3 Frequently Asked Questions by Writers

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Some author-publishers want to “just write”. Not even write a blog, guest blog, articles for newspapers or God-forbit, “waste time on Social Media”. However, in order to “just write”, and if no money comes in within days or weeks, then you will have to stay at the day job, all week long doing something other than writing. You will only make money by selling books, and the first step in selling a book is to get in contact with potential readers and show that your book exists.  For a self-published author, Social Media is the only gateway to a global audience that doesn’t cost money, only your time and a bit effort to social “network”.

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Question #1: I Follow People on Twitter – But They Don’t Follow Back

Did you just click on “Following” – and nothing else? Or did you frequently re-tweet or engage otherwise with them? They are certainly not obliged to follow, it’s voluntarily, but you have to give them a reason, other than just click on following. Think about your appearance or your tweets:

• Do you have an appealing avatar (portrait) and introduction, so that people are enticed to follow you?
• What are you tweeting? Is it newsworthy, funny, useful? Or are you talking only about your book?

If you go to a party and and just say hello or nod at someone, and continue into the room to get a drink, do you expect people to run after you, trying to invite you into a conversation? Social Media is like a big party. As more interesting you are and as more friendly and social, and as more communicative  you are, as more people will want to talk with you.

Replying to someone’s tweet, is a great way to make friends and followers on Twitter. Asking them a question, sharing a success, or otherwise adding value to the conversation will most likely get you a response, and probably a follower.

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Question #2: How Do I Get Followers on Google+

… and also: Why should I be on GooglePlus? It is one of the most important Social Networks for authors – if not THE BEST in terms of your Google Search Engine ranking. Success.com sums it up in an article:
Share good content, people will spread the word, and you’ll get more followers. Add the Google+ badge to your website and blog, help people, make meaningful comments and invite people to join your circles.

Authors can start a main page on GooglePlus and separate sites for each of their books. Google+ allows to create up to 50 pages. Please do read this article by moz.com about Google+ for higher search engine rankings:

How to build your Google+ circles, filled with potential followers, is explained in lots of articles and YouTube videos, just a few links of many:

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-Circles-in-Google%2B

http://websearch.about.com/od/web20/p/Google-Circles.htm

http://www.martinshervington.com/what-are-google-circles/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7vxTKvi3e0#t=11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slwgtb803WY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVrV2-dr3FU

For a FREE PDF book, how to use Google+ get the links here:

https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/15-reasons-to-be-on-google/

https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/how-to-make-use-of-google-as-
an-author/

As an author you want to interact with potential readers, reviewers, book bloggers and book clubs – find these people by using the search function on top of your Google+ site.

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Question #3:  I Had a Radio/TV Interview – But Nothing Came Out of It … 
When I hear this, my first reply is:

• What did you do with the interview?
• How did you promote this free promotion?
• Did you promote your interview that you got on a blog website, podcast, TV show, or radio, before and after the event?

Much like other public appearances, radio interviews are a great way to get attention: AM/FM, satellite, internet, or even Blog Talk Radio, the interviews can be used to gain some positive and popular PR.

There are lots of Possibilities to Promote Your Interview:

• Before and after, on Social Media: Promote upcoming interviews – “Looking forward to talking with radio host …at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Love his show!” “Like” the interview show on Facebook,follow the host on Twitter, and look for other ways to cross promote. Get busy tweeting after the interview: “Great conversation with …. on Wednesday! If you missed the show, here’s a link.”
• Get a copy of the taped interview
  Use the link to show the video on your sales pages, e.g. on your Amazon author page, your Goodreads page (or other book lovers sites) and on Google+, where you can post it as many times as you want in your timeline and on all your pages or communities.
• Re-blog your interview on book blogger sites to your own blog, and promote it heavily on Social Media.
• Write an article on your own blog about the experience of being interviewed on radio or TV, give fellow authors tips, and promote this blog post.

Last, but not least: Get the next interview booked. Now that you know how it works, try to get as many interviews as possible – which means lots of exposure for your book.
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Read also:

How to Get Radio Interviews
http://www.radiopublicity.net/radiopublicitytips.htm

How to Promote Your Book During your Radio/TV interview
http://emsincorporated.com/promote-product-book-radio-interview/

Preparing for a TV / radio interview
http://www.nrcdv.org/dvam/themes/dvap/PDF/Preparingfor-TV-Radio-Interview.pdf
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Hope these tips help you to successfully promote your book. Let me know about more questions : )
And don’t forget:  an interview is not a book sales event, you cannot expect soaring sales after, it is one little step of building your author brand and reputation and to get your name out there.

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $159 for 3 months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, specials or your KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 940 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Special Thanksgiving Book Offer: BREATHLESS

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Take advantage of a special Thanksgiving offer:
3 day Kindle Countdown starting, on Thursday 28^th November
– Act quickly for a good deal – and a good cause.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DFOT5VI

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A novel about a family struggle.

Mike the father has become obsessed with his silver collection and is ignoring important family issues.

Clare the mother is exhausted from coping without his support. She knows she must let her teenage daughter Hannah who has Cystic Fibrosis, take control of her own health, but is finding it hard to let go.

Edward their son is becoming withdrawn, guilt that he is healthier than his sister and the inability to be help her is overwhelming him.
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The reappearance of Clare’s childhood sweetheart brings the marriage to a breaking point.  The big question is, will the family ever be able to restore communication and support each other?
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Author Caro Ayre: “A donation or £1 / $1 is being made to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust for every copy sold. Please help me reach my target of £1,500 to help with research into this genetic disease.”

For more information check out:

www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk

www.cisticfibrosis.com 

Visit Caro Ayre and see our interview with her:

http://www.greenhamhall.co.uk/

https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/interview-with-author-caro-ayre/

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P.S. Actually it is not a countdown, what Amazon offers with its latest book sales campaigns, but rather a count-up, as the book price starts very low and then goes up to its original price.  See an example of a Kindle Countdown Deal with the clock running on Breathless’ Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DFOT5VI

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Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 940 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Kindle Countdown Deals – How They Work

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Kindle Countdown Deals are limited time discounts on Kindle eBooks. A note about the pending price increase tells customers the regular price and the promotional price on the book’s detail page, as well as a countdown clock telling them how much time is left at the promotional price. This Amazon feature is more like a sale that gives authors and publishers another way to push through sales of a Kindle exclusive book. They set incremental pricing which will change at decided intervals.

Kindle Countdown Deals is a new KDP Select benefit that allows authors to run limited-time discount promotions on their books, which can help earn more royalties and reach more readers.

Customers can see the regular price and the promotional price on the book’s detail page, as well as a countdown clock telling them how much time is left at the promotional price. You will also continue to earn your selected royalty rate on each sale during the promotion.
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Actually it is not a countdown, but rather a count-up, as the book price starts very low and then goes up to its original price.  See an example of a Kindle Countdown Deal:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DFOT5VI

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Amazon explains the benefits of Kindle Countdown Deals:

• They’re time-based: Not only does this give you more control to decide how long the book is discounted, but the time remaining for the promotion is visible to customers to increase excitement for the price discount.
• Customers see the regular price: It’s easy for customers to see the great deal they’re getting, as the regular price is included on the book’s detail page, right beside the promotional price.
• Royalty rate is retained at lower prices: You will earn royalties based on your regular royalty rate and the promotional price. As a result, if you are using the 70% royalty option, you’ll earn 70% even if the price is below $2.99.
• There’s a dedicated website: Customers can easily browse active; Kindle Countdown Deals at www.amazon.com/kindlecountdowndeals, providing yet another way for books to be discovered.
• You can monitor performance in real-time: A new KDP report displays sales and royalties at each price discount side-by-side with pre-promotion performance, so it’s easy to compare.
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During each promotional day, your book’s detail page will display a counter announcing the promotion, the current price, the time remaining until the price changes, and the next price. If your book, for example, has a list price of $4.99, and you start a promotion on Monday at 8 A.M. your time, with a starting price of $1.99. You set three price increments to run 24 hours each.  To me this new way of building excitement about your book seems to make more sense than the FREE KDP DAYS.  What do YOU think?
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Resources:

http://rogerpacker.com/blog/kindle-countdown-takes-off/

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/big-deal-on-amazon-kindle-countdown-deals-and-amazons-new-kindle-first-service/

https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A3288N75MH14B8&

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $159 for 3 months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, specials or your KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 940 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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How to Distribute Your Book to Stores

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Distribution of your book to stores is one of the toughest nuts to crack when it comes to author- publishing, compared to how easy it is to get your print book into Amazon, Barnes&Noble or Apple. And then there are discounts, returns and commissions… not to speak of waiting times till your invoice is paid. Book distributors & wholesalers take care of all this – for a price.
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POD print and distribution
For small amounts of print books, say less than 2,000 books, an author is better off to have it “printed on demand”, done by CreateSpace or by Lightning Source, who are also the distributors. The printing might be higher priced, but you can decide on discounts and there will not be any returns from book stores for unsold books, which can be costly. POD produces only after receiving orders.
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Distributors
Let’s assume your book sells like hot cakes and you would like to have it distributed to book stores. So, how to find a book distributor? And should you go with a big, national or a smaller distributor?
An advantage to small distributors (often specialized in certain genres) is that they often know their bookstores better than larger distributors. The orders tend to be smaller but more realistic. Returns with larger distributors to bookstore chains can be very high: 30% returns is expected, but it can be as high as 70%.

Another option is to make an arrangement with a medium-size publisher who already has a distribution deal and a sales team. For a percentage of the sale, they could include your book in their catalog, which goes out with the sales reps to book stores across the country, and their sales team will present your book. Some publishers may want all the attention for their own titles, but some may like the idea: there’s no printing cost for them, for instance. Their catalogs are produced 5-6 months in advance.

Many large US book distributors won’t take you on before you have at least five to ten books in print. They might also want you to have a sales team who will present your books to booksellers, to show that you are willing to move those books. They also prefer a contract for a certain number of years. Another issue with full service distribution is that they take a minimum of 20% commission, but it will often be closer to 30% if you’re a small publisher. Check them out before signing with any book distributor. Talk to their customers (both publishers and bookstores) to verify they would be a recommendable company for you to work with.
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Be aware of these book industry distribution arrangements

1. Discounts: Bookstores get ($8 when a $20 book sells) or in percent, a 40% discount from the distributor, big box stores often get 45%.
2. Returns: Bookstores can return books back for credit against future orders, on average, about 30% of their initial sales might be returned. Paperbacks are not “stripped” so they can be shipped out again when another bookstore orders them. However, distributors may charge for warehousing of returns.
3. Commission: Sales reps work on commission and only gets paid when books “sell through” (sold to the consumer). The distribution company also works on commission, which is one of the reasons they are so picky about taking on non-validated clients: if the books don’t sell through, they lose the money they have spent storing and shipping the books, their commission is usually 25-30% ($5-6 on a $20 book).

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Direct Sales via your website
There is an even more lucrative way to sell your print book and distribute it: through your own website. You keep 100% of your revenue, and you know exactly who bought your books. Valuable data that you can use for promotion of your next book releases. The only “work” you have, is to stuff envelopes and ship your books once or twice a week – or more if you sell a lot. Setting up a PayPal account and an ordering form on your website is pretty easy. Direct selling means that you can make almost three times the amount per book than you can make, compared to a sale through traditional bookstore distributors.
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Book Fairs
Comb the Internet and regional newspapers for Book Fairs. Rent a booth or share one with other writers and have fun to meet readers in person, sign your books, maybe even meet library buyers and book store owners – and keep 100% revenue. Authors could even band together and exhibit at national and international book fairs, such as New York, Edinburgh, Leipzig, Bologna or Frankfurt. If ten or more authors for example share the cost for exhibition, travel and accommodation, it seems to be visible.
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Consignment at Bookstores
Some local independent bookstores will take books on consignment. A 60% to you, 40% to them split might seem a bit unfair to the uninitiated, but it’s the standard in the book trade. If sales are really good, some bookstores will offer to buy your book or you offer it to them which saves on paperwork and hassle. In this case you might offer them 50% discount.
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Fazit:
Small publishers and author-publishers with at least 3 books might be better off with Lightning Source / Ingram and CreateSpace combined – until their book sale numbers are into the several thousands – also due to the print on demand possibilities that both companies offer.

Lightning Source connects you with the world’s largest distribution channel of book wholesalers and retailers. In addition to distributing books through their parent company Ingram Books, they print to order, which means, your book is printed and ready for shipment in 12 hours or less. With over 30,000 wholesalers, retailers and booksellers in over 100 countries your titles will gain the maximum exposure.

Lightning Source / Ingram work  with over 28,000 publishers of all sizes around the world. They deliver digital, print, wholesale and distribution services through a single source, and makes it easy for you to reach more customers in more places.

CreateSpace has slightly lower print on demand fees and set up fees per book, but it doesn’t get you into Ingram worldwide distribution. They offer something, called the Expanded Distribution Channel: “the potential to distribute your book to a larger audience through more outlets including: retailers, bookstores, libraries, academic institutions, wholesalers, and distributors.” Well “potential” which means actually nothing! If a bookstore is really willing to order a single book from them, they will deliver…
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Whole Sale and Book Distribution in USA

• BCH Fulfillment & Distribution – BCH is also a vendor for Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. BCH offers 24/7 telephone order taking, an on-line catalog, representation at major trade shows, and more.
• Atlas Books – Distributes online, via wholesalers, and commissioned sales reps. AtlasBooks is the distribution and marketing arm of the BookMasters Group which represents small to mid-size publishers.
• Midpoint Trade Books – works with small and medium size publishers. No catalogs, so they can take on new titles any time of the year.
• National Book Network – Distributes for 85 publishers, they offer Print on Demand, starting at 20 books
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Book Whole Sale / Distribution in Canada:

• North 49 – trade book wholesaler with an inventory of over 3000 bestselling books from more than 500 publishers from Canada, UK and USA
• Librarybound – a wholesaler delivers Canadian books to libraries (fulfillment orders only, no warehousing)
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More resources:

Distributors and Wholesalers, compiled by IBPA, Independent Book Publishers Association
https://www.ibpa-online.org/resources/distributor-wholesalers/#.UWlwW7VO-So

Create Space Vs Lightning Source
http://write2publish.blogspot.ca/2011/02/why-create-space-is-better-than.html

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With more than 30 years experience in both, print and now e-publishing, we can provide you with many more tips, background information and support – additional to the huge amount of promotion you get in our online and off-line seminars. http://www.111Publishing.com/seminars

 

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 940 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://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Manuscript Finished? Tips for Pre-Book-Production

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I saw a brilliant poster at a print shop / book designer, which said:  “Pick Any Two, I Pick One”
It was a triangle and on each tip had these words:  Money – Quality – Time/Speed

Always keep this in mind when you hire freelancer / employees or subcontractors, such as editors, book and cover designers. You get what you pay for… Don’t shop for the cheapest, rather the best partners.
We give you here just an overview whats involved in book production, there are many other tasks that are covered in a great blue print, compiled in Joel Friedlander’s really helpful blog articles
Start with his article: Why Self-Published Books look Self-Published
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The Editing process:
Even though many authors are talented writers and even spectacular at grammar, they should never be the book editor of their own project. You might have logged long hours going through your manuscript with a fine-tooth comb, read, write, delete, re-write, re-read, delete… Then, after carefully reviewing the spelling and grammar and fact-checking the document, you may have even handed the manuscript over to your your former English teacher and every member of your writing group, however none of this is equal to a professional edit.

Contact editors whose sites inspire confidence and ask about their work process, rates, time frames, and any other information you need to know. Request a sample edit from the respondents you like. Samples are often free, and around five 250-word pages.
The editing process is not meant to offend you or detract from all of the perfecting you have already done. Rather, an edit is meant to increase the quality and success of your book, regardless of subject or genre.
Choose an editor on the basis of compatibility and how well the results of his or her editing appeals to you. ask for references, but learning about the editor’s background shows you how long he or she has been in the business. It also gives an idea of how many and which types of clients have actually trusted him or her to edit.  There are several steps involved in editing and professional trade publishers often employ special editors for each of these steps:

• Line editing
• Content Editing
• Copy Editing
• Proof Reading
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The Book Cover and Title

The correct title can really help to ensure the success of your project. Or not… A great cover will raise the attention of potential readers.  And yes, books are judged by their covers.

• It must be easy to understand and speak.
• It should ideally be less than 32 characters.
• You must be able to purchase the exact URL for the title.
• Buy your Author name domain also.
• The title should clearly demonstrate to readers what they will discover in this eBook.

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Cover Design

• Keep the design clean.
• Use a focal point to orient the user
• Make sure people can read it without glasses.
• Make the design match the content.

For Print:

• Use the spine properly.
• Include a photo of the author.
• The largest font size is used on the information that is most important

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Joel Friedlander has a great blog post series about book layout mistakes to avoid. You can learn almost everything about book design by following Joel Friedlander’s blogs and by reading his books, to be found at www.TheBookDesigner.com.  Technical information can be obtained at Basic Book Design http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Basic_Book_Design for answers to your basic book design questions.

Pre-Publishing Services:

Editing:
Suzanne Nussay, M.A., 
Editing, Writing and Constulting Services
snussey@sympatico.ca

Lisa Costantino Editing Services
http://www.lisacostantino.com/

Susan Uttendorfsky Adirondack Editing
www.adirondackediting.com

Daniel Kenyon Editing
http://danielkenyon.wordpress.com

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Cover design inspiration:

http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/inspiration/creative-book-cover-story/
http://faceoutbooks.com/ (print book covers)
http://causticcovercritic.blogspot.ca/
http://www.book-by-its-cover.com/
http://bookdesigner.com/53972/book-covers/
http://bookcovers.creativindie.com/cover-samples/

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Book cover designers I can personally recommend:

Anitra Jay http://www.anitrajay.com/page:designs
Laura Wright LaRoche http://www.llpix.com
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e-Book Formatting

Another important step in creating an e-book that should be done by real professionals,
here are two proven e-book designers:

http://e-bookbuilders.com

http://ebookarchitects.com
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After going through the pre-production stages – the editorial and design part – your next step will be distribution of your new book, covered in the next blog post. However, while your book is at the pre-publishing service providers, don’t forget to actively market your upcoming book! Prepare your author pages on Goodreads and Amazon, starts Goodreads Giveaways, if you have an ISBN and planned a print book.  Get as many pre-orders and reviews as possible, plan and invite all your potential readers to your book launch – virtual and in person.

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With 30 years experience in both, print and now e-publishing, we can provide you with many more tips, background information and support – additional to the huge amount of promotion you get in our online and off-line seminars.  http://www.111Publishing.com/seminars

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 940 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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All You Need to Know Before Publishing

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Why should authors sell their manuscripts for a pittance to publishing houses, if these publishers are not doing the marketing part? Only celebrities and star-authors, such as Stephen King or Bill Clinton get publicity from their publishers. 95% of all authors have to do the marketing for their books.
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Authors are smart and able to start their own publishing business, REAL publishing, not POD and not Vanity Publishing: Finding and getting quotes or referrals for an editor, a book lay-out company or book designer, cover artist, e-book formatting company and a printer is not difficult, but one has to do a lot of research – as every new entrepreneur has to do.  Where to find all these start-up publishing business information:

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Setting up a Business
can be done online – in minutes. Find all the necessary information here:

Canada: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/sm/
USA: http://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business
UK: https://www.gov.uk/browse/business/setting-up
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Writing your Business Plan
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/11/20/your-success-plan-to-author-publishing/
is the work of a couple of days, once you have done the researching into all aspects of the publishing enterprise.
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Finding distributors / fulfillment company
for your print-version of the book is not a problem, distributors mostly require just three books to be listed as a publishing business, and if authors have not written three books yet, they can band together with other authors to reach this minimum.
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Books available for future publishers
Aaron Shepard has written two books about the topic of book distribution: POD for Profit and Aiming at Amazon, both contain very detailed information for small publishers.  Another great source is Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual, a classic publishing guide book.
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Learning how to market your book and getting lots of publicity support
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/10-reasons-to-get-help-boosting-your-books-success/
is offered in a variety of on- and off-line classes by 111Publishing.com/seminars

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How to create a business plan
for your book publishing company was the topic of our former blog post.
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/how-to-plan-your-publishing-business/
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Business name
Be careful when choosing a name for your book publishing company. Keep the name neutrally and usable in a variety of languages. Avoid your or your books name and survey several professionals for their input. Last but not least do a name check before your spend money on registering your business.
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Start-up financing and crowd funding
for your book publishing business is preferable through your own savings. Try to find the most economical way to start your publishing business. Don’t order any print runs before you have substantial orders, rather go in the beginning with a recommendable POD, such as CreateSpace. In Canada and several other countries, such as the USA or Germany for example, financing the creation of books has become main stream. Kickstarter, IndiGoGo or STARTNEXT  (German) are crowd funding sources, writers can use. More tips on crowd-funding can be found in this blog post.
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ISBN and bar codes 
In a former blog post, we explained how to get an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and bar codes in several countries.
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/isbn-numbers-and-how-to-get-one/
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How to copyright your books and what’s the benefit can be found in this article
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/why-should-you-register-the-copyright-of-your-manuscript/

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Most countries require publishers to submit one copy of each book for cataloging in government archives. In the USA for sample it is done by registering with a Library of Congress number: http://www.loc.gov/publish/

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How to get into the “Books in Print”, a worldwide database and to register your book for FREE! with Bowker was the topic of other blog posts. https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/important-expose-your-book-to-the-world/.
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There is no world or national organization that determines a clear-cut genre or category for each book written. https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/how-to-find-your-best-book-category-genre/
However it is extremely important to choose the right genre (or several) in order for your books ranking, e.g. on Amazon.
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Foreign Rights & Literary Agents:
Books you publish, should be available in other countries / languages too!  Not always easy to find a literary agent who is specialized in foreign rights, get lists here:
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/100s-of-links-to-publishers-and-agents/  or in this article:  https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/foreign-book-rights/
How to work with literary agents is covered in several previous blog posts. https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/how-agents-work-how-to-work-with-agents/

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More Useful Tips and Links for Future Publishers:

• A great article, how to develop a publication timeline can be found in this article. http://www.wizardofebooks.com/2009/09/10/your-self-publishing-timeline/

• Check out a variety of online retailers to “put your eggs in many baskets”.
• https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/11/17/put-your-eggs-in-more-than-one-basket/

• Setting up a website for your book publishing company, establish good practices in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)   https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/boost-your-web-site-search-engine-optimization/

• and how to get relevant links are the topic of several former blog posts https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/66-tips-to-get-relevant-web-links/

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More resources and advice are the topics of blog articles for the next days, when we explain:

• Pricing your books and standard book industry discounts
• Advice and useful links for book layout, printing etc.
• Financial management / accounting for book publishers
• Finding freelancers for editing, design, proofreading, webdesign etc.
• Marketing strategies for book publishing companies
• professional associations for book publishers
• educational programs in book publishing
• Information about book awards and contests
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With 30 year experience in both, print and now e-publishing, we can provide you with many more tips, background information and support for setting up your own publishing enterprise – additional to the huge amount of promotion you get in our online and off-line seminars. http://www.111Publishing.com/seminars

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Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 940 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+
http://pinterest.com/111publishing/
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Need Time and Peace to Write?

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The Mesa Refuge for Writers
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Are you wishing sometimes to be in solitude, writing on your manuscript all day long, have no appointments and no distraction from anyone and anything, no emails, no cell phone … If you really want to concentrate on your writing: The Mesa Refuge is a writers’ dream retreat, located in Point Reyes Station, CA, north of San Francisco.  It is one of the few retreats in the United States that supports people writing about nature, economics and social equity.

The Refuge offers two and four-week residencies to writers who need the solitude essential to creative work. Essayists, journalists, economists, naturalists, screenwriters and authors of memoirs — all are welcome.

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Invited are especially people to think and write about the intersections between human activity — capitalism in particular — and the natural world we are obliged to preserve. A Mesa Refuge residency is an opportunity to develop ideas and projects so that they may be published and transformed into practice.  Now Receiving Applications for the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation Health Writer in Residence Program  –  Complete Applications Due on Monday December 2, 2013.
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California Location
Residents are offered the gift of time and space. There is a settling in, a letting go, a connecting with nature’s muse, and a finding of creative rhythm.  The Mesa Refuge is located on a bluff overlooking Tomales Bay, perched on the edge of the Point Reyes National Seashore, an ideal place for contemplating many things.  See a video about the Mesa Refuge on YouTube.
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The Refuge is misty bluffs, hummingbirds and herons, winding paths of lavender and sage, daisies and roses, solitude, the company of other writers, and the blissful absence of noise, demands, and daily chores. Residents are encouraged to enjoy the many attractions of the Point Reyes area. Opportunities include hiking, kayaking, beach-combing, bicycling, bird watching and yoga, as well as gardening, tennis and ping-pong. The town of Point Reyes Station is a 10-minute walk away.

A newspaper wrote about the area:  “If you are looking for heat relief, it would be hard to find a cooler spot in Northern California. The regions famous fog hangs along the Point Reyes shoreline nearly all summer, then miraculously lifts in late summer and early fall.  And whether you want to hike a mountain or walk on a beach, paddle a kayak or pedal a bike, the nearby Point Reyes National Seashore offers an ideal place.”
The Point Reyes Bookstore hosts author talks almost every weekend and publishes an annual literary journal, the West Marin Review. It really reflects the incredible creativity in this community, said bookstore owner Steve Costa. “Not many communities of this size publish their own literary journal.”

The Refuge hosts three residents at a time. Each enjoys a private room in a spacious shared house. A printer is available for common use; however, residents need to bring their own computers and writing supplies. Room and most dinners are provided at no cost, however donations are welcome. Travel to and from Point Reyes is each resident’s responsibility.
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Application Information
Complete application information can be found under: Residency Guidelines.  For more information on availability and rates, please contact Juliet Kirkham at juliet.kirkham@gmail.com

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Spring Session 2014 Residency Dates

• Session 1: March 28 – April 10
• Session 2: April 11 – April 24
• Session 3: April 25 – May 8
• Session 4: May 9 – May 22

Fall Application Process

Complete Applications Due Monday June 2, 2014

Fall Session 2014 Residency Dates

• Session 5: September 19 – October 2
• Session 6: October 3 – October 16
• Session 7: October 17 – October 30
• Session 8: October 31 – November 13

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“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.” – Albert Camus

 

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $159 for 3 months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, specials or your KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 940 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Writers Conferences 2014: Meet Publishers, Agents, Editors and Fellow Writers

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One of the main benefits of attending a writers retreat or conference is the opportunity to meet editors, agents, publishers and other writers.  Widening your circle of connections in the literary world can help you mark your own presence as an author, to learn about the publishing industry, and how to get your book published / author-publish.  Learn even more about the craft of writing.

Equally important is gaining understanding of book business realities. For instance, why is the marketing plan so important in your proposal, and what do agents and editors expect to see in yours? Here are just a few of the many writers conferences and retreat offers in the USA for 2014:
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Santa Barbara, CA, June 7 – 12, 2014

http://www.sbwritersconference.com

Program Description
Daily AM & PM concurrent workshops & plenary sessions, evening speakers, panels, Advance
Submission with agents & editors, late-night pirate workshops.
Program Length 6 days
Group Size or S:T Ratio 200
Program Focus:  Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Humor, Journalism, Marketing, Mystery, Nature, Non-fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Publishing, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Screen-writing, Travel,
Faculty: 30 daily faculty plus evening speakers
Costs   $625 includes barbecue, cocktail reception, awards banquet.
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Jackson Hole, WY, June 26-28, 2014

http://jacksonholewritersconference.com

Three manuscript critiques with authors & editors. Tracks for fiction, creative nonfiction, magazine, young adult, and poetry; workshops, talks & craft sessions.
Program Length 3 days
Group Size or S:T Ratio 4:1
Program Focus:  Children’s, Fiction, Journalism, Marketing, Mystery, Nature, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing, Travel, Young Adult
Costs:   Early bird $365
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Jackson-Hole-Whyoming

Mendocino Coast Writers Conference, July 31 – August 2, 2014

http://www.mcwc.org

Program Description
5 morning workshops with same presenter each day; large forum readings and discussions with editors, agents, & newly published authors; afternoon lecture sessions on craft.
Program Length 3 days
Group Size or S:T Ratio workshops 15:1
Program Focus:  Autobiography/Memoir, Children’s, Fiction, Journalism, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Publishing, Screenwriting, Young Adult
Faculty 13+ presenters. Includes authors, editors & literary agents.
Costs:   Earlybird $525. $60/consultation. Lodging $55-$250 & camping; hostel-like farmhouse $18-$25/night.
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Squaw Valley, California  July, August 2014

http://www.squawvalleywriters.org

Morning workshops, afternoon panel discussions, individual conferences, craft lectures, staff readings
Program Length 7 days  Deadline April 1, 2014
Group Size or S:T Ratio 20-124
Program Focus:  Autobiography/Memoir, Fiction, Mystery, Nature, Non-fiction, Poetry and Screenwriting
Faculty 28 instructors for the Fiction Workshop, 5 for the Poetry Workshop, 8 for the Screenwriting Workshop.
Costs:   $840 includes 6 dinners. Shared (single) lodging in local houses & condos arranged for $350 ($550)/week; inexpensive bunk bed available.
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Corte Madera, CA, August 14 – 17, 2014

http://bookpassage.com/travel-food-photography-conference

Travel Writers & Photographers Conference
(Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco)
bpconferences@bookpassage.com

Geared to Food & Travel writers and photographers this Conference has an extraordinary, international reputation among publishers, editors, and writers. This four-day Conference offers an array of writing and photography workshops in the morning, a full afternoon of panels and discussions, and evening faculty presentations.
The faculty includes publishers, magazine editors, photographers, travel essayists, food writers, guidebook writers and more.  Price: $635.00

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Key West, FL, every January

http://www.kwls.org
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4-day seminar includes readings, conversations, lectures, panel discussions. 4-day writers’ workshops feature AM writing sessions (limit 8-12/instructor) and PM individual consultations, talks, open readings.
Program Length Seminar: 4 days / Workshops: 4 days each
Group Size or S:T Ratio Seminar: 350-400 / Workshops: 12:1
Program Focus
Autobiography/Memoir, Children’s, Fiction, Humor, Journalism, Mystery, Nature, Non-fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Publishing, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Screenwriting, Travel, Young Adult
Costs   Seminar $495; Workshops $450. The next Writers’ Workshop Program will take place between the two Seminar sessions, January 12-16, 2014.
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Conferences offer valuable education for aspiring writers.  Workshops can help with developing writing skills, everything from crafting better dialogue to making clever use of literary devices. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of a conference is the fact that editors and literary agents are there not only to participate and educate aspiring writers, but also to seek out new talent!
For a full list of writers retreats in the North America please go to:  http://writing.shawguides.com

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $159 for 3 months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars.
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, 99-cent specials or your KDP Select Free Days on Amazon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@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

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Authors: Which of Your Expenses are Tax-Deductible?

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Income tax preparation might be months away, but it is never too early to start collecting expense receipts. Many self-published book authors want to make a profit and become a professional author, having writing as their vocation.  Writers are presumed to be a professional if their writing made a profit in at least three out of the last five tax years, including the current year. Which means:  Not more than two years of expenses that are higher than the author income. Profits from your writing cannot be used to offset other income for tax purposes, such as a day job or other means of income, if you have more than two years of losses.
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Considerations of Profitability
There are a couple of other considerations that revenue agencies, such as the IRS, are listing, for example:

• Have you made a profit in similar activities in the past? If you have a successful book under your belt — or even a series of articles in paid publications, such as newspapers, magazines or online publications, which can be a predictor that you are a professional writer.
• Do you have the knowledge needed to carry on the activity as a successful business? How much do you know about running that business? Are you running it like a business, keeping records, keeping an eye to profitability? Did you take classes/seminars about the publishing business (e.g. marketing or tax etc.) no matter if online or offline?
• Have you created a professional book marketing and publicity plan? This might even be shown by including affiliate programs on your website/blog. If there are losses, are they due to circumstances beyond your control or did they occur in the start-up phase of the business?

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Expenses You Can Deduct
Always try to pay from a separate account, set up for your writing business, to make book keeping easier. Keep receipts or / make copies of payments to contractors, freelancers and agency fees for book production, such as:

• Proofreading
• Editing
• Illustrations
• Photos
• Graphic Design
• Book Layout
• Printing costs
• eBook Formatting
• Advanced Copy reviews
• Book Trailer Design
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Book Promotion Costs, e.g.:

• Advertisements, online and offline
• Giveaways (free book review copies, pens etc.)
• Flyers, brochures, business cards, book marks
• Book Fair expenses
• Costs for newsletters (AWeber, MailChimp etc.)
• Entry fee for writing contests
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Other costs, such as:

• Transportation costs (note the dates, distance, reason)
• Rental for book readings
• Office rental or mortgage, heating, electricity for your home office by square feet
• Phone / Internet / e-Reader costs
• Website / blog costs, such as hosting or development
• Office Supplies
• Meal expenses: in the USA full for public events you might host, and 50% if it is for a business purpose (interview, writers conference, meeting with book professionals, publishers, agents etc.)
• Transportation to meetings, events
• Research costs
• Copyright registration and ISBN fees
• your tax preparer or tax lawyer.
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Keep all your expense slips sorted by date and neatly filed to make it easier to find them
If you pay anyone of the above listed more than a couple of hundred dollars, you would need to include the contract and a form (in the United States it is IRS Form 1099-MISC). Note for each meal/entertainment expense the names, number of people participating and reason for meeting)

Further Reading:
http://www.freelancetaxation.com/deductions-writers
http://www.bus.lsu.edu/accounting/faculty/lcrumbley/tax_aspects.html

Disclaimer: These tips are meant to give general insight into tax information to writers, especially in the USA, and to give you an entry point so you can research further. While every effort was made to ensure the information in this article is accurate at the time it was written, we are not tax experts. Anyone filing taxes should consult a qualified tax prepare r for updated tax laws and further specifics on how these rules might apply to your individual tax situation.

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $159 for 3 months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, specials or your KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 940 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Your Success-Plan to Author-Publishing

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Before you explore author-publishing possibilities in this series, lets first have a look at your business plans as an author and the most important question: Why are you writing?  Are you creating for yourself (as a hobby, just for the fun of writing),  or for an audience? If you’re creating for yourself, it means: Writing is worthwhile for you, regardless of who sees your work.
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Can You Answer These Questions:

• How many books with the same topic / the same genre are on the market?
• What is the sales ranking of these works?
• How are these books priced?
• What is the social media ranking of the most successful writers in this genre?
• Where are these books sold on- and off-line?

The advise you read here is based on the assumption that you want to entertain, inform, increase your audience and eventually earn some money with your writing.
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If You’re Producing Work for an Audience:

• playing by at least some rules of the industry
• caring what others think of your work
• establishing an authors platform from which to communicate
• interacting with your audience and being available to them
• doing things not for your art, but out of service to your audience
• putting on a performance, or adopting some kind of “brand”
• marketing your work and being visible

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Why Should Authors Have a Business Plan?
Unfortunately many writers first create their work – and ask questions later.  Any author can write a book, but only a successful author knows she/he is now in business.  Again: “Writing is an art – publishing is a business!”  A serious business!
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There’s no point to go without some kind of strategy in place if your objectives really are in building a writing career. It’s never too early to treat your writing as a business – no one would open a brick&mortar business without a plan!

A business plan can help new (and established) authors to clarify the proper publishing path for their works. A business plan serves as a road map, helping to keep the project and related endeavors like marketing and platform-building on schedule and for the author to track the results of his or her efforts.

The business plan starts when you start thinking about writing a book, it covers all aspects of your future work. At the moment you begin a novel or non-fiction book, you must already have a clear vision of the message, the audience and even the venues where it can be sold.

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Traditional Business Plans Have These Components:

• Executive summary
• Business description
• Market strategies
• Competitive analysis
• Design and development plan
• Operations and management plan
• Financial factors

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Sounds a Bit Theoretical? OK, Here is the Version for Author-Publishing:

• The topic of your work fiction / non-fiction
• You target audience / readers
• Your competition online and in book stores
• The likely contents, length, format etc. of the book
• Your marketing and promotional strategies
• The expenses you face for publishing and promotions.

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It is vital to have a business plan because your books and you are the products to be sold. It makes some writers uneasy, but without a plan, you can’t figure out a way for your book to sell. Think of it as your map, guiding you from starving writer to successful author.
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What makes your book so special?
No point in writing a book if you don’t know why or if it’s special. Many writers write books they’d love to read, many write books who’s marketing studies show readers are buying, some write books because the subject is risky or has never been explored before. Know why you and your book is special – and most important: what is the readers benefit of buying your novel or non-fiction book.
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Who Will Want to Buy Your Book?
Jot down all those people who likely will want your book, why they’ll want it and how effective they will be at getting more people to want it. Know who your readership target is. Do you have enough (at least 2,000 on each social media outlet) contacts to spread the word about your book? And with contacts I don’t mean other writers, I mean READERS, bookworms, book lovers, book clubs, avid readers, reviewers! That’s the type of audience you will want to look for.
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What is Your Competition?
Research in bookstores and online, how many and which books will be comparable to the one you are writing. Check them out in libraries, on reader forums, such as Goodreads, Shelfari or Wattpad. Visit independent stores and go to big chains  research these books on all online stores, not only Amazon, find out what genres are they placed, what reviewers say, how their author pages are designed etc. to get a real picture of your competition – and your potential readers.
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Which Format For Your Book?
Books can be sold in many formats and also in many languages. Research at least these three popular formats:

• e-book format
• audio format
• Print format

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How Do You Plan to Promote Your Book?
You have lots of friends and you know people, hopefully lots of people. Online and off-line. And those people know people. Unless you can spend ten-thousands of dollars every months for advertising, you should plan now, before you write your book:

• our social networking,
• book events,
• gaining interviews,
• speaking engagements,
• seeking book reviews,
• attending book shows. 

Schedule all these activities in advance, add as many readers as possible to your current accounts on reader community sites, all social media sites – minimum are: Goodreads, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Facebook.
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What Are Your Marketing Strategies?
OK, your book is available on Amazon or in your local book store, but where else might it fit in perfectly? Other online retailers where you can sell your book? Stretch your mind and think creatively: Libraries, book clubs, foreign right sales … there are so many possible outlets for your book. Find out what’s their commissions are, and how much you would make on each sale of your book.

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Calculations & Pricing
Both, digital and print books need to be proof-read, edited and then formatted, not to forget a really fabulous, enticing cover.
Pricing on print books is largely based on the number of pages in the book and quality of binding, costs for cover design and book layout. Pricing is also dependent on making print books available for a wider distribution than just Amazon. Since a wider distribution is used, books must be priced
so that the other outlets will be offered wholesale pricing.

Turbulence in the rapidly changing eBook world should also be taken into consideration. Pricing may be subject to change based on sales, current pricing trends and need to create upward movement in Amazon rankings. Books may be discounted if it fits with marketing strategy and promotion.
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Don’t forget other expenses, such as webdesign and hosting, advertising, marketing expenses, phone and internet, travel cost etc.  The good news: you can deduct ALL these costs from your writers income!
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What is Your Timetable for Writing, Editing, Book Production, Marketing etc.?
After you have figured out your market, your reader audience, your competition and your sales planning, you will feel much better, having a clear vision of your writing / publishing career.  A business plan does not have to be scary, especially for a simple business such as your writing business. In fact, a business plan should be somewhat comforting. It spells out what you want to accomplish, in which time frame and how you plan to do it.

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Further reading:
http://www.spawn.org/editing/sevenpublishingmistakes.htm
http://selfpubauthors.com/category/business-plan/
http://www.aboutfreelancewriting.com/articles/business/writereality.htm
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-32373.html

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $159 for 3 months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, specials or your KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 940 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Myths And Truth About Selling to Libraries

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Imagine, you sold your $15 book at 50% discount to only 10% of the 100,000 libraries in the USA, you will earn more than $75,000. But how can you tap into the lucrative library market?  And what do you need to know about libraries before you start to offer your book to them?
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Facts About Libraries
According to statistics from the American Library Association and the Book Industry Study Group, libraries yearly purchase books for nearly $2 billion. But not only books, also audio books and other forms of publications, such as e-books.
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On the downside: Many of the more than 100,000 public, university and specialty libraries throughout the United States have been forced to scale down their budgets and have to use creative means to update their book collections. They even take advantage of online bargains through Amazon.com, eBay and discount book sites.
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Consider These Steps:

• Librarians read reviews — at least those in Library Journal and Kirkus or Publishers Weekly. It is not easy to get your book reviewed in these journals; however, it is possible. Sometimes librarians even check out the Amazon’s Bestseller Lists.
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• Ask others to request your book via the libraries website. Libraries usually take requests seriously, so it’s a great way to get them to put your book on the shelves. Ask some friends and family members to request your book.
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• Your book has to be available through major wholesalers – and it has to be available in print too.
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• Apply to work with a library distributor such as Quality Books, Ingram Distriburion or Unique Books, if you have a non-fiction book.
• Consider to sign-up for a library trade show. Publisher Organizations, such as IBPA offer co-op participation.
• Librarians prefer hardcover books and soft cover perfect-bound books with the title printed on the spine. The cover on a perfect-bound book must be sturdy. Librarians particularly like reference books. If you are writing or compiling such a non-fiction book, be sure to include an index, a bibliography and/or a resource list.
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• Books for library-use need a Library of Congress Catalog in Publication block or, for a self-published book, Publishers Catalog in Publication block and / or a listing with Bowker world wide. See also a blog post we wrote how to get your book listed for free in Bowker’s listing of available books.
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• A note, printed on the upper left back cover should indicating the type of book this is and the topic: reference/book publishing, writing/reference, history, autobiography, parenting, mystery etc.
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Try to Sell Books Directly to Libraries

To find their addresses, use  Gale’s Directory of Libraries or the Online Library Directory.
You can also buy mailing lists from a Library Marketing List. You can get listings for 25,000 university libraries or 18,000 public libraries, or 400 listings for community college libraries. Some libraries give instructions and guidelines on their websites, such as this in Tucson, Arizona: Pima County Library.
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Some libraries highlight local authors or will host regular book events like fundraisers that will accept donated books. However, you can’t just walk into a library and hope they will take your book, not even if you are giving it away! Librarians are happy to get books, but they also have constraints on what books they can accept.  One of those constraints is the written or unwritten “acquisitions policy” at each library, which is depending on what that library is collecting. Space and the high cost of storing and/or distributing their books to library patrons is another huge limitation. Time is another issue for librarians – they have little time to spend reading about books.
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Each kind of library: academic; public, school, and special, has different purposes. And they buy different kinds of books. Choose the right type for your book selling efforts. For example: Young Adult and Children’s authors: The largest library market are school libraries (grades K-12).  However, the budgets of academic libraries and public libraries are much larger than those of the typical school library.
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Send a press release to the contact name via e-mail or snail mail. Describe your book and the binding and list any amenities such as index, color photos, resource list and/or bibliography. Be sure to include all your ordering information in detail. Add a list of wholesalers / distributors that carry your book.
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Selling to libraries as an author-publisher (and signing up with book whole sale) works best when you have at least three quality print books to proof you are a serious writer .

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Promote Your Book to Libraries

• Offer a free (1 hour) class in local libraries, where you can certainly mention your book.
• Find out the dates of library trade shows and exhibit through their co-operative exhibit programs such as those offered through IBPA, the Independent Book Publishers Association.
• Consider donating a copy of your book to a few top library systems, to encourage purchases for branch libraries.

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Read Carefully the Instructions Marketing to Libraries
ALA, the American Library Association gives generous information and tips for authors and publishers,a valuable resource:

• The Library Market in General
• What Do Libraries Buy?
• How and When Do Libraries Buy?
• Reviews
• Direct Mail/Library Mailing Lists
• Connecting Authors & Libraries
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The best time to approach libraries might be in December and June (also mostly quiet months there) – as this is when they typically do their purchases. If you deliver directly to the library and not through whole sale, you may want to offer the same discount to entice them to purchase your book. And last but not least:  It’s always good to become acquainted with your local librarians and ask them for advice.

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $179 for 3 months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/book-promo/ to advertise your new book, specials or your KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 1,150 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Which Social Network is Best for Authors?

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On Social Media you have an opportunity to talk with your readers, learn about, and empathize with your followers. However, there is not a single perfect Social Media network site for authors, rather a combination of several pages – each one with its pros and cons.
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Goodreads has more than 20 million members and is THE site for authors. Google+ is an overall great site with endless possibilities to display your book. The “power” of the site is that what you post there is automatically indexed by Google, which makes your post (i.e. a link to your latest blog) so much easier to discover. Twitter is fantastic to build a following and to engage with your readers, and if you write non-fiction LinkedIn might be a good choice too. Facebook remains the “Old Daddy” but others are gaining traction. Don’t forget Pinterest where you can show images of your book, scenes from your book, images of locations where your book takes place – or any other images of things you like.
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How Do You Choose Your Followers?
You want to interact mainly with READERS, NOT writers. The question is: How to find readers?  All Social Media sites have a search function on top of the page. Type in: book bloggers, read, reading, book lovers, book club, love reading, reviewer, book worm, love to read, mystery book reader, science fiction reader, YA readers, YA book blogger, readers, word nerd, non-fiction book blogger, reading books, reviewing book… and even librarian. Click on “people” or scroll down a lot, as the first names that appear are often publishers and other commercial accounts.

Another method is to type in the name of a very successful book in your genre and find readers there, talking about this book. Follow those readers that you feel belong to your book genre, based on what they say in their tweets. Re-tweet their posts, engage in meaningful conversation, be funny or refer to blog posts you wrote, but don’t mention your book. They will find out about it soon enough.  Make it as easy and convenient as possible for your fellow “tweeps” to engage and interact with you. If you are looking for readers and reviewers – choose readers and reviewers and follow them!
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GOODREADS
A “Must” for every writer: millions of readers, thousands of groups for every genre you might join, extra book pages, space for your blog, book trailer and quotes on your author page. Book launches and other events can be posted, and the Giveaway is a great opportunity to get exposure for your book. Read: How to Create Buzz for Your Upcoming Book on Goodreads.  Upload with one click all your Google, Twitter and Facebook followers and have them as friends on Goodreads.
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GOOGLE+
Nowhere on Social Media can you show your books’ cover so brilliantly as on Google+ and I might add, so often as you want. But that’s not the only benefit. Just to name a few:

• Link to your blog posts
• Use #hashtags on Google+ too
• Want engagement? Write resource-type articles
• You can “meet” with your readers through Google’s “Hangouts”
• You will get a much higher Search Engine Ranking, especially from blog posts that you (partially) add to your Google+ page

Choose like-minded, interesting people and lots of readers for your Google+ circles. You can easily and fast build your own circles. Get tips here on this free PDF by Guy Kawasaki.
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TWITTER
Follow others, tweet something VALUABLE for your followers, such as helpful tips, news or something interesting or funny – and don’t use Twitter as a cheap way to advertise!  Create a nice mixture of your own, really interesting tweets and also do lots of re-tweeting. Choose a short Twitter name and a professional avatar (portrait).  See also the beginners guide to Twitter lingo.  In the past, Twitter was all about text, now they added images and Vine video.  Jeff Bullas, Social Media guru, just blogged: “Tweets with Vine videos or images received 89% more favorites & 150% more re-tweets”

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PINTEREST
Pinterest grows faster than any other Social Media site. “According to the latest numbers, Pinterest grabs 41% of all e-commerce traffic. Compare that to Facebook at 37%. Since Pinterest is centered around the social discovery of objects (as opposed to friends and family), it makes sense that Pinterest would eventually have the upper hand, but it’s an accomplishment for any platform to sneak up on Facebook’s number-one-in-everything status” wrote Lauren Orsini in her blog. But don’t worry, if you just upload your images, you need not to spend much time there – unless you want to get lost in millions of attractive photos – a huge temptation : )
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Schedule Your Posts Ahead of Time
To save a lot of time for personalized connecting with your followers, create a file with tweets, and add regularly news you might find on Internet magazines and literary / publishing blogs, and use Hootsuite or Futuretweets  to schedule your posts for the next day or even weeks in advance. With Hootsuite you can even find the best time to tweet through their “Auto-Schedule” function. Scheduling frees you time to communicate whenever you like with your readers, without being all day on Social Media sites.
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Alan Rinzler, former editor for some of the “Big Five” explains in detail the Do’s and Don’ts “What writers need to know” and gives detailed examples – a must-read for every author.  He reminds authors: “A cardinal rule of the new author platform is never to actually ask people to buy your book (and my advise: never to motion people to like / follow you on FB or Twitter).  Establish an authentic online personality, offer valuable information, analysis, opinion, and inspiring entertainment.”

Write about interesting events and things, give valuable advice, news, quotes or funny stories. Re-tweet interesting posts of your followers or snippets of your blog.  No one joins Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest to constantly read about your book. That’s not very entertaining or interesting at all.
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Get Separate Pages for Your Books
On Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and Goodreads you have the option to open a separate site for your book(s) – on Google+ up to 50 pages.  You can also start communities on Google+, as well as on Facebook and certainly on Goodreads.  Take advantage of these wonderful and free opportunities!
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Connect All Your Social Media Sites – Starting With Your Blog
The time you spend posting cannot only considerable minimized through scheduling, but also through connecting your blog with your Social Media sites and in connecting them with each other through plug-ins.  For example: you can  set up your social media presences on Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads, Facebook or Tumblr and StumpleUpon, to connect them with each other. Post something on Google+ and it will automatically be a tweet. Schedule a tweet and it will automatically go to several other Social Media sites. Your blog can appear on Goodreads and up to 500 characters on Google+ too. See also: How-to Automatically Post on Twitter from Your Google+ Page.

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IMPORTANT tips: Socializing versus Advertising
Jonathan Gunson @JonathanGunson wrote: “The response I get on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook always explodes if I say something personal. Readership is built by great writing, but it also built by growing a community of advocates at a deeply personal level – friends who will spread the word about your books. And for the communications to successfully engage, they all need to be about them, them, them, NOT you, you, you. The bottom line is that a change of psychology is needed when using Twitter, or any social media. Instead of ‘I need to sell my book’, think ‘I need to grow my readership and community’, because in the end it’s about your writing.”

Anne Rallen wrote in her blogspot:  “The only thing that can be counted on to enhance your visibility as a writer is to interact with readers in a real, honest, and generous way on the social media platform.”

Frances Caballo writes: “If you simply broadcast your messages—“Buy my book!”—you will not have book purchases. However, talking with your readers via a social media network, you will gain loyal followers who, often will help to market your books.”
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Read also: 9 Things Authors Should Never Do on Twitter and 3 Top Rules to Follow on Social Media. Always remember: Your presence on Social Media is your shop window. Not only should you have a great cover for your book, but also a professional photo on all Social Media sites – not and image of your dog, cat, car, wedding photo, party images and the like.  Last but not least: Have fun on meeting your readers on Social Media!

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $159 for 3 months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit  http://www.international-ebooks.com/book-promo to advertise your new book, specials or your KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 930 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Lady X

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Bestselling Author Claudy Conn’s latest book in Gothic Romance just launched: Lady X

Exerilla is a white witch.
Her father is a dark and dangerous warlock with an agenda to marry her to someone she despises. He has the power to do this before she reaches her majority, which will occur at Samhain, Halloween.

Her mother has a plan and against her daughter’s will, she implements that plan, which sends Exerilla into the past, where she must remain until October 31st—months away.  And magic is something she can’t use because her father could trace it to her.  Here is the problem, plans have a way of seeping from black and white into gray.
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What reviewers are saying:

“Lady X is an amazing strong character and I loved watching her and hunters relationship develop.”
“ The story grabs you in from the first page to finish. ”
“I recommend this book for readers who love any of these paranormal, time travel and historical romances.”
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Lady X by Claudy Conn, Bestselling Author,  with fantastic reviews, Romance Gothic
209 pages, e-book, available at Amazon, 18 x 5-Star REVIEWS
http://www.amazon.com/Lady-X-ebook/dp/B00EC9UHGW/
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About the author:
Putting pen to paper came easy. I needed to write–I loved to write, thus, writing was a given. Going through the process of creating a story—putting it together into a first novel and then presenting it to the world—quite another thing. Just out of school and painfully shy (and I really still am) knocking on doors and asking someone to read my book was (for me) a death defying feat.

I loved English—Irish–Scottish history and had traveled just enough to know the ‘look and feel’ of their beautiful countries. Hence, my regencies such as “Spring Gambit”, Sunday’s Child, and “Myriah” were born. Out of my regencies came my larger and sexier historical romances, such as “Cassandra”, “Blades of Passion”, and “Fire & Desire”, most of which were published by Fawcett. Many of my other titles can be checked out when you go to the links listed below and on the Introduction page.

Visit Bestselling Author Claudy Conn’s website for a great selection of books in Romance and Gothic http://claudyconn.embarqspace.com/  and follow her on Twitter  @Claudyconn

Legend Series BookReview for Claudy Conn: http://romancenovelreview.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/reviews-for-claudy-conns-legend-series/

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 159 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.international-ebooks.com/book-promo to advertise your new book, specials or KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 930 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Why You Should Have a Print Book Too & POD

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Photo Credit: Alex Duret Lutz

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Paperbacks or Hardcover – to Sell More of Your Work?
Many successful authors will tell you exactly how to do start as a real publisher with their books and blogs – from Dan Poynter, Aaron Shephard to John Kremer, Joanna Penn and JoelFriedman. Author David Gaughran wrote in one of his blogs: Making Money from Paperbacks  ”I was really slow to see the potential in print, and it was probably the biggest mistake I made over the last years.”
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Why should you have a print book and not the digital version only? In a former blog post we listed lots of reasons for this:

• The majority of book buyers still chooses printed books at the moment (that will change)
• You can give out review copies to newspaper/magazine or book blog reviewers
• To be hosted at local media / TV interviewers who want to show a copy of your book
• To sell your book easier to libraries
• To participate in a Goodreads Giveaway –
• To sell your book to those who really don’t want an e-Reader or just love paper books
• If you write non-fiction it is almost a MUST to have it in print
• You have an ISBN number and can get listed with Bowker at WORLDWIDE bookstores
• Physical books are just nicer to give on Christmas – unless you put an e-book on a new e-Reader and wrap it
• To sell more e-books! Yes – because they seem to cost so much less in comparison…
• To list your book in more categories / genres on Amazon: per book type you are allowed to choose two categories / genres. Two print and two digital versions – which increases your books’ visibility and also shows you exactly in which genre you have the most success.
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During your pre-production phase you acquired already a bar code (for your print book) and an ISBN, the International Standard Book Number, a 13-digit number that uniquely identifies books published anywhere in the world. How to get one? Or better a block of ten, if you intend to write more books. BTW, the price of a block of ten is the same as buying only two ISBN’s.

Good news for authors in Canada: ISBN are free for Canadian citizens, publishing a book in Canada – no matter were it is sold. But that’s not the only benefit for the publishing industry in this country.
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Selling your e-book on Amazon doesn’t necessarily require an ISBN, you will get automatically an ASIN, Amazon’s identifier. Other retailers may require an ISBN, such as Kobo URL for example.
ISBN numbers are assigned by a group of agencies worldwide coordinated by the International ISBN Agency in London, England.  In the United States, ISBN’s are assigned by the U.S. ISBN Agency: R.R. Bowker is the independent agent in the US for this system. You can apply for an ISBN online. On average it takes about two weeks for ISBN’s to be assigned. Getting your own ISBN is very important, as the initial purchaser of this number is considered officially as the publisher. Don’t fall for “free” ISBN and don’t purchase it from other sources than the official organizations.
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Plan and Calculate Printing Carefully
Unless you have hundreds or even thousands of paperback orders, it doesn’t make sense to have your book printed the traditional way. Book printers expect a run of at least five thousand books to give you a reasonable price per book. Avoid to be one of these authors who have a garage full of books and no idea how to sell them ever. Get your distribution channels (more about this in one of the next blogs) first and then order your printing.
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For Small Print Runs Consider “Print On Demand”
CreateSpace and Lightning Source are recommendable POD’s who offer small print quantities and are distributing your book to wholesale and retailers. They have changed the book publishing landscape considerably. The issue of discounts and returns (the banes in book selling) are one of the primary reasons you might use them. Getting into Lightning Source (LSI) requires you have at least three books for sale. If you have only one book, you can band together with other authors, however, one of you has to be the official publisher. You can get your book into Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com with only a 20% discount, and you avoid accepting returns.
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Use BOTH POD Services for Best Results
Printing through Lightning Source is the least expensive way to get your book into Amazon.com. If you get into Amazon via a distributor or the Amazon Advantage program, you’ll pay a slightly higher discount. Lightning Source is owned by Ingram, so when you sign up with LSI and pay $12 per year (per title), you get your book into Ingram’s large distribution network.
The benefit of CreateSpace: it’s owned by Amazon and your book will always show as available on Amazon’s website. However you can go with both to get full advantages and broader distribution of your book.
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For Just a Few Copies Use “Espresso Book Machine”
If you don’t want to have print books, but would like to have a book signing or your grandma wants a copy of your book in paper, use either a print shop that offers digital printing or any of these Espresso Book Machines that are sprouting up in large cities. You certainly can order it online from them and get it shipped. Their prices are a bit higher, but if you need a bunch of books “yesterday” then it is a good option. Locations can be found at their North America Map.
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Traditional Book Printing
Finding a cost effective Book Printer who wants to deal with a small publisher requires a bit of a search. Most printers can print books but few printers are professional book printers. There are only about 50,000 printers in North America and only a handful of them are book printers. Few book printers want to work with the first time publisher. Get referrals from other writers, check out books in your library that often shows the name of the printer or ask at writer seminars others about their experiences with printers. Don’t just order it from the first book printer you cross, get at least ten quotes for printing & binding prices, including shipping costs and references to have enough points to compare. Then ask those printers to give you titles of books they printed, and even maybe contact the independent authors, who dealt with the printer. A Google search or the Better Business Bureau regarding the printers reputation might be helpful too. Sample printing calculations can be found here:http://www.selfpublishing.com/

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TIP: Expect at least about 2-3 weeks in average including freight, but this depends heavily on your printer’s schedule – The earlier you book, the less time you need to budget. Add at least ten days as a safety margin for unforeseen’s, such as lost freight, weather disasters, machine breakdowns and other delays. A great source for detailed information about the printing process and explanations of trade-specific “slang” can be found at http://www.creativemindspress.com/printing.htm

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Use the Print Time to Spruce Up Your Marketing Efforts:

• Plan and advertise the book launch (FREE on Google+ and Goodreads)
• Start a Goodreads Giveaway (1-3 copies)
• Get as many pre-order for your book as possible
• Increase Social Media efforts and sign up with even more reader forums
• Spruce up your web page and write lots of blogs
• Prepare news / press releases
• Schedule interviews and book signings
• Use Google+, Flickr, Pinterest etc. to show your new books’ cover image

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The book release date is not the end of your book journey, but the beginning. Your book should have an active life span of at least 2-5 years, and much longer for an e-book, as it is a living document and can be revised to a new version any time. You now have almost a full-time job of being an author, and should continue to perform all of the marketing activities in a smart way. Use the content of your book to write articles – maybe even get paid for it.
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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 159 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.international-ebooks.com/book-promo to advertise your new book, specials or KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 930 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, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Checklist: How to Organize Your Book Marketing

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Checklist for future success authors
Until you become a celebrity author, there are only TWO ways to market your book …

1. You can invest lots of money and pay “bestseller buyers”, buy ads / go on book signing tours / attend all national book fairs – or
2. You can invest time into building a platform and an authors brand through the use of social marketing and content marketing, plus you learn some fast and free tricks to spread the word about your book.

And then there is
a. the promotional, social part (content marketing, Social Media, book readings)
b. the “hard-selling” part for your book (bookstores, online retailers, book fairs)
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“Hard-Selling” will barely work if you have not laid out the foundation under a). Ask yourself:
Would you likely buy something from an unknown person, no matter if on- or off-line? Remember that your competition in published books is fierce and there are millions published every year. Readers have to be convinced to buy an unfamiliar book from a totally unknown author.
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First Things First – Prepare Your Books Success:

– Plan your publishing business – create a business plan/checklist
– Get your own ISBN number and register your copyright
– Register with Bowker to have your book worldwide listed (free)
– Choose the right genre (category) and keywords for your book (on/off-line retailers)
– Gather as many reviews as possible and write a compelling blurb
– Research media contacts and prepare Press Releases
– Write your “elevator pitch” and practice it for quick pitch
– Start spread sheets / lists with email addresses of potential readers / reviewers / media
– Create an email signature & use it for every email you send out
– Print business cards / book marks
– Start and write regularly (once or twice a week) blog posts
– Create your own – not a free! site – hosting is cheap now – author website
– Spruce up your website and blog for your book launch
– Write a compelling press release
– Invite more reviewers for your book
– Submit photos of your book cover image to Pinterest, Flickr…
– Create a slide show and/or video book trailer
– Send copies to book reviewers in various publications and to book bloggers
– Send review copies to book clubs with large distribution
– Have a professional! photographer taken a portrait to use for your avatar
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Offline Book Promotion:

– Book Signings (bookstores / Malls / Airports before X-Mas)
– Readings at libraries & book clubs or Meetup
– Writing newspaper / magazine articles (content marketing)
– Plan and create an email campaign to potential readers
– Get customer orders for special (price) pre-launch sale
– Join HARO (Help a Reporter out) to make yourself a name as an expert in your field
– Participate in Writing Contests
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Online Book Promotion:
For both, fiction or non-fiction: The foundation for your books’ success is in building a community, a social environment and a platform to introduce yourself and your work to readers. How can you accomplish this, even before your book is finished? It takes at least ONE year to make yourself known in the book community, so start early in order to have a successful book launch.

IMPORTANT:
Choose the “right” followers and post ONLY things that are interesting and useful for your readers, such as publishing news, humor / quotes, valuable tips etc.  Don’t use Social Media as a bill board for your book!
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What you can do before your book is ready to go to the beta-reader, copy-editor and final editor:

– Create a list of tweets / posts for your Social Media sites
– Sign up with free scheduling services (Hootsuite, Futuretweets etc.)
– Choose the “right” followers: READERS / REVIEWERS / BOOK BLOGGERS
– Get to know and introduce yourself to potential readers, sign up at Google+
(good for SEO), Goodreads, Twitter, FB, Pinterest, Flickr
– Join forums in your field, especially if you write non-fiction
– Send blog articles to newspapers / magazines and even to e-Zines
– Write guest blogs for other bloggers to get your name out
– Comment on other bloggers posts (esp. book bloggers and reviewers)
– Invite several thousand! people as followers and friends on your social media sites
– Join book communities at #1 Goodreads (has 20,000+ communities) #2 Wattpad, #3 KindleBoards, BookTalk, Scribd…
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Once your book is edited, has an appealing cover, is professionally converted (e-book), or got a perfect layout (print) and is ready to launch:

IMPORTANT:
Automate submissions between your blog/website and all your Social Networks – and among all your social media sites. This saves you lots of time!  For example: Every blog post you write is automatically transferred to your Amazon author page and to your Goodreads page. When you schedule your tweets on Hootsuite, they are automatically posted on all your Twitter accounts, on Facebook and Google+.  Your post on Pinterest shows up on Twitter. This way, everything you post on Google+ appears on Facebook, Twitter and all your Google+ communities.

– Place your book into the right category / genre and sub-genre (important for its success!)
– Create a second, separate BOOK PAGE on Amazon, Goodreads, Google+ and FB
– Set up a media press kit on your website with a link to your book trailer
– Start a Goodreads Giveaway a month before book launch (print book only)
– Write a blog post about the upcoming launch
– Ask friends to list your book under “Listmania” on Amazon & to LIKE your author page
– Exchange books for book shelves with your friends on Goodreads
– Participate in “Carnival of the Indies” blog carnival to promote your blog URL
– Send your books’ cover to cover contests (e.g. http://www.thebookdesigner.com)
– Submit your blogs including a bio and URL link to even more e-Zines

– Offer interviews at Radio (www.blogtalkradio.com) / local or national TV stations
– Make arrangements for interviews in newspapers or on book blogger’s sites

– Try to set you up to become a desirable guest expert on a talk or morning show
– Befriend influential book bloggers for even more reviews and articles
– Gather writing friends for cross-promotions and blog tours
– Add press clippings and articles, already published, to your website
– Get a new business card with images of all your books and sales links
– Place the books’ cover image & description daily on your Google+ stream
– Announce your book launch or book signing on Google+ for FREE
– Get even more friends, followers and people in your circles on social media sites
as you need lots of audience to spread the word about your new book!
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What else can you do to increase your books’ success:
Write your next book! Readers want to get more of your writing. Only authors with several books will be top sellers. The first book is always the hardest – to write and to sell.

– Become a guest speaker at writers conferences or business seminars
– Sell your book to libraries (find out how the library orders)
– Let your book translate in other languages or sell foreign rights
– Split your (non-fiction) book in pieces and sell single articles to magazines
– Participate in writing contests and book awards
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Hope this list keeps you busy : ) and if you have more tips, please send us a comment! You will find many blog posts here to each of these topics. Just type the keyword into to search function above and get all relevant articles and further information.
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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 179 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.international-ebooks.com/book-promo to advertise your new book, specials or KDP Select Free Days.

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