best of success,

      Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author cashcow
    Just ask yourself this, how many times have you bought a book from a writers blog?

    Here's an article from Joe Konrath (sold a million books) about his views on social media and selling books (he doesn't talk too much about blogging but his basic premise is that the best way to sell more books is to spend your time writing books and getting them out to as many platforms as possible)

    A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: How To Sell Ebooks

    P.S. Konrath is a fiction writer so his views are about selling fiction books, I do think that selling non-fiction is a whole different ball game and probably benefits more from blogging, article syndication and all that other stuff.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by cashcow View Post

      Just ask yourself this, how many times have you bought a book from a writers blog?

      Here's an article from Joe Konrath (sold a million books) about his views on social media and selling books (he doesn't talk too much about blogging but his basic premise is that the best way to sell more books is to spend your time writing books and getting them out to as many platforms as possible)

      A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: How To Sell Ebooks

      P.S. Konrath is a fiction writer so his views are about selling fiction books, I do think that selling non-fiction is a whole different ball game and probably benefits more from blogging, article syndication and all that other stuff.
      Thanks Lee!

      Have been reading his blog yesterday. What I noticed is that he has gone a long way, and he did many things he doesn´t need to do anymore (there is a post with resolutions that is very fun).

      I would probably be very very happy just writing in my cave and not doing any promotions. I really feel it is needed at this stage.

      Later on, hopefully, I will be able to spend my time writing and taking care of my garden while bugging my kids for breaking the plants... that will be great.
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  • Profile picture of the author Matthew D
    Hi, Sandra, good luck for the pre-launch. I hope you can cope up with your deadline for the launching date.
    I only want to tell you that blogging is not the only way to build brand. Rather than pushing your luck with half-baked blog, how about you write a quality article and doing "guestblogwriting."
    But if you need a blog just to share and communicate with a community, you can just use popular forum instead. It will give you more boost of reputation, also your conversation and your post will be viewed with many people on that whole forum. You don't need additional cost to promote your four page blog.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by Matthew D View Post

      Hi, Sandra, good luck for the pre-launch. I hope you can cope up with your deadline for the launching date.
      I only want to tell you that blogging is not the only way to build brand. Rather than pushing your luck with half-baked blog, how about you write a quality article and doing "guestblogwriting."
      But if you need a blog just to share and communicate with a community, you can just use popular forum instead. It will give you more boost of reputation, also your conversation and your post will be viewed with many people on that whole forum. You don't need additional cost to promote your four page blog.
      Hi Matthew,

      thanks for the ideas. Can you recommend me forums and places to do guest blog posts? (it can be via PM is you don´t feel comfortable sharing publicly).

      I am kind of happy with the result of the blog, need a lil bit of tweaking in the blending of the form, but the rest looks good enough (for me of course...).

      The book is out, I published yesterday and woke up this morning to see it live. I´m happy as a puppy!!

      Here: The Pearl (Elearah Chronicles, Book 1): Sandra...The Pearl (Elearah Chronicles, Book 1): Sandra...

      The cover is wrong, that will probably be fixed for tonight (uploaded the new one very early this morning).

      I wanted to do the blog because it allows me to publish in many places at once, those are places that accept feeds. Like twitter, good reads, some communities, the amazon author page. So you make changes in one place and get syndicated.

      The fan page of facebook is in the todo list. For some reason I don´t feel like going there. I don´t use facebook much.
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
    Hey Sandra!
    Just checked your blog and it's looking good. Here's something you might want to try though...it's worked reallllyyyyyyy well for me.

    For the optin on your blog, create a little box and give a couple of bullet points of what people get for opting in.

    Here's the thing...I'm a testing freak so I even change and test my optin bullets so I can see what people respond to better than others. So far, there are 3 things that have outdone everything else. These are not word for word, if you use them you should put into your own words of course:

    1. Get FREE book updates
    2. Alternate Endings
    3. New release notifications & access to my new books before anyone else
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by Paul Gram View Post


      1. Get FREE book updates
      2. Alternate Endings
      3. New release notifications & access to my new books before anyone else
      Awesome!! thanks!!! I will use the last one, goes better with the theme I am going for.
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  • Profile picture of the author bobsilber
    Hey Sandra,

    Are you a member of the Warrior Book Club? Bryan Kumar's training about all things Kindle is well worth the price of admission by itself.
    .
    .
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by bobsilber View Post

      Hey Sandra,

      Are you a member of the Warrior Book Club? Bryan Kumar's training about all things Kindle is well worth the price of admission by itself.
      .
      .
      Hi Bob,
      I´m not member yet, but will join soon. I have a couple of docs I built as step by step of other book I released - they cover the making and the initial marketing. I want to make a product with that before joining any community; would not feel comfortable doing it if they happen to say the same thing inside.

      Sandra
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      • Profile picture of the author sal64
        Originally Posted by Sandra Martinez View Post

        Hi Bob,
        I´m not member yet, but will join soon. I have a couple of docs I built as step by step of other book I released - they cover the making and the initial marketing. I want to make a product with that before joining any community; would not feel comfortable doing it if they happen to say the same thing inside.

        Sandra
        Before you join anything, make sure that the teachers have success record... not just theory.

        In the War Room, you can search for Paul Coleman or ic7 he has some great kindle stuff and is one of my mentors. He also runs bookpumper.com which would be worthwhile for you to visit.

        Best,

        sal
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        • Profile picture of the author Tom Gates
          Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

          Before you join anything, make sure that the teachers have success record... not just theory.
          no offense but bryan kumars success record is better than most people on this forum. or in im niche. people that's been on this forum long enough knows that. new people dont know because he doesnt go around tooting horn or calling himself guru. and he's been around longer than most gurus too.
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          • Profile picture of the author sal64
            Originally Posted by Tom Gates View Post

            no offense but bryan kumars success record is better than most people on this forum. or in im niche. people that's been on this forum long enough knows that. new people dont know because he doesnt go around tooting horn or calling himself guru. and he's been around longer than most gurus too.
            Offense for what? My comment obviously pushed a button.

            It was a general comment mate. I know exactly who Bryan is. Perhaps you can list all the best sellers he's written of Kindle??

            Sal
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            • Profile picture of the author Tom Gates
              Originally Posted by sal64 View Post

              Offense for what? My comment obviously pushed a button.
              i know, right?? wonder why that happens with your posts. you surely never intend for it to.

              I know exactly who Bryan is. Perhaps you can list all the best sellers he's written of Kindle??
              ooooh and another button pusher. i'm sure you didn't intend for this one either. lol
              yes its clear you know who he is. why else would you ask a question like that, right?

              I want to make a product with that before joining any community; would not feel comfortable doing it if they happen to say the same thing inside.
              that's a very cool strategy, sandra. you clearly have integrity. unlike so many marketers and wso sellers around these days.
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              • Profile picture of the author sal64
                Originally Posted by Tom Gates View Post

                i know, right?? wonder why that happens with your posts. you surely never intend for it to.


                ooooh and another button pusher. i'm sure you didn't intend for this one either. lol
                yes its clear you know who he is. why else would you ask a question like that, right?
                .
                If my comments push buttons, I don't really care. I call it as I see it. My comments are always deliberate and I make no apologies for that whatsoever.

                Probably explains why I have 1,356 thanks. People must love me pushing their buttons LOL.

                Anyone who spends money on training from anyone (myself included) should always do their due diligence. I don't blindly follow anyone these days. No matter who they are...

                I thought that was common sense. :rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    congrats on the release!!!

    well done Sandra.

    Best of success,

    Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author MP80
    Originally Posted by Sandra Martinez View Post

    What should I write about, besides advertising?
    Hi Sandra,

    This authorauthor has an interesting approach (well, I think so anyway. ) She blogged her book one day at a time, online, and built up a following while doing so. Then, when it was finished, she uploaded and sold it as a Kindle ebook.

    I'm actually thinking of doing the reverse though.. Finish my book, promote it on KDP, etc, first, then reverse-blog it, lol. This way, potential new customers via my blog will be immediately able to purchase.

    Of course, there are other benefits doing it the way the author suggests.. for instance, getting feedback before you publish, etc.

    Anyway, in case you have any questions about this approach (as I did), here are a few hand-picked blog posts:

    Table of Contents - How to Blog a Book

    5 Reasons Why Your Blog Readers Will Buy Your Blogged Book - How to Blog a Book

    What Material Will You Leave Out of Your Blogged Book? - How to Blog a Book

    Can You Publish Blogged Material As a Kindle Ebook?
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    Good post.

    It is a seldom used tactic.

    The key to blogging the book and getting feedback is that you are taking a market-first approach before publishing.

    It's not hard -as mentioned in an above post - to condense aspects of your book into blog posts anyway... but do it based on keywords.

    Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author seobro
    Hi Sandra:
    I write on my blog about stuff that is going on in amazon. Also, about new kindles that are coming soon. For example, I just found out that Radio Shack is promoting NOOK now. They still have kindle, but it is not as prominent in their display and they were out of the HD model, but there we go.

    Most people who read you book also might want snippets of your book to get an idea of what it is on. Please remember not to get the ending away.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by seobro View Post

      Hi Sandra:
      I write on my blog about stuff that is going on in amazon. Also, about new kindles that are coming soon. For example, I just found out that Radio Shack is promoting NOOK now. They still have kindle, but it is not as prominent in their display and they were out of the HD model, but there we go.

      Most people who read you book also might want snippets of your book to get an idea of what it is on. Please remember not to get the ending away.
      Hehe

      I am giving away the first two chapters in wattpad. Actually people reading them are in for a big surprise when the story picks up.

      Will probably put the table of contents in the blog. It is in the look inside anyway. Not sure it is a good idea.

      Thanks for remind me of Nook; after the 90 days, I will branch them out.
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  • Profile picture of the author Matthew D
    Well, hello there, what an interesting story, I might buy it for my sister in her birthday, so anyway, have you tried theguestblogservice.uk, I am sure if will reach your british fan out there somewhere. you can also try myblogguest for more general blog.
    I am quite sure blog is one way to reach out your soon-to-be client, and you definitely need it, considering good reads community is also a potential place for the networking.
    Have you ever tried fantasy book forum? I quite sure any Harry Potter fans will gladly read your book, Tolkien fans is also a potential reader.
    Happy valentine!
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    • Profile picture of the author Sandra Martinez
      Originally Posted by Matthew D View Post

      Well, hello there, what an interesting story, I might buy it for my sister in her birthday, so anyway, have you tried theguestblogservice.uk, I am sure if will reach your british fan out there somewhere. you can also try myblogguest for more general blog.
      I am quite sure blog is one way to reach out your soon-to-be client, and you definitely need it, considering good reads community is also a potential place for the networking.
      Have you ever tried fantasy book forum? I quite sure any Harry Potter fans will gladly read your book, Tolkien fans is also a potential reader.
      Happy valentine!
      Thanks for the info. Saved!! Will test them.

      I am testing things, once I hit something that works, will report.
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
    Just thought I'd pop in and say that I bought Sandra's book and highly recommend it.

    The Pearl (Elearah Chronicles, Book 1): Sandra...The Pearl (Elearah Chronicles, Book 1): Sandra...
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