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Day 11: Recogninizing Oprah Book Club Picks Before She Does with Lists

This is Day 11 of 30 Days to Build a Better Book Blog. One of the fun things about running a literary blog is championing great books no one has read about before. As I stated before I began this blog to showcase Christian titles that did not make it into the mags and newspapers I reviewed for. Soon after the blog went live I received requests from publishing houses, authors, agents and editors to take a look at what they were working on. I am honored to have read some of the best stories of our time.

Next week we will get deeper into the types of content your book blog should provide. But before we do I want to talk briefly about a feature I use here that not only drives traffic to the blog, but buttresses the mission of why I do what I do.

For the past five years I have ran my own book awards. We've done:

• book of the month picks,
• annual top 25
• beach read contests
• reader's choice
  

the gamut of reading award lists to spotlight my book faves.

I'm excited, so excited for Uwem Akpen's Say You're One of Them , our 2008r Summer Beach Read Festival Winner. Today Oprah announced that his debut short story collection would be an Oprah Book Club Pick.

As book bloggers you get the good job of separating the wheat from the chaff and to be ahead of even Oprah when it comes to a great read.

Your homework assignment for this weekend is to build your own book award lists, upload it to your blog, then link it back in our forum. If you can't think of any, then create a top ten list of your favorite books with a reason why you chose them.

On a side note: When people ask me what is the best book marketing advice I can give. I always answer write a well-written, compelling, relevant page turner. This book as I have said for the past two years is, along with other avid book readers, reviewers and critics. I hope you now pick up the book so you can add to our discussion.

Wisconsin Christian Writer's Conference

REGISTRATION DEADLINE - SEPTEMBER 30th
Registration closes October 1st and late registrants will not be admitted.

When: Saturday, October 17th, 2009

Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Hosted by: Lisa Lickel, Wisconsin Area Contact, ACFW
Jaime Wright-Sundsmo, Wisconsin ACFW Member

Location: Walnut Hill Bible Church
1900 East St.
Baraboo, WI 53913 Directions

Fee: $25 per person (no ACFW membership required)

Featuring: Workshops, giveaways, group activities, and fellowship with praise and worship!

Workshops: (More to be added!)

• Part 1: Steps to Publication - Andrea Boeshaar
• Part 2: Steps to Publication - Andrea Boeshaar
• Help, I'm Stuck! - Lisa Lickel
• Nuts & Bolts of Submission - Lisa Lickel (Beginners)
• Pitch to Me - Practice your verbal pitching in a non-threatening situation!
• Ginger or MaryAnn? - how writers are like the characters of Gilligan's Island - Erica Vetsch
• Writing your Story, Telling His - Michelle Van Loon
• Discovering Your Writer's voice - Michelle Van Loon

Reality Show: Who Wants to be an Author - Prepare to learn and Vote!!

Lodging: Please click here for options!

Day 10: Participate in Meme to Meet More Book Bloggers

This is Day 10 of 30 Days to Build a Better Book Blog. We slowed down a bit to catch some newbie bloggers up. So today let's do something fun and simple that help you learn more about blogging and meet more book bloggers like yourself.

This week I'm participating in Book Blogger Appreciation Week. Today's Challenge is to answer 1 or 2 of the questions below in five words or less. Here's my response. Hope you join in on the fun!

• Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack? I drink lemonade sweet tea.
  

• Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you? I write in review copies only.
  

• How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? I use book jewelry.
  

• Laying the book flat open? Never

• Fiction, Non-fiction, or both? Both

• Hard copy or audiobooks? Hard copy

• Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point? will read entire good book

• If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away? no

• What are you currently reading? The Hope of Refuge

• What is the last book you bought? Breaking Dawn

• Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time? More than one

• Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read? I read all day.

• Do you prefer series books or stand alone books? Doesn't matter.

• Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over? Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie

• How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?) date received

Are you Screaming at Your Book Synopsis?

• Are you planning to attend a writer's festival this fall or submitting a query to a publisher or agent?
• Do you have a polished query and proposal that is written in language editors and agents want and understand?
• Do you know where to start?

If your answer is no, I have a solution. I offer Book proposal creation services through DeeGospel PR. The Book Proposal Kit includes:

• a query, to pitch to agents and editors
• a book proposal(to provide once the agent or editor is interested)
• and some Media Candy
  

This book proposal includes:

1. A fact sheet about the book and author
2. Comparative Market Analysis that compares your novel with current titles similar to either your genre or the publishing house you seek to become a member of, which specifies why your book is ready for the marketplace
   
3. A book marketing plan
4. Book Synopsis
5. A Copyedit of your Sample Chapters

Media Candy Bonus:

• 20 minute Consultation about your story that consists of a plot content analysis based on your synopsis
  

All of this is yours for $250. Hit the button below to get started. If you don't have the full amount, then hit me up I will work with you on a payment plan.

Dee

Social Media PR Release for Authors

DeeGospel PR is proud to announce the launch of it's Social Media Release Service for Authors and Publishers(SMRPs.)

As publishing house publicity departments spend more time online marketing their authors, publicists and authors need to understand online marketing better and they need to have the proper technological tools to have a conversation with bookclubs, bookstores, media and book buyers online. Authors, publicists and publishing houses need a social media release.

What is a social media release?

Like a news (PR) release the social media release will provide current press coverage of the author, links to the authors website and publishing house but so much more. In one white paper document it can house many promotional items at once:

• book trailer
• audio excerpt of current title
• author television interview
• online press room (which includes traditonal press releases, author bio, book info)
  
• media tip sheets
  

Why does an author need a social media release?

The social media release's purpose is:

• to provide an easy workspace for media to navigate through and find the important pieces they need to build an article or show guest spot around
  
• to increase your author's visibility in major search engines, book sites and online places where your ideal reader gather with search engine optimization(seo) and keyword links.
  
• to take full advantage of the latest technological communication advancements that will increase communication between the author and their ideal reader
• to use a framework that will become the online hub for all your author communication, as well as funnel that communication to various online channels at once
• to house traditional press releases in an online press room

What makes our SMRPs ideal for authors and publishers?

DeeGospel PR specializes in literary public relations and marketing. We have a proven success rate in building online awareness of our past clients with our social media release system. We know how to turn over information to book review, lifestyle events editors, book clubs and talk show producers faster than most literary pr firms. In fact, pr firms turn to us for guidance on how to use current online technology to galvanize readers. Also our social media releases are lower than our competitors.

Do I need a new Social Media Release every time I have new news?
No and that's the beauty of it. Your SMRP will be housed on the DeeGospelPR server. We will revise your news release for free for the first 90 days. After 90 days we will give you the option to move your release to your server. Or you can continue to house your review for $10 a year.

How do I obtain an SMPR for my client or myself?

Click the Buy Now button below. Once you pay for your service. We will contact you to put the release together. Our turnaround time is 3 to 5 business days.

What if I cannot afford the full price(the economy has my wallet shrinking?)

Email me at deegospelpr at gmail dot com to work out a payment arrangement. I do understand.

Can I see an SMPR before I purchase?

Sure. All of our SMPRs are crafted to fit the author brand. Contact me and I will send you a snapshot of one.

If you have further questions about the DeeGospel PR SMPR for Authors and Publishers contact me at deegospelpr at gmail dot com

Day 9: Blog Links that Matter to Authors and Readers

This is Day 9 of 3o Days to Build a Better Book Blog. This week we are still setting up are blog with an emphasis on features essential to a book blogger.

If you are an author (published or wannabe) you need to begin forming relationship with your peers, bookclubs, distributors, bookstores, gatekeepers, and so on. Blogging is one of the fastest ways to not only start that relationship, but become a part of the community of readers that want what you are writing.

When I began blogging exclusively about Christian Fiction five years ago David Long Acquisitions Editor at Bethany House Publisher , who runs Faith*in*Fiction blog reached out to me and asked me to join in a conversation about contemporary fiction and faith. (Remember in Day 4 I talked about the importance of identifying the type of blogger you are and have a clear vision (Day 1) about the direction and focus of your blog. )

Back then I didn't have all the bells and whistles(social bookmarking, microblogging, podcasting thingees) that I have now to promote myself in the blogosphere. I only had relevant content and relevant links that I knew mattered to readers like me.

What I wished I had known before I began generating five years of steady content was the power of having relevant links in my sidebar. Once I met Dave and began to meet other faith*in*fiction community bloggers linking them here brought some important things to my blog:

1. It brought readers who I didn't know personally to the blog
2. It brought industry professionals, whom I never would have met unless I attended a writer's conference for years to the blog
3. It brought writers I didn't know anything about
4. It brought more writing opportunities
5. It gave the blog more credibility
6. It brought more content to talk about on the blog

From joining that community. My blog and I have befriended more than 200 Christian Fiction Book Bloggers.

So how do you meet other bloggers like you and then participate in some coalition building?

You meet more bloggers by:

1. Search, visit and comment on blogs similar to yours.
   
2. Search for online forums where writers who are specific to your blog hangout
3. Attend local meetups
4. Attend local writer's festivals
5. Start Here. There are book bloggers participated in this event with you.
   

Coaltion Building. What is that?

One of the main reasons bloggers fizzle out is that they don't think anyone cares about their blog. No one is commenting(or not enough.) They don't think their blog matters. There vision to help people when they began the blog begin to sour, because from where they sit no one is listening.

I've had times here on the blog when I've written something I thought was profound or I had discovered a book I wanted everyone to read, to learn that a handful of readers read the post. But when I found a place to not only connect with, but to feed my blog from it gave me incentive to continue blogging and the friendships that I have developed fostered a sense of accountability.

Moreover, it's fun to to participate in a dialogue between many bloggers about the same subject.

Your Homework:

Yes, we are building a Book Bloggers Collective of our own at BlogCatalog called Book Bloggers United. If you are a member of the 30 Days, then in the Facebook Page Wall make sure you add your blog url to the wall. Then I want you to do five things:

1. Join Book Bloggers United at BlogCatalog, get the badge for your blog's sidebar.
   
2. Use a Links Widget to link all the other bloggers to your blog's sidebar. (Don't forget this blog.) Title the Link: Book Bloggers United. Place this widget underneath the Book Bloggers Badge
   
3. Obtain a Technorati Account, then place your account profile url in the Day 9 Discussion Board
4. If you don't already have a facebook fan page for your blog., then place your Facebook profile url in the Day 9 Discussion Board.
5. Come back to 30 Days, because I will break down BlogCatalog, Technorati and Facebook Fan Pages for the Book Blogger this week.

Quick reminder: If you are not a member of 30 Days, you will not receive the full gumdrops of the next three posts. I only blog full posts about this series on Mondays and Fridays. Registration is free. Visit here to join.

related links:

• Day 1, If you Knew your Blog was Special...?
• Day 2, 5 Book Blogs for 5 Blog Platforms
• Day 3, Blogalicious Templates & Free Upgrades
• Day 4, Which of the Ten Book Blog Types Are You
• Day 6, Analyze your Favorite Book Blogger
• Day 7, 7 Sidebar Must Haves for your Blog
• Day 8, Join a Blog Alliance or Blog Collective
• Free Goody Register for 30 Days to Build
  
• Problogger's 31 Days to Build a Better Blog(our inspiration