Hello Friends,
how was your first month of the year? An inspiring, successful, and happy January?
No matter if you are buried in snow, or already seeing spring flowers, you might be busy writing your next novel. But what comes when you are finished? Here are some tips on how you can promote it to readers - without spending any money:
- GET a FREE UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK
- CREATE IMPRESSIVE VIDEOS
- FINALLY… AFTER ALMOST 25 YEARS
- FREELANCE WRITING
- WRITING CONTESTS & AWARDS
- RESIDENCY, GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS
- BOOK REVIEWERS
GET a FREE UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK
for example: https://www.books2read.com/u/mZ5gdp
With Books2Read Universal Links, authors can share one easy link for a new book, and readers worldwide are able to find it at their preferred store.
Even if you don’t distribute via Draft2Digital, you can use their FREE universal book linker:
https://www.Books2read.com. It links your books to Amazon, Apple iBooks, Kobo, B&N Nook, Google Play, ScribD, 24Symbols, Thalia, Inktera, Smashwords, Baja LIbros, Playster, Blio, Bookmate, Browns Books for Students, Casa del Libro, Family Christian, Hive, Buch.de, BOL.de, DriveThruFiction, Indigo, Angus & Robertson, Bücher.de, FNAC, Hugendubel, Libris, Livraria Cultura, Mondadori, Rakuten, WHSmith, BOL.com, Eason, eBook.de, Gandhi.mx, LaFeltrinelli, Overdrive etc.
CREATE IMPRESSIVE VIDEOS
The Web – and the whole world – has gone video - and book trailers. And so are you! Online video is a huge phenomenon and an extraordinary channel of content marketing possibilities, perfect for reaching visitors, clients or readers. Where to List Your Video:
Social Media sharing sites like YouTube, AOL Video, and Yahoo Video allow users to upload videos directly. Did you upload your video/book trailer already to: Amazon, Vimeo, Patreon, Twitter, Goodreads, etc.?
Excerpt From: ‘111 Tips to Create Impressive Videos’ where you will find all the direct links to these websites, plus insider tips and advice on how to monetize your videos.
https://www.books2read.com/u/3GYnpa
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BYDH41S/
FINALLY… AFTER ALMOST 25 YEARS:
AMAZON improves book descriptions. Who would have thought they will ever get around to do something for their suppliers (aka authors)? Here are the ‘breaking news’…
Bring your book descriptions to the next level
Amazon's new text editor provides options for formatting your book description and previewing it before publishing.
You can now bold, italicize, underline, create numbered and bulleted lists, and add heading styles to make your book description even more compelling for readers. The new editor can be found on the book details page in your title setup.
A+ Content lets you add images, text, and tables to your detail page to help you:
Drive conversions. Readers have all they need in one place to make a buying decision.
Increase sales. Improve performance of Ads, Deals, and promotions with more visually engaging detail pages.
Build a customer base. Encourage repeat purchases by sharing more about you and your books.
Upgrade your detail pages with a new book description or A+ Content!
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FREELANCE WRITING
Texas Monthly
It’s a website and print magazine and home to original, deeply reported stories that illuminate every aspect of Texas life. Favorite topics include Texas politics and policy, business and entrepreneurship, the environment, energy, criminal justice, immigration, education, and race. They also include travel; fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities; food and drink; and arts and culture. We value great storytelling, humor, vivid characters, context, and perspective. Pays 50 cents/word for web and $1/word for print.
https://www.texasmonthly.com/about/story-submissions/
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Chicken Soup for the Soul
Holiday Memories and Traditions: The rituals of the holiday season give a rhythm to the years and create a foundation for our lives, as we gather with family, with our communities at church, at school, to share the special spirit of the season, brightening those long winter days. Please share your special stories about the holiday season with us. Limit 1,200 words. Pays $200 and 10 copies. Deadline May 30. https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/story-guidelines
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Down East
Everything they publish is directly related to the state of Maine — its culture, history, personalities, destinations, current events, and more. Submissions can be sent to editorial@downeast.com or to our individual editors. They prefer to receive pitches and submissions by email. Payment is between $.60/word and $.75/word, or $400 for ‘My Maine’ essays. https://downeast.com/guidelines/
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Capital B
Capital B combines national investigative reporting, local civic journalism, and community engagement to deliver the news and information Black people need right now. Starting in Atlanta, Capital B will open newsrooms in Black communities across the country. Starting rate for the standard enterprise story is $450—higher for experienced reporters or longer features. https://www.capitalbnews.org/
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Cosmopolitan
Looking for personal essays, reported pieces, and cultural criticism for the opinion section. Rates $250-$350 and can scale up depending on the scope and requirements of each piece. Ideal word count typically ranges between 600-900 words. Send an email to patrice.peck@hearst.com. In the subject line, write PITCH: [A Possible Headline For Your Piece]. Write two to three lines about you and your writing and include links to your portfolio and/or writing clips, your most recent and your best. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/
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Bookfox
seeking freelance writers to help fiction authors. You will write blog posts with advice about the writing life or craft of writing. Payment is $200 – $400 per post, depending on length and research. Posts range from 2,000 words to 4,000 words.
https://thejohnfox.com/write-for-bookfox/
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WRITING CONTESTS & AWARDS
RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers
Candidates must be: A Canadian citizen or permanent resident; Under the age of 35; Unpublished in book form and without a book contract. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Prizes: Up to C$10,000. Deadline: Feb 14
https://www.writerstrust.com/awards/rbc-bronwen-wallace-award-for-emerging-writers/
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CAAPP Book Prize
Open to writers of African descent. Genre: First or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African and African diasporic experience. The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: Feb 15
https://www.autumnhouse.org/submissions/caapp-book-prize/
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Governor General's Literary Awards
Books must have been written or translated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They do not need to be residing in Canada. Genre: The Governor General’s Literary Awards are given annually to the best English-language and the best French-language book in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature (Text), Young People’s Literature (Illustrated Books) and Translation (from French to English).
Prize: $25,000. Deadline: February 15, 2022.
https://canadacouncil.ca/funding/prizes/governor-generals-literary-awards/guidelines-governor-generals-literary-awards
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RESIDENCY, GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS
Alabama State Council on the Arts
Fellowships recognize Alabama’s artists and arts educators and provide support for the creative growth of an individual’s career. These $5,000 grants are awarded based on evaluation of work samples from the past five years that are submitted with the application. Applicants are required to have been a resident of Alabama for two years and remain a resident of the state for the duration of the fiscal year for which they are a grantee.
Deadline March 1
https://arts.alabama.gov/PDF/Guidelines/ASCA_GrantGuidelines_FY2023.pdf
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Jack Kerouac Residency - Florida
The Kerouac Project provides four residencies a year to writers of any stripe or age, living anywhere in the world. Each residency consists of approximately a three-month stay in the cottage where Jack Kerouac wrote his novel Dharma Bums. Utilities and a food stipend of $1,000 are included.
https://www.kerouacproject.org/submissions/
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Here is a video to motivate your pleasure in writing by Jack Canfield, founder of the “Chicken Soup” series. http://www.bestsellerblueprint.com/how-to-write-a-book/
Another great book to get ideas “How to Make More Money with Writing’’ might inspire you too:
The Art of Making a Living Full-time Writing - An Essential Guide for More Income as Freelancer
https://books2read.com/u/bWZMjz
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1988664187
BOOK REVIEWERS
How do you do find the book reviewers to help you get the word out? Well, we’ve got some suggestions for you:
1. Do your research
Only contact reviewers who are interested in reviewing the type of books you have written.
2. Read their review policy
Do they only want e-books or printed books? What genres are they currently interested in reading? Are they currently accepting new books for review? Check out their rules, and follow them.
3. Write a personalized email to the potential reviewer
No one likes to get a form letter or spam. Use a salutation, and their name – not just “Hi” or “Dear reviewer,” but rather, “Dear Jane Smith” or at least “Dear Jane.” If there’s no personal name listed, use their username.
Read more:
https://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/publishing/10-ways-to-find-reviewers-for-your-self-published-book
Have a wonderful February and enjoy writing and making plans for new books. “Although February is short, it is filled with growing sun, lots of love, and sweet surprises”. Enjoy the many holidays this month: Groundhog Day, Super Bowl, Rosa Parks Day, Chinese New Year, Lincoln's Birthday, Valentine's Day, Presidents' Day.
Don’t forget to visit my Author Page here:
https://books2read.com/ap/n4EYY8/Doris-Maria-Heilmann
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