There are certain ways of marketing a book which I believe will stunt sales. (and a special announcement)

I'm going to make a very bold statement. But before you take it negatively, please hear me out first, because in actual fact, it's not negative at all, it's positive.

My statement:
I lose interest in social networkers who only ever blog, facebook, twitter about their books, sales figures and other people's reviews of their books.

Let's face it. We've all gotta market our work if we want to sell it. But there is a better way than just 'putting it out there'. People are going to be so much more interested in someone's book if it's not in their face all the time, and/or they do their plugging along side other, more interactive issues. Please be clear here, that I am not criticising anyone in particular. I'm just voicing an opinion I have come to realize greatly effects what I choose to read online, and I believe I'm not the only one who feels like this. I want to interact with authors. If I just wanted information about a new release, I'd read the newspaper. Get my drift?

For example, who would you consider buying a book from ...

This kind of social networker:
"My book titled 'blah' is available on blah, blah and blah. Please review it." (The real meaning = Please buy my book, pretty please, even though you know nothing about me. Why should you know anything about me to want to buy my book? Read the blurb, it's interesting! You just have to trust me on that, even though, really, I haven't given you any reason to trust me on that, because we've never interacted together online.)

Or, this kind of social networker:
"You'll never believe the week I've had and what I've discovered. I did this and this and this, and it made me feel like this and this and this. Does this kind of thing ever make you feel like this too? Please tell me I'm not alone. PS: My book is finally on Amazon! I'd love for you to check it out!" (The real meaning = I really appreciate my followers, and I also really want to know more about them and want to share all my ups and downs with them and discover if we have anything in common. And once we've established that, I hope that one day they'd like to purchase my book. And if they do - bonus! If not, I'm still going to interact with them anyway, because we've become such great friends.)

I don't know about you, but I choose option two. I don't feel like I'm being handed a press release in the street this way. And I feel like they actually want me to be there, to experience what they're experiencing with them. In my opinion, this is how we should network if we want people to take notice. And I don't think doing this is any more complex than the straightforward announcement.

In addition, never, ever, excuse my abruptness here, but never just tweet something like this: Title of book, great review #clickthislink. Because I won't click it. But I will click it, if you tweet: I'm so excited and thrilled about this review! Thank you so much, (name of person who wrote the review) #clickthislink. If you tweet that, I'll click it because you seem appreciative. Well, I would if I was on Twitter. ;o)

So, what kind of networking do you think works best? Do you agree with what I've said? Why/Why not?

Special Announcement!

Seeing as we're on the subject of plugging. Roland Yeomans has published his first book! Yay! Congratulations, Roland!Let's give him a little support and check it out, hey?

(See? Brief, to the point, and embedded in a post which should trigger INTERACTION. Interaction is the key, folks, and don't forget it!)