In the first six months of 2017, traffic on the blog has been robust with 637,811 visitors, serving over 1 million page views. As we continue to offer high-quality content from experts and passionate newcomers to the field of indie publishing, our goal remains the same:
To arm authors with the best information we can offer to help them make better publishing decisions, and achieve more success with their books by offering practical advice to “build better books.”
To that end, on this hot and lazy July weekend, I’d like to offer you the Top Ten articles on the blog during the past six months. These articles have already been read, bookmarked, and shared by thousands of readers, so you know you’ll find something you’ll like—and that will help you on your own publishing journey—among this selection from six different authors.
Enjoy!
Top 10 Blog Posts of the First Half of 2017
(There were three ties in the top 10, which accounts for the ‘funny’ numbering.)
1. Dress Up Your Author Media Kit with “5 Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Me” by Contributing Writer Joan Stewart, “Most author bios are more potent than sleeping pills. Fun facts practically beg journalists and bloggers to add them to articles they’re writing about you.”
1. e-Book Cover Design Awards, March 2017 109 covers featuring winners Tommy Arnold & Book Fly Design as well as Mark at Author Packages.
3. e-Book Cover Design Awards, February 2017 100 covers featuring winners James T. Egan and Tim McConnehey.
4. e-Book Cover Design Awards, January 2017 114 covers featuring winners Greg Simanson and Chris Lascelles.
4. Beware of Sharks in Publisher’s Clothing by Contributing Writer Judith Briles, “Start probing before you sign on the dotted line with ANY self-publishing company or expert or whatever. Please, please do your homework.”
6. What’s in Your Tagline? by Contributing Writer Judith Briles, “If a visitor to your website or someone who had your business card or someone who read a description or short bio on a blog or article read your tagline (if you have one), would he or should he know what you do or what you offer without an explanation?”
7. Apps, Tools & Plugins for Indie Authors in 2017 – Part 1 by Contributing Writer Frances Caballo, “Here’s a list of apps, tools, extensions, and plugins that can actually help indie authors and not further distract or hinder them in their work.”
7. The Pro Bono Marketing Staff Every Self-Published Author Has at Their Fingertips by Guest Author Eva Lesko Natiello, “Every self-published author out there has a powerful, results-driven, hard-working, marketing “staff” at their fingertips.”
9. From Fun to Serious: How I Use Pinterest Differently Now by Contributing Writer Frances Caballo,”It’s fine to use Pinterest for the pleasure of finding and sharing images, but you can also use it to refer traffic, sell books, and promote your career.”
9. Book Promotion: Do This, Not That – February 2017 by Contributing Writer Amy Collins, “Amy Collins and Bryan Cohen discuss the three different stages of drawing a reader towards you and your book in this edition of ‘Book Promotion: Do This, Not That.'”
