Author: Elise L. Connors

Elise Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book

Beyond the Tweet: Tips for Making the Most of Social Media

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn…

There’s a social media/networking site for just about everyone. While most people use them to keep up with friends and track down old contacts, businesses and individuals with goods and services to sell are hopping on the bandwagon to round up more traffic and more sales.

Not everyone’s riding that wagon in the right direction. At least, not the right direction for their destination. Social media can be a terrific tool for authors looking to pitch their latest books, but it requires a plan and the right frame of mind. With Social Media Day right around the corner (tomorrow), what better time to get involved in the digital wave of the century?

As you embark on your social media journey, here are some tips to help you along the way:

  • Content still is king. Use social media to create high-quality content – NOT marketing copy! Think of your blog as one big corporate white paper or newsletter that you post one piece at a time. These types of communications are, first and foremost, informational. People should turn to your blog, tweets and Facebook posts because they find them useful or enjoyable. A potential reader is not likely to “follow” or “like” your status because they just love reading marketing copy, and they usually don’t “digg” a sales pitch.
  • Remember it’s not all about you. Individuals tend to use social media to focus on themselves, usually to fulfill some need of their own. However, when you’re using social media for business purposes, the format works better when you focus on what you can do for those who read your updates. You’ve got to give to get. Write blogs and post updates with the mindset that you’re providing information to your contacts that will enrich them, not you. As hard a concept as that can be to master, always think about what you can give to your readers – not what your posts can get you – and the loyalty you build will be worth the effort.
  • Enjoy a lengthy engagement. Get your name and your book title out there every chance you get by engaging with others on social media. Comment on blogs and leave links to your homepage when it’s appropriate. Now, note the emphasis on “when it’s appropriate.” As already mentioned, your interactions should be selfless, not an excuse to market or plug your wares when it’s unrelated to the topic at hand. Posting a link to a romance novel on a political blog is not appropriate. Multiple posting your book title to bump it to the top of the comments is not appropriate. Spamming is never, ever appropriate.
  • Build links, build bonds. Linking is one of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your site and also help search engines find you more quickly and rank you higher. But be smart about your links. Network with other authors and swap links, even ones writing on the same topic. Your visitors may find them, but they’re visitors may also find you. Your goal is not to get as many visitors as possible, but to get the most appropriate visitors possible. A hundred site visitors who are a great fit for what you have to offer are better than a thousand who aren’t likely to connect with your message.

Be smart and be generous, but above all, enjoy the ride. This is the key to using social media to promote your book.

Elise Connors ABOUT ELISE L. CONNORS:
Elise works as the Manager of Author Support of Outskirts Press.  She also contributes to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com. Elise and a group of talented book marketing experts assist self-publishing authors and professionals who are interested in getting the best possible exposure for their book.
Elise Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book

Espresso Book Machines Offer Self-Publishing Authors a Jolt in Sales

Oh, the publishing industry has come such a long way since the days of minimum advance orders, massive preprinting and prohibitive upfront production costs. Technology has not only given digital readers the gift of instant downloads, but now has given hard copy traditionalists the ability to choose a book digitally and have it in hand in the time it takes to press a few buttons on a vending machine.

In fact, the Espresso Book Machine® (EBM), as the name implies, is essentially a vending machine for literature. Just as an espresso maker both makes and vends a piping-hot beverage on demand, the EBM produces a paperback copy of your selection on the spot. The buyer selects a title and the EBM instantly prints the selection, complete with a full-color cover, that is indistinguishable from a preprinted paperback plucked from a bookshelf. The machine even cuts the book to the proper size for that title!

All that in three or four minutes. You can’t even make a latte that fast.

It’s understandable why so much excitement is brewing over this technology. Booksellers and libraries, wise to many readers’ undying love for both tangible reads and instant gratification, are keen to offer as many new releases as possible, even when shelf space is hard to come by. Naturally, authors are drinking it up, as well; any gadget that serves up their books without requiring huge advance printing and shipment costs is a sweet deal. Authors only pay a small preprint cost and receive the full retail price, minus a consignment fee.

Espresso Book Machines are already working overtime in libraries and universities all over the world, including but not limited to:

  • New York Public Library
  • University of Michigan Library
  • New Orleans Public Library
  • San Francisco Internet Archive
  • University of Michigan Library
  • Manchester Center Northshire Bookstore
  • University of Alberta
  • McMaster University Bookstore
  • London Newsstand UK
  • Library of Alexandria, Egypt
  • Melbourne, Australia Angus & Robertson Bookstore

More vending locations are being added all the time. Self-publishing giant Outskirts Press has added the Espresso Book Machine as an affordable distribution option for its authors, and it’s a smart addition to any book marketing plan. The small set-up fee makes the book available at all of the EBM locations and automatically uploads your title to new machines as they’re added to the EBM network, at no extra charge.

Combine an EBM edition with Amazon book listing, and iPad, NOOK and Kindle editions to maximize access to your book and make it easier for readers to make the decision to buy. Of course, you can still keep your car’s trunk stocked with your latest book just in case, but the Espresso Book Machine can help you lessen the load when preprinting isn’t possible.

Elise Connors ABOUT ELISE L. CONNORS:
Elise works as the Manager of Author Support of Outskirts Press.  She also contributes to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com. Elise and a group of talented book marketing experts assist not only published Outskirts Press authors, but also all authors and professionals who are interested in getting the best possible exposure for their book.
Elise Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book

E-book Revenues Soar and Publishers Take Notice

There’s no denying technology is playing and will continue to play a vital role in how authors and publishers present and market your books. The latest eBook Survey of Publishers, conducted by Publishers Weekly (PW) magazine and Aptara, is testament to the power e-books now wield in the publishing world as a whole.

According to a June 5 article in PW, the number of publishers who made more than 10 percent of their annual revenue from e-books doubled from 18 percent of publishers polled in the 2011 e-book survey to 36 percent of publishers in the April 2012 survey.

This shift is important because that magic 10 percent of revenue is the benchmark many publishers use to determine what aspects of their business are significant money-makers. With more than one-third of publishers now acknowledging e-books as a vital part of their revenue stream, its clear the digital world is poised to be a game-changer. Although most publishers have not yet made the leap to going full-digital on their entire catalog or issuing new releases in a solely digital format, it appears the majority are leaning much more heavily on virtual books as their customers’ buying habits change.

Of course, this doesn’t mean there’s no more room on the bookshelf for a hardcover or paperback book. A physical copy is still the preferred and first method for publishing books, and most publishers issue in this format before going digital. However, the growth of e-book profits means authors must consider multiple formats in order to appeal to a wider audience and make buying as convenient as possible for as many readers as possible.

So, what do you think lies in the future for publishers? Share your thoughts and predict the trends in the Comments section.

Elise Connors ABOUT ELISE L. CONNORS:
Elise works as the Manager of Author Support of Outskirts Press.  She also contributes to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com. Elise and a group of talented book marketing experts assist not only published Outskirts Press authors, but also all authors and professionals who are interested in getting the best possible exposure for their book.
Elise Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book

The Challenge of New Book Discovery May Not Affect Self-Publishing Authors

As a self-publishing author, one of the biggest challenges you may face is getting new people to learn about you and your book. After all, experience suggests that successfully publishing a book involves 20% of your efforts toward writing and 80% of your efforts toward marketing.

At any rate, on sites such as Paid Content (and even at BEA), book discoverability is a “hot topic” of sorts. In a recent article, they cited statistics from Codex Group to drive home the point that the decline of available brick-and-mortar booksellers has contributed to increased difficulty for authors to get new readers to discover their books. It seems that this mainly applies to traditionally-published authors. Why? Well, the decline of the brick-and-mortar booksellers seems to level the playing field, so to speak. With more readers turning to eBooks and online book shopping/browsing, this allows authors who have self-published to have a reach similar to that of authors who typically enjoy a strong bookstore presence.

How amazing is that? All authors have an equal opportunity for reader attention. Who would imagine such a possibility? Self-publishing authors can now use online book marketing methods — such as virtual book tours, social media, and videos to enhance their online visibility and increase reader interest in their books. Even something as simple as sprucing up their Amazon sales page can help.

At this point, I’m not understanding all of the fuss, unless you don’t want the playing field to be leveled…What are your thoughts?

Elise Connors ABOUT ELISE L. CONNORS:
Elise works as the Manager of Author Support of Outskirts Press.  She also contributes to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com. Elise and a group of talented book marketing experts assist not only published Outskirts Press authors, but also all authors and professionals who are interested in getting the best possible exposure for their book.
Uncategorized

National Black Book Festival Delivers Insight, Big Names

File this one under the “Great Way to Get to Know Your Audience” category.

The annual National Black Book Festival promises book writers and readers alike some tremendous insights into what’s important to the African-American literary audience and the community at large. Regardless of your writing/reading style – and no matter what your ethnic or cultural background — if you’re a fan of literature or a creator of it, you should make plans to attend this year’s event, set for the second weekend of June in Dallas. Outskirts Press encourages authors to take advantage of opportunities such as this to enrich themselves and make connections.

Featured authors include the much-lauded Walter Mosley (author of “When the Thrill Is Gone” and more than 30 other books), television commentator Keli Goff (“Party Crashing”), Daniel Black (author of the bestseller “They Tell Me of a Home”), and New York Times and Essence bestseller Eric Jerome Dickey (“An Accidental Affair”). That’s just the tip of the iceberg; with dozens of notable authors scheduled to present, one of your own favorites may also be appearing. Visit the NBBF’s website for the full schedule of authors. If you choose to attend, you’ll be treated to invaluable insight from successful authors about their personal journeys, their inspirations and their audiences.

The NBBF is an annual event that represents a broad spectrum of genres, from Urban Fiction to Self Help to Fantasy and everything imaginable in between. The festival is targeted to 1,100-plus black book clubs, but you need not be a member of one to attend.

Attendees get access to dozens of author seminars, discussions and workshops, and dozens of authors and a variety of publishers, businesses and institutions will be on hand to provide information and assistance. Free events also include a Spoken Word Poetry Slam, Book Club Central and other attractions. You’ll also have opportunities to take part in additional special presentations and events at an additional charge, if you choose. (Attendees can choose between general admission and special events, or both.)

All that for just $5! Tickets must be purchased in advance, and the deadline is May 31.

When?
June 8-10, 2012 (Friday reception, Saturday, Sunday)

Where?
Doubletree Hotel,
400 Dallas St.
Houston, Texas

How Much?
General Admission – $5
Full Festival Package – $145 (includes two-day admission, Welcome to Houston Reception, Get Acquainted Breakfast and Sunday Jazz Brunch, at discounted package price)
Tickets for single events are also available.

Information
1-800-340-5454

The National Black Book Festival is a rich resource for African-American authors and readers, but it’s also a priceless resource for anyone who wishes to gain insight into the African-American publishing market.

Elise Connors ABOUT ELISE L. CONNORS:
Elise works as the Manager of Author Support of Outskirts Press.  She also contributes to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com. Elise and a group of talented book marketing experts assist not only published Outskirts Press authors, but also all authors and professionals who are interested in getting the best possible exposure for their book.