Children’s Picture Books to Gift This Fall
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on October 5, 2021
If you’re looking to get an early start on your holiday shopping, or are looking for the perfect birthday gift for one of the little ones in your life, look no further. We’ve rounded up five children’s picture books that Hidden Gems ARC readers have recently read and adored. With delightful illustrations and touching messages they can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Consider adding these titles to your shopping list the next time you’re buying for a child you love! Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! by Marlene M. Bell With an astounding 4.8 average star rating and over 80 reviews on Amazon, Mia and Nattie is an adorable read-aloud picture book for children who love animals from award-winning writer and sheep breeder Marlene M. Bell. “This was a beautiful children’s book that provides a lovely story of friendship, family, and responsibility,” writes She Just Loves Books… Read More >
Amazon’s hardcover option – what you need to know
By: Ginger | Posted on September 24, 2021
If you’re the type of author that likes having print versions of your books available and you haven’t logged into your KDP dashboard in a while, you may want to go and take a quick look. Amazon has started to roll out a hardcover format as a choice available to authors, right alongside the eBook and paperback versions. The feature is still in beta testing and not all authors have access to it, but if you don’t see it yet, you probably will soon. Here’s Ginger with what you might need to know about this new print option. Have you been given the option of producing hardcover editions of your books yet? If not, here’s what you might need to know. An increasing number of self-published authors are seeing a new box on their Kindle Direct Publishing dashboard – the option to publish hardcover copies of their books, just… Read More >
The war over audiobooks is about to heat up!
By: Ginger | Posted on January 15, 2021
Whether you listen to audiobooks yourself or not, the growing demand from readers/listeners is proof that there are plenty of others that do. And new companies are jumping into the market with increasing regularity, often bringing unique options, different payout structures or expanded markets that create further opportunities to the authors willing to provide the content. So whether you’re already in the audio game or just getting ready to dip your toe in and get started, it’s vital that you understand the market and what’s going on in it. So read on for a rundown of audiobooks, the options, recent developments, and some tips on how to get started! Legendary entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk has built a hundred million dollar business off the back of social media – and he has advice for those still looking to cash in: “The same way I felt about social media in 2006/7/8, I… Read More >
5 Well Read Women’s Literature Novels
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on December 15, 2020
This round-up includes some of the most-read women’s literature books that have come through the Hidden Gems ARC program. Ranging from lighthearted to heart wrenching, these relatable women’s lit novels have elements of exploration and redemption while delving into relationships within families and friendships. Perfect for “me time”, or your next book club pick. No Home Like Nantucket by Grace Palmer Grace Palmer, a favorite women’s literature author among Hidden Gems readers, brings us love, loss, heartbreak and hope in No Home Like Nantucket. Mae Benson was happy—a beloved wife, beloved mother, beloved neighbor. But even she wasn’t ready for the tragedy looming around the corner. The accident that claims her husband’s life rocks the whole family. And it’s not the only thing stirring up trouble. “What a great book to escape the quarantine pandemic of this coronavirus time,” writes Rebecca B. in her 5-star review. “There are so… Read More >
The Secret to Daily Word Counts – The Path of Least Resistance
By: Ginger | Posted on July 31, 2020
If the old saying that “a writer writes” is true, why do so many authors find it difficult to keep the words flowing? Ginger has some thoughts on that, and shares some tips for authors who are serious about turning self-publishing into a career – or who already are, but just want to become more productive. The points below all ring true to me, particularly the second one as that was what led me to a corporate job and away from writing for many years (although in my case, it was more my own logical mind that talked me out of writing rather than anyone else – but the solution was the same.) So if you’re looking for a few tips on increasing your daily word count and finishing your books, read on! During all my blog posts about marketing, advertising, and promoting your books, I hope one thing has… Read More >
Does genre matter? Writing something different may teach you something new.
By: J.E. Rowney | Posted on July 24, 2020
If you’re like most authors, you’ve likely picked a genre that you know or like the best and embraced it, rarely (if ever) writing outside of it for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it’s because nothing else interests you, or because you’re afraid that your fans are only interested in reading that type of story from you. But as guest post author J.E. Rowney points out, there is a lot to be learned from stepping outside your comfort zone. Even if it’s just as a small writing experiment instead of a full blown novel, spending time in an unfamiliar genre can make you a stronger writer even when you return back to the familiar. As my readers will know, I write in the chick-lit or women’s fiction genre. My books focus on friendships and relationships. These are the things that interest me. They are what I want to read about,… Read More >
3 Ways to Turn Your Advertising on Amazon into a High Performing Machine
By: Ginger | Posted on June 5, 2020
With all the recent changes Amazon has been making, more and more authors are having to rely on Advertising on Amazon to get their book seen by potential readers. However, getting profitable ad campaigns from Advertising on Amazon isn’t easy, and not everyone wants or needs something as in-depth as Mark Dawson’s recently re-opened Ads for Authors course (although we do recommend it, for anyone interested). For those that are looking for some simpler advice on what to really focus on, here are three tips that might help. Tip #1: Work out the true value of each book sale. Advertising on Amazon provides an at-a-glance answer to whether or not your advertising campaigns are profitable in the form of the ACOS – Average Cost Of Sale. However, there are a lot of nuances to the ACOS that make it a less-than-reliable indicator of whether or not you’re making money with… Read More >
The Hottest Romances of 2019
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on January 14, 2020
Romance is always one of the most popular genres of books for subscribers to Hidden Gems, and 2019 had literally hundreds of romance books offered to our readers. With 2019 wrapped up, we’ve gone through and identified 12 of the hottest romance novels our subscribers enjoyed. Now, there’s a little wiggle room behind the science of how these books were chosen – roughly one per month, based on overall Amazon review score – but I don’t think anybody will deny that they’re some of the best romance books on Amazon; and thanks to the author’s of these books working with us, all of them were sent to Hidden Gems subscribers for free – sometimes ahead of their publication date! The Road to Solace by Samantha A. Cole Author Samantha Cole has a legion of fans, but took a different direction with this story; which stands alone from her other popular series…. Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Whitney Dineen
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 25, 2019
We’re continuing our series of Author Interviews this week by chatting to Whitney Dineen, the talented and multifaceted author of The Wilhelmina Adventures, The Mimi Chronicles and many more awesome books! With her first thriller due to hit the digital bookshelves July 1st (available now as a pre-order for 99 cents), it was great to catch up with Whitney and learn about her inspirations and ideas. HG: So, who IS Whitney Dineen? In her own words! WD: I’m a bit of conundrum really! If you asked ten different people who I am, you’d probably get ten different answers. That’s because I like to explore all sides of life. In my personal life, I’m a wife, a mom, a gardener, a baker, and kick-ass Scrabble player. As a writer, I’ve always been drawn to romantic comedy, but the voices suddenly started branching out into new directions. I’ve let them take the… Read More >
Don’t Get Lost in Translation
By: Désirée Nordlund | Posted on June 14, 2019
Many authors would agree that it’s hard enough to write in the language you grew up speaking, let alone trying to do so in a second language that you learned later in life. And if your native language happens to be English, you’d probably wonder why you’d ever bother trying in the first place. But for writers whose native language is anything else, there are some definite benefits to writing and publishing in English – and some very obvious obstacles as well. Désirée Nordlund is an author who has taken this challenge head on, and we’re thrilled that she’s sharing tips and encouragement to other writers considering doing the same thing. I am one of many authors who write in English though it is not my native language. I am also one of many who gets this choice questioned — a lot. Why don’t you write in your native language? Because… Read More >
