authors Archives | The Digital Reader

Thirty Minutes a Day is All It Takes to Automate Your Social Media Activity, But I Don’t Recommend it

23 April, 2018 // 2 Comments

As I am sure you know, there aren't enough hours in the day to get all your work done. This is why we are always looking for new ways to automate tasks, and why I started the Tech Tools for Authors [Read More ...]

Tech Tools for Authors #5: Social Media

11 April, 2018 // 2 Comments

Authors have to juggle a lot of balls in today's book industry. Not only do they have to write that next book, they also have to market it, balance the ledgers, woo their fans on social media, do [Read More ...]

Four Lessons I Learned in Making My First Flyers

6 April, 2018 // 0 Comments

Mailing lists, social media, and other online channels are the most commonly used marketing tools for selling books in 2017, but there will always be a place for in-person promotion. Book fairs, [Read More ...]

Tech Tools for Authors #3: Automation

27 February, 2018 // 5 Comments

Authors have to juggle a lot of balls in today's book industry. Not only do they have to write that next book, they also have to market it, balance the ledgers, woo their fans on social media, do [Read More ...]

How to Delete Your Twitter Timeline (and Why You Should)

8 February, 2018 // 5 Comments

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Twitter is a great place to share jokes and engage in debate, but it is also accepted that one's Twitter timeline exists only to be weaponized by one's [Read More ...]

Nate’s Big List of Free & Paid Book Promotion Websites

21 January, 2018 // 13 Comments

As everyone knows, an ebook is an author's best marketing tool. You can trade a free ebook for a mailing list signup, or drop the price and rack up a lot of sales. But in order to do that, you'll [Read More ...]

Tech Tools for Authors #2

26 December, 2017 // 0 Comments

Authors have to juggle a lot of balls in today's book industry. Not only do they have to write that next book, they also have to market it, balance the ledgers, woo their fans on social media, do [Read More ...]

How to Give Away an eBook From an Author Website

2 December, 2017 // 6 Comments

There are a hundred and one different sites on the web where authors can give away an ebook. They can use services like InstaFreebie, forums like MobileRead, or blogging platforms like BookLikes. I [Read More ...]

8 Ways For Authors to Waste Their Money

26 November, 2017 // 22 Comments

Publishing a book can get quite expensive. A good cover designer can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, and the editorial costs alone can set you back even more. While there are many important [Read More ...]

Can Anyone Recommend an Alternative to Hootsuite?

22 November, 2017 // 19 Comments

If you can take a moment from your Thanksgiving preparations, I have a favor to ask of you. Can you recommend an alternative to Hootsuite? For those not familiar with the service, Hootsuite lets you [Read More ...]

Tech Tools for Authors #1

19 November, 2017 // 5 Comments

Authors have to juggle a lot of balls in today's book industry. Not only do they have to write that next book, they also have to market it, balance the ledgers, woo their fans on social media, [Read More ...]

Author Blogging 103: Guest Blogging, or How to Write for Exposure

13 November, 2017 // 2 Comments

Everyone agrees that authors should be blogging to promote their carers, but no one can agree on exactly how or why one should go about it. There’s loads of outdated and bad advice out there, [Read More ...]

How to Design a Fantasy or SF Book Cover With Canva in Five Minutes or Less

5 November, 2017 // 19 Comments

No matter the topic or genre, every ebook needs a killer cover. It's the first thing that a reader sees and the right ebook cover - or rather the wrong cover, or an amateurish hack job - can make or [Read More ...]

Checklist: Eight Items to Include in an Author’s Book Listing

29 October, 2017 // 7 Comments

Comments and feedback on my post on bookshelf plugins for WordPress taught me that many authors still build a critical part of their website, the pages for each of their books, by hand. I like using [Read More ...]

Review & Roundup: Seven WordPress Plugins for Author Bookshelves

25 October, 2017 // 6 Comments

Author websites come in many shapes and forms, and can be found on just about every platform from Squarespace to WordPress, but the vast majority share at least one common feature. Generally [Read More ...]