source: http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-tips-articles/book-marketing-on-a-budget-3398825.html

When it comes to book marketing, there are many ways to spend money fast.  It can be a costly endeavor.  You will want to make sure that you find ways to save money while still getting your book the visibility that it needs.  If you want to sell your book to your readers, then you will want to make sure that you are doing it the right way.  Depending on the type of book, you will want to take a different approach to each different style of writing.  Here are a few ideas of ways to save money when it comes to advertising your book.

A lot of the different strategies of book marketing require print advertising and other media advertising.  While these are usually pretty effective, you can always choose to market online.  Marketing online is really a great idea because you can get your book out there to millions of readers without breaking your bank.  It can help bring a lot of attention to your book from a wide variety of viewers.  Usually print marketing strategies will get your book out to a small geographical location.  This can be a lot of money for little visibility.

Focusing on internet marketing strategies is one of the best things that you can do with your book.  While you may find that it is difficult to get started with marketing and you may not see the payoff right at the start, you will need to think of the long run and the benefits that you will reap later on.  When you are paying for it in the beginning, you may not feel that it is worth it.  Just think of the copies of your books that you will sell by using greatbook marketing strategies.  It will have your book flying off shelves.

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Source: http://selfpublishingresources.com/find-the-best-venues-for-your-virtual-book-tour/

When authors hear the term “virtual book tour” they often think of reviews posted on book blogs, but a virtual book tour can be so much more, incorporating guest posts on blogs, interviews on podcasts or radio shows, social network events, contests, book giveaways, and more.

The first step to finding the best venues for your virtual book tour is to define the target audiences for your book and the best places to reach those audiences.

Be as specific as you can when defining your ideal target audience. You may want to define a primary audience (the perfect customer) and some secondary audiences.

For example, the ideal audience for a romantic suspense novel might be avid readers who enjoy reading romantic suspense and are looking for new authors to try. A secondary audience might be women who read romance or suspense novels.

You’ll also need to decide what kind of venues you would like to include on your tour. Here are some possibilities:

• Topical blogs, focused on the topic of your book or geared toward your target audience
• Book review blogs
• Blogs geared to writers
• Podcasts and online radio shows that interview authors or are geared to your topic or target audience

Your ideal virtual book tour host will probably have a high traffic website that’s a perfect match for your target audience, be active on social networks, be responsive and willing to promote the tour, and be enthusiastic about participating.

Ideally, you will find a group of “ideal hosts” eager to participate in your tour. Depending on your niche, it might be a challenge to find enough hosts who meet all of your criteria, so you may have to make some compromises.

Sometimes you may have to choose between audience size and audience type. In general, I recommend going for the audience that’s the best match for your book, rather than the larger numbers. The ideal audience will be most receptive to buying your book.

Remember that your tour content will remain online for a long time and can continue to generate interest. And even lower traffic sites may generate a nice review for your book.

To learn how to organize your own successful virtual book tour, check out my new Virtual Book Tour Magic guidebook for authors.

Book Tour Special: Order Virtual Book Tour Magic by December 12 and you’ll get an invitation to an exclusive book tour Q&A session with Dana on December 15.

About the Author

Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer, helps authors and indie publishers learn how to sell more books through her how-to guides, blog, newsletter, and private coaching. For more book promotion tips, get her free Top Book Marketing Tips ebooks at www.TheSavvyBookMarketer.com

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source: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/how-to-avoid-10-common-conference-mistakes-that-writers-make

Written by: Brian A. Klems

Writers drop precious money—not to mention writing time—on conferences every year, which makes it doubly disturbing that so many of us fall prey to innocent mistakes that can keep us from getting the most out of them. So we asked 10 conference organizers to share the pitfalls they most often see writers tumbling into—and how to avoid them.

#1  APPROACHING EDITORS/AGENTS THE WRONG WAY
“All too often writers don’t use common sense when approaching editors and agents. Some of the errors I’ve seen include following an editor into the restroom and requesting an interview, or approaching an editor or agent who is talking with just one other person. The best way is to approach them when they are not in a session or what seems to be a private conversation. I recommend a social setting or after a conference panel or workshop. Ask if they have time to meet with you. Offer to buy the editor or agent something to drink, then find a place where you can talk briefly without interruption.”
—Candy Moulton, Western Writers of America
(Bismarck, N.D., westernwriters.org)

#2  HAVING A BAD ATTITUDE
“Don’t come to the conference with an attitude. We’ve seen some writers who seem to feel that the conference is slanted against them. They think others have access to an inside track that’s closed to them, when in reality everyone is treated alike and any limited resources are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, when meeting with an agent for a consult, do not expect a complete critique of your work. Understand that this is an opportunity for you to present your pitch, and that if the agent finds it interesting, he or she will ask you to send more of your work for review.”
—Jan Whitaker, Write Angles
(South Hadley, Mass., writeanglesconference.org)

#3  FORGETTING TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK
“Some writers don’t plan ahead. … Match what you want with what is offered by talking to the teachers ahead of time and seeing what is being taught. Conferences have websites and brochures, so basic information is available well ahead of time. A call to the conference organizer is an easy way to get additional information.”
—Dan Smith, Roanoke Regional Writers Conference
(http://bit.ly/h4rGoX)

#4  NOT KNOWING WHERE YOUR WORK FITS IN
“Every year I ask conference attendees, ‘What genre is this?’ [and] I hear, ‘fiction.’ It’s important to appear professional and prepared: ‘My novel is a supernatural suspense set in the near future. Lisa Conner has moved into a new home in upstate New York. It appears she didn’t move in alone. During her trials, Lisa will face a past she wants to forget, a present she doesn’t trust and a future she can’t imagine. The book runs 90,000 words, is written in third person. …’”
—Alton Gansky, Blue Ridge Moun-tains Christian Writers Conference
(near Asheville, N.C., brmcwc.com)

#5  FAILING TO DRESS FOR SUCCESS
“Sometimes writers arrive in short sleeves and sandals, without a jacket or sweater. They shiver in the air conditioning, which can get really cold when you’re sitting all day. Conference attendees should always layer so they can be comfortable enough to concentrate on the speakers’ messages. Also, I’ve seen people set down their conference tote bag and, because they all look alike, someone inadvertently picks up the wrong bag—and there go all your carefully recorded notes. Tie a piece of ribbon or attach a silk flower or your favorite sports team logo to the handle, and your bag becomes instantly recognizable.”
—Donna Meredith, The Tallahassee Book Festival and Writers Conference
(twaonline.org)

#6  OVERLOOKING PITCH-SESSION PREP WORK
“You need to find the agent who is a perfect fit. … Pitching a fantasy manuscript to an agent who works primarily with literary fiction will not bring a writer any closer to publication. Conferences supply speaker bios for a reason. Read them. Old interviews, blogs and podcasts featuring these agents are often readily available online, and agency websites are full of useful information. Writing a book takes dedication, time and thorough research. Choosing the right agent to query or pitch should require the
same consideration.”
—Kris Spisak, James River Writers Conference
(Richmond, Va., http://bit.ly/m6il3q)

#7  MISSING OPPORTUNITIES TO NETWORK
“The biggest blunder for attendees is not planning ahead and bringing networking items like cards, brochures and books to trade and give away. Too often, attendees don’t interact with each other or the speakers as much as possible. … Writers attend writing conferences for a variety of reasons, but chief among them is to network with editors, agents and fellow writers. Having a card and/or brochure is just one way to build a network of contacts and supporters for your writing.”
—Margaret Walters, Red Clay Writers Conference
(Kennesaw, Ga., georgiawriters.org)

#8  PLAYING IT TOO SAFE
“You never know who you might meet in line for coffee or while taking a break in the lobby. If you spend all of your time with your [friends], you miss out on a lot of interesting conversations and connections. The best strategy is to challenge yourself to sit down to meals alone, strike up conversations with neighbors while waiting for sessions to begin [and] be open to meeting new people. Catch up with friends after the event is over. …”
—Stephanie Chandler, Nonfiction Writers Conference
(virtual event, nonfictionwritersconference.com)

#9  FAILING TO FOLLOW UP
“A lot of writers fail to follow up with editors and agents in a timely manner.  … Writers might wait six months after the conference to get back to an editor on an idea, which is much too long. If you get positive feedback, you should follow up about two weeks after the conference. Don’t call just to chat—have a query in mind, maybe something you discussed at the conference.”
—Maren Rudolph, Travel Classics Writers Conferences
(various locations. travelclassics.com/conferences)

#10  GIVING UP CONTROL
“There are always a few [writers] who use other writers to make themselves feel better by bragging or, worse, by deliberately diminishing the work [of] other people. The second you are feeling belittled, insecure, envious—immediately exit that conversation. Surround yourself only with people whom you find to be genuinely supportive and empathic. ‘We are all in this boat together. How can we support one another?’ should be the motto of everyone at the conference. You want to leave the conference feeling inspired.   … You have control over this!”
—Susan Page, San Miguel Writers’ Conference
(Mexico, sanmiguelwritersconference.org)

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source: http://www.go-publish-yourself.com/archive/articles/writing-related/frankm.php

By Marshall Frank

After dozens of those horrid rejection letters, and two manuscripts later, I finally thought I struck gold, landing a high-powered agent in the big apple who thought my work was ready for the major market. When he read my first manuscript, he asked if I was “comfortable in the spotlight.” Sure that editors would be scrambling, he sent out ten simultaneous submissions to major houses thinking it would go to the highest bidder. Think again. Many nice comments, but no buyers. Back to square one.

When all else failed, I turned to the newest concept in the industry called Print-on-Demand publishing, available from a few select companies. Simply, the author pays a small processing fee (in my case, $99.00 with iUniverse.com) and submits the book on a diskette which the company then digitizes into a full manuscript for the author to review before it goes to print. Naturally, the publisher reviews the book to make sure it meets certain standards which, admittedly, are not as high as a traditional publisher. However, there are no agent fees and the royalties start at no less than twenty percent.

In four months, I had my book, BEYOND THE CALL, a steamy police novel, ready to go, and very pleased with the cover. It became instantly available at all the major on-line bookstores. I also arranged signing tours which spanned four states, mostly at Barnes & Noble shops.

It certainly is a great opportunity for writers who simply cannot break through the publishing barriers. But there are some downsides.

Print-on-demand (P.O.D.) means there is no inventory. All books are stored on diskette only. Therefore, bookstores will not stock any P.O.D. items because they are not returnable to the publisher. The only exception is when an author appears for a signing event.

Many privately owned bookstores will not engage a P.O.D. author, not only because of the non-return policy, they simply view them as a step above a vanity press.

Newspapers and magazines shun any book published by other than standard publishers, leaving the P.O. D. author up the creek for critical reviews.

P.O.D. publishers do not edit. Ergo, the worst manuscript flaws can end up in print. Some P.O.D. houses offer editing services at a nominal fee. The best route for a beginning author is to pay the price and have the manuscript professionally edited. First impressions can be very long lasting.
Fortunately, I managed at least fifty book signings which not only provided royalty income, it introduced me to hundreds of marketers in the book business, one of whom pointed me in the direction of a small standard press who was interested in police/suspense stories. Harlan Publishing agreed to read my next novel, DIRE STRAITS and a month later, I was presented with a contract and an advance.

Without iUniverse.com, despite it’s shortcomings, my ultimate break into the regular marketplace would never have occurred. So, when all else fails…

---

About Marshall Frank:

His first novel, “Beyond The Call”, published by iUniverse.com, is loosely based on true events and addresses the perennial issue of police abuse of power.

His second book, “Dire Straits: A Miami Novel”, (Harlan Publishers) was released in hard cover in May, 2001. This high-tension story is about a mass murder in a posh Miami subdivision and a stressed out homicide detective who finds himself with a double dose of troubles he hadn’t counted on.

His third novel, “On My Fathers Grave”, a Mafia story, was released in November 2003.

In addition, Frank is the author of a non-fiction book of short stories and essays, “Frankly Speaking.”

Frank is also a regular editorial columnist for The Smoky Mountain News and The Asheville Citizen-Times.

He now co-lives in Maggie Valley, N.C. and Rockledge, Florida, with his wife, Suzanne, who is a sculptor artist. He has five grown children by a previous marriage.

Frank holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

His Personal Web Site: www.booktalk.com/mfrank/default.htm

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Source: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/50-simple-ways-to-build-your-platform-in-5-minutes-a-day

Written by: ChristinaKatz

Writing rules. Self-promotion drools. Isn’t this how most writers think?

But as long as you view your writing as art and your self-promotion efforts as the furthest thing from art, your chances of ramping up a successful 21st-century writing career are going to remain slim to none.
These days, there’s an art to writing and an art to self-promotion. From the moment you start putting words to the page, it’s never too early to start thinking about how you’re going to share them. And once you begin to see your writing and promotional efforts as equally artful, something wonderful starts to happen: You find readers.

Books aren’t written overnight—they’re developed one day at a time. And it’s the same with our platforms, which comprise all the ways we make ourselves visible to our readers. The idea that you need a platform might seem overwhelming at first. But if you consistently take small steps to put yourself out there, before you know it, you’ll have built a strong, sturdy foundation for your work.

So, if you’re the kind of writer who prefers being read to being unknown (who doesn’t?), here are 50 quick, simple ways to launch your platform into action. Think of each small step as a giant leap toward finding readers—and a fun, rewarding opportunity to share your hard-wrought words with others.

Listen & Learn

1. Find Your Keepers. Clarify the kinds of readers you want to connect with now, and you’ll be glad you did later. First, jot down a quick list of all the types of readers you’ve ever had. Now, decide which groups you want to stay connected with for the long haul, and make them your keepers.

2. Start Surveillance. Google Alerts (google.com/alerts) can help you become practically omnipresent in only a few clicks. Take five to set up alerts to notify you when your name, articles, book(s), Twitter handle, site URL and/or specialty topics pop up online. When you’re alerted to people promoting your name, supporting your work or sharing your ideas, stick out your virtual hand and say, “Hey, thanks! I appreciate that.”

3. Poll for Solutions. Ask questions. You’ll get answers. If you’re wondering which online photo hosting service to use, or if others are having the same server problems that you are, try posting the question on Facebook and Twitter. I do this often, and love coming back and reading what others have said. If it’s a decision you’re making, share which advice you followed.

4. Show Respect. On social networks, follow and friend folks in your field whom you admire. Steer clear of anyone shifty, clingy or shilling stuff all the time. A good rule of thumb: Don’t promote or forward the causes of anyone online who you wouldn’t in regular life. It takes time to get to know people, but it’s worth it when your reputation is on the line.

5. Study the Competition. Jump on a search engine and type in the keywords that describe what you write about. See who pops up on your radar. Don’t be afraid of the competition; study your competitors. What are they doing better than you? Add what you learn to your to-do list.

Create Context

6. Introduce Yourself. Take a few minutes to write a brief bio you can use wherever your name appears online. Include your URL, relevant professional credentials, recent publications (online or off), significant self-published efforts and professional partnerships.

7. Show Yourself in Action. I’m willing to bet you have a whole bunch of photos of yourself out and about doing what you do. If some are shots of you writing, great. But even better if you have some decent-quality photos of you speaking, teaching a workshop, signing books or the like. Collect them, and use them to accompany your posts online.

8. Post Ads and Affiliate Links. You need to make money to invest money in your platform, so why not make the most of the resources and tools you already like? You won’t get rich from affiliate revenue, but it can add up over the course of a year and cover some of your ongoing platform expenses. It takes minutes to post an ad or affiliate link on your website or blog.

9. Hold an Event. Have an event with a time limit (like one week only, or 30 days). Create whatever type of environment is appropriate for what you write—perhaps an activity where something has to be completed in a certain amount of time so there is a ticking-clock factor (think NaNoWriMo). Create an environment that draws your tribe in, helps people interact and get to know one another, and converts folks into loyal fans who will keep coming back for more. Dream something up.

10 Grade Yourself. HubSpot makes free graders (grader.com) that can gauge the effectiveness of your website, blog, Google Alerts, Facebook page, Twitter account and more. Each grader takes less than five minutes to run. Do so periodically, and add its suggestions to your to-do list.

Contribute Content

11. Give It Away. Spread the word across your social networks for everyone to come and get whatever you can give for free. If you already wrote an article that you don’t plan to sell, why not give it away? Maybe you created something inspirational or uplifting. Give it away. People love free.

12. Brainstorm 20 Ideas. If you don’t constantly ask yourself what new ideas you have, half of them will get away. And then you’ll have to read your idea on someone else’s blog, or in a magazine or newspaper with someone else’s byline. That’s how the zeitgeist works. So get in the habit of writing down your ideas, perhaps in a special idea journal. Drain your brain into it five minutes at a time.

13. Put Your Best Forward. Make sure people who are just discovering your offerings can go straight to some of your best online writing that has passed the test of time. Otherwise it’s just going to get buried under your latest efforts. Most blogs have widgets that will do the rounding up for you. Create a way to send fans and followers straight to your best posts.

14. Recycle. Take a few minutes to pitch content you’ve already written to a new outlet. Can you find a blog, forum or association newsletter that might be interested in your topic? Put some of your old writing to work all over again for fresh eyes.

15. Review Worthy Writers. Inquiring readers want to know what books you like and why. Briefly review books as you read them and post your insights on review sites (like GoodReads, Amazon.com and Red Room). For good karma, sing the praises of your all-time favorites, too.

Cultivate Community

16. Prompt a Response. A prompt is a suggestive word or theme that cues an interactive response from others. It can be as simple as a photo, symbol or word, or as complicated as a riddle. When hosting an annual book giveaway, I asked a question each day for a month, and everyone who answered was entered in the drawing. Participants loved the prompt more than the free books. It’s a fun way
to interact with your growing online community.

17. Take Five to Interact. Reply to commenters on your blog. Thank people who used your free content. Think of three people to appreciate for any reason at all. Spend a little bit of time with those who’ve gone out of their way to care about you.

18. Make an Engaging Offer. If you’re working on a project and you need people to get involved, offer something—say, a discount or kickback—to the first 50 who express interest. Create excitement for those who are willing to work with you.

19. Form Strategic Partnerships. Who do you want to partner with? Being friendly and helpful should have no strings attached—but true partnerships are mutually beneficial, formal agreements in which each party is hoping to gain something specific. List three likely partners and reach out to them.

20. Create a Quickie Blogroll. Make a quick list of writers you admire. Then search for links to their blogs or sites to create your blogroll. Position your blog as an inspiring resource by going for quality, not quantity.

Be Authentic

21. Be Yourself. Advice that tells authors to act like brands encourages us to forget to act like regular people. But social media is made for people, not robots. The fact that you’re a writer and a parent or an uncle and a Packers fan or a vegetarian makes you interesting. Your readers and fans want you to be personable, not a one-topic ever-plugging broken record. Spend five minutes making a profile more you.

22. Put Passion Into Action. Let’s say you write literary fiction. Isn’t that harder to build a platform around? Nope. Take your passion online and put it to work. Don’t assume no one cares. Assume there are a million people out there like you, and start connecting with them. Take five to write a quickie mission statement about why you’re on fire about your topic. Reread it every time you get online. It will help focus your efforts.

23. Get Together. Let folks know that you’ll be speaking or signing or teaching (or whatever else you do) near them when you travel. Make yourself accessible.

24. Spark Conversations. Other people are just as passionate about your topic as you are. So get on Google, do a Twitter search, visit forums where your topic is trending and spend five minutes participating in a chat. If nothing is happening, strike up your own conversation.

25. Share the Journey. I bet you have a lot going on right now. Surely some of it is interesting. Or perhaps you have a fresh take on what you have on your plate that others would find humorous or refreshing. Update others on what’s happening right now. Don’t try to keep your ups and downs a secret. Curious fans love to be treated like insiders.

Synergize Connections

26. Friend and Follow Media Pros. Track down media folks related to your career thrust, and friend and follow them on social networks. Never come on too strong. Just be laid-back and friendly. And if you have social-media clout, don’t be surprised if they’re looking for you, too. Influential people will come to you when your passionate action makes you stand out.

27. Say Thanks. In five minutes you could crank out a handwritten thank-you note, stick a coffee or book gift card in there, address and stamp it. Why not do this at least once a month?

28. Articulate Your Allies. Who supports your work? Whose work do you champion? Identify someone you have mutually compatible goals with, and see how you can help each other. Suggest ways to cheer each other on.

29. Generate a Q&A. Create a series of questions on a topic you find fascinating, and then get interesting people in your genre or area of expertise to answer them in any format: a video chat, a written Q&A or an audio chat. It makes compelling content.

30. Shake Things Up. Don’t be one-note. Stop agreeing with everyone about everything and take five minutes to form a rebuttal (without turning it into a rant). Take a dull topic and make it interesting by putting a new spin on it or taking a contrarian stance. Get people engaged in the conversation.

Produce Yourself

31. Capture E-mail Addresses. Use a newsletter service or RSS feed service to create a place front and center on your site where folks can sign up to receive correspondence from you or to have your blog posts delivered to their inbox.

32. Go Multimedia. Bring old content to life using fresh media. Spend five minutes practicing reading something you’ve written out loud into your smartphone. Or boil down a chapter or article into five tips off the cuff and record them unscripted. Let your words riff. Don’t try to make it perfect.

33. Ask for Feedback. To learn to do what you do better, get your audience involved. Create a five-minute feedback form and send it out.

34. Outsource Something. Take five to consider all the hats you wear: the creative, the closer, the perpetual student, the accountant, the publicist, etc. Identify a weakness that someone can help you with now. Then hire or solicit the support you need.

35. Share More. One common mistake we make is slaving over our content to make it perfect, thinking that if we do, readers will come to us. But too often, no one comes! Work hard to maximize everything you write. I’ve counted 49 ways you can use the “Share This” button to buzz content you want to champion. Get this button for your blog and browser now.

Publicize Yourself

36. Hunt and Answer. Don’t forget the traditional media. Answer media requests at Help a Reporter Out (helpareporter.com). In five minutes you can find and respond to at least one appropriate media request. Make a game of how fast you can weigh in. Every post is another way to get your name out there.

37. Grow Your List. Wherever you go, whatever you do, bring along your e-mail sign-up sheet on a clipboard. Even better if you can offer a benefit for signing up, such as a free story, checklist or special report. Never sell or share contact information.

38. Think Ahead. What do you have coming up? Keep a list of any future events and publications on your blog, in your newsletter, on social media and in your e-mail signature. Update it often.

39. Compartmentalize. Segment your e-mail lists by what folks need from you, not what you need from them. I wouldn’t send attendees of my Northwest Author Series the same correspondence that I send my former students or my e-zine subscribers. Each e-mail group gets its own type of correspondence. Reorganize your e-mail groupings.

40. Master the 5-Minute Release. Zoom in on the latest happenings, holidays and story hooks and tie your career news in with what else is going on in the world. Write five-minute mini press releases and send them out at least monthly. Short is good.

Pay it Forward

41. Round Up Resources. Round up books, websites and other resources on topics related to yours and then add them to your home page. Be helpful to others, and they’ll send people to you.

42. Boost Others. Help a fellow author or a first-timer buzz his outstanding new book, class, service or conference. If you’re a believer, become an evangelist. And if you really mean it, offer a testimonial.
Why not?

43. Offer Your Services. According to Gary Vaynerchuk’s book Crush It!, the best question you can ever ask on social media is, “What can I do for you?” Such a simple idea, yet so profoundly intelligent. Put it to work for you on a regular basis.

44. Be a Good Guest. Ask yourself the hard-hitting questions others don’t dare ask (but are dying to know). Now you have a compelling guest post to share on your “Freebies” page.

45. Hit the Highlights. You don’t have to give the play-by-play after you attend an event. But why not share the best of what you noticed or learned? You can even go multimedia with your coverage. Have your camera, audio recorder and video recorder ready to grab snippets of live action to share with others who wish they could’ve been there.

Strut your Stuff

46. Count Down to Every Launch. Do you have a book coming out? A new class? A new article in print? Make a big to-do about whatever you’ve got that’s new. Announce each launch without pressuring anyone to spend. The place where your service connects with your audience is the place where you create the synergy that fuels your future projects.

47. Spiff Up What’s Old. Offer some kind of promotion to entice folks to your evergreen offerings. I offer a scholarship for two of my classes, and this always pulls in fresh interest in what I teach. A scholarship, a discount, two for one, refer-a-friend—any strategy that makes something old new again is a good one.

48. Make Merchandise. Don’t try to make money with every single thing you offer. Instead, let some of your offerings create buzz for your name using services like CafePress or Zazzle. A fan who likes what you do enough to wear your name on a product becomes a salesperson for your work. Create promotional offerings and put links to them on all the pages of your website. Why not?

49. Sustain Yourself. Being active online calls for balance and patience. Clarify how and where you want to spend your energy, and filter out the rest until you can ride the net without too many wipeouts. Take five and describe exactly what you hope to accomplish in the future time you invest.

50. Break Out of Your Box. Ask yourself, “What would I create if I let myself create anything I wanted?” Let go of any old labels such as novelist, poet or journalist. What would you really get a kick out of writing, right now? Spend five minutes jotting down the truth—the whole truth and nothing but what really sounds fun. Your ability to break out of your own box will inspire others, so go for it!

Related Posts
Book Publicity Tips for Authors
Media Events for Book Promotion

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source: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book-marketing/the-gamification-of-book-marketing-and-promotion/

By: Vikram Narayan

As part of my volunteering activities to serve the community, I teach public speaking to 14 year old school children at a local school on Saturday mornings. Sometime ago, one of the challenges I noticed was that students would not applaud and cheer when one of their peers completed a speech on stage. Worse, many of them would speak to each other and be distracted while one of their classmates was speaking. As you can imagine, this was demotivating for the young speakers, many of whom were giving a speech for the first time in their lives.

Then, I introduced a simple idea which has changed the atmosphere of these sessions considerably. With the help of a few “student officers”, we divided the class into four “houses” (groups) that competed against each other in a friendly manner. Next, we started giving points to the group that was the most enthusiastic audience. Overnight, we had a class full of hyper-interested students that were willing to listen carefully to their classmates’ speeches and cheer their progress.

The human brain is wired to play games. Competition, evaluating and managing risks, teamwork, chasing goals while overcoming obstacles and staying within boundaries (rules) and keeping score are part of what make us human.

What is a Game?
Jesse Schell, author of the excellent book – ‘The Art of Game Design’ offers this definition for a game:
“A game is a problem-solving activity, approached with a playful attitude.”

Now, what if we phrased the problem of marketing and promoting books using the “lens” of games? Then the game can be defined for readers in the broadest possible manner as:
“A game where you solve the problem of discovering new books and evangelizing them while having fun”

Now, maybe you’re thinking that this will never work. People are busy. They are serious. They don’t have time to play games. If this is your thought, then I ask you to reconsider … after thinking about the following examples:

1. The stock market – The stock market is a game. There are rules. There are goals (make as much money as possible while managing your risks.) And it can often be fun (especially if you make money!)

2. Discount sales – Have you ever been to a Labor Day sale at your local fashion store? Have you felt the rush of excitement as you get your hands on your favourite brand at 50% off? Here again, there is a problem (get a good product at a lower than normal price), there is competition and it is mostly fun.

3. The Wii – For most people, exercise can be boring. Then the Wii came along with the WiiFit and became a leader in the category of games called Exergaming. Overnight, many children who were glued to playing computer games started living more healthful lives by playing these games.

As can be seen from the above examples, even boring activities can be made exciting by bringing in some of the concepts of game design. At BookBuzzr, we’ve been hard at work trying to incorporate principles of game design into the book marketing and promotion process. For example, we’ve created a Hangman word game which allows authors to market their books in a unique format. In the example below, the author is attempting to capture the interest of those people who hate their bosses. All you have to do is to guess the ‘colourful’ name. As you can see this game would appeal to those who have had a bad boss. While they guess the words, they are likely to get interested in the author’s book.

Vikram Narayan is the founder of BookBuzzr Book Marketing Technologies. (Twitter – @bookbuzzrCEO ) Vikram is a graduate from Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to starting BookBuzzr, Vikram founded another software company that has been successfully serving clients from all over the world since 2001. When he is not dreaming up ways to help authors accelerate their earnings and book sales, Vikram spends his time playing the guitar, practicing Aikido and spending time with his family.

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Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/affiliate-programs-articles/the-features-and-benefits-of-ebook-marketing-769052.html

Writing and publishing your book in eBook form does not mean that you cannot also have it published as a traditional book. In fact, more and more publishers are searching for books to publish by searching for eBooks on the topics they are interested in. If you intend on publishing your eBook when it is finished, here are some ways to make it more attractive to publishers and profitable for you when you sell it online.

1 – Choose a theme for your eBook. This may be a story, quote, or verse at the beginning of each chapter, a photograph or picture with a story or anecdote, or another creative way to let your readers know who you are through your writing. for more detials:-www.ebook-secrets-revealed.com. Think about what type of theme may work for your topic and experiment with different ideas.

2 – Use an outline as you are writing to keep your ideas organized in a logical order and sequence throughout your eBook. Divide your information into chapters that flow from beginning to end, so that your readers will be able to find the chapter that addresses their problem or situation quickly and easily.

3 – Begin to market your eBook while you are still doing the writing. This can be done by creating a blog, writing articles, commenting in forums, and sending press releases. This way you will have an audience of hungry buyers by the time you are ready to make sales.

4 – Find an editor or proofreader to read your eBook before you sell it to anyone. Even though you will have checked for typos and other mistakes, it never hurts to have more sets of eyes on your writing. Others who are trained in this area will be able to spot mistakes and changes that need to be made before your eBook goes to market.

5 – Build a list of prospects who are interested in your topic. This will also help you when a publisher comes to pursue your writing as a traditional book. for visit detials:-www.profit-pulling-ebooks.com.When they see that you already have interested readers you will gain credibility and are more likely to be able to negotiate a publishing deal.

6 – Write a strong sales letter that discusses . Be sure to include testimonials and detailed information that further reinforce the quality of what you have written.

7 – Give away a free chapter or an excerpt from your eBook to get people to sign up for your list. This will also get people talking about what you have written. Send a press release to get even more leverage from the entire process.

Putting these ideas into action will give you an edge when you seek out a publishing deal to turn your eBook into a self-published or traditional book.

http://www.ebook-creation-toolkit.com

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GREEN BAY, WI (01/05/12) – BookWhirl.com the leader in affordable book marketing announces the winners for the Win A Kindle Promo. The company is thrilled to announce that three client authors, namely: Donna Labermeier, Sati Achath, and Jeane Ann off received a Kindle Touch from BookWhirl.com.

The company’s Win A Kindle Promo lasted from July to November. The Kindle Touch is a mobile digital reader that allows the user to carry thousands of books and experience the convenience of advanced technology.

For more information, please visit http://www.bookwhirl.com or call 1 (877) 207 1679.

About BookWhirl.com

BookWhirl.com is an online book marketing service company, specializing in providing low-cost, high-quality marketing services for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books. Through its unique, inexpensive book marketing services, BookWhirl.com helps authors promote their published works more effectively and connect to readers in a more effective, more efficient system. BookWhirl.com employs an experienced team of online marketing strategists, ad copywriters, graphic artists, and web designers, whose combined talents ensure an effective online marketing campaign at easily affordable rates.

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GREEN BAY, WI (1/05/12) – BookWhirl.com, one of the strongest pillars in the self-publishing industry rolled out its newly designed homepage on the first day of the year 2012. The new BookWhirl.com homepage now features a more dynamic touch, highlighting convergence and innovation. With its improved layout, BookWhirl.com is looking forward to offer more convenience for its current and upcoming clients in terms of interface and navigation.

BookWhirl.com offers online and specialty marketing services to self-published authors worldwide. It now has 12 staple products and services, covering advertising, marketing, and publicity.

“We definitely want to start the year right. So for the first day of 2012, we are just about to give the world a bird’s eye view of what’s going to happen. Are there going to be big changes? I say, huge. And today, we are happy to unveil BookWhirl.com’s redesigned homepage. Our creative team aims for a better experience, that’s why we have embraced convergence and innovation in our current design. Our newly redesigned homepage is just the beginning of a smashing year for BookWhirl.com. 2012 is going to be huge for our company, and the rest of our self-published authors. This year is definitely exciting. And I just can’t wait”, announced Don Harold, Marketing Director BookWhirl.com

For more information, please visit http://www.bookwhirl.com or call 1 (877) 207 1679.

About BookWhirl.com

BookWhirl.com is an online book marketing service company, specializing in providing low-cost, high-quality marketing services for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books. Through its unique, inexpensive book marketing services, BookWhirl.com helps authors promote their published works more effectively and connect to readers in a more effective, more efficient system. BookWhirl.com employs an experienced team of online marketing strategists, ad copywriters, graphic artists, and web designers, whose combined talents ensure an effective online marketing campaign at easily affordable rates.

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source: http://selfpublishingresources.com/don%E2%80%99t-make-these-7-self-publishing-mistakes/

Written by: Sue Collier

There is a lot of information available on self-publishing today—there are blogs, books, and groups galore where authors can learn the ropes. Unfortunately, I still run in to authors who have made costly mistakes with their projects—blunders that could have been avoided.

Here are some of the most common:

1. Setting unrealistic goals. In spite of recent success stories in the news, you probably won’t become rich from your publishing venture. And you probably won’t sell a million copies of your book. Keep in mind that a book that sells 10,000 copies—whether self- or traditionally published—is generally considered to be a “success.” Another thing is that too many authors also believe that just putting their work out there is somehow going to result in sales, so they neglect putting together a marketing and promotions plan—which leads to the next item on the list.

2. Failing to think about marketing before the book is published. This is a biggie. I know that writing a book is no easy task, and authors tend to get caught up in the process before thinking of the next step, which is ensuring your book reaches your audience. I frequently speak with authors who have had their books out for months and have generated few sales. When I ask what they’ve been doing in terms of marketing, I often get a vague response. Or I have authors call me in September, asking to help them plan a promotions plan for the upcoming holiday season (which they should have started long before fall). It’s never too early to think about promoting your book and building your author platform. You’ll definitely want to have a plan in place well before the book’s publication date.

3. Not knowing your audience. Perhaps your book does have wide appeal, but not “everyone” is going to read it—even if you think they should. Also, consider your competition: Does your book offer something new and unique to potential readers?

4. Going the vanity press route and thinking you’ve self-published. If you pay a publisher to publish your book, and that publisher uses its own ISBN on your book, you have not self-published. And chances are, if you’ve got a vanity (or subsidy) publisher imprint on your book, reviewers won’t give it the time of day. Although the stigma is diminishing for true self-publishing (you purchase your own ISBN prefix under your own publishing company name and assign a number to your book), it still exists for vanity and subsidy publishing because editing is often nonexistent and interior and exterior designs are usually templates that look substandard. So if you hire a “self-publishing service,” make sure the end result is a well-done book that is truly self-published—by you.

5. Thinking you can do it all yourself. You can—but the end result will likely be an amateurish book that is riddled with errors. Even the best writers need good editors. And unless you are a book design professional, you want a pro to design your interior and exterior so they don’t scream “self-published.” Too many times I see authors in writers groups who post a book cover designed by themselves or a family member—and they almost always look it. Surround yourself with professionals who can help ensure your book reads well and looks good. (Get recommendations for professionals from other self-published authors whose books you like.)

6. Being stingy with review copies. Reviews are an essential part of any book promotions plan, so budget the cost of review copies in your original promo plan. I have worked with authors who were opposed to sending out “free” copies of their book—and the number of reviews they received suffered for it. It’s not unusual to hear some successful authors reveal they sent out a hundred or more review copies.

7. Not looking at self-publishing as a business. Once you’ve decided to self-publish, you are no longer just an author; you are also a business owner. And just as a commercial publisher looks upon any new book as an investment of its resources, so too do you.

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