Category: Lalla Gatta

Ever wondered What an Author’s Street Team is?

The idea of a street team first became popular back in the 1970’s when record label’s would approach savvy young teenagers and get them to hand out music posters, and other goodies, as well as, get them to buy whatever record happened to be the hoped for hit of the moment. While popular at the time and before home computers were around, the idea sort of died out over time. That is until it got reinvented for the publishing industry in the mid-2000’s. Not all authors choose to create street teams, but those that do sometimes find it a useful marketing tool.

In the case of the publishing industry and authors, a street team is a group of readers who join together to help get the word out about an author’s book. Each street team is different. Some just operate online only, and others both online and offline. Here are some examples of what authors ask their street teams to do:

1. Hand out bookmarks, magnets, pens, pencils and other swag to those who they think will be interested in the author’s books.

3. Write honest reviews and post them to Amazon, B&N and other booksellers.

5. Blog …

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Want to avoid aurhor burnout? Here are 5 ways how!

Burnout is something we all suffer from as authors from time to time. We have a new book out and we’re trying to market it, and write the next book at the same time, maybe we have a day job as well. Trying to do too much can easily lead to author burnout. It’s hard to write the next story if you’re worried about your child being bullied at schoo,l and the fact you don’t have much time to blog or promote your current release.

Here are five ways that you can help to avoid author burnout:

1. Batch your work. Batching your work is one way to take the stress out of being an author and avoid burnout. For example: You could write and schedule all your blog posts for the week in one sit down session. Find all the stock photos you need for your blog posts for the week in one sitting. Figure out what articles you’re going to write and then do the research for each one in one sitting. Consider listening to some soothing instrumental music while you do each one.

2. That leads me to the next tip, schedule your blog posts. Don’t write …

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Why do authors need to unplug regularly? Here are 5 reasons why!

If you’re an author and you’re serious about writing, then chances are you are spending a lot of time in front of a computer, and on your smart phone, or tablet. All these lovely technology gadgets may seem to have made our lives easier, well okay, they have but there is a downside to being constantly “plugged in” to gadgets.

These are five reasons you need to unplug regularly:

1. Studies have shown that in order to stay healthy the brain needs to have periods of down time. Because computers, smart phones and tablets are so easy to use, we often don’t realize that what we think of as “down time” such as when we’re playing slot games on Facebook for example, really aren’t. When you deprive your brain of downtown, it makes it difficult to learn new things, brainstorm new ideas and remember what you’ve already learned.

2. It’s better for your skin. Because people often put laptops in their laps for too long, there is a new medical condition called TSS or Toasted Skin Syndrome where people get permanent burn marks on their skin.

3. Being plugged in too much can give you a constant feeling of having …

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