Market My Novel

Chris Simeral of The Author's Edge penned a top five list of bad things authors do when it comes to online promotions. They include:

• Inadequate Time Spent Researching Keywords
• Too Little Content
• Not paying enough — or any — attention to Social Marketing & Web 2.0
• Not Focusing on Building a Loyal Following
• Focusing on the Sale

I have a few more to add to his list:

• Authors hire the wrong people to design their Web sites. There are a ton of charlatans out there, peddling their virtual wares as the best in the biz. They are ready to charge exorbitant fees to design a Web site that may look pretty, but has nothing behind it to make you Google-friendly.
• Authors hire poor social media publicists to construct and implement an online marketing strategy. Too often today, people start blogs and suddenly start calling themselves "social media consultants." They don't have a CLUE what social media is really about - or how to create a dynamic strategy for each individual client. They simply see Chris Brogan dollar signs and believe their multi-million dollar retirement is set. (To find a good publicist, see the Market My Novel Quick Guide: How to Hire the Right Publicist)
• Authors give up too quickly on online marketing. If they don't see results in a week, authors simply give up. Some last as long as three months. Online marketing is a long-term investment. Giving up too soon is like setting aside manuscripts each time you become tired of them, get writers block or the cat pukes on the pages. You would not stop completely on that story, would you? Then don't stop your online marketing strategies.
• Authors wear themselves out doing way too much, too soon, and get so sick of online media they stop everything - including e-mail. (See One Author Speaks Out about the Bad Side of Online Promotions)

And the worst reasons authors fail at online promotions  - and one of the biggies I hear every day:

• Authors don't think online promotions are important.

I cannot stress enough how important an online media strategy is to authors who are fighting for fans in the closed world of publishing. You do not have to be a member of every social network, or blog daily to work a near full-time job marketing online to be successful. Three strategically-planned hours a week can go a long way to developing a long-term, dynamic Web presence that will carry you farther than just one book.