Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Don't Wait to Start Your Marketing Strategy

by: Jo Fulkerson

Your novel is finished, you’ve had it edited by a professional Editor, and you’ve done the rewrites. What? You haven’t had an editor edit your work yet? This is a must. There are many editors advertising in Writer’s Digest. I have used one in whom I have the utmost confidence – William Greenleaf. His website is http://www.williamgreenleaf.com email wgreenleaf@email.com Another editing service I have contacted is A-1 Editing Services – http://www.a1editing.com I have not used their services as yet, but they did do a 5-page critique and edit for me at no charge so that I could get an idea of their work. I am seriously considering them for my next novel.

Once you have had it edited and done the rewrites, you’re ready to send it off to the publisher (or get it set up as an ebook), and . . . And then what? How are you going to promote and market your newest creation? Any Ideas? Let me strongly recommend a service which I used and with which I have been extremely satisfied. Publishersandagents@aol.com is an email query service headed by Gini Scott. She works up a solid query letter for you, emails it to film producers (for scripts) and agents, as well as book publishers (editors) and book agents. You will be amazed at the response you will get from her emails (they come directly to you from the contacts). This is by far better and easier than looking up the contacts yourself and contacting them each individually. Let me give you a word of warning: Be sure and have your response materials ready. Your script treatment, your manuscript, your bio, your synopsis – all of the materials that these contacts are likely to ask you to send should be prepared, corrected, and in your files ready to send when you begin receiving inquiries.

If you decide to self-publish your work, search all of the information you need to be able to decide where to have the work published. POD publishers, such as


    * iUniverse – http://www.iuniverse.com –

    * Infinity Publishing – http://www.infinitypublishing.com or email: info@infinitypublishing.com –

    * 1st Books – http://www.1stbooks.com

    * Trafford Publishing – http://www.trafford.com

    * Book Locker – http://www.booklocker.com


All of these are sources I have contacted and find their information worth considering. (For “Sing Me No Sad Songs” I chose Trafford Publishing.)

Whether you find a regular publisher or self-publish your novel, or offer it as an ebook, you’re in for a big shock if you believe you won’t have to promote and market your book yourself. You will have to do the work yourself. And if you thought that getting your book finished and polished was a giant task, you’re going to find out that the work you put into writing your novel was a walk in the park if you don’t get your ducks all in a row to begin your marketing strategy.

Among the various marketing strategies I uncovered and recently began using (I told you that I didn’t plan ahead for my book promotion) are these:


    * Book Crazy Radio has interviews with authors via internet radio every Tuesday. http://www.bookcrazy.net for information

    * Brian Jud has two book marketing services which are well worth considering. I am using one of these right now.) He also has an ezine for writers with many promotion tips. Contact BrianJud@aol.com for details.

    * BooksAndAuthors@aol.com has some good book promotion ideas and services.


Other places to find great promotion information are these newsletters:


    * authorgmooney@getresponse.com

    * http://www.writersweekly.com

    * http://www.bookcoaching.com email: Judy@bookcoaching.com

    * http://www.digital-e.biz.com email: birgitt@digital-e.biz.

    * Book Promotion Newsletter – contact franalive@optonline.net

    * http://www:oncewritten.com


Use your search engine to locate other ezines for writers – they are an invaluable source of publicity by using your articles with your signature at the end to direct people to your book.

Don’t wait! At least by the time you send your manuscript to the publisher or get it ready for an ebook, you should be checking ezines for information about marketing. You should gather all the information you can find relating to marketing – look up websites, contact them all and find out what kind of marketing tools are available to you and which ones you want to pursue.

Keep file folders, with all the information you gather, and find some way to keep track of what each file folder contains. Then categorize your folders by subject – Marketing Information, Info on Publishing, Ezines for Promoting, Comments – Reviews – Press Releases, etc. You need to be able to find just what you’re looking for without going through folder after folder looking for it.

The important thing to remember – Don’t wait until you are ready to begin marketing your book to begin collecting information. Be ready to start marketing as soon as your book is finished and ready to be marketed.

In the case of articles, you should write several articles, polish each one to perfection, and then contact or send them to appropriate ezines and newsletters. Send your articles out every week or two and keep sending them out as long as you develop new lists of ezines to submit to. Keep writing new articles which help others to learn from your experiences and put your signature at the end of each article. Your name, a published article or book, website, etc. should be at the end of EVERY article you submit.

Copyright 2004 Jo Fulkerson

Jo Fulkerson is a published author, songwriter, poet.


Author of "Sing Me No Sad Songs" Available at http://www.desertmesa.net


"Secrets of a Publisher Author" available at http://www.writersline.net

I think I was born with a pen in my hand - I have been writing poetry, stories, etc., since grade school. Born in Illinois, now living in New Mexico. Married (just before graduating high school) 49 1/2 years. Published first novel at age 69.

Courting Premium Sales

by: Penny C. Sansevieri
Have you ever dreamed of selling your book to a large corporation? A sale that would register several thousand copies of non-returnable product on the book sale meter? What's that? You've never thought of it you say? Well, never fear! It's not too late to pursue this avenue, especially if you have a book ripe for a particular market.

Before you embark on this project, it's important to understand the possibilities out there. Start being aware of incentive items you might see and understand how they are used. Many are offered as consumer gifts or incentives while others are used as training tools or morale boosters for employees.

Some examples of premium sales might be:

Books offered at yearly company sales meetings
Books offered to consumers at a discount (consumers are usually asked to send in product UPC's to qualify for these specials)
Books offered to new customers at financial institutions
Books offered to new home buyers
Books offered to new magazine subscribers

To determine the market segment you want to go after, study your book first for obvious clues. If you've mentioned or recommended companies or products in your book, those will be the first tier you'll want to go after. Next, think about the message of your book and how it aligns with particular companies within that industry. Company web sites and ads will offer great clues when trying to match a company or organization up with your book.

If you're going after the magazine subscriber bonus segment, you'll have a bit more flexibility. Generally, if the book fits the reader demographic and aligns itself with the message of the magazine, it will be considered. For example, you might offer a home organization book to Good Housekeeping or a fitness book to Self or Redbook. Before you approach these magazines, read them for about three months so you get a good sense of what they're about and who their audience is.

If you're going after a particular market and are trying to locate companies within that industry, try doing a Boolean search in Google. Your search should look like this: "your industry and companies." Another resource is http://www.thomasregister.com. This site will link you to companies nationally and internationally within your industry.

Next, don't overlook companies in your own backyard. Think about industries, companies and organizations in your area that might work well for your book and begin going after them. Many times, local companies will welcome the opportunity to support hometown authors.

Once you've put your list together, you'll want to contact them and pitch them the idea. Or, in some cases, our company will send them the book and proposal before we even make phone contact. Sometimes the companies you've targeted will be on the lookout for incentive items, other times this will be a new (and exciting) area for them. If you're going after employee incentives, it's interesting to note (and mention in your sales letter) that employee incentives increase individual performance by 27% and team performance by %45 percent.

Be open and creative with your pursuit of premium sales! Many times, companies will want to put their logo on the cover or include an extra page in the book with a letter from the President or CEO. Check with your printer or publisher on whether this is possible for you and what the additional costs will be before you start pursuing the premium sales arena.

So, how long does this process take? We've seen premium sales turn around in a week, while others take a year or more to complete. Oh, and the most important part... how many books can you plan to sell? Anywhere from one thousand to several thousand depending on the deal and the company. We've even got a deal in the works for a half a million copies of one book. Discounts and negotiations vary. Often, we'll negotiate volume discounts of 50% to 70% on bulk orders. Again, make sure you've got these figures ready when you pick up the phone to make your pitch.

With the right book, premium sales are not only a great way to gain exposure of your book. But in the end, they make great "cents."

Penny C. Sansevieri
The Cliffhanger was published in June of 2000. After a strategic marketing campaign it quickly climbed the ranks at Amazon.com to the #1 best selling book in San Diego. Her most recent book: No More Rejections. Get Published Today! was released in July of 2002 to rave reviews. Penny is a book marketing and media relations specialist. She also coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and marketing plans and instructs a variety of coursing on publishing and promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at www.booksbypen.com. To subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@booksbypen.com
Copyright  2004 Penny C. Sansevieri

Cookbook Publishing - The Basic Ingredients and the Secrets

by: Denise Hamilton
You are about to embark on the most exciting enterprise of your life -- publishing a cook book! You will soon learn that writing a cook book is truly a fun, exciting and challenging project – more than you can imagine. Like me, you can publish your own wildly successful cook book. And if you ask me if I think publishing a cook book is worth the time and effort? You bet I do!

My cook book, Fit to Cook – Why ‘Waist’ Time in the Kitchen? sold over 250,000 copies (with, I might add, less than 10% of those sales coming from book stores). However, I wasted a great deal of time, back-tracking and scrambling in order to sell all those books because in the beginning I did not have a complete grasp of the publishing industry and the process of marketing a cook book.

Before you rack your brain figuring out how to write a cook book, and more importantly, how to publish a cook book, take some time to thoroughly research the why and what you are writing about, who you are writing for and when is the best time to launch your book.

Whether you want to get published or whether you want to self publish your cook book, the same basics apply – you need a good understanding of the publishing industry. Without the basics, will you know if your contracts are in order, that your book is the best it can be and that your cook book marketing plan is actually an effective strategy? No – but, knowledge is power. It is crucial that you take enough time to educate yourself about the entire publishing industry.

Understanding publishing, and the marketing of books, will clearly help you to identify why you are writing a cook book. Perhaps you are writing a cook book just to record secret family recipes or to have all of your own favorite recipes in a book format; maybe you are writing a cook book for a community or church fundraiser; or best of all, your goal is to create a bestseller. Cook books that are written for a very small group do not require business and marketing plans because you already know how many books will be purchased and who the buyers are. However, if you are planning to publish your own cook book for the mass markets, you need to understand that you have moved beyond author to publisher. That means that you are now a business person whose primary goal is the creation of a product to sell. There is no point in printing a book that no one will want to buy.

When I began writing my own cook book, I naively thought that it would be a two or three month process, and that in no time I would have a book on every book store shelf in the country. Ha, ha, ha, chuckle chuckle… Experience is a great educator, but who says that you have to learn the hard way? Obviously I had no idea how to publish a cook book in the beginning! However, through this article and via the publishing course that I and my partners have created, I intend to help you avoid losing time and money.

How did I create such a successful cook book? The short answer is research, research, research, and then more research. Thankfully I had the wisdom to do the research before going to print. But research can, and did, take years. Primarily for that reason, I created a self publishing course, Recipe for Success (Click Here for more information) as the most valuable publishing research shortcut in existence.
 
In my experience, after I learned how to write a cook book I had to learn all about cook book publishing:

copyright

trademarks

ISBN numbers

cataloging in publication data

printing terms like cover stock, bindings, signatures and bluelines

learning how to obtain printing quotes, (crucial in knowing how many books you can afford to print)

barcodes

graphic design (makes the difference between great sales and no sales)

editing (cannot, and I mean cannot, be done by yourself, friends or family)

titles and subtitles (they can make or break a book)

title search (avoid duplicating someone else’s title)

distribution

Next, I had to learn about how to start a business:

business plan
incorporation
toll free numbers
corporate logos and identity
websites
shipping arrangements
accounting principles

Most importantly I had to become wise about marketing:

writing a plan

researching competition

understanding target markets

going through the difficult but crucial process of choosing a book title

discovering the importance of a book’s cover – both the front cover and the back cover – and how to design the cover

looking outside book stores for buyers

learning the importance of publicity

discovering the essential need for a stellar media kit and how to create one

approaching the media and the importance of a good publicist

I learned, and I will share with you, a key point to consider when you are discovering how to write a cook book. Before you even begin to write your cook book, you must identify your target market. Who will actually buy your cook book? It is amazing that so many authors think that “everyone” will want their book, but that is not so. Not “everyone” is a target for anything! – not even the Bible.

Know who will actually buy your book. Interviewing the owners of cook book stores and specialty cooking stores can help you to identify cook book trends so that you know what people are actually buying. It is also a good idea to think of corporations and organizations that might benefit by using your book as a promotional item. Approach them even before you go to print, offering them special discounts, opportunities to place their information in a special printing of the book, advertising chances to offer your cook book as a “freebie” with the purchase of their product – just to name a few cook book marketing ideas.

If your cook book is targeted to busy families, the recipes must be easy to prepare in a short time period; if it is targeted to gourmet cooks, the recipes must be of the quality that you would expect to find in a four or five star restaurant; if it is targeted to a specific ethnic group, the recipes must be authentic; but if it is targeted to the mass market, your cook book must have a very wide scope with recipes that make any mouth water, and the ingredients must be readily available in grocery stores.

Once you have identified who will buy your book, you can target your marketing plan and your book design with your customers in mind, such as:

· Where do they shop?
· Where do they play?
· What style of book appeals to them? - (research your competition closely).
· What price are they willing to pay?
· How many pictures do they want in a cook book? (a lack of photos can kill book sales)
· What colors attract them? (spend time in book stores and libraries, learning which books have the most appealing appearance)
· What size of book is currently popular?
· What type of book binding increases sales?
· Are they concerned about health or other issues?
· Do they appreciate little stories, jokes, cooking tips or other information in the book?

Sometimes I took two steps forward then had to take one step back, but at other times I took one step forward and two back. Don’t waste time the way that I did – use my experiences to your advantage (in Recipe for Success I have included many resources and templates to help you. Once you have a grasp of the basics, you can actually begin to put your cook book publishing and marketing plans into action. 

Of course, a cook book has special challenges that other books may not have. Your primary goal is to give people unique, delicious recipes that they can create successfully in their own homes. That means that you have to measure exactly and your instructions must be clear and simple. You will have to test each recipe over and over until it turns out perfectly every time, then you will have to enlist other people to prepare those recipes independently of you. No matter what their comments, you must take the critiques of your testers seriously because if they do not achieve great results the chances are very good that your customers will be unhappy with their “flops”. Finally, it is a good idea to have the recipes tested by a professional home economist or other food expert.

Depending on the focus of your cook book, you might want to include nutrition information such as calories and fat content. Fortunately, there is now computer software that will do the calculations for you. You must also provide an index at the back of the book, and thankfully, software is available for this chore also.

Food photography is a special challenge of its own, requiring many tricks to make good look appealing. A good food photographer is a vital part of your cook book publishing team. Great attention must be paid to every minute detail, down to the grains of pepper in a dish and to the bubbles on top of a cup of coffee. Each photograph can require four hours of shooting time, if not more, so plan adequate time for the photo shoot. 

The services of a food stylist are very helpful, but with research you can do a great deal of the food styling yourself. Find as many books as you can on the subject and practice in advance of the photo shoot. I learned simple tricks like:

sticking sandpaper to the plate to prevent food from slipping

using whipped icing or shaving cream
in place of ice cream or whipped cream

placing a shot glass under a very thickly cut slice of lemon to prevent the lemon from absorbing the liquid underneath

using beef bouillon in place of “coffee”

using dish detergent to create bubbles in the “coffee”

using a blow torch to make meat appear cooked

and the list goes on…

Food styling is such fun, but it requires a great deal of time, even in advance of the photo shoot. You will need all of your “props” in place, such as dishes, cutlery, flowers, table linens, food items and backgrounds. Many companies will happily lend these items to you in exchange for a credit in the book – this can appear on the Cataloging in Publication data page at the beginning of your book.

When your book is ready to go to print, it is time to put your cook book marketing and publicity campaign into gear:

· Decide on the best time of year to launch your book. September is usually the best month for Christmas sales, but you also face steep competition. Try to think of a time that is appropriate for your book, such as January for a healthy eating book, late Spring for a barbecue book, Valentine’s Day for a romantic book, Heart and Stroke month for a heart-healthy book, etc.
· Produce galley copies.
· Send galleys to appropriate book clubs (look at their websites to learn their submission requirements).
· Research appropriate catalogs and send galleys to them.
· Have your publicist approach magazines that review cook books (magazines have long lead times).
· Stay in contact with any corporations and organizations that might use your book for promotions.
· Find a reputable distributor to have your book accepted by the book store trade, as well as other retailers.
· Contact non-book store book sellers.
When your book is ready to roll off the press, get your publicity campaign into high gear. You can have the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it. The easy part is over – publicity and marketing now become your life. This part is the most fun, as you now reap the rewards of all of your efforts. Your goal now is to turn your cook book title into a household word. Go for it -- publish your own cook book!

© Copyright 2004 Ink Tree Ltd.
http://www.inktreemarketing.com/PublishaCookbook.htm

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Denise Hamilton self published her own cookbook and has sold over 250,000 copies to date. She is now sharing her secrets with other authors.

Books, Trend-spotting & the Gubernatorial Race

by: Penny C. Sansevieri
Ok I admit it. I'm a Californian. We live in shorts, we dine at juice bars and our politics are nothing short of, well, a Hollywood movie. If you've been shaking your head wondering how someone with a narrow political background could be elected to a state boasting on of the 10th largest economy in the world, join the club. That, my fellow savvy book promoters, is a campaign we could all learn from.

Schwarzenegger is a guy who, while being well-known in the movie world, is far less well-known in politics. During campaigning, he carefully avoided addressing issues Californians wanted to hear about. Nor did he ever stand on any one particular political platform. So, how did he win? He found a need and filled it. With recent indicators showing Californians leaving the Golden State at alarming numbers, we desperately needed a boost.

Schwarzenegger's media team saw a need and filled it with an action hero who vowed to "terminate" traditional politics. Whether you believe Arnold will be a good governor or not, you have to admit he ran one heck of an amazing campaign.

While most of us can't afford the pro team Arnold could, we can still effect changes in our book promotion campaigns that will turn the tide in our favor. It's called trend-spotting. Many people make their living trend-spotting, and you can do the same thing with a few clicks on the web. Take a look at http://buzz.yahoo.com/ or http://50.lycos.com/. You want to anticipate a need and fill it.

To stay ahead of the trends, our team at Authors Services spends considerable time brainstorming recent issues and how they'll affect various areas of our everyday life. These emerging trends are what we focus on as we prepare or launch a campaign.

If you're planning to write a book or preparing to work on your book promotion, take some time to study trends in your area of expertise. How will these trends look twelve or twenty-four months from now? How will that affect book sales down the road? For example:

Escapism: the new vacation. Many of us no longer have time for two week vacations. Instead, we're opting for one day outings and novels to give us that quick "out" when we need it. Does your book provide a mini-vacation for readers?

What do a down-sized engineer named Dilbert and a slightly built Keebler-elf sort of character by the name of Clay Aiken have in common? They're both chart-toppers. Many have called this the revenge of the nerds. How will this affect your next book?

Trend spotter Faith Popcorn recently said that time is becoming more valuable than money. People would rather spend money to have more time. The effect? More home delivered goods, and more consumer conveniences. How can your book address this trend?

And finally... We're hearing more about "Politainers" these days: entertainers turned politicians. Are they serious politicians or figureheads? How will this affect the future of politics? Planning a political novel? George Clooney for President!

If your topic doesn't have a trendy angle, create one. Figure out which part of the trend you can grab onto and do that. Again, find a need and fill it. Keep your subject matter, book or PR campaign topical, trendy, and hip. That's what we did with this story. After all, who would have thought book promotion and a governor's race would have had anything in common?

Happy trend-spotting!

Penny C. Sansevieri
The Cliffhanger was published in June of 2000. After a strategic marketing campaign it quickly climbed the ranks at Amazon.com to the #1 best selling book in San Diego. Her most recent book: No More Rejections. Get Published Today! was released in July of 2002 to rave reviews. Penny is a book marketing and media relations specialist. She also coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and marketing plans and instructs a variety of coursing on publishing and promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at www.booksbypen.com. To subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@booksbypen.com
Copyright  2004 Penny C. Sansevieri

Book Marketing 101 for Self Published Authors

by: Ray Robinson - Dog Ear Publishing

Self Publishing Book Marketing 101

No matter what any POD publisher or marketing company tells you (even the traditional publishing houses) you, the author, are almost 100% the reason your book will sell.

It is your belief, excitement, enthusiasm, and energy that will get a reader excited about buying your book.

Publishers are certainly a vehicle by which you can communicate your passion to the rest of the world, but, for ANYTHING to happen you'll need to know a few things about yourself and your book - and be able to communicate them very clearly.

1 - What is your definition of success for your book?

Some authors write for themselves and their families only – they don’t dream of their books as bestsellers in the marketplace. Some authors write for a very specific personal need to tell their story. Some have unique insight into very specific topics. Many have dreams of seeing their book in the front of Borders or Barnes & Noble. Each author is different, but you MUST decide what your real definition of success happens to be. Don’t try to pursue a goal that may not be what you actually feel is important.

2 - Who will buy your book?

This is the big secret to sales success in self publishing. Target your marketing to your potential reader – and have it be someone who is reachable.

“Everyone will want to read my book!” Sorry, but that doesn’t work. Even the absolute best selling books – that sell 2 or 3 million copies in a year - only penetrate to a very small percent of the population. Sales success for your book will be driven by defining a very clear picture  of who is interested in what you have to say.

And - they must be identifiable: Make a list! Which groups would be interested in your book? Why? Who is next? Why should the need or want your book? (remember this – someone is more likely to buy something they NEED before something they WANT)

Now – narrow it down even more. Years ago books on computers were all the rage – the market was saturated at the “beginner” level, and it seemed impossible to get anymore books into consumers hands. Then a company came along with the bright idea that they would write a computer book for beginners – but beginners who felt intimidated by their computers – and the now ubiquitous and quite famous “For Dummies” series was born – at the time the books hit, there were nearly 3 dozen titles out for beginners. Yet this one scooped up nearly a 70% market share overnight. The rest were left to fight for the scraps. Find a unique angle about your book – and don’t try and be everything to everyone, because you can’t – instead target 100% of a specific part!

3 - Where will you sell your book?

Start Worldwide (world wide web that is) and then get local: Where are your customers? Probably scattered around the country. Use the power of print on demand and just in time fulfillment to deliver books all across the nation without having to print hundreds at a time. Where does your customer hang out online? What magazines and papers do they read? What stores do they frequent – that AREN’T bookstores? What associations, clubs, or affiliations do they join? What conventions to they go to? How can you reach them? Promote your books where you find your potential buyers.

4 - How will you promote your book?

The least expensive and most effective ways to promote books are with book reviews, news releases, search engine registration, and some form of highly targeted direct advertising – such as email campaigns, news releases, and pay-for-performance click through advertising. Longer term promotions include author signings, TV and Radio spots, and tradeshows – these are also the most difficult, time consuming, and expensive to secure.

Do NOT neglect the power of you the author – many publishers promotional packages include materials that can help turn you into a promotional machine. Business cards, posters, bookmarks – all are available to support your marketing efforts.

Follow these steps on creating a plan for your book, and you'll find it much easier to create an effective and efficient marketing program for your book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ray Robinson is a partner in Dog Ear Publishing (http://www.dogearpublishing.net) a self publishing company specializing in delivering "high touch" services to the author community. His company provides a full range of services to authors, from editorial to page layout to marketing and fulfillment.

Book Marketing 101

by: Jeremy M. Hoover

Francine Silverman. Book Marketing from A-Z (InfinityPublishing.com, 2005). Trade paperback. 400 pages. $18.95 US.

For beginning authors, book promotion is the key to success. Whether an author self-publishes or is published by a major house, most often that author needs to market her book herself if she wants there to be any chance at all of it being successful. Large publishing houses are too concerned with promoting the next blockbuster to focus even on mid-list titles, and smaller publishing houses usually don’t have the resources to commit to marketing their titles. Even worse off are those who self-publish, because when they receive their books, they are on their own. Any marketing that happens, happens because of their efforts, and their efforts alone.

What is a new author to do? He can sit back and hope that his book sells somehow, or he can put money into a marketing plan and hope that plan is successful. But without a marketing background, that money can be wasted quickly. As a result, many authors don’t market out of fear of loss and uncertainty, and sell far fewer books than they should.

Into this void comes a wonderful book – Book Marketing from A-Z by Francine Silverman. The sub-title explains it all: “More than 300 authors share the peaks and pitfalls in promoting their books.”

Silverman hasn’t so much written this book as she has edited it. She is the successful author of two books, as well as the owner of a very influential book promotion newsletter (http://bookpromotionnewsletter.com). Over a couple years of publishing her newsletter, she has collected marketing success stories from many authors, and, combined with her own expertise, has put it all together into an excellent resource.

This book contains everything a new (or even experienced) author needs to begin marketing. Authors might be surprised to learn that there are many free things they can do to market their books! For example, I was surprised at how many authors related that something as simple as handing out bookmarks or pens stamped with their website and book name resulted in much publicity and many sales.

The book is comprehensive—arranged alphabetically, Silverman covers such topics as the importance of good reviews, what to do (or not do) at book signings, how to brand yourself, how to tie-in with holidays or movies, how speaking engagements can help a career blossom, and how to send out press kits. There are two huge sections on using Internet technology (web sites, ezines, e-groups, etc.) and newsletters to build a following. In my view, these two sections are the most informative sections of the book.

Silverman has produced a timely, comprehensive, and very helpful book that new and expert authors will return to time and again as they build their writing careers.

About The Author

Jeremy Hoover is a proofreader and book reviewer. He proofreads and reviews religion books, poetry, and most fiction. Contact him at jeremyhoover@gmail.com or Hoover Reviews (http://hooverreviews.blogspot.com) for proofreading rates or to request a review.

Are You Ready When the Media Calls?

by: Penny C. Sansevieri
Are you prepared for the media to call you? If you're not, you should be. Pitching is great, but if you're not ready when the call finally comes in, it is really just a wasted effort. Most authors go about their routine of sending press releases, e-mailing pitches or mailing books, but they're unprepared for the caller that says, "Yes, I'd like to interview you for a story I'm doing." Most likely the interviewer is calling several people; being prepared will give you a leg up on the competition.

As thorough as you're being in your pitch to them, you'll need to be equally thorough when they call you. The first step is to keep a file close at hand with a list of places you've pitched and the angle you've given them. Most reporters won't take the time to reconfirm the slant you took or the ideas you offered; having this handy will give the impression of someone who is on top of their media campaign. Taking the time to dig or reconstruct this information is unprofessional and will reflect badly on you.

Next, have all your tip sheets handy. If you didn't submit tips to the media in your pitch (and even if you did), you'll want to offer these to the person interviewing you. It’s also important to keep up with current events that might add a new twist to your topic. When relevant to your industry, it's also a good idea to stay up to date with new research that might shed some additional light on your subject matter. Also, keep a list of other experts in your field to help the reporter or producer flesh out a story. If you do your homework, they won't need to call anyone else, but in case they do, have this information handy, especially if they can offer a different perspective than yours. Remember, it's the media’s job to offer all sides of the story. Keep in mind that this is not just about getting them the information they need, but also ingratiating yourself to the media and becoming their No. 1 contact for this particular topic. Be generous. The more you can help them do their job, the better an interview will go, and the chances are very likely you'll get called on again.

Be courteous of their time and be aware of their deadlines. If they need to see a copy of your book and they're local, offer to drop it off. If they aren't local, do whatever you can to get the book to them on time, even if this means incurring overnight mailing fees. The more you can help them enhance their segment or print piece, the more time or "ink" you might get. Also, if there are pictures or digital files related to your subject matter, make sure you have them handy and can e-mail them with a few clicks of a mouse. It's tedious and time-consuming to have to scan these first (or have them scanned) before they are in a format that can be quickly transferred from interviewee to the reporter.




I tested these ideas a couple of years ago when the San Diego Union Tribune contacted me to ask me one question about my topic. Because I had everything ready and was able to update them on new developments, this one question turned into a front-page story. When it comes to the media, be a Boy Scout: Be prepared, or be prepared to give up a story to someone who is.


About the author:
Penny C. Sansevieri
The Cliffhanger was published in June of 2000. After a strategic marketing campaign it quickly climbed the ranks at Amazon.com to the ##1 best selling book in San Diego. Her most recent book: From Book to Bestseller was released in 2005 to rave reviews and is being called the “roadmap to publishing success.” Penny is a book marketing and media relations specialist. She also coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and marketing plans and instructs a variety of coursing on publishing and promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at www.amarketingexpert.comTo subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@booksbypen.com

Copyright ã 2005 Penny C. Sansevieri

A Profitable Idea for Writers

by: Mary Anne Hahn
To say that I read a lot is perhaps one of the greatest
understatements of all time. I read chronically, obsessively.
Articles, books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters--you name it.
Whenever I am alone, if I'm not actually writing something, I make
certain I have something to read with me. I carry a large purse
precisely for this purpose; my partner, John, calls the one I hoist
on my shoulder these days "carryon luggage," which should give you
some idea of its size :-).

Although I have a great love for novels, most of my recent reading
involves topics that inform and/or inspire. Of special interest to
me is anything that can show me new ways (or new slants on old ways)
for writers to make a comfortable living using their skills, things
that I can share with the readers of my ezine, WriteSuccess.

One area that continues to look especially promising and profitable
for writers is ebook writing and publishing.

For readers, the convenience of ebooks can't be beat; you can
purchase your book and be reading it moments later without getting up
from your PC or Mac.

For writers, benefits abound. Ebooks are relatively inexpensive and
easy to publish. You don't need to shop around for an agent.
There's no yearlong wait between having your manuscript accepted and
seeing it in print. And you can do some neat things with ebooks that
you can't with the traditional print variety--include your own clip
art and graphics, add hypertext links right in the pages of your book
that take you readers to related Web sites, and other fun online
stuff.

You can't just slap an ebook together and expect to find an instant
road to riches, however. Finding and developing a book on a topic
that people care about, and will pay for, is key. You will also need
to decide whether to self-publish, or go through an ebook publisher.
And the success of your ebook lies in how willingly, and how well,
you market it.

Probably the most sought-after type of ebooks, and hence the most
profitable avenue you can pursue, are the ones that contain information.
These run the gamut as far as content, from how to develop a gorgeous
perennial garden to how to balance one's work and family life. If people
are passionate about the topic, and feel it will enhance their lives, they
will buy a book about it.

You say that this information is already readily available for free? You're
right, much of it is. But if you write engagingly and well, and if you can
save people hours of searching and sifting through useless information in
order to find what will help them, then you can sell your ebook. Do the
research for them, include the best links in your ebook, and you have
something of great value to offer.

Let's take a look at a real life example: Matthew Lesko. For those who
haven't heard of him, he has put together over 70 books on how individuals
and businesses can find free US government money, grants and cash loans
to finance nearly any venture you can imagine. His books sell like hotcakes,
and I daresay he lives comfortably because of that.

Could people have found this information on their own? Absolutely. But are
they willing to buy Mr. Lesko's books if it will save them hours and hours
of trial and error research? You bet they will.

If the idea of writing ebooks for fun and profit appeals to you, the absolute
best guide on the Web for how to create, publish and sell your own ebook
is "Make Your Knowledge Sell!" This ebook is so packed with information,
you'll be biting at the bit to start writing before you're even a quarter of
the
way through it. Even visiting the product's Web site alone will provide you
with ideas. You can check out "MYKS!" here:
http://myks.sitesell.com/writeangles.html

Another *excellent* resource on this topic is Neil Shearing's "Internet
Success Blueprint." Written for Internet marketers, it is a
superb step-by-step guide to developing and writing ebooks that we
non-marketing type writers could definitely learn from. From
selecting topics to choosing an electronic publishing format for your
books--plus guiding you through the ebook marketing process--this
one's about as complete as you'll find online. Plus, it's a fun
read. Read more about Neil's book here:
http://scamfreezone.com .cgi/176198

If you love to write and want to make your living from it, I
strongly believe that ebooks are a fantastic way to go.

Here's to your writing success!

-------------------------

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Anne Hahn is editor and publisher of WriteSuccess, the
free biweekly ezine of ideas, information and inspiration for
people who want to pursue SUCCESSFUL full-time writing careers.
To subscribe, mailto:writesuccess-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .

Monday, April 18, 2011

A Perfect Mothers Day Gift: Publish Your Mom's Story As An E

by: Wayne Perkins

The Perfect Mothers Day Gift: Publish Mom's Story As An E-book


Mothers have always have been giving their lives unselfishly for their families. In the past few decades many have had to juggle careers, familes and households. Mothers do not receive the income or accolades of major sports figures and nobody is writing about Mothers and their positive contributions.

With new technological advances over the years in e-book publishing, it is now possible to publish an e-book about your Mom and present it for the world to see.
It will cost you a little time but it won't cost you money. This gift is what your Mother really wants. What is an E-book?

An e-book is simply a digital file or collection of files that, when put together and published, tells a story.

Four major advantages of publishing this way are:

1. An e-book can be 5 pages long or 500 pages long. There is no longer a need to conform to requirements of book wholesalers and distributors.

2. The author can add sound, photographs and even video to the e-book.

3. An e-book is always a work in progress. The author can add, delete, and change the story in a matter of minutes. Your Mother's story can grow in size over the years.

4. E-books are easily distributed to relatives across the country and those living in other countries. Here are 5 simple steps to help you make this Mothers Day, her very best. 1. Create your e-book just like you would create any document. You do not need any special formatting.

2. Save your e-book as in Microsoft word as a doc. File...text file...and/or html file

3. Set up an account with Infopost.com. They will host your file and give you a free website page to include your description, reviews, pricing and any other information.
If you want to offer your Mother's story for free designate a "Price" of 0.00
Or you can set a price for it and earn some money. Infopost will take credit card payments for your sales if you wish nd give you an 80 percent royalty on each sale
Infopost.com is located at:

http://www.infopost.com

4. Follow the directions on listing your e-book, including the description, sample chapter (if you have a large e-book) and then up-load your e-book to Infopost.com. Make sure you include your author name and book title under "keywords" when prompted. Once you fill in the online forms that ask you for pricing and description information, you can post a similar book or hit the browse button on the Infopost page to find and upload your e-book file from your hard disk.

You will then be issued an URL or Internet address of your Mother's story description page.

5. Copy and paste the URL of your e-book description page to your e-mail signature and register the URL with all of you friends and relatives. You can even register you description with major search engines.

Search Engine Listings
------------------------------------

http://www.searchenginewatch.com

http://www.jimtools.com

http://www.urlsubmitter.com

E-book Marketing Necessities ------------------------------------------------

You will find 3 great e-book marketing tips at the following URL.

http://wwww.wayneperkins.net/ebooks/threetips.html

Learn how to "Write & Sell Your First E-books" with a free teleseminar at:

http://www.wayneperkins.net/ebooks/write.html

E-book Publishing Resources: --------------------------------------------------

E-book sellers to sign up with if you have no website.

http://www.booklocker.com

http://www.booksurge.com

http://www.infopost.com

http://www.wayneperkins.net/ebooks/excerpte.html

Congratulations! You are now an official E-book author. Your Mother will be proud!

END

Wayne Perkins is the best selling author of "A Cheap and Easy Guide to Self-publishing E-books and offers free teleseminars at: http://www.wayneperkins.net/ebooks/write.html mailto:wayne@wayneperkins.net

A Perfect Fathers Day Gift: Publish Dad's Story As An E-book

by: Wayne Perkins
From Normandy to Funafuti, from the warehouse to the
boardroom, fathers have been giving their lives unselfishly for their
families.


The movie Peal Harbor has just come out and helps remind us that our
Fathers are very special people. They will give their lives for their
loved ones.

With new technological advances over the years in e-book publishing,
it is
now possible to publish an e-book about your Dad, and present it for
the
world to see.

It will cost you a little time but it won't cost you any money. This
gift is
the perfect gift for honoring Dad.

What is an E-book?
--------------------------

An e-book is simply a digital file or collection of files that, when
put
together and published, tells a story or may teach you a lesson or a
skill.

Four major advantages of publishing this way are:

1. An e-book can be 5 pages long or 500 pages long. There is no
longer a
need to conform to requirements of book editors, wholesalers and
distributors. You are the boss!

2. The author can add sound, photographs and even video to the e-book.

3. An e-book is always a work in progress. The author can add,
delete, and change the story in a matter of minutes. Your Dad's story
can grow in
size over the years.

4. E-books are easily distributed to relatives across the country and
those
living in other countries.

What better way to give thanks and tribute to our Dad's than to tell
his story?

Every year you can add to the story and create a legacy for your
children and grandchildren. You can add stories daily if that is what
you wish!

Isn't this better than giving him a tie or barbecue mittens?

----------------------------------------------------------------------
------
How do I create an E--book? I am not a technical person!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------

Here are 5 simple steps to help you make this Dad's Day, her very
best.

1. Create your e-book just like you would create any document. You do
not need any special formatting.

2. Save your e-book in Microsoft word as a doc. File a text
file and/or html file. ( An ASCII text file is the printing that you
use in the body of your e-mail. People can read it on any computer
located around the world)

If you are using Microsoft Word, you would "save as" text or .txt.

3. Set up an account with Infopost.com. They will host your file and
give
you a free website page to include your description, reviews, pricing
and
any other information. You may also post this story to your own
website if you wish.

If you want to offer your Dad's story for free, designate a "Price"
of 0.00.

Or you may set a price for it and earn some money. Infopost will
accept
credit card payments for your sales and pay you an 80 percent
royalty on each sale!

Infopost.com is located at:

http://www.infopost.com

4. Look for a link on the top of the page that reads, "Post Info."
Follow the directions on listing your e-book, including the
description,
sample chapter (if you have a large e-book) and then follow the
simple directions to up-load your e-book to Infopost.com.

Make sure you include your author name and book title
under "keywords" when prompted. Once you fill in the online forms
that ask you for pricing and description information, you can post a
similar book or hit the browse button on the Infopost page to find
and upload your e-book file from your hard disk.

You will then be issued an URL or Internet address of your Dad's story
description page.

5. Copy and paste the URL of your e-book description page to your e-
mail
signature and send the URL to all of you friends and relatives. You
may even register you Infopost description page with major search
engines.

What about Using Search Engines to Blast My Dad's Story to the World?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------

You can accomplish this process for free by using the following
resources:

http://www.searchenginewatch.com

http://www.jimtools.com

http://www.urlsubmitter.com

Are There Other Ways To Promote My Dad's Story Without Using Search
Engines?

Yes, if you would like to market your Dad's story to the world you
will find all free e-book marketing resources at:

http://www.wayneperkins.net/ebooks hreetips.html

Summary:
----------------------------

Now is the time to give your Dad something he will cherish forever.
The process of writing the book will be therapeutic for you as well.

Congratulations! You are now an official E-book author and your Dad
will be honored on-line forever!

Your Dad will be proud.

Happy Father's Day.

About the Author

Wayne Perkins is the best selling author of "A Cheap and Easy Guide to
Self-publishing E-books" and offers consulting for e-book authors.
http://www.wayneperkins.net/offer/art.html
mailto:wayne@wayneperkins.net

A New Way to Publish

by: Penny C. Sansevieri
These days, there are several ways to get your book published. You can get an agent and go the traditional route, you can self-publish, or you can take advantage of a new form of publishing called "print-on-demand" or POD
.

What exactly is print-on-demand publishing? Think of it as self-publishing with a twist. It used to be, if you wanted to circumvent the traditional publishing houses, you had to tackle everything from printers to cover designers, ISBNs (International Standard Book Number) to distribution. Feeling dizzy yet? Sure, there were also self-publishing houses called vanity presses. They churned out about 6,000 titles per year and the author paid anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 to publish his or her book. Cost alone was usually enough to discourage anyone who had not spent a great deal of time in the industry. Options were pretty limited, until the Internet explosion occurred.

Enter the on-demand publisher. Now, for a minimal fee (usually from $159 to $1,500), you can see your book in print. Essentially, what you're doing is hiring a publisher to publish your book. They take care of the cover, the book interior, the ISBN, and the distribution. They are compensated for this by receiving a portion of the profits every time you sell a book. You are compensated through royalties and while these do vary, they typically fall somewhere in the 18-20 percent range per book. The great part about POD publishing is that the "on-demand" part enables them to print books as they are needed, meaning that someone (probably you) won't get stuck with a garage full of books you can't get rid of. If you only sell 100 books, that's what they'll print. There are no minimum orders, and your book will always stay in print.

To give you an idea of the scope of the on-demand publishing industry, consider this: the typical big New York publisher prints about eight hundred new titles a year. At last count, some of the print-on-demand publishers were doing five hundred a month. Early estimates indicate that POD publishers printed around half a million books in 2001. This year, there are indications that this industry will hit the $78 billion market. These indicators tell us that the POD industry is growing at a pace no one anticipated. Why? Because the traditional publishing field is narrowing. Only one percent of books published each year are by unpublished authors. Does this low number tell us that there are fewer new authors out there? Absolutely not. What it tells us is that publishing houses are cutting back, merging and no longer willing to take chances on untested material.






The challenge with this industry is that you can't get published unless you're published it's a cycle from which we all aspire to escape. Now, we can. If you publish your book through a POD press, you are no longer considered a first-time published author. That is, if you sell the book. You still have to market your book. But take heart. With shrinking publishing budgets, you have to market your own book, no matter who publishes you. The hefty marketing budgets that used to accompany new releases are dwindling quickly.

So, let's say you publish your book through a POD publisher and you market it. You market it so well that you begin to garner interest from bigger publishing houses. How many books you need to sell is anyone's guess. Traditionally, the range has been between 5,000 and 8,000. Recently, however, Kensington Books (an imprint of Citadel Press) formed an alliance with POD giant iUniverse (www.iuniverse.com) to consider any book that sold over five hundred copies. By "consider," they mean they will consider publishing it. At five hundred copies, this levels the playing field considerably. If you've written a good book and you market it effectively, you'll sell five hundred copies in the blink of an eye.

Publishers I've spoken to at some of the biggest houses in the industry (Time Warner, Simon & Schuster) readily admit they watch these books very carefully to see what's selling. By picking a book that is selling moderately well, the publisher knows two things: the book has found an audience, and the author knows how to market it.

Even if you don't get picked up traditionally, there's still hope. If you sell a reasonable amount of books and you still aspire to a bigger publishing house, you can include this first publishing experience in your query letter.

How do you find these on-demand publishers? A list of some I've worked with follows this article, but who you pick will depend entirely on you and the needs of your book. For some, it’s the turnaround time; for others, it’s whether or not they can print in hardcover. Generally, though, the final product should be your first consideration; distribution or shipping time should be second. Once you've narrowed your publishers down to two or three, a good idea would be to order a book from each of them. This will tell you two things. First, you'll get a sense for their ordering process and how quickly they ship the book to you, and second, you'll get a firsthand look at the quality of their books.







What about the selection process? Do these publishers accept anything that's sent to them? The answer is no. While the approval process is far less restrictive than traditional publishers and you don't need an agent, some POD publishers still have guidelines as to what they will and won't consider. These guidelines vary from publisher to publisher, so you'll need to check their individual sites or contracts for specifics. Also, some publishers will even read the manuscript to determine the quality; if they feel the work is so poor it's unmarketable, they will turn it down.

While you're in the selection process, download the publishing company's publishing contract and look it over carefully. You'll want to make sure a few things are in place before you sign on the dotted line. First off, be certain you're able to retain all the rights to your book (foreign, film, audio, hard cover, paperback, and ebook). This is extremely important. Never give or sell any of the rights away to a book you're publishing through the POD process. Second, determine how quickly you can cancel this agreement. Ideally, cancellation should be immediate. Cancellation clauses will benefit you if your book should get picked up by a traditional house or if you decide to switch publishing companies.

Your time to market, meaning the time it takes them to format your manuscript into a book and get it ready for sale, will vary. Generally, you should see a completed book within ninety days, or in some cases, even less. This turnaround is incredible when you consider it takes a traditional house about twelve to eighteen months to get a new title ready for sale.

As with anything, there are drawbacks to this form of publishing. One of the biggest issues with print-on-demand is that there is a no-return policy in place for these books. Returns are a crucial part of doing retail business in the U.S. In fact, a whopping 35 percent of merchandise purchased is returned. Still, authors are finding ways around this issue. Some place books in specialty shops because these stores have a lower return factor. Others sell books on-line. Some bookstores will even carry a non-returnable book if the demand exists.






Secondly, this form of printing is more expensive than the traditional trade paperback model. Generally, POD books will be priced higher. Their price is often determined by the page count. As print-on-demand machines become more efficient and the per-page printing costs decline, POD book prices will drop. Many have already decreased considerably from where they were a year ago.

Despite the obstacles, there are many success stories emerging from this industry and many more are finding their way to success everyday. Here are a few titles you might recognize that were (or are) POD books:
· "Legally Blond" (AuthorHouse.com)
· "The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club" (iUniverse) currently on the New York Times bestseller list
· "The Pearls of the Stone Man" (Xlibris.com) was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2002

With on-demand publishing, what was once a dream can now be a reality.
In an industry that is saturated with exceptional talent, the advent of these publishers has afforded authors an opportunity that might otherwise not be available to them. It is an opportunity millions are taking advantage of. For some, it's a way to finally see their book in print. For others it's a road to publishing success.
Print-On-Demand Publishers:
http://www.iuniverse.com/
http://www.infinitypublishing.com
http://www.traffordpublishing.com
http://www.xlibris.com



About the author:
Penny C. Sansevieri
The Cliffhanger was published in June of 2000. After a strategic marketing campaign it quickly climbed
the ranks at Amazon.com to the ##1 best selling book in San Diego. Her most recent book: No More Rejections. Get Published Today! was released in July of 2002 to rave reviews. Penny is a book marketing and media relations specialist. She also coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and marketing plans and instructs a variety of coursing on publishing and promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at www.amarketingexpert.comTo subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@booksbypen.com
Copyright ã 2004 Penny C. Sansevieri

19 Ways to Secure Non-Returnable Book Sales

by: Ink Tree Ltd.
Surprisingly, book stores are not always your greatest source of book sales. Most authors and publishers do want their books to be available in all of the book stores, and rightly so. You want your book to be there, too. You want your book to be a “household name” – a topic of conversation in coffee rooms and at dinner tables everywhere. Your publicity campaign is designed to create interest in your book, and to drive buyers to the book store market.


Unfortunately, those traditional book store sales aren’t always “sold”. The books might be returned over and over again. That’s the sad reality of the book retail industry.

Your book’s fame, however, can help you to acquire nonreturnable sales in the nontraditional market where a sale actually is a sale – where sales of 25,000 copies and more are not uncommon.
Here are 19 strategies that will help you acquire those sales:

1. Write your book for a very broad market – nonfiction works best.

2. Write a book that people will be happy to give as a gift.

3. Add as many photos and illustrations as you can afford.

4. Keep the topic light – avoid heavy social commentaries, controversial topics, scientific theories and other “heavy” subjects.

5. Have your book professionally designed.

6. Have your book professionally edited.

7. Give your book a catchy name – avoid boring titles such as How to Have a Happy, Fulfilling Life.

8. Make sure that the cover design is appealing, appears three dimensional and can compete with all of the major publishing houses. Hire a professional designer.

9. Sell the benefits of your book on the back cover. That is where you will sell buyers on the reasons why they just can’t live without your book.

10. Price the book competitively in your genre.

11. Make your book look like it is good value for the price – it’s all about perceived value in the minds of the buyers.

12. Don’t write for yourself – write for the end buyer. Fulfill a need for them or make them feel better.

13. Think of the corporate market when you are writing. Make a list of corporations that can benefit from your book, and then contact them.

14. Submit your book to the book clubs at least six months before you publish.

15. Find an agent who sells to the gift market.

16. Find an agent who sells foreign rights.

17. Find an agent who sells to the display market.

18. Don’t be afraid to offer large discounts on nonreturnable sales.

19. Seek licensing agreements – they are a great source of income for no work on your part.

A professionally designed book opens many doors while an amateurish appearance closes many doors. It is vitally important that you invest in your book at the beginning to create sales in the long term. Plan for publicity and marketing before you print your books – printing is not the final expense in your marketing plan. It is the beginning. You can have the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it.

Create a book that buyers just can’t resist.

© Copyright 2004 Ink Tree Ltd.
Ink Tree Ltd. helps authors publish, market and sell books. We have all the tools you need to succeed in book publishing. Let us help you make your book a success. http://www.inktreemarketing.com


About the Author

Ink Tree is a book marketing firm that aims to help writers publish, market, and sell books. Learn everything you need to guide you from Idea to Book... to Success - the fast, easy, simple way. www.inktreemarketing.com

8 Advantages of Publishing Your Own Book as an Entrepreneur


by: Ink Tree Ltd.
8 Advantages of Publishing Your Own Book as an Entrepreneur



As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an expert in something, but does the rest of the world know? You have a wealth of information, experience and knowledge that you can package into a book that will benefit others. This truly is the information age and people want to know what you know.


1. A book will give you unbelievable credibility which increases the respect you will receive from customers and business associates. Wouldn’t you be more likely to purchase widgets from the business person who wrote the book on widgets? New customers are more likely to take advice from, or purchase the services/products from, an established author. Many consultants increase the levels of their business simply by writing a book on their area of expertise.


2. The typical business person might run into roadblocks when seeking media recognition and publicity for their product or service because the media tend to see this kind of exposure as advertising. However, books receive exposure in the form of reviews or features all the time. Books make great print stories and authors make great featured guests on radio and television shows. Sure beats pulling together an advertising budget.


3. Writing a book gives you instant expert status. If you wrote the book, you are now seen as the authority on that subject by others. And you are! You will have now proven that you know what you’re talking about. You will show, in writing, that you know your business area inside and out.


4. Most entrepreneurs love to hear that publishing a book can easily lead to increased fees. People will pay more to work with an established expert then someone who seems less established in a business. Your book has just given you instant added credentials. It would be nice to add “author of…” behind your name, wouldn’t it?


5. If you are not already a consultant, a book along with your proven expert status could bring you new consulting opportunities where you can bill for your time to educate, speak to and work with other companies and individuals helping them succeed through what you know.


6. If you have a service business or you are selling products already, a book will allow you to add a product to your existing business. Expanding your line is never a bad thing and will open up all kinds of doors in your marketing plan.


7. If you aren’t already on the internet (and you should be, but that’s another article), you can add online marketing to your marketing plan with your book. There are loads of places to sell your book online and having an information product to offer will give you a second stream of revenue with huge potential.


8. Expanding your marketing opportunities and focusing on opportunities for residual income is what you should be focusing on as an entrepreneur. Quit trading your hours for dollars and start working smarter.


Your own book will be a complement and a supplement to your current business. It will also mean an additional source of revenue added to your bottom line. I’d be willing to bet that you’ve thought of writing a book at some point in your career. Almost every single person has. Use your passion. Take your knowledge, package it and sell it. People are willing to pay for what you already know.


Copyright Ó 2003 Ink Tree Ltd.


Ink Tree Ltd. Helping writers publish, market and sell books! If there is a book inside you – profit from it. Learn everything you need to guide you from Idea to Book… to Success – the fast, easy, simple way. Publish your own book with one-on-one expert help from publishing professionals who have created numerous bestsellers and sold hundreds of thousands of books.

Phone: 1-866-500-8733 or 403-295-3898 Email: info@inktreemarketing.com

Web: www.moneyinpublishing.com or www.inktreemarketing.com




About the Author

Ink Tree Ltd. is a book marketing firm that helps writers publish, market and sell books. Learn everything you need to guide you from Idea to Book... to Success - the fast, easy, simple waywww.inktreemarketing.com

7 Vital Book Promotion Tips

by: Lea Toland
As a literary publicist I often am asked about publicity tips, tricks, and the magic behind my work. It's not magic. All you need to know are the basics and from there you will be able to create an effective book promotion. Below I've listed the most vital and basic tips to a successful book publicity campaign.

1. ALWAYS Take 'No' for an answer It can be frustrating when the media isn't interested in your book or story idea, but always thank them for their time and move on. If you try and persuade or argue with them you will leave a bad impression of yourself and your chances of working with this particular media in the future are slim. Try back in a couple months if it's a show or publication that you're particularly interested. The media changes with the seasons, and trends, so they may love your show or feature idea then, rather then now.

2. Don't Hound Your Publicist The more time you take up with your book publicist the less time they have to talk with the media. When you first begin your book publicity campaign ask your book publicist when an appropriate time would be to have a weekly chat, and see if they have a number to call in case of a publicity emergency. This will be well received by your book publicist and their efforts will be more successful!

3. Start NOW A book publicity campaign is the most successful within the first 6 months from your book's publication date (differs for traditionally published authors). This is because the media wants the latest products and they want to be the first to tell their audience about them. It's best to start publicizing your story to mainstream and industry media prior to your book's release and reach out to consumers once your book is available to order.

4. Don't Pitch Your Book Make sure that you're pitching a concept, show idea, or solution when you begin promoting your book. If you sound more like…. "Hello, I am an author who just published my women's interest novel....." rather then, "Hello, is this a good time for you? Great. I'm a relationship expert who has proven that love novels bring couples closer in bed…" The second pitch is more intriguing and will most likely get a few minutes from the person on the receiving end. Your goal with every pitch should be to get their attention, a few minutes of their time and booked or featured as a guest, depending on the type of media.

5. Create a Press Kit Before you begin promoting your book you should have a press kit ready to go. The essentials in most literary kits are a cover letter, press release, author bio, Q&A page, sample interview questions, and articles that make your topic relevant today. You're publisher should supply you with these materials and if you're self-published you'll most likely need to create these materials from scratch and on your own. This can be a daunting task to some, but the internet or library can be helpful when researching the proper formats of these products. Or, find a publicist to create a press kit for you!

6. Know Your Target Audience Who will buy your book? 'Everybody' is not the correct answer to this question, although it is a common answer. The more focused you can get with your efforts the better your results will be. If your book is more main stream rather then specialized, then try beginning with a smaller audience and broadening your focus after you've saturated this first audience. Just a tip: Authors should always start with their local media, then regional (surrounding areas and states), and finally saturate national media.

7. Have fun! Your enthusiasm, humor, and smile should shine through in every phone pitch, letter, and e-mail. If you're not excited about getting your work out there, then why should a producer or editor be excited to give you time on their program or space in their publication.

I truly believe that any author can publicize their own book if they have the drive, energy, and time to see it through from beginning to end. Publicity is the most vital within the first six months from its publication date, so authors should hit the ground running. If you need more guidance or would rather hire a professional to handle your book's publicity then start looking now. There are many publicity companies out there, but you need to find the one that's right for you and that is as excited about your book as you are.
About the Author

Please visit us for more information on our book promotion services: Book Promotion and Book Marketing Services

7 Steps to Successful Publishing

 by: Ink Tree Ltd.

The decision to publish a book is very exciting! It causes the creative juices to flow and the eyes to light up. But wait – before you begin the publishing process, know about the seven most important steps you need to know before publishing your book. Make sure that you take every step into careful consideration so that your road to success is an easy one:

1. Know why you are writing a book. Are you writing your memoirs for the family, are you writing a community cookbook, are you writing a book of regional interest or are you writing a national bestseller? All of these goals are valid, but each goal has different implications for your business plan. Know why you are writing and know that you can create that bestseller if that is your goal.

2. Treat publishing as a business. You are passing beyond the realm of author into the exciting world of publishing. You are not just a writer, you are about to become a publisher who wants to produce a profitable book, and you want to keep the profits for yourself.

3. Write a business plan. Being aware of the business aspect of publishing is not an end in itself – you need to formally write your plan. It does not need to be a fifty page document with every accounting possibility recorded, but it should outline all of the costs that you will encounter from obtaining the necessary funds to knowing the price of mailing a book. The business plan needs to account for future expenses as well as pre-publication expenses.

4. Plan for publicity and marketing. You must plan for the publicity and marketing of your book. You can have the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it. You don’t want to print books that sit in your garage. You want to print books that will sell, sell, sell!

5. Write about a subject that you know well. Don’t write about something that you can’t talk about without effort. Write about a subject with which you are very familiar and that excites you. Writing the book will establish you as an expert in your field, so choose the topic that causes everyone you know to come to you for advice. The publicity will then be so easy that you will love being the “star”.

6. Know who will buy your book. So many authors think that “everyone” needs and should buy their books. Not so. Perhaps “everyone” needs their books, but not “everyone” will want to buy. Research and know WHO will actually WANT your book and market, market to them. They will buy!

7. Look for non-bookstore markets and do not be afraid of the large discounts. Bookstores are a hugely important market for most authors, but they are far from being the only place to sell books. There are many non-traditional markets that buy books in large quantities with no returns. This is a great market – sales made are guaranteed sales not consignment sales. Do not be afraid of the larger discounts when you make those large volume sales. The books you sell are actually SOLD.

Think how much more pleasant a journey is if you know which fork in the road will lead you to smooth driving and which fork in the road will lead you through potholes. Knowing the most effective publishing steps before you print will make your publishing career fun and profitable.

Copyright © 2003 Ink Tree Ltd.


Ink Tree Ltd. Helping writers publish, market and sell books! If there is a book inside you – profit from it. Learn everything you need to guide you from Idea to Book… to Success – the fast, easy, simple way. Publish your own book with one-on-one expert help from publishing professionals who have created numerous bestsellers and sold hundreds of thousands of books.


Phone: 1-866-500-8733 or 403-295-3898 Email: info@inktreemarketing.com


Web: www.moneyinpublishing.com or www.inktreemarketing.com

Ink Tree Ltd. is a book marketing firm that helps writers publish, market and sell books. Learn everything you need to guide you from Idea to Book... to Success - the fast, easy, simple way.


www.moneyinpublishing.com or www.inktreemarketing.com


info@inktreemarketing.com


7 Secrets to Explode your eBook Sales! - Part 2

by: Bluedolphin Crow

Secret #2: Creating your Marketing Timeline for Success!


Aho!

You can increase your sales and free time by creating your own marketing timeline. Marketing timelines are essential for all Internet businesses. They provide not only organization but a truly well defined goal sheet as well.

To understand your timeline is to understand your business. Can you really know where you are going if you don't have a goal? I think not! Can you really tell how well you are doing if you are not logging your results? I think not again! Can you really tell what your profit margin is at this moment and will be next month at this time without tracking your sales, goals and future plans?

Well I think you know my answer by now.

There is tons of internet marketing "How To" infiramtion online. However have you noticed very few people teach you how to organize your information? Well, now you will know.

My marketing timelines include: goals present and future, Action plans for today and tomorrow as well as next month, and last but definitely not least you have a sales tracker as well.

Ok. Now take out a sheet of paper, and for computer lovers, open up your word processing program.

Let's begin with our goal sheet.

On top of the page in BIG letters type:


Goal Sheet - Short Term

Now grab another piece of paper, or another page, and on the top of that one in BIG letters type:


Goals - Long Term

Next page write in BIG letters:


Action Steps - Short term

And another page in BIG letters:


Action Steps - Long term

One last page in BIG letters write: SALES

Now you have the foundation you need to begin really understanding your ebusiness as it grows and matures.

Grab a file folder, or on the computer, make a file folder that says: "Marketing Timeline." This folder will hold all your files.

Page one: Short term Goals: Make 3 columns.


Column 1: Date


Column 2: Goal


Column 3: Date completed Goal

Page two: Goals - Long Term: Make 3 columns.


Column 1: Date


Column 2: Goal


Column 3: Date Completed Goal.

Page 3: Action Plans short term: Make 3 columns.


Column 1: Date.


Column 2: Action Steps.


Column 3: Date Completed Action Steps.

Page 4: Action Plans - Long term: Make 3 columns.


Column 1: Date.


Column 2: Action Steps.


Column 3: Date Completed Action Step.

Page 5: Sales tracking - Make 3 columns:


Column 1: date


Column 2: Sales


Column 3: Continuing Total.

I can hear a lot of you out there groaning, "there must be a way to automate this!" and yes there is! However, I want you to do it manually when you first start your ebusiness. I have found that this will not only show you how you are doing and where you are and what has to be done to get to where you want to go. It also helps to seat all the information in your unconscious brain. Walla! Automating the Brain!

Really, I am serious. By doing this manually you will learn a lot more in the beginning and not have to learn it as you go along. For those of you that can't wait to automate, I have included links to a lot of automated services and software in my eBook: "eBook Marketing Secrets Revealed."

Have a great week!

Blessings

Bluedolphin Crow

Copyright 2004 Bluedolphin Crow - All Rights Reserved.

Bluedolphin Crow Ph.D. is a Native American with 6 years internet Marketing Experience and 20 years Sales and Marketing experience. The above article is an excerpt from her upcoming eBook: eBook-Marketing-Secrets-Revealed! To reserve your FREE copy before publication (A $49 value) send a blank email to: mailto:freeebook_16@sendfree.com


"How to eBooks - Free eZine: mailto:how_to_ebooks@sendfree.com


http://www.lostdazedandconfused.com


bluedolphincrow@yahoo.com

5 Steps To Help Fail-Proof Your Growing Service Business

by: Debbie Jenkins
Business startup and failure rates are scary...

In The USA...

- Every Year Over 1 Million
People Start A Business

- By The End Of The First Year 40%
Of Them Will Be Out Of Business

- Within 5 Years More Than 80%
(800,000) Of These Businesses
Will Have Failed

(Source: The eMyth Revisited, Michal E Gerber,
US Department of Commerce)

In The UK...

- 2003 Saw 423,100 New Businesses
In England & Wales Startup

- Over Half of All New Firms
Fail In The First 3 Years

- At Least 211,550 Of These
Businesses Will Have Failed
Before The End Of 2006

(Source: Barclays SME Market Research Team
England & Wales Statistics Based On Business
Current Account Customers)

Unfortunately more and more people are being encouraged to
go it alone by government agencies and banks while being
given out-dated advice that doesn't actually work.

The advisors in these organisations typically have
experience in larger production / manufacturing /
financial businesses and share marketing advice
that really doesn't work for the majority of
small service-based businesses today.

Their text-book marketing principles simply do not
translate to businesses with limited money to invest
in advertising, direct mail and telesales.

In many cases these advisors are telling people how to
run a business even though they're actually working for
a bank or government agency themselves. They have no
real experience spending their own money to grow a business.

Survival and inevitable success means being lean, mean and
focused on getting a genuine result (in the form of profit)
from the time and money you invest.

So here are 5 tips you can use to take
the power back and begin "fail proofing"
your growing business today.

#1. Question "Experts" Thoroughly

Be wary of government funded trainers
and / or advisors put forward by banks.

These people, in many cases, don't
have a clue what its like to run and
grow their own business. Make it your
job to "suss them out" before taking
anything they tell you too seriously.

Some questions that I like...

What's your experience of starting
and running a small business?

Have you actually spent your own money
trying to make a business work?

What mistakes have you made? What
lessons can I learn from your experience?

Will this advice / support / idea
cost me money or make me money?

Who really benefits when I take the
course of action you're recommending?

#2. Model Excellent Businesses

Now by this I don't mean simply
copy random things they do.

Just because the boss of a successful
firm like yours drives a brand-new Bentley
it doesn't mean you should rush out and buy
one too. That won't guarantee success.

You're looking to find the things
that she did in order to afford the
Bentley in the first place.

So find out as much about their
processes and systems as you can and
then look for evidence to support applying
similar things that work for them to your
business.

Subscribe to their mailing list. Visit
their premises. Talk to their staff.
Talk to their customers. Read their
ads (or notice that they don't advertise).
Network with them.

You can learn just as much from non-competing
businesses too. So why not set up a
support / learning group or see if a successful
entrepreneur would be able to mentor you.

#3. Have A BIG Goal

Big goals, by definition, should be easier
to hit than small goals. So don't think small
- think big.

After nearly 8 years in business I still like
to set regular, big, 90 day goals. I call
these goals SHAGs - Short Hairy Audacious Goals.

Too many businesses focus on surviving. They
think in terms of what they don't want. They miss
the opportunity to really succeed and then get
what they were desperately trying to avoid
- failure!

Focusing on what you don't want really doesn't
work. If you don't want to fail you should
focus on succeeding in a big way.

#4. Improve Constantly

Have goals and set targets. Know what outcomes
you want and quantify them where possible.

Then work towards your goals using the
following cycle...

1. Implement (Do Something)
2. Measure (Test & Review)
3. Improve (Learn & Adjust)

As my friend and firewalk trainer Sanjay Shah
says, if you simply improve by 1 percent a day,
you'll have improved 300 percent
(allowing for holidays) in a year!

#5. Don't Follow The Crowd

Look, we both know most businesses
fail so don't do what most other
businesses do or you'll get the same results.

Don't just advertise because every other
business seems to advertise. Make sure
advertising will make you money.

Don't just do telesales because that happens
to be the service your local Chamber of Commerce
is selling.

Don't measure turnover when profit
and cashflow is usually more important.

Don't take on staff just because other
businesses believe more people equals
growth. More people often just means less
profit!

Don't do the same thing, in the same way,
to the same people as every other business
like yours.

Do something different!

About the Author

4 Out Of 5 Small Businesses Go Bust
Inside 5 Years! Finally - A Guaranteed
Way To Make Sure You're Not One Of Them...
http://www.leanmarketing.co.uk/toolbooks

5 Reasons Why You Can't Create Your Own eProducts

by: Dan B. Cauthron
What is there that prevents you from creating and marketing your own exclusive information eproducts?

Chances are, it could be one or more of the self-defeating reasons that we commonly hear from those who contact us seeking advice. Several of those reasons are addressed here. We intend to debunk the validity of each and every one.

Reason #1 - I Can't.

Can't isn't even a word! It's a contraction of the words can not. Those are the two most self-defeating words in the English language, or any other language that they may be translated to.
 
Think of it this way. In the first stages of all our lives, we really could NOT do much of anything. Mother or Dad, or someone else, had to do everything for us. But all of us, as we grew, LEARNED to DO things for ourselves.

Our human ability to learn is what sets us apart from the beasts of the field and forest. Take advantage of that
miraculous gift. After all, do you think that the world's most successful people were born knowing everything they know today? Of course not!

Reason #2 - I Don't Have a Good Idea For an eProduct.

As the Internet itself is in a constant state of flux and metamorphosis, so do new problems and new needs arise constantly. Therein lies a hotbed of potential for new solutions and new information to be disseminated.

Consider your own needs and problems as an Internet user. Believe it or not, there are untold numbers of other people worldwide who are experiencing the same situations. I behooves you to do some research, find solutions to your own problems, and then help others to fulfill those needs.

Now, think about what specialized knowledge you already have. Practically everyone has experience and insight that others will happily pay for. Natural human curiosity motivates us all to want to know what others know, and the range of topics is limitless. What you know IS worth money to many other people.

Reason #3 - I'm Not a Good Writer.

Have you ever written a letter to a friend? Do you communicate with others through email? Then you CAN write. Whether or not you think you are 'good' is not an issue here. After all, we're talking about creating an
information product, not winning a Pulitzer Prize.

Begin with an outline or framework of the major points you want to convey. Next, add sub-topics as needed to elaborate your point. Then, begin 'filling in the blanks' with the information and knowledge that you have on each point. Even the great novelist James A. Michener used this mechanical approach.

Even the best writers in any venue compose their works in rough draft. Editing, punctuation, and grammar correction comes later, and is typically relegated to someone else who has an eye for such work.

Final editing can be easily accomplished by contacting the English department of a local high school or college. You may also do an online search for the keywords 'editing services' or 'ghost writing' to get professional assistance.

Reason #4 - I Don't Know How To Compile The Product.

eBook compiler softwares are readily available for as little as $20 US, and since their advent a few years ago,
they have come a long way toward being user friendly. Besides, this is actually the most simple of all the steps
in generating your own eproduct. Using a good software like eBook Edit Pro, you can have a ready to market product in as little as 30 minutes.

If you prefer to seek professional help at this stage, do an online search for the keywords 'ebook compiling
services.' You will be presented with several options to investigate.

Reason #5 - I Don't Know Where or How To Sell The Product.

This is not a valid reason either. The Internet itself is an information driven medium. Most Internet users come
online seeking one thing only . . . information. Your job will be to present your product in the right places when those people come looking for the information.

Untold numbers of volumes are available on the Net that deal with the topic of ebook marketing. We're happy to offer, with our compliments, three concise guides that will help you on the way to successfully marketing your own eproducts. Send a blank email to our autoresponder for the download links.

mailto:selfpublish@listwarrior.com

So you see, there is actually nothing standing in the way of you creating and marketing your own eproducts, except your own fears, or your own failure to recognize your own natural abilities. Begin right now by saying 'I CAN.'

_________________________________________________
Dan B. Cauthron offers original marketing insights and a 7-Volume eMarketing Library to all new subscribers. Join his list by visiting http://www.Earn-Revenew.com or send your name and email address to Dan@Earn-Revenew.com with the words 'subscribe me' in the subject bar.
__________________________________________________
© Copyright 2002 - Serenity Marketing Group LLC

All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Thursday, April 14, 2011

5 Deadly Viral Ebook Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid The

by: John Hocking
Creating a viral ebook marketing campaign can be one of the easiest and most effective ways to promote your product or website.

Before you begin writing your viral ebook, you need to know the 5 most common mistakes that can cost you
time and potential income.

1) Never Link Directly to Content You Do Not Control

You should always use redirect links placed on your own server instead of direct links to affiliate programs.

You never know when the program you are promoting will change the way its affiliate links work or go out of
business. Using redirect links allows you to quickly replace the affiliate links with the new version or redirect to a similar product.

I can not stress enough how important this step is to you. Once you launch your viral ebook, you can not get it back to make changes to it. Using redirect links will prevent dead links and lost profit.

2) Avoid Using Dated Information By Providing Too Specific Details.

Do not talk about free trials or time specific discounts.

The affiliate program you are promoting my not always be offering the trials or discounts. You will anger your readers if they can not get the bargains you promised.

You should also avoid statements like "Just Released" or "Just Launched!". The program you are talking about may have been around for years but the time your reader gets your ebook.

3) Never Include Information You Do Not Want All Over The World.

Because of the viral nature of your ebook, it will eventually spread to every corner of the world.

If you include personal information like your home phone or your cell phone number, you may be unpleasantly
awakened at all hours of the night. The person in England or Japan, may not be aware you live in United  States.

It is best to provide only an email address or autoresponder for the initial contact.

4) Do Not Brand The Ebook Yourself

Putting yourself in the position of having to manually brand and send each copy of the ebook is a sure way to
turn your campaign into NIGHTMARE.

You may be thinking, "What's the BIG DEAL?"

Let imagine for a moment that your ebook starts out slowly and only 10 people request a branded version the first week. It takes you about 6 minutes per ebook to brand it and send it to the user. You have just given up an hour of your life.

Now those 10 people each give it away to 10 people that also request branded versions. You now have 100 new requests at 6 minutes each. Now were are talking 60 hours.

As you can see with each passing generation, you will quickly become unable or unwilling to fulfill requests.

The solution is to give your carriers the ability and instructions to rebrand the ebooks themselves. This will
take you out of the loop and allow your virus to grow exponentially unattended.

5) Do Not Forget To Launch A New Window For External Links

When linking to any information not found directly in your ebook, you should always open a new window. Many sales processes use javascript that could cause compatibly problems if viewed within your ebook.

It would be terrible if a viewer where ready to buy a product based on your reccomendation but was unable to because you failed to include this simple step.

Avoiding these 5 simple viral ebook marketing mistakes will greatly increase the profitability of your campaign while avoiding the pitfalls.

------------------------------------------------------------
John Hocking created http://www.guidetoebookmarketing.com "Your Source of Information on Creating and Marketing Ebooks" To learn how to create your own viral ebook visit John Hocking's Viral Ebook Resource http://www.viral-ebook.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Hocking created http://www.guidetoebookmarketing.com "Your Source of Information on Creating and Marketing Ebooks" To learn how to create your own viral ebook visit John Hocking's Viral Ebook Resource http://www.viral-ebook.com