Monday, August 31, 2009

YouTube- A Powerful Arrow in an Author’s Book Marketing Quiver by Scott Lorenz

In the history of book marketing the hottest marketing spots are the locations where the most people can be found, whether it's the town square, bazaar, train station, airport, MySpace, YouTube or Twitter.

There are more than 75 million videos on YouTube, for instance, and when these videos go viral they register millions of views per video. And while many authors know how to use YouTube to share videos with family and friends, very few understand how to harness the power of YouTube to earn money, market themselves, connect with customers, grow their business and sell more books.

I am using YouTube in every way possible for all my clients. I truly see opportunities for every type of client I represent including, authors, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs and even charities.

In fact, I used YouTube to help Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue make it to the "Top 10" in a $1 Million shelter makeover contest sponsored by Zootoo.com, a web site for animal and pet lovers. As part of their effort, I asked Mike Ball who, along with being an award-winning columnist, is an accomplished musician, if he would be willing to write and record a song that could be used in an online video and for public service announcements. That emotional song with the photos of horses helped Angel Acres in their online voting campaign. View it on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzt4ral3Qso

Another client, Mr. Duey, a rapping school teacher who uses rap music to teach kids math, science and history, is also having great success with his video. Called "Mr. Duey Fractions" it's featured on Teacher Tube which is like YouTube but it's for teachers, parents and students. The "Fractions" video we promoted is now one of the top ten all time most viewed videos on TeacherTube with 567,000 views. You know you are hot stuff when the kids in your school ask a teacher for an autograph! The exposure has led to CD sales, media coverage and other exciting opportunities Mr. Duey and the label Kaas Records. As I am writing this Mr. Duey is finishing filming a new series of videos which tie in his musical talent with a new product… cant' tell you what it is but it came about as direct result of the that video! Visit: http://www.mrduey.com

Another very successful application for YouTube videos is through video book trailers as part of a book marketing campaign. In an effort to obtain book publicity for my author clients we'll create a book trailer about the book. A book trailer is like a movie trailer in that it allows someone to preview a book both visually and via audio. A video book trailer brings the book to life and gives the potential reader a sneak peak at the contents. We'll then post that book trailer on YouTube and... here's the best part… we add it to more than 41 additional video sites online for even greater exposure.

One of the big benefits of a book trailer is how is improves search engine ranking for an author's main web site, providing you carefully select traffic driving key words and titles. An example of book trailers we've created can be viewed at Westwind Communications YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/thebookpublicist

How can a book trailer help? A couple months ago we landed a terrific article for one of my authors in The Patriot Ledger outside of Boston. First, they ran a photo of the author holding his book. They mentioned the upcoming book signings I asked him to arrange after we had this story confirmed so he could capitalize on the PR.

The Ledger also included a link and screen shot of the book trailer video we produced for YouTube. The best part? ABC-TV CH-7 of Boston then saw the article and book trailer, realized it was a good visual story and came out to the author's house and shot their own story! http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO104915

It really proves my point that "PR Begets PR, the More You Get, the More You Get!"

There are a lot of ins and outs when it comes to YouTube. If you are serious about using it then I suggest you buy a new book How to Make Money With YouTube, by Brad and Debra Schepp. In this insightful guide the authors unveil specific steps to harness YouTube's power to turn a profit. The Schepps offer in-depth, easy to understand instructions on everything from shooting and uploading videos to fundraising and marketing, to building buzz, and how to get your videos noticed.

They also draw on one infamous company's humorous "Will it Blend?" video that brought thousands of new customers to its website. You've probably seen it. A guy in a lab coat blends everything from food to iphones in their blender demonstrating how powerful the blender really is. The book is filled with valuable advice and practical tips to allow readers to maximize their earning potential on YouTube. Check it out at: www.bradanddeb.com

One of the most valuable features of How To Make Money With YouTube are real-life success stories from video marketers who used the site to launch successful consulting businesses. A featured success story is from my own firm about Mr. Duey mentioned above. (http://www.westwindcos.com).

The bottom line: Get a book video trailer created and get it on YouTube right away and use it to promote your book online. You can't go wrong.

Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm. Lorenz works with doctors, lawyers, inventors, authors, start-ups and entrepreneurs. Website: http://www.westwindcos.com/book

So You Want to Write a Book? Experts Offer Tips

"A lot of church leaders have a story to tell but don't know how to get it from brain and heart to paper," says Warren Bird, co-author of 21 different books, who knows something about telling a story.

"They wonder whether anyone would be interested in reading it. And they don't know how to contact publishers--or whether to go the self-publishing route."

Over the years Bird has contributed to books that total a half-million copies in print, mostly directed to church leaders. In a Web Exclusive article for Church Executive magazine for August, Bird offers advice to pastors as first-time authors. His article can be accessed under "Web Exclusive" at www.ChurchExecutive.com.

He gives answers to the most common questions asked by pastors and other would-be authors: Do I need an agent? Do I need someone to help me write the book? If I write a book, how many people will read it? Should I write my book before thinking about publishers? What about self-publishing? What about making a book into an audio book, whether for download or CD or Kindle? What's a good royalty advance for a first-time author?

Bird is also research director for Leadership Network and has contributed to two recent books: "A Multi-Site Church Roadtrip" with Geoff Surratt and Greg Ligon, releasing in September, and "Unleashing the Word" with Max McLean (October release).

On the same theme of "getting published," Church Executive's August issue features the article, "It's a Revolution Out There When It Comes to Getting Published," by Stan Jantz. The co-founder of Conversant Media Group describes the state of flux in which the entire publishing industry finds itself today with the introduction of the Kindle electronic book reader and the increasing importance of Publishing on Demand technology. POD permits the printing of a single copy of a book from digital file to completion in one day for less than five dollars.

Another article for would-be authors is an interview with Cecil Murphey, author and co-author of 112 books, including The New York Times bestseller "90 Minutes in Heaven" with Don Piper. Murphey, well known in evangelical publishing circles, responds to questions about his approach to writing, doing research, and "getting started." His most recent book is about his wife's successful struggle with cancer, "When Someone You Love Has Cancer" (Harvest House, 2009).

Friday, August 28, 2009

BookBuzzr Offers a Free Marketing Tool for Publishers and Authors

Move over two-dimensional book cover images and scrolling text excerpts on web pages--there's a new marketing tool in town for publishers, authors and readers. This free tool is called BookBuzzr (http://www.bookbuzzr.com/), and it's the brainchild of author Chetan Dhruve and BookBuzzr's founder Vikram Narayan.

"A few months ago," Narayan states, "an author friend of mine -- Chetan Dhruve -- was describing the pain that authors face in marketing their books online." He goes on to explain that problems with website traffic and sharing of book info from one reader to another were the two main challenges Dhruve recognized.

Narayan and Dhruve came up with BookBuzzr, a software widget that makes it easy for authors and publishers to share books via websites, blogs, or social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and many others. There are also built-in features to help authors market their books on Twitter.

"Every time a fan of yours decides to post your book-widget on his or her blog," Narayan explains, "your entire information (including where to buy and buzz about your book) becomes available there." He adds, "Once a reader clicks on your BookBuzzr widget to read an excerpt, he or she is automatically taken to fReado.com, a BookBuzzr sister website that hosts and catalogs the books."

Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif uses BookBuzzr to promote her bestselling novels. "I love BookBuzzr! It's an innovative tool that gives readers a more real-like reading experience, since you can flip pages by dragging the corners. You can zoom in on text, which is great for those who love large print...I recommend this necessary tool to all authors and publishers."

To date, more than 2000 authors and 80 publishers have used BookBuzzr to promote their books. Authors maintain their copyrights and they (or their publisher) can decide how much of a book they want to give away as a free sample. Then authors, publishers and anyone else can install any of the book codes on a site or blog and promote these books to the masses. Talk about viral marketing!

Monday, August 24, 2009

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."

New Authors Wanted by Christian Publishing House

For three days this month at the International Christian Retail Show, thousands of retailers, vendors, publishers and authors from all 50 states and 63 countries were surrounded by a wealth of opportunities for learning about the newest trends in Christian retailing.

For the third year in a row, Defender Publishing Group (Anomalos Publishing LLC) - a full-service publisher that seeks to partner with unknown writers - was the "busiest booth on the trade floor." Their distributor, STL Distribution also provided a report showing that the unusual publishing house had 8 of the Top 50 Best Sellers for the last quarter, more than any of their other publishers.

"I love it when a plan comes together," says Donna Howell, acquisitions editor for the company. "We are the hardest working publisher in the business for new authors, and it was fantastic seeing the line of retailers requesting autographed copies of books from our authors."

Defender Publishing Group is the brainchild of Thomas Horn, the company's CEO. Horn became aware more than a decade ago of a gap in the publishing trade that allows great but unknown authors to fall through the cracks and never be discovered.

As Horn accounts from personal experience, "In the mid-1990's I decided to do something I had put off for many years. I wanted to write a book, but because I was unknown, I couldn't get a publisher to take the financial risk. Eventually I decided to partner with a publisher, which, looking back, was the best decision I ever made. Four best-selling books and a news career later, I make my living writing. There are a vast number of undiscovered authors out there who could do the same thing. We would like to partner with them to see through their publishing goals."

Such an idea - to partner with new authors - is practically unheard of these days, unless one includes print on demand and vanity publishers, a form of "self-publishing" viewed by mainstream distributors as a dead-end road.

According to Horn, "The problems for new authors have only gotten worse since mega-retailers like Costco and Walmart began carrying the A-list authors' books at big discounts. Many local store owners, where lesser known authors are typically discovered, simply cannot compete with these Titans. As a result of the downturn for mom-and-pop shops, more and more publishers are focusing on A-list authors exclusively, while viewing investment in promising but unknown writers as too risky."

Not only has this affected the number of new authors being published, but this has also impacted the budget for publicity and marketing of those who do get published. As Horn points out, "most unpublished writers assume that publishers will take care of all their PR needs. The truth is, currently very few authors, even well-known and best-selling ones, receive high priority when it comes to promotion."

The strong publicity and marketing programs at Defender Publishing Group has caught the eye of industry professionals and up and coming authors. "What Defender does in promoting every author to media, regardless of fame, is unprecedented, really," says Jerry McGlothlin, a media expert and CEO of Special Guests, Inc. McGlothlin, a well known industry veteran has chosen Defender to publish his upcoming book How To Get Booked On Talk Shows, due out in 2010.

In the last few years, Defender authors have been featured in syndicated print, television and radio markets representing over two billion households worldwide. Major news outlets that have interviewed the authors include ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX, Time, and The New York Times. The History Channel is currently filming Defender authors for a special 9-part series on prophecy, which is scheduled to broadcast around the world later this year. Also in the works for Defender authors is the "Authors Network," a weekly two-hour affiliate radio program that will include live chat, featured news, and regular wire releases for Defender authors, scheduled to begin before Fall this year.

Defender Publishing Group is currently seeking submissions from authors of a wide variety of books, especially political science, prophecy, and current trends. For any author who has written a well-crafted manuscript, Defender would be delighted to discuss bringing his or her publishing desires and media needs to fruition.

To learn more about Defender Publishing Group's partnering program, visit their website at: www.DefenderPublishing.com.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Find A Job By Writing and Publishing A Business Book

With millions of executives interviewing for fewer openings in a dwindling job pool, the savvier among them are employing a stand-out device to separate them from the crowd: their own (usually ghostwritten) business books.

The fact is that being an author of a business book remains the fastest way for any corporate executive to establish instant expertise and status, according to public relations and marketing experts who recommend hiring a ghostwriter for speed and project management.

"Having your own book looks great on your resume, gives you, the executive, and the job interviewer something to talk about, is better than a business card, and leaves an impression that can't be beat," says Susan Bosscawen, a former banking executive and the author of "Blueprint Your Future" (www.blueprintyourfuture.com).

Ms. Bosscawen hired Arbor Books to help publish her book independently. The exciting news is that her book was recently reviewed by "The Miami Herald."

"A business book that showcases your talent and communicative skills is a huge bonus on a resume," says Joel Hochman of Arbor Books (www.arborbooks.com) a full-service firm that has helped dozens of business leaders create books. "That distinction can lead to higher-paying positions, speaking engagements and lucrative consultancies."

According to Larry Leichman of Arbor Books, ghostwriting is an expedient means to getting an executive onto the business stage. It garners publicity, separates the businessperson out from the pack, and gives voice to opinion. The business world is apparently listening--a flood of independently written and produced books have hit the market in recent years.

Particular investment is being made in ghostwriting the content, whereas the publishing and marketing costs have dropped significantly.

"Social media and business networks are exploding, and it seems like almost everyone has a Twitter feed, a Facebook page and a blog," says Mr. Hochman. "But business pros everywhere seem to agree that when we ghostwrite a business book, the impact is far greater. Your book becomes a showcase because a business ghostwriter--like the ones we have on staff--can turn you into a distinctive personality, a leading expert in your field."

LifeTips Author P.J. Campbell Demystifies Book Marketing

LifeTips.com, Inc., offers its highest praises to publishing authority, P.J. Campbell, author of LifeTips Books' 101 Author Tips: Creating a Successful Book Campaign. While Campbell is one of many authors writing for LifeTips, she stands alone in her level of success, and she's now sharing her expertise with the masses.

Campbell started her career with the hope of discovering what it takes to become a successful author. Fifteen years later, as a published author, Director of Events for a major trade publisher, and an author consultant, it's safe to say that she's uncovered a few secrets.

"Through my experience I have developed a keen sense of how an author can achieve a winning book campaign. It includes publicizing, marketing, and positioning both who you are as an author and what your book is about, plus one other essential ingredient: PASSION." --P.J. Campbell

Already a LifeTips Book Series record breaker,101 Author Tips: Creating a Successful Book Campaign is an essential guide to the post-publication process. Her clear, concise, and compelling advice is condensed into 101 easy-to-read tips on everything an author, novice or professional, needs to know to organize a successful book campaign.

"In 101 Author Tips: Creating a Successful Book Campaign, P.J. Campbell reminds aspiring authors that, once your book is written and published, you're nowhere near finished with it--that aside from being your labor of love, a book is a commodity that should pay the bills," said Holly Bauer, Book Publisher at LifeTips. "Many of us assume that the publisher takes care of the actual selling of a book, but this is only partly true. P.J. teaches us that, while most publishers do have a hand in the promotion of their books, there are myriad steps that authors can take to complement and enhance these efforts."

In August, Campbell will embark on a tour of summer speaking engagements across the country. Each stop will highlight the points of her book and give audiences more insight into her enthusiasm for publishing.

Her scheduled engagements:

9/12: Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA Writers' Workshop
10/10: St. Louis Big Read Book Festival
10/20: Oceanside Library, Oceanside, NY

Learn great publishing tips from P.J. Campbell at Publishing.Lifetips.com

Monday, August 10, 2009

Find A Job By Writing and Publishing A Business Book

With millions of executives interviewing for fewer openings in a dwindling job pool, the savvier among them are employing a stand-out device to separate them from the crowd: their own (usually ghostwritten) business books.

The fact is that being an author of a business book remains the fastest way for any corporate executive to establish instant expertise and status, according to public relations and marketing experts who recommend hiring a ghostwriter for speed and project management.

"Having your own book looks great on your resume, gives you, the executive, and the job interviewer something to talk about, is better than a business card, and leaves an impression that can't be beat," says Susan Bosscawen, a former banking executive and the author of "Blueprint Your Future" (http://www.blueprintyourfuture.com/).

Ms. Bosscawen hired Arbor Books to help publish her book independently. The exciting news is that her book was recently reviewed by "The Miami Herald."

"A business book that showcases your talent and communicative skills is a huge bonus on a resume," says Joel Hochman of Arbor Books (www.arborbooks.com) a full-service firm that has helped dozens of business leaders create books. "That distinction can lead to higher-paying positions, speaking engagements and lucrative consultancies."

According to Larry Leichman of Arbor Books, ghostwriting is an expedient means to getting an executive onto the business stage. It garners publicity, separates the businessperson out from the pack, and gives voice to opinion. The business world is apparently listening—a flood of independently written and produced books have hit the market in recent years.

Particular investment is being made in ghostwriting the content, whereas the publishing and marketing costs have dropped significantly.

"Social media and business networks are exploding, and it seems like almost everyone has a Twitter feed, a Facebook page and a blog," says Mr. Hochman. "But business pros everywhere seem to agree that when we ghostwrite a business book, the impact is far greater. Your book becomes a showcase because a business ghostwriter—like the ones we have on staff—can turn you into a distinctive personality, a leading expert in your field."

According to Mr. Hochman, his firm's clients want a combination of services, including:

* A quality book that runs anywhere from a short, 96-page work to 400 pages and more
* Stand-out cover design
* Just a few copies to hand out
* Positioning on Amazon and availability in Borders and Barnes & Noble
* An eBook/Kindle version of the book ready for download
* An Audio book—they're hot on iTunes and other sites
* Marketing by people with connections in the industry

Christian Publisher Brings Integrity To Publishing

Holy Fire Publishing, a Christian publisher, brings publishing integrity, top industry distributors and cost-effectiveness to Christian authors.

Holy Fire Publishing is founded on a fundamental belief in the Christian faith. A Christian publisher, Holy Fire Publishing is not affiliated with any denomination. Ed Hensel, founder of Holy Fire Publishing, determined that Christian authors need access to cost-effective publishing and top industry distributors by a company that will not publish books contrary to the gospel. Holy Fire Publishing is committed to publishing quality books that will bring integrity to the publishing world and will not compromise core Christian beliefs for profit. Holy Fire Publishing publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, devotionals, youth and children's books at an affordable cost.

"Holy Fire Publishing, a Christian publisher, considers publishing a ministry. Many publishers target Christian authors, while continuing to publish books contrary to the gospel. Beware of publishers that attach a "Christian page" to their website to lure in Christian authors, yet continue to publish and promote books containing illicit sexual material, witchcraft, and other matters that are contrary to Christian beliefs. Holy Fire Publishing is staffed by Christian artists, designers, publishing specialists and publishing mangers who seek to serve Christ by serving Christian authors. At Holy Fire Publishing, we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior."—Ed Hensel, Founder

At Holy Fire Publishing, authors determine their own royalties, retail price and distributor discount. A Christian publisher, Holy Fire Publishing offers the most affordable publishing packages on the market when you compare all aspects of publishing. All prices are up front at Holy Fire Publishing. Some publishers require authors to sign exclusive contracts, locking them into one-year to multiple-year contracts. These authors find themselves bound to long-term contracts written to benefit the publisher by overcharging for publishing fees and offering lower royalties.

Holy Fire Publishing authors maintain all rights to their work. Authors under contract with Holy Fire Publishing may cancel their contracts at any time for any reason with a 60-day written notice. Some authors have been offered film contracts, and since authors at Holy Fire Publishing own their book rights, they were free to cancel their contracts to sign with film companies. Holy Fire Publishing views these as success stories.

Holy Fire Publishing distributors are the best and largest in the world: Ingram Publisher Services (IPS), Bertrams, Baker & Taylor, STL Distribution (UK), and Gartner provide national and international distribution. Ingram and Spring Arbor distribute to most bookstores (both Christian and mainstream) in the USA. Baker & Taylor is the premier distributor for schools and libraries, as well as the top distributor in the United Kingdom. Customers in bookstores from Walla Walla, Washington; to Miami, Florida; or to London, England, will be able to purchase books published by Holy Fire Publishing, even when their bookstores do not have them in stock. Books published by Holy Fire Publishing are produced with high-quality, acid-free, book-grade opaque paper stock. (Books with trim sizes of 6"x9" or smaller are printed on a 55# natural-shade opaque or white. Larger books are printed on 50# white. Paperback covers are printed on a bright white 80# stock in full color.)

Holy Fire Publishing, publisher of hundreds of Christian books, helps Christian authors reach the world through the printed word. Go to http://www.christianpublish.com/

Ghostwriting, E-Books, Amazon Changing Publishing

Publishing is about to go through the same revolution that music did—one that could level the playing field for self-publishers and independent authors for the first time in centuries.

Your content will finally have the same shot whether you're a New York Times best-selling author or a housewife with your first ghostwritten book. Just as iTunes changed forever the music industry by making digital downloads of songs so easy and ubiquitous, Amazon is changing the publishing industry with eBooks through Kindle.

What this means is that anyone with a book idea can have a shot at stardom, according to many industry insiders and hopeful authors.

"New and independent voices providing content, combined with cutting-edge delivery through the Internet, will reshape publishing," says Larry Leichman of Arbor Books (www.arborbooks.com). "Just as it happened with music, publishing stands to become more autonomous, more populist, less ruled by an elite. Now, anyone with a few bucks and a dream can turn to a ghostwriter and put out a relatively cheap eBook."

Likewise, increased demand for information and entertainment are driving publishers and authors to meet the ever-increasing appetite for more content with ghostwriting and digital eBooks.

According to Mr. Leichman, self-published eBooks can make the journey from concept to writing to download in as little as ninety days with the right book-packaging firm, and the results can be quick profits for the right book. Compare that to two or three years with a mainstream publishing house.

A number of industry experts support Mr. Leichman's assertions and are predicting that the profit center of publishing will move from the traditional houses to individuals with great ideas, insights and stories. New technology is giving these self-published authors the chance to fully own their work, which means they take more of the profits.

"Self-publishers with either original or ghostwritten books are becoming positioned to vie successfully in the once-conglomerate-dominated book market thanks to new book delivery systems and book formats," says Joel Hochman of Arbor Books (www.arborbooks.com).


Mr. Hochman adds, "In addition to purchasing print-on-demand books through online bookstores, customers are downloading digital eBooks and audio books."

When looking for an eBook company, keep these things in mind:

* No one eBook format is good for all vendors, such as Kindle and iPhone

* The eBook company must be able to place you on all of the big sites

* Many firms will simply give you a .pdf file, which is NOT the only form of an eBook

* Choose a firm with strong marketing and customer support to keep you on the Internet

* Be sure the firm understands Internet promotion of your eBook

Friday, August 7, 2009

Two New Websites for Listening to Audio Books

Today, two new Internet radio websites were launched to cater to those who love books. The first site, ListenToBooks.com (www.ListenToBooks.com), will air a combination of new, classic and original material, which will be available free 24 hours a day. A second site, ListenToChristianBooks.com (www.ListenToChristianBooks.com), will air audio, also free to listeners, geared to Christian book lovers on a 24-hour basis.

All books and stories will air in streaming audio on a published schedule. However, both sites also possess a "listen now" feature to allow listening to any part of a book or feature that has aired during the prior 7 days. There is a nominal $15 a year charge for this ability on the ListenToBooks site, but no charge on ListenToChristianBooks.com.

In addition to new audio appearing daily, ListenToBooks.com will feature short stories, poems, daily quotations, and a book blog. It will also allow anyone to comment on blogs and post their own blogs. Original Satire will appear every day, including a mock advice column.

The Christian site will feature a daily blog, Bible readings, and the ability for anyone to comment on blogs and post their own blogs as members of the community.

The president of Listen To Books Online, which is the parent company of the two websites, is Stuart Anderson, who initially will provide much of the commentary and satire on the sites. An avid reader, for the past three years Anderson has read, on average, more than a book a day.

"I love to read and hope that enthusiasm translates into websites that are fun and interesting for others," said Anderson. "These are the first Internet radio stations in the U.S. playing audio books for book lovers and I think we will find a good audience. The websites fill a niche in the marketplace and should become good vehicles for publishers and others to reach people who enjoy reading and listening to books."

To provide much of the audio content on the websites, Listen To Books Online has partnered with Sound Room Publishers, a division of Findaway World. Listen To Books Online is also teaming with Trident Internet Systems, an Arlington, VA-based company that develops and operates Internet radio stations.

The Problem With Self-help Books: The Negative Side To Positive Self-statements

In times of doubt and uncertainty, many Americans turn to self-help books in search of encouragement, guidance and self-affirmation. The positive self-statements suggested in these books, such as "I am a lovable person" or "I will succeed," are designed to lift a person's low self-esteem and push them into positive action.

According to a recent study in Psychological Science, however, these statements can actually have the opposite effect.

Psychologists Joanne V. Wood and John W. Lee from the University of Waterloo, and W.Q. Elaine Perunovic from the University of New Brunswick, found that individuals with low self-esteem actually felt worse about themselves after repeating positive self-statements.

The researchers asked participants with low self-esteem and high self-esteem to repeat the self-help book phrase "I am a lovable person." The psychologists then measured the participants' moods and their momentary feelings about themselves. As it turned out, the individuals with low self-esteem felt worse after repeating the positive self-statement compared to another low self-esteem group who did not repeat the self-statement. The individuals with high self-esteem felt better after repeating the positive self-statement--but only slightly.

In a follow-up study, the psychologists allowed the participants to list negative self-thoughts along with positive self-thoughts. They found that, paradoxically, low self-esteem participants' moods fared better when they were allowed to have negative thoughts than when they were asked to focus exclusively on affirmative thoughts.

The psychologists suggested that, like overly positive praise, unreasonably positive self-statements, such as "I accept myself completely," can provoke contradictory thoughts in individuals with low self-esteem. Such negative thoughts can overwhelm the positive thoughts. And, if people are instructed to focus exclusively on positive thoughts, they may find negative thoughts to be especially discouraging.

As the authors concluded, "Repeating positive self-statements may benefit certain people [such as individuals with high self-esteem] but backfire for the very people who need them the most."

Source: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/

Monday, August 3, 2009

Chicago Writer Bryan Alaspa Releases Free Novel for eBook Fans

Chicago native and author Bryan W. Alaspa has been a proponent of electronic books from the start of his professional career. With the advent and increased popularity of e-Book readers such as Kindle and the Sony reader and the increased proliferation of smartphones and other devices that allow for e-Book reading, he had decided to release a novel, for free, for those using such devices. The novel, titled "Gone," will only be available via download at the website www.feedbooks.com.

"I have found that e-Book publishers have been the most receptive to my work from the beginning," said Mr. Alaspa. "I have been a fan of e-Books for a long time and I am just glad to see that they are finally starting to catch on in the mainstream. It just means that fans of reading can carry an entire library with them instead of having to lug around hundreds of books. So, as a treat for those who have embraced this medium as much as I have, I wanted to make this available to them and available to them for free."

Feedbooks.com makes their books available for download for all of the available e-Book readers, such as Amazon.com's Kindle. However, it also uses the epub format that makes the downloads available for smartphones such as the iPhone and the G1.
"I just recently joined the smartphone crowd with the purchase of a G1 phone," adds Mr. Alaspa. "I was giddy to find out I could download hundreds of books on a device I could hold in one hand. So, I had to make one of my books available for others who were like me."

"Gone" is a horror novel written by Mr. Alaspa about a year ago. It tells the terrifying tale of a group of friends who work at a company and are on a weekend retreat. When the group wakes up in the morning to find one of their number is missing, the terror begins. This is the second work of horror that Mr. Alaspa has written, with "Rig" being the first and that was released in print in 2008.

Those interested in the book can visit the website www.feedbooks.com. They can download the books there or download them using apps available for smartphones such as the iPhone or G1.

Trafford Publishing Launches Video Book Trailers

Trafford Publishing, the pioneer in on-demand self publishing, is offering authors the opportunity to see their books come alive through video book trailers. Authors can choose from two video book trailer options:

Video Book Trailer with Voiceover - these 60- to 90-second custom-made, creative video book trailers feature a professional voiceover, Web-streaming capability, and high-quality video downloads. Completed trailers will be placed on multiple well-known sites, including YouTube, Metacafe, DailyMotion, and Blip.tv; and in the About the Book section of your book details page in the online Trafford bookstore. A personal e-mail campaign with a link to your video book trailer will be distributed to 500,000 potential customers.

Video Book Trailer without Voiceover - the 60- to 90-second custom-made, creative video book trailers feature Web-streaming capability and high-quality video downloads. Completed trailers will be placed on multiple well-known sites, including YouTube, Metacafe, DailyMotion, and Blip.tv; and in the About the Book section of your book details page in the online Trafford bookstore. A personal e-mail campaign with a link to your video book trailer will be distributed to 200,000 potential customers.

"Video book trailers provide authors another way to connect with readers and potential book buyers. In the competitive marketplace, a professional trailer will help your book stand out in the crowd," said Keith Ogorek, vice president of marketing for Author Solutions—Trafford Publishing’s parent company.

Authors retain all rights to the trailer, which can then be used in marketing materials and distributed to friends, family, and readers worldwide.

For more information on Trafford Publishing, or to begin publishing your book today, log on to www.trafford.com or call 1-888-232-4444.