Author Tech Tips » Book Promotion

Increase Speaking Gigs With BookTour.com

Dave Lieber — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:00:20 +0000

Imagine a website that would email thousands of people in your town to let them know where you are speaking next. Now imagine that this is free.

Your imagination has become a reality.

Here’s an easy and free way to get noticed every week as a popular author in your hometown.

BookTour.com, which calls itself the world’s largest, 100 percent free directory of author events, offers a wonderful event calendar for your author engagements.

Free Event Promotion With BookTour.com

The best part is the periodic e-mail update that gets sent to all readers who subscribe to learn about author events within a certain number of miles from their zip code.

What this means is this: If you list several events each month, you’ll show up on subscribers’ e-mail updates on a regular basis — unlike a visiting author who makes one appearance a year. Your consistency and obvious popularity will cause more buzz about you among your region’s serious readers.

But aside from pumping life into your public image, that same e-mail that arrives to subscribers with your “tour” dates, also comes with everyone else who is scheduled to appear in your designated region. This gives you real-time intelligence about which stores and events host authors on a regular basis and who they are hosting. This insight gives you a head-start when calling the bookstore: “Hi, I saw you booked Thomas Umstattd Jr. last week. You know, I’m almost as good as him.”

Connect BookTour to your Amazon Author Page.

As a reader award, I’m saving the best for last. Recently, BookTour and Amazon struck a deal so that all of your listed events on BookTour now stream into your Amazon Author Page, assuming you have one.

Go to Author Central to sign up for an Author Page.

BookTour can give you a competitive edge.

A live stream of appearances on your Amazon Author Page gives you a leg up on many other authors, especially those who aren’t around anymore. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Mark Twain aren’t coming to a bookstore near you. But you are.

You’re out there! Now the let the world know free and easy, every week, all the time — and find out what everyone else is doing, too.

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7 Ways to Integrate Facebook into your Online Platform

Thomas Umstattd — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:15:09 +0000

So your publisher says you need to grow your platform. You need to be able to communicate with and listen to more people in order to promote your book.

Here are 7 great ways that Facebook can help you do that.

1) Add Your Blog to Facebook

Connecting your blog to Facebook is a great way to boost traffic to your blog. I have more doubled blog traffic through effective Facebook integration.

Check out our guide on How to integrate your blog to Facebook.

2) Create a Page for Your Book

You want to start building your Fanpage as soon as possible. Fan pages allow you to send out location specific messages. Are you giving a talk in Dallas? Send an invitation only to your Dallas fans.

Check out our guide: How to Create a Facebook Page in 3 Easy Steps

3) Get a Facebook Shortname

Facebook usernames make it much easier for people to find you on Facebook. It also makes it easier to link to your Facebook profile or page. For instance our shortname is www.facebook.com/AuthorTechTips simple, easy to remember. No random numbers.

You want to get a short name for both you and your page.

To get a shortname visit facebook.com/username

4) Sync Twitter & Facebook’s Status Updates

Connecting Twitter to Facebook can be a big time saver. It will allow you to either post to Facebook or Twitter and your update will automatically go to the other site. This can double your platform with little extra work for you.

Check out our guide for how to connect Twitter to Facebook.

5) Share on Facebook

You want to get into the habit of sharing cool links and videos on Facebook. This will help you build a reputation for sharing cool stuff so that people pay attention when you share links to your own stuff.

Check out our guide on how to share something on Facebook in one click.

6) Add a Link to Your Facebook Page to Your Website

You want to add links to your Facebook pages/profile to your sites around the web.

Here is how to do it:

Grab a Facebook icon.
Add that icon to your website. (ask your webmaster if you need help)
Turn that icon into a link to your Facebook username Facebook.com/YourName

7) Learn to Listen (Most Important!)

Being effective on Facebook, or any online social network, is more about listening than talking. Listening effectively is the key to success. Here are some posts we have to help you:

Renae Brumbaugh tells how her blog took her from unpublished stay at home mom to the published author of multiple books.
This is not rocket science. You can do this too.
Renae’s Story
Man. I sure wish I could see my name on one of these books, I thought to myself as I browsed the titles on the bookstore shelf. Sure, I could wish as much as I wanted. But I didn’t really believe it could happen to me.
Sound familiar?
My thoughts echoed the thoughts of millions of other wanna-be writers. I wanted to be published. I just didn’t know how to make it happen.
Then in 2007, I attended a writers’ conference. There I was told that every writer should have a blog. I didn’t even know what a blog was! So I went home and typed, “What is a blog?” into my search engine. Blogger.com came up, and before I knew it, I had my very own blog. I named it Morning Coffee.
I had no idea what to write on my blog. I mean, my life just isn’t that interesting! I couldn’t see writing about my piles of laundry or my less-than-thrilling weekly menu. After giving it a little thought, I decided to write devotionals.
But that was too hard. There are simply too many great passages to choose from! Every day I spent more time deciding which passage to write about than I spent actually writing. Finally I said, “Enough. I’m going to make this easy.”
I opened my Bible to my favorite book: James. I started with chapter one, verse one, and began blogging my way through the book. Before long, I started getting encouraging comments and e-mails. “This is great! You should turn this into a book!”
Yeah, right, I thought. But little did I know, God had plans for my little blog.
I wrote up a query and sent it to every publisher that accepted devotional books. Every single one. Within a few weeks, I had interest from three publishers. I sent them each a full proposal. It was rejected by two of them. It was accepted by one: Chalice Press. And it only takes one!
The discipline of starting a blog and posting faithfully has been life-changing for me. Since signing the contract for Morning Coffee with James, I have sold more than two hundred articles, have developed a syndicated humor column, have been given contracts for eight other books, and have contributed to various compilations. And it all started with a blog.
Blogging Tips
If you are a wanna-be writer – like I was just a few years ago – I’d like to offer some tips:
- Be humble. Take advice from the pros. They really do know what they’re talking about.
- Attend writers’ conferences, read books about writing and publishing, join a writer’s group. Follow the advice you’re given.
- Start a blog.
- Post faithfully. Even if no one ever reads it, even if it doesn’t turn into a book, the simple act of writing every day will cause more growth than you can imagine.
- Keep writing. Keep posting, even if no one ever leaves a single comment. You never know what may come of it!
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Social Media & Authors – An Interview with Dave Evans

Thomas Umstattd — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:16:06 +0000

“If I couldn’t interrupt you, how would I reach you?”

This is the question Dave Evans (@EvansDave on Twitter) helps people answer all over the world.

Dave is the author of Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day and a frequent speaker on social media and emerging technologies.

What are the biggest trends in book marketing over the last few years? What has changed?

Dave Evans>> The ability to promote a book, like nearly anything else, is very different now. Amazon opened this up ten years ago with public, unfiltered reviews. The Social Web has taken it from there.

How have you used social media to promote your book?

Dave Evans>> Yes, absolutely, though I’d re-phrase that question like this: “How has (my) book benefited from social media?” It’s really not about what I am doing to social media–that’s not a channel I can control directly.

Rather, what I’ve done is to respond to both positive comments like “Hey Dave, I love your book!” (I send a ‘thank you’) and negative like “Good book…but where are the worksheets?” (I’d forgotten to put the URL In the book). I’ve tried to build a relationship with people who have bought my book or otherwise come in contact with it.

How have you used your website to promote your book?

Dave Evans>> The website, ReadThis.com, is purely backup. For example, this is where the PDF worksheets are found, and where updates and corrections are listed. The main conversation is “out there” and beyond my direct reach.

What are some of the pitfalls you see authors fall into as they jump into Social Media?

Dave Evans>> Believing they can create a viral event or control a conversation; believing that “social media” is free. A million people talking about your ad doesn’t directly help you on the Social Web. Instead, it’s about slow, decided, steady effort (the time for which has a definite cost) and of course measurement and correction based on what is observed.

What are the common misnomers about social media that you have noticed?

Dave Evans>> The biggest misnomer is something like “Facebook + Twitter = Social Media.” That’s like saying “Cement Mixers + Hammers = America.” It’s not the parts, it’s what the collective does with those parts. Facebook and Twitter are two small components (with lots of members, to be sure) that are very likely part of a solid strategy.

There are also support communities, ideation platforms, applications like Social Vibe, curation platforms like Bazaarvoice…and much more, all of which extend well beyond the big networks while obviously connecting to and leveraging them. It is “social” after all. ;-)

Where should authors focus their time? What social media activities have the highest ROI in terms of time?

Dave Evans>>

First, listen. Use Google Alerts or Techrigy’s SM2 to track conversations about your book, your publisher, competing titles and authors, etc.
Use social tools like Buzzstream to identify and respond to influential voices.
Create a basic presence on Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn — your audience will tell you which one(s) — and then connect the conversations into these sites.

In what ways does Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day help authors?

Dave Evans>> My book helps authors (and all small businesses) by providing practical, step-by-step exercises that lead to an understanding of how to apply social media based marketing in business.

–

Thanks to Dave Evans for the interview. You can find his book Social Media An Hour a Day on Amazon and or at your local bookstore.

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How to Track Your Author Website’s Effectiveness

Rob Eagar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:51:13 +0000

Just because you have a website doesn’t mean that it’s effective. Fortunately, there are easy ways to track if your website is helping to build your author platform.

Monitor Tangible Outcomes

First, you can monitor tangible outcomes, such as tracking new subscribers to your newsletter, speaking engagement inquiries, media interview requests, or book sales from your website. If you send visitors to Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com (which I don’t recommend) you can check your book’s ranking and see if it improves. Use www.TitleZ.com to gauge your book’s Amazon ranking over time.

Analyze Website Statistics

Another good tracking tool is to analyze your website statistics. If your web designer or hosting company doesn’t provide this information, you can set it up for free with Google Analytics. After you create a free account, Google will provide you with special computer code that you embed into your website’s individual pages. Once you do this, then Google will track all of your website data for you.

When you examine your website statistics, however, make sure you concentrate on the right information. For example, basing your site’s effectiveness on how many “hits” or “pageviews” you get is a flawed notion. These are inflated figures that don’t give you accurate information about your web traffic. A better guide is to track how many “Unique Visitors” your site receives. This number reflects how many different people actually visited your site, which is a better reflection of your real platform.

How to Bring Visitors Back

If you notice a decline in visitors, sales, signups, or other factors, it could mean that people are bored with your website. So, take time each month to assess where you can add new content that provides value to your readers. If you run out of ideas, bring in guests with a similar message. People will appreciate your desire to help them, and they’ll show it by returning to your website on a regular basis. And, the more often people return, the more likely they will buy your books.

Used with permission from WildFire Marketing by Rob Eagar

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7 Reasons Why Mail Chimp is Better than Constant Contact for Author Newsletters

Thomas Umstattd — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:59:45 +0000

Constant Contact is the most popular solution for author newsletters. But is it the best? Here are 7 reasons why I prefer Mail Chimp to Constant Contact.

1. MailChimp is free(er) than Constant Contact

Constant Contact costs a minimum of $15 a month. If you have 500 names or less MailChimp is free. After the 500th subscriber the prices are (currently) the same.

If you are just starting your email list you probably don’t have many names. It takes many authors years to build a good sized list. Why pay $15 a month for the first slow months when you can start using MailChimp for free?

If it takes you a year to get to 500 addresses you will save $180 by using MailChimp. That’s like a free iPod.

2. MailChimp integrates with Twitter

Mail Chimp lets your readers share your newsletter with their Twitter followers with one click. Even if you don’t use Twitter this can be a big platform builder.

3. MailChimp integrates with your blog.

MailChimp can take your blog posts from any blog and turn them into email newsletters automatically. This is called RSS to email and it is a must have in any email solution in my opinion. iContact & FeedBlitz also provide RSS -> Email services. Constant Contact does not.

MailChimp also has widgets premade for WordPress, Typepad, Joomla and Drupal. Constant Contact has no official plugins although there are some third party plugins available.

4. MailChimp has cleaner embed code.

Constant Contact allows you to embed a subscribe form in your site but the code is bad code. It sometimes breaks other parts of the design and is generally difficult to use. MailChimp, on the other hand, uses relatively clean CSS instead of invisible tables used by constant contact. MailChimp is still not standards compliant but it is at least a step in the right direction.

5. MailChimp has a easier interface.

This, is a matter of opinion, but I think MailChimp is easier to use. Mailchimp has a monkey at the top of every page that gives tips on how to use the site. Who can compete with that? This is in addition to the video guides, webcasts and intuitive interface.

6. MailChimp keeps you out of the spam box.

The worst thing that can happen to your newsletter is for someone to mark it as spam. When they do that your newsletter can get spammed for your other subscribers as well. When MailChimp sees that someone marked you as spam it automatically unsubscribes that person from the list. Both MailChimp and Constant Contact provide easy unsubscribe features. I’m not sure if they auto unsubscribe when you get spammed though.

7. MailChimp plays nice with others

Whether you are putting together an event on EventBrite, a survey on SurveyGizmo or want to see Google Analytics reports from your email surveys MailChimp will integrate with those services.

So lets say you wanted to schedule an event to speak about your book. You could create the event in EventBrite which would kick the info to MailChimp for the invitations. You could then create a speaker evaluation with SurveyGizmo and then MailChimp will do the rest.

Constant contact does not integrate with much. It is almost like they got lazy a couple of years ago when they got dominant market share and stopped innovating. As a result they feel like a Web 1.0 company trying to compete in a Web 2.0 world.

What do you think?

What newsletter solution do you use?
Are you happy with it?
What do you like/dislike about Constant Contact?

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Marketing Mistakes Top Level Authors Make

Rob Eagar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:45:28 +0000

Best selling authors are not perfect. Here are some of their blunders and how to avoid them. Avoid these mistakes and you may become the next top selling author.

In today’s publishing industry, it is common for 80% of a publisher’s book sales to come from less than 20% of their authors. These “A-level” authors are treasured for their book’s ability to sell 100,000 – 1,000,000 copies or more. Plus, their platforms are so strong that their presence at a book-signing or speaking event can quickly draw hundreds of readers.

Thus, publishers tend to devote more marketing dollars and resources to these writers. Who can blame them? A-level authors represent a safer bet to
produce much-needed revenue, especially in a difficult economy.

The surprising reality, however, is the amount of marketing mistakes that some A-level authors continue to make. Sure, they’ve sold a lot of books. But, they could generate even larger sales if their oversights didn’t hold them back. By making a few simple improvements, these authors could sell an extra 25,000 – 100,000 copies.

So, if you’re a top author, take a moment to examine if you might be limiting yourself. For new authors, pay attention and consider some of the mistakes to avoid in the future. And, if you’re a publisher, make sure your top guns aren’t wasting opportunities to boost book sales.

Mistake #1: Falling behind on new technology.

As our society transforms into an Internet-based culture, it’s imperative for authors to use new technology to reach readers. Fortunately, it’s never been easier to setup a website and use social networking tools to influence large groups of people. But, I’m shocked at how many A-level authors fail to maximize these resources.

For example, I recently spoke with two publishing houses who admitted that some of their best-selling authors didn’t have a website! That’s a major mistake. In addition, I’ve viewed many A-level author websites that haven’t changed in over a year. They look like static, boring brochures.

There are some authors who prefer to avoid technology or hide from their public. But, an A-level author who lacks a web presence is like a pro tennis player who plays with an antique wooden racket. At the minimum, every author needs a website that allows readers to experience the power of their books and provide ways to spread buzz. Even if the author isn’t personally involved, a third-party can manage the system.

Don’t shun technology. Instead, use it to your benefit. If you already have a large platform, then maintaining a website, blog, or FaceBook page will only make you more efficient. These new tools are a great way to capture readers at their emotional peak, generate national word-of-mouth, and empower fans to help market your books.

Mistake #2: Believing that “It’s all about Me.”

Authors who sell over 100,000 copies should be proud of their success. Becoming a bestseller is a rare achievement that most writers only dream about. But, the marketing style of many A-level authors comes across as “it’s all about me.”

For instance, I recently visited over five big-time author websites whose Home page was actually the Store page for their books! From the beginning, their marketing seems to imply, “I don’t care about you. Just hurry up and buy my book.” Other examples include bestselling authors who plug their books throughout an entire speech. The audience wonders if they’re stuck in an infomercial.

You can’t sell books if you don’t let readers know that they exist. But, you can’t endear readers to your message and grow a larger platform if you don’t meet their needs first. The main issue that concerns most people is “How can you help me?”

To establish the value that you offer your audience, consider these two questions:

How is the condition of my audience improved?
What tangible results do my readers experience?

The key to effective book marketing is showing how you meet people’s needs, even if you write fiction. Therefore, your marketing efforts should be reader-focused, rather than self-focused. Examine all of your promotional materials, such as websites, bios, blogs, and brochures. Do they express a selfless desire to help others? Or, do they convey a sense of self-importance?

When A-level authors achieve success, some mistakenly believe that people are flocking to their personality. In most cases, however, the real attraction is to the message that changed the readers’ lives.When authors stop focusing on value, they start churning out fluff that leaves people disappointed. Over time, this mistake erodes trust and respect with their audience.

Mistake #3: Stagnating in the Success Trap.

If an author sells a million books, it can be easy for them to think that they’ve reached their peak. But, this mindset can lead one to stagnate. In the corporate world, leaders are expected to expand their knowledge and increase their skills. Yet, in the publishing world, many A-level authors are treated with awe and rarely challenged.

Worldwide management consultant, Alan Weiss, explains the success trap by saying, “To grow, you must fail periodically so that you are continually aware of opportunities for improvement and for expanding your envelope. This discipline not only will provide for internal stimulation, but it will influence how the external world views you.”

When top authors get stuck in success, they can end up out of sync with their audience. An example is a recent parenting book by a well-known male author who presumed that most mothers weren’t working outside of the home. Or, if they worked, their jobs were mostly administrative roles. Plus, his parenting advice never touched on remarriage and how to handle raising stepchildren. This author’s material is so out of touch with current society that he risks losing credibility and growth potential.

Other examples include A-level authors who fail to improve their public speaking skills. They don’t use fresh illustrations or recent experiences. Their messages lack creativity and original content. The lack of self-evaluation prevents these thought-leaders from speaking at larger events that could dramatically impact book sales. It’s easier than ever before to learn new talents. An author’s platform usually starts to diminish when complacency takes hold.

In a tough economy, A-level authors are the fortunate few who can still touch thousands of readers and sell large numbers of books. They’re in the best position to thrive and keep their publisher growing. So, don’t let simple mistakes undermine platform potential. Utilize new technology, stay focused on reader needs, and avoid the success trap. Enjoy the benefits of a bestseller status, and use it to the full
advantage.

Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing and helps authors and publishers sell more books through innovative marketing strategies. For more information, call 1-800-267-2045 or visit: StartaWildFire.com

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Why Your Blog Should Be Your Book’s First Draft

Thomas Umstattd — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:02:17 +0000

7 Reasons To Blog Your Book First

1. You start building a platform right away.

Platform is the first thing publishers look for. No platform? No contract. Your platform is how many people listen to you on a somewhat regular basis. As you blog regularly you will gather a faithful group of readers which will be the beginning of your platform.

2. You find out what connects and what doesn’t.

When you write you have no idea what people like and what they won’t. Your editor can help, but you are both shooting in the dark. On a blog the stats show what connects with your audience. More importantly, you find out what doesn’t connect. Your book will dramatically improve if you remove the boring content.

3. Blogging allows you to enhance your message with media.

Is there a video that helps you prove a point? If you have a blog you can embed it. Try that with a paper book.

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. Your message gets out right away.

The publishing industry moves at the speed of a blind turtle. If everything goes well, it will be years before it hits store shelves. And that is if you work hard and get all the right breaks. If you want to reach people tomorrow start blogging today.

5. Your blog creates a rally point for your following.

Assuming you spend the $20 a year to buy YourBlogName.com, you will be able to use your blog as the center of your platform. Got a radio interview? Push your blog. Writing an article for a magazine? Put your blog in your bio. As people come to your blog and subscribe you get their permission to contact them when your book comes out.

6. You get instant feedback.

The comments you get on your blog will help you find logical flaws, and answer people’s questions and objections before they have them. Did something not make sense? The commentators will let you know.

7. Your blog will boost your credibility.

As an unpublished author it can be hard to build credibility. But, if you are the editor of YourBlogName.com suddenly people will treat you like the expert. The key is to have your blog on YourName.com. A free blog will not boost your credibility. You need your own domain name.

Will a publisher buy my writing if it’s published online?

In a word, “yes.” I have clients who have sold their blog’s as books and can point to many bestselling books that were blogs first. Free is not your enemy. Obscurity is your enemy.

Your book will have exclusive content. Save some of your nuggets for your book. Plus, everything in your book will be edited and focused. Remember all those stats and comments from benefit #6? They will help you hone your message. Plus, your editor will add value to the book by cleaning up your language.

What do you think?

Do you think this will work? Do you know someone who has sold their blog to a publisher? Do you have a blog you want to get published?

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Don’t Play Hide & Seek with Your Readers

Rob Eagar — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:35:26 +0000

While surfing the web recently, I visited several author websites and noticed an alarming problem. Whenever these individuals offered a free resource to download from their website – the documents were devoid of any contact information! Don’t be guilty of the same blunder.

3 Reasons to Stop Hiding

Whenever you offer any kind of resource from your website or blog, ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR FULL CONTACT INFORMATION. And, if my shouting all-cap font isn’t enough to convince you, here are three reasons why:

Leaving off your contact information makes you look like a forgetful amateur. Professional authors know how to cover their marketing bases, which means they make sure anyone can always find them. You should, too.
If someone downloads a resource from your website to read later, but you didn’t list your contact info – then they may forget where they got the information from – which means you just lost a potential sale.
Most important: Many people may download resources from your website to give to a friend (this is called “word-of-mouth” – the holy grail of marketing). But, if you don’t include your contact information, then the new person can’t find you – which means you just lost another potential sale.

What to Include

Contact information…put it on everything. And, don’t be stingy…include your:

Website address,
Phone number (preferably a toll-free number),
Email address,
Mailing address (or P.O. Box).

Don’t play hide-and-seek with your customers…because people can’t buy your books if they can’t find you.

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How the Creative Commons Can Help Your Book Spread Like Crazy

Thomas Umstattd — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:40:09 +0000

In this post you will learn what the Creative Commons is and why emerging authors are using it to promote their books.

The Creative Commons allows writers to reserve some rights and grant others. It is flexible, fair and allows your ideas to spread much faster. It lowers the friction for sharing that can help your book spread like a virus. Remember piracy is not your enemy. Obscurity is.

Imagine if Bible study leaders around the country copied chapter 4 of your book and discussed it on Wednesday night. That would be a huge win for you. By allowing them to share non commercially you have just turned them into your evangelists. And all for free.

How the Creative Commons Works Video

Here is a quick video that explains how the creative commons works.

Creative Commons has several components that you can mix and match:

This is a Creative Commons logo. It tells your readers “some rights reserved.”

This attribution icon comes with every creative commons license. It means that your readers must give you credit.

This “non commercial” logo tells your readers they are welcome to share your work as long as they don’t do it for profit.

This “non derivative” logo means that your readers are not allowed to change your work. Consider leaving this off just to see what people do with it.

This “share alike” logo means that if someone uses your work in thiers they must use the creative commons too.

What do you think?

Do you agree that it is smart to allow people to share and even remix your work? Does the the idea scare you? Leave a comment and let us know.

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4 Reasons Why Authors Should Avoid MySpace

Thomas Umstattd — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:39:37 +0000

You’re an author. Your time is sacred. Finding to time to write is hard enough as it it before your agent told you to get something called a “platform.”What you want is maximum platform bang per minute. Here are 4 reasons why MySpace is not for you.

Reason 1 – Hard to Give Value

If I were to summarize networking in one phrase it would be “collecting favors by doing favors for others first.” So, how exactly are you supposed to provide value to other people in MySpace? Facebook makes it easy to connect with old friends. Twitter makes it easy to spread the word about your work. LinkedIn has a dozen ways to help build your professional network.

Reason 2 – Mostly for Kids & Bands

Now if you are a band you can provide value by putting up full length songs for people to listen to. MySpace started off as a band and groupie hangout and it still does that well. Bands can provide value by letting fans listen to their music for free.

Reason 3 – MySpace is Messy & Unprofessional

One of the biggest reasons people give for why they avoid MySpace is how ugly the site is. Giving 14 year old girls the ability to decorate their own page is not a recipe for professionalism. Especially when their photos show up on your page.

Reason 4 -The People Are Somewhere Else

MySpace has a lot of users but most of them are empty accounts as people have left for greener pastures at Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Not Worthless But Not Worth It

This is not to say that you can’t get value from MySpace. But for the same amount of time investment you can get more from other social networks.

What do you think? Have you been able to use MySpace to promote you book? Leave a comment below.

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How #TweetTheAuthor Connects Authors With Readers

Rusty Shelton — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:30:24 +0000

Part of the appeal of Twitter is that it gives users opportunities to communicate with people they’ve never had access to before. Learn how Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists used Twitter to connect author Andy Andrews with thousands of readers on Twitter.

The unique features of Twitter got our publicity firm thinking about how to leverage the large followings that many of our authors have. How cool would it be if their “followers” could have a designated forum to speak directly with them in a live setting.

So, we created “Tweet the Author,” a weekly chat with authors about their newest books. With “Tweet the Author” we can play on the biggest strength of Twitter—access—and give those people living outside areas where authors do events a chance to interact with them in a “live” setting.

Last Wednesday we hosted our first “Tweet the Author” event with New York Times best-selling author Andy Andrews, whose newest book, The Noticer, is now in its 7^th week on the New York Times bestseller list.

How Tweet the Author Worked

For Andy’s “Tweet the Author” chat we set #thenoticer as the hash-tag, which meant that people could join the chat by searching “#thenoticer” in the search field on Twitter. From there people could follow the chat as it progressed by simply refreshing their screen. If they wanted to ask Andy a question or join in, they would simply type in their tweet and add #thenoticer at the end.

How We Promoted Tweet the Author

We began promoting the event about a week ahead of time by:

reaching out to bloggers who reviewed the book
writing our own blog post
tweeting about it a few times a day

Perhaps more importantly, we also received great help from Andy and his team, and the fabulous publicity staff at Thomas Nelson. “Tweet the Author” was billed as a chance to ask questions, discuss the book and give Andy feedback on how the message may have impacted people’s lives and by giving people about a week’s worth of notice, we gave them the ability to plan to attend.

How well did it go?

At 1 PM CST last Wednesday we introduced Andy and held our breath…as with any idea, even if you think it’s a good one you never know if it’s going to work until the wheels are up and you start it. The questions quickly started rolling in and Andy was ready for them. He met both of his challenges—keeping up with questions and answering them in 140 characters or less—like a total pro.

People asked about characters from the book, and many sent tweets saying they were heading out to buy the book or recommend it to friends. One tweet from a teacher even mentioned introducing the book as a high school level school-wide reading project.

Although it’s impossible to count the number of people who attended the event (you can only count those who tweeted—not those just watching the discussion), we did have 40 unique tweeters for the hour and numerous questions. We have no idea how many “lurkers” we had who just listened to the conversation.

If you start adding all the followers from those 40 unique tweeters—not to mention those who covered it ahead of time, you get to a very large number of impressions.

Making #TweetTheAuthor a Weekly Event

Andy Andrews Tweet the Author went so well that we have decided to make “Tweet the Author” a weekly Twitter event on Wednesdays from 1-2 PM CST.

Today’s “Tweet the Author” guest is New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson. His newest book, Warbreaker, debuted on the New York Times list in June.

Sanderson will be answering questions about Warbreaker as well as talking about his eagerly anticipated November release, The Gathering Storm, which will be the beginning of the end of the famous Wheel of Time series.

I hope that “Tweet the Author” will continue to be a hit among readers who will now have the ability to attend author events from the comfort of their couch.

What do you think? Have you participated in a #TweetTheAuthor? What did you think?

Related posts:

8 Elements of Effective Author Newsletters

Rob Eagar — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:40:45 +0000

To create a newsletter that gets results, use the following eight components. These elements apply regardless of whether you’re creating an email or print version. Schedule print newsletters to leaders every 90 days, and email newsletters to your audience every 30 days.

Important Note: The problem with most newsletters is that they blather about the sender too much. That’s selfish and turns off your readers. Instead, use your expertise to create a newsletter that helps the reader improve their daily life. Try to focus 75% of your newsletter content on helping the audience, and 25% promoting yourself.

1. Brief feature article

The feature article only needs to be around 500 – 750 words. However, pack the article with helpful information for the reader. Use bulleted lists to make reading easier. Don’t talk about yourself. Be brief, pithy, and focus on helping the reader solve a specific problem. Search through your past books and messages for good articles.

2. Extra element of value

After your article, give your readers another brief section of helpful information. For example, you could offer interesting statistics, Q&A section, helpful resource listings for leader, or an insightful opinion on current events.

3. Value statements

Create a list or column of bulleted phrases that explain the benefit you provide to your audience and booking leaders. These key statements should explain what sets you apart from other speakers and why your message is so helpful. Focus on phrases that communicate the “life-change” you make happen for your audience.

4. Upcoming events calendar

Create a small box or listing of where you’ll be speaking over the next 3 months. Include the date, location, and event contact information. This shows readers how active you are, and reinforces the fact that other people request you. Also, include any national or regional media appearances (radio and TV).

5. Testimonial from a well-known leader

Use two or three sentences from a leader declaring how great you are, and how you’ve helped his or her audience. Use someone with a well-known name or title, because your readers care more about “who” said it, rather than “what” was said. Shy away from endorsements that sound vague. Instead, use a testimonial that communicates a specific benefit you provide.

6. Featured product

Show a small picture and provide brief description of a featured product, such as your book, CD, new presentation, etc. To help create urgency in the readers mind, offer a coupon or a discounted price if they order within the next 30 days. Be sure to include ordering information (your website and phone number).

7. Full contact information

Give your readers a list of all the possible ways to reach you, including phone, email, website, address, etc. For a print newsletter, list this information near the header and under your return address.

8. Professional-looking layout

Compliment good content with good graphics. If you’re comfortable with Microsoft Word software, try doing it yourself. Or, hire a graphic artist to make a template for you. Then, you can quickly drop the content into it for each issue. For print templates online, visit: www.StockLayouts.com For a good email newsletter system with a 60-day free trial, check out: www.ConstantContact.com

If you have extra space to fill, then throw in a pithy quote, an interesting statistic that would appeal to your audience, or a brief update on your ministry or personal life. This is the one place where it’s appropriate to talk about your children or a recent vacation.

Now you’re finished. Do these steps every 90 days for a print newsletter to leaders, and every 30 days by email to your audience database. Then, watch as your platform grows!

Used with permission from WildFire Marketing by Rob Eagar

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Authors: Don’t Bow Down to Amazon

Rob Eagar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:36:37 +0000

When readers visit your website to buy a book, do you send them to Amazon? If so, you could be making a huge mistake. Why? Sending customers to Amazon is the marketing equivalent of idolatry and ineffectiveness.

Now, before you whine about convenience or the importance of a high sales ranking, let me give you the big picture:

1. Amazon Takes Your Contacts

Amazon loves it when you send book-buying customers to them, because they get the most important piece of business data possible – contact information! That’s right. Amazon is more concerned about getting your customer’s email and mailing address than selling your book. Why does it matter? Because, the best way to grow a business (and your writing career) is to develop a database of highly-interested customers.

People who visit your website to buy books are like marketing gold. Customers who buy one book are likely to buy another book or know someone who will. Therefore, you want to stay in touch with these people through your newsletters and promotional activities. Odds are in your favor that they’ll buy again. However, if you send customers to Amazon, then you lose the chance to build a relationship with these important people. Meanwhile, Amazon laughs all the way to the bank. How do you think they grew so fast?

If you’re still not convinced, consider this. Publishers love authors who build a personal database with thousands of targeted contacts, because it means easier marketing for your next book. Show your publisher a large, legitimate database, and they’re more likely to show you large advances and bigger marketing budgets. Are you with me?

2. Amazon Takes Your Profits

If you send a customer from your website to buy your $12 book at Amazon, you’ll be lucky if you make $1.50 in profit – regardless of whether you use Amazon’s Advantage or Affiliate programs. However, if you sell a $12 book from your own website, you can usually make at least $6.00 in profit. That’s a big difference!

Look at this way…for every 100 books you sell yourself, you make $600 in profit (not just revenue). That’s enough money to buy a new computer, new clothes, or go on a relaxing weekend vacation.

Now, don’t give me that nonsense about, “I don’t care about money…I just write as a ministry unto the Lord.” If you really write as a ministry, then you should be the best possible steward of your God-given talents. So, ask yourself, “Would God prefer me to mindlessly give away money to a secular corporate giant (Amazon), or use that money to help feed my family or feed orphans in Africa?

3. Amazon Takes Your Marketing Effectiveness

Let’s assume your new book is about to launch. You’re doing a big marketing campaign with email newsletters, blog tours, and media interviews. Let’s also assume that your marketing is awesome. People read your e-newsletters, surf the blogs, and watch you on TV. Enamored by you, they come running to your website. But, when they’re ready to buy your book, you redirect them to Amazon.

A month later, you start wondering if your marketing campaign was effective. Guess what? You’ll never know, because Amazon is holding all of your data. Sure, you can check your website hits and your faulty Amazon ranking, but all that really matters is the actual sales data. Yet, you don’t have that important information, because you gave it away to Amazon. They know who bought your book, but you don’t – isn’t that weird?

So, what’s the marketing moral of the story? Stop sending customers to Amazon, and start selling books from your website. How do you do that, you ask? My article Easy E-Commerceand Fulfillment from Home explains how.

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Why Copyrights Hurt Authors

Thomas Umstattd — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:26:18 +0000

When our founding fathers created the copyright they did it to encourage the spread of ideas. Copyrights, like patents, only lasted 14 years. Hollywood changed all that and every 5 years or so they extend copy right by 5 years.

The result? Millions of books have been locked in paper prisons rotting into oblivion.

History of Copyright

Here is a great video by Lawrence Lessig that covers the history of copyright:

What Do You Think?

Leave a comment and let us know how you feel. Does the current copyright system need to be reformed?

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7 Ways to Send More Traffic to Your Website During a Radio Interview

Thomas Umstattd — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:53:21 +0000

Imagine you are doing a radio interview and you hear the closing music start to play. The host asks you to give your website one more time. What do you say?

#1 Repeat Your Domain

On average, radio listeners listen for about 5 minutes at a time. So If you are in a 30 minute interview and you mention your website twice more than half of the listeners will never hear how to get more information. Don’t wait for the host to remind you to push your site.

#2 Include a Goodie

You want to give the listeners a reason to visit your website. I’m not just talking about a sample chapter here. Give them something they can only get on your website. This tip alone can more than double your hits after an interview.

Whatever you give away make sure to get it professionally edited. Then you can setup an auto responder so that anyone who signs up for your newsletter gets it for free. Or just add it as a pdf download.

Fiction Goodie Ideas

If you write fiction take some of that back story you cut and put it together into an interesting 10 page short story.

Or put together some short stories from your box of short stories.

Non Fiction Goodie Ideas

Non fiction has a ton of potential for creative goodies.

Writing a book on marriage? Put together a 10 Dating Ideas for Married Couples guide.
Writing a book on parenting? Write up the 7 Funniest Things Children Say.
Writing a book on music? Include a free mp3 download.
Writing a book on personalities? Include a free personalty test.

Be creative. This is also a chance to supplement your book with videos, music, tests and other media that paper cannot convey.

#3 Buy YourBookTitle.com

You don’t need to build a new web site for this step. You can buy YouBookTitle.com from NameCheap for $9.69 and have NameCheap forward visitors to your real website automatically. The benefit of pushing YourBookTitle.com is that it makes people twice as likely to remember your book and your website. When you push one you push the other

#4 Don’t Say “Http://”

Saying “http://” is code for “zone out now.” Don’t do it. They don’t need to type it. You don’t need to say it.

#5 Don’t Say “www” Either

People know to type the www. And, even if they forget they will go to your website anyway. Don’t believe me? Type “YourWebsite.com” into your browser and see where you land.

#6 What to Say

What not to say: “For more help about (book title) visit my website at http://www.mywebsitename.com”

What to say: “For more info about (book title) visit BookTitle.com. And while there don’t forget to downlaod my free short story about Carl the cowboy ninja who falls in love with a pirate princes…”

Do you see what just happened? You were able to mention your book title and your website twice right at the end of the show. This is a double win. The listeners are much more likely to remember your title and website than they were zoning out to “http://www.”

#7 Repeat Your URL

We are not kidding about this tip. If you want people to visit your site they must know about it. Repeat Repeat it as often as you can without becoming obnoxious.

What do you think?

Related posts:

How to Get Your Book on Virtual Shelves

Emily Osburne — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:54:29 +0000

As a writer, your goal is to place your book on as many shelves as possible. That should include virtual shelves! In this post you will learn how to use Shelfari to not only promote your book online for free, but also find reviewers, keep up on trends and improve your blog.

Shelfari is “a gathering place for authors, aspiring authors, publishers, and readers, and has many tools and features to help these groups connect with each other in a fun and engaging way.”

Shelfari facilitates discussion and recommendations for book lovers. Members have a virtual shelf with books they are reading, books they recommend and books they plan to read. The type of readers who use Shelfari are the type of readers who recommend books to many people.

5 Ways to Use Shelfari

#1 Stay Up-to-date with Current Trends within your Genre

Join a group that discusses and makes recommendations for the type of book you are publishing. This is a great way to get feedback on readers’ preferences.

#2 Find Reviewers

You are likely to find potential buyers, bloggers and book reviewers in your reading group. Become an active member and develop rapport before requesting a book review.

#3 Decorate Your Blog

Shelfari has developed a popular widget that can display your Book Shelf on your blog for interested readers. Here is an example.

#4 Promote Your Book / Develop a Following

If someone has not already written a description for your book, write it and send it to your friends. Invite other readers to post comments and thoughts.

Here is an example of a digital bookshelf on Shelfari

#5 Find a Book to Read at the Beach

If you are a writer, you are probably an avid reader. Shelfari users are always the first to know about great books, so you can stay ahead of the mainstream media by staying close to other enthusiastic readers.

If you have questions about how to use Shelfari, this group is available to answer your questions:

Related posts:

Authors: Piracy is Not Your Enemy

Thomas Umstattd — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:25:44 +0000

Many authors are terrified that someone will steal their work. They don’t realize their true enemy is obscurity not piracy.

If a million people “steal” your book you win. As long as you get credit you win when people share your book with others. Books that sell well spread from person to person like a virus. The harder you make it to share your work the more obscure you will be.

Piracy is Viral

Image if church small group leaders started copying chapter 5 out of your book to study at meetings. Would that hurt? No. Because now people who had no idea who you were before are now reading what you have to say. They are way more likely to buy your book than before it was “stolen.”

Everyone Wins from “Piracy”

You win because your platform grows, you can book more speaking engagements at higher prices.
They win because they can use your work to minister to others.
Your publisher wins free marketing. Your publisher spends a lot of time and money trying to get people to talk about your book. Books sell from word of mouth. Allowing people to share your works turns them into evangelists for free! More talk = more sales.

What do you think?

Do you agree that it is smart to allow people to share and even remix your work? Does the the idea scare you? How do you make it easy for people to share your work?

Related posts:

What is a Podcast?

Thomas Umstattd — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:39:33 +0000

Podcasts are a great way to promote your book. But what are they and how to they work?

This post has simple videos that explain podcasting for authors.

If You Write Non-fiction

Think of a podcast as a short radio program on your topic. You can use it to build an audience and gain credibility. The best selling book Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing started off as a podcast. It took Mignon Fogarty from an unknown editor to Oprah guest and bestselling author.

If You Write Fiction

Think of a podcast as a radio drama that delivers your audiobook to millions of people. Scott Sigler podcasted his first several fiction books. His podcast landed him a 5 book deal with Crown Publishing and a fan base of over a million listeners.

How Podcasts Work

This video How Podcasts Work by podgrunt is one of the best video explanations of podcasting online.

Podcasting in Plain English

Here is a great into to podcasting by our friends at the Common Craft Show.

We will have more info on how to start your own podcast in later posts.

No related posts.

Author Tech Tips » Book Promotion

Increase Speaking Gigs With BookTour.com

Free Event Promotion With BookTour.com

Connect BookTour to your Amazon Author Page.

BookTour can give you a competitive edge.

7 Ways to Integrate Facebook into your Online Platform

1) Add Your Blog to Facebook

2) Create a Page for Your Book

3) Get a Facebook Shortname

4) Sync Twitter & Facebook’s Status Updates

5) Share on Facebook

6) Add a Link to Your Facebook Page to Your Website

7) Learn to Listen (Most Important!)

Renae’s Story

Blogging Tips

Social Media & Authors – An Interview with Dave Evans

What are the biggest trends in book marketing over the last few years? What has changed?

How have you used social media to promote your book?

How have you used your website to promote your book?

What are some of the pitfalls you see authors fall into as they jump into Social Media?

What are the common misnomers about social media that you have noticed?

Where should authors focus their time? What social media activities have the highest ROI in terms of time?

In what ways does Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day help authors?

How to Track Your Author Website’s Effectiveness

Monitor Tangible Outcomes

Analyze Website Statistics

How to Bring Visitors Back

7 Reasons Why Mail Chimp is Better than Constant Contact for Author Newsletters

1. MailChimp is free(er) than Constant Contact

2. MailChimp integrates with Twitter

3. MailChimp integrates with your blog.

4. MailChimp has cleaner embed code.

5. MailChimp has a easier interface.

6. MailChimp keeps you out of the spam box.

7. MailChimp plays nice with others

What do you think?

Marketing Mistakes Top Level Authors Make

Mistake #1: Falling behind on new technology.

Mistake #2: Believing that “It’s all about Me.”

Mistake #3: Stagnating in the Success Trap.

Why Your Blog Should Be Your Book’s First Draft

7 Reasons To Blog Your Book First

1. You start building a platform right away.

2. You find out what connects and what doesn’t.

3. Blogging allows you to enhance your message with media.

4. Your message gets out right away.

5. Your blog creates a rally point for your following.

6. You get instant feedback.

7. Your blog will boost your credibility.

Will a publisher buy my writing if it’s published online?

What do you think?

Don’t Play Hide & Seek with Your Readers

3 Reasons to Stop Hiding

What to Include

How the Creative Commons Can Help Your Book Spread Like Crazy

How the Creative Commons Works Video

Creative Commons has several components that you can mix and match:

What do you think?

4 Reasons Why Authors Should Avoid MySpace

Reason 1 – Hard to Give Value

Reason 2 – Mostly for Kids & Bands

Reason 3 – MySpace is Messy & Unprofessional

Reason 4 -The People Are Somewhere Else

Not Worthless But Not Worth It

How #TweetTheAuthor Connects Authors With Readers

How Tweet the Author Worked

How We Promoted Tweet the Author

How well did it go?

Making #TweetTheAuthor a Weekly Event

8 Elements of Effective Author Newsletters

1. Brief feature article

2. Extra element of value

3. Value statements

4. Upcoming events calendar

5. Testimonial from a well-known leader

6. Featured product

7. Full contact information

8. Professional-looking layout

Authors: Don’t Bow Down to Amazon

1. Amazon Takes Your Contacts