Month: August 2013

Tips: Adding a Banner to Your Website

Guest post
by RJ Crayton

I was recently perusing the web when I ran across an author website with a thin blue banner that said, “Connect with me on Facebook.” When I clicked it, it took me to the author’s Facebook page, which I decided to like.

I thought this was pretty cool and would be a good addition to any author’s page. The bar allows you to put the information you feel is most important for readers up top to see. What’s important could be joining your mailing list, connecting on Facebook, following on Twitter or something else entirely different. With many of these bars, once users have seen it, they can click a button to minimize the bar from view, so it’s not a distraction as they peruse the rest of your site. Continue reading “Tips: Adding a Banner to Your Website”

Smashwords Now Offers Preordering, But Is It for You?

When I heard that Kobo was gearing up to let authors upload books on preorder status, I didn’t know that Smashwords would soon be leading the charge on most of its premium channel distributors.

Yes, Mark Coker and company are now offering preorders, but in a public beta test. The big news is that you don’t have to be James Patterson’s staff of assistants or Hugh Howey to make your next book available for preordering. Continue reading “Smashwords Now Offers Preordering, But Is It for You?”

Glimmer Train’s Short Story Award for New Writers

Glimmer Train is accepting submissions for their quarterly Short Story Award for New Writers. Open only to writers who have not been published in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000.

Prizes: First place, $1500 and publication. Second place, $500. Third place, $300.00.

Reading fee: $15 per submission. No more than three submissions.

Deadline is August 31, 2013. For more information, please visit their website.

Indies Unlimited is pleased to provide this contest information for the convenience of our readers. We do not, however, endorse this or any contest/competition. Entrants should always research a competition prior to entering.

Social Media Spec Sheets – Facebook, Twitter and Google+

Keeping your social media profiles updated and in order can be a real pain. We’ve all done it—you decide that you want to change your banner on your Facebook Page and three hours later you have it just right! What a waste of time.

Most of us are managing multiple social media sites for our writing business. Each of the social media sites has its own way of doing things and it can take a while to gather the info to properly format your pictures. Continue reading “Social Media Spec Sheets – Facebook, Twitter and Google+”