Novel Marketing

Your Author Toolbox: Part 2

Do you ever wish you had a team of writing, publishing, or marketing professionals to consult? Do you wish you had an assistant to help with the business and marketing side of writing?What if you could have both for less than the cost of a couple of lattes?In this week’s episode, you’ll hear about the newest additions to the Novel Marketing Patron Toolbox, a growing suite of practical tools designed specifically for authors like you.Inside this episode, you’ll discover:New editing tools that can help you at each stage of the editing processNew business tools to help you create an overall strategy and analyze resultsNew book promotion tools to help you connect with new readersAnd many moreWhether you’re producing an audiobook, building a fictional world, planning classroom resources, or have questions for an agent or a CPA, these tools are designed to save you time, sharpen your strategy, and give you a head start before working with real human professionals.Listen in or read the blog version to learn more.Support the show

How to Become a Professional Writer With Joanna Penn

Is your writing a hobby or a profession? The answer to that question changes everything.Many authors claim to be professionals but act like hobbyists. They write what they want instead of what readers will pay for. They try to fit a finished book into a genre instead of studying the genre first. They publish without a marketing plan or budget and are shocked by low sales and few reviews.They expect professional results from a hobbyist approach.If that sounds familiar, there’s good news. You can choose the professional path.In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from author and podcaster Joanna Penn, who hosts the longest-running indie publishing podcast.You’ll discover:How to build a sustainable author career in an era of AIWhich marketing activities you should choose and which to ignoreBusiness principles that apply to your writing careerHow to use AI to do the business tasks you dislike so you have more time for creativity and storytellingTo learn how to build a sustainable author business in an era of rapid change, listen in or read the blog version.Support the show

Why Your Book Isn’t Selling: Metadata

If your book isn’t selling, it may not be your writing.It may be your metadata.In this week’s episode of the Novel Marketing Podcast, you’ll hear from Dave Chesson, creator of Publisher Rocket, and learn about the hidden engine behind book sales on Amazon.Even if your book is well-written and professionally edited, Amazon doesn’t read your book. It reads your metadata. And if your metadata is unclear, inconsistent, or confusing, Amazon won’t show your book to readers, even if it’s amazing.In this episode you’ll learn:What your book’s metadata isWhere you can manage it (and make it most effective!)How to include the most effective elements and language in your metadataAnd common metadata mistakes to avoidIf you want your book to show up in search results, convert better when readers click, and avoid the dark recesses of the “miscellaneous shelf,” listen in or read the blog version.Support the show

How to Format a Book with Vellum

Many authors assume book formatting is complicated, expensive, or something only professionals can handle.In ​this week’s episode​, I talk with Bryan Canter about why that assumption is outdated, and how tools like Vellum have changed what authors can do. If you’ve ever wondered whether you need to pay a pro or learn to format your book’s interior yourself, this conversation will give you clarity.In this episode, you’ll discover:When you should format the book or reader magnet and when you should hire a proHow Vellum can prevent common design mistakesHow you can update back matter, fix typos, add reader magnets as needed​Listen to the episode​ or ​read the blog version​ to see how Vellum can save you money, time, and headache when formatting your next book or reader magnet.Support the show

How Authors Can Stay out of Tax Jail

American Taxes, pay too little and you go to jail. Pay too much and you lose the money you need to reach more readers with advertising and promotion.  If your records feel like a mess of Amazon deposits, Ingram payments, Kickstarter funds, affiliate income, coaching fees and dozens of random expenses you’re not alone. In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from a CPA who works specifically with authors, about how to handle bookkeeping and taxes with confidence. Seth Norris welcome to the Novel Marketing Podcast!You’ll learn:A simple bookkeeping rhythm that prevents tax-time chaos.How the IRS decides if your writing is a business or a hobby.The most common mistake that costs authors the most money.Discover how to simplify your approach and how to avoid paying more taxes than you actually owe.If you want to keep more money for advertising, marketing, or feeding your family, stop treating taxes like a deadline of doom. Instead, listen in or read the blog version.Support the show