FREE Promotional Options For Author

I have made some major changes to the blogs I'm offering in March and I pdated this list to reflect those changes. These changes should make it easier to find information and give additional exposure to every one who submits information about their books and themselves.

ANY published author is welcome to submit these questions and answers to promote their books. To use any of these blogs - click on the link, click on "how to submit" in the top corner of the blog and follow the instructions. I ask that you send the questions and answers as an RTF file. It is also good to send a jpg file of your book cover - no PDF files for the cover art. When you complete the interview, send to nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com with the interview title in the subject line and I will add you to the list for that blog.

I have divided the blog lists for fiction and non fiction books to make it easier to find the ones you need. I've added several new blogs lately - so if you've been here before - there are some new options.


The print and digital edition of Book Promo 101 are available. The print book is oversize 8" x 10" and the layout is gorgeous. The print edition of Book Promo 201: Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing will be available May 2009. If you would like details about the contents of this book visit http://www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_201.htm

I offer a wide array of promotional services to authors. Feel free to take a look at the possibilities and contact me with questions. If you are interested in something that you don't see listed, let me know and we can talk. For a list of these services visit - www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

I offer a wide assortment of virtual book tour options and the current list is located at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/04/virtual-blog-tour-options.html and I offer virtual blog tours which coordinate and enhance Amazon Best Seller Campaigns - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/02/amazon-best-seller-virtual-blog-tour.html there are a number of options and price ranges and we can talk about other options. I'm planning to add more services in 2009. If you'd like to be added to my mailing list to get the latest updates, send me a message at nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com. I am also adding a wide variety of social media marketing options to the things that Promo 101 Promotional Services offers.

This is the full list of promotional blogs - the name, the blog link and the link to full instructions are listed for each individual interview.

Promotional Blogs for Fiction Books

Are you an "outside of the box" promoter? I'd love to share your ideas on this blog - http://promo101articles.blogspot.com/2009/04/calling-outside-of-box-promoters-share.html

Share your furry writing companions - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com
How to Submit - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-submit-information-about-author.html

http://itsallinthesetting.blogspot.com/ - Details about story setting.
How to Submit – http://itsallinthesetting.blogspot.com/2007/07/its-all-about-setting.html

Animals in Your Book - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com/

How to Submit - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-submit-your-book.html

Villains in your book.- http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com
How to Submit – http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-submit_7729.html

Heroine in your book.- http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com
How to Submit - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-submit_134.html

Hero in your book.- http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com
How to Submit - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-submit.html

Best Friend - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com
How to Submit - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-submit_28.html

Share Book Details - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com
How to Submit – http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-submit.html

http://frombookstomovies.blogspot.com/ - From Books to the Movies
If a movie was made about your book, which actors and actresses would play the main characters? This is your chance in case a movie of your book and it can be a lot of fun.
How to Submit – http://frombookstomovies.blogspot.com/2007/08/how-to-submit.html

Interview a Male Character - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com
How to Submit - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-to-submit_6392.html

Interview a Female Character - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com
How to Submit - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-to-submit_1859.htm

In Detail With Nikki Leigh - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com
Give potential readers more information about you and your background.
How to Submit – http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-submit.html

Before I Was Published - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com
Tell us about what you did before you were published and especially include anything that relates to your books and your writing.
How to Submit - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com/2008/02/tell-us-your-story.html

http://currenteventsinbooks.blogspot.com/- Can you tie a topic or element from your book with current events? This is the place to submit them. Send them to me and I'll review them.
How to Submit - http://currenteventsinbooks.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-submit.html

Do you have interesting promotional ideas and suggestions that you would like to share with other authors? http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com

How to Submit - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-submit-your-promotional.html

http://judgebookbycover.blogspot.com/ - Share your book cover.
How to Submit – http://judgebookbycover.blogspot.com/2007/07/judge-book-by-its-cover.html

http://startatbeginning.blogspot.com/ - Share your First Chapter
How to Submit – http://startatbeginning.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-submit.html

Promotional Blogs for Non-Fiction Books

Are you an "outside of the box" promoter? I'd love to share your ideas on this blog - http://promo101articles.blogspot.com/2009/04/calling-outside-of-box-promoters-share.html

Share Book Details - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com
How to Submit – http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-submit.html

Share your furry writing companions - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com
How to Submit - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-submit-information-about-author.html

Animals in Your Book - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com/

How to Submit - http://fictionalcharactersindepth.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-submit-your-book.html

In Detail With Nikki Leigh - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com
Give potential readers more information about you and your background.
How to Submit – http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-submit.html

Before I Was Published - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com
Tell us about what you did before you were published and especially include anything that relates to your books and your writing.
How to Submit - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com/2008/02/tell-us-your-story.html

http://currenteventsinbooks.blogspot.com/- Can you tie a topic or element from your book with current events? This is the place to submit them. Send them to me and I'll review them.
How to Submit - http://currenteventsinbooks.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-submit.html
Do you have interesting promotional ideas and suggestions that you would like to share with other authors? http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com

How to Submit - http://authorpromotion.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-submit-your-promotional.html

http://judgebookbycover.blogspot.com/ - Share your book cover.
How to Submit – http://judgebookbycover.blogspot.com/2007/07/judge-book-by-its-cover.html

http://startatbeginning.blogspot.com/ - Share your First Chapter

How to Submit – http://startatbeginning.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-submit.html

I reserve the right to refuse to post any submissions, but so far I haven't needed to turn anyone away. I did edit a couple of first chapters to maintain a PG-13 rating for my visitors. That could be one of the reasons why some have such a long waiting list. All the blogs are listed on my Blogger profile which is located at - www.blogger.com/profile/00985309338453728557.

Nikki Leigh
Author of the Book Promo 101 Series
www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm
Author Promotional Services - www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Calling "Outside of the Box" Promoters - Share Your Most Unique Ideas

I'm starting a new thing on my promo articles and tips blog and I wanted to know if you would like to participate - this is the blog http://www.promo101articles.blogspot.com/ and it is being promoted in my new book (Book Promo 201: Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing) and is where I will post all new promo tips etc that I discovered and continue to discover after this went to the publisher. This is also an award winning blog :)

Here is what I need - I'm getting people to share the most unique, unusual or outlandish thing they have done to promote their book - details about what it was, how it worked, and if it was a success. My hope and goal with this is to get people to start thinking "outside of the box" with their promotion. I'm tired of hearing about people just giving away free copies of their book - so I want to share some great examples of using creativity in their promotion. Would you like to contribute something? More than one is a possibility too :)

If you have something to share - send it to nikki@nikkileigh.com

Nikki Leigh

Publish Post

www.nikkileigh.com
www.twitter.com/litekepr

Let's Talk About How to Get Started on Twitter

Tuesday May 5th I'll be talking about Twitter on my radio show at - www.blogtalkradio.com/nikkileigh - we'll be on air at 4 pm EST. My guest will be Lizzie T Leaf - hear what she has to say about the call ;)


I always thought I have a face for radio and now I get to prove it. Nikki Leigh has invited me to be a guest on her Blogtalk radio show and she will strive to answer my questions about Twitter. Come share Nikki's pain as she attempts to educate a very non-techo author (that would be me) on one of the latest social networks available to all of us these days.

www.blogtalkradio.com/nikkileigh and the call is May 5, 2009 at 4 pm EST --- people can visit the page and click "reminder" on the show listing and BTR will send them a reminder about the call. Very cool service :)

Look forward to your support!

Lizzie

And - my response --

"Share Nikki's pain" --- wow - I better prepare really well for this show :) All right folks - I need support and the show will give you a chance to ask your questions too -- so definitely come visit on Tuesday. If you can't make it live - you can also download the show after it airs. I plan to share lots of great information to help people get started on Tiwtter, to learn their way around the site and to talk about some of the tools that make it easier to participate. I have a feeling we will even talk about why you should even be on Twitter. Is it worth the effort? You will have to tune in to hear more :)


Nikki Leigh
Author of Book Promo 201: Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and
Social Media Marketing
http://www.nikkileigh.com
http://www.twitter.com/litekepr

Are Celebrities Causing Twitter to Evolve or Devolve?

Attracting Thousands of Followers, But Following Few

You've no doubt been exposed to mass hoopla surrounding Twitter and celebrities starting Twitter accounts, racing to get the most followers, etc. There's no question that celebrity Twitter use is good for expanding the social network's user base, but what's it doing to Twitter as a communication tool?

Is Twitter evolving or devolving as a result of celebrities taking it over? (Tell us what you think.)You have celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Jimmy Fallon, and Oprah who have gained massive amounts of followers, but are not following too many people themselves. Is Twitter just part of their respective PR machines?

Are they actively engaging in conversations with their fans? Maybe a little, but how many of Kutcher's million plus do you think are regularly getting responses from him when they send him tweets? Look at Oprah's account. Granted, she's only been on since Friday, but she's already got nearly half a million followers and she's only following ten people. So far she's sent replies to Demi Moore, Shaq, Larry King, and Evan Williams. Hardly communicating with the fans I would say.

To be fair, I'm not saying that there aren't celebrities using Twitter who do communicate with their fan bases. Perhaps even Oprah will if given enough time. Some celebrities (like Arnold Schwarzenegger, MC Hammer, and Britney Spears have thousands of followers themselves (though who knows how many fans were manually followed back and how many were simply added as a result of some auto follower).

I think Neville Hobson puts it well when he says Twitter is for listening. When Oprah joined Twitter, Twitter's daily market share of Internet visits skyrocketed. Jason Miller discussed this at WebProNews.

Oprah has a lot of fans, and they flocked to Twitter because they are interested in listening to what she has to say. Twitter the company is certainly happy to have celebrities participating. But if Twitter was once about two-way communication, it seems to be more about one-way listening now.

Don't get me wrong. Two-way communication is still an option, and there are still many people doing it, but some celebrities and marketers are changing the face of Twitter.

Luckily, there is still value in listening. Twitter has often been referred to as microblogging, and that's really a good way to look at it. You read blogs because you're interested in what the bloggers have to say. You read tweets for the same reason. They're just smaller. Blogs have comment areas for two-way communication that can go two-way or one-way depending on whether or not the author takes the time to respond. The same applies to Twitter.

There is plenty of value in listening from the business perspective as well. Hobson writes:

Don’t think of the increasing user numbers we keep hearing about as just so much more noise you have to filter out if you’re on Twitter yourself. Remember, Twitter is an opt-in idea: you decide whether or not to open an account and then who to follow or not. You’re in control!

Instead, think of the stunning growth in people signing up to Twitter as more amazing listening opportunities to find out who’s saying what about you, your product, your brand, your client, or whatever it is that interests you in finding out what people are talking about online.

I can tell you that a good place to find people in your niche to listen to is our own Twellow. Just don't go too crazy because Twitter has placed a limit on how many people you can follow in a day (1,000). If you're really there to listen, this probably will not affect you too much. There is a bit of a debate going on about whether this limit is a good or a bad thing too.

Do you think celebrities are changing Twitter for the better or for the worse?

http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/04/21/are-celebrities-causing-twitter-to-evolve-or-devolve

Do You Write Articles? Learn a Shortcut to Twitter for Your Articles

Twitter.EzineArticles.com

Twitter.EzineArticles.com is a section of EzineArticles that we created to showcase our authors who gain extra publicity for their articles by having us automatically update their Twitter accounts with their latest published articles.

Go to Twitter.EzineArticles.com

How can I be featured here?

1. If you haven't already, sign up for an EzineArticles account and a Twitter account.
2. Log into the EzineArticles Members Area and edit your biography by selecting Profile Manager and Edit Author Bio from the main menu.
3. Enter your Twitter account information into the fields "Twitter Username" and "Twitter Password." This information is the same information you use to log into Twitter.
4. Complete any other sections of your biography you wish and click the button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
5. Submit a quality, original article through the Members Area.

That's it. Your Twitter account will be automatically updated when your article is approved by the EzineArticles editorial staff and you will be listed here.

To watch the video, visit http://twitter.ezinearticles.com/howto/

Thank you to Kathleen Gage for passing this along :)

www.kathleengage.com and www.streetsmartsmarketing.com

Promotional Question #1 from Martin Bartloff

I met Martin Bartloff at the VA Festival of the Book in March 2009 and we have conversed on Twitter several times since then. His first book is being released soon by my good friend Karen Syed at Echelon Press. He has some promotional questions, so I suggested that he send them to me and I'd post some answers here. Anyone else is welcome to do the same thing. You can reach me at nikki @ nikkileigh.com

Here is Martin's first question -

I don't want my novel to be like other books I see--being eaten like small fish in an ocean full of books. How should I market my book sufficiently, beyond twitter, myspace, facebook etc?

This is something that many authors wonder about. With over 250,000 books being released each year (and that could be higher now) - we all want to make our book stand out in the crowd.

I would start by making sure the book is being promoted sufficiently on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook - and other appropriate social sites. Sufficiently is a subjective word - what I consider to be sufficient may be over board for another person. I've talked to people who have an old profile, no pictures and a couple dozen friends and they think that is sufficient. I know this will shock people - but I don't think that's sufficient.

Here are some bare necessity things I would do with these platforms --

1 - Have a well developed profile page on each of these sites
2 - Make sure you give a good amount of info about you and your book(s)
3 - Include some pictures of you - at book events is good and definitely your book cover
4 - Check the applications on these sites and see what would be beneficial. You want people to be able to interact with you, you want to be able to post book trailers (if you have any), you want to post pictures, a link to your blog (which you need), a link to Twitter, updates on your social profiles, and much more
5 - I do not think you need games and other distractions- although I have some of those myself
6 - Are you updating the "status" area on these sites regularly?
7 - Are you actively gathering friends -- and potential readers?
8 - Do you share book related events that you have coming up in the future?
9 - Do you have a fan page and/or a group on Facebook?
10 - Have you promoted these pages?
11 - Are these pages complete?

These are just off the top of my head - but will get you started. IF you have all these things on the social sites mentioned above - these are a few more things.

Have you written a press release about the release of your book?
Did you circulate it? (There are articles about writing and distributing PR on this blog)
Are you blogging?
Do you share interesting and relevant info on your blog?
Do you blog regularly?
Do you ever ask people in you can guest blog on their blog?
Do you invite other to guest blog on your blog?
Do you have a book trailer?
Is the trailer posted on all relevant video sites? (I'll warn you there are more than you think :)
Are your books in local bookstores?
Is there any group in your community that you could partner with to do a fundraising event that you could tie into your book content?

The last in more creative, but can be a lot of fun and great exposure for you. It is also a lot of work - so be sure you know what you're getting into.

These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. What ways have you used to promote your book? And, how did they work for you?

Nikki

Welcome to Romance Book Covers

This is a new website that features Romance Book Covers - would it be useful for you??

http://www.romancebookcovers.com

I uploaded a couple of my covers - but there was no indication about where they went etc. If I learn more or receive some notification about them - I'll post an update. I can tell you that the uploaded pictures appeared to be cropped and showed up as a square - so they did not look like the rectangular cover we designed. If anyone hears about this site -- I'd love to hear more details.

This is from their About Us page -

Hello, Romance Book Readers

And welcome to a place, where you can relive the beauty of a good book with its wonderful characters, through its cover art—again and again. I love reading romance novels, and escaping to a world of fantasy, mystery, and adventure on occasion. I’ve even taken up collecting Romance Cover Art on a large scale. That’s why I have this site!!! I also enjoy receiving picture uploads from my viewers. If you have a romance picture you want made into wallpaper, and displayed on this site, click on the words - Romance Picture Upload. This will take you to my upload page. There you'll be able to upload your picture(s). Also check out "Romance Book Cover’s Art Center", and view back issues of previously viewed pictures.

Most of the wallpapers are best viewed at 800 x 600 Resolution—I will be adding 1024 X 768 Resolution Wallpapers from time-to-time. The pages within my site may take some time to download depending on your connection. Please be patient... it will be worth your time, I promise. Now please scroll down and continue to view the images. If you see a picture that you want to save, simply click on the image, and you will be taken to the full screen picture to save on your computer. Finally “RIGHT CLICK” on the wallpaper and “SAVE IMAGE AS...” Please let me know if you are having problems with any of the files. Now, enjoy the images and come back soon.

Best regards,

RomanceSwap.com -- Could This Site be Useful for Your Promotion?

I was playing on the internet Saturday (yes I should've been working :) and I saw a promo for this site that focuses on romance novels

http://www.romanceswap.com/

Here is some info from their site ---

The site offers the chance to

create your own profile page
set up book clubs by author
book clubs by genre
book clubs by area - meet book lovers near you or reach book clubs near the setting for your books


Go here to register for your free account -
http://www.romanceswap.com/index.php/component/comprofiler/registers

Here are their FAQ's

Q What is RomanceSwap.com?

A RomanceSwap.com is a social site for readers and enthusiasts of romance novels. On this site you will find forums, articles, links to purchase books and areas to create and join online book clubs.

Q Does it cost anything to join?

A No. RomanceSwap.com is completely free to join.

Q Do I need to register?

A To Access many of the features you do need to be a registered member.

Q How do I register?

A It's easy to register. Just click the register button in the log in form. Follow the prompts. After that you will receive a confirmation e-mail. Click on it. That's it!

Q Can anyone start a book club?

A Any registered member may start their own book club.

Q Can anyone start a topic in the forums?

A All registered members are encouraged to post and reply to topics in the forums.

Q Why don't I see any members listed in the members directory?

A You have to be a registered member to access the list of members.

Q Can I submit a book review?

A Only registered authors can submit book reviews. If being a reviewer interests you. Contact the admin team at romanceswap@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I have started my profile page - I would share the link, but the only link I see is my-page. Obviously that won't work for you :) If you register and look for "litekepr" in the member directory - that's me.

Why Should You Consider a Virtual Blog Tour?

The simplest description for my idea of a virtual blog tour is: a cyber “tour” which includes various blogs, websites, radio shows, newsletters etc. The more effective sites usually contain themes or content from the book that is being promoted. This “tour” gives authors the chance to reach many people as they travel the world wide web.

A tour includes a series of appearances with blogs, website interviews, reviews or guest posts etc that are posted on various sites during a specific amount of time. Various site owners host you and may ask interview questions about your book or request that you write a piece about a specific part or element of your book.

Benefits of a Blog

Why would you do a virtual tour? Is it all about book sales? Selling books is only one of the reasons I encourage people to do virtual tours. The following reasons apply to fiction and non-fiction authors – however, some can be utilized more thoroughly by non-fiction and business authors.

• Build credibility
• Increase visibility
• Generate a buzz about your book
• Reach your target audience
• Get information to many people in a short period of time
• Generate additional links back to your site
• Let readers and potential readers learn more about you and your books
• Help blog readers get to know the person behind the book or other product
• Search engines love blogs and you get into search engines immediately
• Gives your target audience the opportunity to communicate with you
• Comments can give you the chance to see what people think about your topics

You can organize a tour for yourself or you can hire a professional. But, ask what the professional can do for you. There are many ways to describe a virtual tour and be sure the other person explains what they plan to do – and more importantly, that they plan the best approach for you and your book. When a professional coordinates your tour it lets you benefit from their promotional network to generate a much larger reach for you.


Nikki Leigh is an award winning fiction and non-fiction author with over sixteen years of promotional experience. Promo 101 Promotional Services offers online promotional options. Her new book will be available in May- Book Promo 201: Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing. The most up to date information is posted at www.twitter.com/litekepr. Visit www.nikkileigh.com to download The Insider's Guide to Virtual Book Tours. Additional promotional information can be found at http://promo101articles.blogspot.com.

To be notified when Book Promo 201 is available - send Nikki your address --

Name: Email:

Book Promo 201: Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing

To be notified when Book Promo 201 is available - send Nikki your address --

Name: Email: