Red Hot Internet Publicity: Words on Your Website

Define Your Goals
Before you put pen to paper to write your sales copy for your website, be clear about your goals. We talked earlier about your goals for building a website—pull those out and look at them again. While you may be building the website to sell more cookies, as you start to look at the broader reach of your message, your goals might change. Perhaps you can put together gift baskets too.
Make sure the copy you are about to write targets those goals. And don’t forget to use all the keywords you just selected!
Sell the Benefits
Save the small talk for your next cocktail party. When it comes to filling websites with words, beginners tend to lean towards what I like to call the “cocktail party approach to website copy.” What do I mean by this? Well, let’s pretend you’re at a cocktail party, you’re huddled with a group of friends gabbing about everything under the sun, and around you hundreds of other conversations are mingling with your own, making the voices sound like a hum. That’s what it’s like to a website visitor when you cram a lot of cocktail party copy onto your home page. It’s confusing and it’s white noise. Chances are good that it will result in a “click” signaling the party’s end, your visitor long gone.

Instead, write copy that speaks to your readers and tells them the benefits of your product. Sell the sizzle not the steak.
Make it Scannable
Remember that Internet users scan websites and that relates to how you write good copy. When I spoke to Susan Gilbert, she told me about the elements of good copy. “The Internet has made ‘brochure-style’ writing obsolete. Studies have clearly shown that people do not read websites—they skim them. That means your copy must be written to be eye catching, visually compelling and keep the visitor on your site.”
How do you write scannable website copy? By incorporating lots of

• white space
• bullet points
• highlighted and bolded words
• images

In addition, your copy needs to use simple words, short sentences and include the keywords your site visitor probably used to find your site in a search engine.
Stay On Point
You should distill your web copy down to the most important points and eliminate everything else. You have less than a second to grab someone’s attention.
Don’t risk overwhelming your reader. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them.
Use Captivating Headlines
Be sure to make your message obvious. Use headlines, lists and bold text to convey your message. Spend some serious time really thinking about a catchy headline.
What Do I Get Out of the Deal?
When it comes to sales copy, the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) factor is more important than ever. I have already mentioned the importance of selling the benefits when writing good copy. Then I talked with Susan Gilbert and she emphasized this point: “People want to know what benefit they’ll receive from buying your product or service. Don’t be shy—tell them! Will they get free delivery? Will they make more money? Will they look better? Although visitors may want to know you, the person, sales copy is much more about telling them how their life will be better, safer, happier and richer once they’ve bought from you.” Hopefully between Susan and me we have hammered this point home.
Picking the Perfect Font
When it comes to a font for your website, it’s easy to get carried away. Temptation might dictate that you use a fancy scroll or a really bold font. Wrong.
The challenge with using unique fonts is that the person at the other end might not be able to read it. When you land on a site that’s full of that horrible Courier font (my apologies to all you Courier lovers out there, this usually indicates that the site is using a font your computer can’t read.
Sometimes, when people want to use special fonts, they’ll turn them into graphics instead. But that’s good and bad. First, search engines can’t spider graphics (we’ll discuss the spider factor later). And second, it increases the load time of your website. The trick really is to pick a font (preferably a sans serif) that’s both readable and friendly to the eye, meaning that it doesn’t tire the eye the way a serif font does. So, what’s the difference between the two? When a web designer talks about a serif typeface, he means fonts like Times or Century Schoolbook, where the characters (letters) have little accents or curves. The small downward curves that appear at each end of the cross on the top and the inverted curves at the foot of the letter are known as serifs. “Sans” is French and literally means “without.”
Don’t Get Font-Happy
Do not overwhelm your site with a bunch of different fonts. It simply takes too much work for the reader to process the different letters and fonts. Nothing will send your visitors away faster.
*Excerpt from Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider’s Guide to Marketing Online by Penny Sansevieri, available now on Amazon.com

Mariam Kobras Wins 2013 Silver Independent Book Award for Under the Same Sun!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 2, 2013

Mariam Kobras Wins Second Independent Publisher’s Book Award, Under the Same Sun Snags the 2013 IPPY Silver Medal

Buddhapuss Ink LLC, a NJ based book publisher, announced today that Mariam Kobras, of Hamburg, Germany, has won the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards’ Silver Medal in Romance for her book: Under the Same Sun: Book II of the Stone Trilogy. Kobras said she was “thrilled, beyond thrilled, stunned” with the news. Under the Same Sun, which released in October, 2012, has been a bestseller on Amazon in Contemporary, and Women’s, Fiction. This is Kobras’ second book, and second IPPY. In 2012, she won the Bronze Medal for her first book, The Distant Shore: Book I in the Stone Trilogy. “Winning the award for her first book was recognition of just how talented a writer she is. The second award removes any doubt one might have had that she is truly a phenom.” said Buddhapuss Ink Publisher, MaryChris Bradley. “Her writing is extraordinary and her reviews prove it. We extend our hearty congratulations to Mariam for this well-deserved award! ”

Under the Same Sun—a contemporary romance—continues the story of Jonathon Stone, a rock superstar and Naomi Carlsson, the girl he loved, lost, and found again. The story picks up where The Distant Shore left off, and focuses on Jon and Naomi as they deal with the lingering aftereffects of her shooting, their son Joshua’s decision to give up his music studies, and Naomi’s desire for another child. The story takes place in locales from London, to Italy, to New York City. “Under the Same Sun screamed at me to be written. The story of Naomi dealing with the terrible trauma of having been shot was like a fist in my neck.” stated Kobras. “The book is about growing up and taking charge of your life. It's about discovering that following your own dreams, rather than what others impose on you, is a valid way of life.”

Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Mariam and her family lived in Brazil and Saudi Arabia before they decided to settle in Germany. She attended school there and studied American Literature and Psychology at Justus-Liebig-University in Giessen. Today she writes and lives in Hamburg, Germany, with her husband, two sons and two cats.

BUDDHAPUSS INK LLC is based in Edison, NJ. Founded in 2009, it is led by Publisher, MaryChris Bradley, a 29 year veteran in the book industry. “Our company mission is to ‘Put readers first’ and we are committed to finding and growing new authors at a time when the major houses seem to have turned their backs on writers without an already well-established track record. “ Bradley can be contacted at Publisher@BuddhapussInk.com. “Of course, you can always find us on Facebook, and twitter too.”

Twitter: @Buddhapuss    Facebook:  Buddhapuss Ink LLC    Website:  http://www.buddhapussink.com/

Company Blog: Buddhapussink.blogspot.com

How to Approach Publishing as a Business

Publishing is a business and, as the author, you must consider yourself the CEO of your book. From start to finish—the germ of a book idea to publication (and beyond)—you must take charge. If you make good business decisions, you will surely experience greater success. If not, then, you could be one of the nearly 78 percent of authors who fail.
So where does an author start? What is the first step? Understanding the publishing industry—getting a grasp on what it entails, what all of your options are and what your responsibilities as a published author are.

Here’s what publishing professionals suggest:

• Study the publishing industry.

What do I mean about studying the publishing industry? How does one go about this?
1. Continue to visit blogs. Follow the links. Consider the recommendations. Check out the resources. Heed the advice of professionals.
2. Read books by industry professionals such as Patricia Fry, Dan Poynter, Brian Jud, Mark Levine, Penny Sansevieri and others.
3. Join local authors’ groups. Attend meetings and events, participate in their discussion groups, read the articles and check out the resources at their sites and study every newsletter they so carefully prepare for you.
4. Subscribe to magazines and newsletters related to publishing. “Publishing Basics,” “Book Marketing Matters,” “SPAWNews,” “The Book Marketing Expert Newsletter—all FREE.
5. Search the Net. Spend time each week checking out the resources you’ve already discovered and searching for additional resources, articles, discussion groups and books. Use these materials and sites to gather additional information you need about the industry (your publishing options, how to choose and approach publishers/agents, your responsibilities as a published author, what to expect when it comes to marketing your book and so forth).
6. Attend at least one good authors’ conference. Sit in on several of the workshops. Ask questions, pick up handouts and network with other authors.
How can you succeed as an author in today’s highly competitive publishing arena? Remember that publishing is a business and approach it as such.

————
* [This article was written by Patricia Fry, author of 37 books and executive director of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) www.spawn.org. Her latest book is Talk Up Your Book (Allworth Press). Follow her informative publishing blog daily: www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog.]

Celebrate Lover's Day with a Romantic Duo!

When you're in love, everyday is Lover's Day.

Sometimes people need a little incentive to express their love or to take a "leap," Valentine's Day is one such opportunity. Lover's Day is yet another chance at love. Some people get married on Lover's Day, others propose, or have a romantic dinner for two.

What do we do on Lover's Day? Because we love romance and readers, we want to give you a present for Lover's Day. In fact, we like you so much, one day isn't enough—we want to give you THREE DAYS of LOVE!

So, for the next three days, Tue 4/23 through Thur 4/25, we are giving away the bestselling kindle edition of The Distant Shore by award-winning author Mariam Kobras.

 

The Distant Shore is the first book in Mariam's Stone Trilogy, and here’s what her fans have to say:

~ Valerie Storey, 5 Stars, “Mariam Kobras has a real gift for description, and I loved the settings in particular; some of the passages read like poetry. Reading her book was the equivalent of taking a vacation—and to my mind that's the best kind of reading experience there is.”

~ Lauri Rottmayer, 5 stars, “Mariam Kobras has crafted a love story that you can really imagine. Her beautiful words create the images in your head drawing you into the story and the lives of the characters. I'm excited to read the next book!"

~Adele Adair, 5 stars, "Jon and Naomi's love story had me captivated and I was carried along on the roller coaster of their relationship. Her ability to set a scene transported me to Norway, New York and beyond. The journey she takes us on is not an easy one for her characters as they struggle to overcome years of separation and the differences in their lifestyles, hopes and dreams."

~Johanna Harness, 5 stars, "The set-up is straight-forward. Jonathan Stone, an aging rock star, still longs for the woman who walked out of his life years ago. His fan mail is usually screened, but this time his manager gives him a letter. "My mother's name is Naomi Carlsson," it begins. "We live in a small town in Norway called Halmar where she manages a hotel, the Seaside. She said you are my father." From there, the story tumbles out beautifully, structured with a sense of inevitability—and yet I still found myself surprised."

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE . . . 

We've also put the kindle edition of the second book in the Stone Trilogy, Under the Same Sun, on SALE for $3.99, 50% off. Yep, it's twice the love!

Both books are beautifully written, engaging stories, that will keep you turning the pages late into the night. Don't miss out on this LIMITED TIME OFFER! All good things have to come to an end so, even though we'll still love you on the 26th, this offer ends at midnight PDT on the 25th.

No kindle, NO PROBLEM, Amazon has an app for that. You can read these ebooks on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Just click HERE and get reading!

Our prescription: Take two Kobras kindles with plenty of chocolate and unplug the phone!

 

Are Book Critics Obsolete or Essential?

From a Creative Penn article called “The Discoverability Challenge: With More Authors Self-Publishing Each Year, How Will Your Book Get Noticed?”

Amazon and other online publishers have made it so simple for authors to self-publish that the number of books hitting the electronic shelves each year has skyrocketed. For example, in 1950, only 11,000 new books were published. Seems like quite a good amount of books, doesn’t it? The year 2011 welcomed an estimated 340,000 new books into the world, according to data company Bowkers.
In the days of bookstores, titles were quickly retired to make way for the latest and greatest. With online book retailers like Amazon now the go-to place for literary material, books can stay on electronic shelves indefinitely while each new year brings an ever-increasing tidal wave of newly published selections.
Readers have more reading choices than ever, but writers have never faced a more competitive environment or struggled so hard to get their book noticed.

Outlets that will review your independently published books

As possible solutions to this discoverability challenge, the article’s author (Jessica Bennett) goes on to mention sites like Netgalley, Goodreads, Bookish and Rabble Reads, as well as her own CompulsionReads. I’ll add our friends at the B.R.A.G. Medallion to the list too. These sites aim to highlight the best indie books on the market — the very, very flooded market.

What are your predictions for the future of book criticism?

In a world where Amazon customer reviews can be purchased, are these kinds of grassroots and crowd-sourced review sites more important than ever? Do they help bring attention to the most deserving indie books? Or do they reinforce a certain stylistic status quo?
Do they nobly broaden admittance into the canon, or are they perpetuating an obsolete notion (the myth of a canon in the first place, especially in the digital age)?
And if they are serving a crucial role in a changing industry, maybe it’s not that big a leap to think that book critics — the old-school, individual kind —  could still offer a valuable service too (if, of course, they’ll consider books not being pimped by the traditional publishing industry).
Now that the barriers to publishing and distribution have fallen, are critics more important and more powerful than ever? 
And what does it even mean to be “a critic?”
Which can you trust more, the wisdom of the masses or the tastes of a learned (maybe snobby) individual? Data from a social graph or the instincts of an experienced book critic?
Yes, I realize there’s probably a place for both in tomorrow’s publishing industry. But I’d love to hear your thoughts on how the floodgates of the future (and present) will be tended. Let me know in the comments section below.

One Writer's Conference Could be Your Catalyst

Why attending a writers conference will take your career to the next level

*This article was written by C. Hope Clark, editor of FundsforWriters.com and originally appeared here.

New writers might fear attending a conference. Seasoned writers may think they don’t need to go to conferences anymore. But I would like to argue that every writer should dare to attend one conference per year.

It doesn’t have to be a huge, 1,000-attendee extravaganza, but try to make it more than a Christmas party for your writer’s group. You want to make yourself attend a conference where:

1) You meet new authors.

2) You hear new presenters.

3) You have the ability to receive a critique.

4) You have chat time with other writers.

I’ve been to many conferences. Some are better than others, but keep in mind I’m viewing it from the standpoint of a presenter. I’d love to attend a function where I wander around meeting others who are lost like me, or seeking answers to writing problems. I want to sit at the same table as someone who’s at my level of writing and publishing. And I want to be accessible to teachers willing to explain an issue to me, or tell me if I’m on the right track.

Who you’ll meet at a writers conference

We develop a hunger for our kind. That not only means writers in general, but also writers who:
1) write in our genre
2) write part-time or full-time like us
3) started later in life
4) just left college and don’t know where to turn
5) self-published instead of traditionally published
6) remain stubborn for a traditional contract
7) like agents
8) don’t like agents
9) prefer ebooks
10) won grants and contests
11) have great blogs
12) make social networking work
13) place their books into bookstores
14) attend retreats and know how to get their way paid
I’m sure you can add to the list, but what we want is to exchange thoughts with others who have our same doubts . . . while seeking similar dreams.
In other words, they get you . . . and you get them.
You know how rare those people are in your real world.  Conferences rejuvenate you, but they also help you deduce whether you’re on the right track. They open doors.

What kinds of career-building opportunities happen at a writers conference?

1) A published writer meets another published writer and learns more about selling foreign or film rights.
2) A struggling writer meets one more experience who has a fantastic blog and offers an opportunity to guest post.
3) You analyze the way author tables are decorated and develop some great ideas for a new banner.
4) You study business cards and bookmarks handed out and see why yours aren’t cutting the mustard.
5) You hear about new magazines seeking freelancers and decide to pitch a few.
6) You become friends with a bookstore owner who offers to stock your book in his store after the conference, maybe offer you a signing event.
7) You offer to volunteer next year at the conference in exchange for your conference fees being paid.
The opportunities are endless! Just go to a conference, and choose to learn and network. You will walk away with enough ideas to keep your muse pumped for months to come.

————-

BIO: C. Hope Clark is editor of FundsforWriters.com chosen by Writer’s Digest for its 101 Best Websites for Writers for the last 12 years. She’s author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series. Lowcountry Bribe released in February 2012, with book two (Tidewater Murder) coming out in mid-April 2013. And she’s also author of The Shy Writerand The Shy Writer Reborn. Her freelance work has appeared in Writer’s Market 2013, Guide to Literary Agents 2011 and 2012, Writer’s Digest and The Writer Magazine. www.fundsforwriters.com and www.chopeclark.com  Twitter @hopeclark

COMING ATTRACTIONS!

Releasing in July 2013, Song of the Storm, Book III of the Stone Trilogy by Mariam Kobras

 The book will be available for PreOrder on Amazon.com in April. 

WOOO HOO! Congrats Mariam!