Infinity's Blog for Authors and Writers

Social Media for Authors (Expanded Literature)

by Adam Eisenstat

Authors today, whether self-published or blessed with a traditional book contract, must do at least some marketing on their own (or hire someone to do it for them). If they want a book to achieve even moderate success, they should be prepared to dip a few toes or more in the muck of commerce, beyond the pristine realm of conferences and readings.

Nonfiction writers have traditionally been more comfortable with marketing, so for them the trend toward heightened self-promotion may just represent more of the same. Fiction writers, though, especially those inhabiting the rarified kingdom of literary fiction, are another breed—one inclined to view marketing as vulgar and mercenary. To many in this tribe, self-promotion is a contaminant that poses a threat to their art, even literature itself. (See anything Jonathan Franzen has ever said on the topic for an example of this attitude.) While in principle this may be true, in practice it is potentially fatal—to the lives of their books.

This poses a dilemma: if self-promotion is a sellout/distraction, yet rejecting it precludes a wider readership or a readership period (and a writer without readers is barely alive), what is the true artist to do?

Parallel Content Delivery/Ongoing Marketing Vehicles

One approach is to fashion a strategy that conflates art and commerce, by creating content/marketing vehicles that both supplement and promote the book. This strategy is expanded literature (EL). EL can incorporate the full range of social media, including Twitter, a blog, photography (via Flickr, Facebook, etc.), YouTube—anything.

EL annotates and expands the book; and functions, in part, as a repository for the wealth of texture/background—including history, reportage, topical parallels, etc.—that cannot all fit between the covers. EL helps to make the book come alive. Also, EL gives it constant visibility, thus making the book (and its wider subject) perpetually fresh.

With an EL strategy that is smart and well-maintained (this is key), the full potential of these platforms—especially the “social” dimension—will be realized through the convergence of content, promotion, and audience interaction.

Expanded literature (EL): content/marketing vehicles that supplement & promote the book

A New Paradigm: The Convergence of Literature & Social Media (Plus Merchandising)

EL represents a new paradigm—the convergence of literature and social media. Though the book is the central element and stands on its own, the concept lends itself to a multifaceted presence. It allows/inspires ample opportunities for new platforms, new content sources, and additional streams of revenue.

Even merchandising can be incorporated, in a seamless, cost-free way, via one of the produce on-demand sites that make customizing a multitude of items (clothing, accessories, home and office products, etc.) surprisingly simple.

A three-headed entity . . . mutant spawn of literature & technology, art & commerce

It is a truism that authors today must “get their hands dirty” with marketing like never before. The economic factors and (techno)logic behind this reality are indisputable, and quite well documented. (See every single blog and Twitter feed emanating from the legions of publishing professionals.)

Expanded literature can make this truism real, in a way that allows authors to promote their work without sacrificing integrity or vitality (though Franzen might still disapprove), and maybe gain a lot more readers in the process.

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Adam Eisenstat is a writer and communications strategist with an extensive background in journalism, creative writing, and marketing communications. His blog is Meta-Media.net (along with BigSkyBrooklyn.com.)

 

Interested in learning more about Social Media?  Check out Infinity Publishing's  Lucky 13 Social Media Challenge for Authors.  It gives you 13 ways to increase your social media footprint and build your online platform via a variety of social media and online resources.

 

Images courtesy of Adam Eisenstat.

Marketing and PR, Twin Requirements

by Maralyn Hill

Publicity is to books what oxygen is to lungs. Without it, sales suffocate and die. –Kent Carroll

Because marketing and public relations (PR) go hand and hand, I think of them as twins, they are almost the same.  You can do a lot of online marketing, but you still need to know how to get attention from the PR community, line up interviews, send press releases and target the right markets. An ongoing effort is required. For example, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand was released in 1957 and continues to remain on the best seller list due to aggressive ongoing marketing and PR.

Since 2001, I’ve co-authored three books, edited numerous others, coached and assisted writers and journalists on marketing and the importance of PR. As someone who had spent 20 years in marketing and public relations, I’ve always been amazed that authors and journalists frequently don’t realize, if they don’t sell themselves, they are not going to soar to the top.

Writers like to write and frequently resent having to think about the other aspects necessary to be successful. Marketing and PR should begin at a book’s inception. This is true, whether independently published or traditionally published. One month is the maximum you will get in marketing from a main line publisher. Even in 1966, when Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls was published, she recognized the importance of marketing. She was the first female author who sold over 30 million books. Now, if you don’t submit a marketing plan with your book proposal, it will be tossed and not even considered by an agent or publisher. The exception would be an author or celebrity who is already famous.

Since I focus so much now on writing about food, wine and travel, I encourage writers in this genre to venture into books. At first, independently published cooked books experienced problems with color limitations. This is not the case today, with more competitive color availability.  Cookbooks and travel books have been popular a long time, and today, books on wines and spirits are increasing in popularity.

Here is the difficulty. If you go into a bookstore and look at the competition, how does your book stand out? First of all, would bookstores stock it? Then, why would a customer pick it over someone else’s? You need to give the buyer a reason. This is achieved with marketing and PR.

My suggestion is to invest in a professionally designed website. My own preference is WordPress, but in any event, be sure your website includes a blog. When you start blogging, whether you post travel tales, wine reviews, recipes, or any subject you are covering, your blog will keep your material fresh. You should link these posts to social networking sites and start to build a following while you are working on your book. Then you introduce your book and keep sharing information about it. People who connect online want to get something beneficial from your posts. It is up to you to provide it.

I know you might rather be working on your book, but invest thirty minutes to an hour a day to work online networking and blogging. This task will get easier as you go along, develop feedback and generate excitement.

Possibly, you are not willing to invest time in using a blog, social networking, sending press releases and lining up interviews, but you still want a successful seller. Then, your best approach is to hire a good publicist. However, even a good publicist cannot help you soar without your input. If you go that route, set priorities, goals and budget. Keep the twins on track and have your marketing and PR work together.

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Maralyn Dennis Hill, http://www.theepicureanexplorer.com/2011/, is President of the http://www.ifwtwa.org/ and Editor-at-Large for CityRoom. She contributes to numerous publications.

The majority of Maralyn’s articles are now geared to the luxury market, spas, corporate retreats, business events, and culinary tourism, from simple to gourmet.

Maralyn’s description of herself: "I was born to travel and tell the tale. I’m energized by different cultures in every aspect of their lives, from food, wine, and destination, to how they conduct business. Travel represents a continual geography lesson."

Case Study in Successful Fictional Promotion for First-time Author

by Dan Smith

A self-published client, Peter DeVico came to our firm for publicity support of his novel, From the Brooklyn Side, a classic “Mafia” story in the Goodfellas style.  A first-time author, he had no name recognition and limited distribution – so getting the word out was essential.

After in-depth discussion, we learned DeVico had a near encyclopedic knowledge of the Mafia, its history and operation. The Sopranos was hot, so we decided to position DeVico as a Mafia expert, and developed a short release titled: 

“From Buckwheats Hits and Empty Suits to Vigs and Little Joes: 

Give Your Audience the Ultimate Mafia Trivia and Lingo Quiz.”

DeVico went on to do more than 50 radio interviews and was featured in the New York Times.  Fiction to reality!            

A few last tips for promoting fiction titles:

• Refer to your novel as a “book” in the press release.  Some producers are turned off by novelist-guests, and even if they call and discover it’s a novel when they speak to you, you’re still in a great position to sell them on the topic anyway.

• Don’t compare yourself to well-known authors. Create your own identity. Trying too hard to build yourself up often isn’t as effective as presenting yourself professionally.

• Develop a catch-phrase for yourself.  If you refer to yourself as an “expert” in something, people will begin to refer to you as that when you’re introduced. In book promotion, the bashful perish and the confident prevail!

• Learn the soft sell. Producers and hosts hate nothing more than a guest who refers to their book every other sentence. Let the interview come to you, and let the host do his or her job.

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Dan Smith is the founder and president of TCI-Smith publicity, a full service book promotion and public relations agency with offices in New Jersey, New York, and London.  He has personally conducted more than 250 promotional campaigns.  Clients of TCI-Smith Publicity have appeared on virtually every major radio and television show, and been featured in top publications across the country. www.smithpublicity.com.

 

Fictional Promotion… How to Get REAL Broadcast Publicity for Your Make-Believe Book

by Dan Smith

Talk to any book publicist, and you’ll hear the same thing:  Getting broadcast publicity for a self-published or mid-list novel is at best challenging, and often nearly impossible. Unless your last name is Clancy, King or Rowling, chances are slim a radio or TV program is going to want you on the air to talk about your book. The reason is simple:  Good interviews are usually based on real-life topics, and fiction – by its very nature – is creation by imagination, not real life.

If getting on the air to promote your novel is important to you, however, there is a way to make it happen.  In many cases, it’s actually rather simple. But a word of caution:  To do it, you’ll have to set aside your desire to talk about your book, and think like both a publicist and a producer. In other words, you’ll have to “play the game” that is broadcast publicity, and become a savvy self-promoter.

3 Steps for the Publicity Hungry Novelist

  1.      Forget about your book.  Yes, you read that line correctly. The book, alas, is not what will get you interviews. In fact, it could keep you from getting on the air if you don’t play the game.

To get interviews, you must present producers with topics or show ideas based on your experience, knowledge or credentials, or on real-life themes in your book.  Remember:  No one wants to interview a book; they want to interview a person. For non-fiction authors, it’s relatively easy to extract helpful information or engaging topics from a book, and use the same expertise which enabled them to write the book to become a great talk show guest.

For novelists, however, literary creativity and an active imagination usually don’t add up to engaging interviews. But, most novelists base their stories on real-life experiences, sometimes without even knowing they did. That’s why you should forget about your book, and think about what caused you to write on a specific subject, include certain characters or use certain locales. Then, look at your own personal history, work experiences and personal adventures.

Secondly, look at themes in your book – the storyline, setting, characters. What is the basis or “topic” of the book? Does it involve controversial characters or interesting themes? What kind of research did you complete to accurately write the story and add depth to characters?

What you’ll find, most likely, is that there is a “topic” in your novel, whether from your own personal experiences or the story itself. Almost every work of fiction is based upon something “real.”  Discover what it is.  

  2.      Go angling.  Based on what you came up with from Step 1, find an interesting angle.

Let’s say, for example, you wrote a novel about senior citizens who move out of a retirement center and into a private home together. Perhaps you came up with the idea after caring for your own parent, and seeing problems with senior care. You did a little research for your story, and discovered that very few seniors live together like many younger people do, and a little more research made you realize that there are really not many reasons why this is so.

You’ve discovered a topic:  “Senior Group Living.”  To jump-start your publicity campaign, you start a “movement” to launch awareness of senior group living.  Now, you have something the media might find interesting. The market for this topic wouldn’t just be older people, but also Baby Boomers and anyone who cares for an older parent.

You’ve turned fiction into reality. 

  3.  Give ‘em what they want.

Based on your idea of “senior group living,” you now need to develop a news release to get producers interested.  Think about what you hear on the radio or see on TV when the host announces what will be coming after a break.  Things such as, “After the break, find out why shacking up may not be just for young people any more.”  That line is designed to keep you tuned into a program, and that’s exactly the type of effect your trying to achieve with a news release … getting the producer interested.

Important:  Don’t write a press release the way you want to present it, but the way producers want to see it. Mastering this concept can make a world of difference.

Using the above example, you might try a question headline: 

“Out of the Retirement Community and into Homes:  Is Senior Group Living the Next Big Craze?”

Or, something controversial:

“Selling Grandma Short? The Cold, Hard Truth About Senior Citizen Living Options”

Perhaps you have a website to promote your book. Why not conduct a survey of seniors which assesses their preferences for living options? You might find that a very high percentage would be interested in living in private homes together. Since the media loves statistics and surveys, you might have created an excellent angle for print exposure:

“Survey Finds That 95% of Senior Citizens Would Prefer Living in Private Homes With Other Seniors.”

After you have the headline, the rest is relatively easy.  Write a short, snappy one page release in typical “inverted pyramid” journalism style.  Lay out the problem, give an example, and then introduce the solution or the angle of your release. Include 4 or 5 bullet points which can serve as talking points for producers and hosts, trying to make it so that that each bulleted item could stand on its own as a headline. Use the last paragraph to summarize your credentials and promote your book.

In three steps, you’ve turned what appeared to be a potentially impossible book to use as a means of getting on radio or TV, into a viable and interesting topic.  If you can get the release into the right hands at shows, you’ll likely get calls for interviews, and opportunities to promote your book.  Even if the topic is only tangentially related to your book, you will be introduced as “Joe Jones, the author of the novel ______,” and hosts (at least the good ones) will give you plugs for the book.  

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Dan Smith is the founder and president of TCI-Smith publicity, a full service book promotion and public relations agency with offices in New Jersey, New York, and London.  He has personally conducted more than 250 promotional campaigns.  Clients of TCI-Smith Publicity have appeared on virtually every major radio and television show, and been featured in top publications across the country. www.smithpublicity.com.

The Difference Between Book Publicity and Advertising

by Sandra Diaz

As a book publicist working with authors from all walks of life, I’m often asked to explain the difference between book publicity and advertising.  

When a book is launched, the goal is to create awareness about the author and his or her title for a variety of reasons including sparking book sales, building the author’s brand, positioning the author as an expert, and attracting professional opportunities for the author such as speaking engagements, professional advancement, and future publishing options.  

Publicity and advertising are two strategies employed to create awareness. Most people have a clear understanding of advertising since they’re exposed to it everyday as they watch television, read a newspaper or visit an online news site. Publicity, however, is seamless to most consumers as the author, person, product, etc. is part of the news.  

In advertising, someone—the publisher or author—pays the media outlet for advertising space or airtime. The buyer has 100% control over what is in the advertisement and when it appears. The primary benefit of advertising is control.  

With publicity, it’s the book publicist’s job to convince the media the author will provide readers or listeners with meaningful information—whether entertaining, insightful, educational, inspiring, or controversial—and then to make the author part of the news in some way. Examples of media coverage include feature stories, articles, book reviews, interviews, op-ed pieces, expert commentaries, etc. There is no payment from the author or publicist to the media for this coverage. Each of the parties involved–the media outlet and author–get something they want and need.  

Put simply, the role of a book publicist is to make their authors newsworthy. The result gives the author immeasurable credibility. The benefit of being “seen on” or “featured in” well respected media outlets lasts long after a publicity campaign ends. The primary benefit of publicity is credibility, and when it works, it is priceless.  

The best way to explain the difference between publicity and advertising is to pick up a magazine and find a story featuring an author, and in the same issue find an advertisement for a book. The article gives the author and his title credibility as the reader knows the magazine thinks enough of the person to incorporate him or her into the story. The advertisement gives the author exposure; however the reader also knows someone paid for this advertisement. Therein lies the key difference: credibility vs. control.  

An important point authors should keep in mind is when the media does a story or interview, the publicist and author loses control. Publicists suggest direction for the coverage, but publicists can’t control if they cover the author, how he or she is covered or when. A producer or editor can do whatever they want and go in any direction. They may sing the praises of an author and his or her book, or spin the story in an unforeseen direction, including writing a bad review.  

When you want planned, controlled exposure, advertising is the route to explore. If you are considering publicity, know there are no guarantees, but again, when it works, it literally provides coverage you can’t buy.    

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Sandra Diaz is the president of Smith Publicity. Hundreds of authors/publishers turn to Smith Publicity to build a brand, create awareness for their titles, spark book sales, and open doors to new opportunities. Smith Publicity has conducted 900+ book publicity campaigns since 1997 and has offices in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles and London. The firm has secured coverage for authors on virtually every major broadcast, newspaper, magazine and Internet outlet.  www.smithpublicity.com

Authors Can Master Book Publicity…Look to the Caddy

by Sherrie Wilkolaski

Professional golfers rely on their golf caddies, like authors should rely on their book publicists.  You don’t have to be a fan of the sport to appreciate what goes into a great game of golf.  It is a mental game, blended with the same repetitive training that every writer experiences, working towards becoming a better at their craft.  You have an incredible vocabulary. How you string your words together is conducive to how a golfer makes his way through 18 holes.

When it’s all said and done, a book publicist and a golf caddy have a lot in common.  Let’s take a look at the similarities.

Caddy.

Caddies are the behind the scenes (so to speak) voice of wisdom for their golfer. Guiding them through the course…one hole at a time. They know the golfers strengths and weaknesses. Which club to use, when to offer advice and when to hold back. It’s all about knowing the athlete, where they are playing, in what conditions, and what is best for them.  Every shot is an opportunity.  The caddy has both the short-term and long-term goals on their mind.  Get through the current hole in as few strokes as possible, while keeping the eye on the prize…winning the tournament.

Golfer Phil Mickleson was collaborating with his caddy when his ball made its way into the bushes. There was virtually no way to gracefully get it out of the brush.  He attempted to lob it out and ended up adding more strokes to that hole than was necessary.  He should have taken a penalty stroke and started back at the tee box.  His decision, whether prompted by his caddy or not, caused him to double bogie, during the 2012 Masters.  The rest of his game went downhill from there.  For those who are not up on the golfing lingo, double bogie is not good.  Did the caddy make the right recommendations and Mr. Mickleson didn’t listen?  We’ll never know.

Book Publicist.

Like caddies, book publicists are the behind the scenes masters that help to excel an author to success. A publicist is there to guide the author down the right path. One that will help to build their platform as a writer while creating exposure and awareness for their book.  There are short-term and long-term PR goals for every author and a book publicist plans and navigates.  A book publicist knows the author’s goal, their niche and where they should focus for the biggest return on exposure and results.  The author needs to be willing to listen and take advice accordingly.

If you’re watching the 2012 Masters Tournament, take a deeper look at the winners’ caddies.   Do you think they were an integral part of the success?  What about your book publicist?  Are they helping you to move to the next level in your career as an author?  Keep in mind that both golfers and authors are artists in their own rights. Many times determined to do it “their own way” and realizing after the fact, they should have listened to their professional guides.

Both caddies and book publicists are authorities at what they do.  Caddies are typically paid a salary, plus bonus on tournament winnings.  Book publicists are paid for their PR work, either on retainer or set-fee for a defined project term, with an option for bonus on results.

Watch out if your book publicist or your caddy is interested in taking on more of the spotlight than what they can offer you, golfer or author.  Caddies should know the golf courses and book publicists, media contacts and opportunities.

Looking for book publicity campaign for your title?  Please contact us, our team has taken many authors to the “masters” of publishing, the bestsellers list.  If you need a good caddy, there may be a few unemployed caddies looking for work after this 2012 Masters Tournament.  Best of luck to all the golfers and their caddies in this amazing tournament!

Tell us what you thought about the 2012 Masters...

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Image courtesy of Revati Upadhya.

Infinity Publishing and IFWTWA Award Open for Entries

The Infinity Publishing – IFWTWA Award is a writing competition launched in first quarter 2012 for International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) members only. This award program is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Infinity Publishing (www.infinitypublishing.com). The purpose of the Infinity Publishing – IFWTWA Award is twofold: to recognize talent and achievements among IFWTWA members, and to celebrate excellence in promotion of IFWTWA media trip host establishments and organizations.

The Infinity Publishing – IFWTWA Award competition consists of three separate award categories: A) writing, B) blogging and C) photography.

The Infinity Publishing – IFWTWA Awards are as follows:

• The Writing Competition first place winner wins a $700 award.

• The Writing Competition second place winner wins a $500 award.

• The Writing Competition third place winner wins a $300 award.

• The Blogging Competition winner wins a $250 award.

• The Photography Competition first place winner wins a $250 award.

In addition, each of the above awards will be announced on the IFWTWA website, blog, Press Pass, press releases and social media posts.

The IFWTWA Awards Committee will evaluate entries in each category and determine the winners.

WRITING COMPETITION:

Entries will be evaluated in four areas:

• Grammar, punctuation, spelling

• Composition and structure

• Distinctiveness of style and voice

• Degree to which the story resonates with the reader

Writing Entry Criteria:

• Story content must include a destination and/or at least one host from an IFWTWA press trip.

• Story must be about travel, food or wine/beverages, or any combination thereof.

• No word count limit.

• Two year limit between the press trip and story publication.

• The story must have been published since Jan 1, 2011.

BLOGGING COMPETITION:

Entries will be evaluated in four areas:

• Grammar, punctuation, spelling

• Composition and structure

• Distinctiveness of style and voice

• Degree to which the story resonates with the reader

Blogging Entry Criteria:

• Blog post content must include a destination and/or at least one host from an IFWTWA press trip.

• Post must be about travel, food or wine/beverages, or any combination thereof.

• No word count limit.

• Two-year limit between the press trip and blog post.

• The blog post must have been posted since Jan 1, 2011.

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION:

Photo entries will be evaluated in four areas:

• Resolution

• Composition

• Distinctiveness of style

• Degree to which the photo resonates with the viewer

Photography Entry Criteria:

• The photo subject must be about a destination and/or a host from an IFWTWA press trip, and be about travel, food or wine/beverages, or any combination thereof.

• Entry must be digital and less than 10MB.

• Two-year limit between press trip and photo publication.

• The photo must have been published online or in print since Jan 1, 2011.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:

• The entry fee is $15.00 per entry in any category

• Send entry fee check, identified as Infinity Publishing – IFWTWA Award entry, to:

  International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association
  1142 South Diamond Bar Boulevard #177
  Diamond Bar, CA 91765-2203

• Include writing entries as a link or attachment; email blogging and photography entries as a link

• Include subject line “Infinity Publishing – IFWTWA Award (Writing/Blogging/Photo) entry”

• In the email, identify the IFWTWA press trip the entry is about and the dates of the trip

• Email entry to: Allen Cox, IFWTWA Awards Committee Chair, allen@ifwtwa.org

• There is no limit to the number of entries per IFWTWA member

• IFWTWA Awards Committee members may enter the competition and will be exempt from evaluating their own entry

2012 AWARD TIMELINE:

• Entry deadline is December 31, 2012.

• The evaluation period will be in first quarter 2013.

• Awards will be made in April 2013.

For more information on the benefits of becoming a member of go to www.IFWTWA.org.

She Takes on the World...Indie Author Takes On Amazon!

by Sherrie Wilkolaski

Who says that an independent author can't hit #1 on Amazon? Infinity Publishing author Natalie MacNeil knows what it's like to be #1 on Kindle, in the top 500 bestsellers on Amazon US and in the top 100 on Amazon Canada.  Her book was published March 11, 2012 and it has been running strong since its release. 

She Takes on the World addresses creating a business and a life you love.  It is packed with powerful business and life lessons, a savvy plan for success in our digital age, and the engaging real-life experiences of successful women entrepreneurs, She Takes on World: A Guide to Being Your Own Boss, Working Happy, and Living on Purpose is a business book like no other.

What is driving the success of this new author?

She has an established platform and incredible publicist and marketing strategy behind her.

What are reviewers saying about this book?

"Natalie MacNeil was one of the very first entrepreneur-writers invited to blog on ForbesWoman, and for good reason. Her blog, like her book, is smart, upbeat, inspirational, and full of practical advice for women who want to own their dream careers." ~ Caroline Howard, Editor of ForbesWoman

"Natalie MacNeil inspires you to forge your own path as a woman entrepreneur. This book is about living the life you know you were meant to live." ~ Anita Campbell, CEO of Small Business Trends LLC and Editor-in-Chief of SmallBizTrends.com

Congratulations to Ms. MacNeil for taking her book marketing and PR by storm.  We hope she will be an inspiration to all indie authors out there.  Why go traditional when you can self-publish!

Natalie MacNeil is an Emmy Award-winning Media Producer, influential blogger, and thought leader in the sphere of entrepreneurship and leadership for women. Natalie is best known as the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of She Takes on the World, which received international attention when it was listed by Forbes in “Top 10 Entrepreneurial Sites for Women.” Natalie is a contributor to ForbesWoman and The Huffington Post. She has appeared in several media outlets including Inc., CNN, Forbes.com, ForbesWoman, Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur.com, Mashable, Success Magazine, Examiner.com, Financial Post, TechVibes, and MSN. To learn more about Natalie MacNeil go to www.shetakesontheworld.net.

 

Did Ernest Hemingway record the world’s first ever book trailer?

by John Warner

Book trailers are all the rage these days, but a recording from the late 1950s suggests Ernest Hemingway might have been the first person to give the medium a try. The 9-minute audio recording was designed to promote his new book Across the River and Into the Trees. Hemingway’s delivery is certainly rather odd and stilted, leading some to suggest he might have had a few drinks before he got started.

The audio was apparently recorded in a bar and is titled, appropriately enough, In Harry’s Bar in Venice. Hemingway rambles somewhat, and perhaps proves that A.E. Hotchner was right when he once claimed Hemingway’s greatest enemy was “the microphone”. The recording has been knocking around for a while and is included on the (now somewhat hard to get hold of) collection Hemingway Reads Hemingway.

Anyone who has been toying with the idea of recording a book trailer, or an introduction of some sort, should take heart from Hemingway’s attempt. It’s far from polished and even in the 1950s must have seemed rather odd and stilted. It’ll be interesting to see if anyone can find a ‘book trailer’ that predates Hemingway’s effort.

This blog post was orignially published at indiebookspot.com.  Infinity Publishing authors and independent authors everywhere should take note, that Hemingway was once an unknown author. Hemingway even has an Amazon Author Central page.  Do you have an Amazon Author page?  Learn more here.  How about a book trailer video? Contact an Author Advocate if you need a book trailer video.  

Book Marketing Tips for Non-Fiction Authors: Elevating Your Profile with By-Lined Articles

by Sandra Poirier-Diaz

If your goal is to sell books or attract new business, then bylined articles are a great way to reach your target audiences with a controlled message showcasing your expertise.

First, what is a bylined article? It is an article, written by you, and is published in a magazine, newspaper or online outlet. Full credit is given to you as the author, along with a nice blurb about you, your book and your business (if applicable).

Placement of your article gives you credibility, continues to establish you as a leader and expert in your field, differentiates you from your competitors and opens new opportunities for you. These may include opportunities for regular article submissions, expert commentary, consulting projects, speaking engagements and invitations from publishers for your next book. All of these have happened for our clients, including an author who shared he received more than $500,000 in new business as a direct result of just a few months of media exposure.

Once you have written the article, you (or your publicist) pitch it to targeted media for placement. Often your photo or even book cover may accompany the article. 

Here are some tips for writing a bylined article to increase the chance for placement and attracting readers:

1. Pick a topic with valuable information for your audience. The article cannot be about how great you are or how wonderful your book is. Although that might be the case, you need to select a topic related to your book and expertise that will inform, educate, or inspire readers. The goal is to give readers insight to your thoughts, ideas, and advice and to entice them to learn more about you, your company (if applicable), and to buy your book.  

Here are examples:

Business relationship author wrote an article on tips to remember people’s names, target was general business audiences,

Author with a specialized target audience wrote an article on the Tax Benefits of Oil Investments

A successful woman CEO and author wrote an article: Women You’re Unique. You Lead Differently from Men, and that’s a Good Thing—Especially in the World of Business!

2. Include lessons learned/case studies. Showcase your expertise by including case studies where there was a real life challenge and how your advice resulted in a positive solution. Readers will learn from the lesson and you will shine as an authority. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Look at the chapters in your book and isolate one point to write about. Again, the goal is to entice people to learn more about you.

3. Know your media outlet. If you have a particular magazine, blog or online site in mind, read the type and style of bylined articles they publish. If your relationship self-help book can be useful to teens, women and newly divorced women, write an article specific to one audience. Don’t make it generic. If your entrepreneurial book can be of use to specific industries, write an article just for them—the family business, a graphic designer, a financial planner, etc. 

4. Choosing the right article headline. Again, look through your favorite magazine or online sites for article headlines that grab your attention. Use active, not passive words. Highlight benefits, not features.

Examples of weak and strong headlines:

Fabulous Diet Tip that Makes a Difference!

or better ....

5 Ways to Visibly Reduce Body Fat in 30 Days

Use Back Up Storage Drive With 1TB of Memory

or better ...

Never Lose Another Computer File Again

Investing Your Money For the Future

or better ...

10 Tips to Save NOW for Your Toddler’s College Education

5. Know the length of an article. A good rule of thumb for the length of an article is between 700 and 1200 words. Again, if you have a specific outlet in mind, check specific submission guidelines for the outlet.

Using your published article. Once published, showcase your articles as part of your resume, in your brochures, as handouts in your presentations, on your website, etc. It gives you credibility—as featured on HuffingtonPost.com, as featured in TIME magazine. Plus, online articles never go away and will turn up when people search for you online. Although bylined articles take care and thought in creating, the benefits of showcasing your book and expertise are priceless.

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Sandra Poirier-Diaz is president of Smith Publicity, one of the premier book publicity and book marketing firms in the industry. Since 1997, Smith Publicity has implemented more than 1,000 promotional campaigns. Clients of Smith Publicity have appeared on virtually every major radio and television show, and been featured in top publications across the world. For more information please visit www.smithpublicity.com or Sandy@smithpublicity.com

Image courtesy of Leo Snyapse.

Using Amazon Keyword Tags to Sell More Books

by Sherrie Wilkolaski

Over the weekend I was looking for a book on Amazon and I could not find what I was looking for.  I was searching for a newly released title, so I expected that the Amazon Search may not pull it right up at the top of my inquiry however, I was more concerned for the long-term search results for this book as the author had not associated any keyword “tags” for his title.  I don’t want to name names, but I will tell you this.  The title I was looking for is one of the only books on the subject matter that covers an historic event that no one else has written about.  Huge marketing opportunity for this book and the author did not include the name of the historic event in his marketing copy or in his Amazon keyword tags.  It got me fired up.

Amazon Keyword Tagging.

Every book that is sold on Amazon can be “tagged” with specific key words that will improve the search-ability of that product.  This does tie into setting up a Listmainia! list on Amazon.  Both tools are keyword driven. Listmania! focuses on grouping books together by title…a list of favorites and yes, it is tied to key words.  What I want to focus on today is getting your books properly tagged so that potential readers can find your title during their search for content. 

1. Identify your keywords.  What is your top 10 list of keywords that you want people to associate with your book.  When they go to Google or Amazon and type in specific words, will they find your work.  Keep it simple.  You want to always have in your keywords list, the author name and book title.  You can knock two of the keywords off your list of top 10.  Now think logically about what you would search for, to find your book.  Think somewhere between general and specifics.  I know I use cookbooks as an example time and again, but since everyone has different tastes in food, makes sense.  Think about what type of cookbook you would search for, if you had to buy one book to make your perfect meal.  That is how you should be thinking about coming up with your keywords.

2. Use your keywords in all of your marketing.  Not only will you add your keyword tags to your book on Amazon.  You will do this on your website, in your Goodreads account, in your online and offline media kit.  Your book synopsis and your press release should all include your target keywords. You don’t need to use your entire list all of the time, just make sure you’re using them consistently in all marketing and promotion that you’re doing.

3. Check out your competitors keywords.  Do the research to find out what words your competing authors are using and jump on the bandwagon.  You may want to use a word that they use and also use a similar word, to carve out your own niche.  If a competing title in your genre is using the words “rock climbing” you may want to use those words but also add in “hiking” and “mountaineering” as your additional keywords.   

To learn more about how to quickly add your keyword tags to your book listed on Amazon, they provide a very nice overview of the how tags work and how to add them here.

Have you updated your Amazon keyword tags?  Tell us about it below…

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Image courtesty of scriptech.net.

2012 Living Now Book Awards - Call for Entries

Books for better living!

Life moves fast. Home and work, family and friends, school and vacations, exercise and hobbies. It's time to celebrate YOU, the authors and publishers who create the books that help us balance it all!

The Living Now Book Awards is the only awards program recognizing the creators of the world's best lifestyle and home style books, with categories ranging from cooking and fitness to parenting and spirituality.

Candidates for the Living Now Book Awards are books written and designed to help improve and enhance our lives through creative ideas, inspiring advice and time-saving tips. These awards are conducted in the same spirit as Earth Day, which for 30 years has celebrated taking care of Planet Earth. Great books can help us take better care of ourselves, our communities, and the world around us.

The Living Now Awards offer entrants incredible benefits including a springboard toward increased recognition and sales along with sustainable credibility within the ever-growing marketplace. Winners receive gold, silver and bronze medals, certificates, and matching foil seals to display on their covers.

Put your books to the test and compete among the greatest lifestyle books in the industry.

The 4th Annual Living Now Book Awards will accept entries from August 15, 2011 until July 14, 2012. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded in 30 lifestyle, homestyle, self-development and fiction categories.  Early-bird entry fees are scheduled to encourage early submissions:

December 18, 2011 through April 21, 2012 - $85 per category entry

April 22, 2012 until the final deadline of July 14, 2012 - $95 per category

Click here to enter...