5 DIY Tips To Market Your Book

There are so many avenues that authors can use to market their books, yet many do not use them to their advantage. Here’s what an author wrote on a writing group site in relation to marketing her book:

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“I have a writerface, author’s den and Goodreads profile, my own website, an author’s page on amazon and a blog that RSS feeds into all my profiles. What else?”
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I couldn’t believe it. I currently have a marketing plan that spans eight pages and have been promoting my book “Whisper Of Lies” that is due out in spring 2011 for the past year.

Authors, it’s so important to use the varying avenues to connect with readers to build a relationship. If not, they won’t know your book is out there. Invest some time in putting a marketing plan together to build your platform. You will be rewarded by the time you are ready to launch your book and long after.

Having a website, blog and a minimum of 3 social mediums (I recommend Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) in the current climate goes without saying. But there are hundreds of other mediums you can also use. Let’s look at five of them.

Email signature: Way before you finish writing, you should add your upcoming book to your email signature, both personal and business. If you haven’t decided on a title yet, you can still market it. For instance “Author of an upcoming non-fiction book” or if fiction “Author of an upcoming novel. Two things will happen when you commit to broadcasting your intention of writing a book. One, people will encourage you and two, you won’t want egg thrown in your face and will step up to the plate.

Video marketing: Video is a powerful tool. Authors have a great opportunity to use this medium to connect visually with readers. You can read an excerpt from your book, give tips etc. and upload to your blog, website social mediums where you’ve subscribed.

Audio: Cinch is great to record messages, and like video, you can read an excerpt from your book. Cinch is a free and an easy way to create and share audio, text and photo updates using your phone or computer. Like video, you can upload to your blog, website social mediums etc.

Media/Press Release: Create a media release when your book is launched and blast it to press release directories such as: http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/ http://www.marketwire.com and Fax to Wireless Flash at (619) 220-8590.

Traditional print advertising: You don’t need to spend a bundle on creating a flash brochure, business cards, flyers and book markers with an image of your book with a brief blurb can be left at your hairdressers/barbers, dentist, chiropractor, local library etc.

You can be cost-effective but still get the word out about your book.

Go for it and Write It, Work It, Publish it!

© 2010 Cherry-Ann Carew

WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER, MAGAZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? Please do, but ensure you include this complete resource box:

Cherry-Ann Carew, The Power Writing Coach, Editor, and Founder of Writetastic Solutions, is a co-author of the bestselling book ‘How the Fierce Handle Fear’ – Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times and author of the upcoming novel “Whisper Of Lies”. Cherry-Ann helps writers with their creative expression to add value to their books. Learn how her coaching and editing services can help you with your book. Subscribe for your FREE SPECIAL REPORT: Discover The 3 Simple Steps That Will Help You Start And Finish Your Book. Yes, you can have a finished draft in no time!

Discover How To Write A Book In Three Simple Steps

Grab your FREE Special Report – Discover How To Write A Book In Three Simple Steps. Simply subscribe and you will have instant access to the Report that will fire your imagination and creativity to get you started if:

• You’ve always wanted to write a book, but you don’t know where to start…

• You need to create a book to position you as an authority in your field to gain more business, but you don’t know where to start…

• Your head is full of great ideas, but don’t know where to start…

• You sit down to write, but you don’t know where to start…

• You wish there was one Simple Source you could turn to, but you don’t know where to start…

In ‘Discover How To Write A Book In Three Simple Steps’ Special Report, you will learn:

• How To Map Out Your Book’s Journey

• How To Develop Your Ideas, and

• Techniques To quickly Draft Your Book

The inspiration you’ve been looking for to get started, or to push forward is in this Special Report. Use it to invest in yourself to add ‘Author’ to your resume.

Enjoy!

Write It, Work It, Publish it!

Cherry-Ann Carew, aka The Power Writing Coach, Editor, Best-selling author and Founder of Writetastic Solutions is passionate about helping aspiring fiction and non-fiction writers bring out their creative expression to write their books. Learn how her coaching and editing services can help you at www.writetasticsolutions.com.

New Release – A Saint in the City

I’m so excited to share in the success of ‘A Saint in the City’ – a non-fiction book that I had the pleasure of editing.

Congratulations on the publication of your book Scott.

A Saint in the City Coaching At-Risk Kids to Be Champions by Scott Glabb“With time running out, he had to chase his man down at the center of the mat before locking up again. His opponent blocked his move, maintaining his lead with less than ten seconds left. José lunged in for a front headlock and used all his strength, calling on all his hours of training and conditioning. I watched the final second tick away as José became a national wrestling champion. In A Saint in the City: Coaching At-Risk Kids to Be Champions, Scott Glabb shares his inspiring wrestling experiences from years of coaching the boys of Santa Ana High School with little hope for success, let alone a bright future. They had no prayer of a win, but Coach Glabb roused his athletes to bravely overcome their disadvantages to raise their school from being the pariah of Southern California wrestling to one of the most respected athletic programs in California. A Saint in the City openly describes the crime-ridden lives of athletes who didn’t even hope for more until they started wrestling and found a coach who stirred them to greatness. Through Coach Glabb’s reflections and his athletes’ own words, A Saint in the City chronicles the tribulations and triumphs of one team that wrestled for victory.”

Soccer fever

What a trip it was being one of the researchers for this book.

Black Pearls of Soccer, written by Al Hamilton, is the first book to chart the meteoric rise of black footballers in recent years and includes first-hand interviews with such stars as: Viv Anderson, Justin Fashanu, Garth Crooks, Cyrille Regis Brendon Batson, Laurie Cunningham and many others.

My Life In The Fat Lane – Non-fiction

‘My Life In The Fat Lane’ is a touching book that tells candidly the ups and downs of Natasha Martelly, who was a victim of obesity for over 18-years that led to self hate and denial.

Over the course of this period, she tried many diets that did little to keep the weight off, which resulted in her yo-yoing, until she finally learned the value of nutrition.

The writing is warm and light-hearted, whereby the writer adds humour to her experiences, though they were painful for her. Nevertheless, anyone who has experienced, or, is experiencing weight problems will be able to relate to Natasha’s journey. More importantly, they will find inspiration along with hints and tips on how to successfully lose those pounds and keep them off.

Grab a copy at: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9285

 

 

DRIVEN -Non-fiction

I’m pleased to add this brief video with one of my clients who self-published his book ‘Driven’ that I had the pleasure of copyediting.

‘DRIVEN’ is an inspiring story of a young boy’s journey in the drug world, to a young man who comes to terms with his past and decides to move on.

At the tender age of fourteen, Robert Davis forfeited his high school education to pursue what so many in his community did – selling drugs. However, after 10-years in-and-out of prison he never wanted to see the inside of a  cell again.

Robert subsequently joined the competitive world of retail and surprises everyone, including himself, by overcoming challenging obstacles and working his way to the top of his profession. In the process, he becomes a model man in his community.

This book will serve to inspire those youths who are currently caught up in the world of drugs by showing them that, that world is not their glass ceiling. If Driven with determination to get out of the system, they can do it too. The writer clearly did.