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Novel Marketing

Literature

The longest-running book marketing podcast in the world. This is the show for writers who want to build their platform, sell more books, and change the world with writing worth talking about. Whether you self publish or are with a traditional house, this podcast will make book promotion fun and easy. Thomas Umstattd Jr. interviews publishers, indie authors, and bestselling traditional authors about how to get published and sell more books.

Location:

Austin, TX

Description:

The longest-running book marketing podcast in the world. This is the show for writers who want to build their platform, sell more books, and change the world with writing worth talking about. Whether you self publish or are with a traditional house, this podcast will make book promotion fun and easy. Thomas Umstattd Jr. interviews publishers, indie authors, and bestselling traditional authors about how to get published and sell more books.

Language:

English


Episodes

How to use Reedsy to Independently Publish Your Book

3/13/2024
The term "self-publishing" doesn't mean that you sit in a cabin in the woods all by yourself and emerge with a published book as if you'd done it all singlehandedly. It's rare to find one person who has all the skills required to turn an idea into a physical book. We need cover designers, formatters, web designers, assistants, and more. You might be self-publishing, but you will need some help. But what if you don't know anyone who can help? Where can you find skilled professionals who can produce the high-quality work your book deserves? I asked Ricardo Fayet, the cofounder of Reedsy, a curated community of book professionals In this week's episode, you'll learn Listen in to discover how Reedsy can help indie and traditional authors create beautiful, compelling, and marketable books, and find all the related links in the blog version. Support the show

Duration:00:43:04

Book Launch Secrets

3/6/2024
This year marks the end of an era. The Book Launch Blueprint is entering its seventh and final year. Since we began offering it in 2018, it has been one of our most popular courses. Launching a book is one strategy that works well for indie and traditional as well as fiction and nonfiction. But why is a book launch so important? In this week’s episode, you’ll discover Registration for the final cohort of the Book Launch Blueprint course is now open. Listen in to learn a few book launch secrets and get an overview of the course, or check out the blog version of this episode. Support the show

Duration:00:49:42

How to Publish on a Budget

2/28/2024
How much money does it cost to become a professional author? Any profession will cost you when you're just getting started. If you're broke, I recommend listening to my episode titled The Starving Author: How to Market Books Without Money. Assuming you have some money, you need a spending plan. But how much money do you need to budget for the first five years of your writing career? I asked Kent Sanders, host of The Profitable Writer Podcast and founder of the Profitable Writer Community, a membership group that serves writers and helps them become more profitable. In this week's episode, you'll learn Listen to the podcast or read the blog version, and be sure to ask your questions and leave your comments on AuthorMedia.social. Support the show

Duration:00:34:48

How to Write Emails That Readers Want to Read

2/21/2024
Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools for connecting with readers and selling books. Obviously, you want a lot of email subscribers, but it doesn't matter how many subscribers you have if they don't open and read your emails. How do you craft the kind of emails that capture your reader's attention and help you sell more books? In this week's episode, you'll learn If you don't yet have your first 1,000 newsletter subscribers, listen in, and you'll be on your way to 1,000 subscribers. Be sure to check out the blog version for a long list of links related to growing your email list. Support the show

Duration:00:26:23

How to Build a Tribe Online And Form a Community of Readers

2/14/2024
A few years ago, the popular buzzword in the author world was "tribe." Building a tribe of readers was seen as the key to success. Reader relationships are still important for authors, so why did the term "tribe" go out of fashion? Having a tribe of readers is still an incredible asset that will help you sell your books and raise your profile amongst readers, but you need to know how and where to build a tribe if you want it to grow. In this week's episode, you'll learn: If you've been wondering how to listen to your Timothy or eavesdrop on a conversation between several of your target readers, listen in to find out how and where to build your tribe or check out the blog version of this episode. Support the show

Duration:00:44:58

How to Market With No Money

2/7/2024
Two authors recently asked me the same question: “What should I do if I have no money for book marketing?" It’s a question that requires exploration and evaluation. If you have the same question, you may be at a crossroads. You have two options if you want to write but have no money for marketing. In this week’s episode, we’ll examine the two paths forward from the no-money conundrum. You’ll discover If you feel stuck because you want to write but you have no money to fund your writing, listen in and discover your next steps forward, and be sure to check out the blog version with all the links and articles I reference. Support the show

Duration:00:25:21

When to Quit

1/24/2024
Are you thinking about quitting publishing or writing? You started full of energy and optimism, but it has been a hard road, and you feel tired. Should you quit? My answer may surprise you. Maybe you should. Publishing is an industry where almost everyone has a financial incentive to see you keep going. People in the publishing industry don’t earn money if you quit. But there is a lot of money to be made by telling writers exactly what they want to hear: “You will be the next bestseller and hottest thing in publishing!! Just keep paying for coaching, edits, covers, and conferences! Eventually, you will be a star!” Writing will cost you time and money. How do you decide if it’s time to quit or keep going? Only a handful of writers die at their keyboards, which means we all quit eventually. But how do you know if it’s time? In this week’s episode, you’ll answer five clarifying questions to help you know whether it’s time to press on or bow out. You’ll learn: Listen in or check out the blog post to answer these five clarifying questions that will guide your decision. Support the show

Duration:00:22:30

From Page to Screen: How to Adapt your Novel into a Screenplay

1/17/2024
Do you long to see your story on the big screen? If so, I have good news. Every streaming platform is desperate for new content to give them the edge in the ongoing streaming wars, and traditional TV stations and movie companies are as prolific as ever. Even radio stations and theaters are looking for new content. But how do you turn a 100,000-word novel, which would be a 12-hour audiobook, into a two-hour movie? Is that even possible? Where do you begin? Few things boost a book's sales like a giant Hollywood marketing campaign for the movie based on a book. But how do you turn your book into a screenplay? I asked Charles Harris in this week's episode. He's a bestselling author and award-winning director who's helped hundreds of authors turn their novels into screenplays. You'll discover Listen in or check out the blog post to discover the important differences between writing for the page and the screen and find out how to turn your novel into a screenplay. Support the show

Duration:00:36:44

Chrome Extensions Every Author Needs in 2024

1/10/2024
Google Chrome is the most popular web browser, but if you're just using basic Chrome, you're missing out on some amazing time-saving tools and assistance. Wouldn't it be great if you had an assistant who could correct a typo in your email before you hit send? How much time would you save if you didn't have to think of a new password for every account? Would you get fewer headaches if you didn't have to scroll past obnoxious ads as you research? Chrome extensions are tools that can help solve all of those problems! They can make you more productive, improve your writing, and give you more time to write. But with more than 137,000 Chrome extensions available, how do you know which will be best for you? In this week's episode, I'll recommend six specific Chrome extensions every author needs in 2024. If Chrome isn't your default browser, don't worry. Other browsers offer many of the same extensions. Listen in and find out how you can leverage these tools to save time, reduce stress, and give you more time to write. Check out the blog version here. Support the show

Duration:00:14:15

Publishing Industry Secrets Revealed at the Penguin Random House Trial

1/2/2024
For those outside the publishing industry, the inner workings of the industry are wrapped in mystery. In secretive industries, information is typically leaked through hacks, whistleblowers, and court cases. Cases involving big publishers rarely go to trial because big companies dislike having their secrets publicized. But when one of the largest publishers in the history of publishing was taken to court by the Department of Justice, we got a rare peek behind the scenes. Some of the best journalistic coverage of the DOJ v. PRH case came from Jane Friedman’s Hot Sheet newsletter, and in this week’s episode, I interviewed Jane Friedman about the trial and what we learned. You’ll find out Listen in or check out the blog post for insight into traditional publishing secrets, challenges, and methods. Support the show

Duration:00:43:18

How to Write for American Readers - An Outsider’s Guide to the Different American Regional Cultures

12/13/2023
Did you know that one in five Novel Marketing listeners lives outside the United States? Authors living overseas view America as the land of plenty because there are so many American readers. However, foreign authors often struggle to sell their books in America. Why? These United States are made up of 11 ethno-geographic regions, each with its own culture. Your book will resonate with one region more than others, but how do you find out where it will sell? In this week’s episode, which will be our last episode of 2023, you'll learn about the vast differences between the 11 American nations, as categorized by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations. You’ll find out Knowing how Americans are different from each other culturally can help you craft more interesting and believable American characters. It is also key to crafting marketing messages that resonate with American buyers. The key to writing for American readers is to know which readers you are trying to reach. If you aim between two targets, you will miss them both. Listen in so you can target readers from the region where your book will resonate most. Read more in the blog post version of this episode. Support the show

Duration:01:06:39

Five Plugins Every Author Website Needs in 2024

12/6/2023
Most authors build their websites on WordPress, partly because of its powerful and enormous plugin repository. A plugin is like an app for your website. Each of WordPress’s nearly 60,000 plugins can add specific functionality to your website. But how do you know which ones you need and which to avoid? In this week’s episode, you’ll learn If you’ve been overwhelmed by the number of plugins available or haven’t yet added any to your website, listen in to find out where to start and which ones you need. Read more at the blog version of this episode. Support the show

Duration:00:31:27

How to Publish Your Book as an Audiobook With Scott Sigler

11/29/2023
For the last 11 years, audiobooks have seen double-digit sales growth year over year. The audiobook market is now $1.8 billion. That means audiobooks are no longer an optional, nice-to-have feature when you launch your book. But how do you make an audiobook? Should you read it yourself or hire a narrator? In this week’s episode, Scott Sigler walks us through the steps of turning your book into an audiobook, and you’ll discover you have several good options. You’ll learn how to Whether you’re in the beginning stages of writing your manuscript or a few months from launch, you’ll want to listen in to find out how offering an audiobook can validate the quality of your book and increase your sales in all formats. Read more in the blog version of this episode. Support the show

Duration:00:40:00

Time Saving Tools for Authors

11/22/2023
When I was in college, I experimented with cooking Asian food, but my stovetop-cooked rice never tasted very good. Then, one of my Asian friends introduced me to the right tool for the job: a rice cooker. Its only function was to perfectly cook rice, and it worked every time. While I never got good at cooking Asian food, I always had great rice because I had the right tool for the job. When we're cooking up books, many of us waste time doing things the hard way because we don't have the right tools for the job. But it's hard to find the right tool if you don't know it exists. In this week's episode, I am the guest! Derek Doepker interviewed me about tools that make writing and marketing easier. The interview first aired on the Bestseller Secrets Summit, and Derek kindly agreed to let me share a portion of that interview on Novel Marketing. You'll discover must If you're losing time or simply want to fine-tune your writing systems, listen in or read the blog version about these time-saving tools for authors. Support the show

Duration:00:36:20

How to Successfully Self Publish Your Book in 2023 with James Blatch

11/15/2023
So you're thinking about self-publishing a book. You've heard self-published authors can make more money, control the content and design, and have better access to marketing data. But self-publishing a book can be daunting. There are so many factors involved: writing, editing, formatting, finding a cover designer, uploading to Amazon, setting up a sales page, and promoting your book. Self-publishing, also known as indie publishing, is not for the faint of heart. But sometimes the overwhelm comes from not understanding how the process works. In this week's episode, we remove some of the overwhelm by talking with James Blatch, who has been helping authors self-publish for years. You'll learn Listen in and learn the seven critical steps to successfully self-publishing your book, and find out how to excel at each step of the process. Read the blog version here. Support the show

Duration:00:43:07

Black Friday Book Promotion Tips for Authors

11/8/2023
Eight tips and three warnings to help you make the most of your Black Friday book promotion and marketing plan. The post Black Friday Book Promotion Tips for Authors appeared first on Author Media.

Duration:00:20:29

Black Friday Promo Tips for Authors

11/8/2023
Black Friday marketing phenomenon is an opportunity, but it's also a threat. In this week's episode, I share some powerful tips to supercharge your book sales! You'll learn Black Friday isn't technically a holiday, but you can still maximize your book sales while readers are in the buying mood. Click here to read the blog version. Support the show

Duration:00:20:28

How to Protect Your Writing From Reputation Theft

11/1/2023
Learn how to protect your writing from copyright infringement and which legal tools help you deal with AI-generated fraudulent versions of your books. The post How to Protect Your Writing From Reputation Theft appeared first on Author Media.

Duration:00:33:48

How to Protect Your Writing From Reputation Theft

11/1/2023
There is a new scam targeting authors. An enterprising scammer can use AI to write a book similar to your writing style. They can use an AI-generated cover similar to yours, and publish the book with a pen name that also happens to be yours. Sometimes, Amazon even puts this fraudulent book in your Author Central account so customers see the AI book you didn’t write listed with the books you did write. The crazy thing about this attack is that it might not be illegal. It is such a new type of attack that there is no name for it yet. But in this week’s episode, I will call it “reputation theft.” Reputation theft is where someone you don’t know uses your name and style to sell their own books. How do you protect yourself from reputation theft? How do you navigate the many legal dilemmas authors face in this age of AI-assisted writing? I invited literary lawyer Lloyd Jassin to guide us through this legal forest. He’s a publishing insider who tells us. Listen in and learn how to protect your writing from copyright infringement and which legal tools can help you deal with AI-generated fraudulent versions of your books. Read more... Support the show

Duration:00:33:48

Book Marketing 101: Price

10/25/2023
Learn how book pricing impacts sales and discover 14 strategies for finding the optimum price for your new or backlist books. The post Book Marketing 101: Price appeared first on Author Media.

Duration:00:35:32