Successful Writers Write
By: Ginger | Posted on September 27, 2019
Despite all the marketing and promotion suggestions that we’ve provided in the past, if we could only offer a single piece of advice that would apply to authors everywhere, it wouldn’t be anything to do with getting reviews, or how to market your book, or even about where the best places are to advertise. It would simply be to keep on moving forward. Keep writing that next book, keep to a publishing schedule, and eventually success will find you. There’s one reliable path to writing success – but it’s a lot of hard work! Whatever you do, just keep writing! When I speak to writers 1-on-1 with advice and tips on their advertising strategy, a lot of them are surprised by what I always feel is the most important factor – to just keep writing. Authors who write and publish on a regular basis are more successful than those who… Read More >
5 Faith-Based Books Our Readers Enjoyed
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on September 24, 2019
We’ve looked at some of the top-ranked faith and spirituality titles that our subscribers have been offered lately, and have compiled a list of a few of the ‘Hidden Gems’ for you to enjoy. Here they are, as recommended by our readers. Healing Justice: Stories of Wisdom and Love by Jarem Sawatsky The word ‘trauma’ is more and more prevalent in our modern world, and it’s become clear that many of us embrace negative patterns of behaviors because of coping and survival mechanisms we developed during traumatic periods of our lives. In this book, the authors look to spirituality – including far eastern, Celtic and Native American religion – to share ways to transform suffering into wellness and help heal the trauma that continues to hurt so many of us in our daily lives. “This is a book for our time, touching on the topics of relationships, conflict, grief and healing;… Read More >
The Writing Craft: Dan Harmon’s Story Circle
By: Ginger | Posted on September 20, 2019
Looking for a new way to bring your stories and characters to life on the page? Dan Harmon’s “Story Circle” adapts and broadens the tried and true “Hero’s Journey” template to extend it for use with virtually any genre or story. Ginger takes us through how it works, and how you can apply it to your own novel planning process. Go from Pantster to Plotter with this invaluable template for crafting your stories. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the value of getting out there and interacting with your fellow writers. It’s gotten to the stage now in which my wife actively boots me out of the house on Thursday nights so I can meet with my writing group, and it’s done wonders for my mental health (and, by having me gone for two hours, hers too.) Last week, though, we had a session that really blew me away… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Dwayne Gill
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on September 17, 2019
It today’s interview, we chat with thriller writer Dwayne Gill, author of the fast-paced Written By Blood series, which weaves a thrilling tale against the backdrop of a grim near-future; and introduces us to some truly original and memorable characters in a race to save the lives of those they love the most. HG: Let’s start at the beginning – who IS Dwayne Gill? How would you describe yourself? DG: I’d say that I’m about as ordinary and normal as a person can be. You certainly wouldn’t pick me out of a crowd and identify me as an author. I love simplicity and routine, and most of all, I love my wife and eleven-month-old son. Any time I’m not writing, there’s a very good possibility you’ll find me inside of my son’s playpen, letting him crawl on me while we watch his favorite movie, Horton Hears a Who…. Read More >
Getting Started With Facebook Ads
By: Ginger | Posted on September 13, 2019
There’s no denying that Facebook advertising gets results, but with so many options a lot of authors are left confused at how to begin or what types of ads they should be spending their money on. Advertising expert Ginger is back this week to help guide you through the options and give you some examples to help make the process easier to understand and get started on. Because after all, if you aren’t advertising your book, you’re unlikely to achieve the level of success you’re probably hoping for. Understanding Facebook advertising can transform the trajectory of your book – but only if you do it right. If the Russians can allegedly skew the results of the US election through the power of Facebook, you should be able to sell more copies of your books on ‘the social network.’ With nearly 2 billion active users, there’s perhaps no quicker or easier… Read More >
10 Feminist Books That Empower and Educate
By: Heather Gonzales | Posted on September 10, 2019
Books continue to retain their power despite the rise in technology and instantaneous information. After all, there’s still something about reading thoughtfully crafted sentences, and reading people’s stories and empathizing with characters across time. Plus, books continue to inform and inspire us to learn more about our world. In a society where people are growing more aware about issues like sustainability, intersectionality, and feminism, books remain the perfect medium for people to exchange ideas. This type of exchange leads to honest discourse and critical thinking, which are no mean feats in today’s world. In fact, researchers from Maryville University note how brands and companies tend to use relevant issues as an opportunity to elevate their brand presence and expand their market share. This is despite not making any tangible efforts to further the cause, especially for hot topics like feminism, which has and is being used as a marketing tool for many… Read More >
The Author’s Guide to Facebook
By: Ginger | Posted on September 6, 2019
One of the most important but misunderstood tools for an author to use is Facebook. Do you set up an account, or a page? What can you do with it once it’s set up? What do you post? If any of these things have kept you from using Facebook to promote your author brand, our resident advertising and marketing expert Ginger has the answers you’ve been looking for to get started. Don’t hold off on using this powerful marketing platform any longer! Facebook is a powerful tool for authors – here’s how to get started with it. Love it or hate it, but Facebook is here to stay – and as an author, it’s one of the most powerful tools you have for connecting easily, accessibly and meaningfully with your readers. In fact, as an author, if you don’t have an active Facebook page, you’re missing a trick – and,… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Scott Bell
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on September 3, 2019
Today’s author interview is with Scott Bell, the brains and talent behind a number of thrilling adventure stories like the Abel Yaeger series. Scott’s background as a fraud examiner set him up perfectly to understand the devious mindset of the adversaries in his fast-paced novels, and his writing has been compared to authors like Lee Child and earned him a spot as a finalist in the 2017 American Book Fest (Science Fiction category). We were thrilled to be able to chat to Scott to learn more about what inspires his writing, and how he goes about putting words to paper. HG: So, for the blog readers who might not be familiar with you – who is Scott Bell? How would you describe yourself? SB: I came late to writing, after putting it on hiatus while my wife and I raised our kids. After they grew up, I really wasn’t thinking… Read More >
