Wheatmark Team

10 April, 2013

How authors can effectively use Twitter hashtags for writing research

By Wheatmark Team|2023-06-09T11:29:55-07:00April 10, 2013|Marketing, Resources, Social Media|Comments Off on How authors can effectively use Twitter hashtags for writing research

Twitter is about making connections in short, snappy bits of conversation. You have 140 characters for each message, which includes text, hashtags (#), private connections (@), links, and photos.

In this post we’ll discuss how to use hashtags in a search to find new contacts, conversations, and information.

Twitter Search

Type in a word or phrase in the Twitter search bar and you will get a list of tweets matching what you have entered, e.g., candy, finances, weather.

Use that same word or phrase but add a hashtag (#) before the keyword or phrase and you get a greatly expanded list. This is because the actual tweet may not be using the keyword specifically in the text, but the author of the tweet thought it was relevant enough to that topic and inserted that keyword with a hashtag.

For instance if you type #scifi, #money, or #cat into a Twitter search bar you will be […]

18 March, 2013

How to get book reviews for a self-published book

By Wheatmark Team|2023-06-09T11:30:08-07:00March 18, 2013|Marketing, Publishing, Resources|Comments Off on How to get book reviews for a self-published book

How important are book reviews for new authors?

The best way to sell books is by word of mouth. The primary way to get that word of mouth rolling is to get your book reviewed.

The more important the book reviewer is the greater exposure your book will have. A book reviewed in the New York Times is going to outperform a book review on a small book blog with 200 readers.

Does this mean you should ignore the small ponds and fish for reviews only in the big ones? Not necessarily. If you are a new author, getting your foot in the door of book reviewers of any size might be well worth your while.

Ten reviews from small-sized bloggers will give you exposure to new readers that would otherwise never find your book. Keep adding to the pot and you will slowly build up your readership. Every book review that is posted […]

13 March, 2013

7 easy ways to market Christian fiction

By Wheatmark Team|2023-06-09T11:30:27-07:00March 13, 2013|Marketing, Resources|Comments Off on 7 easy ways to market Christian fiction

Seventy-six per cent of the population in the United States is Christian. Of this, studies show that about 25 million actually buy Christian-themed products. That’s a pretty big number to make a connection with.

Granted not all who profess to be Christians actually want to read Christian fiction, but there’s certainly enough of a market for any Christian author.

The pathway for marketing a Christian novel will be to place your book in the places where readers are looking for books. Here are seven tips to help you get started.

1. Make sure that the phrase “Christian Fiction” is on the back cover of your book, so it will be categorized correctly in bookstores and easily discerned by readers. Don’t make the mistake of trying to appeal to everyone. A reader who doesn’t like Christian-based novels will drop your book once he realizes it was written for a Christian audience. Likewise, a reader […]

8 March, 2013

10 steps to developing your author brand

By Wheatmark Team|2023-06-09T11:30:40-07:00March 8, 2013|Marketing, Resources, Social Media|Comments Off on 10 steps to developing your author brand

What is author branding? Author branding is presenting yourself in such a way that when readers think of you they associate a feeling, a message, a book with you. A type of book, a style of writing that, like your fingerprint, is you. Even if you write in different genres, the essence of how you write will always be yours.

Today’s popular authors have a style of writing and message unique to them no matter what they write about. Their readers come to know, love, and trust their writing.

Have you ever fallen in love with a book and, immediately upon finishing it, wanted another one just like it? That’s the power of branding.

Developing your author brand is important if you want to sell a lot of books this year, more next year, and a lot more the year after that. Write each book and blog post with the goal of building […]

8 February, 2013

How important is building a brand name for an author?

By Wheatmark Team|2023-06-09T11:33:10-07:00February 8, 2013|Marketing, Resources, Social Media|Comments Off on How important is building a brand name for an author?

How important is building a brand name for an author? Very important!

Most readers don’t remember titles of books as well as they remember an author’s name or the main character of a novel. As an author writes more and more books, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember single book titles. Readers will walk into a bookstore or start searching on Amazon or Barnes & Noble for the latest book by the author’s name.

That’s what they remember. That’s why you as an author must build up your author brand if you want to sell more books.

Fiction writers may create a character that becomes very memorable. Think Harry Potter, Nancy Drew, etc., but even with memorable characters the author’s name will still be very important.

If you write nonfiction, it is even more important that you make your name as widely known as possible.

Once your name is established, any product or topic you […]

14 January, 2013

The easy button for building your author platform

By Wheatmark Team|2023-06-09T11:33:31-07:00January 14, 2013|Authors Academy, Marketing, News, Social Media|Comments Off on The easy button for building your author platform

Over the years, we’ve probably heard one statement more frequently than any other from our author clients: “I don’t want to market my book, I just want to spend my time writing.”

But as an author—and as an entrepreneur—you have a message for your audience. It’s your duty to let them hear it—and you accomplish this task through marketing.

Naturally, you may just want to write—to focus on crafting your message. You may even wish someone else would take your message to your audience. But the truth is, if you really care about your audience, you’ll want to deliver your message yourself because you are the best possible messenger. Don’t be like the mailman who landed in jail for throwing away all the mail in a dumpster instead of delivering it!

Now, suppose there was a way for you to just “sit and type all day” but still be able to connect with […]

4 January, 2013

The secret to selling more books like Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

By Wheatmark Team|2023-06-09T11:33:46-07:00January 4, 2013|Marketing, Resources|Comments Off on The secret to selling more books like Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

Here are five ways to promote your books nonstop, following the bookselling successes of Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, authors of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series.

1. Believe in your book even when no one else does.

It’s always fun to look back after success and smile with satisfaction. The difficulty is keeping up that smile in the beginning when victory is nowhere in sight. Holding a mental picture in your mind of what success will look like is one of the things that Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen used to keep them going. They actually took a cover of their own book, clipped off a New York Times bestseller image from another book, and pasted it on their own book cover. This simple “magic” trick of illusion implemented strongly in their mind a vision of success.

You can do the same. Before you lose hope with your […]

4 December, 2012

Free photo images for your author website

By Wheatmark Team|2023-06-09T11:35:04-07:00December 4, 2012|Marketing, Resources, Social Media, Writing|Comments Off on Free photo images for your author website

Are you wondering whether it’s worth the trouble to add photo images to your author blog posts? You don’t have to wonder any more. The results are in. A recent study by Skyword revealed that a relevant photograph or infographic added to a published article increased total views by 94%.

Have you noticed how shared photos on Facebook receive a lot more comments and likes than just a text status update?

With that kind of information in your back pocket it’s a total no-brainer that adding images is a “must do” task for any blog post you write.

Here’s a list of free great photo resources.

10 Free Photo Image Sites

Morguefile.com: “The morgue file contains free high resolution digital stock photographs and reference images for either corporate or public use.” Plus, you “are allowed to copy, distribute, transmit the work and to adapt the work. Attribution is not […]

3 December, 2012

Zig Ziglar and “See you at the top”

By Wheatmark Team|2023-06-09T11:35:20-07:00December 3, 2012|News|Comments Off on Zig Ziglar and “See you at the top”

Zig Ziglar made the final ascent to the “top” when he passed away on November 28. He has left behind a legacy to millions of people who were touched by his messages during his lifetime and to millions more who will continue to follow his books, talks, and life for many years down the road.

Ziglar’s first book, See You at the Top, was rejected by thirty publishers before it was published by Pelican in 1975, when he was 49 years old. The book went on to sell 250,000 copies. His thirtieth book was published this year, at age 86.

Thousands upon thousands have changed their lives through the messages of Zig Ziglar. Whether it was through his books, live events, or media stories around the globe, he touched, encouraged, and sparked an almost irresistible motivation to succeed.

There’s no way to know just how many times his words were quoted but he […]

29 November, 2012

How to sell more books during the Christmas season

By Wheatmark Team|2023-06-09T11:35:33-07:00November 29, 2012|Marketing, Resources|Comments Off on How to sell more books during the Christmas season

Christmas is a wonderful time to gift someone with a book. It’s also a wonderful time to encourage others to give books to their friends and family. Below are 15 ideas for how to sell more books during the holiday season.

1. Mention that your book will make a great holiday gift idea on your blog, twitter, or ezine.

2. Offer to autograph books for Christmas giving.

3. Have a Christmas contest and give away a free book for Christmas.

4. Offer free Christmas gift-wrapping for your books that you sell from your website.

5. Sell your books at Christmas bazaars and events. Give a share of the proceeds to the cause.

6. Partner with two or more authors to promote each other’s books at Christmas with a special e-message. Each author sends the book promotion to his or her list for added exposure.

7. Offer special Christmas bonus with your book: free report, audio, a special […]

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