Go Digital

To effectively promote your book, make sure that you have a website and a blog, plus some social networking profiles (Facebook and Twitter are most popular, but for some books LinkedIn or Pinterest may be a better fit). Make sure you schedule some time every day to engage with people. 

Join the Websites Below- They are free websites that will list your book, author bio, and book events. Just  join and follow the directions for posting  information. Very easy!

A.   goodreads.com

B.   authorcentral.com

C.   authorsden.com

D.   shelfari.com

Top 10 Book Promotion Strategies

1.    Social networking and social media: 94 percent

2.    Blogging: 84 percent

3.    Seeking book reviews: 75 percent

4.    Seeking testimonials and endorsements: 73 percent

5.    Press releases: 68 percent

6.    Email marketing: 62 percent

7.    Radio and television talk shows: 62 percent

8.    Speaking events: 60 percent

9.    Article marketing: 57 percent

10. Book signings: 56 percent

Red Orchid Publishing

Red Orchid Publishing

Melanny Henson

http://redorchidpublishing.com/contact

We started Red Orchid because we were frustrated with the publishing market. Now, more than ever, writers have the opportunity to produce books and have their stories read. However, after a writer pays a self publishing service or editor hundreds or even thousands of dollars, they are left alone to market their work by themselves, making it very difficult to compete against major distributors. Red Orchid intends to thwart this system by offering professional editorial services for free to upcoming talent and to provide a legitimate publishing platform for writers to market books. The spirit of Red Orchid is service and good will. Rather than upfront fees, Red Orchid accepts projects by commission. If we find an editor who believes in your project, we will help you produce quality work and we will help you sell your book in this highly competitive market. With updated multi-media marketing strategies and a strong network of talented writers and editors, Red Orchid is fast becoming a tangible presence in the publishing market.

Red Orchid's first organizational goal is to launch the careers of 30 writers on March 31, 2014. The deadline for being included in the 30 Writer Launch is February 1, 2014, 11:59 PM.

Submission

To be considered for the premier debut of Red Orchid's Writing Career Launch, your submission must be received by February 1, 2014.There are no length requirements. The submission should be a novel, a memoir, or a poetry chapbook in any genre. This contest is unique in that categories are not separate: the 30 best works will be chosen with no quota for type of book.

If selected for a career launch, your book will appear on the redorchipublishing.com website for 90 days for free. You will also be offered a publishing contract with Red Orchid at the end of the 90 day period, which you may decline if you wish.

Promotional Ideas

OK, time for our tough love speech! Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. It is not an excuse to say, “Well, I’m computer challenged or I don’t know how to do that.” Hey, you are an author; you wrote a book and took the bold steps to get it published! You didn’t know how to do these things either when you started out. If you want to be successful at this game, you have to try new things and learn new skills, even if that includes technology. It is your book and your success, so don’t be afraid to jump in with both feet.

Audio Book

Create an audio version of your book. Very easy to do! One of our authors, Rick East, followed our advice and created an audio book for his book, A Glimpse of Glory-My Jouney to heaven and Back. Here is the link you will need if you wish to use Amazon's Audible.com for turning your print book into audio: http://www.acx.com/ . The site finds a person to read your book. The audio book is then offered through Amazon.com for sale. This site pays you royalties for sales. There is no cost for the service, but you have to pay the reader or share profits. Rick said he would be happy to talk to anyone interested in creating an audio of their book. Contact: Rick East 417-866-0010.

To hear an excerpt from Rick’s  audiobook, "A Glimpse of Glory - My Journey to Heaven and Back", click on this  web site.
http://www.amazon.com/Glimpse-Glory-Journey-Heaven-Back/dp/B00HN9HMA2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388947668&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Glimpse+of+Glory+audiobook

Below the picture there is an arrow you can click on that says "Listen - Play Sample".

Amazon Book and ebook Publishing.

Please, do not pay big bucks to a company to publish your book. Publish yourself through Amazons publishing division called createspace.com. You can buy your books through them at a very low price. You do not have to buy large qualities to resell either. Your book is placed on amazon.com for sale. If someone orders a book on amazon.com, amazon mails the book. This site pays you royalties for sales. If you can not do this on you own, Richard Snelson, one of our authors, can do this for a very small fee. He has provided this serve for several of our authors. Contact: Richard Snelson at rsnelson0984@mchsi.com.

Smashwords  Ebook Sales

Put your book on Smashwords.com. This is an ebook sale site. Brett Macomber, our website tech guy, can do this for you for a very small fee. He did it for us. This site pays you royalties for sales.  Contact: Brett Macomber at brett.macomber@gmail.com

Create a Book Blog

We started our blog at blogspot.com. It is just a matter of setting up an account (no cost) exploring the site and trying it out. You get to pick background, font, format, etc. If you chose something and don’t like it, you can delete and start over. Once you have the site, post quotes from your book, information about you and your book, book events, or just your thought for the day. More time you get on the site, the more often it will show up on Google, Bing, etc when someone searches a topic close to your book title.  No cost unless you have to hire someone to help you. Brett Macomber at brett.macomber@gmail.com can help you for a very small fee.

Facebook page or/and Author Page

Same as a blog page you need to post comments, quotes, pictures, and excerpts from your book daily or weekly. Just follow the directions after you set up an account. No cost unless you have to hire someone to help you. Rebekah Merritt at owlmediapub@gmail.com can help you for a very small fee.

New Arrival for December

When the Stars Fall Down

by

Pat Lamb

Author: Pat Lamb has taught in churches and schools at all age and grade levels since she was in the seventh grade. Pat and her husband, Keith, lived for many years on the Navajo reservation assisting the Navajo people. Pat is a graduate of Missouri University. She has been included in Who’s Who of American Education and was awarded the Missouri distinguished Adult Education Service Award. Pat currently resides in Missouri, with her husband, and writes a weekly column for local newspapers titled “Train up a child.”

Title: When the Stars Fall Down

Genre: Nonfiction/True-life/Inspirational

Description:  “Mrs. Lamb, spring is here?" The second grader looked up and asked as I stood holding the door with all my strength against the wind and sand. The Navajo children were filing back to the dorm from the classrooms.

How sad, I thought.

Back home in Missouri, the first sign of spring was robins chirping and hopping about in the yard, but here, on the Navajo reservation, a sandstorm was the first sign of spring. As I stood holding the door, my words of greeting to the children seemed to be whisked right out of my mouth and flung swiftly away. Was our work among the American Indians like the words that couldn't be discerned in the howling wind? Were all of our efforts no more than Talking into the Wind?

As a young woman, I had come to the reservation feeling that God wanted me to be of help to the American Indian people. I had miraculously met the man with whom I was to spend more than half a century, and the two of us wanted to do all we could to help the people who seemed so needy. There were many times, however, when we felt our efforts were futile. We learned, however, that God does not judge us by our results, but rather by our love for him and our brothers. When the Stars Fall Down is available at amazon.com.

Other books by Pat Lamb are Let the Children Come and Let the Children Come to Me.  Both books are weekly lesson guides that encourage children to grown in their relationship with God. The two books are a wonder resource for Sunday school teachers, parents, and grandparents. Let the Children Come and Let the Children Come to Me are both available at amazon.com.

New Arrival for December

The Adventures of Normal II

by

Joe Turner

Author: Joe C. Turner studied the Bible at a religious school from the seventh grade thru high school. Religion has been a big part of his life. He doesn't seem to be able to leave it out of his writing, nor does he want to. After serving in the navy, taking him to places like Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea, he worked for TVA and the US Army Corp of Engineers for thirty-four years. He now lives in Ozark, Missouri, where he is pursuing his dream of writing.

Title: The Adventures of Normal II

Genre: Fiction/Adventure

Description: Normal, having sustained the loss of his surrogate grandfather, has trouble dealing with it. The chance to take a little bite of retirement, as he calls it, presents itself, and he travels to New England.

To his surprise, people recognize him as his new identity. He learns that his new identity’s parents where not married, and he only has the mother’s DNA. They tell him he has been murdered in New York City. When he finishes his business with the natives of Bangor, Maine, and leaves the reservation, he passes through the Eastern states and ends up in Boston, where he defends Mario’s cousin, who is suspected of murder. After clearing her of the charges, he tours the area in his quest for knowledge of the history of the nation of which he is proud.

By the time he gets home, he finds much work and intrigue has found him. It seems he is not the only one who has secrets. He becomes a surrogate brother and uncle all in one swoop. He thinks to himself, I may need another bite of retirement.

Suspense in the Persian Gulf

Six Faces: Six Chances to Win

 

 Author: David Hailstone is a pseudonym for David Lindsey, who has lived in Europe for fourteen years and now reside in Southwest Missouri. David is a former Marine captain, who served in a helicopter squadron during the Vietnam War. Virginia is a professional musician and writer. The novel was inspired by the lives of real people they met, including soldiers who were on the front lines of the Persian Gulf War, as well as civilians who had lived and worked in Kuwait for several years before the war, some of whom were caught up in the invasion and barely escaped with their lives.

  

Title: Six Faces: Six Chances to Win

Genre: Historical Fiction

Description: Kuwait City in the fall of 1989, a year before the Persian Gulf War begins, is the setting for Six Faces. The story develops a friendship between two American expatriates and former Marines living in Kuwait. One has just arrived to teach at an international high school, while the other is married to an Assyrian woman and has called Kuwait City his home for many years. A partnership is formed between the two when the older man shows the new guy in town how to win big money shooting craps in private games. Always using the laws of probability to their advantage, the men are consistent winners. During this time, the younger man falls in love with the Australian ambassador's daughter and they plan to marry. When Kuwait is invaded in August 1990, the men find themselves chained to artillery pieces as human shields on enemy lines. They scramble to find a way to safety, only to be forced into setting up a private game for a gang of marauders just as the Allied Forces are about to invade the city. After teaching the soldiers of fortune how to play craps, the men work their way into this once-in-a-lifetime game where millions of dollars worth of stolen property is on the table. The dramatic outcome of the game and their planned retribution against their oppressors bring the story to its exciting conclusion.

Facts pertaining to the Persian Gulf War within this novel are historically accurate. No reference to any living person who was a part of these events is intended. However, this story was inspired by the lives of real people, including soldiers who were on the front lines of the war, as well as civilians who had lived and worked in Kuwait before the war, some of whom were caught up in the invasion and barely escaped with their lives.

Six Faces is available on at amazon.com.