One of the best things you can do to promote yourself and your business is to simply be visible and be out there. If you are on several discussion loops or forums related to your topic, then just be there. Chat about things, offer something to the conversation or share a funny picture or link that you may have run across. If there’s an interesting conversation, join it. If you tried a recipe and it turned out great (or really bad) let us know. If you’ve read a good book, share!

The economy aside, many authors talk about needing to promo and not having any money to buy fancy bookmarks or promotional items. By being on the loops not only do you have visibility, but you’re also there not just going “buy stuff” too. You’re actually engaging the readers, being personable, and probably helping to keep traffic flowing on the group. That’s a good thing.

There are a ton of loops, so if you’re not sure which ones, try your publisher’s chat loop first. Then, perhaps see if your favorite review site has a loop. If there’s an author whose work you enjoy, then maybe hang out on that loop too. Or perhaps help your critique partner out by spending time on his or her loop. You can start small. A lot of readers, at least in the book industry, are on the same loops.

And, it’s fun. Even if you and a group of friends hang out and chat back and forth, the readers will see you (hopefully read your signature line), and will maybe join in. Who knows? You might get a new fan or three.

My last article dealt with spam, and how individuals, no matter how well meaning, send out spam emails on behalf of their business and how this might impact business and reputation. Now, I’m going to attempt to answer the question: how much email is too much? I’ll answer this within two frameworks, that of the author and of the shop owner.

With the author, outside of your own chat group, how much email should you send out as “promo”? Personally, I send out a monthly newsletter, emails announcing new release books, and three excerpts from the new release books. My excerpts, I try to send one the week before release, one within a day of release, and one about a week later. That’s it. I do send these emails to multiple groups, because that is trying to reach a larger audience. But each email is only sent once. If I receive reviews, I do share those with a few select groups, so those could be included within the promotional emails sent. I don’t, however, spread the reviews as far and wide as the excerpts and new releases.

As a shop owner, I send out a monthly newsletter to subscribed members. I like to announce sales and specials (no more than one a week) to selected groups. That’s it. Customers receive emails only associated with their order. I know this kind of flies in the face of marketing which says constantly touch your customers, but you know what? I’m a huge book buyer. Emails from amazon.com saying “you may like this…” go in the trash. If I want the book, I’ll go buy it.

I think the rule of thumb is less is more when it comes to sending emails to loops that are “promo.” Even if it’s a loop that is strictly for promo and allows this on a daily basis, if you send out multiple emails, you’re going to look like a spammer. I think it’s safe to say, that for most of us, it’s better to err on the side of not spamming.

Another day, another fifteen emails. No, not talking about the “little blue pill” or how I can work from home and make money. I’m talking about one person who is trying to sell his or her products. This individual may have fifteen or sixteen different programs or products going, so each one gets its own email. All sent to the same group of lists. Every day. Every, single, day.

For pete’s sake, STOP THE SPAM!! If I have to delete your emails one more time…yeah, let’s just say I won’t be responsible for my actions. I’ve reported you to your ISP. I’ve reported you to the groups. And yet, you still send out the same fifteen or sixteen emails every day. I guarantee you, I’m not buying your products. And you know what, lots of other people probably feel the same way.

So let’s define what I consider spam to loops, especially those that allow advertising, and make sure that you don’t fall into that trap. Please know that promotional companies are a completely different animal. I’m not addressing them in this post. No, I’m talking about individual spam.

So, what is spam?

One person, sending multiple emails to multiple groups on the SAME day. Sure, one email a day might be a bit excessive in some cases, but if it’s allowed by the rules, and it’s only one email…why not? But if you have fifteen affiliate programs and you’re advertising all fifteen of the dang things on ONE day in fifteen different emails, you’re a spammer.

If you send one email to several groups, that’s different. That’s trying to reach a different audience with each group. But sending out fifteen different emails to the SAME group is spam.

To me it comes down to courtesy. I could introduce myself, and say, “Hi, I’m Mary, and I run Jupiter Gardens, LLC, and we do these things.” That’s fine. If I introduce myself and say, “Hi, I’m Mary, and I sell incense.” And five minutes later, I walk up to you and say, “hi! I’m Mary, and I sell books.” And five minutes later, I walk up to you yet again and say, “hi! I’m Mary and I sell promotional products like bath and body lotion.” You’re going to turn to me and say, probably not politely, “go away.” I doubt you’ll even say, “please tell me everything you do all at once,” because seriously, you’d be tired of hearing from me.

Put it all in one email. It’s totally okay to compose a SINGLE email saying “Hi, I’m Mary, and did you know I had a new release last week. Oh, and by the way, ABC Reviewers said that My other book earned five whatzits and was a recommended read. Don’t forget to read my newsletter I sent out today.” Now, the person listening may still think you’ve talked a bit too much about yourself, but at least you said your peace and got out of the way. If you want to know more about me and you know where to find me. If not, well, at least you’ve heard my name, and perhaps next month when you see my books you’ll be like “oh yeah, I know her. We met on this nifty loop.

Luckily I can say I haven’t seen this too much in the author loops. On some WAHM (work at home mom) loops I’m on, oh yeah. Each affiliate program/company has its own spam email, and they ALL go out every day. You want people to remember your name in a good way, not as that annoying person who sends out all the spam. Because that’s not going to get you sales, and may get you in trouble.

On the internet content is key. If you don’t provide new content for your website visitors they’ll go somewhere else; somewhere where they can find that new content they’re wanting. And if you’re saying that you don’t have anything to write an article, or create new content about, then you’re wrong.

As an author, there’s no doubt that you’ve had to do some kind of research for your latest work in progress or published novel. Even paranormal works where things may not happen in the “real” world require research. After all, you wouldn’t want to write a vampire novel without knowing what has already been done in the genre and what the “rules” are. That nifty series based on an ancient Incan prophecy meant that you had to take a look at Incan culture and beliefs. And frankly, even if you’ve published only one book there’s a good chance you’ve learned lessons that could help unpublished authors.

The good news is that on the internet content is king, but brevity is queen. You could certainly write a twenty page article detailing the exact customs of the Incas and I’m sure people would read it. But if you broke that article down into several smaller ones, you’d get even more readers and returning traffic to your website. Five hundred words seems to be an optimal length for such small articles. Long enough to get into some detail, yet not so long as to overwhelm the average reader.

Once you’ve written your article you need to post it. Definitely put your article on your website or blog. That’s where you’re going to want most of the new content too. But also think about putting your article other places. Many authors are looking for guest bloggers, and an informative article will go a lot farther than a blatant “buy my book” post. There are also article archive sites, such as the one at Jupiter Gardens, that seek articles. You can always cross-post your articles to these places, and it’s a good idea to do so.

In fact, the more places you cross-post your article, the more times your name and your website will get out there. It may help increase your search engine rankings and it will help with your visibility. So think about it. You don’t have to write an article a day, but putting out a couple a month will certainly help. And, your fellow authors will appreciate the guest blogs. I know I sure do.

About the Author

Mary enjoys writing short non-fiction articles as a way to help boost her own name recognition. She loves seeing what search terms, many of which have something to do with her articles, bring visitors to her website, and she also invites guest bloggers for several of the blogs that she runs. Visit Mary’s website at http://www.marycaelsto.com, or, if you like erotic romance visit, http://www.marywinter.com and don’t forget to read the Jupiter Gardens Blog at http://www.jupitergardens.com/blog and the article archive at Jupiter Gardens, http://www.jupitergardens.com/articles

http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=1364

Pink Petal Books and Jupiter Gardens, LLC are pleased to be part of the Bitten by Books Blog Carnival. This looks like an awesome event with over $3000 in prizes being given away. What an amazing list of contributors.

Enjoy!

The Benefit of Being Seen

As authors we work so hard to send out the right promotions and the proper number of excerpts at the perfect time. We wonder which item generates the most hits to our website, and we obsess over numbers. However, there’s one fact about promotion that I think a lot of us overlook. I know I do, until a visit to the McDonald’s drive through reminded me of one simple fact.

It’s very important just to be seen.

I “invested” (I put that in quotes because they were free from Vista Print) in magnetic signs for the sides of my car. I have one on the driver’s side and passenger’s side door for Pink Petal Books and one on the two back doors for Jupiter Gardens. On this day, I went through the drive through. The lady read my sign as I was pulling up. “Pink Petal Books. So are you an author?”

We had a quick conversation there at the money window for a local fast food joint. Sadly, she wasn’t old enough to read erotic romance, but we discussed a mutual love of reading and books. I think the same thing applies to chat loops. If you’re out there talking to people, having fun, even if you’re not selling a specific book, you’re being seen. It’s that “being seen” that allows readers to put a personal face on their favorite author.

So go out and be seen!

What information should I put on my bookmarks? How do I know that I’ve given enough information and not too much? For most authors, especially newly published, questions like these are common. After all, when passing out a promotional item, if it doesn’t have the important details—like your name, book title, ISBN#, and website—readers may not follow through with the purchase. That’s no good. The intent of sending out freebies is to entice readers to buy your books and build readership.

The good news is the information to include, whether it’s on a bookmark, postcard, lip balm tube, stuffed animal tag, or key chain, is fairly simple and straight forward. Think of it like the five W’s you learned in school: who, what, where, when, why. The who and the what are the easiest, because that’s you and your book. Where refers to where they can buy it. When is pretty obvious. Is the book available now or is it a future release. And why? Well, because you’ve enticed them to, that’s why.

So, what are the ABCs of promotional items?

A – Always give your name and website address. Even if you don’t have room for much more information (for example on a tea bag label or the tag of a stuffed animal), hopefully the reader will go to your well-designed and easy to navigate website (you do have one, don’t you?) and find out about you and your books. And make sure that this information is easy to find and clearly identifiable.

B – Be specific. Give details. If you want your readers to purchase from your publisher’s site instead of Amazon.com, say so! Use the title, ISBN# (especially if it’s a print book), and series name (if applicable) in your materials. Tell the reader your book is available now, and at all chain bookstores. Especially if the title is from a small press, the reader may assume that she can’t purchase it at a brick and mortar store.

C – Creativity is key. Show off that gorgeous cover art. Do you have the ability to create graphics? Can you afford to pay someone anywhere from ten to thirty dollars to make professional looking bookmarks or business cards for you? Don’t be afraid to be creative. The more attention grabbing your item is, the better the chance a reader may pick it up.

Having attractive promotional items doesn’t have to be a daunting task. In fact, many companies provide online design tools to make it even easier. When creating your own, or paying someone to do it for you, just make sure you follow the ABCs, and your stuff will be a hit—every time!

About the Author

Mary started Jupiter Gardens Promotions, a division of Jupiter Gardens, LLC (http://www.jupitergardens.com/promotions) because she wanted promotional items without paying a high price. When she discovered her hidden talents for making bath and body products, she decided to share them with others. With her label design service you’ll never have to worry about important information missing off of your promotional item! Visit the JG Promotions store at http://www.jupitergardens.com/ or visit the JG Promotions website using the address above to see all the product offerings from Jupiter Gardens Promotions…nurturing your inner worlds by taking the worry out of promotional items.

Before I purchase a promo item for myself, I like to grade it. Just like in school, you want your promo items to get straight A’s, and there are three criteria by which I grade promo items.

Affordability. Appeal. Attraction.

Basically, these three things break down into their respective questions. Can I afford it? Does it catch a reader’s eye? Will it attract them to my sites and books?

There aren’t quick and easy answers to these questions, and in fact, these questions actually produce more questions. But that’s okay. The more questions you ask about your promotional items BEFORE you buy them, mean less missed opportunity and wasted money. So let’s start there, with the bottom line.

Asking yourself if you can afford a promotional item is only half of the equation. Sure, we all have a budget and we have to stick to it. But something can be cheap, and still not “affordable” in the sense that it isn’t giving you the most bang for your buck. For example, you can print off strips of paper with your name and url on them and wrap them around a bag of mini chocolate bars. I bet the investment for something like that would be under $10, so it’s definitely affordable. But, readers are going to rip off that strip of paper, eat the candy, and throw the wrapper—and your name and website address—away. I bet ten minutes later if you asked who had provided the candy, very few would be able to answer. So while such a promotional effort may be inexpensive and affordable to the author, in the end, it may have been a waste of time and money because it didn’t generate any website visits or sales.

The good news is that affordability goes hand in hand with the other A’s. So if you find something within your budget that meets your other criteria, then there’s a good chance it’s a winner.

Appeal simply means if someone sees your item will she, or he, pick it up and look at it. In the example above, candy has good appeal. I mean, who doesn’t want free chocolate? The appeal level of homemade bookmarks, for example, versus professionally designed and printed ones is significantly less. So is the cost.

A good way to determine appeal would be to make a list of the things you pick up for promotion. Add to the list the things that you would like to receive. Then, you can start researching costs. If you have an item from an author and you like it, ask the author where she, or he, purchased the item. If you belong to a romance or marketing group, ask the members what kinds of promotional items make the biggest hit.

And no matter what promotional item you want it to attract visitors to your site and buyers to your book. This is where the chocolate bar example fails. One use, a moment’s pleasure, and it is gone. Anything that lasts beyond one use, whether it’s a bookmark, business card, pen, or lip balm, is going to give you more chances to attract that reader then something that is a throw-away item. Sure, having your name imprinted on condom wrappers might be fun for an erotic romance author, but in the heat of the moment, the wrapper is going to be torn and discarded. There’s a good chance your name won’t be seen at all.

However attraction can be a double-edged sword. A stuffed animal can be adorable and entice people to pick it up, but if it just sits on a shelf, it may not be the best promo item to choose. A candy dish filled with candy can receive a high grade on the attraction scale. But, if the reader can take your label off of it and use it without your information, then it’s just another candy bar in disguise.

Finding the right balance between affordability, attraction, and appeal doesn’t have to be difficult. Sure, it may take some thought and planning. In the end, you’ll have something that you can use effectively to promote your name and hopefully win some sales.

About the Author

Mary started Jupiter Gardens Promotions, a division of Jupiter Gardens, LLC (http://www.jupitergardens.com/promotions) because she wanted promotional items without paying a high price. When she discovered her hidden talents for making bath and body products, she decided to share them with others. After all, bath and body products receive three A’s. They’re affordable. They appeal to consumers. And, the more times someone uses the item, the more times he, or she, will see your name. If the consumer can attach your name (in their mind) with a lovely scent and product, all the better! Visit the JG Promotions store at http://www.jupitergardens.com/ or visit the JG Promotions website using the address above to see all the product offerings from Jupiter Gardens Promotions…nurturing your inner worlds by taking the worry out of promotional items.

Over on one of my favorite blogs, Tarot by Arwen, I read an entry about The Quantum Tarot (http://tarotbyarwen.blogspot.com/2008/09/guest-blog-creating-quantum-tarot-by.html ). Not only are the images posted here lovely, but the topic intrigues me. I am fascinated by physics, and though I don’t claim to understand all of it, I think the concepts and theories are intriguing. Merge these with tarot, and it’s like ice cream and candy–two of my favorite things.

Part of the reason why I find this fascinating is because more and more we’re seeing a merging of the metaphysical and the scientific. Theories that not too long ago sounded farfetched are actually becoming proven, and it still sounds like magic most of the time. Plus, my personal belief is that we are all made of the same things. Star stuff, as it were. We come from the stars, or from the divine out there, so when there’s a chance to merge my spirituality with the actual scientific facts of what’s happening “out there”, I embrace it.

This one has gone in my Amazon.com shopping cart. I hope to pick up a copy soon!