Make It

Online Marketing and the Self-Published Author

The Wall Street Journal recently profiled self-publishing success story Darcie Chan, who spent $1,000 on some really effective marketing strategies for her first ebook and sold 400,000 copies.

I've always wondered why self-published authors don't do more online advertising like this. I think the quick answer is that they don't even know where to start. This overview is a nice overview of some of the basics, and even taught me a few things. For example, I didn't know that anyone could purchase a review from Kirkus.

Just as agencies have emerged to help businesses with social media marketing, I wonder if we'll start to see the emergence of marketing agencies specifically geared toward online promotion for self-published authors. (via)

 

Done is Better Than Perfect

A worthy mantra. (photo credit)

Writing Motivation

I found out some big news this weekend when I heard that my former writing group partner, Phoebe, scored a two-book deal with Simon and Schuster. While I now know a couple of people with literary agents, Phoebe is the first person I actually know to get a book deal and it couldn't have happened to a better writer. Phoebe loves YA but she's also able to look at the genre with a critical eye. She's smart and thoughful and I'm really happy that her perspective is going to be represented on bookshelves. I can't wait to follow her progress on the blog as she goes through edits, cover design, marketing, and all the other steps it takes to get her books on the shelves in 2013. In the meantime, she's done a post on her blog answering some common question about getting published.

Phoebe and I started writing our respective books around the same time. While she's gone through revision after revision (I read and offered feedback on an early draft), I've sort of fizzled out. But no more! Phoebe's achievement is great motivation for me. It makes the whole idea of actually getting an agent and then actually getting published seem that much more real. The kick in the pants that I needed came this weekend when I agreed at my current writing group to submit my manuscript for critique on January 1. This gives me a hard and fast deadline and holds me accountable to 5 other people. It's time to whip my current manuscript into readable shape and send it out into the world.

Finally, a writer who is another great source of inspiration to me is Lauren Oliver, whose BEFORE I FALL was one of my favorite YA books of 2010. In addition to being a talented writer, Lauren runs a book packaging company that has sold 20 books in something like two years which is just mind-blowing. Here's a short article about the success she's found in publishing.

Oh, Mitt

Have you been following the Presidential Campaign?

It's not nearly as exciting as 2008 but it's had its moments. Poor Mitt Romney. Everyone is speaking pretty openly about how the GOP is looking for someone, anyone, who can challenge Obama that is not Romney. They're not even hiding their dislike of him!

Romney fascinates me. Son of a former Michigan Governor. A former Republican governor himself, of one of the most liberal states in the country. And he passed sweeping health care reform while in office!

Did you know while Mitt was abroad as a young man, he got into a car accident in France and the person in the passenger seat died (What is it with politicians and fatal car accidents)?

Did you know Mitt had his first child while still a college student? This NPR piece on Bain & Co. (an amazing name for a company, by the way), where Romney used to be CEO, was really interesting. Did you know Mitt Romney practically founded Staples?

But my favorite Mitt Story is a car story of a much lighter (actually darker, browner) tone. Oh, Mitt.

(photo credit: this NYMag slideshow about Mitt's campaign hairstyles)

Drake: What's his deal?

I haven't been that into pop music lately (like the past 8 years), but I just signed up for Spotify and it makes it so easy to sample a huge variety of music I probably wouldn't otherwise listen to (let's hear that Nicki Minaj the kids are talking about these days).

And yes, now I get it. Lady Gaga is irritating but undeniably catchy. Rihanna is eh-eh-eh-ver-y-thing. Beyonce can do no wrong. But there's one wildly succesful pop star who I just don't understand.

Drake.

He's a massive musical phenom, right? He used to be on a Canadian tv show but now people rave about him and his songs are all over the Spotify Top Songs list. But they're all so underwhelming. What am I missing? I do admit to loving his contribution to this, but really, that song is all Rihanna.

I turned to the Internet for answers:

What exactly is the appeal of Drake?

What, precisely, is the appeal of Drake?

But I remain mystified. What is the one Drake song I need to listen to that will make it all make sense?

(photo credit)

Carnitas. Yeah.

Between the wedding, the food orgy of Thanksgiving, and Matt getting three square meals a day at a weekend-long conference, I haven't yet had the chance to cook a giant piece of meat. But when I do, this so-simple-this-can't-be-right Carnitas recipe is tops on my list.

Seriously, there are three ingredients and one of them is water!

(photo by Jennifer Causey)