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Copyright © 2007 by Open Horizons and John Kremer
Last modified: 9/08/07
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Promoting Your Books
Book Marketing Tips
Would You Like to Be 6 Times More Profitable?
It's easy. Just listen to what Troy White has written in his recent
Word Wealth blog:
"It costs one-sixth as much to sell something to one of your existing
clients than it costs to go out and find a new customer. And yet,
almost every single company I talk to spends two to three times more
effort on finding new clients than investing in old."
It doesn't take being a rocket scientist to figure out that you should
be paying more attention to your current customers -- and selling to
them -- than trying to uncover, attract, dig up, or otherwise snare new customers.
You should read more of what Troy White and the rest of his companion
bloggers have to say at Duct Tape Marketing.
$10 Million in Sales
“Someone once asked me how much I made for my first Guerilla
Marketing book. The answer I gave was $10 million. The book
itself only paid me about $35,000 in royalties, but the speaking
engagements, spinoff books, newsletters, columns, bootcamps, consulting,
and wide open doors resulted in the remaining $9,965.000” Jay Conrad
Levinson, author, Guerilla Marketing series
Stop Procrastinating:
Do It Today!
Just a note to help you start this coming Monday off on the right foot:
“Sometimes a gentle reminder is all we need. I recently set aside a portion of
2 days to make only 10 phone calls each day. Out of the 20 calls, I actually
was able to talk with 12 of the individuals directly.
“The results? 1 prime-position, low-rent booth space at an event that I really
needed to be at; 1 new author for my company; 2 new clients for book
production services; 1 joint venture for an upcoming convention; 1 speaking
engagement at a men's conference; and 1 meeting scheduled with a very
influential pastor.”
-- Marvin D. Cloud, author of Get Off the Pot: How to Stop Procrastinating
and Write Your Personal Bestseller in 90 Days.
John's Comment: Now doesn't that inspire you to set aside a few hours during
the next week to make a few phone calls. You won't get to them unless you plan
to make the calls and set aside the time to do it. Do it now!
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John Kremer, Book Promotion Expert
John is the author of 1001 Ways to
Market Your Books and editor of the Book Marketing Update newsletter.
Amazon.com Secrets
The Inside Secret of Book Marketing
An Interview with John Kremer
Selling Novels
Q&A: Selling
Children's Books
My web sites:
BookMarket.com
The Self-Publishing Hall of Fame
The Biology of Business
JohnKremer.com
JohnKremer.net
JohnKremer.org
CelebrateToday.com
Hot Times, Cool Places
WayBackWords.com
My blogs:
Promoting Your Books
Hot Times,
Cool Places Blog
Open Horizons
P O Box 2887
Taos NM 87571
505-751-3398
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Less Money, More Stories
Seth Godin always has interesting points to
make. In his post today at
his blog, he made the following point, one that I've been trying to get
through to people for a very long time:
“The art of marketing is not finding more money to do more marketing. It's
figuring out how to tell a story that spreads with the resources you've got.”
So many self-publishers and new authors want to throw money at marketing or hire
someone else to do the marketing for them when they should be spending the time
creating great stories. By great stories, I mean, marketing messages that move
people, get people talking, get people telling others about your story, etc.
Before you do anything else to market your book, decide what your story is —
what message will move people to act.
Promoting Your Books: The Top Ten Things
My good friend Alex Carroll and I interviewed each other during two teleconferences in April.
In my teleseminar, I shared the following 10 things you can do in the
next week to sell more books. Here's some of what I covered:
Why 90% of all marketing is wasted ... and how to keep this from happening to you.
The method by which 80% of all books are sold ... and how to tap into it.
10 ways to slice and dice rights for maximum return.
The optimal amount of time that you should spend on marketing any good book.
The one secret that all of marketing ultimately comes down to. If you
don't understand this basic principle, you will ultimately fail as a book
marketer. Indeed, you will fail in life as well.
The most crucial thing that should be on the front page of your website.
How to go from nowhere to #1 on Google for your key search term.
The best place to hide your book in your own home.
Reader Success: Take Time to Talk to People
“I believe that I read on your blog about a woman named Allyn Roberts who
has a book: Queen Power. I connected with her and she did an interview
with me for her ezine. It's amazing what can happen when you take the time to
contact people. After all, despite all our superhuman activities, we are all
just human beings.” — Jill Nussinow, The Vegie Queen; author of The
Vegetarian Connection. Email: jill@thevegiequeen.com.
John's Comments: In most cases, that's
all you have to do. Make contact. Stop putting off making important contacts. Call them up. Email them. Do something.
I like her trademarked title, The Vegie Queen. We can all be kings or
queens of something. You may call me the Book Marketing King. Mmm, or maybe
The Emperor of Book Marketing. Or the Duke of Do-Do. :))
Relationships Are the Key
The National Football League held their initiation for new hall of famers
today. One of the statements I most remember from that ceremony was one made
by Dan Marino, holder of many NFL quarterback records. “I've accomplished many
things,” Marino said, “but what I cherish more than any record I hold,
fourth-quarter comeback, or any wins I was involved in is the relationships.”
What have I been teaching you all along on this web site (read below!)?
Relationships are golden. They are the key. They are how you will be remembered.
Make some new friends this week. Create some golden relationships. Enjoy. And have fun.
Making Friends: The Essence of Marketing
All of marketing ultimately comes down to one thing: creating
relationships. If you don't understand this basic principle, you will
ultimately fail as a book marketer. Indeed, you will fail in life as well.
Think of it: What is publicity? It is simply creating relationships
with people in the media who, if they like your product, idea, or
service, will pass on that information to their audience in the form of
reviews, interviews, stories, or notices.
Think of it: What is distribution? It is simply creating relationships
with bookstores, wholesalers, and sales representatives who will make
your books available to retail customers.
Think of it: What are rights sales? They, too, are based on creating
relationships with key companies and people who can exploit those rights better than you can.
Think of it: What is editorial? I*t is simply creating relationships
with authors, literary agents, and other people who can bring you good material to polish, design, and promote.
All of book publishing ultimately comes down to creating relationships. Indeed, all of business operates the same way.
Wherever you look in business, relationships are what make things happen: networking, the old boy network, the new girl network, customer
lists, sales reps visiting their customers, publicists talking with the
media, luncheon meetings, conventions, trade shows, chat groups,
newsletters, blogs, and more. They all have one thing in common: Their
primary purpose is to enhance communication and further relationships.
To help you create better relationships and market your books more
effectively, here are a few basic principles you should follow.
1. Create your Kremer 100 list.
Don't try to be friends with thousands or millions of people. You can't
do it. Focus on 100 key media and marketing contacts (if you don't have
time to focus on 100, make the database 25 or 50 people). Develop this
Kremer 100 database or list yourself. Find out what their addresses
are. Also their phone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, and URLs.
Plus their cell phone numbers, perhaps even their home phone numbers.
Your goal is to get to know their likes and dislikes, what moves them,
and what they look for in a good story (if they are media) or a good
product (if they are a buyer). You also want to get to know how they
like to get info. Do they prefer email, fax, phone, or mail?
2. Be persistent. Once you've
developed a database of key contacts, you must be in touch with them on
a regular basis -- at least once a month. Tell them something new with
each contact. If you ever get an opportunity to meet them in person,
jump at the chance. But the key is continual follow-up. It makes all
the difference in whether or not you establish a real relationship.
3. Create a word-of-mouth army. Since 80% of all books are sold by
word-of-mouth, your primary goal in marketing your books is to create a core
group of people who will spark that word-of-mouth. I like to think of these
people as the officers for your word-of-mouth army, because what you
ultimately want to create is an army of people talking about your book. In
that army, you'll have privates, corporals, sergeants, lieutenants, majors,
colonels, and generals. The moment someone meets one of your authors,
they've self-promoted themselves to at least a corporal. If they get an
autograph, count them a sergeant. If they buy ten books for other people,
promote them to lieutenant. You get the idea.
In my 1001 Ways army, I have at least two five-star generals: Jack
Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. They've earned every star. [Note: If you
don't like the analogy of an army, then think of it as a parade, or fan club, or party.]
4. Become a people person. At home
in Fairfield, I'm a quiet shy fellow. Here, few people know who I am or
what I do. But when I go out to speak or to attend trade shows, I
become a new person -- a people person. Fortunately I enjoy that
interaction with the public. If you are going to become a successful
book promoter, you, too, will have to cultivate that fun feeling when
you go out into the public. If you genuinely care about people, you
will have no problem facing the public. Just open your heart and let it
out.
When speaking to the Women Writers of the West conference several years
ago, I realized that when I talked about creating relationships, I was
really talking about making friends. Because that is what every good
marketer really does: They make friends. When you begin to think of
marketing in this way, everything about marketing books becomes more
fun. Suddenly there is no foreignness, no fear, no feelings of
inadequacy. We can all make friends. It's a talent we've had since we were little children. Use it.
John Kremer on ... Marketing Your Books
The following is excerpted from an interview I did with Tom Nixon of
SmallPress Blog.
1. What are the three (or four/five/etc.)
things that all independent publishers must do to market their books?
a. Create a database or list of the top 100 media and
markets (book clubs, retailers, distributors, catalogs) that need to learn
about their books. I call this list their Kremer 100 list. This list should
include the names, addresses, phone number, fax, email, web site, and other
details of each contact. Market to this list at least once a month for the
next two to three years. Send news releases, fact sheets, email tips, show
ideas, whatever. Each month the communication should build upon previous
contacts. Each contact should be different. Something new.
b. Start locally. For many books, the authors or
publishers should start by promoting their books locally, since that is where
your media potential is strongest. Try to make your author or book THE news or
feature event for that week or month in that local area. Do all the TV shows,
radio shows, newspaper interviews, bookstore talks, and other appearances you
can during that week or month. Saturate the area. Become the talk of the town.
c. Make sure you have effective distribution via the markets you
plan to use -- whether bookstores, Internet booksellers, book clubs, catalogs,
or direct sales. There are two primary marketing things you have to do with
any book: 1. Let people know about your book (primarily via publicity and
speaking), and 2. Make it easy for them to get your book (via effective distribution).
d. Create relationships. All of marketing ultimately comes down to
one thing: creating relationships. That means making friends. The
relationships with media, distributors, bookstores, and customers determine
the success or failure of any book or publishing enterprise.
2. What can new publishers do to enhance
their possibility for success?
The most important thing they can do is to create the relationships they
need. Relationships begin with the question: "What can I do for you?"
and not "What can you do for me?"
3. What is the most unusual and successful
marketing technique or strategy that you have seen?
That's two questions. The most unusual is rarely the most successful. A
somewhat unusual technique, however, could be very successful. The most
successful marketing technique is to create relationships. To continue
knocking on doors until they are answered — as long as they are the most appropriate doors.
As you can see, I strongly emphasize creating relationships. The reason why is very simple: That's what works. All the other
fanciful trimmings, fantastic opportunities, whizbang markets, etc., simply
don't have the same effect as persistent marketing — what my friend Joanna Lund calls velvet hammer marketing.
4. Anything else that you would like to share with my readers?
Every book you love should have a three-year marketing campaign where you
do two to three things every day to market that book. Make a phone call. Send
an email. Take someone important out to lunch. Write a letter. Knock on doors.
If you do two to three meaningful things each day for every book you love —
and continue to do so for three years — you will be successful. The world
will catch up to you and notice your book. Your job as author or publisher is
simply to hang around long enough for the world to notice. And ring a bell
once in awhile to get their attention.
Books That Can Walk, Talk, and Smell!
If you think that books are going to be challenged by e-books, audio CDs
and MP3s, and other media, you haven't even begun to touch the challenges.
Within 5 years, according to experts at the NanoBusiness Conference, “tiny
wireless transmitters, cameras and even sensors that can register odors could
be strung together and connected to wider networks to allow people conversing
virtually to hear, feel and smell all the same things, despite being physically separated.”
Nanotechnology will challenge all current media, not just books.
Newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, and the Internet will all be changed by
nanotechnology — and could easily do it within five years or sooner. The
pieces are already in place. Bell Labs, among others, has the technology today
to begin building these new technologies.
Read more about the possibilities outlined by Jeffrey Jaffe, president of
Bell Labs, at
ExtremeNano.com, click here. They have a cell phone transmitter now that
can fit inside a human cell. Incredible!
Marketing with Fran: Are All Libraries Created Equal?
This is a new column for my
Promoting Your Books blog written by Francine Silverman, editor of the Book Promotion Newsletter.
Cindy Vallar was living near Kansas City when her debut novel was
published and a branch of the county library co-sponsored a nationally
recognized Meet the Authors event with a retirement community.
Gloria Teague Shirley is an Oklahoma novelist and non-fiction author who
mails press kits and inquiries about having a book signing to libraries in
Oklahoma and surrounding states. If they agree, the library buys a copy and
the personnel or Friends of the Library promotes the event by sending an
advance notice to the local paper and arranging for the newspaper to send a photographer.
Marianne Berkes is a children’s book author and Florida resident whose
promotional agenda involves visiting libraries in various states. When the
library already has her books in its collection, it will often allow her to
autograph them after a library presentation.
Hope Marston held a party/book signing at her local library on a Saturday
morning to celebrate publication of her 25th book. She brought in a
made-to-order cake and more than 100 people attended. The author lives in
Black River, New York, population 1230.
Okay, but would these library promotions fly in The Big Apple with a
population 8 million? As a born and bred New Yorker, I am naturally
skeptical. In the Bronx, where I live, there are 34 branches out of a total
of 87 under the umbrella of the New York Public Library (encompassing the
Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island).
Here’s what I learned talking with head librarians at the two libraries here in the Riverdale section:
- Book signings are far less common than programs and workshops since
libraries are not in the business of selling books.
- Small towns without a bookstore play a different role than their big city counterparts.
- My branch libraries occasionally have talks/readings, especially by poets, young adult and children’s authors, and are not averse to having
them sign their books after a presentation.
- Libraries in Manhattan are more apt to stage readings and talks by
authors as indicated by the event calendar at http://www.nypl.org.
- The branch libraries do promote their events in the local press and in their monthly calendar.
- Authors are welcome to donate their books to the branch library. If approved, the book is placed on the shelves.
- Authors do not have to live in the neighborhood of the branch.
The libraries’ main focus has been on young adult and children’s books,
although the emphasis is shifting away from specialization among library
personnel. This year, The New York Public Library’s “Books for the Teen Age”
published its 76th edition. The catalogue features about 1,000 titles and
not all are library books. The list is displayed year-round at the Donnell
Library Center, 20 West 53rd Street in Manhattan.
In this instance, book marketing has no effect. Two of my subscribers
have been on the list more than once: Jane Kurtz and Lara Zeises. Both said
they had nothing to do with the selections and have no idea how the honor has impacted on sales.
During the summer, there are author chats with celebrated young adult
authors at http://teenlink.nypl.org
(scroll down to “Live Author Chats”).
The final word for any adult program rests with Cecil Hixon, public
program librarian, Adult and Community Outreach Services. An author’s book
must be in the library collection to be considered for a program. While Mr.
Hixon does not rule out authors of print-on-demand books, in order for the
book to be in the library it must be reviewed (pre-publication) in
Publisher’s Weekly (which reviews self-published books under certain
circumstances), Library Journal (yes), or Kirkus Reviews (no).
Authors wishing to present a program may reach Cecil Hixon at
212-340-0913 or email him at
CHixon@nypl.org. Include the title of your program, brief description of
the proposed discussion, and why you are qualified to give the talk.
Although an author may propose a particular branch library for the program, there is no guarantee.
If you live elsewhere, your chances of conquering your local library are
much greater and it's an avenue worth pursuing. Subscriber Carolyn
Howard-Johnson is an award-winning author, college instructor, columnist and
book reviewer. In her book, The Frugal Book Promoter (Star Publish
2004), Carolyn touts libraries as a major promotional market. “For the
purpose of marketing, getting your book into libraries helps generate the
buzz an author seeks,” she writes. “Find out what your publisher does to
alert library acquisitions departments and supplement those efforts. You can
do a better job than your publisher at promoting your book at libraries located near your home.”
— Francine Silverman is editor/publisher of Book Promotion Newsletter,
a biweekly ezine for authors of all genres, and author of Book Marketing
from A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005), a compilation of the best marketing
strategies of 325 authors from all over the English-speaking world. Web:
http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com.
Word of Mouth Marketing
Since 80% of all books are sold by word-of-mouth, your primary goal in
marketing your books is to create a core group of people who will spark that
word-of-mouth. I like to think of these people as the officers for your
word-of-mouth army, because what you ultimately want to create is an army of
people talking about your book. In that army, you'll have privates,
corporals, sergeants, lieutenants, majors, colonels, and generals. The
moment someone meets an author, they've self-promoted themselves to at least
a corporal. If they get an autograph, count them a sergeant. If they buy ten
books for other people, promote them to lieutenant. You get the idea.
In my 1001 Ways to Market Your Books army, I have at least four
five-star generals: Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Bob Allen, and Dan
Poynter. They've earned every star. Indeed, I have many other one-, two-,
three- and four-star generals. Plus lots of captains, majors, colonels, and
other uppity-ups.
Note: If you don't like the analogy of an army, then think of it as a
parade, or a circus, or fan club, or a really great party. Help others to join the fun!
Promoting Your Books: Getting Attention
Would you like to know how to grab the attention of busy editors and
other media people? Send them something interesting. Short and interesting.
Like this poem I was sent a few minutes ago via email from the author.
Travel now, he said
I release you to the wind
I release you to the Morning Star
may you float away in peace and be guided by the
elders
I release you to come home to
yourself
where the only true
love resides
I release you to find what has
always been
your true self
released
so it is said
so it is done
Washti
This poem is by Jay North, author of a new book Open Spaces: My Life and
Times with Leonard J. Mountain Chief. The poem and his story are
described in more detail in the book. Visit his web site for more
information:
http://www.goingorganic.com.
Promote Your Book: Do It Every Day
If you want to sell more books, there is one basic principle that is
essential: Do something every day for every book you love. Call someone. Write
a letter. Create Internet links. Update your web site. Write a related blog.
Give a talk. Dance a jig.
Okay, maybe the last action won't do much for your book, but it will help you
get into action. So, perhaps start by dancing a jig. Then do three to five
things every day to market your book. Be consistent. Don't take a day off. If
you make three contacts a day, real living breathing contacts, you'll make
more than a 1,000 contacts in a year. If you sell your books to those
contacts, if your pitch is right and strong, you will get noticed. You will sell books.
The mistake most authors and publishers make is that they spend two to six
weeks marketing a book and then wait to see what happens. Well, I can tell you
what will happen. Not much. Not if you don't continue taking action every day.
Do it today. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
A reader comments:
“Sometimes a gentle reminder is all we need. I recently set aside a portion
of 2 days to make only 10 phone calls each day. Out of the 20 calls, I
actually was able to talk with 12 of the individuals directly. The results? 1
prime-position, low-rent booth space at an event that I really need to be at;
1 new author for my company; 2 new clients for book production services; 1
joint venture for an upcoming convention; 1 speaking engagement at a men's
conference; and 1 meeting scheduled with a very influential pastor.”
Marvin D. Cloud, author of Get Off the Pot: How to Stop Procrastinating and
Write Your Personal Bestseller in 90 Days
Promoting Your Book: Just Do It
I don't have much to say today, but I do know that one of the most
important things about marketing books is very simple. You have to act. You
can't sit on your butt and expect people to come to you. You have to create
the word of mouth by doing publicity, giving talks, creating links on the
Internet, creating relationships everywhere, and more. Then, and only then,
will people come to you to buy your book.
Just do it! A great slogan for a shoe company. Practical advice for any book author or publisher.
Do it today.
Back of the Room Sales / Postcard Printers
Questions: In regards to back of the
room sales, if there are 100 people at a lecture, what percent of the people
do you figure I should have books ready to buy... and then what do I leave
behind for them to order when I run out?
Do you have the name of a company that makes post cards reasonably?
Answers: How many books you will sell
depends completely on how good a speaker and promoter you are. There simply
aren't any average numbers. Plan on bringing one case. If you run out, promise
the other people free shipping if they place the order with you right then.
Leave a catalog or sale sheet for those not ready to order then.
For postcard printers, go to Color Printers. — John Kremer
The Christian Book Market
Question: I continue to notice there is
not much information being posted or resources being provided for authors who
write Christian literature. It seems to be an isolated area of publishing—sort
of in it's own world.
Even in book clubs, there is not much of a genre for Christian literature
and people don't respond to emails and other related subject matter. Seems
they overlook these authors and focus on novels, short stories, and fiction
more. Doesn't seem fair.
Do you know of any resourceful outlets and/or handy marketing tips or
information for authors of Christian books?
John's Answer: There are several
Christian book clubs. You can find a listing of some of them at
http://www.bookmarket.com/bookclubs.html.
There is the Christian Booksellers
Association out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. As you might know if you
get my Book Marketing Tip of the Week via email that I often list religious
specialty booksellers in my listings of bookstores.
There are many religious magazines. You can find them in any media
directory.
And, of course, churches are also a great market for religious titles.
Target those churches that your book supports in some way. Most churches have
bookstores, even if opened only on Sundays after services.
Some of the biggest bestsellers of the past few years have been Christian
titles: The Prayer of Jabez (more than 8 million sold), The Purpose Driven Life
(21 million copies sold!), the Left
Behind series (gazillions sold), and Joel Osteen's Your Best Life Now
(2.5 million copies sold thus far). The world is wide open for good
books for Christians.
QVC Home Shopping Network
This just in from Trisha Gallagher... More good news...
I just wanted to add that I advertised in
Radio/TV Interview Report from Bradley Communications about my
angel project. An unlikely by-product was that a man called who was a
representative for QVC Home Shopping Network.
I appeared as a guest host twice and was paid for it. They even gave me
a day and half of media training (one full day at the QVC studio, and a
mini-session in a local Friendly's restaurant), complete with hair and make-up
for the two appearances. Although the product I was demonstrating was not a
sell-out, I learned so much. I was not even demonstrating my own product but
since my product was about angels, they had me involved twice with their
inspirational shows, regarding another person's angel product.
It was less expensive to have me do it since I lived within a day's
drive of doing the segment, and it would have cost a lot more to accommodate
the two ladies who invented the angel product. They were from California and Alaska!
Novels: How to Market the Suckers
Question: Bowker did a book review of
my novel. This review is now recorded in their Books In Print. But, except for
libraries, no sales traction. Yet. Where do I go from here? Any thoughts? Your charges?
John's Answer: You need to get reviewed
in the legitimate fiction review places such as the New York Times, Kirkus
Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, as well as in cultural
magazines such as Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, People, Time, Newsweek,
etc. If your novel is literary, also submit your book for review with the
major literary journals. If your novel is genre fiction (romance, SF,
mystery), then submit it to the appropriate review media for that genre.
Plus you have to do some touring of bookstores. People need to hear you
reading from your work. They have to be able to sample it safely. Your reading
to them offers them that chance. And, once they've met you, they are far more likely to buy your novel.
You might also want to try out my Kremer 100 program for novels.
That's my short free answer. For a longer answer, my fee is $500 per hour.
Prorated by the minute. It's a lot, but I'm worth far more.
Book Marketing Success Story:
The Frugal Momma Gives Away Angels
Trisha Gallagher of
http://www.teamofangelshelpme.com has parlayed the hook of being a
Doubleday and Scholastic author into a topic that is timely. The war in Iraq,
the troubles in Indonesia and Sudan, and the search for world peace and inner
peace has the media interested in talking to her.
"I decided I needed a gimmick so I dubbed myself The Frugal Momma since one
of my books is titled Raising Happy Kids on a Budget. The media is
often intrigued by my new name (Frugal Momma). Attention is growing daily as I
turn my inexpensive bookmarks into an opportunity for name recognition and
promotion for paid speaking engagements. The simple web page was done by a
14-year-old friend of my son's who only charged fifty dollars. So for all of
those authors on a shoestring budget, please visit my one page web site. My
motto is now KEEP IT SIMPLE."
New York Times
Bestseller List!
“Just thought I'd share my good news. Managed to market my newest book,
The Thyroid Diet, for maximum publication release impact, and it spent the
month before publication in the Amazon top 100, and publication week in the
top ten, with 2 days at #5, generating 3 printings in the first week of
publication, and landing me a space on the NY Times Bestseller list!
Shows the power of author marketing, as the HarperCollins marketing, radio
tour, etc. haven't even started yet!!” — Mary Shomon; Web:
http://www.thyroid-info.com
I asked Mary for a few more details on what she did before publication
date. Here is her brief answer:
- Massive distribution list for my thyroid & diet newsletters.
- High ranking for my website in search engines.
- Sending out notification on publication day, sending folks to Amazon.com
for purchase.
- Providing info to Amazon.com myself -- description, blurbs, etc.
Generally it all generates visibility/momentum, and since Amazon.com
reports to NYT, it helps with ranking.
Book Marketing Success Story:
Giving Books Away — One Half at a Time
Canadian author Ernie Zelinsky self-published three books, including The
Joy of Not Working, The Lazy Person's Guide to Success, and The Joy of
Thinking Big. After selling thousands of copies, he sold the rights to Ten
Speed Press. The Joy of Not Working has sold 175,000 copies, been
published in 16 languages, and made over $500,000 in pretax income.
Ernie now works two to four hours a day. He doesn't like to work at all in
any month that doesn't have an “r” in it. Due to his success, he is giving
away half of his latest book How to retire Happy, Wild, and Free as an
e-book (only the top half). Here's why he is doing it:
“This promotion is a variation of a creative approach I used with my
first book over 15 years ago. I actually cut the book in half and sent out
either the top or bottom half to corporations with a letter saying that if
they wanted to read the whole book, they had to buy a minimum of 10 copies.
This resulted in about an extra $15,000 in revenues.”
This e-book version of Ernie's How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free
is available as a free download on the Wall Street Executive Library Website
at http://www.executivelibrary.com.