Author Resources

Websites and Resources

For Authors Only

The below sites are designed for authors to help promote their books, collect email addresses from readers to add to a mailing list and to help them set up newsletters:

https://storyoriginapp.com/pricing

https://mailchimp.com/

https://www.booksweeps.com/authors/

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You will also need a reader magnet, which brings us to the next tool. 

https://calibre-ebook.com/download

A reader magnet is a free book or short story that you can use to offer to readers that sign up on your list.  This can also be the first chapter or two of a novel in order to pull them in and make them want to buy the book to read the rest.  You can use the free program, Calibre, to format a reader magnet. It only takes a few minutes to set up. 

https://www.freebooksy.com/

Free Booksys- you can place an Ad on here for a targeted promotion that goes to a massive audience of readers that will download your book. Your book must be free for the day of the download. There is also a bargain newsletter they run, that you can place an ad for, and your book has to be on sale, must be $5.00 or less. 

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https://allauthor.com/

Try out this site too, join up as a new author.  Set up a profile page.  Set up a profile page on any free author site that you can. They also have a nice graphic media tool that allows you to create professional Ad's for your books in seconds to post on Instagram or Facebook.

Where to submit?

https://authorspublish.com/weekly-monthly-newsletters-for-writers/

If you sign up for this newsletter, you will receive emails with lists of open calls from across the writing market. Many writers often cross over into other genre's, don't be afraid to submit to other genres or poetry markets, if you dabble in verse.

Look for Open Calls being posted in the author groups on Facebook. I see calls being posted daily. Take a chance and submit!

Horror Podcasts-submit to the many great horror podcasts out there, such as Creepy, the NoSleep Podcast and Chilling Tales for Dark Nights, just to name a few favorites. Make sure to follow the submission guidelines for each. 

Reviews-How to get them?

Browse the online reviewers, see who is new, send inquiries to see if you can get some new reviewers to review your books. Be sure to browse their site first. Find out what they read and what they do not read. Find out their current backlog and how they prefer to be contacted. Reviewers fill up months in advance; be mindful of this and be patient.   

There should NOT be a charge for a book review, from anyone!  If they say that there is a fee, move on. Paid reviews are NOT ETHICAL REVIEWS. 

Getting reviews takes time, but with proper marketing and promoting, you will get all the reviews you can handle. 

Other things to consider:

• A re-launch party: get a website up and running, refresh your online presence, and build some hype up around your books. 

• Try having new covers made; that can go a long way towards refreshing interest.

• Do cover reveals for the new covers.  

• Make sure to post your favorite reviews for your books. Let new readers see what your current fans are saying. (Black out the reviewer's name unless you have permission).

• Get involved in author groups that offer help and insight. There is always room to improve writing skills. 

• Network! Network! Network!

• Keep it Professional! YOU are your brand. Everything you say and do online reflects your brand. 

Promoting/Marketing Courses:

David Gaughran Free courses- Great Writer! Tons of free courses about how to promote and market your book. Sign up for his course, sign up for his newsletter.  There is a ton to learn from him and it's mostly all free. 

https://courses.davidgaughran.com/courses/starting-from-zero