Know your book’s online presence through Google Alerts

Google has a great program that allows you to be alerted every time a certain search term is inputted into Google. This allows you to be notified whenever someone searched for your name or possibly the name of your book so you can get an idea of what marketing efforts are building general interest in you and your book and which efforts generate little online traffic.

This program is free to use and you can find out more by going to www.google.com. Click on the “News” tab located directly above the Search tool. Then, click on the “News Alerts” link on the left panel. You can then enter “Search terms” and Google will send you a personal e-mail whenever these terms are found on the Web.

Success Story – Why a Press Release matters

One of my author’s recently chose to have a professionally written Press Release through our company and received some great feedback and landed on the front page of his local paper. A good press release in the right hands can be a good tool for getting the word out about your book.

Here are his comments in his own words:

I wanted to share my good news with you. Due to your skillfully written press release, my local news paper did a front page story and photo on me! Here is the link: http://www.snponline.com/

Here is the link to his story in case the front page has changed by the time you are viewing:
http://www.snponline.com/FRONT/Stories/1.HTML

Here is Mark’s book on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Making-Preacher-Naked-Pulpit/dp/1419667939/ref=sr_1_2/103-7613588-2714267?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188248959&sr=8-2

Bookstore Returns Program

A bookstore returns program is something I advise to authors with a high degree of caution. It is always a more profitable option to focus on direct selling to customers and online sales, but many authors want to establish a bookstore presence as well. I suggest going directly to Baker and Taylor to set up as an individual vendor with them. Here is some information on how to do this:

Link: http://www.btol.com/inf_details.cfm?id=193
Email: pubsvc@btol.com.

Again, this is not something I advise doing as a general rule and if you have any questions on a returns program feel free to email. It is important to remember that this will not make any bookstore order your book – it only makes it less of a hassle for them to do so.

Success Story – Getting a local appeal

Paige Cummings is one of my authors who has done very well at attracting a local appeal for her book. She has also found that combining her marketing efforts with other self-published authors has made the experience more enjoyable and productive.

In her own words:

I have learned that marketing is critical, and it is a lot more fun when you are doing it with other people. Dac Crossley, another BookSurge author, is a close friend and writing buddy. We, with six other writing buddy pals, created a loose coalition called Southern Scribes. As a group we actively market and promote each other’s works. One of our initial successes came at the Comer, Georgia Farmer’s Market. Dac and I each sold ten books the first time out, and they have invited us back for any Saturday we wish to come. While there we networked with an individual who is responsible for “unusual” vendors for another (larger) Farmer’s Market, and we will be doing booksignings there. We have made it into the newspapers three times so far– one article on the Southern Scribes, one article on the Harriette Austin Writer’s Conference and one photograph of Dac and I each donating a copy of our books to the Madison County Library. >From those three articles, we have been invited to two festivals for book-signings, two libraries for book-signings and to an art gallery for a combination art-show, book-signing and story telling.

My best piece of luck came when an old friend in my hometown (where Under the Liberty Oak is set) read my book while visiting her mother in the hospital. She told her husband, who happens to be an AP columnist– he emailed about 200 people in his list who like his short stories and essays– and told them about the book. Said that they might find some of their own pranks in print. And he also contacted the Brunswick, Georgia newspaper– I am going to be a featured article in the bi-monthly magazine “Coastal Times.”

Her and her husband also actively contact independent bookstores, local gift shops, and have taken out ads in free circulations.

You can find Under the Liberty Oak on Amazon.com at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/Under-Liberty-Oak-Paige-Cummings/dp/1419668013/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7613588-2714267?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187622536&sr=8-1

Coffee And Books

A co-worker of mine provided this idea to some of his authors and it worked well so do read below and see if you think it might be a good idea for you!

What goes better with a book than a good cup of coffee? It’s a natural fit. How many coffee shops have you approached to do a book signing? Chances are if you live in or near a metropolitan area you are within short driving distance of a coffee shop. I’m not talking about a coffee shop in a bookstore. I’m talking about a free-standing neighborhood coffee shop. They specialize in serving a loyal customer base, and that loyal customer base is your demographic.

Here’s your assignment. Walk into your local coffee bar, order your favorite brew, and hand the manager a copy of your book. Let him or her know that you are available for a signing anytime and you are going to be doing some heavy marketing. If the manager’s not there, ask for his or her business card and send them a signed copy of your book and include a brief note outlining your proposal for the book signing. Stress your greatest asset, you’re a local author.

Now you’re ready for the coffee shop tour. Make sure you have plenty of books on hand.

Happy marketing!

Publishing’s Transition to Online Marketing

I found this lengthy article on online marketing strategies by major publishers http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6417182.html?q=unique+marketing. The article focuses on YA and children’s books titles, but I think it can be applied to virtually every genre. It focuses on the transition by many mainstream publishers to online marketing techniques as more and more transactions are taking place through online channels. I would read through the article and see if some of the strategies might work for your book. It is also a good indicator that even traditional publishers are seeing more of a shift to online sales and developing an online presence.

The highlights: Over the past 12-18 months (article was posted in Feb) – there has been a major shift by trad publishers to online marketing. A recent Pew Internet and American Life Project poll discovered that 21 million teens are spending their afternoons after school online. Some publishers are devoting as much as 70% of their over-all marketing budget for a title to online strategies. Those strategies include: “re-energizing a Web site (or developing a new one) or ramping up tech knowledge to create campaigns utilizing blogs, podcasts, instant messaging, viral marketing campaigns, video sharing, ads on third-party URLs, video book trailers and social networking sites like MySpace”

Success Story

This author had a writer see her book on a local events list in her area, and was contacted about an interview. In her words, “The free lance writer was referred to me by Booksurge. He saw the booktitle on an events list somewhere in San Diego; so he contacted Booksurge, who gave him my name and info…When he e-mailed me, I sent him a copy of the book, and a few days later, he called me for the phone interview.”

Here is the link where you can see her interview: http://www.laprensa-sandiego.org/current/mariachi.htm

Here is her book on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Fiesta-y-el-Mariachi/dp/1419663399/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7613588-2714267?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184765769&sr=8-1

New Online Marketing Tool

A co-worker and I have been researching a new marketing opportunity and he has had some success in using it to promote his book so I wanted to let everyone know about it. Essentially you would need to setup an account, which is free to do, with the website www.Shelfari.com. This is a site where many book lovers have set up their profiles and placed their favorite books in these profiles. They then find people with similar tastes with which to connect. They connect in the form of discussions and forming groups around various ideas. You can see my personal page on this site from the following link: http://www.shelfari.com/Jmark333. The more active you are with the site the more connections you will make for you and your book. You would use it similar to a MySpace account and the more groups, discussions, etc. that you take part in the more contacts you will build. When you join a group you can add your book to their shelf thereby including it in the catalog of that particular group. When a new member joins they see all the books that belong to that group and so this would be a way to generate sales to your title. You would also want to place your book as one of the things showing when people click on your profile as another way of promoting your book.

I hope you find it useful and are able to connect with some people who may be interested in your type of book!

Success Story – Who to contact at Borders

This author worked very hard to get his book signing at Borders, which traditionally allows their store managers more flexibility in managing content. He did not initially find it easy to get his book in as they were hesitant to promote a self-published book, but he kept working with them – showing them positive reviews and providing them with copies to review. He ended up having some great events and here is a tidbit about that in his own words:

The whirl-wind tour of Des Moines, Iowa was outstanding! We have been asked to make a Return Engagement to WHO during August when they host a special Talk Radio booth at the Iowa State Fair (Oldest & Largest in America). It would be in conjunction with Michael Reagan’s syndicated talk radio show. Michael doesn’t know about this yet, so I must let the program director at WHO work his “magic” first. They did say they REALLY liked my twenty-five minute appearance—& that the answers I gave were “excellent & came across–great!” They said, “It sounded good.”
THE BORDERS book store Speech & Book Signing went very well! The staff had best venue inside the store with chairs, desk, mic & sound system &, as you can see by the Attachment, the BORDERS Regional P.R. people sent out numerous signs & enlarged RR book covers as signs & posters. By the way, my WHO host & anchor, Steave Deace (DAY-CE) allowed me to promo the BORDERS date (two days later) twice on his show—no problem. BORDERS was the firm that had ordered fifty (50) books through Baker & Taylor. We sold them all & signed them all. Then orders were placed, by the “stragglers” & store patrons who just happened to be there & heard my talk—with BORDERS for more books.
I had some friends who were planning a 50 year East High School Reunion at a library near the old H.S. & they asked me in to give a short talk—this is the way Reagan did it—unannounced—time after time—I sold & signed fifteen (15) books there. Seems miniscule—but the “buzz” sure got around Des Moines that we were in t own with REAGAN: WHAT WAS HE REALLY LIKE? VOL. 1.

Here is what he advises on who to contact:

The BORDERS story is this: The individual store manager, in KEY markets, MUST be approached by the author through a direct, on-the-scene, contact from a LIVE representative of that author—plus a telephone call from the author—IF he or she is in a remote location from the desisgnated Key market store. Then that store manager, if he or she does not initiate it, should be asked by the author to contact the Regional BORDERS Rep., known as the District Regional Marketing Manager responsible for a specific, multi-state area. They are ALWAYS looking for someone to promo in their regions.
It is up to the author to send that BORDERS DRM Manager a “package” by e-mail of 1. Photos of the author. 2. Newspaper / magazine clippings plus photos (even personal snapshots) of the author giving Speeches / Talks / Lectures / Presentations of the author’s work—to groups—the larger the better.
Those authors (Fiction or Non-fiction) should start out with local book clubs, authors clubs, church groups, Current Events & History Clubs, etc. etc.—to get some groundwork laid down first. One or two little events begets MANY larger, more important events! Tell them to do something (logical but innovative) to get people TALKING about them & their book!!!

See his book, Reagan: What Was He Really Like?, on Amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/Reagan-What-Was-Really-Like/dp/1419643517/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7613588-2714267?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181739179&sr=8-1

Publicity for a Book Signing

It is difficult to overstate how important creating publicity for your book signing is to the success of a signing. This author makes a concentrated effort through passing out pamphelets, posters, etc. and he sees very good results. In the first image you will notice his book is right below a display in front of a bookstore in a mall under a Harry Potter advertisement. I honestly would not have believed he could have gotten that prime a location if he had not sent me the pictures. This level of success does not happen everyday, but it is possible to succeed with a book or any product – you just have to create the demand!