Here are some questions to ask yourself:

How long are you willing to wait to see your book in print?  Let’s skip right over the months and possibly years it might take you to find representation and assume you already have a finished manuscript and an agent. It may take some time for the agent to shop around and find the right place for your book. Let’s further assume the agent finds a publisher who is interested and offers a reasonable contract. You still might have to wait another 12 to 18 months to see your book in print.  Self-publishing can be done in a much shorter amount of time—usually just a couple of months if your manuscript is professionally edited and the book is professionally designed.

What are your reasons for wanting to be traditionally published?  A lot of authors today make the choice to self-publish rather than pursue a traditional deal. They believe they can better produce and market their books—and potentially make a lot more money. But in some circles there is still a certain amount of “prestige” in landing that trad contract. If it’s the so-called status of a traditional deal you crave, then self-publishing may not be right for you. If you simply want to get your work out there, then collecting rejection letters may just postpone the inevitable.

How much control are you willing to let go of? In general, when you sign a contract with a traditional publisher, you give up a certain amount of control over your project both editorially and creatively. The publisher will likely have final say over the content, the title, and the cover design. Most of the time, authors are satisfied with the results. However, having worked on the traditional side of publishing for a number of years as managing editor of a small press, I can think of a couple of different instances when authors were not happy with decisions we made regarding their books. They had no choice but to live with it. With self-publishing, you maintain full control over every aspect of the production process.

Do you have a sizeable author platform in place? You may not have a chance with a traditional publisher if you don’t have a large list of connections and potential buyers. The fact of the matter is that regardless of how good your book is, most trads expect you to have a large following before they will sign you on.  (Plus, you’ll still have to shoulder much of the marketing and promotions burden yourself.) Of course, author platform—and marketing and promotions— is equally important in terms of sales if you decide to self-publish.

Would you be self-publishing strictly out of frustration? Self-publishing is not as easy as simply uploading your Word document to CreateSpace. At least, it shouldn’t be. Care should be taken to ensure your content is top-notch (hire a good editor) and its presentation matches that of the trads (hire a book designer). There’s the also the little fact that you are now taking on the role of publisher in addition to author, which leads me to the next question.

Are you interested in becoming a publisher in addition to an author? This is a biggie because as a self-publisher, you are forced to take on that role. Even if you hire professionals to help put your project together, you’ll still have to make final editorial and design decisions. You’ll need to decide on a name for your publishing company and open up a bank account. You’ll have to obtain the appropriate numbers for your book. You’ll need to handle accounting and budgeting for the project. You’ll have to figure out distribution and fulfillment. Of course, there are companies that can help you with all that, but it’s definitely more involved than “just” being an author. It’s not for everyone. 

Do you have the budget to do it “right”? Sure, there are places where you can get your book published for “free,” but chances are your book will be immediately identifiable as “self-published” and disregarded by reviewers—or worse, trashed by them. I simply don’t believe there is any way around having your book professionally edited and designed. You don’t need to pay thousands for each, but you’ll probably have to pay something. And please make sure you have enough money to purchase your own ISBN. Never use one of the so-called “POD self-publishing” company’s ISBNS. Never. Make sure you are the publisher of record.

Do you truly have a quality manuscript with a unique message? Have you tried but failed to get a traditional deal because your manuscript is a piece of crap? Has no unique message? Is poorly written? Then self-publishing is not for you either; you’ll probably waste a lot of money and time on something that will not sell—and worse, could harm your reputation. If, however, you truly believe you’ve been rejected by the trads through no fault of your manuscript (it’s tough to land an agent, let alone a contract these days), self-publishing is probably your best bet. With a good book and a solid marketing plan, you will probably even be successful.

1. Blogging can help you stand out in the Internet crowd without spending thousands on a fancy website.  

2. Blogging gives you a place to develop content.

3. Blogging will help define you as an author and will help you refine your message.

4. Blogging will help you build credibility.  

5. Blogging gives you a “home base” for your social media activities.

6. If you intend to pitch other bloggers about reviewing your book or perhaps providing a guest post, you need to be a blogger first.

7. If you intend to be a leader within your industry, a blog will give you a voice even more so than a book will.

Keep in mind that while it is important to update your blog frequently, posts do not have to be long (this post, for instance, is just 220 words). Good luck…and good blogging!

1. Not using social media at all. All too often, authors assume social media is just a waste of time. But the fact is that authors who are not jumping on the social media bandwagon are missing out on a valuable aspect of building their platforms. Even large corporations are using social media as part of their marketing plans. The truth is, authors who want to sell books probably can’t afford to sit on the sidelines.

2. Not having a handle on your objectives and goals. Diving into social media without a plan can be counterproductive. Authors should decide in advance how much time they will spend on social media, what they want to accomplish, and how they can reach the most people in their target market.

3. Trying to do too much. There are hundreds (thousands?) of social media sites. Authors do not need to have profiles on every single one. It’s best to decide on a few and focus your time on those. Because social media is so dependent on relationship-building, you need to use it consistently (much like nurturing relationships “in real life”). Figure out how much time you’ll spend each day, then focus only on a few sites with that limited time. Investigate the third-party applications available (such as HooteSuite and TweetDeck) to help streamline your efforts.

4. Not doing enough. Related to the previous item, putting up social media profiles and then not staying active is useless. If you’ve got profiles on dozens of sites, you simply won’t be able to be an active participant. You need to be an integral part of the social media community if you are to reap any rewards. Posting infrequently makes it appear as if you are not engaged, and you will likely lose followers and friends, making your efforts indeed a waste of time.

5. Treating social media as a form of advertising. It’s pretty simple: Advertising is about selling; social media is about building relationships. And whereas advertising is often ignored, social media offers opportunities to showcase expertise and engage potential customers in more meaningful ways.

6. Not listening. Don’t spend all of your time on social media expounding about your message. Much like a face-to-face conversation, listening to others and responding to their needs is just as important.

7. Giving up too soon. All too often I speak with authors who have been giving social media marketing their best effort for a month or two or even six, finding they are disappointed with the results. It’s important to understand that social media is a commitment in the long-term. Even in traditional advertising, it is important to build TOMA (top of mind awareness) over a period of time; the same holds true in social media. Relationships must be built and nurtured—and this takes time.

Ultimately, there are no shortcuts to social media marketing success. Authors must be engaged and authentic, and they must contribute to the viral conversation if they are to enjoy the rewards.

Before the Internet, there were essentially two ways to garner attention for your product or service:  advertisements and the media. But in recent years, a new arena has opened up vast opportunity for authors—particularly those who are self-published.  Terms like “Twitter,” “friending,” “hashtags,” “Facebook,” and “tweeting” have become part of our everyday vocabulary. Publish interesting content in the social media marketing format, and you can potentially have thousands—millions—of people read it and take action. Take yourself on a “virtual author book tour” and you can put yourself in front of an endless number of potential book buyers. Put an interesting video on YouTube and it has the possibility to “go viral” and reach the masses.

Sure, the Internet has been around for a while, but unlike the old days when you simply had to put up a website and wait for people to find you, you now need to maximize your site’s value through interactivity, sharing, and building relationships. Although some people are intimidated by the newness of viral marketing or turned off because they believe it is a time waster, they needn’t be. Leveraging social media marketing to build your platform and to make yourself stand out from the crowd is not that difficult. And it does not have to take hours each day.

Unlike traditional media, which more or less is a one-way form of communication, social media promotes discussion, feedback, voting, and other sharing of information. It also enables participants to stay connected with other people and resources. It is often described as the online practice wherein people use technology to talk, participate, network, and bookmark. Social media sites blogs, microblogs, podcasts, videocasts, forums, wikis—all are included under this umbrella.

New social media channels are cropping up on a seemingly daily basis, but don’t think you have to do anything and everything in terms of social media. Pick two or three things that seem most applicable for you (my number one favorite is Twitter, followed by LinkedIn and Facebook), and work at them consistently.

If you’re still not convinced, consider these statistics I quoted in my book, The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, 5^th Edition: Nearly half of all adult Internet users have created content online. And some studies show that 67 percent of businesses say their best source of advice for products and services are their consumers (who communicate with them via social media). Can you afford not to ride this technological wave of the future?

To learn more, be sure to sign up for the Self-Publishers Online Conference (May 10–12, 2011).  You can learn the ins and outs of the publishing business—including social media marketing—from 16 experts right from the comfort of your own computer. With the SPOC’s special online conference software, you can attend seminars live or via recording, learn about useful publishing resources in the Exhibit Hall, and interact with speakers and other attendees through the live discussion areas. Visit http://www.SelfPublishersOnlineConference.com for more info. Take advantage of Early Bird pricing now and get an additional 10% off by using the special discount code SueCollier11 when you register.

Before you write it

1. Have a unique approach to a relevant topic. There are a lot of books published every year. Make sure yours stands out from the crowd for the right reasons.

2. Decide why you are writing a book. To make money? To establish expertise? To see yourself in print? All are valid reasons that may impact how you publish as well as market the book.

3. Make sure you have an audience for the book. And make sure you know how to reach them. If you plan to market strictly online and your audience is made up of non–Internet savvy readers, you may have a problem.

4. Build a following via social media sites. It’s never too early to start making connections with potential readers and relevant professionals via social media. There are many sites out there, but Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the most common. You may also want to check out sites such as book marketing expert John Kremer’s Book Marketing Network.

Before you launch it

5. Create a website that features your (forthcoming) book. This one is a no-brainer.

6. Start building your email list. Publish an ezine and offer a free report, free chapter, or some other bonus for people to opt-in with. When you attend events, collect business cards and email addresses. Send them an email or a copy of your ezine, and invite them to opt-in. 

7. Start blogging. This is the best way to keep your website content fresh. It’s also a great way to stay in touch with potential readers and professionals within your industry. You can also use it to establish your credibility well before your book is published.

8.  Use your blog to ask for feedback on your book’s content. Then promise to acknowledge everyone who comments in your book. These people will feel an “ownership” in your book and will help spread the word after it launches.

9. Create a list of important bloggers in your field. Start interacting with them by commenting on their blogs.

10. Get testimonials and endorsements from pertinent people in your field. These are great promotional tools that can then go on the book cover and/or inside the book. Post them on your website and use them in news releases.

11. Approach associations relevant to your book’s content. Suggest ways you can work together. Perhaps you can put on a workshop or seminar, speak at an event, or write an article for their newsletter or blog.

12. Set up Google alerts. Stay abreast of industry news by setting up an alert in your name, your competitors’ names, and other key terms. This will enable you to jump into the online conversation in a timely manner.

13. Have your manuscript edited by a professional. Ensuring that your content is top-notch will go a long way in making your reputation is top-notch.

14. Have your book cover designed by a professional. Don’t skimp on this very important sales tool. A professional book cover designer will ensure your book stands proudly next to any other book on the shelf.

15. Create your own competition. Create a competition on your website or on Twitter (Tony Eldridge has written an excellent book on Twitter contests) with copies of the book as prizes. Follow up with those who entered but didn’t win and offer them a discount to purchase your book.

16. Offer the book as a prize on other websites and blogs. You should have already put together a list of blogs and websites where your book could potentially be promoted. Offer the blogger or website owner free copies of your book to be used as competition prizes.

17. Send out free copies of the book. Don’t skimp on this important aspect of promotions. It’s a great way to garner reviews and endorsements. Send out copies to influential bloggers and journalists. 

18. Pull out excerpts of the book to use as articles. Post them on free article sites that are available all over the Internet.

19. Create and post videos. Keep videos short and sweet (under 10 minutes) and publish on YouTube and your own website, as well as other sites. 

20. Schedule a launch day. Pick one specific day and make sure plenty of activity is planned around this day. Notify your email list, post some videos to YouTube, hold a webinar, plan some guest blog posts. All that activity should go a long way in creating momentum.

After you publish it

21. Offer a chapter as a downloadable PDF. Post one of your book’s chapters on your website as a free, downloadable file. Encourage readers to share it with others. Include a summary of the rest of book to encourage people to buy it.

22. Publish the book’s table of contents on your website. Include a brief overview about each chapter. Optimize the page for search engines.

23. Organize an online virtual book tour. Touring the country to physically visit bookstores is cost prohibitive for most authors—and not all that effective unless you are a celebrity.  Arrange a tour online with virtual stops at websites and blogs. You’ll gain maximum exposure for minimum costs.

24. Encourage people to write a review of your book on Amazon.com. Ask everyone who gets a copy of your book to publish a five-star review of your book on Amazon.

25. Publish reviews and testimonials of the book on your website. Include reviews from Amazon.com and other sites where your book has been reviewed, as well as any testimonials you’ve received.

26. Arrange interviews with bloggers in your genre and radio hosts interested in your subject matter. This is a win-win since it provides them with valuable content and you with valuable publicity. Include these as part of your virtual author book tour initially, but you can continue to schedule interviews even after your initial publication. As long as your book is for sale, the promotion push should be ongoing.

27. Makes sure you always have copies of your book with you. I’ve had clients sell 20 or more copies out of their trunk or waiting in line at the post office. One author I know gave away a copy of his book to an executive, who ended up ordering dozens of copies for his company.

And don’t stop with this list. There are dozens more things you can do to promote your book. Get creative, be persistent, and watch your book sales go up.

The answer to the first questions is “yes”! Authors of fiction can certainly benefit their platforms by incorporating speaking into their repertoire. So this brings us to the next question: What should fiction writers talk about?

Well, how about…writing? Talk about writing your first novel. Talk about researching effectively. Talk about establishing your book’s theme. Talk about using fact versus fiction in your work. Talk about creating conflict. Talk about bringing fictional characters to life. Talk about where you draw your inspiration from.

Another topic you can cover is your genre. Are you a writer of paranormal fiction? Or maybe you pen thrillers? Or literary fiction? Talk about particulars or trends specific to your genre.

If you’re an indie, talk about your experience with independent publishing. What made you decide to go that route? Did you make any mistakes? What did you learn from the process? What are the pros and cons to publishing independently?

If you’ve published traditionally, talk about your experience with that. Did you have an agent? How did you find one? How long did the process take? What have you learned?

Every author has to market his or her book to some extent, and there is an endless supply of topics to speak about in that regard. Talk about building your platform. (Explain what a “platform” is!) There are dozens of topics alone related to social media, including blogging, tweeting, friending, and the like. What works for you and what doesn’t?

For those of you who do speak, I’ll offer much of the same advice I gave to nonfiction writers: Don’t forget to bring sales materials to your events—bookmarks or business cards with your book cover on it (as well as ordering information, of course). (Or books themselves to sell right on the spot, if that is practical.) Readers of fiction tend to want to buy books written by authors they like, and they will likely want to buy your book after hearing you speak. Some authors give a small discount—perhaps 10 percent—to induce immediate sales. In any event, be sure to weave into your presentation that personally autographed books will be available afterward.

So even if you don’t have a book that outlines your expertise, the mere fact that you’ve written a book makes you an expert the on the process itself. There’s plenty to talk about!

As an author you are an expert on your subject. People will be anxious to hear your opinions of your work. Giving lectures and readings is one way to promote a book. It’s gratifying for the ego, lets you meet interesting folks, and—when done selectively—sells books.

Writers can find speaking engagements at church groups, the Y, PTAs, civic groups, libraries, women’s clubs, professional organizations, adult educational institutions, or senior centers. You might also consider giving in-store demonstrations if your subject matter lends itself to a commercial tie-in. Constantly have your antenna out for possibilities to plant yourself in the midst of potential customers. The more specialized, the better. Sometimes these contacts take a long time to develop, but when they ripen, look out!

To maximize your exposure, here are a few dos and don’ts. If sales are your goal, it’s a waste of time to talk about a specific subject (organic gardening) with a small general audience (the XYZ auxiliary). The few who would be passionately interested in your topic aren’t worth the effort.

Marilyn spent much of her career as a highly sought after speaker. She recommends that you be selective and accept only those engagements for highly specialized audiences or large groups where there is more likelihood that a reasonable number of sales will be generated.

Be sure to go armed with sales materials whenever you speak. Fliers with self-contained order blanks work well, as do business cards with your book cover on it (and your web address, of course). If you are donating your time, don’t hesitate to pass out literature, or at the very least have it available at tables. Some authors even manage to get fliers tucked into the next membership mailing. Make sure you have books with you. Display several of them.

Some authors give a small discount—perhaps 10 percent—to induce immediate sales. In any event, be sure to weave into your presentation that personally autographed books will be available afterward. It’s also wise to show the book a couple of times as you speak.

After the talk, ask the introducer to announce something like, “The speaker will be in the back of the room to autograph books.” This reminder is a good sales stimulator. People who have enjoyed your talk will want to take something of you home, and your book satisfies that desire. Appropriately enough, this is known as “back of the room sales.” Many authors have sold thousands of books this way; some professional speakers make more from their back of the room sales than they do from their lecture fees!

If you feel more comfortable in a classroom setting, you’re in luck. There are adult learning centers all over the United States and Canada seeking experts (you!) on an expansive range of topics. Find out who schedules classes at your local community colleges or universities and what they pay. There are many privately owned extended studies and adult education facilities, as well. These folks are especially open to your selling books at your classes.

A wonderful training ground for the novice is Toastmasters International. It has more than six thousand clubs around the country where you can get over your jitters. I joined this group years ago and found it is an extremely positive environment in which to hone your speaking skills.

If you’re serious about joining the ranks of those paid to speak, join the National Speakers Association (NSA) as soon as you’re eligible. It has three dynamite meetings a year where you can learn more in a couple of days than you’d ever imagine. The dues are high—and so are the rewards for the dedicated. Incidentally, if you are not yet eligible to join, NSA offers a “nurturing environment for emerging speakers who want to learn how to get started in the speaking profession.

Writing books and public speaking — as polar opposite as the two might seem to be — really do go hand in hand.

(Portions of this post have been excerpted from The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, 5th edition, by Marilyn Ross and Sue Collier.)

In his blog post yesterday, he announced, “Linchpin will be the last book I publish in a traditional way.” He goes on to call the “architecture of [the] industry…fundamentally broken.”  He pretty much blasts the industry: “Traditional book publishers use techniques perfected a hundred years ago to help authors reach unknown readers, using a stable technology (books) and an antique and expensive distribution system.”

This is exciting news for those of us in the indie publishing industry who’ve felt this way for a long time. Self-publishing is losing much of its stigma (in spite of the trad holdouts who talk about the so-called lack of “street cred” with self-publishing) as savvy authors realize they can circumvent the gatekeepers and reach their readers directly. With heavyweights like Seth Godin on board, the stigma will continue to decrease. That said, however, authors need to have a platform if they want to have any amount of success.

Literary agent Rachelle Gardner makes a good point about this in her blog: “Godin says he is moving to electronic publishing only. If you agree with his perspective, you may want to consider it too, but keep in mind that he has a gigantic platform. (I’ll be interested to see if Godin stays ‘finished’ with traditional print publishing.)” Yes, Godin already has a built-in stable of readers eagerly awaiting his next book—regardless of which form it takes. Because without the platform, the chances of a new author getting signed with a traditional publisher are very slim. And if you’ve got the platform, why not reach them directly by self-publishing? Gardner herself admits that “the traditional publishing industry is shrinking” and “it could serve you well to consider the viability of self-pub from the start.”  

Says Godin:  “The thing is–now I know who my readers are. Adding layers or faux scarcity doesn’t help me or you. As the medium changes, publishers are on the defensive…. I honestly can’t think of a single traditional book publisher who has led the development of a successful marketplace/marketing innovation in the last decade. The question asked by the corporate suits always seems to be, ‘how is this change in the marketplace going to hurt our core business?’ To be succinct: I’m not sure that I serve my audience (you) by worrying about how a new approach is going to help or hurt Barnes & Noble.”

Will he completely shun the printed book? He admits he doesn’t know exactly what form his future projects may take, print or electronic (both?). What he does know is that he is simply weary of the traditional publishing process—and how slow it is. (As someone who was recently traditionally published, I have to agree with that!)

I don’t think we’ll see the total demise of the printed book in our lifetime; too many people still love the tactile quality of paper books. But as a girl who loves her Kindle, I think a lot of e-reader holdouts just haven’t given it a chance.

The writing is on the (electronic) wall: Traditional publishing as we’ve known it is on its way out.

I live in South Africa and I am published in the USA. Distance has made it impossible for me to go the traditional marketing route. Online is all I have open to me. I have worked very hard to go from “Fiona Who?” to not quite “Aha, Fiona Ingram, the famous children’s author,” but to a point where I have a healthy Google profile, a nice author site, with lots of links to interviews, book reviews, articles, etc. When I began researching (as is my wont) the concept of book marketing, I still had the silly notion that as a writer, all one did was write and people would automatically rush out and get one’s books. Not at all. Nowadays, even the traditional publishers expect their authors to do their own marketing as well.

An author cannot just be an author. He or she has to be a product or a brand. Publishers are also more interested in someone who has more than just books to offer. Readers are greedy for information about the author, what inspires them, what new books are coming up, etc. Your marketing will incorporate your author online platform which leans heavily on Social Media.

The online author platform consists of: your book/s; your website; your author profile/bio; an e-zine or newsletter; a blog; a video interview (vlog); a podcast radio interview; a video preview on sites like YouTube; articles you’ve written; articles about you.

Your website is your biggest asset in your author platform. You can put up information on your book and purchasing details, as well as your press release, your bio and a good pic, your reviews, and anything written about you and your book. When you reply to people, include your website in your signature so interested parties can track you back to your site, thus creating a good stream of traffic. Been interviewed on the radio or a local television station? Ask for a copy and put these up on your site as well. The more electronic information people have available for easy access, the better. From here, you can also launch your blog or fan club, set up your Twitter and other options, and link your social network sites, such as Facebook, Myspace, Squidoo, etc, back to this. You can also launch your website on many social sites simultaneously. These create coverage and alert the industry to your presence.

Google is a fantastic tool. You can load your articles, get a Google Alert to notify you every time something comes up about you and your book, link other sites back to your own to increase your ratings and give you credibility, set up a Blogger alert, join Google’s Library page, keep track of your site’s performance with Google Analytics, and much more.

Blogging and blog tours. You can “chat” to eager readers by going on a Virtual Book Tour. Virtual book tours are a promotional tool for authors to connect with readers via book blogs. Tours usually include a minimum number of tour stops over the course of one month on a variety of blogs. Some companies offer to feature on each tour stop a photo of the book, a review, links to the author’s website and blog, and will include your purchase information. Authors who interact with tour hosts and make themselves available for guest posting, interviews, Q&A sessions with blog commenters, and who respond to comments will have the greatest success from their tour.

Book competitions. Why should you enter? It’s not so much about winning as being seen. Competitions broaden your author profile because people in the industry will read your book. Organizers also post results online to market their contests. Even if you don’t win, you may get a Best Runner-Up mention, and that’s the kind of detail you will put in your press release. You don’t have to be in print yet to enter some competitions.

Do not stop marketing. Even when your book is out there and you’ve sent off your press releases, don’t stop spreading the word! Do something every day (either online or physical) to continue your marketing thrust. Penny Sansivieri of AME says: “Remember—marketing doesn’t sell books … marketing gives you exposure and exposure sells books.”

To get something done … you have to do it yourself. You only get reviews if you ask for them; you have to make a huge effort to engage with potential readers through blogs, tours, tweets, Facebook, all the social media tools freely available at every writer’s fingertips. There is so much free information that there’s no excuse for writers to moan about not getting publicity. Author sites abound, and if you’re not sure what to do, many marketing newsletters and e-zines offer load of free information. 

* * * * *

Fiona Ingram (B.A., Hons. (Natal), M.A., (Wits)) was born and educated in South Africa. Her interest in ancient history, mystery, and legends, and her enjoyment of travel has resulted in The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, the first in her exciting children’s adventure series—Chronicles of the Stone. The first book was inspired by an actual trip the author took to Egypt with her two young nephews (then aged 10 and 12).

Please visit Fiona’s author site http://www.fionaingram.com/ for more articles on marketing. For her book site, visit http://www.secretofthesacredscarab.com/.

Guest blogger: Dana Lynn Smith

This post, the third of a three-part series on building an author platform, highlights the importance of connections. Part one of this author platform series covers branding, while part two discusses reputation.

When selling your book, it’s not just what you know, it’s who you know!

To sell books in today’s marketplace, you need to be connected. Here are some examples of the type of connections that are valuable to authors in promoting their books and themselves:

 Contact Database – Clients, prospects, colleagues, friends, and family.

Opt-in Mailing List – People who have given you permission to contact them.

Influencers – Celebrities, well-known people in your field, book reviewers, media, and bloggers.

Online Networks – Connections on Facebook, Twitter and other online networks, groups and forums.

Blog Readers – People who read your blog or subscribe to the blog’s feed.

Professional Associations – Fellow association members and leaders. Serving in a leadership position enhances your visibility within the organization.

Other Groups – Alumni associations, civic and service organizations, hobby clubs, etc.

What can you do to increase your connections and leverage the connections that you have? How can you partner with others to extend your reach?

Dana Lynn Smith is a book marketing coach and author of several book marketing guides, including The Savvy Book Marketer’s Guide to Successful Social Marketing. For more tips, follow @BookMarketer on Twitter, visit Dana’s blog at www.TheSavvyBookMarketer.com, and get a copy of the Top Book Marketing Tips ebook when you sign up for her free newsletter at www.BookMarketingNewsletter.com.