Friday is a good day for posting a few sites you should know about and tools you should be using as an author. So enjoy and think kindly of me as the temperature in Austin is heading toward the upper nineties!

1. If you’ve not yet registered to publish your blog on Kindle then you should do so today. Here is a great and easy way to do it on Squidoo.  I have to say too that Seth Godin mentioned this in his incredible talk at IBPA this year so YOU really should do it!

2. If I were an online book publicist (which I sometimes am) then I would feel incredibly happy to share the link to the Book Bloggers Convention attendees and tell you that you don’t need an online publicist to build your own book blog pitch list from those blogs.

2A. Don’t copy the whole list and then just spam pitch them. Take time to read their blogs, see if your book is a good fit and contact them one at a time. (Of course one would hope this is what PR flaks would do too, but alas, I’m not sure they are as smart as you!)

3. Gee, I wish all those cool blog posts I have could somehow be converted to newspaper-style format, so I could be my own mini-me publisher. Hmm. How can I do that? Try Feedjournal.

4. If I were an author I would be using Muckrack.com to find what journalists are tweeting in my vertical/topic and I would make a list and follow them on my Twitter account.

5. If I were someone who is always trying to figure out other ways to use Twitter (and I am), I might start following the publications I hope to be featured in and anytime they tweet out a new article link, be one of the first ones to go the publication site and comment on the article. If I do it often enough they might even think about using me as an expert for a future story. If I do it without marketing blather and authentically then at the very least I’ve created a way for folks to find me and perhaps visit my blog.

6. If I wanted to save money on news clipping services and use the Google alerts I set up in an even more powerful way, then I would convert all the places I’m mentioned or featured online by using HTML to PDF converter for free.

7. If I had an intern and wanted to be booked on radio shows, I might have them go through this list and see how many are a good fit for my topic and who the producers for the shows are by visiting the web links to the actual station. (Ok, this means you have to do a little bit of sleuthing but is that so wrong?!)

8. If I were an author hoping to get a book review or a writer wanting a book deal I would follow the folks listed under books here.

Now go and conquer all things Web and may the “book-Force” be with you.

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1. Make your site a mini-magazine issue of thought-leadership. Look at your site as though it’s a real publication for both your peers and the media to source for news. Build an editorial calendar for all your online tools including Twitter, Linkedin.com (status updates), Facebook and make sure you’re congruent in your content and your expertise.

2. Make sure you’re linking outside your blog to other news sources and stories by journalists. As a recovering technology journalist (1996-2004) I can tell you that all journalists love to have their names or links to stories, surface in Google alerts and they really love to show those to their editor as well.  You’re also giving them new sources of experts to look at when you write about stories they’ve covered and what your take is on the story.

3. Build a set of Google alerts on topics you’re most interested in and let those Google alerts give you ideas for new pieces of content on your blog, your Twitter and your Facebook pages. Don’t just stop at  posting those story links, go and comment on the stories at the sites they’re on and that will help you with building link-love to your site.

4. Don’t purposely be contrarian to the news. Be the person who lends a new angle or insight to a story.

5. Make sure you’re reading the online and offline magazines in your vertical and studying how their stories are created, who they source and where you can contribute bylines.

6. Have a website that encompasses a Web 2.0 press ready page. This includes your TwitterID, Facebook, Linkedin.com, YouTube channel and one pager about your expertise.

7. Put Google alerts on journalists’ names so you can build a clip file of what they’re covering and who they write for. More and more the online media is made up of freelance writers so don’t leave them out of the mix.

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1. Journalists are curious and under very tight deadlines. You can write all the content you want on your blog, Twitter account, Facebook but if you don’t work at making it interesting, enticing and engaging they won’t source it.

2. Who the top reviewers  Amazon are for your genre. Get them yourself by doing a search on Amazon or actually just hit this link where you’ll find the list.

3. What journalists to follow on Twitter. You can find them on your own by hitting sites like Muckrack.com and using Google search to search Twitter IDs.

4. How to engage your fans on Facebook – the secret is post often, post thoughtful content, post responses to comments and just when you think you’ve done enough – post even more.

5. What the names of producers are at major television shows. Ok, here’s the thing, the PR firm won’t tell you even if you do pay them, so one thing you can do is join a site like MediaBistro.com and watch the comings and goings in news staff and compile your list from there. You can also use google search and search on terms like, “Producer Anderson Cooper show” or “NPR Morning Edition producer.”

6. Who the top bloggers or online book reviewers are in your book’s genre. For this one use Google, Technorati and do searches like “book blog reviews” or “cookbook reviews” or “business book review”. You can also apply this to Twitter searches as well.

7. That you matter. Too often we forget that our ideas, our expertise can contribute something greater to the discussion and sometimes our PR firm can forget that as well. Make your ideas actionable, news-peg worthy, future focused and you will find media that is interested in it.

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2. Understand that I don’t need a publicist, mygrandma or even my publisher to work on my behalf to get coverage for my books! I can compile a list of blogs and start participating way before my book is out!

3. Take to heart that it is an author’s job to help publicize their book.

4. Get on Twitter and start tweeting.

5. Remember that if I’m going to build a FACEBOOK fan page I’m not done working with it just because I built it. I have to post to it at least three times a week and make those messages lively, dynamic and not marketing blabbity-blah.

6. Do a search for book awards and submit my book to every single one of them that I’m eligible for.

7. Take my book and page by page I would highlight short tweets I could repurpose on Twitter, and identify what ideas I can use for blog posts to help drive more interest about my books.

8. Stop believing that by getting a ton of “friends” to compile a bunch of empty bonuses together that those are going to take my book to #1 on Amazon.

9. Commit that I’ll be conversant on the news as it relates to ideas in my book and commit that I won’t try to get my book to fit every news angle.

10. Commit to not growing hits, but reaching new communities with valuable insight and the goal of long-lasting relationships.

11. Have an active profile on Linkedin.com, participate, offer good insight and join the groups that care most about my book content.

12. Stop spreading myself too thin across 8 billion social media profiles.

13. Use Google. Use Google. Use Google. To search for new opportunities for my book.

14. Pro-actively write a reading group guide and save that as a downloadable PDF that I offer for free on my site.

15. Thank every single reporter, blogger etc. that notes my book each time they do it.

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• Facebook Continues to Dominate Among Youth (psychcentral.com)
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I think the site is a superb resource for finding actionable and interesting information about the leaders in tv, radio, tv execs, producers, radio hosts etc.  What’s interesting about the site is how it tracks the people who are making news for all of us and their online buzz, metrics etc. Bookmark the site and visit it often.

And if you’re still not sold on online profile/presence and why it’s important, let this site give you another kick toward embracing your online visibility!

You can also find some great Twitter handles on the site and take note how folks are using online tools.

Check out the brilliant Jack Gray (producer for Anderson Cooper), he tops the list of Twitter followers at 1,065,148 Twitter followers. It’s interesting to note how many on the TVExec list don’t have a Twitter profile. (YET!)

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2. Social media happens overnight and you just need a couple clever tweets to get the masses.

3. There are gurus (like Social Media Santa) that really exist and we need to be like lemmings and just do everything they say.

4. If I only post on my blog at least once a month, I know that my Google page rank will get to #10 effortlessly.

5. There is only one way to Oprah and it is only through a PR or marketing guru who wants me to listen to a ton of webinars and give them money to do so.

6. Social media can make me a celebrity – because it’s all about being a celebrity. (Hint: It’s not.)

7. I don’t have to generate useful content for my community. I only need to generate bait and switch content to get them in the door and make them buy something.

8. Social media is easy. (Hint: it’s not.)

9. Social media can cure every possible marketing pain I have.

10. Just using social media is enough, I don’t have to do any offline marketing or any other outreach.

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While it’s important to have some sort of presence on the Web, the times they are a changin, for what drives search engine mojo.

Did you know you can have a blog self-hosted on your domain that can give you the very added bonus of driving natural search engine traffic each time you post new content.

 Yes, I’ve definitely partaken of the blog Kool-aid!

 Here is a new way to look at what your site is creating for you.

Search engines love updated CONTENT and lots of it. Content is what colors the stick figure of your website and keeps the search engines coming back for more.

Think of it in terms of what search engines see. A stick figure website with no blog, no keywords, no tags, no new content, no feeds. (See Option 1 below)

Option #1 your website without a blog:

Option #2 – your website with a blog:

I think I would pick Option #2.

While you don’t have to have your entire website built on a WordPress platform – you can at least add a blog to the website so that each time you’re posting your brilliance the web crawlers are coming back to the site!

Using tags and categories for your blog posts also help you grow your search engine visibility as does linking to outside blogs! (Authentically!)

 Even if you decide to stay stick figure and not have a blog, you should still help your site along by:

 1. Submit to the ADD URL form through Google – http://www.google.com/addurl.html .

 2. Submit your site to (MSN) LIVE -

http://search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx . 

 3. Submit your site to Yahoo – https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit  

 Now go out there and attract those web crawlers!!

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2. Don’t forget to look for book discussion groups on the Web as well. Don’t just think blogs. Think forums and book groups online. Read about this group that just formed in the UK.

3. Or look at these groups – Booktalk.org and Bookbrowse.com

4. Check out the ALA information to find more book clubs and book groups at libraries.

5. You absolutely must join Shelfari.com and Goodreads.com and for good karma release at least one copy of your book on Bookcrossing.com.

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2. Add Twitter to your LinkedIn.com account – you can do this now and it will help folks see your “mindshare” on LinkedIn.com too.

3. Be committed to sharing your actionable insight on your blog and then go DIGG it as well.

4. Claim a Twitter account if you’ve not yet done so. Twitter is not going away and it will continue to be refined for better usage and accessiblity.

5. Add your URL to Google. I recommend people submit them at least twice a year just to make sure that Google-bot is stopping by your site.

6. Believe in the impossible. Stop thinking that you don’t count on the Web, that you’re not tech-savvy enough to figure all this Web 2.0 stuff out! Use resources like Mashable.com and DailyBlogTips.com to get you on your way.

7. Be yourself on all your platforms and truly be committed to being open and authentic in your content delivery. Don’t think of the bottom line, think of empowering a community.

* Bonus Tips from October’s BlogWorldExpo Blogged by Fast Company’s Gregory Ferenstein

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It does however make it more interesting in terms of content on the Web, how Web 2.0 is continuously democratizing content on the Web and what will happen in the future.

For instance, if you’re a blogger who doesn’t allow comments on your blog, this will actually provide a workaround for folks to still be able to comment on your site. What the Friday??!!! Yep. Don’t be afraid, but check it out so you can stay aware of it.

Be brave you can catch this SideWiki tiger by the tail and use it for the greater good!!!

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Kathy says, “Blogging, social media, and the digital movement aren’t bad.  What is bad, however, is that thousands of people who need help aren’t reaching out to get it.  They’re staying stuck, despairing and hopeless because they’re trying to solve their problems themselves without getting help or an outside perspective. 

Einstein said that we can’t solve a problem on the same level of consciousness that created it.  I believe this with all my heart.  In isolation by ourselves, stuck inside our limited minds, we fail to see that shiny new possibilities, opportunities, and miracles are just one small step away.  That key step is reaching out to get help.”

Yesterday I was a presenter on social media at the Grassroots Conference in Austin. Each time I present to different conferences, I realize that the most important thing is to encourage everyone first to breath a sigh of social media relief.

I know you’re all feeling overwhelmed by social media. I know these terms at times seems confusing and I know for many this is also accompanied by a feeling of fear.

A feeling of  “too lateness” or  what someone said to me they called, “digital generation gap.”

I’m writing this post to assure you that no such “digital generation gap” exists, and there is a sure and true path toward using social media tools like Twitter, YouTube, DIGG, blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn for your own good and the greater good of your community.

If I can do it, you can do it. I’m considered at this point a dinosaur on the Web, I’ve been on the Web since 1995 and I was there when all the dot com fervor was at its highest and also at its lowest. I’m still here and I feel very blessed to have been a part of this history.

I also feel it is my singular mission to empower everyone as much as possible on utilizing the tools that are right for them. The key in social media is making sure the tools you are using are the best ones for you. Each person, company, community, non-profit is different in what works best for them on Web 2.0.

We’re all suffering from Post Traumatic Social Media Disorder, but I can promise you that it does get better. Now that you’ve been hit over the head with all this Web 2.0 opportunity, the very first thing you need to do is stop wishing it would just go away. It’s not going to go away.

And we shouldn’t want it to. It’s going to be ok and you’re going to be able to learn all this. When people ask me how I did it, I say, “What choice did I have?” I wanted to stay at home with my children when they were young, and I was blessed to be a technology journalist for a decade, writing about all these tools. I also completely believe in what transparent and open communication can achieve.

The great thing about the Web no matter what the number (2.0, 3.0, 80.0) is that you can have access to so much free and valuable information to help you utilize all these tools.

But you have to be willing to let go of fear, you have to let go of feeling too old, or too dumb, or too behind the times.

You are never too old to learn something new. You are never too old to be a genius at social media, life, the arts, social media,  music or even happiness. You do, however, have to start somewhere. Sometime. Soon. How bout now?

NOW.

1. Go to LinkedIn.com and claim your name and build your profile there.

2. Go to Twitter.com – and just claim your name. Think about what you might tweet.

3. Go to Google and build your own Google Profile.

Be emboldened, emblazoned, enlivened to create the online and offline career you want.

I did it. You can do it too. If you don’t want to do it for yourself, then please do it for all of us who can surely use your wisdom, your insight and your presence in this Web 2.o world!

Write me and tell me how it’s going!

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While some of you might think of Linkedin and all these other tools as pure drudgery, I challenge you to think of them as tools for changing the world.

Tackling social media really works best if you take it one step at a time. In the case of Linkedin, it’s never too late to register yourself on Linkedin – in fact, it’s one of the most powerful ways you can build and increase your reach across the Web.

Authors, artists, entrepreneurs, musicians and leading business people are all on Linkedin. (It also saves you a lot of cold pancake networking breakfasts!)

I like Barack Obama’s Summary:  The administration can’t only be about me. It must be about us – it must be about what we can do together. It is about reclaiming the meaning of citizenship, restoring our sense of common purpose, and realizing that few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.

Baby boomers are one of the fastest growing users of Linkedin and every Fortune 500 company has a presence on this platform.

What are you waiting for?

Not only will Linkedin increase your online visibility, but using it regularly will help you find new client engagements, connect with past partners and peers and empower your current business connections to new levels.

While it might seem daunting at first, it gets easier as you go along. The folks at Linkedin are constantly adding new functionality to the platform so there’s always something new to learn as well.

Here are 3 Tips To Rock Your Linkedin Profile to a new level:

1. Make certain you have customized your URL for your public profile. Not only does this help in terms of Google search but it also helps in search on Linkedin itself.

2. Change your status at least three times weekly. This is easy to do, takes about five minutes per update and every time you update your stats your updates also appear in the Linkedin email summaries to your groups and followers.

3. Use the Events tool on Linkedin – this helps you spread the word about your events and also gives your connections a way to attend them! Booksignings, business conferences, workshops – put them all up there!

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