Writing and Publishing News from

1: Post often—daily or at least on a regular and frequent basis. This way your readers will become accustomed to following your blog and you’re more apt to capture the interest of potential new readers if you are constantly putting new things out there.

2: Turn your blog entries into articles. Either submit them as is to appropriate sites and publications or tweak them to fit. Most of my blog entries are suitable for publishing, as I’m mindful to create stand-alone articles. Sometimes, however, a newsletter or magazine editor wants a longer piece or a more condensed version. Not a problem—I just rewrite the blog to fit their submission requirements. Of course, articles sell books. How? In a word: exposure.

• When you publish informative articles on the topic of your book, this adds to your professional credibility.
• You can usually add a few lines at the end of the article in which to promote your book and your blog.

3: Create handouts. Use specific blog entries as handouts when you promote your book through presentations, workshops or at book festivals. If yours is a local history book and your blog follows suit, your audiences would enjoy receiving those blog entries containing historical information that doesn’t appear in the book. Hand out your blog entries featuring additional tips, resources and information related to your self-help or how-to book. If you are promoting a novel or a book of poetry, delight your audience by handing out some of the short stories or new poems you post at your blog.

4: Compile a booklet of blog entries. If you’re a dedicated blogger, you could actually produce a booklet every six months or once a year and offer them free to anyone who purchases your book. Maybe you’ve written a novel featuring Americans who’ve chosen to live in the Middle East. Your blog, then, might follow some of the innovative things happening in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Oman and Bahrain, for example. Report on positive accounts of the people, some of the amazing historical and newer architectural sites and interesting tidbits about the culture. Wouldn’t that make an interesting promotional tool?

5: Write a book based on your best blog subjects. Review your blog entries. If you’re like me, you may occasionally hit upon a topic that would make a good book. So start writing. With thought and research, your blog on the feral kitten you rescued over the summer might become a book featuring how to successfully raise a feral cat. If your current book features an aspect of pet care, this new book would make a great spin-off product. Your blog entry on how you created curb appeal that sold your home, could become an entire book for others who want to make an excellent impression when selling their properties. And what a great companion this would be for your book on family financing.

You started blogging because you heard that blogs sell books. Use the 10 tips I’ve given you over these last two days and you’ll reach even more people and sell even more books.

http://www.patriciafry.com
http://www.matilijapress.com

A blog can be many things and serve many purposes. When you have a book to promote, it makes sense to turn your blog into a promotional tool. Whether your book is a historical novel, a how-to gardening book, a memoir or a book of poetry, let your blog entries spread the word and you will sell more books. Here are five ideas for using your blog to promote your book: Of course, the number one rule is to post to your blog often!

1: Stay focused on your topic. Make sure that you are providing the information your audience wants in a way that makes it palatable. Stay on track when adding to your blog so that you are always addressing your target audience.

2: Use numerous keywords. If your audience is seeking information about gardening in the northwest, continually use words in your blog entries that your potential audience would use in an internet search.

3: Participate at other blog sites. Search out blogs on your topic through Google, Google Alerts ( http://www.google.com/alerts), http://www.blogsrater.com and http://technorati.com. Leave comments, ask to be interviewed, offer articles and other information.

4: Offer freebies. Do you sometimes wonder if you’re being read? Offer free items or run contests from time to time. I know one author who offered a $100 prize to the 100th person who purchased her book. I sometimes offer a free report—something that includes information or tips that may or may not be included in the book that I’m pitching.

5: Promote your blog through your social media account—Facebook, Twitter and so forth. But as the experts say, make sure that you offer something useful to your readers.

I’ll bring you additional ways to promote your book through your blog in tomorrow’s post.

http://www.matilijapress.com

(Download a FREE ebooklet, “50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book,” from this site.) http://www.patriciafry.com

What’s the first thing you do when you hold your newly published book in your hands?

I will be experiencing this in about a month when Allworth Press releases my latest book, Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. You can actually see the book posted at amazon.com already.

Of course, I’ve experienced this numerous times before. For those of you who are new to authorship, I have to tell you it’s always a thrill followed by a lot of work. Here’s my to-do list so far:

1: One of my first tasks will be the pleasure of announcing the new book to all of the experts and authors who contributed to it. Yes, around twenty people-in-the-know about authorship and book promotion offer their best tips and techniques throughout this amazing book.

2: I’ll contact my addressbook—friends, colleagues, customers, clients, students, those who downloaded free material from my website, conference leaders, booksellers who sell my current books, etc. and let them know about this book and how to order it.

3: I’ll make an announcement at my facebook page, twitter and here in my blog. Can’t wait to share the news with all of you as this book is going to be valuable and a real asset to your collection of publishing/promotion reference books.

4: I’ll place a member announcement in SPAWNews—by contacting our editor, Sandy, with the news.

5: I’ll post announcements in other newsletters that allow such postings.

6: I’ll add the book and ordering information to my website.

7: I’ll start setting up signings and speaking engagements. I have been speaking at meetings/conferences and attending book festivals several times each year anyway, which I will continue to do. But perhaps I can arrange to return to a many of the venues with fresh material and, of course, a new book to sell.

8: I’ll continue to write and submit articles to writing-related magazines and newsletters and add a new bio at the end which includes information about the new book.

9: I’ll solicit book reviews and ask the reviewers to post them at amazon. I’ll also post them at my website.

10: I’ll contact the most popular reviewers at amazon and attempt to get them to review the book.

And once I’ve done all of this, I’ll repeat those activities that were most successful, perhaps in different venues.

What am I forgetting? Does anyone have any ideas I have neglected to include here? We’d love it if you would share some of your best book promotion ideas.

http://www.patriciafry.com
http://www.matilijapress.com

Yesterday, we talked about writing contests and how sometimes the awards are not an indication of excellence. But does this mean that you should avoid entering contests with your book? Certainly not. Here’s why:

• The “award” notice pasted on the cover of the book might cause more readers to purchase it.

• If the book garners several awards, this might catch the attention of a publisher.

• An awards and accolades page at your website is impressive.

• Every time you receive an award, this gives you a reason to send press releases, place announcements in your club and organization newsletters and solicit other publicity on behalf of your book.

I’m all for anything that is legal and moral if it brings attention to your book. So go ahead and enter your book in credible contests and take advantage of the possible glory. How do you tell if a contest is credible?

1: Check with one (or more) of the warning sites:

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitor
http://www.sfa.org/for-authors/wrier-beware
http://www.todays-woman.net/poetry-scams.html
http://www.writersweekly.com/whispers_and_warnings.php

2: Do your own Internet search to discover complaints.

3: Beware of contests that charge huge fees.

4: Do a search to discover which contests are the most prestigious. You’ll discover several directories of contests.

5: For the best possible outcome for your book, enter the most reasonable categories offered.

How many of you have won contests with your books or your unpublished manuscripts? Share your experience here. Leave your comment here or email me at PLFry620@yahoo.com

http://www.patriciafry.com
http://www.matilijapress.com

Brian Jud, in his Marketing Matters newsletter this week has included number 14 in my 50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book ebooklet. This one is about connections. Do you have important connections that will serve you in the task of book promotion? Order a free copy of this ebooklet here http://www.patriciafry.com

Freelance Writer’s Report published my piece, this month, on how to get more out of the articles you write—in other words, using reprints–recycling your articles.

I’ll be sitting on a panel on self-publishing at the Ojai Writer’s Conference this weekend in Ojai, CA.

I’ll spend my week preparing my speech for the Alaska Writer’s Guild Conference in Anchorage in the fall.

What are you doing toward the promotion of your book(s)? Here are some ideas to get you started:

1: Take your book to work (the doctor’s office, your children’s school, a meeting, traveling) or wherever you go this week. Talk about it to at least ten people (a waitress where you dine, a passenger on the bus to work, coworkers, someone you met at a forum online, a neighbor, the plumber who comes to your home for repairs and so forth. I’ve sold books to our stove repairman, dental assistant, grocery store clerk, receptionist at the water department, guests at a neighborhood birthday party, spectators at Little League games and even random tourists on the street.

2: For nonfiction, submit an article to half dozen (or more) appropriate newsletters. Locate newsletters here:
http:/www.newsletteraccess.com
http:/www.ezinehub.com

3: For fiction, submit stories in your genre to websites and/or literary magazines. Here’s a directory. Locate several others by doing an Internet search using keywords, “Literary Magazine Directory.” http://www.newpages.com/literary-magazines

4: Set up a speaking engagement at an appropriate venue. This might be a civic organization meeting, PTA or other school program, conference related to your topic/genre, your local church or businessmans/womans’ club, etc.

Report back to me as to the progress of your outreach and the results of your efforts.

PLFry620@yahoo.com. Or leave your comment here.

http://www.patriciafry.com
http://www.matilijapress.com

Every author has heard the term Book Review. Many of them consider a book review to be an honor bestowed only on famous and lucky authors.

Some authors believe that you can get your book reviewed, but you’ll have to pay for it. No, no, no! Well, let me say that there are certainly a lot of review sites cropping up that require payment for reviews. But I have to tell you, they are not the only reviewers in town!

There are hundreds of FREE book review opportunities for books in all genres and topics. Here are my suggestions for getting your book reviewed many times over:

1: Write a book that reviewers will want to review. Now this sounds like a big fat no-brainer, doesn’t it? But think about it. What more could you do to make your book in progress more appealing to reviewers—more appropriate for a larger number of reviewers?

I advise authors to build promotion into their books—in other words, to add wider dimensions to attract a larger audience. This practice will also attract a greater array of reviewers.

2: Make the most of what you have. Okay, your book is a done deal. How can you maximize your book review options? Get personal with your book. Dissect it and jot down what you find. For example, what city is the story set in? Pursue reviews in regional magazines in that area. Do you have a section in your budgeting book for teaching children money-awareness? Parenting magazines might be a good secondary review option for this book. Is your book clean and honorable? Consider reviews in religious magazines. Maybe your novel has a séance scene. This may provide an opportunity for a review in a metaphysical or New Age publication.

3: Seek out magazine book reviewers. Not every magazine runs book reviews, but many of them do. Editors of some literary magazines and others that publish fiction, review books. Some genre fiction magazine editors publish book reviews—this might include science fiction, romance, horror, young adult and children’s.

Likewise there are hundreds of consumer and association/trade magazines that run book reviews on appropriate books. My book on presenting a Hawaiian luau on the mainland was reviewed in dozens and dozens of cooking and foods magazines. My writing/publishing-related books have been reviewed in numerous writing and publishing magazines and newsletters. There are magazines in every category imaginable—business, child-rearing, pets and animals, public speaking, finance, fitness and health, education, sports, hobby and craft and on and on and on.

Again, the more aspects you have skillfully worked into your novel or nonfiction book, the more potential you have for getting your book reviewed.

4: Locate appropriate publications. You probably have magazines in your genre or topic on your own book shelves. Start there. Scan magazines at your local library and bookstores. Study Writer’s Market to find additional magazines related to your book’s theme. Do a Google search to locate even more magazines and newsletters. Here are a few newsletter directories.
http://www.newsletteraccess.com
http://www.ezinehub.com

You can pay for lists of newsletters: http://www.mediafinder.com

5: Contact general online book review sites. While these sites are plentiful and it seems that a book could get lost among the multitude of others, most experts recommend that you try to get your book added to their list of reviewed books. The more exposure you get, after all, the better. I often list some of the book review sites in the SPAWN Market Update for members of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org

Book review site directory: http://www.acqweb.org/bookrev.html

You can do an Internet search to locate those in your genre/topic.

http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

You promote as you write. By this I mean, if you wrote sporadically—just when you felt like it or when you had a few minutes here and there—that’s probably the same kind of time and energy you will put into promoting your book. If you stuck to a strict schedule from the time you started writing your book until you finished it, you may approach promotion with the same sense of discipline.

You might think about this as you establish your writing schedule this week and from now on. Think ahead to the time, energy and attention you must put toward book promotion and set a good writing schedule. If you can’t discipline yourself to write, how in the heck will you discipline yourself to do the hard part—promote your book?

Maybe you don’t quite understand what book promotion entails. None of us do until we are faced with books that aren’t selling. I suggest to anyone who is writing or even thinking about writing a book that they study the publishing industry before getting involved.

For a highly informative study of the industry, your publishing options, the possible consequences of your choices, your responsibilities as a published author and the whole publishing and book promotion process, read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. It’s discounted now at my website. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org. Or start by signing up for our FREE monthly enewsletter (on the home page). You’ll also receive a FREE ebook on promoting yourself.

Download the FREE ebooklet at my website, 50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book. http://www.patriciafry.com

Disregard this advice and avoid reading or studying anything about the publishing industry, how it works, what it entails, how to navigate it and you will be one of over 76 percent of authors who fail each year.

Publishing is not an extension of your writing. You must approach every aspect of it, from choosing a publishing option to book promotion and everything in between with knowledge. Enter the world of publishing without educating yourself and you will fail.