COLUMNIST: Are You On The Net

Online Promotion Plan IV

3. Have you researched the sites/blogs that promote your genre?


4. Have you made of list of sites/blogs to introduce yourself to?


5. Have you written your introduction letter?


6. Have you sent out your letters to the sites/blogs?

Now that you have the website every reader wants to visit you can move on to letting more readers know about you and your book. A good place for this is by visiting other sites and blogs.

If you’ve been online for a while, you’re probably doing this already. You have your favorite sites and blogs. You might even be on the RSS Feeds so you can receive their posts in your email account.

Let’s look at those places first.

Write down five friends who are online either with a site or blog.


Write down five web sites you visit frequently.


Write down five blogs you visit frequently. (Do not repeat any from previous list)


In your research you want to know the following:


Name of host
Email address to contact
When and how they want you to contact them for (interviews, articles, book reviews, and chats)
What genre they promote (if they don’t promote your genre, do not contact)
Who are their readers?

Now you have fifteen places to visit. Now that wasn’t so hard. If you have more sites and blogs that you visit, that’s good because you want to build up the places you visit. For now let’s stick to 15 to get your feet wet.

TOPICS
Your next assignment is to think up five topics you can talk about. If your book has a theme, this is the perfect way to discuss it. Do you have a hidden talent, this something you can write about?

Here are a few examples to get you started.

1. How I Made My First Sale
2. Why I chose to self publish instead of traditional publishing
3. How to market your ebook
4. Lupus the unknown disease.
5. How to network at a conference.

See how different these topics are? Think about what would interest readers and writers. These are the topics you will write a 500 -1000 word article on. Place these articles in a folder for future use.

Write up an introduction letter.

This letter will be used to introduce your self to the site/blog. I recommend sending your letter of introduction 3 – 6 months before your book releases. You want to give the site/blog hosts time to schedule you on their calendar. Waiting until the week your book releases is not a good idea.

EXAMPLE

Hello (name of site/blog host)


My name is LaShaunda Hoffman. I am a writer and would like to introduce you to my new book – Destiny. It is a historical romance set in Asheville, North Carolina. It will be released in December 2011.


I’m a fan of your site/blog and would like to be featured on it. I’m available for an interview, chat or I can write an article.


I hope we can work together in the future. I look forward to hearing from you.


I can be reached at – sormag@yahoo.com or http://lashaunda.blogspot.com




LaShaunda C. Hoffman

You have your introduction letter, your 15 sites, now you’re ready to send out your emails. Remember there is no guarantee that all 15 sites/blogs will say yes, however if you present yourself professionally, you have a better chance of them all saying yes.

Next month we will break down more of these questions to help you continue to build your plan.

Can’t wait to next month, contact me –sormag@yahoo.com. I’m available for private online promotion coaching.

Until then,

I’ll see you on the net.

LaShaunda C. Hoffman

LaShaunda is the creator of SORMAG – Shades Of Romance Magazine. She has 11 years of experience on online promotion, most she learned from trial and error. She has taught workshops on online promotion and is available for private online promotion coaching.


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