Marketing Tips + Trends + Useful Stuff
How to Write an Attention-Grabbing Book Description
An attention-grabbing book description compels readers to buy your book. But how do you write one? Well, luckily there’s a formula for that! Below, I’ll cover what you need to include (or not include), how it should be structured and how the words you chose can make a...
Why Professional Standards Matter in Self-Publishing
Professional standards matter in self-publishing for several reasons and the lack of them is harmful not only to your book and your reputation as a self-published author, but to the industry as a whole. It may seem snobbish to insist that this is the case, or it may...
6 Book Marketing Ideas for 2026 You May Not Have Tried Before
These six book marketing ideas for 2026 may not be new, but they’ve been tried and tested, and maybe you just haven’t tried them before. It’s not about revolutionary ideas and going viral because there is no one magic trick that will make you a best seller overnight....
What Makes a Compelling Website Book Page? A Guide for New Authors
As a new author, you'll want a compelling website Book page that draws in your audience and makes it easy for them to purchase your book. So, you’ll need to speak directly to your audience, entice and engage them, and convince them that your book is worth taking a...
Do Your Author Marketing Assets Need a Refresh?
When was the last time you checked in on your author marketing assets? Because they may need a refresh. Content and other assets can grow stale or dated over time, so it’s always a good idea to schedule a yearly reevaluation and update them as needed. And the new year...
Beta Readers: An Explainer
Beta readers can be an integral part of the publishing process because they potentially help polish your manuscript, offer insights into reader experiences and expectations, and even help you become better at your craft. But to get the most out of what they have to...
Your Book’s Metadata is its Key to Discoverability: How to Get it Right
Your book’s metadata is more than just the details you upload to IngramSpark or KDP, or the codes librarians and book sellers use to place or find your book. Metadata is also the key to your book being discovered by readers organically. Why? Because readers are...
Accessible Websites Offer Inclusion and Audience Growth
Did you know you could possibly be losing a huge portion of your audience simply because your content is not accessible? It’s true. Accessible websites offer not only inclusion, but audience growth. Recently, digital inclusion strategist, Belo Cipriani, and I...
These 6 Website Essentials Unlock Your Author Marketing Power
Whether you want to keep it simple with a single-page website or you require multiple pages and complex design, there are six website essentials to include to make your website your most powerful author marketing tool. Below, we list these six essentials and the...
These Self-Editing Tactics Will Make Your Book Better
Many writers tend to write first and edit later. Which can work fine for short pieces. But when writing an entire book-length manuscript this can land you in trouble. You may end up feeling overwhelmed, overburdened and out of time. But by incorporating some effective...
Author Email Lists: Why Have One and How to Use It
Author email lists get talked about a lot, and it’s because they’re a seamless and effective integration of both active and passive book marketing. They allow direct, customized contact with your audience and they’re a built-in, ongoing promotional tool that you have...
5 Book Cover Design Mistakes to Avoid
Designing a great book cover requires skill, knowledge and research. And though there are definite conventions to follow, they're more nuanced than a set of hard rules. And to the untrained eye, sometimes the rules aren’t so clear. Because of this, it's often easier...
Reader Reviews
We publish a weekly blog with marketing strategies, contests, checklists, insider secrets, and more. Here’s what readers are saying.
“Reading Jeniffer Thompson’s Author Branding Updates is like having a friend inside the marketing business telling it to you straight. Every issue is packed with practical strategies, key resources, and professional advice for authors and entrepreneurs of all experience levels. I learn something new in every issue!”
“Wow. Enjoyed reading these tips on simpler and varied content. It made me think more about what I post. I am putting together a chapbook of posts I wrote on coping in the year of the pandemic. I will use some of your ideas to promote it.”