Okay Let's Rock This Book Business!

The book business has changed. I miss the idea of bookstores but I love the concept that we are no longer geographically challenged. Now we can reach the world from our computer. Just because you don't have to leave the home office doesn't mean you don't have to work. There are things you have to do and keep doing in order to bring attention to your work. You have to blog. You have to comment on other blogs. Yes, it takes time but the results are great! Blog Tours are great! We set those up all the time and they do work. Does it happen overnight? No but anything worth having is worth working for. It is a rare occasion that success happens overnight. I work with authors all the time. I consult on a regular basis. Those that follow the road map we set up are seeing success.

I know it's weird, and different but man this new book business is FUN! Take the plunge!

Denise

Is A Web Site Really That Important?

It's hard to believe I still hear people ask that question. In this day and age you better believe it's important. This is the way people do business. They want to know what your web address is so they can check you out, see what you are about and what you have to offer. They want to do it on their time. We get busier every day. Time is precious. Being able to check out your web site any time day or night is a must. It also lends credibility to you and your work. My suggestion, if you don't have a web site, have one created for you. It should look professional and be easy to use. Make sure if you have a site built they understand your business. That will allow them to add the proper pages and information to your web site. Remember, a web site doesn't have to be EXPENSIVE to build. Just because it costs a lot doesn't mean it's better. That I learned from experience:)

Happy Writing!
Denise

Take Constructive Criticism and Make it a Positive Thing!

We work in an industry where we need and want people to give us feedback on our book. On occasion we receive feedback that we don’t like to hear. The book could have used a good editor or this is a lot of fluff and lacks substance.
Ouch! Those comments hurt. They hurt because your book is like your baby. No one wants to hear they have an ugly baby and odds are you don’t have an ugly baby.
Instead of getting mad, let’s take a step back, and a deep breath and look at the big picture. Maybe we are in need of a good editor. Editing is never a place to cut corners when you are publishing a book. You need a professional editor. They see things in a different way. It’s not enough to have someone really good at grammar. Maybe we do need a bit more substance, things to think about for your next project.
The bottom line is we asked for this feedback so now we have to learn from it, the good, the bad, the ugly. You will have plenty that love you and your work but for those that wanted a bit more and told us so. We need to say thank you because their comments only make us better authors.

Should I Do A Newsletter?

Let’s talk newsletters… I think newsletters are a great way to keep you in front of your audience. The goal should be a newsletter that provides information the reader will find useful. I like a monthly newsletter unless you have some great info that you can’t wait to pass along.
The body of your newsletter should be something new from you. Let the reader know what you have been up to. Talk about your family if you want. We feel closer to you if we know about you. We are more interested in staying in touch.
You will also want to list your events and invite your readers to join you if they are in the neighborhood. You may want to introduce a fellow author. That provides some filler for you and helps the featured author. We all know that every now and then coming up with content on a regular basis can be a bit of a challenge.
If you can, it’s always great to offer something like a giveaway. That will give you some insight as to how many are actually reading the newsletter.
That in mind I also recommend utilizing a newsletter service. By using a service you are able to track how many addresses were sent the newsletter, how many were opened, how many bounced, how many clicked through to your web site and how many unsubscribed.
I provide a newsletter service for my clients so they do nothing but provide the content. I provide some of the filler for them and track progress and let them know. The idea is to keep you writing not doing a bunch of busy work. Leave that to someone else.
Newsletters are a great and inexpensive way to keep your followers informed and keep your name out there.
Remember… Out of Sight Out of Mind, not a good thing.
Happy Writing and Reading!
Denise

Blog Tour Stop This Wednesday!!!

Hi Everyone, Just wanted to send a quick note. Sherryle Kiser Jackson author of The Manual is making a blog stop on author Cecelia Dowdy's blog. The blog stop will start on Wednesday April 28, 2010. Stop by and check it out. Sherryle will be responding to comments for 1 week after the initial post.

http://ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com

See you there!

Work As A Team With The Bookstore That Is Hosting Your Signing

When you or your publicist schedule a book signing,work as a team with the venue by providing marketing material well in advance of the event so they can start promoting you. Many bookstores are understaffed so hosting a book signing is a lot of extra work. If they know they are getting your help they will be more inclined to add you to their list of events. Send them bookmarks unique to the event, fliers that they can post around the store. Send out an email blast letting everyone know where you will be and utilize your social networks. Many bookstores want to know that you will invite your family and friends to the signing. The truth is your friends and family already have your book. You want new readers that haven't had the pleasure of curling up with your great book and getting lost in the pages. So spread the word. It's great way to meet new people and promote new readers.