Knowing what the market actually wants to read has always been an especial challenge to authors and publishers. That’s a big reason most book sales never match the investment the publisher makes, and most authors never earn enough royalties to pay back the advance against royalties-if they were lucky enough to get a decent advance.

It’s always been a matter of guesswork.

Until now, that is.

Now, we have the technology to find out what people want to read. This has the potential to turn publishing upside down.

Before, it was a matter of guesswork. An author had an idea, and if it sounded like it might sell, a publisher would publish the book. Rarely did author or publisher do any market research ahead of time.

Now, technology provides the ability to ask one’s audience, or potential audience, what they most want to know about a subject, through an Ask-campaign type Virtual Book Tour.

To me, the key ingredient in this kind of Virtual Book Tour is the built-in mechanism of asking people what their most important question is concerning your topic. Just talking about your book is powerful, but asking specific questions real people submitted kicks it up several notches on the effectiveness scale.

Five Advantages of an Ask Virtual Book Tour

Here are five things the “Ask” element allows you to do:

1. It allows you to build relationships with your audience. Before recent technology, a person would go into a bookstore, buy a book, and the author and book buyer usually never meet. With an Ask-campaign, you are able to develop an ongoing relationship with your reader. When they sign up for your VBT, they give you permission to keep in touch.

2. You learn what your readers want to know. This is a great way to develop further products, or hone your services to match just what you know people want to know.

There are different ways you can leverage the above two advantages when approaching publishers. For example, if you write an ebook and do a VBT, you can use what you learn from your audience to write a book that expands on your ebook in the areas people want to know more about. You have more clout with a publisher if you can tell them you have a large list and a proven track record that you can sell books with this method.

3. You “set it and forget it.” Once you set up your VBT, have the live event, and put up the replay, it becomes a perpetual marketing system. It’s not a one-time event that you have to repeat over and over (such as when you do radio interviews). Once you have the live event finished and the replay page up, you simply change a few things on the Ask page (such as that the event happened, and when they ask their question they can listen to the replay), and then it’s up in cyberspace for good.

Rather than repeat your actions over and over, you can now turn your attention to promoting that Ask web page (so you can build your list and introduce people to your book by letting them hear you explain it via the VBT replay).

There are many ways to promote your VBT Ask page. Some of the more effective ways are articles submitted to ezine directories (in the resource or bio box, you point people back to your Ask page); press releases; postings on your blog; mentions in forums and on social networking sites; your business card; talks you may give.

4. You have a continual stream of ideas for future content. Since your market is telling you what they want to know on a continual basis (assuming you’re continually promoting it), you will always have ideas about what to do next. From this, you can repurpose content in any number of ways. All the while, you can be confident that you are reaching your audience and giving them what they want.

5. You can build a media page for your site around your Virtual Book Tour. Your VBT replay can become part of your media page, showing the media that you can talk engagingly about your book and garner an audience. In addition, the questions you supply the media will come from the actual questions people submit. This can be a powerful draw for the media.

The Ask-type VBT overcomes so many of the stumbling blocks to selling books authors have struggled with for decades. We truly are living in an exciting new era. Never have authors had more resources at their fingertips to finally connect with their audience, build relationships, and sell their books!

Want to explore more about how VBTs work and what a Virtual Book Tour can do for you? Visit: http://www.virtualbooktourexpert.com

Do you have a question about Virtual Book Tours, or any other writing/publishing question? Experience how an Ask campaign works by asking Diane Eble your question here: http://www.askyourbookpublishingcoach1.com

To learn more about how teleseminars can help you sell books faster, better, and with less human effort, check out: http://www.teleseminarsecretsforauthors.com

From Diane Eble - Your Book Publishing Coach

One day Johnny noticed that Sarhara had gotten big as a house. He asked her what happened to her. She said she was going to tell him anyway, but wanted to see if he noticed.

“Noticed what?” he said.

“That I am pregnant you idiot. That’s what you didn’t notice. What kind of prophet are you anyway if you don’t even know when your wife is pregnant? We are going to have little twin prophets running around this house, God help me. I knew I shouldn’t have fooled around with you any more after that Dixie Kup escapade, but I just can’t help myself. Now see what you’ve done.”

Johnny responded. “It’s a miracle. This was to be expected. You should be very happy.”

“I’ll be happy when you are changing their diapers, not me.”

“Never happen my dear, I am a prophet. Such things are beneath me.”

With this last statement Sarhara gave Johnny a swift kick in his shins and proceeded to throw up on the breakfast room table. Johnny said such things were to be expected again and retreated to the privacy of his office/den to contemplate having children. The thought had never crossed his mind before.

Sarhara came home from a trip to the doctors to inform Johnny that the twins were going to be fully mature in about a week and that it was time to pick names. Johnny was surprised at first that this whole procedure had taken only 3 months, but then things always got speeded up when you are talking about prophets and their off spring. He told Sarhara to pick the babies names herself. She told him she had already decided on the names Darling and Delicious, as the twins were both girls.

Johnny was shocked. He was expecting boys. Sarhara told him not to worry about it. They could have boys another time if they ever fooled around again. In fact with the maturation schedule that prophets are evidently on, they could have a whole football team in no time at all.

Johnny said, “I like baseball better.” Poor Johnny, he forgot to duck as Sarhara threw a book at him.

And you think that only normal people have dysfunctional families. Believe me, they have nothing on prophets and their wives. Wait till you meet the twins. They are convinced they are geniuses that have inherited prophet rights and they age at three times the age of normal children. At the age of five they sound and act like they are fifteen, which gets everyone in trouble.
*****

MLMF (More later my friends)

Please feel free to use this article as long as credit is given to the resource box.
© Arthur Levine 2007

Hi, I am Arthur Levine, the author of the novel Johnny Oops. To read more about Johnny and his fictional wild escapades please access: http://johnnyoops.blogspot.com

Audio books are one of the best learning tools available. For years,
audio books have been the standard for learning a foreign language
quickly. When that new job opens in Paris, it’s time to reach for an
audio book that teaches French. Until you find out that the job is in
Paris, Texas! Now it’s time for an audio book that teaches a drawl. Of course,
it might be a western novel or it might be a mystery set in Dallas, but
the beauty of an audio book is that you cannot help but be transported
when you listen to every word!

Audio books have reached new heights in quality. They are offered in
abridged or unabridged versions, on compact disc or MP3 format and can
be rented, purchased, downloaded and mailed. An audio book can offer an
experience so real that you won’t want to turn it off. A cross-country
truck driver can pass those lonely hours a little bit quicker when he’s
listening to the latest thriller. A busy mom can share wonderful
children’s stories with her kids when she’s driving them across town. A
runner can listen to her favorite author read his latest bestseller
while she does her daily workout. The MP3 format provides a quality
sound and can truly enhance the listening experience by recording music
and sound effects that bring the story to life.

Audio books are available in many styles and languages. There are thousands of audio books recorded in English that
can be purchased. While listening to an audio book for pure
entertainment is a wonderful way to spend some time, audio books can be
used for learning languages as well. There are
many language lessons available. One special feature of the English
language audio books available is the variety of instruction in other languages available. . English language instruction is available translating from several different languages including: Arabic, Cantonese, French, German, Mandarin, Persian, Spanish and Vietnamese speakers. When the language course has been mastered, the thousands of English language books offer a wide variety of audio books from which to choose. The learning continues, often subconsciously, for the new English language is being listened to for hours. Listen to all the nuances of various
parts of the world as characters’ voices speak with the dialect
appropriate for the story. The English language is so rich and vivid
that audio books provide a new way to spend leisure time.

Audio books are a great past time. They can be read for entertainment
or for learning. They can be instructional or insightful. For school,
home and work, an audio book spoken in English can provide hours of
quality listening experiences. You can easily find audio books in many languages, but it is especially easy to find them in English.

Talking Book Store is a fast growing audio book website offering both free and paid audiobooks. Their ever-growing catalogue contains over 8,000 titles.

They make it easy to discover the engrossing world of foreign language learning through the audio book format.

Steve Hill also has a website at:

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More people are staying out of the libraries and book stores and spending time on the internet. This is even true of book lovers. They have replaced the turn of the page for high-speed audio book downloads. In the car or on the go, these audio books provide entertainment and education in a convenient package.

Audio book downloads have become increasingly popular with the advent of mp3 audio file players such as Apple’s iPod. While audio books can be found on cassette tapes and compact discs, downloadable files are more convenient and cost-effective.

Audio Book Download Types and Where to Find Them

Audio book downloads come in all the genres and subjects that traditional books come in. While you will not find every book available as an audio book download, the selection is vast. Choosing a downloadable file is as easy as assessing your personal tastes. There are fiction books, including bestsellers, non-fiction histories, biographies, and current events, children’s books, and even trade journals and publications.

Besides the selection of the particular book title, there are multiple file types to choose from. Many audio book downloads come in the popular mp3 file format. They are also available in WMA. Both these audio book download file types can be used on PCs and Macs and can be loaded onto mp3 players including the Apple iPod.

How to Use Audio Book Downloads?

After you have selected your audio book download from an online store, you will be given instruction on how to download and use the files. High-speed internet connections are ideal for audio book downloads, as the file size is usually large. Download the files to your computer using standard procedures.

If you do not wish to use the audio book downloads with an mp3 player, you should simply save the files on a compact disc. Many CD players cannot read mp3 files. You will need to convert the audio book downloads to wav files before burning them to the compact disc.

You can listen to this CD in your car or in a home disc player. Even if you plan to listen to the audio book downloads on the go, it is advisable to rip a CD first. This will ensure that you have a back-up copy of the audio file.

To listen to your audio book downloads with a portable mp3 player, you must load them from your computer to the portable device. Doing this successfully depends on being familiar with your particular mp3 player. Loading the audio book downloads onto an Apple iPod may require extra steps. You must first load the files into iTunes and from there into the iPod itself.

Audio book downloads provide convenient and portable entertainment or education. Whether you purchase the audio books or choose a free selection, downloading the files can be easier and less expensive than purchasing the more old-fashioned compact disk or book on tape versions. With audio book download technology, the size or your library no longer depends on shelf space. Even the most hardcore bibliophiles can experience the lure of audio book downloads.

Talking Book Store is a fast growing MP3 and WMA audio book website offering both free and paid audiobooks.

They make it simple to discover the engrossing world of the spoken word through the audio book format.

Steve Hill also has a website at:

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As electronic book downloads become more popular, so does the concept of the audio book club. Much like a movie rental shop, an audio book club allows you to rent audio books for a period of time. These are an excellent option for people who enjoy digital literature or non-fiction, but do not want to purchase audio books to keep.

An audio book club usually offers different subscription models to choose from. For various monthly charges, you can rent different numbers of audio books. Using the popular model of many DVD rental clubs, audio book clubs feature no late fees and free shipping.

How Does an Audio Book Club Work?

It is quick and easy to get access to digital media through an audio book club. The first step is joining an audio book club that fits your personal needs. Fill in your information, including payment information, to create a new account. If the audio books will be delivered to your door rather than downloaded directly to your computer, it is important to input a valid shipping address.

After your account is created at the audio book club, peruse the selection of available audio books. When you find a selection that you would like to rent, add it to your list or rental queue. Some audio book clubs will tell you if a particular audio book is available immediately or if there is a wait to receive it.

Audio books on compact disc or books on tape will be mailed to your door. The package will include a postage paid return envelope to send the selection back in. Your audio book club membership fee covers the price of the return postage. Downloadable audio books will be made available directly on the audio book club website.

Why Should I Join an Audio Book Club?

There are several options for finding audio books to listen to. You can buy them at shops or various website on the internet. A small selection of titles may be available at your local library. There are also free audio books. These are usually public domain classics, not bestsellers or current books. Joining an audio book club brings you an extensive selection of electronic books without the expense of purchasing them.

When deciding on which audio book club to join, it is important to identify your needs. Consider what type of audio books you want: fiction, non-fiction, trade journals, or children’s books. Decide how many audio book titles you want to be able to have at one time, and how many you would like per month. Cost is another thing to take into account.

Once you find the correct audio book club for you, you can begin receiving audio books. Some audio book rental clubs send compact discs containing the audio files through the mail. Others offer downloadable audio books.

Joining an audio book club provides an economical resource for entertainment and education. Audio books are more convenient and portable than traditional books. They can be listened to while exercising or in the car. An audio book club makes it even more convenient to get the texts you want for less than the full purchase price.

Talking Book Store is a fast growing audio book website offering both free and paid audiobooks. Their ever-growing catalogue contains over 8,000 titles.

They make it easy to discover the engrossing world of the spoken word through the audio book format.

Steve Hill also has a website at:

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Self-publishing transforms a writer into an instant publishing technician. This carries the risks of simple mistakes costing thousands of dollars. Financial risk is the main reason most publishers will not produce new titles. Publishing, like other businesses is based on profit. Some authors are willing to take the risks of financing the production of their books and do the marketing and distribution themselves. This is usually referred to as “Vanity Press.” I have designed, produced and published over 120 titles in both vanity and co-publishing arrangements and have self-published 5 books of my own on Balkan history.

Most of the risk can be eliminated by considering co-publishing as the best option for authors who are willing to make a financial commitment and do the extra leg work on their title and to join forces with publishing professionals who will hand-hold them through the entire publishing process. Co-publishing is a more harmonious relationship in which the author participates in all of the decision-making.

The Co-publisher’s Responsibilities?? The co-publisher has the experience and publishing background they are willing to share in exchange for a portion of the profits generated by your title. These professionals typically oversee supervision of copy editing, book and cover design, book packaging, printing, internet marketing, publicity, mailing and distribution–all of the important aspects that make a book a success.

Author’s Responsibilities?? In addition to providing a clean double-spaced manuscript and a financial investment in the book the author needs to assist in defining their market. A list of names of experts in your field or subject who can be helpful in promoting your book is an asset. The author should determine interest groups or organizations where guest appearances can be made. A book in print opens doors that could not be opened any other way. A book can get you on talk radio and television. Researching these contacts is vital for the success of your book. As a result of a book in print, there are many situations where you can be called upon as an expert in your field. An English language version of your book leads to foreign translation rights.

I have found that each book succeeds to the degree of effort the author puts forth on his or her own behalf. Co-publishing means working in tandem, not just subsidizing production.

For more information about Self or Co-publishing visit: http://www.gmbooks.com and click on Want to Publish Your Own Book?

William Dorich has 25 years in commercial printing and book binding experience. After authoring five of his own books on Balkan history he established his own publishng firm, GMBooks.com in 1985. Since then he has designed, produced, and published over 120 titles including “Witness to War: Images of the Persian Gulf War” for the Los Angeles Times which won them a Pulitzer. His client list includes the Who’s Who in American business.

With current technology and the changes taking place in the publishing industry, it has become more confusing to first time authors as to how to go about, or whether to even attempt, becoming published.

In major publishing houses, the average length of time between the signing of a contract and the release date is usually 18 months. At the end of that time, the publisher can decide not to publish your book for any reason.

Don’t be misled about how much money authors are making in royalty based publishing contracts. A 10% royalty may sound great but that is not what the author actually receives. The unspoken truth is that the customer “returns” of purchased books across the country average 25% each year. In most cases these books are soiled and cannot be resold. This return policy is deducted from an author’s royalties, reducing their 10% to about 7% very quickly.

If you are fortunate to have a manuscript accepted by a major publisher you might also be given an advance on your royalties. However, advances are at an all time low and very little is spent on publicity. Some publishing contracts require authors to pay for publicity out of their advance. By the time the publisher is ready to print, if they feel you have not created enough interest in your book, they can decide not to publish the title. Under these circumstances if you keep the advance they end up owning the rights, prohibiting you to negotiate another publishing contract.

Agents and publishers will mostly entertain established writers–this places most new authors in a “Catch-22″ of not being able to find a publisher without an agent or an agent without a publisher. It is unfortunate, in our field, to need to mention that there have been some agents who have accepted up-front fees from first-time authors and not followed through in presenting manuscripts to their publishing contacts.

For information on Self-publishing or Co-publishing visit: http://www.gmbooks.com and click on the link: Want To Publish You Own Book?

William Dorich has 25 years in commercial printing and book binding experience. After authoring five of his own books on Balkan history he established his own publishng firm, GMBooks.com in 1985. Since then he has designed, produced, and published over 120 titles including Witness to War: Images of the Persian Gulf War for the Los Angeles Times which won them a Pulitzer. His client list includes the Who’s Who in American business.

Want to write a book? You can. You start writing, and you keep going. At around 80,000 words, you’ve got yourself a book. Now what? You sell the book to a major publisher, hit the bestseller lists, and order your new cherry-red Ferrari.

That’s how writing a book and getting published works. But if you try to follow that process - just sit down and start typing - the chances that you’ll sell the book are slim. To sell your book you need to know the kind of book you’re writing before you start, and also whether there’s an audience for that kind of book. It sounds unfair, but in order to sell your book, you have to prove to the publisher that people will want to read it.

What Kind of Book are You Writing?

Most new authors start on their book writing and publishing adventure by reading a book and getting inspired. They don’t think about the kind of book they’re writing, or who would want to read it.

There are basically two kinds of books: truth and lies, otherwise known as nonfiction and fiction (novels). Some hundred thousand books are published in English each year, both nonfiction and novels. You must know what kind of book you’re writing before you start.

Let’s imagine that you’ve read a Harry Potter novel, and you’re so enthusiastic that you’re inspired to write your own children’s novel. The words pour out of you; you’re on fire. You write and write and write, and the pages pile up on your computer’s hard drive.

This is great. While you’re writing, ask yourself: “In a bookstore, where would this book of mine be shelved?”

If you’re not sure, go to a bookstore and wander around the shelves. Is your book in the nonfiction section? In the children’s section? In the romance novel or mystery section?

If you’re inspired by Harry Potter, you know you’re writing a children’s novel. Imagine your book on the shelves, right beside the rows of Harry Potters.

This isn’t an idle exercise, or a fantasy. You must know what you’re writing, so please visit that bookstore. “What is it?” is the first thing an agent will want to know when you contact her to represent your book. It’s also the first thing an editor at a publishing house will want to know.

So, what are you writing? If you don’t know, or aren’t sure, think about it and visit a bookstore if you need to. You can write a book and get published if you know what you’re writing, and who will want to read it.

Discover how YOU can write a book and sell it with Angela Booth’s Just Write a Book Blog at http://www.justwriteabook.com/blog/ Angela helps you with the writing process, and demystifies the publishing trade. Read Angela’s blog, and subscribe to her popular freelance writing ezine, Fab Freelance Writing Ezine at http://fabfreelancewriting.com/ezine/fab-freelance-writing-ezine.html Yes, you can become a published author: imagine YOUR book stacked on the shelves in bookstores. If you want to write a book, you can.

Do you want a perfect book proposal strategy to get your book published? Did you know that only one out of every 80 professionally written book proposals result in a publishing deal for the author? Ouch! Yes I know, but you can beat these odds if you will change your philosophy of what a book proposal is and what it is for in your own mind.

Stop thinking of your book proposal as a “book proposal” and think of it as a mini-Business Plan with a strong emphasis on marketing. Consider your summary paragraph explaining the book as more of an Executive Summary paragraph. Read up on Business Plans, then consider this to do list for your book proposal:

To Do: Write Executive Summary Paragraph

1. Clearly Define what your book is about
2. Give Reader a Hook
3. Tell and sell title
4. Sub-title - very important

The publisher is not in business to help authors become famous or get their books published, the publisher is in business to make money, and they know that even with the best choices most of the books never make any money, so they are taking a risk and a big risk at that. So when you are putting together your book proposal take about your reader, the size of the market, the types of people who will be buying your book.

Discuss the ways that it will be sold other than the obvious places like Barnes and Noble, Amazon or Borders Books. Alternative markets and secondary markets are important to the publisher, they are in business to make money and they will not invest their time or money unless they are certain it will succeed. Consider this, Sincerely, Lance.

L. Winslow is an Economic, Political and Technology Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur http://www.worldthinktank.net Currently Mr. Winslow is planning a bicycle ride from Canada to Mexico and in Spring across the US from San Diego to Virginia Beach to raise money for charity. Previously he was a track star athlete, private pilot, involved in politics, community volunteerism and a Franchising Founder. Mr. Winslow has chosen 100 titles of Books he wishes to write and has completed ten thus far. The subjects include; Community Planning, Future Tech, Franchising, Small Business, and Third World Issues.

Do your book sales come in spurts? A client complained, “I get so frustrated with my book sales trickling through week after week. The truth is many book authors and publishers experience the ebb and flow of book sales when they first start out. Some never break out of this daunting cycle. They don’t experience the flow of good sales for they never learn to grow their sales with consistent marketing.

A mentor friend advised me, “To create daily sales, you must market daily.” Here are some easy online marketing tips to include in your marketing plan. Include these, break the ebb and flow cycle for good and start a perpetual boost in book sales:

1. Create a book marketing plan or revise your old one to include Internet Marketing. Your book marketing plan is what I often describe as your map. It describes your book, what you will do after the book is completed and published. It also describes who you hope to sell your book to or your target audience.

2. Develop an easy author’s website to jumpstart your Internet Marketing plan. If you don’t have one that focuses on your book or you as an individual, create one. Your website is now one of the first places clients will look to find out more about you. The better quality it is, the more it will pre-sell you and your book itself. First impressions are important. Make your website a good one that accurately reflects your book and you as an individual.

3. Write a sales letter for each book you want to sell. Optimize the sales web page for the search engines. One of your highest goals is your prospective book customer types in a keyword most related to your book, your book’s web page comes up high in the list and they click through to visit your book’s web site. Like a mini-salesman, your sales letter will sell your book 24/7 and make you money even while you sleep.

4. Put valuable free content on your website. Seek to educate your audience. Help them make more money, cut costs or solve their problems. Examples include: online assessments, how to tips, short reports, resource lists, how-to tutorials, dictionary of terms in your field, etc.

5. Create systematic ways to attract traffic to your website. Setup a marketing system that will attract visitors to your website. Write articles that create a link back to your site. Develop a newsletter to stay in regular contact with your prospects and customers. Offer free information to educate, entice and motivate your audience. Include your website url with a special offer to attract visitors systematically.

6. Automate keeping in touch with prospects and clients. Put a subscription form on your website. Make a special offer or free gift to entice your prospects to sign-up. After building a list of prospects, you must follow-up with them on a regular basis to build credibility and relationship. You could create a message and put it on an auto responder. Send a message for every week with an offer for something valuable that will cost your audience little or nothing.

7. Outsource Marketing services. Leverage your time. Use your skills at the highest level; delegate or outsource the task your skills are lowest in. Or if your budget permits, outsource all your periodic mailings, article submissions, telemarketing to set appointments, reminder notes, etc.

So how did your marketing plan rate on a scale of 1-10? Seasoned authors most likely already have their plan in place. Even so, no matter where your experience level is, you can gain a boost in book sales by including: valuable content on your site, a systematic way to drive traffic, automatically keeping in touch with prospects and clients, soliciting existing customer base, outsourcing marketing services, expanding marketing collateral, habitual marketing.

Sound overwhelming? Don’t worry. Even starting with 2 or 3 of these tasks will help stabilize your book sales flow. Start now. Put these tips into practice one by one and break the ebb and flow cycle for good. Give your book a perpetual sales boost with consistent marketing. Go ahead. Market daily and prosper daily in book sales.

Earma Brown, 12 year author and business owner
helps small business owners and writers who want to write and market their book now! Earma mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine “iScribe.” Send any email to iscribe@book-marketing-help.com for free mini-course “Jumpstart Marketing Your Book” or visit her at http://www.book-marketing-help.com