How Should I Market My Book in 2015? by Lorilyn Roberts

If you are lucky and have some extra bucks to spend as an indy author, use your money sparingly for marketing right now. Instead, invest your money in hiring at least one, preferably two, good book editors and an excellent book cover designer. If you need suggestions, visit our page here: http://john316mn.blogspot.com/p/resources-for-authors.html

Do not compromise on a book editor and book cover designer. 

What should you do for marketing since I am telling you not to spend a lot of dollars on marketing?  Here is what I recommend.

Build up your platform. How? Here is what I recommend:

1. Have an active blog or website, meaning you post a couple of times each week.

2. Open a Twitter account and build up your following. Tweet Adder 4 helps.

3. All your blog posts should be shared on Google Plus. Just post to Google Plus so you get your blog out there on the web.

4. Connect with other authors. How? Offer to review their books. Host them on your blog.

5. Write your next book.

6. Make all your books available in ebook format. Upload to Amazon and Smashwords for extended distribution.

7. Learn how to write press releases using Sandra Beckwith's information, available on her website for about $22.

8. Make your book available in audible book format and upload to Audible.com Recite it yourself. If you have a computer you can do it for free.

9. Make your own videos using http://animoto.com. There is a free version.

10. Start an opt-in list. I use Constant Contact. You want your own list that you can send announcements to when you have a new book release or other author news.

11. Pray for God's direction and do not look for miracles. You might receive one, but probably it will be a process of developing your platform and your following. But at least you aren't spending thousands of dollars for people promising the impossible and delivering little.

Lastly, I have written a book you might find helpful, “How to Launch a Best-Selling Christian Book” on Amazon. It's 99 cents on Kindle. Some of the information I would change if I wrote the same book today, and some of it is specific to the John 3:16 Marketing Network, but there is a lot of good information about marketing you might find helpful.  http://amzn.to/1xXeNza

I am keeping my eyes and ears open to new ideas and ways to market for 2015. If you have found something that has worked for you, please share with us in the comments below.

Thankfulness from Ten Thousand Miles

As we start the new year, my New Year's resolution is to be more thankful. After the trip to Nepal and sharing John 3:16 books with the orphans, I realize more than ever how much for which I have to be thankful. 

When I finally got around to emptying out my suitcase (yes, it took me two months), I found the note below from some of the children we met. We stayed at one of the orphans' houses and they must have put the note in my suitcase when I wasn't looking. I want to share it with you and encourage you as you start off the new year. 

While our outward circumstances may not change our perspective will. God will add a heavenly filter to our limited worldly view, and somehow, someway, we will see the world with a different perspective, with more joy, with more hope, and with more patience. The Lord knows, I need more patience:)

Because it's a little hard to read from the scan, here is what it says:

Romans 12:12

Rejoicing in hope 

patient in tribulation 

continuing steadfastly in prayer

Dear Lorilyn Auntie and Sister Joylin,

We thank you for your hard work by bringing us the book. We usually don't get such books even in the market. This book will strengthen our spiritual and English level. We appreciate your prayer and  hoping to read such book in the future, too. Thank you for reading the book for us. Thank you for your love and everything. We were blessed from your visit. Keep in touch!

Ram Hari, Grivson, Bishal, Aaron, Ajit, Ayusha, Kinv, Akriti, James, Sagar Anusha, Dipesh, Sibani, Ginita