| Your Writer Platform

Launch Higher: How to Get Book Reviews Before Your Launch Date

June 7, 2017 by Kimberley Grabas

We all know that reviews sell stuff. After all, when’s the last time you took a chance on buying something online, sight unseen, without checking the reviews? You want to know what other people who’ve already bought it think so that you can be sure you’re making the right choice.

That’s called social proof—when seeing that other people like something encourages you to try it yourself. And social proof isn’t just useful when buying a phone or a new pair of shoes. It sells books, too!

But reviews can feel like a chicken-and-egg situation sometimes. You need reviews to sell books…but you need people to buy your book in order to read and review it!

What’s a new author to do?

Get reviews before the book even comes out, of course!

You can get reviews even before your book launches—and doing so can help you launch your book higher, faster, because that social proof helps to snowball your exposure and your sales.

Let’s take a look at a few ways to start getting reviews to flood in before your book launches! [Read more…]

How to Confidently Plan and Execute a Successful Book Launch [Infographic]

May 5, 2017 by Kimberley Grabas

If done well, a book launch can create urgency, excitement, and unstoppable momentum for your book. It can also help you establish your brand, your message, and presence on the web.

A launch will build your author business by increasing your email subscribers and social media followers. It will also expand your reach, your network, and may even present possible partnership opportunities with other authors, groups, and organizations.

Many authors struggle to find ways to promote and market their work, but your book itself is your marketing tool. You can use it to leverage multiple opportunities—like podcast and media interviews for example—especially during your launch.

And without question, a book launch is a celebration!

You deserve to highlight this amazing achievement. If you fail to reward yourself or acknowledge this significant milestone in your career as a writer it can be very disheartening. And remember, your enthusiasm for your new book is contagious—so it’s important to spread it around!

But here’s the thing, carefully preparing, timing, and executing just the right mix of launch activities to propel your new book out into the world is no simple task.

And although it may be difficult to nail down the exact return on investment you can expect to receive from your book launch, the real value is the attention you generate and the subsequent platform you build from your launch success. [Read more…]

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up: Does Your Elevator Pitch Stand Out? (Issue #30)

February 23, 2014 by Kimberley Grabas

This post is part of a weekly series on YWP, aptly titled “The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up”.

Each Sunday, I will endeavour to provide you with a curated list of the best articles I have seen throughout the week that relate to building your platform.

The featured articles cover topics on book marketing and promotion, blogging, social media and self-publishing. (I may even throw in a few inspirational and fun posts, just so that it’s not all work and no play!)

Crafting the Perfect Elevator Pitch

“So, what’s your book about?”

Umm…

Distilling the essence of your book, your author brand, or even your freelance services down into just a few sentences has mentally defeated many a writer.

But, it’s inevitable–and desirable–that people will want to know (briefly) what your work is about, and why they should care.

To help you overcome the stuttering, rambling, discombobulated answer you may be currently giving to the above question, here are a few pointers for creating an elevator pitch that stands out:

Tip #1 Be Succinct

The beauty of having to create a brief, but compelling, elevator pitch is that it requires you to dig deep for the true essence of your book, your brand or your service. In order to concisely share it, you’ll first need to know it yourself. Think sentences, not paragraphs, and keep fine-tuning until you’re certain you’ve captured the heart of your work. [Read more…]

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up: Using Google Alerts to Build Your Writer Platform (Issue #29)

February 16, 2014 by Kimberley Grabas

This post is part of a weekly series on YWP, aptly titled “The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up”.

Each Sunday, I will endeavour to provide you with a curated list of the best articles I have seen throughout the week that relate to building your platform.

Get Out Your Spy Gear; It’s Time to Gather Some Intel!

Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Google Alerts.

Raise your hand if you know how you can leverage Google Alerts to easily gather knowledge on what others are saying about you and your work online, as well as what they’re saying about other authors, your industry, or your genre.

For those of you with your hands down, I’ve whipped up a quick guide on how to use Google Alerts to flex your secret agent muscle. [Read more…]

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up: The Definition of Marketing (Issue #28)

January 26, 2014 by Kimberley Grabas

This post is part of a weekly series on YWP, aptly titled “The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up”.

Each Sunday, I will endeavour to provide you with a curated list of the best articles I have seen throughout the week that relate to building your platform.

Marketing May Have to Change Its Name

Marketing is simply the process and activities involved in creating awareness for a product or service, typically aimed at a specific group.

And, although there can be many definitions and variations on the theme (based on the intentions and the values of the one actually doing the marketing), the core concept itself isn’t especially unfavourable.

Intuitively it makes sense that there be a mechanism for connecting what you have to offer, to the group you’d like to offer it to.

The issue that arises for many authors is the suspicion and negativity associated with marketing that has evolved over time: smarmy undertones, cheesy or self-serving tactics, and the in-your-face aggressiveness of mediocre marketing strategies gone bad.

But, I think ‘marketing’ has gotten a bad rap.

The theory is sound, it’s the application that is–in many cases–somewhat less than stellar.

But, marketing your work as an author is a must, so if it still makes you feel dirty, just think of it this way: [Read more…]

Crafting the Perfect Elevator Pitch

Get Out Your Spy Gear; It’s Time to Gather Some Intel!

Marketing May Have to Change Its Name

Authors with Platforms Sell Books.