There are tons of Twitter resources out there. And in a few days I will post a mini Twitter tutorial about some of the applications I use, some I don’t but would still recommend and a few really good articles, webcasts and whatnot.

But, in the meantime, how can you use Twitter to promote your ebook? Here are several ways:

1) Tweet about your ebook, with a link to the sales or opt-in page. Make sure you shorten your url and also think about how to shorten your whole tweet so it will be re-tweetable. You want to make it easy for others to retweet the link, gaining more notice from more tweeps. Do not, I repeat: Do not keep tweeting about it over and over and over again. Seeing the same thing being pimped out via Twitter multiple times a day is a big turn off. Yes, you can mention it a few times, but space the tweets apart and have other interaction on your Twitter account.

Don’t forget to think of ways to change up how you tweet about your ebook. For example, I thanked contributors to my ebook and mentioned what page their quote was on, along with a link to the opt-in page of the ebook. That way, they got some recognition and could re-tweet if they wanted and others would know about the free ebook…in a less salesy, annoying way.

2) Ask for testimonials using the @ (vs. the DM). This can be before you launch or after. Doing it before you launch helps build buzz. And then you can add the testimonials to your ebook. But doing it after works as well. You can always whip up a blog post that incorporates the testimonials, further extending the ebook love on your site. Now…to build the buzz you need to use the @ so that your Twitter followers will actually see your tweets. If you use the DM (direct message) feature then only the person you sent the DM to will know about your ebook. Sort of defeats the purpose of promotion, huh?

3) Already got testimonials? Tweet them! Obviously you will have to shorten them up, or you may have to say something like “Guess what? @TinaMc loves my new ebook! Chk out what she says: <link>.” People feel better about checking things out when someone else has already done the checking for them. Especially someone they trust, like, etc.

4) Tweet the countdown to ebook launch. If it’s 21 days ’til you launch your ebook, you may not want to tweet about it every. single. day. But, you can tweet “3 weeks until “Best Sales Tactics For Home Bizs EVER” is available” and then update intermittently. The last few days up to launch, remind your followers about the launch. Again, don’t be annoying. Make sure you tweet about other stuff too. And if the book has already launched, but you plan on taking it off the market for some reason, you can countdown that too. Think “Only 2 days left for you to grab the free ebook before page goes down! <link>”

5) Make sure you stay aware of any reviews or blog posts that are written about your ebook. Then tweet about any internet coverage your ebook has received. Again, people like to see what others have to say before they dive right in, especially if we’re talking about an ebook you are selling for $$. So any reviews, mentions, ANYTHING on the web, tweet about it and add the link.

6) Ask tweeps what they think about your ebook. No, not every one of your followers will have picked up your ebook – even if it’s free – but you can still invite commentary by asking what people think and whether they have any questions. It still generates interest and buzz around your ebook.

7) Create a giveaway or contest ONLY on Twitter. Reward your followers and other tweeps with a giveaway of a certain number of your ebooks. Or offer it up as a prize (this works obviously for $$ ebooks, not freebies) to some other tweep holding a contest. People like to win stuff. And people like to re-tweet about the possibility of winning stuff.

8 ) Mention any discounts via Twitter. Better yet, offer a Twitter-only discount. If people can’t win something (see #7) they at least like to feel they are getting a sweet deal. So offering a discount is something that you can tweet about that will likely get retweeted…more promo for your ebook!!

Can you think of other ways to promote your ebook via Twitter? If so, send me an @!!

But how do you know?

Here are the signs your book should stay in ebook form:

1) It’s short. I’m talking ultra-short. Sure, there are long ebooks out there. And that’s fine. But if you have a 5 page book that is a wealth of information, then stick to ebook delivery. There is too much involved in the whole “bringing a book to print” deal to make it worth your time.

2) It’s timely. It takes time to get a book in print. Yes, even if you self-publish. And once it’s in print, there it is…in PRINT. Any mistakes. Anything that went out of date from the time it left your fingertips to the time it rolled off the presses and into the hands of readers. Ebooks are a couple of tip-taps of the fingers and a couple mouse-clicks away.

3) It requires frequent updates. Again…if you’re working with information that changes frequently, then why bother placing it in print? An ebook can easily be updated in minutes and changes sent out to readers via several different methods.

4) You have a very distinct target market. The more clear your target market, the easier it is to pinpoint them online and then move in for the sale. An ebook on how to create dolls out of bottle caps will be easier to sell online by marketing to doll enthusiasts, finding doll-maker forums and all that.

5) You don’t have any money. Well, hardly. Maybe you have a few bucks for a ghostwriter. Or an ebook cover designer. But you don’t have a couple grand stashed away to have a printer crank out a few hundred copies of your book. Well, for a few bucks you can set up your ebook to sell on sites like e-Junkie or ClickBank.

Most authors who use ghostwriters give up a small portion of that parenting aspect because they knowingly used a surrogate. They asked someone to step in and help create and nurture their baby. Those authors may have strong ideas but they are still typically willing to listen to reason.

Those are the “good” ghostwriting clients. (And yes, my friends, there are good ghostwriting and bad ghostwriting clients.)

To the trained ghostwriter eye, the “baddies” can be spotted a mile away. They tell you what an awesomely terrific idea they have. They tell you that they’re scared to even whisper a synopsis of their project to you for fear that you will steal The Greatest Idea Ever. Reluctantly, perhaps they cough up a few pages of half-assed writing before they got too busy, or just got lost in terms of writing. And they tell you that the brilliant idea will bring them the major buckaroos…all the while questioning your fees.

I like to weed the baddies out immediately. I just don’t have the time or inclination to work with jerks, ego-maniacs or clueless people. Simple as that.

I’m a diplomatic person when the need arises. But I won’t BS you. Not in the least.

So when you come to me for my professional opinion, you’re gonna get it. I’m not just a writer. I won’t just write ANYTHING. I want to believe in your work. I want to know you can do well and be proud of your book. Because, hey…it’s an extension of me too. Even if I don’t get to slap my name up on the title page (or anywhere else.)

I had a prospect recently who thought he had a great idea. I pointed out that his idea had been done. Many, many times before. And that while there may be an audience, they would want something NEW. Not some rehashed crap coming from a so-called nobody.

That’s not what he wanted to hear. So he gave me a little attitude. And my “baddie client” warning lights went off.

“This is not a client who will listen to me. This is not a client who will take any advice or criticism gracefully. This is one of those clients who will be in constant battle with me because he is the All-Knowing client.” I told myself.

And I kicked that prospect to the curb.

Because criticism is not about making someone feel bad, tearing them down or ripping them a new one. Nope, it’s about helping someone else, trying to make something better…

And if you can’t take criticism gracefully, then you’re better off with one of those writers who will write anything as long as you hand over the money.

If perfect means being utterly kissable when you first wake up in the morning and have dragon breath. And you wake up grumpy after a nap and whine about every single little thing. And you cry when the puppy scratches you even though you were the one teasing the puppy in the first place.

Yeah. That kind of perfect.

That’s a cute sort of perfectionism. Which I think most kids have. “Cute perfectionism” is what I’ll call it. Come on, people…let’s create a new buzz phrase!!

Cute Perfectionism - asleep

But there’s a perfectionism that isn’t cute. And it’s called being an unrealistic, anal-retentive freak. And there are some people I know who need to let their A-type shield go and just embrace the mundane like the rest of the free world.

I have a client who is cursed with perfectionism.

It’s okay. He doesn’t read my blog. So it’s not like I’m going to hurt his poor little type-A feelings or tick off his anal-retentive side.

This client won’t let his pursuit of perfectionism go.

And it’s driving me mad.

I edited his book MONTHS ago. And he’s still not finished.

Because he keeps adding.

And adding.

And adding.

Stuff.

Mind you, his field of expertise is a constantly changing animal. It’s scary to put things in print when they just might change within weeks or months and then you have this book, something in print, making you look like a doofus. I get it.

But seriously, this is out of control. His book should have gone to print about 4 months ago. At the worst, with his anal tendencies, 2 months ago. And yet, he is still tweaking it and getting it ready to send back to me.

I have thoughts (and suggestions) for you perfectionist whack jobs out there. But I don’t want them to get lost at the bottom of a long rant, so I’ll just save them for my next post. Because, yes, they are useful tips for perfectionists and how they can get their sanity back and use the changing field to their advantage.

So…are you cursed with the need for perfection?

My issue of the day?

Shopping carts.

And the fools that can’t seem to grasp the concept…wait, this is a really difficult concept to grasp, so brace yourself…the concept that you are supposed to take the cart back.

To the front of the store. To the cart corral in the parking lot.

I’m not picky. You can choose whichever works for you. But pick one.

Leaving the cart next to your car is LAZY.

Leaving the cart behind the car next to you is LAZY and a complete jerk-off move.

I don’t care if you’re handicapped. Because if you are, you’re already parked up front, so you’re right next to the store. And if you can’t juggle store items and a cart, then you can easily ask for help from a store employee. So, no excuse for you.

I don’t care if you have kids. I have a kid. And yet somehow I find a way to put the carts back where they belong. You have choices. Put kids in car and then put cart back. Or, because there are freaks out there, take the kid(s) with you to the cart corral. Leave the cart and then take the kids back to the car. Easy enough. I’ve done it. And I can be a fairly lazy person at times.

Leaving carts is not only lazy, it’s dangerous. Carts roll. They can roll into people, into cars. Cars trying to park and then swerving out of a cart’s way (because the freakin’ cart shouldn’t be there!!) can hit a person or hit another car.

Get the idea?

I would love to hear from someone who has a single legitimate reason for ever leaving a cart in the lot without securing it. Because other than just being lazy, I can’t think of a single reason.

What I’m referring to are the testimonials you need for NEW stuff. Like a new book. Or a new product. Those kinds of testimonials.

And asking for them is weird. Why? Because you know that you’re putting people out. You are asking them to do something that requires time and effort on their end. And you want them to like it and not feel put upon and be timely.

I had several hiccups in my quest for testimonials for my WAHM Agent ebook series. And waiting on testimonials pushed my site launch back by a couple of weeks. Stupid me. I should have launched without the testimonials. But my web guy had designed things in a way that incorporated the testimonials…and not having them would make the site look seriously half-assed. So I chose to push the launch back.

What I have found is that I need to be very specific in my needs. I need to create a simple to follow, easy to read “Testimonials for Tina” guide for those who volunteer a testimonial.

I also need to learn that some people are just flakes, period. I abhor flakes. I hate excuses. But there are people who will flake out and give every excuse in the book as to why they haven’t done squat in reading your book and providing a testimonial. Even when you remind them after a week. And even when you check in on them a week later than that.

Instead of accepting excuses and giving more time, I should have just said, “You know what? You volunteered to read my book but it seems like now is just not a good time for you. Your schedule sounds pretty tight. So I’ll just find someone else.” Then I should have scrambled to find someone else to fill the void. And my time fuming about the flake would be side-tracked as I did that scrambling.

I need to lower my expectations.

I need to be pleasantly surprised when people actually follow through.

And I need to look to my family when all else fails. Because they won’t BS me and they won’t provide a testimonial if they hate my writing. Which I love about them.

But I still want some horn-blowing, thumbs-up giving, “Tina rocks the written word” kind of quotes so I can put them on my sites, in my marketing materials and so on.

So I use initials. No names. No links.

But sometimes I need a different kind of testimonial. Not just a “Tina’s great – use her for all your writing needs!” kind of statement.

Sometimes I need someone to read something, mull it over and then write something…a few sentences…nothing too crazy…

I sent my first ebook (and in some cases, all three) to several people. My return rate for testimonials?

A dismal 50%.

Yes. Half of the people who VOLUNTEERED to provide a testimonial failed to come through.

Words that come to mind? Disheartening. Frustrating.

Here are a few tips for those of you who are ever asked (or perhaps volunteer) to provide a testimonial of any kind of product:

Ask how soon the testimonial is needed. Most people have deadlines of some sort. And they are probably waiting on your testimonial before the design marketing materials, launch a website, etc. So you want to know when they need the testimonial from you.

Ask exactly what is needed. Do they need a single sentence from you? A paragraph? Do they want you to specifically refer to the value of the item, the content, the design? Ask what is expected of you.

Evaluate whether you truly have the time to provide the testimonial. If you don’t have the time, then don’t volunteer or don’t accept when you are asked. Don’t feel bad if you don’t have the time. Everyone (well, most everyone) has a busy life and you can’t do everything. So if you don’t have the time, say so. Immediately.

Give yourself a deadline. So, the person who needs the testimonial needs it by Friday at 8am. Set a deadline for yourself at least 24 hours before, if possible. This gives you some wiggle room if something comes up at the last minute.

Start as soon as you can. Seriously, you don’t want to forget about it. If you have something to read, or a product to try out, it’s easy to set it aside. And the next thing you know, you’ve totally forgotten your testimonial task. And then you’re scrambling at the last minute.

Try to beat the deadline. If you can, try to beat the person’s deadline by providing your testimonial a little early. If that person was thinking ahead, she probably already built in some breathing room in terms of her own deadlines. But you never know. And by beating the deadline given to you, even by an hour, you can give that person some time to look over your testimonial, make sure it’s what she’s looking for and to ask any other questions of you…just in case.

Be honest. If you seriously hate the product, what it stands for, think it smells on a multitude of levels (whether it’s a book or a software program…anything) then tell the person that you will not be able to provide a testimonial. And tell them why. Whether your criticisms are legitimate or not, they are your opinions and you are entitled to have them.

It boils down to the fact that you need to make sure you never accept the opportunity or volunteer yourself for anything that you can’t follow through on or don’t intend to follow through on. You are doing the person a favor – yes. But you have also placed that person in a position of relying on you to help their business, to help with marketing. You’ve made yourself a party to that and it’s important to keep that in mind.

Remember my post on how to prevent idea theft? Uh…yeah…the irony….I was a victim of such an occurrence just in the past week. (I became aware of it yesterday). But you know, there’s so much more to that story, that I plan on hashing that out in a whole ‘nother post.

Then there was also my post on testimonials. About needing testimonials. Oh, the drama that has surrounded the testimonial situation. Again, for perhaps a series of posts…detailing the drama and also posting some tips on how to handle the situation if you are ever so lucky to be either 1) asked to provide a testimonial or 2) in the position of needing a testimonial.

I also created my first lenses on Squidoo and now have a full on love/hate relationship going on with that site, how lenses are built and whatnot. If you’re a Squidoo expert, by all means, I could use your comments, suggestions and maybe just a smack upside the head because I am sure I’m making it harder than it really is.

If you’re interested, my three lenses are about (and they’re clickable!):

- How to Become a Work-At-Home Real Estate Agent

- Working Your Real Estate Business

- Marketing Strategy for the Work-At-Home Mom Real Estate Agent

Actually, I will just come on out and beg you to take a look. Because my lenses are lonely and need visits. They are hungry for some eyeballs to give ‘em a look. Maybe you can even rate them…pretty please???

The high point of yesterday (other than actually being able to crank out three Squidoo lenses while “camping out” in my office …aka bed with my laptop in my lap…and watching movie after movie with my munchkin- YAY!) was the launch of my new site – The WAHM Agent. I finally have my ebooks available for sale!!! I am so excited I could spit! I put a lot of work into these babies and to have them available to the public is just an awesome feeling.

But again…so much going on…and each of these subjects deserve their own posts. And so they shall have their own posts. Because I’m a giver like that.

Then I became jaded and realized that – you know what – there’s not a lot of originality out there. Most junk is just regurgitated in a different way. Packaged in a different format. Maybe with a new little somethin’ somethin’ added here and there.

Now I am somewhere in between Jadedville and Everyone’s an Idea Thief City.

Most of us know the basics. Everything you write is copyrighted. Technically. Though perhaps not formally.

And perhaps you know about the “poor man’s” copyright of mailing a copy of the writing to one’s self and NEVER opening the package up (unless the legal doomsday arrives).

And then there is going all-out official and registering your work with the U.S. Copyright Office. From another country? The U.S. Copyright Office has copyright relations (hmm…) with other countries around the world, which you can check out in their publication on International Copyright Relations.

Copyright protects actual writings. Not your ideas. Not your systems. Not your methods of operation.

We all have “brilliant” ideas from time to time. And some of us put them into action. Others never get past the pipe dream.

But if you let yourself become overwhelmed with thoughts of “Someone is going to steal my awesomely terrific idea and my world will crumble,” you might be getting ahead of yourself.

Can you protect yourself against an idea thief? To an extent.

1) Once you come up with an idea, keep it to yourself as you research it. Don’t use forums, blogs, etc as a way to bounce your idea off others.

2) When it comes time to bounce that idea off of others, go to those you can trust. Five or fewer people who can give you sound feedback on your idea and perhaps point you in the right direction.

3) WORK on your idea. Stop keeping it locked up in your mind and work on it. Develop it. 

What if you’ve developed your idea? It’s out there, perhaps in the form of an ebook. And it’s selling. And you stumble across a copycat ebook that takes your ideas and rehashes them or repackages them…

Sure, you can contact the person behind the scenes. Threaten legal action and all that. But are you willing to follow through?

Instead, use that copycat in your marketing material to show conclusive proof that your ebook rocks so much, that someone copied it. But it comes nowhere near the real deal.

So I say, if you’ve got an idea – go with it!! Don’t let the fear of stolen ideas keep you frozen in place.