Posted by Infnity Author Marketing BLOG on Tue, Oct 18, 2011 @ 06:28 PM
by Laura L. Valenti
Recently, a few media contacts, I’ve been working on, in some cases, for a full year, have finally come to fruition. In June 2010, my first novel, The Heart of the Spring, was published and I began the media chase to get the needed publicity to sell books. After all, publication is just the first BIG step.
Unless your name is Stephen King or John Grisham, your next BIG step is marketing and that takes as much, if not more time, sweat and energy than writing the book in the first place.
The Heart of the Spring, a historical novel set in 1924 tells the story of the beginning of Missouri’s first state park, Bennett Spring in southwest Missouri. As an area resident for over 30 years, I’ve written several historical articles on Bennett Spring for various publications. With that foundation, I placed a fictional family in the 1924 Ozarks and voíla, a novel was born. I’ve been blessed in that it has been well received by reviewers and readers, selling more than 700 copies in just over a year. The Bennett Spring Park Store concessionaire sells it in his store as do several other local stores. It is available on my website 
BetweentheStarandtheCross.com as well as Infinity’s website. In August 2011, the sequel, was also released. The Heart of the Spring Lives On picks up the story and same characters, 11 years later. In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was in the park (and many other parks across the nation), building the many features we know today as Bennett Spring State Park. Many who have read it, are already asking, when will the third one be available? (The answer: The Heart of the Spring Forevermore will be available next summer.)
Even so, one must continue to court the media and recently, it occurred to me that this is the very same struggle we face with editors and publishers. Once again, we, the writers, must present our work in an abbreviated form as we try to convince the local newspaper editor, commentator, or radio show host that our book is of interest to the general public and worth a few column inches or a bit of their air time. And once again, we run into the same obstacles. What if the media person we are writing to, emailing, calling or otherwise attempting to contact (dare I say FACEBOOKing or Tweeting?) doesn’t like our topic or knows nothing of it?
Years ago, my first book by a traditional publisher was about adoption, but when I was interviewed by a single man on television, it was disastrous. And then there are editors and news folks who are too busy, overwhelmed, or ‘scared’ of independently published authors.
When an article I’d been working on for nearly a year came out in the newspaper the night before a book signing, the result was 26 books sold at a very small book store on Labor Day weekend. And in early October, I was interviewed on a local TV talk show. The interviewer told me beforehand, he loved historical novels!
Just like when writing the book, a writer cannot allow herself to become overly discouraged. When the media seems to ignore your efforts—learn to bide your time, try a different reporter or a different approach, just like you would with a publisher, an agent, or an editor. Keep your professional ‘cool’, keep working, keep praying! and you will prevail.
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Laura L. Valenti has been blessed to be a Bennett Spring resident and a freelance writer for over 30 years. She has written more than 500 newspaper and magazine features, including several on the history of the state park. She is the author of two non-fiction books and two previous novels. She and her husband, Warren, recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation, are the parents of four grown children and grandparents to five grandsons, all of whom still love to fish at Bennett Spring. The Heart of the Spring is also available on her website www.betweenthestarandthecross.com.
Posted by Infnity Author Marketing BLOG on Wed, Aug 17, 2011 @ 06:38 PM
by D.L. Wilson
Book signings are very important avenues for new authors to gain readers and 
improve visibility in the market place. I’ve learned through a great deal of trial and error while promoting my first novel Unholy Grail what works and what to be cautious of in the fiction arena. I’m polishing the signing approach with my latest thriller Sirocco.
Time
When planning a signing it is important to determine the best day and time for each particular retail location. Check out the volume of customers by stopping by the store at various times. I’ve found that, in general, Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons are good times. Ask the community relations manager or store manager for their recommendations. Also be sure to arrive early so that you are prepared when the store sets up your signing table.
Promotion
Provide the store with materials to promote your signing. Posters highlighting your book and signing should be provided along with digital photo files of you and your book cover. Some of the larger book stores like Barnes & Noble can make posters through their corporate system to promote your signing using your digital files. Free book marks in presentation cases that mention the date and time of your signing could be provided to be displayed at the cash registers and information booths. Notify local newspapers about your signings in their areas for possible media attention.
Location
Ask the book store to place your signing in the front of the store near the entrance. That will allow you to be able to approach customers as they enter the store. That “first impression” is very important in attracting the attention of a potential buyer of your signed novel. As customers enter the store approach each one and offer them a book mark that promotes your novel. Most people coming to a book store will accept a free book mark even though they may not stop and look at your book. As they go through the store they will glance at your book mark and if the blurbs and synopsis are powerful, many will return to review your novel and hopefully purchase a signed copy.
Image
An image, like a picture, is worth a thousand words. Dress according to your audience and provide posters or banners on stands next to your signing table to draw customers to your book. Once someone picks up your book and reviews the contents, offer to answer any questions. Provide clear, concise information about the plot, characters, and research you may have done to write the book. Be sure your comments create a powerful incentive to buy a signed copy.
D.L. Wilson was president, CEO, and managing director of U.S. and European corporations and consultant to industries and governments in 32 countries. His extensive international travel spawned a fascination with world cultures and exotic locales. His first book, The Kitchen Casanova--A Gentleman's Guide to Gourmet Entertaining for Two, was featured on CNN, Evening Magazine, and Regis & Kathy Lee. Wilson's first novel, Unholy Grail, became a national bestseller and is being translated into eight languages. He has received praise from New York Times bestselling thriller authors. Clive Cussler called Unholy Grail 'a tale rich with intrigue that grips the imagination. A must read.' James Rollins said Wilson's latest novel Sirocco is both a razor-edged thriller and a tour de force. Steve Berry said D.L. Wilson is a wry, appealing voice in the thriller world. www.dlwilsonbooks.com
Posted by Infnity Author Marketing BLOG on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 @ 06:10 PM
Author Name: Jay Thomas Willis
Book Title(s): Implications For Effective Psychotherapy With African-Americans; As Soon as the Weather Breaks; The Cotton is High; Born to be Destroyed; Paranoid but not Stupid; Why Black Americans Behave as They Do; Hard Luck; When the Village Idiot Get Started; Educated Misunderstanding; The Devil in Angelica.
Marketing Subject: Grass-Root’s Marketing Strategies
I have written a book entitled, “Notes on Practical-Grass-Root’s Marketing Strategies for Self-published Authors.” I wrote this book as a result of my contributions to the Infinity Publishing’s Author’s Marketing Blog. I began writing my notes in this blog on Monday, November 29, 2011, and ended on Tuesday, February 01, 2011. I contributed to the blog in hopes of getting some ideas for marketing my own books.
This book deals with a variety of approaches to marketing your self-published book. It includes issues from making the most of your cover design, to marketing by using Twitter as a social networking method. I have written 20+ books beginning in 1991. When I began writing I had no idea about how to market my books.
I received the marketing packages from Infinity, but didn’t take marketing seriously. Somehow I thought that something miraculous would happen to help me sell my books.
I have written 36 notes of approximately 600 words. The notes are by no means intended to be the last word. I wanted to stimulate the thinking of authors and introduce them to the realm of possibilities.
One of the main issues in choosing a marketing strategy is to pick what works best for you. Some approaches won’t work well for certain people. As I have written these notes in the blog it has made me realize what approaches were best for me. I have utilized many of these approaches, and find them quite helpful. My goal was to prevent others from experiencing the trials and tribulations I went through in attempting to promote my books.
I hope these notes will motivate others to get busy in promoting their book. Nothing will happen until you get busy promoting your own book. Years ago I was working on a project, and I kept delaying any major action on the project, until a friend finally said, “It’s your baby, and nobody is going to do it but you.” I always think about what my friend said as I begin to develop marketing strategies for my books. My book has been sent to the publisher for production. My other books can be previewed at {jaythomaswillis.com}.
Posted by Infnity Author Marketing BLOG on Tue, May 10, 2011 @ 06:30 PM
Author Name: Christopher J. Holcroft
Book title(s): Only The Brave Dare, Canyon, A Rite Of Passage and Finding Thomas
Marketing Subject: Launching your book publicly
The blood, sweat and tears of writing your book have finally give way to jubilation when you receive word Infinity Publishing will be sending you your published books shortly.
Hopefully when you completed your book and sent it to Infinity Publishing you then had a short breather before organising how you will launch your tome. Do not leave it until you have the book in your hands - be prepared for when the book arrives.
My fourth book, Finding Thomas was launched in Sydney, Australia on 5th May 2011. More than 50 people attended with some travelling around 100kms to the launch. It was a night of immense joy as a diverse audience of friends, family and community members attended.
The hard work in bringing Finding Thomas to life had been completed but I knew I had to prepare for its launch. I have access to Boy Scout, Girl Guide and church halls if required because of my ongoing association with all three organisations. However, I had to research what would be the best hall, with the better parking access and have the top facilities for food preparation and serving. I went with a church hall as the carpark could hold more than 60 cars and there was an access ramp for our senior people to use. The carpark is actually the local primary school's playground and had sail cloth shades across the top and was well lit.
I checked out the hall before I booked in for the launch to ensure it had the other things I needed like trestle tables; seats, a lectern, projector screen, kitchen with a couple of stoves and instant boiling water. Everything was there, except a lectern which I ended up borrowing from an Army Reserve Unit where I serve. I mainly use it as a prop with a large A3 poster of the book's cover attached to the front so when photos are taken of me the connection is instant. The lectern is also good to place your notes on and also a copy of your book and your electronic reading device like a kindle so you can refer to them and do any readings.
I rang my local church office and booked in the hall, a month before my launch date. This allowed me time to go to the community events section of my local paper and place a free advertisment in the 'What's On' section. I wrote my Media Release and started sending it out to to as many outlets as I could. Once the release was sent to my local newspaper I rang the Chief of Staff to ensure they had a copy of it and was then able to further explain the book's background. Within a short time a reporter rang me to make a time and place to meet the photographer and for me to tell my story. See http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/book-shines-light-on-death/2151183.aspx for the results.
My preparation paid off because I thought of the launch like planning a wedding. Do the same and you will do well. Book where you will launch your book early and check out the facilities. Prepare your Media kit and speech in advance and rehearse what you are going to say. After sending your Media Releases to the Media, ring the Chief Of Staff and confirm they have it. Have a lucky door prize or two with the prizes being characters in your next book - this a nice freebie.
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Posted by Infnity Author Marketing BLOG on Thu, Apr 21, 2011 @ 06:30 PM
Author’s Name: Joseph Schott
Book Title: A Spirit of Hope
Marketing Subject: Mind, Spirit, Near Death Experience (NDE), Out-of-Body Experience (OBE), Spiritual Logic/ Memory, Material Logic/ Memory, Science, afterlife, hope
Hello, my name is Joseph Schott. I have a mission to share my story with others. I hope this blog site will be a way to do that. My book is about a mystical experience that I had as a child. Being a mathematician and a scientifically oriented person, this never made much sense to me. I have explored this, and wish to help others have hope, faith, and encouragement by sharing my journey.
Before going into any of the details about my book, I feel I should give you some background information about myself: I was born in 1933 in a small town named Archbald in the anthracite coal region of Northeast Pennsylvania. My elementary schooling was in Archbald and South Canaan with High School in Waymart, Pa. After High School and while in the U.S. Air Force, I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree majoring in mathematics with a minor in science at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. In the Air Force, my work consisted entirely of cruise missile control systems. As a civilian, my career included an engineering assignment on the Saturn V/ Apollo moon launch program at Cape Kennedy, Fl. After the successful completion of the moon mission, I worked for Siemen’s Corp as a senior engineer in charge of a Metrology/ Standards LAB. (Metrology is the science of measurement). After about 20 years with Siemen’s in a fast-moving, exciting career, I retired.
It is with this background that I was nudged into writing A Spirit of Hope.
So why should I say that I was “nudged” into writing a book? After reading about my background, it is very evident that my career was based very deep in the material world. Talking about spirits is a radical shift in the thought process; I really was apprehensive about even starting the project. But then, I had no choice in the matter. An inner conviction urged me on.
This story really begins with an appearance of an apparition of my paternal grandmother witnessed simultaneously by my mother and me. It was nighttime and the chandelier with one low-wattage bulb served as a night light, enabling us to easily see objects within the room. My grandmother appeared, looked around at my mother and me, left a message, and then left us by slowly rising through the ceiling of the room. My grandmother had died about one month earlier.
A Spirit of Hope is a nonfiction book with 4 parts: religion versus science/ a summary of spiritual encounters/spiritual entities/a viewpoint on material and spiritual reality.
After discussing the four parts in detail, we come to realize that everything that can be said about spiritual reality is inconclusive evidence or conjecture.
There must be a new way of looking at the spiritual domain. That is the challenge faced by humanity. With that in mind, we look at chapter 10 in the book-The Challenge Before Us- and note one of the priorities-Devising a valid test of OBE’s as a result of NDE’s. A valid test of OBE activity is important because it can eliminate the conjecture associated with the current inconclusive evidence surrounding OBE activity. If successfully implemented, A Near Death Out-of-Body Research Project described in chapter 10 can eliminate the conjecture associated with OBE activity.
Please feel free to email me with your questions and thoughts. You may also purchase a copy of my book at: Joeschot AT verizon DOT net or you may link to Infinity’s Publishing site at: www.buybooksontheweb.com and click on side bar Body, Mind, Spirit, scrolling to book #5.
Many Blessings,
Joseph
Posted by Infnity Author Marketing BLOG on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 @ 06:00 PM
Author Name: Cynthia W. Post
Book title(s): Meet Carrie Flower, Carrie Flower Goes To Camp, Carrie Flower Goes To The Hospital, Carrie Flower's Book For Brighter Days
Marketing Subject: Appreciation
What does Valentines Day mean to you?
The focus Hallmark has made is definitely to tell that someone special that you love them. 
I like to to broaden that perspective and tell the people that have influenced and help me that they are special.
Today I am extending big thank you to Infinity Publishing for helping me reach my goal and publish my books.
Happy Valentines Day Infinity Publishing!
Happy Valentines Day to all my fellow authors.
Posted by Infnity Author Marketing BLOG on Thu, Feb 10, 2011 @ 06:00 PM
Author Name: Cynthia W. Post
Book title(s): Meet Carrie Flower, Carrie Flower Goes To Camp, Carrie Flower Goes To The Hospital, Carrie Flower's Book For Brighter Days
Marketing Subject: Focus on your work
I recently went to see the movie "127 Hours" with my daughter.
The movie is based on Aron Ralston's memoir "Between a Rock and a hard place". While he is in Utah climbing alone, he experiences a terrible accident and gets trapped in a isolated canyon. While falling his arm gets wedged between the wall of the canyon and a boulder. He is stuck! The only way out is to cut off his arm and, needless to say, it takes him some time to amputate the arm, once he decides to do it.
In that same light I was reminded about a woman who, after years of her husband's lies and cheating, had her sons came to her and offer to pay to get him out of the house.
Her response to the boys was "You don't like your father and me together?" She was stuck in that life.
When we aren't willing to deal with life and change we stop the creative juices we were gifted with. Our focus, our priority, shifts and it becomes all about that painful situation.
It is my feeling that we are suppose to change - we shed dead skin cells, we grow new hair and nails, animals shed their hair, cold water creatures shed their skin, birds change their environment from summer to winter.
Most of us don't have to use such extreme measures that we have to cut off our arm, but we create it to be that serious in our heads.
I am pretty sure that if you inquire about your family history, you will find someone who stayed in a marriage with infidelity, alcoholism, gambling, etc.
The point is that we use it as an excuse not to achieve.
What is the boulder in your life that keeps you stuck?
Who are the people in your life? Are they achieving their goals or are they riding on you?
Your books are your words and your expression, no matter what you are writing about.
Don't let the obvious boulder or dysfunctional person stop you from moving forward with your dream - Be on the best sellers list!
Posted by Infnity Author Marketing BLOG on Thu, Feb 03, 2011 @ 06:00 PM
Author Name: Cynthia W. Post
Book title(s): Meet Carrie Flower, Carrie Flower Goes To Camp, Carrie Flower Goes To The Hospital, Carrie Flower's Book For Brighter Days
I have learned a lot in this life. I have learned that critical remarks get me nowhere other than feeling bad about myself.
I have learned that, no matter how bad my situation is, someone else has a situation tougher than mine.
I have learned that, when I make a supposition about someone or something, I should ask if I am correct, instead of making it immediately true in my mind.
I have learned that, when I share my experience with others, I gain more than I ever thought was possible.
We, as authors, have the gift of using our words to make an impact.
We can use the words to hurt others or we can use our words to inspire people to grow. Use your wonderful talent to spread the message of positivity.
Find another author's work that moves you and tell the author how they had an impact on you. Wouldn't you love for another author to give you positive feedback? This exercise will help you to grow, learn and become more of an expert in your field.
Posted by Infnity Author Marketing BLOG on Tue, Feb 01, 2011 @ 06:00 PM
Author Name: Jay Thomas Willis
Book Title(s): Implications For Effective Psychotherapy With African-Americans; As Soon as the Weather Breaks; The Cotton is High; Born to be Destroyed; Paranoid but not Stupid; Why Black Americans Behave as They Do; Hard Luck; When the Village Idiot Get Started; Educated Misunderstanding; The Devil in Angelica.
Marketing Subject: (20 words or less) Grass-Root’s Marketing Strategies
I started writing notes in Infinity’s Authors’ Marketing Blog on Monday, November 29, 2011, and ended on Tuesday, February 01, 2011. I decided to contribute to the blog to see if I could get some ideas that might help me to promote my own books. I had been slow to amass any worthwhile marketing efforts.
As a result of writing notes in this blog, I have recently written a compilation of my notes entitled, Notes on Practical-Grass-Root’s Marketing Strategies for Self-Published Authors. These notes were written expressly for the Author’s Marketing Blog. I have organized each note according to the publication date.
As I went along writing these notes I began to see that it was necessary to market and promote your book at every available opportunity. In everything you do you must be consistently marketing your book. It should be a relentless and tireless effort.
On many occasions I wanted to quit writing notes in the blog, but found the strength to keep writing. I kept feeling that there was not much more I could say, but always found something else to write about. I was only limited because of my own awareness. I at first considered the subject to be limited in scope.
My first impression was, how much can you say about marketing on a continuous basis. But it seems there is always something to say about marketing. More books have been written about how to market your book than any other single subject. The topic is endless. It is just a matter of finding affordable marketing approaches for your special needs.
In writing these notes I have tried to delineate some of the many different approaches to marketing your book. There are 36 notes, each one approximately 600 words. It is difficult to describe an approach or technique in 600 words, but what I describe is only to be applied with further reading and consulting. These notes are only for the purpose of stimulating your thinking and introducing you to the realm of further possibilities.
I wanted to give the reader some basic-inexpensive techniques that can be used to help the self-published author to market his book. We all know that some approaches used with mainstream publishers don’t work with self-published authors.
It is necessary for the self-published author to pick and choose what works best for him. What works depends on the author’s circumstances, mainly his economic situation. It depends on what your needs are and what you’re trying to accomplish. Writing these notes in the Authors’ Marketing Blog has given me many ideas for the promotion of my own books. Some of these ideas I have implemented, and have found them all useful.
I have come to realize, as one individual wrote as a commentary to one of my notes: “There are no silver bullet approaches.” I take that to mean no approach is a “cure-all” or “end-all.” I hope these notes will motivate self-published authors to get motivated and be proactive in marketing and promoting their books. And not sit back and wait on some divine intervention to sell their books. This book should be appearing at the publisher within the next several weeks.
Posted by Infnity Author Marketing BLOG on Mon, Jan 31, 2011 @ 06:00 PM
Author Name: Jay Thomas Willis
Book Title(s): Implications For Effective Psychotherapy With African-Americans; As Soon as the Weather Breaks; The Cotton is High; Born to be Destroyed; Paranoid but not Stupid; Why Black Americans Behave as They Do; Hard Luck; When the Village Idiot Get Started; Educated Misunderstanding; The Devil in Angelica.
Marketing Subject: End-Note on Marketing for Self-Published Authors
I’ve come to the end of what I have to offer in regard to marketing. I’m not giving up on having something valuable to contribute to the Authors’ Marketing Blog. As time goes along I hope to develop further ideas and thus able to make more of a contribution. I’d like to be an ongoing contributor to the blog; I simply won’t contribute practically every day as I have since the beginning of the blog.
If you are interested in using Podcasting, Videocasting, Facebook, MySpace to market your book; go to google.com and enter whatever method you wish to use. In addition, there must be many other approaches to marketing your book that haven’t crossed my mind. Some of the approaches mentioned are too involved to be explained in a brief 600 word blog, and it’s not worth it to give a superficial explanation. Others have already explained much better than I can how to utilize these approaches. Some have done thorough research and explain how to use these approaches in great detail.
I won’t try to tell people how to use such approaches when I have never used them myself; I could only give an academic perspective on how to use them. In fact, some of them come in over budget for me; I try to stick with inexpensive approaches. It also takes more space than what I have to develop an appropriate blog-note. On google.com some of the approaches are explained with great precision and detail. My main concern in my blog-notes was to discuss marketing approaches that were basic and easy to use; this has been my priority.
Writing this blog has helped me tremendously to think more seriously and to consider my options more carefully in regard to marketing my own books. At least at this point I know what approaches are appropriate and what is not appropriate for utilizing to market my books. When I first began to write these blogs I hadn’t given careful thought to what approaches might be useful for marketing my books. Even if I don’t take advantage of the variety of approaches mentioned in the blog, at least I am aware of what they are. It has been a pleasure making a major contribution to this blog.
I’m not trying to say that ideas in general for marketing your books have been exhausted in my Authors’ Marketing Notes. It’s just that I have exhausted my ideas for how to market your books. As I come across new ideas I’ll share them with everyone through the Author’s Marketing Blog. When I first started writing in this blog, I knew at some point it would have to end, since my knowledge of marketing is limited. I’m rather surprised that I was able to contribute for as long as I did. I don’t want to carry on as if I have an infinite knowledge about marketing. That’s why I decided to encapsulate what I know, and contribute what I can as I feel comfortable.