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January18, 2007 - Your New Issue: BookPromo Ezine >> |
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BookPromo Guerrilla Style Ezine "The Ezine for Do-It-Yourself Successful Book Promotions" Past Issues Archives: http://www.zinester.com/lr/675818/13492929 Issue 19 Year 1 January 4, 2007 http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com *************************************************** On this issue: *************************************************** 1- From My Desk 2- Using MySpace as an Author Promotional Tool 3- Useful Resources 4- Alternative Resources for Book Review 5- Successful Blogger Gets 50,000 Visitors per Month Doing Blog Carnival Submission 6- Author’s New Year Resolutions 7- Letter to the Editor 8- Articles Submission *************************************************** From My Desk *************************************************** Happy New Year! On this issue of BookPromo Guerrilla Style we offer you a premium issue. This month we have four articles that comes in handy to begin the New Year. First we learn a little bit more about utilizing Myspace in our book promotions. There is much to say and explore in the social network sites and I think you will be able to draw some wisdom nuggets from this article. Book reviews are very important so we are giving you a Good article with alternative resources for book reviews. We then go to Blog Carnival, I provided you with the link to the site in a past issue and now you can learn a little bit more about how to utilize it. We finish with Author’s New Year Resolutions, a reflection on what you should be thinking about when it comes to your book promotion this year. Feel free to forward this ezine to your friends and Associates. We are looking forward to serve the growing Community of writers around the world. Looking forward to help, inform and empower authors. Clary Lopez Editor-in-Chief BookPromo Guerrilla Style Ezine Guerrilla Marketers’ Caf? http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com Blog http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com/blog/ You can contact us at: editor@clarylopez.com Subject: eZine *************************************************** Using MySpace as an Author Promotional Tool *************************************************** By Rick Reed Authors are getting on the bandwagon musicians and filmmakers have already discovered to promote their work: the phenomenon that is MySpace. MySpace is rapidly becoming one of the most popular sites on the web (with a reported billion page views per day) and authors have unlimited potential for connecting with readers on a very interactive level. Personally, since starting my MySpace page, I have found many new readers for my work, which have translated into sales I wouldn’t otherwise have. I’ve also found MySpace to be a great tool for networking with magazine and book publishers, film production companies, and editors. As a result of MySpace, I have been interviewed and asked to write for other writers’ websites. Getting started on MySpace is easy…and free. All you need to do to begin is set up a page for yourself. MySpace provides forms for you to fill out which allow you to describe yourself and your work, who you’re looking to meet, and to catalog favorite books, movies, and music (a great way to find connections with other like-minded individuals). The MySpace page that results is less than glamorous but there are free sites galore in cyberspace that will allow you to change the entire look of your page with the simple copying and pasting of some HTML code. And that’s another great thing about MySpace. All of the subject areas accept HTML code, so you can customize not only your page with book covers and links for where to purchase (for example, I have the covers for all my current books in print on my page; clicking on each one takes you to their Amazon page), you can also use HTML code to create comments that you can leave on other’s pages. These comments can also include books covers and links to sites like Amazon or your own website. Plus, leaving comments is a great way to lead others to your space. Once you have your page set up, it’s time to begin finding an audience. Establishing a MySpace page is kind of like creating a website, you need to promote it to get noticed. MySpace makes that easy through “add a friend.” But how do you start adding friends and building a targeted audience for your work? The first thing you need to ask yourself is: who is the audience for my work? For me, the answer was people who enjoy reading horror (so I always check on a potential friend’s page the section on books…if they list Stephen King or some other horror writer, I send a friend request; if they ask what books are, I move on). But going through individual profiles takes a lot of time. To speed up the process, access the groups feature of MySpace. I found many groups for fans of horror (both movies and books). I can go through their membership, click on members, and send friend requests, thus building up an audience of targeted readers. I’ve also found the browse feature useful for targeting people in specific geographical regions, such as my current home town and other places I’ve lived. You can do searches on your high school or college to yield friends who you attended school with…these people may very well have an interest in your writing. Once you begin adding friends who have an interest in your genre or books, your profile and comments may appear on their MySpace pages, allowing others to see you and what you’re about. Once you begin adding friends to your base, you will begin getting requests yourself. It’s kind of like a viral thing: once you have made many friends, it’s easy to get more…they start coming to you. But once you build an audience, you have to keep them coming back to your page, so you can clue them on new releases and the like. You do this through blogs and bulletins. Bulletins (which also allow HTML and flash codes) appear on each and every one of your friend’s pages. Lots of people use this feature, so your bulletin will be buried relatively quickly. I’ve found blogs to be a very effective way to keep people coming back to my MySpace page. In my blogs, I can do things like show a new cover design for an upcoming book, announce when I have a free story up on my website, or release of anthology that features my work. One very effective thing I’ve found with blogs is the quick and easy ability to invite subscribers (once someone subscribes to your blog, MySpace will send them a notification e-mail when you post new content). To invite someone, just click on the link on their blog page that says, “Invite to my blog.” MySpace does the rest. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can build up a subscriber base. One word of caution, though: the tag line for MySpace is “a place for friends.” Keep that in mind as you write messages, leave comments and bulletins, and post blogs. If all you do is talk about yourself and give people a hard sell for your work, you’re going to turn them off. Which leads me to my final, and most important, point about promoting your writing on MySpace: don’t promote too hard. Be a friend. Answer messages quickly and as a friend. Take an interest in other people’s lives, even beyond their reading taste or interest in you as an author. When you post a blog, make sure it’s not always about your work…use the time in the spotlight to show how well you can write and talk about a topic people can relate to. By showing that you’re there for more than beating the promotional drum, you’ll actually have more people take an interest in your work. Rick R. Reed is the author of the horror novels Obsessed, Penance, A Face Without a Heart and the short story collection, Twisted: Tales of Obsession and Terror. In 2007, IM, In the Blood, and Deadly Vision: Book One of the Cassandra Chronicles will be published. Read sample chapters and find out more about Rick at http://www.rickrreed.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Reed *************************************************** Uselful Resources *************************************************** Guerrilla Marketers’ Caf? Resources: Have you checked our Resources section at Guerrilla Marketers’ Caf? lately? We have a great source of tools and services that will simplify your book promotions. http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com/tactics.html You can also find Free Stuff on our site, stop by frequently as we add new links and banners for your convenience. http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com/freegraphics.html Self-Published Book Awards – 15th Annual Writer’s Digest Competition, now with more than $15,000 in Prizes! Deadline May 1, 2007 Visit http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/ for details 2007 PNWA Literary Contest • $12,000 in prize money • Every entry receives two critiques • First-place winner invited to attend the Agents and Editors Reception Deadline for entry: February 20, 2007 Visit http://www.pnwa.org for details ************************************************** Alternative Resources for Book Review ************************************************** By Kathryn Lively Often I am asked how does one go about getting reviews for a novel. Most authors I have met over the years have been under the impression that the only valid reviews are found in the newspaper or in a trade periodical. While such reviews can be a feather in an author's cap, particularly if they are positive, they should not be considered the only source of PR for a book. An author can find a wealth of resources for obtaining book reviews, if one knows where to look. Yet, before you send those books out for review, it is important to consider this question: when should a book go out for review? Too soon, or too late? How soon is too soon for a book to be distributed for review? Depending upon the review source and the marketing schedule of a publisher, advanced review copies of books (also known as ARCs) may go out to reviews as early as four months before the books release. There may be many reasons for the advanced promotion. A reviewer's schedule may be such that it may take four months to get to a particular book, and this way the publisher is ensuring a timely review. Other reasons may be seasonal: if a novel is written for the Christmas season, for example, the publisher may want to garner advanced reviews to tantalize readership during the peak of holiday shopping. Whatever the reason for sending out ARCs, the message is clear: a book does not necessarily have to be released and for sale for the author to start collecting reviews. If words of praise are collected early enough, the publisher may want to include them on the front or back cover to entice readers to buy. Just make certain the ARC sent out for review is clean, free of errors and bound in a font size that is easily read. Once you have the best draft available, it is time to distribute to reviewers. Here are just a few suggestions that are not necessarily limited to the media. Professionals in the field: If your book is non-fiction, be it about politics, self-help topics, or a biography, it would be to your advantage to have an endorsement from an expert in your book's topic. If you have written about an event in the Civil War, considering approaching an historian specializing in that era. If your book is religious in nature, seek endorsement from a noted clergyman. Authors of similar works: Take a look at the fiction shelves of your favorite bookstore. You may notice that some novels include endorsements from other authors of the same genre. This is especially true for romance and mystery, communities so tightly knit considering the annual conferences these authors attend for networking purposes. If you have written a romance or mystery novel, you may wish to seek other authors for a word of praise. A cordial letter to the authors of your choice may yield good results for you. You might find some authors are willing to read your work, if it means extra PR for them in the form of their names on your cover. Don't feel discouraged, however, if an author you have contacted declines or does not respond. Authors who write for a living often have busy schedules, and may not be able to afford the time needed for an unbiased endorsement of your work. Organizations relative to your work: So you have written a mystery with a dog theme. Does this mean you are limited to mystery reviewers? Not necessarily. If a dog show is the setting for the story, you may want to consider approaching professionals on the dog show circuit to read your book. This can be especially helpful in generating word of mouth publicity for your book as well. People interested in dogs who don't normally read mystery may be curious enough to buy your novel. Think about the settings and occupations featured in your novel. Is there a corresponding organization that would make a good target audience for your book? Foster that connection by bringing in some potential reviewers. Book Review websites: A quick Internet search for book review websites will yield a number of resources available to you. Many such sites have been cited on author's book covers and in advertisements on the web and in print. It is important to note, however, when you research these websites that they are suitable to review your work. Study each website. What genres do they accept? Do they offer a turnaround time on reviews? Do they charge a fee? A reputable reviewer will not charge, so check! Regardless of the review source you approach, it is imperative to treat each one with the proper courtesy. Query each potential reviewer first. Do not send the book immediately, lest a reviewer feel you are imposing on him. Learn what the reviewer wants: an attachment in mail, a finished product, or an ARC. Once it is sent, a good rule of thumb is to contact to acknowledge receipt of the book, but do not send constant e- mails about progress unless an inordinate amount of time has passed without word from the reviewer. If, after a month or so, you have heard nothing, follow-up with a polite note. Taking care to find alternative resources for reviews can not only boost prominence of your book on shelves, but may also broaden your target audience. Don't wait for your release to get reviews. Start the buzz now! Kathryn Livey is publisher of Phaze, romance in eBook and paperback. She offers free promotion advice to authors. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathryn_Lively ************************************************** Visit our Blogs: Guerrilla Insight for Authors http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com/blog The Book’s Den http://booksden.wordpress.com ************************************************** Successful Blogger Gets 50,000 Visitors per Month Doing Blog Carnival Submission *************************************************** By Ruben F I surfed around the web and spotted a blogger saying he get 50,000 visitors per month doing blog carnival article submission. Just before I let you know who he is, I’d like to discuss a bit why blog carnivals will help us get tremendous blog traffic. What is a blog carnival? How does blog carnival work? How will it give us this huge blog traffic? A Blog Carnival is a particular kind of blog community. There are many kinds of blogs, and they contain articles on many kinds of topics. Blog Carnivals typically collect together links pointing to blog articles on a particular topic. It is an event, like a magazine. It explores a particular topic or niche and is published monthly, weekly or whenever the editors decides really. A blog carnival offer huge advantages for the Online Community, it allows you to submit your related articles and have them seen by a wider audience, perhaps attracting more users to your own blog. Carnivals are easy ways to get excellent one way inbound links and traffic, and best of all, they are free. When you are just starting out or maybe still want more blog traffic you can take the full advantage of blog carnivals. All you have to do is to find the appropriate carnivals for your niche and submit your best blog posts. By submitting your best blog posts to the carnival of your niche you can pick up dozens or even hundreds of new subscribers from each round of carnival submission making it a good place to start your marketing campaign. Steve Pavlina in one of his post entitled "How to Make Money From Your Blog" said… In my early traffic-building days, I’d do carnivals submissions once a week, and it helped a great deal in going from nothing to about 50,000 visitors per month. You still have to produce great content, but carnivals give you a free shot at marketing your unknown blog for free. Carnivals are like an open-mic night at a comedy club - they give amateurs a chance to show off their stuff. I still submit to certain carnivals every once in a while, but now my traffic is so high that relatively speaking, they don’t make much difference anymore. So, what are you waiting for? Go, find the blog carnivals of your niche and start submitting your best posts. You will be surprise of how much blog traffic you will be getting here. Good luck! This article you just read is just the part 10 of the series of blog traffic strategies. If you want to read the other parts please visit "Turn Your Blog Into Money Making Machine", the blog dedicated to all bloggers who want to make money online. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruben_F http://EzineArticles.com/?Successful-Blogger-Gets-50,000-Visitors-per-Month-Doing-Blog-Carnival-Submission&id=398391 *************************************************** Author’s New Year Resolutions *************************************************** By Clary Lopez New Year resolutions, it is that time again. As an author who is looking to be effective reaching its audience, resolutions are very important. You probably had a plan when you wrote your book and now it is time to look back and see what the results were. At this time analyzing the effectiveness of your book promotion is imperative. If something didn’t work it is time to fine tune or to try something new. Something that worked good for me last year was posting short excerpts of my book on my blogs; I provide a note at the end stating the fact with a link to my site where they could order my book. People love free books, so another thing I did was republish couple of free e-books and added a list of my other published books at the end of it with links to my site. The e-books cost me nothing to publish and even though I don’t get a penny when downloaded, I get them to take a look at my work in exchange. So I guess I will continue to do the same in 2007. Talking about writing, you must be thinking about what You will be writing this year if anything. Most authors Write a book every two years or more. In my case it will Be a little bit more than a year an I have two books that I was working on before the marketing of the one published Took off. There is only so much you can do and you need To plan where your efforts are going to go or you would Waste valuable time. Pull out a calendar and note the dates in which it will be ideal to promote your book according to a holiday, season or whatever relates to your book. In order to get press or media coverage you need to plan at least six weeks in advance. Don’t forget to schedule time for yourself, exercise, a walk to the park, a visit to a museum, listen to music, reading anything that will help you stay inspired. Whatever you decide to achieve this year 2007 if you plan it you will accomplish more. Look into the past and avoid what didn’t work and try new marketing techniques. Network with successful writers off and online and learn from them in order to achieve your goals quicker. I call it “my shortcut to success.” May 2007 be your lucky book marketing year! Clary Lopez is the CEO/Founder of Guerrilla Marketers’ Caf?, free book promotion site. She is the editor of BookPromo Guerrilla Style, an ezine for the Do-It-Yourself Successful Book Promotions. She is also an author and the moderator of various authors and readers forums. To find out more about collective blogs visit her author’s collective blog at http://booksden.wordpress.com or her websites at http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com and http://clarylopez.com e-mail prdept@clarylopez.com *************************************************** Letter to the Editor *************************************************** Let us know how we are doing and what you would like to read about, so send us your comments and suggestions to be included on this section. editor@clarylopez.com Subject: Letter to the Editor Do you have an idea for a topic on this eZine? Send it to editor@clarylopez.com Subject: Ezine idea *************************************************** Articles Submission *************************************************** If you would like to write an article for this Ezine please send your request to: editor@clarylopez.com Subject: Article Submission *************************************************** BookPromo Guerrilla Style Ezine Copyright 2006, Clary Lopez All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Clary Lopez will not be held liable for any direct or indirect losses or damages originating from the use of any information listed on our website, newsletters or eZine. By using this site and ezine you agree to indemnify and hold all owners and representatives parties of Clary Lopez/Guerrilla Marketers' Cafe harmless from any claim or demand originating out of your use of Clary Lopez/Guerrilla Marketers' Cafe website and/ newsletters or eZine. Use of our website, Newsletter and eZine is and indication of your complete understanding and acceptance of these Terms of Service. Articles can be reproduced on websites or ezines as long as the article and bylines are included without any alterations. No part of the website can't be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means including information storage or retrieval systems without the written permission from the publisher/owner. -------------------------------------------------------------- |
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