Fiction
Fiction represents the core of the gains made by author/publishers in recent years. In particular, “genre-fiction,” including romance, horror, mystery, sci-fi, and fantasy, has been turned on its head by a revolution in self-publishing.
Pickawoowoo assists hundreds of authors in this genre and publishing to high standards is important to ensure you raise above the crowd.
What goes into the building of an author brand, platform, and loyal fan base
Firstly, as an author, you are a business. Your books are your products, and to make money, every good business needs a loyal fan base, solid branding, and an author platform. How will you grow your loyal fan base? Your biggest marketing tool as an author isn't Facebook ads. It's your readers.
It's never to soon to begin building your author brand, platform, and readership.
Marketing Fiction Novels
Fiction readers are more likely to discover books online. This means certain tools are especially important when self-publishing fiction.
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An advanced, professional cover design helps you make that all important first impression on readers. It should represent what your book has to offer...there is no second chance to get their attention.
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An engaging book sales description is your next step in drawing in readers. Does it have a hook to draw them in.
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Well-targeted and researched keywords and categories are especially important in making sure the right readers find your book.
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Your book title should be optimized for these keywords.
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Seek good reviews from a trusted source.
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Offer book samples that are engaging and well-edited. Consider advanced reader copies too.
Write well and write often.
One book is great but fiction readers want more. They crave the next book and the next. Instead of waiting years to see your book on the shelves, you can publish as quickly as you can write and your readers can read.
With the acceptance of automated book formatting this allows many authors to enter the market quickly, with less costs for interior formatting and therefore allowing the author to keep building their repertoire of books.
In so many ways, there’s never been a better time to be a fiction writer!
NOTE: Overnight successes are almost never actual overnight successes. Instead, these authors put in years and years of hard work, had professional support and had faith in their writing and readership. Those years may go unnoticed by most, but the hard work is certainly never a waste. It's what enabled those authors to gain 'overnight success' in the first place.
Moving forward
Call us directly on 1300 88 5858 or place an enquiry to find out how you can publish your fiction book.
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YOUR AUTHOR BRAND
Good branding is all about making a clear and memorable impression on consumers (in this case, readers). When it comes to publishing, an author's brand should tell readers exactly who they are and what they write so they can interest the readers.
Building an author brand is a long tail theory (long process), but here are three items to consider when first starting out:
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Your author name/pen name. (Is it unique from other authors' names? Does it reflect the mood set by your stories?)
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The stories you wish to tell. (Which genre and age market do you plan to write for? If different, do your books have a similar feel to them?)
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Your presentation. (How will you present yourself online and when meeting readers in person?)
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YOUR AUTHOR PLATFORM
Nearly every author, regardless of which publishing route they choose, must take on most, if not all, of the responsibility towards marketing their books. Reading between the lines this means you do the heavy lifting and require a strong presence — a author platform — from which to sell those books.
Building your presence, which in this digital age is largely online, requires that you first get to know your ideal reader inside and out. From there, you can use what you've learned about your ideal reader to begin building a loyal readership. Upon commencement of your book project, we will provide you with our author platform booklet to get you started.
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YOUR READERSHIP
When readers love your work, they are much more likely to tell their friends, leave positive ratings and reviews, and encourage your success. It is important to engage and interact with your readers in a way that's both genuine and personal.
Building your author readership can earn you more money over time. For this reason, fiction writers often benefit from simply writing more books. It makes it easier to discover you as an author, and readers who like one book are quite likely to buy another.