Author Contest Heats Up as Thousands of Fans Vote for the Next Bestseller

"What if someone could help you launch your new book into the exclusive category of bestseller? That's every author's dream," states Wake Up . . . Live The Life You Love's Steven E, a co-founder of the author promotion site, WakeUpCelebrityAuthor.com. "In a world where Oprah's book club can turn a writer into an overnight success, people are clamoring for ways to get their voices heard and their talent noticed," Steven E said in today's interview. "What we're creating is an American Idol-like vehicle for authors."

Steven E is himself a best-selling author with his "Wake Up…Live The Life You Love" series. Having driven over 20 books onto the bestseller's list, the team knows the formula for turning authors' dreams into reality. "We're in a new media age and yet most authors are still allowing themselves to be held back by the gatekeepers of the old publishing paradigm," Steven E points out. "This no longer need be the case."

WakeUpCelebrityAuthor.com was founded to give authors an exciting vehicle for applying the new social media tools to enhance their own success. According to the company's founders, the Internet, and more specifically social media, has changed the way in which the game is played. Now, authors can seek out and connect with popular bloggers to reach a focused audience. Authors can appear on various Blog Talk Radio shows, write e-zine articles, get a following on Twitter, start a Facebook group and hundreds of other online tactics that have no gatekeepers. Authors can now control their own destiny and become celebrities within their own specific niche, if they know how.

"Authors are emailing us regularly," WakeUpCelebrityAuthor.com co-founder Davis stated, "and telling us they are benefiting in very real ways by how the contest is enabling them to really engage with their fans." Davis cited the example of author and contestant Rowena Cherry, author of Insufficient Mating Material and the current top vote earner, who emailed them thrilled that she had seen an "immense increase in blips" in her Amazon.com numbers. Others have also reported increases in their newsletter sign-ups, as well as increased action on their Twitter and Facebook accounts in terms of followers and requests for friends.

The contest closes on September 25, 2009. Like many of the other new talent contests - the author with the most votes wins the contest. The winning author's book will be placed into the company's promotional machine that will generate the additional interest and purchasing influence necessary to push it onto the Barnes & Noble.com bestseller list. "From there," Davis claims, "that author will join the ranks of the few authors who can claim their book is a best-seller."

"We set out to make the contest as easy as 1-2-3," said Steven E. "Step 1, authors go to www.WakeUpCelebrityAuthor.com. Step 2, authors submit their books and Step 3, authors invite their friends to vote for their books. It really is that simple and the contest gives authors a good reason to reach out to their audiences."

"Asking people to come and vote for your book is an easier call-to-action than asking them to buy your book," said Davis. "And once they are on the author's book page and voting, we make it very easy for fans to go to Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com to buy a copy."