I read the other day
something that really excited me . . . I’m still excited. ‘No book ever really dies – they can all live
on the internet forever.
A great way to look
at it is an old book is a new book to anyone who hasn’t read it before. Does it really matter if a book is new? Not really, as long as it’s good it doesn’t
matter what year it was written.
So what does all that
mean? The bottom line is if you publish ebooks they will be available on the
internet as long as we have internet! You
can market your book for as long as you want. There will always be new readers
out there, and all you have to do is reach them.
Never stop working on
promoting yourself as an author and have a plan to advertise your books. Keep doing things that are fresh and exciting
and ultimately you will be a success.”
A website - If you don’t have one – create one. If you don’t feel savvy enough to do it
yourself, the investment is worth the results.
You still have to get your name out there and steer visitors to your
site.
Giveaways - Doing giveaways is a great way to
generate excitement to your site. Ask
author friends to help advertise your giveaway and offer to reciprocate when
they have an event. This is a great way
to spread the word to the right readers.
A newsletter list – Creating a newsletter list was not a
high-priority of mine. Then a very
successful author state having a newsletter list is vital. Dang – I missed this boat completely. I thought why would a newsletter list be so
important or successful? I mean – look I
had thousands of MySpace friends and put so much effort and time collecting
them and guess what – it faded into obscurity. Guess what, that wouldn’t have
happened with email. So collect those addresses, and spread the word when your
book is about to debut. Build excitement
before the book releases and don’t’ forget, presales count toward your first
week sales, which publishers have their eye on.
A YouTube channel – A YouTube channel? Say what?
We must move with the times! YouTube is key in today’s internet world –
it’s actually the new Facebook.
Blogs - For so long I was afraid of blogs. I’m grateful Ginger asked me to be a part of
her blogging team here at ‘Dishin’ it Out.’
Blogs are a great way to involve with your audience, and guess what, anyone
can blog.
Joint blogs— Blogging with other authors can expand your combined range and reduce
the workload. This is a great approach.
But, keep in mind that content is always key and always blog on a topics that
writers and readers care about.
Newsfeeds – Set-up a Google Alert (google.com/alerts) so that every
time your topic is mentioned, Google will send you an email notification. Made
sure you support those topics on your blog. It may take time, but sooner or
later, people will find their way to you for the info, which will be guided to
your books.
Expand your knowledge - Pitch articles on different topics associated
to your novel. For instance, if your thriller is about the Holocaust and you’re
knowledgeable on the subject, offer a nonfiction article on something you would
like to share and didn’t use in your book—and, of course, at the end of the piece,
include your name, book, and website.
Pinterest – If you don’t know Pinterest – you’re
in for a real treat! Pinterest is a
social network based on visuals. People basically post images that they like,
and then others repost them on their pages, circulating the image.
But authors can take
it a step further. Create your own Pinterest
board for one of your characters, or a specific item used in your book (use
your imagination here). But know that at the end of the day, when someone
reposts your subject, they’re spreading your authorial brand. This is the hottest rage out there right now,
capitalize on it . . . you’ll be so glad you did.
