Let’s be honest – getting your book into the hands of readers, no matter what your foundation or however good your book might be, is hard. There are many resources on the internet for both traditional and self-published authors, giving advice on negotiating the murderous waters of  book publicity. One of the best-established however, is the Indie Book Collective, a members organisation for authors and the organisation behind such publicity juggernauts as the Blog Tour de Force, Best Seller for a Day and the Indie Book Blowout.

Today, Elena Gray joins us to talk about IBC, how to get involved and what opportunities they are opening up for authors in 2012.

CQ: For those new to IBC, how did the Indie Book Collective start and what are its goals?

The Indie Book Collective was founded in 2010 by Carolyn McCray, as a way to increase social media exposure for authors.  Since then it has evolved into a community that helps authors build careers, from writing their book to marketing and publishing the final product.

The goal of the Indie Book Collective is to give authors, both indie and traditional, the marketing tools to create massive, positive change in their careers with long term sustainable sales, through industry relevant education, informative texts, strategic sales events and innovative programs. We commit to paying forward the knowledge and experience we gain for the overall good of authors and industry professionals because together, we accomplish far more than apart.

CQ: IBC runs several webinars. What sorts of subjects do you cover? Can non-members take part and what do they cost?

EG: Our webinars are open to everyone. Members do receive a discounted rate. Currently we offer 5 classes:

  • Intro to Indie: Covers platform building, social media basics and branding. Cost: Free
  • Meet the Blogosphere: Covers starting a blog to growing an audience. As well as how to approach book bloggers to get a review. - Cost non-members: $25 Members: $15
  • Eformatting 101: Learn how to format your book during a live demonstration. - Cost non-members: $25 Members: $15
  • Brand – Storming (Facebook/Blogging/Branding): Learn how to create a public image that is clear and resonates with your readers. - Cost non-members: $25 Members: $15
  • Amazon Optimization: Learn how to optimize your digital sales platform to maximize your book sales. - Cost non-members: $50 Members: $30

CQ: IBC has run some interesting projects around KDP Select and, judging by the blog, seems largely positive about the system. Tell us about the Free Par-tay – successes so far and where you plan to go with it.

EG: On Feb 2- 4 we conducted our first FREE Par-Tay. Twenty–five KDP Select authors linked arms in the first ever coordinated FREE event on Amazon.  The results? PHENOMENAL!

Of the 40 titles in the promotion, all but four ranked in the top 500 FREE and ALL ranked under 1000 FREE. Moreover we had 10 authors who scored in the top 100 FREE consistently throughout the free promotion.

Our results following the free promotion during the paid cycle were nothing short of amazing. We had a 79 %rise in rankings overall and our top producers scored an astonishing 89 % rise in rankings. As of this writing many of the books are STILL in the Top 1,000 PAID lists. Multiple authors earned their way into the top 100 PAID too!

Since we are still testing the KDP waters, our goal is for our next event, Lucky Days which will run Mar 15 -17, to blow our previous event out of the water!

CQ: One of the most talked about IBC projects is the Blog Tour De Force. How does this work and how can people, both writers wanting to take part and readers following it, get involved?

EG:  Blog Tour de Force is an event created to get author’s ebooks into reader’s hands. This ground breaking event has placed each participating author in the top 5 of the Smashword’s bestseller charts for their genre. Plus earns them multiple reviews.

Blog Tour de Force has changed with the emergence of KDP Select. Only non-KDP select authors are allowed to participate.

Each author on the tour gifts each person that comments on their blog with an ebook. There is a Kindle grand prize drawing as well as customized author gift baskets.

Each author that participates can expect an average of 700 blog hits and 100 comments, and an increased Twitter, blog and Facebook following. Not to mention the reviews generated from this free ebook event!

Authors can email blogtourdeforce@gmail.com for information on upcoming tours. Readers can head over to our website http://www.blogtourdeforce.com and sign up for our newsletter.

CQ: The IBC talks a lot about self-publication. Is it only aimed at self-pub authors, or can small press and/or traditionally published authors get involved too?

EG: We welcome all authors. While much of the information we provide is geared toward how to self-publish your books, we heavily focus on marketing strategies and writing tips as well. There tends to be a misconception that if you are a traditionally published author, you won’t have to market your book. Traditionally published authors have to work just as hard as self-published to get their name out there.

Also, many traditionally published authors are taking their backlist titles, refreshing them and self-publishing.

CQ: Members are encouraged to have a blog and a twitter account. What part do these play in the business plan of the Collective as a whole?

EG: You don’t necessarily have to have a blog or twitter account to be a member. But in order to benefit from a program like Blog Tour de Force you do. Having a blog, Twitter, Facebook or Goodreads account helps you build up your social media presence, therefore, getting the word out about yourself, your books, helping you build a fan base even before your book releases if you are unpublished.

Many people are intimidated by social media. They feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin. That’s where our informative classes come in to play.

CQ: A lot of your projects are loudly aimed at readers, not authors (although of course there is a great deal of overlap!). How do you balance giving advice on marketing and writing and so on, while trying to attract readers who don’t write themselves and wouldn’t be interested in those parts of the site?

EG: We cater to both. While our programs help authors, we gear events with readers in mind, thereby teaching the author to earn an audience. Free Par-Tay and Blog Tour de Force give readers access to free ebooks in a fun atmosphere, while helping authors increase their presence. Plus we have the 99 Cent Network that’s aimed toward readers helping them sort through the masses. Finding top rated reads at an affordable price.

Our new Meet the Blogosphere class works for readers, reviewers and authors. Anyone can learn how to create a blog and gather a following. A blog can be important to a reader, because in turn they can become a reviewer, thus gaining even more of those coveted free books.

 



About the Author

Verity Linden
Verity Linden
Really, it only LOOKS like magic. Verity Linden (AKA PublicityPixie) is a Literary Publicist working with Curiosity Quills Press author Michael Shean and others. She is a cat lover, nerd, gamer, and avid reader.
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