Check out this fantastic guest post from our friend Mari Selby, who also contributes to the San Francisco Book Review, “ATM,” column.

Seeing Clearly Now, San Francisco Book Review

By Mari Selby

Have you had your vision checked lately? When I was a child, I saw Christmas tree lights as these soft glowing orbs of color, and I was warmed by their light. My first pair of glasses came when I was a pre-teen, and I was disappointed that those soft orbs were now points of light. That peculiar disappointment lingered with me until I almost 40 when I got my next pair of glasses. I wore them for driving only, preferring my world to be blurry and soft around the edges. When I bought my first pair of contacts the world took on new meaning. Today I love the fierce brightness of starlight, the rough outlines of languid mountains, and the sharp crisp edges of books. Are you nearsighted or farsighted regarding your book today? Do you challenge yourself every day to put forth a better effort, a clearer vision?

What does your vision have to do with doing publicity? Ask yourself this, how clearly are you seeing what is around you? Does your vision blur beyond the edges of your daily tasks? Do you actually know what is working for you and your book? Doing your tasks without a goal, or vision keeps you seeing only the trees, not the forest. Maybe it’s time to stretch beyond your vision of a comfort zone? When you are myopic in your promotional process then it’s time for an assessment of your social network. Selby ink shines a light on essential points in an assessment, and can include the following.

• Has your website been analyzed for search engine optimization and keyword use?
• Have the website statistics been analyzed for where the majority of visitors are coming from and what marketing is working and what is not?
• Do you have a Facebook Fanpage up for you and your book? How much interaction do you have with your followers?
• Have you traded links with any blogs, or sites on your website or your FB Fanpage? Are these links reciprocal and a benefit to you and your material?
• Do you encourage cross-pollination of different audiences by commenting on other blogs and social networking pages? Are your comments reciprocated?

Or conversely are you focusing on the forest, or your goals, and tripping up on day to day efforts? Do you feel like you are drowning in all the daily actions required of a social networked life? Today the possibilities that you can use to promote your book through social networking is overwhelming. Do you know what is actually working for you? Are you open to working less and having a greater impact? Then it’s time for another level of Selby ink assessment – what makes you or your book unique?

• What makes your readers sit up and notice that your book will make a difference in their lives? What inspires people, gives them an action plan, or de-stresses them by reading your book and material?
• By identifying your key points. You can keep working many angles of those points while setting yourself up as an expert. Experts are often called upon by the media, and are invited to give speeches at businesses, organizations, and universities.
• Social networking is based on building relationships. Which relationships have been most eloquent and productive? Enhance these relationships and let go of the  relationships that are not working for you.
• Each interview, each contact can exponentially enhance your promotional efforts, every step counts. Have you asked your hosts for a link to their show, an endorsement, and a recording of the interview? Have you placed that endorsement, link and recording all over your social network?
• What are new ways you can repurpose or recycle your existing materials to reach new audiences?

Not everyone’s book is going to be received in the same way, and not every author is able to give lectures or workshops. However, anyone can step out of their comfort zone and try new things making each step count. When you let that fierce starlight guide you on your way, your efforts are more effective and clear. When was the last time you had your vision checked?

_{Copyright August, 2011 Mari Selby}

About Mari Selby

Mari Selby founded Selby ink in 1998 after working for a small publisher where she was successful in improving their sales from 20,000 books to over 100,000 books in one year. Prior to being a publicist Mari was a family therapist in private practice for almost 20 years. All of us at Selby ink are passionate about healing and transformation, we prefer to work with books that make a difference in people’s lives, their relationships, our society or the planet. Our passion for books, drive to make your work well-known, and international contacts will provide just the edge you need to create a successful promotional campaign. Selby ink covers all the publicity and promotional bases, from book-shepherding to traditional book tours to online services to viral campaigns. Contact Selby ink today for a free short consultation about your book and you! mari@selbyink.com or www.selbyink.com.