Promoting Your Book Online

October 20, 2008 · Comments

books Julien Smith and I are hard at work writing our first book, Trust Agents, about how the social web helps turn relationships into serious business (or some such). We’re still several months off from that book seeing the light of day, but we’re already thinking about how to promote the book.

Seth Godin just launched Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, and as part of the mad rush, he set up some bloggers with free copies to give away. He also put out an audiobook version on iTunes for .99 cents (I bought it). He built a social community ahead of the release of the book. In essence, Seth did a whole new slew of promotions that were completely and utterly different than what he used to sell The Dip. In fact, he does something completely new EACH TIME to promote books.

In thinking about Trust Agents, and in seeing how different people have used the web to extend and promote and breathe life into their books, I’ve got a few ideas on what we might do. I thought I’d share with you, get your opinions, and then also make this post into a resource for those of us trying to figure this all out together. Sound okay?

Promoting Your Book

Warm People Up With Blog Posts – Some authors blog about their book ahead of time. We’ve done that a bit on our own sites, but we might launch a blog specifically around the book and the ideas behind being a trust agent, as well as how-to information for people looking to become a trust agent themselves. Lots of authors have figured out the blogging-to-warm-up-sales premise.

Offer A Free Preview eBook – In a way, Julien and I have already done this with our Trust Economy ebook, but that was thinking from a year ago, and this has evolved a great deal. Perhaps Julien and I will do another ebook as we move along.

Record Conversational Podcasts – Julien and I keep threatening to do this: a series of audio podcasts that are essentially a capture of the conversations we’re having while forming the book. We think it’d be fun, because it’d show you how our idea-forming process works, and it’d give you all the crazy exchanges that happen before we get to the actual writing part.

Online Events – When the book is closer to coming out, we’re going to have some online events. We’ll ask you to help us get the word out about the book, and we’ll try to find some ways to have fun with that. Beyond a blogging campaign, where we ask all kinds of folks to blog their thoughts on trust agents (not the book, but on the concept), maybe we’ll have some kind of live online experience, either via video or in a chat room or something, where we can have some fun and maybe get the word out even more.

Nominate Other Trust Agents – The book has all kinds of examples of people we think are trust agents (people like Lionel Menchaca, Matt Cutts, Robert Scoble, Mario Lavandeira, and plenty more). What if we built a spot for you to point out people you think deserve to be called trust agent?

Online Workshops – Our book has lots of practical advice and action steps. We could definitely offer free online seminars to extend out some of what we’ve put together for the book.

And Beyond

Both Julien and I have lots of ideas on how we want to promote the book, both online and off. We’ll do our best not to drive you crazy with it, though we’ll certainly do our share of asking for your help with getting the word out.

Your Ideas

How else would YOU promote a book these days? What have you seen that’s been effective online or off? What is most valuable to you as a prospective reader of such a book?

You see, beyond my own interests, I think there are many people coming to the web to find ways to promote their books in new ways. How have you seen it done?

Photo credit, Nate Steiner

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  • Chris,

    You know I've got lots of thoughts on this one! One thing I a working on now and wish I did earlier was a powerpoint visual style presentation introducing the book in a different way and giving people an intro to it. One example I particularly like is what Dan did for his book (and it helped that he got an influential third party to endorse the book along with the presentation):

    http://www.slideshare.net/garr/career-advice-08/

    Looking forward to reading this book and of course, I'd be happy to offer up any help I can as you get closer to the time of your launch. Good luck, it's a tough but hugely rewarding effort and I'm sure you'll do a great job with it.

    Rohit
  • Chris,

    I keep casually seeing you make tweets like "finishing up Chapter 2 of Trust Agents" or other updates along those lines, and by simply piquing my curiosity there, you've got me paying attention to blog posts such as these and actively seeking further information (expected release date, etc). So simple but so effective. Keep up what you're doing. Your fans will follow. We are your Tribe, after all... l)
  • Free first 1 or 3 chapters in PDF download for sure, maybe with a 10% discount code inside for the full version.

    Giving some away in blogging contests also helps generate some buzz I think.
  • When Darren Rowse & Chris Garrett were promoting "Problogger" (the book), they gave away a pdf download of the first chapter to the book. Personally, I think that doing so had a good effect on me as it persuaded me just a wee bit more to want to go out there and purchase the book. Just sayin'...
  • Sadly you can't even count on free previews from all publishers. Just yesterday I commented about this (in Danish) on the blog of a newly published book entitled The Pull Society; about how empowered consumers should be a critical focal point in any business strategy.

    With a subject like that I found it pretty ironic that the consumer isn't catered for and being urged to buy with a test chapter. The publisher is the oldest and largest in Denmark, which may account for some late-mover tendencies, but generally I think Danish publishers are stingy with previews.

    On a different note - wondering how time limited full previews would work? You'd have to balance the amount of time just right, but let's say 1-2 days of free browsing. Or is that just naïve invitation to piracy?
  • Hi Chris,
    I love this question because it's something I'm currently asking myself as more and more authors come to me to help them promote their books online. I come from a traditional book publicity background and have moved into online book promotion in the past 2 years focusing on virtual book tours, book club marketing, and using internet marketing strategies to promote books. For the record I love everything Seth has done w/ Tribes and I've been taking notes.
    Here a couple of things I think is most important for authors to keep in mind:
    1. Build your community first and then publish your book. This is what Seth did and this is what authors must do now. There's nothing worse than publishing a book in niche where no one knows you exist. Fortunately you have this more than covered.
    2.Be tightly focused on your target market. Since your book isn't for everyone. Focus on on would really get the benefit.
    3. Make sure your book is socially relevant. Nothing worse than spending months to write a book, that no one cares to read. Again, because you are a pillar in the community of social media, this problem is already solved.
    4. Take your book offline and get in people's faces. There's a LOT of online book promotion. I am starting to teach my authors and private clients how to connect offline without falling into the trap of scheduling book signings that no one attends (Hint: Do large Private Signings instead. Get book clubs and professional organizations involved. 100s of high-quality professional groups can be found on meetup.com)
    The book promotion ideas you have above are perfect and I recommend them frequently to my clients. Please allow me to add a couple more:
    - Perhaps create an online contest with valuable goodies. This is a successful technique I saw employed by Michael Port and Liz Marshall for their new book, The Contrarian Effect.
    -Definitely create an online event where you book is launched specifically on one day. You can encourage your JV partners to all email their lists on that day. This can jump-start the word of mouth.
    -Incorporate videos into your campaign and post on the video sharing sites.
    -Love the idea about launching a separate blog for this book. That would be the perfect place to house your book tour info, media related information and to track the impact of your book.
    -Connect with the media through twitter.
    -Keep in mind how you want to profit from the book. There are many ways, one you already mention, but there are more: coaching, workshops, speaking.
    -Lastly, I know your question is about online book promotion, but I would also look into how you can streamline your off-line efforts. You can sell your book in large quantities and build pr from that.
    Okay, that's all I have to offer. I look forward to seeing the book in print and getting my copy.
    Take care,
    Tynisha Thompson
  • I'm not a fan of blog memes, but I imagine you could start one in which people name 5 people they consider Trust Agents, and invite those 5 to do the same. Might spread itself around a bit for you and get the Trust Agents phrase out in the public consciousness.

    The answer to how you market a book online depends in large part on the book content and its intended audience.

    I have a book coming out any day now called "U2 - a Diary" -- a history of the rock band told in timeline/diary-style format. I started a blog more than a year ago and got other U2 fans involved in the writing and research process. I'd post regular "calls for help," and get immediate replies. One fan even went to his local library in Cork, Ireland, to research old newspaper articles on microfiche for me. :-)

    I posted book samples and invited readers to comment on the initial book cover (they didn't like it; we got it changed slightly).

    Getting potential readers involved early on has also been good marketing. I think it gave them a stake in the book.

    Recently, the blog (u2diary.com) has shifted toward more direct promotional efforts. I did an interview contest recently -- an idea I borrowed from Rohit (and credited to him, too - thanks, Rohit!). I'm using Facebook to promote it. I'm using Twitter to promote blog posts and interviews I've done. And I guess you could say I'm using blog comments to promote it, too. :) But I hope my experience comes across as more helpful than anything else.

    I'll look forward to more comments, because I'm also interested in new ideas for online book promotion. Thanks for starting the conversation, Chris.
  • Seth's broken new ground by getting others to write ebooks about Tribes, through the www.triiibes.com community, one of the two strongest, most successful online communities I have belonged to in 26 years of them. The first is available through his blog: http://twurl.nl/bzy3b8. An advance order of the book was required to enter Triiibes, but earned us all a surprise advance copy, too, and an invite to his launch event in NYC. His own preview ebook was launched as a manifesto at www.changethis.com.

    Your ideas are all good, especially blogging about the subject, a preview ebook, and nominating trust agents.

    What's great about allowing your followers to nominate trust agents is that it conveys you know your biggest fans will get the concept from the preview posts and ebook and have something to contribute. It moves you from advice-giver to tribe leader. Instead of asking folks to write about your book, you are asking them to honor others they respect and to do it on your blog, so all three (you, your fans, those they honor) get the love and the traffic.

    Take the nominations they post on your site and make them into an ebook you promote and other bloggers pick up.

    You could repeat the process with their criteria for trust, their stories of broken trust.

    You could also offer website/blog reviews of a few sites as a prize, where you evaluate how well they convey trustworthiness. They promote their message, service, or product, you promote your book, and you've got another easy ebook from it that other bloggers can promote.
  • As someone who has run three small presses and promoted countless books successfully on a shoestring budget, I could think of many things to suggest. But for you, I'll say take advantage of combining what you can do uniquely with what is "standard" in order to get an extraordinary result.

    You already know how to create buzz online. Other authors need to focuse there. But for you, how much more online buzz will you have if you integrate better with efforts in the real world? If people who are a fan online are activated and energized by a chance to meet you, talk to, help you, in the real world?

    Many authors would tell you to skip the whole book reading/signing tour. They certainly have a good point -- most are disasters. Don't count on your publisher or retailers to promote it for you, or for their budgets to take care of your travel. If you do, it's as good as useless.

    Figure that they provide at best one or two times and venues per stop. It's up to you to make each stop a success by booking more meetings/events in each city and by promoting the heck out of all of them. And have some fun while you're there -- see a few of the sights. Make sure each stop is one you'd want to take on your own, even if you didn't have the book as an excuse. Meeting people and listening and talking about ideas is the point, not marketing.

    Enlist fans online to help bring friends out to meet you, to help you make media contacts, and perhaps even to offer cheap or free places to stay (which also mean meeting more locals at each tour stop). Use the money you save to add more cities to the tour.

    How much more human are you when you ask for help like this and when you spend that much time with folks? How much more do they have to say online about you and for you?

    Besides reaching out to people who already know you, what about taking advantage of something like couchsurfing.com to meet someone new and try out a novel new online service you could find something to blog about.

    Book local media interviews for the day before in each city (whether you can do it for yourself or hire a publicist to augment what you get from your publisher). For radio and newspaper, you could even phone in the week before, but remember that these folks like to meet people in person, too, so try to do both.

    Learn about major independent bookstores as well as the chains. Call them up when your event is booked and ask them for ideas about how to promote in their city. Authors with major publishers who spend time talking to bookstores about *gasp* /selling books/ are all too rare (and therefore interesting).
  • Chris - I'm glad to say I did everything you suggested above with my ebook (The Perfect Process Project - http://www.gcp-consulting.com/ebook.html ), so I appear to be on the right track.

    However my 'community' is still relatively small so I keep looking for opportunities to expand this. That's the main focus area I would concentrate on in future.

    Great post, Chris!
  • Send copies, even drafts, to people whose work you cite. Maybe you will start some constructive controversy.
    I look forward to the publication.
    Aloha,
    Dan
  • Val
    These are not that new but may not be generally known by everyone, these methods seem to work for folks -to sell the book in as many places and formats as possible - that may have free preview pages to read online or the entire book. EG. http://www.amazon.com puts some books on Kindle - their electronic book reader rather than making you keep a garage of physical books to send them when ordered, it has preview pages also. http://www.questia.com/ offers readers a look at pages and subscribers can read the whole book online. There are print on demand publishing services also that only print a paper copy of the book when it has been actually ordered. Another method to publicize it online is to sell a copy or send a complementary copy to various important libraries so that researchers find a listing for the book online and then order a copy from the library or find a copy to buy elsewhere eg. national libraries, key university/research libraries, large specialized libraries where researchers may be looking for that topic etc. or local public libraries. There may be professional associations that sell books to their membership from their own bookstore, or there may be places to advertise a book on a particular topic with that association either on their website, email list etc. There may be listservs or other electronic discussion groups that fall within that topic area where you can send a notice about the book. If the book is appropriate for use as a textbook in a course it may work to send email notices to that department or departmental email list with a publication notice. Bookstores that are local and interested in promoting local authors may want to carry the book and have book signings or podcasts or some form of free advertising for that book. Book reviews are a form of advertising - if a complementary copy is sent to an appropriate newspaper/magazine for review then that may generate an electronic or paper free advertisement or both - depending on the format of the publication. A reference librarian may be a good resource for help in tracking down associations, libraries, publishers as major libraries often have such directories in their reference sections and the index can point you in the right direction. People used to have to make cross country tours to promote a book - seems to me that you ought to be able to do some of that by remote - just find folks who will post a guest blog about writing it on their blog, or video of an interview with the author loaded on some easy to access forum like youtube with notices of the url attached with any announcements sent out electronically. Those are my quick thoughts for now. Good luck!
  • Hi Chris
    I have not commented on here before, so i just have to say that I love your stuff. One possibility for promotion is to as the authors of The Virtual Handshake did. They released the entire book as a free download.

    Personally I started reading the free copy and ended buying the paper version. I talked to one of the authors and he thinks that this Cory Doctorow like strategy helped the book.

    It could be a possibility worth looking into
  • Hi Chris –

    Great question. Here are a few things we did to promote my book, “Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers” that worked well:

    Issue search engine optimized press releases via BusinessWire’s EON (enhanced online news) service.

    Create a blog for the book and link the blog to the authors’ websites, other blogs, etc. Then add a hyperlink to your email signature, on your Social Networking sites, etc.

    Ping the blog - To keep SEO high, “pinging” allows the Internet provider to refresh the status of your blog whenever an entry is made or related searches are entered in the search box.

    Register the book blog in Weblogs, Pinggoat, Technorati, Daypop, Blogdex, Popdex, etc.

    Add your book to Amazon and actively seek reviews from readers.

    Add book URL to online book directories and listing sources
    a. Independent Online Book Association
    b. Top 101 Book Marketing
    c. DearReader.com
    d. Shelf Awareness
    e. Bookmovement.com
    f. Author Reviews
    g. Authors and Experts
    h. Author-Reviews.com

    Send and advance copy to other industry bloggers for endorsement and mention on their blogs.
    Submit for Book Awards. Here are a few for independent publishers{
    Annual Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards - www.writersdigest.com/contests
    Best Book Awards - www.usabooknews.com
    ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Award - www.forewordmagazine.com/awards.asp
    Indie Excellence National Book Awards -www.wmaconnect.com

    Independent Publisher Book Awards - www.independentpublisher.com

    Writers Notes Annual Book Awards - http://hopepubs.home.comcast.net/awards.html

    Axiom Book Awards Entry Form - http://www.axiomawards.com/entry.php
    And I love the idea of Trust Agents. That’s fabulous!

    I look forward to reading your book. Have fun promoting.

    Gina Rubel
    www.furiarubel.com
    www.theprlawyer.com (blog)
    @ginarubel on Twitter
  • This is precisely the conversation I need to be having. I'll be taking notes. Thanks.
  • Ay, where to start?

    You have a unique "platform". If I may speak frankly, you are a "celebrity-type" in the web 2.0 world, but pretty much unknown in the "regular" world. And while some may say to stick to where you are know, I suspect (without having seen your book) that it has relevance outside of the "fishbowl." So I'd say start where you are known, but take your concepts and tailor them to other industries for speaking gigs and media.

    For instance, independent booksellers are some of the most under-recognized "trust agents" that I know, and yet a good bookstore must have a staff full of them. Speaking gigs at regional and/or national bookseller conventions would not only get your name out there, but would get you visibility and media coverage in part of the industry that will sell your book (email me for more on that). One fired-up bookseller can sell many, many copies of a book that he or she believes in. I expect that other industries have "trust agents" of some sort.

    Now figure out how to apply the 'trust agent' concept to parents, to teachers, to employees. This is the reason for success of such books as Made to Stick, The Tipping Point, Predictably Irrational -- all have applications far beyond the business world. The market for business books is small compared to the "general nonfiction" readership. If your book resonates with people who don't work in corporate America, or even behind a desk, the market and the media will open up for you.
  • How do you get an invite to Seth Godin's community Triibes?
  • First, here is wishing you great success with you book!

    You are obviously already doing excellent ground work in advance of its release and I suspect that I am like many others in that I hope that you will "capture" my contact information and provide me the opportunity to get a copy of the finished product!

    Here is a blog posting of a advertising technique that works well for me and that you might like to adapt for your own use.

    http://www.wowzza.com/LCG/blog/2941/

    Much success to you!
    Lonnie
    lonnieglosup@gmail.com
  • I wishI knew what a trust agent was. Does the general public know, or am I the only one who doesn't?

    Morgan Mandel
    http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
  • Chris, best of luck with the book - sounds like an interesting read.

    One of the things that you and folks like Seth have going for them in this regard is that much of your audience is already open to reading things online. That is a huge help. So, for much of these online promotional efforts, your demographic is already primed for it. It's very nice when you don't have to "lead" people to the idea that they can check out free excerpts online, etc.

    I'd suggest making sure you talk to libraries as well since they're an oftentimes forgotten aspect of book sales, yet they account for some very impressive numbers over the long term. Many of them will also go out of their way to ask you to come in and speak. Whenever I make an appearance of any type, I always make sure I've got sign-up sheets for the newsletter and try to capture as many email addresses as possible.

    If this is going to be sold online via Amazon.com, you might also prepare a "blitz" and send out an announcement asking people if they intend to purchase the book, to please do so on a certain date. That way, the combined number of sales will propel the book's ranking higher, thereby gaining it more exposure in Amazon's cryptic ranking system for searches, etc.

    As I said, best of luck with the release! Looking forward to it!
  • I am soo printing all this out! Chris' and the commenters! This is one of the most helpful comment streams I've ever seen!
  • Even though this is about promoting online, I love Ann's comment. LOVE YOUR INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS!
  • Regarding independent booksellers, I worked for several holidays at a local Massachusetts indy bookseller just for love of books. They even paid me in books. I won't miss the little guys.

    Regarding libraries, I was raised in libraries, so I'll be sure to give them love. : )

    Thanks, everyone, for the amazing comments so far. I have even more to think about. You're incredible for giving people so many resources here in the comments.
  • Chris - great question and also comments from your community and something I am looking into for my own book.

    I think the key is going to be how to integrate your marketing for the book online and offline.

    Some people who I think have done a great job include David Meerman Scott and Rohit who commented above.

    Engaging with people who already like you and your work and who have influence in a niche or community you want to engage with, including them in your sales team through strategies such a having them post interviews with you online (be that written or podcast interviews) and of course endorsements all help.

    If you are looking to become a best seller in Amazon then a specific programme for that would be worth considering.

    I've supported a number of well known authors of business books and continue to do so in helping create word of mouth about their books online and offline, so I there is any way I can help as it gets closer to the launch just shout or Tweet me!
  • @Peter - welcome to the conversation, and thanks for your ideas. Glad you decloaked! : )
  • You could get a complete manuscript and put it online using the table of contents (chapter titles) for keyword optimization. There is always the option to get the whole book narrated chapter by chapter and submit them to multiple video site. Another crafty technique is to take screen shots of the cover and chapter header pages and submit them to multiple images gallery's. This technique I have tried for many websites and have found you get prominent pagerank because of the number of engagement points you saturate.
  • Hi Chris - This question, in and of itself, is a perfect example of being a Trust Agent...but you knew that already! I would encourage you to include small-scale trust agents both in the book and in the promotion - because it builds trust with your readers. There is something so off-putting about hearing about the same web superstars over and over again - when, in fact, small business people are using the web and social media for the same purposes and with the same results, albeit on a smaller scale.
    I can not wait to read your book! Thanks for all that you do...Julie
  • You're already doing great (and right!) stuff. The pre-launch publicity is essential. Book promotion really does need to start 6-8 months before pub date and is on you, not your publisher. Fortunately, you have a terrific publisher with a great track record for bringing out great books in your category.

    Here are some tips, based on my experience being published by a major (Doubleday) as well as large independents (Hazelden, Morehouse)in addition my own imprint:

    1) Make your publisher's publicity department happy by offering to review publicity materials they generate. And then, rewrite them! You know your audience better than they ever will, so you'll need to craft the book release in language that your market will understand. They can't and won't do that for you.

    2) Industry wisdom: in the world of Bricks-n-Mortar sales, your book has to produce significant sales within 3 weeks or it gets yanked off the selves and returned. Fortunately, you have a hot topic. Ask if Wiley can negotiate an end cap or table display for it at B&N and Borders.

    3) Don't bother with book tours and signings that your publisher sets up. Your topic and market are such that you have those built in already.

    4) Make sure you always have stock (at your 50% author's discount) in the trunk of your car and be prepared to give books away like a crazy man.

    5) Wiley does have its publicists focusing on online marketing...everyone does these days, still you can help a lot by: 1) asking to review their lists; 2) cleaning them up; and 3) providing lists of reviewers (e.g., bloggers).

    6) Consider going on a virtual book tour. Loyola Press just had a smart and successful one for Fr. James Martin, author of My Life With the Saints. Good to study as a model for how to do a virtual tour...that your publisher sets up.

    7) If you have an excellent relationship w/your editor, get as much input as you can on the interior and cover design. Hard but not impossible to get. (I have a great story about what happened with my most recent book.) Or, have your agent make some inquiries/noise about this.

    8) Generate reviews on Amazon.com, reconfigure search tags for the book, and make sure that the content and features posted are what you want (e.g., "look in the book."). You'd be surprise (or not) by how this gets screwed up.

    9) Make sure galleys go out to likely reviewers at long lead print pubs. Ask to see the list they're using and clean it.

    10) Remember to include the academic market and send comp copies to folks who teach new media at key colleges and universities. Aim for textbook adoption!

    Probably more, but this is it for now. Most of all? Have fun!!
  • Pat Phelan has written recently about Bank of Ireland not closing the loop with O2 and CarphoneWarehouse whose products were being offered as a promotion to get more youngsters to open savings accounts with BoI. The result? An unhappy customer and plenty of bad PR.

    Similarly, readers in the UK, including me, who pre-ordered Tribes from Amazon as recommended, are still waiting to receive their copy of the book. So much for the advance promotion. If your supplier screws up, well it is unlikely you will benefit from it.

    Although my MBA major was marketing, I have never purchased any of Seth Godin's books and it looks set to continue (unless the copy of Tribes ever arrives somehow, before I give up and cancel my pre-order).

    All the bit about community building is fine but not if you aren't going to deliver on the promised product/ service.
  • What I really like about all your ideas, Chris, is that they can be acted upon BEFORE your book is actually published.

    I find so many wait to start promotion until the book is in their hands -- and can miss out on a lot of momentum that can be used effectively to promote their book, themselves and their business beforehand.

    Great work!

    Donna Kozik

    Here's a piece I did about how to get your book done "sooner rather than later" for those still waiting for the "perfect time." FYI, just like so many things in life, there is no "perfect time!" :)

    http://mybigbusinesscard.com/blog/?p=48
  • Chris,
    You mentioned podcasts -- what do you think about podcasting with different bloggers -- one after the other a la a satellite media tour or a virtual book tour, but with those who are actually following you and have their own following. You and Julien would speak with blogger after blogger for a set amount of time about Trust Agents and each blogger is able to post his or her podcast and links to the others in the chain. Sure, there will be some repeated questions, but I suspect each blogger will have their own angle. Todd would discuss PR, I would discuss storytelling, Andy would discuss word of mouth.
    ahg3
  • I'm wondering if PodCasting your book would be a good place to start, not just the conversations.

    I know that Sigler and Hutchins have had great success PodCasting fiction, but I'm not sure what results you'd have with a business book. I'd definitely buy a copy, and listen to one. Could we convince marketers to bum rush the charts, and drive the Brogan book up the charts?

    Isn't all of this an experiment?
  • Great question Chris. I'm currently writing a book on "getting attention" so I'm interested in these stories as well.

    I will be doing all kinds of things to promote my book, but the first and most important being that the book has its own blog. Not my jimkukral.com, but it's own url.
  • .99 cents, huh?

    I'll just pay a penny and let them keep the change! :)
  • What outstanding ideas. There's a second book here: Promoting Your Book in a Virtual World.

    Professional organizations in PR, marketing and communications need your content. They hold workshops and conferences. Get booked into a few of those and you'll sell books to all the attendees after they drink from the firehose.

    A couple of people mentioned Amazon reviews. A friend of mine, Glenda Burgess, just wrote an amazing and wonderful book, The Geography of Love (http://www.glendaburgessbooks.com/).

    She sent me an advance copy out of the blue, which was an amazing gift. She then emailed all her friends, I think--not just those who got a copy--and asked that they post a review on Amazon.

    If you're giving books away, give them a list of the ways that they can support the book with reviews, emails, blog posts, tweets etc. At least half the ideas above are ones that others can execute on your behalf.

    She also let me know when she was doing a book reading in our city (we both live in Spokane, and Auntie's Bookstore is the BEST). If you have a way of segmenting people geographically, you can do more targeted promotion of any book tour appearances, workshops & conferences, couchsurfing, and the like.

    @BarbChamberlain
  • librarything.com allows you to be included as an author so that bookcentric community worships you. (;
  • Chris,

    I wish we could have spent some time talking about this at PCPGH3 this weekend!

    As a book reviewer and owner of Lyrique Tragedy Reviews (http://lyriquetragedy.blogspot.com), I've seen a number of both successful and unsuccessful attempts at promoting books not pushed through "high advance" publicity deals. Considering your specialties, I would suggest doing a Virtual Book Tour. You already have a platform and foundation of people willing to read the book (obviously you don't want to send it to everyone who agrees to do the "tour," but a good number will generate buzz), and people willing to do interviews and post them to their sites.

    The process itself is pretty simple:

    1. Pick a weekend/week and contact individuals you would like to participate (obviously you can add participation info on your own site for people to offer their services)

    2. Give the deadline for questions to be sent you and your co-author (Or, devise 3-5 different sets of questions to disseminate to reduce the incredible time debt it could incur).

    3. Provide the relevant contact & book launch info for posting by each blogger/writer/site owner on their sites at the end of their "interview" and/or Review.

    4. Talk about it on your social media outlets and promote the "event."

    I'd be glad to help you out if you'd like. Just email me (DawnMPapuga@gmail.com) and I'll do what I can in this respect!

    Good luck!
  • Hi all

    some fascinating and interesting comments here especially regarding advocacy programs. I wanted to pick up on some points... Getting a free ebook version or even free previews of books is something we're looking into increasingly, but often our hands are tied by serial deals and rights issues at the contract stage. Suggesting giving away a book for free makes most editors cringe in horror and the sales team throw things at you. As marketeers we're well-aware of the impact 'free' can have and were lucky enough to have Cory Doctorow chat to us on this very subject. It's something we will do, but it's going to be down to better education from marketing teams to the business to make that work.

    The good news is we're trying to get better, trying to get better at distributing what content we can (our Browse Inside program is slowly but surely opening up in both widget and eventually API forms to do this), engage with communities, find niche markets and build brands, however getting companies steeped in traditional marketing to adapt is sometimes tough.

    We'd also benefit from a better understanding from agencies and so on about how publishing works with authors. For example, many times we've had to question the suggestion that we create an author blog, simply because our authors are too busy writing to blog in the first place. Those that do do it, do it very well, but finding the right solution is going to be different for every author and every book.

    I'm always eager to chat about new ways of promotion and what's happening at the more corporate end of the business.

    @johnrivers
    Digital Marketing Manager
    Harper Collins UK
  • Chris, great post and follow up conversation - definitely one to keep for future ref! Actually I think the post itself is a great example of how to build interest - I know your book is already on my must read list because of the posts (and tweets, as someone else mentioned) you've written as you've gone along.

    I've just finished reading The Well Fed Self-Publisher - lots of great ideas in there about how how to promote your book and turn it into a income stream (or rather, your income).

    You might pick up some ideas there.
  • In the rush to find new and exciting ways to promote our books, let's not forget the tried-and-true.

    In the olden days (pre-web), authors had limited personal means of promoting their books. Even if you did get someone to publish your book, it didn't automatically imply that they would spend a dime to promote it, their advertizing budget usually reserved for their award winning authors.

    One way authors found to get a buzz out about their books was to write short, practical, hard-hitting articles drawn from the content of their books and submit them to magazines and other publications. If readers found the information valuable, they would be tempted to buy the book to get the additional info.

    This can still be done today.

    Of course, there is always the book tour which, although dated perhaps in today's digital world, still seems like a stapple of book publishers. Perhaps because it offered potential clients some of what Social Media excells at: a chance to interact with the author.

    Thanks Chris, you seem to have inspired a lot of people here and launched quite a discussion. I have to leave now, I feel a post coming on.
  • One obvious way to promote a book is to have a photo on your blog (which I still don't but hope to rectify). Second way is through a teaser post w/questions and page numbers - http://tinyurl.com/6guogp It's different than a standard TOC because the Q&A calls out to people who've had those same Qs.

    Of course, my book Solo by Choice: How to Be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be is not really a mass market book so exposure will only get me so far. But what is neat about Amazon is that you can often tie a particular action or event to a sales spike.

    I'll be watching for your book - I will buy almost any blogger book these days because I'm a blogger-to-book person also.

    Carolyn Elefant
  • A suggestion from my author friend Glenda: Her book was part of a helpful online pre release program for librarians, bloggers and reviewers called Author Buzz, and several online reader book giveaway contests through goodreads.com and redroom.com.
    @BarbChamberlain
  • Hi Chris

    Congrats on the book project. After you have done what you mentioned in your post, which are neat ideas, especially what Seth did via iTunes, you might release an Ad in the local magazine or paper? Or get an interview with posted in a small local paper.

    Also, connect with local bloggers in your area and learn about meeting or events planned by the local bloggers in your community. I just met a few local bloggers in my area, which equals more exposure to a wider audience. Maybe you could send out a preview chapter from the book to your email list.

    Offer a reward of sorts to those that help you promote on their sites and so forth. I love the ideas mentioned here by your readers. Helpful, will be sure to take note of the tips because the day will come when I expect to promote my own books. :)
  • This thread of comments came just at the right time for me. I just found out this morning that my book (Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind The Camera, a history of underground 'fan films') isn't coming out this week after all--it's been bumped to the end of November. I've been doing my best to prime the publicity pump with some of the suggestions offered in these comments--the blog, building community, specialized signings (like the one I'm supposed to do next week at an arts cinema...sigh) and so forth. Now this change of plans thrashes a lot of the prep work I've done.

    As you might expect, I've been alternately despondent and furious all day. Now, after reading some of the ideas here, I'm thinking that at least I have time to implement a few of the ideas that have been posted here.
  • Hi Chris --

    Let me zig while others zag:

    1. Don't do a book blog. They are either of finite interest for a finite period (nakedconversations.com, cluetrain.com) or they are the primary online presence of their authors (longtail.typepad.com, freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com). That is not you. I appreciate the audience at chrisbrogan.com may not want to hear all things about the book all the time, but you can manage that.

    2. Don't give away the first chapter. If it is a Wiley book they will do this anyway. First chapters have been available for almost every book at wiley.com since 1999 (making my point moot). But I am really suggesting you be like Seth. Do something new and inventive. Do something linkable. PDF-teasers are boring. DRMd ebooks suck too.

    As for audio and video -- yeah, I want to hear or see what you have to say before I buy but I don't necessarily want that to be a bigger time commitment than reading the book. For me the value in buying non-fiction books is that they deliver a complete, supported thesis in as a concise manner as possible. Let me mainline what you have to say and move on. I would still love to listen to a Chris Brogan podcast (for the same reasons I love reading your blog) but don't do a promocast. I want more Chris Brogan signal not more Chris Brogan noise.

    Thanks for letting me add to the discussion. I hope this generates more discussion.
    Best.
  • Chris --
    The internet offers almost endless possibilities for online book promotion. One of my personal favorites (from my ongoing promo campaign for my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT) is a virtual book tour, which I've written about in articles on the web.

    I also believe you should give away the first couple of chapters so that people can fall in love with your information and writing style. (I give away the first four chapters of my novel at www.mrslieutenant.com.)

    At the price at which books sell (and the amount of free info on the internet), it's important to "convince" people that your book is worth the price of admission.
  • I started the blog for my book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands about five months before the book was released. In addition to still making use of the book blog, I have posted entries on an Amazon Connect blog which appears on the sales page for the book. Blog entries have been reposted, as cross-marketing on bLog-oMotives and my blogfolio Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.

    Social networking and social media sites also played a role in my book marketing and promotion, as did virtual book tour interviews on a number of content-related sites. Podcasts, including one last month, were great promotion opportunities. Online drawings for copies of the book, at a variety of design sites, created a lot of interest in the volume. Speaking engagements - to design organizations, design schools, universities, business groups, and design and businesses conferences - around the country gave me added opportunities to promote the book and have book signings.

    Internet ads on my blogs directed potential buyers to my Amazon online bookstore. Forums and email signatures included links to my book blog. Articles written for print and online publications included bio mentions of my books.

    My book contract provided for review copies being sent to 50 editors of my choice, above and beyond the list automatically sent copies by the marketing department of the publisher. Email and direct mail contacts with those on my editor list reinforced the connection with publications in providing reviews or mentions of the book. I also negotiated with my publisher for a larger number of books for personal use in marketing and promoting the book.

    Press releases distributed via snail mail, email, online distribution and online forum postings brought a great deal of attention to the release of Identity Crisis!.

    As I prepare to write my third book, I am currently gearing up similar marketing/promotion efforts.
  • Chris,

    Here's two book promotion ideas that helped me with two of my previous books. They are in the physical and online world. Offer bookstores:

    1. Mini-book reviews of other books you love. These 2-5 sentence reviews would include Julien Smith and Chris Brogan, co-authors, Trust Agents. These mini-reviews would go on the bookshelves under the reviewed book + in their print and online newsletters.
    Offer to list the (participating) Great Bookstores on your blog and elsewhere.

    2. Recommend to bookstores that they display your book and two complementary titles and offer either a "collection" price when people buy all three and/or that you will offer an ebook to those why buy all 3.

    Also, where you are booked to speak, suggest that the meeting planner buy your book to give away - partially or wholly underwritten by an exhibitor(s) instead of a mug, bag or t-shirt.
  • Chris,

    You can also do the 'stealthy' placement of your physical book on the bookshelves at premiere bookstores like Timothy Ferriss noted in his BlogWorld Expo keynote presentation with Mike Shinoda of Linkin' Park.

    Timothy observed the reactions of people visiting the area where he placed his books as a test. He was amazed that several people tried to buy the books at the checkout counter! It must have surprised the cashier when the SKU # of the book did not appear on their register screen!

    People like Seth Godin have mastered the marketing of their blogs and publications by using 'non-traditional' on-line marketing techniques. I look forward to purchasing your book when it is published.

    Respectfully, Nicholas Chase - 'the video guy' at BlogWorld Expo 2008.
  • @sarahjane I really like your idea about tweeting as you write, it starts to bring people into the process and pique interest. Good thoughts.
  • I've just recently learned about virtual book tours and am hosting an author of an e-book on November 3rd on my blog. I'm interested in learning all I can about virtual book tours. I'll be talking with a fellow virtual assistant Tuesday about what we can do to put together an affordable service to offer authors and promote their virtual book tours.
  • Great post!
    It's good to get people thinking in ADVANCE about any work you plan on producing later. The trick is to blog...in the literary world of book publishing, blogging is effective and its proven to work!!! Your work is going to have to speak for itself later...but in the meantime you have the most wonderful opportunity to earn fans and friends, by letting them FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU now, as a person...via your blog...

    In time with blogging--about the upcoming book--you can disclose all your mishaps and ask questions (incorporate experts into your blog to help lay your foundation with minimal set-backs later) and offer insightful information to those people who might be a few steps behind you. That attitude builds trust with your peers and those peers are potential buyers of your book(s) later.

    Keep up the good work!!

    ~Bobby Ozuna
    "Drawing Stories...With Words"
  • After studying many approaches, I had decided Alex Mandossian's "Virtual Book Tours" were best... until I got a Master's level education on how to do a book launch by watching (and being a part of) Seth Godin's release of 'TRIBES'.

    Triiibes.com was a kind of crucible for leadership training, which is the theme (I think) of Tribes... and building a social network of passionate fans who are most likely 'sneezers' to put the concepts in a book to the test, own those concepts, get involved in implementing and discussing them - and then, making them a PART of the launch... that seems like a strategy to launch a book that simply cannot lose!

    Pre-orders from early members of the social network is probably just icing on the cake. The process is as fascinating as it is effective. Maybe I'll do a short report about insights gained from the observation process. Or maybe, better still Chris, you can twist Seth's arm into getting HIM to do it!

    All success
    Dr.Mani
  • Oh, I forgot to add this one. Writing a 'Change This' manifesto on a related theme is another GREAT way to build buzz - http://ChangeThis.com

    Dr.Mani
  • Hi Chris

    I write from Lima, Perú and I want to comment one book and one campaign that is really good and convinced me to buy it.

    This book is Buyology from Martin Lindstrom: http://www.martinlindstrom.com and today you can get it one at Amazon

    The things I like about the promotion:

    1. Really answer the questions that marketers like me want to know about how people decide what they will buy.

    2. Rich material in video, trailer, interviews about the content in the book: amazing numbers, cases, etc.

    3. Lindstrom credibility because he spent years of sending materials for free in his website and newsletter.

    Well I thing the credibility is the most important thing, the same with Tribes of Seth Godin. You buy the book but first you are buying the author.

    Have a good day.
  • I've got to agree with Dr. Mani. Seth Godin's Tribes and the ChangeThis.com manifestos are great examples of how an author can promote their book. My husband has had a manifesto published on ChangeThis.com and is a member of Seth's Tribes, as am I, and it's definitely helped promote his book.
  • Before sending books out for online reviews -- ask bloggers if they would be interested in reviewing the book. If you just mail the book, you have no "personal connection." Sending an email offering to send a copy creates a personal connection.

    As a reviewer -- I get products in the mail without checking with me first. Most of them go unreviewed especially when they're not relevant. But when I say "yes" in an email, I ALWAYS review it.

    Better to send the real thing than a complete PDF of the book. People want something to hold and get in the mail.
  • Chris--
    Perfect timing! I just agreed to write my next book on internet marketing, so I am so excited about the ideas here. It's funny, I wrote a book in 2006, and a lot of these ideas weren't on the radar. It will be so much easier this time!

    I can't wait to read your book and see how you promote it.

    And by the way, I want you in my book.
  • Zedque
    Great article, and great comments! All very, very helpful for someone just trying to break in to the wide world of internet marketing.

    One question for those of who you suggested contacting libraries -- any ideas on how to find them and get their contact info?

    Many thanks!
  • Paulo Coelho does a very good job of using all forms of social media to promote his writing. Providing many bonus items on his website, using video and twitter to provide a personal connection. I have not seen any other fictional writer today using new media so effectively.
  • Vicki:
    You are right about one thing...Paul Coelho DOES an amazing job of effectively marketing himself and his work via many social networking venues. I have tried to emulate his every move, using Gather, MySpace, Facebook, The Book Marketing Network, my blog and (commenting on) many various blogs, such as this one. I subscribe to blogs ranging from writing, editing, publishing, marketing, technological aspects of blogging to general information about effective promotion--and it DOES work. He is a wise man and obviously knows what he is doing...but more than that...if you post regularly but yet have nothing worth saying...it can be counter-productive.

    Great post!!! And great feedback!!!

    ~Bobby Ozuna
    Drawing Stories...With Words
  • Chris,

    We did launch a separate blog for the promotion of one of our clients' books. Lee Cockerell 'Creating Magic' is based on Leadership principles from a life at Disney. One day we were brainstorming and came up with the notion that he knows a lot about top exectuives, leaders and CEO's, but not so much about the young generation and how they are leading today. So we started a site www.creatinggenymagic.com to showcase top young leaders and how they are influencing society. The results have been great. We are 40 or so posts in and got the book up to number 2 on Amazon's Movers and Shakers.

    The mentions from all the people we involved in the process helped the message spread exponentially and although we didn't get to NYT Best Seller Status, we were happy with the results.
  • Oh, and Meryl is right about the approach to getting reviews. I happen to be one of those people who were fortunate enough to get a review from Meryl...but as she said...I reviewed her blog to feel for her style (no sense in wasting her time if she likes a totally different genre) and then queried her, via email, in a casual (semi-professional) way...asking her if she would be interested in reviewing my novel, Proud Souls.

    Sometimes the BEST way to connect, share and collaborate...is to get back to basics...like we did when we were children...and just say hi...and introduce yourself... You'd be amazed at how well things can go from there...

    Great post!!! And great feedback!!!

    ~Bobby Ozuna
    Drawing Stories...With Words
  • Hi all,

    In March of this year, I published a book called "Libidacoria: In a Plain Brown Wrapper," a rather risque poetry book. I've had several challenges in marketing this book.

    First, poetry does not have a very strong market presence when it comes to book sales. Poetry has gotten a reputation for being very antiquated. So my first challenge is to convince book buyers that poetry can be contemporary, relevant, enjoyable, and sexy again.

    Secondly, my book is Print-on-Demand and due to this, mainstream bookstores will not purchase copies for distribution or even consent to book signings, even though the book is being carried on their online store sites.

    Lastly, I knew going into this arena that marketing would be my biggest challenge as my book rides the fine line between literature and pornography and uses words that some people are not comfortable with.

    My first step was to utilize the growing number of fans to my online blog via various social networking sites. I began marketing my idea and warming my readers up to the idea of a book about two years before the book was completed. I would post poems from the book on the site to get feedback, allow a "sneak peek", and build additional contacts.

    Then, around March of this year, I started an online podcast to promote my book. The podcast format consisted of an introduction, an essay I had written, a poem from the book, and a closing. In addition to showcasing my own writing, I was able to showcase independent bands and meld the writing with the music.

    The podcast has proven an immense success as I know have audiences in over 57 countries and an average of 8 subscribers per day (since its inception in March).

    Most recently, I've started advertising contests on the podcast where fans are invited to participate for prizes. I've given away autographed copies of the book as well as book logo merchandise.

    To take it one step further, I enlisted the creativity of an industrial musician who laid tracks behind one of my poems, and we are now offering this song for sale on online music download sites.

    I am in the midst of revamping my book website (www.libidacoria.com) and am looking to the future of innovative ways to market this book as well as those to come.
  • Kristie:
    I think your idea to incorporate music with your poetry is very innovative and creative. Being a POD author, you have to think outside the box, but then again...isn't that what WE do as artists??? Kudos to you...

    Perhaps you could even go one step further and connect with an artist...maybe a photographer or painter who matches visual imagery with your poetry? And if your art is a little risque, it's okay...there are professional photographers and painters who compile images that some would think dirty, but lovers of art see for what it is...and if it were matched with some powerful poetry, like your own...the possibilities for crossing over and gaining more fans could be endless...

    Just a thought...

    OH! And you can still be a POD (small press) and distribute in mainstream bookstores...it depends on HOW the POD is actually printed and distributed. I am a small independent publisher (a POD in reality) but because the company I use registers your books with Bowker and Ingram, mainstream bookstores and independent bookstores can order it. I also obtained a Library of Congress Catalog number and all my local libraries are stocking my novel (with persuasion and a personal introduction from me...of course).

    Kudos on your podcast...whatever you do...NEVER stop responding to your fans...your poetry will earn fans of that type of writing...your blogging will earn fans of YOU (as the person).

    ~Bobby Ozuna
    Drawing Stories...With Words
  • Thanks for sharing that great idea. I've actually been tossing around an idea for a book done in corraboration with a tattoo shop. That would be much inline with your suggestion.

    I think that the marketing ideas are out there. We just have to find ways to promote the work, and assuming the work has merit, the followers will come.
  • Webook.com
    It's the best way to promote your book this day in age.
    And just give it away free. People will buy it.
    I sell about 20 a day, and i do fiction (which is harder to sell). It pays for my college.
  • Kristie:
    No problem....when I set out on my adventure to release my first title: PROUD SOULS--I did that very thing. I found an artist online...queried her the old-fashioned way...via email...told her my story and the next thing I knew, Maria Sanchez painted my cover art..and called it the "Proud Souls Tree." Now, I constantly look for ideas to collaborate with other artists. For instance, I am going to look for a photographer or painter to create the cover for my second novel: "The Other Side of Glory." I am 9 chapters in and already working on the cover layout.

    Keep up the good work and keep me posted...

    ~Bobby Ozuna
    Drawing Stories...With Words
  • Sue Canfield:
    Would you be interested in hosting author interviews on your blog? If so, I can blog it...send authors your way...and you can get complimentary copies of their books too...if you wish to read and review them prior to their "interview" date. Let me know if you are interested...and if so...I'd love to "get in line..."

    ~Bobby Ozuna
    Drawing Stories...With Words
  • great ideas for marketing books.
    i am still in the stone age and must get my blog up and running. my book " Get Over It " Surviving Grief to Live Again should be read by everyone. we all cope with loss of some kind on a daily basis. We need to Get Over the pain and move forward.
    thanks again for the info and good luck on your book.
    Audrey Stringer
    Author/self publisher of "Get Over IT" Surviving Grief to Live Again
    www.astringofhope.com
  • It would also appear that the comment section on Chris Brogan's blog are a great place for online book promotion.
  • Wow, not only was the post informative, but this string of comments has every possible idea. I've bookmarked the page and will be going over it again and again. Thanks!
  • Jan
    Hi Chris
    I'm doing things a little differently. I first wrote a short fictional story, passed it around the block a time or two for some critique and advice on improvement. The story was well recieved and many of the readers suggested turning it into a novel which had been my intention from the start.I then listed the short story on Amazon's Kindle reader digital text platform. (No sales as of yet)I also listed two manuscript copies of the story on Etsy.com. (Sold one so far).A handful of copies have been sold via personal request etc, I've given away many copies and now have numerous persons eagerly waiting to read the entire story. I'm just priming the field for when I have the completed novel finished. I started my own blog and last night took my first step toward promoting my work in my post. Over 85 people visited my blog within a few hours and many posted comments.I also picked up my first blog followers. The little promotional game I played was entertaining and rewarding. I'm getting the word out that I've written a short fictional story that's being turned into a novel. I have had many emails and request. I don't know if I will ever catch the eye of a literary agent but I am keeping my fingers crossed. I would be very pleased to have you visit my blog spot www.bloggingauthor.blogspot.com Thanks...Jan
  • Fascinating. Seth Godin of course is an absolute master at figuring out the new and different.

    I've been marketing on trust for a long time, not just on web 2.0 sites either--back to about 1995, in fact. In my award-winning sixth book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, I spend a lot of time on how to do this.

    BTW, Chris, I just subscribed to your blog (following a lead from the always-cogent Kare Anderson) and I'd be glad to send you an e-copy (PDF format) of my seventh book, Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers, as a gift. It might be very useful as you roll out your book. Send me a private request at shel (at) principledprofit.com. My main blog is at http://www.principledprofit.com/good-business-b...
  • Adrienne Graham
    Thank you so much for this. I am releasing my first book soon and this is a topic in the forefront of my mind these days. Great information and I will definitely take it all to heart.
  • Have you ever checked out the works of Naomi Dunford? She is a marketing genius (imho) and has a whole series about how she made a ton of money with her eBook and how she marketed it and just a whole lot more really great practical advice for just this scenario. I might be a bit of a fan boy (I've ordered her books SEO Ninja and her Marketing School classes) but I think she has some truly good advice.
  • Right after I posted that I decided that to help out a bit I'd post up some relevant Itty Biz links. So in the spirit of trying to be helpful here's the Delicious tags page for my favorite Itty Biz marketing posts

    And here's the series on how she wrote and marketed her last eBook entitled How to make $12,246 in a day. There's a lot of good practical advice that could be translated into what you're doing with the marketing of your own book. Hope that helps.
  • There is so much great information here, I was a tad overwhelmed and concerned I would miss some gems. So I printed out the post and comments and have just spent the last half hour or so going through with a highlighter. As I believe one commenter has already observed, there's a book in here! A small e-book at least.

    One aspect that has been touched on obliquely by at least one commenter from the UK is about promotion for the market outside the US - and especially about delivery on promises.

    There is a related issue about review copies. My experience is that some publishers will not post review copies to other countries, or at least to mine, Australia. One blogger was keen enough for me to review her book that she packaged and paid herself for a copy to be airmailed. Another well-known blogger asked would I like a copy and got my address, but I have never received the book, in spite of alerting the blogger to the non-delivery. Patrick O'Keefe's Managing Online Forums, published by Amacom arrived in good order, via the Sydney office of McGraw-Hill.

    So it's a mixed bag. Just don't assume that, if you invite requests for/promise review copies to people outside the US, your publisher will deliver.

    Books also sometimes take a seriously long time to be released here. From memory, Seth Godin's Purple Cow took months to get here.

    As you are coming to Australia early next year, Chris, your local fanlist will surely increase. It would surely make sense to think about a strategy in advance, to ensure that your book gets reviewed and released into this market. I know it's nothing like the size of your US market, but I wouldn't dismiss it on that account. Given some notice, maybe your publishers would have some creative ideas, a local agent etc.

    It would be interesting to know from Krishna and other commenters from Europe a bit more specifically about strategies for promoting books from the US into Europe.
  • I read this thread with great interest, as I have been serializing and promoting a novel called Servicing the Pole on my website, www.laurishaw.com, for the past two months.

    My situation differs from yours in a few ways. My book is fiction, and I'm using the Creative Commons license. The content is only available right now on my website. I'm also not selling anything on my page.

    So far, I've received most of my quality visits from blogs and social networking sites. The reason? Once people know I exist, some of them seem to get excited about my content and promote my site for me without being asked. Which is flattering and effective all at the same time. You can't buy that kind of support.

    My site is still new and I'm about to add some other features to it, including a traditional blog. It's too soon to say whether the new features will draw more traffic, or what the traffic will do once it arrives. For now, I'm simply pleased to be getting such an excellent response, and enjoying watching my page views grow every week.

    In short, I don't think there's much substitute for social networking in today's marketing climate. But I recognize that the way to go about it largely depends on what your product is.

    Lauri Shaw
  • I have an online novel http://www.thelivermoresite.com and id love to turn it into a movie. I also need reviews- anyone have any suggestions??

    thank you
    the writters of livermore
  • Hi. Good site.
  • Hello,

    I was looking for ideas to boost a french editor.
    It seems this post and comments is so reach, I get a global view of all the lasts trends.
    Great !
  • Hey everyone...I have a new place to promote your work...and all the aspects of your writing/publishing careers!!!!

    I am going LIVE on Wednesday, February 4th @ 7PM (CST) with my new Internet Radio Show: "The Soul of Humanity" which will feature YOU and every artist from every facet of the creative world. If you have something to share, sale or promote, please, send me an email or visit my blog for more details. Contrary to what you may here...the interviews are FREE to you!!!!

    emailto: bobby@ozunapub.com

    I am also looking for sponsors...people or businesses wishing to promote their banner ad and company (over the web) to a potential monthly audience of 1.2 million listeners....

    ~Bobby Ozuna
    "Ozuna Publications"
    "Drawing Stories...With Words"
    817-812-2009
  • Hey everyone, be sure to listen in tonight as I interview author, poet, playwright and screenplay writer: Susan Wingate!

    My show, The Soul of Humanity, streams LIVE for one full hour on the WWW, as part of the Artist First Radio Network. I am looking for authors who want a streaming online forum to publicize and promote their works as independent authors and I am also looking for sponsors. For as little as $10 USD via PayPal (bobby_ozuna@yahoo.com) I will "plug" your book online to my listening audience. My audience base thus far reaches Canada, South Africa, Great Britain, Germany, France, India, the Netherlands, Sweden and of course, the US.

    Be sure to listen to an archived show or listen LIVE tonight @ 7PM and every Wednesday night here: The Soul of Humanity show with author, Bobby Ozuna

    ...supporting the independent arts...

    ~Bobby Ozuna
  • Just had my book published. thanks for the advice.
    This is an adult sporting comedy that follows the fortunes of Paul Marriot, the secretary of the Barnstorm Village Sunday soccer team and coach of a school cricket team in Yorkshire, England. The story describes the remarkable camaraderie between the players and supporters of this little club and their desire to achieve success. The team had previously been known more for its antics off the field, rather than their performances on it.

    During his time at the club he meets and becomes involved with Emma Potter, who is the sister of James Potter, a major player for their bitter rivals Moortown Inn. Thus, begins an entangled web of romance and conflict. He also begins working at Derry High School, a school with a poor reputation of academic success, where he becomes coach of the school cricket team. Here he develops an amazing relationship with the children and they embark on an epic journey.
  • The proposed on-line seminars would help loads o people and promote discussion. Congratulations on reaching a new milestone.
  • denisehubbard
    Check out this idea for marketing

    Video Book Trailers become the Best New Thing since the "Kindle" for Ailing Book Industry

    http://www.prlog.org/10368985-video-book-traile...
  • I've been looking to promote a book, so this article was very helpful! Well done, and thanks a lot Chris for this nice information!
  • abassseo
    Affiliate Marketing is a performance based sales technique used by companies to expand their reach into the internet at low costs. This commission based program allows affiliate marketers to place ads on their websites or other advertising efforts such as email distribution in exchange for payment of a small commission when a sale results.

    www.onlineuniversalwork.com
  • pujamukho
    Hello,
    I am a struggling first time book writer and your post has helped me realize why prooting the book ahead of time is a good idea. I know I have a great story but I was trying to finish it off before I took to marketing it. I have chapters that are completely engrossing already but then there are others that just dont seem to move beyond a line or two :)
    Anyway thought of dropping off a line....
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