Amazon and Twitter Make it Easier to Buy Books via #AmazonCart By Scott Lorenz Westwind Communications A new way to use the power of Amazon and Twitter together was announced recently that should help authors sell more books. It’s called #AmazonCart and it combines the best elements of Twitter with the shopping and buying power of Amazon.…
By Scott Lorenz Westwind Communications PR Stunts get a bad rap because they are either ill-conceived or poorly executed. But I like them and have been involved in many. One recent PR stunt of note paid huge dividends this past holiday season. An airline company called WestJet captured the hearts of many YouTube viewers. WestJet has…
“I don’t know how to put this but I am kind of a big deal.” “Anchorman II: The Legend Continues” is the highly anticipated, long overdue sequel to 2004’s “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”. The first film quickly became a cult classic with its quippy one-liners and hilarious cast. The sequel premiered December 18.…
In Renaissance times and during other eras it was common for artists, sculptors and other creative people to recruit patrons and sponsors to fund their works so they could create masterpieces Today it also is important for creative people, such as writers, to recruit sponsors and patrons – not to help make a living but…
By Scott Lorenz Westwind Communications Alliteration is a very useful literary tool. Alliteration is simply defined as the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words and also the repetition of an initial consonant sound, as in “a peck of pickled peppers.” Incorporating alliteration into your book…
Book Bloggers, I.E. people who blog about books, like to interview authors for their blogs. Some bloggers have tens of thousands of followers and can totally change an author’s life by exposing you and your book to their audience. Finding a blogger who interviews authors in your genre and particular topic allows you to reach…
Book fairs and festivals offer authors an excellent place to interact with fellow authors and publishers, network with book industry leaders, locate the help you need, such as a publicist or book editor, and learn what’s new in the marketplace. Book fairs usually want speakers. By volunteering to speak, the author not only gains great…
I recently contacted several Amazon and GoodReads reviewers to obtain a blurb for the cover of a new book in a series. Most of the reviews were very complimentary but then I got one back that stopped me in my tracks. In that email the reviewer pointed out some flaws in both the writing and…
“Do book awards matter?” YES!! As a book publicist I am here to inform you that yes, they absolutely do matter! In fact, one of my clients won the prestigious Los Angeles Book Festival award. That then led to a flurry of media interest, which subsequently led to a major New York agent deciding to…
What Should I Read? I was recently asked this question by a reporter and it really made me think about the process a book lover goes through when determining what book to buy. It’s a great question because as a book publicist I want you to read my clients’ books of course! But how do…