How to promote your book like an intelligent human being and not an SEO Dweeb

[janananna]

Your post is really helpful! Thanks... I will start reviewing and commenting on Amazon and Goodreads to get into the conversation more there too.

Can you maybe share the best books to get on book promotion? (I just got Online Book Marketing by Lorraine Phillips... will start it this weekend)

Have you heard of something called PMA Toolkit book marketing integration? A friend went to a conference in miami and said she heard it's a new way to promote.

Thanks,

Sue

[kaitie]

You mention being in a discussion about books and what not, but is it possible to leave a negative impression? For instance, lets say someone asks my opinion about a particular book that I've just read that I didn't like. I can be relatively nice, but I'd still want to point out the reasons I didn't like it.

Could that be taken in a negative way? Would people be likely to think I'm just being a bitch, or think I'm better than other writers, or something of that nature? And if I choose not to give negative reviews or to only post positive comments about books, is that genuine?

How would you get involved in a community without coming across in a negative way? I ask this in part because I've come across more authors I've chosen not to read based on getting to see bits about who they are as people than people I've wanted to. I'll buy a book because I think the book is interesting. I've on occasion, for very close friends, bought books to be supportive, but I won't do that for every random person I know online. On the other hand, I've seen a couple of books that I thought looked cool, but then read comments that authors made that were just overly negative or closed-minded or rude, or in one case politically antagonistic (a rant about people who share my beliefs being idiots), and those comments made me decide not to read the book after all. I might even still enjoy the book, but at that point it's hard to read without the knowledge of who wrote it creeping in and taking away from my pleasure.

Also, what about people who just aren't particularly interesting? I could have a Facebook page and a blog, but what would I say? The things I find most fascinating and interesting aren't things I'd feel comfortable talking about in a professional persona (activism, politics, religion). I have hobbies, but my hobbies aren't things I could imagine making cool blog posts about. I do kung fu and origami and write. I'm a part-time professor at a couple of local colleges. I'm looking to start volunteering again once classes end, but I don't see how any of this would translate into something people would want to read and follow.

I guess...I'm just not sure I get it. I have marketing ideas for things I think would be fun, but I really don't understand how any of the traditional stuff authors are expected to do is supposed to work. Maybe it's just because I don't get the social media scene to begin with. I dislike Facebook. I consider twitter annoying (and dangerous, to be honest). I only read a couple of blogs, and I've just in the past week given up on a couple more of those because they've started sucking. I also admit to not finding the funny in internet memes that make my boyfriend roll on the floor.

Am I just doomed before I even start?

[DennisB]

Yeah. And when you get done with all this self-promotion, maybe you can spare a couple of minutes for writing.

[Isabella Amaris]

Thank you, Medievalist. Your post is very helpful.

[Medievalist]

Originally Posted by kaitie

You mention being in a discussion about books and what not, but is it possible to leave a negative impression? For instance, lets say someone asks my opinion about a particular book that I've just read that I didn't like. I can be relatively nice, but I'd still want to point out the reasons I didn't like it.

You're the only one who can answer that, and you're going to have to take it on a case-by-case basis.

For me, I decided that unless the book in question is presented as scholarly, and it is in my academic field of expertise (i.e. it's not a novel) I'm not going to review books I don't like.

In part, I decided that because of a piece I read by David Hartwell, SF editor and critic, in which he quotes another book reviewer.

But mostly, because there are more crappy books than otherwise, especially now. I'd rather point to the books I think people will love, or should read or that are otherwise "good."

Originally Posted by kaitie

How would you get involved in a community without coming across in a negative way? I ask this in part because I've come across more authors I've chosen not to read based on getting to see bits about who they are as people than people I've wanted to.

I'd keep that in mind were I you; think about how someone else will read what you write--the question of audience should always be part of any writer's rhetorical strategy for any piece of writing.

It's about presentation of self. It's also about courtesy.

Originally Posted by kaitie

On the other hand, I've seen a couple of books that I thought looked cool, but then read comments that authors made that were just overly negative or closed-minded or rude, or in one case politically antagonistic (a rant about people who share my beliefs being idiots), and those comments made me decide not to read the book after all.

There are two responses to this:

1. Don't be a jerk.

2. Be real.

As an example, for my part, I don't care if I piss off homophobic bigots. I don't want them reading my books. I don't think they deserve to benefit from my work, in any way.

Originally Posted by kaitie

I don't see how any of this would translate into something people would want to read and follow.

For my part, I'm not huge on marketing my own work. I'm not terribly good at it.

But I do like to point to the work of other people I like and admire, or that I think people who are interested in my books might also like.

I've noticed over the years (I've been online daily and frequently in a professional capacity since 1988 or 1989; I'd have to think about it to be sure) that people have found my sites because of something I said somewhere else.

Then I started noticing how often I read things online by people I thought were smart, and I'd go look them up, and find they wrote books that I'd read and like . . . . that's actually happened quite a lot. And I started noticing that I'm not unusual in that respect.

Mostly, I decided to start this thread because I was and am sick unto death of people promoting spam tactics, SEO, and drive by posting.

The secret is to engage. To participate in the conversation. To be real. To not be all about Me Me Me and Buy Buy Buy my books.

I'm especially fed up with the drive-by marketing dweebs who post on AW.

And I thought maybe I could help people like you figure out what would work for them, what they were comfortable doing.

But mostly?

The best PR you can have for book #1 is to write and publish book #2, ad infinitum.

Really.

I'd suggest if you're not comfortable with self-marketing and social networking, that you at least claim your ID/namespaces on the 'net.

And get cracking on the next book.

[Medievalist]

Originally Posted by DennisB

Yeah. And when you get done with all this self-promotion, maybe you can spare a couple of minutes for writing.

I suspect you didn't actually read very carefully.

I note that I get paid when people buy my books; I'm willing to encourage them to continue buying my books.

YMMV.

[kaitie]

Originally Posted by Medievalist

You're the only one who can answer that, and you're going to have to take it on a case-by-case basis.

For me, I decided that unless the book in question is presented as scholarly, and it is in my academic field of expertise (i.e. it's not a novel) I'm not going to review books I don't like.

That sounds like a good policy. Rather than necessarily being about fair reviews, it's more about, "I think this is awesome and you should check it out!" I could do that.

There are two responses to this:

1. Don't be a jerk.

2. Be real.

As an example, for my part, I don't care if I piss off homophobic bigots. I don't want them reading my books. I don't think they deserve to benefit from my work, in any way.

I think the first should be a general rule for behavior anywhere.

As for the second, I agree, and there are certain things I wouldn't mind discussing (environmental stuff). Some things I don't, though. Like politics (I lean a direction that the majority disagrees with) or religion (my own take is rather unique) and that sort of thing, while absolutely fascinating to me, seem like the sort of topic that should be left off.

On one hand, I don't really care if a racist jerk would choose not to read my stuff, but at the same time, it's a matter of personally disliking when I know about an author as I read the books. This might sound odd, but when I don't know much about the author, the story is about the story. I'm not thinking that an author wrote about a particular issue because he's trying to persuade, or noticing that everything in the book falls in line with a particular agenda. I can bring my own meaning to the book . I feel like seeing too far into the author can detract from that to a degree. Rather than inserting my meaning, I'm looking to psychoanalyze the author's meaning.

Mostly, I decided to start this thread because I was and am sick unto death of people promoting spam tactics, SEO, and drive by posting.

The secret is to engage. To participate in the conversation. To be real. To not be all about Me Me Me and Buy Buy Buy my books.

I actually agree with this 100%. It seems sometimes like most of what we're hearing is tactics and spamming and promotion. There's actually a blog I used to frequent that I've stopped reading because I was tired of the constant promotional stuff after the author as published. At the same time, it feels like most people are saying that's what you need or you'll never succeed and it's just so discouraging to hear. It makes me feel like even if I were able to get published, I'd just be screwed because of an inability to navigate current expectations.

Of course, that's coupled with an opinion that most of that advice is crappy advice and thinking that there are other more fun, creative ways to approach promotion that will get me farther. No way of knowing if I'm just being stubborn, though, and I'm pretty stubborn.

As for getting a web address--is that sort of thing expensive? My name is uncommon (there are two of us and a Google search doesn't turn up anything of merit, so she's not using the name as far as I can tell), so I imagine there would be some variation of it I could use. If it's not expensive I could consider doing it now, but if it costs too much it'll have to wait until I've got some money saved up.

[merrihiatt]

The best PR you can have for book #1 is to write and publish book #2, ad infinitum.

This cannot be said enough.

[Medievalist]

Originally Posted by kaitie

As for getting a web address--is that sort of thing expensive? My name is uncommon (there are two of us and a Google search doesn't turn up anything of merit, so she's not using the name as far as I can tell), so I imagine there would be some variation of it I could use. If it's not expensive I could consider doing it now, but if it costs too much it'll have to wait until I've got some money saved up.

The domain registration is not expensive; you should be able to do it for somewhere around 10.00 to 15.00 U.S. Under is a little worrying (why is it so cheap?) as is paying much more than that.

I'd register the name you think you'll have as the author name on the cover, in .com and .net domains.

I suggest people not register the domain at the same company that they use to host the site/ISP/Webserver.

[Ari Meermans]

kaitie, my name, like yours, isn't common. My domain is only costing me $12.99/yr. I haven't done anything with it, yet; but, I not only wanted to reserve it for future use, I also wanted to prevent someone else registering it and (maybe) pretending to be me at a later date.

[Medievalist]

Originally Posted by Ari Meermans

kaitie, my name, like yours, isn't common. My domain is only costing me $12.99/yr. I haven't done anything with it, yet; but, I not only wanted to reserve it for future use, I also wanted to prevent someone else registering it and (maybe) pretending to be me at a later date.

Exactly. Hence my suggestion to get at least the .com and net versions of the domain.

I'd also snag yourname@gmail.com and Facebook. You don't have to use them; just make sure that you control your online I.D.

[Ari Meermans]

Yep, got them all, too. Back when I did this (2007), I registered at LinkedIn, too. I forgot to mention that, when I registered the (dot)com, I also got the net and got it for a few dollars less. I think my annual total is $19.99 for both.

[Medievalist]

Originally Posted by Ari Meermans

Yep, got them all, too. Back when I did this (2007), I registered at LinkedIn, too. I forgot to mention that, when I registered the (dot)com, I also got the net and got it for a few dollars less. I think my annual total is $19.99 for both.

That's pretty common.

Back in the early Internet Age, when I first registered a domain, there was only one Registrar, and I think I paid $75.00/year.

*Sigh*

[Medievalist]

Because of this thread, here's some stuff about SEO.

(I HATE DESPISE AND LOATHE SEO ACOLYTES; DON'T EVEN START WITH ME)

You'll see lots of advice about "SEO" or Search Engine Optimizing. The purpose of SEO is to help your Web pages move to the top of the results list in searches, under the assumption that most people only look at the first page or so of results from a search. The position of your site in the list of results for a particular search term or phrase is your “page rank.”

Using various SEO techniques designed to generate search engine traffic is less likely to garner traffic and readers compared to interesting, quality writing. Much of that advice about SEO can potentially hurt your Google and other search engine rankings, especially "keyword stuffing," or deliberately over-using the terms you think will bring your page to the top ranks in a search.

You're better off writing interesting content that will entice your readers to keep reading, to send a link to your page to friends, and to link to your writing on their site or blog. Yes, use the terms that naturally best describe your topic, but also use natural synonyms. Don't be a boring writer.

In the long run, you're writing for people, not bots. Keep your readers in mind, in all their variety, as you write. They’re your audience, not a bunch of bots.



Google and other search engines providers are constantly changing the way they calculate search rankings, and they're getting smarter about figuring out ways of rewarding quality sites.

The best way of making sure your pages and posts have top search engine rankings and appear in the first few results when someone does a search is to write well.

Really. Good writing trumps all the deliberate use of SEO and keyword techniques. Good writing means people will come back for more, and link to you, and comment.

Check out Google's Own Search Engine Optimization Guide.


Post and Page Titles


If you’re using a CMS like WordPress or Blogger the text you enter in the Title field of a new Post or Page form is the title I mean.

We're familiar with titles in contexts other than writing on the Web. We pick up a particular book in part because of the title. Movie titles attract our attention in trailers, and we remember them later. Newspaper article titles are second in importance only to the headlines; we make our decisions on whether or not to read an article in large part because of the information in the article's title.

Use a very clear and specific title for your Page or Post. Remember that a lot of readers will only see your title in their RSS feed, and the title has to be both clear and interesting enough that they click to read the Post. You want to be accurate, descriptive—and brief.

The title you use for your in the Title field of the Post or Page form is gets magically inserted in the HTML Title tag in the code that, probably, you don't even see. The Title tag provides important information that Google and other search engines use; the text of the blog post title is the first line a searcher sees in the search results. In order to be useful to the reader using a search engine—and to be listed early in the results for a given set of search terms—your title needs to accurately reflect the content of the post. It needs to be both descriptive and accurate.

The fact that titles need to work for two seemingly different audiences, search engines and readers, means that as writers we need to strike a balance between two seemingly contradictory requirements with respect to a post title; writers need to create a title that is catchy enough to be intriguing, but that accurately describes the content of the post. Writing a good title can be be tricky, admittedly.

Titles: They're Not Just for People

• Create titles that are intriguing, but that also accurately describe the content of the Post or Page.
• Shorter and succinct is better than overly complex.
• Use strong verbs.
• Use specific nouns.
• Word play, when it's appropriate and doesn't confuse the reader, is good.
• If you have to compromise, accurate description is better than catchy; a clear, descriptive title is better than an overly clever one that doesn’t make sense.
• Don’t “bait and switch” or use a title that suggests the post is about one thing, when it’s not at all about that (hint: salacious titles that don’t reflect the post will annoy many readers, and may cause search engines to flag your post as “adult” material.

Outbound Links: Beyond the Blogroll

Outbound links are links from your post, blog, or Website to someone else's content (a blog post, or article, or Website). There are two basic kinds of outbound links:

1. A link to a site in your sidebar; these links are often referred to as a blogroll. If you have a lot of links in a blogroll, consider categorizing them by type.
2. A context link in a post or page on your site.

From a reader’s point of view, outbound links are extremely important; outbound links create the Web. Readers find sites (and books and authors) by following links.

Carefully chosen links are a service to your readers, and a courtesy to other writers whose sites you've used in your post. It's good netiquette to link to your sources, and to related resources for readers who want more information. Good writers provide citations for their sources.

Here are some things to keep in mind about outbound links:

• The quality of your outbound links reflects on you. Poorly chosen links make you look incompetent, or even stupid.
• Carefully chosen appropriate links encourage readers to return for your commentary or observations, or even for your resource-finding ability.
• On the Web, an outbound link functions as a source citation. It’s often courteous to also refer to the author of the piece you’re linking to.
• In general, unless you have a very good reason, don't have links open a new browser window; that's rude. Let your readers decide how they want links to open.
• Google notices outbound links. The quality of outgoing links affects the ranking of the pages that link to them. Linking to good resources and providing citations in the form of links is good for your readers, and thus good for you.
• If you link to interesting content, interesting content, and higher ranked content, is more likely to link to you.
• Don't ask for reciprocal links; that's what spammers do.

Link to appropriate quality posts and sites—not only as citations and references where they fit in your posts, but in your blogroll or sidebar. Find other bloggers in your niche. Read them. Link to them. Comment—genuine thoughtful comments—on their blogs. Let other writers know when you've linked to them.

On Google’s PageRank Algorithm

• To determine PageRank for a given page or post, among other unknown data, Google tracks the sites link that to it.
• Links to your site from a site that has a high PageRank count more; you thus earn a higher PageRank of your own.
• Google's calculations and algorithms are pretty good at determining a "natural" link made by a person from one that's made just as a way of "fooling" the system.
• Your best bet in terms of attracting quality inbound links is to provide interesting, carefully written content that includes quality outbound links.

Linking The Right Way


Use explicit links—rather than the old-style practice of linking a word like “here”:

You can find Google's advice about writing and links here.

Use links like this one with language that explicitly describes the content you’re linking to.

Read and follow Google's Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide.

The difference is that the text that the reader clicks describes the link content.

Inbound Links: They Like You they Really Do

Inbound links are links made by other writers to your site. You want inbound links. You want them quite a bit; inbound links help Google and other search engines find your site, and individual pages or posts on your site. More importantly, inbound links help readers find you, and your books by clicking a link to your site from another site.
There are two broad categories of inbound links:

1. Links to your site from another site's sidebar or blogroll (a blogroll is an ordered list of links you choose to other sites; it is typically displayed in a sidebar).
2. Links to your site or page within a post or a page of another site.

Alt Tags

You'll likely have more readers than you think who are visually disabled, or absolutely blind. They may be using a screen reader which reads the page aloud to them, or converts it to Braille.

So when you use an image, use an alt tag to briefly describe the image and relate it to the context; for instance, "The cover of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, showing a black cat, and a creepy cemetery with children's handwriting on pet tombstones."

Google will pick up that alt tag, and index it, and yes, you get "points" for that (though no one know how many).

Remember, you’re participating in a conversation.

When you link to another blogger, consider sending them a short note thanking them for their site or post. It's not only the courteous thing to do as a member of the blogging community, it leads to some super friendships, and often, a return link.

Link to blogs and sites that you think your readers would like and that you regularly read, and whose creators you know in your blogroll or sidebar.

[woodtop255]

Great post! I'm using the wordpress domain now, but I now definitely think for the $18 per year it would be worth it to register it.

[Barbara R.]

Thanks, Medievalist. I think this post is helpful not only for the self-published and small-published, but for writers with big publishers as well. When everything hinges on sales figures, especially one's ability to keep getting published, writers can't afford complacency. We have so many more tools and ways of reaching readers than we did even ten years ago...but it's important to know how to use and not abuse them, as your post wisely points out. I've saved it, and hopefully (a word we're now allowed to us), it will save me from some of those egregious errors.

[Barbara R.]

Originally Posted by Medievalist

It's not like being solitary has hurt any number of authors we could name, present and past, because people were buying their books, not their lives.

And a good thing, too, since the books are usually more interesting and often more likable. We put the best of ourselves in them, after all.

[A_Napp]

Want to share my experiences. Have 2 novels published with an indie publisher in Germany - and wanted to boost the sales a bit from my side.

I did:
- join internet communities featuring the theme my books are about (for instance, Middle Ages boards for a novel set in the Middle Ages) --> WORKED WELL
- join writer boards --> NOT EFFECTIVE, because almost all forbid to make advertising for the publications, if you've published with "Indie"
- Author Homepage ---> well, that's the circle: people who know me, look for it and the books but acquiring new visitors is extremely difficult.
EVEN IF I post the website in my email sig regularly, and on my other websites.
- Facebook ---> same thing. people who know me from the boards, or from the website find me on facebook and vice versa.
- Author site on Amazon --> don't know if that's of any use.

A big problem always was that I have a friend and fan base in English-speaking countries, but my "real" publications were in German. I hope, now that my next novel is in English, that matches better. Who knows.

[Terie]

Originally Posted by A_Napp

- join writer boards --> NOT EFFECTIVE, because almost all forbid to make advertising for the publications, if you've published with "Indie"

There, fixed that for you. Most writer forums prohibit promoting one's books regardless of the type of publisher.

Here at AW, there is an 'Announcements' forum that is the one and only place where promoting one's books is permitted. Doesn't matter if the book was published by, for example, Random House (Big 6 publisher), Llewellyn (independent publisher), Musa (independent e-only publisher), or self-published. That's still the only place it's allowed.

That's not uncommon at writer forums, with good reason. If everyone was allowed to promote their books all the time, any time, the forum would turn into nothing but self-promotion.

[Medievalist]

Book Social Networks: Goodreads, LibraryThing and Shelfari


If you’ve been using the Web at all, you’ve likely heard more than you ever wanted to know about social networks. Between the alternating loathing and excessive enthusiasm around Facebook and the sometimes incomprehensible raving about the subtle joys of Twitter, you might have felt a little left out, a solitary bibliophile in a sea of digital Philistines. Fear not; the Web is rich with social networking opportunities for the bibliophile (and even the bibliomanic), the reader, and the author. In general book-related social networks allow members to catalog, rate and review the books they own, discover books they might want to read via people with similar tastes in books, and offer special author accounts for published authors. Many people find books to read and discover new authors via book-related social network sites.

Establish an “author” profile and page on these sites with information about your books and your Website. It’s useful if you have the time and energy to at least list a few of your personal favorite books, but it certainly isn’t required. Listing books you love not only helps other writers, but it gives readers an idea of the kind of book you like—and might write, even if the books themselves are very different from what you write.

LibraryThing emphasizes readers cataloging their own books. Members catalog or list books by clicking the titles they own in others’ libraries, or by searching databases of Amazon, and national libraries, or scanning in ISBN barcodes. A basic account is free, but limits you to entering the data for 200 books, though you can also use the social aspects of the site. You can pay $10.00 for a year's membership and enter as many books as you like, or you can take the plunge and purchase a lifetime membership for $25.00. Membership means you can comment on other people's libraries and they can comment on yours, if you choose to allow it. There are also "Groups" which allow you to discuss all sorts of books and authors, as well as more spontaneous "Talk" threads.

GoodReads emphasizes tracking the books you’ve read and want to read, and reviewing them. GoodReads is very much about social networking, about linking to people you know, off or online, in order to offer and receive book recommendations, to rate, review and track what you've read (keep track of what you've read and what you'd like to read. It has features that are very specifically directed towards book clubs, as well as individuals, including a place for members to post their own writing. They've recently released a site for mobile phones here. You can search for ebooks, read ebook excerpts or download entire ebooks on the GoodReads ebook page. GoodReads has allowed publishers to register and sell ebooks in the past, but the GoodReads Publisher Program is currently closed to new publishers.

GoodReads is designed to work with other more common social networking sites, and even includes a simple widget to reflect your Good Reads on your blog.

In some ways Shelfari is the inverse of LibraryThing; where LibraryThing emphasizes the cataloging and makes the social aspects and book discussion secondary, Shelfari emphasizes the social networking between readers. Shelfari was bought by Amazon in late 2008, and describes themselves as a “community-powered encyclopedia and social site for book lovers.” The basic concept is that you build a "virtual shelf" of your books, with the books arrayed cover forward. You can rate them, and you can link to “friends” and see their books and ratings. Like LibraryThing, Shelfari reaches out to authors as well as readers, and they provide space for reviews, and ratings, discussion groups. Again, it's easy to export or import books.

If your publisher doesn’t participate in the free book giveaways, consider running your own book giveaways—but only if you have enough free copies or buying ten or so copies isn’t going to be a problem. Don’t get sucked into spending money you don’t have. Make money first.

Promoting Your Book Without Looking Like A Pimp
You are participating in a conversation in order to find readers, and to converse with people who share your interests in books and writing.

• Offer book giveaways on your blog, on the blogs of those who review similar books, and you do politely email reviewers and offer them a free copy if they'd be interested in reviewing.
• Establish Author pages on Amazon and GoodReads and LibraryThing.
• Don’t use display sites. They make you look like an amateur.

[Medievalist]

On Book Reviews

Don’t read reviews of your books. Reviews aren’t for you. They’re for potential readers of your book. They’re nothing to do with you, and often, will have little or nothing to do with the book you wrote; the book a reader reads is in part based on the reader’s experiences and expectations, and thus the perceived book is different for all readers.

The truism that a negative review is better than no review is absolutely true.

If your publisher or agent wants you to run review and press inquiries by them, provide contact information for the person responsible on your Website’s Contact page.

Participate in free giveaways of review copies on GoodReads, LibraryThing, and appropriate book review blogs and Websites for your genre. Do some research regarding appropriate venues for reviews. Follow the blogs for a while, and check previous reviews.

Create an Amazon Author profile page, and contemplate linking your blog’s RSS feed so that your posts are automatically re-published to your Author page. Do the same with LibraryThing and GoodReads.

Amazon Author Page and Reviews

• Create an Amazon Author page.
• Fill out your Amazon Author Profile.
• Don’t read the reviews.

If you’re handling press inquiries or requests for review copies yourself, don't automatically email back the ebook or send a free review copy. Look at the putative reviewer’s reviews, and then you decide the reviewer or publication is a reasonable venue for your book.

If you think you and a particular reviewer aren't a good fit (you've written a cookbook, and it’s a site about Harleys, you have a queer main character and they're charter members of NOMA, etc.) you politely thank the reviewer or publication (or site) for their interest but indicate that you think you're not a good fit, or—you may simply decide to ignore the request if you can see no courteous way to disengage.

You are never rude. No response is better than rude or snarky.

The Author’s Big Mistake
Do not engage in the Author's Big Mistake. The phrase “author’s big mistake,” or A. B. M. is derived from an essay by Paul Fussell in Harpers, February 1982. The author’s big mistake is in responding to, commenting on, or correcting a review of his or her books. It never ever ends well. In short:

• Never publicly comment on a review of your own books at all. Ever.
• Never ever review your own books ever at all under any name or account.
• Do not post using a sock puppet. Ever. Especially don’t use an alternate identity to review your own books or argue with a reviewer.
• Do not engage with reviewers of your books beyond answering specific questions, and at most, a thank you. Do not comment, argue, debate, correct interpretations or disagree.

Some Unsolicited Advice on Reviewing Others’ Books
This is what works for me; feel free to ignore.

I’ve decided I won’t review books or even rate them unless I like them and can recommend them. The limited exception is in the case of books that purport to be scholarly, in my academic fields of expertise. That’s because my field is littered with charlatans, and there are so few Ph.D.s qualified to evaluate the books that are legitimate (never mind write them) that there are lots of rather wretched books.

I was in part inspired by a piece by David Hartwell in The New York Review of Science Fiction, that itself references a piece by New York Times reviewer John Leonard.
I encourage you to read all of Hartwell’s thoughtful essay, but the pertinent bit is in his quotation of Leonard:

[I now] suggest some hard-won guidelines for responsible reviewing. For instance: First, as in Hippocrates, do no harm. Second, never stoop to score a point or bite an ankle. Third, always understand that in this symbiosis, you are the parasite. Fourth, look with an open heart and mind at every different kind of book with every change of emotional weather because we are reading for our lives and that could be love gone out the window or a horseman on the roof. Fifth, use theory only as a periscope or a trampoline, never a panopticon, a crib sheet, or a license to kill. Sixth, let a hundred Harolds Bloom.

John Leonard in The New York Times, quoted in The New York Review of Science Fiction. “Editorial 192.” David Hartwell. January, 2008.

[DocZack]

Originally Posted by Medievalist

You've self-published a book that you are proud of, or your publisher is a small indie press without a sales staff or marketing department.

You know that a lot of people buy books and review books and talk about books online, and you want to participate in the conversation, and maybe, sell some books.

How do you do that?

First, I'm assuming you have a smart, interesting, well-written and properly formatted book with a cover that isn't going to allow a buyer to ID the book as self-published from twenty paces, or just by looking at the image in your sig.

Second, I'm assuming that you're willing to be honest, because you really do believe in your book. That means I'm going to assume you already know that buying your own book (and then returning it) from the Kindle store until your credit card vomits, or paying some half-wit to write a five-star review for five bucks is already something you've dismissed as stupid, unethical, and likely to make readers who figure it out (and they will) that you're a degenerate idiot. Also, you probably already know that Display Sites (Or YADS) are a waste of your time and your putative readers' bandwidth. (Some display sites masquerade as "reviews" but if it's written by the author, it's not a review; it's just pointless promo that helps the site owner, but isn't going to garner you any readers, or buyers.)

I'm also assuming that you have a Facebook page just for your book, you have Author accounts on Amazon, and GoodReads and LibraryThing. You have an email account for you as an author, bearing your author name, you Tweet, and you have a Website, preferably one that uses your own domain, a domain based on the name you use as an author. (This doesn't have to be fancy, or expensive; it has to be readable, it has to use permalinks, and you can easily do this with free Blogger or Wordpress.com accounts to point to your domain.)

On your Website, you have an About page, with a brief bio. The bio will include a link to your page about your book[s] with links to various purchasing options, and to reviews. You can include telling pullquotes and link to the full review. You do NOT copy a review without permission, and you always link back to the source. You have a Contact page with an email address that you alter slightly, say by using AT instead of @ to reduce the deluge of spam.

You have a specific invitation for book reviewers to contact you for a review copy on your Contact page. (You don't just email back the file; you politely look at their reviews and what they review, and then you decide if it makes sense or not.) You are never rude or snotty; if you think you and a particular review site aren't a good fit (you've written a cookbook, and it's a site abou Harleys, you have a queer main character and they're charter members of NOMA, etc.) you politely thank them for their interest but indicate that you think you're not a good fit, or--you may simply decide to ignore the request if you can see no courteous way to disengage.

Here's how to engage in effective promotion:

First: Participate in the conversation. That means it's not about you and your book. It's about books, and readers. That means you talk about other people's books you love and why, and you engage with people who write books you've read and loved, and with other readers.

You comment on their blogs. You don't constantly bring up your own book, but you make genuine, thoughtful, engaged comments. Your comments use the name you write under as your ID, and in the URL field you link to your Web site.

You post honest, engaging, and genuine reviews of books you like on Amazon, and GoodReads and Library Thing. You don't slam other people's books, but you don't always create 5 star reviews. You are not mean-spirited, but you are always honest. Your profiles connect to your author Website.

Second: You do not engage in the Author's Big Mistake.

• You Never Ever Comment On a Review of your Own Books at ALL Ever in public.
• You Never Ever Review Your Own Books Ever At All Under ANY Name or Account Or Sock Puppet. Ever.
• You Do Not Engage With Reviewers of Your Books or Trolls
• You DO offer book giveaways on your blog, on the blogs of those who review similar books, and you do politely email reviewers and offer them a free copy if they'd be interested in reviewing.

1. You post on your own blog about new releases, or issues with plot or character or research you're working on, or thoughtful reviews of other people's books, or writing techniques you have found helpful. You link to other writers' and readers' posts in your posts when that's appropriate. You email people who you think have said something fabulous, and ask permission to link, or to let them know you've posted about what a super thing they wrote.
   
2. You have a sig on your email that links to your Web site. You Do Not send a cover image of your book, or list its title in your sig. Your sig has your name and your Website, and possibly, your Twitter account.
   
3. You may post a snippet of your blog posts on your Facebook, and other pages. You may Tweet a link. You do not splatter the Internet with the same content on every single venue.
   
4. You're participating in a conversation in order to find readers, and to converse with people who share your interests in books and writing.

You're not constantly selling your book.

But people, because we are curious monkeys, will click your link to see "who is this?"

But by engaging honestly, and creating conversation and community, you will have readers, and some will buy your book. And if they like it, they will blog about, or post reviews, or tweet about it.

And thus more people will find your book.

And if it's a good book, they will read it and find things to like.

And they too will participate in the conversation.

All very good advice. For we techno-challenged, are there any companies or people who do this sort of thing for you? Webites and so forth?

[Vince524]

Can I ask a few questions?

I stink at internet stuff. I have a website, but I'm still not sure what to do with it. I get what you're saying about post on other author sites, and such but where do I find these things? I'm a part of Good Reads. Can you explain how reviewing book there helps people know I'm an author?

[Medievalist]

Originally Posted by DocZack

All very good advice. For we techno-challenged, are there any companies or people who do this sort of thing for you? Webites and so forth?

There are people who will charge you to do this yes, but they suck at it.

If you're going to engage, engage honestly and genuinely.

Otherwise, you're like the owner of a sideshow who hires a barker to lure in the marks.

And it isn't going to help you or your book.

[Medievalist]

Originally Posted by Vince524

Can I ask a few questions?

I stink at internet stuff. I have a website, but I'm still not sure what to do with it. I get what you're saying about post on other author sites, and such but where do I find these things? I'm a part of Good Reads. Can you explain how reviewing book there helps people know I'm an author?

Presumably you like to read books. Find the blogs of authors whose books you like, and lurk. Check the links of people who post comments. Do their blogs interest you? Where are books that you like being reviewed?