Contact: Hajni Blasko
publicist@substancebooks.com
Book publicity's digital decade: Interview with Hajni Blasko, online book publicist, on the 10th anniversary of Substance Books
Hajni Blasko started the
world's first online book publicity network, Substance Books, in February 2001. Ten years later, she remains a pioneer in
this emerging field.
What exactly is online book publicity? What does it involve?
HB: Online book publicity is an umbrella term for various forms of book publicity that take place over the Internet, including social networking, search engine pay-per-click advertising, branded web sites, link exchanges with other web sites and online press releases. I do a little bit of all these things, but what I am mostly about these days is marketing through search engine optimization and marketing, because I believe it's the most cost-productive publicity technique when it comes to book sales.
For those of us who haven't heard of it, what does search engine marketing mean?
HB: It means making sure that your title appears within the top search results on Google
and other major search engines. This way, your title shows up in the “organic” search results, not
just the area where the paid advertising goes. After all, 93% of all web traffic passes through a
search engine, so if you want people who don't already know about your book to discover it, this
is the way to go. The key to good search engine marketing is finding the appropriate key phrases
that allow book buyers searching for their favourite genres to find our titles.
The web and its users have evolved a lot over the past ten years. How has online book publicity changed?
HB: When I first started Substance Books, online book publicity was unheard of,
so I didn't have any similar companies to model myself on. In fact, I didn't even know what
professional title to give myself — I thought of “online book publicist” one day in the bath.
I learned by trying different things and seeing what worked. I started off by featuring the
authors together in one website, to give them more publicity power than they would each have
individually. Over time, this website got a lot of visits, which made it crawl up higher on
search engine results. Eventually, I figured out how to get even better search engine results
using SEO techniques. There are a few more online book publicists out there now, but I think
I'm the only one who offers search engine marketing along with other services.
How will you be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Substance Books this month?
Our website will be getting a makeover in bright, primary colours like Google,
to represent our emphasis on search-engine marketing. Also, I'll be offering a $20 listing
fee discount to any new or current clients who are members of our Facebook page.
(To become a member of the Facebook page if you are not one already, click this “Like” button below)
Social networking is very “in.” How can authors and publishers use it to their advantage?
HB: Authors can use Twitter and Facebook to brand themselves, meet other authors and
disseminate information about book signings and the like. But I need to emphasize that it's one
tool among many for gaining online exposure for your title. There's a tendency to fetishize
social networking because it's the “next big thing,” but it has its limits as a medium. It
might be fun to spend 20 hours a week on Facebook, but your return on your investment is going
to be poor compared to spending the same amount of time on your website or other marketing efforts.
What should a book's website be like?
HB: It depends on your budget and publicity goals. I believe that all authors and publishers should
have a website for branding purposes, and if their objective is book sales too then it becomes paramount
that the website be search engine optimized and up to industry standards. Amateurish websites are no
longer good enough; the online competition is too stiff. This is why Substance Books has also been
offering website design and makeover services for the past five years. If you have a mystery thriller,
your website should be as good as Dan Brown's, because that's your online competition.
How does online book publicity fit in with more traditional kinds of book publicity?
Do you see it replacing book fairs and so on?
HB: No; I think there will always be a place for traditional exposure to readers and the press, even though online
publicity is becoming more and more important. Ideally, the two forms of publicity would create a synergy together.
That's why I participate in BookExpo America every year.
Do you have any final advice for authors and publishers who are interested in online publicity?
HB: Just that they should focus on their main objectives. For example, if your objective is sales,
then targeting the readers that love the book's genre is probably going to sell more books than scattering
ads for your book all over the Internet. And a few loyal readers is worth more than a whole lot of
one-time visitors to your website or your distributor. It's not so much about the quantity of web
traffic you get; it's about the substance of the traffic.
Questions?
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| HAJNI BLASKO Online Book Publicist |
Online articles:
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Usability Tips for Authors Looking to Sell
How Social Networking Can Hurt your Book Sales
Book Trade Show Tips
Graphic Design Tips for your Website
Articles in print:
Webrings - Book Beyond the Bookstores
Custom-Designed Websites vs. Websites Created on Social Networking Platforms - Writer Watchdog, 2009.
If you would like to meet Hajni in person, please refer to her Event Schedule.
If you are an authors or small press publisher looking for online exposure, don't hesitate to email her or to fill out the form on the right.
