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Promote a Book Using Squidoo

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Tips on Book Promotion Using Squidoo

Authors, particularly self-published authors, need to promote their book in a wide variety of ways. Making the information about the book and author available on the internet is important. Here's how to make a Squidoo lens to promote a book.

Sign up for the Squidoo account, giving the usual information of username and password. Set up at least a minimal profile.

Click on Make a New Lens. A lens is a webpage. Choose a title like Meet John Smith - Author or John Smith: Author of Life of an Ordinary Man. The first title works best for an author with multiple book titles.

You'll need a photo for the Introduction Module. It could be a picture of the book cover or a picture of the author or an illustration from the book.
It's important to give credit for the photo and make it a clickable link like this to where they can buy the book, Free To Go.

Use a Text Module to Write about the Author

Write an introductory article describing the author. The text module has a place for a photo.

Be sure to put the author's name and the book name in as many of the module titles and subtitles as possible. This helps Google know what the page is about.

Choose the modules that fit your message about the author and the book. There are a variety of text and photo modules that you can fill with information about the author's books. You can create a photo slideshow of the author. Use an Amazon module to feature the author's books. Another Amazon module can feature "What the Author is Reading." Examples of these are shown below.
Add a YouTube module if the author has a video posted to that site. If the book is nonfiction, you can link to YouTube videos on that topic.

Use the Amazon Spotlight to Show off Your Book

This is what it looks like

You can set it to show the title, availability, Amazon price, a picture of the book, release date and list price.
Dawn of Desegregation: J. A. De Laine and Briggs v. Elliott

Dawn of Desegregation: J. A. De Laine and Briggs v. Elliott

by: Ophelia De Laine Gona

Write your description of the book in the "why is this worth spotlighting?" box on the module.

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Use the Poll Module to Get Reader Interaction

I like to put the poll question in the module title, then where Squidoo says "enter your poll question," I just put "Vote in the Poll."
You can put as many responses as you want, but I think 2 to 6 is easy for most people to handle. Add other polls if you have more options than 6.

Sample questions you could ask for votes on are:
Have you read "name of book?" with the response as yes or no.
You could ask what the person most likes to read, with the choices being fiction, biography, mystery, romance...
Get creative and even humorous in this module. It can provide good feedback.

Loading poll. Please Wait...

with John Doe

Add to the lens a countdown module. It's great for a count down to some event or important date for the author. This can be a media appearance, a book signing event or a book release date. In the description section, add the time, details about the location, etc.

Here's what it will look like.

Countdown to Book Signing at the Museum

Book Signing at the Museum: March 9, 2013

Use the YouTube Video Module

to show off an author interview, book reading or a book trailer

If you've posted anything to You Tube promoting your book, showcase it here.
If you don't have a video, you can sometimes choose a video relating to the topic. For example, if the book is set during the Great Depression, you could select a You Tube video showing vintage photos of the 1930s.
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Use the RSS Module to Feature Your Blog

Put in the author's blog address (the URL) to pull the RSS. Choose how many headlines you would like to show and if you want an excerpt or not. Choose how often you want it updated (from every 30 minutes to weekly). Decide if you want HTML included.
Whenever the author updates the blog, it changes on the Squidoo lens
Try it one way for a bit, then another to see which you like best. For an example, I'm putting in my mom's author blog.
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Use the Photo Gallery to Display a Sampling of Photos

Click on any photo to see it larger and to read the description

Write a description to go with each photo. This is my sister.

Write a description to go with each photo. This is my sister.

Write a description to go with each photo. This is my sister.

Use the StickyNote Module for an Announcement

Note: I'll be adding photos to the photo gallery soon. I prefer to set it for non-rotating.

Below you'll see the Big Arrow Module. This is great for directing the reader to the web site where they can buy the book.

Buy the Book

Use the Polaroid to Feature a Single Picture 

Add a Flickr Photos Module

to showcase the author

Put photos on Flickr featuring the author, the book cover or other related photos. Feature them in the Squidoo lens using this module. Select the option PICK BY PHOTOSET, then choose your set of pictures from flickr.

Here's one showing book signings.
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“Use the Talk Bubble module to feature a quote: Gail's stories will touch your heart.”

Use the Amazon Module for Listing Multiple Books or Products

on your book promotion page on Squidoo

If your book(s) are nonfiction, you can list related products that you recommend, or related reading. An alternate way to use this module is to feature "What the Author Is Reading Now." Readers like to see some of the author's personality and this is a place to share.

Below I've featured some books that fit well with my mother's book topic. I would title the module "Learn More about Early Days in Kansas" and the subtitle would be "Books recommended by Gail Lee Martin."

The items displayed can be horizontal or vertical. You can also write a description of each (in the vertical format).
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Use the Reader Feedback Module to Get More Information about the Readers

Ask a question in the title or subtitle to draw a response

I usually set this module so that anyone can comment, not just Squidoo members.
To avoid SPAM, I set it to "Ask Me First" before the blurbs are posted on the page. I have it send me an approval email for pending blurbs and I activate the Comment Follow. To further avoid spam, I set it to strip all HTML from the blurbs.

  • marsha32 Jun 2, 2012 @ 2:02 am | delete
    I am trying to help other authors out with some of my book review lenses.
  • Ramkitten Jun 1, 2012 @ 3:43 pm | delete
    Squidoo has proven to be a great place/way to promote my novels. Your lens, though, has given me MORE ideas to do that even more effectively. Thanks!
  • Frischy Jun 1, 2012 @ 3:28 pm | delete
    This is very useful information for anyone seeking to promote a book. They don't have to be an expert on Squidoo, just follow the information you have set forth. Good work!
  • drbilltellsexcitingstories Apr 9, 2012 @ 12:32 am | delete
    Great module. Thanks! ;-)
  • cffutah Feb 18, 2012 @ 7:53 am | delete
    enjoyed stopping by this morning.
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Start Making a Page on Squidoo

Use the Donations Module

to feature a charity from the list on Squidoo

Look for one that fits the author's interests or book theme.

Blue Mountain Wildlife provides caring people a place to bring injured wildlife for the specialized treatment needed to return to the wild, and increases awareness & appreciation of wildlife through public education.

My Pages on Squidoo about Authors and Their Books

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by

vallain

I'm Virginia Allain, a retired librarian. Now I devote myself to writing, photography and designing books to self-publish. Having fun!
My current project... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

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