{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…

{This guest post comes from Joe Flood, who recently taught you how to make your blog look good on the iPhone. Today, Joe explains how to promote your cause and get results by playing nice with others.}

The DC Shorts Film Festival has rapidly grown to be one of the best short film festivals in the country.

I’ve volunteered with the festival for more than five years as a judge, screenplay competition manager, photographer and even sold t-shirts. With this front row seat, I’ve gotten to see what works – lessons for anyone promoting a product or cause.

Quality: DC Shorts has a commitment to quality that’s a reflection of the festival’s founder, Jon Gann. DC Shorts books top venues, like E Street Cinema. Marketing materials, from the web site to brochures, are professionally designed and branded. Great sponsors are wooed, such as Stella Artois and Clyde’s. The films and screenplays for the festival are selected by a rigorous judging process. Read More…