How to Get Published | eBook Promotion | Author Tips

Boost Your Business By Writing an eBook

by Chris Robley on May 15, 2012 in eBook Distribution, eBook Promotion

eBooks aren’t just for fans (or writers) of fiction, memoir, and history. Thousands of businesses are also discovering the value of eBooks, both as an additional revenue stream and as a powerful passive marketing tool.

Writing an eBook for your business is one of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise, build brand recognition and loyalty, boost your website’s SEO, engage with clients, and increase your prospective customer base.

“But I’m in the business of doing business,” I hear you say. “I’m no writer!”

Fear not, friends. Read on.

6 reasons why you should be using eBooks to build your business

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Author SJ Rozan on the ePublishing Revolution

by Chris Robley on May 11, 2012 in Writing Tips

Award-winning novelist SJ Rozan and BookBaby president Brian Felsen sat down at the 2011 California Crime Writers Conference to talk about her creative process, how technology has changed the conversation with publishers, and the tricks that create a memorable book.

In this segment, SJ Rozan talks about how the advent of digital book technology has changed her own writing career, her promotional responsibilities, how she engages with readers using social media, and how eBooks can be a good thing for “story.”

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How To Become A Book Marketing Ninja

by BookBaby on May 10, 2012 in eBook Promotion

To be effective in today’s noisy world, you can’t be lazy when it comes to marketing and selling your books. You have to stretch your thinking and your methods. You must break old paradigms and shatter trusted formulas.

You must become a book marketing ninja!

Here are three ways to do that:

1) Reconsider all of your marketing tactics. One of the biggest promotional mistakes you can make is doing something just because that’s the way it’s always been done before. Just because everyone else pursues book reviews, bookstore distribution, library sales, and media exposure in a certain way (or even Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn), that doesn’t mean you have to.

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Bringing a Hardback Book to Life

by Chris Robley on May 9, 2012 in eBook Distribution

The Telegraph recently posted a fun video (with highly dramatic music!) that shows a group of bookbinders bringing a physical book to life. Take a a tour of Smith Settle’s handmade bookbinding process.

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The Most Common Printed Book Design Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make

by Chris Robley on May 7, 2012 in eBook Formatting, Self Publishing

Book designer Joel Friedlander talks with BookBaby president Brian Felsen about the most common mistakes self-published authors make when it comes to designing their own books, including incorrect numbering of pages, numbering blank pages, and putting running heads on chapter openers.

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Creating a Compelling Cover That Will Help Sell Your Book

by Chris Robley on May 3, 2012 in Self Publishing

We’re a short attention-span society. KA-BLAM! (See– I just wrote that to get your attention.) If something doesn’t grab us in the first few seconds, we’re on to something else.

Your book is no different– and the book cover is the first thing someone will see. Excuse the gross metaphor, but if you want your book to sell, some aspect of the cover art is going to have to hook into a potential buyer’s eye and not let go.

Even in the eBook world, people DO judge books by their covers. This, more than any other factor, can make all the difference in whether a potential reader decides to check out your eBook.

Your cover art should:

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Author SJ Rozan- On How to Use Beta Readers and Critique Groups

by Chris Robley on May 2, 2012 in Writing Tips

Award-winning novelist SJ Rozan and BookBaby president Brian Felsen sat down at the 2011 California Crime Writers Conference to talk about her creative process, how technology has changed the conversation with publishers, and the tricks that create a memorable book.

In this segment, Rozan talks about the influence of Beta Readers, writing groups, editors, agents, and workshops on the writing process. Outside opinions are critical for her when she’s first shaping a book; they help keep her on track. Check out the video above for more details.

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The Big April eBook News Roundup

by Chris Robley on May 1, 2012 in eBook News

Extra! Extra! April was a big month in the world of eBooks, eReaders, and digital publishing. Here are a handful of headlines. Click the links to read more details on each story.

1. Barnes & Noble and Microsoft ink a $300 million deal. The Nook digital bookstore will be bundled with Windows 8.

2. Barnes & Noble expands its foreign language eBook selection, adding Russian, Afrikaans, Urdu, and more.

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How to Plan Your Novel to Set Yourself Up for Success

by BookBaby on April 27, 2012 in Writing Tips

(Editor’s Note: This article was written by guest contributor Ali Luke, author of Lycopolis.)

Ever given up on writing a book when it was halfway finished?

Lots of writers run out of steam along the way. Others don’t even begin: they have a great idea, but are creatively paralyzed at the starting line.

And worse still, some writers struggle all the way from the first sentence to the last line … only to find that their book needs massive structural revisions. They might even scrap it completely.

You don’t want to find yourself there. Instead, set yourself up for success right from the start of the journey. Here’s how.

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