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

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I appreciate your advice and wonder what you think of paying Kirkus or PW for a review of the children's book I'm planning to self-publish. My former publisher paid to have my previous books reviewed. Is this worth the money?

No, it's really not. Libraries, with the possible exception of local libraries in the author's area, are not going to buy a POD book or a book without LOC CIP data, and self-published books are explicitly excluded.

POD books are not cost effective in general (there may be exceptions) for libraries.
 

EMaree

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I appreciate your advice and wonder what you think of paying Kirkus or PW for a review of the children's book I'm planning to self-publish. My former publisher paid to have my previous books reviewed. Is this worth the money?

Yeah, I agree with the previous posters. Paid reviews tend to be biased and they carry very little weight. Not worth it.

EDIT: Woops, didn't realise so much time had passed since the last reply.
 

JWNelson

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Searching AWC for comments about Pinterest introduced me to this thread and I am glad it did. Thanks to Medievalist and the others who contributed some extremely helpful tips (I've been happily updating my website page!).
John
 

J.S.F.

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This is all really helpful advice. Thanks!
 

JohnnyT

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Social media

I've got a facebook page, am a member of Goodreads, Shelfari, youtube, and I have my own blog. I also tweet.
Honestly, I don't think any of those things matter until a fan base is established. So, how does an indie author who is lost in the universe of all the social media outlets I mentioned above get a fan base to drive buyers to their sites?
Beats me, but I'll keep on humpin', because everybody tells me that social media is the best way to get noticed.
An indie author goes to hell and back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOQe4KVvFX0
 

AW Admin

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Don't spam us dude

I've got a facebook page, am a member of Goodreads, Shelfari, youtube, and I have my own blog. I also tweet.
Honestly, I don't think any of those things matter until a fan base is established. So, how does an indie author who is lost in the universe of all the social media outlets I mentioned above get a fan base to drive buyers to their sites?
Beats me, but I'll keep on humpin', because everybody tells me that social media is the best way to get noticed.

Oh, you got noticed dude. First you post in a forum for people who are refugees from other boards. Your thread is locked.

Then you bring up your video in your next three posts.

Finally, you post a fifth link to your video a thread How to promote your book like an intelligent human being and not an SEO dweeb, proving that you're a link spammer, and a marketing dweeb.

You didn't even read the thread.

We ban spammers.
 

gingerwoman

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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.
Or your publisher is a big indie press. lol It's still relevant information for us too. Thanks.
 
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greendrake

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Excellent advice here. I'll follow this while I put out a book I'm hoping to publish next year.
 

Hieronymous

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This thread has been a revelation. Thank you all so much.

I started the blog, the twitter, and Facebook, but really have had no idea how to utilize them to develop "audience".
 

Mitch Wagner

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This is a wonderful thread, particularly the first post.

I admit I may not have read it carefully enough. But it seems to me to be missing a very important word:

Email.
 

merrihiatt

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Email what? Too many emails and you'll get tagged as a spammer. I can send email "blasts" through my website, but am careful not to do more than one a month.
 

Deleted member 42

Bulk email that you send = spam unless it's based on an opt-in list, and you have a clear way to unsubscribe.

Adding your Web site and/or Twitter account to you .sig in your email?

Absolutely!

Email bursts? No, a thousand times no.

I probably get a hundred or so "review my book/buy my book" bulk emails a week on my personal account, and another 150 on the account associated with a review site I run.

I don't read 'em. They go into the spam folder automatically.
 
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merrihiatt

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Email bursts? No, a thousand times no.

May I ask why? They are individualized to each person and only sent to those who have opted in to receive them. They can opt out at any time with a click of a button.

I usually send them when I have a new book out or have a special free offer (sometimes it's both at the same time) and never send more than one a month (sometimes one every two months). I also include a bit of news about whatever I'm currently working on.
 

Mitch Wagner

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Email is the most effective form of Internet marketing there is.

The key is that it has to be opt-in, and deliver messages relevant to the recipient.

Disclaimer: I have virtually no success marketing ebooks, but I have been very successful using opt-in newsletters for websites I'm involved with.

Some recent research on the subject of the best ways to market using email.
 

Deleted member 42

Notice the first line of my post:

Bulk email that you send = spam unless it's based on an opt-in list, and you have a clear way to unsubscribe.

By bursts I mean purchased lists, with names in the thousands; these are not opt-in.

They are sent from multiple servers in a cluster, deliberately sent to avoid triggering a mail server's spam sieves because the mails do not all have the same IP/SMTP server address.

Opt in lists/newsletters? Different thing altogether.
 

merrihiatt

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Notice the first line of my post:



By bursts I mean purchased lists, with names in the thousands; these are not opt-in.

They are sent from multiple servers in a cluster, deliberately sent to avoid triggering a mail server's spam sieves because the mails do not all have the same IP/SMTP server address.

Opt in lists/newsletters? Different thing altogether.

Gotcha. Sorry I didn't read your post correctly. My website provider calls them bursts (or is it blasts?), but it is obviously meant in a different fashion as you have to sign-up and can opt out and I know all the recipients are members of my website. Thanks for clarifying for those of us with muddled minds. ;)
 

Deleted member 42

Gotcha. Sorry I didn't read your post correctly. My website provider calls them bursts (or is it blasts?), but it is obviously meant in a different fashion as you have to sign-up and can opt out and I know all the recipients are members of my website. Thanks for clarifying for those of us with muddled minds. ;)

Email blasts are largely just another name for "news letters" or similar; they've got much better UIs now than good old mail merge. And they're usually opt-in.

But Bursts refer to the use of technology designed to subvert the anti-spam measures taken by servers. And to sending thousands of people email from purchased lists.

And I know you'd never do that.
 

PatriciaL

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I find it interesting that so few novelists understand and embrace the concept of book promotion. They read books on the topic and discuss it in great forums like this one, but have trouble relating the activities to their own specific projects. For those of you who would like some perspective with regard to promoting fiction, read my article posted at this site "Novel Ways to Promote Your Novel."

I've been writing and publishing nonfiction for forty years. I wrote and published my first novel this year. What a kick!!! Now, it's a challenge to promote any book, including novels. But many of the same activities you use to promote nonfiction can certainly apply to fiction. I believed that in theory before this year, but am now able to apply it. All it really takes to successfully promote any book is to know who your audience is, where they are and how to reach/approach them. Be creative!!!

Patricia Fry
Long-time author--first time novelist
Author of "Catnapped," a Klepto Cat Mystery
 

JeremiahGrogKanus

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That's a lot of great advice. I appreciate your posting this.

I've been pondering an idea that I'd like to get your feedback on. You know how publishers promote not only the author's and press's other works on the last pages of a novel, but sometimes even "sister" presses' works? I wonder if there's any reason why indie authors shouldn't cultivate the same strategy of mutual promotion in the back of each other's works. What are your thoughts?
 

Deleted member 42

I promote my own books in the back of my books, never really thought about giving that space away to someone else.

I've enthusiastically endorsed books by people I knew and whose books I really could honestly enthusiastically endorse in my books.

I never did it as product placement but with printed books I had an extra leaf at the end and thought why waste it?

This was in a non-fiction book, which makes it a bit easier in some ways.
 

merrihiatt

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I can see where it might be helpful for authors who write in the same genre. It might get a bit sticky and lead to hurt feelings if your pal, Jennie Writer, wants to exchange promos, but you're not inclined to do so for whatever reason. I'm not sure I want to open that can of worms.
 
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