Social media can be a powerful tool for authors, enabling them to form meaningful connections with readers. But for many authors, trying to figure out the right approach can lead to a series of questions: What should I post about? What sort of tone should I use? How can I connect the conversations I am having online with offline events such as book tours? We caught up with Dan Blank, founder of WeGrowMedia and last month’s webinar speaker, to find out what advice he typically offers authors.
Every author’s work is unique. And yet, early in the publishing process, authors are often asked by agents or publishers to provide comparison (“comp”) titles. We asked Penguin Random House editorial, sales, and analytics teams why comp titles are important, what makes for a meaningful comp, and how to find them if you are asked.
Some books require an extra step in the publishing process: the legal vet or legal read. For many authors, news that their manuscript has been sent to the legal department can be intimidating, so we sat down with Executive Vice President and General Counsel Katherine Trager to find out more about the process and what it really means. Keep reading to learn what kind of manuscripts go to the legal department, and what issues the team looks for.
Last month, Brandi Larsen, digital publishing director for the Berkley, New American Library, and Celebra imprints, hosted a webinar to help Penguin Random House authors understand how to evaluate and improve their websites. We talked to Brandi about what authors can learn from great author websites.
Getting the first sentence on paper can be one of the most difficult challenges a writer faces. Read on for ideas from eight authors on how to kick-start the writing process. These excerpts come from Write Start, a new Biographile series that shares tips, advice, and poignant personal stories from popular fiction and non-fiction authors. (Biographile is Penguin Random House’s site dedicated to biography, memoir, and truth in fiction.)
Media appearances are an important part of many book launches and a great opportunity to spread the word about your book. But being a memorable guest on radio or television involves more than just the interview itself. Use the social media you already have to magnify the impact of your appearance and make yourself a welcome return guest.
Authors are a natural fit for Medium. Medium’s book collection, Biblio, has a sizeable following, reflecting an interest in bookish content; authors are active on the platform; and Medium recently started an original author video series called Foreword, in which author Kelly Corrigan interviews the likes of Margaret Atwood, Mary Roach, and Walter Isaacson.
But first things first. What exactly is Medium? And as an author, how can you take part? (more…)
As we ring in 2015, we look back on a year filled with success for many of our talented authors. Continue reading to see some of those highlights at a glance. We look forward to working closely with all of you in 2015, and to celebrating many more successes! (more…)
Building on the success of the existing Hudson Street video studio, Penguin Random House recently opened the door to a second state-of-the-art facility at 1745 Broadway in New York.
To accompany the new facility, Penguin Random House has significantly expanded the video production and services team. We caught up with John Clinton, director of digital video, to find out more about the new facility and how video teams at both locations can support our authors. (more…)
Did you know that traffic from search engines usually makes up 50 to 60 percent of traffic to any website? Also, visitors from search engines such as Google and Yahoo are likely to be your most valuable visitors, because they searched for your content! Following these simple tips should help your site get more visitors from search engines.