Here are some summertime tips for electronic tools that can be useful to authors.

Flickr is a free online photo management and sharing site where users can upload, edit, organize and share pictures. Whether the images are stored on an office computer or captured with a mobile phone, Flickr enables users to upload, share and organize these snapshots on the Web.

Photos associated with your book that are on Flickr are easily accessible to a press contact looking to include an image in his or her story.

Upload pictures from book events. Cross-post photos or include the Flickr link in your social networks, such as on Facebook.

Monitter.com is a web-based application that monitors Twitter activity for keywords/topics - up to three at once. Anyone, even those without Twitter accounts, can go on the Monitter website and search and track keywords being using on Twitter. These words can be topics, phrases, names or hashtags (such as #networking or even #TGIF). Users enter words into the search box and instantly see relevant tweets streaming in real-time.

They can also send tweets or retweet to their accounts directly from the Monitter interface. You can download the widget for your website to keep track of what people are saying on Twitter about your book.

This tool makes it extremely easy to track what's being said about your books or anything relating to your expertise the topic you write about at large. It also can help you identify social media influencers for a certain topic or in a specific conversation. Monitter gives businesses a simple and direct way to interact with Twitter users - you can respond to a tweet with a recommendation or answer someone's question. In a world that is obsessed with real-time news and real-time results, this program can help you stay on top of the conversations that involve your brand and industry.

BlogTalkRadio is an online radio network that enables users to host their own live internet talk radio shows. People use BlogTalkRadio to share their expertise, opinions and ideas on an open network of online radio shows. Because this Web-based site requires no download, it is easily accessible to all and equally easy to create.

Show creators/hosts determine every detail of their show, including times, topics and categories. Hosts can place as many as six callers on air at a time with a click of a mouse, but an unlimited amount of callers can listen in on the home page for the program. A podcast version of the show is available for download afterward.

BlogTalkRadio integrates dozens of other social networks to make the programs and the podcasts easy to save and share – the more sharing, the better. There are two ways you can use BlogTalkRadio to be a thought-leader and promote your book. You can create your own online radio show, and through the wonders of the World Wide Web, share your expertise and insights with the world.

Consider giving your opinion on current events, interviewing other industry leaders, broadcasting live events, and even asking your readers to participate by sharing comments and questions. Another way to use this tool is to be a guest on someone else’s show.

Search show categories to find specific programs related to your industry on which you can lend your knowledge. You'll be blog-talkin' in no time.