5 Reasons You Need a Book Publicist

Just like the name implies a publicist’s sole responsibility is to publicize your work or build your brand. They are the reason celebrities become famous. They are the behind the scenes workers getting interviews, spreading buzz worthy tales and making sure the people who moves and shakes have you in their direct line of vision. How does this relate to an author? Very simple without a great product, a marketing plan and enough buzz created around your book it will become a pretty little wall flower on a wall filled with wall flowers. An added benefit is that most book publicist will read your book and if they are sold on it they are adamant about pushing your success. What can a publicist do for you that you can’t do for yourself? Well unless you have a long list of contacts and industry insiders you can call in favors on than they can do a great deal. I hope to give you five reasons why you need a book publicist and in true Urban Fiction News style I will provide you with a list of publicist that are specific to the urban fiction genre.

Reason #1 You Need a Book Publicist to take you From Unknown to Known

Self published authors have the disadvantage of not having a large big named publisher to fall back on. It’s easier to gain the attention of industry insiders when you have a large traditional publisher backing you. However, a disadvantage can also be an advantage because once you show the big boys you know how to sell your book the potential to be picked up by the big boys is much greater. That could mean higher advance checks and companies fighting for Your attention. The publicist will put you or your work in front of the world giving you more exposure. The great news is their job is to make you known/famous.

Reason #2 A Book Publicist has Connections

We have all heard that it’s not what you know but who you know. Well if that’s true many of us wouldn’t go far on our own. The most valuable aspect of a publicist’ job is networking and building relationships with media outlets. The author doesn’t have to know anyone personally as their representative puts them in front of their long list of contacts. That alone is valuable. How many authors are interested in hunting down folks to talk about their book? I know I am not (but I will) With a publicist you won’t have to. They get you interviews threw newspaper, magazine and radio or TV. They also create campaigns that will generate a buzz around you the author and the book.

Reason #3 A Book Publicist Help with Reviews

As I’ve said before book reviews are the literary gold of the book world. Having quality book reviews on retail sites can make or break your book. Word of mouth marketing can make your book a top seller. A publicist is able to get your book in the hands of reviewers by sending out review copies.They locate popular bloggers in your genre, from media resources and get your book in their hands. One great review can take you from an unknown to a known.

Reason # 4 Book Publicist Create Detailed Ad Campaigns

Many self-published authors may find it overwhelming to market their own work. When you employ the services of a book publicist they not only locate the best ad campaigns but do the ad placements for you. Many will tell you that not only is important to increase your books’ visibility through interviews etc… but also to have your book displayed prominently throughout the places readers of your genre are located. Your book cover should be placed on multiple sites for maximum exposure.

Reason #5 Social Media Should Be a Book Publicist’s Specialty

The world of marketing has changed so greatly that having an online presence is vital to your book’s success. You must know how to work the social media platform to get ahead. Many publicist are well versed on social media marketing and will use it to their advantage. They create enough buzz that gets Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc… discussing your book which ultimately means more book sales.

Below is a list of book publicist that cater to African-American Authors and also to the Self-Published author enjoy!!!

Dawn Michelle Hardy http://www.dreamrelations.com

Gwen Richardson http://www.gwenrichardson.com

Heather M. Palmore ESq. http://www.ceciliacapers.com/publicistfortwmig.htm

V. Michelle Stephenson http://www.vmscommunications.net/main/bio.php

Makeda Smith http://www.jazzmynepr.com/pages/makeda.htm or http://jazzmynepr.com/

Publicist for the Indie Author

Smith Publicity http://www.smithpublicity.com/self-published-books/

Kelley & Hall http://www.kelleyandhall.com/sample-page-2/

Novel Publicity http://www.novelpublicity.com/publicity/

This is a small amount of publicist resources but if you enjoyed the post don’t forget to like and share with the links provided below.

Remember to Follow for more Urban Fiction News, Reviews and Resources!!!

 

 

5 Tips on How to Get Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores

Having your book sold in actual bookstores is not only a dream by many if not all fiction writers. It is also a far-fetched dream as many bookstores do not stock their shelves with self-published titles. There are a few ways around this, as I will show you five ways you can get your titles sold in bookstores. Before I begin let me first state that diligence is one of the keys to success. If you want to succeed you must first believe in your work and then follow through until you see every mountain as a small hill. My tips are not intended to be done in any specific order. Applying any of these tips could help you land your book in independently owned bookstores.

Tip# 1 Your Book Needs to be Bookstore Ready

This may seem obvious but many self-published authors are not following the basic rule of book sales, which is having an ISBN number. In order for your book to be sold it must have both a bar code and an ISBN. Bookstores will not consider your book if it doesn’t have them both. Book sales are tracked using the bar code and the ISBN number is your book’s social security number of sorts. If you are not intending on selling your book to family and friends. This also means it can be ordered through the distribution channels many bookstores use to purchase books.

Tip# 2 Do Book Signings 

Contact local bookstores to set up book signings. Bookstores are usually ok with book signings because it brings attention to their store but also because it brings patrons as well. Ask the bookstore owner if you can display your book on the counter or in the area surrounding your signing table. This will help bring attention to your cover and shoppers who were not aware of your signing will also be more interested when they see you signing.

Tip# 3 Ask Local Bookstores For a Trial Run

It’s no secret that many African-American bookstores are having troubles keeping the doors open. Urban Fiction titles have helped many independently owned bookstores pay the bills. If your book cover has mass appeal approach the bookstore owner with a sure plan. Ask if they would be willing to purchase a few of your books on a test run. A test run could be between five to ten copies. If your book was published with a POD publisher you may want to find out if they offer a buy back policy. Meaning the bookstore can return unsold books. This won’t affect your royalties. It may be wise to ask many family or friends to help support your effort by buying your book from the bookstore. This will impress the bookstore and compel them to purchase more copies. Having people request the copies from bookstores will also generate buzz around your title and also compel them to stock it in their store.

Tip# 4 Ask Bookstore Owners or Employees to Read Your Book

Many bookstore owners and its employees are avid readers. Use this to your advantage, this is especially true of specialty bookstores and shops. If you can compel them to read your story they may become fans of your work and help you in your mission to land in bookstores. Remember bookstore owners are usually friends with other bookstores. This could help you through word of mouth marketing.

Tip# 5 Create Buzz around Your Book

The more buzz created around your book the more likely bookstores are willing to put it in bookstores. You may have to create your own buzz. This can be done by having flyers strategically put around your local city. Place them in areas that has heavy traffic. Local grocery stores usually have boards by the front entrance posting events and things going on in the community. Hang flyers in obvious places such as bookstores, libraries. Use sites like meetups.com to find book clubs that cater to your genre of fiction and ask to become a sponsor of their next book club meeting. Whether its you providing them with copies of your book, or having them hang posters during their meetings (which are usually held in local cafe’s or restaurants in your local area) or provide them with bookmarks or small postcards featuring your book cover.

You can even connect with local cafe’s asking them if you can host a book club meeting at their shop. A great way to network with cafe’s and create a buzz for you both is to ask them if they would be willing to offer a discount on their signature drink or sandwich or specialty items during the time of your book club meeting. This helps them get involved with promoting your book also.

Hope you found my tips useful and if you enjoyed it please press like and share on your social media outlets using the links below. Thanks!!!!!

Remember to follow for more Urban Fiction News, Reviews and Resources!!!!!

Urban Fiction News Nominated for an Award

 

 

 

 

As I am always excited to share news and going on’s of Urban Fiction News. UFN was recently nominated for the 2013 Black Weblog Awards with the winner to be announced on November 02, 2013. I wanted to take a moment and say a special thank you to everyone who has followed my blog, left a comment, sent in a review request or even emailed me.

My goal is and has always been to even up the playing field for writers by giving them real information and real resources. Knowledge really is power and the more you know the better your odds of success. I love providing book reviews and truly feel humbled that writers wish to share their “babies” with me. For years self-published authors were at a disadvantage and were not taken seriously. This was true because traditional publishers had access to resources and services not available to everyone else. This is especially true for Urban Fiction authors, where the genre was shunned and told it had no market.

I believe any writer wishing to pursue a career in the literary world should and can. Urban Fiction News will always thrive to be your #1 resource and to make sure indie/self-published authors become more and more competitive. I am always open to hearing your needs  as well as going the distance to provide resources you didn’t know you needed.

News Release!!!! Urban Fiction News Online Magazine?

I wanted to keep my loyal readers, authors and followers updated on the happenings of Urban Fiction News. Being an author takes A LOT of hard work, energy, diligence, sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears. It invokes labor pains, loss of friendships, marital discord and I can go on and on (I promise) however, it won’t be in vain. Urban Fiction News is taking things a bit further by crossing over into an online magazine.

Not only will authors have a new platform to promote their books and book covers but will all have an opportunity to participate in book trailer wars, (competitions) author spotlights, interviews and so much more. Authors interested in being one of the first to be interviewed on the online magazine platform should email me @ urbanfictionnews1@yahoo.com. I am extremely dedicated to spreading the news of up and coming Indie/self-published authors who may otherwise not have a place to be seen or heard. The online magazine will always provide real information and resources to any fiction writer especially those writing Urban Fiction.

The key to more book sales is exposure and the road to success means making your books more visible to the public. If knowledge is power don’t knowingly remain powerless. Urban Fiction News plans to be the biggest resource provider for authors and readers of fiction. Period!

Excited about the move and hope to see you all there!!

Another great feature to be released on Urban Fiction News is “EXCUSE ME, YOUR CRAZY IS SHOWING”

ANYONE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING OR SHARING A CRAZY STORY ABOUT A PAST OR PRESENT RELATIONSHIP DISASTER, A JEALOUS PARTNER OR MOMENT THAT MADE YOU WANT TO TAP SOMEONE ON THE SHOULDER AND SAY “EXCUSE ME, YOUR CRAZY IS SHOWING” BY ALL MEANS START SUBMITTING YOUR STORIES TO urbanfictionnews1@yahoo.com TO BE CONSIDERED FOR OUR SOON TO BE RELEASED FIRST ISSUE!!!!!!!! (Be sure to put ‘Crazy Story’ in the subject line)

Please remember to like or share any posts you found useful, insightful or news worthy on your social media outlets by following the links below. Thanks!!!!!

Author Royalties: Industry Standards vs. Self Publishing

I have been asked by many aspiring writers how much they should expect to be paid for writing urban fiction. However, this answer is not cut and dry. There are a few things that needs to be taken into consideration before answering properly. Your payout for traditional publishing will be different from the payout for self-publishing. Depending on which route you take your results or royalties will be different. This post is dedicated to explaining the differences or giving you an idea of the amount to be expected from book sales.

Traditional Publishing: Industry Standards

Most publishers use a basic standard of paying out royalties to its authors. The standard is 10% on books sold up to 5k to 10k sold. After that amount it goes to 15%. I must clarify it is not 10% or 15% on retail price. An author’s royalties are calculated after the cost of printing and producing the books. Which in a quick example would look like this

Retail Price: $9.99 – Printing $5.99= $4.00  Author royalties is 10% of $4.00 which is about $0.40 per book sold. If your book sells 10k copies you are looking at roughly $4,000 in royalties same model at 15% is $0.60 per book sold at $6,000 for 10k books sold.

This doesn’t appear to be much however, it can be beneficial if you and your publisher promote your work effectively. That model is looking at the industry standard but if your book becomes a best seller or sales more than 10k copies which is obviously your goal than you can do well.

Author Royalties: Self-Publishing

Real self-publishing requires the author to foot the upfront cost of publishing. If using a printing service you will receive a discounted rate for buying copies of your book in bulk. This is beneficial simply because you can order large quantities and sell them yourself to your audience. An example of royalties under the previous example goes as follows.

Retail Price $9.99 – Printing cost 4.99 (on order of 100 copies) = $5.00 author royalty is $5.00 per book sold. On sells of 10k total amount payable to author is $50,000. In this example there is no need for 10% or 15% calculations because the difference after printing goes to the author.

Which is Better Self-Publishing or Industry Standard?

Obviously looking at the numbers self-publishing would be the better financial choice however, there are some set backs. Using a publishing company allows the writer to just write without absorbing the heavy cost of publishing upfront. However, it is evident in the lower payout on the back in. While self-publishing will allow you to sell your work directly to consumers it requires a lot of marketing to spread the word. Authors who are not dedicated to marketing or doing hard sales may be intimidated with that form of marketing. So 10k sales may seem unreachable.

When it comes to royalties or choosing traditional over self-publishing my best advice is to be sure to select the best option for you in the long run. If you are to shy to market or do any heavy marketing self-publishing may not be the best option. However, if you are able to combine your marketing efforts to that of the publisher you may want to submit to a traditional publisher. They may have more reach and can get you in many doors.

If you enjoyed this post please like.

Remember to Follow for more Urban Fiction News, Reviews and Resources!!!!

Free Urban Fiction Sample

It’s no secret my debut urban fiction novel Platinum Dust (Part One) has been released but I have been receiving messages asking me if I would be willing to make a few chapters available to the public. I give a lot of advice on Urban Fiction especially on writing and marketing and so I thought I would allow the public to give me some feedback. I am open to all comments, suggestions, reviews and opinions on my baby (Platinum Dust) If you are up for it please feel free to visit the link below and let me know what you think!!!!!!! Happy reading everyone and remember to Follow for more Urban Fiction News, Reviews and Resources

 

http://www.freado.com/read/15744/platinum-dust-part-one

Cool Banners for Book Promotion

I recently discovered a cool banner site called mybannermaker.com that helps you create cool banners. The site allows you to customize your banner by choosing from muliple sizes, colors, texts and even where you want them posted.

I thought I would share with you my unprofessional attempt at banner making. mybannermaker.com also allows you to upload an image if you have one in mind. it is good for marketing your fiction titles and can also help when trying to advertise on other websites as well.

Urban Fiction: What is a Press Release?

It has recently come to my attention that there are many individuals who are unclear about press releases and what it can do for their books. I wanted to clear up some of the cob webs as the urban fiction genre is a growing genre that can be very profitable. My favorite mantra is that it is vital for writers to learn their craft. Don’t just love to write but learn to love to market effectively.

In the world of marketing you must learn there will be some strategies that are free to low cost that are very effective. However, there are some strategies that may require a bit of money to help you get to your bottom line. Which is more money for your published books. Many urban fiction writers are afraid of being taken advantage of so they tend to stick to means that are free or very low cost, which can limit your sales potential. Be wise but don’t be closed minded.

What is a Press Release?

A press release is a letter written directly to the media whether its radio, television, print (magazines or newspapers) bloggers and other media related websites. It’s the one thing that can get you in the door with movers and shakers. Press releases are sent directly to journalists, or decision makers who are already searching for news to discuss and cover.

How Can Press Releases Help?

Whether you are a new writer or a seasoned author or even a writer published by a traditional publishing house; press releases are necessary. Not only does a press release send your new book to the desk of decision makers but a well crafted press release lets the media know you exist. If you have already started marketing your books you know first hand how time consuming, daunting  and aggravating it can be to reach out to family and friends. It can be even more frustrating to reach out to Facebook friends and twitter followers who can block you if you push to hard.

Press releases help because having your work exposed to the right audience can change your literary life. Having a media outlet that influences the masses could make the difference between your story and the next writers. We know this to be true simply from looking at the influence Oprah has on the book buying audience. Many authors are reaping the financial rewards simply from sending a press release to the movers and shakers of the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Targeted Press Releases

Just like any other marketing strategy you need to market to your target audience. Marketing to the ‘wrong’ audience is much like fishing in a lake with no fish sure you can catch a single fish occasionally. However, putting your bait in a lake overflowing with fish will allow you to reel in a huge catch. Urban fiction writers are faced with a dilemma unique to their chosen genre. The advertising opportunities are not currently broad enough to allow for a more traditional route. The one thing Urban Fiction writers have in their favor is they already know who their target audience is and that they are thirsty for their product. Pitching your book to hundreds and thousands of people who are looking for the next juicy tale will give you an advantage over writers who pitch to a ‘general’ reading audience.

If you’ve liked what you read please like my posts and remember to follow my blog for more News, Reviews and Real Resources.

What’s Wrong with Self Promotion?

Occasionally I go off the familiar path and write on a topic that lights my fire and the topic of self promotion has done just that. Now I would like to start by saying self-promotion and spam are two different things (at least to me anyway) I will try to make sense of the two and hopefully we all are clear by the end of the post.

I was recently talking with a friend who mentioned how much they hate people sending them emails about their products and or services. However, she is a new business owner and was asking my help on possible marketing and advertising ideas to help promote “HER” project. This piqued my interest and upset me all at the same time. Simply because she doesn’t like others to promote their work but want the world to care about her and her project.

Spam

Spam as it relates to writing is an undesirable attempt at attracting attention to ones self with the sole intent to benefit and not provide anything to its recipients. Spam can come in the form of posting your advertisements with little regard to how others feel about it or if they are even interested in what you are offering.

Self-Promotion

Self-promotion as it relates to writing means sharing your accomplishments with other like minds by inviting them or asking if they would be interested in viewing your content.

My Opinion on Self-Promotion

To me its a shame to have a world filled with talented people and for them to not have an opportunity to share it with the world. I think letting others know about your work is good as long as it is in a sharing platform or if you are asking permission to share. I also think people are a bit shallow as we really don’t want to hear about what others are doing but want others to hear about our projects. We have to find clever, creative and inventive marketing methods to cater to this shallowness.

Spending years, months or weeks working on projects just to not have anyone care seems harsh or cruel to me. I know that everyone is not going to all care about the same things so self-promotion should be targeted hence the reason marketing campaigns are so expensive. I have always been the type of person who loves to receive information and love to share it. I also like providing people with the most how-to information while at the same time-sharing what I am doing.

Now I am not oblivious to the fact that people have the ability to bombard one another with their works but I am not annoyed by it simply because I “get” being excited about something you’ve slaved over or are passionate about. What do you think? What is wrong with self promotion? Please share your thoughts please by commenting below.

If anyone is interested in a self promotion forum where writers can come to share their recent projects, events and what’s going on with them please tell me so

If you like what you’ve read please like my posts and remember to Follow my blog for more Urban Fiction News, Reviews and Real Resources!!!

Two Marketing Platforms for Writers!

I recently found a few cool writing platforms that will help writers of any genre gain more exposure. It’s called Wattpad a Canadian based writing social network. It allows writers to post their work by the chapter or full manuscripts. Readers are allowed to read and vote on your content as well as discuss your work. It’s a social network specifically for writers. You can also rate your writing from PG, PG13 to Rated R.

How to use Wattpad for Marketing?

Creating a Wattpad account will give you excess to a large group of people interested in your genre of work. The benefits are countless starting with the great number of people who are already members. This allows you to create a large following, which can potentially attract traditional publishers if that is the route you wish to take. Another cool feature is that if you are already a published author you can give readers a sample of your work. When people have a sample they tend to leave feedback and reviews which all goes back to word of mouth marketing.

You will obviously need to create a profile and visit members. This is like any other social networking site when it comes to gaining friends. You scratch my back I’ll scratch yours is the rules we must go by.

How to Use Bookrix for Marketing?

For starters Bookrix is a reading platform that has a great deal to offer its members. Members of Bookrix are about to upload their books for other readers for free or to sale their work. If you select the sell option your book will be made available to major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Scribd and all of the other major retailers. It helps if you already have a professionally done book cover. They provide your book with an ISBN which is mandatory if you plan on selling your work. It also has a large member base so the potential of having readers interesting in purchasing your work is great. I personally suggest you offer your work or a few chapters for free for a few months to get a fan base and then offer it for sale. Incredible marketing tool as it gives members and opportunity to better their craft, gain feedback from their target audience and make their book better before presenting it to the rest of the world.

To read the first three chapters of my recently released urban fiction book “Platinum Dust”  for FREE you can visit me on Wattpad @

http://www.wattpad.com search Platinum Dust to read the first three chapters

or you can visit Bookrix for the first three chapters @

http://www.bookrix.com search Platinum Dust for the first three chapters

Remember to like my posts and follow my blog for more Urban Fiction News, Reviews and Real Resources!