Are You on BookBub?

 

Are you on BookBub? Just a quick note to introduce you to BookBub, if you haven't heard of it already. BookBub is a great place to: Follow your favorite authors (I follow authors like Kristin Hannah, Nicholas Sparks, and Elin Hilderbrand). See what books authors are reading and recommending (I have recently recommended 4 books, including A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner and The Wish by Nicholas Sparks). Keep up with new releases.  Jersey Girl Book Review recently reviewed Summer’s Wisdom on BookBub and concluded with this: 'Summer's Wisdom is a heartwarming and thoroughly enjoyable story. You can't help but root for Jamie as she discovers that her world is filled with a loving family and friendship, along with a sense of belonging, finding love, following one's passion, and that she's ultimately in control of how she lives her life with self-acceptance and happiness. Summer's Wisdom is an inspirational and feel good women's fiction story that will pull at your heartstrings, touch your soul, and leave a smile on your face." Buy Summer’s Wisdom on Amazon I hope you are all having a great start to 2022! Well wishes, Heather

The Waiting Game: What to Do During the Editing Process

After many of your own revisions, you finally submitted your manuscript to a professional editor. Now you don’t know what to do with yourself! My colleague, Tanya Brockett of Hallagen Ink, and I, the Founder and Creative Director of PathBinder Publishing, know you worked hard writing that book, but this is no time to slack off. There is still much yet to do! We compiled a list of actions you can take while your book is in the editing and design phase.

If you are seeking the traditional route, we will provide a follow-up article to address actions specific to you. But for those who are working with hybrid publishers or are publishing independently, you will want to pay close attention here.

While your book is going through the editing mill, the following will prepare you for a successful book launch:

·      Write your author bio—As stated in Heather Hummel’s HuffPost article titled “10 Tips on How to Write an Author Bio,” many authors cringe at the idea of writing their author bio, let alone the three versions most authors will need. For ideas on writing your best author bio, read the 10 Tips by clicking here.

·      Take your author photo—Along with the importance of an author bio comes the relevance of your author photo. Heather Hummel also provides information on author photos in her HuffPost article titled “The Relevance of a Professional Author Photo.” Take the time to hire a professional and read other tips by clicking here.

·      Write and edit your book description—Create a juicy description for your book that will hook readers. This description will be used across various platforms in marketing your book, such as your back cover, Amazon book page, website, and speaker introductions (for book signings, readings, and more). Use keywords that capture attention and keep the word count down (250 words or less).

·      Write your book marketing strategy—You wrote your book to share it with the world, so spend time researching and writing down the best ways to do that. Every author (regardless of publisher) is expected to market her book and share it with her networks. You can refer to old standby resources like John Kremer’s 1001 Ways to Market Your Book (http://www.TanyaLoves.me/1001ways) or connect with bloggers like Carla King at AuthorFriendly.com or Jane Friedman at https://www.janefriedman.com/best-book-marketing-advice-2017/. Plan to include: a press release, e-mail messages to your list, review copies to top bloggers, lining up speaking/book signing engagements, and writing blog posts with/about your book’s content.

·      Decide on book trim size—There are standard trim sizes for each genre of book. For example, a popular trim size for trade paperbacks is 5” x 8” to 6” x 9”. Novels and memoirs tend to be 5.5” x 8.5” and manuals/workbooks are generally 8” x 10” or traditional letter-sized. As an independent publisher, use your own discretion, but industry standards exist for a reason. Also, your print source may determine what is possible for you—many only offer standard print sizes due to certain production and distribution limitations.

·      Work with your cover designer—Readers do judge a book by its cover, so hire a cover designer to write your back cover copy, identify design elements (color palettes/photos/illustrations/images), and layout a marketable book cover. For additional guidance, see Tanya’s blog post at http://www.TanyaLoves.me/backcover. Don’t forget to have your editor proof the cover before production.

·      Boost your social media presence—Whether you are media savvy and or not, it is in your best interest to start engaging with followers on social media. Instead of creating everything from scratch, you can post “sound bites” from your book to prepare readers for its arrival. Create a spreadsheet to schedule your posts. Start gearing up on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn (if professionally related), and perhaps Twitter. Post consistently (at least twice weekly).

·      Create or update your website with a book pre-order form—An author website will help you to market your book and engage readers. Even if you are publishing through Createspace and will have your book on Amazon with an Author Central Page, you still need to have an author website. This site should include at least a home page with your book cover and description with link to purchase, about the author page, a press/media page, and a contact page. Other ideas can be found in the Bestseller Launch Planner at http://www.TanyaLoves.me/booklaunch.

·      Secure ISBNs and LCCN/PCIP—Your book’s ISBN is a unique, numerical identifier for your book (like a social security number for media). It is acquired in the US through Bowker (www.myidentifiers.com) and you need one for each format of book you produce (e.g., print, e-book, and audio). Learn more about ISBNs at www.TanyaLoves.me/ISBN. LCCNs and PCIP data help librarians to catalog your book (and learn about it to buy it!). The LCCN is a unique identifier by the Library of Congress for cataloging, and the CIP data creates bibliographic data for books likely to be widely distributed in US libraries. See https://www.loc.gov/publish/ for more information.

·      Prepare for copyright submission (await edited draft before submission)

·      Create list of reviewers for blurbs (bloggers, etc., prepare to send uncorrected proof or ARCs)

And you thought you were done when you submitted your manuscript to your editor! While some of these items cross over with traditional publishing, there are some items that are unique to each situation. Stay tuned for our next article with tips on preparing for the traditionally published route. Still looking for help? Click here for more in depth author guidance.

Questions? Leave questions in the comments and let us know how you’re doing!

Heather Hummel is the founder and creative director of PathBinder Publishing, where it is our belief that every author’s book represents an accumulation of an author’s experiences and wisdom that is meant to be shared. Additionally, Heather is a ghostwriter who has penned dozens of books for clients. Connect with Heather at www.HeatherHummelAuthor.com or www.PathBinderPulbishing.com and on Facebook.

Tanya Brockett gives authors, experts, and entrepreneurs the confidence to write and edit a quality, bestseller-ready book that their readers will love while empowering authors to live a life they love. She is a speaker, editor, writer, and mentor to awesome clients around the world. Connect with Tanya on LinkedIn (/TanyaBrockett), on Facebook (/HallagenInk), and through her website at www.HallagenInk.com.

Q&A with Best-Selling Author K.A. Tucker

With over a dozen novels under her pen, K.A. Tucker recently added a new novel, Chasing River: A Novel (The Burying Water Series), to her Burying Water series.

I caught up with K.A. just before its release to chase down some answers about her fascination with Ireland, the depth of her characters, and her dream automobile.   

HH: Your passion for Ireland is palpable in Chasing River: A Novel; what is your connection to it?

KA: I dreamed of visiting Ireland long before I ever set foot there. I have Irish roots (as so many people do, it seems.) I finally made the trip last summer and, though I was there for less than a week, I fell in love with the people, the culture, and the countryside. I plan on visiting again, and braving the “wrong side of the road” driving in order to see the rest of the countryside.

HH: Amber’s character is complex in a common theme—torn between striving for independence and living up to her father’s standards; was it a conscious choice to downplay the role of her mother?

KA: I don’t know that it’s so much about downplaying the role of her mother as it is that Gabe Welles has always been such a strong and authoritative figure in his children’s lives. We first see this in Burying Water, with the situation that Amber’s brother, Jesse, finds himself in. Gabe Welles is the sheriff, after all. It felt only natural that it would be Sheriff Welles who would come running to Amber’s rescue in Ireland, just as he did for his son. Plus, Amber is still very much daddy’s little girl.

HH: Chasing River: A Novel has so many layers—love, friendship, family—and yet the landscape around these relationships is painted with great historic detail; how much research did it take versus innate knowledge?

KA: Before beginning this book, I spent weeks delving into both Ireland’s history and its current political situation. I knew that I wanted to weave the IRA into the story, but I didn’t have a good grasp of what that would entail. So I began digging… and digging… and digging… and so many dots in my knowledge base began connecting—the religious strife between Protestant and Catholic, the political strife between England and Ireland, the mass exodus of Irish to North America. Ireland has a rich history (much richer than I anticipated) and having a handle on it made spinning an authentic story much easier.

HH: What is your dream automobile?

KA: A Hummer (deer have a tendency to jump out in front of me on the road and tanks are illegal.)

HH: With over a dozen and counting novels under your pen, which character was the hardest to create?

KA: I struggled with both main characters in Surviving Ice: A Novel (Ivy and Sebastian), because they’re quite similar to each other. Ivy is not necessarily “likeable” as far as suspenseful romance characters go, and going out of my way to make her softer didn’t feel like the right thing to do. Her character does grow and change, but it’s done in a more subtle way. I hope readers see and appreciate that.

Click here to read my NewYork Journal of Books review for Chasing River.

Thank you, K.A.!