Blogger To Author

So many authors focus on selling books online. But, working to promote your book to your local community can actually have a huge impact on your book sales and your business, maybe even more than if you focus on promoting your book online. It's easier to stand out from the crowd when you can meet with people face-to-face, which can result in more book sales and a bigger impact. Then, you can take that local momentum and bring it online when you feature the buzz you're getting in your community on your digital platforms. In this episode, I'm excited to feature an interview with Marsha Apsley. Marsha is a repeat guest on the Blogger to Author Podcast (you can also catch her in Episode 30 – Finding Your Purpose by Re-Purposing). Marsha has had amazing success from promoting her book heavily in her local community, including taking advantage of local media opportunities and having a signing event at her local bookstore. In the interview, she fills us in on how her local focus is really paying off (literally and

Are you stuck in the middle of writing your book? Maybe you just have an idea or an outline. Maybe you've written a chapter or two...and that's it. You know you want to finish your book, but it just never seems to get done. Something always comes up, and there are always tasks that seem more urgent. This episode will help you get writing again...and help you write your book faster. I'll walk you through the top five strategies that I think you should use to write your book ASAP so you can move your book from your "to-do" list to your "done" list. These five strategies are what I've used to write and self publish my four books, and I think that you'll find them really helpful, too. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/62

You know you want to write a book, but you have so much going on in your blog or your business or your life. Is it really a smart idea to set aside your valuable time to write your book, or should you be spending that time elsewhere? It's a tough decision for any blogger or business owner to make. But luckily, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to make the decision-making process easier. In this episode, I'll help you figure out whether your book will help you meet your immediate goals, whether it's the right time in your marketplace for your book, whether you actually have the time to write your book, and more. By the end, I think you'll have a good idea about whether you should put in the effort to write your book now, or whether it can stay on your to-do list a while longer. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/61

You've written a great book. Now you need to get it into the hands of more readers. If you're a blogger, you're already familiar with influencer marketing. And if you're not a blogger, you probably still understand the power of having someone with a following share their book with those followers. Influencers can help get your book in front of an audience of your ideal readers, which can mean more book sales and more people helped by your book. This episode walks you through the process of planning influencer partnerships. You'll also learn some best practices for approaching influencers and asking them to share your book, including the four things that I recommend you include in your pitch. You'll learn all of the basics you need to know to start pitching to influencers in under 15 minutes. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/60

You may have seen some authors give away their book for free. (I've certainly done it with several of my books.) And, you may have wondered why in the world would they give away something for free if their goal is to make money selling books. I get it; it seems totally counter-intuitive. But, it's also been a really great strategy for some authors. In Episode 59, I walk you through the reasons why you might choose to list a book for free on Amazon. Then, I'll tell you about my free books on Amazon, including how I made one of them permanently free and how that strategy has worked out for me. If you've ever wondered whether this strategy is one you should try to sell more books, definitely listen to this episode. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/59

Have you used connections in your community to build your business or to sell your books? I know, I know, it can be really uncomfortable to put yourself out there and meet with people in person. (Shout out to my fellow introverts.) But, those face-to-face relationships can also be one of the most effective forms of marketing you have available to you. Going local can be your key to success both as an author and as an entrepreneur. Episode 58 features an interview with Nicole Culver, business coach and strategist, and creator of the Local Leverage Method. We talk about the many reasons why you should go local, how to start getting visibility in your local community (including some great actionable steps you should take), and how you can utilize local relationships to sell more books. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/58

Write smarter - have a plan! In Episode 56, I walked you through WHY you should take the time to create a plan for your book, and told you about the steps you should take to get started with the outline for your nonfiction book. In this episode, I'm talking you through the next steps that you should take to finish writing your outline. Here, you'll learn the best, most efficient way to go from a list of topics you'd like to include into your book to a well-organized outline. I'll also tell you why you should get feedback on your book at this stage—and how you can go about getting that feedback. By the end of this two episode series, you'll have the know-how you'll need to create a detailed plan for your nonfiction book. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/57

You have a great idea for your book...now what? You need a plan. When you have a detailed plan or outline for your book, you'll be able to work more efficiently and be more productive as you write. That means that you'll be able to write your book faster, even if you just have a few minutes a week to dedicate to writing. In this episode, you'll learn why it's worth taking the time to write a detailed plan or outline for your nonfiction book. And, you'll learn more about the first two steps that you should take when you begin to put your plan together. These steps will help you save yourself a lot of time, which translates into you getting your book into your readers' hands sooner! Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/56

It can be hard to stay on track when you're writing a book. Bloggers and entrepreneurs have a to-do list that's a mile long, from posting on social media to emailing their list to everything else they need to do to keep building their audience so they can continue to make money. I know a lot of you have started a book (or have planned to start a book), but then you get sidetracked. It's happened to me, too. But, if you're going to become an author and ultimately get all of the benefits that come along with having a published book, you have to stick with it. In this episode, I'm giving you three simple actions you can take to make sure that you stay motivated and keep up momentum so you can get your much-needed book out into the world. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/55

Many of the authors I know have always dreamed of writing a book. Some have always envisioned writing an attention-capturing novel. Others want to write a bestselling memoir. Many others dream about writing a children's book. If you fall into the latter category, you're going to get a lot out of this episode. (If you don't, you'll still learn a lot about book writing and self publishing!) In this episode, I'm excited to be interviewing Angela Ferrari, a self-published children's book author. We talk about how to start writing a book, why Angela chose to self publish her books, how she gets the ideas for her books, what it's like to work with her as an illustrator, and much more. I think you're going to learn a lot from her insight. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/54

Most people assume that writing a book is a long, arduous process. And, in many cases, it is...but it doesn't have to be. If you're a content creator, whether you're a blogger, vlogger, podcaster, or anything in between, you have a wealth of content that can be your fast track to becoming an author. All you have to do is re-purpose what you've created into the manuscript of a book. I recently wrote a book in just three days, and then published it a week after I started putting it together. I wanted to prove to my followers that the process I teach works. And, I wanted to show people that putting together a book in a short amount of time is totally possible, especially if you have content that you can re-use in your book. In this episode, I'm telling you all about the exact process that I used to write and publish that book. I think it will show you just how achievable becoming an author is, and it will inspire you to get to work on your book. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/53

If you follow social media trends, you’ve heard that video is HUGE right now, and it’s only going to keep growing over the next couple of years. In fact, video is predicted to be one of the biggest social media trends in 2018. Live video can be a particularly effective way to produce video content. It can also seem very scary, especially if you haven’t done it before. But, it doesn’t have to be! In this interview, live video expert Camberley Woods shares her top tips to help you use live video effectively. She gives us some specific suggestions for ways that authors can use live video, and she tells us how to effectively plan a live video so you can get great engagement with your viewers, build your business, and sell more books. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/52

Chances are if you’re reading this, you’ve started to build an email list, or you’ve at least thought about starting one. You’ve probably heard that having an email list is important, but you may be wondering how those subscribers can translate into more book sales, and how you grow your list to even bigger numbers. In this interview, I chat with email marketing expert Lauren Pawell about many topics that are relevant to authors and business owners alike, including how to grow your list, how to get your subscribers to actually open your emails, how to keep your emails out of the spam folder, how to come up with an idea for a lead magnet that people will actually want to sign up for, and the top 3 mistakes Lauren sees small business owners make all the time when it comes to email marketing. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/51

Sometimes, the best way you can learn about something is by doing. That’s why today’s guest is the perfect person to learn from. Paula Rollo is a blogger and author of 8 (yes, 8) books, so she is a perfect example of someone you can learn from when it comes to book writing and self publishing. I think you’re really going to enjoy the interview with Paula that I’m featuring in today’s episode. We cover a lot of topics that are of interest to blogger-authors, including how to chose the right topic for your book, the decision to self publish or work with a traditional publisher, and how a ‘failed’ book may actually not be such a failure after all. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/50

Have you ever dreamed of writing and publishing a #1 bestseller? Or, have you been seeing more and more authors who have published #1 Amazon bestsellers? I have, too. That's why I set out to see if I could make one of my books become a #1 Amazon bestseller. Long story short: I did it. In this episode, I'll tell you exactly how I did it. I want to demystify the process of getting your book to the top slot in its category, both so that you can follow what I did, and so that you can also consider what it means to be a #1 Amazon bestseller. I'll walk you through what I think are the three essential steps to make your book an Amazon bestseller, and I'll tell you the story of how I first failed, then succeeded. I think you'll find this behind-the-scenes look really valuable if you're thinking about implementing this strategy. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/49

It’s tough to make a full-time business out of your blog, but that’s exactly what Jenny Melrose has done. She built her business by diversifying her income, including streams of revenue like sponsored posts, ads, and courses. And, she definitely knows how to use social media and other marketing methods to her greatest advantage. Today, I’m talking to Jenny about what she feels is the best marketing tool out there right now – live video. In our interview, Jenny explains why she feels that live video is so important, and she gives some great tips for beginners to help them get started. If you’ve ever thought about doing live video but the idea seems terrifying and overwhelming, you’ll love this episode. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/48

It’s hard to go through a big, difficult, life-changing event, one that changes the rest of your life forever. It’s even harder when there aren’t great resources out there to help you through that big event, and when it feels like you’re wandering around blindfolded, waving your arms in front of you as you search for your path forward. Today’s guest, Alexa Federico, decided she wanted to help people who have been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative colitis take that blindfold off. After her own diagnosis at the age of 12, she searched for answers, answers that took her years of her life to find. Now, that searching has inspired her to create a detailed guide to help illuminate a path forward for people who find themselves in the same position. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/47

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to create a book that’s on everyone’s wish list? To have everyone tell you, “I want that book!” whenever you describe it to them? That’s what blogger and author Beth Nydick has done. The book she co-wrote, Clean Cocktails, is already getting a ton of attention in the press, and it’s flying up the bestseller lists on Amazon and elsewhere. In our interview, Beth and I talk about what it’s like to work with a traditional publisher to produce a cookbook, how the buzz around her book is helping her grow her brand and her business, and Beth’s advice for bloggers who want to publish a book. You’ll learn the steps she took to write a book proposal, find the right book agent, and ultimately find the right publisher that was just as excited about Clean Cocktails as she is. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/46

The end of the year is always a time for reflection and looking forward. In today's episode, I share what I think will be some of the top trends in authorship and self publishing in 2018, and how you can decide whether to follow those trends or not. I also help you plan out the main steps you should take if writing a book is one of your goals for 2018. Show notes and additional resources at bloggertoauthor.com/45

I’m very excited to feature a repeat guest in this episode, Clare Marshall. Clare is a true expert in everything publishing and I’m really excited to have her back on. In our first interview, which you can listen to in episode 26, Clare and I talked about a lot of topics related to publishing, including how to get started and tips for designing your book. We also talked briefly about using in-person events to promote and sell your book, and I’m so excited that Clare has agreed to come back on the podcast to take a deep dive into events. Clare is a true master when it comes to live events (among many things, of course). She regularly travels to conventions to promote and sell her young adult fantasy novels, and she writes amazing recaps of each convention that are incredibly informative for anyone looking to sell their books in person. I’m really excited to get the chance to pick her brain about how YOU can successfully use live events to sell more books, too. Show notes: bloggertoauthor.com/44