ADVANCE your book with ADVANCED reviews.

Happy Friday friends,

I hope Thanksgiving Day was a sweet time for you. The day after Thanksgiving each year is Native American Heritage Day. When I hike my beloved Smokies, I always think about the Cherokee. Crippled Beagle Publishing client Donald Dickinson is about to publish a wonderful story of three children who wander from trails and battle a variety of wild and human elements in the Great Smoky Mountains until a Cherokee hero comes to the rescue.

If you’d like a list of ALL of the special designation days of the year, email me. Some are serious, some are odd, and some are funny. ALL are good social media post inspiration.

Last week I wrote about the value of reviews. There are several types, including ADVANCED REVIEWS. You may be asking:

What is an advanced review?

Who are advanced reviewers?

Where do I find these kind folks?

How does the process work?

Why should I bother?

Crippled Beagle Publishing team member Maisyn did some valuable research that addresses the questions above. If you would like a free copy, email dyer.cbpublishing@gmail.com. If you are planning a book now and have yet to publish, consider working advanced reviews into your schedule.

​Also, take a sneak peek at Don Dickinson’s cover, created by my graphic design assistant Lauren.

​In addition to book covers, my team and I can produce all kinds of marketing tools for you. Please think about what items can help you reach and reward your readers. Examples are bookmarks, sell sheets, business cards, posters, postcards, general merchandise/gift items (a.k.a. “author swag”), logos, order forms, templates, social media posts, web content, etc. Contact me to discuss ideas and pricing.

Please know that I am thankful for you every day!

Questions? Email me any time.

xoxoxo

Jody

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Reading and Writing and the Arithmetic of Reviews

Reading and Writing and the Arithmetic of Reviews

Answer these questions:

1. When you shop online for books, how important are reviews to you?
2. Even if you don't think they are important, do you look to see a book's ratings?
3. How often do you WRITE reviews?
4. Wouldn't you LOVE to see this image beside your book?

Then you need this one:

No matter how technical and complex the book sales game becomes, one characteristic of our industry remains steady: word of mouth. In this publisher's opinion, reviews are documented, word-of-mouth endorsements. Think about this. WHY do you read the books you read? My confident bet is that someone (a friend, a relative, a coworker) told you to read the book. He/she "reviewed" it. Well, that's basically what all those buyers on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites are doing. I admit, there are some kind folks in my social circles who have written reviews for my books. That's likely the case for all authors. Still, the other numbers tell a story. I'm sure there's some complex way to figure out how, mathematically, reviews directly affect sales volume. Here's my calculation: More =more, so get with it!

TIP: Ask for reviews before, during, and after you write. SAVE them somewhere for use in your author marketing kit (last week's topic). WRITE reviews for other authors every time you read a book. If you are published, use a tag line behind your name in the review: "Blah blah blah." —Jody Dyer, author of Best Book Ever

GoodReads.com is WONDERFUL site where you should already be hanging out online. This is a community of book lovers and there are countless ways to engage. You should also be writing reviews on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com. When I write a review, I copy and paste it to all three sites and usually to Facebook as well. Here are screenshots of reviews on Amazon and GoodReads. Some of the essential marketing that all authors do can be absolutely easy, but there are LOTS of different types of reviews and ways to use them. Also, professional authors apply etiquette. There are some no-nos. Confused? Interested? Encouraged? Inspired?

TAKE fifteen minutes to explore GoodReads.com. Find a welcome-type tutorial, and start a profile. WRITE a review. ASK someone for a review.

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I will teach an entire module on "everything reviews" in my course Author Roadmap to Readers and Royalties. The course launches in January. Founding Members (folks who sign up January 3-January 7) save $200. If you'd like to be on the Founding Members wait list, reply to this email, or email me at the usual address dyer.cbpublishing@gmail.com. I'll put you on the invitation list. If there's something you want me to teach, tell me! The first batch of students will enjoy lots of input and attention.

Have a wonderful weekend and week. Happy book marketing! —Jody

CONGRATULATIONS to author Tamara Ballast!!!

 CONGRATULATIONS to author Tamara Ballast!!!

Below is her official press release. Authors, if you need a press release, I can help. Also, you can mimic the format here (or find plenty of versions online). See Tamara's book online here: Leaving Home​

MARKETING TIP: Always keep a press release handy in your author marketing kit. If you don't have an author marketing kit, start one. Essential items include:

AUTHOR MARKETING KIT ESSENTIALS

logo for your book business

tag lines

12 social media posts you can recycle

press release

business card design

bookmark design

postcard design

poster design

sell sheet

retailer and reader order forms

NOTE: I will be teaching how to create and compile essential pieces of an author marketing kit in my upcoming online course and membership. We will take our time and get this right, together. ASAP, consider becoming a FOUNDING MEMBER. You will save $200 off the six-week course price (you will pay $387 instead of $587) and save $20/month on the membership (you'll pay $47/month instead of $67). If interested, respond to this email, email me at dyer.cbpublishing@gmail.com, or call me at 865-414-4017 to reserve a spot as a founding member. I'll open that enrollment period for only FIVE days in January, but you CAN reserve your spot now.

Friends and writers, please think of readers in your life who will enjoy Tamara's beautiful book. Let's share her press release and cheer her on as she markets this fine work and begins her next book.

xoxoxoxo

Jody

PRESS RELEASE:

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Contact: Jody Dyer, Crippled Beagle Publishing

Phone: 865-414-4017

Email: dyer.cbpublishing@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Have you ever been told something that would end up changing your whole life?

Knoxville, TN, November 2021. In her first children’s book, author Tamara L. Ballast teaches through fictional character Alana, whose journal entries are a window into her family’s “third culture” life in the Philippines. Author and educator Tamara L. Ballast is no stranger to big moves. Being a Third Culture Kid taught her numerous lessons about navigating life, and in this wonderful story, she uses Alana's questions and experiences to teach children that they, too, can handle challenges like the coronavirus pandemic and relocation. They, too, can face their fears with the help of faith, family, and friends.

From the main character, Alana: "Hi! My name is Alana. I am nine years old. My brother Aiden is six, and we live in the Philippines. We love living here . . . or we did until a few weeks ago. When we first heard about 'coronavirus,' it seemed like a far-away problem that only adults worried about, a problem that would eventually go away if we just waited and didn’t think about it. Then, all of a sudden, everything changed!"

Readers, enter the charmingly illustrated world of nine-year-old Alana and her younger brother Aiden as they struggle to understand the coronavirus pandemic. See how Alana faces her fears as her family prepares for a big move. As you take time to consider Alana’s questions, you will no doubt find answers to some of your own.

Ballast was born in the United States but spent most of her childhood in the Philippines where her parents were missionaries. She finished high school at Faith Academy in Metro Manila, Philippines, and completed her undergraduate degree in music education at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. From 1996 to 2016, she taught various ages (grades 1-12) and classes, including religious studies, general music, and concert band at Brent International School Subic (BISS) in Subic Bay, Philippines. While at BISS, she also directed the music and technical crew for multiple musical productions, led chapel services, and headed the Fine Arts Department from 2008-2016. Tammy’s children, Michael and Melissa, were born in the Philippines and grew up as third generation TCKs. In 2016, she and her family returned to the United States to live in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tammy currently teaches ELL children virtually in the Knox County public school system and leads a weekly adult ELL class at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, where she is a member. Her desire to become an author arose from her love of writing and her zeal for helping children in cultural transition.

Available in hardcover, softcover, Kindle, and ePub. Sold on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, through traditional retailers, and directly from Crippled Beagle Publishing.

To book Tamara Ballast to speak to your organization or request interviews, quotes, and place discounted group orders, contact the publisher. ###

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Write on, writers!

 

HAPPY NOVEMBER. This is a BIG month for the word nerd herd.

Have you heard of NaNoWriMo?

From the organization's website:

So, what is NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides tools, structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds — on and off the page.

NaNoWriMo believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.

Back to Jody now:) Writers often start projects in November because the community provides prompts, support, and group momentum. Visit the website and explore what the organization offers.

​https://nanowrimo.org/​

Create a personal challenge for the next few weeks. Why not? I mean, you aren't busy, right? My husband, a.k.a., Tall Child, says my personality changes after Halloween. I tell him that I'm not a seasonal witch, but I am overwhelmed with domestic and holiday pressures during the fourth quarter of the year. Plus, my clients often want their books perfected, published, and shipped by Christmas Day. All that said, no matter how busy we are, it's crucial that we feed our creative souls.

The food? TIME and focus on your writing.

You are not selfish for making time to do what you love. As a matter of fact, if I neglect my own creative projects, I actually LOSE energy for my clients' work.

My NaNoWriMo personal challenge is to finish (yikes) the first ROUGH draft of an exciting co-writing project. I have the transcripts, which means my co-writer has done her part. Now I just need to, well, find that blessed time. I'm thinking Friday mornings will do just fine. Clients come first, Monday-Thursday.

WRITING TIP: Use the five senses to brainstorm. Consider your topic. What do you see, hear, taste, smell, and feel? Brainstorming is the perfect way to start a project. NOTHING is off limits, you don't need to self-edit, ideas open up like crazy, and you can use paper. Tree-killers are welcomed in November. Do what you have to do to get started.

Need inspiration? Call or email me for encouragement, but just not before noon on Fridays. I'l lbe NaNoWriting!

xoxoxoxo

Jody

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