Marketing Tips For Authors

Holiday Book Marketing by J. Aday Kennedy

2010-03-09T09:40:00.001-06:00

It's Tuesday and that means that we have a guest author who will share her marketing wisdom with us. J. Aday Kennedy is a multi-talented author who will be talking to us today about creative ways to take advantage of many lesser known holidays in our book marketing efforts.

Before we get to her post, I want to mention my newest release, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. If you have ever wanted to establish relationships with experts who can introduce you to their followers or find ways to send targeted people to your blog or website, then this training can help.

Now, on to our guest post for today...

Holiday Book Marketing
By J. Aday Kennedy

Have you noticed there are times of the year you have difficulty selling books? A calendar can help solve that problem. How? There is a holiday for the strangest celebrations. These holidays can be used to market your book.

The best time to utilize the calendar is before you have written a single word. Take your character and start giving it likes, and dislikes based on holiday celebrations. Here are a few examples.

In January it is difficult to promote and sell books, because Christmas put a strain on your prospect's finances. Rubber Duckie Day is Jan 13, so give your character a rubber duck collection. That is an odd detail in a character's makeup, especially an adult, but it gives them an interesting personality quirk and you have reason to promote your book in January.

Not only do you have reason to promote, but you have opened the door to an unusual setting for a book signing; a store that specializes in bath products or a large store with a section devoted to bathrooms. One of the benefits of selling books at a "non-bookstore" is that your book is not competing with other books. Your book has no direct competition.

Another tie to your character's collection is that January is Bath Safety month and Bubble Bath Day is the 8th. Create a drawing/contest to collect names for a prospect mailing list. Fill a bag or basket with bath items (The dollar store can provide some inexpensive items.) The larger the prize, the longer you can draw out the contest. Contact radio stations, newspapers, and other media. The radio station will publicize the contest on air and provide you with free advertising for the length of your contest.

Does your main character design clothes for animals as a hobby or career? National Dress Up Your Pet Day is January 14. Schedule a book signing at a dog groomer, veterinarian's office, pet store, animal shelter or pet supply store. Offer a discount to patrons that bring photos or take a photo at your signing with their dressed pet. For every certain number of animals that get adopted, offer a gift. (Have a sign up and draw names.)

*** You can tie your book to holidays that do not seem to have a direct link. Find reasons to promote your book in every month.

February is Library Lovers Month. Offer to hold a book signing or reading session for free at a library. Provide a discount to every library card holder old or new. Donate a portion of each book sold to the library. You can make bookmarks encouraging children to read. Design a contest/scavenger hunt. All of the answers can be found in the various resources the library offers.

*** When you offer a prize make sure it promotes your book, you or your services. Baseball caps, T shirts, pens, buttons, etc… You have created good will and a walking and talking advertisement.

March is National Middle School Month. How can you celebrate and promote your work? Schedule an author school visit at a middle school and create a time capsule for the class and make fun questionnaires for them to fill out. Then select the date with the teacher to open the capsule. (The last day of school [if done near the beginning of the year] date of middle school graduation, junior high graduation or high school graduation or a different date that looms in the future.) Donate a copy of your book to the classroom/school you visit. Go to Vista Print and make a promotional item (T shirt, coffee mug, baseball cap, sticky note pad) with a picture of the main character of your book with a slogan about middle school. You could have a contest for the entire middle school. The class with the best theme room wins a pizza party from your main character or a party with your main character's favorite food.

At the party you can attend with chances for more prizes to be won. You've achieved a few things. Excitement about you and your book; incredible photo opportunity [all of those classrooms decorated with your book as the subject]; and a newsworthy event for the local media.

April is the month to celebrate April Fools Day. Visit a local joke shop. You can look online, as well. Collect a bunch of practical jokes and make a basket or joke bag. Run a trivia quiz contest All of the answers can be found on your website or links to your online publications. Structure the questions and answers to promote you, your services or products. "The Joke Bag/Basket" is the prize.

No matter what time of year it is, there is a holiday to be celebrated. Put on your marketing hat. The more creative you are the more it will put an indelible mark in people's minds. Each time you are mentioned in the news your reputation will grow and hearty anticipation for your next event will proliferate. Search for holidays on the web and plan a year of marketing your books and services.

*****

J. Aday Kennedy, the differently-abled writer, is an award winning multi published author of inspirational/Christian pieces and of children’s literature. Six picture books are under contract eagerly awaiting publication. She is a ventilator dependent quadriplegic making her dreams come true a story at a time. As a speaker, Aday entertains, instructs, motivates and inspires audiences of all ages. To learn more about her and her writing, visit her website and blog. www.jadaykennedy.com, & http://jadaykennedy.blogspot.com/

How To "Get" When Marketing In The 2.0 World

2010-03-08T09:48:00.003-06:00

I have met a lot of people who want to do business on the Internet. They set up a web page, auto-responder, and shopping cart full of good content, and then place ads on the search engines and on other websites. This kind of Internet marketing can be described as old Web 1.0 way of doing business.

What's the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0? The chief difference is in the interactive and social nature of the relationships. Web 1.0 is very static. It's almost like sticking a billboard up that advertises you and your business. Web 2.0 is community driven. It's like approaching a mixer and mingling, learning about others and finding ways to help each other.

If you are a business owner, would you attend a party, walk around and shake everyone's hand with a broad smile and a hearty laugh while slipping them a business card and saying something like, "My name is Tony Eldridge, book marketer. Here's my card. I have some fabulous book marketing products you'll be interested in."

No? Well, as you get into the Web 2.0 world, you need to think of it in the same way. This world is about relationships and providing value for the community. Those who provide value build their reputation and help to create trust in this world.

So, whether it's Twitter, Facebook, blogging, or any other Web 2.0 venue, spend time cultivating great relationships and becoming the go-to person who provides great content and value to others. Doing this may take longer than buying an ad, but in the long run, you'll gain something that an ad cannot give you. Loyal followers who have built a relationship with you on a foundation of trust. This leads to raving fans who will come to you when they need the products and services you offer.

So, how do you "get" when marketing in the 2.0 world? Start by creating relationships and finding out what people need. Then find ways to give in those relationships. Give your time, your help, your knowledge. In doing so, you will be on your way to creating long-term value in your 2.0 world.

Tony Eldridge

Marketing Tips Around The Net: March 5th

2010-03-05T11:45:00.000-06:00

It's Friday and that means it's time to take a trip around the net. This week, I have increased my 10 stops to 15. There have been some great posts and articles for us to chew on. After the 15 posts I highlight, read on to see some interesting upcoming Blog talk Radio programs and some On-Demand podcasts and mp3 you can download for free.

Before we get to the post, I have a couple of quick housekeeping announcements:

1. By multiple requests, I am leaving my current video for my newsletter subscribers active for a few more days. Uploading and Installing WordPress to Your Server is still available to those who sign up in for the free newsletter in the next few days. When you sign up, you also get instant access to over 45 minutes of free instructional videos as my way of saying thanks for signing up!

2. Do you want to find followers on Twitter who are interested in what you have to offer or send targeted people to your blog or website? If so, then check out my new training, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. It can help you do that and a whole lot more.

Now, on to our trip around the net...

1. How to Submit Your Books for Review- Sandra Beckwith invites guest author Dana Lynn Smith to share her knowledge on submitting books for review.

2. List building done right - Twitter, Facebook & Your Website- Roger C. Parker breaks down Phyllis Zimbler Miller's new report which provides a case study in list building and personal branding done right.

3. How to engage in conversation on Twitter- Phyllis Zimbler Miller gives tips for communicating on Twitter

4. So You Want to be a Professional Speaker...? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4: Check out this 4 part series from a professional speaker, L. Diane Wolfe, as she shares her knowledge with you.

5. Another Case of Customer Service Stupidity- Shel Horowitz shares a bad customer service experience he had as a reminder of what we as marketers needs to remember.

6. How to Sell More Books to Corporations- Dana Lynn Smith invites guest Brian Jud to explain how we can snag corporations as buyers for our books.

7. Podcast: Ebooks Q&A With Joshua Tallent From EBookArchitects- Joanna Penn interviews an expert in e-book publishing to share everything you need to know about e-book publishing

8. Authors Den To Offer New Benefits to Stable of Author Perks- Carolyn Howard-Johnson shares some news about a new service on AuthorsDen.com: AuthorsDen Marketplace.

9. The BEST Way to Generate Lots of Comments on a Your Next Blog Post- Darren Rowse shares 4 tips on how to generate a lot of comments on your blog post.

10. Good Blogging is like Good Standup- Drew Bennett explains that what makes a comedian great can also make your blog great.

11. How to create a best landing page for your Facebook Fan page?- Dinesh Dhakal walks you through the process of creating a great landing page for your Facebook Fan Page.

12. How To Make $40,000 On Foreign Rights- Penny Sansevieri shares how to cash in on foreign rights with your book.

13. Is Your Blog "Bookmark" Worthy? 5 Tell-Tale Signs- Jennifer Brown Banks helps you examine your blog to see if it's worthy for people to bookmark.

14. Is Your "Buy" Button in Jeopardy?- Sarah Bolme keeps us up with industry news as she comments on Amazon.com and your "buy button".

15. The Amazing Power Of Commenting- Hal Brown talks about the power of leaving comments on blog posts.

Listen to great content:

Blog Talk Radio:

E-books: the savior of publishing or the foe? Penny C. Sansevieri, March 9th: 7:00PM Eastern
Getting on Radio and TV Penny C. Sansevieri, March 18th: 7:00 Eastern
Authors Articulating with Jo-Anne Vandermeulen Jo-Anne Vandermeulen, March 9th: 9:00PM Eastern

On Demand:
Yvonne Perry interviews author Jennifer Chase to discuss her new novel Dead Game: Available March 5th
Yvonne Perry interviews authors Marilyn Geary and Jacqueline Jannsen to discuss their book LeaveLight: A Motivational Guide to Holistic End-of-Life Planning: Available March 12th
*18 VIP Panelists speak on everything you need to write, publish and market your book: Via Lynn Serafinn- 5 free mp3s on these subjects:
STARTING AND WRITING YOUR BOOK
PRE-PUBLICATION MARKETING MUSTS
PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION
YOUR BOOK LAUNCH: DESIGNING AND DELIVERING
BENEFITING FROM THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BOOK
*Affiliate Link

That's it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I will see you bright and early on Monday.

The Non-Techie’s Guide To Basic HTML

2010-03-04T10:00:00.002-06:00

Have you been in a situation where you wish you could have added a hyperlink to a text, but you didn't know how? Or perhaps you wanted to bold or put a word in italics?

For most of us, this isn't a big deal. We use WYSIWYG editors (What You See Is What You Get). That means all we have to do is highlight a word and click the Bold, Italics or Link button and the HTML code is added under the hood without us having to do a thing.

But for the rare times where we may wish we could bold a text, but there is no bold button, or wish we could add a hyperlink, but can't find a hyperlink button, this post will help.

When will you need to know this? Let's say you are really mad at me and want to bold the text in a comment for this post. Since there is no Bold button, you'd need to use HTML in the comment field. Or, more practically, if you want to link to your webpage (Which I encourage in your comments), then you can use HTML to do that.

We're going to look at how to do three basic things with HTML: Bold, Italics, and Hyperlinks. Now, just like there are more than one way to say "Hello" (Hi, Howdy, Wassup!), there are more than one way to do some of these things. But here are the simple ways.

First, you have to tell the text that it needs to be formatted for HTML. You do this with tags. Tags are enclosed in <>. Anything inside the <> is a tag.

Each formatting action you want to make has to have:

Let's look at how to bold something. This code:

Comes out like this:
This Is Bold

1. The letter b is how we instruct the text to bold
2. The text we want to bold is enclosed in an open and a closed tag:

Pretty easy. Want to try italics?

becomes: This Is Italics

Now, hyperlinks are a little more involved, but still pretty easy if you have followed what we did so far:

1. We have our open and closed tags:

2. Next, we have two elements to define.

The URL we want to send people to when the text is clicked
The text we want people to read

href="url" is the attribute which defines the link "address". We slip it in the opening tag. It will look like this:

Between the open and close tags, we enter the text that we want people to read:

<a href="url">Google Search Engine</a>

The last step is to replace the "url" in the open tag with the actual link we want to send people to when they click on the text Google Search Engine (be sure to leave the quotation marks):

<a href="http://www.google.com">Google Search Engine</a>

Here is what people see:

Google Search Engine

So, that's all there is to simple HTML. With this, you should be able to do the basics when you are without the all-important WYSIWYG.

Feel free to give it a try and leave a comment and a clickable link to your site.

Tony Eldridge

(If you are reading this as a syndicated post, you will have to visit the actual blog post to see the HTML codes in the text boxes.

Webcasts and Telecasts: A Great Way To Meet People

2010-03-03T07:21:00.002-06:00

If you have been following me for any length of time, you know that I am partial to multimedia training and messaging. My free newsletter, Video Marketing Tips For Authors and my new product, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests both utilize screen capture as an audio/visual way to learn. But these videos are just as small way to use multimedia to platforms.

Last week, I was invited to be a panelist during Lynn Serafinn's Grand Opening event for her innovative new membership site, Spirit Authors Virtual Coaching and Learning Experience. She had VIP panelists for each night, Monday through Friday, and each night dealt with a different subject regarding writing and publishing a book.

On Tuesday, I was a panelist with The Savvy Book Marketer, Dana Lynn Smith, and The Wordy Woman, Shelley Lieber. Together, we discussed the importance of pre-publication marketing for your book. If you want to download and listen to that call, or any of the 5 calls, that week, then visit the Spirit Authors Virtual Coaching and Learning Experience and you'll have an opportunity to download the mp3s of the webinars for free.

This all brings me to the point of my post today. People like Lynn Serafinn, Yvonne Perry, Roger C. Parker, Phyllis Zimbler Miller, Jo-Anne Vandermeulen, Joanna Penn, John Kremer and a host of other marketers have chosen webcasts, telecasts, Blog Talk Radio, mp3s, and a host of other multimedia channels to deliver great training. But not only does this afford the learner another way to instill the lessons being taught, it's a truly social way to introduce to and collaborate with others in your field.

Whether it's experts meeting and sharing or listeners gathering to learn, multimedia channels allow the world of social media to get just a little more social. When you can attach a voice to a name, hear the laughter of a participant, engage in kitchen-talk round tables, or brainstorm in real time, you are left with an experience that is much different than simply interacting with a static written word.

As marketers, look for ways you can make your social networking world a little more social. As participants, don't be afraid to try new ways of learning and interacting. In fact, with technologies like mp3s and PDAs, it's now easier than ever to download great content and listen to it while you are grocery shopping. Not only is it a great way to learn, but it can be a huge productivity coup for you.

Tony Eldridge
* Link to Lynn Serafinn is an affiliate link.

Tips on When to Get and How to Use Reviews by Dave and Lillian Brummet

2010-03-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today is Tuesday and that means it's time to invite guests to share their wisdom with us. Today, we have co-authors Dave and Lillian Brummet who are sharing an excerpt from their book, Purple Snowflake Marketing- How To Make Your Book Stand Out In The Crowd. Specifically, they will be sharing information on "When To Get And How To Use Reviews".

Before we get to the excerpt, I have a couple of quick announcements.

1. If you have not signed up for my Free Video Tips For Authors Newsletter, please consider doing so now. For the next couple of day, you can watch the current tip, Uploading And Installing The WordPress Software To Your Server before the next tip replaces it. And if you sign up now, I will give you over 45 minuets of instant access to other video tips as my way of saying thanks.

2. If you have not checked out Conducting Effective Twitter Contests, I invite you take a look. Through a combination of text and videos, you will learn step-by-step how to launch a successful Twitter contest.

And now, on to Dave and Lillian's post...

Tips on When to Get and How to Use Reviews
by Dave and Lillian Brummet

*Excerpted from Chapter 3 of the book: Purple Snowflake Marketing – How to Make Your Book Stand Out in a Crowd, by Dave and Lillian Brummet

When to Get Reviews

The best time to start getting reviews is long before the book has gone to print. When you think about it, how else do authors get those nice snippets from reviewers on their back cover, front cover, inside pages, websites and promotional materials prior to the release of their book?

However, reviews are valuable at any time during the life of your book. In fact this should be an on-going process throughout the marketing plan. So pace yourself a little - you will want continued exposure for the long-term. Also, keep in mind that a publication will not likely include a blurb about your book if their direct competitors have just recently done the same thing. Your budget will determine how many copies you can afford to send out for review. So, again, pace your marketing plan.

How to Get Reviews

As always the most essential key is to research the publication you want to query and learn about their readers. The next essential key is to research their submission guidelines. Then you can query the reviewer with a nice letter that includes some basic ideas about the book. Be clear about why the book fits their magazine and their targeted audience at this time. If they feel it does not fit, do not argue. You can always try again, but let several months pass before you query the reviewer again with a new approach.

Always query with a professional informative letter. Books sent without prior communication will just result in yet another book in the trash bin, and that is hard on your budget, use of time and the environment. Queries ensure that they are interested and able to accept more work. It is also necessary to confirm the format they require. The query should relay why your book is going to be something they don't want to miss out on. What is so special about you or your book that will get them to sit up and take notice? THIS is what you need to say, but say it softly. No one likes a loud, pushy or bragging voice.

In addition, it is helpful to prospective reviewers if they know more about your book. Is it a children's book? A religious book? Do you consider the content as humorous or adventurous? Is it a book that will compel feelings of happiness or sadness? Do you have an informative website? What format is the book available to review in at this time -- galley, PDF manuscript or a published review copy? Are you in the manuscript, editing or publishing stage? Do you have an ISBN and a release date? Do you plan to provide other promotional materials (author bio, etc) for reviewers? Are you looking for review blurbs for the back cover or first inside pages of your book? Or are you looking for general reviews for promotion materials and online stores? Are you in a hurry for the review? Provide this information before reviewers are forced to ask. They will appreciate a considerate and prepared author and because of your foresight they will feel valued, respected and will not have to spend time searching for the information.

Most professional reviewers do not usually work with manuscripts. Typically, more than 80% of the books Lillian has reviewed to date were either published copies or Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs), which are manuscripts printed on paper and attached with spiral binding. Occasionally, the publisher will provide ARCs, however the author normally provides these. Some reviewers will work with electronic books; others do not. Be sure to clarify all of these things prior to sending your query letter.

Look at the books on your shelves and see how reviews are used. Through this simple analysis, you can glean information for your own promotional material development as well.

What Happens to the Review Copy?

Most reviewers are not paid for their work. Only a few hard working reviewers are privileged to land a paying position for a publication or online site. Therefore, the book is the payment. Some authors find this worrisome. They are concerned that the reviewer will sell or exchange the book at a used bookstore. It is our opinion that if someone has spent several evenings reading our book, then several more hours writing a review, publishing it, then giving it to us for free and sometimes posting it online for us… well, they can do what they like with our book! When you think about it, if your book is worth $20, they are "earning" less than $5 an hour.

We always include a letter along with review copies that gently reminds them of our conversation in the past and requests a notification of the book's arrival and their decision on it. We suggest that if the book is not destined for their own bookshelves, that they consider donating it to a library, school, mission for the poor or women's shelter. We even had responses where the contact was thrilled that we had considered this as they have been throwing rejected review copies (usually unsolicited) away in the past. Perhaps this small suggestion will help keep other authors' books out of their trash bin as well. However, the main goal is not waste reduction or community good will in this scenario - instead, the idea is to keep your book in circulation, continually building exposure and extending the value of your marketing budget.

Be Selective

Be very selective when querying reviewers. Make sure you have visited their website and are familiar with their style and preferences. We recommend reading the article: "How to spot a phony reviewer" at http://www.midwestbookreview.com which will help you avoid some pit falls.

Publication Lead-Times

If you are trying to get into a pre-publication magazine like Publisher's Weekly, you are looking at a three to four month lead-time. This means you need to submit the book to one of their reviewers about three or four months before the deadline date.

These kinds of publications often require ARCs or Galleys because they only review books prior to their publication. Unless your publisher provides these you will need to print out the manuscript and send it with the other promotion materials. These pre-publication magazines are published for wholesalers, larger bookstores, distributors and libraries. Some are targeted towards a specific audience, while others are more general.

...And one final tip we'd like to leave you with today is that being reviewed online (e-newsletters, review sites and e-zines) is often easier than getting printed reviews in newspapers, newsletters and magazines.

---------
Dave & Lillian Brummet: Authors of Trash Talk, Purple Snowflake Marketing, & Towards Understanding; Hosts of the Conscious Discussions talk radio show & the Authors Read radio program ( www.brummet.ca )

Find The Followers Who Are Interested In Your Products, Services And Books

2010-03-01T09:56:00.002-06:00

When we engage in marketing, we do so in the hopes that we can find who are interested, or need, our products and services. This is why corporations spend millions on advertising and PR. They flood the general audience with their messages in the hopes that enough will take action to make their investment profitable.

They also know that the more people are exposed to their message, the greater the likelihood they will eventually take action. This is why they run the same newspaper ads and television commercials over and over. Not to simply catch the people who missed seeing their ad the first time around, but to expose people to their message over and over. In essence, they are building their brand.

This kind of advertising is very effective, but it takes an investment in time and money to really pay dividends. As small business owners, professionals, or authors we probably find ourselves with limited resources in both time and money. This is exactly why people like Jay Conrad Levinson of Guerrilla Marketing fame help so many people. Jay shows ways that you can make a big impact in marketing your business without breaking the bank. (Note: at the time this post was published, FireFox had trouble pulling up Jay's site, but Internet Explorer did not.)

This is also the purpose of sites like this: Marketing Tips For Authors. Each week, I try to pass on tips and advice to help you market your book, your products/services, and yourself.

It's also the reason I created Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. This training will walk you through the process of creating a Twitter contest that will specifically find people who are interested in your business. In fact, it is designed to help you create a marketing plan using viral elements that will truly help people seek you out.

When you talk about conducting a Twitter contest, you are talking about a focused marketing activity that can cost nothing but your time to launch, but one that can pay huge dividends for you by finding followers who want to hear your message.

Conducting Effective Twitter Contests launches today. It's a mixed training platform of text and videos that will take you through the pre-launch activities to help make sure you are aiming your contest at the right set of eyes all the way through the post-launch marketing activities to make sure that your contest doesn't fizzle after it starts.

This training is available via CD or instant download, meaning that you can start learning how to Conduct Effective Twitter Contests in just a few minutes. You could be just days away from launching a powerful, effective marketing campaign without breaking your bank.

Marketing Tips Around The Net: February 26th

2010-02-26T14:38:00.002-06:00

It's Friday and that means it's time to take a trip around the net to look at book marketing posts that catch my eye. Before we do, I have a couple of quick announcements to make.

If you are a subscriber to my free Video Tips Newsletter, I want to let you know that the new tip is out. In this video, I walk you through the steps of preparing, uploading and installing the WordPress software to your server. If you are not a subscriber, you can sign up now and watch this video today. I will even give you instant access to over 45 minutes of video tips just for signing up today.
This weekend is that last chance to take advantage of the presale offer for my new training on Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. The product launches Monday at it's regular price. This is the all-in-one book, workshop & seminar training series that teaches you how to find the Twitter followers who are interested in what you have to offer. But it goes into more than how to launch a Twitter contest. You get over 4 hours of how-to and instructional videos to illustrate the lessons taught in the PDF training material. Check out the product page to read more about the content included in this unique training package and to watch a couple of sample videos. Even if you decide not to purchase Conducting Effective Twitter Videos you will walk away with knowledge you can use today just by watching these free videos.

Now, on to our trip around the net.

1. What is Article Marketing?- Yvonne Perry speaks on how you can incorporate article marketing into your overall marketing plan.

2. From Book to Multiple Streams of Income- Dana Lynn Smith invites Liz Alexander to her blog to discuss something that almost all authors want to learn more about.

3. Publisher Simon & Schuster Says Authors Should Blog and Social Network- Joanna Penn touches on how S&S are now encouraging authors to build their online marketing platform. After reading this post, you may walk away like I did thinking that if S&S were smart, they'd try to get Joanna on their staff to help things along for their authors.

4. Is Your Twitter Account Consistent With Your Website?- Twitter is a piece of your overall marketing presence. Phyllis Zimbler Miller discusses how you want to make sure that it works in concert with your website.

5. Get In on the Cutting Edge of iPad- Carolyn Howard-Johnson keeps you up to date on the newest technology in this "Hot off the press" post.

6. Facebook Now Integrated into Google- Angela Wilson discusses the deal inked by Google and Facebook and what it can mean to you.

7. Web usability tip: Make it easy for visitors to locate desired content- Roger C. Parker looks at how Dan Schawbel segments his content based on the target audience visiting his site. Executed correctly, this strategy can be a great way to funnel people to the appropriate content they are looking for.

8. Building Cooperative Marketing Relationships: Practicing What I Preach- Shel Horowitz talks about how applying his own marketing principles helped move his Amazon rank from #575,000 to #13. Not bad by anyone's measure.

9. Best Tweets for Writers- Jane Friedman posts a blog called There Are No Rules that contains great material. One of my favorite is her weekly Best Tweets For Writers. In that segment, she lists some of her favorite posts, including posts about marketing for writers. This one takes you to her posts for the week ending 2/19/10.

10. Optimize a Single Post On Your Blog for SEO- Darren Rowse gives some great tips on how to optimize your blog post of search engines (SEO).

That's it for this week's trip around the net. I look forward to seeing you next week. As for me, my family will be celebrating my some Jan/Feb birthdays for family members this Saturday. My three year old twin boys can hardly wait!

What Is A Video E-Book?

2010-02-25T06:00:00.002-06:00

Last year, I had the dream of creating a learning tool that was like no other that I had ever seen. I didn't have a word for it, so I thought of it as a "Video E-book". Now, videos and e-books have been around for a while. In fact, many instructors have done a great job at combining these two emerging media into a complementary training package. But until now, combining these two training methods meant:

Providing the learner with multiple files they had to manipulate to take advantage of the training
Or often utilizing proprietary software to make the two technologies work together.

My idea was to create a single file based on common technology that allowed me to bring these two training methods together. Fortunately for me, that was the time that Adobe upgraded their Acrobat Reader and their Flash movie player to allow this to happen.

With the Acrobat Reader and the Acrobat Flash Player available for free and being an industry standard, it meant that I could create the "Video E-Book" training in a way that hid the technology under the hood. Users could simply download a single file to take advantage of this new training media.

So, what is my idea of a "Video E-Book"? Quite simply, it's a PDF e-book that has instructional training videos embedded right in it. When you read about opening a Social Oomph account to help you schedule your Twitter tweets, you can watch a video of someone scheduling tweets on Social Oomph just by clicking on the video right in the e-book.

No external links.
No folders of videos to link to the e-book.
No special proprietary programs to download.

It was important to me that technology aided people in learning, not get in the way. That's why, when I release Conducting Effective Twitter Contests on Monday, I am releasing a learning platform that you will most likely be unfamiliar with.

True "Video E-books" as I described just don't exists yet. At least, I am not familiar with them, and most marketing experts I am working with on this launch have not seen anything quite like it. But it's my belief now that the technology is readily available, "Video E-Books" will start to become more and more commonplace. After all, they take advantage of the time honored learning principle created by Edgar Dale, a U.S. educationist who developed the famous Cone of Experience. Dale said that we:

Remember 10% of what we read
Remember 20% of what we hear
Remember 30% of what we see
Remember 50% of what we see and hear.

Conducting Effective Twitter Contests, my first "Video E-book," takes advantage of the way we learn by combing multiple avenues of learning. You can see a quick visual of Dale’s cone from the University of Iowa's website here:

Cone of Experience

So, when you hear me use the term "Video E-book", this is what I mean. If you are an author or marketer, I suggest that you take a look at this new technology. In my opinion, multimedia is the future of education and the "Video E-book" is one great application of the technology available to us.

Already, marketers are starting to become proficient in providing training via webcasts, podcasts, teleseminars, videos, Internet radio, and mp3 recordings. These are all related siblings in the multimedia era we live in. The true beneficiary of this new technology is the recipient of the training, especially if we don't allow the technology to get in the way.

Where is the future of training headed? Who knows? But based on where it has come so far, I am excited to find out.

Tony Eldridge

Review: Launching A Book On The Internet By Phyllis Zimbler Miller

2010-02-24T06:00:00.002-06:00

In today's post, I am actually reviewing two items from Phyllis Zimbler Miller of Miller Mosaic, LLC. The first is the mp3 teleseminar recording from Phyllis and her business partner Yael Miller entitled "What You Should Know About Launching a Book on the Internet"

If you have a book, fiction or non-fiction, that you are writing, you know the time is coming when you need to launch it. This recording packs a lot of information that will help you think through what you need to do to have a successful launch. In it, you will learn:

When to start marketing your book
How to use social media to launch your book
The power of endorsements and testimonials
The importance of your book cover
Considering joint ventures in your launch
The dangers of "over promoting"
Getting your fans involved in the launch
Marketing on Amazon.com
Creating and using videos in your launch

Having a mp3 file means that you can download the recording to your favorite PDA and listen to it whenever you have the time. To me, it was like sitting at a table with Phyllis and Yael as I learned the lessons they were teaching.

If you are writing a book and looking for guidance on how to have a successful launch, then this recording will deliver tremendous value to you.

Miller Mosaic also makes a free resource available to you in a report called "Twitter, Facebook and Your Website: A Beginning Blueprint for Harnessing the Power of 3 for Your Business." This free report is designed for the person who is wanting to establish a presence on the web, but may not be sure where to start.

There are so many options available to you when you decide to create a web presence, that the task can seem rather overwhelming. But this reports filters the choices for you and recommends starting with these three: Twitter, Facebook, and your own website (i.e., The Power Of 3).

To me, this report can be best described as a "quick start" guide. It gives you step-by-step instructions on what you need to do to create your presence online quickly by using three of the most powerful platforms available to you. It then discusses how you can link them together to exchange information between them.

If you have not created your web presence, or you have not created it on one of these three platforms, than this free guide can get you started today.

Tony Eldridge

Tax Tips For Freelance Writers

2010-02-23T08:02:00.001-06:00

It's Tuesday and that means we have a guest author on Marketing Tips For Authors. Recently, I have been asked tax questions related to work as an author. If ever a disclaimer was appropriate, it's this one: I am no tax expert, or even a tax aficionado. I have, however, found someone who does know a thing or two about taxes. Chuggin McCoffee is here to share tax tips with authors. With April 15th right around the corner, it couldn't be more timely.

Before we get to the post, I have a couple of quick announcements:

1. I want to encourage you to sign up for free webcasts on writing, publishing and marketing your books. This free event is going on all this week with 18 book marketing and publishing experts who will be on various panels to answer all of your questions. I will be on today's webcast (2pm Central) entitled, "PRE-PUBLICATION MARKETING MUSTS" with Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer and Shelley Lieber, The Wordy Woman: Publishing Maven. Visit the Grand Opening Webinar Week page to read more about the topics and to sign up for your free Webcasts now.

2. My new video e-book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests launches March 1st. This is a great marketing resource that can make a huge impact as you look for ways to dig deeper into your niche. When you visit the page, take a look at the sample videos taken right from the video e-book I have made available for you to watch.

Now, on to our guest post today...

It is a wonderful thing to be self-employed as a freelance writer, until tax time rolls around... If it is your first year as a freelance writer filing taxes, you may feel quite overwhelmed. However, once you have a greater understanding of the best route for filing taxes as a freelance writer, it will make life much easier, and you will see the benefits of your chosen profession.

First of all, consider all of the deductions that you can make as a freelance writer. This includes any materials that you may have purchased for your research, your office furniture, your phone line, advertising, any fees that you paid to freelance writing websites that you are a member of, your computer, printer, Internet costs, and even gas mileage to meet with potential clients. And that is only the tip of the iceberg! You can really get down to the nitty-gritty and start to deduct paper, printer ink, pens, cameras used for any type of pictures for your work, writers training, babysitting fees, and anything else you can think of.
The best method to use is to pay your freelance taxes on a quarterly basis. Since you are receiving all of your income in a lump sum, you can set it up with the IRS using the 1040-ES to pay your taxes quarterly so that it is less of a hit once April of next year rolls around.
Use a tax preparation software. If all of these deductions have your head spinning, then an easy way to take care of all of your information is using tax software, which is recommended. You can purchase TurboTax as an investment, rather than going to an accountant, and on top of that, the software that you purchase will be tax-deductible!
Look for any extra deductions for an added benefit to your taxes. In fact, it is important to be as creative as possible since you can deduct a portion of your rent for your home office, which will be based on the complete square footage of your home. You can also deduct your own health insurance, and any travel that you have done related to business purposes.
Don't forget the self-employment tax. This is something that accounts for 15.3% of your income, which can again be paid on a quarterly basis. This also depends upon your tax bracket, so it may cost you more overall. Taking this tax into account will allow you to clearly plan your finances out for the entire year, especially so that you have the opportunity to stay ahead instead of owing to the IRS.

The bottom line is that it really does pay to be self-employed, especially since it can save you money in taxes overall. You also have more control of your taxes in the deductions you can create, so being aware of your deductions will work as an advantage to you come April 15. These tips will help you to stay on your toes and avoid unneeded stress as a freelancer during tax time!

*****
Chuggin McCoffee is a coffee fanatic that has spent the entirety of his career cultivating and studying all of the best uses and brewing styles for optimal coffee and espresso flavor. His specialty site for all coffee needs, supplies, and Bunn Filters can be found at The Coffee Bump.

What Is Affiliate Marketing? Part 2

2010-02-22T08:48:00.002-06:00

On Thursday, I did a post entitled, What Is Affiliate Marketing? In that post, we introduced the concept of affiliate marketing and identified the two sides of affiliate marketing:

1. Recruiting Affiliates to sell your products
2. Becoming an affiliate to sell other people's products.

For the rest of the post, we then focused on looking at affiliate marketing from the standpoint of recruiting affiliates. In today's post, we will look at affiliate marketing from the standpoint of becoming an affiliate.

Before we get to today's post, I want to encourage you to sign up for free webcasts on writing, publishing and marketing your books. This free event is going on all this week, starting today. 18 book marketing and publishing experts will be on various panels to answer all of your questions. I will be on the Tuesday webcast entitled, "PRE-PUBLICATION MARKETING MUSTS" with Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer and Shelley Lieber, The Wordy Woman: Publishing Maven. Visit the Grand Opening Webinar Week page to read more about the topics and to sign up for your free Webcasts now.

Now, on to our post...

The second way that you can get involved in affiliate marketing is as an affiliate. This means that you sign on to a program that allows you to refer people to another company's product or services. In return, you get a commission if that person purchases the product. Now, this is a very simplistic example of what could be a complex affiliate relationship, but it explains the gist of how being an affiliate works.

There are a number of ways you can become an affiliate. Many companies offer their own affiliate program themselves. You can visit websites of companies you love to see if they have an affiliate program. Alternatively, you can visit one of many companies that handle the affiliate relationship of existing companies. When you do, you can join their program and sell any product from any company they represent.

Becoming an affiliate is a legitimate way to create another revenue stream for your internet business, if that's what you are looking to do. Here are my suggestions for things to consider before becoming an affiliate:

Find products you believe in- It's much easier to refer people to products you can genuinely endorse. From a business standpoint, if you continually refer people to inferior products, then you will loose your credibility and ultimately the ability to be an effective affiliate.
Find companies you believe are ethical- It's a tough thing to be in a business relationship with someone who does not share the same business ethics as you. Like it or not, your reputation will be tied to the reputation of the people you choose to do business with. Make sure you feel comfortable with the way they do business.
Follow the rules- Good companies have strict guidelines on how you can represent them when you act as their affiliate. Make sure you are acting within those guidelines. Just as your reputation can be tied to them, so can their reputation be tied to you.
Don't Spam- Hey, by now we don't need to get into why spamming is wrong on so many levels. But it's one thing to spam your own products and service, it's another thing to tarnish the reputation of the company you represent as an affiliate. Besides, if they catch you spamming while marketing their products, many companies are likely to end their affiliate relationship with you.

We can't end a post 0n affiliate marketing without discussing the FTC's guidelines on affiliate marketing. A lot of buzz has been going on regarding the new guidelines they adopted that affects you as an affiliate. At the heart of the issue is the fact that you need to be clear and upfront when you are an affiliate and use testimonials and endorsements or if you give reviews.

In fact, whenever you use an affiliate link, you need to disclose your affiliate status. The definitions of what constitutes an endorsement or testimonial may be broader than you think, so the safe route is open disclosure. You can read the FTC's communications and educate yourself more fully at the following sources:

FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials

Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

If you decide to become an affiliate, it can be an honorable and rewarding way to add another revenue stream to your income. The bottom line is really not complicated. Just act ethically and honestly. If you do this, then you are on your way to a potentially profitable business model that can also bring value to people you refer to your affiliate products and services.

Tony Eldridge

Review: Twitter Guide For Authors by Dana Lynn Smith

2010-02-20T14:45:00.001-06:00

If you ever wanted to learn Twitter, then you need to know about Dana Lynn Smith's revised edition of her Twitter Guide For Authors. This guide will take you through the process of opening a Twitter Account, but it will do a lot more than that. It will teach you the decisions you need to make early on in order to have a great experience on Twitter.

In this revised edition, Dana discusses Twitter's newest major feature: Twitter Lists. If you know how to use these lists, it can be a great productivity tool for you. She also has added a valuable troubleshooting section that can help you if you run into issues with your Twitter account.

The thing that makes the Twitter Guide For Authors such a useful resource for authors (or anyone else who needs to be on Twitter for that fact), is the simplicity in which the material is presented. If technology is not your cup of tea, then you don't have to worry. This guide can be read and understood by the least technical savvy of us. But what it will help you accomplish is far from simplistic. You will be able to get into the nuts and bolts of Twitter and use it like a pro.

When you get the Twitter Guide For Authors, you will have a resource that will help you with the following:

Common Networking Mistakes
Managing Your Time Effectively
Choosing Your Twitter Name
Networking Effectively
Twitter Tools

This list just scratches the surface of what you will have available to you in this guidebook. You'll learn everything you need to know about using Twitter in your marketing plan and what issues to avoid. Dana even includes action plans throughout the guidebook to give you step-by-step instructions of how to proceed to accomplish specific task and goals. If Twitter has made you nervous, or if you think that you may not be using Twitter to it's full potential in your marketing plan, then check out Dana Lynn Smith's Twitter Guide For Authors. If you're like me, it will be a reference you keep handy to refer to time and time again.

Tony Eldridge

Marketing Tips Around The Net: February 19th

2010-02-19T11:35:00.000-06:00

It's Friday, and that means we get to take a trip around the net to uncover book marketing gems that catch my eye. So pour yourself your favorite beverage and get ready to learn a lot.

Before we get started, I have a couple of housekeeping announcements to make.

1. My new video tips is out for those who have subscribed to my Free Video Marketing Tips Newsletter. Blogger just added a new feature that allows you to create static pages for your blog. That means you can create "web pages" on your blog. In the new video tip, I walk you through the process of setting up static pages on your blogger blog. But I also included 3 bonus videos this week, so if you haven't signed up for the Free Video Tips Newsletter, you get access to these 4 videos and the 7 "free gift" videos that all new subscribers get. So sign up today to start learning some great video tips.

2. I also created a new 10 Lesson e-mail course that will teach you how to launch Twitter Contest. The course is free and when you sign up, you'll receive Lesson One as soon as you confirm your subscription.

Now, on to our tips from around the net...

1. What's YOUR Top Question?- Starting Monday, Lynn Serafinn has assembled a VIP panel of 18 top publishing experts to talk about writing your book, publishing your book, promoting your book and benefiting from having written a mind-body-spirit book. Registration for this event is free, but you need to visit now. I will be on the panel of experts on Tuesday. We will discuss PRE-PUBLICATION MARKETING MUSTS. Check it out today.

2. Blog in Advance to Save Sanity- Angela Wilson gives some great advice about planning and preparing your blog ahead of time. The advice in this post is the same advice she gives to her own clients, and now you have access to it as well.

3. Sell more books by targeting free resources to specific markets- Roger C. Parker has created some useful tips to help you see new success at selling your books. By targeting niche markets, you can open new markets to you.

4. Effective Twitter Marketing Strategies- Phyllis Zimbler Miller gives great advice as she discusses how to market on Twitter. Her conclusion: One size does not fit all. How you market on Twitter will depend on goals. Phyllis has also written: Internet marketing: Learn how to run successful contests on Twitter, where she discusses my new video e-book. Check out what she says!

5. How Frequent Changes on Big Web Sites Affect Our Publishing Plans- "What do the constant changes on Facebook and Amazon, etc. mean to us writers of nonfiction?" Carolyn Howard-Johnson updates you on some changes you want to be aware of.

6. Writing As a Marketing Tool- Yvonne Perry gives some great tips as she connects your writing quality with your image. I personally love the 12 minute delay on e-mails sent!

7. How to Automatically Flow Your Tweets to Facebook- Dana Lynn Smith introduces you to a great way to selectively choose tweets to automatically post to Facebook.

8. Podcast: Beat Procrastination With Rajeev Dewan, Peak Performance Coach- Joanna Penn interview Rajeev Dewan, who shares some tips to combat that old enemy we all battle against: Procrastination.

9. Creating Your Own Brand- Sandra Beckwith invites brand consultant and author Martin Lindstrom to share his 5 tips on how you can create your brand.

10. How to Conduct a Successful Book Signing Event- John Kremer invites author Sally Watkins to his blog, where she gives advice on how to conduct a successful book signing.

Well, that's all for this week's trip around the net. I look forward to seeing you all at the expert panel on Tuesday (see the first stop around the net for details). I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

2010-02-18T08:33:00.013-06:00

Perhaps you've heard about affiliate marketing. You may even be involved with it in one way or another. Then again, you may be like many other people who really don't know much about it. Today, I want to answer a few questions about what affiliate marketing is and how you can use it in your business.

First, what is affiliate marketing? Simply, it's an Internet business model that rewards someone for sending visitors to a website. For example, if company A is selling a product, it may offer to pay someone a portion of each sale when an "affiliate" refers someone to their site who purchases a product.

Some companies will even pay for each visitor who is referred and signs up for a mailing list. From your standpoint, affiliate marketing may fit into your marketing plan in one of two ways:

Recruiting Affiliates- If you have products you are selling, you may be interested in setting up an affiliate program to give an incentive for people to spread the word about the products or services you are selling.
Becoming an Affiliate- This can be another revenue stream for you. By telling people about someone's products and services, you can earn money on each purchase made by someone who you referred.

You can think of affiliate marketing as a way to recruit a selling force for you. But just because you have a product or service, that doesn't mean people will be lining up at the door to become an affiliate for you. Below, I have listed some things for you to think about if you are considering the task of creating an affiliate marketing program for your business.

If You Want To Recruit Affiliates

Sign up for an affiliate program- A quick search of the internet will return a lot of companies that run affiliate programs for you. You can start by checking with your shopping cart to see if they offer affiliate programs. For me, I use 1ShoppingCart's affiliate program since I use them as my shopping cart.

In fact, this link I give to 1ShoppingCart is an affiliate link. From a visitor's standpoint, you just click on the link and are taken to the same place that you would go if it had been a non-affiliate link. But now, 1ShoppingCart knows when you click on it that it was me who sent you.

1ShoppingCart is one of many great companies that can help you set up your affiliate link. If you know someone who sells products online, ask them who they use. This can be a great way to find companies that people are happy with.
Create resources for your affiliates- If you want people to refer your products and services, you need to make it easy on them to do that. That means you need to create sales pieces for them, provide e-collateral (banners, buttons, etc...), education, and even suggested text they can use in an e-mail campaign. By setting up a resource page where an affiliate can find a plethora of resources, you increase the chances they will find one suits their selling style.

One resource I created for my affiliates, is a video that explains to them how their affiliate link works. I break it down in a way that hopefully demystifies it and gives them power to use their affiliate links in a way that fits their style. Feel free to watch this video entitled: Using Affiliate Links.
Make yourself available without smothering your affiliates- There is a fine line between establishing a relationship with your affiliates and bugging them so much about selling your products that they eventually tune you out. If you spam your affiliates, then they know you will spam people they refer to you. Remember, these people are not your employees. If you are over the top about pushing them to sell for you, you may have a dismally poor affiliate program.
Treat referrals like royalty- Affiliates put their reputation on the line when they refer people to you. That means it's incumbent on you to to treat these people as valued guests. If you treat your referrals poorly by spamming them, then it will get around to your affiliate. Not treating your referrals right will be the quickest way to dry up your affiliate program. People talk, and I promise you, word will get around. That's one reputation that's hard to clean up once you've crossed the line.

The bottom line is that you need to treat your affiliates and referrals right.This is the best way to build a healthy referral program that engenders trust, ethics, and excitement. Be a resource to these people and do what is in their best interest. Doing so will increase the likelihood that they will do the same for you.

On Monday, I will look at affiliate programs from the other side. We will look at how to join an affiliate program so you can add additional revenue streams to your income. Now the FTC is getting involved with language around affiliate marketing. It seems that you can read all kinds of interpretations about their announcement. We will touch on that on Monday as well.

Regardless of how affiliate marketing may or may not fit into your own plans at this time, this is a viable option for you to consider. If you do, be one of the people who give affiliate marketing a good name, and not one who tarnishes it by engaging in questionable practices. Being open and up front goes a long way to establishing a great affiliate reputation.

Tony Eldridge

Twitter Lists: A Power Tool for Authors by Freya

2010-02-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today is Tuesday, and that means it's time for our guest expert on Marketing Tips For Authors. I am thrilled to introduce you to Freya, the author community manager for BookBuzzr and Social Media Marketing consultant. In today's post, Freya will discuss how we can take advantage of the list feature that Twitter recently rolled out.

Before we get to her post, I have a couple of quick announcements. First, my video e-book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests launches on March 1st, but you can reserve your copy today with a presale discount of 30%. This unique resource combines traditional e-book training with embedded instructional videos. In fact, you can view 2 of the videos by visiting the description page just to give you an idea of what's in the training.

Second, I want to remind you of the two free lists that you can join today. The first is my free Video Marketing Tips For Authors newsletter. When you sign up, you will receive free exclusive video training tips that show you some of the more technical aspects of marketing your book on the net. In fact, when you join, I will give you instant access to over 45 minutes of instant video training as my way of saying thanks.

The second list is my new free 10 Lesson e-mail course on Creating Twitter Contests. Each week, you will receive the next lesson in the series, but when you sign up, I will start you off with Lesson 1, Introduction & Targeting Followers, immediately. Both lists are free and both contain great content to help you market your book, products, or services online.

Now, on to Freya's post...

Twitter Lists: A Power Tool for Authors
By Freya

Twitter lists are a powerful tool you as an author should use to engage with your audience. Used right it can increase your productivity on twitter many fold and help you reach your goals faster. It will also help organize the twitter chaos a little : )

What are Twitter Lists?

Twitter's 'Lists' feature allows you to group people on twitter. You can make a list on just about anything (from science fiction to friends) and add people you want to it. What I love about this is that I can add someone to a list even if I don't follow them. There are people I want to listen to but adding them to my stream will cause it to seem overloaded so, I add them to a list. For example: I follow a lot of authors on twitter through my 'Authors on Twitter' list but do not directly follow all of them (over time as I get to know them I follow too).

Lists as verification checks

When I meet someone new on twitter and need help to make up my mind on following them, twitter's lists are great tool. Taking a look at how many times someone has been listed helps you gauge their reputation and by looking at the lists you'll know what that person's specialties are. Example: @TonyEldridge is reputed for being an author and book marketer. You can also look through their lists to find more interesting people.

Are lists just groups?

Yes, lists are just groups but the key lies in creating them right and using them well. Before creating your lists make a list of your audience. For example we at BookBuzzr want to engage with authors, publishers and those in the writing/publishing industry. So our lists are – authors on twitter, book marketers, book related, etc.

Grouping people right helps to see conversations better and aids with engagement. As an author you can create lists for marketing your books, different audiences, publishing news, author friends, etc. When you go through each list separately rather than your timeline, it is easier to start relevant conversations, connect with common friends and see all of these conversations happening with more ease.

The key is still engagement

The key to success on the internet is engagement in its many forms. Engaging and connecting with your audience is what will guarantee book sales. Lists just make this easier.

For example: If you are a science fiction author (as you can see its one of my favorite genres), you can create a list of science fiction buffs on twitter. This list will give you a lot of information about your audience and what they are reading currently. It is also a great opportunity to engage in conversations with your readers.

You can also add people to lists for news and information as this will help you stay updated. You can also share this information and start discussions on twitter.

Niche Lists

Some lists on twitter are niche lists; they have the movers and shakers on it. When you watch these lists you are privy to special conversations. You pick up nuggets of knowledge and news and connect with influential people. You can create your own niche lists and watch people start to follow it.

Twitter has proven to be a great networking tool and the new lists feature just accelerates the use of its potential. Grouping your audience right and engaging with them creates more opportunities for your books and writing. The more you connect, make friends and build relationships the more you will benefit in every way: And Lists will help you do this with more ease.

**********
Freya is the author community manager for BookBuzzr – A Free Online Book Marketing Technology for Authors and is the face of @BookBuzzr on Twitter. She is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and blogger. When not online she is a biker, bibliophile, traveler and imagineer. : )

**Note From Tony Eldridge** To see an example of the BookBuzzr tool, check out the sidebar on my blog where you can read my action/adventure novel, The Samson Effect, in BookBuzzr.

How To Register Your Copyright Online

2010-02-15T08:51:00.013-06:00

Recently, I applied for a copyright on my new video e-book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests (On pre-sale now). It was easy, especially since I had already created an account with the US Copyright Office when I applied for a copyright online for The Samson Effect. Back then, I was accepted into a beta program when the Copyright Office first started to allow people to apply online. In both cases, my experience has been stellar.

Why would you want to apply for your copyright online?

The cost is lower- $35
The processing time for your copyright is significantly reduced
You can check the status of your application online
In many cases, you can upload your work online, rather than mailing it

If you register your own copyright, you need to check out the US Copyright Office's online registration service. After you open your account, the system takes you through a step-by-step process that solicits specific information from you along the way. Each step has help links to explain things as you continue through the registration process.

When you "Register A New Claim", you will be taken to a screen that looks like this (Click on images to see a larger view):

This is an important example to use that shows you how the navigation works. Hyperlinks throughout the registration process take you to explanations, or help screens. In order to navigate the process itself, you have to click the buttons at the top that look like the "Back" and "Start Registration" buttons. You use these buttons to add requested information and to successfully save and move on to the next step.

Once you start your registration, you are taken to this screen:

On the left, you will see a list of steps. A red check mark appears in the Completed column as you successfully complete that step. Of course, you can see the navigation buttons at the top to take you from one step to the next.

My experience has been that the process is intuitive and with the extensive help available, pretty easy to navigate. If you have not tried to register your work online, you should. Kudos to the creator of this system. Who knew the US government could create a user friendly system that cuts efficiency and costs? My advice: take the people who designed this system and see if they can do anything to help the other government agencies with their processes.

Marketing Tips Around The Net: February 12th

2010-02-12T09:30:00.007-06:00

Happy early Valentines Day! I hope you have a wonderful week. It's hard to believe, but here in the Dallas, TX area, we had a record snowfall yesterday- over 10 inches! My three year old twin boys are looking forward to sledding today. My father in Indiana, is sitting back and laughing! At least, this snow will be gone in 24 hours or so!

One quick announcement before we begin. I just launched the presale of my new video e-book called, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. The book ships March 1st, but you can preorder it this month for substantial saving. Check it out and enjoy a couple of videos I made available for you to watch for free right now.

Well, my vacation from blogging and my internet work is over. That means I am back in the swing of things. Since it's Friday, that means that it's time for out trip around the net to see some of the best book marketing articles out there. I was just told that I have to make a snowman, so let's get started!

1. The Art of Retweeting- Phyllis Zimbler Miller has a site up devoted to helping businesses tap into the power of Twitter called Twitter And Your Website. In The Art Of Retweeting, she gives great advice on retweeting messages. She gives some great thoughts on Twitter's official retweet function that you will want to read.

2. What the Heck is Twitter and Why Should You Care?- With all the Twitter talk out there, it can be rather intimidating for people who just haven't brought themselves up to speed on it. Dana Lynn Smith breaks it down for you in an easy to understand way.

3. How To Launch A Book With No Traditional Media Like Seth Godin- Joanna Penn takes a page from Seth to show you how you can launch your book the guerrilla way.

4. What Do You Talk About On Your Blog If You Write Fiction?- Carolyn Howard-Johnson gives some great advice for anyone who writes fiction and has a blog. Having problems knowing what to include in your blog? Take a look at what she says.

5. Locate new profit ideas by exploring how other authors leverage their books to back-end profits- Roger C. Parker gives some sound advice when it comes to finding ways to make more money as an author. As an added bonus, check out Roger's guest post he did for Marketing Tips For Authors this week: Choose The Right Designer To Set Up Your Author Platform

6. Enthusiasm a Must for Today's Authors- Telling it like it is, Angela Wilson gets to the core issue of success for authors. Do you have what it takes to be successful at selling your book?

7. Selling Your Books In Bulk- Dream of selling your books more than one at a time? Penny Sansevieri tells you how you can.

8. Learn How to Properly Format an E-Book (free class!)- Jane Friedman shares how you can take a free class called eBook 101: Designing for Kindle and ePub. This webinar is on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 1pm EST, so if you are interested in it, check it out now and register today.

9. What's YOUR Top Question? Ask our Experts!- In a little over a week, you will have a great opportunity to access a huge panel of book marketing experts (including yours truly). This opportunity is brought to you by Lynn Serafinn. It will be hard to find this many experts gathered in one place, so make sure you check it out.

10. How to Be Found- Sandra Beckwith goes to the heart of every marketer's question. Her advice may have you rethinking your strategies.

BONUS: The Heart Kids Tweet-a-thon- Many of you may have heard of Dr. Mani already. He is a doctor and an author who sells his books to raise money for kids with congenital heart defects. This Valentine's Day, he is having a "Tweetathon" to bring awareness to his work. Dr. Mani has a link for you to make donations, but you can also show your suppport just by following him and sending out a Tweet during this Tweetathon. There is a wonderful Fast Company article written about his selfless work. He is even giving away a copy of my new video e-book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests, for a lucky follower of his on Sunday.

That's it for this week. Enjoy your weekend! I'm about to bundle up and take off to make Frosty. There are some things I don't miss about the winters in Indy... The snow is definitely one of them...

Choose The Right Designer To Set Up Your Author Platform By Roger C. Parker

2010-02-10T05:09:00.007-06:00

Today, I am thrilled to introduce you to a marketer who is a wealth of information: Roger C. Parker. It would take up the entire post to list his credentials and the resources he makes available to authors. Suffice it to say that if you have not visited his site, read his blog, downloaded his tools, read his books or listened to his free weekly teleseminars, you are missing out on great resources.

Today, Roger gives us practical advice when it comes to hiring the right web site designer. He helps us understand how to evaluate a designer that not only knows how to put together a site, but one who is familiar with integrating basic marketing functions within our site as well.

Before we get to Roger's post (a classic to be on this blog), I have an exciting announcement to make. Today, I am announcing the pre-sale launch of my first product since starting Marketing Tips For Authors: Conducting Effective Twitter Contests.

I have pulled from my background as an author and a marketing director for a company that produced training videos to bring you a truly unique learning tool to help you launch your own successful Twitter contests. It's what I call a Video E-book. It's a PDF e-book packed with marketing information, but throughout the book, you will be able to watch embedded videos to help drive home the lessons.

It launches on March 1st, but you can reserve your copy today at a special pre-sale price. Check it out and watch 2 of the 20 videos I have made available for you to preview today.

Now, on to Roger's post...

How to choose the right designer to set up your author platform
By Roger C. Parker

Authors often ask the wrong questions when looking for a web designer to help them create a blog to serve as the hub of their author platform. This is especially true when authors approach- -or are approached by- -local web designers.

During the past 2 years, I've encountered a distressing number of authors who have spent great amounts of money (4-figure sums are not uncommon!)- -who, after 3 or 4 months- -still don't have an appropriately, functioning blog-based author platform.

This is bad enough from the point of view of wasted money. But, it's even worse when viewed in terms of lost opportunities caused by the delays and non-performance.

Inappropriate expectations and delegation
The unhappy scenario described above begins when an author chooses the wrong designer, then delegates too much unsupervised authority to them.

Many designers come to blog and web from a print background. A print background is fine, especially when it has taught the designer the fundamentals of organizing and presenting complex information in a manner that emphasizes readability and permits easy scanning.

The problem is that many "jack of all trades" designers have previously earned most of their living from creating ads, brochures, logos, menus, and newsletters for local businesses and non-profits. They often have a different perspective; they approach blogs and author platforms from an exclusively creative, or "image" background.

As a result, these designers tend to over-emphasize color, type, and layout, while under-emphasizing the functional and programming aspects of blog set-up and design needed for success as the hub of an author platform.

"Many local designers are unaware of the hundreds of thousands of successful authors who have attracted publisher and reader attention with simple, but full-featured blogs that have created platforms based on efficient message creation, distribution, and relationship building."

How to avoid hiring the wrong designer
There are 3 keys to hiring the right designer:

Change your perspective. Put the emphasis on function rather than aesthetics! Emphasize efficiency and function, rather than "aesthetics" and "image." Granted, it's important that your blog be readable and project a unique, appropriate image. But, it's more important that your blog be ready as soon as possible to perform all of the tasks needed to become the hub of your author platform. Setting-up a full-featured blog should neither drain your resources nor delay your platform-building.
Change the playing field. Don't be "wowed" by examples of beautiful designs! All designers can point to examples of previous design excellence. Design ability is just the price of admission. Remember that you- -as a non-designer- -are likely to over-rate a designer's ability to create good-looking graphics. (It's the same way, you, an airline passenger, are likely to over-rate a pilot's abilities, since you don't know how to fly a 747). Instead of being intimidated by their design abilities, change the playing field from "aesthetic" to "functional" by asking the right questions. Put the emphasis on the total author platform rather than surface issues.
Supervise rather than delegate. You must provide informed leadership, your designer should implement. With rare exceptions, don't expect your designer to be a marketing expert familiar with concepts like "marketing funnel" and permission-based marketing. Many designers are more comfortable designing logos, for example, than autoresponders, downloadable incentives, landing pages, and the latest social marketing tools. You have to know what you want, based on observing what other authors and information marketers are doing, and adapting their strategies.

"The set-up of your blog should neither drain your resources nor should it delay your platform-building. And you must take the lead in knowing what you want."

Questions to ask yourself before hiring a designer
The easiest way to choose the right designer is to ask the right questions. Here, are some questions to ask, adapted from my Designers Qualification Checklist:

What kind of clients have you previously worked with? Check out several client websites. Beware of designers whose previous web experience has been primarily based on attractively-designed "brochure" sites that appear to be rarely updated.
What's the designer's own website like? When was it last updated? Is there a recently-updated blog? Did you learn anything about design from visiting their website? Does their site offer a downloadable incentive to encourage e-mail sign-up and long-term relationships? Does the site project a unique, appropriate image?
Do their previous blogs and websites tell a full story in the home page opening screen? Analyze their previous work from a usability point-of-view. Beware of sites that require extensive home page scrolling before the visitor benefits become obvious. Watch out for sites that use fancy video animations to camouflage the lack of a thought-out message.
When visiting site examples, is it easy to locate information and sign-up for e-mail newsletters or tips? Look for "sticky" sites that stress the benefits of building an on-going relationship. Look for examples of sites that educate and engage rather than trying to "close a sale" on the first visit.
Are you willing to show me how to update my blog after you set it up? Authors simply cannot afford the costs and delays inherent in a "hostage" website. It's imperative that your designer be willing to educate you on the basics of adding and deleting content, including creating landing pages and changing the incentive. Look for designers who want to empower you, rather than lock you into a lifetime of future revenues.
Are you comfortable with the designer's fees and terms? What's included? Does the fee cover everything needed for a blog-based author platform? Basics include a downloadable incentive, autoresponder, e-mail and shopping cart capability, a few additional background pages, plus training in adding posts, responding to comments, and creating additional landing pages?
What's the typical project turnaround time? Do you have a formal process, or systems in place, to move the projects forward as quickly as possible? Inefficiency is certain to result if every blog involves a "reinvent the wheel" situation.
What happens when you're not around? Do you have a back-up? Who will be there to help me if something goes wrong and you're not around because you're traveling. Without a team behind them, freelance graphic designers may leave you vulnerable if they get busy or become ill.

Checklists and worksheets
When working with my coaching clients, I encourage clients to download and print out a copy of my Designer Qualification Checklist which, as a reader of this blog, you can download for free (no registration required).

Hint: print copies on 3-hole punched paper. Print a different copy for each of the designer's you're interested in, and fill it out by hand as you visit their own website and other websites they've designed.

After you're through, you can store the filled-out worksheets in a 3-ring binder with all of the other worksheets and forms you use to plan, write, promote, and profit from a published book.

About Roger C. Parker
Roger C. Parker is a popular book coach and author of over 30 "how to" books. At his www.publishedandprofitable.com website, and his daily writing tips blog, he offers resources (including free weekly teleseminars) for planning, writing, promoting, and profiting from nonfiction books by breaking big projects, like books, into a simple tasks.

Roger C. Parker On Deck

2010-02-09T08:06:00.002-06:00

I wanted to drop a quick post to everyone letting you know that I have an exciting post from a top marketing expert. Roger C. Parker will be talking to us about how to choose the right designer to set up your author platform. You won't want to miss it! That's tomorrow morning.

I have enjoyed my time with my family over the last couple of weeks, but I am eager to get back into the grind of things with my blog and videos as well. We will kick off my return to work with Roger's post tomorrow.

Oh, many of you know that I am from Indy. Even though it was hard to see the Colts lose the Super Bowl, it couldn't have been against a better team. Congrats to the Saints and to the city of New Orleans. They are a class act all the way and certainly deserve the honor of being world champs.

Tony Eldridge

Do-It-Yourself Marketing by Jerry B. Jenkins

2010-02-02T08:37:00.008-06:00

It's Tuesday, and that means it's time for our guest post for the week. Today, I am thrilled to introduce you to one of the most prolific writers I have met. Jerry Jenkins will be sharing his rich knowledge on Do-It-Yourself Marketing for authors. Jerry has written over 175 books, having sold over 70 million books worldwide, including co-authoring the popular Left Behind series.

I have been way from the computer for a few days, and it looks like my access may be spotty again until next Monday, but I did want to take a few moments before we get to Jerry's post for a couple of quick announcements.

1. If you have not had a chance to sign up for my free Marketing Tips For Authors Video Tips, you can do so now and I will start you off with access to over 45 minutes of Tips when you sign up.

2. I also want to let people who are following the film project of my book, The Samson Effect, know that you can check its IMDb page to keep track of what's going on with it's progress. This is the page that the film producer told me he will update for people to publicly keep track of what's going on with it.

And now, on to Jerry's post...

Do-It-Yourself Marketing
by Jerry B. Jenkins

There are two ways to see your books fly off the shelves: 1—write a book that becomes a phenomenal bestseller, providing your publisher with enough resources to promote and advertise it without limit, or, 2—take advantage of every avenue available to push your own book.

Imagine what might happen if you're successful at number 2. (See number 1 above.)

Believe it or not – and fortunately I know this from personal experience – the books you see heavily advertised and promoted by publishers were big sellers before they qualified for those marketing dollars. Sure, some titles by established authors get more promotion dollars up front, but to justify significant campaigns, a book has to prove to be a big seller first.

Every so-called name author you've heard of (with the exception of people who happen to pastor huge churches or have radio or TV ministries was once where you may be: unknown and unpublished. That you now recognize their names means that somewhere along the line, something went right for them.

Little surprise, if a newcomer's book is going to be heavily promoted, the author is going to do most of the work. If you're not prepared for that, your publisher will be less interested.

So you have a book and a publisher. Now what?

With Twitter, Facebook, and all the other ways to communicate with the masses, it's time to get busy.

A few tips:

Check out www.StartaWildFire.com. Rob Eagar puts out a newsletter, The WildFire Report, that he calls "Book Market News You Can Use." He also provides services for authors, like coaching on how to build your platform, website and social networking advice, as well as services for publishers.

Tyndale House Publishers offers their authors "Top Ways to Be a Super Self-Promoter," which recommends books like:

Author 101 by Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman

Plug Your Book! Online Book Marketing for Authors by Steve Weber

1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer

A Savvy Author's Guide to BOOK Publicity by Lissa Warren

Tyndale also recommends that you be available to your publisher, partnering with them and helping them by providing them with lists of media and personal contacts, writing an opinion editorial on the subject of your book, and giving them with anything else they ask for.

They also urge you to create a relationship with your local bookstore and library, write articles and even create discussion questions based on your book, make contacts with local media, launch a website dedicated to your book, make use of e-newsletters and a blog, urge readers to review your book on Amazon.com and take advantage of Amazon's many tips for writers, develop your speaking ability and make yourself available for such opportunities. They also list tips for how to be a good interview subject for radio, TV, phone, in print, and on web chats.

All publishers urge you create buzz through web campaigns, mass mailings, attending conferences and trade shows, and finding author-centered websites that feature new books.

Find publishers you like on line and ask for their self-promotion hints. You'll be surprised how many will send them, even if you're not one of their authors.

One of the better publications for authors is The Book Marketing Expert Newsletter, which describes itself as "all about successful publishing and powerful promotion." Its editor is Penny C. Sansevieri (penny@amarketingexpert.com).

I found one of their recent issues chocked full of usable stuff on such subjects as:

Their new Author's Edge Book Marketing Program, Branding, Tweeting, Marketing Your Book Event Yourself, Blogging, Penny's blog on The Huffington Post, and much, much more.

These are just a few resources that barely scratch the surface of the plethora of tools available to the enterprising writer. No one knows or cares about your book as much as you do. You owe it to yourself and to your work to take advantage of every avenue to let everyone know about it.

Jerry B. Jenkins's writing has appeared in Time, Reader's Digest, Parade, Guideposts, and many other periodicals. His 175 published books have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. He owns the Christian Writers Guild and Jenkins Entertainment, a filmmaking company. He serves as a contributing editor to Writer's Digest.

10 Truths About Self Marketing, Like It Or Not

2010-01-28T10:30:00.009-06:00

In today's post, we are going to look at a few "truths" that surround marketing yourself, your book, or your business. When I talk about "self" market, I am talking about being in the position where you are responsible for any marketing that you will receive; you pull the trigger, you make the calls. You own the business or the responsibility to get things done rest squarely on your shoulders.

I will be the first to tell you that this list may be highly subjective. I don't doubt that many will disagree with what I say. I also believe that many marketing veterans will have more items to add to this list. That's OK. I am fine with that. The purpose of this list is to help a new author or business owner know what's waiting for them.

I hope that if this list does nothing more, it will help marketers think about what awaits them. In doing that, my hope is the list will help them reflect, and maybe make better decisions as they look for marketing success.

Your Success Is Dependent On You Alone- Don't get me wrong, you will meet a lot of people who will help you, especially if you help them. People, for the most part, are genuinely good and they want to see others succeed. But when it's said and done, you can't hang your hopes on someone else if you want to be a success. Your success will be solely dependent on you. If you don't succeed, you have no one else to blame. The ability and willingness to take responsibility is a perennial hall mark of success. That will not change when you take up the challenge to market yourself.
Things Will Only Get Done If You Do Them- Are you a "big picture" person? Do you have lofty dreams that you believe your marketing activities can help you achieve? If so, great! I applaud you. All successful people have the rare ability to think big and make it happen. The challenge is not in the dreaming big; it's in the "making it happen."
You Have To Plan Your Marketing Activities- Marketing requires that you plan. You can only get so far if you wing it. In fact, you will limit your success more than you can imagine if you don't take the time to create a marketing plan and hold yourself to it. Of course, you need to be flexible to change as situations warrants, but you still need to know how to get where you want to go.
You Have To Do The Boring Things As Well As The Exciting Things- For all the interviews, public events, and spotlights, there are hours spent in quite solitude to lay the foundations which make the exciting things happen. There are daily grinds that must be done or you risk sabotaging your success.
You Have To Be In It For The Long Haul- Marketing builds on itself. It's the blood that flows through your business and brand. Rarely will you have immediate success when you start to market. By committing to a long-term marketing plan, you will not only see your success come, you will see the success grow stronger and stronger over time. It's an amazing thing to have to re-evaluate your goals because you are exceeding them ahead of schedule.
You Have To Keep Learning- Your current knowledge will only take you so far. If you want to be in it for the long haul, you have to build into your marketing plan the time and resources to add to your knowledge. Things change in every industry. By staying stagnant, you run the risk of being left behind. Dinosaurs are easy to spot and, sadly, will eventually become extinct. Continue to evolve by feeding yourself a steady educational diet that keeps you on the cutting edge of your industry.
You Can't Give Up If Things Go Wrong- The most successful and wealthy people have seen failure. Failure is, more times than not, a necessary step in your growth process. Failure does have it's benefits for those who don't become a master to it:
1. It creates patience- There is nothing like dealing with failure and learning to overcome it to produce patience.
2. It grants wisdom- Failure can be a great school master, teaching you what to do and what not to do in the future. Some of the smartest people we meet will be smart because they learned from their mistakes.
3. It sharpens our decision-making muscles- Failure is a type of resistance. Resistance is what builds our muscles. The same is true for our ability to make decisions. Inaction is worse than taking the wrong action (provided we learn from the wrong action).
You Have To Listen To The Right People- You will read a lot of advice from a lot of people. Some will give good advice, others will not. If you consistently listen to the right people, you will start to have the success you are looking for. Seek out the people who have the success you are looking for. Anyone who is successful in even the smallest area you want to be successful in is worthy to listen to.
You Must Know Who Not To Listen To- Sadly, there are many people who you should chart a course to steer clear of. People who discourage you from your dreams can be deadly. Most of the time, you will see that these people are the same ones who gave up on their own dreams, or worse, people who never had the courage to start to chase their dream. Also, if someone is giving you advice, look at their success. A failed business owner is not the ideal person to get advice from on how to be a successful business owner. You can almost hear their advice now, can't you?
You Must Realize What A Privilege It Is To Live In A Time Where You Have The Opportunity To Market Your Own Products And Services- Let's face it, we live in a great time as business owners. We are connected globally and each of us has the ability to connect to a universal audience. We have been blessed to have the same opportunities that were once reserved for the nobility of eons past. Opportunity does not guarantee success, but it does make success possible.

My encouragement to you is to reach out and grab your dreams. Listen to others with a critical ear. Be thankful when others help you achieve success, but don't delegate your success to anyone else. Surround yourself with people who have the same success you are striving for. And remember, the buck stops here. Isn't it a great feeling to know that no one else can take that buck from you?

Surprise! Branding Is Not Always About Your Book By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

2010-01-26T09:07:00.004-06:00

Today's guest author is no stranger to Marketing Tips For Authors. Carolyn Howard-Johnson is back to share her wisdom with us. In today's post, she talks about the importance of creating a brand as an author. It's my pleasure to bring you this excerpt from her book, The Frugal Promoter.

Surprise! Branding Is Not Always About Your Book
by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
An Excerpt from The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't

Branding is not advertising, nor publicity, not even general
exposure. It is how all of your efforts, working together, coalesce
into the public's perception of who you are, what you do.

Poets and Writers Magazine reports that Riverhead Press, ZZ Packer's publisher, "Bank(ed) on . . . .name recognition" when they sent her on a 10-city tour in 2003, something that the press's publicist maintains is a rare occurrence for a first-time author.

It is unlikely that you will have the name recognition that your, your publisher or publicist can count on when your first book comes out. Not unless you are already a known expert and are writing a nonfiction book allied with that expertise. Or unless you've been working on a platform way before your publisher or publicist is ready to make such decisions.

These are the reasons why it is never too early to start promoting your career. Notice, I said career, not book. Your early publicity efforts should be aimed at who you are, your expertise and any writing you did (or are doing) before your book was but a shadow of an idea in your head.

Even with a general background in PR and experience in another specialized field of publicity (fashion) I fell into some gigantic publicity pitfalls. One of the worst: I put my book—my passion—first.

One day I realized that I was the one that I should be branding instead of my book. I was putting together a business card on www.vistaprint.com. I'm not very computer savvy and I couldn't get my book cover of This Is the Place to load. I had seen many business cards for real estate professionals that used their photos so I did the same. Then I thought, "Well, it's OK because I won't have to do much redesigning when and if I complete another book." Lightning! Of course I would write another book! And of course, when I think of my favorite books it usually isn't the title I remember, but the author's name! In fact if that author had written quite a few books—I might not be able to name more than one of them.

Even after this flare of clarity, I was reluctant to give up my focus on the name of my book because This Is the Place is a metaphor at several levels. The place is, of course, Utah, my beloved home where I was born and raised. Place refers also to the farm where my protagonist goes to learn more about herself, but it also refers to that singular spot inside each of us where we must go to find the courage to follow our own passion rather than those indicated by others. That's when I realized that I wouldn't have to change the name of my Web site for it, too, was a place, the place, in fact, for learning more about me and my books. I since outgrew that Web site (I needed control over adding and deleting my own content!) but it worked for nearly six years.

Some of the most focused companies in the world, like Coca Cola, use several related approaches to branding themselves.(Coke is it! The Real Thing!) Branding is not necessarily an all or nothing proposition. I am working fervently on promoting my passion, a campaign against prejudice of all kinds (gender, race, religion, body type, nationality and on and on). It matters not where my books are set or their names, "The Place" will always be that place inside of each of us that is very much like the place in the person we think we don't like for whatever reason. So a page on my new site will be carry this header.

You are after the same kind of universal approach to your branding. It's okay if you aren't a Johnny One Note. In fact, it's preferable. The last thing you want to do it narrow your efforts to a single title, even the name of a single series. Not even a single genre.

As it turned out, my second book, Harkening, is not a novel, but a book of true short stories. I'm glad I didn't brand myself too narrowly because stationary or business cards that say "novelist" wouldn't fit for that nor would it have fit for my how-to books for writers. A few years later, "novelist" or even "writer of fiction" wouldn't work for my poetry chapbooks, either.

This may seem like nit picking, but, in terms of branding, even one word can be important and an author working on a PR campaign will continue to refine his or her approach. That's another reason why you don't want to have too many postcards, business cards or bookmarkers printed at once. In the future, you may be turning corners you never visualized.

Here are some aspects of branding you'll want to consider.

Decide what you want your brand to say.
1. Take into consideration what you might do in the future. Your first book may be a romance but if you choose a red hot image and decide to write a literary book, you will have chosen your brand unwisely
2. Certainly you'll want to consider tie-ins to your writing or business career from your prebook days if they will contribute to the picture you are trying to paint.
Consider general branding as you design your Web site and other promotion materials.
A look that coordinates your author's stationery, cards, invoices, your Web site and bookmarks is part of branding. So is your voice mail greeting, your e-mail signature, the look of your instant messaging and more. Wait, however, until just before your book is released to implement most of these efforts.

Hint #1: Once your publisher has firmed up your title
begin to think about a banner or logo for the book to be used on Web sites. If you are not handy with a computer, try T.C. McMullen's graphic talents: http://tc_mcmullen.tripod.com/editorialservices/
or Brenda Weeaks, br_we@sbcglobal.net.

Hint #2: You don't need a book or a title to settle on a logo for your stationery, etc. Your logo should fit into your general branding concept and that might be something as simple as an attractive rendition of your initials.
Work now on making yourself into an expert based on something related to your book. Choose the broadest brush possible. Tolerance is broad and it (or the lack of it) is constantly in the news. Book promotion is less general but that's OK. It's a nice niche market. Novelist Tony Eldridge has used that niche to good advantage.
When you're making these decisions, follow your star. It will be easier to follow though on a subject for which you are passionate.
Don't be afraid of widening your path. This is akin to building a reputation. You wouldn't want to be known only as honest among dozens of traits you aspire to.

Hint: This rule changes when your book is about to be published. Then you will want to specifically target the audience and media that will be most receptive to that specific work, but only for a while. It won't be long before you'll need to pick up a fatter brush that holds more paint.

----------------------

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a multi award-winning novelist, short story writer, poet and author of nonfiction books for writers. She is also an instructor for UCLA Extension's Writers' Program and has shared her expertise at venues like San Diego State's world renowned Writers' Conference and the Sinclair Lewis Writers' Conference. She was recently awarded Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment by the California Legislature and her city's Ethics award for her work on promoting tolerance. Her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers have won USA Book News' Best Professional Book awards, the Irwin Award, Reader Views Literary award and her marketing campaign for THE FRUGAL EDITOR won a New Millennium award. She writes a blog that was chosen Writer's Digest 101 Best; it is www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com Another helps writers present whistle-clean copy, www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com. Her Web site is: http://www.HowToDoItFrugally.com.

Effective Book Marketing By Sharyn Abbott

2010-01-21T11:44:00.005-06:00

This week, we have another guest post by someone who really knows her stuff. Sharyn Abbott is the author of 7 books and works with authors to complete their books. Today, she covers a topic near and dear to my heart--how to find ways to leverage your book marketing power.

Before we get to her post, I wanted to let people who are following the film project of my book, The Samson Effect, know that you can check its IMDb page to keep track of what's going on.

Now, on to Sharyn's post...

Effective Book Marketing
By Sharyn Abbott

Book Signings are one of the first stops when new authors finally have their book in their hands. In truth, books signings should be scheduled for only two reasons. You want to announce to all those who know you "I AM an author!" and you want to bask in their admiration of the amazing accomplishment you have achieved.

The second reason to have a book signing is to capture media attention. One of the tactics I use with my authors is to find a well known bookstore and ask if they will sponsor the book signing event. I also mention that we will be on local TV, radio and mentioned in the local papers which will bring the bookstore extra foot traffic. This is always a bonus to them.

The reasoning behind book signings is to gain the media attention. The more the better, the more often the better.

I know most authors droll over shelf space in bookstores, but in reality, bookstores are nothing more than libraries that allow you to take books home and never bring them back. The sad reality is that more people bring books back (23% according to booksellers.com) every year. They can be earmarked, have writing in the margins and missing pages and as long as the consumer has a receipt, the books store is generally likely to give the consumer a refund.

However, author's marketing has taken a turn for the positive during the past two years. We now have access to several resources such as websites like Amazon, Facebook, Self-Growth and Goodreads just to name just a few, where authors congregate. You can enlist their help in cross promoting each other's books through an email marketing campaign. It's very effective.

Another strategy is to interview other authors in your genre. They send a notice to their database proudly proclaiming the interview date and the details in which their loyal audience may listen for free! Yes, free!

The benefit for you as an author is you'll be able to capture the other author's database! It comes back to the more people who know who you are, the more sales you’ll make.

One of my favorite marketing tactics is speaking. I will speak to any size audience and sell an average of 25% either books, CD's or previous recorded teleseminars. Each time you speak, you will want to record the presentation. Every author you interview you'll record the call. Every teleseminar you conduct, you'll have another product. Every product you have leads to more sales.

I've also managed to create a series of workshops based on my books for organizations and churches. I offer them 50% of the proceeds. They do all of the promotions, I show up and create a new audience of those interested in my topics.

You'd also be amazed at how easy it is to be booked on talk radio programs. I will typically have four interviews a month and sell between 25 and 100 books each interview.

Any author who spends ten to fifteen hours a week marketing their book will realize better than a full time income within a few short months. It takes a plan and then the discipline to follow through with the plan consistently.

Please feel free to stop by my blog for more insights.

Write on,

Sharyn Abbott
www.creativeimpressionscorp.com
www.SharynAbbott.com

Sharyn is a professional speaker and author of 7 books. She has been helping authors complete their books in six weeks, get their books out into the world and retain the majority of the book's sales value.

Two Questions to Answer For Your Best-Seller by Al Lautenslager

2010-01-19T08:59:00.010-06:00

It's Tuesday, an that means it's time for our guest contributor. Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Al Lautenslager, a public speaker, author, marketing consultant and Guerrilla Marketing coach. Among his books, you may be familiar with Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days which he co-authored with Jay Conrad Levinson and his new book, The Ultimate Guide to Direct Marketing. Today, Al will be talking to us about what it takes to make your book a best seller.

Before we get to his post, I wanted to thank everyone for the get-well wishes. I think I am finally past this bug, but it has moved on to the rest of my family. Thankfully, we all seem to be over the worse of it.

Also, for those who wish to follow the project of my book, The Samson Effect, making it to the silver screen, you can check it's IMDb page to keep track of what's going on.

And now, on to Al's Post...

Two Questions to Answer For Your Best-Seller
By Al Lautenslager

The best books are acknowledged with best-seller status. Notice that status is not one designated as best-writer. More and more people believe that there is a book inside of them and yearn to write, yearn to create, and yearn to see that book on the shelf of bookstores. None of this yearning includes the selling and marketing of the book. Selling and marketing a book makes it a best-seller, not just the writing.

Asking those yearning, two basic questions, sets the proper marketing perspective which eventually turns into the proper selling perspective which eventually causes books to fly off the shelf but it's not automatic and it's not always easy.

Here are the two questions that every best-selling author can answer and any wannabe best-selling author ought to be able to answer:

Who is going to buy your book?
Why should they buy your book?

These two questions sound like common sense but the development of the answers is not common practice.

In business, communicating the benefits, what's in it for the prospect, is paramount to a sale. The same goes for book marketing, "What's in it for the reader?" In business, the next logical question to answer is what benefit am I going to get from you that I wouldn't get from the competitor. That is, by definition, the competitive advantage. The competitive advantage of your book is what the reader will get from your book that they won't get anywhere else and that is why they should by your book. Developing this and honing this takes time, great thought, challenging and sometimes testing; much like a business develops their marketing.

Many times these two questions are flushed out in the proposal process but the communication of the answers is a continuous process. In Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days, the benefits were: fresh, real world examples that matched the readers' businesses, action plans accompanying each chapter that guided the reader to implementation, and teaching readers to market without spending money, to name a few. The competitive advantage or the one that other marketing books didn't offer was the particular real world examples with the action plans. These all are very apparent now and when reading the book but when planning the marketing of the book, they were not as apparent. They needed developed. They were tested with potential book buyers and readers. They were honed to the point that it is easy to state them as done here. They were communicated over and over and over on the way to the book reaching best-seller status.

It is now going on 4 years since the first edition of Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days was released and the book still sells well. Communication of the information stated above and getting the messages to market is never ending. Selling and marketing a book is not a flash in the pan. A good book can be sold and marketed for a long period of time. Knowing who is going to buy the book and why they will buy it turns into a continuous marketing message that results in continuous sales, more products, more books, more related ways to generate income, all making a true, "best-seller." Dig deep for the answers, ask purchasers why they bought the book, and continually test the market.