Heather Hart's Blog, page 40

Day #29

Before we start, I wanted to issue a couple of reminders:

Today is the last day to enter my birthday giveaway, so if you haven't already, make sure to check it out: http://authorheatherhart.blogspot.com/2013/01/Birthday-Giveaway.htmlAnd the book launch celebration for "A Year of Book Marketing - Part 1" is almost over. February 1st the price goes up to $3.99 and the launch prizes will be distributed. For more information on how to enter to win those prizes visit: http://authorheather...

Mark Twain Marketing

* Tomorrow is the last day to enter my birthday giveaway, so if you haven't already, make sure to check it out: http://authorheatherhart.blogspot.com/2013/01/Birthday-Giveaway.html

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started”~Mark Twain
All of the planning in the world is worth nothing if you don’t step out on a limb and start putting it into action. It will probably never feel like you are actually ready to start something new. You will never feel 100% done planning a marketing campai...

The Heart of Marketing

* There are only 2 more days to enter my birthday giveaway, so if you haven't already entered, make sure to check it out: http://authorheatherhart.blogspot.com/2013/01/Birthday-Giveaway.html

“You think someone else should do the marketing? It would be nice if it worked that way, but it doesn't...”~ Sensible Solutions
Starting new marketing tactics can become overwhelming and it’s sometimes tempting to hire someone who knows what they are doing. But no one will put as much effort into marke...

Permission Marketing

“...one way to sell a consumer something in the future is simply to get his or her permission in advance.”~ Seth Godin
Seth Godin is the author of “Permission Marketing.” He recommends earning the right to tell your readers about your book, by simply engaging with them first. It’s based on that whole relationship thing that I keep coming back to. Here are the four steps he outlines in his book:
Make sure every marketing effort is something that encourages your audience to respond to you – and...

Google Power!

“Search, a marketing method that didn’t exist a decade ago, provides the most efficient and inexpensive way for businesses to find leads.”~ John Battelle
Google is an amazing tool. You probably use it daily for one reason or another, but have you harnessed its marketing power? Besides using it for research, it can also be used for networking, and even managing your author brand. You can keep up with book reviews that readers post about your book, or get updates about what’s going on in your ni...

Day #24

“You don’t build trust by being spammy or promoting/sharing stuff that isn’t worth time or money.”~Heather Hart
I mentioned yesterday that promoting other peoples work is a great marketing tactic; however that needs to come with a word of caution. Your goal is to build the trust your readers have in you as an expert – you won’t accomplish that by promoting something that isn’t worth promoting.
It’s also imperative that all of your posts are genuine. You don’t want to come across as a salesman...

Everyone Loves Free Stuff

Guess what? It's my birthday!!! In honor of my birthday, I wanted to give one of you a present. So besides the book launch giveaway that's still going on (you can find that here), I'm hosting a separate giveaway today :) In order to enter, all you have to do is comment on this post with a marketing tip or prompt - who knows, you might even be quoted in part 2 of "A Year of Book Marketing"... Speaking of which here's today's entry:


“Don’t be an expert, be a filter.”~ Penny Sansevieri
Being an ex...

The Importance of Today

“There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day."~ Alexander Woollcott
With 365 days surrounding this challenge, it can be easy to feel like some days aren’t very important, but the truth is that every single one day in this challenge is important. Each day is proof that you are willing to do what it takes to market your book. Yesterday was day 21 of our challenge, and if you’ve been keeping up and believe what people say about the number of days it takes to form a habit, then y...

Day #21

“The kind of marketing that will get done is, for the most part, the kind that’s enjoyable.”~Lisa Velthouse
What’s your favorite part of book marketing? Obviously most of us are pretty fond of writing, but I’d have to say that my favorite part of marketing is designing a book cover. I’m not a graphic designer (though I happen to be married to one), so I play around with it for a while and then seek out a professional opinion. There’s just something about defining my words with a graphic that I...

Day 20

“Word–of–mouth marketing has always been important. Today, it’s more important than ever because of the power of the Internet.”~ Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett
Word-of-mouth marketing is probably the single most important type of marketing there is. Having someone tell someone else about your book is huge, but they can’t tell someone about it if they haven’t heard of it themselves – that’s where your part comes in. As an author, you have to be able to talk about your book. Beyond the tweets. Bey...