Tab Purge

I have been totally falling down on my monthly Good Links posts. For some reason the end of the month comes, I think about it, procrastinate, the new month begins, I feel guilty, I get over it. I carry on.

Well, my tabs in Firefox are full of good stuff once again that I would like to share. So, without any formality… here goes.

FICTION: if you hang out on AgentQuery Connect you may have gotten to know Chopsaw, aka, James Kidd. Well, he’s got a great little short story called ‘Holes in the Walls‘ up at Every Day Fiction. It’s worth checking out.

YOUR FICTION: Speaking of fiction, maybe you have some of your own and are wondering whether it is flabby or fit. Well, wonder no longer! You can paste some of your writing into this analyzer and see whether it thinks you use too many adverbs, be words, or commits other writerly sins. The Writer’s Diet Waistline Test.

PUBLISH YOUR FICTION: Moonrat (a recovering editorial assistant) gives the goods on publishing houses whether big, small, or self.

PUBLICIZE YOUR FICTION: John Betcher discusses a few ideas on how to create a buzz around your book at the local level.

MARKET THAT FICTION: TK Richardson begins her marketing tips this week. If you don’t know where to start, take note!

**I recommend keeping a file with good marketing/publicizing tips and advice on your computer. As you come across helpful stuff, pop it in the file and it will all be there when you need it. Saves time!

Now I can close a few tabs–and I didn’t even bombard you with links like usual! Probably because Firefox and I keep fighting about saving my tabs when I shut down which means I forget all about those goodies I wanted to share!

Enjoy!

Book Review: Plug Your Book: Online Book Marketing for Authors

Book Review: Plug Your Book: Online Book Marketing for Authors
By: Steve Webber

This book is a study guide for Book Promotion 101. Even though I have been studying up here and there on book promotion–should the time come when I have a book to promote–there were many, many goodies and explanations for how and why to do things in this book that taught me more than a few new things.

In the past 5 years, things have changed dramatically in the ways authors successfully promote their books and this book has a bit for every kind of writer. Fiction, nonfiction, self-published or not. Even if you are just writing up a proposal for your planned nonfiction book, Plug Your Book can be very helpful. (Particularly helpful in terms of outlining your book’s marketing plan seeing as more and more writers are expected to do the majority of their own publicity.)

If you are a technophobe, fear not. Webber takes the time to describe and explain different aspects of online marketing as well as provide examples. Generally, he also takes the time to relate it back to the writer publicizing their book.

With the use of online marketing as described by Webber, books in niche markets are no longer subject to languish as ‘unknowns’. With a little well planned online marketing, they can take the book market by storm by using the web to find their diverse, wide-spread market–and at little cost. This book explains how to reach that niche market. (And bigger markets too, of course.)

Plug Your Book walks authors through online social communities/social networking, online book sellers (with a lot of attention spent on Amazon–dispelling myths, gimmicks and describing how to really make Amazon work for you), blogs (yours and others), blog tours, social searches, and basically 101 ways to drum up electronic word of mouth with little cost to you other than time.

Webber frequently provides online examples (one or two URLs are listed in the book for readers to use as further research) to further flesh out a topic. As well, Webber also has a website dedicated to the topic of online promotion and updates as well–essential seeing how fast things change online.

All in all, it is a book you will want to read slowly, pen in hand to mark all the good stuff. And if you are a writer, it is never too late or too early to pick it up.

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