At a recent publishing workshop, an attendee asked me a simple question: “What is metadata for a book?” I was caught a bit off guard. My quick answer was, “It’s keywords, categories, and the book description (blurb or synopsis).” But in truth—it’s much more than that. What Exactly Is Book Metadata? There are plenty of explanations…
“Tara” is a new author with no marketing plan. I first met her more than four years ago when she contacted me about book design. At that time, her manuscript was not yet complete or edited. Fast forward to 2025: after years of writing, revising, editing, and creating a companion workbook—plus going through design and…
For many years, I have been amassing book marketing plans from various self-publishing experts. As a book designer (and admitted packrat), my interest in this topic runs deep. Recently, I revisited most of these plans to gather ideas for an upcoming meeting. While some are nearly a decade old, they remain remarkably relevant. Although book…
Setting the table for success is a phrase I heard on the Book Marketing Tips & Author Success podcast. This thought was fitting for a post-Thanksgiving episode. The podcasters, Penny Sansevieri and Amy Cornell said, “Look at everything you’re doing as a way to present your book to the reader—setting the table for success. You can’t force…
I’m a book designer who frequently listens to webinars (and podcasts) about book marketing and publishing. They keep me up to date. I’ve been listening and watching for many years. Most of the information is not new to me. However, it reinforces book publishing concepts every author should learn. Recently, I attended an excellent webinar…
Great sources of advice on book marketing you may never have thought of are podcasts by book marketing experts. I listen to several podcasts, including Mark Dawson’s The Self-Publishing Formula. Here is his advice from episode #382: “You must market your book with Honorée Corder.” Honorée Corder is the author of more than fifty books. On…
Follow the Leader was a kid’s game from my past. Wikipedia explains how it worked: Players first chose a leader or “head of the line,” and the remaining players (the followers) all lined up behind the leader. Then, as the leader moved around, all the players mimicked the leader’s actions. These days, I follow the leaders in book marketing. These are experts…
Do your homework before you meet with a book designer!Recently, I met with an author at a local coffee shop. Dave started the conversation by giving me a detailed description of his book—very detailed. I interrupted him by asking my standard first question: Can you tell me what your book is about in two or…
It was Back to the Future when I found this list of ideas from 2004 on an old CD while I was looking for something else. Remember when Marty McFly travels back to 1955? Well, this blog post isn’t a flux capacitor, but the advice still holds true ten-plus years later. I bet you’re familiar…
Beware of these mistakes on your marketing materials. You might think nothing is wrong until you get feedback from a “fresh set of eyes.” Here are a few examples of poor-quality marketing materials that we saw at a small local trade show. #1) Vendor A handed us her business card. The type was miniscule, and…