To have a chance at selling your book on amazon or online, you need reviews. Lots of them. And if you’re like me, you hate pushing all your friends and family to review your work (is it really fair to ask them?) and leave comments. So most authors do this:

1) Search online for book reviews, indie book reviewers, self-published book reviews, how to get book reviews, etc.

2) Email or contact those reviewers asking them to take a look at their books and comment.

Here’s why that doesn’t work. First of all – those few sites that offer reviews are probably swamped with hundreds, or thousands of book review requests. They may not get to yours. If they do – most of those sites are PR1 or maybe PR2 (I’ve checked) and I’m willing to bet that the majority of people who found those sites were looking for someone to review their book, rather than searching for recommendations of books to buy and read. Does the review do you any good? (Yes…if you convince them to post on amazon. More on that later).

Here’s a better way to get reviews – while avoiding “book review websites”.

1) Find bloggers (or websites, but blogs are easier) who are in some way related to your book, or who may like your book, or who have reviewed other books in a similar genre, with a Page Rank of three or more. You can use “google blogs” to search for them. Be creative! If your book is set in LA, write to bloggers in LA or LA tourism sites. If your main character is a lawyer, contact lawyer blogs. If your character is a witch, write to wicca blogs, etc. Find some basis of connection.

Why PR3? Once a blog hits PR4 they receive a lot of advertising requests, free books, etc. PR3 is low enough that they won’t be totally swamped, and might actually respond favorably. But if they do post, their link to your site will be more valuable (and their review will rank higher).

2) How to ask for the review: Tell them who you are, that you’re looking for creative ways to promote your book, and ask politely if they’d be interested in receiving a free copy. If they like it – no strings attached – you’d appreciate a review or comment on amazon.

What NOT to do: A few months ago I sent out about 1000 emails – the emails were long, had lengthy descriptions of my book reviews, and several links. I got very few responses – because it seemed a lot like spam. So don’t do that! Make your emails short and punchy. Make them personal. By the way, I like the term “Indie author” more than “self-published.” You can even use it to your advantage. Here’s a sample:

Dear _____, I found your site searching for blogs about _____. I’ve recently written a book about (very short description – your one sentence book plug) and (reason your book is related somehow to this blog). I’m an indie author and am looking for creative ways to promote my book. I noticed you (like, do, support, etc…show them that you’ve looked over their blog and actually know something about them). I think you might enjoy reading it, so I’d like to send you a copy. You can check out the details on this page: (link to your page….with lots of details, description). If you give me your mailing address I can ship one to you. There’s also a PDF review copy here (another link).

There’s no obligation of course, but if you like it I’d appreciate a short review or post on your blog, or an amazon comment.

Sincerely,

(author name)

Don’t make it too formal. Make it casual and personal, like you’re writing to a friend, not a stranger. If you only have kindle and no print file, you can send them to a link that has several ebook options available, including PDF … however, you should have a print copy. I print and ship mine directly from createspace… it’s pretty cheap and very easy. Most people prefer a book and if you actually send them one, they are much more likely to comment or do a writeup. (If you find a site you really want to be on – dig around and try to find their mailing address. Send them a copy first and say “I’ve already sent you a copy, hope you like it!”) In general, you don’t want to ask them to do you any favors. You want to do THEM a favor first, without expecting anything back. Send them a book because they might enjoy it, not so that they can promote you (why should they?)

Getting reviews is a numbers game. Big publishers send out a minimum of about 500 review copies. While most self-pubbed authors can’t afford that, what we can do is send out 10 or 20 book to perfectly chosen niche-blogs, while at the same time directing hundreds of other blogs (by email) towards our online digital copy (yes, you should have copies of your book available for free in different formats on your website, and you should let people know they can read them for free and that you’d appreciate a review).

In the beginning of the game, it isn’t about profit – so don’t worry about it. In the beginning, it’s about getting buzz. You need comments. You need support. After you have that – THEN you can worry about selling. But without it, why should anyone buy from you?

PS) If your book is not professionally edited, if your spelling and grammar stinks, if you have a homemade cover that looks like crap, then your campaign to get reviews won’t work. You are asking people to put their own integrity and reputation on the line – it doesn’t matter if your writing is amazing; they will feel embarrassed if they recommend a poor quality product, and you shouldn’t ask them to.

Derek Murphy is the author of Jesus Potter Harry Christ.

Reprinted from “The Book Marketing Expert newsletter,” a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

So you’ve developed your nonfiction book idea into a winning proposal and now you’re ready to send off your pitch to a literary agent and land a book deal! Before you press ‘send’ or drop your query letter in the mailbox, here are a few tips to ensure your initial sales pitch will grab the agent’s attention and motivate him or her to ask for the complete book proposal.

1. Have you established a connection with the agent?

The first sentence of the query letter should explain why you are contacting the particular agent. Possible connections might be:

* You read a book the agent wrote or an interview in a magazine

* You met the agent at a conference or literary event

* The agent represents a similar author and genre

* You discovered the agent’s listing in a directory

* An associate, friend, or client referred you to the agent by

2. Have you clearly established the project in the first paragraph?

In one sentence, briefly introduce the topic or genre, the title, and the length of the book, so the agent understands what the project is.

“HOW TO STAGE YOUR HOME TO SELL is a how-to book.”

3. Have you presented a tightly focused proposal?

The tighter the focus of the book idea, the wider the potential audience. Agents do not want authors who try to be all things to everyone.

4. Have you included a “call to action” in your final wrap-up?

The final sentence or two are used to thank the agent for reading your query and request permission to submit additional material.

“Thank you for considering my book idea. May I send you my completed book proposal and two sample chapters?”

STRATEGY-IN-ACTION ASSIGNMENT

1. Review your query letter using the four strategies above

2. Polish your pitch until it shines

About The Author

Laura Cross is a business strategist, author, and professional ghostwriter. She provides business, publishing, and platform strategies to help entrepreneurs get known as the go-to experts in their field, become published authors, attract high-paying clients, garner major media, and earn more money with less effort by packaging their expertise. Grab a copy of the Free Audio CD “How to Establish Your Expertise, Become a Published Author, and Leverage Your Knowledge for More Profits, More Prospects, and Major Media” at www.RockYourExpertise.com.

Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

How to Create the Perfect Business Card
By Dave Pannell

Take a while to think about what your business card says about you. After yourself, this will be the first impression of your company to many people you meet. If it’s badly produced and amateurish then people will assume the same about your business, but it’s easy to make your business card work better for you.

Here are The Design Mechanics top 10 tips for creating the perfect business card:

1. Say what you do!

Let’s start with the obvious. So many business cards simply don’t state what a company does. If you have a non-descriptive company name such as “A & J Associates” then make sure your company card actually tells people what you do.

People retain business cards for a long time and will forget your name and company name soon after meeting you. Therefore your card needs to remind them you are the people who print company logos on USB sticks.

2. Don’t lose sight of what your card is for

Remember that the main reason for a business card is for people to get your contact details. As such make sure that your phone number, email address and website are all clearly legible. Make sure that phone numbers especially are in easy to read fonts. Many creative typefaces have poor numerals meaning numbers such as 1 and 7 can be mixed up.

If you have a long website address, then make it more legible by using different weights to break up the words, eg: www.mywebsiteaddressislongerthanyourwebsiteaddress.com

Also consider a QR code, where people can scan your card with a mobile phone and it gives them all your contact details in a digital format.

3. Don’t use a non-business email address

Business email addresses are cheap to set up. Make sure the first thing you do is buy a domain name and hosting facility so that you can operate from a commercial email address from day one – nothing says you have only just set up or that you might not be here tomorrow than displaying a Hotmail, Gmail, BT Internet etc email address on your business card.

4. Don’t print your cards yourself

No matter how tight your budget, don’t be tempted to home-produce your company cards. Even if you have a colour-printer that can print on card, once they are in a card holder with your competitors’ cards you will regret trying to save money on them.

Home-produced cards just don’t wear well. The ink isn’t fixed (so it will fade, or even worse run!) and the card will become tatty very quickly. The cost of commercial printing has really come down over the past few years, and with digital printing you can get anywhere from a couple of hundred to several thousand cards printed at really affordable cost, usually in a couple of days.

5. Get new cards if your details change

The last thing you want to do is apologise when you hand your company card over. If your details change, don’t scribble them out and write your new number on just because you have a box of them left. Put them in the recycle bin and get some more. Do you want people to think you are doing so badly in business that you can’t afford to buy new cards? If your details are likely to change, just buy a couple of hundred at a time.

6. Resist “free” card offers

We’ve all seen the adverts for free business cards from Internet-based printers. These offers seem too good to be true, and often they are.

Although the business cards are free (plus postage), they are not be printed on premium card stock and also have an advert on the back from the printing company who provided them – why would you promote someone else’s company at no benefit to yourself, and why scream out that you are just starting up or not successful enough to be able to afford to buy business cards for your company?

Some companies also offer pre-templated designs for you to choose from. These can seem like a good idea until you turn up at a networking event and meet the 5 other people who chose the same design as you…!

7. Keep your business card “on-brand”

Your business card should carry the same visual look and feel as the rest of your marketing material. Make sure that if you lay out all your corporate material together it looks like it all belongs to the same company.

If you already have a “brand” in place, make sure that your designer is aware of what your other literature looks like and what your consistent marketing messages are. When someone visits your website after viewing your business card they should see the same logo, colours and visual elements. This is called “visual synergy”, and the repetition will help clients remember your brand.

8. Make your card much more than a business card

Think about making your business card into a flyer for your company. Consider a fold-out card to show a portfolio or list client testimonials, or use a stand-up (tent) business card that can be some kind of quick-reference guide.

If you take appointments, make sure you use your business card as an appointment card, or use the back of your card to give instant written quotes or provide receipts.

9. Include a photo if people are buying “you”

If you are a consultant or in a business where people will be buying “you” rather than a product, then put your photo on your business card. Don’t just take a photo on your phone; find a local photographer who will do a head-shot at a reasonable set price.

Think about how you want to present yourself, do you need to be in a shirt and tie with a plain studio backdrop, or do you want to portray a more casual appearance by having your portrait taken in a park for example?

10. Never accept a business card from someone without giving them yours in return!

Finally, never let anyone give you their business card without taking one of yours. A good way to give someone one of your business cards is to ask for one of theirs and make sure your hand extends at the same time with yours.

It would be a very rude person who wouldn’t accept your card whilst expecting you to take theirs!

If you want to learn more about branding your business then come and take a look at www.thedesignmechanics.com for more information regarding business cards and other related topics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Pannell

http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Create-the-Perfect-Business-Card&id=6529273

by Q.B. Wells

Publishers and self-published authors can generate a larger percentage of revenue by setting up direct accounts with the top ebookstores online. Ebookstores provide the readers books and charge the publisher a percentage of the retail price. Depending on the platform, publishers receive between 35-70% of a set retail price.

The top ebookstores have established a market base through their reading devices and provide publishers accounting data and payments within 30-60 days of sale. Most websites will have a place for customer reviews and additional information about the author to sell the book.

Like a paperback book, publishers can increase sales by marketing and promoting the ebook on a consistent basis. However, each of the ebookstores have an established base and continue to sell more devices fueling more readers.

If you have professional files ready with artwork for uploading, apply for a top ebookstore retailer below.

1. Amazon Kindle – The Kindle is the ereading device from Amazon. It comes in several types and has the largest amount of ebooks.

2. Apple Ipad – The IPad is the device from Apple that can be used for reading. With thousands of apps including the Ibookstore, thousands of ebooks are available in many countries. Also available on the ipod Touch and Iphone.

3. Barnes and Noble Nook – The Nook by Barnes and Noble is the device that comes in color and without color. The Nook has thousand of titles available.

4. Google Ebooks – Google has several free programs to market books. Through the Google Book Partner program, authors and publishers can sign up for free book search and opt into the Google ebookstore.

5. Kobo – Kobo is one of the leaders of the ereading revolution. Kobo recently partnered with Borders.com ebookstore and has an extensive inventory on their kobobooks.com website.

If you don’t have ready files, your account is not approved or you want to save time, locate a ebook distributor to help with the process. Otherwise, upload your edited files to the platforms to grow you readership.

by Q.B. Wells

The Kobo is one of the largest players in the ebook revolution. With the Borders books partnership, the Kobo is bound to generate additional revenue for self-published authors and independent publishers. Learn the simple process to get your content on Kobo and inevitably the Borders ebookstore.

1. Prepare Content Files – Prepare the correct format book cover (jpg.) and content files (epub) for easy uploading. If not in the latter formats, convert them or find a ebook formatting service.

2. Sign up for the Kobo - Send an email to content@kobobooks.com. In the email indicate that who you are and the type of content you would like to have on the device. Below is a short template.

Dear Kobobooks,

My name is abc from publisher xyz. Please send the information about the process to have my company added as a vendor of the Kobo device. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Your Name

3. Complete the survey – Within days you should receive a short survey to determine the type of content you offer and a list of vendor guidelines. Complete the survey and return to the person or department.

4. Use Account Information – If accepted, Kobo will send information to create a login and account information to upload content on excel form.

5. Upload Content – Use the form to complete metadata information. Follow the vendor guidelines and upload the content in the correct formats. Excel is used to organize and transfer information.

6. View Content – Go to Kobobooks.com and Borders.com to check if the ebooks are for sale and the correct product descriptions are displayed for available purchase.

The Kobo is on of the largest e reading platforms. While not as essential as the top three, the Kobo E Reader can provide additional audience exposure and revenue for publishers.

Note: Borders is no longer a partner / investor of the Kobo Reader. Therefore the books will no longer be available to Borders customers through there ebookstore.

by Q.B. Wells

Book printing is expensive. Save money on print runs without sacrificing the print quality of your book by customizing your production to fit your needs. Below are five tactics to decrease production cost and allow more money to be allocated to other aspects of your business.

Before you spend money, talk to the printer and production team to explain your needs. Tell the print team the situation: you are a cost effective publisher and need to find the most efficient way to not sacrifice the quality of your product. Use the list below to probe your questions and make an informed decision.

1. Trim Size – The trim size of the book can decrease the cost of the book production. For example, the standard size of the urban book genre is 5.5 x 8.5. If at the standard size a book has 128 pages, the graphic designer can change fonts, spacing or other ways to stretch the book to make it appear thicker.

2. Paper Type –The paper type can decrease your cost. Ask your printer what other types of paper they have in stock. An off white paper can decrease your cost. Printers also have house paper that they use. Ask what paper stock they use in-house and you may be able to shave more off your estimate.

3. Proofs – If you have printed your files or are 100% sure of the contents of your digital files, opt to not get a copy of the book proof. By not paying shipping cost of the printed proof you can save another $125 dollars. Instead ask if you can be emailed a digital proof for a fraction of the cost.

4. Shipping Cost – Most printers will have a partnership with a UPS, FedExpress, etc. Substantial savings can be saved on freight charges. In addition, sign up with the companies directly to receive discounts.

5. Ask designer – Ask the designer if he/she would be able to negotiate the fees paid for their service. Perhaps you can add an advertisement in your book or pass out fliers at your book signings. The key is to not ask for a freebie but exchange with the designer a valued service in exchange for reduced or no fees.

6. Print Season – Save money by printing your book in the slow season for the printer. During the slow season, printers allow a larger discount to publishers in an attempt to spur business. Schedule one of your books to be printed in July/August/September and see what happens.

Follow the tips above to reduce the production cost of your book and increase your network in the publishing industry. While some publishers and authors may deny disagree with the tactics, those that follow the tips will learn to save money and nurture long term relationships for a long publishing career.

By Q.B. Wells

The itunes is one of the most popular eretailers and increases sales if your products are listed in the ibookstore. In few easy steps, learn how to get your ebooks into the ibookstore and getting your book to the public.

Before you begin you will need to have an isbn for the electronic version of each book uploaded. In addition you will need to have a word document and a jpg. of the artwork.

1. Go to the page https://itunesconnect.apple.com/WebObjects/iTunesConnect.woa/wa/apply and apply for an ibookstore application.

2. Download the iproducer application.

3. Format the epub format for ebook and add a table of contents to be used on the Ipad/Ipod Touch.

4. Add the product descriptions, sales rights and territories for the ebook.

5. To ensure a successful submission, download Adobe Digital Edition http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/ and double check the file using the software. The Epub file must show table of contents for each chapter to be approved.

6. Upload the epub ebook (content) and the book cover graphic in a .jpg format. and wait for the acceptance of submitted files to itunes. A green check will signal the files are under review,

Allow 10-14 days for the file to be reviewed by quality assurance and approved for the ibookstore. The book will have a green dot beside once accepted. If the book is not accepted, there will be a red dot along with a ticket number to correct any errors.

Once your book is accepted it will appear in the Apple Ibookstore on Itunes. You can locate the book by downloading the ibookstore app on the IPad or IPod Touch. If the book is not given the green light after the quality assurance review, a red light appear with the issues to correct before resubmission.

If you are not accepted into the program, find an e distributor that will assist in getting the book accepted for a small fee.

By Ebonee Monique

How you ever read a great book and even after putting it away or passing it off to a friend, you are constantly thinking of what it would be like to write your own book and have folks enjoy it just the same? This type of feeling leads to conversations with loved ones about possibly becoming an author one day.

Before I wrote my first novel on Peace in the Storm Publishing Suicide Diaries which landed me a nomination for Break Out Author of the Year, and prior to Walk a Mile which Amazon now lists as one of the “Hottest Fiction Novels for Black Women” I had those same dreams. Dreams to become an author. Then reality set in; my mind flooded with reminders about school, work and family obligations. I thought this book writing project may have to get in the back of a long line of to-dos.

How can you find the time to pen the best book you ever wrote while paying the bills and maintaining your life as you currently know it?

As author of three novels Suicide Diaries (2009) Walk a Mile (2010) and Blitz (June 2011) on Peace in the Storm Publishing I managed to successfully pen great reads while maintaining a marriage and full-time jobs in the fields of advertising, radio and communications.

Exclusively for Urbania readers I’m sharing important tips to help you carve out precious time to write your first book. Unless you can steal away to a private Caribbean resort for three months to work, you are going to have to learn to write your first fiction book in between the matters of real life–the everyday hustle, bustle, drama and interruptions. Here’s what I did.

Create time- Creating time is vital to making sure you don’t go become overwhelmed. For me, the best time for writing (while working) is late in the evening (around 7-10pm). During this time my family knows that it’s writing time and they respect this as an important part of the investment of my dream. Set a time each day/night that is dedicated to your writing.

Find your quiet place- One of the most important parts of working to achieve a dream while managing other responsibilities is to find your quiet place & utilize this as your “office”. No spare room to call your “dream space” take ownership of a quiet corner in some part of your home that can accommodate all of your needs. Make sure this place is away from any distractions or interruptions.

Remove all distractions- Believe it or not, that cute puppy that keeps licking on your ankles for attention, while you’re trying to finish up a proposal, can be a distraction. NO TV , NO PETS, NO RADIO, NO KIDS, NO SPOUSE either, just you and your book project only.

Take notes- Sure, you work 9a-5p at your full-time job and during the 8 hours of the day you’re fixated on a report or project that zaps all of your attention; but don’t let a good idea be forgotten. Keep a notepad close to you that is dedicated to jotting down ideas related to your character description, plot, theme, setting, etc. Who wants to get home at the end of the day and have forgotten a million-dollar idea?

Relax- It’s going to get tiring and, at times. I recommend some type of “mental recuperation” time to allow your mind, body & soul to refresh. You want a fresh mind, with fresh ideas…not a frazzled or stressed one.

There will be moments when you are going to have to be your own best cheerleader as well as the quarterback running the ball, but you can get to you goal with determination and discipline.

Wishing you well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ebonee Monique graduated from Florida A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations. She has worked as Morning Show Host and Operations Manager for WANM 90.5FM in Tallahassee, Florida and produced an on-air weekly entertainment segment on TOUCH 106.1FM in Boston, MA. She currently lives in the state of Florida and is working to make her 3rd book Blitz a bestseller. BLITZ is a novel about successful Tampa real-estate entrepreneur Mia Robinson and how she learns that money doesn’t fix everything, especially when it comes to family matters. www.eboneemonique.com Keep in touch with her on www.Twitter.com/eboneemonique

Creative Writing Awards – How To Win Short Story Contests And Earn More Dollars
By John Yeoman

Many people win writing awards and gain a large hard cash income, year after year. How do they do it? They really know what judges of writing competitions look for.

Just about all writing award schemes, if well judged, will have rigorous conditions for comparing entries. Many competitions publish their criteria, a few don’t. But if they don’t, how do you know what judges are seeking?

Here are the three most crucial points that contest judges generally look for at the start.

Bear in mind: all judges are individuals, as are literary agents and publishers’ readers. An entry that wafts one judge into a rhapsody of incoherent delight will leave another cold. That’s exactly why a respectable contest will have a rating scheme set up.

A system is necessary – not so much in detecting an outright winner (the quality of a superb entry typically speaks for itself), but in helping to make fine decisions between, for example, the winner of a third award and a secondary award. (It also lessens the chance of judges coming to blows.)

Listed here is a standard points system.

A ‘perfect’ story will often have a total score of 30 points. The top three prize winners commonly rate in the range of 25-30 points while the ten near-top winners typically fall into the 20-25 points bracket.

True, there is still room for private judgement. Each judge will award somewhat different – occasionally completely different – points in each category. That’s precisely why a story that flops in a single competition could go on to gain first prize in another. It’s also why, if you feel your tale is great, you should keep on posting – and strengthening it!

1. How well does the story mirror the theme, category or author requirements of the competition?

Not all contests are given a theme. If the organizers ask merely for short fiction of any type whatever, this category of assessment is inappropriate. But watch out for a competition that has no conditions and terms. Maybe it lacks discrimination in some other aspects too? Normally the rules for theme, genre and/or contestant, etc, are clearly stated.

It will go without saying that you should not enter, for example, an emphatically ‘Christmas’ story using a ‘summer holiday topic, or a poem, play or crime thriller to a children’s story competition – or an entry to a competition intended to recognize Afro-Caribbean writers if you can’t, by any stretch of the mind, call yourself an Afro-Caribbean.

If it goes without saying, why say it? Simply because, as numerous contest promoters can tell you: people don’t always read the restrictions. Many entries are excluded from writing award schemes simply because they ignored the rules.

Total possible points: 10

2. Does the entry engage the reader on an emotional level all the way through?

Many stories are remarkably clever. They dance with ingenuity, humor or wordplay. Nonetheless they tend not to impress the judges. They’re cerebral exercises.

The characters in such stories are cardboard or the concepts trivial or the narrative is thin. In the end the reader no longer worries how the tale ends up. It requires enormous craft skill to make the reader care about figures and situations that are wholly fabricated.

Total possible points: 10

3. Is the entry original in its approach?

Of course, take a well known storyline or concept. There have been only a few dozen of them conceived since the dawn of mankind so you’re unlikely to invent a new one. But do something fresh with them!

The jilted sweetheart who plots a vicious payback on his/her faithless spouse goes back to the story of Medea. But (I hear you ask) surely we could execute a new slant? We could possibly have the spurned lover conceal his/her murder victim in a car port freezer – just for the new lover, aghast, to stumble upon it. Couldn’t we? Not a chance. That’s simply a reprise of Bluebeard’s closet.

Certainly, there’s nothing wrong with reprising the concept of Bluebeard’s closet, provided you hide it by using a highly original twist!

Total possible points: 10

These are simply the top three factors that judges will use. Normally, they have many more. A more sophisticated scheme of requirements might comprise 100 points or more, and look at a number of other elements.

Yet, if your writing is great – and you get just the first three factors right every time – you’re well on your way to gaining a five figure spare-time salary from writing awards, every single year. It’s a win-win profit scheme!

Dr John Yeoman, PhD Creative Writing, is director of the writing awards centre Writers’ Village. A university lecturer in creative writing, he is a veteran contest judge. Discover dozens of ingenious strategies to gain major prizes in his big manual How to Win Writing Contests for Profit. Claim it for free now at: http://www.writers-village.org/writing_awards

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Yeoman

http://EzineArticles.com/?Creative-Writing-Awards—How-To-Win-Short-Story-Contests-And-Earn-More-Dollars&id=6099268

In an economically challenged climate, guess what starts to soar? Libraries. The library market is strong and getting stronger. If you haven’t made libraries part of your target market, you should. And despite all the book buzz online, it’s still nice to get your book onto a library shelf.

For most of us, this seems like an exclusive right devoted to an exclusive group of best-selling authors. While some piece of this is true, the reality is that if you have a good book, you can get into the library system. Here’s how.

First, why would you care about hitting the library market? Because in a slow book sales season, as we’ve seen in the past few months, libraries are a great way to get to your reader.

1. What they buy: Each library gets a budget and they can spend it any way they want. Unlike Barnes and Noble, where their book purchases are often dictated by publishers or a sales order from their corporate office, libraries operate independently of each other. Libraries will generally buy hardback and trade books and tend to shy away from mass market paperbacks, but if you’re in the latter category, don’t let this deter you. There’s still a lot of wiggle room when it comes to library orders and a few creative ways to get into their system.

2. Getting to know your local library: If you want to get into your local library it’s important to get to know them, so dust off your library card, stop by and introduce yourself. Get to know who you’re selling to.

3. Library websites: If your local library has a website, see if there’s a place to make book recommendations. If you have local fans, encourage them to do the same on their library websites.

4. Library events: If you’ve been trying to get into your local bookstore to do an event but haven’t gotten much traction, why not consider doing a library event (or two)? It’s a great way to get “into” your local library, become acquainted with them, meet your local readers, and well, you know – get more exposure for your book. Many libraries also have reading groups that you might be able to participate in.

5. Reviews: Most libraries look to review sources for their selections as well. Consider submitting your book to the following publications for review: Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Forecast. These publications are largely ready by libraries and often librarians will buy based on a good review in one of these publications. You don’t need to get reviews in all of them (though wouldn’t that be great?) – getting a review in one of them should be more than sufficient to catch the eye of a ready-to-buy librarian.

6. Popularity: Librarians like to stock what’s popular, even locally. So if you’re doing a lot of local events, talks, or speaking gigs, make sure and let your local libraries know. Also, if you’re going to do TV or radio be sure and alert your library, thus giving them sufficient time to order the book.

7. Distribution: It’s important to know how libraries get the titles they stock. First off, you’ll need to get the right distributor for your book. Both Quality Books and Unique Books have programs that can help you access the library market.
Quality Books Inc. http://www.quality-books.com/
Unique Books Inc. http://www.uniquebooksinc.com/
Baker & Taylor: http://www.baker-taylor.com/ (technically they are a wholesaler but they can also help you access the library market)

There’s also a nifty little site that will help you locate libraries in your neighborhood and around the world: http://www.libdex.com (libraries worldwide)

Libraries might not seem as “glamorous” as the store window of Barnes and Noble, but libraries have considerably more staying power. Once your book is in their system it’s in there for as long as your book is in print and the library sees there are readers for it. Also, consider the reorders, as your local library will (hopefully) bring in more than one copy. Libraries are a not-to-be-overlooked part of your marketing campaign, and if you missed the review window, don’t fret. You might still be able to gain some interest via events and local popularity!

Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert and an Adjunct Instructor with NYU. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which has been called the “road map to publishing success.” AME is the first marketing and publicity firm to use Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour™, which strategically works with social networking sites, blogs, micro-blogs, ezines, video sites, and relevant sites to push an authors message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book’s topic, positioning the author in his or her market. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at http://www.amarketingexpert.com. To subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@amarketingexpert.com Copyright © 2010 Penny C. Sansevieri