Hi CK!  Today, I want to welcome one awesome lady - C.K. Volnek!!  Her new tween horse story, A Horse Called Trouble debuts this Friday, December 16, 2011.

Thanks for joining us today! Can you tell us a little bit about your new book?

Hi Jan, thanks so much for having…

What is a SMPK? It is a button you can add to your signature (or anywhere) that takes the user to a page the contains all the places you are on the web via one-click! Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Your Blog, YouTube, etc. Plus, you can imbed a video and info about you and your work, a profile pic, and some one-click links to other places too (like a buy link for your book, your publisher, etc.) It also has a twitter feed of your tweets The site is…

Hey everyone! I've been busy with NANOWRIMO, so my posts have not been on schedule, sorry about that, but I am back with a quick one about starting your own online newspaper, and it is soooo easy, FREE - and kind of fun too!!!  The site I am talking about is http://www.paper.li.com. I just started an online newspaper about, of course, book marketing and promotion!  You can find it at:…

Many writers are curious about the different publishing routes, and want to hear actual stories and experiences.  PLEASE share with us!

• If you self pubbed or did print-on-demand (POD), how much did it cost? What service did you use? (some listed below)
• What about those of you who went with an indie or small publisher? What's your cut?
• Strictly an E-publisher? What's your cut?
• Who went the traditional route?  And your cut of the sales?
• Did you…

Adjectives and adverbs can make or break a manuscript, pitch or synopsis. 

Today I am not blogging about book marketing! Shocking, I know!!!  Instead, I am posting about writing mechanics.  So, here we go!

Show, don't tell is a direction often given to writers to write in a such a…

One of the best and cheapest ways to get your name and book out there is to trade with other authors.  Yup, it is "I'll post your stuff on mine and you post my stuff on yours."  First find authors who share a common genre or theme with you - targeting the right audience is key!  Play nice and make friends with them!  : )

If you want to add your genre and blog info, release date (if…

Another way to market your book is to enter cover art contests!  Wouldn't a cover art award be great to promote on your website?  After you enter, make sure to spread the word everywhere so that you get lots of voters to the site(s)!!

Here are some I have found:

http://www.booksinsync.com/bookcovercontest.html…

Okay, today I am not going to overwhelm you with a huge post.  Instead, I am going to overwhelm your marketing senses by sharing just a few great book marketing sites (informational sites, not 'pay me to market your book').  Just click on them and add them to your favorites, then browse at your leisure, or when you need info on a certain topic.  Have fun!

www.AuthorInsider.com…

Your book is out there, on bookstore shelves.  Now what?  Feel like taking a road trip?  A great idea to sell books off of shelves is to go around to bookstores that stock your book and sign them.  Books that are autographed sell better - an autograph adds value to your printed book - customers are drawn to them.  The best time to do drive by signings is soon after your book is released. 

Here's how to go about doing your own drive by book signings:

1) Order stickers…

Okay, so my last post was on where to go if you want to become involved with social communities geared towards authors and books.  Maybe you join a few.  So now what??

JOIN GROUPS, JOIN GROUPS!!!  Yes, I said that twice!  There are some wonderful groups out there!  Search for relevance, interests, and ongoing activity.  Join as many as you want!

START YOUR OWN GROUP:  If you don't see a group related to your strong interest, start your…

I have met so many wonderful people through BookBlogs and other communities I am a member of.  These types of sites are great to meet authors, readers, reviewers, and others in the industry. 

So, first, what are some of these sites???  (Note:  These are all FREE and generally have a blog feature)

The obvious catch-all sites include Facebook and MySpace.  LinkedIn and Twitter can be included as well as other poplular sites.  However, I want to focus on writing-related…