{I can always depend on Joe Flood for informative, succinct guest posts. In his most recent FlackRabbit submission, Joe shares some marketing tips for all you creative, self-promoters out there.}

Last year, I published a book. Murder in Ocean Hall is a mystery set in DC about the death of the world’s most famous oceanographer.

Since then, I’ve experimented with social media to get the word out about my first novel. It’s been an interesting experience, one that has taught me a lot about product marketing in this consumer-driven age. Doing it yourself, without a staff or budget, helps you learn marketing tools in a very hands-on fashion.

Here’s what has worked for me:

Facebook – The most important audience for a new book is the author’s friends and family. Facebook is the ideal tool for reaching them. I promoted the book when it came out and at other key points spurring sales. My FB marketing has been simple – I’ve used my status update to tell people about my book.

Kindle – One surprise is that I’ve sold as many Kindle copies as print ones. The Kindle copy of my book is $2.99 (versus $9.99 for print) and people can buy it instantly. Also, Kindle owners seem to read more books than most people. Read More…

Dear other person besides me who is subscribing to FlackRabbit on the Amazon Kindle,

Thank you! I don’t know if you are actually my mom or granny or Pavis, (I know you aren’t Dave because Dave was super excited to hear about you) but whoever you are–I love you. And I hope you feel you are getting your 99 cents a month worth of public relations, social media and technology ramblings. Read More…

I’m prone to exaggeration, but believe me when I say the Amazon Kindle is about the most amazing piece of technology I’ve ever held in my tiny hands. You must go buy one.

Seriously, do it. You’ll not understand how freaking cool this thing is until you own one. You’ll not be sorry, in fact, you’ll be addicted to reading again.

You know how you go through those phases of constant bookish-ness…then it fades. For me, it was always a matter of instant gratification. When I want a book, I want it now. The Veruca Salt in me is completely satisfied by the Kindle.

The Amazon Kindle is the kind of technology you can cuddle up with–yes, even with a cup of tea. It’s not heavy like all the Harry Potter and Twilight books you’re reading.

More good news: if you are embarrassed to be reading the aforementioned works, your secret is safe on the Kindle. No one can see what you’re reading.  So feel free to consume Eat, Pray, Love for the third time. Read More…

A colleague asked me today for a recommended reading list, I thought I’d share it with you, too. Here are my favs; what are yours?

On getting smarter

Getting Things Done, David Allen (buy it)

Bit Literacy, Mark Hurst (buy it)

Stumbling Upon Happiness, Daniel Gilbert (buy it)

Upgrade Your Life, Gina Trapani (buy it)

Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell (buy it)

On grammar

Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss (buy it)

On social media

Trusts Agents, Chris Brogan/Julien Smith (buy it)

On humanity

Night, by Elie Wiesel (buy it)

Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden (buy it)

For the kid in you

Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling (buy it)

*don’t laugh – it’s the best book EVER.

Her Nashville Geek Graphic, June 2009

There must be something in the water here in DC. Lately, quite a few folks have asked me how to begin getting organized. My first answer is usually: make one huge to-do list.  That’s usually followed up by me loaning you a copy of David Allen’s Getting Things Done. If I’ve not yet made you read it, no worries. It’s coming.

But honestly, making lists and reading great advice isn’t going to help you if you haven’t made a pact with yourself to stick to it. It’s tough because, at first, living an organized, task-driven existence takes a lot of discipline until it becomes an actual habit. And that takes a good month or so.

Here’s how it usually goes down: you’ll be an organization rock star for the first week, but will then find yourself slipping back into post-it notes and double-booked-induced panic attacks by week three. Don’t let that sway you. Just sit down, consolidate all the brain clutter into one master to-do list, and start all over again.

I keep myself on track using tricks from both GTD and Bit Literacy, which is the book that introduced me to Goo To Do. I’m on year two of using this online to-do list; I can’t even tell you how much I love it.

Of course, I totally dig the fact that folks come to me for this sort of advice. Your questions and successes have been great inspiration for my Her Nashville columns; please keep them coming!

What about you? Are you well-organized guy/gal? Share your tips and tricks in the comments!

Image via Wikipedia

The great thing about having your own blog is that you get to just kind of toss out random thoughts and, for some reason, folks will read them. Here goes:

1. Today I was listening to Pandora Radio (the Guster station) and heard a song called Brand New Colony, by The Postal Service. It was a combo of Super Mario Brother’s sounding music and the cool music at the end of the UPS whiteboard commercials. It kind of blew my mind a little.
2. The word “temporary” means something entirely different in Austin, TX than it does in Nashville, TN… like “permanent“: as in this henna on my hand.
3. Toothpaste really does take the red out of blemishes.
4. People really read this blog and it makes me feel so good. You guys are very kind, even when you don’t agree with me.
5. I’m not one to complain about updated technology, but I dislike the new Facebook layout so much I’ve all but stopped visiting the site. Thanks, Facebook! I’m so much more productive now!
6. Team Newman is coming up on our third year of marriage and I’m freaking out because I can’t remember if we agreed to give, or not to give, gifts. Um, Dave? A little help on this one?
7. I guess it’s the economy, but folks look so weary now-a-days. I hate that. People deserve to be happy; wish I could fix it.
8. I’m reading Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss and I’M IN LOVE with this book. Like, I would marry Eats, Shoots & Leaves if I was not already married to a GroovySoup.  I’m a little embarrassed about how many times I’ve laughed out loud (for real) while reading a tiny book about proper grammar usage and the public exploitation of the apostrophe.
9. I’m grateful for being a person who chooses to see the positive; a trait I learned from my momma and granny.
10. Sprite is very good. So is orange juice.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Second council bans apostrophes in street signs (telegraph.co.uk)

Santa, who was very good to me this year, left J.K. Rowling’s newest book in my stocking! Yes! Over the weekend I read Tales of Beedle the Bard. I share my thoughts on this good, dark read as my alter ego, Chic Geek, over at Her Nashville. Here’s a sample:

I sailed through the page-turning stories of plagues, death, evil, trickery, and of course, magic! with glee. The stories are Harry Potter-odd, easy to read and offer up some unexpected twists.

Unfortunately, I found myself skipping over the Dumbledore commentary — and I think that part is supposed to be kind of a big deal. For me, it was more of a mind-bending challenge to try and remember what the heck Dumbledore is referring to most of the time. And I grew tired of that. (I even got tired of reading Rowling’s commentary attempting to explain Dumbledore’s commentary.)

Read more here.

Oh! And proceeds from the book go to Rowling’s charity, The Children’s High Level Group, so that’s $12.99 (or less if you buy on Amazon) well spent!

Related articles by Zemanta

• JK Rowling’s Tales of Beedle the Bard raises £4.2m for charity in a week
• Rowling’s magic touch reaches back in time