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Promote Your Book By A. H. Holt |
Note: These "tips" are from a journal I am keeping on how to promote my book. They include things that I am learning from research and experience.
Book Promotion Tip # 1
The day you sign the contract for your book---
start working on your web page.
Keep it simple, I'll say that again---KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Do not use big graphics, frames, animation, or anything that will cause the page to load slowly. People close pages and never come back when that happens.
Leave a space for a picture of the front of your book on the opening page and another on the "about you" page for your picture. When you have a picture taken at a photographer
these days, she will offer to furnish you with a copy of the image on a disk.
Use one page of your web to give something away free. It could be free advice like this, free recipes, a copy of a booklet you write about something you are an expert in, just so long as its something of value to give people a real reason and a reward to come to your web site.
Link, Link, Link to other web pages. Search for pages that coordinate with yours. Formally ask to trade links. That's not required in most cases, but it's nicer. Check links regularly to make sure they are functioning. Find affiliate programs that coordinate with your web site.
Be ready to add something to your web page about once a month. Consider starting a newsletter or e-zine about one of your passions.
Answer your messages--always answer your messages.
Study and compare the realities of web hosts before you sign on. Some are free and some are cheap, but not all are useful. There's so much information on the web that it's mind-boggling, but it's important for you to compare performance, not only price, before you buy.
Remember---Building a web site IS NOT as easy as a click of a mouse. If you are a computer tyro find someone who understands how computers work and has tremendous
patience to build your site. Remember that paying to have your site built is not the only expense. You will want to change pages around and add to them, so the site has to be
maintained.
If you decide to build your own site, publish it to your desktop first. Keep it there for about two weeks so you can tweak it and add content. That will also give you time to find and correct all (most) of your mistakes.
Spend time studying how to get your site on all of the important search engines.
Prepare a list of 25 of your most important search words and phrases and have them ready for when you start submitting your site to search engines.
Write a three-line introduction to your site that will make people want to open it. This will also go in your application to search engines.
Find out about META tags.
Submit to Yahoo Canada, it will help you get on Yahoo faster.
By A. H. Holt,
http://www.ahholt.comSILVER CREEK, by A. H. Holt
Avalon Books ISBN 0-8034-9600-1
Available at your favorite bookseller
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Book Promotion Tip # 2
By A. H. Holt
http://www.ahholt.com
Eleven Ways to Build Your Basic Mailing List
Start compiling your mailing list as soon as you possibly can. You will want to start mailing and/or e-mailing announcements about your book to booksellers and others around five months before the official publication date of your book.
Make a list of the businesses and the people you will need to contact to promote your new book:
Step 1--Ask your publisher what stores will definitely list your book.
Almost always, their list will begin with Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. They are critical outlets, but there are more bookstores than you can even imagine, even many other chain bookstores.
Step 2--Determine what cities/towns you will be able to visit during the first year after your book is published.
Make a list of conventions, conferences, or meetings you plan to attend. List family you know you will be visiting and begin to map out when you will visit each area. This will serve as a guide to when you send information to your contacts.
Step 3--Go to the Internet and look up ALL of the chain bookstores in the towns you plan to visit.
Copy and paste each store's complete address information into a word-processing file named My Mailing List. Make sure to get the complete information. You will pick up garbage when you copy, but it much easier to remove garbage than to type all of the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Step 4--Search the internet for state and national associations of independent booksellers.
Several of these organizations have lists, or directories of booksellers, divided by state, with live e-mail links. Collect as many e-mail addresses of these directories as you can find. Stop and type the complete e-mail address of each association on a separate page in your file, My Mailing List. Book marking on your computer alone is not an adequate record, as you will discover in a later tip.
Step 5--Search the internet for newspapers in your target areas.
Most directories are divided by state and some have live e-mail links. Copy and paste the address, etc. for newspapers in the areas you plan to visit in your file. You will want to mail to Editor, Newspaper, any street, any town with zip code. Get the telephone number of the newsroom if you can, and the e-mail. Pay particular attention to weekly newspapers. They desperately need copy and are much more likely than a big daily to want to do a feature on you and your book. If you or your book have any connection with education don't forget college and university newspapers.
Step 6--Magazines, Radio and TV Stations are listed on the net.
Radio and TV contacts, mostly reached by e-mail and telephone, are easy to find. Magazines are a problem. When you attempt to search for a magazine you'll get many sites that want to sell you the magazine instead of giving you the location and contact information of the Magazine. Just keep trying, read the description of each site carefully and you'll eventually click on the correct site.
Step 7--Libraries and Friends of the Library.
These organizations will be listed under the name of your state. You may first have to find the state public library association, then libraries in the localities you will visit. When all else fails, look local libraries up in the yellow pages. Be sure to copy their address, telephone number and e-mail if available. Friends of the Library are usually listed under the name of the library they serve as "Chester Friends of the Library" for the public library in Chester, Virginia.
Step 8--State Publishing Assoc. Library Assoc. Conferences,
Listed on the internet. These associations are also listed in print at your nearest research library. These organizations hold annual conferences and host book fairs. These Book Fairs are attended by book distributors, publishers, librarians and booksellers, making the process of getting your book in well worth the effort.
Step 9--Book Fairs and Trade Shows
These are advertised on the internet, in magazines, newspapers, and in library directories. Investigate costs carefully. The theme of the fair or show should connect with your book somehow, no matter how tenuously.
Step 10--Organizations and groups related to your book
Clubs, groups, newsletters exist for every interest. Senior citizens, students, romance
readers, dancers, sports, dieters, diving enthusiasts, etc. all have organizations and meetings. Many of them have open membership and large mailing lists. Check internet directories or lists of associations, use the library, and call your local chamber of commerce. Don't forget to join internet groups--sign up to receive digests instead of individual e-mails. You can say hello to each of these groups in a short e-mail, then lurk and watch for an opening to talk about your new book or its publication.
Step 11-Family, Friends and Acquaintances
However you communicate with this group, and I hope it is through e-mail, send them an announcement that you are going to be published, and then send an update every month including any new information, including the complete address of your new web site. Continue these up dates through the publication of your book. After your book is published start sending updates on where you will be traveling and holding book signings and readings. At the end of each message tell your family member, friend or acquaintance that you need their help and ask them to pass your good news on to their friends and family.
By A. H. Holt,
http://www.ahholt.comSILVER CREEK, by A. H. Holt
Avalon Books ISBN 0-8034-9600-1
Book Promotion Newsletter
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By sending a blank e-mail to
Ahholt@ahholt.com
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Book Promotion Tip # 3
Use Your New Mailing List to Sell Your Books
By A. H. Holt
http://www.ahholt.com
Do you write romances? Give your readers lists of famous lovers of the past.
Congress http://lcweb.loc.gov/issn
16 Never forget to include an ad for your book on the Editor's message page.
Silver Creek, by A. H. Holt
Avalon Books ISBN 0-8034-9600-1
Book Promotion Newsletter
To subscribe send a blank e-mail to
Ahholt@ahholt.com
