Holiday Book Marketing by J. Aday Kennedy

It's Tuesday and that means that we have a guest author who will share her marketing wisdom with us. J. Aday Kennedy is a multi-talented author who will be talking to us today about creative ways to take advantage of many lesser known holidays in our book marketing efforts.

Before we get to her post, I want to mention my newest release, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. If you have ever wanted to establish relationships with experts who can introduce you to their followers or find ways to send targeted people to your blog or website, then this training can help.

Now, on to our guest post for today...


Holiday Book Marketing
By J. Aday Kennedy

Have you noticed there are times of the year you have difficulty selling books? A calendar can help solve that problem. How? There is a holiday for the strangest celebrations. These holidays can be used to market your book.

The best time to utilize the calendar is before you have written a single word. Take your character and start giving it likes, and dislikes based on holiday celebrations. Here are a few examples.

In January it is difficult to promote and sell books, because Christmas put a strain on your prospect's finances. Rubber Duckie Day is Jan 13, so give your character a rubber duck collection. That is an odd detail in a character's makeup, especially an adult, but it gives them an interesting personality quirk and you have reason to promote your book in January.

Not only do you have reason to promote, but you have opened the door to an unusual setting for a book signing; a store that specializes in bath products or a large store with a section devoted to bathrooms. One of the benefits of selling books at a "non-bookstore" is that your book is not competing with other books. Your book has no direct competition.

Another tie to your character's collection is that January is Bath Safety month and Bubble Bath Day is the 8th. Create a drawing/contest to collect names for a prospect mailing list. Fill a bag or basket with bath items (The dollar store can provide some inexpensive items.) The larger the prize, the longer you can draw out the contest. Contact radio stations, newspapers, and other media. The radio station will publicize the contest on air and provide you with free advertising for the length of your contest.

Does your main character design clothes for animals as a hobby or career? National Dress Up Your Pet Day is January 14. Schedule a book signing at a dog groomer, veterinarian's office, pet store, animal shelter or pet supply store. Offer a discount to patrons that bring photos or take a photo at your signing with their dressed pet. For every certain number of animals that get adopted, offer a gift. (Have a sign up and draw names.)

*** You can tie your book to holidays that do not seem to have a direct link. Find reasons to promote your book in every month.

February is Library Lovers Month. Offer to hold a book signing or reading session for free at a library. Provide a discount to every library card holder old or new. Donate a portion of each book sold to the library. You can make bookmarks encouraging children to read. Design a contest/scavenger hunt. All of the answers can be found in the various resources the library offers.

*** When you offer a prize make sure it promotes your book, you or your services. Baseball caps, T shirts, pens, buttons, etc… You have created good will and a walking and talking advertisement.

March is National Middle School Month. How can you celebrate and promote your work? Schedule an author school visit at a middle school and create a time capsule for the class and make fun questionnaires for them to fill out. Then select the date with the teacher to open the capsule. (The last day of school [if done near the beginning of the year] date of middle school graduation, junior high graduation or high school graduation or a different date that looms in the future.) Donate a copy of your book to the classroom/school you visit. Go to Vista Print and make a promotional item (T shirt, coffee mug, baseball cap, sticky note pad) with a picture of the main character of your book with a slogan about middle school. You could have a contest for the entire middle school. The class with the best theme room wins a pizza party from your main character or a party with your main character's favorite food.

At the party you can attend with chances for more prizes to be won. You've achieved a few things. Excitement about you and your book; incredible photo opportunity [all of those classrooms decorated with your book as the subject]; and a newsworthy event for the local media.

April is the month to celebrate April Fools Day. Visit a local joke shop. You can look online, as well. Collect a bunch of practical jokes and make a basket or joke bag. Run a trivia quiz contest All of the answers can be found on your website or links to your online publications. Structure the questions and answers to promote you, your services or products. "The Joke Bag/Basket" is the prize.

No matter what time of year it is, there is a holiday to be celebrated. Put on your marketing hat. The more creative you are the more it will put an indelible mark in people's minds. Each time you are mentioned in the news your reputation will grow and hearty anticipation for your next event will proliferate. Search for holidays on the web and plan a year of marketing your books and services.

*****

 J. Aday Kennedy, the differently-abled writer, is an award winning multi published author of inspirational/Christian pieces and of children’s literature. Six picture books are under contract eagerly awaiting publication. She is a ventilator dependent quadriplegic making her dreams come true a story at a time. As a speaker, Aday entertains, instructs, motivates and inspires audiences of all ages. To learn more about her and her writing, visit her website and blog. www.jadaykennedy.com, & http://jadaykennedy.blogspot.com/

How To "Get" When Marketing In The 2.0 World

I have met a lot of people who want to do business on the Internet. They set up a web page, auto-responder, and shopping cart full of good content, and then place ads on the search engines and on other websites. This kind of Internet marketing can be described as old Web 1.0 way of doing business.

What's the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0? The chief difference is in the interactive and social nature of the relationships. Web 1.0 is very static. It's almost like sticking a billboard up that advertises you and your business. Web 2.0 is community driven. It's like approaching a mixer and mingling, learning about others and finding ways to help each other.

If you are a business owner, would you attend a party, walk around and shake everyone's hand with a broad smile and a hearty laugh while slipping them a business card and saying something like, "My name is Tony Eldridge, book marketer. Here's my card. I have some fabulous book marketing products you'll be interested in."

No? Well, as you get into the Web 2.0 world, you need to think of it in the same way. This world is about relationships and providing value for the community. Those who provide value build their reputation and help to create trust in this world.

So, whether it's Twitter, Facebook, blogging, or any other Web 2.0 venue, spend time cultivating great relationships and becoming the go-to person who provides great content and value to others. Doing this may take longer than buying an ad, but in the long run, you'll gain something that an ad cannot give you. Loyal followers who have built a relationship with you on a foundation of trust. This leads to raving fans who will come to you when they need the products and services you offer.

So, how do you "get" when marketing in the 2.0 world? Start by creating relationships and finding out what people need. Then find ways to give in those relationships. Give your time, your help, your knowledge. In doing so, you will be on your way to creating long-term value in your 2.0 world.

Tony Eldridge

Marketing Tips Around The Net: March 5th

It's Friday and that means it's time to take a trip around the net. This week, I have increased my 10 stops to 15. There have been some great posts and articles for us to chew on. After the 15 posts I highlight, read on to see some interesting upcoming Blog talk Radio programs and some On-Demand podcasts and mp3 you can download for free.

Before we get to the post, I have a couple of quick housekeeping announcements:

1. By multiple requests, I am leaving my current video for my newsletter subscribers active for a few more days. Uploading and Installing WordPress to Your Server is still available to those who sign up in for the free newsletter in the next few days. When you sign up, you also get instant access to over 45 minutes of free instructional videos as my way of saying thanks for signing up!

2. Do you want to find followers on Twitter who are interested in what you have to offer or send targeted people to your blog or website? If so, then check out my new training, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. It can help you do that and a whole lot more.


Now, on to our trip around the net...

1. How to Submit Your Books for Review- Sandra Beckwith invites guest author Dana Lynn Smith to share her knowledge on submitting books for review.

2. List building done right - Twitter, Facebook & Your Website- Roger C. Parker breaks down Phyllis Zimbler Miller's new report which provides a case study in list building and personal branding done right.

3. How to engage in conversation on Twitter- Phyllis Zimbler Miller gives tips for communicating on Twitter

4. So You Want to be a Professional Speaker...? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4: Check out this 4 part series from a professional speaker, L. Diane Wolfe, as she shares her knowledge with you.

5. Another Case of Customer Service Stupidity- Shel Horowitz shares a bad customer service experience he had as a reminder of what we as marketers needs to remember.

6. How to Sell More Books to Corporations- Dana Lynn Smith invites guest Brian Jud to explain how we can snag corporations as buyers for our books.

7. Podcast: Ebooks Q&A With Joshua Tallent From EBookArchitects- Joanna Penn interviews an expert in e-book publishing to share everything you need to know about e-book publishing

8. Authors Den To Offer New Benefits to Stable of Author Perks- Carolyn Howard-Johnson shares some news about a new service on AuthorsDen.com: AuthorsDen Marketplace.

9. The BEST Way to Generate Lots of Comments on a Your Next Blog Post- Darren Rowse shares 4 tips on how to generate a lot of comments on your blog post.

10. Good Blogging is like Good Standup- Drew Bennett explains that what makes a comedian great can also make your blog great.

11. How to create a best landing page for your Facebook Fan page?- Dinesh Dhakal walks you through the process of creating a great landing page for your Facebook Fan Page.

12. How To Make $40,000 On Foreign Rights- Penny Sansevieri shares how to cash in on foreign rights with your book.

13. Is Your Blog "Bookmark" Worthy? 5 Tell-Tale Signs- Jennifer Brown Banks helps you examine your blog to see if it's worthy for people to bookmark.

14. Is Your "Buy" Button in Jeopardy?- Sarah Bolme keeps us up with industry news as she comments on Amazon.com and your "buy button".

15. The Amazing Power Of Commenting- Hal Brown talks about the power of leaving comments on blog posts.


Listen to great content:

Blog Talk Radio:

E-books: the savior of publishing or the foe? Penny C. Sansevieri, March 9th: 7:00PM Eastern
Getting on Radio and TV Penny C. Sansevieri, March 18th: 7:00 Eastern
Authors Articulating with Jo-Anne Vandermeulen Jo-Anne Vandermeulen, March 9th: 9:00PM Eastern


On Demand:
Yvonne Perry interviews author Jennifer Chase to discuss her new novel Dead Game: Available March 5th
Yvonne Perry interviews authors Marilyn Geary and Jacqueline Jannsen to discuss their book LeaveLight: A Motivational Guide to Holistic End-of-Life Planning: Available March 12th
*18 VIP Panelists speak on everything you need to write, publish and market your book: Via Lynn Serafinn- 5 free mp3s on these subjects:
STARTING AND WRITING YOUR BOOK
PRE-PUBLICATION MARKETING MUSTS
PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION
YOUR BOOK LAUNCH: DESIGNING AND DELIVERING
BENEFITING FROM THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BOOK
*Affiliate Link

That's it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I will see you bright and early on Monday.

The Non-Techie’s Guide To Basic HTML

Have you been in a situation where you wish you could have added a hyperlink to a text, but you didn't know how? Or perhaps you wanted to bold or put a word in italics?

For most of us, this isn't a big deal. We use WYSIWYG editors (What You See Is What You Get). That means all we have to do is highlight a word and click the Bold, Italics or Link button and the HTML code is added under the hood without us having to do a thing.

But for the rare times where we may wish we could bold a text, but there is no bold button, or wish we could add a hyperlink, but can't find a hyperlink button, this post will help.

When will you need to know this? Let's say you are really mad at me and want to bold the text in a comment for this post. Since there is no Bold button, you'd need to use HTML in the comment field. Or, more practically, if you want to link to your webpage (Which I encourage in your comments), then you can use HTML to do that.

We're going to look at how to do three basic things with HTML: Bold, Italics, and Hyperlinks. Now, just like there are more than one way to say "Hello" (Hi, Howdy, Wassup!), there are more than one way to do some of these things. But here are the simple ways.

First, you have to tell the text that it needs to be formatted for HTML. You do this with tags. Tags are enclosed in <>. Anything inside the <> is a tag.

Each formatting action you want to make has to have:

1. Open tags <>
2. Close tags </>

Let's look at how to bold something. This code:

<b>This Is Bold</b>

Comes out like this:
This Is Bold

1. The letter b is how we instruct the text to bold
2. The text we want to bold is enclosed in an open and a closed tag:
<b> </b>

Pretty easy. Want to try italics?

<i>This Is Italics</i>

becomes: This Is Italics

Now, hyperlinks are a little more involved, but still pretty easy if you have followed what we did so far:

1. We have our open and closed tags:
<a> </a>

2. Next, we have two elements to define.

• The URL we want to send people to when the text is clicked
  
• The text we want people to read
  

href="url" is the attribute which defines the link "address". We slip it in the opening tag. It will look like this:

<a href="url"> </a>

Between the open and close tags, we enter the text that we want people to read:

<a href="url">Google Search Engine</a>

The last step is to replace the "url" in the open tag with the actual link we want to send people to when they click on the text Google Search Engine (be sure to leave the quotation marks):

<a href="http://www.google.com">Google Search Engine</a>

Here is what people see:

Google Search Engine

So, that's all there is to simple HTML. With this, you should be able to do the basics when you are without the all-important WYSIWYG.

Feel free to give it a try and leave a comment and a clickable link to your site.

Tony Eldridge

(If you are reading this as a syndicated post, you will have to visit the actual blog post to see the HTML codes in the text boxes.

Webcasts and Telecasts: A Great Way To Meet People

If you have been following me for any length of time, you know that I am partial to multimedia training and messaging. My free newsletter, Video Marketing Tips For Authors and my new product, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests both utilize screen capture as an audio/visual way to learn. But these videos are just as small way to use multimedia to platforms.

Last week, I was invited to be a panelist during Lynn Serafinn's Grand Opening event for her innovative new membership site, Spirit Authors Virtual Coaching and Learning Experience. She had VIP panelists for each night, Monday through Friday, and each night dealt with a different subject regarding writing and publishing a book.

On Tuesday, I was a panelist with The Savvy Book Marketer, Dana Lynn Smith, and The Wordy Woman, Shelley Lieber. Together, we discussed the importance of pre-publication marketing for your book. If you want to download and listen to that call, or any of the 5 calls, that week, then visit the Spirit Authors Virtual Coaching and Learning Experience and you'll have an opportunity to download the mp3s of the webinars for free.

This all brings me to the point of my post today. People like Lynn Serafinn, Yvonne Perry, Roger C. Parker, Phyllis Zimbler Miller, Jo-Anne Vandermeulen, Joanna Penn, John Kremer and a host of other marketers have chosen webcasts, telecasts, Blog Talk Radio, mp3s, and a host of other multimedia channels to deliver great training. But not only does this afford the learner another way to instill the lessons being taught, it's a truly social way to introduce to and collaborate with others in your field.

Whether it's experts meeting and sharing or listeners gathering to learn, multimedia channels allow the world of social media to get just a little more social. When you can attach a voice to a name, hear the laughter of a participant, engage in kitchen-talk round tables, or brainstorm in real time, you are left with an experience that is much different than simply interacting with a static written word.

As marketers, look for ways you can make your social networking world a little more social. As participants, don't be afraid to try new ways of learning and interacting. In fact, with technologies like mp3s and PDAs, it's now easier than ever to download great content and listen to it while you are grocery shopping. Not only is it a great way to learn, but it can be a huge productivity coup for you.

Tony Eldridge
* Link to Lynn Serafinn is an affiliate link.

Tips on When to Get and How to Use Reviews by Dave and Lillian Brummet

Today is Tuesday and that means it's time to invite guests to share their wisdom with us. Today, we have co-authors Dave and Lillian Brummet who are sharing an excerpt from their book, Purple Snowflake Marketing- How To Make Your Book Stand Out In The Crowd. Specifically, they will be sharing information on "When To Get And How To Use Reviews".

Before we get to the excerpt, I have a couple of quick announcements.

1. If you have not signed up for my Free Video Tips For Authors Newsletter, please consider doing so now. For the next couple of day, you can watch the current tip, Uploading And Installing The WordPress Software To Your Server before the next tip replaces it. And if you sign up now, I will give you over 45 minuets of instant access to other video tips as my way of saying thanks.

2. If you have not checked out Conducting Effective Twitter Contests, I invite you take a look. Through a combination of text and videos, you will learn step-by-step how to launch a successful Twitter contest.


And now, on to Dave and Lillian's post...

Tips on When to Get and How to Use Reviews
by Dave and Lillian Brummet

*Excerpted from Chapter 3 of the book: Purple Snowflake Marketing – How to Make Your Book Stand Out in a Crowd, by Dave and Lillian Brummet


When to Get Reviews

The best time to start getting reviews is long before the book has gone to print. When you think about it, how else do authors get those nice snippets from reviewers on their back cover, front cover, inside pages, websites and promotional materials prior to the release of their book?

However, reviews are valuable at any time during the life of your book. In fact this should be an on-going process throughout the marketing plan. So pace yourself a little - you will want continued exposure for the long-term. Also, keep in mind that a publication will not likely include a blurb about your book if their direct competitors have just recently done the same thing. Your budget will determine how many copies you can afford to send out for review. So, again, pace your marketing plan.


How to Get Reviews

As always the most essential key is to research the publication you want to query and learn about their readers. The next essential key is to research their submission guidelines. Then you can query the reviewer with a nice letter that includes some basic ideas about the book. Be clear about why the book fits their magazine and their targeted audience at this time. If they feel it does not fit, do not argue. You can always try again, but let several months pass before you query the reviewer again with a new approach.

Always query with a professional informative letter. Books sent without prior communication will just result in yet another book in the trash bin, and that is hard on your budget, use of time and the environment. Queries ensure that they are interested and able to accept more work. It is also necessary to confirm the format they require. The query should relay why your book is going to be something they don't want to miss out on. What is so special about you or your book that will get them to sit up and take notice? THIS is what you need to say, but say it softly. No one likes a loud, pushy or bragging voice.

In addition, it is helpful to prospective reviewers if they know more about your book. Is it a children's book? A religious book? Do you consider the content as humorous or adventurous? Is it a book that will compel feelings of happiness or sadness? Do you have an informative website? What format is the book available to review in at this time -- galley, PDF manuscript or a published review copy? Are you in the manuscript, editing or publishing stage? Do you have an ISBN and a release date? Do you plan to provide other promotional materials (author bio, etc) for reviewers? Are you looking for review blurbs for the back cover or first inside pages of your book? Or are you looking for general reviews for promotion materials and online stores? Are you in a hurry for the review? Provide this information before reviewers are forced to ask. They will appreciate a considerate and prepared author and because of your foresight they will feel valued, respected and will not have to spend time searching for the information.

Most professional reviewers do not usually work with manuscripts. Typically, more than 80% of the books Lillian has reviewed to date were either published copies or Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs), which are manuscripts printed on paper and attached with spiral binding. Occasionally, the publisher will provide ARCs, however the author normally provides these. Some reviewers will work with electronic books; others do not. Be sure to clarify all of these things prior to sending your query letter.

Look at the books on your shelves and see how reviews are used. Through this simple analysis, you can glean information for your own promotional material development as well.


What Happens to the Review Copy?

Most reviewers are not paid for their work. Only a few hard working reviewers are privileged to land a paying position for a publication or online site. Therefore, the book is the payment. Some authors find this worrisome. They are concerned that the reviewer will sell or exchange the book at a used bookstore. It is our opinion that if someone has spent several evenings reading our book, then several more hours writing a review, publishing it, then giving it to us for free and sometimes posting it online for us… well, they can do what they like with our book! When you think about it, if your book is worth $20, they are "earning" less than $5 an hour.

We always include a letter along with review copies that gently reminds them of our conversation in the past and requests a notification of the book's arrival and their decision on it. We suggest that if the book is not destined for their own bookshelves, that they consider donating it to a library, school, mission for the poor or women's shelter. We even had responses where the contact was thrilled that we had considered this as they have been throwing rejected review copies (usually unsolicited) away in the past. Perhaps this small suggestion will help keep other authors' books out of their trash bin as well. However, the main goal is not waste reduction or community good will in this scenario - instead, the idea is to keep your book in circulation, continually building exposure and extending the value of your marketing budget.


Be Selective

Be very selective when querying reviewers. Make sure you have visited their website and are familiar with their style and preferences. We recommend reading the article: "How to spot a phony reviewer" at http://www.midwestbookreview.com which will help you avoid some pit falls.


Publication Lead-Times

If you are trying to get into a pre-publication magazine like Publisher's Weekly, you are looking at a three to four month lead-time. This means you need to submit the book to one of their reviewers about three or four months before the deadline date.

These kinds of publications often require ARCs or Galleys because they only review books prior to their publication. Unless your publisher provides these you will need to print out the manuscript and send it with the other promotion materials. These pre-publication magazines are published for wholesalers, larger bookstores, distributors and libraries. Some are targeted towards a specific audience, while others are more general.

...And one final tip we'd like to leave you with today is that being reviewed online (e-newsletters, review sites and e-zines) is often easier than getting printed reviews in newspapers, newsletters and magazines.


---------
Dave & Lillian Brummet: Authors of Trash Talk, Purple Snowflake Marketing, & Towards Understanding; Hosts of the Conscious Discussions talk radio show & the Authors Read radio program ( www.brummet.ca )

Find The Followers Who Are Interested In Your Products, Services And Books

When we engage in marketing, we do so in the hopes that we can find who are interested, or need, our products and services. This is why corporations spend millions on advertising and PR. They flood the general audience with their messages in the hopes that enough will take action to make their investment profitable.

They also know that the more people are exposed to their message, the greater the likelihood they will eventually take action. This is why they run the same newspaper ads and television commercials over and over. Not to simply catch the people who missed seeing their ad the first time around, but to expose people to their message over and over. In essence, they are building their brand.

This kind of advertising is very effective, but it takes an investment in time and money to really pay dividends. As small business owners, professionals, or authors we probably find ourselves with limited resources in both time and money. This is exactly why people like Jay Conrad Levinson of Guerrilla Marketing fame help so many people. Jay shows ways that you can make a big impact in marketing your business without breaking the bank. (Note: at the time this post was published, FireFox had trouble pulling up Jay's site, but Internet Explorer did not.)

This is also the purpose of sites like this: Marketing Tips For Authors. Each week, I try to pass on tips and advice to help you market your book, your products/services, and yourself.

It's also the reason I created Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. This training will walk you through the process of creating a Twitter contest that will specifically find people who are interested in your business. In fact, it is designed to help you create a marketing plan using viral elements that will truly help people seek you out.

When you talk about conducting a Twitter contest, you are talking about a focused marketing activity that can cost nothing but your time to launch, but one that can pay huge dividends for you by finding followers who want to hear your message.

Conducting Effective Twitter Contests launches today. It's a mixed training platform of text and videos that will take you through the pre-launch activities to help make sure you are aiming your contest at the right set of eyes all the way through the post-launch marketing activities to make sure that your contest doesn't fizzle after it starts.

This training is available via CD or instant download, meaning that you can start learning how to Conduct Effective Twitter Contests in just a few minutes. You could be just days away from launching a powerful, effective marketing campaign without breaking your bank.