Book Marketing Blogs

We had another great show titled This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral, an expert on web marketing.

To kick things off, we consulted Search Engine Marketing Expert Susan Gilbert for a tip.

Susan discussed one of the drawbacks of the live “group” chat in Facebook. Although it’s an interesting and potentially useful feature, it can have drawbacks. For instance, after Susan was invited to join chat groups her Facebook mailbox was initially overwhelmed with a flood of emails. First, there were the invitations to join group chats, followed by a wave people responding to the invitation and then emails from people who felt they were being spammed and wanted to be removed from the list.

There are video instructions for removing yourself from such groups, and Susan has created a post on her blog that includes an update, a link to a Wired article on the live group chat, and instructions on how to get off the list if you’ve been invited.

For additional resources and tips check Susan Gilbert’s website, www.susangilbert.com.

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For over 15-years, Jim Kukral has helped small businesses and large companies like FedEx, Sherwin Williams, Ernst & Young and Progressive Auto Insurance understand how to find success on the Web. Jim is the author of the book, “Attention! This Book Will Make You Money,” as well as a professional speaker, blogger and Web business consultant. Find out more by visiting www.JimKukral.com. You can also follow Jim on Twitter http://twitter.com/JimKukral.

This Book Will Make You Money is a tactical book to help businesses and brands learn how to get attention – the book uses case studies to show how it can be done.

When it comes to marketing, Jim says stunts do work – but you have to take it to the second level – and once you get some attention you have to work to maintain it.

Image via Wikipedia

Perhaps one of the best examples of stunt marketing is Matthew Lesko, the author of reference books who is also known as “the question mark guy” thanks to his trademark suit embellished with the punctuation mark. If you’re not doing something memorable you’re in the middle (and forgettable), Jim says.

Consistency is key

Marketing also requires a commitment and consistency – you have to keep marketing until you get a lead, a sales or publicity, he says.

Not everyone is born a marketer, but what Jim is seeing now is a shift where everyone realizes they have to learn to be a marketer for their product, their service, their book – everyone has to be a marketer. “Authors, your book and your brand is a business, and the biggest mistake you make is not to treat it as a business and to build your brand,” he says.

Sometimes the best marketing move is to simply make a decision and stick with it. Ego can make marketers lose money, says Jim; for instance, if you worry too much about what others think.

A good publishing example involves the book Skinny Bitch. Some people felt that the title was too negative and might turn people off, but the authors weren’t afraid to go with it. The book became a bestseller, and co-authors Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin have appeared on a variety of TV shows and been interviewed by numerous publications.

It’s OK to fail

When authors become marketers they have to realize that their efforts will take time. They can’t do something once and write it off, they have to be willing to learn, Jim says.

Marketers have to learn how to fail, and if they fail, they must try again.

What makes marketing work? Anything that creates an emotional incentive. Whether it’s negativity or humor, if you can create emotion you can get a reaction: inspire, scare, amuse, and they will buy.

Make people feel something, an emotion: make them laugh, cry, get angry. Then get them on your email list or to attend an event, and then you will find that buyers will come and react. “You want buyers, customers may or may not buy. Buyers buy – so create a notion and the buyers will come,” he says.

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Upcoming Episodes – Please join us Nov. 16 for Getting Your Book into Bookstores, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2010/11/17/getting-your-book-into-bookstores.

With the holidays around the corner, learn the insider’s tips to getting your book on the shelves with special guest Elaine Wilkes.

Related articles

• Attention! Jim Kukral Knows Customer Evangelists Rule (successful-blog.com)
• Are You Thinking Like Google? (seobook.com)
• Universal Truth Of Selling On The Web: Easy & Simple Wins (seobook.com)

Every author wants book reviews – they help build buzz, inform potential readers and buyers about your book and when done well, give enough information about your book to intrigue without giving away all the pertinent details. Getting ready for the review process does take some pre-planning, as we’ve previously covered in 6 Things Your Website Should Tell Book Reviewers About You (and Your Book) http://ame.wpengine.com/6-things-your-website-should-tell-book-reviewers-about-you-and-your-book/ and 7 Simple Steps to Getting Your Book Reviewed http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2010/10/7-simple-steps-to-getting-your-book.html.

Once you’ve built a list of reviewers to go after, it’s time to start pitching. While this may not be as difficult as achieving world peace, it’s amazing how many authors make some big mistakes at this stage, in everything from poorly written subject lines to impersonal (unimpressive) pitches to not providing the appropriate book details.

Simplicity rules: Your email subject line should be brief, yet clear. “Review request: (Name of Book/genre)” is quite effective. You don’t have room to write a novel on the subject line and you want the recipient to be clear what your email is about. This is helpful particularly if your email lands in the recipient’s spam box – a good, concise subject header makes it clear that the email is legitimate. Then, onto the pitch itself.

It’s important to realize that thousands of books are published each year so competition for reviews is fierce. The average new book, if it’s not heavily promoted by one of the major New York publishing houses, is not likely to get much in the way of reviews from newspapers and magazines. That review space has been shrinking for years, anyway. Meanwhile, there has been considerable growth in book blogging and reviewing online; but even with that growth there are still far more books being published than bloggers available to review them. Understand that most reviewers do this as a labor of love and make little to no money. Their review blogs are not full-time endeavors, but something they work into their already busy lives. Learning how to make the best first impression possible when you send that pitch is vital.

Personalize: First of all, most bloggers identify themselves somewhere on their blogs – if they don’t sign their posts with their name, the “about me” section typically lists their name or nickname. Use it! When you use a blogger’s name one thing is instantly clear: you actually took the time to find out who you’re pitching. That’s a big plus. Introduce yourself (briefly), and then don’t just ask them to review your book, give them a reason – have they reviewed other books similar to yours? Do they specialize in reviewing books in your genre?

If you’re comfortable having a little fun with your pitch, by all means do so – I once saw a pitch for a frothy romance that asked potential reviewers if they’d like to sin with a duke. Very catchy and appropriate for the book! But – don’t force it – if that’s not your personality, then don’t worry about it. It’s far more important to explain who you are, what your book is about, WHY this reviewer should be interested in your book and provide links to your website so they can follow up, learn more about your book and decide whether they’d like to request a review copy. They will follow up by clicking through on links, so make sure your website has all the necessary information about you and your book.

If you did your homework during your research phase you may know some things about this blogger that might help you get a review request. For instance, if they love a particular author and your book is in a similar vein, that’s something you can put in your pitch.

Basics count: Make sure you include all the basic book information in the email:

Title

Author

Genre

ISBN (the 13 digit ISBN of your preferred format, hardcover or paperback)

Publication Date (month, year)

Pages

Price

Publisher

And include your website link. (This should also be included on your PR, which you will send out with copies of your book).

Timeframe for replies: You may or may not hear back right away. Each blogger has a different schedule – some people check email daily, others may only check weekly. Be patient. It’s fine to follow up in a couple of weeks if you really felt you matched up with a particular blog and didn’t hear back. It’s possible your original email ended up in a spam folder or was overlooked (the sheer volume of review requests that reviewers receive is pretty staggering). After that, if there’s still no word, let it go. Seek reviews from other bloggers. If you do receive a “No thank you,” move on, it’s not an invitation to try to arm-twist the reviewer into taking on your book.

Additional pitching options: Fiction and nonfiction authors may take a different approach when pitching. For fiction, it may make sense to seek bloggers who review books in your genre; but if your fictional book covers topics that you are an expert in, you may have some other options. For instance, if you heavily researched the history of a city or a historical figure you may find bloggers who are history buffs who might be open to reviewing your book. Sometimes it helps to brainstorm a list of topics from your book, fact or fiction, in order to generate ideas of what type of publications or bloggers or reviewers you should target.

With nonfiction, you’re an expert on the topic(s) at hand and should look for your peers in those areas when seeking reviewers. It’s much more competitive in this realm, but instead of deciding not to pitch someone who could be a competitor see if there are ways for you to help each other – and use that as part of your pitch. You never know what kind of partnership you can develop if you don’t ask. Darren Rowse at ProBlogger covers this really well on his blog, and his blog is worth following. Two useful articles include:

* How to Pitch Bloggers – Make it a Win/Win/Win Situation http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/05/28/how-to-pitch-bloggers-make-it-a-winwinwin-situation/

* How to Pitch to Bloggers – 21 Tips http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/10/30/how-to-pitch-to-bloggers-21-tips/

* From Journalistics blog – What’s the Best Way to Pitch Bloggers? http://blog.journalistics.com/2009/whats_the_best_way_to_pitch_bloggers/

More pitching advice:

http://badpitch.blogspot.com/2007/09/ready-to-pitch-blog-take-this-quiz.html

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/advice/rules.htm

http://www.writing-world.com/promotion/reviews.shtml

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/advice/fivedead.htm

Additional information

While your PR piece is something you can send out to alert the world to your book and also post to various sites online, it is also a vital document that should be included with every review copy you send out. As a result you’ll want to be sure your PR piece – which should be two pages MAXIMUM – has your contact information (phone and email), website url, book synopsis, brief author bio and the book information you used for your pitch (the listing that includes genre, ISBN, publication date, etc.) You are dealing with very busy people who are deluged with hundreds of books a year and you want to make it as easy as possible for them to write about your book – and what’s better than having a PR piece handy with everything they could possibly need – from the book description to the about the author section, website link, book information and so forth? They’ll love you for it!

If you’re at a loss on what to blog on, you’ll love this blog worksheet with some great ideas for blogging in November

a-potpourri-of-blog-ideas-for-november

We’ve rounded up some of the best book marketing Tweets for the week to help you in your journey. These great resources represent a cross-section of bloggers and marketers, on topics range from crafting the perfect titles for your blog posts to steps to getting your book reviewed to why you need to market your book in the first place.

* Building Community on Your Blog, http://dld.bz/2Cjh

* Why Do I Have to Market My Book? I Just Want to Write a Book, http://dld.bz/2CjE

* 10 Controversial Twitter ‘How To’ Issues, http://dld.bz/2CjP

* Online Marketing Works if you Have the Long View, http://dld.bz/3mBg

* 4 Important Tips to Promote Old Posts, http://bit.ly/aoaKoS

* Marketing Tips For Authors: 7 Simple Steps to Getting Your Book Reviewed, http://bit.ly/aSt5IU

* 5 Tips to Getting More Feedback on Your Posts, http://ow.ly/19nIAc

* 5 Reasons to Use Press Releases to Promote Your Blog, http://dld.bz/3mCH

* Are Book Signings Worth the Time and Effort? http://dld.bz/3mDs

* 5 Common Facebook Faux Pas, http://dld.bz/zWne

* 5 Ways to Track What Your Website Visitors are Doing, http://dld.bz/3mDz

* 4 Tips on Crafting a Title That Will Get People to Read Your Post, http://dld.bz/3mD7

Getting your book reviewed is not as simple as sending out a pitch; in fact, that pitch is often the first step in the potential reviewer checking you out. So we have to ask: are you and your website ready for scrutiny? We’ve already covered 7 Simple Steps to Getting Your Book Reviewed, http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2010/10/7-simple-steps-to-getting-your-book.html. Now we’ll move on to the next phase.

No matter how compelling your book and pitch, those can only take you so far if you haven’t taken care of the basics. And nothing is more basic than a website. You should have a website, and your site should be clean, quick to read and simple to navigate. You don’t need fancy graphics or inspiring music (in fact, the music or slow to load pages are a huge no-no unless you want people to leave your site immediately). Clean, professional design and easy to find features are all you need. Your home page should include the following:

* your book cover

* book synopsis

* a buy this book now button

* links to interior pages of your site where visitors can learn more

Image via Wikipedia

What your website needs – Those interior web pages should include an author’s page with a bio – there should be a short version of around 250 words that can be used with reviews, on press releases and in pitches. If you want to include a longer bio, that’s fine, but having the short version ready to use on your site is important. You should have a nice downloadable photo of you that reviewers or media can use. The shot should be in focus (sure, you say ‘duh,’ but we’ve seen plenty of author websites with that blurry photo), be professional and not have a lot of clutter in the background. You should also have a quality, downloadable book cover image available.

Include your latest news – You’ll want a web page for reviews, blurbs and testimonials, and you should update this page as soon as you have new material. Making this a separate web page on your site makes it really easy and convenient for potential reviewers to check out what others have said.

Excerpts can seal the deal – A book excerpt may not be required, but we highly recommended including an excerpt on your site. Given how competitive the review space is, this is something that can make the difference between a review request and a polite “no thank you.” Include the link to the excerpt in your pitch and PR for the book so it’s easily accessible.

Image via Wikipedia

Make book purchase options clear – Links to buy your book should be included on another page – list all applicable sites where your book is for sale and include a way for visitors to click through and make a purchase. Make it simple to make a sale or you may drive customers away.

Provide contact information – Do not forget to have a page with contact information and include what you think is appropriate. If you are an expert on a timely, in the news topic, or want to make it really easy for the media to find you, include a phone number, as well as your email address. If you’re active on social media like Twitter and Facebook include those links, too.

Showcase your stuff – Finally, if you’ve written articles or have a blog, or if you’ve been interviewed on radio, TV, in print or online, make sure those links are featured on your website. Make it as easy as possible for prospective interviewers or reviewers to learn all about you, your book and your expertise.

Bells and whistles won’t cover for a weak website – ensuring that the basics are there so visitors can learn all about you and your book (and buy it) are critical. When surfing websites, visitors only spend seconds; if they don’t see what they need or want, they move on. Make your site inviting and informative so they’ll stick around and hopefully follow up with an enthusiastic “yes” to your review request.

Additional resources

* Your 10 Point Website Check Up – http://ame.wpengine.com/your-10-point-website-check-up/

* 15 key elements all top websites should have – http://freelancefolder.com/15-top-site-elements/

* Writing an effective cover letter – http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/advice/cvr-ltr.htm

* Writing an effective publicity release – http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/advice/prelease.htm

* How to request review copies - http://jseliger.com/2010/03/12/how-to-request-review-copies-or-products-if-youre-a-blogger/

There are those that say it’s all about appearances, this is very true online. Why? Because everything you do online not only leaves a footprint but it’s also your 24/7 resume. If the footprint you’re leaving looks unprofessional and half-finished, it might not bode well for your online reputation and sales. Here are some quick tips on how to look good online:

Social Networks: with social networks it’s not about quantity but quality. I often have authors tell me they are on numerous social networking sites (some are on as many as 50). That’s great if you can keep them all current, if you can’t find the ones you can participate in and stick with those. Remember that the first word on social networking is “social” so if you’re not able to participate actively (at least once a week) then get out.

Sign up for Google alerts: who’s saying what about you? If you don’t know you should. This is (usually) a good thing. You want to know where reviews appear so you can a) link to them and b) thank the person who reviewed you or mentioned you on their blog or website.

Get a blog: in order to get on blogs, you must have a blog but it’s more than just having one, it’s about keeping it updated. (see Participate)

Image via Wikipedia

Participate: In order to reap the benefits of the online world you must participate. This goes back to the social networking site and your blog. Participate, communicate and listen. Three rules online that will never steer you wrong.

Don’t get greedy: lead with the benefits, not the dollar signs. What I mean by this is that if you’re going online to make a quick buck, get out. You might make a few dollars but success will be short lived.

Network: it goes without saying that networking (especially online) is important. Network, lend a helping hand, show people how you can help them.

Get a website: don’t just get one, get a good one. You’d never think to show up for a car race with a scooter. Don’t even try to go online with anything less than a professional website. While I know it’s tempting to do it yourself most authors always end up regretting it. “My website is fine.” They’ll say till you ask them how well it’s selling for them. If the answer is: “it’s not” then you need a new site. Much like bringing a scooter to a Nascar race and hoping to win, show up online with a site that reflects your expertise, creativity, and message. This is one race you can’t afford to lose.

Related articles

• Build Your Own Social Network , Whether You Have 5 Million Friends or 50 (prweb.com)
• Alltop: My Social Networking “Secret Weapon” (prinyourpajamas.com)
• Social Networking Etiquette (thinkup.waldenu.edu)

We always hear that having a platform is important, and while the term is confusing to many authors, the breakdown of what it takes to grow or enhance a platform is pretty basic. Here are some tips to get you started:

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1) Get to know your network: getting to know people, clubs, websites, social media and organizations in your network, market, or niche is important.

2) Starting working your market: You’ll want to begin networking with your audience, perhaps attending events or contacting groups to pitch yourself as a speaker.

3) Get a website: the quickest way to getting online exposure is to get a website. Remember your website is your 24/7 business card, if you’re going to market online or off, you’ll want a virtual presence.

Image via Wikipedia

4) Enhance your virtual presence: once you have a website, get some social networking real estate, too. Go after a page on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, or Squidoo and start building a presence there.

5) If your business is your platform, start digging into your market by gathering names and email addresses of your customer base. These are the people you’ll want to market to when your book comes out, you’ll be able to pitch events, special offers, and future books.

Related articles

• Strategy Analytics: Facebook and Other Social Networks Will Double Users in 5 Years (eon.businesswire.com)
• 5 Common LinkedIn Fallacies and Why You Shouldn’t Believe Them (windmillnetworking.com)
• 33 New Social Media Resources You May Have Missed (mashable.com)

We had another great show titled “Blogging Ideas the Whole Year Through,” with special guest author and book marketer Tony Eldridge that was chock full of ideas to keep bloggers going all year long.

To kick things off, we consulted Search Engine Marketing Expert Susan Gilbert for a tip.

Susan offered an inspirational story with a moral for all authors: never give up; getting your book “out there” may take time, but it will happen.

Blogging is like planting seeds; authors have a hard time sometimes coming up with ideas for their blog, they will do 1 or 2 posts and then say: nothing is happening; there aren’t a lot of subscribers, etc. But blogging is a process, it takes time and you have to keep going.

Susan said when she was self-publishing her book The Land of I Can, she really worked hard to promote the book. For two years she went to bookstores, did speaking engagements, fundraisers, Amazon promotions… she pounded the pavement and got some orders, but sales were not happening as fast as she thought they would.

In Susan’s case, the book she wrote was a 52-page illustrated gift book which she thought women would buy for themselves and to give to other women. She made sure it was available in Hallmark and other gift stores. And, after two years, that went into effect when a woman who oversaw support services for the principals of the San Diego unified school district received a copy of The Land of I Can. The San Diego unified district was about to undergo a lot of change and this woman bought 250 copies to give as a gift to each principal. In turn, the principals gave the book to teachers, who started using them in character development courses.

Now, even though it’s 10 years later, every September Susan gets large orders from schools or booksellers on behalf of school districts using the book. Publishing and promoting the book planted the seeds, and in this case it just happened that those seeds were picked up somewhere other than where Susan originally imagined. And they took it and planted it elsewhere. It’s the same idea when you start blogging – keep in mind you’re planting seeds… it takes time but it will bear fruit.

For additional resources and tips check Susan Gilbert’s website, www.susangilbert.com.

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Our guest Tony Eldridge is the author of the award winning action/adventure novel, The Samson Effect, which Clive Cussler calls a “first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure.” He is also the creator of Marketing Tips for Authors, http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/, a site that publishes free tips and videos to help authors learn marketing techniques for their books. You can read the serial release of The Samson Effect at http://samsoneffect.marketingtipsforauthors.com/.

Some blogging stats:

· There are now 70 million blogs

· Approximately 120,000 are started each day or 1.4 new blogs every second

· Bloggers post an average of 17 posts per second (or 1.5 million posts per day)

When Tony started Marketing Tips for Authors, he wanted to have a blog to build his platform and to be a tool for selling his book. Before he went live with the blog Tony sat down and thought about what to talk about, not just short term, but 1-2 years down the road. Tony has a marketing background so it was natural to tap into that experience when he began the blog. The point of Marketing Tips for Authors was to share experiences and ideas, and also gather resources from other authors to share with his readers.

However, Tony notes we all hit the wall with maintaining a blog at some point; while a book has a last chapter, a blog is a never-ending project and that can be a psychological block for many.

So, where can bloggers find ideas and inspiration?

* Breaking News: blog on current events in your industry.

* Google Alerts: set Google alerts for the topics of your choice and see what others say on your topic.

* Books, Conferences, Seminars: share your experience with your readers.

* Listen To Your Readers: use reader comments, or reader emails as fodder for blog posts.

* Interviews: interview an expert in your field. Experts generally love to do interviews and they will share the interview with their followers, which expands your base, too.

* Carnivals: these are posts that list links to other posts on a subject – carnival posts make it easy to keep a blog going, and you can send people to links of useful information you’ve found online. They’re easy posts to write, consisting of a sentence/link, so it’s a nice and easy feature to do regularly.

* Make Lists: people love to scan lists; “6 ways to;” “8 steps for better;” etc. – Tony says whenever he speaks or writes on subject, uses a 1., 2., 3. format … for list ideas on his blog he uses his own experiences, researches what other bloggers do, Googles topics and filters through the best ideas.

* Case Studies: break down the merits of an event & highlight the pros/cons

Complain/Praise: whether it’s Google, Twitter, Firefox, you can easily find material to comment on.

* Define buzz words: web 2.0, geotargeting, or a niche, there’s plenty to choose from.

* Schedule/write your blogs in advance: most blog platforms let you schedule posts.

* Read up on your subject in your area of expertise and blog on it.

* Take a break: use guest bloggers, run ‘best of’ posts, schedule a series – or take a break and let people know are on vacation if want to recharge.

How often should you blog?

Reexamine your post’s frequency: once a week is a good start – Tony says it’s more important to blog on a regular basis than push yourself to blog a specific number of times/week. If you blog regularly then people know when to look for your new posts. Start out couple days a week to get a rhythm going and then work up to additional days if you want.

Set posting categories: Tony uses “guest bloggers,” “book reviews,” “advice posts,” etc. He manages to blog several times a week by running a carnival one day a week, a guest blog another day, followed by how-to articles on other days and sometimes reviews. When using that kind of format for the week, Tony doesn’t feel he has the pressure of writing five original blog posts every week.

Find Guest Bloggers: to keep the continuity of your blog going – target potential guest bloggers by visiting blogs you find interesting and contact the blogger and ask if they want to share marketing success/tips with readers. Send invitations out to writers’ groups, invite your blog commenters to write a guest post; Tony says these people have a lot to share with others and are engaged.

Additional blogging ideas

* The Author Marketing Experts blog has blogging ideas for each month: http://fb.me/DqZAid4R – for instance, October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, Children’s Magazine Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Gay & Lesbian History Month, National Book Month, etc. You can piggyback onto these events all year long.

* Fiction ideas: blog in character, partner with other authors so you can spread the responsibility, talk about writing (inspiration, goals, tips etc.), publishing options (self published? ebooks?).

* Other ideas: write good (catchy) headlines, do giveaways, add your blog url to your email signature line, comment on other blogs, use RSS so people can subscribe to your blog.

A blog is a very unique marketing medium that will live on – you’ll get residual traffic, you can Tweet on your blog posts and continue to build traffic that way, and once your posts are indexed in Google your blog will continue to spread online.

Special offer: 50% off of Tony Eldridge’s video e-book, “Conducting Effective Twitter Contests,” http://bit.ly/b1mqQz.

Links for additional inspiration and ideas

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2009/05/6-ways-to-cure-blogger-writers-block.html

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2010/10/marketing-tips-around-net-october-15th.html

http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2010/10/10-ways-to-find-material-to-blog-about.html

http://ame.wpengine.com/10-simple-ways-to-become-a-powerhouse-blogger/

http://ame.wpengine.com/top-10-secrets-of-a-super-blogger/

http://ame.wpengine.com/seven-powerful-ways-to-find-new-readers-for-your-blog/

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Upcoming Episodes – Please join us Nov. 2 for This Book Will Make You Money with Jim Kukral

For over 15-years, Jim Kukral has helped small businesses and large companies like FedEx, Sherwin Williams, Ernst & Young and Progressive Auto Insurance understand how find success on the Web. Jim is the author of the book, Attention! This Book Will Make You Money, as well as a professional speaker, blogger and Web business consultant. Find out more by visiting www.JimKukral.com, and his blog, http://www.jimkukral.com/category/blog/. You can also follow Jim on Twitter http://twitter.com/JimKukral.

Related articles

• The Whys and Hows of Guest Blogging (ereleases.com)
• 6 Ways to Keep Your Blog Posts Full of Fresh Content (social-media.blognotions.com)
• 7 Ways to Write Better Blog Posts (quickonlinetips.com)
• 8 Things You Can Do to be a Better Blogger (blogher.com)

Getting potential readers/customers to subscribe to your newsletter isn’t always easy. One way to do this is through an “ethical bribe” – this is when you give something to get something. Giving away a valuable freebie to get an email address is a great way to build your list. When we started offering our ethical bribe on the AME website we quadrupled our sign-ups!

Image via Wikipedia

If you’re trying to figure out what your ethical bribe is going to be related to getting readers to subscribe to your ezine or mailing list make sure it matters to your reader. A lot of folks are fond of giving away free ebooks or books in public domain. Who cares about getting another copy of Moby Dick if it has nothing to do with your book? Consider the following possible subscriber bonuses:

Tips – tip sheets are great. Giving your reader something they have to keep is a fantastic way to not only get them into your “marketing funnel” but also keeps readers reminded of you if the tip sheet is something they are always referring back to.

Forms – if your book offers a lot of forms, you may want to put one or two of them up as your ethical bribe. Especially if it reminds readers that you have this great book that they really need in order to really maximize the effectiveness of the forms.

Image via Wikipedia

Checklists – another great ethical bribe are checklists. Especially the kind that need to be referenced again and again.

Contact sheets – Our site offers “52 Ways to Sell More Books.” This PDF can be used and referred to again and again, thereby offering valuable information and a way to remind readers about our company. If you have a similar contact list you can offer, put one together and offer it as a freebie to your readers.

Related articles

• Penny C. Sansevieri: How to Monetize “Free” (huffingtonpost.com)
• How to Write Amazing Ezine Ads to Capture Prospects (web-workathome.com)
• 10 Simple Convertable Goals For Your Business Blog (simplyzesty.com)

Many writers have been struggling for years to find an agent and they’ve tried everything. They’re starting to think that they’ll never get one, or that there’s some kind of universal conspiracy against them and they’re wondering why.

If you still haven’t landed an agent or know someone who hasn’t, listen up. I’m about to tell you exactly why and what you can do about it, to change things today.

As someone who deals with hundreds of agents every year, who’s constantly on the phone with top editors and publishers and authors from James Patterson and from Nicholas Sparks to Janet Evanovich to David Baldacci, I hear first-hand what successful people in the industry have done to separate them from the pack and why they’re successful and others are not.

Today we will discuss one of the top reasons why writer’s can’t get an agent. In fact, I’ve helped so many aspiring writers (literally over a hundred) take that first step, getting an agent to even request their manuscript, that I can scan someone’s query letter in less than 5 seconds and tell you exactly what they’re doing wrong.

Let’s start with the first mistake writers make and prevent themselves from landing one:

The first 50 pages suck.

Sure, I’m supposed to say something politically correct like “your work is not up to par” but no, I’m not going to insult your intelligence. I’m going to tell you how it is. In fact, I’m going to say exactly what agents tell me about 98% of writers, behind closed doors. “They suck.  Their work is awful.” The agents wouldn’t use the writer’s manuscript to wipe themselves if they ran out of toilet paper or at the bottom of their pet Parakeet’s cage.

Sure, the writer thinks it’s a masterpiece. After all, they’ve spent the last few months, if not years writing it.  Everyone likes it. Even their best friend and mom told them so.

NOTE: That’s the writer’s first mistake, relying on the opinion of those that love them.  They say they want their feedback, but in reality, the amateur writer only wants their loved ones’ praise and their loved ones will give them nothing else.

No, you need to take it to the most objective, negative, nasty person you know and after they say it’s amazing, then it’s ready. Drop your ego, and resist the writer’s kryptonite, defending your work. In fact, take it to three objective people, who aren’t related to you, who don’t even know you and aren’t afraid to tell you the truth.  In fact, remove your name from the manuscript, use another name, a pseudonym, and ask them to read it. Then, you’ll get the truth.

Writers are often in such a hurry to get an agent that they blow their chances to get one by rushing to get their manuscript to an agent before it’s even ready. No, no and no!  If you really want to land an agent, that thing better be better than anything else there on the market. Read, read and read your competition. Stop thinking there’s nothing out there like it because that’s a lie. And to tell you the truth, it’s the last thing an agent wants to hear from an aspiring writer.

NOTE: Agents and editors aren’t looking for something that hasn’t been done before, they need to be able to compare it to something successful (other than Twlight and Harry Potter) so that they can get a proper advance for you. But it has to be different enough, that it feels fresh.

It’s those first 50 pages that really matter.  When an agent reads a query letter they like, they often ask for a partial (the first few chapters, equivelant to about the first 50 double-spaced pages).

If you want to guarantee those pages are ready, after the three objective opinions, get it edited by a professional and I’m not talking about for grammar and spelling. I’m talking about for content, for pacing. You need developmental editing, line editing and then finally copy-editing.

NOTE: And if you can’t afford it (though if you’re going to invest in anything, it should be this), see if you can trade services with a professional editor. There has to be something you can barter. You might be able to find an older, more experienced writer who is willing to do it for you.

But that’s not all. There are 11 other mistakes that writers make that are blocking them from ever landing an agent, more on that in the future. But I will tell you this quick little tidbit: You don’t have to be a good writer to land an agent, you only have to be a good storyteller.

Guest post by Jeff Rivera, the the founder of GumboWriters.com, a firm based in New York City. He is a highly-respected book publishing professional who writes regularly for GalleyCat, Mediabistro and Huffington Post and his work has been featured or mentioned in the Los Angeles Times, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, New York Observer, Fast Company, TMZ, NPR, Billboard Magazine and many other publications. Rivera interviews high profile power players such as Janet Evanovich, Jeff Kinney, Seth Godin,  Philippa Gregory and James Patterson.

He is one of the most sought-after book publishing industry young professionals in the business, often invited as a panelist on writers conferences and a published novelist (Grand Central Publishing).

Rivera has assisted over 100 aspiring writers in taking that first step of crafting the right query letter and has a 100% track record of getting top agents to request their manuscript. Agencies such as William Morris Endeavor, ICM, UTA, and Writers House are just a few of the literary agencies who have requested his clients’ work. Many of Rivera’s clients have gone on to sign with top literary agencies and even secure book deals.

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