3 Advertising on Amazon Myths Busted for 2022
By: Ginger | Posted on February 25, 2022
Sometimes it’s worth revisiting even the most generally accepted beliefs to make sure that they still hold true. This is especially so with technology, because although we may regularly visit a website or use a service, improvements can be made behind the scenes and pushed out to us without our ever knowing. Advertising on Amazon is one of those things. When it launched, the platform had all sorts of issues and limitations that authors eventually learned to work around, often through online discussions with other users. Those discussions not only helped authors navigate the issues to get the most out of each Amazon ad they created, but raised awareness of the platform deficiencies in such a way that they became a kind of conventional wisdom. But despite Amazon’s continued improvement of their ad platform, fixing many of those early flaws, belief in their continued existence still persist within the… Read More >
Top Mysteries to Read This Spring
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 22, 2022
Each and every week, subscribers to Hidden Gems are offered FREE books to download, read, and review – from any or all of over 15 different genres. Today we’re going to highlight five of the top mysteries that have left our readers raving and begging for more. If you’re looking for the perfect escape from reality you’ll love getting to the bottom of these page-turning mysteries. Boys and Ghouls by Sarina Dorie Clean, cozy, no sex or swearing, PG 13— this book is perfectly fine for teens or grandmas who like mysteries with magic. Boys and Ghouls is the 14th book in the Vega Bloodmire Wicked Witch Mystery Series. The book takes place at a magical academy, but these whodunnits are fine to be read in any order. “Another great installment of Vega Bloodmire,” raves Robin M. BG in their 5-star review. “The hospital bill that Vega put Malisha… Read More >
Selling books on social media is about being yourself
By: Ginger | Posted on February 18, 2022
Not everyone has time, energy or interest in maintaining a social media presence for themselves, much less a separate one for their pen name (if the two happen to be different). And while there are plenty of paths to success, one of the most common shared elements I’ve noticed between successful authors that I’ve worked with is that they not only pay attention to social media, but they do it right. That means being personal and personable in your posts, instead of just using the medium as an afterthought or only when you have a new book to sell. That approach may work for businesses, but authors are selling stories that are often a part of themselves, which means your social media has to reflect that by creating a more personal connection with your readers. It sounds daunting, but as Ginger describes below, there are ways to make it easier…. Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Gwyn GB
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 15, 2022
Today’s interview is with bestselling author Gwyn GB. Gwyn writes emotion filled suspense novels and gripping crime mysteries. It was lovely to hear from Gwyn about her publishing journey, writing style and exciting upcoming projects. HG: How would you describe yourself to somebody who isn’t familiar with your writing yet? GGB: I am an Amazon top 20 bestselling author of crime mysteries as Gwyn GB, and women’s emotional suspense novels as Gwyn Garfield-Bennett. HG: Tell us more about your transition to writing fiction full time. GGB: I am one of those people who has always written, and have to write or I get very grumpy. When I was about ten years old I told my parents I wanted to be a writer, but realized that I might need to live life a bit before I could achieve that aim, so asked them what I could do. They said journalism, and… Read More >
How to know when to change your book cover
By: Ginger | Posted on February 11, 2022
Every book and story is different, but if I had to pick a single element that was most commonly at fault for poor sales, I would point to covers without any hesitation. We all know that we shouldn’t choose a book by it’s cover, but most readers do it anyway, and for good reason. Whether browsing top 100 lists, scrolling through search results or just looking at also bought recommendations, few people have time to drill into every option to read blurbs or analyze reviews. Instead, they narrow the list down to just a handful that warrant further investigation, and the easiest and most obvious criteria available to do that is the cover. Images that catch a reader’s eye and spark their interest are the ones they’ll be drawn to first, giving those books a huge advantage over ones with less appealing covers. Of course, there are many reasons why… Read More >
Recent Top Rated Love Stories
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 8, 2022
Romance is the most popular genre in the Hidden Gems ARC program and our readers know that no two love stories are the same, so they scoop up new books every chance they get. Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, it’s always a good time to crack open a romance novel. We’ve got one for everybody on this round-up of some of the recent love stories our readers enjoyed the most. Sheikh’s Surprise Son by Leslie North With nearly 150 reviews on Amazon, Sheikh’s Surprise Son is the first book in Leslie North’s Sheikh’s Wedding Series. Leslie North is a Hidden Gems reader favorite, and her love stories are always universally enjoyed. “If there’s one thing Leslie North knows, it’s how to craft a strong, sexy sheikh,” writes Megan in her 5-star review. “Her heroes are deeply rooted in tradition and her heroines are strong, caring, and never… Read More >
The Hidden Gems Author Podcast is officially live!
By: Craig | Posted on February 4, 2022
The self-publishing landscape is constantly evolving, and the most successful authors understand that no matter what level they’re at in their career, there is always more to learn. This blog has (and will continue to be) a great forum for helping us share information on new ways to improve your writing or book marketing, but these days a lot of people prefer content that they can consume on the go, or while doing other things – which explains the growing popularity of the audiobook and podcast formats. That’s why Roland (Ginger) and I have launched the new Hidden Gems Author Podcast. Every Thursday, you’ll be able to listen to us discuss new topics with greater depth than is possible in the blog, and often with guests that are either experts in the subject, or have been affected by whatever issue it is we’re discussing. There is so much to learn… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Charlene D’Avanzo
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 1, 2022
Today’s interview is with award-winning environmental mystery author Charlene D’Avanzo. Her novels tackle real-life issues, in the context of fast-paced mysteries. We were honored to chat with D’Avanzo about her self-publishing journey, writing style, and what inspires her. HG: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. You’re a marine scientist turned environmental mystery author. Take us back to the beginning… what led you to writing? CD: A single event, a lecture by climatologist Ray Bradley, changed my professional life. I expected Bradley to talk about his ice-core climate research. Instead, he described being harrassed and humiliated by a group of Washington, D.C. political climate change deniers. I left the auditorium very upset and feeling that I needed to “do something”. The compelling inspiration to write mysteries with climate-change understories came out of nowhere as I stood outside the auditorium. At the end of the semester I retired… Read More >
