What do visitors see when they view your blog or website?  The general rule is that the first view of your home page should capture the reader’s attention without having to scroll or click, so that they’ll spend more time on your site. To find out what they see, visit Google Browser Size application and enter your blog or website’s URL.  Click on About Browser Size for more detailed information.  

Nothing is more off-putting than a blatant plea to “buy my book.”  I see this on a number of sites I belong to along with “vote for my blog,” or “vote for my book trailer.”  My reaction – hit the delete button.  And I’m sure I’m not alone.

Authors need to be more creative in marketing their books.  You need to find a way for readers to connect with you as a person, either through your blog or by other means.  What other interests do you have besides writing?  Cooking?  Bird watching?  Tap Dancing?  My second love is fashion.  Some time ago, I began doing posts about fashion for women over fifty on a well-known blog.  The editor of my local newspaper saw them and contacted me asking if I would like to write a similar ongoing column for her paper.  I jumped at the chance.  Here’s one of my articles.  See Page 13 and check out the byline. 

My point is there are more effective ways to promote your book than begging people to buy it.  If you know anything about marketing, soft-selling works.  Think out of the box.  Use some of the creativity you used in writing your book to market it.   

For the past few weeks, I’ve been having a problem with my wireless connection kicking me offline.  I knew I had to call AT&T, but I also knew I had to be in the right frame of mind to do so.  Responding to various prompts and shouting things like  “technical assistance” and “PC” into the receiver is annoying, but the most frustrating part of these types of calls is being placed on hold while you wait for a real person.  Along comes Fast Customer, a new iPhone or Android app that let’s you bypass the hold process all together.  You simply select a customer service department you want to speak to and Fast Customer will call you back when the rep is on the line.  How cool is that!  Now, if I only had an iPhone.

There have been so many breaches of personal data recently that it’s hard to tell if your information is still secure.  Luckily, an Australian security expert has developed a site – Should I Change My Password -  where you can check your email address against the databases of stolen information.  If it comes up clear, it doesn’t necessarily mean your address is secure; it just means you weren’t a victim of the most recent highly-publicized thefts like Sony PlayStation’s, where information was releases.  But at least it’s a start.

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In building my author platform over the last two years, I’ve learned how to blog smarter.  What does that mean?  It means focusing on where my posts will get the most exposure, which isn’t necessarily just on my own site.

One of the most valuable ways to build your name is through guest posts.  Sign up for bloggerlinkup and search their daily list of “guest posts needed,” for opportunities.  Find topics of interest to you.  Maybe you enjoy cooking or you’re an expert sky diver.  If you can, find requests for content that relates to your book.  Always add your book title to your signature line, along with your blog address.

On your own blog, link to other authors’ sites, and tell your readers why they might like those sites.  Also, link to book review sites (especially those that have reviewed your book) and recommend your favorites.   Write about a hot issue, especially one that relates to your book.  The key is to diversify your content.  Make it interesting and people will follow you.

I’ve been going crazy trying to decide which eReader I want.  The minute I decide, a new one pops up.  Luckily, I found a site that compares the top ten models.  Thought I’d share it.

If you receive a message from a friend with an offer of a free cup of Starbucks coffee or something similar, beware, it could be spam and could even install a rogue app in your profile.  If you inadvertently click on one of these messages and find it’s spam, the best thing to do is go to the message in your profile, hover over it until you see a small “x”  in the upper right corner, then click it and hit “Mark as Spam.”  That will remove it and alert Facebook.  Next, you should check your Account Settings, and under the Privacy section, you’ll find an Edit Your Settings link to a list of apps and websites that you’ve allowed to access your information.  You can remove anything that looks suspicious or that you don’t recognize.

The number of book review sites has dramatically increased over the past few years.  So much so that book bloggers had their own convention at BookExpo America earlier this month.  If you’re a published author, you need to include book blogs in your marketing campaign. Why?  Because years ago, when book buyers looked for something to read, they went to a brick and mortar bookstore or a library and browsed the shelves.  Now, they go online where they can read reviews, download excerpts, and if they like what the see, click a “Buy Now” button.

We know that social networking is the preferred method of marketing these days.  So it makes sense that readers are looking more to favorite bloggers for personalized recommendations.  For an author, connecting with reputable book bloggers – or some other trusted source for reader recommendations – will be crucial to your book’s success.

The competition in eReaders is heating up!  Barnes & Noble’s new 6 inch Nook has a much longer battery life and is smaller and lighter than a paperback book.  The downside is that this is a pure eReader.  There’s no support for apps or even audio books, but it’s supposed to feel better in your hand with a rubberized paint that makes it easier to grip.  Barnes & Noble claims it has the same crisp contrast as Kindle, and it turns pages faster with less flashing. You can pre-order one for $139.00.

Amazon has released a “Special Offers” version of their WiFi Kindle for $114, $25 less than it’s already attractive $139.  The catch is that this version will display special offers on the home page and screen savers.  But they guarantee that no offers will interfere with eBooks.

With over 945,000 eBook titles available for Kindle, and more added every day, it’s no wonder that this new eReader is the best selling electronic device on all of Amazon.