Here are the benefits of doing a FREE Book Launch Promotion on Kindle:

1. It gets you noticed.

The challenge today for authors is not getting published (which is relatively easy) but getting noticed.   A FREE promotion of your Kindle is an inexpensive way to get lots of downloads on your book and getting lots of people reading your story.

2. It gets you reviews.

Kindle readers of your book will get a pop-up page from Amazon at the end of your Kindle book asking them to rate the book.  If your free readers like your book they will give your book a review.   Getting reviews is critical is distinguishing your book from the millions of other books on Amazon.

3. It helps your Amazon rankings and search results.

Free Downloads of a book will count as paid sales once your book reverts to its regular paid status.  This boosts your book rank within your books categories which makes it easier for new readers to find your book.

Additionally, Amazon search results are based on an algorithm that gives a lot of weight to sales (free downloads or paid sales).  So if a customer searches for a topic related to your book and your book has had a lot of downloads, your book will show up higher in the search results than books on the same topic with fewer downloads.

4. It gets you post-promotion Kindle sales as well as hard copy sales.

Generally, you will see paid Kindle sales jump after a FREE promotion.  This is because readers who like your book will recommend it to friends and associates; the additional Amazon reviews for your book will convert online browsers of your book to buyers of your book, and; your book will come up higher in your assigned book categories and Amazon search results increasing the ability of people to find your book

Because a FREE Kindle promotion increases the visibility of your title it often also increases the sales of your hard copy editions (i.e. paperback and/or hardcover).

Voyage Media has developed, sold, produced and/or distributed over 2000 entertainment projects for self and unpublished authors, emerging screenwriters and power-house production companies and studios such as Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, and many others.

Voyage Testimonials and Success Stories

I’ve produced a television show for 25 years, so I know how to produce television, but I had no idea how to transform a book into a movie. If you’re looking to have your book adapted by a producer, you have to present your project in a way that works for producers. Voyage reviewed my book, came up with a log line, a really good treatment, and then we did a lookbook. The lookbook is absolutely phenomenal. I’m blown away at the work Voyage has done. The pictures tell a thousand words, and the copy enhances the whole concept. It basically condenses ten years of my life and a 400-page book into 7 pages of pictures and copy that anybody can look at and in 2-3 minutes know if this is a project they want to invest in. Producers and the people that pull the trigger are busy and have very little time for details. They want to see it in their minds and know its a good movie, and Voyage has done that. Voyage has put my book into a format that I can present to anyone at anytime, and they’ll know in a couple of minutes if this is a project they want. And that’s the key to selling it.

Michael Fowlkes

Television Producer

Author, Perfect Bait

MICHAEL VIDEO TESTIMONIAL: https://vimeo.com/87051534

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“If you have any interest in getting your book made into a movie or tv series, Voyage can help. You’re not going to be able to mail books to producers on your own and expect to get any kind of return. They get a lot of that stuff, and it probably goes in the trash. But Voyage can help market to these people in a way you can’t do on your own. Voyage helped get my book optioned so that it can potentially be made into a movie. I wouldn’t have gotten this far on my own. The process of working with Voyage was well worth it, and I will certainly go back to Voyage with anything I write in the future.

Fred Eason

Author,  500 Miles to Nowhere

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“Voyage’s services are valuable, especially for people who are working outside of the Hollywood system who have something that has the potential to go big but can’t quite break in.“

Nick Rosen

Producer & Director, VALLEY UPRISING

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“Voyage has been around the pond, they know people, and they have networks and connections. If you want to make it as a professional in this business, then these are the guys who can help you get there.“

SusannahFarrow

Writer and Producer

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“Voyage gets projects DONE. Their actions speak much louder than the words of other, so-called industry insiders. I trust them to efficiently and effectively guide me on my journey toward becoming a professional.“

Ken White

Writer and Producer

The first step in promoting your book is to develop a marketing plan to sell your book. If you don’t know where you are going, no road will take you there. If you want to sell books, you need to know where you are going; you need to have a plan on how you are going to sell your book.

To develop a basic marketing plan to sell your book, you need to ask yourself four basic questions:

1. Who is my most probable customer for this book?

2. Why should my most probable customer want to buy my book?

3. What do I have to say to my most probable customer to make them want to buy my book?

4. How do I reach my most probable customer?

Answering these questions will help you think like a marketer and will lay the groundwork for implementing your marketing strategies after your book is published. More importantly, answering these questions will help you better plan your book subject matter, your book title and your book description so that when the book is published you can sell it.

Let’s examine each of these fundamental marketing questions.

1. Who is my most probable customer for this book?

You need to identify the most probable customer for your book. You need to do this so you can then target these people in your marketing and promotional efforts. While it may be tempting to believe that the whole world will want your book, from a marketing perspective you need to focus on the people who will most likely actually buy your book. You need to identify the demographics (that is, the objective facts) about your most probable customer. These demographics need to include at least some of the following information:

• Age
• Occupation
• Employment Status
• Income
• Location
• Gender
• Education
• Race/Ethnicity
• Marital Status
• Family Status
• Religion

Once you have this information, you are ready to answer the second marketing question:

2. Why should my most probable customer want to buy my book?

Now you want to get into the head of your most probable customer. What motivates them? When they buy your book, what are they expecting to get out of it? Are they seeking information? If so, what kind of information? Are they seeking excitement? If so, what kind of excitement? Are they seeking escape? If so, how? You are attempting here to understand the emotional psychology, or the psychographic profile, of your most probable reader.

Your answer to this question should be no more than one or two sentences long. Answering it will help you to answer the third question:

3. What do I have to say to my most probable customer to make them want to buy my book?

Your focus here is to determine what you need to say to your customer with:

• Your Book Content: Does the content you are writing appeal to your most probable customer or are you trying to cover too much? Your book content should be focused on what your most probable customer wants. If your most probable customer wants paranormal romance, don’t give them French history. If they want to know how to white water river raft, don’t tell them about your personal struggles with alcoholism. Stay focused on what your customer wants. Many authors make the mistake of trying to say too much because it means something to them. Don’t focus on what you want to say, focus on what your most probable customer want to hear.

• Your Book Title: Your Title needs to appeal to your most probable customer. Ideally, your title should reflect what your most probable customer will use as Search Terms on Amazon and Google since that is the way most books are found today.

• Your Book Description: Your Book Description will, typically, go on the back of your book as well as appear on the websites of online retail stores across the country. It is this description that people will read first in deciding to buy your book. Thus, it needs to be complete and to appeal to your most probable customer. As with the title, your Book Description should include Search Terms that your most probable customer will use to find your book.

• Your Book Cover: While we have always been taught that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, the reality is that books are constantly being judged by their covers. As a result, you need to be sure that your cover strongly appeals to your most probable customer. Your book cover will be seen by anyone looking for your book, and so it needs to be compelling to your most probable customer.

• Reviews: It is great if you can get an advance review for your book before it is actually published. This review will be based upon your unpublished manuscript, and the review should be written by someone whom your probable customer looks up to. Once the book is published, of course, you should still seek reviews using the review copies of the book that come with your Book Publishing Package; but advance reviews will be very helpful in marketing your book right out the gate.

4. How do I reach my most probable customer?

After you have produced a book that appeals to your most probable customer, produced a title, book description and book cover compelling to your most probable customer, and obtained advance reviews, you need to make a list containing ways that you can reach your most probable customer. That is, you need to make a list of the websites they visit, the search terms they use, the book categories they browse, the magazines they read, the events they attend, the stores they go to, and the programs they watch and listen to. The demographic profile you produced with Question 1 and the psychographic profile with Question 2 will help you in compiling this list.

Here are some channels for you to consider in reaching your most probable customer:

A. Amazon Categories: What categories of books does your most probable customer look in? This is where you want your book to be posted in Amazon. For most authors the more specific the category the more likely your book is to be noticed (i.e. it is better to be listed under Historical French Romances than Romance).

B. Websites and Blogs: We recommend that you make a list of the top five websites and top five blogs or social networking sites that your most probable customer visits regularly. For each site, you should identify how that site might be able to help you. That is, you need to identify if the site does book reviews, allows article submissions, allows advertising, etc.

Google Search is your best tool for finding websites related to your book’s topic.

C. Facebook and Twitter: We recommend that you find friends on these two very popular social media sites who are interested in the topic of your book. You can search for groups and individuals within these social media sites who have interests related to your book’s topic.

D. Stores: We recommend that you compile a list of the top five brick-and-mortar stores that your most probable customer visits regularly. These can include local bookstores, local gift shops, and specialty stores. They can also include other businesses and community organizations that your target audience regularly frequents, such as gyms, churches, schools, and doctors’ offices.

E. Special Events: Make a list of the special events that your most probable customer is likely to attend. These can include trade shows, conferences, and speaking engagements.

F. Targeted Lists: Identify any lists of postal mailing addresses and/or e-mail addresses targeted to your most probable customer, which you can use to reach them.

G. Print Media: Make a list of the print magazines and newspapers that your most probable customer reads. For marketing purposes, the more targeted the media, the better. In other words, if you’ve written a mystery novel it is usually better to get a book review or place an ad in a mystery magazine than in the local metro paper.

You may want to consult Writers Market, a book released annually by Writers Digest magazine, which lists numerous book and magazine publishers, or www.writersmarket.com, for a list and description of all the specialized magazines that may be of interest to your target market.

H. Broadcast Media: Make a list of your most probable customer’s favorite radio and TV programs. As with print media, the more targeted the media, the better.

Armed with the answers to these four marketing questions, and with your lists of possible channels through which you can reach your target audience you have the foundation with which to build a powerful marketing plan to sell your book.

• Increase traffic to your Author Website.   The search engines love video! In addition, a Book Trailer on your website helps increase the professional image of your book and helps to separate it from the pack.
• Promote your book to your social media network.  Facebook, Goodreads and LinkedIn are all good places to post your video Book Trailer and, if you have a strong social media network, should get you a lot of feedback and comments.  If you have a popular Author Blog, a video Book Trailer is a must.
• Provide excitement at Book Fairs and Book Signing Events. We live in an age that loves movies and visuals.

Below are some Video Book Trailers Bookstand Publishing has developed for authors for your reference and enjoyment:

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MEMOIRS

Last Days of Tranquility

The Accidental Purpose

Last of the Red Hot Poppas

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INSPIRATION

Bushels and Barrels – Redefining the American Dream

A Girl’s Guide to Becoming Great

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ROMANTIC SERIES

Signature Affair

Costly Affair

Presidential Affair

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FICTION

Backseat

Ouija

Tomorrow, Mickey, Tomorrow

Homicide Queen

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POETRY

A poem about the Hudson river by Edward J. Jeffs,  author of Another Season.

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Bookstand Publishing can create a Video Book Trailer for you.  You can find this service under Online Marketing Services on our Marketing Services Order Form.  You can also call Andy at 408-722-8746 to discuss.

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Video Book Trailer $250

Video is the latest and most effective tool to increase online visibility for your book and get top listings for your book and website on Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. Through this Campaign, Bookstand Publishing will create a simple video based on your book cover and on key words and phrases related to your book, and will submit the video to more than 6 video and social bookmarking sites including YouTube and Yahoo! Video.

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Backseat

Currently Backseat is ranking #15 for Kindle sales in Men’s Adventure and Literary Humor on Amazon. In addition, with an overall ranking of 3034, it is among the top 1% of Amazon Kindle sales.

Backseat is a fictional coming-of-age story about Michael whose freshman year of college has not gone well either socially or academically. In 1969, failure from college or dropping out of school means the draft and possibly Vietnam. Michael desperately wants success, acceptance and popularity. He believes that pledging a campus fraternity can help put him on the right path. As the final hurdle to get into the fraternity, he must hitchhike 1,500 miles over a weekend; a road trip which could save his freshman year and possibly change his life. The rides he gets, the people he meets, and the obstacles he overcomes on his journey do change his life — but in an unexpected way.

View the video book trailer here: https://youtu.be/Ogxun2kct5Q

You can purchase the Kindle edition here:

You can purchase the Paperback edition here:

You can purchase the Hardcover edition here:

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Debits and Credits Made Easy: A Survival Guide for Your First Week

As of today the book is the # 3 ranked overall book under Financial Accounting and the #2 ranked Kindle book. In addition, the book is ranked #4 in Best Sellers for Two-Hour Business & Money Short Reads.

Debits and Credits Made Easy is an ideal book for anyone trying to learn accounting. For most students in an Introductory Accounting course, the first week is a terrible experience — learning the unusual concepts of debits and credits is a major headache. The purpose of Debits and Credits Made Easy is to eliminate the confusion surrounding debits and credits — and present these concepts in a simple, straight-forward manner.

The Amazon Kindle edition can be purchased here.

The Paperback Edition can be purchased here.

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By Cynthia Shannon,  Goodreads Author Marketing Coordinator

“Go where the readers are” is the standard advice for authors contemplating how to best market their books. With more than 30 million members, Goodreads is the world’s largest community of readers. Even better, Goodreads’ mission is to help readers find and share books they love. For authors, it provides a platform to   Continue Reading

Source: www.smithpublicity.com

“With more than 30 million members, Goodreads is the world’s largest community of readers.”  Every self-published author interested in marketing their book should have an account on Goodreads.

Reviewers and Media Contacts

The first and most obvious instance in which you should give your book away for free is when you are trying to get reviewers to review your book and secure publicity through media contacts.  Just remember, the more books that you are asked to give away, the more reviews, interviews, and requests for published excerpts that will come your way.

Building Your Email Marketing Database

When you are trying to build your email marketing database, getting people to supply their email address can be tough.  A good way to get them to give you their address is to give them a sample chapter for doing so or, if you have a series, you might even give them the first book for signing up (assuming that they will purchase the remaining books in your collection).  This will help you build a relationship with your readers and build a following for marketing purposes—an email marketing list is worth its weight in gold.

Free Ebooks

Some authors have had great success in giving away ebooks for free and finding this increases the sales of their print book.  This doesn’t always happen, but it happens often enough you should give it some thought.  Here is a recent study on the effect of giving away free ebooks: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jep/3336451.0013.101%3Frgn%3Dmain%3Bview%3Dfulltext

Amazon KDP

Amazon’s KDP program allows you to give your book away for five days and have your book in the Amazon library to loan out.  While it may seem counterintuitive to give your book to readers (who aren’t supplying any valuable information to you), it is important to remember that these days, everyone is a reviewer.  By giving away your book, you increase your views and reviews from people who would otherwise skip your book.  Although you are forced to be generous at the outset, reviews are well-worth it, because you increase the likelihood that your book will be purchased in the future, having been vetted by other readers.

If you’re starting to feel like you’re never going to be able to charge for your book, don’t worry: it gets better.  All of the free copies that you gave away will increase your book’s visibility, build your credibility, and, in the long-run, lead to more sales of your book to paying customers.

Larger bookstores will often schedule their book signings months in advance, so make sure that you contact the bookstore well ahead of the time that you are hoping to hold the event.  Start by making a list of stores and phone numbers.  It is easier to start by approaching small, local bookstores who will have an interest in a local author or smaller chains.

Call them, ask to speak to a manager, and, when you get them on the phone, tell them that you are a local author and that your book is in their system.  If they are not already carrying your book, make sure that you schedule your signing after they get your books in. Please note that, with a few exceptions, bookstores will not have your self published book in their system unless it is “returnable” and carried by a major wholesaler such as Ingram and Baker & Taylor.  “Returnable” means that bookstores can return any unsold books for a full refund with no penalty or restocking fee. (Most, but not all, self publishing companies provide a Return Program for an additional fee.)

It is important that you are able to show that there is interest in your book, so be armed with an arsenal of reviews, reader comments, and blurbs about your book.  Bookstores will want to ensure that you will draw a crowd to come into their store, so you should be prepared to pitch the manager or event planner on your book and why they should have you.

If you are unable to secure a bookstore, consider holding a reading in a unique atmosphere, like a coffee shop or restaurant.

Obviously, you want a crowd, not only to increase sales and exposure, but also to ensure that the bookstore will welcome you back in the future, when you release your next book.  Use the resources that are already at your disposal by promoting the event on your personal and fan pages on various social media platforms.  Invite local media to the event or offer to send them review copies to build hype for the event—pitching them will be just as tough as pitching the bookstores, so don’t be blue if you don’t hear back or you receive a polite “Thanks, but no thanks.”  In many cases, your local news outlets allow users to add events to online community calendars, so find as many of them as you can, and submit the details of your event.

When the big day comes, remember to relax, have fun, and enjoy your big moment.

See my follow-up article on Author Tips for the Day of Your Book Signing or Book Reading.

1.  Make A List of the Sites and Blogs of Most Interest to Your Potential Audience

I recommend that authors make a list of the top five targeted websites and top five targeted blogs or social networking sites that your most probable customer visits regularly. For each site, you should identify how that site might be able to help you. That is, you need to identify if the site does book reviews, allows article submissions, allows advertising, etc.

Please keep in mind that these need to be targeted websites, blogs or social networking sites.  The more targeted the better.  For example, if your book is on white water rafting, then you want sites and blogs that talk specifically about white water rafting NOT sites that talk about hobbies, boating, or vacations.  For purposes of this task, Amazon, Facebook and Walmart.com should NOT be on your list as these are not targeted or niche sites. 

Here are some resources that can help you find these targeted sites and blogs:

• http://www.google.com  – You should type in specific “long tail” keywords and take a note of the sites that come up at the top of the search results.  When you search the other sites listed below, take a special note of any sites that also have shown up in the top Google search results.
• http://www.topsite.com/ – This site lets you see the top sites under a variety of topics
• http://www.alexa.com/topsites/category – This site lets you see the most trafficked sites under a variety of topics
• http://www.writersdigestshop.com/writers-market-deluxe-2013 – Writers Digest has been the key tool for identifying the major magazines (both online and offline) by genre and topic area for many years.  Writers Digest is a $29.95 a year subscription
• http://www.magagenie.com. –Find out which newspapers and magazines cover your topic area.
• http://www.google.com/blogsearch – Use this Google site to search for Blogs related to your book topic
• http://www.fsbmedia.com/book_blogger_search.php – This Book Blogger Directory allows you to search for  subject-specific book bloggers
• http://www.convertiv.com/niche-social-networking-sites/ – This is a list of niche social media networking sites

2. Take your list of top 5 websites and do the following:

• • • • Identify how each site makes use of outside content: This may include:
        • Book Reviews
        • Featuring excerpts from books
        • Interviews with experts
        • Blogs with content from outside websites
        • Ads sold on their website
        • Sponsorship of a list of recommended books
      • Offer them the type of content they like to feature.
      • Ask for link backs.
    • 3. Take your list of the top 5 blogs (or targeted social network sites) and do the following:

• Identify what content the blog likes to feature (such as news items, videos, photos, etc.).
• Offer them the type of content they like to feature.
• If they allow comments or trackbacks, write and post meaningful responses on the blog or social network site. Always include your name, website address, and book title in your comment to establish your credibility.

As you develop relationships with these sites, you may want to consider developing joint ventures with them to your mutual benefit. For example, you could help them promote their own products or services, and they could help you sell your book. In this regard, you could create an e-mail campaign in which you provide valuable bonuses that complement your book and which target the same audience that would buy your book. The best bonuses are usually downloads such as ebooks, seminar transcripts, audios, free memberships, telecourses, and dollars-off coupons.