In my industry — book publishing — so much has changed in the last five years. Perhaps the biggest shift is that ANYONE can "self" publish. The self-publishing numbers reflect this. According to R.R.Bowker's latest figures last month (based on the number of ISBNs sold), self-published titles topped 211,000 in 2011.

So wouldn't budgeting for some book publishing expertise seem a priority for the novice self publisher?

For example, here are three perplexing choices:

1. You can become "an indie." You officially establish a small business and publish independently, holding all the reins and footing the entire bill (the  most expensive route).

2. You can buy into POD, using one of the new digital printing companies — Lulu, Outskirts, iUniverse, PublishAmerica, etc. They call themselves publishers but they really are digital file producers who frequently offer misleading  menus of author services, including marketing services. Authors often are left with little recourse to correct a misguided promise. For example — you hate the cover they propose. They won't budge. Now you need to hire a cover designer on your own (more $$$).  In other words, unless you have a reliable publishing partner and a decent contract, your publishing experience will not be satisfactory. Yes, POD can be a less expensive route to choose, but there are potential landmines unless you are sufficiently educated beforehand. That is why engaging a book publishing coach  is optimal.

3. You can publish an E-book first. Or, with a reputable digital printer (Lightning Source, Create Space), you can have files prepared simultaneously for both Print and E-book, but opt to begin with one or the other first.  To save precious dollars planning and implementing both E and P publication, you would learn a lot working with an industry-experienced book publishing coach.

To the novice publisher, there are an overwhelming number of options. If you are a beginner, educating yourself is your first priority rather than jumping in cold. Planning the marketing — both online and offline — parallel to handling the book's editing/design/printing is important because lead time is involved in a successful promotion schedule. This is why, once again, hiring a book publishing coach, with a depth of knowledge and experience, overall will save you money.

So why are novice authors reticent to spend money on an expert? Is it just the economy? Are we solopreneurs — generally a positive bunch, relishing life being our own bosses — unconsciously emitting a negative message?

If we are adversely affected by the economy (no matter what our business), are we collaboratively passing on our angst to our potential clients? In turn, they may be insecure about placing money someplace new, even though they deeply want to invest (in my solopreneur example) in their dream of book publication. How can we encourage new clients to reach out to us? Is lowering fees for our services the short term answer?

Let's say you're a woman author and memoir is your category.  Of course, memoir as a category by itself is too broad. So what is the particular life experience you were compelled to write about? Maybe you navigated the quirky politics of a southern California  town, contributing to preservation of magnificent land and natural resources? Or, yours is the story of an Israeli war widow whose unimaginably brutal wartime experiences resulted in positive transformative life changes?  Or, your book is in the medical category and you wrote the book to help heart patients, as I did, to smooth the way for an easier, quicker and more informed open-heart surgery recovery period? What do your readers need — or want — in order to be drawn to your particular compelling story? Once identified, these are the readers who will make up your target audience.

The challenge is defining your audience narrowly enough so that you turn up readers whose needs you can meet. Figure out where your audience spends their time online — in what forums  are they finding like-minded readers and writers? Imagine a composite person who is looking for answers, guidance, information, or pleasure-reading that your book provides.

There is a book community for every subject category. Of course you can start your own community! To a get a foothold on where your target audience hangs out online for just about any genre or issue, here are six resources to investigate:

• Try out Google Trends, or,
• Simply use the Google search tool
• Cultivate community: post direct questions and communicate about your topic on Twitter,  Yahoo and/or LinkedIn groups.
• Ezine articles:  check out top article lists by subject area
• Check out book communities like Goodreads.com, Shelfari.com, authorsden.com
• Read reviews at Amazon of books in your now narrowed category;  identify where you see an opening — a thread not yet explored — to market to your readers

The showcase for your target market is your writer's website. All your marketing engagement , online or offline, should be linking back to your website — which serves as the foundation of your book marketing efforts. Once you have a clear idea of who your target audience is, this will help you to plan or tweak the website. After you define and illustrate what you want the site to accomplish (sell books? sell webinars? sell your services? direct readers to Amazon?) the website's central goal — the call to action to buy the book — will be accomplished.

What, then, is an effective rate of blogging in order to significantly increase online public visibility as an author? Once a week? Three times a week? Twice a month?

Tip #1: There's no one right answer to the frequency question.

Even if we blog more often than the next person, with what frequency does our intended audience actually spend time on their social networking? And on which social media? This is a question I ask myself. And, I hear lots of groans from my book publishing clients who don't always know where their next good blogging idea will come from. Plus, my clients don't want to give up precious work-week time. Yet as authors our objective is to get noticed, to be OUT THERE. So the answer becomes, be out there with a blog post frequency that works for you, and be consistent. To increase that public visibility, you simply must schedule regular blog creation time into your calendar.

Tip #2:  Content is King.

The marketing reach of your blog is potentially huge. You want to be providing great content. Stuck for what to blog about? You have all that content from your book (even if still in manuscript format) to adapt! If non-fiction, create stand-alone pieces  anywhere from 300-700 words per post. If fiction, craft a stand-alone episode with a provocative title.  We grab more readers and subscribers if we have an optimized, catchy post title. You can of course plan to reuse the same material in a future online newsletter, making the marketing time you spend overall more time-efficient.

Tip #3:  You want ideal readers coming directly to you and onto your list.

How do others accomplish this? Set up some Google Alerts to see who else is writing in your niche. Find those bloggers and check out how they hook the reader into a book sale (or not). Then take a relationship-building approach:

• Leave positive comments on several bloggers' posts
• Become interactive and participate as a community member; join online Groups
• Once your commenting presence is established, it's not a stretch to bring up your book
• Offer to guest blog
• On your blog, request feedback or peer review from a free chapter offer
• Be out there! Request an endorsement, or book review

With more and more prospective fans — and list generation ongoing — your blog will prove to be one of your most important marketing tools. Please feel free to contact me to design a customized approach to fit blog-writing time into your weekly schedule.

In preparing a book for publication, a self-publisher does well to organize both the print version and the e-book version at the same time, even if you plan to begin with one or the other. Expert cover and interior designers will be equipped to handle both versions, knowing in advance the path will be to print with either Lightning Source or CreateSpace.

However, because they are basically printers and they handle all the pieces, Lightning Source and CreateSpace are a good choice for self-publishers who are starting from scratch. But what if:

• You want to go straight to the e-book format, which is faster and cheaper?
• What if you already have a print book and want to turn that into an e-book?
• What if you already offer a PDF of your book on your website?
• And what if, considering that the Kindle accounts for 60% of all e-book sales, you're ready to take the leap and make it available on the Kindle and in the ePub format for Nook, Kobo, Sony e-readers, etc?

Here's where independent e-book converters come in. Heaps of e-book conversion companies are springing up, and it's my desire to sort out a handful of trustworthy ones. Smashwords is a great example. They offer distribution in addition to free conversion. The only problem is that they prefer converting straight-text Word documents. So if what you have is nonfiction with visual elements like graphics and tables, you'll need to look elsewhere.

What about eBook Architects? In my last post, "5 Steps To E-Book Conversion," I received lots of positive feedback about several firms, including BookBaby, eBook Architects, and InstantPublisher. Do these offer the distribution you need? When researching the various companies, consider your needs and determine how close they come to providing the entire book printing/marketing/distribution process that you’re looking for.

At the moment, I am converting a nonfiction PDF (a more labor-intensive process than fiction because all the formatting needs to be reproduced correctly) with Booknook.biz, and so far I am very pleased with their service. However, it's an e-book conversion from a PDF (which resides already on one of my websites, www.openheartcoach.com), converting to an ePub and a Mobi (Kindle), so it is not starting from scratch. I will let you know if Booknook.biz makes my final list!

Who are your favorite e-book converters? Please let me know. My intention is to narrow the list down to a trustworthy five for my book publishing clients. Thanks for your input!

Step 1: Do it yourself or hire a service?

It is possible to convert a book from PDF to e-book format without hiring a service, but be warned: This option is best for tech-experienced authors who are willing to buy software and learn how to use it. If you would enjoy that challenge and have the time to spare, it is certainly more affordable than paying someone to do the conversion.

But for authors who are not comfortable with the technical side of e-book conversion, the better option is to leave it to the professionals. Not only is this option faster, but it also gives you a well-designed and professional-looking finished product. Plus, it saves you time.

Step 2: Consider conversion options

Conversion services offer different rates for different packages. Before approaching any of them, consider these factors.

• Source format: The source format of your book will influence the price. For instance, if all you have is a PDF of your book, this will cost more than if the book were, say, a Word document or a text file. And of course, if your book is only in printed form (and some e-book conversion services do accept these), it's going to be a bit more expensive.
• Destination formats: To reach the widest possible readership, it's a good idea to have the book converted into multiple formats that are readable by all the main devices. AZW (Amazon's file format) and ePub (a versatile format that can be read on many devices) are indispensible.
• Length and design: Conversion services charge by the page or word count, and the price can go up if there are complicated design elements such as tables and images, or if your book has footnotes, endnotes, or an index.

Step 3: Research and get quotes

If you are happy with the printer/ publisher of your print book, check with them to find out if they offer e-book conversion. If not, it's easy enough to find a service to work with.

Google is a good way to find a sampling of professional conversion services. The first few pages of search results for "e-book conversion" and similar terms should give several good options. Meanwhile, Amazon has a list of recommendations for Kindle book conversions on its website. The best ones offer detailed information on their websites about their services, policies, and pricing. Skip those that don't have much information or that strike you as not very client-friendly. There are enough options that you can afford to be choosy while narrowing the field down to three to five choices.

Most conversion services make it easy to request a quote via a page on their website or by emailing them your file. Request quotes from a handful of conversion services, and give them a day or two to respond. Those that don't get back to you promptly might not be reliable enough to warrant consideration.

Step 4: Weigh affordability vs. other factors

Once you have a few quotes, weigh your options. Remember, while price should be considered, the most important thing is for you to get a professionally designed e-book that you can proudly stand behind and that can reach as many people as possible. Sometimes the cheapest option isn't the best. For example, if you want a clickable index, this will cost a little extra, but it might be worth the cost if it helps your readers navigate your content.

Here are a few questions to ask of the services you're considering:

1. Do they convert to all the file formats you need?
2. Can they convert from the format your book is now in?
3. How long will it take?
4. Is the pricing easy to understand, and is it set in advance?
5. Are any discounts available for multiple conversions into different formats?
6. Do they offer any post-conversion services to help you get your book out to readers?

Step 5: Check endorsements, references, and reviews

Most of the top e-book conversion services have testimonials and endorsements listed on their websites. You can find additional information by searching online for the name of the company to see if any reviews, blog posts, or social-networking posts come up. If you don't find enough to satisfy you, ask the company to provide you with references you can contact.

Another way to find a pre-vetted e-book conversion service is to talk to self-publishing authors who have their books in electronic form. Get in touch with any colleagues or contacts who might have a good lead, and reach out to any self-published author whose e-book you've read yourself. If a company that matches all your needs is recommended by someone whose opinion you trust, then your choice becomes easy.

Highlights:

* 20 breakout sessions including the hottest how-to topics in publishing led by industry experts
* As I have for many years, once again I"ll be speaking in Publishing Session 202, "Creating Websites and Blogs that SELL"
* General sessions featuring the movers and shakers of the industry
* The opportunity to "Ask the Experts" in your own private consulting session.
* Formal and informal networking with colleagues and future mentors
* Opportunity to register for one day or both days

And much more! Visit www.ibpapublishinguniversity.com for details and early bird pricing. I hope to meet you there!

Imagine this scenario. You have several novels under your belt. You've been a dedicated writer for years, and you've spent many of those years going to writers' conferences, attracted by the promise of scheduled ten-minute appointments with editors and agents. These appointments give you the opportunity to pitch your book, so you arrive with a well-honed elevator speech. At the start of the meeting, your attitude glass is probably half full.

Let's say the appointment goes well. (And agents in particular are usually quite gentle in the writers' conference setting.) You are encouraged because, yes, they would be interested in seeing more pages. But several weeks after submitting your manuscript, you receive, if not a preprinted rejection note, a personalized "No thanks. I'm afraid this is not right for us." Suddenly your attitude glass is half empty.

After years of submissions and rejections, you acknowledge we're in a new age — the digital age — and you decide you might as well make a go of it. You explore the web. Everyone is talking about the need to blog to find one's book community, and most writers are giving in to the pressure and joining Facebook and Twitter. Seeking professional support — perhaps a worthy mentor — you join a couple of LinkedIn groups. But in the end, you find everyone's in the same boat as you, somewhat lost, and searching for marketing solutions. Now your marketing attitude is even less than half empty.

After a couple more years, you give in and pursue self-publishing. You decide to try one of your novels as an eBook to test the waters. But you still must pave the way for people to find you, and this involves self-promotion, as well as perhaps hiring a good publicist specializing in social media and online marketing. This can be costly, however, so you wonder, is an expensive publicist the only choice? Or can you push yourself to learn the ropes yourself?

And here's the dilemma. As one writer said to me, "Between writing, life maintenance, and practicing jazz piano, I simply don't have time for those things, and feel they are more than distracting: They unravel my soul."

So what now? Time to reexamine your attitude. Envision your glass filling back up. Self-promotion has been part of being a published author for decades. Whether you are pitching your book or developing a platform from which to trumpet your work, you are the one who has to do the lion's share of the marketing. Resolve to take action with a positive marketing attitude only. Choose to look at your glass not as half empty, but as half full and growing ever fuller. You may need to hire some help. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you truly want to reach an audience and sell books, the most important step is to commit to getting yourself out there.

In case you're not completely sold on the e-book option, here are seven reasons why it's at least worth considering.

1. Quick and easy publication. Become a published author without the wait! Perhaps you have several unpublished manuscripts sitting in a drawer. Declare the intention — and receive the satisfaction — of having at least one manuscript published and off to market without having to go through the long print-publication process.

2. Get to know your market. Define your core target market by testing the market with an e-book first. See if your work flies with your peers (not family members, who are liable to be too kind) in its current stage. Set a period of time to gather worthy feedback. The beauty of collecting this information now is that it gives you a chance to revise your book before you seek print publication.

3. Get pre-publication reviews and endorsements. Make your e-book an ARC — an advanced reading copy — first. Use it to solicit endorsements, a preface, or an introduction. Drop a graceful hint to an established colleague, leaving the door open for them to offer a review. Because ARCs are technically uncorrected proofs or galleys, they can be used to jumpstart your promotion for both the e-book and the print book. There are prepublication reviewers and long-lead print media editors who work four to six months ahead of their publication schedules.

4. Spend less — at first. Production for the physical book plus the digital printing can come later, once you've tested the market, made desired revisions, and collected additional endorsements. Are you still hung up on the idea that e-book publishing isn't "real" book publishing? The answer to this is that nowadays everything is simply content, and there are many legitimate forms in which content can be offered. View your inaugural e-book as just the first published representation of your content. And remember, there is a growing number of readers out there who don't think twice about reading e-books instead of print books.

5. Establish a web presence. As part of the process, you can build a home base from which to sell your e-book. If this is your first book, or if this is a new genre for you, you are currently an unknown, period. So how do you create public visibility for yourself? Design a web presence that uses a straightforward Internet strategy. First, figure out who your audience is. Second, find them online — the bloggers and the groups that are interested in your content. Third, start a blog, and write with these people in mind. Join in discussion with them. Soon, after you've become a participating community member, it's not a big stretch to make it known that you have an e-book coming out, and to offer to show readers your first chapter.

6. Online tools make marketing easy. Take advantage of the ton of marketing tools online. Make connections in your niche market through blogs, comment on relevant social media sites, and join online groups in your e-book's subject category. Market articles — drawn directly from your book's chapters — through multiple article banks.

7. No warehousing or fulfillment. For now you can skip many of the costly steps that selling a physical book requires. Through the order page on your new website you will "ship" your own book — without lifting a finger!

Many authors hate the Facebook/blogging hurdle. Since there is no guarantee social media will help sell your book and no way to measure whether it does, embracing a Facebook presence and/or starting a blog can seem like a time-wasting commitment. We all know the charming stories about how old friends, high school classmates, and past colleagues can find each other online and delight in the reconnection. Creative and lucrative benefits can result from these new relationships. But hanging out on social media sites can be a huge time drain unless you set boundaries for yourself.

Establish a social presence

If you're new to promoting your book through social networking, the goal should be to establish yourself with fellow travelers in your niche community. For example, let's say your book is in the Irish-American historical fiction sub-genre. You are a newbie, this is your first book, and you are a complete unknown outside your family and friends. Your goal is to seek other Irish-American history buffs who are really looking forward to your book—except that they don't know it yet because they haven't met you.

Here's one self-contained activity that just requires a setup and not a whole lot of time. You want to connect with writers and readers who blog about topics related to your niche. One way to do so is to join their discussions. The goal is ultimately to let them know about your book, but first you have to become a genuine member of their community.

First, try putting yourself in their shoes: Come up with keywords or key phrases others in this online community would use when Googling topics they’re interested in—for instance, staying with the same example, Irish-American history, Irish/Boston population clashes, the 1919 Boston police strike—varying the specificity of your subject in your search. Also, try using the free Google Keyword Tool.

Form relationships

The goal is to connect with these bloggers and form mutually inspiring relationships. One way to do so is to leave positive comments on their blog posts. After your presence is established, open and friendly bloggers will be interested to hear that you have a book coming out on a similar subject. At this point, it's hardly a stretch to suggest they might want to read galleys. And if they admire your book, they may go on to endorse or review it. You may even receive an invitation to write a guest blog post, or you can take the initiative and offer one. This all paves the way for your building the gumption—getting over that hurdle—to begin writing your own blog.

Social networking for book promotion is all about forming relationships. If you key into your niche subject area, all your new friends will look forward to your book. You now have established a significant online market. Acting on this opportunity will not be a waste of your time!

But first, no matter who is publishing the book — a traditional press, a print-on-demand operation (POD), or your own new small company – remember that you have to do the lion's share of the marketing. There is no way around this. However, the good news is that you are the best spokesperson for your book. You have lived with, and know, the material deeply. You are your book's champion. After months of writing and rewriting, you long to get this book out into the world. So, carpe diem! Grab the chance to share your book!

1. Open up. I've said this before and I’ll say it again. Start with one change you simply must make if you plan to be successful in marketing your book: Get over being shy.

2. Join a local Toastmasters group. Set a goal to become more comfortable with public speaking. Toastmasters programs (or an equivalent) can be incredibly supportive for anyone who fears public speaking.

3. Ramp up your web presence. How well is your website serving you? What initiatives are you taking to draw your niche community of potential book buyers to you? What are you blogging about? Which online groups are you active with?

4. Use article marketing. Using complete or partial standalone chapters from your book, saturate your potential market with repackaged, repurposed, ready-made content. And don’t forget to use Google Alerts — a free service — to track where your articles are showing up.

5. Create a downloadable media kit on your website. The contents should mirror an actual press kit. This will cost you one tenth as much as a formal printed set of press materials would, yet your kit will be instantly available to the media 24/7.

6. Post comments on others' blogs. Don't want to take precious time to blog? Post relevant comments on blogs conversing on your book's niche category, and respectfully work in your web address and bio items about yourself and your book.

7. Influence where your ideal reader will find you. Make a list of 15 to 20 venues where interest in your topic would attract customers to your speaker presentations.

8. Explore the programs of national wholesalers and distributors. How do you get in, and what is their discount policy? How broad a distribution of your books are you looking for? First study each distributor's website, then set up a live chat or phone call with the customer service rep.

9. Lay out a realistic marketing budget, and consider options. What sources will the money be coming from? What initiatives will you take over, and what can you delegate to a trustworthy part-timer? Is hiring a publicist desirable in your case to get the word out? Identify and set aside a sum of money for six months of promotion initiatives.

10. Prepare galleys for review and media pitches. Do you want to plan your pub date in advance so you have a shot at the important prepublication review media? Explore where getting reviews will significantly impact sales and where they will not.

There are many more marketing actions you can include in a marketing plan. There's no single correct set of choices to make. My best recommendation is to select what's most comfortable (and therefore most doable) first, just to get your feet wet. You will be inspired by your accomplishments and more self-starting initiatives will follow. What three in this list appeal to you to get started?