November 24, 2008 at 5:14 pm (Book Promotion)
Tags: book, mailing list, marketing, promotion, self publish
Don’t you wish there was one single place where you could buy a mailing list that was specific for your self-published book?
You’re in luck! Check out www.listsyoucanafford.com for third party mailing lists that just may be the answer to your marketing goals.
I hope these lists help you get the word out to your specific book audience and just in time for the holiday shopping season to begin!
Good luck and have fun!
Kelly Schuknecht
selfpublishingadvice.wordpress.com
November 22, 2008 at 7:08 pm (Book Review of the Week)
Tags: AccUShot22, active play kits, basketball, book, book review, Bouncing Billy, children's, NBA, review, Ricky Pierce, self publish
Bouncing Billy
by Ricky Pierce
This self-published children’s book was recently reviewed on mamalaw.blogspot.com.
Bouncing Billy is an interactive book written by Ricky Pierce, who retired from the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1998. He is the creator and inventor of the AccUShot22 Basketball, which aids children through adults in ball-handling and shooting skills.
Read the full review here.
November 20, 2008 at 1:21 pm (Book Promotion)
Tags: book campaign, interviews, market, Promote, publicity, radio, self publish
Lately I’ve been discussing radio interviews for the self-published author. I hope you’ve found these tips helpful. On-air interviews are one of the staples of a good self-published book publicity campaign. Here’s one more tip to help you get started.
It probably comes as no surprise to you that New York is the largest radio market in the United States. But who is number 2? Or number 22? By understanding market size, you can better prioritize your on-air marketing efforts.
The link below will take you to lists of US Radio market size organized by size and also organized alphabetically by market name.
Good luck and have fun!
Kelly Schuknecht
selfpublishingadvice.wordpress.com
November 15, 2008 at 2:30 am (Book Review of the Week, Book Reviews)
Tags: blog, book, book review, post, review, self publish
If you are a self-published author and have a review for your book that you would like posted online, we can help! In the interest of helping self-published authors find success in publishing, we will post a weekly book review of a self-published book.
To submit your review, please send it to selfpublishingadvice@gmail.com with a .jpg image of your cover. Self Publishing Advice will post your review and cover image on our blog.
If you do not have reviews for your book yet, here are some blog posts that may help give you some ideas on how to obtain them:
Getting your Self-Published Book Reviewed
Soliciting Book Reviews for your Self-Published Book
More on Getting your Self-Published Book Reviewed
Book Review Leads for the Self-Published Author
Karl Schroeder and Kelly Schuknecht
http://selfpublishingadvice.wordpress.com
November 14, 2008 at 11:54 pm (Book Promotion, Choosing a Publisher, Distribution, Tips, writing)
Tags: blog, book, Distribution, publishing, royalties, sales, self-publishing
A very informative article was recently published outlining one author’s success self-publishing over traditional publishing, most notably in terms of higher net royalties on book sales. In fact, the case study recorded significantly higher royalties on a lower quantity of book sales along that self-publishing route.
The book pricing advantages of self publishing is no stranger to this blog, nor the increasingly successful population of authors who follow that path. But this particular article also mentioned that writers should never have to pay for publishing upfront.
Unfortunately, I’ve seen authors who have been pulled in by that concept, but end up publishing an often poorly produced book sold back to them at highly marked-up costs. (Publishers are businesses and need to make money, after all.) So that model really only puts poorly produced books right back in the hands of authors, not readers.
The successful alternative does involve upfront publishing fees, which opens a direct contract between authors and publishers including quality, professional production on books that are competitively sold in the marketplace, where readers buy books. Make sure your self-publishing choice includes those things like cover design, interior formatting, and full distribution. Also, as I’ve mentioned before – and the significance here is worth the redundancy – make sure your publisher offers pricing flexibility (control) and 100% royalties on book sales.
I hope that helps. Have fun and keep writing…
Karl Schroeder
November 13, 2008 at 5:21 pm (Book Promotion)
Tags: book, interview, Promote, promotion, radio, self publish
On-air interviews are one of the staples of a good self-published book publicity campaign. Here are some tips that may help you secure some on-air interviews with radio stations:
TIP # 1 – Press releases are not just for the publication date. If your book has been out for awhile now, you may want to consider another press release with a different angle. The media likes topics that are fresh and new (that’s why they call it news), so come up with a different approach or “hook” for your book and draft another release. Then send it to your local media and follow-up in a few days with a phone call.
TIP # 2 – During the call, try to refrain from heavily pitching yourself or your book. The producers are only interested in one thing — whether or not YOU will be entertaining to their viewers or listeners. The way you can be entertaining is by establishing yourself as an expert on a subject people care about (and hopefully, in some way, is connected with your book).
TIP # 3 – Follow the news voraciously. The media likes nothing better than a savvy author who knows the hot topics of the moment and can be both entertaining AND topical. News stations are always looking for a tie-in between segments, something that is connected with the stories or news items they are reporting that day. When they report on a subject and then have an interview with an expert (you) connected to that very topic, they look good. (And you look good).
TIP # 4 – Producers keep hot-files. Even if you are NOT the current topic of the month, you may very well be the hot topic NEXT month. Be sure local media know about you and have your contact information so that when a story comes along that relates to your expertise, they know who to call. The easier you make their job, they more they will like you.
TIP # 5 – Try these website to find radio stations around the world: www.radiolocator.com and www.newslink.org
Good luck and have fun!
Kelly Schuknecht
selfpublishingadvice.wordpress.com
November 12, 2008 at 10:15 pm (Tips, editing, writing)
Tags: book, editing, manuscript, self-publishing
Q: I plan to self publish. My book was written and designed and ready to go to a printer, but somebody warned me that it needed editing. I sent it to an editor, but he said he can’t edit it when it’s already designed. Why not?
A: A manuscript should always be edited before it is designed into book format, and the reasons are simple. If you plan to have the editor work on the hard-copy version of your manuscript, it has to be in standard manuscript format; that is, twelve-point Courier or Times New Roman type, double-spaced, with margins of at least an inch on all sides. This format is standard in the industry and gives the editor room to work. If the book is already designed, it won’t be in standard manuscript format; it will be in book format.
If you plan to have your editor work on your electronic file, the format won’t matter, but it must be in a word-processing document, not a design program or a PDF. Most editors are not designers and won’t have the design program used to design your book. If it is in a PDF file, most editors cannot change those files electronically. Worst of all, even if the editor has the capability of opening the design program or manipulating a PDF (which some do), editing a book after it is designed will surely interfere with the design. After the file is edited you’ll have to return it to your designer to get it redesigned, and there will certainly be an additional charge for that service.
As you can see, it’s cheaper and easier to follow convention. After you have made all the revisions to your manuscript that you can make, get it edited. After it is edited, reread the manuscript for a final proof before getting the manuscript designed into a book.
Bobbie Christmas, book doctor, author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book Doctor” questions and answers at www.zebraeditor.com.
November 8, 2008 at 5:07 am (Book Review of the Week)
Tags: Bolivia, book, book review, photography, review, ron dubin, self publish
Bolivia
by Ron Dubin
Ron Dubin is a master photographer and frequent commenter on asian ramblings. It’s a pleasure to announce the publication of his new book.
Ron Dubin wanted to get away. He’d had a trying year: Moving across country, from Los Angeles to Florida, coupled with the illness and death of his mother, Dubin was ready for something else.
“(If I had been offered) an assignment in Pompeii the day before it got buried I would have asked if I needed a visa,” says Dubin in the forward of his book, Bolivia, A Journey.
Ron is a man of many photographic talents. Over the last four years, his images have been featured in food and travel publications, regionally, nationally, and online. Dubin has also shot in Peru, France, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and extensively in the U.S.
Dubin’s book, 86 pages of extraordinary photographs and the stories behind them, offers readers a look into Bolivia’s diverse scenery and people. His landscape images are striking: Bold mountains under remarkable skies. The local creatures, llamas, snakes, and flamingos, have also been photographically captured in their native habitats.
The photographs of the people, going about their daily lives, give readers a revealing look into Bolivian life. The images document small-town residents going about their daily routine. These images, captured by an impartial observer, offer a glance into another place and culture.
Dubin’s image, The Sisters, captures two siblings at Isla del Sol. According to Ron, they were the most frightening thing about the town. The encounter resulted in him purchasing two palm fronds from the pair.
“She kicked my butt… There are three-card Monte dealers in New York that could learn a thing or two from them,” he says.
The architecture: Basilicas, moments, and ruins, were not overlooked by Dubin’s lens. The buildings, combined with the wide blue sky, are a visual pleasure to view. The images of the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana, near the banks of Lake Titicaca, illustrate the sacredness of the site to both the indigenous and Catholic people.
Built in the 16th century, Dubin explains, “It is a popular custom to get your car blessed in front of the church which considering the roads, couldn’t possibly hurt.”
Dubin admits to knowing little about Bolivia before setting out on his expedition. “What I did know couldn’t fill up a trivial pursuit card,” he says. He did know about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. One of the final images in the book is of Ron brandishing the famous outlaws’ pistols.
Bolivia, A Journey can be purchased at Blurb. Ron Dubin maintains a photo blog at blog.rtd13.com
For more information or to order copies, visit the author’s web site: www.rondubinphotography.com
November 7, 2008 at 11:33 pm (Book Promotion, Choosing a Publisher, Distribution, Tips, self-publishing, writing)
Tags: Distribution, e-book, editing, publishing, self-publishing, traditional
We’ve discussed previously the new, revolutionizing self-publishing model and how it is quickly changing the industry.
As one industry expert recently noted, “The traditional model for print publishing is broken.” He is right, it seems as though everyone has gotten a hand in the process between penning and publishing: agents, editors, and bookstores. That process not only bogs the system, it takes rights and royalties from authors.
Sure there are advantages there coming in the form of editors, distributors, and bookstores. A good self-publisher will include all of those details, but keep the author in the driver’s seat. What does that accomplish? It keeps authors one step closer to their prospective reader, and at the top of the royalty food chain.
Look for a self publisher that offers an e-book option as well as a quality published trade paperback and hardback option – that’s authors touching readers on every level. What author could ask for more?
Have fun. Keep writing.
Sincerely,
Karl Schroeder
November 6, 2008 at 8:05 pm (Book Promotion)
Tags: book, interview, Promote, radio, self publish
Have you done any radio interviews to promote your self-published book yet? If this is something you’re considering, here are the top 7 radio interview tips to keep in mind when you step in front of a microphone for a radio interview:
1. Your goal is to entertain the audience. Be lively and upbeat.
2. Your second goal is to get invited back by the host. S/he may do that if you are a good, lively, entertaining guest.
3. Your third goal is to have the host recommend you to other hosts. S/he may do that if you are a good, lively, entertaining guest.
4. Radio is not television. Normal communication is 80% non-verbal and you don’t have that advantage. Your voice inflection and energy has to pick up the slack.
5. Ask for a recording (mp3 or similar) in a follow-up communication to the host, which also expresses your thanks for being invited on the show.
6. Use the recording to secure future interviews and in your promotions.
7. Be clear about a “call to action” up front with the host. Will s/he be mentioning your book, or will you? Is the “call to action” to call into the show or is it getting the listeners to go to your webpage and order, or is it to go to Amazon and order? That’s up to the host. Asking them up front allows them to set the rules and that way you know what’s going to happen in advance. Word it like this: “I want to be sure I don’t over-step my bounds because I want to be entertaining for your listeners. Will you be mentioning my book at the beginning of the segment or the end? What’s best for you?”
Good luck and have fun!
Kelly Schuknecht
selfpublishingadvice.wordpress.com
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