Author and Tech Consultant, Deanna Zandt, Puts Advice into Action

Friend of Pro-Media Deanna Zandt never ceases to amaze. Pro-Medians Jene and Sonal were right there at with her (at a Women Who Tech happy hour, where else?) when Deanna’s Blackberry buzzed with the email from her publisher, Johanna Vondeling at Berrett-Koehler, offering her her first book deal. In exchange for an author advance, Berrett-Koehler offers a more author-friendly royalty structure. So Deanna has taken it to the netroots, forging a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for her advance. Wendy Werris over at Publisher’s Weekly reports: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6670369.html

Click here to help “feed Deanna” while she writes her book, Sink or Swim: Making Waves of Change in a New Social Media World.

Weekend Round-up

BBQs, beach time and fireworks aside, 4th of July weekend was an eventful few days wasn’t it? Between Sarah Palin’s resignation, the exile of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, the continued uprising in Iran and the Iranian government’s media clampdown and this morning’s passing of Robert McNamara — Tweetdeck overload almost caused my computer to set off fireworks of its own. While I’ll save my speculations on Palin’s decision to leave her post as governor (don’t sue me, Sarah!) and my distaste for the Iranian and Honduran media clampdowns for my tweeps — there is certainly a lot for everyone to reflect on.

I’m a little late to the game in blogging my reflections on Michael Jackson, but this weekend you couldn’t walk half a block in my Brooklyn neighborhood without hearing Michael’s music from apartments, cars and bars. An SEIU labor organizer friend of mine mentioned that even at a recent healthcare reform lobby visit to a Pennsylvanian Congressman last week, MJ made his way into the conversation! Last night I watched an awesome vlog from Tammy Johnson at RaceWire. I always enjoy Tammy’s commentary on race in pop culture and music, but this time she really hit the nail on the head. Check out Tammy’s vlog here.

Author tips from Berrett-Koehler: Optimizing your Amazon page

Our friends over at Berrett-Koehler — the San Francisco-based publisher dedicated to ‘creating a world that works for all’ — posted some excellent tips for authors on making the most of their book pages on Amazon.

What: Your book’s presence on Amazon is critical. It is literally your billboard to the world. That is why Berrett-Koehler puts a lot of effort into making sure the data for your book is correct and we load as much promotional information as possible on your Amazon book page.

Why: When people want to buy your book, they often first go to Amazon to learn more about it.

How: You can do a number of things to promote your book and your business online through Amazon, including actively recruiting customers to review your book, participating in the Amazon blog called AmazonConnect, and optimizing your book’s presence through other features on the site.

Check out BK’s Amazon Tips here. Follow BK on Twitter @BerrettKoehler for more gems!