By: Christopher A. Master, Lead Cover Designer
How big is a postage stamp?
The answer: .875” x 1”.
Most of us who have published a book have been conditioned to believe that success equates to having your book featured prominently on bookstore displays. I fell into this thought process when publishing myself. This is true for select high-profile authors with names like King, Rowling or Sedaris. The truth of the matter is that in recent years, a larger portion of book sales has been coming from online book retailers than from brick and mortar locations.
Fundamental 2: Think Digitally
Many, if not all, online retailers will list your book for sale with just a thumbnail snapshot of the book cover (a larger version is only viewable by clicking through to the product page) alongside other similar titles. On Amazon, for example, this thumbnail size is just .75” x 1.25”.
Why should an author worry about the size of a thumbnail image of their cover?
Consider these covers featuring two vastly different girls: Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Both covers look great when taken at full size, yet the thumbnails tell a different story. In the case of Pearl, both the title and the pearl earring are virtually lost at the reduced size. In contrast, the bold text of the Dragon title maintains easy legibility even as the art becomes decidedly less clear.
You can conduct your own similar comparison. Pick a handful of books that you like or that you have on your own bookshelf and look at their corresponding thumbnails on Amazon. Is the text legible? How does the artwork look at the reduced size? Now, if you hadn’t known anything about this book prior to seeing the thumbnail, would you have still purchased it? 
Be sure to keep these sizing issues in mind when devising your own cover concept. As I mentioned earlier, many of your sales will actually be coming from beyond the bookstore. Potential customers will be viewing your book’s information (and many others) on a computer, tablet, and even their cell phone. Sales can be helped or hindered by something as small as a postage stamp.
Does your book cover design need a facelift? Click here to view some of our cover design samples. Our professional team of designers would love to work with you to create a new, more modern and digitally friendly look.
Click here for Part 1.
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Christopher Master works as the Lead Cover Designer at Infinity Publishing. With 10+ years of cover design experience, he has amassed a design portfolio of well over 1000 book covers.
He has been married to his intelligent and very patient wife for nearly a decade. In 2010, they welcomed their first child, Sylvie, who is a now toddling machine. A few years back, Christopher published a collection of humorous true childhood stories entitled Tiny Cracker Zoo. Between work, family and freelance design, he strives to find the time to pursue writing a second book, this one focusing, perhaps, on the misadventures of new fatherhood.
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the final day of the Infinity Publishing Lucky 13 Social Media Challenge for Authors. It really has been an amazing two weeks. The feedback has been tremendous. To celebrate we’re going to talk about Pubmatch.com.
The publishing world is getting smaller each and every day. Why not market your book to the world? Pubmatch gives every author the opportunity to market and promote their work to publishers, world-wide.
International publishing rights is big business and Pubmatch.com makes it possible for authors and publishers to connect. It’s the only social media outlet that brings these two groups together. Their service is incredible.
Why PubMatch for authors?
Written a book? Create an account to post your book on Pubmatch.com then search the database of publishers searching for new titles, or agents and agencies looking for new talent to represent. Connect on Pubmatch.com and begin important business relationships for making your book available to readers all over the world! Click here for a video to learn more.
Why would you want to sell your book to a publisher outside of the US?
The grass is always greener on the other side, right? There are many foreign publishers, looking for new titles, written by US authors. It also goes the other way, international authors trying to get into the US. Either way, Pubmatch.com is the easiest way to make that happen. As an author, you want to open yourself up to possibilities. A foreign publisher could potentially expose you to an entirely different market.
There is an author that I was consulting with, she is a speaker that is based in the US, but her fan-base is international. She is a big hit in Russia. Those folks can’t get enough of her. She does well in the US, but her popularity is much greater in other countries.
Will I still be published with Infinity if another publisher outside the US is interested in my book?
Yes. Infinity Publishing is your US publisher.
How does PubMatch.com work?
As an author you can set-up an account. Click on the Register Now button in the upper right-hand corner of the site to get started. www.pubmatch.com.
You will get 30 days of FREE international exposure. If you decide to continue on, a basic account is only $29.95 a year and if you click on the Infinity Publishing banner on the home page, you’ll get a 25% discount off any membership package price.
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
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Sign up for your Pubmatch.com account.
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Post a link to your Pubmatch.com profile page below in the comments for added exposure.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We’re passing on a 25% savings to you if you decide to go with a membership. We’ll give you shout out in our campaign follow-up blog post!
Thank you to everyone who participated in this social media challenge. It has been great getting to know everyone who joined us on this journey. Congratulations and best wishes for much social media success!
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Get ready for your 15 minutes of fame…today we’re talking about YouTube.com. YouTube is a website to publish and distribute video. Video is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your website, the search engines love it. Publishing your video via YouTube will give you the opportunity to get exposure, just like having your book having distribution to bookstore catalogs and Amazon. Using video as a marketing vehicle to promote your book and build your platform as an author will set you apart. From book trailers to testimonials you can publish your own electronic content on YouTube and share it with the world.
What is YouTube?
Founded in February 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small.
How should an author use YouTube?
Once you've created your account, you will need to set-up your author channel. If you don’t have a video yet, that is OK. Get your account established. Once you do have your video file, you’ll want to upload that to your account. You should consider putting that video up on the homepage of your website. Having a video on your homepage is a powerful tool to drive your organic online search for your site. Many websites have a YouTube plug-in so that you can easily incorporate your video into your site via your YouTube channel.
Use your YouTube account to promote your book trailer videos. You can also capture video testimonials from your readers and upload those to your YouTube channel. Don’t forget to include a short video of you reading an excerpt of your book.
How to set-up your YouTube account?
YouTube provides detailed instructions on their site, so we’re going to direct you right to that page: http://www.youtube.com/t/about_getting_started
What NOT to do with your YouTube channel.
Shooting video is not a skill that everyone may have, so be sure to leave it to the professionals. Don’t publishing junk videos. If you are doing it yourself, make sure it is simple, you have good lighting and sound.
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
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Create an account at www.YouTube.com.
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Set-up your profile in your YouTube account. Be sure to add your author photo and a link back to your own personal website.
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Post a link to your YouTube lens below in the comments section so you get added exposure.
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Email marketing@infinitypublishing.com with a zip folder of your book trailer video OR include a video testimonial about Infinity Publishing.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We will publish your video on the Infinity Publishing YouTube channel!
Tomorrow is the last day of this challenge…we’re going international. Talking about Pubmatch (Challenge #13).
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Today we’re going to learn about Squidoo.com. Squidoo is a website and online publishing tool that allows anyone with an account to publish one page, what they call a “lens” of information. The website has a Google page rank of 8 out of 10, which is very high. So if you’re publishing on Squidoo.com you’ve got a good chance of getting online exposure via the search engines and it will provide a nice backlink to your website.
What is Squidoo?
Founded in 2005 by Seth Godin, Squidoo provides a tool for writers to create beautiful webpages and promoting their stories, ideas and thoughts. It’s a wonderful resource to promote your books, one at a time, or all together.
How should you use Squidoo?
Once you've created your account, you will need to build your profile, include a short bio and upload your author photo.
As an author I recommend you create individual lens for each of your titles. Include the following items on each individual lens:
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Author bio.
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Book summary.
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Book cover image.
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Book excerpt.
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Reviews.
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Link to purchase your book via your own online storefront at www.buybooksontheweb.com and/or via the Amazon.com module that Squidoo provides.
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Link back to your personal website.
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Book trailer video link to YouTube.
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Social media connections via Twitter and Facebook.
If you have more than one book, you should also consider creating a main author page at Squidoo and list all of your titles from that page.
For more ideas on how to continue using Squidoo via content building and creating new Squidoo lens, we’re going to send you directly to Squidoo. Click this link to learn more:
http://www.squidoo.com/originalitypact
How to set-up your Squidoo account?
Squidoo provides detailed instructions on their site, so we’re going to direct you right to that page: http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo
Today’s social media challenge task of the day. 
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Create an account at www.Squidoo.com.
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Set-up your profile in your Squidoo account. Be sure to add your author photo and a link back to your own personal website. http://www.squidoo.com/squidoo
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Once you have your account set-up, go to the Infinity Publishing page here and click on the “like” button. http://www.squidoo.com/infinity-publishing
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Post a link to your Squidoo lens below in the comments section so you get added exposure.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We will like your Squidoo lens!
Tomorrow we’re going to talk about YouTube (Challenge #12).
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Professional social media site, LinkedIn is an incredible tool for authors to connect with other authors and publishing professionals. One of the great resources LinkedIn has to offer any registered user is its “groups” feature. You can connect with different professional groups in your favorite niche and contribute to discussions, find resources and keep up with trends. You have the luxury of picking and choosing what groups you want to join. Another thing about LinkedIn that is luxurious is that once you have your profile established, it will help to automatically make recommendations on who you may know or want to reach out to, based on your email address and work history. It’s like having your own personal assistant out there, networking for you. You can grow your professional network virtually, barely lifting a finger.
What is LinkedIn?
Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. With more than 135 million members worldwide, including executives from every Fortune 500 company, LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the Internet.
How should you use LinkedIn?
Once you've created your account, you will need to build your profile. As an author there is no harm in partnering your career history with that of your work as a writer. In most cases it should make sense to do so. Simply list your job as a writer and include in your profile. Make sure it is your most recent position, so it shows up at the top of your profile. If you have a resume on file, it will make it easy to create your profile, you can import it or cut and paste your work history into the online profile builder within your new LinkedIn account.
If you are writing under a pen name or in area that you do not want to have associated with your day job, then create a LinkedIn account under your pen name, or create your author profile. You can have more than one LinkedIn account.
How to connect with writers groups and publishing professionals?
One your profile is set up in your LinkedIn account you can start searching for groups. Use the search box at the top of the page to find local writers groups, or groups in your own niche (i.e. romance, fiction, etc.) and join those groups. You should also look at joining a few publishing groups to keep up with trends and what is going on in the industry.
What NOT to do as an author on LinkedIn?
Don’t push your book directly. This site is a professional networking resource. Use it to make connections. When it makes sense to talk one and one about your book to other writers and professionals, do so. If you’re launching a new title, there is no harm in sending out an announcement to your connections. Just keep the direct book marketing via LinkedIn in check.
How to set-up your author account at LinkedIn?
LinkedIn provides detailed instructions on their site, so we’re going to direct you right to that page: http://learn.linkedin.com/new-users/
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
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Create an account at www.LinkedIn.com.
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Set-up your profile in your LinkedIn account. Be sure to add your author photo and a link back to your own personal website. http://learn.linkedin.com/new-users/
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Follow the instructions to set-up your author account as provided above.
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Once you have your account set-up, connect with Infinity Publishing and become our friend. www.linkedin.com/in/infinitypublishing
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Post a link to your LinkedIn profile page below in the comments section so you get added exposure.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We will friend you back on LinkedIn!
Tomorrow we’re going to have fun with Squidoo (Challenge #11).
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Today we’re talking about Shelfari, another social media vehicle authors can use to connect with readers. We’ve already taken a look at GoodReads and LibraryThing, both being similar to Shelfari, in that it targets the reader. The importance of Shelfari is that it’s connection to Amazon. As an author promoting your work, you just have to be a part of it.
What is Shelfari*?
Shelfari introduces readers to our global community of book lovers and encourages them to share their literary inclinations and passions with peers, friends, and total strangers (for now). Shelfari is a gathering place for authors, aspiring authors, publishers, and readers, and has many tools and features to help these groups connect with each other in a fun and engaging way. Our mission is to enhance the experience of reading by connecting readers in meaningful conversations about the published word.
Shelfari’s members:
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Build virtual bookshelves to express themselves to their friends and to the world
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Discover books that are popular in their trusted circles of friends
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Influence peers by rating and discussing books online
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Discover and learn from people with similar reading tastes
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Participate in online book groups to further explore literature and share ideas
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Interact with and learn from authors
Shelfari was officially launched in October 2006 and was acquired by Amazon.com in August 2008. * Information provided by Shelfari.com
How should you use Shelfari?
Once you've created your account, start connecting with readers who are looking for books in your genre. You can send them an invite to become a friend. The more people you're connected with, the more exposure you will have. If you find readers that have read your book, reach out to them and get their opinion. People love to hear from authors. Also, once you have your account established, you will want to select books that you are reading and add them to your collection. Don’t forget that you can easy add books to your shelf by importing from your purchases on Amazon.
What NOT to do as an author on Shelfari?
You should include your own book(s) in your list of what you have read but do NOT rate or review your own book(s). Readers and Shelfari does not like that. Never rate or review your book(s) on any site.
How to set-up your author account at Shelfari?
Shelfari has author detail pages for all published authors with a book in their catalog. You can find your detail page by clicking your name beneath the title of your book. If your book does not correctly show your name, click on the cover or title which takes you to the book page. On the book page, edit the Authors & Contributors section. Once the change is approved by Shelfari Librarians and then your book will be updated with the correct author information. Click through your name to your author detail page and begin adding and editing biographical and other information that would be interesting to readers
Shelfari provides authors who participate on Author Central with an "Amazon Author" badge on their avatars.
They have an extensive FAQs section so be sure to utilize it. http://www.shelfari.com/help
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
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Create an account at www.Shelfari.com.
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Set-up your profile in your Shelfari account. Be sure to add your author photo and a link back to your own personal website.
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Follow the instructions to set-up your author account as provided above.
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Set-up your authorcentral.amazon.com account if you don’t already have one, it will give you more exposure both at Amazon and on Shelfari.
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Once you have your account set-up, connect with Infinity Publishing and become our friend. http://www.shelfari.com/infinitypublishing
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Post a link to your Shelfari profile page below in the comments section so you get added exposure.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We will friend you back on Shelfari!
Tomorrow we’re going to get LinkedIn (Challenge #10).
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
We’re in the final stretch of our 13 day social media challenge. We’ve spent the last week getting the basic social media accounts established. For day #8 I thought it would be good to put into practice using content in conjunction with your new social media tools like Twitter and Facebook. One of the most effective ways to promote your content, which in turn helps to promote your platform as an author and your ability as a writer, is via social media. Let’s talk about creating a list of the top five reasons to buy your book on ListYourFive.com. 
What is ListMyFive.com?
ListMyFive.com is a website and publishing vehicle, with a format of listing five reasons to like something, do something or “how to” do something. For an author it is a great resource to list five reasons why someone would want to read your book.
Why post content on another website, why not just use my blog?
In addition to your own blog, you want to continually be posting content out on the web and then linking back to your own personal website. It will help with your own site traffic and the more in-bound links you have to your website, partnered with your social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, etc. will create the right formula for organic online growth. It’s also added exposure to promote your work.
How do I use ListMyFive to promote my book?
You want to create a list of the top five reasons why someone would want to buy your book. Focus on one title. If you have more than one book, create a list for each individual title. As an author, you know your work the best. Call out the top things about your book that make it a good read. Get creative. There is no right or wrong way to promote your book. Once you've published your ListMyFive list, send out a link to your list via Twitter and Facebook.
Bonus: Once you create this top five list, repurpose the content and post this list on your own website.
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
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Create an account at www.listmyfive.com.
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Set-up your profile in your ListMyFive account. Be sure to add your author photo and a link back to your own personal website.
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Once you have your account set-up, connect with Infinity Publishing and give us a “high five” on this page: http://www.listmyfive.com/2b1532ee/The-Top-Five-Reasons-to-Publish-With-Infinity-Publishing
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Post a link to your ListMyFive page below in the comments section so you get added exposure.
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Promote your list via Twitter and Facebook.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We will give your list a high five! 
Tomorrow learn all about Shelfari (Challenge #9).
by Bob Sherman
When you do a book signing and invite all your friends, you’re lucky if they both show up. Maybe there’s safety in numbers. Several years ago I attended Delray Beach Library Author’s Showcase. Twelve authors presented their books after which the authors displayed and sold copies of their books. There were over 100 guests in the audience. The Delray Showcase is in its 13th year. Numerous authors submit their books, but only 12 are selected. I submitted my book, More Bull, for this year’s showcase on January 8th. Unfortunately, I was not selected.
Last year I decided to do my own showcase at the Hallandale Library. As the organizer there was no doubt my book would be selected. I invited all my fellow authors to participate and 10 signed up. Each author was allowed 5 minutes to present their book. Acting as Master of Ceremonies, I introduced the authors based on bios which they supplied. I appointed a friend as timekeeper. One of the authors never looked up; so the timekeeper had to clear her throat several times to get the speakers attention. This procedure must be fine-tuned for the next showcase. Maybe I’ll give the timekeeper a big hook or some ripe fruit. Afterwards we each had our own table to sell our books. We also served some refreshments, which was an overkill. Next time it will just be cookies or candy on the table.
The Hallandale Library printed some fancy brochures. However, I received them one week before the event; so there was not enough time to distribute them. I also contacted newspapers and radio stations. This must be followed up to be effective. We only had 40-50 guests. The Hallandale librarian considered the event a big success based on other events held there.
The 2nd Annual Authors Showcase is planned for April 14, 2012 at the Southwest Regional Library, Pembroke Pines. This venue is likely to draw more of a crowd. Other venues were considered. However, having a location that is free is very important for “starving writers.”
We have 12 authors signed up for April. I chose to limit the number at 12, to keep the speaking presentations to about an hour. I created a brochure which each author will reproduce and distribute. I have already started advertising by listing the event on various social networks and will contact newspapers as the date gets closer.
Because the April showcase seemed so far off, I decided to have a group book signing, in the interim, at the Hallandale Library. Originally there were only two of us. As the number of authors grew, I renamed the event a “Book Fair.” It will coincide with the first meeting of the Gulfstream Writers, a group affiliated with the Florida Writers Association, which I organized. The book signing will be January 28th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. I sent out invitations and selected 10 authors on a first come basis. When my showcases become more popular we’ll need a selection process to assure a good representation of genres. For now I’m the sole judge and jury.
I’m counting on all the authors to do some promotion. The event is listed on www.americantowns.com as is the Showcase in April. I have sent notices to several newspapers. A notice has already appeared in a local weekly paper. The first time the event appeared on the Community Calendar, the date was incorrect. This illustrates why it’s important to follow up to verify the notice is published and is correct.
For an event like this to be successful good advertising is the key. In addition to the brochures in the Hallandale Library I’ll distribute brochures to other nearby libraries. I expect all the participating authors to tell everyone they know. I also have the support of the “Friends of the Library” who will serve refreshments. This will allow the authors to concentrate on selling books. Even with all the planning I’m doing, I’m carrying my rabbit’s foot and keeping my fingers crossed.
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Bob E Sherman is a retired CPA and former controller for several boat manufacturers. He’s a Miami Hurricane born and raised on the Jersey Shore. He holds a 100 ton U.S. Coast Guard license and is a columnist for South Florida’s Waterfront Times. He’s author of two books — Am I the Only One That Signals? and More Bull. http://bobesherman.blogspot.com/
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Today we’re talking about LibraryThing, another social media vehicle authors can use to connect with readers.
What is LibraryThing?
LibraryThing is an online service to help people catalog their books easily. You can access your catalog from anywhere—even on your mobile phone. Because everyone catalogs together, LibraryThing also connects people with the same books, comes up with suggestions for what to read next, and so forth.
How should you use LibraryThing?
Once you've created your author account, start connecting with readers who are looking for books in your genre. You can send them an invite to become a friend. The more people you're connected 
with, the more exposure you will have. If you find readers that have read your book, reach out to them and get their opinion. People love to hear from authors. Also, once you have your account established, you will want to select books that you are reading and add them to your collection.
What NOT to do as an author on LibraryThing?
You should include your own book(s) in your list of what you have read but do NOT rate or review your own book(s). Readers and LibraryThing does not like that. Never rate or review your book(s) on any site.
How to set-up your author account at LibraryThing?
LibraryThing provides detailed instruction on how to set-up an author account, so we’re doing to send you directly to their detailed instructions. It is quite simple. Click the link below:
http://www.librarything.com/about/authors
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
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Create an account at www.librarything.com.
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Set-up your profile in your LibraryThing account. Be sure to add your author photo and a link back to your own personal website.
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Follow the instructions to set-up your author account.
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Once you have your account set-up, connect with Infinity Publishing and become our friend. http://www.librarything.com/home/Infinity_Publishing
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Post a link to your LibraryThing profile page below in the comments section so you get added exposure.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We will friend you back on LibraryThing!
Tomorrow learn all about List My Five (Challenge #8).
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Social media marketing via Goodreads is a must for any author.
What Is Goodreads?
Goodreads is the largest site for readers and book recommendations in the world. They have more than 6,200,000 members who have added more than 210,000,000 books to their shelves. A home for casual readers and bona-fide bookworms alike, Goodreads users recommend books, compare what they are reading, keep track of what they've read and would like to read, find their next favorite book, form book clubs and much more. Goodreads was launched in December 2006. Their mission is to help people find and share books they love.
Goodreads is where readers go to find new books to read. As an author you have an opporutnity to set-up a Goodreads account and have an author account.
How should you use Goodreads?
Once you've created your author account, start connecting with readers who are looking for books in your genre. You can send them an invite to become a friend. The more people you're connected with, the more exposure you will have. If you find readers that have read your book, reach out to them and get their opinion. People love to hear from authors. Also, once you have your account established, you will want to select books that you are reading.
What NOT to do as an author on Goodreads?
You should include your own book(s) in your list of what you have read but do NOT rate or review your own book(s). Readers and Goodreads does not like that. Never rate or review your book(s) on any site.
How to set-up your author account at Goodreads?
We are going to send you directly to the instructions at Goodreads to learn how to set-up your author account. It is quite simple. Click the link below:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/how_to
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
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Create an account at www.goodreads.com.
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Set-up your profile in your Goodreads account. Be sure to add your author photo and a link back to your own personal website.
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Follow the instructions to set-up your author account. Note: it will take a few days for Goodreads to get back to you to confirm your author status.
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Once you have your account set-up, connect with Infinity Publishing and become our friend. http://www.goodreads.com/infinitypublishing
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Post a link to your Goodreads profile page below in the comments section so you get added exposure.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We will friend you back on Goodreads!
Next, we tackle LibraryThing (Challenge #7).
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
We're on day #5 of the social media challenge for authors and today the task is to write a blog post. Blogging is one of the most effective ways for an author to improve the search engine optimization for their website. Not to mention, keeping your skills as a writer in check.
What if you don't have a blog?
If you don't have a blog, today is the day to kick it off. I recommend www.wordpress.com or www.blogspot.com. Both are very good options and they can double as your author website if you do not already have one.
If you already have a website, you should check to see if you have a blogging tool already integrated into your website, you may simply have to activate it.
Blogging education.
At the end of last week, I attended a seminar at Hubspot up in Boston. We covered everything from social media to blogging. These guys are the experts in the industry and it was well worth the trip. I would like to pass on to you a link to their blog...about blogging. A variety of different articles that talk about all aspects of blogging. Use it as a resource for today's task and beyond. Hubspot Blog.
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
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Write a blog on your website and include the words Infinity Publishing in the content of the article. We're looking for fun, create and positive content. The subject of the blog is up to you. Talk about your book or your publishing experience.
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Include a link back to www.infinitypublishing.com.
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Post a link to your blog in the comments section below for added exposure. You should also send out your blog post in a Tweet and post a link on your new Facebook fan page.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We’ll include a link back to your blog with a mention on a blog post at the end of this social media campaign. Don’t forget to register for our blog RSS feed or register via email, if you’re not already subscribed.
Next, we tackle GoodReads (Challenge #6).
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Image courtesy of Svilen Milev.
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
We're on day #4 of our social media challenge and today we're going to post a comment to a Facebook fan page. Yesterday you should have set-up your own Facebook fan page and “liked” the Infinity Publishing fan page. Congratulations on coming this far!
Posting a comment to a Facebook fan page is just as easy as sending out a Tweet. You can post on your own personal fan page OR you can post on other Facebook fan pages that you have liked. Creating a post is a wonderful way to stay connected with your fans and friends.
How do you post a comment on a fan page?
1. Go to the fan page of your choice, in this case the Infinity Publishing fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Infinity-Publishing/134269466589558
2. Click on the box at the top of the page that says, “What’s on your mind?”
3. Type in what you would like to say and hit enter. It's as simple as that.
What is the value of posting on a fan page?
It gets you connected with your fans and friends, giving you an opportunity to promote your book, your thoughts of the day, or to respond to what someone else has posted. It also keeps you active online and out in the social media world.
What should you write about?
Talk about what other people are talking about. If you’re on fan page that talks about self-publishing for example, jump in and talk about your experience with independent publishing. If you’re on an author’s fan page, post a book review or give the author your feedback on their latest blog post. Use your comments to promote your own work and also be courteous and share compliments as you see fit.
How long should your comments be?
You can post one sentence to a few sentences. Don’t get too crazy with long-winded posts. You don’t want to get banded from someone fan page because you go on and on. Be direct and to the point.
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
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Post a comment to promote your book on the Infinity Publishing fan page. Tell the world why your book is such a good read or promote an upcoming book signing. It is up to you. Either way, it is all about your book. Put your marketing cap on and go for it. Keep your post to about 30 words and don’t forget to include a link to your own Facebook fan page and website. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Infinity-Publishing/134269466589558
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Copy and paste what you post on the Infinity Publishing fan page and repost in the comments section below. This will give you a link back to your page and added exposure to help promote your page.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We’ll respond to your Facebook fan page on the Infinity Publishing page and also post on your personal author fan page.
Next challenge, blogging (Challenge #5).
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Welcome to day #3 of the Social Media Challenge. Today we're talking about Facebook. You may already be on Facebook and using it to connect with your family and friends, on a personal level. As an author, Facebook is a wonderful social media tool to utilize to help better establish your professional online presence. To do this, you will want to create what is called a Facebook fan page. This is an extension of your personal account. You do not want to use your personal account to promote your book(s). It is one thing to connect with your personally with your family and friends, but for any marketing of your book to the public, you want to use a fan page.
How to create a Facebook fan page?
To create your Facebook fan page we’re going to refer you directly to the step by step instructions at Facebook. Click here for detailed instructions on how to set-up your author Facebook fan page. You must be logged into your personal account to set this up. If you do not have a Facebook account set-up, go to www.facebook.com.
Facebook fan page “likes”
Once you have your fan page set-up, your goal is to get as many “likes” as you can to your page. The more people that like your fan page, the better. You’ll see a button at the top of the fan page that says “like” and that is what site visitors will click to show that they like your page. 
How to name your author Facebook fan page?
As an author just getting started, your first step will be naming your fan page. Once you pick a name, you cannot change it, so be sure to get it right the first time. You should consider including the word “author” in your fan page name. Examples: facebook/pages/john-doe-author or facebook/pages/author-john-doe. Keep it simple. You want to use your author name vs. your book title, particularly if you have more than one book. You’re creating this page to drive readers and fans to “like” you as an author. On your fan page you want to promote your individual titles.
Why is Facebook so important for an author?
Facebook is a driving factor in online marketing and search engine optimization. Google search and other search engines are factoring in key words driven from social media sites, like Facebook and using them as a factor in online ranking. The more popular your Facebook fan page is, meaning the more “likes” you have on your fan page, the higher you’ll rank in the search engines. You must be on Facebook, there is just no getting around it.
Facebook Marketing Author App.
Take your fan page to the next level and install the free Facebook Marketing Author App to your fan page. It will help to better market your book. To install the app go to: https://apps.facebook.com/authorapp/?ref=ts. It takes less than 30 seconds to get the app onto your page.
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
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Like the Infinity Publishing fan page. Here is the link to our fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Infinity-Publishing/134269466589558
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Post the link to your Facebook author fan page in the comments section of this blog post. This will give you a link back to your page and added exposure to help promote your page.
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Send out a message to your personal contacts in Facebook that you’ve set-up a new fan page and ask them to like you.
- Install your Facebook Marketing Author App.To install the app go to: https://apps.facebook.com/authorapp/?ref=ts.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We’ll like your author Facebook fan page.
Next, we’ll take a deeper look into posting on your new Facebook author fan page (Challenge #4 Posting on Facebook).
Another article you might enjoy is How to Use Facebook to Market Your Book.
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Day 2: Send out a Tweet on Twitter.
Yesterday we introduced you to Twitter and if that was your first visit, you set-up your account and followed us @InfinityBooks. Bravo for joining us in the social media challenge!
Today we’re going to send out what is called a “Tweet” on Twitter. A Tweet is a short message that is limited to140 characters. When you send out a Tweet it goes out to all of the people that are following you on Twitter and it will be posted on your Twitter page. To see the history of your tweets you can click the word tweets at the top of your Twitter page.
How do you send out a tweet?
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Log into your Twitter account. www.twitter.com
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Write your Tweet. Once you’re logged into your account you’ll see a box at the top of the page that says “Compose new Tweet”. Type in what you want to say. You are limited to 140 characters. There is a counter in the lower right hand corner of the box and that will be visible once you start typing. It will count the characters for you. If you go over the 140 limit, it will give you a negative number. You will need to revise your tweet to fit into that limit. You can also add an image to your Tweet, click on the camera image just under the box where you write in your Tweet.
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Send out your Tweet. When you’re happy with your Tweet, hit send and your Tweet will be sent out to your list of followers and be posted on your main Twitter page.
What should you tweet about?
Twitter is a great tool for building a network in your genre and for self-promotion and it takes about 30 seconds to make it happen. Use Twitter to send out messages about what you’re doing as a writer. Example tweet: “Working on my next book Midnight Rain, check out a free chapter on my site. Let me know what you think of Detective Smith.” http://www.yourwebsite.com
Be sure to include a link back to your website, this will help drive traffic back to your site and this is what you want. Keep your Tweets fun and use them to drive interest.
The Retweet.
A great way to send out a Tweet in less than 5 seconds is to do what is called a retweet. 
You won’t have to write a thing. If you like what someone else is Tweeting you can resend that message out to your followers. You can do this directly from your Twitter account or go to another Twitter users account and find a Tweet you like. Another way to find content to retweet is while you’re surfing the web. You’ll notice that there are social media buttons virtually everywhere. If you see a Twitter button on a blog for example, you should click on it and a box will pop-up and it will automatically create the Tweet for you, so that you can send out a link to an article or that webpage, directly to your followers. It is that simple.
Why is Twitter such a valuable tool for authors?
It’s a quick way to send out reach other writers in your genre, connect with publishing professionals and readers. It’s a wonderful tool to drive visitors to your blog, website, articles that you’ve written on other websites or to other content that you think is interesting.
Let’s say you’ve written a blog and want to send out a tweet to announce it events, send out short blurbs about a book you’re working on, an article that you’re writing
Keep your tweets professional.
How often should you Tweet?
Tweet twice daily and if you don’t have anything to say, then sent out a retweet. Early morning and around 4pm in the afternoons are good times of the day, but Tweet at times that work for you.
Today’s social media challenge task of the day.
1. Write up a tweet to send it out to your followers. You must promote your book. Example tweet: Midnight Rain is a real page turner, check it out at my website www.yourwebsite.com.
2. Once you’ve sent out your Tweet, copy and paste your Tweet in the comments section of this blog post and be sure to list your Twitter name or a link to your Twitter page, it is up to you.
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you. We’ll retweet your message to our followers and you’ll have the added exposure on the site.
Click here for challenge #3 Facebook!
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Let’s get real about social media. It’s like exercise, right? We’ll be the first to admit that we have not been as focused on our own social media footprint as we would like. There, we said it. It’s a new year and we are ready to make some viral waves in the world of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and whatever other medium that makes sense for us to better build our brand, to support our authors.
So we’ve decided to challenge the entire Infinity Publishing team and all of our authors to join us for a Lucky 13 Social Media Challenge. 13 days of social media fun.
Are you ready to ma
ke your mark?
Here is the challenge, to increase your social media footprint and build your online platform via a variety of social media and online resources. Each day for 13 days we’ll post the “challenge” of the day on our blog and you can work along with us. If you don’t know how to use Twitter, Facebook, etc. we’ll walk you through the process.
Say, “YES!” to the Infinity Publishing Lucky 13 Day Social Media Challenge! We’ll work together to support each other in this simple and fun marketing experience. Great way to market your book and all you need is less than 15 minutes a day to make it happen.
Here is how the Infinity Publishing Lucky 13 Social Media Challenge works:
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Register for the Infinity Publishing Lucky 13 Social Media Challenge here. Let this be your New Year’s gift to yourself! A great way to kick off book sales AND you’ll be positioning yourself for long-term online exposure.
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Follow our blog each day, starting tomorrow, Friday, January 13, 2012 and stick with us for 13 days. We'll give you simple instructions on what your social media task is for that day. It’s going to be super easy and if you’re not social media savvy, don't worry. We’ll give you step by step instructions. Everything you need to bring in the New Year with a viral marketing edge and be better prepared to market your book. So what kinds of things will be doing? We may ask you to simply send out a Tweet on Twitter to promote your book, or post a message to Facebook to promote your book.
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Enjoy your new found social media skills, exposure AND the cross-promotion that Infinity Publishing will be giving back to you!
Infinity Publishing’s gift to you for participating in the Lucky 13 Social Media Challenge…we will give you the same amount of exposure that you give out. If you follow-us on Twitter, we’ll follow you back. For every Tweet you send out, we’ll send out one to promote your book. For every post you put on Facebook, we’ll give you one post back. It’s all about exposure.
It's much more fun if we work together. Join us here on the Infinity Publishing Blog, tomorrow, Friday, January 13, 2012. Are you up for the challenge?
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Photo courtesy of Alex Hinds.
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Welcome to your first social media challenge! We're going to keep it simple for you on this first task. We want you to follow us on Twitter.
1. Go to www.twitter.com.
If you already have an account, great. If not create an accout.
2. Go to our Twitter page here:
http://twitter.com/#!/infinitybooks
3. Once you get to our Twitter page, just click on the big button that says "FOLLOW" and that is it!
Once you've followed us, we'll follow you.
Twitter is a wonderful social media tool to connect with other writers in your own genre. If you write historical fiction, for example. Find other writers in that genre and follow them. Twitter is a great way to keep up with what is going on in the publishing community.
Sending out messages on Twitter is called "tweeting" and it limits your messages to 140 characters, so they should be short and direct. We'll talk about "tweeting" tomorrow.
4. For extra exposure, post your Twitter name in the comments section of this blog post. Here is an example: @infinitybooks
Thanks for joining us!
CLICK HERE FOR CHALLENGE #2 "Tweeting on Twitter"
* Click on the link for general guidelines on Infinity Publishing’s Lucky 13 Social Media Challenge for Authors.
By: Seth Dillon
The term "book fair" likely conjures up different images for different people. Even for me--after attending nearly a hundred book fairs and publishing industry trade shows over the past 5 plus years--I have a rolodex of images in my head representing book fairs that go all the way back to my elementary school cafeteria where wood tables were set up and piles of hardcover versions of "The Magic School Bus" were laid out and sold for $5 each to students. But despite the catalog of images that I see in my head when I hear the words "book" and "fair" spoken in succession, the actual concept that I think of is singular: international rights.
To better illustrate what I mean, there's no better reference than that of the most famous book fair acquisition probably ever (though most people probably don't know about its book fair origin):
“I discovered Harry Potter at the Bologna Book Fair, which is an international book fair in Bologna, Italy, that I go to every year. This was 1997, and I was setting up my imprint, Arthur A. Levine Books, and visiting all of my colleagues at publishers around the world because that's what you do at a book fair. The Bologna fair is where international publishers from all around the world get together to talk to each other about the books on their list, and they get to share.” – Arthur A. Levine, in an interview posted on Scholastic’s website, describing how he discovered “Harry Potter”
The rest, as they say, is history: 18 languages, countless millions of copies sold, and billions of dollars to the author. There's another "as they say" that needs to be attached to this--usually found in weight loss ads--"results not typical." Obviously, not every book that goes to the Bologna, Frankfurt, London, Beijing or other international "rights" fair is going to yield a billion dollars for the author, but like anything (if I may use yet another cliché), you have to be in it to win it.
There are very few avenues that exist outside of international book fairs where professionals in the industry go to find good titles for which they can purchase the rights (www.PubMatch.com is one such venue outside of the trade show floor, which we'll cover in a future blog), so when the book fairs take place, people take notice. It's no surprise that popular international book fairs generate attendances ranging from 35 thousand to SEVERAL HUNDRED thousand. What takes place between the opening and the closing of the fair is more or less what Mr. Levine described above: publishers, agents, book buyers and others go from stand to stand (as much as their busy schedules will allow) looking for books that will logically fit on their list or in their market.
At an international rights seminar I attended at the 2009 Bologna Children's Book Fair, someone described the selling of international rights as "found money" what he meant was that if you can craft a contract that both you and the buyer agree on (and make no mistake, this is a long process), you could increase your royalties by doing very little. In essence, someone is paying you for the right do all the work in publishing and marketing your book, and then paying you when the book is sold (contract terms pending of course).
There are several avenues towards getting your book onto the show floor at an international book fair, starting of course with purchasing a stand and heading over to Frankfurt, Beijing, Bologna, etc. Though costly, I'm sure you know the value of face to face contact. For those that don't have enough of a list of titles to justify such an expense, we at Combined Book Exhibit (along with our sister company the American Collective Stand), as part of our partnership with Infinity Publishing, make space available on our shelves for titles whose publishers or authors are not onsite to represent themselves. We'll collect all of the information on your book (bibliographic information, a description, contact information for you and/or Infinity--your choice) and make it available to those interested in making contact about your title. Likewise, we collect leads on your behalf so you can communicate with people that are chomping at the bit to learn more about your book.
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Seth Dellon has spent the past five years promoting books on behalf of publishers at book fairs around the world whilst working at Combined Book Exhibit and American Collective Stand. He has also spent countless hours researching and helping develop tools as an "idea man" for the online international rights network PubMatch. He lives in New York where he spends most winters disappointed in the Jets.
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Launching a new book is exciting and it is the ideal time to do book signings. Authors can do a book signing at just about any time and probably for the life their book, as long as it makes sense and you're prepared. Here is a quick checklist of items to get you prepared for your book signing.
Preparing for the book signing.
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Create your target list of book stores or event locations. Make a list of about dozen places that you would be willing to do an event to promote your book. Bookstores are always top of mind, but think outside of the box. If you wrote a cookbook, contact a local kitchen gourmet foods or professional cookware store. Find a connection to your book and an event location that will make it fun for attendees and position you for some potential media attention.
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Be ready with your press kit. If you don’t already have a press kit put together, you’ll want to have this pulled together and ready to go BEFORE you start calling event locations. A standard book press kit or media kit includes:
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Book summary page. This should include the book title, author name, publisher, book cover image, page count, ISBN, retail price, listing of where the book is available for purchase. You want to do this for all formats (i.e. paperback, hardcover, eBook, audio, etc.) This includes links back to your online storefront and images or links to all distribution outlets.
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About the author page. Include author bio and photo. 
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Endorsements. On this page you want list book reviews and testimonials.
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Media Page. If you have received any media cover, list this on one page and link to any online coverage (i.e. newspaper story, blog article, TV or radio interview, etc.) If you don’t have any media coverage yet, then leave this page out.
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Q & A page. Create a standard list of questions and put this into one page, listing both the questions and answers. You want questions that stir interest in your book, something a potential reporter may want to ask during an interview.
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Press release. Use one page to include a copy of your press lease that was used for the launch of the book, or include a release from your most recent event. Do not include the release for a future event…like your book signing event.
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Contacts page. You should include your contact information on every page, but then also include a contacts page as your last page, giving all options for anyone who wants to get in touch with you, your publisher, book publicist or anyone else you have working on your marketing team.
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Contact the locations on your hit list. If you’re going after bookstores, you’ll want to call them to find out who handles in-store events. Depending on the size of the store, it may be the store manager or the community events manager. They will tell you what they require from you for the event (i.e. total number of books, marketing materials, etc.) If you’re getting more creative and targeting an event location like a museum or gift shop, call and ask who handles their on-site events and promotions. When they ask you for your press kit, you’ll be ready to email it off to them. Don’t forget to ask what you’ll need to bring to the event, like table, chairs, etc.
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Add events to your website. Once you have you have confirmed your event dates, add them to your website.
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Marketing your event. Start marketing your event as far in advance as you can and you’ll want to do more as you get closer to each event. Send out your press releases 2-3 weeks before your event. Ask the book store manager what they will be doing to help promote the event. Will they give you a mention in their newsletter, or on their blog, in the store or will they provide any printed materials to their customers to announce the event. You want to take the lead and do as much promotion as you can to get people to your signing.
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Media follow-up. Touch base with the local media contacts the day before your event to remind them of the media opportunity. Who wouldn’t want to talk with a local author?
The day of the book signing.
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Arrive at your event early to get set-up. Have your books and materials ready the night before, so you don’t have to rush. Make you have everything you need. Include extra pens, books and marketing materials. Be sure to have business cards, bookmarks, postcards and posters to promote the event. Do you have enough signage? Get extra signs to drive traffic to the event if you’re at a location that may be hard to find.
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Dress professionally. Dress one step above what your crowd will be wearing. If your crowd will be wearing jackets and khaki’s, you should wear a suit and tie.
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Bring support. It’s difficult to run an event on your own, so bring a friend, your publicist or someone who can help keep things organized and answer basic questions about the book and direct them to where they can buy the book.
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Pens, pens and more pens. Make sure you have a nice pen to sign your books with and bring some extra’s just in case it runs out of ink or goes missing.
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Bring a giveaway item. Bring something fun to giveaway as a door prize, to keep people hanging around. Get creative, maybe you could give away lunch with the author.
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Have fun! This is your time to shine, enjoy it.
Post event follow-up
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Thank you notes. Get old-fashioned and sent out a hand-written thank you note to the book store manager and staff, and anyone else who helped with making your event a success.
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Event analysis. Do a review of your event and see what went well and what you could improve on, to make your next book signing event an even bigger success.
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Blog post and newsletter announcement. Do a recap of your event on your blog or in your newsletter. Post event photos and thank the fans that showed up, and let those who couldn’t make it…know what they missed.
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Photo courtesy of Brendan Gogarty
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
As an author, you MUST take control of marketing your book, your brand and your platform. With the New Year upon us, what better time to make a change for the better. Whether you're a first time author or a seasoned professional writer, it's always a good idea to get focused on your marketing. Keep it simple, steady and you'll be bound for success!
Top 10 New Year's Marketing Tips for Authors:
1. Take control of your personal Amazon page.
As an author you have the ability to manage your own Amazon author page. Personalize it with your author photo, add your Twitter feed, add book reviews and sync with your blog. This will help improve your search on Amazon. Don't forget to use the "Search Inside the Book Feature" if you're not already. Make the most of it! http://www.authorcentral.amazon.com
2. Create your book marketing plan and stick to it!
Every book needs a marketing road map to be successful. You don't need anything fancy, just getting something down on paper to help keep you on track. Break down your marketing goals by month, then week. Include book signing events and your blogging schedule. Plan out your blog topics and create your own editorial calendar. Create a monthly marketing budget for things like ordering books to send to reviewers, book fairs and online marketing campaigns. If you're not sure how to create a book marketing plan, invest in a professional publishing consultant who can design one for you. It will be worth the money and you'll save in the long-run!
3. Set realistic book sales goals and make it happen.
"I want to sell 1 Million copies of my book!" Every author would love to 
be a best seller. Setting unrealistic expectations will just set you up for disappointment. This year, get real and set sales goals that you CAN achieve. If you could sell 1,000 copies of your book this year, would that make you happy? Look at how many you sold last year. What marketing was done and what could you do better this year to improve your success.
Let's say selling 1,000 books this year is your goal, don't let that number overwhelm you.
Break it down:
1,000 books ÷ 12 months = 83 books a month
83 books a month ÷ 30 days = 2.76 books a day (3 books a day)
That is not so overwhelming, 3 books a day!
Author, Randy Kearse has what it takes and does it one book at a time, read his success story (after you read the rest of this blog post of course.) Let this author's story inspire you, he doesn't stop each day until he meets his daily book sales quota. It does work!
4. Connect with other authors to discuss your craft.
Surround yourself with performers and you too will succeed! Get out there and connect with other writers, specifically in your genre. They are not your competition, your allies. If you like romance novels, you don't stop after you've read just one, you are a serial reader. Cross promote with another writers and do the same for them. You'll find out what is going on in your niche and it will help improve your marketing, sales and writing!
5. Find the social media tool that works for you.
Online is where it's at. If you're not into "tweeting" or don't know what a backlink is, this is the year you need to get on the social media train. Find an online medium you feel comfortable with. Take it one step (or site at a time). A great way to get started is by looking for blogs that you can start posting on, just hop in and join the conversation. From there you may decide to start your own blog, hop on Facebook and make some new friends. Use social media to reach potential readers or connect you with other writers. If you're just not into it, hire a book marketing expert to help get you on track.
6. Find a NEW marketing channel to promote your book.
Don't let your book sales be supported by your ISBN alone. Think outside the box this year. Find a new avenue to market your book. Go to your potential readers. Don't wait for them to find you. Find other books like yours and see where other authors are selling, speaking and participate. This exercise could be the most valuable of them all, you may be surprised how creative you can be and who knows what could happen to your sales!
7. Plan one book event early in the year to inspire you!
Getting out and talking about your book, whether at a book signing, as a guest speaker or among friends at a dinner party is always a great reminder of why you write. It will establish you as an author, give you the confidence you need to stick with all the items on this list and who knows what other doors it may open!
8. Become a guest blogger.
If you're already doing your own blog, you know the dedication that is required to keep it alive. Help a fellow blogger out and volunteer to do a guest blog! Whether you have your own blog or not, use this great cross-promotional tool to increase your online exposure. Don't forget to include your bio and photo. Click here for more information on becoming a guest blogger with Infintiy Publishing.
9. Write more!
In addition to blogging and posting on Facebook, set a goal for yourself to find places where you can post your work. Do you have a favorite newsletter? Email the editor and see if you can submit an article. Contact your local paper to see if you they'll give you a guest column. Write articles for eZinearticles.com or find another article directory you would like to contribute.
10. Use your book as your calling card.
A book is a vehicle to establish you as author and an expert. As a published author (yes, even self-published) your book offers the potential for so many opportunities, both personally and professionally. People are always impressed when they find out you're published! Work it!
Photo courtesty of Carl Dwyer
By: Jan Deelstra
You hold your masterpiece lovingly in your hands, and deep in your swelling heart you just know that the eagerly awaiting public will embrace it too. And then when it doesn’t magically fly off the Amazon bookshelves you’re left to deal with feelings of dejection. What went wrong? You built it and no one came.
Writers enjoy writing. Marketing however, is one of those tasks that takes time away from the keyboard, thus breeds resentment. It follows, if one is content to write without selling the results, there is no need for marketing. However, if one enjoys eating and shelter, marketing to the right niche is a necessary evil.
It took me a few years to admit that I am not a marketing genius. I can pen a pretty good nonfiction volume, but I have no desire to door knock or book sign or 
boast. It’s not that I don’t believe in my writing; I do. It’s just that my book begins with the death of my child, and that’s a difficult subject to continue to sell.
Blessings in the Mire, was written as the catalyst to my survival (although I surely had no awareness of that fact while I was streaming consciously onto the pages). The book is reported to have “healing properties” by those who have read it. The challenge then, is to get it into the hands of those who would benefit most.
Awakening to the obvious, I’ve recently compiled a list of possible venues for distribution of my book. The list includes hospitals, hospice, mortuaries, critical care units, churches, counselors, medical schools, and Unitarian bookstores. The clientele may not have come when I built it, but now that I have the list of possible suitors, I can surely take the book to those in need. And if it helps just one person, or saves even one life, that’s huge. And if it sells millions, that's pretty great too.
Had I simply started with the common adage, “know your audience,” I would have promoted the purported healing benefits of Blessings in the Mire to the accurately determined venues before the ink was even set. You can bet my next release will have a targeted market before Infinity Publishing has the type set! Knowing my audience now comes first in marketing my book, so that the bulk of my time and energies can be spent writing.
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Jan Deelstra worked for ten years for The Department of Human Services as a counselor to the impoverished until the trying position led her to open a holistic gift store. There, Deelstra enjoyed the fruits of her labors until, after the death of her son, she chose to follow her heart to southern California. A dynamic, avant-garde woman, Deelstra has some surprising experiences: as a massage therapist, Teamster truck driver, bartender, telephone repairperson, counselor, decorator/stager, Realtor, and author. Currently, she is working on a series of children’s books, and on an ‘under-wraps’ writing project. Her book is Blessings in the Mire: A True Story of Miracles & Recollections.
Article photo courtesy of Kimberlee Kessler Design
By: Christopher Kilm
Ten years ago, I was at a dinner with publishing professionals, and I heard the story of a powerful editor, and chair of a national book award, who nominated her own author for this prestigious award. I had already heard this story from another reliable industry source, but overall I wasn’t surprised. Years earlier, I had worked in the space program during the Challenger disaster and was shocked to learn that internal corruption had contributed to the deaths of the astronauts. If you ever read Dickens, you realize that suspect dealings have been part of the equation since the dawn of business.
As the story went, the nominated book was summarily ignored by the award committee. So what was this editor trying to accomplish? The mere nomination, especially word of it throughout the industry, multiplied sales of the book many times over. The nomination alone had created legitimacy for the book. Powerful.
My first book had just been published and was doing well—for a small press book. That meant regional acceptance in parts of the world, whenever the local media shined favor upon my work. Otherwise there seemed no legitimate outlets for book promotion and definitely no benefactors in the inner circles of national book awards. Small, academic, and self-published books were virtually barred from the public discourse. The Eric Hoffer Book Award did not yet exist.
A quick survey revealed that, outside of the Pushcart Prize, the landscape was dotted with cottage indie book awards that carried exorbitant entry fees and questionable results. It appeared that each tried to pick “the best” books that came their way, but they did little to get the word out after the winners were selected. In fact, I had never heard of most of these awards.
As the editor of a literary magazine, as well as a healthy writer’s blog, I had decent access to writers and authors. On a whim, the Eric Hoffer Book Award, named after the great American philosopher and freethinker, was created. I had a small publicity machine going for my first novel and planned to “promote the hell out of” the winners. I sought impartial judges—editors, agents, and industry-specific experts. The entrance fee needed to be affordable, yet cover expenses. Finally, I planned to do the unthinkable—exclude the major presses. I kept thinking of how to turn the tables on that infamous editor and therefore right the wrongs of the past. Mostly I wanted the kind of award to which I’d send my own book for consideration. Ironically as its creator, I could not.
At the time, a wonderful tool was blooming. The Internet was the wild west of publicity and mostly free of corporate control. Once word of the Hoffer Award hit the blogs, chat rooms, and e-mail streams, three hundred books arrived from small, academic, and independent publishers, as well as something I called a “micro” press, which involved a working press (multiple authors, not self-published) that produced less than twenty-four books per year. About half the contestants were, and continue to be, from self-published authors. These latter books ran the gamut from finely produced books to sloppy offerings with horrific copyediting. One book was handmade with calligraphed pages and covers painted on the backs of soapbox cardboard. (By the way, this book won an award.) Many of these books rivaled, in quality and content, anything Manhattan was currently offering. A secret world of books existed that wasn’t getting its due, and, in this void, the Hoffer Award took on a life of its own.
Since the start, Hoffer entrants have been evaluated in one of our all-encompassing categories. We even have a fiction and nonfiction legacy category for books older than two years old. From within each category, books are promoted for the grand prize: The Eric Hoffer Award for Books. Through the years, we have added the Montaigne Medal for the most thought-provoking book and the da Vinci Eye for the best cover art. Next year we will be offering a special award for first-time authors. The industry has changed, and therefore we’re expanding to e-books, which is the frontier for indie authors. Each of these distinctions carries its own weight within the industry.
One of the keys of the Hoffer has always been that we experiment with ways to promote the winning titles. In addition to our media campaign, our relationship with the US Review of Books, which posts the annual judging results, has been a terrific benefit for the winners, runners-up, honorable mentions, and award finalists. Each year, the award honorees return e-mails and letters about how their association with the Hoffer has raised the visibility of their titles.
A decade later, the Eric Hoffer Book Award accepts over one thousand books annually and has grown in leaps and bounds each year. It remains one of the least expensive and most well-known independent book awards in the world. Our registration fees covers the $2,000 grand prize, the increasingly expensive rates for shipping books around the country, and a pitifully small honorarium for each judge who spends hours reading and evaluating the entries. They love a good read and get excited when they discover a book that they feel the industry has overlooked.
I must thank that infamous editor in Manhattan. Although a fully independent book award was never her intention, it was a clever idea for promoting a book. In the years to come, let’s hope the Hoffer keeps elevating titles that deserve recognition.
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Christopher Klim was once a rocket scientist for NASA and is now the author of several books, including his latest, a short story collection entitled True Surrealism. He is the chair of the Eric Hoffer Award, managing editor of Best New Writing, and senior editor of the US Review of Books. He is completing a novel based on his experiences during the Challenger tragedy. http://www.hofferaward.com/
by Scott McDermott
Hello,
I’m Scott McDermott, President of Infinity Publishing. Happy New Year!
All of us at Infinity Publishing are exceptionally excited about the prospects for 2012. There is no better time of year to set goals and make the pledge to achieve those goals. We’ve done that at Infinity – we are positioning ourselves to be the premier author-focused, independent publisher in America. Not the biggest, but rather the publisher most in-tune with the needs, requirements, and aspirations of talented and committed authors seeking personal service and the highest-quality products for the publication and promotion of their books.
In order to realize our goal of distinguishing ourselves as the ‘right publisher’ for you in 2012, the Infinity Publishing team needs to listen and learn from our authors. We want our community of authors to work with us, based on mutual understanding, respect, and appreciation. We are continually working towards doing a better job of introducing ourselves and educating authors on why we believe that you will be best-served by joining our publishing family. So, in the weeks ahead, I will be blogging regularly to tell you more about who we are, and why we care.
As the President of Infinity Publishing, I am continually learning and believe in the ability of a small company to be a market leader based on service, innovation, and commitment to their most important constituency . . . in this case, our authors. I studied American literature and history at Colby College in Maine. I taught high school history for two years before going to law school. I then joined the faculty at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College in 1984 and I continue to teach business management, consulting, and entrepreneurship in the MBA program at B.C. today. Over the years I have been an operating executive of small companies, a corporate lawyer, a business school professor, and a trusted-advisor to growth companies, business owners, management teams, and investing organizations. Now, I have the very great pleasure of leading the Infinity Publishing team into 2012. When I first connected with our company in 2010, I was immediately impressed with the 15 years of experience as pioneers in the self-publishing sector. Then, as I came to know our team members, I recognized the core of a deeply committed, highly skilled small company. Our team, admires our authors, really loves books and they care. Not just about producing the highest-quality book at the best price, but also about their important role in assisting enthusiastic and dedicated authors to fulfill their dreams and to be successful as published authors.
But, we must do even better. Change is the only constant in the publishing industry today. It is an exciting time. We are working very hard to grow our capabilities -- the market demands more varied print products, better digital products, broader distribution, and more services delivered effectively and efficiently for our authors. In the months ahead, you will be hearing much more from me about new promotional and editorial services. You will hear about improvements in the way we connect and communicate with our family of authors. We know that it is not just about change . . . but it is about change for the better! And we look forward to making that happen for you – our authors.