First Word

Today for the do-it-yourself-ers, I thought I would give you a brief tutorial on press release writing. My bachelor's degree is in Public Relations. I remember taking the media class and learning the basic rules of press release writing. Any class at that time that indulged my love of writing was always a winner - whether press releases or essays. So, I'm going to take you through each part.   Press releases require a standard format. It's the same every time and it looks like this (just replace with your info) for the HEADER:   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        Date:                                                             Contact:     ...

eBooks are definitely taking over . Don't ignore the eBook revolution -- it's happening. While print is currently dominating, don't expect that to last past the next two to three years. The industry will continue to shift much like the cell phone put the land line into check. Yes, there are still land lines, but I don't even use one in my business. Watch that trend to continue with eBooks until print is strictly "novelty" vs. norm. Authors who fail to support their books will not win the game . Let me give you an example. Josh Mathe, author of In the Footsteps of Greatness, recently embarked on a book tour at the regional REI stores. He sold books directly to readers, but also his eBook and print sales reflected his activities. Other authors who either get tired, bored, frustrated or give up will see sales reflect their own attitudes about their books. Everyone can publish via publishing services, the market is glutted, and you better know how to make your...

Promo Sheet/Flyer --your promo sheet should be loaded with great quotes from reviews about your book. If you don't yet have professional reviews, use testimonials. Put an image of your book on the sheet. Use it to hand out to prospective readers. Stand near your sales area and direct those readers to your sales table for actual purchase. Bookmarks --nice bookmarks with brief information about your book. Bookmarks take the place of business cards and should have your URL and general contact information along with where to purchase the book. Large poster board of book cover image --an enlarged poster-size image of your book cover created on a cardboard of foam-core backing to protect it. Do not date anything on the image so it can be easily reused from event to event. Bring a sturdy stand to put it on.

In promoting numerous books over the years, here are a couple things that I've learned that "are what they are," so to speak. If the tipping point never arrives ... it just doesn't arrive and dumping more money and resources will not change that situation . I compare this to survey. If you survey 100 people and come up with an answer that is perhaps between 10-12 percent it doesn't matter if you survey another 1,000 people, your answer will still roughly be 10-12 percent. So if you're marketing and your book finally finds its place in the market and starts selling, it will continue to sell if you continue to promote. If you're marketing and your book has gotten 10 reviews with no momentum it's not very likely 20 reviews will be any different. The buying mood, the topic or story isn't resonating for whatever reason in the marketplace. When I have a book that has received more reviews than we can count and yet still sales remain overall flat (even ...

What is the best way to market your book? A very good question that doesn't have a one-note answer. Like many products on the market, the best way to market something often depends on: 1. The buying mood of the public. 2. The way to reach the right audience. 3. Experimentation 4. Timing 5. Know when to hold or fold How do you determine the answers to those five things? The no. #3 ... experimentation. With each book (or product for that matter) you have to try different avenues to see what sparks sales. For some books TV appearances generate sales and for others nothing. Book reviews generate sales -- sometimes. Feature stories create interest -- sometimes. To create what we call in marketing "the snowball effect" you have try different things. And sometimes it's not just one thing (a book review and a TV appearance) it's several things combined to create that perfect storm to spark interest. Then there is the last problem of no. #4 -- timing. Sometimes it ...

You can do some marketing and promotion for your book without spending a fortune. Here are three tips for promoting your book and building your marketing platform. Tip #1 Get the Maximum Mileage out of FREE Social Media I know time is money, right? Are you using social media to the fullest? If you're not on social media, you should get it moving. Social media doesn't cost money just time and effort. Have fun with it. Create a fan or personal page. Go on once in the morning and post and once in the evening and post. Make sure you're consistent and do it. Post links related to your book (e.g., book reviews and interviews) and keep building your community. The more exposure your book gets the more people will "follow" or connect with you, and the more people connect with you the more exposure for your promotional efforts. But with the price tag of free is simply the best and most economical way to promote your book. Tip #2 Start blogging and tie it to social med...