There’s a lot of talk about Amazon and what it has done to revolutionize both bookselling and publishing, namely in the doors that it opened for self-published authors to put their books in front of readers. There’s so much talk, in fact, that it’s easy to forget that there are other platforms out there that also do great work for authors and readers.
Nook Press, the self-publishing platform from Barnes and Noble that allows authors to sell their content on the iconic bookseller’s website, reaches a significant percentage of the reading public through both the Nook family of devices and the Nook ereading app for tablets and PCs. Nook Press offers a number of tools for authors, including both a blog filled with advice and information and a dynamic Facebook presence where its authors connect with fans.
“We started the Nook Press blog in late February, and we had a couple of missions in mind,” explained Julia Coblentz, Senior Marketing Manager – Digital Marketing for Nook Press. “The main thing was really to bring writers and readers together more and to offer a place where we can hear more of the voices of self-published authors in the retail setting.
“We do three different things here. We do guest posts, which we’ve had a great response to from the author side, as they have an opportunity to tell more of what they’re doing. We also feature articles on marketing, which we’ve done for years in our newsletter and on our Facebook pages where new authors and successful authors get together and learn marketing tips from each other. We also go ahead and highlight interesting ways that authors are already marketing. The third thing we’re doing is using it as a platform to highlight titles that are coming through Nook Press. Whether it’s based on ‘this is a great deal’ or ‘this is a great beach read,’ and I kind of group them thematically.”
The blog is heavily promoted through the Nook Press Facebook page and through the other associated social media channels to give authors–especially new writers who may still be in the process of making publishing decisions–the tools they need to take charge of their own careers. The articles cover a broad spectrum of topics that affect authors, and supports the decisions they make about their content with information and advice.
The Nook Press blog can be found HERE, and readers and authors alike are also invited to connect through the Facebook page.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.