Some authors have a different challenge — they write about multiple, unrelated topics. This used to be a challenge for me. My main area of expertise is technology, particularly anything related to the web or online marketing/PR. But I have a wide variety of interests and didn’t want to be pigeonholed. If this sounds like you, it’s still critical to develop a platform based on your main expertise. Having a platform doesn’t mean that you can never do anything else. But you should choose one area of focus, design all your communications vehicles (website, blog, etc.) about this focus.

What about fiction authors? Your platform, obviously, should focus on your genre. It’s even better to focus on a smaller niche. For example, get known for knitting mysteries, literary novels set in pre-WW II Europe, urban chick lit, etc. Even if you do write outside your niche from time to time, having one will help differentiate you from all the other novelists in your genre.

This edition contains extensive updates plus lots of new content about the ever-changing world of online book promotion. I cover the basics, such as author websites and Amazon promotion, and then delve into blogging, podcasting, social media, virtual book tours, book trailers, and more.

• In June 2008, MySpace had 118 million unique visitors worldwide; Facebook had 132 million (an increase of 153 percent from the previous year).
• In December 2007, YouTube had 77.6 million viewers who watched 3.2 billion videos.
• Worldwide online social network ad spending is predicted to increase from $1.2 billion in 2007 to $2.2 billion in 2008.
• Mobile social networking is predicted to rise from 50 million to 174 million users by 2011.
• The top search term for all of 2006 was MySpace.
• Social networking isn’t just for teens. The largest audience segment is between 35 and 54, comprising 40 percent of total users.

Looking for a way to get started? Connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, XING, and MySpace. Also look for niche sites that fit your target reader profile. There are social networking sites for dog lovers, moms, skiers, surfers, mystery lovers, romance readers, and dozens more. To find them, just Google “social networking.”

Remember to follow the required etiquette of each site in terms of promotion. In general, you’ll get better results as an active participant than you will as a mere promoter.

• Keep a detailed log of all your book promotion efforts. Track articles published online, posts on your blog and other blogs, press releases, ezine promotions, and anything else you do to promote your books.
• Track your sales statistics. Amazon and B&N sales ranks, royalty statements from publishers, and your own sales data (if you’re self-published) are all important.
• Track your web statistics. Use the web analytics tool your web host provides or a third-party tool such as the free Google Analytics to see where your traffic is coming from and when.

Using these three pieces of information, you should be able to get a clear idea of which promotional efforts are paying off in terms of sales, web traffic, or both.

Using your book as the centerpiece of your platform, consider the following:

• Seek out lucrative public speaking assignments that are often available to published authors
• Create passive streams of revenue by selling related reports, CDs, DVDs, and other products
• Host a radio, podcast, or TV talk show
• Develop subscription websites or newsletters
• Become a spokesperson
• Host teleseminars related to your book
• Teach, coach, and consult–both online and offline

This list is just a small sampling of opportunities you can pursue as an author. Get creative and start generating both active and passive income streams that boost your bottom line and promote your book.

But if you haven’t participated much recently, you could be missing out on some good sales opportunities. I recently checked my web stats and discovered a new surge in traffic from Amazon to my site, all based on my AmazonConnect participation. So take a look at what’s on your Amazon detail pages and add some new content to maintain the spark of interest in your own books as well.

1. Focus your time on the publicity efforts that generate the best results. You’ll soon know whether a mention on a blog or published article results in a surge in book sales. In addition, track your web statistics to see where your traffic is coming from and when. Google Analytics is a good tool for this. Drop the publicity efforts that aren’t paying off in favor of those that are.
2. Create a calendar of book promotion activities. For example, you may want to publish one article a month, create a press release every quarter, update your blog twice a week, and comment on other blogs and discussion boards weekly. Factor time in your schedule for the promotional efforts that are working and it starts to become a habit.
3. Outsource the tasks you don’t have time for. If you can afford it, consider hiring a virtual assistant or intern to handle some of the more routine promotional tasks. If your budget is tight, try the family approach. Skilled teens, retirees, or stay-at-home moms may have the time to help out the author in their family.

Some ideas could take considerable effort to implement, such as creating your own podcast, but others take only a few minutes of your time. This blog, my special reports, and my audio products provide plenty of inspiration for new things to try.

• Develop an audience profile. Knowing who might potentially buy your book and the sites they visit on the web is your key to success. Naturally, this is easier if your book is on a tightly targeted topic. But even if you’ve written a general interest book or novel, you can still develop some form of profile.
• Once you have that profile, focus your promotional efforts on the sites your audience frequents and the type of content to which they would most likely respond. For example, let’s say you wrote a book about skiing. Your audience could potentially visit websites devoted to skiing or to travel areas frequented by skiers. They could also respond favorably to your own site full of skiing advice and short ski-related video clips.
• Remember to focus on the interests of your audience, not your own personal interests.  Many authors focus on online promotion techniques that interest them rather than their audience. Cool new technologies like video book trailers, multimedia, and podcasts work great for some books, but not so great for others. Pick the tools and techniques that will make your audience respond.