The Web-Savvy Writer

A reader recently wrote to me, concerned that my suggestion to recycle blog content would result in duplicate content penalties from search engines such as Google.

To clarify this myth and alleviate your concerns, read this excellent post by SEO (search enginge optimization) expert Jill Whalen: The Duplicate Content Penalty Myth.

In summary, don’t be afraid to syndicate your content and articles to selected sites. You’ll reach potential new readers who aren’t already part of your audience and get links back to your website. Google’s filtering mechanism should be able to determine the original source of the content (you) and even if the duplicate content appears in search results the link will take people back to your originating site.

Industry analyst eMarketer has released some new statistics that indicate online video viewing will nearly double in the US by 2011. What’s the best way to capitalize on this trend? Use video to promote your book. In addition to creating a trailer-style video for your book, also consider other creative uses of video:

• Offer a video welcome to your website or blog
• Post videos of your author appearances or interviews
• Create short how-to videos related to the topic of your book

To learn more about book videos, see my special report Video Book Buzz: Create a Book Video That Generates Publicity and Profits.

Tags: online book promotion, book publicity, book publishing, self-publishing, book trailers, author video

Publishing book excerpts is a great promotional tool for both fiction and nonfiction authors. You can publish an excerpt on your website, on your publisher’s website, or on sites dedicated to book excerpts (the many genre sites are particularly good for fiction).

Other lucrative options include offering your excerpt to targeted websites, ezines, print publications, or anthologies–either as an exact excerpt or reformatted as an article. You can offer excerpts directly to your targets or have them come to you by indicating the availability of excerpts and articles in your online media kit. I’ve received several “out of the blue” excerpt offers this way.

For example, the podcasting chapter in The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion with a High-Tech Twist was excerpted in both Writer’s Weekly, a high-traffic ezine, and Business Strategies, a print publication. Book content that I converted to article format and posted to my website will appear in a writer’s anthology this summer.

Here are my 15 favorite ways to develop your author platform. Please use comments to add your own. And don’t forget to read my original post on author platforms below!

1. Get credentials related to your specialty
2. Join and participate in professional associations
3. Create a website that demonstrates your expertise
4. Publish a blog
5. Publish a podcast
6. Write and publish articles (online or in print publications)
7. Publish an ezine
8. Volunteer or do perform pro bono work
9. Serve on committees and panels
10. Teach — online and off
11. Get quoted in magazines and newspapers
12. Participate in social networks
13. Give speeches
14. Get on radio and TV
15. Create a PR campaign — both online and off

Creating and distributing a online press release is a great way to generate interest in your book. Today’s online press releases reach more than just the media, however. You also need to target potential readers who could find your release on online news sites or through a web search. Here are three tips for press release success:

# 1 Focus on the Needs of Your Audience

Don’t just issue a release announcing your new book and think it will automatically draw a lot of attention. Be creative and create a release that has meaning and value to your audience. For example, include expert tips, piggyback on another relevant news topic, or add a local twist to your release. If you want some tips from a publicity expert on how to write the type of release that generates results, visit The Publicity Hound, which offers lots of great content on attracting the press and customers with targeted press releases. The CD program The New Rules of Press Releases: How to Write Them for Buyers, Not Only Journalists is particularly relevant.

#2 Think Multimedia When Designing Your Release

Why issue a plain-text release when you could enliven it with pictures, sound, and interactivity? Consider adding photos, web links, and podcast files to your release for maximum impact. Connecting with your audience through audio and video not only differentiates your release from hundreds of other releases, it also encourages a one-to-one connection. This in turn can help capture the attention of a busy journalist or a potential reader. One of my favorite online press distribution services is PRWeb, which offers a lot of multimedia extras to its customers.

#3 Be Proactive in Seeking Media Attention

Rather than just waiting for the media to read your release and contact you, be proactive in seeking media attention. Look into publicity leads services such as PRLeads or Annie Jennings PR, which send you leads on journalists seeking experts to interview. For example, if you’re the author of a book on sports nutrition, you could receive a lead from a writer for a national magazine looking to interview an expert to provide nutritional tips for weekend athletes.

Want to see a sample online press release for a book? Take a look at the online release I created for The Web-Savvy Writer.

Do you have an online media room? If not, you should create one now. A solid online media room can help you generate more media attention and endear you to busy journalists who can find everything they need in one place.

For an example, take a look at my online media room for The Web-Savvy Writer. Also check out Joan Stewarts CD: Electronic Media Kits: How to Create Them, Deliver Them and See INSTANT Results.

Want some help on your online media room? Contact me about my consulting services.

Tags: online book promotion, online media room

Recently, reader Brian Tubbs left a comment asking how to create a captivating author bio with limited credentials. This is a common problem for many new authors. The answer is to get personal. That doesn’t mean that I recommend providing too much personal detail in your bio. Rather, you need to personalize it to connect with your audience. Tell them a story, intrigue them, or make them feel like a kindred spirit. By doing so, potential readers feel like they know you and are more likely to be interested in your book. Your bio can be one of your best sales tools, even if you’re a first-time author.

Author Glenda Watson Hyatt also left a comment about the challenges of creating a bio. Another tip is to get feedback from others on your bio. As authors, we all most likely feel we have a way with words. But writing about yourself can be daunting for many. Get feedback from both fellow authors and non-authors on your bio. Are you being too modest? Does your bio tell a captivating story? Does it present you as an expert? And most importantly — does it match the tone of your book and truly connect with your target audience? Sometimes an outsider can see you things you can’t when you’re writing about yourself.

Tags: online book promotion, book publicity, author bio

If you self-published your book or sell ebooks, special reports, or digital downloads from your site, you should take advantage of the free sales force that affiliate marketing provides. By offering your affiliates a commission on every sale they make, it’s a win-win situation. They make some extra money with minimal effort and you make a sale to a customer who may never have found you without the affiliate.

Most online shopping cart service, such as PayLoadz, ClickBank, and 1ShoppingCart.com, enable you to easily set up an affiliate program. PayLoadz is the service I’m currently using and it’s very easy to implement. After you set up your affiliate program, be sure to promote it and offer ready-made sales tools for your affiliates to use.

If you’re interested in becoming an affiliate for The Web-Savvy Writer ebook, visit The Web-Savvy Writer affiliate page for more details.  Of course, you can also generate affiliate income from the print version of the book by participating in the ultimate web affiliate program, Amazon Associates.

A bio is a critical part of any author website, and every site should have one. Whether you are trying to reach readers, the media, or potential clients, people want to know who you are. Here are several tips for creating a bio that generates results:

• Consider a traditional bio (focusing on your professional and publishing credentials) if you want to emphasize your credentials. Most nonfiction authors fall into this category.
• Consider a narrative bio if you want to tell a story through your bio. The narrative approach works particularly well for authors of fiction or creative nonfiction.
• Focus your bio on your audience and the action you want them to take. If your goal is to sell books on financial planning (as well as fill your seminar seats and get hired for speaking engagements), your bio needs to reflect your expert qualifications as a financial planner. If you’re trying to encourage potential readers to buy your mystery novel, create a bio that piques the interest of a mystery fan.
• Create both long and short versions of your bio to suit different needs.

Tags: online book promotion, author websites, author bios

Have an online media kit on your website? If not, get one … now!

Creating an online media kit is essential for any author looking to get the attention of the media. Your online media kit can contain special content just for the media as well as links to content that’s appropriate for multiple audiences, including: 

• Basic book information
• Book excerpt
• Table of contents (for non-fiction books)
• Author bio
• Press releases
• Sample questions for the author
• Media clips
• Author interview
• Reviews
• Story ideas for journalists
• Multimedia book brochure
• Video book trailers 
• Author audio and video  

Tags: online book promotion, online media kit