Sorry for the buzz kill title of this article, but instead of spreading pixie dust as many marketing articles do, I thought I'd take a hard look at the realities of self-defeating behavior and some of the things authors might buy into that will sabotage their careers. Over the years I’ve written a lot of articles on how to be successful, but to be successful you must first … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Rock on Social Media and Still Have a Life
It's true: social media is here--and there goes your life! Well, maybe not entirely but it sure seems that way sometimes, doesn't it? If you've held off joining the social media party because you were worried about what a time suck it would be, take heart! There are a lot of authors who feel the same way. I speak at conferences all the time and at almost every event I get at … [Read more...]
10 Mistakes Authors Make that Can Cost a Fortune (and how to avoid them)
When it comes to books, promotion, and book production I know that it can sometimes feel like a minefield of choices. And while I can’t address each of these in minutia, there are a number of areas that are keenly tied to a books success (or lack thereof). Here are ten for you to consider: 1) Not understanding the importance of a book cover I always find it … [Read more...]
The Real Secret to Twitter
If you’ve ever been impressed by the number of followers someone has on Twitter, I have a newsflash for you: it doesn’t matter. The thing is, you can buy followers (no, I’m not kidding) sort of like buying mailing lists. How effective is buying followers? Well, let me ask you: How effective was the last mailing list you bought? Whatever your answer is I can guarantee you that … [Read more...]
12 Secrets to Selling More Books at Events
So you got a book event, great! Now you want to maximize it, right? You've heard your writing buddies (or perhaps read online) about the lack of attendance at signings so figuring out how to maximize the event, regardless of the numbers might be tricky. While I spend a lot of time addressing online marketing, the offline component is one you shouldn't overlook and if book … [Read more...]
Do Not Measure Your Success in Book Sales
Many of you might be shaking your head wondering how I could possibly say this, but it’s true. Book sales, even in the best of economic climates, are sketchy and planning your success or failure around them is a very bad way to market your book. Here’s the reality: exposure = awareness = sales. The more exposure you get, the more awareness there is for the book, the more sales … [Read more...]
7 Media Myths that will Kill Your Campaign
Myth #1: A good news release is all you need to get “ink” The days of the “one size fits all” news releases are gone. Now it’s all about customizing and knowing what the media target you’re pitching is looking for. Making one release isn’t a bad idea, but use it as a starting point, not the final message. Myth #2: Mention your book every chance you get The surest way … [Read more...]
How to Monetize “Free”
These days, everyone talks about free content. "Give it away!" they say, but does this really work? Well, yes and no. As with anything, there has to be a strategy. Last Saturday I was on my morning run through our neighborhood and I noticed a number of garage sale signs (that's tag sale for those of you back east). One of the signs had a sign beneath it that read: We have … [Read more...]
12 Ways to Create a Mailing List that Will Sell Books
We've all heard this: capture email addresses on your website so you can market to them again. So we do, we capture email addresses and then we wonder what to do with them. What if you don't really have news? Do you mail the list anyway? How can I monetize my list, and how much is too much? We've had The Book Marketing Expert Newsletter for over eight years now and the … [Read more...]
How to Double Your Book Sales on Your Website
Face it, times are tough! The economy blah, blah, blah. Tell me something new. The key is: Everyone loves a bargain, especially today. And, bargains drive sales. Here’s a great way you can explode your sales: Call a bargain what you want: a discount, coupon, sale, bonus package, gift with purchase, etc. The point is, people love it. Several weeks ago, we tried an … [Read more...]