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

So Exciting! Blog Stop November 8th

Hi Everyone,
Guess what... I am a blog tour host.I am so excited! The author is Nikita Lynnette Nichols author of A Man's Worth, Amaryllis, A Woman's Worth and coming soon Crossroads. Be sure to stop by my blog November 8, 2010. I will have the interview posted and Ms. Nichols will be available throughout that week to answer questions and respond to comments. And as a bonus by leaving a comment so we know you stopped by you will be entered in a drawing for a signed copy of A Woman's Worth. If you aren't familiar with Nikita's work stop by her web site and check out "What Readers Have To Say" page. WOW!!!!!
Let the fun begin!
Denise

Getting Published... Too Good To Be True?

Finally, a dream come true. Your book, your baby was picked up by a publisher. That's great! Or is it? I have heard one too many horror stories and I just feel sick. Author's with a great following. No scratch that, not great... Amazing! Authors in high demand. So much so that it's hard to keep up with their demanding schedule. These author's that are selling books faster than they can be printed getting no royalty checks from their publisher. I could be wrong, but I think that's crazy! These publishers give the industry a BAD name. When I think about the poor authors out there that are pounding the pavement, shaking hands and kissing babies and not making a dime on their wonderful work. Well all I can say is WOW!

You know you don't have to be picked up by a publisher in order to sell books. You can still have your book listed on bn.com, borders.com, amazon.com, and books a million just to name a few without having a "publisher". There are distributors and publicists and cover designers and editors that work with authors that publish on their own.

You are not alone. Book publishing and promoting doesn't have to be stressful or expensive. It can be fun and you can actually make money. You just have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and take the plunge. Mark Twain did...

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.

Check out this page turner A Woman's Worth

Nikita Lynnette Nichols is an author to keep an eye on. She can spin a tale like no other.You won't be able to put her books down. In A Woman's Worth, Monique Morrison had made a huge mistake when she moved into a home to play house with Boris Cortland. With on again off again wedding plans and a woman who had already signed on to play the role of his wife, Boris was in no hurry to seal the deal. In his mind, Monique wasn’t going anywhere so why not continue to play the field? Though she was in church, Sunday after Sunday, praying for God to touch Boris’ heart and turn him from his wicked ways, it seemed Monique’s pleas were constantly unanswered. Suffering from neglect, rejection and verbal abuse, Monique had all but given up on her dream of having a relationship that represented true unconditional love until Adonis Cortland moves in and does for Monique all of the things that Boris wouldn’t do. Could Boris’ cousin be the man that Monique had been praying for?
Nikita writes about topics we not only relate to but have dealt with or are dealing with.

Curl Up With Your Favorite Blanket, A Cup Of Tea and This Book!

I will be the first to say if a mystery doesn't grab my attention right away I put the book down. I could NOT put down What Did You Do Before Dying? and Why Did You Die In The Park? by Patricia K. Batta. Both with the same protagonist Marge Christensen finds her husband dead in their garage. The police say it's suicide but Marge knows different. She knows her husband would never commit suicide. Marge decides to take matters into her own hands so she can find out what really happened. This is a fun read! Batta keeps you turning the pages.