Authors and Virtual Book Tours … Make Them Match!

DM Productions LLC has worked with many authors as our clients and friends. In recent years the book game has radically changed with the introduction of Amazon.com,  the Kindle and Nook eReaders. Currently only one out of seven books are sold in a traditional bookstore. We have seen the demise of one major book chain, but that fact has also made independent book stores stronger in some markets.

So how do authors reach more readers if book stores are a very small percentage of how books are marketed? To sell books, you still have to create a buzz about the book. If you’re not lucky enough to have your own television program like Bill O’Reilly where you can promote your book, what else is available?

Book tours are still used by established authors, but even folks like Debbie Macomber and Gregory Maguire with large followings have cut back on travel in today’s economy. For an emerging author the task and expense can be daunting.

Enter the Virtual Book Tour or Blog Tour. You’ll find a goodly amount of information about how to conduct a blog tour online. What you won’t find is how to make one work for your book tour. Research. Match the author’s book with the interest of the blogger. I know that sounds simple, but it is a lot of work if done right. And, if done right, it is very successful.

Follow Mara Purl documentation of her recent blog tour for her book, What the Heart Knows, and you find a real success story. She devoted herself to the tour just as if it were a real travel, city-to-city book tour and it worked.  Mara was on blogs with more than 17 million unique readers and she had 15,000 e-book downloads … in one month! It made her book a best seller hitting #9 on Amazon.com.

One thing that hasn’t changed in the book game is that writing a book is only about ten percent of the total effort it takes to get the book published and then once published … sold! Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done because it can. It just takes work.

Or, you can call on me and I can help, it is what I do and I love it.

Blog Writing Advice – Remember Your SEOs … Or If No One Reads Your Blog Are You Really Blogging?

Webmaster Tim Ware, owner of HyperArts Web Design gave me some sound advice. Well, he didn’t give it to me personally, it came in my Social Media Examiner email, but it was still very good advice. Tim talked about the worst mistake we bloggers make when writing our posts … ignoring SEO — Search Engine optimization.

Or if folks aren’t reading your blog … Are  you really blogging? You have to improve your SEO to improve your writing.

SEO is very complicated and there are lots of folks that do SEO for a living including Tim. Honest! But Tim has some simple steps that you can do to help your SEO standing and I’ll repeat them for you here. If you are like me, you may not get to them all at once, but doing anything on this list will improve your SEO. So what have you got to lose?

Quoting Tim, for SEO improvement for your blog:

Bloggers should make sure their posts have 1) a descriptive, keyword-rich title, 2) a “permalink” natural-language and keyword-rich URL, 3) section headers that are descriptive and utilize keywords specific to each section, 4) “anchor” text (text that is hyperlinked) that contains keywords relevant to what’s being linked to, and most importantly, 5) self-hosting your blog instead of using Blogger or WordPress.com.

My ”plain speak” on Tim’s list in order are

1) Remember your blog title is like a tweet and so you should make the most of it, 2) Insert links into your keyword-rich words, 3) If your blog is long enough, section headers are like your title, so see #1, 4) Use your links wisely, and make them keywords when possible, 5) Isn’t going to happen anytime soon in my world, but I digress.

One of the best tips in the rest of of the article is finding Keywords. This is important for writing media releases for Social Media as well as your blogs. Tim has the step-by-step on this in his Essentials of Blogging.

Some of the techincial information, I will never use. But I am grateful for folks such as Tim Ware. A nice guy to share some of his wealth of knowledge.

Thanks Tim!

Been Busy … What’s Your Excuse for Not Blogging? Blog Tour Now Open for Business.

Mara Purl's What the Heart Knows

A good blog should have regular posts. I know that. I chide my clients all of the time about the importance of using Social Media on a regular basis.  I have no good reason for not blogging except I have been busy. Really, really busy. And as good as that is, not posting to my blog is not.

I have the best of intentions to post regularly to the DM Zone. I have a calendar reminder every two weeks to post a blog. The reminder goes off … first I ignore it and then later in the day … I dismiss it. Oops!  But, I am blogging today! And, it is about one of the projects that has kept me so heavily engaged.

Our DM Productions LLC team has created a Virtual Book Tour for noted Days of Our Lives actress-turned-author Mara Purl. Mara is launching the hardcover of her book What the Heart Knowsat the end of September. To start the buzz about the book, we created a Blog Tour for her.

What is a blog tour? Loosely, it is gathering of like bloggers, arranged in a schedule and posting about a certain topic or individual. How does this come about? Well, first you target bloggers individually that match what you want to blog about, then you ask them to participate. For Mara’s Virtual Book Tour, some of the bloggers were book reviewers … some bloggers were into the type of novel Mara has written (Women’s Fiction) and others were women that wanted to learn more about an interesting person who had written a book.

Simple yes, complicated yes and utlimately very worthwhile. It will indeed create a buzz about Mara and about her book, What the Heart Knows. Since the book is the first of a 12-book series with Bellekeep Books, a new blog tour will be repeated for each new release.

I have to say, I am more than pleased and very proud of the work done by our team. We scheduled nearly a full month of bloggers posting to and about Mara Purl, her book, her process and anything in between.

It is an interesting journey. Mara even blogged today about the blog tour. It is very cool. Join us. Follow the link and follow the tour. Mara Purl’s Blog

Oh, and I will try to be more regular on my blog posts as well.

Social Media Releases – The Basic “How To” is Not So Basic

With Social Media (notice the caps) being paramount as a way in getting your story told, you may freeze before you start. “How,” you say, “do I create a Social Media Release … and what the heck is one anyway.”

A traditional media release or press release should always be first and foremost NEWSWORTHY. This doesn’t change for a Social Media Release. What is different is that your release must also offer the journalist, reporter or blogger something that can expanded upon or perhaps used by them as a reference for another report, article or story of their own.

What is the definition of a Social Media Release? Social media guru and principle of Future-Works, Brian Solis wrote in 2008 the definitive guide to social media releases and his definition still stands true:

“A social media release should contain everything necessary to share and discover a story in a way that is complementary to your original intent; but, the difference is, how they find it and the tools they use to share and broadcast. Social media is one big extension to the web, except it promotes voices, along with content, in a way that focuses on people and their social networks.”

As Lou Dubois  states in his article on How to Write a Social Media Press Release that it is even more important that you make it easy to share.

“The quicker, easier and more creatively you can get your point or message across, the more likely it is to be picked up, shared, re-tweeted, or more.”

 Dubois also mentions the importance of keywords so that the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are effectively used. I will add that tags are also very important part of a Social Media Release and should be included as part of your release.

The steps to creating a Social Media Release begin with what goes into a standard Media/Press Release. A really good template is available at the Media College site. Remember that a Social Media Release is more targeted. And, you must provide more facts and additional information including photos and video for the journalist, reporter, or blogger to reuse as their own on the subject.

Dubios does an excellent job bringing together expert advice from various sources as to what goes into a Social Media Press Release including what mistakes to avoid when writing one.  (read full article here)

But I feel the most important comment in Dubois’ article was on distribution of a Social Media Release and how it differs from a traditional media/press release. That advice was given by Sarah Skerik, vice president of social media at PRNewswire, a paid press release distribution service.

“Social media releases can be effective but it’s a good idea to put content into networks, where people are looking for it. But something that people don’t really realize is that social media releases can’t be distributed. They can be spidered by search engines, and shared – but they can’t be pushed by wire services. Many multimedia-type releases just sit on the vendor site. If there’s no real distribution, it’s best to have this sort of great content pulling traffic to your own website.”

It is what we do for our clients at DM Productions … post all Social Media Releases to a client’s website, link it to our website, both our Facebook and theirs, and the same with Twitter in order to engage the largest potential targeted audience. Today that audience can include the traditional journalist, reporter, blogger or even your consumer. But, bottomline you still need to get your story told so tell it.

DM Productions Sets Up an Online Press Room for PR Clients

Helping journalist find all the resources they need is not easy … even in this world of technology.  By having an online press room for each of our clients, we are offering HD video, high resolution images, PDF files for download which could be financial reports or white papers, and more resources that make for dynamic press releases.

Here is the link for the Online Press Room for master artist Ed Copley.  SEO through keywords is also a plus to add search engine marketing to our client’s visibility.  RSS feed is also enabled.

Master Artist Ed Copley's masterpiece 'Innocence'

Artist Ed Copley – The Genius Is In The Genes

Modern Day Old Master Brings Global Attention to Scottsdale Art Walk in One Man Exhibition

On Thursday, April 7, the Mainview Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona hosts the one-man exhibition of Ed Copley, the great, great, great grandson of John Singleton Copley (Colonial America’s foremost portrait painter). Copley developed his considerable artistic skills as a commercial illustrator, a restoration expert, and a master artist whose work is collected by museums and prominent private collectors worldwide. “More Than a Handful,” included in the exhibit, is a piece using copper as a canvas like works by Rembrandt, DaVinci and Renoir.

(Scottsdale, AZ – April 4, 2011)  – The Scottsdale Art Walk features a very special artist for its April 7 First Thursday event – Ed Copley, a Master artist whose work is collected around the globe is holding court in Scottsdale this week. But the genes of artistic genius that make Ed Copley (www.edcopleyfineart.com) one of world’s finest painters are more than just heredity.  Copley is known as a modern-day old master when it comes to art because he paints with an ‘old master’ technique – mixing his own paints, adding glazes, stretching his own canvas and even carving a frame for that special masterpiece.  And for the artistic genes, John Singleton Copley (http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg60b/gg60b-main1.html) was the greatest American painter of the 18th century.  His great, great, great grandson Ed Copley is following in those footsteps in the 21st century.

A one-man exhibition held at the Mainview Gallery (http://www.mainviewgallery.com/mainview/)  at 7137 E. Main Street in Scottsdale opens on Thursday, April 7. Opening night includes an artist reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. allowing collectors and fans to meet the artist personally.

Copley’s work will be exhibited for one month.  Copley notes that longevity is the test of the legacy of an artist.

“Look around at the great museums and see what stands the test of time. It is classical art, which is something that people can relate to and understand,” explains Copley.  “It is a responsibility if you are going to execute quality paintings. It requires a lot of study, work and sensitivity. Every artist must try to accomplish his or her highest level of excellence.”

Just When You Finally Learn Something … It Gets Changed

WordPress is changing the theme I have used since I began blogging. I don’t like spending time re-doing items that as far as I could see didn’t need re-doing. Now I have to check to make sure my blog looks the way I want.

After reading a lot of the comments on the switch from PressRow to Pilcrow, I am not alone in my assessment that this is a hassle. We humans don’t like change and it has to be really important and a huge improvement to make it worthwhile. It doesn’t seem like this is true for the Pilcrow theme.

The real reason for the switch seems to be an issue of control by the first designer of PressRow. What I have been seeing is an issue with video posting with Pilcrow. Now I am concerned. Videos are a big part of our Facebook and our website, DMProductions LLC.

I am working on using vidoes on my blog, so I will let you know the outcome of using the “new and improved” theme Pilcrow.

OK. This blog was never posted, but I still feel it has a lot of value. So here is a quick update: I added a video to my last blog on our road trip, and it was easier because of the new widgets that have been added. So I guess change is not a four-letter word and I should not grumble before I try new things.

Road Trip – Client on Tour … Or if it’s Tuesday, it must be?

Media Relations or PR is interesting and can be challenging when you are in your own comfort zone geographically. But many times you must go with your client or meet them at a location for an event or tour. I am traveling on a ‘Road Trip’ to the Dallas-Fort Worth area this weekend.

 Western Artists of America is holding its Seventh Annual Show and Sale. And, this year it is being held at the Pearce Museum on the Navarro College Campus in Corsicana, TX.  DM Productions LLC is providing the media relations for the event.  We will shuffle artists to media interviews at various regional television stations, and help coordinate print interviews as well.

In addition to our media services, Studio Scottsdale, our video production company, is offering the attendees, America’s leading Western artists, a short video of themselves. The video will allow them to discuss, on camera, their work and what their participation in the WAA means.

We’ll host  the videos of each artist interviewed and provide a link for their websites. Adding a multi-media element to a website, or on-line media release, increases the chance of driving more traffic to a website.

The Studio Scottsdale team is providing the video service as a way of showcasing how they can take their services “on the road” as well. We have a 2800 square foot free-standing studio in, you guessed it, Scottsdale, AZ, where we provide a full-service digital studio.  Our video services range from conceptual through the finished product. We also offer professional photography services with our award winning photographer, Bonnie Adams.

But we can provide mobile services and have done so previously for clients. As the Western Artists of America are located around the country, Studio Scottsdale wants to let them know that we travel.

It is an exciting weekend with lots of activities, media and of course the videos. I am hosting the interviews providing the questions to the artist or sculptor. They are branded the same as this blog … and on each video … ”You will have entered the DM Zone.”

My plan is to post new blogs over this road trip to keep you up with the comings and goings that can take place when you “hit the road” for a media tour with your client. Stay tuned!

Why Websites are Important to Your Association: Welcome American Society of Traditional Artists [ASTA] Website!

Websites are a necessary tool for businesses today whether a small business, large corporation or even a group association.  Non-profits and Group Associations find that if their website is accessible through an internet search such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo, then their membership grows.  And most importantly, those members benefit from their membership in the society through more notoriety and exposure.

A website should be easy to navigate, state your main points or issues  and answer questions for those seeking information about your product, service or members. But it needs to be enjoyable for those visiting the site as well as easy on the eyes. Too many bells and whistles that detract from your message is never a good thing. Just because it is the latest geek tool, doesn’t always make it a good marketing option.

Fine Art by ASTA member Don Clapper

Our firm recently developed a new site for American Society of Traditional Artists (ASTA) an exciting membership representing some of the leading world-class artists in realism based in the United States. The new website, done by the

DM Productions LLC web design team is full of information on this incredible association.  It features full Flash animation, social networking connections, easy navigation and a number of other dynamic web elements. 

Take a peek:

Welcome to the American Society of Traditional Artists [ASTA] Website!

DM Productions has been creating websites for large public companies to small one-person businesses for the past 18 years. If you are curious about what our web design team does or about how we might assist you in your web development, send an email to my partner, doug@dmproductionsllc.com

As a boutique PR and Marketing firm, we are proud of the services our company is able to provide for our clients.

How Often Do You Tweet? Tweet More and Learn

One of my favorite Social Media sites is WindMill Networking by Neal Schaffer. Schaffer is recognized as a leader in helping businesses and professionals embrace and strategically leverage the potential of social media. His posts are concise and very user friendly. I find at least one new tool each time I read one of Schaffer’s posts.

The recent post about “Twitter 101: What Should I Tweet About? Understanding Why Personal Branding Matters”  discusses why every professional should not only be on Twitter (as in have an account), but to actively tweet! (View full article here.)

Twitter for me is a good way to spread news about my clients, get the word out on events or ideas that interest me, and to let others know about my blog posts. Not surprisingly, these are part of Schaffer’s reasons to tweet listed in his article.

But what I found most useful in this post was Schaffer’s thoughts about being able to use Twitter as a resource within your industry.

“Reach out to your industry peers, potential mentors, and thought leaders…you will be surprised how easy it is to communicate with and potentially develop relationships with people that you’ve never met on Twitter”

The great thing about the social media is the willingness to share knowledge about the medium and about anything else you’d like to know about. Schaffer reminded me to reach out for that knowledge. I’ve known it was there, just a bit shy to ask.

So got a problem and looking or a solution? Don’t be afraid reach out on Twitter … Ask away! And don’t forget to tweet and share some of your knowledge while you’re at it.

Top Ten of the Top 100 PR Tips for Media Rockstar Status

Got a post today via one of my PR newsletters that featured Sakita Holley’s top 100 Tips for becoming a Rockstar with the Media. The information is awesome and is actually 111 tips.  But, Sakita’s list was so thorough (and long) that one of the comments posted said it all ”… Now how am I going to remember all of that?”

 The number one rule in PR to remember is that less is more. Media wants all of your information in ‘sound bites’, leading with ‘hooks’ and don’t forget to keep your message ‘short and concise.’ So how do you get your story across without sounding like a tweet?

‘Media training’ was mentioned twice in Sakita’s list. Good advice especially for the novice. ‘Practice’ was also mentioned more than once and I can remember from my piano teacher that indeed ‘practice makes perfect’ (or at least better). I think the other strong tip is ‘be comfortable with silence.’ So many of my clients feel that instead of letting the quiet rest for a second, they fill the air with “you knows.”

So my list of the Top Ten of the Top 100 Tips, with some editorial license and in the order of importance as I see it, is as follows:

1. Prepare – Practice, practice, practice – List your points of information in order of importance to get them out in the interview.
2. Never lie – Be honest and straight forward with your information.
3. Focus – Stay on topic and don’t let the reporter distract or lead you astray.
4. Listen – to the reporter’s questions and comments and keep eye contact with them.
5. Assume Nothing – Including that the reporter has even read any pre-interview information about you.
6. Respect Deadlines – Arrive on time, call back quickly once contacted by media and don’t drag on with your contact.
7. Silence is OK – don’t let it go on for too long, but better while you gather your thoughts to keep quiet instead of “you knows”.
8. No such thing as “off the record” – A reporter can never ignore what you’ve given them, and even if they are your friend, they’ll report it.
9. Smile – It will help you look relaxed, and will make you feel better. Honest!
10. Expect a final question that may allow you to conclude the interview with a recap of your message. But, cover it early to be safe.

So there you have it. If you can remember these ten items, you will be able to become that Media Rockstar you dream about!