Social marketing is becoming an increasingly popular and effective means for authors to promote their own books.There are now so many different ways to reach potential readers via the Internet, it's worth listing the various methods here.

First there's bogging. Authors can begin by commenting on other people's blogs and getting their names and titles out there. Once comfortable with the bogging process, it is a great idea to create a blog featuring a book or books, or one that helps reinforce the author's brand and platform.

Other ways to use social media include networking, such as Facebook or My Space, microblogging, such as Twitter, virtual reader comments, such as Goodreads, YouTube where authors can post videos of readings or events, and online forums dedicated to a relevant and related topic . All these media provide excellent opportunities to connect with readers.

Before beginning it is wise to target the market for a book and try then to determine where those people can be found on the Internet. Pick the platforms that will successfully reach those people and include people of influence in the target audience, those who share their own opinions and sway others.

In addition the Internet offers opportunities to distribute news releases through online newswire services and to send excerpts or articles related to a book for possible publication on a magazine site or blog. As with any worthwhile effort, to be successful at promoting a book on the Internet takes time and research. But the results can be surprisingly effective. << MORE >>

Amazon has just announced that the Kindle digital platform is now available to authors and publishers all around the world to upload and sell their books in English, German, and French. Up until now only authors and publishers based in the United States were able to sell their books in the Kindle format. This is great news for authors and for readers since it opens up the e-commerce of books to everyone who has access to the Internet.

Twenty-five million e-books were downloaded in 2009. That number is expected to grow at geometric proporions in 2010. A new record was set, in fact, on Christmas Day 2009.  That day, for the first time, Amazon sold more e-books than paper and ink books. Why? The reason for the buying bonanza was the high number of people who received Kindle readers as Christmas gifts and went online to purchase their first downloads.

Look for more news on digital publishing formats when the anticpated introduction of the Apple Tablet occurs next week. << MORE >>

Recently both discussion and controversy have sparked around the notion of assigning a separate ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for electronic publications. Some have suggested there should be a separate number for each kind of electronic format in which a book is distributed, that is, for example, separate numbers for Kindle, Sony Reader, and pdf editions. And some suggest just one distinct number for all electronic editions of a book is adequate, while others believe there is no need for a distinguishing assignment beyond the book's original ISBN. To understand how to approach this question, it is good to review the purpose and history of ISBN numbers.

The ISBN is a way of organizing the commerce of the book publishing industry which has been suggested for more than forty years by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization). This non-governmental group, based in Geneva, Switzerland, consists of 163 member countries that come together to create standards for business, government, and society with the goal of creating more efficient ways of working internationally. All compliance to ISO standards is voluntary. There are no laws involved. However the ISBN (managed by the Bowker Company) has been an extremely successful method for tracking books internationally since its inception and is widely used. The notion that different formats of books should have different ISBNs is not a new concept. In fact, the idea goes back to the 1970 ISO consensus that each book format should have a distinct ISBN assigned, and specifically in 2005 the ISO addressed the electronic editions of books as separate formats requiring separate numbers. << MORE >>

Many literary pundets continue to make claims that authors should aim their efforts strictly towards traditional publishing; that other forms of publishing, self-publishing, subsidy publishing, print -on-demand publishing, are scams because the author does not realize the kind of support, promotion, and sales they expect. Critics of the self-publishing services industry paint a picture in which authors at traditional houses sell lots of books and are fairly compensated, while authors who use publishing services receive promises alone. Now one bestselling author, published by a very prestigious publishing house, and listed on the New York Times bestsellers list, tells a very different personal story.

As an established author, Lynn Viehl received a $50,000 advance from Penguin Group to publish her mass market novel Twilight Fall. The book has been very successful, having sold almost 90,000 copies. Her earnings to date on the book have been $24,500 with no money due currently, and she thinks it will take several years to earn back the full advance. Even after she does earn the full advance, she believes that after taxes, commissions to her agent, and other expenses, she will net $24,500 on this bestselling book. By her calculations, the publisher has grossed $450,000 on sales. A full accounting of her experiences including her last royalty statement can be found on her blog, Genreality.

The image portrayed by traditional publishing houses and by literary pundits about all the benefits and advantages of traditional publishing overlook much of the reality. << MORE >>

Content remains king, but technology is challenging the realm. Newspapers, magazines, books, and television will all continue in flux and encounter dramatic changes as the year unfolds.

The recent mega media deal between Comcast and NBC Universal signals the increasing importance of the Internet in delivering television shows and films. Newspapers and magazines are working on delivering their content through readers and finding new ways to earn money to support their base organizations. And in the world of books, the technolgoy is already in place. But the players are changing roles.

The arrival of the Nook will shake up Amazon and Sony. The Kindle and Sony Reader will have a run for their money. And because more and more applications for e-reading are being produced, many more dual screen notebooks and movile devices will eat into the e-reader market.

It should be a very exciting year. << MORE >>

Simon & Schuster cannot be at all pleased that Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Successful People and Principle Centered Leadership, has signed on with Amazon.com for the publishing of the e-book edition of his bestsellers on the Amazon Kindle. The obvious reason for Covey's decision is that Amazon is offering 50 percent royalties on his e-book sales while Simon & Schuster is offering only 25 percent.

Traditional publishers are concerned that this phenomenon will occur frequently with more of the most popular and bestselling authors. They may hold on to digital rights while negotiating contracts for new books. Furthermore in older book contracts, digital rights were not normally delineated. Therefore authors are claiming they hold those rights.

To make matters worse, as I reported earlier in this blog, traditional publishers are delaying in publishing books in e-book format because they want to sell as many copies of the hardback version as they can, and they fear e-books, which carry a lower retail prices, will cut into sales and profits of hardback, more expensive book sales. It would seem traditional publishers continue to hold on to an outdated model. Print on demand and e-book publishing is much more in sync with today's technology and Internet marketing. By clinging to outdated models, the traditional book publishing industry is following the path of the music industry into oblivion. << MORE >>

Television commercials for the Sony Reader abound. Kindles are the most popular selling item on all of Amazon. The recently released Nooks are flying out the warehouses faster than Barnes & Noble can make them. So then it is certain. The publishing industry is finally embracing e-books. But actually that's not quite the true picture. In reality, the resistance of traditional publishers to the technological advances of e-books remains. Just recently Simon & Schuster announced they will delay the publication in e-book form of their most highly anticipated books next year by four months. << MORE >>

One of the most original and promising new ideas I have heard about in the world of book publishing comes from Stephen Elliot, author of seven published books, who created his own Lending Library.  Elliott had the notion that using advance copies of his forthcoming book, The Adderall Diaries, would result in significant advance publicity and ultimately in increased book sales. Through social networking he found 400 readers who signed up to receive, read, and forward on a copy of his book. The original cost for launching the promotion were the costs of the initial number of advance copies produced and of mailing them. The cost to the person receiving the book was only the cost of mailing the book to the next person via parcel post - about $4. 

Elliott found his experiment to be wildly successful in that it gleaned many Facebook conversations and mentions on other social media sites, several articles about the method and the book, interviews, book reviews, and a web site hosted conversation about his book. In other words, he achieved his goal of creating a great deal of buzz about his book before it was actually published.

Previously in this blog when I have discussed the opportunities offered by new technologies for promoting books, I have always suggested that sharing information and generating word of mouth recommendations through social media are excellent means for authors to utilize to create interest in their works. The Lending Library is an extra hook for getting people interested in and talking about a book and may well be worth a try. << MORE >>

In a recent blog post, Alan Rinzler of The Book Deal wrote in praise of his neighborhood bookstore in the Elmwood section of Berkeley, California. You may wish to read his entire, interesting and informative post, “Let’s hear it for Neighborhood Bookstores: Here’s Mine,” right here: http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2009/05/05/lets-hear-it-for-neighborhood-bookstores-heres-mine/

 

Reading it made me think of the under-rated benefits and often ignored value of independent bookstores, so few and far between now in this age of Internet retailers, mega stores, and discount stores. But these courageous, hearty, and dedicated survivors have much to offer authors and publishers, especially self-published authors and publishers offering self-publishing services. Buyers in these stores tend to be readers themselves. They have more interest in the book publishing business than just bigger profits and movie deals. They love books and authors, and they are inclined to take time to read your book and meet with you.

 

A local bookstore is a great place to promote your book. The store may be open to stocking books, hosting a reading, or holding an autograph party. The secret is to connect with a buyer or an owner in the store. Often times the best approach is to call in advance for an appointment and then go in person.  Have a copy or copies of your book with you along with some promotional pieces. Find out what they normally do to promote local authors. Do they have a local author section in the store? Do they have groups meeting at the store itself that might like to meet a local author? Do they host signings, and do they have any autograph parties scheduled? If possible, see if you can be there when other authors are signing their books. That way you may benefit from their promotion and their traffic as well.

 

At Dorrance Publishing, over the years, we have had more success getting local and independent bookstores to promote and stock books than chains. Notwithstanding all the high tech opportunities to promote books discussed previously in this blog, these stores can play an important and valuable role in getting out the word about your book, and they should be a part of your book promotion plan.

 

 

        

Recently two large traditional publishers have opened self-publishing divisions, giving further credence to the notion that, even if not all literary purists approve, many publishing houses themselves believe self-publishing is the wave of the future. Thomas Nelson has launched its self-publishing arm, West Bow Press, and Harlequin has just announced Harlequin Horizons. The self-publishing services they offer do not come cheap, ranging from $599 to $19,999, depending upon the support and marketing services desired. And many bloggers are livid. They see this as publishers cashing in on a growing industry without concern for the quality of books they publish or the dashed expectations of authors who come to them thinking the link to their famous imprint names will guaranty success. But as I mentioned in a previous blog, the former CEO of Harper Collins has put it this way. "What is coming is not an evolution. It is a revolution." << MORE >>