Book Promotion |
Internet Authors Network | internet book promotion | how to promote books on the Internet |
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Book Promotion |
Internet Authors Network | internet book promotion | how to promote books on the Internet |
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| Xenite.Org News | Free online book promotion by the Internet Authors Network |
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What is the Internet Authors Network?
The Internet Authors Network is a collection of resources intended to help authors who have published on the Internet or who have self-published to promote their books. We cannot guarantee that the people most likely to buy your books will find your site. Nor can we promise that you will find the kinds of books you enjoy through this network. But we hope to bring together authors and readers alike and increase the reach of authors to potential readers and readers to potential new favorite authors. The Internet was created for the free sharing of information, and to a great extent it remains dedicated to that purpose. Most Web pages are still free to examine. For the author hoping to market a book on the Internet there is a world of opportunity. But let's be realistic. As of October 2, 2004, there were over 4,000,000,000 Web pages in existence according to some experts, and the number of pages increases by more than 1,000,000 pages per day. Getting noticed by people who would be interested in your books is not easy. Potential readers, on the other hand, look at the online bookstores, if they look anywhere at all, for new titles to read. But people will also recommend books they've read to each other. Many books are undoubtedly sold by word-of-mouth. This network can help you, the author, use word-of-mouth to sell your books by helping surfers find reviews of your books. What the author needs to do Marketing a book is a very complex process. But we can simplify some of the tasks by working together. Nonetheless, the process begins with you, the author. You cannot depend on other people to provide you with the best promotional services on the Internet. On the other hand, we can't all be experts in promoting Web sites and books. So, the advice given here is derived from years of promotional experience. These are short cuts intended to get you up and running, but there are no real explanations for why you should do these. You'll just have to trust that this advice is good, comes with no guarantees, but at least shouldn't get you into trouble. First of all, you need to create a Web page specifically for your book. The page must be simple (not too many graphics, few tables, no java, no music, no animations) and relatively small. It should load fast into any Web browser on a 28.8K modem. Just because you are using a cable modem or DSL connection doesn't mean everyone else is. Put the surfer first, not your creative interests. Next, be sure to announce your book through the Internet Book List, a free service provided by the Internet Authors Network. But don't stop there. Be sure to list your Web site with a few directories such as The Open Directory Project and Yahoo!. These are only a couple of suggestions. Don't pay for listings. You only need 2 or 3 listings with reputable directories and there are still out there which will accept your submissions for free. In addition to being listed on directories, it will be helpful if you ask your friends and relatives who have Web sites to add links to your site on theirs. While it is courteous to exchange links with people, you also want to encourage your readers to link to your official site on their own Web sites. Don't be shy. Linking is what the Web is all about, and you want to improve the visibility of your site and your book as much as possible. Once your Web site shows up in directory listings, you should be able to submit it to a few search engines. Google and Yahoo!/Inktomi allow you to submit your site for crawling free of charge. You do need a Yahoo! account (also free) to submit your site. Finally, if you are subscribed to mailing lists, news groups, or visit Web-based forums and message boards to discuss unrelated topics with other people, be sure to create and use a signature file wherever you are permitted to. It should mention your book and include a link to your book's Web page. Good luck, to both authors and surfers! Where there is a Web site, there is content. Right? Not always. If you're an author trying to figure out what you can or should put on your Web site, check out this article on how to create web page content. What's the real story about marketing books on the Internet? Michael Martinez takes a first look at the pitfalls, success stories, and lessons to be learned in Marketing Books on the Internet. Not sure of how the online bookstores can help you sell your book? Check out our Online Bookstores review to see what you can do. |
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