Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

Free Webinar: 5 Things You Can Do To Gain Favor With The Media

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The following is a guest post from Mary Lu Saylor, a 30 year veteran in television news. On Thursday, November 13 she’s co-hosting a free webinar entitled “5 Things You Can Do To Gain Favor With the Media.”

I was asked by the folks at Ambassador International to provide a little insight for authors to promote their books.   I have a background in journalism and have been on the Mary Lu Saylorreceiving end of all sorts of information from organizations, businesses, and even publishing houses touting their latest offerings. I also am an avid reader.

Quick tips to promote your message:

  • Make connections with your local TV stations and offer to do a live interview (it really isn’t as scary as you think!) They may have a day time talk show or slots open during their morning, noon, or weekend newscasts.
  • See if your local newspaper will do a feature on you.
  • Local radio stations occasionally will feature people who are doing unique things in the community.

In your pitch to these outlets either via telephone, email, or snail mail make sure the information you provide is short and concise.  Give them the who, what, when, where, and why. Most importantly, make sure you tell them you are available.

Insight from authors

I reached out to two authors that I know and they have this advice for you:

Christian author Margaret Feinberg:

“As far as promoting books, we think it’s important for authors to know they are the plan. They are the editing plan. The marketing plan. The design plan. Everything. Authors shouldn’t think that if they sign with a traditional house everything will be taken care of. They need to be intentional about building and maintaining a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and others. They are the marketing plan. Great content is everything.”

Christian author Dwayne Morris:

“My greatest promotional tool was guest-posting on other people’s blogs. I connected with several people who have big platforms and they allowed me to speak into the lives of their audience. They also posted links to my book. (These include Michael Hyatt and Michael Nichols.) The bottom line…make connections with people and serve them and their audience. If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll eventually get what you want.”

I’m one of the presenters for an upcoming webinar “5 Things You Can Do To Gain Favor With The Media” which will give you more ideas about successfully delivering your message. Click here to sign up for the November 13 event.

I’d love to hear from you! Email me ([email protected]) for a free tip sheet with more detail on some of the items I’ve outlined above.

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Getting the Most Out of Goodreads: The Dos and Don’ts of Interacting with Readers

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Remember those 25 million readers using the social media platform Goodreads we talked about earlier? Now that you’ve joined the Goodreads Author program and have learned to get your books out there, it’s time to discuss interacting with those readers—just not all of them at once.

Update Your Profile

Think of your Goodreads profile as your introduction to your readers. You want to give them the basics—where you live, if you have pets, kids, etc.—but you also want to seem like a fun and interesting person. Avoid just giving a list of facts about yourself. Instead, present your bio in a unique way that tells the reader just as much about yourself as the facts you give.

Also, update your picture and give your personality a “face.” Try to use the same picture that you use on the back of your most recent book and other social media profiles. This cuts down on the confusion, especially if there is another writer out there with your name.

Goodreads Joanie BruceFans vs. Friends

A fan is a person who follows you and wants to receive updates, similar to “liking” a page on Facebook. A friend is a person that you have gotten to know personally, whether online or in “real life,” like Facebook friends. You want more fans than friends. Since you have a limited amount of time to invest, you can only keep up so many relationships. But a fan doesn’t ask you to feed her dog while she’s gone or to be her bridesmaid. They just like your books and want to know more about them and more about you.

Most authors provide a way just for fans to contact them, maybe a special email or mailing address. This way, you can interact with your fans, but don’t feel obligated to attend so many weddings.

Goodreads Mississippi NightsDon’t Comment on Reviews

Yes, it may be a struggle. You worked on your book for so long and want to thank that reader for their kind words, but resist the temptation. An author needs to keep a low-key presence on review boards, which includes bad reviews too. Every book gets some bad reviews, but don’t retaliate. Instead, respond with silent grace. These reviews, and your reactions, are public for anyone and everyone to see. One bad reaction from an author can cause a reader (or readers) to hate that author’s work for a lifetime.

By keeping your presence off review boards, you give readers the opportunity to review without fear of author reaction. These reviews are more honest and usually encourage readers to review your book even more.

On rare occasions, if a particular positive review knocks you off your feet, and you are in awe, filled with thankfulness, I would suggest sending that reader a one-on-one message. It’s private, so you stay out of the public eye, but you  can also show appreciation for that excellent review.

Don’t Join Groups Just to Promote Your Book

Think of it like going to a book club meeting, and Jane Smith comes up and says, “Hi! I’m Jane. Here’s my new book!” Every time you try to suggest that she actually talk about that month’s book, she just keeps chattering away about her own work. Narcissistic, right?

So as an author, when you join a group, follow the rules and discuss with them. Eventually, you may have a chance to talk about what you are working on, but be delicate. You don’t want to be just another Jane Smith.

 

Well, there you have it. The basics of author and reader interactions. If you have any additional questions not answered here, please comment below or contact us on Twitter @AmbassadorIntl. And don’t forget to check out the giveaway Ambassador is currently running on Goodreads. Enter to win one of five copies of Willing to Die by John Muntean:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Willing to Die by John Muntean

Willing to Die

by John Muntean

Giveaway ends July 23, 2014.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Next week, we’ll give you some tips and tricks for using Goodreads with your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Until then, enjoy your new knowledge of Goodreads!

Publishing FAQs | What Else Do You Expect Me To Do?

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Frequently asked questions. Every industry has them and publishing is no different. Ambassador International has the pleasure of working with many new and upcoming authors as well as already-established authors who still need our assistance. Many of these authors come to us with lots of questions. Publishing your first book (or your 10th!) is exciting! There are many details to work out and decisions to make. This Publishing FAQ series covers questions Ambassador International receives regularly. Previously covered questions are:

 

Publishing FAQsI’ve written the book, what else do you expect me to do?

If you’re hoping the answer is relax, step aside and let the publisher run with it you’re going to be disappointed. New York Times bestseller Jon Acuff said it well in his blog post Don’t Write A Book saying, “OK, next time don’t write a book. Write a diary. It’s a lot easier and you don’t have to promote it at all.”

This post as Jon shared can sound harsh but it really is true, author involvement in the marketing is crucial — do not write a book to set on your nightstand.

 

Easy Ways to Build a Platform

There are so many easy ways you can work to build your platform and spread word about your book:

  • Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+ {with many more} are free tools to build your fan base and promote your title. Keep your fans posted of how, when, and where to buy your title. Share about events, keep them posted on your progress. Make them feel like they are part of your journey.
  • Talking about your title: Can you work your content into a presentation? Can you teach your skills in a workshop?
  • Create a presence online: Besides just social media do you have an online home base? This is a website or a blog that fans can visit. You will want it to point them to everything related to you and your book. If have a website or a blog are you keeping it updated?
  • Connect with local stores: Talk with bookstore managers in your immediate area — this is your home market. Introduce yourself and your book, let them know why they need to have it in stock, point traffic and sales to that store. Make yourself available to them for signings and local author days.

Publishers expect their authors to be passionate about their books and doing all they can to help make it a success. If you cannot get excited about your book, why would you expect anyone else to?

If you want to work on your platform check out our author bootcamp videos.

Beyond the Manuscript: Building Your Fan Base (week 3)

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Beyond the ManuscriptOver the span of six weeks Ambassador COO Tim Lowry will be sharing a series he calls “Beyond the Manuscript.” Whether you’re a new or seasoned author we hope you’ll find this material helpful:

This week we’re going to take a look at building your fan base as you write. If you have followed the steps previously laid out you should have your social home bases in place, now you have to put them into action.

Start by connecting! Seems obvious however some people feel that by just having an online profile followers will just drop into place without any work. You will want to reach out to friends, family, and fellow writers inviting them to connect with you, invite your contacts across from your personal page to your fan page. Friend, Like, Follow, join Circles. Think of how you network at a business or social gathering. This is exactly the same thing you’re just doing it online.

Once connected:

Bring your fans on the journey with you. If you are a fiction writer this can be as easy as teasing excerpts, or inviting followers to share feedback on characters or a part of the story you’re having trouble developing. This involvement lets fans feel like they are part of the action.

Guest blog, share about your writing experience, the highs and lows, the search for an agent or publisher, perhaps you want to take a little extra time to build added content for sharing outside your book. This could be creating sub-stories for characters outside of the main storyline or creating interviews and back stories with the fictional characters. This all allows readers to build a connection. Be sure your activities connect back to your home base, your website. Include your link everywhere you can.

We’ve briefly mentioned promo videos over the last two weeks. A promo video can be as simple as a still graphic displaying the book title and you reading a gripping excerpt in the background for 90 seconds or a more developed video such as the trailer for A Time To Heal below that showcases the title beautifully.

Any readers that frequent our site or social media may have seen us promoting Google+ Hangouts with our authors. This is one of the biggest tools that Google+ offers that is set apart from the other social media sites and personally I think it is brilliant! If you’ve never taken part in a Google+ Hangout or seen one you can follow this link to see a recent Google+ Hangout we did in partnership with our friends at Gospelebooks.net to promote Peter Hubbard’s latest title Love Into Light. With the right partnerships and pre-marketing a Google+ Hangout can bring you many new followers and sales of your book.

In putting the above tips into practice you will see your fan base grow. It is important to keep your posts frequent but they don’t need to be all about you or your book. A good balance is 70/30, 70% interaction and sharing material not related to your book, 30% promotion and selling of your material. Be aware of your time on social media, I’ve heard frequently from authors that hours just melt away once they get on Facebook. If you’re working on a deadline for publication be wise with your time online. Use tools like Hootsuite to efficiently schedule your posts across all your social media platforms.

Next week we’re going to be looking at developing your product launch plan. Your launch plan will help you put all your tools to work.

What is your biggest struggle with using social media? Have you found anything that works for you?

How to Use Pinterest to Promote Your Book

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pinterest-buttonPinterest is a very popular social media site and is a great stage for authors to present their platforms. However, when you are marketing your books, you need to keep your eyes on book sales! I’m going to share some tips about Pinterest marketing for authors. When you promote books on Pinterest, you should take every opportunity to drive users back to your Amazon book page, the iBookstore, or Barnes & Noble sales pages so people can quickly and easily buy your book. I will introduce some basic rules, similar to that in Facebook and Tweeter, for using Pinterest to promote books.

1. Create an author pinboard. Let people know more about you. Tell your followers and readers who you are, where you came from, and how you came to be a writer. Give them a glimpse into your world. Pin photos of your hometown, what inspires you and your writing process.

2. Stay engaged in the communication. Repin, like, and comment on other people’s Pinterest content. Follow the Pinterest boards of authors you like. Do not just present your own books. We need connection to others. The more you engage with others the more likely they are to follow and repin your content.

3. Promote the Pinterest “P”. Put the Pinterest logo on your site, blog and all the other social media, so your readers will know they can also follow you on Pinterest.

4. Use keywords. Make sure the names of your boards have catchy titles. Keep keywords into your descriptions so if someone is searching they’ll have a better shot at finding you.

5. Choose great content. Pinterest is all about the visual. Pick great pictures and videos. The better your images are the more likely you are to get a repin or like.

And if you’re on Pinterest, be sure to follow Ambassador International! We’d love to connect with you there.

Don’t miss out on the latest Ambassador International news!

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In today’s world, it’s hard not to be involved in at least one social media website. At Ambassador International, as a Christian publisher trying to magnify the Lord through the written word, we want to make sure we reach everyone! We are located on some of the top social media websites. Make sure you check out our pages to get the latest book information, helpful writing tips, giveaways, and much more!

facebook Facebook

Our number one source for finding information on our book giveaways! An astounding 1 in 5 people in the entire world on Facebook! Write on our wall and give us your latest thoughts!

twitter Twitter

In 140 characters or less, we tweet the latest details on book giveaways, author information, and ideas for Christian living. Providing inspiration in a couple sentences or less!

googleplus Google+

A new addition to our media outlets, we love to have Google Hangouts with our authors! This is a great way to connect one-on-one with your favorite authors and ask them questions!

pinterest Pinterest

Are you addicted to pinning? We have boards to provide inspiration with Christian living, links to book reviews, what our authors are up to, decorating with books and more! We love to share writing tips!

youtube Youtube

Check out our YouTube channel for book trailers, author interviews, and tips for publishing your own books. More videos to come!