Successful authors know that generating book buzz involves more than getting their book title into magazines and newspapers or appearing on radio or TV talk shows. They need good word-of-mouth marketing working for them and a strong online presence.

To do this, they support their more conventional book publicity efforts with campaigns that tap the power of everyday technology to generate book exposure. Here are six unconventional steps they're taking that you can incorporate into your book marketing campaign.

1. Use your e-mail signature to sell. Include your book title and cover and a "Buy Now" button linked to a product purchase page at your Web site or at a popular online retailer like Amazon.com.

2. Blog in an existing online community that allows you to make connections. Social networking sites MySpace.com and Xanga.com are popular because they allow members with shared interests to connect more easily. Use the sites to widen your circle of influence so you meet people who might be interested in your book. Don't use a hard sell, though. It will alienate people.

3. Create a compelling, useful e-zine or e-newsletter on your book's topic and use it to create a viral marketing campaign. Make your newsletter content helpful and informative and subscribers will forward it to others - who will subscribe and forward their issue to still more people.

4. Make a direct connection between your online presence and your book. Your Web site URL needs to represent your book, not your name or your company's name. If you have created a page for your book on an existing site, put the book title into the page's address: www.authorname.com/booktitle.htm.

5. Explore and capitalize on the latest technology. Turn a PowerPoint presentation about your book into a video with Windows Movie Maker and upload it to YouTube.com. You'll get a URL for the video that you can use on your Web site and include in your e-mail signature.

6. Look for interview opportunities with online longevity. Approach radio stations that archive interviews online. Do podcasts. Ask bloggers to interview you.

Appropriate and innovative use of technology can give you a competitive advantage in the highly-competitive book buzz environment. If you find it intimidating, get help. Ask a tech-savvy friend to set up systems for you or hire a specialist to do it. Once you master the tools, you'll wonder why you didn't try it sooner.

About the Author

Sandra Beckwith has written two publicity books and teaches the online "Build Book Buzz" publicity course for authors. Sign up for her free book publicity e-zine at http://www.buildbookbuzz.com.