Tag: how to become a best seller

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Best Sellers Read A Lot

January 27, 2021– You can’t expect to be a best selling author if you don’t make time to read each day. It’s just not going to happen. Lack of reading leads to lack of writing skills, plain and simple, but let’s back up for a second-sometimes authors tell me that they don’t read because they don’t want their work to be influenced. Puh-leese, get over yourself (insert eye roll here) this is such a flawed way of thinking and the height of arrogance and ignorance. Here’s how reading makes you a better writer:

  1. Other Styles- Reading exposes us to other styles of writing. We may read a flowery prose or a stunning haiku that will make an impact on us and our future writing without even realizing where the inspiration came from until years later.
  2. Other Voices-When we read, not only do we get to experience other types of narrative, but we also get to enjoy a myriad of author voices. This allows us to develop our own sense of voice, and experiment with different narratives that maybe we wouldn’t have done if we hadn’t read any books.
  3. Other Forms-Reading lets us see different types of formatting, style, stylistic elements of speech, how paragraphs are formed, what’s old, what’s new, and what stands the test of time.
  4. Other Genres- When we read other genres of writing that are different than our own, we expand our creativity and improve our work. If you usually write romance, pick up a psych thriller or a mystery. If you usually write thrillers, pick up a cozy romance or a non-fiction biography. Anything outside of your scope is excellent for creating new ideas and can help your writing improve immensely.
  5. Other Emotions- Reading creates deep connections to our own experiences and emotions. It lets us know that we are not alone when we read about characters facing the same challenges that we have. Reading makes us better writers and a better communicators.

Stephen King said it best when he said,  ” If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write. Simple as that.”  If you have reading goals, we’d love to help you reach them! Check out our Pandamonium Publishing House International Book Club or our Subscription Book Box: Book Box! Yearly Membership (1 Book Box/month for 12 months) – Pandamonium Publishing House 

 

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Newsflash

January 12, 2020– This month as we focus on Best Seller Bootcamp, we’re talking about all of the moving parts that contribute to the success of becoming best-sellers. I’ve personally used each one of these tools over the years because they work! Today we’ll be talking about newsletters, how they help sell your book and what they should include. For the full, in-depth plan included in our course, visit: Best-Seller Bootcamp January 4th-31st – Pandamonium Publishing House

Let’s start with the basics:  A newsletter is a piece of consistent, digital media that helps keep our readers up to date. It should be informative and entertaining, but what else should it include?

  1. New releases. Your newsletter should include any new releases and their complementary titles. For example, If you liked Obsessed with Her, you should read the prequel Becoming James Cass. This allows your readers to stay in the loop with other books they may enjoy.
  2. Updates.  What are you working on? What books are coming next? Will you be attending any events? Can you post a digital schedule of your events? Perhaps you could share a progress report with your readers or a new character sketch?
  3. Excerpts. Put in a sample of your book, a teaser, something to give your readers a taste of your work. Don’t make it too long, and remember to start where the action is.
  4. Your social media handles. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, your website, YouTube Channel, and everywhere else your readers and potential readers can find you.
  5. Links to your work. Amazon, Indigo, Barnes & Noble, your webstore, independent bookstores, and wherever else your books are available.
  6. Interesting information. Little known facts about your books or links to current news stories that talk about things relative to what’s going on in your book eg. New tech updates, political stances, new developments etc.

The most important thing you should provide your readers through your newsletter is value. Whether it’s sharing author tips, how to’s, or new tech gadgets that make your writing life easier, valuable information is what your readers want!

To subscribe to our newsletter, send us an email at pandapublishing8@gmail.com and we’ll happily add you to our list. In the meantime, check out our Best-Seller Bootcamp here: Best-Seller Bootcamp January 4th-31st – Pandamonium Publishing House

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Walk the Platform

January 7, 2020– Do you know what an author platform is? It’s essential to your success if you want to become a best-selling author. Most authors have the same problem, OBSCURITY. How can people buy your book if they don’t know about it or if they’ve never heard of you or your work? Short answer-they can’t and they won’t.

An author platform put very simply-*the tools you use as an author to reach a potential audience. We usually talk about author platform in the context of social media and connecting with your readers. Author platform should include the following things:

  1. Instagram
  2. Facebook
  3. Twitter
  4. LinkedIn
  5. YouTube
  6. Blog/website
  7. Amazon author page

And whatever other forms of social media that you are comfortable using to share your work. Content should be fresh, and you should be genuinely interested in connecting with your readers. It takes years to build an author platform, and the importance of being authentic and engaged, cannot be understated! This is why author platform building is ESSENTIAL to have in place BEFORE your book is released.

In our Best-Seller Bootcamp course, we teach you how to build your author platform, best practices, the importance of hashtags and how to effectively use them, and so much more! Click here for more info on the course: Best-Seller Bootcamp January 4th-31st – Pandamonium Publishing House

Be authentic, build your platform, and engage with readers!

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Best-Seller Status

January 4, 2020– Today we kick off our month-long exploration of How to Become a Best-Selling Author! As a side note, Best-Seller Bootcamp starts today: Best-Seller Bootcamp January 4th-31st – Pandamonium Publishing House

The first thing you need to do is define your goals for becoming a best-selling author. I like to use the rule of 7 Whys. The process looks like this and it’s imperative that you see the exercise through even though it can be difficult at times. Here’s a sample for you so that you can fully understand the psychology and reason behind your goal.

Start with the question, Why do I want to be a Best-Selling author?

  1. Because I want the status of best-seller on my resume. Why? 
  2. I want the status of best-seller on my resume because it will give me credibility as an author. Why? 
  3. I want credibility as an author because I want respect from my peers. Why? 
  4. I want respect from my peers because it will make me proud of myself and my work. Why? 
  5. I want to be proud of myself and my work because this will make my family proud of me too! Why?
  6. I want my family to be proud of me because I was raised by a single mom and I don’t want to let her down. Why?
  7. I want to make my mom proud because she gave up everything for me. I want to show her that I can be a success and that all of her hard work wasn’t all for naught.

Boom. There’s the reason and the psychology behind WHY that particular person wants to be a best-selling author.

By this point, you get the picture. Continue the 7 Whys exercise until you boil it down to one final answer of WHY you want to become a best-selling author. Only YOU know why you want to do this, your answer is very personal; if we set goals for ourselves with no idea of why we want to achieve them, we’re only setting ourselves up for failure. Everything we strive for has an underlying reason as to why we want to do something. Sometimes we lie to ourselves and say that we want to do it for reasons that are superficial such as status, money, or fame, but at the end of the day, that stuff doesn’t matter. What matters is the WHY behind all of that because, during the tough times, you’ll be able to draw on your WHY to keep going, stay focused, and see your goal through to completion.

I hope that you’ll join me this month as we dive into best-seller status! For additional information, in-depth exercises, and access to Lacey as your mentor for the month, check out the Best-Seller Bootcamp here: Best-Seller Bootcamp January 4th-31st – Pandamonium Publishing House