Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Self-Publishing, Viral Marketing

Marketing your Self-published Book: The Law of the Shovel

If you want to dig a big hole, you’ve got to know where you’re digging and stay in one place.

I work with many writers who come to me with a manuscript and say, “Publish this! It’s going to be a bestseller!” I celebrate confidence and enthusiasm. Indispensable characteristics in successfully marketing your self-published book.

The reality is, publishing what we often consider to be a bestseller is akin to winning the Heisman or starring across from Meryl Streep. That it is a bestseller makes any book exception to the rule. Something of such unique and timely nature that it just might appeal to everyone. But everyone cannot digest everything. Ask yourself this: who is, and where are the readers that will enjoy, benefit from, and share my book?

Once you’ve answered that, start digging. Try to dig in too many places, you’ll likely barely scratch the surface.


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Book Promotion

Using Newspapers to Promote your Self-Published Book

There are two diverse tactics for promoting your self-published book:

1) Paying for advertising
2) Acquiring free advertising through press

Well, a subset to that second option is this: create press for yourself.

How? By writing for the newspaper.

Newspapers are in constant need for fresh content on a daily or weekly basis. Most general interest articles can be written by anyone, anywhere, and you don’t even need to live in the area where the paper is distributed (although it certainly helps as you get your feet wet).

Writing freelance articles for newspapers is an effective way to get your book “out there” because your byline will always be included with your article, and your book will always be mentioned in your byline.

Many freelance writers concentrate solely on contributing to magazines or websites, but you will be missing out on thousands of great markets if you ignore newspapers.

How do you get started? You can easily find information about newspapers, including contact information and addresses, by going online to www.usnpl.com or www.newspapers24.com

Have fun and keep writing.

Editing Your Self-Published Book, Self-Publishing

Book Doctor on Editing & Self-publishing Fees

Q: Someone at my office inquired about the going rate for editors. His daughter was offered a chance to edit proposals seven to fifteen pages long. I did not know what to tell them to charge. Do you have any idea?

A: “The going rate” for editors won’t be the same rate as a person just starting into the business, and if editors do not know what to charge, they are definitely newcomers.

It’s unfair to start out charging an hourly rate, because inexperienced but conscientious editors spend more hours completing a job than experienced editors would spend. Under an hourly arrangement, clients would pay more money for a novice than a professional.

When it comes to setting rates, only the editors themselves can decide what they are willing to accept while they get their on-the-job training, but read on for some ideas.

For a project as short as seven to fifteen pages, I suggest beginning editors should charge a minimum of $25 for fifteen or fewer pages. If that price seems low, remember that editing is not a “get rich” plan, it’s simply another job, and if you don’t love it and enjoy delving into all the details and continuing to learn during your entire career, it’s best to find something else that you do love.

Once you land your first project, though, time yourself to see how long it takes to finish the project, to get an average of how long it takes you per page. From that starting point—also with the knowledge that you will get faster as your skills improve—you can decide what your time is worth. You can raise your rates gradually as you gain more experience”

Editing is a critical step in the self-publishing process to achieve credibility and success in the marketplace. Does your self-publishing option offer editing. What do they charge?

Bobbie Christmas, book doctor, author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book Doctor” questions and answers at www.zebraeditor.com.


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Book Reviews

Getting your self-published book reviewed

A standard procedure for book promotion is mailing copies of your book out for book reviews. You can conduct a search on Google for “freelance book reviewers” to find reviewers, sometimes categorized by subject. Freelance reviewers often have writing assignments for larger media venues and it is often more successful to contact them directly than through larger magazines or newspapers.

As you seek out reviews on your own, remember that some magazines are more inclined to only review books that have not yet been published while others will want the chance to review it immediately after publication, so it is in your best interest to start this part of the process right away.

If you are serious about getting book reviews, you should send out copies to these publications sooner rather than later.

Also, ask yourself what the specific market is for YOUR book. Once you know your answer, ask yourself what sort of magazines, newspapers, websites, or periodicals those people read.  The more you narrow down your audience, the more efficient and cost effective your book marketing campaign will be.  Send a review copy to every magazine, newspaper, website, blog, or newsletter your potential audience may read.

When you send out a book for review, always include a complimentary copy of the book, a professional cover letter, and a sales sheet and/or a press release.

To get you started, here is contact information for a syndicated book reviewer who is known to write reviews for self published books:

Gary Roen

Syndicated Reviewer

1600 Hull Circle

Orlando, FL  32806

Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Choosing a Publisher, Self-Publishing, Uncategorized

4 Myths about Book Publishing Today

There is a lot of confusion, controversy, and questions surrounding the terms self-publishing, vanity press, print-on-demand, etc. As you decide the best publishing path for you, let’s clarify some misconceptions some may have propagated.

1. MYTH: Whoever owns the ISBN owns the rights.
FACT: This used to be true. Nowadays, it is no longer true. Good self-publishing options assign the ISBN for the authors’ convenience, but still allow authors to keep 100% of the rights to their books. Be sure to check the contract.

2. MYTH: Independent self-publishing is different from publishing with an established organization because that publisher owns the ISBN.
FACT: It is true that the ISBN identifies the publisher of record. With reputable options, authors can supply their own ISBN as an option. Of course, if an author prefers the publisher to assign an ISBN for them, that should be an option too. And that’s what self-publishing is about – author choice and author control.

3. MYTH: New York publishers promote and market all their books.
FACT: New York publishers usually devote the lion’s share of their marketing budget to the top 1% (Harry Potter, for example) of the books they publish. The other books published during that season are victims of the sliced marketing budget. The majority of traditionally published authors are referred to as “mid-listeres” and don’t get much support from their publisher at all.

4.MYTH: Printing a book with an off-set printer is the same as self-publishing it.
FACT: Printing a book is one facet of publication. Before a book can be printed, it needs to be designed. Then it needs to be printed. Then it needs wholesale distribution through Ingram and availability online with retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Then it needs fulfillment of orders and invoicing.

Printing a book with an offset printer accomplishes one of those steps. Publishing a book with a leading self-publishing option accomplishes all of them. Almost anyone can “print” a book, but what about all the other stuff that is required?


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