Smashwords Book Marketing Guide Update - 5 Sites Promote your Ebook

I updated the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide this morning. This free ebook that offers 27 easy-to-implement book marketing ideas that can be implemented at no cost.

I made various minor updates, and then added a new Tip #27, which I'll excerpt here:

Tip #27: Promote your book to top ebook listing sites

Many popular websites and blogs specialize in providing directory-style links to ebooks, and routinely link to Smashwords ebooks. The sites I list here collectively drive *thousands* of readers to the book pages of Smashwords authors each month. There is no cost to the author, although you must earn inclusion from the operator of the site. Many of the sites specialize in free books, although some will list priced books if you provide them a time-limited Smashwords coupon that will enable their visitors to access your book for free. I’m a big believer in such promotions, because it’s a great way for you to gain a lot of readers in a short period of time, and many of these readers could be your first fans and your first reviewers. Before you contact the web sites below, be sure to study the sites, their book categories and their rules. Provide them direct hyperlinks to your Smashwords book page, and pay careful attention to any other information they request, such as book descriptions, price, book cover image, etc. If you carefully follow their instructions and match your book to their needs, you’ll maximize odds of a listing. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Free-Online-Novels.com - This is a popular web site run by author Jennifer Armstrong. She provides links to ebooks in all categories, with one simple requirement: The ebook must be free. Submission instructions: http://free-online-novels.com/submissions.html


2. Ebooks Just Published - This great site is operated by Mark Gladding in Australia. It lists both free and paid books. Submission guidelines: http://www.ebooksjustpublished.com/authors/


3. Online Novels - Online Novels provides an attractive directory specializing in free books. Unlike the Free-Online-Novels.com, however, Online Novels will occasionally list books that are free for a limited time, such as Smashwords books that have 100%-off coupons. Consider using your Smashwords Coupon Generator to create a 100%-off coupon, and then contact this site and ask them if they’d consider linking to your book at Smashwords and publishing the coupon code. Be sure to let them know when the coupon expires! Submissions link: http://online-novels.blogspot.com/2008/10/submissions-and-broken-links_02.html


4. Getfreeebooks - An attractive directory of free ebooks. The operators ask that you carefully follow their submission guidelines, outlined here: http://www.getfreeebooks.com/?page_id=81


5. Finding Free Ebooks - This popular site lists free ebooks, and also will list books that carry a price if you provide them a time-limited coupon code. You’ll find submission instructions at the home page http://finding-free-ebooks.blogspot.com/


6. Books on the Knob - This listing isn't yet in the Guide, but I'll add it as soon as I learn the submission process. This blog specializes in listing bargain books and book promotions, so your book doesn’t necessarily need to be free to earn a listing.

If you know of similar free sites popular with readers that welcome indie ebooks, please suggest them in the comments section. I'm not necessarily looking for reviews sites. The sites above rarely do reviews, though they remain very popular with readers.

Even if you're not a Smashwords author yet (hey, why not?), you can benefit from the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide. Download it at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/305

Interview with Jeff Rivera of Gumbo Writers

I've written previously here about how the risk of publishing will shift from publishers to authors. With publishers under increased pressure amid declining book sales and increased competition from alternative media, they're no longer able to take the same risks they once took on unproven authors.

This means it's up to authors to get out there and prove themselves. Regardless of whether you aspire to earn a big name publishing contract, or you aspire to pursue a successful career as an indie author, it's up to you to build your personal brand and readership.

For this Q&A interview, we're talking with Jeff Rivera of Gumbo Writers. Gumbo Writers is an author services firm that helps authors prepare and promote their books. Some of the freelance pros who work with Jeff previously worked as editors and publicists at major publishing houses like Random House, Harper Collins and Simon & Schuster.

You may already know Jeff as a writer for MediaBistro's GalleyCat blog (Jeff interviewed me last month). Jeff is also a contributor to The Huffington Post, where he's an entertainment reporter.

What you may not know is that in 2004 Jeff self-published his novel, Forever My Lady, and then after doing his own marketing managed to sell the novel to Grand Central in 2005.

Please join me in welcoming Jeff Rivera as our guest today.

[Mark Coker] - What led you to start Gumbo Writers?

[Jeff Rivera] - Having gone through the challenges of self-publishing and experiencing the journey of traditional publishing I saw cracks in both systems. I knew something had to be done, so I decided to match capable, legitimate editors, publicists and marketing managers who were recently laid off from the major houses with aspiring authors, both self-published and traditionally published who needed their help.

[Mark Coker] - What are the three most important things every author should do on their own to market their book?

[Jeff Rivera] - 1) Identify your market. Key in on exactly who you're appealing to. Appealing to everyone is appealing to no one.

2) Do a Google, Twitter, Facebook, message board search on platforms that cater to your target market and start becoming actively involved in those communities, creating authentic relationships without ever pushing your book to them. Join only forums that have at least 1,000 members on them and ones that allow you to have a signature when you post. The signature is the special sauce. After that, just engage with everyone and don't talk about your book at all unless they ask you about it.

3) Search groups such as associations, churches and schools that you can speak to even if you do not get paid. In my experience, at least 50% of those listening to you will buy your book after you speak.

[Mark Coker] - For authors considering hiring an outsourced service provider such as Gumbo Writers, what expectations should they have up front for results and cost?

[Jeff Rivera] - Authors cannot expect their book to be an overnight bestseller. It takes at least 90 days to begin a solid publicity or online marketing campaign that will start to bring results. The more the author is willing to work as a partner in the campaign, rather than tossing the keys over to someone else to drive, the more effective the campaign.

[Mark Coker] - How difficult is it for an author to earn a good return on their investment, and are such services right for every author?

[Jeff Rivera] - If the author is thinking long term, they'll definitely see a return on their investment. Your first book's campaign should be about exposure and nothing else so that the next book you don't have to work so hard in letting your target market know who you are. If an author is willing to roll up their sleeves, then with the right coaching, they may be better suited to do the work themselves. Otherwise, if it is too complicated or they feel they don't have the enough time, hiring the right coach or company to take on the campaign would be best.

[Mark Coker] - A couple weeks ago, you wrote a column for GalleyCat that some interpreted as you questioning the value of literary agents. In a guest post at the Dystel & Goderich blog, you clarified your position. Do agents become more important within the publishing ecosystem of the next three to five years?

[Jeff Rivera] - Absolutely, but an agent is not for everyone. With the floodgates now open for anyone to become published, independently published authors truly have a chance to go head-to-head with major publishers on an even playing field, at least within the eBook world. Gatekeepers will become more necessary as people will seek out someone they trust to tell them what they should read. A legitimate agent's stamp of approval, a prominent blogger, a major house's "published by" label, even your best friend's endorsement of a book could be such an outlet. In order to stay relevant in the next 3-5 years, I see lit agents taking on more of a role as a manager of an author's entire career not just selling their publishing and ancillary rights (but rather including film, TV rights, public speaking, new media, sponsorship & merchandising deals, etc. ). This is similar to what lit managers such as, Rob Weisbach are doing. That's going to mean they'll need to represent fewer quality authors rather than a roster of hundreds.

[Mark Coker] - Thanks Jeff!

To learn more about Jeff Rivera and the author services of Gumbo Writers, visit http://www.gumbowriters.com/

Smashwords Book Marketing Guide Updated (plus links to other useful book marketing books)

This morning I published a new edition of the free Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, a primer on book marketing. Share it with your author friends.

Even authors and publishers who don't publish on Smashwords will find value here (why they wouldn't publish on with Smashwords is beyond the realm of common sense!) .

Some of the new updates include:

1. New tips on how to use Smashwords Coupon Generator to build buzz, readership and reviews for your book.

2. Expanded section on how to (and how not to) use Twitter to promote your book.

3. New common sense tips on how to locate and participate in online communities that will be interested in your book and your subject matter expertise.

4. And several other minor updates across 19 other tips.

And while you're donning your marketing hat, check out the growing library of other Smashwords books that offer other great marketing tips for indie authors and publishers, including:

Self Publishing Manual Volume 2 by Dan Poynter
Our #1 best-selling self publishing title and a great source for social media marketing tips. If you haven't already seen it, drop everything and read our exclusive interview with Dan on the future of books.

4Ps to Publishing Success by Shelley Lieber
Learn how to treat publishing as a business. See our exclusive interview with Shelley for more information

From Book to Market: Internet marketing, sales and promotion for your book by Joanna Penn
Joanna is a great source for marketing tips. We hope to do a Q&A interview with her in the next couple months.

Internet Marketing Guide for Writers and Businesses by Sylvia Hubbard
Name your own price. An interview with Sylvia coming soon!

Plug Your Book! Online Book Marketing for Authors by Steve Weber
This book is packed with tips, and it's free. Steve wrote an interesting editorial at Teleread over the weekend on his experiences with Amazon.

POD'd The How to Guide.. and converely why you shouldn't by Don Meyer
Just in case some of you think I'm blindly pro all-things-self-publishing (well, maybe sometimes), here's an interesting book that provides the other side of the story. It reads almost like a personal memoir of someone who went through the POD publishing process and came face to face with the difficulties of getting your book out there. Consider it a well-written and worthwhile reality check. Don used a POD vendor who required him to purchase copies.

Happy marketing!

Smashwords Book Marketing Guide Now Available

Independent authors, like those we publish at Smashwords, realize they need to take marketing matters into their own hands. With this in mind, last night we published The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, a free ebook that provides authors actionable advice on how to market their Smashwords books. The Guide starts with an overview of the free marketing tools offered by Smashwords, and then provides a series of simple marketing tips authors can put to use today.

This is a living document and will be updated frequently as Smashwords authors suggest additional marketing ideas, and as we develop more do-it-yourself marketing tools for the Smashwords digital publishing platform.

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