Welcome to the next edition of Publishing and Publicity for Smart People, The Column. We are kicking this season off with a bang and have had excellent guests. You don’t want to miss an article or episode this season if you are serious about book promotions. We have interviewed Todd Young of the Connextion.com. Todd has been instrumental in the placing recording artists and authors in distribution and setting up concrete pathways for payment delivery and promotion. Next we interviewed Susannah Greenberg who is a famed publicist responsible for the promotion of several best selling authors including publicity for one of my favorite books called Who Moved My Cheese. She also worked for several traditional publishers including Random House and its Pantheon Books Division. This week our special guest is Gail Kearns of To Top Press and Beyond. She is at the top of her game. Gail and her team are experts in book publishing consulting and support services. With over 16 years of experience, they skillfully and successfully shepherd your print and/or e-book through writing, editing, design & layout, printing, distribution, sales and promotion, both in trade and niche markets and on the Web. They have worked with over 400 authors and independent publishers worldwide. But for now let’s see what Gail has to say. Leon: Tell us a little about you. Kearns: I grew up on the east coast and went to Hunter College in New York City where I studied Art History. I got into film production after graduation and during my years in that business I became a book scout for RKO Pictures. I scouted books that would make good movies. It was a fabulous job because I got to meet most of the literary agents in New York. I’ve always been an avid moviegoer and reader. My favorite genre is memoir. There’s something exhilarating about witnessing and living the events of a person vicariously … because they’re events I may never experience myself. Leon: How did you begin your journey as a book shepherd? Kearns: When I moved to Santa Barbara in the late 90s, there was no movie industry here, per se, so work was virtually non-existent. I had bought my first laptop computer and sent out a resume to a list of publishers I found in the Santa Barbara phone book. Having worked with authors and screenwriters, I offered my services as a book editor. I got a call in about three minutes from a woman who had a children’s activity book publishing company. I learned the publishing ropes of writing descriptive copy for books and brochures for trade shows there. Then I met Dan Poynter, the guru of independent and self-publishing. He hired me to do fact checking, proofing, and eventually copyediting. And the rest is history. I’ve gone on to grow my business to be a full-service book shepherding agency. I still do most of the content editing and production oversight. I have a team of book designers and printers I work with, as well a number of e-book converters. I have help with marketing and PR of titles with other book publicists and a number of social media marketing interns from the university. Leon: What type of clients do you want to reach? Kearns: I’m most interested in reaching potential clients who are serious about being an independent publisher and will do the work required to become successful. That also means being realistic about the timeline of launching a title and the number of months it may take to find its readers. The best clients are those who understand this and are willing to work with me in a team effort approach. I’m more than willing to do the vast amount of educating it takes with a newbie author/publisher as long as they are willing to follow my lead and participate fully in the process. Beyond that, I would like to reach more small publishers who already understand the business and are looking for ways to reach readers both online and off. I like thinking outside the box. Leon: What are the most effective ways you have promoted your book or business? Kearns: Frankly, most of it has been word of mouth. I get repeat clients and clients refer me to other authors. It seems everyone is writing a book these days. It’s no different when I was working with screenwriters, and every person I met had a script under their arm. That said, I have paid big bucks to advertise in places like PW Select and gotten absolutely no return on my investment. I also do some networking amongst my peers and have been asked to do guest posts on their blogs. I’ve also sent out national press releases about To Press & Beyond when I feel it’s warranted. For example, a recent client launched a dog book and partnered with shelters in the towns in which she was doing book signings. For every book sold, she made a donation to the local shelter. It was and continues to be a very successful marketing ploy. Plus it’s for a great cause … finding forever homes for dogs. To Press & Beyond announced the launch of this book in a national press release. Leon: What ways have you used social media? Kearns: I have a business Facebook Page and a website that I update several times a year. I try to populate my FB page with interesting and relevant content. Sadly, I’ve not yet started my own blog. I’m too busy getting my clients up and running with a blog and on other social media platforms. For my clients, I have begun to set up blog book tours. Those can be great for a title’s exposure as long as the blog/site has a lot of followers and is heavily trafficked. Leon: What is the importance of tools like Twitter, Facebook, SEO, Web Optimization, Blogging, Podcasting, etc. to author promotions? Kearns: I think blogging is a must these days. If an author has time, I would suggest an author FB page. I don’t think anyone should eat up valuable time with entering all social media platforms simultaneously. Our web designer, Kate McMillan, takes care of SEO and Web Optimization for our clients as well as building their author sites. What I love about Kate is that she’s both a good designer and a dynamite programmer. Leon: What are 5 things you feel every author should know about book marketing? Kearns: 1. Write the book knowing who your ideal buyer is, what niche you are filling and knowing how your book is unique. 2. Begin building your author platform online as you are writing your book, a year ahead of time if you can. 3. Write down your marketing plan, including all the ways you can think of that you’re willing to self-promote. Share this with your publicist. He or she will fill in the blanks and help you implement. 4. Timing makes champions. There are lead times with everything when it comes to marketing and PR. Give the process plenty of time. 5. Creating dynamic marketing materials will give you a heads above the rest. Leon: What are 5 things you want the audience to know about the importance of your business? Kearns: 1. We help authors navigate the waters of self-publishing and avoid the pitfalls that many self-publishers fall into, which saves time and money in the end. 2. Whether you have a publisher, a distributor, a wholesaler, a shepherd, an editor, a designer, a publicist, etc. you still have to believe in and promote your book yourself. Very few books will sell themselves. 3. Keep an open mind as you go into the project just in case there is a really good idea you have missed. 4. We know the book business and if we don’t know something we know where to go for reliable information. 5. We like to think outside the box and suggest places where your book can sell other than bookstores. Leon: How would you like to be contacted for people to hire you for your services? Kearns: Go to our website and fill out the form for a half hour gratis phone consult. Email me to set up a gratis call. Call me at 805-898-2263. If I’m busy, I’ll call you back ASAP. Leon: Please give our authors a closing word of encouragement. This is an exciting time in publishing. More authors are able to get their books to print and/or into e-book form. Print books are not going to go away (anytime soon, at least), so consider a print book as well as an e-book. E-books are simply another revenue source for publishers. When you work with a book shepherd like To Press & Beyond, you are going into a business. Don’t give up prematurely. In the words of Wayne Gretzky, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Hope you enjoyed this and don’t forget to listen to the interview on my website!!! New shows posted every Thursday. Linda Leon Media Specialist
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Tag Archives: how to market books
Create Book Buzz Like a Pro
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I am Linda Leon and welcome to the next edition of Publishing and Publicity for Smart People, The Colum. If I were you, there is no way I would miss my upcoming interview with Susannah Greenberg. She is literally an encyclopedia on book promotions and it is free, just listen to the my podcast that you can find any time on my website. I interviewed Susannah and here are some fabulous pointers for writers to help them create buzz for their book. Just to let you know that she really does know her stuff, check out this bio. Susannah Greenberg is President of Susannah Greenberg Public Relations, a book publicity firm in the Greater New York City area. Her clients are authors, publishers, and book industry organizations. She has represented best selling authors including Spencer Johnson and Alan Dershowitz; launched the campaign for April is National Poetry Month for the Academy of American Poets; handled public relations for the Book Industry Study Group; and is the Publicity Chair for the Women’s National Book Association in New York, NY. She gets features, reviews, and articles for her clients in TV, radio, print and online. Media placements by her firm include the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, New York Times, the Today Show and more. Most recently, she assisted in the 2011 launch of Albert Whitman Teen, a line of books for young adults. Prior to founding her own firm, Susannah Greenberg was employed at Simon & Schuster, M. Evans & Co., Cambridge University Press, and Pantheon Books.
Leon: What are the most effective ways you have promoted your book or business? The Internet! Also, real life networking by serving on the board of groups including the Women’s National Book Association, by speaking at important trade conventions such as Bookexpoamerica and more.Leon: What ways have you used social media? Leon: What is the importance of tools like Twitter, Facebook, SEO, Web Optimization, Blogging, Podcasting, etc. to author promotions? Leon: What are 5 things you feel every author should know about book marketing? Leon: What are 5 things you want the audience to know about the importance of your business? Greenberg: You gotta be in it to win it, no wallflowers allowed. If you are proud of your book, get out there and shout about it! Tell everyone you know about your book. Wonderful low cost and effective opportunities are now plentiful because of the social media revolution. Jump in and take advantage. Build your buzz from early on and it will grow and you will succeed!
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Book and Record Distributor Provides Great Marketing Insight
| Publishing and Publicity for Smart People – The Column
I am looking forward to the new resources we will be able to provide authors this year in my new segment Publishing and Publicity for Smart People, The Column. My book entitled the same will be out very soon and I am very excited about it. This column will work in conjunction with my weekly podcast, Book That Author, which can be heard on my website. The theme of the podcasts this year will be to provide authors with tools they can use to promote their books. We will cover topics such as SEO, website advancement, social networking promotions, new media and traditional media development, book shepherding, book distribution resources, marketing and publicity and a lot more. Our first resource of the year is Todd Young, the owner of The ConneXion. Here after called The X. This company sets up distribution channels for creative artist to promote their books, records, DVD’s, video projects and a host of other projects. For authors intending to grow their book business it is very important to have a reliable distribution system that will manage your account. This way you can keep up with purchases, get paid on a consistent basis, and also not have to worry about how your products are being shipped and distributed. Distribution partners will also handle all customer support. In my recent interview with Todd he had this to say: Leon: Tell us a little about you, hobbies and family. Young: For the last 15 years it has been hard to see where my business ends and my family begins. In 1997, my wife and business partner, Janna, started the X with the dual goal of creating a company that would make the lives of art creators easier by allowing them complete control over ownership of their creations and at the same time allow us to be parents of our kids. We worked hard but often we worked around their schedules so that we could maximize our time as a family. Speaking of family it was a wonderful day a few years ago when my brother joined The X team as our director of distribution. We are now recruiting my older brother to join the team! Leon: How did you begin your business? Young: I returned from living in Spain in the fall of 1995, fell in love with Janna, and got a job with an independent record label. I knew nothing about the music business but as I managed all the direct to fan sales (both at venues and via mail, the internet wasn’t really the medium then) I quickly learned that there was a lot of money coming in, but none of it was getting to the artists or other creators. As I checked around with the artist community, it became clear this was not an isolated problem. After a short discussion on a snowboard trip, Janna and I decided two major things, to start output and distribution …and to start our life journey together. Both of which I am happy to say are going strong. Leon: How much will it cost an author to distribute through The X? Young: It will cost $100 as a set up fee, $20 a year for storage and maintenance, file conversion (file to .epub file) cost is quoted per project, ballpark is 45-75 cent per page, and 70% of all the monies received from the retailer goes directly to the author. Leon: What services does The X provide besides core distribution? Young: We provide marketing – direct to fan email campaigns to your fans, promotion via The X to our thousands of monthly visitors, promotion to our fan family of over 150,000 persons who have opted in to get information on The X family of artists. We are a full blown manufacturer – whether you need a book, a record, a robe with your name on it, or good old fashioned shirts, posters, stickers – we make everything you can think of to promote your project. There is a lot of potential here for sales revenue. Many times authors especially think that only the book is the attraction, but after 15 years in this business I can tell you that associated merchandise has its place too. We offer ticketing and can set up credit card acceptance for your venues or any live appearances you might have. Leon: Is the publishing environment good or bad for authors in the new digital age, both in relation to the product output and revenue/sales? Young: We believe it is good for self-publishers, if they are flexible to the changing ways of the industry and the buying public. There is a lot more content out there as the traditional gatekeepers are losing control that is a good thing for self-publishers. If you couple this with a worldwide audience of buyers, not just a few who actually frequent bookstores, there is a huge potential for sales. The X has been party to this before via our roots in the music industry. There is great potential for sure. Leon: How can your company help authors to sell books? Young: At the most basic level we can get you distributed and available to a worldwide audience in less time than it used to take just to get the book manufactured. This happens in 2 main ways. I want to break them down because we do notice that often this part of the message gets confusing for some people. 1. Direct to fan sales: This happens directly between your website and your fans. We handle everything, customer service, collection of payments, shipping of the physical items and e delivery of digital items, etc. 2. Distribution to digital retail – That means resources like Amazon, I Books, Kobo etc. We handle everything from file conversion of your word doc to an E Pub file, all the way to monitoring sales; so if a spike happens we can jump on it and when appropriate, add to the marketing plan. To some clients, our most important service is that we take no ownership though we do tons of work on your behalf. You keep all control and the majority share of the monies earned. Sales are never a given with any artist project and we won’t make pie in the sky predictions, but I will promise that if you and your team do your job – keeping your name and your book with a high profile and keeping the creative content coming, The X team will highly service both digital retail and your old and new fan base directly. We will extend your line of complimentary merchandise so your revenue keeps increasing and of course raising your profile within our community of over 150,000 fans. We always say, let us do the grunt work so that you can stay focused on the creative side. Leon: How does one utilize social networks to raise sales? Young: This is an evolving area. I can say through consistent communications of interesting ideas and thoughts is a much better plan than a once a day recitation of what you had for lunch. If you are an author, everything doesn’t need to be buy my book. However, staying fresh and accessible is the goal. It is also very extremely important to push fans to your official site. Some think that having an official site is no longer necessary. We disagree completely. Having your own ecosystem is very important and if you push it on your social networks, then all those clicks raise the SEO level of your own site and not someone else’s. Leon: What is the importance of tools like Twitter, Facebook, SEO, blogging, podcasting etc. to promote the author? Young: This goes back to the idea of your job in the bargain, you will have to keep yourself and the creative output in the face of the populous. These tools make that do-able. When the time comes for the purchase, The X will service the fans, do the accounting and get you paid, all while you are creating your next masterpiece! Leon: What are five things you want people to know about your business? Young: 1. The direct to fan relationship is the most valuable thing you have going for you. It will only increase as time goes on and the market gets more content heavy. This has been our focus for 15 years. We made connections for other people let The X make connections for you. 2. Don’t be a dinosaur. Yes, I am one that loves holding a book; but lots of people love their e-readers. Don’t let your personal preferences stand in your way. Instead let The X distribute for you far and wide. 3. We are trustworthy. We have been servicing authors and entertainers for 15 years, no worry with us about getting a call back, getting your questions answered or perhaps most importantly, getting your money on time, every time. 4. We do not have you sign paperwork that locks you in for years – no commitments. If you need to leave us, you are free to do so, though we hope you will stay. I am proud to say that we have very little attrition. 5. Be excited. This is a very exciting time to be a creator. Have no fear. The whole world is now your market. Leon: How do you wish to be contacted? Young: Contact me, Todd Young, President at call 360 333-7397. You can also contact Collin Young, Director of Distribution at 512 843-2805. Thanks for reading the interview! Linda Leon
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Book Marketing Tips: How to Build Your Email List and Sell Books Quickly
Here are great book marketing tips -use article marketing as a book sales and lead generation technique. There are two basic theories to article generation, constant submissions and anchor submissions. In constant submissions you are regularly placing new articles. In anchor submissions you set an objective for your articles and submit a specified number of submissions and allow those to constantly draw attention to your site. I normally use anchor submissions. I will write a very strong article that has constant lead generation appeal. Currently I have about 38 articles that have helped over 20,000 people to find me on line. That number grows each year. It is a strategy that works for me. Use a strategy that works for you. The cost of publishing a book is too great not to have a strategy to get them sold.
You have to be able to get people to your website before they can buy your book or for you to gain increases in your email list. Without having an article strategy you will not obtain your article marketing and sales lead generation goals. You will eventually become very frustrated in your book promotion efforts. Focus on getting people to your website, your blog, or your Amazon page. Once you get them to your page, develop a relationship with them.
Many people begin their article-writing journey with absolutely no purpose. They have heard of the process and decided to join the bandwagon. It may help them to achieve expert status. It might help them to provide great information. However the process of article writing is very time consuming and you have to find some way to measure if all of the writing you are doing is worth anything of value. To me it is only of value if it helps people to find me on line. Use articles to build your email list, sell more books and find your target audience.
How to you get people to read your articles, visit your website, buy your books and become long term members of your email lists?
Have a killer headline and good content. I am targeting people who are looking for specific book marketing tips. My objective is that the readers visit my website at book marketing professionals. I have provided two strategies for them to use to write articles – constant submissions or anchor submissions. I have also provided insight that new online writers often do not have, that is to write with purpose. If you have no objective in writing, it can lead to burn out, frustration and have no value. I have given reasons why this is important, that is, it helps you to build your book business.
Create a solid call to action. At the end of all article submissions is a bio box. In that box you place your “ad.” What do you want people to know about you, and what do you want people to do? Do you want them to visit your website? Do you want them to know about your new book release on Amazon? Use the box to point the reader wherever you want them to go. Place a link in the box for where you want the reader directed. Normally you will be allowed two links in the bio box.
Give the reader eye candy. Put something compelling in front of them to make them want to click the link. That compelling factor can quickly lead people your direction. It can be a headline, a free offer, a survey, a quiz, and free chapters to your book or something of value. I have two headlines that have sent many people to me – Filthy Rich Pastors and I Hate My Husband. Can you see why those articles are eye candy? These are two of my anchor submissions. Right now if you go to book marketing professionals and click on my contact page, there is a free offer called Book Marketing Made E Z. The free offer has very valuable information. I should have that on my home page, but right now I have other objectives for the home page so I am directing people to me through the contact page. My theory is if people go as far as getting to my contact page, they must be somewhat interested in what they have learned about me so far. Each click is a new lead and a new email list person.
People are buying books everyday. Why not come up with strategies for them to buy your books? Bookmarketing is all about strategy. It is not happenstance. It is not an easy street. It is hard work, dedication to your cause and the ability to keep going until you find the strategy that works for you. If you really want to sell your books then do not overlook article marketing as a book sales and lead generation technique. If you continue to work on strategy and develop quality content, you will build your book business. I hope you have enjoyed these book marketing tips, if so feel free to tweet it and share this article with your associates.
Marketing Tips From A Publisher
Linda Leon’s Interview with Linda Radke – Five Star Publications
Leon – Tell us a little about yourself, hobbies and family.
Radke – I’ve been in the publishing business since 1985. As everyone well aware, the publishing industry has changed quite a bit since then, and today I find myself concentrating mainly on Partnership Publishing, e-Publishing and distribution and offering publishing and marketing services and counseling.
I am the author of The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing (a 2010 Paris Book Festival first-place winner in the “How-To” category and a Writer’s Digest Book Club selection, now into its second edition) and Promote Like a Pro: Small Budget, Big Show (a Doubleday Executive Program Book Club selection). I am also a founding member of the Arizona Book Publishing Association, was named “Book Marketer of the Year” by Book Publicists of Southern California, and received numerous public relations and marketing awards from Arizona Press Women. So I have a plethora of experience to share with my clients.
Leon – How did you begin your writing journey?
Radke – I owned a very successful household employment agency, and wanted to publish a few books to complement my services. I was going after a narrow market niche. So, I bravely ventured into the self-publishing arena — before it was a common place. Well, I discovered that I had “printer’s ink in my veins,” and spun my publishing venture off into its own full-time business.
Leon – What audience do you reach?
Radke – We reach a very diverse audience — basically any and every audience required to help our authors sell their books. However, there does seem to be a few themed threads running through our list of books, such as Westerns, cookbooks, children’s books (both fiction and nonfiction, mysteries, historical books, educational books and memoirs.
Leon – What are some of the most effective ways you have helped authors to market their books?
Radke – · Finding experts and famous personalities to endorse their books.
· Research a book’s market before committing to publishing it
· Tapping into organizations that would either make good partners for our authors or ones that would fit our target markets for book sales
· Creating dynamic marketing materials and an impressive website
· Promoting our authors as spokespersons or experts in their fields
Leon – What ways can e-books be marketed?
Radke – That’s the million-dollar question that everyone wants answered. A lot of the ways you would promote an eBook would be the same you would any other book — including press info to the media, radio shows, television appearances, blogging, Facebook, etc. etc. But the real question authors should be asking is: HOW CAN I GET DISTRIBUTION for my eBook. You can promote the heck out of a book, but if it’s not distributed in convenient, trustworthy places, you won’t sell it. And yes, Five Star Publications does have a very economical distribution agreement plan for eBooks.
Leon – Based on your experience what are 5things every author needs to know and your most difficult experience in your publishing career?
Radke – Sorry, but I’m going to have to go with six things:
1. Before you even start writing a book know how you are going to market it. Don’t write a book and then just expect it to be marketable. It doesn’t work that way.
2. Have a realistic expectation and manage them each step of the way.
3. Have expertise in your subject matter.
4. Know your audience and how to reach them.
5. Utilize professionals each step of the way.
6. Create a 12-month marketing plan.
The toughest part of my job is being upfront with authors. We are painfully, but diplomatically honest with folks. And no matter how much money they might throw our way, we will not publish a book that we feel does not have a fighting chance in the market. In addition to the book being good, we must also know that the author will be a good marketing partner with us. The days of a shy author selling a million copies and never leaving the comfort or security of her home or office is over. Authors must also be promoters if they expect to succeed, and as long as an author has a “go-getter” personality, we will teach our clients the rest.
Leon – What ways do you use social media to promote your books?
Radke – We offer professional and reputable bloggers the opportunity to review our books and offer them as giveaways.
When we provide a website to an author, we also provide a blog, and encourage them to blog frequently.
Five Star tweets, blogs and posts information on Facebook about our authors and books, etc.
Leon – In what ways do you feel social media is impacting the future of the book industry?
Radke – It is becoming one of the book industry’s best promotional tools. All authors should become social media experts. I realize it’s tough, because they are so busy going out on book signings, doing trade shows, presentations and traveling, but they need to blog, tweet, Facebook daily if possible, but a minimum of three times per week.
It’s amazing how often a Facebook or other social media type of connection can turn into a book sale, lead to being invited to present at an event, or even just offer information that can be a tremendous help to promotional or marketing efforts. The media is searching the social media engines for material all the time!
Leon – What is your viewpoint on Facebook and Twitter?
Radke – In addition to what I’ve already added, I would recommend having experts show you the way. Connect with colleagues who can show you the ropes, or take a workshop at a library. Learn it, learn it, learn it.
Leon – What are your next writing goals?
Radke – Movies, screenplays, TV and more
Leon – What are some closing remarks you would like to share with our authors?
Radke – Listen and learn from folks who have been there and done that! And know that you only get out of something what you are worth putting into it — in both effort, as well as money!
Join Linda as she interviews Linda Radke on Book That Author on Thursday.
How To Make Money Writing and Selling E-books on the Internet – Five Very Powerful Tips
I recently read stats that thirteen million e-book readers where purchased in 2010, up 325% from 2009. That number is expected to grow exponentially by 4th quarter 2011. E-book sales increased 400% and were just slightly under one billion dollars in sales last year. All of that powerful sales activity is only going to multiply. Are you going to be one of the people to supply e-books to over thirteen million e-book readers? There is certainly enough room for your book to be part of the revolution. Tapping into the market can be as easy as applying these 5 powerful tips on the best ways to make money writing and selling e-books on the Internet.
Tip One
Find out what people want to know and give that information to them. You can create an entire dynasty of books if you write for the purpose of providing information. The Internet is the quickest way to find out what people want to know. For example you can go to any question and answer site on the web and find out what people want to know. The title of this article is related to one of those questions. In my research 88,400 people want to know this information.
On my Book That Author podcast I had the opportunity to interview John Kremer who is a popular information writer and provider. I asked him why he decided to write his best selling book 1001 Ways to Market Your Book and to create bookmarket.com, it was because he found there was an audience interested in information about writing and marketing books. He wrote one book, addressed the need for marketing information and has made a career out of it.
Tip Two
It becomes much easier to learn how to make money writing and selling e-books on the Internet when you begin to apply key word strategies. Key words help you to determine what people are looking for and are used to help people find you. Content ideas for your e-books can be populated very easily that way. The best way to use key words is to avoid using highly competitive key words. I would recommend obtaining a copy of the book The SEO Bible to learn more about key word strategies.
Tip Three
Marketing your e-book is all about getting the most exposure for it that you can get. Many people think it is hard to learn Internet marketing skills but it really is not if you begin to build knowledge daily. Set a side a few minutes every day, learn a marketing concept and then apply it. I am going to help you start by suggesting 5 things to learn and apply within five days. This probably will take less than 15 minutes a day to do but it can increase your ability to sell books tremendously. One – find out what is affiliate marketing and sign up for an account. One of the biggest sources is Click Bank. Two – visit Google.com and pick out at least three Google tools you can use to market your book. Three – find a book on Amazon that is extremely popular, read that book and then leave a review that contains information about your e-book. Four – sign up for at least 2 article directories and see how people are using the information and then begin to do the same. You can post information about your book in the bottom tag line of the article. People use articles because they are highly distributed which means more people get to know about you and your e-book. Five- read articles on paid per click and see if it would be an effective way to market your book.
Tip Four
Consider unusual places to sell your book. The following places are not the first to come to mind but people are actively using them to sell e-books:
Ebay.com
Craigslist.com
Sales Spider.com
Community Classified.org
US Free Ads.com
Tip Five
The final way to learn how to make money writing and selling e-books on the Internet is to get involved in forums. One of the most useful forums to get involved in is Kindle Forums. I interviewed Vicki Lieski an independent author on my podcast Book That Author, she stated that one of the main influences for her being able to sell over 113,000 e-books was getting involved with the Kindle community, getting to know the people in the forum and then using any opportunities they presented. The main opportunity was getting involved with interview requests. There are forums and social networking communities throughout the web, get involved.
Promoting a book has never been easier with all of the wonderful tools available today. The Internet has made it possible to literally become an expert book marketer. The playing field between traditional publishers and self -publishers has been lowered because of the World Wide Web. Smart self-publishers are rising to the occasion and learning to promote books in highly effective ways. If you have enjoyed this article please share it, tweet it, like it or post in your communities. Helping authors has been a joy for me. Follow me on Twitter. Feel free to join my new You Tube channel Book Marketing Pros. Or just stop by my website at book marketing professionals and listen to my podcasts which are filled with useful marketing information from the best sources in the industry. Have a question about book marketing? Just ask. Happy book promoting!!!
Strategies To Get Over 100,000 Views For Your Book Trailer
Today’s book marketing is STEALTH. It is not like the old days when marketers constantly pushed people towards a product. Now it’s about building relationships, soft selling, being an expert and branding. Randy Halverson’s viral video, “The Tempest Milky Way,” is a perfect example of stealth. When I first saw this video it had over 119,000 views on Yahoo and 22,000 views on You Tube and I can guarantee the number is going to continue to climb the stratosphere. Why -because he did it by the new rules. He presented himself as an expert, he is branding himself virally, and he is building relationships. You should see all the comments the video is getting. The new rules of marketing is show not tell. It’s not always about telling people who you are, what you do and why they need your product. It’s about showing them in a way that is uniquely you — your personality and the relationships that you build are the new tools in branding.
Linda Leon interviews Best Selling Author Vicki Lieski
Over 100,000 E-books Sold by Self Published Author
Talk about a David v/s Goliath story, self-published authors are giving traditional publishers havoc. All across the book industry self-publishers are getting social media savvy, book marketing capable and book buzz proficient. This has sent shockwaves through the traditional book marketplace. When I interviewed Vicki Lieske, a New York Times Best Selling (Self Published) Author that sold over 100,000 e-books I was cheering!!! No longer do writers have to wait to be “selected” by publishing houses. No longer do writers have to have their dreams bruised by rejection letters. They simply have to become knowledgeable about book marketing, just like Vicki did, and elevate their book into public awareness. The Internet has made that extremely possible and has leveled the playing field between the self-publishers and traditionalist. We see the footprints of it everyday as online book sales topple in store purchases, as bookstores close throughout the country and as e-books sales sky rocket.
Vicki candidly discussed how she was able to accomplish this in such a short amount of time. In recap the key was getting connected with people in forums, through online interviews/reviews and participating in groups. She also stressed the importance of having a quality book. It was an absolutely fabulous interview and filled with so much more information. I have placed a link on my about page to direct you to the full interview. Happy listening and if you like the interview please share it with your social media friends and leave a comment.
Linda Leon 