book promotion strategy – Page 5 – Self Publishing Advisor

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week: Ice Queen by: Richard S. Lucas

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if they don’t know about it? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review:

Ice Queen

Richard S. Lucas

Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.

ISBN: 9781432773045

Reviewed by: Leslie Granier for Reader Views

“Ice Queen is a fictional story about archaeologists Helen and Philip Franklin. They have a great reputation, not only as hardworking and honest people, but as scientists who can prove whether specific myths and legends were based on facts or were simply made up by people for personal gain. The Franklins are hired by Thomas Coswell to find out about a woman sketched by Coswell’s grandfather shortly before he was killed on an archaeological trip. As Helen and Philip research the Ice Queen to uncover information regarding who or what she is, where she came from, and when she existed, they find themselves in danger when one of Coswell’s business competitors strives to learn what they are trying to discover in the hopes of taking any recovered artifacts for himself.

There are many good qualities about this book. First, the main characters are very likable and the chemistry between them is apparent. Understanding who a character is makes it a lot easier for the reader to relate to him or her. Second, the subject matter is interesting and timely. The interest in learning about ancient civilizations and different legends has become quite popular over the last few years. A third asset is the amount of action and adventure. The author chose to take the reader on a journey with Helen and Philip through Samoa, Peru, and other remote locations instead of concentrating too much on researching information on a computer.

I particularly enjoyed the glimpses into the ancient times. By using this method, the author provided the reader with a feeling of seeing things as they happened all those years ago instead of just reading about what people surmised had occurred. This made me feel much more involved in the story.

Ice Queen is intended for an adult audience. Men and women will both be captivated by this book. An interest in archeology is definitely not a prerequisite for reading this story. A sense of adventure and an open mind are sufficient. This is a well-written book with a plot that has been creatively crafted. It is definitely worth investing the time to read it.”

Consider Your Sales Annotation Early In the Publishing Process

You’ve written a book that you’re ready to publish. Now you have to decide on quite a few key ingredients – including how you will publish the book (i.e. will you use a self-publishing company or try to publish on your own), what price you will set it for, etc. One thing that’s fairly simple to overlook when you’re starting the process is how you will market your book. Aside from some of the more obvious reasons why authors should start thinking about marketing early on in the process, you should also consider your marketing plan when putting together your sales annotation.

What is a sales annotation, you ask? That’s a great question! It’s the information about your book that is submitted to sites like Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, etc. Sometimes authors opt to have this match what’s shown on the back of their book. However, this isn’t necessary, and I actually recommend that your annotation be different because your online description not only describes your book, but it also can be neatly packaged with your book’s keywords because you can fit more information in an online description space than on your back cover.

In the example below, you’re able to see the online description for Sell Your Book on Amazon that can be found on Amazon.com:

As you can see from the above image, it is important to not only describe your book in a way that will entice your reader but also make sure that you are using your keywords frequently.

DISCUSSION: What tips can you share for writing a solid sales annotation?

ABOUT WENDY STETINA:
Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction, or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.

Cheri Speaks

Who Needs an LCCN?

So, you’ve heard the term LCCN, but you’re not too sure if you need one.

That’s understandable. To determine whether this is something you need – let’s start by defining the acronym. LCCN standards for Library of Congress Control Number. Wait, that’s not a real definition! You’re right – that was fairly vague. The control number is an identification number (similar to the ISBN) that an author acquires before publication. The number is printed on the title page of the book and (traditionally speaking) is often very helpful when marketing your book to libraries.

But do you absolutely need one? The long and short answer is a firm no. Will libraries not accept your books if you don’t have one? Not likely. It’s very true that libraries very rarely “order” self-published books. Does that mean you should you take libraries off your radar? Not necessarily – there are still more creative ways that you can include libraries in your book promotion strategy. You can donate a copy (or copies) of your book. You can host book readings at your library. The possibilities are essentially limitless, but you must be creative and not rely on a library to come after you.

Have any of your included the library in your overall marketing plan? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.

ABOUT CHERI BREEDING:
Since 2005 Cheri Breeding has been working as the Director of Production for Outskirts Press. In that time, she has been an instrumental component of every aspect of the Production Department, performing the roles of an Author Representative, Book Designer, Customer Service Representative, Title Production Supervisor, Production Manager and, Director of Production. She brings all that experience and knowledge, along with an unparalleled customer-service focus, to help self-publishing authors reach high-quality book publication more efficiently, professionally, and affordably.

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week: Addiction by H. E. Logue, M.D.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us let the community know about a great book. So, without further adieu, here’s this week’s book review:

Addiction

H. E. Logue, M.D.

Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.

ISBN 9781432764807

Reviewed by: William Phenn for Reader Views

“Dr. Logue writes a very compelling book about the effects of various addictions on addicts and their families. He mentions the fact that the inspiration for the book was from actual events but, of course, the book is pure fiction. Sam Robbins is one such fictitious character. He has a wife and son and has just finished a bout with lung cancer. He is trying to quit his addiction, smoking; which brought him to this point.

The book suggests many good points on quitting and coping with the withdrawals and cravings of the addiction. There are even some very scary statistics that the doctor refers to. A few of them, such as “One out of four is a current smoker, one out of four is an ex-smoker and two out of four is or has been a smoker.” These facts and more were staggering to me as I read the stats that Dr. Logue wrote.

In the midst of Sam Robbins’ problem with his addicted nephew, the drama continues with stories of a “binge drinking alcoholic” that gets killed because of being in the wrong place and acting like a fool. Sam meets another friend and former co-worker and helps him with his drinking problem by attending AA meetings with him. All through the book, Sam partners with his psychiatrist and in the end, he gives back some of the help that he has had. His doctor sets up an addiction seminar and invites Sam and his wife to speak to the attendees.

Dr. Logue did a very good job of presenting addiction in its natural setting, portraying a typical family setting. He carried it through to show how it affects the rest of the family members and others that come in contact with the addict. I enjoyed Addiction: Yours, Mine and Ours and picked up a lot of good information, things I didn’t know about addiction and its effects. I gave it a solid A because it was similar to real life, well written and informative.”

DISCUSSION: Are you trying to obtain book reviews as part of your overall book promotion strategy?

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week: Russia’s Prestige by Kashif Parvaiz

Russia’s Prestige: Historical Architecture

Kashif Parvaiz

Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.

ISBN 9781432766115

Reviewed by: William Phenn for Reader Views

“This is a very complete and concise volume of Russian architecture by a very talented writer. Mr. Parvaiz does more than just describe the beautiful architecture that is portrayed in the book. He goes the extra mile by giving the reader an insight into the history of the building. Beginning with Cathedral of the Dormition, to the Qolsharif Mosque, the chapters are descriptive and detailed. There is even a glossary at the end of every chapter that enlightens the reader to the terms used in that chapter.

Such amazing structures as the Catherine Palace in the Tsarskoe selo (the Tsar’s private city) are described with such detail that shows the author did his homework. He goes beyond the usual descriptions of the brick and mortar to include the reasons for its existence. It is this type of research that the author has done that makes this book stand out from the crowd of the usual architectural books.

The pictures are black and white, as would be expected in a book of architectural structures that date back as far as these do but that does not hinder the quality. The writing is top-notch and keeps the readers interest with the in-depth background and history.

The way the information is presented, with an in-depth history of the structures, makes it very interesting reading for everyone. He brought out some historical events that I had never seen or heard of in other books. It is general audience reading and full of wonderful pictures of all the old Churches and Cathedrals that are described and discussed. The cover graphics are appealing and the editing is a welcome change from most I have read recently. I enjoyed Russia’s Prestige: Historical Architecture and gave it my highest mark of an A+.”

DISCUSSION: Are you trying to obtain book reviews as part of your overall book promotion strategy?

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