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The Smarty Pants Book Marketing Podcast

Award-winning marketer Chris Syme and bestselling indie author Becca Syme give self-published authors the latest social media tips and strategies that sell more books and build loyal fans. Join them as they interview top book marketing experts, showcase successful indie authors, and offer tips from their own successes on this weekly show.
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Now displaying: January, 2017
Jan 30, 2017

In this episode Chris and Becca talk about the concept of fitting your writing strategies to how your brain is wired: how to write better faster. Becca talks about her background coaching authors and organizations in how to find their best strategic fit to accomplish their goals by discovering how their brain is wired to achieve success. Becca also talks about her upcoming online class with the Margie Lawson Writing Academy and how listeners can participate in the Write Better Faster class.

Show Notes and Links:

-What does writer better faster mean?

-How finding your own writing strengths helps you discover your best path to success.

-Why copying other people's writing goals and strategies can actually hinder your success as an author.

-Why FOMO is not a good motivator.

-For more information on Becca's Write Better Faster class, click here. Class starts Feb. 1 but late registrations are welcome. Students get one-on-one coaching with the class.

Join the SMART Marketing For Authors Facebook group and find a community of authors sharing their book marketing successes and challenges.

Answer our question of the week at cksyme.com/episode32: How does FOMO influence your writing strategy or isn't it a factor for you?

Jan 23, 2017

 

In this episode Chris and Becca tackle appropriate and budget-friendly marketing strategies for authors at various stages (or platform levels) in their author careers. 

Show Notes & Links:

-Review of the platform levels for fiction and nonfiction authors.

-Introduction of the proper book marketing strategies for levels one and two fiction writers.

-When you need to start spending money on marketing

-What are the two things you need to spend money on before marketing?

-What does your skill level have to do with how you can market your books

-Why authors at all levels need to network with other authors and why you should start early in your career

-What if you're a tweener? You have skills at two different levels. How should that change what you do?

-Why appropriate marketing strategies give you more time to write.

-Link to Chris' free email marketing class (you'll have to set up a free account on Teachable to take the class: http://chris-syme.teachable.com/p/how-to-build-an-email-list-that-sells-more-books

-Link to the graphic tool on platform levels from last week's episode

-Link to vetted book marketing resource for authors 

-Link to Becca's Write Better Faster class

-Last week to get Chris' new book Sell More Books With Less Social Media plus free online class for just 99 cents. Click here.

Question of the Week: Go to cksyme.com/episode31 and give us a piece of your mind on the following question: What platform level are you and which of the marketing suggestions at your level are you struggling with?

Jan 16, 2017

Show Notes and Links:

Download the free tool for this episode here

  

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

 

-Two reasons why your books are not selling well.

-Does your marketing have platform confusion?

-The four markers that measure platform levels.

-The four platform levels of fiction writers.

-The three platform levels of fiction writers.

-Why writing fast turbocharges your platform building process.

 

Be sure and answer the question of the week at cksyme.com/episode30 :

What is your biggest platform challenge? Skills, budget, time, or just needing to publish more books?

Get Sell More Books With Less Social Media –plus – free online course for just 99 cents until the end of January here.  

Honoree Corder’s new book: You Must Write A Book

Jan 9, 2017

Show Notes & Links:

 

-Three reasons why you should start building your platform before you publish your first book

 

-Tips to start building your platform before first book comes out.

            -build an author network

            -generosity builds reciprocity

            -get the right domain name for your website

            -why the number of Facebook fans you have at first is not important

            -prepare, plan, and then build before you launch 

Sign up for my weekly newsletter for chance at a free book bundle every week in January

Joanna Penn posts on how to build an author website: http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2015/08/13/build-author-website/

Link to free email marketing basics course from SMART Marketing for Authors 

Link to SMART Marketing for Authors Closed Facebook group

Link to Resources Page for self-published authors from Chris’ website 

Link to K-Boards (Forum for self-published authors on all things Amazon and more) 

Question of the week: (answer in the comments at cksyme.com/episode29)

What is the most challenging part of building an author platform?

Jan 2, 2017

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

-New and improved podcast format for 2017 - We are focused!

-Why you need to ditch "tips and tricks marketing" in 2017

-The SMART Marketing Manifesto:

  1. Sustainable – Choose marketing practices that will stand the test of time – Make sure you spend time and money formulating marketing that is based on principles and fly by night get rich quick schemes.
  2. Manageable  How to spend less time marketing and more time writing.
  3. Audience-Specific—The difference maker in 2017. Learn audience targeting, specific launch strategies, and online content aimed at your audience’s needs.
  4. Relevant - Not hip or trendy but useful and valuable to the audience. As Jay Baer would say it’s about help, not hype.
  5. Tactics Last—Strategy First - Tips and tricks only help you figure one thing out at a time. Start with goals and strategies and your tactics will be obvious and ongoing.

-Jan. 10 at 12 PM Mountain Chris joins Frances Caballo to talk about how to sell more books with less social media. Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8569121215329127427

-Join the SMART Marketing for Authors closed Facebook group today: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smartsocialmediaforauthors/

Don't forget to go to the podcast episode page at cksyme.com/episode28 and answer the question of the week: What is your biggest marketing challenge for 2017?

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