Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
Table of Contents
Marketing Options 3
So, What Do I Need on My Website? 7
Social Media Platforms Authors and Writers Should Explore 11
Blogging 11
Micro-blogging 13
Social Networks 14
Video 16
Audio 17
Document Sharing 17
Your Online Presence. Go for it! 18
About the Author 19
NOTE: This e-booklet was updated August 13, 2011.
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
Marketing Options
Who better to tell about your book then you? I want you to keep that in mind whether your
book is published through a traditional publisher or self-published.
If your book is contracted with a traditional publisher, they will do some marketing for you, but
they will expect you to push your book too. Many publishers will ask for marketing plans as a
part of the proposal.
If you choose to self-publish your book, understanding marketing is even more important to
you. Being aware of the various marketing tactics, new and old, will benefit you either route
you take on the road to publication.
Traditional Marketing Methods ARE Still Important
Now let me be clear, while I work from the online part of an author’s brand, I must emphasize
traditional marketing methods should still be a part of your budget. Many of the Web 2.0
platforms introduced in this guide are FREE, but DO NOT solely depend on these platforms to
market your book.
My main goal is to educate you on where the Internet is going since more and more people are
online thanks to high-speed access. Personally, I rarely watch TV or even read magazines, so
most of the information I receive about book releases and upcoming author events are from
online marketing.
Now know one can’t be on the computer 24 hours a day. When you meet potential readers in
person (salon, your child’s school, church, grocery store, etc), you need to consider having
business cards, bookmarks, postcards, and other print materials as line items in your budget.
Research your local print shop or online places like VistaPrint.com for pricing. You probably
don’t need to order more than 250 at a time which is usually the minimum amount. Make
adjustments as you go along.
PLEASE don’t create print materials from your personal printer. Invest money in materials that
showcase your book cover and your photo professionally.
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
Start with a Website
The first thing you need for online marketing, which I
hope you should know by now, is a Website. On his
blog, literary agent Terry Whalin mentioned, “Several
years ago, it was OK for an author not to have a
website. In fact, there was a great deal of skepticism
about anything online and whether it was true or not
… in today’s publishing climate, the Internet is often
the first place that people turn for information about
anything and anyone.” Read the full article Why Author’s Need a Web Presence
It doesn’t matter how you obtain a Website. You can design it yourself (if you have the creative
and graphic skills) or choose to hire someone. If you choose to do it yourself, keep it
professional. In the next section, I will share some no, no’s when it comes to building a Website.
If you hire someone, compare prices. I purposely keep my prices at Tywebbin Creations for
people on a budget.
DO plan to include two line items in your budget. For a Website, you need a domain name and
webhosting.
If you do not currently have a domain name, go to godaddy.com (or another inexpensive
company – hostmonster.com, dreamhost.com). When you find the name that you desire,
purchase the name immediately to make sure you have it in your possession.
The second thing that most people don’t seem to be aware of is Webhosting. This is just as
important as the domain name. Webhosting is basically renting space online for your Website
files to sit for the whole world to see. You can purchase both the domain name and webhosting
at the same time on godaddy.com. There are web design companies that will take care of all of
this for you, but it’s always a good idea to understand what you are purchasing and why. I
always prefer clients to purchase these items on their own. You can also be sure that you are
the “owner” of your domain name too, which is very important.
Online Advertising
In the age of text-messaging, email is still the dominant form of online communication for
adults.
NEWSLETTERS (HTML EMAIL): If you have the time, definitely consider starting a newsletter or
mailing list. You can keep readers updated with your new book releases, speaking or book
signing events. Here are a few popular newsletter companies to explore:
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
• campaigner.com • myemma.com
• constantcontact.com • mynewsletterbuilder.com
• getresponse.com • streamsend.com
• icontact.com • ymlp.com
EBLASTS: As you grow your personal mailing list, you may want to consider hiring online
publicists that concentrate on sending eblasts or ecards. There are quite a few dynamic public
relations firms like EDC Creations, Good Girl Book Club Online, etc. These companies have
hundreds, in some cases thousands of subscribers. If you can afford these services definitely
consider having a professional eblast created by a graphic designer.
BANNER ADS: Some popular Websites offer ad space in the form of banner ads. Definitely ask
these sites if they can provide statistical reports or be sure to add Google Analytics (or some
type of stats system) to your Website so you can monitor your hits and inbound sources (where
people are coming from to get to your site).
Below are some standard sizes for banner ads you should keep in mind
http://www.bannercreator.nu/banner-size.html
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
OTHER: Don’t forget about press releases and media kits (usually you post these on your
Website). You never know who may be seeking information about you – so make sure you
“sell” your image to potential media outlets.
Sample Media Kits:
http://pamelasamuelsyoung.com/content/presskit.html
http://www.tiamccollors.com/content/mediakit.html
Online Promotion – Virtual or Blog Tours
Virtual or blog tours consists of a number of online stops (usually bloggers), all committed to
posting about the same topic. The purpose of a blog or virtual tour is to generate “good old-
fashion word of mouth” about your book. An author will ultimately increase their book sales,
but a commitment to promote online is required.
Authors who want to do virtual tours should:
1) Decide whether they want to coordinate the tour or hire a coordinator. If you want
maximum online coverage and you don’t have a lot of time to do it yourself, you should
hire an expert. Feel free to check out Tywebbin Blog Tours.
2) Plan to start the preparation for the virtual tour at least 3 months in advance. Why?
• You need time to research blogs that have the readership and traffic.
• You need time to mail review copies to bloggers. If you want book bloggers to
endorse your book – you need to give them time to read or review it. The number of
books you can provide will help determine the number of participants you can
recruit.
• In order for tours to be included on certain blogs, you need to schedule in advance
before spots fill-up.
3) Strive for uniqueness. Virtual tours are all about placement to attract readers. Content
maybe interviews, excerpts, articles, audio – any type of content that (1) introduces
readers to the author and (2) information about the book release.
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
So, What Do I Need on My Website?
Domain name and
webhosting
There are two things you need to get started on a
Website. 1) You need to budget for a domain name
and Webhosting.
The domain name is usually yourname.com. For
branding purposes, it’s always best to use your name unless you are writing under a pen name.
There are other extensions like “.net”, “.tv”, “.us”, etc, but most people recognize “.com” as a
company and you are in a sense a company or a brand.
When you do a domain name research, sometimes the name you want may be taken so it’s
good to have a list of alternatives. For example, author Monique Miller wanted
moniquemiller.com for her domain name, but it was already taken. She opted for
authormoniquemiller.com.
As you explore domain names think about whether people will have a hard time spelling your
name or if someone shares your name. Author Tia McCollors ran into this issue and uses not
only TiaMcCollors.com, but also TiaWrites.com. Both domain names are directed to her author
Website.
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
If you decide to use a free Website service like say Blogger.com, I recommend at least
purchasing and forwarding the domain name so readers can find you.
A NOTE ABOUT BLOGS - Most sites now are run on a blogging system, so I don’t object to
people using blogs for their Websites. I’m actually encouraging people to go this route more
and more.
I would like to recommend that you consider Typepad.com (pay) or Wordpress.com (free)
instead of Blogger.com. It’s a lot easier, especially with Wordpress to make your Website
appear to resemble normal Websites. Plus if you use the combination of Wordpress and your
own webhosting, the customization you can do is truly mind-blowing and fun!
Elements needed for a Website
Here are a few websites to take a look at
• bonniehopkins.com
• maritateague.net
• rhondamcknight.net
• sharonewellfoster.com
• shelialipsey.com
• tiamccollars.com
• vanessamiller.com
Some of the common elements or the basics:
• Home: A homepage is the landing site for your website. First impressions count. Your
latest book release should be a focal point when visitors enter your site. A lot of authors
still want you to be aware of their other books so they will probably still include those
books on the page.
• Bio/About the Author: It’s up to you how much information you want to include.
Definitely not TOO MUCH PERSONAL INFO. It’s the internet and you still have to use
commons sense.
• Books: Always if possible include a description, post an excerpt and have links available
for Amazon, BN, etc. If you are selling the book, you might want to look into getting a
PayPal account.
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
• Tour dates or calendar: This is a must. Include your book signings. Any conferences
where you will be speaking? Are you going to be a guest blogger somewhere? Are you
going to be on television, radio, participating in a podcast? The key with a calendar –
keep it updated.
• Contact Page: I recommend getting a gmail or yahoo account. Keep it separate from
your personal email if you can. Spammers can easily grab or harvest your email address
from your Website. Yahoo and Gmail do pretty good jobs of catching spam. Simply,
redirect yourname@yourdomain.com to your personal email account.
• What are you offering? If you have the time and expertise, consider how you can
expand your site to meet a need or offer a service. A great example is Rhonda
McKnight’s inclusion of her Legacy Editing Services on the “For Writers” page.
DO NOT put or request irritating things on the site that will drive visitors away like …
• flash intros with no skip – preferably no intro at all especially if you want repeat visitors
• music that loads as soon as the visitor enters the page
• huge graphics with large file sizes – yes some people still use dial-up
• blinking animations
• large fonts
• clashing colors schemes
I could go on … but you get the idea.
Branding – Your name is the brand
Whenever I sit down to create a mock-up for a site I always start with colors. I like to get a feel
for a person so his or her personality shines through their brand. Whatever colors, logos, fonts,
etc that you use for your Website, keep the same concept as you work on print materials and
online promos like eblasts.
Remember if you are a debut author or if there is a certain amount of time that has passed
between your books, you have to teach people your name. Publishers spend a lot of time on
creating the perfect book cover. Use those same techniques for marketing your brand.
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
Platform (Nonfiction)
Many writers are speakers. Platform may be more
important for nonfiction writers, but it's probably
helpful for fiction writers as well. Do you talk about
domestic violence, cancer, parenting, divorce, etc in
your fiction or nonfiction book? There is a possibility you
can speak as an expert on this topic at a conference, on
a radio show or on television. You can at least write
articles for print or online publications.
Websites to check out: flourishleadership.com, toniaspeaks.com
Audience
You need to know your audience.
CamillePeay.com. Camille’s YA book, Brittani, is
marketed to young adult females. So, when we talked
about her Website, she wanted something not too cute,
but would appeal to a young girl.
When you are talking to a web designer or if you are
searching for a template, think about your audience. Do you want something that attracts a
younger audience? If you write suspense, shouldn’t you think about darker colors versus pastels
(even if you really like pastels)?
Plan for the future.
KellyStarlingLyons.com. Children's book author, Kelly Starling Lyons, has mainly written
children's books, but when it came time to put together a Website, she wanted to make sure it
would appeal to young adults as well since she’s planning to write for a YA audience.
If you are going to write for more than one type of audience, you may have to think about
branding yourself two different ways. Several authors, who write adult books, have separate
Websites for their YA books.
Example: Victoria Christopher Murray
http://www.victoriachristophermurray.com, http://www.thedivinedivas.com
Feel free to request a FREE quote for a Website or a customized blog at Tywebbin Creations.
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
Social Media Platforms to Explore
Wikipedia states Web 2.0 is a term which describes the trend in the use of World Wide Web
technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most
notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution
of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs,
and folksonomies. For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0
Another term for you …
Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology,
social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction,
and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and
"building" of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories, and
understandings.
Let’s Explore … Blogging
Blogging is social media. You set essentially set-up a blog as a hub (a central point) to draw an
audience to read and discuss a particular topic or topics.
What is a blog?
Watch this video by The CommonCraft Show.
http://tywebbin.com/2007/11/what-is-a-blog/
Popular platforms: blogger.com, wordpress.com or
wordpress.org (self-hosted), typepad.com (pay)
Many authors will use blogs to help other writers by
posting about their personal publishing journey.
Visit www.stacyhawkinsadams.com to view how
her blog was seamlessly included in the site’s
design.
If you have a certain niche or topic that you write about in your books, you can use this a jump
off point for creating a blog. A good example of this is Linda Leigh Hargrove and her blog where
she talks about racial reconciliation. This is a topic also found in her Christian Fiction books, The
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
Making of Isaac Hunt and Loving Cee Cee Johnson can be found at http://www.llhargrove.com/
(self-hosted wordpress).
Okay, so suppose you are not published yet. IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TOO MARKET! I would still
encourage you to set-up a blog as starters. Two author friends that I know developed a
“following” online BEFORE they were published.
Camy Tang (blogger.com)
Read Camy’s publication testimony at http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/2006/03/i-got-
contract.html. She also gives back to other writers, with an excellent blog for writers called
Story Sensei.
Claudia Mair Burney (blogger.com)
Claudia’s, Ragamuffin Diva blog has a rare, but beautiful story of being discovered through her
blog.
SO, IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TOO MARKET or at least get your name out there as you network
and learn more about the industry.
How to Keep Readers Coming Back
• Do keep in mind if you decide to blog, post content regularly at least 2-4 times a week.
• People do get busy, so even if they have your blog bookmarked, they might not always
remember to visit. That’s where RSS Feeds and feed aggregators, like Google Reader
and Bloglines can help. I could go into more details about how you use RSS feeds to
keep people updated, but that could take a whole other seminar.
• Keep in mind if you don’t want to put together a newsletter, you can use services like
Feedblitz.com or Feedburner.com to send your blog posts out to people via email.
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
Remember email is still the major form of online communication for most adults.
Let’s Explore … Micro-blogging
Popular platforms: twitter.com, plurk.com
By you may have heard about the phenomenon Twitter. Don’t knock it until you try it. I think I
had a twitter account for months before I decided to really check it out. Most people that I
know, once you get started, it’s a whole lot of fun – and easy!
Twitter is like blogging, but it's different. Microblogging is a concise way of posting
information in a few characters. So, if you’re not interested in creating a full-blown blog, but
you want to jump into using social media, you might like Twitter.
Other microblogging platforms that compete with (or tried to) are Pownce and Plurk account.
Pownce went out of business end of 2008. There are microblogging platforms like Yammer
created especially for businesses. Twitter officially went mainstream. Mainstream means that
it's no longer a tool for just the "geeks" or business minded folks looking to network heavily.
You are allowed to send or tweet 140 characters. This seems strange, but as a writer you are
encouraged to write tight and this is the perfect platform to put that skill to work. You can
almost thinking of it like pitching or like the elevator conversation, because you want to say
something meaningful to encourage people to follow you in as few words as possible.
Twitter is the best when it comes to networking. You can follow other people and if people like
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what you are saying, they will follow you. Sounds a bit like stalking I know, but really just try it.
You can control who follows you, by blocking unwanted persons.
If an author has posted an excerpt for their upcoming book release to their Website, you can
draw traffic to your site by posting a twitter announcement.
Let’s Explore … Social Networking
Popular platforms: facebook.com, goodreads.com, shelfari.com
Update: I took out myspace. Since I wrote this, I believe Facebook and social networks
especially for readers work best for authors. I believe Google+ is one to watch and check out. At
the time of this update, it was still invitation-only.
Watch this video by The CommonCraft Show. What is Social Networking?
http://tywebbin.com/2007/06/what-is-social-networking/
There are so many social networks these days. You really have to check them out for yourself to
see what you really like and are comfortable joining. The KEY is to find one you enjoy,
participate and network. I recommend choosing at least 3 social networks to participate on a
regular basis. In this guide we will explore the top two, Facebook and MySpace, and a few other
bookworm hubs.
Facebook.com
Facebook is now the largest social network. I can see why? It’s by far the easiest one to set-up a
profile and connect. It only takes one person requesting to be your friend and then you are
connecting with who they have connected with and vice versa.
This is a basic break-down on how to use Facebook in your marketing plans:
Facebook Profile Page
Most authors I see, use their own individual page as the main spot for fans to see their activity.
If you only stick with using your individual profile, you are limited on the number of people you
can send a message to. You also have to keep in mind whatever you post on your wall is visible
to people who you may not want as much knowledge about your life as you would like.
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
I am connected to family and friends, but I decided to use my profile page mainly for
professional networking and book promotion. Every once in awhile, I will post something
outside of that realm, but it’s pretty obvious I’m all about literary projects.
If you are an author who prefers to keep your profile page more for family and friends you
actually know, then you definitely want to go the fan or group page route.
Facebook Group Page
Since I started coordinating blog tours or virtual book tours for authors this year, I have tried
all types of social media campaigns. I chose the Facebook Group route for most of them, mainly
because as a bookworm and a writer, I felt authors would want a sense of community with a
reader’s group. I do like the inclusion of traditional type forums on the group pages for
discussion. If the author doesn’t manage their group, you will want to think about including a
moderator or virtual assistant to help keep the group active.
I found out there is a limitation to the number of messages (limited to 5000) you can send to a
group. This may not be a problem for authors unless you are really big-time already.
I would like to see if Facebook will redesign the group pages in the future. There is a lack of
intimacy you expect for a group, but the functionality is there.
Facebook Fan Page
As a business I set-up a Facebook
Fan page for the blog tours. With
the recent redesign, I really love
how the interface for the fan page
resembles the individual profile
page. With each blog tour, I switch
out the graphics to bring focus to
the author being promoted that
particular week.
By importing the blog tour rss
feed, all the day to day activity for the blog tours are included on the fan page wall. In a lot of
ways, the fan page can be set-up to run with relative ease without a lot of manual interaction.
Recently, now that I’m an author, I also chose to set-up a fan page (Author Tyora Moody). I’ve
been known online as a graphic designer and entrepreneur for years, so the fan page helps me
pick-up on Facebook friends who are interested in my upcoming novel, When Rain Falls.
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Social Networks for Book Lovers
Social networks authors would benefit from joining are:
• shelfari.com
• goodreads.com
These sites are great for meeting bookworms and other authors. You can find a great support
system willing to help you promote your book – using that word of mouth art form that has
been around for years and years.
Let’s Explore … Video-Based Social Media
Popular platforms: youtube.com, vimeo.com
You might think of Youtube.com as a place where people post silly videos. If you have the time
and the skill (or you can budget for this) create a book trailer.
The cool thing about most video sites, you can take the embed code for your video and add it to
your Website. So you don’t necessarily have to draw traffic to Youtube, but you can still bring
readers or future readers to your Website.
Post your video on as many places as possible that would attract readers. This is a part of viral
marketing. Sounds gross, but here is a definition.
Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing
social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing
objectives (such as product sales) through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to
the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or
enhanced by the network effects of the Internet. Viral promotions may take the form of
video clips, interactive Flash games, advergames, ebooks, brandable software, images,
or even text messages. The basic form of viral marketing is not infinitely sustainable.
If you want to experiment with making a movie trailer, here are Websites
• http://animoto.com/
• http://www.onetruemedia.com/
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
Let’s Explore … Audio-Based Social Media
Popular platforms: blogtalkRadio.com
You don’t necessarily have to start your own
podcast or radio show, but if your platform
calls for it, go for it! There are sources out
there for you to get started. All you need is an
account, and an assigned phone number. Like
the videos, these sites provide embed codes so
your audio files can be included on your site.
You definitely want to consider being a guest
on someone’s show as a part of your
promotional tour.
Let’s Explore … Document Sharing Social Media
Popular platforms: docstoc.com, scribd.com, slideshare.net
People like FREE stuff. Anytime you can provide a free resource that’s a promotion opportunity.
Use these sites to upload excerpts, discussion questions for book clubs or articles.
Now do you really have to try all of these social media platforms?
No, but you should explore different types to find out what works for you. Remember I said,
you should choose at least 3 social networks for regular participation (be sure Facebook is one
of them). Stay active in your favorite community whether it’s around your personal blog or on a
social networking site. The key to social media or Web 2.0, it should compliment your Website,
where your main online presence is located.
Promotion should be more than posting announcements or PR releases. This is the time to get
out there to meet your readers and let them meet you. Social media allows you to connect to
people you might never meet in person. When a person has an experience with you, hopefully
a good one AND then enjoy reading your books, you’ve created an INFLUENCER.
Someone who will tell others about your book.
Now that’s marketing you can use!
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Online Marketing Tips for Authors Tyora Moody
Your Online Presence. Go for it!
Choose a social media platform that you have not tried yet.
Here are a few below that I covered in this workshop.
1. Set up a blog. Free accounts are available at Blogger.com and WordPress.com. Set-up a
schedule that works for you. Plan to blog for a month, maybe once or twice a week.
Think about a topic you are passionate about and dive in.
2. Set up a Twitter account. Start following people. Feel free to follow me at -
www.twitter.com/tyoramoody
3. Setup up a Facebook page .
4. Create a book trailer. Post to Youtube.com. It doesn't have to be a published book.
5. If you want to jump into your own radio show, sign up for www.Blogtalkradio.com.
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About the Author
Tyora Moody is an author, graphic designer, and entrepreneur.
Her debut novel, When Rain Falls, will be released March 2012
(Urban Christian / Kensington). This is the first book in the Victory
Gospel series.
Tyora writes romantic suspense and cozy mysteries. She is a
member of Sisters in Crime and American Christian Fiction Writers.
She owns and operates Tywebbin Creations LLC, a design and
marketing company. Her company’s niche is assisting authors with
branding and developing an online presence.
Follow Tyora Moody online at: Follow Tywebbin Creations online at:
www.TyoraMoody.com http://www.TywebbinCreations.com
www.facebook.com/AuthorTyoraMoody www.facebook.com/Tywebbin
twitter.com/tyoramoody twitter.com/tywebbin
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