Guest blogging is one of my favorite book promotion tactics for all authors because it’s targeted. The more targeted your efforts, the more likely you are to reach the people who will love your book.

Problem is, many novelists don’t write guest posts. And those who do usually contribute to their friends’ blogs or write for genre blogs.

And that’s all good.

But you know what’s even better?

Adding topic specific blogs to your list of potential sites for fiction guest blogging.

Look for the nonfiction nuggets

Novels are often built with or around a wide range of nonfiction subjects and themes. These are what I call the “nonfiction nuggets” in your book. They’re a tool you can use to expand your reach both with the press and topic bloggers.

You can usually find your book’s nonfiction nuggets in its:

• Professions
• Real-life settings
• Hobbies
• Medical conditions
• Industries
• Themes
• Conflicts

Once you identify your nonfiction elements (see the exercise below), you can match them to blogs on those subjects.

What does this look like in practice?

Here are a couple of real-life examples of how you can apply this approach.

I just finished reading Liz Alterman’s “The Perfect Neighborhood.” It has a key storyline revolving around a kindergartner walking home from school alone. The author could write a parenting blog post about what she uncovered during her research about how parents handle the walking-home-from-school situation.

She could also blog for a parenting site about how her experiences with cliquey school mothers informed her character development (because they probably did).

My friend Mollie Cox Bryan writes cozy mysteries. Her Cumberland Creek series is about a group of scrapbookers; the Cora Crafts books are craft retreat mysteries.

For the Cumberland Creek series, she can guest blog for blogs dedicated to scrapbooking because, of course, scrapbookers who read cozy mysteries are the people who are most likely to love her books. That logic applies to the Cora Crafts books, too.

There are so many possibilities for every book.

Complete this fiction guest blogging exercise

How do you apply this to your fiction? Try this exercise:

• Skim through your novel to find “nonfiction nuggets.”
• List them. I’m sure you can find at least three (and probably many more).
• Search for and list blogs on that topic by Googling the topic and the word “blogs.”
• If you’re not familiar with “pitching” bloggers, follow the instructions for doing so in my free report, “Virtual Book Tour Basics: How to Connect with Your Audience and Sell More Books Without Leaving Home.”

Then the fun begins: writing your guest post.

Download my free Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet now

As a writer, you know that guest blogging involves more than just determining what you’ll blog about and who will be interested in that. You know that you have to deliver a guest post that your host will be proud to publish.

Start by reading the tips in my free “Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet.” It details nine best practices that will keep you from making mistakes that undermine your guest blogging success.

This cheat sheet, which you can download as a PDF file immediately, will help you deliver the guest post your host expects. It’s your shortcut to looking — and acting! — like a guest blogging pro.

The simple and easy process of identifying your book’s nonfiction topics and matching them to topic bloggers could vastly expand your reach to readers interested in something that plays a role in your story…and help you sell more books.

What are the nonfiction nuggets in your novel? Share one here in a comment! 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in February 2017. It has been updated and expanded.)

“How long should I promote my book? Two months? Three months?”

Authors ask me this question all the time.

They’re often surprised by my answer: You should promote your book as long as it’s available for purchase and the content is relevant.

The book launch myth

I’m surprised at how many authors put all their effort into the period around the publication date, then abruptly stop. They abandon the book, even if (or especially if) they’re disappointed with sales results.

That’s often because many, many authors — you, maybe? — mistakenly believe that they can only promote their book when it’s new. That’s the farthest thing from the truth.

But they have this impression because there’s a lot of hoopla and hullabaloo around book launches. You can easily find launch courses and checklists online.

You’ll have to look a little harder, though to find programs like my Book Marketing 101 courses that look at book promotion more wholistically and explain how to support your books over the long term.

Readers don’t care about your publication date

In reality, you can — and should — promote and market your book as long as it’s available for purchase.

Readers don’t care if your book came out last week, last month, or last year. All they care about is that it’s a good book.

Here are five things you can do to promote your fiction and nonfiction books long after the launch has come and gone.

1. Pitch yourself to the press as an expert source.

If you’ve written a book on a topic, you’re an expert. Your expertise doesn’t have an expiration date. Your book is a long-lasting credential. But don’t wait for journalists to find you — go to them.

Note that you don’t have to be a nonfiction author to be an expert source. Novelists typically do a great deal of research around situations, professions, themes, and other specifics for their books. What did you learn more than you ever thought you would while researching your fiction? You can probably talk to the media about it with confidence.

Also read:

• Finding the hidden news hooks in your fiction
• How to be your own book publicist
• Promoting your book: 8 ways to pitch media outlets
• How to get trade journal publicity

2. Speak about your book’s topic.

Whether your ideal readers belong to the Junior League, Rotary International, or the National Society of Accountants, you can identify a topic that will resonate with them.

While this is often thought of as a tactic for nonfiction writers, novelists can also speak about topics related to their book’s content.

Also read:

• 5 real good reasons to be an author who’s a public speaker

3. Do podcast interviews.

Let’s be honest. Authors who hit the bestseller list as soon as their books are released are busy, busy, busy. They don’t have time to be interviewed by every podcast host who wants them as a guest, so they give their time to the most popular shows.

That leaves everyone else to interview everyone else, right?

The best part? Podcast hosts don’t necessarily need you to have a “new book” credential to book you. They just need you to be a good guest with something interesting to say.

Also read:

• 19 cool podcast facts every author needs to know
• Podcasts and authors: Should you be a host or guest?
• 19 of the best podcasts for authors and writers

4. Guest blog.

Blog hosts want interesting, original content for their readers.

Your book doesn’t have to be new for you to provide what blogs need and want. In fact, the longer your book has been out and the more you’ve learned about reader reactions to it, the better able you are to write guest posts that will address reader interests.

Also read:

• The guest blogging audience most novelists don’t know about
• 4 reasons to embrace guest blogging
• Download our free Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet

5. Use social media to keep your book title in front of the right readers.

Not too long ago, I bought a book because the author posted on Instagram that the Kindle version was on sale for three days. I’ve been meaning to buy it, but had forgotten to do so.

Then this $1.99 Kindle deal showed up in my Instagram feed. It was a no-brainer. (When I told my daughters about it, they each bought a copy, too, because they had heard good things about the book.)

You know that you don’t want to smother people with marketing messages and images on social media, but regular, appropriate, and humble posts will help remind people (like me) that your book is out there waiting to be read and loved.

You can also use social media months and months after your book is published to remind people to review it on Amazon, Goodreads, and elsewhere. Encourage them to request it at bookstores and libraries, too.

Also read:

• Want to attract readers? Create social media content that resonates
• Instagram Stories for authors: How to create and use them
• Boost social media success with these 3 image types
• Create book promotion quote graphics
• BookTok for book marketing
• Three keys to selling more books with social media

Don’t forget . . .

There’s a lot more you can do, too. But here’s what’s important to remember:

• You don’t want to merely launch your book and move on. You want to continue to promote it months or even years later so it can educate, entertain, or inform the people you know will love it.
• Readers don’t care if your book is “new.” All they care about is that it’s good.

Want to learn more? Register for the “Book Marketing 101 for Fiction: How to Build Book Buzz” or “Book Marketing 101 for Nonfiction: How to Build Book Buzz” e-course to learn how to do all of these things and more.

What can you do today to promote your not-so-new book? 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in August 2018. It has been updated and expanded.)

Because many of her friends have influence with people the course is designed to help, I suggested she start by asking those friends to help spread the word. It’s a quick and easy way to begin moving forward.

But piggybacking onto someone else’s platform can – and should – involve far more than asking friends for support. The process is all about cross-promotion and collaboration.

How to leverage someone else’s network

It’s a smart strategy if you want to sell more books or other products, build an email list, or increase your social media follower count.

Here are eight ways to use the power of someone else’s network to reach your book marketing goals.

1. Do an Instagram takeover.

With an Instagram takeover, you literally take over someone’s Instagram account, posting your content instead of theirs. Create Instagram Stories and posts, or go live.

Keep in mind that this needs to be a mutually beneficial opportunity. Your host – perhaps another author in your genre – wants to know that you:

• Have an engaged audience that you’ll bring with you
• Will deliver quality, relevant content
• Will promote the takeover to your network

Keep the momentum going by arranging for your host to take over your account the following week.

2. Propose a newsletter swap.

A newsletter swap is a smart way to leverage someone else’s network while building relationships with others who reach your ideal readers.

With a newsletter swap, you and the influencer agree to promote each other’s books, programs, or products in your email newsletters.

I’ve got the how-to details in “How to do an author newsletter swap.”

3. Be a podcast guest.

Being any kind of guest is a great way to expand your reach, but I consider a podcast interview to be one of the easiest. Just show up and talk about something you know a lot about.

You’ll want to be thoughtful about what you say, of course. I always recommend working to communicate two or three key messages when you’re interviewed. Write them down ahead of time, and find ways to work each in at least once during the conversation.

Be sure to read “Message development: Know what you want to say and how to say it” first.

Support the podcast by promoting your appearance to your network so this is a win-win for all – you reach the podcast’s audience, but you also introduce your connections to the podcaster and their show.

4. Guest blog.

If you been hanging around here with me for a while, you know I’m a fan of guest blogging for several reasons.

When you write an article for someone else’s site, you’re providing an opportunity for your ideal readers to sample your writing.

via GIPHY

In addition, your host will most likely include a link to your book on Amazon or another retail site as part of your short guest blogger bio. (Learn the other reasons I love guest blogging in “4 reasons to embrace guest blogging.”)

Be careful to deliver a quality article that you’ve edited and carefully proofread. This isn’t an opportunity to “phone it in.” This should be a showpiece, not something you did so you could cross it off a list.

Get tips for being the best guest blogger ever in my free Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet.

5. Speak at a virtual or in-person summit.

via GIPHY

I do this once or twice a year, and I’m increasingly particular about the events I speak at so that I can maximize my time and reach.

I like to speak at events featuring other presenters who I’m fairly confident will promote the event to their networks.

When all speakers share summit news with their followers, everyone benefits. When they don’t, people in their networks aren’t exposed to helpful presentations and speakers, and other presenters don’t expand their reach and influence.

Speaking at a summit and offering free downloadable tips to attendees is one of the best ways I have for building my email list.

I usually create a new advice-packed “lead magnet” related to my presentation topic and require people to provide their email address to download it. They get bonus how-to information and my free, weekly, book marketing newsletter, and I can help more authors with articles like this one.

(Get fiction lead magnet ideas here and nonfiction ideas here.)

6. Bring well-connected people to your audience.

Do you have a blog or a podcast? Do you love using Facebook or Instagram Live? Invite influencers and others who share your audience to be your guest.

This helps you create quality content your followers will appreciate while your guest brings their audience to you, even while they’re connecting with yours.

Expand the impact by providing your guests with event text and images they can use to promote their guest appearances both before and after the events.

7. Get publicity.

Publicity – news media exposure – is the OG of audience leveraging.

Pre-social media, using publicity strategies to reach news outlets’ readers, viewers, and listeners was one of the only ways you could piggyback onto another’s platform.

Why should you work to reach audiences served by newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations, and content sites? Publicity will help you:

• Get discovered
• Be seen as an authority and expert
• Sell more books
• Appeal to libraries and bookstores
• Expand your platform

Because I’m a national award-winning former publicist, I’ve written about publicity quite a bit on this site. Scroll through the articles here, and be sure to register for my author publicity course, “Get Quoted: A Journalist’s Strategies for Using HARO to Snag Book Publicity.”

8. Propose a joint venture.

The dictionary defines a joint venture as “a commercial enterprise undertaken jointly by two or more parties which otherwise retain their distinct identities.”

For us, it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement where you partner equally with someone else to achieve a common goal.

Let’s go back to my friend’s situation. If her course is designed for people like you – my audience – she could propose that I host a free training with her that teaches something helpful and previews the course.

We agree that in exchange for access to my audience, we will split the income she earns from course registrations generated by our joint event. She expands her reach, I provide you with useful free training, and we’ve both earned something in the process.

That’s a solid joint venture.

Which of these options works for you?

You’re better suited to some of these than others, right? If you don’t have a blog or podcast, you won’t be inviting people to write for you and you won’t be interviewing them on air.

But if you’re killing it on Instagram, a takeover there might become your new best tactic. Love talking about the writing craft or your book’s topic? Look into being a podcast guest.

It doesn’t matter how many of these you’re willing to explore. What matters is that you pick at least one – just one – and learn how to make it happen. You’ll move in the right direction – forward!

Which of these works best for you already? Which one are you going to try now? Please tell us in a comment.

Most people don’t enjoy doing this, so it’s one reason you don’t need to include it in your book marketing plan.

The other more important reason is that it’s always easier to sell to a “warm” audience — those people or businesses that know, like, and trust you already. They’re more likely to buy from you than strangers are. 

They’re also more likely to help you reach the right readers for your book.

Leveraging your networks

Your “warm” audience is the people in your networks. Because of that, it’s important to understand how leveraging your networks can help you sell more books.

Leveraging your networks doesn’t necessarily mean “selling to” your networks, though. Because not everybody you know is going to be interested in the types of books you write, you can’t expect  all of them to buy and read your book.

It might be reasonable to expect them to support you and your book by telling other people about it, though.

And, yes, some will buy, read, and review it, too. But don’t expect (or demand!) that.

Who do you know, and how can they help you?

Start by assessing your networks.

While most think of their networks in terms of friends and family, yours might also include your social media connections, colleagues, and newsletter subscribers, among others.

What do you know about the people in these networks? Are they the target audience for your book, or are they in a position to help you reach your target audience?

Divide them into two groups — readers and helpers (there might be overlap).This will help you use the right messages with them.

Leveraging your networks

Let’s look at your networks and how to leverage them in greater depth. Here are the most common types:

Alumni association

Ask your alumni newsletter editor to write about you and your new book; ask your local chapter chair to host a book signing at the next meeting.

Blog

Write a blog post about why your book is important and how it will help educate, entertain, or inform readers. In the post, ask blog subscribers to consider sharing that information with their own networks and groups.

Offer to do an interview or guest post related to your book on their blogs, too. Guest blogging is an excellent way to leverage your networks’ networks.

Colleagues

Whether they’re local or people you know across the country or around the world through trade groups, this network is particularly important if you’ve written a nonfiction book related to your profession.

Use email to tell them about your book and how it will help them. Encourage them ever-so-gently to share news about your book with their networks, too.

Customers and clients

Do they know they’re doing business with an author? Make sure they find out directly from you.

You can do that easily by updating your email signature to include your book title and a purchase link.

Facebook profile

How many of your Facebook friends might be interested in your book or share information about it with their networks?

In addition to posting occasionally about your book, message some with sample Facebook posts they can use if they’d like to share your news on their timelines. Use private messaging for this once. Any more than that is too intrusive.

Facebook page

Do you have a separate fan page for your book or one of its characters? Ask people who “like” your page to share information about the book on their own pages.

Post about your book and ask people to share your post.

Friends, neighbors, relatives

They can help you spread the word if they like your book or believe in you

When my “Book Markeiting 101: How to Build Book Buzz” student Laura Laing released  Math for Grownups, she sent friends and others a friendly (and very fruitful) e-mail message listing specific things they could do to help her get the word out about her book.

Groups on social networking sites

Do you belong to groups on Facebook or LinkedIn or participate in online forums?

If group rules allow it, share news of your book, but avoid hard-selling. People participate in these groups to learn, not to get pitched.

Groups are also a good source of beta readers and launch team members.

Local media

I’m surprised by the number of authors who overlook the local press when, in fact, they are often the most receptive media outlets.

Local daily and weekly newspapers in particular can also be remarkably influential. When my first book came out, my local Gannett newspaper wrote a huge feature article about the story behind the book and shared it with other Gannett papers, giving me national reach through one interview.

Identify the right contacts at each type of outlet (newspaper, magazine, radio, TV) and email them to suggest appropriate and relevant story or segment ideas.

National media

Authors who are journalists or have been writing about their book’s topic for some time probably have relationships with other journalists. Send specific and targeted article or segment pitches to these reporters, freelance writers, editors, producers, and assignment editors.

Everyone else? Get tips for pitching the press in publicist Cathy Lewis’s helpful article on this site, “Promoting your book: 8 ways to pitch media outlets.”

Newsletter subscribers

If you’ve been providing value in the form of information or interesting content to your newsletter subscribers, they will be happy to talk up your book in their own networks.

When you ask them to help, provide them with images they can share and sample posts and tweets. You want to make it as easy as possible for them to support you and your book.

Social networks

Chances are, you’re also active on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social networks.

Of course you’ll announce your book, but you’re smart enough not to do that constantly. When you do, though, make sure you don’t say, “Buy my book,” but instead share tidbits that help people understand your book’s value.

Keep them updated on your virtual book tour stops, media interviews, and so on.

Keep growing and leveraging your networks

If you’ve got lots of connections but they’re not likely to buy your book, what are you doing now to expand your networks to fix that?

Continually evaluate your networks to make sure you’re attracting and engaging with the right types of people.

And by all means, remember that this isn’t a one-way street. Support others the way you’d like them to support you. You’ll find that it’s easier to ask a favor related to your book promotion if you’ve already done a few favors yourself.

Did we miss anything? Please stop by here and leave a comment!

COVID-19’s impact on most industries is stunning. On the book publishing side, publishers have furloughed or laid off staff. Printers have struggled to print and ship books according to pre-COVID timelines. Authors who rely on in-person promotion had to re-think their book marketing strategies.

And yet, as an author, you’ve kept moving forward, haven’t you?

I have, too. This past year, I’ve published dozens of book marketing articles designed to help you rise above the chaos and confusion so you continue to sell books.

Which Build Book Buzz articles made the most difference for you? Here are your favorite book marketing articles according to blog traffic reports.

1. 2020 literary calendar with 122 occasions for book fans

This month-by-month list of occasions that celebrate all things books during the year we’re leaving behind makes it easy to find opportunities you can work into your book marketing plans. It includes information on how to use the 122 special days and holidays for year-round book marketing.

2. Book cover re-designs: A pro offers 7 before and after examples

This guest post by cover designer Alexander von Ness explains the thought process behind makeovers of seven fiction and nonfiction book covers. Each example includes the original cover and Alexander’s redesigned version, along with a link to a more detailed examination on his site.

3. “I wish I had known that before I self-published.” 25 authors share what they’ve learned

I asked self-published authors, “What do you know now about self-publishing that you wish you had known when you started?” This article showcases their responses on everything from where to learn what you need to know to whether you should publish on Amazon exclusively and the importance of a book marketing plan.

4. TikTok demographics for authors

TikTok was the fastest growing social network in 2019. This 2020 article digs into the video platform’s demographics so you can see if it’s a good fit for your target readers.

5. 3 Amazon secrets every author needs to know

In this guest post, book marketer Rob Eagar explains how to use Amazon’s power to your advantage. He presents three little-known Amazon secrets that can make a big difference, including how to use the platform to build your author email list.

6. The shy author’s guide to book promotion

While some authors embrace book marketing and promotion with enthusiasm, many just wish it would go away. In this article, I detail five “I can’t do this” obstacles I see the most from shy authors. It includes ideas for getting around them.

7. 2021 literary calendar with 137 occasions for book lovers

This December update to the popular 2020 list published last January takes things up a notch with more holidays and a “download and save this calendar” option designed to make it even more useful.

8. Trade book reviews: Behind the scenes with a professional reviewer

Rose Fox, director of BookLife Reviews, Publishers Weekly‘s paid review service for indie authors, explains trade reviews (also known as media and literary reviews) and how to get them. She walks us through exactly what happens on the publication review side. She also explains why getting a book reviewed can take a lot longer than you’d think.

9. How to get awesome book cover blurbs

Many self-published authors refer to their book description as a blurb, but the publishing industry uses that word for pre-publication endorsements and testimonials. This article addresses who to approach for endorsements and presents nine steps for snagging blurbs your mother would be proud of.

10. 4 steps to new book marketing habits

This article breaks down the habit-making recommendations of B.J. Fogg, author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything. It’s a must-read if you’re serious about improving your life by replacing habits that don’t work for you anymore with those that will do the job.

I was happy to see that three of the top 10 book marketing articles here were written by guest bloggers.

It’s a reminder that guest blogging in reverse — bringing top authorities and experts to your site instead of going to theirs — helps provide your readers with useful content that matters to them.

Help me create content that will hit the top 10 list next year! Please add a comment telling me what you’d like to learn more about in 2021.

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

This month, it’s Blogging Bistro’s 2021 Content Calendar Template.

People use content calendars to plan their blog posts and social media posts in advance. They help you become more thoughtful and organized, with the end result being a more consistent and strategic social media presence.

I love this particular calendar because it’s a Word document, not a PDF file, so you can type in it. You can even change the theme colors to reflect your author branding.

It’s the perfect companion to my popular 2021 Literary Calendar (and be sure to download the PDF version of that, too, here). Laura Christianson, the calendar’s creator, even linked to that list and pre-loaded the calendar with some of its writerly occasions.

I’ve downloaded the 2021 Content Calendar Template and have started adding the literary holidays that I’d like to promote in coming months. Give it a try yourself.

You can host guest writers on your site, or you can write guest posts for others.

I host guest bloggers here as a way of bringing you new perspectives on information you need to have, but also so I can help my guests expand their networks. Everybody wins in that situation.

I’ve also been doing quite a bit of guest blogging in the past year or so for sites that reach authors like you.

I share links to my guest posts on social media, but if you and I aren’t connected on Twitter or LinkedIn, or if you haven’t “liked” my Facebook page or joined my Facebook book marketing group, you probably haven’t my guest blogging in action.

Guest blogging in action

With that in mind, here are links to my guest posts since the first of the year. On any that you click through to read, please linger on the host sites to learn more about what they do and how they might be able to help you in your publishing journey.

Here they are in reverse chronological order.

The Best-Kept Fiction Marketing Secret

What’s the best kept fiction marketing secret out there? Guest blogging.

Savvy, successful novelists know it helps them reach more readers in a way that’s more meaningful than tweets or Facebook posts.

I’m constantly recommending this tactic to fiction writers, but they resist, telling me, “That’s for nonfiction authors.”

They’re wrong.

(read more)

Don’t Confuse a Book Endorsement With a Review

In recent conversations with authors, I’ve noticed that several use the terms “book endorsement” and “book review” interchangeably.

That’s not a good idea.

In the book publishing business, they have different meanings and purposes. Using them incorrectly could confuse the people supporting you. In addition, you could end up with the opposite of what you want and need.

So, what are they, how are they different, and why does it matter? Here’s the short course.

(read more)

Book Marketing Myths – Let’s Do Some Myth-Busting!

We are surrounded by “myth” – information about book marketing. Social media makes it worse – one person sees one of these myths in a tweet or post, accepts it as truth, and spreads the myth even further.

What’s fact and what’s fiction?

Let’s look at three of the most common book marketing myths and understand the impact they have on your book’s success in the marketplace.

(read more)

Sell More Books with Guest Blogging – Get the Visibility You Need

Like so many other bloggers, I welcome relevant guest posts from authors and other experts who have something to say that will interest my readers.

I know that guest posts from authors help sell more of their books because of one simple trick: I use an Amazon Associates link for their book in their bio and in the post.

I don’t do this to earn money – the pennies will barely pay for my beloved tall, extra hot, skinny vanilla latte at Starbucks. I do it so I can see which topics resonate with my readers. When the writer’s book sells well, I know we’ve struck a chord. That tells me I need more content like that.

(read more)

7 Questions to Ask Before Creating Your Book Marketing Plan

A book marketing plan is a document that outlines what you want to accomplish with your book, how you’ll do it, what you can afford to spend, and when you’ll do the work involved.

If you want to sell books, creating a book marketing plan isn’t optional – it’s essential.

Why?

(read more)

6 Ideas for Promoting Your Book While Watching TV

I’m one of those people who likes to watch TV to unwind, but just can’t sit there and watch TV. Know what I mean?

I don’t really like that about myself, but I’ve not only accepted it, I’ve learned to take advantage of it. I try to do something productive while sitting there – knitting, cleaning out my inbox, promoting my books, and so on.

That’s right. I promote my books while watching TV, and you can, too.

(read more)

What’s Your Author Brand?

What do you have in common with Apple, Coca-Cola, Disney, and McDonald’s?

You’re all brands.

You’re probably familiar with the term “branding,” but do you know what it means and how it applies to you?

(read more)

3 Reasons to Embrace One-Star Reader Reviews

Have you experienced that rite of passage in the book publishing industry known as the one-star review?

No matter where you are in the publishing spectrum – a self-published first-timer or a celebrated best-selling author – you can expect to see a one-star review show up eventually.

Nobody wants or hopes for one, of course. But it’s inevitable.

(read more)

8 Ways to Make Your Book’s Press Release Work Harder

Authors who are serious about book marketing, promotion, and publicity have a press release that announces their book. This essential media relations and search engine optimization (SEO) tool is a book marketing basic.

Many, however, don’t know how to get the most from this tool that they’ve worked hard to write and perfect.

The primary purpose of your book announcement press release is to help secure book publicity. Definitely use it with that purpose in mind, but don’t stop there.

Think bigger.

(read more)

Let Your Characters Engage with Fans Online

Elmo has a Twitter account.

Superman has a Facebook Page.

Barbie is on Instagram.

If these big brand fictional characters are active on social media, shouldn’t your characters use social media, too?

(read more)

If you enjoy writing more than marketing, considering giving guest blogging a try. Be sure to download my free “Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet,” too, for tips that will be sure to get you invited back to your host’s site.

What’s your best tip for being a great guest blogger? Please tell us in a comment.

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

This month it’s a resource I downloaded last week and plan to use (a lot): Blog Clarity’s “35 Attention Getting Fill in the Blank Blog Post Titles.”

This one-page PDF download is divided into two columns. The left side of the page lists the 35 options — for example, “How to _____ in Three Steps.” The right side offers corresponding examples — “How to Win an Argument in Three Steps.”

It’s an excellent example of an email list “lead magnet” that encourages people to add their email address to the site’s list in exchange for truly helpful content.

To get your free blog title template, fill out the form at the Blog Clarity site.

Author website must-haves

By Pauline Wiles

As a writer, you might presume that creating your website should be easy.

In fact, finding the perfect words for your online home can often be challenging. Moreover, design decisions and technology choices can be downright overwhelming.

It doesn’t have to be hard, though, especially if you start slowly. It’s all about knowing what you can and can’t live without in an author website.

7 key elements

Here are seven author website essentials. 

1. Clean design

Modern websites are lean and clutter-free. I can generally spot an older site solely from extraneous information clamoring for my attention. Keep your words concise. Limit decorative elements, choosing “white space” instead.

If you’re sprucing up your current site, your sidebar and footer are prime areas for purging clutter.

With website traffic coming increasingly through mobile devices, clean design is vital. And don’t forget to make sure your site looks great on a phone.

2. Book information

As a rule of thumb, the more books you’ve published, the less information your website needs for each title.

For your debut release, you’ll be proud and excited. With only one book to showcase, you might feature:

• A description
• Reviews
• Several “buy” links
• ISBN number
• Book club questions

However, if you have, say, eight books in the same genre, prune this to each book’s:

• Title
• Cover
• Single purchase link
• One-sentence teaser

Recommend a reading order for your books if appropriate, but don’t overload fans with details.

3. Clear calls to action

Don’t give your audience a dozen options. A highly effective website prioritizes the ideal single next step that you’d like your visitor to take. That’s your “call to action.”

In addition, research shows that visitors are more likely to see and click on buttons, versus underlined text links. So, pick a clear “call to action” for each page, and create a button in an eye-catching color.

Calls to action include buying your book or subscribing to email updates.

4. High-quality author photo

Unless you’re desperate to retain privacy, you’ll form a closer reader relationship if you show your face on your website.

Just as you wouldn’t attend a party without sprucing up, your author photo should reveal you at your best. Use one that’s recent and good quality. Don’t use a hasty selfie, or a poorly cropped picture.

A professional author photo truly is a worthwhile expense.

5. Recent content

If you care about your readers, demonstrate it by keeping the content on your website fresh. This doesn’t mean you must publish weekly articles (see below), but check that your copyright year is current and “news” is still applicable.

Remove dead social media links.

If I see a Google+ link on a website, I know it probably shelters other cobwebs, too.

6. Mailing list invitation

If you don’t yet have an author website, I encourage you to publish a few simple pages initially, without getting bogged down in extras. Setting up a mailing list should follow as soon as you’re able.

If you’re daunted by the idea of a newsletter, it’s fine to gather email addresses before you plan to send regular updates. At a minimum, you’ll have permission to notify readers of your next release.

Once you have a mechanism for collecting emails, you must also publish a privacy policy that states how you’ll handle that information.

You’ll need to offer something to encourage site visitors to provide their email address. This “lead magnet” can be a free sample of your work or another reader resource.

But don’t let a lack of this type of gift prevent you from setting up your list. If necessary, it can come later.

7. Contact information

Many authors favor a contact form, but a simple email address on your website is adequate.

Journalists typically prefer this more direct method, and if you hope to be interviewed on current topics, you should consider including your phone number, too.

If you do opt for a form, check it regularly to make sure it still works.

A few author website non-essentials

You have limited time and energy for your marketing efforts. Especially at first, you can get away without these:

• Press/media kit: Unless you’re pitching to mainstream outlets, emailing relevant information will suffice.
• Long bio: Today’s website visitors typically scan your content, so a few engaging sentences are better than reams of text.
• Blog: Especially if your site is new, or if you’re not seeing results from blogging, focus instead on submitting guest articles to other sites with complementary audiences.

Aim for simplicity

The most effective author websites are constructed deliberately and thoughtfully.

Rather than treat your website as a repository of all your writerly interests, aim instead for strictly curated pages.

Whether you already have an author website or are starting from scratch, the best philosophy is less is more. By keeping it simple, your website is easier to construct, and to maintain. And, you’ll minimize typos and broken links while increasing the likelihood that your visitor will take action.

Not only will you make it easier on yourself, but clear, concise content is the ultimate compliment to your reader.

What’s your biggest frustration with your author website? Please tell us in a comment.

I view guest blogging, e-mail Q&As that are published on blogs, recorded Zoom and Skype interviews, and other invitations that fall out of the internet and land in my inbox as bonus opportunities for information sharing.I realize, though, that not everybody sees it that way.

Writing a guest post or answering questions for someone else’s blog takes time — and time can be hard to come by.

Guest blogging goes both ways

That applies whether you’re writing for someone else’s site, or you’re inviting a person to write for your site.

In the same way that you might hesitate to write for another site, you might be reluctant to ask someone to make that same commitment to you.

But guest blogging — whether you’re contributing to someone else’s blog or inviting them to contribute to yours — is a powerful book marketing tactic. Here are four reasons why:

1. You will reach people you might not reach on your own.

When you contribute information to someone else’s blog, you’re sharing your message with people in your target audience who might not know about you.

If there’s overlap with some of your other marketing efforts — for example, if some of the people who read that blog also follow you on Twitter and Pinterest — all the better. That boosts your credibility while you get the benefit of message repetition.

2. The person who contributes to your blog will bring their fan base to your site.

When you invite another author to write a guest post or do a Q&A on your blog, the people in that person’s network will follow that author to your site. They’ll learn more about you and possibly become fans of yours, too.

That’s a real two-fer — you get content for your blog that you don’t have to create while you help expand your audience. What blogger doesn’t want or need both?

3. You will create and solidify important relationships that will support your activities over the long run.

Do you think that Nina Amir is my new BFF after inviting me to contribute to her site? You bet she is!

We are now connected in a way that isn’t superficial. I will go out of my way to support her as much as I can as a way to repay her for the opportunity to share information with her followers.

4. Providing Information on your blog from other sources is a reader service.

You’re giving your blog subscribers and followers access to information and insights they might not get elsewhere. Isn’t that the point of your blog?

Any time you can draw in helpful information from other sources, you’re providing your readers and followers with a service. They appreciate that.

Be open to the potential of guest blogging. It could open doors that have been stuck shut; it could expand your reach in new and exciting ways.

And, to become the kind of guest blogger who gets invited back, be sure to download our free Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet. It’s your shortcut to success.

What other reasons to guest blog would you add to the list?

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in October 2012. It has been updated and expanded.)

Do you wish there were other options that are a better fit for your style, skills, personality, or preferences?

Do you want to know how to promote a book without using social media?

You are not alone. Keep reading.

Marketing beyond social media

When I asked authors in the Build Book Buzz Facebook group what they’d like to learn about through this blog, several wrote a variation of “marketing beyond social media.”

Easy.

Two of my traditionally published books sold out a combined four press runs without a single tweet, post, update, or share.

With that in mind, here are nine things you can do to promote your book without logging in to a single social media account. They’re in no particular order.

1. Guest blogging

This involves finding blogs that reach your book’s target audience, studying the type of content they use, and contacting the owners to propose that you write an article for the blog that will interest its readers.

In fact, here’s a guest blog post I wrote about guest blogging: “Guest Blogging for Authors is Alive and Well.” Here’s more advice on “How to be a great guest blogger.”

2. Book fairs

Exhibiting at these local and regional events lets you meet and converse with readers, network with other authors in your genre, and learn more about industry developments. If exhibiting doesn’t appeal to you or isn’t in your budget, attend anyway — you can still talk to other attendees, connect with other authors, and so on.

3. Publicity

People often confuse publicity with advertising. Publicity is the free exposure you get when you’re interviewed by or mentioned in the news media. I’m a national award-winnig former publicist, so you’ll find lots of information about how to get publicity on this site.

Typing “publicity” into the search box on the right generates a list of articles, as does searching for “media.”

The “Book Marketing 101” courses (one each for both fiction and nonfiction) on the training page also teach you how to generate book publicity. You can get the tools you need — templates for pitch letters, creating and practicing memorable sound bites, the messages you share, radio email pitches, and so on — in Build Book Buzz Publicity Forms & Templates.

4. Create a holiday

It’s easy enough to create a holiday and select the annual date for it. But it’s not enough to just pick a date and call it your own. For it to have book marketing value, it has to have a direct link to your book or something in your book (for example, the author of a novel or children’s book telling Raggedy Ann’s “real” story could create Raggedy Ann Day),  and you have to spread the word about the special day you’ve created (publicity is a good option).

Once you’ve got your concept and date, get it listed in Chase’s Calendar of Events. The deadline for the next book is April 15.

If your holiday is quirky, contact the folks at Holiday Insights to get listed on their site.

5. Speaking

Speaking, which is particularly effective for promoting memoirs, has evolved to include more than standing in front of a group and sharing information they’re interested in hearing. Now it includes presenting at virtual (online) conferences and being interviewed on podcasts.

“Authors and public speaking: 5 reasons to be an author who speaks” will talk you into speaking to groups about your favorite topic.

6. Email marketing

Social media serves a purpose, but if the social networks you use disappeared tomorrow, what would you be left with?

Nothing.

But you own your email list. Even Mark Zuckerberg can’t take that away from you.

Build a fan base and get to know many of them better by creating an email newsletter that encourages recipients to share information with you. Get an overview of the process in “Building your author e-mail list,” then read, “What should I send to my author e-mail list?”

7. Book signings

This is a great tactic for extroverts, especially those who enjoy public speaking, because today’s book signings are about entertainment, not books.

Jane Sutter Brandt explains how she had a blockbuster event in “How to sell out at a book signing without being a celebrity.” Learn what popular young adult author Megan McCafferty does at her book signings to keep people engaged and entertained in “Best selling YA author Megan McCafferty adds unique signature feature to book signings.” Get how-to tips from “Your book signing event tool kit.”

Consider doing yours at a venue that’s related to your book’s topic instead of a bookstore, too.

8. Create an event with other authors

Do this locally at a library or at a function room at a book lover’s conference such as the Dayton Book Expo. Collectively, you can attract a large audience of people who enjoy reading the types of books you write.

9. Meet with a book club

You don’t need social media to find and connect with book clubs. You do need to write the type of book that clubs read, though, and you need to do a few other things, as well (including finding book clubs). Learn how it works in “Authors and book clubs.”

Pick the one option of all of these that appeals to you the most and learn how to do it well. You will see that you enjoy book promotion more — so you’ll probably do more of it. That, in turn, will lead to more success.

Take that, Twitter.

What do you do to promote your book that doesn’t involve social media? 

That’s because guest blogging is one of the best ways I have of introducing authors to the helpful material I provide in the newsletter and on this site. When I share some of that information on someone else’s site, a percentage of the host’s readers come here for more of it. Some inevitably subscribe to the newsletter so they receive more how-to information in their inbox every week.

It’s an easy — and effective — way for me to reach and help more authors with the how-to book marketing advice I offer.

“Reach More Readers Through Guest Blogging”

That’s one reason why I jumped at the chance to speak on how to “Reach More Readers Through Guest Blogging” at the Reach More Readers 9th Annual Book Marketing Conference Online taking place next month.

As part of my speaker commitment, I wrote a guest blog post, “Guest blogging for authors is alive and well,” for the public portion of the conference site. (The private section, where you can get access to bonus materials that include my guest blogging best practices and guest blogging checklist downloads, is available only to those registered for the event.)

To learn more about why guest blogging for authors is alive and well in spite of what you might have read elsewhere in the past year or so, just click on over to the Reach More Readers conference site. You’ll discover five ways guest blogging helps authors and three tips for making sure you get the power of Google behind your guest post.

I’m also talking about guest blogging on the “Reach More Readers” podcast on iTunes this week, too. As of today, it’s the first recording on the list, but later, look for the September 13, 2015 release date.

Download guest blogging cheat sheet

Most importantly, make sure you read our free “Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet” that details nine best practices that will keep you from making mistakes that undermine your guest blogging success.

This cheat sheet, which you can download as a PDF file immediately, will help you deliver the guest post your host expects. It’s your short cut to looking — and acting! — like a guest blogging pro.

Download your free copy of the Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet now. Then begin looking for topic-specific guest blogging opportunities that will help you connect with more of the right readers.

(If you like the download, please share this link with your author friends so it can help them, too: https://buildbookbuzz.com/guestblogging.)

Do you guest blog on other sites? Why or why not?