Overview
About eMarketing Tools
eMarketing tools are Internet technologies that you can use to promote your books to anyone with access to the Internet. Though this book does not attempt to show you how to devise a book marketing plan or campaign, it does introduce you to electronic marketing tools and resources that you can pick and choose from to develop an eMarketing plan tailored to your specific needs.
eMarketing Tools for Writers, 2nd Edition does not cover non-digital areas such as print advertising, trade shows, or television and radio campaigns. These are all effective mediums for getting your message out when they're done right, but they have one thing in common: they're expensive.
Online marketing ranges from free to astronomically expensive, but most of the tools in this book focus on the free to inexpensive end of the spectrum. A few (such as web site development) can be moderately expensive, but are still far more economical than a small $25,000 ad in a major national newspaper.
To take advantage of the tools, you'll need:
1. An Internet connection
2. An email program
3. A web site
4. Time
When do you start marketing?
Start well ahead of the release date for your book. In fact, if you have some books published and you have a web site, you might want to start creating some buzz on a special page devoted to the book you're currently writing.
What will you learn in this book?
This is by no means an all-inclusive course in marketing on the Internet. Some universities offer degrees in online marketing. However, the tools outlined in this document will help you to spread the word about your books and increase the likelihood of making sales to your target market.
This book will introduce you to marketing tools such as media releases, podcasting, forums, blogs, newsgroups, Internet radio, email and others. You don't need to use every one of these tools. You will need a web site and email. Then start with one or two of the other marketing components. An email campaign is a good way to start. Put together an email announcing your web site and book (including contact information). Send this out to:
+ friends and business associates Ask them to forward the email to people they know (If your book is humorous, you might want to tell them to forward your email five others within ten minutes or they'll die. Use your judgment.)
+ libraries (if it's an eBook, check to make sure the library distributes them)
+ book stores (pass on this if it's an eBook although some stores carry them, check first)
+ (if your book is non-fiction) organizations that might be interested in the topic
+ brainstorm (preferably with some friends or family) other places to send your email
Use search engines at Google, Yahoo! and MSN to find contact information, especially if you're going to be contacting organizations interested in a non-fiction book, although, if your fiction book has a topical slant, you might want to search for related groups. For instance, a spoof on the IT industry might suggest searching for programming or software groups to see if they have newsletters, web sites or ezines that might be interested in announcing your book. Within a few days, you should build up a large contact list.
Each tool in this book is covered briefly, giving just the information you need so that you can decide if it's something that interests you or not. At the end of each topic, you'll find a list of links to online resources that you can use for further exploration. The lists aren't exhaustive; there's plenty more out there on the bandwidth, but the links in this book will give a start.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of the tools in this document will depend on the amount of time you spend on your marketing efforts and the effectiveness of your message.
NOTE: The links in this book have been tested and found to be accurate as of June 27, 2005. Many URLs tend to have a short life expectancy. In addition, the information and basic character of some web sites changes within a short period of time. For instance, a site that offers free services one day may start charging for those services a week or two later.
I will be reviewing the links in this book every month or two as I work on the third edition. If you send me your email, I will send you a newsletter containing updates to this edition until the next edition is published. You can request the newsletter at: [biff@biffmitchell.com]. Put "eMarketing Newsletter" in the subject line.
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