1. Getting Into the Act: Turn Your Readers Into Your Marketers Gina Panettieri, Founder Talcott Notch Literary

2. About Gina Panettieri 28-year industry veteran Has worked with dozens of publishers over hundreds of titles Frequently works with new, first-time authors Loves finding ‘out of the box’ promotion ideas!

3. Why You Need to Get Your Readers Into the Act of Promoting Your Books There’s only one of you and you only have so many hours in your day. Extends the reach of any promotional effort. Reader support is convincing and credible. A strong reader support platform is impressive to your publisher for future books.

4. What You Should Already Be Doing Amazon Author Page Goodreads LibraryThing Facebook Page Web page (for either you or book) Tumblr and Pinterest Seeking and collecting reviews Blogging

5. What You Shouldn’t Be Doing ‘Author in a box’ book signings – these are rarely profitable and generally only sell copies to people who would buy your book anyway. Throwing ARCs away on ‘coupon queens’ – folks who sign up to try to win anything free. Allowing your social media to stagnate – refresh your blog, your webpage and your FB page Begging, stalking or offering to ‘trade’ five-star reviews – Reviews should be honest. It shows. Reading your bad reviews and arguing with them online – It’s bad for your psyche and looks unprofessional. Don’t put out negative energy.

6. How to Lose a Reader in Ten Days or Less Blow up your reader’s email inbox or Twitterfeed with spam. If you have a newsletter, send it out monthly, and allow for ‘unsubscribing’ easily. Make all your posts/tweets/newsfeed items about yourself/your book. Misusing email contacts supplied to enter contests. Being ungracious in your social media. Don’t rise to Twitter baiting. Trolls happen. Be professional and move on.

7. What Do We Mean by Getting Your Reader Into the Act? Your reader is actively engaged as a member of your reader community. Your reader is participating in activities to bring your book to other readers’ attention. Your reader is demonstrating the power and scope of your platform to your publisher or prospective publisher.

8. Engaging Your Reader To Get Them Into The Act The art behind the giveaway Interactive pages Personal interaction Finding what excites them and makes them happy

9. What’s the Goal of a Book Giveaway? Introduce your name and book to new readers. Drive readers to your page where some put the book on their Goodreads ‘to read’ list, or order the book without waiting for the contest to end. Get readers to buzz your book to others by retweeting, sharing or passing along links to the giveaway. If offering books for giveaway to bloggers, acts as incentives to have the book featured.

10. Where to Position Your Giveaways Don’t do book giveaways at your own pages. If folks are already on your webpage, etc., they’re probably already buying your books or considering it. Use giveaways to drive people TO your pages, to discover you. Instead, aim book giveaways at… Goodreads (only physical books) LibraryThing (allows e or physical book giveaways) Blogs (aim for those by fellow writers in your genre, popular reviewers. Publisher/publicity partner email blasts, Twitter or FB campaigns.

11. Do’s and Don’t of Giveaways DON’T giveaway with no involvement. A great example of a good giveaway was a Diana Gabaldon giveaway through Kirkus Reviews. To enter required the reader to correctly answer questions in a quiz, and to do so, the reader had to view a Diana interview video posted at the Kirkus page! Great to acquaint new readers with the author, and to show off other books on the page! DO check out blogs or reviewers before sending out ARCs for them to give away to be sure there’s a following and that it’s the right market. Don’t waste ARCs!

12. Do’s and Don’ts of Giveaways (2) DO giveaway to/through blogs or contests of writers with similar readerships. Get in on group giveaways DO offer giveaways to those helping with promotion of the book. Prizes for tweeting pics of the ‘book in the wild’, for those posting reviews of the book, creating the best video trailers and posting those to YouTube, and more!

13. How Can Readers Market Your Book? Tweet pictures of your book ‘in the wild’ for a chance to enter a giveaway contest. Specify a hashtag and contest dates to track entries. Proof of review as contest entry. Post a review of your book and then post a link to that review on your fan page or contest page to enter. Reviews are super marketing tools! Compete at creating the best YouTube trailer for your book to win a giveaway. Our last contest like this got the winner national attention through USA Today where a book editor spotted the trailer while researching an article on book trailers, exactly what we all wanted!

14. Do’s and Don’t of Giveaways Approach potential publicity partners to provide prizes like comp rooms, gift baskets, coupons and more. Hotels, restaurants, vineyards - the possibilities are endless. Look for partners with a connection to your book, like setting, products used, complementary audiences, or new businesses wanting exposure. A free book is fun and creates buzz, a free night in a romantic Inn with a book is more fun and even more buzz-worthy!

15. Interacting With Your Readers Fan Page/Discussion Page Tactics A moderator helps keep distance if you’re shy, and can cheerlead for you in the third person, while allowing you to jump in when you want. A closed members-only group allows you to admit only readers you’ve checked out – no spammers, no hostiles. Greet new members when they join! Express appreciation. Post lots of pics! This is a great place to allow fans to send in pics of them with you or your book(s), or for you to post pics with your favorite booksellers. It helps create a sense of family and community among the members.

16. Interactive Author Pages www.dianagabaldon.com A treasure trove of information and opportunities to interact with the author with a link to a secondary reader community at the Compuserve Books and Writers Community board where there are numerous discussion boards and chances to ask questions and chat with the author. Romance writers are keenly aware of how important reader interaction is and this website’s and the tools used here are great examples for other writers to follow. She also posts links to her YouTube videos www.dianagabaldon.com

23. Building a Reader Community Offer opportunities to connect and interact, not just you and your readers but your readers with each other Be a place readers want to return to frequently Entertain, amuse and educate Turn the lens outward

24. Turning the lens ‘outward’ Ask questions sometimes, rather than just making statements. Show interest, be kind. Find commonalities with readers, mutual interests that arise out of your books. Allow for room for readers to interact with each other. It doesn’t always have to be about you. Share your knowledge, be gracious, be appreciative to your readers.