Is this You? Make it Right from the Start!

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Would you learn to drive a car, a totally new profession or fly a plane without a flight instructor?
It makes sense to have a professional for “showing you the ropes”, someone who has studied the subject and has many years experience. The same is true for the “new profession” that you, as an independent authors choose: Publisher.

Getting help BEFORE you write or at least before you publish, can save a lot of headache, beginner mistakes, lots of time and most important: Money! And even when you get help after your book is published, it will improve your appearance as a serious author tremendously.
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Evaluating Book Appearance and Author Platform
Before we start our Publishing and Book Marketing consulting/coaching we ask our clients to fill out a questionnaire in order to evaluate their book’s appearance and if the basics of professional publishing are known and if the author platform or any kind of author brand are visible.
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These are some of the gaps we discover:

• No knowledge about the “competition” of their book
• No clear picture about the potential readership demographic
• No professional author image on Social Media
• Missing author pages on Amazon or Goodreads
• Cover image not in line with the content / not attractive
• No Google+ Page for each of their books
• No email opt-in on their webpage
• No own ISBN, which means not their own publisher
• Not registered with Bowker for worldwide listing of books
• No regular blog posts on their site
• No guest posting on other blogs
• Follows only other writers on Twitter instead of readers or reviewers
• Book is in the “wrong” category on Amazon
• No transfer of Twitter / Facebook followers to Goodreads
• No interesting tweets, just hawking their books
• No email signature, or no “about.me” on blogs
• No articles written for newspapers or magazines
• No free event invitation on Goodreads or Google+
• Social Media sites are not connected with each other
• Book Cover that screems “self-published”
• No pre-publishing reviews are sent out
• No Goodreads Giveaway before book launch

…. well, this list could go on and on …

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Never Too Late
My favored quote is “You never get a second chance for a first good impression”. However, there is always still a good chance to improve the author platform and the author brand, one step at a time.  When all these gaps are closed, sales will pick up!  But you have to do the necessary steps and the groundwork first!  Let’s help you with our 30+ years of professional publishing experience and marketing studies. See also samples how we can support your marketing efforts.
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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three 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, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 980 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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The Truth About Author Platforms

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A publisher’s or a literary agents’ first question she / he asks you: What is your platform? Editors and agents are for sure attracted to authors who have a “platform”. They are looking for someone with visibility and authority, who has a proven outreach to a target audience. Why? The short answer is: Money.
Publishing houses are everything but non-profit organizations, they want to earn as much money as possible from the manuscripts they buy. They can only sell a considerable amount of books and make money when lots of people know about the author and his or her work – provided the author is able to spread the word about the book to a huge audience.
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What is an Author Platform
…. which is not only important for authors who want to sell their manuscript to a trade publisher, but equally or even more important for independent writers who want to author-publish:

• Authority:
  What other articles or books, blogs or articles for newspapers or magazines have you written previously? What’s your credibility? What are your credentials?
• Proven reach:
  For example the size of your e-mail newsletter list, your website traffic, blog comments, high-profile reviews, testimonials or references for your writing from bestseller authors in your genre.
• Visibility:
  What communities are you a part of? Who knows you? Who is aware of your work? Where does your work regularly appear? How many people see it? Who do you influence?
• Target audience:
  Being visible to the right audience for the book you are publishing. For example, if you wrote a book how career women can combine work and parenthood, you should have a large target audience of parents, career women, mommy-bloggers, maybe even kindergarten teachers or psychologists.
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No Hard-Selling:
It’s not about hard selling or constant self-promotion.  And it is also not a one-time event or something you can create overnight or in a month. Creating your platform is a long-term project and it cannot be developed by posting “Follow me!” on Twitter or “Like me!” on Facebook… Compare it to opening a business or becoming self-employed: it takes many months, sometimes years, until a solid foundation is grown, one customer at a time.
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How Can You Grow Your Platform:
Publishing or distributing quality work online, on blogs, newsletters or websites, or articles in magazines and newspapers, taking part at social networks, producing pod casts, webinars or videos for your target audience. Speaking at and/or attending events where you meet new people and extend your network of contacts and your visibility.
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Don’t Give Up – it All Takes Time:
Write content and reach out: Building your author platform belongs to the same project as the book you write. Use your creativity , and again: write lots of content, such as guest posts, blogs and short stories for weblogs, websites, magazines, newspapers, and give speeches and presentations at writers conferences or at local libraries. Reach out to potential fans of your writing – one reader at a time.

Becoming an author-publisher is a long term commitment and requires hundreds of small steps on the path to success!  Read more about author platforms and how to establish them:

https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/12/19/dont-give-up-it-just-takes-time/

https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/10/30/how-to-create-your-author-platform/

https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/a-new-way-of-book-marketing/

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three 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, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 970 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 Create Your Author Platform

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Platform, a buzz word these days… “What’s Your Author’ Platform”?  THE famous question you will be asked by agents and publishers before they even consider to read your query or manuscript. As they spend almost all of their marketing dollars for bestseller authors, publishing houses nowadays expect authors to do their own book marketing. To ensure, the author brings his or her own audience and lots of potential readers and book buyers, agents and publishers want to see lots of followers and friends on Social Media sites and how an author appears on these sites. They want to see a solid number of blog subscribers/web visitors and the authors ability to present themselves to an audience.
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So, What Are the Essentials of a Platform?
In short:, platform is the visibility, the authority of the author, a proven reach, as well as a far reaching audience.

• A Quality Blog / Website with a Large Readership
• Guest blogging to successful websites, blog, magazines, and other media
• Public speaking – the bigger the better, however at least at your local library
• Smart connected social media presences (Google+, Twitter, FB, LinkedIn etc.)
• Forum memberships, starting with Goodreads, Bibliophil, Wattpad …
• Media appearances/interviews online and in print, TV, radio
• and …. more than one book!

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Building an Author Platform
is not something you can do overnight, or in a month. The best time to start working on your platform is long before you start writing your book. Even if your book is excellent, has received great reviews, a marvelous cover – if readers don’t know about it, you are stuck. And if you go with a major publisher and they would receive – within three months from your books’ launch – lots of unsold copies returned by the bookstores, they would never publish anything from you again. That’s why they ask, “how will you market your book” or “what’s your platform.”

You might think, this is the publishers job – and you might be right. But not even for famous authors they will do all the blogging or social media part, they only advertise celebrities way more than unknown writers and pay for exposed space in bookstores, or send these authors on book signing tours.
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That’s all Publishers will Do:

• editing, transforming a good manuscript to a great one
• design the book (layout) and its cover
• organize the printing process / e-book formatting
• distribute your book in stores, speciality retailers and online
• carry out all the necessary book keeping with retailers and your royalty payments

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Publishing houses laid off a huge amount of their staff within the last years. Remaining, over-worked publicists are not able to give your book’s marketing the attention it needs.
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“When is it Time to Start Building your Author Platform?”
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). Rather promulgate your work by making an enduring connection. Establish an authentic online personality, offer valuable information, analysis, opinion, and inspiring entertainment.”

Jane Friedman, e-media professor and former publisher of Writer’s Digest brought it to the point: “Getting a book published does not equate to readership. You must cultivate a readership every day – and start today. Audience development doesn’t happen overnight, or in six months or a year. It continues for as long as you want to have people read your books.” Read also Kristen Lamb’s blog article “When is it Time to Start Building your Author Platform?” Read the blog post about bestseller author Trey Ratcliff, mentioned in a former article.
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Without having a clear idea of which methods of promoting yourself and your work are really worth the investment of time, you might be tempted to avoid the subject entirely. But in today’s publishing world, neglecting your platform, even before you have a book deal, can be a precarious mistake. The most successful authors are those who have created ways of finding lasting fans – and of reaching out to new ones every day.
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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 900 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 to StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

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

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As an Author-Publisher You Are Not Alone

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It’s an adventure for sure … and you never wanted to become an entrepreneur! You just wanted to write. Publishing and marketing are almost scary tasks for you. It seems, as if you have to learn a complete new profession. The writing is finished, yet there are so many new challenges approaching:

• proofreading and editing
• cover design and ebook formatting
• uploading to all online retailers
• choosing a print form and get a layouter
• getting articles published about you and your book

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And more questions are coming up:

• why do I have to market my book, even it is on Amazon?
• what on earth is a “platform”?
• why should I create a brand as author?
• why and how should I create a blog/website?
• why do I have to be on these social media sites?
• why join several reader forums?

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So, how can you make self-publishing and book marketing an enjoyable journey, how can you learn it all, without even studying economy, marketing, e-publishing etc ?
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Take advantage of our professional help to learn:

• how you can establish a brand as a writer
• the publishing and retail possibilities
• all the pre-publishing book marketing steps
• blogging & automatic posting of your articles to Twitter, FB, Google+, Goodreads…
• how to make lots of reader contacts on several social media sites
• researching your possible competition & popularity of genres/positioning
• how to identify your target readers & plan your blog content & marketing strategies
• how to get lots of readers & reviewers

… and the list goes on and on
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Would you learn to drive a car or fly a plane without instructor?
Compare learning to be a successful author-publisher to getting a drivers licence or learning a new language or to fly an airplane: It is frightening first, but once you have learned it – with a professional instructor on your site – and you gain self-confidence, it becomes sheer pleasure. Would you learn to drive a car, learn a new language or fly a plane without instructor?

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Everything you accomplished in life makes you proud and is fun doing! So will be author-publishing and book marketing.
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“Nobody ever made money writing a book – only by selling it”
If you want to get help and valuable support, for less than $1/per day: Sign up now for an individual Book Marketing online seminar & coaching, customized to YOUR book and your needs. Get practical support to market your book almost for free. Get all the details: www.111Publishing.com/seminar

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9 Reasons to Get Help Boosting Your Books Success

3 Options for Authors to Sell their Books

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The Foundation for Your Publishing Success

Platform wikimedia.org

When building a house, no one would start with the walls or the roof.  The first step is in preparing the ground and building the foundation that carries the home. Same with your publishing endeavor, you start from scratch to build a platform.

Platform, a buzz word these days… “What’s Your Author’ Platform”? the famous question you will be asked by agents and publishers before they even consider to read your query or manuscript.

Read the blog post about Bestseller author Trey Ratcliff,  mentioned in a former article

“I am sitting in a nice restaurant in San Francisco with all these executives of a major publishing house. It’s one of these power dinners of lore. We are to discuss the upcoming launch of my book, and I’ll never forget what happened. They asked me, “OK, Trey, what are you going to do to market this book?”  You could have knocked me over with a feather.  My young publishing life flashed in front of my eyes…  I ended up putting together a robust launch campaign. Luckily I already had thousands of people who came to my blog every month, a healthy Twitter following (this is before Google+) and a great network of people to help. I did everything, including….”

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So, what are the essentials of a platform?

• Blog / website with a large readership
• Guest blogging to successful websites, blog, magazines, and other media 
• Public speaking – the bigger the better, however at least at your local library 
• Smart connected social media presences (Google+, Twitter, FB, LinkedIn etc.) 
• Forum memberships, starting with Goodreads, Bibliophil, Wattpad … 
• Media appearances/interviews online and in print, TV, radio
• and …. more than one book!

.
Even if your book is excellent, has received great reviews, a marvelous cover – if readers don’t know about it, you are stuck.

And if you go with a major publisher and they would receive – within three month from your books’ launch – lots of unsold copies returned by the bookstores, they would never publish anything from you again. That’s why they ask, “how will you market your book” or “what’s your platform.”
You might think, this is the publishers job. Not even for very famous authors they will do the blogging or social media part, they only advertise celebrities way more than unknown writers and pay for exposed space in bookstores, or send these authors on book signing tours.
.

Publishers will do:
– editing, transforming a good manuscript to a great one
– design the book (layout) and its cover
– organize the printing process / e-book formatting
– distribute your book in stores, speciality retailers and online
– carry out all the necessary book keeping with retailers and your royalty payments
.

Publishing houses laid off a huge amount of their staff within the last years. Remaining over-worked publicists are not able to give your book’s marketing the attention it needs.
.

Jane Friedman, e-media professor and former publisher of Writer’s Digest brought it to the point: “Getting a book published does not equate to readership. You must cultivate a readership every day – and start today. Audience development doesn’t happen overnight, or in six months or a year. It continues for as long as you want to have people read your books.”
.

Without having a clear idea of which methods of promoting yourself and your work are really worth the investment of time, you might be tempted to avoid the subject entirely. But in today’s publishing world, neglecting your platform, even before you have a book deal, can be a precarious mistake. The most successful authors are those who have created ways of finding lasting fans – and of reaching out to new ones every day.
.

Spend less time promoting – and more time writing.
Most writers are not marketing specialists by trade, so if you need help and assistance in building a platform, read all our former blog posts or book us for a while  (it’s just $98 for 3 months) to get all the individual support for your book and the knowledge, necessary to continue on your own.  We studied for years e-publishing and book marketing, so that YOU don’t have to.

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

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK

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

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

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Pingates

Related articles

• The Seven (Deadly) Sins to Avoid When Marketing Your Book (barefootbasics.com)
• Drive Successful Content Marketing with a 3-Part Media Plan (contentmarketinginstitute.com)

 

Market Your Book First – Write it Later

 

Author Nick Russell who has just sold 33,000+ books last month in an interview:

While I have been a self-publisher for many years, I’m still relatively new to the whole e-book thing. But every day I sell a few books, and my sales numbers have been improving every week. While I’ll probably never make it into the exalted neighborhood of e-book authors like John Locke, who recently became the first independent e-book author/publisher to sell one million copies of his books, my experience so far has been very positive.

Some e-book authors or wannabes have asked me how I have gone about marketing my e-books, and for advice about how they can help their own sales. Some of these questions and my answers include:

Q. Do you feel that your blog followers provided a ‘platform’ which purchased your novel as well?

A. There is no doubt that my initial sales came from existing blog readers. As soon as I announced that the mystery was available on Kindle, people started ordering it. In fact, before I ever published it on Kindle, I sent out free copies by e-mail to a large number of blog readers and asked them for their feedback. Many of those same people went to Amazon and purchased an “official” copy once it was available. 

Q. Do you think you would have done as well had you no following?

A. I believe in my work, so yes, I do believe that I would have done as well, eventually. But there is no question that having those blog readers as a base certainly made things happen a lot faster.  

Q. Has social media helped your e-book sales, and how?

A. I made a couple of posts on Facebook and Twitter about Big Lake, as well as on the popular Escapees RV forum, which I frequent. And from there the momentum picked up.

Somebody on Facebook, Twitter, or the RV forum will say they read the book and liked it, and somebody else might make a follow-up comment in agreement, and from there a couple more people order it. They in turn might post a comment, and the process repeats itself.

Q. Do you have any ideas for those of us who have no or a small platform and following?

A. My advice for those who don’t already have a platform or following is to develop one. Start a blog, work at making it a good blog, and develop a following. That doesn’t happen overnight.*

I approach publishing as a business, and nothing in business happens overnight. I have been blogging for several years, and every year my following has grown.

* probably a year or longer