The elusive goal of media coverage keeps many authors awake at night, dreaming of that big break on national television or in major publications. But what if everything you thought about securing media attention was based on misconceptions?

In this eye-opening episode, we pull back the curtain on what really matters to media gatekeepers and why so many authors sabotage their chances before they even make their first pitch. The hard truth? Media outlets don't exist to promote your book—they exist to serve their audience. Your success hinges on how well you position yourself as valuable to that audience.

We reveal why local media opportunities might be your most powerful pathway to national attention, and why turning down "small" media appearances could be the biggest mistake in your marketing strategy. You'll learn how national scouts constantly monitor local channels for fresh voices and compelling stories, often making local coverage your best audition for bigger opportunities.

The episode offers practical guidance on crafting a pitch that resonates with producers, staying current in your knowledge base, building a professional online presence, and leveraging every media win to create momentum. We share real examples of authors who climbed the media ladder strategically, turning modest beginnings into significant visibility.

Whether you're just starting your publicity journey or have been frustrated by lack of media interest, this episode provides the framework to transform your approach. The path to media coverage isn't about lucky breaks—it's about strategic positioning, consistent effort, and understanding the media landscape from the inside out.

Ready to position yourself as the expert that media outlets actually want to feature? Listen now and discover how to build the platform that makes media come to you.

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Book bundling represents an untapped opportunity for authors seeking to revitalize their backlist, attract new readers, and generate fresh marketing momentum. This strategic approach – combining multiple books into a single e-book package – offers benefits far beyond simply grouping titles together.

Originally popularized by romance authors who packaged multiple books into value-driven collections, book bundling has evolved into a sophisticated marketing tool applicable across genres. When you bundle your books, you're essentially creating a new product that deserves its own promotional campaign, giving you permission to approach marketing with renewed enthusiasm rather than feeling like you're pushing the same titles year after year.

The timing for implementing a bundling strategy couldn't be better. After an initial surge where "every single book on Amazon was bundled," the approach has become less ubiquitous, making well-executed bundles more likely to stand out. This creates an opportunity for authors willing to be strategic about their bundling decisions.

For fiction writers, options include series bundles (books 1-2 as a new book 4 releases), connected standalones (books sharing characters or universe), and short story/novella collections that offer low-commitment entry points to your writing. Nonfiction authors can create topic-based collections or seasonal/themed groupings that address complementary aspects of readers' interests.

The technical aspects are straightforward – existing EPUB files can be combined without redesigning interiors, though you'll want a fresh cover that effectively communicates the bundle's value. Pricing strategy deserves careful consideration; while deeply discounted bundles might drive immediate sales, they often fail to create engaged readers invested in your work.

Ready to breathe new life into your backlist? Consider how bundling might create a second chance at a first impression with readers who missed your earlier work. We'd love to hear your experiences with book bundling – subscribe and leave a review to join the conversation!

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Buy Penny's new book, The Amazon Author Formula

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Leave a review to support the show and we'll give you our Book Launch Checklist!

Be sure you're following or subscribed to the show first. That's required on most platforms in order to leave a review. Then email us for your checklist.

Can't leave one on your preferred podcast platform? Email us your review and we'll put it on our website: info@amarketingexpert.com.

When authors dream of book marketing success, they often fixate on bestseller campaigns, major media appearances, and viral social media moments. But what if these splashy strategies are actually built on something far less glamorous yet infinitely more important?

Penny Sansevieri and Amy Cornell pull back the curtain on the unsexy side of book marketing – the foundational elements that truly drive long-term success. Through real-world examples and candid insights, they reveal why authors who chase high-level strategies while neglecting their foundation often find themselves disappointed with results, regardless of their marketing budget.

One author with a solid email list generated 7,000 reviews within 48 hours of publication, while others with significant marketing investments struggle to gain traction. The difference? A strategic approach to foundational marketing elements like optimized Amazon retail pages, professional author websites, consistent email communication, and deliberate review acquisition strategies.

"It's like inviting people to a party that you forgot to attend," Penny explains when discussing abandoned social media accounts still linked from author websites – just one example of how overlooked details undermine reader trust. The hosts debunk common misconceptions about what marketing "counts," emphasizing that buyer psychology and retail optimization are not secondary concerns but rather the bedrock of effective book promotion.

For both fiction and nonfiction authors, this episode delivers actionable insights on building a marketing foundation that supports your long-term author career rather than chasing quick fixes. Whether you're preparing for launch or wondering why your current marketing isn't delivering results, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on what truly matters in connecting with readers.

Ready to stop building your marketing house on sand? Subscribe to the podcast, share your thoughts, or suggest future topics through our website – we love hearing from our listeners!

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Buy Penny's new book, The Amazon Author Formula

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Leave a review to support the show and we'll give you our Book Launch Checklist!

Be sure you're following or subscribed to the show first. That's required on most platforms in order to leave a review. Then email us for your checklist.

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Have you ever judged a book by its title? Most readers do. In this eye-opening episode, Penny and Amy tackle the surprisingly overlooked aspect of book marketing that could be silently sabotaging your sales: your book title.

Drawing from years of marketing experience, the hosts break down the three critical mistakes authors make when naming their books. First, they examine titles that lack clarity or are difficult to pronounce, revealing how authors often "bury the lead" by creating mysteriously worded titles that confuse rather than intrigue potential readers. Fiction writers take note – even complex character names can pull readers out of your carefully crafted world.

The discussion then shifts to the dangers of generic titles, with Amy explaining how Amazon's search algorithm works against new books with common titles. "If you type 'Good Things' into Amazon," Penny demonstrates, "you'll get crackers, children's books, and 25+ pages of other products." This real-time search experiment highlights why specificity matters in a crowded marketplace.

Perhaps most compelling is their analysis of titles that only make sense to the author – a trap particularly common with memoirs and personal stories. Both hosts acknowledge the emotional attachment writers develop to their original titles, with Penny sharing a coaching session where it took nearly an hour to convince a business author to abandon his ineffective title choice.

Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, traditionally publishing or self-publishing, this episode offers practical strategies to ensure your title works as hard as you do. After all, as Amy points out, "If readers are consistently confused about what your book delivers based on its title, that's a significant red flag." The good news? Unlike many publishing decisions, titles can be changed – and sometimes, that one adjustment makes all the difference.

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Buy Penny's new book, The Amazon Author Formula

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Leave a review to support the show and we'll give you our Book Launch Checklist!

Be sure you're following or subscribed to the show first. That's required on most platforms in order to leave a review. Then email us for your checklist.

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Ever feel like you're banging your head against a wall trying to get your Amazon ads approved? You're not alone. When a mystery thriller author's cover featuring a bloody knife was rejected because it looked "too menacing" and appeared to be "pointing at the consumer," we knew we had to address this frustration head-on.

The absurdity reaches new heights when you discover Amazon approved the print version with the identical cover but rejected the ebook ads. This is just one example of Amazon's maddening inconsistency across its various platforms and departments. While the ads team remains vague and often contradictory, other Amazon departments like A-plus content provide clear, specific feedback. Romance authors face similar arbitrary judgments about how much skin is acceptable on covers, with guidelines that seem to shift without warning.

Our battle-tested advice? Channel your inner toddler. Be persistent, submit multiple support tickets, provide examples of similar approved books, and don't take the first "no" as final. We've seen countless cases where persistence pays off, including our mystery thriller author who eventually got approval after multiple attempts. Whether you're dealing with ad rejections or even having your book mysteriously pulled from the platform, advocacy works. Remember: Amazon's only consistent trait is its inconsistency.

Are you struggling with a specific publishing or marketing challenge? Email us and we'll dedicate a show to solving your problem! We prioritize listener questions because we know how crucial timely answers can be when you're in the trenches. And if you've implemented our advice successfully, we'd love to hear about it and give you a shout-out on our next episode.

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Buy Penny's new book, The Amazon Author Formula

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Leave a review and we'll give you our Book Launch Checklist! Just include your reviewer name or a screenshot of your review in the email. Can't leave one on your podcast platform? Just email us your review and we'll put it on our website: info@amarketingexpert.com.

Check out our podcast page and learn more about the team: www.amarketingexpert.com/author-podcast

Demystifying Kindle Unlimited might be one of the most requested topics from our podcast audience—and for good reason. The confusion between Amazon's KDP platform and the Kindle Unlimited subscription service continues to trip up both new and experienced authors alike.

After five years hosting this podcast, we've noticed certain questions appear in our inbox repeatedly: "Should my book be in Kindle Unlimited?" "What's the difference between KDP and KU?" "Will I make more money in KU or by going wide?" Today's episode tackles these questions head-on, cutting through the noise to help you make strategic decisions about your book's distribution.

What many authors don't realize is that Kindle Unlimited enrollment can dramatically improve Amazon advertising performance. We've consistently observed that ads convert significantly better for KU books, particularly in genres where subscription readers are abundant. This alone might justify exclusivity for some authors.

As with all marketing decisions, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Kindle Unlimited is simply another tool in your publishing arsenal—not a magic solution for books that aren't selling elsewhere. Think strategically about your genre, audience, and overall publishing goals before making your decision.

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Check out our new Publishing Consulting service that will definitely change your life:

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Buy Penny's new book, The Amazon Author Formula

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Leave a review to support the show and we'll give you our Book Launch Checklist!

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Should you start your own publishing company? Word seems to be getting around in author circles that this may be the key to unlocking greater credibility, bookstore access, or even “jumping the line” beyond the self-published category.

But is that really true? In this episode, we break down the myths and realities of becoming your own publisher, exploring when this strategy works—and when it doesn’t. We’ll also lay out what truly makes an author successful, so you can make the best decision for your publishing journey. If you’ve ever wondered whether launching your own imprint is worth the effort, don’t miss this insightful episode!

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Check out our new Publishing Consulting service that will definitely change your life:

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Buy Penny's new book, The Amazon Author Formula

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Can't leave one on your preferred podcast platform? Email us your review and we'll put it on our website: info@amarketingexpert.com.

Pricing your book isn’t just a numbers game—it’s a strategy that can make or break your success on Amazon. In this episode, we’re busting the biggest pricing myths, like whether your eBook really needs to be $0.99 or free to gain traction. We’ll dive into the realities of price positioning, share savvy strategies to make your book competitive, and reveal how the right pricing can fuel sales, visibility, and long-term profits. Whether you're launching your first book or fine-tuning your backlist, this episode is packed with insights to help you price with confidence. Tune in and learn how to make your pricing work for you!

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Help promote the podcast and earn free swag:

If you're willing to put our podcast player widget on your website we'd love to send you free book swag, and you can earn a free coaching session!

Email us at info@amarketingexpert.com for more information.

Buy Penny's new book, The Amazon Author Formula

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Leave a review and we'll give you our Book Launch Checklist! Just include your reviewer name or a screenshot of your review in the email. Can't leave one on your podcast platform? Just email us your review and we'll put it on our website: info@amarketingexpert.com.

Check out our podcast page and learn more about the team: www.amarketingexpert.com/author-podcast