Tag Archive | Book

5 Inexpensive Book Marketing Tips and Great Links

May11

I’m getting closer to finishing my debut book and am beginning to compile information on self-publishing and marketing. I came across a post on The Savvy Book Marketer, written by guest Susan Daffron, a book and software publisher.

Some people spend a fortune on promoting a new book, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Daffron’s list has some interesting ideas that cost next-to-nothing. This is a full repost from Dana Lynn Smith’s blog. I hope it helps you get the word out about your book.

Five Inexpensive Ways to Market Your Book

1. Outsource the “little stuff.”

Many book-marketing tasks require collateral material like banners or simple graphics. If you’re not an artist and don’t have good design tools, doing little blog badges or even working with your book cover graphics can take way longer than it should. For small tasks, check out Fiverr.com. Amazingly enough, everything costs just $5.

2. Create simple videos.

Many people avoid video and YouTube because they’re worried about the technology or they don’t like what they look like. However, it’s easy to create a video that doesn’t require fancy technology or your face. For example, I experimented with a Book Publishing Dog Walk Q &A video. The video is me walking my dog, Fiona, through the forest (it’s fun to watch her little tail bob along). You don’t see me and I didn’t have to worry about sounding out of breath as I toddled through the forest because I did the voice over separately. A video I did for my Vegan Success cookbook didn’t even involve a video camera. I used still photos and transitions with a voice over. It’s not as hard as you might think.make podcasts for marketing books

3. Do audio recordings.

Like video, audio isn’t as difficult as you might expect. I do a podcast/radio show for the PetLifeRadio.com network. I have a little device called a QuickTap from JKAudio that plugs into my phone, so I can record interviews with people at animal shelters and rescues about the pets they have available for adoption. Alternatively, you can get a radio show on BlogTalk radio. You can do one 30-minute show per week for free.

4. Communicate via email.

Periodically you hear that email is dead. Except it’s not. You still send and receive email don’t you? Email newsletters are a great way to communicate with people on a particular topic. On your website either give away a freebie like an eCourse or PDF or just let people subscribe to your blog posts. One way or another, you’ll develop a mailing list of people you can communicate with when something happens related to your book. Remember to post links to those posts or newsletters in social media.

5. Advertise on your own websites.

This idea is so obvious, I’m not sure why more people don’t do it. If you have a blog, put an advertisement for your book on the blog. Or at the end of your articles, include a little teaser text ad for your book. Sure banner ads don’t get many click-throughs, but even if you only got one book sale per month from your ad, that’s 12 books you wouldn’t have sold. And it costs you exactly nothing.

The most expensive idea on this list costs all of $5; the rest are $0. When it comes to book marketing, every little bit helps. All these activities work together to increase awareness about you and your book. And in the end, that means more book sales.

About the Author

Susan Daffron, aka The Book Consultant owns a book and software publishing company. She spends most of her time writing, laying out books in InDesign, or taking her five dogs out for romps in the forest. She also teaches people how to write and publish profitable client-attracting books and puts on the Self-Publishers Online conference every May.

A big thank you goes out to Dana Lynn Smith-The Savvy Book Marketer, and Susan Daffron-The Book Consultant!

Book promotion, marketing, selling

Did you find anything helpful there? Many of you are already using a couple of these ideas but, here are more links to try:

Podcast: Book Marketing and Promotion, Your Questions Answered, by Joanna Penn.

Content marketing for Authors and Writers, by Joanna Penn

89 Book Marketing Ideas That Will Change Your Life, by Author Media

And a whole page of article links, Learn How To Market Your Book and Yourself, by The Savvy Book Marketer

One behind-the-scenes area that a lot of authors pay little attention to is their author biography. Some authors have trouble writing about themselves in a creative way. Mine needs a complete overhaul which gave me the idea to include a couple of links to help myself and others with that task. Did you realize the ‘About’ page rivals your posts for page views?

Is Your Author ‘About Me’ Page Boring Your Readers To Death?, by Author Media

Crafting An Effective “About me” Page, by Kelsey Browning at Author E.M.S.

 

Before you go, just a reminder…please visit The Life List Club today. Gary Gauthier will be posting and you’re guaranteed to be inspired!

Thanks for joining me today!

A Guest Post by Bestselling Author, Steena Holmes

Apr4

Welcome to our second week of author guest posts!

Please welcome Steena Holmes, a talented and fabulous young woman who has several published books available at Amazon. Please stop by to see her selection. I guarantee you’ll find a few that are right for you. FINDING EMMA is 5-star rated and I know you’re going to love it!

My friend, Steena and I have a few passions in common. “Whether its passion found in a steamy romance or the sweet love in an inspirational, Steena doesn’t think it’s complete without chocolate.” You’ll see that passion come through in her writing.

Steena, I’m so happy to have you here today! I know my readers would love to hear about your new release, Finding Emma, and your main character, Megan. Tell us what it is that your readers love so much about Megan and your story.

 
Marcia, darlin’, thank you for having me on your blog! 
 
There are some women that you meet and realize you want to know more of. Marcia – you are one of those women! From the first moment I met you I knew right away you were not only a woman after my own heart but someone who would become a dear friend! 
 
This past week has been a week of celebrations. And if there’s one thing I know about celebrations, it’s that there is always chocolate involved. Always :)
This week I’ve been able to celebrate the success of a recent book launch. Within days it made a bestsellers list and then went on to do more than I could even imagine. Finding Emma is my little book that could. Every day I’m getting emails from readers who fall in love with the various characters of my story but, more than not, they will all say that their heart broke for Megan – my main character.
 
Why? Finding Emma by Steena Holmes
 
She’s a mother doing everything possible to find her kidnapped daughter – even after everyone else has given up. 
 
Writing Megan’s character was easy for me. I knew I needed her to be strong. Tenacious. Stubborn. I grew up with a strong mother who taught me so much. I’m surrounded by women of strength that I admire and try to be like. But, I also needed her to be broken. Weary. Alone. I tried really hard to place myself in her shoes. What would I do if my youngest child had been missing for two years? I think I would fall apart. I know I would fall apart. But there’s something about us as women – we are more than just emotional creatures. When we are at our rock bottom – we find the strength to rise up. Every time. All the time. Especially when it comes to our families and those close to us.
 
While I was writing Finding Emma, I did a lot of research. There is an organization that I’ve partnered up with called Missing Children’s Society of Canada – www.mcsc.ca. I always knew that I wanted to donate proceeds from the sale of each book to this organization but it wasn’t until I found myself in a situation that I knew I needed to. My middle daughter was followed to school one early morning by an older man. I received a phone call at work from her – I could hear the fear in her voice but it wasn’t until I hung up the phone that it really hit me. My daughter could have been taken. I could have been ‘Megan’. It’s a feeling I never want to experience again – but it sure made me realize that if something had happened to my daughter – I would have done everything possible to get her back. Everything.

That’s what a strong woman does.

A little more about Steena Holmes:

Steena Holmes, author of Finding EmmaVisit my website and enter my world of passions – chocolate and writing!

I’m Steena Holmes. A wife. A mother of three daughters and I live in Calgary, Alberta.
I’m a chocoholic and author. I love to read, bake, create cover designs, read and write.

Pull up a chair, fill your plate with sweet delicacies as we learn together how to become stronger writers. We’ll discuss books, indie publishing and passions – not always in that order!


Need to get a hold of me? I’d love to chat!  Email me at steena@steenaholmes.com

Follow me on Twitter  Like me on Facebook

Steena, thank you for visiting and sharing your newest release with us.

So, what would you like to ask Steena? Ask her anything. She loves talking with her readers!

You all have the opportunity to get an autographed copy of FINDING EMMA. How? Well, Steena has graciously offered to give away a copy of her book to one commenter. The winner will be announced next Wednesday, April 11th.

Remember last Wednesday when author, Jillian Dodd, was here and she also offered to give away a copy of one of her books to one commenter? Well, we have a winner…Diana Douglas! Diana,  I will send you a Direct Message on Twitter with instructions to receive your book.

Don’t forget that today is the opening day of The Life List Club’s new blog! Sherry Isaac, our newest author, will be posting for you today. Please stop over and give her some comment luv! I’ll be posting on Friday. See you there!

A Guest Post by Amazon Best-Selling Author, Jillian Dodd

Mar28

Happy Woman’s Day!

I’m thrilled to be hosting author, Jillian Dodd, today on my blog. Jillian has the most feminine, flirty blog called Glitter, Bliss and Perfect Chaos. You must go check it out, if you haven’t been there already. She has fun posts on shirtless MEN, romance, fashion and movie reviews.

What a treat we have in store for you! Jill’s going to acquaint you with her best-selling books and her writing style via some excerpts. I guarantee after reading this, you’ll want to rush on over to Amazon to pick up one or both of her books!

AND, because Jillian is a generous woman and adores her readers, one lucky commenter will be chosen to receive a free copy of either That Boy or That Wedding! The winner will be announced on Monday, April 2nd!

Jillian is not only a best-selling author, but she’s also a terrific friend and peer mentor. She’s the epitome of a Sexy, Strong, Smart and From the Heart woman!

Meanwhile, I’m over at Jillian’s amazing blog offering you ways to Romance Your Man! When you’re done here, please come visit me!

You’re on, Jill!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m excited to be able to be at Marcia’s blog today!! Marcia’s blog is a place known for it’s belief that women can be sexy and smart and strong, and still feel with their hearts. The perfect place for romance!!

I’m the author of a fun romantic book called That Boy. That Boy has been on the Amazon best sellers list since November, and I’m very proud of the fact that it’s also on their best rated list!

 
That Boy by Jillan Dodd
Here’s a quick blurb about the book.
 

You know, being friends with two cute boys does have its benefits. There’s Danny. Danny is a golden boy in every way. He has dreamy blue eyes and blonde hair that always looks perfect, even when it’s windblown or been stuck under a football helmet. He’s the boy every girl crushes on. The boy I get into trouble with, the boy I fight with, the hot quarterback no girl can resist, not even me. Being with Danny is like being on an adventure. He has a bright, contagious smile and abs to die for. He’s pretty much irresistible.

Equally crush worthy is Phillip. Adorable, sweet Phillip, who I have known since birth. Phillip has dark hair, a perfect smile, brown eyes, and the sexiest voice I have ever heard. He’s the boy I talk to every night before I go to sleep. The boy who rescues me, the boy who can read my mind, the boy who is always there for me, the boy who tries to keep me out of trouble, the boy who irritatingly keeps getting hotter, and whose strong arms always seem to find their way around me. And when he gives me that grin, I can never say no.

One boy will give me my very first kiss.
One boy will teach me to make out.
One boy will take me to prom.
And finally, one boy will ask me to marry him.
They will both be my best friends.
But only one of them will be the boy I fall in love with.
Only one of them is That Boy.

Since Marcia’s blog is about strong women, I thought I would share a little with you about the main character in the book, Jadyn. She’s a bit of a tomboy, spunky, funny, and a loyal friend. The book is written from her perspective, so you get to experience all the important moments in her life from age 10 through her engagement to that boy at age 22. 

At eighteen, Jadyn is growing up well. She gets along well with her parents, gets good grades, and has close friends. Something tragic happens in her life that causes her to react. Her reaction is to realize that life is short. She is determined to do two things with her life. She wants to make her parents proud, and she wants to live life to the fullest. She wants to stop and smell the roses.

While these are honorable traits, she takes them a bit far, and they are simply masking her pain. If everything is for fun, it means you don’t care. If you don’t care, you won’t get hurt again. Even though she doesn’t realize it, she’s trying so hard to be strong, she doesn’t let herself feel. 

But she’s in love with a boy. A boy who has been her best friend for a really long time. She knows she loves him, but she has an internal struggle brewing. Should she let herself love him fully and risk having her heart broken? Or worse, losing him? At the end of That Boy, she makes a decision. One that will affect the rest of her life. Will she make the right decision? Does she believe in true love, the fairytale kind? You’ll have to read the book to find out!! That Wedding by Jillian Dodd

The sequel to That Boy, That Wedding, was released about a month ago.  In this book, you get to see Jadyn grow into the kind of strong, loving woman that would make her parents proud. 

I know he’s that boy. The boy I want to marry, my prince, my happily ever after. I feel like I’m living in a dreamy fairytale. 

 
But then, Pastor starts asking questions I don’t know the answers to.
I have horrible wedding disaster dreams.
I can’t find a dress.
I have to manipulate him to get my way.
An old boyfriend asks me to run away and marry him.
My best friend tells me I’m going to ruin everything.
And forever is starting to sound like a really long time.
 
Which makes me start to wonder. 
 
I wonder if best friends should get married. 
I wonder if I’m settling. 
I wonder if the fact that sex with him is so amazing that it’s clouding my judgment.
I wonder if it’s just cold feet.
I wonder if marriage is all that fun.
 
And then I have to decide. Am I willing to give up on true love forever, or should I say, What the hell, and marry him anyway? 
Thanks so much for having me here today!!
 About Jillian
Jillian DoddLike Jadyn, Jillian Dodd has drunk from a keg in a cornfield, did attend the University of Nebraska, and once spent half a day walking beans.

Unlike Jadyn, she does know all the words to Dear Old Nebraska U.

She currently resides in Texas with her family, where she is working on new projects.

She is a voracious reader herself and can easily lose a day immersed in a good book. She is an avid college football fan and active in her sorority’s alumni group.

She was lucky enough to find her own prince in college, and they have two amazing children and a Maltese named Sugar Bear.

You can find both books at Amazon, B&N, and ibooks. 
You can find me at my website and blog: www.jilliandodd.net
 
Thanks for giving our readers a peek into your world and your books, Jillian!
Do you have any questions for Jillian? Jadyn shows her strength in her decisions. Do you seek out books about strong women? 
Now go pick up a Jillian Dodd book, then head over to her blog to visit me!
 

Win Big and Support a Friend!

Sep27

K.M. Weiland just released her new book, Outline Your Novel…Map Your Way To Success, and she’s having a contest to make the launch successful! Woohoo! We love contests, don’t we? She’s offering amazing prizes. Take a look:

  

Win a Kindle and over $100 in writing craft books!

The big day is here! Welcome to the official launch of Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success.

You can purchase the book in paperback, Kindle, or Nook formats (or all three!).

I need your help to ensure the book has a successful launch week, so please join the party! I’m celebrating all this week with daily giveaways, culminating in our three-tiered Grand Prize giveaway, worth over $400!

 

Grand Prizes

Prize A: A Kindle. Value: $114

Prize B: A whopping bundle of writing craft books donated and signed by some of the industry’s best authors. Value: $100

 

Prize C: Poster of winner’s choice donated by the fabulous PosterText. These unique posters feature a scene from your favorite book constructed from the text of the book. Be sure to drop by their site to browse their wonderful selection. Value: $35.

 

Bonus—Hourly Prize Today Only: Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration Mp3. Value: $8.99. 

From 6 AM to 11 PM, I’ll be drawing a winner every hour for my 60-minute audio presentation Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration. Winning this prize does not exclude you from the Grand Prize drawing on Friday, but the sooner you enter this one, the better your chances of winning! Check the blog throughout the day to discover hourly winners.

Rules

All you have to do to enter is buy a book!

Paperbacks are priced at $9.79, and the Kindle version is only $2.99. After you’ve purchased the book, email your receipt to me to be entered in the contest.

The contest will run all week, and you can do several things to earn contest points and increase your chances of winning. For every contest point earned, your name will be entered once more into the pool (e.g., if you’ve earned 18 points, you have 18 chances of winning).

You can win points by:

1. Buying a book early in the week. I’m trying to create a surge of sales to boost the book in Amazon’s ratings, so I’d like to encourage people to purchase as soon as possible.
        Buy a book on Monday = 5 points
        Buy a book on Tuesday = 4 points
        Buy a book on Wednesday = 3 points
        Buy a book on Thursday = 2 points
        Buy a book on Friday = 1 point

2. Buy more than one book! You get one extra point for each additional book you buy.
        Buy additional books = 1 extra point per book

3. Tweet the following message each day of the week. Duplicate posts per day will be counted as one post.

RT @KMWeiland Win a Kindle and over $100 in writing craft books! http://tinyurl.com/3lo2dau

        Tweet about the book = 1 point per day, possible 5 points over the course of the week

4. Share this post on Facebook. Be sure to tag me (@K.M. Weiland), so I can find and count your posts. You’ll need to “like” my page in order to tag me. Duplicate posts per day will be counted as one post.
        Share on Facebook = 1 point per day, possible 5 points over the course of the week

5. Mention the contest and the book on your blog. Be sure to email me the link, so I can give you credit.
        Blog post = 3 points

Note: Because of shipping costs, I’m sorry to say the contest will be limited only to U.S. citizens. My apologies to all my international readers!

Winners will be announced Friday, September 30th.

Good luck to everyone in the drawing, have fun, and thank you for helping me celebrate the launch of Outlining Your Novel!

Happy writing!

Needless to say, I already have my copy of the book and have done all the other helpful tasks to earn points. I SO want Prizes A or B! If any of these prizes interest you, or if you just want to help out with the launch to support a fellow writer, start putting the word out, like I did! You can check out K.M.’s website here.
Thanks, friends!
 

 

Book Giveaway Winner!

Sep8

August 31st, I was honored to interview Lisa Rivero about her new book, Oscar‘s Gift. Lisa graciously provided me with an autographed copy of her book to give away to one of my commenters.

And the winner is….

HALEY WHITEHALL!! Congratulations!

Haley, please email your mailing address (not a P.O. box) to me at marichards320 AT yahoo DOT com. and I’ll get your copy out to you as quickly as possible.

There are more book giveaways coming!

Check out my interview with Jody Hedlund about her book, The Doctor’s Lady. Commenters will be eligible to win the book until midnight on Sunday, September 11th. The winner will be announced on Monday, September 12th.

On Thursday, September 15th, I will be interviewing Kim Wright, author of Disneyworld for Kids, Love in Mid Air, and her newest release, Your Path to Publication. Kim has a broad base of experience having been an author for more than 20 years. She has generously set aside a copy of her new book for our giveaway contest. Commenters will be eligible to win from September 15th to midnight on September 19th. The winner will be announced on September 20th.

Don’t forget about Life List Club Friday this week! If you haven’t joined the club yet, all you have to do is subscribe to one or more LLC writers’ blogs. You’ll find all the LLC writers listed in the sidebar. Feel free to blog hop on Friday to see what we’re all up to.

September 23rd is our 3-month check-in on our life lists. You know what that means…!!!MILESTONE PARTY!!! and…!!!PRIZES!!! Join us for food, drink and merriment!  We’ll fill you in on our progress and hope you’ll tell us how you’re doing, as well. Be there or be square!