Issue #1338 Dec. 10, 2019
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- Don’t Ask Friends to Review Your Book
- How to Use LinkedIn to Sell Out Events
- Important Message for YouTube Creators
- Hound Video of the Week
This Week in the Hound House:
I’m still receiving rave reviews for the Christmas party I hosted at my home on Saturday night for 15 friends. The only blip was the potholder that caught fire inside my oven when I forgot to remove it after checking on the two trays of lasagna. When I saw the flames, I used a fork to pull it out, threw the potholder into the sink and extinguished the flames with running water. I hollered to a guest to take the smoke detector off the kitchen wall and move it into the living room. When the detector smells smoke, a woman’s voice comes on and hollers, “Smoke detected, evacuate! Smoke detected, evacuate!” Had we not caught it in time, my guests would have ended up on the driveway, shivering.
1. Don’t Ask Friends to Review Your Book
Three friends have promised they’ll review your new book on Amazon.
You’ve been checking your reviews daily for the last month but the reviews never appeared. When you remind your friends that they promised to write a review, they all tell you they already wrote it.
Are they lying?
Probably not. The real reason the reviews never appeared is because Amazon has a policy that prohibits friends and relatives from reviewing your books.
How does Amazon know who’s a friend and who isn’t? Easy.
Publishing expert Amy Collins says that if their Amazon and Facebook or Twitter email addresses are the same, they know.
The other reason reviews might not be appearing is because of Amazon’s policy that a reviewer must have bought at least $50 dollars worth of products from Amazon in the past year in order to be eligible to leave a review. In other words, a person can’t just buy a book off from Amazon as their only purchase and write a review that gets published.
Watch Amy’s video above for the details on what constitutes a verified review.
To do: One question authors ask me frequently is how to get their books into the big box stores like Costco and Walmart. It’s difficult, but it can be done. Amy was my guest on a webinar and explained exactly what you need to do before you approach these stores, and what you need to have in hand when you finally talk to them. The video replay and a huge package of bonuses are on sale for only $24.97. No coupon code needed. Read about what you’ll learn in her training on “How to Convince Costco, Walmart, Target & Other Huge Chains to Sell Your Books.”
#AmazonReviews #AmazonGuidelines
2. How to Use LinkedIn to Sell Out Events
If you’re having trouble selling seats to your live or virtual speaking engagements, classes, workshops, and other events, it could be because you don’t know all the ways to use LinkedIn to pull crowds.
LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth says one of the secrets is targeting your message to the people who would be most interested in your content and using LinkedIn features you might never have considered for event marketing. He recommends:
–Share your event in relevant groups. In the Conversation section, ask a compelling question that pertains to the topic and include a link to the registration page.
–Use the Add Media function to upload a PowerPoint presentation or video with event details. You can do this as part of your About, Job Experience or Education entries. It could be as simple as one slide with event details. This has high eye-catching appeal in your profile. The video could include a clip from the previous year’s event or a promo from this year’s keynote speaker.
–For a period of time leading up to the event, include an event teaser in your Headline, the short body of copy to the right of your headshot. This can be powerful, Wayne says, but don’t do this for an extended time. Be sure to change back to your day-to-day, keyword-rich Headline right after the event.
To do: Wayne has seven more tips in this article on “How to Use LinkedIn to Sell Out Events.”
#EventMarketing #EventPromotion
3. Important Message for YouTube Creators
If you create videos for YouTube, this is for you.
Due to a settlement with the U.S. Trade Commission, YouTube is now required to ask you to mark your videos as Made for Kids or not to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
You can do this two ways: at the channel level if all your videos are for adults or all are for children, or at the video level if you have a mix of videos with some for adults and some for kids.
If you don’t take this important step, YouTube can end up doing it for you, and the results might not be accurate. This new rule applies to all past and future videos and can affect your monetization if not done properly.
To do: Watch the YouTube video above that explains everything you need to do.
#COPPA #MadeforKids
4. Hound Video of the Week
In this skit from “Saturday Night Live,” two scientists explain their latest creation in the genetics lab: “a dog head guy.” Thanks to BL Ochman, producer and co-host of the Beyond Social Media Show for this one.
[Tweet “#PublicityTips — Don’t Ask Friends to Review Your Book #AmazonReviews #AmazonGuidelines”]
Dear Joan,
I am an author of fiction novels and children’s books on Amazon. I currently have three novels and two children’s books, which have gotten decent reviews but scant sales. I have used different methods to promote them including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Google with very few results. Help! What can I do to stimulate sales without going broke? Al Marsiglia
The problem, I suspect, is that you’re using social media to promote your books. That’s what most other authors are doing. And it becomes a constant stream of “buy my book” messages, which followers resent. Instead, start by finding out where your ideal readers for each book are online. Then join those groups and share valuable content tied to the books. You might find them on mommy blogs, or in Goodreads groups, or in Facebook groups. Here’s a list of 19 ideas for fiction and nonfiction authors. Also, depending on where you live and the Covid restrictions in your area, get into your community and start meeting potential readers, preferably in places where you can also sell your books like flea markets and farmer’s markets. If you’re locked down, try contacting book clubs associated with your type of book and offer to do a Skype or Zoom program for them. Search for book clubs at ReadersCircle.org