Second Edition of The Web-Savvy Writer Now Available
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The second edition of The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion with a High-Tech Twist
This edition contains extensive updates plus lots of new content about the ever-changing world of online book promotion. I cover the basics, such as author websites and Amazon promotion, and then delve into blogging, podcasting, social media, virtual book tours, book trailers, and more.
Tags: book marketing, book publicity, online book promotion, The Web-Savvy WriterRelated posts
Number of Published Books Increases in 2007
According to a recent Publishers Weekly article, commercial publishers released 276,649 new titles in 2007. In addition, on-demand publishers released 134,773 titles, an increase of 39 percent from 2006.
If, like me, you were among the authors of one of those 411,422 books, you face stiff competition in getting your book noticed. All the more reason to launch a solid online book promotion campaign to help you stand out from the crowd.
Tags: book marketing, book publicity, book publishing, online book promotionRelated posts
BookExpo Podcast
If you couldn’t make it to BookExpo America this year, take a look at its official podcast site. Several interesting podcasts are already available with more to come over the next few weeks.
Tags: author podcasts, book publishing, BookExpoRelated posts
The Greatest Mystery: Making a Bestseller
Here’s a link to an interesting New York Times article that discusses the enigma that is the publishing industry: The Greatest Mystery: Making a Bestseller.
Advice for Authors
Several months ago I read an interesting post on Seth Godin’s blog titled Advice for Authors. Some of his 19 tips represent common sense for all authors; others are more alternative. In any event, it’s an interesting read and will definitely get you thinking about your career as an author.
My two cents:
#5 — Absolutely. Focusing on your target audience is the best way to sell your books and online book promotion is the best way to find that micro-niche.
# 7 — I’ve actually had good luck with major publishers (23 out of 24 books), but I do agree there are times when publishing independently is a good business decision.
#13 — Bookstore signings didn’t work for me, but they may work for others. Personally, I got much more mileage from a virtual book tour.
Good Read: For Authors, Writing’s Just Half the Job
Are you relying on your publisher’s in-house publicist to do most of your marketing for you? Take a look at this article The Miami Herald published recently: For Authors, Writing’s Just Half the Job. It highlights the importance of actively participating in the marketing and promotion of your book, even if you published with a big-name publisher.
BookExpo America News
If you missed this year’s BookExpo America, don’t worry. You can listen to podcasts from the Expo at BookExpoCast. Here’s another interesting article about the Expo: BookExpo Confronts Changes in Publishing.
What Constitutes Copyright?
By now, you’ve probably read the news reports regarding the current copyright infringement trial against Random House, alleging that The DaVinci Code author Dan Brown modeled his novel too closely on a book published in 1982. This case brings up several important issues for all authors to contemplate:
- Should copyright infringement involve just the misappropriation of words or should reusing themes and ideas count as well?
- If so, how do we distinguish what constitutes misuse of themes and ideas, clearly a gray area for many?
- Most importantly, do you know enough about copyright law to lessen your risk for such problems? Some good books on this topic include Every Writer’s Guide to Copyright and Publishing Law by Ellen M. Kozak and Author Law A to Z: A Desktop Guide to Writers’ Right and Responsibilities by Sallie Randolph.
Are Thieves Stealing Your Content?
As a writer, the words you create are your most valuable asset. Unfortunately, any time you post content on a website or blog, there’s a chance a content thief might steal your words without your knowledge. In some cases you might want people to reprint your articles on the web (such as free article distribution for viral marketing). But for the most part, you won’t want someone lifting your content without even a request for permission.
To find out if someone has lifted the content on one of your web pages, check out Copyscape. Copyscape is a website that compares content on one of your web pages with other sites in the Google search engine to seek out matches. I tried this for a popular article that appears on one of my book companion sites and found two matches. One was for a site that had asked for permission to reprint my article and another was a surprise.
Microsoft to Offer 100,000 Books from British Library Online
The news has been filled with announcements regarding online content the past few weeks. The latest: Microsoft’s new deal with the British Library to scan 100,000 books and make them available online next year. Here are some recent links:
- Washington Post: Microsoft to Offer 100,000 Books Free Online
- ZDNet UK: Microsoft partners with British Library
- PC Pro: Microsoft to Digitise 100,000 British Library Books for MSN Service
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Patrice-Anne Rutledge is a bestselling author of 26 books translated into 11 languages who has been featured on CNN, Inc., CareerBuilder, AOL, Global Business and dozens of other publications around the world. She is an online book promotion expert who holds the designation of Certified eMarketer (CeM).
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