eBook Marketing: Include Live Contact Information in Your eBook

One of the most important things you can do in this ebook world is to provide your reader with your current contact information. I monitor over 50 authors and ebook experts blogs on a regular basis and finding their contact links is quite a challenge.

Surprisingly, I find the same problem in the current ebooks that are being published. If they do include link information, rarely is it a live link.

I feel the authors are missing a large marketing opportunity. Here are some ideas you may want to consider.

Different Products

One of the things I have been harping on for the last several years is that a traditional paper book is a different product then the ebook version, especially the pre-content information.

In fact, this information should be different between your retailers. Yes, you should have a different version of your ebook for each vendor. Whether it is Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Smashwords, they should have a different version of the ebook. Not the story or the major content but the front end of the ebook.

In other words, the ebook should not be just a copy of the paper version.

Contact Page

An easy way to keep in touch with your reader is to include a Contact Page in the front of the ebook. You know, one the reader can use to access your major contact points. The continuing communications with your followers should be a major part of your marketing effort.

Here is an example of the one I have in my novel, “Call Off The Dogs.”

Your Ebook can be updated

Your ebook lives on the fast moving Internet. Internet addresses and links included in ebooks will change and new communication points will definitely come along. In fact with the long life of an ebook, it is a reality. Wait a minute. Your ebook can be updated anytime you want. Just make the change and re-publish.

In contrast, once the paper book hits the shelves, any link to the Internet is cast in concrete. That’s not the case with your ebook.

Ask for a review, twice

You might ask me the following question after looking at the example above. I see a link to help my reader enter a review of my ebook. What is that all about?

You should give your reader easy access to your buy page to let them review your book. Just include it on your contact page.

Once the buy is done, most readers don’t go back to the buy page. Add this link to the contact information in the front of your book. Give them an easy way to write about your ebook.

To top it all off, ask them again for a review at the end of your ebook.

In a lot of cases, authors are still not providing live links to the outside world to help the readers keep in touch.

Don’t miss this marketing opportunity. Keep your contact information up-to-date in all your ebooks. It is just an upload away.

What do you think about adding a Contact Page to the front of your ebook? Will publishers buy into this concept? Have I missed anything you would like to add to the Contact Page?

Follow Me on Twitter: @jimhbs

Or EMAIL at: jim@jamesmoushon.com

Or visit my blog: The eBook Author Corner

Check out my Jonathon Stone Mystery Novel: Call Off The Dogs

NOTE: The examples in this blog are displayed as an image (to keep borders to resemble a book page) and do not have live link to accommodate the blogging software.

eBook Authors: Self-Publishing is Like Playing Baseball

Recently I read a great article by Patricia Fry called ‘50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book’. It is a FREE 24-page Booklet filled with great ideas and information for self-publishing authors.

 

I was struck by the similarity between the problems eBook authors have when they get started and baseball players starting off on their journey to the big leagues. The question is how do authors and players keep from failing?

Less than 1% of all players drafted make it the big leagues. There are 750 choice positions in the majors. Of the thousands of players that have that dream, only a handful ever get drafted.

I am sure that of all the people who want to write a book, only a handful do. And of the writers who finally produce a book, only a handful reach the goal of being published. Of those, only a very small percent of those ever make it to the top.

Then along came ebook self-publishing and the ebook authors’ odds seem to change for the better. You see a home run in your next at bat and success is just around the corner. You have no umpire or gatekeeper to call you out. You can just start running the bases.

Now with self-publishing, anyone can make it to the first level. The minors if you will.

But there is a formula for failure

You know, three strikes and you’re out. Even with ebook self-publishing, you will not make it to the ‘bigs’ if you have:

1.      Poor content or a poorly created ebook

2.      A Poor marketing effort

3.      No fan base development

The minor leaguers make little money but they work hard and look for a break and so do the ebook authors when they first get started.

Preparation is like spring training

To keep from getting called out, you must touch all the bases.

1.      Goals – You need to set goals. More than just ‘I want to be published’. You know monetary goals with time frames. You must do them in a written form so you can judge your own progress as you travel around the bases. It is just like keeping score of your own game.

2.      Planning – Plan the steps you need to take to reach your goal. Things like time management and your marketing plan.

3.      Research – Do your homework. Patricia makes this a major point in her article

4.      Observation – Check out your competition. Watch how others are doing things.

5.      Mentors – Seek out experts in your deficient areas. You can get good advice from books and blogs in the industry.

Talent

Like baseball players, you must have talent. Here is a simple checklist.

1.      Do you have that killer idea? Something others would be interested in.

2.      Are you willing to put the effort into your ebook project to make it a success?

3.      Do you have the knowledge to backup what you’re writing about?

4.      Do you know the mechanics to pull this off? Learn how to create an ebook. The editing part can be a daunting task.

 Game time

It’s time to put your training and practice to use. You are going to have to address all the parts of ebook publishing. Like ballplayers, it is HOW you play the game that counts?

Are you ready to do book research and setup an outline of your book? Let’s get up to bat.

Be prepared to write and rewrite. Proof read and proof read again. Edit and edit again. Part of your game plan should be deciding on who will do your cover and the title and the subtitle are important as well as the first two chapters. It is the EFFORT that really counts.

Some say you have to be lucky. My response: make your own luck.

Self-publishing is a team sport

Unless you’re an expert in a lot of different areas, you will need help to get into the starting lineup. Things like writing, publishing, design, editing, marketing, ebook creation and on and on.

It is like being a free agent without a player agent. You can’t do everything unless you only want to play one game or write one book. The bad news is you will find that there is not enough time in the day. The good news is there are many experts and coaches that can help you play the game.

How can I strike out?

Here is list of things that if you do or don’t do them, they will differently lead to failure.

1.      You have positioned your ebook in a weak sales genre or in the wrong genre.

2.      You have poor or no marketing. Your ebook is not going to just be a winner on its own. Using an online publisher’s information only to market your ebook is not good enough.

3.      You are not involved in social networking. This is becoming more and more important. The readers want to know as much about you as they can.

4.      You have a poor website or no website. You must have an Internet presence to play this game.

5.      You have not created a blog or audience contact point.

6.      You are unable to get reviews posted on your online sites. They should not be phony ones. Seek reviews from third parties not just relatives and friends.

7.      You get off to a poor start with no targets or goals to meet. You need to know where you’re going. Go back to home plate and start over.

It is a business

One thing baseball players learn first after making it to the top is it is a business. You’re in it to make money. You can only control what you can control. A self-publisher controls most of the game.

You may have the talent and you may have a written a killer ebook but if you’re in it to make money, the game has only just begun.

Unless you keep up the effort you won’t be in the majors long.

Your long-term income depends on your fans

Once you are not a rookie anymore, things get a little easier. The more ebooks you put into the sales pipe, the better things can be. You must keep up the quality and fan base or you will be off to the minors.

That includes being active in Social networks like Facebook and Twitter. It is a good idea to get involved with Linkedin and join an organization like SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). These areas take a lot of time and effort to keep up with. You must build the time into your plan. At the end of the season you should be able to see the results.

Most important! Don’t let your fan base down.

This is an extra-inning game

Are you self-publishing to make money or is it just a vanity thing? Don’t take a wild swing at it.

Unlike Baseball there are NO free passes. You either get a hit or you’re out. How big a hit depends on how you play the game? It could be a small infield hit or it could be a home run.

The old baseball adage ‘It is not whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game?’ does not apply here. It is all about winning. Let’s play ball.

How do ebook self-publishing authors fail and why? Let me know what you think and check out Patricia Fry’s great article.

To sign up for Patricia Fry booklet ‘50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book’, click here.

Some of Patricia Fry’s Books:

The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book

Over 75 Good Ideas For Promoting Your Book

View her website: Matilija Press

Or goto her blog: Patricia Fry’s Blog

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com
Or goto my blog: The eBook Author’s Corner
Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered eBook
LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon

eBook Authors: Use The POWER of Links

One of the first things an eBook Author must learn to use is the power of links. Whether you’re creating your ebook, setting up your web site, writing a blog or joining a group on the Internet, hyperlinks are what make things happen. The more clicks, the more chances of your success. The synergy created by links is a powerful thing.

With that said, where should you put links? The following is a list of possible opportunities for linking.

Your eBook Author Page

Let’s start with your ebook. You should always have an author page with links to everything in your arsenal. This page is different than the title page or the copyright page. You should have links to your website, your blog, your social network and your email address. Make sure to link to your other ebooks buy-pages to help the reader go directly to your other writings.

Your In-Book Links

Another link possibility is links imbedded in your content. These links can be added in the ebook rendering process. Whether the links are to Internet sites or to information in the back of your ebook, the links can be very valuable to the reading experience.

In my ebook, Call Off The Dogs, I included brief definitions of uncommon terms and locations in the back of the ebook. For example, the reader could click on a link imbedded in the content and see a brief description of the pier in Seal Beach, California. Then they would press the BACK key and continue reading.

Other Link Opportunities

You should link everything you do digitally. For example:

Website – Your site is a great place to include links to your ebooks. Include a blogroll on your home page to link to other sites you visit. And then ask those sites to link back to you. The more the merrier.

Blog – You should establish a blog to keep in touch with your readers. Your followers will follow the links you insert into your blog like a page for your upcoming ebook. Also, you can use links to get them involved in the writing process.

Social Network – You should use Facebook and Twitter and link away every chance you get.

Email - All outgoing communications should include a link even if it is just a link in your email signature line.

Link Maintenance

One of the important things to remember is that link maintenance is great an opportunity to keep in front of your reader. Links change and become invalid for one reason or another. You should maintain a current, up to date list of links you have used in your writings. Then point the reader to your site for the latest link information.

Another example. Let’s say you have an ebook with a lot of internet links imbedded in the content or the ebook has a list of links associated with source material. As the links turn bad, and they will after time, you could add Amazon Public Notes in the ebook to assistant the reader in finding the updated link or an alternative one.

You are maintaining the value of the reading material by updating the content without republishing the ebook.

Link Power

So what does linking everything do for you?

1. It will build traffic to your ebook buy-page, to your Internet site, your Facebook page and your Blog.

2. Links are what drives Internet Search Engine Optimization. The more links you have on the net, the more chances you have for readers to find your offerings. The most prized link is one that is an incoming link from another site. This can be your site or blog or one from one of your peers.

3. Connections through Social Networking, links your friends and followers to your site and your ebook. You cannot have enough of this. The more ebooks and blogs you put into the pipe, the more action you create.

Takeaway

Think of this as a little web page with the power of communications.

A general rule: Never publish anything without a link or two. That includes your ebook, your Internet site, your blog, your email or comments on other people’s blog.

So what do think? Be sure to share with me other link opportunities that I have overlooked.

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

eBook Authors: Render Your eBooks

Rendered eBooks
The eBook Author has the opportunity to add to the reading experience. The eBook conversion process must be much more than converting a paper book to a digital format. It must take advantage of the power of the electronic reader.

The eBook author is defined as an author who is writing directly to the eBook platform. You can read more about this concept in my blog: eBook Author: New Breed of Author.

As an author, you must think about the reader and what he can do with the added features the eBook allows him to use. You must add to your content something of value for your readers.

You should include in-book links to help the reader enjoy the content. The eBook’s advanced features should be exploited. And you should think about the future of the eBook and the software and devices and plan for the changes in your research and writing.

Your eBook must be more than just a copy of a paper book. You must render your eBook to set the content apart from the paper version.

Think about the reader
The eBook author should think about the reader when he is rendering his eBook. The object is to improve the eBook reading experience.

Picture the reader of a paper book and some of the things they do while they are reading. Let’s explore the practice of Read back.

Read back is the action of the reader to go back through the content to look up information. The eBook can make this practice an easy and quick process.

I am a typical reader and some of the things I would like to be able to do while I am reading are: (I have included the rendered eBook solution.)

1. Read back: I would like to look up the definition of a word or a term.
Render: This is addressed directly by the e-reader’s dictionary and encyclopedia if it is a common word.

2. Read back: I would like to look up the definition of a word or term coined by the author or that is not in the standard dictionary.
Render: You can supply information in the appendix and link to it using bookmarks. (see the in-book link section below)

3. Read back: I would like to see pictures of people, buildings and objects that I am reading about.
Render: As an eBook author, you can easily insert jpg files into the content during the rendering process and link to them.

4. Read back: I would like to actually see the locations that are referenced in the content.
Render: You can enclose Google Maps or better yet Google Earth snapshots. Just give them credit.

5. Read back: I would like to see an easy-to-access character tree.
Render: This is important if the eBook is large and has marginal characters that are revisited throughout the eBook.

6. Read back: Sometimes I would like a calendar of events so that I can keep track of where I am in the story.
Render: You can render a filled in calendar to support the reader.

As an eBook author, you can easily provide the reader these items by using the power of the e-reader’s links.

Use in-book links
In my eBook, Call Off the Dogs, I used four types of in-book links. In-book links are used to move the reader to content that is not online (no need to be connected to the Internet) but is included in the books appendix area.

The in-book links have an advantage because they do not interrupt the reader’s train of thought. This is important especially if the eBook is fiction. I have included Internet links to the example below for your reference.

The first type of in-book links I used were links which I called eBook Gems. The gems are terms I invented as part of the story.

For example, the main character, CIA agent Jonathon Stone, used a device to scan for bugs, GPS locators and bomb residue. It was called a waffle scanner(follow the link to view the description) because of the texture of the back of the device. Well this was a figment of my imagination so I inserted in the content a quick symbol link for the reader to view a broader description of the device. The reader just clicked on the symbol and reviewed the information. Then he pressed the Back button and continued reading.

The second type of in-book links were brief definitions from Wikipedia. The reader could click on an underlined link and view a short summary of the topic. (You need to give credit to Wikipedia to use this feature – see their guidelines on their site.)

For example, one of the locations used in the novel was Belmont Shore, California. (follow the link to view the definition and the credit statement) I enclosed a brief description from Wikipedia about the location and the area around Belmont Shore to inform the reader.

The third type of in-book link was a link to a map from Google Earth which showed the location of part of the story. (Again you need to give credit to Google Earth to use this feature – see their guidelines on their site.)

For example, Call Off the Dogs, is a novel about the Assassination of President Kennedy. It discusses Dealey Plaza (follow the link to view an aerial map) in Dallas where the assassination took place. I captured an aerial view of the plaza and inserted building references so the reader could visualize the scene.

The fourth type of in-book link was the insertion of a picture of an object to assist the reader in the visualization of the content. A digital picture (jpg file) was quickly added to the appendix and linked so the reader could view it.

For example, one of the objects in Call Off the Dogs was a reference to a Wild Hog Trophy. (follow the link to view the digital picture)

Also, I have included extra information to help explain the in-book concept. Follow the next link to the reader reference material in Call Off the Dogs. The section in the eBook was entitled the eBook Experience Notes.

Think to the future
I am sure authors will start to render their back-list titles to add value to their writing. Although it is time consuming, the information gathering process for rendering can be incorporated in the research of your eBook.

I wrote Call Off the Dogs in MS-Word and put my research notes at the back of the document. When I was done with my first draft, I started adding bookmarks to the important items. That made the in-book link part of the rendering easy.

Enhanced eBooks are coming. We are starting to see them appear in selected books on the iPad. They include maps, graphs, pictures and video. Author information is expanded to give the reader an insight into the author’s thinking process.

As other e-reader devices come up to speed with their software and hardware, enhanced eBooks will one day be commonplace.

eBook Rendering is coming
But for now, rendering the standard eBook would greatly improve the eBook experience. The eBook author is the key. Remember you are in the creativity business. Rendering is an opportunity to set you apart from the traditional author.

I encourage comments and feedback on this. I believe this is an important concept.

Book Information
Call Off The Dogs
By: James Moushon
Published By: November 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4507-4529-1 ASIN:B004AYCTI8
Available at Amazon in eBook Format
Genre: Fiction, Alternative History

Coming Soon on this blog:
Lessons For the eBook Industry – Study the E-Forms Industry Beginning- a CASE STUDY
This post will discuss the highlights from a case study I have written about the parallel of the eBook Industry and its transition from paper to digital to the beginning of the Electronic Forms Industry in the 1990’s.

This post originated from HBSystems Publications.
Posted by James Moushon

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To contact me directly, mailto: jrm@hbspub.com