Can I Get in Trouble for Running a Social Media Sweepstakes or Contest?

Running a sweepstakes or contest on social media can be a great way to promote your book or your brand: it’s fun when people can actively participate in your marketing, and everybody likes a chance to win free stuff! But before you begin, it’s important to be aware that sweepstakes and contests entail a unique and somewhat stringent set of legal requirements and restrictions. Anyone who plans to run either type of promotion should make sure that it complies with federal and state regulations, as well as the terms and conditions of the social media platforms on which it will appear.

If you’ve never used social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram before and are logging on for the first time, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content available at your fingertips. You may ask yourself, how does anyone find the ideas and subjects they’re actually interested in seeing?

Book endorsements, also known as blurbs in the publishing industry, are 1–3 sentence snippets from recognized or respected third parties that sing the praises of a book. Endorsements can help bookstore buyers and readers differentiate your book from similar titles and decide if they want to bring the book into their store or take it home.

Once you’ve created a book trailer that expertly showcases your ideas and conveys to readers why they need to read your book, it’s time to make sure it gets the attention it deserves.

You wrote a book. You poured blood, sweat, and tears into those pages, and now you’re ready to share it with the world. What was once an idea is now a full-blown display of your expertise. Publishing a book is an incredible milestone that deserves a serious celebration. Book launch parties celebrate your big accomplishment while also amplifying your marketing strategy. Read on for best practices for a successful book launch party.

As the dramatic leader in online book sales, success on Amazon means success for your book. Optimizing your book’s retail page, taking advantage of the marketing, promotional, and content opportunities that Amazon offers, and generating social proof through reviews is imperative to Amazon’s algorithmic driven marketplace and connecting with book buyers.

The graphic above is a brief overview of the Amazon ecosystem and the ways that you can maximize success.

Even among the many misunderstood aspects of publishing, the foreword—with its easily confused spelling and nuanced role—holds a special place. For publishing industry insiders, however, it’s clear that forewords can be a powerful tool for authors looking to boost their discoverability and emphasize their expertise.

You have a book publishing soon, but the market is saturated with breaking news, world events, and competitive book publicity. It is not uncommon during this time to feel overwhelmed about creating buzz for your book that will reach your target audience, raise your expert profile, and generate book sales. Thankfully, whether you are launching a book, e-book product, service, or project there are strategic solutions to position your launch in the marketplace.