Meet John Kremer, editor, Bookmarket.com
Interview by Anne K. Edwards
Q. What is the history of Bookmarket.com? Is its focus expanding or do you see changes in it in the near future? What url would visitors use?
A. I started Bookmarket.com in 1995, but have been online since 1994. Its focus has always been to provide lots of useful information and resources for use by self-publishers, authors, and independent publishers in marketing their books. Plus, of course, to help sell my books. I do plan to redesign the website but the content will remain primarily the same. The URL continues to be http://www.bookmarket.com.
Of course, I have other websites of interested to authors as well such as http://www.selfpublishinghalloffame.com and http://www.book-marketing-bestsellers.com.
Q. What is the most popular sections of your sites? Do visitors often contact for other specific information? What would be the most common questions they ask?
A. I honestly don't know what the most popular sections are. I haven't been tracking them. But many search out the resource sections for publicists, book printers, cover designers, distributors, and POD providers.
Visitors often email me with questions not covered by the site. Generally, I try to answer them unless they are too general. Then I send them to my book. The most common question has to do with distributing books.
Q. Are you an author? If so, would you like to tell us something about your books? Do you have any projects under way at the moment you'd like to tell readers about? Where would your work be available?
A. I am an author. All my books are featured on my BookMarket.com website. The book I'm best known for is 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. The 6th edition came out in May of 2006.
All my books, reports, databases, etc. can be ordered via BookMarket.com. Some are also available on Amazon.com and in many bookstores.
I am now working on the Kremer 100 Program.
Q. What are the most common errors new writers of any genre make? Do you have any advice for them?
A. New writers don't read enough in their own genre. Because of that, they fail to meet the expectations of current readers within their genre. The most successful writers in any genre are fans first, writers second.
Q. How can a new author with a book coming out most effectively market that book? Since most agents prefer established authors and most of the larger publishers do not consider unagented authors, what is the best way to break into getting a book published?
A. The most effective way to market your books today is via the Internet. Even that, though, is a big subject. I devote more than 100 pages to the subject in the new edition of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books.
To get a book published, most authors, especially novelists, need an agent. The best way to get an agent is via referral. The second best way is to target agents who have worked with authors you admire within your genre. For a list of 1400+ literary agents with sample titles they've sold, including more than 300 agents who have sold a first novel in the past two years, see my special report on Literary, Foreign, and Subsidiary Rights Agents at http://www.bookmarket.com.
Q. What do you see as the future of POD books?
A. POD books will only become more plentiful. Indeed, all books may someday be produced that way -- when the economy of POD becomes better established. Meanwhile, POD is currently a wonderful tool for testing the market for a new book and for keeping older titles in print. In addition, POD is great for books that are updated frequently such as John Kremer's Self-Publishing Hall of Fame, which I continually add to.
Q. What do you see as the future of Internet publishers?
A. The future of Internet publishers is extremely rosy. More and more book sales are being made via the Internet. It is an exploding market, especially for smaller publishers, authors, and self-publishers.
Q. Do you see ebooks becoming more popular?
A. Ebooks will become more and more popular. And sell more and more copies, but printed books won't be disappearing for at least another 20 years.
Q. If you were an author of an ebook that would not be coming into print, what would be the main steps you'd take in marketing it?
A. Totally marketing via the Internet, building relationships with webmasters and editors at the top 30 websites for my keywords. I'd work with them to have my content, sales information, and more featured on their websites in an on-going way. All of them would become my affiliates. Etc.
Q. Do you think book reviews and other online promotions help authors connect with readers?
A. Book reviews can help authors connect with readers. Blog and website interviews can do even more.
Q. Do you have any other websites you'd like to tell readers about?
A. I have about 30 websites, but the main ones I've already talked about. Others outside the book marketing area include http://www.CelebrateToday.com, http://www.HotSpotscoolPlaces.com, and http://www.WayBackWords.com.
Q. What part in book promotion do you think online radio interview shows have? Will this get better or not in the future?
A. Online radio interview shows so far don't have much of an impact on book sales. That will change as some of these shows begin to build a real audience. Right now, though, there are not enough ways for people to discover these online radio shows.
Q. Is there anything you'd like to tell readers about your work, your site or yourself? I see you are holding a seminar on marketing in New Mexico. Do you have others planned? Do you offer seminars online?
A. I don't offer seminars online at this point, but I will be doing something like that as part of my Kremer 100 Program.
I hold Book Marketing Blast-Off Seminars three or four times a year. I'll be setting up more of these and your readers can find out where I'll be speaking and doing seminars by going to http://www.JohnKremer.org any time.
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John Kremer, author, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. Open Horizons, P O Box 2887, Taos, New Mexico 87571; 575-751-3398. Email: johnkremer@bookmarket.com. Website: http://www.bookmarket.com.
