Hello Authors, Writers, Book Bloggers & Poets,

I happen to get this fantastic newsletter often from my helpful friend, Marsha Friedman of PR Insider. I send out many Press Releases for my clients about their books. This article helps to hammer home to authors about how you attract and find your readership with having a blog or website for your books, and you as an author.
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Now yes, I know that it is not about you the author, it’s all about your books. But I recommend all my clients to think about having a nice Author website or Blog because readers want to know all about you, your writing process, what is coming out next, and love interacting with their favorite authors the read.

Never underestimate the power of a book/author blog! So in this article, Marsha explains many of the reasons why you should! We need to keep in mind that we live in a society that seems to love their tech gadgets so readers are busy, busy, busy, so they get a lot info on the go. YES, even about books they want to read. And with so much tech products out in the market? They surf the web on the go with laptops, iPads, iPhones, Nooks, Kindles, even cell phones!!
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So here is what Marsha has to say about all of it. And go visit their site to subscribe free! http://emsincorporated.com
From any page, look in the right sidebar to sign up for Marsha’s PR Insider.  .  .  .

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How Online Coverage Can Lift Your Promotional Efforts To New Heights

There’s a point of view I still hear on occasion from prospective clients.

They have little to no interest in exposure in online publications, have a website or blog. Instead, they still view the traditional print world of newspapers, magazines and trade publications as more valuable turf for promoting themselves, their books or their companies.

I guess there’s just something about holding the printed word in your hands that continues to resonate with people. It has actual texture. It has actual weight. It just seems more substantial, so surely it must be.

Hey, I understand. I’m something of an ink-on-paper kind of person myself. I can’t even imagine starting my day without my coffee in one hand and newspaper in the other.

But our reverence for the old-fashioned way of reading shouldn’t color our attitudes about just how valuable online articles can be.

Let me share a few reasons why online coverage has more heft than you might realize.

• Staying power. An article on the printed page is valuable today, but it’s gone tomorrow. Most people toss their newspapers in the recycling bin or otherwise discard them. You can clip the article out and have it framed, prominently displaying it in your office. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I do it, too, and there certainly is value to a “wall of fame” that clients see when they drop by. But that’s a limited audience. An online article, on the other hand, could still be floating around on the Internet weeks, months or even years later, easily accessible to anyone. Now, granted, it probably won’t be there forever. That’s why I always recommend that my clients keep a screen grab of any article that features them.
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  Ease of sharing. When you are featured in an online article, sharing it with others is a snap. You can email all your customers or clients a link. You can put a link on your website, too. Perhaps more importantly, you can share the article on social media. That not only promotes you, but also promotes the online publication, which they will appreciate. Also, if more people visit the publication’s site because of an article you wrote or were quoted in, they are likely to ask you back, resulting in even more visibility for you.
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  • Potential reach. The traditional newspaper tossed on your driveway each morning might still be appealing, but these days a large chunk of the population goes online for news. Just look at a couple of major newspapers and how their print circulation numbers compare to the online reach. The venerable New York Times has a daily print circulation of 2.2 million. But a whopping 63 million people visit the Times’ website each month. USA Today has a daily print circulation of 3.2 million. That number pales in comparison to the 26.2 million people who visit the newspaper’s online version each month. You can find similar numbers for many publications across the country. The online visitors almost always will outnumber those who read the print alternative.
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  • The serendipity of online searches. In addition to reaching people actively seeking out specific publications online, the digital articles that feature you could end up on the screens of people who are simply searching for information on a particular topic. Google “how to plan for retirement,” such as, and you will discover numerous articles written by or with quotes from financial advisors all over the country.
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  • The sway of “authority sites.” If you’re lucky enough to be featured, along with your website, on what Google calls an “authority site,” your website will get a big boost when people do Google searches. “Authority sites” are the high-quality sites that Google trusts, including many news websites. If you’re quoted in USA Today, for example, and the article includes your website, a backlink to the USA Today site is created. That backlink provides incredible value to your SEO effort and will influence your website’s page ranking.
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    None of this is to belittle the power of traditional print. But online coverage is equally as powerful, so go harness that to improve your book promoting efforts!
    *Marsha* PR Insider.
    .I hope this article was helpful. We as authors need to understand that ‘self-publishing has opened the market to many fabulous authors and now we have more access as writers to share our craft.When you visit Marsha’s website? Do a Press Release about your book while your there! It to is another powerful way to get your books to new readers! I hope you will share this with your all your author friends and as always, until next time author friends,

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    Author, Catherine Townsend-Lyon of Lyon Media & Book Promotions! :-)