Friday's Marketing Roundup (6/19)

If you are going to LA - please leave me a comment. I'd love to know who else is going. :)

Here are my favs for the week:

S&S has launched a social networking site for teens - A new book social networking site where 14- to 18-year-olds can read and review new S&S titles online, create profiles, communicate with authors and other members, and earn points redeemable for prizes. The initiative is similar to Penguin UK’s Spinebreakers, which launched in 2007.

The Dreaded Author platform (Rachel Gardner, Agent) - Gone are the days when publishers were solely responsible for the marketing of a book. The way to do it is increasingly through personal connection, and that means YOU, the author, making connections with your readers.

Simple ways to promote yourself online - the idea of marketing yourself online is still very confusing to a lot of people. Here are some bottom line basics - because at the end of the day, we all need to start somewhere, and the best place to start is online.

Take advantage of unplanned marketing opportunities - Sometimes activities come along that can be wonderful marketing opportunities if you have an eye for them. When they come, are your ready to take advantage of them? Here are some unplanned marketing opportunities to keep your eye out for.

Beefing up your anchors (hyperlink text) for Search Engine Optimization - Anchor are the hyperlinked text that you click on to follow a link. Most people overlook this text, using words like “click here” or other nebulous terms. If used correctly, anchor text can really help with your site ranking.

Here's how the Internet can affect promotion - You can broadcast your own interview online directly to your target audience, and given that, who needs an interview opportunity on someone else's traditional media outlet to promote a book?

Have a great weekend!