I was one of the presenters for The Muse Online Writers Conference, which included a week-long forum workshop, Developing Contacts to Promote Your Book. Each day had a specific topic and the participants really got into building their contact lists. Today I’m sharing Day II with you.
The whole point of these exercises is to get your brain working. You want to develop these lists while you are writing if at all possible! And as participants in the forum discovered, I’m a stickler for specifics. Generic answers (like ‘everyone’) don’t fly with me! If you are to effectively promote your book, you need specifics and details!
You can share some of your ideas below or copy & paste and work on your lists on your own time. But sharing a few ideas is fun, because it might help out someone else!
Establishing Online Contacts
Refer back to your target audience and your own involvement. Remember to consider your audience’s interests first and think outside the confines of just book-related sites. (Think beyond Amazon and Goodreads!!!)
What websites and blogs attract your audience?
What community sites attract your audience?
In what forums, list-servs, and Yahoo Groups do they participate?
What book-related sites feature your genre? What non-book-related sites?
What sites focus on your book’s subject matter?
Tips:
When first establishing these contacts, you aren’t there to promote your book, just to network. Offer advice or suggestions, but don’t shove your book down their throat.
Look for sites that will: exchange a link with yours; feature you and your book; or offer a free download.
Don’t forget to explore author sites, either.
Bottom line - where can you place your book and subject matter where it will reach the most potential target readers?
20 comments:
These are really good questions and I will be finding the answers soon before my book comes out.
CD
I'm still working on these!
Good ideas. I need another cup of coffee or two before I can work on answering these questions.
Some good issues here, wish I knew the answers, will have to have a good think.
Have a good week.
Yvonne.
Great questionnaire! Thanks for sharing it, Diane. Am tweeting.
Really great advice and tips here. Thank you!
Good questions. Finding answers for them is difficult. Thanks for the brain exercise!
I've found book reviews to be a good source, or at least that's the theory.
It's a delicate balance, asking for promotion and being too pushy. I usually try to make myself obvious, and see who bites and who doesn't.
I'm not sure that online presence has an impact on more than maybe 20-50 sales, though, no matter how big your site. It'll still take some traditional marketing to break the 1k and 5k and 10k barriers, and not many of us will break 50k or 100k at all, ever.
- Eric
Karen, maybe!
Eric, it takes a major publisher to break those marks.
Regardless of route, all authors need to consider these points.
I agree with Karen. You're marketing ideas and energy are just amazing.
Great questions, Diane. And you're right, think about them as you write. Don't wait until it's written and you're publishing it. Think now and do your research now.
Thanks for this - I need to rethink some things and this will come in handy. I may have to bookmark this:)
I have to agree with Karen! You have a marketers mind and a selling smile.
Thanks for the pointers. Its about networking, not promoting your book. I receive emails almost weekly from people asking me to buy their book. Huhn??? I don't even know them, other than we are friends on Facebook or Goodreads or Twitter or Blogger.
Yet I still don't know them from Adam because I have over 2,000 total "friends" on these sites. However, those who have taken the initiative to get to know me, I have purchased their books and helped spread the good word.
Stephen Tremp
Hi Diane .. excellent pointers .. always be more interested in others .. and if you can share something do - but don't beg ...
What Stephen says above here says it all .. and he's becoming a past master at achievement and helping others ..
Thanks great read .. Hilary
This post came at a good time because I'm just filling out a form for my publisher exploring these ideas. Thanks for the tips!
I love how specific you are because that really does matter with marketing. Knowing who to target makes selling the book much easier.
Jai
Peggy, glad it was good timing!
Thanks for the great tips, Diane.
There's so much to remember it's mindboggling.
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
These are solid thoughtful questions everyone should consider. Thanks for sharing~
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