In January of this year, I heard very clearly from God that it was time to step away from my involvement with Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA). This was not an easy decision for me to make, or an easy step of obedience. Seventeen years ago, I helped co-found the Association and have been providing leadership and direction ever since. Over the years, I have had the privilege of both educating and encouraging hundreds of Christian authors and publishers. It has been a noble calling and service that I have always known was God’s intent. As a follower of Jesus, it is my privilege to ..read more

As independent publishing continues to grow, services supporting both authors and readers also increase. Over the past few years, a number of services have risen that effectively meet a need in the indie publishing community. Two of these services provide robust choices.   Reedsy This service helps authors find and connect with the best publishing professionals needed in producing a book. With this service, you can find editors, book cover designers, publicists, and translators. Reedsy also hosts a robust blog with great information. Learn more on Reedsy’s website at https://reedsy.com. D ..read more

As science progresses, so do the tools we have for understanding the human brain and human behavior. In the 1990s, fMRI was developed. fMRI stands for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Similar to the MRI, fMRI is a brain imaging technique that does not involve radiation. Due to its ease of use, fMRI has become a popular tool for imaging normal brain function. Over the past decade, it has allowed psychologists to discover new insights into such things as how memories are formed, how language is learned, how pain effects the brain, and decision-making processes. fMRI has opened the door to ..read more

2020 has been a difficult year. Worldwide, the corona virus pandemic has raged causing numerous deaths and shutting down economies in countries around the world. Countless lives have been disrupted. No one has escaped the effects of this virus. In the United States, there has been division and unrest among the populace. Many cities experienced riots with burning and looting. The Western half of the country was ravished by wildfires. Yet in the midst, God tell us to “Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” So, today, Thanksgiving 2020, I invite you to ..read more

Out with the old, in with the new! This American idiom is usually said at the beginning of a new year. With a new year—2021—right around the corner, now is the time to contemplate this idea. What new things or fresh start are you going to usher in with the new year? In regards to writing, publishing, and marketing books, what do you need to focus on or do more of? Writing Publishing more books Book promotion Book marketing Networking Joining a professional publishing association can help you with your goals for 2021. Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA) provides its Members with in ..read more

“They say 90% of the promotion of a book comes through word of mouth. But you’ve somehow got to get your book into the hands of those mouths first!”  —Claudia Osmond, author This quote sums up the struggle all authors and publishers face. The first step is getting your books into the hands of people who would love to talk about them. The next step is amplifying those word-of-mouth messages. The more people talking about your books, the more noise they make. When noise is generated, other readers take notice. Sadly, if you have not yet developed a large following of readers, the noise you ..read more

We are social creatures. As humans, we are influenced by others. The choices others make influence our own decisions. This powerful force—called Social Proof—is important for authors to be aware of and use. Evidence that other people have purchased and found value in your book is social proof. People are more likely to purchase a book that others are already buying. Social proof is an influential selling tool. As an author you can use social proof in the following three ways to help you sell more books. 1.  Endorsements An endorsement by an expert, a celebrity, or a person of influence i ..read more

Social media is an important part of many successful book marketing campaigns. For authors, social media can help you broaden your audience and increase your reach—exposing more people to you and your books. If you use social media as part of your book marketing efforts, below are 10 social media statistics that you need to know. In particular, these two statistics stood out for me: 54% of social browsers use social media to research products (this includes books). 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations on social media. These statistics indicate that if you can get your reader ..read more

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on our world. COVID is damaging our human connections. A recent study by Barna found: The relational well-being of Americans was already strained prior to the pandemic. U.S. adults and practicing Christians alike noted anxiety and depression as the most commonly faced challenges to relational satisfaction, with 40 percent of all U.S. adults and 34 percent of practicing Christians saying this is true. More than half of all U.S. adults (58%) and practicing Christians (54%) say they have at least one relational or emotional / mental health issue that impact ..read more

The November issue of the Christian Indie Publishing Journal—the monthly newsletter for Members of the Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA)—sports an article on “10 Ways to Increase the Effectiveness of Your Social Media Posts“. The article highlights how the amount of information shared on social media is overwhelming. Each post on social media competes with thousands of other posts for people’s attention. There is a lot of noise on the Internet drowning out your small voice. In fact, studies show: There are 456,000 tweets sent on Twitter every minute. On Facebook, 293,000 statuses ..read more