Book marketing is tough, especially when it comes to self-publishing. The good news is there is no shortage of experts, books and websites out there to advise authors on how to market. The bad news is that while some offer content brimming with strong, helpful advice, others impart ‘wisdom’ that belongs in a primer on what NOT to do. It takes time and the willingness to work hard to sort good ideas from bad and come up with a plan that is best for you.

But here’s a cold, unpopular truth about book marketing: you can do everything experts say to do, and still feel you are not getting a good ROI (Return on Investment).

There are a number of reasons for this. Here are some of the biggies:

Unrealistic expectations.

It’s human nature to look around and compare one’s book to that of a similar one and weigh the success of each, but the reality is this is an unfair comparison. Every book is different, so how readers connect with the characters and story of each will also vary. And readers aside, each author will have a unique platform and marketing focus. So while outwardly two books rest in the same apple cart, they might not belong together, and authors should not expect them to perform the same.

(image: Geralt @ pixabay)

Industry and market shifts.

Not only do readers’ tastes change as trends reach a saturation point (people grow tired of reading about X so change to Y), so does the online retail market. Going exclusive with Amazon used to be a golden ticket, but now? Not so much. Same thing with the power of free. In the early days, free was the fast track to downloads, exposure and shooting up Amazon lists. But technology is fickle. Algorithms shift. Subscription services enter the picture. And BAM, just like that, the playing field changes…what used to work no longer does, or the value of marketing a certain way lessens. So depending on when you release a book and what is happening in the online marketplace at that time can affect your ability to reach those big sale goals.

(image: Roadrunner @ pixabay)

 Luck.

Anyone who says luck has had nothing to do with their success is either lying or naive. Luck is ALWAYS a factor – the right book, the right time, the author connecting with the right influencers to help boost their reach, and finally, being discovered by readers who will become super fans…this all requires an element of luck. Sometimes, people just can’t catch a break. But, that said, authors make their own luck by putting themselves out there. If you want to hear a knock at the door, you have to be close by.

Playing the game, but not getting why.

I know many writers who “do everything right” by pricing appropriately, paying for a professional cover, designing a website, blogging, getting on social media, running visibility events, book signings, speaking engagements…and they still don’t feel it’s working. A person can do every strategic thing right and still fail if they don’t understand and respect that their number one goal should be to connect genuinely with readers. Readers aren’t dollar signs, or Facebook likes, or book reviews…they’re people. It means treating them like people, caring about them like people, and enjoying that relationship without strings. It is about providing them with value when we can, and entertainment, a listening ear or whatever else is within our ability to give.

Being on social media is not the same as “getting” social media. Tweeting and blogging and posting to Facebook in ways that are strategic, not social, means one is not using the platform as it is meant to be used. And if you don’t come across as genuine and interested, if it feels like a job to tweet and share…people sense it. They will (maybe) friend you and (maybe) retweet because it is the polite thing to do, but the depth of the relationship will only ever go so far. They won’t really care about what’s happening with you. That level of connection won’t be there.

(image: Nominalize @ pixabay)

Marketing to the wrong audience, or focusing on only a niche.

If you are marketing your heart out trying to connect with people who love and need hammers by hanging out with golf enthusiasts, your efforts won’t yield much. Understanding who your exact audience is and what they need and want is key to improving your chances for success when it comes to finding readers. Think beyond genre. And in the same wheelhouse, if you are targeting the right audience, don’t focus on too small a group. A typical way authors do this is by concentrating marketing on other authors who write in the same genre. Yes, writers are readers, but at best, this is settling for a tiny slice of pie when the whole pie is available. At worst, you are damaging relationships with your fellow writers who may feel put off when you promote at them.

(image: openclips @ Pixabay)

A sub par book.

Simply stated, a lot of books are published that aren’t at the caliber they need to be to do well. Learning strong writing craft takes a lot of time and dedication. Some writers understand this and by applying savvy marketing to their quality book, they knock it out of the park. But with the ease of self-publishing comes a subset of writers who are hoping a quick upload to Amazon is their shortcut to success. Or they think quantity wins out over quality, and seek to get out as much product as possible to have a larger revenue funnel. But, if one is more focused on quantity than making each book better than the last, the saturated market offers a sobering reality: unless there is something special about a book, it generally doesn’t gain a foothold that lasts. There are just too many other good books to read.

 So, does this mean we should all give up? That the cards are stacked against us? Not at all!

I’m no expert and have plenty to still learn. But I’ve picked up a thing or two, so here’s a few sound bites:

1) Write a book so good it fills you with pride. Never stop learning your craft. Always strive to do better with each new book.

2) Be genuine. Talk to people, start conversations. Build relationships and be present. This takes time and energy, but it’s worth it.

3) Only do what feels right via social networks. If you hate twitter, don’t use it. Remember to be social. Provide value in some way and be part of the community.

(image: john hain @ pixabay)

4) Figure out who your audience is, and find them online. Don’t just focus on other writers…unless that is your exact audience.

5) Learn to love what you do…not just the writing part, but the connecting with people part. Yes, even you introverts! The more you do it, the easier it gets, I promise. And when you connect with people, you find friends, supporters, and influencers, making your own luck!

6) Understand your personal strengths and what you have to offer, then offer it the best you can. Are you funny? Let it out. Have a knack for finding interesting content your audience will like? Share it! Be yourself, and be awesome.

7) Talk to other people about marketing. Ask for help. Offer help in return. Collaborate. We’re all in this together.

8) Try new things, take risks. Look at other industries and how they connect with their audiences. Don’t fear mistakes because they are simply opportunities to learn. Not everything will work and that’s okay.

9) Make it about your audience, not you. Put yourself in their shoes…shoes that are probably overworked, stressed, underpaid and over-promoted to. Do they need more spaghetti promotion thrown at them? Probably not. So how can you use social media to make a positive difference in their day to day lives? How can you provide content that entertains, supports or adds value? How can you make them feel valued?

(image: PublicDomainPictures @ pixabay)

10) When you give freely, it comes back to you. As self-publishers we have many hats to wear, and only so much time, which is why some authors struggle with the idea of doing something so labor intensive as “building relationships.” But taking the time is well spent, because when you form real connections with people and care about then, they care about you in return, and about your books and your success. Many end up helping in little ways, including telling others about your books. Word of Mouth is the most valuable marketing currency there is.

 Have any tips to share? Please leave them in the comments.

The post A Book Marketing Truth Few Experts Will Admit appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™.

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Now more than ever before, there are so many things we can do to promote our books, articles, stories, essays, services, and other creative works and skills—regardless of whether we’re self-published, traditionally published, or even not-yet-published. Bookstore and library events remain staples, of course, as do reviews, mentions and bylines in prominent media. But add to the mix blog tours, home pages, social networking sites, free promos, cheap promos, paid placements, Web ads, print ads, Goodreads giveaways, email lists, indie author coalitions, and the myriad services claiming to increase “discoverability,” and one thing becomes clear:

You can’t do them all.

And even if you could, who would want to? Just reading that list is enough to make even a savvy marketer’s head spin.

What you need is a strategy—one that’s developed through a solid understanding of what makes the best sense for you and your work, while allowing flexibility to bend with the changing winds.

I don’t need to tell you that self-promotion and platform building are important. In a reader survey we conducted in 2014, 61 percent of respondents listed “to learn how to promote myself and my work” as one of the primary reasons they read Writer’s Digest magazine, and 45 percent of readers requested even more coverage of the topic.

The February 2015 Writer’s Digest delivers. It’s our best and most up-to-date resource on how to promote your work—and it’s hot off the press and on newsstands now. Here’s an exclusive sneak peek at what’s inside.

Keys to a Successful Promotional Strategy

In creating this issue, first, we identified two key areas worth focusing on: your author website (essential for scribes of all stripes, from freelancer to novelist, from beginner to multi-published author) and Goodreads (a must for book authors in particular). We enlisted experts to deconstruct what you need to know to make the most of each medium. Digital media pro Jane Friedman’s “Your Author Website 101” and bestselling hybrid author Michael J. Sullivan’s “Get in Good With Goodreads” are comprehensive guides ripe for earmarking, highlighting, and referencing again and again. Whether you’re just starting to investigate how to promote a book or you are looking to create a Web presence that will be the foundation of your career, these articles are a great place to start.

Then, we put a call out to the writing community asking for “Success Stories in Self-Promotion”—and we got them, in droves. Learn through the real-life trial and error of writers whose promotional efforts ultimately yielded impressive sales, further opportunities, and, in some cases, even agents and book deals.

Best of all, as those authors share their secrets and tips, you’ll notice one key takeaway that comes up again and again:

If they can do it, so can you.

Doing What Works for You

That underscores the point that in working to improve both our craft and our career, it can help for us writers to stick together—to use one another as the valuable resources we are. The February issue also features a WD Interview with Garth Stein, best known for his runaway bestseller The Art of Racing in the Rain and his latest novel, A Sudden Light. Stein had more great insights than we had space to print, so in our online exclusive outtakes from the interview, he talks about how he came to co-found the literacy outreach group Seattle7Writers, and why every writer should have a writing friend.

The February 2015 Writer’s Digest is already getting some great buzz on Twitter, Facebook and blogs from other writers who likely share in the same platform and promotional challenges that you do. If you’re looking for fresh tips on how to promote your work—plus the usual doses of writing inspiration and craft advice we put into every issue of WD—you won’t want to miss it!

Happy Writing,
Jessica Strawser
Editor, Writer’s Digest Magazine
Follow me on Twitter @jessicastrawser.

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Thinking of starting a blog in 2015 to build your writer platform and gain a readership for your work? All the best journeys start with a bit of planning. Even if you’re not one for planning and would rather dive in right away, bear with me! In this exclusive excerpt from Blogging for Writers, Robin Houghton asks six crucial questions about your blogging goals, audience, and plan. Be honest with the answers as you write them down—they’ll serve as good reminders and motivators later on. When you’re finished, you’ll have the beginnings of a blogging roadmap that will assist you throughout 2015 and beyond.

1. Why do you want a blog?

What appeals to you about blogging? Is it something you can see yourself getting into, enjoying, and looking forward to doing? What do you want to get out of it? Promotion? Community? Sales?

It’s important to have goals for your blog, and those goals should be linked to your goals as a writer. All the same, the more open you are to seeing the fun in blogging, the more likely you are to stick with it and have it work for you.

2. Who do you want to read it? 

An interesting question, and linked closely to your blogging goals. It’s no good saying, “I want the whole world to read it!” Of course there are ways to go viral or hijack an audience, but the most successful bloggers are in it for the long term and are interested in becoming notable rather than notorious.

So, who is your audience? Your readers and fans (actual or potential)? Your peers? Industry influencers? Prospective publishers, agents, editors, gatekeepers? Perhaps, if you write for children, it’s the parents of your readers. Perhaps you write for two different markets with very different readers. The reason for this question is to get you thinking about what your blog will be about, what it will look like, the tone of voice you will adopt, and so on.

3. What are you prepared to put into it? 

Sorry to sound harsh, but the vast majority of blogs are abandoned within the first year. Don’t let that be yours! You can blog for free, but there will be costs associated with it—some financial, but mostly in terms of your time and effort.

Do your research—check out other writers’ blogs, especially (but not exclusively) those in your genre or niche. Look at the top industry blogs and websites—the annual Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers is a great place to start. Not only will you draw inspiration from them, but by subscribing to other blogs you’re starting the process of connecting with the blogosphere. It’s never too soon to start commenting, sharing, and engaging with other bloggers. When your blog is up and running, it’s just as important to keep engaging with others as well as nurturing your own blog community.

4. What’s your blogging persona?

A blog is unmediated—it’s you talking directly to people—so it’s worth thinking about your “persona,” or the face you present to your blog readers and anyone else who may come across your blog. Here are some considerations:

• Professional vs. Personal: Let’s say you are approaching blogging primarily as a business tool—for example, your goals might be to network with influential industry people, demonstrate your authority/ability/talent, or promote yourself to an audience of readers or potential readers. In this situation, you are presenting yourself and your work as a brand, and your blog will reflect that, both in how it looks and in the nature of its content. But this is a blog, not your author publicity page. Take advantage of that and inject your personality into it, too.
• Transparency and Consistency: Will you talk about both your successes and your failures? Not everyone wants to lay themselves bare by mentioning rejections, spats, loss of motivation, or other negative aspects of their writing life. Others revel in it and find visitor numbers and comments increase when their blog posts are at their most raw and honest.

5. What will you name your blog? 

What will your blog be called? An obvious choice might be your name, writer name, or something that incorporates your name, such as “Seth’s Blog” or “Neil Gaiman’s Journal.”

You might prefer your blog’s name to say something about the content, or its purpose, so that it’s separate from your name. This could work well if it’s not your only blog, or if you’ve already got a website with your name associated with it and the blog is in addition to that, or if you are planning to have regular guest bloggers or contributors.

Your blog’s given name or title doesn’t necessarily have to be its domain name (the address that appears in the browser bar). You may choose to register your writer name as your domain name, then call your blog something different. As a rule, you should try to register both your writer name and your blog name (if different) as domain names, even if you’re not sure you will use them right away.

6. What blogging platform will you use? 

A blog platform refers to the software that powers a blog. You could think of it as the underlying construction, like a house—is it timber-framed or brick-built? Once the house is built, you may not be able to tell. Most blog platforms do pretty much the same job. But it’s worth understanding the key differences—the choices you make at this stage will affect what you can do with your blog further down the line, so it’s worth taking the time.

The most popular blogging platforms are WordPress and Blogger, and Blogging for Writers goes into both of these in depth. Do your research and make a decision based on your needs, comfort level, and personal preferences.

Blogging for Writers by Robin Houghton is available here.

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Rachel Randall is the managing editor for Writer’s Digest Books.

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Originally published in Writer Unboxed.

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This month-long series of blog posts will explain author websites and offer tips and writing strategies for an effective author website. It alternates between a day of technical information and a day of writing content. By the end of the month, you should have a basic author website up and functioning. The Table of Contents lists the topics, but individual posts will not go live until the date listed. The Author Website Resource Page offers links to tools, services, software and more.

Should You Add a Blog to Your Author Site?

We’ve talked so far about doing an Author Website through WordPress. Now that you’ve built the thing, you need to decide if you will add a blog or not.

No, I don’t want a blog

First, let me quickly says that you do NOT have to have a blog. It’s just an option.
Blogging requires a commitment to writing that can be a strain on writing projects, family time and other time commitments. I’m not worried–really, I’m not–about whether or not you can find enough to write about. That’s the easy part. Time is the hard thing to find. If you commit to writing a blog the most important rule is this: be consistent in posting. You can NOT post just once or twice a month. Instead, just update your website. Or post on Facebook, Twitter or a social network. Don’t waste your time and your readers time by starting something you can’t keep up with.

Embrace uncertainty. On the other hand, when I started blogging six years ago, it was with uncertainty. Would I like blogging? Would I draw in any readers? Would I find topics to write about? And so on. I made a commitment to TRY. And here we are. You can do the same.

OK, I’ll try a blog!

Great! You will find an audience beyond your usual boundaries.
You will find topics that fascinate you and you want to delve into deeply. You will have a platform for doing that.
You will find the blog a task-master that you both love and hate.
You will find your audience to be an amazing group of people.
And when your first book/next book comes out, you’ll find people cheering for you. (Here’s my latest novel. Thanks for caring!)
You don’t blog to sell books. You blog to make friends.

What will you write about?

As I look around the blogosphere, I find bloggers using different strategies for content.

1. Up-to-date news. One strategy for blogging is to keep your ears to the ground and as soon as you hear something, you blog about it in depth. Did Facebook just update it’s home page? Provide the killer tutorial on it before anyone else. As I am writing this, I got an email that Barnes & Noble’s Nook Press is going international. If I cared about the hottest publishing news, I would jump on this!
2. Names. I once read about a small-town newspaper publisher who saturated the market with a single strategy: publish as many names as possible. When a baseball team played, the newspaper listed the name of every single team member. And the managers. And the coaches. Of course, people bought the newspaper to see their name in print. Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Cynsations blog uses this strategy by listing everyone’s good news, interviews with almost everyone in children’s literature and generally spreading the love.
3. Teaching. This blog, Fiction Notes, is about observing my own struggles and the struggles of my friends and colleagues and writing about how to solve problems. In a word, I teach. (My friend says that I can’t NOT teach; she’s right.)
4. Diary. Some people live a transparent life online and don’t mind the glass walls. If that’s for you, you’ll find many who’ll take the trip with you.
5. Thoughtful or thought-provoking analysis. Maybe you only want to post once a week, but you want it to be a longer, more thoughtful piece. That would be great. Don’t think you must post daily. But be consistent. On Thursday, I look forward to reading Kristine Kathryn Rusch‘s thoughtful posts about the publishing industry. I don’t have to agree with everything she says to look forward to the posts, because they always make me think. For example, a thoughtful person could write an interesting post about the Children’s Book Council 7th Annual Children’s Choice Book Awards. One of the awards is for the Author of the Year; the five nominees are always based on best-seller lists. The controversy this year is that Rush Limbaugh’s book, Rush Revere and the First Patriots: Time-Travel Adventures With Exceptional Americans, is a best-seller, which put him on the list for Author of the Year. A thoughtful or thought-provoking blogger could write about this in depth. Lots of issues to delve into there! (Should children’s book awards be based on best-seller lists? How easy is it to manipulate best selling lists? If we reject the bestseller list as a starting point for awards, where SHOULD we start?) This isn’t something I would do on my blog; I avoid the controversial. But if you’re up for it. . .
6. Topics for which you have a passion. Maybe you don’t want to blog about books, publishing, or other authors. One author friend is interested in true stories of ghosts. Since she writes mysteries, it sounds like a great topic for a blog! She could interview people who have seen a ghost, joke about ghostbusters, include photos of ghosts (NOT!) and so on. What’s your passion? Bulldogs? Kidnapped kids and how they survive? Whatever your passion, it’s fine–no, it’s GREAT–for an author blog to take off on a tangent. You’ll find readers beyond your books and that’s not such a bad thing.
7. Photos, video or audio. Maybe you are a cartoonist and can provide a humorous 3-panel cartoon daily. Maybe your hobby is photoshopping dog portraits. Great. Just post one picture a day. Or post one a week and explain how you photoshopped it. Use YouTube and pull the videos into your blog. Or do a podcast. There may be platforms that are better for each of these areas (For video, you need a YouTube Channel.), but they can also feed into a blog.
8. Your Ideas. You may have another strategy for writing a blog. Please share it!

Notice: These strategies are about giving an audience something interesting to read. Entertain. Inform. Persuade. Provoke. It’s not about you. It’s about your readers. What type of content can you write about that others would want to read on a consistent basis?

It’s time. Decide. Will you try a blog or just stick with your author website?

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I am a newer author, but I am not new to publicity and marketing. So, when it came time to promote my debut novel, The Suburban Strange

(2012), I drew from my previous experience to strategize my events at independent bookstores. If you do it right, an indie bookstore event will pay dividends for much longer than the few hours you spend there.

It’s important to realize that the speaking/reading/signing engagement is the tip of an iceberg, promotionally. Whether you have dozens of people lined up for you, or you fight off the despair that creeps in when the seats are empty, your event should yield more publicity and generate more sales than what hits the register while you’re there. How is this possible? By maximizing the likelihood that the bookstore staff will like you, remember you, and hand-sell your book to their patrons long after you’re gone. Sure, step one in this plan is to write a great book, but there are a number of steps you should take after that.

GIVEAWAY: Nathan is excited to give away a free copy of his latest novel to a random commenter. Comment within 2 weeks; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. (Please note that comments may take a little while to appear; this is normal).

 

 

Column by Nathan Kotecki

THE SUBURBAN STRANGE
, was published by Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt in October 2012. The sequel, PULL DOWN THE NIGHT
,
was just published (Oct. 8 2013). Find out what’s going on in Nathan’s
cluttered mind at thesuburbanstrange.com

. Find him on Twitter.

 

Step two: Treat each bookstore event like a job interview. Confirm both one week and one day in advance, and be brief but charming. Show up half an hour early. Take care to dress like a nicer-than-average version of your author persona – whatever that looks like. Be gracious and pleasant with everyone inside the door – everyone. Thank the staff before you leave – all of them. Write a thank you note that mentions specific details about the event and mail it the very next day. Why do all this? Because it distinguishes you from all the undependable, unkempt, silent or surly, ungrateful authors out there, and that can only work in your favor.

(Adapt your book into a movie script — here’s how.)

Step three: Increase your chances of giving a great event. If you get nervous about events, arriving half an hour early serves the additional purpose of giving you time to settle into the store environment so it feels less like a stage. Chat with the staff (as long as they’re not busy) about business, what they’re reading, anything – those initial conversations increase the number of supportive people around you, which can only helps when it’s time for you to present. Even if you never drink water, take the bottle; you never know when dry-mouth will hit, and the water gives you something to do with your hands while you’re taking questions. And if the turnout winds up being small, personalize your presentation: Come down from the podium and sit in a circle with those six people.

Step four: Give a great event. Always start your presentation by thanking the bookstore and your contact (this is so easy to forget!) Then give an overview of the flow of your presentation. Don’t read for more than a combined ten minutes (unless you’ve specifically been asked to), or people’s attention will wander. If you don’t feel as though you’re speaking a little too slow and a little too loud, you’re probably speaking too fast and too soft. Don’t be afraid to use a little self-deprecation and humor. When you’re signing, ask your patrons about themselves.

Step five: Be a customer as well as an author. At some point while you’re there, ask your primary contact or someone else on the staff to recommend a book in your genre, and purchase it. (I do this every time I visit an indie bookstore, whether I’m doing an event that day or not.) There is no better way to endear yourself to a small business than by putting money in their register. And it gives you the chance to shift away from the guest/host dynamic and connect with the staff as a reading enthusiast, which is much more fun and frequently more comfortable for the staff.

The concept here is exceeding expectations. Many indie bookstores do author events weekly, and based on all the previous events, the staff has a preconceived notion of how yours is going to go, and what you will be like when you show up. Anything you can do to pleasantly surprise them will only work in your favor.

(Chapter 1 cliches and overused beginnings — see them all here.)

If you do your job well, you will leave the bookstore with the staff remembering you as a really nice person who was both professional and personable, and who took a real interest in them and the success of their business. That will not be subterfuge, because you genuinely will have been and done all those things. I have no statistical proof of this, but if you do these things, I’d bet you’ll increase the likelihood that a week from now when someone goes into that store and asks for a recommendation in your genre, the staff will think of you, and perhaps say, “Have you read this one? The author was here last week and he was such a nice guy…”

GIVEAWAY: Nathan is excited to give away a free copy of his latest novel to a random commenter. Comment within 2 weeks; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. (Please note that comments may take a little while to appear; this is normal).

 

 

Writing books for kids? There are hundreds of
publishers, agents and other markets listed in the
latest Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market.

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:Writing About Grief in Your Story or Novel? Here is Some Writing Advice.

NEW Agent Ethan Vaughan of Kimberley Cameron Assoc. Seeks Clients Now.

How Training For a Marathon is Like Writing a Novel.

Sell More Books by Building Your Writer Platform.

“The Book Chooses the Writer.”

Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter

or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and how to write a query letter.

 

Want to build your visibility and sell more books?
Create Your Writer Platform

Order the book from WD at a discount

.

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Yesterday I posted a tip on Facebook regarding the wrong way to contact bloggers for exposure after being “cold call” emailed myself. The cliff note version is that a marketing person sent me a form letter asking for book exposure, and supplied 4 attachments that contained book covers, press releases, links, etc.

This prompted some discussion on Facebook and in email about what the protocol is for contacting bloggers or website owners for a promotion opportunity, especially if one does not have a strong online presence and so can't reciprocate (such as trading guest posts). I know reaching outside one's comfort zone to ask for help can be a difficult thing to do, so based on my personal experience from both sides of this fence, here's some tips on how to ask!

1) Do your homework 
I'll be honest...nothing bugs me more than to be contacted by someone who has looked at my blog's SEO score or glanced at my traffic meter (which is way off the mark anyway) but knows nothing about The Bookshelf Muse. Asking me to review business software, jewelry, iPad products or anything else that has nothing to do with my blog's focus is NOT going to win me over. So, when you are looking for online exposure, research blogs to understand what they are about, what they typically post, and only add them to your list to contact if you see a strong fit. This means knowing YOUR audience before you get started. Also, if you are looking for a book review, make sure the people you wish to contact actually DO REVIEWS, and if so, that they REVIEW YOUR GENRE. If they have instructions for contacting them, follow those instructions.

2) Show respect 
First off, while it certainly is easier to send out a cut-and-paste email to 50 or so blogs or websites asking for help, what saves you time will cost you in exposure. Anyone with any measure of success online understands that relationships are paramount. If you did your homework in step 1, you have researched the person you are contacting. Personalize email by introducing yourself and demonstrating that you have visited the person's blog, and understand & enjoy the content. Be authentic and friendly, and respectful of their time.  

3) Offer information, but don't go overboard
Whatever exposure opportunity you're asking for will require some specific information. Be clear and concise about what your offering, be it a book, product or service. Convey why your product is a good fit for the blog/blogger and their audience, showing you have knowledge of this person's site. Provide a link if needed to the product online, or lacking that, links to how to reach you. DON'T send them your book or product proactively, or a bunch of press release attachments and book covers or promotional information. Would you send your manuscript along with a query letter to an agent who has not asked for both? No. So offer to forward these things if the blogger wants them and welcome the chance to answer any questions they may have.

4) Offer value, not promo
Your goal is to get a YES when it comes to asking for an exposure opportunity, so make it easy for them to do so. When you approach a blogger, know what you are asking for. If it is a review site, then ask for a review and in turn offer something of value. A free book to the reviewer will be expected, but consider also offering one in a giveaway. Giveaways usually increase traffic, so the expense will be worth it if you have chosen a site that exposes you to your ideal audience. If it is a product or service, or book exposure that is not a review, consider what this audience might find valuable. Can you guest post on a topic that fits well with this blog's focus? Can you offer your expertise in a way that readers will find helpful (a Q & A about something you know a lot about, for example.) A freebie of some sort, or something else? Whatever you can offer, lay this out. Offer a few options (for example, list out a few ideas you have for a post), but be flexible and open to whatever ideas they have for you, too. Exposure is an opportunity to CONNECT with an audience and build a relationship with people interested in what you have to say, not a way to spam people with promo. Always add value in all that you do.

5) Be easy to work with
Bloggers are busy people. The bigger bloggers especially have a lot to juggle, because they are likely active across different social media platforms, plus have their own lives and work to attend to. Once you've secured a guest post or exposure opportunity, make sure you send them whatever is required in a timely manner. Also, don't just "dash something off" (especially if you are a writer!) Write something you're proud of and make sure it offers insight and value. Check carefully for typos and grammar. Bloggers appreciate it when you do a good job the first time so they don't waste time sending it back to you for editing. Provide links that are easy to follow for the audience, and make sure there is a way for readers to find out more about your product. Include a small bio about yourself and where you can be found (twitter, facebook, website, etc.) so the blogger doesn't have to spend time looking for these things themselves.

6) Show up, interact and share
The day your post goes live, stop in and interact with people in the comment section. This is your opportunity to make yourself memorable to people who took the time to read what you had to say. Thank your host for having you. Continue to add value by answering questions, both the day of the post and a few check-ins afterward (some people won't see the post until the next day or so). Wherever you are online (even if you only use Facebook, or Twitter, etc.) make sure you share your post with people who might be interested in the content. When you ask someone for exposure, you thank them by trying to drive people to their blog however you are able to. Don't spam, but do share the link with people who you feel might be interested.

7) Keep on asking
Maybe you might strike out a few times, but that's okay...keep going! I know asking for things can be intimidating, but here's the thing...most people are caring and helpful and want to build relationships. If we didn't, we wouldn't blog, or be on facebook or twitter. So try to set your nerves aside and be genuine. When you are, it comes through, and often leads to a Yes!
 

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Making Your Book Launch Stand Out

Creative Book Launches That Command Attention

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Create Your Writer Platform: The Key to Building an Audience, Selling More Books and finding Success as an Author -- Chuck Sambuchino

www.chucksambuchino.com

I’ve read several books on author platform but have to confess never fully grasping the term until reading Chuck Sambuchino’s CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM. At its simplest level, a platform is an author’s visibility and reach -- the framework an author has and continues to build that let’s others know of his or her work.

Sambuchino describes his book as “a guide for all the hardworking writers out there who want a say in their own destinies.” Though there is no one-size-fits-all approach to establishing a platform, Sambuchino says the need for platform cannot be ignored, even for those of us who write fiction. The book is divided into three sections: The Principles of Platform, The Mechanics of Platform, and Author Case Studies. At the end of each chapter, literary agents weigh in on the chapter’s topic, giving readers perspectives outside of the author’s. One of the most helpful aspects of the book is the Case Study section, where twelve different authors from a variety of genres (memoir to self help, fiction to reference) reflect on the choices they made in building their platforms -- what worked, what they wish they’d done differently, what they believe makes them stand out from others in their field.

Sambuchino is also quick to say “this is a resource for those who realize that selling a book is not about blatant self-promotion.” It is more about relationships, the sharing of expertise, and supporting others along the way. Though written for the aspiring author, a lot of things resonated with me, a newly published author, such as the wisdom behind an author newsletter, establishing an “events” page on my blog, and always, that kindness and generosity go a long way.

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Platform is essential for non-fiction. Platform means "how do people know who you are NOW" which means  it's not "I will build a website" or "I will go on TV" cause those are things you'll do in the future. Platform is about NOW, before the book proposal.

One good way to build platform is to have articles or opinion pieces published in major media. If you don't know how to do that, there's a way to learn. It's called The OpEd Project and they offer seminars on how to pitch yourself and your topic to editors, as well as other things that help you build platform.

I attended the Core Seminar  here in NYC yesterday.  I think it's well worth the investment to attend.  Seminars are held across the country.  Their website gives details on the project itself, and the upcoming seminar schedule.

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Anime and manga superstar Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Steamboy) will be appearing in person at the PLATFORM International Animation Festival in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 27th at 9:30pm – and I’m happy to announce I will be moderating a Q & A session with him at the event. Festival director Irene Kotlarz will be presenting him with a Lifetime Achievement Award and we will also be screening his new short, Combustible. Please read the complete press release about this event, here.

Otomo’s appearance is his first public one in the U.S. since 1990. Or at least since the last time I’ve seen him. Here are some vintage snapshots (below) of Otomo and I appearing at screenings of AKIRA at New York’s Film Forum (bottom) – and at an Asifa meeting at the New School (top) in 1990. It’ll be fun to see him again. Akira has gone on to become a classic example of science fiction and a game-changing work of anime – inspiring many modern day Hollywood filmmakers such as Sam Raimi, Chris Nolan and the Wachowski siblings.

The PLATFORM International Animation Festival is a three-day event taking place in Los Angeles on October 26th-28th, 2012. In addition to the Otomo appearance and screening, there will be a retrospective of films by stop motion pioneer Ladsislaw Starewicz, A Best of Annecy shorts program, A special screening from PES, a presentation on the making of Disney’s new short Paperman and a CalArts student film retrospective. If you are in L.A. I urge you not miss this event. Seriously – buy tickets NOW.

Click the thumbnails below to see images from Otomo’s new short, Combustible:

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By Rob Eagar

In the last year, I took up fly-fishing as a hobby. There’s something surreal and invigorating about standing in the middle of a river. However, catching rainbow trout is no easy task. They’re smart, skeptical, and elusive. In fact, there are a lot of similarities between the challenge of fly-fishing and the challenge of book marketing:

1. You must offer tangible value. If you want to catch fish, you’ve got to present an offer that meets their interests. The flies I cast in the Spring generally don’t work well in the Fall, because different insects hatch at different times of year. I have to figure out what the trout are biting on, and match their tastes. Likewise, readers have different tastes and interests in books. If you want to attract them, you’ve got to present your fiction story or non-fiction message in a way that represents something of value – otherwise people won’t bite.

2. Offer a range of value. A big secret I learned in fly-fishing is to cast two or three different flies on the same line. I increase my odds of getting a fish’s attention by presenting more than one type of food. In marketing, you’ll be more effective if give customers a “choice of yeses.” When you promote your books, do you give readers multiple formats, such as print, audio, e-book, or free resources, to purchase and enjoy?

3. You must stay persistent. I’ve never caught a trout on my very first cast. Usually, it may take 30 – 60 minutes before I find where the fish are hiding and what fly pattern they prefer. Similarly, marketing a book is the process of persistence. One media interview, one blog post, or one newsletter issue won’t be enough. You can’t expect to land a big fish on your first attempt. The goal is to continually offer value to prospects over time. As you continually offer legitimate value, readers will become attracted and take notice.

4. Go to where the fish congregate. Trout typically hide in low pools or eddies in a river where they can relax in colder water that’s sheltered from the faster current. The good news is that when you find these spots, there is usually more than one fish available. Readers gather in large groups based on beliefs, interests, needs, hobbies, etc. Your marketing will be more effective when you identify these bigger groups and focus your promotional efforts on them.

5. Acting desperate scares away the prize. Trout are always on their guard. When I fish, I’ve got to remain quiet, avoid sudden movements, and stay out of their line of sight. Otherwise, I’ll scare them off. As an author trying to market your book, you can also scare readers off by acting desperate. Begging people to buy your book, making ridiculous claims, or constantly changing your prices can cause people to raise their guard. The key is to believe in your own value first. When you know you’ve got a book that can entertain or help people, you can calmly promote yourself with confidence.

If you want to land the big fish, keep these five points in mind. Otherwise, “the fishing might be good, but the catching will be bad” (A.K. Best – Master Professional Fly Fisherman).

Reminder:

Rob Eagar’s new book from Writer’s Digest, Sell Your Book Like Wildfire, is now available in print and e-book formats. This is the bible of book marketing for authors and publishers. Get 288 pages packed with advanced information, real-life examples, and tips to start selling more books immediately. There are specific chapters on social media, word-of-mouth tools, Amazon, and a chapter dedicated to best practices for marketing fiction. In addition, get over 30 pages of free bonus updates online. Get your copy today at:

http://www.writersdigestshop.com/sell-your-book-like-wildfire or http://www.BookWildfire.com

About the author:

Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors and publishers sell more books and spread their message like wildfire. He has assisted numerous New York Times bestselling authors and is author of the new book, Sell Your Book Like Wildfire. Find out more about Rob’s advice, products, and coaching services for authors at: www.startawildfire.com

 

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By Rob Eagar

Earlier, I covered parts one and two of this 3-part series called “3 Successful Steps to Marketing.” To summarize, I’ve explained how effective marketing can be boiled down to three fundamental questions. Whether you’re an author, business owner, or non-profit director, you can achieve success by asking yourself the following:

Step 1 – What is your value?
Step 2 – Who needs your value the most?
Step 3 – Where do those who need your value congregate in large numbers?

After you’ve answered the first question and clarified your value, then you’re ready to move forward to the second step and ask, “Who needs my value the most?” You can also turn that question around and ask, “Who stands to lose the most if they never get access to my value?” Answering this question helps you streamline your marketing efforts to find new customers, readers, or donors.

Trying to marketing a product or service to everyone in general can be counterproductive, because you can’t please everyone and it takes more time and money. Instead, use a targeted approach by marketing first to the people most likely to appreciate your product or service. These are people who represent less cynicism or apathy, because they’re most likely to appreciate the value you can offer.

If you target the people who need your value the most, then you’re able to create sales momentum at a faster pace for two reasons. First, those who realize that your value is exactly what they need are more likely to purchase quicker with less convincing. Second, when they experience the value that you promise, they are more likely to spread positive word of mouth – which generates even more sales.

Take time to clearly define who needs your value the most. Break it down to a level where you identify specific characteristics, such as gender, age, location, etc. More importantly, define the negative emotions that people are feeling who can be helped by your product or service. Logic makes people think, but emotion makes them act. For example, you want to define your target audience as a unique group, such as “Moms in the American Southeast between the ages of 24 – 44 who are raising a strong-willed child that is driving them crazy and disrupting family harmony.”

Marketing to the people who need your value the most is like lighting matches all around you that combine to create a promotional wildfire with the power to sweep across the country. Next week, we’ll look at the third step to successful marketing, which is defining where your target audience congregates in large numbers

About the author:

Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors and publishers sell more books and spread their message like wildfire. He has assisted numerous New York Times bestselling authors. Find out more about Rob’s advice, products, and coaching services for authors at: www.startawildfire.com

Rob Eagar’s new book from Writer’s Digest, Sell Your Book Like Wildfire, is now available in print and e-book formats. This is the bible of book marketing for authors and publishers. Get 288 pages packed with advanced information, real-life examples, and tips to start selling more books immediately. There are specific chapters on social media, word-of-mouth tools, Amazon, and a chapter dedicated to best practices for marketing fiction. In addition, get over 30 pages of free bonus updates online. Get your copy today at:

http://www.writersdigestshop.com/sell-your-book-like-wildfire or http://www.BookWildfire.com

 

 

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By Rob Eagar

Marketing is a simple process when you boil it down to the fundamentals. Whether you’re a fiction or non-fiction author, you can achieve marketing success following these three simple steps. Ask yourself:

1. What is your value?
2. Who needs your value the most?
3. Where do those who need your value congregate in large numbers?

Let’s briefly look at Step 1: “What is your value?” Before you can convince people to spend their money on your book, you must convince them that there will be a justifiable return on their investment. There has to be a clear result that people can see is waiting for them on the other side of their purchase transaction.

Nobody really cares about the content in your book or the special features you might list. Instead, people want to know if reading your book will be worth the time and money. What is the positive result that you offer? The result can be tangible or intangible, but it must be something that appeals to a reader’s self-interest.

If you skip the first step of defining your value, then your marketing will act like a gun that just shoots blanks. You’ll promote to prospective readers, but they’ll respond like unconvinced skeptics. You will wonder, “Why isn’t my marketing working? These people should love my new book.” The problem is that you didn’t clearly explain what’s in it for them.

When people believe that you can give them a result they want, then your marketing will become more effective. Defining your book’s value is the first step to unlocking the true power of promotion. Next week, we’ll look at the second step to successful marketing, which is defining who needs your value the most.

 

About the author:

Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors and publishers sell more books and spread their message like wildfire. He has assisted numerous New York Times bestselling authors and is author of the new book, Sell Your Book Like Wildfire. Find out more about Rob’s advice, products, and coaching services for authors at: www.startawildfire.com

Rob’s new book from Writer’s Digest, Sell Your Book Like Wildfire, is now available in print and e-book formats. This is the bible of book marketing for authors and publishers. Get 288 pages packed with advanced information, real-life examples, and tips to start selling more books immediately. There are specific chapters on social media, word-of-mouth tools, Amazon, and a chapter dedicated to best practices for marketing fiction. In addition, get over 30 pages of free bonus updates online. Get your copy today at:

http://www.writersdigestshop.com/sell-your-book-like-wildfire or http://www.BookWildfire.com

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On July 9th, 2012 Susan Violante and Victor R. Volkman spoke with bestselling author and media guru Maryann Reid about how to go from author to media sensation. Maryann Reid is an Award-winning author and entrepreneur who has been featured by countless media outlets including USA Today, Essence, Glamour, The CBS Early Show, and The Wendy Williams Experience. Maryann’s first book Sex and the Single Sister: 5 Novellas was published by St. Martins Press when she was just 25 years old. At that time, Maryann had no idea that a few stories she wrote in her journal would become characters and later become a book. But she quickly learned the power of the media and pop culture influence on publishers and their decision-making. What is your most popular book and why? • Do you have advice for authors who have trouble publicizing or marketing fiction? • How do you coach clients to increase their visibility and attract opportunities? • Who is your ideal client? • What are some things authors are doing wrong? • What is the difference between a buyer and an audience? • Why should authors work with a coach and what should they look out for?

Maryann Reid

Because of the popularity of HBO’s Sex and The City, Maryann Reid hit the zeitgeist she sold her first book without it being finished. She signed her first book deal with St. Martins and the strong support of a stellar agent.Several books later, Maryann teaches others how they can sell their own books, attract agents and publicity in half the time they would on their own.When her third novel Marry Your Baby Daddy was published, Maryann was able to address a social issue that she cared deeply about and rally a new movement. As a result, she and her books have been profiled in The New Yorker, Newsweek, Oprah.com, NBC Nightly News, etc. for her innovative approach to life and solving its complex issues.

Marry Your Baby Daddy

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Your author platform is your personal ability to sell books, and one of the greatest tools you can possess in your arsenal of writer skills. It’s your visibility — all the ways you can reach to people and sell more copies to people who are listening to your words. If you want to have more control over your own book sales (especially if you are writing nonfiction or self-publishing your work!), then we have an excellent webinar for you. C. Hope Clark, an accomplished guru on platform and writer grants, is leading the new webinar, “Platform, the Backdoor Way: Trouble Getting Published? Keep Writing Via Other Niches, Genres, or Services” on Thursday, May 24, 2012.

 

 

DETAILS

This webinar is at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, May 24, 2012. Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for one year. You do not have to attend the live event to get a recording of the presentation. In all WD webinars, no question goes unanswered. Attendees have the ability to chat with the instructor during the live event and ask questions. You will receive a copy of the webinar presentation in an e-mail that goes out one week after the live event. The answers to questions not covered in the live presentation will be included in this e-mail as well. Sign up here.

ABOUT THE CRITIQUE

All registrants are invited to send in a summary of their project for advice on how to build a platform toward it. All attendees are guaranteed a short, personalized plan of attack from instructor C. Hope Clark.

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

When you decide to write your first book or start off as a writer, you have no foundation . . . or so you think. In looking at yourself in a résumé sort-of-way, you might be surprised at the foundation you possess, often identifying better ways to springboard into the public’s eye than through a first book and an unknown name.

Before you were a writer or author, you were something or somebody else. Start that elusive platform through indirect means, using all your skills, talents, education, and experiences. In a roundabout way you become a name before your dream project ever gets off the ground. Your experiences have molded you. When you use your “seasoned” eyes, the eyes that represent a person confident in a particular subject, no matter what it is, you become empowered. Tapping into that part of you is a means to break ground on your platform.

You can also take detours, accessing platform for your project through side-door methods. You might not be a freelancer, but writing articles is one of the powerful introductions to a brand. You may hate contests, but placing in several begins to put your name on the map. Developing your brand takes time, but it doesn’t mean you have to spend years writing one or two books to make it happen. You can get busy now, and make a name for yourself. Sign up here.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• How to capitalize on your strengths to start your platform.
• Use non-writing experience to make
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Just posted a comic in Writer Unboxed about author platforms and sheep, plus a winning Non-Denominational Spring Festival Lagomorph cartoon caption winner, PLUS my exciting two-book contract news for those who hadn't heard. :-)

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Writer Unboxed has many excellent posts about the craft and business of fiction, but I especially enjoyed Jane Friedman's most recent post for writers which asks, how much time should you spend on writing versus platform building?

I posted a comment today but am going to post an edited version of it below as well:

 I still think it’s possible for a new writer to get plucked out of the slush pile without a platform; I know at least one writer who got her first book contract with a major publisher this way. BUT I also believe that these days, it’s the exception rather than the norm.

I went about things in the reverse order from most writers: I created my platform long before I had something to promote. I couldn’t help myself, though — I’ve been a fan of online communities years before the term became popular.

I agree with one of Jane’s comments above, that there is no One Right Way. What works for one writer might not work for another. I even think that if a writer who is not suited for social media (and forces herself into that venue despite hating it), her so-called platform could end up hurting her chances of publication rather than helping.

Hm, and this discussion has given me a great idea for a new comic for Writer Unboxed on Saturday. :-)

For writers who want to find out more about building a platform for themselves, I encourage you to check out the posts and comments in Robert Lee Brewer's April Platform Challenge.

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It’s essential these days for authors to have a clear understanding of writing platforms. Learn what an author’s platform is and ways to build a writing platform from today’s tip of the day, taken from the book The Productive Writer by Sage Cohen.

What is an Author Platform?

Platform is the turf you claim and name as your area of expertise in your writing life, and it’s everything you do to make that expertise visible. Just as a thesis is the foundation of a term paper around which its argument is built, a platform is an organizing principle around which a writer’s many expressions of work revolve. A platform says to both the writer and the world, “I am an expert in [fill in the blank with your specialty]! Yours should be a topic or craft or theme or audience that has energy and curiosity for you: one that you know about and want to invest a whole lot more time knowing a whole lot more about.

With such clarity of purpose, over time you will likely publish, teach, lead, and share wisdom in ways that express, explore, and give shape to your expertise. And as this happens, you will start to become recognized as an authority in your chosen realm.

Platform is both the destination and the path. You build it as you go. It keeps you moving forward, tells you where forward is, and is the measure against which you decide if you’re getting there.

Using a Writing Platform & Publishing Your Work

Which came first, the publishing or the platform? This seems to be a topic of some confusion for folks. So let’s break it down.

Platform is about becoming a recognizable expert. The book publishing ideal is to first build a platform, and then leverage that platform to pitch, sell, and write the book. But there are many stages of publishing (articles, essays, poems, stories) along the way that precede becoming an author and contribute to growing a platform. And for many writers, those early stages of publishing can be slow going.

The good news is that there are many ways to grow your visibility as an expert in your field that are available to you right now. So while you’re waiting, for example, for your next short story to find a safe landing in just the right literary journal, there is much you could be doing to develop your platform, including:

• Teach what you know.
• Self-publish: Write and sell instructional e-books or publish print-on-demand collections of your creative writing (only if you are not seeking “mainstream” publication for this work).
• Offer tips, insights, articles, and links via a blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Squidoo.
• Read your work publicly as much as possible.
• Start your own online community to explore your topic.
• Offer coaching, consulting, or editing in your field.
• Create a subscription publication, such as an e-zine or newsletter.
• Join organizations in your field that allow you to gather and share ideas and opportunities with like-minded others.
• Publish magazine or newspaper articles on your topic or expertise.
• Share content with business or organizations that serve people in your area of expertise. (For example, if your platform is dog training, maybe local pet stores would want to feature a Q&A with you on their websites or as part of their monthly newsletters.)

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