The Web-Savvy Writer

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.

A reader recently wrote me asking about the importance of Amazon sales rank. Here’s my two cents on the Amazon sales rank issue:

• Your Amazon rank is important, but it doesn’t represent the entire picture of a book’s success. For example, some of my most popular books sold the majority of copies through channels other than Amazon. Many books do very well in bookstores, in direct sales to libraries, in nontraditional markets, and in other formats such as ebooks.
• Some authors recommend not selling ebook versions or autographed copies on your website in order to funnel all sales through Amazon. Although this will spike your sales rank at times, I feel it’s a disservice to readers who might prefer an electronic version or the personalized touch of an autographed book.  In addition, it eliminates a viable income stream for the author (ebooks are far more profitable than print books on a per-book basis).
• Remember to compare your sales rank to true competitors, not to all books. Some niche books will never have a low sales rank. New books usually have brisker sales than books published more than a year ago. If you want to do some analysis try TitleZ or Charteous (enter your ASIN or your book title in the Search field).
• Focus your efforts on quality writing backed by solid book promotion that generates a steady stream of sales. Avoid the temptation to participate in “overnight Amazon bestseller” schemes.

Tags: Amazon sales rank, online book promotion, book publicity, book marketing, book publishing, self-publishing

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

Here’s another way to get the word out quickly about your book:

#2 Participate in Discussion Groups or Forums

Another quick way to spread the word about your book is through discussion groups or forums. You probably already know of several that reach your target audience. For example, many large websites have forums for their visitors. Also check out Yahoo! Groups and Google Groups for other possibilities.

Once you find the best options, start participating. Keep in mind that you’ll generate the best results by offering solid information rather than creating purely promotional posts. Be helpful and show your expertise, but let your signature do your selling.

For example, I frequently use the following signature when I post on forums related to publishing and writing, and rarely even mention my books in my actual post:

Patrice-Anne Rutledge
Bestselling Author (24 books)
Journalist (200+ articles)
Online Book Promotion Expert
Author, The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion with a High-Tech Twist
http://www.websavvywriter.com (download my free special report on author websites)

Tags: book promotion, book publicity, book marketing, self-publishing, book publishing, discussion groups

Do you want to generate more sales and publicity for your book, but can’t afford to wait weeks or months for your efforts to pay off? I’ve created a series of tips just for you.

#1 Comment on High-Traffic Blogs

Find several high-traffic blogs that serve your target audience and add interesting and insightful comments to current postings. To generate results from this technique, you have to do more than say “nice post.” You need to offer some additional information of real value, provide your own meaningful insight into the topic, or provide an alternative view to generate some excitement.

You can state that you’re the author of a related book and include a link back to your site, but avoid direct promotion. In other words, don’t participate in comment spam. This will only damage your reputation, not enhance it. You want to use your comment to provide useful information and illustrate your background as an expert and author.

The right combination of blog, post, and comment will send a stream of interested traffic to your site.

Tags: book promotion, book sales

Several months ago I read an interesting post on Seth Godin’s blog titled Advice for Authors. Some of his 19 tips represent common sense for all authors; others are more alternative. In any event, it’s an interesting read and will definitely get you thinking about your career as an author.

My two cents:

#5 — Absolutely. Focusing on your target audience is the best way to sell your books and online book promotion is the best way to find that micro-niche.

# 7 — I’ve actually had good luck with major publishers (23 out of 24 books), but I do agree there are times when publishing independently is a good business decision (as I did with The Web-Savvy Writer).

#13 — Bookstore signings didn’t work for me, but they may work for others. Personally, I got much more mileage from a virtual book tour.

Tags: online book promotion, author advice, Seth Godin

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

Another year is now here and if you’re like most people, you’re making some New Year’s resolutions. Becoming a more successful author should be one of them.

Here are some tips for making 2007 your year for online book promotion success:

• Set goals. And put them in writing. Your plan doesn’t need to be a formal one, but by committing goals to paper you have a better chance of achieving them. Consider setting both short-term goals and long-term goals so that you can have some quick successes along the way.
• Learn all you can about online book promotion. By learning about all the options available to you, you’ll be better prepared to choose the promotional opportunities that will work best for your book. Also look into ways to incorporate online promotion into your mainstream promotional plan for an even stronger impact.
• Focus on promotional efforts that suit your target audience. For more on this, see my post on Focus on Your Audience. Most of us have more marketing ideas than we could ever implement, so put your time and money into those that will give you the greatest return.

Best of luck to you in 2007!

Tags: online book promotion, author resolutions