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Do You Need a Prologue? No. Should You Write a Prologue? No. Is a Prologue Ever a Good Idea? It’s not. Why a Prologue Is a Bad Idea As a book distributor and marketer, I never truly gave prologues the … Read More

Here’s one of the dirty little secrets in book publishing. Publishers spend countless hours and dollars working on their covers, but they often miss a critical point. With the exception of online retailers, your book spine is your cover. Brick … Read More

“Everybody loves a thriller. Everyone also wants to write one, too,” wrote Donald Maass in The Breakout Novelist. Building tension, creating an unbelievable yet utterly believable plot, raising stakes, and creating authentic characters, are all tributes of a good thriller. … Read More

Social media can be a fantastic tool when it comes to connecting with your audience and drawing in new readers, but it can be a daunting task to figure out. It is tricky to find the balance between posting about … Read More

There’s this motivational quote that does rounds online: “The quality of your questions determines the quality of your life.” We can’t vouch for this statement, but we can assure you that the quality of your questions can affect the quality … Read More

By Ericka McIntyre on February 18, 2021 If you’re an author who intends to self-publish, first of all, congratulations! You’re entering the publishing game at an exciting time, and if you have completed a book manuscript, you have already done … Read More

Marketing books to schools (specifically K-12 schools) is a unique opportunity for authors and publishers. Whether it’s a children’s picture book, a chapter book, a YA book, or an adult fiction or nonfiction book, the goal for most authors is … Read More

Posted by New Shelves Books on January 28, 2021 Create a Graphic Featuring Your Book Do you ever find yourself looking at other author’s beautiful book graphics and wondering how they do it? Well, it’s actually pretty simple. So simple … Read More

Writing is most often a solitary business—but it doesn’t have to be.  All too often, we writers have to motivate ourselves, isolate ourselves until our pages are done, pat ourselves on the back when things work out and console ourselves … Read More

The number one way to impress librarians is reviews from established book review sites and periodicals. When we start working with new authors, they are (rightfully) focused on getting Amazon reviews. While that is a necessary and valid endeavor, don’t … Read More

You want readers. And in order to reel them in, first you need to give them the bait to latch onto your hook. But summing up the killer plot, unique world, and complex protagonist in just 150 characters is no … Read More

We used to suggest Preorder Campaigns on Amazon to our clients – not anymore. It used to be that when you pre-ordered with Amazon, they would count all of your orders as sales on the release day.  Your orders stacked … Read More