Pigeonhole Publishing Finds New Audiences with Pocket-Sized Promotions
Marketing is a challenge that’s hard to get right. You want to attract as many readers as you can, but you also want to attract only the right readers, who will love your book and want to share it with their friends. To boot, you need to get your book into reader spaces, places where […]
Does Your Academia Fiction Make the Grade across the Pond?
The Similarities and Differences between US and UK Schools that May Show Up in Your Manuscript School is back in session, and for authors who write YA in academic settings, inspiration may be at the bus stop right outside your door. But if your story has dark academia tropes, light academia vibes, or a boarding […]
Can I Tell You a Story?
Natalia Hernandez Followed the Oral Traditions of Her Ancestors into a Successful Author Career Bestselling Fantasy author Natalia Hernandez writes magical Latin American-inspired novels for both YA and adult audiences. But until recently, if you wanted to hear her stories, you had to follow her on TikTok. As a third-culture kid—her mother is Peruvian, and […]
10 Tips for: Local Events
Jenn Lessmann One of the first rules of marketing any indie author learns is to identify your ideal reader. You build an avatar of the person you’re writing for: their age, gender, socioeconomic status, interests, habits, and anything else you can think of that will help you visualize and personalize your audience. Then you use […]
What the Machines Have Learned
Upgrade Your Marketing with AI Initiatives Jenn Lessmann Last year, Indie Author Magazine focused an entire issue on AI, the ways authors could make use of new machine learning platforms, and some of the ethical concerns involved with the impact of artificial intelligence on the publishing industry. Since then, the opportunities and challenges have continued […]
Unlocking the Storyteller
How Dale Mayer Shuts Down Intrusive Thoughts and Releases the Words Jenn Lessmann A hostage situation wouldn’t be out of place in any of Dale Mayer’s Military Romance series. It might not even be completely unexpected in one of her Thriller Suspense series, or in a novel from her Paranormal catalog. So when she talks […]
When Fantasy Invades Reality
Exploring the Fantastic in the Mundane with the Magical Realism Genre Jenn Lessmann An old man with giant, feathered wings is discovered lying face-down on the ground, and the whole town comes out to see him—until a carnival arrives, and they lose interest. For a moment, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s short story “A Very Old Man […]
Traveling through the Fog
Jonathan Yañez on Writing into the Dark and Taking the Next Step Jenn Lessmann Jonathan Yañez doesn’t have an outline. Some authors talk about writing by the Headlight Method, plotting only as far down the road as their headlights will shine. For Jonathan, assuming that the lights are on might give him too much credit—by […]
Name Your Price: Should Genre Play a Role in How You Price Your Books?
Do Authors’ Ideal Pricing Strategies Vary by the Genre They Write? Most pricing strategists tell indie authors to write in a genre that sells well and price competitively. But for new authors and those switching genres, choosing how to price your book may not feel that simple. Factors like publishing goals, format, email list size, […]
Four Direct Sales Platforms That’ll Let You ‘Go Your Own Way’
Four Direct Sales Platforms to Match Your Business Needs Jenn Lessmann The “Rumours” are true. Indie authors can earn more revenue and drive better engagement through direct sales. And as indie authors increasingly look to expand their reach through wide publication, it makes sense to consider following Fleetwood Mac’s call to “go your own way.” […]