Episode 251 – Matchmaking, ARC or Bribe, and Epic Success

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Posted on by SMBS Team

Question of the Week: Do you feel as though giving out Advance Reader Copies is unethical because it’s more likely to lead to positive reviews? Or do you feel as though the practice is completely legitimate and why?

Is there an unspoken agreement for only positive feedback when a reader accepts an advance copy for review? Bryan shares progress on the launch of his new podcast – Relentless Authors Advertise, which soft-launched two weeks ago and is gaining momentum. Jim reports that in his consults with authors through the SmarterAuthors platform he is seeing the positive effects of paid ads for his clients. This week’s Happy Books Review winner is Jonathan Small. Bryan thanks our Featured Patrons: Cowgirl, Unexpectedly, The 30-Day Writing Challenge, and A Dragon Among the Eagles: A Novel of the Roman Empire. This week’s Top Tips include why faster is better for the Wordslinger, which audiobooks could lead to perfect matches with readers, and how to get more mileage from your Facebook pixel. The news stories that matter most to the indie community this week are the down and dirty business of ARCs, how truth is stranger than fiction in a crazy real-life poisoning plot, John Weston demonstrates what you can actually accomplish with focused writing and publishing, how Amazon is giving the trad pubs a wake-up call, and how Miranda Honfleur used scheduled releases and paid promos to hit her six-figure income goals. Question of the Week: Do you feel as though giving out Advance Reader Copies is unethical because it’s more likely to lead to positive reviews? Or do you feel as though the practice is completely legitimate and why?

What You’ll Learn:
  • How you can use self-editing to your advantage when producing books quickly
  • How you and your readers can find your audiobook matches in your library
  • How to expand the range of your Facebook pixel with Draft2Digital
  • Whether Your Advanced Reader Team is breaking the law (or worse, Amazon’s T&Cs)
  • How one author’s harrowing experience turned into a multi-million-dollar lawsuit
  • How you can cut waste, write more, and take your author career to the next level
  • Whether or not Amazon has an advantage that trad pub doesn’t
  • How one author used tried and true methods to hit six-figures
Links:
Question of the Week: Do you feel as though giving out Advance Reader Copies is unethical because it’s more likely to lead to positive reviews? Or do you feel as though the practice is completely legitimate and why?

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