The Sell More Books Show: Book Marketing, Digital Publishing and Kindle News, Tools and Advice

Is Kboards.com going to start publishing all your stuff? Do you have a nickname for guest host Craig Martelle? Bryan is on vacation and Jim has the pleasure of guest hosting with prolific sci-fi writer Craig Martelle. Jim and Craig discuss the 20Booksto50K Facebook group that Craig manages, a group that recently hit 25,000 members and adds about 50 new members per day. Jim thanks all the show Patrons which can be viewed at SellMoreBooksShow.com/books. Your Top Tips this week include why you shouldn’t overdo the “show don’t tell,” how Facebook is improving you ability to interact in groups, why Story Origin could help improve your also-boughts. The news stories that you definitely need to hear this week are why the French don’t approve of indie pubbing, how Rachel Medhurst moved her sales without a rapid-release strategy, who’s been taking bribes to make negative Amazon reviews disappear, how Michelle Lancaster found success in writing pulp fiction, and how Kboards.com’s new TOS may be driving user to jump ship. Question of the week: Was the legal wording put in at Kboards.com just legal mumbo-jumbo, or was it really put in so they could do things with your content? Sub-question: What is Craig Martelle's SMBS show name? Crazy Craig Martelle? We need something better than that!

Direct download: SMBS_234.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

Will developmental editing or marketing give you the biggest bang for your buck on book one? Would you publish without an in-depth edit? Bryan and Jim have a great show for you this week! Bryan’s getting ready to take a little time off and Jim will have a special guest host for you next week. Jim notes that his Author Accelerate conferences have revealed that a lot of authors are in the wrong category. Winner of the Happy Book Reviews feature is Chuck Manley. Bryan thanks our featured Patrons: SPA Girls - How to Kick Author Overwhelm in the Butt!, The Thing Speaks for Itself, and Dark as the Grave. This week’s hot Tips include how to manage distractions and write more, what authors think the cost of hiring editors, and why patience is the name of the game with AMS ads. The stories that matter most to indie authors are why Target is redacting certain words in book descriptions, how Instafreebie’s rebrand could help you, how slow and steady release schedules can lead to author success, why ad spend and careful monitoring is critical to success, and which strategies and choices helped Kevin Butman to a successful book launch. Question of the Week: Is it more important to spend money on developmental and copyediting on your first book or to spend it on marketing like book covers? If you had to choose between waiting to publish or going forth without the heavy editing, which would you choose and why?

Direct download: SMBS_233.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

How does your author business set the tone for your lifestyle? Do you need to make changes to your business plan to achieve the lifestyle of your dreams? Jim and Bryan ask everyone to stay safe during the approaching hurricane on the east coast. This week's Happy Book Reviews winner is Nadja Baer. Bryan thanks our featured Patrons: The Author's Guide to Ebook Publishing, More than Monsters, and A Band Director's Guide to Everything Tuba: A Collection of Interviews with the Experts. Don’t miss this weeks Top Tips including how to avoid the sophomore slump with your second book, why dividing your time between projects will lead to long term success, and when to use reader surveys to foster community. The “Don’t Miss” news stories are why Amazon purchased Tapzo, which strategies can help you hit the $1,000 per month mark, what’s up with AMS ads now, how Amy Linnabary Meyer got to a five-figure month, and what does Jeff Bezos hold for the future. Question of the Week: What kind of a lifestyle do you want connected to your author business? What kind of changes would you need to make to your publishing and marketing to make that lifestyle happen?

Direct download: SMBS_232.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

If one of your books or series exploded with unimaginable monetary success, would you continue to write in that world or would you pursue other passions? Jim is back from Montana and he and Bryan have a great show for you. Bryan has a limited time sale on Best Page Forward book descriptions over at https://www.sellingforauthors.com/laborday18 ! Some of the Sell More Books Summit speakers are announced. Jim is still taking submissions for the Author Accelerate 31 Covers revamp! This week’s Happy Book Reviews winner is JB Wocoski. Bryan thanks our wonderful featured patrons: The Efficient Writer, Taking Charge - Making your Healthcare Appointments Work for You, and Nightblade. Here are the Hot Tips this week: Why you should disregard one-star reviews, how authors can re-title a series without missing a beat, and why it’s important to connect with influencers in a genuine way. We have an Honorable Mention news story that reveals the true nature of Ian Fleming’s indie author roots. You won’t want to miss these Top News Stories including how traditional publishers are experimenting with more aggressive ebook pricing, how Walmart and Kobo are making their move with competitor price matching, author Jacki James shares which strategies helped her get to a four-figure per month income, how two authors turned a zombie snafu into a marketing boon, and which writing strategies helped author Brent Nichols move past his backlist and into profits. Question of the Week: If you had your big-time unicorn success with one of your books or series, would you continue to write in that genre or would you spend time on your other artistic passions as well?

Direct download: SMBS_231.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

Happy Labor Day weekend! Enjoy this bonus episode, an audio-only replay recording of Wednesday's How to Optimize Your Amazon Sales Page to Sell More Books Forever webinar. We've included the slides and the video edition in the show notes. If you'd like to take advantage of Bryan's Best Page Forward bulk description sale, click and select Add to Cart before Fri., Sept. 7th: https://www.sellingforauthors.com/laborday18/ Each level provides at least one special bonus, including the five-pack bonus of three group coaching sessions with Write to Market master Chris Fox! We hope you enjoy this special episode.

Direct download: SMBS_Labor_Day_Sale_Ep_Bonus_Ep_9-1-18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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