| You've written a book! That's a major | | | | off, you may become a featured author at either |
| accomplishment and don't let anyone tell you that | | | | of these sites. And that's where marketing comes |
| you can't be published. But by saying that you | | | | in. You're ready to MARKET your book. You need |
| want to be published, you're really saying that you | | | | to get the word out about your book. First, |
| want readers; and you can find them. They are | | | | establish a budget. Determine how much money |
| out in the Internet ether, waiting to read your | | | | can you spend and then break that down into |
| book. You need only to remember: PACKAGE, | | | | where you will spend it. In order to find the best |
| MESSAGE, MARKET. Your book is your | | | | markets for your book, you need to analyze |
| PACKAGE, and so is your website. If you have a | | | | what your topic is, who your protagonist or |
| book, you should have a website. If you start | | | | antagonist is, what they do -- this will help you |
| with a polished product, you'll be better prepared | | | | determine your audience. What kind of book have |
| to find your readers. So, write your book, revise, | | | | you written? If it's a thriller and your protagonist |
| edit, and rework until you're proud of your | | | | is a naturopath, your audience lies among |
| product. Simultaneous to this, you should prepare | | | | naturalists, herbalists, massage therapists, etc. |
| your website. A website is also part of your | | | | These are your keywords. Find bulletin boards |
| package. Your book and the topic should be the | | | | where these topics are discussed and tap into the |
| focus of the website if you are not a known | | | | audience. But be savvy. Many bulletin boards have |
| author. A good web designer can come up with | | | | rules of conduct and they don't approve of |
| an image that will be the hallmark of what you've | | | | shameless hucksters. You can also use those |
| created. Use it for online representations of your | | | | keywords to run ads on the internet, as you can |
| book, for postcards (to be distributed in your local | | | | do through Google AdWords. You should already |
| community) and business cards. This is called | | | | have signed on with an analytics service that will |
| branding, and it will help establish your product for | | | | track traffic to your website; where it came |
| when you get to the marketing tasks. Now you | | | | from, how long it stayed, etc. AdWords or a |
| have a book, a website, and an image. You can | | | | similar service, like ExactSeek, can target web |
| be published within two days. Time for the | | | | browsers that touch upon your keywords. You |
| MESSAGE aspect of e-publishing. This simply is | | | | prepare a short ad that is placed according to |
| putting your book into the ether. Prepare a three- | | | | searches that people do. If they click on your ad, |
| or four-sentence synopsis of your book and a | | | | you pay for that click. Most importantly, don't |
| short bio about yourself. You should already have | | | | forget your local community. Who's on your |
| this from your website. You will use it wherever | | | | personal e-mail list? Everyone is thrilled to know |
| you post your book. Amazon offers a Digital | | | | an author. Send out an e-mail telling people about |
| Text Platform that will upload and convert your | | | | your book and asking them to visit your website. |
| book into an e-book. From Amazon, this feature | | | | Take some postcards promoting your book to |
| makes your book exclusively available for | | | | local restaurants and specialty shops. If you're |
| download to their electronic reader, the Kindle. But | | | | really ambitious, you can also set up a website |
| it puts you in good company: your book among | | | | that can provide a shopping cart feature. Sell your |
| 90-some thousand other books. You should | | | | book from your own website. You will need to |
| create a bio page within Amazon that will link you | | | | convert your book into a downloadable format, |
| to the listing of your book. Next could be | | | | like Adobe or MSReader, and unless you do this |
| Mobipocket, which happens to be owned by | | | | yourself (time-consuming and difficult), you will |
| Amazon, but will place your book into additional | | | | have to pay a service to do the conversion for |
| e-book markets. Mobipocket offers E-Book Base | | | | you. The next issue will be whether you sell a |
| where you upload your book to their online store. | | | | secure, encrypted version of your book (again, |
| You have to sign agreements as you do for | | | | more expensive and time-consuming, but |
| Amazon and mail them in to the company's | | | | preserves the integrity of a single sale rather than |
| respective headquarters. Once approved, you will | | | | allowing the purchaser to forward your book over |
| open a publisher account and agree to give | | | | the internet.) The field of encrypted text is |
| Mobipocket a percentage of each sale made, as | | | | known as digital rights management, and that's a |
| you did with Amazon. You won't get rich from | | | | topic for another guide. With good planning, and a |
| this venture, but you will be published and available | | | | few simple digital steps, you can be an e-published |
| to readers. Mobipocket is affiliated with numerous | | | | author find your readers online. Good Luck. |
| e-book stores, such as FictionWise and | | | | K. F. |
| BooksOnBoard. If your sales for your book take | | | | |