Annie McDonnell’s thoughtful book reviews won a regular spot with Elle magazine in 2006. She soon launched her blog, The Write Review. After she was declared permanently disabled in 2014, she devoted herself full-time to the literary community and became known as one of its best book reviewers. Annie has written articles and endorsements for authors; conducted author interviews; and consulted with authors on promotions and events. She continues to do so as her health
allows. In addition, she administers the Write Review and World of the Write Review on Facebook. What makes her debut memoir Annie’s Song: Dandelions, Dreams and Dogs even more remarkable is that much of it was written since Annie was told in January 2020 that she must go into hospice and was given last rites. An advocate for literacy, animal rescue, and those with disabilities, Annie is donating the proceeds from her cross-genre memoir—which hit top spots on Amazon’s Hot How to Get More Book Reviews New Releases charts in Biographies/Memoirs of People with Disabilities, Poetry/Grief, Death and Bereavement, and Books by Irish Authors, among others—to nonprofits that serve those causes.
Category: Launch Pad 3
Katharine Herndon
As the Executive Director of the Richmond, Virginia, literary nonprofit James River Writers for over a decade, and a volunteer for eight years before that, Katharine Herndon has helped hundreds of writers pursue their goals and dreams. She passionately believes in service to the literary community and has been a judge for the Virginia High School League and the local Scholastic awards, as well as being a panelist for selecting the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s first Writer in Residence, Richmond’s first Poet Laureate, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts’ Artist Fellowship in Poetry.
Website: https://www.kaherndon.com/
James River Writers: https://jamesriverwriters.org/
Community is everything for a writer—both in a feel-good, warm and fuzzy way and in the real-world, show-me-the-money way. You never know what benefits you’ll see from the efforts you put out into the world. For ten quick tips on benefiting from
joining a writing community, check out Katharine Herndon’s free downloadable pdf here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ino310grgu
Mary Helen Sheriff
Mary Helen Sheriff serves as an Author Marketing Coach, helping authors save time and money on their journey to sell more books. She’s the author of women’s fiction Boop and Eve’s Road Trip, the CEO of Bookish Road Trip, and co-editor of Launch Pad: The Countdown to Marketing Your Book. She writes “Journey into Book Marketing,” a blog column for Bookish Road Trip, and “The Book Biz,” a column in Women’s Fiction Writers Association’s e-zine Write ON! Go to her website to signup for “Nuts and Bolts” for free book marketing tips and ideas every month direct to your inbox.
Website: https://maryhelensheriff.com/marketing
Once the excitement and bustle of your book launch have quieted and you are typing away on your next book, you may find that your book sales slow down. This is where book promotions come in. Book promotions are when you put concentrated marketing activity around a book for a short period of time while the title is discounted.
For ten quick tips on designing book ads, check out Mary Helen Sheriff’s free downloadable pdf here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/y8cu38roy2
Renea Winchester
Renea Winchester is an award-winning, internationally-released author. She is the recipient of two prestigious awards: She Elevates The World and Women Who Open Doors. She is a strong supporter of public libraries and adores meeting readers. After two decades of city living, Renea returned to her beloved Appalachian Mountains where she tends land that’s been in her family for three generations. She is the owner of Butterfly Cove Botanicals, a herb farm located in the Appalachian Mountains where she partners with bookstores to offer herb classes. Renea is hard at work on her next novel.
https://blogthefarm.wordpress.com/
During the excitement of your book’s release, remember to consider that some giveaways make sense and others do not. Consider the return on your investment and giveaway strategically. For ten giveaways that won’t break the bank, check out Renea Winchester’s free downloadable pdf here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/x4hnkxgkg8
Linda Ulleseit
Linda Ulleseit, from Saratoga, California, earned an MFA in writing from Lindenwood University. She is a member of the Hawaii Writers Guild, Women Writing the West, and Paper Lantern Writers. Linda is the award-winning author of the historical novels Under the Almond Trees, The Aloha Spirit, and The River Remembers. She believes in the unspoken power of women living ordinary lives. Her books are the stories of women in her family who were extraordinary but unsung. She recently retired from teaching elementary school and now enjoys writing full-time as well as cooking, leather-working, reading, gardening, spending time with her family, and walking her dog.
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Surveys consistently say that 95% of book sales are based on personal recommendations. Readers discover new authors, then they tell their friends. The friends, in turn, tell their friends and reading groups. They also love to tell others about the books their club reads. Book clubs can be an important component of a sales and marketing plan.
If you are writing book club questions for your book, check out Linda Ulleseit’s free downloadable pdf for help here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/g7i4l7892x
Jade Dee and Wilnona Marie
Wilnona Marie and Jade Dee are Advocate Awarded Authors who have contributed writing to eleven books. They are cofounders of The Inspirational Women in Literature Media and Journalism Awards and the 25 Hottest Indie Authors, Artists, and Advocates magazine. They starred in the docuseries Just Writin Life.
Website: http://www.andwethought.com/
Hosting your own book event is a lot of work, but the rewards can be huge. What happens next? What do you need to know? For ten tips to hosting successful events, check out Jade Dee and Wilnona Marie’s free downloadable pdf here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/vl2fvtmn4o
Rebecca Rosenberg
Rebecca Rosenberg is a champagne geek, lavender farmer, and award-winning author of historical fiction about glorious women of the past including the Champagne Widows series, Gold Digger series, The Secret Life of Mrs. London, and Lavender Fields of America.
Website: https://rebecca-rosenberg.com
An author newsletter is widely considered to be the most important tool for success an author can have in their toolbox, right after their website. Getting yours up, running, and effectively promoting you and your brand is the ultimate goal, but really, it’s about connecting on a personal level with readers.
For ten ideas for gaining more newsletter subscribers with freebies, check out Rebecca Rosenberg’s free downloadable pdf here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3o1y5w57i3
Sharvette Mitchell
Sharvette Mitchell, of Mitchell Productions, works with small businesses to enable them to generate more revenue by focusing on marketing, visibility and branding. She does this with one-on-one consulting, group coaching programs based on her trademarked framework, THE PLATFORM BUILDER®, book collaborations, and conferences.
She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing.
Since 2008, she has hosted an internet talk radio show, The Sharvette Mitchell Radio Show, which airs on six streaming platforms. Sharvette has been seen on CBS 6 and featured in publications such as Huffington Post & AARP.
Website: https://mitchell-productions.com
Perhaps you’ve operated personally on Facebook for years, but using Facebook to market your book is new to you. Or maybe you wonder if you fully optimizing your Facebook marketing. Sharvette Mitchell’s chapter “Leverage the Power of Facebook” in Launch Pad: The Countdown to Marketing Your Book offers the guidance you’ve been searching for.
For ten quick tips to up your Facebook game, check out her free downloadable pdf here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/96byparcn7
Meredith R. Stoddard
Meredith R. Stoddard is the author of folklore-inspired fiction including the Once & Future Series, a contemporary fantasy series that blends Celtic legends with modern life. She is also a book coach at The Book Grower, the Communications Director of Bookish Road Trip, a community of readers, writers, and travel lovers. She hosts an Instagram Live program called Author Ride Along. She is a contributor to the Launch Pad Countdown series of craft books from Red Penguin Books, and a member of Author Talk Network. Her latest novel, Thistle & Lion, will be released on June 8th.
Website: http://meredithstoddard.com/
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Goodreads, Pinterest–the list of social media is never-ending. If you’ve ever wondered where or what you should post, then you’ll want to read Meredith R. Stoddard’s chapter “ SOCIAL Media” in Launch Pad: The Countdown to Marketing Your Book.
For ten social media do’s and don’ts, check out her free downloadable pdf here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/sap8gskryn
Natalie Obando
For nearly two decades Natalie Obando has worked in the world of books as the founder of Do Good Public Relations Group and the grassroots organization, Women of Color Writers Podcast and Programming. She is the current national president of the 105-year-old non-profit, the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA), overseeing all chapters across the nation. She is the founder and chair of Authentic Voices—a four-month-long program that immerses people from marginalized communities in writing, editing, marketing, and publishing. Natalie has been a speaker at literary conferences across the United States helping authors and publishers promote their work and drive equity in publishing.
Websites:
https://.womenofcolorwriters.com
https://dogoodprgroup.com
Do authors need websites? What should go on an author website? Natalie Obando’s chapter “What Every Author Should Know about Building a Website” in Launch Pad: The Countdown to Marketing Your Book will answer all your author website questions. For ten quick tips on building your author website, check out her free downloadable pdf here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/pjct1jb4uf