Latest posts from Chip MacGregor
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Should an author hire an outside publicist?
I’ve had this question quite a bit, from authors who aren’t sure if they can do the required marketing themselves. I think the first thing authors need to do is to look into what marketing they can do on their …
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What is a “platform”?
I’ve had a couple people write to ask, “What is a platform?”
The simplest way to view this is to say that a platform is a NUMBER… the number of people who have contact with you and your writing. Let’s… -
Thursdays with Amanda: How to Use Tumblr to Grow an Author Platform
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as …
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Where do I start marketing my book? (Part Three)
We’ve been talking about the beginning steps for someone who has a book releasing. The past two days we looked at some very basic things to help you start marketing your book. A few more thoughts (then I’ll turn it …
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Where do I start marketing my book? (Part Two)
Continuing our look at how an author starts the basic process of marketing…
Fourth, you already know this, and it may seem to simple, but you really need a good website. For some reason there’s been a movement in writing …
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Where do I start with marketing my book? (Part One)
I’ve had several authors ask me about marketing their books recently. May I offer some thoughts?
First, your publisher isn’t going to do that much marketing. They’ll do some things, since they want to help your book succeed, but you
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I want to be a career writer…
I was at a big writing conference a couple years ago, and there was a glob of literary agents yakking it up on a panel. We were asked about the role agents play in the contemporary publishing industry, and one …
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Thursdays with Amanda: Promoting Yourself at a Conference Part 4
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as …
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What is success?
A while back, an author wrote with a simple question: “In your view, what is success?”
I have purposefully stayed away from this topic on my blog, figuring a lot of people would give nice, religious answers in the comments …
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A guest blog: BookJolt
Last week I mentioned Athena Dean, who founded WinePress Publishing. She got in touch with me to tell me what she’s doing these days, and I thought you’d find it interesting. So today’s guest blog comes from Athena, who has …
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Thursdays with Amanda: Promoting Yourself at a Conference Part 3
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as …
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What else does an author need to know about branding?
More thoughts on branding for authors…
6. Clarifying your brand is crucial. Figure out what need your writing addresses, what connection you make with readers, what defines you as a writer. Branding consultants are always asking, “What’s your core message?” …
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Do I need to have a writing “brand”?
I’ve had several people ask me for my thoughts on branding (currently a hot topic among authors and publishers). Some folks wanted it defined, others were looking for how-to’s, and still others are trying to weigh various interpretations of what …
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How can I get the most out of a writing conference?
As you begin preparing for this year’s summer conferences, I’d like to suggest you keep ten words in mind…
1. READ. Don’t just show up and wonder who the speakers are. Read the blog of the keynote speakers. Read the …
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Thursdays with Amanda: Promoting Yourself at a Conference Part 2
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings …
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The Wine Press Follies
A few months ago (March 5), I wrote a blog post about the situation at Wine Press Publishing. They’re a big self-publisher of religious books, and their founder and former president alleges they’ve been taken over by a cult called …
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Lovely RITA and other awards — MacGregor Literary Winners at 2012 RWA Conference
It’s always a big deal to win an award. We know authors can go a long way on recognition. And they aren’t the only ones.
When we agents have the honor of being present when awards are presented to our …
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How can I find a writing mentor?
Mandy wrote to me and noted, “Recently you encouraged all serious writers to find a writing mentor. How does one do this? I’ve been to several writing conferences and am acquainted with some well-known authors, but I’m not sure I’d …
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Thursdays with Amanda: Promoting Yourself at a Conference
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as …
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Summer Sabbatical – It’s a Very Good Thing
Sandra Bishop, MacGregor Literary, Inc. Agent, shares her reflections on a rare thing indeed for people in the publishing biz–time away. Sandra represents fiction and nonfiction authors in multiple genres.
Each of the past few years as summer approached, I’ve …