Has This Blog Helped You?

As I plan the posts for this blog, I sometimes pause and wonder to myself, "I wonder if anyone is actually USING any of information?" The question comes up as a matter of curiosity, and also as a means of trying to serve my readers better.

Every now and then, I do receive an email from a reader who thanks me for the information, such as this comment which was recently left here:

"Terry, I happened to stumble across your blog because I Googled “Tate Publishing” as I have recently submitted a manuscript. I have to say that the tips you provide on your blog are absolutely, 100%, nothing-short-of wonderful. In one evening I read through, and took notes on pretty much all of the posts to your blog. I actually debated for about a week as to whether or not to post a comment (I was concerned that it might be misconstrued as me looking for some way to tip the scales in my favor), however, tonight, I decided to throw caution to the wind because regardless of whether or not Tate chooses to publish my book, I have to give credit where credit is due. Specifically, I have set up two different Google Alerts and as a result of those alerts, in a time period of 10 days, I have amassed a list of about 17 solid, bloggers/media contacts, that are interested in the niche market to which my book would appeal. I am all about working hard, however, my day job has taught me the value of working smart and due to the time constraints of my day job, I will need to hit the market hard in the least time consuming manner possible. The time that is saved by having Google do the work of finding the market for me is invaluable. Additionally, I am now a loyal subscriber and have already recommended your site to a friend."

I usually write my blog posts late at night, after what has already been a long but productive day at work, so these kinds of comments really make my day. It got me wondering if there were any similar stories like this out there.

So, if you are an author who has put the advice from this blog to use, I'd love to hear from you. Have you used the tips and advice from this blog? If so, how has it paid off for you? Has it helped make your marketing efforts easier, or resulted in increased sales for your book? Please leave a comment here at the end of this post. You never know...I just might use you as an endorsement when MY book is ready!

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Guest Post: Jessica Handler

Today's guest post is written by award-winning author Jessica Handler. - Terry

I’m not usually a paragon of discipline, but when it comes to getting the word out about Invisible Sisters, marketing isn’t discipline: it’s fun. I’m fortunate because the book’s publicist played a part early and has a hand in publicity even almost a year after my memoir came out. Even a great publicist will tell you that it’s up to the author to be responsible for her book’s success. My publicist has made the connections for Invisible Sisters inclusion in some wonderful book festivals (I’ll be at the Virginia Festival of the Book in March, and the Southern Kentucky Book Fair in April) and I’ve pitched and organized lectures, book talks, and speaking engagements at writers’ clubs and community organizations. I ask friends and family (and friends of family) if I can visit their book clubs. If they live far away, Skype is a great resource!

Before you market your book, you’ll want to understand your platform. Get a friend who’s read the book to help you figure this out. Make a list of the topics and issues in the book, even if it’s fiction. Is it about children, parents, travel, religion, social justice, hobbies, medicine…if you’re not sure, ask yourself who your ideal reader would be, and why. This will help you decide what groups in your community would particularly like to hear you speak on this topic. Learn to use social media, like Twitter and Facebook, and update your status or your tweets to build recognition about yourself and your book with groups and individuals who you think would be interested. For example, if your book is about parenting and there’s a parenting story in the news, tweet, update, and blog about the connection! Don’t have a blog? Start one; there are plenty of free and low-cost templates out there, and plenty of students, nieces, nephews, and friends who can get you set up if you’re hesitant to try it alone.

Word of mouth (and keyboard) is the best way to encourage readers to buy and enjoy your book. Ask friends to tell other friends how much they liked it. Send thank you notes (the old fashioned kind, written by hand) to book groups and event organizers after you participate, and make sure to include a business card or promotional postcard with info about your book and contact info for yourself.

Here’s the easiest tip of all. Be friendly, enthusiastic, and support writers in your community, and they’ll support you back. Attend readings at bookstores, community centers, libraries, and schools. Join their mailing lists. Get to know other people supporting writers in your community. Writing is a solitary occupation, but you’ve got a book out! Time to celebrate and spread the news!

About the Author:

Jessica Handler’s first book, Invisible Sisters: A Memoir (Public Affairs, 2009) is one of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Eight Great Southern Books in 2009” and Atlanta Magazine’s “Best Memoir of 2009.” Her nonfiction has appeared in Brevity.com, More Magazine, Southern Arts Journal, and Ars Medica. She received the 2009 Peter Taylor Nonfiction Fellowship for the Kenyon Review Writers’ Workshop, and a special mention for a 2008 Pushcart Prize. Handler teaches creative writing in Atlanta, Georgia.

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What's Your Elevator Pitch?

So, what's your book about?

It is one of the most common questions asked of an author, yet I have watched as many authors hem and haw and stumble their way through an explanation of their book...and these are the people who wrote it. It's not that they don't know what their book is about. Of course they do. My theory is that they don't want to brag about themselves, or their book, so they just give a very vague description. Others go completely the other way, taking an extremely long amount of time to describe all of the best plot twists in their book.

These authors don't have an "elevator pitch."

An elevator pitch refers to a very brief overview of a product (in this case your book) which can be described in 30 seconds or less...about the length of an average elevator ride. If you have ever seen the show "Shark Tank" (I prefer the British version, "Dragons Den" on BBC America), you have seen an elevator pitch in action.

Why should authors have an elevator pitch for their book? Think of all the times you might be asked to describe your book: book signing events, book fairs, radio interviews, meetings with bookstore managers, and you'll quickly come to realize it is a question you will get a lot. Your answer could determine if you get a sale or not.

The pitch for your book doesn't need to be long, involved or difficult. It does need to be able to pique the interest of people in a very short period of time. These pitches don't need to be (and shouldn't be) any longer than 2-3 sentences. Here are a few sample book descriptions taken right from the backmatter of a few well-known books:

"The Green Mile tells the story of two men, a prison guard and his new death row inmate, and their suddenly intertwined lives. What would it be like to walk those last 40 yards to the electric chair, knowing you were going to die there? What would it be like to be the man who had to strap the condemned man in or pull the switch?
The Green Mile by Stephen King

"A kidnapped daughter is presumed dead, and when her grieving father receives a letter, apparently from God, inviting him to the scene of the crime, he can't help but go. What he finds there will change his world forever. "
The Shack by William P. Young

After years of disagreeing about what true happiness, success, and love really are, Dave and Clarice Johnson finally face the breaking point of their marriage. When Clarice's leg is crushed in a car wreck, the obvious truth that more than just her injuries need immediate attention is finally exposed. Clarice and Dave struggle to find restoration as they learn the importance of promises made and kept - and the truth that help sometimes comes from unlikely places.
Not Easily Broken by T.D. Jakes

Each of these are wildly successful books, and in the case of The Green Mile, lengthy. However, these descriptions are brief, but capture your attention. Of course, you're not going to spout your book's backmatter when someone asks what it's about, but these types of descriptions give you a starting point.

In no more than three sentences, write down what your book is about. Imagine your book is a movie. If you were reading a TV Guide description of that movie, what would it say? Focus on the central idea of the book, but make sure you "tease" the reader. You want them to be just interested enough that they will say "I have to read that book and find out more!"

Now, re-write this description and make it conversational, like something that could come up in casual conversation. After you have done this, practice reciting it a few times. You want it to sound natural, not like something you have memorized.

You aren't going to commit this to memory word-for-word, but now you have a good general description of your book...your "elevator pitch." When someone asks you what your book is about, you will be able to describe it in a couple of sentences and in such a way that it will make that person want to know more. If they ask you more questions about your book, that's great! They're interested. I have been to some trade shows where I saw a couple of authors spend half an hour telling someone what their book was about. Not only did they not sell their book, but it's highly unlikely that poor soul whose time they wasted will ever bother to read it. Why should they? The authors already recited it to them.

Your book pitch will serve you well when you get out in public, do book signings and media interviews and when you get the inevitable question: "What's your book about?"

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Promoting Your Book With Trailers

When movie companies promote a film, they do so with something called a trailer. That's the 2-3 minute advertisement for the film that you see during the "coming attractions" at the theater and on TV. For the past couple of years, publishers have been doing the same thing for books.

You wouldn't think that books lend themselves to video, but a well-produced trailer can boost interest in a book and gain readers that it otherwise might not have had. We have become a very visually-oriented society, and video sells.

So, what can you actually do with a book trailer, you might ask? Here are a few ways you can use that 30 seconds of video for maximum impact in promoting your book:

Your web site: When a reader visits your web site, try to have it set up so your video starts playing automatically when they get to your home page. It's an attention-grabber, and it will let the reader know right away what your latest book is all about.

Social video sites: Susan Boyle became world-famous because of her video that appeared on sites like YouTube, which logged more than 120 million views of her performance on the UK show "Britain's Got Talent." Although Boyle didn't win the talent contest, she became an instant media sensation and still got a record deal. Her CD has sold millions of copies. Of course, her video went viral, which means that people shared the video with their friends and family, and they shared the video with their friends, and so on. If you have an attention-grabbing video, it could be shared and passed around online, getting you the kind of exposure you would never get from a book tour.

Blog tours: A blog tour is a virtual book tour. You don't actually go anywhere. Bloggers review your book, interview you, host Q & A sessions and give your book exposure on their blogs. A blog tour is usually comprised of visits to 10 or more blogs over a period of a couple of weeks. The book trailer could be used on the blogs to promote your upcoming appearance.

Electronic press kits: EPK's, or electronic press kits, are emails which are sent to the media which contain links to your web site, an online bio, a sample chapter of your book, and yes, your book trailer. The press release sent to the media might simply include a link to a static web page which includes all of these things. Think of an EPK as an online newsroom which gives the media all the background info they need to know about you and your book.

Book signings: Chances are, you've got a digital version of your book trailer. Why not bring a laptop and have your book trailer play continuously at your table while you are signing your books? It will certainly be an attention-grabber!

It is easier now than ever before to distribute video content. You're only limited by your imagination!

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How to Run a Successful Book Signing Event

"I had a great book signing. I talked to a lot of people and I sold 5 books!" the author states enthusiastically.

Well, that's good. I'm always glad to hear the author had a great time at their book signing event. Is five copies sold a good result for a book signing event? Probably not. If the bookstore ordered 20 copies of the book for the event and only five were sold, chances are the other 15 books are going to be returned to the distributor. The author is actually in the hole after their "great" book signing. Other times, an author will tell me this was a "lousy" signing, and the bookstore "didn't advertise my event at all!"

The good news is it doesn't have to be this way. There are things that authors can do to ensure successful book signing events in which they not only sell all of the books the bookstore ordered, but have to dip into their own supply as well. These tips will presume that the author is doing a regular book signing, as opposed to a consignment sale (which we'll cover later.)

1. Get 'em in the door. Don't just expect the bookstore to advertise your event and bring in throngs of people eagerly awaiting to sign your book. Stack the deck in your favor. Send out invitations to your family, friends, co-workers...anybody you can think of. Don't just assume they won't come to your event. The more people you invite, the better. Bookstores schedule events because they want authors to bring people into their store. When I schedule book signing events for authors, the first question bookstore managers ask me is "how many people can they invite and get into the store?" The bookstore is looking for more customers, and they expect the authors to bring them.

2. Get the word out. Don't just rely on emails. Post a notice on your Facebook or MySpace page, on Craig's List for your community, and on any free events calendar listings in your local area. Send out press releases to the local media. You might get a small two line notice in their events calendar section, or a reporter might event want to interview you prior to your event. Some authors want to purchase ads in the local paper. In my experience, these really aren't very effective and can be very expensive. If they actually worked, your publisher or the bookstore would place the ads themselves. There is a reason why they don't.

3. Work with the bookstore. Ask the bookstore manager where you will be seated in the store (ideally, you'll be near the entrance), if they need posters or bookmarks to promote the event and if they know of any media contacts that have promoted their events in the past.

4. Dress up your table. Don't expect the bookstore to do it for you. At the very least, have a tabletop poster announcing who you are, or have a large one mounted on posterboard at the local Kinko's and place it on an easel near your table. If you have props that are applicable to your book, display them. I have an author who wrote a book about WWII who displays his Army gear at his book signing events. He even wanted to bring his old military rifle to events, but I told him it was probably best that he not bring firearms to the mall. Anything that will attract people to your table is great, but make sure the bookstore manager is fine with it first.

5. Have a pre-written announcement ready for the store to read over their intercom system. Not all stores have these, but the larger ones do. They will appreciate the fact that it is one less thing they have to prepare for the event, and this will let people in the store know who you are and where you are located.

6. Be outgoing. Don't just sit at your table and wait for people to approach you. Engage the customers in conversation. Tell them who you are and about the book you have written. Many bookstore customers love to meet authors, but they may not be the first ones to make a move. Sell yourself, and the merits of your book (without being pushy, of course). I have heard of authors who have spent the entire 2-3 hours of their signing just sitting at their table hoping people will line up for a book, or worse...reading a magazine or newspaper during their event. Have you ever seen those people handing out free food samples at the supermarket? They talk to everyone that walks by them, with a big smile on their face. They talk about the product, and how great it is. Authors could learn a lot from these people. Remember, you are "on the job" when you are at a book signing event. Treat it like one.

7. Thank the bookstore manager or events coordinator. Let them know you appreciate their support. Send them a thank-you card after the event. They will be more likely to recommend your book, have you back for future events and recommend you to their sister stores, if they have any. A great attitude goes a long way.

Remember, nobody is more passionate or believes in your book more than you!

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Why Do I Need an Online Presence?

At least once a week, I speak with a new author who tells me "I don't really use a computer. I don't see the need for a (fill in the blank) web site, Facebook/MySpace page, blog, etc."

Ten years ago, it probably didn't matter if an author had an online presence. That certainly isn't the case anymore. Think about the number of books sold on Amazon.com, BN.com or Borders.com, and you'll quickly realize that if you are an author, you should definitely have some kind of online presence.

What kind of online presence do you have now? To find out, just Google your name, or the name of your book. If you only have 2-3 pages of search results which pertain to you or your book (or worse yet, none at all) you don't have enough of an online presence.

Your name is your brand. It is the thing that readers look for when readers want more information about an author or their books. If your name or the name of your book isn't the first thing that appears in the search results when you Google them, you've got some work to do.

So how do you build an online presence? Fortunately, the fixes are simple, and in many cases, free.

1. Get a web site. As an author, this should probably be one of the first things you get to build your online presence. It doesn't have to be a huge web site with a bunch of bells and whistles, as long as what you have looks professional. At a minimum, it should have an author biography, information about the author's books, a way of contacting the author, a schedule of author appearances and a way of purchasing the books. If you can't build your own web site, you can hire someone to build one for you, and it doesn't have to be expensive.

2. Get a Facebook/MySpace page. This is a fast, free and simple way of developing an online presence and staying in touch with your readers. Setting up an account is free, although if you don't know what you're doing there are services which will customize a page for you. The key here is to post to your pages frequently, and to build a list of "friends." You can start with your family and friends, and encourage people to join your page through your web site. The more friends you have connected to your Facebook page, the more effective it will be. Even better, your friends can recommend your page to other people.

3. Get a Twitter page. This is kind of like having a Facebook or MySpace page, but your updates are limited to 140 characters or less. I use Twitter to pass along marketing tips and links to articles I think authors will find helpful. Authors can use it to notify people about their book signing events and the latest news about their book. Getting a Twitter account is free.

4. Get a blog. If you are reading this, then you already have a pretty good idea of what a blog is. It's like having a web site, but you can update it often...even daily if you want to . Posting to a blog frequently is most effective, and the posts should be concise and informative. If you are working on a new book, tell your blog readers. If you have a book signing event coming up, tell your blog readers. The idea is to build as much traffic to your site as possible, and I'll tell you how to do that in an upcoming post.

5. Comment on posts on other blogs and message boards, and sign them using your name. This is another fast way of building an online presence. The key here is to leave short, informative feedback on other blogs and message boards, and include a link to your blog or web site so people can click on it and connect with your directly. The more incoming traffic you have on your web site or blog, the more your name or the name of your book will come up in search engine results.

Of course, you don't want to spend every waking moment of the day managing your online presence, but it only take me about ten minutes to write a blog post and post updates on Facebook and Twitter. These few extra steps will help you build an online presence and help spread the word about your and your book. Authors can't afford to be shy. If you aren't connecting with readers, readers will be connecting with another author.

What methods have you used to build an online presence?

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How To Conduct Successful Media Interviews to Sell Books

At some point during your career as an author, you will likely be asked to do an interview with a member of the media, a reporter or book reviewer who works in radio, television or print. These are great opportunities to raise awareness for your book, and to help generate some sales, too. However, this only works if it is done properly.

Believe it or not, some authors get so excited to get the opportunity to talk about their book, that they forget to mention crucial pieces of information during the interview, such as:

When the book is available.
Where the book is available.
The title of the book.
The fact that they have a book (they were so wrapped up in talking about the subject of their book they failed to mention their book at all.)

Failure to mention any of these things results in lost sales and promotional opportunities, which is the reason an author does the interview in a first place.

With that in mind, I have compiled a list of tips for authors to help them prepare for media interviews:

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW:

1. If approaching the media on your own about doing a story or interview about your book, be friendly. Producers or reporters might sound short on the phone. They are very busy people. You may have called them while they are on a deadline (never call an hour before a newscast on a TV station). Ask if it’s a good time to speak to them about a possible interview, and if it isn’t ask when you can call back.

2. Be persistent. Unless an interviewer or producer flatly states “we simply aren’t interested” the word “no” sometimes means “not now” or “we’re booked for the week”. Follow-up calls are a good idea, but don’t be pushy. Be sure to tell the reporter or producer WHY your book would make a good interview topic. The fact that you wrote a book usually isn’t enough. TV and radio stations and newspaper book editors are pitched by authors all the time.

3. When you set a date/time for the interview, stick to it. Unless there is dire emergency in your home, there is no good reason to reschedule an interview. TV/Radio shows usually spend some time before the interview promoting the fact that you will be appearing at a specific time. Stick to it.

4. Don’t be late for your interview, not even a little. In fact, if you are supposed to call in or personally appear on a show, be a little early. Nothing frustrates a host more than wondering if their guest is going to be on time. Radio and TV shows stick to strict time limits. Late guests throw off that schedule and you could find yourself without an interview.

DURING THE INTERVIEW:

You have lined up an interview with a newspaper, radio or television reporter. Great! Interviews are a great way of selling books, but there is a difference between talking about your book during an interview and selling your book through interviews.

1. First and foremost, don’t sound like you’re selling your book (even though that is exactly what you are doing). Radio hosts in particular don’t want to schedule an author to come on their show only to wind up with an infomercial about a book. Phrases like “if you buy my book you’ll read about” are not good selling points. Sometimes the story behind the writing of the book makes a great interview.

2. No one-word answers, especially in rado and TV interviews. Nothing will kill an interview faster than giving a simple “yes” or “no” answer to the interviewer’s questions. You can answer with a “yes” or “no” but also explain the reason why the answer is “yes” or “no”. On the flip side of that:

3. Do not ramble. Time is usually very limited for radio and TV interviews, and saying more than you really need to could lead to you saying the wrong thing, or worse yet, boring the audience.

4. Be entertaining! Sound like you are happy to be on the program and excited to talk about your book. Make the interview interesting and informative, and you will not only be welcomed back to the program, you will interest the audience in buying your book.

5. Help out the interviewer. If possible, send the interviewer a list of suggested questions about a week before the interviewer. Some interviewers will not use suggested questions, but others appreciate it. An interviewer is not always able to read a book before interviewing the author. A list of questions will help them out a great deal and make their job easier. Also, include a short autobiography about you so the radio/TV interviewer has an interesting way of introducing you on the show.

6. Book giveaways. These can be tricky. You are on the show to sell your book, so is it a good idea to offer books as on-air giveaways? Giveaways can be a good way of generating interest in a book, but make sure that when the host does the giveaway that they also announce where the book is available for sale. It does no good to give away books and not mention where those who did not win a copy can actually go and buy one.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

1. Thank the interviewer for their time and for having you on their program. There is a lot of competition for time on some shows, and they thought enough of your book to have you on as a guest. A little courtesy goes a long way, and you’ll likely be invited back.

2. If doing a TV/Radio interview, ask to have information about your book and where it is available posted on the station’s web site. By doing so, audience members can refer to the web site later for more information and find out where they can buy your book.

3. Give information about your book to the station’s receptionist. This should include the title of the book, a brief synopsis and where the book is available. People listening to radio interviews in their car don’t have the time to write down information about the book, but they may call the station later for more info. Who is the first person they are going to talk to? The receptionist.

4. If doing a newspaper interview, ask to have the paper’s book reviewer do a review of the book as well. Sometimes the reporter interviewing you is not the paper’s book reviewer. This could help you get even more coverage in the paper for doing one interview.

Offer yourself up as an expert. This won’t work well with novels, but if you have a non-fiction book and it is relatable to newsworthy events, give the interviewer your card with your contact info. For example, if you have a book about unrest in the Middle East and how it relates to the End Times, you could say to the host “anytime you’re doing a show on tensions in the Middle East and need an expert opinion on something, feel free to give me a call”. You could become a regular recurring guest, and you can use those opportunities to promote your book. For example, the host would likely introduce you as “John Smith, author of the book…” This helps raise awareness

Finally, don't forget that simply appearing on one radio or TV show, or getting one newspaper book review won't guarantee your book will become a bestseller, or that you will sell any books at all. It is just part of an overall marketing strategy for your book, which should include multiple media appearances, book signing events and gearing your title towards its niche market.

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Do You Have a Platform?

As someone who works with authors and helps them market and promote their books, I get this question every day. "When should I start promoting my book?" the author asks.

When the manuscript is finished?
When it is sent off to print?
When it is released?
When the publisher schedules a book tour?

The real answer is...none of the above. An author should start promoting their book before they start writing it.

What? How can I promote a book if it doesn't exist? you might ask. Good question.

Many authors write books without thinking several steps ahead to one of the most important questions in book marketing: who will read this book once it is finished and published? Many authors are tempted to think their book is for "everybody", but NO book will appeal to everybody in the book-buying public, not event New York Times bestsellers. I once had someone tell me "the Bible is for everybody." Really? Try telling that to a Hindu or a Muslim. I'm sure you get my point.

Authors must think about who is going to be the end user of the book. Perhaps it is a very broad audience, or perhaps it is a very tight niche market, but either way, the book has to appeal to somebody, or it will be read by nobody. So, let's say you have written your query letters and you have a publishing house interested in the idea you have for a manuscript, or you have obtained an agent and they are sold on the idea of your manuscript, or you already have a publishing contract and now it's time to start writing. That is also the time you should start working on promoting your book...or at the very least, yourself.

How do you do that, you ask? There is a buzzword floating around in publishing these days. Platform. Publishers want their authors to have a platform from which to launch their book. In other words, authors who already have a following or prospects for a following. Authors who:

1. Blog, blog, blog. Authors should be writing about, well, writing. Things they are writing, things they have written, what it's like to write and be an author, etc. Perhaps post some short stories or poems or articles that you have written. Get people interested in your writing.

2. Write articles. These could either be for newspapers (which, sadly, are a dying medium) or for sites like Associated Content, Suite 101 or, if you are hired, About.com. Not only will this give you a chance to write about something at which you are an expert or know something about, but it will give you a venue for your writing and a chance to develop a following. The best part? You get paid, too.

3. Get social. You should have pages on MySpace, Facebook and a Twitter account, at the very least. A web site would be great, too. If you don't know how to build your own, have someone who is tech-savvy help you. New connections are made online these days, and if you aren't keeping up with the latest social media you are going to get left behind.

4. Network. Join writers' groups or book clubs in your local area. Develop a following in your own back yard. If you can't make a splash there when your book is release, you're going to have a tough time "going nationwide" when your book is released.

These are just a few ideas, but I'm sure you get the picture. If you wait until your book is released to build an audience or a following, you are squandering valuable time and potentially missing out on big opportunities to introduce people to you as a writer, and to your work.

It will be tempting to spend all of your time building your "platform" or "networking", but keep things in perspective. You'll actually need time to write your book, too.

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