A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Oh, My! How the Littlest Things Count!



It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.

Today's topic suggests that the little, often-overlooked things, can count -- a lot. So,check out the “little things,” Sometimes, it is the little things that flatten authors’ sales curves. They are so easy to manage, but they get forgotten.

Author information 

An example is the Amazon Author Central, mentioned above --- does it have all your books, rewards, and writing efforts and activities that might interest a reader? Do you look at it every few weeks or months to make sure it is up-to-date and curate it? 

Your book description at Amazon and other online sellers 

Is it exciting? Accurate? Meaty – or short and wimpy? Send me some new verbiage, you have about 4000 bits to work with, and I will fix it. Make sure you get good SEO into the description.

Your book description on your website

You have no space limits (within reason, of course). So, why stop with the Amazon description, which is more restricted in length. Prepare a healthy, enticing book description. Include more kinds of information. Has the book been picked up by some organizations? Approved for reading by others? Received more endorsements? Let your readers know that. Your web page is often the landing page for promotions, including those by your publisher. Don’t let promos wimp out with you! 

General information (including author information) on your website

Toot your horn! Have you received some forms of personal accolades? Run your own podcast? Have a blog? Experienced something remarkable worth sharing? Again, you have no space limitations within reason. Check out your bio against the bios of other authors in your genre. If yours is pale by comparison, color it in! On your home page, you might like to have a brief summary like on your book cover that then links to more information about the fantastic you.

Bottom line: Details matter, and they come from many sources and reflect information about you and your book. Both you and your book matter. Your publication is not just about the content of your book. It is also about you.

Lesson for today's Tuesday talk: Toot your horn! Everywhere you can--about both yourself and your book. Make the sound vibrate! 





 Read more posts about publishing HERE.



The Tuesday talks reflect real discussions between the management of MSI Press LLC and our own authors or those would-be authors who come through our doors but don't make the cut--yet. If you have a topic that you would like addressed, leave the question in the comment section. Chances are, in our 18 years of publishing first-time and experiences authors, we have had a conversation with one of our authors that we can share with you.

                             

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