Guest Post by Garasamo Maccagnone: Promote Your Book With Video!

Today we have the pleasure of hosting the book trailer for Garasamo Maccagnone’s recently released novel, St. John of the Midfield. Along with Garasamo’s trailer, this article by Maccagnone offers some suggestions for how to use YouTube for marketing your book.

Are you looking to create video to us in marketing your book? Or, are you looking for a way to get the video you already have in front of viewers? YouTubing is a form of social networking where people share their interests as well as create and post their own videos. Once posted, a video clip is keyword searchable and eligible to be placed in the playlist of anyone who finds the clip enjoyable. This is very helpful as you can use video to attract viewers and place your book trailer or video clip where it can be seen by your audience.

Playlists also appear in keyword searches with YouTube ranking keyword search results for playlists based in part on the number of clips in a list. Viewers who are searching on a theme are likely to run through an entire playlist and will save clips they like best to their own lists. They also have the option of emailing clips they like to a friend or of capturing and imbedding clips into their own site.

Take advantage of YouTube and attract readers interested in your book themes by creating a playlist of clips that will capitalize on theme-based keyword searches. Once you have a playlist created you are ready to place your own video or book trailer in front of the searching public.


Consider creating and/or posting:

• Author video blogs
• A slideshow video clip with an audio excerpt from your book
• Video book reviews from a professional reviewer
• Book Trailers

Tips for creating YouTube video clips and book trailers:

• Ideally, a clip should run from one to three minutes in length. 
• Avoid defining what the characters look like as most readers prefer to visualize what they are reading as they imagine it, placing themselves as the hero or heroine.
• Incorporate audio in the form of music to add emotion and depth.
• Use video comprised of still images or a mixture of stills and video.
• Insert written stills or scrolling written teasers.
• Images and content should directly relate to the content of your book.
• Content should convey a sense of what the book is about without spoilers.
• Keep in mind that the goal of your video clip is to capture the interest of the viewer, to create excitement about the book, and to encourage people to buy.
• Make sure you have set appropriate keyword tags on your video playlist, and have links to your author Web page in your YouTube channel profile settings. 
 

With your video or book trailer created and your playlist set up, the social networking aspect of your promotional efforts are set in motion. The YouTube channel and playlist you have set up are now ready to redirect traffic to your home page and the links to purchase your book.

Have fun and enjoy the creative process.



Tomorrow, Vonnie Faroqui will post a review of St. John of the Midfield, at her blog http://inkslingerswhimsey.blogspot.com/. Follow Vonnie on Twitter: @inkslngrswhmz. For the full tour schedule be sure to visit http://bit.ly/midfieldtour.

Networking, networking, networking!

Last night I went to a mixer event put on by the Young Leaders Society of Ventura County (and organized by my amazing friend Erica Roundy!) -- you can find out more information about this group at their website.

Networking is a great skill to practice. As a kid I was very shy, and growing up I have had to actively work at being outgoing and meeting people. Putting yourself in new situations is a great way to grow, learn new skills, and possibly conquer some fears! Writers, for example, can no longer afford to hide away and simply write -- we also need to be actively spreading the word about ourselves and our work. Building up your networking confidence helps in virtually any profession -- not to mention social situations that aren't job-related, like cocktail parties, birthday parties, conferences, or just meeting new friends! I met some wonderful people last night and had a fabulous time.

Here are some tips that helped me at the event:

1. Bring along your business cards and make sure they are easily accessible. When you meet someone, they will likely ask for your card as a way of getting in contact with you after the event. If you are carrying them in your purse or pocket, it is a good idea to get a business card holder so you can easily find them. Or just slip a few into your wallet. On the flip side, don't be afraid to ask for someone else's business card -- it's a compliment to them and they will be happy to give you one! The day after the event, it can also be nice to send a brief e-mail to everyone you met saying you hope to keep in touch.

2. Grab a drink. At the event I attended last night, they served alcohol, but I don't really drink. Instead, I got a Diet Coke, and it was nice to have something to hold as I mingled around the room. (I sometimes feel awkward and don't know what to do with my hands!) I learned to carry my drink in my left hand, though, because when shaking hands it can be clumsy to switch your drink to the other hand -- not to mention your handshake will likely be cold and damp due to the condensation on your drinking glass!

3. Quality vs. Quantity. Some people at networking events buzz around the room, meeting as many people as possible for brief, two or three minute conversations. Others talk to only a couple people the entire evening. I think a happy medium is best, but also consider what you hope to get out of the event. What are your networking goals? What are the reasons you chose to attend the event? Personally, I would much rather have a good conversation with a couple people but really get to know them and stay in touch with them after the event, than talk to fifty people but never really get to know any of them, much less remember all their names at the end of the night!

Hope these thoughts were a bit of help. Happy networking!

"Marketing the Muse"

I was fortunate enough to meet talented writer and marketing dynamo Marla Miller a few years ago at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Marla leads a workshop on marketing and took me under her wing -- her encouragement lasted not only for the course of the week-long conference, but still lifts me up today whenever I am feeling discouraged or uninspired. Indeed, Marla was the one who helped me secure a post as Coordinator of the Young Writers Program at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference a couple years later.

Now she has created a website, www.marketingthemuse.com, to be an extension of the workshops she teaches at writers conferences. Not only does Marla share fantastic insights and advice about the writing business, she also leads by example -- the site is so easy to navigate and eye-catching that you can learn a lot simply by browsing through it.

Great writing simply isn't enough these days -- you also have to be able to market yourself. That's why Marla's site is such a gift. Check it out!
www.marketingthemuse.com