Novel Marketing

If your book isn’t selling, it may not be your writing.
It may be your metadata.
In this week’s episode of the Novel Marketing Podcast, you’ll hear from Dave Chesson, creator of Publisher Rocket, and learn about the hidden engine behind book sales on Amazon.
Even if your book is well-written and professionally edited, Amazon doesn’t read your book. It reads your metadata. And if your metadata is unclear, inconsistent, or confusing, Amazon won’t show your book to readers, even if it’s amazing.
In this episode you’ll learn:
What your book’s metadata is
Where you can manage it (and make it most effective!)
How to include the most effective elements and language in your metadata
And common metadata mistakes to avoid
If you want your book to show up in search results, convert better when readers click, and avoid the dark recesses of the “miscellaneous shelf,” listen in or read the blog version.
Support the show

Many authors assume book formatting is complicated, expensive, or something only professionals can handle.
In ​this week’s episode​, I talk with Bryan Canter about why that assumption is outdated, and how tools like Vellum have changed what authors can do. If you’ve ever wondered whether you need to pay a pro or learn to format your book’s interior yourself, this conversation will give you clarity.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
When you should format the book or reader magnet and when you should hire a pro
How Vellum can prevent common design mistakes
How you can update back matter, fix typos, add reader magnets as needed
​Listen to the episode​ or ​read the blog version​ to see how Vellum can save you money, time, and headache when formatting your next book or reader magnet.
Support the show

American Taxes, pay too little and you go to jail. Pay too much and you lose the money you need to reach more readers with advertising and promotion.  If your records feel like a mess of Amazon deposits, Ingram payments, Kickstarter funds, affiliate income, coaching fees and dozens of random expenses you’re not alone. 
In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from a CPA who works specifically with authors, about how to handle bookkeeping and taxes with confidence. Seth Norris welcome to the Novel Marketing Podcast!
You’ll learn:
A simple bookkeeping rhythm that prevents tax-time chaos.
How the IRS decides if your writing is a business or a hobby.
The most common mistake that costs authors the most money.
Discover how to simplify your approach and how to avoid paying more taxes than you actually owe.
If you want to keep more money for advertising, marketing, or feeding your family, stop treating taxes like a deadline of doom. Instead, listen in or read the blog version.
Support the show

Do you ever feel like your book is taking forever to write?

Maybe you’ve been working on the same manuscript for years, and then you look up and see other authors publishing a book a year, or more. How do they do it?
In this week’s episode, I ask Jerry B. Jenkins that very question. He has sold more than 73 million books, including his mega-bestselling Left Behind series, and he breaks down the habits and mindset that helped him produce quality work on deadline for decades.
You’ll discover:
A practical way to establish a writing schedule
The counterintuitive way to combat procrastination
One way to silence your inner editor without eliminating it completely
If you’re ready to get out of your own way, build a sustainable writing rhythm, and finish what you start, you’ll want to hear this one.
Listen in or read the blog version to discover how you can finish your book and write better books for the rest of your writing career.
Support the show

Most authors begin writing as a solitary pursuit and soon realize they don’t know other writers or industry professionals who can help them grow. So how do you go from a solitary outsider to a connected insider who knows designers, editors, marketers, and more?
In this week’s episode, we talk with Dale L. Roberts, an award-winning indie author and host of Self-Publishing with Dale, about how genuine networking can strengthen your career and relationships.
In this interview, you’ll discover:
How to reframe your mindset about networking (it shouldn’t feel sleazy)
How to follow up after conferences and events without feeling awkward
Simple habits for remembering names and details so people feel seen and valued
When (and how) to make introductions inside your network
If you’ve ever wondered how successful authors seem to know so many industry experts, this conversation will give you practical, real-world networking tips to help you build and facilitate mutually beneficial publishing connections.
Listen in or read the blog version to discover 12 tips to help you connect generously, authentically, and for the long haul.
Support the show