Newsletter-2011-Ebook.Pdf

Author Marketing Experts, Inc. BME 2011 Issues

Table of Contents: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ January 06, 2011 Issue #237 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- 6 Ways to Promote Your E-book -- Amazon Know-How -- Secrets of Media Kits -- Become a Quotable Source -- Back Cover Blurb Basics -- Get Better Google Search Results -- Connecting to Conferences -- Ramp Up Your Facebook Fanpage -- Online Word Helper -- Why Goodreads Matters -- Join The Publishing Insiders in 2011 -- Red Hot Internet Publicity BootCamp Jan. 29, 2011 -- How to Write the Perfect Query -- Ten Top Twitter Tips -- How to Format Your E-book -- Boost Your Facebook Page Engagement -- Headlines that Pop -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ January 20, 2011 Issue #238 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note from The Editor -- Buy an AME Program and Win a Kindle! -- Feature Article: 50 Things to Tweet About -- Build Traffic with Facebook and Twitter -- See What's New at AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube! -- Book Bits and Bites -- Everyone Wants Easy Buttons -- Learn How to Start a Blog -- How to Share Web Content -- Become a Better Blog Commenter -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Reader Tip: Self Promote at Successimo -- How Popular is Your Topic? -- Easy Screen Capture -- National Indie Excellence Awards Seeks Submissions -- Twitter Tip: Keep Pace With VIPs -- Twitter Tip - Try Twellow -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 03, 2011 Issue #239 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Buy an AME Program and Win a Kindle! -- Feature Article: Smart Self-Publishing: How to Get Published Without Getting Scammed -- Using Twitter to Market Your Book -- Check Out AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube! -- Book Bits and Bites -- How to Backup Facebook to the Cloud -- Kindle Publishing for Blogs -- Press Releases Still Matter -- Mobile Market -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Website Woes? -- Get Personal -- Searching With Success -- National Indie Excellence Awards Seeks Submissions -- Twitter Tip: 52 Fantastic Twitter Follows for Self-Publishers -- Twitter Tip - Retweet Mojo -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ February 17, 2011 Issue #240 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Get a Free LibraryThing Book Giveaway Promotion With Any VAT Purchase -- Feature Article: Fans, Friends, and Followers: How to Build a Solid Author Platform that Sells More Books! -- Ready to Get Your Book the Attention it Deserves? -- AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube! -- Book Bits and Bites -- If You've Been Self-Published, Mention It In Your Query Letter -- Is Your Website Tablet Friendly? -- What's Holding Back Your Blog? -- Set up Facebook Page Alerts -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- AME Resources for You -- Learning to Use LinkedIn -- Is Your Name Available? -- Submissions Needed for National Indie Excellence Awards -- Twitter Tip - Get the Most Out of Twitter -- Twitter Tip - How Bloggers Can Use Twitter -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 03, 2011 Issue #241 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Get a Free LibraryThing Book Giveaway Promotion With Any VAT Purchase -- Feature Article: Fans, Friends, and Followers: How to Build a Solid Author Platform that Sells More Books! -- Ready to Get Your Book the Attention it Deserves? -- AME Resources for You - At No Cost! -- Book Bits and Bites -- An Agent Just Requested My Manuscript! Now What? -- Webinar: Finding A Publisher -- Promote Your Books on LinkedIn -- Face to Face Still Matters -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Fire Up Your Business (Make More Money) -- 10 Tips for Effective Book Covers -- How to Build a Blog Following -- Submissions Needed for National Indie Excellence Awards -- Twitter Tip - Integrate LinkedIn and Twitter -- Twitter Tip - Move Your Facebook Fans to Action -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 17, 2011 Issue #242 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Get $100 off Social Bookmarking! -- Feature Article: Seven Secrets of Creating Effective Email Campaigns -- Blog More Effectively -- Marketing Tools From AME - At No Cost! -- Book Bits and Bites -- Is My Platform Big Enough to Land an Agent? -- March 22 Webinar: Finding A Publisher -- Is Your Contact Info Clearly Visible? -- Don't-Miss Marketing Sites -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- The Write Companion Opens for Business -- Ideas to Help You Blog Regularly -- Graphic Design Know-How -- Submissions Needed for National Indie Excellence Awards -- Twitter Tip - Who's Reading Your Tweets? -- Twitter Tip -The New Facebook Pages -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March 31, 2011 Issue #243 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- eBook Conversion and Distribution -- Feature Article: Ten Reasons Why You Should be Blogging -- Social Media: There's No Such Thing as Starting Too Early -- Publishing Know-How From AME - At No Cost! -- Book Bits and Bites -- How NOT to Write A Query Letter: Comparing Your Book to a Mega Bestseller -- Selling Your Book on Kindle -- 6 Modern Ways to Create and Share a Press Release -- How to Be the Perfect Guest Blogger -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Elements of a Successful Book Proposal -- Top 5 Marketing Mistakes Authors Make -- "Self-publishing is great, but it's not easy." -- Submissions Needed for National Indie Excellence Awards -- Twitter Tip - Q&A: Using Twitter to Market Your Book -- Twitter Tip - Strategic Tweeting for Authors -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 14, 2011 Issue #244 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW AME Program - Virtual Buzz Tour MINI -- Feature Article: How to Write and Publish the (almost) Perfect Book -- Daily Tips for Marketing Your Book -- Book Marketing Tips From AME - At No Cost! -- Book Bits and Bites -- You Know Your Query Letter Sucks When - You Don't Personalize Your Query Letter -- Generate Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Cooking up the Perfect Blog -- Book Reviews - An Alternate Route -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- The Nuts and Bolts of Blog Commenting -- Brainstorming Non-Bookstore Sales -- Don't Commit Publicide -- Podcast Know-How -- Twitter Tip - Keep Your Twitter Peeps Happy -- Twitter Tip - Avoid the Twitter Time Warp -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 28, 2011 Issue #245 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW AME Bonus! -- Feature Article: Craft an Exceptional Elevator Pitch -- Grab Attention With Video -- Book Marketing Resources From AME - At No Cost! -- Book Bits and Bites -- You Know Your Query Letter Sucks When - You Don't Grab Them in the First Sentence -- Generate Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Better Blogging -- Writers Conference Know-How -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Win The Amazing Book Marketing Package -- 27 Things To Do for Your Book -- Self-Publishers Online Conference May 10-12 -- Reader Tip: Double Duty Tweets -- Twitter Tip - Top Twitter Hashtags -- Twitter Tip - Twitter Topics -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 12, 2011 Issue #246 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- New AME Bonus for May! -- Feature Article: Understanding How the Traditional Publishing Model Works -- How to Connect With Experts -- Book Marketing Resources From AME -- Book Bits and Bites -- You Know Your Query Letter Sucks When - You Haven't Begun with a Bang -- Build Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Make Your Headlines and Titles Count -- Top 10 Blogs for Authors -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Top Tips for Non-traditional Book Promotion -- Attract Readers to Your Blog -- Write a Killer Author Bio -- Reader Tip: Make a Quality Book Trailer Like the Pros -- Twitter Tip - Build Your Twitter Tribe -- Twitter Tip - Use Twitter and Facebook for PR -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 26, 2011 Issue #247 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Book Subtitles Matter -- Feature Article: Eight Tips to Make Your Next Writers Conference Awesome! -- Set Realistic Goals -- Book Marketing Material From AME -- Book Bits and Bites -- If You Don't Have the Talent to Write, Get a Co-Writer! -- Generate Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Free Social Media Webinar June 10 for SheCon'11 -- LinkedIn as a Writer's Resource -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Book Trailer How-To -- Maximize Your Amazon Page -- Why Your Blog Matters -- Reader Tip: Book Apps -- Twitter Tip - Tweet Scheduling -- Twitter Tip - An Overview of Twitter Marketing -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 09, 2011 Issue #248 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Facebook Fan Engagement Package - 10% OFF -- Feature Article: The Future of Publishing -- Four Tools to Promote Your Blog -- Book Marketing Resources From AME -- Book Bits and Bites -- How to Land a Literary Agent: First, Get a Platform -- Build Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Facebook Marketing for Authors TeleSummit -- Check Your Traffic Stats -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- What Writers Say -- Self-Publishing Know-How -- Research Sites to Use -- Reader Tip: Get Pre-Orders With Crowd Funding -- Facebook Tip - Using Facebook for Marketing -- Twitter Tip - Twitter for Authors -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 23, 2011 Issue #249 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW - AME Summer Fun Package! -- Feature Article: What the Home Shopping Channels Can Teach Us About Selling -- 10 Ways to Improve Your Website -- AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- An Agent Just Requested My Manuscript! Now What? -- Launch Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- How to Write a Book Proposal -- Tips for Promoting Your Book -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Fine-Tune Your Local Pitching -- How to Create a Facebook Brand Page -- Blogging Success Secrets -- Dog Bless You -- Twitter Tip - Maximize Your Marketing -- Twitter Tip - Tools for Authors: Twellow and Grader -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 07, 2011 Issue #250 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW - Amazon Author Central Account Set-up Service -- Feature Article: Creating Powerful Content That Will Help You Sell Books -- Sign Up for The Next Bestseller Weekend Workshop -- Just for You: AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- How to Land a Celebrity Book Deal: Part One -- Get Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Build a Book App -- Got a Book in You? We Can Help! -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Social Media Pitching Works! -- Self-Publishing Marketing Spreadsheet -- Meet Your New Readers With MeetUp.com -- Join AME's Monthly No-Cost Seminars -- Twitter Tip - Using Hashtags -- Twitter Tip - Manage Your Account -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 21, 2011 Issue #251 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW Amazon Programs! -- Feature Article: Why Regional Pitching Can Leverage Big Success -- Polish Your Pitch At The Next Bestseller Weekend Workshop -- Promotion How-To: AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- How to Land a Celebrity Book Deal: Part Two -- Promote Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Savvy Link Building -- Ask The Experts -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Facebook Blog Tip -- How to Use Kindle for the Web -- Reader Tip: Run Ads to Help Finance Your Books -- Sign Up For AME's No-Cost Seminars -- Twitter Tip - Retweet Success -- Twitter Tip - Be Trendy! -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 04, 2011 Issue #252 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Get Your Book a Global Reach! -- Feature Article: The Power and SEO Behind Blog Commenting -- What Authors Must Know About Platforms -- Check Out AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- The Power of QR Codes -- Build Buzz For Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Market Your Book With Giveaways -- Facebook Dos and Don'ts -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- How To Collect E-Mail Addresses -- Get Yourself on YouTube! -- Why You Should Design Your eBooks for Women -- Marketing Know-How From AME's No-Cost Seminars -- Twitter Tip - Locate Your Followers -- Twitter Tip - Clean Up Your Account -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 18, 2011 Issue #253 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Check Out the New AME Promos! -- Feature Article: Thirty Ways to Make Yourself Irresistible to the Media -- Top Title Tips -- Discover AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- Blog Commenting as a Marketing Strategy: Dos and Don'ts -- Build Awareness For Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Promote YOUR Book With CBE and AME at a Book Fair! -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Coming Soon: The 2011 Self-Publishing Book Expo -- 10 Dead-Honest Reasons Reporters Delete Your Emails -- Available Now: The Armageddon Chord -- AME Seminar Aug. 24 - Fans, Friends & Followers -- Twitter Tip - Wisestamp -- Twitter Tip - Twitter Background -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ September 01, 2011 Issue #254 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW from AME! -- Feature Article: Five Simple Ways to Improve your Ranking on Google -- Marketing and Promotion Tips From Chris Brogan -- Utilize AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- The Next 10 eBook Trends to Watch For -- Buzz Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Submit Your Book to the 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Promote YOUR Book With CBE and AME at a Book Fair! -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Join Penny's Webinar: Fans, Followers and Friends -- How to Use Skype to Sell Books -- Google+ Tips for Writers and Authors -- 10 Ways to Improve Your Website -- Social Media Snippet: Using LinkedIn More Effectively -- Social Media Snippet: Facebook and QR Codes -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ September 15, 2011 Issue #255 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW from AME: Screen Adaptation Service -- Feature Article: Five Fun Things You Can Do With Video -- Measure Your Social Influence -- Discover AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- How to Market Your Book Without Paying a Penny! -- Book Marketing FYI -- Open Now: The 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Promote YOUR Book With CBE and AME at a Book Fair! -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Join Penny's Webinar: Fans, Followers and Friends -- Do You Own Your Online Presence? -- Recycling For Marketing Success -- Grow Your Blog Comments -- Social Media Snippet: Pay With a Tweet -- Social Media Snippet: Buffer Your Tweets -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ September 29, 2011 Issue #256 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Combined Book Exhibit Upcoming Book Fairs -- Feature Article: The Quickest Way to Kill Your Online Success -- Sign Up Now: Author101University -- Just for You: AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- Keeping our Characters Real -- The Surge of eBooks! -- Submissions Accepted: The 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Raise Your LinkedIn Profile -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- It's All About You -- Website Sins to Avoid -- Link Sharing FYI -- Share Your Content Widely -- Social Media Snippet: Timing Your Tweets -- Social Media Snippet: Who's Following You? -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ October 13, 2011 Issue #257 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Drive Traffic to Your Site -- Feature Article: Six Simple Ways to Promote Your YouTube Channel! -- Sneak Peek: Third Annual Book Marketing Conference Online -- Available Now: AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- Finding Ways to Connect and Relate to Your Readership -- Update Your Emails -- Enter Today: The 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Use Twitter and Facebook for Press Releases -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Create a Facebook Media Room for Publicity -- Networking on Steroids -- Why Websites Need Facebook Like Boxes And Buttons -- 2011 Self-Publishing Book Expo -- Social Media Snippet: InboxQ -- Social Media Snippet: ManageFlitter -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ October 27, 2011 Issue #258 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Don't Overlook Regional Pitching -- Feature Article: The 10 Deadly Sins of Website Design -- Boost Your Blog -- Just For You: AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- Using Cross Promotions To Save Money And Sell Books -- The Scoop on QR Codes -- Open Now: The 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Press Kit Basics -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- November Webinar: 10 Mistakes That Will Absolutely Kill Your Book! -- Get Found on Social Media -- Join the Success Summit 2011 -- Make LinkedIn Work for You -- Social Media Snippet: PageLever -- Social Media Snippet: PeopleBrowsr -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ November 10, 2011 Issue #259 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- The Power and SEO Behind Blog Commenting -- Feature Article: Eight Mistakes that Will Absolutely Kill Your Book! -- 50 Quick, Dirty, and Cheap Ways to Improve Your Social Media Presence -- At Your Service: AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- 10 Marketing Strategies for New Writers -- Quick App Builder -- Enter Now: The 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Link Building Tip -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- November Webinar: 10 Mistakes That Will Absolutely Kill Your Book! -- Get Yourself on YouTube! -- Hashtag Helper -- Who's Talking About You? -- Social Media Snippet: Tiny.ly -- Social Media Snippet: SiteTrail.com -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ November 24, 2011 Issue #260 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue

-- Note From The Editor -- The 10 Deadly Sins of Website Design -- Feature Article: The New PR: Secrets to Turning Fans into Evangelists -- Blog Tip: Categories Vs. Tags -- Just For You: AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- Walk a Mile in a Book Reviewer's Shoes -- Tips for Getting Booked on National TV -- Open Now: The 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Check Out Our Custom YouTube Channel -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Extend Your Brand Using Facebook As Page -- How, When and Where We Share on the Web -- The Elevator Pitch -- Reader Tip: QuickQuiz.com -- Social Media Snippet: Twitter Tracking -- Social Media Snippet: Kyoo -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ December 08, 2011 Issue #261 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Five Simple Ways to Improve Your Ranking on Google -- Feature Article: A Simple Guide for Driving Thousands of Hits to Your Website -- A Special Google+ Offer -- At Your Service: AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- Guerilla Marketing to Promote Your Book on the Web -- How Authors Make Real Money (Hint: It's Not From Books) -- Open for Submissions: The 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Create Sound Bites That the Media Find Scrumptious -- Penny and AME in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Six Tips For Making Your Press Release Twitter Friendly -- 6 Ways to be More Persuasive With Social Media -- 7 Tips to Maximize Shares of Your Facebook Posts -- Twitter Tops Facebook in Press Release Views -- Social Media Snippet: TwentyFeet -- Social Media Snippet: Simply Measured -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Full Copies of Each Newsletter: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. January 6, 2011 Issue #237 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- 6 Ways to Promote Your E-book -- Amazon Know-How -- Secrets of Media Kits -- Become a Quotable Source -- Back Cover Blurb Basics -- Get Better Google Search Results -- Connecting to Conferences -- Ramp Up Your Facebook Fanpage -- Online Word Helper -- Why Goodreads Matters -- Join The Publishing Insiders in 2011 -- Red Hot Internet Publicity BootCamp Jan. 29, 2011 -- How to Write the Perfect Query -- Ten Top Twitter Tips -- How to Format Your E-book -- Boost Your Facebook Page Engagement -- Headlines that Pop -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Welcome to a brand new year! We hope that 2011 has been good to you so far. We're really excited about this new year and look forward to having you on the marketing road with us!

I was in New York over the holidays with a special someone and also some of the AME team. I had a great time, especially when the blizzard hit, which I couldn't stop taking pictures of. I was a true tourist. I also brought with me my furry friend, Cosmo. It was his first flight, first snow, and first trip to New York. I might be blogging on this trip for FIDO Friendly magazine, so stay tuned. And thanks to my outstanding team I was able to actually take time off (how refreshing), though I did work on my next book: Get Published Today, which will be published by Wheatmark this Spring. I can't wait. If you want to see some pictures of the New York adventure, check out my Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=268401&id=777714689&l=2ec1521c0b - Cosmo steals the show!

I hope you enjoy Part 2 of our "Best Of" issues which tend to be super popular. And keep an eye out for our 2010 issues, all bundled and ready to go. I know several of you have emailed to tell me that you love Book Marketing Expert so much that you actually keep them in a file. We're so flattered! :)

And here we grow again! We have a big Welcome to Yoonmi Park, who is the newest addition to our AME family. She is not just my Executive Liaison, but she keeps my calendar (which often requires a Ph.D. as well as a degree in physics :) and she also gets to work with our amazing authors, helping them with their tours, questions, etc. Yes, she has a lot to do! Welcome, welcome Yoonmi! (you can see Miss Yoonmi in the Facebook pictures posted to my account). Share your welcome if you want: [email protected].

Best of everything in 2011 - and away we go!

Penny, Paula, Susan, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

P.S. Keep up with AME marketing tips and more at our blog - http://www.amarketingexpert.com/blog/ , our Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame, and find timely book marketing content you can reprint at http://www.amarketingexpert.com/articles/.

6 Ways to Promote Your E-book ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Get your e-book listed on e-book selling sites. There are sites where you can list your e-book for free, like these: http://www.e-book-zone.com/e_submit.html (This is a link you can download or save to your computer and then open). http://www.wisdomebooks.com http://www.smashwords.com

And other sites which will charge a small fee to add your e-book to their marketplace like this one: http://www.clickbank.com

The great thing about selling your e-book (especially non-fiction) at clickbank is that there are affiliate marketers looking for new products to sell all the time and they become a sales force for your book. 2. Turn your e-book into a Kindle book at https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin.

3. Use excerpts of your book, broken down into smaller special reports at a smaller price point. Often this leads to individuals purchasing your complete e-book.

4. Take chunks from your e-book and place them both on your blog and on other people's blogs.

5. Use an autoresponder to drip out information consistently and on auto-pilot with reminders of your book, your website, and other things you have to offer.

6. Comment on high-ranking blogs in a way that is helpful and gets people's attention so they visit your website to find out more.

Amazon Know-How ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sure, having your book listed for sale on Amazon.com is important. But, there are other things you can do on Amazon; consider these "Ten Ways to Sell Books On Amazon," http://dld.bz/sUTE.

Secrets of Media Kits ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What goes into an author's media kit? Here's what you should know, http://tinyurl.com/2ctdtoh.

Become a Quotable Source ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How to find great leads, here are just a few of them!

* Help A Reporter Out: http://www.helpareporter.com * Reporter Connection: http://www.reporterconnection.com * Blogger Link Up: http://www.bloggerlinkup.com * Pitch Rate: http://pitchrate.presskit247.com/index.asp

Back Cover Blurb Basics ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That copy on the back of your book, known as the book blurb, is actually sales copy. Learn how to make it enticing, http://dld.bz/7eaX.

Get Better Google Search Results ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are many ways to restrict what you find in Google to get a better result. Check out these Google options: http://tinyurl.com/5ntf7l.

Connecting to Conferences ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trying to find a conference? Take a look at allconferences.com - conferences are listed by market and region. There are a lot of them on here so have fun!

Ramp Up Your Facebook Fanpage ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here are some great tips for 9 Ways to Enhance Your Facebook Page: http://bit.ly/cxLf2i.

Online Word Helper ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Need an instant dictionary? Try WordWeb - www.wordweb.info. WordWeb sits in your system tray until you need it. It has both a dictionary and thesaurus.

Why Goodreads Matters ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did you know that the popular book social network Goodreads has a program to help authors promote their books? Learn how to use the Goodreads Author Program, http://dld.bz/tkGw.

Join The Publishing Insiders in 2011 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Be in the know and hear what the publishing insiders: Penny Sansevieri, CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. - and her guests - have to offer in terms of tips and insights into the industry! Listen here. Publishing Insiders is now available on iTunes, so you can keep up with the show wherever you go! 2011 will kick off with a bang, with great shows full of tips:

* Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books - This show will air 01/11.

Red Hot Internet Publicity BootCamp Jan. 29, 2011 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So now you're online and being "social" - what's next? Well it's time to gather your followers back to your website. Not online yet and wondering how to get there? This daylong session held Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011 in Denver will teach you all that and more!

· Would you like your book to be known all over the Internet? · Would you like to sell more books online? · Would you like to know how to maximize your book's exposure on Blogs? · Would you like to get higher rankings in Google? · Would you like to Maximize and Monetize all of your social media efforts?

The presenter is Penny Sansevieri, the author of Red Hot Internet Publicity and From Book to Bestseller. She's the CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., on the Advisory Board of AuthorU and is an internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Penny is a sought after conference speaker and will answer any questions on current day marketing and publicity strategies for your books.

Learn more and register at http://www.meetup.com/authoru/calendar/14062933/.

How to Write the Perfect Query ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Learn how to write a query letter in 5 easy steps, http://dld.bz/wMwy.

Ten Top Twitter Tips ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Top 10 ways authors can use Twitter, http://dld.bz/rmZe.

2. Here are 6 clever ways to use Twitter to get your blog noticed, http://dld.bz/tkFV.

3. Why Twitter's "Who To Follow" feature can make a big difference for you, http://dld.bz/tkKv.

4. Saving your tweets is important, learn how: http://ow.ly/21fRP.

5. Discover the right way to market yourself on Twitter, http://bit.ly/97wew2.

6. Using Twitter effectively means finding a balance so that your followers want to keep coming back; here are ways to make your Twitter account work for you, http://dld.bz/5ajF.

7. Do your Tweets feel stale? Here are 26 Twitter tips for enhancing your tweets, http://dld.bz/44KX.

8. Ever wonder why Twitter followers leave? Here are 5 key reasons: http://dld.bz/875n.

9. Keep track of all media on Twitter: http://www.mediaontwitter.com/.

10. Twitoaster lets you follow exact conversations without having to sift through endless non-related data: http://twitoaster.com/.

How to Format Your E-book ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Learn how you can put together your own e-book (the non migraine-inducing way), http://dld.bz/v8yj.

Boost Your Facebook Page Engagement ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here are 5 easy ways to boost your Facebook Page engagement, http://dld.bz/2jZ7.

Headlines that Pop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, what about a great headline? Is it important? You bet. Since most of your readers will see your blog through an RSS feed, you'll want to pay special attention to your blog headlines. Check out the following idea generators to see if it doesn't spark something!

· 10 Secrets to · 7 Myths Exposed · 10 Inspiring Ways to · 10 Funny Things That Happened to Me on the Way to Publishing My Book · 7 Cool ways to · 10 Tips for the best · 10 Shocking reasons · 5 Amazing Blog Sites You Must Read, and Why · How to increase your success · 10 Simple things you can do right now to

Reader Tip! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you've got a Reader Tip you'd like to share, please send it to [email protected] with the subject line "reader tip." Submissions should be 75 words or less.

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

Reprint permission ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ You are welcome to reprint any items from "The Book Marketing Expert Newsletter." However, please credit us as a source with the following paragraph:

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. January 20, 2011 Issue #238 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Buy an AME Program and Win a Kindle! -- Feature Article: 50 Things to Tweet About -- Build Traffic with Facebook and Twitter -- See What's New at AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube! -- Book Bits and Bites -- Everyone Wants Easy Buttons -- Learn How to Start a Blog -- How to Share Web Content -- Become a Better Blog Commenter -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Reader Tip: Self Promote at Successimo -- How Popular is Your Topic? -- Easy Screen Capture -- National Indie Excellence Awards Seeks Submissions -- Twitter Tip: Keep Pace With VIPs -- Twitter Tip - Try Twellow -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Welcome back to another issue of The Book Marketing Expert! Hey, did you see it? I was quoted in the Wall Street Journal this week and I am officially impossible to live with, check it out: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703583404576079851516339200.html.

I'm on the road, headed to Digital Book World. I can't wait to attend this event, it's going to be fantastic! And speaking of the digital world - have you gotten your eBook reader yet? If not, we're giving away a brand spanking new Kindle. Check out our newsletter for details.

If your New Year's resolution was to get on Twitter but you're now perplexed on what to Twitter about, take heart! Many of us are! This week we're going to break down "50 Things to Tweet About." This should get you started!

We hope 2011 is treating you well so far! We're grateful you're back with us and wish you continued rockin' success in 2011!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Susan, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

P.S. - "Like" our AME Facebook Page and you'll find marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm

P.P.S. - Complimentary Book Marketing Content: Visit the articles page on our AME website and you'll find a range of articles by Penny, which may be used along with her byline (provided at the top of the page) at no cost. The complete list is at http://www.amarketingexpert.com/articles/.

Buy an AME Program and Win a Kindle! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To kick off 2011, we're offering a FREE Kindle with the purchase of any AME marketing campaign service from January 20-31, 2011.*

Contract and payment/deposit must be received by January 31, 2011 at Midnight PST. This offer is good on both paid in full orders and with our payment plan options.

The Kindle will be shipped to the billing address provided on the AME contract at the time of the order. The Kindle will not be shipped to the client until the payment in full is received and all campaign paperwork is processed.

In the event the campaign is canceled for any reason, standard terms and conditions apply PLUS there will be an additional charge to recover the cost of the Kindle, plus shipping and handling charges and any administrative fees. Please write on your paperwork "KINDLE" at time of submission.

*DIY programs not included.

To take advantage of this offer, email [email protected].

Feature Article: 50 Things to Tweet About ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Twitter is a great way to meet people, develop relationships, and promote yourself and your book or business. But it's important to avoid being seen as someone who just self promotes.

Most of your tweets should be about helping others, but you also need to inject some personality, to put the "social" into social networking and help people get to know you. Here are 50 ideas for tweeting or promoting:

1. Teach stuff - teach a little mini-lesson on Twitter. Delve into your area of expertise or just talk about book publishing and how to get published.

2. Share sites or blogs that your followers would be interested in. Be their "filter" to new and exciting information.

3. Use SocialOomph.com to schedule tweets to your account for later posting so you don't have to be sitting on top of Twitter every minute of the day.

4. Use Twitter as a news source: you can easily announce news both from your world (as long as it relates to your topic) and from the world of your expertise. For example, I've done tweets on book industry stuff, breaking news, etc.

5. Widen your network - follow other Twitter folk, this will not only give you some ideas for your own "tweets" but it's a great way to network with other writers or professionals.

6. Offer advice: use Tweetdeck.com or Twitter Search (search.twitter.com) to see who's asking for info on your area of expertise and then offer them some help/insight. This is a great way to build relationships.

7. It's ok to market yourself but be careful about pimping your stuff too much.

8. Be original, useful and helpful.

9. If you're on tour with your book or doing an event, tweet on that and invite your local followers to attend.

10. Tweet any good reviews your book gets, it's always fun to share the good stuff!

11. Every Tweet counts (don't tell people you're washing your cat); don't just tweet on useless stuff or you'll lose followers.

12. It's not all about you (again, back to the cat) people want to know useful stuff, I know, it's getting repetitive but there's a reason: it's important.

13. Promote your Twitter account in your email signature line and on your blog.

14. Network: don't expect your followers to grow if you're not following other people. Network, search for others in your area and follow them.

15. Personal is ok. Even though I said not to post useless information it's still not a bad idea to (from time to time) post a personal Tweet or two. Provide value and twitter- followers will beat a path to your door.

16. Follow everyone who follows you. You can use sites like Socialtoo.com and SocialOomph to autofollow everyone who follows you. These services can also send a nice welcome message to your new followers.

17. There is a lot of noise on Twitter, and the sooner you get comfortable with that the better. It's like being at one massive cocktail party; you have to find ways to filter out the noise. Sites like SocialOomph can help you do that.

18. Embed a link or some other sign-up in your welcome message; this is another great way to capture emails for your newsletter (assuming you have one).

19. Use sites like SocialOomph or Twitter Search to see who's talking about you and then follow them, too, or comment on their tweet.

20. It's ok to repeat your tweets. With the volume of messages people get your followers will often miss some of your posts.

21. Feed your blog through Twitter using Twitterfeed.com.

22. Join Help a Reporter Out: @petershankman for tweets on media leads (it's a great service!).

23. Don't feel like you have to respond to every tweet, but I generally try to respond to all tweets that are replies to mine (you can find these under @replies on your Twitter home page).

24. Want to stay on top of your market and find stuff to Tweet about? Then go to Alltop.com and search for your category. There are thousands of them up there. Here are a few to consider: socialmedia.alltop.com, twitter.alltop.com and publishing.alltop.com.

25. Review a product or book on Twitter.

26. Follow big names in your market on Twitter: this will often bring in their followers too, and you want to see what the "big guys" are up to.

27. Get a good picture: don't leave your avatar blank. Personalize your page if you can, but a good Twitter picture is a must.

28. Tweetbeep.com is a lot like Google alerts. You can plug in your keywords and you're pinged each time they are used.

29. Are you ready to add pictures to your Tweets? Then head on over to Twitpic.com, this site will let you upload pictures and tweet to them.

30. Use YouTube to share helpful videos you think your followers will love.

31. Music on Twitter is also possible thanks to TwittyTunes (http://www.foxytunes.com/twittytunes/). This site is great for sharing music and it has a simple Firefox add-on that lets you Twitter on music you're currently listening to!

32. Invite people to subscribe to your ezine and offer an incentive.

33. Introduce other authors or experts to each other or to your Twitter followers (they should also be on Twitter).

34. Participate in Follow Fridays #FF and Writer Wednesdays #WW. Recommend your favorite tweeters by using the #followfriday or #FF hashtag along with their user names.

35. Link to your own articles and blog posts. Shorten the URL using bit.ly so you can track the number of clicks you get.

36. Link to great videos.

37. Ask for advice or ask questions that encourage responses.

38. Comment on someone's interesting Twitter background or clever bio.

39. Offer a free downloadable ebook or sample chapter, with no strings attached.

40. Thank others for mentioning you on Twitter.

41. Link to an interesting Wikipedia entry on your topic or specialty.

42. Link to a transcript from an interesting Twitter chat.

43. Post an inspirational quote or message.

44. Link to other blogs, helpful articles.

45. Reply to someone else's Twitter post.

46. Run a contest.

47. Promote a special offer exclusively to your Twitter tribe.

48. Retweet (RT) someone else's posts, it's a great way to network!

49. Thank someone for RTing your post; it's always great to acknowledge someone for doing that!

50. Talk about the latest trends in your industry.

Build Traffic with Facebook and Twitter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Technorati survey revealed that when it's time to promote blog content, there are two main sources: Facebook and Twitter. Check it out.

See What's New at AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A new series, How to Succeed Online and Sell More Books, is now available on AME's YouTube channel; new videos are added regularly to keep you up to date on all things book marketing! http://www.youtube.com/user/BookmarketingAME.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Sit on It: Amazing stuff made with books, http://ow.ly/3ETs7.

* Look and Drool: Libraries of the rich and famous - awesome! http://ow.ly/3D6JL.

* Million-Seller's Club: Nora Roberts is the third author - after Stieg Larsson and James Patterson - to sell 1 million Kindle books, http://ow.ly/3GGTx .

* Reading List: '10 Great Works of Literature for America's 10 Most Literate Cities,' http://ow.ly/3BMbj.

Everyone Wants Easy Buttons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What is the one thing that can help you increase sales and leads in 2011? The one thing you can provide that guarantees your target audience will buy from you and love you?

Answer: An Easy Button

When customers have a problem, whatever it is, they need it solved. They come online and look for a solution. Most of them go to Google. In other words: Google is a big giant easy button. Many people are using social media to find solutions and they look on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Wherever a prospect is looking, you want to have your solution visible, available and easily understandable.

What are you doing to make easy buttons for your customers? You're not doing anything like that? Well, then you're simply not selling as much as you possibly can.

Here are a couple of points to consider:

* People don't buy "more work to reach a solution," they buy instant solutions.

* Everybody wants their pain taken away, fast, and if you can do that for them "with a click of a button," you win. That "click" is them moving from a prospect to a paying customer.

Your challenge in 2011 is to think about how to take your product or services and make them into an easy button solution.

Tip offered by Susan Gilbert, AME's Search Engine Marketing Expert and Web 2.0 company owner, http://www.susangilbert.com/, which provides Social Networking websites and services.

Learn How to Start a Blog ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Authors are always told to start a blog if they don't already have one, but many find the prospect overwhelming. Here are "18 Blogging Tips to Create and Maintain a Successful Blog:" http://www.jmorganmarketing.com/blogging-tips-create-maintain-blog/.

How to Share Web Content ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you're reading online, there's a new and easier way to share articles and blog posts on Twitter or Facebook. Go to: http://bit.ly/pages/tools and simply drag the bit.ly sidebar up to your toolbar to get started.

Become a Better Blog Commenter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Commenting on blogs is a great way to build your online presence and contacts. But it's important to do it right; avoid the blatant self promotion and offer insightful and useful information. Learn how.

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Did you catch Penny in the Wall Street Journal? Here's the scoop: How Authors Move Their Own Merchandise.

* Penny was a guest blogger for Blog Paws, the gathering place for pet bloggers: http://www.blogpaws.com/2011/01/beyond-the-bookstore-guest-post-by-pennysansevieri.html.

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest blog for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Be in the know and hear what the publishing insiders: Penny Sansevieri, CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. - and her guests - have to offer in terms of tips and insights into the industry! Listen here. Publishing Insiders is now available on iTunes, so you can keep up with the show wherever you go!

Upcoming show:

Smart Self Publishing, Part 1: Print on Demand, Jan. 25, 4 p.m. Pacific http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/01/26/smart-self-publishing- series-part-1-print-on-deman

These days, there are more choices than ever to get published, but publishing - like any industry - is full of scams. Most publishers are not unethical but how can you avoid predators with pie-in-the-sky promises that can't be fulfilled? Our special guests, Grael Norton, acquisitions manager for Wheatmark, Inc., and Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, will show us how to see through the hype and discuss the how-to's of contracts, publication costs, royalty statements, book covers and much, much more.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders include:

* Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries

* Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes

* This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral

* Blogging Ideas the Whole Year Through

* How to Make Money on Twitter

* A Self Publishing Success Story

* From Blog to Book

* What Van Halen Can Teach You About Book Marketing

* The Digital Book Revolution

* Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff

* It's Getting Hot in Here - erotica equals hot books and even hotter sales!

* How to Maximize Book Reviews

* E-books: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath

* Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook

* Special Guest Seth Godin

* All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

Reader Tip: Self Promote at Successimo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Successimo http://www.successimo.com is a free site seeking content providers (authors, speakers, and life coaches) for this informational and inspirational site that allows you to have another presence on the Internet highlighting you and your products.

Tip from January Jones, author, radio host, speaker, humorist, reality TV golfer, expert whine tester & wine taster. Learn more at http://www.januaryjones.com/.

How Popular is Your Topic? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One way to find out is to track it on Google Alerts. Try plugging in your keyword to see what comes up. Alerts are free and a really easy way to track what's happening in your market. Keeping track of what's being said, featured, and written about your brand is a good way to know how popular it is and who is saying what in your market.

Easy Screen Capture ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you've ever tried to screen capture a full webpage you know it's not always easy. Until now! Check out Capture Full Page http://capturefullpage.com. Just go to this URL, enter in the website you want to capture and it will pop up a JPG of the page which is easy to download. Great tool, I love it!

National Indie Excellence Awards Seeks Submissions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The 5th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards® announces a call for submissions. NIEA recognizes excellence in independent- and self-published books, a category that accounts for a rapidly growing segment of a publishing industry going through almost constant transformation.

Books published from 2008 to the present by self-published authors, small press, and independent publishers can be submitted for consideration in the categories of their choice.

Winners and Finalists will be announced nationally in mid May 2011.

All winners and finalists receive extensive media coverage and top award recipients are eligible to win prizes valued in excess of $12,000. These include sessions with outstanding media and PR consultants, marketing experts, and others in a position to assist authors and publishers in creating greater success with their books.

For information about the contest, including how to submit books, please visit www.indieexcellence.com. The deadline for entries is April 10, 2011.

Twitter Tip: Keep Pace With VIPs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Learn how to keep up with important people on Twitter so you can be in the know (and network!) http://dld.bz/FAfR.

Twitter Tip - Try Twellow ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have you checked out the Twitter directory Twellow? Here are some powerful ways to use it, http://dld.bz/E4CZ.

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. February 3, 2011 Issue #239 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Buy an AME Program and Win a Kindle! -- Feature Article: Smart Self-Publishing: How to Get Published Without Getting Scammed -- Using Twitter to Market Your Book -- Check Out AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube! -- Book Bits and Bites -- How to Backup Facebook to the Cloud -- Kindle Publishing for Blogs -- Press Releases Still Matter -- Mobile Market -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Website Woes? -- Get Personal -- Searching With Success -- National Indie Excellence Awards Seeks Submissions -- Twitter Tip: 52 Fantastic Twitter Follows for Self-Publishers -- Twitter Tip - Retweet Mojo -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Glad to have you back, and welcome to another issue of Book Marketing Expert. Hey guess what? We're on Kindle now! Our blog and newsletter - yes, exciting stuff. Have you put your stuff on Kindle? If you haven't, you should. And speaking of Kindle, how would you like a free one? Check out our great new offer in this newsletter.

So, you're ready to get published, yes? Good! Then you'll love this week's article on Smart Self-Publishing. We've seen a lot of ways *not* to get published, so this week we're starting our Smart Self-Publishing series on how to find a publisher. Next up, we'll look at how to become a publisher. And oh, yes, we'll also be discussing the phenomenon that is eBooks!

Thanks for joining us for another issue, we're so glad to have you back! And if you're going to the O'Reilly conference in NYC on Feb. 14 and 15 let me know, I'd love to meet up with you there!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Susan, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

P.S. - "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm

P.P.S. - Need Book Marketing Content? Visit the articles page on our AME website and you'll find a range of articles by Penny, which may be used along with her byline (provided at the top of the page) at no cost. The complete list is at http://www.amarketingexpert.com/articles/.

Contract and payment/deposit must be received by February 14, 2011 at Midnight PST. This offer is good on both paid in full orders and with our payment plan options.

*DIY programs not included.

To take advantage of this offer, email [email protected].

Feature Article: Smart Self-Publishing: How to Get Published Without Getting Scammed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Something I learned early on in this industry is that publishing, like any other industry, is full of scams. Not everyone is unethical; however, there are a certain number of people who prey on someone's desire for success by offering them pie-in-the-sky promises they can never fulfill. In our series on Smart Self-Publishing, we're going to look at a few different industry segments, starting first with publishers and finding the right one for you.

These days, there are more choices than ever to get published. Because of this, the options and opportunities within each can seen a bit overwhelming. Here are some quick tips:

1) Research, research, research: as I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of choices. Take your time and do your research. If a publisher is unethical or has a bad reputation, you'll find this pretty easily online. Some great sites for finding unethical publishers and other industry providers are:

Writer Beware: http://accrispin.blogspot.com/ Predators & Editors: http://pred-ed.com/ Absolute Write: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/

2) Ask other authors: if your research hasn't turned up anything consistent, it might be that the publisher (like any vendor) has had a couple of bad experiences, but that doesn't always make them a bad publisher. I recommend that you look at the store page on their website and Google some of the authors listed. If you email these authors through their own personal web pages, asking them about their experience with the publisher, I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised at how helpful they are. Publishing, unlike some other markets, is a very helpful industry. You can even ask some professionals you admire if you're unsure. Most of us are always eager to help!

3) Check your contract: there are a variety of reasons for an author to self-publish, one of them is being able to keep their rights and creative license. Regardless of the publisher, you should be able to keep all rights. If they keep any rights for any length of time, move on to a company that will allow you to keep all of your rights. This includes: movie, audio, foreign, and electronic.

4) Promises, promises: don't believe the hype. Yes, we are all selling services but there is only so much that a publisher can promise you. They can promise you a finished book. Beyond that it's a lot of hard work and a little luck.

5) The truth about returns: Many of the print-on-demand/self-publishers offer you a returns program. I haven't found this to be very helpful. It costs the author to get in and then the bookstores have to participate, and few of them do. If you're not sure, ask your local Barnes & Noble if they accept returns from this publisher, their answer will tell you whether a returns program is a good investment of your money.

6) Book sales: much like point #4, no one can promise you book sales, least of all the publisher. So be wary of any publisher who is promising you sales or a guarantee of book sales of any kind.

7) Cost to publish: in most cases, it should cost you less than $2,000 to publish your book. This will include the cover design, interior design, ISBN, bar code, ebook (in many cases) and anything else that needs to happen to turn this into a book. Like anything else, get this in writing.

8) Author discounts: the first 90 days of your book you will be your own best customer. This is why you want to be sure and get a good author discount on your book purchases. You'll use the books you buy to promote the book, by sending it to media, book reviewers, etc.

9) Author royalties: author royalties vary greatly from publisher to publisher but don't be swayed by higher royalties because the calculation might be a bit tricky. Let me explain. Most publishers will give you royalty based on the cost of the book. So, on a $10 book you'd get 20%. I've seen some publishers who will offer upwards of 80% royalty to authors to lure them in, but when you do the math on this it really comes out the same. Many times a higher royalty rate is calculated on the cost of the book wholesale, so let's say your $10 book is now $5, plus they might deduct their own expenses from this cost, bringing it even lower. So while the 80% royalty looks great on paper, the math is sometimes even lower than a 20% rate depending on how much they discount the book.

10) Customer experience: before you put pen to paper and sign that contract, make sure that their customer experience matches your expectations. Now while I disagree that a publisher should respond immediately, they should respond to emails within 24 and sometimes 48 hours depending on when you send the message. I would call them and ask them some questions about their services, their packages, and their end-user experience. You are going to have a lot of questions, be sure that someone will be there to help you answer them.

11) Be realistic: remember that regardless of how good any publisher is, they might not be able to be all things to all authors. Meaning that for certain things, you may have to get your answers elsewhere. If you aren't sure what they will and won't help you with, ask them.

12) Timing: make sure you are clear on their timing as well as yours. You don't want a book that's going to be sitting in the cue for a long time while it's waiting to see the light of day. Get the timing in writing, or at least a general estimate.

13) Book covers: I saved the best for last here, or rather the most important piece of this. The book cover is so significantly important that the NY publishers often spend weeks researching the perfect cover for the perfect market. To know if the publisher you are considering is good at book design: look at the other books on their website. If the covers there don't impress you, move on. If you're not sure what to look for in a good cover designer, spend the time and money and hire someone (a book marketing professional) who can look at the covers for you and tell you if they are quality. Also, if you find a publisher you love but their covers aren't the best, you can always hire an outside designer to do the book cover design.

Keep in mind that most publishers are out there to do good work. We love the ones who do good work and help authors attain their dream. As you migrate through your choices, remember to not be swayed by flashy ad copy or high-end promises. Go with a solid, reputable publisher and you'll be on your way to a successful career. Here are some great recommendations: Infinity Publishing: http://www.infinitypublishing.com Wheatmark Books: http://www.wheatmark.com Greenleaf Book Group: http://www.greenleafbookgroup.com/ Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com Join us for the Smart Self Publishing Series: Part 2, Becoming Your Own Publisher on Blog Talk Radio Feb. 8, 4 p.m. Pacific: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/02/09/smart-self-publishing- series-part-2-becoming-your-own-publisher

Using Twitter to Market Your Book ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wondering how authors are using Twitter to market their books? Join Carolyn-Howard Johnson (author of the HowToDoItFrugally series); Laurel Marshfield (professional writer, ghostwriter, and developmental editor); Joel Friedlander (proprietor of Marin Bookworks); Phyllis Zimbler Miller (co-founder of Miller Mosaic Power Marketing); and Penny C. Sansevieri (CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc.) as they discuss Twitter tactics and their experiences from the world of Twitter. Learn how authors are using Twitter to connect with their audiences and increase viewership. You'll also have the opportunity to ask your questions live to the panel.

When: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 8 - 9 p.m. EST

To register, visit: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/461296462

Check Out AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Learn 'How to Succeed Online and Sell More Books' and much more; new videos are added regularly to keep you up to date on all things book marketing! http://www.youtube.com/user/BookmarketingAME.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Visual Feast: The evolution of Alice in Wonderland, in book covers, http://flavorwire.com/146497/the-evolution-of-alice-in-wonderland-a-book-cover-odyssey.

It's Never Too Late! A 99-year-old Japanese grandmother has a self-published bestseller, http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/25/us-japan-poet-idUSTRE70O0NQ20110125.

From a Senator's Mouth: How many pages is a filibuster? We'll see - VT Sen. Bernie Sanders will publish his, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/bernie-sanders-to-publish-filibuster- as-book_b21517?c=rss.

Save Publishing: Join the 'Read a Book at Bedtime' Facebook Group, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Publishing-Read-a-Book-at- Bedtime/172513596126065?v=wall.

How to Backup Facebook to the Cloud ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ While social media like Facebook and Twitter are 'free,' you have invested time in acquiring your friends, fans and followers.

Back in December I wrote about how you can backup your Facebook profile; and, said at that time I was testing a third-party program called Backupify: http://www.backupify.com/.

Backupify is an amazing service which caters to backing up multiple services - Facebook being one of them. Using Facebook connect, Backupify will regularly save all your photos, friends lists, events, links, notes, and statuses to the cloud. The free version of Backupify can handle up to 2GB of storage.

Everything is stored on an S3 Amazon server and their privacy policy clearly states that any data you store on Backupify is yours, and they claim no right to it, nor do they look, sell, nor analyze it. Also, if you're extra paranoid conscious about safety, it can allow you to hook up your own S3 Amazon server instead of using theirs.

You can set up a Personal account that will protect your personal accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and more for free. For high volume or multiple accounts, there are Pro accounts for a nominal monthly fee.

To see a screenshot of my current personal accounts, go to: http://www.susangilbert.com/how-to-backup-facebook-to-the-cloud/.

All appears to be working properly though *knock on wood* I've not needed to restore any accounts. However, I feel a bit safer, knowing I have something in place, just in case.

Tip offered by Susan Gilbert, AME's Search Engine Marketing Expert and Web 2.0 company owner, http://www.susangilbert.com/, which provides Social Networking websites and services.

Kindle Publishing for Blogs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guess who's on Kindle blogs? We are! You can subscribe to the Author Marketing Experts blog as well as this newsletter, Book Marketing Expert.

Amazon Kindle Publishing for Blogs is a fast and easy self-publishing tool that lets you add and sell your blogs on the Kindle Store. Learn more at http://www.kindlepublishing.amazon.com/.

Press Releases Still Matter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Press releases aren't dead, but in the age of social media there's definitely a different approach. 'The 6 Essential Steps to Writing a Killer Press Release' breaks it down, http://www.copyblogger.com/killer-press-release/.

Mobile Market ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Who doesn't have a cellphone these days? And with so many smartphones among them, don't overlook that market. Learn how to sell your ebooks via mobile phones, http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2011/01/22/how-you-can-sell-your-e-books-via-mobile- phones/.

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Penny's video, 'How to Succeed Online and Sell More Books!' has been posted at SEO Bridges, http://seobridges.com/2011/01/how-to-succeed-online-and-sell-more-books/.

* The Independent Book Publishers Association ran Penny's article, 'Today's Best Press Release Tactics,' http://www.ibpa-online.org/articles/shownews.aspx?id=3047.

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest blog for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming show:

Smart Self Publishing Series: Part 2, Becoming Your Own Publisher, Feb. 8, 4 p.m. Pacific http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/02/09/smart-self-publishing- series-part-2-becoming-your-own-publisher Why would an author want to bypass traditional publishing and go it alone? There are myriad reasons to self publish, including the ability to keep your rights and creative license. But, there's a lot you need to learn first: is your prospective publisher reputable? What should your contract cover? How will returns be handled? What will the process cost? What can you expect in royalties? Where and how will you distribute your book - and more, which we'll discuss with our special guests: Eric Kampmann, president of Midpoint Trade Books, and Tanya Hall, Business Development Manager for Greenleaf Book Group.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders include:

* Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books

* Top Publishing Trends for 2011

* Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries

* Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes

* This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral

* Blogging Ideas the Whole Year Through

* How to Make Money on Twitter

* A Self Publishing Success Story

* From Blog to Book

* What Van Halen Can Teach You About Book Marketing

* The Digital Book Revolution

* Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff

* It's Getting Hot in Here - erotica equals hot books and even hotter sales!

* How to Maximize Book Reviews

* E-books: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath

* Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook

* Special Guest Seth Godin

* All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

Website Woes? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does your website seem drab instead of fab? Maybe it's time for an overhaul. Review these 'Six steps to determine if it's time for a website redesign,' http://www.dmnews.com/six- steps-to-determine-if-its-time-for-a-website-redesign/article/194885/.

Get Personal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you really want to build your social network following: get personal. Include a personal message with the request to 'friend" someone on Facebook or add them to your tribe on LinkedIn. I personally don't like the default messages. It's sort of like walking up to someone at a networking event and saying the same things over and over: "Hey, I want to be your friend." My first question would be, "Hmmm, ok, why?" Get personal: give them a reason to friend you. Tell them why you want to be part of their network. Maybe you've admired their work, maybe you are looking to create something with them. Maybe you just think they are the coolest thing on two feet. Whatever it is, get away from the generic. That only seems to work in grocery stores.

Searching With Success ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are many ways to restrict what you find in Google to get you a better result. Check out these Google options, http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/master-the-google-search-like-a- god-save-time/.

Books published from 2008 to the present by self-published authors, small press, and independent publishers can be submitted for consideration in the categories of their choice.

Winners and Finalists will be announced nationally in mid May 2011.

For information about the contest, including how to submit books, please visit www.indieexcellence.com. The deadline for entries is April 10, 2011.

Twitter Tip: 52 Fantastic Twitter Follows for Self-Publishers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This list includes designers, publishers, authors, marketers, agents, editors, and anyone connected to self-publishing in one way or another. They are active Twitter users and provide tremendous value to followers, http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/04/52- fantastic-twitter-follows-for-self-publishers/.

Twitter Tip - Retweet Mojo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part of being successful on Twitter means that others find your posts useful and interesting and Retweet them. Not getting enough Retweet love? Check out '7 Reasons Why Your Posts Aren't Getting Retweeted,' http://pushingsocial.com/7-reasons-why-your-posts-arent- getting-retweeted.

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. February 17, 2011 Issue #240 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Get a Free LibraryThing Book Giveaway Promotion With Any VAT Purchase -- Feature Article: Fans, Friends, and Followers: How to Build a Solid Author Platform that Sells More Books! -- Ready to Get Your Book the Attention it Deserves? -- AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube! -- Book Bits and Bites -- If You've Been Self-Published, Mention It In Your Query Letter -- Is Your Website Tablet Friendly? -- What's Holding Back Your Blog? -- Set up Facebook Page Alerts -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- AME Resources for You -- Learning to Use LinkedIn -- Is Your Name Available? -- Submissions Needed for National Indie Excellence Awards -- Twitter Tip - Get the Most Out of Twitter -- Twitter Tip - How Bloggers Can Use Twitter -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Hello from NYC and greetings from the Tools of Change conference, which was a fantastic event! From here I'm headed to the San Francisco Writers Conference and very much looking forward to participating in that too! Oh, and this past week New York really went to the dogs - the Westminster Dog Show was in town and oh, my, doggies everywhere. My boyfriend and I ended up (eh, accidentally) at a dog wedding on Saturday. I am not sure whether to be amused or traumatized :) It was a great time to be in the city.

This week we are featuring the first of a two-parter on getting a bigger social media footprint. We also have a few specials and a very (very) exciting program we are launching.

So, what did I learn at Tools of Change? Well, suffice it to say everyone was all a-buzz about ebooks and new ways to promote. Also, I think every single person there had an iPad, and I now have severe iPad envy. Ah, technology!

Thanks again for reading; we're so thrilled to have you back for another week!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Susan, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Get a Free LibraryThing Book Giveaway Promotion With Any VAT Purchase ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A great way to promote your book is with a book giveaway contest! AME is excited to offer you an opportunity to promote your title on LibraryThing.com! This incredible online social networking hub brings more than 1.2 million book lovers together worldwide.

We'll promote your book with a one-week campaign. You commit to mailing 10 winners a copy of your book. The amazing benefit of this promotion is the exposure you get on LibraryThing.com's most popular page. We'll send you a link to track your results while the campaign is running, so you can see just how popular your book is!

The retail value of this service is $249! If you want to participate in this promotion only, we're offering a $50 discount through the end of February - so only $199. The author is responsible for the cost of their books and shipping charges to mail to the winners.

To take advantage of this offer, email [email protected].

Feature Article: Fans, Friends, and Followers: How to Build a Solid Author Platform that Sells More Books! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 1: What is a Platform and How Can You Identify it? There's a lot of information out there on the "how" of social media: How to set up a Twitter account, how to tweet, how to build a Fan Page, etc. But there isn't a lot of information on why you'd want to use social media. You might say, "Well, everyone is doing it and having great success!" I would observe that not everyone is having great success; in fact, many authors I speak to are still trying to find their way online.

One thing that I've noticed when it comes to social media is that most of the time we think that it's ok to just jump in, and that's true - up to a point. You'd never think of driving from San Diego to New York without a roadmap or GPS, so why would you endeavor to promote yourself online without first mapping out a strategy and surveying the terrain?

Why does any of this matter? Well, I will tell you that the more work you do in preparation for your campaign, the less of an effort it will seem once you get started. Also, the more work you do now can and should save you considerable wasted expense later. You will know exactly where to spend your time and money and you will have a campaign that will not only feel seamless, but also move more quickly towards your success. Sound good? Then let's begin!

Getting Started

One of the first things you'll want to do when you start down this path of social media promotion is ask yourself: Why am I doing this? Well, you might say, to promote myself. Exactly! But (other than book sales), what is the motivation behind that promotion? The reason I say "other than book sales" is because you must have a broader scope to your work than just selling a book. If your single focus in promotion is to sell a book, you will be sorely disappointed. Your focus must be larger, such as:

· Expanding my business · Increasing my speaking gigs · Growing my platform

Then you'll have a much better chance of success online and you'll be ready to dig into online promotion. Let's first look at growing your platform.

What's your platform?

Before we can launch into what your platform is, you must first have a good grasp of what a platform is. A platform is not who you know, but who knows you. It's your area of influence. Still unclear on this concept? Take heart, most authors leap into marketing without knowing what a platform is or how to grow it. First, let's look at what might be considered to be a platform:

1) Your business: this is pretty obvious. You have a business and your business is your platform. Your reach and your influence are through your customers.

2) Your speaking: any speaking you do, whether paid or unpaid is considered a platform.

3) Newsletter subscribers: these are people who want to know what you're doing; they are your tribe and also part of your platform.

4) Existing fan bases: any connections, whether through speaking, your newsletter, or any other fan base can be considered part of your platform.

5) Associations/groups: do you belong to any type of related association? These people and this affiliation can also be part of your platform. Though perhaps less direct and immediate, I'll walk you through how to solidify these contacts and bring them into your funnel.

6) Work you've done in the past: anything related to what you've written about now is part of your platform. Teaching, classes you've taken, speaking, or just life experiences as it relates to your topic can also be woven into your platform.

Identifying your platform

For non-fiction authors, the goal of identifying a platform you either have or wish to grow is pretty easy. But for fiction authors it can be a bit more challenging. Yes, you too must have a platform and generally, it is tied closely to your genre.

Every author, whether fiction or non-fiction needs a reach, and once you define where these folks are and how to get to them, you'll begin to connect with readers both current and future, who can help you to expand your tribe. First, let's look at defining those readers.

Let's say you've written a fiction book and you are new to the industry and perplexed as to how you might go about expanding your readership. I suggest if this is you that you find other, similar authors in your market and research them online. Becoming your own detective is really the quickest way to piece together a platform and learn how their platform might help you build yours.

For example, if you have written romance you can research the top 15 authors in your market. If you do this, I suggest looking at the midlist authors, not the top sellers like Danielle Steele, etc. who, through years of publishing, have grandfathered themselves into a mega-platform. Instead you want to look at authors who are likely on their own, meaning without the resources of a personal assistant or staff of a thousand. Research these authors and see where they end up online. Do they have Fan Pages on Facebook? Are they on Twitter? What groups do they participate in, etc.? Now you'll start to get a sense of how a platform is built and what you need to do to grow yours.

If you've written non-fiction and the idea of a platform seems foreign to you, then I suggest that you do the same thing. Follow your market, research others who share your specialty and uncover the different ways that they expand their reach via their platform.

Next time, we're going to dig into your platform even further. We'll look at the steps necessary to grow a platform and how to break this down into a manageable action plan.

Ready to Get Your Book the Attention it Deserves? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Books don't sell until they are noticed. So how do you get people to recommend and talk about your book? It's not always easy to do.

Until now.

Author Marketing Experts and Book Sweepstakes LLC are about to launch an innovative new sweepstakes platform that provides people the tools and a powerful incentive to promote your book for you until it spreads like wildfire. We provide the platform, the rules, the management, and even the fantastic prizes.

Ready to get started? Just book a qualifying program with AME, and for a limited time, we'll provide you with your very own book sweepstakes for free. Programs must be confirmed before February 28, 2011. For program details or to sign up, please email us at [email protected].

AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From 'How to Succeed Online and Sell More Books' and much more; new videos are added regularly to keep you up to date on all things book marketing! http://www.youtube.com/user/BookmarketingAME.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Killing Time: Wonder what writers of renown do when not writing? Try Idle Doodles by Famous Authors, http://flavorwire.com/147177/idle-doodles-by-famous-authors.

Literary Hobby: Legos, those blocks you can build great structures with, is also great for creating people, or in this case - writers. See for yourself, http://flavorwire.com/151710/our-favorite-writers-as-legos.

D'Oh!: Homer may be drinking beer and Bart may be making trouble, but Lisa Simpson has her own book club! The Tumblr site contains all of the book references she's made on the show, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/lisa-simpson-gets-book-club-on- tumblr_b22924.

Cool Tool: Why use a plain old thesaurus when you can go 3-D. The Visual Thesaurus is a must-see, http://www.visualthesaurus.com/landing/?word=warring&lang=en&ad=ddc.large#.

If You've Been Self-Published, Mention It In Your Query Letter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have been self-published in the past, you should definitely mention it in your query letter, but there are ways to do it and reasons to not do it that are very important to note.

Was your self-published book a success, meaning you sold a few thousand copies? Or did you only sell a couple of copies?

I sometimes recommend to my clients who only sold a few hundred copies or less that they mention that they "test-marketed" their book.

Another option is to turn the book into an e-book prior to the query letter and sell, practically give away, thousands of copies of your e-book so that by the time you write your query letter you already have verifiable proof that your book has done well.

You want your self-published book to be as successfully positioned as possible. Above all else, though, you have to be honest. Never mislead the agent. With just a few strokes of the keyboard they can find out exactly how well you've done and you never want to start out your relationship with an agent based on a lie.

Tip by Jeff Rivera, who is the founder of http://www.HowtoWriteaQueryLetter.com. With over 100 clients to date, he has a 100% track record of getting at least 10 literary agents to request to read his client's manuscripts and proposals.

Is Your Website Tablet Friendly? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The iPad may have been the first, but a slew of competitors are coming onto the market - and you need to determine if your website is ready. Not sure how? This article offers great tips, http://www.readwriteweb.com/biz/2011/02/how-to-design-websites-for- tablets.php.

What's Holding Back Your Blog? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you've ever wondered why your blog traffic and comments aren't picking up, it may be your low social I.Q. Copyblogger offers useful insights into what you're missing - and how to get it, http://www.copyblogger.com/low-social-iq/.

Set up Facebook Page Alerts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We've talked about Google alerts in the past, and there's also a way to get alerts for your Facebook Page. That way, whenever someone comments on your Page, you'll be notified. Learn more at http://thesocialmediaguide.com.au/2011/02/01/how-to-create- facebook-fan-page-alerts/.

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * The Adventures in Children's Publishing blog included Penny's article, Smart Self- Publishing: How to Get Published Without Getting Scammed, in its Best Articles for Writers roundup, http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2011/01/best-articles-this- week-for-writers_21.html.

* Fifty Things Under $50 Bucks To Promote Your Book ran on Lisa's World, the blog of writer Lisa Pietsch, http://lisapietsch.com/2011/01/10/author-marketing-minute-fifty- things-under-50-bucks-to-promote-your-book/.

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest blog for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming show:

Smart Self Publishing: Part 3, Making Money with Ebooks, Feb. 22, 4 p.m. Pacific http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/02/23/smart-self-publishing- part-3-making-money-with-ebooks

Ebooks currently make up almost 10% of book sales, and their stratospheric growth is expected to continue. With the various devices out there - Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iPad, among others - and the formatting issues, how should you even begin? More importantly, several indie authors are making significant money by selling ebooks. What are their secrets? We'll discuss these issues and many more with our special guests, authors Karen McQuestion and Tony Eldridge. About our guests: Karen McQuestion's essays have appeared in Newsweek, Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Christian Science Monitor and several anthologies. She is the author of six books self-published on Amazon's Kindle, one of which, the novel, A Scattered Life, caught the attention of an L.A. based production company and became the first self-published Kindle book to be optioned for film. Five of her previously self- published books will now be published by AmazonEncore. Tony Eldridge is the author of the award winning action/adventure novel, The Samson Effect, which Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure." He is also the creator of Marketing Tips for Authors, a site that publishes free tips and videos to help authors learn marketing techniques for their books.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders include:

* Smart Self Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher

* Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books

* Top Publishing Trends for 2011

* Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries

* Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes

* This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral

* Blogging Ideas the Whole Year Through

* How to Make Money on Twitter

* A Self Publishing Success Story

* From Blog to Book

* What Van Halen Can Teach You About Book Marketing

* The Digital Book Revolution

* Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff

* It's Getting Hot in Here - erotica equals hot books and even hotter sales!

* How to Maximize Book Reviews

* E-books: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath

* Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook

* Special Guest Seth Godin

* All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

AME Resources for You ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Need Book Marketing Content? Visit the articles page on our AME website and you'll find a range of articles by Penny, which may be used along with her byline (provided at the top of the page) at no cost. The complete list is at http://www.amarketingexpert.com/articles/.

Learning to Use LinkedIn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There's a lot of buzz these days about having a profile on LinkedIn and using the site to network. If you're going to use the site, you should know what to do to attract prospects, not repel them. Here's how, http://www.sellingbooks.com/linkedin-profile- secrets-the-1-reason-why-your-linkedin-profile-fails-to-attract-more-prospects.

Is Your Name Available? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Is your name or brand taken on social media? Here's a quick way to find out: http://www.usernamecheck.com.

Submissions Needed for National Indie Excellence Awards ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The 5th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards® announces a call for submissions. NIEA recognizes excellence in independent- and self-published books, a category that accounts for a rapidly growing segment of a publishing industry going through almost constant transformation.

Books published from 2008 to the present by self-published authors, small press, and independent publishers can be submitted for consideration in the categories of their choice.

Winners and Finalists will be announced nationally in mid May 2011.

For information about the contest, including how to submit books, please visit www.indieexcellence.com. The deadline for entries is April 10, 2011.

Twitter Tip - Get the Most Out of Twitter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here are 9 Useful Tactics for Using Twitter, so your tweets will be seen: http://fastgush.com/twitter/9-useful-tactics-for-your-twitter-account.html.

Twitter Tip - How Bloggers Can Use Twitter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your blog can be an important part of Twitter, once you figure out what your goals are and how to use Twitter tools to your advantage. Get started, http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/01/25/how-to-use-twitter-tips-for-bloggers/.

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. March 3, 2011 Issue #241 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Get a Free LibraryThing Book Giveaway Promotion With Any VAT Purchase -- Feature Article: Fans, Friends, and Followers: How to Build a Solid Author Platform that Sells More Books! -- Ready to Get Your Book the Attention it Deserves? -- AME Resources for You - At No Cost! -- Book Bits and Bites -- An Agent Just Requested My Manuscript! Now What? -- Webinar: Finding A Publisher -- Promote Your Books on LinkedIn -- Face to Face Still Matters -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Fire Up Your Business (Make More Money) -- 10 Tips for Effective Book Covers -- How to Build a Blog Following -- Submissions Needed for National Indie Excellence Awards -- Twitter Tip - Integrate LinkedIn and Twitter -- Twitter Tip - Move Your Facebook Fans to Action -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter! We're thrilled to have you back. So, have you heard all the scuttle on eBooks these days? We've been covering that and so much more in our Successful Self-Publishing series on The Publishing Insiders. Links to the show are in this newsletter.

Oh and I can barely contain my excitement. We mentioned it briefly in the last newsletter, but now we've gone live with our AME Viral Sweepstakes. More details are in the newsletter, but check it out: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/book-sweepstakes/. It's a revolutionary way to promote a book!

We've got another jam-packed issue, including Part 2 of our Fans, Friends, and Followers series. I hope you will enjoy it!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Susan, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Get a Free LibraryThing Book Giveaway Promotion With Any VAT Purchase ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Due to popular demand, this promotion has been extended! A great way to promote your book is with a book giveaway contest! AME is excited to offer you this opportunity to promote your title on LibraryThing.com! This incredible online social networking hub brings more than 1.2 million book lovers together worldwide.

The retail value of this service is $249! If you want to participate in this promotion only, we're offering a $50 discount through March 15th - so only $199. The author is responsible for the cost of their books and shipping charges to mail to the winners.

To take advantage of this offer, email [email protected].

Feature Article: Fans, Friends, and Followers: How to Build a Solid Author Platform that Sells More Books! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 2: How to Grow and Build Your Platform Steps to growing your platform Now that you know what you need to do to identify your platform, it's a matter of expanding it. But where to start?

The place to start is research. Remember all the homework I had you do around other authors in your genre? You're going to use that now to expand your platform as well. Here's how:

Follow the leader

If you have identified others in your market, then you know the leaders you should align with. Success leaves clues, follow them. Track where other authors have been featured online and make those websites, blogs, Twitter accounts, or Fan Pages part of your promotion. If you do your research well, you will begin to unearth all sorts of great places to align with. In fact, you might want to head on over to Google Alerts and plug in the names of the authors you are following so you can see what kind of exposure they are getting and where. Not familiar with Google Alerts? It's a free service from Google that will let you monitor keywords and names online. Just type "Google Alerts" into your search bar and voila! It's free and great for research!

Networking

Next up is connecting with other authors in your market. It might seem counterintuitive to network with "the competition," but in reality there is no competition. Let's face it, if you read a lot of mystery or romantic suspense you probably don't read just one author, and you are also probably open to considering a few others, right? Readers who buy self-help fall into this same market. Think "Lays": you can't eat just one. Networking with authors in your market could really open up some doors. Just like in- person networking, getting to know your market could help you gain access to new promotional opportunities, speaking events, etc. Authors are a very generous breed, get to know the folks who have already been out there and then be prepared to do the same for authors who may contact you.

Your Big Networking Event Outside of the networking you will do with your fellow authors, you will also want to identify bloggers, reviewers, and other marketing connections online. Much like with the authors, you will want to network with them by following their blogs, commenting on posts, retweeting their information, etc.

Building Your Platform

Now that you have done all of this legwork, it's time to look at the platform you are building and what building blocks you need to get there. Hopefully by now, you've identified various areas of focus, authors to follow and blogs/websites and other social media to follow. If you haven't, go back and make sure you complete this research. Without this piece your platform will never make sense.

Next you'll want to break down your platform building so that it's both manageable and easy to implement. Here are some tips for breaking this down:

1) What? For your particular market, what makes a good platform? Is it a fan base, speaking, product? Write that down first; if it's a list then start a list. 2) How? How will you attain this? Start formulating a list and ideally, try to break this down into as many pieces as you can. Meaning that you want to have a list of action items that you need to implement in order to grow your platform. 3) Action: what action do you need to take to make this happen? Make a list of tasks: Perhaps it's blogging, getting a Twitter account, or networking with other blogs, forums, etc. Create your action list and make it as complete as possible. 4) Divvy up the work: now you need to break the work down into manageable, actionable items. For example, if part of your platform is blogging, don't just write "Need to blog" on a list. Make sure that it's quantifiable, otherwise you likely won't do it. How many times do you need to blog, etc?

The above work (and yes, at times it will feel like work), will really help you to gain direction. As you begin to pull together all of these pieces, a roadmap will start to emerge. You'll begin to see where and how you need to show up online. What this will do is keep you laser-focused on goals that will directly help you expand your reach online, as opposed to that endless to-do list that makes you drift from one area to another, never really gaining ground.

If you consider your marketing roll-out as your final exam, then the homework you do prior will really help you breeze through the test. What you'll find on the other side is a campaign that not only works, but might even make you feel like a rock star. Oh, and book sales? Yeah, I know I said ignore them, but as they said in Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come." Build your platform now and readers will beat a path to your door.

We're planning a major launch for March 17th and we'd love for you to be a part of it. We only have room for six authors, so claim your space now by heading on over to: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/book-sweepstakes/.

AME Resources for You - At No Cost! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Learn 'How to Succeed Online and Sell More Books' and much more on AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube. New videos are added regularly to keep you up to date on all things book marketing! http://www.youtube.com/user/BookmarketingAME.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Good For a Laugh: 'This Is Why Your Used Bookstore Clerk Hates You,' http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2011/02/this_is_why_your_used_bookstor.php.

Highly Addictive Fun: Can You Name the Novel Based on the List of Characters? http://www.sporcle.com/games/namethatnovel.php.

Read an E-Book Week: March 6-12, 2011. For E-Book and E-Reader Information Visit http://www.ebookweek.com/.

Judging Countries By Their Covers: US vs. UK Book Jackets, http://flavorwire.com/151582/judging-countries-by-their-covers-us-vs-uk-book-jackets.

An Agent Just Requested My Manuscript! Now What? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't panic! Celebrate! Some people wait years to get an agent to actually request to read their materials, whether it be a manuscript or a book proposal. I should know, I've helped over a hundred clients get to that first step, and I know exactly how you feel.

Remember, that this is just the beginning. Your manuscript or book proposal better be good and it better be ready, because you often only get one shot to make the right impression with these agents. This is what you should have been doing while you were waiting for them to reply. If you need it, though, there's help out there. In fact, there are even former editors from major publishing houses and former agents that are willing to help you whip that manuscript in shape. Check this out: http://www.GumboWriters.com.

Once you're certain it's perfect, you're ready for the next step, which is to note exactly what it is that they are asking for. Often times, they'll tell you to send the first 10 pages or the first 50 pages. Do exactly as they say. Nothing less, nothing more.

No, it doesn't necessarily mean they liked your concept more or less just because they requested to see 10 pages rather than 50, or the full manuscript instead of a partial. They have their own personal reasons, and more often than not, it's in the best interest of time management.

Make sure that it is properly formatted. If you visit their website, or search Google, you'll be able to make sure your manuscript is presented in a way that they expect.

Webinar: Finding A Publisher ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A story merchant's advice on getting published! The good news is that the world is desperate for great stories. The bad news is that the Internet has made so many stories available the story marketplace has become a jungle - seemingly impenetrable to the new author.

This interview will:

· Describe the current story marketplace. · Show you where you "fit in." · Help you decide between "traditional" publishing and "self" publishing. · Help you decide if you need an editor before you approach publishing. · Show you what the economics behind publishing are all about. · Tell you how much a traditional publisher makes for each book sold. · Define what the word "platform" means and why you're hearing it from all directions. · Help you understand the importance of marketing. · Suggest ways of building a following for yourself using the Internet. · Tell you how the Story Merchant can help you strategize your career and create tactics to make it happen. · Answer your questions!

Literary manager/producer Dr. Ken Atchity has sold nearly hundreds of books and dozens of bestsellers, including publishing fifteen of his own. You may know him already as the author of A Writer's Time, Writing Treatments That Sell, and How to Publish Your Novel. He's also sold nearly 100 movies, both television and theatrical, and has produced thirty films, including "The Kennedy Detail" (Discovery), "Gospel Hill" (Fox), "Joe Somebody" (Fox), "The Madams Family" (CBS), and the forthcoming "Lost Valentine" (with Betty White) and "Hysteria" (with Maggie Gyllenhaal). Visit his website at http://www.storymerchant.com and sign up for his free informational and inspirational newsletter at [email protected].

Promote Your Books on LinkedIn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you didn't realize there were promotional opportunities on LinkedIn, you are not alone. You can use the Amazon Reading list to promote your book, and you can also use the publications section on your profile for the same purpose. Learn how: http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/book_marketing_maven/2011/02/promote- your-books-in-the-publications-section-on-linkedin.html.

Face to Face Still Matters ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ While we specialize in online promotion, we also know that there are plenty of offline promotional opportunities for authors. Here are 7 Offline Ways to Build Your Personal Brand: http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/7-offline-ways-to-build-your-personal- brand/.

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * The Self-Publishing Carnival of the Indies included Penny's article, "Smart Self- Publishing: How to Get Published Without Getting Scammed:: http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/02/self-publishing-carnival-of-the-indies-issue-5/.

* Business by the Book blog ran the first in Penny's series, "Fans, Friends, and Followers: How to Build a Solid Author Platform that Sells More Books!" http://www.thebooksistah.com/blog/publishing/fans-friends-and-followers-how-to-build-a- solid-author-platform-that-sells-more-books/.

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest blog for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming show:

Smart Self Publishing Series, Part 4: Why Book Design & Editing Matter, March 8, 4 p.m. Pacific http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/03/09/smart-self--publishing- series-part-4-why-book-design-editing-matter

If you want your self-published book to stand out, you need: a good front cover, strong overall book design, compelling back cover copy and, most importantly: strong editing. Our guest Sue Collier, President of Self-Publishing Resources and co-author of The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, will discuss these issues, why they matter so much, and how authors can find the right professionals to ensure their book shines.

About our guest: As president and CEO of SPR, Sue Collier oversees all book project work, coordinating a team of experts and holding true to the result-getting principles she learned from founder Marilyn Ross. SPR provides turnkey service to individuals and organizations seeking to publish and promote their own books, handling all aspects of book editing, design, production, and marketing and promotions. Sue also offers personalized coaching services for authors and small presses, providing them with the benefits of her extensive publishing background. Over the past two decades, she has worked with hundreds of clients, guiding them through the self-publishing process, and helping them produce professional, attractive books.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders include:

* Smart Self Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks

* Smart Self Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher

* Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books

* Top Publishing Trends for 2011

* Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries

* Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes

* This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral

* Blogging Ideas the Whole Year Through

* How to Make Money on Twitter

* A Self Publishing Success Story

* From Blog to Book

* What Van Halen Can Teach You About Book Marketing

* The Digital Book Revolution

* Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff

* It's Getting Hot in Here - erotica equals hot books and even hotter sales!

* How to Maximize Book Reviews

* E-books: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath

* Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook

* Special Guest Seth Godin

* All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

Fire Up Your Business (Make More Money) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I've just been invited to speak in a groundbreaking tele-seminar series that will change the way you do business in 2011 and beyond (at no cost to you).

Fire Up Your Business: The Fast Track to Profits in the New Economy

Some of the biggest names in business also will be speaking during the series, giving away their best, most powerful tactics, strategies and tools for you to create profits in 2011 - this is one tele-seminar you can't afford to miss.

This tele-series covers what you will need to know for your business to succeed in the post- recession, consumer-driven economy. If you want to:

* Increase profits

* Reach more customers * Capitalize on social media * Create digital products * Generate a steady stream of qualified leads * Convert leads into lifetime customers and clients

Then you need to secure your "front row" seat today and listen in right from your phone or computer:

Fire Up Your Business: The Fast Track to Profits in the New Economy Register here: http://fireupnow.biz/cmd.php?ad=540935

I look forward to Firing Up Your Business together!

~ Penny

10 Tips for Effective Book Covers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your book cover is a critical piece of selling your book - even your ebook. In fact, many in publishing consider the cover to be the #1 marketing tool. Here's what you should know: http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2011/02/17/10TipsForEffectiveBookCovers.aspx.

How to Build a Blog Following ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Every blogger wants a blog with active followers who comment on posts, share the blog with others, become buyers, etc. But how do you go from startup to having a tribe? Learn some relationship building for bloggers: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/02/11/don%E2%80%99t-go-it-alone- relationship-building-for-bloggers/.

Books published from 2008 to the present by self-published authors, small press, and independent publishers can be submitted for consideration in the categories of their choice.

Winners and Finalists will be announced nationally in mid May 2011.

For information about the contest, including how to submit books, please visit www.indieexcellence.com. The deadline for entries is April 10, 2011.

Twitter Tip - Integrate LinkedIn and Twitter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LinkedIn is growing and becoming a force in social networking. The site also has a Twitter application which you can use to build your social influence and grow your connections. Learn how: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-linkedin-with-twitter-for- better-networking/.

Twitter Tip - Move Your Facebook Fans to Action ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once you have a Facebook Page and your following grows, you'll want to keep your fans active. But how? Here are 13 ways to keep your fans engaged: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/13-ways-to-move-your-facebook-fans-to-action/.

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

Reprint permission ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You are welcome to reprint any items from "The Book Marketing Expert Newsletter." However, please credit us as a source with the following paragraph:

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. March 17, 2011 Issue #242 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Get $100 off Social Bookmarking! -- Feature Article: Seven Secrets of Creating Effective Email Campaigns -- Blog More Effectively -- Marketing Tools From AME - At No Cost! -- Book Bits and Bites -- Is My Platform Big Enough to Land an Agent? -- March 22 Webinar: Finding A Publisher -- Is Your Contact Info Clearly Visible? -- Don't-Miss Marketing Sites -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- The Write Companion Opens for Business -- Ideas to Help You Blog Regularly -- Graphic Design Know-How -- Submissions Needed for National Indie Excellence Awards -- Twitter Tip - Who's Reading Your Tweets? -- Twitter Tip -The New Facebook Pages -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Welcome to another issue of The Book Marketing Expert Newsletter! I'm really excited to announce that Seth Godin is going to be on The Publishing Insiders this Friday. Seth (aka the most brilliant marketer out there) is going to talk about his book, Poke the Box. I love this new book - it's excellent! I hope you can tune in. Here's the link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/03/18/special-guest-seth-godin- poke-the-box.

I've been asked a lot about successful email campaigns, and this week we're focused on running them effectively. A solid email campaign can really benefit your book and your platform. This week, we'll look at the benefits as well as how you can start one of your own! And we have a great webinar coming up taught by the awesome literary agent and producer, Ken Atchity. He's going to teach us how to find a publisher. I hope you can tune in!

It's another great week and we hope you enjoy this jam-packed issue!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Susan, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Get $100 off Social Bookmarking! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We're offering $100 off AME's Social Bookmarking service when you add it to any Virtual Author Tour! Regular rate $595.

Social bookmarking is a powerful social media and online marketing tool. It is an investment that keeps on giving, months and years down the line. This service will increase the total number of backlinks to your website. Guaranteed.

Email [email protected] to take advantage of this special promotion! Promotion expires March 31, 2011.

Feature Article: Seven Secrets of Creating Effective Email Campaigns ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These days it seems you can't open your inbox without seeing a dozen (or more) email pitches for something. Some are newsletters and others are special offers. But how many do you really open? And, an even better question is, do they still work? The answer is yes, they do, but there's a catch: they have to be good. Really, really good. Years ago when email newsletters and announcements came out, everyone was pushing pretty much everything they could, from announcing their next book signings to blasting Amazon to hitting bestseller status. I even got one from someone I don't know with links to their Aunt Ethel's 86th birthday party. Well, bless little Aunt Ethel, but honestly, why would I care? That's the point: relevancy above all.

Why would you consider an email newsletter? Here's one reason: it's difficult to stay top of mind with your consumer. With so much coming at us it's easy to forget. Last week I had this very thing happen to me. I was looking for an editor with a specific specialty. I had worked with her a year ago and had lost her card, she didn't do any type of marketing such as a newsletter (she may have done a print mailing but I never saw it), so instead of sending her the business, I was forced to find someone else. See? The simple effort of staying in touch doesn't just garner you the attention of your consumer/reader, but it can also get you business, book sales and speaking gigs.

What does it take to create an outstanding newsletter everyone will want to read? Here are a few simple steps to consider:

1) Know your audience: Know who you're writing for and who will be reading this. Make sure the information is relevant to them.

2) Go low on promotion: When it comes to promotional copy in a newsletter, I recommend the 95/5% rule: 95% helpful information and 5% sales copy. Trust me on this. I can't tell you how many newsletters I delete that are overly self-promotional. If the newsletter/email campaign is good, it will sell you. Trust me on this one.

3) Content, content, content: Make sure the content is good and you've addressed the WIIFM factor (What's In It For Me?). If you don't ask this, your reader most certainly will. Over-deliver on your content, you'll be glad you did.

4) Collaborate: If you don't think you have the bandwidth to write an entire newsletter yourself then collaborate with a few people who are in your industry but not direct competitors. Our newsletter does this, it's a mix of voices and, consequently, it is varied and rich in content.

5) Frequency: The general rule of thumb is that the more often you send out your newsletter, the shorter it should be. If your newsletter goes out weekly, think of offering just a quick tip. If it goes out monthly, then it can be longer. The same holds true for general email campaigns.

6) Give your newsletter a "voice." What I mean is give your newsletter a personality. You don't want a stale, monotone, unfriendly marketing piece that doesn't speak to your reader, do you? Show your personality, let it shine through. I like to think that our newsletter has a lot of our voice in it. In order to create "voice" you might want to follow some of the same rules that you do when blogging: don't hesitate to share an opinion, viewpoint, stance, advice, etc. Speak to your reader, not at them.

7) Don't just sit there and read, do something! Make sure that you have a strong call to action in your newsletter; if you have several calls to action even better. Get your reader to do something, engage them in what you're writing, send them to helpful links, offer them bonuses, specials, exclusives. Remember, if they took the time to open and read your newsletter they should get something besides great content. Great links to helpful sites, maybe even a free download, all these things are enticing and will keep your reader coming back for more!

8) Don't sell 'em fluff. Ok, I know I said seven tips, but I couldn't help adding a bonus (see what you get for reading all the way through this article? That's what I mean by over- delivering). Readers want the information, and they want it fast. Don't use a lot of extra (and sometimes useless) content just to puff up your newsletter to make it seem bigger than it is. Give readers the information they want in clear, concise language and then send them on their way.

When it comes to the timing of your newsletter that depends on you and your audience. Our newsletter goes out once every two weeks. We find that to be a good balance: not too much, not too little. But each audience is different, so experiment with yours and see what gets readers to open your email.

Finally, get your newsletter edited. This is a big one. Don't put some disclaimer in it saying "it's not edited" because all that says is: you're not professional. I've seen this done, and to me, it deters from the message. Also, don't hand email your list unless it's small (less than 100 people) Why? Because your cable or DSL provider might decide that you're spamming people and will cut you off. People who do this will tell you that if you keep it to less than 50 email addresses per message you're fine, but I've found that even 20 names in an address line can set some service providers on alert. Trust me, it's not worth the hassle.

Effective email campaigns can really help promote your book and your brand. When done right, they can become a critical and very effective piece of your marketing plan. We've had our newsletter for over seven years, and in that time we've never placed a single ad for the company or my books, not anywhere. Why? Because I have never believed in ads. Frankly (and with all due respect to advertisement budgets everywhere), ad placement doesn't always bear the kind of return you want, especially in today's market where consumers are blocking out advertisements. What we're talking about here takes time and effort, but if done right, the pay-offs can be enormous.

Blog More Effectively ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We're all busy, and probably multi-tasking, and yet there's a blog calling out for fresh content. Here are seven tips to help you make the most of your blogging time: http://holykaw.alltop.com/short-on-time-7-tips-for-blogging-more-effect.

Marketing Tools From AME - At No Cost! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm. Need Book Marketing Content? Visit the articles page on our AME website and you'll find a range of articles by Penny, which may be used along with her byline (provided at the top of the page) at no cost. The complete list is at http://www.amarketingexpert.com/articles/.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What to Read? Goodreads introduces a new algorithm that will recommend books based on what you've read, http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/need-advice-on-what-to- read-ask-the-internet/.

Awesome: Amazing book sculptures - enjoy! http://www.buzzfeed.com/burnred/books-are- not-just-for-reading-281t.

Those Poor Trees: Some of the most annoying celeb book deals ever, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/14/celebrity-book- deals_n_835127.html#s253186&title=Untitled_Bristol_Palin.

Laugh of the Day: Kiddie tales reimagined as Hollywood films, complete with promotional posters, http://flavorwire.com/160326/kiddie-tales-reimagined-as-hollywood-films.

Is My Platform Big Enough to Land an Agent? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You might be surprised how big your author's platform might be already. There are many different types of platforms, but they all basically mean that you have a built-in audience or fan base of people who are poised and ready to buy your book as soon as it comes out.

As Marcela Landres says in her book, How Editors Think: The Real Reason They Rejected You, "It's not who you know, but who knows you." That idea is at the core of having a strong platform.

It's important to think about this from the publisher's point of view in order to see just how crucial your platform is in landing you a book deal. Publishers are in the business of selling books; thousands of dollars are poured into printing costs and overhead, so they want to be sure that this book will pay off. After all, their jobs are on the line.

If you are a blogger that has at least 10,000 readers who make a point to read your work daily, or someone who regularly goes on the speaking circuit, talking to thousands of people at a time, it's likely that you have a strong enough platform for an agent and publisher to back up. Other examples of platforms include: if you had a previously self- published book that sold at least 5,000 to 10,000 copies, or if you were once the president of a large company, association or non-profit, and continue to have the support of others in your group.

There are tons of ways that you can create a platform for yourself, but no matter which approach you take, you have to make sure that there is enough publicity and buzz surrounding you to guarantee the success of your work.

March 22 Webinar: Finding A Publisher ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A story merchant's advice on getting published! The good news is that the world is desperate for great stories. The bad news is that the Internet has made so many stories available the story marketplace has become a jungle - seemingly impenetrable to the new author.

This interview will:

Tuesday, March 22, at 3 p.m. PST/6 p.m. EST. Here's how to join the webinar.

1. Please join the webinar at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/join/368255382

2. Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.

Dial +1 (646) 558-2100 Access Code: 368-255-382 Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting

Meeting ID: 368-255-382

Literary manager/producer Dr. Ken Atchity has sold nearly hundreds of books and dozens of bestsellers, including publishing 15 of his own. You may know him already as the author of A Writer's Time, Writing Treatments That Sell, and How to Publish Your Novel. He's also sold nearly 100 movies, both television and theatrical, and has produced 30 films, including "The Kennedy Detail" (Discovery), "Gospel Hill" (Fox), "Joe Somebody" (Fox), "The Madams Family" (CBS), and the forthcoming "Lost Valentine" (with Betty White) and "Hysteria" (with Maggie Gyllenhaal). Visit his website at http://www.storymerchant.com and sign up for his free informational and inspirational newsletter at [email protected].

Is Your Contact Info Clearly Visible? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What's one thing your website MUST have? Your contact information plainly displayed so that fans, friends, followers, reviewers, etc. can reach you. Unfortunately, many authors neglect this critical item. Learn more, http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2011/03/why- cant-i-find-your-email-addy.html.

Don't-Miss Marketing Sites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ While there are plenty of social networking sites online - we can't keep count - there are a handful that are worth investigating. Here's a roundup of seven good sites for authors to consider for online marketing: http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2011/03/07/7DontMissSitesForOnlineMarketing.aspx.

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Are You Making Money with E-Books? ran on Marketing Tips for Authors with a round-up of Penny's show, The Publishing Insiders and the segment on Ebooks, http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2011/02/are-you-making-money-with-e- books.html.

* Penny and AME got a shout-out from Toni Leland's blog, Is Self Publishing the Easy Way Out? http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/948932-is-self-publishing-the-easy- way-out.

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest blog for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming shows:

SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box, Friday, March 18, 10:30 a.m. Pacific http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/03/18/special-guest-seth-godin- poke-the-box Entrepreneur, bestselling author and Squidoo founder Seth Godin discusses his new book, Poke the Box, and his new publishing venture, The Domino Project. Poke the Box is a call to action about the initiative you're taking - in your job or in your life, and Seth once again breaks the traditional publishing model by releasing it through The Domino Project. A new kind of publishing, The Domino Project is Seth's brainchild, and powered by Amazon to spread ideas quickly, at low cost, and in a variety of formats. Secrets to Landing an Agent, Tuesday, March 22, 4 p.m. Pacific http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/03/22/secrets-to-landing-an- agent How do authors manage to get an agent? Special guest Jeff Rivera will offer tips to finding your writing voice, developing a platform, writing winning query letters, choosing between agents and much more! Whether you are still writing your book, have been self published, or have unsuccessfully queried agents in the past, this show will offer invaluable insights on what it takes to get an agent. Jeff Rivera is the founder of www.HowtoWriteaQueryLetter.com. With over 100 clients to date, he has a 100% track record of getting at least 10 literary agents to request to read his client's manuscripts and proposals.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders include:

* Smart Self Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter

* Smart Self Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks

* Smart Self Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher

* Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books

* Top Publishing Trends for 2011

* Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries

* Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes

* This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral

* Blogging Ideas the Whole Year Through

* How to Make Money on Twitter

* A Self Publishing Success Story

* From Blog to Book

* What Van Halen Can Teach You About Book Marketing

* The Digital Book Revolution

* Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff

* It's Getting Hot in Here - erotica equals hot books and even hotter sales!

* How to Maximize Book Reviews

* E-books: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath

* Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook

* Special Guest Seth Godin

* All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

The Write Companion Opens for Business ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Write Companion was created by authors who truly believe that the writer is the precious gem in the publishing business. Each and every writer should have the option to let their creativity and imagination shine and end up with a manuscript that will grace both bookshelves and bestseller lists. From TWC you'll receive quality proofreading, editing, research, as well as ghostwriting services so that your ideas have a chance to be seen and enjoyed by book lovers across the globe.

Each month TWC will offer discounts on certain genres. For example, the month of March is dedicated to the inspirational story. Your angels, love, compassion, and beauty will be rewarded by The Write Companion where you will receive 25% off on all services that you need in order to make your story even more inspirational. Leave a message on our contact form about your project at http://www.thewritecompanion.com.

Ideas to Help You Blog Regularly ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you need a little shot in the arm for blog ideas, here are 50 topics to keep you blogging for quite some time! http://www.self-publishing-coach.com/how-to-blog.html.

Graphic Design Know-How ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Before you hire a graphic designer, there are six questions to ask yourself: http://www.copyblogger.com/6-marketing-questions/.

Books published from 2008 to the present by self-published authors, small press, and independent publishers can be submitted for consideration in the categories of their choice.

Winners and Finalists will be announced nationally in mid May 2011.

For information about the contest, including how to submit books, please visit www.indieexcellence.com. The deadline for entries is April 10, 2011.

Twitter Tip - Who's Reading Your Tweets? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you Tweet regularly, but no one's reading, does it count? Here are '7 Tips on How to Make Others Read Your Tweets:' http://smedio.com/2010/04/20/7-tips-on-how-to-make- others-read-your-tweets/.

Twitter Tip -The New Facebook Pages ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Things never stay the same at Facebook. Now they've revamped their Pages (formerly known as Fan Pages). Here's what you should know to get the most out of the redesign: http://communicatevalue.com/social-media/facebook-page-layout-changes/.

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. March 31, 2011 Issue #243 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- eBook Conversion and Distribution -- Feature Article: Ten Reasons Why You Should be Blogging -- Social Media: There's No Such Thing as Starting Too Early -- Publishing Know-How From AME - At No Cost! -- Book Bits and Bites -- How NOT to Write A Query Letter: Comparing Your Book to a Mega Bestseller -- Selling Your Book on Kindle -- 6 Modern Ways to Create and Share a Press Release -- How to Be the Perfect Guest Blogger -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Elements of a Successful Book Proposal -- Top 5 Marketing Mistakes Authors Make -- "Self-publishing is great, but it's not easy." -- Submissions Needed for National Indie Excellence Awards -- Twitter Tip - Q&A: Using Twitter to Market Your Book -- Twitter Tip - Strategic Tweeting for Authors -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

I'm so excited this week! First off, we have another excellent newsletter (thanks, Paula) and we've just had so much great news lately. I'm thrilled for Amanda Hocking and her major publishing deal. Good for her. We should all be so lucky.

It's a great time to be in publishing, isn't it? According to Bookbuzz.com, eBook sales are up 120%! Great news! People are reading and authors are selling. You gotta love that. I'm also thrilled because I'm in New York and have finally made it my home. I couldn't be happier.

I'm also in the throes of teaching for NYU - again - and very happy to be doing so. A big *hello* to any of my students reading this newsletter, you guys rock!

I hope you enjoy my article on blogging this week, 10 reasons why you should get busy and blog away! Make it a great week and get out there and promote your book. You just never know what could happen!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Susan, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc. eBook Conversion and Distribution ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Turn your book into an eBook with our eBook Conversion Service! We take your original file (Word, PDF), format it for conversion and convert it into an eBook that you can distribute to all the major eBook retailers. We provide eBooks in both ePub (for Apple, Nook, Kobo, etc.) and Mobi (for Kindle) format. We guarantee fast service and great quality. We will custom quote a price for eBook conversion based on the length and format of your original documents.

Custom quotes will be provided for each individual manuscript. Quotes are based on manuscript length and the complexity of the interior. For example, a 100-page manuscript with no images would most likely qualify for the $250 base price. A longer manuscript with images would be priced higher. We will need a PDF of your entire book to provide a quote - once provided we will get back to you with a custom quote within five business days, if not sooner.

Pricing starts at $250 for ePub files. There is an additional charge of $125 for Mobi files.

To provide a quote please email [email protected] along with:

1) PDF of the manuscript 2) List of formats that the original manuscript was designed in and provide that as well (i.e. Word, rtf, Open Office etc.)

With all quotes, we'll give you an additional 10% off standard pricing! eBook Conversion & Distribution*

Get your eBook into the most popular online stores! We will provide account setup and distribution to Apple, Kindle and Nook. Account setup includes creating an account and publishing the eBook to each online store. The author will be required to fill out a detailed questionnaire for their eBook and provide a new ISBN for their eBook. The author is responsible for maintaining the account post-setup. All books go through an independent review by the retailer - as such we cannot guarantee submission as all retailers reserve the right to reject any submissions. Apple applications may take up to 8 weeks to process. Nook and Kindle usually process within 5 business days. Pricing:

Channel...... Cost

Nook...... $125 Kindle...... $125 Apple...... $125 All Three...... $325

*Distribution contingent on using our eBook converting service.

Feature Article: Ten Reasons Why You Should be Blogging ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ With all the Tweeting, Facebook Liking, and LinkedIn connecting going on, it's easy to forget about blogging and finding the time to do so. Blogging, however, can be extremely useful for more reasons than just populating your website with content (although that's important too). Let's look at some reasons why you must blog and why it should matter to you!

Blogging gives "voice" to a website: In an age where there are millions of websites and millions more coming online each month, how can you stand apart from the crowd? One way is to get a great-looking site, but as we all know, sometimes budgets allow just the basics. A blog can then step in and (through your voice) give content and character to any website, regardless of how fancy or plain it might be. In fact, some of the best blogs have carried the success of many a less-than-spectacular website.

Content marketing: We all know that we need to create content and lots of it, but who has the time? Well, now you can use your blog as a content-creating machine. You can develop original content there and push it out to different areas. For example, I will sometimes use my blog posts for Twitter updates, Facebook updates, and article syndication.

Search engine candy: Blogs are great optimization tools. Search engines (especially Google) love sites that are updated frequently. One easy and quick way to do that is via a blog. Each time you update your blog it pings the search engines and tells them the content on your site has been updated.

Social media must: If you're going to tweet, or want to be liked on Facebook, there's no two ways about it, you must have a blog. That's the site you send them to for your complete content, where they can comment, become a follower and help you grow your tribe.

Blogger friendly: If you're going to pitch bloggers, you must first have a blog. Love bloggers? Be a blogger first. Similar to the step above, you can become active on other blogs, commenting and sharing ideas, and attract them back to yours where they can return the favor. By the time you pitch them, you're not just another email in an inbox, you're someone they know and like.

Be an industry leader: It's hard to be a leader in the industry if you don't have a voice. A blog can give you a voice. Also, by blogging on your market, you can stay in touch with your market and hot topics much easier. Stay dialed in, stay current: a blog can help you do that.

Media, speaking: I've gotten media interviews and speaking gigs from my blog. If you blog enough and on interesting, relevant issues, you can gain some serious momentum for not only your website, but your career as well.

The competitive edge: No matter what category you publish under, there is always a lot of competition. Yes, you can compete with a better cover, a better book, but on your website a blog will help define you as the author in a unique way that a book category can't. When you're in a cluttered market, like dating, dieting, or finance, a blog can really help to define and refine your message.

Credibility: Blogs are great credibility builders. Getting on topic and giving your opinion (and yes, being different) can really help to build your footing and credibility in the marketplace.

Site traffic/SEO: Aside from what a blog can do for your site as it relates to Google, an active blog can also help to increase site traffic and help further optimize the site. It's a fantastic tool for getting your site better links, traffic, and a higher ranking in search engines.

So now that I've convinced you to blog, I want to refer you to another piece I've written on blogging called "How to Become a Powerhouse Blogger in 15 Minutes," http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/how-to-become-a- powerhous_b_765327.html. I hope that this piece, along with the tips provided above, will help you launch or reinvigorate your blogging campaign.

Good luck and Happy Blogging!

Social Media: There's No Such Thing as Starting Too Early ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Try three years before your book comes out - that's advice from marketing guru Seth Godin. Learn why: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2011/03/social-media-theres-no-such- thing-as.html.

Publishing Know-How From AME - At No Cost! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Big Deal for Indie Author: Self-publishing phenomenon Amanda Hocking gets a four-book deal in the $2 million range, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/amanda-hocking- scores-four-book-deal_b26297.

Better Than Books? Flavorwire lists 10 movies that were better than the books that inspired them, http://flavorwire.com/164039/10-movies-that-were-better-than-the-book.

Literary Fun: Create cross-stitch quotes from your favorite book (enjoy), http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/cross-stitch-quotes-from-your-favorite- book_b26058.

No More Excuses: Does Twitter take up your time? Too much fun on Facebook? Try the SelfControl app and block those wonderful distractions that keep you from writing, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/selfcontrol-app-blocks-internet-distractions-for- writers_b25892.

How NOT to Write A Query Letter: Comparing Your Book to a Mega Bestseller ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the biggest mistakes I see writers make is calling their book the next Harry Potter. Never, ever, compare your book to a huge top seller. Doing this makes you look like an amateur to the agent and actually turns the agent off to your work.

Often times, once a book becomes as famous as Harry Potter or Twilight, for example, the industry gets oversaturated with authors sending in their wizarding world or vampire books. No agent wants to represent a book like that because they know the chances of it being a success are slim to none.

A better approach to take is comparing your writing style, rather than your book as a whole. For example, you can tell the agent in your query letter than the style of the book is like JK Rowling meets Toni Morrison.

This is more likely to pique the interest of the agent rather than hearing that your book is the next Harry Potter. They hear stuff like that all the time and are sick of it. It doesn't make you stand out and it doesn't get them interested in you enough to request a manuscript.

Selling Your Book on Kindle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These are tips M. Louisa Locke learned from others, and her own experience, after selling more than 9,000 books mostly through the Kindle store: http://thehendersonfiles.blogspot.com/2011/03/guest-blog-m-louisa-locke-on-selling.html.

6 Modern Ways to Create and Share a Press Release ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here's a rundown of five services that can help you create and share press releases: http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2011/03/14/5-modern-ways-to-create-and-share-a- press-release/.

How to Be the Perfect Guest Blogger ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the best ways to raise your profile online is through guest blogging. And it never hurts to have a few tips to make your guest blogging stint effective and rewarding: http://www.bigbadbookblog.com/2011/03/09/how-to-be-the-perfect-guest-blogger/.

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Penny did a Learning Annex class on the Secrets of Getting Published, which you can view on Ustream for 99 cents: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13459164.

* The Self-Publishing Carnival of the Indies ran Penny's article, 50 Things to Tweet About, in its March 27 issue: http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/03/self-publishing-carnival- of-the-indies-issue-6/.

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest blog for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming shows:

The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Tuesday, April 5, 7 p.m. Eastern http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/04/05/the-dos-and-donts-of- distribution Many authors don't realize the importance and value of distribution, but if you self-publish there is a lot you need to know. Our show will provide an overview of distribution, including: what you must know about book size; how printing in color limits your distribution options; guidelines for manuscript and cover design formatting; going beyond ISBN - learn about Bowker, www.myidentifiers.com AND the time delay to get on Amazon and into distribution channels once the book is "published" (6-8 weeks); questions to ask up front if you're distributing with a self-publisher's name and whether this is a good idea or not. Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

* SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box * Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter * Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks * Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher * Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books * Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries * Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes * This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral * How to Make Money on Twitter * A Self Publishing Success Story * From Blog to Book * The Digital Book Revolution * Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff * Ebooks: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath * Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook * All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

Elements of a Successful Book Proposal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Everything you need to include, and the order in which it should appear in your book proposal, http://www.annemini.com/?p=14046

Top 5 Marketing Mistakes Authors Make ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Not marketing your book is clearly a big mistake, but there are other things authors should know, regarding timing, publisher expectations and professionalism: http://www.bigbadbookblog.com/2011/03/02/top-5-marketing-mistakes-authors-make/.

"Self-publishing is great, but it's not easy." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you haven't heard of author Amanda Hocking and her ebook success, you may be in the minority. Despite her bestselling status, she offers a realistic assessment of the challenges of self-publishing that is a must-read: http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/2011/03/some- things-that-need-to-be-said.html.

Books published from 2008 to the present by self-published authors, small press, and independent publishers can be submitted for consideration in the categories of their choice. Winners and Finalists will be announced nationally in mid May 2011.

For information about the contest, including how to submit books, please visit www.indieexcellence.com. The deadline for entries is April 10, 2011.

Twitter Tip - Q&A: Using Twitter to Market Your Book ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BookBuzzr had a webinar about Using Twitter to Market Your Book. The panel consisted of Carolyn-Howard Johnson (author of the HowToDoItFrugally series), Joel Friedlander (proprietor of Marin Bookworks), Laurel Marshfield (professional writer, ghostwriter and developmental editor), Phyllis Zimbler Miller (co-founder of Miller Mosaic Power Marketing) and Penny C. Sansevieri (CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc.). See what the experts had to say: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book-marketing/qa-using-twitter-to-market- your-book/.

Twitter Tip - Strategic Tweeting for Authors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Think of Twitter as a megaphone that can spread your message and attract readers: http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2011/03/20/strategic-tweeting-for-authors/.

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. April 14, 2011 Issue #244 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW AME Program - Virtual Buzz Tour MINI -- Feature Article: How to Write and Publish the (almost) Perfect Book -- Daily Tips for Marketing Your Book -- Book Marketing Tips From AME - At No Cost! -- Book Bits and Bites -- You Know Your Query Letter Sucks When - You Don't Personalize Your Query Letter -- Generate Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Cooking up the Perfect Blog -- Book Reviews - An Alternate Route -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- The Nuts and Bolts of Blog Commenting -- Brainstorming Non-Bookstore Sales -- Don't Commit Publicide -- Podcast Know-How -- Twitter Tip - Keep Your Twitter Peeps Happy -- Twitter Tip - Avoid the Twitter Time Warp -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Thank you for joining us for another edition of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter! I just returned from Romantic Times and the Unicorn Writers Conference - both of which are outstanding events! If you haven't attended either you should definitely consider them. Tons of great information, fabulous networking and of course, a fun group of authors.

If you've ever wondered what it takes to create a successful book, I hope you'll enjoy this week's article on writing the (almost) perfect book. Oh, and thanks to all of you who keep coming up to me at conferences to say how much you love this newsletter. We're glad you do, and we look forward to sharing many more tips and pieces of advice with you!

I'm really excited to announce a brand new campaign, The AME Viral Sweepstakes program, which is described below. You can see more at http://booksweepstakes.com. We've gotten a fantastic response from it as you will see! Evangelizing readers and getting folks to talk about your book, it's a writer's dream!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Susan, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

NEW AME Program - Virtual Buzz Tour MINI

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You've asked for it and we have listened!

AME is proud to announce its Virtual Author Buzz Tour MINI - yes - "mini." Just when you thought our incredible Blog Tour was out of your financial reach, we've designed a blog tour to fit your budget.

With all the same bells and whistles of the "BIG" tour, our Virtual Author Buzz tour MINI will give your pocketbook a break at a fantastic $2,495! That is a savings of $2K!

Find out how you can take advantage of this fabulous offer; email [email protected]. Mention this promo and get a bonus offer if booked by the end of the month. Just write "MINI" in the subject line and you'll qualify!

Feature Article: How to Write and Publish the (almost) Perfect Book

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When it comes to publishing, there is a certain recipe for success. And while nothing is guaranteed, there are significant activities which must happen in order for your book to have a chance at success. I often speak of promotion, websites, and gathering a social media footprint. Today we're taking a look at the equally important back-end issues. Now, I can't guarantee if you follow this that you'll come out leading the charge with the most perfect book, but you'll certainly be close. Writers never intentionally write a bad book, or a book that's not marketable. We do our best, and we often hope for the best. But in a world full of clutter, you have to do more than that. You have to step out to succeed, and you have to learn the ropes of your market and the publishing industry. Here are 11 points for you to consider:

1) How big is the market for your book? Before you launch headlong into a campaign or even write your book, be sure you know the market for it really well. Often, I find that authors don't take the time to study their market. This is important because you need to know first and foremost if there is a market for your book. I know this might sound odd, but hear me out. Some years back I worked as a literary agent and was being pitched by this super-talented author. He'd written a book on why good men fall for bad or mean women. He was proud of this book, saying there was no other book like it on the market and further, that he'd written it for men. There are two problems with this:

First, that there is no other book like it on the market. If there isn't a book like it on the market, there might be a reason why. It's not that there are no new ideas, but most of the models that work consist of books that fit a certain, existing market. Second problem: a self-help book written for men. No offense guys, but women buy 97% of all self-help out there. If you're writing a good book with a great topic but for the wrong audience, that's a problem. Know the market.

Go to bookstores and talk to booksellers, they can be the best source of information for you. Ask them if they have a book on your topic and then have them point you in the direction of where those books are shelved so you can see for yourself what the competitive space looks like. If there isn't a book on your topic, see if you can find out why. Ask a professional you trust. This could be your bookseller, or it could be a marketing professional. You'll save yourself thousands of dollars by doing this. Regarding my talented author with a book written for the wrong market, once we repositioned him it was fine. It took little effort but saved him countless hours, dollars, and frustration.

2) What will you call it? When we worked with author Marci Shimoff, she told us that she spent two long weeks agonizing over the title of her book: Happy for No Reason. Marci was featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Secret, and had done extensive speaking events worldwide. Why would she agonize over the title of a book? Because the title (and the cover) are the most important elements of your book. People will judge a book by its cover and title, you can be certain of that. If you're debating on a title, or even if you've settled on one, do not take chances. Find a professional who can give you important feedback. If a title is unappealing, too confusing, or too tied to branding that isn't clear or benefit-driven, you could lose sales. Remember: the title of your book isn't for you; it's for your reader. Make it matter to them.

3) Don't fall in love with your own ideas. This is a big one. It's great to love your work; in fact, you should love it. You should be passionate about it. But don't love it so much that you aren't open to feedback. Feedback is critical to any successful book launch campaign. Further, if you aren't open to feedback, you might miss some advice that could save your book and you from spending thousands of dollars pushing something that isn't quite ready for the mainstream - or worse, a book that's missed its mark only slightly. Be open to feedback and then seek that feedback from professionals you trust and respect. 4) Do you know how to compete with major publishers? If you're self-publishing your book, or even trying to find a major NY publisher for your book, why would this matter? Because, as much as some folks like to say that NY publishers are doing it wrong, they are still the driving force behind the industry. Knowing when they typically release a majority of their titles and what their strengths and weaknesses are is important. Why? Because you need to understand what the competitive landscape looks like. It's important to note, for example, that major publishers don't generally publish to the niches. Why is that? Because they are focused (and must focus) on bigger areas: celebrity titles, trends, etc. Even the things (like the Snooki book) that might turn our stomachs. In an upcoming piece, I will spend some time discussing how NY Publishers work, as well as how you might compete with some of these giants.

5) What's the "look" of your work? I'm speaking specifically about branding and book cover design. I would never trust my book cover to anyone less than a professional designer. Why? Because there are certain things you don't want to leave to chance. This is another reason why you don't want to get too close to your work. You might love a book cover that's totally wrong for your book. Now, don't misunderstand me. You should love your final cover, absolutely. But don't love something that many professionals advise against. This could mean trouble. Further, you should do your research. Look at other covers; see what appeals to you and what does not. Make sure the cover is simple and powerful in design. If you have a brand aligned with your business, make sure there's a synergy between them. Also, your cover shouldn't be too complicated. If you have to explain the cover (or book title) you need to keep searching for a simpler message. Remember: you aren't going to be able to be everywhere and speak to every consumer interested in your book about what the cover or title means. It should pique their interest without confusing them.

6) What other titles are competing with you? Knowing your competitive space is not only important, it's mandatory. As I mentioned in #1, you want to identify your market and know that there's an audience for your book. Once you do, however, you'll want to get to know that market even better. You should read most (if not all) of the top books in your category (to the degree that time allows, of course). You should know the authors who write them and if possible, network with them via email, their blogs or (if you're lucky) in person. Why is this crucial? Two reasons: The first is that you want to know what other titles are out there because your book needs to somehow align with the market. Also, what happens if you do research and find that there's another book exactly like yours? Glad you found out now, aren't you? Now you can change your book slightly to support a similar, but unique, message. Second, networking with other like- minded authors is always a win-win. It's great if you can get to know them, share information, helpful tips, maybe even some upcoming networking events. Knowing your "neighbors" in publishing is never a wasted effort.

7) Who is your target audience and how will you reach them? Who are you writing for? Who is your audience? If you aren't sure, now is the time to find out. Specifically, you want to make sure there's an audience for your book and you want to know how to reach them. By reaching them I mean selling to them. If you're unsure, a professional can help you identify this. The reason you want to do this early on is so that if needed, you can incorporate elements into your book that matter to your reader and make it more appealing to your audience. Identifying your target market and how you will access them is important because this could help you align with them before your book comes out. Let's say that your audience is heavily into associations. This could be a great outlet for you to market to and even, if you're so inclined, to position yourself as a speaker. If you've written fiction, this is important as well. Key associations in your market can be very helpful to your success both through promotion and networking. Authors have a tendency to isolate themselves. Yes, I know this is a stereotypical way of describing an author, but let's face it, between writing, research, and promotion we're clocking a lot of computer hours at our desk. It's important to allocate some time to step out of your comfort zone and get to know the audience you are writing for.

8) How will someone buy your book? You might say: Duh - in bookstores and on Amazon. Well, maybe and maybe not. As I mentioned in #4, bookstore shelf space is often occupied by books published through major houses, therefore getting space on these shelves can be difficult. Your local store or stores may stock you, but that's never certain until the book comes out. I recommend that you offer your book on your website and if you aren't interested in shipping and fulfillment then link to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or whatever online e-tailer you feel most comfortable with.

Additionally, consider other outlets for selling your book such as: associations, gift shops, catalogs, specialty stores, etc. Why do you need to know this information so far in advance? For planning first and foremost. You want to plan your sales strategy early. If you're going after specialty shops, gift shops, or catalogs you'll need to target them early enough so the book can run through their internal acquisitions process. How will you sell them a book that hasn't been published yet? Print galleys (advanced review copies, also called, ARCs) that you can distribute. Even if the book is only 80% complete, meaning that it's written but in the editing phase, as long as you have a near- final cover you are good to go. Galleys tend to be 80% close to the final book. They should be bound and look like the final book but should indicate on the cover (top or bottom) that it's an advanced reading copy.

9) What's the best time to launch? Timing is everything, especially in publishing. Fall is always a big time for book releases. Publishers tend to publish their biggest titles in the Fall, making this sometimes a rough time to launch. Rough, but not impossible. If you're launching in the Fall you will need to start your efforts early. And speaking of that - when will you start marketing your book? As soon as you have the title and branding complete. Start early, often I recommend six to eight months prior to the book launch.

Remember, it's the long runway of promotion so there's a lot to do before you can take off. Starting well before the book comes out will help you gain significant traction by the time the launch arrives. So, back to your perfect launch time. If you're planning this far out, you should be able to align your book with a target date that supports the subject matter if appropriate. A mom-focused title on Mother's Day, a relationship book on Valentine's day, etc. Remember, it's much easier to sell something to someone who is already interested in it. Selling a topic that aligns with a commemorative date, holiday, or anniversary will make your marketing road a bit easier.

10) What's the unique message? How will you differentiate yourself from the competition? Your book is not the field of dreams; readers won't beat a path to your door just because you wrote it. Remember that you must be different. You must be unique. It's critical to identify your unique marketing message and, as well, identify your elevator pitch. What's your elevator pitch? It's a short, concise message that will help sell your book. It's short, benefit-driven, intriguing, and all about the reader.

11) It's not about you. The biggest and most important message in all of this is that despite the hours that you've toiled writing your book, at the end of the day it's not about you. It's about your reader, and moreover, it's about what your book can do for the reader. If you keep this in mind as you move through the process of writing and publishing your book, you will have a title that will attract readership and help your writing career gain momentum.

Many of us forget this important note. I mean, let's face it: Writing is a very personal experience. Whatever you're writing about, whether it's your life or how to lead a better life, it's all personal. We love our work and we want others to love it, too. Remember your book is your resume and this book is inviting readers into your world. Likely you would never invite a reader to your home, but if you did I doubt that you'd invite them into a messy house, right? Then why launch a "messy" book? Get it edited, vet the content, and get a cover that speaks to the reader. If you can step away from your own book in an objective way, you'll be head and shoulders ahead of most writers who stay too close and too tied to their work. Passion is great, except when it prevents you from making good decisions.

Now that I've given you several ways to succeed, how do you align yourself with professionals you trust? First, do your homework. Read their websites, blogs and newsletters if they have one. If they purport to be social media experts, make sure you take a look at their social media footprint. I've had companies pitch me who say they are experts at social media yet they have no Facebook Page or Twitter account. That doesn't seem very "expert" to me. References are always good to have as well. In fact, the more you can ask others who have been successful for the names of people they trust the quicker it will be for you to find people who have a good track record.

If you hire someone, make sure they can work hourly for you. You just want an opinion, perhaps some brainstorming time. You likely don't need a package, just an hour, maybe two. You don't need to spend your marketing budget on this process, but whatever you do spend can potentially save you a lot once the book hits the market.

Succeeding isn't always about getting to the starting line on time. Often, it's about all the work you do to get to the starting line and then, hopefully, to a successful finish. Our books are often an extension of ourselves, our businesses, and our personalities. But success requires more than just a good book. It requires a lot of sweat equity up front, and while it may seem like a hefty price for a book that hasn't even launched, I can guarantee you this: The more you do now, the more you'll save and succeed in the end. Good luck!

Daily Tips for Marketing Your Book

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Learn how to build momentum, expand your platform and solidify your brand by following these useful tips with daily, weekly and monthly marketing ideas: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-to-Do-Daily,-Weekly-and-Monthly-to-Brand-Your- Book&id=5232314.

Book Marketing Tips From AME - At No Cost! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites

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Breakfast with Books: Or excerpts, anyway. An initiative to get British children to read features excerpts of Roald Dahl stories on cereal boxes, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/8437620/Roald-Dahl-stories-to- be-on-millions-of-cereal-boxes.html.

More Dr. Seuss: Seven lost Dr. Seuss stories will be published in the fall, http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2011/apr/07/lost-dr-seuss-stories- published.

A Thrilling Proposal: The woman who received a marriage proposal in the acknowledgements of her boyfriend's thriller said 'yes,' thankfully, http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/apr/08/novelist-proposes-girlfriend-christopher- currie.

A Writer's Best Friend: Famous writers and their dogs - a photo essay, http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/205235.

You Know Your Query Letter Sucks When - You Don't Personalize Your Query Letter

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Have you ever walked down a street and had someone shove a flier at you or a perfume girl at Macy's spray some God-awful cologne in your face as you're just trying to walk by?

Why do we hate it so much? Not just because they're trying to sell us something but because they're treating us like a number. We're human beings. And we demand to be treated as such.

We respond with annoyance and if we're a people-pleaser (like I can be sometimes) we'll politely say "No thanks." But it's irritating, isn't it?

That's how it is for literary agents who receive Xerox query letters that sound like a machine wrote them.

Personalize, personalize, personalize your query letter. Make them feel special, make them feel like you researched which agent would be best for you and you chose them specifically.

How do agents know that you've researched them instead of sent the same query letter to everyone in town? One way is if you took the time to do a little research on a site like PublishersWeekly.com or PublishersMarketplace.com and you found out what books they've recently sold. If those books are similar to yours, mention it in the first sentence of your query letter.

Say, "Dear Bob, I noticed you recently sold Making Love with Your Dog to Penguin Books. My dog book is called, Divorcing your Dog: When the Love Ain't Enough and I thought it might be right up your alley."

Be as specific as you can about their recent sales and you'll show them that you know they're a human being and in return they won't send you just another form rejection letter. No, they'll take the time to respond to you personally.

Do this and you'll be one step closer to landing an agent.

Generate Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes

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How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book.

How do we do that? Visitors get a chance to win an iPad 2 when they join your mailing list, and they get even more chances to win that great prize when they use our tools to promote your book and get more people to visit your page.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

AME makes it easy and affordable. We provide the viral platform, rules, a great prize of an iPad 2, administration, management and reporting, all for less than the cost of the prize itself. The introductory price is just $500 for a 3-month sweepstakes, or less than $6 a day.

The results? Your book gets the exposure, awareness and buzz it needs to generate sales.

For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

Cooking up the Perfect Blog

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are a few key ingredients to include if you want your blog to stand out: http://kindlewriters.com/2011/04/07/the-ingredients-of-a-perfect-writers-blog-guest- post/.

Book Reviews - An Alternate Route

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The book review blogosphere can be extremely busy, so you might find your review request wait-listed or rejected due to lack of time on the reviewer's part. Learn about other review options for your book: http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2011/04/03/how-to-get-your-book-reviewed- by-avoiding-book-reviewers/.

Penny in the News!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Penny's book, Red Hot Internet Publicity, received a favorable review from the blog You Wrote a Book: http://youwroteabookwhocares.blogspot.com/2011/01/one-strategy- for-authors-plugging-books.html.

* A marketing article by Penny was posted to Yahoo's ebook community: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebook-community/message/31521.

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest blog for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Be in the know and hear what the publishing insiders: Penny Sansevieri, CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. - and her guests - have to offer in terms of tips and insights into the industry! Listen here. Publishing Insiders is now available on iTunes, so you can keep up with the show wherever you go!

Upcoming shows:

The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Part 2 Tuesday, April 19, 7 p.m. Eastern http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/04/19/the-dos-and-donts-of- distribution-part-2

Learn about additional distribution options, including online bookstores, ebooks, audio books and much more! Topics include: * How to find a distributor * How to get your books distributed in bookstores

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

* The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution * SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box * Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter * Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks * Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher * Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books * Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries * Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes * This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral * How to Make Money on Twitter * A Self Publishing Success Story * From Blog to Book * The Digital Book Revolution * Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff * Ebooks: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath * Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook * All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

The Nuts and Bolts of Blog Commenting

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We highly recommend blog commenting as a way to raise your online profile. Here's how to get started: http://www.hugoguzman.com/2011/03/using-analytics-to-justify-blog- commenting-opportunities/.

Brainstorming Non-Bookstore Sales

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think outside the bookstore box; learn how to find additional sales venues for your book: http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2011/03/brainstorming-non-bookstore- sales-by.html.

Don't Commit Publicide

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are many ways an author can kill his or her book. You don't have to be one of them: http://www.creativemindspress.com/publicide.htm.

Podcast Know-How

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Starting your own online program is a great way to create syndicated content. These seven tips will walk you through the process: http://mashable.com/2011/03/25/podcasting-tips/.

Twitter Tip - Keep Your Twitter Peeps Happy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want your Twitter followers to keep coming back? Making sure they're satisfied is not that difficult: http://twittown.com/social-networks/twitter/twitter-blog/five-simple-ways- keep-your-twitter-followers-happy.

Twitter Tip - Avoid the Twitter Time Warp

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Learn how to manage your time so that you use Twitter efficiently - and effectively - http://oneforty.com/blog/5-ways-to-save-time-on-twitter/.

Reader Tip!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you've got a Reader Tip you'd like to share, please send it to [email protected] with the subject line "reader tip." Submissions should be 75 words or less.

WHO ARE WE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Marketing Experts, Inc. is a full-service book marketing, promotion, and publicity company. We serve authors at all stages of marketing and promotion. We offer a full range of packages and services to choose from.

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. April 28, 2011 Issue #245 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW AME Bonus! -- Feature Article: Craft an Exceptional Elevator Pitch -- Grab Attention With Video -- Book Marketing Resources From AME - At No Cost! -- Book Bits and Bites -- You Know Your Query Letter Sucks When - You Don't Grab Them in the First Sentence -- Generate Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Better Blogging -- Writers Conference Know-How -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Win The Amazing Book Marketing Package -- 27 Things To Do for Your Book -- Self-Publishers Online Conference May 10-12 -- Reader Tip: Double Duty Tweets -- Twitter Tip - Top Twitter Hashtags -- Twitter Tip - Twitter Topics -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

I can't believe it's already the end of April, and as May looms, so does Book Expo America. Are you going? You should consider it. They've now added a DIY day on Saturday, which promises to be packed with educational programs and some great networking.

But before you go to any networking event, you should have your elevator pitch perfected. Not sure how to craft your own elevator pitch? Well, you're in luck, this week we're looking at creating an elevator pitch that does more than just pitch your book, it sells it too.

We've packed this issue with more tips and insider advice, and I hope you'll enjoy it. And be sure to catch The Publishing Insiders (links to recent shows are in this newsletter). We've had some super guests on recently so tune in when you can!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Susan, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

NEW AME Bonus! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bonus item with any Virtual Author Buzz Tour purchase by May 15, 2011: We'll send your book to up to 15 print magazines for their review/feature consideration!

$750 value. Signed agreement must be received by deadline along with payment (if doing a payment plan, first installment must be included either by check or credit card.)

To take advantage of this offer, please write in on your agreement "AMEMagazine15." This not good with any other offer. Please email [email protected] for more details.

Feature Article: Craft an Exceptional Elevator Pitch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What is an elevator pitch and why do you need one? An elevator pitch is a short one- to two-sentence description about the book. It's the briefest of the briefest descriptions you can develop. The reason elevator pitches are important is that we have an ever-shrinking attention span, so you need to capture someone's attention in a very short, succinct pitch.

How do you begin crafting an elevator pitch? The first step is to look at the core of your book. What is your book about, really? Looking at the core of your book will help you determine the primary message. The next step is to look at the real benefits to the reader. Not what you think the reader wants to know but what they actually need: What's in it for the reader?

When I worked with people on elevator pitches, I found that they often kept the best sentence for last. This comes from being an author and saving the crescendo of the story until the final chapter. You don't want to do that in an elevator pitch. You want to lead with the tease that will pull the reader in.

When would you use an elevator pitch? You might use it to promote yourself to the media, to book a speaking event, or to pitch a blogger. Elevator pitches can be used for a number of reasons and in a variety of ways. Once you create a great elevator pitch, you may find yourself using it over and over again. That's a good thing!

Components of a great elevator pitch

All elevator pitches have particular relevance to them, but for the most part, every elevator pitch must:

· Have emotional appeal

· Be helpful

· Be insightful

· Be timely

· Matter to your reader!

Essential Elements of a Powerful Elevator Pitch

1. Concise: Your pitch needs to be short, sweet, and to the point.

2. Clear: Save your five-dollar words for another time. For your elevator pitch to be effective, you must use simple language any layperson can understand. If you make someone think about a word, you'll lose them and the effectiveness of your elevator pitch will go right out the window as well.

3. Passion: If you're not passionate about your topic, how can you expect anyone else to be?

4. Visual: Use words that bring visual elements to your reader's mind. It helps to make your message more memorable and brings the reader into your story.

5. Stories: People love stories. It's the biggest element of the elevator pitch: tell the story. I also find that when the pitch is woven into the story, it often helps to create a smoother presentation.

How to Craft Your Killer Elevator Pitch

· Write it down: Start by writing a very short story so you can tell the story of your book in two paragraphs. This will get the juices flowing. As you start to edit your story down from 200,000 words to two paragraphs, you'll start to see why it's important to pull only the most essential elements from your story to craft your elevator pitch.

· Make a list: Write down 10 to 20 things that your book does for the reader. These can be action statements, benefits, or book objectives.

· Record yourself: Next, record yourself and see how you sound. I can almost guarantee that you will not like the first few drafts you try. That actually is a really good thing. If you like the first thing that you write, it probably won't be that effective. Recording yourself will help you listen to what you're saying and figure out how to fine-tune it.

· Rest: I highly recommend that you give yourself enough time to do your elevator pitch. Ideally you want to let it rest overnight, if not longer. Remember the elevator pitch is perhaps the most important thing that you've created in your marketing package. You want to make sure it's right.

Having a prepared "pitch" for your book will help you enormously, whether you are pitching the media, an agent, a publisher, or even a bookstore. Having a short, concise pitch will get and keep someone's attention much faster and also increase your chances for a positive desired outcome. Keep in mind that if your elevator pitch is tied to current events, it might change as events change. A good elevator pitch can be fluid, but it should always be an attention-grabber. In a world cluttered with information and filled with noise, the shorter and more focused you can be, the more exposure you will get for your message!

Grab Attention With Video ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Learn ways to enhance client communication and collaboration, and help support and drive new business with these tips: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/29eMZf/www.socialmediaexaminer.com/26-ways-to- engage-with-customers-using-video/

Book Marketing Resources From AME - At No Cost! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bookstore Bingo: Have a laugh at the ludicrous things bookstore staff hear from customers, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/19/bookstore-bingo_n_850736.html#s265714

Quick Quiz: Can you name the literary works in pictures? http://www.sporcle.com/games/HarryPotter14/2_plus_2_is_5

Eau de Paper: It's true, book lovers out there will soon be able to smell like a well-read book, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/karl-lagerfeld-to-develop-paper-passion- fragrance_b28472

Books are Better In Bed: Now we have proof, thanks to this survey, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/04/like-the-old-joke-books-are-better-in- bed.html

You Know Your Query Letter Sucks When - You Don't Grab Them in the First Sentence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Agents are so busy nowadays they won't even give a query letter an entire paragraph to grab them.

If you've passed the first test, what I like to call the scan test (meaning it looks professional at first glance), then you'll be lucky to go on to the next test: the first sentence.

They might be patient enough to even give you the first few sentences, but Honey, if you don't have it together by then, you can kiss your chances of landing that agent goodbye. There are so many different ways to grab an agent.

These are five of the techniques I use for my clients. I've ghost-written over 100 query letters for clients successfully. In other words, use these techniques - they work.

You don't need to use all of them, just choose one.

Top ways to grab an agent with your query letter in the very first sentence:

1) Start with a question that makes them ponder.

2) Talk about a dramatic moment in your personal life that connects with the book you've written.

3) Tell them immediately about your platform.

4) Compliment them on a specific recent sale.

5) Tell them who referred you. Use one of the five suggestions above and you'll be one step closer to landing an agent.

Generate Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

The results? Your book gets the exposure, awareness and buzz it needs to generate sales.

For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

Better Blogging ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ever wonder what it takes to write compelling blog posts that will increase your followers? Some top blogging pros share their tips: http://workflowwriting.com/497973/10-tips-for- writing-excellence-from-top-writing-bloggers.php

Writers Conference Know-How ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There's more to attending a writer's conference than showing up. Learn how you can plan in advance and make the most of the information and contacts available: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/eight-tips-to-make-your- n_b_850665.html

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Penny was included as a resource in "Ebook authors: 17 Great Information Sources" for providing marketing how-to, http://hbspublications.blogspot.com/2011/04/ebook-authors- 17-great-information.html.

* The Self-Publishing Coach blog featured an interview with Penny full of marketing tips, http://www.self-publishing-coach.com/penny-sansevieri.html.

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest blog for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming show:

The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Part 3 - Tuesday, May 3, 7 p.m. Eastern http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/05/03/the-dos-and-donts-of- distribution--part-3 Join us with our special guests as we continue our discussion about the importance and value of book distribution. We've covered the basics in previous shows, and now we'll take it up a notch to discuss additional distribution options, such as ebooks, large print, Braille, audio books and more!

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

* The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Parts 1 and 2 * SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box * Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter * Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks * Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher * Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books * Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries * Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes * This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral * How to Make Money on Twitter * A Self Publishing Success Story * From Blog to Book * The Digital Book Revolution * Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff * Ebooks: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath * Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook * All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

Win The Amazing Book Marketing Package ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What a great deal for authors! Enter for your chance to win books, e-books, webinars, memberships, online courses, website reviews and one-on-one consultations with some of the top book marketing experts. One lucky winner will walk away with every prize listed in the Grand Prize Package: http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2011/04/contest-win-amazing-book- marketing.html

27 Things To Do for Your Book ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here are some great pre-publication, pre-launch and post-publication promotion ideas: http://selfpublishingresources.com/27-things-you-can-do-to-promote-your- book%E2%80%94before-you-write-it-before-you-launch-it-and-after-you%E2%80%99ve- published-it/

Self-Publishers Online Conference May 10-12 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Penny will be a featured speaker at this year's Self-Publishers Online Conference. You can attend this virtual conference from the comfort of your own computer, wherever you happen to be located. All you need is an Internet connection. You can attend seminars live or via recording, learn about useful publishing resources in the Exhibit Hall, and interact with speakers and other attendees through the live discussion areas.

Learn more at http://www.selfpublishersonlineconference.com/

Reader Tip: Double Duty Tweets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wow! Here's a way to make your tweets do double duty, encourage you to keep your tweets focused, and refresh your e-mail signature as often as you tweet. Use Wise Stamp Signature, http://www.wisestamp.com/email-ie to automatically feed your latest tweet into your latest e-mail signature.

Tip from Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers http://www.budurl.com/Tweeting4Retailers and the HowToDoItFrugally series of book for writers http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com.

Twitter Tip - Top Twitter Hashtags ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The best way to connect with others who share your interests on Twitter is by using hashtags. #writetip and #author are two examples. Here is a good list (and don't forget to check the comments for more): http://nicolehumphrey.net/2010/05/25-favorite-twitter- hash-tags-for-writers-clickable-list/

Twitter Tip - Twitter Topics ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have Twitter block? You'll love this list of 50 Things to Tweet About: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book-marketing/50-things-to-tweet-about/

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. May 12, 2011 Issue #246 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- New AME Bonus for May! -- Feature Article: Understanding How the Traditional Publishing Model Works -- How to Connect With Experts -- Book Marketing Resources From AME -- Book Bits and Bites -- You Know Your Query Letter Sucks When - You Haven't Begun with a Bang -- Build Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Make Your Headlines and Titles Count -- Top 10 Blogs for Authors -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Top Tips for Non-traditional Book Promotion -- Attract Readers to Your Blog -- Write a Killer Author Bio -- Reader Tip: Make a Quality Book Trailer Like the Pros -- Twitter Tip - Build Your Twitter Tribe -- Twitter Tip - Use Twitter and Facebook for PR -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

In less than two weeks, the publishing industry will gather in NYC for Book Expo America. I can't believe it's that time of year again! BEA is sure to have plenty of buzz about books as well as news on all the latest developments in the fast-changing publishing world.

That ties in perfectly with this week's article on how traditional publishing works. Whether you are self-published or seek a traditional publisher, it's important to understand how NY publishing works. I hope you find it informative!

We've got another issue loaded with tips and marketing inspiration. If you're going to attend BEA this year be sure to drop me a line - it's an event everyone in publishing should experience at least once!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Susan, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

New AME Bonus for May! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Free one-hour consultation with an AME marketing expert with the purchase of any combination of AME marketing services with a total retail value of $3,500+. The one- hour consultation is $250 retail and can be used as a full hour or two 30-minute consultations. The consultation must be used within 90 days of the signed agreement. This is for new services only and must be purchased between May 12-31, 2011. Cannot be used in combination with any other bonus offer.

To take advantage of this offer, please add FREEONEHOUR on your agreement next to the signature line. For more information please email [email protected] for more details.

Feature Article: Understanding How the Traditional Publishing Model Works ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When it comes to being competitive in publishing, it's important to know as much about the landscape as you possibly can. In prior blog posts, we've already discussed the model in general, but now we're going to dig a little further. Because regardless of how you publish, it's important to have a clear understanding of the publishing landscape in general. While you may not work within the traditional publishing model, you should always be aware of new models emerging, new trends, and publishers breaking new ground. For example, did you know that a few select publishers are starting to dabble in self-publishing? It's big news in the industry and when you keep your head in the market, you'll be able to stay in tune with what's happening out there.

We all know what the big six are good at. They know how to produce a quality looking book and get it into bookstores. They know the publishing landscape, and they know how to get a title to market. But making yourself and your book competitive is not about understanding the strengths of these publishers, but understanding their weaknesses. To know where they miss the boat is to gain access to a market segment and marketing ideas that you might have overlooked.

Weakness #1: New York Publishers Don't Think Outside the Mainstream

Publishers have particular criteria they look for in a successful book; the first is mainstream appeal, which is understandable since they have to appeal to a larger bookstore-driven market. If you have a book that is outside the mainstream, this is actually good news, unless you're trying to find a major house to pick you up. The idea here is to understand that traditional publishing dominates the mainstream, but it's the niches that tend to do very well. To give you an example, let's look at the writing and publishing market. Very few, if any, traditional publishers will pick up a title like this one you are reading now. You'll see these books in places like the Writer's Digest book collection and smaller, off-the-radar publishing houses.

Weakness #2: New York Publishers Don't Do Consumer Research

I know this probably seems like a pretty unbelievable statement, but it's true. Most publishers (not all) do not do consumer research. How do publishers know what to publish? They often rely on bookstores to direct their attention, as well as trends, both cultural and celebrity. What does this mean for you? If you have access to consumer data, you are light years ahead of the big six. This doesn't have to be an exact science, either. Sometimes just having a mailing list on your website or even having a website where you interact with your consumer is sufficient. What this also means is that if you have access to this data and you are publishing mainstream, you are a very valuable writer to any publisher out there. Having access to this data is crucial for most of us and seen as a bonus when a publisher is considering a manuscript.

One of the reasons I recommend getting online early and having a mailing list is that the sooner you jump into the fold, the quicker you can start gathering this information.

Weakness #3: New York Publishers Don't Publish to Niche Markets

We have had the discussion about mainstream appeal to a book, but to underscore this again I wanted to include this bullet point. Niche markets have no appeal to publishers and ironically, that's where the trend of successful authors is headed: into the niches. Chris Anderson addressed this in his book The Long Tail: niches can be powerful but New York publishers stay away from them.

The popularity or lack thereof isn't the reason that these publisher divert from printing these titles. It's because their entire model is set up to cater to mainstream product, so to slot some obscure, niche work in there would never work.

Weakness #4: New York Publishers Don't Sell Direct to Consumer

Publishers don't sell from their websites; many have tried and failed. Why? Because the publisher isn't the brand, the author is. This is starting to change in some areas as publishers seek to bypass Amazon and gather their share of the consumer market. Most consumers don't really identify with a publisher as much as they do an author or a trusted online shopping portal like Amazon or BN.com. What this means to you is that if you can sell direct to consumer and bypass the traditional consumer model, you might actually do better than if you try to compete in a cluttered sales space. The other option (and usually most preferred option) is that authors sell from their own websites as well as from Amazon and other online stores.

Weakness #5: New York Publishers Only Promote Their Authors to the Top 30 Media Markets

When publishers develop marketing plans for their books, they don't look at markets that aren't in the top 30 (the list of top 30 media markets follows below). What does that mean? Simply that if you're in one of those markets, you might want to consider promoting there as well as in any outlying areas that aren't considered "top markets," especially during heavy promotional seasons. It can be tough to get into these areas, but we have seen success stories of authors who live totally off the grid, so to speak, who have marketed in an area that New York doesn't care about and suddenly, other markets respond. While it might seem discouraging to try to compete with a major publishing house if you live in Los Angeles or New York (both are top five markets), keep in mind that there are a number of markets not even on this list. For example, if you live in Los Angeles, maybe you want to saturate the Orange County market. It didn't make the list but it's close enough to the Los Angeles area that it could affect interest there as well. I think in order to succeed in publishing, you must have a working knowledge of all facets of the market. Understanding traditional publishing is one of them.

Knowing the landscape and marketplace will position you for success and you likely won't get caught off guard by a stumbling block or situation that could have been avoided. Know your market - the more you do, the faster you will succeed! Top 30 Media Markets (US) (according to Nielsen, accurate as of 2009)

1.) New York

2.) Los Angeles

3.) Chicago

4.) Philadelphia

5.) Dallas/Fort Worth

6.) San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose

7.) Boston

8.) Atlanta

9.) Washington, DC

10.) Houston

11.) Detroit

12.) Phoenix

13.) Tampa, St Petersburg

14.) Seattle-Tacoma

15.) Minneapolis, St Paul

16.) Miami, Ft Lauderdale

17.) Cleveland, Akron

18.) Denver

19.) Orlando, Daytona Beach

20.) Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto

21.) St Louis

22.) Portland, OR

23.) Pittsburgh

24.) Charlotte

25.) Indianapolis

26.) Baltimore

27.) Raleigh-Durham

28.) San Diego

29.) Nashville

30.) Hartford & New Haven

How to Connect With Experts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book reviews can be a powerful and effective way to connect with experts in your field. Here's how: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-bloggers-can-use-book-reviews- to-connect-with-experts/

Book Marketing Resources From AME ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Books for Troops: There are a number of ways to share books with our troops, who really appreciate the donations, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/how-to-share- books-with-troops-overseas_b29063.

The Do Not Read List: Late night host Jimmy Fallon finds some wild titles you may not want to put on your TBR list, http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/do-not- read-list-42511/1322451/.

May Bookings: Several celebrities already have memoirs out this month. See who is on the list, http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2011-04-28-celeb28_ST_N.htm.

The Bard Rap: Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' On Facebook (check out the rap video intro!), http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/28/facebook-performance- shakespeare_n_854987.html.

You Know Your Query Letter Sucks When - You Haven't Begun with a Bang ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "How come Daddy? How come?" That's probably a three-year-old's favorite question and it forces the parent in the crutch of a busy day to stop what he is doing and think for a second. "Hmmm - Yeah, why is that dogs bark and cats meow?"

Questions are such a powerful tool when beginning your query letter because it forces the agent to stop for a moment and not use their clicker tool (aka the deleting finger of death). They have to pause, and it prompts them to read the next sentence.

I once wrote a query letter for a project called, "If I Could Do It All Over Again" and the question was, "if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do all over again?" Interesting question, eh? Makes you think, and it made enough editors think that editors by the truckload requested to read the book proposal.

Questions work and they're a great way to hold the all-important attention of the agent. Start your query letter out with a question and you'll be one step closer to landing an agent.

Build Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

The results? Your book gets the exposure, awareness and buzz it needs to generate sales. For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

Make Your Headlines and Titles Count ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you want to be found online, optimize your titles and headlines. Understanding Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques lets people easily find you and your book when they search the topic online: http://blog.publishedandprofitable.com/2011/05/02/how- to-create-seo-friendly-headlines-book-titles/

Top 10 Blogs for Authors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Self-Publishing Coach offers a useful list of blogs that provide timely and useful information on writing, publishing and marketing your book: http://www.self-publishing- coach.com/top-ten-blogs-for-authors.html

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Penny's tips from the American Society of Journalists & Authors 2011 Writers Conference were part of a conference wrap-up on writer Deirdre Reid's blog, http://deirdrereid.com/2011/05/03/what-i-missed-by-not-going-to-the-asja-writers- conference/

* Penny's article, How to Have a Great Social Media Presence and Still Have a Life appeared on the Self-Publishing Coach blog, http://www.self-publishing-coach.com/how- to-have-a-great-social-media-presence-and-still-have-a-life.html

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest blog for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming show:

Literary Agents and Their Evolving Role in Publishing - Tuesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. Eastern http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/05/17/literary-agents-and- their-evolving-role-in-publishing There's an evolution - or revolution - underway in publishing and literary agents as we know them will have new roles. Savvy agents will reinvent themselves, taking their vast knowledge of the industry and positioning themselves to lead the charge. Join our panel with agents Jason Allen Ashlock and Katharine Sands as we discuss their fast-changing world and how agents will adapt their businesses.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

* The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Parts 1, 2 and 3 * SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box * Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter * Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks * Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher * Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books * Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries * Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes * This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral * How to Make Money on Twitter * A Self Publishing Success Story * From Blog to Book * The Digital Book Revolution * Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff * Ebooks: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath * Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook * All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

Top Tips for Non-traditional Book Promotion ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Some self-promoting authors recently shared their best ideas, which GalleyCat rounded up into a useful list for authors looking to do something a little different: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/10-nontraditional-ways-to-promote-your- book_b29220

Attract Readers to Your Blog ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your blog is a useful tool for getting new readers, and these 13 tips are sure to give your blog a boost: http://nickstraffictricks.com/3038_13-ways-to-get-traffic-to-a-new-blog/

Write a Killer Author Bio ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Make your bio stand out with some insights from novelist Roni Loren: http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/book_marketing_maven/2011/04/6-secrets- to-writing-a-killer-author-bio.html

Reader Tip: Make a Quality Book Trailer Like the Pros ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Self-published authors can now make their own professional looking movie trailers for their books - and at no cost! Elaine Wilkes, PhD, used one of the already formatted iTunes movie trailer videos to produce her own book trailer. She added creativity and humor to personalize her video and make it look like a professional movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVFM3VSeUZg

Tip from Elaine Wilkes, author of the award-winning Hay House book, Nature's Secret Messages: Hidden in Plain Sight , which is about loving advice from your mom - Mother Nature. http://www.ElaineWilkes.com.

Twitter Tip - Build Your Twitter Tribe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Want to increase your followers and find loyal people who respond to your message? Learn how: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-build-your-twitter-tribe/

Twitter Tip - Use Twitter and Facebook for PR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Press releases are not obsolete; in fact many people are turning to hubs like Twitter and Facebook for distribution: http://smedio.com/2010/10/25/how-to-use-twitter-and- facebook-for-press-release/

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. May 26, 2011 Issue #247 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Book Subtitles Matter -- Feature Article: Eight Tips to Make Your Next Writers Conference Awesome! -- Set Realistic Goals -- Book Marketing Material From AME -- Book Bits and Bites -- If You Don't Have the Talent to Write, Get a Co-Writer! -- Generate Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Free Social Media Webinar June 10 for SheCon'11 -- LinkedIn as a Writer's Resource -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Book Trailer How-To -- Maximize Your Amazon Page -- Why Your Blog Matters -- Reader Tip: Book Apps -- Twitter Tip - Tweet Scheduling -- Twitter Tip - An Overview of Twitter Marketing -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Greetings from Book Expo America! It's been a fantastic conference so far. I've made a lot of new book friends and I've also seen many old friends, including long-time friend of AME, Larry Kirshbaum, who has just left agenting to head up the Amazon publishing arm here in New York. If you missed the piece, here it is: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/amazoncom-hires-larry-kirshbaum.html. Congrats, Larry! Oh and keep watching our Facebook page for photos and updates from BEA!

I thought since it's BEA week, and everyone is all a-buzz with networking, books, more books, and more networking, it would be a good idea to share some thoughts on writers conferences and how to make the most of them. I hope you love this piece.

By the way, speaking of wild success - have I told you the success we're seeing with our new AME Viral Sweepstakes? In less than 10 days one of our authors has seen over 2,800 new visitors to her page, gotten dozens of email sign-ups and has been featured in hundreds of tweets. Have you gotten your sweepstakes yet? If not, check out our special pricing in this issue.

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Sherrie, Yoonmi and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Book Subtitles Matter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Learn why your subtitle is important, along with some tips for developing your own: http://www.sellingbooks.com/why-a-books-subtitle-is-important

Feature Article: Eight Tips to Make Your Next Writers Conference Awesome! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I love going to writers conferences, and it's really awesome when I'm speaking there as well. But as wonderful as the networking is, if you don't show up with a plan or a set of action items for the conference, you can get sucked up into the vibe of the event without being very productive. Here are some tips to help you maximize your event!

Goals: Before you go to a writers conference, be clear on your goals. If it's just networking, that's great, but if you want to get more than networking out of the event, make sure you establish your specific objectives in advance.

Start networking before the event starts: Now that you've gone through the conference website, it's time to identify the folks you'd like to get to know better and start your networking early. Send them an email and tell them you are looking forward to seeing them at the event, or hearing them speak. Follow them on Twitter and begin to network with them there. Early networking is a great way to get in front of agents and publishers you might not otherwise have access to.

Make appointments early: The conference website should be your new best friend. Comb through it to find names of publishers and agents who are going to be there. Most conferences will offer you publisher or agent appointments so you can present your work, but if you want to coordinate a meeting with someone for any other reason dig through the website to find out who will be there and see if you can get on their calendar. I have shown up at conferences hoping to make appointments there and found that they're not only difficult to schedule, but often confusing as well. Once you hit the conference floor the momentum of the event takes over, and any appointments that haven't been confirmed prior to event generally won't happen.

Take business cards: Make sure you bring a lot of business cards, running out at an event is never good.

Stay organized: I will generally bring some letter-sized envelopes with me to the event and then file cards by session or event so I can keep track of where I collected them. For example, let's say I went to a big awards dinner and did some networking. If I file all of these in the "Awards dinner" envelope, I can add a personal element to the follow up email like "It was nice to meet you at the awards dinner, wasn't Marci's acceptance speech great?"

Easy follow-up: Ok, so you've had a great meeting with a publisher and they want to see a chapter of your book. Great! Now what? Take their card, flip it over and jot down a few important notes on the back such as: follow-up steps, short meeting details ("met for lunch"), and anything else you can fit onto the card such as any personal details they shared - like having a daughter who went to the same school as your kids or something like that.

Never eat alone: There's a great networking book by the same name (Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi, Crown Books) and the statement is true. At a writers conference be sure to grab a table packed with people and even better, don't sit with the same folks over and over again. Mix it up and meet new people!

Action items: At the end of each conference day, I find it helpful to gather my notes and go through and highlight the important items from the day. I have often waited until I'm on the plane back home, or worse, the Monday following the conference and I generally can't make heads or tails out of who I am supposed to follow up with at that point. Lesson: do it early while the information is still fresh.

And finally, our bonus tip:

Plan B: If you can't afford to attend the writers conference that's in your town here's an idea for you. When a big conference rolls into town, an author friend of mine will sometimes hang out in the downstairs coffee shop or restaurant at the hotel where the event is being held and network with people there. You never know who you might meet.

Conference follow-up: This is a biggie. Make sure you always follow up with everyone you connected with, especially if you committed to them that you would send them more information, sample chapters, whatever.

Keep the networking going: Relationships take time. Don't expect miracles when you land at a writers conference. Sometimes great stuff will happen right away, and other times it's a process. Don't let the networking end when the function is over. You're now networking with them online via Twitter and Facebook, and perhaps you have some follow- up to do. Keep on their radar screen and then be on the lookout for future events you can attend!

Writers conferences are a great way to get out there and network, meet your peers and meet agents, publishers, and marketing professionals who can help you publish or market your book. Here are a few for you to consider!

* Romantic Times: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/convention-home

* Unicorn Writers Conference: http://www.unicornwritersconference.com/Unicorn_Writers_Conference.html

* Romance Writers of America: http://www.rwa.org/

* Book Expo America: http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/

Set Realistic Goals ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can actually market your book on a regular basis if you break the chores into smaller pieces. Here are 7 Weekly Book Marketing Goals You Can Adopt Today: http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2011/05/7-weekly-book-marketing-goals-you- can.html

Book Marketing Material From AME ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Ones That Got Away: All of these book covers were rejected, but it's interesting to see what the original ideas were: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/05/15/books/review/15covers- gallery.html?nl=books&emc=booksupdateemb4

Writers & Kitties: Who can resist, really? Famous authors and their feline friends: http://writersandkitties.tumblr.com/

They Never Learn: A writer shares the questions people should NOT ask at a book signing. LOL: http://blurbisaverb.blogspot.com/2011/05/author-emily-mandels-5-questions- never.html

Book Body Art: A gallery of amazing literary-inspired tattoos: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/gallery-of-elaborate-literary-tattoos_b25691

If You Don't Have the Talent to Write, Get a Co-Writer! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the excuses that people like to use when they say they want to write but can't is that they just don't have the talent. Let me start by telling you this, if you know how to talk, you know how to write. You can start off by using software such as Dragon Speaking Naturally, which merely records what you're saying onto a computer in a text file. If you feel confident in your abilities to talk, this kind of software can get you started on writing your book.

If this isn't appealing to you, though, you can also find a co-writer to pair up with who has the talent that you may be lacking. There are many ways to work with a co-writer. For example, you can write the first draft and then they can write the second. Another option is for you to dictate to them what you want while they go and write it. I wager that there are hundreds of college students and freelancers out there who would love to co-write. They not only work pretty fast, but are also pretty cheap, making them a great option.

You have to also remember that your abilities can be improved upon. There are a lot of creative writing courses, seminars and conferences that you can attend in order to improve your writing skills. There are also plenty of well-written informational books out there that can inspire and help you as well.

No matter what you decide to do, there's no excuse to not write that book you've been dreaming about.

Generate Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

The results? Your book gets the exposure, awareness and buzz it needs to generate sales.

For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

Free Social Media Webinar June 10 for SheCon'11 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am sorry to say that I couldn't speak at SheCon'11 this year as I had intended. I am really disappointed that I wasn't there. I am so fortunate to be speaking a lot these days (which I love to do) - I was scheduled to speak Friday May 20, but the event changed the speaking date and time to Saturday.

I had already committed to another event around Book Expo so I could not do both. SheCon could not move me back to the original time, so unfortunately I had to let that event go. I really don't like doing that. In fact, in my 11 years of speaking this kind of thing has never happened. I was really at a loss as to what to do. I wanted to go there and offer content and marketing advice! Then, my super smart team said: "Why not offer the program virtually?" So, that's what I'm doing!

Please come join me on June 10 at 11:30 a.m. EST for Fans, Friends, and Followers: How to Maximize and Monetize YOUR Social Media Campaign. I promise you will walk away with a ton of information. The webinar is free, there is no catch - it's my way of offering you the content that would have been offered in my session. Also, for those of you attending, a free Twitter E-Book/Resource Guide is yours. So spread the word on this event.

Here is how you register:

Send an email to: [email protected] - put SHECON webinar in the subject line and that's it! We'll get you signed up.

Thanks to ALL of you for understanding - schedules get messed up, conflicts happen - we do what we can to give you what you were promised! I hope to see you there!

LinkedIn as a Writer's Resource ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are at least 45 groups on LinkedIn that are devoted to writing and publishing. Check them out and see what valuable networking opportunities exist: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/42-linkedin-groups-for-publishing- professionals_b30322

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Penny's blog is included in "Top Ten Blogs for Authors" on Self-Publishing Coach due to the quality of its content and the expertise provided, http://www.self-publishing- coach.com/top-ten-blogs-for-authors.html

* A Tweet from Penny became the inspiration for this blog post, http://christinerose.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/the-right-followers/

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest blog for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming show:

What Authors Must Know About Book Cover Design on Tuesday, May 31 at 7 p.m. Eastern http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/05/31/what-authors-must-know- about-book-cover-design Your book cover is a vital marketing tool. Join us as expert Jeniffer Thompson of Monkey C. Media explains why covers are so important and what all authors should know.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

* Literary Agents and Their Evolving Role in Publishing * The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Parts 1, 2 and 3 * SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box * Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter * Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks * Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher * Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books * Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries * Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes * This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral * How to Make Money on Twitter * A Self Publishing Success Story * From Blog to Book * The Digital Book Revolution * Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff * Ebooks: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath * Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook * All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

Book Trailer How-To ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An author - formerly skeptical about the value of book trailers - shares her experience in 12 simple steps: http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/05/12-easy-steps-to-the-making-of- a-book-trailer/

Maximize Your Amazon Page ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sure, many if not most authors list their books for sale on Amazon. A listing alone won't equal sales, but there are ways to optimize your page to get your book noticed, all explained in this interview, http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2011/05/15/amazon-book- sales-page-tips-with-carolyn-mccray/

Why Your Blog Matters ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We encourage authors to have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts - but a blog is still a critical piece of your marketing. Here's why: http://workflowwriting.com/548373/do-you- really-need-an-author-blog-if-you%E2%80%99re-on-facebook-or-twitter.php

Reader Tip: Book Apps ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What's the biggest opportunity for self-published and unpublished children's writers and illustrators this century? It's the book app - (think "eBook on steroids" for mobile devices like the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch). I'm a self-published author who recently turned my book into a book app. Now I have access to a global market, with no inventory to manage and a higher share of the revenue (75%), with lower upfront costs. After I launched in March, I started getting requests to speak and write about how I did what I've done. I soon found that articles barely scratch the surface of what children's writers and illustrators need to know so I wrote a book about it and a no-cost paper: "The Top 5 Things you Must Know before Creating Book Apps for Kids," http://www.digitalkidsauthor.com. See our app demo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1zyYrTP9Xc

Tip from Karen Robertson Author - 'Treasure Kai' series - http://www.treasurekai.com "Author's Guide to Book Apps" - http://www.digitalkidsauthor.com

Twitter Tip - Tweet Scheduling ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are some compelling reasons to schedule your Tweets as part of your marketing strategy: http://smedio.com/2011/05/13/5-reasons-you-may-want-to-schedule-your- tweets/

Twitter Tip - An Overview of Twitter Marketing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sometimes it seems like there is too much going on with social media like Twitter. Where to even begin? This handy guide will walk you through Twitter: http://workflowwriting.com/546131/the-ultimate-guide-to-twitter-marketing.php

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. June 9, 2011 Issue #248 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Facebook Fan Engagement Package - 10% OFF -- Feature Article: The Future of Publishing -- Four Tools to Promote Your Blog -- Book Marketing Resources From AME -- Book Bits and Bites -- How to Land a Literary Agent: First, Get a Platform -- Build Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Facebook Marketing for Authors TeleSummit -- Check Your Traffic Stats -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- What Writers Say -- Self-Publishing Know-How -- Research Sites to Use -- Reader Tip: Get Pre-Orders With Crowd Funding -- Facebook Tip - Using Facebook for Marketing -- Twitter Tip - Twitter for Authors -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

We're so glad to have you back! We had a fantastic Book Expo America, I would have to say our best ever. We saw many old friends and made a few new ones. If you haven't done Book Expo yet you should consider it. It's an outstanding way to really connect with the industry!

We've been talking about this for a few weeks now: The AME Viral Sweepstakes - and there's a reason. It's going gangbusters. If you want to see how it works, check out our unique promo: http://classwish.org/books/140

So, where's publishing headed? Truly, it's anyone's guess. But this week we're taking a look at where the industry is now and where it might be later this year and into the next. I hope you'll find this article insightful!

Oh, and here's a fantastic show you won't want to miss. Amy Collins of the Cadence group is joining us on The Publishing Insiders to discuss selling your book in bulk! Details are below, but hold that date: June 14 at 7 p.m. You'll be glad you did.

And one final thing. I would love to welcome Amy Cornell to the Author Marketing Experts, Inc. team. Interesting how she found us: she's a newsletter subscriber who one day wrote: Hey, love your newsletter and would love to work with you if the opportunity ever presents itself. Turns out it did and now she's on our team! So a big welcome to Amy, who is our new Project Manager!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Sherrie, Yoonmi, Amy and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Facebook Fan Engagement Package - 10% OFF ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are you looking to get more out of your Facebook fan page? Let us help increase your fan base and fan engagement with our Facebook Fan Engagement Campaign. Not only will we increase your fan base by over 500 followers, but we will increase fan engagement by posting interesting and relevant stories, surveys and giveaways to your fan page on Facebook. As an author you will gain thousands of personal brand impressions from the Facebook ads that we will be running for you! Included in this package:

* Targeted Facebook Ads * Facebook Maintenance and Posts - 30 days * Book Giveaways * Blogger Engagement * Custom Author App

Order this package by June 15, 2011 and take 10% off your total order.* Email [email protected] for more details!

*No other discounts apply and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Feature Article: The Future of Publishing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A lot of people claim that traditional publishing is broken and will eventually die. I disagree. Much like the changes that have occurred in the past in publishing, the big six will survive and so will agents. I do not have any insider knowledge or hidden agenda, nor do I profess to know everything about publishing. Not by a longshot. But I do know how to read the signs of this evolution or revolution, depending on which side of the fence you are on. I believe there have been many signs. Here is how I foresee they will do it.

Self-publishing: In the very near future, all of the houses will spend some of their equity on self-publishing. In order to survive, they are going to have to reinvent the way they do business. This means digging into the self-publishing arena. It's rumored that two major houses are already doing this, and there are likely more to come.

Hay House, for example, has already lent their name to Balboa Press which is their self- publishing arm. I have no experience with Balboa so I can't speak to their process, but I do know that part of their sales pitch to authors is that a successful book published with Balboa will be considered by Hay House for republication. Does this actually happen? I don't know, Balboa hasn't been around long enough to show a track record. If publishers get into self- publishing, does that mean they won't be publishing traditionally? Not at all. The traditional model won't go away, but with publishers becoming more and more risk-averse, the model has to change if they're going to survive. And, let's face it, while the number of bookstores is declining, opportunities to sell books and flood the market with books continue to increase.

Direct to consumer: While some publishers are dabbling in this, I'm not clear how successful they will be. Consumer engagement on e-commerce sites such as Amazon, etc. will significantly change the way we buy. What does this mean? I think you're going to see a lot more social buying in the future. Social engagement, consumer recommendations, etc.

We're already seeing a lot of this, but I believe we'll see much more of it. Can publishers offer this? Yes, they certainly can, but first they have to overcome the hurdle of consumer awareness. Consumers don't know publishers, they know authors and they know the big e- commerce sites like Amazon, et al. Direct to consumer is great, but when you've been a behind-the-scenes entity for so long, the awareness process can take a while.

The future of the literary agent: I have heard this directly from a few agents - that in five years literary agents as we now know them will be gone, or at the very least strongly diminished. Will agents go away? Doubtful. I believe the savvy agents will stick around and, like publishing, completely reinvent themselves.

Consider this: for years agents have acted as gatekeepers. Ferreting through manuscripts, often editing work and/or suggesting rewrites to the material. They've done more lunches with publishers than you could ever hope to do in your lifetime, and they've schmoozed at more parties than anyone should ever be forced to attend. What does all this mean? It means they are more dialed into the industry than almost anyone and this puts them in a fantastic position. It's already brewing out there; several savvy agents are taking it upon themselves to become book consultants. Let's face it, while publishing opportunities may diminish vis-à-vis the traditional houses, the number of authors who want to get published will continue to grow. There will never be a lack of material, and agents are perfectly positioned to make sure that the majority of it is quality material. Consider this: you have a manuscript and you're not sure if it's a marketable topic. You don't even know if what you've written is any good. Yes, you could hire an editor, but their job is to edit your existing work. Some editors won't give you the kind of feedback that could save you thousands of dollars marketing something that has no audience. An agent can. I foresee that agents will rediscover who they are and what they bring to the table, which is considerable in my view.

Book access: The problem that we've always seen in media relations is this: if the book is self-published with limited distribution, it often won't be considered for a major show because show producers know that consumers may have a hard time finding the book. With eBooks and the accessibility of these titles, all of that has changed. Shows are becoming less concerned with how a book is published, they just want topic-related quality titles to discuss on the show. This is great news for authors who previously haven't been able to secure any media for their books because there was no bookstore placement.

What does all of this mean for you, the author? By this time next year the landscape of publishing will look vastly different. There are more opportunities than ever to see your work in print; and moreover, the odd-man-out which used to be self-publishing is finally getting its due. We are going to see a lot more attention paid to the self-publishing market, and the stigma that's always followed it will diminish greatly. Yes, there will always be less- than-quality self-published books, but let's face it, I've seen traditionally published books fall into that same category.

People often lament the end of publishing as we know it. I actually think that's a great thing. Publishing the old way hasn't worked for a long time. It's always been about exclusivity and often seemed like a high school popularity contest. Breaking down these barriers and leveling the playing field will bring many good things with it, including - and most importantly - some extraordinary authors. Here's to the future!

Four Tools to Promote Your Blog ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You've started a blog and now onto the next challenge: How do you get people to read your posts? Try the following sites to build your blog readership: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/tools-to-promote-your-author-blog_b31338

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Treat Your Books: 18 seriously cool bookcases and bookshelves, http://www.neatorama.com/2011/05/27/18-seriously-cool-bookshelves-bookcases/

Timeless taboos: Why 19th century novels appeal to film makers, http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/may/30/filming-the-classic-novels

What did you say? How reading and doing crosswords can block your ability to hear, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1391373/How-reading-doing-crosswords- block-ability-hear.html

Summer reads: A look at the season's hottest new books, http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2011-05-24-hottest-summer-books_n.htm

How to Land a Literary Agent: First, Get a Platform ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your voice must be heard. There is no greater way to do this than to write a book. If you've ever given any thought to seriously landing an agent or being published, I'd like to offer a few tips that will speed up the process.

First, let me explain, I'm a book publishing executive who writes regularly for the #1 online trade magazine for the media and publishing called Mediabistro. I also write for GalleyCat, Huffington Post and I've interviewed everyone from major agents and editors to James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, and Nicholas Sparks. I also do something else, I help connect writers with literary agents.

Publishing has changed so dramatically in the last few years that getting published isn't more difficult, it's more challenging. There's a difference and that difference must begin first with a shift in your mindset. Once you know what literary agents want, it's rather easy to land an agent.

Let's move beyond the fact that you need to write a great manuscript, because you already know that, but did you know there's something else more important to an agent than ever before? Your platform. That is your built-in fan base of readers poised and ready to purchase your book. Demonstrate you have this, with at least 5,000 readers, and you can land an agent quicker than you ever could dream possible.

How do you do this? First understand, there's a difference between having 10,000 Twitter followers and having a platform. Anyone can get Twitter followers. You can even pay people to add them for you. That's not a platform.

I don't know about you but I don't tweet that often and I definitely don't read everything every person I follow tweets every day. I am not necessarily a dedicated fan of theirs. If I see their tweet, then I see their tweet. If I don't, then I don't.

As my friend, former Simon & Schuster editor Marcela Landres says in her eBook, What Editors Think, "It's not who you know, it's who knows you." Think about that difference.

The following are a few examples of legitimate platforms that will have literary agents licking their chops:

1.) An opt-in mailing list of people who read your information regularly.

2.) If you are regularly on television

3.) If you have a web series with at least 10,000 views each episode

4.) If you are a public speaker

5.) If you are a journalist with a column of loyal readers

6.) If you have a regular radio, podcast or Internet radio show with a significant audience

7.) If you've self-published a number of books before and sold at least 5,000 copies of each

8.) If you have a website with thousands of unique visitors each day

9.) If you're the president of a large association or charity

10.) If you're a celebrity already in another industry

Build Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

The results? Your book gets the exposure, awareness and buzz it needs to generate sales.

For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

Facebook Marketing for Authors TeleSummit ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's not too late to join this Facebook marketing series featuring six experts, including Penny, who leads the Monday, June 13 session - Fans, Followers and Friends: How to Maximize and Monetize Social Media. The series runs through June 22 with sessions every Monday and Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. EST.

To sign up, visit http://info.self-publishing- coach.com/go.php?offer=CLICKBANKID&pid=16&u=facebook.self-publishing-coach.com

Check Your Traffic Stats ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's important for you to understand who's visiting your site, the number of page views your site receives, your site's bounce rate and other basic statistics. Learn about the seven stats you absolutely must understand, http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2011/06/7- traffic-stats-you-should-know-about.html

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Penny was quoted in a Christian Science Monitor article earlier this week about US Rep. Anthony Weiner and his alleged Twitter hack (which turned out to not be a case of hacking), http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0602/Anthony-Weiner-Twitter-hack-What-he-should- have-done

* Penny was included in GalleyCat's list of the Best Book Publicists on Twitter, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/best-book-publicity-and-marketing-twitter- feeds_b11627

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest publishing/marketing piece for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming show:

Selling Your Book in Bulk and Special Sales on Tuesday, June 14 at 7 p.m. Eastern http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/06/14/selling-your-book-in-bulk- and-special-sales Join us as we discuss everything authors need to know about special market sales/selling books in bulk with special guest Amy Collins. About our guest: Amy Collins is the owner of The Cadence Group, a sales and marketing service provider for the publishing industry. In 2008, The Cadence Group launched New Shelves Distribution, a full-scale book warehousing, sales and fulfillment company selling publisher's books directly to the national chains and independent bookstores in North America.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

* What Authors Must Know About Book Cover Design * Literary Agents and Their Evolving Role in Publishing * The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Parts 1, 2 and 3 * SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box * Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter * Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks * Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher * Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books * Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries * Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes * This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral * How to Make Money on Twitter * A Self Publishing Success Story * From Blog to Book * The Digital Book Revolution * Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff * Ebooks: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath * Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook * All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

What Writers Say ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What could be more inspiring than advice from 22 authors offering practical book writing tips? See for yourself, http://blogs.plos.org/neurotribes/2011/06/02/practical-tips-on- writing-a-book-from-22-brilliant-authors/

Self-Publishing Know-How ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are many good reasons for authors to self-publish these days, but don't just dive in. Learn what you should know first, http://workflowwriting.com/581488/10-things-you-need- to-know-about-self-publishing.php

Research Sites to Use ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There's more than Google out there for research. Here are five key research sites to check out and try, http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2011/05/10/5KeyResearchSitesYouMayHaveMissedPlu sCoolTricks.aspx

Reader Tip: Get Pre-Orders With Crowd Funding ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Consider using crowd funding to gather pre-orders for your book prior to launch. Crowd funding allows your family, friends and additional fans of your book to generously support your work with the knowledge that a high percentage of the money they contribute goes directly to you. Check out sites such as IndieGoGo.com or Kicksarter.com. Setting up your campaign is free.

Tip from Tania Elfersy, author of Purple Leaves, Red Cherries - Revealing Motherhood - A gift book for new mothers An e-book for all mothers http://purpleleavesredcherries.com

Facebook Tip - Using Facebook for Marketing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Marketing walks you through the ins and outs of using this powerful, ever-expanding social network: http://www.copyblogger.com/ultimate-facebook/

Twitter Tip - Twitter for Authors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Twitter is a useful marketing tool for authors when it's used well. Discover how you can use Twitter to market your book: http://workflowwriting.com/606180/twitter-for-authors-book- marketing-and-publicity-with-social-media-by-todd-rutherford.php

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. June 23, 2011 Issue #249 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW - AME Summer Fun Package! -- Feature Article: What the Home Shopping Channels Can Teach Us About Selling -- 10 Ways to Improve Your Website -- AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- An Agent Just Requested My Manuscript! Now What? -- Launch Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- How to Write a Book Proposal -- Tips for Promoting Your Book -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Fine-Tune Your Local Pitching -- How to Create a Facebook Brand Page -- Blogging Success Secrets -- Dog Bless You -- Twitter Tip - Maximize Your Marketing -- Twitter Tip - Tools for Authors: Twellow and Grader -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Sherrie, Yoonmi, Amy and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

NEW - AME Summer Fun Package! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celebrate Summer by getting your online marketing in check. We've got a great maintenance package to get you positioned for the end of the year book buying season! Our Summer Fun Package is only $1,495! It includes:

· Social Bookmarking: $595 value

· 90-Day Viral Marketing Sweepstakes Campaign: $500 value

· Personalized Squidoo page: $249 value

· How to Turn Your Book into a Bestseller webinar: What does it take to launch a book on the bestseller list? Taught by the CEO of Author Marketing Experts, and the team behind 11 bestsellers in 22 months, this session is filled with insider tips and insights into how the bestseller lists work. $199 value

· The Ultimate Twitter Resource Guide: Ready to become unstoppable on Twitter? This resource guide is packed with hundreds of tips, secrets, and fantastic Twitter links: $29 value

· The Ultimate Twitter Tweets: Market your book with the power of Twitter! Hundreds of tips, tricks, and marketing shortcuts sent one powerful tweet at a time! $29 value

· Top 100 book reviewers in the U.S. includes all contact information: $100 value

· Top 100 Newspapers & Radio Shows in the U.S. includes all contact information Value: $200 value

· Facebook How-to Book: ready to rock Facebook? You'll love this handy guide! Value: $39 value

This special discounted price is good through June 30, 2011 and the price will go up to $1,795. (Actual total value is $1,940) No other discounts or specials apply.

For more details email [email protected]

Order this by June 25, 2011 and get another special bonus offer valued at $249!

Feature Article: What the Home Shopping Channels Can Teach Us About Selling ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Whether we admit it or not, we've all watched a home shopping channel, even if we just stopped by for a minute or two while channel surfing. Home shopping channels are big and the two of the biggest are HSN and QVC; together they generate a combined total of $10 billion in sales every year. They are geared to selling 24/7. What can we learn from this mode of sales? Well, actually a lot. When you break down their method of selling you'll see quite a bit of brilliance behind the shopping channels' strategy that can be applied to your own marketing and sales efforts.

Details, details: The first thing the host will do is give you an overview and then zero in on the details, pieces, parts and bonuses. When you're showcasing your book or product, it's important to not just focus on the 30,000 foot overview, but the minutia as well. The caveat is: it has to be exciting to your consumer. The idea is to push the product, then entice them with the details.

How will you do this? Start with one, big, overarching question or pitch. Let's say you wrote a book on dieting, you might say: "If you're ready to finally lose those extra 30 pounds for good, this is the last diet book you'll ever need to read." Now, that's a pretty big statement, and you'll need to follow it up with some details that help build your case. See what I mean? If the book has recipes, highlight several and talk about them. If the book has some never- before-revealed secrets, highlight those too and make sure your consumer knows the whole package they're getting, not just the idea.

Repetition: If you've ever watched HSN or QVC you know that their specials are repeated over and over and over again. Telling your consumer once won't cut it, but telling them twice generally won't either. You have to tell people again and again and again.

Think about it: How many times are you telling folks about your book? How can you adapt this to book marketing? Think about the different ways you reach out to your consumer. How many times are you mentioning your book? If the answer to that is "I don't know," then you might want to rethink your marketing strategy. Now, I'm not saying that every Tweet and Facebook update needs to have your book title it in, but what I am saying is that if you are doing any kind of target marketing, email, or mailing, you need to make sure that you continue to push the message of your book for as long as you are marketing it.

Results: What will this book do for your reader? If it was featured on the Home Shopping Network you can be sure you would know, and it would be explained to you in Technicolor detail. Often, they will demo the product on the air. Why do they do this? Because the before and after is wildly popular with consumers.

Now, if you're not on HSN, how will you demo this? For starters, you can get testimonials for your website. Remember: what someone else says about your book, message, or product is 1,000 times more effective than anything you can say. You can also consider a YouTube channel (think of it as your very own HSN) and get video testimonials, or demo the ideas in your book. If you're marketing a product, demo the product on video. Remember we love to know it'll do XYZ for us, but seeing it is 1,000 times more powerful than just hearing it.

How's it selling? It never fails: during the broadcast, the host will always tell you how well the product is selling. In fact, often they will tell you that it's nearly selling out, thereby heightening the urgency to buy.

As part of your book marketing have you pushed your updates to your audience? Have you told them how well it's selling? Share stats with them, social proof, and popularity. Remember, people like what other people like. If a lot of other people like your book or product, tell your new consumers. It will help heighten their excitement.

Packaging, bonuses and oh, wait, there's more! The beauty of this last line (as hokey as it might sound) is that it keeps the consumer on edge and ready to dial, but there's more - so the additional bonuses entice them further.

When we offered my book, Red Hot Internet Publicity, packaged for a limited time with another title (the offer was "Get 2 books for the price of 1") we tripled our sales. Packages and special offers work, though it's generally a good idea to offer them for a limited time. As you'll see from one of the points below, urgency sells.

Pricing: Consumers love a bargain and the Home Shopping Network knows this all too well, so the discounts are crucial if they are trying to sell out a product. If you are trying to push your book, don't get greedy. As I mentioned in the point above, the deeper the discount, the better the response.

Be clear on your price point, i.e. what you need to make a profit, then play with the numbers and see what your consumer responds to. Now, you don't have to offer shippable product as a special offer or price enhancement; it can also be electronic which makes it easier and raises your profit margin.

Urgency: Let's face it, while it might seem cheesy, urgency sells. "Only 10 minutes left to buy!" and suddenly the phones light up. During the process of the sale, sale updates, bonuses, discounts, etc. all help to heighten the urgency of the buy including the limited time offer. When you're running a special promotion, the best way to get people to beat a path to your door is to give them a deadline.

Remember the upsell: When you've got someone's attention, why not try and sell them more? If you have bundled product, or special additions to your product, be sure and mention it. In fact, one of the most effective ways to generate sales is to entice your consumer by offering bonuses.

Keep in mind that the bonuses need to have value to the consumer: they must enhance your product, not detract from it. You likely wouldn't offer a copy of a colleague's fiction book if you are selling a book on building your business. You might want to sell something a bit more compatible like a handbook, white paper, or webinar (either pre-recorded or live). Upsells are great when the product pairing is complimentary.

If you're not convinced by these tips, try watching a shopping channel and see if you don't agree. Their methods of selling are so finely tuned, you'll see a real pattern in how they present each and every product. What that says is: if it works, stick with it. Try one or all of the above insights and see if it doesn't tip the selling scale in your favor. Good luck!

10 Ways to Improve Your Website ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yes, authors should have a website. And, there are certain elements you really must include. Learn what they are: http://writeitsideways.com/10-ways-to-improve-your-author- website/?doing_wp_cron

AME's Book Marketing Resources ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Test Your Literature IQ: How Well Do You Really Know Books? http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/?p=5435

Million-Seller Club: John Locke becomes the first self-published author to sell 1 million eBooks, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/john-locke-is-first-self-published-author-to- sell-1-million-kindle-ebooks_b32635 Reading List Builder: Literature map scientifically lets you find your next book, http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/?p=5520

Raging Debate: Are Teen Novels Dark and Depraved - Or Saving Lives? http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry- news/article/47570-are-teen-novels-dark-and-depraved---or-saving-lives-.html

Make sure that it is properly formatted. If you visit their website, or search Google, you'll be able to make sure your manuscript is presented in a way that they expect.

Launch Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book.

AME has a powerful and surprisingly affordable new solution. Our Viral Book Sweepstakes platform uses the latest Internet marketing techniques to attract visitors, showcase your book, and get visitors to invite their friends. How do we do that? Visitors get a chance to win an iPad 2 when they join your mailing list, and they get even more chances to win that great prize when they use our tools to promote your book and get more people to visit your page.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

The results? Your book gets the exposure, awareness and buzz it needs to generate sales.

For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

How to Write a Book Proposal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Even self-published authors benefit from writing a proposal, which serves as a road map for your book. It will help you identify your market, develop a marketing plan and much more: http://www.sellingbooks.com/how-to-write-a-book-proposal-and-why-you-should-even-if- you-self-publish/

Tips for Promoting Your Book ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As a writer, your job involves much more than writing your books. You are your #1 marketer, too. Advice from an author who's out there in the trenches: http://beyondthemargins.com/2011/06/love-me-read-me-buy-me-promoting-your-book/

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Penny's article "Why (Some) Authors Fail" appeared on the Selling Books blog: http://www.sellingbooks.com/why-some-authors-fail/

* Wordmountain's Lisa Abbate interviewed Penny about book marketing, and the audio or transcript is available now: http://absolutewrite.com/2011/06/08/629/

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest publishing/marketing piece for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

The Future of Author Events on Tuesday, July 12 at 7 p.m. Eastern http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/07/12/the-future-of-author- events In this digital age, do author events matter? You bet they do, and our guest Amy Collins will discuss why author events are still relevant as well as what works. About our guest: Amy Collins is the owner of The Cadence Group, a sales and marketing service provider for the publishing industry. In 2008, The Cadence Group launched New Shelves Distribution, a full- scale book warehousing, sales and fulfillment company selling publisher's books directly to the national chains and independent bookstores in North America.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

* Selling Your Book in Bulk and Special Sales * What Authors Must Know About Book Cover Design * Literary Agents and Their Evolving Role in Publishing * The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Parts 1, 2 and 3 * SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box * Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter * Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks * Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher * Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books * Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries * Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes * This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral * How to Make Money on Twitter * A Self Publishing Success Story * From Blog to Book * The Digital Book Revolution * Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff * Ebooks: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath * Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook * All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

Fine-Tune Your Local Pitching ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Re-purposing a national pitch for local media is not always the most effective strategy. Here are some ideas to consider when pitching media in your back yard: http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/five-tips-for-more-effective-local-pitching_b22887

How to Create a Facebook Brand Page ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You do not need a personal profile on Facebook to set up a Brand Page. That's great news for anyone who would like to promote their book. Learn how: http://www.readwriteweb.com/biz/2011/06/set-up-facebook-brand-page-without-personal- profile.php

Blogging Success Secrets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A reality TV blogger shares what he's learned along the way to building his blog: http://www.webpronews.com/10-steps-to-becoming-a-successful-blogger-from-reality- steve-2011-06

Dog Bless You ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This non-profit organization will donate up to 100 dogs to veterans living with PTSD. All you have to do to help is "Like" their Facebook Page - and pass the word along! http://www.facebook.com/exploredogs

Twitter Tip - Maximize Your Marketing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Discover how to get more for your marketing efforts from Twitter: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/4-tips-to-maximize-your-twitter-marketing/

Twitter Tip - Tools for Authors: Twellow and Grader ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can use Twellow to find people on Twitter to follow. Grader ranks Twitter users so you can find top Tweeters in your topic. Here's how to get the most from these tools: http://workflowwriting.com/625057/twitter-tools-for-authors-twellow-and-grader-by-todd- rutherford.php

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. July 7, 2011 Issue #250 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW - Amazon Author Central Account Set-up Service -- Feature Article: Creating Powerful Content That Will Help You Sell Books -- Sign Up for The Next Bestseller Weekend Workshop -- Just for You: AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- How to Land a Celebrity Book Deal: Part One -- Get Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Build a Book App -- Got a Book in You? We Can Help! -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Social Media Pitching Works! -- Self-Publishing Marketing Spreadsheet -- Meet Your New Readers With MeetUp.com -- Join AME's Monthly No-Cost Seminars -- Twitter Tip - Using Hashtags -- Twitter Tip - Manage Your Account -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

It's Thrillerfest this week in New York and all that's suspenseful and chilling will be represented at this enormous gathering of talented authors. We just finished up with Romance Writers, which I hear was fantastic. There are a lot of events for authors in New York and I'm thrilled to be part of a relatively new event, The Next Bestseller. It's been getting great accolades and feedback, and the authors who attended this last year just *loved* it!

So, these days it's all about content creation. We hear that a lot. But how can you create good content that helps you sell books and, moreover, how can you find the time to do this? This week we've broken down a quick and easy way to manage and create content. I think you'll love it!

We've got a great newsletter this week, we're so glad to have you back - and a big welcome to all of our new subscribers!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Sherrie, Yoonmi, Amy and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

NEW - Amazon Author Central Account Set-up Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did you know that every author has a personalized page that they can use at Amazon? This is an incredible marketing tool, so let our team make the most of it for you! There are so many amazing features to better help you market your book and author platform.

If you're a first-time author, or established with a library of titles, our team will optimize your personal Amazon page and then turn it over to you when we are done. Authors who maximize their personalized Amazon pages do much better in an Amazon search!

$299 if ordered by July 15, 2011 - or FREE with any Virtual Author Tour with any signed agreement faxed or emailed in to AME by July 15, 2011. Cannot be combined with any other offer. (Retail $349)

To learn more about this incredible service, email [email protected]

Feature Article: Creating Powerful Content That Will Help You Sell Books ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These days it's a must that every marketer create fresh, enticing content. While not everyone uses the term "content," it still comes down to creating words, tweets, blog posts, etc. - and whatever content you create, it means extra work for you. How can you keep up with your marketing, social media, and your content creation? More importantly, how can you create compelling content that readers will not only want to read, but that will also encourage them to buy your book?

For years, I've been creating all sorts of content. Whether it's blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates, white papers, or HuffPo posts, it's all about crafting helpful information people can use and messages that will drive users back to our website. The idea isn't just to push something out there, but to push it out consistently. The best way to generate content is to stay in close touch with your industry. Keep apprised of your marketplace, industry news, and changes to your field because all of this can help to spark ideas. If you're scratching your head wondering how to do this, here are some quick tips to help turn you into a content machine.

1) Networking: You should be networking with other experts in your market. Getting to know other voices is very important not just for networking, but also for idea generation. Ideas and inspiration come from everywhere; sometimes they come from tweets you've seen, other times they might come from blog posts you subscribe to, or Facebook accounts you are a fan of.

2) RSS Feeds: Once you identify your network of experts, subscribe to their blogs. I find that staying immersed in your industry will help to percolate ideas.

3) Tweets: As I mentioned above, following experts in your market will really help not only for networking, but also as you're building your knowledge base.

4) Newsletters: Many experts have newsletters. You should be subscribing to all of them. Newsletters are also a great way to gather fresh, new content ideas.

5) Guest blog posts: Inviting other experts as guest bloggers on your website is a great way to generate content. Not only that, but it's a fantastic way to connect to new people in your industry. Guest blog posts also help to bring in fresh readers, especially when the guest blogger helps promote the blog to his or her community of readers.

6) Your book: If you've written non-fiction (and even to some degree with fiction) you should be able to excerpt pieces or portions of it and syndicate it online. In some form or fashion, Red Hot Internet Publicity has been pushed online. Whether it's in blog form, a tweet, syndicated article, or a Facebook update, I have broken this book into a million little pieces all being used as content.

Once you have a good content strategy, now it's time to plan for your content. I recommend that you take time once a week to do this. Sometimes I'll skip a week, but I always make it up. If you're new to this, treat your content strategy like your new workout routine. At first it won't be easy, but you have to keep up a regular pace until it becomes part of your marketing regimen.

Keep your content organized by collecting this valuable content in a folder, either electronically or in a paper file. If you're gathering information electronically, I would suggest using something like Evernote (which I love!) or OneNote. Evernote has a great app for both iPhones and Android so if you see something or get content inspiration while you're away from your computer, you can add it to Evernote and it will sync up to your main file. Tres cool - that way you can get to it quickly and easily. Once you have identified various ways to gather content and you've started building this content, you'll start to see your platform really growing. The more you push out there in the way of information, the more will come back to you in the way of readers and buyers.

How does content help you sell books? The more of an authority you are, the more eyes you will get to your message - and the more eyes you get, generally the more buyers you get. Also, I believe that information builds trust and these days, whether you're buying a book or something else, consumers want to buy from people they trust. Building trust is a big piece of what we do, and content creation is a part of this strategy.

Sign Up for The Next Bestseller Weekend Workshop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Next Bestseller Weekend Workshop is practical training for a first-time or seasoned author to learn to how to talk about his or her book with someone who has the knowledge and experience of what works and what doesn't. This is a safe place to prepare, practice and polish up your pitch so you can effectively talk with professionals and others about your book in the book publishing industry, Hollywood, the media and others.

The faculty members for The Next Bestseller Workshops - including Penny Sansevieri - will collaborate as teachers and trainers in the workshop environment to become a dream team that addresses your writing dreams, questions, quandaries and fears about pitching and presenting your books to others.

In addition to the workshop training team, additional agents, editors and best-selling authors have offered to attend the final pitch session on Sunday afternoon to provide additional insights and guidance for the pitches crafted by the writers.

* A donation will be made from your ticket purchase to support the children in our classrooms across America by providing their teachers with the means to purchase the school supplies needed to create a quality learning environment for our readers and writers of tomorrow today through ClassWish (a 501c3 non-profit organization).

** Each workshop is limited to 40 attendees so each participant receives the proper amount of attention from our trainers.

The upcoming workshop weekend will be held in New York City on August 19 - 21, 2011.

To register and save your seat at The Next Bestseller Weekend Workshop, go to http://www.thenextbestsellertv.com/event

Just for You: AME's Book Marketing Resources ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gone Too Soon: A Brief History of Writers Who Died Untimely Deaths (Stephen Crane, the Bronte sisters, etc.): http://flavorwire.com/189286/a-brief-history-of-writers-who-died- untimely-deaths Author Trivia: 8 Fascinating Facts You Probably Don't Know About Famous Authors (for instance, Moby Dick couldn't even sell out its first printing!) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-astor/famous-author- facts_b_886301.html#s299923&title=A_Whale_of

Sing Your Favorite Book: Literary Karaoke? Oh yes, it's on! http://mhpbooks.com/mobylives/?p=33495

Authors Gone Postal: Mark Twain and Beyond: Literary Stamp Collecting (interesting range of author stamps): http://flavorwire.com/190424/mark-twain-and-beyond-literary-stamp- collecting

How to Land a Celebrity Book Deal: Part One ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It seems like, nowadays, nothing sells faster than celebrity books. Movie stars, performers, and even reality TV stars, are getting book deals left and right.

So, somewhat obviously, this seems like a great opportunity for authors who want to break in. If you are willing to ghost write for a celebrity book deal, you'll be able to embark on a great opportunity in an exciting field, make some money, and will surely be taken on an exciting trip through this celebrity's life.

How do you land the deal at all? One of the best ways to land a celebrity book deal is to conduct celebrity interviews in order to gain relationships with these people. Once you gain a reputation, and they see how solid and credible you are, you'll have a much better chance of landing that deal.

It's very important to think about things from a celebrity's point of view. They are approached all the time by people who want something from them, but there is one thing that most celebrities want: publicity. If you are on good terms with a reputable media outlet, you'll be more likely to land that book deal. How? Because by getting to know the people behind these celebrities, as a journalist, reporter, blogger or article writer, they'll be more likely to recommend you to a celebrity who is open to a book deal. After all, these people often represent many celebrities, not just one or two.

Some great sites to visit in getting started in building your celebrity repertoire are demandstudios.com or americanchronicle.com. Start with the smaller, lesser-known celebrities, as they are often easier to contact and more willing and able to conduct interviews. Write the interview with the intention of publishing it on a blog or on another media outlet.

Creating a reputation for yourself is the first step in creating that celebrity book deal. But there's more, and we'll discuss that in future articles.

Get Buzz for Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

The results? Your book gets the exposure, awareness and buzz it needs to generate sales.

For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

Build a Book App ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you're ready to build an app for your book, business, or service, here's a website that might be of some help! http://buildanapp.com/home

Got a Book in You? We Can Help! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We've put together a covey of experts, including Penny Sansevieri, for a telesummit that will take you from overwhelmed to overjoyed when you hold your first copy before 2011 is gone.

When eight publishing experts give their insights and practical tips from getting started to getting marketed, you'll be wondering why you've waited so long to write your book. So join us on July 18 - 21, 2011.

Learn more at: http://www.WriteYourBestSellerNow.com/telesummit.htm

This is a stellar line-up worth more than a $1,000 writers conference ticket (not including air fare, hotel, and meals), and you can enjoy it from the comfort of your home - at no cost.

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * The LA Times Daily ran Penny's article What Shopping Channels Can Teach Us About Selling, http://latimesdaily.com/2011/05/25/penny-c-sansevieri-what-shopping-channels- can-teach-us-about-selling/

* Selling Books blog featured Penny on Do Not Measure Your Success in Book Sales, http://www.sellingbooks.com/do-not-measure-your-success-in-book-sales/

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest publishing/marketing piece for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming show:

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

Social Media Pitching Works! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did you know that 46% of journalists get pitched through social media, and 70% of those pitches resulted in coverage? (That's compared to 0-20% through standard media).

Self-Publishing Marketing Spreadsheet ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Overwhelmed with all the marketing ideas you have and worried you can't keep track? Have no fear; author Jenny Blake shared the spreadsheet she uses to keep organized and it's a really handy tool! http://www.thedominoproject.com/2011/06/a-spreadsheet-for-the-self-published.html

Meet Your New Readers With MeetUp.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you'd like to connect with readers in your neighborhood, try researching them on MeetUp.com. This is a fantastic resource for finding new readers. Just create a profile and then start your research. I've looked on MeetUp for everything from romance readers to mystery readers and found them all there. Many of them are part of book clubs that meet monthly. What a great way to connect with new readers and get engaged with book clubs! Hint: You can also use it to promote your next event! http://www.meetup.com/

Join AME's Monthly No-Cost Seminars ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The webinars will cover a variety of topics and will be led by standout industry professionals. Take a look at what's coming up so you don't miss out. Next up:

Fans, Followers and Friends - How to Maximize and Monetize Social Media (Part 1)

When: July 15, 11 a.m. EST, hosted by Penny Sansevieri.

How to register:

Send an email to [email protected] and put "FFF part 1 Webinar" in the subject line and that's it! We'll get you signed up and you'll receive an email with the log-in information the morning of the webinar. See the rest of the schedule at: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/announcing-free- monthly-webinars/

Twitter Tip - Using Hashtags ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do you use Hashtags? If you don't, you should. Check out http://www.hashtags.org which tracks the most popular hashtags so you can figure out which ones are best for your campaign!

Twitter Tip - Manage Your Account ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Visit http://www.manageflitter.com - the site helps to manage your twitter account by showing you who's just clogging your twitter stream with junk, who isn't following you back, and who might be spamming you!

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. July 21, 2011 Issue #251 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW Amazon Programs! -- Feature Article: Why Regional Pitching Can Leverage Big Success -- Polish Your Pitch At The Next Bestseller Weekend Workshop -- Promotion How-To: AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- How to Land a Celebrity Book Deal: Part Two -- Promote Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Savvy Link Building -- Ask The Experts -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Facebook Blog Tip -- How to Use Kindle for the Web -- Reader Tip: Run Ads to Help Finance Your Books -- Sign Up For AME's No-Cost Seminars -- Twitter Tip - Retweet Success -- Twitter Tip - Be Trendy! -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Is it hot or what? Welcome to my first summer in NYC - and what a summer it is. Nothing has slowed down for us (we're so thankful) and the weather is as hot as the amazing authors we work with. I hope you're staying cool!

We're so excited to have you back and to have our fabulous guest columnist Jeff Rivera with us for another issue. We love Jeff, and his stuff is fantastic! Now, let's talk regional promotion. I know, I know: national promotion is so much sexier, right? Between The Today Show, Ellen, and maybe a late night talk show, and the glitz and glam that goes with it, it's easy to forget all the fabulous media in your own back yard. This week, we're looking at the power and potential behind your local media along with some great ways to get on their radar screen. Well, that's it for me except to say we have another amazing issue and a whole series of amazing tips, advice, and info to help you reach your own publishing success!

Happy Summer!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Sherrie, Yoonmi, Amy and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

NEW Amazon Programs! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AME announces more Amazon programs for authors!

Last edition we featured our Amazon Author Central Page set-up service. We're now offering a suite of other Amazon services that you've been asking for - we love to keep our authors happy!

In addition to the Amazon Book page set-up, we now offer: Amazon keyword and tag optimization, Amazon lists and bestseller links, and Top 1000 Amazon reviewers researched and approached for reviews. For everything Amazon, AME has it covered!

To learn more about these incredible services, email [email protected]

Feature Article: Why Regional Pitching Can Leverage Big Success ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ With all the talk of Facebook, Twitter, blogging and other social media, we often forget how we used to promote a book: locally. Many books that hit big success did so by building a regional buzz. But regional seems a lot less sexy these days and often gets overlooked. If media is being pursued, it's often on a national level, bypassing individual markets altogether.

One of the things I've found about regional promotion is that it can often surprise you. When we worked on The Kennedy Detail last November, we had enormous success regionally, while major stations and national markets seemed to lag in interest for this exceptional title. In fact, I believe that part of the reason this book hit the bestseller list was because of the regional buzz.

If you're wondering how regional coverage can affect your success, let me tell you another story. Some years back two women in Louisiana wrote a Cajun cookbook. Now, if any of you have been to Louisiana you know that there are hundreds of Cajun cookbooks, nothing really unique there, right? But these women figured that out and decided instead of trying to do a national push, they would focus regionally. They were everywhere: airports, drycleaners, coffee shops, grocery stores and restaurants. The result? They built exceptional buzz for this book and ended up getting the attention of a New York publisher who offered them a big deal to buy the book. Sometimes small can be big.

So, what would regional pitching look like for you? Well, my recommendation to any author is saturate your market. Make sure everyone in your city or town knows about you and what you're doing. Additionally, you don't need to just focus on your region; you could expand this out to other parts of the country as well. If the idea of pitching regionally has piqued your interest, here are some ways to make it work:

· Don't repurpose national pitches: This is a big one. I don't recommend that you use your national pitches for your local market. Local cares about local and even though every station will report on major national stories, it's always best if they have a regional tie-in.

· Get to know your area: This is especially true if you're pitching outside of your market. Get to know the nuances of the market you are going after. Know their hot buttons and then decide whether your story can tie into them. But regardless, you want to understand the market you are pitching.

· Local media varies: Local media will vary depending on the region you're in. For some markets print has the biggest voice, for others it's broadcast. By digging into your area and getting to know the region, important segments will start to become apparent. For example, in areas that have a lot of morning shows they will generally have a pretty balanced broadcast and print consumption. But other areas might surprise you. For example, I just moved from San Diego where, despite the size of the city, they only have one paper serving it: The San Diego Union-Tribune. If you don't make it into that paper, you're not in great shape. Especially if your regional campaign is heavily driven to print. The flip side is that this city has a lot of great broadcast opportunities both in TV and radio, so your time might be better spent there.

· Tailor, tailor, tailor: Don't forget that local matters, so you'll want to make sure and position your pitch on a local angle.

· Getting to know you: It's easier than ever to get to know a market by reading, listening, or watching online. This will help you identify reporters, journalists, and radio hosts who might have a keen interest in what you are pitching.

· Event pitching: Regional media loves talking about events and other tie-ins. One of the best ways to get local media is by doing an event.

· Getting into Bookstores: If your goal is to get bookstores to place orders, a regional push can help there as well. If you're doing events or media locally, this will help drive readers into the stores and the numbers start adding up, which could encourage bookstores to order more copies!

· Small is big: When we pitch regionally, we never overlook the small, local papers. Often they are the freebies you get in supermarkets. I have found that they are often very well-read in the community and can help to drive a lot of interest to your book or event. They are sometimes difficult to find though and don't always show up in media databases. Having someone in the area is great to help identify these local publications. If you don't have anyone locally, call the bookstore where you're doing an event. If there isn't an event as part of this media push, call the local supermarket and ask them!

Getting focused regionally can be a great enhancement to any campaign. It's also a great way to bring longevity to a marketing push. Regional markets aren't always as hung up on book release dates as bigger, national markets are so the window is much wider here for pitching.

Good luck!

Polish Your Pitch At The Next Bestseller Weekend Workshop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Next Bestseller Weekend Workshop is practical training for a first-time or seasoned author to learn to how to talk about his or her book with someone who has the knowledge and experience of what works and what doesn't. This is a safe place to prepare, practice and polish up your pitch so you can effectively talk with professionals and others about your book in the book publishing industry, Hollywood, the media and others.

** Each workshop is limited to 40 attendees so each participant receives the proper amount of attention from our trainers.

The upcoming workshop weekend will be held in New York City on August 19 - 21, 2011.

To register and save your seat at The Next Bestseller Weekend Workshop, go to http://www.thenextbestsellertv.com/event

Promotion How-To: AME's Book Marketing Resources ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bestseller in One Day: Jaycee Dugard's memoir sells 175,000 copies on its first day; 100,000 are eBooks, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/jaycee-dugard-a-stolen-life- sold-175000-copies-first-day_b34258

Taking On Nook & Kindle: Google debuts an eBook reader, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/11/iriver-story-hd-google-ebooks- target_n_894769.html?ir=Books

Eye-Catching: These bookshop signs are sure to attract customers, http://aprettybook.com/2011/07/13/bookshop-signs/

Soup to Nuts: Watch a bookstore go from empty warehouse to opening day, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/watch-a-bookstore-fill-with-books_b34115

How to Land a Celebrity Book Deal: Part Two ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You just built your repertoire of celebrities, young and smaller celebrities, and have also added a publicist or two to your contacts. Now what? To break into this industry you literally have to use every opportunity you can, but sometimes, all you have to do is ask.

Ask the publicist you've been interacting with if they can score an interview with one of their larger clients. Use a big time of year, like awards season, to your benefit, and back up your request with an offer to conduct interviews for pre- and post-awards season. You can do another interview for a blog, another media outlet, or perhaps even a live podcast.

Be sure to get their input, as well. It could be that the celebrity has a certain interview type in mind that they are willing to conduct with you. Be open-minded and flexible, and take their suggestions seriously. Being someone that is easy to work with will prove beneficial in the long run, as these celebrities come to know you, respect you, trust you, and recommend you to their other celebrity friends.

Also, if a publicist offers you any sort of opportunity or job, say "yes." Unless it goes against your own personal moral integrity, it's in your best interest to take any opportunity that comes your way.

A great trick in getting that book deal is actually implanting the idea in the first place. When on an interview, stick in a question or two along the lines of, "Have you ever considered writing a book?" or "If you wrote a book, what would the main plot be?" This may get them thinking and the both of you talking about the possibility. Then, follow-up with their manager or publicist, letting them know that you're also an author, and would love to help them get a book together.

You never know, they may just say "yes." They may already have had a book in their future plans but are too busy to commit, opening the opportunity for you to ghost write the project. If they trust you, know that you are open and professional, they'll definitely be more willing to work with you.

Follow these steps and you'll have that celebrity book deal in no time.

Promote Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

The results? Your book gets the exposure, awareness and buzz it needs to generate sales.

For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

Savvy Link Building ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did you know that the quantity of your links matters less than the quality? Bad links can actually lower your search traffic. What does it mean to have a "bad link?" Essentially it means a link that doesn't rank highly enough or is not relevant to your topic.

Ask The Experts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Question - I have a blog, BipolarFriend.com, that has an ongoing readership. My aim is to get ongoing sponsors to support this site, such as mental health care or pharmaceutical companies. So my question to you is what is the best approach besides blindly emailing companies with inquiries?

Question submitted by Patty Burnard, http://BipolarFriend.com

Answer - You should network with bipolar folks via social media - there are a lot of them on Twitter, for instance, and you can find them using Twitter search for #bipolar. Start following some people and also see who they are following in the bipolar social media world. After you've developed the friendships you can take it to the next level and see what opportunities are available. Offer them something and see what you can get in return.

Pharmaceutical companies are on Facebook in a big way. You can search for them, "Like" them and join in the conversation. Similar to Twitter, create relationships first and then see what you can offer them and whether they will reciprocate. Good luck!

Response from Paula Krapf, COO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Submit your question to us and we'll have one of our experts respond in an upcoming issue! Put "Ask the Expert" in the subject line and email: [email protected]

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * The Book Designer blog's feature "This Week in the Blogs, July 3 - 9, 2011" ran Penny's article "Eight Steps to Successfully Market Your Book Online," http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/07/this-week-in-the-blogs-july-3-9-2011/

* "Fans, Friends, and Followers: How to Maximize and Monetize on Twitter," a webinar led by Penny, is available on Ustream.tv, http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15661377

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest publishing/marketing piece for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming show:

Re-Purposing Your Content on Tuesday, July 26 at 7 p.m. Eastern http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/07/26/re-purposing-your- content Do you have a blog to keep up? A Twitter account? What about Facebook? If all this leaves you feeling overwhelmed by all the content you have to create, join us with our special guest Shelley Hitz for tips and tricks to get the most mileage out of your writing!

About our guest: Shelley Hitz is an entrepreneur, speaker, author and consultant to organizations, individuals and businesses who want to multiply their impact through self publishing. She teaches from personal experience. Over a two year span, while working full-time, she self-published five books, multiple audio CDs, authored two websites that attract thousands of visitors each month, and created multiple products that she sells through her website and at her speaking engagements. http://www.Self-Publishing-Coach.com also offers a monthly newsletter, teleclasses, special reports, eBooks, webinars, podcasts, videos as well as book marketing resources to help individuals, small organizations, and businesses achieve their goals and multiply their impact through self-publishing.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

* The Future of Author Events * Selling Your Book in Bulk and Special Sales * What Authors Must Know About Book Cover Design * Literary Agents and Their Evolving Role in Publishing * The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Parts 1, 2 and 3 * SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box * Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter * Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks * Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher * Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books * Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries * Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes * This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral * How to Make Money on Twitter * A Self Publishing Success Story * From Blog to Book * The Digital Book Revolution * Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff * Ebooks: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath * Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook * All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

Facebook Blog Tip ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rather than linking your blog to your Facebook feed, where your posts scroll down over time, set up your blog as a tab on your Facebook page. That way, the most recent post is always available to visitors.

How to Use Kindle for the Web ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Amazon created this nifty tool, and it's a great way for authors to market their books. Learn how: http://www.publetariat.com/sell/kindle-web-how-it-can-be-used-authors

Reader Tip: Run Ads to Help Finance Your Books ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Read Tony Eldridge's Marketing Tips blog. In a guest post, Carolyn Howard-Johnson suggests you help finance your nonfiction books by selling ads to put in the back pages of the book and explains why it isn't as radical as it sounds: http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2011/06/run-ads-to-help-finance-your-books- by.html

Tip submitted by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Instructor for the renowned UCLA Extension Writers' Program and Author of the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally books. http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com

Sign Up For AME's No-Cost Seminars ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The webinars will cover a variety of topics and will be led by standout industry professionals. Take a look at what's coming up so you don't miss out. Next up:

Fans, Followers and Friends - How to Maximize and Monetize Social Media (Part 2)

When: Aug. 19, 11 a.m. EST, hosted by Penny Sansevieri.

How to register:

Send an email to [email protected] and put "FFF part 2 Webinar" in the subject line and that's it! We'll get you signed up and you'll receive an email with the log-in information the morning of the webinar.

See the rest of the schedule at: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/announcing-free- monthly-webinars/

Twitter Tip - Retweet Success ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Want to get retweeted? Here's a great way to increase your chances of being retweeted: keep your tweets to 120 characters. Why? Well, when someone retweets you it will leave enough room for their Twitter handle without cutting off your tweet!

Twitter Tip - Be Trendy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Linking to current trends and trending topics on Twitter can really help get more attention to your tweets. Check out http://www.twopular.com and see what folks are talking about. If you can speak to the trends, tweet away!

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. Aug. 4, 2011 Issue #252 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Get Your Book a Global Reach! -- Feature Article: The Power and SEO Behind Blog Commenting -- What Authors Must Know About Platforms -- Check Out AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- The Power of QR Codes -- Build Buzz For Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Market Your Book With Giveaways -- Facebook Dos and Don'ts -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- How To Collect E-Mail Addresses -- Get Yourself on YouTube! -- Why You Should Design Your eBooks for Women -- Marketing Know-How From AME's No-Cost Seminars -- Twitter Tip - Locate Your Followers -- Twitter Tip - Clean Up Your Account -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Welcome to August! I can't believe summer is almost over! I hope it's been a good one for you. It has really been an exceptional summer for us. We just partnered with Combined Book Exhibit to offer marketing packages and services to their amazing group of authors. If you're not familiar with what Combined Book Exhibit does, check them out here: http://www.combinedbook.com/

Have you done any blog commenting yet? If you haven't, you should. Why? Because we've been doing it for five years and it's amazing. In this issue, we've got a solid how- to guide along with some insider secrets to making blog commenting work for you. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Thanks again for joining us for another issue, we're so glad you're here!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Sherrie, Amy and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Get Your Book a Global Reach! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AME is proud to be partnered with Combined Book Exhibit! We'll be featuring a new special with them each and every edition. This edition you've got a chance to get your book global! Send your book to Frankfurt or Beijing - or why not both! Free Squidoo page with any book fair purchase through AME! Buy both book fairs and save 10% off!

Email [email protected] for more details!

2011 Frankfurt International Book Fair - $250

12 Oct 2011 - 16 Oct 2011 Frankfurt, Germany Deadline to register: Aug. 12, 2011 http://www.combinedbook.com/2011-frankfurt-international-book-fair_4_401.html

2011 Beijing International Book Fair- $250

01 Sep 2011 - 03 Sep 2011 Beijing, China 12 Deadline to register: Aug. 12, 2011 http://www.combinedbook.com/2011-beijing-international-book-fair_4_398.html

Feature Article: The Power and SEO Behind Blog Commenting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For the past five or so years, we've organized teams to support an author's efforts to increase the SEO of his or her website. We've done this a number of ways, but the biggest and most powerful was - and is - blog commenting.

When we first launched teams to offer blog commenting, most people didn't have a clue how powerful this type of marketing was. Most Internet people did and have been doing it ever since. Now it's become more mainstream, and everyone seems to want to jump on the blog commenting bandwagon. But let me caution you, because there's a right way and a very wrong way to do this. I'll explain both.

Creating a Blog Commenting Plan

The first step in blog commenting is creating a plan and, of course, knowing who you'll be engaging with. Here are a few ways you can get started:

Deciding who to follow: Who will become part of your online networking tribe? These are the people influential to your industry. They might be competitors to you, or spokespeople. They might also be authorities in one way or another. Whoever they are and whatever they offer, it should somehow dial into what you are promoting. I recommend that you make a list of the top 5-10 names. Don't go overboard for now. I'm sure there are more people you could engage with, but to start, I want you to focus just on a few. You can grow the rest of your list from there.

Once you have your list, you'll want to start following their blogs and also find out where they are appearing. This might mean commenting off of their website, I'll explain in a minute why that's important. First, let's look at how you can organize this information:

RSS feeds: This is the quickest and simplest way to get started. Subscribe to their RSS feeds and keep all of these in your online reader, or Google iPage. That way you can spend a few minutes in the morning going through your blog posts to see which ones you want to comment on.

Twitter: This is another great way to find content to blog on. Follow your favorites on Twitter and follow the links to their blogs. This will often give you great insights into the biggest and most popular posts on their websites. Don't forget to comment on their Twitter posts, too!

Google Alerts: Another great system for finding good content to comment on. Plug in the names of the folks you're following. Also, enter their blog URLs too! Often bloggers will reference a blog post and not the name of the person blogging. Having this link as one of your Alerts will allow you to follow each and every mention of this blogger. So, why do you want to blog off their site? Anytime a blogger is featured on a website, it's likely that site is one you'll want to follow too. Or, at some point you may also want to blog comment on that site as well. It's a great way to network with folks who might one day interview you or feature your book!

Tips for a Great SEO Plan

Frequency: I generally recommend you try to comment on 3-5 blogs a week. I also recommend you spend no more than 30 minutes a day ferreting through blogs and posting, anything more becomes a time-drain that will prevent you from keeping up this work.

Engagement: Remember that each comment is no different than a post you would write for your own blog. You'd never consider writing "great post!" on your site and leave it at that, right? You should consider writing short but thoughtful posts for your blog comments. Offer additional insight, another perspective, or a link to where the reader can get more information. Don't be salesy, that's the first way you'll get blasted.

Quality over Quantity: As per the above note: make it count. Don't worry about the amount of posts you do, but spend the time considering the quality of the comment itself. You'll find much better engagement and response when you do.

Where's the Juice: The SEO juice from this strategy will be apparent in the incoming links that now direct to your site. Each time you post a comment it will ask you for your URL (if you're already registered on a particular site, the login will remember your URL and post it in each comment). While not all blogs allow follow links, there's a lot of debate on no-follow blogs and whether they are still good for SEO. What is "no follow"? No follow is a term used in the SEO world to describe sites that can block your outbound link (the link to your site), using a No Follow Tag. See here for more on no follow: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=96569

The No Follow essentially tells Google not to consider your link when ranking for algorithm. Even though you may get referral traffic, Google will act as if you aren't even on the site. Meaning, you may get traffic from the link, but no "link juice" per se. This deters a lot of SEO people, but my take is this: If a link from a high-traffic site will get you traffic, why not post there? We still see a significant amount of traffic from links posted on No Follow sites. Also, keep in mind that search engines pay a lot of attention to social sites like Twitter and Facebook, which are both No Follows.

The point being, a strong SEO plan should include blog commenting. Not just for the SEO benefits, but for the engagement and connections blog commenting brings with it. Consistent, high quality posts will not only bring you great traffic, but also fantastic connections as well.

Good Luck!

What Authors Must Know About Platforms ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Book Deal blog by Alan Rinzler has a great piece on "The New Author Platform" - What You Need to Know. A must-read for authors navigating the online book world: http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2011/07/25/the-new-author-platform-what-you-need- to-know/

Check Out AME's Book Marketing Resources ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's All in the Name: 15 of the most ridiculous book titles ever, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/22/ridiculous-book- titles_n_906712.html#s312116&title=The_Joy_of

Brain Power: 20 strange and awesome Dictionary.com Word of the Day words, http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/?p=6155

You're Not Alone: Famous author rejection letters - yep, they got them too, http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/2011/07/famous-author-rejection-letters/

When Bad is Good: Meet the winner of this year's Bad Fiction Award, http://flavorwire.com/197208/bulwer-lytton-bad-fiction-award-2011

The Power of QR Codes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have you seen QR codes? They're those nifty little boxes that you click on with your phone/camera and they take you right to a website. Maybe yours!

Not sure if you should use a QR code, check this out:

52% of mobile users know what a QR code is, 28% of them have used it.

Of all the phone types, iPhone users scan the most, 68% vs. 26% of Android users and only 4% of blackberry users.

QR code scanning rose 1,200% from July to Dec 2010. ~ Courtesy of Jumpscan

Build Buzz For Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

The results? Your book gets the exposure, awareness and buzz it needs to generate sales.

For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

Market Your Book With Giveaways ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get some ideas - 12 in all - for giveaways that can generate some great exposure for your book: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book-marketing/12-ways-to-market-your- book-by-giving-away-free-stuff/

Facebook Dos and Don'ts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Social media is all about participating. Get some tips on how to contribute to the conversation, not detract from it: http://www.allfacebook.com/dos-and-donts-of- facebook-commenting-2011-07

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * The Story Merchant Blog by literary manager and producer Ken Atchity ran Penny's article, "Why Regional Pitching Can Leverage Big Success," http://kenatchity.blogspot.com/2011/07/why-regional-pitching-can-leverage-big.html

* Publishing Trends quoted Penny in its article on Freelance Publicists and included AME in the directory, http://www.publishingtrends.com/2011/08/freelance-publicists-2011/

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest publishing/marketing piece for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Upcoming show:

Publishing Insights from Ellora's Cave on Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. Eastern http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/08/09/publishing-insights- from-elloras-cave If you want to be on the cutting edge of the publishing world, look no further than Ellora's Cave. They have a successful formula for both print and ebooks - while others tried to figure out how to navigate a digital publishing world, Ellora's Cave dived right in. Join us as Susan Edwards, COO of Ellora's Cave, discusses the strategies her company employs to stay on top.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

* Re-Purposing Your Content * The Future of Author Events * Selling Your Book in Bulk and Special Sales * What Authors Must Know About Book Cover Design * Literary Agents and Their Evolving Role in Publishing * The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Parts 1, 2 and 3 * SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box * Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter * Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with Ebooks * Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher * Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books * Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries * Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes * This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral * How to Make Money on Twitter * A Self Publishing Success Story * From Blog to Book * The Digital Book Revolution * Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff * Ebooks: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath * Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook * All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

How To Collect E-Mail Addresses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Emails are a valuable marketing tool, but getting people to give you a valid address is not as simple as passing around a sheet of paper at an event. Learn why email addresses matter and how you can grow your list successfully: http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2009/02/golden-nugget-collect-e-mail- addresses_26.html

Get Yourself on YouTube! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We all know that Google is the #1 search engine in the world, but did you also know that YouTube is #2? Are you on YouTube? If not, you should be. Get yourself a channel and start shooting videos today!

Why You Should Design Your eBooks for Women ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Did you know that the majority of e-reader owners are female? A recent article in the New York Times said that while tablets tend to be men's toys, other e-readers are more popular among women. And according to Forrester Research, 55 percent of e-reader owners are female.

More importantly, women buy more books than men do - by a ratio of 3 to 1, according to a survey by Bowker. That means they are more likely to be e-reader buyers, too. If you're still thinking a book is page after page of black print on white "paper" you might want to get out more. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/business/media/23nook.html

Marketing Know-How From AME's No-Cost Seminars ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The webinars will cover a variety of topics and will be led by standout industry professionals. Take a look at what's coming up so you don't miss out. Next up:

Fans, Followers and Friends - How to Maximize and Monetize Social Media (Part 2)

When: Aug. 19, 11 a.m. EST, hosted by Penny Sansevieri.

How to register:

See the rest of the schedule at: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/announcing-free- monthly-webinars/

Twitter Tip - Locate Your Followers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use Geo-Twitter! Learn where your Twitter followers live. Take a look at http://www.twittervision.com

Twitter Tip - Clean Up Your Account ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Got a lot of nonfollowers on Twitter? Now you can clear them with http://www.justunfollow.com

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. Aug. 18, 2011 Issue #253 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Check Out the New AME Promos! -- Feature Article: Thirty Ways to Make Yourself Irresistible to the Media -- Top Title Tips -- Discover AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- Blog Commenting as a Marketing Strategy: Dos and Don'ts -- Build Awareness For Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Promote YOUR Book With CBE and AME at a Book Fair! -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Coming Soon: The 2011 Self-Publishing Book Expo -- 10 Dead-Honest Reasons Reporters Delete Your Emails -- Available Now: The Armageddon Chord -- AME Seminar Aug. 24 - Fans, Friends & Followers -- Twitter Tip - Wisestamp -- Twitter Tip - Twitter Background -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

We hear it all the time, readers tell us: "We love your newsletter!!" Thank you, thank you so much for learning and growing right along with us. We love that you're here, thanks so much for reading!

If you're ready to get out there and become a media darling, you will love this week's article. We're focused on helping you get the attention you deserve and get your slice of the media pie! We have some fantastic tips, and a great article contributed by one of our readers.

Also, we encourage you to ask us questions. We're going to start running these in our newsletter because we find if it's on your mind, others may have thought of it, too. Send us your book marketing or publishing questions to [email protected] and we'll run them - with an answer from an expert - in our newsletter!

We're excited to bring another issue to your inbox; we hope you enjoy it!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Sherrie, Amy, Brittany and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Check Out the New AME Promos! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Excerpt Bundle (Retail Value $249)

Everyone loves to move to the next chapter. We'll "tease" your audience on a variety of sites with your first chapter (or your favorite) and then refer them to your site to learn more - or to just go straight to buy the book! Of course, this supports your search engine optimization too! FREE with any Virtual Author Tour(TM) if purchased by Aug. 31, 2011.

For more details, email [email protected].

New Author App!

Showcase your author FanPage with an Author App! Exclusive to AME clients! Save 10% if purchased by Aug. 31, 2011.

For more details, email [email protected].

Feature Article: Thirty Ways to Make Yourself Irresistible to the Media ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There is a reason so many pitches get rejected by the media. On average, the media rejects 95% of pitches they get. How can you become part of the 5% that get picked up for a story? First, you need to know the reasons why pitches get rejected. Keep in mind these aren't the only reasons, but certainly the majority of them:

Uninteresting email subject lines: Often your pitch is judged by the subject line. Make it something interesting, make it a headline or risk getting relegated to the delete bin.

Long emails: I don't know about you, but I hate reading long emails. The media hates it even more, in fact many of my media friends have told me that if they have to scroll through a pitch, they often won't consider it unless it comes from a very trusted source. How long is too long? If you can read it on the screen without scrolling down, you're in good shape.

Non-compelling topics: You won't get attention for your topic just because you pitch it. It has to be timely, unique, and relevant to the audience they serve. Think HUH: Hip, Unique, and Helpful.

An opened email isn't always a sure bet: Even if your email gets opened, it might still get deleted, here's why: For all of the above reasons. Create a tight, focused pitch that isn't too long and stays on topic. This will increase your chances that the media will read it through.

Not relevant: What I mean by this is that it's not relevant to the audience the media outlet serves. Don't think for a minute that just because you find it interesting and compelling that your media target will. For example, I once had an author tell me about the amazing world of fly fishing, and then insist that Oprah would be interested in this topic. Really? I think not so much. Watch the show, listen to the broadcast, or read the blog or publication - before pitching.

A false sense of urgency: Often I find that folks pitching, in order to get noticed, will call upon a false sense of urgency. Yes, it's urgent that we fix our school systems. Yes, it's urgent that we clean up the environment. Neither of these things is going to blow up tomorrow so don't pitch them as though they are. While it might make for a more compelling pitch, it will only serve to paint you as an unreliable and often excitable source. Neither of these is good.

Unknown senders: An unknown source or sender may be considered an unreliable one. It's easy enough to get to know the media long before you start pitching. And I highly recommend that you do so.

Now, let's look at 30 things you can do to make yourself, and your pitches, irresistible to the media!

1) Start early and Focus on Relationships.

2) Connect on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn: get to know your media, connect with any local and national reporters, journalists, and news people via these social sites so you can get to know them.

3) Comment on postings via Twitter and Facebook: comment on their postings and news when appropriate.

4) Facebook birthdays: this is a great way to connect to everyone on your list, especially media. Wish them a happy birthday, they'll appreciate it.

5) Watch those Twitter hashtags: as you follow your media, you'll start to see a trend of most-used Twitter hashtags, I highly recommend you follow them so you can see who else is talking about the story.

6) Blog about them on your site, referencing a recent story they did.

7) Comment on their stories, whether it's on their site or on their media site.

8) Sign up for Helpareporter.com (HARO) and respond to stories appropriate to your topic.

9) Get to know your smaller, regional publications, and also trade publications. Both of these tend to be easier to get to and could offer you some exposure well in advance of your book launch.

10) Get to know your local radio hosts, or the hosts of stations you'll be targeting. Especially in radio, it's great to get connected to the broadcast people as early as you can. They also tend to be pretty accessible.

11) Go to events where you know you might meet some media folk. This is often a great way to engage them on mutual ground. Attending the same event is a great way to start a dialog or relationship with the media.

12) Practice your elevator pitch! What's an elevator pitch? It's a short, succinct description of your topic or pitch. Short enough to keep them interested (1-2 sentences) but long enough to tell the story, or at least the headline.

13) Become a source for your target media: becoming a media source is something we'd all love to do. But this takes time. By getting to know your media, commenting on stories they write and letting them know your area of expertise, you might become one of their regular sources!

14) Become a connector: be the person the media goes to for other experts as well. How do you do this? Whenever you introduce yourself to media, make sure they know your area of expertise and your ability to connect them to other experts who might be helpful as well.

15) Every now and then, I will share a blog post with a journalist that I think will be helpful to them. I don't do this a lot - just every once in a while.

16) Be succinct: define your story in one sentence. Keep it short, sweet, and relevant to your topic.

17) Sell the benefits, not the features. The media cares about what consumers care about, and all they want are benefits.

18) Make sure the media person has all the information he or she needs prior to the interview. This is especially true for late/breaking news. If there are new developments, make sure they are aware of them. This will save them research time and make them look good!

19) Speaking of making media look good, this is your job as well. Yes! It's important to make them look good, give them a set of questions, a synopsis about the book or interview topic and be prepared in case they ask you a question that doesn't seem quite right. Sometimes the person who is interviewing you doesn't get the media packet until 10 minutes before they go on, which doesn't leave them a lot of time to prepare. Be sure to help make their job easy!

20) Jump on breaking news when it happens and be ready when the media calls.

21) Be flexible. If a reporter covering a big story wants to chat with you on a weekend or late at night/early morning, say Yes.

22) Be excited about your topic: if you're not excited, how do you expect the media to be?

23) Never, ever give up. It might take a while for you to hear back, and sometimes (most times) the media won't respond to you until they have a need for your story.

24) Keep it short. Write short emails, always. Generally media folk are on email overload anyway; don't add to that with long, elaborate emails.

25) Think locally when appropriate: craft a local spin to a national story. While local media will always cover local, they love regional angles to stories that are making national news.

26) Stay on topic: when you do get the interview, stay on topic. Don't stray all over the place, you will confuse the media person and you'll end up getting a much smaller piece of a story if you look too fragmented.

27) Respond immediately: even if you are on vacation, reply right away to all media queries.

28) Don't tell the media anything you don't want to see in print. Assume everything you say is "on the record" even if you ask them to keep it confidential. I've seen authors say "well, off the record;" when it comes to media, assume there's no such thing.

29) Avoid slang and industry jargon: it will confuse the media.

30) Be grateful: always. Send a handwritten thank you note after an interview, and even if you didn't get the interview for which you were being considered, send a note of thanks anyway and wish them well on their story.

When it comes to media, get started as early as you can and build those relationships. Remember that while the delete rate of pitches is high, they are still in need of great guests, interviews, and stories. Be all those things and you'll not only be irresistible to the media, but you'll get a lot of placements that could really help launch your career!

Bonus tip! Ready to find media on Twitter? Head on over to Muck Rack: http://muckrack.com/

Good luck!

Top Title Tips ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Everyone's pressed for time, so learn how to make your blog stand out with captivating titles: http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2011/03/7-tips-for-writing-titles-that- will.html

Discover AME's Book Marketing Resources ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inspiring Locales: 10 Real-Life Places That Inspired Literary Classics, http://flavorwire.com/199845/10-real-life-places-that-inspired-literary-classics

Posthumous Success: 6 Writers Who Never Knew How Famous They'd Be, http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/?p=6283

Movable Library: Laura Moulton Brings Books to the Homeless, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2011/0810/Laura- Moulton-brings-books-to-the-homeless-by-bike

Who Knew? 10 Famous Fictional Characters You Didn't Know Were Based On Real People (Shrek, really?) http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/10-famous-fictional-characters-you- didnt-know-wer

Blog Commenting as a Marketing Strategy: Dos and Don'ts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Commenting on various blogs throughout the blogosphere is, in many ways, one of the most effective ways to build a community of readers, whether you are promoting your work, product, or service.

On the other hand, many hard-line "marketers" are grabbing on to the blog commenting method as a marketing strategy such that it has become ineffective in many ways. To be truly effective, it all depends on how you do it. Here are a few dos and don'ts if you want to use blog commenting to promote your book or your blog.

1. Don't spam. Spamming, especially obvious spamming, is so easy to detect these days, it's not even funny. While it is unlikely that you will pursue the spamming that uses automated software, using even the most innocent spamming methods is really not worth the hassle. Even if you've been told that it will help you with in-bound links, it's really not worth the effort if you approach commenting in this spammy, opportunistic manner.

2. Don't come across as a spammer. Bloggers, especially experienced bloggers, have become very sensitive to detecting spammers. As such, even if you leave comments that aren't produced by robots, it is important that you do not shamelessly self-promote in your comments. Many bloggers will delete comments like this immediately, so always make the quality of your comments take priority over commenting as a marketing strategy.

3. Do always thoroughly read whatever article on which you will be leaving comments. Even if you are using blog commenting as a marketing strategy, quality always should take precedence over quantity. Don't think that you need to comment on a ton of different blogs in order to get the word out about your book, blog, or whatever else you are trying to promote. The best first step to leaving a quality, thoughtful comment is to read the article several times over and to carefully read other comments left, especially if you are responding to comments yourself.

4. Do leave comments that develop or further the discussion. After carefully reading the blog, the next step to effectively using commenting as a marketing strategy is to really carry the conversation forward. This is the whole point of leaving comments. If it were just to give a shout out to your friend or to yell obscenities in print then comments would have become obsolete a long time ago. Blogging is a written form that is about instantly interacting. As such, to leave an impressive comment is to really think about how you can shape the conversation among readers and the writer.

5. Do make sure you approach blogs strategically. If you are trying to promote your book, then comment on blogs that have to do with either book publishing or your book's subject matter. For one, you will be more articulate since you are writing about something that you know very well. Moreover, it comes across as less "spammy" if you comment on appropriate blogs, thus increasing your chances of success.

Good luck, and happy commenting!

Tips provided by Patricia Garza, who writes about gadget, technology, design, social media, e-learning related articles at http://oedb.org/

Build Awareness For Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

2012 Indie Excellence Awards ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The 2012 Indie Excellence Awards contest is open for submissions!

NIEA celebrates overall excellence, including design and promotional text. To enter, please send one copy of your book per category entered. Books with publication dates of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 are eligible. Books published anywhere in the world may be submitted as long as they are in English and can be purchased in the United States.

For more information, expanded category listings and entry forms please visit: http://www.indieexcellence.com

Promote YOUR Book With CBE and AME at a Book Fair! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here are the upcoming shows and deadlines:

2011 New England Library Association Burlington, VT - Oct. 2 to Oct. 4, 2011

The seven states that comprise New England are all represented by the New England Library Association (in addition to the few that have their own library associations). While New England may not be the largest region of the U.S., it does include cities like Boston, Burlington, Portland, Hartford, New Haven, Manchester and other cities that, when put together, represent a great cross-section of some of the smaller market urban areas in the U.S. With nearly 1,000 members, the New England Library Association serves a diverse community. Over 70% of those members are librarians from public and school libraries, so there's a great chance that the books you show to this audience are going to be seen by the very people who make recommendations directly to patrons - and librarians know what their patrons want. There's no better way to market to New England than through the New England Library Association.

Registration & Display Copy Deadline: Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. Email [email protected] to register! Order more than one book fair and save 10%!

2011 Pennsylvania Library Association State College, PA - Oct. 2 to Oct. 5, 2011

The Pennsylvania Library Association is one that consistently throws great conferences regardless of the location. Perhaps that's because the (on average) 1,000 in attendance, who represent nearly 2,000 members, are so dedicated to their craft, which includes staffing over 50 library branches in Philadelphia alone. Pennsylvania is a large state with a population of over 12 million, covering a lot of ground, and offering a lot of opportunity.

Registration & Display Copy Deadline: Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. Email [email protected] to register! Order more than one book fair and save 10%!

2011 Illinois Library Association Rosemont, IL - Oct. 19 to Oct. 21, 2011

The state of Illinois receives loads of fanfare from the library community, no doubt in part because the American Library Association's main offices are in Chicago. And with such an important part of the national library world located right in its backyard, the Illinois Library Association has good company when advocating for the staff and members of the 3,802 libraries in the state. With over 3,700 members in the association, it stands as the third largest state library association in the entire U.S., making it a great opportunity for marketing your titles to a serious and seriously large audience.

Registration & Display Copy Deadline: Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. Email [email protected] to register! Order more than one book fair and save 10%!

Penny in the News! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Business Insider blog ran Penny's article: The Power and SEO Behind Blog Commenting, http://www.businessinsider.com/penny-c-sansevieri-the-power-and-seo- behind-blog-commenting-2011-7

* Penny answered 20 Questions for WOW - Women on Writing, http://www.wow- womenonwriting.com/32-20questions-PennySansevieri.html

* Penny has a series on book marketing underway at BookBuzzr, http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/?s=Penny+Sansevieri&x=0&y=0.

* Keep up with Penny's latest publishing/marketing piece for Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri.

Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Be in the know and hear what the publishing insiders: Penny Sansevieri, CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. - and her guests - has to offer in terms of tips and insights into the industry! Listen here. Publishing Insiders is now available on iTunes, so you can keep up with the show wherever you go!

Upcoming show:

All About Ghostwriting on Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. Eastern http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2011/08/23/all-about-ghostwriting Why would an author hire a ghostwriter? Or would you like to learn how to break into this field? Join us as expert Ellie Maas Davis discusses how to find a good ghostwriter, or how to become one - and much more! About our guest: Ellie Maas Davis is the owner of Pressque, a publishing consultation firm that offers editing, ghostwriting, and marketing services to authors and publishers.

Shows available for download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders:

* Publishing Insights from Ellora's Cave * Re-Purposing Your Content * The Future of Author Events * Selling Your Book in Bulk and Special Sales * What Authors Must Know About Book Cover Design * Literary Agents and Their Evolving Role in Publishing * The Dos and Don'ts of Distribution, Parts 1, 2 and 3 * SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box * Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter * Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with eBooks * Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher * Branding: The Secret to Selling More Books * Secrets to Getting Your Book Into Libraries * Getting Your Book into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes * This Book Will Make You Money with special guest Jim Kukral * How to Make Money on Twitter * A Self Publishing Success Story * From Blog to Book * The Digital Book Revolution * Powerhouse Promotion with Marci Shimoff * eBooks: the Savior of Publishing or the Foe? with Joe Konrath * Special Guest Mari Smith, queen of Facebook * All Things Twitter! with Warren Whitlock

Coming Soon: The 2011 Self-Publishing Book Expo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The 2011 Self-Publishing Book Expo will be back for a third year, on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Sheraton New York Hotel (811 Seventh Avenue, NYC).

Highlights of this year's show include:

· A Keynote speech by bestselling, award-winning author and publisher Dan Poynter, known as the "Dean of Self-Publishing."

· What's Your Story - a forum for aspiring authors to pitch their book ideas to a highly experienced group of agents, editors and publishers.

· One-on-One Manuscript Evaluations - where professional editors will sit down with authors to review and assess their work

· Sixteen panels - led by an impressive list of industry professionals on such topics as eBooks, social networking, pricing, distribution, website building, and the legal aspects of self-publishing, to name just a few.

· Free admission to the Exhibit Hall.

In the 3 years the Self-Publishing Book Expo has been in existence, it has gathered momentum and strong consumer recognition. Last year's show was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the over 450 exhibitors and attendees, who agreed that the SPBE has established itself as the only true home for self-published books and authors.

For further information, please visit: http://www.selfpubbookexpo.com

10 Dead-Honest Reasons Reporters Delete Your Emails ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Learn how you can get your emails through - and you don't have to be famous for these tips to work: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-secrets-to-pitching-reporters-when- no-one-knows-who-the-hell-you-are-2011-6?op=1

Available Now: The Armageddon Chord ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "THE ARMAGEDDON CHORD is like "The Da Vinci Code with a heavy-metal soundtrack!" -Katherine Turman, Co-author of Louder Than Hell

"The music was to be a battle cry heard around the world and throughout Heaven and Hell. It would summon and release Sethis and call out his dark legions to destroy all those who had light in their hearts ---"

Deep beneath the Egyptian sands, an ancient and evil song written in hieroglyphics is discovered in the long lost and buried pyramid of the demonic pharaoh, Aknaseth. It is written, that if this song is performed for the world to hear, it will unleash the Apocalypse upon the world of man --- Satan will reign and grant immortality to the chosen.

With the help of the abominable Egyptologist, Helmut Hartkopff, nihilistic multi- billionaire, Festus Baustone the Third will do whatever it takes to bring the song to life at any cost - even if his only daughter is to be sacrificed.

Kirk Vaisto, dubbed the "God of Guitar" by his millions of fans, soon finds himself caught between the forces of divine good and monumental evil. Vaisto begins a musical journey that takes him from an unholy chapter in ancient Egyptian history to the very remains of the Holy Cross, to the concert stage, and beyond all this, to the very edge of Hell itself.

Will Kirk Vaisto give the performance of a lifetime and either deliver our world from evil - or he will annihilate us all with the stroke of his hand?

What will happen when Kirk Vaisto strikes The Armageddon Chord?

The Armageddon Chord, debut novel by author and musician Jeremy Wagner, will be in stores Aug. 22.

Pre-order your copy now at http://www.thearmageddonchord.com

AME Seminar Aug. 24 - Fans, Friends & Followers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AME webinars cover a variety of topics and are led by standout industry professionals. Take a look at what's coming up so you don't miss out. Next up:

Fans, Followers and Friends - How to Maximize and Monetize Social Media (Part 2)

When: Aug. 24, 2:30 p.m. EST, hosted by Penny Sansevieri. (Note, the original date was Aug. 19; if you signed up for that day/time you'll automatically receive an email with log-in instructions the morning of Aug. 24).

If you haven't registered yet, here's how:

See the rest of the schedule at: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/announcing-free- monthly-webinars/

Twitter Tip - Wisestamp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use http://www.wisestamp.com to keep your emails updated with your latest tweets! Wisestamp doesn't currently work in Outlook, but for other email providers it's a great way to share your latest social media info in each signature block!

Twitter Tip - Twitter Background ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Want a no-cost Twitter background? Try http://freetwitterdesigner.com/

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER! A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion. Sept. 1, 2011 Issue #254 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- NEW from AME! -- Feature Article: Five Simple Ways to Improve your Ranking on Google -- Marketing and Promotion Tips From Chris Brogan -- Utilize AME's Book Marketing Resources -- Book Bits and Bites -- The Next 10 eBook Trends to Watch For -- Buzz Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes -- Submit Your Book to the 2012 Indie Excellence Awards -- Promote YOUR Book With CBE and AME at a Book Fair! -- Penny in the News! -- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say -- Join Penny's Webinar: Fans, Followers and Friends -- How to Use Skype to Sell Books -- Google+ Tips for Writers and Authors -- 10 Ways to Improve Your Website -- Social Media Snippet: Using LinkedIn More Effectively -- Social Media Snippet: Facebook and QR Codes -- Reader Tip! -- WHO ARE WE ------

Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor [email protected]

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter! Dear Author,

Happy (almost) Labor Day! Can you believe summer is over? Soon, our hot summer days will turn to Fall - my favorite time of the year! I hope you all had a great summer!

So, how do you get a higher ranking on Google? Well, it's not as tough as you might think. This week we're taking a close look at what it takes to succeed on Google. We've also got another jam-packed issue. I hear from readers all the time how much they love this newsletter. We love it, too, and we're so glad you keep reading!

You know, often when I meet authors at events they say, "you don't promote yourself enough in your newsletter"- I know, and we do that intentionally. Information first, always. We're a fabulous group of women. We love promoting books and authors, and if you'd like to work with us, give us a call. We're sure we'd love to work with you, too.

And finally, to all our friends out East, we hope you made it through Hurricane Irene safe and sound. I was in Virginia at BlogPaws (awesome event!) on Friday and was lucky to get out on a flight that night. We hope you all made it safely, too.

Here's to another great Fall, a fabulous school year (Do I hear some parents cheering? Back to school! Yah!) We wish you all well!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Sherrie, Amy, Brittany and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

NEW from AME! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Excerpt Bundle (Retail Value $249)

For more details, email [email protected].

New Author App!

Showcase your author Fan Page with an Author App! Exclusive to AME clients. Save 10% if purchased by Sept. 14, 2011.

For more details, email [email protected].

Feature Article: Five Simple Ways to Improve your Ranking on Google ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Getting top ranking on Google may seem like a lofty goal, but many authors we work with do achieve this. And while they may not come up on the #1 spot on Google, they can get pretty high. The secret, though, isn't in "gaming" the system as many people like to think. In fact, Google is too smart for most black hat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hat_SEO marketers. On average, Google changes their algorithms over 500 times a year. Why do they do this? Well, mostly to make sure that websites that are focused on content farming and other black hat SEO tactics don't climb up the search engine rankings.

Last year Google implemented changes which are now being referred to as the "Panda" update. What this did is go after content farms and the like, lowering their ranking by up to 90%. What are content farms? Sites that are focused on high volume, low-quality content. These sites often try and sell AdWords on their pages to game the system and make money that way. Google is always on the lookout for these types of sites and unfortunately during this update, bigger and respectable sites like Suite101 and EzineArticles got hit hard, too. If this story concerns you, and it should, keep in mind that you likely won't become a site like Suite101 unless you are singularly focused on content aggregation.

If you're ready to boost your site up in the search rankings, here are a few tips to help you do that:

1) It's not about you: Your website is not about you, it's about your consumer or end- user. Google's singular focus is to make sure websites are focused on the user. Make sure that your site is focused on your consumer/reader. What does that mean? It means that you need to take yourself out of the equation and really, really make sure your site is all about the people you are targeting.

2) Links, Links, Links: You want to get links, but not just any links. You want links from high-traffic, high-quality sites. I've shared other articles on how to get these so going through these pieces will definitely help you: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/how-to-help-google-find- y_b_515969.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/eight-steps-for- successfu_b_371191.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/social-networking-on- blog_b_408165.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/your-10-point-website- che_b_505157.html

3) What's on your SERP? What does SERP stand for? It means Search Engine Results Page, and if you've never looked at yours, you probably should. This is the page that shows content from your home page, generally the first three lines or so. If the first paragraph on your home page is just about you, and not about your reader, it will not only affect your ranking but your clickability as well. Again, keep this focused on the reader.

4) Keywords and title tags: While many of us are focused on keywords, most of us ignore title tags. What are title tags? They are what your page name says at the very top of your search bar. You should be using keywords in this area, which will help with your search engine ranking.

5) Site updates & ad space: I love our AME blog, and it's really helped with our search engine ranking. Why? Because search engines love fresh content and every time you update your website, it tells the search engines that you've added new content. But one thing you won't see on our blog are ads. Why? I don't care for them, particularly on our site, and I don't think they monetize enough for me to consider adding them. Also, too much ad content can lower your ranking in Google.

Getting a higher ranking in Google isn't that hard, but it does take time. There is no such thing as overnight results or ranking, and for sites that subscribe to this, they often find their site disappeared or was "sandboxed" by Google http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbox_effect. The secret really isn't a big secret, but basically it's this: keep your site current and relevant. If you have a website that's focused on your consumer, you update the site via your blog, and you spend time doing some helpful link building, I can almost guarantee you'll see your website go from page 54 to page 1 - and wouldn't that be great?

Marketing and Promotion Tips From Chris Brogan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Author and social media expert Chris Brogan recently ran a great series on all aspects of writing a book, including some marketing tips: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/writing-a- book-marketing-and-promotion-2/

Utilize AME's Book Marketing Resources ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like" our AME Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame?ref=sgm.

Book Bits and Bites ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Can't Get No Respect: Former Vice President Dick Cheney's memoir is spoofed by Taiwanese animators, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/dick-cheney-memoir- spoofed-by-taiwanese-animators_b37215

Love Will Tear Us Apart: 30 literary breakup quotes, http://flavorwire.com/202068/love- will-tear-us-apart-30-literary-breakup-quotes

Most Wanted: The most sought-after out-of-print titles in America via BookFinder.com, http://www.bookfinder.com/books/bookfinder_report_2011/

Expand Your Vocabulary "Fist bump," "bromance" "Tweet" and "cougar" make the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44271447/ns/today-books/

The Next 10 eBook Trends to Watch For ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No matter one's opinion of eBooks and eReaders, it's highly doubtful they're going to just up and disappear anytime soon. Since they've already started infiltrating bookstores, libraries and schools, now makes for a great opportunity to start evolving and better meeting various consumer needs. Exactly how this comes about remains to be seen, obviously, but gadget gurus and digital enthusiasts certainly have some interesting ideas about what eBook trends might start cropping up soon.

1. Bundles: Whether packaging a print edition along with the eBook, blending digital versions of an author's entire oeuvre or organizing reads thematically, many eBook enthusiasts think bundles will inspire quite the popularity surge. The added incentives might very well sway individuals and institutions unsure about whether or not they want to embrace the admittedly expensive technology.

2. Social Reading Sessions: Online book clubs are actually quite common these days, but eBooks have yet to really seize upon their potential. Beyond offering up discussion questions, readers themselves could include ways for members to communicate with one another via audio or video, or promote even better integration with some of the technologies and organizations already available.

3. Greater Interactivity: eBook users don't have to set up a book club to enjoy a greatly enhanced reading experience! The digital format allows a far higher degree of interactivity than the traditional paperback, and the potential is limited only by an author's or programmer's imagination. Books aimed at young children might especially benefit from this trend - think of how the audience might respond to animations of their favorite illustrations!

4. Authors Go Straight to eBook Publishers: Rather than waiting on their publishing houses to transfer their works over to eBook format, more and more authors are bypassing the traditional system altogether and submitting straight to the producers themselves. And for those looking into self-publishing, pursuing such opportunities may very well mean the difference between floundering in obscurity and hitting the eBook bestseller list.

5. Monetized Content: Not everyone will necessarily dig embedded ads in their eBooks, even unobtrusive ones, but that doesn't mean publishers and companies won't try to cash in on the technology. All the same, though, monetized content doesn't have to mean staring down "CLICK HERE!" in the middle of Cat's Cradle. It could be anything from downloadable content - along the lines of many video games - to subscription services.

6. Different Formats For Different Genres: As eBook readers gain popularity and become more sophisticated, it may come to pass that different genres might end up housed in different technologies. The computerized equivalent of hardcovers versus softcovers, in other words. Kindles and Nooks are excellent for converted novels and nonfiction, but prove a bit too small for textbooks. Larger, more specialized devices could easily come about in order to house "heavier" content.

7. More Indie Publishers: With plenty of authors heading straight for eBook publishers and bypassing the usual mainstream channels, now's an incredible time to be (or even launch) an independent "label." So many talented individuals have excellent stories to tell and research to share, tech-savvy entrepreneurs and editors probably won't have a difficult time finding viable content. Because of this, it makes perfect sense that more and more digital publishing - and even self-publishing - houses will start springing up.

8. A Greater Decline in Traditional Bookstores: Even those without a business degree see Borders' recent bankruptcy and closing as the death knell for traditional bookstores. Although it may be a bit premature to declare such a thing, the format certainly needs to adapt and change if it hopes to survive. So while the familiar setup might not "die" like Borders, over time it's going to start looking a lot different. Barnes and Noble, for example, released the Nook in order to compete with the evolving market. As eBooks continue climbing, it and other book carries will have to find new ways to pick up the slack.

9. Increased Royalties From eBook Sales: Since eBooks are becoming more profitable, authors (not to mention their agents!) will probably want to see more royalties coming in from their availability. Understandably so! If publishers wish to retain their talent - not to mention attract some awesome new names - they'll have to start paying up for more than just the bound books.

10. Free eReaders: It probably sounds insane right now, but the declining cost of eBook readers mean more can be handed out for promotional purposes. Book clubs, publishers and other businesses or organizations might charge consumers a membership or subscription fee, providing the device completely gratis. No different than cell providers receiving money in exchange for air time and comping the phone as an added incentive to sign up, really.

Guest post by Jennifer Lynch, an author at http://www.onlinecolleges.net. She writes articles about higher education, college life, study tips, career advice, and more!

Buzz Your Book With the Viral Book Sweepstakes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How would you like to promote your book to hundreds of potential readers for less than $6 a day?

Many authors do book giveaways, which sometimes help build mailing lists.

However, they don't do what you really want: get visitors to tell hundreds of their friends about your book. AME has a powerful and surprisingly affordable new solution. Our Viral Book Sweepstakes platform uses the latest Internet marketing techniques to attract visitors, showcase your book, and get visitors to invite their friends.

Finally, a way to turn contacts into evangelists spreading the word of your book and generating buzz.

The results? Your book gets the exposure, awareness and buzz it needs to generate sales.

For more information, please see http://BookSweepstakes.com.

Submit Your Book to the 2012 Indie Excellence Awards ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The 2012 Indie Excellence Awards contest is open for submissions!