Book Marketing Tips for Maximum Mass Reach

Posted in Book Marketing on April 11th, 2013 by admin

Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Book-Marketing-Tips-for-Maximum-Mass-Reach/7213141/

Writing a book is not enough. It won’t be long before you get bored of flipping through the pages of your own creation. You need admiration by masses that provide a positive kick to your ego and boost you further to produce brilliant creations.

What should be in your books that will encourage people to adorn their shelves with them? Off course, it is engaging content, an ability to connect with masses, and emotive factor. You should have extremely creative and interesting or emotional components if you want people to read and reread them.
Simply writing and expecting people to know about it is a folly. For marketing a book, you need to incorporate elements in it that are easily visible and capture people’s attention as well as interest immediately.

Word-to-mouth marketing is the most effective and reliable way to market your book and make people read them. People trust their friends the most in choosing a book.

Book reviews lend tremendous value to a book. Peer reviews are great as they give great insight to a book from an expert’s eye. Blogger reviews are good as your books will have a web presence and will have a much larger readership. Blog comments can sometimes grant a controversial angle to your book. Reviewing of other authors can be of great help too. You must prefer reviewing of a similar kind.
Displaying your book in a book fair is a popular way of book marketing. You can be present at the book fair to personally promote your book, or you can assign the task to someone else who is adept at doing so.

E-books are the current trend. People no longer want to gather dust by hoarding paperbacks or hardbacks. They would rather prefer an e-book which can be downloaded easily and read even while you are working. There are hundreds of websites that also offer few e-books to read. You may get your e-book published here for first few weeks until it garners publicity. Later, you can grab some bucks by offering a paid copy of the same.

Book Exhibits let you showcase your books on a first hand basis to your audience. You get a lot of recognition, and you can connect with your audience who gets to know about new titles and publishers.
Promoting your book through Facebook is the sure-fire formula for success. If you have a community under the name of your book, your book has quite a following. Book promotion through social networking channels like Facebook and Twitter is sure to grab you a large viewership and fan following. Pinterest is the latest rage. You can pin quotes from your books or special highlights to gather public interest.

If your book has commercial value, then trade fairs are an ideal platform for marketing it. Get more people talking about your book. The more they blabber about it, whether good or bad, the better. Don’t be afraid of negative reviews. Getting negative reviews doesn’t mean your book is bad. It only means that your book is generating interest. Any good piece of work is likely to have a few critiques.
Link your book to a value-generating idea or celebrity. This is the best way to market your book.

Amelia Fisher is the author of this article. We help 100s of book publishers market their books worldwide.Participate in the 2013 American Library Association Annual and grab the opportunity of book promotion in a very unique and special market.

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The Advantages of Social Media in Book Marketing

Posted in Book Marketing on March 27th, 2013 by admin

We are lucky to live in the kind of world that we live in right now. Through the power of technology and the Internet, we lead truly privileged lives. It is easier to get information, buy and sell products and services, and keep in touch with our family and loved ones through the Web and all these amazing gadgets that we now enjoy.

Social media is one innovation that has emerged and evolved due to the Internet and our sophisticated technology. Right now, it would be hard to find a person who hasn’t yet heard of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Tumblr, or Pinterest. Not only private individuals make use of these sites for their personal purposes; businesses and organizations also recognize their clout in attracting customers or clients and generating sales.

The literary world is one such industry that is also beginning to recognize what social media can do. Right now, there are a lot of authors who make social media marketing an essential part of their book marketing strategy. They announce book signing events on their Twitter page, or create an official Facebook page through which they can get in touch with their fans or target readers. If you have just started on your self-publishing venture, then you can make your book marketing campaign more expansive by using social media.

In the digital age that we live in, social media marketing is a modern form of word-of-mouth promotions. Among the many marketing services for self-published authors that exist, it is considered one of the most effective. For the most part, it is free and simple to use, and it gives actual results, provided that you use it properly. To maximize its potential, here are a few tips that might come in handy:

• Always include images in your posts; people always stay for the content, but they are drawn in by the visuals. Include photos of the cover of your book and of yourself as the author. Stick to pictures that are appropriate and professional-looking.

• Tell all your friends, colleagues, and family members about your social media marketing attempts. They might be able to help you boost the appeal of your pages by liking your Facebook page or following your Twitter account. The greater the number of views, likes, and follows that you have, the greater the impact of your marketing campaign.

• Update your posts on a regular basis. The thing about social media is that you can never leave it alone. You have to maintain your cyber social ties by frequently creating posts. This is one sure-fire way to keep your readers and followers interested in your activities.

• If you have a website or a blog, make sure you include links to these sites on your Twitter or Facebook profiles. This is one way to increase traffic to your sites. Also include information about any other social media accounts that you might maintain.

• Respond to comments and questions posted by your followers and fans. Keep in mind that social media is all about interaction and constant communication. As much as possible, you should try to be online at least a few hours each day.

Harness the power of the Internet in your campaign and you can reap many rewards in return. Find a reliable book marketing services provider like BookWhirl who can guide as to the right approach you can apply in your social media efforts.

Start a promising writing career through the help of BookWhirl, a leading self-publishing and book marketing firm.

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Some Things to Keep in Mind When Creating Your Book Trailer

Posted in Book Marketing on March 7th, 2013 by admin

Imagine this scenario: you are in a cinema and the trailer of an upcoming movie comes on. It’s interesting and all kinds of awesome so you turn to your date or companion and say, “Let’s watch that when it comes out!”

Now imagine eliciting this kind of reaction from a potential reader through your book video which you can post on influential video sharing sites like Youtube and Dailymotion. If it’s particularly well-made, viewers who get to watch it will be impressed by it. By then, not only will they be excited to buy your book, but they may also spread the word about it to their friends, family members, and acquaintances. Talk about the power of going viral.

Creating a book video trailer entails so much more than just coming up with a concept for the said production, as there are so many more things you need to think about. Consider the following practical tips when making your very first author video.

In this case, simplicity is beauty. You would not want to overwhelm your viewers with an excessive amount of verbal, auditory, and visual elements. There is no need to go extremely lavish and grand, when you can express what you want to say about your book in a few simple scenes.

Aim for an achievable look. Do not attempt to make something similar to a magnificent movie trailer, especially if you do have the means yet. The aesthetic of your first production will be influenced by the theme of your book and your target audience.

There is no need to relay your entire plot in your video, or even tell a short summary of it. In most cases, an impressionistic approach that attempts to communicate the concept of the book while only giving out hints at its plot is more effective.

Create a script for your production, instead of just contenting yourself with using your book’s jacket copy. Remember that people read and comprehend text differently when watching a video than when they are reading. Thus, there is a need for you to compose a script that expresses the most essential details of your book in a very short, concise manner.

Steer clear of using amateur or non-actors in your production. Poor acting can ruin the quality of your production and can create a less than positive impression on your viewers. Also, using actors may affect your readers’ ability to use their imagination when they finally get to read your book.

Display crucial information about your book, such as your cover, blurb, and publishing information, at the trailer’s end. Separate it from the actual promotional part of your video, so as to make a greater impact on the viewers.

Before you even think of looking for any book trailer service out there, you must consider what else you can do to amp up your marketing campaign. A trailer is an effective tool but it will be most influential and powerful if you combine it with other strategies as well.

Find out what a book trailer and Bookwhirl.com’s other book marketing services can do for your campaign.

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How to Market Your Book Gangnam Style

Posted in Book Marketing on December 14th, 2012 by admin

Source: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book-marketing/how-to-market-your-book-gangnam-style/

If you’ve not yet heard of Gangnam Style or Psy, you’ve got to get your nose of that book or whatever else you’ve been doing, come back to planet Earth and take a moment to watch the video below. It’s garnered 600 million views (yes … that’s right … it’s over half a billion!)

The video has raced ahead of videos from stars with much bigger platforms in the US – stars such as Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.

So what’s the secret of Psy. How can you – an author – promote your book and yourself Gangnam Style?

Here are some takeaways …

1. Be an “Anti” in your Genre

Most categories are over-crowded. Pick a book genre and I will show you hundreds, if not thousands of books in the same genre.

Marketers often tell you to be different. But being subtly different may not be enough when you are trying to stand out in an over-communicated  marketplace to your readers who are already over stimulated.

You need to be radically different.

One way to do this is to take a particular market and be the “anti” in that market. This means that you do the opposite of the market leader in that market.

Psy did this very effectively by becoming the Anti-Star. In the South Korean music industry which is dominated by good looking pop stars with sonorous voices Psy stood out by being chubby, having controversial lyrics and dancing wildly crazy dance moves. In fact, he’s nicknamed “The Bizarre Singer” in his native land. His motto? “Dress classy. Dance cheesy.”

How does this translate if you are an author? Ask yourself … can you be the queen of unromanticromance books? Can you be the king of unscientific sci-fi? If you’re rolling your eyes up at this, you’re probably like the naysayers who wrote Psy off for years (Psy was in severe financial difficulties as recently as 2010). So go ahead and think about the leader in your genre. Now think about positioning yourself as the opposite of that leader. If you are lucky you might just find a vacant spot there.

2. Polarize the Market

Be controversial. The video above has 4 million likes. But it also has 250 thousand dislikes.

Psy himself has courted controversy for a long time. Here are some instances:

  • In 2001, his debut full-length album received a fine due to accusations that the album contained “inappropriate content”.
  • In 2002, his second album sparked complaints from concerned civil groups due to the potentially negative influence his album would have on children and teenagers.
  • In 2007, Psy was re-drafted in to the Korean army. State prosecutors accused Psy of shirking his duties when he was serving his time in the army the first time around.

If you try to appeal to every body you land up getting a little love from every body but not sufficientattention. Be very afraid if your book is receiving only 3 star reviews on Amazon. Rejoice if you’ve got a some great reviews and a slightly smaller number of scathing reviews.

Remember this formula:

Raging love from a few crazy fans + Boiling hatred  from detractors = Attention

3. Create a Beachhead

Before Psy conquered America, before he appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show, before he had 600 million views, Psy had created a name for himself in his home market. What’s interesting is that Psy had already had a taste of the United States as a student in the late 90′s. He could have made the decision to play right away in the biggest music market in the world. Instead he chose to build up a following in a much smaller market. And grow outwards from there.

He knew that he had to be a big fish in a small pond before he could swim with the sharks.

As an author, don’t try to go after all of your market all at once. Ask yourself which potential beach head you can first conquer. Is your beachhead at your local church? Or the local Starbucks? Or maybe it is a small online community of interest. Before you get your first thousand readers, get your first 50 readers. And get them to be true fans of your book.

4. Give Yourself 10 Years to Be an Overnight Success

Psy has stuck to his persona and has toiled without distraction for years.

It takes time to become an overnight success. Continue pushing on with determination towards your long term goal. However, be flexible enough to change directions as needed while still keeping your overall goal in mind. Look at Psy:

- ~1997 – dropped out of business course from Boston University

- ~1999 – dropped out of Berklee music college

- ~2010 – had to join  YG Entertainment since he had run into financial difficulties and could not afford to produce his own songs

So the next time you find yourself deciding to give it all up and move on … ask yourself, “What would Psy do if he were me?”

They say that the best way to market your first book is by writing your second book. There’s probably a good reason for this.

5. Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

Book marketing comes with its ups and downs. The Twitter contest you run may land up having just 1 participant including your mother. Or your Amazon rank at the moment may be a number that is higher than Gangnam’s view count.

Take it easy. Treat it like a game. Laugh a little.

Then go back, study what happened and take another crack at it.

Perhaps you need to pivot and change your strategy. Or may be you need to persist a little longer with what you’re doing. Time alone will tell. But in the meanwhile, do what needs doing. And have some Gangnam Style fun along the way.

Vikram Narayan is the founder of BookBuzzr Book Marketing Technologies. (Twitter – @bookbuzzr ) 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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Self Publishing Success Starts With Marketing

Posted in Book Marketing, Self-Publishing on July 17th, 2012 by admin

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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3 Ways to Market Your Book to iPhone Users

Posted in Book Marketing on June 1st, 2012 by admin

Source: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book-marketing/3-ways-to-market-your-book-to-iphone-users/

There are millions of iPhones in use all over the world. iPhone users are usually quite enthusiastic about their devices. They surf the web, check email, play games and of course buy and read books on their devices. Now as book-marketers, if you can figure out a way to engage with this audience, you stand a better chance of finding readers for your book.

Here are 3 ways to market your book to iPhone and iPad users:

1. Create an iPhone App for your book

iPhone users are in love with their apps. They love to discover interesting little things that they can download and play with in their spare time (such as when waiting at the dentist.) You can take advantage of this phenomenon to create an iPhone App for your book and give it away either for free or for a small fee. The app can contain an extract of your book, a book trailer of your book, a game that ties into your book, a method for users to share the app with their friends and a coupon code that offers a deal for purchasers of your book.

How do you build an iPhone app for your book? The best option would be to hire an app developer using referral websites such as ODesk or AppTank. If you don’t have much of a budget and are technically inclined, you can build a simple iPhone app on your own using third party app development tools.

2. Make your website iPhone friendly

iPhone users also tend to surf the web with their iPhones. If an iPhone user lands on your author website and discovers that the site is iPhone friendly, you’ve gained a potential new reader for your book! In a later article we’ll cover ways to make your website iPhone friendly. Three basic ideas when making your website iPhone friendly are:

i) Avoid flash components

ii) Offer an optimized iPhone menu

iii) Avoid large images since download speeds on iPhones are slower than your computer

Also, if you have created an iPhone app for your book, ensure that there is a link to your iPhone app on your website so that a visitor can easily download your app directly from your website.

One excellent resource that we’ve found for authors to create their own mobile friendly websites and communities is Winksite. Winksite allows you to create your own mobile friendly site with just a few clicks.

3. Create a fun game or community around your book

As mentioned earlier, iPhone users are usually looking for some fun things to pass the time. And if you can create a game that ties in with your book, you have a good chance of getting their attention. Word games are simple to create and appeal to book addicts. The game can either be made available as a downloadable app or as a component on your website that is accessible to users when they visit it with their Safari browsers. The Hangman game on Freado.com has been designed such that it can be accessed and played from an iPhone.

So go ahead. Have fun and take advantage of this brave new world to find new readers for your books!

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How to Get More Readers For Your Book

Posted in Book Marketing on May 29th, 2012 by admin

Source: http://www.10000articles.com/How-to-Get-More-Readers-For-Your-Book-25109.html

Marketing your own book can seem like a scary task. You poured your heart and soul into the writing of it, and now when you think about marketing your masterpiece, you think, “I’m a writer, not a salesperson!”

But there is a simple way you can get the word out about your book. It takes a little time, but the effort pays huge dividends.

More people will be interested in your book when they are interested in you. Readers become interested in you when they can read some of your writing…for free. You can build your credibility, find readers, and establish yourself as an expert in your field by writing and distributing articles.

(This method works even for fiction writers.)

You accomplish this by these means:

- by publishing articles on your website

- by creating an ecourse or ebook

- by publishing your own ezine or newsletter

- by publishing your articles in someone else’s ezine

Think about that last idea for a minute. Publishing articles in other people’s ezines (or on their websites) is the key, the secret, to creating a viral lead-generating machine.

The popularity of your book website is actually improved when other sites link you to. But Google only likes high-content links. Your articles provide this.

Not to mention that when you have your articles on more and more websites there is a greater possibility that someone will read your articles and do business with you.

The simple system that will market your book for you contains only three steps:

Step 1: Write and Publish Articles

This really is the best way for you to promote your book.

The key is to write a useful, high-content article, and send it to your newsletter and publish it on your website. If you write fiction, write simple short stories or poems, or provide excerpts from your novel.

(For a more information on marketing this way, please read another of my articles, Online Book Marketing, athttp://ezinearticles.com/?id=45696.)

Step 2: Distribute Your Articles

Send your articles or stories to article distribution lists and ezine directories. These directories exist for ezine owners and website owners to pick up free reprintable content to use in their ezine or on their website. You can find a list of these sites by searching for “articles sites.”

This helps you, because if your article is picked up and distributed by 10 ezine owners who each have 1000 people in their list, your article will be sent to 10 000 people!

Step 3: Your Articles Continue to be Distributed Virally!

When you submit to an articles directory, your article is there to be reprinted. You can submit an article next week, and ten years later it will still be there. Your article can have a shelf life as long as you want, and every time someone reprints your article, you get free exposure!

Bonus tip: If you include at the end of your article that your article can be reprinted anywhere by anyone, anyone who reads your article can reprint in on their website or in their ezine.

To use the above example, if another 1000 people reprint your article in some form, your business will be marketed to 11 000 people—in a very short period of time!

Imagine this process occurring time and time again, with more than one article! How many interested readers will end up at your site?

This is how you successfully market your book online.

Jeremy M. Hoover helps you market your book. To learn about his book marketing plan vist his website,http://www.jhooverwebcopy.com/bookmarketing.htm, or email him at jeremyhoover AT gmail.com.

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Volunteer To Sharpen Your Marketing Skills

Posted in Book Marketing on April 24th, 2012 by admin

Source: http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2010/09/volunteer-to-sharpen-your-marketing.html

Written by: Tony Eldridge

In the past, I have talked about how volunteering can increase your visibility while doing good for others. I believe this win-win situation can do wonders to help many people as you use your skills with an organization. But today I want to talk to you about how you can gain marketing skills or sharpen your current skills through volunteering with others.

Before we do, I want to share a request that an author passed on to me where you can do some good for a great cause. Author Michael Balkind is raising money for an 8 year old, Jake “The Snake” Santoriella, who is fighting a huge battle against leukemia. For a $12 purchase from now through October 15th, 50% of the profits go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on behalf of Jake. You will get a book from this sports mystery writer and an entry into a contest to win a huge ESPN Banner signed by sports analysts and anchors. What a great gift idea! Where else will $12 do so much? For more information, read Michael Balkind’s LLS fund raising and contest page.

Now, on to the post for today…

I have recently joined a couple of non-profit organizations that I volunteer with. One is the American Red Cross of Dallas. I am trained to be a disaster responder if a terrible thing ever happens, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could use some of my other skills to help that organization. For example, I found out that they need more people to help conduct the training classes so I am putting the building blocks in place to prepare me to become a trainer for them.

I also found out that they have a social media team and a broader communication team. I was invited to join the social media team as a volunteer and with my background, they asked me to tour their communication offices and see if there is any other area I would like to volunteer with.

Of course, any volunteer opportunity can easily consume your life if you are not careful, but my experiences are opening my eyes to needs that I never knew exited. As a marketer or author, you can think outside the box and find many opportunities to lend your skills to great causes.

It only stands to reason that large organizations need far more help than simply “boots on the ground” so don’t assume that you might have nothing to offer. But I will tell you that if you get involved in the core volunteer posts, it will make you a better volunteer for that organization. That’s why I made the decision that no matter what I do with the Red Cross through training, social media and communications, disaster relief will also be a part of what I will do for them.

I encourage you to contact an organization that you really believe in, pick up the phone or visit the website, and see what work you can do for them. Not only will you be helping a great cause, but you will have a chance to use and hone your skills on an even greater level.

Tony Eldridge is the author of the action/adventure book, The Samson Effect, that Clive Cussler calls a “first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure” and the Twitter marketing book,Conducting Effective Twitter Contests which helps people find targeted Twitter followers. He also shares his book marketing tips with fellow authors through his blog and through his free video marketing tips for authors. You can follow him on Twitter @TonyEldridge

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When Is the Right Time to Start Marketing Your Book?

Posted in Book Marketing on April 23rd, 2012 by admin

Source: http://www.millermosaicllc.com/start-marketing-your-book/

In a book–related LinkedIn group in which I’m a member, someone asked the question:

When is a good time to start marketing a book? While still writing the book, while looking for an agent or publisher, while going through the self-publishing process? When the book is available on Amazon?

There are few certain replies to this question except for one: When your book is already out on Amazon, that’s late for starting to market your book.

So what’s the answer as to when is the best time to start marketing a book? It depends.

And what it depends on is a great number of variables, including is this your first book, do you already have an online reputation, are you a renown newspaper journalist who is about to write a first novel, and any other variable that you care to name.  (Such as, do you have a famous last name, such as Mary Higgins Clark’s daughter had when she started writing mysteries?)

If we can agree that we can’t pinpoint an exact right time that applies to everyone, are there general guidelines that can help all authors?

Yes, I believe there are. First, if you’re interested in promoting online, the earlier you start establishing yourself online the better. And the first step is to decide on your brand as a book author.

What do I mean by brand? I mean how you plan to position yourself in your marketing and promotion. What will set you apart from other writers of similar fiction or non-fiction? What will make people interested in you (and hopefully want to buy your book)?

The strategizing of your brand definitely takes place as early as possible in the publication quest for your book. And as part of this brand strategy, it’s very important to consider the proposed title of your book. This is even more relevant if you’re going to self-publish. Even though you love the title you’ve chosen, check it out with others.

Does your book title “read” the way you think it does? Or does your proposed title mean something else to other people? For example, today I saw someone’s proposed book title that will be very hard to remember, let along spell on Amazon or for a URL. This is probably not the best name for a book.

And does the title stand out? Does it create an image in a potential reader’s mind so he/she can remember the title? A generic title such as “A Good Trip” doesn’t create a specific image, whereas “Six Sunny Days in Paris” creates a strong sense memory.

Once you are clear about your brand and have a good “working” book title (it still may change), you can begin to add elements to your brand positioning:

You can, for example, have someone create short videos (less than three minutes) of you talking about the stages you’re going through in researching and writing your book. Then you can use software such as Sony Vegas Movie Studio to edit the video and to put text such as your name and, if you have a website, your website’s URL on the video.

And you can upload these short videos to YouTube and other video-sharing sites. Remember, it’s important to tag these videos with good keywords that relate to you and your brand so that people will have an easier time finding your videos.

You can start a blog, detailing the stages of your book’s process and sharing sample chapters with your blog readers. Getting feedback early on can help you refine your book. And you can offer to write guest posts for other people’s blogs, again staying true to your brand in what you offer to write about.

And then you’re ready for a website – a site that you can control yourself without waiting days for your web master to make one little change. That’s why my company builds websites using WordPress.org. Once all the backend steps are done, you will have a website (and blog if you want) that is hosted on your own site and can be completely controlled (read “changed”) by you.

Finally, it’s time to establish a sincere presence on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn as well as various book sites and other social media sites. Gradually build up your presence on these sites by engaging in conversations with others, offering advice when you can, and establishing relationships that will come in handy when your book is published.

Having a website or at least a blog hosted on another site such as blogger.com provides you with your own arena of visibility when you set up your profiles on social media sites.  By using your website URL or blog URL as part of who you are on the internet, you’re more firmly establishing an online foundation for your book’s publication and marketing.

___


Phyllis Zimbler Miller is a National Internet Business Examiner at http://budurl.com/internetbusiness as well as a book author, and her company http://www.MillerMosaicLLC.com provides internet marketing information with easy-to-implement solutions to promote your brand, book or business.

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Your Book and a Great Website

Posted in Book Marketing on April 13th, 2012 by admin

Source: http://www.letinfohelp.com/article/book-marketing/Your-Book-and-a-Great-Website.html

by: Dr. Jamie Fettig
One of the most overlooked and easiest ways to get your book into the hands of the people you wrote it for, is having a great website.

Build a great Website. I can’t state this often enough or strongly enough: you must have an attractive, easy to use Website that lets your visitors do four things:

  1. Buy your book.
  2. Register and download sample chapters or get your e-newsletter.
  3. E-mail friends about your book.
  4. Find out more about you.

Your Website should be ground zero for your book business, the place where everyone comes to buy copies, give you their contact information, communicate with you about media interviews or bulk orders, and just learn about your book and why they should buy it. It’s the single most important aspect of your marketing plan.

Notice that I said, “great” Website. There are thousands of new books coming out every month, and many of them are amateurish at best. Having a sloppy, clunky, poorly written Website only makes your book look like one of those amateur-hour productions. Invest the money in a professional Web developer, someone who can design a classy, beautiful site, build your e-commerce system and give you the means to easily update your site’s content at any time.

Good sites all make the books and their authors appear professional, legitimate, and smart. They’re inviting information centers for people to come to and spend time getting to know both book and writer.

You should have your Website up and running before you begin any PR or sales activities, probably at least two months before your book hits the streets. Talk to several Web designers or get a referral from someone you trust. In any case, make sure your site has at least these features:

  • E-commerce so people can buy your book. (a great place –-http://www.bazuji.com/shopping)
  • A registration page that asks visitors to give you their contact information before they can download a sample chapter or get your e-newsletter.
  • A media section where members of the press can download your press kit as a PDF, read other media coverage, and contact you for interviews.
  • A contact page with all your contact information.
  • A bio page with your personal story.
  • A function that allows visitors to e-mail their friends from your site.

Sample your book in print and on the Internet.

If you have a Web site (and you should), it’s simple. Just take a chapter from your book, paste it into its own file with the proper copyright information so it’s a self-contained document, turn it into a PDF (Portable Document Format, a wonderful type of file created by Adobe), and place it on your Website for free downloading. Then send an e-mail to your entire list offering them an excerpt from your upcoming book free. A 10% or 20% response rate is not out of the question.

For print publications, it goes like this:

  1. Pull together a list of target newspapers and magazines.
  2. Contact the editors by e-mail asking if they would be interested in running your excerpt at no cost (editors love content they can get for free).
  3. Send your chapter as a Word file to those who agree. Make sure it’s completely clean and free of any typos or grammatical errors, and include an author bio at the end that lists your Web address.
  4. Be sure to get reprints or a PDF of the printed article you can use for publicity purposes.

Start sending e-mails to editors several months before your book comes out. It usually takes a while to hear back, and even longer to actually get your sample in print.

About The Author

Dr. Jamie Fettig

Are you interested in the one seminar that has created more Best-Selling authors than any other seminar? A seminar put on by the guy who has sold more books than every other book in the history of the world except the bible? Then get yourself to the Mega Book Marketing Seminar and train yourself to be a mega-successful author and become a sought after speaker. Make the difference with your book that you want to make. To Register and for more information go to http://www.bazuji.com/book

For a great resource on easily creating an effective and cheap website for your book go tohttp://www.bazuji.com/tomantion.html

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