News for Authors

Newsletters 101: How to Start Your Own Newsletter

by Stephanie Bowen|February, 2024

Thinking about starting a newsletter? As an author, you may have a lot to say beyond the content of your book, and an email newsletter can be a great medium for this. In this article, we cover the basics of creating and launching your own newsletter.

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How Authors Can Prevent Phishing Attacks

by Phil Stamper-Halpin|January, 2024

Across emails, texts, and social media, phishing attacks have skyrocketed over the last few years. As public figures, authors might be particularly vulnerable. Read on to learn how to protect yourself from scammers.

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An Introduction to Threads

by Jacky Bethea and Andrew Taets|January, 2024

In light of ongoing controversy and rapid changes at X (formerly Twitter), there has been a race in the social media market for the next big text-based platform. Threads appears to be Meta’s answer to the call. Launched in July of last year, the app has accumulated more than 100 million users. Since it is so new, there are a lot of questions around the app, how to use it, and what kind of content can be found there. Our friends at Meta have offered some of the first available pointers on how an author can optimize their experience on the app. Read on to learn more!

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Am I Shadowbanned? A Guide to Post Ranking on Instagram

by Jacky Bethea|December, 2023

Creating content for Instagram can be time-consuming, so you’ll want to make sure your content gets in front of as many viewers as possible. Instagram’s algorithms can seem a bit unpredictable, but there are ways to improve your experience.  Read on to learn more about Instagram’s post ranking system.

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Getting Started on a New Social Media Platform

by Jacky Bethea|November, 2023

There are plenty of reasons to consider making an account on a new social media platform. Maybe you’re not a social media user and would like to start, or you are at the beginning of your journey as an author and making your first audience-facing account. Maybe another platform you frequent has undergone some rapid changes and you would like to show up for your audience elsewhere. Perhaps you took our Playbook Quiz and would like to take a crack at a platform it recommended. Whether you’re trying a newer social media site or a more established one, starting out somewhere new to you can be quite the task. Here are a few tips to help you find your bearings.

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How to Reach More Readers on Goodreads

by Phil Stamper-Halpin|September, 2023

With more than 150 million members, Goodreads is the world’s largest community of readers. Read on for tips on how to reach more readers using your Goodreads Author account.

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Your Book Can Shine on TikTok. I’ll Teach You How.

by Jeffrey Marsh|June, 2023

BookTokers are dedicated. They care about words and ideas, and, yes, they care about you and your book. Creating book-oriented TikTok videos as an author can feel daunting, scary, and anything but fun. But I’m here to help! My latest book, Take Your Own Advice, has been a massive success on TikTok, garnering attention and positive videos.

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New Author Portal Feature: Get Your Personalized Author Playbook Today!

by The Author Development Team|May, 2023

Are you looking to expand your online presence, but don’t know where to start? The Author Development team is pleased to announce a new resource on the Author Portal, the Author Playbook. This short interactive experience features a six-question quiz designed to assess your goals for and comfort level with community-building online. It then recommends three platforms to consider leaning into and offers a playbook with best practices for each.

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Six Tips for a Social Media Cover Reveal

by Neda Dallal|April, 2023

The cover reveal is a favorite piece of the marketing campaign for many authors, but there are many moving parts involved to make it a success. You’ll work closely with your marketing team on the reveal, so be sure to maintain regular communication with them to figure out what’s possible. Every author’s social media following is different, and your team will be a great resource in determining what assets and avenues make the most sense for your reveal.

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How Authors Can Reach New Readers with Pinterest

by Phil Stamper-Halpin|March, 2023

Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board that allows users to explore subjects and ideas that interest them by pinning and saving images and videos. It’s the perfect platform to reach a community of like-minded people who share your passions—and do so with the most visually stimulating content.

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