Tips for Enhancing Your Author Headshot and Visual Branding
By Russell Climie, Tiberius Images You’re an expert with a new book or program and wondering what photos you need when it comes to publicity. Or perhaps you’re wondering what image you should use for your headshot. For the last 20 years, I have worked as a photographer in helping clients create collections of images […]
Behind-the-Scenes of Producing a Podcast with Traci DeForge
What do you do in your role and how does it help authors and experts? Produce Your Podcast is a full service production, marketing, and distribution agency. We basically help specifically business owners, coaches, consultants, or authors, launch a podcast. Once the podcast is launched, we have all different types of services that help you […]
Expanding Your Audience with Multiple Editions
By Astra Crompton, FriesenPress When authors think of publishing a book, they usually think of a physical copy they can hold in their hands — but is that paperback or hardcover? Then again, the size of the eBook reader market is almost as large as the physical book market. And then audiobooks are the fastest […]
Recap the 2024 U.S. Book Show with Smith Publicity
Publishing vs. the Rest of the Industry It was great to see so many differences between the publishing world and other areas of expertise. For example, publishing and the world in general moved forward with technology post Covid, but at the show I saw a return to simpler forms of communication. I know we use […]
Three Critical Ingredients Your Book Marketing Strategy Needs for Long-Term Impact
By Elizabeth Marshall Over the past 20 years, the publishing landscape has evolved dramatically. Tactics and trends have come and gone, only to return in new forms. New factors, such as AI, have created significant disruption. As a result, it’s easy to feel confused about which strategies to follow. Despite all the changes, some things […]
New Podcast Episode: Integrating Business and Author Brands with Jack Murtha
What is the difference between a business brand and an author brand? To do a business brand in the right way, you really have to start with their customers, specifically, their target consumers. Who are they? What are the problems that they’re facing? What matters to them? Then you consider what you offer that target […]
Smith Myth: 3 Myths about Book Promotion
By Olivia McCoy As an author you are constantly exposed to expert advice—“Do this! Don’t do that!”—especially from other authors. You may have a friend, family member, or colleague who successfully published a book years ago deciding to offer you some sage advice, but we caution you to take everything with a grain of salt. […]
New Podcast Episode: The Resurgence of Indie Bookstores with Bookshop.org’s Steph Opitz
What is Bookshop.org? Bookshop.org is an ecommerce space that helps independent bookstores compete against Amazon. We work with a bunch of different bookstores, over 2k throughout the country, but we also work with individuals, book influencers, and affiliates of all kinds. We really help support authors selling their books online and get people away from […]
Smith Myth: 4 Myths about Self-Publishing
By Andrea Kiliany Thatcher In the often opaque and labyrinthian publishing world, self-publishing emerged as a beacon of creative autonomy. It offered authors the keys to unlocking their literary destinies. But amidst this shimmering promise, lurk shadows of misconceptions that often obscure the path to success. As aspiring self-published authors, it’s crucial to navigate through […]
New Podcast Episode: Discussing the Indie Author Landscape with Amy Edelman
What defines an “indie author”? Well, we say small press, hybrid, and self-published authors are indie authors. Any author who is not traditionally published. What are some stigmas associated with being an independent author? I have to say it’s changed a lot in 15 years. Originally, when I started IndieReader, there was a distinct separation […]