Review
Authors
“Fauzia delivered more than I imagined was possible, plus she’s fun to work with.”
— Alan Alda, award-winning actor and author of two New York Times bestsellers
“I’ve known Fauzia for over twenty years, and I can honestly say that no one knows more about the ins and outs of online marketing for books. Fauzia gives authors the practical advice they need to find as wide an audience as possible for their books.”
—R. J. Palacio, author of the New York Times bestseller Wonder
“Fauzia Burke is intelligent, well connected, and effective. She knows how to reach the parts of the media that conventional PR either doesn’t understand or wrongly ignores.”
— Charles Spencer, author of Killers of the King and other bestselling books
“In these days, an author needs a steady, capable guide to navigate the many difficulties of getting books seen and heard. Fauzia’s approach works, and the steps she has outlined in her book will help any author build a base of readers. She’s simply the best.”
— Jan Jarboe Russell, author of the New York Times bestseller The Train to Crystal City
“Fauzia’s creativity and diligent commitment to online publicity and social media are unsurpassed. Unequivocally, she is the premier go-to online marketer.”
— Bill Bradley, former US Senator and author of We Can All Do Better
“What author isn’t intimidated by the complexities and nuances of online marketing? Anyone who has worked with Fauzia Burke! This book reflects the wisdom gained from years of painstakingly navigating the digital labyrinth on behalf of her clients.”
– Larry J. Sabato, Director, University of Virginia Center for Politics, and author of The Kennedy Half Century
Publishers
“Fauzia Burke has been on the web promoting books from the very beginning, and I have consistently admired her perfect balance of creativity with practicality. She knows exactly what kinds of web promotion will drive book sales.”
— Madeline McIntosh, President, Penguin Publishing Group
“Fauzia Burke was talking about online marketing years before the rest of us even knew what that meant, and she continues to lead the way. We should consider ourselves lucky that she is as generous in sharing her hard-won knowledge as she is ahead of the curve in gaining it.”
— Bob Miller, President and Publisher, Flatiron Books/Macmillan
“Always innovative and effective. I have no reservations in recommending Fauzia Burke.”
— Judith Curr, President and Publisher, Atria Publishing Group/Simon & Schuster
“Fauzia Burke knows better than anyone how to utilize the broad and sometimes confusing array of digital marketing tools on behalf of books.”
— Walter Weintz, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, Workman Publishing
“Fauzia Burke is one of the most innovative marketing experts in the publishing industry. She brings positive, pragmatic, and powerful expertise to any author’s table.”
— Kate Rados, Director, Community Development, The Crown Publishing Group, Penguin Random House
Agents
“With her industry savvy, creative thinking, passion for online PR and brand development, and boundless energy, Fauzia is a true asset to any author.”
— Sandra Dijkstra, literary agent and founder of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
“When it comes to publicizing a book on the web, nobody has the range and expertise of Fauzia Burke.”
— Larry J. Kirshbaum, literary agent, Waxman Leavell Literary Agency
“Fauzia Burke is an industry leader in the world of online publicity and marketing . I have recommended Fauzia to many clients, with total confidence , and they have all been thrilled with the results.”
— Wendy Sherman, literary agent and founder of Wendy Sherman Associates
“Armed with years of experience, Fauzia has been successfully pioneering the world of online marketing to help authors connect with their readers and produce terrific, long-lasting results.”
— Amy Hughes, literary agent, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency
“In her book, Burke takes authors through the process of identifying their unique personal brand, defining their audience, clarifying their aspirations and goals and setting priorities. Once that foundation is established, she walks them through the process of developing a personalized, sustainable long-term online marketing plan. She offers advice on designing a successful website, building a mailing list of super fans, blogging, creating an engagement strategy for social media and much more.”
–Forbes
“This is a useful guide for any authors wondering how to promote themselves online…. It would be a worthwhile volume for libraries that have an active writing community among their patrons, especially as it is specific to books.”
– Library Journal
“The book is filled with practical advice from a roster of experts that reads like a Who’s Who of publishing—S&S’s Judith Curr, Flatiron’s Bob Miller, and Crown’s Patty Berg. Burke places them all into a comprehensive and easy-to-follow narrative that aims to help prospective as well as seasoned authors manage their marketing plans and reach their goals.”
– Publishers Weekly
“By following Burke’s expert advice, authors can conquer the Internet and still get their next manuscript in on time.”
– 800 CEO Read
“It is certainly recommended not just for authors but for anyone looking for information about self promotion.”
– Examiner.com
” The book’s powerful strategies can be put to immediate use, and revisited for long-term success in marketing and promoting your book.”
– BlogCritics
“Online Marketing for Busy Authors provides the questions and structure to help time-starved authors prioritize and refine their marketing strategies.”
– Small Business Trends
“The book provides a simple and coherent approach for aspiring authors looking to bring attention to their work and develop their brand via the internet and social media.” – Retirement Savvy
“Authors will get a good high-level picture of what online marketing entails and nudge them in the right direction.”
– Non Fiction Book Reviews
“Burke takes authors step by step through the process of identifying their unique personal brand, defining their audience, clarifying their aspirations and goals, and setting priorities.”
– Literary Rambles
“The book is interactive, with information grouped by chapters with lists, checklists, worksheets and handy tips, along with examples, anecdotes and advice from other professionals in the book business. Fauzia Burke ultimately keeps this book accessible and succinct, perfect for busy authors looking to improve their online marketing strategy.”
– Madison’s Library
“Online Marketing for Busy Authors is a must read for anyone who has written a book or is interested in writing a book”
– The Cyberlibrarian
“Nothing in this book is patronizing, nor does it expect a level of marketing knowledge. To quote Goldilocks, it’s just right.”
– Tap Dancing Spiders
“I loved the simplicity yet power in this book. I highly recommend it.”
– Terry Whalin
“This book will make busy authors even busier. Yet at least they will be doing the right things.”
– Christopher Richards Ink
“Burke’s writing flows and is easy to understand. In fact, the book reads like one is having a conversation with her and not reading words written on pages. Because of this, I think writers of any age would be able to understand the ideas presented. It is also logically divided into the steps and order of those steps for writers to be successful.”
– Blog: Amy’s Scrap Bag
“This is a terrific book for authors interested in utilizing online resources for promoting their writings.”
– Margo Kelly
“This small book is packed with tips, advice, suggestions and literal steps to plan and implement a marketing plan for authors.”
– Bev Scott
“In clear and concise prose, Fauzia Burke distills her 20 years of experience marketing authors online to accessible steps that even the uninitiated can use.”
– Alisha Solan
“Gold nuggets galore.”
– She Would Read
About the Author
Fauzia Burke is the founder and president of FSB Associates, one of the first firms to specialize in digital branding and online publicity for books. Founded in 1995, FSB Associates has successfully launched more than 2,000 online book publicity campaigns. Burke has worked on books by Alan Alda, Sue Grafton, Brian Tracy, Joe Pantoliano, Marina Keegan, Kathy Freston, Deepak Chopra, and many others.
S.C. Gwynne is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Rebel Yell and Empire of the Summer Moon, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. He spent most of his career as a journalist, including stints with Time as bureau chief, national correspondent, and senior editor, and with Texas Monthly as executive editor. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction
In my twenty years of promoting books online, I have worked with bestselling authors, celebrity authors, longtime authors, first-time authors, and some self-published authors. While the challenges may differ from book to book, all authors have a similar concern: how to spend their time effectively promoting their book and expanding their brands online while writing the best book possible. Whether you’re writing your first book or you write three books a year, you are probably very busy and you must make every minute count.
Together, we will figure out the best use of your time and the best way to engage with your specific readers. I hope to make the marketing process meaningful and fun for you. I am not going to tell you that if you follow my advice, your book will be #1 on Amazon (that would be a great sales pitch, though), but what I can tell you is that if you follow my advice, you will create meaningful interactions with your readers and build a long-term, successful personal brand online. Having visibility online is not just about selling a book, it’s about building a career.
I have written this book to help you do just that. I think it would be helpful for you to read this book once in its entirety before doing the actual worksheets. It will give you the big picture before you take the deep dive. This is an introductory book with a strategic look at online marketing for authors. There is a lot of information to absorb here, so I have made the book interactive. You’ll find worksheets and checklists, as well as bulleted lists, tips, quotes, and advice from book publishing professionals, throughout the book.
Some of the information in the book is available on the web and even in my own blogs, but I find that having a clear road map is really important so you don’t spend a lot of time chasing down information without having a plan to implement the ideas. I’ve organized the book in three phases to help you digest a process that feels overwhelming to most authors. In the first phase, we dig right into understanding what personal branding is and why it is important for you. We work on your motivations, dreams, and goals, and on understanding your readers. This is an important step, because it will help you make choices about where to spend your valuable time. We end with a priority list in chapter 6. This list does not have the coolest options (such as the newest video creation tool), but it does have the options that have produced the best results for my clients.
In phase 2 of the book, we’ll focus on turning your priorities into action. Because it can take a couple of years to see the fruits of your labor, we work on creating a sustainable online marketing plan. I offer advice on designing a successful website, on building a mailing list of Super Fans, on blogging, and on creating an engagement strategy for social media. I also cover DIY online publicity tips and ideas you can use to create visibility for your book. All of these activities will help you establish a strong digital footprint and online brand.
Phase 3 is called Staying the Course and offers tips and ideas to continue this work without feeling the burnout experienced by many authors. One of the key concerns that my clients share is what to post on social media. By the end of the book you should not only know what to post but when and where as well.
The old saying that you can’t be all things to all people is more true today than ever. Be a specialist as you build your community. There is only one you! Your online brand will serve you in everything you do, and it will help you in magical ways by opening doors to unexpected opportunities. It has done that for me, and for many of my clients. I can’t wait to hear how this work helps you.
