10 Places to Promote Your Book with Articles

Many authors receive thousands of dollars worth of free publicity by publishing articles and excerpts from their book in other publications. Writing your book is only one step in the process of establishing yourself as an expert in your field.

Once your book is written, make a plan to promote it using the following venues, and begin formatting your writing to fit in the appropriate publication.


1. Books that relate to your subject can include quotes from your book as a reference. Keep an eye out for other authors writing books who will surely need reference material for their own writing. Also, books that include stories from multiple authors can be a great marketing tool to promote you as a writer as well as promoting your book.


2. Seminar handouts that you use when you are giving a presentation can be an excellent way to keep your name and your book in front of the reader. Provide the audience with interesting materials written by you to take home and read.



3. Trade publications will print articles relating to your book that are relevant to the specific industry. Research to find out which publications and journals will fit your topic best and submit your articles to the appropriate departments for considerations.



4. Magazines can provide mass exposure to a targeted audience for your book. Call the advertising department and ask for a copy of their editorial calendar. This free resource will allow you to see where your topic fits into their schedule. Once you see where your story fits, email or write the editor of that section to present your story idea. This must be done several months in advance to make sure there is plenty of time to include your story.




5. Local and national newspapers are always looking for story ideas. Tie your book in to current events or trends to make it newsworthy. Try to stay off the Book page, and try to get your book featured in the sections that are more widely read.


6. Community newspapers and journals usually come out on a weekly and monthly schedule, so an article reprint has the opportunity to be highly read. Make a list of all the smaller community newspapers within a 50 mile radius of your city. Submit your article to all potential sources.


7. Newsletters that are related to your book topic provide a reader base interested in learning more and will eagerly read your article. Find out what newsletters are mailed out to specific subscribers, as well as online newsletters that may consider reprinting your article or excerpt.


8. E-zines are growing in popularity online. Try to get your article reprinted inas many e-zines as possible. The more people who read your article, the more possible book sales you will make.(see mine: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Pam_Perry)


9. Your own website & blog is a necessary location to place articles for publishers of e-zines, newsletters, magazines, and newspapers to retrieve. Your own readers will enjoy learning more about your book topic and will visit your website more often if you add valuable information for them to read.


10. Other websites & blogs that allow you to post your articles and excerpts for their visitors are a great resource to spreading the message of your book.



Visit http://www.ministrymarketingsolutions.com/ today for more resources, tools, and coaching. Or get PR Coaching at http://www.prbootcamponline.eventbrite.com/

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10 Items to Include in Your Press Kit for Authors

Building your press kit takes time and planning. Your press kit will play a major role in getting free publicity for your book, so you want to make sure that it includes as much valuable information about you and your book as possible.


You want to make it as easy as possible for the media to feature you in a story. Once you have gathered your information, make sure to post it online for journalist to have access to it 24/7.


Your press kit will always be a work in progress as you are constantly updating your information to reflect the success that you are having with your book.



1. A standard press release announcing your book, giving information about you as a writer, and your availability for speaking engagements is a standard inclusion in your press kit. (see previous post on blog)



2. A press release that uses an interesting angle, topic, or media tie-in will make it easier for the media to write multiple stories about you.



3. A pitch letter giving the media all the different angles that could be featured from your book. Be as creative as possible, but make sure that you don’t stretch too thin. The angles that you provide have to directly tie-in to your book so that it can be a featured resource.



4. A list of possible interview questions will help the reporter put together an interview more quickly. You have taken a lot of the work out of their hands. Also, this helps you get the information out to the audience that you think is important in the promotion of your book. (contact Ministry Marketing Solutions for samples).



5. Include a media alert that refers to any recent news or events and how it is relevant to you and your book.



6. Your author biography is vital to your press kit. The media will want to know what authority you have for writing your book as well as any interesting facts about your past that could be used as a media angle.



7. Your professional photo should be a headshot and have good quality for scanning and reproduction. Make sure that it is updated at least every two years to reflect how you look at the current time.



8. Any copies of stories written about you relating to your book should be included so the journalist can see how others have reported on you. You should keep an ongoing file to keep all printed stories you have been featured in.



9. Your book tour schedule, which may be 5 local book signings, or 50 booksignings and speaking engagements around the country should be included to give the journalist an opportunity to attend and write about it in their story. The media loves photo opportunities, so plan as many events as possible.



10. One of your business cards which includes your contact information and possibly a photo of you and your book.

We offer a PR Coaching for this whole process at our website and at http://www.prcoachingonline.eventbrite.com/  that will help you get out there!


See http://www.pamperryprcoach.com/ too and join http://www.chocolatepagesnetwork.com/!

12 Ways to Get 10 Times the Value of Calls From A PR Coach

As I continue to do PR Coaching with authors - and they're seeing success, I find that PR is new to a lot of them - and so is coaching. So, I want to lay out some guidelines to help authors get the most from their coaching experience. 

1. Create the "Coaching Experience" - Think carefully about what you want to cover before the call begins. Most coaching calls are brief, 15-45 minutes, and coaching isn't cheap, so make every minute count. Ask yourself the question, "If I could cover just one thing on the call today and have it be worth the entire month's coaching fee, what would it be?" Another powerful part of creating the coaching experience means taking a few extra minutes before the call to mentally prepare yourself, rather than 'jamming' the call into an already overly full day. 

For example, when I book a call with my coach, Michele Lisenbury, I write down the time of the call in my calendar then I book in an additional 15 to 30 minutes for prep time. This way I assure myself that I will be ready to reap the benefits from Michele's wisdom. I may take a short walk during this prep time. I may look over my prep form, whatever. I make sure that I take the time to 'shift gears' from my usually busy day. It pays off in big dividends. 

2. Start With a Full Plate - Working off the question above, make a list, not of one thing, but of 5-10 things that would be important and valuable. Have more on your plate than you think you can possibly go over, then go for getting them all addressed. Of course, you don't want to be slipshod about it. Some matters take longer than others, so don't get upset if you only cover 1-2 items, just make sure they are important ones. 

3. First Things First: One way to see to it that your call is well worth the time and money, is to prioritize what you want to go over. Coaching calls are not the place to save the best for last. Put the most important item at the top of your list. That way, even if that's the only item that gets handled, the call will have been well worthwhile. 

4. Make Clear Requests - Once you have your list and the priority, write down what requests for coaching you have in one or two short, clear statements. For example, let's say that your number one item to cover is, "How can I make my business more profitable in the next 60 days?" That right there is a good start in requesting coaching. You might take it one step further by asking yourself, "How do I want my coach to support me in this?" Do you want to brainstorm some new ideas, run some ideas you already have by him/her, get some resource information from your coach, etc? 

5. Cut the Chat - Keep the "chitchat" to a minimum. In one sense I hate including this step because I love to "hang out" with my clients and I enjoy chatting with my own coach, but not if it takes up half the call. That's not really what I'm paying her for. Now, if that's your style and that's what you're paying your coach for, that's fine, just realize it may be a costlier friendship than it needs to be. Chat with friends who aren't charging you to talk to them. Get down to business with your coach. 

6.Turn the Tables - Turn the tables on your coach by asking questions and making requests. Two common and effective coaching techniques is to ask clients pithy questions that can uncover or reveal important insights or pearls of wisdom, and to make unreasonable requests of a client. Well, these same techniques can work well in reverse. I recently asked my coach what specific actions could she see me taking to develop my "capillary marketing system" and she sent me a ton of information on what to work on, all from one simple question. In this way, she's earning her keep, after the call as well as during the call. 

7. Front Load the Details - Handle as much of the preliminary or background information as possible before the call. I find one of the highest time drains is a client who feels the need to tell me all the history about something before we can get to work on what their request is. While some background is needed, most of it can be handled before the call.
One of the greatest value-leveraging devices my coach introduced to me and that I quickly incorporated into my practice is the Prep Form. I fill out the prep form a few hours prior to our call and e-mail it to her so she has the necessary background information before we ever say a word. In this way we start the call already running rather than warming up. Filling out the prep form also helps me become more focused. It's a great structure for planning the call. 

8. Debrief Yourself - A second form that is also valuable is the Review Form which is sent to your coach a day or so after the call. The review form helps me debrief the call by helping me realize what I got out of the call, as well as helping me see what we didn't cover that we can address in the next call. 

9. Be 100% Responsible - Take full responsibility for the coaching. This one is so important it probably should be higher in the listing. Don't hire a coach to do your work for you. Don't expect him or her to 'do coaching' on you. Coaching is a partnership that empowers you to make a difference in your own life! A healthy approach to coaching is to consider yourself 100% responsible for how the relationship goes and what value you get out of each call. At the other end of the spectrum, I recommend coaches take the same view, that they are 100% responsible for the relationship as well. In this way you have a 200% responsible partnership which is an awesome experience.
10. Know What Works and Tell Your Coach - Give regular feedback to your coach so he/she knows what works and what is of most value to you to do more of it. Also, let your coach know what's not working or has less value so it can be eliminated. Of course, at first you might not know what's of most value but it won't take long before you'll start to realize that some calls are very powerful whereas other calls were so-so. Begin to look at what was different about the two calls. 

11. Not Just Insights but Also Action - Remember this equation: Insight + Action = Breakthrough/Evolving/Growth. During your coaching call don't drop out the critical component of action. Once you've had an insight into your life, how can you apply it? As one of my first coaches used to say, "An insight without action is like a pinch in the ass; momentarily interesting but hardly life altering." 

12. Capture the Call - Record the call for listening to later. Sure, you can take notes but note taking is slow and can take your attention away from the conversation so make arrangements with your coach to record the conversations. The simplest way to get high quality recording is to buy a small adapter for hooking a tape recorder to your phone line. These are readily available at Radio Shack and other electronic stores. Remember, it's illegal to record a conversation without getting permission from the other person, so ask first. Not only will you capture those important nuggets of information but you can also use the recording to train yourself in making the next calls even more focused and powerful. 

by W. Bradford Swift, Guest Author

Visit www.PRBootCampOnline.eventbrite.com if you want PR Coaching. Or if you want the PR coaching in a kit: go to - www.e-junkie.com/pamperry. GET OUT THERE! 


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Creating a Press Release to Promote Your Book

You will need multiple versions of a press release throughout your marketing  plan. You can either hire someone to write one or you can write one yourself. Or hire a PR coach for the whole process.

Here are the steps you need to write one for any occasion you may want to promote.

1. Find an angle for an interesting Headline.

2. Present the basic facts of your event or book in the first paragraph. Answer the Who, What, When, Where and Why.

3. In the second paragraph present facts that support your headline angle.

4. In the third paragraph present a quote that elaborates on the basic facts in paragraph 2.

5. In paragraph 4 elaborate on the facts in paragraph 3 using another quote, biography information, or historical data.

6. End with details on how to purchase, attend, contact and any other detail that calls for action. Don't forget the website and blog!!

Learning how to write a press release early in your book publishing adventure

will help all of your efforts be more effective in the long run because you will have a

valuable tool that can be used in a variety of ways. We offer  PR Coaching
service at our website that you will help you thru the whole process. 

Here's what a client said:

"Pam Perry has been instrumental in connecting me with a network of people that have opened their doors to my ministry and my message. She has provided priceless exposure for me, in the marketplace, helping me to brand my business, books and outreach. God bless you, Pam!"


-Lindsay Marsh, MD, President of Worth The Wait Revolution, Inc
Worth The Wait, LLC And author of The Best Sex of My Life: A Guide to Purity

See http://www.pamperryprcoach.com/ too and join http://www.chocolatepagesnetwork.com/!

BRAND better - but don't forget to Build Relationships. Divine Connections Take you to the NEXT Level!

Leah Hubbard (Publicity VA) and Pam Perry, PR coach

The Ministry Marketing Solutions on the

"Red Carpet" at WHO'S WHO IN BLACK DETROIT

Stop branding and start building profitable relationships. Many businesses are falling prey to the branding epidemic. We see big business spending so much money on branding and we might be hypnotized to follow the herd chasing the branding grail. Stop right now. Stop that foolish branding. You have a far better tool than branding. That tool is building relationships.

 Individuals and small business are better at building relationships. That's your strength. Big business can't build relationships. That's why they resort to branding. That's the only type of relationship that big business can create. Branding is a cold relationship and one sided. It is all about the big business controlling conformity within their organization.

Branding sends messages that say that our company is great. Branding speaks about the company not about the customers. That's one of the reasons that branding can be so expensive and offensive.

Small business would be better off to focus on relationship building instead of branding. Relationships are built on engagement, personalization and warmth.

Relationships say, "We think we have great customers." How can you build stronger relationships? Personalize your conversations. Remember the TV show, Cheers - where everybody knows your name. Praise your customers. Compliment them. Give them awards for continued loyalty. Hold appreciation events.

Personalize your service. Instead of treating everybody the same, discover how they want to be treated then treat them that way. Don't hide behind corporate policy. Think about the TV show "Cheers" where everybody knows your name. No branding needed when you have a relationship. Build stronger relationships with your customers and you won't need to worry about branding.

EA (c) George Torok is the co-author of the bestselling, Secrets of Power Marketing. Get your free copy of the "50 Power Marketing Ideas" at http://www.PowerMarketing.ca Arrange for a media interview, keynote speech or executive briefing by calling 905-335-1997 or visiting http://www.Torok.com



See http://www.pamperryprcoach.com/ too and join http://www.chocolatepagesnetwork.com/! build relationships when you do your social networking! Get connected...get a mentor. GET A COACH.

See http://www.prbootcamponline.eventbrite.com/ to get a PR Coach to help you get to your next level.

LEAP! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business on the Synergy Energy Show

Growth Strategy #51: Be Innovative


By Stephanie Chandler

When I first met Allen Fahden, I knew right away that he was someone I wanted to know better. He has creativity coming out of his pores. You can practically see the wheels turning in his head as he concocts ideas. Here's one that just might inspire you too.



Allen Fahden wrote a book, Innovation on Demand, but he didn't have a publisher. So he took it upon himself to print 10,000 copies of his book and was left with no money to market it. In a radical departure, he decided to use his own book's methods for creating innovative ideas to develop his marketing strategy.

Opposites Create Opportunity

One of Fahden's major innovation techniques involves putting an opposite spin on what people expect. To sell his book, he first asked the question, Where are books sold? Answer: Bookstores.



Then he asked, What's obvious about bookstores? Answer: They're getting bigger and have more titles.



Finally, he asked, What's the opposite of a huge bookstore with thousands of titles? Answer: A smaller bookstore with only one title.



The result of this inquiry? Fahden opened a one-book bookstore in downtown Minneapolis. His theory is that once you create your opposite idea, make everything else follow the norm. With this in mind, here's how he set up his store:



1. Big bookstores have many departments, so Fahden's one book bookstore had many departments. The store mesmerized visitors with thousands of copies of only one book, Innovation on Demand, in thirteen different departments: Art, Architecture, Anthropology, Psychology/Self-help, Business, Sports, Religion, Travel, Philosophy, Humor, Technology, Law and Fiction & Literature.



2. Big bookstores have names and slogans, so Fahden called his bookstore READdundant: The bookstore that repeats itself over and over again redundantly, repetitively and tautologically. His slogan proudly declared: "More books? Hey, we like the one we have."



3. Big bookstores have liberal return policies and customer service, so Fahden's had a liberal return policy. "If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your book, it would be cheerfully exchanged for any other book in the store, your choice."



4. The store's top ten bestsellers list featured Innovation on Demand in all ten positions.



5. The cash register gave change only in rare two-dollar bills (the opposite of most money).



6. If anyone wanted a book signed by the author, they would get an extra two dollars back. "My signature devalues the book," Fahden would explain.



7. When the store had a sale, Fahden would select several copies of the book and raise the prices.



8. When doing readings in the store, Fahden removed the consonants from the book. He claimed with vowels only he could read the entire book aloud in ten minutes.



9. You can't make this up: More than 50% of the books sold from the Psychology/Self Help section.



Two days after opening, City Business featured ReadDundant on the front page ("New Bookstore Opens Anew"). On day Four, three network TV stations featured the store on the evening news. Then came radio interviews, NPR; major market newspaper stories, all on the front of sections; and even network television and the BBC.



Then, People Magazine gave the bookstore a full color page; a rare exposure to 35 million readers for a first-time author with a different way to promote. At the center of the photo, a sign that captured the personality of the one book bookstore: "Shoplifters Welcome." Incidentally, during the store's three year run (until they condemned the building), no books were ever stolen. But just after the People article, somebody stole the sign.



By using his own opposite innovation methods, Allen Fahden gained more than book sales and big publicity. His efforts resulted in speaking and consulting opportunities as well.



I view Fahden's story as a challenge. How can you do the opposite? How can you get outside the box for your industry and shake things up? How can your business end up getting profiled in People Magazine?

Copyright (C) 2009 by Stephanie Chandler

Excerpt from LEAP! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business by Stephanie Chandler
 
Hear her on the show: Synergy Energy

See http://www.pamperryprcoach.com/ too!

How to Hire and Work with Your Publicist or PR Coach.

Think about it. DO YOU REALLY KNOW if you have the right person to help you with your dream?


“The two most important requirements for major success are: first, being in the right place at the right time, and second, doing something about it.” Ray Kroc

So you don’t know anything about PR and you hope the people you hire know their stuff. But how do you even find, interview, hire and work with this key link in your media campaign?

What does a publicist or PR coach do?
• Prepares or evaluates promotional material such as press kits, press releases and enticing emails
• Submits news releases and E-Blasts to media outlets or gives you the services to use
• Schedules radio and/or TV interviews; or shows you how to deliver a snappy phone pitch in 15 to 30 seconds
• Schedules local and national appearances and/or book signings or provides you with people to call
• Has a plethora of resources, contacts, and connections in the industry & they invest time in developing and nurturing strong relationships with their media contacts
• Gives you creative ways to market your book (keeping your market in mind) and knows exactly what you need to accomplish a publicity campaign

Guidelines for Picking a Publicist or PR coach:

• When meeting with a prospective publicist/PR coach, casually ask for the names of three clients who could recommend her services. If she feels good about the work she's done, she will quickly and enthusiastically come up with several names on the spot. Or just look on their website and contact the clients directly yourself.
• When you have the reference on the phone, ask him to name the best thing the publicist has done for his company. Ask specifically about results.
• Ask the publicist what she does best. Her answer should be something you think you need. If she specializes in something you don't need, she may not be right for you. (One point of caution: be open to new ideas!)
• Ask yourself, "Is this person as smart as I am?" A good business person always strives to surround himself with geniuses! At least, you will want to hire someone who seems very bright.
• Don't just ask the publicist what she costs—ask her why she costs what she costs (and do a comparison to other firms).
• Take note of whether or not she asks intelligent, thoughtful questions about your company. You don't want a publicist who makes a lot of (wrong) assumptions!
• Define up front what a successful marketing plan looks like, and determine a schedule for deliverables. It is imperative that both parties begin the relationship with the same expectations.
• Don't be stiffed by your publicist's vendors or settle for poor quality. Ask her how she chooses vendors, who her vendors are, and why. Leave vendor options open; three bids is not unusual. Does the vendor's portfolio of work wow you? Even one "dud" should disqualify them, because if they are capable of doing bad work, they will do it for you.
• Be sure she is a team player.



See: http://www.prbootcamponline.eventbrite.com
For a good PR Coach that really cares & gives you contacts - but pray about first!

www.Facebook.com/pamperrypr

See www.PamPerryPRCoach.com too and join www.ChocolatePagesNetwork.com!

Pam Perry, PR Coach & Social Media Marketing Expert

Social Media Marketing: How to Brand YOUR Book, Business or Ministry

MONETIZE Your EXPERTISE!

101 Ways to Market online


Want to know what's involved in Internet Marketing?
Want to learn how to Brand Properly online?

Here are 101 tips...but come to a boot camp to really get personally trained and coached.
See:www.PRBootCamponline.eventbrite.com



1. Sell on Ebay & Amazon.com (get a paypal account)!

2. Create an amazing bio for your “about me” pages

3. Get your site listed in all the search engines

4. Use pay per click on Google and yahoo

5. Post comments to blogs and other social media sites i.e. youtube, myspace, other online forums (www.MLM.com)

6. Write your own comments and posts on message boards and forums

7. Create your own Ning. (www.ning.com) [See www.ardyssusa.ning.com]

8. Use twitter.com and facebook’s instant messenger

9. Start a Blog about your business, book or ministry and tweet it often.

10. Write Article and submit to directories (see mine on Ezinearticles.com)

For the rest of the 91 tips, go here.


See www.PamPerryPRCoach.com too and join www.ChocolatePagesNetwork.com!