“Millions of documents and books at your fingertips! Read, print, download, and send them to your mobile devices instantly. Or upload your PDF, Word, and PowerPoint docs to share them with the world’s largest community of readers.”

The types of books you will find: School Work,  How-To Guides/Manuals. Business/Law, Books – Non-fiction, Presentations, Spreadsheets and their Store to purchase books.

Why would this be important to authors? Or especially new authors? This is a great place to upload your work, a chapter at a time or your completed manuscript and get reviews and feedback. At some point you can even sell your finished book too.

I have a couple of authors who routinely upload chapters from the work-in-progress to gather feedback, input and reviews. This helps them to make adjustments in the next chapters or even step back and rework the initial chapters to better fit their audience and readers.

Every author should have a website. Your website is where you will deal with the public (your fans), provide information to editors and publishers and promote your book. Your website will serve as the main foundation to your author platform. Everything will reach out from here and all of your other marketing strategies will direct your readers back to your website.

While a website is a must for authors, if you provide a variety of services such as coaching, freelance writing, speaking presentations, etc., it may make sense to have more than one website. However, if carefully planned and well organized, one website can get you up and running quickly.

Some authors have begun with blog sites. Most blog sites are not set up for handling sales and indeed, most blog hosting services frown on sales period. So, if you plan to sell your books directly to your readers a traditional website coupled with an eCommerce service is the still the best option.

Planning –

Before you begin building your website it is a good idea to plan what content you want to include. At a minimum your website should include the following:

•    Author’s bio and special credentials
•    Author’s contact information
•    Publicist contact information (if you have one)
•    Clips or links to articles you have published
•    Clips or links to articles published about you
•    List of memberships and affiliations
•    A separate sales page for each book (even if you have your books on Amazon.com)
•    Book reviews or links
•    Awards or other recognition
•    Testimonials
•    Press releases
•    Schedule of events, appearances and book signings
•    Excerpts from your book
•    A press kit (downloadable and in Word or other text format)

Beyond the above information you might want to include some additional content such as:

•    Sample chapters
•    Industry news, trends or data
•    Newsletter archives
•    Related business services
•    Speaker’s data sheet (include topics you speak about)
•    Contests
•    Links to favorite websites
•    Links to useful resources
•    Articles and essays written by you or others

Book Overview -

An overview of your book can be used as part of your press kit (media kit) or for other book promotion opportunities such as obtaining quotes and testimonials. You may choose to place your book overview on a hidden page and only provide that link to those you choose or you may have it available as a separate page for all your visitors to view. Your overview should be persuasive and convince the reader that your book is a “must-have” addition to their library.

Here’s a list of what you should include in your overview:

•    A good description of the book – perhaps similar to your book jacket copy
•    Table of contents
•    One or two sample chapters
•    Any relevant testimonials
•    A brief author’s bio

Press Kit (also known as a Media Kit) –

Your press kit is the information you make available to the media. If an editor, reporter or producer wants to feature you in a story they may leverage the information in your press kit. Because of the Internet you no longer need to have a hard copy of your press kit. Save your money and utilize technology and your website.

Components of Your Press Kit

•    Author bio
•    Press release archives
•    Photos of you and your book cover (in high resolution)
•    Previous media coverage (articles, links to media sites, news or radio programs, books you have co-authors on made contributions to , etc.)
•    Testimonials from others including their contact information (always get permission first)
•    One-page sales sheet about your book (or two pages printed front and back)
•    Frequently asked questions with answers
•    Sample interview questions (usually 10 to 15 questions)
•    Clips of articles you have written
•    Contact information

How you format this information is up to you. You can put each item on a separate page or combine the pages into one downloadable document. Just remember to keep it as easy as possible for the media.

**Just a note about the format of your downloadable content. While PDF files are great for retaining formatting and almost everyone can read and print PDF files, they are considered graphics. Search engines cannot search graphics for keywords or text content. Use Word or other text formatted documents for your downloadable files. It will serve two purposes – easy for those downloading and help with search engine optimization of your website.

On a virtual book tour (sometimes called virtual blog tour) you visit a variety of blog or websites. A VBT can be a one day blitz or last a month or more. It depends on how much time you have to invest. The obvious upside to a VBT is cost – zero. Just the time you invest. The return on invest is usually quiet high.

What does a VBT do?

A VBT creates awareness for your book through guest blog posts, interviews and book reviews. By targeting the blogs and websites that cater to your target audience you are able to reach thousands of people you couldn’t through a traditional physical book tour or signing.

By contributing guest posts on blogs, being interviewed or having your book reviewed on these blogs and websites you are able to build awareness of your book, reach readers looking for their next book and drive traffic to your website or Amazon for sales. And once your content is out there for the search engines it will likely become viral and other blogs and websites begin to link to yours to further spread the word about your book.

Virtual Book Tours can also raise awareness for other promotional opportunities such as radio interviews, speaking engagements or local book signings.

The best feature of a VBT is the longevity of all the media you create. Your posts, interviews and reviews are archived and available to future readers 24/7. You can continue to reap the benefits of your VBT in future promotional materials and marketing activities for a very long time.

Another benefit of your VBT is creating a network of contacts for future interviews, guest posts and reviews. If they like your book and you provide entertaining content and reciprocal links they will be willing assist you with your next book promotion.

Here are some tools to consider for your virtual book tour:

1. Guest post for blog
2. Q & A for blog or website
3. Podcast – interview or reading a chapter of your book
4. Internet radio interview such as BlogTalkRadio
5. Video – recorded interview or reading from your book
6. Teleseminar on your book topic recorded for future download

Advanced Planning –

You should begin planning your website, and indeed your marketing strategy, well in advance of the book’s publication date. Creating the website before the book’s publication will –

1. Secure the preferred domain name. It’s possible that once the book is published a domain reseller could buy the preferred domain name and resell it to the author making a profit. Typically domain names can be purchased inexpensively, between $10 and $25 depending on which service you use.

   Domain names must be renewed annually and the renewals can be set up to occur automatically via your credit or debit card. The company you purchase your domain name from will email you a notice prior to charging your card. One of the most popular domain research and purchasing sites is www.GoDaddy.com.

2. Capture information on your target audience. Doing this prior to the publication of your book will help you to develop a list of potential buyers for your book. You can do this by creating a simple subscription box that is connected to your autoresponder to capture your website visitor’s email address. You can contact them when the book is published and let them know where to buy it. After the book is published you can use your list to update your readers on other marketing events such as book signings, virtual book tours or speaking engagements.

   There are several very good autoresponders and email marketing services but the most popular are www.Aweber.com; www.ConstantContact.com and www.VerticalResponse.com.

3. Start your online marketing and search engine rankings. Once you’ve created your website and optimized it for the search engines your target audience will be able to locate your website, get information about the publication date, where to buy the book, learn more about your marketing strategies such as book signings, virtual book tours or interviews.  

The Elements of a good website –

1. Domain name. Pick a domain name that easy to remember and to spell. Avoid cutesy names, abbreviated words and symbols such as hyphens. People have trouble discerning a hyphen from a dash or an underscore. If at all possible get a top level domain such as .com/.net/.org.
2. Target your readers. If you know who your readers are, or likely will be, then your website should speak directly to them. Like any good marketing effort you should know your target market (your readers) and what your overall goal is for your website – to inform, to sell, to show your expertise, etc.
3. Keywords. Your selection of keywords is the most important piece to designing your website. You need to know what words or phrases your readers will look for when they search for your book in the search engines. While there is no limit to the number of keywords you can have or use you will dominate the search engines by using just a few choice words or phrases consistently. You can begin by listing the keywords you think your readers would use and that relate to your book. For example, if your book is about divorce your keywords might be: divorce, relationship, marriage, counseling, children and divorce, etc.

   Your keywords will serve you in all your marketing efforts so keep them handy and top of mind. You will need to use them in the articles you write, the blog posts you publish, the guest posts you write and all of your other marketing content.

4. Links. Your website serves as your 24/7 sales page for book promotion. Everything you are associated with on the Internet should link back to your book’s website. If you have a blog you need to have a link back to your website. If you write an article or post as a guest blogger you should include a link back to your website. Your website should also link to your blog and any other articles or posts you write. And your website should have links to your publisher, editor and printer too.
5. Content. On the Internet content is still king. You need to keep your website fresh and up-to-date. Don’t simply set up your site and abandon it. Add interesting links, articles and use it to promote your other books. Add excerpts from your book to entice readers. Let readers know about your other marketing efforts by creating an event calendar for book signings, speaking engagements, teleseminars, virtual book tours, and interviews. Changing content will keep the search engines interested and coming back to search your website.

   Remember to use your keywords and phrases liberally throughout your website content. Along with your meta tags (keywords coded into your website and visible only to the search engines) using your keywords in your content allows the search engines to rank your website. The more you use the keywords the higher your search engine rankings will be based on those keywords. A word of caution – don’t sacrifice good writing for the sake of using all of your keywords in the content. Keep it interesting and easy to read.

   FYI – if you create downloadable content such as an excerpt from your book, a report, or an ebook don’t use a PDF format. PDFs are technically pictures or graphics and the search engines cannot look for your keywords in the content. Instead use a Microsoft Word format and include your copyright information and website link on all the pages.

   *If maintaining a website is too daunting, try setting up a blog instead. Blogs are designed for new content. It’s easier to add a post or new link to a blog site than to update and re-publish a page on your website.

By taking time to plan your website goals, review your target audience and develop a list of keywords and phrases you can jump start your book promotion.

Remember, a website is just one tool in your book promotion strategy. Social networking, social bookmarking, teleseminars, interviews, virtual books tours, book signings, and speaking engagements are other tools that can be used to promote your book. And best of all they can all be connected to further accelerate your book’s promotion. Think “web” and you get the picture.

Social networking is more than the number of friends or followers you have. It’s about helping others achieve their goals. Do that and they will help you achieve yours.

I look at social networking much like a business after hours event at the local chamber of commerce. I meet people, find out what services or products that the offer, find out something personal, married, single, kids, dogs, etc. It’s just getting to know people on a business and personal level. If I like them, like their products or services I will refer them.

Social networking has two important elements – it’s about communication (a whole new way to communicate, personally and for business) and it’s about building valuable relationships (personally and for business).

Get clear about your reasons for using social networking and you will have much better results.

Your goals need to be –

1. Realistic – say for your first self-published book, selling 2,000 to 5,000 in the first year
2. Measurable – selling XX books a month, a quarter, a year, etc.
3. Do-able – something you not only can achieve but something you commit to doing

Once you know your goals then you can create a plan for achieving them. What tools do you have in place currently? What could you add? Again, be sure that you are using tools and strategies that you can commit to doing consistently. It doesn’t pay to have an awesome 30-page marketing plan if it only gathers dust on your desk. How much time can you invest in promoting your book on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? One hour a day? Four hours a week?

Are you using the basic tools –

1. Website
2. Blog
3. Email list

Now brainstorm beyond the basics. How about adding (again, remember consistency and time investment) –

1. Newsletter
2. Podcasts
3. Internet Radio Interviews/Shows
4. Virtual Book (Blog) Tour
5. Teleseminar (free – you’re selling books not teleseminars)
6. Social Networking – Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
7. Social bookmarking your blog posts (yes all of them) – Digg, Technorati, Delicious, etc.
8. Start a Ning member site (free membership sites to promote the theme of your book)
9. Join local writer, author or publishing group – network and get fresh marketing ideas
10. Article marketing – generate interest in your book’s topic

I wouldn’t suggest jumping into all of these tools at once but maybe pick one or two to try and measure for at least three months. If you don’t get the results you’re seeking, try something new but don’t abandon what you’ve started (this is especially true for social networking). Simply cut back and reallocate your time.

Since we are coming to the end of 2008 and starting fresh with 2009 this is a great time to rethink your marketing strategies and develop some new tools.

One final, but extremely important tip, write your plan out and keep it where you can review it every day. Make sure to put “marketing time” appointments on your calendar, either daily or weekly. Make marketing your book a priority in 2009.

• The purpose of your book tour (to promote your book, create buzz, sell more books, develop a readership, etc.)
• The length of time for your tour (1 week to 1-2 months)
• Your keywords and phrases to help you identify VBT stops that are similar to your book’s theme
• You have create a digital media kit

Armed with the above critical information and decisions you are ready to research blogs, websites and Internet radio shows or podcast sites. How do you determine the best stops for your VBT from the list of possibilities created from your Google keyword and phrase search?

(Tip: Set up Google Alerts, Yotify.com or Alerts.com with your keywords or phrases and be sure to include keywords such as author interview, virtual book tour, author or writer interview, etc.)

Fact: Published in April 2007 a Technorati Report on the State of the Live Web stated there are over 70 million blogs in today’s blogosphere. An estimated 120,000 new blogs are being created each day. This equates to approximately 1.4 blogs created every second of every day.

Once you’ve located possible blogs stops you will need to determine the blogs potential or blog rank for promoting your book. There are seven factors that determine a blog’s ranking. They are:

1. History
2. Focus
3. Posting frequency
4. Domain
5. Backlinks
6. Comments
7. Tour

History – How old is the blog? You can determine this by checking how far back the archive posts are. Typically, an older blog has had more time to become ranked in the major search engines and possibly resulting in more readers.

Focus – Does the blog’s theme or niche coincide with your book’s theme? Is the blog about books in general?

Posting Frequency – Balance is the key, not too often and not too infrequently. A good blog is balanced with weekly postings.

Domain – Is the blog hosted on a free blog site or is it on a server? Many good blogs are hosted on the free blog sites and shouldn’t be discounted especially if they rank high in the other six factors.

Backlinks – Incoming links from other sources like websites and other blogs are used to measure a blog’s popularity in the search engines.

Comments – The number of comments received will reveal how active the readers are. The more participation the better.

Tour – Has the blog hosted a VBT or posted a book review? Recently? If it has it is a good choice, if not, consider the other important factors before approaching the blog’s owner.

A virtual book tour is an inexpensive option for book promotion but it does take planning and an investment of time. Authors not technologically savvy may need to hire an author’s assistant to help them coordinate their virtual book tour. An author’s assistant can do the research, identify the best stops and contact the blog, website, radio show or podcast owners and coordinate the entire tour!

Please bear with me while I prepare the content for the first (well, actually the second) post.

The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Promotion is all about book promotion and marketing tips for authors. As a professional author’s assistant it has been my pleasure to assist authors with their book promotion and marketing strategies using today’s social media tools.

Social media networking or marketing is not difficult but you do need a plan before jumping in. This is where The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Promotion Blog steps in. I will identify the social media venues and explain how authors can benefit from setting up their profiles and pages, how to successfully promote their books and how to connect it all together with the traditional strategies for a comprehensive book promotion action plan.

Stay tuned . . .