Making Your Book's First Year Matter: Insights from Yasmeen Salama

In this insightful episode, Valerie Morris sits down with author and marketer Yasmeen Salama to explore the vibrant journey of writing, publishing, and marketing books in today's creative landscape. Yasmeen shares her personal story, the lessons learned from her debut novel "The Crimson Run," and the unique ways she’s built a community around her work.Episode HighlightsFrom Writer to Marketer:With a strong background in marketing, Yasmeen shares how skills like SEO and paid ads made her book launch more impactful, and why she’s grateful for waiting until she was truly ready.Networking and Community Building:Discover why writing conferences changed the game for Yasmeen and how connecting with other writers and readers has been her biggest source of support and feedback.Thinking Beyond the Bookstore:Yasmeen reveals her creative approach to book promotion—including events at comic book shops, art shows, and festivals—and offers advice for authors looking to think outside the box.The Power of Newsletters:Valerie and Yasmeen highlight why building an email list is crucial for authors, how it helps maintain a direct connection with readers, and why it’s never too late—or too early—to start.The Long Game:Both speakers discuss the realities of author life, busting the myth of "overnight success" and underscoring the importance of patience, persistence, and building genuine relationships.Key TakeawaysLean into networking: Writing can be lonely, but community is essential.Get creative with promotion: Book signings aren’t limited to bookstores.Build your platform: Start that email list, no matter where you are in your author journey.Plan ahead: Festivals and awards have deadlines—research early.Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint—celebrate growth at every stage!Connect with Yasmeen SalamaWebsite: yasmeensalama.com (visit for links to her books, newsletter, and music)The Crimson Run on AmazonThank you for listening to Bound for BestsellerIf you enjoyed this episode, please share, subscribe, or leave a review.For more creative strategies, marketing tips, and inspiring author stories, stay tuned for our next episode!____Connect with Valerie MorrisBooks: We're All Ears: How to increase your impact, influence, and success online in a noisy worldhttps://www.amazon.com/Were-All-Ears-increase-influence/dp/099839971X?&linkCode=sl1&tag=tintecreat-20&linkId=ec70372607211871944859985956477b&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlLinkedIn: Weekly posts and updates from Valerie Morrishttps://www.linkedin.com/in/valerielmorris/Reserve your domain name or set up website hosting for your author website ​here​.https://www.tinteroonline.com/Build your own marketing plan for your book launch with the ​Book Marketing Blueprint​.https://tinterocreative.thrivecart.com/book-marketing-plan-blueprint/Rock your next interview with ​this guide​!https://tinterocreative.thrivecart.com/rock-your-next-interview/