The Fourth Week of Book Highlight of the Week... Get Known before the Book Deal by Christina Katz

As creatives we hear so much about building your author platform before your book deal is signed off on. As for myself, this freaked me out early on until I began to immerse myself in the expert knowledge of those that have experienced these trenches before my writing and publishing journey began. Don't throw up your hands in despair and say, "but there are so many books to choose from! I give up!"

Building one’s platform is not as difficult as it sounds. Start out by writing book reviews and post them on your blog, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. Conduct interviews of authors, publishers, editors, agents, and illustrators and post these too on your blog. 

Still sounds daunting? I highly recommend Christina Katz’s book, Get Known Before the Book Deal published by Writer’s Digest Books.

Rather say, I'm going to purchase myself this weeks book highlight of the week...

Get Known before the Book Deal 

by Christina Katz

Contents:

Sell Your First Book & Develop a 

Successful and Sustainable Writing Career

Before you can land a book deal—before you can even attract the interest of agents and editors—you need to be visible. How do you become visible? You develop a platform, or a way of reaching your readers. Everybody can develop a platform, and this book shows you how to do it while you're still writing.

This book offers:

• A step-by-step approach to creating, growing, and nurturing a platform
• An economical approach to self-promotion (no need to spend thousands)
• A clear way to uncover your strengths and weaknesses as an author
• The strategies that are essential (or not) to online promotion
• A philosophy of authorship that leaves you confident, empowered, and equally partnered with agents, editors, and publishers (instead of waiting to be discovered)
• A diverse set of tools and methods for getting known (not just web-based tools or ideas for extroverts)

Be prepared to earmark and highlight Christina's book as you read and refer back to again and again! A truly must have for your author marketing toolbox!

We'd enjoy hearing from you.... What action steps do you take each week to build your platform?

Learn more about Christina through my in-depth interview. 

Visit Christina and her offerings at her website.






Thank you for visiting!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multi Award-winning Children's Author

Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!

Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters ~ December 2015 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2016 Purple Dragonfly Honorable Mention Picture Books Five and Under and Story Monster Approved
A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014 and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review
Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2015 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Historical Fiction 1st Place, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review
Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2015 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Honorable Mention Picture Books 6+, New England Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

An Effective Book Marketing Strategy: Joint Ventures by Karen Cioffi

I am pleased to welcome author and ghostwriter, Karen Cioffi as she visits Write What Inspires You on her MG/YA fantasy virtual book tour for Walking Through Walls.

An Effective Book Marketing Strategy: Joint Ventures

By Karen Cioffi

There is a song, The Power of One, which conveys what one individual can accomplish and/or change. But, how much more effective is the power of two, or five, or ten, or a hundred?

In a technical light, a joint venture (JV) is a partnership between two or more entities for a specific project and for a specified amount of time.

Quoting from Entrepreneurs.about.com, “According to the Commonwealth Alliance Program (CAP), businesses anticipate strategic alliances accounted for 25% of all revenues in 2005, a total of 40 trillion dollars.” So, it’s easy to see this strategy packs a wallop.

This is the concept behind joint ventures for book promotion, and they are very effective.

The idea is to hook up with other authors/writers and participate in JVs. What this means is an author has a new book coming out and wants to reach more than her individual mailing list and social networks, she joins forces with writer friends or acquaintances to promote the book for a ONE DAY Promotional Power-packed Special.

Suppose it’s your new book; you contact one to several authors who might be willing to put your prewritten promo on their sites and social networks, and (THIS IS THE VERY IMPORTANT PART) are willing to provide a freebie or a significant discount on a product or service to any one who purchases your book on that day.

According to book marketing specialists, Brain Judd and Daniel Hall, this has the potential to put your book on Amazon’s TOP HUNDRED list in one or more categories – just for one day’s promo.

Even participating in JVs has promotional benefits. I recently participated in a JV initiated by an author for her new book. For my participation I offered a FREE bonus gift, How to Create an Ebook and What You Can Do With It.

I posted her promo content, along with my own marketing input on it, because I like to show my readers the marketing value in particular posts such as these. I then promoted the post to my social networks.

For a little effort and time, you can increase your visibility and possibly your subscriber list.

To have your participation be more effective, be sure to provide your links and offer your own products within your free JV offering. And, to create added value, you can allow the freebie to be shared, or portions of it reprinted with your tag/bio.

Another scenario for book promotion JVs, in fact a more popular one, is to be approached by publicists. This has happened to me several times and I usually participate for the visibility factor. The publicist will put out a wide reaching call for participants for his client. Obviously, the more on board the greater the promotional reach and punch. But, even on a small scale, this marketing strategy is a gem.

~~~~~~

Karen Cioffi is an author and ghostwriter. Her new MG/YA fantasy book, Walking Through Walls, is based on an ancient Chinese tale.

Longing to be rich and powerful, twelve-year-old Wang studies the legend of the mystical Eternals. Certain they are real, he journeys to their temple and begins an apprenticeship with the Eternal Master. There he enters a world of magic where not everything is as it seems, and where he learns the magic formula to ‘walking through walls.’

Walking Through Walls is scheduled to be available by July 15th through online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and book stores.

You can also order the book today at:

http://4rvpublishingcatalog.yolasite.com/mg-ya-page-2.php

To learn more about Walking Through Walls, its touring schedule and contest, and purchasing information visit: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com/

To learn more about Karen and her books, visit:
http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html


Please be sure to stop by Dianne Sagan’s site (http://diannesagan.wordpress.com/) on July 9th for the next stop on the Walking Through Walls Tour.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Create Your Children’s Book Marketing Promotion Schedule Now to Kick Off 2011 with the National Writing for Children Center

M E D I A  R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Suzanne Lieurance
Email: bookbitesforkids@yahoo.com
Website: http://writingforchildrencenter.com/

Create Your Children’s Book Marketing Promotion Schedule Now to Kick Off 2011 with the National Writing for Children Center


You and your book can be showcased for an entire MONTH at the National Writing for Children Center!

The 2010 holiday season is upon us and 2011 will begin in a blink of an eye. Don’t allow the New Year to kick off without having your children’s book marketing promotion in place. Even with the hectic holiday schedule you still have time to coordinate a fabulous virtual tour. Don’t know how or where to begin? Don’t fret. This is where the National Writing for Children Center’s author showcase comes in.

Suzanne Lieurance, founder and director of the National Writing for Children Center, is pleased to announce that she’s looking for children’s authors and illustrators who need help getting the word out about their books.

Since 2007, Suzanne Lieurance has been hosting Book Bites for Kids, a talk show about children’s books, which airs live three weekday afternoons every week at 2:00 CDT on Blog Talk Radio. “These radio interviews are a wonderful way for children’s authors to let people know about what they write. But now I can do more to promote authors and illustrators who create wonderful books for kids,” says Lieurance. Lieurance knows that many children’s book authors and illustrators don’t have lots of cash for promotion, so she’s developed an easily affordable way to do this by monthly showcasing authors and illustrators at the National Writing for Children Center.” Lieurance points out that a guest appearance on her show, Book Bites for Kids, is just one of the many ways she promotes the children’s book authors and illustrators she showcases at the National Writing for Children Center. Here is what is included when an author or illustrator signs up to be showcased:

1. A 30-minute one-on-one interview on Book Bites for Kids.

2. A written review of the author’s book by one of the NWFCC staff reviewers.

3. A display of the author’s book trailer (if he has one) in the “Featured Trailers of the Month” section at the NWFCC.

4. The author’s bio in the “Meet the Author” section of the showcase.

5. Two media releases written and distributed to promote the author’s guest spot on Book Bites for Kids and their 6-day virtual book tour.

6. If the author makes school visits and/or is available to speak at writer’s conferences and workshops, the author will be included in the Speakers Bureau at the NWFCC.

7. Promotion of the author’s upcoming appearance on Book Bites for Kids and his showcase at the NWFCC – through various social networking sites – like Facebook, Twitter, etc.

8. A blurb about the author’s book – with announcement of his/her appearance on Book Bites for Kids and his inclusion in the showcase – will run in the NWFCC’s weekly newsletter.

9. The author’s book can be offered in the “Weekly Book Giveaway” at the NWFCC.

10. The author’s book will be included in the online bookstore at the National Writing for Children Center.

11. A 6-day virtual book tour where the author/illustrator will be the guest each day for 6 days at a different blog hosted by a fellow children’s writer.

Complete details on the above book promotion points can be found at http://writingforchildrencenter.com/showcase-application/.  

“Authors would expect to pay thousands of dollars for this kind of publicity and promotional events,” says Lieurance, “but we make it easily affordable for anyone to be showcased for an entire month at the National Writing for Children Center, and we get the word out about the showcase through online social networking sites and various media release distribution services, and via Internet Radio. But authors need to realize that space in our showcase is limited each month. That means authors need to book their space in the showcase as soon as possible if they have a specific month in mind. Authors and illustrators should also realize that we don’t showcase everyone who applies. First we need to review the author’s book. If we can’t in all good conscience give it a favorable review, then we can’t accept that author and his/her book to be showcased.
We only showcase books and authors that we think children, parents, grandparents, librarians, and teachers must know about.” Authors interested in being showcased at the National Writing for Children Center can download an application at www.writingforchildrencenter.com or email Suzanne Lieurance for more information at bookbitesforkids@yahoo.com.

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