The Book is Completed-Yet Another Hill to Climb--MARKETING

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​PAID BOOK REVIEW

Nearing the time when my latest book will launch. Exciting for me! However, I admit to a short coming that many authors suffer and that is marketing. A daunting task to say the least. I finished editing early and promised myself I'd spend a week just researching various ways to market and I must say it is, and will always be, overwhelming.

Writing is a solitary job, that's a given. Marketing though requires the help of others. Whether it be cover design, book reviews, speaking engagements, book signings, and on and on. In my research I stumbled across a few sites that I wanted to share.





Author's Atlas is a well rounded site of proofreaders, editors, social media management, plus much more. This site is for author's wanting to up their game. It has a list of names of people who will help authors create a strategy for book launches. It is not a free service, but if one can afford a part time assistant, paid by the hour, it is worth investigating. I know I will and will write about my findings.




​After writing the book and uploading to Amazon or Barnes & Noble comes the nail biting part of an author's writing career, REVIEWS. I found two places The Indie View and  The Bookbloggers List where an author can submit their book for an unbiased free review. The setback is a review can and will take several weeks or months.


I believe I am like most authors. I've spent months writing, editing, rewriting, and re-editing. I'll welcome the reviews when the reviewer is able to read my book.



A paid review from reviewers like Kirkus and IndieReader  can be expedited for a price.



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Of course their is the author's profile page in Amazon and Goodreads, plus social media, a website if you have one, and posting on your blog. All necessary and helpful, but with all that being said there is still more that needs to be done. 

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I saved one of the best finds for last. CANVA  

​If you have never heard of Canva I recommend that you familiarize yourself with this site. With a little creativity there are many useful products an author can use to promote their brand.

Below I created four bookmarks using Canva's template.

The first two-"Keep Reading Between The Lines & there are worlds between words" were from the Canva library and were free. All I did was insert my name and website.

The other two bookmarks are from my books "THE MOUSE THAT BECAME THE CAT AND LAYERS OF DECEIT."  I used a blank template and downloaded my images in less then 2 minutes for both. I called the printer and after converting each image from a jpeg to a pdf I printed 250 of each at the printers. (8 each-2x5's on a 8 1/2 x 11 card stock) Cost $80- 8 cents each.

Here is the salesman in me. I post them on any message board in markets or libraries and when I'm at place like Starbuck's and see someone reading an actual book I introduce myself, tell them I'm a writer, and give them all four bookmarks. Chutzpah, sure, but one grows an audience I reader at a time.

By the way it also takes a lot of guts to sit down and write a novel. 

Hope this helps and thanks for reading. 
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