Why Authors Need a Headshot for Book Marketing
It’s common for authors to ask their book marketing agencies why they need headshots. At Smith Publicity, we hear the question often and have asked professional photographer Dave Pidgeon to help explain the value of having one. Like us, he has learned an author’s photograph is an essential communication tool for book promotion and an […]
Does BookTube Help Promote Books Effectively?
By Hope Holroyd, Publicity Assistant Is BookTube valuable to book marketing? It’s a question on the minds of many authors and publishers who have heard success stories about promoting books on BookTube. First off, what is it? BookTube is a subset of the YouTube Community providing book-specific content from numerous creators. Since it began around […]
4 Tips for Book Club Outreach, Book Publicity, and Marketing
by Sandy Smith, President, and Andrea Kiliany Thatcher, Marketing Manager and Book Publicist Book clubs can be just the word-of-mouth book marketing that a new title needs in a crowded marketplace. But how do you get a book club to choose your book instead of Oprah’s pick? Our team has a few pointers for making […]
Guide to Self-Publishing a Book: What to Consider Before You Do It
By Renee Lamine, Book Marketing Coordinator at IngramSpark You’ve been crafting the perfect manuscript and poured months, and maybe even years, into writing it, so I completely understand that you’re eager to get that baby published. But before you jump into the next stage, it’s essential that you take the time to make sure your book is […]
What we learned our first year at BookCon
By Andrea Kiliany Thatcher, Book Publicist, and Social Media Strategist While Smith Publicity is old-hat at the more industry-specific BookExpo (formerly Book Expo America), the consumer-facing BookCon two-day event which connects readers with the authors and publishers they love was a new, exciting adventure for us! Having been established in 2014, BookCon has steadily grown […]
Paid Book Reviews: The Pros and Cons
Paid Book Reviews: Are They Worth It or Not? Paid book reviews are a growing topic of conversation in the publishing industry. Also, many first-time authors are surprised to learn they can pay for reviews. While in years past, paid reviews were considered taboo and unprofessional, it is less and less the case. Increasingly, paid […]
Authors: How to Make Your Publishing Contract Work For You
by Denise Gibbon, Publishing Consultant and Attorney at Law, Above the Dotted Line Though most authors would laugh at the thought, a story and a publishing contract have a lot in common. Just as a story includes fictional or true-life characters, setting, plot, and conflict, a contract has all the same elements. In the legal world, we disguise […]
How to Get Your Book into Your Local Bookstore
by Kit Little, New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association staffer and Marketing Director Towne Book Center & Café in Collegeville, PA Congratulations on your book! Now, how do you get it into your local bookstore… One of the wonderful things about our current literary atmosphere is that independent publishers and authors have opportunities they have never […]
From the front lines: a Simon & Schuster sales rep helps sell your book
by Tim Hepp, Sales Manager at Simon & Schuster Hello authors, my name is Tim Hepp and I have a confession to make: I am the guy that could potentially make or break your book. As a veteran sales rep with over 30 years of experience, 25 of them working for Simon & Schuster, I […]