I call it “it’s-a-cloudy-day-and-we-have-nothing-to-do-so-let’s-curl-up-with-a-blanket-and-a-good-book ” weather.

We had one of those days over the weekend. Is there anything more luxurious? Even Smokey, who is still very puppyish and usually overflowing with bouncing energy snuggled right in when I pulled out the warm blanket and my book.

As much as I love the internet for marketing books, it will never be the same for book shoppers as going into a book store, picking up a book that caught their eye, and flipping through the pages. There’s something about that whole experience that makes book buying such a treat.

It’s getting close though. Last week, I discovered a new website that you should know about if you’re selling books online.

fReado, the home of books in BookBuzzr format, lets you upload a few pages of your book so shoppers can flip through it, just like they were picking up a book off the shelf. It’s more like browsing through a book than just letting potential buyers read an excerpt online. It’s similar to the Look Inside! feature on Amazon, except you can virtually “flip” the pages.

They have a widget that you can put on your website instead of your book cover, so your book cover becomes interactive too.

According to the FAQ, you don’t need to get your publisher’s permission because you’re only using an excerpt of the book. However, I would suggest letting them know just to be safe. And if your book is self-published, of course, you won’t need anyone’s permission.

When you’re deciding on the best places to submit your article online, here are some things to consider :

1. Who will want to read your new article? Look for some niche sites where the users will be interested in the specific information you offer. For example, if you write articles on dog grooming, look for websites where dog owners will congregate.

2. Are there any markets you haven’t considered? A common trend now is to submit an article only to niche sites. The trouble with that is you’re closing the door to exploring other markets for your product or service. Submit it to some well-know general directories as well for broader exposure.

3. Submit it to as many places as possible. Now that you’ve put all that work into writing your article, or have paid someone to write it, it’s time to get your money’s worth. For every place your article is published, that’s  another backlink (or two) back to your site.

Submitting articles does take time, so if you just don’t have the time to spend, consider asking a Virtual Assistant who is experienced in submitting articles to submit it for you. You might be surprised at how quickly they can get it done. For example, I can usually submit one article to over 30 websites in one hour.

If you’re looking for new places to submit your article to, here are some suggestions:

http://www.a1articles.com

http://www.activeauthors.com/

http://www.alumbo.com/

http://www.amazines.com/

http://www.articlebiz.com/

http://www.articlecube.com/

http://www.articledashboard.com/

http://www.articlesfactory.com/

http://www.articlemarketer.com

http://www.articlerich.com/

http://www.articlesphere.com/

http://www.articleteller.com/

http://www.articletrader.com/

http://www.articlewarehouse.com/

http://www.articlebasement.com/

http://www.articlecity.com/

http://www.digital-women.com/submitarticle.htm

http://www.ezinearticles.com/

http://www.ezine-writer.com.au/

http://www.expertarticles.com/

http://www.faithwriters.com/

http://www.goarticles.com/

http://www.article-bank.com/index.php

http://www.christian-article-bank.com/

http://www.ideamarketers.com/

http://www.isnare.com

http://www.parentsupersite.com/

http://www.promotionworld.com/

http://www.Schmoozins.com

http://www.searchguild.com

http://www.selfgrowth.com/

http://www.wahm-articles.com

http://workathomesuccess.com/Articles/articles.htm

http://www.workitmom.com

We went to watch it last night. I had heard it wasn’t suitable for young children, but not too long into it, I was ready to cover my 12-year-old daughter’s eyes and give my teenage son another talk about valuing women for the people they are, not because of how they look.

What drives me crazy about movies like that is… it’s Transformers! Every kid is going to want to watch it just because they know the toys and the cartoons. I hear it’s doing well in spite of all my complaints, though.

It reminded me of when Star Wars Episode 1 and Jurassic Park 3 came out. My kids were much younger then, and we didn’t feel those movies were appropriate for them at the time. But the toy stores were full of Star Wars and Jurassic Park toys completely geared towards pre-schoolers and young school-aged kids.

Maybe it was intentional, and maybe I’m the one who’s too overprotective about what my kids are exposed to. Or maybe it was a marketing mismatch – a business promoting a product to the wrong audience.

One thing you have to ask yourself when you’re writing your articles or press releases or doing any type of marketing is…

… Who is going to buy your product?

One of my clients is a young children’s book author. She’s tempted to create marketing materials that appeal to kids, since that’s who her product is for. But when we discussed who was actually going to buy her book, and the buying process they would follow, she decided to change her message to speak to an audience that could afford her books and had decision-making power: moms of young children.

How about your message? Is it getting through to the right audience? Or do you have a marketing mismatch?