So How DO You Get Your Book on Amazon When Your Publisher Forgets?

Sometimes I include questions and letters I get in the Letters-to-the-Editor feature of my #SharingwithWriters newsletter so that all my subscribers can benefit from others. Sometimes--when the question comes from an author who wants me to link their question to their book or online bookstore page, I do that. Sometimes--like this one--they're anonymous.

QUESTION

Carolyn:

"How do I get the book posted on Amazon.com? My other books just magically appeared there."

ANSWER: 

I get this question in one form another from my newsletter subscribers, my clients, and my blog visitors but almost never from those who have (and read!) my The Frugal Book Promoter. That's because I believe in the power of Amazon so thoroughly that I included an entire section of the magical things that Amazon.com does for books and authors. Still, I don't mind answering the question many times:

Dear Rebecca:

One of the beauties of having a publisher is that one doesn't have to worry about this--publishers, including subsidy publishers--do this for you--or should do this for you!

 However, I happen to know the secret. I learned it by joining e-groups and talking to fellow authors.  It is my belief that the more any author knows about publishing, the better off she is--the better partner she makes for her editor, publisher, or going it on her own (sort of the best partner you can be for yourself). 

Also know that when your book starts selling well on Amazon, other online bookstores begin to pick it up without you doing a thing.

But right now, in this minute, you can get help by going to the AuthorConnect (along with some other names like AuthorCentral) program on Amazon and/or the Advantage program and use the contact links to get help directly from Amazon. When you Google “Amazon” you get a list of links that take you to specific places. One of the above is sure to be right for your particular needs.

At one point the first edition of The Frugal Book Promoter was on Harvard University's online bookstore! Yep, just like magic. But there is a whole list of things you can do to help get that kind of exposure on Amazon and I share those secrets in second edition of The Frugal Book Promoter (http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromo) and share the new things they do (like Kindle's new pre-sale program) on this blog and in my newsletter as they are introduced. 

And here's the best thing: Those resources are all free for starving (or frugal!) authors.

Best,

Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Multi award-winning novelist, poet, and author's advocate.
http://howtodoitfrugally.com

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 Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

Ever Heard of Frugal Inspiration? Here It Is!

In my last newsletter, I promised my subscribers something a little more inspirational because I was so tired from the last book fair I participated in that I just gave them some resources -- always an easy thing for me to do.

Ot occurs to me today that I think being frugal with one's promotion budget is very inspirational. That's because I didn't know that I could promote inexpensively when I started promoting This Is the Place. I knew I had to but I thought my publisher would do it for me (big mistake!) and that if they didn't, I'd need someone with PR experience in the publishing industry. When I learned both of these assumptions were not on target, I was inspired to write my HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. That inspiration worked very well for me and for -- I like to think -- hundreds, if not thousands of authors.

So, I'm going to talk a little about being Frugal even if you think it's about as inpsiration a big mud puddle. Being Frugal means -- for me -- not spending money when you get the same results (or better) by doing it yourself. Example: Publicity is free. Advertising costs. For most readers, publicity is more credible than paid advertising so why not try to get publicity and eschew advertising?

Frugal means not to pay for something you shouldn't pay for. Reviews as an example. You can not only get your book reviewed without paying for it but, traditionally, you shouldn't pay for it. Agents for instance. You pay a percentage of what you earn for a book. If you find an agent who wants an upfront reading fee, you may be dealing with a shyster.

There are some things you need to pay for. Perhaps because your time is limited. Perhaps because in this life or the next you will never be good at a certain skill yourself (though I urge you not to sell yourself short -- you may be surprised at what you can do! I, for instance, am building my own website with a lot of help from my friends (Joyce Faulkner , a lot of courage and two near-nervous breakdowns!).

And here are a couple of other ways that I think you get your money's worth by spending a little, or even a lot. The reason you do is you get more than just the basic service when you pay for them. In other words, these people do a professional job for you but include value-added benefits.

Videos: You've heard me talk about Rey Ybarra. He does all my videos. But he does so much more techy stuff with them that I can't do or don't know to do. Find him at http://www.veoh.com/channels/BSATV or e-mail him at rybarra106@aol.com.

Radio Interviews: Normally I'd say paying for these is a no-no. You can get radio interviews without paying a cent. But what if your interview is from Lisa Osborne at www.lisa.fm? Not only does she have a huge audience but she adds value with print articles that she places in the media like the Ventura Star and DivineCaroline.com that will increase your footprint on Google and be seen in areas you might not otherwise have access to. To hear Lisa's interview of me in 10 minutes or less, go http://www.lisa.fm/podcasts/index.html

Or Cynthia Brian? She ties her work to literacy charities for starters and besides that, her radio program is syndicated so you're getting much more than what her program first appears to be. Contact her at Cynthia@bethestaryouare.org.

Now, mind you, I'm not guaranteeing you'll sell lots of books with any one marketing effort, however well it gunshots itself around the web. You've read this letter long enough (or my how-to books for writers), you'll know that's not the way it works. It works cumulatively. Over time. With frequency. And persistence. And when it's carefully targeted.

But, if a service is within your budget, frugal doesn’t mean to never spend any money. Here's where I think money -- even big money is well-spent.

1.On a great book cover if you're self-publishing.
2.On a great editor, regardless of how you publish. See The Frugal Editor.
3. On a service that you've thoroughly researched that does a lot for you and that you can't do for yourself well, either because of time or money.
4. On things that put good Zen into the universe. Buying the books of other authors occasionally, as an example. How can we in good faith ask others to buy our book if we don't ever buy anyone else's.

So, recession or not, "frugal" is not "skimp." Frugal is doing your homework. Knowing your own strengths and goals. And working around them. Frugal is sometimes pinching a penny, sometimes bartering and sometimes, it's spending what you need to achieve the results you're after. "Frugal" is never, never the same as "gullible" though. (-:

Here's the final salvo. Join a Yahoogroup or Googlegroup that attracts professionals -- meaning authors and publishers who have been around the block a few times. Ask questions before, rather than after. Then take the answers you get and evaluate them against your own goals and needs and pocketbook.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.

I'm Dizzy with Amazon's Carnival Ride Widgets

Amazon has just added a new widget authors or people with other products for sale on Amazon to use in their promotion. In case you didn't know a widget is a cute ad-like thing that visitors to your website or blog or wherever can click to buy your book. If you belong to Amazon's Associate Program you can also earn a little commission with each book you sell from any of Amazon's widgets. Each click doesn't give you much but it can add up.

I chose a widget that is Ferris wheel-shaped to show you what it looks like. I chose the narrow configuration so it fits in the space allotted on my blog template. You can see it in the left column of this blog. For those reading this blog by RSS feed you'll find that blog at www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com. It is on the left pretty close to the top. Note that there are arrows at the bottom of the Ferris Wheel to help you turn it so you can see all my books. Notice also that some of the books (as they turn around and around for you!) appear to be duplicates. That's because some of them are available for Amazon's new Kindle Reader.

You can also choose a carousel shape rather than a Ferris wheel. That's just a fatter rectangular shape and products go around in a circle horizontally rather than vertically. Here's where you go to get started and it is pretty darn user-friendly. http://widgets.amazon.com/Amazon-Carousel-Widget/.

Now, I know (putting it mildly) that lots of people are mad at Amazon. Make that I know a lot more people than ever before are mad at Amazon. I understand. But Amazon is a powerhouse that can't be ignored. So, I promise you my take on their new policy toward publishers that use POD technology as soon as l have a better grasp on how it will effect you.

In the meantime, don't go changing all of your links away from Amazon. If you wish, add another--one of Amazon's online competitors -- but don't erase the old links. I just don't see how doing that can serve your best interest.

Happy writing, editing and promoting!

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Websites: http://carolynhoward-Johnson.com (literary)
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com (all things about writing)
Authors' Coalition: http://www.AuthorsCoalitionandRedEnginepress.com
For the Frugal Editor, Amazon-direct: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870/
Blogs: http://AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog focused on book fairs
http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com, a blog on all things publishing
http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog focused on YOUR reviews
http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, a blog focused on editing, formatting and craft
And now blogging on War. Peace. Tolerance. And Our Soldiers at http://www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com.
And now! Squidooing at
http://www.squidoo.com/HowToDoItFrugallyforAuthors
and http://www.squidoo.com/carolynhoward-johnson

Q&A a la Ann Landers: Book Trailers ™, Videos and Your Book

Question: Do you think videos, movies and the like actually help book sales? Or generated more interest in your books?

Answer: I'm repeating my old refrain here, I know. But videos, like any other kind of promotion, will only work as hard as you work it. A few stragglers will find a video if you post it and that's not necessarily a bad thing but a few stragglers are not enough to warrant the effort and the expense (I'm the FRUGAL book promoter, remember?). But if you let people know about your trailer or video in the thousands of ways one might do that, it can certainly help you with exposure and that's part of your branding and branding--if not sooner then later--eventually leads to sales.(-:

Even if you promote your trailer or video, it must still be a part of a frequent and long term campaign. You might want to see the one that was just done for me by Rey Ybarra on the home page of www.howtodoitfrugally.

One of my online pals Nikki Leigh, listmom to WelcometoReadersStation@yahoogroups.com, noted that it seems a bit redundant to have to promote what you produced to promote. It does, doesn't it! But here are ways to utilize your videos or moving collages or whatever without spending a lot of time doing it. Let's call them passive promotions of your video:

1. Post them in places that your readers will visit anyway:
 Your website
 Your blogs
 Your social networks (like Shelfari and Facebook)

2. Give them to people who promote for you:
 Your publisher(s)
 The editors of websites that interview you or use your articles

3. The obvious place that most people are using for their videos, YouTube will get more visits if you:
 Include the URL for it in your e-mail autosignature
 Include the URL for it everywhere you do anything, all the places listed above, maybe even the taglines in the freelance articles to write and more.

4. Use them on computer and TV screens when you speak, sign books or do other events.

Do you have any other ideas our readers could use to passively promote videos? Let's hear about them in the comments below.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.

A Baker's Dozen: Work BEA The Frugal Way

Book Expo is probably the most exciting tradeshow ever for anyone who has anything to do with the publishing industry.

This huge show (in New york this year!) is not open to the public, but I've seen just plain readers there in the past. If, as a reader, you can't get in. Think. How can you qualify for acceptance? Begin to write reviews, as an example? That's my first hint. Once in the door, are some other hints for you that will help make BEA, book fairs or any other kind of show work better for you.


1. Authors might consider NOT getting a "table" (I hate the term because that's what too many authors do, they come, bring books at sit down at the table supplied by the show director) or booth of your own.

2. If you really want to sign, utilize a cross-promotional effort sponsored by the likes of Span, Book Publicists of Southern California,  IBPA (Independent Book Publishers of America) your distributor, or your publisher. Not all organizations have a presence at every show.

2. Bring copies of your book to sell or give away as opportunities present themselves but carry only one or two at a time. Instead bring lots of copies of your sell sheet, a flier, or a pile of lightweight promotional chapbooks*

3. Use the tradeshow/conference directory, handouts, or whatever they offer to help you find your way. Someone has gone to lots of trouble to provide you with what you need for success. Trust them. They likely know something you don't.

4. Forget being shy. Work at being friendly. Schmooze with people everywhere. Elevators, lunch counters, the subway. Give people your business card. Ask for theirs.

5. Ready for a nap after lunch? Resist the temptation. Instead attend one more panel or semimar or visit one more booth you've picked out from that directory. The one you snooze through could be the one that can make a difference.

6. Think about how you can connect others who might have something in common. When you're doing that, you automatically have your networking hat on. When you network (yourself or others) everyone benefits.

7. Jacqueline Church Simonds suggests you take a contact to lunch. Something like that is a nice thing to do if you invited them to learn something from them, but it's even better if you always make an effort to do return favors to those who have given you information -- over lunch, on the net, or by phone.

8. Take a notebook. Use it. Tape business cards into it. And, mostly, follow up on everything when you get home--the more quickly the better.

9. Make notes on business cards you take. What did you talk about? What ideas did you share? How does what the person on the card do relate to what you do? Most business cards don't give you enough information to remind you of the reason for your connection afteryou've flown back across the nation (or even driven across town in traffic).

10. Take business cards of your own that give the receiver more information that your name, company name and URL. If they have ten cards or a hundred, they will not have time to look up your website to jog their memory. You card should at least attempt to do that with blurbs, visuals, even a bribe to come to your website! Use Vistaprint.com freebie offers for printing (but watch their prices--their shipping costs fluctuate depending one the offer they make. Nothing every comes really free, now does it!)

12. Get in on a press badge. If you write a column that is associated in some way with the industry, freelance or own a website that disseminates information related to that industry's product, you may qualify. If you do, you will be eligible to frequent the media room (lots of networking goes on there!) and you may also qualify to install a stack of your media kits for your fellow media types to take with them. (If you do, be sure to provide kits with the kind of content that will make them want to lug a copy back to their office.)

13. Here are lots of mini-tips in one. Wear comfortable shoes. Pack an extra pair. Use a badge that hangs around your neck to stow extra cards. Women! Wear clothing with pockets. Pockets can work as filing system that is more easily accessed than your purse or briefcase.

*For more on promotional chapbooks read the second edition of The Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo).   For more articles like this one sign up for my Sharing with Writers newsletter. Subscribe by sending an e-mail with "subscribe" in the subject line to HoJoNews@aol.com


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS. Learn more at www.howtodoitfrugally.com .

Reading is like Four O'Clocks...

Let's talk reading and writing. Boring, right? .

Well, maybe. But there's a story in it, an anecdote if you will.

Have you ever planted those easy-to-grow flowers called Four-O'Clocks? You only need one seed because each little peppercorn-seed is so hardy it will grow for sure. It will grow like a weed--or a good read! The next year that one plant will produce enough seeds to populate an entire garden. The seeds look a little like black hand-grenades, ready to explode. And they do, but in pretty yellow-flowered plants. This story about writing and reading is a lot like Four O'Clocks.

I learned a lot by reading from Francine Silverman's book promotion newsletter early on in my own pursuit of promotion ideas for my novel, This Is the Place. By networking with my fellow subscribers, I made friends with several people, not least of whom is Christine Hohlbaum who contributed a copy of her successful query to National Public Radio for the appendixes in The Frugal Book Promoter.

Later Francine Silverman and I promoted our two separate books on marketing as pretty darn good desk companions. By this time Francine had become a career partner for me.

So, that seems more like a recommendation for active promoting than reading or writing, right? Wrong. Without reading -- reading everything - -I wouldn't have found her. My writing (that is the putting together of The Frugal Book Promoter) wouldn't have been as complete without both Francine and Christine.

And now Francine has new book out. It's Talk Radio for Authors – Getting Interviews Across the U.S. and Canada. Because she is now also a host of her own radio program, "Book Marketing with Fran" at http://www.achieveradio.com/, she is absolutely the one to write this book.

It is, as would be expected, a great resource. She includes 40 categories of radio shows. Each listing contains the show’s theme, guest criteria, e-mail address and website, along with host and guest bios. This book is designed to simplify the process of matching the guest with the show’s specialties, but those bios give anyone about to query a host the information needed to make the query personal. That's an important guideline in the promotion/query process.

Oh! Fran also called on many of her fellow hosts to tell what makes the best and worst guests. Now that's the kind of information anyone who uses radio to further their careers can put to good use!

In The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't, I advocate not only getting interviews on radio but also supporting radio by calling in. I even know of people who were invited to host realtime radio shows based on their contributions to others' shows. That, of course, is the secret -- to call in with ideas that contribute to the show or ideas that will help others. An author mentions one's book or expertise because it relates to the information she is sharing; her call shouldn't be only an advertisement.

Francine was a newspaper reporter for many years but her writing/marketing career really began in 2003 when she was author of two local guidebooks, Catskills Alive (1st and 2nd editions, 2000 and 2003) and Long Island Alive (2003), both published by Hunter Publishing. She, like the rest of us, had trouble marketing them and because she was hungry for ideas, she decided to start an e-zine for authors of all genres, the very one that first introduced me to her.

Book Promotion Newsletter was born in March 2003. She compiled a questionnaire with all her burning questions. She still does that when someone subscribes. That's how her book, Book Marketing from A-Z came about. She had so many marketing strategies from subscribers that she was ready to pass 325 of the best tactics along. I highly recommend it for beginning marketers.

Fran was spending so much time on the computer that she decided to start an on-line publicity service and began offering a membership service to her subscribers in which she sends out Expert Sheets with their bios to radio hosts and columnists. At present, Fran has 75 clients and continues to find them radio and newspaper spots.

Then she began that radio show on Achieve Radio, http://www.achieveradio.com/. If you're an author, you could be a guest on her show. If you're a reader, you could learn about new books there but you'd probably also pick up information on how to market whatever business you're in!

And that, of course brings us to her new effort, Talk Radio for Authors - Getting Interviews across the U.S. and Canada. This is one that is niche-marketed to author/readers only. (Yes, we authors are readers, too!) Find it at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/search.asp?cat=Business%20%26%20Economics/Marketing&action=browse or call the publisher, Infinity Publishing at 1-877-BUY-BOOK.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This Is the Place, won eight awards. Her second book, Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, creative nonfiction, won three. An instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program, her book The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won’t is recommended reading for her classes, was named USA Book News’ “Best Professional Book 2004," and was given the Irwin Award. Her second book in the How To Do It Frugally series is The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her chapbook of poetry Tracings, was named to the Compulsive Reader's Ten Best Reads list and was given the Military Writers' Society of America's Silver Award of Excellence. She is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community's Character and Ethics Committee awarded her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly's list of 14 "San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen." Her website is http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/.