Posts Tagged ‘authors’

Getting the Most Out of Goodreads: Creating Book Buzz

More than 25 million people are members of the social reading platform Goodreads. According to the site, every second four books were found on the site. For authors working to promote their books, Goodreads should not be ignored! In our last post, we discussed the benefits of becoming a Goodreads Author. Today’s hot topic: using Goodreads to get readers excited about your book.

How Can You Create Reader Interest?

All authors want people to read and love their books, but if readers don’t know a book exists, they won’t read it. So authors need to spread the word, marketing their own books. Using the Goodreads Author Program, authors have plenty of options to spread the word and express their creativity.

Reviews

The best way to promote any book is to get reviews. There are already more than 29 million book reviews on Goodreads. Reviews and ratings provide the standard from which browsers judge your book. Most people choose books based on the recommendation of someone else—even if that person is a complete stranger. Every giveaway, promotion, and update should all be aimed at getting readers to talk about your book and to generate reviews.

Review and Rate Other Books Besides Your Own

Readers love to know what their favorite author thinks about other books. Some authors have large “recommended reading” lists, but Goodreads makes recommending books a bit easier. As a Goodreads Author, you are also a Goodreads user. So rate away! Review books and tell your readers why or why not you would recommend this book. Readers will begin to trust your judgment and, by extension, your books.

Giveaways

Listing ARCs (advanced reader’s copies) as giveaways on Goodreads is a great way to generate pre-launch buzz. Readers who have never heard of you before may receive your book and become a fan for a lifetime. Okay, that’s a best case scenario, but you get the idea—the more people that know about your book, the better. Check out the giveaway Ambassador is currently running on Goodreads and enter to win one of five copies of Willing to Die by John Muntean:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Willing to Die

by John Muntean

Giveaway ends July 23, 2014.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

According to Goodreads, “an average of 825 people enter to win any given giveaway.” That’s a lot of traffic for your book! Even if most of the readers don’t win your book, they are still exposed to your work. Either way, giveaways can be a very effective tool.

Other Ways to Promote your Books include:

Posting videos, such as an interview or video blog
Creating Quizzes
Updating events, such as book signing or appearances
Participating in book groups

Now that you know how to reel readers in, next week, we’ll discuss author and reader interaction. Interacting with readers can be both fun and a bit tricky. What should you do if you get a bad review or a bad rating? Want to ask a question about Goodreads? Comment below or ask Ambassador on Twitter @AmbassadorIntl.

Getting the Most Out of Goodreads: Aiding Authors in Shameless Self-promotion

Since its launch in 2007, Goodreads has grown to over 25 million users discussing, sharing, and reading over 750 million books. That’s a lot of people who could be buying your book. But where to start?

Why Goodreads?

Free Marketing. Two magical words that every author loves to hear. In the world of shameless self-promotion, authors have a steep job ahead of them, so a little free marketing can go a long way. Social media websites, like Twitter and Facebook, make promoting more simple, but Goodreads specifically focuses on making an author’s life easier.

The Author Program

Goodreads created a program just for you, the author. Besides being a popular information hub for obsessive bibliophiles and casual readers alike, Goodreads treats authors like a VIPs, giving them special tools geared towards helping them sell their books. These tools and features are part of the Goodreads Author Program.

The Author Program allows you to

Hold giveaways
Blog and let your readers the latest news
Start a featured author group for yourself so readers can discuss your books
Upload videos
Edit your books’ information and upload covers etc.

These special privileges, and a few others, help you communicate with your readers and create a following. The more people that know about your books, the better your books will sell.

How to join:

Sign up or Sign in. If you don’t already have an account, you can sign up through Facebook , or you can sign up with just your email. If you already have an account, make sure you’re signed in.
Search for your book. The author program is for authors who have already been published or are currently being published. Once you have found your book, click on the author name (yours), and you should be taken to the author page.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click on the “is this you?” link and join as a Goodreads Author.

Over the next few weeks, we will discuss:

How to better promote your books using the Goodreads Author Program
How to use Goodreads with Twitter and Facebook
Author and Reader Interaction: The Do’s and Don’t’s

In the mean time, look around on Goodreads, become friends with Ambassador International and enjoy your new VIP status–you’re a Goodreads Author.

5 Things About Author Melanie Wright Zeeb

Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “Five Things” series. Author Melanie Wright Zeeb wrote the recently released book Beauty From Ashes: An Eyewitness Account of Haiti’s Tragic Earthquake, available now. Here are Melanie’s “five things”:

Some would call me a disaster magnet. When I was 7 years old, my family’s home burned down in a house fire the day after Christmas. My town was hit with tornados when I was in high school and college, and I experienced several hurricanes and tropical storms during my time in Haiti. Of course, the worst disaster I have lived through was the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. After I moved back to the U.S., my apartment was flooded by an overflowing creek 2 weeks before my husband and I were scheduled to move out. I am currently avoiding all volcanos and anywhere tsunamis are likely to hit!

There is a part of me that has always been fascinated with disasters, perhaps because of my own early experience with tragedy. I knew that disasters happened to real people, and knowing as much as I could about a disaster and those it affected was one way I processed the tragedy. After Hurricane Katrina, I was in a position to help with relief efforts, making several trips to the Gulf Coast and working to rebuild houses there. In spite of my exposure to the disaster zone, living through the Haiti earthquake was an entirely different experience. I was no longer the fascinated observer; now I was the one struggling to survive. As a child I had trusted that my parents would provide for me after our house fire; now I felt the weight of responsibility for more than 150 children at the orphanage. Since the earthquake, I no longer view disasters with the eyes of a child, believing that someone else will make everything all right. Instead, I sympathize with the victims who bear the responsibility of creating a new life out of whatever remains.

I believe that hope is one of the most powerful forces at work in the world. Even in the midst of terrible tragedy, if we have hope, we have an invaluable resource. Hope does not allow us to give up or give in, knowing that we will make it through, that someday things will be better. In Christ we have the hope that even if things never get better on earth, the world to come will have no suffering. We live in a flawed and often scary world, but there is hope, and that hope is just as important in the stories we tell as in the lives we live.

Haiti, and other “dangerous” places, are often worth the risks. When I told people I was moving to Haiti, one of the most common responses was, “Is it safe?” News reports and government travel advisories paint a picture of poverty and violence that are by no means the whole picture. The same violence is in our own cities and neighborhoods, just not in so foreign a form. The Haiti I know and love is a beautiful island nation filled with a people who daily face the task of survival. They are strong and courageous and filled with a joy that is incomprehensible to those of us who associate happiness with things working out the way we want them to. If I had listened to those who advised me against going to Haiti, I would never have met some of the most inspiring people I know. If we only ever stay where it’s “safe,” we miss out on some of life’s most rewarding experiences.

I never intended to write Beauty from Ashes. During the time of the earthquake, I sent frequent updates to my family and friends. Several people told me they thought I should write a book about my experiences, and my initial response was an adamant no! Although I have always wanted to write a book, non-fiction was never something I was interested in or considered pursuing. God had other plans. Once the idea had been planted in my head, it grew until I knew that the story needed to be told and I needed to tell it. I hope that anyone who reads Beauty from Ashes will benefit from this account of God’s faithfulness.

Ambassador Authors in the News

Several of our authors have enjoyed media attention in recent days and weeks. Here are a few of their interviews and reviews:

Author Donna Thornton talked about her new book The Easter Donkey on WYFF.

Dr. Andrew Davis was a guest on the Janet Mefferd Show to talk about his new book An Approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture.
The Kearney Hub previewed Holly Mthethwa’s upcoming book Hot Chocolate in June. The Lady Prefers to Save calls this book a must-read for spring!
Longing4Truth.com provided a great review of Peter Hubbard’s book Love Into Light.
The Easter Donkey received a great review from Thoughts from Mill Street.
MyJourneywithCandida.com gave Scotties Learn About Respect a wonderful review with lots of photos.
Thoughtsprayersandsongs.com gave Craig Lounsbrough’s newest book An Intimate Collision a four star review.
Pamela’s Heavenly Treats reviewed Speed Bumps and Roundabouts by Pip McCracken, giving the book four stars.
Crossing’s Redemption, Carrie Daws latest novel, received a wonderful review from Paula Lynn McGrew.

Five Things About Author Joanie Bruce

Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “Five Things” series. Author Joanie Bruce wrote the recently released book A Memory Worth Dying For, available now. It’s the anticipated follow up to her first novel, Alana Candler: Marked for Murder. Here are Joanie’s “five things”:

I surprised my family when I told them I had a book accepted for publication. None of my family, even my husband, knew I was writing until I was completely done with the first manuscript. Fear of being incompetent as a writer kept me from sharing with my family, but love of clean, Christian suspense/romance books kept me writing anyway. My inspiration for improving my writing style comes from being an avid reader of “how to” books—how to create characters, add conflict, build suspense, and write from the correct point of view. Many of my friends are surprised that a former first grade teacher would find writing about murder and intrigue interesting, but I find it both challenging and fun. It’s a rewarding way to honor the Lord with the abilities He has given me.

Besides being an author, I’m also an artist. The Lord has blessed me with the ability to paint portraits and has given me the wonderful opportunity to have pictures hanging in the governor’s private office in Atlanta, Georgia, the late Senator Charlie Norwood’s office in Washington, D.C. and a portrait of George Bush in the private collection of George and Laura Bush in Texas. The funny thing about this talent is that I never knew I could draw—especially not portraits—until about eleven years ago. God’s timing is always perfect!

I love music and play several musical instruments: piano, pedal harp, harmonica, and a little guitar. When I was in high school, I took drum lessons and played privately for a couple of years. I have to say, though, that the piano is my favorite. When I’m upset or tired, I play for relaxation and for inspiration. I’ve written several arrangements for popular hymns, and I thoroughly enjoy making up new arrangements on the piano. There is only one problem with this skill: I hate preforming in front of others. I hardly ever write my arrangements down because I play them from memory, and I’m sure you know how memory plays tricks on you when you’re in front of a crowd. =)

I’ve actually milked a real cow. My husband was raised in the dairy business and was managing his own dairy when we married. Before we sold the dairy cows in 2012 and changed totally to beef, we celebrated thirty-three years of running our own dairy business. I have milked cows by hand, put on automatic milking machines, run calves through the pasture trying to steer them toward the loading chute, and fed baby calves with a bottle. For this city gal, born and raised in the city, living in the country was an experience. But I have to say … country living is the BEST. I love watching the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets from our house sitting high on the hill, and watching the beef cows grazing in the pasture in front of our home. There’s nothing like country living!

I hate loud noises that scare me to death: Balloons, mouse traps, smoke alarms, canned biscuits, and thunder are not my favorite things. I make my husband replace the battery in the smoke alarm when it warns of a weak battery because I can’t stand the anticipation of waiting for that loud “beep” that surprises you when the battery is first installed. I also make him open the canned biscuits, crescent rolls, or cinnamon rolls before I cook them. That “pop” when they burst open almost gives me a heart attack.

Book Exposes Dangers of Legalism

Pastor points readers to true holiness based on biblical motivations

For immediate release: From banning beards to requiring perfect Sunday school attendance, legalism is evident throughout the Christian community. Its results can be devastating as author Robert Pruitt points out in his new book Robots or Rebels: The Dangers of Growing Up a Legalist, and Biblical Motivations for True Holiness (Ambassador International; February 2014; $14.99, paperback.) The book is designed to help readers determine whether or not they have been adversely impacted by a legalistic family, church or parachurch ministry.

Packed with information about sources of legalism and the types of legalism, one thing readers will not find in the pages of Robots or Rebels is a list of legalistic ministries or organizations. “Isn’t that specificity one of the problems that accompanies legalism?” asks Pruitt. “Legalists want everything listed for them so they do not have to think, but this book is intended to encourage the hard work of thinking, and hopefully in a biblical way.” Some of the forms of legalism discussed in the book include:

Legalism is an error that equates law-keeping with salvation.
Legalism demands current obedience to Old Testament regulations that have been done away with by Christ.
Legalism is the error of creating extra-biblical standards but giving them biblical authority, thus placing them on an equal plane with truly biblical commands.

Pruitt says eventually life for these legalistic robots becomes lifeless. “The robot has been so thoroughly overwhelmed by the call for more and more stringent standards that he either cannot think biblically or he refuses to think biblically for fear of being thought of as a rebel,” writes Pruitt. The book also dives into the characteristics of pleasure-seeking rebels who are often angry, prideful and materialistic. Pruitt aims to steer Christians away from either title, robots or rebels, into a longing to live in true holiness based on a love for Christ.

About the Author: Robert Pruitt has been serving as the pastor of Coloma Bible Church, in Coloma, MI, since the spring of 2005. Prior to that he pastored churches in Missouri, Virginia, and Kansas. In addition to his pastoral ministry he has also been involved in Christian camping ministries where he has been privileged to interact with many teenagers and pre-teens. He and his wife, Michele, have two daughters and three grandchildren.

To connect with the author please contact publicist Alison Storm at [email protected].

Guest Post: Mastering the Amazon Affiliate aStore

This is a guest post provided by Renee Metzler, author of Total Home Makeover: A 20-Day Plan to Renew Your Space and Spirit.

I happen to really love my publishing company. Sometimes I feel led to pray that God will use them in a mighty way. As I was praying for Ambassador International, God inspired me with an idea on how we as authors can help each other, our company, our readers, and ourselves spread our message even more effectively: Expanded Ambassador Bookstores.

As Ambassador International authors, we all have one thing in common, we already have a Mini Ambassador Bookstore, that is, we are in the business of selling an Ambassador book. It occurred to me that my Mini Ambassador Bookstore is actually pretty small, it only contains one book. You guessed it, my book. Now, I also happen to really love my topic, home management. However, I am aware that most people need more than just one message or one book in their lives.

So, with the help of a nifty little tool called the aStore at amazon affiliates (which by the way also gives affiliate sales commissions), I’ve decided to expand my Mini Ambassador Bookstore to 10 books or more. My audience is primarily women and mothers ages 25-65 and I think they would enjoy a few of the great titles created by some pretty amazing authors at Ambassador.

I can still feature my book and focus on creating posts and content around the subject in which I’m called to speak, but with an Expanded Ambassador Bookstore, I now have a chance to help spread our message, the love of Jesus Christ, even more effectively.

Why an Expanded Bookstore?

Well, because it pretty much benefits everyone. Take a look at who benefits:

My Readers can experience other great Ambassador Books and authors. A potential reader might never read my book, but your book could prove invaluable. I helped make that connection. This may meet a real need in their lives, plus they will see that I’m trying to meet their need.
My Fellow Authors can experience greater audience reach, helping them to connect with those who need their message, and finding more financial success so they can continue to afford doing their call (a little less time on marketing and a little more time on writing that next book).
My Publishing Company can experience greater success through sales thus giving them room to grow and spread the message of Jesus Christ more.
Myself. I will gain an expanded bookstore with quality Ambassador Books bringing more value to my website. My website now expands beyond my topic and offers other valuable resources. By helping a reader make a connection with God through your book, I ultimately reached my goal to be an Ambassador. Financially, I will benefit with an affiliate sale increasing my monthly commission. Now, I too, will spend a little more time writing that next book.

Okay, the benefits seem clear. By expanding and banding together, Ambassador Authors could have more reach. Let’s take a look at the potential reach in numbers.

I’ll call this the Lone Rider and Posse Scenarios. Please note that these numbers don’t represent actual statistics.

The Lone Rider.

1 Ambassador Author, alone, might reach an audience of 1,000 in a year.

That’s a 1:1,000 author-audience ratio. The Lone Rider is lonely.

The Posse.

100 authors, together, each sharing 10 books (that’s 1,000 messages all together) reaches an audience of 100,000 in one year. That’s a 1,000:100,000 author-audience ratio. That’s powerful.

Just by banning together and helping one another, through an Expanded Ambassador Store, we can reach so many more. And that’s when we add just 10 books to our Expanded Ambassador Bookstore. I have to tell you though, when I sat down to expand my Ambassador Bookstore, I couldn’t stop at ten! You have all created some wonderful books! No, I continued to add until I was at 20, 30, and beyond. Those additional books increases the total reach as well.

I’m proud to be an Ambassador International author, but even more so an Ambassador for Jesus Christ. My avenue is words. It’s my hope that by expanding my bookstore with your books more people will be reached for Him.

An Invitation

Of course an Expanded Ambassador Bookstore might not be right for everyone, but I wanted to share this idea with others at Ambassador, and if you feel inclined, you’re invited to join the Posse! It’s inspiring to think that our publishing company could gain more reach, have more impact for Jesus Christ, and help more people, just because we helped one another.

How to Create an Expanded Bookstore Quickly + Video Tutorial

Creating an Expanded Ambassador Bookstore is actually a pretty simple process. Start with an affiliate account with Amazon. After starting your affiliate account, follow the seven steps below to set up an expanded Bookstore for your website or view the video tutorial for instructions.

Log in to your affiliate amazon account.
Click on aStore.
Add Category Pages for easier shopping for your readers such as fiction, non-fiction, and children.
Add products. In the search box add the title of an Ambassador International book.
Save and name your store.
Link your store directly to a page on your website or embed your store on a page.
Announce and share your Expanded Ambassador Store to your friends, family, and readers.

P.S. Ambassador Author: If you feel your book is a great fit for mothers, and it’s not on my bookshelf at http://totalhomemakeover.webs.com/manage, please send me a note at http://totalhomemakeover.webs.com/contact-us and I’ll be sure to add it. Blessings as you discover more ways to reach more for Him.

5 Tips for Developing Your Amazon Author Central Page

Most authors know that a key component for reaching readers is selling their product on Amazon. But this can go well beyond simply having a product listed among the millions also offered from the gigantic retail outlet. Amazon offers a free marketing tool called Amazon Author Central. It’s a way for authors to market their books, reach readers and develop an online community. Here are fives tips for developing your Amazon Author Central page.

Write Your Biography

Your Amazon Author Central page includes a section for adding your biography. This is your chance to unveil yourself to potential readers and future fans. Be personable and honest. Feel free to add a little more length to this biography that perhaps wasn’t able to be included on your book cover.

Migrate Your Feeds

If you have a blog or a Twitter account you can have your Amazon Author Central page automatically update when you write a new post or send a new tweet. This is a great way to ensure that your Amazon Author Central page remains vibrant and fresh. There will be no question that you are regularly engaging readers and encouraging responses.

Create an Author Page URL

If you want to be able to share your Amazon Author Central page on your social media accounts you’ll want a simple and memorable URL. Amazon makes it easy to shorten and customize your URL. On the Author Central Profile tab, click add link next to “Author Page URL.” You’ll want to come up with something basic. Using your name is probably best. Once you find the perfect URL click save. Your Author Page URL will go live in approximately 30 minutes.

Add Photos and Video

Add color to your Amazon Author Central page by uploading exclusive photos or videos. Create a short video welcoming people to your Amazon home. Or simply upload your book trailer to give people a quick pitch for why they should buy your book.

Promote Events

Whether you’re hosting a book signing at a local store or have scheduled a Twitter chat to talk about your book, your Amazon Author Central page can be a good place to promote those upcoming events. Take just a few simple steps to update this information on your page.

Featured Image Credit

Five Things About Author Amy Fleming

Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “Five Things” series. Author Amy Fleming wrote the recently released book A Little Irish Love Story, available now. Here are Amy’s “five things”:

Maybe I write so many scenes with people eating or preparing foods because I have a hole in my heart that microwaved tofu created. Kitchens are my favorite settings in my books even though no one in my family ever entered them. I grew up in a health-nut family, but no one knew how to cook! In fact, I had to delete about 25 references to strawberry muffins in my last book. I should probably not write on an empty stomach…

I often dream stories before writing them. I have always been a very vivid dreamer and even dream sequentially- sometimes for months on end with the same storyline! I remember things vividly when I wake up. The hero of my book is also a dreamer like me.

The crazy people in my family became a rich resource for my characters. From Aunt Mim’s love of “bluing” her hair to Grandpa’s obsession with the “Little People” who constantly took his glasses, there was always something to laugh about. When writing a serious story like A Little Irish Love Story, I like to pump in those quirky, adorable moments that have amused me.

An angel took my mom’s picture in Rome. She was walking around the ruins at midday and a band of men surrounded her! Just as they were about to attack her, a man in all white appeared out of no where. He calmly asked to take my mother’s picture. He took her picture, handed her back her camera and vanished! The men were so scared they ran away. We still have that picture. If you look closely, a very similar scene is in my book.

My great-grandparent’s love story inspired my new book. My Great Grandpa became my hero very early on in life. He helped build the Titanic in Belfast! His wife had a stroke right after they got married and he had to care for her his entire life. He told me one day, “Taking care of her was the greatest honor God has ever given me.” I wanted to honor him by making him the hero of A Little Irish Love Story so I used his name and his personality for the main character.

Learn more about Amy and enjoy her new book A Little Irish love Story. Thank you Amy for sharing your “five things” with us!

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