Issue #1165 Oct. 14, 2017
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- Write Sassy Author Resource Boxes
- Halloween Contest Ideas for B2B
- Book Hooks
- Hound Video of the Week
This Weekend in the Hound House:
Today I’m taking a friend on a tour of my favorite Milwaukee consignment shops for women’s clothing. Tomorrow, it’s time to peel, seed and cook a bushel of organic apples for homemade Cinnamon Applesauce–while watching my Green Bay Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings.
1. Write Sassy Author Resource Boxes
Some people collect antique china. Others keep a stash of comic books from their childhood.
I collect author resources boxes.
Why? Because the ones most authors write are more potent than Ambien. And every time I see one that makes me smile, I grab a screenshot for safekeeping.
A resource box is the super-short bio, usually 50 to 100 words, at the end of articles and guest blog posts you’ve written. Sometimes they include a link to a website. Sometimes they’re only one sentence. That means you must make the best use of every character in a tiny amount of real estate.
To do: For examples of seven of my favorites, read my article “How to Write a Sassy, Snarky, Sizzling Author Resource Box.” If you’re an author who writes books, take advantage of a super promotion under way through Monday at midnight. My Media Kit Templates for Indie Authors and Press Release Masterclass have been combined into a Mega Bundle that we’re offering at the lowest price ever. Read more about here.
2. Halloween Contest Ideas for B2B
People love contests, especially when there’s a cool prize.
But does the idea of a contest spook you because you’re a B2B?
If you’re an executive recruiter, you could build an essay or caption contest around a super scary HR story.
If you’re a commercial plumber, you could ask people to describe or share a photo of their biggest plumbing nightmare.
To do: Read “9 Simple Halloween Contest Ideas for B2B.”
#B2B #Halloween
3. Book Hooks
If you’re planning a book launch, or you’re relaunching a book to boost sales, remember the mistakes that have cost many other authors just like you sales, readers and sanity.
In my work with author clients, I see these missteps repeatedly. One of the biggest is failing to think of publicity “hooks” while writing the book.
Smart authors keep a running list of topics and sub-topics within the book while they’re writing. By the time they’re done, they can start researching targeted media and creating their “hooks” that tie into the topics.
To do: Read about the other six mistakes and register for my training session on Wednesday with the folks at Bublish. It’s on “19 Killer Ideas to Supercharge Your Book Publicity Campaign!”
#BookAngles #BookHooks
4. Hound Video of the Week
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