The Heidi Thorne Show

When self published authors complain about the quality of their print on demand (POD) books that they get on KDP, do they really know what they're talking about? As someone who has worked in the publishing and printing realm for years, I discuss setting realistic expectations for your book. See the links below for more reading on the topic.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/g6A3P7y591c

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

0:11 Self published authors complaints about "defective" printing

0:59 Why I'm qualified to talk about this topic

3:01 Print on demand technology

3:56 My experience with KDP print on demand book printing

4:29 What quality can you expect from KDP print on demand

6:34 Authors' unrealistic printing expectations

8:27 Protective varnish coatings for your books

12:15 Print on demand may not be right for your book

12:46 Avoiding the masterpiece "trophy book" problem

13:55 How Amazon supports you and your book for print quality

15:02 Don't listen to judgmental family and friends

15:54 Putting the print quality issue into perspective for self publishing

Blog Posts on POD and printing:

Types of Book Binding (with explanation of POD) http://hub.me/aj8lw

Kindle Direct Publishing Print Quality Concerns for Self Published Books http://hub.me/amW8T

My new book, Understanding Your Creativity: Discover the Internal and External Factors that Affect Your Creative Life, is available now in print, Kindle eBook, and audio book on Amazon, Audible, and Apple Books. I hope you'll check it out. Thank you for your support!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VYTDFYB

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B07WJYCSRD/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-160904&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_160904_rh_us

Do readers really judge a book by its cover these days? I contend they don't. I explain why in this rant on self published authors' obsession with book cover design.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/0kHh0nAv_K4

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

0:11 Authors are obsessed with their book covers

0:53 Why I think readers don't judge a book by its cover these days

1:12 Why your book cover matters less on Amazon

2:48 How your book cover could make you lose money

4:10 The era of author branding

6:12 Your book cover is just packaging

Blog: Should You Hire a Graphic Designer for Your Book Cover Design? http://hub.me/akxPZ

What if you sell your books off Amazon on either your own website or at events and expos? Should you pursue getting unverified purchase book reviews from them? I discuss these reviews in this episode.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/IQJtm1IFgsQ

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

0:12 Author questions about unverified purchase book reviews on Amazon

0:36 Authors who are most concerned about unverified purchase book reviews

1:49 Should you encourage unverified purchase book reviews?

2:34 Why unverified purchase book reviews may have less value

4:04 Why book buyers do and don't leave book reviews

7:04 Why authors who sell direct to customers may not care about Amazon reviews

"But they said they bought my book!" That's a common lament from first-time self published authors. If you didn't sell it to them directly, how do you know if your family and friends actually bought your book? I explain book sales reporting and customer review issues for off-Amazon sales. I also discuss why sales of your book to your family and friends can be the worst sales.

Blog: The Problem with Convenience and Pity Buys http://hub.me/al1YX

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/EUY_UG6lXOg

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

0:11 Authors panic over who bought their book

0:49 Only way to know if a certain person bought your book

1:32 Tracking book sales on Amazon and expanded distribution

2:46 Why friends might lie about buying your book

5:01 How long does it take for book sales to show on reports?

6:50 Book sales may have slow growth

7:13 Worst book sales ever: Pity buys

8:11 How do expanded distribution book reviews show on Amazon?

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

I've been using email marketing since 2005. I discuss why email marketing isn't the powerhouse tool it used to be, along with what to do now in this new marketing era.

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

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

0:12 Why I'm not subscribing to email newsletters

2:23 Email opt-in incentives aren't the answer

2:53 How information overload impacts email marketing

3:26 Why multichannel marketing makes sense now

6:01 Why I'm concerned about Facebook Messenger type marketing

8:16 Watch social media trends and adjust your marketing

More resources on email marketing from my blog:

Building an email list: http://hub.me/akVTC

Email marketing alternatives: http://hub.me/alV2L

Does list size matter? http://hub.me/akaSb

Wanna know why your book might not appeal to your target audience? I discuss why by sharing a story about my recent visit to a science lab. I also offer some tips for figuring out if your book is appropriate for your intended reader.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/43WbDGh0LLo

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

0:12 My staycation that inspired this episode

2:46 Who is your book for?

3:57 Why "who is this for" question is critical for children's books

5:03 Using editors and beta readers to clarify your reading audience

5:45 Why books for "everyone" are for "no one"

I go on a bit of a rant about marketing gurus who tell content creators to make better content if nobody likes what they create. Who's "nobody?" And how do you determine if your content is really bad, or if it's just not getting love due to other factors? I share how to figure out if you're delusional.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/hA4MJdWVOZw

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

0:11 Who is "nobody?"

1:18 Is your content in the early adoption phase?

2:11 Why your niche may be too small

2:58 Dealing with information overload

5:07 Dealing with extreme competition

6:41 Dealing with slow adoption for content medium

9:05 How do you know if you're fooling yourself?

10:12 Watching for trends

Blog: Do People Hate What You Create? How to Know http://hub.me/amQcU

Have you ever heard of editorial reviews for books? I explain what they are, how they differ from customer reviews, and how self published authors can leverage them to give their books more credibility and visibility.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/ykUg46SZRkw

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

0:11 What is an editorial review?

1:20 How editorial reviews are different than customer reviews

3:46 Where do you post editorial reviews?

4:36 How to use editorial reviews in book marketing

6:58 Find a editorial reviewer who is relevant

Blog: What is an Editorial Review? http://hub.me/amQbN

Should you launch the print book or eBook edition first? Or should you launch them together? I share pros and cons of staggering the launch of your book's print and electronic editions.

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/QFFVZ-QUOz4

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

0:11 How an author friend's book launch bummed me out

0:52 Why a staggered book launch doesn't work today

2:28 When a staggered book launch makes sense

3:24 What is a soft book launch?

4:19 Why I release all book formats at the same time