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As some of you may know (or may not know, even), I (James) published a novel recently. The print version came out two weeks ago, roughly, the ebook four days later. The print book is priced at $14.99, while the ebook is $4.99 (on the higher end for small-pub books, I know). I managed, as expected, a couple sales right away of the print book, as well as a few ebooks, mostly to friends and family. I didn’t advertise that [...]

In a previous article, we touched on the importance of cross-promoting with your fellow writer. Today we are going to discuss and share examples of targeting your main focus toward one specific grouping – your own specific genre. So you’re friends with Joe – he writes history, you write romance. While it is a great idea for you two to market each other, you need to make sure you are connecting with other writers who have a similar brand as [...]

You’re tweeting away and you notice some bizarre behavior on your stream… No, not that kind of bizarre behavior. You notice the use of # before words, sayings and phrases. For example, Joe tweets “Sitting down for a little #amwriting” and then Jane tweets “My debut novel, Insert Title Here, is now available on Amazon #booklook.” Today, we are going to introduce you to the world of hashtags. Hashtags can have all sorts of meanings, but they generally serve one [...]

Nobody said marketing was easy. However, this doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. We’ve all heard of the saying “give a little, get a little,” and this could not be more true then when it comes to creating and maintaining a buzz around your brand. Sometimes tweets, blog posts, newsletters – it can all just become white noise, and the once bubbling excitement surrounding your brand can begin to fizzle out. This is, in my opinion, when true marketing comes [...]

With the plethora of social media tools available today, it’s easy to get lost and wonder which will work best for me? Today, I take a look at SproutSocial and Postling. These two services are actually very similar in what they not only provide the consumer, but also in price. Many of you may be most familiar with HootSuite and TweetDeck, but for someone just starting out, those services may be a little overwhelming. Let’s start by looking at some [...]

The text in the quotes below is taken from Adobe’s blog on user experience, and is written about how users should interact with tools, and how those tools should be designed to enhance that interaction. I’ve merely replaced the word ‘tool’ with ‘website’, because I believe all of the points made below are entirely relevant to selling through a website. After you’ve read the post, stop and think about your website for a minute – does it meet all of [...]

It kinda sounds like a disease or disorder, but no, no, it isn’t, I promise. Klout is (as a dear friend of mine Al Boudreau calls it) a credit score for our marketability, if you will.  I first learned about Klout last year when I signed up for Twitter and man has their site come a long way from where it was when I joined. Simply being on various social media sites isn’t going to make you an internet marketing [...]

I’m gonna be honest with you. When I first starting building my author platform I really didn’t think LinkedIn would be all that helpful. Fortunately, I was proven wrong rather quickly. It most certainly isn’t a site that you will need to visit on a daily basis, but a site that I highly recommend adding to your portfolio. In some regards, LinkedIn is like an online resume. An online representation of your work history, education, etc., if you will. But, [...]

We have explored some of the many ways you can kick-start your author platform and begin marketing your work even before it has been released out into the world. But, let’s step back and examine what it is that we are actually marketing. Don’t get lost in the promotion . . . While it is important to build your following and create a name for yourself, you don’t want to get so lost in the marketing part of the campaign [...]

In a previous article, we talked about the importance of retweeting your friends on Twitter and developing strong connections with your followers. Today, we are going to talk about taking your cross promotions to the next level. We are writers, so naturally we want to share just that: our writing. Sometimes though, it is nice to give our readers a flavor of who the “real” person is behind the stories. I know as a writer, I enjoy hearing about the [...]

You’ve signed up for Twitter and started tweeting. You’re all done, right? Wrong. Twitter is more complex than just sending out tweets, and there seems to be quite a science behind building your following, keeping it, and making it work for you. Build your following, build your relationships When I first signed up for Twitter less than a year ago to say I had been overwhelmed would be the understatement of the century. So believe me, I understand where you’re [...]

James and I have touched on Twitter, Facebook and StumbleUpon in our previous articles. Today, we will introduce you to a site that is often overlooked when it comes to building your platform, Goodreads. Goodreads what? Goodreads is a virtual bookshelf. It displays books you are reading, want to read and have read. The site is used by millions of readers and authors, so the potential for marketing is quite great. But wait, the site is more than just a [...]

In the prior two articles we’ve had Lisa discuss Twitter and Facebook. Now I’m here to talk to you about using StumbleUpon (SU), one of the other sites that can drive a lot of traffic to your website. Should you use StumbleUpon? Yes, it’s easy, and takes only a few minutes a day, and will eventually provide a (somewhat) self-supporting stream of visitors to your website. Starting out The first thing to do with SU is to feed it your [...]

So, you decided to write a novel. That’s all you need to do right? Write that puppy and sell millions of copies and then you get asked to go on the Today Show. Simple. Well, not so fast there, did you market yourself first? What? Market myself, oops, I forgot about that. Start Now. Don’t wait until your book is out to start selling your writing. Whether your book is still a WIP or you are in the final stages [...]

In a previous Article I discussed how to start using Twitter to market yourself. In this second installment, we will explore Facebook and some of its many features. It’s not Twitter, okay? Before we dive headfirst into Facebook, you must understand that Facebook is not Twitter. I think this is one of the biggest problems for individuals who began their marketing campaign on Twitter and then went on to expand their platform to include Facebook. It is different. Twitter is more [...]

Your whole life you have been a writer. Now, finally, after blood, sweat and tears, you have a completed manuscript. Or, maybe, you are still in the blood, sweat and tears stage of completing your masterpiece. Either way, marketing your book can begin now. Yes, that’s right; there is no need to wait until the book is available to begin marketing your writing. Through a series of articles, I intend to introduce you to the somewhat confusing and scary world [...]