Selling Books » Book Marketing

Published Once, Sold Forever After

Rick Frishman — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:00:33 +0000

Successfully articulating the publication of a big book is the test of good publishing, involving the ability to keep in one’s head not only the numbers and their daily fluctuation but the harmonious synchronizing of publicity, manufacturing, advertising, and sales—departments often run as independent fiefdoms.

—MICHAEL KORDA

As publishers shepherd books from writers to readers, they face the challenge of sustaining the enthusiasm of the editors who convinced the house to buy the books. Your book will be sold many times as it makes its way to your readers.

You are the first person to sell your book. First you sell yourself on the idea for it.
Then you pitch the idea to your professional networks for feedback.
Then, assuming you want an agent, you send your proposal or manuscript to prospective agents.
Your agent sells your book to a publisher.
To buy your book, editors must first sell it to others in the house whose support they need.
The editors use that support to sell your book at the house’s weekly editorial meetings. Depending on the makeup of the editorial board, your editor may need to convince the house’s publicity people, sales and marketing staff, and executive officers to take a chance on your book.
Your editor meets with the sales and marketing departments to decide on the size of the first printing and the marketing plan that will be presented at sales conferences and in the catalog.
Your editor presents your book to the publisher’s sales rep at a sales conference. This may be done via a Web conference to save the cost of bringing the reps and in-house staff together.
The sales reps return to their territories and use the publisher’s catalog to sell your book to independent booksellers. Special reps sell to the chains, the two largest wholesalers—Ingram and Baker & Taylor—and other large customers.
Pre-publication reviews in periodicals such as Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews sell your book to libraries.
The art director decides how best to create your book’s hardcover jacket or paperback cover to sell your book to bookstore browsers.
The production department creates or farms out the design of the interior of your book. The goal is to come up with the most effective design, paper stock, and typeface for selling your book.
The subsidiary rights department tries to sell the publisher’s subsidiary rights, such as book clubs, first- and second-serial rights, and film and foreign rights. If your agent has retained any of these rights for you, your agent, usually helped by co-agents, will try to sell them.
The publicity department decides how they will publicize your book to the media, which helps to sell your book to the public.
When your book is published, booksellers sell it to their customers. Where your books are stocked in bookstores and whether they’re shelved face-out or spine-out makes a big difference. Independent booksellers use shelf-talkers—handwritten notes taped to the shelf below the book—to push the staff’s favorite books.
For literary books, especially novels, the eagerness of independent booksellers to hand-sell books can make the difference between a failure and a best-seller. Competition from the chains and online booksellers is destroying this path to success by putting independents out of business, at the rate of three a week.
The first group of readers reads your book, and if they love it as passionately as you want them to, they sell everyone they know on reading it. Through the comments they write for online booksellers, your readers can also help sell your books online.

The ultimate challenge your book faces is arousing enough passion in your readers that their recommendations cause whoever hears them to buy your book, swelling the size of your unofficial but unstoppable word-of-mouth sales force.

Best-selling authors have an army of such readers. That’s why they’re best-selling authors. The most clever, heavily financed promotion campaign can’t make a book sell if it doesn’t provide the benefit—whether it’s information or entertainment—that book buyers expect.

If your books don’t require revisions, you only have to write them once. But because of the endless book chain between you and your readers, your books will continue to be sold.

Even after books go out of print, libraries continue to lend them, and used bookstores and online booksellers continue sell them. Print-on-demand publishing can continue to make books available around the world until a better technology comes along.

Reprinted from “Rick Frishman‘s Author101 Newsletter”
Subscribe at http://www.rickfrishman.com and receive Rick’s “Million Dollar Rolodex”

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Book Marketing Blog Carnival – July 14, 2010

Cathy B Stucker — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:00:47 +0000

Welcome to the July 14, 2010 edition of book marketing carnival.

Are you interested in guest posting on blogs? Connect with other bloggers to request guest posts or find guest posting opportunities with Blogger LinkUp. It’s free!

Marketing and Online Marketing

Don Harold presents Book Marketing Tips and Articles for Authors | Bookwhirl.com posted at Self-pulishing Resources.

Robert Smith presents 21 Ways to Get Publicity and Increase Sales posted at Selling Books.

Katie Sorene presents How seven travel eBooks generated 1000′s of tweets, 100′s of online articles and 10,000 eBook downloads in just two weeks | Travel Blog – Tripbase posted at Travel Blog – Tripbase, saying, “The case study of seven travel eBooks with some valuable lessons for marketing eBooks online. This was a not-for-profit project but the principles are still very much relevant to selling eBooks for profit.”

Sarah Bolme presents What is Your ROI? posted at Marketing Christian Books.

Phyllis Zimbler Miller presents Make It Easy For Book Clubs to Discuss Your Book posted at Selling Books.

Ryan_Taft presents Build Your Tribe Like Chad Ocho Cinco posted at Catalyst Marketers, saying, “Writing is about spreading ideas. Authors create content and then use publishers & distributors to help spread their content. Now, more than any other time in history, authors have access to cost-effective tools that can help them promote their own content. Chad Ocho Cinco of the Cincinnati Bengals uses online tools to connect with, and engage his followers. Authors can do the same. Check out the post to learn more.”

Other

Jennifer Silverman presents 86 Beautiful Book Covers posted at You the Designer, saying, “From the page: “Let’s be honest; as designers, we almost definitely will judge books by their covers. When they’re all we have to go on when we’re deciding what to buy at the bookstore, who can blame us – or any book shopper, for that matter?” Creative examples of book covers to encourage the book industry to be more creative with the packaging process.”

Reviews

Missy Frye presents Book Review: The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen posted at Incurable Disease of Writing, saying, “Centered around the real and mysterious landmark on the coast of North Carolina, The Mailbox is a rich blend of folklore, faith, and the beauty of second chances.”

Missy Frye presents Book Review: The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow posted at Incurable Disease of Writing, saying, “IDW contributor, Eliza Fayle, says, ‘If you were born around 1963, you will totally get every word in this book. For the rest of you, it is an incredible telling of the psychology of female friendships.’”

Incurable Disease of Writing presents Book Review: Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever by Judith Marshall posted at Incurable Disease of Writing, saying, “Sonny Solomon reviews Judith Marshall’s debut novel Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever.”

Writing and Publishing

Missy Frye presents Books: Writing In a New Convertible with the Top Down by Sheila Bender & Christi Killien posted at Incurable Disease of Writing, saying, “A book to inspire and guide authors. Available to read entirely for free on Libertary.”

Kathy Stinson presents Spring Gardens posted at Turning the Pages: Kathy Stinson’s Blog.

Eliza Fayle presents Turning a Someday into a Today posted at Silver and Grace.

Joel Friedlander presents What Does Distribution Really Mean for Self-Publishers? — The Book Designer posted at Joel Friedlander, saying, “A look at the distribution problem that self-publishers face”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of book marketing carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Self-Publishing Lessons

Laura Shumaker — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:00:52 +0000

Writing a book was the last thing that I thought I would ever do, until a thoughtless, throwaway comment from a friend changed me, and I felt the urgent need to write about it. “You must be relieved,” she said just after I had arrived home from dropping my teenage son, who has autism, at a special residential school many miles from our home in California.

But I wasn’t relieved. I felt heartbroken and lost and like a failure of a mother. Maybe, I thought, if I wrote just one story about what it was like to raise a son like Matthew it would help. In the year that followed, I joined a writing group, took writing classes and published a number of my stories. I crafted my stories into a book, A Regular Guy: Growing up with Autism, and after having it edited by my writing group and the legendary Alan Rinzler, I started pitching it to agents.

Isn’t it funny how new writers think that once they get an agent they will get a publisher?

That is what I thought when the highly-placed associate at a very prominent agency said she would like to represent me. I’d gotten carried away with marketing the book even before it was published and was signed up at a number of conferences where I assumed I would sell it.

The day that my agent said “I’m so sorry I have not been able to place your book,” I actually thought she was kidding. We’d had so many close calls, SURELY someone would eventually see the light. “What do people do,” I asked, “when an agent can’t place a book?”

She paused and said “I think you should self-publish.”

That was three years ago. My book has been out for nearly two years and I’ve sold about 6,000 copies. This is what I learned:

Writing, designing and printing the book is the easy part. Finding distributors and marketing the book is the hard part.

It sounds like a great idea just to sell your book for the full retail price (mine $14.95) on your website and at events, but people want to buy it on Amazon for $10 or less, or from bookstores or in e-book form. You must make it available to them.

Some independent bookstores will let you sell your book on consignment, but in my experience, the independents aren’t good at paying. And it is a pain driving around to restock or nag about payment.

Marketing is important, but it is expensive (especially when you spend on marketing that doesn’t work.)

I found that the best bang for my marketing buck was facebook ads, articles in national publications with a link to my book and guest blog posts on prominent website.

Biggest waste of my marketing buck?

Buying a library flyer from IBPA for distribution to 4000 libraries. I got very few sales from the flyers and it cost me a few thousand dollars to participate. What about publishers “picking up” your book? I was under the impression that after selling a few thousand copies (which happened quickly) that a publisher would pick it up. This has not happened—yet—but there is interest in my second and third book. I’m in the midst of writing book proposals. If I had to do it over again…I would have tried to sell foreign rights for my book. I was intimidated by the process, but would have learned how if I tried and I would have sold a lot more books. I guess it’s not too late…I would have gotten it into e-book form earlier. I would have made pod-casts to help market the book (am doing that now).

Biggest challenges?

Distribution. I think I would have sold a lot more books if it was available more places and if people knew about it.

Accounting. I’m not good at it.

Marketing. I am good at marketing, but it is something you need to be thinking about and doing every single day!!!

Did I make money?

Yes, but not as much as I thought I would.

Would I do it again?

I do not regret doing it the first time, but the NEXT time I’ll hold out for a publisher. I will still need to market it like crazy, but that’s OK!

Final words of wisdom?

I heard it once said that the difference between a writer and an author is that a writer just writes, but an author writes and promotes. Don’t just self-publish a book because “you want to get it out there.” It’s not just going to get out there by itself. Put on your marketing hat and shoot for the stars!

Laura Shumaker is the author of A Regular Guy: Growing Up With Autism, a memoir about raising her autistic son, Matthew, to young adulthood. She is a regular contributor to NPR Perspectives and writes a nationally recognized autism blog for the San Francisco Chronicle. A columnist for www.5minutesforspecialneeds.com, her essays have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, the Contra Costa Times, The Autism Advocate, on cnn.com, and in myriad anthologies including Voices of Autism, Cup of Comfort and Gravity Pulls You In. Laura has two more books in the pipeline, and speaks regularly to schools, book and disability groups and lives in Lafayette, California with her husband, Peter, and her three sons.

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Real Profits Come after the Sale

Rick Frishman — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:00:57 +0000

The difference between guerrilla marketers and unenlightened authors is that the latter think promotion is over when someone buys their book. The reality is that 68 percent of lost business is lost because of apathy after the sale.

A sale is either part of a never-ending circle of business and communication with a reader, or it is a straight line heading out of your life in the direction of Chapter 11. Guerrillas know that the sale of their books to new readers is only the end of the beginning. They understand the immense potential value of every reader, so their goal is to create customers for life. Guerrilla marketing is based on the belief that the customer is everything, the sale only chump change.

If readers like your first book, they may create an endless circle that they complete every time they buy something you offer.

What your readers buy after reading the first book is what will produce the greatest profits for you.

Excerpted from the book Guerrilla Marketing for Writers: 100 No-Cost, Low-Cost Weapons for Selling Your Work

By Rick Frishman
Reprinted from “Rick Frishman’s Author 101 Newsletter”
Subscribe at http://www.author101.com and receive Rick’s “Million Dollar Rolodex”

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Three Faces of the ALA Conference

LM Preston — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 15:00:11 +0000

I visited the American Library Conference (ALA) in Washington, DC as an author, with my publisher and as a guest. I wanted to give my perspective from all sides regarding how great of experience this is for an author and a small publisher. This conference had hundreds of vendors, publishers and librarians in attendance and it was extremely fun.

SMALL PUBLISHER PROSPECTIVE

My publisher was represented at this conference by its membership with IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) and several other publishing organizations. IBPA’s booth was large, well manned and maintained. It also had an area for authors to do signings and stack give away items from the publishers. My publisher worked the booth to get a feel for what is done at these conferences since my book will be displayed by IBPA and other collectives at several conferences.

Was it worth being there – yes! My publisher was able to make contacts, talk shop with some of the big name publishers. Even the wonderful, TOR, representative talked shop about advertising with him and gave some pointers. In addition, she also told me about their process of manuscript review and noted that they have ‘readers’ that review their manuscripts and that they review the manuscripts that come from agents first.

Also, he realized that giving away books worked much better than selling them. After talking with some of the librarians he found that they loved the free ARCs and couldn’t wait to review them for their orders for the next season.

AUTHOR’S PROSPECTIVE

I must say that I was in awe. So many publishers (not that I would cheat on mine) that I was able to meet. I saw what they were promoting and how they were promoting it and found that my publisher and I was doing pretty much the same amount of promotion for my books as they were. In fact, more in some cases. I also got to meet several other authors and found that book exchange is a great way to garner reviews and support.

After talking with other authors and some of the librarians I told my publisher to sign me up for a signing at our next big conference event. Definitely time well spent – oh and I wanted him to offer 100 books for free. Why? Because publisher’s that did that was able to collect the names/emails of interested librarians by swiping their cards as well as the librarian left with a free book with a smile. The author was smiling also because there is such a rush when you have a line of people waiting for your signature – even though they are doing it because the book is free.

GUEST PROSPECTIVE

I had a blast! I came home with over 60 free books. I purchased 10 reduced priced books. My kids lucked out and so did I. I got some awesome books that aren’t even out yet! Not to mention, I got star struck at the many authors that were signing my books. I will also be honest and say – I was really picky about the books I purchased. The books that were free, I just grabbed, got them signed if I could and stuffed them into my bag feeling as though I was a kid trick or treating at Halloween – magnificent!

LM Preston, author of The Pack and Explorer X – Alpha, www.lmpreston.com and http://lmpreston.blogspot.com

Image Credit: LegalAdmin | Used under CreativeCommons License

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21 Ways to Get Publicity and Increase Sales!

Robert Smith — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 21:00:01 +0000

Do you know what made Dr. Phil famous? It was his weekly appearances on Oprah.

Was he the world’s smartest psychologist? Is he the most handsome? I don’t think so.

So, why is Dr. Phil rich and famous…and not you?

It’s because of publicity.

Publicity is one of the most powerful forms of advertising.

Reporters are constantly on the lookout for products, companies, and individuals to write about.

If you’re not using publicity then you are missing out on sales and leaving a lot of money on the table.

Advertising mixed with publicity or PR (public relations) can increase sales in a short period of time.

The 2 Biggest Reasons PR Doesn’t Help Business Owners

Business owners aren’t familiar with it. Before I got into PR I owned a collection agency and I had never heard about public relations. And, I wasted lots of money on advertising that didn’t work. Let’s face it. Reporters can’t write about you if they don’t know you exist.
Your PR efforts aren’t consistent. Sending one press release every 3 or 4 months is not a campaign and doesn’t get results.

I’ve discovered 21 ways you can get publicity to promote your business, get new customers, boost sales, and have lots of fun.

Call the radio station when you hear ” We have open lines.” and talk about issues that your expertise solves.
Give an award. (Find influential people in your community or industry and give them an award.)
Get an editorial calendar from publications you’d like to be in and find out upcoming stories that fit your expertise.
Arrange round up articles with other experts in your industry.
Host your own radio show.
Write articles for newspapers and magazines.
Write Op/Ed columns for newspapers.
Write a letter to the editor.
Write a tip sheet. ( 21 Ways to…)
Write a guest column for newspapers.
Write a how-to article.
Write and send press releases to the media.
Start your own free local cable access TV show. (Contact local cable company)
Speak for local civic groups and announce in their newsletters.
Go where the cameras are. Read calendar of events section in your newspaper or call newsroom and ask what events are they covering.
Call photographers desk at local newspapers and volunteer your office or building for backdrop or special issue stories.
Write a pitch letter.
Set up referrals with other well-known experts. Refer reporters to each other.
Send reprints of articles to other media outlets and offer additional information.
Create your own special day. (Visit www.chases.com)
Call the media on slow news days (weekends and holidays) and suggest a story.

Robert Smith aka Mr. PR is a leading publicity expert and founder of www.championmediaworldwide.com

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Media Training Tips To Deliver A Knockout Interview

L. Drew Gerber — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:00:45 +0000

Giving a media interview is like going on a first date: It will lay the groundwork for your relationship with the journalist interviewing you and make you attractive for future interviews with other media.

You’ve caught their attention. Now you need to show them you can deliver a professional interview that meets their needs and exceeds their expectations. Do that, and you are on your way to a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship that will pay returns in publicity results for years to come.

The key is to be prepared. Business professionals who deal with the media regularly undergo extensive media training to learn what to say, how to say it and how to make the best impression in broadcast and print interviews.

Professional media trainers give their clients many practical tips to deliver a knockout interview, from posture and speaking recommendations that convey confidence and authority down to specifics on how to dress and groom for the interview. Those are all important. But just as important is remembering the key messages that shape you as a brand the public will remember.

Companies have long known the importance of making a name for their products and services to set themselves apart from their competition. Today’s rapidly shifting economy, combined with our increasingly Web-driven communications, make it essential for individuals to constantly assess, update and promote their personal brands. Your media interview offers the chance to do this and shine.

The easy way to define what makes your expertise special is to practice your “elevator pitch.” This is the one where you are on the elevator with Oprah, Larry King or Glenn Beck and have from the second floor to the 15^th floor to explain why your expertise should be featured on their show.

You would have to make your point in three sentences. What would you want Oprah, Larry or Glenn to know? You would need to get their attention before they exited the elevator. How would you do that? Through snappy sound bites and a perfect pitch, that’s how.

You can imagine, Oprah, Larry or Glenn would say, “Oh, great, I’m being pitched.” Your job is to be so interesting that they follow that thought with “Wait, you just said something that perked up my ears. Now, what did you say?” Then you’re in.

Before you have your first media interview, be clear on what defines you as an expert. Your interests, talents, skills, education, hobbies and perspectives are unique. Your personal brand is where your expertise and your passions meet. Know that first, and you will be able to connect with the media in your interview in a way that’s authoritative, compelling and leaves the media wanting more.

Giving a great media interview is also about promoting yourself in such a way that you do not appear to be promoting yourself. This is all about giving the media what they want, answering their questions and avoiding blatant self-promotion of your book, product or service.

As with the first date when you want to make a great impression, concentrate on what your interviewer needs and useful information you can give their audience. Remember, the interview is your best promotion. Take a backseat to the interview’s promotional power and enjoy the publicity results. Chances are they will identify you by your profession or company, perhaps including your Web address or contact information.

Now that we’ve covered the big principles to make your media interview amazing, let’s discuss some basic tips to assure you are on your game and everything goes smoothly:

1. Don’t let a bad connection ruin it. If the interview is going to be over the phone make sure you use a landline, not your cell. A dropped call or a bad connection can lead to confusion, wasted time, or worse, for you and the person interviewing you. It’s the same reason you don’t talk to your date with you mouth full. Good crisp connections are the key to achieving the publicity results you desire.

2. Dress to impress. If you’re doing television, give some thought into what you’ll be wearing. Ask yourself, “How will I look on set?” You want to stand out, not blend in. Solids are preferred. Bright colors are best. Avoid black and patterns (stripes, plaids, etc.) as they don’t play well with cameras. Wear great jewelry and great shoes (just in case that gets on screen). Also, bring an extra outfit just in case the anchor is wearing the same one, and do your makeup/hair (most studios will have a stylist on the scene, but you should be prepared just in case). An easy way to prepare your best look is to watch Headline News and just model yourself after the anchors you like. It’s even a good idea to dress professionally for a phone interview. You’re likely to be more confident in your professional attire than in your pajamas. Publicity success lies in a person’s confidence.

3. Help them to focus on your expertise. Send in a suggested list of questions for the interviewer to use. (Note: Do not try this before a first, second, or third date.) You’ll be able to answer these questions in a very succinct and clear manner, making great sound bites that can be pulled out and used in print articles, getting more publicity for you. It’s always a good idea to review your online press kit prior to the interview as well. Print media in particular will appreciate any background, supporting studies or research you can provide to back up your expertise.

The best free publicity tip is also the Scouts motto: Be prepared. Lack of preparation is a publicist’s nightmare — yours too. So dress up, know your sound bites ahead of time, and review your online press kit.

Being interviewed by the media is the best free publicity you can get. So do all you can to be the best interviewee (date) the journalist has ever had so that you will be the first person they call when they need a spokesperson in your area of expertise.

Remember, good publicity begets more good publicity. When you come across as a polished professional in your media interviews, journalists will take note and call you for many future dates.

About the Author:
L. Drew Gerber is CEO of www.PublicityResults.com and creator of www.PitchRate.com, a free media tool that connects journalists and the highest rated experts. Gerber’s business practices and staffing innovations have been revered by PR Week, Good Morning America and the Christian Science Monitor. His companies handle international PR campaigns and his staff develops online press kits for authors, speakers and companies with Online PressKit 24/7, a technology he developed (www.PressKit247.com). Contact L. Drew Gerber at: AskDrew@PublicityResults.com or call him at 828-749-3548.

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Lillian Brummet – Author Interview

Cathy B Stucker — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:00:11 +0000

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

That would be Purple Snowflake Marketing – and thanks for asking! I love this book – it is our personal marketing plan and I have used it for everything we write; each article, book or media event utilizes the contents in the e-book. It focuses on providing a step-by-step guide to creating an effective, frugal marketing plan for each product a writer produces. Not only that but the reader will learn how to make their marketing plan last for the life of that product – so if I have a book contract for 5 years with one publisher then I can expect to develop an outline for a marketing plan to last for those 5 years. What most publicists, publishers and agents like about this e-book is that it offers more than 900 useful resources in the 26 appendices. Other publicists tell me the event calendar in one of the appendices is worth the price of the book alone. Of course we love hearing this, but when we hear back from the individual author who tells us that we have given them the encouragement and tools they needed – well… there’s just no feeling like it.

Tell us something about yourself.

I have many passions – the environment, gardening, writing, spending time in nature, rescuing dogs and cats… I have a huge passion for literacy and the power of having access to written works. Today’s e-books, hand held reading devices, audio books and other formats are really leveling the playing field when it comes to location and economic status on this planet. Now anyone, everyone who can read has access to vast amounts of information.

For many years I worked on a volunteer basis as a book reviewer at several professional review sites. The experience was invaluable. I learned so much from just reading those books, learning from each author… but I was also challenged to improve and expand upon my skills as a writer – becoming more creative and finding new ways to write book review articles that are rich with information and really evaluate the book for the reader. It was a lot of fun and I hope, (she laughs), that some day I’ll have the time to take this on again.

Instead I offer writers of most genres another option – my radio show Authors Read, where they can come in to read an excerpt from their published work to our international audience.

Whenever I receive a book from friends/family (who are well aware that we are voracious readers) or through publicists/authors querying to be on one of the radio shows I host, those books are not sold or traded (although I see nothing wrong with that). What I do is donate them, used and new books by the hundreds every year for the last 8 years to: the Grand Forks and West Boundary Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy – the Women’s Resource Center – Whispers of Hope Org. – the Grand Forks Public Library – and the Community Futures Resource Center.

What inspired you to write this book?

Great question! Most people would think that our motive was to make a lot of money, but as I was trying to demonstrate above – we really believe in the power of literacy and want to encourage people to share their lives, their ideas, skills, experiences… through memoirs, poetry collections, short stories… whatever they are comfortable with. The comfort this brings to family members and loved ones that are left behind is incredible. They will learn about themselves as well as their family history. So you don’t have to be published to be a writer. Just write.

Now we were being asked via emails and on forums how we did virtually everything we did to get where we are. And often the questions would be repeated and repeated, over and over. So we decided that this book just had to be made available to the public. We did the research and a lot of people out there with similar products rich in content and found they were charging a lot of money – money we couldn’t afford, let alone a new author. With this in mind we worked hard to find a way to produce this book at an affordable price for writers everywhere.

How did you publish this book? Why did you decide on that method?

We knew most writers are online – or at least have computers, and would find the appendix section of use in this format since they could access the resources with just a click of a mouse.

Purple Snowflake Marketing is in e-book format, we have the opportunity to update it every year – or so – with new, useful information that we have learned since the last publication and new resources. And I just love the “green” aspect of electronic publishing.

How can writers help the industry become more environmentally conscious?

Oh, it is amazing what the individual can do. Simply look around for a publisher that donates to charity, supports an environmental fund, contributes to a pollution-offset program or tree-planting program. Other things to look for are how the products are produced: What kind of recycled content is present? What are the in-house recycling programs? How do they support their local community?

Just asking the publishers, printers, and others that a writer will encounter in their career what their policies are in this regard can have an amazing effect. It gets them thinking and talking about it, and that is where change starts.

And let us not forget that we as writers can utilize more eco-friendly options in the inks, cartridges, paper and energy use we consume in our office. We can have our promotional items printed on recycled content, using vegetable inks and so on.

Today’s consumer is very conscious and they will vote with their dollar for the things they believe in. So if you have some positive environmental or social aspect to your work, share it! By sharing it publicly we entice our peers and contacts to do the same… so it is kind of like a ripple in the pond effect – and each one of us can play a vital role in greening this planet with daily actions like this.

What do you believe is the hardest part of writing?

The self-discipline. It takes an incredible amount of energy, time and commitment to write – some pieces of course will come flowing out the end of a pen or keyboard at a surprisingly rapid pace, but most of the time the work is grueling and slow. We learn to develop patience, consideration and find numerous ways to overcome obstacles in the way. We learn to manage the people around us – just because we have a home office does not mean we can become the family servant, or a handy place to visit at their convenience. It can be hard to set those boundaries for others

We have to develop set writing hours, strict marketing and query efforts must be scheduled in every single day – and yet we must be flexible to be able to handle the immense changes this industry has, and will, face.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Whatever stage you are at in the writing world, research it very well. Find out about the person you are dealing with, visit all their sites, glean information from the previous people they’ve worked with, and understand their guidelines and needs. When you have this information, you can feel confident that your initial contact will provide them with everything they need, entice them by showing you understand their audience, their advertisers and the focus of that publication/publisher. Try to above and beyond in being considerate of others and thank everyone – even those that don’t appreciate your work, those who seemed grouchy in their letter to you and those that rejected your query. Thank them for taking the time to even consider your work, at the very least. It is amazing how few of the writers out there actually do that one simple, yet incredibly effective task. And finally I must say that writers need to promote events – if they are interviewed somewhere, are given a link at a site or anything at all… promote it like crazy!

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

Website: www.brummet.ca
Main Blog: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com

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Book Marketing Blog Carnival – June 23, 2010

Cathy Stucker — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:00:40 +0000

Welcome to the June 23, 2010 edition of the book marketing blog carnival.

Marketing and Online Marketing

Joel Friedlander presents 36 Great Blogs for Self-Publishers — A Clickable List — The Book Designer posted at Joel Friedlander, saying, “A useful compilation for anyone interested in self-publishing.”

Don Harold presents Timeless Insights for Your Self-publishing Career | BookWhirl.com posted at Self-pulishing Resources.

Dan Janal presents How to Bond With Your Readers With Blogs and Newsletters posted at Selling Books.

Martin presents How Using a Laptop Cover can be part of your Portfolio posted at Free Personalized T Shirts, saying, “Advertise your company on your laptop so that others will see your logo and slogan when you are doing business around time.”

Derek Pryde presents The Autoresponder Code : What is Tim Bekker’s The Autoresponder Code ? | The Autoresponder Code – A Code – Aweber Code – Email Marketing Course posted at The Autoresponder Code ? A Code ? Aweber Code ? Email Marketing Course.

Traci Hayner Vanover presents Five Dollar Fortunes: Successfully Selling on Fiverr.com posted at Entrepreneur & Self-Employed Business Journal, saying, “Harness the Power of Fiverr.com to Generate Leads, Drive Traffic and Create an Additional Revenue Stream for Your Business”

Other

jdou presents Book censorship today?! posted at A Revolution in Fiction, saying, “Article about a scholarly book of feminist criticism that was censored by a French publisher in June 2010. Vote NO to censorship by clicking on the petition.”

Reviews

GrrlScientist presents Lift posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “LIFT is an appropriately named book by Rebecca K. O’Connor. It is about a falconer’s growing relationship with her first peregrine falcon, and also reveals the author’s battle to rise above her personal struggles and challenges. This book soars as a memoir, interweaving the author’s life story with an engaging narrative of flying a falcon.”

GrrlScientist presents Natural Harvest: A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “a unique cookbook describing cooking like you’ve never seen it before! (Yes, this is a “serious” book, i think, and NO, i am not associated with it in any way, just spreading the word, especially for those who like to give weird gifts)”

Writing and Publishing

Sarah Bolme presents Print-on-Demand is In-Demand posted at Marketing Christian Books.

Amy Holman Edelman presents Independent Publishers Meet Independent Readers posted at Selling Books.

Kathy Stinson presents How’s the Novel Going? posted at Turning the Pages: Kathy Stinson’s Blog.

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Using Online Press Kits to Increase Book Sales

L. Drew Gerber — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:00:26 +0000

If you’re an author, media coverage is the best and most cost-effective way to increase your book’s sales. What media coverage does, that no ad can do, is build your credibility among your target audience. When they hear an interview with you on a local radio program, read a newspaper article where you’ve been used as an expert source or watch a television segment featuring you, your book and your expertise, the audience is engaged. And an engaged audience is who will purchase your book.

Most people skim right over ads in magazines or newspapers, not paying any attention to them. But interviews and stories — people read them because they want to; because they trust the source; and because they want to broaden their horizons. And that’s where you come in, but first you need to get media coverage.

Whether you’re dealing with Good Morning America, Dr. Phil, Oprah or your hometown TV station and newspaper, having an online press kit is the key to getting media coverage. Why? Because the media is, and always will be, busy!

From the smallest to the largest outlets, the media is hammered daily with experts, authors and business owners vying to be sources in their broadcasts, blogs and in the pages of their newspapers and magazines. Having an online press kit gives you an edge by making the media’s job easier. Journalists don’t want attachments; they want everything organized and at their fingertips. When you link to your online press kit you can easily — with a click of a button — show the media just how newsworthy you are, while making their job easier.

Here’s how an online press kit will make the media’s job easier and help you increase your book’s sales:

Organization— When journalists visit your online press kit, your “Home” page tells them why you are important and why they should be interested in you. Your “About” page provides three different biographies for three different media purposes. Your “News and Story Ideas” and “Questions to Ask” pages give them interesting angles they can cover on you and your book. An online press kit organizes everything the media may need to use you as an expert source and makes the media’s job easier.

Professional presence— You’re an expert and you have to present yourself as one in every way. Journalists don’t work with sources they think aren’t professional no matter what they have to offer. Do you wear flip-flops and cut-off shorts to an interview? Of course not. An online press kit shows the media that you’re the go-to person when they need information on a topic, whether it’s breaking news, product or academic reviews and analysis, or a source for human-interest features.

Story ideas— The media serves their audience, so you have to show them how you differ from the competition and how your story fits in with trending topics. Story ideas help the media see how you and your book fit into the latest trends, conversations and breaking news.

When you’re building relationships with the media you need to use everything at your disposal to give yourself an edge. With the advent of the Internet, it’s become much easier to put yourself and your ideas out there for the media and public to see. But if you want to shape your image in such a way that can boost exposure for you and your book, you have to position yourself as an expert with a unique perspective with something different to offer. An online press kit allows you to do this in a way that’s professional and easy for the media.

L. Drew Gerber is CEO of www.PublicityResults.com and creator of www.PitchRate.com, a free media tool that connects journalists and the highest rated experts. Gerber’s business practices and staffing innovations have been revered by PR Week, Good Morning America and the Christian Science Monitor. His companies handle international PR campaigns and his staff develops online press kits for authors, speakers and companies with Online PressKit 24/7, a technology he developed (www.PressKit247.com). Contact L. Drew Gerber at: AskDrew@PublicityResults.com or call him at 828-749-3548.

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