Social media keeps shifting.  That’s an understatement. It used to be that AMs were the best time to blast out Tweets to your Peeps and get on Facebook. Google+ is now roaring into place and timing is unknown, yet my gut tells me AMs will dominate with revisits later in the day for it.

Social media posts get lost quickly; they have a limited shelf life. Very limited. If you have something that is timely and important—your post time becomes critical.

Who Is Using What When?

What’s your time zone? Almost half the U.S. population is in the Eastern time zone … it’s critical to post within. If you are regionally based and do events/activities with one zone—focus on it.

                  As summer comes to a close, authors start thinking book marketing and business again. … your email may be loading up with a variety of solicitations to enter book awards. Do you … or don’t you? Are they worth the entry fee? Which do you submit to? And what do you do if your book is recognized … besides telling all your friends?

Can book awards make a difference? Yes, if they are the right ones—

Below are a few recommended by Author U and The Book Shepherd that receive ongoing national attention and are worth investing some of your marketing/promotional dollars for submissions. Some give stickers; some give cash prizes; all do national media releases/promotion with winners and finalists and have national recognition. None require that you become a “member.” Deadlines and entry fees for submissions are varied. Submissions and guidelines will give you the details on each site included—deadlines could mean books need to be in hand or merely postmarked. Read their rules.

A recent reader of the Author U blog emailed about her strategy for marketing her book. She was an alumnus of a university with a few hundred thousand graduates and 15,000 current student body. Getting a review in the alumni magazine was her game plan. Assuming it was positive, that, she felt, would spread the “get this book” word.

Other forms of marketing would be bypassed. She didn’t want to put her time or energy into other forms of marketing, including all things social media. Blogging and Facebook were questionable. Reviews would be her strategy alone. Those she would direct to her past educational connections.  She writes, “Isn’t that one review worth more than all of my blogging would be?”

Maybe, maybe not. Could she succeed in creating a book buzz? Would it create the momentum to propel her book forward? And would it create the tipping point?  Success book sales do have a tipping point … sometimes it’s obvious as book sales begin to domino; most times, it’s the collective energies and actions of a variety of activities.

July is Smokin’ Hot all over … If you are in Colorado and new to authoring and publishing, don’t forget to register for the August 18^th Is There a Book In YOU?  half-day program designed for the Eaglet—the newbie—to the authoring and publishing worlds. It’s only $47 and includes breakfast, workbook and a copy of Judith Briles’ book, Show Me About Book Publishing ($20 value). Early bird deadline is July 31^st. Register at: http://authoru.org/is-there-a-book-in-you.html

And definitely don’t forget to attend the Author U-Tattered Cover event on Monday evening, July 23^rd …  http://authoru.org/tattered-cover.html

Tweets are faster than a speeding bird … below are Author U’s Top Ten Tweets from the past week that you may have missed …

Success

Why I Write: George Orwell’s Four Motives for Creation http://t.co/ubKPAUoE

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What successful people do before breakfast.  http://ow.ly/bWvWL

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Love the stuff from @guykawasaki: The secret trifecta for building an engaged audience.  Perfect for authors/speakers. http://t.co/lL77MIy6

Book Publishing Savvy Today:

Do You Know Where Your Book Sales Come From?

       Do You Know Where Your Clients Come From?

              Do You Know Where Your ____ Comes From?

Having a marketing and sales background, it was drilled in that I had to follow my leads, track my leads and know where my business came from. Maybe. Maybe not … at least today. The Internet has changed a lot of the rules of yesterday … yesteryear. It’s fast forward time…

If you have a product—a book, consulting services or any other product—today, it’s all about being “out there”—exposed, talked about, findable.

Maybe it’s time to stop asking the question, Do you know where your business is coming from? Because there isn’t a definable answer. Maybe the answer is in the response zone of “… just because.”

Your Guide to Book Publishing: Everything You Wanted to Know about Publishing and Didn’t Know to Ask radio show is live on Thursday, January 5th on the Rock Star Network at 6 p.m. EST; 5 p.m CST; 4 p.m. MST; 3 p.m. PST. Plan on a fast paced magazine format. Participate live and download the podcast.  Join Dr. Judith Briles and her guests: Book Marketing guru’s Penny Sansevieri and Brian Jud along with others for the first show. 

Here’s info for online listening:  http://rockstarradionetwork.com/shows/yourguidetobookpublishing 

And for calling in live and participating:  866-404-6519

Don’t you love it when authors actually take their own advice? Today, Author U has a special guest who will answer your questions about Book Blog Tours. Dana Lynn Smith has one put together for her latest book, Virtual Book Tour Magic. Her tour has been over the past two weeks.

Here’s why this book makes marketing sense for today’s author:

• The author has a clear vision of her goal.
• She responded immediately to any questions that I have before our big day.
• She sent me her guest post Questions a week before it was due to run.
• She also sent me copy to use in social media promotion-so helpful.
• She is going to be available to respond to questions that Blog readers have about virtual blog tours.
• She also sent me a reminder the day before, just in case–always smart–we are all busy and a little goose is helpful!

Book Publishing … Take Advantage of Seasonal Selling Now!

If your book is ideal for a gift (and it’s a rare one that is not), seasonal celebrations are ideal to reach out to your followers … why not your book as the gift? This month, of course December is hot. But so will January … for the “how-to” crowd, this is the high GOYA month—Get Off Your Ass—and get started (or re-started).

Game plan your “kick-start” now by:

1          Creating an email offer your “special” with a direct link to where you want them to purchase your book. Title, describe, and cover should all be included. Give them a heads-up with an estimate of how many days for arrival. If you are the sender, make sure you offer to personalize each book.

2          Contact all on your email lists; your Twitter followers; your Facebook friends; LinkedIn connections; and Google+ Circles and Huddles. Remind them who the ideal recipient is and that your book is a wonderful last-minute gift.