This page has valuable information and links for authors who want marketing tools to promote their books. Every month this page is updated, so there is a lot on this page for you.

Julie Ortolon

I just love Linkedin.  I have found some wonderful people there who are so knowledgeable about promoting books.  Julie Ortolon is one of these people.  She has a blog that has a wealth of information.  You all have to go there and read all the archived blogs.   For instance today, she has a blog about how to get people to find your blog.  Her tips are specific and easy to understand. Her blog is called Julie’s Journal, click to visit. While you are there check out her first contemporary romance book in a series, Falling for You, an enjoyable read.  Julie has written lots of books and you can read excerpts from them on here website, http://www.julieortolon.com.

Aside from her writing and book promotion talents, she also is an illustrator. She was a graphic designer for a newspaper, doing ad layout, before she sold her first novel. She also did a lot bookmarks, postcards, and fliers for authors back when that was considered promotion. So, cover design is a natural for her, and extremely needed with all these authors republishing their backlist as ebooks.  Give Julie’s books a try as well  as her blog.  My web master, Janis Friesler will be a guest blogger on Julie’s site, because she has become an author’s virtual assistant.  If you want to know more about her services or about Julie, comment here and I will get back to you.

Brandi K. Drury

Meet Brandi Drury.  She has a wonderful site for authors called, authorspromotingauthors.  This site has more than the usual book sites.  She will set up a  virtual book tour for you, any genre.  These tours include blogs, internet radio, live chat etc.   For the book tour, she requires a $50.00 donation part of which goes to Cancer Research.  On her site you get a lot of free book promotions including a profile page, groups, banners, reviews etc.  Brandi works very hard for authors and is generous with her time. Brandi writes under the name, B.K. Walker.

Brandi  lives in Eastern Pennsylvania with her three children.  She works full time as a Pediatric Nurse and writes at her leisure.  She has always had a love for writing since childhood.  She writes poetry as well,  and took literature classes in college and has used the knowledge gained to put her work into publication.

Brandi. strives to help new authors get noticed,  doing book promotion,  features,  and reviews,  as well as organizes and runs virtual book tours through the Virtual Book Tour Cafe’ Always willing to hear from her readers,  she encourages everyone to join her mailing list at BK Walker Books or contact her directly by email – bkwalkerbooks@comcast.net . She is the author of  two books titled,  Near Suicide which was released June 2009, and Dares And Dreams, released September 2009.

Michael C. Volkin

Meet Michael Volkin.  He wrote a great book called Social Networking for Authors. It is really a step by step manual on how to promote your book.  He spends a great deal of time discussing “how to get traffic to your website.”  The methods he talks about are very easy to follow.  Click on his book cover to buy his book on Amazon.  I really don’t like spending over $9.95 for a kindle book.  I made an exception in this case.  The book is well worth it.  Visit his website http://sellatonofbooks.com He has free press release templates and videos that you will want to look at.  The press release models are excellent.  They are very visual.  I would never have thought of  press releases the way Michael designed them.  He has used his vast experience to  save us a lot of time.  No more floundering around; he presents a detailed blueprint to marketing a book that I intend to follow.  So should you!

Mark Coker

Mark Coker is the founder of a terrific site,  http://www.smashwords.com. You can upload your ebook to this site and it will be formatted ten different ways including Kindle and Sony Reader.  Then they will sell it on their site.  You name the price and the  royalty is 85% yours and 15% theirs.  There is no cost to upload the ebook.  Not only that, if you correctly format your book for upload, it  will be included in their premium catalog which markets your book everywhere.  It is a bit tricky to get the formatting right, but Mark made it easy by publishing a style manual for smashwords with detailed instructions, free of course.  Not only that he also has a manual for marketing your book  at no cost. You get a profile page on Smashwords and can upload your book cover and book video. Mark is also an author and you can find his books on Smashwords.  When you publish or self-publish your next book, be sure to keep the rights to your ebook so you can take advantage of this wonderful site.

Nick Stewart

Nick is an expert on internet traffic.  His work is for profit, but he also does a lot of  very good things at no cost.  For instance, he will allow you to give him up to three websites to stumble to Stumble Upon, and he will also give you a free back link.  Stumble Upon is  a wonderful service that will allow you to to share websites that you like.  It will also send you an email periodically with a list of websites it targets for you. A back link from Nick will be a good search engine optimization tool because Nick has authority with Google, etc.  A link from Nick’s site to your site will pass on some of that authority to you so that you get more credibility with Google.  This could pull you up in the rankings.  Nick has many free tools and videos that will help you.

You can visit his site, Nick’s Traffic Tips to take advantage of all he has to offer.

John Kremer

John is as good as it gets in helping authors promote their books.  His website: http://www.bookmarket.com has a wealth of information that is constantly updated.  He has afree email newsletter that you can sign up for on his site.  He also has a  1001 Ways to Market Your Books for sale on his site as well as Amazon.  Click on the book cover to buy his book.  Also  John has a online book marketing course called Ten Million Eyeballs that you can purchase on his site.  John proved what a powerful book marketing  resource he is to me.  As soon as he mentioned my new author book promotion campaign on my site in his newsletter,  I got a huge and immediate response from authors wanting to be included on my Spotlight On Authors page.  Thanks John!

Don’t forget to tag John’s book on Amazon.

Vincent Lowry

Vincent is a fixture on Goodreads.com.  He has provided ways  for authors to display their books, blurbs, links, book videos, and to receive reviews from their peers and readers. His blog, Rate My Book Video invites authors from all genres to post links to their book videos/trailers so viewers can provide feedback. Dozens of writers have contributed to the site, making it one of the largest forums for viral book video marketing. Don’t forget to read his comments on these good reads groups: Tips for Self Promotion, Sales and Advertising, Book Trailers and Videos, and Goodreads Authors/Readers.  He has provided a vehicle for authors to promote their books.  You can talk about your books, provide links, book covers, book videos, and even an interview.  I just filled out his interview form.

Vince is  also is a recognized young adult writer who who wrote Constellation Chronicles, a very well received  science fiction novel for young adults voted #1 on Goodreads list of New Children’s Classics. You can learn more about Vince and his book on his website: http://www.constellationchronicles.com.   You can buy his book on Amazon.   After you read about our next author don’t forget to tag Constellation Chronicles on Amazon.

Todd A. Fonseca

Todd is  a tagging guru.  His website will tell you everything you need to know about tagging.  In a nutshell,  book tags on Amazon can help your ratings. “Something interesting happens as tags are created – customer communities are created related to these tags. If you click on the tag “memoir”, you’ll be taken to the Amazon “memoir” customer community home page. There you’ll find products, discussion boards, lists and guides, images – all items related to the tag “memoir”.   Todd not only explains tagging but allows you to submit your book to his website. If your book is put on the Tag Your It page of his site, then everyone on the list is required to tag your book and vice-versa.  All I did is submit my book and my tags tripled in one day.  There are other features on Todd’s blog so go to http://tagmybookonamazon.wordpress.com/ and start learning.

Todd is the author of The Time Cavern. Released in June 2008, named finalist in the 2009 IE national book awards (young adult category), and nominated for a 2008 Minnesota book award. It is a mystery that has its own webquest and bookmarks etc.  (Great for teachers and home schoolers).   You can buy the book on Amazon.

If you know an altruistic author like those included above.  Please email information about the author to trish@trishsilver.com.

Links to Helpful Book Sites

Most of these sites have free services and paid services.  The best way
to use them is to join up, create a profile, join groups, and learn
about what they can do for you.

1. Book Identity
2. Erotic Horizon
3. Everpub
4. Feathered Quill Book Review
5. Freado
6. GoodReads - Best use of this site is to join the book groups that apply to your book generally and your genre
7. Kali Takasar – erotic romance
8. Manic Readers
9. My Overstuffed Bookshelf
10. Night Owl Romance
11. Romance Junkies
12. The Polka Dot Banner
13. Shefari
14. The Red Room
15. Welcome to Book Town
16. You Gotta  Read Video:   Enter your video in the monthly contest.  They do book reviews also.
17. Your Book Tube

Link to Helpful Marketing Sites

These sites have free and paid services and lots of information.

1. Add Your Site Free
2. Link Referral

If you know other helpful sites, please email the link to me at trish@trishsilver.com