We are having a fascinating chat with Peter Bowerman, author of the book “The Well-Fed Self-Publisher” (TWFSP). If you’ve just joined us, click here for part one and here for part two.
Peter, you talk quite a bit about using the Internet for promotion. How important is it for an author to establish an Internet presence?
It’s critically important, given that, these days, the Internet is where so many people spend so much of their time collecting so much of the knowledge they live and operate by. As for how I established my ‘Net presence, it all went back to the afore-mentioned realization that my books were niche books, and as such, weren’t likely to catch the attention of MSM (mainstream media).
So, given my niche subject, I bypassed MSM, opting instead for a 4-step Internet-based approach:
1) IDENTIFY TARGET AUDIENCES. For “The Well-Fed Writer,” (TWFW) that meant writers, at-home moms, home-based business-seekers, 55+ (the latter three because of the flexible, lucrative, home-based nature of the biz), and others.
2) DETERMINE WHERE AUDIENCES GATHER. Hundreds of web sites cater to those groups, and because of their niche focus, my pitch would resonate far more effectively with them than it would with MSM. Logical. And remember: niche sites like these are always looking for content relevant to their members, to ensure that they stick around.
3) CONTACT SITES. I emailed those sites, explaining who I was, why my book would appeal to their audience, and offered a review copy – with an eye toward landing book reviews, interviews, promo blurbs (note those as well at Media link above), green lights to write articles or be a guest blogger (like this!), etc.
4) TAKE MASSIVE ACTION. A few dozen review copies won’t build a full-time income. Think hundreds and you’ll reap magical word-of-mouth advertising – the gift that keeps on giving. To date, I’ve sent out 400+ review copies of TWFW. I can hear you groaning, but you’ve got a secret weapon…
INTERNS: I used interns – at about $9 an hour – to build my review copy list for books #2 (TWFW: Back For Seconds) and #3, The Well-Fed Self-Publisher (TWFSP). In both cases, we started from an existing review copy list, building on it by brainstorming other avenues. I set her up with several standard cut-’n-paste email pitches. For each book, over the course of a summer, she built a list of 150 firm yes’s, agreeing to promote the book in any number of ways.
Wow. I admit to being completely impressed.
We’ll conclude our interview with Peter Bowerman tomorrow. In the meantime, you can learn more about him by clicking here.
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