Around the World, Reading Is Becoming More Social - Publishers Weekly

Cats need a lot of naps to stay healthy.

Panzer's last stop today was at the Publishers Weekly site. There he discovered a post about international readers.

  

The post addresses how readers are forming reading groups to discuss what books and genres they're reading. The post also discusses what platforms readers are using.

 

 Panzer says, "This little kitty didn't know about any of this."

 

Note: This is a very long post. You'll need to decide what to bring to snack on.

 

To read the post tootle over to Reading 

Social media is influencing how authors promote their books. Here's how - npr

Nobody asked me to do a book blurb for them.

Today's first stop in the Catosphere for Panzer was at the npr site. There our busy kitty traveler found a post book promotion.

 

According to Brittney Melton's post, book promotion is shifting away from book cover author book blurbs. The post covers where authors are now concentrating their book promotions.

 

Panzer says, "It's really hard to get book blurbs anyway."

 

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin to snack on.

 

To read the post tootle over to Social Media

Scribd Aquires Oximity to Streamline Content Publishing and Distribution - Scribd Blog

Today, Panzer washed the windshield on the Panzermobile. When he was checking the glass for streaks, he noticed a post wedged into the passenger seat inside. Looking at the post after he got inside, he discovered it was from the reader subscription service site Scribd's blog.

Just say what you mean.

According to the post, Scribd bought the Oximity site and its assets. Oximity is a site which has accrued almost one million articles for distribution. Scribd intends to use Oximity for distribution of content through the company's social media channels software.

Panzer says, "Umm ... This is the best I can get out of the post.  It's complicated, but I think this is what it says. ... But don't quote me on it."

Note: This is a shortish-medium post. Bring a cup of tea and half a muffin.

To read the post, tootle over to Scribd

How Indie Authors' Books Can Get Into Libraries

Panzer has been fighting a kitty cold all week. Today, our poor sick kitty boy made a quick trip into the Catosphere to the Book Life site. He found a post by Jane Friedman there about getting your indie book into the library system.

According to Ms. Friedman, there are three steps to getting your book into libraries. The first is to be fiction. Apparently, non-fiction is harder to place in libraries. The second is to get your book noticed online. Get it noticed on social media sites and get it reviewed on blogs. That way librarians will learn about it. The third is getting your book noticed once it's in the library system. People need to know it's available and check it out, so your track record will convince librarians to order your next book.

My nose hurts ... and my tummy.

Panzer says, "A-choo! I'm going back to my kitty bed now."

To read the post, tootle over to library market

12 Tips On How To Promote Your Book

Watch out. He uses bad words.

We made a stop at Chuck Wendig's Terrible Minds blog today. Panzer found a post on promoting your book.

Mr. Wendig offers twelve tips for promoting yourself and your books on social media. These tips are to show how to promote without being "spammy." That means no "Me ... Me ... Me" posts. Now that doesn't mean you can't talk about yourself, because you should. What it does mean is you should be funny, tell jokes, be helpful. Not just "Buy My Book!" "Buy My Book!" And that's just one tip. There are eleven more for you.

Panzer says, "I don't go to Mr. Wendig's blog very often because he uses bad words. So, be warned!"

To read Chuck Wendig's tips for book promotion, tootle over to promote your books

Anne R. Allen's Blog: The 10 Commandments of Social Media Etiquette for ...

No whining!

Panzer and I like going to Anne R. Allen's Blog. Anne's blog was given a Writer's Digest Magazine Best Writing Website Award for 2013 because writers always find the most interesting posts there.

Today, when we visited we found a post about social media etiquette. There are 10 Commandments for your good behavior on social media. Anne's commandments include no spamming, no whining, and no badmouthing. There are seven more just as relevant as these listed at the blog.

 If you want to know the full 10 Commandments, tootle over to Anne R. Allen's Blog: The 10 Commandments of Social Media Etiquette for ...:

Getting Book Reviews: The Methods Award-Winning Authors Use – A Study

50 Bestselling authors? 50?

Just like you Panzer and I are always looking for reviews for our ebooks, so my bad boy spends a lot of time scouring the Catosphere looking for information.

Today he found a post at The eBook Author's Corner about how 50 bestselling authors get their reviews. That's fifty bestselling authors! This post is a treasure trove of ideas. There are tips here on using social media, email lists, review blogs and review sites (some sites we'd never heard of!).

If you need help getting reviews, tootle over to Getting Book Reviews: The Methods Award-Winning Authors Use – A Study

NSA Surveillance is Making Writers Self-Censor - GalleyCat

They're know everything!

Panzer and I were out in the Catosphere today and we stumbled across some interesting news at our good friend GalleyCAT.

Writers are starting to see we have to be very careful about what we post online. We already have to be careful what we check out at the library and what we research on Google. Now we have to be careful what we post on social media online.

These are very scary times my bad boy lives in!

If you dare to read about the NSA, tootle over to NSA Surveillance is Making Writers Self-Censor - GalleyCat

Anne R. Allen's Blog: The Laws of the (Amazon) Jungle—Eight Rules Author...

I can take care of myself. Well ... maybe.

Panzer loves going to Anne R. Allen's blog! You should bookmark her site as her posts are always in depth looks at all subjects writing.

Ms. Allen's Sunday (October 6) post is a must read for any writer who has heard the hype about getting on all the social media sites to connect with their readers. Not all social media sites are created equal as she points out in the beginning of her post. In fact, some should be avoided all together.

In the second part of the post she gives specific rules you should follow when you visit Amazon. These are important rules you should read and follow.

So, if you're thinking about going out into the social media jungle, first you need to tootle on over to Anne R. Allen's Blog: The Laws of the (Amazon) Jungle—Eight Rules Author...: Everybody tells authors we must use social media to have successful careers in the E-age, but nobody talks much about the dangers that lurk...

Anne R. Allen's Blog: 7 Ways Authors Waste Time "Building Platform" on S...

Whew!

Panzer was out in the Catosphere today looking for something besides marketing ideas. He has spent so much time over the last few months trying to build his author platform!

Well guess what he found. The ultimate anti-platform guide by Anne R. Allen. He read it over and then insisted I read it. Now he wants you to read it.

Whew! Facebook? Twitter? Tumblr? Nah. Now we can rest and get back to writing our next book.

If you want to know if building your platform is worth it, tootle over to Anne R. Allen's Blog: 7 Ways Authors Waste Time "Building Platform" on S...: Authors are getting hammered with more and more demands on our time. We get escalating pressure to blog more! tweet more!! send more newsl...

Indie eBook Marketing: When You Get to the Fork in the Road, You Must Take It.

Social Media Marketing?

Panzer is back looking into the marketing of Cats and Crime. While he is planning an updated version, it's never too early to get the marketing plan in place.

So ... Panzer stopped in at the Self-Publishing blog and found a post about the pros and cons of social media in marketing. The post has quotes from several indie authors about their experiences with social media.

To read the post and see what others are saying, tootle on over to Indie eBook Marketing: When You Get to the Fork in the Road, You Must Take It.

Mystery Writing is Murder: Top 10 Things One Writer Learned About Social Medi...

Panzer and I were out tootling around in the catosphere and we stopped in at Elizabeth Spann Craig's  Mystery Writing Is Murder blog. We found a guest post by Colby Marshall about using social media.

Now, as all of you who have been here at the Cats and Crime blog for a while know, social media is not Panzer's fete. (Remember, cats don't have thumbs, so it's very hard for them to use the keyboard!) But, my bad boy reads about it so he can tell ME what he wants done. He did find some good information in the list of 10 things to know before you use social media.

So, if you're thinking about jumping on the social media bandwagon to build a tribe of followers, read the rules first. Tootle over to Mystery Writing is Murder: Top 10 Things One Writer Learned About Social Medi...: Guest Post by Colby Marshall , @ColbyMarshall In my (very brief) career as a writer, I’ve learned a few things about self-promotion on soc...

MAKE MINE MYSTERY: What’s a Blog Hop? Social Marketing 101 Series

Cats do not hop!

Okay, Panzer and I admit it. Neither of us had any idea what a blog hop was. So, when we saw the post about it in the Catoshere at Make Mine Mystery, we parked the Panzermobile to read about it.

Turns out it's a kind of social media marketing tool a lot like a blog tour only a little bit different. Instead of one author doing a blog tour, several get together, pick a topic and let the blog hop begin.

Tootle over to  MAKE MINE MYSTERY: What’s a Blog Hop? Social Marketing 101 Series: and then see if you and some of your fellow bloggers might be interested in a blog hop.

Criminal Minds: Social Media Will Not Sell Your Book

Twitter? Ha!

Panzer is so unhappy!

Over at Criminal Minds Hilary Davidson says, "Social media won't sell your book!"

Oh, no! Panzer can't believe it!

Facebook won't do it? Pinterest won't do it? Twitter won't do it? (Well, that one doesn't surprise any self-respecting cat!) None of the others either?

Hilary, say it isn't so!

Panzer says tootle on over to Criminal Minds: Social Media Will Not Sell Your Book: and see if you agree with Hilary.

Mommy Blogs More Powerful than The New York Times

In the past week I've seen three different indie authors wonder on their blogs how to make more sales for their books. The same question, "What can I do?" 

On one of the blogs I posted a comment about blog reviews and tours. In a private email to me the indie author bemoaned the waste of sending free ebooks for review to blogs and the waste of writing time to go on a blog tour. It's obvious to me the author didn't understand about the potential of Mommy Blogs.  (I know, funny name.)

 It's also obvious to me that Vincent Zandri does get it. And he uses it to his advantage. Read his blog post here:

Mommy Blogs More Powerful than The New York Times

THE WORST BOOK EVER!: Now Twitter!

Aaron Patterson is blogging about Twitter, one of the social media writers should learn to use. If nothing else, it teaches us brevity!
 
THE WORST BOOK EVER!: Now Twitter!: "I will be the first to say that the Twitter thing is not where I shine. Yet I am learning and can give some pointers as to the use of it fo..."