Fly on the wall: Authors websites – putting your best book forward
Greetings pilgrims.
I thought I’d wrap up this short holiday week with some samplings of good book promotion a la author’s websites. You can get a look at how some HCI authors are promoting themselves and learn about some hot books for your summer beach list or fall reading in the meanwhile. Page-turning memoirs are the order of the day…
Mary Jo Buttafuoco’s book is definitely one to devour in a few hours. And, it’s Midge-approved, which is a nod from my 85 year old mom. a former English teacher, and once a prolific reader. To top off my week, did I mention that today the NY Times asked for copies of the book three weeks before it hits the streets? That’s very happy-making, believe me! Being on their radar well in advance of publication is a very nice sign.
If you’ve been watching “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell” on HLN lately, then you may have noticed that at the end of her program each night, she’s displaying her book, iWant. Usually I frown on public promotion prior to the on sale date, which in this case is September, but since Jane has a daily national broadcast forum at her disposal, why not strut her stuff as early and often as she can. By September, throngs of fans will be hitting their local stores saying, I want iWant. It could get confusing.
The please-don’t-pass-the salt twins, Tammie Lakatos Shames and Lyssie Lakatos are perpetually in promo mode and are previewing their book cover online now. Not available until August in Borders and September most other places, these savvy authors know that when they’re being otherwise interviews before the book is out, they insist on being identified as the “authors of The Secret to Skinny.” They have a good trainer.
Stop and see Everything Sucks! on Hannah Friedman’s site and while there, check out some of her YouTube videos. There’s a star in the making if I ever saw one. Yesterday, I got to hang out with her and work with her on her back cover copy. Something about a monkey for an older sister? You’ll have to read her book to find out what this means. She’s a sharp, sharp cookie.
In summation, the key points I’m making are:
1) Have a website or a blog – or both
2) Promote your own book on your site – even before it’s available
3) Be sure to make it available for PRE-ORDERS before its publication date via amazon.com or other online vendors
4) Have a HAPPY, HAPPY 4th!!
p.s. What are you reading?
p.p.s. Click on “HOME” on the tab on the top of this page and go to RESOURCES page to see more fabulous author websites. Then send me a link to yours.
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