The Heidi Thorne Show

Influencer marketing is one of the hot marketing trends. But does it work for self publishing? I discuss what you need to consider before you dive into using this channel for your books.

YouTube video and Time-Stamped Show Notes (click on time stamp to go right to that section):

Full YouTube video: https://youtu.be/0FecK6L0IbI

0:21 Why I'm talking about influencer marketing now

1:29 Problems with influencer marketing

3:22 Influencer marketing platforms

4:44 Pay for performance vs. pay to post

6:44 Why influencer marketing doesn't work well for books

8:24 Who are the best influencers for self publishing?

9:32 How to connect with me

Blog: Should Influencer Marketing Be Used for Self Published Books?

I interviewed author, Lauren Darnell (@tryhardwriter on Instagram and TikTok), about her recent successful Kickstarter campaign for self publishing her children's picture book, The Day It Rained Iguanas. If you've been thinking about doing this for your next book, watch this before you launch!

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/r0Cwlp_PMBI

Timestamped show notes for YouTube (click timestamp to view segment):

0:20 Welcoming author Lauren Darnell to the show

1:36 Lauren Darnell's writing and publishing experience

2:35 Lauren's crowdfunding campaign and why she choose to self publish that way

2:57 Challenges of writing children's picture books

4:51 Why Lauren chose self publishing and Kickstarter

7:27 Tips for crowdfunding with Kickstarter

11:53 Evaluating your author platform and fan base

13:41 Planning a timeline for Kickstarter

17:12 Handling Kickstarter campaign logistics, taxes, shipping, etc.

22:16 Challenges of working with educational and children's markets

26:00 Lessons Lauren learned from the campaign

26:35 How did the coronavirus pandemic impact campaign launch?

30:07 How to reach Lauren Darnell

Want to know more about Lauren and her books?* Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LaurenDarnellAuthorpage* Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tryhardwriter/* TikTok (@tryhardwriter)

What exactly is a book foreword? What is its function and value? Do you even need one? I explain what a book foreword, preface, introduction, and prologue are.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/_Hv3lGye7z8

0:28 What is a book foreword?

1:07 Who should write a book foreword?

5:01 What is a preface?

5:31 What is a book introduction?

6:01 What is a prologue?

6:43 Is a book foreword required?

7:19 How long should a book foreword be?

7:40 Why I declined an invitation to write a book foreword

Free online resources explaining your book's front matter:

What is a Book Foreword?

Parts of a Book Explained

Ugh! Lead generation books. Many entrepreneurs and authors want to do them, hoping for a big sales bonanza. In theory, they're a great idea to build your brand and business. But here's how they really work... or don't.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/IPkgBTpo-NQ

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:11 Why the concept of sales lead generation books is crazy

3:45 Two entrepreneurs, two stories lead generation books

4:06 Entrepreneur #1: Looking for wider audience

6:48 Entrepreneur #2: Looking to avoid marketing and selling

8:09 My sales lead generation book fail

Blog Post: Lead Generation Books Don't Build Sales... and Here's Why

How do you know if your self published book is overpriced? And what is a right price for your book? I share an example of a self published book that was way overpriced and why that happened.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/uIVwctYfjm4

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:10 The frustrated author who overpriced her self published book

2:58 Why decreasing your book price won't increase sales

4:04 Why you need a market competitive book price

6:21 Do you make more money on eBooks?

Here's a FREE pricing guide to help you find the right price for your book based on the market and your budget. It's free to view online, no email required to get these valuable formulas and pricing tips.

https://toughnickel.com/self-employment/Self-Publishing-Tips-How-to-Price-Your-Book-or-Ebook

But if you want more information on how to sell your self published book on Amazon, check out these resources.

* Udemy course, How to Sell Your Self Published Book on Amazon:

https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-sell-your-self-published-book-on-amazon/?referralCode=CC4046D09C80264BC0BE

* Book, Self Publishing to Make Money: What You Need to Know:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NXW57RW

We've already discussed the overall results of the Book Discovery Survey. But do factors such as age, gender, and income affect the ways readers discovery books to read? You might be surprised at which of these factors has the most impact.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/xDNU2UPuuYg

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:11 Revisiting the 2020 Book Discovery Survey results

1:14 Most often used sources for book discovery by demographic breakdown

3:45 Most occasionally used sources for book discovery by demographic breakdown

5:20 Never used sources for book discovery by demographic breakdown

5:40 Why age had most influence on book discovery source choices

8:35 What does all this mean for self published authors' book marketing?

In case you missed the earlier episodes about the Book Discovery Survey...

Book Discovery Survey Results Revealed | Episode 138

Survey: Do Fiction Readers Discovery Books Differently than Nonfiction | Episode 139

Though most readers read both fiction and nonfiction, each genre is a very different reading experience. So does each genre discover books differently, too? Find out in today's episode which continues discussion on the Book Discovery Survey 2020.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/akoCfTWWSKI

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:11 Revisiting results of the 2020 Book Discovery Survey

0:39 What readers participated in the Survey?

1:26 Most often used sources for discovering books to read

2:27 Most occasionally used sources for discovering books to read

2:25 Never used sources for discovering books to read

3:48 Using social media to reach fiction and nonfiction readers

Did you miss the overall results of the Book Discovery Survey? Listen or watch now!

Audio podcast: Book Discovery Survey Results Revealed

YouTube video: Book Discovery Survey Results Revealed

The results of the 2020 Book Discovery Survey are in! Find out how real book readers really discover books (like yours) to read. You might be surprised.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/h0FQqzjqxZU

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:11 Thanks for supporting the 2020 Book Discovery Survey

0:32 About the 2020 Book Discovery Survey

2:06 The Survey questions

3:47 Most often-used sources to discover books to read

8:03 Most occasionally-used sources to discover books to read

9:47 Never-used sources to discover books to read

11:52 Summary of survey research

We all know of book titles that have almost become household names such as "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," and "The E-Myth." But is that really effective for book marketing? I discuss the value and challenges of branded titles for self published nonfiction books, and why descriptive titles might work better.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/e1y152Kcjb4

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:12 What is this book about?

1:28 Why titles are a big issue for nonfiction

2:24 Successful branded nonfiction titles

3:12 Why branded titles are challenging

4:02 My personal experience using branded titles

Blog: How to Choose a Good Book Title When Self Publishing Nonfiction http://hub.me/al4po

I've loved using Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) ads on Amazon for my self published books, but maybe not so much now. I explain what's happening with the AMS advertising platform now and how it impacts your campaigns for promoting your self published books.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/eNYwxkh-FHw

Timestamp show notes (click on timestamp to view segment on YouTube):

0:56 Amazon ads for books used to be good

1:23 How Amazon (AMS) advertising changed

4:43 Don't increase ad spend and lose money!

7:10 Why Amazon ads are still good

8:12 2 types of advertising and when to use each one

Blog:

Using Amazon Marketing Services for Advertising Kindle eBooks: What I've Learned http://hub.me/alEwV

Amazon Marketing Services Advertising for Kindle eBooks: Are You Winning Ad Bids, but Losing Money? http://hub.me/am716

Udemy Course: How to Sell Your Self Published Book on Amazon https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-sell-your-self-published-book-on-amazon/?referralCode=CC4046D09C80264BC0BE