An Authorīs Responsibilities are Great
Linda Weaver Clarke
September 25, 2008
After a book is published, an authorīs responsibilities are just beginning. Many people think that an author can now relax after the book has been written and begin their next book, but itīs not so. An author must promote his or her book by doing four things that will enhance the bookīs success.
First, create an attractive website. People want to know who the author is and what other books have been written. Make sure that your site can be loaded easily. If it canīt be loaded within 10 seconds, visitors will give up. Make sure your images are optimized for web view. Donīt make the site too busy or visitors will feel overwhelmed and give up.
Second, enter contests. This makes your book have more credibility. My first book, "Melinda and the Wild West," was one of the top ten semi-finalists for the "Reviewers Choice Award 2007" for Reader Views. Because it won an award, people will become interested in reading the book.
Third, send your book to professional reviewers. Pick only reviewers who review your genre, otherwise itīs a waste of time. Some reviewers only review established authors, so select carefully so you donīt send your book to someone who wonīt review it.
Fourth, write articles for the Internet, newspapers, and magazines. You must publish articles so you will be recognized as an author and it will also enhance your web presence. These articles are important for your bookīs success, for the one reason that people are getting to know you. Articles help you and your book to stand out and be noticed. There are some excellent websites to write articles. You may try: American Chronicle, Article-hangout, Go Articles, Ezine Articles, Articles Base, Authors Den, Amazines, Search Warp, and Lady Pens—for women only.
Why does writing articles on the Internet help you as an author? More books are sold on the web than anything else, so a good web presence is important. Before I began writing articles on the Internet, I would do a Google search for my website and my name. It wouldnīt come up. After I began submitting articles, my website popped up on the first page of a search. I was shocked that writing articles could make such a difference. Now when I type my name on Google, it appears 148 times out of 150. What a huge difference!
How do you begin writing for the web? The American Chronicle is a great one because it has twenty-one other chronicles that your articles will be published on. First, you need to send an article to the Chronicle as evidence of your writing skills. They will e-mail you back and let you know if youīre accepted. The other article websites donīt ask for any samples. All you have to do is just sign up and begin writing.
Next, you can search newspapers and journals by going to newslink.org. Find out which ones are interested in the subject youīll be writing about. Contact the editor and ask if you can write an article for their newspaper. Have an article ready because theyīll need a sample of your work.
Remember that your goal is not to charge them for each article, but to get your name out there so people will know who you are. Once they read a few of your articles, then theyīll become interested in knowing more about you and your book. If you have to begin writing articles free, then do it. You have to pay your dues before youīre recognized. The goal is to get your name out into the public with a good byline.
What is a good byline? Along with your name, you can mention your book and provide contact information—such as your e-mail or website. Hereīs a sample byline: Written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of Melinda and the Wild West, a Semi-finalist for the "Reviewers Choice Award 2007." To contact the author, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.
Remember that an authorīs duties donīt stop when the book is written. Itīs just beginning. There are thousands of books published every year but you need to get out into the publicīs eye and be recognized before your book will be noticed.
Written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of the historical/fiction/romance series: "A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho." To learn more, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.
First, create an attractive website. People want to know who the author is and what other books have been written. Make sure that your site can be loaded easily. If it canīt be loaded within 10 seconds, visitors will give up. Make sure your images are optimized for web view. Donīt make the site too busy or visitors will feel overwhelmed and give up.
Second, enter contests. This makes your book have more credibility. My first book, "Melinda and the Wild West," was one of the top ten semi-finalists for the "Reviewers Choice Award 2007" for Reader Views. Because it won an award, people will become interested in reading the book.
Third, send your book to professional reviewers. Pick only reviewers who review your genre, otherwise itīs a waste of time. Some reviewers only review established authors, so select carefully so you donīt send your book to someone who wonīt review it.
Fourth, write articles for the Internet, newspapers, and magazines. You must publish articles so you will be recognized as an author and it will also enhance your web presence. These articles are important for your bookīs success, for the one reason that people are getting to know you. Articles help you and your book to stand out and be noticed. There are some excellent websites to write articles. You may try: American Chronicle, Article-hangout, Go Articles, Ezine Articles, Articles Base, Authors Den, Amazines, Search Warp, and Lady Pens—for women only.
Why does writing articles on the Internet help you as an author? More books are sold on the web than anything else, so a good web presence is important. Before I began writing articles on the Internet, I would do a Google search for my website and my name. It wouldnīt come up. After I began submitting articles, my website popped up on the first page of a search. I was shocked that writing articles could make such a difference. Now when I type my name on Google, it appears 148 times out of 150. What a huge difference!
How do you begin writing for the web? The American Chronicle is a great one because it has twenty-one other chronicles that your articles will be published on. First, you need to send an article to the Chronicle as evidence of your writing skills. They will e-mail you back and let you know if youīre accepted. The other article websites donīt ask for any samples. All you have to do is just sign up and begin writing.
Next, you can search newspapers and journals by going to newslink.org. Find out which ones are interested in the subject youīll be writing about. Contact the editor and ask if you can write an article for their newspaper. Have an article ready because theyīll need a sample of your work.
Remember that your goal is not to charge them for each article, but to get your name out there so people will know who you are. Once they read a few of your articles, then theyīll become interested in knowing more about you and your book. If you have to begin writing articles free, then do it. You have to pay your dues before youīre recognized. The goal is to get your name out into the public with a good byline.
What is a good byline? Along with your name, you can mention your book and provide contact information—such as your e-mail or website. Hereīs a sample byline: Written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of Melinda and the Wild West, a Semi-finalist for the "Reviewers Choice Award 2007." To contact the author, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.
Remember that an authorīs duties donīt stop when the book is written. Itīs just beginning. There are thousands of books published every year but you need to get out into the publicīs eye and be recognized before your book will be noticed.
Written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of the historical/fiction/romance series: "A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho." To learn more, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.