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THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER!

A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion.

January 22, 2009 Issue #187

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in this issue

— Note From The Editor

— Pitch the Producer, Media BootCamp!

— 10 Secrets of a Super Blogger

— Preservation Magazine

— AME-University: Book Marketing, Publishing, and Internet Marketing classes

— Twitter Storm by Squidoo

— Book Bits and Bites

— National Indie Excellence 2009 Awards

— Top Seven Media Fallacies

— Where Did That Expression Come From?

— Sliding into 2009 with a Fresh New Look

— Listen to The Publishing Insiders

— Who Should You Follow?

— Now IS the Time to Promote Your Book

— Reader tip: BudURL.com

— Learn to Buzz Your Book!

— Twitter Resource – Finding Media Who Tweet

— Twitter Tip – Google Alerts for Twitter

— Reader Tip!

— WHO ARE WE

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Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor penny@amarketingexpert.com

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor

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Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Want to know what super bloggers know? Then you’ll love this week’s article. I researched some of the top bloggers in the industry and pulled together some of the hottest tips on blogging. If the idea of a blog is still daunting to you, I think this article will simplify the entire process.

Our AME-U classes are bigger and better than ever. We have added a number of presenters and courses, so don’t forget to sign up to get on our mailing list.

I just finished a fantastic week and program in Arizona. I was at The Changing Hands Bookstore with Laura Holka last Saturday and spoke to a sold out class. Welcome to all of our new subscribers, and if you missed the class, stay tuned, we’ll be back there again!

Wishing you continued publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Susan, Lauren, Alex, Nancy and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Bookgal.

P.S. Have you been wanting to dip your toe in Internet marketing but aren’t sure where to get started? We have just launched a series of effective, innovative, and super-affordable marketing programs. Send an email to: bookmarketingonabudget@getresponse.com to find out more!

P.P.S. Check out our blog!

We offer great tips and insights, such as: ‘How to Look Good Online:’

http://amarketingexpert.com/ameblog/?p=411

Pitch the Producer, Media BootCamp!

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Learn how to create a pitch that will get you on TV!

Event date: Feb. 21 at 10 am PST

If the idea of pitching is daunting to you, let Producer and Media Strategist Laura Holka help you craft your pitch. During this one hour session she’ll brainstorm your book pitch with you so you get a pitch no producer can refuse. She’ll also teach you the ins and outs of pitching the media. This session is limited to 10 authors. One lucky attendee will get invited to be on The Chatroom in Phoenix, Arizona and the first three authors who register will get a free electronic copy of From Book to Bestseller and Red Hot Internet Publicity. Session cost: $199. FMI or to register send an email to: info@amarketingexpert.com.

10 Secrets of a Super Blogger

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No matter how many new web 2.0 properties that pop-up like Twitter and the like, blogging still remains very popular. When I’m teaching a session and ask students in the class how many of them read blogs, often only a few hands go up. Want to know why? Because blogs are so pervasive that we often read them and don’t know we’re reading them. Most people don’t know enough about blogging to know what a blog is so when you see huge numbers of people who read blogs, these are based on site statistics, not reader polls. Check out some of these 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)

So how do these super bloggers get such great traffic to their blog and moreover, how do they keep their blog interesting? Here are some tips to not only get you up to speed on blogging, but keep you on track:

1) Blog frequently: you should blog at a minimum of once a week and ideally two to three times a week. Don’t forget to spell check your blogs, you don’t want to be posting stuff that has typos in it. This will turn off your reader. Your posts don’t have to be long. If you only post in 50 word increments that’s fine. Don’t force yourself to post longer.

2) Don’t obsess over stats: Seriously. While it’s easy enough to get caught up in the “my blog is more popular than your blog” mantra it’s not a good thing to spend your time on, also stats and subscribers will come and go. Try to limit yourself to checking stats once a week or once a month if you can hold off that long.

3) Don’t obsess over comments (or lack thereof): Some bloggers will get comments right away and some will take a bit longer. Just because people aren’t commenting doesn’t mean they’re not reading. This is one of the biggest complaints I hear from bloggers: No one is commenting. Don’t let a blank comment section dissuade you from blogging but when someone has commented by sure to comment back or just thank them for visiting if their entry doesn’t warrant a response. Also if the reader has a blog, visit theirs as well and place a comment. They’ll appreciate you for it and it’s a great way to network!

4) Be patient: let’s face it, blogging takes time. Regardless of how many statistics you see on blogs that get mountains of traffic, none of this happened in a week (or even in a month). The quickest way to talk yourself out of blogging is to be impatient for something to happen. Keep blogging, eventually something will. If you do all the right things eventually traffic and readers will beat a path to your door!

5) Listen: know what your reader needs and blog on those topics. Knowing what’s important to your reader is a big step in creating a powerful blog that will get traffic. Know what’s going on in your industry, what should you be talking about? What does your reader need help with? How can your blog become a resource? Who else does your reader need to know in order to be successful? Maybe it’s time that you interview other experts on your blog or at the very least, link to them.

6) Write good headlines: people judge a blog by its headline and when you’re subscribed to a lot of blog feeds (as I am) you know that readers will pick and chose the blogs they read based on the headlines. Don’t make readers guess what your blog is about, be specific and be benefit driven.

7) Be timeless: while many of your posts will relate to topics or news items that are going on *now*, it’s also good to write posts that will be evergreen, meaning posts that don’t have a short lifespan. For example I have posts dating back to 2006 that still get commented on and passed around because their topic is as relevant today as it was three years ago.

8) Posting tips: I generally try to post by 7am EST (8am at the latest). Studies have shown that people have more time to read blogs and emails before 9am EST so make sure all your posting is done by then.

9) No time for the long-winded: Write readable posts. Keep your sentences to no more than 25 words and paragraphs to no more than 7 lines of text. Use lots of bullet points too whenever you can.

10) Get your own domain name early: there’s nothing worse than getting a blog that’s someone else’s property (i.e. Blogger or WordPress). If you wait too long to move your blog to your own domain you’ll risk losing search engine ranking and traffic. Any blog can be linked to any URL, just ask your web person to help you out with this.

So now that you have your tips, what on earth will you blog on? Here are a few ideas to consider:

Blog on: trends, write reviews, interview experts, comment on news pieces related to your topic, blog on good reviews your book got, blog on your new book, blog on the elephant in the room (talk about the thing everyone seems to be avoiding).

Happy Blogging!

Preservation Magazine

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Preservation is the award-winning magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and has a circulation of 450,000+. The National Trust works to revitalize communities and save beloved historic places.

The magazine, which is published six times a year, offers the latest news, columns, and features on preserving America’s historic places. Readers’ interests include historic properties, historic travel, preservation products and services, preservation advocacy, and education. Every issue includes essays, book reviews, humor, and travel writing. Recurring sections include historic hotels of America; historic house museums and historic travel.

There is a print edition as well as a website that offers extras including current news, story of the week, book reviews and more.

From the magazine’s current issue:

* Guarding the Glories of Old San Juan

* In Search of Lincoln’s Washington

* California’s Best-Kept Secret – The Allure of Ojai

* Dwight Young’s Favorite Flings

* What We’re Reading: The Philip Johnson Tapes, Roots of Home

Traveler:

* Holly Springs, Mississippi

To pitch the magazine, your book or expertise needs to tie into their preservation-themed topics. Read back issues to get a feel for the magazine first.

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Preservation magazine

1785 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036

Editorial: (202) 588-6388

Fax: (202) 588-6266

Email: preservation@nthp.org

Website: http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/

AME-University: Book Marketing, Publishing, and Internet Marketing classes

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These free teleclasses from AME-University may be just the thing to get your book marketing savvy ramped up!

Article Syndication: Writing Powerful Promotional Articles with Lauren Hidden

When: Tuesday, January 27, 4 pm – 5 pm

Description: Article Syndication: Writing Powerful Promotional Articles

Writing (and syndicating) articles can really boost your book sales, but where to begin?

Take the difficulty out of writing these marketing articles and start putting them to work now. Whether you’re the author of a fiction book or a non-fiction book, this class is for you! Here’s what we’ll cover:

· What to write about when you’re totally stuck!

· Which writing formats work best for article marketing

· How to pick a title

· The 3 “no-nos” that will get your article rejected by syndication sites

· Determining the right length for your articles

· How to self-edit your articles

· Places to send your articles and tricks for great (online) syndication

BONUS: Learn how to write an effective author box (or resource box)-the most important part of your entire article! Lauren Hidden has ghostwritten and edited hundreds of promotional articles for her clients over the last 6 years. She is the author of Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like the Pros and Entrepreneurial Freedom: How to Start and Grow a Profitable Virtual Assistance Practice. Hidden is the owner of The Hidden Helpers, a virtual assistance and editorial services firm, and the Assistant Project Manager for Author Marketing Experts Inc.

Making Your Pitch Sizzle – Part 1 of 3 with Laura Holka

When: Thursday, January 29, 4 pm – 5 pm

Description: This class will cover

* How to choose timely topics

* The importance of research

* Press releases

* The Who, What, When, Where, Why & How of Pitching

* What producers are really looking for in a pitch

* “The Perfect Pitch” for your book

How to join in:

To sign up or learn more about these classes send an email to author@amarketingexpert.com.

The AME website has a complete class listing for handy reference: http://amarketingexpert.com/iclasses.html.

Missed a class? Here’s an easy way to catch up on past classes, go to: http://bookmkr.audioacrobat.com/download/49713933- a2ef-a9f6-4f98-376f0809e90b.mp3.

Twitter Storm by Squidoo

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Last week, Squidoo launched their newest clever creation. It’s called TwitterStorm and is a clever merge between a Squidoo lens and Twitter.

You make a question lens, kind of like Yahoo Answers meets Squidoo, and people can write and vote answers via Twitter.

When they participate by answering your question a link to your lens appears on their Twitter profile page to all their Twitter followers. And if those followers participate then their followers see the link too. And on it goes.

It’s a viral creation. And it’s really rather slick. The Squidoo HQ people are quite a clever bunch.

I like the idea of getting to know some of the folks on Twitter better – and this is a great way to do it- if they visit. Also a great way to test a market in general.

You can see a nice example of a Twitter Storm lens here: http://www.squidoo.com/realestatemarketupdate and you can make your own here: http://www.squidoo.com/twttrstrm/hq.

The whole Twitter Storm concept has given me some really cool ideas.

Yahoo answers gets a ton of visitors from Google when people search for the same question, not just the keywords. For example instead of searching for ‘Best BlackBerry App’ they might search for ‘What are the best blackberry apps?’.

So I’m thinking – I make a bunch of lenses to test this out and turn Squidoo TwitterStorm lenses into Yahoo answer-type Google traffic magnets. Phew! That’s something of a mouthful.

Handy use of guestbook modules, polls, and the TwitterStorm tool itself could result in a really interactive, useful and viral page.

I have made a list of about 50 questions I am going to turn into lenses.

And if it turns out that a guestbook module in a regular lens would have worked better than the new TwitterStorm tool then that’s something we will have to investigate.

How could you use TwitterStorm?

Tip offered by Susan Gilbert, AME’s Search Engine Marketing Expert and Web 2.0 company owner, http://www.JoomlaJump.com, which provides Social Networking websites and services.

Book Bits and Bites

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Store Closing Doesn’t Deter Dream: Author Nancy Spiller always dreamed of having a reading at Dutton’s Bookstore in LA. There was one problem – the store, the literary center of LA – had closed during the seven years Spiller worked on her novel. So store owner Doug Dutton did the next best thing: he let Spiller hold the reading on his lawn. Here’s the scoop.

Is Your City Literate? If you live in Minneapolis or Seattle, you’re at the top of the list – the list of America’s Most Literate Cities of 2008 that is. DC, St. Paul, San Francisco and Atlanta round out the top cities. Check out the list (of cities with 250,000 or more population) and see if yours made the list.

How Book Publishing Works – Not. A viral video has been making the rounds to the amusement of anyone involved in publishing. The spoof of the industry is worth watching, and then forwarding to a friend or two (or more). See Funny contrafactual explanation of book publishing.

Books for Burritos: Faced with a challenging holiday season, Portland bookstore owner Roberta Dyer had good reason to be worried because the city was buried under snowfall. What she didn’t count on was the innovative marketing ploy her son devised to help: a free burrito for anyone who spent $50 at his mother’s store. The store started running out of books, and had its best December ever.

National Indie Excellence 2009 Awards

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The National Indie Excellence 2009 competition presents a wonderful opportunity for all independent, small press and self-publishers seeking more recognition within the publishing industry.

Winners and finalists will receive national media and industry exposure! A news release will be sent out announcing the results to national media, print and radio contacts.

All winners and finalists are eligible for the new Editor’s Choice prizes, the grand prize is valued over $4,000!

More information, category listings and entry forms are available at: http://www.indieexcellence.com.

Top Seven Media Fallacies

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Real television is very different from the “dramas” that entice us on a daily basis. Everyone is beautiful, spoiled and catered to, but the truth of television is very different. Here are the top seven “real situations” you will encounter as a guest.

1. Most television stations do NOT have a green room. You wait in the lobby with everyone else until it is your turn to be interviewed.

2. Breakfast, lunch or dinner is NOT provided while you wait in the fictitious green room. You will get coffee, tea or water.

3. Make-up artists and hair stylists are NOT there to make you beautiful. Come camera ready.

4. A limo will NOT be picking you up at your door. You will be driving your own car in rush hour traffic like everyone else. In my experience media escorts or car services are only provided by publishing companies to their well-known authors on a tour.

5. Television stations do NOT provide a copy of your segment. They will give you the number of a media service that will charge you anywhere from $50 to $100 for a dub. Set your Tivo or DVR.

6. Your book signing, website, workshop, etc. will NOT always be graphically displayed on the screen. You must ask. Most televisions stations do provide a link on their website either to your website or to your pertinent information.

7. IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU! You are there to provide information, entertainment, or an interesting tidbit or story to enhance the show.

Always remember a good guest is one who comes prepared, is enthusiastic about their topic, has good, relevant information that the audience wants or needs and is a pleasure to work with. Television can be an exciting experience for any author. The chance to share your passion can be intoxicating, but be realistic about your expectations.

For more information or to schedule a coaching session just email me at lholka@live.com or call (602) 509-6468.

~Tip offered by Media Veteran Laura Holka, who is the producer of the Pat McMahon Show & a Media Consultant. She can be reached at http://www.arizonasown.com or email lholka@live.com.

Where Did That Expression Come From?

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Need to find out where a saying came from? Check out: http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/.

Sliding into 2009 with a Fresh New Look

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As we near the end of January and the dust starts to settle on that box of Christmas ornaments, it’s time to turn our attention toward online marketing. Here’s a quick check list to make sure your website is free of cobwebs and ready for 09 success!!

1. Update your copyright year. If you have been in business for several years, be sure to include a date range to show your readers how long you’ve been around (otherwise just leave it at the current copyright year).

2. Schedule time in your calendar for frequent blogging; search engines will crawl your site more often if you add fresh relevant content at least once a week.

3. Update your contact information: make sure your contact info is up-to-date and easily accessible. This also helps instill trust within your readers.

4. If you have a shopping cart on your site, ensure that your secure server is still valid and not expired. People will not buy from a site, if the security of their credit card information is in question.

5. Check to see when your domain names expire – this should be listed on your calendar so it doesn’t accidentally expire. Not sure? You can look it up here: www.whois.sc.

6. Registration Agreement. If you offer a membership service or subscriber benefits on your site, you need an electronic agreement (something that prompts the user to click an “I ACCEPT” button). This agreement should be presented conspicuously during the registration process and should require an affirmative act (like the act of clicking on “I ACCEPT”) to complete the registration. Also, ensure that your warranty disclaimers and limitations of liability are up-to-date.

7. Creditor Under FACTA? Do your registered users make periodic payments payable as monthly or quarterly installments, or do you extend credit so that payment is made after receipt of the product or service? If you answer yes, this falls under the statutory requirements of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA). FACTA requires that you adopt a “Red Flag” Identity Theft Policy before May 1, 2009, or face substantial liability.

8. Does your site have bad links? Not only do bad links annoy your readers, but they stop the search engine crawlers dead in their tracks-when a crawler hits a bad link they back out of your site on move on. You can run a test here: http://dead-links.com/.

9. Privacy Policy – is your privacy policy up-to-date and easy to find? Buyers look for this-it helps instill trust.

10. Create a social networking account for yourself and start mingling online – this is a great way to increase your exposure. You can link your blog with your Facebook account so your blog content posts directly into your Facebook account, less work for you (it’s best that your content appears in your blog first, so Google indexes your site as the original-if your content appears elsewhere, Google will not index it).

Tip offered by Jeniffer Thompson, author of Web Site WOW, Turn Your Web Site Into Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool, http://www.monkeycmedia.com/web_site_WOW.php. Thompson is also the President of Monkey C Media, a full-service design house offering author web sites, book cover design, book teaser videos and much more, www.monkeycmedia.com.

Listen to The Publishing Insiders

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Be in the know and hear what the publishing insiders: Penny Sansevieri, CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. – and her guests – have to offer in terms of tips and insights into the industry! Listen here. Publishing Insiders is now available on iTunes, so you can keep up with the show wherever you go!

Who Should You Follow?

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If you’re trying to find out who’s blog to follow check out: http://www.search4rss.com. This site will let you search keywords and pull up RSS feeds that are talking about your topic! Then you can pick the feeds you want to subscribe to!

Now IS the Time to Promote Your Book

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Looking for inexpensive ways to promote your book? We’ve just developed and launched an exciting series of budget-friendly programs that still pack a powerful punch! Think you can’t market your book in a tough economy? Think again – we’ve got the answer! Email us for more details: info@amarketingexpert.com.

Reader tip: BudURL.com

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The trouble with sharing lengthy URLs is that they often break when sent via email, or you miss part of the URL when copying it from one place to another. URL shortening services create a very compact URL that will redirect the visitor to the site you wanted her to see. With BudURL.com, not only can you keep track of your shortened URLs, but you can also track the clickthroughs. Simply create and use your BudURL and log into your account to see referrers, click charts, and more. Create multiple BudURLs that point to the same destination so you can tell which source generates the best ROI.

Tip submitted by: Donna L. Gunter, M.Ed., Online Biz Resource Queen and Coach

409-767-8399 (phone)

Join the online marketing community for service businesses,

http://www.OnlineBizU.com.

Learn to Buzz Your Book!

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We’ve designed our products with your success in mind! Regardless of where you are in your publishing journey, we’ve got a product that will suit your needs. Check out our books, special reports, and our audio programs, all designed to help you reach publishing success!

http://amarketingexpert.com/store/

Twitter Resource – Finding Media Who Tweet

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Does the Media Use Twitter? You bet! If you want to find out how to find the media on Twitter head on over to: Media People Using Twitter: https://twitteringjournalists.pbwiki.com/Media%20People%20Using%20Twitter – and Media Outlets Using Twitter: https://twitteringjournalists.pbwiki.com/Media+Outlets+Using+Twitter. The listing on these sites covers both national and international media.

Twitter Tip – Google Alerts for Twitter

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Try TweetBeep. Plug in your keyword and it’ll track conversations occurring on this microblog about your book, your message, product and even you! Sign up for TweetBeep at http://TweetBeep.com.

Reader Tip!

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If you’ve got a Reader Tip you’d like to share, please send it to penny@amarketingexpert.com with the subject line “reader tip.” Submissions should be 75 words or less.

WHO ARE WE

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Author Marketing Experts, Inc. is a full-service book marketing, promotion, and publicity company. We serve authors at all stages of marketing and promotion. We offer a full range of packages and services to choose from.

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to penny@amarketingexpert.com with the subject line “Author Services Info.” You can also visit our Web site at www.amarketingexpert.com.

Reprint permission

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You are welcome to reprint any items from “The Book Marketing Expert Newsletter.” However, please credit us as a source with the following paragraph:

Reprinted from “The Book Marketing Expert newsletter,” a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://amarketingexpert.com/

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Like this newsletter? Pass it on!

We never rent or sell subscriber lists to any third party. Your privacy is very important to us. Always.

To subscribe to this newsletter, click here: subscribe@amarketingexpert.com.

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Copyright 2009 Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

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Contact Information

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email: penny@amarketingexpert.com

web: http://amarketingexpert.com/

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