First Word

This is Michelle Gamble, CEO, 3L Publishing. I wanted to personally let you know that we have some affordable new programs for writers to promote their books. You can find out more about 3L Publishing and my background as a PR expert on our website at www.3LPublishing.com . Please feel free to email me at info@3LPublishing.com. Bronze Package - $499.99 1. Media Kit (press release, about the book, book spec sheet, FAQ, sample chapter) 2. 1 Page Pitch Letter 3. Links to Book Reviewer Lists Silver Package - $799.99 1. Media Kit 2. 1 Page Pitch Letter 3. Links to Book Reviewer Lists 4. Press Release posted to our blog 5. Press Release link posted to Facebook (personal and fan page) (4700 connections) and Twitter 6. One hour of consultation on media relations and book marketing Gold Package - $999.99 1. Media Kit 2. 1 Page Pitch Letter 3. Links to Book Reviewer Lists 4. Press Release posted to our blog 5. Press Release link posted to Facebook (personal and fan page) (4700 connections...

By Michelle Gamble, CEO, 3L Publishing What is the answer to that question? Poor writing Weak characters Uninteresting story Lack of pacing Would you believe the answer is “none of those things make a book fail?” Are you wondering what does make a book fail or (to rephrase it positively) what makes it a top-seller? The answer is cracker-jack public relations and marketing. P.T. Barnum put it best, “Advertising is to a genuine article what manure is to land – it largely increases the product.” In my estimation that is a crass way of saying (in book-ease), let people know you have a book and increase its sales. Books aren’t the same as selling widgets. You can advertise a widget pretty easily, and consumers caught up in the idea or the sensation or fad will invest their dollars. Readers though are interesting audiences to crack open. An advertisement for a book won’t convince a reader it’s any good. Book advertising will increase brand v...

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...

My recent post on book promotion is one of the highest read posts on this blog right now. I figured readers must be hungry for that information. The great benefit of promoting all of our books is the side-bonus of promoting my company 3L Publishing as a "via". So, I thought I would share what's required in your author toolkit to market and promote to your target audience. Authors are required to build what is called a "platform" (a place and methodology to spread their messages). A platform enables authors to spread the word about their books, viewpoint and message, and more importantly create the critical following. A following is gold in this industry. It means multiple book sales not just of one book, but other books, too. The following addresses what should be used to build a platform. Media Kit -- industry standard media kits are required not only for the media, but also for the book sellers and associations where the author might speak. The industry ...

If you're and author, you should realize that writing is only half the job. The other half is the true business end, which involves promoting and marketing the book. In my writers' group Writers Who Mean Business , I teach writers the "business" of writing not just the writing. While some writers' groups focus on craft, I focus on making the book do more than gather dust on the bookshelf. As a publisher , I feel that is my job. We are right in the middle of promoting the new book Vengeance is Now and my book California Girl Chronicles, Brea's Big Break . I want to break apart the media campaign so if you work in this business you might get some ideas. Please note: An effective promotional and marketing campaign should run at least six months to a year. Media and Book Reviewers -- this is the most popular promotional methodology. You promote the book to the mainstream book reviewers, which these days it's mostly bloggers. (When doesn't the Inter...

Many authors mistakenly believe the hardest part of writing a book is ... writing a book . They are creative geniuses and artists -- and most aren't business people. They don't think like business people. Hey, they are artists, which is perfectly okay. If you know your left/right brain don't party together then think of this way, hire a marketing and PR professional to promote your book. In the meantime, though, you can do two very easy things to promote your book. Blog . You are a writer, right (look the two different uses of the "right" LOL) so writing a blog should be like getting up every day for you. A blog can be set up for free on sites like this one. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a graphic artist create a simple brand. You would be surprised how easy it is to set up a blog on this site. It's very easy. Set up a blog, but don't cry, "What do I write about?" You have plenty to write about whether it's fiction or n...

If I were to survey and ask authors, "What is the most important part of the publishing process?" The answers would vary but most likely be missed. Is it the book? Is it the story? Is it the character development? Is it the content for a non-fiction book? Is it the subject matter? Is it the genre? What is it? None of those things. It is very simple and one word: marketability . Can we successfully market your book to an audience that will not only buy your book but tell all their friends to buy your book? You can write a brilliant tome. Your writing can beat the competition. Your book can be captivating, award-winning, and well done; but if we can't find its audience and attract their attention enough to buy it -- none of those things matter. And for authors who feel only self-satisfaction in the idea they wrote books and don't want to take the next step, which is to sell and promote the book, then a book is all you will ever have in your hands and not cold, hard cash...