Book Buzz 2.0

Thou Shall Not Market Alone

by Tyora Moody

Writing can be a lonely activity. The loneliness may not necessary end after the book is published. Hours of travel, sitting at book signing tables, setting up booths, and hotel rooms may take a toil on a writer, may even steal some of the joy from the publishing process. With the current economy, authors have to be careful with funds. It's imperative to include a combination of traditional and online ideas in book marketing plans. With the Book Buzz 2.0 column, I try to share with you online marketing ideas to help you get your book out there to your readers. I also run a marketing blog, but there is no way I could share with you all the options that are available to you. What makes the Internet such an awesome place is the willingness of so many who don't mind sharing tips. I've found the best teachers when it comes to marketing are those who are veterans or who have a creative spirit when it comes to book promotion.

Here are a few blogs and social networks worth your time to add to your feed reader or join as a member.

Book Marketing Network is a social network owned and operated by John Kremer. Kremer is quite the book marketing guru with his own site BookMarket.com and numerous books. Like any network, it's more than just setting up a page and hoping someone will come by to check out your book. I think the true benefit of the group lies in networking and sharing ideas.

The Big Bad Book Blog is the owned and operated by Greenleaf Book Group’s. Readers will learn about the writing and publishing community.

Book Marketing in the Digital Age Online Promotion Made Easy is a blog owned by author, Yvonne Perry. Perry includes tips about blogging, how to get traffic to your site, virtual book tours, social media, podcasting and more. She offers many more valuable tips in her ebook, Book Marketing in the Digital Age.

The Web-Savvy Writer blog is operated by Patrice-Anne Rutledge. She updates the blog regularly with social media tips. Rutledge's second edition of The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion with a High-Tech Twist is available.

You Can Sell More Books is a blog operated by Lisa Copen. Copen offers down to earth tips that authors can use. I love what she says, "If I can save someone a few steps or teach them to put a new slant on how they can market their book, I feel like I’ve saved them a few steps and thousands of dollars.”

We CAN! Promote Our Books Blog has a group of writers who contribute daily. All the authors are members of the Christian Authors Network, and they are very transparent about sharing their victories and struggles when it comes to book marketing. The writers cover everything from social networking to traditional offline methods with a twist.

Some other folks you may want to check out for marketing ideas, happen to be two of my favorite publicists. Pam Perry (Ministry Marketing Solutions) and Robin Caldwell (The J Standard Media Group, LLC) have blogs loaded with a wealth of information. Authors really need to learn what works best for them and be willing to try new ideas.

As an author, you are in the business of promoting your books and your brand.

Being a small business owner and a tech geek, I spend quite a bit of time each day learning from business folks who are social media experts. If you are really interested in the "nitty-gritty" side, I encourage you to follow some of my favorite blogs.

Chris Brogan advises businesses, organizations, and individuals on how to use social media and social networks to build relationships and deliver value.

I highly encourage joining one of the webinars that are offered each month (http://newmarketinglabs.com/webinar.html)Wayne Sutton is a social media strategist. If there is a social media platform out there, Wayne will try and test it. His ideas maybe way out there for an author, but it definitely gets your creative juices flowing.

HubSpot Internet Marketing Blog covers social media, blogging and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). They offer a sweet tool that will help you analyze your website. Check out http://website.grader.com/

My last recommendation is a young lady I've known as an acquaintance on and off. I admire how she's expanded over the years. Whether you are an author or just an aspiring writer, LaShanda Henry is a guru on Internet Marketing, Social Networking and entrepreneurship. Definitely visit SistaSense.com or join her online network, Black Business Women Online.

Okay, so if you've been feeling alone and confused about this marketing thing, you have no excuses because there are people out there to help you get started or jump start your plans.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tyora Moody is a writer and web developer. The owner of Tywebbin Creations is also a social network enthusiast. You can find her online at two of her favorite networks, Facebook and Twitter. For more marketing tips and ideas, be sure to stop by the NEXT LEVEL Marketing blog at http://www.tywebbin.com/next.