Guest Post with Linda Fulkerson

First of all, I want to thank Cindy for letting me post on her blog today! And second, I want to introduce her readers to the result of a recent “God-nudge” – Marketing for Christian Writers . . . promoting our words in order to spread His (MarketingforChristianWriters.com).

For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve been involved in marketing for about 15 years, mostly as a

strategist for small businesses, but a few weeks ago, I got this, well, God-nudge, telling me to use my experience to teach Christian writers how to be better marketers. So, I’ve been busy getting this launched ever since.

What is Marketing for Christian Writers? It’s a hub of resources. At the moment, you can find “Today’s Tip,” a weekly poll, and blog posts, as well as relevant content I’ve found from other sources and posted to the Facebook page, LinkedIn group, Twitter, etc. We also have a free email-training list. When you sign up to join the list, you’ll get access to a free report – 102 Ways to Market Your Stuff. (I say “stuff,” because it includes not only writing, but speaking, consulting, and any writing-related business ventures you may offer.) Plus, you can subscribe (again, for FREE), to receive email updates from the blog so you don’t miss any of the Today’s Tips or other posts.

What’s coming down the pike for MforCW? A podcast (which will launch this month, Lord willing), video training (some free, some paid), a members’ area with exclusive content, and resource articles. Another feature for the site which is being added this month is guest posts by authors who share their personal marketing experiences and tips. My hope is to make this site a one-stop resource for all your marketing information and training, and my goal is to have most of these features implemented during June and July. (Yes, of this year!)

And if there is enough interest, I may create a forum where people can post and answer questions. What are your thoughts on the forum idea? Would you use it? Would you participate by posting both questions and answers? Thanks for your input.

Since you took time out of your day to stop by and read this post, I want to share with you a FREE and quick & easy tip to help you better market your writing. This tip literally took me 15 minutes to complete, but it’s a huge step toward preparing you to sell books online, especially at the Kindle marketplace.

Today’s Tip:

Set up your author page at Amazon.com. If you’ve already done this, then kudos to you, because this page is a HUGE asset to online marketing. Kindle is a great stepping stone for those seeking traditional publishing or for those whose manuscripts have made the rejection rounds and need a publishing home. And if your book falls into the latter category (as my novel, Wings of the Dawn, did), there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Last time I checked, only 6% of books are published traditionally. That means those of use who seek alternative methods of publishing are in the 94-percentile – an A in most grading systems!

So, how do you set up your author page?

1. Go to authorcentral.amazon.com and set up your account. If you already have an Amazon.com account, you can log in with your username and password. Otherwise, look for the “Join Now” link.
2. If you already have books for sale at Amazon.com, they will automatically appear on your author page. Pretty cool. But if your books don’t show up, scroll down and look for the Add or Remove Book link in the footer.
3. Create a unique URL so it’s easier to share with others. Mine is amazon.com/author/lindanixonfulkerson if you want to take a peek at my author page. (Note: I’m working on a book titled Marketing for Christian Writers, so while you’re visiting my author page, please click the link in the upper right-hand corner to receive an email when the book is published if you’re interested.)
4. Next, you can upload images. Add a pic of yourself or other images you want to upload. The book images will show up for you. You can also upload book trailers, video interviews, or videos from book signings.
5. Link to your Twitter feed. This simple step is now more powerful than it may seem at first, because in May 2014, Amazon.com launched the ability to purchase books DIRECTLY from tweets – crazy, huh? Learn more about #AmazonCart here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/socialmedia/amazoncart
6. If applicable, add events to your profile, too – speaking engagements, book signings, appearances, etc.
7. And another powerful tool for your Amazon Author profile page is the ability to link your blog’s RSS feed. I’ve linked the Marketing for Christian Writers feed to my author page at Amazon.com.
8. Share your link with others via social media, on your website, etc.

I’ll be glad to answer any marketing questions you have – just post in the comments area. (Note: If your question requires a complex answer, I’ll do is write a blog post about it and put a note in the comments of which date it’ll be published.)