"Marketing 101:--"Just What's In A Brand?" Part 3/6

This third installment of my article series "Just What's in a Brand?" deals with your business--or for practical purposes, your book publishing business--and it's ability to present a marketable product. We will also discuss a different perspective of viewing just what those "products" actually are. Let's talk marketability.

 

If I said the word marketing and then listed some random words, such as: soda, car & shoe, it would be relatively easy to guess what words or businesses came to your mind when you heard me say them. For soda, you might have considered Coke or Pepsi. For car you may have thought of Ford or Chevy and lastly, for shoe, the odds are pretty good you thought of Nike or at the very least, the Nike swoosh symbol. This is what's called Top-Of-Mind marketing and branding. Top-of-Mind, being, the very first word(s) or business models that comes to your mind when a list of words are mentioned. When a business is working to focus its attention on a certain customer base or "corner of the market" it is imperative they understand just who their customers are and work within their niche to build an effective marketing plan to target that audience.

As an example, I work for Texas based children's author (Melissa M. Williams/Iggy the Iguana) but my own work of fiction (Proud Souls) would never be considered for marketing to the same audience. Why? Well, (if it wasn't obvious) my material is written for adults NOT children. I don't even tell children much about my book, apart from saying, I'm a writer too! It sounds like a relatively simple thing to do, but if at the end of the day, the name of the game is sales, then why would I spend my time (or waste my time depending upon how you measure the quality and cost of your time) talking about, sharing or trying to sale a product to a consumer base that won't purchase my product(s)?

This installment deals with marketability or your ability to market a product effectively to a particular customer base. Take these points into consideration and these suggestions as you work (and rework and rewrite) to develop your marketing strategy.

1.) Know your customers:

If you write for children, then you need to be in front of children. You need to create a product that doesn't always fit WHAT YOU THINK is the best product for a child (or children) but what they like. Get out there and ask them. Meet with kids, conduct author visits, and school presentations and ask them what they think of your product. They are after all your entire customer base. If your book is niche, or based on events or circumstances for adults, then find the people who will identify with it the most, and get their perspective. You can offer books for free, to generate a buzz, get some reviews, offer free readings, etc. 

2. ) Appeal to your audience

You don't want to create a cover that is too adult for children anymore than you want to create a cover that is too childish for adults. Look at other books in your genre and get a feel for cover styles. If you aren't sure, ask yourself the next time  you are in a bookstore. If I read this genre and I walk down that genre's aisle, what books pop out and grab my attention? Is it a bold title on the spine? Is it an image? Is it dark? Light? The cover design should correlate with your book's theme, that after all is an old trick of playwriters from ages ago.

3.)  Streamline your visual aids

When you think of shoe, you most likely think of Nike. When you think of Nike, you most likely think of the swoosh sign. This isn't a coincidence but targeted, planned and effective results of good marketing. If you have a profile picture, it should be the SAME one you use on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and your website. If you have a cover design image on the Internet, it should be the same as well, everywhere. Your business logo on your blog or website should match what's on your book cover, etc. The idea is to brand one cover design, with one business logo and one author profile picture. That way, when someone sees you on Twitter they may recognize you from Facebook. If they find you posting comments on a book blog, they will recognize you from MySpace, etc. Your job is to make sure people know what you look like, what you wrote, and what your book cover looks like...without thinking twice!

4.) Learn to be convincing--and believe it!
Does one shoe make you run faster than another? Does one energy drink truly make you a better athlete? Does one laptop or personal computer help you work any better than the other? No, no and no...but...the sales and marketing staff at each of these organizations will work to make you believe otherwise. That is the power of a good marketing campaign. If your book deals with overcoming loss (non-fiction) and you have been through devastating loss and rejuvination, then YOU ARE THE EXPERT! You after all, have written a book about the subject! Get out there on blogs, guest blogs, radio shows, Facebook, MySpace, support groups, etc. and remind the people how YOUR information and knowlegde helped save your life...and how it can save theirs too! Period.

5.) Become the expert

I can't stress this point enough. I read once that if you work at anything (consistently) for five years, you become the subject matter expert. Trust me, it may seem like you're not at times and because of a lack of sales, you may not feel like the expert, but you are! The little things you learned and forgot you learned along the way are the very things someone else is looking for. Why not be the one who feeds them continuous content to help them get where you are? By posting articles, podcasts, interviews, etc., on a continuous (continous) basis, you are allowing people a chance to trust you and with that trust and learning, will come sales--if you have a product--and what better product to sum up your knowledge than a book?

6.) If I like you--I will like your product

Someone told me once that we write because it is our gift and we work hard at it so the world will fall in love with our work. We blog--or utilize any social networking website--so people will fall in love with us. If you want to sale books you must believe in them. If you want to sale books you must be your books biggest and greatest advocate and NOT sit around waiting on someone else to love it or promote it or believe in it more than you! If you want to sale books, then you have to learn to be personable enough that people LIKE you enough to give your art (your work, your product) a chance. Remember who you were when you were just starting out...how much you loved talking about your book...without query letters, sales pitches, guidelines, etc...? That person could inspire the world without any formal effort. Don't let the formalities destroy the beauty in your heart...to share with the world what is in your soul.

***

To learn from industry experts to better serve your ability to publish, market and sale your independently released titles, join Bobby Ozuna LIVE every Monday night @ 7PM CST on blogtalkradio's THE INDIE AUTHOR SHOW!

Subscribe to this blog to learn more!

We'd love to hear your comments and your success stories!

...supporting the independent arts...

~Bobby Ozuna

"Marketing 101"--Just What's In A Brand, Part 2/6

In my original introductory article on this new six-part series--Just What's In A Brand?--I listed five points of consideration for the indie author & publisher to focus on and develop as they venture towards creating their brand of marketability, to ultimately, sale more books.

Establishing a Web Presence

In today's fast moving society of high-tech gadgetry it isn't enough for an author to be content with simply "having a book on Amazon" (or any other online retail store). It is not acceptable either for an author to say, "I don't know how to do this stuff" or worse "I can't learn it." Whether you chose to publish independently or had little or no choice to see your work in print, if you plan on making a dent in today's book buying consumer base, then you will have to learn how to establish (at the very least) a web presence that builds on your credibility of your book(s) subject material. If you aren't interested in building a website or quite possibly, can't afford a good web developer/designer, there are many free tools you can utilize. Something after all, is better than nothing at all. Personally, I am a fan of blogs and all their optimization (SEO) functionalities to help you gather customers based on your sites material. Establishing a web presence is easy but maintaining the data and staying current is the hard part, because it requires continual effort. I have listed some points to consider as you design and refine your marketing plan.

Questions you might ask yourself when evaluating your present website and/or blog, including any social networking media you might incorporate.

What does my website signify? What does it say about me as a person or literary professional? Are you utilizing every social networking site for fun, or to help establish your place in relation to your artwork? For instance, many people use Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and a blog. (These are are great places to start building your online/web presence...hint, hint.) BUT, if you skim through these sites of your fellow author and publisher (and of course, your own material), you might find they are spending an ample of amount of time discussing the weather or their favorite sports game and rarely, if ever, discussing their book's subject material. If you have a MySpace, Facebook, etc., you want to incorporate links to your storefront, images of your book cover and of course, summations of every blog post for people to navigate to and read. That leads us to one of the most important aspects of developing your web presence: Becoming the expert!

Becoming the Expert:
A major part of branding and marketing your book publishing business is solidifying your expertise within your book's genre or field. Article writing is by far the best way to get this done. If you have a blog (if you don't go get one now!) or website, you want to start working on a plan to contribute at least (at the very least) two articles per week about your book's subject matter. You can use these articles as a means to discuss or share quotations from your book and also interview other people, share tips & tricks or help develop others. These people you help are potential book buyers! If people trust your information, then they will surely trust your book. The more consistent you are with refining and defining your online presence, the greater chance of exposure and of course, possibilities for selling your business's product: YOUR BOOK!

Branding Tip:
Most of us wrote a book, then worked to develop our credibility for the information. Pretend instead, you were the subject matter expert already who HAPPENED to write a book. If you approach  marketing from this perspective, it will help shed light on new methods for marketing your businesses credibility (you) and your book's material (book) and ultimately, give way for people (followers) to trust you enough to purchase your product (sales).

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to Bobby's blog for marketing tips, tactics for writing and developing your story or news of how you can help the fight against childhood illiteracy.

***

~Bobby Ozuna

Book Marketing Consultant
Co-Founder, READ3Zero Foundation
Literacy. Creativity. Learning.

You can connect with me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or become a fan of READ3Zero on Facebook. You can learn from other authors by listening to archived segments of The Bobby Ozuna Show on Artist First Radio Network. For information on how to help a child get published or help in the fight against childhood illiteracy, check out the READ3Zero homepage.

"Marketing 101" Indie versus Traditional publishing, what's in it for me?

...In response to a recent Amazon (author/book/publisher) online discussion forum...

In sharing news of Indie vs Traditional publishing on a recent Amazon forum, one member quoted a Publisher's Weekly column released earlier this summer (see article), that revealed some interesting numbers. Independently released titles now outweight those of the traditional publishing companies. My question is this: Should we celebrate this news as independent publishers & authors or fear the fallout as we compete in an overly crowded, competitive market???

I have noticed a pattern when collaborating with other indie publishers/authors online over the previous five years. It seems indie authors, in their efforts to get published hold a professional disgruntled attitude towards the "big" traditional powerhouse giants. For every one manuscript that is rejected, there is a new author trying to find a quick means to publish their content and do it with a vengeance. It seems [that] because one organization denies their request--either on quality or simply lack of marketability within that respective publishing house or timing--there is a vendetta to hurry up and release a title, by any means necessary (sometimes without thorough research and study), only to be on the attack towards those who "did not publish my work!"

I thought I would share a different perspective for those who consider their passions--their heart's blood--as more than simple "joyful passing."

In Response to the Amazon Discussion Post:

I know many of us may be celebrating the news [that] indie publishers now dominate the market on new releases over traditional institutions, but I want you to consider this very important perspective.

With the release of so many indie titles every year and the ease-of-use for potential "authors" to publish a new title, yes, it does make it harder for traditional publishers to compete with new sales BUT it makes it (now) even harder for indie publishers and authors (like myself and YOU) to market your work when the market is now flooded with so many new titles. So, before you celebrate the news and feel confident that we are making a statement against the big publishing conglomerates, be aware that you are now competing with MORE authors on a wide (online) scale and if you consider selling a few books for less than a dollar "making it" in this business, then perhaps you might try another business? Publishing (selling books) is a business after all, and if you consider your time, your passion and your efforts to create the best work you can, not to mention any investment (in time & dollars), then your business may not be as successful as you hope. To take the opposite approach is simply that of a writer who exposes their passion and gifts to the world, and if so, then there is no need to ever compare what you do as an indie publisher/author to the big corporate giants, because you are not comparing apples to apples. One is trying to make money in the book business and the other perspective is simply trying to share some joyful art.

We are going to have to discover new means and new approaches to selling our products or become one of the many (285,000+) potential products for people to purchase when they are looking for something good to read.

Just a thought to consider...

See my latest article, first in a series, that helps you determine your "brand" and marketability as you move to create a successful, profit generating, business: "Just What's In A Brand?"

~Bobby Ozuna

Book Marketing  Consultant

Online Marketing Manager, LongTale Publishing

Co-Founder, READ3Zero

Literacy. Creativity. Learning.

Marketing 101: Just what's in a Brand?

Just What's in a Brand? Introduction

By demand and an earnest desire to help the many people who appear lost when it comes to the most effective way to brand or market themselves, I thought I would offer some tips for consideration when working to develop a place for your business, organization or art--outside of the actual product. This is what's called brand-building.

A vast majority of my work involves authorship, but these tips can be applied to any business venture. If you wish to sale a product, then you have to learn to think beyond the product. It's not good enough to say (using books as an example) [that] "I wrote a book and now everyone should buy it." Like any successful business, you have to first consider the consumer. People spend money everyday, on something or many things--some of which are true desires to possess (needs) and others are simply purchases based on a good sale to their desire to own something else (wants).

Here are some things to consider when establishing a brand or marketability within your respective field. I use book publishing or authorship as an example here, but you should truly consider aspects of these examples when working to sell your product, contrary to what that may be.

1.  Develop Your Web Presence--What does your website signify and is it created and written (and re-worked on a continual basis) to help search engines (potential customers) find you? How much time do you spend learning about the best ways to optimize (SEO) your website and online presence?

2.  Marketability--How are you trying to sell your work and have you determined your actual market? Trying to sell book products to people who don't read or (let's say) other authors who are competing against you? Are you working to establish an online presence that is catchy (building on wants) of those who fall into your customer base?

3.  Credibility--Do you write articles, teach classes, offer lectures, that solidify your expertise within your market? Are you available to help others learn how to do what you are (working) to accomplish? To help others with a serving spirit, doesn't hinder your ability to make money, but rather opens more doors for opportunity by helping others along the way.

4. Consistency--How often are you working online to develop a TOM (top of mind) marketing presence. As an example, when people think car company, do they think Chevy or Ford? When they think (for example) of your product line, art, book genre, etc., do they think of you or your works title? What have you done to help establish that want, based on your businesses product. Your product is not only your item for sale, but YOU!

5. Time--If you are writing a book or trying to sale a book to make money only, people can see right through that. And that, makes you no different than the hundreds of thousands of other authors on the market. What makes you (YOUR BUSINESS) different than the next? What do you offer a community, a market, consumers, etc that truly makes your business worth investing in--and ultimately--buying your product? I read once that anything you do for five years [you] become the expert at. All of this work takes TIME, but if you believe in your product, if you believe in your passion, etc., then time is in your favor, not working against you.

These are a few of the various points to consider when working to write your marketing plan, develop a marketing model and lastly, create your web model (links to) your various websites.

...supporting the independent arts...


~Bobby Ozuna
Literacy. Creativity. Learning.
Co-Founder, READ3Zero Foundation



You can connect with me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, join my Facebook group, the Facebook group for READ3Zero, or subscribe to my blog. You can learn from other authors on my archive page for The Bobby Ozuna Show on Artist First Radio Network. For information on how you can help the fight against childhood illiteracy and even help a child get published, check out the READ3Zero homepage.

"Marketing 101"--March 2nd, 2009

The Shack versus Proud Souls??? Is there any similarities???

I responded to a Mr. Eric Wilson who gave a very thoughtful review of The Shack, by Mr. William P. Young on Amazon.com here. The review is old and one of countless others but I thought his insight was very good and thought you should read it. One of the most difficult aspects of marketing a novel is comparing your work to someone else. This is something I have not been very good with and because of that, I feel at times I am hurting myself.

I have asked my friends and fans to consider another work by another author while they read Proud Souls or after to help me find a good marketing angle, but to this day there hasn't been much of anything except perhaps a reference or two to Mr. William P. Young's christian novel: The Shack.


I can't say my book is anywhere close to be as good or as profound as Mr. Young's novel (it is number #3 on Amazon's list of best-sellers) but I am curious to find out if anyone might compare the two...for the sake of controversy, good salesmanship or even better...to help me truly find a book that compares to Proud Souls for the sake of good marketability???


If you are a reader and you have read The Shack, please, pick up a copy of Proud Souls and share your thoughts, either here on this blog or with the Amazon community. I warn you however, Proud Souls was not written for any particular group or organization or people who choose to seclude themselves from what is "real" within the world, for the sake of a religious belief. There is light within my story, as there is always light within our dark corridors, but sometimes, most of the time, we have to go through dark places in order to be a witness or give a testimony of the good left in this world...and that is what my hero, Justin Bower had to do on this emotional journey of self-redemption and forgiveness...

Sincerely,

~Bobby Ozuna

"Marketing 101"--February 28th, 2009

"Marketing 101"--February 28th, 2009

Hey everyone, I wanted to share a new video from a fellow author/writer, Ms. Melissa M. Williams of Long Tale Publishing. She is the author of the children's chapter book, Iggy The Iguana and she was featured on my show, The Soul of Humanity on February 4th, 2009. Be sure to listen to the re-broadcast of our interview HERE

*Iggy on Amazon.com*

She has created a new video documentary and (as a very smart tactic) has utilized children's reviews as well as teacher testimonials to help promote her work as a public speaker and author. Be sure to watch the video to help show your support.

You can view the video on my right-hand sidebar of my blog (look at the top right under "Iggy Tube" or simply navigate to the follow URL below and stream the video directly from YouTube.com.

*Melissa M. Williams and Iggy The Iguana video*

...supporting the independent arts...I am Bobby Ozuna, author of Proud Souls and host of The Soul of Humanity, Internet Radio Show!!!

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"Marketing 101"--February 9th, 2009

*How to add Amazon widget for your book to your Blogger blog*

On my last post for "Marketing 101" I mentioned a few optimization tips for customizing your Blogger blog. If you are an author (or artist who has an item to sale) whose book is on the Amazon.com storefront, you will want to include the Amazon widget for your book on your blogger blog sidebar. This tool (look at the widget for Proud Souls and Iggy The Iguana on my sidebar) is easy to setup and it allows your fans an easy way to locate your book on the Amazon storefront so they can place their order. I am going to show you how to get that done today, as well as show you how to place books of your choice/liking within your blog so that others can benefit from your favorite reading recommendations (see bottom of my blog).


You will first need to create (or logon to) your Amazon Associates account. You can do that here. If you don't have an account, create one--immediately--or at least put it on your To-Do list to get it done as quickly as possible.

If you already have an Amazon Associates account, login to their secure page and you will be able directed to your dashboard. While there you will see a tab (there are several running horizontally on that page) for Widgets. Click that tab and you will see the various types of Widgets you can create within your Associates account.

I used the "My Favorites" widget template.From there, the setup is easy. Simply type in the name of the book (or CD) you want to locate within the Amazon storefront, then you can customize the color, size, etc... When you are done, you will have an option to upload that widget to your Blogger blog or various other social networking sites.

It's that easy....

I did this same step in creating the "Bobby's Reading Recommendation" list at the bottom of my blog. The best part about creating these widgets is Amazon will pay you a percentage of every sale that comes from your link on your website/blog.

Try it... you have nothing to lose but lots to gain by applying this simple technique and allowing your fans and followers an easy way to purchase your book.

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to this blog to stay current with more marketing tips, writing techniques and information related to my guests for my show, The Soul of Humanity.

Sincerely,

~Bobby Ozuna

"Marketing 101"-- February 2nd, 2009

*Learn some simple steps for optimizing your blog*

Your blog presence is such an important aspect of generating and sustaining yourself as a credible source of information online, be that publishing material, marketing information, or simply updates about your perspective business such as I do with this blog being an independent book publisher. When you take into consideration the vast array of "things to do" on a daily basis, it can be overwhelming. The most important thing is to start somewhere, even if you feel that your blog is falling behind the power curve. I have compiled a quick to-do list. You can work on each of these items a little at a time, everyday, and in time you will begin to see an improvement of your blog's appearance and more so, connect with more and more people online.

• Subscribe to other blogs that fall into your niche, such as other independent book publishers and authors. See what they are doing and how they make themselves presentable online. If you see they don't generate much traffic, then find others. But more than traffic--as they may be new to blogging--validate their content. If you consider yourself a credible source of learning, then offer something back in the way of comments. Bloggers love comments. Comments help validate their credibility and it also helps generate return traffic, both for them (you are helping them) and for you, because readers see your "regular" comments and the natural curiosity in all of us is to find out who that person is. Remember at the end of the day, learning is the objective here whether you are the teacher or the student. Try to learn something new about your market every single day. Period.
  
  
• Be sure to add content on your blogs side-bar, such as links to audio commentaries or interviews you may have done, first chapter postings or links to other blogs that have featured you in articles and reviews. By featuring someone else's blog, where they may or may not yet have featured your work, you are building a network of trust. When people see what you are doing for them, they in turn will return the favor. Building a presence online takes time but you can gain more exposure by helping others. It has worked for me and it has done wonders for my credibility and exposure.
  
  
• Be sure to post the Amazon widget for your book's online page so people can easily click-to and order your book online. Encourage people to post a review on Amazon or share their thoughts and feedback on your blog. You can do this for your CD if you are a band or your art if you paint or draw. The possibilities for exposure are endless, but the first order of business is to start!
  
  
• Be sure to make it easy for other bloggers to subscribe to your content via email. You can easily do this with such applications as FeedBurner and FeedBlitz. With subscriptions people will be notified via email everytime you post content.
  
  
• Speaking of content, make a point to post new material at least 3 times per week. Trust me, it may seem like you don't have a lot to say right now, but if you are working to learn your business, then you obviously learn something new everyday. What I did in the beginning some three years ago was this: Find something helpful online and blog it--share the information with your network of readers. Helping others (again) is your first step towards success.
  
  
• Be sure to add alternate content to every image you share on your blog. By doing so, you can make certain HTML edits to your blog posting that will allow your image to reference your name. Why is this important? Well, do a search on Google.com/Images for your name and see if your images (whether they are pictures of your face or not) come up within the searches. This is important because over time, you want more exposure directing traffic to your site. Put your mouse over the image below and you will see the following text: "Introducing Bobby Ozuna, author of Proud Souls."
  

• Create a custom blog signature. You can find pay tools or free ones. I created the signature below with MyLiveSignature.com. They have templates created for various fonts and you simply plug in your name and they do the rest. Save the image file and post it within your blog. It helps add a little more flare to the basic blog post. Having images helps break up the monotony of your page and makes it more appealing for your audience and guests.
  

These are just a few general tips for optimizing your blog and helping the appearance and layout.

I will share more tips later down the road... If you have any questions or comments, please post them here. (hint, you want to offer that to your readers to encourage feedback)

'Cause we're a movin' on up!!!! Movin' on up!!!

My recap on 2008 and a brief peek into what is waiting for me in 2009...

2008 was a great year for my writing career. It began with a first column on DFW's CultureFeast.com where I wrote about the wild and trying world of self-publishing. I have to admit, it was my first real writing-gig (is that the right term???); I had deadlines (those dreadful little demons) and I had a responsibility to my small following of readers to provide insight into the world of indie publishing. It was great and I loved it and it became the spring-board for this blog, "Drawing Stories...With Words." I essentially realized I could generate the same traffic for my own site, writing for myself and meeting my own little demonic deadlines. Anyhow, I love the control and power and authority of ruling my own little world on the Internet. I did however learn that two of my articles made the runner-up list of the Top 12 Culture Feast Articles of 2008. Basically, if the list was written for the Top 17 Culture Feast Articles of 2008, well hell, I would have been recognized for two of them!! By the way, thank-you Mr. Dessinger for everything!!!
I managed to swing a couple of radio/podcast interviews to help publicize the story behind the story for my novel: Proud Souls. My first was an interview with Linda Bagwell, host of Weatherford College's Books-N-Authors and all that Jazz. The second interview came from Angel Lesa, host and owner of The Odd Mind show on Blog Talk Radio. They were both wonderful interviews and although my first in Weatherford was a bit constrained for time, the second interview with Angel Lesa was truly great and was full of insightful and resourceful information regarding the writing and publication process.
I was able to go back to Seymour, Texas and visit the Ponce family cabin, the home of my fictional hero: Justin Bower. While there I shot some "on-location" vids to help give my audience a better visualization for the setting behind my story. I also included some dialogue where I share more insight into the actual story writing process and detail how a chance visit to a cabin in small town Seymour, Texas led to the creation of my first novel. There are three videos total, so please feel free to get a more in depth look at how I wrote my first novel.

On Location Video, Part I
On Location Video, Part II
On Location Video, Part III

Proud Souls collected 22 wonderful reviews written by its fans and readers. Some of these reviews will be featured in the hardcover version of the novel, which will release later. Click here to read the reviews.

Both my book Proud Souls and I received a small cameo role in a wonderful short-story entitled The Tortured Soul, written by Jessy Oxner. It's an incredible read and I think you will really enjoy it! Thanks Jessy for the kudos and the spot in your story!!! I loved it!!!

I received some speaking engagements as well this past year (or two) and I have to say, second only to writing and helping others on their literary journey, talking is the best part of being an independent author/publisher. I spoke to some graduating students at North Side High School in Fort Worth as well as students from Tech High School. I have visited a wonderful group of students at North Side High School this past fall, discussing the vast array of opportunities waiting them after they graduate. I also spoke at the North Richland Hills Public Library, meeting the head of all Texas Libraries while on site. I also had some written interviews posted online where the feedback and reader response was incredible, including my interview here with J.K. Coi, host of "Living With Immortals" blog.

I am not one for book signings but I did make one attempt to perform one book signing in Hudson Oaks, Texas with Randy Cook, owner of Lark Bookstore. The turnout was low (as expected when you are a no one in this business) but I did make one new friend while there (apart from the wonderful staff). Thanks for buying my book!!!!

In closing...

I forsee great things for my writing career in 2009. Presently I am working on closing a book deal which will not only make me a full time writer this coming year, but solidify my place as a small independent press. If or when the book deal is finalized I will begin working as a ghost-writer for a money management company based out of Dallas, Texas. NOT ONLY THAT...but I will publish this non-fiction title under my publishing company: Ozuna Publications.

My last bit of news is first my radio/podcast interview on the Tony Kay Show, featured on ArtistFirst Radio Network. This show will be Wednesday, January 14th @ 5PM CST. The show will stream LIVE via the Internet so anyone and everyone can enjoy. Click here to visit ArtistFirst and bookmark the site for later use. Remember, this interview will be streamed LIVE via the WWW.

Not only will I be featured as the guest author of the day on Wednesday the 14th of January, but within the next month I will be hosting my very own show under the ArtistFirst Radio Network. So, if you are an independent author, book publisher, musician, band, painter, etc--or any independent free-thinking artist looking for a place to spring-board your work, publicize your tour or market your website and products, please feel free to contact me to book your interview LIVE with Bobby Ozuna, author of Proud Souls and host of "The Soul of Humanity" weekly podcast/Internet radio show!!!

I am off to prepare my first show....stay tuned for more details everyone and please, by all means....stay focused on your dream...believe it...say as though it already happened and when the moment of truth arises...don't back down!!!

~Bobby Ozuna
Ozuna Publications

GREAT post and feedback for (effectively) promoting your book online...

If you are serious about promoting your work online...take a look at (social media and technology guru) Chris Brogan's latest string (which is still going by the way...): "Promoting Your Book Online."

If you ever wondered...how do some writer's market more effectively than others? And why, if I am trying everything I can to gain exposure, does it seem like some writer's move more quickly up the ladder of success than me??? Well, fear not! You are not alone. Everyone feels that way...including me...and even those who are, well, up the ladder...

Check out Chris Brogan's post on book promotion (title URL above) and read the comments...and learn from those who have been there...and those who are still trying... Be sure to offer your feedback...because that (in the end) is how we learn...grow...and progress...towards success!!!

~Bobby Ozuna

"Marketing 101"--Turn your book cover into a 3-Dimensional image

Add a 3-dimension look to your book's cover art...

Another way to add more flare to your book's online appearance is to create a 3-dimensional "box" cover. There are various vendors who offer products to produce such a look and they retail anywhere from $24.99 to $99.99 (and up depending upon your desire to create 3-dimensional videos that accompany your books image).  You can also hire a graphic artist to produce your book's 3-dimension look for a nominal fee. Do a Google Search for graphic artists...that's a good starting point... 


*Disclaimer*

It's a great way to promote your book's cover image, but can be cost (in-effective) when considering you may only have one book cover and the cost of such applications do not justify the return for making one image for your single title. Something to think about...

The idea is to create a virtual image of your book that gives your novel a living impression online. Anyone can create a book cover in standard dimensional rates--as they are all over the Internet. But the idea of presentation--and the fact [that] you care enough about your product to go the extra mile--speaks a lot about how much you believe in your finished product.

I have compiled a quick list of vendors and applications below; some I have found along the way.  Again, they are not cheap. I have learned a lot about Adobe Creative Suite these past few years so I was able to compile the images on this blog using what I have learned at home. I think it's a great way to promote your book's cover (front and back) in a manner that sets your work apart from others...

Each of the box shot (application) vendors will require a front, back and spine image to complete. If you created your own book cover, you should have those files on hand and ready to use. You will want to use the highest resolution (quality) you can.  


Read the note below about my new graphic design SERVICE I am offering other independent authors. If you want to see your book cover turned into a 3-Dimensional image, please, continue reading...

*TruBoxShot Cover Editor 
*Insofta Cover Commander
*3D Box Shot Maker
*533 Soft Box Shot Maker

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If you are interested in hiring my services...I can create replica images as the ones I posted for Proud Souls (above)--one front and one back cover image--for as little as $20USD (total). 

Feel free to contact me here: bobby@bobbyozunaonline.com. Be sure to put "3D Box Cover" in the subject line; I will get back to you as quickly as possible to discuss payment arrangements via PayPal if you wish to hire my services.

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Best of luck to you!!!


~Bobby Ozuna
"Drawing Stories...With Words"

"Marketing 101"-- September 24th, 2008

Make it easy for readers to locate your book on Amazon.com with the "Buy from Amazon.com" widget in your Blogger blog.

If you have a book for sale, then you are surely doing all you can to make your book not only available to the public but visible to everyone who stumbles upon your blog. It is imperative that although you work to promote your work and the work of others who helped you get where you are, that you make buying your book as easy as possible for the casual passer-by. And one handy tool available to all authors who have a book to sale, is the "Buy from Amazon.com" widget available via your Amazon Associates program. (See image example below)

*Everyone who has something for sale on Amazon can easily join the Associates program and thereby advertise for Amazon and with Amazon.com.*

BUILD AMAZON WIDGET AND COPY HTML CODE:

To add this widget you simply navigate to Amazon.com and login to your account or simply click the [Join Associates] link at the bottom of the Amazon.com homepage. There you will find a quick and easy one page synopsis and summary of the program and also the link to complete your [online application]. Here you will be promoted to logon using your Amazon.com credentials and once through their secure server logon process you will begin setting up your payment options. These options are intended to help Amazon.com determine where and whom to make checks payable to. See with the Associates program, when you allow Amazon.com to post their widgets (although you can physically post them wherever you choose on your homepage or blog site), Amazon.com will reward you with a % of earnings based on sales generated by links from your websites.

Once you have completed the application process (takes less than the amount of time it takes for you to enter your name, address, & telephone) you will be on your way.  Once in your Associates account generalization page you can then select from a wide range of available Amazon widgets to post on your site (such as the one above which is a direct reference to my book) by selecting the "Build Links/Widgets" link on the left hand sidebar.

The whole process can take less than one hour (depending on how much time you want to spend perfecting the color, size, etc.) and then it's on to the next step: Posting the widget within your Blogger blog. The final step before posting the widget to your blog will be collecting the HTML source code. Amazon.com is so gracious, the developers even put a nice easy [copy] button on the last step. Take that HTML code and paste it into a Wordpad or Notepad document for the next step.

ADD AMAZON.COM WIDGET TO YOUR BLOGGER BLOG TEMPLATE:

Login to your Blogger account and @ the dashboard, select the [layout] option. Once in the layout editing screen, select (where on your blog layout you want the widget) and select (either) ADD PAGE ELEMENT or ADD A GADGET.

*You may need to be upgraded to the latest version of Blogger for these instructions to fit exactly. But keep in mind, you essentially are trying nothing more than to add some HTML/JAVA code as a page element or gadget.*

Navigate to the option that allows for a new HTML/Java SCRIPT option. The window that pops up (blank) is now ready to paste your code from previously--that you should have saved in either Wordpad or Notepad. Paste the code within that window and select Save and you are done.


~Bobby Ozuna
Drawing Stories...With Words

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"Marketing 101"-- September 23rd, 2008

Need a spot on the WWW for a relaxed, unscripted, and casual interview to promote your writing style and stories? Or better yet, are you looking for a place to showcase the BEST aspect of you as the person, as opposed to you as the (busy body professional) writer? Stop by "Melly's Spot" and unwind...

I have made a new friend in Contemporary Romance author--Melanie Anderson. She is the author of such works as "On The Run" and "Born to Run" with her latest release "Racing for the Shore." You can view all her works at her homepage: Author Melanie Anderson

"Melly's Spot"

Melanie's blog--Melly's Spot--is the place where she showcases her writing, her creative side, her humor and also her interviews of other writers. So, if you are interested in an interview, stop by her blog and contact her. Tell her Bobby sent you!!!

You can also find her on MySpace here.... and yes, I do believe that is "My Little Pony" in the background...

Remember, we artist survive, NOT by stepping over one another...but by pushing and pulling one another up the ladder of success...after all...we are not corporate sharks in a suit!

~Bobby Ozuna
Drawing Stories...With Words

"Marketing 101"-- August 25th, 2008

Get out there and "Plug Your Book!!!"

If there was any one written guide I might recommend as a valuable source to help independent authors and publishers with their book promotion, it would have to be Steve Weber's "Plug Your Book--Online Book Marketing for Authors."

I purchased a copy of this book over a year ago, just about the time I "went live" with "Proud Souls" and after all these months and countless reads and re-reads of the same material, there isn't a moment that goes by that I don't say--"I am sure glad I bought this book!"

Steve Weber has been working as an online book dealer since 2000 and has become one of the most successful and highly rated book sellers on eBay and Amazon.com. And in 2007 he released "Plug Your Book" as a means to help authors--both independent & self-published writers as well as those published the traditional route--with effective, planned and Internet-based marketing concepts and strategies all outlined in one bound guide.

Remember, marketing, like writing doesn't have structured written rules that apply to every type of artist in their artistic niche. There are however effective proven guidelines that must be applied in order to be successful, the same as a writer might consider story structure or an artist might consider perception and depth with relation to color. What Mr. Weber has done for us lowly writers out there trying to make a name for ourselves is this: He has provided a baseline for effective book promotion, with a table of content that can be utilized as a "to do" list to help us achieve our goals.

Some of the material covered in this book are effective social networking with sites like Facebook and MySpace, obtaining and gathering book reviews, beginning and maintaining a blog and more importantly, how to get the most from the largest online bookstore in the world: Amazon.com.

Some of the steps may not apply to your particular genre, but 90% of the content within the pages of this book will apply to anyone trying to market their book, regardless of whether its fiction or non-fiction. Like our writing we have to "think outside the box" with relation to our marketing campaigns and often that makes the road towards success an uphill battle. But regardless, that is the path we have chosen as writers. Like Robert Frost said: The Road Less Traveled. But regardless of whether we choose the path of lease resistance or the road less traveled, it is imperative that you have a solid and thorough understanding of what the vast majority of artists like yourselves are doing to market their work. "Plug Your Book" is a definite source of material that will help you understand where you are missing the mark with some steps you may already be applying and introduce you to other concepts you may not have considered.

So, whether you are in the infancy stage of self-publication or have already been racking your brain to market your finished work, I believe "Plug Your Book" can help (at the very least) provide an effective baseline to help you prepare, apply and follow-through with your marketing campaign. I have been working to promote "Proud Souls" for 13-months and I contribute a vast majority of my success to the content within the pages of this book. Had I learned a majority of this information on my own, I would not have come as far as I have with relation to my own novel this quickly.

And as an FYI..."Plug Your Book" is the ONLY book marketing guide I own thus far and for me, it has been just enough to get me where I am and I highly recommend you grab a copy and go!!!

Best of luck to you...and remember...I believe...because you believe!

~Bobby Ozuna
"Drawing Stories...With Words"
www.BobbyOzunaOnline.com