by Kathleen Gage The Street Smarts Speaker and Author

One of the greatest ways to promote a book is with free publicity. It is not difficult to secure publicity if you know what you are doing. With all that is available on the Internet it’s even easier than ever. The fact is, many times your potential readers will pay attention to free publicity more than they do with paid advertising…especially when it comes to promoting a book.

There are ample opportunities to get publicity if you keep your eyes and ears open. Some authors make a feeble or one-time attempt at gaining publicity and if they don’t immediately get massive coverage they give up. They are under the mistaken notion that either they will never get free publicity by their own efforts. They either give up or they believe they have to hire a PR firm.

For someone on a limited budget, hiring a PR firm may not be a solution. The fact is, you can learn how to get publicity by your own efforts; and lots of it. You can literally get thousands, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of free publicity if you know where to focus your attention.

Social networks are fast becoming a great way to get visibility thus creating the opportunity for publicity. Think of it this way; you become a reliable source in specific areas. People know they can count on you for great information. Over time, people turn to you as an expert. And some of those people may likely be in a position to give you exposure via the Internet through web radio, teleseminars, other social networks and blogs.

The key is to gain the mindset that you are a resource before you are a vendor. It is also to see how you can create win/win opportunities for others. Do that and publicity will be yours for a long time to come.

Kathleen Gage, The Street Smarts Marketer™, is an Internet marketing advisor who works with spiritually aware speakers, authors, coaches and consultants who are ready to turn the knowledge into money-making products and services. Visit http://www.kathleengage.com for free resources to build your online presence and credibility. 

NOTE: You may publish this article for your magazine, trade journal, newspapers, business journals, website and/or Ezine provided you keep it in its original form and include the resource box at the end.