Recipes for PublicityElizabeth Yarnell

 

Dan Poynter to speak at CIPA in Denver

October 8, 2008 – 9:00 am

Dan Poynter, the self-publishing guru, is speaking at the Sat., Oct. 18, meeting of CIPA–the Colorado Independent Publishers Association — at the Doubletree Hotel near the Stapleton redevelopment area in Denver.Self Publishing Manual

In case you don’t know, Dan wrote Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual, 16th Edition: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book (Self Publishing Manual), which should be every aspiring independent publisher’s bible.

It starts with Continental breakfast at 8:00 a.m., followed by a short meeting, Dan’s talk (2 hours), then networking. Here’s a tip: bring your own mug for coffee — the ones supplied hold about 5 sips and there will be a coffee urn available for the duration of the meeting.

If you have any interest in self-publishing or independent publishing, you should be there on the 18th. This is a supportive group of some 500 authors and publishers who will help you get the knowledge you will need to succeed in publishing.

RSVP by October 14th for the early bird rate of $5 off, or pay full price at the door! This meeting is open to the public at non-member rates.

By Elizabeth Yarnell •• Posted in Seminars •• Comments (6)

Be Found: The Secrets to 21st Century Publicity

October 7, 2008 – 8:33 am

The Colorado Authors League will host yours truly at their next luncheon. I will speak about how authors can use social media tools to generate the kind of publicity that sells books.

Are you an author or an aspiring writer? This for you!

Web 2.0 ToolsWhen: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 (11:30 am – 1:30 pm)
Where: Four Points Sheraton
Cost: $20 members, $25 non-members (RSVP deadline: Sunday 10/19 midnight)

(PS: Sorry about the font above — I cut and pasted and couldn’t make it regular type anymore. Technology: love it and curse it!)

By Elizabeth Yarnell •• Posted in Connect w/Elizabeth, Seminars, Speaking •• Comments (2)

Do You Tweet?

October 4, 2008 – 12:54 am

Less than 18 months ago the Twitterverse did not exist but today it might just be a great tool for disseminating your message. I haven’t been tweeting very long but have already been amazed at how people find you to follow you on Twitter.

Read these 7 Tips for New Twitter Users for some good advice about building your Twitter presence.

Remember that, as with all social media that you use for professional advancement, keep your presence professional. Be yourself, but don’t post things that should better be kept private.

Come, follow me on Twitter and let’s have a conversation!

By Elizabeth Yarnell •• Posted in Publicity Ideas •• Comments (4)

2008 DIY Book Festivals

October 1, 2008 – 2:28 pm

The deadlines for the 2008 DIY, London and New England Book Festivals are approaching.

*** The 2008 DIY Book Festival will have a special focus on unpublished stories, poetry and comics at its seventh annual program celebrating the success of independent authors and publishers.

*** The 2008 London Book Festival honors books worthy of further attention from the international publishing community. )

*** The 2008 New England Book Festival honors the best books of the holiday season.

Grand prizes for each competition include $1500 cash and a flight to the awards ceremony.

The 2008 DIY, New England and London book festivals are part of the JM Northern Media family of festivals, which include the DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books. The festivals are sponsored by the Larimar St. Croix Writer’s Retreat, The Hollywood Creative Directory; eDivvy, Shopanista, Westside Websites and The DIY Reporter.com.

By Elizabeth Yarnell •• Posted in Awards, Events •• Comments (0)

The National “Best Books 2008″ Awards – 9/30/08 deadline

September 17, 2008 – 10:51 pm

Now celebrating their 5th year, The National “Best Books 2008″ Awards honors outstanding mainstream and independent titles.

This is a pretty cool award to win, I must say, having won a Best Books 2006 award myself for my cookbook, Glorious One-Pot Meals, in 2006. It can be great it is for your publicity efforts to be an “award-winning author” of an “award-winning book.” Talk about a boost to your credibility!

So, here’s what they promise:

—MEDIA COVERAGE FOR EVERY ENTRY: Enter before September 30, 2008 and receive a two-month full-color listing on USABookNews.com which includes your color book cover, a brief paragraph about your title and a hyperlink to your website. Fantastic coverage for the upcoming holiday retail season! The National Best Books Awards are the ONLY Awards Program in the nation that offers direct coverage to the book buying public for every entry.

—AFFORDABLE ENTRY FEE: $59.00 per title/per category. Over 140 active categories to choose from.

—UNPRECEDENTED NATIONAL MEDIA & INDUSTRY EXPOSURE: Instant coverage of results from our online network of media outlets and industry contacts for a combined, immediate exposure to over 500,000+ subscribers. In addition, the national media campaign kicks off October 2008 and doesn’t let up until January 2009! Check out the rave reviews from recent winners and finalists below.

—USA BOOK NEWS PICKS WINNERS: Many titles have gone on to greatness after placing in the Best Books Awards over our five year history. Over 80 publishers who placed in the 2007 Best Books Awards went on to place in one or more of the following prestigious award programs: the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Awards, the 2008 IPPY’s and the 2007 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Awards!

You can’t win if you don’t apply, so just do it.

By Elizabeth Yarnell •• Posted in Awards •• Comments (1)

Nautilus Book Awards

September 4, 2008 – 9:59 am

The call for entries has been issued for the 9th Annual Nautilus Book Awards.

The Nautilus Book Awards recognize distinguished literary and heartfelt contributions to spiritual growth, conscious living, high-level wellness, green values, responsible leadership, positive social change as well as to the worlds of art, creativity and inspirational reading for children and young adults.

I’ve known several Nautilus Book Awards, and know that one of the benefits is that you get to hold a book signing at the Nautilus booth during the next Book Expo America, the country’s largest trade show for the publishing industry.

If you think your book is a fit, then nothing should stop you from entering the contest. You can’t win if you don’t enter! :)

By Elizabeth Yarnell •• Posted in Awards •• Comments (0)

Could a video get you publicity?

August 27, 2008 – 9:15 am

Videos are a great media to employ for getting publicity for your product or message.  If your video is engaging enough, it could even go viral, which, let’s face it, is the dream of everyone who posts a video online.

I was impressed to watch this video put together by Brigette Mongeon, a sculptor and creative artist. She put together an artfully-edited video extolling the benefits of Peter  Shankman’s free service, Help A Reporter Out, or HARO. It’s fun to watch, gives usable information, and discusses a hot topic (free publicity, as if you had to ask).

Brigette’s HARO video promotes her business as well. Because the placement of her URL and discussion of her studio is embedded as a testimonial, it’s an effective piece of publicity for her and doesn’t come off like a straight advertising angle would have.

So, check it out and think about if a video could help you promote your business!


By Elizabeth Yarnell •• Posted in Publicity Ideas •• Comments (1)

Castle Rock Writers Conference

August 26, 2008 – 1:56 pm

Want “Rock Solid Writing”? Published and aspiring writers alike will reap the wisdom and learning offered at the Castle Rock Writers Conference on September 20th, 2008.

Envisioned as an affordable and engaging conference for writers of all abilities, you’ll have the opportunity to hear me speak twice: Hook the Media on Your Book and Scoring Free (or Almost Free) Publicity — From TV to Blogs.

While the event is already full (so sorry I didn’t talk about this earlier!), you can still request to be added to the wait list and get on the mailing list to hear about the next event.

By Elizabeth Yarnell •• Posted in Connect w/Elizabeth, Seminars •• Comments (0)

Self-publishing coup

August 18, 2008 – 4:38 pm

If you are still skeptical about the future of an independently-published book, you need to hear the story of The Lace Reader. Brunonia Barry poured $50,000 into self-publishing a novel that got picked up in a 2-book deal for more than $2 million.

It can happen, folks. Particularly if you can create a buzz for your book, like Brunonia.

By Elizabeth Yarnell •• Posted in Publicity Ideas •• Comments (1)

2008 DIY Book Festival Call for Entries

July 29, 2008 – 1:15 am

The 2008 DIY Book Festival has issued a call for entries for its seventh annual program celebrating the success of independent authors and publishers.

The DIY Book Festival will consider self-published or independent publisher non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children’s books, teenage, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, audio/spoken word, photography, art, comics, ‘zines, fan fiction, poetry and e-books published on or after Jan. 1, 2006. All entries must be in English and have been self-published or issued by an independent publishing house.

*** Please note that print-on-demand (POD) authors with iUniverse, PublishAmerica, Infinity Publishing and other outlets are eligible for the competition.

Our grand prize for the 2008 DIYBF Book of the Year is $1500 cash and a flight to the awards ceremony, held in February, 2009 as part of the annual DIY Convention in Los Angeles.

Genre category winners will receive a combination of books, software and other prizes.

Submitted works will be judged by a panel of industry experts using the following criteria:

1) General excellence and the author’s passion for telling a good story.

2) The unique use of guerilla marketing tactics to reach a wider audience. This includes innovative marketing, merchandising, publicity tactics and other innovative methods of reaching an independent audience..

You’ve got nothing to lose by entering!

By Elizabeth Yarnell •• Posted in Awards •• Comments (0)