{"id":477,"date":"2009-04-07T05:47:26","date_gmt":"2009-04-07T13:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=477"},"modified":"2009-04-07T05:47:26","modified_gmt":"2009-04-07T13:47:26","slug":"authors-must-diversify-when-it-comes-to-book-promotion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=477","title":{"rendered":"Authors Must Diversify When it Comes to Book Promotion"},"content":{"rendered":"

My cat, Max, is not happy this week. We have a guest staying with us for a few days and his strict schedule has gone out the window. He\u2019s agitated and frustrated because he doesn\u2019t have access to the guest room (his room) on demand. He hates that the household routine has changed. See a photo of Max as he warms up his voice for the Mewsical Society in Canada. Scroll down through the sopranos, the kitten chorus and the drummers. Max is near the bottom at http:\/\/www.simonteakettle.com\/musical.society.html<\/a> <\/p>\n

Sophie, on the other hand, a formerly feral tortie (who was chosen not to be part of the Mewsical Society) loves having company. Rather than fretting about what appears to be lost, she grabs at the opportunities to get extra petting and play time, to enjoy the warmth of the fire for longer periods in the mornings and getting to stay up later in the evenings. <\/p>\n

How do you respond when your comfort zone is compromised? Do you freak out and fight the changes like Max or do you take the changes in your stride and make them work for you instead of against you like Sophie?<\/p>\n

Perhaps you\u2019re aware that Amazon is facilitating some changes in their operations. It\u2019s all over the Internet\u2014they want to remove either some or all of the reviews on the book pages. For those of you who are not familiar with the book pages at Amazon, every book for sale through Amazon.com, has a dedicated page. Folks can come along and leave comments (or reviews) on the book page. I often post reviews for other writing\/publishing-related books for other authors. And when I leave a comment or post a review, I commonly include my name, title of my own books and ordering information. Most authors view these reviews as important promotional tools.<\/p>\n

Now, however, it looks as though there are going to be strings attached to posting a review. One author said that she was told recently that she could post a review if she bought a book. My feeling is that Amazon will allow posts that link back to Amazon for book purchases and that they will disallow links to our own sites.<\/p>\n

Some of my colleagues are really upset about this. I don\u2019t like the idea of it, either, but I maintain that, as authors, we are businessmen\/women and we have to know that business is not an exact science. It is also not always predictable and steadfast. In business, we must be flexible. We can\u2019t take anything for granted. It\u2019s when we become rigid and unyielding in business (including book promotion) that we start on that dreaded downward spiral. It is when we refuse to adjust in the face of change that we fail.<\/p>\n

Folks, you can fight for what you want\u2014petition, complain, campaign for things to stay the same\u2014but, at the same time, make sure that you are diversified in your promotional efforts. Avoid complacency. Continuously seek new promotional avenues. Be at the ready when opportunities emerge. Be willing to step outside your comfort zone. Regroup, if necessary and reinvent your marketing plan.<\/p>\n

If your promotional ideas are becoming stale, consider signing up for my online, on-demand Book Promotion Workshop<\/strong>. http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/course_bookpromotion.htm<\/a> <\/p>\n

Order your copy of my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book <\/em><\/strong>at http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a> <\/p>\n

If you are seeking a manuscript editor who can also guide you through the publishing maze, check out my credentials at http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/consulting.html<\/a> And contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My cat, Max, is not happy this week. We have a guest staying with us for a few days and his strict schedule has gone out the window. He\u2019s agitated and frustrated because he doesn\u2019t have access to the guest room (his room) on demand. He hates that the household routine has changed. See a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t