1. Create an email signature. How many emails do you send out a day? Every one should have your contact info below your signature…that’s just a professional courtesy. Add the name of your book or product, your blog or web address or just an interesting quote. Think of your emails as an electronic business card.
2. Use an email delivery program such as Constant Contact or Aweber to manage your email lists for your newsletter. Whether you use html design or text-only format, your newsletter will appear much more professional coming from this type of delivery system. The other benefits include: unsubscribe and bounced emails deleted automatically, sign-up box for your site provided and reports on who opened the emails and which links were clicked.
3. If you’re haven’t started your own blog, read blogs by other people in your industry and comment on them. You can link back to your site, and at the very least, get your name out there. This can be very helpful if you comment on blogs with high readership. Lots of eyes get used to your name. Of course, it’s most beneficial when you can link to your own site or blog, but don’t wait to begin–just do it!
4. Join some social networking sites. Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, GoodReads and Book Marketing Network are just a few. Don’t panic if you are new and don’t know what you’re doing. Just set up a profile to begin, browse and join some groups and watch what others do. Before you know it, you’ll be addicted to making “friends” and posting your information. (See my Facebook and LinkedInprofiles, or follow me on Twitter.)

If any or all of this sounds foreign, scary or just plain overwhelming, you may want to consider getting some assistance. Having a mentor to guide you step by step through the process can be reassuring when navigating new and unfamiliar territory. And this is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can and need to be doing to build your audience. (And you know you need to do this before and while you’re writing the book, right?)

As the new year approaches and you write “get my book published” to yet another year’s resolution list, do something for yourself that can truly help you reach your goal. Don’t let another go by without taking real action.

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