Kristen Lamb 

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A lot has changed in the digital age of publishing and, with gatekeepers no longer in sole control over who is published, we’ve seen a rise of the virtual Wild West. Lots of would-be writers striking out in search of publishing gold. And as happens with any kind of “gold rush” there are always those who will capitalize (or even prey) on the dreams of the neophyte.

The goal of this blog has always been to be a guiding light in a dark and uncharted world. Though we’ve come a long way in the past few years, there is still so much left to explore. Yet? Fads abound. The reason these fads continue to rook in writers is they did work for someone somewhere at some time

http://authorkristenlamb.com/2017/04/the-single-best-way-to-become-a-mega-author/

Let’s be honest for a minute.

Generating reviews can be tough. It’s not always easy asking strangers to help you out, which is why some authors resort to buying five-star Amazon reviews from sites like Fiverr.com. Although gaming the system this way could boost your sales rank and attract new readers, it also taints your success. It makes readers suspicious and damages your credibility. You only have to ask self-published authors like John Locke whose review scandal was compared to the likes of Lance Armstrong’s doping debacle when it eventually hit the headlines—and it did hit the headlines. With the illusion of truth broken, there may be no recovering from the fallout with readers—which just isn’t worth it.

Honest, authentic reviews are the result of connecting with readers and either exceeding or failing their expectations. Contrary to what some authors might believe, however, getting reviews isn’t a waiting game. What you need is a system to ensure you’re predictably and steadily bringing in reviews from the moment you hand out your first advance reader copy (ARC).

So, let’s get to it…

http://bookmarketingtools.com/blog/how-to-create-a-review-campaign-for-your-book-launch/

How to Start a Vlog and Start Vlogging on YouTube

OLBlog / by Fahim Ahsan 

/ 57min ago

Do you want to start your first Vlog but don’t know where to start? Here we will share 15 steps to getting started as vlogger on youtube and earn money from it. We will show the simplest ways to start making money by vlogging and becoming popular on YouTube quickly. 

15 simple steps to create your own vlog on a YouTube channel.

Preparation for Vlogging

Before you start vlogging, you must have a general idea of what type of vlog you want to do. Having a detailed plan on the topics of those who are going to treat your videos is critical if you want to become successful as a vlogger

Read more

http://www.onlinelivingblog.com/2017/04/how-to-start-vlogging-on-youtube.html

Facebook is huge, we all know that by now. At 1.59 billion monthly active users and with a versatile and all-encompassing media output, from memes to videos and contests, every blog and business is, and should be, on Facebook.

In previous blogging systems posts, I’ve shared tools for streamlining your Twitter, Pinterest, content creation and blogging management. Today we’re going to talk about how Facebook can eat a huge chunk of time. You open it in the morning and suddenly it’s after lunch

Read more…

http://blogelina.com/how-to-streamline-facebook-management/

From Observer.com:

Over the last year, we’ve been talking to writers like A.G. Riddle who have been making a more than comfortable living selling e-books directly to readers on Amazon. That’s why it’s always seemed a bit strange to see media accounts reporting on the shrinking market for e-books

Read more…

http://www.thepassivevoice.com/2017/01/despite-what-you-heard-the-e-book-market-never-stopped-growing/

Isn’t it great when people have nice things to say about your product?

It’s even better when they share these awesome reviews with other people. For free.

That’s what brand advocacy is all about—encouraging and empowering your customers to become champions for your brand. Social media is a great place to do that.

We’ve already talked about how to create an advocacy program for your brand. Now we dig a little deeper and ask Hootsuite’s own advocate marketing manager, Alicia Taggio, to give us her best tips for building brand advocacy on social media.

Read more…

https://blog.hootsuite.com/brand-advocacy-tips/

One of the most recent trends of the book blogging community is the art of bookstagramming. Bookstagram is what we call the bookish community on Instagram, where bookstagrammers share aesthetically pleasing photos featuring our favorite things in the world — books.

If you happen to have an Instagram account, you only need to head over to a few of the most popular hashtags like #bookstagram, #bookgram, #bookphotography, and all other bookish derivatives to find amazing book photos and follow your favorite accounts to keep seeing these photos on your feed

http://katetilton.com/how-to-start-bookstagram/

Good E-Reader – eBook, Audiobook and Digital Publishing News / by Mercy Pilkington 

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The Author Earnings report has come out once again, and if there’s any criticism to be lobbed its way, it’s that the data is thorough enough to make even the most fanatical number cruncher see spots. The breakdown in last month’s report is once again by sales channel, English speaking sales market, publication route, and more.

But one thing hasn’t changed about the report, and that’s its single-minded focus on making sure everyone in the game can make an informed decision. That sentiment drives almost every aspect of compiling the report, but this particular edition takes it a step further in “guiding” self-published authors in their choice to go exclusive with Amazon or not…

http://goodereader.com/blog/indie-author-news/should-authors-go-exclusive-with-amazon