Sell More on Amazon: Understanding Keywords, Categories, and Amazon’s Algorithms

Most of us know Amazon as one of the biggest online stores where you can get everything from the latest tech gadget to your favorite book. But what many don't realize is that Amazon is a search engine and subject to many of the same algorithm rules that sites like Google and Bing subscribe to.
When you want to expand your visibility in search engines, you start to look at things like keywords, tags and content. The rules aren't that dissimilar. If a product or book is getting traction on Amazon, it will trigger their algorithm, which then kicks in their internal promotion. What does Amazon's internal promotion look like? It's not that different from a real brick and mortar store really.

Let's say your local Gap Store is seeing a sudden surge of turtlenecks, which were previously stuffed in the back of the store, maybe on a small table by the dressing rooms. The store recognizes that these are selling and moves the turtlenecks to the front of the store so more people can spot them. What happens? They start selling even more. Now the store decides to pair them with something. Let's say a pair of cargo pants. Great! They add them to the table and update the mannequin display. The pants sell now nearly as well as the sweaters. Do you see a pattern here? This is what happens with Amazon, too. Triggers such as keyword searches, categories and spikes in sales that last longer than 48 hours start to ping Amazon's algorithms and the next thing you know, your book is showing up as a recommended buy and top of searches. The more you sell, the more Amazon wants to help you sell. Makes sense, doesn't it?

SEO and Your Amazon Page

In most cases it's easier to optimize a non-fiction book than a fiction book, however, when it comes to categories your fiction book may likely do better. (We'll look at categories in a minute) Why are non-fiction books easier to optimize? Because there are fewer of them.

So what is Amazon optimization, really? Well, it's your Amazon page (the actual book page) and your Amazon Author Central Page, both of which can be enhanced using keywords, reviews, pricing, and picking the right categories.

Keywords

First, let's take a look at keywords. What many authors and sellers don't realize is that much like Google, Amazon has a fantastic keyword tool. Most of you have probably experimented with typing in a keyword in the Google search bar and seeing their suggestions pop up. Amazon has the same search/keyword function. For example, if I type "selling books" into the search bar, it pops up quite a few search suggestions, one of which is "selling books on Amazon."

When you input that search term (selling books on Amazon), my book, Selling Books by the Truckload on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Sell-Books-Truckload-Amazon-com-ebook/dp/B00CJ0USL0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376528993&sr=1-1&keywords=Sell+Your+Books+by+the+truckload+on+amazon comes up on the first page (a good thing). When I was trying to decide what to name it, I did this search and looked at all of the titles that popped up. Many of them were just titled: Selling Books on Amazon (smart authors) which digs right into the keywords and that's what you want. That's why you want to run this search.

The goal of this exercise is to either use this search when you're titling your book, or if your book is already out there, you can use the keywords in your book's description. To do this on your own, you can either type in a keyword string, or even better, type in a single keyword and see what pops up. So, let's say you have a book about cooking. Type the word "cooking" into the Amazon search bar and you'll see lots of suggestions such as "cooking for one" and "cooking for two," you can then incorporate these keywords into your book title, subtitle, or description. I would suggest doing this for each keyword associated with your book. You can do this same search using Google's Keyword Tool on their Google AdWords page. Keep in mind that for your book description, you can only use 7 keywords or keyword strings, and there's no reason why you can't also use popular author names. I've used author names in keywords often and it absolutely works.

Categories

If you've ever picked a category for your book and eBook you may have noticed that they don't always match up. When I first encountered this I thought I was mistaken, turns out I wasn't. Whether it's a glitch or done intentionally, the categories for books and eBooks aren't the same. But there's a simple way to fix this, more on this in a minute.

Ideally when you're picking a category you don't want one with a broad, busy market. Ideally you want a category that's narrow. Why? Because Amazon's algorithm is pinged when a book hits the top of a category. For example, I was coaching this author about her romance novel and though she wanted to be top of category in contemporary romance, the category was just too cluttered. Instead I suggested that she put her book under dramas, which was a sub (sub) category of contemporary romance. The category (at the time) had only 81 other books in it, so getting her book to the top of that list wasn't an issue. Doing so triggered Amazon's internal system and the next thing you know her book was coming up high in Amazon searches, being recommended to readers, and being pushed on the pages of other, very high-profile romance novels. The thing with categories is that while it's tempting to put your book into a massively obscure category, you need to make sure that the category is one that belongs with your book, meaning don't put your business book under a category that's dedicated to some other specialty even if there are only three other competing books.

Some experts say that Amazon can pull your book altogether. I'm not sure this is quite accurate, but I have seen books get moved to the "appropriate" categories if the author decides to shuffle the book somewhere just so it will hit top of market. Ready to start exploring the Amazon categories? Here is the link that's essentially the hub to all of the Amazon categories: http://www.amazon.com/-/b/?node=1000.

Of all the work you do placing your book on Amazon, adjusting the keywords, etc., this might be the most key piece of marketing you can do so dig around in this list and make sure to put the book in the most narrow category you can. This will benefit your book tremendously. Also, as a potential reader previews your Amazon page, it's also eye-candy to see low book ranking, meaning books that are in the top ten of the category. When I polled readers I found that they didn't care what the category was, in fact most times it didn't register. But when they saw #10 or #1 on a book page, it was often very helpful in making a sale. You see the ranking on the Amazon page, about halfway down.

Two final notes on categories, the first is that categories change. Dramas, for example, are no longer a sub-sub category in romance. I don't know why Amazon does this but I suspect that shuffling around these categories is helpful to their internal system. Finally, I mentioned earlier that Print and eBook categories often differ. When you find the category you want for your book, the first thing you may want to do is go to your backend and make these adjustments, i.e. change this category.

However if your eBook is in the KDP system (Kindle Direct Publishing) you'll need to email them through your Author Central Page. Just hit the "help" button (again from within your Author Central Page) and email their staff. Most of the time you'll find the email is responded to and the category adjusted within 24 hours. They have a great response time, even better than through their publisher help page. If you don't know what the Author Central page is just click here: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/. You just use your Amazon login to access your page. Everyone has one, whether you've claimed it or not.

Other Ways to Trigger Amazon

There are a variety of other things you can do to help trigger the internal sales system at Amazon. eBook promos can do that (meaning freebie books offered through Amazon) but the eBook freebie days have to be promoted in order to be effective. How do you make your eBook free? It's all done through KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). You get up to five freebie days but I would only recommend using two or three at a time. Promote the book heavily on those days. Why? Because a high spike on freebie days can really benefit your book overall. I've seen momentum carry through from freebie days and trigger a quicker climb up the ranking once the book goes back to a paid version.

Also, price and category switching will help to shake things up, too. What this means is that you play with the pricing, moving it high and low again every 6 weeks or so. Also, you can shuffle a book in a category frequently, too. Though I'd recommend doing it just once every six weeks.

The idea is to send enough "juice" to your book through triggers that Amazon recognizes and responds to. Typically, though, you can't do just one of these items recommended, you'll need to do all of them - but not necessarily at the same time. I recommend you start with the keywords, then the category, then you can experiment with eBook promotion, category flipping and vary the book pricing. Give the process a week or so to "take hold" and then see what your efforts leverage in the way of visibility. The good thing about Amazon is that they don't limit you to the number of changes you can make. Good luck!

Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free e-zine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

Poetry and Prose Corner September 2013

For Labors Unheralded

Heaven bless the working man,
Or woman, as the case may be,
For labors that have built a nation,
Made it strong,
Kept it free.

Day by day endures the trek,
Spaghettied byways
Overflowing.
Ceaseless days of repetition,
Watching with frustration growing.

Even while complaints may linger
As the endless hours drone,
Though his ire may peak aplenty,
He will never take it home.

Home to where his world makes sense,
A different kind of recompense,
Where labors wear a sweeter flavor
Sheltered by a picket fence.

Dennis S. Martin
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Plays: http://sites.google.com/site/playsbydennissmartin/


Welcome

As we learn to welcome
all aspects of life
Storms and beauties of nature
personal pleasures and strife
We’ll find our human form
can do more than first appears
Our form can resonate and dance
to music of the spheres
Can dream of new creations
that benefit all beings
And broaden cosmic consciousness
beyond the bounds now seen

From the prologue to Leonard Goodwin’s new book, Echoes in the Universe: A Spiritual Memoir available at Amazon.com


Granduer

For as not yet
to know the grandeur
that in this world
this life may come to pass,
I content myself
with this aspiration of hope,
that when herein lies a
life that has passed,
love hath revealed itself
in the image
of you and I.

Richard (James Michael Pontes)


Dear Dad

White knights are hard to come by these days,
So often blemished or misaligned.
But shortsighted memory
Is always forgiving
And the foresight of hindsight so often is blind.

So I never flinched as you donned your armor
And rode out to battle with dragon or beast.
Against famine and foe you defended our castle,
Returning the bounty,
Providing the feast.

Relentless, tenacious, untiring in effort,
Your fortress impenetrable, or so it seems.
But I see your heart, taste your will,
Touch your feelings,
See through your eyes as you strive toward your dreams.

Often profane,
Ready to ire,
Firm when the situations demand,
Yet soft as a feather
And quick as a heartbeat
When favors have need of a helping hand.

When I needed a hero
You took the stand.

Dennis S. Martin
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Plays: http://sites.google.com/site/playsbydennissmartin/

Historical Creative Non-Fiction ~ A Long Journey Pulls into the Station for Author-Waitress Betsy Thorpe

by Deborah Wilbrink

The Day the Whistles Cried: The Great Cornfield Meet at Dutchman's Curve is the true story of America's worst train wreck, a 200-page work of creative nonfiction. Even the title reflects the six years of research that Thorpe invested. “A cornfield meet is railroad slang for train wreck! This mother of all train wrecks took place in the cornfields along White’s Creek, and may have been the foundation for the phrase.” Two passenger trains collided on a curve just outside of Nashville in 1918, killing 101 people.

Tracking down descendants of the “One Hundred and One Victims” to interview and spending long hours in archives, Thorpe gathered a ton of primary material. With a background in folklore, Thorpe had set that career aside years ago to honor her late husband’s commitment to music, wherever it led them. She set those skills to work in research and writing on her hours off from a shift at Shoney’s. Boiling down over 5000 pages of research notes into 200 pages of riveting reading was her biggest challenge. Most rewarding? “Seeing people’s names in a list of who died in a 1918 newspaper; then watching them come to life before my eyes, as I discovered what they did for a living, why they were on the train, their families. It’s the story of a time gone by, told through these real lives, not just a train wreck. On the trains rode two men out for a day of fishing; domestic workers; a potential governor of Tennessee; illiterate laborers headed for DuPont, among many others. As their stories unfold, so does the story of those turbulent and changing times. “Victims” no longer, these people have their lives vindicated at last.” The book, illustrated with photos of the day, will be “Published by Westview,” a Nashville publisher.

Fans of Titanic and those interested in disaster stories, history, Southern culture, and railroads can find the book for sale in January of 2014. Plans for publishing are set, with Thorpe using KickStart, a funding website which will launch her project with special rewards for small investors, beginning in September. The busy waitress-turned-author is ready to read excerpts from the manuscript and stoke the flames of excitement now. Thorpe is an adroit marketer, arranging events this month: a tea at Belle Meade Plantation, last sight for many on the train; a press conference on the steps of the former Union Station, now a hotel; and a tour of the train wreck site, now on a greenway, led by the author. For those invested in long-term projects, and “keeping the day job,” Thorpe is a model author. Keep up with her travels as a first-time author at her Facebook page, TrainWreck.
 

WITS Book Reviews September 2013

Title: Born to Lose
Author: P. J. Thomas
ISBN: 978-1-4787-0617-5
Publisher: OutskirtsPress.com
Genre and Target Market: fiction; crime
Publication Date: 2013
Book Length in Pages: 249
Reviewer: Sarah Moore

I have written my fair share of book reviews over my career in the world of writing and book marketing, but today I will begin my thoughts on the new release Born to Lose by P.J. Thomas in a way that I believe is a first for me. I am offering a disclaimer.

If you are in search for a novel that is written with eloquent prose that immediately strikes you with its artistry, this is not the book for you. Born to Lose is presented in a way that jolts the senses and, if your reaction is similar to mine, makes you uncomfortable. At first you may question the rough style of the sentence structure and the manner in which the characters interact. But, as you become more invested in the story and personalities walking through it, I believe you soon will recognize the author’s incredible skill at creating just the right level of uneasiness with his readers. You are not meant to read this book snuggled into an easy chair with the intention of drifting off to sweet dreams. This book is one of powerful and disturbing grit that comes to life more clearly with every passing chapter.

Born to Lose shares the troubled life of Sammy Lamonte, who reveals in the first two pages that he was given the wrong date of birth on his birth certificate due to drunk inspection by those completing the paperwork and then discovered at an early age that the man he thought was his uncle was really his father. Like the title of the book indicates, Sammy presents such an introduction of himself to lay the groundwork for his lifelong struggle with the intense feeling that he cannot trust his own birthright identity. In order to fill that void, he comes to find refuge at the local soda shop in his hometown of Buffalo amongst friends with nicknames like Louie Scabs and Sneaky Pete. After failed attempts at success in school and then the military, these neighborhood friends become his collaborators in criminal activity that soon drives him into the dark world of mob bosses and hit men.

In Sammy Lamonte, author P.J. Thomas displays great talent in creating a ruthless killer who evokes sympathy and a connection with his loneliness. He parades multiple women into his apartment, sometimes more than one at a time, but never succeeds in winning back the love of the one girlfriend who ever really mattered to him. He shoots police officers and friends and casual bystanders all with the same sense of duty and detachment, but also shows flashes of contempt for his deadly calling. He plans elaborate heists that take months to develop and that employ technology and precision in timing that only a person of strong intellect could pull off. Much as the character Tony Soprano earned his humanity with viewers during those moments in which he exposed his soul to his psychiatrist, Sammy Lamonte becomes a three-dimensional man who proves much deeper than the typical mob caricature.

I am even more impressed with Born to Lose and the violent lifestyle it portrays because this is not the first work by P.J. Thomas that I have had the pleasure to read. Each novel has had a distinct crafting to it, with descriptive phrasing and character dialogue that seem perfectly suited to the environment into which the author wishes to lead his readers. I could not pick up a novel by Thomas and immediately recognize its content as belonging to another by the author. This is an indication to me that Thomas offers great attention to every element of his craft, refining it in each instance to share a specific and unique message.

To claim that I am an expert in mob stories would not be accurate. But in Born to Lose, Thomas took me on a journey with Sammy Lamonte that led me to a greater understanding how a young man can, when presented with a disconcerting home life and a lack of focus or purpose and a group of sidekicks who are ready to embrace the more unsavory side of life with you, turn to a life of crime for acceptance. While written about a young man of two generations ago, Lamonte’s story is one that could be told about teenagers in homes across our country today. It is startling and graphic and makes for a book that sticks in your gut long after you read the troubling end.


Title: First Semester Physics Survival Guide: A Lifeline for the Reluctant Physics Student
Author: Dr. Teman Cooke
Publisher: Three Friendships Company (July 28, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0989320502
ISBN-13: 978-0989320504
Reviewer: Dana Micheli

If someone Googled “reluctant physics student,” the first thing they would see is my picture…at least, that’s what they would have seen before I read Dr. Teman’s Cooke’s, First Semester Physics Survival Guide: A Lifeline for the Reluctant Physics Student. When I was in college, just the thought of those complex equations made me want to run for the nearest Organic Chemistry class. So one can imagine my surprise when, while reading Dr. Cooke’s book, I did not run; nor did I stay and cry and pull my hair out (as I have in the past when dealing with anything involving numbers). Instead, I stayed, I read, and I understood.

Yes, understood. Dr. Cooke does not dive headfirst into the scary equations. Instead, he focuses largely on the concepts behind them, using very accessible examples, not from a laboratory, but from everyday life. The physics became part of a larger picture that I could visualize and learn from contextually. Only then does he ask the student to apply these concepts to problems. By that time, I was no longer scared by the equations; I was curious to work through the problems and see how they played out.

Ultimately, however, the book’s largest success lies in its tone. In a word, hilarious. Can you say you’ve read a physics book that made you laugh out loud? I can. It’s like being in class with that favorite teacher who not only makes you forget you hate the subject, but makes you realize that you actually like it.
 

How to Launch Your Own PR Campaign

by Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D.

Kicking Off Your PR Campaign with a Campaign Theme

Start your campaign by developing your campaign theme. This theme is something you can sum up in a phrase or sentence, much like the title of a book. Think of your theme like a news story headline–it’s a statement to quickly attract consumer interest.

For example, when Apple first brought out the Apple computer, their campaign focused around the notion of being different from the PC–it was the computer for “the rest of us.” Other examples of a theme are Verizon’s campaign of “having more phones in the network than any other service” or “having a more reliable network with fewer dropped calls than any other network.”

You can have multiple campaigns, but for each one, center your message around that theme. It’s like having a headline and subheads. Then you tell the story in the rest of your message.
The particular theme you choose should also be one that resonates with your selected target market.

Determining Your Target Market

Your target market is the group of consumers who will be most receptive to your product or service.  Your campaign theme should appeal to them. Thus, you need a match between your message and the group it is aimed at.

Don’t think your product or service will appeal to everyone. That’s too broad. Focus on the segments of the market which will be most receptive. Then, that focus will help you determine the best media and approach to use to reach that market.

This analysis of your market may mean you should review the name you have picked for your product, service, or PR campaign. Maybe you might want to choose a better or more compelling name or even use different names to appeal to different markets. So be ready to go back and reconsider your initial choices if necessary.

This willingness to review and revise is crucial, because sometimes you may think you have chosen a great name. But if you do some market research and get feedback, you may discover that others don’t relate to or like the name. So it may be better to change it early on than to hope you can change people’s attitudes and opinions, which are often difficult to change.

Linking Your Product or Service to the Daily News

If you can tie your product or service to what’s going on in the news, that can help you get publicity, because your product or service seems more timely and relevant, rather than just another new product, service, book, or whatever. So look at what’s happening in the news and how can you be an expert to comment on what’s happening or how your product or service might provide an important and unique benefit.

For instance, if you want to promote a humanitarian song, rather than directly promoting the song, promote some of the ways the song been used in different groups or how the song’s message ties into something in the news, such as promoting awareness of the immigration crisis which is very much in the news.

Promoting a Niche Product or Service

If you have a niche product or service, figure out what is your niche market, so you can direct your PR towards that market. By the same token, pick out key words to appeal to that market, and any time you do a mass mailing, feature those words in the mailing. Likewise, pick the particular media that serve that market.

For instance, if you have a product or book that appeals to managers, direct your PR to the business media. If it is a product or book that appeals to women consumers, direct your PR towards consumer publications or feature editors who cover topics that appeal to women. The more you can target the media, the better it is for your product or service.

Using Promotional Events

One way to promote your product and services is to create a special promotional event around it.  Some ways to do this are:

Create tie-ins with other groups, so you might do something on a larger scale.

Contribute part of your earnings for the event or product sales to a charity, whereby a certain percentage goes to that charity.

Put on a free event so that people in the media would feel more comfortable promoting it because it’s free. If you are charging, say $10 at the door, even if that’s to cover your costs for food and supplies, the media will think it’s a commercial event which you should advertise. So to maximize your publicity appeal, make your event free.

Find a way to make your event stand out and be unique.

Because we’re in a very celebrity-driven culture, if you can get a celebrity or a high-profile spokesperson to appear at your event or endorse your products or service, you’ll increase your credibility and appeal. Sometimes celebrities will appear at an event or provide an endorsement for free, if they really like what you’re doing. Other times they may want a certain fee or percentage of the door charge or of sales.

If your event or the sales potential is a large enough, a percentage of the door or sales may be all you need and you may not have to offer a guarantee or pay out anything upfront. Or connecting your event or sales to a charity may help you build sales as well as get celebrity endorsements, since some celebrities pick out charities they are particularly interested in. So if you can connect your event or activity to a charity that may be a way to gain the participation of a celebrity who is committed to that cause.

Often you can find restaurants and hotels for your event for a low price or free, because the restaurant or hotel expects increased business from the people you bring.

For example, I did some events at the Monsoon Café on the Promenade in Santa Monica with about 100 people at each event, and they only required a $100 payment for the use of a large banquet hall and a $100 guarantee for the bartender’s tips. Most of what we collected at the door -- $10 each – went to buy hors d’oeuvres for the group. So the payments from the attendees easily covered the $100 fee, plus most people bought drinks, which reimbursed the bartender. So it was a win-win for all.

Now, due to the recession, many restaurants and bars are hurting, so they are more likely to give you the space for nothing, if it looks like you will bring them a large number of customers.

* * * * * *
Gini Graham Scott, PhD, is the author of over 50 books, specializing in work relationships, professional and personal development, popular culture, and social trends. This article is adapted from DOING YOUR OWN PR, which is published by Arrow Publishing for the Apple iPhone and iPad and by ASJA Press/iUniverse as a paperback. She is also the author of USING LINKEDIN TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS OR YOURSELF, 17 TOP SECRETS FOR KEEPING YOUR JOB OR FINDING NEW WORK, and SELLING YOUR BOOK, SCRIPT, OR COLUMN. She is the host/producer of the radio show CHANGEMAKERS and a script writer/film producer, with several projects in development and post-production. She writes books and scripts for others, and consults with writers on how to write, publish, and promote their own books. Her websites are www.ginigrahamscott.com and www.changemakerspublishingandwriting.com.
 

Editor's Corner September 2013

Welcome to the September 2013 Edition of the Writers in the Sky Newsletter!

I once read an interview with Jodi Picoult, the bestselling and very prolific author known for her novels about family, love, and moral relativity. Picoult was talking about her writing process, and added that, “When I don’t write for a few days I get predictably crabby.” Sound familiar? As I’m sure many of you could attest, once you’ve been bitten by the writing bug, you don’t want to do anything else. Of course, not everyone has the luxury to write whenever they want; most authors hold day “day jobs” while writing their books.

Nowadays, with the bulk of the marketing responsibility sitting firmly on the writer’s shoulders, many find themselves juggling several full-time jobs: marketing one book, writing the next (hopefully), and working that pesky day job. This topic (namely, writer overload) is often discussed on Aspects of Writing—a radio show about all things authoring. There are always several great takeaways from the show, and this week was no different. The guests were discussing their marketing techniques, and while they each have their personal style, the consensus was that marketing can be tougher than writing the book itself. The takeaway this week: Do not let a tough marketing week affect your writing. If your sales are less than stellar, do not let that discouragement spill over into what you are creating for the future. Get out your outline, notes, or vision board and remind yourself why you were inspired to write the book in the first place!

Happy September, everyone, and as always, happy writing!

Dana Micheli
Writer and editor, Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://writersinthesky.com
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Writers in the Sky is a team of ghostwriters, editors, and book marketing specialists committed to the craft and business of writing. We work with our clients on all levels of the publishing process from editing and manuscript assessments to book formatting and marketing. So whether you are a first-time author or a veteran of the craft, let Writers in the Sky help you get your book out into the world. We also provide assistance with résumés, business documents, and academic essays. For more information, visit www.writersinthesky.com.

What J.K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith Can Teach Us About Author Platform

by Joel Friedlander

The literary world was shocked this past week by the revelation that J.K. Rowling, one of the most famous authors in the world, had written, sold, and published a crime novel called The Cuckoo’s Calling, under the name “Robert Galbraith.”

Weeks ago there were some readers who thought a well-known author was behind the book, like this one on Amazon:

“This book is so well written that I suspect that some years down the road we will hear the author’s name is a pseudonym of some famous writer.”

Some thought that Rowling should be allowed any leeway she likes, considering that her level of fame can sometimes be a burden, as from this commenter on Google+:

“This way she gets to test her writing instead of her marketing or brand.”

There was no secret that Robert Galbraith was a pseudonym, and this device is often used by authors who want to try writing in a new genre, for instance. Here’s the way Galbraith was described by Little, Brown, the book’s (unsuspecting) publisher, on its Amazon page:

“Robert Galbraith: After several years with the Royal Military Police, Robert Galbraith was attached to the SIB (Special Investigative Branch), the plain-clothes branch of the RMP. He left the military in 2003 and has been working since then in the civilian security industry. The idea for Cormoran Strike grew directly out of his own experiences and those of his military friends who returned to the civilian world. ‘Robert Galbraith’ is a pseudonym.”

So why does this all matter, and what can we learn from it?

Reviews, Sales, Platform

What really caught my attention about this story was the fate of the book so far in its publishing journey. It came out in April, and the publisher obviously believed enough in the book to commit resources to launching and promoting it, despite the fact there was no author to help out.

Reviews from major media were glowing. Publisher’s Weekly called it “stellar,” Booklist “instantly absorbing,” and Library Journal, “engrossing.”

Is there a self-publisher who wouldn’t like to get reviews like that? And if you did, don’t you think you’d be ready to go to the bank with all the sales you’d make from these mighty media recommending your book?

Don’t get up from your desk just yet. As it turns out, the book sold poorly, moving only 1,500 copies before the news broke about who was behind Robert Galbraith.

Stopping right here for a moment, how do we understand that great reviews like these don’t automatically lead to book sales? How’s that supposed to work?

Former agent Nathan Bransford weighed in with his opinion:

“It just goes to show how fleeting commercial success is in the book world. Take away those magical series of events that result in bestsellerdom and it’s just another well-received crime novel that fails to catch fire.”

And his conclusion:

“Even J.K. Rowling can write a good book that drops into the ocean and barely makes a ripple.”

But I’m not so sure that’s the lesson to be drawn from all this.

And why did Rowling, who can create a bestseller with every single book if she wanted to, go through all the trouble of this exercise? Here’s what she had to say on the new Robert Galbraith author site:

“I was yearning to go back to the beginning of a writing career in this new genre, to work without hype or expectation and to receive totally unvarnished feedback. It was a fantastic experience and I only wish it could have gone on a little longer.”

It’s the Platform, Honey

You can see that Rowling’s motivation was entirely for her own benefit as a writer. Nothing wrong with that, of course, and writers should stretch themselves when it seems right to do so. Take chances and try new things.

But she didn’t do it for her readers; it was more to escape from their expectations, and maybe to escape the kind of scrutiny that greeted her earlier foray into contemporary fiction.

Would The Cuckoo’s Calling’s sales have eventually picked up? Would word of mouth kick in at some point as more and more people discovered the new writer Robert Galbraith? We don’t know.

What we do know is what every indie author already knows: platform sells books.

Your author platform—all your readers, all the people who give you credibility and trust and attention—are crucial to indie authors’ success.

My opinion is that it was the complete absence of any platform for Robert Galbraith, the lack of any fans, anyone who cared about him, the lack of anyone willing to host him on a blog tour or help him set up readings at bookstores, or a tribe that would greet his long-awaited first book with enthusiasm that held back sales of what’s obviously a well-written book.

Your platform—or your tribe, your fans, your readers, your subscribers, whatever you want to call them—are the people who care about you, who will help you succeed, will cheer you on and pass your book around their own networks.

Trying to publish a book without an author platform makes the task infinitely more difficult. And even though there are still people, like J.K. Rowling, who built their platform solely by publishing, they are the exceptions.

For the rest of us, building an author platform is how we invest in ourselves and the books we’re going to publish.

Without it, even J.K. Rowling herself couldn’t sell many books.

And with it? When the news broke, The Cuckoo’s Calling went to #1 on Amazon, and has stayed there ever since.

We have to acknowledge that it’s possible to create enough sensation to sell books that have no author, but that’s not what was happening here. Rowling wanted the book to succeed only on its merits and without any connection to her.

Of course, as indie authors, we could have told her the best test to really see if your well-written book has what it takes to escape from obscurity: self-publish it. Now that’s a test.

What do you think about building a platform to sell your books? Is it working?

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, an award-winning book designer, and an accomplished blogger. He's the founder of the Self-Publishing Roadmap online training course, and a frequent speaker at industry events where he talks to writers about how the new tools of publishing can help them reach and inspire their readers.

WITS Announcements September 2013

As a subscriber to Writers in the Sky Newsletter, you are entitled to share your announcements with our readers. See guidelines at http://writersinthesky.blogspot.com/p/submit-your-material.html and send your material to us before the 24th of each month to make the next month’s issue. Anything posted in the WITS Newsletter is also shared with our blog readers at http://writersinthesky.blogspot.com.

The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to anyone who loves expressing innermost thoughts and feelings into the beautiful art of poetry or writing a story that is worth telling everyone. Write a poem or a short story for a chance to win cash prizes! All works must be original. Visit our website for details: http://www.dreamquestone.com
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Yvonne Perry and her cousin Jenny Bates Meadows-Sauls are almost finished with the writing of their family history and genealogy. Their book titled Angels Among Us ~ The Living History of the Georgia Family Descending from Charlton and Nancy Bates is expected to be published in October 2013. See http://charltonbatesancestry.blogspot.com/ for details.
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Read the first chapter for free and then decide if you want to download the 3-hour-long MP3 audio book of More Than Meets the Eye ~ True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife for only $7.00. http://tinyurl.com/bd7qhy8
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Each story in The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children focuses on life skills such as environmental awareness, helping others, being true to one’s self, overcoming fear, and following inner guidance. http://TheSidSeries.com
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Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those around You is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. See all purchasing options at http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/p/purchase-book.html.
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State of Appreciation is a free weekly online newsletter that blends practical and spiritual approaches to enhance personal power and self-realization. This publication offers empowering articles, gifts, and free contemporary and classic empowerment downloads at http://stateofappreciation.weebly.com.
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If you are looking for someone to create an original piece for your book cover, you might want to connect with Diane Daversa on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Diane-Daversa-Fine-Art/109782219119036.
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Shifting into Purer Consciousness ~ Integrating Spiritual Transformation with the Human Experience is about how to embrace multidimensional frequencies, lessen physical and emotional symptoms of rapid spiritual ascension, and offers tips to make the ascension process easier and quicker. http://shiftingintopurerconsciousness.com.
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If you have had a really strange spiritual experience and can't even begin to explain what might have caused it or why it happened, you will find comfort and information to help make sense of it in Yvonne Perry's new book, Walk-ins Among Us ~ Open Your Personal Portal to Cosmic Awareness. http://walkinsamongus.org
 

Coaching Podcast

We Are One in Spirit Podcast allows for people from all walks of life to discuss their spiritual journey and life—transforming experiences that remind us that we are all one in spirit. Uplifting, enlightening, and insightful topics include healing, empathy, intuition, spiritual/psychic gifts, metaphysics, soul development, afterlife, spirit communication, and more. The metaphysical shows are archived at feed://nashvillewriter.audioacrobat.com. You will also find us on iTunes. Please subscribe to the We Are One in Spirit mailing list to receive the call log-in information: http://weare1inspirit.com/subscribe-to-we-are-one-in-spirit/

This month’s interactive calls include group coaching for empaths on September 12 and for walk-ins on September 26. Both webinar conference calls are at 8 PM Central Time.

Why Social Media is Killing Your Business

We all hear how important it is to be the King (or Queen) of social media. We need to be on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and, of course, Pinterest. But did you ever consider the aspects that might actually be hurting your business?

A number of productivity experts have commented on the idea that we live in “busyness,”meaning that we feel we are busy because we continually enmesh ourselves in doing things for the sake of doing them, without being cognizant of the actual result. We feel that we have to be on social media so we are, often to our own detriment. Consider these numbers:

According to Empowerednetwork.com, 22 percent of time spent online is spent on social networking (see article here: http://bit.ly/10PJM9r). People spent twice as much time on Facebook than they did exercising. The average user spends 24 hours a month on a social networking site. Also, the research related to student productivity is alarming as well. According to this piece, the GPA of college students that regularly use Facebook is a full point lower than their peers who do not log on.

One out of ten workers spends more time on the Internet than they do working. Workers are interrupted once every 10.5 minutes with things like IMs and Tweets; once that happens it can take as long as 23 minutes for employees to get back on task.

So what do you do if you need to stay on top of your industry and keep up with your social media? And what if you are a solo entrepreneur trying to market your business? Sometimes we are faced with tough choices: finish the proposal for a new client, or market yourself on social media to get future business. If this sounds like a familiar battle, here are a few ideas to help you control the time you spend on social media:

Make sure you're doing the right things: I realize this is kind of a no-brainer but it's still worth considering. When was the last time you checked your engagement on any of these social sites? Are people responding to you or are you just posting and ditching? Make sure that your message is getting to the right people on the right sites. Maybe you don't have a message that will resonate with Facebook, maybe your people are really on LinkedIn or Google+. Consider taking a close look at how "social" your social networks really are and whether they're really benefiting you.

Scan headlines: Unless you are sitting in a really boring industry that doesn't make a lot of news, we can't possibly keep track of everything that's going on, all the time. That's why I suggest doing a quick scan of your headlines in the morning. You have to be really diligent with this. Delete whatever doesn't immediately spike your interest, read what does. If you spend the morning reading everything in your market you're probably gaining a lot of knowledge, but not a lot of value. Not everything matters. Pay attention to only what does.

Get a media alert system: Since Google Alerts is going away, I've been recommending some new systems (either Talkwalker.com, http://talkwalker.com/en, or Mention.net, https://en.mention.net/) - both of these sites are very robust and will keep you apprised of any goings on in your market. The keywords you select here will be very important so don't pick a keyword that's too general. Also, you'll probably want to modify these keywords as your market changes. With these services, you will get one email, once a day, with every headline and story that the service mentions. Some services will even send you tweets that mention the keywords you're looking for which is also helpful because if your objective is to engage in conversation around a particular keyword, you can dig in as soon as you get the notification email.

Get over FOMO: Many of us suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out); in fact, a number of newspapers have done stories on this. We stay hyper-connected to everything because we're afraid we'll miss something. I can almost guarantee you if it's something major, you'll find out. If it's not, don't worry about it. Get yourself out of the FOMO habit by turning off your devices after a certain hour, or for a certain period of time during the day so you can concentrate on work.

Watch your numbers: Much like point #1, you'll want to watch your numbers closely. Check your social media engagement and make sure that people are, in fact, engaging with you. When we do this, we always find places we can enhance or draw back on. Don't waste your time on things that won't matter. A lot of what folks do in social media is also related to FOMO. They want to be "everywhere" because they feel like if they don't, they'll miss out on business, news, speaking gigs, whatever. People don't enter your message through every portal, you'll find that the majority of your customers is on one or maybe two specific social media sites. Be there and ignore the rest.

Limit your time: It's hard to do, but I really recommend that you limit your time to thirty minutes in the morning and thirty minutes at night on social media. Let's face it, we can watch the stream of conversation all day but if we do, we're losing valuable time that we could be investing elsewhere.

Busy vs. productive: We're being constantly bombarded with "busy" messages. Consumers are busy, we're busy, everyone is busy - but are we busy or productive? The two aren't the same. If spending too much time on social media is limiting your productivity, you have a problem. Often before each task, I'll ask myself whether this is just part of being busy, or if it is productive. Is the task leading somewhere or just keeping me on the constant loop of "busy?" Imagine how much more free time you'd have if you pulled back and assessed busy vs. productive for everything you do at work. It's great to be busy. Better to be busy than to be sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, but we often associate success with being busy. If you're not accomplishing anything, then being busy is, well, just being busy. The problem with social media is that it "feels" busy, which can be a bit deceptive.

Consider outsourcing: If you feel like you can't handle everything you need to do in social media, considering hiring someone who can help you reach your goals. Social media experts and assistants are popping up everywhere. If you want a recommendation, go onto LinkedIn and put out a call for some resources. LinkedIn can be a fantastic place to find new vendors, by the way. Recently I put out a call for a collection agency and found some really amazing companies. People on LinkedIn love making recommendations, so go there if you're trying to find someone.

Productivity experts will often encourage shutting down your Internet or turning off email to help you focus. While these ideas are great, there's still a huge time-suck that is social media. It's part of what we need to do to gain exposure and new business, but it can also be a serious detriment to our success. Finding a balance between being "social" and being productive isn't always easy, but it's a balance worth striking.

Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter", a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com
 

Poetry and Prose Corner August 2013

For Labors Unheralded

Heaven bless the working man,
Or woman, as the case may be,
For labors that have built a nation,
Made it strong,
Kept it free.

Day by day endures the trek,
Spaghettied byways
Overflowing.
Ceaseless days of repetition,
Watching with frustration growing.

Even while complaints may linger
As the endless hours drone,
Though his ire may peak aplenty,
He will never take it home.

Home to where his world makes sense,
A different kind of recompense,
Where labors wear a sweeter flavor
Sheltered by a picket fence.


Dennis S. Martin
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Plays: http://sites.google.com/site/playsbydennissmartin/


Memory Lane

by Femke Weidema and Deborah Wilbrink c. 2012

When he sailed the raging sea, was he scared of what would be
Or hitched his wagon to a star, ‘cause it would take him far
Walking streets paved with gold where the nights were never cold
And people won’t grow old before their time
When I climb the Family Tree, I know so much more about me
I should write that down, I should save that story
I should write a book so the kids remember me
I’ve got things to say, I know they are still learning
I could steer away some pain with a drive down Memory Lane.
Did he find his wife to be, barn-raising in the field
Like grandpa found his bride and never left her side
Though many things were never said, he’d tell the story how they met
With love I won’t forget before my time.
When I climb the Family Tree, I know so much more about me.
I should write that down, I should save that story
I should write a book so the kids remember me
I’ve got things to say, I know they are still learning
I could steer away some pain with a drive down Memory Lane.
Memory Lane…
I will write that down, I will save that story
I will write a book, I will write a perfect memoir
‘Cause I’ve got things to say, I know they are still learning
I will steer away some pain when they drive down my,
When they drive down my Memory Lane

Available on the CD Imperfect Memoir by Deborah Wilbrink or listen at perfectmemoir.com

Then and Now

When I was growing up, I did the stroll.
I had no clue that I would ever "troll",
nor that the future meant someday I'd grapple
with entities like Microsoft and Apple.
Rap's beat could never "shift a paradigm,"
nor did its passion cause an "aha" time.
To "push an envelope" seemed odd to me,
involving planes or plain stupidity.
A solid bank graced every downtown street.
Of course, our cancelled check was our receipt.
Nobody "spoke to" things like "bells and whistles."
"Sunsets" were nouns that didn't mean "dismissals."
Expanding firms were praised for their potential,
but growth was never labelled "exponential."
I don't recall "proactive" workers then.
Nobody "tweeted" like a finch or wren,
or hissed with venom, "Have an awesome day";
and speeches were complete without "segue."

My greatest bliss in being embryonic?
Not hearing, even once, the term "iconic."

Rita Janice Traub
 

How You Can Help Your Favorite Authors

Okay readers, listen up. This one is for you. Being an author isn't easy; in fact, it's a pretty tough job. We write our books for you and, in return, we'd love a little help now and again.

Most of my articles are around marketing, social media, and advising authors on what they can do. Often I am sure that authors read these pieces and feel like they need a nap. Yes, there's a lot to be done, but you shouldn't go it alone. Your readers can be your best ally to help you market, and readers, listen up: it's not easy being an author in a world where everyone can get published.

Often readers do want to help, but aren't really sure what to do. Also, there's a bit of a mystique around authors. Many readers think, "Well, the book has been published, they probably don't need my help." But this couldn't be further from the truth. Authors (especially those who are starting out) do need our help. Here are a few things you can do to help support your favorite author, and for authors, don't hesitate to post this list somewhere on your website. If you need help (and who doesn't) you need to ask for it.

* Review the book: I've been doing an experiment with a book that I published anonymously. I included an email address for readers to write to share their thoughts on the book and I was shocked at all of the emails I got. Most of them complimentary (whew) and many of them asking when I'd write another book (something every author wants to hear). I would write them, thank them and ask them if they had the time, would they consider reviewing it on Amazon. This has netted me over fifty reader reviews. Authentic opinions about the book, written by a reader. Fantastic, yes? Readers are some of the best resources for reviews. If you are an author, ask for a review. You might even include a note at the end of the book to your readers inviting them to review it and telling them why. I'm surprised that many readers don't do this; it's not because they're lazy, but because they wonder if their opinion matters. Guess what? It does! Like a book? Please review it. Even if you don't like it, review it anyway. Most authors welcome feedback if it's constructive. Always be positive.

* Video reviews: If you're ready to take this a step further, why not offer a video review? Amazon lets you do this and I know, as an author, I would be thrilled if someone reviewed my book on video! If you do this, send the video clip via Dropbox or Hightail (formerly YouSendit) and keep the clip to under a minute. Hold up the book and smile!

* Photo sharing: This is another thing that I would love so much. A reader holding up my book, snapping a picture and posting it on social media! This is a fun, visual way to share your love for a book. Even better, snap a picture where you're reading it. Taking a book on vacation? Why not show yourself enjoying the book (cover out!) reclining in a hammock or sitting somewhere sipping espresso (Paris?). If you don't have any travel planned, take a picture anyway. Authors love, love this so much!

* Local bookstores: Though it may seem like every author who is published gets a shot at bookstore shelf space, the truth is that most don't. If you've found a book you love and had to buy it on Amazon because your local store didn't carry it, tell them. Bookstore managers have told me if they get multiple requests for a book, they will consider stocking it.

* Reading groups: This is often a tough one for authors to get into. Reading groups are a fantastic way to get the word out about your book but many are tough to reach and often pick their books months in advance. Unlike The Pulpwood Queens, which has a website and a strong online presence, most local book clubs don't have that kind of exposure but their regional reach can be fantastic. If you know of a local book club let them know about this book and then put them in touch with the author. It's a quick thing to do and I speak from experience when I say that any author would be very, very grateful to have this kind of a connection.

* Buy the book for a friend: This is pretty basic. If you love the book you just read, buy a copy for a friend. I do this almost every year for Christmas. If I love a book, I gift it. When you gift it, remind the person to review it.

* Social Media: Sharing has become part of our lives. We share good and bad news, but when was the last time you shared what you are reading? Here's where that great picture you just took of you reading a book can come in handy. Or even better, hop on over to Goodreads or Library Thing and share your love for this author to the millions listening there.

* Bookmarks: Most authors will get things printed up like bookmarks, postcards, etc. Bookmarks are especially fun because despite the eBook surge, many of us are still reading printed books. Email the author and see if he or she will send you a stack of them that you can share with your local library or bookstore. Leave them at the counter or pop them inside of similar books. Sort of like Amazon's "Other customers also bought", which pairs up similar titles. I know of a few times when this has happened, meaning readers contacting authors and the authors are blown away and grateful. Again, this takes very little effort. Ask for the bookmarks and the next time you're at a bookstore drop them off. Easy and the authors will really appreciate the local exposure.

* Authors on tour: It's not often that authors tour anymore, but if you have someone coming to your area, why not offer to help them get the word out? Maybe drop off fliers, or if you are so inclined, call your local paper and let them know this author is coming to town and that, as a reader, you'd love for the paper to do a story on it. Getting a heads up about an author coming to town from a reader can be ten times more effective than even a well-polished pitch. Why? Because the media is serving the local community and if a resident is sharing an idea, they're bound to listen.

* Libraries: Authors can have a tough time getting into libraries, so why not buy an extra book and donate it? Then let the author know that you did this so they can let readers know where they can check out the book. I know most authors would love to have a reader do this. It's impossible to reach everyone and most authors don't have the budget to do a library pitch on top of everything else. Many will submit their books to publications librarians read and hope for the best. Having a local connection is a fantastic way to get a book some local exposure.

When I've offered these tips in a session sometimes someone will pop up and say, "But big named authors don't need this kind of help." That's possibly quite true, but if you're only reading big names you're missing out on a whole crop of wonderful new writers. And, candidly, most authors, no matter how big they are, will appreciate the help. The publishing world isn't just shrinking for the little guy; it's shrinking for every author. As a reader, you have a unique opportunity to make a difference and help an author who has poured his or her heart and soul into a book. As an author, if you need help from your readers, ask. Post this article on your website or excerpt pieces of it that you feel best fit your needs. Even better, create your own list. When you ask for help, you might be very pleasantly surprised by the results.

Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com
 

WITS Book Reviews August 2013

Title: Family Can Be Murder
Author: Chris Hammer
Publisher: The Fine Line (May 15, 2013)
ISBN: 978-1908825100
Reviewer: Dana Micheli

There’s nothing better than a murder mystery that can keep you guessing and laughing at the same time. Chris Hammer’s new novel, Family Can Be Murder, does just that. This fast-paced thriller is a wonderful combination of family drama, skeletons in the closet, and good, old-fashioned suspense.

Jane Grotto, the star of the story, isn't looking for any trouble. She is content to run her car repo business, have Sunday dinners at her parents' house and hang out with Fred, her feisty but good-natured Chihuahua. But when Jane's favorite cousin is accused of murder, trouble finds her. As she races to prove his innocence, she stumbles into a closet full of family secrets, one of which is definitely worth killing for. Jane isn't looking for romance either, but when sexy NYPD detective Lou Lotedo shows up on the scene...well, let's just say there's only so much temptation a good Catholic girl can resist.

Like any book you can't put down, Family Can Be Murder is over far too soon. Luckily for us, it is only the first installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series. Jane and Fred return in the second book, due out this fall. Part of the proceeds go to funding Irving House, the organization Hammer founded four years ago for the care of senior and special needs animals. Family Can Be Murder is available on Amazon, Goodreads, and Kobo, as well as through the Irving House website. 

Top 7 Strategies for Blog Marketing

by Joel Friedlander

In this series on author blogging, we’ve already discussed how important it is to have a linking strategy, opportunities to get lots of kinds of organic traffic to your blog or website, and what I like to call the holy trinity of blog traffic.

Despite all this, many authors are still missing one essential truth: if you want people to visit your blog—engage with you and your ideas, subscribe, sign up for something and perhaps someday to actually trust you enough to buy something you have to offer—then you have to market your blog.

For most of us, it won’t be enough to simply write great blog articles, to fill up our archives with terrific content. The voice crying in the wilderness may be screeching or it may be beautiful. The point is in the wilderness, there’s no one listening.

And the fact is that once you understand exactly what this “marketing” thing is about, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy it.

Why?

Because you enjoy the topic you’re writing about on your blog, or you wouldn’t be doing it. Marketing your blog just means taking that conversation to other readers, different audiences, in more places.

That sounds like more of a good thing to me! So, here are the top 7 strategies for marketing your author blog:

Blog Commenting

There’s a good reason why commenting on other people’s blogs is often listed first when talking about how to start getting traffic to your own site. Comments are in your voice, express your views, and allow you to introduce yourself to new audiences and create connections with bloggers and other readers directly.

Look for blogs that already have the readers you’re trying to attract, since those blogs have succeeded at what you’re trying to do. Also, look for other bloggers who are about at the same point in their growth as you are. These peers will grow along with you, creating a great marketing network.

Make substantive comments that really advance the discussion. It’s fine to disagree with the blogger, as long as you have a rational point of view, an openness to discussion, and a respect for other people’s viewpoints.

Keep doing this and you’ll soon get on the blogger’s “radar”, opening up lots of other opportunities. And you’ll be surprised at how these little links in the comments can turn into rivulets of traffic back to your own blog.

Forum Posting

Group discussion sites keep evolving online, and our marketing should evolve along with them. Why? Because we want to be where the conversations about our topic of interest are taking place, where people are gathering specifically when thinking about this topic.

Forums are still active online, and making expert comments there that help other posters can enhance your reputation. You also have a marketing opportunity in the signatures forum software allows you to create, so don’t forget to link back to your blog in your signature.

But now there are also lots of great discussions happening in social media. Active groups with rich social media connections are available on LinkedIn, Goodreads, Google+, and other venues. Locating the right groups for you and contributing valuable content will attract readers who want to see what else you have to say on the subject.

Article Marketing

Although article marketing isn’t as popular as it once was, it’s still a legitimate, free way to get links and traffic for your blog by submitting posts to article sites like ezinearticles.com.

One great way to utilize article marketing is by taking long blog articles and splitting them up into shorter posts, since the articles that seem to work best on article sites are around 250-350 words. This also gives you a chance to create more headlines on the topic of your article, and headlines are the most important part of these kinds of articles.

But also consider contributing your articles to sites that aggregate content in your field, or which rely on expert authors for the bulk of their content. These kinds of sites often have high readership and can direct lots of traffic your way.

Speaking and Teaching

Even though your blog is an online asset, don’t neglect the outstanding opportunities to build your author platform, including your blog traffic, through speaking and other live events.

Because these events are usually sponsored by a larger organization, you’ll get prestige and credibility from your association with the event. You’ll also need to find a way to connect people who attend the event with your blog. You might want to have business cards or handouts with a QR code that links to your blog, or offer a freebie that people have to go to your blog to collect.

Guest posting

Whole books and courses have been written about guest posting, because it’s such a powerful tool in helping to grow a blog, an author platform, a reputation, and a persona.

Many blogs have submission guidelines for guest authors, and most bloggers are happy to consider articles from legitimate authors within their field.

Obviously, if you’ve created a connection or established a relationship with the blogger beforehand, it’s going to be much easier to get your article considered for publication.

When you blog as a guest on someone else’s site, they are “handing you the microphone” along with the responsibility that comes along with it. Make sure you’re very familiar with the content on the blog and the kinds of questions readers ask in the comments. And make sure you hang around to answer questions, and promote the post through your own network. That will make it much more likely you’ll be invited back.

Blog Tours

Many authors associate blog tours with the launch of a book. It’s a great launch strategy, and I consider it a basic marketing tool, whether it’s connected to a new book or not. Maybe you’re just launching a new review service on your blog, or a new PDF you’ve put together.

A blog tour will give you the opportunity, like guest posting, to meet the readers of other blogs. But in the case of a tour, you’ll travel from one blog to another in quick succession over the period of a week to a month, depending on your pace and stamina.

You’ll want to concentrate on why your new offering should be interesting to readers at these various sites. You can create excitement with contests, giveaways, and special offers to readers at the tour stops. And take a word of advice: interviews deliver great content but take a lot less time than writing lots and lots of articles.

Blog Carnivals

This is probably the most overlooked form of blog marketing, simply because blog carnivals are not as popular as they were in the early days of blogging. If you can find a blog carnival with good circulation in your field, by all means, start submitting your best articles. Set a reminder for yourself so you don’t miss the deadlines.

Blog carnivals collect articles submitted by bloggers in a specific field, then publish links to all the articles. Sometimes bloggers take turns hosting the carnival, and sometimes the carnival is run by a single blog, like our own Self-Publishing: Carnival of the Indies.

Either way, these links contribute to your overall linking strategy giving your blog a bit of authority as well as traffic from people who want to explore your content. It’s all good.

There are bloggers who have grown incredible sites using just one or two of these strategies. Over the course of the last few years, I’ve tried all of them at one time or another, and I can tell you from experience, they all work.

Which strategies will work for you? Finding out will be a fun and exciting journey. Some will appeal more than others, and that’s fine. Diversifying your efforts ensures that you’re more likely to find things that work and that you enjoy.

Great content, effectively presented, is the foundation of everything that happens on your blog. But when you find a way to market your blog that’s fun for you, and that attracts readers too, you can really say you’ve “won” at blog marketing.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, an award-winning book designer, and an accomplished blogger. He's the founder of the Self-Publishing Roadmap online training course, and a frequent speaker at industry events, where he talks to writers about how the new tools of publishing can help them reach and inspire their readers.

WITS Announcements

As a subscriber to Writers in the Sky Newsletter, you are entitled to share your announcements with our readers. See guidelines at http://writersinthesky.blogspot.com/p/submit-your-material.html and send your material to us before the 24th of each month to make the next month’s issue. Anything posted in the WITS Newsletter is also shared with our blog readers at http://writersinthesky.blogspot.com.


DO YOU LOVE ME? by Gigi Goodall
ISBN 9781484877241

A heartrending true story of abandonment, redemption, and forgiveness, Do You Love Me? inspires and motivates. Gigi tells of her experiences, beginning at age five, of being shuffled to various foster care homes and work-for-board situations. The gold in this true plot is the turn-around: a family of five and a gift of helping others. This girl with a minimal education makes a lifelong, substantial career with special relevance and heart: helping the poor find better housing. Her stories of both sides of life, neglect and care, shine a light for readers. Already a book club choice in Florida!

Do You Love Me? by Gigi Goodall, edited by Writers in the Sky’s Deborah Wilbrink, is available on Amazon and by request at your retail bookstore.
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Read the first chapter for free and then decide if you want to download the 3-hour-long MP3 audio book of More Than Meets the Eye ~ True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife for only $7.00. http://tinyurl.com/bd7qhy8
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IMPERFECT MEMOIRS Shares Stories in Song

Imperfect Memoirs by Deborah Wilbrink contains 10 original alternative folk and country songs. Of special interest to writers are the story songs: “Edgar,” a tale of gang recruiting in the middle schools; “Little Pony,” about a woman whose childhood incest experience affects her new marriage; and “Memory Lane,” a call to write your memoir. Available now on cdbaby.com, iTunes, Amazon, and more.
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Each story in The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children focuses on life skills such as environmental awareness, helping others, being true to one’s self, overcoming fear, and following inner guidance. http://TheSidSeries.com
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The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to anyone who loves expressing innermost thoughts and feelings into the beautiful art of poetry or writing a story that is worth telling everyone. Write a poem or a short story for a chance to win cash prizes! All works must be original. Visit our website for details: http://www.dreamquestone.com
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WITS editor Deborah Wilbrink would like to share some tips about writing memoirs. She says that memoirs are significant events, and that you have many of them. In her blog, “Using Plot & Conflict, she gives some tips on constructing a chapter or vignette from the story element model of literature.  To download this PowerPoint presentation, keep following the link Using Plot & Conflict and it should open on your screen. Deborah Wilbrink teaches and facilitates the recall and writing process, tailoring the small class to meet student goals. Mrs. Wilbrink is an editor, ghostwriter and personal historian. She is a publishing journalist and former English teacher. See http://www.perfectmemoirs.com/point-of-view-blogpage/ or http://writersinthesky.com/meet-the-team.html#teacher for more information. 
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Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those around You is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. See all purchasing options at http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/p/purchase-book.html.
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If you are looking for someone to create an original piece for your book cover, you might want to connect with Diane Daversa on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Diane-Daversa-Fine-Art/109782219119036.
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Writing career won't budge? You need The Morning Nudge! Get your free subscription now at www.morningnudge.com
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Shifting into Purer Consciousness ~ Integrating Spiritual Transformation with the Human Experience is about how to embrace multidimensional frequencies, lessen physical and emotional symptoms of rapid spiritual ascension, and offers tips to make the ascension process easier and quicker. http://shiftingintopurerconsciousness.com.
 

Editor's Corner August 2013

Welcome to the August 2013 edition of the WITS newsletter!

Lately, I have been thinking about the roles of inspiration and confidence (or lack thereof) in a writer’s success. If you are thinking, “Well, duh, what writer isn’t obsessed with these things?”, just bear with me. We pray for that flash of inspiration, that a-ha book idea; however, the a-ha is often followed by the uh-oh. We start thinking, “How would I make this work?”, or “That would never be believable.”, or–my favorite—“No one would buy this idea!”

Creative people tend to compare themselves (negatively) to the superstars in their respective fields (because, let’s face it, we never hear of the actor who didn’t get the part). This makes it difficult, particularly in times of self-doubt, to imagine that we can achieve our goals. In these moments, it would behoove us to remember that JK Rowling was unknown—and destitute—when she starting jotting down ideas for Harry Potter. But she refused to give up, and she made publishing history.

If that doesn’t convince you, I recommend checking out the Writer’s Room, a new show on the Sundance Channel. Each week, the writers from highly acclaimed shows (i.e., Breaking Bad) talk about their creative process and how hard they worked to convince TV execs that their stories would work on the screen. Here’s a hint: they didn’t do it by comparing themselves to others, but by distinguishing themselves from others.

Happy Writing!

Dana Micheli
Writer and editor, Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://writersinthesky.com
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Writers in the Sky is a team of ghostwriters, editors, and book marketing specialists committed to the craft and business of writing. We work with our clients on all levels of the publishing process, from editing and manuscript assessments to book formatting and marketing. So whether you are a first-time author or a veteran of the craft, let Writers in the Sky help you get your book out into the world. We also provide assistance with résumés, business documents, and academic essays. For more information, visit www.writersinthesky.com.

Join Us for a Conversation with Author and Animal Activist, Chris Hammer

They say it only takes one person to change the world. In Chris Hammer's case, it only took one animal, a beautiful, blind pit bull named Irving. When Chris, a lifelong animal lover, set about finding Irving a home, she discovered a lack of services for abandoned senior and special needs animals. That was the inspiration for Irving House Animal Sanctuary, the organization Chris founded four years ago to save these precious creatures from almost certain death.

Chris has another passion--writing--and she ties these two loves together in her wonderfully crafted books. Today, Chris joined the WITS podcast to discuss her latest, Family Can Be Murder. It is a fast-paced mystery with plenty of intrigue, humor, and of course, a dog. Fred, the smart, funny Chihuahua, steals so many scenes that he'll undoubtedly return in the next installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series.

Her first book, Bixby's Canine Capers, is a collection of short stories chronicling the adventures of an equally feisty beagle, including the internationally acclaimed, Bixby and the Wolf.

Click here to listen to the podcast


Like what you heard? Family Can Be Murder is available on Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, and through the publisher, The Fine Line Editorial Consultancy. You can also order Chris' books and learn more about her work with animals at www.irvinghouse.org.

This Week's Podcast Guest: Author and Animal Activist Chris Hammer

It is not often we meet someone who really lives their passion, so you can imagine my       delight to meet a person who's devoted to two! This Friday, author and animal activist Chris Hammer discusses her new novel, Family Can Be Murder. It is a suspenseful,  fast-paced thriller that will have you laughing one minute and scratching your head the next. 

Jane Grotto, the star of the story, isn't looking for any trouble. She is content to run her car repo business, have Sunday dinners at her parents' house and hang out with Fred, her feisty but good-natured Chihuahua. But when Jane's favorite cousin is accused of murder, trouble finds her. As she races to prove his innocence, she stumbles into a closet full of family skeletons, one of which is definitely worth killing for. Jane isn't looking for romance either, but when sexy NYPD detective Lou Lotedo shows up on the scene...well, let's just say there's only so much temptation a good Catholic girl can resist. Like any book you can't put down, Family Can Be Murder is over far too soon. Luckily for us, it is only the first installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series. The second book will be released some time this fall. 

Family Can Be Murder is her first novel, but it is not her first book. Her debut short story, Bixby and the Wolf, won international acclaim and was ultimately developed into a short story collection, Bixby’s Canine Capers. 

Chris is also the Founding Director of Irving House Animal Sanctuary; a rescue organization she established four years ago for the care of abandoned senior and special needs animals.  The organization is named for her first "client", a blind pit bull named Irving.  Since she was a child, Chris wanted to do two things: write, and help animals, and she is living both dreams. A portion of the proceeds from all book sales will fund Irving House. 

To read more about Chris' incredible work with animals or to order her books, please visit http://www.irvinghouse.org/

And be sure to tune in to the WITS podcast on Friday!