Planning your first book signing? Learn what to expect, how many books to bring based on event type, and how to prepare for a successful, confidence-building experience.
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You may have noticed that KDP recently introduced a new question to the content portion of your book listing. It is one that is labeled as “Accessibility Features,” and it prompts you to state whether the images in your ebook are accessible.
For many authors and publishers, this question comes as a surprise and they haven’t known how to answer the question or why it’s even important. So, this article covers what accessibility is, why it matters, and what you can do to improve the accessibility of your books.
If you’re getting close to publishing your book, one question you may be asking is: Should I print locally, or use a print-on-demand (POD) service? Both have their merits, but they serve different goals. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide what works best for your situation. When to Consider a Local Printer Local printing can be appealing, especially when you want: In these cases, a local printer can offer specialized services that POD printers can’t match. And when you consider that you also save on shipping costs when you print locally, it can seem even more appealing. But There Are Drawbacks The Benefits of Print-on-Demand POD has made publishing more accessible for independent authors. With POD: POD is ideal if you: Trade-Offs to Be Aware Of Some Printers Offer Hybrid Options Not all printers are strictly local or POD. Some offer short-run digital printing or fulfillment services for an additional fee. These can give … Continue Reading
Strategic Tips for Choosing the Right Release Date One of the most important decisions you’ll make as you near the finish line with your manuscript is when to release your book. The right release date can help you build momentum, align with current events or seasonal trends, and increase your chances of early success. But how do you choose the right date? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are several key factors worth considering. At Emerald Lake Books, we walk our authors through this same process—and now we’re sharing it with you. Consider Seasonal Timing and Thematic Tie-Ins If your book is tied to a particular time of year—holidays, seasonal themes, or school schedules—you’ll want to plan your release ahead of that season. For example: But what if your book isn’t seasonal? Think about your theme instead. Ask yourself: For example, we once released a middle-grade novel about dealing with bullying to coincide with National … Continue Reading
As a book publisher, I often hear from authors who are considering publishing a second edition of their book. Perhaps something isn’t working or sales are sluggish, or they’ve realized it’s time to update the material because it’s become a bit outdated. Or maybe they want to try a new cover to see if that appeals to their readership more. And sometimes, it’s because their first publisher has gone out of business or isn’t offering the support that they once did.
There can be all sorts of reasons for considering a second edition…
Now that you’ve written your book, there are a few final pieces of content you want to make sure you remembered to add.
Have you written an Acknowledgments section? If not, you may want to read “What Should I Say In My Acknowledgments?“
Have you written your author bio? If not, this article is for you!
Way back in 2010, I started a small struggling business called “Aleweb Social Marketing.” It had started out as a consulting firm teaching small businesses how to get ahead by using social marketing. The problem was, many small businesses were still trying to figure out whether they even needed to incorporate social media into their businesses. (Can you believe it?) But one segment of my client base was growing organically: speakers who were authors. It took me a year and a half to clue into the fact that working with small businesses wasn’t getting me anywhere, fast! But when I finally did, the focus of my company shifted to figuring out the best ways to help authors and speakers market their books and presentations. Knowing that I needed a unique way to reach this target market and convince them that I was the best resource for them, I decided to write a book. Within three months, I … Continue Reading
Let’s say that you just finished reading a book that you loved. Perhaps it was even one of Emerald Lake Books’ latest titles. Whatever it was, following it up with a review is a good habit to get into. Reviews provide encouragement, feedback and constructive criticism for authors, which is something we all stand to benefit from. But reviews also serve to help future buyers and prospective readers decide whether a title is right for them or not. Your honest review can help them decide whether to invest their time and money in a book. So let’s take a few minutes to understand how to write a compelling review for Amazon. Every review consists of three parts: a star rating, the review itself and a headline or title for the review. Understanding Star Ratings Every item on Amazon can be quickly critiqued by selecting a star rating from 1 to 5. So as you’re thinking about … Continue Reading
Some authors struggle with what to write in their Acknowledgments. Others know exactly what they want to say and how. If you find yourself in the former group and want a quick starting point for writing yours, here’s a brief summary for you. Essentially, you want to create a list of those “without whom this book would not have come into existence.” It’s common to acknowledge friends who encouraged your research and writing, clients who inspired your specific subject, mentors and idols who set your thoughts aflight, beta readers who helped to improve the book with their feedback, and individuals specifically involved in the production of the book (namely editors, designers and publishers). The simplest way to do that is to group people together based on the role they played in relation to the book and allow those specific individuals who played a more significant role to have a line or two of their own. … Continue Reading
Occasionally, we are asked if we will accept a cover designed by someone else. The short answer is, “yes!” But it requires a bit of explanation… While our preference is to design the covers we use, as long as the covers provided meet our criteria, we’re happy to use them. Per our publishing agreement, as the publisher, we hold all final approvals of the designs and images used. But your input and approval are significant to us. Since the cover is a critical element of the book’s marketing efforts, we don’t begin its design until we’re sure of that direction. Therefore, we would ask that your designer coordinates with us regarding the appropriate time to start the design. If you have a specific designer, illustrator or photographer you’d like to use, please send us relevant samples of their work or a link to their website. We will arrange a conversation to discuss concepts, direction and deadlines … Continue Reading
Before the design work on your book can be completed, we want to incorporate any endorsements you have secured for your book. The earlier we have these, the better, since there are design decisions that have to be made regarding the use of your endorsements. For example, do we include one (or a fragment of one) on the front cover? On the back cover, do we use more endorsements or an author bio? How many pages of endorsements do we include inside the book? Endorsements can be a compelling part of what convinces a reader who doesn’t know you to try your book. The ideal endorsement endorses you in a professional capacity and lauds the merits of the book as a natural reflection of your expertise. You can then use an endorsement like that both for your professional services (on your website), as well as for promoting your book. Elements of a Book Endorsement Therefore, a … Continue Reading
