Book Marketing Blogs
by Penny SansevieriJanuary 3, 2013
When it comes to creating more engagement on Facebook, there are a lot of ideas out there about what to post, when to post and what types of content gets the most shares. But what about caring for your page and your fans? Remember, that while numbers are important, giving your customers what they want supersedes everything else you are doing. I find that we often get so lost in the numbers, we sometimes forget that these folks are real people, real fans, and (hopefully) real customers.
What happens after you get the like? So, you’ve gotten a whole bunch of likes, what now? Now you need to take care of the fans who’ve liked your page. Send a quick “thank you” to folks who have signed up, granted if you’re getting a ton of likes (lucky you) this won’t always be possible, but pick a few new fans and give them a warm welcome.
Give, give, give: Give without expecting anything in return. I know, it sounds like a quote you might post to your Facebook page but it’s true. You should give information that’s helpful to your fans and followers. Focus on providing value first and foremost, you’ll get the engagement if the content you are providing is helpful to your fan base.
Build trust: It’s one thing to get a fan to like your page, it’s quite another to build their trust and get them to trust you as a ‘source’ for the information
they need. This takes time. The more trust you build, the more engagement you will get and, in turn, the more they will share your page with their friends and other potential future customers.
What about your existing fan base? It’s great to welcome new fans and to promote new ideas and offer content, but don’t forget about the folks who have been with you from the start. If it’s appropriate to your topic, offer to highlight them on your page, thank them for their loyalty and let them showcase their work. Remembering the folks who have been with you the longest will bring lots of goodwill, not just to them but for your new followers as well. Consider this: how would you feel if you saw someone on Facebook thanking a fan who’s been with them for years? You’d probably think “Wow, people really love these folks, look how long they stick around,” or you might think how nice it is that the person acknowledged a fan on their site. Either way, lots and lots of goodwill.
Remember that Facebook is a numbers game, you want more likes, more engagement, etc. but you won’t get any of these if you don’t take care of your fans. That, alone, should be your number one priority. Imagine for a moment that you’re a brick and mortar store and someone enters your shop, you greet them, see if you can help them and then, when they leave, you thank them for coming. Treating customers like customers instead of numbers will not only help you reach your goals, it’s also a great way to build a solid following.
Finally, consider the following:
According to Mindjumpers, 95% of Facebook wall posts are not answered by brands. What does this mean? It means that consumers post to these branded pages and no one responds. Consider the store analogy – how would you feel if you wanted into a store and no one acknowledged you were there, or you asked a question and no one answered? This continues to baffle me. Why hop on Facebook and ignore your customers?
December 31, 2012
Welcome to the December 31, 2012 edition of tips and tricks for writers and authors. We have a great mix of tips on writing and book marketing that we hope you’ll find useful and inspiring. Happy New Year!
Writing
Chrys Fey presents Formatting Your Manuscript posted at Write With Fey, saying, “This post will tell you everything you need to know about formatting a manuscript.”
Sue Collier presents Write and Promote Your Indie Book Quicky and Easily | Self-Publishing Resources posted at Self-Publishing Resources.
Nick Daws presents How to Apply the Advice to “Show, Don’t Tell” posted at Nick Daws’ Writing Blog, saying, “Anyone who writes fiction will hear the advice ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ sooner or later, but what does it really mean? In this blog post I set out to explain this fundamental principle of effective fiction writing.”
Donna Alexander presents Writer’s Block: How to Overcome the Fear of the Blank Page posted at Americas Studies, saying, “This post offers 9 simple methods for overcoming writer’s block and the fear of the blank page.”
Isabel Anders presents From Fan to “Critic” posted at Blogging Authors, saying, “You never know what might lead to a fruitful idea for writing a new book.
Miss Marple: Christian Sleuth is the result of my working out the clues in the twelve novels and twenty short stories Agatha Christie wrote starring Miss Marple—and arranging them to build a literary case for these books being more than mere entertainment.
Our leisure-time activities may be telling us more than we realize, if we choose to listen, follow the clues, and diligently do the work required. … Then perhaps as writers we can prepare to experience even more fun!”
Lorna Collins presents Plot Pet Peeves posted at Lorna Collins – Author, saying, “This describes some of my pet peeves when it comes to plotting books. There are many others, but this is a list of those at the top of my list.”
Karen M. Rider presents When a Writer Sets a Goal… posted at Karen M. Rider, saying, “Upon her first short fiction contest win, a writer reflects on the magic that can happen when a writer sets a goal, never quits and allows for the co-creation of her destiny with what the Fates will allow.”
Book Marketing
Sarah Bolme presents An Avalanche of Services posted at Marketing Christian Books.
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of tips and tricks for writers and authors using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
December 28, 2012
We’ve rounded up some of the best book marketing Tweets from the past week, courtesy of bloggers, marketers, authors and others. The topics include the best social media tools to use, how to find the perfect audience for your book and sell to them, Pinterest promotion tips for writers, and much more. Happy marketing!
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* 3 Twitter Tools to Enhance Your Marketing
Learn what SocialBro, Tweepi or Buffer can do for you:
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/3-twitter-marketing-tools/
* Pinterest Promotion Tips for Writers
If you want to know how to get the most out of Pinterest promotions, you’ll love these tips!
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/pinterest-promotion-tips-for-writer_b61003
* 10 Quick Tips to Get Your Writing Back on Track
Have you lost your writing groove to the holidays and all the distractions? Here’s what you can do:
http://howtowriteshop.loridevoti.com/2012/11/10-quick-tips-to-get-your-writing-back-on-track/
* How to Find the Perfect Audience for Your Book, And Sell It to Them
The most powerful marketing tool you can have is a mailing list. Discover how you can find your audience and get them on your list:
* 5 Ways To Stand Out On Twitter
These are easy to implement tips that will help your Twitter account take off:
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/5-ways-to-stand-out-on-twitter_b2504
* 24 Must-Have Social Media Marketing Tools
Social media pros share the tools they use that simplify their online marketing:
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/24-must-have-social-media-marketing-tools/
December 24, 2012
Welcome to the December 24, 2012 edition of tips and tricks for writers and authors. We have a great mix of posts on book publicity, social media, writing, book marketing and self-publishing. Thanks to the contributors. Happy Holidays!
Book Marketing
Sue Collier presents Guest Post: Things to Keep In Mind When Marketing and Promoting Your Book posted at Self-Publishing Resources.
Book Publicity
Jon Rhodes presents How To Get A Guest Post Published posted at Affiliate Help!, saying, “This article shows the point of view of a guest post publisher. This can help you learn some do’s and don’ts when submitting your own guest blog posts for publicity.”
Jan Bear presents Public Relations for Authors: Getting Out the Word about Your Book posted at Market Your Book, saying, “Public relations for authors can be a powerful force in selling your book. In this blog interview, publicist Jessica Glenn of MindBuck Media tells us how.”
Nick Daws presents Freelance Writers – Have You Joined the Video Revolution Yet? posted at Nick Daws’ Writing Blog, saying, “In this post I discuss the importance to writers of getting to grips with video, and recommend some useful free resources.”
Social Media
Joel Friedlander presents Should Fiction Authors Be Bloggers? posted at The Book Designer, saying, “If you’re a novelist, should you be blogging?”
Matt Schoenherr presents Target Marketing: Speak Directly to Your Target Audience posted at Marketing Ideas 101, saying, “The other day, I stumbled across an ad that caught my attention. The ad was for Careers 2.0, a site dedicated to programmers and the programming industry. What I found remarkable about this ad was the laser-fine focus it possessed. And maybe this is a reflection on me—but my first assumption was that they were saying something profane…”
Writing
Chrys Fey presents Get Ready, Set, TONE! posted at Write With Fey, saying, “In the beginning of this blog is a short teaser that I wrote to help illustrate setting and tone.”
Matthew Hall presents How to Outline with yWriter: An Introduction to Outlineingposted at M.L. Hall, saying, “How to outline with yWriter. Introduction to outlining using the yWriter software.”
Iulian Ionescu presents How to a Novel in 30 Daysl posted at Fantasy Scroll – a blog for fiction writers, saying, “50,000 words in 30 days. That’s about 200 pages (double spaced, standard margins, 12 pt. font). Mathematically, that is not more than a mere 1,667 words per day, or about 6 to 7 pages. This translates in about 1 to 2 hours per day of typing. Piece of cake, right? Well, as we all know, writing a novel is not about math, unless you are writing some kind of algebra textbook. It’s a lot more than that, and most of it has to do with what’s in your head.”
Karen M. Rider presents A Writer’s Life: How Public? How Private? posted at Karen M. Rider, saying, “It’s easy for us writers to think we need a presence everywhere, from Google+ to Tumblr, in order to get noticed. If you aren’t thinking strategically about who you are as a writer and what you want from your writing life, then you’ll get sucked into the social media universe, possibly to never be heard from again! To maintain progress toward your goals, and prevent getting lost in the social media realm, you’ll want to understand the difference between your public booklife and your private booklife.”
George Bernstein presents Critiques posted at SuspenesGuy.
Self-Publishing
Bob Baker presents Two Ways Writers Can Get More Done in Less Time posted at Bob Baker’s Book Promotion Blog, saying, “Use these two quick tips to carve out more time to write books, blog posts, scripts, articles, and more.”
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of tips and tricks for writers and authors using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
December 21, 2012
Facebook just announced that it’s testing a new feature. One that allows you to message people you aren’t connected with for $1. These messages will just show up in your inbox, along with the rest of your emails. Facebook seems eager to monetize any and all features it can on their site but here’s my take: this kind of thing is really only going to lead to lots and lots of spam and most of it will go to people who already have enough to deal with, which is most of us. This feature, in my view, won’t help ingratiate Facebook to to people. But now here’s another catch. If you get a message like this and you don’t send it to spam, the sender can keep sending you messages however many times they want and they don’t have to pay anything additional. Meaning that if you aren’t paying attention, that $1 fee could lead to an open door and a constant stream of incoming messages.
Now, you might say “Well, for $1 an email that’s a lot and who will spend that?” Consider this. There are millions of ways to highly target prospects. Facebook does this all the time. I mean how many times have you surfed a site, let’s say eBags.com or whatever and then seen advertisements on your Facebook page, minutes later, for purses, luggage or whatever it was you were searching for at eBags? Advertisers love targeting, I mean who wouldn’t? What doesn’t work for me is this direct access to an inbox that, frankly, has already become another thing we have to check. I, for one, am not a fan of this. Now, LinkedIn does this. If you’re not familiar with this feature you basically pay a fee to send messages to people you aren’t connected with, but if they don’t open it you get the money back. Now you might think that this is even more lethal than Facebook’s new email program but it’s not and here’s why: Facebook is much bigger and many studies have shown that shoppers will often peruse potential new product on Facebook first, before going off to buy. Don’t get me wrong, I love LinkedIn and have made some great connections there but the model is vastly different from Facebook.
Look, I’m not famous (thank God) so I can’t imaging that I’ll be inundated with these types of emails. But, like most of us, I do shop online. Will online shoppers be a target? It’s hard to know. Will authors and business people looking to promote start using this to send emails to people they’ve been trying to reach for endorsements, reviews, etc.? And moreover, when does $1 become a small amount of money to pay for the possible and eventual outcome? You see, it’s all relative. In a world inundated with ads, this could be an advertiser’s dream and that’s what scares me.
Here’s a piece on this from Mashable.
December 21, 2012
We’ve gathered some of the most useful book marketing Tweets from the past week, courtesy of bloggers, marketers, authors and others. The topics include setting publicity goals for 2013, finding the best magazines and blogs to pitch, conducting keyword research, and much more. Happy marketing!
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* How to Find the Best Magazines and Blogs to Pitch Your Stories to
Pitching can be difficult; the rejection rate is high. Learn how you can figure out who will be most open to your queries:
http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/figuring-out-where-to-pitch-your-stories_b52646
* The 4 Myths of Facebook Marketing
It begins with realizing that Facebook will continually change its rules, and that will affect your marketing:
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/12/11/the-4-myths-of-facebook-marketing/
* What Writers Need to Know About Goodreads
Goodreads can be a great place for authors to build a following, but here’s what you need to know to get it right:
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/what-writers-need-to-know-about-goodreads_b62204
* Tips for Authors: 5 Book Publicity Goals to Set for the New Year
We’re about to say goodbye to 2012; if you get organized now you can kick off 2013 with some book promotion to set you apart:
http://www.sellingbooks.com/book-publicity-goals-to-set-for-the-new-year/
* Is Changing Amazon Even Possible? Some Ideas for the Future!
Here’s one thing Amazon can do to that would make it an even better site for authors to sell their books:
http://www.amarketingexpert.com/changing-amazon-is-that-even-possible/
* A 3-Step Process for Painless Keyword Research
Don’t overlook keywords; if you aren’t sure how to research the best keywords for you these tips will help:
http://www.copyblogger.com/content-marketing-research-4/
December 19, 2012
For years publishers and authors have struggled with Amazon. It’s always love/hate. We love them because it gives us all the opportunity to sell to the mass market, it gives authors who can’t get into bookstores (which is most of us) the chance to get in front of their consumer and sell more books and, now with eBooks, it has opened the door to a bright, shiny, new model for sales. But is this going to work long-term? The initial response might be yes, of course. Amazon is too big to fail. Well, perhaps not fail, per se but there are opportunities here, in fact many of them, for Amazon to stay ahead of the game.
While many say that the review piece on 
Amazon is broken, I disagree. I think it’s broken everywhere. We can’t trust reviews though we still chase them. So let’s not blame Amazon for a faulty review system, it’s everywhere. Instead let’s look at the real issue: sales data. You can sell on Amazon but the “who” of who bought your book will never be revealed to you, despite the fact that you pay a nice chunk of money to Amazon to have them even list your book. Look, don’t get me wrong, I love Amazon. I’ve taught classes on how to maximize Amazon’s sales system and any new author who wants to circumvent Amazon isn’t making a wise decision in my view. But the challenge is that as sales people, we all know that your previous customers are your best customers and while there are ways that you can find out who bought your book (even on Amazon), they aren’t perfect. Yes, you can put an offer in the back of your book to get people to sign up for goodies on your site, but it’s not a perfect system. I mean how many times have you seen an offer in a book and thought “oh, I should do that” and then never do? My point exactly. So,the challenge I think that Amazon will face in the new year are the folks, the big named authors who, like JK Rowling, have decided to create their own fulfillment system. New authors don’t have the ability to do that, really. You have to build the fans first and we all know that takes time. But here’s another thought: would you be willing to pay Amazon a tiny bit more to get this data? Yes, I know, they already take the lion’s share of your book profit, but having this data could be an enormous benefit to getting future sales. Would you do it?
Consider this. As we progress through the publishing world in 2013 you’re going to see even more books published, more people clamoring to see their work in print. The number of books published each year is going up at a staggering rate. If we’re going to make this change, it should be now. As authors we need to collect this data. Ask anyone with a viable mailing list how important that list is to them and they’ll tell you. For some it’s the lifeblood of their company.
Changing Amazon isn’t an easy prospect but I think that the time will come, very soon, where authors and publishers will start demanding this sales data and if they can’t get it from Amazon, they’ll get it on their own like the JK Rowling model and other big names who have successfully sold books on their site. We need big names to lead this charge. Consumers are trained to go to Amazon and that’s great, but if we are going to change this system we need a few leaders to help us do that. Barnes and Noble could implement this? Frankly they’ve almost become a footnote for online sales. When was the last time you bought a book at BN.com? But if they offered up this sales data, would you switch your online sales to them? My guess would be yes.
Is this a reality? I would hope so. I would hope that Amazon sees this as a chance for growth and offers this up to publishers and authors and, if they don’t I believe that eventually other opportunities will start to emerge making capturing sales data no longer an option, but a given.
Other articles on Amazon:
December 17, 2012
Welcome to the December 17, 2012 edition of tips and tricks for writers and authors. We have a variety of useful tips this week for book sales, book marketing, self-publishing, writing, and social media. Many thanks to the contributors!
Book Sales
Phyllis Zimbler-Miller presents Does Amazon Take Notice of a Visit From an Outside Website to Your Book Page? posted at Phyllis Zimbler Miller saying, “As explained in the post, it was prompted by an emailed question I received from Anthony Wessel of Digital Book Today.
While there is no way of knowing the actual answers, I believe my post provides a well-reasoned response.”
Book Marketing
Sue Collier presents Create marketing magic with energized editorial and electrified titles, part three posted at Self-Publishing Resources.
Self-Publishing
Sarah Bolme presents Animated Book Covers posted at Marketing Christian Books.
S.R. Johannes presents The Schizophrenic Indie Pubber posted at S.R. Johannes, saying, “Talks through all the hats self publishers wear during their publishing process.”
Social Media
Joel Friedlander presents How to Create an Endless Stream of Blog Post Ideas posted at The Book Designer, saying, “If you’ve ever struggled to come up with blog post content, this article will be helpful.”
Writing
h20ho presents What is a Narrative Scaffold? posted at Tutor Paul, saying, “Do you use scaffolds? Chances are you do.”
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of tips and tricks for writers and authors using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
December 14, 2012
Get some insights from top book marketing Tweets from the past week, courtesy of bloggers, marketers, authors and others. The topics include the best times to post to social media, self-publishing and eBook insights, how to get your Twitter followers to take notice of your content, and much more. Happy marketing!
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* The 10 Keys to Grabbing the Attention of Your Twitter Followers
Learn how to captivate your Twitter followers so they click-through your links and retweet your content:
http://socialmediatoday.com/sendible/1051321/10-keys-optimizing-twitter-engagement
* The Secret of Giving Your Book Away For Free
When done correctly, book giveaways are great for exposure. One author shares what he’s learned:
http://bubblecow.co/the-secret-of-giving-your-book-away-for-free/
* Loads of Self-Publishing & eBook Insights
Tips from Smashwords Founder Mark Coker:
http://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/14l2z3/i_am_mark_coker_founder_of_smashwords_ama/
* What’s Your Best Book Marketing Tool?
If you haven’t invested in editing then nothing else matters – and here’s why:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/book-editing_b_2257544.html
* When is the Best Time To Post to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+?
Timing matters in marketing, and the social networks vary when it comes to the best time to post:
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/best-time-to-post_b32507
* Publishing Rip-offs, Scams, and Predators
Make sure you know what you are getting into before you publish:
http://authoru.org/publishing-rip-offs-scams-and-predators.html
December 10, 2012
Welcome to the December 10, 2012 edition of tips and tricks for writers and authors. We have some great tips on writing, social media and book marketing this week, and we hope you find this edition useful!
Social Media
Jeremy Biberdorf presents It Is Your Blogging Journey, You Make The Rules posted at Modest Money, saying, “There are things where there is no set blueprint that you need to follow. You are free to do what works for you and sometimes just wing it. Blogging is one of those things. There may be strategies that have worked well for others, but how you approach it is completely up to you.”
Book Marketing
Glenda Watson Hyatt presents A Guide for the Book Lover: The Overlooked Cheerleader in Amazon Marketing Strategies posted at Do It Myself Blog saying, “Unless an author has a humongous following, simply uploading a book to Amazon means that it will most definitely be lost amidst the millions of other titles vying for book lovers’ attention and money.
The good news is that authors can do much to increase the likelihood their books will be found. This is particularly good news for indie authors who are working with a thinly worn shoestring budget.
For this reason I am excited to release Become a Raving, Cheering Book Lover: A Guide to Sharing Your Favourite Amazon Books (PDF). This guide offers 7 easy-to-implement ways (with simple and clear instructions) you can use to share your latest read with others.
The guide is absolutely free. (No email address, personal measurements or first born required!)”
Writing
Nick Daws presents Writers Working from Home: How to Easily Improve Your Focus and Increase Your Productivity posted at Nick’s Writing Blog, saying, “In this guest post, freelance jobs and careers writer Brian Jenkins sets out some top tips for writers on how to work more productively from home.”
Brandon Yawa presents Stop Writing and Be Bruce Lee posted at Brandon Yawa, saying, “This blog implores writers to tap into their being, before they worry about market demands.”
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of tips and tricks for writers and authors using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
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