And look at how the industry itself has changed! We’ve witnessed the Amazon Kindle grow and change (which was first released in November 2007, sold out in 5 hours, and was out of stock till April 2008), and B&N hopped on board the Ereader train with the release of their Nook Ereader just last year. Even I’m reading books for review on my own Kindle now.

What’s next, you might ask?  I’m not sure.  For us or for the industry.  I think Ebooks will continue to grow, but I don’t see the paperback book going away anytime soon.  It’s a lot like the never ending search for cancer.  Think of how many people, not just bookstores, that would lose their job if the physical book went away – publishers, agents, artists, marketing, sales, editors, and printers to name a few.  It could happen one day, but I don’t think that’s anytime soon. As for LLBR, we’re going to keep doing what we do best too.  Review books!

My personal goal this year was to spend less time on the soap box and more time reading and reviewing.  I’m actually growing tired of being a cheerleader for the industry, and I’ve been on the playing field of it since 2003.  I love it that our blog has been an outstanding and constant resource to new authors who are considering self-publishing.  But often at times, I feel like a broken record.

But the information is out there, not just here on LLBR, to help you succeed.  You just have to find it.  It’s what I did as an indie author myself.  I learned from my mistakes and got better and better at it as time went on. But the reward in the end was totally worth it – having someone read and review my books and provide feedback.  That meant more to me than anything!

After all, a book is a waste of time and paper (or e-ink) if no one reads it, right?  And that’s where I’m going to devote my energy going forward.  I can’t speak for my fellow reviewers here, but you can expect more reviews from me than anything else going forward.  That doesn’t necessarily mean the number of books I review will increase, but you can expect the books I review to be of the utmost quality when it comes to indie books.

This is the LL Book Review, and I want to concentrate on that “book review” part of our name.  We’ve reached almost 200 reviews in just 3 years.  Wow!  Here’s to the next 200 or to the next 3 years!

And thanks to all of you – our readers, reviewers, and authors – who have been a part of it!

-Shannon Yarbrough

LLBR Founder

True, some people can probably invest very little money in their book and get just as much exposure.  The internet provides us with limitless possibilities when it comes to free marketing. But we shouldn’t depend upon the world wide web solely for those opportunities.  Take advantage of them?  Absolutely!  But you should still invest in physical copies of you own book (That is, if you are publishing it at all in hard copy…the reason for my post) so that you can be armed with the best marketing material there is: a copy of your book.

It’s odd to consider these days that an author can publish completely online and have their book only available as a download and make money.  Chances are, if you are like me or at least half of the POD community, you’ll make more money from E-sales than physical copies.  But if you are like me, you also still like to hold a physical book in your hand.  You like the crisp smell of its pages.  You like the feel of it, of words on paper. Nothing beats a physical book in my hands!  I still buy them.  I still read them.  And I still prefer to review them that way.

I see author blogs or Facebook posts all the time with random pics of your books stacked on your desk or shelved neatly on your book shelf.  Looks good, doesn’t it?  Feels good too.  I have a stack of my own like that.  They are signs of our hard work and we should be proud of them. They make good conversation pieces when company comes over.  Visitors always stop and wonder why you have so many copies of one book on your shelf.  So, good for you for having more than one copy!  But now it’s time to put a few of those copies to work for you.  Chances are not every copy will have a return as far as the investment goes, but in no random order, here’s a list of ways to put those copies to good use when it comes to marketing your book:

1. Donate one copy to your local library.
2. Did you write a children’s or teen interest book?  Donate a copy to a local school library or to the school you went to.
3. Send a copy to your local newspaper along with a press release.  Be sure to send it to the attention of the arts and variety editor or local interest section.
4. Send a copy to at least one national newspaper along with a press release.  Again, to the attention of the review editor.
5. Send a copy to a literary magazine or journal.
6. Send a copy to a review site or book review blog (www.llbookreview.com is a good one).
7. Send a copy to a local book club.
8. Send a copy to your local independent bookstore as part of a marketing kit or press release.  Bookstores love to receive advanced free copies and often give them  to their employees to read and suggest to customers.
9. Send a copy to your local chain bookstore.  Most of the time they won’t invest in stock of your book if it is sold non-returnable, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
10. Find a top reviewer of books in your genre on Amazon.com and contact them, asking if they’d like a copy of your book.  I’ve had several authors contact me through Amazon this way because of my previous reviews.
11. Sell copies of your book on Amazon.com or on sites like abebooks.com. Advertise them as “signed by the author.”  This is an excellent way to get a fast return financially!
12. Offer free copies on your blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter as a raffle.  Create fun contests for your readers!
13. Give away free copies on bookmooch.com.  I’m currently doing this, asking readers to only mooch my book if they are willing to review it for me on Amazon.com.  I’m trying to gain more reviews of my book there, and so far I’ve had two people request my book.
14. Give advanced copies away on goodreads.com.  GoodReads will keep track of the entries and let you set your own deadline.  They will also draw random winners for you at the end of the raffle and let you know who they are.  All you have to do is ship the book.  GoodReads also encourages readers to post a review of the book on their site.  Include a nice thank you card with the book and ask them to review it on Amazon for you too.
15. In your car, book bag, or purse.  You never know who you are going to run into and strike up a conversation with.  It could be an excellent bragging opportunity and you could let your book be your business card.
16. In a waiting room.  If you find books in your doctor’s office, dentist office, at the hospital, or any other waiting room you’ve frequented, why not conveniently leave one of your own books there in the mix?  You never know who will pick it up.  This is an excellent opportunity for anyone who wrote a book specific to the field:  nursing biographies, doctor advice, dental, self-help, etc.
17. Hospital Giftshops.  Most hospital gift shops have a small selection of eclectic books.  This is a great chance to get your book front and center.
18. At a literary festival. Check your state for any local book festivals that might be taking place.  Sign up to attend or join a group that might be attending.  Or just go to the festival as a visitor and pass out copies of your book to people you strike up a conversation with.  Our own LK Gardner-Griffie has connected with many readers at festivals in her area.
19. Story-Time!  There’s always a book being read to kids on a Saturday at a bookstore, at a preschool or in a kindergarten class, or at your local library.  If you wrote a kid’s book, why not talk to the director about being a special guest and featuring your book.
20. College Campuses!  Don’t forget your campus bookstore, campus library, campus clubs, writing groups, historical societies, etc.
21. Places frequented by your target audience.  This place plays off #16 a bit, but think about it.  The people who you want to read your book, who you wrote the book for, might not frequent bookstores.  Did you write a story about a coupon clipping queen?  Sell your book on a card table outside the grocery store (Move over girl scouts!) or talk to your grocery manager about an event.  Did you write the next Friday Night Lights?  Peddle your book at the high school concession stand. Are you penning your biography about being a Karate teacher?  Go talk to karate schools and classes one night!  A how-to book on growing rare vegetables?  Stop by the local farmer’s market. The point is go find your audience! Don’t wait for them to find you.
22. Community Centers.  Find out if your local center has a free lending library.  This is also a nice way to connect with grown-ups who loiter around while the kids are in the pool, and a nice way to let your neighbors kindly know there’s an author living next door.
23. Internet Cafes and Coffee Shops.  Again, most have a lending library.  Or stop by on Open Mic night and get up and read from your book.  I once bought a local cookbook that was being promoted next to the cash register in a coffee shop.  The point is most people who frequent these places appreciate local work and artists.
24. Flea markets, rummage sales, and garage sales.  Most people are looking for cheap books here, but if you signed your book and talked them up as “signed limited first editions,” you’re sure to draw some interest.
25. Airports, bus stations, and train stations.  Most of these have a literature kiosk or reading rack.
26. Visitor centers or tourist attractions.  Add a “local author” sticker to the front of your book and display it next to the other local interest books.

So there you have it!  Twenty-six places where you could market your book and put that overstock on your coffee table to some good use.  Take into account that if you are mailing copies of your book to various places there’s postage and packing materials to consider.  Always pack them sufficiently so the book arrives in perfect condition.  Also, don’t approach these places with a chip on your shoulder and don’t lie.  You’re not a bestselling author (yet).  Your a local author whose looking for readers. Don’t expect payment up front either.  You should be willing to donate copies of your book to most local places or work out a deal to sell on consignment. Or if you are dealing with a bookstore or coffee shop, take down their billing information and send them an invoice.

Do you have other odd places where you successfully sold your book?  If so, we want to hear about it.  Post them here as a comment or shoot us an email and we’ll include them in a future post.

Happy marketing!

I first came across the writing of Linda Welch early in 2009 when I reviewed her first book in the Whisperings series, Along Came a Demon (review 70). I knew of Linda from the Lulu forums and that is one of the reasons I chose to review her book when it was posted on the Pick Me tab. I was very happy to have read the first book, and jumped at the chance to read and review the second book in the series, The Demon Hunters, as soon as Linda made it available to us (review 105). Since that time, Linda and I have become regular correspondents and critique partners for each other, and Linda has graciously reviewed a few books for LL Book review as well. I am very fortunate to call this talented woman my friend, and had the pleasure of meeting her this year on my vacation.

A few months ago, Linda’s Whisperings series took off in Kindle sales and her books were number 1 & 2 respectively in their category. I couldn’t have been more thrilled for her, or so I thought. The week following their rise to number 1, she received an email that she flipped to me to get my take on it. The email just happened to be from Robert Gottlieb of Trident Media Group (number one agency in sales since 2004 by Publisher’s Marketplace) enquiring whether she had representation for her Whispering novels and whether she would be interested in growing her business in the US and abroad. After I finished dancing on the ceiling on her behalf and doing a quick round of research, checking Publisher’s Marketplace, Preditors and Editors, and other sources looking for what the feedback was about Trident and Robert Gottlieb specifically, I sent back my response advising her to express interest. NOW!!

After discussing how Trident would be able to help Linda potentially increase her sales, Linda sent both of her current books, Along Came a Demon and The Demon Hunters to Robert, and he provided some inital editorial feedback. Over the past couple months, Linda and Robert have been working out the details of their agreement. Linda did seek out the assistance of a literary attorney to review the agency contract, which is always a good idea. A reputable agency will recommend you have someone look over the agreement, which Trident did. Once the minor changes to the contract were agreed upon and changed, Linda signed and with a few deep breaths, sent the contract back to the agency. So it is official, Linda Welch is now represented by Robert Gottlieb of Trident Media Group.

As happy as I am for Linda, and I truly don’t know who has sounded more excited about this venture…I think it might be me, the more exciting aspect to garner from this is that one of the major New York agencies is actively looking for talent amidst the self-published pool based on sales. And if a respected CEO and agent like Robert Gottlieb is taking the time to watch the Amazon sales rankings to scoop up talent, then will it be long before more and more agencies are doing the same?

If you want to pick up a copy of the books which earned her the deal, you’d better check Amazon.com fast, as they will soon disappear for awhile. Oh, and the reason we don’t have a picture of the smiling author is that such a thing does not exist on the web. The closest we can get is a picture of Tiff Banks, her main character from the Whisperings series.

CONGRATULATIONS LINDA!!!

Linda was invited by none other than Jacqueline Lichtenberg, an acclaimed author of science fiction romance, to guest blog on Alien Romances, A by-invitation group blog for busy authors of SFR, Futuristic, or Paranormal romances in which at least one protagonist is an alien, or of alien ancestry. Linda was thrilled by the honor of being asked to guest blog, but then when the post was published, she was amazed to find the flattering introduction written by Jacqueline Lichtenberg. In the intro, Ms. Lichtenberg states: “Linda Welch is a byline to memorize. Linda Welch is a terrific writer. And what’s more, Linda Welch is definitely on our wavelength with Alien Romance.” These are only a few of the complimentary things Ms. Lichtenberg had to say about paranormal mystery writer, Linda Welch. To read the entire article, including Linda’s post on Is That Really You? in which she discusses the confusion between her avatar (pictured above) which is of her main character, Tiff Banks, and Linda herself, click here.

The blog post itself is definitely worth a read as well, because Linda delivers in her own quirky fashion some amusing anecdotes of the confusion. My favorite phrase? “Is that really your butt?” followed by: “I find it very relaxing.” Congratulations to Linda for receiving such high and well-deserved compliments on her writing.

Dan’s book, Briefs for the Reading Room, made the list of top books with the most views in Full Screen Mode with 228 hits in the month of August.

LK’s book, Misfit McCabe, made the list of top books with the most views in Widget Mode with 4693 hits.

While I myself have not taken advantage of using the BookBuzzr marketing feature, we here at LLBR are big supporters of it and often use the widget in our reviews when posting book previews.

Click here to get started with fReado and BookBuzzr today!

LKG-G: How did the idea come about to turn Minnie into a stage play?

AL: I’ve always been a fan of Steel Magnolias and had on hand the script I bought from Amazon, which I read from time to time. Then it hit me a couple months back that Minnie could be translated to a play like Steel Magnolias. They’re both about real life situations and real reactions, and people always like to be entertained by things they can relate to. I sometimes read the script aloud to myself and edit it that way, to make it as real-sounding as possible. It’s very exciting to see Minnie evolve the way it has been.

LKG-G: What were some of the challenges you faced with writing the play versus the manuscript?

AL: Since plays are mostly dialogue, I had to change a lot of the intrapersonal segments into outward dialogue and remove some of the characters. For example, in the book, Minnie has an angry, paranoid daughter named Marcia and she is softened by Sadey, but in the play, to keep it simple, Marcia is only talked of. Sadey’s toddler sister, Cora, is one of Sadey’s reasons for living in the book, but in the play, she is also only talked of. It was hard to eliminate the positions for actors, but I didn’t want a complicated script. I’m very tidy and linear in everything I do, so I wanted the play to be something I could look at and not wince. I was able to keep a lot of the back story, which the characters discuss (Minnie’s abusive marriage, Sadey’s unfit mother, Gabe’s hand in an abortion).

Note by LKG-G: I’m very sorry to hear that Marcia will not be a part of the stage play. When I first heard you were working on the stage play for Minnie, my mind immediately visualized the off-beat Marcia, and it would be a great part for a character actor.

LKG-G: As a script what do you see as the potential for Minnie?

AL: I see Minnie becoming fairly popular as a play, simply because it’s based on something believable. I’m not trying to sound conceited, but history shows that audiences like things that can sweep them away: Steel Magnolias of course, Titanic, The Sound of Music, Pride & Prejudice, and countless other plays like them. Once Minnie is on stage, I feel that it will slowly but surely gain popularity like it did when it was first published.

LKG-G: When do you anticipate Minnie to be in production?

AL: That’s the funny part. Right now I’m in the middle of turning Minnie into a play for a scriptwriting contest that Loves Street Playhouse is having and I feel that it will be my turn to do something great and to see my characters that I’ve known for a few years to finally take tangible breaths and to live out what has been a vision for so long. As for a timeline, if my script wins the contest, Loves Street Playhouse will have the rights to my script for the 2009-2011 seasons and will be produced once or several times. Worst case scenario, if I do not win the contest, I want to put on my own production of Minnie with friends and community members and work my way up from there!

Thanks to author Ashley Lane for sharing her next steps with Minnie with us.

Not only did I send books in as entries to the contest, but also, the class in Durango, Colorado sent Book 1 of the Where in the World is Misfit McCabe? project to them. So, hopefully soon, I will have the list of students who read Misfit McCabe and will be able to update the website.

I was very proud and pleased to receive notification that Misfit McCabe had garnered runner up honors in the Pearson Prize Teen Choice Book Award Contest. I had just been thinking about sending a message to Michael to remind him that once the contest was concluded I would need a list of the participants in the WITW is MMC project, when I received the following email which started:

It is my pleasure to inform you that you are a runner-up for the 2009 Pearson Prize Medal for
your title “Misfit McCabe”.
Congratulations. More than 20 teens choose your title as their number one selection from more
than 150 titles!

I felt like I was walking on air. While I do not get the trophy, I still have the satisfaction of knowing that my little story was in the top 3 books read this year at Lester B Pearson High School. Plus, I get to put some of those little foil labels on my books which say that my book is an award winner. I loved the comment from one of the student judges of the contest about Misfit McCabe:

There is an interesting range or varied emotions from crying to laughing to simply secretly smiling to yourself because you can relate to every turn of events. You should definitely read this book.

There can be no greater satisfaction for a writer than to have their work read and enjoyed. Now all I have to do is get Nowhere Feels Like Home ready to enter next year’s contest.

I had the pleasure of reading Robert Toonkel’s book, Chappaqua, in August as part of our Back to School focus.  Just yesterday, I noticed Robert’s book had gone live on Amazon since the review.  I decided to cross post our review to his Amazon page and also noticed the book had a new cover.

I was so impressed by it I decided to email Robert to let him know about the review and to congratulate him on the new cover.  Robert quickly replied to let me know what’s happened to Chappaqua since it was reviewed here at LLBR.  His news immediately put a smile on my face and is a quick reminder of what POD and this blog is all about.  I’d like to share Robert’s email with you now…

Shannon:

I keep meaning to e-mail you to update you and other Lulu Book Review readers on where Chappaqua has gone since you so kindly reviewed it. I’m not sure how you find the time to do your regular job, publicize Stealing Wishes, write, and review all those books. I can barely find the hours to handle the first two of those.

There have been so many times where I’ve just wanted to put Chappaqua away with the publisher rejection letters it received, but as I know you felt with your book, I couldn’t let go of the time and effort I had put into it. So I’ve been self-promoting like crazy, borrowing some ideas from your blog (Thanks!), adding some of my own. I don’t know where Katie Fitzpatrick is going to go from this point, but regardless, I can say that I’ve basically done everything I could for her.

Just some of the things I’ve done – you’ve done a bunch of these – but in that case, I just want to reiterate how helpful they are:

Lulu – Sure, Lulu doesn’t have the reach of Amazon or Barnes & Noble, but it isn’t a dead end either. Chappaqua went from the 30,000th best selling book in September to the top 3,000th in December, placing in the top 100 one week. I’m not going to get rich off the royalties, but people are buying it. And more than a dozen people (more than half of them unknown to me) were kind enough to write reviews.
Cover – You have a brilliant idea with helping to design covers. I paid a college girl $200 to design Chappaqua’s current cover and it says so much more than the quick one I did “just to put a cover on it.” No one has to pay a “professional designer” thousands of dollars to make a cover. But a small investment will go a very, very long way.
Amazon Kindle – I haven’t sold a single copy in the ten days it has been on the site, but having it out there offers potential (and also makes it more legitimate). Telling someone your book is on Amazon is instant recognition.
Facebook – In August, I gave Chappaqua a Facebook page – which has gathered more than 100 fans and 2,000 views. A great way to keep people in the loop about the latest developments, and also to publicize events and happenings.
A “Trailer” – Not as hard as it seems. Download Google’s “Picasa 3,” arrange a series of photos with text, put it to music and put it up on the web. It can be done in under two hours, even by someone as design-impaired as me. It’s on the Facebook page. Several hundred people have viewed it.
A “Baby Book” – Photos of Chappaqua’s development from the original idea to the current edition. Posted as an album on Facebook. People love to see the nuts and bolts behind the finished product, and understand that a book, like Rome, wasn’t built in a day.
A Website – I bought a domain for less than $10 a year, use a simple web-building tool, and gave Chappaqua a website (www.chappaquanovel.com). Everything you need to know about the book, with a sample, pictures, reviews (including a link back to you), and thanks to PayPal, an easy way for people to order the book directly. I set it all up in less than a day. More legitimacy.
Publicity – I’ve used a printing company for Valentine’s Day and Christmas cards in the past, so I turned to them to make postcards, bookmarks and small (11×17) posters for Chappaqua. They turned out to be very valuable for…
Local Bookstores – I went to the local bookstore in Chappaqua and offered them a chance to be the only storefront to carry the book. I told them I would put their name on the postcards and bookmarks. They grudgingly agreed to take 5 copies on consignment for 60 days. Those sold in 59 days. They asked for 5 more. Those sold in 6 days. They asked for 13 more. Those sold out in a weekend. They have the postcards and bookmarks at the checkout counter and people become interested. Recently, they expanded the “few books on a shelf” into a complete display. (A side note: I had offered the book to a second local bookstore and was told that they did not accept POD books under any circumstances. Three months later, they called me to ask for a dozen books because people kept coming in and asking for it to the point that they had created a waiting list).
Libraries – My local library scheduled a book talk about Chappaqua for 19 December. Unfortunately, New York was hit with a massive snowstorm that day, so it was postponed until 19 March. According to the program director at the library, a few members of the media had called to make arrangements. The library is another place where I left postcards and bookmarks.
“A Press Kit” – Bio, press release and one-pager on the book. As a communications person by trade, I can vouch for the importance of this.
A Unique Angle – It goes without saying that you have to explain what makes your book different/special than anything out there. I’ve come up with a unique way of talking about Chappaqua to people who don’t read books or who lie well beyond my target audience. When my fourth grade teacher invited me to speak to her class, I brought up some of the facts from this section of the Chappaqua page (http://mysite.verizon.net/res11mw5h/id71.html) to their attention. They might not be interested in the subject, but they’re always amazed that I know how many times I used certain words, which leads to creative exercises like trying to write a paragraph without using “the” or avoiding words that begin with “s.” Then they go home and tell their parents about this interesting lesson they had. It also gives adults an interesting fact to remember. In the long run it might be worthless, but I think it’s fun.

That’s where Chappaqua stands as of now. Who knows what will happen in 2009?

Thanks again for your e-mail, your review and all your efforts to promote books such as Chappaqua. I hope 2009 brings you all kinds of good things for Stealing Wishes and for the new novel that you’ve been mentioning from time to time.

Rob

When I read the part about what happened in the bookstores, a smile came across my face!  It just goes to show what word of mouth can do for your book right in your own community.  Congratulations to Rob on his success!

Visit Chappaqua on the web!

Become a fan of Chappaqua on Facebook!

LLBR: First, tell us what inspired you to write The Time Cavern.

Todd: Growing up, I was one of those kids that did not enjoy books. I remember having reading assignments in school and I’d count the pages to the end of the chapter assigned—it was definitely a chore. Then I read A Wrinkle In Time¸by Madline L’Engle. I was completely engrossed in the story. Before I knew it, I had finished the book and subsequently became an insatiable reader. Years later, I re-read the book and relived not only the wonderment of the story from when I was younger but also appreciated it on an entirely new level as an adult. It was A Wrinkle In Time that inspired The Time Cavern. I wanted to write a book that featured everyday kids, not the jock or the beautiful girl. A book that would let them experience something as grand as their imaginations—but be real. Like Madeline L’Engle, I wrote it as a piece that does not talk down to young adults, but rather challenged their intellect while being entertaining. I think this is why both young adults and adults are enjoying the book.

LLBR: Why did you choose Lulu to publish your book?

Todd: I began this journey in November 2005 participating in Nanowrimo (national novel writing month–www.nanowrimo.org). After finishing the first 50,000 words in one month, it took another couple of years to finish, re-write, edit and polish the story. Lulu is a great option for writers because it allows the author complete control over every aspect of the book from cover design to distribution. The key aspect for me in choosing Lulu was the ability to have a relatively inexpensive option to obtain global distribution. There are currently over 30 distribution channels for my book around the globe.

LLBR: Was self-publishing from start to finish hard for you?  Did you have any help?  What did you like or dislike about it?

Todd: The key to success in self publishing is creating a product that is of the same quality, look, and feel of a big publishing house’s product. Three essential keys to doing this are a custom cover, copy editing, and book layout (typesetting). Regarding the cover, I have experience in 3D animation as well as Photoshop, so I created it myself. The feedback has been great and I think the cover alone sells a number of copies. Regarding copy editing, I hired someone to do this. I’m clearly a writer and not an editor. My editor’s changes were magic and well worth the money. If you are serious about selling your work beyond a few people—get a copy editor. Finally type setting. I did this myself but this is not easy. Just fully justifying your work is not enough. There is a lot of information on the web which can help you learn how to do this, but to do it correctly is a tremendous amount of work.

LLBR: What happened after you were reviewed on LLBR?

Todd: Reviews are essential to the success of a book. I know I always research books before I buy them either by reading the reviews online or from the blurbs in and on the book itself. LLBR was the first site to review my book and I’ve used that review in all of my marketing materials. This includes an excerpt of the review placed on my book’s back cover. Potential buyers are significantly more likely to buy a book which has been independently reviewed. These reviews are also key in the media kit you send out to editors and others when planning events like book signings.

LLBR:   Tell us about your marketing techniques for the book.

Todd: I spend at least an hour each day marketing my book. My efforts have been focused both online and at local venues. Online, Amazon has been huge for marketing my book. A major factor is the “Search Inside” feature which allows potential customers to essentially page through the book like you would in a book store. Using Amazon Connect, I also post information like website updates and the book trailer. Probably most important are Amazon tags which I’ll talk about later. My website, www.thetimecavern.com, has also been crucial. Not only have I added the pertinent information about the book and myself, but I also added website “stickiness”—that is, information to keep people who visit the site at the site. For example, I’ve included The Time Cavern webquest game similar to Dan Brown’s webquest for The DaVinci Code. There’s also window’s wallpapers to download and a banner for site links. One can’t get enough exposure, so I created a book trailer and posted it on YouTube as well as my site. The Time Cavern book trailer currently has over 13,000 views on YouTube which is more than Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes trailer! (please take a look and rate the video–www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAYqAYlzvKM). I’m advertising and having reviews done on young adult book websites. The key here is find the niche your book fits in and targeting those online communities that cater to that niche. An unexpected but pleasant surprise has been publishing my book on the Amazon Kindle (ebook reader). This is still a small community but the Kindle Amazon forums are very open to new authors. I’m selling about a book a day on the kindle and am consistently in the top ten in two Kindle categories—this provides huge exposure. (hint: use the software from mobipocket—www.mobipocket.com–which is owned by Amazon to convert your document for use on Kindle. Loading your book on mobipocket automatically creates a Kindle version and you are off and selling on Amazon!). Finally, I’ve been working book signings and also targeting schools. Because the book is educational containing a lot of science information as well as discussion of the Amish culture, I’ve been able to have success at schools. In fact, one teacher is ordering 60 copies for her sixth grade class.

LLBR: Tell us about your recent experience with Amazon tagging.  Is it helping to sell the book?  How does it work?  What has the overall response been?

Todd: For those of you who don’t know, customer’s can “tag” books on Amazon with whatever words they think are appropriate for the book—such as the tag “memoir”. The more times customers tag a book with the same word, the more popular that book becomes with respect to that tag. Note sales do not determine the books popularity with respect to tags, just the number of tags it receives for that particular word. So in my case, I asked folks to tag my book with the words “juvenile fiction” and “young adult”. As a result, The Time Cavern is now the #1 tagged book for “juvenile fiction”. You might think, so what, but there is a “juvenile fiction” customer community on Amazon with over 400 customer’s associated with it. On the home page of the customer community, because my book is tagged #1, it is highlighted on the home page of this community. Anyone who visits “juvenile fiction” sees my book—that’s huge visibility. The beautiful thing is—it’s all free—no purchase necessary to tag books. The issue is finding so many folks to tag your book (only one vote per person per tag).

LLBR: Do you think this multiple tagging is cheating?

Todd: Having your book on Amazon is the great equalizer. My book page for The Time Cavern looks pretty much like Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight page. The key to success is, obviously, to write a good book but after that it is to get visibility. I don’t see anything wrong with having people tag your book for exactly what it is—in my case, “juvenile fiction”. It is clearly a “juvenile fiction” book. It would be wrong to have folks who haven’t read the book to tag it “great read” because they obviously wouldn’t know that until they read it.

LLBR: Tell us about the blog you created.

Todd: I created the blog www.tagmybookonamazon.wordpress.com so that authors could leverage the power the internet to have their books appropriately tagged and gain some visibility on Amazon that they might not otherwise get. The idea is to submit your book, along with its description and Amazon link along with requested tags. A few books would be featured at a time. Those visiting the site are requested to tag the featured books as requested and in turn their book would eventually be featured. There are rules, however. I’ll only post tags that are obvious from the description of the book. Others—like “great read” have to be earned by having readers rate it as such. For more information, please visit the blog.

LLBR: What has been your best outlet so far for selling books?  Online, in stores, word of mouth, etc?

Todd: I’d say it’s about a third Amazon/online/blogging, a third word of mouth, and a third Kindle.

LLBR: I heard you have an upcoming book signing.  How did that come about, where is it, and how many copies do you think will sell?

Todd: To successfully market a book takes asking everyone you know to consider buying it—forwarding your website info, etc. Having it on Amazon gives you immediate credibility. As sales began to grow, folks who bought the book actually suggested the book signing. I decided to do what I thought would be a small signing at work. I put together a professional release and sent it to some colleagues. I included the fact the book had hit #9 on Barnes and Noble in the children’s science fiction category along with #1 and #2 spots in two Amazon Kindle categories. The response was really overwhelming. My sales rose and became steady on Amazon and I had pre-orders from over thirty people from work. I’m estimating this signing alone will yield 100 sales.

LLBR: What’s next for you as an author?  Will you choose POD again?

Todd: Well, The Time Cavern is book one in a series. I’m about a third of the way through the next book. Would I turn down a major publisher for the next book? No way. Having said that, I’m not actively soliciting them at this point. There are over 200,000 books published each year which doesn’t include POD books. I know that POD or not, marketing my next book will have a lot to do with me. At the end of the day, who your are and not your book is your brand—authors are what sell books. That’s why book covers feature the author’s name larger than the title of the book itself. Think of the next book J.K. Rowling will write—everyone will buy it because she wrote it not because of its title.