writer's block
Need some inspiration so you can finish your novel? Or do you want tips on how to improve your writing skills? No matter what aspect of writing you are interested in, this section of inSITES will cover it.
Featured in this Issue
Writer's Block Resources
- Helpful Links
- Writing Books I Recommend
- Current Bestsellers in Literature & Fiction
- Current Bestsellers in Non-Fiction
- Marketing for Artists CD
- Share Your Ideas
top of page How to Promote Your Book Online for Free!
I've said it before, but here it is again: today's online marketing is a gold mine for writers. Search engines find websites and ads through words, not images. The power of the written word has always had great impact, but in a global community that uses blogs, social networking, YouTube and online product reviews to get their points across, it pays to know how to write. There's just one caveat: writing web content is different than writing for any other medium.
I encourage you to read my Introduction to Marketing Today article to get an idea of the new direction marketing has taken. The power is in the public's hands. More readers are influenced by reader's book reviews than they are from editorial reviews!
Since there may be some terms in this article you are not familiar with, I have linked those words to inSITES' Tech Jargon Defined page so you can read a detailed definition.
1. Amazon Resources
Amazon is my hero. They offer tons of free tools for readers, writers, published authors and reviewers. If you haven't already done so, open a free Amazon account and look at all that is available. These are just some of the opportunities that help non-published writers and published authors alike.
Non-published WRITERS
- Create Profile on Amazon
| View Sample Profile Edit Page |
- List Events & Interests
- Create a free Amazon account (if you don’t have one), then click on Your Account and select Your Public Profile to add photo, events, etc.
- Join a Community Group
- Write Amazon reviews of books in your genre
Published or self-published authors
- Listmania - create an Amazon list of all your books
- Create a free Amazon account (if you don’t have one), then click on Your Account and select Your Public Profile to add photo, events, etc.
| View Sample Profile Edit Page |
- Amazon Connect Blog-shows up in profile & with each book that’s on Amazon
- Bibliography
- List Events & Interests
- Free Associates Stores for customers in the US and in several other countries
- Write Amazon reviews of books in your genre
- Ask a top Amazon reviewer (who has reviewed several books in your genre) if you can send them a free copy of your book for them to review
- If they give you a good or great review this may carry a lot of weight with Amazon customers
- If they give you a bad review...well, I think we all know where that goes
2. Your Website
- Copyright your work first before putting it online!
- Have a professional web designer who understands online marketing, web content writing and search engine optimization techniques to create your site for you.
- Make sure your website clearly reflects your genre and style
- Create your site with your readers in mind - what would they want from your site?
- Offer free goodies and info:
- eBooks
- Book or Story Excerpts
- Writing Tips
3. Social Networking Sites (like Facebook and MySpace)
- Social networking is a great way to connect to your friends and to people interested in your work
- You can even create a fan site for yourself
- Almost all major writers have a presence in Facebook and/or MySpace.
- You can create events and contests through social networking sites.
4. Blogging
- A blog is a must for any writer these days (published or not).
- It is the best way to get feedback from your readers and interact with them by asking questions and answering questions.
- It creates a buzz way before the book comes out.
- Works before the book is out, when it is being launched and after.
- You can start a free blog online through many avenues, most notably through Google who owns Blogger.
5. Send Your Own Media Releases
Remember when you would send a press release to your local newspaper and pray they picked it up and printed it on their paper? That is still happening, of course, but there is another way.
- Free media releases (no need to call them "press releases" if we're eliminating the press altogether) through pr.com, but I recommend their gold ($199/yr) or platinum plan ($499/yr) to get better visibility.
- Write releases in a journalistic style. | sample release |
- Releases can be short or long, but I recommend 3-6 short, well-written paragraphs filled with keywords that can be found by search engines. For example, if I'm writing a psychological thriller set in Miami, then I'll make sure to have keywords like serial killer, Miami, beach, book, psychological thriller, novel, South Florida, FBI.
- What to write a release about:
- Launch date of your book
- Subject of your book
- Highlight one chapter
- Talk about the book tour or promotion of the book
- Discuss how the book came out
- Inspirations for the book
- Who would be interested in the book
- Talk about great reviews or critical acclaim
- Announcements, Events, Speaking Dates, Workshops
- Send as many releases as you want. Some writers went as far as one release a week for 1-2 years before the book was published. A handful of writers that send that many releases were able to create enough buzz for a bestseller. Other writers are more conservative and only do one release a month or every other month.
- Media releases are sent to hundreds or thousands of websites that are related to the subject matter of your release and the industry category you choose.
- Your media release will be seen by your target audience and by people in the industry.
- Since media releases are categorized as "news" they are ranked very high on the search engines (but only for the first couple of days). Example: I sent out a media release for my husband's workshop in Greensboro. The day the release came out if you searched the word "Greensboro" under Google News, his media release came up first on the search engines. That's powerful.
6. Email Marketing (NEWSLETTERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ETC.)
How to use it correctly:
- Include a postal address
- Unsubscribe option
- Information on how the recipient joined the list in each email newsletter
- Do not use false or misleading headers and subject lines.
- Play with different email subject titles
- Use html to create beautiful emails
Email marketing services
These services all have strict anti-spam policies. That means no sending e-mails or newsletters without first having permission from the email receiver to do so.
My recommendation: Constant Contact ($15/month for 500 e-mails with a free 30-day trial)
Other email marketing services:
- Vertical Response : $10 / 1000
- StreamSend : $20 / 2000
- iContact : $10 / 500
- Campaigner : $25 / 2,500
- MailChimp : $10 / 500
Free plan: 100 subscribers/ 6 newsletters per month
- Bronto : $84 / 20,000
No monthly option available - annual only
- Benchmark : $10 / 600
- MyEmma : $30 / 1000 (plus a $100 setup fee)
- Boomerang : $10 / 500
- Stream Send : $20 / 2000 (emails per subscriber)
- JangoMail $30 / 1000
- Big Hip : $20 / 2,500
Free plan: 25 subscribers/ 1,500 emails per month
- mUrgent : full service outfit / prices vary depending on service
Learn More:
Upcoming Writing Contests
The Story Prize
Deadline: July 15, 2009
Entry Fee: $75
Web site: www.thestoryprize.org
E-mail address: info@thestoryprize.org
A prize of $20,000 is given annually to honor an outstanding collection of short fiction written in English and first published in the United States. Two runners-up will receive $5,000. Larry Dark and Julie Lindsey will select the three finalists; three independent judges will choose the winner. Publishers, authors, or agents may submit five copies of a book published between January 1 and June 30, two copies of the entry form, and a $75 entry fee by July 15. The deadline for books published during the second half of the year is November 16. Visit the Web site for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
The Story Prize, 41 Watchung Plaza, #384, Montclair, NJ 07042. Larry Dark, Director.
Kore Press, First Book Award
Deadline: July 31, 2009
Entry Fee: $20
Web site: www.korepress.org
E-mail address: kore@korepress.org
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Kore Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Women poets who have not published a book-length poetry collection are eligible. Claudia Rankine will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 70 pages with a $20 entry fee by July 31. E-mail or visit the Web site for complete guidelines.
Kore Press, First Book Award, P.O. Box 42315, Tucson, AZ 85733. Lisa Bowden, Publisher.
Narrative Magazine, Story Contest
Deadline: July 31, 2009
Entry Fee: $20
Web site: www.narrativemagazine.com
E-mail address: pg@narrativemagazine.com
A prize of $3,000 and publication in Narrative Magazine is given three times yearly for a short story, a short short story, an essay, or an excerpt from a work of fiction or creative nonfiction. A second prize of $1,500 is also awarded. The theme for the summer competition is “Road Stories.” The editors will judge. Using the electronic submission system, submit a work of fiction or creative nonfiction of up to 10,000 words with a $20 entry fee by July 31. Visit the Web site for complete guidelines.
Narrative Magazine, Story Contest, P.O. Box 29272, San Francisco, CA 94129. Tom Jenks, Editor.
Full list of Grants & Writing Contests from Poets & Writers Magazine
Helpful Links for writers
- Grants & Awards: Your Guide to Writing Contests
- Writer's Digest-101 Best Websites for Writers
- New York Foundation for the Arts
- University of Chicago Writing Program
- Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Reference
- Guide to Literary Agents Blog
Writing Books I Recommend
Screenwriting Books I Recommend
Current Fiction Bestsellers
Current Non-Fiction Bestsellers
Marketing for Artists CD
Based on Susan Lee's successful Marketing for Artists presentation, this highly informative CD can be viewed on your pc or printed. It includes the following sections:
- Marketing for Visual Artists
- Public Relations for Visual Artists
- Marketing & PR for Writers (information for published and non-published writers)
- Photoshop Tutorials
- How to Photograph Your Artwork
- Portfolio Creation and Organization (hard copies and online galleries)
- Complete clickable links to recommended instructional videos, marketing books and software
- Clickable links to artists resources on the web including grants, mailing lists, benefits for artists & more
Order your Marketing for Artists CD now for only $15 (+$5 S&H)
Share Your Ideas
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