Get Your Book Seen and Sold

Author Julie Vick, traditionally published her book, Babies Don’t Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?) in 2021. She used BookTok (TicTok) as part of her book marketing plan to promote her book. In the interview, Julie shares what made sense for her as a first time-user of TikTok to promote her book.

In the Podcast, We also chat about:

*** Book Marketing Ideas to promote books - ie. ATTENTION: how to find your audience!

*** Julie’s path to traditional book marketing (she pitched a non-fiction book proposal IDEA instead of a finished manuscript - LOVE THIS) Options, people!

*** Julie’s offer through her Substack “Humor Me.” Through a paid subscription, Julie offers a publication pitching guide resource with publications accepting submissions - where to pitch, what editors are looking for. (I’ll be taking advantage of this offer!!)

Links mentioned in the podcast:

Julie’s Website

Julie’s Substack

Julie’s Book: Babies Don’t Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?)

Julie’s Substack Post: BookTok You Don’t Stop

Listeners, Thank You!

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You are listening to the audio version of this post: Easy Exercise to Catapult Your Book Marketing.

In this podcast episode, I teach an easy lesson in identifying categories for the book you have written, plan to write, or are considering writing. The lesson focuses on Amazon as a free research tool to help you decide where YOUR book belongs by category. It’s valuable information that will catapult your book marketing.

The next step is a deep dive into the keywords and categories on Amazon. As a published author with a book on Amazon, you or your publisher will attach categories and keywords to your book to give it the best chance to be seen and sold by your book buying audience.

The best software tool that I have found to help authors learn about categories and keywords and how to choose them for their book (books!) is Publisher Rocket by the Dave Chesson. Dave is the Owner of Kindlepreneur. I’ve interviewed him a couple of times and benefited from the amazing, free information he shares on his website, the Kindlepreneur, for authors. I purchased Publisher Rocket for the marketing of my latest book, Get Your Book Seen and Sold, and I still use it to help me compete with my Amazon Ads. The purchase of the software is a life-time use purchase. Dave has a special on publisher rocket right now. If you buy through the link (I am an affiliate) you get the software plus seven additional video courses including a course on picking categories and keywords for just $199. It is well worth the money and good use of your book marketing budget.

For more posts on using amazon as a research tool or publisher rocket software try these posts:

Note: podcast Music by Nicko Gloire Pixabay

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Sharon Woodhouse is the author of the book, The Profitable Author, and the owner of the consulting firm, Conspire Creative. She and her team help authors to build an author business and in turn, sell more books! She is a former indie publisher who understands the publishing business AND helps authors, wherever they are in in their publishing journey, to sell more books through one-on-one consulting and through her Substack: The Profitable Author An Author Business You Love. Plus, she is simply a pleasure to talk to… her experience in the publishing world is extensive and she really wants to help authors enjoy higher book sales.

Mentioned in the Podcast Episode:

* IBPA - Independent Book Publishing Association’s Link to PDF of IBPA’s Criteria for Ethical Hybrid Publishers!

* Her ‘Five Things Strategy’ for Book Promotion

* Why Creating an Author Business Yields Rewards

* 170 Non-Bookstore Places To Sell Books Link To Article

*** PLUS: GUEST OFFER FOR YOU, AUTHORS!

* Sharon’s contact: [email protected] - email Sharon for a free 30 minute consultation (author goals, challenges, no strings, advice on the spot)

Part One of Podcast Interview with author and Substacker, Meg Oolders at The Romantic posted a few days ago. You can listen here:

In Part Two, Meg shares advice on ways to use Substack as one of your tools to align with your goals as an author. Meg shares her varied publishing experiences: self-publishing, traditional publishing, hybrid publishing as well as her current strategy for traditionally publishing her award-winning YA novel, See Dot Smile. Does her publishing journey sound like yours? Listen for advice that might be the motivation you need to keep going with your book.

In this episode, our guest Meg Oolders shares:

* How to come up with the subject of your substack… Say that fast 10 times… “subject of your substack, subject of your substack, subject of your substack….”

* Why Authors need to know their competition without chasing trends

* Research how to publish your manuscript. You have choices.

* Authorship is a business. Ease into this idea. Get comfortable With It. You can do it.

* What is Billionaire Werewolf Fantasy genre? Knowing the book industry and what is popular is important.

Links from the episode:

Meg Oolder’s New Substack The Romantic

Meg’s Substack, The Romantic, is entertaining, smart, and nostalgic. It will get you thinking AND take you back to good times. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Meg Oolder’s Substack Stock Fiction

Meg Oolder’s YA Novel See Dot Smile

Meg Oolder’s Book of Poetry Dear Mystery, Poetry Without Borders

Meg Oolder’s Podcast Talk Fiction

Snip of Olivia Newton-John’s A Little More Love from “Totally Hot” Album

Thank you for listening to Get Your Book Seen and Sold Podcast

Part One of Podcast Interview with author and substacker, Meg Oolders at The Romantic.

How To Get The Most Out Of Substack

In Part One, we chat about Substack. Whether you are new to substack, old to substack, want to change your substack, add a new substack or are considering starting a substack you’ll enjoy the honesty, wit and practical advice we offer in this podcast episode. Stayed tuned for Part Two where Meg and I chat about her new Substack, The Romantic, and her colorful publishing journey which includes critical advice for authors that you won’t want to miss.

Links I promised in the episode:

Meg Oolder’s New Substack The Romantic

Meg Oolder’s Substack Stock Fiction

Meg Oolder’s YA Novel See Dot Smile

Meg Oolder’s Book of Poetry Dear Mystery, Poetry Without Borders

Meg Oolder’s Podcast Talk Fiction

Podcast Topics in Part One:

* What we think of the substacks that teach substackers how to be better at substack - ie the promise of more substack subscribers

* Why to check your Substack’s settings from time to time

* Why Substack’s ‘recommendation feature’ rocks

* How to create a new substack newsletter when you already have one

* How, why and when to move subscribers from one substack to another

* How to get the most out of your substack as an author, are we being used?

Super fun interview with Meg Oolders! Stay Tuned for Part Two

Snip of Olivia Newton-John’s A Little More Love from “Totally Hot” Album

Upgrade to Paid Substack for Exclusive “Catapult Book Sales” Posts

You are listening to the audio version of this post.

I introduce Selma Blair’s memoir, Mean Baby and use it as an example of how you can find possible media contact’s for YOUR book marketing plan.

Other links to explain Media Contact Lists and how they fit into your book marketing plan.

To Sell Your Book You Need A Toolbox

Three Easy (but crucial) Book Marketing Task: Identify Audience, Message & Media Contact

Offer

ACX link for Amazon audio books

Voice Coaches - Promo code for Intro Workshop is “WOLK”

Extra Offer

If you are ready to work on your book marketing plan, I can send YOU a free fill-in-the-blank book marketing plan. Send me a request for it at [email protected].

You are listening to the audio version of this post.

Enjoy this podcast episode where I examine the phenomenon that is, The Staircase, in all its story-telling iterations - Documentary, Book, Podcast, and Limited Series

All of the opinions on this whodunit are my own!

Books Mentioned:

Written In Blood by Diane Fanning

Fatal Vision by Joe McGinness

Shows mentioned

The Staircase - HBO /Max

The Staircase - Netflix Documentary

Find me at ClaudineWolk.substack.com or ClaudineWolk.com (new products for writers - Get Your Book Seen and Sold Book and Sit & Write: Begin online class

Thanks for listening and please leave a review if you liked it.

In this podcast episode interview, Marissa Polselli, owner of Wordtree, shares her secret with you to have a better relationship with words - the kind of new relationship that can catapult the writing you must do to promote yourself as an author. Marissa teaches people how to connect with the words that authenticate them through résumé, LinkedIn posts, newsletter posts, Facebook posts, etc. Marissa’s lessons can help you to better promote your business and yourself as an author.

Marissa’s enthusiasm is palpable. She makes the point that the words you select to present yourself are powerful and important. You can find Marissa at her website MarissaPolselli.com. Consider signing up for her upcoming online class (next paragraph) or signing up for a free personal branding session. (details below)

**Special Offer** for the listeners of the podcast. Marissa offers a free personal branding transformation strategy session - 45 minutes with her where you can come up with a clear branding strategy. She discusses the success of this session with other clients in the podcast.

I know you’ll be motivated to tap into your business writing after listening to this podcast. Marissa discusses her upcoming online class titled Making Friends with Words for Heart-Centered Business Owners in detail. It that starts on Saturday, March 1, 2025, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm for $40. It could be a starting point for a you for a whole new relationship with words and self-promotion.

See you next week….

You are listening to the audio version of this post.

Book distribution is the topic of this podcast and though it’s not sexy, it’s super important to the success of your book, whether self published or traditionally published. Put simply, book distribution is the channel that gets your book in the hands of readers. Amazon is a big example, but there are other book distribution channels and it’s important that you understand how they work, who they are, and how to get them lined up well before your publish date for your book.

Here are the links to my substack posts on Book Distribution that I reference in the Podcast episode: “My Book Is Written, Now What Do I Do” and “Get Your Book Out There For Sale: Book Distribution Options.”

In this podcast, you will learn the overview of book distribution, and the link to an interview by Podcaster, Joanna Penn of Author, Liliana Hart, who shares her specific relationship with book distributors. Hart’s experience will help you to understand book distribution very quickly. Take note and enjoy.

My recent interview with book marketing expert, Sharon Castlen, also included great information on book distribution.

This is the audio version of the post: Rejection Is Good, Make It Work For You - click the link for the original post.

I have a manila folder full of rejections from when I pitched my first, non-fiction book to publishers titled “It Gets Easier! And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers.” Like many of the authors in the book I reference above, Rotten Rejections, I used the rejections as fuel to get my book pubslihed come hell or high water. “rarrr, I’ll show them!”

I self-published the first version of the book in 2008 and once I proved it could sell, I re-published with a traditional publisher in 2009, with a slightly different book cover (color) and 3 additional chapters.

I have never given up on the book (the wisdom and humor are timeless) and in 2023, I recorded and released the audio version of the book with Harper Collins.

My point?

Never give up on your books. Never, Never, Never.