C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m

See all my books at AllThatChazz.com.

08/18/2010 • 3:49 PM 0

Publishers Should Blog

For a great post on how publishers often lose marketing opportunities, read Booksquare on why publishers should blog. It seems fairly obvious, and yet, so many do not. That’s something they don’t make time for and leave to the authors. Perhaps, that’s another reason why there’s so much loading of marketing responsibilities to authors.

Every publisher wants you to pimp your books through your uberplatform. Imagine how much more effective it would be if authors blogged about their work (a given these days) and publishers got their brag on (combined with more marketing savvy?)

Filed under: Publicity & Promotion, publishing, Booksquare, marketing opportunties, publishers

07/22/2010 • 3:36 PM 0

Ebooks: The Inevitable Rise of the Machines

Filed under: ebooks, Publicity & Promotion, ebooks, promotion, publicity

07/16/2010 • 12:44 PM 0

Book Events in Non-Traditional Venues

If you have a book to promote–or plan to have a book to promote–you need to read this article from Huffington Post on holding book events in non-traditional venues.

Filed under: Publicity & Promotion, publishing, book promotion, book signings

07/11/2010 • 9:34 AM 0

Marketing Through Twitter

I’m over 40 so I don’t make new friends. At least that was true until my wife got me an IPod for my birthday. Through Twitterific app, I kind of fell into marketing through Twitter. First I was curious what Bill Maher had to say. He hardly ever tweets, but then I was curious who he followed. I began following celebrities, particularly comedians and writers.

Then I hit the mother lode: freelance writers and editors like me. Then I hit the “Nearby” tab on Twitterific to find such people in my city. Then I linked my tweets to my blog so the blog has fresh content throughout the day whether I have time to sit down and blog or not!

And now I’m addicted, but enjoying it. I won’t be signing up for a 12-step program any time soon. Do you Twitter? You know what they say. The only people who don’t like Twitter are those who haven’t tried it.

Filed under: Publicity & Promotion, Twitter, Twitter

07/08/2010 • 9:02 AM 0

Twitter Followers versus Facebook Friends

A guy had hundreds of Facebook friends and decided to throw a Facebook party. One person showed up and that was a stranger. Facebook friends don’t equate to real friends. Real friends don’t tell you they might show up to your party even though you’re in Toronto and they are in Vancouver.

Facebook is useful, but, just like your regular friends, not all of them are such good friends they will help you move. Your posts to Facebook are like posts to a message board. Twitter, by contrast, is a conversation. You can have Facebook friends and never visit their home pages. On Twitter, your followers get your 140-character messages pushed on their Tweet deck. Eyes are on you as opposed to Facebook’s Friend ’em and Forget ’em.

But from a purely marketing perspective, quantity isn’t really important. It’s about the quality of your friends and followers. Do your interests dovetail? If you’re marketing a book, your business or service, what’s your ROI? (ROI stands for Return on Investment.)

That’s what many businesses miss: a cost/benefit analysis. Are you spending too much time on your blog and not enough time writing? What time and money efficiencies can you find? Do you need to revamp your approach to social media marketing? Do you need to bring in a guest blogger or refocus your content and search engine optimization to get eyes on your page?

Think of your social media approaches as pipes that lead people back to your website. Your web presence is a package. Twitter is a conversation in which you can sell your services after you sell yourself. Facebook has more personality, but first you sell yourself before your services. Your blog isn’t a diary. It’s a magazine.

On your website, the pitch is still somewhat buried in that your provide value and interesting stuff first. Your call to action has to be there if you’re trying to sell something, but don’t come on too strong because people may find you through your website first. For special promotions or straight ads, consider a mini-website (one page dedicated to your hard pitch or a linking to a separate business website for more of the straight dope on your services and products.)

For instance, my separate (business) website is at the click of the happy pic at www.chazzwrites.vpweb.ca.

Filed under: Publicity & Promotion, Social Media, Twitter, Facebook, promotion, selling, Twitter

07/02/2010 • 9:09 AM 0

Three Tips on How Writers Build Platforms

You need a platform, preferably a big one. You need a website that’s all about the magic that is you and what you have to sell. (Hint: that’s the same thing. You sell yourself first and all your products are secondary. If they don’t like you, it doesn’t matter what you’re selling.)

1. Be nice. (And if you can’t be that, go work on that. It is possible to succeed without being a decent human being, but I’m not going to be the prick that encourages that sort of nonsense.)

2. Your Facebook page is not the center of your empire. Social Media is a moving landscape. Facebook might not be there five years from now. You scoff, but people who poured their hearts in their Friendster and MySpace pages are scowling about it now. Your website is the center of your empire-to-be.

3. Have Oprah owe you her life, be a world-famous expert on the next hot thing, be a reformed-junkie celebrity or be born to famous abusive parents. If you can’t manage these things, you’ll have to grow your following the old-fashioned way: provide value and help people with their problems.

There’s plenty more to say on this subject. Read it in Christina Katz’s Get Known Before the Book Deal and read How to Become a Famous Author Before You’re Dead by Ariel Gore.

Filed under: Books, Publicity & Promotion, publishing, web reviews, Writers, Books for Writers, How Writers Build Platforms, Writers and marketing, Writers and promotion

06/30/2010 • 6:55 PM 0

Old Spice Commercial

Filed under: Publicity & Promotion, funny commercials, old spice commercial

06/30/2010 • 12:41 AM 0

Book Marketing Strategies

Last time I talked about using your business cards in the right way. The interpersonal approach must be more subtle than shoving your cards in somebody’s face. However, in other aspects, people in business (i.e. you) are often too shy. At the publishing conference, the marketing guy asked a roomful of authors when they had sent out their last press release. (One ebook publisher said, “Last Tuesday.” Everyone else? Silent.)

Then said marketing guy asked, “How many of you have magnetic signs on your cars advertising your business or book?”

We did not raise our hands.

“Yes, of course,” he said. “We wouldn’t want anyone to find out about you and actually buy your book, now would we?”

It was charming with the British accent.

PS I don’t get any kickbacks from them, but FYI, Vistaprint has good deals on magnetic signs and many other promotional tools.

Filed under: Publicity & Promotion, publishing, advertising, book marketing, magnetic signs, press releases

06/28/2010 • 12:00 PM 2

The Best Business Card Tip of the Day

The best business card tip I received this weekend came from my newest Twitter friend @bonmotgirl.

I had ordered my business card and the promo card for my novel separately at different times (due to a lack of foresight on my part.) Next time I’ll do as Pam suggested:

Get a folding card, one half business contact info, half promo card. Lesson learned. Thanks for the idea Pam!