Sue Blake Media - News and Views from Personal Publicist and Communications Expert, Sue Blake

Author, Cat Bennett shares her views about social media for book reviews

I've worked with Cat Bennett for all of 2010.  She is a Findhorn Press author and is an artist/illustrator based in Boston, USA.  Cat is author of The Confident Creative - drawing to free the hand and mind. I've waxed lyrical about Cat's book many times this year and have experienced the methodology first hand. I really rate Cat as an author, artist and teacher and commend her for the ways she has embraced social media and profile raising this year.

I was pleased to receive this endorsement for my social media book club today from Cat:

When Sue announced her social media book club late Spring, I was excited to dive in, explore the books and meet some of the authors. The books focus on positive ways to explore and enhance our lives so it became a real pleasure to explore. And it gave me, as a new author, a chance to hear what my peers think of my own offering then look at theirs and join that conversation too.

It makes me think about the way our brave new internet age is changing our lives in radical ways. The blogosphere, having given everyone a public voice, is a fantastic tool to create interest in our work and even build community.

In the past, we relied on mainstream media and a small number of book reviewers to spread the word about our books. Reviewers, being human, have biases and were often judgmental, even harsh. A writer’s work could be curtailed by a negative review and too often was

Internet reviewers sometimes have negative opinions too but there are multiple voices chiming in to make clear what a book is offering. It’s this multiplicity of voices that is so heartening and helpful as it opens up dialogue and gives real perspective. And, of course, it hands the power back to the people, all of us, where it ought to reside. The old hierarchical paradigm is collapsing and, in its wake, a new kind of world democracy is taking hold with thoughtful discussion from people with all sorts of perspectives. It feels so healthy and part of a new vision for our world.

Sue's social media book club offers us the gift of meeting each other, chatting about our work and making connections that may, indeed, bring the work to a wider audience and even further the ideas we’re exploring. Not all of the books will be of interest to each of us. I don’t have time to read everything, alas, but when something truly intrigues me or is in an area in which I have some knowledge I know I’ll jump right in. I hope others will do the same. It’s wonderful forum in which to build community and share our work. Thanks to Sue for hosting it!

The Sue Blake Media Online Book Club is within www.linkedin.com.  You will need to have at least a basic FREE profile on the site to join the book club. Search on the tool bar in Groups Directories for 'book club' and you will find it.

All the books in the book club have been selected.  My company is or has promoted these titles and really rate them.  There are some books in the list that we haven't promoted yet really rate too and in all cases we have access to the authors.

 

 

Why do you want to be an author?

 
It's a tough enough process to write a book.  It's tough too if you're not happy with the way the book turns out and doesn't do for you what you hoped it might.

Before you get too struck into the writing process, take extra time to fully explore the answer to these three questions:

1. WHY do you want to be an author?

Making the commitment to write a manuscript is going to take an extraordinary amount of time from your daily life and business.  You may have to get up much earlier in the morning to do your pre work writing time. You may burn the midnight oil.  You will chalk up many many hours in doing so. 

I have to presume that you do know why YOU want to be an author in the wider context, yet believe me, many people put themselves through this process simply because "people say I should write a book!" or "I have a great idea for a book!"

For the time invested in writing a manuscript, both of these reasons are not very strong are they!  They're rather lacking in structure, purpose and direction!

Of course, if you have all the time in the world and love to write, that's a very different matter but if you are a professional or an expert, you'll want to maximise why you do what you do as time is money and your reputation and professional credibility are important to you!

2. WHAT do you hope being a published author will do for you?

What's your plan?

A great book will open doors.  A great book is a terrific marketing tool to leverage opportunities. A great book seriously does build credbility. A great book can become a great brand.  A great book will get you noticed in so many places.  A great book can help you take control of your career and public profile!

Could your book be a tool to:

- raise your game

- increase your visibility and become famous for what you do

- grow your business & extend your income earning opportunities

- forge a speaking career and travel/speak because of it

- reinforce your professional credibility

- enhance your reputation

3. Would you now strucure your book differently?

Now that you can think of your book as a marketing and leverage tool, would you structure yours differently?

Why should people buy your book?

What solution(s) could it offer to your target market?

What's different about YOUR book?

What's it's utter USP and pure purpose?

Good Luck!

10+ ways to make your publisher happy

Why do you need to make your publisher h.a.p.p.y? Well you don't need to do anything necessarily BUT if you are the kind of person who is appreciative of opportunities and likes to make the right kind of impact where things matter to you and help make a BIG difference to outcomes, here are some ways to make your publisher happy in the honeymoon period, and beyond that will help you in a big way too:

- deliver your manuscript ahead of deadline and check safe receipt (it'll be bliss for you when you deliver ahead of request!)

- demonstrate willingness to learn, and prepare for your author platform set up, development and growth, that starts at least 6 months ahead of publication month (have an open mind to expand your ideas, skillset, self promotion skills and networks)

- ask what you can do to help the marketing and publicity process (collaborate and engage)

- purchase the domaine name that best captures the title of your book (wait until the title has been fully agreed/accepted) and prepare a micro site all about the book (it's professional to do this)

- bring your exisiting website up to date well ahead of publication month and add a TAB for the book to click through to the micro site (keep your visibilty connected, consistent and current)

- create your social media platforms and gather your followers (think pre, at launch and post publication buzz here) and use an appropriate hashtag to anchor tweets into the search fields to be easier to find

- seek to expand your speaking gigs using the new book as the relevant hook (bulk sales and exponential other benefits for you)

- develop your own workshop/seminar programme around the book and key themes? (add to your website with dates and make booking easy and promote)

- shoot a short professional promotional movie introducing the book for www.youtube.com (selling yourself by broadcasting yourself)

- create your auto email signature/sign off to reflect websites and the book coming soon (use all means of promotional opportunities)

- create a Group on www.linkedin.com and populate to get awareness for the book and new connections

- encourage your networks and contacts to pre order the book on amazon and add a review for you as soon as the book is released (keep a check on this - reviews on amazon really matter)

- generate your own luck - be in it to win it - participate as a reviewer of others' books in books clubs

- be VISIBLE VISIBLE VISIBLE!

- get blogging ...!

And congratulations on the book deal.

Now make a difference.

 

Let's be honest, getting a publishing Contract IS wonderful.

3 ways to make it easier for press to contact you

Most people would value being contacted by a journalist with a view to being interviewed for a relevant feature.  Here are three quick tips that could make it easier for a writer to connect with you:

1.    On the Contact Us page on your website, add something like this:

All publicity enquiries to [                ]. 

OR, if you have an external press office/publicity team, add their name.

And then give the different modes of contact:

• press contact name (this must be the best person who can handle a media call accurately and efficiently)
• landline (with international dialling code if you have an international reputation)
• mobile
• email

2.    Add your Twitter/Facebook details to your site and memberships of Ecademy and LinkedIn as examples. Many writers are now choosing to only connect via social media networks.

Basically, be easier to find and easier to connect with.

3.    Ensure your mobile number is clearly mentioned in your telephone answering service.  Journalists do look forward to speedy responses.  Become known as an expert who calls people back as quickly as possible.  Be memorable for all the right reasons. Seem like/be like you value the media opportunities.

Caution: If you have zero experience with press interviews and have a great niche/business, do invest in a session with an experienced media trainer. It will save your blushes and enable you to get soundbite ready.

Note: When you are interviewed it is appropriate to ask for a credit to be used against the interview but be mindful that there aren't any guarantees it will be included.  Your name and website is usually the least that is included. Prepare and dot i's and cross t's and show gratitude for the exposure nonetheless. 

Journalists like adding great experts to their Little Black Books...

They don't add people who don't play the game ..

Taking control of your author platform

Building an author platform takes time.  It needs time so that your activities and visibility can be staggered over a period of time rather than all happening in a big burst and then you run out of ideas and steam and flow/momentum is lost.

New authors can help themselves by taking control of their author platform.  Carpe Diem and all that jazz.  I suggest you create a paper Visibility Plan - use a Mind Map or format if you know how to do that or a very large sheet of paper - A3 - and create segments for all the different areas of visibility including speaking gigs where you are the invited speaker, your own workshops that support/promote the new book, traditional media relations (see below), digital pr, your own blog series, podcasts and vlogs and much more.  Then add in the relevant launch/visibilty timings. Source your expertise to help create the different tasks.  Choose experts in their own right.

"Prepare, or prepare to fail."

No one can buy your book if they don't even know it exists!

New books need an OLP - official launch period - which isn't the same as the date that appears on amazon.  Why?

Well, whether you intend to get your own media coverage or work with an expert publicist, you need book stocks to work with to show to journalists and many publishers don't provide galleys due to the cost. 

Your early pubbed stock can then be used as Advanced Press Copies with an expert created press kit. Create your OLP some 4-5 months ahead of the date you have stocks in your hand as the media work to different lead times and ideally you'll want to create a cluster of coverage over all forms of media for the OLP: long leads (monthly specialist and consumer titles), medium lead (colour supplements), short lead, print, broadcast and digital media.

Take control of your author platform and be prepared to not just be active, but PROACTIVE!  The energy you put into these efforts, together with expertise you outsource etc will make all the difference to your visibility as an expert author and the book.

Don't leave creating your author platform until the last minute.  It's all about marketing yourself and taking responsibility for this even if you do engage professional services to help with some elements.

You are the brand after all.

 

Being a book reviewer can raise your profile

In April this year my colleague Melanie Mackie and I were discussing how we could create a place in social media that would and could create authentic high quality buzz about books we promote, have promoted or where we have connections to the author.  Melanie has to take full credit for immediately suggesting we create a book club group within Linked In for this very purpose! 

Inspired by her great idea we then brainstormed what it would be like etc and in less than 2 weeks the Sue Blake Media Oline Book Club (group) was launched within www.linkedin.com  I have to say how excited I was at the time to be having a social media book club: how cool is that?! And today several month later with over 150 members and more than 50 titles on the list, we have achieved a buzzing book club community! Phase One done and we're now onto Phase Two to grow the book club.

Pre internet, book reviewers were limited to placing their reviews in print media only but now courtesy of this technology there are many many placesto post reviews and in doing so, and so long as you use your real name (!), you get to  raise your profile at the same time!  How does this work?

Well, for our book club for example, if you have a basic profile within Linked in (free) you can join the Sue Blake Media Online Book Club.  Simply go to Groups Directories and search for 'book club' and you will find it.  Or you can find out more initially via the book club button on the home page of www.sueblake.com.

Once you are a member, you then have access to all the other members in the club/group and you may well find some very interesting business connections because of shared interests. The club/group participatory culture in Linked In is generally very high - Linked In is a professional network and people seem to realise the immense benefits it offers for connectedness, conversation & online marketing.  But like any tool, it has to be learnt and used regularly to benefit users properly.  Melanie is a great teacher when it comes to social media and it's been huge fun developing the book club and we have received many many high qualiy reviews now and members do seem to love it!

We send complimentary copies of books in the club upon request in exchang for a 300 word review posted in the online discussion forum in the book club, against the title selected.  We also ask if you would post a review on amazon.co.uk - which is of course, the holy grail of reviews.

 

Being an active member of the book club keeps your profile high amongst the membership and the way that Linked In works ensures we are all kept up to date and you are therefore 'easier to find' if a member is looking for someone with a service you provide!

It's never been easier to receive complimentary copies of books of your choice from the list  and what a great way to raise your profile in a professional community in the process.

Join us http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2989946&trk=anet_ug_grppro