Tout & Shout: The Importance of Marketing (To me & the Library)

I have self-published two books. Luckily all I had in mind was to hold them in my hands and read them like I was a stranger, because I only sold any to myself. This proves that you can accept a free ISBN# and even have a bar code, like I did for "Hip & Broke", but if you don't introduce yourself, if you don't tout yourself and your book to the world, you will never have readers.

Future Librarians abhor touting (although this is a weakness that is being examined by both me and the Library, and needs a full post in the future.)

I need to tout & shout because I want the luxury of time to write. I have two screenplays, one utopian novel, and a few other must-writes in my head, just waiting to spill out.

The Library, too,  recognises its need for some fuss and fanfare. Librarians are typically not look-at-me people, look what we do, look what we've done.

I didn't realize until I started Library School, for example, the huge void the library fills in its service to the have-nots, and I've been a patron/fan of the library for almost 50 years. I don't think the public knows it, but unfortunately, it is not a look-at-me opportunity by its very nature.

The library is an equalizer, providing tools and resources to all, allowing access and experiences to its patrons. Another institution might be able to point this out, as it would surely be a blow, especially to the least of us, if the library were to cease to exist.

The Library is color-blind, however, and all men are equal. Librarians can't, don't, won't invade a patron's privacy. Any appraisal a librarian does is only for the purpose of serving patrons' needs. Promoting the library's service to the have-nots is not something a librarian does. 

Tips for Marketing and Promotion on the Net

To promote your book on-line, you need to present yourself to potential readers. If you want potential readers to visit you, you must have a "place" for them to come.  This is done by establishing a web presence by keeping an active blog or website. Search engines, like Google, are attracted to activity, trolling sites for keywords. The keywords used to describe your blog must match the content of your blog, which the search engine determines by scanning the pages for keywords and related terms.

The more links you have to other sites, the more you will be detected by the search engines. Reciprocal links are the best. Try to get other sites to link with you. Some publishing sites suggest joining discussion or special interest groups on-line, or twitter and tweet, to be able to link with other sites.

There are free sites where you can "feed" the search engines, and there are free sitemeters that track your site's activity. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the goal, and there are many articles on how to achieve this, as well as people you can pay to optimize your site for you. Search engine optimization relies on keywords which should appear in your page titles, your URL, headings and alt tags.

This site feeds your URL into a multitude of search engines for free:
http://www.addme.com/

This site offers a free appraisal of the speed of your website, simply by providing your URL:
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/

Blogger.com offers a way to monetize a blog site with ads related to the keywords which could potentially drive traffic to a site. A custom search engine is also available. If a custom search is included, a successful blog or website can lead to a liason with an advertizing sponsor who is looking for places to advertise. I have been debating whether to add Google Adsense and the custom search engine to my site. Other than cluttering up my site, it could mean more traffic, and more potential to sell books later. The ads might prove interesting to my study of internet publishing as Google promises the ads will relate to the subject matter of the blog.
This is information about Adsense provided by Google:
https://www.google.com/adsense/www/en_US/afs/