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Category Archives: Outskirts Press News

The Value of a Personal Marketing Assistant in Modern-Day Book Marketing

In today’s wired world, there are more ways than ever for an author to reach out to potential readers – if they know how.

While traditional book signings, press releases, face-to-face meetings with bookstore owners and interviews remain terrific channels for book marketing, the means by which we negotiate these avenues is constantly changing. What’s more, there’s a whole new world of Internet marketing – social media, websites, video marketing, blogging, etc. – that has complicated how we reach out to consumers.

Today’s marketer must not only be creative, but exceptionally tech-savvy as well. This is where the Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistants come in. Our Personal Marketing Assistants can help you with:

  • Developing a marketing plan
  • Coordinating and scheduling book signing events
  • Establishing/developing your author platform
  • Marketing campaign lead follow up
  • And much, much more!

To that end, Outskirts Press has cherry-picked some of the most talented and experienced marketing professionals in the publishing business. We’d like you to meet a few of the Personal Marketing Assistants who can help take your book marketing to the next level.

Lisa S. Neal
Lisa brings more than 16 years of experience in marketing, marketing research and sales to Outskirts Press. She has an MBA from Pepperdine and a B.S. in Business Administration from Drake University, and has worked for leading consumer goods companies such as Neutrogena, Johnson & Johnson, and AC Nielsen.

“My Personal Marketing Assistant, Lisa, was very responsive to our particular situation and opportunities. She helped me learn how to use some excellent online marketing tools and did some of the contacting of radio and television stations so I wouldn’t be the one representing myself. I really enjoyed our time on the phone together and the way she follows up with email.” – Karin Gunderson, author of Encounters with Heaven: Stories of God’s Surprising Presence

Rob Mangelson
Rob is a seasoned marketing professional with more than 16 years experience in multiple industries in both traditional and online marketing. Through his experience and education, Rob has developed a keen sense of relationship and loyalty marketing, and offers a unique understanding of a variety of markets.

“As a new author, I must say having Rob Mangelson as my PMA was a great experience. Not only did he assist me in reaching some of my sales and marketing goals, but also towards gaining lots of exposure for my book – which included, getting me an interview on a radio show, but also arranging my first book signing! In addition, Rob provided me with a lot of helpful tips and connections on the way!” – S.L. Holliday, author of My Identity Christ-is: Stay in the Game.

Tomica Bonner

Tomica has six years of business and marketing experience assisting authors and writers. She holds a B.A. from Baker College in Business Management and has been published by several online businesses, such as Intuit, AOL and Chron Business.

“Tomica was very cool and thorough in the marketing process. She excelled in troubleshooting the difficulties met within the process of publishing. I learned so much through these experiences.” – M.U. Salas-Tristan, author of Rocky’s ABC Book With His Friends

Are you ready to take your book marketing to the next level with 5-hours of Personal Marketing Assistance? Click to order some one-on-one time today.

Click to order
TOP 10 DIAMOND BOOKS FROM OUTSKIRTS PRESS AUTHORS
TOP 5 PUBLISHING HEADLINES
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT & SUCCESS STORY


Jennifer’s management of my publishing can be evidenced by the finished product: Excellent. The book is PERFECT from front cover to back. My questions were always answered in a very timely and professional manner. I’m already working on my next submission and fully intend to utilize Outskirts Press again. I would recommend them to anyone interested in self-publishing, be it their first or fifth project. You will not be disappointed!”

As part of a team-building exercise at work, Ellen Cumbess took a personality profile assessment that classified attendees as either lions, monkeys, turtles, or camels. Ellen was a lion. As this light bulb of realization begins to flicker, the author summons to mind the events that led to the creation of this lion personality. This was the beginning of Ellen’s exploration into her own history which took her down the road she had always wanted to travel; the road she had been on her entire life, without a steering wheel. Tales of a Lion is the memoir of a native New Yorker struggling to overcome anger and resentment stemming from the events of her early childhood. It is the story of a lion’s self examination of a life spent roaring in search of inner peace; and in the end provides an answer to the question: Does a lion always have to roar?

Ellen Cumbess, author of Tales of a Lion

 

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Receive a Book Video absolutely FREE when you start publishing today!

Book Videos feature Hollywood-style production values and a cutting edge look and feel. Outskirts Press distributes copies of the video through social networking and video sites like YouTube, Metacafe, Twitter, Facebook and many other contemporary social networking venues. Authors are given their own video file to use in their personal marketing efforts, as well. The Book Video Trailer is like a movie trailer for your book. It’s cool. It’s hip. It’s now.

This valuable, popular option is now FREE (a $700 value) for authors who start publishing in May.

Enter the valid promotion code FreeBV13 when checking out of your shopping cart with our industry-leading Diamond publishing service or our full-color Pearl publishing service by May 15th.

Click to order the Diamond Package
Click to order the Pearl Package
 

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How to get published for free in our next anthology

Now Accepting Submissions for the Third Annual Fandemonium Anthology from Outskirts Press

It’s that time of year again! Fandemonium 3 is coming and you are invited to be a part of it!

Have you written a poem or short story that you would like to enter for a chance to be published for free in this new anthology featuring our talented Facebook fans?

Each year, Fandemonium brings Outskirts Press Facebook fans together to experience the joy of publishing with Outskirts Press first-hand, benefiting a great cause along the way.

Submitting your work for consideration is simple. Here’s what to do:

  1. Become an Outskirts Press Facebook fan by “liking” our Facebook page. If you’ve already liked us, great!
  2. Post your submission as a Note in Facebook. Then tag the Outskirts Press Facebook Page in your Note.
  3. Be sure to submit your entry before April 30th, and remember to tell your friends to vote for your submission by “liking” it.

Submissions with the highest number of votes will be considered for inclusion in our upcoming Fandemonimum Volume 3 anthology. Submissions can be fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Short entries are best for anthologies, so submissions under 5000 words will be considered first.

You will retain 100% of the copyright to your material. By submitting content, you confirm that you are the sole copyright holder to the material you are submitting and that you grant us a non-exclusive right to use the materials you submit through our social media channels and within the Facebook Anthology when it is published and distributed. Furthermore, you understand that royalties from the sale of Fandemonium are not split among the contributors but rather go to the American Red Cross.

In fact, you can benefit the American Red Cross right now with your 10% discounted purchase of Fandemonium Volume 1 and Fandemonium Volume 2.

Ready to publish your own book as well?

Start Publishing Today
Receive $300 of Amazon marketing services when you start publishing today.

Jump-start your publishing marketing efforts with the Amazon Extreme marketing package and once your book is published, you will receive…

• An Amazon Kindle e-book edition of your book
• Amazon Search Inside the Book set-up
• An enhanced cover graphic on Amazon
• A free copy of “Sell Your Book on Amazon”

All this absolutely free when you start publishing your book with the popular Diamond package or the full-color Pearl publishing package by April 30, 2013 when you complete your shopping cart order with the promotion code: FreeAEApr13

In addition to receiving the free Amazon Extreme Package, you’ll also get the following savings with your Diamond package:

  • Standard Press Release. $99 value included free when you order your Diamond publishing service today.
  • Audio Excerpt. $99 value included free with your Diamond order today and a great way to share your voice with your readers, literally!
  • E-Book Edition (pdf). $99 value included free with your Diamond publishing service.
  • Cover Image. $99 value included free and a great way to enhance your cover.
  • Spring Arbor additional distribution. $99 value to complement the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Ingram availability already included with your Diamond publishing service.

All in all, you’re looking at $800 of free stuff in April!

Click to order the Diamond Package
Click to order the Pearl Package
TOP 5 PUBLISHING HEADLINES
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT & SUCCESS STORY

I will recommend Outskirts Press to my family and others! Very professional, efficient, knowledgeable and caring! I Love you all! I am looking forward to working with you on my 3rd book!

Sophia Santucci has been a yoga instructor for 11 years and involved in yoga practice for 20 years. She is a Reiki Master, a reflexologist, and a licensed cosmetologist; she also provides instruction and thought yoga to corporate environments and nonprofit organizations, and facilitates transformational seminars and meditation classes. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and a dog, surrounded by nature. Sophia’s first book is From Across the Ocean to Electromagnetic Energy in Motion to Waking up in Light.

Yoga is not about being able to wrap your leg around your neck. If you’re new to yoga and looking for a way to feel younger, healthier, and well balanced, Sophia Santucci’s latest book is for you. No prior experience is required, and it’s never too late to start. Take the first step to discovering a new you. Yoga Practice Demystified will take you through the gentle poses and stretches, the visualization, breathing, and meditation exercises that will bring balance to your soul and peace to your mind. With yoga, you can quiet the busy chatter of your mind, bring wellness to your physical body, and have more energy to accomplish your personal goals. Choose what works for you-this book has yoga recipes for everyone!

Sophia Santucci, author of Yoga Practice Demystified

 
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Posted by on April 15, 2013 in Outskirts Press News

 

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The Deadline for the 2013 Readers Favorite Self-Publishing Book Awards is coming up!

self publishingIf your book has a copyright of 2012 or 2013, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you don’t want to miss! Now that so many books are published each year, customers look for “award-winning” books to spend their hard-earned dollars on. The only way to have an award-winning book is to enter contests, and this is one of the most prestigious.

We can handle all of the submission details for you, including:

  • Printing copies of your book for the judges
  • Mailing your book to the judges
  • Paying your award submission fee, and
  • Completing the entry forms for you.

So what do you get when you win?

  • Award Winning Author Recognition — Each winner/finalist will be able to promote themselves and their book as an award-winning author and award-winning book.
  • Medal Award Ceremony — Winners and finalists are invited to the Readers’ Favorite Medal Award Ceremony during the week of the Miami Book Fair International, the largest book fair in the nation
  • Book Review and Mini-Critique — All entrants receive a complete book review which will be posted on the Readers’ Favorite site, Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest.
  • Display of your Book Cover, Summary and Award Image — Winners and finalists will also be featured on a new Award Contest Results page via a link in the “Our Award-Winning Books” box on every page of the Readers’ Favorite site.
  • Professional, High Distribution Press Release — Both Readers’ Favorite and Outskirts Press announce the results of the competition through premium press releases and blog posts sent to a variety of media contacts and other authors.
  • Much, much more!

Don’t delay; the deadline for Outskirts Press published authors is this Friday, April 12, 2013.

 
1 Comment

Posted by on April 10, 2013 in Awards, contests, Outskirts Press News

 

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Celebrate National Poetry Month With These Book Marketing Tips

Roses are red, violets are blue…I can finish this poem, I bet you can, too!   

April is National Poetry Month and a perfect time to market a poetry book or even write one of your own if you haven’t already.  Once you have published your volume of poetry, these 5 tips can help you effectively market it:

  1. Know your audience. Understand who your readers are and where they are. Find ways to connect with your target readers. 
  2. Create a website. Create your own professional website for your work. Include samples of your poetry  and your biography. Creating a blog helps to move you up in the search engine rankings.
  3. Enter poetry contests. Submit your work to various contests locally, regionally and even nationally. Winning, or even simply entering, contests draws attention to you and to your work. If possible, include your biography and your website.
  4. Promote on social media outlets. The best way to spread the news about your poetry and you as a writer is through social media. Join poetry and writing groups through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
  5. Engage in poetry forums. Join a poetry forum or poetry related website to share your work with other poets and writers. Be sure to engage others and invite them to participate in your poetry. Any time you post, be sure to include your website address.

Keep in mind that there are many ways to promote and market your book. These are only a few of the effective areas. Celebrate National Poetry Month in April and start writing!

Poetry is a great way to inspire images through spoken word in the minds of the readers. Do you want to publish a beautiful, high-quality, professionally-formatted volume of poetry? Outskirts Press offers an exclusive Poetry Formatting Kit, which is the fastest, easiest way to literally “cut’n'paste” your poetry into a pre-formatted document that is already formatted and ready for printing!

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TOP 10 DIAMOND BOOKS FROM OUTSKIRTS PRESS AUTHORS
TOP 5 PUBLISHING HEADLINES
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

I just received the Author copies of my book and I can’t stop looking at the cover and flipping through the pages. I have handled and read hundreds of books and I can’t see a better work than what I have in my hand. The cover is just excellent and the interior exceptional.

Chuks Maduadi is the CEO of Mac-Adisons Ltd., a building/civil engineering company based in Nigeria. He is also the founder of Achievers Motivational Centre Ltd., a self-development resource dedicated to motivational writing, public speaking, life coaching, and publishing. Chuks holds a master’s degree in construction management, and is a corporate member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). He encourages everyone to look beyond their circumstances and pursue excellence and self-actualization. His passion is inspiring people to become their best by hard work, determination, persistence, and perseverance.

His life story, as revealed in this powerful book, demonstrates that it is possible to rise from poverty and climb the ladder of success. He emphasizes that no matter the obstacles stacked against you, you can actualize your life’s dreams. Mastering Your Destiny prepares and equips you to maximize your life experiences and become the best you are destined to be. Regardless of who you are or where you have come from, you will be enlightened, encouraged, and inspired to go beyond your limitations to fulfill your God-ordained calling in life.

Chuks Maduadi, author of Mastering Your Destiny

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2013 in Outskirts Press News

 

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Author Poll: John Sparks wants your help with his cover

John Sparks is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And he wants your help deciding his book cover.

Book Summary

To: Authorized Personnel Only
Location: National Aeronautics Research Consortium (N.A.R.C.) Labs
From: Doctor Robert J. Guttenberg, N.A.R.C. Director
Attention, all personnel: Your help is desperately needed in relaying this message to anyone who will listen. One week ago, N.A.R.C. Labs received an unearthly signal, emanating from the far side of the moon. The renowned Harvard graduate Dr. Sing Ann Howell can barely hold our computer together. Effective immediately, by Presidential Order, a 24-hour work rotation is in effect. Project Blue Star, America’s nuclear rocket, is being pulled from its ashes. Pilot training will be provided by Captain Tom Dangerfield in an effort to beat the Soviet response. Time is of the essence. We cannot allow ourselves to lose the race for this unearthly mystery…
Addendum: Over eleven hours ago, Tom Dangerfield and I encountered a woman of distinction who claims to be Anna Urisa, Captain of the Guild scout ship from the planet Arseina, broadcasting the distress signal that we are now receiving. The validity of her story is unknown…our traditional beliefs and ideas may be the defining elements, limiting our ability to see the truth. I encourage everyone to see past our earthly limitations, as they may be our undoing…

About the Author

John Sparks embarked on a lifelong quest to find the origins of French radio signals in northern New York, only to discover that he lived just minutes from Quebec. Undeterred, John launched a new quest, 1950s technology to receive iPod videos. As a philosopher and freelance writer, John has traveled the United States teaching the value of passion writing, which he identifies as writing expressed as the voice of life flowing with ideas, visions, and dreams drawn into words representing the flow of the internal, touching the mind of the reader. John is an Unexploded Ordnance Technician certified by the Department of Defense.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for John.

Click on the thumbnail below to enlarge Cover Option A

UneartlyTales_Proof1

Cover A

Click on the thumbnail below to enlarge Cover Option B

UneartlyTales_Proof2Cover B

 

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Author Poll: J. Dean wants your help with his cover

J. Dean is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And he wants your help deciding his book cover.

Book Summary

When writing about fifty years of any human life, one can only be humbled by the period of history through which so many of us survive. Life takes so many turns that the cultural changes, unfelt from day-to-day, feel like seismic shifts when surmised and stockpiled. Any man’s life is one that changes so much every year. You can go from looking in the mirror at someone you wish to grow old when you’re a teenager to wishing you were younger in a heartbeat.

Some of the memories that you’ll read may strike you as unbelievable – they do to me recalling them. But no matter how thrilling, traumatic or incredible the events of my life have been, I have not embellished, exaggerated or elaborated in any of the telling of these events. With my co-writer, I have constructed a faithful to me which stands up to the memory of time elapsed, even if sometimes my life has felt too fantastic to be real. In short, every word of what you’re about to read is the truth, whether I wish it was or not.

About the Author

Abandoned by his father when he was just nine months old, Jeffrey Blalock was placed in an orphanage by the age of three, in the summer of 1965. Abused and imprisoned under the guise/cloak of religious education, young Jeff faced a daily fight for survival against the very people who were supposed to be protecting him.

This is the true story of a boy who was left to fend for himself and conditioned against love, compassion and trust in a place where no-one survived intact. This is the story of a person able to declare against his tormentors, that his will would not wither, his body not broken and his spirit never suffocated – Not Today.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for J. Dean.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option A

Cover A

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Cover A

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option B

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Cover B

 

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Three Free Amazon Marketing Options Prepare Self-Publishing Authors for Success

The Amazon Extreme Marketing Package from Outskirts Press offers self-publishing authors a head start on book marketing by taking triple advantage of the immense audience of Amazon.com, the largest online retailer in the United States. These valuable, popular options are free for authors who start self-publishing in April.

Outskirts Press, the fastest growing self-publishing and book marketing company, announced today it is giving away its most popular marketing package (over $200 value) to authors who start their publishing process this month. The Amazon Extreme marketing package includes a Kindle Edition, Search Inside the Book submission Get $300 of marketing options FREE today!and Amazon Cover Enhancement, as well as a free copy of Sell Your Book on Amazon by Outskirts Press CEO Brent Sampson — everything an author needs to jump start their book sales on Amazon.com.

This bundled marketing package is not available with any other publisher,” said Outskirts Press Vice President Kelly Schuknecht. “Taking advantage of these proven Amazon promotional functions is the perfect — and perfectly economical — way for authors to launch their book sales with gusto by choosing to publish now with Outskirts Press.”

Authors who start with Outskirts Press by choosing the Diamond or full-color Pearl publishing packages will receive over $200 of Amazon marketing options free: an Amazon Kindle edition of their published book, Amazon’s “Search Inside the Book” submission service, and the Amazon Cover Enhancement once their book is listed on Amazon.com. These authors will also receive a free copy of the Amazon bestseller Sell Your Book on Amazon by Brent Sampson.

The first prong of the Outskirts Press triple marketing approach is a free Kindle edition of the author’s book. An Amazon Kindle edition is a way to offer one’s book to the fast growing audience of Kindle e-book reading device owners. Amazon sells millions of Kindles annually. Because Amazon.com customers still love reading actual books, Kindle is an inexpensive way for them to sample a book before buying the paperback or hardback edition. This is especially true for their readers who love fiction.

With Amazon’s Search Inside the Book feature, the second Outskirts Press marketing tool in this package, authors can also dramatically increase their chances to sell their books. Amazon has found that books that participate in this program are significantly more successful, on average, than books that do not participate. Being able to browse through sections of the book increases the confidence the customer has in the product and makes it far more likely they’ll purchase a copy of the book.

The third marketing strategy of the Outskirts Press marketing package is the Amazon Cover Enhancement service. Outskirts Press submits your cover image to Ingram at the time of publication. Ingram, in turn, distributes your cover image to online retailers like Amazon. By manually interfacing directly with Amazon, we can override Amazon and Ingram’s automatic process and get your cover image on Amazon much faster, usually within 2-3 business days rather than the standard 30-45 days.

Authors who wish to take advantage of the Outskirts Press Amazon Extreme marketing package only need to enter the valid promotional code, available on the Outskirts Press website at http://www.outskirtspress.com/promotion.html, while they order their publishing package and place it in their online shopping cart.

Outskirts Press offers high-quality, full-service self-publishing and book marketing services for writers and professionals who are seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books worldwide while retaining 100% of their rights, 100% of their profits, and 100% of the creative control.http://www.outskirtspress.com.

Start Self-Publishing Now!

 

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Author Poll: D. Glenn Harris wants your help with his cover

D. Glen Harris is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And he wants your help deciding his book cover.

Book Summary

The family is still the launch pad for propelling young people into society as productive and contributing members of the society. Marriage the way God designed- the framework for the family- is under attack. The kids will one day leave and the two of you will be “empty-nesters”. It will be good for her to be able to reflect on how well she was loved all through the child-rearing years and look forward to being courted by you all over again. Couples can fall in love all over again; or at the other end of the spectrum, realize that it was really the children that kept them together and in the loneliness of the empty, lifeless, loveless house, decide to leave the marriage. It starts with you.

About the Author

D. Glen Harris has been a dedicated Christian for 23 years and married to his bride Shannon for 27 years. He is a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who lives the sacrificial crucified life and a retired United States Army Officer. He is the founder of the R.E.A.L. Men Nation.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for Glen.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option A

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Cover A

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option B

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Cover B

 

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Survey Poll: Tell Us Which Video Is Your Favorite

We would like our reader’s opinions on which of our two videos you like best.

VIDEO #A


VIDEO #B


 

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