What’s an Elevator Pitch for Your Book?

You Never Get a Second Chance

….. for a First Good Impression!
.

Book Marketing – Elevator Pitch

.
Tips for a Winning Elevator Pitch

What is an Elevator Pitch? This is the 30-60 second description of your book and why someone should buy your book or work with you. It’s called an “Elevator Pitch” because it describes the challenge: “How would you explain your book or your business, if fate placed you in an elevator with your dream prospect and you only had the time it takes to get from the bottom of the building to the top?”

• The purpose of an elevator pitch is not to close a deal. It’s to interest the other person in continuing to talk, or to get someone to want to hear more. That’s IT. There is no other purpose. It is one of the most important parts of the marketing strategy for your book (business).

• Your pitch should be 30 to 60 seconds, and it needs to end with a question, “call to action” or other appropriate closer. Consider a generic closer such as, “Does that sound like something you would look at or that interests you?” That lets the listener respond and if they are interested, they will ask questions. • Content is as important as your delivery. If the content of a pitch is uninspiring or uninteresting it won’t matter if it’s well-delivered and the perfect length.

• There are differences between verbal and written pitches, between the way people speak and the way they write. Many people have trouble with this. But as a writer you are able to write a dialogue then you are also able to tell your elevator pitch to someone in a natural and conversational way.

• Show your passion. Act like a parent showing off pictures of their newborn or their star little children’s fashion model. If you’re not excited about your project, nobody else will be.

• Use your time wisely. Most people are way too busy and constantly overloaded with information. They have to make quick decisions about what deserves their attention and what doesn’t. Grab their attention immediately, work hard at making your pitch as compelling or intriguing as possible.
.

See examples of elevator pitches on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98WlZJqscVk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMYD6snLI5g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqsWKaR9Q6M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-ZpP4j09s0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMFFZ0lj41I

You never know when you are going to come across someone who will ask, “What’s your book about?” At conferences, there are mealtimes, hallway chatting times and countless other times when someone might ask you this question. Always have yours ready! Always be prepared: you never have a second chance for a first good impression!

Read more: 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2013/03/26/six-simple-and-irresistible-alternatives-to-the-elevator-pitch/

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4034-elevator-pitch-tips.html 

http://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/fix-your-elevator-speech.html

.

<><><><><>

.

If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book heavily promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only a “token” of $1 / day for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/seminar

Please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 730 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

The Secret of Success with Social Media

.
Word-of-Mouth Content Marketing

If you’re in the midst of developing one of the more than one million books that are published every year, it’s time to start thinking about how you are going to market your book … because in today’s publishing environment, it’s up to you to build momentum for your work.

However, if all you do on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook is to hawk your book or try to interest agents and editors in your manuscript you are probably not going to get anywhere.  This is not to say you can not ever talk about the interesting things you’re doing, this just can’t be all that you’re doing.

People on Social Media want content, and sharing content has become one important aspect of it. Create content that your target audience loves! The true allure of content marketing is in building an audience.

Social sharing provides signals to Google about which content is high quality; but more than that, social media provides networked, word-of-mouth publicity.
.

10 Commands of Social Networking

Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, blogs, websites…

1. Social Media is instant communication.  Managing time for  requests, connections, and comments is important.
2. Be upfront and honest.
3. Don’t try to do everything at once. Take it one Social Network at a time.
4. Treat connections with respect. Followers and friends are so important.
5. You have a great reach across the internet? People want to connect with people.
6. It’s not about the most connections when it comes to Social Networking, It’s about having relevant connections.
7. Be comfortable in the network(s).  Be able to be your authentic self.
8. Automate posts – in order to save time you can spend individually with your followers
9. Ask questions and share, share, share. Everyone has questions, some have answers. Get a dialog going…. After all, Social Media is about sharing.
10. Set-up your bio(s) for optimization. Use key words that will attract the type of people that you want to connect with.
    .

Ask yourself ”how am I truly adding value to my networks today?”  Start thinking about Social Media as a conversation not a transaction.  You will get really frustrated if you think it’s an immediate fix. Social media is important, maybe even crucial for writers today. Don’ t forget: customers always buy from those they know and like.

.

<><><><><>

.

If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book heavily promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only a “token” of $1 / day for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/seminar

Please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 730 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

How Can You Publicize Your Book for FREE?

.

.

There are lots of possibilities to let everyone know about your book, here are just a few. Browsing through this extensive blog, you will find hundreds more!  Most important is to have a solid amount of friends and followers on Goodreads, FB, Twitter and Google+ and long list of opt-in email addresses to send out invitations for your book launch.
.

Announce books on these book reader’s blogs and websites:

http://www.ebooksjustpublished.com/about

http://jcphelps.blogspot.com/p/submit-content.html

http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=authors

http://www.Goodreads.com

http://books.google.com/googlebooks/tour/

Google writes:  “Once you send Google your titles (or upload them as PDF files), we’ll add them to our index for free. By matching the content in your books with user searches, Google Books connects your books with the users who are most interested in buying them. Each Google Books result will display the book’s title and author, a short excerpt containing the highlighted search terms, and other public data about the book.”

.

Get as many book reviews as possible:

Just some samples of many. To find reviewers is so much easier if you are well-established in Goodreads communities and other writer / book forums. Start a book giveaway on Goodreads at least a month before your book will be printed (create “dummies” with the help of a digital copy/print company or through “espresso book machines”. When giving out these early copies, try to solicit as many reviews as possible. Use the best reviews for blurbs on your final book cover.
.

http://www.GoodReads.com

http://www.Wattpad.com

http://bookreviewclub.blogspot.ca/

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=47

http://www.amazon.com/tag/kindle/forum

If you have an Amazon account, you could visit the Amazon Kindle forum, where Kindle users share their experiences with the Kindle reader, and also talk about books available for the Kindle. Many authors also post about their new books and join the conversations. When you introduce yourself, consider telling folks there about your book.  Be polite and conversational in tone, and be sure to provide direct hyperlinks to your book page.
.

Start early! If you’re waiting until the book is finished to start marketing, you’re already behind the curve. As an author, you should devote a portion of every day to get your name out there and to build relationships with prospective readers, partners and friends.
.

All books live or die based on word of mouth!
If you try to build your network after you release your book, you’ll face a more difficult challenge. If you build a large social network BEFORE you release your book, your marketing efforts will be much more successful.
.
Help is on the way:
If you have a full-time job and / or other commitments and not at least an hour per day left to build your platform and network with potential readers, let us do a good part of your book PR, and at the same time teach you how it can be done on a very low budget – all for only a dollar / day.  Read more about the extensive package we offer for 3 months-promotion of your book.

.

<><><><><>

.

Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

Don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks

.

.

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

How to Write a Fair Book Review

,

Book Reviews

.
Favorable reviews can do wonders to build an author’s reputation and persuade readers to buy the book. Book reviews are kind of editorial content, and more compelling for many readers than advertising. Reviews are especially important for novelists, as readers of fiction expect a well-written, compelling story, particularly from debut authors.

Reading book reviews, receiving book reviews for your own work, discussing book reviews – it never leaves you cool. And now you are asked to write a review.
.

Your questions might be:

• What should the review contain?
• Can I voice my opinion?
• What are the do’s and don’ts of reviews?

.
Play the Game

Introduce the book title and its author and why you wanted to read it. Tell readers what the book is about in two or three sentences. Name the main characters and basic plot, but don’t give away any secrets or the ending.

Write about what you liked in the book or didn’t like and why. Share some of your favorite parts or quotes from the book. What did you think of the main character?

Share your opinion of the book. Would you recommend it to your friends? Why or why not? Do you think some people would like it but not others? Why? Did this book remind you of any other books you’ve read?

.
Review Writing Techniques

• While Reading:
  Take notes while reading the book, including the page number of interesting content, to make the review writing easier and to remember important points. Record impressions.
• Opening
  Try to capture the reader’s attention with an interesting opening sentence. The introduction should state your central thesis, and set the tone of the review.Outline the title of the book, the genre, the author and maybe if it is a newly launched book. What is the general field or genre, and how does the book fit into it?
• Content, Theme
  Describe the content or theme, what goes on in the story, introduce some of the main characters and elements. From what point of view is the work written? What is the author’s style? Is it formal or informal? Does it suit the intended audience?Write it a briefly, general story line, as not to spoil the readers experience. This rule must always be followed: never give away the ending.
• Plot
  Then review the plot. Here you should think about (and by think about, write down) how good the plot was. Was the plot fast paced or subdued’, was the plot a good length, or was it all over too quick, was easy or difficult to follow. This part of your review is really important, as the plot is what drives a story in a fiction book.
• Characters
  How does the author portray his characters? How do they develop? Are the characters in the book interesting or not, did they fit with the plot? Or has the author a very distinct writing style? Use quotations to illustrate important points or peculiarities.
• Compare to other Books
  What you liked / disliked and why, always give examples. Was the story interesting, entertaining, instructive. Comment on things you enjoyed and did not enjoy.
• Non-fiction Books:
  What sources did the author use – primary or secondary? How does he make use of them? What has the book accomplished? Is further work needed? Compare the book to others by this author or by other writers.
• Conclusion
  It can include a final assessment or simply restate your thesis.
• Before you Publish
  Edit, spell-check, correct grammar, refine. Allow some time to elapse before going over your review. Carefully read through the text, looking for clarity and coherence.

.

Reviews Don’ts:
Unfortunately there are these “collectors” of free books on Amazon, who click on every book that doesn’t cost anything on a particular day, no matter if it interests them or not. Later they might read it – and often slash it in a very unprofessional manner. What can you do about it as an author, will be the topic of a future blog post.
.
Even when it is most difficult, a review is not an emotional response to a book, and should not be used as an opportunity to criticize an author’s personality. A book review should never be used as a “bully pulpit” for the reviewer to preach to others about his or her own beliefs.
.
A review is not a synopsis of the books content. A review should tell readers what the reviewer thought of the book from multiple perspectives, not to repeat the book blurb.
.
Try to avoid platitudes, such as “I could not put it down”, “a page turner” or “it kept me up all night”

.
Reviewers Role
Take care to be impartial. If you’re reviewing a book by a favorite author of yours, approach it skeptically. If you disagree with an author’s philosophy or politics, keep an open mind. Your task is not to champion or chastise the author – it is to evaluate the merits of the work.

.
As more reviews you write – as easier it gets, and as more fun you will have. You will be surprised to see: As more reviews you write, as more reviews you will receive in turn for your own books. It’s a two-way street … And: writing reviews is the most precious gift you can make to any writer!

 .

<><><><><>

.

If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book heavily promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only a “token” of $1 / day for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/seminar

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 700 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

.

.
Hyper Smash
.
.

Pingates

 

Gratitude for 160,000 Readers – and Apology

.

.

Today’s post is a big THANK YOU to all my readers of the last 22 months. 

Thanks for signing up, coming here day for day, and for recommending this blog to your friends and

fellow writers. And thanks for writing comments – of which 99% are praise and encouragement.
.

I really enjoy writing these tips for authors and if I would have the time, I would write even more.

Well, time constrains … working on my computer, often for 16 hours a day, including weekends, I still

cannot follow up with everything. I am giving lectures in publishing and book marketing and have to

travel extensively and when I am back in the office, I struggle to make up for the time lost. My clients

who signed up for book marketing need help and advice, new books have to be created, articles to be

written, meetings with our computer whiz, social media tasks to be full-filled… the chores are never

ending. But I am sure, most of you have the same struggles.

Last night I was  shocked when I discovered that I had not yet answered 492 comments during the

last months. It’s not that I haven’t seen them from time to time, but always in a hurry to finish my blog

posts, I thought I will answer them later, and did not realize how many have finally accumulated, who

needs approval or answer. I immediately stopped and started to work on these, but certainly could not

finish them all and will work on more these days.
.

Sorry to all of you who did not (yet) get a reply:  I really appreciate your comments a lot!  And I am

extremely thankful for such a loyal following.  Please bear with me :  )  even when I am not answering

immediately.  Please also know that English is not my mother language and I am writing

constantly with a dictionary and a Thesaurus on my screen, which sometimes slows me down a bit.

.
Again, thanks for all you comments and your loyalty and I hope, you will get lots of encouragement,

from reading these tips  and implementing it into your publishing and book marketing career.

All the very best and have a great Easter week.

Doris

.

<><><><><>

.

 

“Grace Unexpected”, a Romantic Comedy by Gale Martin

.

Today we meet Gale Martin, the author of Grace Unexpected, the dating life of a 30-something: Grace has slogged through crummy jobs and dead-end relationships with men who would rather go bald than say “I do” …    

.

How would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?
Grace Unexpected is a romantic comedy about a smart, fun-loving professional woman who blunders into an unexpected romantic triangle.

.

Grace Unexpected by Gale Martin

.

Grace Unexpected has a promotion on Sunday, March 24, and is available at all retailers for only $0.99.  So, readers can take advantage of this amazing offer and download chick-lit at its finest. Wit, drama and surprise fill every page. A 5- star read. 273 pages of fun!

.

Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp?

Love will find you, if you let it.

.

How did you get the idea for the novel?
I don’t travel to the extent that a lot of people do, I suppose, so any trip I take makes a profound impression on me. When I visited Shaker Village in Canterbury, New Hampshire in 2005, I couldn’t stop thinking about the place. Everyone’s lives were so neat and ordered and prescribed. The idea of a place for everything (and everyone) and everything in its place is attractive, to a degree, until it becomes stifling.
So, when I learned men and women were expected to live in celibate community in Shaker Village during the 19th and most of the 20th centuries, it profoundly affected me. I am a better person for having found a wonderful, loving man for a life partner. The more I thought about it, the more severe it seemed to restrict an entire culture of women intimacy with the opposite sex while LIVING alongside men. I wrote a short story about Grace visiting Shaker Village that eventually evolved into a novel.

.
Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
“I absolutely LOVED Gale Martin’s, Grace Unexpected and recommend it to anyone who loves chick lit. Grace Unexpected has it all: sexual frustration, great friendships, witty dialogue, hilarious scenes, and even a shocking twist thrown in that will shock you!  Do yourself a favor and read this great book, you won’t be disappointed!” — Candace Lybarger, Endless Days of Literary Ecstacy

.
Are your characters based on real people?
My characters are inspired by real people because real people are hilarious and infuriating and endearing, alternately. In this novel Lacy is is several wretched annual fund directors rolled into one treacherous young woman. True was inspired by a very charismatic 60-something I met when I was 30-something, whose charm and physical appeal left an indelible impression on me.

.

What inspired you to start writing?

After being a lifelong reader, I woke up one day in midlife and started writing a novel. It helped me deal with a lot of heart hurts I’d accumulated but hadn’t surfaced since my teenage years, and I found the writing to be actually pretty cathartic. So, I began writing at age 46 and haven’t stopped writing since.

.

 

What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author?

Here’s an excerpt of a review from Barbara Bamberger Scott that shows she gets me as a storyteller: “Martin has taken a likable smart young woman and dropped her into what seems like an overwhelming series of landslides (relationship woes, job stress, sprained shoulder, car on the blink, enemy of the powerful) and then it seems, she watches with us as her character comes alive and digs herself out. We are all amazed at Grace.”
.

If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be? Today on Oprah we’re talking to women who fell in love with much younger men and women who fell for much older men. Can relationships with either (or both) can really work? In Gale Martin’s newest novel, her protagonist Grace Savage becomes involved with one of each–a young stud and a silver fox.

.

Gale Martin

.
What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of, and why?

Beginning on p. 171 — “If you’ve ever grown zucchini, you know they all ripen the same day. You wait all of June and July for zucchini. August rolls around, and one day—bam! You have more zucchini than you know what to do with. You start handing them out to your neighbors and friends at work because there’s no way any single person can handle all that zucchini. Not even if you’re smart and resourceful and have accumulated dozens of good recipes, not even a person who likes zucchini as much as I do.”

I love that passage because it shows how funny and literary Grace is, relying on an extended metaphor to carry the humor.
.

Grace Unexpected can be found at Amazon

Barnes&Noble  and Local Booksellers / Kobo

Grace Unexpected has a promotion on Sunday, March 24, and is available at all retailers for only $0.99.  So, readers can take advantage of this amazing offer and download chick-lit at its finest. Wit, drama and surprise fill every page. A 5-star read. 273 pages of fun!

.
<><><><><>

.

.

 

Watching TV Every Day? Success Indicator?

.
Mary Ellen Tribby created this Success Indicator, Info-Graphic by MetEdge Do you want to know whether or not you are headed for success? See which side is the better one… As it might be hard to read, here the traits on the left side: The Success Factor Indicator

Successful People

• Have a sense of gratitude 
• Forgive others 
• Accept responsibility for their failures 
• Compliment 
• Read everyday 
• Keep a journal 
• Talk about ideas 
• Want others to succeed 
• Share information and data 
• Keep a “to-be” list 
• Exude joy 
• Keep a “to-do/project” list 
• Set goals and develop life plans 
• Embrace change 
• Give others credit for their victories 
• Operate from a trans-formational perspective

 

.

.
A larger version can be found on Empirella.com or at Stephen’s Lighthouse

Note the one indicator for successful people:  READ EVERYDAY !  Like that!

.

<><><><><>

.

 

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

How to Get More Followers on Your Google+ Page

.

.

Google+ or Google Plus, no matter how you write it, is an author’s best friend. Why? Here are just a couple of reasons to join for the ones that are not already on Google Plus, more in an article from September 2011 “7 Reasons to be on Google+“:

.

Search Engine Ranking:  As the main search engine Google indexes and ranks its own site much higher than any other content. Google+ posts are easily indexed by Google search, and unlike tweets or Facebook posts, are treated much like regular web pages. That means a well-constructed G+ post – with a main keyword in the first sentence / title and a good amount of engagement – can rank well in Google search and stay ranked for a long time.
.

Google+ helps in building your author rank content, and your author reputation will be determined by your Google+ activity, e.g. how many +1′s (Likes or re-tweets) you receive and in how many circles you are.
.
An important step in claiming authorship is to link from your blog to your Google+ profile and linking back from Google+ to your blog.
.

On Google+ authors can create a separate page for each of their books. You have immense space to show images, such as your books cover, even if it has 36 MB, which I just tried out. And you can show images as often as you want during the day. Important tip: Always add the image of your book cover first, and once it shows up, add text and link to Amazon, B&N etc. If you start with the link, only the ugly generic icon from Amazon appears, not showing your cover at all.
.

On Google+ you can publish your press releases, blogs, testimonials, case studies and news. The difference with Google+ is that your content, if found, will be listed at the top of Google personal results mixed in with traditional search results.
.

Google+ works with “circles”, which will enable you to “separate” your readers from your private followers or to divide genres in which you write, for sample romance from children’s book readers. Each of your posts can get different audiences.
.

Another great feature are the “Hangouts”, which can be “used for interviews, small-group Webinars, question and answer sessions etc.
.

Then there is the Event-Planner where book launches and book signings can be announced, including a map where the event takes place. This way an author in Melbourne, Australia can invite people to her book signing or a book launch party in New Orleans can be brought to the attention of readers. URL

.
Set up the automatic function of transferring your Google+ posts to Twitter, as described in a blog last month.
.

Don’t forget to be “social” and comment and +plus other peoples content. It is called social network, not advertising board, so engage a bit with others and appreciate their posts, it is a two-way lane after all…
.

How can you get lots of followers on your Google+ presence?

• First of all your Google+ page needs to be attractive for visitors: Spend some time optimizing your Google+ page and building it up with content and posts before you start promoting your presence.
• Use lots of images, get links to free images at former blog posts, where we listed free photo sites.
• Announce your Google+ page on your other social media sites.
  If people are following you on social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter, they already find value in the content you are sharing.
• Write a blog post about your new Google+ Page,
  what you’ll be sharing there, and why your blog readers should want to follow you.
• Include a Google+ Badge on your blog or website.
  Link your Google+ page to your site. Get more recommendations for your site in Google search and grow your audience on Google+. Just go to Google developers and copy / paste the code there into your website code (choose between an icon, or a small or standard badge).

.
Now you can invite people into your circles:

1. Use the icon on the left side of your Google+ page, from there go to “find people” around reader keywords: (type them into the search function on top of your page) book lovers – book worms – reading – books – reads – literature – e-books – Kindle books – publishing – novels etc. and add interesting people to your circles. Try to find readers, not writers and build your own circles.
2. Visit other Google+ circles to find like-minded “Googler’s”
3. Transfer your Gmail account contacts and add them to your circles

Bill Hartzer gives these tips in a great post:

– Follow people and add them to a Circle.
– Wait a period of time and see if they follow you back.
– If they aren’t active and they haven’t followed you back, then consider removing them from your Circles.
The timing of all of this (adding people to Circles, waiting for them to follow you back, removing them from Circles, etc.) is really up to you–I recommend keeping it to about 250 people a day, although there are some limits on Google+:

– You can only follow 5000 people at any one time.
– There is NO limit to the number of people who can follow you.
– There is a limit to adding people to circles, which is 1000 per day.

Read his very useful post with lots of screen shots.

A great help in establishing your Google+ presence is Guy Kawasaki’s e-book (only 99cents) “What the Plus” – which we already described in a former blog post.
.

Google+, which was only officially launched in June 2011, has now already more than 400 million registered users, and more than 135 million active users and is rapidly growing. Compare it with Twitter which has only 500 million total users after almost seven years, and more than 200 million active users. Let us know about YOUR Google+ presence and we will add you into our circles. Find our brand new publishing page http://bit.ly/VmtVAS which we just launched, beside the other page, that has around 2,000 followers and 4,600 following (no time to un-follow : )

Google+ is just like any other social network. In order to be social, you need to have friends. You need other people on your social network to interact with, people who are active members of that social network. If they don’t log in on a regular basis and keep their profile active, they can’t interact with you.

.

<><><><><><>

.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 600 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

How to Add Friends (Readers) on Goodreads

.

.

Goodreads, THE social media site for avid readers, is a virtual version of a book club and a great opportunity to show off your own books as an author, to find new readers and reviewers and join a book lover community.  So, you signed up on Goodreads and what now? (I heard this comment pretty often…)  First of all you need an audience, as on all Social Media sites and forums. As larger as better!

How do I add friends – old and new ones?
Adding friends is easy. Before you search for new friends on Goodreads, encourage your existing friends to sign up for a Goodreads account and to friend you on the site. Goodreads has an easy “Add Friends” tool that searches through your existing friends list on Facebook, Twitter or contacts from Yahoo! Mail, AOL, MSN eMail and Google’s Gmail. See which friends are already Goodreads members and add them.
.

Find Friends From

Gmail

Hotmail

Facebook

Twitter

yahoo

.
Friends of friends

When you get a “Friends Requests” by email and you go to their Goodreads page, you will see the invitation to add your Yahoo / Twitter / Facebook / Gmail…. contacts to your Goodreads friends on the top right corner.

.

 Friends > Requests

	from		confirmation
		Nancy 572 books 225 friends Glen Riddle Lima, PA	Friendship approved top friend2 hours, 23 min agocompare books
		Patrick 59 books 610 friends	Friendship approved top friend6 hours, 58 min agocompare books

.
If you already have the profile link for someone you’d like to friend, just go to their profile, then click “add as a friend” which is beneath the “about me” section.

If you want to find your friends on Goodreads and you don’t have profile links, just click on the tiny friends icon in the header of your page, which is located directly to the left of your profile image. Then select the “add friends” tab. The “friends of friends” button (a bulk function) works only if you have less than 1,000 friends. But you can certainly click on friends of friends on their site manually and “add as a friend”.
.

There is also this function “Meet People”, where you can find top users, top readers, top reviewers or most popular reviewers for sample, to invite them as friends:

Meet People

• top users
• top readers
• top reviewers
• most popular reviewers
• best reviews
• online now
• most followed
• top librarians
• recent statuses
• recent reviews

You can even invite friends to Goodreads on the iPhone app. Goodreads explains:

You can invite friends from your phone’s address book, your email contacts, or your Facebook friends.
1) From the home screen, tap ‘Friends’ (it should be on the bottom right).
2) On the top right, select ‘Add Friends’.
3) From there, you will be asked where you want to search for your friends. Choose appropriately*.
4) Contacts already on Goodreads will have an ‘add’ button, while contacts who haven’t yet joined will have an ‘invite’ button. Tap ‘add’ to send a friend request or tap ‘invite’ to send an invitation to Goodreads.
.
*Choosing ‘email contacts’ will take you into your browser. Choosing ‘Facebook friends’ might open the Facebook app to ask you to grant posting permission – don’t worry, we won’t post anything unless you tap ‘invite’ next to a Facebook contact.

Using all these possibilities to add friends to Goodreads you should have a thousand or more new readers / friends in no time. As always, use Goodreads’ HELP section for any questions you might have, and if it is not covered and a search doesn’t bring results, drop them an email..

Take advantage of the great possibilities at Goodreads to present your book:
Listing your print book for a giveaway is a great way to get free exposure for a book before and during its launch. List any title that is not yet released or was released during the last 6 months. Or upload an e-book with the “add e-book” links and let users browse, preview, download, and even purchase your work.

.

<><><><><>

.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 600 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow us on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

Are You a Good Party Guest?

.

.
.
When Thinking of Social Media, Think of a Big Party!

Imagine you are invited to a big party.  You are entering the room, you say hello to everyone, you small-talk a bit, you participate in a discussion, you listen what others say, you make some compliments or praise someone, you have fun and you show yourself from your best side – or at least that’s what it is supposed to be. However there are some who do not know or respect the unwritten party rules:
.

There are these party guests who seem to be very uncomfortable: They don’t look at you, speak and look into another direction, you see only their back and their hair, or they wear a huge hat, pulled deep into their face or equally strange, they wear big sun glasses, so that you cannot see their eyes.
.

Now imagine some of the party guests are not introducing themselves, they come in, don’t look at anyone, put up their business sign and tell everyone, who stops by: “This is my book, go get it”, pointing at their sign:  Nothing else… buy my book, buy my book, buy my book… and never have a conversation with others.
.

Then there are these annoying braggers, who are constantly talking about their statistics, how many potential customers they have (followers/un-followers), something no one is interested in or wants to hear.
.

Some of the guests are not very polite either, they only talk with one person during the whole party, even when they are surrounded with lots of other people, whom they just ignore.
.

And then there are party guests who are totally involved into their parenting role, they are constantly showing total strangers pictures of their young ones and you can bet, at their social media accounts is not an image of them, but of their kids, or at least having their toddlers included in the photo (same with pets).  Others show anyone they meet (even in their avatars), pictures of their boat, car or motor home… Folks, no one is interested in your motor home, potential party guests (readers) want to see YOU or learn about you and not about your gadgets!
.

Other party guests are literally glued to their partner, like Siamese twins, they adore each other and show the whole world how much they are in love. They barely have a conversation with someone else, but kiss and touch each other constantly.  Not sure why they came at all, maybe for the free drinks.
.

Some party guests are telling a lot about their private life:  which diseases they survived, single parenthood they master etc. – not a party theme at all.  Would they tell the same if they are invited for an interview or a meeting with a potential publisher?
.
Shine at the Social Media party! Be social! And use the same photo at Social Media sites that you use or would use on your book’s cover:  a professional one. You want to introduce yourself as a serious writer.  Don’t show kids, lovers, gadgets or beer bottles in your photos.
Here are some writers who show professionalism in their avatar: Lorijo Metz – Peter Standish Evans – Rose Edmunds – Brinda Carey or Cheryl Danielson, just to name a few.

 

You are at parties to have fun, including the big Social Media party, so be a good sport, be social with everyone and do represent your book business professionally. It’s a shop window for you and your books, even your business card… which you show there to total strangers, maybe agents, publishers, editors or to influential bloggers.

Which type of party guest / Social Media guests do you like best? Or who do you avoid?

.

<><><><><>

.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 600 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

2013 and Beyond: Social Media Future

.

.

Social Media Predictions 

Cheryl Burgess interviewed Social Media leaders and wrote a great post how small businesses, and I will add: including self-publishers, benefit from Social Media and how to use it. Here are some of the expert voices:

“Content will rise to the occasion in the vast sea of social media.”
Which means: don’t bore your readers with follow/un-follow statistics or with the same old
repetitions to buy your book – rather post interesting news or facts for them!

.
“…realize that social media is also very important for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Companies will begin to understand that social content, and SEO are linked and more
integrated than ever.”
This is especially true for Google+. Your posts there go directly into Google’s search
engines (ranking).

.
“… small businesses will realize they either get on that bus or they’ll be waving goodbye to
the opportunity to be in front of people … and some, if not all, of their business.”
Writers who are asking “why should I be on Social Media?”, could also ask “why should I
promote and sell my book?” See a recent blog post on this this.
.

“Small businesses around the globe will learn valuable photo and video-editing skills to help
drive their social media marketing efforts”.
Get “111 Tips to Create Your Book Trailer” to prepare for this:  Amazon.com/dp/B008Y15YYO

.

“Finally, the coming year will see a greater integration of social media into all marketing
practices so it becomes a part of a small business’ way of doing business.”

Read the whole article about Social Media’s future.

.

<><><><><>
.

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

2012 in Review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

What a lovely idea!  I was totally surprised … : )

Here’s an excerpt:

19,000 people fit into the new Barclays Center to see Jay-Z perform. This blog was viewed about 100,000 times in 2012. If it were a concert at the Barclays Center, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

7 Great Features for Authors on Goodreads

.

.

Many authors mentioned to be overwhelmed after signing up at Goodreads  with the complexity of the site and I experienced the same initially and even had to write them several times e.g. to get advice how to take advantage of the blogging feature on their site.
.
Yet, if taken one task at a time, you will be surprised how much you can get out of Goodreads’ site – even though they don’t explain it very well. Let me a bit clarify in a series of blogs how to maximize your social media presence – and the success of your book – at Goodreads. I have the impression that readers trust reviews and book recommendations more on Goodreads than on other sites.  Here is how you can improve your Goodreads presence:
.
First of all:  Get more “friends” and “fans”.
To do this you can click on any persons name and when their site appears, “click on add as a friend”. Do the same also with their friends and fans and in no time you will have quite a few followers. You may also add FB or Twitter followers. When receiving a notification by email thank the person with a welcoming email to show your appreciation. Use the icons for Google+ and FB on the left hand site of their Goodreads page. Click on them to spread the word about this site (and invite your friends to do the same on your own one).

Join the Author Program
Published one or more books? It’s completely free to join this Author Program and it will allow you to manage your own book data.
.
Here are just a few benefits of the Author Program:

1. Write a blog or import your blog. Authors are the only members of Goodreads who can have blogs, and author blogs are a great place to start a conversation. You can add a link to your personal website or blog and add the Goodreads Author widget to show off reviews of your books
2. Publicize upcoming events, such as book signings and speaking engagements
3. Participate in an online Q and A session with your readers
4. List giveaways for print copies of your books
5. Share excerpts of any upcoming publications
6. Post videos about your books or anything you choose
7. Share your list of favorite books and recent reads with your fans

How to join the Author Program? Start at your author dashboard:

• If you are already a Goodreads member, make sure you are signed in. If not, sign up for an account.
• Search for yourself and click on your published author name. The author name is listed below the title of your book in the search results.
• Clicking on your name takes you to your basic author profile page. This page has your name at the top and “author profile” to the right of your name. This page is part of our database of books and authors and is separate from your member profile page (which lists your bookshelves and friends).
• Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click “Is this you?” to send a request to join the Author Program.
• It might take a few days to process your request. You will receive an email confirmation when your user account is upgraded to an author account. Joining the program merges your author page with your member page. The email will also contain further instructions for managing your author profile. .

Who can join?
The Author Program  is designed for writers with published books, or who are in the process of publishing a book. If your book is self-published and is not yet in the Goodreads database, you may manually add it.
.
Take advantage of the great possibilities at Goodreads to present your book:
Listing your print book for a giveaway is a great way to get free exposure for a book before and during its launch. List any title that is not yet released or was released during the last 6 months. Or upload
an e-book with the “add e-book” links and let users browse, preview, download, and even purchase your work.

.

Meet you at Goodreads  and please let me know of any Goodreads topics / questions you might learn about or have them answered here on this blog.  What are your experiences with Goodreads?

.

<><><><><>

.
If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 600 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

CELEBRATING !!! 100,000 Readers on this Blog

.
.

• 100,000 all-time
• 248 today
  
• 582 views on your busiest day, December 4, 2012
  

A big THANKS to everyone of my readers here on SavvyBookWriters .  Today is the big day for this blog: The first 100,000 reader mark is reached.  What a number!  100,000

Thank you for signing up, thank you for commenting on the blog and through social media, and thank you to the guest bloggers on this site!

I couldn’t  imagine this in April 2011, just one and a half years ago, when SavvyBookWriters started very slowly.  Sometimes, there where only five or ten blog readers a day, no wonder, as I had no social media presence whatsoever.  And I must admit that English is not my mother language and I often struggle with my writing. But writing every day improved it – I hope.
.

Two things helped, and they will help you as an author of books as well:

1. Persistence – don’t give up, even if you have a very slow start
2. Get enough audience, join Google+, Twitter, FB, Goodreads …
   .

My goal for future blogs is to bring you fresh and valuable information. Take advantage of these free tips on publishing and marketing your books and subscribe, just click on FOLLOW.  As a blogger feel free to re-post one of the 620 articles that you think are useful for your own readers. Yes, and interesting guest blogs are certainly always welcome!

.

<><><><><>

.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 600 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing
or here:

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008Y15YYO

https://plus.google.com/113988101794370708359/posts

http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/111publishing

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/429942674

http://chime.in/user/ebooksinternational

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

 

Secret of a Terrific Guest Blog

.

.

There is a fantastic way to gain exposure for your book here on this blog: Guest Posting.
Authors asked me so many times about the concept of guest blog posting, that I am summarizing it here again:
.
The whole idea is to create a well-written article and contribute to a successful blog that has many readers to whom you can introduce yourself as an author. Get not only your name out, show off your writing skills, give useful tips (or write about mistakes you learned from) but also have a link to your book sales page, included in a short bio, to invite readers to check out your book and buy it.  Your guest blog will not only appear on this site, but also dozens of times over a period of months on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Chime.in, StumpleUpon and Google+ to ten thousands of readers.

.

Do some brainstorming:

• What would you have done differently while writing / editing / publishing
• Is there any advice you would give new writers
• What was your biggest book marketing success so far
• What are your experiences with editors, publishers, book cover artists etc.
• Are there any publishing news you would like to share
• What is the secret of your books success

.
There is so much to write about your experience!

Blog articles should be new and unpublished, content rich and pertain to the craft or business of writing, editing, publishing, or book marketing. Best length is between 500 and 800 words. Get more tips here in former blog posts:

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/authors-want-pr-for-your-book/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/guest-blogging-etikette/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/3-surefire-ways-to-get-more-traffic-at-no-cost/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/would-you-like-to-write-a-guest-post/

.
Guest Blogging is one of the many steps you can take to establish your brand as an author.  As more steps you take, as higher you will climb…  If you like to write ab guest post just drop me a line:  111publishing  a t   gmail.com

.

<><><><><>

.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 600 of them : )  if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates