In an online\u00a0book marketing group discussion recently, I was crushed \u2013 absolutely crushed<\/em> \u2013 to learn how an author in the group responded to\u00a0a marketing company solicitation.<\/p>\n

She posted that she was \u201cflattered<\/em>\u201d to have been selected for a promotion that would cost her $1,500. The promoter had convinced her that being selected for the \u201copportunity\u201d was a privilege she had earned. She believed him, too naive to know how it really works.<\/p>\n

How does<\/em> it work?<\/p>\n

Some sales people\u00a0will take as much money as they can from anybody.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As soon as you say “Yes!” to $1,500, they tell you that you’ve qualified for a Super Duper Gold Star package that they are only offering to Super Duper Gold Star Authors — you! It costs $500 more, but you will be among the most elite of all authors when you take advantage of this amazing opportunity to showcase your book!<\/p>\n

The next thing you know, your credit card is charged for more than you should spend for a promotion of questionable value.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the hive mind revealed that the sales person\u00a0was re-selling an opportunity that the originator was offering for just over $300 to anybody with a book \u2013 no screening, no \u201cyour book is so special\u201d B.S., no hard sell.\u00a0Just pay the fee and you\u2019re in.<\/p>\n

Oh, you flatter me<\/h3>\n

Flattery will get you anywhere, right?<\/p>\n

(I hope you answered, \u201cWrong.\u201d)<\/p>\n

And yet, there are some promotions that are worth their cost. For example, I know of one virtual book tour service that charges a fair fee for good work for fiction. And Facebook advertising is both smart and affordable when you have the right pieces in place before spending the money.<\/p>\n

To be successful at selling books\u00a0on social media, authors need to be able to\u00a0answer these questions:<\/p>\n

\n
• How do you assess the value of an online book promotion opportunity? (Did you know there’s\u00a0a tool for that?)<\/li>\n
• Where will you find the readers for your books? (You don’t want to be spending your time on the wrong network as so many are.)<\/li>\n
• At what point should you consider paying for opportunities\u00a0to get your book discovered by the right readers, especially when it comes to Facebook ads?<\/li>\n
• What can you do online to sell books without spending\u00a0anything?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  How to do it the right way<\/h3>\n

  <\/a>I’ve asked social media expert\u00a0Chris Syme, who has advised hundreds of fiction and nonfiction authors, to answer those questions and many more in a webinar titled,\u00a0\u201cHow to Sell More Books With Social Media<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0It’s a live training event, but we’ll send the replay link to anyone who registers<\/strong>, so go to the information page<\/a> now to see what you’ll learn and to register.<\/p>\n

  What you learn could save you thousands of dollars while it generates thousands in book sales. (And, you’ll get that promotion evaluation tool I mentioned above!) How can you lose? Get the details now and register here<\/a> so you don’t miss out.<\/p>\n

  What question would you like to ask social media expert Chris Syme about how to sell more books with social media?<\/em><\/p>\n

  Tip of the Month<\/h3>\n

  I always share\u00a0a \u201cTip of the Month,\u201d a free resource or tool for authors, on the last\u00a0Wednesday of the month.<\/p>\n

  My friend Amy Collins at book distribution consultant New Shelves Books<\/a>\u00a0clued me in to this month’s, “Adobe Voice.” It’s an easy-to-use free app that lets you create a short video using your iPhone or iPad’s\u00a0microphone and Adobe’s clip art, photos (or your<\/em> photos!), or text.<\/p>\n

  To show you how it works, I created this little video in just five\u00a0minutes as soon as I downloaded the app. I can’t wait to play with this great tool\u00a0some more, but in the meantime, here’s my very first video:<\/p>\n