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I spent a good part of the last two days snooping, lurking and even stalking. And that’s what authors must do in order to successfully promote our books. What do I mean? What were some of the tactics I used and the activities I involved myself in?

• I visited the websites of authors with books similar to mine and looked at their lists of interviews, book signings, presentations and so forth. I made note of some of these opportunities and contacted the interviewers, etc.

• I looked at their media pages to find out who’s reviewing their books and which publications are giving them press. I, then, contacted some of those reviewers and journalists.

• I did intense Internet searches for reviewers of books like mine and bloggers who blog on the topic of my books.

• I visited the bloggers’ and reviewers’ sites to get a sense of them and contacted those who seemed to be a match for me.

• I checked out some of the Amazon reviewers for books like mine and attempted to locate them. (Not easy, but I scored on a few.)

As a result of my efforts, I have connected with an additional two dozen or so reviewers, bloggers and interviewers who may be able to put my book in front of hundreds or thousands more potential readers. Not a bad result for a few day’s work.

If you aren’t snooping, lurking and stalking, perhaps you aren’t doing enough to get the exposure you need for your fiction or nonfiction book.

Catnapped
If you’re looking for a fun read for what’s left of your summer, consider ordering Catnapped for your Kindle. http://amzn.to/14OCk0W It’s the first in my Klepto Cat Mystery series. And, I’m told, it isn’t exactly a cozy mystery—there’s just a tad more excitement in it than is typically tolerated in a cozy. You be the judge. If you like a light mystery and unique cats, you may enjoy Catnapped.

I often give you links to reviewer directories. Do you know what to do with these great resources once you have them at your fingertips? Here’s what I suggest:

• Study the listings in each directory. If the reviewers are not listed by category (mystery, romance, memoir, science fiction, chic lit, etc.), you’ll need to check each listing or visit each reviewer’s website to determine their reading preferences. Do not send your erotic romance to a reviewer who prefers Christian inspirational stories. You’ll be wasting your time—or worse yet, get a bad review.

• Follow each reviewer’s guidelines. Some read only e-books, others want print books and most have fairly long lists of books to wade through before they can get to yours. Once you send your book to a reviewer, don’t bug them to read it.

• Keep track of the reviewers you have contacted and their responses. Log the date you sent your book.

• Once the review is posted at Amazon or the reviewer’s site, for example, thank the reviewer for taking the time to post the review. If the review was negative, you may choose not to thank the reviewer, but I suggest that you do not challenge him or her. We all get mixed reviews—some are good and some are not so flattering. Remember, you asked for the opinion of the reviewer. Anytime you do this, you risk a bad review.

• Directories are not the only way to locate reviewers. You can check at Amazon and at author websites to see who has reviewed books like yours. Contact those reviewers. However, I warn you, Amazon reviewers are sometimes difficult to locate.

• Also locate reviewers through Internet searches using keywords, “book reviewer” and “true crime” or “reviewer of travel books.” Contact bloggers who feature books on your topic or in your genre—animals, trains, historical novels, etc.

What good are book reviews? In some cases, positive reviews sway people to purchase your book. But the main reason for soliciting reviews is for the exposure. Reviewers often post your reviews at their websites. Most post them at Amazon.com and other sites. You can use the new review as a reason to talk or write about your book. For example, you might place an announcement in your club and affiliation newsletters and websites about an excellent review or a flurry of good reviews. You can write about the good reviews in your blogs, your newsletter, etc. You can post them at your website.

I tell authors—Get reviews and get noticed.

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Update on Catnapped
I got a couple of good reviews overnight for Catnapped, the first in my Klepto Cat Mystery series. I’m still planning to launch the second novel, Cat-Eye Witness, in October. It’s with the proofreader and random pre-publication readers as we speak. The third book—title not set—is waiting in the wings for editing. Check out the array of reviews for Catnapped and order your Kindle copy here: http://amzn.to/14OCk0W

I still spend a good part of each week involved in promoting Catnapped. And my efforts seem to be paying off. When you are a Kindle Direct Publishing author, you have access to your sales figures and I check mine every once in a while. Lookin’ good! In case you’re considering this program for your upcoming novel, I recommend it. Amazon does quite a bit to help you succeed.

Every once in a while, the concept of selling books overseas comes up. Some authors have their books translated in other languages and they sell these books in other countries. Other authors have topics they think would sell well to an English-speaking audience in other countries. To locate a translation company or individual in a particular language for your book, use your favorite search engine. You’ll find companies and individuals willing to translate your book from English to Spanish, Russian, German, French, Japanese, Chinese and others. Here are links to three of many companies:
http://www.professionaltranslations-inc.com/books
http://bookwebtranslation.com
http://www.translation-servicesusa.com/en/services/90-book-translation.html

If you are clueless as to how to sell books overseas or whether your book would sell in this country, consider a test run:
• Sign up with a book expo in the country. (Remember, though, that the competition for attention at these large events can be fierce and your book may not stand out from the crowd unless you are there pitching it.)
• Connect with booksellers via the Internet. Encourage them to sell your books in their stores.
• Locate an online forum and communicate with readers from the country.
• Find book clubs or leaders of organizations related to the topic of your book.
• If you know someone there, see if he or she will do some footwork to get your book placed in stores.
• Advertise in a popular magazine that’s distributed to your audience.
• Travel to this country yourself and visit libraries, booksellers, etc.
Want to learn more about selling your books overseas? Here are some links that might help you to understand the process, challenges, possibilities, etc.
http://www.bookmarket.com/18.htm (This is John Kremer’s site—he offers information and you can purchase reports to get additional resources and tips.)
http://www.zeromillion.com/business/international/selling-overseas.html
http://www.sellmybookoverseas.com
http://bk-askthepublisher.blogspot.com/2011/04/selling-your-book-overseas.html
http://bkcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/7-ways-to-get-international

Catnapped
I’m getting some good feedback from the new, improved version of Catnapped—the first in my Klepto Cat Mystery series, currently on Kindle only. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/14OCk0W It’s only $2.99.

If you’d like to read the soon-to-be-published second in the series, Cat-Eye Witness and provide constructive feedback prior to September 1, please contact me and I’ll send you an email attachment of the novel. plfry620@yahoo.com

Yesterday, we talked about marketing locally. Here are some ideas for starting your book promotion campaign close to home.

1: Contact librarians, bookstore, specialty store managers and so forth to arrange for signings, demonstrations, readings or other programs appropriate for your particular book. You might also make a consignment deal with store managers. Specialty stores might include toy stores, hobby shops, craft stores, bakeries, coffee shops, florists/nurseries, pharmacies, pet stores, fashion accessory shops, automotive/motorcycle shops, wineries, print shop, used book stores, organic food stores and so forth—depending on the nature of your book and the scope of your audience.

2: Set up programs and speeches for civic group meetings and other organization, club, association meetings and events. Start with Kiwanis, Rotary, etc.—those clubs that meet often and are always seeking good programs. Consider groups that you belong to—businessmen’s/women’s business organizations, retired businessmen’s/women’s organizations, church or school affiliated groups, real estate board, hobby clubs (photo, cars, bee-keeping, organic gardening, quilting, car club, cooking and so forth.)

3: Participate in flea markets, book fairs and other such activities. Most communities have an annual event—here it is Ojai Day. In other California communities, it is Horned Toad Day, Citrus Festival, Avocado Festival, Fiesta, and so forth. Often, there are opportunities for locals to sell their wares. Arrange to reserve a booth or share with someone.

4: Donate and volunteer. Most communities have events and activities throughout the year that rely on volunteers and donations. I’ve donated my Ojai history book over the years for many causes—fundraisers for local schools and community projects, for example. Often they need items for silent or live auctions.

5: Appear on local TV or radio.

6: Seek visibility within the community. Volunteer, for example. When I was promoting my local history book, I was appointed to the Historic Preservation Commission. Since I began spending more time and effort promoting my books for authors, I’ve been involved with SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network), a networking organization for authors that began right here in my county. I’ve also belonged to various writers groups and I always participate in author-related events and activities locally. You could start up or join a group related to cooking, crafting, hiking, animals, fashion, gardening, flying, racing, water sports, photography, etc.

7: Launch a project locally. I know a young writer of children’s books who launches a book drive every year. Another author I know produces book fairs in her area. Organize an author’s week or day in your city. Arrange for story time at your library or children’s bookstore. Do walking tours to promote your local history book. Serve a recipe from your cookbook at a local wine bar one weekend. Organize a nature walk to promote your novel set in the wilderness or a signing at a pet store for all local writers of books involving animals.

I’ll bet a nickel that I’ve included some ideas you’ve never thought of before. And I’ll bet a dime that you can come up with even more of them.

For many more ideas for promoting your book locally and world-wide, order your copy of “Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.” It’s at amazon in print, Kindle and audio as well as in most online and downtown bookstores.

Are you facing the prospect of promoting a book? If you’re writing one or have written one for publication, the answer is yes. Well, that is if you want to sell any copies of your book.

Many new authors start out by trying to promote far and wide. They set their sights on big sales to major bookstores, exposure at gigantic book expos, reviews in important journals and so forth. This is okay, if you have a book that warrants this sort of attention. But it might not be the most sensible way to begin your promotional journey.

For most new authors, I suggest easing into the world of book promotion. Begin the huge task of promotion close to home. The two most logical entries into the world of book marketing may be the Internet and your hometown. This probably doesn’t surprise you—everyone uses the Internet for everything these days. There are hundreds of reviewers hungry for good books to review and booksellers galore—Amazon.com, of course, being the most well-known. You can build your own website to showcase your book, locate organizations and forums related to the theme/genre of your book and get involved and so forth. You could easily spend hours each week locating and pursuing bookselling opportunities just on the Internet.

Yes, most authors will turn to the Internet first, but there’s another opportunity close by that authors may not take seriously enough. Their hometown.

I like to urge my clients to seek out and pursue every promotional opportunity locally before launching out beyond their city limits with their books. There are oodles and gobs of venues, activities, events and other happenings all around your community that might result in book sales and exposure, and people who can and will assist you. Not only will you sell books by pouring your efforts into promoting locally, but you will learn a lot about how to handle book promotion outside of your comfort zone. Consider this a training ground for soliciting higher sales in larger cities.

Tomorrow, I’ll write about how to start your local book tour. In the meantime, if you haven’t read my book, “Promote Your Book,” this would be a good time to purchase it. This book includes information about how to promote locally as well as on the Internet. In fact, it is jam-packed with over 250 book promotion ideas—most of them fleshed out so you can understand how to pursue them—many of them enhanced by real examples and the majority of them free. Twenty-four authors and professionals participate in this book. It’s the book you must have at your elbow throughout the writing and promoting processes. “Promote Your Book,” available in print, Kindle and audio at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores.

Get your FREE ebook, “50 Ways to Build Your Author Platform.” http://www.patriciafry.com

I’ve been remiss in posting here, lately. As many of you know, I try to maintain this blog daily. There are just too many large projects, small tasks and annoyances vying for my attention. I find that I just can’t get it all done. Something has to give and, lately, my blog and household duties are taking the backseat and some projects are being delayed. My first enewsletter, for example. It is written, but it won’t go out until sometime in August. All of my ducks with regard to that newsletter just aren’t in a row quite yet.

Do you ever feel as though you are walking through Jello? Does your perfectly planned life sometimes spiral out of control? It’s all good here—just busy and sometimes simply more than I can handle. Good thing I know my priorities.

Clients come first. I’ve had two large editing jobs back to back in the last weeks. Commitments are important. I agreed to speak at a conference in Las Vegas this month. And SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) still takes some of my attention most weeks. Family is a priority. My 91-year-old mother needs more help these days. My own work is significant in my world and I’ve been trying to squeeze in time to work on my novels. Then there’s that daily walk I value, my social life and a house and yard to maintain.

I often hear authors say, “I just don’t have time to promote my book.” And this is certainly one of those times when I’m finding it difficult to do so. How do I handle this situation? I remember my own advice to authors and promote every chance I get in every way I can. Book promotion can and should be ongoing and constant no matter what else is going on in your life. Here’s how I manage:

• I promote my books and services every time I send an email because I have a signature attached to my outgoing emails.
• I post to this blog almost daily.
• I use Twitter to promote this blog.
• I submit an article to a magazine or newsletter read by my audience in between tasks. (I submitted two last week after I finished one editing job and before starting the next one.)
• I talk about my books wherever I go—if I meet an author or hopeful author, I talk about “Publish Your Book” or “Promote Your Book.” If the individual reads fiction, I tell them about my mystery series.
• I leave bookmarks here and there when I’m out and about.
• I respond to authors’ questions when they come to me directly or through SPAWNDiscuss.
• I send information I discover to authors who might be interested—in other words, I network.
• I take time to read or at least print out information of interest to authors so I can include it in my own newsletter or the “Market Update,” which I compile for SPAWN members.
• I try to always take care of the smaller, less time-consuming tasks that come across my desk immediately, if possible.
• When I hear or read about a conference or other author event locally, I apply to speak. This doesn’t take much time.
• I might get up an hour earlier or work an hour or two later when the work starts to become overwhelming. This gives me time to plan or do a couple of book promotion activities.
• I combine book promotion activities with errands. I’ll stop by a bookstore to make sure they have a good supply of my books, drop off bookmarks or a poster at the library, set up a book signing, etc.
• During down time—after dinner while in front of the TV, I research possible speaking opportunities or book festivals, write new promo about one of my books, seek out new markets for my articles, comment at appropriate blog sites and forums, and so forth.

If you have a book or several books to promote, never ever give up completely on your marketing responsibilities. No matter what’s going on in your life, you can continue to promote your book. As you can see, it is possible to get exposure for your book and maintain a rapport with your potential readers throughout the course of even your busy days and weeks.

For additional ideas for planning and executing your marketing strategy, read “Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.” It’s at Amazon in print, Kindle and audio as well as at other online and downtown bookstores.

I continually recommend that authors get book reviews—lots of them. And I occasionally provide you with directories of book reviewers. I also suggest that you check to find out who is reviewing books in your book’s category and attempt to contact them.

But the question comes up from time to time: what are the true benefits of book reviews? What if you get a bad review, does this discredit you and doom your book sales? Not necessarily. Everyone has an opinion. And yes, people can be swayed. But I believe that a book would have to be pretty awful and there would have to be many negative reviews before they would affect sales to any degree.

If I believe that, then why would I encourage book reviews at all? If reviews don’t deter people from buying a book, why would good reviews inspire people to buy it?

All good questions—something to ponder. And there are no absolute answers. The thing is, books need exposure. Readers won’t buy a book they don’t know exists. Reviews appearing at various review sites, published in magazines and newsletters, posted at Amazon.com, included in the author’s promo material and so forth compute as exposure for that book.

Simply showcase your book at your website, tell people you meet about it and sit with it at a book festival in the fall and 1,000 people may discover it. Do all of the above and also have it reviewed by even a dozen reviewers and it may get noticed by 10s of thousands more potential readers.

Do the math. If 2 percent of the people who see your book end up buying it, certainly, your pocketbook will benefit from wider exposure, right?

Over the last few days, we’ve discussed how to promote your book through your blog. Perhaps this has given you some ideas about how you can combine your book promotion efforts. For example, my articles, blog posts and speeches all participate in helping me to provide information and resources while promoting my books. And I get more mileage from each of them through recycling.

I create articles from my blog posts. I transform some of my articles into live presentations. And I devise blog posts from my speeches. I also create speeches from blog posts and blog posts from articles. And the resources for my handouts and other promo material sometimes come from articles and blog posts. It all works together—information isn’t wasted.

An article on book promotion might turn into a presentation on the 10 best book promotion techniques for new authors. A blog post featuring resources for authors may transition into a great handout for my audiences. A speech I give on how to choose a publisher might become an informative blog post.

This weekend, why don’t you spend time going through your articles related to the topic of your book and your blog posts and your speech themes and see how many of these you can recycle. You might be able to prepare a whole month’s worth of blog posts on the spot, come up with a few great new article ideas and freshen up your array of speech themes for some upcoming presentations.

For additional ideas for promoting your book, be sure to read Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. Then read Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More. Both are available at amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores.