Getting Your Name Out There

There's LinkedIn, of course, and MySpace and Facebook, and a very successful writer friend pointed me toward a site called Everyone Who's Anyone to get a person's name into the publicity mix once The Book is published.

What else can you do if you were raised, like many children, "to be seen and not heard?"

• "First, you are not a child anymore so it's okay to be heard. But more importantly, I think it helps to look at it as part of being professionals. Professionals behave in certain ways and one of those ways involves how a professional presents himself to others. Be proud of your accomplishments. That's all that's needed."
  

• "I'm not sure that LinkedIn is the best place for book promotions, to tell the truth. The best place is frankly on Amazon, where collecting good reviews, writing a blog, and being generally active is going to get you more return on your time and energy than any of the sites that more or less cater to authors from authors (and no author can afford to buy others' books anyway!). They're okay for generating SEO mileage, but if you have limited time, Amazon is the way to go."
  

• "I'm using Authors Den and Dorothy L websites to promote my books. I have only been at it for a short time so I don't know yet how many sales it may have generated. Besides promos for my novels I've posted short stories at Authors Den. They get the most hits."

Everyone can get the benefit on how to create buzz.

You did good with Linkedin, now create a profile on Facebook and invite people with similar interests to be your friend. One of my "friends"--a writer--on Facebook contacted me because we both have black Labs. He hooked up with everyone who has a dog and that's how he's publicizing his book. I get constant alerts in Facebook that he's doing a reading or has appeared on local TV.

Also, if you have a blog update it often so it can get picked up by search engines. Make sure you use SEO keywords so it can rise to the top (most of the techies in the group probably have a better understanding of the process. I'm just repeating what's been told to me). In Facebook, you can also export your blog entries.

Whenever your writing appears in print, post it on your blog with the link. You might want to share this with others that have blogs that share similar interests.

If you've written a non-fiction book and it's a hot topic. Write an op-ed piece for your local/national paper and submit it. An author, whom I represented, wrote about addiction-proofing your child and had two op-ed pieces in the Wall Street Journal. At the end of his commentary, in bold letters, was the title of his book.

Send copies of your book to Amazon reviewers. Do a search in your category and go down the list of reviewers. There are several that have a top 100 reviewer tag. Contact them and ask them if they would be willing to review your book. Also, do a search anyone who reviews books online. I'm amazed how many bloggers there are who write book reviews.

I recommend that you create an online press kit. Include release on the book (no more than two pages), a one page synopsis, a bio, and if you have blurbs add those to another page. Plus a photo of the book's cover and of yourself.

Contact any libraries, bookstores, coffeshops, community centers and see if they do readings. If they do and agree to have you read your work, send it to calendar editors at the local newspapers (usually 4 weeks in advance).

Set up accounts on Red Room, Good Read's , Author's Den and there's a whole bunch more. Be part of their communities and plug, plug, plug your book!