Free Author Exposure
Hello Lovely authors,
I am a big proponent of supporting Indie Authors. I know how important it is, as I am an indie author.
My main online persona is geared specifically toward readers, through An Angell’s Life of Bookish Goodness, where I offer tons of awesome opportunities to help indie authors get additional exposure. Here are just a few ways that you can get in front of my audience of Nearly 12,000 followers across all channels. Here are a few ways you can do this:
1. DIY author Interview on heidiangell.com
I have a list of fun author questions and I let you pick 5 to answer for the readers. I will go in and add bits and bobs to make it feel like a real back and forth. I recommend that you take a moment to look at some of the other author interviews that have been done on the blog. A lot of authors pick the same questions, but feel free to mix it up. It doesn't have to be about your book (especially if you are going to use some of the other free services.) and I promise that your book will get mentioned, and links to your social media sites will as well. You CAN talk about your book, but as a reader, if I am reading interviews I want to hear something fun and different (IE: a lot of my readers love the who would you cast. direct, etc)
Email me to request an interview. If it is time specific, please let me know.
2. My Readers LOVE Character Spotlights
For the character spotlight, you select a character from your book that you would like to spotlight and then a format that works best for that spotlight. For example, One author writes thrillers and did a media interview with her cop character.
One author writes sci-fi and did a stats spotlight for his character who is a genetically modified human.
Many do a typical spotlight like this one for Jacqui Spadros
Email me to submit a character Spotlight. Please attach the images, your bio and social media links. If it is time specific, please let me know.
3. Guest Posts Build Your Reputation for Other Media
A lot of great resources for marketing your book come in the form of guest posts on other blogs and book magazines. The struggle for many authors is learning how to do guest posts. We are so used to writing books, that the idea of writing a quick guest post for someone else's blog is a bit of a struggle. Even after you make the effort to master that skill (and so few authors pursue this route on my blog, it makes me so sad because guest posts are a GREAT way to get in front of other audiences!) then they struggle getting in because they don't have a back log of relevant articles to show that they have the skill.
Well, here you go. Build that reputation. The first step is to know the audience of that blog by scanning through other popular posts and getting the sense of who the blog is targeting. Pick a topic and theme that suits that blog and allows you to highlight your own skills.
I am pretty open to ideas and will make this easy for you by providing you the information about my audience: 80% + of my readership are just readers. Marketing, promotion, editing posts don't interest them. But if your book covers a particular topic and there was a fun bit of research that didn't make it into the book, a guest post on that would be cool. I have had authors do guest posts on world building because they have a fun/ interesting slant. One author uses role-playing video games to help with world building. His post was very popular! Check out James Dorr’s Guest posts on my blog. He has done a post a month for the last six months in his preparation for the launch of Tombs. They are awesome! Some easy guest posts are your top ten favorite authors/ ten books you recommend/ or music that inspires your writing. (I have a lot of music aficionados in my readership!)
Email me to suggest a topic, or submit an article for consideration. If you have specific images you would like included, please attach and include appropriate citation if you do not own the image. Do not forget your bio, an author picture, and social media links.
Other Ways I Help Promote Authors
I have built my whole online presence around the persona of another rabid book fan sharing my bookish joys. If you friend me and invite me to a Facebook event, I will invite followers, if you follow me on Twitter, I will probably share your book stuff (especially if it is interesting/ engaging and if you share my stuff first.) I'm a Booktuber and Bookstgrammer. Much of this gets looped around to the other sites.
I know how important reviews are for authors. I also know how hard they are to get. There are days that I think "I'm done with all the writing and marketing and running around like a madwoman trying to meet everyone's needs (AKA being a wife and mom) I just want to READ!" Alas, I cannot become a full-time reader. However, I do schedule reading time every day, and when that "I'm done" attitude hits, I am known to devour a book in one sitting. I post all my reviews (good and bad, you've been warned!) on my blog, Patreon, to Amazon, to Goodreads, and if you have other sites you would also like it added to such as Smashwords, B & N, Kobo, etc. just let me know and I will happily add it there as well.
Now, I would suggest that before you message me with a review request, you take a moment and look at the book reviews I have done. I will read every book sent to me (eventually) and I tend to be a harsh critic. I almost never give 5 star reviews, but I can't think of a single time I've given a one star review either. Most books get 3 stars and really good books get 4. I occasionally give out 2 star reviews if the grammar is really bad, or the story is riddled with plot holes.
Still think you want a review? I have a couple of different options for you to consider.
1. Send Me Your Book Links
Send me the link to your book on Goodreads and Smashwords (or Amazon, I suppose) I will add it to my TBR and will eventually buy a copy and post a review. (If you take a look at my TBR on Goodreads, it is pretty big.) I like to support Indie authors with a sale and as my patreon community grows, I will be purchasing books for my community as well. Send me your book links.
2. Send Me Your E-book
I have partnered with Book Vetter to provide reviews! Book vetter is a pretty neat system that allows authors to submit their books for reviews. Submitting through here, you are not required to have your book listed on Book Vetter and participate in their point system, however if you already read and review, then you should definitely check this system out. You earn points for reading and reviewing books in their system, and those points go toward getting your own books reviewed. This is not a review swap, so no worries about Amazon taking the review down, or an author "punishing you" because you didn't give them a glowing review.
So, what do I like to read? I am pretty much all over the map, to be honest! I will read mostly anything except hardcore erotica. (I read it on rare occasion, but don't post it on my blog because my readers don't seem to be into it.)
When you submit your book, please understand that if it is an ARC, I will do my best to get a review in before the release date, but I need at least 6 weeks to complete the review. The rest are read according to my fancy because in that way you will get a better review.
3. Send Me Your Paperback
You can send me a paperback and I will do an Unboxing video and review on Youtube, post a "reveal" on Facebook Live, post a couple of picture of the book on Instagram. I am still working on clever ways to use social media this way to promote other authors.
Email me to request my address.
Happy to Help You Network
I am very tied into the book community, so if you have a blog hop, book tour, panel idea, Facebook Takeover, or some other event and you would like to get the word out to authors, let me know. I will be happy to share your information around with my connections. If I feel that it is a good fit for my readers, I will include an announcement in my weekly bookish newsletters.
Submit a Book Event Announcement or Sale.
Last, but certainly not least, if you have another way that you would like my help, let me know. Whether it be a Thunderclap, additional marketing services, or just need someone to bounce ideas off of, I am here to help.
Until next time,
Keep Writing!
