Source: http://www.avidarticles.com/Article/Making-a-Living-by-Writing-Stories/24611

Written by Mark Kennelly

The best way to start writing is to recall what you did today and write about it. Who did you see? Where did you go? What did you have for breakfast? Put it down on paper by keeping a daily journal.
Use simple language when you write. Use shorter sentences. All that you need is a few short paragraphs. It’s similar to writing in your diary, only this time you will share your writing with others.

Then look over what you wrote, look at the words that you used. Are you able to understand what you have written? If you can answer yes to this question, then you are on your way to being a writer, which is not only one of the best jobs there is, but also one of the easiest.

It is important to read and re-read whatever you put down on paper. Sometimes you may not understand what you have written the first time, and simply changing or substituting a few words can help. A dictionary or thesaurus can also be a great resource for clarification. Another great tool to use is the advice of a third party. Their opinion about your story can be invaluable.

Then practice daily to help continue developing your skill. Remember the old saying that ‘practice makes perfect’ and it is no different with writing. Be disciplined and make certain that you spend at least thirty minutes writing every day. Write anything, it doesn’t matter, describe what you see.

Catch almost everything you can place your hands on – from the small advertisements in phone directory to fictions, world matters, fame news, catalogs – since anything you read will finally bind with you and turn to be a part of your arsenal of ways and vocabulary. Reading builds you very much better at writing. It is a demonstrated trait.

Experiment with writing articles. If you’re scared to begin, find article writing tips in books or search the web. Begin by writing about normal things such as a holiday or trip to the market. Or simply write about your laundry soap.

At all times, nevertheless, bear in mind to answer these basic rules: Why, What, When, Who, Where and How. At the time you can respond to all these in your short piece of text, possibilities are you are well covered.

To turn your skill in writing into a job opportunity, you can begin by offering your writing services to different companies and publishers as you approach them. When doing this always carry a writing sample so that you can show them an example of your writing ability.

When your writing first gets published, you’ve nearly reached your goal. However, you should keep working and trying to improve. You should never consider your work complete. Even when a you’ve written about a topic, attempt to write about the same topic with a different point of view. This is an excellent exercise that can improve your writing skills.

If you require extra insistence, you could consider applying for writing positions at your local tabloid/newspaper. Even then, the administration of your community may require an excellent writer for its bulletin board or monthly newsletter. To be a writer grants with endless possibilities.

At this point, you might want to give an effort to authoring short stories. You can find many pointers to help you in books, on the Internet, and from a plethora of other sources. The overall rule of thumb is that short stories should have a plot or a basic underlying message that readers can take away from the piece. These can be solicited to a variety of magazines.

Where to look for the meaning of blogging

Reading blogs is very popular with the younger generation right now. Many of them will go on to be bloggers themselves.

A “blog” is short term for web log and is used for items that are posted regularly. An effective blog includes text, images, hypertext, and links to other websites. Generations X and Y like blogs, because they use conversational style language. Slangs and lingo are used making what is written relatable to it’s readership at large.

To start a blog you can contact a blogger and ask for tips and pointers, you can also search for blog writing tips.Some bloggers are making money by attracting advertisement to their blogs thus creating their own full time vocation.

No matter what your goal is, writing can be very enjoyable. It’s all about putting your thoughts on paper. The real rewards come when readers understand your message. Some readers may even be emotionally affected by your words.

As usual, the hard part is getting started.

Article Source: http://www.avidarticles.com

Mark Kennelly is the owner of a highly regarded article directory. He offers advice on the best way to attract traffic for articles and blogs. To learn more, please visitTalkinmince today. Writers & Publishers Article Directory today to find out more.

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Source: http://www.10000articles.com/Four-Act-Stories-and-Beyond-19123.html

There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes and goal setting.

A lot has been written about story structure. In my mind, understanding its value is priceless.

There is a lot of confusion around structure, creativity and innovation. You can find a good study that resolves much of the misinformation at managing-creativity.com. Ironically, there is much to learn about creativity and innovation from the business world, as there is an infinite amount of data and research out there. Top institutions, such as Harvard, take it very seriously.

The core concepts, with regard to story structure, include:

a) Structure increases the quantity and quality of creative output.

b) Novelty (commonly referred to as originality) emerges from replication.

c) Certain structures help to meet the subconscious expectations of the audience.

By mapping your idea around an existing structural template, you can quickly expand that idea into a story. Once extrapolated, the needs of your particular story will begin to dictate your structure, hence you will cut and paste scenes until your story, in effect, becomes original. Then by working on each sequence to make it perfect, you eventually produce quality work.

But what structure?

The Western World has traditionally supported the concept of three act structure. But this is useless. Everything has a beginning, a middle and an end and, for writers, this doesn’t help much.

If you analyse many versions of three act structure you find that, in effect, you really have four acts. For example, Syd Field argues that three acts consist of an approximate 30:60:30 ratio. But the 60 has a mid point, so we’re really talking 30:30:30:30.

But even four acts do not help much.

You can analyse four acts to reach five or seven acts. But even they are useless. The problem is that they are too broad. OK, I agree, templates only have value if they are broad, but we need more.

A huge leap is the monomyth or Hero’s Journey. The monomyth can be traced back to Gilgamesh in about the 26th century BC, through to the Shahnama around 1000 A.D. and so on. The latest incarnation is that of Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1948).

Campbell’s Hero’s Journey consists of 17 stages. So here we have 17 acts, which is much more useful to the story writer.

But the Hero’s Journey ends once the Hero has returned home and provided the Freedom to Live, whereas in modern film (call them contemporary stories) the hero returns once more to battle the antagonist. So in effect we can say that we have Campbell’s 17 stages and then another encapsulated in the Final Conflict. So 18 stages.

But the 18th stage can be broken down into Preparation / Final Antagonism / Journey to the Final Conflict / Battle / Moral Dilemma / Completion / Freedom to Live. Hence we arrive at 24 stage structure.

The Hero’s Journey can be extrapolated into many more stages.

The question you may ask yourself now is this: how representative is the monomyth or Hero’s Journey of ALL stories? In other words, what value does it really have as a template? And as I am implying, a universal template?

The best way to answer that is to search out someone with more credibility than me, that is: read a book about it. A good start is Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey, ISBN: 0330375911. He compares a diverse variety of cinematic blockbusters to drive home the point.

Whether you go for the idea of the monomyth or not, the idea of working from a template is very valid, or at least helpful. And it applies not just to screenplays, but to sitcoms and novels too. What you need to do is decide which template works for you. There are quite a few out there.

From the above it follows that (most) stories are structurally derivative and yet can be very original. Watch a diverse range of films – from Midnight Cowboy to Al Pacino Scarface to Casablanca to whatever you choose, analyse them sequence by sequence and you will see stark structural similarities.

In fact, when stories are not structurally derivative then they usually turn out to be weird because the audience has certain subconscious expectations as to how a story should evolve. And when they are not met….well, people will just refer to it as not a proper story.

The 106 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/CreativeWriting.html

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com/

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Source: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book-marketing/now-is-the-time-to-facebook/

Guest Expert: Tony Eldridge

There is not a shortage of tools authors can use to help promote their books and build a platform, but Facebook is one that we need to pay special attention to as we develop our book marketing plan. In fact, my big focus for 2011 is on developing out and my Facebook presence and make it more efficient. I do have a Facebook presence, but I’m not utilizing it nearly as well as I could be. Here’s what led me to the decision to focus on my Facebook presence in 2011:

1. Facebook is mainstream: Facebook is no longer a niche platform for marketers. You’d be hard pressed to find a company who does not have a Facebook page or a consumer who does not have a Facebook presence. This tells me that jumping in and optimizing Facebook will more likely yield positive results than focusing on many other marketing activities.

2. Facebook is marketing savvy: What I mean is that a professional or a company has easy to use tools to create a practical and productive presence on Facebook. You no longer have to be an IT professional to have a great looking page that positively impacts your marketing plan.

3. Facebook is very social: Few platforms allow you to interact with your client or prospect base like Facebook. You can like and comment, you can invite people to events or invite them to sign up to a newsletter. You can interact with videos, pictures or timely text. Facebook makes it easy for you to engage in a rich, diverse conversation that will appeal to a broad base of followers.

4. Facebook is marketable: You can tell people about your Facebook page on your blog with widgets and gadgets. You can link to your Facebook page from your e-mail or your newsletter. No matter what your communication medium is, you’ll find a readymade app to use that will make it easy for your followers to connect with you on Facebook.

5. Facebook is here to stay: I recently read that Facebook is bigger than the biggest media companies. It has no problem laying its hands on billions of dollars when needed. It has the commitment to live and grow which means that it should continue to make it easy for you to market your book. Whether you want to travel the free road or dip your toes into paid advertisements, you will have no shortage of ways you can use Facebook to get your message out.

Because all of this is true about Facebook, authors have an abundance of resources to help them use Facebook to their potential. Companies continue to create tools to help you use Facebook better. People make videos to walk you through the steps you need to go through to adapt Facebook to your marketing plans. Authors write “how-to” books, e-books, and reports to guide you down the path to better book marketing.

If you have not decided to jump into Facebook yet, then take comfort that you are living in a great time. Whether it’s resources like BookBuzzr that bring together experts to help you improve your Facebook presence or the plethora of resources you can find with a simple Google search, you’ll quickly find people to hold your hand and help you create a productive Facebook presence.

In my humble opinion, Facebook is one of those platforms that has proven its value. So whether you are contemplating your first step into the Facebook world or whether you are like me and are looking to take your Facebook presence to a whole new, exciting level, listen to the experts that BookBuzzr has brought together for you this month. They will help you develop the Facebook presence that can really help get your book noticed.

Tony Eldridge is the author of the action/adventure novel, The Samson Effect, that Clive Cussler calls a “first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure.” He also launched his first non-fiction title, “Conducting Effective Twitter Contests“. He shares his book marketing tips with fellow authors through his blog, Marketing Tips for Authors and through his free video marketing tips for authors newsletter.

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Source: http://www.10000articles.com/Self-Publishing-Success-Starts-With-Marketing-41880.html

Self-publishing is not for the faint of heart. The publication process is lengthy, involves a considerable number of detailed, administrative tasks and can be expensive. This is the easy part; the real challenge involves “S & M” – sales and marketing.

For an author to become a successful self-publisher, he or she must make a paradigm shift in consciousness from author to entrepreneur, and view their book in the same way that Madison Avenue gurus view the newest shampoo. An author has to be able to do a dispassionate analysis of the market the book was meant to reach. Is its greatest appeal to young people? Senior citizens? Men? Women? Members of a minority group? The definition of a market – or markets – will help to determine and focus the ensuing marketing campaign.

Next, the author must develop a marketing plan. How can I reach my market most effectively? Freelance authors are already aware of the plethora of niche publications on the market. Now, instead of contacting these publications for submission guidelines, the self-publisher needs to contact the advertising department for rate and data information. Information such as 1) per-issue circulation, 2) average response rates for classified and / or display advertisements, 3) advertising rates and specs for display advertising will allow a self-publisher to determine the cost per contact. If a book involves specialized information, the self-publisher can afford to advertise in low-circulation, niche periodicals, as the audience of those periodicals may well be the exact type of individual most likely to benefit from the book.

Books which were written to appeal to a wide, general audience will have to be marketed with a larger media blanket. Diet, self-help and money management books do better with radio or television publicity. These media have higher costs, but over the long run, the per-contact cost is smaller, due to the greater number of people reached.

The question of cost brings us to the next challenge: a marketing and advertising budget. How much are you willing to spend, and for how many years? Launching any new business venture generally requires five years to begin turning a profit, and the first two years concentrate on developing an identity and “brand awareness.” In other words, it may take an author two years for anyone to become aware of his / her existence, let alone want to purchase their book! Too many self-publishers give up on marketing after the first year, and wind up selling their book at garage sales.

Finally, marketing efforts need to begin before the book is published. If an author builds interest and excitement while their book is still in the “proofing” stage, the outcome could easily be immediate demand upon release of the book. One of my clients did this, and sold 100 copies of his book before he received his first shipment.

Along with publications written to help authors improve their writing skills, the self-publisher should reference books or audiotapes relevant to promoting and marketing small or home-based businesses, such as Jay Conrad Levinson’s Guerilla Marketing. Promoting your work doesn’t have to be torture or outrageously expensive. Well-planned, consistently executed promotion will get your book on bookshelves, as long as you are willing to invest patience and persistence in your marketing efforts.

About The Author

Jean Fritz is the owner and chief editor for JMT Publications (http://jmtpubs.tripod.com), a company which specializes in helping self-publishing authors get into print. jeantype@excite.com

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Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/social-marketing-articles/3-social-networking-tips-when-marketing-online-5994397.html

There are certain social networking tips you’ll want to pay close attention to when marketing your business online! Although these sites are great for helping you spread the word about what it is you do it is in the way you do it that will give you the best results! The key is NOT to be too pushy or you’ll quickly wear out your welcome therefore keep your objectives simple with an emphasis on the long term!

Here are 3 things you’ll want to focus on when establishing your long term objectives any time you are using online social network sites for business!

Develop Relationships

Always remember online social network sites are there for people to socialize with one another and not to be exposed to promotional claims and efforts! Having said that it is vitally important that your initial efforts are focused on developing relationships with other like-minded people you’ve met! You can NOT reasonably expect these people to make purchases with you or to spread the word about your business unless they’re first comfortable and/or familiar with you! Marketing your business is always ’secondary’ when working within these online communities!

Expand Your Exposure

This can be done very easily provided you’ve gain the trust of others! The awesome potential of online social network sites is found in the ability of others to spread the word about what you do or offer to their own social circles! Tapping into these viral capabilities is the single biggest attraction/advantage of using such sites, but it all starts with you promoting yourself as a person first and foremost!

Build/Reinforce Brand

Considering that building or reinforcing your brand involves repetition and making impressions using online communities makes perfect sense! Whenmarketing your business on the internet it is important to have some type of recognizable brand and using online social network sites will help you build it! It is up to you to represent both yourself and what you do in a way that is consistent with the brand you’re trying to establish! Once again allowing others to spread the word and help you reinforce your ‘branding’ efforts is a great way to boost your efficiency thus freeing you up to tend to other things!

There are certain networking tips you would be wise to ‘follow’ when using online social network sites for marketing your business! As the discussion above points out the 3 things you’ll want to focus on are all long term objectives that will encourage others to help you spread the word about what you do! Being too pushy when promoting anything at all is ‘taboo’ since after all, these are sites developed for socializing! The best approach when marketing your business at any online social network site is to remain ‘low key’ and patient! By establishing ‘deep’ roots you can count on those who you connect with to spread the word about your business throughout their own social circles as well!

TJ Philpott - About the Author:

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina. To learn more online social networking tips for business and to also receive a free instructional manual that teaches valuable niche research techniques for your online marketing needs simply visit:http://affiliatequickstart.com/

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Source: http://www.keeparticles.com/turn-your-hobby-into-an-e-book_a3399.htm

What if you could take something you love to do and turn it into an e-book?
E-books are a huge thing right now. A customer can simply purchase an e-book and download it in a few minutes. Now they can begin learning something new right from their computer. Do you have a hobby that you could teach others to do? Here are a few examples of hobbies that would make great e-books. There are lots of people that enjoy making their own crafts from wood. There are so many different types of woodworking projects that a person could write several e-books on the topic. You could write an e-book on how to make wooden outdoor furniture. You could write an e-book on making wooden toys for children in the e-book explain to the reader the types of tools you would need to make each project, and the materials required for each job. You can also include the plans for a few projects, with step by step instructions on how to build the item. Include pictures in your e-book of the project through various steps to help the reader know they are doing it right. Golfing is a huge hobby.

Almost every golfer has their own secrets that they think help them improve their golfing game. You could write an e-book offering some of your favorite golfing tips. Include tips in your e-book on the different types of clubs a person would need. Give the reader recommendations of brand of golf clubs, or golf balls that you like. Explain the different types of golf courses and what they need to do to have a successful game there. You could also include some humor in your e-book about how you convince your wife to let you spend all your Sundays golfing. Maybe you know a great place to buy inexpensive golfing gear, you can share this with the readers of your golfing ebook.What is better than spending nice relaxing day fishing? If you think you know what type fishing pole is the best to catch a big one why not share your wealth of information in an e-book. Do you have recipes for homemade fishing bait?

Maybe you like a specific lure or fishing hook. You can include what types of fishing poles to use in what type of waters. Fill your e-book with information and tips on the best time to fish, or the best type of bait to use for each fish. You could also include some recipes in your e-book for all the fish the readers will catch after they read your great tips. Hunting is a topic that everyone has a tip for. They have heard stories from their dad and grandpas. Why not take some of these stories and tips and write an e-book. Do you know the best places to hunt in your area? What about explaining the types of guns and ammunition a person would need. You could talk about the different hunting seasons and when they are. Tell the readers about the clothes they will need to enjoy hunting on a freezing cold winter�s day. Share in your e-book all the tips you have learned that make you a better hunter. Maybe you have plans to build a rack to hold your guns. The possibilities are endless for this e-book. Writing an e-book about your hobby is not hard to do. Share your information with others and make some extra money doing it.

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Source: http://www.keeparticles.com/how-to-find-an-e-book-marketing-niche_a2926.htm

I truly believe in the fact that there is a market for just about everything. This does not mean that every person in the world is going to want what you are trying to sell, no matter how pretty it is packaged, but there is someone out there that will buy it. Case in point, have you ever really looked at eBay and examined what is for sale on there? for more detail you can login to www.eazy-ebook-money.com This is true for your eBook as well.

To start, there are some people that are collectors and they just browse the internet and buy eBooks, for no other reason then to just have them. I am sure that they read them and gather some information out of them and then move on to the next one. However, there are also people that are looking for specific eBooks due to interests that they have, to further their education on a particular subject. Chances are greater then not those people are looking for an eBook on a subject that you could be consider and “expert” on.

The key to getting your eBook to those people that are looking for your eBook is the trick. There is a fairly simple way to find them though. I am going to assume that you can write and write well enough to convincingly write an eBook. At least, this is my hope, I have paid for eBooks that appeared to be written by second graders, numerous spelling and grammatical errors. So if you aren’t going to spend the time to make your eBook look like it was written by an educated adult then don’t write an eBook.

Ok, to find you market you are going to write an article. Remember that all great things start small. Write an article that is about 500 to 800 words long. This article is going to be a brief overview of one of the topics you will cover in your eBook. Let’s say that you are going to write and eBook on how to grow bonsai trees. One topic in that book should be how to care for bonsai trees. So your article is going to be about that topic. Please proof read your article, no one is going to pay for your eBook if it looks like a child wrote it.

Take that article and post it to the various article sites on the net, post it in the paper, go to www.ebook-marketing-exposed.com do an internet search to find groups that are interested in bonsai trees, gardening places, start a blog, etc.

What do you know, you found your market. Once you have this list you can then use it for viral marketing. Viral marketing is really no more then those people that already have what you are selling or are interested in what you are selling telling all their like minded friends about you so that they then will buy what you are selling.

See there usually is a market for everything, including the eBook that you want to write. The trick is really all about finding that market and I just gave you an ironclad way to find that market. Happy writing to you!

Author - Hitesh Rattan

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Source: http://www.writerswrite.com/selfpublishing/hollowell.htm

Written by Jennifer Hollowell

A Basic Guide for Self-Published and Print on Demand Authors

You’ve written your book, gone through the editing gauntlet and decided to publish the finished product yourself. You’ve researched all the self publishing options, decided on a company, approved the book’s cover and polished the book’s final lay-out. All you’re “i’s” are dotted and “t’s” are crossed. Now, you’re ready to go to press. Right?

Wrong!

Day after day, week after week, my inbox is filled with marketing questions all centered on the same commonality:

• “My book was doing really well in the beginning, but sales have fallen off. Do you have any idea why this happens?”
• “My book has received some great reviews, but they aren’t resulting in any sales. Do you know why this is happening?”
• “I sent out one hundred press kits, but no sales have turned over. Why could this be happening?”

These are just a small sampling of the distressed messages landing in my inbox. How are these situations the same? No pre-publication marketing plans or efforts. Each author felt the impact of “missing the boat” on sales opportunities in one way or another.

What’s the solution?

A book won’t sell itself. (This is very obvious to some, but not to others.) That’s a reality many self-published authors don’t anticipate until it’s too late. They’ve spent their entire budget without looking at the “entire picture.” The “entire picture” includes setting up a “selling plan” before your book hits the press. These efforts will make or break you. It’s my hope that you’re reading this piece before you’ve gone too far.

How do you formulate a selling plan?

Step one: target your audience

Where do they shop? How much do they spend? What’s your competition? How can they be reached?

Step two: outline your goals and objectives

1. Events:
   • Do you plan to do book signings, tours, seminars interviews, radio shows and television appearances? If so, you’ll need press materials and enough books printed to substantiate all these efforts.
   • Setting up a workable event schedule for all parties involved is essential.
2. Pre-pub reviews:
   • Line up pre-publication reviews. These are professional reviews published in newspapers (New York Times) and magazines (Publisher’s Weekly).
   • Read all submission guidelines thoroughly and adhere to all schedules, deadlines and policies. If the guidelines states self published books aren’t accepted, don’t send an ARC anyway. You’re wasting your budget and the publisher’s time needlessly.
   • Be sure to add the cost of ARC’s (Advanced Reader’s Copies), postage and supplies to your budget.
3. Distribution:
   • Research distribution. Remember, brick and mortar booksellers (and some electronic booksellers) won’t stock your title unless it’s carried by one or more major distribution center.
   • Add the costs to your budget.
4. Marketing and Publicity:
   • Do you plan to hire someone for marketing and publicity? If so, this needs to be done before the book goes to press. Figure a three to six month campaign into your budget. Explore your options before making your choice. There are a lot of firms following the same “cookie cutter syndrome” as some traditional publication houses tend to follow.
   • Do you plan to do the marketing and publicity yourself? If so, READ! There are mountains of books, reports, periodicals and articles’ focusing on the how-to’s of good marketing strategies.
5. Post-publication reviews:
   • Don’t forget to obtain reviews even after the book has already been published. Consumers are driven by both professional and unprofessional opinions.

Step three: determine and realistic budget you can stick to.

This is where the most mistakes occur. Without looking at the “big picture,” authors don’t know how much money should be devoted to what aspect of the game. Organization and prioritizing are very important during this stage. Get quotes and estimates for everything (and be prepared for unexpected costs):

1. Printing: galleys and finished copies.
2. Press kits: supplies and postage.
3. Flyers: design, printing and distribution.
4. Publicity: what’s included and for how long?
5. Distribution centers.
6. Print advertising: how long will the ad run? Will it be in color or black and white?
7. ISBN numbers: is it included in your printing fee?
8. Web site: registration, designing, maintaining and hosting.
9. Postal and email address purchasing for booksellers.
10. Posters, post cards and bookmarks for events.

Rule of thumb: blind submissions are bad. Never ever send out materials unsolicited. There are individuals out there selling lists suggesting authors practice in this way and, in reality, it isn’t the way to go. Query first, otherwise your ARC’s are destined for used booksellers and your press materials the recycling bin. This is where I see a lot of authors dwindling down their budgets. Avoid this reality by sending to *interested parties. *There will always be exceptions to any rule, however. If guidelines posted to reviewer databases or publications states querying isn’t necessary, than adhere to that claim.

There are numerous other points to ponder in regards to formulating your pre-publication marketing plans. (Remember: pre-publication marketing plans aren’t defined solely as what you do before your book is released, it’s defined as your complete marketing plan outlined in preparation for all eventualities both before and after publication.) Examples of these points include:

1. Don’t overlook the Internet: get yourself interviewed and or profiled for sites both about writing and about the subjects covered in your book. Build a web site to provide another avenue for ordering, a virtual press kit and link exchanges. Position your book with virtual booksellers and establish link partners.
2. Remember to be sure your book is listed in Books-in-Print. Don’t assume it’s already there.
3. Print/Electronic publications provide longevity to your marketing campaign in terms of having something tangible to reference. Radio shows and television appearances are good during the new release phases, but are often forgotten within hours of the broadcast. Focusing time and attention to an enduring effort is key.

Final thoughts:

As the old saying goes, your book is as successful as the efforts put forth by the author, particularly in the cases of self-publishing and print on demand.

Jennifer Hollowell has been in the writing and publishing business for a decade bringing forth 100’s of nonfiction articles covering a wide variety of subjects. In addition, Jennifer has made it her goal to provide authors, both traditional press and self-published, the services and resources necessary to achieve their goals in a realistic manner. For more information, please visithttp://www.myspace.com/writerjennh.

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Source: http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/free-book-marketing-tips/promote-a-book-with-twitter-top-10-strategies-for-authors.html

by Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer

Twitter is a great way to promote a book while you build your networks and reputation. Here are ten ways authors can harness the power of Twitter to promote a book:

1. Help others by sharing information, while you gain a reputation as an expert. You can post links to helpful articles, recommend resources, offer tips and discuss other books that you enjoy.

2. Meet potential customers and stay in touch with existing customers. Promote your Twitter URL everywhere you’re listed online, and include keywords in your tweets to attract followers who are interested in your topic or genre.

3. Stay on top of news and trends in your field or genre, and get ideas for your articles and blog by reading the tweets of the people you follow.

4. Promote live and virtual events such as book signings, podcasts, virtual book tours, teleseminars, and book launches.

5. Gain visibility and new followers by hosting a Twitter contest where you give away a prize to a randomly chosen winner. See this article for tips on creating a Twitter contest.

6. Ask for help and get instant responses. When you request product recommendations, referrals to experts, or help with a technical issue, it’s amazing how helpful folks are. You can also ask for feedback on your book title, cover design or website.

7. Spread good will by helping your peers. Introduce other people in your field or genre, or recommend other related books or products.  Re-tweet interesting posts from people that you follow.

8. Promote a book or other products and services. The key is to be subtle and make promotional tweets a small percentage of your overall communications, so people feel like they gain value from following you, not just a stream of sales pitches. Keep promotional and self-serving tweets to 10 to 20 percent of your total posts.

9. Meet other authors, experts, publishers, marketers, and vendors. Twitter is ideal for networking and it’s a great place to learn more about the publishing industry and meet partners who can help you promote a book.

10. Keep in touch when you’re on the road. There are a number of applications that facilitate twittering from mobile devices.

Have fun! It’s fascinating to meet people from all over the world, gain a glimpse into their lives, and develop a cyber-relationship while you promote a book.

About the Author

Dana Lynn Smith is a book marketing coach and the author of several book marketing guides, including Twitter Guide for Authors. For more tips, visit her book marketing blog and get a copy of the Top Book Marketing Tips ebook when you sign up for her free book marketing newsletter.

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