Features | Self-Publishing Review

3 “Great” Book Marketing Ideas That Were a Waste of Money

Indie author Duke Diercks talks about Facebook Ads, digital marketing, and how he “stalked” Adam Sandler…

If you’re paying attention, I put the word great in quotes. That’s because perhaps I alone thought these ideas were great – at least one of them anyway!

Here’s the deal: as a newly self-published author, I was eager (read: desperate) to get my book noticed. I also have a background in digital marketing so I am familiar with certain online advertising avenues. Immediately, I came up with two ideas to get some exposure:

Facebook Advertising
Advertising on a High-Traffic Blog

The third idea[…]

Duke Diercks2018-05-26T15:50:28+02:00March 23rd, 2017|Categories: Features, Member Blog|Tags: Book Promotion Articles|

3 Golden Rules For Your Amazon Author Page

A Guest Post by Kindlepreneur’s Dave Chesson on the importance of the Amazon Author Page.

In the increasingly crowded world of self-publishing, it’s important for authors to do everything in their power to stand out from their competitors.

Of course, a quality book is always the best way. There is no substitute for a carefully crafted, well-edited book with an attractive cover.

While an author’s book is and always will be the main way to attract sales and fans, it is far from the only way. In fact, as more and more self-published authors up their game in terms of […]

Dave Chesson2020-02-08T16:01:03+02:00March 13th, 2017|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Promotion Articles, Dave Chesson Articles|

The Baum Indie Book Prize 2017 Open For Entries!

With a book deal from Kwill Books worth over $3000 in publicity, editing, and reviews, it’s a prize open to any independent author looking for a boost for their new work!

Henry and Cate Baum have been working with indie authors at Self-Publishing Review and Kwill Books for a decade, offering author advice and services. This new prize seeks out new talent and both Henry and Cate will be working with the winner to launch their book at Kwill Books in October 2017. Authors who cannot afford to publicize their book professionally now have a chance to win a massive […]

Cate Baum2017-03-06T07:42:43+02:00March 6th, 2017|Categories: Features|

Mythbusting The Amazon Algorithm Part III – Verified Customer Reviews and the New Amazon Guidelines

There are some home truths we need to examine that authors are not really grasping about the Amazon Algorithm since I started this series. So in this installment of “Mythbusting,” I’m going to get into what the algorithm’s new Machine Learning model and new Amazon Guidelines mean for Verified Customer Reviews.

MYTH 1 – By figuring out what keywords people search for you can get customers to find your book

TRUTH – Meh. Here we go again. My answer to this is “Are you a robot?” You would have to be Hal 9000 since the new algorithm came along. Let’s […]

Cate Baum2020-02-20T13:25:23+02:00February 23rd, 2017|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon Algorithm Tips for Authors, Amazon News and Tips, Book Promotion Articles, Book Reviews|

Are All Book Printing Services The Same? POD vs Offset Options for Authors

So many authors end up buying boxes of pre-printed books without understanding why they have now got these wretched masses in their closets and garages. Looking at the different types of print output will help you choose the right method to sell your book without felling trees and buying extra coat rails just to sell books.

Differences Between POD and Offset Printing

Print On Demand printing means you are running a digital print from the PDF file of your book. This is usually done on trade-quality paper, either white or cream, with standard inks.

Offset printing means the printing expert […]

Cate Baum2017-02-05T11:30:19+02:00February 5th, 2017|Categories: Features|

Amazon Reviews: How Readers Look At Them, And How To Sell Using Them

*This article on Amazon Reviews has been updated to reflect new guidelines!*

SPR has been working on a ton of resources to get you to shine on social media this week, and here we’re looking in detail at how book reviews will lead to sales.

Reviews are the only way to get those buyers to click that Buy Now button on your Amazon book page. As a culture, we have built up a respect for peer opinion, but it’s also important to remember that Customer Reviews on Amazon are the last port of call for a buyer before purchase.

And […]

Cate Baum2019-04-12T14:01:25+02:00January 30th, 2017|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Promotion Articles, Book Reviews|

Indie Author Landscape Shifts in 2017? Well, not really.

So, is it all over for indie authors? Exactly the opposite, says Cate Baum of Self-Publishing Review.

It has been a year for indie book companies to draw to a close. Galley Cat, Booktrope, AllRomance, and IndieReader are just some indie book businesses who have declared “a shift in the indie author landscape” to be the cause of their indie book business closures, while many others seem to be in decline with much less activity and showcasing. On the other hand, Self-Publishing Review, a business that was started before most of these companies opened shop, has seen […]

Cate Baum2017-03-24T07:31:24+02:00January 10th, 2017|Categories: Features|

Announcing The Finalists of The SPR Book Awards 2016!

It’s been a very competitive year for The SPR Book Awards, as self-publishing continues to flourish with some really nice book covers, interiors, and storytelling. This year, the SPR reviewers decided to focus on the writing skills and presentation of the words – we wanted to really enjoy to the material the authors created themselves. In a few hours, we’ll be announcing the winners, but we are proud to announce the following finalists.