6. Your Efforts are Automated & Lack Flavor

So many authors see marketing as a nuisance that they hire a publicist to “just do it.” Or they’re so busy with other things, they put their marketing on auto-pilot so they can feel good. The problem is, competition will kick your ass if you do this. And readers can see right through it.

Avoid the spam approach to marketing through email, Twitter, and Facebook (we’ll discuss this more in latter points). Likewise, avoid the generic press release distribution service (it won’t work), and the one-size fits all marketing package purchased online. You wrote an amazing book — it contains purposeful content that can be used to flavor your strategies. Take advantage. We are all so used to being sold something that we’re naturally suspicious. Show your readers what you’re made of and invest the time to build and grow your audience.

Your secret weapon is trust. And trust is earned. Readers aren’t going to buy a book unless they believe in it and trust you. You can’t auto-pilot that. Building trust takes good old-fashioned shoe leather, time, and personal investment.

7. You’re Not Using Multiple Sales Channels

Every book is different. Every reader is different. Consider your marketing a jungle gym of opportunities where there is no right or wrong way to navigate it. As they say, there are several ways to skin a cat. Try as many things as make sense financially. Bookstores are not the only way to sell your book. As an indie author you might even lose money pursuing bookstores as your only sales strategies.

Sales outlets not pursued enough by indie authors include partnerships with organizations that buy in bulk, their own websites with a seamless shopping cart capability, and nontraditional events that attract their audience in larger numbers than the all-too-common “book/writer’s events.”

8. You Don’t Know Your Book’s Selling Points

Ask yourself if you know how your book is different from competing books. Do you know the problems it solves for your reader? Sometimes we’re so close to our own book that we can’t actually explain clearly what makes it magnificent.

Indie authors vacillate between underselling their book’s wonderful qualities and not selling them at all. Tip: pick one word that describes the benefit of your book (amusement, enlightenment,  humor) and list three ways your book offers this benefit differently than other books. Make sure those selling points are communicated to retailers, in your news releases, at direct-to-reader events, online, in articles, and to the media.

9. You’re Not Present

In our opinion this is the most common reason your books isn’t selling. It’s so easy to pay someone to do your bidding. We see it all the time. Of course there are things you won’t know how to do. Yes, there are doors you need help opening. But, let’s be honest, there’s stuff we all just hate doing. You know what’s on your list: social media, cold calls, booking events, and the list goes on.

There’s someone out there who will gladly do all of your book marketing and handle your sales for you for a fee. The tradeoff is that they’re serving several other clients and they will not be able to do what’s most important — be you. You know why you wrote your book better than anyone. You know why readers love your book better than anyone. You know why it’s important for someone to choose your book over the next book better than anyone.

Sure you should hire help for marketing (ahem, we do that) but it works only when you are actively involved–strategizing, researching, and calculating on your own what’s working (and what isn’t).

10. You Look Desperate

Desperation sucks. There’s a fine line between plugging your book and begging.

Sadly because some authors aren’t informed about how best to market their books, they break a few rules in the pursuit of authorship. Some of the rules include spamming, sending generic/mass emails to lukewarm contacts, not having proper or complete marketing/sales materials (sell sheet, media kit, book specifications, ISBN, distribution information).

Patience goes a long way. We’re all in a hurry to sell our books. We all think our book is the bees knees. Take your time and don’t risk your book’s standing in the marketplace by coming across as a nuisance. Be strategic in every communication you have with potential buyers, fans, supporters, and friends. The best opportunities arrive through attraction and not through pursuit.

So there it is. What are you thoughts? Why do you think some books have trouble selling? And even better, tell us what you’re doing to help your book sell!

Let’s just say this right off the bat: It’s hard to market anything. Book marketing is especially challenging for two reasons.

1. Competition is steep

and

2. The road to “success” is long (and slow)

One author I talked to recently was particularly frustrated that her marketing efforts weren’t working. “I’m giving up if something drastic doesn’t happen this year,” she said to me.

I understood where she was coming from. There’s that point when it clicks for most authors that their book is not just the baby they’ve brought into the world.

It’s a product. And some of us didn’t sign up for that. Some of us signed up for authorship. You know what we mean we say authorship:

• Grateful readers busting down our door
• Acclaim from reviewers, awards, and non-stop media coverage
• Sales, sales, and more sales

Sound familiar? We all want authorship. However, few of us embrace the road to authorship. If you remember one thing from this post, remember this:

Authorship is a journey, not a destination and marketing can be a delightful compass that guides you.

Here’s why what you’re doing to market your book isn’t landing you where you want to be:

1. You Haven’t Set Goals

Most authors want to sell books. But that’s not necessarily a goal. What was your purpose for writing your book?

You need to know why your book was written beyond the sales aspect. Did you write it to raise awareness about a topic, to launch your journey as a change maker, or grow your platform as a thought leader, to help a niche group with solutions to a problem? Your big-picture goal should be broad and audience-centric.

2. You Don’t Have a Plan

Set mini-goals that are reachable and measurable and put it in a plan. Plan for the number of events you want to participate in, the number of bloggers you want to target, signings you want scheduled, readings you want to give, awards you want to enter, reviewers you want to target. You get the gist. A plan helps you stay on track.

3. You Aren’t Thinking Long-Term

Missed opportunities occur when you become caught in the day-to-day of book marketing, focusing on the short-term tasks in front of you. Look the at the calendar a year out. What holidays are approaching, what conferences should you submit speaking proposals to, how long will it take to grow a readership for your blog?

It takes about 18 months for a book to filter to it’s appropriate audience and catch in the market. Also, authors of multiple books tend to create lasting and consistent sales traffic. That means the average successful author invests two to three years minimum.

4. You’re Not Interacting with Your Readers

Your readers belong to other authors and are likely reading lots of books at once. Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, blogging, events, and networking are just a few ways to attract new readers and interact with old ones. It’s easy to lose steam after awhile and slack off here.

Try to keep yourself out there and active. The more you interact online, the more you’ll show up in search engine results. The more you’re participating in live events, the more you’ll discover opportunities you hadn’t anticipated.

5. You’re Marketing to the Wrong Audience

It’s easy to assume that T.V. appearances or a five star review in a national publication will lead to sales. Traditional media can be awesome, but maybe your perfect audience doesn’t read that national publication or watch the local news station where your interview aired. If you have a book written to grandparents, perhaps social media isn’t an appropriate marketing strategy.

Lots of authors focus on the quantity of marketing efforts. Don’t do that. It’s all about quality. Reach out to the places, people, and opportunities that attract your readers.

When I released The Indie Author Revolution, I sponsored Jane Friedman’s column, Writing on The Ether, because I knew Jane and I had a similar audience. I wrote guest posts for blogs that also attracted my audience. I didn’t go to events where I knew writers, authors, and book people wouldn’t frequent.

So what do you think? What would you add to the list. Part two posts Friday…stay tuned.

Crowd: Hi, Tricia!

This is a public service announcement and a cautionary tale for struggling writers everywhere. Your odds of becoming instafamous are only marginally higher than your chances of winning the PowerBall.

You?

Are not special.

Don’t believe your mother—she has to tell you that. Let me give it to you straight, and in third person for dramatic effect:

Once upon a time in 2011, a girl named Tricia was writing a book and had what she believed to be enough of a budget to release this book into the wild where it would surely draw international fame and fortune. She met with the owner of a local collaborative publishing house and was told her budget and beliefs were a joke. When she suggested to this man that she’d be editing her own book, he informed her that in his experience that plan fails 100% of the time. He instead suggested she forgo printing altogether, try an e-book instead and just give it away for free. So as any egoholic would, she politely thanked him for his time, went back to her car and may or may not have cried.

Then she met a lovely young woman named Amy Quale who at the time worked for another collaborative publishing house. This was it! Amy was awesome! She would fall so madly in love with Tricia’s writing she’d beg to publish her book.

Or . . . not so much.

While Amy did enjoy Tricia’s writing, she too explained (though far more tenderly and lovingly) that not hiring a professional editor is unwise. Amy guided Tricia through several options, none still that fit within Tricia’s budget. Again, Tricia thanked the professional for the time and went back to her car and may or may not have cried.

So Tricia edited the book with only the help of her cat. She had 500 copies printed, because a real writer has books. Old-school paper books with pages and shiny covers. She could see her name in the marquees already. Her marketing plan? Throw a book release party. Clearly the leftover $212 would cover that.

The books were sent to press, Tricia fell ill, and no party was to be had. It was a fairly anticlimactic book release.

Ten months after she gave birth to 500 printed copies through hard labor, nearly 100 remained untouched, unread, unloved.

A year after their initial meeting, Tricia and Amy crossed paths when the timing was write*.  Tricia was ready to admit that perhaps professionals are professionals for a reason, and Amy had, in the meantime launched her own collaborative publishing agency, Wise Ink Creative Publishing. Now Amy and Tricia are working together happily ever after . . . on an e-book that Tricia will give away for free for a limited time.

The moral of this story is that writers aren’t famous or wealthy for no reason. Writers need the serenity to set reasonable goals, the courage to execute a strategic marketing plan, and the wisdom to know better than to expect that they’ll be thrust into the world’s face like a Kardashian.

I’m partnering now with Wise Amy at Wise Ink to accomplish my twelve steps in egoholic rehab. When not believing I’m destined for huge things, I can be found writing trivial smut at Confessions of a Recovering Cynic and looking mournfully at the stack of books I haven’t sold yet.

*Tricia loves puns . . . and delusions!

 Tricia Lorntson is an argument for nature against nurture and possibly for regulated sterilization. Despite totally appropriate parenting and a suburban upbringing, she trips through life leaving a wake of disaster behind. She is the author of Confessions of a Recovering Cynic: On Life, Love, and the Seven Deadly Sins and has a blog of the same title.

1. We love the title of your book, Head Buckets and Hashtags. Can you share a little about your book and how you came up with the title?

Thank you!  I love it, too because it feels like I’ve uploaded a portion of my personal paradigm to the collective consciousness!  I get a kick out of the notion that someday, hundreds of people will know what a head bucket is.

Head Buckets & Hashtags tells the story of my childhood, much of which I spent living on boats.  Nautical language was part of daily life in my family and I grew up using words like bow (front), stern (back) and galley (kitchen).  I even learned port and starboard before I learned left and right.  On a boat or ship a “head” is the toilet or the bathroom.

When my family moved into the tiny float house that I describe in my memoir as The Little House, we used what most folks would refer to as a “honey bucket”.  We also had a honey bucket, though; filled with honey.  It seemed unwise to risk confusion so we called our piss pail a head bucket.

2. Your memoir is written through a series of 140-character tweets with hashtags incorporated throughout. What an original idea. Can you tell us about your writing process? 

My writing process for this project was pretty haphazard; I didn’t mean to write a memoir.  Doesn’t that sound funny?  I laugh at myself when I realize that I accidentally wrote a memoir!

I started out tweeting factoids, sharing details about Alaska and opening a small window for others to catch a glimpse of this splendid place.  My factoids gradually gave way to reminiscing about some of the more exotic elements of my childhood.

Then, I realized that the stories I was tweeting were coming together in chronological order and felt cohesive.  For several days, maybe as much as a week or so, I tweeted spontaneously each day at noon.  I didn’t plan what I wanted to share that day, I just let it happen.
As more and more people started to tune into my noon tweets, I grew more intentional in my storytelling; deciding an hour or so before I tweeted, what I would share that day.  Then, I think around day 11, the words were flowing fast for me, so I sat down and wrote out the remainder of what I wanted to tweet over the final four days.

Some folks are fond of the notion that process and routine are the hallmarks of “a real writer.”  I tend to think that self-discipline is an important skill and one that helps people complete various projects.  I also think that practice is necessary to improving any skill.

Where I differ from some writers is that I don’t believe compulsive adherence to an imposed writing schedule directly correlates to the quality of writing output or the validity of what is written.  Humans are beautiful and marvelously varied and there’s room for as many creative styles as there are people.

I usually enjoy writing every day but I’m most motivated and productive in the springtime and I’ve always been that way.  Sometimes, after a few months of writing for several hours each day, I get burned out.

When that happens, I stop writing for a while.  I find other activities and creative outlets until my brain fills up with words again and my computer calls to me like a siren.

3. Can you share with our readers your overall indie publishing process? How did you go about publishing your book?

After I wrapped my tweets up, one of my close Twitter pals asked me what I planned to do with what I’d written.  The question stunned me for about three seconds because I hadn’t considered doing anything further with it.

Hard on the heels of those slack-jawed three seconds came the realization that it was important for me to publish my story.  My friend made some suggestions about possible publishing options and encouraged me to think about what felt right to me.  I spent a day researching literary magazines and other possible publishing routes.

I’ve been working on a larger writing project, a fantasy novel, for over a year and determined some time ago that I would publish the novel independently using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

At the end of the day, and after exploring a lot of options, I decided that, even more than my fantasy novel, I needed to be in complete control of Head Buckets & Hashtags.  It’s my story, not just because I wrote it, but because I lived it and because a portion of it deals with child abuse and disempowerment.  I’m not willing to adapt this piece to anyone else’s expectations.

Once I made that decision, I decided on a title, created a cover image, wrote the blurb and front matter and did some light editing.
Two weeks after my last day tweeting the story, I was ready to self-publish.

4. What did you learn through the publishing process that you would you advise authors to be aware of? 

This question makes me chuckle because I managed to publish Head Buckets & Hashtags before I was ready.  I somehow missed the prompt that allowed me to preview the uploaded product, hit enter at the right (or wrong) moment and, whooooosh; my book was published!  I hadn’t yet sorted out some formatting issues and none of the photographs were uploaded at that point.  It was an entertaining 24 hours of uploading and re-uploading as I experimented until I got it right.

So, from the perspective of a publishing neophyte, the two things I’d recommend are to learn how to transform a Word document into a compressed zip folder before you upload and to stay alert as you whiz through KDP’s easy-to-use digital publishing process.

5. What’s next for you? What other projects do you have in the works? 

I’m thrilled to be putting the final touches on my debut novel.  Magic All Around is a contemporary fantasy set here in Juneau, Alaska.  I’m a dog-lover, so there are plenty of canine characters as well as magic, adventure and a touch of mystery.

Magic All Around will go live on KDP on Mother’s Day!  The following day, (5/13/13) I’ll be hosting a Twitter launch party for the novel from noon-2p.m. Alaska Standard Time (4-6pm ET) complete with games and give-aways.
I’m eager to begin writing the sequel to Magic All Around during the second half of May!
If folks are interested in learning more about me, I’m all over the internet, or at least I feel like I am!
Additionally, I welcome questions and comments via e-mail at marcylpeska@gmail.com.

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Marcy-Peska/e/B00C632QOW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Webpage: http://www.marcylpeska.com/
Blog: http://mpeska.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003956200354
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MarcyPeska
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/marcylpeska/

Marcy L. Peska is a dog-loving author who lives with her husband and their four-footed pitsky (pit bull/husky mix) Jeb, in Juneau, Alaska. Ms. Peska blogs at http://mpeska.blogspot.com/and wrote a short memoir, Head Buckets & Hashtags: An Alaskan Childhood In Tweets, about growing up in “bush” Alaska.  You can learn more about Ms. Peska’s short memoir, as well as her upcoming fantasy novel, at her web site www.marcylpeska.com.

In the past six months, indie hip-hop group Macklemore (Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis) has become HUGE. Not Harry-Potter-over-two-decades huge, but they’re certainly inching on Hunger-Games-over-five-years huge. “Thrift Shop,” a funky little ear worm that has everyone talking about poppin’ tags, has dominated YouTube waves with nearly 250 million views as of today and has gone platinum.

Macklemore is the first indie group (an artist or group without the backing of a major record label) in nearly two decades to top the Billboard charts with “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us”; another hit, “Same Love” celebrates same-sex marriage, becoming a standard protest/civil rights anthem. Another hit on their 2012 album The Heist is a track called “Jimmy Iovine,” based on the legendary industry voice who helped make Eminem famous. (Allegedly, Iovine “loves the song and thinks it’s brilliant.”) The lyrics of a verse describe the music publishing industry, and Macklemore’s reasons for “going indie”:

He said, “We’ve been watching you, so glad you could make it.

Your music is impressive and this whole brand you created.

You’re one **** of a band, we here think you’re destined for greatness,

and with that right song we all know that you’re next to be famous.

Now I’m sorry, I’ve had a long day, remind me, now what your name is?

That’s right, Macklemore, of course, today has been crazy.

Anyway, you ready? We’ll give you a hundred thousand dollars.

After your album comes out, we’ll need back that money that you borrowed.”

“So it’s really like a loan?”

“A loan? Come on, no!

We’re a team, three-sixty degrees, we will reach your goals!

We’ll get a third of the merch that you sell out on the road,

along with a third of the money you make when you’re out doing your shows.

Manager gets twenty, booking agent gets ten,

so ****, after taxes you and Ryan have seven percent to split.

That’s not bad, I’ve seen a lot worse.

No one will give you a better offer than us.”

I replied, “I appreciate the offer; thought that this is what I wanted.

But I’d rather be a starving artist than succeed at getting ******.”

Ahem. . . . So Macklemore doesn’t really hold back any punches on his opinions of the music industry’s standard operations for artists. For “lucky” authors, this is quite similar to the way a traditional publishing deal looks, except that the $100,000 is more likely $5,000. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a deal and that little advance, and after your sales have made back the money from the advance, you’ll see a small percentage from sales (5 – 10%, typically).

Like many artists before them, Macklemore decided not to go this route. They were able to independently develop and launch their brand in a way that has exploded and reached the pop stations’ airwaves. What lessons can indie authors learn from Macklemore’s efforts?

1. Take advantage of social media.

We’ve said it a million times–social media has leveled the playing field for authors of all avenues, creating a grassroots marketing tool that not only engages audiences around the globe but makes the messaging personal. Macklemore has succeeded in using social media effectively by posting often and in a variety of ways, responding to questions, allowing fans to tag him in photos, etc.

2. Engage your audience in multiple ways.

In order to connect with their audience visually as well as in writing on social media, Macklemore has allowed fans to be their marketers by offering fans unlimited access to their music on YouTube. Until “Thrift Shop” reached 90 million views, they refused to sign a deal with YouTube/Google to have ads on their videos.

Authors can do this too; many authors do book trailers, but have you ever thought about offering your audiobook for free on YouTube as a giveaway? If it took off, how many books do you think you’d be able to sell? Hmmm….

3. Use alternative methods for funding.

In 2011, Macklemore set out to use Kickstarter to fund their music videos in order to become part of a movement and engage their audience in multiple ways! And how did they promote the Kickstarter project? By using examples 1 & 2!

4. Keep at it.

It might seem like Macklemore became a sensation overnight, but they have been releasing music since 2000–a.k.a., almost thirteen years. They’ve been gracing the underground music scene in the Pacific Northwest for over a decade, selling $5 ticket to audiences of 50 people. Operating under Macklemore LLC, Macklemore (Haggerty) said in an article on billboard.com,

“We are a small business that’s becoming a medium-sized business. With that, there is a learning curve and there are times when you feel like you don’t quite have the manpower to operate the business to the best of your ability. But we’re growing and we’re adapting to the best of our abilities.”

Authors, who do you follow on social media? Other than “because you like them,” why do you follow those people or groups? Think about the specific tactics they use–are there any that might work for you and your book?

by Rachel Oku

In every industry, the cliché goes that you have to “pay your dues” before you can make it.

Is this really true of writing? Recently published author Rachael Oku wonders. . . .

If someone told me I’d be a published author within five years when I graduated college in 2008, I’d have laughed in their face.

If someone told me I’d be a published author within five years when I graduated college in 2008, I’d have laughed in their face. Surely I’d have to labour over my ideas and live as a tortured artist in order to hone my craft?

Not so. In this the digital age, it’s easier than ever to fulfil your ambitions and achieve your goals. You don’t have to wait for someone to validate you. If you have a modicum of creative talent and know how to effectively promote yourself you’re as good as there.

I began promoting myself and my writing last July, when I launched my online writing community, Creative-Bloc. Within six months I’d successfully pitched turning my blogs into a practical guide for writers and wound up with a new sentence in my byline.

Knowing how to promote yourself as a writer is an art form.

The key is to be proactive. Whether that’s competing for awards and prizes, courting the press, or positioning yourself as an expert, creating a buzz around yourself and your writing is essential.

Here are five tips to get you started:

1. Utilise social media: Start conversations with your followers and pay attention to what they say. Think of new ways to highlight your writing talent without going for a hard sell. Don’t look like you’re trying too hard either—stick to one or two platforms and use them regularly. A great way to find new readers via Twitter is by searching niche hashtags (#). Look for terms that are related to what you write about. See the discussion topics and add to the conversation, showcasing your expertise and knowledge. It’s a no brainer to start following the people you find.

2. Make friends: Networking is an integral way to build your brand, promote your products, and to meet others with whom you could work. You can never have too many friends. There are, however, no guaranteed formulas for success when it comes to networking. You have to play it by ear and read a situation, which is why it’s essential to always carry business cards. Whether you’re networking from your sofa, over a power-breakfast or with a pint on a Friday night, the trick is finding events and groups that are relevant to your brand and products. Outside of attending networking events, my top tip is to stick to what you know. Go about your business, conduct your writing routine, and absorb some culture, but look around as you do. The next time you go to the library or are writing in a public place, look for fellow writers and strike up a conversation.

3. Contribute to sites read by your customer: Guest posting is a fantastic way to promote yourself and your writing. Be sure to include a byline so readers can see what else you’ve written! If you don’t have time to contribute an article yourself, leave a comment on one you feel strongly about. Agree or disagree, if you can back up your opinion with rationale and insight customers will appreciate it.  Alternatively, volunteer to be a source of sound bites for other writers. Approach relevant publications and get yourself on their radar and let all of your contacts know you’re available for comment.

4. Create a media kit: Media kits are great marketing tools for communicating important points about you and your products. If you’re being interviewed or profiled, or a publisher or agent asks for further information about you and your track record, this is what you’d send. A professional media kit should include: a brief biography, a photograph, links or clippings of published works, a list of awards and achievements and an extract from your best review.

5. Host an event: Whatever your writing topic or style, there’s likely a way that you can translate it into a successful event. If you write poetry consider a poetry slam night; if you’re a novelist, start a book club. Use an event as a means to bring your writing to life. Hosting events doesn’t necessarily cost an arm and a leg. It’s all about what you can barter. Before paying for something, always ask if you can trade your skills or if there’s a favour you can call in. More often than not, a venue will want to collaborate! In exchange for giving you an event space they’ll receive PR and possibly revenue, a win-win. Libraries, independent bookshops, and relevant businesses will most often welcome you with open arms—just as long as you’re prepared to handle the logistics and can guarantee bums in the seats.

Rachael Oku is a 26-year-old editorial consultant and writer living in London. She founded Creative-Bloc, a social enterprise for freelance writers, in 2012 and in 2013 published her first book, Become a Freelance Writer. 

It’s 1am, and my eyes hate me. They flicker from side to side, following that little mouse icon as it clicks on ‘just one more’ link and catapults me through interspace to another indie author’s little corner of the world wide web. I read the post. It’s the author’s affirmation that they are going to maintain this blog, that their dream of becoming a published author shall not be denied.

I check the date. Last update: 20th July, 2011.

It’s just one of countless millions of derelict, defunct, destitute blogs that litter the internet, a tiny capsule of hope and dreams discarded and left to rot forever on the dusty servers of Blogspot or WordPress.

It’s disheartening, knowing that someone shared the same dream as me, once upon a time. Yet, for some reason or another, they were unable to turn that dream into a reality.

We have the wrong mindset. It’s taken me a bit of time to come to this realization. When we make the decision to start a blog, to become a writer, we often feel like we’re ‘competing’ with all the other indie authors out there. It’s an understandable thought to have: I’m a writer, so are they. They write similar stuff to me, and are targeting the same audience as me. Ergo, they are my competitor.

But that’s not true.

Think of yourself as a reader, rather than a writer.

What books do you like to read? If you answered with a genre, then you’re not going to care (too much) who wrote a particular book. If it’s of the genre you like, you’re going to read it. Right? Right. Take me for example.

I like fantasy, but just because I’m a fan of Patrick Rothfuss’ most excellent Name of the Wind series, doesn’t mean I’m going to turn my nose up and Scott Lynch’s fantastic Lies of Locke Lamora series. Same goes with any avid reader, because a reader likes reading, and reading a single book or a single author’s series of books just isn’t going to cut it.

So if we’re not competitors, what are we?

We’re writers. We are outcasts, weirdlings, oddballs. We are this strange subset of of humanity that prefers to write words, rather than speak them. In fact, many of us, introverted as we are, tend to shy away from speaking in general. I know, I’m the same. And yet, we are hundreds of millions strong, each working on their own unique story.

And our collective strength is so much more than the sum of its parts.

So next time you come across a writer in a position you’ve been in, and know very well, don’t think of them as a competitor. Don’t think that they’re going to steal your thunder, siphon your followers, rob you of your ‘writing aura’ (whatever that may be). Think of them as a brother or a sister. Think of them as you, a little while ago, and help.

It can be as simple a gesture as commenting on their blog, or re-tweeting their link to your followers. Or, it can be as crazy and hare-brained as letting them guest post on your well-established blog. Either way, while we may not be in the same boat, we’re all trying to traverse the same unforgiving ocean.

And maybe, just maybe, that little act of solidarity will mean there’s one less abandoned blog out there, filling up with unfiltered spam comments.

Dimitri out.

Dimitri Halkidis is a self-publishing enthusiast, social media fanatic and aspiring writer. As his first book is slowly working its way through the self-publishing process, he’s already hard at work on his second. He also has some pretty fancy business cards that he’s absurdly proud of. Follow him at: www.arthurrendine.com, on Twitter at: @dimitrihalkidis, and on Facebook: /dimitrihalkidis

We were just speaking to an author this week on the importance of using her Facebook fan page to promote her book and here’s what we explained. Your Facebook fan page is a requirement for your book because it creates camaraderie around your book beyond your reader holding it in their hands. Also:

• It will attract new fans through shared posts
• Provides unlimited ability to engage your peeps (without being annoying or spammy)

But just because you create a fan page for your book doesn’t  mean you’ll have thousands automatically clicking that persnickety “Like” button. There’s some finesse required to really get the most out of your Facebook fan page.

For starters there’s Facebook etiquette that states, no obnoxious pleas to buy your book. Assume that your fan page is liked by folks who have already purchased your book.

Your fan page’s purpose is to be yet another place where we get to know you, interact with you, and join the movement of your book’s awesomeness. That’s it. If you’re doing that well, organic traffic to your website will happen and your fans will become evangelists who tell others about you and your book.

Here’s your guide to get it going:

1. Create a Username

As soon as you have your first 25 fans, register your own unique username (sometimes called a “vanity URL”) for your Facebook page at http://facebook.com/username. To give you an idea, Wise Ink’s is: www.facebook.com/WiseInkPub. Yours could be your book’s title, your own publishing imprint name, or your name. Make it short enough to fit on a business card and simple enough to remember. Tip: add your fan page URL to your slides if you give presentations, to your sell sheet, rack card, and even in your book itself.

2. Add your fan page to Your Website

Facebook offers several social plugins for your website. If your website visitors see a “like” button, they’re likely to click it and this will increase your Facebook fan page likes automatically. We recommend adding a “like box” to your website or blog. Here’s the link to grab the code.

3. Include your fan page URL in your email signature

It’s super simple to add your page’s URL to your email signature.  Every email you’ll send out will offer the opportunity to like your Facebook fan page.

4. Use Facebook apps

Your Facebook fan page has the coolest ever opportunity to engage your fans in the form of information tabs on your page. Through adding apps to your page, you can connect your page to your Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube accounts. You can list events, run contests and giveaways.

We like WooBox.com for adding apps to a Facebook page.  It allows you to add the social networking apps (Instagram, Twitter, etc.) for free and it’s really easy.

5. Take advantage of Facebook ads

When it came to marketing The Indie Author Revolution, we ran Facebook ads to increase our “likes” for the book’s fan page. We set a daily budget of $15 dollars for the first few weeks and very quickly grew our page presence. Go to the foot of any page inside Facebook and click the  “Advertising” link on the bottom.

Facebook makes it really simple from there and will walk through next steps with you. We love how Facebook offers the ability to target demographic, location, interests, and age among other things.

6. Add new fans via SMS (texting)

What a surprise when we learned fans could join a fan page via text message. All you need is your first 25 fans and to secure your username (see point #1). To like your fan page, advise your Facebook connections to send a text message to 32665 (FBOOK) with the words “fan yourusername” OR “like yourusername” (without the quotes).

This works well for your live events, readings, appearances, and trade shows. When you’re on the stage, advise the audience to pull out their mobile phones and join your fan page on the spot! When you’re at a trade show or festival make a sign that displays these instructions or verbally invite folks to join your page. This also works well for radio or TV. (Note: this only works for Facebook users with a verified mobile device in his or her account.)

7. Share your Facebook posts on Twitter

Use a site like (IFTTT: If This Than That) to set triggers and actions. For example, with IFTTT, you can set a recipe to have your posts from Facebook post automatically to Twitter. This way your Twitter followers can also be tapped in with the status updates for your book that you post to Facebook.

8. Post at least four times a week

This might go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway. Post updates to your Facebook fan page at least four times a week. It looks so sad when you don’t. Your book’s page won’t attract new followers and it’s just overall better to take your fan page down than to have a fan page without activity.

9. Mix it up

Make sure that you diversify your posts. Ask questions, post pictures, post video, share updates, and intentionally engage your readers with posts that are not just about your book. Your readers want to get to know you so make sure you keep your posts fresh and infused with your personality.

Photos of yourself at a reading or event is super. But an occasional informal or fun photo of yourself or non-book-related question is also engaging.

10. Add an engaging cover photo

Make your cover photo count. A site like www.TweetPages.com can help you with a professional fan page design depending on how far you want to go. Here’s an interesting link about ways to have your photo stand out. We really like author Ryan Casey’s fan page as an example to check out.

So tell us, have you set up a Facebook fan page for your book? Do you plan on it?

1000 Words / Shutterstock.com

If you’re an indie author, you know that writing, publishing, and marketing your book is an incredibly busy job, and one that really doesn’t end once the book is out. In fact, this job doesn’t end as long as you still want your book out into the world. Book publishing is kind of like parenting–it’s not like your job ends after the nesting and delivery process, because then you have to raise your child.

The fact is, YOU ARE ONE PERSON! You can only do, in one day, what one person is capable of doing in a day. Also, remember that life you had? With the friends, spouse, kids (real–not paper or e-ink), pets, etc.? Yeah, they’re still important. So how are you going to have time to market your book?

It can be easy to get overwhelmed with the marketing process–especially when you’re looking at the mountain, not the step right in front of you. Yet looking at one step at a time is the only way you’ll ever keep taking steps. In order to be a successful book marketer, you need to think of marketing mountain with a one-step-at-a-time philosophy. Oh, look! Here are 3 great single steps right here!

Bite-sized Marketing #1: Find 5 (or more) new places to be a guest blogger and contact them.

This is one of the best and easiest ways to connect with a new audience. It puts you and your book in front of new faces, and it’s an easy job to secure because it saves the blog owners’ time and energy in writing a blog! If you’re interested in doing a guest blog for Wise Ink, let us know: editor@wiseinkpub.com!

Bite-sized Marketing #2: Do a Goodreads promotion.

This is an easy way to get tons of attention very quickly. When you do a Goodreads promotion (giving away, say, 15 books), you very quickly get hundreds of people adding your book to their “to read” list. This is a huge help for your book’s visibility among readers, and doesn’t take much time on your end!

Bite-sized Marketing #3: Do a Tweet Chat.

Taking part in a one-hour “Tweetchat” is a great way to get noticed. We were shocked when we did our first Tweetchat at how many new followers we got. You can run your own OR take part in one that’s already going. To get ideas on how to set one up, check out this blog entry from The Author’s Lounge!

Also, we will be doing a Tweetchat #indiepubchat next Tuesday, April 16th at 1:00 p.m. CST! Stop by!

Websites are tricky animals. They’re a necessary evil. We all need one, but few of us can design one ourselves and even fewer of us know what to do after we’ve had one designed.

You know the drill: get a website, make obvious updates in obvious places, and let cyberspace handle it from there.

Except that’s not enough.

Your website is delicate and needy–like a newborn baby waking you up at three in the morning–it needs you. Your website will never be self-sufficient. It’ll never grow and evolve without your constant hand-holding. It’ll never sell your book–not really–unless you care about it.

Yes it’s work to be on top of it. And yes there’s a learning curve. And no you can’t buy your way out of having to do the work on your own. There are no shortcuts if you want to be a player.

In the words of Ray Charles a la Jamie Fox, “You gotta make it do what it do baby!” or else you’ll have a website that does more harm for your content, your book, your vision than it does good.

Let’s talk about you for a second…

Your website is just a vessel to tell your story. It’s that simple. Your website’s purpose isn’t to sell us your book. We go to Amazon for that. It isn’t to connect us with your LinkedIn page or Facebook account, though it’s totally fine if I end up doing that by being on your page.

Your website should be the space we go to get to know you. Where we get to be drawn  into the world of your allure. Your website is your book’s mothership. There should be an experience waiting for us — not just a billboard selling us your merchandise.

Think about it: we go to Amazon to buy stuff, but we also go to browse and research. Our favorite websites share ideas, educate, provide a space to make meaningful connections, and to serve us beyond the obvious , which is to sell us something.

Does your website do that? If it doesn’t, it should. If it does, congratulations. Most author’s websites don’t.

Websites accomplish more when consumers make discoveries.

We go to websites to explore first.  If we like what we see, learn, read, and hear, then and only then do we buy.

So How Do You Make Your Website Work For You?

That’s mistake number one. Your website shouldn’t work for you. Your website should work for your audience. It should show them how much you can help, guide, and offer them something really cool.

And here are simple ways to do that:

1. Introduce us to you

We’re not talking about the canned bio and your list of works. We’re talking about telling us who you really are. Who inspires you? Why do you love your genre(s) of choice? Where do you write? What are YOU reading? Where did you grow up?

2. Give Stuff Away

That’s right. Share your poetry, photos, quotes, a free chapter, a quiz, an assessment, tips, tools, tutorials, ebooks — anything that’ll prove you’re worthy of my time and that I should come back to visit.

3. Add Your Personality

Videos, photos, and blog posts are ways you can flavor your website. Here’s where you’ll need to build and invest over time. But it’s well worth it. We love Instagram because we can share our photos in real-time and also post them on our blog.

Be goofy, have fun, and provide us a slice of your life as an author. We’ll remember you if you do.

4. Build Community

Try to include your audience often. Testimonials do this well. You can also invite your audience to comment on your blog posts, invite website followers to email you questions, and feature the folks that comment and/or frequent your site.

5. Be Accessible

Interact with your audience. A simple “contact me” page on your website can be the difference between a reader reaching out and a reader going to the next website. Be reachable. Make sure it’s clear how someone should contact you.

6. Keep it fresh

We know if you haven’t been to your website in two months. It’s obvious. Your events page is promoting last fall’s book signings. Your last blog post was seven and a half weeks ago. And there’s no evidence that you care if I stick around or not. Don’t be that person. Keep your website going.

So there it is. I hope you’re headed to your website right now to do a check-up and if we missed something, tell us. How do you keep your readers coming back to your website?