Friday, October 22, 2010

GETTING THE DATES

I just got the date that a local cable station will interview for one of their programs. The date for the taping is December 8, 2010 @ 12 noon.

I also got the approximate date for my online internet talk show interview, it will be for a Sunday evening, between 9PM - 10PM, and should be in the first half of the month.

I sent a copy of my book out for a review in at least one pet related blog and a few pet related columns.

And I'm still surfing the net to find addition places to post about my book.

Yes. marketing and promoting your book can become a full time job, especially if you are serious about doin it,
.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

THE SHIPMENT HAS ARRIVED

Just received my first order of my book, "A Lesson My Cat Taught Me" [110 copies]

I've set aside 10 copies for "promotions". One copy {the version I had with my publisher] has gone out to a woman who works as the EVENTS MANAGER for a radio station. I originally spoke to her it concerned purchasing tickets for an event, I found out she has a cat...Anyway, when I emailed her concerning who she would like me to autograph a copy, she said her child's teacher's class. Since the autograph copy is going to a teacher, I also enclosed pictures of my two cats who inspired to write the book, and the citation about my book being made a recommended resource by Teaching Tolerance [updating the information to show my current book], which reminds me to send them a copy as well to update their web site for my book

I also gave the web sites to purchase a copy.

Now I can finally send a copy to someone who wants to do a book review for a major online site for pets, which goes out to other sites. I can also fulfill a promise to send a someone who said he wants to interview me on his online talk show,

As can be seen from the above you need to keep the promises you made while you were promoting your book. Remember you're giving "away" a copy of your own book, which you purchased at a greatly reduced price. The cost of each copy of your book, let's for argument sake is $5 + $2 for postage. For $7 for you are reaching hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, people can now see and hear you, instead of merely reading

I envelope done for today, one/two to go. Remember to keep the receipt you get from the post office for each book you mail out [document your expenses]. Once they're done, it's a quick walk to the post office.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

THE SEARCH GOES ON

I've already posted items on the groups I belong to on LinkedIn.com
I've created an account on Facebook, and have research for and joined several
appropriated groups for me.
I've started to use an old screen name on have on YAHOO, deleting the groups I
had there and have begun joining new ones involving chrilden's books, cats,
humane society, etc. and begun posting items there. All these groups pertain
to the genre of my book and what my book is about

Of course all this is time consuming, and if you're truly interested in getting your book promoted and marketed, that is what you must be willing to do. No one will come to you, and no one will know about what you have to offer, unless you take charge and do something on your own.

Without question TIME = MONEY. You must be willing to put in as much time as you can in this endeavor. But then, of course, you can always pay someone else to promote/market your book. However, paying someone else will not guarantee that you will get any better results.

Sam Levenson, once stated [or restated some advice he got from his parents] that if you should ever need a helping hand you can find one at the end of your arm.

Well, I'm back off to searching for more groups to join. One of the groups I joined on YAHOO, back me another kind of group I could join. You to take every idea that comes along and run with it.

Right now I'm going back to reading my emails [another time consuming task], and replying to those which might help promote my book. Then it's back to the search/search anew for more groups to join/post. I know, and you must remember that enough though a group might have 5,000 only a portion will actually read your post, and only of portion of that will actually go to the link you provided.

Finally, in doing what I've discussed here, don't believe that this will be the pot at the end of a rainbow, you must remember that in "blind marketing" [where you receive unsolicited offers in the mail] the returns are only about 2% - 3%, and in a few incidents somewhat more

Friday, October 8, 2010

KEEP ON POSTING

In the past few days I did my last set of postings on the LinkedIn.com groups I belong to. So far I've received=

1 - 3 requests to do a blog interviews [one of them in Australia]
2 - 1 requests to do a book review [a book of advise = = stay away from
people who say they'll do a book review for you, but only
after you pay them.
3 - Some offers to do postings on my behalf on different sites, etc

It's been quite hectic around here, I've been putting in 12 - 14 hours a day.
I've also been a "hard-nosed' editing my paranormal romance novel and I am now down to my last 47 pages

On my way to my union's office, I'm a Co-Vice Chair of their retirees, I found a new thirft shop which is for CAUSE FOR PAWS , spoke to a woman there about doing a booksigning. Now I'm waiting for them to get back to me.

I've also been busy creating a facebook account for my book, and doing postings to groups which pertain to me or my book.

AND OH YES
My book finally became available on Amazon.com [one marked published Oct 2, 2010] it's also on www.createspace.com/3447169

Sunday, October 3, 2010

A MARKETING I WILL GO

Now that I have completed the self-publishing a my chidren's book, "A Lesson My Cat Taught Me", [ www.createspace.com/3447169 ]it's time for me to begin the marketing process again. The are many ways of being able to market your book(s). The cost ranges from being totally free to costing hundreds of dollars. It is for you, the author, to decide how much of your own money you are willing to spend. Since I currently do not have the funds necessary to really market my book, I'll be looking for all the freebies I can find/get.

While I had a contract with my publisher, I started by contacting my college, and I succeeded in getting into the electronic newsletter of the college, this lead me to getting an article written in the campus newspaper [paper and electronic]. I also got into several newspapers. It will be hard trying to use these avenues again, but I will still make an attempt, the worse answer I could get is that they're not interested.

In the past year I've joined several groups on LinkedIn.com and elsewhere. The groups which I belong to deal with specific topics, and I have begun to do posting to discussions, etc of these group; writing specific postings depending on what the group deals with. I just did a posting to a select portion of these groups [for me it involved 9 groups, the membership of these groups totals approximately 8,500 [but in calculating a more accurate number I need to deduct a percentage for possible duplicates, as more than one person could belong to multiple groups discussing the same topic. In the next few days I will be postings some of the other groups I belong to.

I've also did a posting to the LinkedIn Group I am the owner of
[NEW AUTHORS NEED MARKETING IDEAS]

It is a tedious process, and the best way to handle having to post the same posting to several groups is to simply write/save them in word, and then do a copy/paste to do the actual posting.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

SAW A RAINBOW

Yesterday, around 6 PM I saw a rainbow. We had heavy rains in the morning, overcast the entire day with intermittent light rain. The sky around then had dark spots. Went into a Hallmark with my wife to get a birthday card, and some instant scratch Lotto tickets for a friend of the family. When we came out, the sun came out, the clouds broke and right in front of us see saw a complete rainbow.

So, I saw a rainbow. Big deal. Why would it matter if I did or if I didn't? The thing is when I check my email, I had received word that the physical copy of my book had been shipped via PRIORITY MAIL... meaning if the cards are right I should be receiving it today...If everything is fine and I approve it today...My book will become available through "my" e-store by Wednesday and Amazon by October 19th.

Guess, I'll be spending a lot of time updating various web sites where the old copy of my book appears.

Friday, October 1, 2010

CLOSER, EVER CLOSER

Just got word a physical proof has been order by the Support Team at Create Space working on my book. They advised me that it would about 5 days before it will be mailed out. As soon as I approve it, it will immediately become available through a direct link to their e-store, followed in about 15 days on Amazon.com

I read a post in one of the groups I belong to on LinkedIn.com, and after clicking on the link provided I believe I now have a possible story idea for another children's book.

I have a personal tagline which is on my business cards =
"YOU'll NEVER KNOW WHERE YOUR NEXT STORY IDEA WILL COME FROM"

So far I have gotten story ideas from;
1. Watching the antics of my two cats [Published / and is now being re-released as
as self-published book].
2. From my wife who had an idea for a story about a boy and his bean. [Manuscript
completed...waiting get it published...need $$$ from sale of first book.]
3. From an online critique ... a short-short story less than 2500 words revolving
around a fountain. [Manscript completed but now needs a major re-write.
4. From checking out a link from a group I belong to on LinkedIn.com [outline for
story line being formatted first in my head and then on paper. Right now
I have the mid-point of the story to the end...need to formulate now I will
begin it.