What's the Buzz on Self-Publishing? My Interview with Writer & Author Leigh Hershkovich

The "Buzz" on Book Publicity & Marketing for Self-Published Authors & Writers 

• What does take to write and self-publish a book? 
• How do you market your book once you self-publish your book?
• Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing? What's the latest scoop?
• How does social media tie into the book publicity and marketing picture? 

I answer all these questions and MORE in my interview with talented writer and author, Leigh Hershkovich, who just released her first novel, Shattered Illusions.  Read my interview on Leigh's blog! 

A huge thanks to Leigh for interviewing me. It was a fun interview with great questions. For mystery/crime readers, check out Leigh's newly released novel--she's an awesome writer! 

Why Excitement May Hinder Your Book Marketing

Whether you are a small business or a self-published author marketing your book, take a page from Naomi Dunford with IttyBiz. Inauthentic email marketing is a big pet peeve, and Naomi hits the internet marketing nail on the head in her latest newsletter.

Naomi has a great sense of humor and love this excerpt from today's newsletter.

 

"...And when she says "I'm so excited" because she can't think of anything OTHER people would be excited about, but feels obligated to say something anyway? We can tell. And honestly? We're all a little bit embarrassed for her.

 

Your homework for today!

 

Never tell anyone how excited you are about anything that has to do with yourself ever again. It's self-indulgent, self-centred, and makes you look like a moron. 

 

Stop talking about how excited you are and go do something exciting."

 

It goes back to what my high school English pounded into my head: SHOW not tell. 

 

PS -- thanks Naomi for the helpful tips...and for the belly laughs! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Email Marketing Traps Book Authors Should Avoid

I know it's tough to market your book these days. With all the marketing tools out there for authors, it can get overwhelming. 

This morning I received a query through my LinkedIn for an ebook. Since I market authors, I assumed it was an author inquiring about marketing assistance. After I opened the email, I noticed the author had included a "free copy" of his ebook and asked me to read his book and pass along to my friends and colleagues. I did not know this person and I didn't know anything about his work or his book (despite the fact that he has 600 plus connections on LinkedIn, that doesn't mean anything to me).

Spam is a HUGE pet peeve so it's important to understand what NOT do when you use email to market your book. This also applies to any product or service and not just books. 

1. Do NOT solicit or sell your book to someone you don't know or has not subscribed to your email list. That's just common courtesy and you want to grow your email list and not lose subscribers. 

2. Offer your email subscribers valuable content, articles, and free reports/downloads. How can you help people and offer assistance? Email marketing is not about pitching your book 24,7. It's about making real connections with people. Think of your sales funnel. Only about five to ten percent of website visitors will actually buy the first time they visit your website. You need to provide them with valuable information so they'll stay interested in you, as the author, and your book. 

3. Do NOT give away your entire book away via email. Many people think this is an effective sales tactic and will generate more interest and will make the book go viral faster. If your book sales aren't a priority and you want to use the book to market your business (specifically non-fiction authors), then you can go that route but that's an entirely different marketing campaign altogether. However, if you are a fiction writer and book sales are your number one goal, provide only a sample chapter of your book. You want to generate interest with your sample chapter - just enough to entice the reader to want to buy your book. Why would someone want to purchase your book when they just read it for free? 

4. Include videos in your email marketing campaigns. Viral video is hot for book authors. If you want to try a visual marketing tactic, create a book trailer video (stay tuned - I will be posting an interview soon about the importance of book videos). You can also take on the persona of your character in your video and talk about the book through the eyes of your character. You don't need to spend a lot of money either. Use your webcam or digital camera. The video only needs to be a few minutes long, and it also puts your face in front of your audience.

5. Be consistent with your newsletters.  If you start an e-newsletter, make sure you send them out on a regular basis so you stay in touch with your subscribers. If you only send out emails every few months, then people won't take you as seriously and they will probably lose interest in your book. With the hundreds of thousands of book choices people have out there, it's very easy to lose people's attention. Your newsletter doesn't have to be long but be consistent - if you send out emails monthly then keep up with that schedule! Automate your newsletters through your CRM software, and implement an editorial calendar to help you stay on track. 

If you are a newbie book marketer, take these tips into account before you blast out emails to your email subscribers. You don't want to see people opting-out left and right -- not a good sign! 

 

 

Dawn's Light Movie Email Campaign Hits Big With Twilight Fans

For Twilight fans, there is huge online buzz circulating around their next movie. This is an example of an innovative digital campaign centered around the next Twilight movie, Dawn's Light. 

I love this campaign idea - VERY clever!

"The email was a "wedding invitation" for characters Isabella Marie Swan (Bella Swan) and Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, sent exclusively to Fandango's previous "Twilight" ticket buyers. Fandango says the unusual email promotion was to promote its advance ticket sales, timed to the fictional birthday of Bella Swan." (Source: www.mediapost.com) 

If you are a fiction writer, implement similar marketing ideas. Take on the persona of your characters AND take it beyond email marketing campaigns. 

• Blog from the perspective of your characters. Get inside the head of your characters: is there a special message or information you could pass along in your character's 'voice'? 
• Hire an actor to do a voice-over or shoot a book trailer with your character(s) as the stars. 
• Use creativity and humor to your advantage - entertain and educate! 

Even if you aren't a Twilight fan, you can take a few pages from their marketing campaigns - innovative and creative! 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Marketing Tip #1: How To Handle Negative Online Criticism

After you write and publish a book, it seems like friends, family and colleagues come out of the woodwork. Hopefully, they send along kudos and congratulations. However, there are those curmudgeons who take it upon themselves to put down your successes and efforts. Unfortunately, negativity goes with the book marketing territory.

I tend to ignore the Negative Nellies and Neils of the world, but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire -- in a positive way.

My number one suggestion to authors who handle their own marketing is to make sure you have a solid online presence. Maintain a strong author brand that stands out in an engaging way. You don't need to spend thousands on a website, but make sure your site is filled with positive book reviews and testimonials -- that's the best place to start.

The BEST way to handle negative criticism on the internet is to counterbalance with positive press and reviews. If you sell your book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, check customer book reviews on a daily basis and respond immediately to negative attacks. If appropriate, I recommend including links in your comments -- directing people back to your website, positive book reviews, etc. 

Remember to be respectful and courteous, even if you disagree with the person's negative comments. Everyone loves to be a critic, and people love drama. Just don't give into the drama and remain level-headed and leave your emotions out of the equation. I've had my share of online attacks and criticism, and the storm eventually passes -- people become bored and find another target. 

The reality is that NOT everyone in the world is going to love your bok. People love to state their opinions (both good and bad), so be prepared for whatever comes your way. Don't wallow in other people's negativity. I have seen this happen often with self-published authors. They become frustrated, throw in the marketing towel, and give up altogether.  They take the criticism to heart and go into hiding. 

Remember to consistently stay on top of your online reputation, and you will be ten steps ahead of your book marketing...and the negative naysayers!

 

Self-Published Author Randy Mitchell Shares Personal Experiences With Book Marketing

I'm lucky to work with amazing clients and have returned to my roots of book marketing/publicity in the past few months. I worked for an independent publisher in northern California, and also worked for Barnes & Noble and promoted authors and planned in-store book signings and events.

Instead of rambling on and on about why self-published authors need to market, I went straight to my self-publishing sources -- my clients, Randy Mitchell and Susan Malone. 

I asked inspirational writer Randy Mitchell his insight into book marketing. Randy recently self-published and launched his social media marketing campaign for his first inspirational novel, Sons In the Clouds.

I also picked Susan Malone's brain. Susan is a long-time developmental book editor and owns Malone Editorial Services.  Susan offers in-depth developmental book editing for fiction and nonfiction writers and publishers. Her clients' books (35 books and counting!) have been sold to traditional publishers. 

Susan, why do you think self-published authors are fearful of marketing their books? It seems authors lose momentum after they write and self-publish their books. As a result, their marketing falls to the wayside -- why do you think this happens? 

Susan: The biggest problem for authors in promoting is two-fold. One, the creative part of the writing brain is so different from the business one. For the most part, authors are just terrified to promote because they have no clue how to (and would so prefer not to have to learn!) Promotion feels like having to learn an entirely new skill set, in an area many truly hate.  

The other part is writers truly often HATE to toot their own horns. Although they may in secret believe their books to be the best in the world, they want OTHER folks to say that, not them. And promotion is all about telling the world how great a book is. Add those two things together, and most writers run for the hills!  

I then talked with Randy about his self-publishing journey. I'm really proud of Randy as his inspirational fiction novel, Sons In the Clouds, was nominated for a Global E-book award for Best Visionary/Inspirational fiction.

He's done a fantastic job of marketing his book, and has created a dynamic online presence in just a few months! Randy is proof that,with hard work and professional marketing guidance, it's possible to achieve book marketign success. 

Randy, what "in-the-trenches" advice would you give to self-published authors?

Randy: First, try to get traditionally published. That is the gold standard by which most writers are still judged. Although, my how times are a changin' with e-book capabilities! If one cannot get an agent or publisher to bite, then dive in and get your work out there.

What have you learned about book marketing in the past few months? What helpful tips do you want to pass along to self-published authors who are hesitant to market their books? 

Randy:

When you self-publish you are on your own. But having a terrific editor is a must, as well as having a marketing professional (such as yourself)  to help you. I can understand why authors would be anxious about diving in, but sometimes I think writing a book is only half the battle, and like it or not, it's a business.

If a writer quits after being rejected by the traditional houses, he'll fade into the landscape. Self-publishing gives you a fighting chance, and recently more and more published authors are going ahead and just ditching the old ways because of better royalties and more control over their work.

Social media is wonderful, and I've quickly learned it's nothing to fear. Hire a marketing professional to be your coach (worth every penny) because they command a specific knowledge most people don't have -- the ins and outs of how to get the most from your efforts.

A great success story is Amanda Hocking. She tried and tried to get published and failed. She placed her books on Amazon and now, not only does she sell millions of self-published novels, but she has a million dollar contract with a traditional house. 

My best advice? Just do it! And keep your eye on the ball. The biggest challenge I've experienced? Finding the time to keep up because as you keep going, the workload increases. 

Like you said early on, sticking with your marketing is THE key. Never stop, even if you don't see results for awhile. Then one day, something happens (like my Global E-book nomination) or an agent comes calling,

Great tips and advice, Randy and Susan! 

Stay tuned - I will offer more helpful marketing tips for self-published authors in the upcoming weeks!