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. 

"Be your own book publicist" course for authors runs September 6-October 1, 2010

I teach an e-course called "Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz" that helps authors learn how to be their own book publicists. It addresses the biggest challenges most authors encounter when they realize they have to handle their own book publicity and promotion. They are often overwhelmed by the prospect of getting the word out because they don't know where to begin and would rather be writing than promoting.

The typical author:

• Struggles to figure out what to do first to promote or publicize the book.
• Is uncomfortable with promoting and would rather remain in the background.
• Doesn't know which activities will have the greatest impact on the book’s visibility.
• Hesitates to use social networking tactics because they're not sure how to.
• Doesn't quite understand why and how to schedule a virtual book tour.
• Isn't sure how to approach and pitch traditional media outlets in the most appropriate way.
• Might not be clear about the book's target audience or how to reach it through the media.
• Wants to do as much as possible to publicize a book without spending thousands on a publicist.
• Hears that getting on radio helps sells books but doesn't know how to do it -- or if it's a good idea for the book.

If any of this describes you, I can help you get over, under, or around all of your obstacles in this interactive and engaging four-week online course running September 6-October 1, 2010. It's taught in an easy-to-use forum where you will learn, practice, implement, and grow. Because you can come and go according to your own schedule -- whenever it's convenient for you, not me -- this option offers you maximum flexibility and learning potential.

Learn more about this very affordable and interactive course here (you can see testimonials from happy students there too); send me a note with questions.

 

Learn How to Promote Your Book May 31-June 25, 2010

Need help publicizing and promoting your book? My e-course, "Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz," can help! It addresses the biggest challenges most authors encounter when they realize they have to handle their own book publicity and promotion. They are often overwhelmed by the prospect of getting the word out because they don't know where to begin and would rather be writing than promoting.

The typical author:

• Struggles to figure out what to do first to promote or publicize the book.
• Is uncomfortable with promoting and would rather remain in the background.
• Doesn't know which activities will have the greatest impact on the book’s visibility.
• Hesitates to use social networking tactics because they're not sure how to.
• Doesn't quite understand why and how to schedule a virtual book tour.
• Isn't sure how to approach and pitch traditional media outlets in the most appropriate way.
• Might not be clear about the book's target audience or how to reach it through the media.
• Wants to do as much as possible to publicize a book without spending thousands on a publicist.
• Hears that getting on radio helps sells books but doesn't know how to do it -- or if it's a good idea for the book.

Do any of these points describe you? I'll help you over, under, or around all of your obstacles in this dynamic four-week e-course running May 31 through June 25, 2010. It's taught in an easy-to-use forum where you will learn, practice, implement, and grow. Because you can come and go according to your own schedule -- whenever it's convenient for you, not me -- this option offers you maximum flexibility and learning potential.

Learn more about this very affordable and interactive course here; e-mail me at sbATbuildbookbuzz.com with questions.

Learn How to Promote Your Book

"Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz" addresses the biggest issues most authors encounter when they realize they have to handle their own book publicity and promotion. Typically, authors:

• Struggle to figure out what to do first to promote or publicize their book.
• Know which activities will have the greatest impact on their book’s visibility.
• Hesitate to use social networking tactics because they're not sure how to.
• Don't quite understand why and how to schedule a virtual book tour.
• Aren't sure how to approach and pitch traditional media outlets in the most appropriate way.
• Might not be clear about the book's target audience or how to reach it through the media.
• Want to do as much as they can to publicize a book without spending thousands on a publicist

I help authors discover the answers to these questions – and much more – in this dynamic four-week starting February 1, 2010. It's taught in an easy-to-use forum where you will learn, practice, implement, and grow.

Learn more about this very affordable and interactive course (and register!) here; e-mail me at sbATbuildbookbuzz.com with questions.

Free Book Publicity Teleseminar on May 14

I'll be doing a free book publicity teleseminar on Thursday, May 14, at 11 am Pacific/2 pm Eastern as part of the Self-Publishers Online Conference. My session is on "How to Build Buzz for Your Self-Published Book." To register or learn more visit the conference Web site. I look forward to answering your questions during the call!

Learn How to Promote Your Book in Affordable E-Course

Authors who know the importance of book publicity but can’t afford a pricey publicist have a very affordable option: my book publicity and promotion e-course offering four weeks of personalized instruction and feedback for under $200. “Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz,” is a dynamic online course taught in two versions and running from February 2-27, 2009.

I teach it in a forum format, with lessons and homework assignments posted online in an easy-to-use password-protected forum. The highly-interactive courses – one for traditionally published authors and one for self-published authors – cover how to:

* Create a book publicity blueprint that makes the most of your available resources
* Craft the most compelling media materials needed to generate results
* 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

Students receive instructional materials and resources and complete weekly assignments that help them discover how easy it is to create book buzz. Many tell me that the most valuable component is the one-on-one instructor guidance and feedback designed to take your work to the next level. But you get input from other students, too, as they offer fresh perspectives and new ideas for all participants in response to homework or on the free-for-all Q&A forum. There, students get answers to questions not covered in the course materials, making this a highly-personalized learning experience for nonfiction and fiction authors.

Please note that it's harder to generate publicity for fiction than it is for nonfiction, so this course is an excellent choice for novelists because it gives them the extra hand-holding they need to find the non-fiction nuggets in their stories and use them to capture media buzz.

Registration is $199 and limited to 20 students. Get the scoop on the class for traditionally-published authors at http://www.buildbookbuzz.com/workshops/book-publicity.htm and the details on the slightly different version for self-published authors at http://www.buildbookbuzz.com/workshops/self-published.htm. Both pages include comments from past students about how much the course helped them.

Questions? Just send me an e-mail.