Be professional, control your product, and know your audience: Basic tips to publishing success
This is a guest post by Todney Harris
Hello and good day fellow authors! I am pleased to write a few words regarding the process of publishing and marketing self-published books. Let me begin the conversation by stating that I heavily emphasize having your publication professionally reviewed prior to publishing. It is a worthy investment and helps to ensure author credibility. With that in mind, let’s address some tips.
First, control your product! Prior to publishing anything online, make sure you own your domain names to establish control of your product. Your name and the name of your book should take priority when putting your work out there for the world to see. After purchasing the domains, you can create your websites from templates that are very easy to manipulate. WordPress and Go Daddy are online sellers that offer templates for all types of genres. Once the websites are officially published, make sure that they are registered with the major search engines. Use key words and or phrases that will allow your book to appear in the links that consumers are researching.
Next, take the time to target your market. It is very important to locate the venues, online media, publications, organizations and any other outlets that will best help promote your book. Having a target market in mind when you approach social media will make all the difference. Through these online resources, you can establish relationships with people who advertise and publicize the types of genres that you have written. On a personal note, I have learned that Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and the blogs and personal websites that I have created have been quite successful in promoting my ideas and establishing relationships. I have met people who are not only interesting in purchasing my book but who are also interested in sharing information. One technique that I have found especially useful is linking or bundling together social media sites. No matter what site a consumer is using, any one of my accounts will lead to another.
I cannot stress enough that you need to reach out to people whom you meet via social media! A phone call goes a long way in establishing a personal relationship. Involve the people you are going to need for promotion. Since the traditional model of publishing is losing its dominance, it makes sense to establish relationships with those online organizations who read, review, edit and publish books. One of the greatest ways to do this is through blogging. I have established relationships with fellow bloggers. I have written guest posts, read and reviewed books myself, and used those services to advertise my book as well. Once again, relationships are everything!
In closing, keep in mind that the best results come from the best organization. BE PROFFESSIONAL at all times. Please take the time and invest in yourself. Any online tool that you use must be of the highest quality. If you do not take the time to do this, you will seriously compromise your credibility. Do not even think about putting any product online that is not complete! Remember, the success of your product depends upon how you represent yourself. I try to emulate the processes of major book publishers. Follow the “model” that major publishers use for their successful authors in order to become one yourself.
About this post’s author:
While attending Central Connecticut State University, Todney Harris majored in United States History and Business Management with dreams of becoming a corporate researcher in New York City. After years of unfulfilling work at the Hartford Courant as a customer service representative and a dispatch driver, he developed an interest in teaching. Upon graduating from Quinnipiac University with Master of Arts degree in teaching, he began to share his passion, love and quest for learning, emphasizing the Civil Rights Movement and the risks students took in order to receive an education. Todney is a strong advocate for technology and believes that students who have a strong grasp on technology will be well equipped for society’s competitive career markets.
