ARCHIVE FOR Crystal King

The last couple of months have been a little hectic for me as I prepped to launch my second novel, The Chef's Secret, out into the world. I'm probably an anomaly in the world of writers, but I actually like the whole marketing and promotion aspect of it all. But I know that's not true of every writer, so I'm going to share a few tips that may help when you are out there trying to figure out how you are going to promote your book in a world of small publishing budgets, millions of competing books and a lack of personal time. 

It's that time of year, when we rack our brains trying to figure out our gift list. Last year I shared a list of gifts for your favorite socially savvy author (or for you, if you are aspiring to be one!)

As a writer of historical fiction, I find that one of my biggest challenges is how to manage both my time and all the little tidbits of information that I discover all over the Web. This is particularly tough when some of the data is sent to me from friends, or I uncover new articles and facts through random browsing, not just at times when I sit down to do research.

I could use a notebook, and I do, but those online notes are a time-sink to rewrite, and as a result, my notebook tends to be more for creative ...

Getting ahead in the world of social media isn't easy, but it's even harder if you are doing things that self-sabotage your efforts. Here are seven things you can stop doing to help you bolster your social media efforts to find more fans and sell more books. 

1. Don't be spammy in direct messages (on any channel). Don't spam people in Direct Messages with automatic replies

When I talk to authors trying to wrangle their social media activities, one of the big questions is what should I do every day to make the biggest difference? This is especially important to figure out so you can maximize your time and put your efforts in the right place. Savvy book marketers should be able to do the following five things in an hour or less every day