Writing and Publishing News from

Are you one of many authors who claim there’s no one reviewing self-published and/or independently published books? Well, a member of SPAWN, Christy Pinheiro, has been busy compiling a list of over 100 book reviewers for all kinds of books, even ebooks. Check out her efforts at:
http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net/book-reviewer-list.html

I also urge authors to seek out magazines and newsletters (both print and electronic) that run book reviews. Look for literary publications that review wide varieties of books as well as theme and genre publications—mags and newsletters focusing on pets, home decorating, book promotion, parenting, business, religion, etc. Find appropriate magazines through Writer’s Market. You might also visit the Magazine Board. http://www.magazineboard.com or http://www.magazine-directory.com or http://www.offmag.com

Many magazines publish reviews. Some ask you to send them a copy of your book. They review it and post their review. I review books on writing, publishing and book promotion for SPAWNews, which is the free newsletter distributed by SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org. If you have a book related to publishing or selling your art, contact me at patricia@spawn.org.

Some magazine/ezine editors ask the author to send a review of their book. In this case, you might ask a friend or colleague to write and submit a review or get permission to submit a review from another reviewer. Make sure they follow the publication’s guidelines for writers and reviewers.

I edited SPAWNews this morning in preparation for its December 1st debut and was very pleased with the work our editor, Sandra Murphy, has done on this issue. The newsletter (FREE to everyone) just gets more and more valuable with each issue. For example, do you know what a blog carnival is? Do you need some ideas for promoting your blog? What are some of the top ranking blog directories and how can you get your blog listed? How can you monetize your blog? You’ll find answers to these questions in this one issue of SPAWNews. If you write poetry or if you simply love playing with words, you might be interested in the book review for PoemCrazy. Are you confused about using pet names and pronouns accurately in narrative Bobbie Christmas clarifies this in her column.

The SPAWN Market Update is also posted each first of the month at the SPAWN website. This meaty newsletter is a perk for members only. The December Market Update boasts 50 opportunities and resources which includes 13 high paying magazine markets for freelancers, 4 large job directories for artists and photographers, 10 traditional publishers seeking manuscripts and a variety of book promotion ideas and resources.

To gain access to the SPAWN Market Update, join SPAWN. It’s $65/year and you get a free book of your choice. http://www.spawn.org. Click on “Join SPAWN.” To learn more about SPAWN, subscribe to the FREE enewsletter, SPAWNews and receive a FREE copy of Promote Yourself: 25 Ways to Promote Your Work Whether You’re an Artist, Author or Small Publisher.

And be sure to visit my websites to see what I offer:
http://www.patriciafry.com
http://www.matilijapress.com

It’s the morning of Thanksgiving. While those of you in the East are already up and your kitchens are a-bustle with activity, here in the West most people are still in bed only contemplating the busy day ahead. We are hosting a group of ten this afternoon.

Of course, this is the season of giving. We start by giving thanks and then we move quickly into the giving of tangible and heartfelt gifts to our loved ones. Something else happens this time of year. I notice that book sales, inquiries from potential new clients and SPAWN memberships are on the rise this time of year. Why? I believe it has something to do with the fact that people are home. They are on the computer. And they are doing some of the research or taking care of some of the details they’ve been putting off.

Folks are looking for gift books. They are making plans to finish the one they are writing and need assistance. They are taking their writing more seriously and decide to join an organization that could give them additional help. I typically get some unexpected activity both at the SPAWN site and my websites this time of year. How about you?

Are you prepared to welcome visitors? Do you have something at your site to keep them there for a while—to encourage them to purchase your book? Do you ask visitors to sign up for something so you can, perhaps, connect with them again? Is your site interesting and/or informative so that people will want to return? Are you checking your email often during the holidays so you can reply promptly to inquiries?

If you have books or services to offer, this is no time to wander too far away from your computer. While you are enjoying your Thanksgiving feast and festivities with family and friends, make sure to also check your email occasionally throughout the long weekend. Field the questions that come to you. The few minutes you spend responding could result in a new client or a book sale.

Keep in mind that this person is probably bored and is using this time to contact several authors with books on aviation, breeding rabbits, sports figures, beauty tips, etc. And you can be sure that he will most likely purchase a book from the person who responds most promptly and aptly to his questions.

If you are ready to take a course designed to walk you through the book proposal, book promotion or the self-publishing process—if you want to start an article-writing business, learn more about publishing and book promotion, etc., or if you need editorial help, visit my websites this week:

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

As you know, I’ve been discussing aspects of your platform these past few days. This is the fourth in the series. Today, let’s talk about your connections.

Everybody knows somebody of influence in their field or interest. I want you to make a list of everyone you know and every organization affiliation related in some large or even minute way to your book project. Consider how each of these people could assist in the promotion or your book. Here are some ideas. Let’s say that you have written a book featuring historical stories of your region.

• Contact the most influential researchers and librarians you worked with while gathering material for your book. Ask them to recommend librarians and museum gift shop managers you can contact about placing your book for sale or giving a presentation.

• Call on a teacher or school administrator you know who could put in a good word for you at the district and state level.

• Speak with people you’ve met at local chamber mixers (you should belong to the Chamber of Commerce) who can introduce you to potential booksellers, radio talk show hosts, a newspaper reporter, program chairpersons for various civic organizations and so forth.

• Visit your neighbor who frequently travels the region depicted in your book and ask him for bookselling recommendations.

• Keep abreast of events and activities planned for your area and neighboring cities and find out how you can get involved.

• Arrange with a librarian, museum director or school administrator to present a program based on your book. If it goes well, ask this individual’s help in setting up similar programs in other venues.

• Contact someone you know at local newspapers and regional magazines. You might be able to negotiate some press. Offer to let them run a story from your book. Ask for an interview. Ask if that person can introduce you to reporters/editors from other publications.

Use this example toward your own book project. Think about who you know that might be of some help in introducing your book to your audience—well-known authors in your genre or topic, experts in your field, company or organization leaders, bookstore managers, college professors, active public speakers, magazine or newsletter editors, etc.

Once you’ve made your list, think about how each of these people can help you in your quest to promote your book. If the book is completed, start contacting them. Where possible, offer some benefit to the individual when you ask for their assistance. Take him to lunch to discuss how a partnership might benefit both of you. Offer her a deep discount on box of books to give to new customers if she will promote the book in her company newsletter.

Be creative. Be smart. Become successful.

For more about me and my work, visit me at:
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

I often suggest that a hopeful author of a nonfiction book start speaking and presenting workshops (where appropriate) before they actually write the book. Not only is it a good way to determine whether your book idea is a good one, this will help you to focus clearly on the book that is most needed/desired by your audience.

You’ll receive feedback that is worth paying attention to. If you can’t attract enough people to your weight-loss, self-esteem, anti-bullying or fall gardening workshop, perhaps your planned book isn’t such a good idea. You might want to tweak it to more appropriately fulfill your audience’s needs.

Conducting workshops and getting out and speaking on your topic will also help you with name recognition. People will be more willing to purchase your book if they already know and trust you. If you also provide a signup sheet where you speak, you’ll have a leg up when it comes to promoting your book. You’ll have the names and contact info for dozens or hundreds of people who are interested. You will have a following even before you have a book to sell.

So how can you prepare for your speaking/workshop debut?

• Join a Toastmasters Club and/or a storytelling group in order to hone your speaking skills.

• Practice speaking at work, during committee meetings, etc. If you are a little timid about speaking up, join a writers group, a committee or a special task force at work and be verbally involved.

• Create speeches and present them in front of your family or a patient friend. I used to practice presentations for the benefit of my cats.

• Attend other presentations and pay close attention to what is working and what isn’t. Incorporate the positive aspects into your presentations.

• Design a workshop, where appropriate. If your book has a how-to aspect and/or it is conducive to a lesson plan, for example, create a workshop using your book as the text. You may need to do a little experimenting in the process of developing an effective workshop.

• Learn from each presentation. Listen to the feedback. Pay attention to the demeanor of your audience. Are they interested in what you’re saying or eager for the program to end? Do they pay closer attention to some topics more than others? Gear your presentations to what you know your audience wants.

For some books, live author appearances are the best selling method. If your book fits into this category, you’ll most definitely want to hone your speaking and presentation skills.

For more about me, my services and my work, visit:
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

Well, I have to apologize. I thought I could manage this blog while attending a conference and taking a little time to see the New York/Connecticut countryside. But I failed you. I even pre-wrote four blog posts—one for each day that I would be away and I ended up posting only one of them.

What was the problem? Two things: I was having way too much fun and staying way too busy to spend much time blogging. And the Internet connection was lousy. Although, after complaining about the Internet everywhere I take my little Acer, I’ve decided that maybe the problem is with the computer. We will be testing it this week.

In the meantime, let me say that it was a wonderful two day conference preceded by and followed by two long, challenging travel days. I spoke at the Cat Writer’s Association conference in White Plains, New York on how to build promotion into your book. It seemed to go over well—the comments following my presentation were unsolicited and favorable. And the conference was extremely well run, inspirational, motivational and downright FUN!

I’m home now with access to truly fast speed Internet and I want to continue the theme I promised. Here is more on how to build your author platform.

This is my absolute favorite way to build my platform and I’ve been pursuing it for years!!! If you are a writer at heart, it is probably your favorite platform-building activity, as well. So how can you attract readers—develop a following through writing? Let me count the ways:

• Write articles or stories related to the theme/genre of your book and submit them to magazines, newsletters and websites. Lots of them. And don’t wait until your book is a book to start doing this. It’s never too soon to begin establishing yourself as an expert in your field or a wonderful, entertaining writer. Put your writing out there in front of your audience for years (or at least months) before your book is published and you will gain the name recognition you need in order to attract readers.

• Establish a blog and post regularly. People interested in the subject or genre of your book will find your blog through your tagline at the end of your articles, from the information on your business cards and brochures as well as through their Google alerts reports.

• Write booklets and pamphlets for a nonfiction book, and short story booklets for fiction. Either give them away as samples via your website and/or at your presentations, or bundle them with your book to offer more value to your customers. If you have a book on cars of the 1950s, you might create booklets featuring hood ornaments for that era, 1950s cars in famous movies, movie star car collectors or great photos of cars from this period. For a book on rainy day crafts for children, you could come up with a never ending array of booklets featuring paper crafts, scissor/cut-out crafts, kitchen crafts, Valentine’s day crafts, animal crafts and so forth.

• Write spin off books. Perhaps you have enough stories or information in you to create one or more additional books for your audience. I’ve found that promoting two or more books on the same topic or in the same genre takes pretty much the same effort as promoting one. And I also find that one book sells others. If someone is interested in my book promotion book, they will likely purchase one or more of my other books on publishing/book promotion.

Writing is an excellent way to promote a book as well as to build your credibility as the author of a book in a particular field or genre. If you are thinking about writing a book, begin the process of building your platform now by submitting articles or stories to publications nation/word-wide, blogging and so forth.

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

I read it again yesterday: Authors must have a strong web presence. In fact this came from a publisher who wrote in his submission guidelines, “Our best selling books are by authors with a strong web presence.”

What does this mean? In this case, it means that the authors whose books are selling are those who have created the most opportunity for exposure online. These authors are, most likely, showcasing their books at their own websites, they’re blogging regularly and frequently, they’re posting at Twitter and maybe a few other social networks. But they’re probably also commenting on other blogs related to the theme/genre of their books, getting their books reviewed online, being interviewed at appropriate sites, being guest blogger at active blog sites, and inviting big name authors, publishers and others in their field to be guest bloggers.

But there’s more that you can do to enhance the web presence you are so actively attempting to establish. Your potential readers who use Google Alerts to keep abreast of books and authors within their favorite topics/genres will easily find you. Those who are excellent researchers will stumble across your site and become aware of your book. But what about the many others out there who would read your book if they knew about it, but don’t know about it? Here are a few additional things you can do in order to boost your excellent web presence:

• Submit articles or stories related to your subject/genre to appropriate magazines and ezines regularly. And be sure to link it to your website.

• Send press releases every so often announcing an activity or event you’re involved in, a contest you’re running or a charity project you have started.

• Go out and speak publicly to your audience.

• Hand out and send out brochures, biz cards, etc. with your web address on it.

• Launch a newsletter and strive to keep building your subscription list.

• Create a spectacular book trailer that everyone will be talking about and post it at your website, show it from your booths at book festivals, etc.

Yes, a web presence is necessary for authors today. But if you stop at simply building a nice site, you will not even be noticed.

For much more about how to promote your book in this competitive publishing climate and so much more, read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Visit my new website and sign up for a free ebook. http://www.patriciafry.com

Do you blog? Do you comment at other blog sites related to your topic/genre? I know all too well how difficult it is to do all of the promotion it takes in order to succeed with a book project. It’s impossible to do everything you should be doing and cover all of your bases. Here’s a tip that could become a good habit for authors with books to promote.

This tip is especially valuable to those of you with nonfiction books whether your topic is pets/animals, childhood or teen issues, sports, household subjects, traveling, writing, grandparenting, history, religion, spirituality or?????? If there is an audience for your book (and you wouldn’t have produced it if there wasn’t), there will be other blogs, websites, newsletters, magazines and so forth reflecting the topic. Here’s the hour and a half morning (or night-time) book promotion exercise I recommend for busy authors.

1: Before you post your informative blog for your potential audience, use Google Alerts to locate posts on other blog sites related to the theme of your book—those directed at your target audience.

2: Where appropriate, take a moment to comment on those sites. Be sure to include the title of your book and leave a link to your own blog site.

3: Log the link to the site where you posted a comment so you can go back and address any comments to you.

4: Now, write your blog post. It may or may not relate to one of the posts where you left your comment. If you feel so inclined, you might mention something valuable you read at one of the other sites. It’s likely that others interested in your topic and who follow the other site, will see it posted in Google Alerts and take the opportunity to visit your blog site.

5: After you complete your post for the day, announce the topic through your Twitter account.

6: But don’t stop there. Now, turn that blog post into an article and submit it to several regional publications on your topic and a national or internet publication that has a large circulation.

Think about this—it took you approximately an hour and a half to reach anywhere from 100 to 1,000 or more people than you would have if you’d gone directly to work without doing this bit of early morning promo.

Get up an hour earlier than usual, if you must, to follow this routine. Or stay up an hour later.

Google Alerts is a free service: http://www.google.com/alerts.

Get many, MANY more tips and resources for promoting your book from my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html. Read the articles and check out the resources at my site: http://www.matilijapress.com> http://www.matilijapress.com

Visit my beautiful new site: http://www.patriciafry.com