Sunday Links

Stuff I read, stuff I liked.

Hello!

I hope you are all having a great weekend. I spent mine at the new house. It has an in-ground pool, so I’ve really enjoyed swimming in it. As of next Saturday, we will be living there full-time. I’ll share some pics once it is furnished (the house we were renting came fully furnished so that I will have new furniture for the first time in 20 years!).

Before I get to the links, some housekeeping:

CLASSES AND SERVICES I AM OFFERING:

DIY Book Publicity + Marketing: Thursday, August 22, 1 pm-2:30 pm EST

Cost: $150

This class teaches you how to craft a pitch for podcasts, influencers, and more. We will review best practices for authors pitching themselves, effective ways to find contacts, and how to cultivate relationships with people who cover books.

You will also learn about marketing books, what certain marketing activities mean, and the audience they reach.

Whether you are a self-published author or a traditionally published author who wants to participate in the publicity and marketing of your book, this class is for you!

REGISTER HERE.

Book Publishing 110: Tuesday, September 10, 1 pm-2:30 PM EST

COST: $100

In this class, I will teach you the basics of the publishing industry, such as:

• What happens after a book is acquired?

• How editorial meetings can make or break an acquisition.

• Indie bookstores vs B&N vs Amazon.

• How publishers determine on-sale dates.

• Questions you should ask your publisher.

• How publishers decide what books should have certain budgets for marketing and publicity.

• How first printings are determined.

• Paid marketing: what it means and looks like.

• How budgets are allocated.

• Much more!

REGISTER HERE.

NEW SERVICES:

If you are interested, please email: kathleen@kmspr.com

Brand/Digital Audits, Cost: $350

Do you need a branding makeover but don’t know where to start? With this service, I will send you an intake form, review all your platforms, and write a report on what I think needs adjustment. We will then schedule a 45-minute Zoom meeting to discuss the report.

Note: I keep costs relatively low for classes and some services. Please keep in mind that with me, you are getting someone with three decades of publishing experience and an MBA. My prices are as fair as I can make them without losing money.

And now, Sunday links!

Time Magazine published a list of The 50 Best Romance Novels to read right now. I have to say they missed some great ones from self-published authors like Vi Keeland (who is now with S&S), T.L. Swan (also now with a trad publisher, but her earlier works like The Stopover, The Takeover, and The Do-Over are wonderful), Ava Harrison, and more. The best thing about lists like this is that they are debatable AND put romance books in the spotlight. I would love to know what you think!

Every week, Publishers Weekly has bestseller lists. This week, it’s the top 25 bestselling books overall. It’s no surprise that Hillbilly Elegy is at the top with over 200K units sold. I also expected It Ends with Us to get a big pop in sales because the movie comes out this week (I am seeing it with my 16-year-old daughter on Wednesday night. Here’s the list: