Welcome to the 21st Century World of Writing

 

Welcome to SwAG

SouthwestAuthorsGuild.com

 

 

If you are an author,  this online community website is specially designed for you with:
  • Personal Blogs
  • Discussion Forums
  • e-Zines
  • Galleries
  • Newsletters
  • Podcasting
  • Webinars
  • Workshops
    and much much more...

What's the story?

We are advocates of the "pro-author" perspective, and our mission is to support those who write and create content, by presenting advice from fellow writers and professionals, options for publishing and distribution, and web-centric marketing tools.

By becoming a SwAG Member, you can combine your writing skills with the Power of the Internet to reach a world-wide audience.

 

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Carlos Fuentes

Thanks To The Web, Writers Have More Options Than Ever Before!

Dear Fellow Writer,

You're probably reading this right now, because you're interested in what most authors are looking for --namely, publishing and marketing information, and the "insider" level of expertise that allows you to do what's necessary to establish your reputation, and find the right market(s) for your work.

But what are you up against, as you set goals such as successfully marketing yourself as a self-published author...using traditional methods?

Let's see if any of this sounds familiar:      (Click Here)

  • You completely finished writing your book, and contacted various mainstream publishers and/or literary agents.
  • You failed to interest anyone, and after repeated rejections, began to consider alternative publishing methods.
  • You invested in a POD publisher*, or some other form of self-publishing method.
  • Your book is posted on Amazon.com and/or other online bookstores, among thousands of other books.
  • Your friends and family are your best customers, and you don't sell many copies to anyone else.

Now comes the hard part:      (Click Here)

  • You're informed that your book can't be sold in traditional bookstores, because of the discount and/or no return policies that your POD publisher implies.
  • You find that mainstream book reviewers can't or won't do reviews, simply because your book is self-published or POD.
  • You buy your own copies, take them to book signings (with poor attendance), and end up selling just enough to break even on your hard costs.
  • You take some of the leftover copies that you've paid for yourself, and you put them on consignment, then end up with non-returnable copies of unsold books.
  • You hire an expensive book publicist for your book, and the marketing campaign goes beyond your limited budget.
  • You attempt to become an overnight D.I.Y. marketing expert, and have limited success marketing your own book without any help.

    • Then it gets even harder:      (Click Here)

    • You try the free Internet book marketing options, including a free website. You don't get many books sold (if any sold at all). You begin to feel that "small frog in a big puddle" feeling.
    • You purchase some of those downloadable e-book style book marketing "secrets"...but you don't make nearly as much money, as the ones that you bought the e-books from.
    • You begin to realize that there are no "secrets" to Internet book marketing, just important skills that you'll need to master, so that you can utilize the marketing techniques that actually work.
    • You are now getting overwhelmed, as you realize how complex this process has become.
    • You start talking to other authors in forums and online writing groups, and you hear similar stories of frustration and discouragement.

    What have you learned from all of this?    (Click Here)

    • You know that your book can't be marketed by traditional methods, without massive marketing efforts and a sizeable budget.
    • You're aware of the fact that you're not able to compete with already established authors, who utilize professional book marketing services.
    • You know that you won't let yourself be defeated, and that it's time to start re-thinking your entire approach, and that you're going to have to be really creative if you're going to be successful as an author!

    What do you have to do to accomplish this?      (Click Here)

    • You have to learn how to use the technology and methods of Online Marketing to "leapfrog" past the traditional competition.
    • You must start creating your own "reputation economy" to enable e-WOM (electronic Word-of-Mouth) and buzz marketing, to do the job of marketing for you.
    • You'll need to adopt new strategies, and continue to use creative out-of-the-box thinking, to establish yourself as an expert within your target "niche" market.
    • You're going to expand your entire model, and take on new skills, in order to go beyond mere sales of books, and become a sought-after source of information, that your audience can easily locate when they ask questions in search engines.
    • You'll discover that by combining your writing talents, with your newly acquired online marketing techniques, you've effectively setup a solid foundation for marketing your writing in the future too.

    How can joining SwAG help?      (Click Here)

    • We'll show you how to use technology-based online marketing and promotional techniques.
    • We'll show you how to write effectively in order to generate targeted traffic that comes directly to your SwAG personal home page.
    • We'll show you how to build a large list of subscribers, who assist you in producing e-WOM, which increases your reputation as an expert in your chosen niche.
    • We'll show you how to direct market your books and/or other forms of writing products.
    • We'll help you translate your writing into other languages, for readers around the world.
    • We'll even help by showing you delivery methods in multiple formats that include the newest, exciting, and most innovative presentation technologies available.

     

    The Southwest Authors Guild Community Portal is the ultimate gateway into the next phase of your writing career. Are you ready to take the next step?

     

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