Posts filed under 'Marketing'
Branding Your Web Site: Maintaining Your Unique Voice on the Internet
Nowadays, promoting and selling your book means you need a strong Internet presence. Of course, you can start your own blog with WordPress, or you can create profiles in social networks like Myspace, Booksie or WOW! But in order to distinguish yourself, you’ll need your own author Web site.
Looking for free Web site design? Check out AuthorTree, or maybe even Weebly and Homestead for your options.
That said, once you’ve secured your Web site and your memorable domain name, you’ll need to establish your voice, generate content and insert images that all reflect your unique book and authorship. That’s what branding is all about – portraying a product (your book) in a catchy, yet informative away.
Here are some basic tips on how to brand an effective Web site:
- Know your audience, and design your site to meet their needs and desires.
- Think of their perspective when marketing your book and offering promotional opportunities.
- Genuinely engage real people within blogs, forums, e-mails and social networks.
- Avoid aggressive and silly copy that only seeks to sell.
- Increase your fan base with conversations that reflects your goals and voice.
- Research collaborations, partnerships and your target audience.
- Maintain a newsletter or mailing list, and consistently send updates.
- Post regularly within your own blogs and other relevant blogs.
- List all your reviews, contact information and testimonials on your site in a clear, concise manner.
Obviously, each Web site is different, and hence requires a unique brand mentality, but authors who follow the above guidelines should create sites that not only dazzle audience members, but attract new readers who could potentially buy more books!
This is Justin, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.
Add comment August 26, 2008
Researching, Sharing & Learning from Experience: How Search Engines Can Benefit Your Book Marketing Efforts
“My salad days/ When I was green in judgment.“
-William Shakespeare, “Antony and Cleopatra”
People often mention their early inexperience. If I had it all to do over again… If I knew then what I know now…But in the digital era of book marketing, this can actually be an advantage.
Unfortunately, earlier generations never had the option of typing words into an Internet search engine only to discover thousands of Web sites, online communities and blogs. Nowadays, however, with a simple registration, participating in communities and employing technological advantages through online research can allow you to explore new promotional concepts in cyberspace.
For example, if you have plans to schedule an event in a local bookstore, you might choose to spend a little time researching the location. Maybe visit the company Web site and find the name of the local manager. Searching, you may even find mention of the bookstore on another blog suggesting authors bring their own chairs. You may even stumble upon a comment about an event that was ruined due to the tanning salon next door that tends to block the bookstore entrance with its weekend crowd.
The above might be random examples, but you should begin to understand the necessity of researching your marketing plan. Type locations and specific book strategies into search engines like Google, Cuil and Yahoo, and you’ll likely find at least a few ongoing or resolved conversations about your question.
From the first moment an idea about a novel pops into your head, search and see if any other authors have posted about similar fiction ideas. When you finish writing your book, type “I just finished writing my book” into a search field and read the search results. You’ll be surprised at what Web site and social networks you can visit!
Don’t be afraid to share you insights and discoveries with the world either. Post a comment below about your research experience, and perhaps you help a few other emerging writers startup their career.
“Experience is by industry achieved.”
-William Shakespeare
Add comment August 22, 2008
Extra, Extra, Blog All About It: Five Basic Blog Tips for Authors
Greetings, Earthlings,
Blogging ain’t easy, especially when you’re trying to get noticed among the million or so other blogs currently posting. Intimidated? Not even sure how to manage a successful blog? Need a few pointers? Then, look no further. Wordbot has five basic blog tips that should help emerging writers and new authors make waves in the blogsphere.
Keep it short and sweet. Sure, it’s important to have a playful tone and establish a good voice, but not at the expense of your content. Make sure you have a strong SEO title and keyword-friendly first paragraph, so your readers know what your post this week is actually about. Long, irrelevant blogs will definitely get swept under the digital rug before Internet surfers have even finished reading them.
Be honest, but excited. Sometimes the truth can hurt, but as long as you look on the bright side and find a rhyme to the reason, your readers will respect you. Don’t get bogged down by negativity or marketing pessimism. Instead work to help your fellow writers and yourself with useful information and proactive suggestions.
Use your common sense. You’d be surprised – simply being practical can works wonders for your blog. When you pose real problems and offer time-tested solutions that are easy to implement and adaptable, you should definitely seem an increase in Internet traffic and positive comments. Before long, people who stumble upon your insightful posts will link back to you, ask questions about your experience and subscribe to your feedburner.
Stay current. Make sure your posts are always relevant to your mission and address topics that in the news. People want to stay in the loop. Even tidbits and reasonable predictions can make a world of different. Publishing industry buzz and printing technology updates will not only earn you hot keywords, but a contemporary audience as well.
Balance is key. When you’re designing your blog, be sure to think about your layout. Most blogs include search engines, about the blog text, author links, other site information along with a wide variety of widgets. Incorporate graphics, podcasts, viral videos, humor and information into your posts, and create a memorable blog people look to for guidance. Consider purchasing a personal domain name as well, and giving your blog a URL title that readers won’t forget.
Though there’s no guarantee that your blog will become the latest craze on the Internet, by following these rules of thumb you can definitely turn your weblog into a hot spot for your target audience.
Wordbot upload completed. Transmission ended.
Add comment August 19, 2008
Real Writers Make Their Own Luck: Self-Promoting Your Book Sees Real Returns
“Let every eye negotiate for itself
And trust no agent.”
Much Ado about Nothing, Act 2
Some writers will be fortunate enough to fall into a lucrative writing career without much application beyond their natural talent, but let’s be realistic about the odds. With the publishing industry growing and changing, more and more people are actively participating in the market.
A colleague of mine, who works directly with emerging authors, actively reminds them not to expect full-time pay from their writing unless they are willing to put in full-time hours and effort. This is obvious, but surprisingly, many of writers are caught off-guard by this statement. Everyone would like to discover their “Golden Ticket,” however if a book is published in the woods and nobody is around to hear it, truth is it probably won’t make a dime in royalties.
That said, it’s important to adapt to the changing environment of the book marketplace. Those other authors out there are competing in the same market as you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should work against them. Ask both the writers who employ literary agents and the ones who don’t – both will tell you that ultimately they are their own representatives.
As a former manager in a retail bookstore, trust me when I say that there were several instances during which famous authors would get booked for a signing at our store and wind up sitting quietly by themselves in the café area. That is until our staff approached the author, asked for their autograph and encouraged them to keep at their promotion.
Those authors were often from major publishing houses with a team of marketers working the area. Even in the best case scenario, there is still a chance that working hard won’t guarantee a title or author bestselling status. There is, however, almost no chance that an author who isn’t working to draw attention to their efforts (whether through local media, public appearances or hosting big release parties) will be able to rest on their own laurels or retire on royalties.
Most self-publishing authors already know first-hand that personal investment is what got you this far. The good news is that the more you focus on your projects (prior to and after their completion), the better acquainted you will become with the market and the general response to your work. The more you put into your promotion, the more you are likely to get out of it.
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
-William Shakespeare
1 comment August 7, 2008
A Pound of Flesh: Joining Communities & Investing in The Writer’s Market
…a sentence! Come prepare!
The Merchant of Venice
We all can’t do what David Wroblewski did when he set out to write The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: a novel and go back to graduate school to study under Richard Russo when we decide to get creative. Most of us have many pressing day-to-day demands which paint our writing and creative ventures into a corner.
Maybe we get a half-hour before bed or a few minutes during a break at work to focus on our writing and the eventual distribution of our words. That’s why I wanted to speak with you about the writing community and The Writer’s Market. An annual directory of all things publishing, The Writer’s Market does exactly what it sets out to do – it tells you where and how to sell what you write.
Familiarizing yourself with the community of writers and opportunities available for those who have sought this form of expression can only ultimately be to your advantage. The Writer’s Market lists off contact information for most major contests and publications that accept submissions. Using the resources available, you can start to network with others in the industry. Making contacts who share your passion can save you time and money in the long run.
Along the same lines, there are hundreds, if not thousands of growing communities of writers online. Community members share new projects with one another and receive priceless feedback regarding everything from story structure to character development. Members can just as easily host a release party or participate in a book signing as well.
As artists, writers sometimes feel inclined to re-invent the wheel, learning everything the hard-way in a grass-roots marketing campaign. Getting in contact with the community that can help you appropriately focus your resources will not only help you develop as a writer, but as your own publicist as well.
The words expressly are “a pound of flesh.”
|The Merchant of Venice
4 comments July 24, 2008
Insider’s Tips: How to Get Your Book Stocked in an Independent Bookstore
For most of my adult working-life, long before becoming a book designer, I’ve worked at independent bookstores. Most recently, for about nine years, I worked at The Book Corner — a Bloomington, Ind. institution for more than 60 years (in one form or another). Though we didn’t sell the same volume of books as the larger corporate stores, we had a pretty faithful customer-base and the best magazine selection in the whole city. Some of what I learned at The Book Corner might be helpful for self-published or print-on-demand authors.
We had our share of local authors coming into the store, trying to get us to put their books on our shelves. Margaret, the owner and manager of the store, had pretty clear-cut criteria for what would allow her to carry a local author’s self-published book.
First, the book had to be available from Ingram Book Company. More than likely, we weren’t going to order the book directly from the publisher because we’d have to pay (more…)
2 comments June 12, 2008
Wordbot Reports: AuthorTreeHouse Book Marketing Community Is No Hoax!
Greetings, Earthlings,
Wordbot here, and today I’m visiting AuthorTreeHouse, the book marketing company blog upgrade by AuthorTree. For those of you newcomers who haven’t updated your data logs or RSS feeds, here’s some input about AuthorTree, an organization designed specifically to help authors promote their publications.
Got AuthorTree?
Growing from a conceptual seed for the past three year, AuthorTree has become an innovative marketing tool for authors of all walks. Now, with AuthorTree, you can register at no cost and build your free author Web site, where you can upload images, post relevant publishing blogs, showcase interesting reviews about your book, announce your upcoming signing or reading events and maximize your search engine optimization (SEO) by populating your site with thematic keywords.
Got AuthorTreeHouse?
AuthorTreeHouse is the skyward hangout for authors who have questions or general curiosities about online book marketing as well as the traditional methods of promoting titles. Employing a team of publicity professionals, including an elderly owl name Professor Willard Wisely and a skeptical woodpecker named Doubting Thomas, AuthorTreeHouse has answers for devoted authors and readers alike.
In addition to the upcoming articles on topics ranging from search engine optimization (SEO) to book trailers to syndicated radio interviews, their marketing bloggers manage a marketing forum called AuthorNest, where anyone can post questions about book promotion strategies and techniques. They also manage “spolight contests” for authors to showcase their AuthorTree Web sites. Plus, every week, on the AuthorTreeHouse tree trunk (the blog sidebar), the bloggers post basic marketing tips about blogging, images, social networking, hyperlinks, book reviews, placing advertisements, all which can be employed on any author’s free AuthorTree Web page.
But that’s not all. Every month, you can submit marketing resources of your own, which AuthorTreeHouse will link from the trunk. You can also enter your personal AuthorTree author site in the spotlight competition, which can earn you a presence on the blog for more than a month.
What is AuthorTreeHouse, really?
Being a robot and an artificial life form, my central processor skipped a few beats as I climbed the ladder leading to AuthorTreeHouse, where I assumed the promotion gurus and native marketing birds would shun me immediately. (more…)
Add comment May 27, 2008
Benefits of Book Reviews: Choosing Periodicals That Target Your Audience
Book Reviews could be one of the most useful promotion techniques an author has at their disposal. Not only might you achieve a good rating by insightful professionals, but if your review is posted within an online periodical, you also gain SEO keywords for your Internet searchable book as well as thousands of possible readers who trust the periodical that’s featuring your book review.
Only thing is book reviews can be scary and risky. What if you get a bad review? A few words said by one respected reviewer can definitely affect the tide of your book sales. The better the words about your book, the more likely your book will sell to the masses. But the deeper a reviewer’s words cut into your book’s reputation, the more likely your book sales will suffer as a result. What’s an author to do with their writing future hanging in the balance?
Consider the Alternative:
Don’t be shy! Without a book review, your book will require a different means of standing out among other titles, perhaps a marketing plan that features readings and book signings for which you might not have the time.
Don’t hide either! A book review, especially by reviewers for magazines and journals that interested readers frequent, either online or in print, can only help reader understand your work. People will talk about your book nonetheless, so it’s definitely better to have the comments out in the open, for all to see.
Accept criticism! Readers are intelligent people, too. If claims by a reviewer are unfair or unjustified, you’ll definitely see a response by readers. And if the criticism is founded on fact, you’ll have some good insight into your own writing, comments that you can use when drafting your next publication. And remember, even a bad review can help get the word out about you!
(Continue below to read about Word of Mouth Marketing…) (more…)
2 comments May 20, 2008
Learn to Market Yourself: How to Write an “About the Author” for Your Book
It’s a widespread area of uncertainty for up and coming authors: the blurb about the author. “Should I include it? What do I write?!” Often times, authors don’t even consider including one until it’s time to publish their book.
While there is no rule that all books must have text about the author, it’s actually common and a good marketing idea for a couple of reasons:
1. Seize the opportunity to connect with your readers before they read the book, while they’re still deciding ift hey should read your words.
2. Solidify the bond with your reader after they’ve spent time reading your book.
For most people, the about the author might not have a huge influence on whether or not someone buys a book (unless the author is famous or well-known). But the second point is extremely valuable to building a loyal fan base, piquing curiosity and helping to further define the picture readers have of you in their mind.
Here are some helpful hints about how to write an about the author for your book:
Use the third person
You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s an important point. Instead of saying “I, me, my,” say “[Your name], she/he, her/his.” Even though it might feel weird and perhaps a little psychotic, that’s just how it’s done. It’s an industry standard, so play along.
If you can’t tell everyone, don’t tell anyone
This text will be available to the public. Would you be comfortable with your boss reading it? How about your father, grandmother or child? What about a complete stranger? Or that neighbor you are sure stomped your tulips? Personal information (more…)
6 comments May 8, 2008
Book Bloggers: We’re Here! We’re Viral! Get Used To It!
It’s no secret that writing and publishing company blogs are the marketing wave of the future. In addition to increasing your SEO (search engine optimization) with fresh content, blogs are also the perfect platform to actually engage interested readers.
That’s the reason it’s important that author bloggers keep a running list of publishing discussion boards and other similar Weblogs. With your list, you can visit each Web site, read up on the latest developments in your marketing field and even post a comment referring to articles that you’ve written and posted to your blog.
But how can you hope to manage the colossal list of publishing and writing blogs while searching the Internet for new, relevant ones as well?
What is Comment Sniper?
Comment Sniper is a free blog monitoring software that allows anyone to track recent updates to leading blogs within select industries in order to maximize your exposure by being the first to comment. Once downloaded, users can cull specific blogs from WordPress, Blogger, Live Spaces and Google by searching for the keywords that best suit their marketing needs and goals. It’s really an amazing developement in blog tracking and networking strategies. By simply selecting those blogs that interest you most, you can give premium updates on your blog or Web site within relevant articles and associate your Web site with prime Internet real estate.
Here’s How This Simple Proven Strategy Works…
(from Comment Sniper hompage)
Download this easy-to-use, innovative blog monitoring software today, and start marketing your new book by selecting the blogs that will provide the exposure you deserve.
Like I said, downloading the software is free, and there’s no hidden charge for working within their program. If you can spare five minutes, then you can begin your journey down a manageable, lucrative book marketing blog campaign.
This is Justin, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.
2 comments June 17, 2008