Anaheim Top Ten

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Okay, I promised notes from conference, but I stumbled across this link from Laura Zera's trip to PNWA and she offers so many great tips, I had to share them:

http://laurazera.com/?tag=visual-quill

And I also had to steal her format.
  1. Bowker says that Facebook and Twitter rank very low with Avid Readers when it comes to discovering new books.  One of the first places they go is the Author Website.  They love the Bio page.  Keep that current people.  (I just tried to get a link to the Bowker presentation and found this instead.)
  2. Kristen Lamb says Blog at least thrice weekly, Facebook and Twitter thrice daily.  Jennifer Fusco concurs, but both allow that you should figure out what you do well and do it regularly.
  3. Bowker also says that sales on ebooks have been making huge leaps every Dec-Jan, coinciding with the purchase/gifting of e-readers for Christmas.
  4. Everyone said that now is a great time to get into e-publishing and if you've been thinking about doing it, do it, but do it well.  All those people getting e-readers for Christmas don't want to muddy it up with a bunch of dreck.
  5. Lots of people offered Marketing Strategies that typically included:
    • launching websites, 
    • printing bookmarks, 
    • creating promo items, 
    • creating print/digital/TV (TV?) ads, 
    • building mailing lists (snail mail?) 
    • setting up blog tours, 
    • sending out press releases, 
    • scheduling signings, and
    • having a release party or at the very least an online release party (have Amazon and Samhain gift certificates on hand to giveaway)
  6. Kristen Lamb and Jennifer Fusco suggest you also (or) develop meaningful relationships with readers through online social networking (including blogging.  Have I mentioned blogging?)  Be authentic and do meaningful work.  This is the kind of passive marketing that develops Street Teams and Brand Ambassadors.
  7. If you go the old fashioned route, a good Press Kit includes:
    • Author bios - plural - one short, one long
    • Photo
    • Cover Flat
    • Business Card
    • Sell Sheet
    • Endorsements or Reviews
    • Press Release (marked For Immediate Release)
    • Themed Item
  8. If you Indie Publish, makes sure you include an excerpt at the back of the book telling the reader how to buy your next book.
  9. I'm pretty sure I can attribute this one to Courtney Milan since it's right below her remark--starred by me--"Spend $ On Quality."  Don't talk about what you don't have, concentrate on what you do have.  What are you doing well?  Capitalize and give yourself credit.
  10. SEO means Search Engine Optimization.  This is The Force.  Learn how to use it.

Comments

  1. Jennifer FuscoAugust 25, 2012 at 4:50 PM

    You are so kind, Dani. Thanks so much for the shout out. Screaming your kindness in Social Media RIGHT NOW!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dani CollinsAugust 26, 2012 at 3:15 PM

    LOL, thanks again Jennifer.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Laura ZeraAugust 26, 2012 at 8:22 PM

    Thanks for sharing my tips, Dani. Re: #6, marketing and mailing lists -- most of what I've seen that talks about this is in reference to building email mailing lists. It's something I've avoided, but 'the people in the know' still say they're integral to a good book marketing campaign.

    ReplyDelete

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