Category Archives: Self publishing

What I learned in 2017 part 2: It really IS about the book #writetip

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Cara Bristol

When authors ask “what can I do to promote my book?” publishing industry professionals often reply, “write a good book.” It’s easy to dismiss that advice as trite. Of course, you should write a good book! What ELSE can an … Continue reading →

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What I learned in 2017 part 1: Get my ducks in a row!

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Cara Bristol

When you make a mistake, you learn what not to do. But when things go right…you learn what to do. Knock on wood, I had a very good year. Soon, I’ll post my annual year in review, but for the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Romance writing, Self publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

For my 8-year authorversary: 12 Truths About Publishing…

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Cara Bristol

Eight years ago this month, I received my first book contract! Intimate Submission was accepted by Black Velvet Seductions, which kicked off my publishing career. Since then, I’ve published more than 30 books, worked with five different publishers, went Indie, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Romance writing, Self publishing, Social marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 52 Comments

Where to advertise your free book…part 3 of a series

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Cara Bristol

Welcome to part 3 of my series analyzing the results of a two-month free campaign. If you want to know what I did and how I did it, please refer to Part 1 and Part 2. In today’s segment, I’m … Continue reading →

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Posted in Self publishing, Social marketing, Special promotions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Free book promotion analysis part 2…

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Cara Bristol

If you’re just tuning in now, you should read part 1 of this 3 part series on my free book promotion. If you’ve already read it, on with the show…. After the success of my  free book promotion of Stranded with … Continue reading →

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Posted in Self publishing, Social marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 22 Comments

Analysis of a free book promotion: what I did, why I did it, & the results…part 1

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Cara Bristol

I’m probably one of the last Indie authors to drink the make-your-book free Kool-Aid. I knew the strategy behind a free promotion: give away a book to sell more books. But, I didn’t know if it would work for me, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Self publishing, Social marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

The numbers game: weird author behavior–checking the stats…

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Cara Bristol

As an author, I like to know how I’m doing, if my books are selling, if readers like them, if my promotional efforts are paying off. Fortunately, authors, particularly indies, have a lot of data at their fingertips. I “check … Continue reading →

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Posted in Life 101, Romance writing, Self publishing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Keeping track of a busy month…one author’s to do list!

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Cara Bristol

May has seemed exceptionally for busy to me, but I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a busy month! What makes May different is that I have several projects going for several books, as opposed to multiple activities going … Continue reading →

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Posted in Romance writing, Self publishing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

How you can use MailChimp star ratings for newsletter subscriber maintenance

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Cara Bristol

Did you ever notice that MailChimp gives your newsletter subscribers a star rating? The stars rank your subscribers according to their engagement with your newsletter. The higher the rating, the more engaged they are. 1 star is a negative rating. … Continue reading →

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Posted in Self publishing, Social marketing | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Behind the scenes: what actually happens when you a release book

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Cara Bristol

You want me to do what on release day? Nooooo…. On release day, I dance to a frenetic beat, a la “Maniac” from the movie Flashdance. (See it on You Tube here) I clear my calendar for the day and … Continue reading →

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Posted in Romance writing, Self publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments