Writing and Publishing News

This week, I’ve been working with a children’s book writer and I came up with some resources that I thought I’d share with you.

If you are looking for library lists, here are some directories of libraries:
http://travelinlibrarian.info/libdir>
http://www.publiclibraries.com
http://www.americanlibrarydirectory.com

How are you going to use these links? To get lists of librarians and libraries you can contact with information about your book.

Make sure your book is suited to library inclusion:
• Hardback books are most desired, but well constructed paperbacks are also accepted. The book should have a spine. Saddle stitched and spiral bound books are not recommended.
• Librarians like reference books and informational books. They should have an index.
• Librarians also like children’s books—again hard covers last longer under library use.
• Librarians like getting discounts on books and gift books. Give local librarians copies of your latest book and other librarians in other areas may order it from your publisher, your distributor or you.

Here are a few directories of children’s book reviewers:
http://dir.yahoo.com/arts/humanities/literature/genres/children_s/reviews
http://www.bookreviewblogs.com (blogs that post reviews children’s and others)
http://www.eleanorsbooks.com/directories.htm (includes children’s book reviewers)
http://www.eleanorsbooks.combookreviews.htm (similar to the one above—but may have additional resources)

Do a search using keywords, “book reviewer directories children.”
Let me know what type of book you are promoting and I will try to provide some ideas for you in this blog.
In the meantime, be sure to order your print, Kindle or audio version of “Promote Your Book,” and/or “Talk Up Your Book,” for oodles and gobs of promotional ideas, tips, techniques and examples. Available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores.

Do you have a recovery memoir with a helping feature or a self-help book for someone struggling through an illness, disease or the results of a serious accident, for example? Many people do, these days. And these books are not easy to market.

The problem is that most authors of such books attempt to promote to the mainstream reader and the percentage of people in the mainstream who are actually their audience is small. Here’s what I suggest:

1: Build a fabulous website where your book and your story are center stage. Promote that website through your promotional material, business cards, bio at the end of the articles you submit to magazines/newsletters, etc. and by linking to related websites.

2: Find books in the same category as yours and see if you can find out how they are selling and what promotional tactics the authors are using. Check out their media pages, their blog (where they might mention where they’ve been promoting their books and how). Do a search for books like yours and see where they’re showing up. Consider using some of the same methods and venues.

3: While book fairs and flea markets might be a good venue for children’s books and some intriguing novels and so forth, they often don’t attract enough of your particular readers. Instead have booths at health fairs and health and wellness trade shows.

4: Watch for local health-related activities occurring throughout the year and get involved.

5: Arrange to speak at health and wellness as well as medical conferences. You’ll find large and small health fairs all over the US and, I would imagine, health and wellness trade shows and conferences, not to mention medical conferences. Locate some of the activities/events. Start close to home if you want. (Directories of conferences below.) Start way before the event—like a year or 7 or 8 months. Study the conference website and see if you might have something to offer conference attendees. Would it be appropriate for you to speak to a group about your experience and the contents or an aspect of your books? If you can get a speaking slot at a conference, you will also have the opportunity to sell your books. Just the fact that you are speaking will result in added publicity, so even more people will learn about you and your books. Exposure, exposure, exposure.

Here are some conference directories:
http://shawguides.com
http://www.allconferences.com
http://www.bvents.com

Also do an Internet search to locate more using appropriate keywords.

If you need help with public speaking or any aspect of locating venues, preparing for a presentation, etc., order my latest book, “Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.”

And for additional ideas and how-tos with regard to book promotion, “Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.” Available at amazon.com in print, kindle and audio as well as most other online and downtown bookstores.

This week, I’m finally organizing my email list. I’ve been unable to figure out how to use folders to manage groups of emails in order to send automatic blasts of emails to my lists, so I hand type them. Big waste of time. I realize I’m a bit behind with technology. Not my strong suit.

But now I’m hooking up with a program that I can use to send to groups. I hope I am typing these email addresses for the last time.

I’ve typed 924 email addresses so far to insert into the new program and I have at least twice or three-times that many more to go. Where do I get these email addresses?

I collect business cards and promotional brochures from my audience—authors and hopeful authors. I offer freebies at my website and collect email addresses from those who download the freebie, I have sign-up sheets at my booths at book festivals and at my presentations. I ask for email addresses on my order forms for books and services. And I have collected email addresses from numerous clients and others who contact me with questions.

Here are some suggestions for your sign-up sheets. Generally, someone will sign up if they know they’re going to get something in return—an article or a report on their subject of interest, for example. I might offer my article on how to promote your ebook or 50 reasons why you should publish your book. You could have a sign-up sheet for your free enewsletter on the subject of your book.

Avoid problems with your sign-up sheet by creating large enough spaces to write in. As I go through my lists, I notice that where I’ve tried to get more names on a sheet—using narrower line spaces—I have more difficulty reading the addresses. Much easier where I’ve allowed plenty of line space.

Ask for the person’s name, too. Sometimes their name is reflected in their email address and one that is difficult to read will become more clear once you see the name. You might not know whether it is “robertsmillerton” or “robertamillerton” until you take a look at the name. Ah, “Roberta.” You may mistake “GloverNan” for CloverMan.” If you spent any time trying to decipher handwritten materials, you know the problems that can arise.

When you present a sign-up sheet, be sure to type at the top what it is for—“Free Resource List for Quilters” or “Free Chapter of New Novel,” etc.

Ask, in order to get the name and address. If you are in a booth, point out your sign-up sheet to those who walk up. If you are in front of a group giving a presentation, send a sign-up sheet around the room. Put the program chairperson or something else you trust in charge of the sheet. This works well for workshop-type or informational/educational presentations. For a more somber program or where you are entertaining rather than educating, you might have the sign-up sheet at your book signing table. Have someone sit at the table and catch folks as they come in and before they leave the event. An unmanned sign-up sheet often goes unnoticed.

The next time you go out to speak or to sell books at a signing or book festival, get more for your time and money by always providing a sign-up sheet. And then do as I am finally doing, manage those email addresses so it is relatively easy to make contact when you have something to share—a new book announcement, the launching of a newsletter directed at your audience, a workshop or contest you are sponsoring and so forth.