I just found out that EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART (The Sullivans) debuted at #15 on the NYT bestseller list thanks to my amazing readers!!! I’m so thankful for each and every one of you. <3 BellaI’m really excited about introducing you to Nick Stephenson today. He’s the creator of the “Your First 10k Readers” course and though I had already sold more than 5 million books by the time I took his class, I still learned a ton and loved the class. He was kind enough to answer a few questions for my blog below.
Bella: I remember putting out my first book and hoping someone (anyone!) would buy it. It would be great if you could talk about how your course specifically helps with those scary early days. Bullet points are always good, LOL!
Nick: It’s the same for everyone – me included! I remember it was a weird shift to go from “hiding in my creative cave” to trying to figure out how to go out and sell. And it’s nerve-wracking too. I believe as authors, we’re not really trained to do anything even remotely extroverted – so when I later realised that 99% of my sales were coming from my email list and my marketing emails, I was relieved. After all, I could set up these emails in advance and just let them run… meaning it didn’t feel like I was going out and selling. And readers were emailing in actually THANKING me for telling them about my other books for sale – so I was making people happy too. But it took a long time to get there, so this course is really all about helping other authors get there faster (without spending years on trial and error like I did).
Bella: I know all about trial and error. Tell us more about the nuts and bolts of what you teach.
Nick: Specifically, in “Your First 10k Readers” I take authors step by step through:
So, basically, the course is an A-Z of everything you need to go from “never written anything” to “published and rocking it”! We also cover Facebook advertising and how to use all the behind-the-scenes technology (even if you’re a technophobe).
Bella: One of the things I was (very pleasantly) surprised about with your course was that after having sold more than 5 million books, taking your course sparked a good dozen plans for my own promotions and marketing campaigns. (Which I’ve since implemented to great success–yay!) Writers get in touch with me all the time to ask for my top tips for having a successful writing career. What would your answer be to that?
Nick: My #1 piece of advice for any author is to build a mailing list. As in, forget about EVERYTHING else until you have at least a few hundred people on your database. Forget about sales, forget about fiddling around with your blog theme – get those email subscribers and you are building a platform for a long-term career that you own 100% – that nobody can take away from you.
In fact, I did a webinar this past weekend that will take you through how to get started with this right now. Check it out for free right here: http://bellaandre.com/GYAwrpt
The strategies I cover in the webinar cost nothing and are quick to set up and see results. So there’s no excuse
Bella: How do you think the marketing and promotion landscape has changed? And what are you most excited about with regards to marketing/promotion opportunties for writers now?
Nick: I believe self-published and traditionally published authors are getting to grips with the need to go out and market themselves. The days of handing a manuscript over to a publisher and then just sitting back and twiddling your thumbs are over (if they ever existed). If you want to sell more than a handful of books, you need to have a direct line to your audience. And this is a great thing for readers too, because they get to have more of a relationship with their favourite authors, so everybody wins.
The principles we teach in “Your First 10,000 Readers” are marketing approaches that have worked for hundreds of years. We’re not talking about some kind of gimmicky “hack” or “magic bullet” to trick people into buying your books – what I teach people is long-term and sustainable growth. Which means (a) figuring out who your audience is, and (b) getting a direct line of communication with them.
In the past, that might have been direct mail (like Mills & Boon or Harlequin romances) or even with live readings (like Charles Dickens was famous for) so really the only thing that’s changed is the medium we use – email. It’s still all about building that connection with your reader, gaining their trust, and asking for the sale.
What really excites me is the capacity for automation these days. With modern email marketing providers (like Mailchimp – free for your first 2,000 subscribers) you can literally set up everything in advance and just let it run. Meaning you can build a powerful platform of hungry fans without lifting a finger – once it’s all set up.
Writers can find out more about the course and reading some testimonials by going here: http://bellaandre.com/GYAan
Zach Sullivan (from IF YOU WERE MINE) and Ryan Sullivan (from LET ME BE THE ONE) have always been two of my favorite heroes! (Honestly, they are all my favorites, but Zach never fails to make me laugh and Ryan is just so darned sweet.) I had so much fun writing their surprise double wedding and I can’t wait for you to read it now that it’s available as both an eBook and paperback. (Note: “Every Beat Of My Heart” is a 100 page novella.)
*eBook*
*Paperback (shipped from Amazon)*
*Audiobook*
And don’t forget that the next full-length New York Sullivan book about Suzanne Sullivan is coming November 9th! Her hero is a mega-hot bodyguard and boy are the sparks flying between the two of them! More information about SINCE I FELL FOR YOU and pre-order links can be found here.
Happy reading!
Maybe you’re new to audiobooks or maybe you’ve been a fan for a long time. Either way, did you know that you can grab one of my audiobooks for free as part of a trial Audible membership? It’s true!
If you loved the romantic gestures and playful banter in EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART, then you are so ready to meet my sweet alter ego, Lucy Kevin. The best part? I have a special audio boxed set for the first three books in my Four Weddings & A Fiasco series, and you can get them ALL for free as part of this special offer from Audible. Hooray! So go ahead and click here to sign up for your trial membership and grab Four Weddings & A Fiasco, Books 1-3 as your free listen.
Prefer something sexy instead? Click here for another great audio recommendation, or if you prefer to keep reading the Sullivans, why not enjoy the full series a second time around and let Eva Kaminsky’s beautiful narration bring the stories to life in a whole new way? Click here to download THE LOOK OF LOVE as your second free audiobook. Or you can also pre-order the NOW THAT I’VE FOUND YOU audiobook as your freebie by clicking here. Enjoy!
Maybe you’re new to audiobooks or maybe you’ve been a fan for a long time. Either way, did you know that you can grab one of my audiobooks for free as part of a trial Audible membership? It’s true!
If you loved the sexy love scenes in EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART, then I just know you’re going to swoon for my ultra-hot firemen in the Hot Shot Firefighters series! Click here to sign up for your trial membership and grab HOT AS SIN as your free listen.
Prefer something sweet instead? Click here for another great audio recommendation, or if you prefer to keep reading the Sullivans, why not enjoy the full series a second time around and let Eva Kaminsky’s beautiful narration bring the stories to life in a whole new way? Click here to download THE LOOK OF LOVE as your second free audiobook. Or you can also pre-order the NOW THAT I’VE FOUND YOU audiobook as your freebie by clicking here. Enjoy!
If you haven’t had the funds to pick up my newest release, Kobo wants to help! Now new Kobo members can snag a $5 credit toward purchasing one of my books, including FEARLESS IN LOVE! Just click here > http://bellaandre.com/FIL_Kobo
Thank you so much to my amazing readers for making FEARLESS IN LOVE #20 on the USA Today bestseller list!!! Huge Maverick Billionaire kisses to all of you for being so awesome. Jennifer Skully and I can’t wait for you to read the next book about Evan, coming early 2017! <3 <3 <3 Bella
I have Sullivan Audiobook news! The audiobook for NOW THAT I’VE FOUND YOU (New York Sullivans #1) is now available for pre-order! I can’t wait for you to hear Drake & Rosa’s love story. Eva Kaminsky does a fabulous job narrating, as always.
JUST 1 MORE WEEK TO GO! Are you ready to fall Fearlessly in love with another Maverick Billionaire?
THE LOOK OF LOVE (The Sullivans) now has a bonus 20 page epilogue!!! Read it in iBooks Editions:
THE LOOK OF LOVE on iBooks ~ http://bellaandre.com/TLOL_iBooks
iBooks Editions ~ http://www.apple.co/ibookseditions
If you already own THE LOOK OF LOVE on Apple iBooks, all you need to do is access the iBooks app on your phone, iPad or computer, then grab the new, expanded Edition for free by simply tapping the Download button on the store. ENJOY! <3 <3 <3 Bella
Note: The bonus epilogue will be available at all retailers this fall.
