by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Throughout history woman writers have been making a name for themselves, some writing under male pen names to get their work published. Today much has changed with small and independent publishers bringing new female talent to the market. If it weren’t for those powerful women who blazed the trails in the past; who knows where our modern-day lady writers would be. Perhaps, still using masculine pseudonyms, we may never know. If you’re looking for some of the hottest new independent female authors hitting the shelves, look to Infinity Publishing’s catalog. Week after week, female writers are turning to Infinity Publishing to publish their work and with one bestseller after another, the gentlemen authors should watch out. Infinity Publishing female authors are taking center stage and loving every minute of their publishing success. Let’s take a look at some incredible titles.
Dr. Yvonne Thornton, author of Something to Prove.
First, let’s talk about Dr. Yvonne Thornton, otherwise known as “Dr. T.” This author is full of 
energy and has a passion for everything she does in life, shines through. Her enthusiasm is contagious and it shines through in her work. She is the author of the bestselling heartwarming memoir The Ditchdigger’s Daughters (which has been translated into 19 languages and adapted as an award-winning movie), knows what it’s like to overcome steep odds. Born into a family with great ambition but few advantages, Dr. Thornton watched her parents work their entire lives to give their daughters a chance, dreaming of the day their girls would be called “doctor.” Now, in Something to Prove, Dr. Thornton brings us along her continued path as a doctor and mother, revealing the challenges of balancing a flourishing medical career with a growing family.
She is an author who is won’t stop until she is at the top…and she deserves it! Her book is also available in audio, so you can take her story with you on the road. She recently met Michelle Obama our first lady and that is just how she spent one of her weekends. To learn more about what Dr. T has going on www.doctorthornton.com.
Natalie MacNeil, author of She Takes on the World.
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 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
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.
Kristin Best, author of Wedding Thank You Notes: Modern Works of Art
Author Kristin Best has hit both the Amazon and Barnes and Noble bestsellers lists for her book
Wedding Thank You Notes: Modern Works of Art. Her book launched February 10, 2012 and is currently holding the #1 bestselling position on Kindle and at Barnes and Noble for “wedding thank you” and is in the #2 position for the paperback edition on Amazon. Authors everywhere should take note of this author’s success.
Why is this book so exciting?
Ms. Best, found an untapped niche in the wedding book genre. This gem doesn’t come around every day. Sure there are a few books out there that talk about wedding thank you notes, but this book goes all the way. It providing hundreds of pre-written thank you messages for virtually every type of wedding gift a couple could possibly receive. A bride can flip through her alphabetical listing of gift items, from crock pots to golf clubs and either copy the beautifully written thank you, word for word or use it as a guide and include along with it a personalized addition. Each thank you message has been carefully crafted and this book will become a staple in a bride’s wedding book library for years and decades to come. This author is soon to be positioned as the wedding thank you note expert. Her website is www.thankyounotesforweddings.com.
These three incredible female authors are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Infinity Publishing has to offer in their diverse catalog. Be on the lookout for our next female success story with traditionally published author turned indie author, Sylvia Lafair. Her book, Gutsy; How Women Leaders Make Change will be published in June 2012.
Interested in having your book featured in the Infinity Pubishing blog? Please post below and we'll be in touch.
by Chris Master
Everyone has a story to tell. And sharing that story is what compels writers to write. In the journey to becoming an author, however, a truer statement would be that everyone has a story to sell. 
As mentioned in previous book cover design blogs, your cover art is your first and best piece of marketing material for your book. Because the cover is so important, serious consideration must be given to picking the correct publisher from a design standpoint. Anyone who has done even 10 minutes of research on Google understands that there are a great many companies in the market offering publishing services. While differences within their services and product offerings can vary significantly, a little more research will reveal that most of these companies do not differ when it comes to designing a cover.
Most self-publishing companies will design for free a generic book cover using a stale, pre-existing template (with “customized” options like choosing the yellow text on the blue background versus blue text on a yellow background.) Frankly, this is the car dealership version of cover creation—the same make and model, different colors. This is not the Infinity Publishing way.
Understanding the limited and unprofessional appearance inherent in this type of “design,” some companies will also offer custom cover design services—for an added expense, of course—using an outsourced professional/freelance designer some from as far away as India. Naturally, the chances of direct interaction with that designer are next to none. This, again, is not the Infinity Publishing way.
Understanding the Infinity Publishing Advantage
What sets Infinity Publishing apart from our competitors is that we have our own in-house custom cover design team. Our lead designer alone has over 11 years of book cover design experience. Even more amazing is that Infinity Publishing gives you a custom cover as a FREE component within our standard publishing package.
Every Infinity Publishing created design is unique to the book it houses. No design templates are used. Ever. We utilize a vast database of art to create our designs. Usin
g your specific input, we try to create a design that is the best possible representation of your book. While we do not employ illustrators, we do go to great lengths to bring an author’s work to life visually. From fonts to images to backgrounds to layout, we treat each book as an individual. Only by comparing your book to 5 or 25 or 1000 of our books side-by-side can you actually begin to understand how distinctive your design truly is.
Infinity Publishing’s creative team takes immeasurable pride in delivering a design that appeals to both the author and the customer. It is what drives us. It is what sets us apart. But you don’t have to take my word for it. I welcome you to do the research for yourself and discover how the Infinity Publishing differentiation can benefit your title.
To see the caliber of our book cover design work, check out our Book Cover Design Gallery.
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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 Ellie Maas Davis
As an edi
tor, my number one headache when it comes to editing Indie authors, especially neophytes, is they’ve a tendency to prematurely offer design elements in their work. Unless the manuscript is a graphic novel, interactive children’s book, picture book, popup books, etc. stylistic measures hamper the editing process.
If I open a manuscript and see anything other than a serif font (and I don’t altogether turn my nose up if it’s something like Garamond or Book Antiqua) I make a note of it and take it as a cautionary warning. I also immediately ensure the “track/change” feature is off, then I “select all” and change the type setting to Times New Roman, 12. At that point, unless it’s an image-laden book (in which case I just lower my head, sigh, and try to appreciate it’s the author’s first rodeo), I also double space things.
Things like image formatting/image placement (the issue with images is that it fouls things up when it comes to saving/navigating a document along with editing comments and track changes), text boxes, symbols, graphs, interior layout, front cover, and other stylistic measures should be added only after the bulk of the narrative is secure and fairly polished (read this: the editor has done most of the heavy lifting of the edit). As an author, you should become familiar with key “insert” features like section and page breaks, and not depend on “hard returns” (really tricky as they’ll need to be manually removed) to create spaces between sections and pages, etc.
In a perfect world, the author’s job is to write, the editor’s job is to edit, and the book designer’s job is to design. But this doesn’t mean the author is off the hook in regards to basic formatting (lest you make a heck of a lot more work for your editor and designer), the following formatting components should be checked, and should be applied to your manuscript.
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Consistent headers, chapters, and section breaks.
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Formatting of citations, indices, and appendices should be consistent. Unless otherwise directed, Pressque editors follow The Chicago Manual of Style.
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Quotation marks can be either straight or curly, but must be consistent in either format. Pressque editors default to curved quotes known as smart quotes, rather than straight quotation marks that are known as non-smart quotations.
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Spacing between sentences should be consistent. Pressque editors use one space between sentences.
Yes, yes, it takes a whole village to “raise” good books—we all have our role—but make sure, as an author, you’re not creating more work for others.
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Ellie Maas Davis
Educated at Southern Methodist University, the University of Kansas, and the University of Witswatersrand in Johannesburg, Ellie Maas Davis has written extensively on the environment and issues of human rights. She is the owner of Pressque, a publishing consultation firm located in downtown Charleston that offers editing, ghostwriting, and marketing services to authors and publishers.
She is a founding board member of the Lowcountry Initiative for the Literary Arts, a former curator and host of Charleston's longest running weekly literary series, Monday Night Blues, and serves as a mentor to senior writing students at Charleston County School of the Arts. Published in a number of anthologies and journals, she is the author of The Humours of Folly, See Charleston in a Day, 100, over a dozen ghostwritten works of fiction and nonfiction, and often reviews books for The Post and Courier. When she's not living somewhere else, she makes her home on Daniel Island with her family. http://www.pressque.com
Reviewed by Kim Bagato
Originally published and courtesy of Armchairinterviews.com.
Fern J. Hill authored a compelling tale about Charley Parkhurst. This made for a believable account based on historic fact fused with fiction. Charley was a trailblazing woman, who despite difficulties, forged a fulfilling life.
Charley lives in a home for orphans where she pals around with Fish, her best buddy. Charley loves horses and is determined, even at a young age, to someday drive the stagecoach. Often Fish would keep watch while Charley secretly rode horses at the home.
Charley never let circumstances or people get in the way of her dreams. She moved from one part of the country to another alone – a daring move for a young woman in that era. She was not harsh or boorish, but composed and confident.
Snakebites, robberies, injuries and danger only strengthened Charley. She could fire a rifle, shoot a pistol and drive a carriage with greater precision than anyone. When it came to horses, she was an expert. She transported cargo and people, often defying the odds of natural disasters. Passengers and friends felt safe in her company.
A family-like bond developed with Eb and Tilly, the first to really treat her like family. Charley leaves them due to unexpected circumstances. Her life takes a surprising turn and we learn about a softer side of her. Eventually, she returns to the only roots she knows, Eb and Tilly’s place. After a brief stay she heads to California where she works as a stagecoach driver.
This is an inspiring story of one brave woman beating the odds and realizing her dreams despite the naysayers. Hill has done her research and effectively told the tale of one amazing horsewoman in early America.
Armchair Interviews says: An inspiring story about a strong and determined women who started with nothing but a dream.
Author’s Web site: http://www.FernJHill.com
Originally published and courtesy of Dorothy Thompson, Virginia Beach Publishing Examiner.
David Friedman is the former president of RSI, an award-winning employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm in the Philadelphia area. He is a frequent guest speaker and seminar leader on organizational culture, leadership and values. A graduate of the College of William & Mary with a degree in Philosophy, Friedman currently lives in Moorestown, NJ with his wife and 2 college-age children.
Thank you for this interview, David. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?
I spent 27 years leading and building RSI into one of the largest independently-owned employee benefits consulting firms in the country. During that time, we won awards for just about every category of business success – from leadership to growth to quality to being a Best Place to Work. After selling the company to a large publicly-held insurance brokerage, I retired from the industry to pursue my writing and speaking interests.
I’ve always been a writer (I was editor-in-chief of our school newspaper in HS), producing shorter articles and documents throughout my career. However, I didn’t focus my efforts on writing a book until just this past year
Can you tell us briefly what your book is about?
One of the things that makes my book, Fundamentally Different, so unique is that it’s a business book, and yet it’s not only a business book.
As a business leadership book, it’s a compelling and thought-provoking read that reveals foundational principles for building a culture of success through organizational values. Its lessons are based on my experiences and reflections as a leader of a high-performance organization. More specifically, my book teaches leaders and organizations the 8 key steps to institutionalizing their most important values, and provides lots of stories and examples to illustrate just how to do it.
But it’s not only a business book, and that’s what makes it doubly powerful and impactful. At RSI, I wrote, developed, and taught a series of 30 values and principles that I called our Fundamentals. These Fundamentals were institutionalized, and were the cornerstone of our high-performance culture.
Fundamentally Different includes an insightful, thought-provoking essay on each of the 30 Fundamentals, each filled with stories and practical examples of how they apply in our daily lives. They include such concepts as “Check the ego at the door”, “Communicate to be understood”, “Set and ask for expectations”, “Speak straight”, and “Be quick to ask and slow to judge.” Everyone who reads the book comes away with lots of “aha” moments and practical ideas that can make a meaningful difference in their lives – at work, at home, with their families, and with their friends.
Who is your intended audience? Have you been able to crossover into other audiences as well?
As I referred to in my previous answer, this is a pretty unique book because it absolutely has
crossover appeal. It’s truly as valuable for the business leadership audience as it is for the “everyday” audience. In fact, one of the most frequent comments in the reviews for the book has been about its ready applicability to our daily lives, whether we’re leaders or not.
Why did you choose your particular genre?
I chose this genre because it’s what I know best. It’s the result of all of the collected wisdom I gained over a 27-year leadership career.
Do you ever experience self-doubts with your work?
Only a little. I suppose it’s like any other artist. When you produce a work of which you’re particularly proud, you believe that others will be just as excited about its quality. However, until it gets into the marketplace, you’re never really sure how good it actually is. Thankfully, the response from readers (and listeners) has only exceeded my best hopes.
Where do you write? Do you have a favorite place?
I have an office on the 2nd floor of my home, and this is where I do my writing. It’s a fairly large room with a desk and wraparound credenza. (I also have a massage chair for when I need a relaxing break!). I like my workspace to be pretty orderly, so I usually try to keep the desk surface clean and uncluttered. I do all of my writing on the computer.
What kind of research did you have to do during the writing process?
The book did not require any additional research beyond the “field research” that comprised my 27-year business leadership career. In fact, it’s one of the things that makes the book so powerful – everything I write about is based on firsthand, personal experience.
Who is your publisher and how did you get accepted by them? Did you pitch your book yourself or go through an agent?
My publisher is Infinity Publishing, Inc. They were pretty accommodating in producing my work and I pitched them myself, rather than going through an agent. Their sister company, Spoken Books Publishing, produced by audio book as well (which I narrated).
How are you promoting your book thus far?
I have many avenues through which I’m promoting my book, including:
· My virtual book tour
· Radio interviews throughout the country
· Blogging
· Using Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter to build my online presence
· Speaking engagements
· Press releases
· E-mail marketing using Constant Contact
· Using my friends and family network
If you could give one book promotion tip to new authors, what would that be?
No matter how good your book is, it’s not going to sell if people don’t know about it. You have to use every opportunity to spread the message about your book.
What’s next for you?
Right now, I’m pretty focused on speaking and consulting engagements, and working on developing materials to supplement my book. I often do talks, seminars, and workshops teaching the concepts that are in the book. As I do these, I’m always thinking about additional materials that I can create that will help make the program I deliver more impactful for people.
Thank you for this interview, David. Can you tell us where we can find you on the web?
You can learn more about me, my work, and my writing by going to my website:
http://fundamentally-different.com
There you can find a longer biography, see the full list of the 30 Fundamentals, read reviews of the book, read my blog, find out about booking me for speaking or consulting, and see the list of where I’ll be appearing.
You can even read a sample chapter of my book there as well as listen to a chapter from the audio book (which I narrated!).
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Dorothy Thompson, Virginia Beach Publishing Examiner.
Dorothy Thompson is CEO/Founder of Pump Up Your Book Promotion. She has 10 years' experience in online marketing. She is also author of Romancing the Soul, No More Gooseberry Pie, The Search for the Million $$$ Ghost, and A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook. ...
by John William Myers IV
I am lucky enough to get paid for my hobby. As much as I'd like to say this is for my tennis or scuba diving skills, it is actually more fun than that. I love to edit. In high school and particularly in college I was a decent writer, but I was always getting hammered on mechanics. Rhetoric and writing assignments would have comments from my professor like, "Strong style!" or "Great transition!" but the rest of the document looked like my professor had a paper cut. There were hundreds of sporadic red spots, circles, blobs, dashes, and carets spread over the page like so much spilled blood. In short, I was forced to focus on my mechanics. As I aged, I realized I was never really a talented writer, but the upside was that I was technically proficient. I can't write very well, but I can make my poor writing grammatically correct. This led to my lucking into actually getting paid to use this acquired skill...and I love it. As a junior editor, I don't get to work on Pulitzer nominated manuscripts, and this is actually something I like. I get to work on manuscripts written by a wide variety of people who are just like me. They have a passion for writing, but they may not be very good at it. I think it's a perfect partnership. I did have a manuscript once that was brilliant. I was amazed at how fantastic the writing was, but they had some atrocious grammar issues. I realized that day how the real talent was the writing and that was why people paid me to fix the grammar...like I said, a perfect partnership.
With that background introduction, I'd like to offer a junior editor's key piece of advice for the novice book writer. By far, the most common issue I see with manuscripts is poor initial planning. I probably should have learned this in college, but it took me until grad school to realize that you really need to plan, organize, or even outline your work before starting. Of course, if the muse hits one morning, start writing that introductory paragraph or chapter, but make sure you organize early in the process. You may not necessarily have a "thesis statement" you are supporting, but you need to make sure you have an idea of what you are trying to say and how you will go about saying it. Put yourself in your reader's position and make sure there is a start, middle, and end that transition well and please use chapter headings and even sub-headings. Too many manuscripts come to me that are cut and paste jobs from possibly twenty different articles and each has its own heading/sub-heading style that isn't consistent. This is a major problem and can be alleviated easily. I understand that not every subject can be easily planned. If you are writing a book about Abraham Lincoln it would be natural to organize chronologically. You would naturally start with Abe as a young man, his early political life, his election to President, the Civil War, then end with his death and Southern reconstruction and/or his legacy. This isn't so clear if you are an insurance professional writing a book about how great a universal life policy is to have. Without proper planning and organization, I have seen these books get ridiculously redundant, repetitive and confusing. Even though you may be pulling the majority of your information from previously written articles, it is up to the author to read the manuscript as a whole. I know a manuscript can sometimes take on a life of its own and may morph into something that wasn't originally intended. This is actually good, but do yourself a favor and re-evaluate your organization and make the necessary changes. The body of your work will benefit greatly. So work on your organization, planning, and content but don't pay attention to mechanics. I like my job too much and don't want to run out of assignments. You write. I'll fix.
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JOHN MYERS, PRESSQUE’S QUALITY ASSURANCE EDITOR AND PROOFREADER
John has over twenty years of operations, project management, and corporate development experience. Currently, he’s the Director of Business Development/Program Management for CodeLynx, a defense contractor specializing in Physical and Logical Security. Previously, John was the Vice President, Operations for Etix.com, and Intelli-Mark Technologies, an Internet-based technology company utilizing barcode technology. As one of the founding employees of Etix.com, John helped the company grow from five employees in one office to a company with over 3000 clients in sixteen countries with gross revenues in excess of $171 million and offices in the Netherlands, Germany, China, and Japan. In his role, Mr. Myers was responsible for domestic and global operations development, client services, and operational project management. Mr. Myers has a BA in Managerial Economics and German from Hampden-Sydney College, an MBA with distinction from The Citadel and a master’s certificate in Project Management from Boston University. Mr. Myers is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, International Business Honor Society, and Phi Kappa Phi, Academic Honor Society.
by Laura Pici
Chances are if you’re a new author looking to publish your book, you’re finding yourself a little overwhelmed with options. While self-publishing has allowed millions of un-published writers see their dreams of publication come true, it has also created some confusion (at best) and occasionally disappointment (at worst). What seems to be the deciding factor to an author’s smooth and successful book launch? The right publishing company.
I have worked with new authors at Infinity Publishing for 5 years now, and have heard the gamut of issues that a new author can face when trying to debut their “baby” to the world. From finicky computers losing files to finding the best way to market once the book is complete, authors have a lot to think about when they’re ready to publish. One thing they shouldn’t have to worry about is their publisher. A publisher should help an author GAIN, not drain.
Here is what to look for in a publishing partner:
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Generosity. A good publisher is working with you throughout the entire process, not just churning out a book and forgetting about the rest. They should be generous with time and service, to not only create the best possible book, but also create a positive experience from proof to publication to distribution.
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Assistance. One of the most frequent complaints I hear from authors is that they can’t get a hold of their publisher. Every call ends in a voicemail, or dialing that “customer service” number takes you continents away. At Infinity Publishing we assign you one person – one point of contact – to handle all of your questions, concerns, and inquiries. This way you always know what’s happening with your book, no matter where it may be in the process. You can also rest assured that the assistance you receive is 100% U.S. based – you can even visit us in person if you’re in the neighborhood!
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Insight. Being a novice author shouldn’t have to mean you’re figuring everything out alone. Ever wondered which size book is best for you? How about the best way to reach your core reader demographic? The staff of your publishing company should be able to offer wisdom from experience. It’s not a chore for us to answer your questions and make the best suggestions because we’ve likely dealt with it before. As a 5 year veteran of Infinity Publishing, I’m actually one of the newer employees here, which means you can feel confident that you’re getting the best advice and service from people that have published and sold literally thousands of books in every genre possible. From author advocates to cover designers to our marketing team, we’ve provided authors with the insight to avoid some of publishing’s pitfalls, and sail through to a successful book.
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Name. Your publisher’s name will appear on your book, so don’t you want that to be a name that garners respect and showcases quality? The author/publisher relationship is a partnership, and the interests should be mutual. Infinity Publishing takes pride in each and every title we put forth.
Your success is our success, and our efforts are focused on maintaining our good name, while helping you create your own good (and hopefully soon-to-be renowned) name in the book world.
Who will you trust to publish your title? We hope you consider Infinity Publishing!
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Laura Pici has been with Infinity Publishing for 5 years, working with new authors daily as an Author Advocate. She graduated fromTexas Christian University in 2005, and after a brief stint in California, has been in thePhiladelphia area ever since. When not working, she enjoys life with her boyfriend, young son, and extended family. If by chance she finds actual “free” time, Laura indulges in reading books and magazines, (occasionally) exercising, and finding ways to make “bad” food healthier.
Image courtesy of Zsuzsanna Kilian.
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Amazon is more than the world’s largest online bookstore, it is a hub for readers and shoppers to connect with each other, share reviews,tag products and provide lists of their favorite books to one another. Scroll down to the bottom of any Amazon product page and you’ll find the most interactive, free features that Amazon offers. It is their forum. The great news is that as an author, you have a forum discussion feature on your individual book product page and also on your personal Amazon author page. It is another free tool that allows for an incredible online discussion board to ask and answer questions with your readers and potential fans. Check out the forum post discussions at the bottom of John Grisham's product page for The Litigators.
Why would an author want to start a forum post on Amazon?
Why not! If you are interested in feedback on your book, or are looking for information on your subject matter, Amazon’s forum is a great way to gather this information. Amazon users are very open to giving their two cents on virtually any subject. Creating a new discussion is as easy as typing a sentence, even if you hunt and peck on the keyboard. Just click on "Start a new discussion" and it will open up the box so you can enter in your topic and include a link to any product for sale on Amazon. Don't forget to select the box to "Receive a new email when posts are made." so that you are notified when people respond to your post.
What should an author post about on their own forum?
Amazon has displayed its Forum Guidelines and they are clear about what they do not want to see, so be sure to check out their policy. It’s pretty standard stuff, no vulgar language and that type of thing. I recommend that authors use the forum on their Amazon author page whenever possible.
Here are my top 5 uses for posting on the Amazon forums:
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Ask your readers for feedback on your book. Don’t ask, “did you like my book” I’m talking about getting creative. What did you think about the villain? Who was your favorite character? How did (list book title) help you? Be deliberate with your questions and ask meaningful questions that you really care about.
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Position yourself as an expert. If you’re a chef and have written a cookbook, start discussions on the topic of cooking. What is your favorite substitute for butter when making desserts when you’re cutting calories?
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Research content for your next book. If you’re working on your next title use the Amazon forum for real-time research. Ask the online users what they are looking for in your genre. What is your favorite historical fiction novel? What makes for a good romance novel? Which hobby makes for a better option for my hero…avid golfer or chess champion?
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Reference current events. If there is a buzz in the media that you can tie to your book use that connection. If you have book on politics you could be having a field day between this being an election year and the politicians. Will you buy the book that covers the John Edwards trial once it comes out?
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Have fun. Interesting posts are what gain attention. Did you see the episode of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" on the Food Network last night, what was Guy thinking?
What if you’re not comfortable creating your own forum posts?
Post on other discussions. If you’re not interested in starting your own string of discussions, post comments on other strings. It doesn’t get any easier than that.
What NOT to do in the Amazon forums.
Don’t blatantly ask people to buy your book. You can link to products that are for sale on Amazon, along with every post you make, so providing a link to your book is okay. Use the forums to gather and receive information. It really is for the exchange of ideas. If you can get a few mentions in there to promote awareness about your book, even better.
As Amazon puts it, “Ask questions. Share opinions. Gain insight.”
Have fun with your new Amazon marketing tool and use it wisely. What are you posting about on Amazon’s forums? Please share your thoughts below.
by Karen Hodges Miller
You're inspired to write a book. The idea doesn't matter, the genre doesn't matter; it doesn't matter whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction. The important thing is that you know that you have something to tell the world and the best way to tell it is in a book. Everyone wants to be an author, but no one really wants to be a writer.What's the difference? An author is a person who has completed and published something. A writer is a person in the middle of that process.
How do you move from writer to author? Sit down and start to write! It sounds so simple, but this is the step where most people fail: they never find the time to sit down and write, so their book remains in their heads, where it does no good for anyone - not even themselves.
Here are five suggestions to help you get started on your writing project:
• Set up a specific place to write that is comfortable, relaxed and free from interruption.
• Get everything you need together before you start to work, your pencils and paper, laptop, the web addresses of site you might want to refer to, a dictionary, thesaurus, and grammar (either in paper form or favorite websites). If you keep stopping to get what you need, you'll never get anywhere.
• Find the right time. You may be most creative at 5 a.m. or at midnight, but write when you have creative energy.
• Give yourself at least an hour - more if possible, and make a pledge to yourself that you won't leave your computer until that time is up.
• Write something - anything. No matter how bad you think it is, make sure that you get at least a few sentences written and saved. It is always easier to edit material that is already written than it is to write the first words. Writing something today means your job will be easier tomorrow.
Yes, it is so much easier said than done, but the bottom line is if you want to be an author you have to first be a writer. Don't wait for the perfect moment to happen, create the perfect moment.
To use a well-known tagline: Just Do It!
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While over 80% of Americans say they want to write a book, most never will. Karen Hodges Miller offers her 25-plus years of experience as writer, editor and publisher to entrepreneurial authors who want to realize that dream. She holds a variety of workshops and seminars each year on book writing, publishing and marketing. Karen’s experience as a freelance business reporter gives her a fresh outlook on the creative world of writers and the practical world of business owners. As founder of Open Door PublicationsSM LLC Karen has helped dozens of authors bring their own ideas to market; the company published almost two dozen books since 2006. Karen began authoring her own series of books for authors in 2010. “Finish Your Book! A Time Management Guide for Writers” is a practical and inspirational guide for the busy writer who must find time to write while juggling a business and personal life. “Sell Your Book, Think Outside the Bookstore,” to be published in April 2011, includes over 100 practical, specific tips for book marketing along with interviews with a variety of nationally-known publishing and marketing experts. Learn more about Karen at www.OpenDoorPublications.com
Image courtesy of Esmée.
by Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.
I am a physician (obstetrician/gynecologist), national bestselling author (“The Ditchdigger’s Daughters”), musician (alto saxophonist), vocalist (soprano), University professor, clinical researcher, mother, wife and motivational speaker. With that said, what would possess me to narrate my own memoir, SOMETHING TO PROVE?
The First Book and Bestseller.
My first book, “The Ditchdigger’s Daughters” was narrated by a lovely woman, Fran Washington, met with critical acclaim and went on to be adapted into an award-winning cable TV movie. People have always complimented me on my mellifluous voice. So, when I heard her, I thought to myself, “I could do that. It doesn’t seem to be that difficult”. But, that’s as far as it went for more than twenty years. Well, the opportunity presented itself after writing my second memoir, SOMETHING TO PROVE. Dick Estell of the nationally-syndicated “Radio Reader” had offered to read my book on his radio program starting July 4, 2011. He, too, did a great job. However, I thought that the audiobook would definitely need a feminine voice. The audio rights for the book were held by Kaplan Publishing, publishers of the initial hardcover in 2009. When the hardcover was finally published in December of 2010, I kept asking Kaplan about when the audiobook would be available and who would be selected to narrate my book. I heard nothing from the publishers. It’s as if I were all alone in a forest. Weeks went by, months went by. No response. However, I was persistent and resolute about having an audiobook for SOMETHING TO PROVE. After six months of nothing happening, I asked my literary agent to try and get the audiobook rights reverted back to the authors. She really didn’t seem to be that interested either. However, after nine months (the gestational age for a full-term baby) of constantly bothering the publishing company, I prevailed and Kaplan finally relinquished the audiobook rights. Now, what do I do? I had the audiobook rights, but I didn’t know what to do with them.
Getting the Audio Book Published.
I didn’t have any connections in the audiobook business and my literary agent couldn’t have cared less. So, I went online and typed in “audiobook publishers”. Up popped Infinity Publishers and Spoken Books Publishing! I immediately called Tim Rice, who was most professional and full of information. Following our conversation, he quoted me the fee (which was very reasonable) and sent me the standard audio contract. I was on my way! I asked him whether I could narrate my own the book, even though I had absolutely no experience in voice-over work or narrating and if I could do the narration over the phone from my home. He chuckled and told me that I could narrate my own book, but I needed to come to the studio in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania? I didn’t know where West Conshohocken was! I live in the New York City metropolitan area and I had to look on the map for the location of West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. It was about a two-hour drive, but now I was on a mission and I didn’t care how far I had to go to get this project done. I was going. A few weeks later, I was introduced to Dave Giorgio——the most awesome, fabulous, stupendous producer for my audiobook. I was a neophyte, I had never done this before and Dave took me through everything—holding my hand all the way. He was so, so, so kind and patient. Before I knew what narrating a book involved, I thought I could just sit down in the studio booth, complete the reading of the book in one or two sessions and go home. After all it’s only a 265-page book, right? Boy, was I surprised!
Being a “voice” talent is NOTHING compared to anything I had ever experienced before. I have been a motivational speaker and a lecturer for over 20 years, speaking before hundreds and thousands of people. But, sitting down in an enclosed sound-proof booth with earphones on and a microphone ready to record your every breath was daunting. Unlike public speaking and even though I authored the memoir I was to narrate, I had to learn to concentrate on the words, the breathing patterns, the inflection, pronunciation, enunciation, avoid the mouth-muscle fatigue, all the while being aware of the proper cadence and character voice changes. I had a new-found respect for audiobook narrators and could understand why many authors did not narrate and record their own books. But, I was in too deep and I just kept going with the guidance, support and encouragement of Dave Giorgio, my producer. He was truly phenomenal. One session, turned into two, three, and then four and beyond. Driving two hours from New York was off-set by the miraculous results I was hearing from the unedited drafts of the audiobook. Dave let me hear the raw recordings so that I could improve my delivery and practice, practice, practice my lines. It was a major undertaking but I was psyched.
However, in the midst of preparing my audiobook, I discovered, quite inadvertently, that Kaplan Books Publishing had closed their recently-formed trade book division and with dastardly indifference, slithered away ignominiously without having the courtesy or integrity of informing any of its authors of their decision to leave book publishing. I was in shock! However, coming to the studio to record the book kept me focused. When life gives you lemons, “make lemonade”!! During my visits to West Conshohocken, I noted that Infinity Publishing also published traditional books. So, I called Michelle Shane at Infinity Publishing and asked her about trying to keep the book in print by publishing it as a paperback. She, too, was very helpful and accommodating. It was particularly disheartening about Kaplan, especially since my memoir SOMETHING TO PROVE was named the 2011 Grand Prize Winner of the New York Book Festival. Go Figure!!
When all was said and done, it took me about eight sessions to complete my narrative role in the making of the audiobook. With the editing complete, after about two months, I had the finished product of a beautifully mastered audiobook. SOMETHING TO PROVE is now not only an audiobook “as read by the author”, but also a paperback with a CD inside (both being sold on Amazon.com). There was a silver lining after all. I am very proud of myself and, more important, I am thrilled with Infinity Publishing and Spoken Books Publishing for giving me the opportunity to keep my book alive.
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Dr. Thornton is the national best-selling author of the heartwarming memoir, "The Ditchdigger's Daughters" published in 1995 and has never been out of print. The book, "The Ditchdigger's Daughters" was also featured on the "Oprah Winfrey Show". This family biography (co-authored with Jo Coudert) is a tribute to her parents and was condensed in The Reader's Digest, translated into 19 languages, adapted into a World Premiere Movie and nominated for the Peabody Award and the Cable ACE Award for Best Picture. http://www.doctorthornton.com
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
The other day I was talking with a colleague let’s call her “Sally” and she told me that she decided to finally take the plunge into the world of electronic books and bought a Nook. The funny part about this story is that she is in the business of eBooks. It’s not that she just touches eBooks she is a big-wig, in the eBook business. How could this be?
So I asked Sally, “What has been holding you back from buying an eReader?” Could it be that she works too many long hours and doesn’t have the time to read? Nope. She is an avid reader, loves her paperbacks and even checks books out of the library. Is it because there are eReaders lying around the office and so she doesn’t really need one at home? Not the case. Perhaps she already bought a Kindle or iPad for herself and one of her kids has taken hold of it. Again, nada.
The reason Sally held out so long on buying an eReader, was because she likes to read in the bathtub. That is her escape and she always takes a good old-fashioned paperback with her. I thought I must have missed some big announcement from Barnes and Noble about a new waterproof devise. Turns out the clerk at Barnes and Noble, told her to put her Nook in a Ziploc™ bag so it won’t get wet. Brilliant! As it turns out, this is a very common question.
This simple solution sold one more Nook for Barnes and Noble, so kudos to that sales rep. Sally is now enjoying her Nook while enjoying her bubble baths. So why did she run with a Nook vs. Kindle vs. iPad? For Sally it was the smaller size and she wanted a device that was just for reading ebooks. Now she is hooked and very clean.
What eReader do you own? If you don’t yet own one…what is holding you back? Tell us your story below…
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Image courtesy of ozaidesigns.com.
by Jon Mehlman
The purpose of this article is to show how self-published authors like yourself can use the power of blogging as a powerful mechanism to bring quality visitors, leads, and customers to your site. It’s not intended to review the various ways of how to make money with blogging (like selling ad space, for example).
I love my job! I’m an Inbound Marketing Consultant at HubSpot. And every day I have an opportunity to positively impact my clients in a measurable way.
I use “measurable” in a very literal sense (no pun intended for you literary, self-published types out there) because the HubSpot software was designed by a bunch of metric driven techies. Since these techies are HubSpotters too, I’m sure they hear the same little voice in their head’s that I do. It says, “If you can’t measure it, it’s not worth doing.” So it’s satisfying to have analytic tools that can directly attribute the effect your blogging efforts to visitors, leads and customers. In fact, for the month of April 2012, Infinity Publishing generated 113 leads that viewed the Infinity Publishing blog prior to becoming a lead.
Sherrie at Infinity Publishing is one of my rock star pupils because she believed in the process and trusted the inbound marketing methodology. And while most of you who are reading this are not HubSpot clients, I have little doubt that folks like yourself, who are interested in self-publishing, can achieve similar results if you put forth the effort.
Much like your bathroom scale at home, the numbers don’t lie. When you put in the sweat equity and create remarkable content, which includes publishing captivating blog articles, you will see the results in the form of an increase in your traffic.
Now don’t get excited yet, because an increase in traffic alone isn’t going to get visitors to pre-order your next best seller. Not gonna happen.
What you need to do, if your goal is to convert visitors to customers, is create a holistic approach that converts a visitor to a lead and then shortens the lead to customer sales cycle. And the best part about it is that if you do it right, your visitors won’t even feel like they’re been sold!
Blogging is one of the best ways to get new visitors to your site. Think of it as your welcome mat to your home. It’s the first step in your sales process, right? Without visitors, you have no one to sell to and no opportunity to convert them into raving fans. So the first thing we need to master is how to blog to attract the right types of visitors to our site.
The 7 Most Important Blogging Best Practices that Led to Infinity Publishing’s Growth
1) Know Your Audience. HubSpot refers to this as buyer personas. Once Infinity Publishing became intimate with their buyer personas and understood their goals and challenges, it became easy to educate them, answer their questions, and solve their problems. By creating blog content centered around buyer personas, Infinity Publishing was able to establish themselves as a thought leader and center of influence among the publishing community
2) Blog Multiple Times per Week. Studies show that there is a direct correlation between blog frequency and customer acquisition. In fact, 78% of companies that blog daily have acquired a customer directly attributed to their blogging efforts.
3) Blog in a Conversational Manner and Don’t be Too Self-Promotional. Sherrie does a great job of not only selecting great topics to blog about (because she knows her buyer personas) but she also writes in a tone that’s easy on the brain. For example, in one of her articles last month titled Using Amazon Keyword Tags to Sell More Books, she starts out, “Over the weekend I was looking for a book on Amazon…” That’s brilliant! Sherrie knew that “Amazon” is pretty much always trending and would create a buzz and chatter among her followers. And you know what? She never mentioned Infinity Publishing in the entire article. Not once! And not only that, but she got 10 comments and 658 page views. But the best part is that 8 visitors read her blog post prior to becoming a lead.
4) Leverage the Power of Community by Featuring Guest Bloggers. There is power in numbers. Think about it. You get guest bloggers to carry some of the content creation load and at the same time, offer your tribe a fresh perspective with a different twist. But best of all you will get new inbound links, which is still super powerful in Google’s ranking factor. Your guest bloggers get a whole new set of eye balls by being featured on your blog which provides them with a new platform to reach additional followers who will potentially join their tribe too. Everybody wins!
5) Strategic Focus on Your Organic Keyword Strategy. By focusing on a small set of CORE keywords at a time, Infinity Publishing has increased the number of keywords that they show up for on the first page of Google’s search engine results page (SERP). Sherrie is able to rank on page one of SERP’s because she focuses on 10 – 12 keywords at a time. It’s important to note that you can slip in the SERP’s if you don’t continue to create content around those keywords, or get more inbound links. So like Sherrie, you need to constantly monitor your current rank, difficultly, monthly search volume, visitors and leads, and creates content around keywords that you need to rank higher for, based on what your data tell you. Once you see that one of your keywords has achieved its rank, move on to another keyword to focus on, but never forget the keywords that got you on page one of the SERP’s in the first place. A well designed keyword strategy will rule the day!
6) Ask Compelling Questions. It’s tough to build a tribe of followers without mutual dialog. A great way to engage with your visitors is to include a compelling question at the end of each blog article and encourage them to use the comments section to continue the conversation. Provide thought provoking questions to give your readers an opportunity to share their thoughts and ask their own questions of other people just like them.
7) Create a Holistic Inbound Marketing Strategy That Converts. By holistic I mean tying everything together so that your efforts are going to be rewarded. Ideally, every blog article you publish should have a call to action that’s aligned with the subject of your blog article. The blog article should tie in with your keyword strategy and buyer personas. You should have a relevant piece of content for visitors to download when they click on the call to action button that’s at the bottom of your blog article, as well as other pages on your site. The call to action buttons take them to a landing page where your visitor gives you their name and email in exchange for your “remarkable content.”
The magic happens when you begin to truly take the time to listen and get to know your buyer personas. What you’ll find are patterns and consistent themes of questions, problems, and comments. Once you begin to harness the power of your blog as a medium to answer their questions, solve their problems, and encourage their comments, you will begin to align what your followers want with what you have to offer. And that’s how you’ll grow your followers and your business online.
What are some topics of interest that you’re passionate about? What are other successful strategies that have helped you create meaningful blog articles and content that has grown your publishing business?
Jon Mehlman is an Inbound Marketing Consultant (IMC). Throughout his diverse career, Jon has held business development, marketing, and consulting roles in various industries including Wall Street, CRM software, financial services, manufacturing, and internet marketing software.
Jon’s “Ah-ha” moment came when he attended his first live HubSpotTVshow while at his previous company. His intention was to network and figure out the best way to partner with HubSpot. But when he got there, Jon realized that what he really wanted to do was work for HubSpot... and the rest is history.
For kicks, Jon loves skiing, cycling, and traveling with his wife and two boys, Jack and Theo. Jon’s been a long-time volunteer ski instructor with the Adaptive Sports Foundation, and has been a proud participant of the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the largest fundraiser for cancer research in the United States.
He’s a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Marketing.
P.S. If you’re a prospect or just passionate about inbound marketing, I highly recommend Inbound Marketing University, HubSpot’s free internet marketing and social media training program that has certified over 2,500 marketers.
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
If you’ve gone to Amazon to buy a book, you’re probably already aware that you can take a sneak peak, or “search inside the book” before you place an order. Have you noticed that sometimes there isn’t a preview available? If there isn’t a preview available, then Amazon has not be provided that information at the time the book was published. The Search Inside the Book preview must be submitted to Amazon by the publisher, or if the author is self-publishing this task falls into their lap before it will show up and be available for viewing.
How do you submit a file to Amazon for the Search Inside the Book feature?
Amazon provides very easy instructions on how to get your files to them, for both eBooks and printed books. Follow their step-by-step instructions provided on their site, here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=13685751
Why would you want to use the Search Inside the Book feature?
This feature provides a potential reader a true look at what they will be getting before they order a copy of your book. Nothing is worse than having someone buy your book and then they post a negative review because the book was not what they expected. Personally, I don’t like to buy a book without taking a look at the table of contents.
Can you activate your Search Inside the Book Feature after your publication date?
Yes! If you’re just learning about this fabulous marketing tool and your book was published a while back, don’t worry. You can activate your Search Inside the Book Feature at any time.
How long will it take before the Inside the Book Feature will be active on Amazon?
Amazon is very good with their turnaround time, so you should see your book file preview up on your Amazon book page within a few weeks of delivering to Amazon your book file.
This is such a powerful marketing tool for every author, make the most of it! Check out our free eBook, "Authors Guide to Using Amazon" click below to download.
by Karen Hodges Miller
A recent survey showed over 80% of Americans would like to write a book – but most never will.
In fact, in my experience, of that 80% who WANT to write a book, only about ten percent will ever start – and only about one percent of those who start will finish! After years of helping writers to complete their books, I’ve learned that the best way to finish is to schedule two to three two-hour blocks of time each week to work on it.
Think you don’t have that time? Here are a few tried and true techniques to help you find it.
1. Develop Your Vision. Why do you want to write a book? What do you want your book to do for you? There are as many possible answers to these questions as there are books and authors. You may want your book to inspire others, to help you build a business, to build your reputation as a writer, or all of the above. There is no wrong answer, only your answer.
2. Don’t Wait for Inspiration. How often have you said, “I’ll start writing my book when …” You are waiting for that special moment when time, energy and inspiration all come together. It may be when your kids are in school, the week they are in camp, or when you quit your job. But somehow, whenever those moments do arrive, something else always fills your time. There are clothes to wash, appointments to make, meetings to attend, and a host of other excuses. But if you are going to finish your book you must schedule regular writing time every week – and then make that time sacred.
3. Write About Your Passion. If you are not passionate about the subject of your book you are not going to want to spend the time needed to write it. Writing is hard work. There are times when you will have to give up evenings or weekends or Saturday afternoons to work on your book. Just because dozens of people have told you that you ought to write a book on a certain subject, doesn’t mean you should. If you don’t love it, find another topic!
4. Set Your Goals. A book is a big project. You can’t finish your book in one afternoon, or even one month. So set some goals for yourself. “At the end of one month I will have completed my outline.” “I will write one chapter per week.” “I will finish my books in six months.” Make sure your goals are realistic – then stick to them.
5. Give Yourself Rewards. Now that you’ve set your goals, reward yourself when you accomplish them. It works for your kids, why shouldn’t it work for you? Set small rewards for small goals – a relaxing cup of tea for finishing 1,000 words, for example. Set larger rewards for larger goals – a night of fun with your favorite video, popcorn and some friends to share it, for completing a chapter. And don’t forget to set a really nice reward for actually finishing your book!
6. Manage Priorities, Not Time. Make a list of your priorities, then divide these tasks into four categories: Urgent and Important, Urgent and Unimportant, Not Urgent and Important, Not Urgent and Unimportant. For example, a ringing phone urgently pleads for your attention, but is often unimportant. The two hours you block twice a week to work on your book are important but not urgent, so it’s easy to let something else slide into that time slot. How much of your time is spent on urgent but unimportant activities? Using this quadrant will help you see just how you are using your time.
7. Block Your Time. Now that you know what your most important priorities are, take out your calendar and start blocking in times. Block out the time spent on running errands, attending meetings, taking kids to activities. What time is left? Can you find two or three two-hour periods each week to work on your book? Once you’ve blocked them, make them sacrosanct. Only real emergencies should keep you from working on your book in those time periods.
8. Find the Right Place to Write. Writing takes concentration. You really cannot do your best work in the middle of the family room with the TV blaring and kids running around. Find a quiet corner where you can keep your work organized and easily accessible. Even if you live in a small apartment, make yourself a comfy corner where you can work without distraction.
9. Find an Accountability Partner. An accountability partner is someone who supports/nudges/nags you into completing a difficult project. Accountability partners can be used for everything from weight loss and exercise to writing your book. The relationship works best if each person has the opportunity to be both the nagged and the nagger. If the deal is only one way, it can devolve into something uncomfortably like the relationship between a parent and teenager – and that’s a good way to ruin a friendship. Both people don’t have to be working on the same thing, although that can be helpful. Just make sure that you and your partner have clear rules about the structure and type of nagging that will occur.
10. Why projects fail is failure to start. What’s the number one reason why projects fail? Failure to start. So pick a topic. Pick a time. Pick a place. Pick up a pencil. Pick out a file name for your new document. And write.
While over 80% of Americans say they want to write a book, most never will. Karen Hodges Miller offers her 25-plus years of experience as writer, editor and publisher to entrepreneurial authors who want to realize that dream. She holds a variety of workshops and seminars each year on book writing, publishing and marketing. Karen’s experience as a freelance business reporter gives her a fresh outlook on the creative world of writers and the practical world of business owners. As founder of Open Door PublicationsSM LLC Karen has helped dozens of authors bring their own ideas to market; the company published almost two dozen books since 2006. Karen began authoring her own series of books for authors in 2010. “Finish Your Book! A Time Management Guide for Writers” is a practical and inspirational guide for the busy writer who must find time to write while juggling a business and personal life. “Sell Your Book, Think Outside the Bookstore,” to be published in April 2011, includes over 100 practical, specific tips for book marketing along with interviews with a variety of nationally-known publishing and marketing experts. Learn more about Karen at www.OpenDoorPublications.com
by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Facebook continues to grow as the marketing platform of choice for just about everything – goods, services, and causes – so it’s an obvious place for authors to consider when you start marketing your book. To get the most out of your Facebook presence here are 4 things that every author should know:
1. Create a Fan Page
There are two types of Facebook pages – a profile page and a fan page. Profile pages are what individuals use to connect to friends, family, classmates and colleagues. Fan pages are used for promotion. They are perfect for building closer relationship with your audience and customers.
Every author should have a fan page. To set up a fan page, go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php and follow the step-by-step instructions. Now that you have a Fan page you can promote your page on your website, in your ebook and in press releases.
2. Ask People to Like You
Your goal is to have people “Like” your page. Once someone likes your page, any updates you post to your Fan page will be visible in your stream. This keeps your fans engaged and keeps you and your books “top of mind”. This makes it more likely that next time a fan is looking for a new read, or recommending a book – you and your work will come to mind. To get your first “Likes” send a message to family and friends asking them to like your page. Ask current fans on your website to Like your page. If you are on Twitter ask your Twitter fans to Like your page. Anytime you receive media exposure make sure to mention your Facebook page.
3. Install the Facebook App for Authors
There is a great FREE Facebook app for authors that you should install on your page. 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.
The app has these great features:
- Allows you to import your book information directly from Amazon.
- Allows your fans to buy your books with one-click.
- Allows you to offer a free chapter of your book.
- Allows you to collect email addresses from your fans so you can send email updates.
- Allows you to highlight upcoming book signings and event you are holding.
To learn more about the app you can visit:
http://bit.ly/ICInOp
4. Stay Engaged
The key to a successful Facebook page is to consistently update your page. You can decide on the frequency – at a minimum you want to post something new once a week. Your posts can be simple: something that inspired you (a picture, a quote, an interaction); an upcoming event you are holding; an update on the new book you are writing; a news article that you found interesting. It’s more important to post something than to post the perfect thing, so don’t spend too much time obsessing over what to post, rather, just put something out there.
By following these four simple steps you will be on your way to using Facebook as a successful marketing tool!
Tell us what you think about the Author App!