Thursday, 27 November 2008

5 Tips to Writing Your Book

5 Tips to Writing Your Book
By Monique Houde

ShhhhhIm going to let you in on a secret. According to an article in the March 2005 issue of USA Today, 82% of all Americans want to write a book someday. The fact is that most writers simply need a jump-start. They have what it takes to write, but arent sure where to begin.

So you have an idea that youve been wanting to write about? Maybe its a How To book or a Life Event that you believe others can benefit from reading. Maybe you have a Racy Romance novel that is burning up the pages of your notebook. Well, here are 5 Tips that will give you that jumpstart you are looking for.

1Do your research. Find out who wants to buy the kind of book that you are writing! Whats the market like? Are there enough people looking for the kind of book you want to write or is the subject matter juicy and timely? Where would you go to find your book? Start looking there. Type the subject into the search field of Amazon.com and see what comes up. Be persistent so you can feel confident that your subject matter will be well received. It will help you write.

2Organize your thoughts. Write and outline to help you organize your thoughts. Dont worry about naming the book, in fact, the title should be the very last thing you do since you will not know the complete essence of your book until it is done. Create ten chapters (to start with and you can add or take away later), decide what facts and feelings need to go into each chapter, figure out which chapter will contain the climax and then determine how you will wrap it up neatly for your readers in your last chapter.

3Dedicate the time. Only you can dedicate the time needed to accomplish this goal. Write every day. Never stop writing for even one day. If you do, it can make it much harder to get back into the flow of your book the next time you begin. Do it, even if it is only a paragraph or a few sentences. Make it fun.

4Understanding your publishing options. You can submit your work to be published by a conventional publishing house or you can decide to self-publish. Exploring both options is important, as there are benefits and drawbacks to both, such as money you may need to invest and how well you handle rejection letters!

5REWARD yourself. The process of creating, editing and rewriting is not an easy task. This is a piece of you that you are getting ready to put out there in front of the world; it can be scary. Remember to reward your hard work. Do not make finishing the book the only chance for celebration. Set small goals for yourself and when you reach them reward yourself. Maybe it is some much needed time alone with friends or a trip to the mall for those sunglasses you have been coveting. Having a coach to keep you working in the right direction and encourage you along the way has been the way to go for thousands of authors; yes, even the most famous ones!

Monique Houde is the author of Blinded by Love, a novel the deftly describes her personal account of a violent relationship and her subsequesnt survival.

Contact Freedom Coaching to talk about your book idea and to learn more about the Six-Week Book Writers Bootcamp 978-764-6600

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=MoniqueHoude
http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Tips-to-Writing-Your-Book&id=131190

Thursday, 6 November 2008

5 Reasons to Write a Book Today

5 Reasons to Write a Book Today
By Terry Dean

You should write a book. It just may not be for the reasons you think.

The quickest way to get started in the information business is by doing an audio interview. Do a quick outline or put together a few questions. Find an expert. Record an hour interview. You now have a product. No more than 2 hours were invested in the processand a minimum amount of money (a simple phone recording device can get you started).

A book takes at least a week to write, and you have to pay for a well designed cover to sell it. Yet, I still recommend a portion of my clients create a book. Why?

Its simple really. Becoming an author provides you with immediate benefits that are hard to compete with in any other way.

1. Improve Credibility for Consultants and Coaches

If youre currently doing any consulting or coaching, having your own book separates you from the competition. Would you rather hire the consultant who studied all these booksor the author of the books they studied?

Instead of simply giving someone your business card or a brochure, you can hand them your book. Youre the expert. While most people wont read your book, it now goes on their shelf with other books theyve purchased. It makes them feel better just having it.

2. Increase Fees

Want to increase your fees? Publish a book. This one goes right along with number one. Youve improved your credibility, so you can now raise your rates. This includes consulting, coaching, and speaking fees. Youre a busy author (doing publicity campaigns and more). Your time is valuable.

Youll also run into less price resistance as an author. It seems miraculous, but your perceived value in the eyes of your clients has now went up. Youre an authorand your expert fees seem more reasonable now.

3. Generate Publicity

Send out review copies. Do radio talk shows. The media is starved for good interviews. You now have something to talk about in your new book (I recommend creating your book with publicity in mind from the beginning).

Not very many people will listen to an interview and hire you to consult with them. They will buy your low cost book and be added to your customer list. Then you can follow up on them with all your higher profit items on the backend.

4. Backend Sales

A book is a perfect entry point in your product funnel. Lets say you sell DVDs, home study courses, and even do workshops. Your higher price point items might require an endorsement from a trusted source or someone to speak to them on the phone. The book simply has be offered as a solution to a problem theyre having. Its an easy sale.

You can then have upsells and other offers throughout the book. Dont turn the entire book into a sales letter. DO offer items that solve their problems. The book can be a doorway into your other product offers.

5. Deepen Your Knowledge Base

Even if you never sold a copy, a book can still be profitable to you. It requires you sit down and organize your thoughts. You have to outline. You have to study your subject more in depth. Youll have a broader base of knowledge and skill when youre finished with your book.

To put it simplywriting a book will help you grow. It will stretch you. Youll come out of it with greater knowledge, experience, and value to give to others.

Terry is the owner of the Integrity Business Blog, Find out more about how you can Earn More By Working Less by creating your own books, CDs, DVDs, and more at his Free blog today: http://www.terrydean.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=TerryDean
http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Reasons-to-Write-a-Book-Today&id=514916

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

Book Writing: Step 4 of Six Preparatory Steps to Complete Before Starting your Manuscript

Book Writing: Step 4 of Six Preparatory Steps to Complete Before Starting your Manuscript
By Yvonne Perry

Okay, let's take another step toward getting your book ready to write, publish and bring to the market.

The following steps are explained in detail in my subscription-based teleclasses on freelance writing Writers on Call. Let me remind you of the other steps we have been working with.

1. Know What Type of Book You Want to Write
2. Do a Market comparison
3. Complete a Title Search
4. Create an Outline
5. Write a Query letter
6. Start your Book proposal

Now, here is step 4 of my six preparatory steps to complete BEFORE starting your manuscript.

Step 4. Creating an Outline

You hated it in school and now Im asking you to do it again! Coming up with an outline may not be much fun, but it will help you stay focused and organized as you work on your project. Theres a big difference in writing a fiction book versus a non-fiction book and therefore, your outline will differ depending upon which you are writing.

Fiction - If you have a story line in mind it is a good idea to write out a time line to sequence the events in your story. Type a list of chapter titles that fit the time line of your fiction story into a Word document. Put Roman numerals by each one.

Write a short bio on each of the main characters. Now write a paragraph about the scenes/places you plan to create in your story. Keep these in a word document.

Non-fiction Start with the main points you want to cover in your non-fiction book. Simply type them into a Word document and put Roman numerals by each one. If you know how to use the advanced features of Microsoft Word, you can use the outline tool.

Make sure all your main points reflect back to your title. Whenever I feel I am getting on a rabbit trail, I go back to my title and ask, How does this information support my title? Answering that question always gets me back on track and helps me decide if that chapter, quote, paragraph, or research data is necessary. Then I can go to my outline to see where the information will fit best.

Next, write a short summary of what each of those main points is about. One or two sentences are plenty. Put these summaries or character/scene bios into your outline underneath the Roman numeral and hit your tab key. This will indent the text and put a letter a. in front of the paragraph if you have the bullet and list feature enabled in your Word program.

Your outline will need to be adjusted as you write your book, but at least youll have a working idea of what you want to accomplish while you are writing and researching.

Ill be teaching a class on the advanced features of Microsoft Word program, so be sure to check my blog http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com for information on upcoming events. Now, go get step 5 of this article series posted at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=YvonnePerry.

All six steps in this article series are explained in detail via my subscription-based teleclasses on freelance writing Writers on Call. You may order the entire CD audio set of all the classes in my 8-week course on How to Write a Book at http://www.yvonneperry.net/Writersoncall.htm .

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and editor who assists clients with any type of writing project. Yvonne is available to assist your with telling your story or writing your book. Her podcast Writers in the Sky is filled with information about the craft and business of writing. See http://www.yvonneperry.net for more information about her writing services, books, newsletter, podcast and blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=YvonnePerry
http://EzineArticles.com/?Book-Writing:-Step-4-of-Six-Preparatory-Steps-to-Complete-Before-Starting-your-Manuscript&id=445097

Monday, 6 October 2008

Free To Try Audiobooks

Free To Try Audiobooks
By Steve John Cowan

Although many people have now heard of audiobooks, its a fairy safe be that most of these people have never actually taken a moment to consider exactly what an audiobook is.

After all, unless you had an obvious interest in audiobooks, why would you take such an interest?

Likewise, some people, perhaps people who might tell you that they dont like books, will shy away from audiobooks, simply because of the name, and the image that this name might conjure up for them.

This is a shame in many ways, because audiobooks can be, and can do, so much more than their name might suggest.

Of course, the very name audiobook will tell you that it is a book that you can access in audio format.

And this is, of course entirely correct. There are many thousands of great audiobook titles out there on the market that are literally pre-existing books that are read onto an audio soundtrack for you, the listener.

That description is, in itself, almost childishly simple, yet at the same time, extremely accurate, as far as it goes.

As the owner of my own online audiobook store at http://www.takalive.com, I can tell you that even this incredibly simplistic definition hides a couple of very important factors which partially explain the rapidly increasing popularity of audiobooks.

First, in the same way that we can all talk quicker than we can write (or punch a keyboard) we can all listen much more quickly than we can read. Also, we can listen wherever we are, and whatever we are doing, again, unlike reading a written book, which is something you can only do when the circumstances allow.

For these reasons, audiobooks are an incredibly handy and convenient alternative to the written word, although I would personally argue that audiobooks can never replace the written word.

The second thing about listening to an audiobook, assuming that you are listening o a high quality production (and you definitely should be!) then the narrator or reader will be a top professional.

Sometimes this narrator might b the creator of the original written work himself (of herself), sometimes a famous actor or sometimes a not-so famous actor who, in fact, is a specialist in voice-overs and audio text readings.

All of these different groups will bring their own interpretations to the audiobook text, and three different people may indeed bring entirely different interpretations.

For you, as a listener, this gives you the opportunity to hear, for example, a book that you have already read in a completely different voice, in an entirely new light.Indeed, for me, as someone who listens to many audiobooks, this is one of the great delights of the audio medium. I know how I imagine the story to be told, but other people can tell if quite differently, making it, in some cases, almost a brand new story!

However, in all of these situations, we are talking a bout written books being transposed into an audio soundtrack, and here we come to the reason why audiobook is, in fact, a little bit misleading as a product title.

In many cases, audiobooks are not books at all!

Speeches, talks, sales presentations, radio and TV shows, all are available as audiobooks, although, of course, they were never books I the true sense of the word.

For example, in my own store, I have brilliant Internet Marketing presentations from industry leading figures such as John Reese and Armand Morin, lined up alongside BBC comedy classics (some free) and many, many radio favorites of the 50s and 60s from both sides of the Atlantic!

So, whilst the phrase audiobook is a handy shorthand term, it actually only paints a part of the overall picture, which is that many, many different and diverse types of audio works which are not, nor ever have been, actually books, are nevertheless called audiobooks.

Even if you are a person who professes to not like books, therefore, I would still urge you to give audiobooks a try.

The author is an audiobook and mp3 fanatic and has 30 excellent free audiobook titles to give away at http://www.talkalive.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=SteveJohnCowan
http://EzineArticles.com/?Free-To-Try-Audiobooks&id=508773

Saturday, 4 October 2008

Writing Ebooks That Sell Fast

Writing Ebooks That Sell Fast
By Matt Ide

Thousands of people want to be authors. They want to have written a book but dont really want to put the work into it. Many times the mantra is that they would love to write a book but dont have the time too. In fact, they dont have the time to read much either, and as is often the case, writing instructors and authors themselves will tell an individual that you dont have any business writing a book if you dont have the time to even read.

That may be true of writing a book in the traditional sense, but not with writing ebooks. Writing an ebook can be a great way to break into the book writing business. There are differences between writing a novel for print and an ebook which will be explained shortly. Just know that if you are thinking about writing a book and want to make money from it fast, you should consider writing an ebook.

The differences between print books and ebooks are bountiful and minimal at the same time, which means that its more of what you want to do that dictates the final product than what any set guidelines may be.

With an ebook you dont have to have a certain amount of pages. Quite often, in a non-fiction sense, many ebooks can be about twenty pages long and sell for twenty five to fifty dollars. The key here is that when you write a non-fiction ebook it is all about the information. If the information is in great demand you can charge more for it. No one is going to dictate to you how much you should charge for your ebook either, except for the market itself.

Next, with an ebook, all you need is a small website for people to purchase and then download your book and the transaction is over. There is no need to trudge through years of finding an agent and then a publisher, who may want you to rewrite whole slews of your work, and then have the book go to the bookstores and wait for someone to buy it. People can go directly to you for the book. Its fast, inexpensive, and can bring in thousands of dollars with just one book. For some this is a full time job!

If you are interested in writing and selling ebooks to make a living, which is quite possible if you have the drive, you will want to learn more about how to market and how to set up a website in order to drive those sales.

Click here to learn more about how to write an ebook in seven days and then learn how and where to sell it. Go to www.ultimatereviewsite.wordpress.com

Matt Ide lives and writes in northern Michigan. If you have always wanted to learn how to write and sell your own books, you need to go to http://www.ultimatereviewsite.wordpress.com and learn how easy it can be to make that dream come true.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=MattIde
http://EzineArticles.com/?Writing-Ebooks-That-Sell-Fast&id=521190

Top Ten Ways of Why and How to Write your Book's Sales Letter Part 2

Top Ten Ways of Why and How to Write your Book's Sales Letter - Part 2
By Judy Cullins

Authors/publishers are great at getting their books written. But after the initial one-year honeymoon, sales slow down. To counter this make sure your print or ebook will keep on selling from the first day, the first year, even for life. Count on this being a two to three- year project to become well known.

Write a short sales letter for each book.

Whether you have a web site or not, you can write a first class, must-buy-now sales letter. Since you are making your book a business write a sales letter for each teleclass and service as well. I even write one for my bookcoaching services.

What Every Sales Letter Needs to Pull Orders and Profits

You can write each sales letter in less than four hours the first time. As you practice, you can an excellent one in two hours.

For part one of this article email article-164@bookcoaching.com.

5. Sprinkle Testimonials Throughout your Sales Letter.

Potential buyers who visit your site are pulled to buy when they think other people have already bought and liked your book. If other people are happy with your product or service, they will be too.

Include testimonials from experts in your field, celebrities, man/woman on the street, and other people who have profited from your books advice. Learn how to approach influential contacts through email friendly notes and requests. To save these busy people time.(they want to help, but consider it's time consuming to create testimonials) ask them look at your list of 5-10 benefit phrases, and a page of your table of contents to give youre a testimonial within a few weeks. Remember, they dont have to read the whole book to give you a testimonial. Dont be shy on this one. Its part of the publishing-promotion process.

Give as you receive. Give that person something of value. Study their web site or read their ezine, and send them a short helpful tip, report or joke.

6. Offer your potential buyers three or four chances to buy.

Are you a skimmer? Many visitors are too. They may have already decided to buy before coming to your sales letter, or after your sparkling headline, book cover, and introduction dont want to read more. After the cover, offer a Click Here or Buy Now near the top of the letter. Offer more buying opportunities along the way after a list of benefits, what's in this book (features), and testimonials. You may offer by a download eBook by credit card or with a toll-free telephone numbermaybe three or four times.

7. Make your Sales Letter Credible.

To boost sales, authors often add free bonus reports related to their book. Visitors often want the bonus special report more than the product itself. The bonus How to Get Testimonials From the Rich and Famous I offered with the How to Write your eBook or Other Book Fast! on my web sites Discounts of the Month. Link increased that books sales double in one month.

Make sure your free bonus reports do not cost more than the price of your product. Would you believe this offer Order this for $49 now and receive 4 special bonus reports worth $395?

8. Share the downside of your book to create empathy.

For example, his ebook won't write the book for you, or even get it published, but it will show you the steps and resources to write compelling copy, finish fully and sell well.

9. Include your expert credentials

I spent 6 months researching this book and 3 months writing it. My background includes 23 years bookcoaching, presenting 70 writing and marketing seminars a year, and 48 published clients since 1999.

10. End your Sales Letter with your 100% Money-Back Guarantee.

When you offer an ironclad guarantee, people see your book as so valuable that you put yourself on the line for it. They will be more likely to buy and be satisfied with their purchase.

This product comes with a 100% Money Back Guarantee. Read the book cover to cover, and if the strategies don't work for you within 60 days, we'll cheerfully refund your money, and you can keep the product too!

Without a book sales letter to guide your potential buyers on your web site, you leave them bored, uninspired, without enough information to make that decision to buy. Your web site and ezine must entertain, inform, and give enough benefits to convince your readers to order your book.

For all email promotion campaigns, without a sales letter for each product, your unique, useful and inspiring information will not get read, people won't know you as the expert, and you won't make the sales you want.

Judy Cullins 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including Write your eBook Fast, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Targeted Web Traffic, and Create your Web Site With Marketing Pizzazz, she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says... and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 165 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-Ten-Ways-of-Why-and-How-to-Write-your-Books-Sales-Letter---Part-2&id=11204

Monday, 22 September 2008

5 Problems With Conventional Book Publishing

5 Problems With Conventional Book Publishing
By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

I am the best-selling author of 12 books, all of them issued by major publishers. Collectively, they have sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

I like to start this way, not to boast, but to give you some confidence in my observations. They have been accumulated over 20 plus years of writing, so Ive seen various markets for authors.

Right now, there are some major problems with conventional book publishing, of which you should be aware, if your goal is to get this community to acquire and then to issue your work:

(1)Distribution through bookstores has never been tougher. Most publishers sell to stores on consignment. If books dont fly off shelves into the hands of buyers, theyre returned to publishers, very quickly. Your title doesnt get very long exposure or time to establish itself.

(2)Books used to be kept in print and available for longer periods of time, in many cases, for years. Now, theyre put to death quickly, if initial sales are anything other than brisk.

(3)We live in an era of the celebrity book. If Oprah wants to write a diet book, it will be a monster hit; you know that. But the most exciting, up and coming, highly credentialed nutritionist may not have a chance of breaking into print.

(4)Publishers expect authors to make them profitable through personal promotional efforts. What are you going to do to sell this book? is the major question they ask, and agents will tell you, without a personal commitment to sell your own copies, stated in your book proposal, you wont get a publisher to bite.

(5)Publishers are clueless, themselves, about what to put out there. Reluctant to lead, and reluctant to follow the success of others, they are like the proverbial deer in the headlights.

It used to be the case that if you wanted information on a subject you either went to your library or to your local bookstore. Not anymore.

By going to the Internet, you can assemble the equivalent of a book, fast and more or less, for free. Publishers havent figured out how to sell content at a premium, in an environment in which so much of it is available, instantly, for nothing.

There are alternatives to conventional book publishing, including self-publishing and using media alternatives such as audios and videos. Ill explore them in future articles.

But for now, give that dream of seeing your book on the shelves of Barnes & Noble, a second thought.

It may not be worth the effort.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr.GaryS.Goodman
http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Problems-With-Conventional-Book-Publishing&id=139132

19 Ways to Secure NonReturnable Book Sales and Sell More Books

19 Ways to Secure Non-Returnable Book Sales and Sell More Books
By Joni Hamilton

Surprisingly, book stores are not always your greatest source of book sales. Most authors and publishers do want their books to be available in all of the book stores, and rightly so. You want your book to be there, too, but you want to sell more books. You want your book to be a household name a topic of conversation in coffee rooms and at dinner tables everywhere. Your publicity campaign is designed to create interest in your book, and to drive buyers to the book store market.

Unfortunately, those traditional book store sales arent always sold. The books might be returned over and over again. Thats the sad reality of the book retail industry.

Your books fame, however, can help you to acquire nonreturnable sales in the nontraditional market where a sale actually is a sale where sales of 25,000 copies and more are not uncommon.

Here are 19 Book Marketing strategies that will help you acquire those sales:

1. Write your book for a very broad market nonfiction works best.

2. Write a book that people will be happy to give as a gift.

3. Add as many photos and illustrations as you can afford.

4. Keep the topic light avoid heavy social commentaries, controversial topics, scientific theories and other heavy subjects.

5. Have your book professionally designed.

6. Have your book professionally edited.

7. Give your book a catchy name avoid boring titles such as How to Have a Happy, Fulfilling Life.

8. Make sure that the cover design is appealing, appears three dimensional and can compete with all of the major publishing houses. Hire a professional designer.

9. Sell the benefits of your book on the back cover. That is where you will sell buyers on the reasons why they just cant live without your book.

10. Price the book competitively in your genre.

11. Make your book look like it is good value for the price its all about perceived value in the minds of the buyers.

12. Dont write for yourself write for the end buyer. Fulfill a need for them or make them feel better.

13. Think of the corporate market when you are writing. Make a list of corporations that can benefit from your book, and then contact them.

14. Submit your book to the book clubs at least six months before you publish.

15. Find an agent who sells to the gift market.

16. Find an agent who sells foreign rights.

17. Find an agent who sells to the display market.

18. Dont be afraid to offer large discounts on nonreturnable sales.

19. Seek licensing agreements they are a great source of income for no work on your part.

A professionally designed book opens many doors while an amateurish appearance closes many doors. It is vitally important that you invest in your book at the beginning to create sales in the long term. Plan for publicity and marketing before you print your books printing is not the final expense in your book marketing plan. It is the beginning. You can have the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it.

Create a book that buyers just cant resist -- and then create a book marketing plan that makes those buyers BUY.

Copyright 2004 Ink Tree Ltd.

Ink Tree Ltd. helps authors publish, market and sell books. We have all the tools you need to succeed in book publishing. Let us help you make your book a success. http://www.inktreemarketing.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JoniHamilton
http://EzineArticles.com/?19-Ways-to-Secure-Non-Returnable-Book-Sales-and-Sell-More-Books&id=21440

Never Pay Full Price for a Book!

Never Pay Full Price for a Book!
By Cyndi Roberts

Are you an avid reader? Are you trying to instill a love of reading in your children?

My whole family loves to read! Right before bedtime every night, every one of us can be found with our nose in a book!

It would be very easy for us to spend a fortune every month on books. But, since we don't have a fortune to spend every month, over the years I've found several ways to get good books and never pay full price!

1. Garage and yard sales are a prime source for both hardback and paperback books. There are people who will buy a book, read it once, and they're ready to get rid of it. I pick up lots of books at yard sales and never pay more than 50 cents each.

2. Used bookstores are another place to find good reading material. Store policies differ but most do something like sell the books at half the cover price. If you bring in books to trade, a store will usually give you credit for one-fourth of the original purchase price. I sometimes buy books at garage sales for 50 cents, read the book, and take it to the used book store where I get more than my 50 cents in credit.

If I find a book in very good condition at a yard sale for less than 50 cents, I will buy it even if I don't want to read it because I can trade it in for credit at the used bookstore.

3. Trading with friends and family is yet another way to get good reading material. My mom and I live 200 miles apart, but we always have a bag of books to trade whenever we visit each other. After we've both read a book, then it goes to the used bookstore.

4. I have recently discovered that the Dollar Stores in our area (and probably in yours, too) have books, hardback and paperback, for $1.00 each. The selection is not very large, but they have fiction and non-fiction and books for grown-ups and children, too. A book can make a great gift and at a $1.00 price it makes great economic sense, too.

5. Bookstore chain stores, like Hastings, have clearance tables somewhere in the store all the time. It takes some time to look through them, but I have bought many gifts from these clearance tables.

6. If you know of a book you'd really like to have, why not just let your family know? Your mom or your sister or husband would probably love to give you a gift for Christmas or your birthday that is something that they know you really want.

7. And don't forget your local library! The library is a wonderful place to get a book you've been wanting to read without having to buy it. You can also read the latest issues of most magazines at the library. I consider public libraries to be one of the finer things in life!

So, if you, too, are an avid reader, or if you're guiding your children to a lifetime love of reading, there are lots of ways to ead on the cheap!

About The Author

Cyndi Roberts' website, 1 Frugal Friend 2 Another will show you ways to save money everyday. Receive a Free e-course on saving money at the supermarket! To learn more, visit http://www.cynroberts.com

editor@cynroberts.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Never-Pay-Full-Price-for-a-Book!&id=16916

Sunday, 21 September 2008

Cheap and Effective Ways to Promote Your Books

Cheap and Effective Ways to Promote Your Books
By Lynette Rees

I thought it might be an idea to share here what I do to promote my books.

I like writing articles, so thats an easy way for me to promote. For example, I have a romantic comedy coming out shortly, so Ive written an article entitled, Crafting the Romantic Comedy and started circulating it at various article banks.

One article I wrote last year, just before the release of a romantic suspense novel, was entitled, Seven Ways to Inject Suspense Into Your Novel. A couple of weeks later, I was amazed to see it as the lead article in The World Wide Freelance newsletter, which has a circulation of 20,000. As a knock on effect, people contacted me after seeing the article via that newsletter and asked me to take part in live chats and interviews at their websites. They also asked my permission to publish the article as well.

I try to gear the promotional article up to suit the particular book coming out at that time and include a link to it in the bio.

If you are interested in trying this, here are some article bank links:

http://www.ezinearticles.com/
http://www.articlealley.com/
http://goarticles.com/

You can probably find many more article banks by use of a search engine. Of course, if you can go the extra step and get your article published in a relevant magazine, so much the better. Last year, I managed to get my article, Five Reasons I Chose to E-publish My Novel, printed in The Romantic Novelists Association magazine.

Another idea Ive had is to have my book covers printed on postcards. A friend gave me the link to a reasonably priced online printer, who also supplies 250 free business cards, so Ill get some of them printed the same time. Heres the link:http://vistaprint.com

Or how about putting out a press release, either in the local newspaper and/or online? See here: http://www.prwebdirect.com/

Ive also started including leaflets to my books that are due for release in other books I sell, so the reader, if he or she likes my style, may consider purchasing the new book when it comes out.

I also involve family and friends who are marvelous promoters. My mother, for instance, likes nothing better than telling her friends at The Salvation Army and Age Concern about her daughter, the author! Several have bought not just one book but the follow up as well!

My husband has promoted my books both at the bowls club and at work and Ive had several orders that way.

These are just a few ideas I use to promote my books, low cost ideas that cost little more than your time to write an article or issue a press release!

Lynette Reess romantic comedy, A Taste of Honey, has just been published by Samhain Publishing: http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/a-taste-of-honey

Her non fiction e-book, Crafting the Romance Story is available for beginners, here:http://www.lynetterees.com/crafting/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=LynetteRees
http://EzineArticles.com/?Cheap-and-Effective-Ways-to-Promote-Your-Books&id=518371

Writing MS Word 2003 Use Bookmarks for Global Corrections and Running Headers or Footers

Writing MS Word 2003 Use Bookmarks for Global Corrections and Running Headers or Footers
By Ugur Akinci

Imagine you have a 200 page MS Word document with repeating text elements like an address, a name, or a date which repeated over and over throughout the document.

And imagine, after finishing the document, or when it's time to update it, your boss tells you to change the name from John to Bob.

One way to do it of course is to use a global Find and Replace.

But what if you'd like to replace only some of the Johns to Bob? Are you going to check them one by one? Or what if you want to do it automatically without the need to remember to do a Find and Replace?

It's easy. You first mark the source text with a bookmark.

1) Select the text.

2) Select Insert > Bookmark from the main menu.

3) Enter a Bookmark Name (no spaces) and click Add. To see your bookmark on the screen, select Tools > Options > View Tab. Check the Show Bookmarks check-box.

The next step -- for all the other instances of this text, enter a REF (Reference) FIELD that points to the BOOKMARK of your reference TEXT.

1) Place your cursor where you want the next instance of the source text to appear.

2) Select Insert > Field from the main menu to display the Field dialog box.

3) Find the REF field in the Field Names scroll-down list box.

4) Select REF and then select your BOOKMARK in the Bookmark Name list box in the middle.

5) Click OK and your text will be inserted with a gray background screen (which will not be printed), denoting that this is not normal text but a variable field.

Now, every time you make a change to your original text, all other instances will also be changed automatically AFTER you do the following:

1) Select the whole document by selecting Edit > Select All from the main menu, or pressing Ctrl + A.

2) Press the F9 key and BINGO! You've got all instances of your text updated automatically.

P.S. Be careful not to delete the bookmark markers when you are editing your original text. That's why it is important to work by displaying your bookmark markers.

************* Creating RUNNING HEADERS and FOOTERS

Another great use of Bookmarkers and the REF field variable is in the Headers and Footers.

Imagine you'd like to include the Document Title (not the File Name but the actual name of the document printed on the front cover of the document) or a section title either in the header or the footer. This is also called a unning header or footer since the header/footer on a page changes depending on selected section headings or titles like the way, for example, you'd see on any phone directory or dictionary page.

Adobe FrameMaker takes care of this much more elegantly by allowing you to assign one or more variables to your header or footer, variables that are fully customizable and indexed to your paragraph tags, so that you can actually have multiple levels of running headers and footers displaying on your pages.

Although MS Word does not provide the same easy functionality to key the headers/footers to paragraph styles, it still can be done by inserting bookmarks and REF variables.

This is how you do it:

Assign a bookmark to the title (or any other source text of your choice) and then insert its corresponding REF field variable into the header or the footer. After updating the text, go back to your header or the footer editing mode (View > Header and Footer) and press F9. All your headers or footers (within that given section) will be updated as well.

NOTE: There is a formatting problem with updating the headers and footers this way since MS Word has the tendency to insert the source text with its original formatting.

If, for example, you are referencing a 24 point document title in your header, your headers will look huge. You can of course select the header text manually and re-format it to a smaller size.

If the next time you update the source text, the length of the updated text is equal to or smaller than the original text, then the header/footer preserves its latest formatting properties.

If, however, your new updated text is LONGER than the previous one, then for only that part of the text which is longer, MS Word switches the formatting back to the original source text format.

For example, if your original document title is composed of two words, Word Tricks, and your updated document title is either Word Techniques or just Word, then the headers and footers are updated (after going into the header/footer editing mode) nicely by preserving your latest formatting corrections.

However, if your new title is Word Tricks Explained, then the last extra word Explained is displayed in the headers/footers with the original formatting of your document title, creating a lop-sided and aesthetically unpleasant header/footer. In those cases you need to go back to your header/footer and reformat the extra new word(s) as well to match the rest of your header/footer. This is a bug that I hope Microsoft will take care of in the future.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Senior Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 corporations since 1999.

He is the editor of PRIVATE TUTOR FOR SAT MATH SUCCESS web site http://www.privatetutor.us

In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).

A true movie fan since he was a child, Akinci provides FREE MOVIE PLOT IDEAS every day of the year at SCRIPT BOILER. Visit http://scriptboiler.blogspot.com today.

You are most welcomed to visit his COPYWRITING WEB SITE http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=UgurAkinci
http://EzineArticles.com/?Writing---MS-Word-2003---Use-Bookmarks-for-Global-Corrections-and-Running-Headers-or-Footers&id=252184

Thursday, 18 September 2008

12 Ways to Keep Your Nonfiction Book In the News

12 Ways to Keep Your Nonfiction Book In the News
By Sandra Beckwith

Publishers are willing to publicize nonfiction books when theyre released, but they rarely do much after the launch to keep books in the news, even though most deserve ongoing media exposure. Here are some easy things you can do to generate continuing publicity for your title. Use a mix of these ideas to develop a 12-month publicity plan that will provide the support your book needs.

Turn the advice in your chapters into a series of monthly tip sheets. A tip sheet is a press release that offers tips or advice in a bulleted or numbered format. Start your tip sheet with an introductory paragraph that explains why the tips youre offering are important, list your bulleted advice, then tie it all together at the end with a concluding paragraph. Send it to appropriate media outlets; the distribution list will depend on your topic.

Contact the press immediately when your topic is making headlines to offer your expert perspective. This is a sure thing with most local media outlets when its a national news story because youre giving them a local angle. If youve done enough interviews to prepare for the big time, pitch the national news outlets, too.

Add the media to your newsletter distribution list. The same useful advice or information you offer subscribers in your print or electronic newsletter could be of interest to reporters covering that topic, too. I got a book contract several years ago from the publicity that resulted from adding the media to the distribution list of a newsletter I publish.

Repackage your book content into by-lined trade magazine articles. Depending on the terms of your publishing contract, you might need to do some rewriting so its new material. Make sure the author credit at the end of the article includes your book title.

Capitalize on holidays and special months, weeks and days by distributing a press release with useful, newsworthy information related to the topic, or by contacting the press to offer yourself as an expert information source. For example, many daily newspapers run articles in December about how the holidays are especially difficult for people who are grieving the recent loss of a loved one or facing the anniversary of a loss. This presents many coast-to-coast interview opportunities for the author of a book on grief and loss but only if the author reaches out to the press.

Contact the public relations department of your industrys trade association to offer yourself for media interviews. Association public relations people are often contacted by writers looking for members with a particular expertise to interview. Make sure your association knows about your qualifications and the topics you can comment on, and youll get referral calls.

Conduct a newsworthy and relevant survey on your topic and announce the interesting results in a press release. The author of a cookbook designed to make cooking simple and easy, for example, can survey people about why they dont cook more, and release the findings in a press release sent to newspaper food editors and cooking magazines. The release should include information about your books connection to the survey topic.

Sponsor an attention-getting contest and announce the results in a press release. To promote my humor book about men, I conducted a Worst Gift from a Man Contest. The resulting press release led to nationwide media attention, including a holiday appearance on a national cable TV talk show.

Push your publishers publicist to monitor ProfNet for reporter queries related to your topic all year. Alternatively, subscribe to ProfNet via its PR Leads reseller and respond to appropriate queries. A subscription via PRLeads.com is $99 per month.

Monitor writer forums for source requests. Members frequently post requests on the magazines and newspapers forum for interview sources.

Tell the media when youre visiting their market. Reporters love to interview experts who arent local, so if youre in another city for any reason, contact the appropriate media people two weeks before your trip to offer ideas for articles they can write based on an in-person interview with you. If youre in town to speak, send an announcement press release several weeks in advance and offer to do a pre-event telephone interview.

Re-purpose your best tips into a free booklet. Write and distribute a press release that describes the booklet and how people can get a free copy; make sure both the booklet and the release include information about your book, too.

Generating ongoing publicity is work, but its not rocket science. Invest the time so you boost sales while contributing to your author platform. Youll see the rewards at the end of the year.

Sandra Beckwith, the author of two publicity books, teaches the online Build Book Buzz publicity course for authors.

Sign up for her free book publicity e-zine at http://www.buildbookbuzz.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=SandraBeckwith
http://EzineArticles.com/?12-Ways-to-Keep-Your-Nonfiction-Book-In-the-News&id=602264

How to Market Your SelfPublished eBook

How to Market Your Self-Published eBook
By Dorothy Thompson

One of the questions I get from writers who have never written an eBook for the sole purpose of self-publishing is, How would you promote a self-published eBook? Where would you even begin?

Many writers balk at even attempting to play publisher, but if they only knew that its not as hard as they think it is, plus they keep to keep all the profits, I feel that more people would realize that self-publishing ebooks is not only a profitable venture, but they are really simple to promote as long as you take a no-nonsense guerilla approach to marketing.

As long as you have a market, and have a quality eBook that is free of errors, your eBook can become a success, thus give you that added income. But, the great thing is, you wont be sharing the profits with anyone. There is no overhead except for website expenses, which you should already have.

I have successfully promoted several eBooks for myself and for my writing group, getting those eBooks into the #1 position in the search engines.

How?

Thats where your guerilla marketing plan comes in.

Here are a few simple ways I have used to promote my eBooks and get them to the top of the search engines:

1)Using key search words throughout my selling page and on every single piece of promotional literature I send out.

2)Using free press release sites frequently, keeping in mind to use those key search words not only in the title, but also throughout the release.

3)Using free article banks as vehicles to get my selling pages link on hundreds upon hundreds of websites.

4)Using online storefronts who will list my eBook for free.

5)Using writers forums and websites who will let you announce your eBook.

6)Using blogs to announce your eBook and promote it.

7)Using others blogs to set up virtual book tours.

The secret to selling self-published eBooks (or any kind of eBook or print book, for that matter) is to get your link on as many websites as you can. You have to remember, you have an electronic book. You cant go on book signings, so you have to rely on the Internet to get the word out. But, by following those seven examples above, Ill guarantee youll get the sales you need.

So what if youve done everything above, and your eBook still isnt selling?

Where some authors go wrong is that they fail to remember the most important thing you need in order to sell any kind of booksa market.

No amount of promotion is going to do you any good unless you have an audience who is willing to fork out the money.

Before you even put down that first word, you have to ask yourself these following questions:

Who is going to buy my eBook?

Why is my eBook any different than Joe Blows eBook on the same subject?

What will my audience gain from my eBook?

Can they already find this information readily on the Internet?

Will my buyers gain something from my eBook, or is it simply to entertain?

Pique your potential buyers interest.

Post an excerpt on your website so they can judge for themselves whether your eBook will be something they need.

Once you get into the mindset of your buyer, things start falling in place, and youll get those sales you want.

Zero in on your market, and do the steps Ive outlined above, and Ill guarantee youll be selling ebooks.

Happy promoting to you!

Dorothy Thompson

Dorothy Thompson is the editor of The Writers Life (http://www.thewriterslife.net), one of Writers Digest Top 101 Websites for Writers, and the author of the self-promoting eBook A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook, available at http://www.thewriterslife.net/promoteebook.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=DorothyThompson
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Market-Your-Self-Published-eBook&id=383439

Sunday, 14 September 2008

Writing Your Dream Book

Writing Your Dream Book
By Vivian Case

Do you dream of your name in lights? As the author of a fantastic novel? You read the bestsellers thinking, I could of written this! Or maybe you can spot all the errors the author made and know you could write something so much better. But then you sit down to put your great idea to paper (or screen as it may be), and boom. Nothing comes out except a few jumbled run on sentences describing...nill.

Don't be discouraged - but do be practical, for writing, like any truly worthwhile creative process is difficult. Just as the artist must first learn to train their mind to see creatively in order to draw, the writer must learn the rhythm of how to write.

Sometimes the only thing a prospective writer needs is a bit of encouragement - maybe in the form of the right motivational book, or the encouragement of a trusted friend or teacher. But maybe that motivation isn't forthcoming - how do you keep going? The sad truth is most would-be authors give up well before the first chapter.

So you say you don't want to be a statistic. You really are determined, comitted to being successful. Well I will tell you the formula for success, step-by-step. We will break each step down so you understand it's importance. Here we go.

  • First of all, lower your standards. Yup, that's right - you heard me - let that perfect, gleaming idea of perfection fly out the window. Your goal is to be sub-standard. Now before you trash this article, listen to the logic of this crazy scheme. After you've done your outline, plotted a few characters, and of course found your best idea, just write. Don't review and edit as you do so. Write fabulous run on sentences, terrific misspellings and other grammatical errors, and horrifying plot inconsistincies. Why? Because this is your rough draft, and darn it - it should be rough! Every terrific author out there will quietly admit how very much their first rough draft resembled absolute crap. And you can too. Then - when the horrific thing is in place - go back and rewrite that monster until it really is shiny and beautiful.
  • Reward Yourself. Set up a system and chart your progress. For every goal you reach reward yourself - a new book, ice-cream, a massage, taking a long bath - whatever motivates you to keep writing. This is a really important step - don't overlook rewarding yourself!
  • Set a goal and stick to it. 45,000 words? Terrific. 10,000? Great. Whatever your goal, break it up into smaller weekly goals or even daily ones. And again, keep track of your progress.
  • When your goal is reached, it's time to edit that dream novel into something readable. Join a writer's workshop. If there aren't any in your area, you can join an online one. Or set up a blog. The key is to create a support community as you go through the ups and downs of the editing process. Give yourself a time limit to finish editing your book. Some need a month, others need a few years, some take much longer. A year is a pretty good time frame.
  • When you have your novel polished to perfection, it's time to get it published. Here is where your support group is really necessary. Don't overlook self-publishing, but be careful to choose a reliable publisher.
  • Once your novel is published, don't go on permanent vacation! Set up a website, blog with your readers, go to book signings - and of course: Start the next one!

    About Me: I'm a mid-twenties gal living in the Rocky Mountains. Obviously I love writing stuff, and have several blogs scattered around the 'net as well as my writing site, http://www.novelwriterworld.com . My hobbies include gardening, weblogging (or blogging for short), shopping and writing sci-fi and fantasy.

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=VivianCase
    http://EzineArticles.com/?Writing-Your-Dream-Book&id=500859

    Writing Your Own Book Can Give You An Edge!

    Writing Your Own Book Can Give You An Edge!
    By Jeff Smith

    Have you been able to achieve the level of success in your career and life you feel is possible?

    It's a common frustration we all experience, constantly being overlooked when it comes time to be recognized as a leader in your market.

    In most cases, there is very little that separates you from top earners in whatever market you operate in, except one small factor - perceived expert status.

    PERCEIVED EXPERT STATUS GIVES YOU AN EDGE

    In one of my very first careers, I learned the lesson of why some people make it to the top while other, smarter, more qualified people sometimes never get paid close to what they are worth.

    Here's a hint - it has nothing to do with how hard you work, how smart you are or how much experience you have.

    One of my very first jobs was helping to sell house kits (complete house packages) for a local building supply store. Business was great and I had good experience having grown up with relatives who built houses for a living.

    There were two of us employed, my skills with customers were far superior to that of my co-worker, yet there was one thing he had that I didn't - and that one thing meant he received more than double the sales I received.

    His secret was a booklet and articles he had written on the basics of house planning and house building. With a small 40- page booklet that he self-published, he was able to gain immense credibility, led to double the sales over his competition, got him interviews and publicity all over the city and gained him a job for life.

    ISN'T IT TIME YOU GAVE YOURSELF THE EDGE

    Imagine learning this lesson at an early age. Understanding that you have full control over branding yourself as a leader in your market, as someone who demands to be seen as an expert commanding a premium over all others in your market.

    Now, if that is not motivation for quickly writing your own book, booklet, ebook or report, I don't know what is.

    Whether your plan is to advance in your existing career, launch a brand new career or business or strengthen your existing business, you can't find a better way to get an edge than putting out your own book.

    Where do you start?

    1. Tap into the underlying challenge your market is struggling with. What do they really want to achieve and what kind of information would help them get there?

    2. Collect dozens of questions from your market - questions about the topic you have chosen. You will quickly notice that there are many questions that are basically all linked to understanding one big question - your main topic.

    For example, if you target hobby-based woodworking enthusiasts, you might find that one of their biggest challenges is to
    1) understand the basics such as tools and techniques to get them started or
    2) build a workshop in a small space within their home or
    3) To understand everything there is to know about the tools they can use to create incredible end results.

    So, you would listen in on your market using discussions forums, local groups, surveys of your market and your own experience to understand the dozens of questions they may have around these topics.

    3. Identify your own Solution System. You want to organize your information into your own system for giving your market want they want. You could have the YOU.INC system for designing workshops for small spaces or the XYZ.INC method for accomplishing basic word-working projects in just 10-days. By packaging information into your own system you are making the solution yours further enhancing you're branding and credibility.

    4. Keep your first book simple. Focus on one topic - solve one challenge and get it to market in a few weeks - there's no need to write the ultimate information guide to woodworking on the first try, that's just bound to take too long and prevent you from ever finishing. You can always release v2, a second edition or another ebook or report to further advance your information product business later on.

    By now you should understand the incredible edge you can gain by quickly packaging information. If you are struggling to get the recognition and profit you know you should be getting, then put the next few weeks to work on writing your own book and giving yourself an edge.

    Discover the Secrets of the Pro's Who Pull In Fortunes By Selling Information. Exclusive Access To Their Tools, Systems, Insider Tips on What Works - And What Doesn't Including A Private Mentor's Forum For Getting One-On-One Mentorship. A Must See For Serious Information Product Marketers .

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JeffSmith
    http://EzineArticles.com/?Writing-Your-Own-Book-Can-Give-You-An-Edge!&id=366059

    Writing Your Very Own Ebook In 5 Days Or Less

    Writing Your Very Own E-book In 5 Days Or Less
    By Dennis Lively

    This ones gonna be short and sweet! If youve been trying to get an online business started, but just havent had any success yet, have you asked yourself why?

    Have you looked around, done research on the people who ARE being successful in their online businesses? If you havent, you SHOULD!

    Take a look at people like Allen Says, Paul Myers, Anthony Blake, Willie Crawford, Bryan Kumar, Cory Rudl, John Reese, and others and see if you can find the ONE thing they all have in common.

    Lets not waste a bunch of time on thatIll just tell you! They all have their own products. Sure, a lot of them are making some pretty good money telling their subscribers about other peoples products now and then, but the heart of their business was originally, and still is, built around their own products.

    Does that tell you something?

    Sure, there are plenty of very successful affiliate marketers out there. People who KNOW how to make that business work for themANDthey make some GREAT money! They dont have to put in the work to actually create a product, but believe me, the great affiliate marketers have to put in a LOT of work in order to make that great living!

    But, what happens if the product youre making all of those affiliate commissions from suddenly disappearsfalls off the face of the earth? What happens if the company starts having financial problems and cant pay affiliate commissions? OR, as happens much more frequently, you see that $100 product youve been getting good commissions from suddenly show up on e-Bay for $10.00!

    We all know this happens, sometimes more frequently than it should. But, if youve built YOUR business on SOMEBODY ELSES product, then what can you do?

    IF YOU DONT OWN THE PRODUCT, YOU DONT OWN THE BUSINESS! Conversely, if you DO own the product, you DO control what happens to YOUR business.

    Im sure youve thought about thisits NOT rocket surgery or brain science! Im just as sure that youve probably made plans, or at least, had thoughts of, someday, having your own product to proudly sell to the world. But, something is holding you back!

    THATS exactly why Im writing this book. Over the past 6-7 years, Ive received, literally, 1000s of emails asking me the same questions:

    Can you help me write my own e-book? OR, How can I do the same thing youre doing? OR, I really want my own product like you, can you help me get started?

    I answered probably 99% of those emails with good, helpful advice for quite a whilebut, as time went on the emails got more numerous. Thats where this book comes in!

    I distilled all of that advice, all of that experience, into these pages that you hold in your hand or see on your computer monitor. Its the sum total of what Id tell you if you were sitting right here in my office discussing your business with me. The advice comes from all of the mistakes Ive made along the wayAND learned from. It comes from my successes. It comes from my heart, because Id TRULY like to see you succeed in your own businessId TRULY like to see you take control of your own futureyour own familys future.

    Soif YOU really want thatcontrol over your own destinyyou can get started by learning how to create and produce your own e-book using this guide. Together, lets figure out whats holding you back, what you need to finally get started, and figure out which tools and instructions are going to get your first e-book out there where you can start making some money with it!

    Hold onthings are gonna get real exciting hereitll be fun, youll see!

    Copyright (c) 2006 By Dennis Lively and LiveMark Associates, L.L.C.

    Dennis Lively is the well-known host of Net Biz Radio and has written and published more than 160 books that have sold over 50,000 copies in all.

    If you liked this installment of Dennis' book, you'll LOVE what you'll find at his newest site, Cash Paydays 4 Writers. Click over there and be prepared to be amazed!

    http://www.cashpaydays4writers.com

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=DennisLively
    http://EzineArticles.com/?Writing-Your-Very-Own-E-book-In-5-Days-Or-Less&id=566130

    10 Things that Keep You from Writing Your Book... and What You Can do About It

    10 Things that Keep You from Writing Your Book... and What You Can do About It
    By Denise Wakeman

    9 out of 10 professionals and small business owners have at least one book or information product inside their head, but lack the time and organizational skills to get it out into digital or print form.

    You may cringe when you read this list of ten things keeping you from writing your book, because it rings too close to home for you. You may have already written a book or an e-book, or have come close to starting it. Its hard, we know it, and weve been there too. But go ahead and read this list, see if you can identify, and lets discuss a possible solution to the book writing problem.

    1. I cant seem to find the time.

    2. Every time I sit down to write I go blank.

    3. I need an uninterrupted time period to immerse myself.

    4. I need clarity on my message, but theres no one to consult with.

    5. I dont know where to start or how to organize all the chapters.

    6. Im afraid of losing clients and having my business suffer if I take time away from it to write my book.

    7. I agonize over the writing, the grammar, the sentence structure and punctuation.

    8. I know what I have to say, just cant put it into written form without losing clarity and impact.

    9. I keep thinking about all the time involved in writing the book, and wonder if it will ever bring me the results I want.

    10. Once I get it written, I have no idea how to get it formatted, let alone marketed.

    Ok, you know why you haven't started writing your book. Do you know why you need to write a book?

    Why You Need to Publish a Book

    Here are a few reasons why writing and publishing a book is important to you as an independent professional, small business owner, or solo-preneur:

    1. Having a book, whether in digital, soft-cover, or hard-cover establishes you as an expert in your field.

    2. People buy from people they know and trust; reading your book is one step in creating client confidence and relationship.

    3. Once people buy and read your book, they will want more of what you have to offer in the way of services and knowledge. Your book can attract readers into your sphere of potential clients; once they have bought your book, they are ready to buy other services from you.

    4. Having a published book is a great marketing tool, and people will actually pay for your expertise.

    5. Books are one of the major sources of passive income for professionals; once it is published it can continue to generate sales for you, over the years and while you sleep.

    6. If you dont get a book out soon, your competitors will have the edge, because many of them already have one and even two books out.

    7. If you are a speaker, they make great bonus gifts and back-of-the-room sales.

    8. They provide a platform for you to expose your readers to your mind and your heart, showing not only what you know, but how much you care. You can reveal your deepest philosophies through your writing, as well as your personal stories.

    Three Solutions to the Book-Writing Problem

    Of course, there is no problem if youve got a lot of money. You just hire a book writer. There are many of them listed at Elance.com. Some professionals do this, especially when they need to get something published fast and there are not a lot of complex issues to put forth. But is this really what you want to do as a professional who has an important message to convey?

    Here is a list of solutions:

    1. Hire someone to write your book for you (you can always rewrite it in your own voice and add your own stories). When finished, hire a publisher and then a publicist to market it.

    2. Hire a writing coach who will walk you through the steps, chapter by chapter (again, for a substantial fee). Then when finished, hire a publisher and a publicist.

    3. Bite the bullet, put your business on hold for a few months, and devote your time to just getting it written. You will have to turn it over to a book designer and get it formatted; search for the right publisher such as self-publishing or print-on-demand services, and then market it yourself.

    Expensive? Yes, all three solutions are expensive. They each have their advantages and disadvantages.

    The Fourth Solution

    There is another solution! What if there was a way to help you get your book down in print and ready for formatting in 90 days?

    What if you could do this by following a system that organized you chapter by chapter, included testimonials, input from peers, professional editing resources, design and formatting resources at low costs, and only took a half-hour of time per day?

    Could you afford to invest that much time and energy out of your busy day? Would it be worth it to you even if it meant an hour a day for 90 days?

    If you already have a blog that you use to communicate with readers online, you can use your blog to write your book.

    The blog format is perfect for organizing your ideas, chapters and getting feedback from readers.

    If you dont have a blog yet, you may wish to create one. They are simple to set up and use (we recommend Typepad.com). It can be used to stay in touch with clients and to write your thoughts in an informal way. A blog is like having a conversation with people interested in your subject or expertise. Once your book is finished and formatted, you can then use your blog to market it. You already have a built in audience, hungry for your content.

    To read more about how this system works and how you can benefit, go to this site: http://www.blogtobook.com the way you think about writing your book will shift and you'll see it in a whole new light!

    Denise Wakeman of Next Level Partnership, and Patsi Krakoff of Customized Newsletter Services, have teamed up to create blogging and marketing services for independent professionals. Their latest program is the Blog to Book Project: How to Use a Blog to Create a Book in 90 Days or Less at http://www.blogtobook.com. You can read and subscribe to their blogs at http://www.buildabetterblog.com

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    10 Steps to Finding a Book Publisher

    10 Steps to Finding a Book Publisher
    By Laura J. Thompson

    This is the elusive question to which all writers want to know the answer: How do I find a publisher? Some will say that you have to find an agent or that you must know influential people in the publishing industry, but that really isn't true. What you need are:

    • A marketable manuscript;

    • The desire to see your book in print;

    • Enough time to properly market your manuscript; and

    • Sufficient drive to keep you going during the low points.
    Of course, that's a rather simplistic way of looking at things, so here are 10 steps to finding a book publisher.

    1. Write Your Book

    Editors are interested in products rather than concepts, so don't approach a publishing house unless you have a manuscript to sell. New writers have a hard time breaking into the publishing industry because they don't realize how much work it actually takes to create a manuscript. So before you find a book publisher, write the thing!

    2. Define Your Audience

    Who will be most likely to pick your book up from a bookstore shelf? Your audience is the key to finding a book publisher because, without an audience, your book isn't worth anything. For a non-fiction book, the audience will be determined by subject; for a fiction manuscript, you'll need to go by genre.

    3. Research the Market

    Finding a book publisher isn't like finding the right nail salon or a garden store. You can't just start calling publishing houses and hope they have what you need in stock. Instead, pick up a copy of Writer's Market and start searching for publishers that might be interested in your book. Factors that might influence this include:

    • Previously published material that matches yours;

    • Requests for manuscripts in your subject or genre;

    • A desire to publish work by previously unpublished authors; and

    • Manuscript guidelines that closely fit your own.
    4. Talk with Other Authors

    If you are friends or acquaintances or colleagues with someone who has had a book published, go ahead and call them. Don't ask for a reference-that would be intrusive-but do ask for advice on publishers and markets. See if they have any specific recommendations; if not, you didn't lose anything by asking.

    5. Prepare Your Manuscript

    The next step in finding a book publisher is to prepare your manuscript for shipping. Make sure that it follows the submission guidelines set forth by the publisher, and refer to my article on Manuscript Format for more detailed information.

    6. Submit Your Package

    Once you've prepared your manuscript and a list of potential publishers, it's time to send it off! Make sure that you include adequate postage as well as SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope). You should also address the package to an individual editor and make sure you include everything that the publisher requests.

    7. Start on Your Next Project

    The waiting game always takes awhile-sometimes up to six months-so you'll need something with which to occupy your time. The best way to curb the waiting jitters is to start on your next book while waiting on replies from potential publishers. This will give you a sense of continuing accomplishment even if you start to receive rejection letters.

    8. Follow Advice

    If you receive a rejection letter from a publisher, take any advice they give to heart. Some (small) publishers will take the time to give you a reason for their rejection. For example, if they say that your dialogue is too stilted or unrealistic, go back through your manuscript and work on improving dialogue.

    9. Hire an Editor

    If you get several rejection letters in a row, there might be something wrong with your manuscript. Perhaps your grammar isn't up to par or maybe your characterization is weak. Whatever the case, you aren't the best person to make an objective assessment, so you might want to hire a freelance editor. He or she can direct you toward your pitfalls and help you strengthen your writing.

    10. Don't Give Up

    Just because you aren't going to be published tomorrow doesn't mean you won't find a book publisher eventually. Keep improving your writing, editing your manuscript and submitting to new publishers. You can do it!

    Laura J. Thompson is a professional editor, ghostwriter and Author Coach. She provides these services at competitive prices for both businesses and individuals all across the United States. You can learn more about her services by visiting her website (http://www.editingbylaura.com) or by reading more of her articles. She specializes in fiction ghostwriting and editing, though she also enjoys self-help and other non-fiction articles and books.

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    Friday, 12 September 2008

    You Can't Slap Someone Up Side The Head With An EBook (Or How To Publish In Today's World)

    You Can't Slap Someone Up Side The Head With An E-Book (Or, How To Publish In Today's World)
    By David McKee

    Ever had that urge to write a book? Just about everyone has at one point or another; you may even have a complete manuscript hanging around in that bottom desk drawer. Maybe you even have several! Unfortunately if you have done any of the usual searching around as to how to get your name into print, you most likely have run up against the wall of: You must submit your manuscript to several editors at various publishing houses where it will sit in the Slush Pile and perhaps never get reviewed.

    What about that E-Book that you only sold 6 copies of at 99 cents on Ebay? That's not too fulfilling!

    Maybe you have even looked up some of the smaller publishing houses in the Writers Guide for 20xx only to find that most are fairly specific in what they take, how many they will look at, and I'm sorry but we have our quota for the year, in fact for the next 100 years. What about self publishing?

    Well, you can do that and many authors have become wildly successful that way, however what you don't hear about is that there are even more authors who lost their shirt doing that too! Setting up a publishing house on your own to promote a book is a full time business with large up-front costs...or at least it used to be: Enter Micro Publishing or Books on Demand.

    Did you know that you can have one of Amazons subsidiaries publish as little as 25 of your books (some micro publishers will print and bind as little as 1 copy!) and they will list those books on Amazon! Basically this means you don't even need a printer to set up your publishing house today, just a computer and Internet connection and you can write, publish, and sell your books. Amazon is not dumb, they know there are people out there who can write books that will sell big, and they want to be there to cash in on that. Did you know that Eragon, the book about the dragon rider that is now a major motion picture was self published? Not only that, but it was written by a 15 year old boy? Now the book is selling in the millions and that oy is financially set for life.

    That could be you and I as well! And now there are tons of Micro Publishers and Books on Demand services out there that are competing for your business. That means prices are falling in this wild new area of information marketing.

    And speaking of marketing: What if you happen to own a small printing house that does short run books, pamphlets, cards, etc.? Here is a new market you can get in on! What if you advertised that you will do micro publishing for customers and actually take care of their entire fulfillment process? You could automatically take orders, print small runs, do the bindings, warehouse the inventory, advertise the book, and, if the book really takes off so that you can no longer handle the volume you could cash in big time when you sell the publishing rights to one of the Big Boys. There is quite a few opportunities in this market, and I believe we will see publishing move more and more into this model.

    Already Amazon and others are rushing into this market, but the great thing is, those individuals (whether they are 9 or 99) that just do not have the resources to go the raditional route to publishing, can now put their ideas out there! Some of those ideas will be great, but would never have seen the light of day at any other time in history. This truly is a cultural trend in my opinion that will have far reaching consequences. In my own business I have a motto Words that Sell the World, but in all the history of Mankind, it has been Ideas Change the World, and this new trend will only accelerate that.

    And that is a good thing.

    David McKee is a freelance copywriter and a Software engineer. He writes award winning copy, creates marketing web-sites, and develops useful software.Words that Sell the World

    McKee Copywriting http://www.mckeecopywriting.comCeltic Cross Engineering http://www.celticcrosseng.com

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    10 Reasons Why People Attend Book Signings

    10 Reasons Why People Attend Book Signings
    By Catherine Franz

    This is the survey result of 325 people conducted by myselfso I can improve at my own book signings. After completingthe survey, I saw the wealth of insight it had given me. Ifelt it was important to share it with a wider audience. Ialso interspersed some personal experiences.

    The survey was conducted by Catherine in-person with peoplewho attended book signings at area bookstores in NorthernVirginia metro area between January 2004 and September 2004.A total of 325 people completed the survey.

    Here is their response to one of the questions: Why do yougo to book signings?

    If you are wondering how this can help you in marketing yourbook. These 10 items are extremely important. They tellwhat authors need to give to their audience in order toincrease their books sales and to connect with the audience.When you know what you audience wants, what they expect, theguessing fades and transforms into a great book signingevent.

    Here are the top ten responses in answer to the firstquestion:

    1. People desire to be acknowledged for taking their timeto come -- by you, the store, and others that came.Participants who have either already read the book, come tomeet other like-minded people. They have a social intentionand you need to give it to them. Most book signings don'thave any social aspect to them so create one. When youinclude ways, you will definitely increase sales. Peoplewant connection, they don't want to be ignored. Get themto talk to the people around them. Introduce one person youjust met to the next person to them. There are manytechniques or create some of your own. A seasoned authorlearned to do this over time. Learn to do it sooner.

    2. Curiosity. People are normally curious about authorsand how they write, or how they got their book published.Tell them about your journey with all this. For the wanta-be or gonna-be writers there because their vision includeswhat you are doing, give them that feedback. It createsimmediate connection. Even if they didn't come not to buyyour book, usually they will change their mind, just becauseyou settled their curiosity.

    3. Entertainment. Yes, you need to be entertaining.People do want that and they stick around (meaning theydon't get up and walk out) if they get it. Show energy, usehand gestures, and please stop reading from the page (numberone pet peeve). Over and over again, I saw people leavewhen the author continued to read his presentation from thepage. People don't expect perfection. They had a heavyweek, or day, and they want some way to lighten it up. Evenif your book is a heavy topic, lighten it up. Comicalanecdotes about yourself are great!

    4. Oh, the old, whats in it for me discussion. What arethe benefits for them to read the book? Is there someinformation that will help shift their thinking on anything?Use testimonials, ones that have some meat on their bones.Yes, you may need to make some assumptions on where theaudience is at. Go ahead and do that. Create a few thatcover a wider perspective and it will deliver to a wideraudience.

    5. There is nothing wrong with encouraging more sales. Whoelse might be interested in the book. Their boss, friends,sister, who? Go ahead, give gift ideas. What holidays orevents can you tie the book to? Is Christmas, Mothers Daycoming up? Tie your topic and the holiday together if youcan. Mention the type of people who like to read this sortof book. No, don't say everyone and anybody. This issometimes hard for authors because they attach it toselling. Drum roll...heaven forbid...selling. When anaudience is so enthralled in a book and its story, theirmind isnt on buying two books. They walk out with one andthen when turning page three or five, a flash appears,Ooops, I should have bought one for my boss. I guaranteeyou that it is very unlikely they will return to thebookstore to buy another copy at that point.

    6. Do some things where you make extra connections with theaudience. Just dont sit behind the table. Stand up, shakehands -- no limp ones either, and look them directly in theeyes when you ask them, Who would you like me make this outto? Ask if they would like another book made out tosomeone else?

    Heres a SECRET tip. It makes a BIG connection. TheJapanese do this all the time. Put down the pen. When youhand over the book, hold it cover up facing them with bothhands, present it to them slowly, purposely, as if itsworth a million dollars and a very special gift. Look deepinto their eyes at the same time (okay this part isdifferent than the Japanese), and say silently in your heartand in your voice, Thank you. Watch them light up. Ofcourse, smile.

    7. As mentioned earlier, audiences come with a hiddenagenda -- to have a good time. To enjoy themselves. Createthat space of joy and lightness for them. Dont think youdont have any control. The store wants you to succeed.Share with them what type of experience you want theaudience to have. Ask for recommendations, ask for thingsthat havent been done before too. Give inspiration inlanguage, in thoughts, and in stories. Stories that pullsthe heart strings. If there isnt one in the book, findone.

    8. There is nothing wrong with giving away a trinket, toy,item, that comes from one of the characters. Or even itisnt directly and just somewhat related. You dont need tospend lots of money on promotional items. Think. Thismight require approval by the host store. You will usuallyfind that as long as it usually doesnt cost them anythingand it increases book sales, they will encourage it. Give agift if they buy two or three copies. Find a unique magnet,or something funny, something that doesnt cost much but itjust ads to the incentive to buy more than one. Sometimesthe book store is returning something and can give you aremainder sale price. Ask.

    9. You cant say thank you too many times. Remember tosmile, say thank you, and be there with a loving and openheart. This creates an attractive energy and pulls peopletowards you.

    10. Share tidbits about how the idea of the book came toyou. Did you write 15 minutes a day, a certain word count?Did you get help from others, who? Did you struggle withsome part or something? Was there someone there for youthat inspired your journey? Please not the spouse commentall the time. To singles this is boring and people said aturnoff. Share tidbits about your childhood. There is achild in all of us. Share your childhood with youraudience. Especially funny screw-ups.

    Well, I hope you enjoyed learning what audiences want atbook signings. This process was definitely an eye-openerfor me. It gave me a real taste of people and theirexpectations. Maybe another future survey would be to getpeople to tell me why are they leaving early.

    Copyright 2004, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

    Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing &Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internetwriting and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.comblog: http://abundance.blogs.com

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    10 Proven Ideas to Promote Your Book Online P2

    10 Proven Ideas to Promote Your Book Online, P2
    By Earma Brown

    Honeymoon over with your book sales? Did your book sell as well as you hoped? Could your sales use a shot in the arm? Perhaps you are just starting and looking for ways to sell your book.

    Either way, I've got good news for you! Join the Information Revolution. There's a whole new Internet audience waiting to hear about your insightful book that solves their problem in your field. Include Internet Marketing in your promotion plan. Use a couple of these guaranteed marketing techniques and explode your book sales to a whole new level.

    6. Use benefits and features throughout your marketing copy. Do you know the difference? Knowing that benefits sell and features explain make your promotions like a magnet that attract your best customers.

    7. Create cds, tapes and videos of your speeches promoting your book. Then package them and sell them from your website. Post mini-audio clips to offer your web visitors a sample. Additionally, you can choose a speech and offer it as a gift to your web visitors. They can listen to it On-Demand or use it as an incentive to sign-up for your ezine.

    8. Create short articles from your book excerpts and submit to ezines, directories and online groups. The articles will help build your creditability as an expert in your field. Additionally, the signature files at the end of each article if developed correctly will drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website.

    9. Develop and email your own ezine that helps you stay in touch with prospects to build trust. Does a newsletter sound overwhelming? Try doing a short e-column on the subject of your book. Either way make sure you follow up with your visitors. Researchers say most will buy after 5-7 exposures to your sales message.

    10. Create a short eBook on a similar topic as your book to help brand your business and attract new readers. A short ebook of 10-100 pages could turn into a traffic virus that's contagious to all your web visitors. Soon your name would be known as one of the experts in your field.

    If you don't start your Internet Marketing plan, you could be this time next year with the same disappointing level of sales. Don't wait join the Information Revolution today; use any of the above marketing ideas to explode your book sales to a new level. Discover the promotion techniques it takes to have an abundance of customers every month.

    ========================================

    Earma Brown, 11 year author and business ownerhelps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Author of 'Write Your Best Book Now', she mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine 'iScribe' Subscribe now at iscribe@writetowin.org for FREE mini-course 'Jumpstart Writing Your Best Book' or visit Write a Book for more book writing and marketing tips.

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    Secrets of the Writer's Trade: Why Do You Need a Book Proposal?

    Secrets of the Writer's Trade: Why Do You Need a Book Proposal?
    By Stephanie Gunning

    A book proposal is your calling card to literary agents and publishers. Despite a few exceptions, such as novels or memoirs, most authors write a proposal to sell a book and get an advance payment for it before drafting a manuscript.

    Here are five good reasons why you, an aspiring author, need to draft a book proposal:

    1. To persuade an editor and publisher to acquire your project. If they dont see your ideas spelled out on the page, they won't be as willing to take a risk. The proposal gives them an opportunity to point out flaws in your material and make changes.

    2. So you know what to do when youre writing your book. A proposal serves as the blueprint for the book you plan to writeall you have to do is follow it. This map helps you build a book with a solid structure that will stand the test of time.

    3. To educate your publishers production and design team about the books appearance. A cookbook must look different than a biography or diet book, for example. The book proposal gives your publishers graphic artists sufficient material to inspire them to create an appropriate interior and cover design.

    4. To inform your publishers publicity, sales, and marketing team about your personal and professional contacts and activities, and potential niche marketing opportunities, so that they can strategize how best to promote and sell your book.

    5. To outline a business plan for your career. As a general rule of thumb, from conception through promotion a book is a three-year project. In order for your book to be financially successful, promoting your book is essential.

    In my publishing course Writing Your Breakthrough Nonfiction Book Proposal, I always tell students, Publishers are looking for fresh ideas and want to work with authors who will make their lives easier. If you show the publisher that you understand your market, where your book fits into it, and why youre enthusiastic about your subject matter, youll generate interest and attract the right publisheran appropriate fit for your business. They want to read good writing and know how you plan to promote your book.

    Stephanie Gunning is a bestselling author, editor, and publishing consultant with more than 20 years experience in the book business. Her A-list clientele includes bestselling authors, major publishing firms, top caliber literary agencies, and innovative self-publishers. One of the most sought-after nonfiction writers in the publishing industry, she is the coauthor or ghostwriter of 14 published books and the audio program Partner With Your Publisher. She lives in New York, NY. For more information visit her websites: http://www.stephaniegunning.com/ and http://www.publishing-partner.com/.

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    Thursday, 11 September 2008

    Table of Contents Templates for EBooks

    Table of Contents Templates for E-Books
    By L. Winslow

    Are you considering on writing an E-Book? If so you should be using a template that you are comfortable with and fits your style. The Template I use is from Microsoft Office 2007 Templates Online, which I modified using a Thesis Template Style so I can add in the information for research, not everyone will wish to do this, but for the types of stuff that I do, I need it incase someone challenges me on anything, I have a back-up and references in the back.

    I like the Template I use and am willing to email it to anyone who wants it in a Word 2007 file and they need to understand that it is a ".docx" rather than a ".doc" so if they have an old version of Word they will not be able to use my modified template format.

    However if someone has MS Word 2007 then I can mail them anyone one of my eBooks and they can simply change the title page to "Item - page number" and use that as their permanent template for all their eBooks. I have a system now I created and it works killer. For instance if I am writing on a subject I know a lot about. I simply start typing and leave space to check facts, references and keep going.

    For those who specialize in a certain business they can do the same thing very easily. I am willing to email this free template too. And I will email you the MS 2007 Word template and an eBook in a word file if you prefer that to modify it to make your own template like I did.

    Glad to help out where I can, I too had the same issue and I had to do it myself and learn the hard way and that caused me to procrastinate on writing these eBooks previously, but not anymore. Because once you have the tools you can kick butt. And you also will have tons more articles if you use my other concept of "Triple Play" usage of your "Key Strokes" and that in its self ought to be a whole article. Use your articles in eBooks and also add in some personality and make them into blog posts too.

    L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entreprenuer. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

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    10 Proven Ideas to Promote Your Book Online P1

    10 Proven Ideas to Promote Your Book Online, P1
    By Earma Brown

    Honeymoon over with your book sales? Did your book sell as well as you hoped? Could your sales use a shot in the arm? Perhaps you are just starting and looking for ways to sell your book.

    Either way, I've got good news for you! Join the Information Revolution. There's a whole new Internet audience waiting to hear about your insightful book that solves their problem in your field. Include Internet Marketing in your promotion plan. Use a couple of these guaranteed marketing techniques and explode your book sales to a whole new level.

    1. Create a book marketing plan or revise your old one to include Internet Marketing. Your book marketing plan is what I often describe as your map. It describes your book, what you will do after the book is completed and published. It also describes who you hope to sell your book to target audience.

    2. Develop an easy author's website to jumpstart your Internet Marketing plan. If you don't have one that focuses on your book or you as an individual, create one. Your website is now one of the first places clients will look to find out more about you. The better quality it is, the more it will pre-sell you and your book itself. First impressions are important. Make your website a good one that accurately reflects your book and you as an individual.

    3. Know the one sentence version of your mission statement to attract new targeted clients through email. Remember prospects don't buy your education or career titles, they want to know what's in it to help them. Place that one sentence as the second line of your signature file.

    4. Put your power-packed signature file at the bottom of each email you send. It will soft-sell your book each time you contact someone via email. Be sure to develop different signature files for different promotions. Use each one to drive targeted visitors to your book's website.

    5. Write a sales letter for each book you want to sell. Like a mini-salesman, your sales letter will sell your book 24/7 and make you money even while you sleep.

    If you don't start your Internet Marketing plan, you could be this time next year with the same disappointing level of sales. Don't wait join the Information Revolution today; use any of the above marketing ideas to explode your book sales to a new level. Discover the promotion techniques it takes to have an abundance of customers every month.

    Earma Brown, 11 year author and business ownerhelps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Author of 'Write Your Best Book Now', she mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine 'iScribe' Subscribe now at iscribe@writetowin.org for FREE mini-course 'Jumpstart Writing Your Best Book' or visit How to Promote Your Book for more book marketing tips.

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