Authors have the unique opportunity to create a platform and generate buzz for their book by accessing an engaged and passionate demographic of readers through social channels like Facebook and Twitter. As social media continues to evolve and new platforms are introduced, it can be daunting to figure out which social channels you should adopt to develop your brand. We give an overview of the current social media landscape and recommend the following points be taken into consideration for authors entering the digital social space.

In this video, we'll discuss the difference between platform development, marketing, and publicity. All three are key components for a successful book promotion strategy.

You know that having a newsletter is an important component of your platform and that the list you send your newsletter to is invaluable to you. (If you don’t, check out our article on newsletters here and here.) What may not be so clear is how you can continue to grow that list over time. Below are some strategies to help you do just that.

Provide really valuable content in an engaging way.

Above all other strategies, valuable content creation is king. If you are giving your readers useful, relevant, timely information that they can really use, your newsletter will be valuable and it will be shared with others. Word of mouth and forwards are your greatest ally in trying to achieve a bigger newsletter list.

One critical component to building your author platform is to create and maintain a regular newsletter. Speaking directly to those who are interested in what you have to say on a regular basis with relevant and compelling content will bring you some great marketing and conversion opportunities now and well into the future.

First, we will discuss why you need a newsletter in the first place. Then, we’ll get into the finer details of ways it can work for you and how it can be most effectively distributed.

If your goal is to sell books, attract new business or raise your profile as an expert in your field, then bylined articles are a great way to reach your target audience with a controlled message showcasing your expertise.

First, what is a bylined article? It is an article, written by you, and published in a magazine, newspaper, or online outlet. Full credit is given to you as the author, with a blurb about you, your book, and your business--ideally with a photo, an image of your book cover, and links to your website and book’s Amazon page.