Buzz Your Book

Buzz Your Book By M.J.
Rose and Douglas Clegg

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buzz your buzz your buzz your buzz your
book book book book

THE INTERACTIVE WORKBOOK THE INTERACTIVE WORKBOOK THE INTERACTIVE WORKBOOK THE INTERACTIVE WORKBOOK

B Y M . J . R O S E A N D D O U G L A S C L E G G

Copyright Pigeonhole Press 2001
Buzz Your Book By M.J. Rose and Douglas Clegg

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Copyright 2001 M.J. Rose and Douglas Clegg Copyright 2001 M.J. Rose and Douglas Clegg Copyright 2001 M.J. Rose and Douglas Clegg Copyright 2001 M.J. Rose and Douglas Clegg

The BuzzYour logo is copyright 2001 Pigeonhole Press. All rights reserved. No part
of this workbook may be reproduced or distributed without permission.

This is a publication of BuzzYour.com
To visit the web site, go to www.BuzzYour.com

The cover price of this e-book is $8.95. If you did not pay for the e-book version, this
is considered a stolen copy. To protect yourself legally, you will want to go buy your
legitimate version at http://www.booklocker.com/buzz and delete this stolen version
from your computer or handheld device. Thank you.

No bees were harmed in the creation of this workbook. No bees were harmed in the creation of this workbook. No bees were harmed in the creation of this workbook. No bees were harmed in the creation of this workbook.

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buzzyour.com titles include:

Buzz Your Online Auction
Buzz Your Book
Buzz Your Zine
Buzz Your MP3

With more to come, including:

Buzz Your Erotica
Buzz Your Romance Novel
Buzz Your Byline
Buzz Your Hobby
Buzz Your Business
Buzz Your Movie
Buzz Your Web Site
and more

Get them all at www.BuzzYour.com

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All our workbooks are interactive All our workbooks are interactive All our workbooks are interactive All our workbooks are interactive. Within the electronic pages are
places to write your answers to our questions and links to various sites
and articles on the Web to help you learn how to Buzz.

In addition, we encourage you to come to the buzzyour.com web site
and continue the interactive experience.

Interactivity is the main advantage of an e-book like this over a print
book. Use it to its fullest extent. Be part of our community of creative
people who are all working out methods of getting the Buzz going on.


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T H E T O P Q U E S T I O N W E A R E A S K E D I S :

how do you get so how do you get so how do you get so how do you get so
much bu much bu much bu much buzz? zz? zz? zz?

This workbook contains our answers. This workbook contains our answers. This workbook contains our answers. This workbook contains our answers.

Here are our top 50+ tips for getting Buzz, plus hyperlinks to sites that
will help you understand what all the Buzz is about. We also host a
web site for brainstorming that adds dimension to this workbook and
can help you start getting Buzz.

What this workbook doesnt contain. What this workbook doesnt contain. What this workbook doesnt contain. What this workbook doesnt contain.

A guarantee.
We cant promise you the moon. Only a good book gets Buzz, no
matter how hard you work at it but we can help you to start thinking
in new directions and help you jump-start your creativity.


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dedication and acknowledgments dedication and acknowledgments dedication and acknowledgments dedication and acknowledgments

From M.J. Rose: From M.J. Rose: From M.J. Rose: From M.J. Rose:
To my father for teaching me to think like a businessman. To D.P.S. for
his steadfast support. And to my co-writer Douglas, a master buzzer.
And to the wonderful industry professionals and writers Ive met over
the last two years who have become friends.

From Douglas Clegg: From Douglas Clegg: From Douglas Clegg: From Douglas Clegg:
To my co-writer M.J., to Raul, and to the writers and web communities
that have taught me much and inspired me many times.

Special thanks go to Janet Cadsawan, Brian Freeman, and Angela
Adair-Hoy & Richard Hoy.

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The only books that influence us are those for which The only books that influence us are those for which The only books that influence us are those for which The only books that influence us are those for which
we are ready, and which have gone a little farther we are ready, and which have gone a little farther we are ready, and which have gone a little farther we are ready, and which have gone a little farther
down our particular path than we have yet got down our particular path than we have yet got down our particular path than we have yet got down our particular path than we have yet got
ourselves. ourselves. ourselves. ourselves.
-- E.M. Forster


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the goals of this workbook the goals of this workbook the goals of this workbook the goals of this workbook

To help you create a useful Buzz plan.

To inspire you to go forth and Buzz your book.

To build a community of creative people at buzzyour.com to help
each other brainstorm.

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D I S C L A I M E R

There are no miracles or magic bullets in this workbook.

Getting Buzz is not a matter of doing one thing over another. Neither
should it turn you into a raving publicity hound. It doesnt mean you
have to sell yourself at every opportunity.

But getting Buzz can get you and your book more attention and help
you find the communities of people who will want to become your
books readers.

However, results will vary. The more creative you are in approaching
Buzz and the more you leave your frustrations and impatience behind
the better youll do. First, you have to begin to see that theres a
different way of getting the word out through Buzz.

And then you have to take action.

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table of contents

BuzzYour Fast Reference Guide....................................................... 9

Foreword: The "BuzzYour" Philosophy........................................... 10

Chapter One: Getting Started ....................................................... 14

Chapter Two: Dont Read This Workbook!...................................... 19

Chapter Three: Offline Buzz Tips ................................................... 22

Chapter Four: Online Buzz Tips..................................................... 29

Chapter Five: The Buzz Plan.......................................................... 42

Chapter Six: Brainstorming How to Improve Your Plan ................ 50

Chapter Seven: The Dos and Donts of Buzz .................................. 51

Chapter Eight: Top Publicists Give Their Top Tips ............................ 55

Chapter Nine: How Other Writers Got Buzz .................................. 66

Chapter Ten: Seth Godin and Free E-Books .................................... 82

Chapter Eleven: Shameless Online The Art of Web Promotion...... 89

Chapter Twelve: Brandon Massey and His Novel ............................ 96

Chapter Thirteen: Final Thoughts on Buzz..................................... 100

Appendix A: The BuzzYour Message Boards................................ 103

Appendix B: The BuzzYour Newsletter ......................................... 104

Appendix C: Freebies................................................................. 105

Appendix D: Samples of Email Newsletters .................................. 106

Appendix E: The Authors' Books Now Available........................... 115

About the Authors ...................................................................... 116

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buzzyour fast reference guide buzzyour fast reference guide buzzyour fast reference guide buzzyour fast reference guide

Each BuzzYour Workbook has a Fast Reference Guide up front that
highlights the quickest way to build your plan if you are just looking for
the tips and want to skip the rest.

In a hurry to find stuff out? This is the place to do it. Just click what
youre interested in, and youll be there.

Buzz Plan

Offline Tips

Online Tips

Tips from Top Publicists

Tips from Writers

www.BuzzYour.com

Freebies on the Internet

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NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE: If you post your own tips to the Message Boards at
www.BuzzYour.com and theyre useful to other writers, well bring
them into the next edition of this e-book with your name and book
mentioned.


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foreword: the "buzzyour" philosophy foreword: the "buzzyour" philosophy foreword: the "buzzyour" philosophy foreword: the "buzzyour" philosophy

T H E B U Z Z Y O U R P H I L O S O P H Y

While all our Buzz workbooks contain ideas for Buzzing both on- and
off-line, we think Buzz starts best online because of a concept we call
The Intercom.

Think of how an intercom works.

You go to visit a friend who is expecting you. She lives in an
apartment, so you press the buzzer to her floor and tell her its you,
and she lets you come up.

You sit and chat for a while. Have some coffee. Share some gossip.
You mention a book youve read, or music youve heard, or a movie
youve seen.

Then you leave. And chances are your friend will not only check out
that movie or music or book that you mentioned, but shell tell a few
other people who will tell a few others, and before you know it
theres a buzz going.

So think of the Internet like an intercom, and youve got the concept of
Buzz that much-sought -after hum that works better than any
multimillion-dollar advertising campaign ever can or will , because it's
not manufactured. Its real.

Buzz is real people talking about a product, person, or service because
they like it.

In his book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell points out that there
is no recipe for Buzz it can't be generated by PR, ads, or spam.

Buzz built AOL and got Amazon started in the early 90s.

Buzz made The Blair Witch Project the movie to see.

Buzz got people visiting Salon when it first opened its doors.

Buzz took Doug Cleggs sales from 20,000 copies of his print titles
to over 125,000.


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Buzz took Booklocker.coms newsletter from 100 people to 55,000
in less than 36 months.

Buzz is not just having a web site or an e-book to use as a marketing
device. And its not just hiring a publicity firm (though the good ones
can help get Buzz going and may be great Buzzers themselves).

Usually Buzz happens because one author talks to one reader at a
time, and then lots of readers start talking to each other.

How do you go forth and buzz? What are some of the most important
things you can do to generate attention? How do you get started?

Its all in this workbook.

A real book is not A real book is not A real book is not A real book is not
one thats read, but one one thats read, but one one thats read, but one one thats read, but one
that reads us. that reads us. that reads us. that reads us.
-- W.H. Auden

Before we get started, just remember you arent going to reach
thousands or millions of readers today.

You are going to start by reaching one reader at a time.

Take a few minutes and think about what kind of people you want to
reach to tell about your book.

In his book Unleashing the IdeaVirus, Seth Godin calls the people who
create Buzz sneezers. We suggest you take some time and think of
who it is who has told you about books or music or movies and has
gotten you to spread Buzz. Do you know several of them? One? Are
you the main Buzzer of your group?


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exercise

Make a list of all the people you already know who you can Buzz.

Now add two more.

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Q U E S T I O N S

What have I ever Buzzed to someone else?

What made me Buzz it?

Who did I tell?

Who has last Buzzed to me? About what?

How did I react to any Buzz Ive received?

What is it about my book that is most Buzz-worthy?

How can I best try to get Buzz for my book without falling into the
trap of getting annoying or, worse, possibly spamming someone
without meaning to do so?

As the speed of new idea As the speed of new idea As the speed of new idea As the speed of new ideas entering the s entering the s entering the s entering the
community has increased, so has our respect for community has increased, so has our respect for community has increased, so has our respect for community has increased, so has our respect for
people who know. And because its valuable, people who know. And because its valuable, people who know. And because its valuable, people who know. And because its valuable,
were open to both hearing about the new and were open to both hearing about the new and were open to both hearing about the new and were open to both hearing about the new and
telling others about it. telling others about it. telling others about it. telling others about it.
Seth Godin, Unleashing the Idea Virus Unleashing the Idea Virus Unleashing the Idea Virus Unleashing the Idea Virus

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top five things buzz top five things buzz top five things buzz top five things buzz
can do for your book can do for your book can do for your book can do for your book

1. Jump-start sales and improve sales.

2. Identify fans who will become your own personal army and
spread the word about your words.

3. Involve you with other writers who can offer support and
suggestions.

4. Make selling your book as creative a process as writing it.

5. Get you thinking in new and fulfilling ways.

top five things buzz top five things buzz top five things buzz top five things buzz
cant do for your book cant do for your book cant do for your book cant do for your book

1. Make it more commercial than it is.

2. Improve the writing.

3. Get absolutely everyone to love it.

4. Get you a big NY publishing deal if you dont deserve one.

5. Solve world hunger.


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[ CHAPTER ONE]
getting started getting started getting started getting started

Dont loaf and invite inspiration. Dont loaf and invite inspiration. Dont loaf and invite inspiration. Dont loaf and invite inspiration.
Light out after it with a club. Light out after it with a club. Light out after it with a club. Light out after it with a club.
Jack London

This is a workbook for published writers who have hardcovers,
paperbacks and/or e-books/POD books already for sale (or soon-to-
be-for-sale) and who want to get more of what Seth Godin calls word
of mouse on the Internet and word of mouth in the offline world.

Its about increasing the number of books you sell by getting more
Buzz about your titles.

Its about how to build relationships with your readers so that they want
to help you succeed.

Its creating real media heat for what youre writing.

More word of mouse means more word of mouth. More word of mouse means more word of mouth. More word of mouse means more word of mouth. More word of mouse means more word of mouth.

And this, in turn, means: And this, in turn, means: And this, in turn, means: And this, in turn, means:

More readers who are advocates for your book. More readers who are advocates for your book. More readers who are advocates for your book. More readers who are advocates for your book.

They will begin Buzzing. They will begin Buzzing. They will begin Buzzing. They will begin Buzzing.

This isnt magic, nor is it a miracle cure. We dont know if youll sell
ten or ten thousand or more of your books.

We only know that we can help you get the Buzz going on what
youve published so that it doesnt just languish on a shelf or, worse,
in a warehouse.

How far you want to take our tips and this workbook is up to you. You
can work on ways of getting Buzz every day, or just when your book is
about to come out.


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One thing weve discovered is that the more we got into Buzz, the
more fun weve had, and the better it has worked. It has also kept up
our enthusiasm for our books. Plus, we were able to communicate with
a lot of really wonderful and interesting people (our readers!). We also
became more knowledgeable when it came to dealing with our
publishers because we figured out something about how word of
mouth works.

Your most valuable commodity is your time and your love for books
and readers.

Now, there are some great writers who are famous for being
curmudgeonly and sharp-tongued, and if youre one of those well,
you might have a rougher time of it. So you just might want to hire an
assistant to help work on the Buzz for you. (Then, you can be known
for your rapier wit and haughty demeanor which might be its own
form of Buzz. Weve seen it happen.)

W H Y W E G O T I N T O B U Z Z

The crazy part is that both of us were as resistant to promoting our
own work as any writer could be.

M.J. had once been in advertising and thought shed left it far behind
when she became a novelist. And Doug, as an editor and novelist most
of his adult life, never thought hed have to do any marketing.

To suddenly be thinking in terms of how to reach readers wasnt that
somebody elses job?

Yes. But the reality is that the way publishing works these days doesnt
give any one book much of a fighting chance if the author doesnt
become his or her own advocate.

Typically for all but the big six-figure-advance books a publisher
only gives a book some co-op dollars, sends out review copies, tries to
get some press for a few weeks, and then hopes for the best.

If, in those first six weeks that the book is in the stores, it starts to get
good word of mouth and sell well, then the publisher puts more
marketing dollars behind it. Maybe.


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But if the sales of the book start off slow it just gets slower.

Over 70,000 books are published a year. Less than 10 percent sell
more than 100,000 copies. That means there are 63,000 books per
year that dont sell very many copies.

Less than five percent of the people who call themselves authors make
a living from their books.

Thats why authors cant leave their fates in the hands of publishers.

If like us you want to keep readers asking for your book so the
stores will keep it stocked and it will keep selling, youve got to take
your fate into your own hands.

Part of our job as authors has to be getting people to ask for our books
even if we find unconventional ways to do it. (And our methods had
to be un-conventional, because as authors we didnt have mega-
marketing budgets the way the best-known bestselling authors do.)

H O W T O K N O W I F T H I S W O R K B O O K
I S F O R Y O U :

1. You have a book that has been published. Or is about to be
published. Or will one day be published. (We dont care if its
self-published, or vanity-pressed, or published by a big New York
or London or Hong Kong publishing house.)

2. Youre self-motivated and resourceful. You dont take things lying
down and never take no for an answer.

3. Youre creative, a born brainstormer. Youre an idea magnet.

4. You love the process of writing. You would write even if you never
got published. Youd never tell your publisher, but youd probably
pay them just to get your book out there. But you dont ever do
that.

5. You love possibilities more than probabilities.

6. You dont see problems as much as you see solutions.


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7. You want the world to read your book.

8. You think about each and every reader as an individual.

9. You want to make a good living from your writing and your
creativity.

10. You dont believe it when they tell you your dreams are
unreasonable and unattainable.

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on buzz
brainstorming

Every idea is worth thinking about.

You never know where a crazy idea will lead.

Or how something that initially makes no sense can wind up
creating a huge success.

This is a brainstorm.

(Or should we call it a Buzzstorm?)


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[ CHAPTER TWO]
dont read this workbook! dont read this workbook! dont read this workbook! dont read this workbook!

Just reading it wont help you get the most out of it. But using it will.

So, answer the questions and do the exercises at the end of each
chapter. Underline sections, print out paragraphs, and tape them to
your desktop. And get involved in the web site that weve set up to go
with it.

Because this is an interactive workbook, the links work. Some will go to
message boards and email newsletters on the net, where you can
continue your learning process, share resources with other writers, and
begin to learn how to brainstorm to help readers find your book.

S H O U L D W R I T E R S S H A R E ?

Were not talking about writing in each others novels or changing
each others words.

But when it comes to brainstorming ideas to get attention for your
books it helps to share. An idea for promoting that isnt right for your
book might be right for someone elses. The Internet is so much about
community, particularly communities of like-minded individuals.
Writers can really do amazing things when they start helping each
other.

Yes! Post your Buzz Plan at BuzzYour.com!

So jump in and post your plan on our interactive web site, and join in
the community of writers working on honing their Buzz sense at
www.BuzzYour.com.

We believe that the same ingenuity and brainstorming that you need
for your book can also be applied to people trying to spread the word
about their web site, interests, music, and more. So all of you will be
there together, sharing ideas, spreading Buzz, and getting the
Buzzstorms going.

Without that, youre missing out on the best part of this book the
interactive brainstorming that makes this all work.

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We will be checking everyones Buzz ideas and adding some of our
own there from time to time.

No one succeeds by hiding away and staying at the back of the room.

Dont worry. Theres more than enough Buzz to go around. And just as
no two books are the same, no two Buzz Plans are the same.

J O I N T H E B U Z Z Y O U R L I S T

Its easy and its free and youll get more back than you give. Get a
free monthly newsletter about the best of the best Buzz suggestions
what worked and what didnt and find out whos Buzzing around the
Internet. To subscribe, just send a blank email to:

BuzzYour-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

This is an announcement newsletter that goes out once a month to
every reader of the BuzzYour.com books who wishes to subscribe
and the tips and information cover a wide range of topics.

P I C K O N E H O U R P E R W E E K , A N D T A K E A T I P
A N D J U S T T R Y I T .

Even if you only try it for one hour a week take one tip from this book
and try it on your own book. Think about it. Modify it. See how to
make it fit to help you Buzz your book. Own it by making it your own.

None of these tips is expensive most of them can be done for free.

Thats the great thing about Buzz itself its about getting the word
going about what youre doing. In this case, your book.

C H E C K O U T O U R H Y P E R L I N K S

Please check all hyperlinks within each chapter once youve read
through the text. Well link to web sites that we think have good
examples of what were discussing, and to online book gurus who
have a thing or two to say.


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Study some of the sites we recommend and see if they inspire you.

I do not read a book; I do not read a book; I do not read a book; I do not read a book;
I hold a conversation I hold a conversation I hold a conversation I hold a conversation
with the author. with the author. with the author. with the author.
Elbert Hubbard, A Thousand and One Epigrams, 1911


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[ CHAPTER THREE]
offline buzz tips offline buzz tips offline buzz tips offline buzz tips

Here they are the best tips we could find to help you get Buzz.

If you have a tip we dont have in here, then head on over to the
message boards at www.BuzzYour.com and post it.

NOTE: Piggybacking is a term we love and use often. Remember riding
piggyback as a kid? Well, Piggybacking in terms of getting Buzz is all
about finding someone else with a complementary item, where you can
combine ideas and forces to create something special in the Buzz
world for both of you.

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T O P T I P S F O R G E T T I N G O F F L I N E B U Z Z

1. Call your local newspaper.

In some respects, the smaller the town your newspaper covers, the
easier this will be. Journalists are notorious for having a book
somewhere in their desks that they're writing. They like writers
they do it for a living, too. So the Local Author angle is a good
one.

This is harder in New York, Los Angeles, and most of the big
cities, because there tend to be a lot of local authors there.
Milledgeville, Georgia, was mainly known for Flannery
O'Connor. Oxford, Mississippi, was known for William Faulkner.
Your town might only be known for you.

2. Arrange book signings. Start small, depending on your budget.
Go local first. Brainstorm with your local booksellers to create a
special booksigning event!

3. Ask all of your friends if they have friends in the media, or even if
they have friends who have friends in the media. Yes, this is
networking, as much as that term has been overused. But you
need to network not because youre desperate to sell your book
(even if you are) but because this is how it works. Even at a big

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house like Simon & Schuster or Bantam Doubleday Dell, the top
people basically network to get the word out. You can, too. You
never know where it will lead.

4. Even if your publisher wont, you can make beautiful bound
galleys of your book to get out for review.

Doug has a novel called The Halloween Man, his only novel
without an Advance Readers Copy from a publisher. So he
called a printer in Massachusetts that did many of the New York
houses galleys, and they charged him a couple of hundred
dollars for 50 copies, with full-color covers. They looked great,
and he sent them out for review. You can, too.

You might even be able to get your galleys more cheaply. Office-
supply stores sometimes even have cheap binding machines, or
you can bind it yourself in some less-than-expensive way. But do
try to make them look great. With online reviewers, you can even
send an e-book version for review (but check with the reviewer
first).

Attractive bound galleys of the book are the best ways to get
booksellers interested in it and to get book reviews.

5. Join an authors association that deals with your kind of book.
Doug belongs to the Horror Writers Association and the Author's
Guild. Not only do you learn a lot from talking with other authors
in the field, but there are usually newsletters with invaluable
information (including lists of bookstores and web sites related to
your kind of book).

6. Do a favor. You will find that this will bring more favors back to
you. Maybe it's karma, or maybe it's just how things work.

7. Enlist your favorite local bookseller to help you learn about how
books really sell. A realistic approach to what can and cant be
done will never hurt you Far too many novelists assume that if
only they had better distribution, they'd sell a million copies. Very
few books, each year, actually sell a million copies. Get realistic
and then, within those parameters, build up your readership.

8. Figure out a multi-author event for your town. Find two or three
or five local authors and do a communal reading at a community

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fair. Go to your local newspaper and let them know you are
going to be contributing part of the book sales to the town fire
department, hospital, or other local cause.

9. Speaking of hospitals, give a few copies of your books to your
local hospital. Put book plates in the front of the books saying you
contributed them. This wont make big Buzz, but its a goodwill
gesture. There are never enough books in the hospital for the
patients and their families.

10. Put together a multi-author event for your local bookstore. Get
two or three other authors who write books that complement
yours and ask the bookstore owner if he or she would host the
event.

Youre more likely to get a local store to do a reading if you can
guarantee that the store will get a crowd of at least 25. So ask
your friends to show up, and ask them to tell their friends. Even if
a book doesnt sell at the signing, the store will be happy to have
a lot of people come in and browse the shelves and this will
help the store hand-sell your book later on, because youve
helped stimulate its business.

11. Look for higher education. Check out all the classes at your local
universities and see if any of them might benefit from your
research or your book. For instance, if youve just spent two years
writing this Buzz book you might go to the marketing professors
at the local university and offer to come and lecture. Many
universities that are not in larger metropolitan areas are often
looking for experts.

12. Speaking of experts: You are one. In something. Yes, you are.
There is one part of your book, whether its a novel for which you
spent a year researching orchids, or a nonfiction book on real
estate. And there are people who want to know what you know.
Find them, and find out if theres a way you can pass on your
knowledge and promote your book at the same time.

13. Start a reading club at your local library not for your own
books, but for other books. Get it written up in the local paper.
How will this get your book buzz? Every time you tell someone
who you are Jane Doe Author of Does Dilemma it builds
Buzz.

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14. Get active in your childrens school and use every opportunity to
give away your books to other parents. They will love talking
about it with their friends.

15. Volunteer to write a few articles for the local paper, with the
understanding that they will include a tagline about you and your
book. How about doing book reviews? Or writing about
writing?

16. Look for organizations in your area that have fundraisers and
offer to donate some books to them. Dont ever underestimate the
good karma of this youd be surprised how sometimes just one
person discovering your book can change things quickly.
Remember: you cant force someone to Buzz about your book.
But readers and Buzzers can come from any number of
places.

17. Get the book, the galley, or an excerpt out wherever you can.
Can you leave excerpt booklets (made on your home computer)
at your local coffeehouse or bookstore? Would the local paper
run an excerpt of your book if it was right for their readers? If
youve written a hip, urban story, there might be an alternative
weekly that might even serialize a bit of it. Or, if you live in a
town full of koi ponds, your book on water gardens might be a
perfect one for every store that sells pond supplies. Get a galley
to the owner of the local nursery if youre writing about the care
of roses or a mystery novel where the sleuth is an amateur
gardener.

The right person reading your novel may change the course of
your history. The Advance Reading Copy (called an ARC) of
Dougs first novel was read by a 19-year-old clerk in a town
Doug had never visited and the bookstore clerk loved the book
so much, he told the sales rep from Dougs publisher.

That sales rep told the New York office of the clerks chain store.
The New York office upped the buy of Dougs novels by many
thousands of copies and the publisher decided to up the print
run of that novel to a whopping 185,000 copies and the book
went into three print runs.


26
If that 19 year-old had never read, loved, and recommended the
book, none of that wouldve happened. One person can really
change the course of how your book will be received. That 19-
year-old was a Buzzer.

Its hard to identify who the Buzzers are going to be, so make
sure you get your book around wherever and whenever you can.

18. Seek out groups that your book might appeal to and give them
books free. Are you a member of the Rotary Club? Are you active
in your local chamber of commerce?

19. Is your church or temple involved in hosting events off hours?
Could you talk to someone there about putting together a special
book event?

20. Rock musicians have what they call Street Teams. These are folks
who go around and get the word out locally in their areas about
when the band is coming to town, or get offline word going about
the new CD.

Well, so does Doug, for his books these are special fans of his
fiction who enjoy getting the word out to bookstores and online
whenever possible.

Do you have a handful of hardcore fans? Folks who read
whatever you write? Even one other person? A husband, a wife?

Make this person part of your Street Team, and offer something
special as a thanks for getting out at the grass-roots level and
making sure local bookstores get your book. Author Chuck
Palahniuk, who wrote Fight Club and Choke, has devoted fans
who show up in droves for his signings and are a genuine
Street Team for getting the word out on his books.

21. Send postcards. Some writers think theyre a waste of money, but
we dont. Postcards with the books cover on the front are fairly
good ways to get the word out. Every single time you send a note
to someone, that person sees your book.

Have to send a note to the bookstore at your upcoming vacation
spot so you can do a signing or reading there? Send a friendly
postcard, including all pertinent information including the ISBN

27
number of your book, as well as a way to reach you and
youve got a fairly inexpensive way of promoting your book.

Postcards can be bought by the thousands fairly cheaply. Doug
buys his from www.postcard.com but you can even print
postcards with the printer you use, on heavy card stock, and save
yourself some bucks. Microsoft Publisher software has some good
layouts for postcards, and you can buy printer-ready card stock
from your local office supply store.

As you gather the mailing addresses of fans (ask them many
would love to get a mailing from a favorite author), you can send
them a postcard each time a new book is about to come out, or
you can mail them to your alumni association, or any
organizations to which you belong.

Just dont inundate anyone you dont want to be the person
who sends junk mail that gets tossed right away. Always write a
brief personal note on the postcard, or it really is just an
annoying ad. You dont want to be junk; you want your book to
be remembered and talked about.

22. Bookmarks are great giveaways, too. With some care,
bookmarks can be created and printed out from your computer
but your local Kinkos or Staples should be able to help you with
those as well. Basically, anything that you can offer to the offline
world to keep reminding people that your book exists is good for
helping to spread some Buzz.

23. What about T-shirts? Mugs? Refrigerator magnets? Jewelry? Yes,
yes, yes, and yes although now youre really running up the
expenses (and dont forget shipping costs for most of these). Nora
Roberts, the nationally bestselling novelist, offers various
giveaways at her web site check it out now
(www.NoraRoberts.com), to see how she does it. She also sells
items that would be of interest to her readers, through her
bookstore, which is called Turn the Page.

- - - - - - - - - - -

If you decide that youd like to post your own offline Buzz tips to the If you decide that youd like to post your own offline Buzz tips to the If you decide that youd like to post your own offline Buzz tips to the If you decide that youd like to post your own offline Buzz tips to the
Message Boards at Message Boards at Message Boards at Message Boards at www.B www.B www.B www.Bu uu uzzYour.com zzYour.com zzYour.com zzYour.com and theyre useful to other and theyre useful to other and theyre useful to other and theyre useful to other

28
writers, well bring them into the next edition of this e writers, well bring them into the next edition of this e writers, well bring them into the next edition of this e writers, well bring them into the next edition of this e- -- -book, with your book, with your book, with your book, with your
name and book mentioned. name and book mentioned. name and book mentioned. name and book mentioned.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Q U E S T I O N S

Which three ideas here stood out the most for me?

Which three tips made me think of ways of enhancing them for my
own book?

Which tips could I pick that sound as if I could implement them
without spending much, if any, money?

Which tips would I need to create a small budget for and is this
worth doing?

What other books or businesses could I find for Piggybacking my
book?


29
[ CHAPTER FOUR]
online buzz tips online buzz tips online buzz tips online buzz tips

Online promotion is one of the best and least expensive methods
for getting Buzz started. Youre already online, most likely, if youre
reading this workbook, so youre halfway there.

- - - - - - - - - - -

T O P T I P S F O R G E T T I N G O N L I N E B U Z Z

1. Create an e-serial of your book to attract readers and attention
and publishers, if you don't have one. An e-serial is simply a
serial form of your book or novel, either posted to a web site or
written in email at a listserv (like yahoogroups.com or
topica.com).

2. Create a web site for the book, and then get the word out about
something special on the site. To check out examples of this, go
see www.MichaelILeahey.com or our own individual sites at
www.MJRose.com and www.DouglasClegg.com anything
special going on there? Any interesting tips or bits of information
that might attract readers?

3. Send review copies to every web site community that is the perfect
audience for your book and get reviews!

4. Start an email newsletter, and send notes to everyone you know,
asking if they'd like to subscribe (and make it easy to
unsubscribe, too you want friends and fans, not prisoners.).

5. You can subscribe to the BuzzYour email group by sending a
blank email to BuzzYour-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Give away copies of your book in an online raffle and, in
exchange, those entering the raffle offer their email addresses so
that you can keep them up to date on your books.

Anything that invites a potential reader to give up his or her email
address, with permission from that reader for you to send a

30
follow-up, is a valuable beginning to Buzz. But do not, under any
circumstances, simply take peoples email addresses. Nor should
you ever give or sell them to a third party or a friend for another
use. Do not break the bond of trust with your reader few ever
regain it.

6. Create a professional press release and send it to web sites that
promote books like yours. Have you ever checked out
www.BookReporter.com? Its one of the best. But there are others
to check out, including sites that specifically deal with your kind of
book, be it a romance novel, a science fiction novel, or a
nonfiction book on quilting.

7. Each time you get fan mail, ask the reader to name a favorite
web site on the Internet and then ask if the reader could
mention your book as a possible feature for the web site. This
way, your readers Buzz your book theyre going to the Hive to
talk about it. Wouldnt you do this for one of your favorite
writers? We would. Most people into books would, if they really
enjoy what you write.

8. Offer a special Buzz Package: an excerpt, a jpeg of the book
cover, a brief biography of you, perhaps a jpeg of you, and a
link to buying the book for the web sites that might feature it.
Every time a webmaster asks for information on your book, send
a brief note with all the information the site will need for featuring
your book.

9. Create a virtual book online: pick an aspect of your book and
create an entire world for that book, and make it noteworthy.
Check out Dougs ehaunting.com site for his virtual haunted
house, with art and music.

10. Hire a friend as an informal publicist ask a friend (in exchange
for either money or some other compensation) to help spread
the word for you. Nothing formal just someone who might post
notes on web sites mentioning your book. Tell them to be honest:
the friend can say, "I'm working as a publicist for ________, a
good friend of mine, who just finished her first book on
gardening..."

11. Take one aspect of your story and create a special aura around
this particularly if it ties into something in the news.

31

Several years ago, Michael Crichton had a novel out called
Disclosure. The buzz on it had to do with reverse sexual
harassment then, this was a hot button for media Buzz.

Now, Disclosure was not really about reverse sexual harassment
that was a small part of a book about corporate high jinks, but
no one in the media wanted to hear about another novel about a
corrupt corporation.

But reverse sexual harassment now, that was news! So find the
angle within your book that coincides with something that's
already a bit of a hot topic out in the world ... and Buzz it!

12. Go to Google.com and enter search terms for your book. So, if
you have a book on dog-sitting, you might enter the words dog
sitter, or just dog care. Try to narrow down the search terms.
Now, see what sites come up. Often, thousands do.

Take your time and go to these sites and see what they have to
offer. Make a note of the webmasters email address. Send the
webmaster a note, asking if he or she would like to do an
interview with you about your book. Make sure to request (when
you do the interview) that there be a link back to your own site, or
to a place online where your book is sold.

13. Get involved! This is easy to say, hard to do.

If you're writing a novel about the love affair between Heloise
and Abelard, get to know the people in those communities online
who are into this, and don't sell your book to them but definitely
get to know them. All you need to do in email when you
correspond is put a signature line at the bottom of each email that
reads: Eternal Love: The Truth About Heloise and Abelard by
Jane Doe can be found at your favorite bookseller. (Or
something simple like that! )

14. Don't overlook the listservs! A listserv is simply a community of
like minds (or sometimes unlike minds) who gather in an email
group to discuss some topic. Usually, these lists are about
anything and everything, so long as people have gotten to know
each other.


32
You must not come on like gangbusters subtlety and genuine
friendliness is the key. Dont market. Dont push. Youre not there
to sell youre there to be part of the community.

Don't announce your book to the list the moment youre there.
First, say hi, tell them that you're glad you found them. Then, at
some point, they'll ask. Or you can put information about your
book in your sig line.

Just be part of the community and enjoy it. At best, you'll sell a
few books, but at worst, youll learn about the kinds of people
who would be interested in what youre writing. Easy listservs to
locate are at www.yahoogroups.com and www.topica.com

15. Make friends. This is something you were told in kindergarten,
and it still holds true. Don't break off friendships, don't focus your
unhappiness or disgruntledness at your Internet connection. This is
the world of "getting to know you." You wouldn't want to get to
know someone who had nothing to say but "buy my book," and
we wouldnt, either. The Internet, like life, is a give-and-take
medium. Give. Ask. Create. Learn where the lines are drawn.
And when a friend says, "I was just talking about your book to
my offline reading group," you will value the friend not for talking
about your book, but for being a good friend. The same way
you'll be a friend back.

16. Don't spend time slashing other writers on the Internet. First, it
looks bad for the slasher, not the slashee. Second, writing is not a
competitive sport each writer brings a unique perspective. And
third, it will put you two steps or more back in helping to get
word of your book out there. Writers dont seem smarter for
saying bad things about other peoples books. They just seem
petty and jealous.

17. Wake up every morning and jot down three ways you can get a
small amount of word out on your book as soon as you log on to
your Internet account.

This sounds simplistic, but you'd be amazed at what can come to
you first thing in the morning. Maybe you need to drop a note to
one of your Yahoo groups about a movie you saw last night. Or
maybe you can write an article for a web site. Participate,
participate, participate.

33

But remember: dont sit around hard-selling your book. No one
wants to hear that you have wares for sale. They want to hear
about your world, about what interests you and makes you
curious. Then, if they feel a connection, theyre likely to check out
your book.

18. Write articles for web sites for free. Yes, we said for free. Not
long articles that will take you weeks of research and expense.
We're talking about articles that you can write because you've
written a book already, and now you're promoting it. If an article
takes you a long time to write, youve written the wrong one. How
about Ten Tips for Growing Orchids? or The Five Ways to Get
Rejected by Publishers?

Write an article on How I Wrote My First Novel, or How to
Pick Lint Out of Your Navel (if that's what your book's about). A
brief, concise article with a bit of entertainment to it. Then, make
sure theres a link for buying your book with it. Send it off with a
note to web sites that might carry it.

19. Buy cheap banner ads. Yep, we said cheap. Find the niche web
site for your kind of book, then ask how much a banner ad would
cost. If its too much, move on; but you can buy banner ads on
some web sites for about $20 a month. So, spend a few hundred
dollars to point people to your site. Don't go overboard. (Unless
you're very wealthy and love to spend but in that case, buy a
thousand copies of this e-book for your friends!) People say
banner ads don't work. We say: banner ads are nearly
subliminal they reinforce your name and title, even if there
aren't a lot of click-throughs to your site. Plus, you're showing the
small community-oriented web site that you support them. In turn,
they will help support you.

20. Give away a free e-book. Sounds crazy, huh? But Doug has done
that twice with astounding results his print novels have sold
many times better than they had without the free e-book. His
recent free e-book may still be available get it at his download
page.

Seth Godin gave away several hundred thousand copies of his e-
book, Unleashing the IdeaVirus, and then, in just a couple of

34
months, sold the self-published version at $40 per copy to the
tune of over 30,000 copies!

Dougs own e-book has reached an estimated 100,000+ readers.

21. Have a contest for your fans from your own email list of readers
who love your book. Offer a gift certificate to the member who
entices the most new readers to your email list. Or just randomly
give a copy of your book to a list member once a month if youd
like and can afford to do so.

22. Piggyback #1 find an author whose book is complementary to
yours and split the work. Talk about both books together and
promote them together. Twice as many fingers on the
keyboards twice the attention.

Piggybacking is a major Buzz concept! With luck, youll be
connecting with other writers at www.BuzzYour.com as the
community gets under way, and you may find that another
writers book is the perfect one for the two of you to Piggyback
with yours.

What kind of complementary book? Say your book is a diet book
find someone with a make-over book. Sell them together. If your
book is a vitamin book find someone with a fitness or medical
book that is based on having a healthy lifestyle.

If you write fiction: Lets say your book is historical fiction and
takes place in England in the 1880s. Find someone who writes
historical fiction that takes place in France in the 1880s youre
likely to have similar readerships. And two heads truly are often
better than one!

23. Piggyback #2 find an entrepreneur who has a product that
works with your book. Lets say youve written an erotic novel that
is classy and that women will just adore then find a woman
online who sells really classy lingerie and ask her to sell your
book along with her lingerie line. Does your main character love
coffee to the point of distraction? Find a coffee distributor online
to help sell your novel, My Name is Caffeine.


35
24. Piggyback #3 find an online service or organization that could
use your book as a premium or incentive. Say your novel has an
organ donor in it who saves someones life by donating a kidney.
Go to the National Kidney Foundation and see if they want to
excerpt your novel online as a special promotion during their next
fundraiser.

Even if you give your book away free during this time its not
only for a good cause, but it will get lots of Buzz. We know it
always sounds nuts to give a book away free, but when it comes
to promoting your book, its one of the smartest ways to get
people reading and talking about it.

25. Have a contest on your web site asking for stories that will appear
in volume two of your book.

For instance, if you have a diet book, get a web site for it. Let
everyone know that you want success stories from your book, and
that their stories will all appear in the updated and revised edition
of your book. Be sure to get permission from them first.

If you all have tips that worked for you, and really feel that this
book or the BuzzYour.com web site really helped you get the
Buzz going on your book, we may include your case histories in
the next edition of Buzz Your Book! Be sure to visit the
www.BuzzYour.com web site early and often.

26. For fiction writers: let everyone know that you are going to make
someone famous in your next book. In order to qualify, people
have to sign up at your web site, and you will pick a winner who
will make a guest appearance on your web site and in your next
novel.

Doug recently ran a Name Game contest at his web site. Because
he writes horror & suspense novels, he announced that the winner
could be a character who gets killed in his next novel, The Hour
Before Dark. Tons of people from all over the world wrote in
with reasons why the character should be named for them. These
are people who are now thinking about and talking about a
book that wont be out for more than a year.

27. For nonfiction writers: create a Tips Newsletter for people
interested in what youre writing about. Get the word out to your

36
friends and to sites that might be interested in this newsletter. Tell
them that youre offering free tips on, say, growing and nurturing
bonsai trees. Then, offer inspirational tips and quotes from your
book, and suggest that people pass them around as long as they
include a link back to buying the book.

28. What about playing Tag? Author Brian Freeman had this idea,
and it makes getting Buzz a bit of fun and play: Heres how he
does it. He sends out a note about an e-book or project to his list
of friends (and who in email doesnt have 5 to 10 online friends
for sending notes? Make sure these are friends dont send this
to people you dont know well enough to approach. This wont
work if you just spam people. ) Brian turns it into a game.

Lets emphasize: send this to people you actually know. This
should be fun, not an exercise in how to alienate people.

Heres a recent example for a special e-book that Doug designed
for Stealth Presss online marketing campaign for a terrifying
collection of short stories by John Shirley:

subject: e-book TAG!

Hey Friend!

TAG! Youre it! You've been sent a special free e-book of John
Shirleys chilling short story, My Victim. The story is excerpted
from Shirleys hardcover collection, DARKNESS DIVIDED,
published by Stealth Press!

If the free e-book attachment has been forgotten, you can still
download the ebook for FREE here:

http://www.stealthpress.com/store/download.asp

Now that youve been tagged, you need to send this file to at
least 10 of your friends who are interested in a good horror
story! If you dont ... well, I cant tell you the horrible things that
will happen, but theyre pretty damn horrible! Dont let the curse
of the forgotten ebook get you!

Just send this email on to 10 of your friends, and you'll be OK.
When you're done, take some time to read My Victim by John

37
Shirley... although I suggest you do so in the day, with all the
lights on. It's one of _those_ stories...

Best wishes,
The Tag Master
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get a free e-book from Stealth Press, publisher of quality
hardcover books, by visiting their site here:
http://www.stealthpress.com/store/download.asp
Stealth's authors include: Peter Straub, F. Paul Wilson, Robert A.
Heinlein, Peter Atkins, Skipp & Spector, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro,
and many other amazing authors of horror and suspense!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

29. Unleash the Buzzstorm! Well, Seth Godin wrote a book called
Unleashing the Idea Virus so why not a Buzzstorm? Call up a
few friends who you know are sharp and fast, and start coming
up with ideas no matter how off the wall they sound.

Write these ideas down, or do a round-robin brainstorm in email
or in IM (Internet Message). Its hard to brainstorm alone it
wont even rain during that storm.

But if you get a few friends together, they will take pieces of ideas
and add them to yours and you will probably come up with a
better idea than you couldve on your own. If you use the Buzz
Plan in Chapter Five, as well as www.BuzzYour.com, youll have
resources for brainstorming that you never thought possible.

30. Ask other published authors. Some dont like revealing their trade
secrets, and others are sane and open about this stuff. Look for
author web sites and drop an email if you see something
interesting or if an author has approached marketing a book in a
certain way. And just ask them: howd you do it? You may get a
gem. At worst, you may begin to understand that everyone
approaches this differently.


38
31. Dont underestimate a http://www.google.com/ search.

Look up words or phrases that have something to do with your
book use http://www.google.com/, since, at the moment, it
seems to be the most complete.

This way, youll discover people and web sites that are already
interested in the kind of book youve written. Then, drop them a
polite note. Mention your book. Dont sell it to them. Let them
want to discover it. Your job is to intrigue them. Other search
engines worth trying: http://www.yahoo.com,
http://www.alltheweb.com/, http://www.dogpile.com/, and
http://www.hotbot.com/.

32. Make your name online.

We know that the term brand is thrown around a bit much
these days, and no author wants to be thought of like a box of
cereal. But being a brand-name author is what makes the sales in
the book world.

So: how can you make a brand name of yourself? First, you could
become the designated expert. How does this happen? Heres the
tip: find out what you do best. Were assuming it has something
to do with what you write about.

Now: offer your services to web sites free so long as theyll
link to your book.

Youve written a book on stuffing pillows? You are now the expert
on pillow-stuffing.

Find the sites that might want you for a Question-and-Answer
with their readers.

Youve written a science-fiction novel about alien abduction? Find
those Roswell sites and SETI sites, and get the word out that you
have spent three years researching the truth about aliens. (Only if
this is true. The world doesnt need more lies. We want truths!)

33. Use the BuzzYour newsletter (subscribe by sending an email to:
BuzzYour-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) and the message boards
at www.BuzzYour.com to jump-start your creativity and interact

39
with other readers of the BuzzYour.com books to see if your own
Buzz Plan is focused and useful.

And share information!

A thousand writers could do the same contest and still attract
thousands of different readers each. Dont be afraid to share and
contribute.

Youll really learn how to Buzz the more you get in and talk to
each other about ideas, thoughts, wacky ways of creating Buzz,
and more.

- - - - - - - - - - -

If you decide that youd like to post your own tips to the Message If you decide that youd like to post your own tips to the Message If you decide that youd like to post your own tips to the Message If you decide that youd like to post your own tips to the Message
Boards at Boards at Boards at Boards at www.BuzzYour.com www.BuzzYour.com www.BuzzYour.com www.BuzzYour.com and theyre useful to other writers, well and theyre useful to other writers, well and theyre useful to other writers, well and theyre useful to other writers, well
bring them into the ne bring them into the ne bring them into the ne bring them into the next edition of this e xt edition of this e xt edition of this e xt edition of this e- -- -book, with your name and book, with your name and book, with your name and book, with your name and
book mentioned. book mentioned. book mentioned. book mentioned.


40
R E M E M B E R T H A T O L D L E G E N D
A B O U T S T O N E S O U P ?

When the person comes to town and has nothing but a big cauldron
on his back, and the villagers dont want to share their food with him?
He puts a big stone in boiling water, and when the curious villagers
ask him what hes cooking, he tells them stone soup.

Theyre so curious, and hes so intriguing with his recipe, that the
villagers eventually bring out their vegetables and meats to add to the
soup.

In the end, the entire community has helped each other through this
sharing of resources. But the other side of the stone soup story is that
one person must first set up the pot and get the water boiling. Thats
what the www.BuzzYour.com Message Board is its the pot of water,
waiting for you to share your ideas and Buzz Plans with others, to
brainstorm and come up with unique ways to get all of your books
some Buzz.

Its not a magic formula its just common sense.

The Internet provides a way for like-minded individuals to meet and
brainstorm with each other and youll want to meet others and ask
each other questions.

From this kind of creative stimulation, move forward in your quest for
Buzz.

This can happen here, as well, if you really want the input of other
bright and creative minds.


41
- - - - - - - - - - -

Q U E S T I O N S

Which three ideas here stood out the most for me?

Which three tips made me think of ways of enhancing them for my
own book?

Which tips could I pick that sound like I could implement them
without spending much, if any, money?

Which tips would I need to create a small budget for and is this
worth doing?

What other books or businesses can I Piggyback with?

There is no way that writers can be tamed and There is no way that writers can be tamed and There is no way that writers can be tamed and There is no way that writers can be tamed and
rendered civilized or even curedthe only solution rendered civilized or even curedthe only solution rendered civilized or even curedthe only solution rendered civilized or even curedthe only solution
known to science is to provide the patient with an known to science is to provide the patient with an known to science is to provide the patient with an known to science is to provide the patient with an
isolation room, where he can endure t isolation room, where he can endure t isolation room, where he can endure t isolation room, where he can endure the acute stages he acute stages he acute stages he acute stages
in private and where food can be poked in to him in private and where food can be poked in to him in private and where food can be poked in to him in private and where food can be poked in to him
with a stick. with a stick. with a stick. with a stick.
Robert Heinlein

To which we add in 2001: To which we add in 2001: To which we add in 2001: To which we add in 2001:

Plus, the writer needs to get a good Internet connection and get out to
the local bookstores now and then to meet the people who read the
book.

42
[ CHAPTER FI VE]
the buzz plan the buzz plan the buzz plan the buzz plan

This is the heart of the book. Now that youve read all the tips weve
been collecting, and now that youre thinking in a creative way, its
time to create a plan for yourself.

And to create your own tips.

We came up with this set-up for ways of Buzzing our own books and
others its really a checklist. Play with it. Expand on it. Make it your
own. But definitely use it. Scribble all over it. Mark it up. Throw it out
and start over if your first Buzz Plan doesnt seem right.

Once youve completed your Buzz Plan, come over to our web site at
www.BuzzYour.com, post your Buzz Plan, and get input from other
writers.

Become a bit of a partner with your publisher send your publisher
your Buzz Plan as well. This will open lines of communication. Only
send the publisher what will help the publishing company with its
efforts. This is valuable and useful information in the marketing of your
book.

Make sure everyone you work with on the book knows about your
Buzz Plan, and ask everyone for input. You never know where a
brilliant idea for promotion will come from and there may be an
editorial assistant who has a cool brainstorm just waiting to erupt.

At the same time that you are working on your plan, you should be
setting up your web site if you dont already have one.

Y O U M U S T C R E A T E A W E B S I T E
T O B U Z Z O N L I N E .

A web site is absolutely integral to getting Buzz for your book online,
because its where you are going to send readers to find out more
about you and your work and where you are going to give them a
chance to communicate with you.


43

- - - - - - - - - - -

Your site might include: Your site might include: Your site might include: Your site might include:

1. A targeted page for the specific book, including bits of reviews
and any other recommendations by others.

2. A letter from the author welcoming the visitor.

3. A comments box for the visitor to write back to you. This could be
as simple as a guestbook, a message board, or even a link to
your email address.

4. A news page: whats new, what youre up to, or where youll be
signing books soon.

5. Your bio, on an About the Author page.

6. A link to sell the book either with an online bookseller or to your
own order the book page. If you have an 800 number, even
better.

7. A free article about some aspect of the book or of the writing of
it.

8. A free excerpt of the book.

9. Optional: a free e-book version to be downloaded.

10. A cover image of the book, along with an image of the author, if
possible.

11. A links page to exchange links to other web sites.

12. Anything that will make the web site sticky, and by that, we
mean anything you can come up with to keep people at your web
site whether its visuals or text or anything of interest to the kind
of person most likely to want to read your book.

- - - - - - - - - - -


44
In addition , make sure the site contains the following information
about your book. For fiction, you should mention what genre, if any, it
falls into; where it takes place; what period its set in; and who the
story is about. For nonfiction, describe how this book differs from
others and what its about.

For any book, state the title, price, publisher, format, and date of
publication. In addition, give the ISBN (pronounced IZ-bin), an
acronym for International Standard Book Number. You should have
one on your book. If you dont, get one. The number tells booksellers
and others who publishes your book and how to order it.

An author makes you notice, An author makes you notice, An author makes you notice, An author makes you notice,
makes you pay attention, makes you pay attention, makes you pay attention, makes you pay attention,
and this is a great gift. and this is a great gift. and this is a great gift. and this is a great gift.
Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

45
F I G U R I N G O U T Y O U R B U Z Z L I N E

OK, youve got a book, youre building a web site, you are thinking of
ways to connect to readers, librarians, booksellers and potential
buzzers.

The first thing you need is a BUZZLINE.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Whats My Buzzline? Whats My Buzzline? Whats My Buzzline? Whats My Buzzline?

Its the one line about your book that sets it apart.

It explains what is unique to your book be it fiction or nonfiction.

Its the line that people can repeat.

Its a line that is both conversation-worthy and newsworthy.

It is the line that differentiates your book from all books.

It explains why someone should buy and read your book with all the
other choices around.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Spend a while coming up with possible Buzzlines. Dont settle on one.
Live with them awhile. You are going to use this line in all the material
you send out, in your signature, on your Buzz cards or business
cards on your web site virtually everywhere. So make sure it is
everything it can be.

It doesnt have to be perfect. It just has to be the right Buzzline for your
book.


46
A N S W E R I N G Q U E S T I O N S
B U I L D I N G T H E P L A N

1. Describe your ideal reader: What kind of person? How old?
Divorced? Single? Married? Genre fan? Casual reader? Home
worker? Corporate boss?

2. Where does this reader go to find out about what he or she is
interested in? If the Internet, where? If the offline world, where?
Does this reader frequent bookstores? Independent bookstores or
chain stores? Is this reader most likely to buy your book in a
drugstore or at an online bookstore?

3. What is it about your book that will change this readers life
(even in a minor way such as entertain them for a few days, or
give them a much needed escape for a while) ? Or will the reader
think about the world differently after reading your book? In what
way? Or, perhaps, will the reader learn something important?

4. What kind of service can you provide to the reader in addtion to
your book? For instance, if your book is about beating the stock
market, can you also have a newsletter that goes out once a week
that gives additional stock market tips? If its a novel about a
woman who happens to be a great baker, can you send out a
newsletter with wonderful recipes every week?

5. What kind of valuable information can you give the reader in
addtion to whats in the book.?Or valuable entertainment? If the
reader buys your novel online, can you make sure they get a
bonus short story? If the reader comes to your web site, is there
something they can take away in their minds or hearts that will
remind them to talk about your book?

6. This may be the toughest question for you to answer, but its also
the simplest: what is the one thing your book can offer the reader
that they cant get anywhere else? Or if they can, how does your
book have that special twist or take on the standard fare?

7. Are there other events, books, writers, magazines, zines, or web
sites where you can piggyback and share resources with
complementary authors or projects, that will bring you both more
Buzz for each of your books without detracting from either? Do
you currently belong to listservs, online groups and/or forums?

47
List them. Find five more that fit with the subject matter of your
book or that would match your readers interests.

8. What are your hobbies? Even if they have nothing to do with
your book list them. Find other people interested in what you
are. You may just discover that people with things in common can
sometimes have similar tastes in other areas.

9. What web sites can you visit more often that can help you
connect to more readers? To more people with your interests?

10. Who do you know online and off who might help brainstorm and
spread the word? A best friend? A relative? A local shop owner?
Your neighbors college-age marketing student?

11. What is the most unusual thing about you other than being a
great author, e.g.: You are a Maltese dog owner? A cook? A very
committed parent? Identify your interests outside of your book,
and see where you can bring them into focus in promoting your
book.

12. Find 10 listservs that you can join that have to do with these other
great things about you. Start at www.yahoogroups.com, then
www.topica.com there are plenty there to choose from.

13. Find at least two offline non-Internet groups you can join that
are focused on these non-book aspects of your personality.

14. Find out if there are any local writers groups check your local
library, local bookstores, as well as local colleges. There may be
groups in your general neighborhood just waiting to have you
speak about how you wrote and published your book.

15. Make a list of all the local radio and TV shows in your area and
listen or watch for a week think of at least three ways to
approach them about featuring you or your book.

16. Are there any online book clubs that regularly discuss books in
your category or genre? Any offline book clubs that meet in your
library or local bookstores?

17. Find five web sites that have something in common with you or
your book or that attract your kind of readers.

48

18. Think of three articles you can write for those web sites in
exchange for their linking to your web site and helping promote
your book.

19. What is your signature line when you sign email? Rewrite it to
make it include the name of your latest book and a 10-word
summary.

20. Find five book review sites that dont have your book listed and
write to them offering a review copy.

21. Come up with a simple but creative contest you can run on high-
traffic web sites that have some connection to your book.

22. Come up with a contest you can run in your community to help
get Buzz going.

23. List all your alumni, religious, or political affiliations. Now make
plans to contact each one. What can you offer? Where, within
each group, can you ask for helping in getting Buzz for your
book?

24. Look for and make a list of other books/writers to create
Piggyback campaigns with. (And dont be disappointed if
theyre not interested. If your Buzzing goes well, they will be,
eventually.)

25. Make a list of all the independent and chain bookstores within
driving distance of where you live. Call or write and see if you
can do a signing. If not can you drop by the store and sign the
copies that are on the shelf?

26. Are there specialty stores that might sell your book? Make a list,
and contact them to see if you can get your book in their stores. If
you r book is New Age, you might get it in a store that sells
incense and crystals; if its a book on a special hobby of yours
(like candle-making), you might be able to place it in a craft
store; if its a local history, any number of local stores might carry
it on some kind of basis find out. All you have to do is ask.


49
27. Make a list of all the other authors within driving distance of
where you live. Call or write and see if you can do any signings
or events together.

28. Go back and reread the Buzz tips, for both online and offline.
Print out the pages and circle the items you know you can do.

29. List the five offline tips that you can best adapt to meet your goals.

30. List the five online tips that you can best adapt to meet your goals.


50
[ CHAPTER SI X]
brainstorming brainstorming brainstorming brainstorming
how to i how to i how to i how to improve your plan mprove your plan mprove your plan mprove your plan

After youve answered all 30 Buzz Plan questions and are happy with
your answers, theres still more to do.

First, finish this book, then go back and look over your plan again.
Perhaps some of the case histories we will be presenting in the next few
chapters will give you more ideas and help you improve your plan.

Theres nothing wrong with investing a lot of time into coming up with
the best Buzz plan you can. The more you tear into this and begin to
pinpoint specifically what it is thats special about your book and how
you can reach readers, the more you will gain, and the more likely it is
that your book will reach its widest possible readership.

When you are all done, dont forget to head out to the
www.BuzzYour.com web site and post your thoughts, questions, or
comments to other readers of this book. Send a blank email to:
BuzzYour-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to get the monthly newsletter
with Buzz tips, brainstorms, and inspirations.

If youre self If youre self If youre self If youre self- -- -publishing books for your readers, publishing books for your readers, publishing books for your readers, publishing books for your readers,
we strongly recommend tha we strongly recommend tha we strongly recommend tha we strongly recommend that you also get the t you also get the t you also get the t you also get the
print book print book print book print book How to Publish and Promote Online How to Publish and Promote Online How to Publish and Promote Online How to Publish and Promote Online. .. .
See: http://www.writersweekly.com/secrets

The biggest hurdle in this is not about getting attention for your book.

The biggest hurdle is changing the way you think about why a reader
comes to a book, and why your book is one that the reader will want
to discover.

Brainstorming is not a new technique; neither is creativity.

But, because of the Internet, and the way creative people can interact
within it, it feels like a new era in brainstorming and in getting Buzz for
books.

51
[ CHAPTER SEVEN]
the dos and donts of buzz the dos and donts of buzz the dos and donts of buzz the dos and donts of buzz

There are some ethical considerations with Buzz. As we said earlier,
Buzz aint spam.

Its not being annoying or harassing to people in the media or to
readers. Dont litter your local bookstore with flyers thats not the
Buzzstorm were talking about. You can do it, if you want, but thats
not what were advocating.

It really is about inviting readers to your book, without dragging them,
kicking and screaming, to it.

- - - - - - - - - - -

The Buzz Rule: The Buzz Rule: The Buzz Rule: The Buzz Rule:

Be proactive in getting noticed.

Put out intriguing information about yourself and your book, and let
the readers discover it for themselves.

Then they will do the Buzzing.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Buzz is no help if your book is not ready for it.

You cant sell a bad book more than once or twice. Mainly to your
family, who will not necessarily tell you how bad it is.

And you really cant make people like something they just wont enjoy.

If your novel or nonfiction book is not as good as or better than what
everyone else is reading, youre going to lose.


52
So make sure your book is up to snuff. Polish your manuscript if youre
self-publishing. Listen to editorial advice. It may be your baby, but it
has to compete with a lot of other babies out there.

Having said that, we assume youre here because you believe that your
book (whether self-published or published by Random House) is a fine
story or something that provides a special insight to readers.


53
Writing Writing Writing Writing is the only thing that, is the only thing that, is the only thing that, is the only thing that,
when I do it, I dont feel I should when I do it, I dont feel I should when I do it, I dont feel I should when I do it, I dont feel I should
be doing something else. be doing something else. be doing something else. be doing something else.
Gloria Steinem

Pop Quiz! Pop Quiz! Pop Quiz! Pop Quiz! We have a question for you, and you may need to do a
little soul-searching before answering. Here goes:

Do you think its bad for a writer to have to talk about the book or
write notes to other people about the book the writer has written?

If you do, we think you need to understand that to get Buzz, youre not
telling the world that you and your book are great. (Readers and
reviewers will do that for you, once you empower them to Buzz.)

You are giving people insight into the creative process of writing the
book, or the process of getting published, or you are conveying
something special about whats within the pages of the book itself that
will intrigue others.

T O P F I V E D O N T S F O R B U Z Z I N G
Y O U R B O O K

1. Dont become a pest at your local bookstore by rearranging
books or slipping your print newsletters into other peoples books.
(You wouldnt want this done to your book, would you?)

2. Dont send spam to anyone. If youre not sure what Internet spam
is, find out. Its essentially sending unsolicited email to people
who dont know you and wouldnt want it. They didnt Buzz you
in yet. Correctly done, Buzz will bring people to you and your
email list and this is not spam. Youll also get to know Web and
listserv communities, all of whom will be interested in what youre
doing, so long as you dont use a hard sell.

3. Dont be indirect with people. Be direct. If youd like to ask a
bookstore to carry your book, just ask. If youd like to send an
excerpt of your book to a Web community, send it to the
webmaster or list owner and ask if they wouldnt mind featuring
it. You might mention any background that will help the

54
webmaster know who you are and if youre credible with your
work. Be polite. Be honest. Dont sell anyone anything. Invite them
to check out your book.

4. Dont believe anyone who says, It cant be done.

5. Dont be discouraged if you believe in your book.


55
[ CHAPTER EI GHT]
top publicists give their top tips top publicists give their top tips top publicists give their top tips top publicists give their top tips
for getting buzz for getting buzz for getting buzz for getting buzz

B U Z Z E X C L U S I V E !

Weve asked some top publicists and public relations professionals to
offer advice for those of us who cant afford to hire them.

- - - - - - - - - - -

HERES ADVICE FROM MARY ELLEN GROSS, SIZZLE, AND SHARON GOLDINGER
OF PEOPLESPEAK.

What Are the Top Five Mistakes Do What Are the Top Five Mistakes Do What Are the Top Five Mistakes Do What Are the Top Five Mistakes Do- -- -It It It It- -- -Yourselfers Make When It Comes Yourselfers Make When It Comes Yourselfers Make When It Comes Yourselfers Make When It Comes
to PR? to PR? to PR? to PR?

1. People who have no public relations experience often think that
they can't do it themselves that only "the professionals" know
how. They are often tentative in their approach to the media.
However, many times the inventor of a product has a passion and
a perspective for his or her creation that no one else has.

2. People think they can do it all themselves. Not everybody has all
the requisite skills for all aspects of PR. Do what you do best. If
you're timid about using the telephone, if you're worried that your
angle isn't strong enough, if your computer or writing skills are
weak, get help from a friend, a family member, or a professional.

3. People leave long, rambling messages on a media person's voice
mail. Voice mails need to be short and to the point. Be prepared;
have a script, if that helps (but don't read right from it); rehearse
beforehand; and don't forget to give your name and phone
number at the beginning and the end of the message.

4. People forget that public relations and marketing professionals are
here to help the media, not the other way around. The media only
wants what will be of interest to readers, listeners, or viewers.
Editors will use a press release only if it fits in with what they

56
consider a newsworthy article that will be of interest to their
readers.

5. People sometimes do not pay enough attention to the materials
that they are sending to the press. All materials press releases,
fact sheets, testimonials, articles, and letters have to be
professionally written and produced. Do-it-yourselfers with
photocopied, generic letters need not bother wasting their
postage.

What Are Your Top Five Tips For Getting PR? What Are Your Top Five Tips For Getting PR? What Are Your Top Five Tips For Getting PR? What Are Your Top Five Tips For Getting PR?

1. Establish yourself as a credible source to the media. Become an
expert in what you do. Speak about your topic to local and
national groups and write articles about your subject matter. Be
available to the press to answer questions about your area of
experience when something newsworthy happens in your special
area.

2. Try to establish relationships with other organizations or
companies that you could partner with to share publicity or even
cosponsor an event.

3. Make sure you give your business card or brochure to everyone
you meet. You never know who knows whom and what a contact
can lead to.

4. Have your "elevator speech" ready. Be able to explain to
someone in one concise sentence (less than 30 seconds) what you
offer and its benefits. You should also have a 60-second follow-up
speech ready for when someone says, "Tell me more."

5. Find out which media people cover your area of expertise or your
product category. Who are the key players (in other companies,
in the media, in organizations)? Put those people on your mailing
list. Get to know what their opinions are. Let them know when
anything relevant happens to you, your product, or service.

Whats the Best Example of Creative PR Youve Seen? Whats the Best Example of Creative PR Youve Seen? Whats the Best Example of Creative PR Youve Seen? Whats the Best Example of Creative PR Youve Seen?

The best examples of creative PR that we have seen involve the use of
giveaways. Whether it's a free e-book on a web site, a free copy of a
book autographed and presented by the author, galleys in a reviewer's

57
hands, copies of a book donated to a favorite charity, or Mrs. Fields
giving away her fresh-baked cookies in front of a movie theater, the
more your product, invention, or book gets into people's hands for
them to see, use, or read, the more your sales will increase.

- - - - - - - - - - -

THE NEXT TIPS ARE FROM MARK FORTIER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLICITY FOR
GOLDBERG MCDUFFIE COMMUNICATIONS.
http://www.goldbergmcduffie.com/


1. Sending out blanket mailings or emails that will only get thrown
out or deleted as spam.

2. Using hype in press materials and pitches. If you need to
announce that your "prose is luminous," make sure its in a quote
attributed to someone else!

3. Pitching the wrong angle to the wrong publication.

4. Not understanding that no means no. Although nos can
sometimes be turned into yeses with fresh angles or cleverly
pitched tie-ins to events in the news, don't damage your
relationship with a contact by not taking no for an answer.

5. Don't coerce! Suggest and persuade!

What Are Your Top Five Tips What Are Your Top Five Tips What Are Your Top Five Tips What Are Your Top Five Tips for Getting PR? for Getting PR? for Getting PR? for Getting PR?

1. Personalize as much as possible, and use angles and subject
headings that are tailored to each publication.

2. Get to know each publication and writer inside and out, so you
appear as a knowledgeable source with relevant content and
story ideas.

3. Get to know the lead times of publications, and pitch on time.


58
4. Build relationships with editors by tipping them off on something
that isn't yours to gain credibility and to become relied upon as a
source.

5. Think like a journalist and find the news in your book or product.


For Black Madonna, a novel set in Little Italy, New York, we offered to
have the author give a private tour of the neighborhood to a New York
Times reporter. Think about what compelling angles might be in your
publication that might make you a unique source for an editor or
reporter.

- - - - - - - - - - -

THE FOLLOWING TIPS COME FROM JOHN DERRYBERRY, PAUL LESINSKI AND
AMY NEMECHEK OF A&R PARTNERS.

What Is the Top Mistake Do What Is the Top Mistake Do What Is the Top Mistake Do What Is the Top Mistake Do- -- -It It It It- -- -Yourselfers Make When It Comes to PR? Yourselfers Make When It Comes to PR? Yourselfers Make When It Comes to PR? Yourselfers Make When It Comes to PR?

Blanketing news releases and generic pitches rarely generate media
coverage it's important to read the publication you're pitching and
know the writer's interests before making a call or sending an e-mail.

What Are Your Top Tips for Getting PR? What Are Your Top Tips for Getting PR? What Are Your Top Tips for Getting PR? What Are Your Top Tips for Getting PR?

1. Start small. Everyone wants coverage in the national press, but
small local papers, newsletters, and tabloids that cover local
events are often more receptive. Once you get some awareness in
the smaller, more local publications, you can work your way "up
the food chain" to the major regional daily paper and onward
from there. Coverage in print media outlets could also help
someone springboard to broadcast outlets, depending on the
topic.

2. Most of the major regional daily papers also have online editions
that need fresh content mostly news, but also sometimes trends,
reviews, perspective pieces, profiles and other kinds of articles. In
some cases, the online editorial staff is a different set of people
from the reporters and editors for the print edition.


59
3. If a story pitch seems too self-serving, reporters can quickly be
turned off. Think about what additional elements, issues, trends,
etc. relate to your cause is there a way to make a case for some
kind of larger trend? Do you have a special expertise that might
be in demand? Can you provide a different or unexpected
perspective on an issue that is topical? Is there a surprise element
to what you're pitching? Does it go against conventional wisdom
or disturb expectations? This is what editors are looking for.
Humor also helps.

4. Finally, focus your efforts: don't try to be everywhere, you'll never
succeed. Instead, pick 10 media outlets that are most important to
you.

Watch or read them a few times, then construct your pitch using
an example of a story they have done recently. Your angle of
course should be unique, but use one of their stories as a template
for your own.

Whats the Best Example of Creative PR You Whats the Best Example of Creative PR You Whats the Best Example of Creative PR You Whats the Best Example of Creative PR Youve Seen? ve Seen? ve Seen? ve Seen?

The best thing to do is try to establish a relationship by being a
resource. If you identify the reporter that is mostly likely to cover your
issue, send them a short e-mail with some commentary on their most
recent article and offer to be a source for them if they ever need
perspective on XYZ. Sometimes the right creative/funny touch can
break the ice and get attention. Someone once sent a pitch for a
meeting in the form of a haiku poem. It led to a series of meetings with
various reporters and editors and eventually a cover story. Things don't
always turn out that well, but it shows that editors (who are bombarded
by hundreds of e-mails and calls a day) like to be surprised. As long as
it isn't too gimmicky too much tricky stuff can backfire if it seems over
the top. The main thing is to be human and memorable.


60
- - - - - - - - - - -

THESE TIPS ARE FROM MARGO DONOHUE, WHO HAS HER OWN PR AGENCY
IN NYC.


1. Not realizing how the different media outlets work. You never call
a TV news station after 3 p.m., for example, because that is when
they are preparing their evening newscasts.

Ditto for a news print outlet. Never call late in the afternoon,
because that is when they are on deadline. Ask if they are on
deadline, by the way. Its rude to assume they can talk at great
length.

2. Not taking into account that it takes many appearances on TV,
radio and print interviews before an idea will catch on. These
things do not happen overnight, even if you luck out with a
national TV spot. It takes time for people to "brand" you and what
you represent. Be patient.

3. I want to say this nicely but still make my point. Many authors
make the mistake that they can treat producers and editorial
assistants like "little people" and forget their manners. They feel
they only need to behave for the host (or interviewer) and cannot
be bothered with anyone else. I know of a very popular author
who appeared regularly on one of the top talk shows in the
country. This author made the mistake of treating the producers
rudely and saved their best face for the host. The host heard about
the author's appalling behavior before the show tapings and
promptly dropped their segments. You should always say
"please, "thank you," and "sure." Do not lose your patience, no
matter what. Ever.

4. For some reason, I have had authors and writers ask me if they
will be paid for interviews or for participating with news
segments. The answer is no.

5. Know when to quit. Know when to take no for an answer. There is
such a thing as being too ambitious and burning your bridges.
Handle it with grace. Ask the reporter, "What type of experts are
you looking for?" Say, "Maybe I can help in the future?"

61
What Ar What Ar What Ar What Are Your Top Five Tips for Getting PR? e Your Top Five Tips for Getting PR? e Your Top Five Tips for Getting PR? e Your Top Five Tips for Getting PR?

1. Well, take a good hard look at your product and ask honestly,
who is my audience? Find out what that potential person reads,
eats, drives, shops, and what music they like. Make it your
business to know.

2. Go to Barnes & Noble and devour the magazine section. Write
down names and addresses of publications you like. Don't just hit
the biggies. People magazine doesn't care! Work on your own
local market. Think locally and the rest will follow.

3. Pay attention to people on TV who take control of the camera.
Mimic them. Study them.

4. KNOW YOUR COMPETITION!

5. Think of the "why" answer. "Why should I write about you?"

- - - - - - - - - - -

THIS IS FROM SUZANNE GIBBONS NEFF, PRESIDENT OF SGN
COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING AND MOST RECENTLY VP OF CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS FOR PRIMEDIA AND ABOUT.COM.


1. To believe you have news.

2. To believe that sending out a press release will get you "ink."

3. Not following up.

4. Pitching publications you don't read.

5. Pitching reporters without understanding how they cover their
beat.


62
What Are Your Top Tips for Getting PR? What Are Your Top Tips for Getting PR? What Are Your Top Tips for Getting PR? What Are Your Top Tips for Getting PR?

1. Create a wish list of where you believe your "news" would have
the most impact.

2. Craft each pitch to fit that audience and hand-pitch your story.

3. Follow up. Follow up. Follow up.

4. Read and watch everything that pertains to your industry or
interest. Understand the trends, so that when you pitch you can
put your news into the context of what the producer or reporter is
tracking or what fits in with popular culture.


No reporter wants to give you free advertising, but what any media
person appreciates is a trend story or cultural phenomenon and/or
statistics and surveys they want research. Unless you have single-
handedly done something newsmaking, you need to think of your news
in relation to a larger story. Sometimes you take the risk of giving quite
a bit of effort for a not always huge return, but what you will most
certainly do is create an ongoing dialogue and relationship with the
reporter and producer and become a go-to source.

But ideally you want ownership of the story, and so you need to be the
authoritative voice. There are plenty of gimmicks and toys that will
bring attention to the coverage that you want, but with space limited
and the outlets for news dwindling, its best to think of how your pitch
has meaning beyond your own recognition.

Take a recent article in The New York Times about a Guide at
About.com. She was mentioned along with other sites that help
beginners learn the Internet. But she had an incredible human-interest
story about one of her elderly visitors to her site. That woman got a
half-page photo and gave a warm and wonderful tip of the hat to how
the guide at About.com helped her. Yep, there were several other sites
mentioned, but About.com's site was most certainly the winner and the
one that, long after the newspaper was in the recycle bin, was
remembered.


63
- - - - - - - - - - -

THE FOLLOWING TIPS ARE FROM SANDI MENDELSON, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF
OPERATING OFFICER, HILSINGER-MENDELSON INC.


1. The first big mistake they make is not having a thorough
understanding of the media they are pitching. You really only get
one shot to make an impression with the media, so the first contact
must be on target. Individuals should study the media; know who
they are pitching to; be aware of alternative potential TV, radio,
print and web venues, as well as possible magazine or
newspaper columns that might be appropriate for their message;
and develop specific angles to address media interest.

2. Another error made by those conducting their own promotional
campaigns is trying to secure national media before they are
ready. Its the same concept behind taking a Broadway show on
the road to get the kinks out. Often, a do-it-your-selfers
presentation needs refining and polishing, or the distribution and
fulfillment end for their product is not yet in place to handle the
attention that exposure will bring. Im very big on starting from a
grassroots base, building up a strong portfolio of local or regional
newspaper and TV clips, and then broadening the scope.

3. Newcomers to PR often mistake phone harassment for tenacity. Its
one thing to learn to turn a no into a yes; its quite another to keep
calling when youve gotten the definitive no." Its a very important
and sometimes subtly defined line. A good listener can hear when
a pitch is not being received well. They then could change the
pitch or come from another angle, or ask if there is anyone else at
the particular venue that might be interested in doing a piece that
the information may possibly complement. When the answer is
no, its time to say thanks and move on. The only reason to go
back, possibly, would be when theres a news tie-in or something
dramatic has occurred around the project, or there is fresh
material to support the story. Then the individual can regroup and
return to the media with a very solid effort.

4. The Internet has opened up the lines of communication, making it
possible to reach people anytime. This can be a great
convenience, but the privilege should not be abused.

64
Do-it-your-selfers should not hound the media via the Internet. I
would also suggest making an effort to put any critical information
in the body of their e-mail message, rather than sending an
attachment. People are leery of opening up attachments from
unfamiliar sources.

5. Do-it-your-selfers should also avoid the temptation of conducting
interviews before they are ready. Everyone must do his or her
homework in preparing a pitch and then presenting the material
with the most scintillating soundbite possible. Once a person does
any type of media and doesnt deliver, its going to be a long time
before she will be asked back or the media will want to interview
her again.

What Are Your Top Five Tips for Getting PR? What Are Your Top Five Tips for Getting PR? What Are Your Top Five Tips for Getting PR? What Are Your Top Five Tips for Getting PR?

1. Create solid press kit materials for you and your work, including a
press release on the product, an up-to-date bio, topics for
discussion, a Q&A, and a targeted pitch letter with a strong hook.
Make sure the materials have been proofed and are printed on
quality paper for the most professional look. If you can, send any
articles or mentions of things that you have done that are related
to the products theme and can position you well. And dont
stretch the truth. Refrain from hyperbole or an overemphasis of
your accomplishments or stature. You will be found out.

2. Pursue a story or an item in print to further your cause. Clips are
important additions to your press materials. Work with the editors
at your local paper to publish an article on you.

3. Speak at your neighborhood library, participate in local events,
become a presence in your community. This is your base of
support, and it will give you helpful experience in expressing
yourself, honing your message, and addressing groups of people.


65

Get out from behind your computer. Get out into the world and make
connections. Dont be caught waiting for the phone to ring. Take a
proactive role in making as many contacts as possible. Participate in as
many conventions, seminars, conferences, and similar networking
opportunities as you can. You never know whom you might meet, or
what idea may come forth.

Its important to create a presence for yourself on the Internet with your
own designated website. Reach out and identify other appropriate
websites, groups, and chat rooms. Think of creative ways to have
people read your work on the Web.

You might want to offer to do book reviews for local newspapers.

Immerse yourself in writing. If you were in the clothing industry, you
would study the racks or attend Fashion Week. Read everything you
can get your hands on in the category or genre you want to write in so
you get a sense of what it means to author a successful book. Take note
of what people are buying, what interests them. Get a sense of what
the consumer is seeking.


66
[ CHAPTER NI NE]
how other writers got buzz how other writers got buzz how other writers got buzz how other writers got buzz

Of the more than 70,000 books published each year, only a few
hundred have promotional budgets.

And even some of the bestselling authors who do get lots of promo
dollars still get out and promote and get themselves Buzz.

What you think Stephen King didnt enjoy getting all the Buzz when
he released his novella Riding the Bullet or his serial The Plant in 2000?

Nothing great was ever achieved Nothing great was ever achieved Nothing great was ever achieved Nothing great was ever achieved
without enthusiasm. without enthusiasm. without enthusiasm. without enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here are some more:

Anita Diamant, whose novel The Red Tent got Buzz, but not from
ads and expensive promotions. Those came only after she
personally contacted thousands of readers who she thought would
be interested in her novel. Word of mouth began to spread.
Independent booksellers got behind the book. And then sales took
off.

Preethi Nair, a smart and savvy and talented London writer
whose self-published novel Gypsy Masala buzzed through the
London bookselling community to become a bestseller.

Brandon Massey, a fascinating writer with a suspense novel called
Thunderland, who went from grass-roots Buzz with the communities
of readers he could reach first, to getting a lucrative two-book
hard/soft deal from a major publishing company in New York.

Seth Godin, a marketing guru in some respects one of the top
Internet brainstormers who gave away his free e-book and ended
up with more than a million readers.

Angela Adair-Hoy, who has made tons of money from the e-books
shes written, so much so that she went ahead and bought her own

67
publishing and bookselling company. But none of this would have
happened if she had not learned to generate Buzz.

The world of publishing and bookselling is changing so rapidly
because of the Internet. Thats because, as an intercom, the Web
allows readers and writers to connect to each other.

So if you are a writer and you arent connecting to your readers,
youre missing one of the best sales tools ever invented.

As an intercom, the net allows authors to invite readers to their sites, to
write to them, to exchange email..

Every day we hear more Buzz case histories write to us if you hear
any. Write to us and tell us your Buzz success stories, and we might
even add yours to our next book.

I N T H E I R O W N W O R D S

Here are how some authors have gotten Buzz. . . .

1. Brandon Sladder, the narrator of Jeffrey Franks Jeffrey Franks Jeffrey Franks Jeffrey Franks novel The
Columnist (from Simon & Schuster), has his own site intended as
a public service and to track the profound and revealing jottings
and utterances of the pundit class.

Visitors are invited to submit favorite citations from real journalists
and columnists in the spirit of Brandon Sladder. A letters
column offers mail to the writer and answers from his loyal
assistant.
www.brandonsladder.com

2. Angela Adair Angela Adair Angela Adair Angela Adair- -- -Hoy Hoy Hoy Hoy said that the most successful thing her
company ever did to promote their books online was to start a
free e-zine that distributes quality editorial content. Our
subscribers now number more than 55,000 and we land another
100+ each day. WritersWeekly.com is our free advertising
vehicle, which reminds readers of our books for sale on a weekly
basis.

68

How to Write, Publish and $ell Ebooks
http://www.writersweekly.com/index-ebooks.htm

3. Aliza Pilar Sherman Aliza Pilar Sherman Aliza Pilar Sherman Aliza Pilar Sherman said that for all three of her books
Cybergrrl: A Womans Guide to the World Wide Web (1998),
Cybergrrl@Work (2001) and PowerTools for Women in
Business (out in October), she has included anecdotes from 70 to
100 women. She emailed the women featured in the book and
encouraged them to buy books for friends and family and to write
to their local media to publicize the fact that they were in the
book.

Then, when I did book tours for my first two books, I invited
women featured in the book to appear with me and speak to the
audience. Theyd bring family and friends, and those were the
best-attended bookstore appearances I had.

For my new book, I am also creating a listserv for the women in
the
book to network with one another and am building a web site
where
women around the world can contribute their own stories to the
site
to share with others. Im also encouraging women to form local,
in-person or online discussion groups around the principles of my
book. I think all these tactics will generate a lot of additional
exposure because every reader, contributor and woman featured
will be a built-in marketing team for my book.

PowerTools for Women in Business: 10 Ways to Succeed in Life
and Work (Entrepreneur Press)
http://www.alizasherman.com

4. N.M. Kelby N.M. Kelby N.M. Kelby N.M. Kelby, author of In the Company of Angels, said that
signing the books on the shelves at bookstores (known as signing
stock,) worked the best for her. I love to meet people and talk
about writing. So dropping in at a bookstore and chatting with
the staff is just a wonderful experience. In general, they love
books and are interesting to talk to. Many of them write
themselves. I've had some great chats and really met wonderful
people doing this.


69
In addition, while you sign your book, you can pitch it. Tell the
staff about your reviews and why you wrote it.

Once signed, a book is usually is placed up front. I actually had
one owner make a table display for my book because we had so
much fun chatting. That bookstore, in a small Minnesota town,
sold over 150 copies in two months. The owner told me that every
other person who walked into the store and saw the display
walked out with a copy of In the Company of Angels.

That's a lot of books, said Kelby.

She added that not only do you add value to your book by doing
stock signings, but you can also make new friends who,
hopefully, will become your advocates.

And you can become theirs.

5. James Stevens James Stevens James Stevens James Stevens- -- -Arce Arce Arce Arce, author of Soulsaver, said that he created a
web site for the book containing sample chapters, review
excerpts, and readers comments.

I generate traffic to it by:

A. Including an extensive page of useful links for writers which I
continually add to,

B. Becoming a valued contributor to a number of online writing
and research discussion lists,

C. Creating a photo gallery page for each discussion group that
includes pictures of list members and links to their web sites
and/or publications, then continually updating each page,
and

D. Including the URL to my web site in my e-mail signature, along
with some brief promotional information about the book. I
also did web searches for online reviewing sites, contacted
them to see if they would be interested in reviewing my book,
and arranged for my publisher to send them review copies.
www.stevens-arce.com


70
6. Author Dan Brown Dan Brown Dan Brown Dan Brown said that his most successful on-line marketing
venture was placing a code at the end of Digital Fortress and
offering personalized bookplates to anyone who could break it.

I received tons of email about that and ended up sending out
almost a thousand bookplates. I suspect there were plenty of
people who came to www.danbrown.com looking for clues to
break the code, too. I also took out an ad in Radio and TV News
Report offering myself to radio talk shows that wanted to discuss
email privacy, government snooping, and the bizarre world of
the National Security Agency.

I gave over a hundred radio interviews (from my house on the
phone) in major markets, which I know really helped the novel.

With respect to my next book Angels & Demons -- I offered a
virtual tour (photos) of the locations in the novel Rome, Vatican,
Switzerland, CERN, etc. which was very popular online. The
British publishers are currently pondering an Angels & Demons
contest and offering a free trip to Rome to the winners.
http://www.danbrown.com

7. Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman, bestselling author of American Gods, said he had
a theory that people would like to learn about what happened
between handing in the book and publication. And because
American Gods was handed in so late with an immutable
publication date, it meant that everything that normally happens
over an eight-month period in publishing happened over four
months, which seemed like something that might be interesting to
document.

So I got HarperCollins to put up the www.Americangods.com
site as something rough and ready, allowing preordering and so
on, and mainly there in order that I could write a journal about
what goes on behind the scenes to bring a book to publication.

Gaiman figured he could probably write interesting things about
the mundania of what authors do things like responding to
copy-editing which would be fun to read.

And then we didn't promote it, said Gaiman. We just let
people find it themselves find it and tell each other it existed. I
was lucky, in that there are a lot of people waiting for me to write

71
another book. What was fun was focusing that interest and
incidentally educating people as I went.
www.NeilGaiman.com

8. Katherine Ramsland Katherine Ramsland Katherine Ramsland Katherine Ramsland primarily writes nonfiction and is best
known for her books about Anne Rice and her creations, as well
as a biography of Dean Koontz. Recently, shes written nonfiction
about vampires and ghosts. She has been a student and
professor of philosophy and forensics. She even has a great
book out on writing, called Bliss: Writing to Find Your True Self.
Heres what she had to say about how she approaches bookstore
events for these books:

I try to do something unique that will make them remember me,
such as wearing one of the outfits I devised to get information for
Piercing the Darkness: Undercover with Vampires in America
Today. For my new book, Ghost: Investigating the Other Side, I
show them ghost-hunting equipment and tell them stories in a way
that makes them feel how scary researching the book was.
Gimmicks are better than reading from a book or just talking
about it.
http://www.katherineramsland.com/

9. Michael Craft Michael Craft Michael Craft Michael Craft writes gay mysteries (www.michaelcraft.com). His
recent novels include Boy Toy and Name Games. Heres what
Michael had to say:

As a writer serving a niche market, I've found that my most
effective promotion, by far, has been the creation of my web site,
http://www.michaelcraft.com/.

My current publisher, St. Martins Press, lists the URL both on the
book jacket and on the frontispiece page that lists my other
novels, prompting many readers to visit the site and then to e-mail
me. This fan mail has surged since the publication of Boy Toy,
and the addresses form the backbone of a valuable list to which I
can promote future releases. For this to work, it's important for the
web site to invite the visitor's email clearly and repeatedly.
http://www.michaelcraft.com/

10. Tess Gerritsen Tess Gerritsen Tess Gerritsen Tess Gerritsen is a New York Times bestselling novelist of
mainstream suspense novels. Her recent science thriller, Gravity,

72
was a knockout, and her current medical thriller, The Surgeon,
will keep you turning pages.

Regarding what helps get a book across, Tess said, I still contend
that the number one sales factor is the book's cover design. Tess
emphasized the authors presence via a web site: With a web
site, the number of possible contacts is endless, while the price of
the outlay remains fixed.

I've tried mailings of bookmarks, which I suspect got tossed in
the trashcan. I've mailed flyers and tchotchkes to bookstores
appreciated by them, but I'm sure they're inundated with such
things. Plus, there's all that postage to pay.

The one thing I think has intrigued people most is a little
newsletter I write (now published only online) called CREEPY
BIOLOGICAL FACTS. I compile interesting, weird, or just plain
gross facts from the scientific literature and put them up on my
web site. Subjects have included the use of maggots by modern
physicians, hairballs in human stomachs, and the Candiru fish in
the Amazon, which swims up mens urethras, gets lodged there,
and causes so much pain it is probably one of the few elective
reasons for penile amputation. (Didnt I say it was gross stuff?)
When I analyze where in my web site surfers are most likely to
visit, its the Creepy Facts page.

And she does have a great web site check it out at
www.tessgerritsen.com

11. Christopher Golden Christopher Golden Christopher Golden Christopher Golden writes novels, like his novels Predator and
Prey, and Straight On Til Morning, as well as media tie-in books,
like his serialized Buffy, the Vampire Slayer serial, The Lost
Slayer. There are well over 6 million copies of his books in print.
Golden has developed a street team to help spread the word on
his books.

Golden told us: Struggling rock groups often recruit their fans as
a street team, calling radio stations to request their songs and
asking music stores to stock their CDs. I've recently embarked on
an experimental program, recruiting from those who have sent
me e-mail a list of people willing to go the extra mile to help
spread the word. My Wicked Street Team does the basics,
talking my work up in bookstores and libraries, and anywhere

73
else they can, but each month I send a package of free signed
books and other goodies to the one person who has gone beyond
the call of duty, whether it be through setting up an interview for
me or convincing their entire office staff to read my work. I have
no idea how much all of this is going to help in the long run, but
at the very least its an enjoyable way to connect with fans who
are passionate about my work.
www.christophergolden.com

12. Mary Jo Putney Mary Jo Putney Mary Jo Putney Mary Jo Putney is the bestselling author of the romance novels
The China Bride and The Spiral Path, among others. At her web
site, she offers readers a printable book list
www.maryjoputney.com/blistpr.htm as well as an easy way to
sign up for her newsletter. She lets her fans know about an
upcoming book in several ways, but feels her best idea has to do
with a giveaway.

When I have advance reading copies of an upcoming book, Ill
do giveaway drawings from among subscribers to my e-
newsletter and announce the drawing on a large romance reader
group that I belong to. This gets the books release known and
discussed, and, with luck, the winners like the ARC and talk it up
on-line. The ripples can spread pretty far, too.

For novelists on a budget with no Advance Reading Copy from a
publisher, she adds, A related tip is to make up faux galleys.
That is, print the book out in landscape mode, two columns per
page, single-spaced, in something legible like 10 pt. Times New
Roman. The result looks like galleys but is far cheaper to print out
out and mail, not to mention read. Even an author with no ARCs
can do this, both for contests and to give advance copies to
reviewers or booksellers.
www.MaryJoPutney.com

13. John Saul John Saul John Saul John Saul has been a megaselling horror and suspense novelist
for many years and has millions of fans. His most recent novel is
called The Manhattan Hunt Club, and it is a fast-paced tale of
terror and a national bestseller. Heres what Saul had to say:

After 25 years of writing books, I have experienced all kinds of
publicity and promotion, though I am infrequently in the rarefied
strata of having national exposure on, lets say, the Tonight Show
or the Today Show.

74

I think the most effective use of my time has been making special
contact
with the various accounts that purchase and sell my books and/or
place them in the book racks. My publisher has organized
numerous meetings, dinners, social events and just drop-bys to
meet the people who make the decisions to buy, display and
promote my books to their customers.

Not only has it helped my sales, but I, personally, enjoy meeting
all the people involved in the industry. I love to hear about the
business from their perspective and I consider all of us on the
same team. I can say the same thing for book signings. I've
enjoyed meeting the booksellers and spending time chatting with
them about their views of the publishing business. And it's given
me time to meet my fans.

I also believe in the new media and I was one of the first
novelists to have an official web site that I, personally, oversee. I
participate in the discussion boards on site and I personally
attend to all my e-mail from fans. I oversee all the activities of my
fan club. I enjoy hearing from my fans and I like providing a
place for them to communicate. When I have had some
nationwide exposure, I feel it was a boost to sales if it was directly
related to my current novel.
www.JohnSaul.com

14. Eileen Goudge Eileen Goudge Eileen Goudge Eileen Goudge began her bestselling career with a home-run hit,
Garden of Lies, and has been writing hugely popular novels for
many years. Heres what she had to say about the national
bestseller treatment when done by a major publishing company:

When Viking published my first novel, Garden of Lies, they did
a big push promotional galleys in a green box with a single silk
rose that were sent out to every buyer and key account, ads in
People and the New York Times book review, a huge window
display in Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue, not to mention point-
of-sale positioning in stores. In addition, I did interviews for
almost every major newspaper based on my own personal
success story welfare mom to millionaire.


75
I did a lot of TV in those days Good Morning, America, Maury
Povich, Geraldo, Gordon Elliott along with local TV news and
lots and lots of radio.

In fact, I met my husband, Sandy Kenyon, while on radio
satellite tour for Blessing in Disguise. We hit it off so well over the
phone, we just kept talking! The push for Garden of Lies paid off.
It was on the Times list for eight weeks in hardcover, 11 in
paperback. The paperback has since sold over a million copies
and 12 years after its publication has a healthy backlist life.

What doesn't work? I think book-signings, unless youre a name-
brand author or have written a nonfiction hot button title, are
mostly useless. Its like pulling teeth to get people to come, and
unless you have lots of friends and relatives the crowd can be
thin. Only the savviest of booksellers know how to stage a
successful event; the rest just throw authors at the wall like
sphaghetti and see what sticks. I am extremely choosy about
when and where Ill do an event.

An example of a successful event is the one I did for my latest
book, Stranger in Paradise, which just came out. My publisher
hosted it in a small but lively bookstore on the main street of Ojai,
California, where the book is set. We had people from all over
the area, including LA. It was a nice turnout, and we sold a good
number of books in addition to generating local press.

The other thing I no longer do is tour. They can be useful if
planned and executed properly, but so often thats not the case. I
remember one particularly brutal tour of libraries in the Midwest.
Most of my events hadnt even been advertised other than a sign
stuck up, so the turnout in all but a few cities was sparse.

I spent two broiling weeks racing from one airport to the next,
and for what? I would have done better to stay home and work
on my next book.

For those contemplating or planning a tour, I would suggest that
you and/or your publicist work closely with the media escort in
any given location. Their purpose is to chauffeur authors from
one gig to the next, but the escorts I've worked with are very
familiar with their turf. They often know newspapers and radio
stations that arent on the agenda and are friendly with talk-show

76
hosts and reporters. If you get their names and call them in
advance (something publishers are loath to do, for some reason)
they can act as your PR person in that town or city. Sometimes
they charge for this service, but usually not much compared to
what they offer in return.
www.EileenGoudge.com

15. David Feldman David Feldman David Feldman David Feldman has written the Imponderables series of books.
His most recent ones include How Do Astronauts Scratch an Itch?
and A World of Imponderables. He had the brilliant idea to get
his readers involved in his books early on. Heres what Feldman
had to say:

The most valuable marketing idea I implemented for my
Imponderables series cost me nothing and gained me not only
more sales, but great pleasure.

My first book, Imponderables, answered little mysteries of life
that had always mystified me. My editor, Eunice Riedel, allowed
me to encourage readers (in the introduction and in a separate
page at the end of the book) to write me with their
Imponderables, their comments. I rented a post office box and
hoped for the best.

The letters were so numerous and full of great mysteries that I
decided not only that I could write a sequel, but that Id devote
myself to focusing on answering the conundrums of readers,
instead of my own.

I have now written nine more books based on reader
contributions. I havent really needed the questions, and it has
probably been more work to respond to more than 30,000 letters
and emails than it would have been to conjure up my own
questions, but the benefits have been worth the effort.

Readers appreciate hearing from authors and feeling part of the
books they read. And hearing from readers helps ameliorate the
isolation and occasional loneliness that afflicts most authors.

How wonderful to get to know your readers, to write not for
faceless thems, but for your friends.


77
When you think about marketing your book, consider not just
how you can reach your potential readers, but how you can
connect with them.
http://www.imponderables.com

16. Terry Brooks Terry Brooks Terry Brooks Terry Brooks is the New York Times bestselling writer of such
major fantasy novels as The Sword of Shannara and The Voyage
of the Jerle Shannara #2: Antrax.

The most effective promotion either my publisher or I ever did
was one we are in the middle of experimenting with now. I
actually stole this idea from Jean Auel (although she gave me
permission to steal it, so that really isn't actionable theft, says the
former lawyer).

We were having dinner a couple of years ago at a restaurant
near her home in Oregon, and one of the waitresses recognized
her. She asked for a signature, and Jean pulled out a 4-by-5 card
which listed her books, name, and publishing contact. The
waitress was very grateful for the card, and I thought that was
pretty cool. We all get those requests, but usually all you have is
a scrap of paper or something equally mundane.

So I printed up some cards of my own and started using them. I
carried them everywhere and gave them out to whoever asked for
something personal.

But they didnt fit very well in standard-issue envelopes, and I
wanted to include them in responses to fan mail.

Bookmarks, I thought, might work better.

After some discussion, Del Rey Books agreed to print up several
thousand book marks using the cover art fromVoyage of the Jerle
Shannara: Ilse Witch, which at the time was my most recent book.
These would be in color, with some art and my picture on one
side and a bibliography and official web sites listed on the other.

The result was amazing. We fantasy fanatics love our art, and
visuals go a long way towards giving a little something extra to
our love of the writing. Readers have told me over and over how
much they like the bookmarks, and new readers have been
drawn to the books simply because they like what they see on the

78
cards. It has proven an effective, simple way to let people know
what you have written, how the series form, and whether or not
this is something they might like to take a look at.

17. According to Janet Evanovich Janet Evanovich Janet Evanovich Janet Evanovich, New York Times bestselling writer
of Seven Up, Four to Score, and a host of other delightful
mysteries, its her web site. Heres what she told us:

The best promotion ever is my web site. My daughter works at it
full time, and its constantly updated. One of the central goals of
the site is to build the mailing list. We do this through contests
and sign-ups on the home page. We get a million hits a month on
the site and have a mailing list of about 30,000 and growing.
The mailing list is important because it allows me to inform my
readers of my pub date.
www.evanovich.com

18. For Nora Roberts Nora Roberts Nora Roberts Nora Roberts, the interaction with readers makes the Internet
her number one way of getting the word out about her books.

Nora Roberts has had more New York Times bestsellers in one
year than most writers have in a lifetime. And she has been on
the List as herself and as her pseudonym (J.D. Robb), which is
quite a feat! She began her career writing category romances,
and although she currently writes mainstream novels and even
science fiction (as J.D. Robb), she continues to write romance
novels as well. Her recent bestsellers are Dance Upon the Air and
The Villa. Heres what she had to tell us:

I think the most effective grassroots-style promotion I've done is
just being active on the Internet. Posting on message boards,
interacting with readers. Meeting them, in cyberspace and then irl
[in real life].

I love the connection and believe its invaluable.

Several years ago, a group whod gotten to know each other
through one of my message boards on AOL decided to come to
the July anniversary signing at my husbands bookstore. These
women had never met in irl. But they drove in, flew in, met each
other at airports, carpooled, and came together for a weekend.
Shared hotel rooms, did sight-seeing, and got to know each
other.

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This past July, though not everyones made it each time, and
there are new faces each time, they came to our anniversary
signing for the fifth year running.

It's great promotion, sure. These people buy books, and buy
them by the score. But its also been one of the most rewarding
experiences for me, on a personal level..
www.NoraRoberts.com


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T W E N T Y A U T H O R O R B O O K W E B S I T E S Y O U
N E E D T O C H E C K O U T F O R B U Z Z

1. www.BrandonMassey.com

2. www.StephenKing.com

3. www.gypsymasala.com

4. www.NeilGaiman.com

5. www.AuthorsontheWeb.com

6. www.PublishandPromote.com

7. www.JeanneKalogridis.com

8. www.WarrenAdler.com

9. www.ToddHayes.com

10. www.JulieGarwood.com

11. www.TessGerritsen.com

12. www.NoraRoberts.com

13. www.EricaJong.com

14. www.CarolynHart.com

15. www.having-a-baby.com

16. www.SusanBrownmiller.com

17. www.MichaelILeahey.com

18. www.TABarron.com

19. www.DouglasClegg.com

20. www.mjrose.com


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- - - - - - - - - - -

S O M E Q U E S T I O N S T O A N S W E R
A F T E R S T U D Y I N G A T L E A S T
F I V E O F T H E S E S I T E S

What do these web sites have in common?

Whats different about them? Are they clear and straightforward?
Absorbing? Difficult to navigate?

Is it clear that theres a book at all being promoted on these web
sites?

How do they encourage the visitor or reader to go forth and Buzz?

How do they encourage the visitor to get more involved?

Whats the first thing you see at the web site? Does this sell the
book or the author?

Which of these web sites seem confusing and how could this be
avoided?


82
[ CHAPTER TEN]
seth godin and free e seth godin and free e seth godin and free e seth godin and free e- -- -books books books books

Historically, publishing has not been on the cutting edge of new or
innovative ways to market books or new authors. Expensive PR or
advertising campaigns which do work are reserved for those
writers and titles that are already brand names or success stories.

But these costly efforts cant guarantee sales results for an unknown.

What does sell first novels and new titles?

Well, reviews do. But its very difficult for new authors, self-published
authors, or e-book authors to get reviewed by the literary
establishment. The reason has to do with the sheer number of books
published each year.

Traditional houses release more than 50,000 titles. Add to that an
estimated 20,000 to 50,000 self-published or subsidy-published e-
books, and you have a very crowded arena. And those numbers are
growing.

Despite all that bad news, one thing has been proven to work to
catapult a book even a small book by a totally unknown author
and it has nothing to do with spending money.

W H A T W O R K S I S A G R A S S - R O O T S
W O R D - O F - M O U T H C A M P A I G N

Except how do you get word of mouth? How do you build Buzz? How
do you get people telling other people who will tell yet other people
about your new book, be it self-published, published by a big NY
house or published by a small university press?

Before the Internet, it was very difficult. But these days its much easier.

Best-selling author Seth Godin recently proved just how successful a
word-of-mouth, person-to-person campaign can be. But he has a more
contemporary way to describe this marketing concept he calls it
Unleashing the IdeaVirus. And hes not only written a book on the

83
subject; he also became his own guinea pig to prove the ideas in his
book worked.

Granted, Godin was not an unknown, but there is still much to garner
from his plan. In order to analyze it, we should first look at Godins
objective. Not only is a simple one, but its one any writer can identify
with Godin wanted to sell his book.

The very premise of Unleashing the Idea Virus in Godins words is:
Marketing by interrupting people isnt cost-effective anymore. You
cant afford to seek out people and send them unwanted marketing
messages, in large groups, and hope that some will send you money.

Instead, the future belongs to marketers who establish a foundation
and process where interested people can market to each other. Ignite
consumer networks and then get out of the way and let them talk.

Now, that is very good news for authors those with money to spend
on marketing and those without. Godins experience and his book will
give you ideas for what you can do with your title.

H O W T O S T A R T A N D S P R E A D A V I R U S

Godin came up with a radical idea: In order to get word of mouth for
his book, Unleashing the IdeaVirus, he would give away unlimited free
copies of an e-book version. He hoped people would be interested
enough to tell other people about this unusual free book even to
email their friends copies of the e-book.

He calls this procedure having people sneeze and unleash the virus.
Or, in other words, spread the word. He believed that once the virus
had spread and people started to read their free e-books on their
computers, PDAs or Palm Pilots, theyd like what they were reading
enough to decide to buy a paper copy of the book so they could read it
in the traditional way and then put it on their bookshelves.

It was such a revolutionary idea, and so counter to the prevailing
wisdom in the publishing business, Godins publisher refused to try it.

Their feeling was that if they gave my book away for free theyd
devalue it, said Godin.


84
So he turned down Simon and Schusters very sizeable advance for
Unleashing the IdeaVirus, self-published the book and began to
unleash his own marketing plan.

Godin the founder of Yoyodyne, the first direct marketer on the
Internet, which was acquired by Yahoo in 1998 felt certain the plan
would work. And he cites his experience with his previous bestseller,
Permission Marketing, as giving him that assurance. When we offered
a third of the book for free, more than 100,000 people asked for a
sample, he said.

This led to an instant increase in sales, much to the surprise of his
publisher, Godin explained. So this time with Unleashing The
IdeaVirus - instead of giving away a third, Godin chose to share the
entire e-book. I hoped to show that digital media wants to be free,
and that those who contribute their ideas and throw up the fewest
barriers are the ones who benefit the most.

P R O O F I S I N T H E N U M B E R S

In a little more than six weeks after Godin released his free e-book on
the web from his own web site, www.UnleashingtheIdeaVirus.com, as
well as other sites, more than 200, 000 people downloaded it.

Godin believes that, with pass-along, another 200,000 people read it.

When the hardcover went on sale, the 26,000 print run sold out in
only three weeks. And that was at a cost of $40 for a small 200-page
book. Now Godin is looking at plans for a paperback version.

And all this was done on the Internet. Not a single book was sold
through a brick-and-mortar store. (Not that we dont love bookstores
imagine how many more copies he would have sold if hed been in
stores too!)

Unleashing the IdeaVirus is about showing that in todays business
world the ideas that spread fastest win and prove that thesis it did.
Godins marketing plan is one any writer can adopt. If you dont want
to give away copies of your new book, give away copies of a book
youve written thats out of print. Or give away a collection of short
stories to get attention for a novel. Or give away half the chapters of a
nonfiction book to get readers interested and talking.


85
Whether its a new book or a new kind of candy, above all you want
your idea to spread and to do that you have to get people talking
about it.

Through this marketing effort Godin sent a message not only to the
publishing industry but to all authors big and small. The Internet
does for entrepreneurs what radio did for records, Godin said.

Just as giving away songs on the radio makes musicians more money,
giving away your work online works to advertise your work and
spread word of mouth.

A D V I C E F O R N E W A U T H O R S

For years, weve known that a book reading in a store or an
appearance on Oprah leads to increased sales. And that a long
excerpt in The New Yorker can move up a title on a best seller list. So,
Godin asked, why not take those concepts and push them to an
extreme?

It worked for him, and it can work for every author. Neophyte or
veteran. Writers of fiction and nonfiction alike.

Of all the authors Id sugest try this marketing technique Id say new
authors can gain the most, Godin said over lunch in New York City.
For one thing very few new authors are making a living off their
books, anyway.

So why not take a first novel, a collection of articles, or a new thesis,
then turn them into a free e-book and get yourself read. You might
wind up making a name for yourself and even selling tens of thousands
of copies of your other titles or your next title.

Godin thinks that writers can use their work as sampling devices to
introduce themselves to huge groups of potential fans. If your free first
book gets everyone to buy your second book youve won, said
Godin.

Historically, crime pulp fiction novels created an entire genre that is
now published in hardcover first. So Godins advice to authors is to
think of your first book as the cheap pulp paperback that will create the
expensive hardcover sales.


86

G O D I N H A S S O M E O T H E R
S U G G E S T I O N S T O O F F E R A U T H O R S
B A S E D O N H I S E X P E R I M E N T

1. Make your home page simple and let people know exactly what
you are offering and what they are going to get. I made my
home page too complicated, he said. People were a little
confused when they got there. I assumed too much.

2. Godin also suggests offering a non-PDF first chapter on the site to
let people read that first and get them hooked without having to
download any software if they dont already have it on their
desktop.

3. Finally, he felt that if his hardcover had been available when his
free e-book first came out instead of eight weeks later he
would have sold even more copies. So have your free book and
your printed book available at the same time.

Like many people in the publishing industry, Godin thinks that e-books
are a great marketing device, but they are not yet a great reading
experience. He thinks its early for e-books to replace print. So put
your work out there in e, get people hooked on it, and then theyll
switch to the medium they like, he said.

L I T T L E R I S K , B I G G A I N

The beauty of Godins system is that there was very little financial risk,
unlike for traditional publishers who print 20,000 copies and get as
much as 30 percent returned. But Godin was in the position of printing
only as many copies as were ordered.

With the unlimited distribution channels available online and the ability
to produce an e-book instantly and perfectly, Godin thinks there will be
an abundance of free books online in the near future. My feeling is
that e-books are going to be free, he continued. When you look at
the model, you realize e-books have more in common with Internet
sites than with traditional books.

Based on his experiment and other signs, Godin even goes so far as to
suggest that the concept that a writer will get paid for writing may soon
be a thing of the past.


87
He predicts that corporations will begin sponsoring writers and
financing both fiction and nonfiction in order to have content to offer.

The Web is all about taking things to extremes: Don't just offer cheap
e-mail, make it free. Don't just offer cheap music, make it free. I
decided to push the limit and offer my book for free, he said.

C A S E S T U D Y O R B O O K R E V I E W

Writing about Godins marketing plan is like giving his book a starred
review, because between the covers of this unusual book, authors can
learn so much about smart marketing.

He doesnt just suggest that ideas, like viruses, are contagious; he
explains why and gives dozens of examples showing why information
can spread most effectively from customer to customer, rather than
from a single controlling marketer to the customer. He identifies certain
types of people as sneezers who pass the idea along and tells you
how to approach sneezers and use them.

In charts and graphs and formulas that are easy to understand and
follow, Godin shows how telling 10 people about your idea or your
book will eventually lead to thousands hearing about it.

So whether you have a How to book or an anthology of poetry, there
is something you can learn from Godin. And if you follow his thesis,
theres no guarantee youll have a bestseller but you will get read.
And thats the first step to getting Buzz and building a career.

And if your book is good, it will get Buzz, and youll be on your way.


88
- - - - - - - - - - -

Q U E S T I O N S

What could I create on the Internet that would attract readers to my
book?

What is inside Seth Godins book that made it so Buzz-worthy?
(www.ideavirus.com)

Is there something I can excerpt or give away to attract a similar-
but-different kind of Buzz to my own book?

Have I coordinated the publication of my book with a web site and
a game plan for reaching the potential readers of my book?

How many ways could I get readers to sample and Buzz about my
books to encourage them to buy the books?


89
[ CHAPTER ELEVEN]
s ss shameless online hameless online hameless online hameless online
the art of web promotion the art of web promotion the art of web promotion the art of web promotion

Those who do it admit its not quick and its not easy, but self-
promotion on the Internet does work.

Whether youre pushing a self-published novel or helping your
publisher sell your newest title, the World Wide Web is a huge
marketing vista. And while the superhighway requires some skill to
navigate, there are free or inexpensive strategies that even a Net
newcomer can implement with success.

Cathie Beck hosts a weekly chat group on a major Internet site to
help other authors find their own stories. Her chat group is
appropriately named for her book: You *Should* Write a Book.

Lisa Rogack created a whole holiday around her novel. She devised
Straight Spouse Month in order to promote her book Pretzel Logic,
which is about something very near and dear to her a straight
woman learning she is married to a gay man.

Angela Adair-Hoy is a writer, author and publisher who makes about
$5,000 a month selling e-books for writers. These are just her own
books, and she tells other writers how they can make as much or more
with their work. Angela puts this into practice by selling others e-books
and Print-On-Demand books through her site at www.booklocker.com.

Penny Bridges set up herself up as an expert in alternative publishing at
About.com and built a loyal following, knowing that once she was
ready to push her book, shed have a major pulpit from which to shout.

These women use very similar strategies, techniques they say anyone
can adopt.

O N L I N E P R O M O T I O N

It takes some guts and chutzpah. It takes some creative thinking. Youve
got a book and you want other people to find out about it. What do
you do first? What do you do after that?


90
Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: I wrote the book first (You *Should* Write a Book!).
Youve got to have a product to web-promote.

Then I joined a community on the Web. For me, that meant hooking
up with a large, already-in-place womens web site, and I chose
ivillage.com. There, I began hosting a live chat, a message board
(visitors can post, ask questions, etc.) and a personal web site with a
writers forum for interaction.

I also publish a weekly on-line magazine, You Should Write! E-mag,
with lots of topic-related info, tips, news, etc. Now Ive got a standing,
growing fan club, so to speak.

Lisa Rogack: Lisa Rogack: Lisa Rogack: Lisa Rogack: When Pretzel Logic was first published, actually before, I
decided to create a tie-in web site with a name that would be easy to
remember when doing radio shows and newspaper interviews. So I
created www.straightspouse.com. People remember the name, and it's
a lot easier than finding a pen when you're driving to work to write
down an 800 number. Plus, so many newspapers put their print edition
online, which is double the exposure, essentially.

Whenever the novel was mentioned in another newspaper article, I
put the date and newspaper name in my e-mail signature, along with
my web sites address."

Angela Adair Angela Adair Angela Adair Angela Adair- -- -Hoy: Hoy: Hoy: Hoy: To promote my self-published books, I created a
free e-mag (email newsletter) for freelance writers, which featured
freelance job listings and new paying markets. My e-mag subsequently
generated sales for my secondary products (books on how to make
more money writing). I quickly noticed that the more subscribers I
attracted, the higher my income was.

Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: Early on, I discovered that marketing and promotion
are essential to keeping the book alive after it has been published and
so with the success of M.J. Rose and Lip Service as my inspiration I
decided to harness the power of the Internet and (forgive me, Horace
Greely) head Web, young woman.

In addition to setting up a web site for the book and branding my title
with its own URL, i.e., www.bobbridges.com, I have used the Internet
for everything from getting reviews, to offering review copies, to getting
interviews by responding to postings from publishing email listservs."

P U T T I N G T H E T E C H N I Q U E S T O W O R K

91

Take a deep breath and settle down in a comfortable chair. It takes
time to make the net work for you. Too many people just build a web
site and hope someone comes.

Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: At first, no one knows you. But after youve participated
online for a while, you not only get known you get better (& better &
better) known. For example, the first week I launched my web site, I
averaged 10 hits a day. Its twice that now, after only a handful of
weeks running.

Lisa Rogak: Lisa Rogak: Lisa Rogak: Lisa Rogak: I think traditional and online publicity feed on each other,
so its kind of impossible to track how well either of my efforts did. But I
did move 500 books the first month, both selling directly and through
Amazon and bookstores via my distributor.

Angela Adair Angela Adair Angela Adair Angela Adair- -- -Hoy: Hoy: Hoy: Hoy: My web site didn't generate an impressive profit
until I bumped my free e-mag to weekly. Likewise, my sales didn't
really skyrocket until I wrote and self-published the first book about
writing, publishing and selling e-books. I'm not shy about telling
people that my revenues average $4-5,000 each month, from my little
publishing company located in my bedroom.

However, September was a surprise. Our revenues totaled $6,800,
almost all a result of e-book sales."

Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: As a specific example, I found other books on
Amazon.com that were similar to mine in subject and then emailed
people who had left reviews (and their email addresses), offering a
free review copy in return for posting a review on Amazon.com.
Several took me up on the offer and added to my growing
Amazon.com review section.

Another specific example: I researched Y2K web sites and contacted
the editors via email and then sent them review copies. My book has a
Y2K theme and so this was a very helpful way to target a very specific
audience that would have a natural interest in the book.


92
O V E R C O M I N G O B S T A C L E S

You have to be brazen and brave, and remember: If you go too far,
online no one can see you blush.

Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: Learn whos made it, ask questions, ask for advice.
Bear
in mind that the Internet is a wild, wild West-like vehicle the bad
news being that absolutely no ones got a surefire methodology for
efficient, guaranteed results.

As for overcoming psychological barriers, simply becoming a
salesperson is a psychological leap of gargantuan proportions for me.

Lisa Rogak: Lisa Rogak: Lisa Rogak: Lisa Rogak: The hardest part was trying to figure out which sites/e-
zines were worth the bother. So many of the book review sites are
hobbies for the webmasters, with no clue to significant traffic.

But I had no psychological barriers to overcome. I was born to do
this.

Angela Adair Angela Adair Angela Adair Angela Adair- -- -Hoy: Hoy: Hoy: Hoy: I know that an e-mag must have a complementary
web site to be profitable. Learning HTML was, by far, the largest
obstacle for growing my business. I consider myself functionally HTML
illiterate. However, anyone with a wysiwyg (what you see is what you
get) HTML program can make an attractive homepage in no time.

To self-promote, I had to really believe that my products were as good
as my readers said they were.

Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: The difficult part was mustering up the courage to
contact strangers about something that means a lot to me but may not
mean much to them.

Obstacles to overcome? Fear of rejection; fighting the pull of inertia;
and the constant battle to find enough time to do all the promoting
necessary to lift a book from obscurity.


93
W H A T W O R K E D , W H A T D I D N ' T

We all make mistakes, but thats part of the learning curve.

Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: Cathie Beck: Best strategies? Id say three things:

1. Listening closely to those who have succeeded before you;

2. Letting an already established e-book publisher publish my book
AND SELL IT (thats what theyre in business for); and

3. Creating a Web presence for myself and my book vis-a-vis web
site, chat, & message board. Im finding things work in tandem.

The least effective? Trying to short-cut the building Web-presence
process, i.e., jumping into sites and shamelessly promoting either
myself or my book there. Web people want sincere help, interchange,
and value. Just listing in a hundred places, for example, not only gets
you kicked off wherever you may have listed, but offends visitors they
see you as a huckster."

Lisa Rogak: Lisa Rogak: Lisa Rogak: Lisa Rogak: Most effective was putting up my web site. Plus, I
participated in an online book club via email, which was illuminating.
People were intimidated by the thought of the author hearing their
feedback, but it was a wonderful way to move a chunk of books in a
short period of time.

Not sure (about the least effective technique). My strategy is to toss it
all out there, knowing some of it will stick.

Angela Adair Angela Adair Angela Adair Angela Adair- -- -Hoy: Hoy: Hoy: Hoy: The weekly e-mag works the best! Once a week, I
can remind readers of all my books for sale while generating free
content that helps them land freelance assignments. And, every issue
generates a flood of orders. I can easily average $500-700 every
Wednesday when an issue goes out to my list of 50,000+ freelance
writers.

The least effective marketing strategy (and the most expensive) I used
was printing 3,000 catalogs and mailing them to writers who
requested them. I spent hundreds of dollars and received about three
orders from the whole ordeal.

Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: Penny Bridges: Using the Internet and e-mail to establish contacts and
partners for marketing worked the best. Also, I have gotten several

94
reviews as a result of offering review copies via my Internet research
and e-mail pitches.

The least effective strategy? Getting orders directly from my books
web site. So far, I've only had one order that came directly from the
order page of www.bobbridges.com.

There is one truth that comes out of all this: promoting yourself on the
Web takes long hours and hard work.

It took M.J. rose six hours a day, six days a week for four months to
get a buzz going about her novel Lip Service.

But hard work pays off, and on the Internet there is such a thing as a
free ride as long as youve got the stamina to stick with it.

Take baby steps, have a plan, stick to it, be creative, think out of the
box, and maybe you too can work at home in your PJs and sell your
writing at the same time.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Q U E S T I O N S

Could I create and run a free weekly (or monthly) e-newsletter or
magazine, providing useful subject matter of interest to the kinds of
readers who would enjoy my book?

Should I learn basic HTML (or at least go buy Microsoft FrontPage
or Adobe PageMaker or another software for web site creation) or
can I afford to hire a pro (like www.AuthorsontheWeb.com) to
create a decent web site for my book?

What have I done that has worked against my book getting
promoted and bought?

What have I done that has helped move along the sales of my
book?

95

Have I figured out any strategy yet for reaching communities of
readers and book buyers on the Internet?

It is our attitude at the beginning It is our attitude at the beginning It is our attitude at the beginning It is our attitude at the beginning
of a difficult undertaking which, of a difficult undertaking which, of a difficult undertaking which, of a difficult undertaking which,
more than anything else, will determine more than anything else, will determine more than anything else, will determine more than anything else, will determine
its successful outcome. its successful outcome. its successful outcome. its successful outcome.
William James

readerships are
built one reader
at a time.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Dont think thousands or millions. Dont think thousands or millions. Dont think thousands or millions. Dont think thousands or millions.

Think of one person, and how you need to reach that Think of one person, and how you need to reach that Think of one person, and how you need to reach that Think of one person, and how you need to reach that
one person who is going to love your book. one person who is going to love your book. one person who is going to love your book. one person who is going to love your book.

And then that one reader will begin telling others And then that one reader will begin telling others And then that one reader will begin telling others And then that one reader will begin telling others
about it. about it. about it. about it.


96
[ CHAPTER TWELVE]
brando brando brando brandon massey and his novel n massey and his novel n massey and his novel n massey and his novel

Brandon Massey has been learning to Buzz his novel, Thunderland,
ever since he first self-published the book and sold it from his web site
(www.BrandonMassey.com).

This is a writer we can all learn a lot from, a guy who has talent, shows
perseverance, and understands that its the community of readers who
will Buzz once the right book is given to them.

B R A N D O N M A S S E Y A N S W E R S F I V E
Q U E S T I O N S F O R B U Z Z Y O U R B O O K

Brand Brand Brand Brandon, what are the best tips you have from your experience in on, what are the best tips you have from your experience in on, what are the best tips you have from your experience in on, what are the best tips you have from your experience in
reaching readers for your novel, reaching readers for your novel, reaching readers for your novel, reaching readers for your novel, Thunderland Thunderland Thunderland Thunderland? ?? ?

I wrote a publishable book.

Although I initially self-published Thunderland, I took the time to get it
professionally edited and critiqued, to ensure that Id written the best
work of which I was capable.

It was important to me that I give a reader their moneys worth. Too
many writers look at e-publishing and POD (Print-on-Demand) as an
opportunity to haul all their rejected manuscripts out of the closet and
post them on a web site for readers to purchase. I was aware that I
couldn't neglect writing a quality book. Readers can always identify
garbage.

I built a web site.

A writer serious about generating Buzz must have a web site!

From the beginning, I did all the standard stuff such as registering my
site with search engines and directories but the site really began to
pay off when I thought about how I could use it to draw people into my
book, entice them to purchase it, and tell their friends all about it.

So I ran contests in which I gave away free autographed copies of the
book. I offered lengthy excerpts (before I began to offer the entire novel

97
as a free e-book); at one point, I offered six chapters in installments
that were delivered to readers via an autoresponder, with the chapters
distributed over a two-week period, the whole purpose being to
heighten reader interest.

I actively solicited reviews from readers and posted them on my site
(the good reviews, that is!).

Another great thing about having a good site is that your fellow
writers, and avid readers, will want to swap links with you, a practice
known as reciprocal linking.

Due to reciprocal linking, my web site is listed on dozens of web
pages. This provides continuous traffic. And every visitor will
potentially purchase my book.

I found the target audience for my book.

Thunderland is a suspense novel, which made finding my target
audience pretty straightforward: readers of suspense and thrillers,
especially those who like writers such as Dean Koontz.

With my audience in mind, I used the Internet to search for genre-
specific e-zines, book clubs, organizations, and writers who published
similar fiction. I contacted appropriate sites, described my book, and
asked them for a review. In many instances, Ive been able to get these
sites to feature my book on their pages, or to mention it in their
electronic newsletters. This is free publicity.

I was persistent.

I read somewhere that a book must be continuously promoted for at
least three years before it can begin to make a dent in the marketplace.
In my case, I began to see results after several months of effort. But it
was not smooth, steady progress; reviews would trickle in, sales would
jump and then fall flat again. To keep moving across these bumps, I
had to regularly make the effort to build word of mouth. The book will
die in the marketplace only when you give up trying.


98
I searched for ways to make my offer unique.

Almost every book is unique, but there are thousands of books
published each year, and readers dont have time to dig through the
piles to find yours. I was aware that I needed to position myself to
stand out from the pack. To that end, I tried things such as offering the
complete text of my novel as
an e-book for free. Some people thought I was crazy for doing this,
but I knew that so few writers were doing such a thing that it practically
guaranteed that Id get some Buzz going. I was able to get over 20
web sites to participate in promoting the free e-book; in exchange for
them promoting my e-book on their page, I offered them space on an
actual page in the e-book that encouraged people to visit their sites.

To date, over 3,000 people have downloaded the e-book in the past
three months, and nearly 5,000 have visited my site in the same time
period. Buzz? Definitely. But it all began with my desire to do
something different.

What would you do differently if you had the chance to do this over What would you do differently if you had the chance to do this over What would you do differently if you had the chance to do this over What would you do differently if you had the chance to do this over
again? again? again? again?

Id research and develop my promotional campaign in detail,
before publication.

When I first published Thunderland, my promotional plans were little
more than an afterthought. But I soon realized that if I didnt learn how
to generate exposure for my book, it wouldnt sell.

I had to give myself a crash course in book promotion and marketing.
After a few months, I finally began to see some results, but I initially
missed many opportunities due to my lack of preparation.

You've given the e You've given the e You've given the e You've given the e- -- -book of your novel, book of your novel, book of your novel, book of your novel, Thunderland Thunderland Thunderland Thunderland, away free , away free , away free , away free do do do do
you think this has hurt or helped the print sales of the book? And why? you think this has hurt or helped the print sales of the book? And why? you think this has hurt or helped the print sales of the book? And why? you think this has hurt or helped the print sales of the book? And why?

Its helped print sales. Sales of the paperback have doubled since the
e-book has been available for free.

I think people like the idea of having the entire novel available to
peruse before they make a purchase decision. Its similar to being in a
bookstore.


99
Sure, you could pluck a book off the shelf at your local Borders and
spend all day reading the entire text, but most likely, you'll read just
enough to make up your mind whether you should buy it.

This is what people seem to be doing with my Thunderland e-book.
Some of them, excited about getting something for free, read the whole
thing, but a good number of people read a couple of chapters and
then purchase the paperback.

Also, the average reader isn't comfortable squinting at a computer
monitor for hours to read a book. And they don't want to print three
hundred pages, either. Deciding to buy the paperback is a matter of
comfort and convenience.

What is the single most difficult aspect to getting the word out on your What is the single most difficult aspect to getting the word out on your What is the single most difficult aspect to getting the word out on your What is the single most difficult aspect to getting the word out on your
novel, novel, novel, novel, Thunderland Thunderland Thunderland Thunderland? ?? ?

Maintaining the focus to promote the book on a consistent basis. As I
mentioned before, a book can be and should be promoted for
years.

But in my experience, and the experience of the writers that I know,
after that first, big promotional push, its difficult to summon the
concentration and determination to keep plugging away.

Its necessary, however, if you want to keep your work alive.

Whats the one piece of advice you would give a writer who needs to Whats the one piece of advice you would give a writer who needs to Whats the one piece of advice you would give a writer who needs to Whats the one piece of advice you would give a writer who needs to
get Buzz for his or her book? get Buzz for his or her book? get Buzz for his or her book? get Buzz for his or her book?

Write a good book.

I've encountered writers who are more concerned with creating
promotional plans than they are with creating a strong book.
Ultimately, any Buzz you manage to generate will live or die based on
the quality of your work.

- - - - - - - - - - -

To find out more about Brandon Massey and Thunderland, be sure to
stop by www.BrandonMassey.com.

100
[CHAPTER THIRTEEN]
final thoughts on buzz final thoughts on buzz final thoughts on buzz final thoughts on buzz

We hope this book of tips, suggestions, brainstorms, and case histories
of a few who have Buzzed will get you going on your own campaign
to get Buzz for your own book. Weve done it, others have done it,
and now you can.

We both want to emphasize that Buzz is not a loners occupation. You
write your book alone, but you need others to help get the Buzz going.
The best Buzz cant be bought: the best you can do is get the word out,
ask a few people to help, perhaps pay a publicist to help spread the
Buzz and then depend on those readers, again.

Our suggestion is that you go back through this book, print out sections
as you need them, take tips and try one out perhaps only one per
month and spend a little bit of time on that one tip.

Take the first step and begin reaching others with what you have
created.

Do you have some great tips for Buzzing, as well? Wed love to include
reader tips in the next revised version of this book. We will only include
the ones that make sense to us and that have worked but well
include your tip, name and book, as well as a link to your web site,
should we choose your tip to include in the next revised edition of this
book.

Go to the Message Board at www.BuzzYour.com and start posting and
Buzzstorming.

B O T H O F U S A R E P E R P E T U A L
S T U D E N T S O F B U Z Z

It has enriched our appreciation for how people spread the word, both
online and offline, about the merchandise we value above all others:
books. A world where people are reading and writing and discovering
and Buzzing is never going to be anything short of wonderful.


101

Be sure to register your e Be sure to register your e Be sure to register your e Be sure to register your e- -- -book, book, book, book,
because registering means youll get the next revised because registering means youll get the next revised because registering means youll get the next revised because registering means youll get the next revised
version of this e version of this e version of this e version of this e- -- -book book book book FREE FREE FREE FREE. . . .

To register, go to BuzzYour.com.

Thank you for letting us into your minds and lives
with our ideas of what Buzz is, and how brainstorms
can change your world.

If you want to see what we write that has nothing to do with Buzz, be
sure to check out excerpts from our recent novels.

For M.J. Rose: In Fidelity
For Doug Clegg: The Infinite


102
One always tends to One always tends to One always tends to One always tends to
overpraise a long book, overpraise a long book, overpraise a long book, overpraise a long book,
because one because one because one because one
has got t has got t has got t has got through it. hrough it. hrough it. hrough it.
E.M. Forster

BuzzYour.com workbooks are generally short between 60 and 120-
something pages. Why? Well, we believe you want the information but
not the filler. The only filler we want to include are the case histories
and inspirational anecdotes.

Be sure to use this workbook tear it up, change what you need to
change for your own Buzz Plan, and come up with bold and daring
ideas at the BuzzYour.com Message Boards.

Now, go forth and Buzz. Now, go forth and Buzz. Now, go forth and Buzz. Now, go forth and Buzz.


103
appendix a: the buzzyour message appendix a: the buzzyour message appendix a: the buzzyour message appendix a: the buzzyour message
boards boards boards boards

T H E B U Z Z Y O U R M E S S A G E B O A R D S

Every single BuzzYour title has one main Message Board online, which
you and others can access and use as you begin to work on your Buzz
habits and ideas.

Brainstorm, free-associate get your minds going in different ways to
invent new aspects of getting Buzz for books. Whether you run an
online auction or a zine, have written a book, or have a special hobby
or interest youre promoting, this Message Board will be the place to
go and interact with other creative individuals to get the Buzz ideas
going.

Weve found that two minds brainstorming are definitely better than
one, and we think you will, too.

Dont be afraid to share information remember the stone soup story!
Sharing resources will make you smarter, a better brainstormer, and
more likely to invent unique ways to reach readers of your book.

Heres the link: www.BuzzYour.com

All the BuzzYour readers will be in one big message board, so youll
need to separate out your topic (in this case, Books) when you post a
note.

However, we strongly suggest that you read through all the Messages
to see if someone Buzzing their special interest or auction or hobby
might not be on to something that might actually help you get Buzz for
your product as well.

The difference is the Buzz you can generate.


104
appendix b: the buzzyour newsletter appendix b: the buzzyour newsletter appendix b: the buzzyour newsletter appendix b: the buzzyour newsletter

T H E B U Z Z Y O U R N E W S L E T T E R

Along with the BuzzYour message boards, you can sign up for a free
newsletter were running. The newsletter will be brief and succinct most
of the time, unless theres a lot of news! Basically, well post new tips,
or twists on the old tips, as they come in and these will be Buzz tips
that can apply to more than just books. The newsletter will have tips
and inspirations for you as you get into Buzz. You can even write to
the list owner (us!) and tell us your success stories so we can crow
about them to others.

If new and interesting twists are happening in the book world, well be
on top of it and get the news to the BuzzYour newsletter list once a
month. The newsletter is not restricted to those who buy any of the
BuzzYour books, but is open to all.

Heres how you sign up for this free monthly newsletter:

Send a note to:
BuzzYour-subscribe@yahoogroups.com


105
appendix c: freebies appendix c: freebies appendix c: freebies appendix c: freebies

F R E E B I E S

Heres a brief list of free stuff that various authors and publishers are
offering as ways of spreading the word about themselves or their
books. These should give you ideas of things you can do to help Buzz
your book. Just click each link, and itll take you to the page where you
can grab it.

Be sure and put the links to your own freebies at the
www.BuzzYour.com Message Boards so others can see them and we
might include them in the next edition of this book.

NOTE: If you get an error page, its because the writer or publisher
decided to take the freebie offer down since this edition of Buzz Your
Book was published.

Unleashing the Idea Virus by Seth Godin

Purity a novella by Douglas Clegg

Subscribe to Angela Adair-Hoys Free Weekly Newsletter at
writersweekly.com

Download a free screensaver from New York Times bestselling
novelist, Julie Garwood

Read a free excerpt of M.J. Roses novel, In Fidelity

Get free stuff from New York Times bestselling novelist, Nora
Roberts

Get a free signed bookplate from Janet Evanovich

Get free recipes from Eileen Goudge

Erica Jongs Tips for Writers


106
appendix d: samples of email newsletters appendix d: samples of email newsletters appendix d: samples of email newsletters appendix d: samples of email newsletters

S A M P L E S O F E M A I L N E W S L E T T E R S

Both M.J. Rose and Doug Clegg have free newsletters online. Were
including a sample from each to show you how we do it. You wont
want to do the exact same thing, but youll get the idea. An online
newsletter for fans and friends is to keep people up to date with what
youre doing. Dougs runs every week, while M.J. Roses runs
frequently but with no set schedule.

To sign up for M.J. Roses newsletter, send a blank email to:
MJRose-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

To sign up for Doug Cleggs newsletter, send a blank email to:
DouglasClegg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

H E R E S A S A M P L E F R O M
M . J . R O S E S N E W S L E T T E R :

Date: Date: Date: Date: Thu Dec 28, 2000 9:03 am
Subject: Subject: Subject: Subject: Happy New Year - and an invitation
Just a short note wishing all of you the happiest and healthiest of New
Years!

Around here, we're having a surfeit of reasons to celebrate... my two new
books will go on sale next week ... plus my birthday is the night before
New Year's Eve. Actually I'd rather forget my birthday but now it is also
the same date as the anniversary of my significant others very successful
kidney transplant. Yes, he got the last transplant of the century last year
on Dec 30th.

In honor of that miracle, 10% of the profit I receive for my books will
always be going to the Yale/NewHaven Transplant Unit. The first check
will be given to the amazing doc's on Jan 23rd at a wine and cheese
party at nearby R.J. Julia's wonderful bookstore in Madison Ct.

The party starts at 7pm so if you live anywhere nearby please come! The

107
bookstore's phone number is 203-245-3959. It would be wonderful to
have some of you there.

I'll be signing books, Doug's music will be playing, and my amazing and
generous publisher, Pocket Books, will be matching my donation and also
presenting a check to the Transplant unit.

Looking forward to seeing some of you.

Happy New Year everyone and thank you so much for your support and
interest this last year.

Fondly,
Melisse

M.J. Rose - www.mjrose.com - author of IN FIDELITY

Kirkus Review - Second novelist Rose ... offers a well-crafted study of
infidelity, wrapped within the context of a psychothriller.... fast paced-
tale.... altogether a satisfying blend.

Publishers Weekly - A suspenseful tale of murder, madness and
forgiveness...an entertaining...exciting read.

Co-author of How to Publish and Promote Online with Angela Adair-Hoy

Publishers Weekly - An informative and ground breaking guide.

F R O M D O U G L A S C L E G G S N E W S L E T T E R :

Date: Date: Date: Date: Thu May 10, 2001 2:28 pm
Subject: Subject: Subject: Subject: KGB, the Brainstormers, and M&Ms
The DouglasClegg list

Volume III, Issue 9, May 10, 2001

***************

108

Typos? Absolutely. These exist to make sure you're awake and
reading...

If you're receiving this, it is because you directly subscribed to the
DouglasClegg list.

You may pass this around to anyone you like, so long as you don't change
a word or edit it in any manner. Thank you. All material herein is copyright
2001 Douglas Clegg

Read this carefully: to subscribe or unsubscribe from this list, use the
following addresses only. Do not send your unsubscribe message to the list
owner, as it will be ignored. This is low maintenance and easy for everyone.
Thank you:

Subscribe: DouglasClegg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: DouglasClegg-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
My web site: http://www.douglasclegg.com

*****************

CONTENTS

1. Booksignings and How They Go
2. Brainstormers Wanted!
3. Book Recs for Mom's Day & Beyond
4. Last words for now

******************

1. Booksignings and How They Go

Well, I had a solid week, more or less, of booksignings for Naomi -- and
they went great for the most part.

First, I have to thank all the newsletter list members who showed up to them
(Chuck, Lori, Gee, Steve, Jane, Lewis...well, there were a total of about 23
newsletter list-mates who showed up to the four signings, and it was great to
meet you all. Someday, we'll just have a real-time reunion of this list at
some point.)


109
The listmates made the events work, whether they came at a slow point in
the signing or when there were other people around.

Thank you.

And they can attest to the fact that I do give out both bubblegum and packs
of M&Ms at the signings. I figure I'll support dentists as well as booksellers.

The signings went great -- although usually there were ten minutes of a
bunch of books to sign, and then a leisurely hour around it to hang out and
talk. We sold about 25 books per store.

The North Wales, Pennsylvania, Waldenbooks was one of the best,
followed by the signing in Waterford, Connecticut, and then Brooklyn, New
York.

This is not to leave out the Media, PA, signing where I got to hang out with
Jack Passarella of JG Passarella (www.passarella.com) fame, who wrote the
page-turning witch book, Wither; and with Bill Sheehan, author of At the
Foot of the Story Tree ( www.subterraneanpress.com ), a great non-fiction
book about the fiction of Peter Straub.

At the Waterford signing, listmates Gee and Lewis showed up, along with
author of Texas Music and the forthcoming Louisiana Music, Rick Koster and
his wife, Eileen. Rick has just finished writing a really terrifying and
absorbing horror novel called Gris-Gris Gumbo.

Charlotte Dobson helped set up that signing, and she has her own horror
novel Incubus out in e-book now -- available at
http://www.hardshell.com/Incubus.asp

Matt Schwartz who created Horrornet and has recently been VP at
WizardWorld.com, and is really into horror (and runs the SpinMatt Horror
Auctions online) came along to a couple of them; and of course, Raul Silva
was there to make everything run smoothly and to make sure I didn't trip
over my feet.

Last night, after the signing, list member Jane Osnovich showed us
Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn and the great strip of restaurants right there.
We went to Mario & Luigi's and had some of the best Italian food I've had
in awhile. And we could play tic-tac-toe on the tablecloth, too.

So, the signings were great, and with luck, more will be set up for July and

110
August soon, so I'm hoping more of you from the list who live nearby will
drop in when they happen.

I'll be doing a reading at KGB in New York City (along with Caitlin
Kiernan) on Wednesday, May 16th. Here's the formal notice:

SCIFI.COM presents a Reading of Contemporary Science Fiction

hosted by Ellen Datlow and Terry Bisson at NY's renowned KGB BAR,

featuring:

DOUGLAS CLEGG, AWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF YOU COME WHEN

I CALL YOU and THE NIGHTMARE CHRONICLES

and

CAITLIN KIERNAN, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF

SILK and TALES OF PAIN AND WONDER

Wednesday May 16th, 2001, 7 PM

At KGB Bar, 85 east 4th (just off 2nd Av, upstairs.)

Readings are free. Drinks are liberal.

---

Hope to see some of you there -- and thank you, as always.

Doug ( dclegg@douglasclegg.com )

************

111

2. Brainstormers Wanted!

First, a note to listmates who won the Cemetery Dance magazine
subscriptions (there are 12 of you) last year: the subscriptions were for this
year, but the first issue hasn't gone out to you -- yet. It will, very soon.

Second:

Calling all fans who are also brainstormers:

The Infinite comes out on September 15, 2001 (same day as Black House,
the new King/Straub collaboration-sequel to The Talisman. So it'll be a
good month for scary books!)

I just got word last week that the publisher (Leisure Books) is pricing their
first hardcover -- at $20! A great price for a big hardcover (this one is a bit
longer than Mischief or Naomi, but just shy of You Come When I Call You).

I need your thoughts on ways to help spread the word and help booksellers
get word out to readers for The Infinite. So I'll do a mini-contest here:

For the top five brainstorm ideas from the top five people on this list who
submit them (in other words, come up with 5 good ones, and these need to
be grass roots ideas that are fairly easy to implement since I am a low-
budget operation -- think Sundance not the Oscars) -- I'll give out one free
copy each of any of my hardcovers (the winner can choose) with the
exception of Purity, because I don't have many copies left of that one.

Your current choices would be: You Come When I Call You, Mischief, or
Naomi. Near-future choices would be Dark of the Eye, Goat Dance, or The
Infinite.

So come up with and submit your five top ideas for getting the word out
across the Internet and off the Internet. Then, send them to me at
DougClegg@aol.com, and I'll pick the top five of the Top Five, and then
you'll see the winners.

And thanks. I need as many brains on this stuff as possible.

I think The Infinite will be a book you'll really enjoy. Those into character-
driven fiction will like the handful of people in the book, and their lives, as
they arrive at Harrow to investigate its haunting; and those into horror will

112
love (I hope) what I think may go down in history as one of the darkest
ideas about the love of a good dog. The Infinite is about haunted lives as
much as it is about a haunted house, and I got really involved with the lives
of Cali, the psychic who does some moonlighting with the NYPD, and with
Chet, the 19-year-old who has found since the day of his birth that a minor
psychic ability may be one of the reasons that he should never have
arrived at Harrow.

And for those who read Mischief, there is a reappearance of Ivy
Martin, the rather mysterious link within the story of Mischief who now plays
a central role in the dark house in the Hudson Valley.

3. Book Recs for Mom's Day & Beyond

Just a few books, only one of them is a horror novel, but interesting for
those into Mom's Day. The first is full of humorous "mostly true" essays, the
second, a memoir of a true Southern eccentric by her daughter, and the
third one a collection of stories and essays by top writers about
mother/child relationships. Oops, and the last is a really "Bad Seed in
reverse" Mommy horror novel/guilty pleasure read which should be
grabbed for a lot of fun and a good case of the nasties:

Men My Mother Dated by Brett Leveridge
http://www.menmymotherdated.com/

Never Ask Permission by Mary Buford Hitz
http://www.authorsontheweb.com/authors/marybufordhitz/books.html

Mommy's Day by Max Allan Collins
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0843946407/

******************

4. Last words for now

Not much other than my normal exhaustion after a week of booksignings
and too much writing going on in the world. I hope all the mothers out there
have a great mother's day, whether you're a father who's a mother or a
mother who is a mother or a...well, you get the idea.

Including my mom, who's not on the list, but pretty much knows more about

113
me than she probably ever wanted to: Happy M Day, Mom!

Bookseller of the week?

Dangerous Visions, in Sherman Oaks, California!

On the Web: http://www.readsf.com/

Off the Web: Dangerous Visions
NEW, USED, & RARE: SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY, & HORROR
13563 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 U.S.A.

Say hi to Art and Lydia for me if you drop in there! They're fantastic.

'Til next week!

******************

Write me any time; I'm an email fiend --
dclegg@douglasclegg.com

Visit the web site at www.douglasclegg.com

Pass this along to friends you know.

***************

If you're receiving this, it is because you directly subscribed to the
DouglasClegg list. You may pass this around to anyone you like, so long as
you don't change a word or edit it in any manner. Thank you. All material
herein is copyright 2001 Douglas Clegg

Read this carefully: to subscribe or unsubscribe from this list, use the
following addresses only. Do not send your unsubscribe message to the list
owner, as it will be ignored. This is low maintenance and easy for everyone.
Thank you:

Subscribe: DouglasClegg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: DouglasClegg-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

*****************


114

- - - - - - - - - - -

Other free newsletters and lists we recommend you join: Other free newsletters and lists we recommend you join: Other free newsletters and lists we recommend you join: Other free newsletters and lists we recommend you join:

Writers Weekly (if youre a freelancer looking for markets)

To subscribe, go to http://www.writersweekly.com/

PublishandPromote list

Send a blank email to: PublishandPromote-
subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Do you have a free newsletter for your fans and readers? Be sure to
post about it at the Message Boards at www.BuzzYour.com lets get
Buzzing about how to spread the word about what youre writing.


115
appendix e: the authors' books now appendix e: the authors' books now appendix e: the authors' books now appendix e: the authors' books now
available available available available

T H E A U T H O R S B O O K S N O W A V A I L A B L E

Of course, we want you to Buzz our books (including this one!), when
you can. Just click on the book titles below to go to a special web page
for each.

Fiction Fiction Fiction Fiction by M.J. Rose: by M.J. Rose: by M.J. Rose: by M.J. Rose:

Lip Service
In Fidelity
Private Places

Nonfiction by M.J. Rose: Nonfiction by M.J. Rose: Nonfiction by M.J. Rose: Nonfiction by M.J. Rose:

How to Publish & Promote Online (with Angela Adair-Hoy)

Fiction by Douglas Clegg: Fiction by Douglas Clegg: Fiction by Douglas Clegg: Fiction by Douglas Clegg:

The Infinite
Naomi
Mischief
Purity (free e-book)
You Come When I Call You


116
about the authors about the authors about the authors about the authors

M. J. Rose M. J. Rose M. J. Rose M. J. Rose
NOVELIST AND COLUMNIST FOR WWW.WIREDNEWS.COM.

Time magazine called M.J. Rose the poster girl for e-books early in
2000. BK (Before King) she self-published her novel Lip Service in e
and then in print and sold it online, where it was discovered by the NY
publishing community.

She has been written up in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times,
Salon, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Writers Digest and
Poets and Writers. And she has appeared on the Today Show, Fox
News Five, The Jim Lehrer NewsHour and C-Span.

Long an advocate for midlist and unpublished authors, she is a vocal
proponent of ways in which writers can use the Internet effectively.
Rose is the author of three novels: Lip Service, Private Places, and her
newest, In Fidelity, which was chosen by Cosmopolitan magazine as
the July 2001 Book of the Month.

The guidebook that she co-authored with Angela Adair-Hoy, How to
Publish and Promote Online, has been praised in Publishers Weekly as
informative and ground-breaking. Visit her web site at
www.mjrose.com.

Douglas Clegg Douglas Clegg Douglas Clegg Douglas Clegg
NOVELIST, EDITOR, INTERNET JUNKIE.

Doug Clegg is the award-winning author of several novels, including
the Internets first publisher-sponsored email serial, Naomi, which
Publishers Weekly called "arguably the first major work of fiction to
originate in cyberspace." Naomi then went on to sell both hardcover
and paperback rights. A virtual book auction went into effect for his
second net serial, Nightmare House (published online during the
summer of 2000).

Within just a few months, upwards of 80,000 readers had
downloaded his e-book, Purity, from his web site. One of Cleggs
novels was made into a movie in 2001 (Bad Karma, starring British

117
actress Patsy Kensit). Currently, his novel The Infinite will be in stores
beginning in September 2001.

Right now, almost all of his novels are in print, with more to come. He
has been written up in Time, BusinessWeek, Business 2.0, Publishers
Weekly, Writers Digest, and many other international, national, and
regional publications, as well as having been interviewed on National
Public Radio and BBC Radio. Visit Dougs web site at
www.douglasclegg.com.

Get all the BuzzYour titles at Get all the BuzzYour titles at Get all the BuzzYour titles at Get all the BuzzYour titles at
www.buzzyour.com www.buzzyour.com www.buzzyour.com www.buzzyour.com

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