Intro Paragraph:

(Thomas) Our first question comes from Runescape Gold dot com. No, that’s not his name but he or she didn’t give one. But I love this question. Do I have the guts to quit my job?

Dave Smale

I know it’s never a good idea to get a friend (or a friend of a friend with an English Lit degree) to be your editor. Does the same hold true for beta readers? If so, how do you find dependable beta readers?

• Beta readers need to be fans of and readers of your genre.
• If you write mystery you want Beta readers who read at least 12 mystery books a year.
• They need to know what a good mystery book looks like.
• Beta readers should point out problems. Not suggest solutions. It is your editor who helps you solve problems.

Name Rick Barry Author of The Methuselah Project

Question

I see that many authors have their own online listing in Wikipedia. Is that vital for an author today? Even in addition to the author’s own website, Twitter page, Facebook, etc., etc.? And if a Wikipedia listing is crucial (or at least helpful for marketing), please give tips and the pros and cons of having a Wikipedia listing. Thanks guys!

• A wikipedia page is a big deal. James is a best selling author and he doesn’t have one. Thomas doesn’t have one either.
• A Wikipedia page is very valuable as an author. It helps your SEO, notoriety and credibility.  
• It is against Wikipedia’s rules to create your own page. This is considered a vanity page.
• You have to be big enough for your fans to be willing to create the page and defend in in the Wikipedia discussion.
• The best way to get a wikipedia page is to get traditional national mainstream media to do a piece about you.

Name Courage Knight Novelist and Author of Do It Yourself Editing: A Guide for the Ebook Author

Question

I’m confused! What is the difference between a webpage and a facebook page? I know what a webpage is, and what a facebook page is, but what I mean is – the content that I put on them? It sounds like I’m supposed to write the same content on both – telling a story, sharing information with my fans, etc. But is there any difference in what I post to my blog or my facebook page?  

• Go fish
• Each social network has its own culture and dialect. You message is the same but the way you communicate that message must fit the culture you are trying to reach. White Baptist Church and an African American Baptist Church. Same doctrine. Different service.
• Facebook is about video and images. The Facebook messages that spread tend to start in Photoshop and iMovie.
• Blogging is about text. It is longer form.

(James) Q From Brennan McPherson who has a book out called, Cain. I’m just starting to read this and pretty excited to dive into it.

Brennan says, “Greetings guys, fantastic Podcast. Such great content. Thanks for all your hard work and for sharing your expertise freely with us newbies!

What are the most important ingredients that go into helping any PR opportunity successfully sell books? In talking with my publisher, they’ve gotten their authors on Good Morning America, FOX News, and myriad other national television shows, yet sold fewer than 500 copies that week. That’s terrible. When you have a viewership in excess of 1 million and yet sell 500 copies, that’s 1/20th of 1% actually converted into buyers. Houston, we have a problem. There’s gotta be a way to ensure more people convert from potential buyers to actual purchasers.”

Guest host

Name Holly Holladay with Holiday House Publishing

Hi Thomas & Jim,

Q: I am a big fan of the Novel Marketing podcast, though I haven’t caught every episode. I did just listen to the 5 Ps of Marketing and thoroughly enjoyed it! I felt that it was very helpful, especially for someone with virtually no education in marketing–just trial and error.

I have a small press (eight titles available, seven more coming out this year), and I was wondering if you have any advice on marketing the brand of an independent publisher with a variety of authors who write in different genres.

A:

• Have your authors listen to Novel Marketing.
• Focus on a niche.
• Only use marketing tactics you can measure and only repeat the actions that were profitable.
• Listen to the Enclave Files episodes (Episodes 54 & 74)

Dave Smale

Q: Is the Wattpad app/website a good avenue for new writers to gain exposure?

• Not from publishers.
• You might be able to attract readers but it will be the kind of reader who think $4.99 is a lot to pay for an ebook. Wattpad can be good for motivation and perhaps good for feedback.

Links:

Sponsor:

(James) This episode of The Novel Marketing podcast is brought to you by an easy way to make money, better known as My Book Table. You get this plugin for your WordPress website, plug it in (no pun intended) and start making money instantly. You make the money because of the affiliate links. Simply put, someone clicks on your My Book Table link, they go to Amazon and whatever they buy, you get cut of the sale. So if they buy your book and a bigscreen TV, you get a percentage of all of it. And you can get 10% off MyBookTable with coupon code novelmarketing. More at MyBookTable.com.