Advertise with Articles to Brand Your Writing Career

Writer-preneur: Building Your Writing Career Using Technology
By Gregory A. Kompes

When you think of advertising, print ads in magazines and newspapers, commercials on TV and radio, and billboards probably come to mind. When you think Internet, advertising options like banner ads, pop-ups and Goggle AdWords or other pay-per-click options might come to mind. There’s a better, free way to advertise. Let’s start with a few facts.

Live Journal polled Internet users asking why they purchase books. Here are the top results: a familiarity with the author’s work (99%); read about the book on a Web site and blog by someone other than the author (80%); read about the book on the author’s Web site and blog (65%); read the first chapter online (63%), and, read an electronic (or print) book review (56%). Down at the bottom of the list were postcards and mailings, gifts, gimmicks and contests.

The poll results indicate that Internet technology sells books. People buy books because they believe the authors are credible sources of information and because they’ve read about the author online. This month we’re going to look at a simple way you can further establish your expert status, garner more exposure on other people’s Web sites and blogs, drive visitors to your Web site, and sell more books. Articles published in Article Directories are a great way to promote your platform without spending a dime.

There are thousands of newsletters and blogs that need new, fresh content to publish. Article Directories are clearing houses where you can post articles about your niche topic. Newsletter editors and bloggers search these by topic and publish what interests them.

To take advantage of this advertising channel, first write a short article (400-1000 words) that includes a “resource box.” Resource boxes are those brief biography paragraphs at the end of online articles about the author. Make sure your resource box includes a URL (web address) that links to your Web site. The combination of a well-written article and resource box builds your credibility and drives traffic to your Web site.

Here are a few content suggestions. Choose content from your book that stands well on its own and turn that into an article. Outline one of your book chapters and create a Top 10 list with brief explanations of your ten points. Don’t forget that resource box.

Second, make your articles available to editors and bloggers for publication. If you have an established relationship, you can submit your work directly to newsletter editors and bloggers. For more extensive reach, submit your work to any of the hundreds of Article Directories. Danielle Hollister maintains a comprehensive list of directories at Bella Online.

While you’ll maintain your copyright, you won’t be paid for articles published through directories in cash. But when newsletter editors and bloggers publish your content the benefit you receive is click-link advertising that can help reinforce your credibility and expert status with your book-buying audience.

Gregory A. Kompes (www.Kompes.com) is a writer, speaker, mentor and coach. He is the author of the #1 bestseller 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live, The Endorsement Quest, Turning Your Writing Hobby into a Writing Career, and The Everyday Gay Activist. Gregory is the editor of The Fabulist Flash, an informative newsletter for writers, founder of LAMOO Books, and Coordinator of the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference. The author holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University, NY, and is currently a MS in Education candidate at California State University, Eastbay.