Building Media Lists for Book Reviews

When it comes to promoting your book using public relations as a platform to extend your reach is a solid way to go. One of the most simple ways to generate buzz and create awareness is through book reviews. By developing a list of media outlets and key influencers you can appeal to targeted journalists and bloggers that have the ability to offer insight and feedback to others about your newly published body of work. Here’s how you can get started.

Begin by building a customized list of potential contacts. The recipients should be a blend of general and well-known book critics, as well as off-the-beaten-path reviewers that are more prone to reading and writing about niche authors. Beyond building a database of reviewers consider including bookstore owners/buyers, trade associations and specialty stores too.

Good places to look for contacts are the National Book Critics Circle and BookMarket.com’s list of review editors. You can tailor your list of well-known reviewers and also dig around on the net for some of the lesser known critics to fill in any gaps on your list.

Send out a letter, or email, of introduction that briefly describes who you are and what you book is about. Like most book-related correspondence don’t forget to include a hook that will entice the recipient to yearn for more. Explain how they can receive a complimentary copy of your book and about how long it will take for the shipment to arrive. Some outlets will only review galley copies, or early manuscripts that have yet to be edited. Be prepared to accommodate these requests if necessary.

Another group that can be tapped to solicit reviews from are the mentions within the book itself. If your book talks about companies, businesses, locations or specific people you can reach out to them and let them know that you’ve created free PR and would appreciate reciprocation. Use this opportunity as part of your PR efforts and to generate backlinks to your online book page.

Since it’s often difficult to know who’s reviewing and what they’re saying about your book, youo’ll want to use Google Alerts to set-up notifications based on chosen keywords. This will help you monitor links and coverage about your book so that you can collect and use as testimonial and reference on your book’s website.

10 Tips For a Guest Blogger

All good writers should have a blog. It gives you an outlet to provide real time updates on events ad happenings and it can be a platform that you use to position yourself as someone who’s an author and a resource that others can count on for credible information. Now if you want to give your blog a major traffic boost you should consider guest blogging. By following these guest blogging tips you’ll have a better chance at landing a guest blog spot.

1.  Know the Blog

Don’t pick a blog with the most readers and then hit up the blogger with a request to guest post. Guest blog for one that you read regularly and follow yourself. Consider what it is about the blog that you like and what draws others to it.

2.  Understand the Owner

Ask about guest blogging policies and find out who has guest blogged in the past. The more you know the easier it will be to create content that’s on par with what the readers want to hear about with your own special twist.

3.  Stick to Your Deadline

Seriously, enough said.

4.  Proofread Again, Again & Again

We’re all prone to errors and let’s face it, SpellCheck only catches so much. Do a thorough proofreading and read through for error-free submission.

5.  Post Linking

This doesn’t mean linking to your blog, but instead linking to relevant posts on your guest blog. This demonstrates your familiarity with the blog and shows that you’re a fan and reader yourself.

6.  Promote Your Post

Let everyone know that you’re guest blogging. Use your available social media tools to get the word out with links, tweets and status updates.

7.  Visual Appeal

Take the time to find good graphics and imagery to make your guest blog post a stand out. It shows you care and that you’re willing to go the extra step.

8.  Use SEO

Optimize your guest post. The goal is to make it easier to find on search engines and if that happens, readers will see that you’re the genius behind the writing. Good publicity for you.

9.  Add Value

Truly focus on adding value to the guest blog. Remove the ‘all about me’ factor and make your post the absolute best that it can be.

10.  Sell Yourself

Work out the details on linking back to your own blog and including a snappy byline so that readers know about you and how to find you.

Reasons Why Marketing Fails for Authors

If you’re thinking about going the book or author promotion on your own you might want to think about what some of the causes are for ineffective marketing. There are many resources available that will tell you all of the right things to do, but there are only a handful that highlight what not to do. Before you begin launching your strategy take a quick moment to read up on what can potentially hinder your success.

Not Knowing Your Audience & Your Budget

Marketing your book or yourself isn’t a hobby and it’s not something that just ‘add water’ to and then sit back and watch the magic. You need to have an understanding of who your target market is and what type of funding you have available to reach them. If you don’t determine where your audience is it will be difficult to know how to allocate dollars and create a spend forecast with enough longevity to make an impact with them.

Lack of Ambition & Commitment

As mentioned earlier marketing your novel and yourself means that you must be prepared to work and work hard. Many authors and speakers fail to register as a blip on the radar because they aren’t stepping up and building relationships, setting up meetings, scheduling events and initiating the activity necessary to generate interest and awareness about their product.

Inability to Understand The Process

Despite having immediate access to the internet and countless free tools, many folks still struggle with how to utilize them properly. It’s one thing to set-up a Facebook Page for you or your book and it’s an entirely different thing to know how to work the Page to your advantage. There are many different communication tactics, as well as applications that need to be executed with thought and purpose. In doing this, you’ll reap bigger and better rewards by connecting with your audience.

Not everyone has the time or the skills required to build out a strategy and maintain, or adjust, it on a constant basis, not to mention measure its outcomes. It can be an overwhelming process for anyone who’s new to the game. Fortunately, professional resources, like Leili McKinley, can help alleviate the burden and provide you with outstanding results.

The New Business You: Branding Landing and Launching

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From An Idea To Writing A Book

One of the most challenging parts of writing your first, or ninth, novel is trying to come up with an idea. For anyone who’s made an attempt at pulling together a background or concept for a book you know what a headache the process can be. Whether you’re a novice or a professional, nearly every writer struggles with overcoming many of the same hurdles. Follow the steps below to help begin the process.

1.  Write It Down

Organize your ideas by using mind mapping tools and idea clouds. By writing everything out you’ll begin to see how connections can be formed and you might discover a few new angles too.

2.  Outline The Content

Once you’ve decided how your ideas will be pulled together, organize them. This means transitioning from the free thought approach that you took in step one. Use the outline to illustrate logical steps that will take you as a writer and also the reader from the beginning to the middle to the end of your book.

3.  Edit, Edit & Edit

Actual writing is a wonderful thing. You’ll feel elated as you begin to see the pages accumulate in your manuscript. However, as proud as you may be it’s important to take a step back and include unbiased individuals in the review process. Use a professional editor or a trusted (and experienced) member of your target audience to flesh out inconsistencies and errors.

4.  Print & Publish

Once you’re satisfied with your final creation it’s time for printing and publishing. Depending on what route you’ve chosen to take, you may be working with a literary agent, a traditional publishing house or perhaps you’ve decided to self-publish or explore print on demand options. Whichever path you choose you’ll need to weave in how you’ll distribute, sell and market your book.

Undoubtedly there will be hiccups and mishaps along the way, but remember to stay strong and be persistent. Positive thinking and enthusiasm are instrumental in the process and in reaching your final book goals.

Speaking Tips to Promote Your Book

For an author, using email, social media, the web and traditional broadcast outlets are all fantastic ways to get the word out about your book. Beyond the previously mentioned mediums one that is often overlooked is speaking. Perhaps its because most people are intimidated by public speaking, after all, it can be daunting to get up in front of crowd and then start talking about yourself or your brand.

On the other hand, public speaking carries a great deal of clout because it allows people to get a true sense of who’s behind the book and how an author has pulled together concept, characters and plot. If you’re heart palpitates and your skin prickles at the very thought speaking then read on for some tips on overcoming the fear.

Get Prepared

Before you step out in front of a hundred pairs of eyes, give yourself a game plan. Build an outline and break down what you want to say into small chunks. Share a brief introduction on you and your background, talk about other books you’ve published and then give a brief synopsis of your latest endeavor. Focus on a particular aspect of your book and share some hidden nuggets that readers would be intrigued to know. Planning ahead will give you the confidence to speak.

Be The Expert

People want someone who’s genuine so speak from your heart. Take a deep breath and go with your gut. Keep this in mind, your audience is there because they value what you’ve created ad see you as a leader. Be authentic in your delivery and feel confident about your topic and you audience will embrace what you have to say.

Respond To The Audience

Once you begin speaking it will be easy to gauge the mood and energy level of your audience. Spice things up with an anecdotal story, voice inflection and even body language to keep people engaged with you. Standing in one spot and speaking softly in a monotone voice won’t win you any new fans. Be your own cheerleader and inspire your readers.

Make A Sale

As you’re concluding your speaking engagement don’t forget to let your audience know where you’ll be for upcoming book signings and most importantly, let them know that you’ve brought plenty of inventory with you as well. Offer to autograph copies and you’re sure to be a hit.

Using Mind Maps to Write

Whether you’re laying out the plot for your next novel or planning for an upcoming speaking engagement, developing a natural flow of ideas and communication can be cumbersome. Many authors and speakers utilize mind mapping software to help them create connections in an illustrative format. Mind mapping software allows users to take the process of brainstorming from a  simple thought and putting together in a well-organized system. 

One of the more popular programs is MatchWare’s MindView. It’s available for both Windows and Mac and you have the option of trying before buying with a free trial or signing-up for a live demo to see the capabilities that it has to offer. MindView integrates seamlessly with Micrsoft Office Suite products, which offers additional opportunities to organize your project notes about characters and settings or detail transitions between various seminar topics. Take it for a spin to get a feel for how it works. 

Next up is MindGenius. What makes MindGenius unique is that has an array of export features so that users can send data to other applications, including PDF formats. A free 30-day trial is available so that you can experience the product first hand. Compared to other mind mapping programs, MindGenius has some excellent graphic functions that support images and it showcases ideas, priorities and actions in a well-organized manner. If you’re writing something complex this might be a tool worth exploring. 

Whereas the previous two tools are desktop applications, MindMeister is web-based. This offers several advantages to users. First, you can determine the level of use and features that you’ll need and then choose from an appropriate payment model. Second, you have the ability to access your files from any computer in the world, as long as you’re able to connect to the web. Last, if you’re collaborating with more than one person on a book or an upcoming speaking event, everyone can login and contribute to the development process. 

Although mind mapping tools are often associated with business development, they can easily be used to pull assemble ideas for other projects.

Measure Your Degree of Influence

Knowing what your ROI is on the efforts that you put forth is important because it helps you gauge what’s working and what’s failing. Making subtle adjustments allows you to focus your energy in the right direction and it can produce amazing results. Measurement as it relates to social media is a tricky thing because there isn’t necessarily a direct relationship  between a gaining a new fan or follower and a specific monetary value that impacts a brand’s bottom line. So, instead of trying to equate each brand loyalist to a dollar sign, let’s look at measuring your degree of social media influence by examining other areas. 

Retweets

Twitter users know that retweet (RTs) are one of the most powerful methods of extending their social reach. When you create a tweet that has sticking and sharing power, other tweeps are more likely to pass it along to others in their own networks and those people will pass it on to theirs and so on and so on. In this manner, a RT has the power to exponentially to spread your message and drive traffic back to your profile and your site or blog if you’ve tweeted a link. 

Link

Speaking of links, they are an integral part of your social media presence. Links are easy to shorten and share with others and they’re very easy to look at the type of traffic they’re producing. If you use a link shortener like Bit.ly you review how many clicks a particular link has received. You can also set-up Google Analytics for a particular page via link to get a better understanding of bounce rates, visitor habits and a slew of other data. 

If you actively participate in leaving blog comments you can include a link, as long as it’s relevant to your comment, back to your site or blog post. External links carry more weight and influence in the eyes of Google and therefore will help boost your site’s exposure on the search engine’s results page. The more links you have, the more easily you can be found because you’re viewed as a credible resource. 

Pings

Without getting to technical, pings are essentially communication methods that are used by computer networks that send out alerts when something new occurs. Pings are an effective way to promote your site/blog and you measure site traffic related to a ping to estimate your the level of influence that you have.

Turn Your Book Into A Money Making Machine

The vast majority of authors aren’t creating content and experiencing levels of success that transform them into overnight phenomenons with multi-million dollar book deals. For this reason it’s a good idea to consider other avenues that you can use to expand the reach and profitability of your book. Making your book available in other formats and through other outlets can make a positive contribution to your bottom line. Here are some additional ways to transform your book into a bag-o-cash.

Electronic formatting is the way to go if you’re an author. Print is great, but don’t forget to create digital versions and audio version of your book too. People want access to instant information and ebooks and podcasts are the perfect way to fulfill that need. With products like the iPad, Kindle and Nook, you have an opportunity to instantaneously reach thousands of readers and receive a generous royalty rate in the process.

Another way to generate revenue is through merchandise. This might not be a mainstream approach, but that in itself is advantageous to an author. By selling book branded t-shirts to your fans you’ll be pulling in some extra greenbacks and you’ll also turn your readers into your own army of walking marketers. Every time someone wears your shirt out in public they’re becoming a human outdoor board that promotes you and your publication.

One of the most simple way to build your income is through speaking and seminars. If you’re a published author you have something that non-published authors don’t have – experience. Sharing your challenges, successes and tips is a fantastic way to give others a leg up on in the book world. People appreciate honesty and how to from credible resources and by showcasing that you’re a blend of both is a win for you as an author.

A bonus to speaking and coaching is that you can show-off and sell your existing product. Bring copies of your books to sell and autograph. People who know who you are and enjoy your previous work will have no problem shelling out for copy of your latest. They also won’t mind paying for your services to gain insight into learning more about tackling the industry from author’s perspective.

Using LinkedIn For Branding

LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networks on the web. With more than 75 million registered users that span more than 200 countries, LinkedIn has quickly become one of the leading social media sites for connecting with business colleagues. What you might not know is that LinkedIn is also an excellent site for building up your brand. Here are a handful of branding tips to help you maximize your profile and establish a bolder presence.
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