Print on demand (P.O.D) publishing has exploded in recent years thanks to the internet and hungry writers out there anxious to see their work in print. In the wake of not being able to get a contract with a ‘legitimate’ publisher these POD or vanity publishers as they are sometimes referred to have filled a void for writers who want to get their work to the people themselves. Many famous authors started out that way from James Joyce to E. Lynn Harris and they went on to be huge literary stars. Many though did not have the good fortune to go on to the big leagues as these two did and their work were relegated to the shelves of sympathetic friends and relatives never to go further. That is until now.

It used to be with self-publishing that you would contract out with a printer and have so many copies of your book printed and then you would try to sell the works yourself. This was a cumbersome deal requiring you to cough up a lot of money to buy so many hundreds of copies because the printer wouldn’t do it otherwise. So in the end you may buy yourself a lot of inventory that you couldn’t sell. Then too there were the vanity publishers who supposedly would try to sell your book and would try an squeeze you for every penny they could because they never truly intended to make any money off of selling your book; they intended to make it off of you. There were all kinds of costs you had to pay for advertising, special deals, presenting your work to a legitimate publishers, any angle they could dream up to squeeze more duckets out of you. That all changed though with the world wide web and the relatively cheap methods of print on demand publishing which allows that they don’t have to keep any inventory available.

Now the world wide web enabled vanity publishers the option to do what they couldn’t and wouldn’t do before; they could seek out markets throughout the world for the inventory they had with little expense. No longer did they have to fly to England (not that they ever would) to start up a promotional campaign for a new book they were trying to sell. They could advertise over the web and sell to anyone with computer access in England, France, Germany, and as far away as Japan! They didn’t have to go anywhere to advertise their inventory, they just had to advertise on the computer which has taken the world by storm and the ready audience for something new and different would beat a path to their door. With the advent of the web companies like AuthorHouse, Xlibris, iUniverse, and others saw their profits quadruple overnight for with inexpensive production methods and cheap advertising on the web they saved lots of money as they made it. They also saved money in other ways too like in not living up to the agreements they made with their customers and pocketing all royalties on each book sold.

Well I have to admit that I have a personal reason for writing this article for I’m one of AuthorHouse’s many victims. Instead of honoring the agreement we made where I would get 50% on each book sold they’ve opted to lie to me say I haven’t been selling any books yet I see about forty different stores on-line carrying my books. Okay, so I send them a letter and tell them to stop selling my book or making it available SINCE IT’S NOT SELLING ANYWAY according to them. Thus far my book is still available and being sold by them even though our agreement ended in 2006! I sent the same request to Xlibris (who is owned by AuthorHouse) and they are doing the same even though our agreement ended a few months ago. It is sad to think that they either feel that people are such fools that they will believe this nonsense or that they feel they are so powerful that they have nothing to fear from the likes of me and other authors who they are cheating. And then too I’ve heard that to keep authors from finding out how much money their works are earning when major publishers contact them about authors of books they are interested in they chase them away with crazy demands and the author never hears about it for the major publishers naturally assume that AuthorHouse will notify their authors of their offers. They don’t know that AuthorHouse isn’t even supposed to do that for often they are not the official representative of any of their authors. I know they’re not mine and so if the majors contacted AuthorHouse or Xlibris about any of my work, they never told me. It’s a shame what greed can do to some but I have to stop and figure why they got into the business in the first place; their intent in the beginning was to play a shady game on those who had aspirations to be successful authors and their still doing it, only this time they’re making more money. MUCH more money!

The attorney general of Inidiana is investigating AuthorHouse because of all the complaints he’s gotten about them (mine included) and I can only hope that when his investigation is over some of us authors will see some of the money we are owed by AuthorHouse/Xlibris. I’m believing God will shut down the crooked operations of companies like AuthorHouse because it is not right that both books I spent over a year writing are selling in markets they believe I can’t tap and they will not honor any agreement they’ve made as far as remuneration of royalties is concerned. It’s my hope that the other P.O.D.’s out there aren’t like AuthorHouse/Xlibris, but then who is to say. All I really know is that they won’t pay me the money owed to me claiming that no books are being sold yet they keep SELLING  my books even after I asked them to stop. Now does that sound like a book that’s not selling?

Daniel Asamota is an African American author purportedly of West Indian descent whose book \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’Mound Bayou\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’ has set the literary world ablaze. Now check out Daniel Asamota’s new novella \\\’Cricket Man\\\’ at www.cricketman.net. Also check out his website www.Dasamota.com or his e-mail at dasamota@yahoo.com.

The more I work with authors to help them understand the ins and outs of online book marketing, the more I realize that there are five basic and fundamental mistakes that 9 out of 10 authors consistently make.

If you don’t fall victim to these five book marketing fiascoes, you’ll be ahead of the pack…way ahead. So, here are five things to avoid when marketing your books online:

1. Inadequate Keyword Research

This is the #1 big kahuna and the place where 99% of authors quite simply stuff it up. Most of the authors I work with have had little to no success marketing themselves and their books online because they’re not thinking the way Internet marketers think — they have no systematic plan for finding, targeting and ultimately dominating a list of keywords and phrases related to their book or expertise.

In order to have success online, you need to familiarize yourself with the concept of long-tail keywords; to understand how to analyze your competition; and how to know, with almost certainty, how much traffic a particular keyword gets.

Thankfully there are tools out there that do all three. You can find them at the links at the end of this article. Be sure to check them out.

2. Thin Content

Surprisingly, even prolific authors with many books to their credit — gifted writers who can write volumes on their area of expertise — somehow think that they can skate by online with just a couple pages (or even paragraphs!) of content.

Not true.

Here’s the deal: Google and the other search engines LOVE content-rich sites. This is why behemoths like Wikipedia get so much traffic. They have millions of pages in Google’s index. How many pages from your site does Google know or care about? My guess is it’s probably between two and five.

You’ll never rank well for anything other than your name with that kind of site. Bottom line: don’t think you can shortchange people online. If you want your site found, and you want potential readers to care about your book, demonstrate why they should by providing great free content upfront.

3. Ignoring Social Marketing and Web 2.0

If you haven’t noticed, the Internet is changing. In just the past couple of years, sites like Facebook, Digg, YouTube, and EzineArticles.com, along with services such as Twitter, have completely changed the way people interact online.

Gone is the top-down approach of “yesterday’s” media, which is quickly being replaced by a bottom-up system where real people, not editors, decide what’s hot and what’s not.

If you’re not using the sites mentioned above, along with about 100 others that can help you sell more books, you’re missing the biggest sea change in online marketing that you’ve ever seen. (See the links below for resources that will help you identify dozens of sites where you should be marketing your books.)

4. Failing to Build a Base of Support

It’s amazing how many authors don’t take advantage of the most powerful online marketing tool there is — the ability to build a base of support and loyal fans through things like mailing lists, or “followers” on Twitter, or subscribers to an RSS feed, or any number of other methods that traditional Internet marketers simply take for granted.

Here’s why this is so important: it’s infinitely easier to sell to people who already know, like and trust you than it is to sell to people who have no idea who you are.

If someone buys one of your books, they’re an ideal customer for your second, third, and fourth books. But if you have no way to reach the people who bought your first book, you’re going to have to go through the entire “customer-acquisition” process each and every time for every new book.

Wouldn’t it be easier to write a couple emails and send them to your fans? Or to simply put a post up on your blog with a new book announcement? This is the way authors build empires.

5. Trying to Sell Your Book

What? That’s a mistake? But isn’t that the point? Yes and no. I’d argue that by focusing on selling your book to the exclusion of everything else (see point #4 above), too many authors actually miss out on the long-term benefits of generating a loyal following online — the kind of following that buys hundreds of thousands of books.

What’s better, selling one or two books a day now, or selling thousands of books a day a year from now? Stop struggling. Start building information empires the way the most successful Internet marketers do. Stop trying to sell a book or two here and there. Start focusing on getting great content out to the people who need your book.

Sales (like you’ve never experienced before!) will inevitably follow.

If you’re n

Now Pay Close Attention –

Using your Facebook Fan Page to increase your business exposure and revenue is simpler than you’ve been told. Everyone with a facebook fan page faces the same two problems:

[Problem #1] How To Find Interested Facebook Users

[Problem #2] How To Bring Them To Become Your Fans

Facebook Fan Supply has been solving these two problems for hundreds of satisfied customers. The Facebook Fan Supply has been tried and tested and known to produce excellent results.

First: Buy Facebook Fans today and boost your businesses online presence overnight.

With over 500 million users, Facebook is by far the greatest marketing arena online. But to take advantage of this amazing tool, it is always a good idea to get a head start on your competition and Buy Facebook Fans. Visit http://www.fbfansupply.com and claim 25 FREE FANS for tweeting about Facebook Fan Supply!

Social Media has allowed small businesses like your own to compete with large businesses. Particularly in the area of marketing. Video marketing for small business allows owners to create internet-based commercials and distribute them across the web. What’s the advantage? Particularly, small businesses benefit because of the reduced cost. Internet videos may cost only a few hundred dollars as opposed to hundreds of thousands spent by large corporations. The intent is the same for both.

1. Drive Traffic
2. Convert Traffic into paying customers

Television has long since been the standard means of reaching a large audience. That trend has changed over the past few years. More and more people spend time on the internet on video sharing sites such as YouTube, Facebook and MySpace, as a means of entertainment instead of watching television. Large and small corporations also realize there is a growing trend at work here. Pay attention this week as you enter places of business. I guarantee you will see some sort of advertising to follow them on Twitter, or connect with them of Facebook. They understand that the message about their business has to be delivered to where the traffic exists.

This is essential for the survival of your business. If you don’t exist where your customers are, your business will fail. More importantly though, the growing trend in social media is more than just telling people who you are, what you do, then making them an offer. Social media has made it necessary for you as a business owner to develop a relationship with your customer base. You would be well served to find out what your customers likes and dislikes are. Armed with this information, you can make much better choices about what products and services you will offer.

Having a website is no longer enough. You have to have a relationship. Video marketing for your business will allow you to begin creating that relationship while sharing your products and services with the world. Imagine the possibilities for expansion now!

© 2010 Music City Media Group. All Rights Reserved. (615) 669-6264. musicitymediagroup@gmail.com.

In every nook and corner of the world, retailing business is on a rise. Due to the success rate of retailing business in any segment, entrepreneurs are finding it a safe business to invest. One valid reason behind the success of retailers is their realization to the fact that consumers are not just more price-focused but they are focused on every aspect of the shopping experience. Hence, retailers are looking for new ways to convey message to customers that “you are valuable to us”.

Here is a list of some important global retailing trends in retail industry:

Mobile marketing:

In this hi-tech world, mobile is the fastest and easiest way for communication. Retailers are opting for mobile marketing campaigns to inform their customers about the latest sales and discounts going on in their retail store business. Even consumers are showing their consent by giving their mobile phone number so that they can be informed about promotional offers.  

Promotion of green products:

A growing number of retailers are promoting their business in a natural way. Every where people are becoming environment conscious and retailers in sectors such as food and cosmetics are trying to convince consumers that natural products are not just better for the environment but also perform with equal effectiveness to artificial products.

Small popup shops:

Many retailers are following the trend of setting up small retail outlets either in unconventional locations such as university campuses and hospitals or in vacant conventional retail space.  These small retail stores are used by retailers to introduce themselves into new markets where they have not yet established a real estate presence.

Discounting and giveaways:

“Surprise and surprise”. This is one word that consumers find it very attractive. Retailing business is using this formula to increase their popularity and also sales. Regular discount and giveaway schemes offered by a retail store business will ensure regular flow of customers in any retail store. However don’t expect this promotional marketing tool to be put down anytime soon.

Using vacant shop windows for advertising:

An increasing number of retailers are using the vacant shop windows in shopping centers and malls for promoting a retail business and their products.  This can often be hi-tech too where digital displays are used to draw the shopper’s attention to specific merchandise or promotions in a nearby store.

Social media platform:

There are many retailers who are increasingly using social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook as marketing tools for the promotion of their business.  These social media sites provide an opportunity for retailers to form and interact with communities of consumers, and inform them about their business line.

Usage of advanced technology:

Consumers don’t have much time for shopping and they want everything to be done in a fast mode. Retailers are using advanced devices to speed the checkout process and improve the efficiency and enjoyment of the shopping experience.  This makes consumers feel privileged and they feel satisfied with the services.  

Well if you are in the retailing business section, then you must try to follow some of these above mentioned retailing trends to enjoy regular flow of customers and high profit.

FIHL is your best source for information about new retail store business and lots more required for owning a successful business.

 Before hiring a book publicist to garner book publicity for you, get a cup of coffee and get ready for a little online research on book marketing.

A key strategy in any marketing program is to know your competition and successful authors will research competitors before investing time in writing, editing, re-writing, and publishing. How many others have written on the same topic? How have those topics sold? What similar books have done the best? And what made these books successful?

This may sound like a daunting task but it is now as easy as sipping iced tea on a hot, humid day, thanks to a new website called TitleZ – TitleZ allows users to instantly retrieve historic and current Amazon rankings on competitors’ books and create reports with 7-, 30-,90- day and lifetime averages. More importantly, you can use this tool to research your next book or create a marketing plan using the information furnished.

By visiting TitleZ you can compile a list of related books, comparing and contrasting sales figures and rankings. You will want to hurry and check it out now while it’s free in its beta testing stage. After the beta testing period expires the service will be available by paying a monthly subscription fee.

As a book marketing specialist, I have found TitleZ to be very useful in offering book marketing advice to my clients. Authors will find this tool helpful in coming up with book publicity and book publishing strategies.

Visit their web site to learn how a specific book or a group of books has performed over time relative to other books on the market. All you have to do is enter a book title, a subject, author or publisher and TitleZ within seconds comes up with a comprehensive list of books from Amazon plus historical sales ranking data. This information allows authors to see how topics and specific books perform over time and to appreciate what’s hot and what’s not.

Among the advantages TitleZ cites when using its tool are:

· Identify trends with book-buying consumers beyond the top ten lists to see within a given topic which books are gaining in interest and which are declining.

· Quickly and easily uncover best-selling and up-and-coming authors on a specific topic.

· Review renderings of book covers, along with sales ranking data, to see what design features are working in the current marketplace.

· By examining prices of competitors’ books you can make a better informed decision on what to charge for your book.

· Find out how effective promotional appearances, tours, book signings, and marketing activities are in driving sales.

If you aren’t totally convinced yet that TitleZ is worth a cup of coffee’s time to try out, than just visit the site, point and click two or three times, enter just one subject, and examine the data returned. You’ll then become convinced. For more information about book marketing visit: scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090.

So What Is Authority Pro?

Alex Goad is one of the creator of Authority Pro which is one of the many new WordPress Themes that seem to be popping up everywhere lately. Alex claims to have paid over $60,000 in cost to get this wordpress theme created. Now this isn’t just your average wordpress theme. This theme claims to be able to increase conversions with the use of split-testing, optimizations, opt-in forms, the ability to create headlines and more.

In addition to all the different features which allow for testing you also get over 11 widgets and 24 different editable areas to allow you to customize and enhance the style of your site. In addition to the features you also get a number of beneficial videos for beginners and a couple that can be used for advanced marketers.

Read More Here…