Episode 329 – Five-minute Marketing, Pre-order Peril, and Shucking Scammers

Posted on July 22, 2020July 21, 2020 by SMBS Team

What is one five-minute task you could do to promote your book today?

There are many different ways to promote your book, what is one five-minute task that you could do today to promote your book? This week we have a great show for you! Don’t forget to leave us a review on Apple podcast. This week’s Super Charger Story Course Winner is Steph Pajonas. If you become a Patron of the show you will now get access to the show 8-12 hours earlier then when it airs! The Top Tips of the week include what ten marketing hacks bestselling author Zoe York is giving to you, how to create content that will attract your ideal reader, and why pre-orders may be hurting you instead of helping you. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how to avoid getting scammed by a vanity press, what new service NetGalley is adding to their lineup, what publishers look for when deciding which book to bet on, how BookBub’s new feature “related authors” could be beneficial to you, and where Kobo Plus is being launched next. Question of the Week: What is one five-minute task you could do to promote your book today? read more

Episode 328 – Finding Your Flow, Eastward Expansion, and Reader Farming

Posted on July 15, 2020July 14, 2020 by SMBS Team

How can you prioritize some long-term reader farming instead of only focusing on short-term reader hunting?

What are some ways that you can you prioritize some long-term reader farming instead of only focusing on short-term reader hunting? This week we have a great show for you! Don’t forget to leave us a review on Apple podcast. This week’s Super Charger Story Course Winner is Nalani Sheils. Thank you to our featured Patrons – Blogging for Authors, Shadow Raiders, and Guardian of the Grail. The Top Tips of the week include what myths you should know about publishing, how to find the perfect book cover just for you, and why practicing getting into states of focus is important. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what genre of print books are increasing in sales, why you should check out some of the newer ebook distributors, what new update is coming to the copyright process, why sustainable marketing is a lot like farming, and what new feature Facebook is launching for page owners that is similar to Patreon. Question of the Week: How can you prioritize some long-term reader farming instead of only focusing on short-term reader hunting? read more

Episode 327 – Publishing Pressure, Pandemic Print on Demand, and Trad Pub Not Paying

Posted on July 8, 2020July 7, 2020 by SMBS Team

What mental blocks do you think are holding you back from your upcoming projects and why do you think they’re having that affect?

We all have mental blocks, what are some that are holding you back from your upcoming projects and why are they having that effect? This week we have lots of great tips to share with you! Bryan’s Free 5-Day Amazon Ad Profit Challenge starts July 13th so make sure to check it out and H. Claire Taylor just released her last Jessica Christ book! This week’s Super Charger Story Course Winner is Kenesha W. Thank you to our featured Patrons – Sell More Books With Less Social Media, Nightblade, and Leaving Eva. The Top Tips of the week include what getting reviews on your book can do for you, why authors are upset with Lulu, and why a book launch includes marathons, sprints, and pounces. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include who has managed to become the fifth largest bookstore chain in the US, why Walmart pulled Kobo reader displays from it’s stores, how Ingram is keeping up with the surge of print-on-demand books, what advice Kristine Kathryn Rusch has for traditional authors, and how to keep up with everything you need to do as an author. Question of the Week: What mental blocks do you think are holding you back from your upcoming projects and why do you think they’re having that affect? read more

Episode 326 – Wide Wins, Knowing Your Readers, and Netflix is Calling

Posted on July 1, 2020June 30, 2020 by SMBS Team

At what point in your Sales Page/Amazon Listing do you think you’re losing your non-readers? What action do you think you should take to fix it? What was your process for coming to this conclusion?

At what point in your Sales Page/Amazon Listing do you think you’re losing your non-readers? What can you do to solve this problem? What was your process for coming to this conclusion? This week Bryan is getting ready for The Free 5-Day Amazon Ad Profit Challenge that starts July 13th. H. Claire Taylor also has some exciting things in the works for this summer, make sure to join her list. This week’s Super Charger Story Course Winner is Liz Alton. Thank you to our featured Patrons – Embracing the Magic, More than Monsters, and God and Gigs. The Top Tips of the week include what to do when thinking about going wide, where to submit your film ideas for Netflix, and why you should think about marketing your book first before anything else. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what is happening with The Internet Archives, why Apple is being targeted for their Apple tax, why Author Alexandra Duncan cancelled her own novel, what influences a reader to pick up their next book, and why you shouldn’t be afraid of going wide. Question of the Week: At what point in your Sales Page/Amazon Listing do you think you’re losing your non-readers? What action do you think you should take to fix it? What was your process for coming to this conclusion? read more

Episode 325 – Blind Spots, Crystal Balls, and Self-Help Success

Posted on June 24, 2020June 23, 2020 by SMBS Team

What’s one area of your publishing or marketing that’s fallen flat? How can you change your course of action to improve it?

Do you have an area of your publishing or marketing that’s fallen flat? What can you do to change your course of action to improve it? This week Bryan is joined by MM romance author Quinn Ward. Don’t forget to leave a review on the show! This week’s Super Charger Story Course Winner is Margaret McGriff. Thank you to our featured Patrons – The Secret Blush, Gone, and What Sells Books. The Top Tips of the week include how to stop social media from distracting your writing time, what to know about a new survey from bookcareers.com, and tips for proofreading your own writing. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what marketing tips you should know, what Barnes & Noble has to say about e-books, how self-help author Marc Reklau went from $800 per month to over $35,000, how the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to affect the business of publishing, and why indie authors are changing the publishing industry. Question of the Week: What’s one area of your publishing or marketing that’s fallen flat? How can you change your course of action to improve it? read more

Episode 324 – Email Marketing, Amazon Branding, and Smitten Story Writing

Posted on June 17, 2020June 16, 2020 by SMBS Team

What’s one activity you could do regularly that would grow your email list by 10% in the next 30 days?

We talked about growing our email list, what’s one activity you could do regularly grow your list by 10% in the next 30 days? This Thursday is Bryan’s Blurb Webinar make sure to check it out at the link below and H. Claire Taylor is releasing the third book of her Kilhaven Police series! This week’s Super Charger Story Course Winner is Lisa M. Lilly. Thank you to our featured Patrons – Cowgirl, Unexpectedly, A Dragon among the Eagles: A Novel of the Roman Empire, and The Ten-Year Turnaround. The Top Tips of the week include what to know about using someone else email newsletter, why to consider using a sensitivity reader, and where to find tools for outlining your novel. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include how writing a novel is a lot like a romance, what vanity press is according to ALLi’s John Doppler, how to market your audiobook, what you need to know about Amazon’s branding, and how to get the most out of email lists. Question of the Week: What’s one activity you could do regularly that would grow your email list by 10% in the next 30 days? read more

Episode 323 – Pay What You Want, Industry Changes, and a “Good” ROI

Posted on June 10, 2020June 9, 2020 by SMBS Team

What’s one opportunity you can employ for you to earn more than the usual $2.99 from your biggest fans?

What’s one opportunity you can employ for you to earn more than the usual $2.99 from your biggest fans? This week Bryan is back and getting ready for a live Book Description Demo next week while H. Claire Taylor is getting back into the swing of things and finishing up her last Jessica Christ book! Remember that she is still offering a 20% discount on her story alignment course when you use the code SMBS. This week’s Super Charger Story Course Winner is Kelsie Stelting. Thank you to our featured Patrons – Wanderer’s Escape, Unfrozen, and Hypercage. The Top Tips of the week include what kind of personality do you have according to mystery author Greta Boris’ quiz, what to know about SEO, and where to find free educational opportunities. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what to know before writing a book with a friend, why you should do some homework and math before deciding where to publish, how thinking of your writing like a business will set you up for success, what advice author Jenny Madore is giving us, and how the publishing world could be changing. Question of the Week: What’s one opportunity you can employ for you to earn more than the usual $2.99 from your biggest fans? read more

Episode 322: Sales Drives, Tarot, and Blurb Keywords

Posted on June 3, 2020June 2, 2020 by SMBS Team

After reading about how to use keywords and key phrases in your book description, what’s the first step you’re going to take toward optimization?

After listening to the discussion about how to use keywords and key phrases in your book description, what’s the first step you’re going to take toward optimization? This week H. Claire Taylor is joined by Monica Leonelle be sure to check out her series The Productive Novelist. H. Claire Taylor is still offering a 20% discount on her story alignment course when you use the code SMBS. This week’s Super Charger Story Course Winner is Christopher Wills. Thank you to our featured Patrons – The Cordova Vector, The Thing Speaks for Itself, and Kick Author Overwhelm to The Curb. The Top Tips of the week include what words you should be adding to your blurb, what new feature IngramSpark is offering, and how to successfully enter into a collaboration. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include what genre is rising in sales, why Internet Archive is facing some serious trouble, what four types of books are we seeing a surge in, how to use Kobo’s cost-per-click to distribute your book, and how author RJ Blain upped her typical sales by over $30,000 in less than one month. Question of the Week: After reading about how to use keywords and key phrases in your book description, what’s the first step you’re going to take toward optimization? read more

Episode 321: The End of RITA, Kobo Plus Canada, and Facebook Shops

Posted on May 27, 2020May 26, 2020 by SMBS Team

If you ran an awards show for your genre, what would you call it and why?

You are running an awards show for your genre, what would you call it and why? This week Bryan is having a FB Ads Webinar with Alana Terry and H. Claire Taylor is getting back into her writing groove! Don’t forget to leave a podcast review. This week’s Super Charger Story Course Winner is Kori D. Miller. Thank you to our featured Patrons – What Am I?: A Collection of Traditional Word Riddles – Deluxe Edition, Ships of My Fathers, and Somebody’s Darling. The Top Tips of the week include what to know when it comes to pricing your books, why you should be asking questions before writing a guest blog, and how many words should you be writing. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include whats going on with Wolf-Kink Erotica, why self-help books are doing so well right now, how you now have the opportunity to sell your books on Instagram and Facebook, why to get yourself ready for Kobo, and why the RWA has retired their RITA award. Question of the Week: If you ran an awards show for your genre, what would you call it and why? read more

Episode 320: The Great Audiobook Wars, Series Page Promotion, and Free Ads

Posted on May 20, 2020May 19, 2020 by SMBS Team

Will you try out the Series Page promo idea we discussed during the show? How might you incorporate this into your promo schedule and how well do you think it would perform for you?

In the show we covered Series Page promo ideas, will you be trying them out? Would this preform well for you? How might you incorporate this into your promo schedule? This week Bryan is offering a special discount on his course that expires 5/20 and H. Claire Taylor is giving us a pro tip so make sure to listen for it at the end.This week’s Super Charger Story Course Winner is J Bennett. Thank you to our featured Patrons – Dad’s Girls, Vanguard: The Complete First Season, and 31 Days of Wisdom. The Top Tips of the week include how Joanna Penn edits, what programming tools you need to look into, and why you should add more categories to your book. This week we have an honorable mention and that is I Will Survive. The 5 News stories that matter most to indies this week include why ebook and audio sales are seeing a dramatic increase, what World Media is doing to support authors, why do over 80% of authors quit within 3 books, why you should be marketing your series page instead, and how BookBub is allowing you to customize your ad campaign. Question of the Week: Will you try out the Series Page promo idea we discussed during the show? How might you incorporate this into your promo schedule and how well do you think it would perform for you? read more

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