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Listen and Learn

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palm-sized bunny

I am a new fan of listening to books. My first audiobook experience, Educated, blew my mind. Immediate addiction. I found myself sneaking in time when I could listen to the next chapter, and then, the next. As a result of listening to this first book, I quickly followed up with Joe Biden’s Promise Me Dad. They are incredible stories. Both moved me to tears. (Links to each book appear at the end of this post.)

My first listen to Seth Godin’s This is Marketing will not be my last. He offers insights and examples of how to build deeper relationships while at the same time being honest and authentic. Marketing is about creating change, positive change, in the world. It is not about manipulation. On this, we agree.

Why I love to Listen

Listening to books is a way for me to take in information and to relax, depending on the content and setting of my audio sessions. When I am driving, listening to a good book is a pleasurable experience. When I write or am in the middle of creating a design, music, and quiet are my preferred backgrounds.

If you have not tried listening to a book, give it a listen. The leap from listening to a podcast to my investment in listening to a book surprised me. Most of the podcast episodes I devour are short. A few go into greater depth and may last up to an hour. The majority of my favorite podcasts average between 5-20 minutes per episode. If they are on the longer side of the spectrum, I will break up my sessions.

Ways to Listen: Podcasts and Books

Yes, I love podcasts. My 5 favorites on to marketing:

Listen and learn. It is a fun and fruitful way to use your ears and your head. And, if you are an author, consider turning your book into a podcast and audiobook. You never know who will be listening!.

Enter to Win

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Enter to Win is a new habit

I am applying this simple habit to my writing and I choose to enter to win.

You can’t win if you don’t enter a contest. I am learning that being an author; I must take risks. I may never be 100% comfortable sharing and submitting my work to anthologies, contests, giving and getting feedback, yet, that is what I need to improve my writing and gather support.

The transition from Creator to Apprentice

I am an old hand at sharing designs, giving workshops, creating for others. I am new at sharing my writing. I squeaked in just under the deadline when I submitted poems for the Redwood Writer’s 2018 Poetry Anthology. I repeated this craziness, watching the seconds tick by as they approached the end of time for accepting stories for the crime fiction contest and as I prepared my memoir for submission to the Redwood Writer’s 2018 Anthology. One of my poems is part of the published anthology of poetry. My memoir is part of the 2018 Anthology, Redemption. My crime fiction murder missed top honors, and yet, it was cathartic to write it, and I may revisit the story and see if I can improve on it.

Taking Risks

I stood up and read a poem at a Napa Valley Writer’s meeting. It was exhilarating and humbling. I can’t wait to do it again.

Opening my up and exposing my writing to the light is a new habit. I have been invited to join a critique group and am eager to continue sharing, rewriting, getting feedback, giving feedback

Would you please?

All this is a prelude to my request of you, gentle reader, to read my story. It is an excerpt from my memoir/guidebook:

Wellness Warrior: The Kick-ass Guide to Resiliency and How to Thrive during Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer, Bounce Back to Have a Happier, Healthier Life

My story is part of the Short Fiction Break for the Summer. You can read it, and if you like it, please share it with your friends. 
Holding My Breath Short Story - Enter to Win

Enter to win

You can only win if you enter.  Each entry is a win in my journey to change my habit and to share my work. What are you working on shifting in your marketing mindset and habits?

Sharing Your Stuff Made Easy

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Sharing With Ease

Sometimes I feel like sharing something great with my friends and fans. And then, I start to do it and find that it takes too much time or too many steps. Have you ever wanted to share a good review or a testimonial and found that it took you so long to do it that you gave up half way through the process?

What if you could click on one button that would take you to a social site like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Pinterest or even an email share of the super cool thing you want to share?

Have no fear, there is a solution that is easy, free and awesome. What is it you ask? Sharelinkgenerator. I made a link in under in 5 seconds:
Share on Facebook

Share Link Generator on FacebookWhen you click on it, here is what you will get:

Now, think about using this to promote your latest book, a new service or product. Pretty sweet.

This is just one of the great tips I learned about from Tim Grahl on his podcast, Book Launch Show.

Tim started this podcast in December 2016. Each of his episodes is about 15-20 minutes of great information for self-published authors. If you want to check out the podcast, click below.

Share on Google+

Share on Google Plus

Now you know how to make it easy to share your stuff with your fans. Sweet.

Why I like the Book Launch Show

Each episode is short, to the point and taken from Tim’s real like experiences. It is not full of fluff or lots of self-promotion. It is solid information that is proven to work for authors. He has a pleasant voice and delivery style. Even though he is very experienced, he doesn’t talk over the heads of a newbie.

I appreciate his practical approach to book promotion. Listen and learn. It’s easy.

If you like this post, please share it with your friends.
Share on Facebook

Podcasting to Grow Your Audience of Readers and Fans

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Podcasting is another way to grow your audience

Judy Baker says the power of podcasting in marketing your bookDid you know that podcasting is a powerful way to promote your book and grow your audience? Have you ever listened to a podcast? Have you ever considered creating your own podcast show? It is not as difficult as you might imagine and it can yield amazing results for your book marketing and promotion.

Watch this 2-minute 12-second video about podcasting

Transcript of the Video: Host an Author Podcast to Market Your Book

You can do an entire podcast series based on your book. True for fiction or non-fiction. Many people enjoy listening and learning. Podcasts are enjoying a resurgence in popularity and it is an uncrowded medium.

This is Judy Baker, your independent book publishing mentor, also known as a book marketing mentor, from brandvines.

I want to share a tip with you that I shared with a group of independent authors and publishers who came to an event I hosted with my cohort, Judy Reyes, at our local independent bookstore, Reader’s Books in Sonoma.

We discussed different ways you can promote yourself and your book. One of the tips I shared, create a podcast around your book. This works for both fiction and nonfiction. And there are many great examples:

Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid, and Steal the Show did an entire podcast (series) for his second book that built up interest prior to the book launch. He had tidbits that he was sharing before the launch of his book, and he got people excited and ready to purchase the book when it became available. And in fact, he even did some pre-sales.

There is a great resource for you to check out. It’s called the bookmarket.com, and there is an article about Promoting your Book with an Author Podcast by Patrice-Anne Rutledge. You can find it at http://www.bookmarket.com/podcasts.htm

It tells you why a podcast is a great tool for you as an indie publisher and how to set up your podcast! So, what are you waiting for?

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