Shameless Promoter - Book Marketing Coach: September 2010

"I can help you!"

I NO LONGER WORK AS A BOOK MARKETING COACH; I'M THE PUBLISHER AT IMAJIN BOOKS.

I've worked for over 25 years in advertising, promotions and sales, and spent nearly 2 years as a motivational speaker for a major international company. Currently a bestselling novelist and 'shameless' promoter, I've shared my experiences and techniques as a Book Marketing Coach for nearly a decade.

Whether you're published or unpublished, I can help. My last publisher called me a "marketing guru" and "whiz", although I prefer to think of what I do as teaching, or coaching.

"Dare to Dream...and Dream BIG!"

Monday, September 27, 2010

Lancelot's Lady Virtual Launch Party begins!

Today is LAUNCH DAY for my contemporary romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady and I'm celebrating by throwing a huge all-day party at various blogs. This is all part of my Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour celebration.

As a "shameless promoter" and book marketing coach, I have to tell you that a lot of work and preparation goes into pulling off an event such as this one--which is the BIGGEST ONLINE BOOK TOUR any author has ever done. Over 100 stops in 15 days! And plenty of prizes will be awarded along the way.

So what does it take to pull off such a huge event? PLANNING. I started months ago, by determining that I wanted to do something no author I'm aware of has ever done--hold a virtual book tour with over 100 stops at blogs and websites in only 15 days. Once I'd set my goal, it was time to pick a date, making sure I had plenty of time to find and book my blog hosts and find the prizes, not to mention write over 100 posts.

I took one month to find my hosts and email them an invite to my event, explaining what was in it for them. My hosts will all receive free ebooks! I gave myself 3 months to organize everything. Month two I started writing the posts for all the blogs. Some were open articles of my choosing, some topics were selected by my hosts, some were interviews, some said they'd review Lancelot's Lady. I like this wide assortment and I believe readers and visitors to these blogs/sites will enjoy them too.

Today is only day 1. I am so excited to be able to share my latest novel with you--my debut romantic suspense Lancelot's Lady.Lancelot's Lady is available in ebook edition at KoboBooks, Amazon's Kindle Store, Smashwords and other ebook retailers. Help me celebrate by picking up a copy today and "Cherish the romance..." Review it if you'd like; I'd love to hear what you think. If you post a review on Amazon, Smashwords or your blog or site, be sure to send me the link, so I can check it out. :-)

Prizes & Giveaways: Leave a comment here, with email address, to be entered into the prize draws. You're guaranteed to receive at least 1 free ebook just for doing so.

GRAND PRIZE: 1 KOBO eReader will be given to one lucky winner. Rules: Anyone who leaves a comment with email address on any of my posts during my tour (Sept. 27 to Oct. 10) will be entered to win this draw. 1 point will be given for every blog you visit. To increase your chances, you can receive an additional 25 points if you purchase Lancelot's Lady during those dates and email me the proof of purchase receipt by October 10th. You'll receive 1 entry per point. The winner will be selected at random and will be notified by October 31st.

Let me know what you think about online book tours. Do you enjoy them? Are they fun? Do you like having the chance to win prizes?

Cherish D'Angelo

(aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif)

http://www.cherishdangelo.com/

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Do I Need an ISBN to Publish My Own eBook?

The above question is a common one for authors taking their first dip into the ebook pool. The easy answer is: YES. But there's a bit more to ISBNs than that.

If you've decided to publish your own ebooks using ebook retailers like Amazon's Digital Text Platform, KoboBooks or Smashwords, you will need new ISBNs for each retailer. To understand why this is necessary, you must first understand what an ISBN is and does.

What's an ISBN?

International Standard Book Numbers or ISBNs are a 10 or 13 digit number used to identify your book or ebook and each of its revisions or editions. The first part of that number (the prefix) identifies the publisher. ISBNs are used for tracking sales data. Print books also have the ISBN embedded into the barcode, again for easy sales tracking.

Why do I need an ISBN for my ebook?

Distributors, bookstores, wholesalers and the general public use this number to order your book. If you plan to sell to bookstores, libraries (many are bringing in ebooks now) and some specialty retailers, you'll need an ISBN.

Can I use the same ISBN for one title that's in print and ebook edition?

No. Many retailers won't distribute your ebook or book if the ISBN has been used anywhere else, so it's important to take the time to register individual ISBNs as needed. ISBNs are not assigned by title; they are assigned by edition. Editions are determined by who published your book. If you're publishing your own ebooks, then every time you publish at a different retailer, you'll need a new ISBN number.

Example: My bestselling novel Whale Song has been published by 3 different print publishers, so it has 3 different ISBNs for those paperbacks. It also has 3 different ISBNs for ebooks I puiblished via Kindle, Smashwords and KoboBooks.

How do I get an ISBN?

If you're an author from the US, you can purchase a block of 10 ISBNs from R.R. Bowker at http://www.bowkerlink.com or http://www.isbn.org. Some ebook retailers, like Smashwords, allow you to purchase a single ISBN directly from them. Just keep in mind that whoever has registered the ISBN (in this case, Smashwords) owns the ISBN and it can't be transferred if you choose not to publish through them. Never use the same number for different books or editions.

Canadian authors are quite fortunate; they don't have to pay for ISBNs. If you're a Canadian author, you can register your ISBNs at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/ciss-ssci/041002-2000-e.html. You'll first join CISS -- The Canadian ISBN Service System and be assigned your prefix. After that you can assign ISBNs to your ebooks and books easily and quickly online.

A special thank you to Russell B. for inspiring me to write today's post. :-) I hope I've answered your question, Russell.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
book marketing coach & bestselling author

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Endorsements

"I have been watching you for the last couple of years and you have become quite a force to be reckoned with your excellent advice and guidance. I love both of your sites. I send people to them all the time. Your author site is one of the best designs I've seen in a while and you teach very well."
--Karen Syed, Echelon Press

"Cheryl Tardif knows the publishing industry inside out. She’s that great mix of professionalism and encouragement writers need. She takes the time to teach, explain, and lay out a solid plan any writer can follow. Marketing can seem overwhelming for most “creative” types, and Cheryl demystifies it—and even makes it a fun challenge. You’ll be surprised what all you accomplish within days—or weeks of working with Cheryl."
--Carol D. O'Dell, Author of Mothering Mother

"Cheryl is not only a first-rate wordsmith, she also knows the ins-and-outs of marketing better than anyone I know. She seems to be everywhere on the Net and has shared some invaluable resources to promote my own books. She's bright, personable and extremely resourceful."
--Betty Dravis, Author/Career Journalist

"Cheryl Kaye Tardif taught me how to increase my internet presence. From the beginning of our friendship, she has advised me on how to market myself, and her experience and expertise have been invaluable in launching my career as an author. I highly recommend Cheryl to novice and veteran authors alike: she knows what she's doing."
--Beth Fehlbaum, Author of Courage in Patience

"Cheryl is an expert when it comes to virtual book tours. She not only understands and sends what her virtual book tour hosts need for a great tour stop, she shares her experiences with other authors..."
--Angela Wilson, Book Blog Editor, Reviewer, PopSyndicate.com

"Cheryl has given me numerous valuable advice on how to market fiction to readers worldwide using the internet. I found her tips and advice very helpful and useful, and her knowledge of marketing strategies for this particular market up-to-date."
--Ivana Hruba, Author of A Decent Ransom

"I was the General Manger at Indigo Books and Music for 5 years...Cheryl was a pleasure to work with professionally...She takes her job as an entrepreneur, writer, and sales rep very seriously and she stands out in many ways from most of the authors I had the opportunity to work with. She looks the part, and is consistently prepared for signings...I found working with Cheryl Tardif a great inspiration."
--Alexia Melnychuk, Former General Manager, Indigo Books and Music #290, and now Singer, Songwriter and Music Artist

"Cheryl Tardif is one of the best book marketing promoters that I know. She helped me in my marketing efforts with three of my novels: Paradise Acres, (released 2005 and a best seller for 5 weeks) Lost Paradise (2007) and the last of the trilogy, Return to Paradise (2008). All three books were Governor General Literary Award nominees. Chery set-up the Authors' Row where authors were invited to market their books to thousands of women attending...I highly recommend her as a top notch marketing consultant."
--Molly Anne Warring, Author

"She's an expert in her field and delivers her material with spontaniety and passion. It's a pleasure working with her."
--Lillian Cauldwell, CEO/President, Passionate Internet Voices Talk Radio

"Cheryl Tardif knows the intricacies of online marketing as well as anyone, how to blog, how to promote and get significant press releases, how to orchestrate book tours. Her expertise can help the budding or already established author focus their efforts in what can otherwise be a confusing and overwhelming array of choices."
--Peter Clenott, author of Hunting the King

"Cheryl Kaye Tardif is professional as an author and in working with other authors...I have also found Cheryl professional and timely when I contacted her as a PR Coordinator...Cheryl is hard working, self-motivated, dependable, friendly, creative."
--Christina Francine Whitcher, Independent Writer of Fiction, Non-Fiction, Book Reviews, and Interviews

"As a debut author, I was new to the book promotion scene in every way. Cheryl shared her creative insights on how, and more importantly, why, to organize a successful virtual blog tour. She is a model of what savvy authors should do to promote themselves."
--Karen Harrington, Author of Janeology

"Cheryl's a doll! I give her total credit for my website and blog design. I knew nothing about such things until she stepped in to help. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to improve their cyberspace presence."
--Eileen Schuh, Author

Meet 'Shameless Promoter'

I picked up the nickname 'Shameless Promoter' a few years ago. I don't recall who called me that first, but I do know that the name stuck and spread. Even bookstore managers have called me that, and most of my author friends.

I started using the expression freely because I am a 'Shameless Promoter'. As a novelist competing with hundreds of thousands of other novelists, I must find creative ways to promote myself and my books that are not the ordinary, run-of-the-mill methods. Frankly, an author in today's world has to be bold, persistent and definitely shameless.

I'm not talking about beating potential readers over the head with your book, or stalking them through a bookstore. I'm talking about being a creative marketer by taking advantage of certain situations and finding other ways--better ways--to market your books.

I don't profess to be the world's #1 book promoter, but I can tell you this: I have learned some creative ways to market books and I am quite happy to share this knowledge.

Books don't sell themselves! It's up to every author to take an active role in marketing.

I'm the bestselling author of 4 novels: Whale Song (2003), Divine Intervention, The River, and Whale Song (2007), which is now in negotiations with a respected US film producer/director for a feature film and a possible 3rd print edition.

I speak regularly at writers' conferences on the topics of book signings, online marketing, promotional ideas and using social networks to promote books--the 'write' way. My articles on book promotion have appeared in various magazines and online writers' resources. I've been interviewed and profiled on TV and radio stations, and in newspapers and magazines.

To read more about me, check out my official site:
http://www.cherylktardif.com/

~Shameless Promoter
aka Cheryl Tardif, bestselling author

"I can help you!"

Pages

Monday, September 27, 2010

Lancelot's Lady Virtual Launch Party begins!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Do I Need an ISBN to Publish My Own eBook?