When it comes to marketing your book, self marketing can be confusing and a lot of work. But the truth is that you really need to do self marketing because no one else is likely to do it for you. I have done some research into self marketing techniques, and I was surprised at how many of them can be done at no cost to the author except for their time. I compiled them into this list of free self marketing tips for authors.

Use Social Media

Social media is the most obvious marketing avenue for authors. It is one of the most popular marketing tools today, and you can get lots of exposure will relatively little effort. The trick is to know how to use these tools effectively when marketing your book.

Create a Facebook Author page first. This will help to keep your personal Facebook page and your book marketing activities separated. This is also helpful if you have multiple books you are trying to market.

Google+ is another must use social media site. It may not have as many users as Facebook but it is gaining in popularity and is a great marketing tool.

Twitter is great for driving traffic to your web site and social media pages. You can also build buzz by creating a hashtag for your book or characters.

LinkedIn is important as well. Create a professional profile that displays your published works, awards, experience, and education.

Now that you have all your social media sites set up, you need to know how to use them to create interest and encourage participation. Here are a few strategies that I have found effective.

• Ask questions. Asking questions gets your fans involved and lets them talk about themselves, which most people love to do. This creates interaction and discussions which in interesting content for fans to read. Make sure you stay involved in the conversation, you do not have to reply to every comment, but engage with your fans about your book, and you will be rewarded.

• Take polls. Again, interaction is key here. Fans will enjoy getting to weigh in with their opinion. If you give fans a say in how your next book unfolds, even if it is some trivial plot point or character trait, they will feel more connected to the story you are telling.

• Do a giveaway contest. People love the chance to win something. Offer signed advance copies of your book, a signed photo of a location in your book, or some other item specific to your story that fans will enjoy. This will help drive excitement and get people talking.

Make a Web Page

Creating a web page for your book is an important marketing strategy as well. Most web hosting companies will give you a domain for fairly cheap, but if you want to stay in the free arena, you can create a Google site as well. Your site does not have to be a masterpiece, just a picture of yourself, the cover of your book, a short bio, a synopsis, and links to your social media sites.

Send Out Advance Copies

Sending advance copies to popular bloggers is a great way to drum up buzz about your book. The right people can really get the word out before your book is released. Bloggers will be flattered that you chose them to read it first and if they like it they will sing its praises to their built in audience. Target blogs and bloggers wisely and it can do wonders for your marketing efforts.

Write a Press Release

Writing a press release about your upcoming book is also a great way to get the word out about it. You can send it out to news agencies and post a copy on your web site. Press releases are a more traditional form of marketing but they are important all the same, and it only takes a bit of effort to write on. Search online for a press release template and to learn press release conventions.

Author Bio: +Brian Burton is a children’s book enthusiast and online publisher for childrensbookstore.com .

David Meerman Scotts marketing bible has become a modern day business classic.This is the book every ambitious, forward-thinking, progressive marketer or publicist has at the front of their shelf. Business communication has changed over the recent years. Creative ad copy is no longer enough. The New Rules of Marketing and PR has brought thousands of marketers up to speed on the changing requirements of promoting products or services in the new digital age. This is a one-of-a-kind, pioneering guide, offering a step-by-step action plan for harnessing the power of the Internet to communicate with buyers directly, raise online visibility, and increase sales. Its about getting the right message to the right people at the right time – for a fraction of the cost of a big-budget advertising campaign. This new, updated edition includes:A new introduction discussing recent changes to the world of marketing and PRA brand new chapter on mobile marketingAn additional chapter on real-time

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So, you’ve written The Great American Novel, and it’s about to be published. What next? The whole point to writing a book is so that someone (or a lot of someones) will read it. However, it’s rare that someone will walk into a bookstore and select a book they’ve heard nothing about. With a little ingenuity and hard work, you can market your work and increase sales. Read on for some tips for marketing your book online.

Create an Audience

This is why it’s important to begin creating your audience as soon as you can. This can start as soon as you have a reasonable idea of what your book will be about and when it will be released. Start describing your writing progress on your personal blog and encourage everyone you know to visit the blog, make comments and tell others about your upcoming book.

Procrastination is not an option here! By letting anyone and everyone know about your book, you increase the possibility that your fans will line up to buy it when it’s published.

Network Your Heart Out

Writers tend to be a cliquish bunch, with poets separating themselves from fiction writers, who in turn isolate themselves from nonfiction writers, and so forth. Thankfully, readers aren’t as finicky, often buying a wide array of writings. With this in mind, it makes sense to promote your work across all genres. Be shameless about this! Not only will you develop contacts who may help you further your writing, but you may gain readers who would have otherwise been clueless about the existence of your book.

Use Social Media to Your Advantage

The Internet has made marketing a lot easier than it used to be. Take advantage of technology by creating a website and opening accounts on various social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, DeviantArt, etc. This will increase your fan base exponentially, which will lead to more book sales. Not only can you update your fans about progress on your book, potential publishing dates, and so forth, but you can release “teaser” chapters to hook readers.

Integrate Search Engines into Your Efforts

One of the best ways to increase your fan base is to become visible in search engines. This can be done by incorporating specific keywords on your blog, such as the title of your work and a few descriptive words (e.g., “crime novel” or “young adult fiction”).

Also, visit Google Webmaster Central  to learn how Google crawls, indexes and ranks websites. By using specific keywords and submitting a sitemap of your site, you increase the likelihood that your site (and therefore your work) will be found through search.

Keep at It (But Maintain Balance)

When it comes to marketing your work, it’s important to remember the adage, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Even the most seasoned marketing firms know this is a nuanced process that requires time and patience. Make a habit of doing a little marketing every day, and you will eventually start reaping the benefits of all of your hard work. Be sure not to burn yourself out, though, or your victory will not seem nearly as sweet.

As you can see, marketing is mostly common sense with a little strategy mixed in. Why pay someone to do it when you can do it yourself? Not only will marketing your own work save you money, but it will increase your overall confidence and help you gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to write a great book. Best of luck!

Derrick Cruise is currently writing a book of poetry, and plans to market it himself using various strategies, including email marketing.

Did you know, Best selling author, John Grisham’s book “A Time to Kill” was rejected by fifteen publishers and thirty agents before he ultimately decided to publish it himself? Being a self published author represents a mountain of challenges when it comes to breaking into the industry. We?ve all heard the various stereotypes about writers who decide to self publish versus traveling the traditional route. For instance, if you?re self published, it?s because no publishing house would pick up your manuscript. Or, self published authors aren’t talented enough and their work doesn’t measure up against writers who are traditionally published. The truth of the matter is, some of the world?s best material has been written by individuals who, for one reason or another, decided to go the self published route including the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, Rudyard Kipling, Gertrude Stein and even Mark Twain. So it begs the question, if there are currently so many great writers who have decided to self publish, then why are they having such a difficult time selling books?

Fact of the matter is, self published authors personally finance the marketing and publicity of their work versus traditionally published writers who have the financial backing and marketing expertise of a larger publishing house. It is much easier to promote and sell while on a twelve city book signing tour where the publishing company is footing the bill for travel, hotel, food, marketing and media coverage. Let?s take a look at a couple of ways self published authors can level the playing field and experience increased success in sales and promotion.

1. Develop a marketing strategy – I always tell clients “we must plan our work and work our plan.” Start by identifying measurable goals for your marketing campaign. How many books do I want to sell…do I want to develop a public speaking component to go along with my book business? Once you?ve answered these questions…you?re path will become more clear.

2. Leverage social media & the web-If you?re not currently using social media, i.e.Facebook, Twitter and Youtube to promote your work, you are losing the “WAR” (Walk Away Revenue). Social media levels the playing field for self published authors seeking to develop their personal brand and promote upcoming releases with the same professional approach as bigger agencies with a large marketing budget. A personal website is a must! Successful promotion starts with access to information and the place to get it is through the authors website. Here you can control your content and promote effectively based on the initiatives in your marketing strategy. The “official website” should be a one stop shop for everything YOU!

3. Timely PR - Public relations must be a self published authors best friend. By now you should have a professionally designed digital press kit that contains information about you such as a bio, any published work, press clippings from articles or television appearances and contact information for future bookings. Any time you have the chance to promote your work through various media such as print, TV, radio, webcast, etc. take advantage of it. When asked to speak at a local library, call your local newspaper editor or create a press release including all pertinent information about your event.

4. Promotion, Promotion, Promotion! – If no one knows you exist…you won?t sell books! It?s that simple. You may be the next great writer in your genre but if people don?t see you, they won?t know you. Depending on your budget, develop a regional book tour of your own. Start with local book stores in your area and contact them about setting up book signings or reading sessions. Once you?ve developed a following locally, expand your territory up to four hours driving distance and continue promoting in similar fashion. Sweepstakes are a great way to develop a database of potential customers and future followers of your work. Be proactive and engage your customer base…don?t wait for them to come to you!

While it is recommended that you seek the help of marketing professionals to properly and effectively promote your work, if you follows these four simple points on marketing and promotion, ultimately book sales will increase and so will your personal brand. No matter what your budget is or how much experience you have with marketing and promotions, you can be successful. Oh, by the way, The Bridges of Madison County….self published!

Ed Jenkins attended Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI and majored in marketing. He is currently the managing partner of Confab Marketing & Design, a Pittsburgh, PA based agency that specializes in brand development, social media and public relations for authors, publishers and professional athletes. You can contact Ed and learn more about Confab Marketing by visiting http://www.confabmarketing.com/downloads/Confab-Media-Kit.pdf

Facebook is a great marketing tool for any author and if you’re not using it, you’re losing sales! Using Facebook for book publicity is both easy and effective and following these few simple steps will help boost your sales and expand your market.

STEP 1.  Create a “Fan Page” for your book

What is the first thing you do after reading a good book?  You tell people about it!  Creating a Facebook Fan Page allows your readers to easily share with their networks the great book they just read and provides you with a free, “mini website” to interact with your fans.

Using the link above, select “Entertainment” then “Book” and follow the step-by-step instructions to begin completing your page. Once you’re done, users will be able to list your book on their info pages, interact with you, the author, and other fans on the Fan Page wall, and share the link with their friends through email and other social networking sites.

One important option to take advantage of is giving your page a username (after you reach 25 followers you’ll be able to do so). For example, https://www.facebook.com/stieglarsson  goes to the fan page author Stieg Larsson. Having a username in your URL will be much easier for people to navigate your page than suggesting they search for you on Facebook. Plus, your link looks much cleaner.

STEP 2. Keep your page updated

Once you’ve created your page, you need to keep it up to date with fresh content.  It’s standard practice to post three to four times a week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays having the highest click through rates) being conscious not to “overshare” or fans will unsubscribe from your page.

When fans post on your wall, be sure to respond to them in a timely fashion and respond to their comment or question.  Facebook is a conversation and that means both parties have to participate.

STEP 3. Give your fans content they can’t get anywhere else

You’ve accumulated some fans, now you need to keep them coming back.  Providing them with content they can’t find anywhere else rewards them for liking your page and can help you at the same time.

In the “discussions” section, you can post excerpts of your work, allowing people to read and comment on your progress. This also allows you to keep your fans up to date on whatever it is that you are working on. You simply click the “discussions” option, select “start new topic,” fill out the topic title and then write a post about it. Your fans will be free to read and reply to all posts on the discussion board.

STEP 4. “Like” it

A page allows people to “like” your book’s page. A fun fact is that when people “like” your page, it helps in your search engine rank. Google figures that if people are “liking” your page, it must be pretty good and worth seeing. One note about liking things; make sure that you click around to other author’s books and pages and “like” them. Odds are, they’ll “like” you right back!

STEP 5. Promote your book signing and speaking engagements

Say you have a book signing or a speaking engagement coming soon. Sure, you’ll post it on your blog and your website. Another option you should utilize is the Facebook “events” tool. Using the “event” function, you can create an event, like your upcoming book signing or reading, and invite all of your Facebook friends to join. You can list information like the time, location, and even directions of how to get to your event. Adding a photo to an event is always a nice touch. List as much information as you can so people will be well informed and more likely to attend. People can RSVP and even if they don’t, the event will linger on their Facebook mini-feed as a constant reminder. Use this example for inspiration. http://tinyurl.com/3lfa9oo

STEP 6. Show appreciation

Once you start to rack up Facebook friends and fans, a nice gesture of appreciation for their support might be to offer some incentives. For example, update your book’s page status to something like, “2,986 people like my book’s page so far! If I can get to 3,000 I’ll be giving away a signed copy to one of my wonderful fans!” People like free things. More importantly, people will keep checking your page not only because of your literary masterpiece, but also to see when you’re giving away more prizes. Giveaways generate interest and will help maintain and produce more fans.

Step 7. Badge and advertise

To let the public know you’ve created this fantastic Facebook page for your book, be sure to add a Facebook badge somewhere on your blog or website so people can click right over to it. Finally, consider utilizing Facebook’s advertising space. You can buy ad space on Facebook. You’ll be able to create your own custom advertisement by filling out the URL, title, and body of your ad. Then, you just have to add a photo and preview. Facebook ads allow you to choose your audience by age, sex, location, interests, even by place of employment. You’ll also be informed how many are in each demographic, which will allow you to target your advertisements to the exact market you want to reach. Facebook allows you to set a daily budget and you can also adjust it at any time, so you won’t break the bank.

So, be sure to hop on over to your Facebook account and set up a page for your book. It is an effective way to market your work and it will allow you to connect with your fans.

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few. Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at http://www.book-marketing-expert.com  or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

Market Yourself: A Beginner’s Guide to Social Media

Tell us something about yourself.

I own and operate a full service graphics house. We work with clients on a variety of projects from Websites to printed materials. A lot of the information in this book came from things I’ve learned as a result of working with clients for 8+ years.

What inspired you to write this book?

This book was birthed While I was teaching a course at a local university regarding social media. This generation had grown up using the computer and were no stranger to social media but they had not been taught how to apply it from a business perspective.

Do you have any writing rituals?

For me writing its easiest early in the morning. I wake up with ideas and raring to go! once I get those thoughts out by afternoon, the idea of writing is daunting.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book? What?

From the perspective of the writing process I’ve learned to get all of my thoughts out and then go back and tweak them and adjust as needed. This allows me to write faster and keeps my thoughts more coherent. Because I work in the publishing industry the publishing part of it was not as much of the obstacle for me but like anything else and it’s my book suggests, marketing the product is the hard part.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

I am currently working on my second book, a spin on traditional marketing that should be ready for publication sometime this summer. One thing I’m doing differently is a lot of dictating. It’s amazing how much wear and tear on your wrist and arms it saves!

What types of books do you like to read?

Personally I love a good mystery, and being the technical geek that I am—anything that has to do with marketing, advertising, PR, design, etc. I also love encouraging, inspirational books with religious themes.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

Yes. My second book is going to be a 31 day marketing plan, the book is aptly entitled 31 Days of Marketing and should be available for sale at the end of the summer. This book will walk readers through marketing a single product one day at a time—in a 31 day plan to be accomplished in a single month.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

If you’re thinking about going with a publisher make sure you have the rights to market your own book and do not have to depend on them to market for you. if you’re going to be self-publishing or using a print on demand solution, make sure you have a professional help you to get the book set up the cover designs and ready to print. It will make all the difference in actually selling that book.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

Anyone who is looking to learn more about social media and how to use it to market themselves personally or a business they’re part of, etc.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

More about my book can be found at www.marketyourselfthebook.com

Congratulations, you’ve written a book. Good for you! Now, do you think you can use 140 characters to successfully promote it? After all, what good is your book if no one (except your family) reads it? Twitter is a great tool to utilize while shamelessly promoting your book. As with most things, successful book promotion via Twitter is an art form not to be taken lightly.

The first thing you need to do is create an account with a not-so-boring username. In my case I used what I do in the name @aBookPublicist, you could create something clever or about your book. Then you’ll need a picture or headshot, it better be a good one too, it’s the only image people will have of you so make it clean, clear, and simple

Twitter is reminiscent of the schoolyard playground, so play nice and make friends.

Upon entering the world of Twitter, your mission is to create a following. If people aren’t reading your tweets, they won’t read your book. The best way to gain a following is to follow people. Hopefully, you’ll pique their interest so they follow you in return. It won’t hurt to do a Twitter search for the subject area of your book. If you wrote a romance novel, search topics like “love,” “relationships,” and “romance,” Follow those people, pages, or groups and maybe they’ll want to follow you.

Look up magazine editors and tweet them specifically (using the @ function) to steer their attention to you and your literary masterpiece.

You should make nice with the book industry folks like book store owners, book reviewers, librarians, and your wonderful friends at Westwind Communications @aBookPublicist and let them know what you’re up to by following them. If you have a new blog post, find an article about your genre, or have new information on a speaking engagement; let them know about it by tweeting it.

You’re an author. You should follow other authors. That way, you can get tips on what is happening in the writing world, outside of your area of expertise. You’ll learn while you are promoting and what’s wrong with that?

About writing actual tweets: You’ve written an entire book, don’t ruin it all with a bad tweet. It is important, while tweeting, that you use a catchy headline and include a link. If your tweets are stupid, boring, annoying, or uneducated, no one will read them; or worse, people will unfollow you! We simply cannot have that nonsense. So, you should be sure to use keywords that relate to you and your book, attracting “tweeps” to your page and thus gaining your book recognition.

DO NOT make every single tweet a shameless self-promotion. People don’t like that. If people don’t like your tweets, that means they will not like you or your book. Tweet interesting things you come across, your genuine thoughts, and save the self-promoting tweets for about 20% of your total tweets.

Since tweets are limited to 140 characters, each letter is very valuable. Use www.tinyurl.com to shrink up those lengthy links containing fascinating information. This will give you more room to convey your personal message and to add your own touch to the tweet.

Once you gain a following, you should reward those who were kind enough to give a hoot about you in the first place. Reward your “twitterverse” by announcing a “giveaway” and give a prize to a follower selected at random. You could make them earn their prize, perhaps by re-tweeting a tweet of yours.

Remember how I said be nice and make friends? Well, Karma will help you survive in the land of social media. Re-tweet posts from people you follow. They’ll probably be flattered and thus, more inclined to re-tweet the things you post; especially if they’re interesting and relatable!

Still not convinced all this tweeting is worth it? The media follows Twitter posts as they are searchable by Google. If someone is commenting on a current event in the news and a reporter finds your tweet, you can get quoted directly or they may call you for an interview. Trust me, as a publicist I know it works.

The bottom line: Twitter is becoming a very useful tool that all authors need to utilize. Get tweeting today.

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC Nightly News, The New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Family Circle, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few. Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at www.book-marketing-expert.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist.

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

My most recent book is Social Media for Home Builders: It’s Easier Than You Think!, a handbook designed to help home builders, remodelers and others in the building industry create a social media program from the ground-up. Really, it’s helpful for any business interested in building a social media presence.

Tell us something about yourself.

I’m a mother, wife, business owner, author and speaker. A prolific blogger, I manage a number of blogs for my agency, mRELEVANCE and our clients. I have been blogging since 2005 and built many strategic social media programs. My family lives on a farm in north metro Atlanta where we have horses, goats, dogs, cats, a miniature donkey, a bunny, turtle and several really old goldfish won at a school fair.

What inspired you to write this book?

My publisher, BuilderBooks was looking for a subject matter expert, and I approached them with an outline and several chapters. They accepted my submission, and I delivered the book to them just three weeks later. The hardest part was finding enough time to “download” all the knowledge from my head and into the computer within the tight timeframe!

How did you choose the title?

It was suggested by my publisher after discussions about many business owners’ hesitation even to try to get involved in social media on their own. We realized many businesses were relegating the task to someone’s niece, nephew or kid brother, and we wanted to empower them to jump in and do it for themselves.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

There weren’t any obstacles in getting the book published, but I had a very tight deadline for writing it. I wrote it in three weeks, and it was published nine weeks later! One of the biggest challenges with the book was getting all the permissions in a timely fashion, especially from the bigger social networking sites.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get started?

I have been a public relations practitioner for the past 20 years; most of what I have written has been for work — news releases, website copy, blogs and other marketing materials.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Nights and weekends are the best time to write because it is quiet and email isn’t a major distraction. Typically my grey tabby Josie sits in my lap and acts as my muse. I also consume a lot of Earl Grey tea with honey in it. Using two computer screens allows me to research things on the Internet on one while I write in Microsoft Word on the other. As I find interesting statistics, I bookmark them in my delicious account (http://www.delicious.com/carolmflammer) for later reference. Lots of times I tweet statistics and other snippets while writing.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book? What?

I learned that one of the hardest parts about writing a book is creating proper citations, a glossary and a reference section, not to mention getting permissions. It was also interesting to respond to my editor’s queries and to try to explain complex information so that readers would understand.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

Ideally if doing it all over again, I would have more time to write it!

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors?

I read a wide variety of books. Historically, my favorite books almost always have horses in them. I have probably read every Dick Francis book ever written. My absolute favorite author is Dr. Seuss; I wish that I could rhyme like him all the time!

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

I am working on version 2 of Social Media for Home Builders: It’s Easier Than You Think. It is going to be bigger and better than the original version — another don’t miss for those in the home building industry. Additionally, I’m going to start blogging about how I took control of my health to get rid of debilitating migraines after seeing multiple doctors and getting no answers!

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Write about something you are passionate about, create a detailed outline and find a great editor.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

Home builders, remodelers, suppliers, real estate agents and marketers working in new home building who want to understand how to build an effective social media program with proven ROI.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

There are lots of places to learn about me or interact with me.
Company website: www.mRELEVANCE.com
My personal blog: www.CarolFlammer.com
LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/in/carolflammer
Twitter: http://twitter.com/atlantapr or http://twitter.com/carolflammer

Social Media for Home Builders: It’s Easier Than You Think is available from BuilderBooks: http://store.builderbooks.com/cgi-bin/builderbooks/921

It is also available in paperback and on Kindle at Amazon.

Every time Google changes its algorithms – it causes a frenzy among those internet marketers relying heavily on the search engines. The latest change made many marketers stock up on Maalox and Pepto Bismol as it made them literally sick to their stomachs. Google’s latest change was an attack on article directories and content farms like Ezinearticles.com.

You see, many internet marketers were writing 150-200 word articles that gave no informational value whatsoever, just to get the link. They were after the SEO benefit and not taking full advantage of what article marketing has to offer. But now, because of the new Google algorithm change sites like EzineArticles.com lost a lot of its visibility on Google and it has many internet marketers up in arms.

Now, unlike many internet marketers, I think the change is a GOOD thing – and here’s why…

4 Reasons Why I Think the New Google Algorithm Change is a Good Thing

1. It forces article directory sites like EzineArticles.com to enforce stricter editorial guidelines. Google wants quality! Your readers want quality! I can almost guarantee this is why EzineArticles.com now requires you to write articles at least 400 words. And, it’s why they are going to review your articles even more thoroughly for spelling, grammar and formatting errors. They are increasing their quality control – and that’s usually a good thing.

2. It forces you the article marketer to go beyond the article directories – and target the best websites, ezines and blogs. Now, as the Google algorithm change focuses on article directories (and I’m sure this is only the beginning!) you cannot solely focus on SEO. You need to start putting your content on targeted websites, ezines, blogs and forums that your audience is going to every day. This way, you go directly to your audience instead of you hoping they find you on the search engines. Plus, these sites will give you the credibility and expert status you need to build your business. To find out the correct way to submit your articles so you can get published on more websites (and not just the article directories) go to: http://www.articlesubmissionsecretsrevealed.com/special

3. It forces you to use other mediums to get your content out in front of your prospects’ faces. If you didn’t have a reason to start engaging in social media before – now you do. Besides trying to get rid of the “junk”, Google is changing its algorithms based on the way people search. Now, your prospects are gaining the information they need from social media sites like LinkedIn. If you want to be found and if you want to be heard, then you need to engage in social media.

4. It forces you to start creating articles that give prospects the perception that you are the thought leader. You think sites like Entrepreneur.com and WomenEntrepreneur.com (which my article submission clients have been published in!) want to publish regurgitated content that is already all over the Web? No way! So, if you are going to go beyond the article directories and get your articles published on top websites, then you need to up your game. You need to start offering information that is usually held back – and you need to “wow” publishers and readers with the information you are revealing.

How to Embrace the New and Upcoming Google Algorithm Changes..

Understand that article marketing is not what it used to be. No longer can you submit an article to thousands of article directories and expect the traffic to come pouring in! Whether you’re just starting out in article marketing, or you already run an article marketing campaign, you have to learn how it should be done in today’s world if you want it to succeed.

If you need help, remember that my online article submission secrets course, will take you by the hand and literally walk you through setting up and executing your new article submission campaign from the very start.

Here’s to submitting articles the right way – that won’t have you affected by the recent Google algorithm change and any upcoming changes.

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Next to giving birth to my first child, one of the most exciting moments of my life came in April, 2007 when a small box arrived from Penguin U.S.A. That box contained copies of Poison Pen, the first in my Forensic Handwriting Mystery series. I could hardly believe that after 7 years of trying to sell my book, it was finally real: I was holding in my hands and it was on its way to bookstores all over the country. Somehow, it was even more exciting when six months later, book two, Written in Blood, arrived. A year after that, the excitement was still growing when Dead Write was published. But by the time Last Writes came out in 2010, my enthusiasm was a bit wilted.

Don’t misunderstand. It was still just as thrilling to see my books in print, published by one of the world’s biggest publishing houses, but what I had learned over the course of the first three books was that, beyond putting my books on bookstores’ shelves (which is, of course, very important), if I wanted readers to buy the books, telling them the books were there was going to be my own responsibility.

I also learned that despite putting a great deal of time, money, and energy into travel and promotion, which generated decent sales, it didn’t guarantee a new contract. This situation is not unique to me. Unless you are a Michael Connelly or Janet Evanovich, a publisher’s resources are unlikely to be thrown behind promoting your book. It’s going to be up to you.

So, what are some really effective ways of promoting, and what are not? Everyone seems to agree that these days, unless you’re in the neighborhood and already have a following, book signings are not the best way to go. I’ve traveled across country on my own dime (well, fifty cents when adjusted for inflation), sitting up all night on a plane, only to arrive at a bookstore to find that no one has told store personnel that I was scheduled for a signing that day. And hearing, “No, we don’t have any of your books,” is not an anomaly limited to me. I hear the same thing from author after author (so always carry some books with you!).

What’s really important in your promotion these days is to create a platform, or a brand. In my case, I’m a forensic handwriting analyst, so for me, that’s a ready-made platform. Book sales are much greater when I give talks about handwriting analysis and how my character, Claudia Rose, uses it to understand the people she deals with in the books, rather than just setting up a table in a store and expecting shoppers to come over with armloads of books for me to sign (if only!).

I’ve given loads of talks at libraries (some paid, some free), and while those audiences really enjoy the information, they tend not to buy books, they borrow from the library. Still, library sales are very important, so even though it would be much nicer for me if they would buy, it’s fine.

Having established your platform/brand, a Facebook page is The Thing. This can be separate from your personal page, and is a good place to tell your “friends” about your upcoming books and activities. Whether I’ve been invited to speak at a book club, library, a business group, or a university, I post about it on my Facebook wall. Afterwards, I post photos of the event. Readers “Like” these items and post comments, which helps spread the word about my books. I also tweet (@sheila_lowe) my events or articles that I write, as well as other types of informational articles—no one wants a bunch of tweets that are totally self-promoting.

Another good promotional tool is appearing on a panel at conventions in your particular genre. However, with travel costs rising, you may want to stick to conventions close to your geographical area. It’s easy enough to find them. Remember, Google is your friend.

Writing articles and blog posts is excellent free advertising, too, and if you are an expert in your field, you can even get paid for some of those articles.

Bottom line, you can’t just write the book and sit back, waiting for it to fly off the shelves or into someone’s Kindle. When you get the copy of your first book in your excited little hands, you must generate the same excitement in your readers, and the first step in doing that is to let them know your book is out there.

Sheila Lowe is a forensic handwriting analyst and mystery novelist.
www.sheilalowe.com and www.claudiaroseseries.com