Over 500 Post From Great Authors And Experts

Three years ago, I started Marketing Tips For Authors and I have met a ton of wonderful authors, authors-to-be, and book marketing experts. I have had the privilege of inviting talented authors to submit guest posts. Some were best selling authors like Jerry Jenkins (Do-It-Yourself Marketing), others were authors who had their first book pending publication.

I also had a number of talented book marketing experts freely share their knowledge. They wrote on things like how to sell more book, how to use social media in your book marketing plan, and a host of other evergreen articles that still lend value to their readers.

But the time has come for me to wrap up my work with Marketing Tips For Authors and move on. A number of factors came into play when making this decision, and it took me a long time to make it. I'm proud of what we have built on this blog. One thing that made the decision easier to make was knowing that the blog would live on.

If you look to the right, you'll see a Google search box for this blog. Type in any book marketing subject you want to read about and you'll find links to everything written on this blog about that subject.

So poke around, read and continue to learn . Thanks to everyone for making my run on Marketing Tips For Authors something I'll remember and cherish forever. And to all the authors and authors-to-be, I wish you all my best. Remember, once you write your book, you'll have a legacy that will long out live you. My guess is that you'll never truly know all the people you'll bring joy to.



  













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Tony Eldridge is the author of The Samson Effect, an action/adventure novel that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the author of the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. His new novel, The Lottery Ticket, was just recently released on Kindle.

eBook Marketing: What Goes Around Comes Around By James Moushon

Today, we have a treat as our guest author. James Moushon is an author and a pioneer in the e-publishing world. I found him through his blog and numerous guest articles and was thrilled when he agreed to share his knowledge on e-book publishing with us. When you are finished with this post, make sure you take a look at his other online writing.






eBook Marketing: What Goes Around Comes Around
By James Moushon

To eBook authors, marketing can be a daunting task. Whether you're an indie publisher or you are using a traditional publisher, the marketing is usually left up to you.

It is a digital world now and self-publishers are not tied to bookstores with limited shelf space and a revolving inventory. In fact it will be on sale for a very long time. With the longevity of your eBook's life, you have the ability to try several different marketing avenues until you find one that works.

So where do you start with this marketing thing?

Your marketing goal should be to fill the sales pipe with quality content and give your readers as many entry points to your buy pages as you can.



Synergy

One of the phenomenons in the ebook marketing world is the momentum that is created when an author catches on. Every week it seems we are hearing about an author reaching the ebook million unit sales plateau. Their secret is they know how to market and brand themselves. Yes they are in all the right places. The speed of the Internet and the reach it offers to the ebook marketer is breathtaking.

So how do they do it? Besides great content and hard work, how do they reach that prize status?



Entry Points

One of the marketing strategies they use is the creation of as many entry points as they can to get to their sales page. They never miss an opportunity to put that ebook product in front of their prospective readers. Here are some of the entry points.

1. Ebook-links. Don't miss the opportunity to add links in your ebook to the other titles that you have for sale. You should also link to your author's website and blog and other reference points so readers can find their way back to you. Use the power of links.
   
   Traditional publishers are missing this one on a regular basis. They are so anxious to make a copy of the paper version and get it online; they don't render the buy links to the other titles in your ebook.
   
   
2. Websites. Have multiple websites. I recommend one for each ebook plus an author site that encourages reader communication. Make sure you reference your other titles on the individual sites. There are many free opportunities to setup multiple sites and blogs. Have giveaways and conduct contests. Anything that keeps your readers coming back to your website. Having your readers help with the title of your next book or the design of your next cover is a powerful tool to use.
   
   
3. Blog. Toss in a blog with interesting reader information and an interaction component. Don't forget to include a blog list on your site. You know. Related blogs you like to read. They in turn will link back to your blog, creating more entry points. Encourage the cross-linking. It is win-win for both parties.
   
   
4. Tags and Metadata. One of the most important components that must be addressed every time you do something online is the path readers will take through search engines to get to your information. Search Engines Optimization (SEO) is the key to readers finding your ebook online. Spend some time analyzing what types of tags and categories you want to include in your messages. You may want to start with Google Keywords. Then look at your competition and see what they are doing.
   
   
5. Email Signature Line. Use your email signature line to sell your ebook. Show a thumbnail of your cover with a link to your buy page. Then start emailing a lot. Sometimes emails work better than commenting on forums and other blogs to create activity.
   
   
6. Guest Blogs and Interviews. Try to get involved in your genre community. A guest blog or an interview is a great opportunity to get your name and your ebook in front of another audience of readers and buyers.
   
   
7. Helpers. Connect with your helpers with links to their sites. Your helpers include your copy editor, your cover designer and your book designer. Linking to them can create a turnaround with a link back to your site.

Reader Interaction

You must develop an interaction with your reader. Here are some ideas.


1. Direct contact to your audience through social networking is very time consuming but it can be very rewarding. Facebook and Twitter along with Linkedin and Mobileread are good venues for starters.
   
   
2. As you go through your marketing activity, you must give your reader 'that expert feeling' about you and your book. Nothing turns them off more than marketing copy with typos. Talk the talk and walk the walk.
   
   
3. Your thumbnail cover could be the difference in the buy decision. You must keep in mind an ebook cover is looked at differently than the traditional cover. The prospective reader can't see the brilliant colors or feel the raised print. If you can't read the thumbnail, neither can the prospective buyer. You may have two covers. One for the paper version and one for the ebook version.
   
   
4. Amazon Public notes could be another opportunity to interact with your reader base and create synergy. If you can get them involved, your next ebook will be an easier sell.

End Game

So where are we going with this? Activity is a good thing. The more interaction you have with readers, the bigger opportunity you have for continued ebook sales. Here are several takeaways.

1. Motivate the buyer at each entry point. Make it easy to buy your ebook.
   
   
2. Get readers to read your first two chapters.
   
   
3. Develop synergy between each entry point with reader interaction.

If the Amazon or Barnes and Noble sites are the only place readers can find out about your ebook, I advise you to go fishing and dream about what could have been.

How will they find you and your ebook? Should you seek a mentor to help you market your ebook? You will find out that there is not enough time in the day to do everything yourself.



View my website: HBSystems Publications
Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com
Or go to my blog: The eBook Author's Corner
Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered eBook
LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon

Bio: James Moushon

Born in Illinois, James Moushon is a published writer in the electronic document field.

Moushon is a graduate of Bradley University in Peoria, IL.

Starting over 15 years ago, he helped lead the startup of the electronic forms industry in the creation, conversion and usage of electronic forms by supplying that industry with a continuing source of published literature, software products and training seminars.

Moushon worked with over 200 companies and organizations like the IRS, Commerce Clearing House, Nutrilite, UPS, MGM, Sony International and Royal Paper Box with their conversion from paper forms to electronic forms.

In 2003 Moushon moved his focus to ebooks and their development.

He recently published a rendered eBook : Call Off The Dogs, a story about the Assassination of President Kennedy, which is available on Amazon. It is his first novel.





  













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Tony Eldridge is the author of The Samson Effect, an action/adventure novel that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the author of the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. His new novel, The Lottery Ticket, was just recently released on Kindle.

The new phone book is here! By Christopher Hudson

We have a treat today with a new guest post by author Christopher Hudson. He will be discussing the problem that all authors face when they add their name to the big list of published authors. Undoubtedly, millions of authors find themselves in this situation. It's going to be interesting to see the comments as authors share their experience with this and how they all deal with it.  







The new phone book is here!
By Christopher Hudson

When Steve Martin's character in the movie, The Jerk, see's his name in the new phone book, he exclaims, 'I'm somebody.' That's exactly what I said when I received a copy of my first book, Northern Cross.It was a long time coming ... a decade or more ... and seeing my name on the cover of that book actually brought tears to my eyes. But I soon discovered that having a book published is pretty much like getting your name in the phone book ... it doesn't mean anyone ... other than the occasional psychotic killer who picks out your name at random ... is going to notice you. (If you happen to be a psychotic killer, pretend you didn't read this, okay?)

The hard lesson for me was that sales hinged on marketing ... no one (and that included family and friends) knew, or cared about my book unless I waved it in front of them ... constantly. It is just the way of the world. "Early to bed, early to rise, advertise, advertise, advertise," is a quote I heard once attributed to a successful corporate titan ... and who could argue with effectiveness of relentless marketing?

Now that's all well and good ... if you have a marketing department, ad agency, and an endless supply of money ... but my publisher was just a small ... make that mini ... er, micro print-on-demand outfit. They told me that they depended on their authors to provide ‘marketing support’. What I was to learn was that meant 'all marketing' ... if I didn't beat the drum and blow the horn, it just wasn't going to happen ... and I was going to have to do that via the only tool available to me ... the Internet.

Now, here is the good and the bad news about the Internet ... it provides you with access to people, places, and forums that were previously unattainable ... it also provides everyone else with access to those same people, places, and forums. Oh, there are methods of cutting through the noise ... Tony’s site provides a lot of tips and tricks ... but they usually require some technical skill and a large amount of tenacity on the author’s part ... traits that I’m ... well ... lacking.

To me, the Internet is just another phone book ... a gargantuan, electronic phone book filled with hundreds of millions of names ... just being present doesn't guarantee that anyone will ever notice you ... unless they are a spammer ... or psychotic killer.




Christopher Hudson Website: www.northerncrossonline.com Blog, Socially Awkward: http://essenceofperformance.blogspot.com/



  













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Tony Eldridge is the author of The Samson Effect, an action/adventure novel that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the author of the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. His new novel, The Lottery Ticket, was just recently released on Kindle.

Adding Customer Images to Your Amazon Page To Increase Your Sales By Laura Pepper Wu

Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to author Laura Pepper Wu. Laura will share a fascinating  tip she learned on how to make your Amazon sales page more effective by adding your own images to it.

My continued thanks to everyone as I still catch up with scheduled posts that I'm working to get out to you.






Adding Customer Images to Your Amazon Page To Increase Your Sales 
By Laura Pepper Wu

Not all book marketing efforts come equal. Some are large endeavors (book tours, ad campaigns, guest posts), others are small tweaks that bring surprising results.

One such thing is adding customer images to your Amazon product page.

On every Amazon product page (including print and eBook pages) there is the option to “Share your own customer images”. Find this option under the image of your book cover.

Anyone can upload these customer images, including the author or publisher. So why is this worth your while?

In the case of my non-fiction wedding guide, I uploaded four images to compliment the existing book cover image. These include my author profile picture, an image of the paperback book in a real life setting and two images of the text on my Kindle.

When I made this small change, I noticed a leap in my sales. Coincidence?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. It’s hard to know which marketing efforts are working since we do not have direct statistics from Amazon, and I suspect that it’s a sum of the entire equation. Here is why adding customer images works, using an example of my favorite vice, Peet’s coffee.

Here is what Peet’s coffee looks like in it’s bag. We can more or less draw a parallel of the coffee bag to the image of your book’s front cover:

Now, we can add an image that gives the consumer a feeling; a desire to enjoy the product for them self:

We can even go one step further and add in an image of someone enjoying the coffee, to show the customer the joy and experience this purchase will bring them.

Photo Courtesy of KatLevPhoto on Flikr

It’s obvious which image is going to entice you to buy the coffee more effectively. In the case of your book, this could be a picture of someone reading your book on the sofa, by the pool or even at the beach.

Adding customer images is a simple, effective, yet underused tool. Use this to your advantage and give customers more than just a book cover to judge your book by.

Now please excuse me while I go get my coffee.

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BIO: Laura Pepper Wu is a writer and the co-founder of 30 Day Books: a book studio. She successfully marketed 30 Day GMAT Success to become the number 1 selling GMAT guide on the Amazon kindle, top 10 in print, as well as in the top 3 of all study guides on the Kindle. She blogs about her marketing experiences at laurapepperwu.wordpress.com. Laura is available for book marketing consultation and advice, and would love to hear from you! laura {at) 30daybooks {dot} com, http://twitter.com/#!/LauraPepWu










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Tony Eldridge is the author of The Samson Effect, an action/adventure novel that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the author of the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. His new novel, The Lottery Ticket, was just recently released on Kindle.

5 Tips For Marketing Your Novel The Second Time Around By Dan McGirt

One of the reasons I love to do this blog is to discuss tips like the ones I'm discussing with you today. Actually, they come from an author who shares his experience when it comes to resurrecting a blacklist. New authors may not appreciate just how great this "Golden Age" of publishing is for us, but those with backlist books sure do. Author Dan McGirt shares 5 powerful tips for those who have a previously published novel that you want to shake the dust off of and put back into circulation. There's some great tips here, so let's get started.




5 Tips For Marketing Your Novel The Second Time Around 
By Dan McGirt

We all love a good comeback story. A growing number of authors are reclaiming the rights to their out-of-print backlist titles--books that may have been first published years or even decades ago--and bringing those books back as ebooks or print-on-demand titles.

Some authors do it themselves, using tools like Amazon's Kindle Digital Platform and Smashwords. Others work through an agent, e-publisher, or small press. Either way, marketing an old book the second time around requires learning new skills and a new mindset--especially if your previous experience was letting your publisher do most of the work.

My fantasy novel Jason Cosmo was published as mass market paperback in 1989, followed by two sequels in the early 1990s. All vanished from bookstore shelves within a couple of years. After more than a decade away, I decided to resurrect and relaunch my Jason Cosmo series a couple of years ago.

Starting with steamy Gothic tale Dark Splendor in 1986, my mother, author Andrea Parnell, wrote ten romance novels published in the 80s and 90s before also moving away from writing. I've recently helped Mom relaunch her backlist as e-books too. She offers this take on what promoting her books was like back in the day:

"I traveled to conferences, writing workshops, book signings and other events to promote my books. Much of this travel was at my own expense. I created bookmarks, flyers, brochures, postcards, wrote articles for fanzines and took out ads in those same publications. Most of this was at my own expense. Fans sent self-addressed-stamped-envelopes (SASE) requesting the bookmark or other item I was giving away. All of this effort was geared to a three to six month make or break window for a mass market paperback. Keeping that book around and selling longer was largely up an author, many of whom, like me, who had little understanding of the book business or marketing."

Mom gets few SASEs in the mail these days--but her books are selling again, and so are mine. Here are five things we've learned about marketing your novel the second time around. (These points apply to new writers and new books too):

1. Your Readers Are Looking for You: If you've ever been published, then you still have fans out there. Make it easy for them to find you online. I put up my first website in 1999. My books had been out of print for several years. To my surprise, I soon started receiving emails from Loyal Readers asking when I would write another book! This inspired me to eventually relaunch my fantasy series--how could I say no? My Loyal Readers of yesteryear are the core audience for my new works--and my best ambassadors for finding new readers.

You don't have to devote significant time to online activities--your time is best spent writing your next book--but you should establish a basic presence. If blogs and social media are new to you, take your time and ease into it. I suggest starting with a website/blog, a Facebook page, and a Twitter account. These three make for a powerful combination. You can get them all set up in a couple of hours at no cost, then read, experiment, and figure out how to use them. As your comfort level grows you will develop your own online style and build a following. Like any marketing activity, the more time and effort you put into it, the greater the results. A minimalist approach is fine if that is what suits you... but you must be online. Your readers are looking for you--let them find you.

2. The Ebook IS the Real Book: As survey results recently released by the American Association of Publishers (AAP) show, the market share of hardcover and paperback formats is shrinking, while the market share of ebooks grew more than 1200% from 2008 to 2010. Print still accounts for the vast majority of books sold—but if you're an author republishing your old novels for new readers, the smart move is to focus on ebook sales.

As a traditionally published print author--and as the owner of thousands of print books--it took me a while to wrap my head around this dramatic change in the nature of publishing. I spent most of 2009 preparing to publish my novel Hero Wanted using print-on-demand technology. As an afterthought, I also published as an ebook on Smashwords. I had no expectation anyone would actually pay for an ebook, so I gave it away for free. I was completely focused on the print book--what I considered the "real" book. I was only vaguely aware of something called the Kindle. The iPad was still a couple of years in the future.

Today, the print version of Hero Wanted sells a few copies each month through Amazon and other online stores. But most of my book sales are ebook sales. Not surprising--that same AAP survey found e-books are now 13.6% of the net revenue market share in Adult Fiction. The dynamics may be different for non-fiction, or if you're working with a traditional publisher--it is still true the vast majority of books sold are print. But the trend is clear. And for a do-it-yourself publisher of fiction, the trend is sparkling diamond crystal clear--lead with the ebook. The ebook is the real book now. Print is the afterthought. All of your marketing strategies and tactics should flow from that fact.

3. A Free Story Spurs Sales: A writer should not be reluctant to part with a story for free. Free pays. Readers appreciate it. A free story can serve as your introduction to new readers. If they like what they read, they'll buy your other work.

Mom mentioned that when Dark Splendor was originally published, her editor asked her to cut the first three chapters and start the action later. She still had the deleted chapters. I suggested she turn them into a novella--Dark Prelude--that we would give away for free. She was a little skeptical at first, but after she released Dark Prelude as a free lead-in, sales of Dark Splendor took off. Sales of her other titles perked up a bit too, but Dark Splendor has left them all behind, propelled by the free prequel.

Even for a book you wrote years ago, you may have deleted scenes you can repurpose into a freebie, or an idea for a short related story that introduces readers to your novel's characters and to your writing.

A word of caution: Be sure your free story is complete in itself, with a definite ending. Readers are not paying with money, but they are paying with their time and attention. If your free short story ties in to your novel, but leaves the reader hanging so she is forced to buy the book to get a resolution, that is likely to backfire. Readers don't like to be manipulated. Dark Prelude stands on its own--but it ends with an invitation for the reader to follow the characters she just met into Dark Splendor. A good many readers accept that invitation.

4. Word of Mouth Still Works: The Internet is an amazingly powerful tool for connecting with readers and letting the world know about your book. But the old-fashioned ways of getting the word out are still valuable too. This is from Andrea Parnell (aka Mom) again: "I made up business cards featuring the covers for my ebooks with sales and contact information on the back. Friends and family are kind enough to pass them along to others. I've gotten some sales from these and the opportunity to let people in my area know about my books and what I'm doing. Old-fashioned word of mouth is still effective." 

You can still meet your readers in the real world too!

5. Everything Changes. Then Changes Again: As I mentioned above, over the last couple of years I shifted my thinking from focusing on selling print books, to focusing on ebooks. It seems like I'm adjusting my thinking every few weeks in response to new developments: Smashwords adding new distribution partners. Apple's entry into ebook-selling. Amazon shifting their ebook royalty split in response. Borders going belly up. Trying to learn from the success of DIY authors like John Locke, Amanda Hocking, J.A. Konrath, and others.

Just when you've got your Facebook page perfected, Facebook scrambles the format of their site again. Google launches Google+, which means a whole new social media site to figure out--or ignore. You read that Amazon is proposing a "Netflix for books" and wonder how that will affect your own book. And Marketing Tips for Authors keeps pumping out new ideas to try!

It can feel overwhelming trying to keep up with all the changes in publishing. But this is a golden age for authors. If you are willing to seize the moment, learn some new skills, keep writing, and keep experimenting until you find the mix of marketing moves that works for you and resonates with your target readership, you can take charge of your own writing career and destiny to an extent authors of the past could only dream about. My final tip: Keep Writing, Keep Learning, and Keep At It!

DAN MCGIRT is the author of the Jason Cosmo fantasy adventure series, beginning with Hero Wanted. His previous books include the original Jason Cosmo Non-Trilogy: Jason Cosmo, Royal Chaos and Dirty Work . His other published stories include Sarah Palin: Vampire Hunter. He writes the oft-neglected Apology Index blog, which covers public apologies. He is the founder and publisher of Trove Books LLC. Dan is a member of Novelists, Inc. and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. He was named 2006 Time Person of the Year (It's true! Look it up!)


Twitter: @JasonCosmo 
Blog: http://JasonCosmo.com
Website: http://DanMcGirt.com
E-mail: Dan@JasonCosmo.com
Facebook: http://danmcgirt.com/facebook

ANDREA PARNELL is the award-winning author of ten novels, short fiction and articles, with more than one million copies of her books in print. Her works include Gothic (Dark Splendor, Whispers at Midnight), Western (Delilah's Flame), and other historical and contemporary romances. Several of her books have been set in her home state of Georgia. Andrea has received both the Maggie and Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice awards for her writing, and is a member of Novelists, Inc. (NINC) and past president of the Georgia Authors Network. She is fond of cats, travel, overgrown gardens, and old houses with lots of crooks, crannies, and interesting shadows.

Twitter: @andreahparnell
Blog/Website: AndreaParnell.com
E-mail: ahparnell@aol.com
Facebook: http://andreaparnell.com/facebook









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Tony Eldridge is the author of The Samson Effect, an action/adventure novel that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the author of the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. His new novel, The Lottery Ticket, was just recently released on Kindle.

Review: How To Get Your Book Reviewed by Dana Lynn Smith

Today, I'm honored to be a stop on Dana Lynn Smith's book tour for her newest Savvy Book Marketer title, How to Get Your Book Reviewed. As part of her book tour, she is also generously giving away a copy of her book for one lucky reader of this blog. To win a free copy of How to Get Your Book Reviewed, just enter a comment at the end of this review. The winner will be drawn at random from all comments received by midnight on Wednesday, September 14.

When it comes to reviews, all authors want them but few know what to do in order to have the best chances of landing a review that will be read by a lot of people. Just like her other guides, Dana approaches the subject with an exhaustive treatment. She lays out a great case for why book reviews are beneficial to you and then she lifts the hood and shows you how the process works.

Scattered throughout her book are a number of "savvy tips", nuggets of advice that will help you learn practical tips garnered from years of experience. She reaches out to other authors and experts to help you get a well-rounded perspective on book reviews.

In this gem, you'll learn what the book review process is, what potential pitfalls you need to watch out for, how to get and use endorsements/testimonials, and how to use book review as a marketing tool. One of my favorite parts of the book is how Dana explains all the different venues for book reviews as she relates the pros and cons of each.

If you are an author and thought that your only opportunity for a book review is in the New York Times, then you need to check out this book.

Dana's book is laid out in a logical and easy to read format. The information is also laid out in a way that allows you to go quickly to the part of the book you need for your specific questions.

There comes a time when every author will focus on book reviews. While other resources will give you a few tips on how to secure book reviews, if you are serious about creating a marketing plan around your book launch, then Dana Lynn Smith's book, How to Get Your Book Reviewed is one you'll want in your book marketing arsenal.

Remember, to win a free copy of How to Get Your Book Reviewed, just enter a comment below. The winner will be drawn at random from all comments received by midnight on Wednesday, September 14.


<**NOTE**> The winner of the free copy of How to Get Your Book Reviewed is Beth (Elizabeth) LaMie. Congratulations to Beth and on behalf of Dana and myself, thanks to everyone for your comments. For those who did not win the free copy, you can't lose by purchasing your copy of Dana's great book review resource today.

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Tony Eldridge is the author of The Samson Effect, an action/adventure novel that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the author of the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. His new novel, The Lottery Ticket, was just recently released on Kindle.

Utilizing A Career In Marketing And Business To Get A Book To Market By Donna Galanti

Wow, it's been a long time since we've had a post on Marketing Tips For Authors. It looks like my computer and traveling issues are behind me and I'm looking forward to getting caught back up. To help "relaunch" the blog, we have a guest author Donna Galanti to kick us off today. She will be giving some practical advice on marketing your book.




Utilizing A Career In Marketing And Business To Get A Book To Market

The experts say, build an author platform and network before you get published. This was true as well in my former marketing career. I often created a buzz before the product was even finished. Becoming visible is more crucial to landing a book deal than ever, according to agents, authors, and editors. Writing that book isn't enough anymore. Being an author today means being a small-business owner.  Aspiring authors need to develop a marketing platform to create that built-in audience. Here are some ways I'm transitioning a former career in marketing and business to an author career.

1. Build a brand look.
We all know what brand this is. Coke has it. Nike has it. For my resume business I created an image and message I flowed through my brochures, business cards, and website. This was my "marketing kit".  As an author, you need a marketing kit too with a consistent brand image.  Create your author image now and carry it over into your social media to build your "author brand" and recognition. When I marketed products I included press releases, news, bios, testimonials, and awards in that marketing kit. You can add this to your "kit" too as you become more established in your author role.

2. Know your product.
In my marketing career I had navigated towards new positions. I enjoyed going into a company that had no marketing lead and helping build their brand, message, and visibility from the ground up. I had to find the best places to showcase their products. To get up to speed I attended product training, followed our competition and industry giants, and researched industry trade shows and publications. The same can be said for getting a book to market. I read books in my genre (other products or "the competition"). I also created my sub-list, or submission list. This was a list of ten or so books that were similar to mine. The books where mine would fit on the same shelf (best place to showcase my product). I attended writing conferences (industry trade shows). I researched the craft of writing to improve mine (I learned from the industry giants). I Googled blogs of suspense authors and searched for them on Facebook and Twitter (followed what other authors are doing in the "business").

3. Be passionate about your product  (hint: it's not just your book).
When I marketed products I didn't enjoy the aspect of selling then, but when it came to selling my own product I did. When I launched my resume writing business, I discovered that people were buying me not just my service. I was passionate about the service I provided. In establishing a rapport with potential clients I came to enjoy a 99% close-rate on that first phone call booking them for a resume consultation. This floored me! The same goes for promoting your book, published yet or not. People will feed off your passion and enthusiasm for your book whether it's friends, acquaintances, or agents. Being passionate and knowledgeable about your book goes far. So perfect that pitch, know your book, be excited about it – then go sell it.

4. Connect and be found.
Today even small businesses need to connect with their customers through social media.  In the first year of my resume business, 95% of my resume business came from online advertising, not print. As an author you also need to be found online. On Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, LibraryThing, IndieBound, LinkedIn. Follow those agents you're interested in and authors in your genre. Start a blog. Add tags (keywords) to bottom of your blog posts so they can be found in a web search by keyword. Become involved in the online community and forums within your genre.

You never know who will promote your knowledge. For example, one of my writing peers, Jon Gibbs, commented on a forum recently through a highly-regarded blog. The owner of that blog, Nathan Bransford, an agent and author, posted the article on his front page. Jon connected and was "found" because he presented information of value. And don't forget your "street team", friends and family. Promote your book, blog, and website to them. Ask them to promote you as well.

5. Referrals.
After 3 years in business, 50% of my new resume business came from referrals. You can do the same as an unpublished author. Other authors out there will refer their network of people to you if you provide value in your blog posts, tweets, commentary on their blogs. Referrals are about one thing. Relationships. If you build positive relationships with others they will spread the word about you. And you can do the same for other authors by referring them.

6. Always be ready to pitch.
When I operated my resume business I created a one minute elevator speech about my service and its benefits. I always had a business card to hand out. I never knew where I might strike up conversations with people in need of my service. As an author today this is where the business of writing comes in to play. Have that book pitch ready so when someone asks "What's your book about?" you can confidently tell them and pass them your card.

7. Know your market.
For my resume business I focused on mid-level professionals as that is what I had been. I understood their career issues and they knew the value in spending money on a well-written resume. As an author ask yourself, are there special qualities, issues, or settings in your book that appeal to certain groups? Hikers, teens, mountain climbers, veterinarians? Find those groups on Twitter and listen to their conversations. Mention your book or blog when relevant. Does your book feature a certain locale? Post photos of those places along with mention of your book on a blog post.

8. Join a professional organization and network.
As a former marketer and business owner, I wanted to learn from the master's. I joined industry organizations and attended conferences to do that. I benefited from my established peers and realized I didn't need to re-invent the wheel in marketing. It's the same being a writer. We can learn from other writers to improve our craft, promote ourselves, and get published.

As a marketing manager I was part of a team. I couldn't "market" alone. I needed everyone's experience and advice to best market our products. Writing is a solitude job but we can't market our books alone either. Band together and learn from your peers. If you write children's books – join SCBWI. If you are a thriller writer – join Thriller Writers of America. And keep up to date on the industry by checking out Publisher's Weekly daily news. Attend regional writing conferences.  Even better, volunteer at them. I volunteered to pick up agent's coming in from New York to one conference and had two agents in my car to pitch to. Also, make sure you follow up after the conference with those new contacts. 

9. Piggyback off others. Share advertising.
As a former marketing manager I networked with other companies in the industry that had products complementing ours. In doing so, we often shared advertising space and promoted each other on our websites. This expanded our audience reach to our target market, reduced advertising costs, and created free advertising.  As an author, invite other authors to do guest blogs on your site and promote their website in your blog roll. You may be asked to do the favor in return. 

Start a blog with a group of authors and expand your publicity. This greatly expands your author reach by sharing your combined knowledge to a wider audience. Check out some author pals of mine who did just this at Author Chronicles. Another blog of thriller writers who combined their forces and YA writers. When you become published take your blog to the next level and collaborate with your author group to do signings together, give workshops, and author network sessions. A good example of a successful writer's group that does just this (and I'm very lucky to have local in my backyard) is The Philadelphia Liars Club.

10. Position yourself as an expert. 
In building my resume business I wanted to position myself as an expert. I wrote articles with resume advice and submitted to local print and online news, gaining free publicity. Even as an aspiring published author you can do this. You can share your path to publication (after all, what am I doing here?). What you learn from your peers and mentors can benefit other writers. Write about it in your blog. Share it in forums and workshops. Offer to write blog posts for other blogs. They will love the material for their site and it spreads your name and blog.  Ask them to do the same for your blog.

11. Toot your own horn – and others too!
When I marketed products, I promoted our awards and recognitions. I also researched awards to apply to. You can do the same thing as a writer. Look for contests to your submit short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and novel excerpts. Win any writing or blogger awards? Win an agent critique? Promote it on your blog and through social media.  Reach out to the other current winners to interview for your website.

Sent out ten Facebook requests to published authors you read asking for an interview on your blog. You may get one "yes". Then send out ten more requests. This can greatly boost your blog readership with "star power". Lastly, if you enjoy a book, write a review for your blog or on GoodReads. Send the author the link and let them know how much you enjoyed it. Promotion of them, brings back around promotion of you. So, don't let your social networking be all about you. Always include your bio in any post/article so folks can link back to you.

Good luck getting your book to market!

BIO:

Donna Galanti is a freelance writer for an advertising agency and the former owner of a resume writing services company. She has a background in communications and marketing, after being a photographer in the U.S. Navy and meandering life adrift for awhile.

She wanted to become a writer when she was seven and fell in love with the worlds of Narnia and Roald Dahl. She lived at the time in England, where she attended school in a Harry Potter kind of castle. The itchy uniform was a treat with bowling hat and tie included. She now lives in an old Pennsylvania farmhouse with her son, husband, and two crazy cats. It has lots of nooks, fireplaces, and stink bugs, but she's still wishing for a castle again someday.

Donna has her paranormal suspense out on submission, A Human Element, and is currently working on a psychological suspense novel. She is also busy writing an adventure middle grade book as a student in Jonathan Maberry's and Marie Lamba's Novel in 9 Months Class. She is a member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writer's Group. Her memoir on boot camp in the 1980's, Letters from Boot Camp, is available on Amazon. She recently won first prize for the Words on the Wall contest at the Philadelphia Writer's Conference.

Twitter @DonnaGalanti
Blog:  www.donnagalanti.com
Website: www.lettersfrombootcamp.com
E-mail: donnasgalanti@comcast.net
Facebook: @DonnaBeckleyGalanti








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Tony Eldridge is the author of The Samson Effect, an action/adventure novel that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the author of the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests. His new novel, The Lottery Ticket, was just recently released on Kindle.