Some people are really good at cleaning up and clearing things out.

They routinely make room for new items by donating, recycling, or discarding items they don’t wear or use anymore.

Others unsubscribe from email lists that no longer have value.

13 time-tested ways to get kicked out of a Facebook group

And still others vow to reduce the number of Facebook groups they participate in so they have more time for other activities.

Does that describe you?

If you need to spend less time in online discussions, here are 13 ways to get kicked out of a Facebook group. As the owner of one group and moderator of another, I promise any combination of them will work.

1. Don’t read the group rules.

Rules are for everybody else, right?

If you want to stick around, look for the rules in the group’s “About” section.

“I don’t like it when people come straight into a group with an agenda and don’t read the group rules,” says Heather Townsend, a former co-moderator of the 13,000-plus-member Self-Publishing and Book Marketing group.

In that group, as soon as you post something that’s against the rules, moderators remove your post and give a warning. Do it again, and you’re g-o-n-e.

2. Preface your post with: “Delete if not allowed.”

This is an offshoot of “don’t read the group rules.”

Groups that prohibit specific types of posts share that information in the group rules. If you’re not sure if the rules allow the post you want to share, read them.

Or, send a moderator or admin a direct message describing what you’d like to post and ask if it’s allowed.

Otherwise, you’re asking moderators to do your thinking for you.

Is that fair for these volunteers? Is it smart? Nope and nope.

3. Be blatantly self-promotional in a no-promotion group.

Just because some Facebook groups exist to allow authors to post “buy my book” and “my book is on sale” and “my book was just published” messages doesn’t mean all author groups do. (My Build Book Buzz Book Marketing Group does not because it’s a discussion group.)

“I’m annoyed when members engage in self-promotion, whether it’s in a group that I manage or in someone else’s group. It’s inappropriate, especially within a group that someone else is running,” says Marcia Turner, who runs a secret group for members of the Association of Ghostwriters as well as the private WomensNet group with 22,600-plus members.

Some groups allow it, some don’t. If you want to get kicked out, don’t check the rules first before posting your sales pitch.

4. Be subtly self-promotional in a no-promotion group.

You know who you are in those groups that ban promotional posts….

YOU: “I’ve just created a course that I think is perfect for you guys, but I’m not sure what to call it. What do you think of these options?”

YOU later that week: “Thanks so much for helping me with the course title! Here’s what I ended up with — and here’s the link where you can buy it! You guys rock! xoxo”

MODERATOR: “Buh-bye.”

5. Always be a taker; never a giver.

Ask for help or advice, but don’t help anyone out or share useful information. You’re busy, right?

Granted, as newbies, many of us don’t feel qualified to answer questions or help others. But we can contribute in other important ways:

• Congratulate someone posting about a success.
• Thank someone for sharing information you found interesting or helpful.
• Provide an opinion when it’s requested.

For the most part, though, this one is more of a problem when combined with the tactic number 6, up next. Doing both together repeatedly will help you get kicked out of any Facebook group.

6. Never say “thank you.”

I’ll admit that as someone who automatically says “thank you” to Siri, this is a pet peeve.

That’s why it gets you escorted to the virtual door quickly in any group I manage.

It’s easy to pull off, too! Just ask lots of questions, grab the answers offered by group members, and solve your problem without bothering to thank the people who helped.

It might take you a while to establish this rude pattern, but it will get noticed.

7. Ask for opinions, then argue with everyone who responds.

If the real reason for your request is to validate your perspective, you might want to rethink posting because you might not get what you seek.

“It’s annoying when they ask for help, then argue with the person who gave feedback they don’t like,” says Townsend.

To use this approach to get kicked out so you don’t have to quit, be sure to respond with comments that include, “You don’t understand,” “My situation is different,” and “It’s too late to change that.”

8. Confuse the group with Google.

Here’s the best way to use the group rather than doing any research on your own: Join a group dedicated to your new favorite interest, topic X. Then, post, “Hi! I’m new to this group. I don’t know anything about topic X. What can you tell me?”

From what I’ve seen, most members know at least a little about topic X before joining. They use the group to learn more about a specific aspect of it, talk about a topic they enjoy discussing, or get ideas.

If you want to leave, though, admit that you haven’t done any research on your own, but are looking forward to everyone in the group sharing everything they’ve learned with you in long and detailed answers to your nonspecific questions.

9. Hijack the discussion. A lot.

Someone who hijacks the discussion adds a comment or asks a question that’s off-topic or unrelated to the discussion. It’s the online version of interrupting to change the subject while someone is speaking.

“For example, someone posts, ‘What one marketing technique has been the most effective for you?’ and a member responds, ‘Whatever you do, don’t follow Jane Doe’s advice. I bought her system and although it promised to show me how to do X, Y, and Z, it didn’t work,’ — and X, Y, and Z have nothing do with marketing,” says Turner.

But don’t do this just once or twice. Moderators look for patterns in behavior, so do it regularly if you want to get kicked out of a Facebook group.

10. Share information from a private group outside the group.

Some groups prohibit this (see tactic number 1, above).

“In many cases, people in the group paid for access to useful information shared there and having it become public knowledge reduces the value of that group membership,” says Turner.

In addition to the fact that group membership might be linked to something the member spent money on, including training programs or professional association memberships, the “don’t share outside the group” rule often exists to protect member privacy.

11. Attack the moderator.

This is more common than common sense would suggest.

When I recently — and gently — asked a new group member a few questions about the group she was asking our members to join*, she immediately went on the attack.

(*Unrelated to my conversation with this poster but worth noting: It’s bad form to use one group’s hard work growing a group to build a membership for another.)

I’m all for debate, discourse, and other d-words, but she was so off-base and inappropriate — and I was so not in the mood to even think about why she was so hostile so quickly — that I simply removed her from the group.

Nobody’s paying me to take abuse from Facebook groupies.

12. Offer bad advice with great confidence.

Why know what you’re talking about when you can just fake it?

Moderators often have significant topic expertise, so they can spot posers pretty quickly. (Pro tip: They’re often the people with the loudest voices.)

When repeated misinformation from a member threatens to harm group members, posers will have be escorted to the door.

13. Bully people.

At first, I thought the bully in the Build Book Buzz group might be having a few bad days. When the nastiness continued and a favorite member left because of it, I had to act and ban the bully.

Fortunately, the member who felt forced out returned when I apologized for waiting too long to take action.

I learned from that experience.

I’ve watched many group moderators show zero tolerance for bullying, so when you’re ready to be shown the door, just verbally abuse one or two people.

How to remain in your favorite group

Trying just one of these tricks on occasion is not a deal-breaker. 

So, if you want to get kicked out of a Facebook group, you’ll have to do several of them frequently. That will help you establish a pattern that’s hard to overlook.

What’s the best way to stay in a group and possibly even get invited to be a moderator? Apply what you learned in kindergarten:

• Say please and thank you.
• Be nice to others.
• Be helpful.

If you want to do this while discussing book marketing topics, we’d love to have you in the Build Book Buzz Facebook group. It’s a great group of smart people who are willing to share what they’ve learned. Join us!

What group behavior bothers you? What behavior makes you applaud? Please tell us in a comment!

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

There’s an unsettling trend among authors and other small business owners with something to promote: self-quoting in social media images.

I realize that many view self-quoting as a great way to assert authority and attract attention. But doing so can backfire if it creates a negative impression.

There’s a fine line between showcasing your talent and coming off as arrogant. And it’s hard for readers to warm up to arrogance.

What is self-quoting?

For those who haven’t seen this practice, self-quoting refers to how people combine a statement they’ve made (or made up) that they think is profound, wise, or insightful with a background image.

The statement is positioned with quotation marks, of course. The self-quoter’s name is included as attribution. Here’s a tongue-in-cheek example.

People typically do this for two reasons:

1. To call attention to their expertise
2. To encourage others to share the image so that the wisdom in the quote reaches more people

What many who do this don’t realize, though, is that when they continuously quote themselves, they begin to look self-involved. Where’s the humility?

Readers who aren’t impressed with the ongoing self-quotations won’t engage with the content and will instead move on to someone who seems less arrogant.

Who decides what’s quotable, anyway?

It’s not just about turning off readers, though. There’s another thing to consider.

It’s about who should decide who and what is quotable.

I’m not quotable because I say I am. I’m quotable because you decide that I am.

I don’t get to decide what I write or say that is so meaningful that more people need to know about it. You do.

Most authors like you and me write to educate, entertain, or inform. We might want to teach something. Or maybe change opinions. Or to help people escape from reality, one page at a time.

If we write something noteworthy in our books … if we say something fascinating in a workshop or podcast … if we share unusual wisdom in blog articles or social media posts … we can’t declare it noteworthy, fascinating, or wise. Only our readers and connections can.

It’s not our decision to make about ourselves.

What works better than quoting yourself in social media images?

Here are a few strategies that offer a better “look” and outcome.

1. Genuinely engage with your audience.

Readers are drawn to genuine, relatable voices that resonate with their own experiences and emotions. This connection builds trust.

It’s about authenticity, not ego-focused promotion. (However, for some, ego-focused promotion is authentic.) It’s about being open to discussions, feedback, and idea-sharing.

It’s about sharing a bit of yourself, rather than quoting yourself.

One of the best examples I’ve seen of this recently was novelist Jennifer Weiner’s Instagram post offering to buy Girl Scout cookies from as many of her followers’ Scouts as possible.

Anybody who likes Thin Mints®, was a Scout, or is the parent of a Scout, will relate.

2. Support other authors.

Rather than quote yourself, quote other authors. (Keep reading for a tool that will help you do that.)

Support those you trust and respect. Share statements they’ve made that have moved you or that could make a difference for others.

When you showcase and promote your peers or role models, you’ll not only help them reach more people with their messages, you’ll make a statement about yourself.

One person who does this as well as anyone I know is children’s book author Vivian Kirkfield. On her blog and social media accounts, Vivian shares cover reveals and hosts virtual book tour Q&As for other children’s book authors, among other things.

(And she never quotes herself in social graphics.)

3. Share value-added content.

Offer content that educates, entertains, or inspires readers.

If you write nonfiction, this might be how-to content. Fiction writers can share writing advice or provide a behind-the-scenes peek into where the creativity happens.

4. Find your humble self.

Most authors are humble. If anything, most are the opposite of braggadocious or self-absorbed.

Even many of those I know who quote themselves aren’t doing it because they have over-enlarged egos that could benefit from surgical reduction. They simply think that this is a way to position themselves as experts.

I hope I’ve debunked that myth today.

So show that humility. Be your authentic self. Share personal stories, passions, or struggles. In other words, be genuinely likable for who you are, not who you are posing as.

Authenticity creates connections and encourages trust. Readers instinctively support people they like and trust.

5. Be grateful.

I realize that this could sound like a command. It’s not. I’m simply encouraging you and me to pause regularly to appreciate the support we receive from readers, followers, reviewers, and other authors.

Where would we be without these people? Let’s thank them on occasion, or give them a gift. A new short story, a worksheet, or a cheat sheet are just a few examples of how to do that.

Who can you quote instead of yourself?

I hope I’ve convinced you that quoting yourself in social media images isn’t in your best interest.

Quoting someone else is, though.

So, who can you quote?

Here’s a challenge for anyone looking for more ways to engage their readers online: Today, identify three authors you admire or want to support and find something they’ve written that you can use in a “quote graphic.”

I’ve created a super-simple form you can use for this (and thanks to a new free tool I’ve discovered, I even set it up so you can type into it!). Download it here.

Once you’ve identified the quotes you’ll share, follow the instructions (with tools) for creating those images in my article, “How to create book promotion quote graphics that help you sell.”

Focus on book promotion, not self-promotion

Quoting yourself in social media images crosses that line that separates book promotion from self-promotion.

While a certain amount of self-promotion is necessary to help sell books, especially with nonfiction authors, you can do that without coming across as boastful.

In addition, by keeping the focus on your book rather than yourself, you won’t have to consider how your intentions might be misunderstood or misinterpreted.

Find that balance between showcasing your expertise and appealing to your target audience so you develop meaningful connections and build the positive reputation you’ve earned.

What author behavior do you see on social media that gives you pause? Please tell us about it in a comment.

Last week, I received an email from a professional acquaintance announcing, “So we became the #1 book on Amazon.”

Whoa! A parenting book was Amazon’s top-selling book? How did the author knock out Cassidy Hutchinson’s “Enough” or the Elon Musk biography?

And how did a book using a pay-to-play author services company do it?

Trust me, I was beyond impressed.

Until I wasn’t.

Smoke and mirrors

I pulled up Amazon’s best-seller list and discovered that this “best-seller” wasn’t “the #1 book on Amazon.” It wasn’t even in the top 50.

But it was the “#1 new release” in the Motherhood category.

Ohhhhhh.

When this individual wrote, “the #1 book on Amazon,” they meant, “#1 new release in the Motherhood category.”

Now I feel foolish

via GIPHY

They sucked me in, and I felt tricked. Duped. Manipulated. Now I feel foolish.

I admire the author. We’re connected on social media. Normally in a launch situation when I have some connection to the author and I’m sure it’s a good book (and I’m certain this one is), I’ll share information about it with my social networks.

And, yeah, my networks include young mothers and grandparents who buy parenting books as gifts for their daughters.

But not this time.

By making me feel foolish, they have lost my trust.

They’ll be fine without my support, of course. (I’m not delusional.) But if I feel this way, it’s likely that a few others who received the email do, too, right?

The last thing you want to do, no matter what you’re marketing, is lose your fans’ trust.

The last thing you want to do, no matter what you’re marketing, is lose your fans’ trust.Click to tweet

3 ways to display honesty in book marketing

Here are three easy ways to make sure your marketing is honest enough to retain the trust you’ve established with readers.

1. Stick to the facts.

Avoid “alternative” facts.

Your book is only the top seller on Amazon if it is, indeed, ranked number one on the best-seller list.

If you’ve achieved category best-seller status, bask in the glory. Adding the word “category” gives your message authenticity and accuracy while still allowing you to claim that impressive “best-seller” status.

Plus, adding the word “category” doesn’t diminish your accomplishment.

Your book is only the top seller on Amazon if it is, indeed, ranked number one on the best-seller list.Click to tweet

2. Don’t underestimate readers’ intelligence.

I got sucked in by the “#1 on Amazon” email because the author has a huge platform. In addition, she and her husband/business partner are professional marketers. If anyone could turn a parenting book into the top-seller on Amazon, it’s them.

It was a plausible claim.

Readers understand this. If they know you’re “internet famous” or if you’ve published blockbusters already, they’ll believe that your book actually could be “#1 on Amazon.”

But does that describe your track record? If it doesn’t, that “#1 on Amazon” claim won’t fly. Readers know how these things work, so they’re increasingly skeptical.

3. Showcase your true accomplishments.

Answer these questions to identify potential accomplishments you can showcase without stretching the truth:

• Has your book been honored with an award?
• Have you won writing awards, or have any of your short stories appeared in publications?
• Have you received industry recognition for knowledge or expertise that’s relevant to your book?
• What fabulous things have early readers said about your book? Have any luminaries or influencers praised it?
• Did the book achieve category best-seller status, even for a brief period? (And did you grab a screenshot?)

Don’t discount any achievement. Claim it, own it, share it.

It’s okay if you haven’t experienced any of this, by the way. “Accomplishments” aren’t a necessity. But they’re a valid alternative to the smoke and mirrors approach that can mislead or confuse.

How much do you value your readers’ trust?

You get to decide how you might or might not stretch the truth in your book marketing.

I choose honesty and transparency. You might think my approach is too rigid. And, hey, you might be right. But just as I’m transparent because that’s what I’m comfortable with, you need to proceed with what works best for you.

I encourage you to look at things through your readers’ eyes first, though. I trusted the author who sent me that “#1 on Amazon” email. That trust was undermined by one sentence.

I’ll get over it, as will your readers. But I move forward with even more skepticism than I had before that message dropped into my inbox.

Have you ever felt tricked by marketing for any type of product? Please tell us about it in a comment!

Don’t know how to get the influencer endorsements and testimonials for your book that convince readers that it’s a great read? I’ve got everything you need in the multi-media program, “Blurbs, Endorsements, and Testimonials: How to Get Experts, Authorities, Celebrities, and Others to Endorse Your Book.” Get details here.

I don’t like when industry buzzwords and terminology are dropped into conversations with people who don’t work in that field.

You know how it goes . . . social workers never tell anyone anything. They share with them.

Educators don’t work with groups. They’ve got cohorts.

And there are no phrases with words in the military and financial services field — those folks love their acronyms. They’ve got a POV or ARM for everything.

Authors are guilty of using buzzwords, too

Authors do it, too.

How many times have you mentioned to someone who doesn’t write that you’ll add a POD option for your next book or that you’re wondering if you should ditch ARCs this time?

Marketers are no different. They might even be worse!

I get frustrated when I see them using the latest buzzword (or any buzzword) with authors without pausing to explain or define industry expressions.

No matter who does it, it’s a way of setting up boundaries that separate those in the know from those in the dark. I prefer inclusion over exclusion.

Learn these book marketing buzzwords

With that in mind, here are a dozen common book marketing buzzwords you’re likely to come across as you learn how to market your books. The list is not exhaustive, but it’s a good start.

1. Call to action — CTA

A call to action, often abbreviated to CTA, tells your reader what you want them to do next.

Authors who are savvy social media users include CTAs in many of their posts. They might say, “If you liked this, please subscribe to my newsletter,” or “What do you think of my new character’s name? Does it work for you? Tell me in a comment.”

All authors should include a “please review this book” CTA at the end of their books.

We need to be told what to do, so please tell us in a CTA.

2. Funnel

This concept describes the journey a reader takes from the first interaction with your book(s) to purchase. It typically moves from awareness to opinion to purchase, as shown in this illustration. (Note that it looks like a funnel.)

Not everybody who becomes aware of your book will go on to purchase it. Those who do move through the complete cycle shown in the illustration and come out the bottom of the funnel as your readers after they purchase your book.

For more on this, read “Curious about book funnels? Here’s (almost) everything you need to know.”

3. Landing page

This is a simple web page with a single purpose.

For authors, that could be encouraging readers to subscribe to your newsletter or buy your book (but not both).

Because a landing page is so focused on just one goal, it is visually simple and has no menu or toolbar with other options to distract visitors.

My landing page offering the “Build Book Buzz Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet” is an example of one that’s designed to get newsletter subscribers.

The landing page for the Build Book Buzz Reader Book Review Forms is a product sales page. Note that there’s no menu or toolbar.

4. Lead magnet

Also referred to as a “reader magnet,” “lead generator,” “opt-in bribe,” or “freebie,” this is an irresistible gift you offer your target audience in exchange for their contact information.

While marketers might encourage you to collect full mailing addresses, don’t.

First, you don’t need that much information — all you need is a name and email address.

Second, people won’t provide it. If you force them to fill in their address to get your lead magnet, they’ll close the window and you’ll lose your chance to start building a relationship with someone in your target audience.

My “Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet” mentioned above is a lead magnet,  as is my “Book Marketing Plan Template” and “9 Places to Look for Readers Who Write Reviews.”

Get nonfiction lead magnet ideas in this article and fiction lead magnet ideas in this one.

5. Opt in

Opt in is a verb that describes what people do when they add themselves to your email list (often because they want your lead magnet). They opt in.

Best practice for email marketing is a 100 percent opt-in list. Don’t add people to your email list without their permission. They need to decide whether they want to hear from you or not.

Note the example on the right; you’ll also find it on the right sidebar of this page.

For more on this subject, read “3 important email marketing truths you need to know as an author” and “Book review: Newsletter Ninja: How to Become an Author Mailing List Expert.”

Don't add people to your email list without their permission.Click to tweet

6. Optimize/Optimization

When you “optimize” something, you make the most of it.

For authors, optimize refers to maximizing the power and impact of your Amazon sales page, Amazon author page, and the text on your website for SEO reasons (see below).

It’s often used in conjunction with search terms people will use to find you and your books.

7. Pixels

Pixels also refers to images but in this case, it’s an advertising term referring to a piece of code that is used to track behavior on a website. It’s often used when talking about the effectiveness of Facebook ads that drive traffic to a website.

8. Re-targeting

Have you ever noticed how a product you looked at on an e-commerce site shows up as an ad on other sites you visit?

That’s re-targeting. It’s designed to encourage you to buy that product. Think of it as a digital reminder.

Here’s an example of re-targeting and really, it’s kind of creepy. After my daughter’s dog had surgery, I asked her via text how she got the pup to take pills. She sent me a picture of this product . . . which showed up on a page I was reading on my phone’s browser this morning.

9. Plugin

This is software that you add — plug in — to your browser or website that gives it more functionality. You’ll use a plugin to add an email optin form to your website.

Notice the social network icon toolbars at the top and left side of this article that allow you to share it quickly and easily. We added those toolbars here with a plugin.

10. SEO

SEO — search engine optimization — is what you do to your website (see optimize/optimization above) so that it gets found by search engines.

The better your site’s SEO — meaning, the more content you create that fits what your target audience is looking for — the higher your site pages will show up in search engine results.

11. Split testing

Also referred to as A/B testing, this function allows you to test website features such as headlines, text, or images or email subject lines and content, among other things.

12. Upselling

Upsells are designed to sell more to someone making a purchase. The most recognizable example is “Would you like fries with that?”

When you upsell, you’re either suggesting that the customer buy a better version (with more features or functionality, for example) or encouraging them to add a complementary product to the purchase.

Authors can upsell by offering a discounted price on a companion workbook, providing a volume discount, or selling additional merchandise or services from within the book.

There are many, many more book marketing buzzwords, of course.

Is there a book marketing buzzword you don’t understand? Maybe we can help you. Share it in a comment. 

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

If you aren’t sending review copies of your book out for blogger book reviews, you’re missing out on more than book sales.

In addition to selling books, they provide testimonials you can add to your Amazon and other retail sales pages as editorial reviews.

They also introduce your book to new readers while reminding others about your book’s value.

Authors aren’t sending me their books

Honestly, I’m continually amazed by how the people who write how-to books for authors rarely ask me to review those books.

I don’t think it’s because they know I’m not shy about pointing out a book’s flaws.

It’s more likely that they’re unaware of the power of a glowing review from a peer. In the case of authors who decide to write how-to books for other authors, it’s probably because they are completely unaware of bloggers like me. The “peers” they send review copies to are authors who write the same types of fiction or nonfiction books they write.

No matter the reason, it means that if I want to review a book for you, I have to go looking for one.

Exhibit A

For example, last month, I reviewed Penny Sansevieri’s book marketing guide, which was published January 1, 2022. Why did it take me a year and a half to write a review?

Because I didn’t know it existed.

via GIPHY

How is this even possible?

Penny is an accomplished book publicist who knows me. She also knows the value of reviews. Yet, she didn’t send me a book announcement press release; she didn’t send a review copy.

She’s not the only one who overlooks this site’s reach (it’s ranked seventh globally among book marketing blogs). I know from LinkedIn that a member of the Build Book Buzz Book Marketing Group launched a book about book promotion last week.

Did she tell me about it? Nope.

The last time anyone asked me to review a book that’s relevant to authors was in late 2019.

This is nuts.

How to snag those blogger book reviews

You’re smarter than that. Pursue those blogger reviews! Make them happen!

It’s not hard to identify and contact bloggers who both reach your audience and review books and other products their readers will appreciate knowing about.

The process is pretty simple. Here are the steps.

1. Identify the blogs and online media outlets that reach your target audience.

Here are a few resources for finding blogs to contact:

• Google your search term – your topic – plus the word “blog.”
• Use the blogger search engine.
• Set up Google Alerts for your book’s topic. Some might link to blogs.
• Solicit reviewers through your social networks.

2. Visit each blog to see if the blogger reviews products.

This is important.

You don’t want to waste your time contacting and following up with a blogger who is never going to say “yes.”

3. Compile a database or grid with each site’s contact name, e-mail address, site URL, and notes that will help you personalize your request.

You can use contact management software, create a table or grid in Word, or use Excel.

What’s most important is that you use a system that works for you.

4. Write and e-mail your request.

Contact each blogger individually rather than sending a generic message to everyone on the list you’ve built. Personalize the message so it’s clear you’re familiar with the site.

Explain clearly and succinctly why you’re contacting them.

Here’s a sample script:

I’ve written a new book, [title], that I think will [interest/entertain/educate/whatever] your readers because [brief reason]. I noticed you review products – I found the [product] review especially helpful – and thought you might be interested in reviewing my book.

It’s [brief description – two sentences max].

Would you like to receive a complimentary digital review copy? I can send you a link where you can download it in the format you prefer for the e-reader you use.

I’ve pasted my book announcement press release with more details below my signature.

I look forward to your response.

It’s as easy as hitting the “send” button, then tracking the responses.

No response? Forward your original message with a friendly reminder note.

Special note for novelists

The fiction blogger review-a-sphere is especially competitive. That’s why many authors seeking genre reviews hire a reputable virtual book tour service. The company’s connections can help place your book higher up in the queue.

But the savviest fiction writers don’t stop with genre reviewers.

They approach topic bloggers, too. These are the people who write about what I call the “nonfiction nuggets” in your book.

Nonfiction nuggets are the messages, themes, locations, professions, and other details that are important to your story, but aren’t fiction.

If you aren’t sending review copies of your book out for blogger book reviews, you’re missing out on more than book sales.Click to tweet

Leveraging topic bloggers

You can learn how to uncover these nonfiction nuggets and see examples in “The guest blogging audience most novelists don’t know about.”

When you follow the instructions in that article, you’ll probably identify at least three nonfiction topics in your book. For example, if your protagonist is a geologist, that profession is one of those nuggets. Does the story center around bullying? That’s one, too.

Select the one or two nonfiction topics that are most important to your story, then use the instructions above to search for and document blogs about them.

Note that the email script you’ll use to contact them will need to be slightly different from the one above. You’ll have to state the connection between your nonfiction nuggets and the blog’s topic because it won’t be obvious.

That won’t be hard for you to do, though. You’re a writer, after all.

Please don’t miss out

I can’t predict how many more books you’ll sell with blogger reviews, but as a benchmark, my review of Penny’s book sold 28 copies on Amazon. I know this because I linked to the book with an Amazon Associates link specifically so I could track sales.

I hope more authors bought it through Bookshop.org or other retailers, too, but I have no way of knowing if they did.

Will those 28 sales change Penny’s life? Nah. But she might land a new client or two while expanding her fan base.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to sell more books and acquire more fans. Include bloggers in your book launch plans. You won’t regret it.

Have you purchased a book because you read a blogger’s review? Please tell us in a comment.

My favorable Amazon review of a nonfiction book for authors included specifics on why I thought it was a helpful resource, but another reviewer didn’t agree and told me why.

One sentence in their comment on my review stood out: “i (sic) expect a bit more from an author when google (sic) can turn up the info easily.”

Were they correct about this book?

Does their theory apply to pretty much anything else we might want to learn how to do as authors or as consumers in general?

Were they correct?

Nope and nope.

If you want to know how to replace the latching mechanism on your sliding deck door, you can find what you need in one YouTube video. (I know. I did it.)

But when it comes to author success, it’s not that simple.

When does free make sense? And when should you pay to learn?

systems thinker’s thinking is flawed

Let’s go back to systems thinker’s comments. Here’s the problem with their conclusion about finding information easily with Google:

• You can’t find all of the information in this book for free online. The book offers insights, opinions, and wisdom that you aren’t going to find “online for free” unless the author has uploaded her manuscript and made it available. She hasn’t.
• You’ll have to spend a lot of time looking for it. Even if you could find everything you need online (and I’m not saying you will), you won’t find it all in one place.

And you’ll have to try to piece it together in a way that makes sense.

What is your time worth? Probably more than the $5.99 Kindle price of this book.

• Some of what’s available online offers conflicting information or opinions. Because of that, it’s often hard to know who or what to believe. Information seekers are often left more confused — and with more questions — than when they started.

I like free, too

Hey, I’m all for free. But I can tell you from experience that you can’t get everything you need for free online.

via GIPHY

Yes, it’s a good starting point, as you will see on this site. There’s lots of helpful free information here.

But I can’t cover everything you need to know about getting impressive cover blurbs from influential people in a single blog post on the topic, so I offer an in-depth training program that gives you the specifics steps you need to take make it happen.

Is it affordable? Yes. Is it free? No.

Simple task? Try Google

When I need to learn how to do something like write effective nonfiction book titles, sure, I Google the subject to see what I can find.

If I want to learn how to do something bigger — something that has several steps or that will have a significant impact on my business — I look online to see who’s saying what about it and how they’re saying it.

I look for someone who I think understands my problems and limitations and who seems to know what they’re talking about. I look for how they present information and instruct.

When I’m convinced they can teach me what I need to know in a way that works for me, I buy their course, order their book, or register for their webinar.

Free information will only take you so far

Because I know that free information will only take me so far.

Free information will only take you so far, too.

If you need to learn how to do something that isn’t as simple as setting up an email book funnel, be open to paying for the knowledge that an expert can offer you.

If the product description reassures you that the book or training will answer your questions, and if you’ve done enough research to know that the instructor can deliver, then you should feel confident investing that money in your author business.

Successful authors don’t rely on free

Successful authors know that free information has limitations, so they invest in writing or book marketing courses, books on how to self-publish or other topics, and attend writers’ conferences. Every author I know who is successful by most standards does this.

Successful authors know that free information has limitations, so they invest in writing or book marketing courses, books on how to self-publish or other topics, and attend writers' conferences.Click to tweet

They hire people to design their book covers, edit their writing, and create their author website.

They know that they have to spend money to make money, just as they know that free information will only take them so far.

If you’ve hit a dead end with your writing, publishing, or marketing, it might be time to abandon the “I can learn what I need to know for free” mindset. That thinking might be precisely what’s keeping you from finding and enjoying the success you deserve.

What’s one thing you’re glad you spent money on for your book?

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in February 2016. It has been updated and expanded.)

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a couple of pennies (at no extra charge to you) while you support independent bookstores. 

My friend Jenny recently asked what I thought about paying to have her new book recommended by influencers in her book’s category, parenting.

Jenny had two opportunities to pay an influencer to recommend her book. Each offered a variety of packages at different price points.

At the core of each package was a collection of recommended books.

Influencers create recommended reading lists

One of the influencers referred to their book recommendation list as a “book club.” Club members aren’t readers, though. They’re authors paying to get their books included on that list.

The other opportunity is a website its two owners refer to as an online magazine. They describe the site’s book collection as “a new platform on the site where we will be curating and showcasing the best books for parents and parents-to-be.”

In both cases, Jenny would pay an influencer to recommend her book. When influencers charge authors a fee to do this, it’s influencer marketing.

What is influencer marketing?

You have probably seen influencer marketing in action on Instagram, TikTok, and other social networks. An individual with a large following mentions a product by name. The product might be apparel, cookware, or a recipe ingredient, for example.

SproutSocial defines influencer marketing as “a type of social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from influencers – individuals who have a dedicated social following and are viewed as experts within their niche.”

The FTC requires that influencers receiving anything of value to mention a product disclose that information when referencing the brand in a post, story, and so on. “Anything of value” includes products (“We’ll give you this jewelry to wear if you’ll photograph yourself wearing it and post the images”) and money.

This applies to you, me, and Kim Kardashian. That’s the Kim Kardashian who had to pay investors $1.26 million when she didn’t disclose that she was paid to promote a specific crypto security on Instagram.

The law requires transparency

Why is disclosure required? It’s about transparency.

If I’m recommending a product to you, you need to know that I’m being paid to recommend it. That information could influence how seriously you take my recommendation, right?

These rules apply to affiliate marketing, too. The FTC not only mandates disclosure, it requires that affiliates must state that it’s an affiliate link before the link, not after it.

This means that influencers charging authors a fee to recommend their books must disclose that paid relationship. This applies to any:

• Collection (club, list, whatever) of recommended books
• Newsletter mention
• Online magazine article the author writes and pays for so they can include their book title in the writer bio

Neither of the influencers Jenny heard from include these disclosures in their sponsored content.

Both say they’re selective about what they recommend – they wouldn’t recommend just any book, for example – but is that enough?

Influencers charging authors a fee to recommend their books must disclose that paid relationship.Click to tweet

How important is transparency for you?

I’m a big fan of transparency. That means I wouldn’t pay an influencer to recommend my book without disclosure.

It’s about more than playing by the rules (and avoiding fines). I wouldn’t pay even if there were no FTC rules.

For me, it comes down to your connection with your reader.

How would you feel if you paid Influencer A to be on their recommended books list, then received a message from a reader expressing disappointment when they learned you paid for, rather than earned, your way onto that list?

Or, would you feel OK about doing the humble brag on social media about what an honor it is to be selected for that influencer’s “best books” list?

via GIPHY

Ask yourself: How might my readers react if they learn I paid an influencer to recommend my book?

There’s no right or wrong answer to that question. It’s about what works for you.

Questions to ask when considering influencer opportunities

My response to Jenny about the opportunity for her popular new parenting book, “Building Boys: Raising Great Guys in a World that Misunderstands Males,” went beyond my discomfort with the lack of transparency, though.

(Jenny knew the offers “felt icky,” but hadn’t realized that it was because the influencers weren’t revealing they were paid until I mentioned that to her.)

The promotional materials used to pitch Jenny on a pay-for-placement package were heavy on what she was paying for, but light on why that was a good idea.

With that in mind, ask these six questions when weighing whether you want to pay an influencer to recommend your book. It will help you make an informed decision.

(The influencers didn’t include any of this in their pitches to Jenny.)

• What’s the website’s traffic?

You want to make sure people will see what you’re paying for online. Because what’s considered “good traffic” varies according to niche, I can’t offer guidelines. Ask the influencer to compare their traffic to the most popular sites.

• How are they promoting this to readers?

One of the influencers Jenny was talking to uses her Instagram account to promote her book club to authors, not readers. That’s going to help the influencer earn money, but it’s not going to help Jenny reach readers.

I wouldn’t pay for an opportunity the influencer wasn’t actively promoting to readers.

• How many newsletter subscribers does the influencer or site have, and what’s the newsletter open rate?

This question is specifically for opportunities to have your book recommended in a newsletter, but it can apply to other situations as well. It gives you a sense of platform and reach.

Typically, the fee is linked to the number of subscribers. PracticalEcommerce notes that a parenting tips newsletter might charge $15 to $25 per thousand subscribers. This is a higher rate than general interest newsletters because the audience is more targeted. That makes it more valuable to advertisers.

(And no matter what they call it, when you’re paying to have your book recommended in a newsletter, even when the recommendation doesn’t look like an ad, it’s an ad.)

MailChimp reports that the average email open rate across all industries is 21%.

• Do they accept all books, or do they screen for quality?

This is important because presenting your book alongside low-quality options won’t help your brand. And it could hurt it.

• How do they meet FTC requirements for disclosing payment?

You can answer this question by reviewing examples provided. (No examples provided? Ask for them.) If transparency isn’t important to you, or the opportunity is so good that you don’t care about disclosures, skip this step.

• What are authors saying about the program?

You want to see testimonials. If the program is so new that there aren’t any, the influencer should be charging a reduced rate until there’s traction – and should say so.

Other factors to consider before you pay

In addition to answering these questions, take into account how long your book has been available. With a pub date of April 4, 2023, “Building Boys: Raising Great Guys in a World that Misunderstands Males” is so new that Jenny and her publisher don’t need to pay these types of placements now.

Also consider how well it’s selling. Jenny’s book is doing great. It doesn’t need an advertising boost yet.

Once Jenny and her publisher have completed launch plan activities in coming weeks and months, they should solicit reader reviews. They will need them in place on sales pages before doing any type of paid promotion because reviews are the social proof readers need to see before buying.

(If you’re struggling to get reader reviews, use my Reader Book Review Forms — there’s one for fiction, another for nonfiction. They make it easy for your fans to write a meaningful review in just minutes.)

An alternative influencer approach

It’s important to understand that many influencers use a different approach to these “best of” product lists and newsletter recommendations.

Instead of charging authors and publishers to screen (or not screen) and then recommend (or not recommend) a book, they use a more authentic approach.

These influencers earn money from their recommendations by using an Amazon Associates or Bookshop.org affiliate link that gives them a small commission on each book sold through the link. They make less money with this approach, but they retain their followers’ trust.

What’s right for you and your book?

Nobody can answer that question for you, but asking the right questions will help you make informed decisions about the opportunities available to you.

How do you decide where and when to spend your marketing dollars? Please tell us in a comment.

I received an interesting voicemail message earlier this month.

“Hi Sandra, this is Ann and I’m calling from Stratton Direct. We want you to send us copies of your book, Streetwise Complete Publicity Plans. And we are interested to display your book in our physical bookstore in Manhattan. And this is at no cost to you. Just send us the copies and give me a call as soon as you get this so we can provide you more details. My number is….”

Stratton Direct is the marketing arm of Stratton Press, an author services company.

Here are four reasons I was surprised by the call:

1. Adams Media published Streetwise Complete Publicity Plans in 2003.
2. Considering I wrote it 20 years ago, it is woefully out of date.
3. It has been out of print for years.
4. Unlike many other authors, I haven’t been inundated with unsolicited calls or emails from companies like this. I thought it was because my print-format books are traditionally published. I was wrong.

So of course, I called her back. And took notes.

Why did Ann call?

Ann wanted to offer me shelf space in a brick-and-mortar store for this out-of-print, out-of-date book.

She could accept up to 10 copies. They would keep 10 to 25% of the retail price; I would keep the rest.

She said she was looking at the book on its Amazon sales page, yet, she asked questions that were answered on that screen. “Who published the book?” “What’s the ISBN number?”

But “How is it selling?” Come on, Ann. It’s a how-to book that’s 20 years old. How do you think it’s selling?

The old “You’re an important author” trick

I asked what put me on her radar. “You’re an important author!” she said.

via GIPHY

I could hear my Dad saying, “Don’t kid a kidder.”

I still don’t know how or why I was targeted, or why anyone else is. If you do, please explain it in the comments.

But, wait! There’s more!

Ann asked about my marketing strategy. Have I gotten it into local bookstores, she wondered. She didn’t seem to understand that a book that’s part of a series from a major publisher has more than local distribution. It’s in stores nationwide.

Or in my case, was.

After asking me about my goal for the book, I gave her the answer she wanted: To sell as many books as possible. That was the goal 20 years ago, anyway. (Did she not notice that detail?)

That’s the answer that unlocked the full pitch.

Why, they have a “complete book selling system” that I can take advantage of! It includes placement in their “exclusive online store.” And I can keep 100% of sales from that store.

“Every sale you make goes into your bank account,” she assured me.

via GIPHY

All I need to do is send her my book’s manuscript so Stratton Press can republish it under its name.

My book will get its own sales page in their online store. They’ll market it aggressively on social media.

The new book, personal sales page, and “aggressive” promotion will cost me $3,000. That fee includes warehouse storage for what would be a print-on-demand book, too…even though no storage is required for books that are printed and shipped only after people order them.

Here’s why the Stratton Press pitch is stupid

Stratton Press  is charging a fee for services. But those services have no value.

You have a book already. Why do you need to re-publish it with an operation that’s trawling the internet for authors to flatter? (I refer back to that “important author” statement above.)

Plus, readers don’t buy books from unknown sites like this. They want to buy books from trusted retailers – Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, etc. (If you’re trying to sell your book from your own website, you understand this.)

What’s more, the Stratton Direct/Stratton Press website clearly targets authors, not readers. That’s a huge clue that the company’s goal is to fleece authors, not readers.

PREDATOR ALERT: Readers don’t buy books from unknown sites. They want to buy books from trusted retailersClick to tweet

Don’t fall for it

There are NO reasons for you to buy a Stratton Direct/Stratton Press package. None. Zero. Zip. Nada.

That physical bookstore in Manhattan? It’s “coming this 2023.” (But that’s more hopeful than “next 2023,” right?) Will it ever open? I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure readers won’t be shopping there.

What can this unknown bricks-and-mortar store (that doesn’t exist yet) offer that a favorite indie store can’t? More outdated, out-of-print books like mine.

I think this “coming soon” store was thrown into the mix to tempt authors who desperately want bookstore distribution, but can’t get it, don’t you?

6 signs you’ve heard from a predator

I returned Ann’s phone call because I knew it was from some type of author services company preying on authors who are vulnerable to flattery or other trickery.

I can see why the package offered to me would be attractive to those who are less informed and less cynical than I am. The sample book pages on the Stratton Press site that Ann sent me links to are lovely.

But that’s just smoke and mirrors.

Here are six signs to watch for so you don’t become the victim of a publishing predator.

1. They call. 

Legitimate publishers aren’t calling authors with published books. They just aren’t. And they certainly aren’t calling authors who aren’t already selling a lot of books.

Their goal is to convince you that they can sell lots and lots of books for you.

They can’t.

PREDATOR ALERT: Legitimate publishers aren’t calling authors with published books.Click to tweet

2. They send email messages.

See above – the good guys aren’t sending emails to unknown authors, either. Delete.

3. They flatter you.

I understand how anyone might be susceptible to a pitch from someone who says they represent a book publisher. We all want to think our books are so special that they attract strangers who will take those books to the next level.

Push past that temptation to think that maybe, just maybe, they are legit. If enough of us hang up the phone, flattery will get them nowhere.

4. They use bait and switch tactics.

My conversation went from “We’ll stock your book for free in our physical bookstore” to “and for $3,000, we’ll do these other things of no value to you” pretty quickly.

5. Googling the company name plus “complaints,” “scam,” or “predator” generates results.

This is the first thing I do when someone in the Build Book Buzz Book Marketing Group on Facebook asks about a publisher.

6. The company is on the ALLi Self-Publishing Services naughty list.

The Alliance of Independent Authors – ALLi – maintains a helpful list of author services companies along with ratings:

• Excellent
• Recommended
• Mixed
• Caution
• Watchdog Advisory

Stratton Press, on page 17 of the list, is in the next-to-the-worst category, “Caution.” Those are “Services that do not currently align with ALLi’s Code of Standards.”

Don’t take the bait

Here are three ways to avoid paying for services you don’t need and that won’t help:

• Stifle your ego. These people aren’t calling because your book is special. They’re calling because they hope you’re a sucker.
• Don’t return a call from anyone who says they’re an agent, publisher, or marketer. Honest, successful people in these categories don’t cold-call unknown authors.
• Keep your credit card in your wallet. Before spending money with “service providers” soliciting your business, Google them using the tip above. Check the ALLi watchdog list. Ask authors in online groups what they know about the companies.

Spread the word

That last point about sharing predator information with other authors is important. One of the best ways to minimize the damage caused by companies that prey on us is to choke off their supply of unsuspecting writers.

The more we talk about and share information about these companies, the more we can help our author peers. You can help immediately by sharing this article in author groups.

I’m glad this happened to me. It offered a firsthand look at how these goobers operate. I hope that sharing my experience here has helped you, too.

I probably haven’t identified all of the signs of a predator. What would you add to this list? Please tell us in a comment.

It caught my attention because although I was on his list, I didn’t subscribe to his newsletter. He added me without my permission.

I wasn’t interested in his newsletter topic so I deleted his messages without reading them.

Maybe unsubscribing isn’t as easy as we think

I could have unsubscribed, right? It was certainly easy enough — all I had to do was use that option at the bottom of any newsletter.

But I didn’t unsubscribe because I was certain he would confront me if I did. (Remember, I know him.)

Who needs the drama? Certainly not me.

Was it my get out of jail free card?

This time, though, I thought that his newsletter’s “I’m cleaning up my list” subject line was my get out of jail free card.

“I don’t like spam any more than you do, so I’m cleaning up my contact list,” the message began.

It felt like he was giving me permission to unsubscribe. So…I scrolled down to the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom, only to discover this warning just above it: “Feel free to opt out, but remember that unsubscribing works both ways: I have no desire to get email from people who don’t want to receive it from me.”

Whoa.

That is all kinds of wrong.

And it made me wonder if other authors shared the misperception that this was an okay thing to do.

Here’s why it isn’t, and here are two other author email marketing truths that will help you move forward, not hold you back.

Email marketing truth #1: Reciprocity isn’t the goal.

You want the right people as subscribers.

The “right” people are those in your book’s target audience. They’re the people who read the types of books you write.

And they’re probably not the people whose newsletters you subscribe to.

Take me. I don’t read science fiction, so you don’t want me on your email list. I will never buy and read your book.

And I won’t recommend your book simply because I learned about it in your newsletter because I’m not qualified to recommend it.

So don’t add me to your list.

It doesn’t matter that you receive my newsletter. You subscribed because you’re interested in what I write about — book marketing. You never want to presume that someone who writes about a topic you’re interested in will automatically be interested in what you write about.

Focusing on the right subscribers saves you money

Here’s another reason you don’t want to add people to your list just because you’re on theirs: Adding the wrong people will eventually start costing you money.

Some email marketing services give you a free account until you reach a specified number of subscribers. After that, you start paying.

In addition, even when you’ve got a paid account, your monthly fee increases as your list grows.

Don’t pay for people who aren’t your ideal readers.

Email marketing truth #2: This isn’t a loyalty test.

I took the plunge with the author who invited people to unsubscribe because I am constantly, constantly trying to decrease the amount of email I receive.

But after I unsubscribed, I watched my inbox for his response, because I knew there would be one.

It came pretty quickly.

The author told me that because I wasn’t willing to demonstrate my loyalty to him by remaining on his email list, he had unsubscribed from my Build Book Buzz newsletter and disconnected from me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

via GIPHY

He showed me, right?

Who pays the price?

Will I miss seeing what he shares about a topic I’m not interested in?

I will not.

Will he suffer because he won’t see the information I share that could help him sell more copies of his book or build a bigger platform for the next one?

I don’t know. Maybe he never looked at anything I wrote or shared after he subscribed.

But I don’t care. And I won’t suffer because of his actions.

People can support you in other ways

Please remember that the people in your life can support you in many ways that don’t involve receiving your newsletter.

They can announce your book to their social networks, introduce you to people who might be able to help you in a bigger way, or just listen to you talk about the joys and frustrations of publishing — and that’s just for starters.

Email marketing truth #3: You can create a newsletter your readers will look forward to.

When I ask authors why they aren’t using email marketing, most say it’s because they don’t want to be “spammy.”

Then I ask if they subscribe to any newsletters. When they answer “yes” — and they usually do say “yes” — I ask why. More often than not, it’s because the newsletters are interesting, informative, helpful, or entertaining.

Well, then, if that marketer can send a newsletter that’s interesting, why can’t you?

So let go of this idea that all email marketing is spammy. Because it isn’t. When you create content that serves your reader rather than yourself, your subscribers will look forward to your messages.

When you focus on what the reader wants from you, you’ll attract more of the right subscribers. Your list and fan base will grow — without adding people who don’t want to be on it.

Avoid an uphill battle

But back to the author who invited people to unsubscribe from his list, then punished them for doing so: It’s a mean-spirited approach to book promotion.

When your marketing decisions are grounded in a “you-do-for-me-and-I’ll-do-for-you” approach, it will be an uphill battle. (Consider that another email marketing truth.)

It doesn’t matter how beautifully you write or how much you know about your  topic. If you make people uncomfortable by approaching your tasks with an “And what will you do for me in return?” attitude, you’re going to find yourself with far fewer opportunities than your competitors.

You are who you are, but if you’re someone who…

• Subscribes to an author friend’s newsletter and gets angry if she doesn’t add herself to your list (or removes herself after you make the mistake of adding her) or
• Unfollows people on Twitter for no other reason than they don’t follow you back or
• Sulk because your college roommate hasn’t reviewed your book yet

…it will be slow going for you.

When you’re always looking for trouble, you’ll find it. Why not look for opportunities, instead?

Each email marketing truth will serve you well. Embrace all of them.

And if you haven’t started building an email list yet, what are you waiting for? Get started now!

Learn more about author email marketing attitudes, content, and mechanics in Tammy Labrecque’s book, Newsletter Ninja: How to Become an Author Mailing List Expert.

What have you seen in email marketing that you liked? What works for you? 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in November 2015. It has been updated and expanded.)

Nearly every assignment requires me to find people – usually experts, but not always – to interview and quote. I use a range of resources and strategies to find them.

I’ve been doing this for a couple of decades, so I have a lot of experience finding people to interview, then working with them to get the information I need.

I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Today, we’re going to talk about the ugly.

How to make sure you don’t get publicity

What’s ugly? Ugly is behavior that guarantees that I won’t quote you.

Sometimes it’s intentional, sometimes it isn’t. But it still results in no interview. And no interview means you won’t enjoy the business-building, book-selling benefits that come with publicity.

Here’s how to make sure you don’t snag that media interview that can sell books, position you as an authority, and drive traffic to your site.

1. Act like you’re doing me a big favor.

via GIPHY

Before you exclaim that why, yes, you are doing me a favor by sharing your time and expertise with me and my readers, let me point out what should be obvious.

It’s a win-win for the writer and the source. I get help completing my assignment, and you get the credibility and other benefits that come with media attention.

Keep in mind that your competitors would probably be happy to step up. Writers have options, and some of them will understand the mutually beneficial relationship of writer and source. Those people will be happy to have me support them by giving them publicity.

2. Waste my time. 

So you think I’m writing about the wrong topic, but you agree to answer my questions. You plan to talk about what you think I should be writing about, instead.

While I respect that you know more about your area of expertise than I do, my assignment isn’t to poll a few experts for their opinions about my assigned topic.

My job is to write about what I’m paid to write about. If you can’t help me do that, move along.

3. Be stingy.

Whether doing an email, telephone/video, or in-person interview, make sure I can’t quote you by using short, incomplete sentences.

Say something generic in a generic way. Avoid getting specific. The devil is in the details, and nobody likes the devil, so skip the details.

Another good way to look like you’re cooperating when you aren’t is to say, “There’s information about that online.”

4. Make it difficult to contact you.

via GIPHY

When I need a very specific type of expertise, I often begin my search for experts with Google. That recently yielded a promising source, but when I clicked through to their website, there was no “contact” option in the toolbar.

I had to hunt (and hunt … and hunt) for an email address. I eventually found it buried at the bottom of a long service description, but by then I was exhausted and needed a nap.

5. Tell me to use something from your blog post or another interview you’ve done.

You might as well tell me I’m lazy, because only a lazy writer would do this.

Then there’s the plagiarism risk. Imagine how impressed my editor would be if they ran my article through a plagiarism checker and saw that I copied and pasted from your website.

It’s not plagiarism if I have your permission to pull from your blog post, but it puts me in an awkward situation with my editor. It’s also not how good writers gather quotes.

And suggesting that I just copy something you told another writer? Publications aren’t paying for duplicate content, especially if it comes from a competitor’s article.

6. Be a plagiarist.

And while we’re talking about plagiarism, if you’re doing an email interview, get the answers to the writer’s questions by copying and pasting from someone else’s website.

I recently used HARO (Help a Reporter Out), a free service that connects journalists with sources, to find people who could answer my questions via email. Two of the people who responded provided answers that they copied and pasted from someone else’s website – the same someone else’s website.

Yes, their answers were identical.

Again, picture my editor running my article through a plagiarism checker and discovering this.

(So I suppose that tip should be “Be a plagiarist and an idiot.”)

7. Be a jerk.

via GIPHY

I am not required to use anything from an interview when I write an article. If you’re rude or arrogant and I have enough of the right information from other sources, I might not have room for your comments.

How to make sure you get that media opportunity

Are you a smart author who knows the value of publicity? I’ve got lots of articles with book publicity advice on this site, but one of the easiest and most effective ways to get author and book publicity is to use HARO.

In my new course, “Get Quoted: A Journalist’s Strategies for Using HARO to Snag Book Publicity,” I get you up and running with this free service, and teach you how to use it the right way so you enjoy the benefits of publicity.

Learn more about the course, why you need it, and what’s included on the course description page: https://build-book-buzz.teachable.com/p/get-quoted. Scroll down to the bottom of that page to preview the first module.

An interview with the press is a free and effective way to share the messages from your book. It’s another way to help your target audience discover your book. And book marketing is all about discoverability.

Why turn that down?

How do you make it easy for journalists to find and work with you? Please tell us in a comment!