Issue #854 Sept. 23, 2014
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- 12 Digital Publishing Tools
- Why You Need 4 Author Bios
- Promote on Regional Lists
- Hound Quote of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
I collect flow blue plates and display them on the wall in my kitchen. Flow blue is a style of white earthenware, usually porcelain, that originated in the 1820s, among the Staffordshire potters of England. The name comes from the blue glaze that “flowed” during the firing process. Always on the hunt for these hard-to-find plates at bargain prices, I was elated when I discovered one in perfect condition at a consignment shop over the weekend. It was only $6 with a 20 percent discount. Here’s a Pinterest board of Flow Blue China. Stunning, yes?
1. 12 Digital Publishing Tools
If you want to self-promote and don’t think of yourself as a publisher, go to the dog house without your dinner.
You and I are both publishers. We must create helpful content that will attract people in our target audiences and make them fall in love with us.
But content creation can be difficult if you don’t know the shortcuts.
The Future of Ink blog asked each guest contributor, including The Publicity Hound, to identify our favorite tool for digital publishers.
My choice was easy. It’s the Hemmingway App–the closest thing to a human editor.
With just a few clicks of the mouse, the app will color-code your copy and tell you how to improve it. I make everyone in The Publicity Hound Mentor Program run their copy through it before they send it to me for an in-depth coaching session on how to write.
Read about how my Mentor Program works, what you’ll learn, and whether we’re a good match.
2. Why You Need 4 Author Bios
Most authors have only one bio in their Author Media Kit.
Let’s say it’s about 200 words. A book reviewer who needs only 50 words must wade through it, pluck out phrases and string them together. On deadline, that’s a recipe for inaccuracies.
Make it easy for journalists and others to cut and paste your bio. Give them a choice of 50 words, 100 words and 400 to 600 words. Also include a two-line bio of 140 characters, perfect for a tweet.
The bios are a small part of your Media Kit. Learn about all the others that encourage people to promote you and your book. Join me and book publishing expert Joel Friedlander for a free training session we’re hosting from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time this Thursday, Sept. 25. Register here.
I’ll cover a lot of ground, including tips for assembling your kit and the many ways to use it. We have limited room on the line, so claim your seat now before all the seats are taken.
3. Promote on Regional Lists
I found that flow blue plate I mentioned above during a weekend trip to Door County, Wisconsin.
Before we left home, I Googled “consignment shops in Door County” and found several. But we were surprised to discover one that wasn’t on any of the lists. What a lost opportunity for the shop owner!
Hunt for lists that should include your business.
If you own a candy store in Chicago, for example, search for “candy stores in Chicago.” Bloggers love to curate this type of content. And most will welcome an email from you asking to be added to a list.
This tip also applies to tourist attractions, entertainment venues, restaurants and even health care clinics and doctor’s offices.
Planning to open a retail business? See Mallory Whitfield’s guest post at my blog on “4 ways to promote your retail business before you open.“
4. Hound Quote of the Week
“To err is human; to forgive, canine.” –Unknown
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