The Book Marketing Network

For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers

I'd like to start a new forum where people can talk about what's working for you right now in marketing your book.

I think this will help other authors to prioritize their activities if they can find out what's working for other people. This would be especially valuable to new authors.

I've share the hottest tool that I'm using right now. And that's Twitter. As you will note on the main page of this Book Marketing Network website, both my http://www.bookmarket.com website and this network have been rising in Alexa ranks (and visits) because of my use of Twitter.

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Good morning everyone! This discussion has been relatively quiet until now! 

If I may stick my two cents worth in....don't forget as far as book marketing and promotion goes, to have a website.  Most of you probably already have that, but just saying it's the basis and the springboard of what you do as an author.  And on that website you can mention other author's books, have a blog, etc. etc.     :)

http://barbaraebel.weebly.com

The other thing is if you write in two distinct genres or have more than one author name (including pen names), have a separate website for that, too, as I have done.

http://dogbooksforchildren.weebly.com

As far as ebooks and paper books, I read within the last few months that the latest statistics were that digital books had taken their first slow-down and that they are sitting around 30% of all book sales.  So although we often only think of our ebook marketing and promotion, 70% of all sales are still paperbacks/harcover books!

 

Promoting and marketing has to be the hardest. I learned a lot when Steve Harrison from his telephone conferences when he asked one question, "What is the difference between a poor author and rich author? A poor author depends on only book signings in bookstores and other locations. 

A rich author says, "What else can I do." So, I started a 3 hour workshop on "Bring Your Manuscript to Publication." Then I took my frustrations with self-publishing with Create Space and will be teaching my first 3 hour class on April 26th with "How to Self-Publish Your Own Book on Create Space." I wrote about all the areas that I had a problem with.

Someone then asked me last week if I had the handbooks in Kindle and a bell went off. Why not get them on Amazon instead of printing at Staples. The books at Staples was $7.50 and CS was $2.50. I am waiting for my first proof to look at from Create Space (another self-published book) to arrive in a week and it will be on Amazon in paperback (26 page) and Kindle within, hopefully, 3 weeks or sooner. I will then take the Publication handbook and do the same. 

I lost a husband and daughter from their addiction and wrote two books (one a sequel) about our lives with the fear, confusion and abuse and now offer an hour talk on "The Effect of Alcoholism on the Whole Family." I have spoken behind closed doors at half way homes, court-ordered programs, and substance abuse rehabilitation centers. I also speak in public and to the families.

I went further and co-founded Authors Without Borders (www.awb6.com) with three other authors and we meet monthly for planning events and actually collect dues. We are in the process of trying to put a video together. We share in the cost of festivals to make it more affordable. We co-authored our first book together Loose Ends. We also started up our own cable show Authors Without Borders Presents on the NBTV-95 Cable Show. We are all producers, directors and co-host to the show. My husband, Al, even became a camera man for us when we get short with help. We offer interviews for other authors, writers, bookstore managers, publisher, etc for the writer to learn what they face with the publishing world. We offer on our website to promote authors and their books. If they become members we put them on the half hour show and they get a free dvd of the show. 

I just finished What is and isn't Working for the Alcoholic and Addict; In their Own Words written by 34 addicts from all walks of life and within the United States and Canada telling what they believe isn't and hasn't worked in recovery programs. I wanted answers to questions that my loved ones never shared with me and thought the best place to go for them was to the source, the addicted. It's a book for other addicts, family members, doctors, counselor and society to see new ways of helping the addicted. They are telling us what they need to get out of denial.

My husband, Al, and I are working with Senator John Kerry's office and Senator Michael Rodrigues to see if we can modify the Patient Privacy Act for alcoholics, drug users and the mentally ill. 

I started all this back in 2006. I have not broken out with fame or receive tons of money that I would like coming into my pocket. I have been getting a check monthly from my books sales, nothing to rave about, but they are moving. I hope someday my hard work will break out! I went to a workshop and the teacher said an author has to Persevere, Persevere and Persevere more!! 

So, look at your books, study your audience, where can you talk, what can you take from your book to make talks, what lessons in them can be formed into talks and where, what classes can you teach, etc.  I had a friend who wrote a fiction on teenagers finding a terrorist in high school and took the lessons out of the book (harassment, bullying, etc.) and taught them in schools. The kids loved them! She offered the teachers 3 out of 8 topic for them to have her cover. She sold over 4,000 books.  

Do the work instead of hoping someone knocks on your door because it will not happen. Believe me, I also get frustrated and tired and ask myself, "Why am I doing this?"  The next day, an idea comes to me, and I am sitting at the computer or on the phone again. Some authors are lucky and are in the right place, at the right time, with the right people to get them known. 

I have my first big opening on April 9th with the medical field. I was ask to speak at a well-know restaurant in the next few towns over on alcohol abuse. The organization is The Association of the Greater Chapters of the Medical Assistants. They are not paying me, but can sell my books. I take a friend who sits at a table during my talks to sell them while I speak and mingle in with the audience. My last talk, she and my husband sold my books and I came home with over $400. I would not have had the time to sell after my talk was over. 

I am sorry this is so long. I'm trying to show you how to grow and push yourselves beyond what you think you can do. Start a group. Get support. Good luck to you!!

Hi Barbara!

I have a website too :) and I've been putting up other authors on it. My thinking is that if I suddenly were to become more well known as an author, why shouldn't I bring other people with me up the ladder? I guess that's not a very corporate view, but I don't really mind. If I can help other authors get known and read along with me, then I'm happy.

I would love to be able to put my books out in paperback form at least, but I just don't have the funds to do so right now. So I have to concentrate on the ebook aspect for now. That is cool that you have two websites! :D I'd be lost because I wouldn't know what to put on the second site lol.

Hi albertasequeira!

So are you saying that CreateSpace charges $2.50 to put books into print?

Oh yeah!

Thanks for that Elizabeth :-) That was really cool of you to put up links for me, Joleene, DM Yates and CeDany!

Good things will happen for you-you will see :-)

Cool. A great lengthy discussion here. That's what these forums are for.

:-)

Feel free to chime in, John! We would love your input on this subject :-)

Elizabeth, one site is for my adult novels, health book (I'm an M.D.) and my health blog.  The other site is for my children's book series and for folks to follow the star of the books who is my real therapy dog...for his 'paw' signings besides information about him.

CreateSpace is a no-brainer to publish books on and it doesn't cost you a cent.  I just published my 10th book with them.  It takes a little bit of a learning curve, but once you know the ropes, it's a snap!

Hmm that sounds interesting. I will take a look at CreateSpace. Your children's books sound so cute! People love animal heroes I know I do! :)

And you're welcome Lan it was my pleasure and a privilege to be able to do it! :)

Yes, sign up with createspace and take your time learning the ropes and stumbling around. 

:-) I'm 4-LAN and I like pizza, Steve :-P

The only cost on CreateSpace is the cost of your proof book, and sometimes you can proof completely online and never *have* to buy one, though I do recommend buying a proof to be safe. I have published 9 books with them for myself, and have done several for other people. It's really quite easy, and if you need any help with it let me know. I have formatting templates for the book interiors and such. The main thing used to be you had to be able to make the interior and the cover into PDFs but I believe they accept word documents now for the interiors and you can actually use their cover creators to make a decent wrap around. I do recommend making a front cover separate though and just uploading it into the cover creator. 

I agree 100%! maybe we should start a thread for website/blog link exchanges to make it easier to find those links to share. If anyone knows how to start a new topic, LOL!

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