Be your own book publicist

When it comes to book promotion, most authors are either paralyzed because they don't know what to do or where to begin, or they're throwing money at the latest tactic because they've heard that's what everyone else is doing. I understand both, but neither is good.

The chronic, widespread paralysis is caused either by a lack of information or information overload -- either you're clueless about what you should be doing, or you've read so much about book promotion that you can't sort out what does and doesn't apply to you. The "tactic of the month" approach comes from a lack of information about the best strategy to use -- and every book deserves its own strategy.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when starting the book publicity and promotion process:

• Who did I write the book for?
• Where do I need to be to reach them? What do they read, watch, or listen to? Are they online, offline, or both? 
• What's the best strategy for reaching them? Should I leverage my networks, tap into the research I did for the book, or focus on a specific tactic?
• How much time do I have for book promotion?
• What are the most cost-effective tactics, and will they help me get my book title in front of my target audience?
• What promotional activities do I enjoy the most, and are they the types of things that will help me reach the right people for this book?
• Is there anything I should outsource to someone who's better suited for the task?
• What are the one or two things I have time for that will have an impact?

If you want to sell copies of your book, you have to promote it yourself -- there's just no way around it. And you've got to answer these questions if you're going to make progress. Learn what will make a difference with your book -- not anyone else's -- when you register for "Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz," the popular e-course running from January 31-February 25, 2011. You'll learn more about what works and what doesn't, the best options for your title, and, best of all, how to do it! We've got a few more openings for the course, so join us and enjoy the benefits of personal coaching in a group forum environment. 

Register Now for Book Publicity E-course (October 5-30, 2009)

Authors who know the importance of book publicity but can’t afford a pricey publicist now have a very affordable option: a book publicity and promotion e-course offering four weeks of personalized instruction and feedback for under $200. My “Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz,” e-course is October 5-30, 2009.

The highly-interactive courses – one for traditionally published authors and one for self-published authors – cover how to:

• Use social networking tools to promote your book
• Create a book publicity blueprint that makes the most of your available resources
• Craft the most compelling media materials needed to generate results for your book -- not anyone else's
• Conduct a virtual book tour with bloggers who can help you build buzz quickly
• Employ the media relations tools that will take you the farthest fastest
• Generate high-impact radio interviews
• Build an author Web site that supports book sales and other goals
• And plenty more

The course includes:

• All instruction materials
• Instructor feedback on all homework assignments and highly-personalized guidance
• Unlimited question and answer sessions on the forum

The forum format allows students to proceed at their own pace each week, making it the most flexible learning option available. They receive instructional materials and resources and complete weekly assignments that help them discover how easy it is to create book buzz. My guidance and feedback helps take your work to the next level while student interaction on the forum offers fresh perspectives and new ideas for all participants. A free-for-all Q&A corner lets students get answers to questions not covered in the course materials, making this a highly-personalized learning experience for nonfiction and fiction authors.

Registration is $199 and limited to 20 students.

Authors with traditional publishers can register at http://www.buildbookbuzz.com/workshops/book-publicity.htm. Self-published authors can register at http://www.buildbookbuzz.com/workshops/self-published.htm. Got a question? Send me a note: sbATbuildbookbuzz.com.

June "Build Book Buzz" Features Author Success Story

The June issue of Build Book Buzz, the free book promotion e-zine for authors, features a Q and A with Jen Miller, an author who used what she learned in the "Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz" book publicity course to generate lots and lots of impressive media exposure for her book, The Jersey Shore: Atlantic City to Cape May.

Learn how she did it by subscribing to the newsletter and using the link you receive in the e-mail I'll send after you subscribe to access the current issue in the archives.