I often recommend guest blogging as a tactic that will help you reach more of the right readers.<\/p>\n

You can host guest writers on your site, or you can write guest posts for others.<\/p>\n

I host guest bloggers here as a way of bringing you new perspectives on information you need to have, but also so I can help my guests expand their networks. Everybody wins in that situation.<\/p>\n

I’ve also been doing quite a bit of guest blogging in the past year or so for sites that reach authors like you.<\/p>\n

I share links to my guest posts on social media, but if you and I aren’t connected on Twitter<\/a> or LinkedIn<\/a>, or if you haven’t “liked” my Facebook page<\/a> or joined my Facebook book marketing grou<\/a>p, you probably haven’t my guest blogging in action.<\/p>\n

Guest blogging in action<\/h2>\n

With that in mind, here are links to my guest posts since the first of the year. On any that you click through to read, please linger on the host sites to learn more about what they do and how they might be able to help you in your publishing journey.<\/p>\n

Here they are in reverse chronological order.<\/p>\n

The Best-Kept Fiction Marketing Secret<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What\u2019s the best kept fiction marketing secret out there? Guest blogging.<\/p>\n

Savvy, successful novelists know it helps them reach more readers in a way that\u2019s more meaningful than tweets or Facebook posts.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m constantly recommending this tactic to fiction writers, but they resist, telling me, \u201cThat\u2019s for nonfiction authors.\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u2019re wrong.<\/p>\n

(read more<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Confuse a Book Endorsement With a Review<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In recent conversations with authors, I\u2019ve noticed that several use the terms \u201cbook endorsement\u201d and \u201cbook review\u201d interchangeably.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not a good idea.<\/p>\n

In the book publishing business, they have different meanings and purposes. Using them incorrectly could confuse the people supporting you. In addition, you could end up with the opposite of what you want and need.<\/p>\n

So, what are they, how are they different, and why does it matter? Here\u2019s the short course.<\/p>\n

(read more)<\/a><\/p>\n

Book Marketing Myths \u2013 Let\u2019s Do Some Myth-Busting!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We are surrounded by \u201cmyth\u201d \u2013 information about book marketing.\u00a0Social media makes it worse \u2013 one person sees one of these myths in a tweet or post, accepts it as truth, and spreads the myth even further.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s fact and what\u2019s fiction?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at three of the most common\u00a0book marketing myths<\/strong>\u00a0and understand the impact they have on your book\u2019s success in the marketplace.<\/p>\n

(read more)<\/a><\/p>\n

Sell More Books with Guest Blogging \u2013 Get the Visibility You Need<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Like so many other bloggers, I welcome\u00a0relev<\/a>ant<\/a>\u00a0guest posts<\/a>\u00a0from authors and other experts who have something to say that will interest my readers.<\/p>\n

I know that guest posts from authors help sell more of their books because of one simple trick: I use an Amazon Associates link for their book in their bio and in the post.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t do this to earn money \u2013 the pennies will barely pay for my beloved tall, extra hot, skinny vanilla latte at Starbucks. I do it so I can see which topics resonate with my readers. When the writer\u2019s book sells well, I know we\u2019ve struck a chord. That tells me I need more content like that.<\/p>\n

(read more)<\/a><\/p>\n

7 Questions to Ask Before Creating Your Book Marketing Plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A book marketing plan is a document that outlines what you want to accomplish with your book, how you\u2019ll do it, what you can afford to spend, and when you\u2019ll do the work involved.<\/p>\n

If you want to sell books, creating a book marketing plan isn\u2019t optional \u2013 it\u2019s essential.<\/p>\n

Why?<\/p>\n

(read more)<\/a><\/p>\n

6 Ideas for Promoting Your Book While Watching TV<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m one of those people who likes to watch TV to unwind, but just can\u2019t sit there and watch TV. Know what I mean?<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t really like that about myself, but I\u2019ve not only accepted it, I\u2019ve learned to take advantage of it. I try to do something productive while sitting there \u2013 knitting, cleaning out my inbox, promoting my books, and so on.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right. I promote my books while watching TV, and you can, too.<\/p>\n

(read more)<\/a><\/p>\n

What\u2019s Your Author Brand?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What do you have in common with Apple, Coca-Cola, Disney, and McDonald\u2019s?<\/p>\n

You\u2019re all brands.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re probably familiar with the term \u201cbranding,\u201d but do you know what it means and how it applies to you?<\/p>\n

(read more)<\/a><\/p>\n

3 Reasons to Embrace One-Star Reader Reviews<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Have you experienced that rite of passage in the book publishing industry known as the one-star review?<\/p>\n

No matter where you are in the publishing spectrum \u2013 a self-published first-timer or a celebrated best-selling author \u2013 you can expect to see a one-star review show up eventually.<\/p>\n

Nobody wants or hopes for one, of course. But it\u2019s inevitable.<\/p>\n

(read more)<\/a><\/p>\n

8 Ways to Make Your Book\u2019s Press Release Work Harder<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Authors who are serious about book marketing, promotion, and publicity have a press release that announces their book. This essential media relations and search engine optimization (SEO) tool is a book marketing basic.<\/p>\n

Many, however, don\u2019t know how to get the most from this tool that they\u2019ve worked hard to write and perfect.<\/p>\n

The primary purpose of your book announcement press release is to help secure book publicity. Definitely use it with that purpose in mind, but don\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n

Think bigger.<\/p>\n

(read more)<\/a><\/p>\n

Let Your Characters Engage with Fans Online<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Elmo has a\u00a0Twitter account<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Superman has a\u00a0Facebook Page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Barbie is on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If these big brand fictional characters are active on social media, shouldn\u2019t your characters use social media, too?<\/p>\n

(read more)<\/a><\/p>\n

---

\n

If you enjoy writing more than marketing, considering giving guest blogging a try. Be sure to download my free “Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet,<\/a>” too, for tips that will be sure to get you invited back to your host’s site.<\/p>\n

What’s your best tip for being a great guest blogger? Please tell us in a comment.<\/em><\/p>\n

---

\n

Tip of the Month<\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/a>I like to share a \u201cTip of the Month,\u201d a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.<\/p>\n

This month it’s a resource I downloaded last week and plan to use (a lot): Blog Clarity’s “35 Attention Getting Fill in the Blank Blog Post Titles<\/a><\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

This one-page PDF download is divided into two columns. The left side of the page lists the 35 options — for example, “How to _____ in Three Steps.” The right side offers corresponding examples — “How to Win an Argument in Three Steps.”<\/p>\n

It’s an excellent example of an email list “lead magnet” that encourages people to add their email address to the site’s list in exchange for truly helpful content.<\/p>\n

To get your free blog title template<\/a>, fill out the form at the Blog Clarity site<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

I often recommend guest blogging as a tactic that will help you reach more of the right readers.<\/p>\n

You can host guest writers on your site, or you can write guest posts for others.<\/p>\n

I host guest bloggers here as a way of bringing you new perspectives on information you need to have, but also so I can help my guests expand their networks. Everybody wins in that situation.<\/p>\n

I’ve also been doing quite a bit of guest blogging in the past year or so for sites that reach authors like you.<\/p>\n

I share links to my guest posts on social media, but if you and I aren’t connected on Twitter<\/a> or LinkedIn<\/a>, or if you haven’t “liked” my Facebook page<\/a> or joined my Facebook book marketing grou<\/a>p, you probably haven’t my guest blogging in action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":19624,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[1275,263,37,1276],"class_list":["post-13474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tactics","tag-author-blogging","tag-guest-blogger","tag-guest-blogging","tag-guest-posts"],"yoast_head":"\n