Four ways to become known as an 'expert' on your book's topic

As they say, "information wants to be free." And one of the best way to promote your nonfiction book is to give away information -- become known as an online expert in your topic.

The benefits of expert status are enormous: you may be frequently quoted in industry and trade publications devoted in your field, cementing your credibility.

Internet users are constantly searching for information to solve problems. And the people who are searching for free information are prime candidates for buying even more of that information from someone recognized as an expert.

You can build your reputation in three main ways:

-- Post question-and-answer content on your blog or Web site. Take the best questions you receive from readers and post them on your Web site or blog, along with your answer. Or compile them into an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section on your site.

Offer book excerpts or sample chapters available as a PDF download from your Web site. If you have a quality book, your audience will find you this way.

-- Participate in online discussions. Answering queries on message boards and e-mail lists dedicated to your topic will bring more visitors to your site.

Be sure to add a three or four-line "signature" to the bottom of your posts, including your Web address, blog title, and current book title. Don't post purely promotional messages, as these won't be seen as helpful.

Post comments on blogs related to your topic. Most blogs allow you to include a link back to your site in your comment. Invest the time in providing useful, thoughtful commentary, and you'll bring some new visitors to your site.

-- Syndicate your content. Market yourself as an expert on sites such as EzineArticles.com. Web and e-zine publishers run your content, along with your short biography and hyperlink to your site at the bottom. This can bring new, qualified visitors to your site, and the free service can be much more effective for you than online advertising.

Republication of your content enhances your visibility because of the resulting backlinks to your Web site. You can also set up a profile page on eZineArticles with your photo and links to all your syndicated content.

-- Go pro-active and seek media interviews. No need to hire an expensive public-relations firm, join a service like PR Leads, which provides you a daily list of reporters looking to interview experts in your field. You send the reporter an e-mail introducing yourself and the type of information you can provide.

This type of approach is much more effective than pitching your story to reporters at random. Reporters assigned to work on specific beats, however, need to talk with experts like you to give their writing credibility. Using a service like PR Leads, you can let those reporters know who you are how to contact you.

Subscriptions to PR Leads cost $99 a month, and if it results in a few media interviews per year to cement your profile as an expert in your field, it's well worth it. One good mention in the media can pay off more than an infinite number of press releases.