The internet is a vast world. There are millions of websites, any of which could be talking about you and/or your book right now. So how is an author supposed to know what’s being said? Or worse, how to find the source of incorrect information? Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to make this happen.
First, every author (and everyone in general) should sign up for Google Alerts. This is a free service, and all you need is an account with Google. Just enter your name, your book title, or any variation thereof. Voila! You will receive an email daily or weekly (your choice) that lists and links to any mention of the specific keywords you entered. If something is being said about you or your book on the internet, you’ll hear about it.
Another good option for keeping tabs on internet buzz is called Addictomatic.com. By entering your name or any terms you want to search for, the site will build a page for you that lists all of the recent mentions of the search term. It even breaks up all of the links into Twitter, Bing, Flickr, blogs, etc… Just bookmark the page and go back there regularly. It will automatically feed you the most recent information every time you visit. Just like Google Alerts, this is a free service.
You can’t be everywhere at once (nor should you want to be!), but these services should help authors like you keep tabs on what’s being said about you and your book. You may just find your best review or testimonial this way!