People always ask me what's the single biggest mistake authors make. I'm not sure it's just one mistake, though the truth is that one mistake can sink...

Undoubtedly, there's been a paradigm shift in how books are published and distributed, and there has been a major paradigm shift in how books are marketed.

This is my strategy: get people interested in what you say. You have nothing to lose by introducing your ideas at little or no cost to an audience of people who would want to come back to learn more.

Subscribe for: iPod, iPhone & iTunes / Zune / Android In this episode you'll hear an interview with Jason Low, publisher at Lee & Low Bo...

Should publishers step in to save bookstores? The answer, without question, is yes. But it's bigger than that.

I had to be my own street team. I had to keep my baby from drowning. I had to do so until it could swim on its own. Here's how I've been marketing my book in innovative ways. You can do the same.

Over 11,000 writers, editors, and publishers turned out this year for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs' Conference, making it one of the biggest literary hootenannies for anyone with a passion for putting words on the page.

Everything is a pathway to something else. If you get a bunch of awards for your book and figure your work stops there, that's a big mistake. Follow the path to something else. At some point at the end of that road you'll likely be selling more books.

Whether you're a self-published writer or published by a traditional house, the word on the street is the same: Blog like your life depends on it if you want to sell any books. But does blogging really equal book selling?

I have several friends who are brilliant, dedicated academics. They write excellent books, teach at colleges and universities, and are standouts in their fields. You might want to know where they are speaking next and what they are currently researching, but you'd be hard-pressed to find them on the web.

There are so many paths a writer can take leading up to their book's release date. Some authors jump right into marketing while others prefer to sit on the shore of the publishing world waters, content in their accomplishment.

Of all the social media platforms, Facebook seems to cause authors the most consternation.

I've heard that Amazon's model isn't to sell 1,000,000 copies of a bestseller, but to sell 1 copy of a million poor sellers. To them, it's all the same. If they could do the same thing with marketing services to the same people, that would make lots of financial sense.

Direct email marketing allows you to do three things at once: remind people of your work, promote your work and boost book sales.

"Tableau vivant" or just downright crazy? When it comes to breaking through the noise of the busy book publishing ecosystem, I encourage my fellow authors to not be afraid in taking their message to the streets.

My goal is to get my book in front of as many readers' eyes in as many ways as possible. It seemed simplistic when I said it, but really -- other than that which exists to serve ones ego, what else is there for a writer?

Thanks to licensing, children's publishing is growing at a rate that few areas in the industry are experiencing. Because some publishers are owned by powerful media conglomerates, children's books have broken into different media markets.

Most authors know that a public relations effort for their book is essential for their success. But, how do you choose the right PR firm for your book

t's funny how authors often think that being an author doesn't require an investment. Hey, you wrote the book and that should be enough, right? Decide on your investment and then ask yourself: How much money am I willing to lose? Yes, I said lose.

The publishing industry is hurting. Writers are part of the publishing ecosystem. We're hurting too. Now, what do we do about it?

I had the opportunity recently to spend time with four big bestselling authors. First up we have Robyn Carr. She is the author of 40 books and many, many bestsellers.