Monday, July 12, 2010

So You'd Like to Get More Out of Amazon...

I read a ton of books on marketing, PR and how to promote authors. Sometimes I like to share the tips that I find.  Here's one that I learned about through The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What your Publisher Won't by Carolyn Howard-Johnson.

Everyone loves to hate Amazon, but the truth is that it offers some amazing opportunities for those willing to put in some time and effort.  Since it's very easy to include links back to your author site, and to direct sales pages for your park, Amazon can be invaluable for assisting in your promotion.

One particular method I'd like to showcase is "So You'd Like to...", a system where you can key in articles on subjects and list up to fifty related books.  This is a great place to recycle old articles that you still own the rights to. But, obviously, tailor your article to the angle you want to promote: don't just straight copy and paste. These articles, like everything on the web, are a way to introduce yourself to your fans. You want them to see, if not your best work, then at least something you don't mind putting your name to.

Here is the description of the program from Amazon.com:


So You'd Like to . . . guides are a way for you to help other customers find all the items and information they might need for something they are interested in. Maybe there is an indispensable set of reference materials that you'd recommend to a new college freshman wishing to study literature. Maybe there are several items you think are necessary for the perfect barbecue. As you create your guide, keep in mind that you needn't have purchased these items at Amazon.com. Each So You'd Like to . . . guide can cover all sorts of topics, and can be as specific or as general as you'd like.
You can include any item from the Amazon.com store that has a 10-digit Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) or 13-digit International Standard Book Number (ISBN). An ASIN or ISBN is a unique number used to identify each item in the Amazon.com store. These unique item numbers are displayed on the product information page for each item.

Here are some handy suggestions for possible articles you could write!

  • So you'd like to scare your friends silly...
  • So you'd like to publish your first short story...
  • So you'd like to promote yourself as an author...
  • So you'd like to give good readings...
  • So you'd like to learn how to research for a novel...
  • So you'd like to learn how to edit a novel...
  • So you'd like to know how to put together your first collection...
  • So you'd like to know how to write and hold down a day job...
  • So you'd like to know how to write and ditch your day job...
Remember, since you can share up to fifty books, spread the love around! Offer to include your friends in your post in return for them listing you in their articles. It's a great way to build a network of links that point back towards your book and to build up a community of supporters.