Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Military Writers Society of America Spurs Book Sales

Guest post by Sandy Lawrence of Perceptive Marketing

As a publicist and marketing professional for 30+ years, I’ve seen a number of successes for my author clients. The marketing campaign described below has been fun and the results are still ongoing.

Jack W. London, distant relative of the original Jack London, has used several publicists and seen some amazing results from each one. This marketing story is based on the work of a team of marketers and, most of all, the perseverance of the author and his willingness and enthusiasm for marketing and showing up when his presence is requested.

French Letters

In 2011 Jack submitted his French Letters books to the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) for review. The MWSA helps veterans, their families, and historians record history and the complexities of military life – and encourages writing and other creative endeavors as therapy for the stresses of special circumstances. They focus on using these works to educate the general public, students, and the military community. They offer a community for authors through their website, Facebook group and marketing efforts.

Both of Jack’s books received great reviews and awards, and Jack himself was named the 2011 Author of the Year. Jack was the first author to receive this honor. His writing was such that it warranted a new, never before offered, award. As Jack pursued his role and the responsibilities that were included – regular blog articles, appearance at special events, etc. – he was recommended for a first-of-its-kind tour of Italy and Spain as part of the US Navy Writers on Deck program. Jack was given the honor of being the lead author to launch the tour which began in May 2012 and concluded in September 2012.

The Writers On Deck tour, sponsored by the US Navy Library Program, brought authors to visit active duty military members and their families who are stationed in Spain and Italy. Their mission is to “deliver some inspiration and motivation, with humor and interest in our Navy Heritage, creating a desire to read and explore for our active duty and community.”

A paragraph from the press release –

Writers On Deck begins the tour in May with Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) Author of the Year, Jack Woodville London. Jack is the author of the French Letters series Virginia’s War and Engaged in War, historical fiction based on life during World War II and its effect on those at home and those in Britain and France, with only letters to communicate. Jack begins his tour in Sigonella, Italy on May 21, followed by Naples on May 23 and Rota, Spain on May 25.

Jack, who is a diplomat of the writing academy of St. Céré, France states, “I am honored to be a part of the Writers on Deck program and look forward to representing MWSA with the Navy military and DOD families.”

As a result of submitting his books for review, Jack has now sold hundreds of books, had unbelievable experiences with the active duty military personnel and still speaks to civic groups telling the stories of his experiences. He received the recognition of holding the highest position in the MWSA organization.

All of these results are due to Jack and his recognizing that marketing is a team effort. We used both traditional and digital marketing strategies, sent press releases to the media, covered all the social media platforms and had an author who was available to share his experiences!

About Jack Woodville London

Jack Woodville LondonJack Woodville London is a well-known trial attorney, acclaimed author and World War II historian. Jack is a graduate of West Texas A&M, the University of Texas and the Academy of St. Cere, France.

The Military Writers Society of America recently awarded Jack the prestigious title Author of the Year for French Letters: Engaged in War. Jack’s French Letters series were awarded Honorable Mention for Fiction in the esteemed London Book Festival http://www.londonbookfestival.com.

Jack also writes a series of articles about writing titled “A Novel Approach.” Jack’s books are available at quality bookstores and at Amazon.com in both print and Kindle formats. http://www.jwlbooks.com

Friday, September 14, 2012

Are You Aiming Too Low in Your Book Marketing?

Are You Aiming Too Low?

If nobody laughs at your dreams, you are probably aiming too low. - Art Jonak

I shared that photo plus made an additional comment I think is worth sharing with all book authors:

If you don't laugh at your own dreams, at least some of the time, you are also probably aiming too low. Have fun. Dance. Enjoy. Keep aiming higher. - John Kremer

For more advice, check out the rest of this update article here: http://bookmarketingbestsellers.com/are-you-aiming-too-low-in-your-book-marketing.
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Book Marketing Magic: http://www.bookmarket.com/novelmarketing.htm - How to market novels, children's books, memoirs, and more. $48

15,000 Eyeballs Internet Marketing Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/15000eyeballs.htm - Ten lessons on how to get thousands of impressions for you, your book, your blog, or your website. $50

New York Times Bestseller Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/newyorktimesbestsellers.htm - This program offers unprecedented access to the most up-to-date book marketing resources and insider tips to help any author create a New York Times bestselling book. $17

Amazon Bestseller Campaign: The Inside Secrets to Becoming a Real Bestselling Author on Amazon.com: http://www.bookmarket.com/amazon.htm - You can create a true bestseller on Amazon using the step-by-step guidelines included in this multimedia course. $17

Monday, September 10, 2012

Parodies and Spinoffs of Bestselling Novels

Fifty Shades of GrayWith the bestselling novel this year, Fifty Shades of Gray, and its sister books in the trilogy also bestsellers, many other authors and pseudo-authors have piggybacked off the novel.

I find the following novels are wonderful parodies of Fifty Shades of Gray. Note: The titles are listed in the order they are featured by Amazon.com when you search for Fifty Shades of Gray.
  • Fifty Shades of Black and Blue by I. B. Naughtie
  • Fifty Shades of Beige by Reid Mockery (Kindle only)
  • Fifty Shades of Silver Hair and Socks by Phil Torcivia
  • Fifty Shades of Alice in Wonderland by Melinda DuChamp (Kindle only)
  • Fifty Shades of Earl Grey by Fanny Merkin and Andrew Shaffer
  • Fifty Shades of Spice! by Blanche Valentine (Kindle only)
  • Fifty Shades of Gray and Zombies by Grey West (Kindle only)
  • Fifty Shades of Pink by Faythe America (Kindle only)
  • Fifty Shades of Twilight by Secret Anonymous (Kindle Only)
Besides writing parodies, many authors have also written nonfiction sex advice books spun off the bestselling novel. Check these out sex advice books (again listed in the order Amazon.com features them):
  • Fifty Shades of Gray Decoded: A Man's Playbook by M. Alan (Kindle only)
  • Fifty Shades of Pleasure: A Bedside Companion by Marisa Bennett
  • Fifty Shades of Stupid: The Real Man's Guide tothe World's Stupidest Book by Poupón Grey (Kindle only)
  • A User's Guide for Fifty Shades of Gray by Jennifer Slingerland Ryan (Kindle only)
  • Fifty Shades of Ecstasy by Marisa Bennett
If you want a bestselling book, especially a Kindle ebook, why not try writing a parody or spinoff of a hot novel? All of the books listed above are selling well without any book promotion beyond a great tie-in listing on Amazon.com.
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Sunday, September 09, 2012

Bestselling Books Sell Other Products as Well

Eat Pray Love Fifty Shades of Gray The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

When a book becomes a bestseller, it also often inspires sales of other products. Of course, many of those products are licensed products based on the brand of the book. Think Dummies and Chicken Soup for the Soul, both of which have generated a lot of income from merchandising royalties.

But, in this post, I want to highlight some of the ancillary product sales inspired by bestselling novels and memoirs. Check out these product sales inspired by bestselling books:
  • Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - Women were inspired by this memoir to join Siddha yoga programs. You can attend a three-day Eat Pray Love yoga retreat in Montana for only $1,295.
  • Fifty Shades of Gray by E. L. James - Has boosted the sales of vibrators and other sex toys.
  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Inspired the sale of many tattoos, especially dragon tattoos. You can get a dragon tattoo just like Lisbeth's for only $1,200.
  • Harry Potter series - The game of Quidditch inspired the sale of lots of brooms. You can buy an official Quidditch broom for $35 on up at Alivans.com.
  • The Hunger Games - Sales of bows and arrows tripled in many sports stores.
When writing and promoting your novel, look to see if there is something in your novel that would inspire such fan devotion.

Friday, September 07, 2012

Everything You Need to Know You Can Learn from Noah's Ark

I found this wise (and funny) poster via my Facebook stream: Everything I Need to Know About Life, I Learned from Noah's Ark.



I don't know the source of this great poster (the credit line is not clear). If anyone knows the source of this posted, I'd love to credit it. Please leave a comment below. Thanks.

1. Don't miss the boat.

2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.

3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah build the Ark.

4. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big (like build an incredibly huge ark).

5. Don't listen to critics. Just get on with the job that needs to be done.

6. Build your future on high ground.

7. For safety sake, travel in pairs.

8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

9. When you're stressed, float awhile.

10. Remember: The Ark was built by amateurs. The Titanic was build by professionals.

11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

New Hot Book Promotion: Cookbook Discussion Groups

Cookbook ClubsWhile most local book clubs or reading groups have focused on fiction, the new hot movement is Cookbook Clubs. Members pick a cookbook each month, spend the next few weeks test-driving the recipes, and then come together for a potluck and discussion.

If you write or publish cookbooks, ask your local booksellers if they  are hosting any cookbook clubs. Or, better yet, start to promote cookbook clubs where your book or books are the first to be featured.

For more on how to start a Cookbook Club, read this blog post:
http://www.book-club-queen.com/cookbook-book-club.html.

For a list of five San Francisco Bay-area cookbook clubs, read here:
http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/2011/01/22/five-bay-area-cookbook-clubs.

Monday, September 03, 2012

Book Titles Must Be Memorable to Sell More Books

Book Title Critiques

Is Your Book Title Memorable?

You need to make your book title memorable. That’s what I look for when I critique book titles.

When John Gray followed up his bestselling Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus with What Your Mother Couldn’t Tell You and Your Father Didn’t Know, Borders returned 50% and Ingram 70%. Why? Because readers had trouble remembering the second title.

As Susie Russenberger of Ingram Book wholesalers noted, “The previous book had a great title, but this one was really hard for people to say.” When Gray began doing more Mars and Venus books, he again leapt to the top of the bestseller lists - with much fewer returns!

John Kremer’s Book Title Critiques. Get yours today:
http://www.BookTitleCritiques.com

Sunday, September 02, 2012

Children's Book Marketing: Reading Starts Here

We Believe in Picture BooksAs part of the We Believe in Picture Books campaign honoring the importance of picture books, Candlewick Press has launched a yearlong video celebration of picture books at Reading Starts Here.

Candlewick will share 365 videos about picture books – a new one each day – from their authors, illustrators, staff, family, and friends.

The videos will be short, engaging, informal, and personal as each contributor shares what picture books mean to them, recommends favorite stories, and more.

They will be including videos featuring non-Candlewick books and authors (provided they can get the necessary permissions).

They are only doing active outreach to their own authors and illustrators, but they are "absolutely open to accepting videos from authors and illustrators from other houses."

Here is the first video celebrating their We Believe in Picture Books campaign:

Children's Book Marketing: Spot the Difference

Chris Evans uses illustrations from his children's books to keep children and adults on his Jumbalees website by offering a number of games: Spot the Difference, Word Tree Crossword, and Tangle Puzzle.

Below is the Spot the Difference puzzle featured here: http://www.jumbalees.com/spot-the-difference.htm:

Spot the Diffrence

A Spot the Difference puzzle is a great way to get people involved in the illustrations from your children's books (or even from many other illustrated books).

But make the puzzle better than the one above, especially for kids. The puzzle should be easier than the one above. I was expecting at least four easy ones, but the differences are subtler than most I've seen in such puzzles in children's magazines.

Note: You won't even see some of the differences from the small photo featured on this blog. You might find them all in the larger version on the Jumbalees website.

The Jumbalees website offers five children's books for sale, as well as the following one as a free download.

The Jumbalees

You can download this free children's book as a PDF or Mobi ebook by going here: The Jumbalees in Return of the Captubots by Chris Evans.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

6 Easy Steps for Book Authors to Build an Email List of Devoted Fans

Scott FoxAre you wondering how to build an email list to promote your book? Here are 6 easy steps for you to get started building an email list of devoted fans so you can sell more books.

If I was starting over today as a new author, I would start collecting email addresses even before I wrote the book. That may sound premature but today’s book publishing environment is more competitive than ever. More important than your book’s quality, book reviews, or even cover art is the ability for you to get the word out to people interested in your work.

Email is the cheapest and most effective way to reach them. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and all the social media toys get more ink, but it's email that continues to reach people most effectively.

How to Get Started Building Your Email List . . .

You don't need to know a lot about technology to start collecting email addresses today. Here are 6 easy steps you can use to plant your flag online and begin building an audience for your work:

Step 1 – Brand Yourself with a Good Domain Name.

Give some thought to how you want to brand yourself. Your domain name might simply be the title of your book, it might be your own name, or it might be a reference to a concept or character that you use in your books.

Be careful about wedding yourself permanently to a narrow topic area or specific book title, however. Over time, your interests may expand and you can find yourself limited by a domain name that only references your first book or your own name.

For example, ScottFox.com was my primary website for years after the publication of my first book, Internet Riches, in 2006. Now that I'm on my third book, I'm switching over to a broader branding strategy and using the name of my third book, ClickMillionaires.com, as my main website. I made this switch deliberately to take the focus off of me. To attract more readers, it’s better to refer instead to the ideas and services from my books that interest my readers most.

Step 2 – Grab Your Usernames in Social Media.

After picking your domain name, use it to begin branding yourself in social media. This means going to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, GoodReads, and any relevant forums to register a free user account using that brand name.

This step is important so that later when you begin marketing the book, you can post across these platforms using a consistent brand name. Each of these social networks and websites also offers you additional places to post your email sign-up offers.

Step 3 – Include Your URL and Special Offers in Your Book.

Don’t miss the opportunity in your book to promote your other content and services. For example, your URL should be on the front and back covers.

Also try adding a Special Offer for your readers inside. Promise them bonus chapters, a Q&A interview with you, additional back story on your characters, related art, or other bonuses if they sign up for your email list.

Step 4 - Set Up at Least a One-Page Website.

To start collecting email addresses, you need at least a simple webpage. This page doesn't have to be fancy, but you need some place online that potential readers can visit to sign up for your new email list.

If you don't already have a website, get started with WordPress, Weebly, TypePad, or any of the many easy-to-use, point-and-click website builders available online today.

Step 5 - Sign Up with Aweber or Other Email Provider.

Aweber is an email services company that can help you collect email addresses and manage them efficiently. For $19/month you get access to a powerful system that you can use to collect email addresses, manage subscribes/unsubscribes, and even automatically send out follow-up messages to your audience. Register for the service and copy/paste the signup code into your new webpage to allow your visitors to register for your new email list when they visit. Check out Aweber by clicking here: http://www.aweber.com/?381604 for a special offer.

Step 6 - Promote Your New List and/or Special Offer in Social Media.

Remember those social media accounts we set up earlier? Now that you have something to say that benefits your audience, you can put them to use.

Post news about your new email list on Facebook and the other networks. Friendly messages there can let people who come looking for you know that they can sign up for your emails. Be sure to mention the special offer you developed so that they have an incentive to sign up.

In fact, you may not want to promote the email list itself as much as the reward. Simply sharing the link to your page that describes any type of free bonus can attract traffic. Then ask people for the small favor of signing up for your email list in order to get their reward.

Conclusion

I know it may sound ambitious for you to begin collecting email addresses even before your book is available. But, since you are likely spending some time online anyway, the sooner you have a place to point people that you meet there, the sooner you can start building the email list that will be critically important for you to be able to reach your fans and sell your book.

All of these email marketing topics are worth lots more discussion. If you have found these beginning tips helpful, I'd be happy to help you further. In fact, I have a whole community of friendly Internet entrepreneurs waiting to meet you. Visit us at http://www.ClickMillionaires.com to join my Internet business coaching forum for free.

Forum membership is free with purchase of my latest book, Click Millionaires: Work Less, Live More with an Internet Lifestyle Business You Love, or you can use the sign-up code bookmarket to gain access and start learning more about how you can sell more books online to become a Click Millionaire yourself.

About the Author

Scott Fox is the host of the popular lifestyle entrepreneur coaching community ClickMillionaires.com. He is a serial Internet start-up executive who found success online building multimillion dollar websites for start-ups, celebrities, and a Fortune 500 corporation.

Now a blogger, podcaster, and bestselling author of three books, including the new Click Millionaires: Work Less, Live More with an Internet Lifestyle Business You Love, you can visit his http://www.ClickMillionaires.com website for free email newsletters and to join the friendly coaching forum there for free.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Book Marketing Back to School Special

Back to School SpecialI want to offer a big break to book authors and publishers who want to sell more books.

John Kremer's
Book Marketing
Back to School Special


Book Marketing Magic: http://www.bookmarket.com/novelmarketing.htm - How to market novels, children's books, memoirs, and more. $48

Blog Tour Palooza: http://www.bookmarket.com/blog-tour-palooza.htm - How to carry out a blog tour or virtual book tour that gets millions of impressions, builds your brand, and sells thousands of books. $297

15,000 Eyeballs Internet Marketing Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/15000eyeballs.htm - Ten lessons on how to get thousands of impressions for you, your book, your blog, or your website. $50

New York Times Bestseller Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/newyorktimesbestsellers.htm - This program offers unprecedented access to the most up-to-date book marketing resources and insider tips to help any author create a New York Times bestselling book. $97

Amazon Bestseller Campaign: The Inside Secrets to Becoming a Real Bestselling Author on Amazon.com: http://www.bookmarket.com/amazon.htm - You can create a true bestseller on Amazon using the step-by-step guidelines included in this multimedia course. $97

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Big Books: Understanding Women

Another Facebook find . . . The book Understanding Women has finally arrived in bookstores.

This is funny. But also true? Would a book have to be this large to cover the topic?

Understanding Women

Books should be designed to be as large as they need to be to cover the topic.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Book Marketing Advice: Don't Walk, Dance

It was a good day in the Facebook stream. Here's just one of the wonderful pieces of advice I saw while swimming in the stream:

Don't walk, Dance

This is good advice for all areas of life, including marketing books. You gotta have fun when you are marketing your books.

Perhaps I should invent a book marketing dance and teach it to all of you.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Colleen Hoover: A New York Times Bestselling Self-Publisher

Below is an excerpt from Jeff Rivera's excellent interview with Colleen Hoover, a New York Times bestselling author who self-published several novels, including Slammed:

Who's the reigning Indie Book Queen of the moment? Colleen Hoover, of course. Ms. Hoover is now topping all the self-published book charts and cracking the New York Times bestsellers list in the process....

I just wrote these books less than a year ago, so I never tried to get them traditionally published. In all honesty, I wrote them for fun and never thought of myself as an author. I uploaded them to Amazon so friends and family could read them, which is why I made them free the first week.

I never in my wildest dreams thought they would become bestsellers. If I had this goal while writing them, I probably would have freaked out and not finished them. It's honestly insane how this has all sort of snowballed. It's been amazing, to say the least....

When I first put my books out, I took advantage of Amazon's KDP program. I really think the KDP program is a great way to get your book into the hands of readers. I had over 4,000 downloads in two days. I can't think of any other marketing tool that can get your actual book into that many hands in such a short amount of time.

After that, it was a whole lot of word of mouth. Of course I marketed to my Facebook friends, but at the time I had 10 Twitter friends and only 2 followers.

I spent the first three months after writing Slammed working on the sequel, so I didn't spend a whole lot of time on the internet. After putting out the sequel, I was getting about 10 downloads a day of both books. Those ten turned into 12, then 14, and so on and so on.

By the end of March, a blogger at Maryse.net read the book and blogged about it. She's got a huge following and the books received over 100 downloads that day. Since then, the sales have steadily climbed. I've noticed when a blogger reviews it, especially bloggers with a huge following like Maryse, it really makes a big impact on sales.



I didn't really focus on getting the books in the hands of bloggers in the beginning because I was really new at this and wasn't sure what worked. Now that I know, you can bet I'll be sending out those ARC's of my next release.

Again, to read the entire interview, go here: http://jeffrivera.com/index.php/for-writers/748-colleen-hoover-reigning-indie-a-ny-times-bestselling-author-.html

A fan made this book trailer about Colleen's novel, Slammed. Very cool.

Get Ready for Next Year's World Book Night

World Book Night this year was so successful that people are already meeting to organize next year's event on April 23rd.

World Book Night is a charity that spreads the love and power of reading person to person through the giving of books.

You can find out more about next year's event by visiting http://us.worldbooknight.org.

Find out how you as a book author, book publisher or book reader can participate in this wonderful event.

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15,000 Eyeballs Internet Marketing Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/15000eyeballs.htm - Ten lessons on how to get thousands of impressions for you, your book, your blog, or your website. $50

Blog Tour Palooza: http://www.bookmarket.com/blog-tour-palooza.htm - How to carry out a blog tour or virtual book tour that gets millions of impressions, builds your brand, and sells thousands of books. $297

Real Fast Book Marketing: http://www.bookmarket.com/realfastbookmarketing.htm - How to sell 100 to 200 copies of any book in two weeks or less. $97

Book Marketing Magic: http://www.bookmarket.com/novelmarketing.htm - How to market novels, children's books, memoirs, and more. $48

Amazon Bestseller Campaign: The Inside Secrets to Becoming a Real Bestselling Author on Amazon.com: http://www.bookmarket.com/amazon.htm - You can create a true bestseller on Amazon using the step-by-step guidelines included in this multimedia course. Was $297, but now only $97.

New York Times Bestseller Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/newyorktimesbestsellers.htm - This program offers unprecedented access to the most up-to-date book marketing resources and insider tips to help any author create a New York Times bestselling book. Was $297, but now only $97.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Become the 8,000 Member of The Book Marketing Network

Someone in the next few days will become the 8,000th member of The Book Marketing Network: http://www.thebookmarketingnetwork.com. That book author could be you! Why not join today?

Here is a blog post from one of the more active members of The Book Marketing Network, Neil Ostroff, author of Drop Out and other novels:

What a difference a month makes for my sales. From a lackluster July to a booming August. Sales of Drop Out have skyrocketed over the last week as well as my other adult books. Right now I’m on par to break my all time sales month of last January.

Strangely though, my sci-fi/fantasy books are not selling well this month. Perhaps, kids are gearing up for school and losing interest in spending their endless summer reading fiction. I don’t know.

I do know that more and more people are buying ereaders whether adults or children. And how do I know this? Because everyone I know is buying one or plans on buying one. For an indie author, that’s music to my ears. I envision a day when millions of my books will be read (even if people get them free) and thousands of people will want to read my next works.

I know what everyone is thinking, ‘Why do it if you don’t get paid?’ I think for me, I’ve reached a level in writing where I am satisfied just knowing my stuff is out there for people to enjoy. I’ve gone the corporate route with publishing, had a New York agent, sent thousands of queries, proposals, and outlines to make a sale, and yet what gives me the most pride and joy is when someone emails me and tells me how much they enjoyed my work, not how much money I made off them. I think that is the ultimate reward for any artist: appreciation.

So, if I break my own sales record this month that would be amazing. If I don’t, that’s okay, too. I know that last month more than 6,000 of my books were downloaded, and to me, that’s pretty cool.

Check out Neil's network profile at: http://thebookmarketingnetwork.com/profile/NeilOstroff

Saturday, August 11, 2012

The World's Top Money Book Authors

Janet EvanovichAccording to Forbes magazine, here are the top-earning book authors during 2011:
James Patterson ($94 million)

Stephen King ($39 million)

Janet Evanovich ($33 million) ====>

John Grisham ($26 million)

Jeff Kinney ($25 million)

Bill O'Reilly ($24 million)

Nora Roberts ($23 million)

Danielle Steel ($23 million)

Suzanne Collins ($20 million)

Dean Koontz ($19 million)

J. K. Rowling ($17 million)

George R. R. Martin ($15 million)

Stephenie Meyer ($14 million)

Ken Follett ($14 million)

Rick Riordan ($13 million)

Some interesting points to note:

James Patterson1. There is only one nonfiction author in the top 15: Bill O'Reilly.

2. The list is dominated by authors who have been around 20 years or more: Patterson, King, Evanovich, Grisham, Roberts, Steel, Koontz, Martin, and Follett.

3. Almost all of the authors have had at least one movie made from their novels. Most have had five or ten movies or TV shows based on their novels.

4. Earnings estimates were based not only on book sales but also sales of movie and TV rights.

5. I suspect there are a number of nonfiction authors who have made more in the past year than many on this list, but Forbes has not counted them. I'm not sure why. My guess is that Forbes did not include income from speaking, merchandising rights, websites (other than Pottermore), ancillary sales, subsidiary rights, etc.

6. Let this list of top-earning book authors inspired you in your writing and marketing!

Friday, August 10, 2012

If You Really Want to Do Something, You'll Find a Way

Key insight:

If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.

This applies to any publicity you can envision for you, your book, your product, your service, or your cause.

So stop making excuses. Just do it. Find a way.



=====

15,000 Eyeballs Internet Marketing Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/15000eyeballs.htm - Ten lessons on how to get thousands of impressions for you, your book, your blog, or your website. $50

Blog Tour Palooza: http://www.bookmarket.com/blog-tour-palooza.htm - How to carry out a blog tour or virtual book tour that gets millions of impressions, builds your brand, and sells thousands of books. $297

Real Fast Book Marketing: http://www.bookmarket.com/realfastbookmarketing.htm - How to sell 100 to 200 copies of any book in two weeks or less. $97

Book Marketing Magic: http://www.bookmarket.com/novelmarketing.htm - How to market novels, children's books, memoirs, and more. $48

Amazon Bestseller Campaign: The Inside Secrets to Becoming a Real Bestselling Author on Amazon.com: http://www.bookmarket.com/amazon.htm - You can create a true bestseller on Amazon using the step-by-step guidelines included in this multimedia course. Was $97, but now only $17.

New York Times Bestseller Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/newyorktimesbestsellers.htm - This program offers unprecedented access to the most up-to-date book marketing resources and insider tips to help any author create a New York Times bestselling book. Was $97, but now only $17.

Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Book Marketing Tip from a Criminal

Note: The following post is written by Brian Feinblum, Chief Marketing Officer, Planned Television Arts.



“Dad, you look like you got out of jail.”

Those were the words I wasn’t expecting to hear out of my six-year-old son, unsolicited. He made me laugh. It’s funny to see someone, unfiltered, just speak their mind and blurt out whatever thought races to the surface. Maybe he’s right.

I had just gotten a haircut. Ok, more of a scalping. It was a buzz-cut, where the barber uses his electric clippers to mow down any hair longer than a quarter-inch. I looked a little like a skinhead. All that was missing was a scar on my cheek and a tattoo on my arm.

I am not sure what my son knows of jail or the people who are sentenced there but somehow he concluded from his limited life exposures and experiences that I fit the profile of a convict. If you didn’t know what a softie I am on the inside, you may judge my exterior, complete with a goatee, as a tough guy.

My bulldog is the same way. She looks like a junkyard dog who could appear to be threatening with her snaggle-toothed glare, but in reality, she’s as rough and tough as a stuffed animal. She’d probably lick an intruder and sellout to the first snack tossed her way.

Looks can be deceiving.

We know to never judge a book by its cover, and yet isn’t that what we do every day? We judge how people look – their face, their body, their age, their clothes, their appearance. We make snap judgments and never look back.

And when it comes to books, many of us are drawn to cover images and visuals. No matter how good the content of a book or one’s character is, be sure to still make the best visual impression possible.

Otherwise, even those closest to you might think you just escaped from jail.

– Brian Feinblum, the chief marketing officer for Planned Television Arts, has been promoting and marketing authors since 1989. Call: 212-583-2718. Email: feinblumb@plannedtvarts.com. Web: http://www.plannedtvarts.com.

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15,000 Eyeballs Internet Marketing Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/15000eyeballs.htm - Ten lessons on how to get thousands of impressions for you, your book, your blog, or your website. $50


Real Fast Book Marketing: http://www.bookmarket.com/realfastbookmarketing.htm - How to sell 100 to 200 copies of any book in two weeks or less. $97

Book Marketing Magic: http://www.bookmarket.com/novelmarketing.htm - How to market novels, children's books, memoirs, and more. $48

Blog Tour Palooza: http://www.bookmarket.com/blog-tour-palooza.htm - How to carry out a blog tour or virtual book tour that gets millions of impressions, builds your brand, and sells thousands of books. $297

Amazon Bestseller Campaign: The Inside Secrets to Becoming a Real Bestselling Author on Amazon.com: http://www.bookmarket.com/amazon.htm - You can create a true bestseller on Amazon using the step-by-step guidelines included in this multimedia course. Was $297, but now only $97.

New York Times Bestseller Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/newyorktimesbestsellers.htm - This program offers unprecedented access to the most up-to-date book marketing resources and insider tips to help any author create a New York Times bestselling book. Was $297, but now only $97.

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Book Printing Definitions: Paper Grain

paper grain

Grain - The direction in which the paper fiber lies. 

Grain direction - The dominant direction in which fibers in paper become aligned during manufacturing. Also called machine direction.

Against the grain - At right angles to the direction of the paper grain. Don't print books with the paper against the grain. Your books won't lie flat. Also called cross grain or across the grain.

With the grain - Folding or feeding paper into the press or folder parallel to the grain of the paper.

Recommended Reading: What is paper grain? - http://abookinaday.co.uk/tutorial-basics4.html

Find a Book Printer

Monday, August 06, 2012

Book Printing Definitions: Author's Corrections

author's corrections or author's alterations

Author's corrections – Changes and additions in copy made by the author after the work has been typeset. Generally, the author is charged for the cost of making such changes.

Also known as AC's. Also known as author's alterations.

Find a Book Printer

Sunday, August 05, 2012

Book Printing Definitions: Bindery Folds

Here are a few of the folds that you can have a bindery do to create interesting brochures.

Fold type - The type of fold required to finish a piece.

Folder - A bindery machine dedicated to folding printed materials. Also known as a folding machine.

accordion fold

Accordion fold - Two or more parallel folds which open like an accordion. Also known as a Z fold.

French fold brochure

French fold - A sheet of paper printed on one side, folded once vertically and once horizontally to make a four-page or eight-page brochure.

gate fold brochure

Gate fold - A sheet that folds where each side folds toward the gutter in overlapping layers.

letter fold

Letter fold - Two folds creating three panels that allow a sheet of letterhead to fit a business envelope. Also called barrel fold or wrap around fold.

Find a Book Printer

Saturday, August 04, 2012

Book Printing Definitions: Camera-Ready Copy

camera-ready copyCamera-ready copy – Mechanicals, photographs, illustrations, and art fully ready for reproduction according to the technical requirements of the printing process being used. In today’s world of publishing, this would now refer to a PDF or Postscript file with the material ready for printing. Also called finished art and reproduction copy. 

Hard mechanical – Paper and/or acetate made using paste-up techniques. Also called an artboard, board, or paste-up. 

Mechanical – Camera-ready assembly of type, graphics, tables, and other copy complete with instructions to the printer. 

Soft mechanical – A file of type and other images assembled using a computer. Generally a PDF or Postscript file. Also called an electronic mechanical. 

Find a Book Printer

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

David Garland on How to Create Awesome Web Interviews

The following video from Corbett Barr of ThinkTraffic.net features an interview with David Garland of Rise to the Top on how to create awesome web interviews.

David now gets 250,000 downloads every month of his interviews, with 110,000 unique visitors. That's great traffic - and just one of the reasons you should be doing interviews.



Don't delay. Do an interview today.

Don't have someone to interview? Email JohnKremer@bookmarket.com. I hear he does great interviews.

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15,000 Eyeballs Internet Marketing Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/15000eyeballs.htm - Ten lessons on how to get thousands of impressions for you, your book, your blog, or your website. $50

Blog Tour Palooza: http://www.bookmarket.com/blog-tour-palooza.htm - How to carry out a blog tour or virtual book tour that gets millions of impressions, builds your brand, and sells thousands of books. $297

Real Fast Book Marketing: http://www.bookmarket.com/realfastbookmarketing.htm - How to sell 100 to 200 copies of any book in two weeks or less. $97

Book Marketing Magic: http://www.bookmarket.com/novelmarketing.htm - How to market novels, children's books, memoirs, and more. $48

Amazon Bestseller Campaign: The Inside Secrets to Becoming a Real Bestselling Author on Amazon.com: http://www.bookmarket.com/amazon.htm - You can create a true bestseller on Amazon using the step-by-step guidelines included in this multimedia course. Was $297, but now only $97.

New York Times Bestseller Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/newyorktimesbestsellers.htm - This program offers unprecedented access to the most up-to-date book marketing resources and insider tips to help any author create a New York Times bestselling book. Was $297, but now only $97.

Saturday, July 07, 2012

Don't Be Like These Bosses

Fast Company magazine recently featured a few reader comments on how their bosses encourage - or, more truly, discouraged - creativity. Check them out:

We start every brainstorm with our manager giving us a pep talk that we should go big and bold and not hold back.

Then he shoots everything down. There's no back and forth, just throwing balloons against a brick wall. - thwap, thwap, thwap.\

I leave feeling like a little piece of me has died.

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My firm started this online suggestion box where we're supposed to feel comfortable posting anonymous questions or ideas.

But my boss would read the stupidest ones over the phone, and most people could overhear her cackling ideas.

Ideas dried up pretty quick after a few rounds of that.

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My boss has a mug with a quote from Henri Matisse on it: "Creativity takes courage."

I love when he brings it to meetings and spends the whole time shouting and browbeating us.

He's not being ironic. He's being an ass.

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It's tough being a boss. But it must be even tougher being a stupid boss.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Seth Godin: When Publishing Ebooks, Shorter Is Better

Seth Godin on ebooksIn an email today, Seth Godin of The Domino Project wrote the following:

My theory about non-fiction books is validated. When they’re electronic, people vastly prefer short ones.

I think holding the book in your hand gives you one measure of value (heavy!) while reading a short one electronically gives you the satisfaction of knowing you finished it.

I agree with Seth. With electronic books (ebooks in any format), shorter is better.

With print books, hefty still has a premium quality to it. Just try lifting my 1001 Ways to Market Your Books - a good workout any time.

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15,000 Eyeballs Internet Marketing Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/15000eyeballs.htm - Ten lessons on how to get thousands of impressions for you, your book, your blog, or your website. $50
I love the eyeballs course. Clear, easy to implement, and rich with resources. - Rick Maurer, author of The Magic List
Real Fast Book Marketing: http://www.bookmarket.com/realfastbookmarketing.htm - How to sell 100 to 200 copies of any book in two weeks or less. $97

Book Marketing Magic: http://www.bookmarket.com/novelmarketing.htm - How to market novels, children's books, memoirs, and more. $48

Friday, June 29, 2012

Promoting The Magic List: The First Steps

Guest post by Rick Mauer

My book, The Magic List, is a free ebook based on a simple tool I developed to help my clients see where people might support – or resist – them as they start to lead a big change in their organizations.

The Magic ListHere are three reasons why I wrote the ebook:
1. Give my clients a quick way to begin to apply the concept of the list in their own work.

2. Get the book in as many hands as possible in order to generate interest in my consulting and speaking services.

3. Attract a publisher who would be interested in an expanded version of The Magic List (this is the least important goal).
I posted the ebook last month. To date, people have clicked on the book 1,357 times. It has been downloaded somewhere between 1,000 and 1,100 times. I have no way of knowing how many of those people might have downloaded the book and sent links to their own circle of colleagues.

Here is what I did to get the ball rolling:

Title: I hired copywriter David Garfinkel to suggest a title. In addition to giving me a title and a sub-title that I love (The Magic List: Secrets of Successful Organizational Change), he gave me copy for the cover that I think will draw people in.

Timing: I timed the publication of the e-book to coincide with a keynote I was delivering on that topic to a group of organization development professionals.

Twitter: I tweeted about the ebook a couple of times so far (and will continue to send tweets related to the book). I was glad to see that some people retweeted the link. One of those people has a Twitter list of nearly 5,000 names.

Email Newsletter: I sent an email newsletter out to about 4,500 people. I mentioned it in that newsletter twice since the book went live.

Personal Emails: I sent personal emails to a select list of my contacts with a link to the ebook. Most of these emails included some personal message so that they would know that I was writing to them and not sending out a blast e-mail.

LinkedIn: I mentioned this book on LinkedIn. (500+ people).

Facebook: I posted a link on my business Facebook page at http://www.FaceBook.com/rickmaureronchange (275+ people)

Open Source Project: Before starting the Facebook page, I created the Change Management Open Source Project. It had over 1000 members at the time I made the switch to Facebook. I sent an announcement about The Magic List to that original list a couple of times.

Speaker Bureaus: I sent a hard copy of the ebook to a list of about 40 speaker bureaus. I wanted them to see just how good the book looked. (My designer did a great job.) I figured that they were likely to at least open an envelope and see the cover. I thought that just sending a link in an email would have a much lower open and click-through rate.

I plan to continue all of the social media activities listed above and expand that work by applying John Kremer’s 15,000 Eyeballs approach. This article is the first step in that process.

About the Author

Rick Maurer is an advisor to leaders in mid-sized to large organizations on ways to build support for change. In addition to this ebook, he is author of Beyond the Wall of Resistance (1996 and 2010), Why Don’t You Want What I Want? 2002), and Feedback Toolkit (1994 and 2011).

You can email him at rick@rickmaurer.com. You can read and download The Magic List at: http://www.rickmaurer.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/TheMagicList-V1.pdf.

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15,000 Eyeballs Program

15,000 Eyeballs Internet Marketing Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/15000eyeballs.htm - Ten lessons on how to get thousands of impressions for you, your book, your blog, or your website. $50.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Neither Is Right

Al Franken has been running a series of Facebook ads encouraging people to sign a petition about healthcare. His ad reads as follows:

Republicans think your employer should decide what health care you get. Sign here if you think they should butt out of your health care.

Now, that's fine and good - but very distorted. Here is how a Republican ad might read if they followed his distorted pattern:

Democrats think a nameless unapproachable bureaucrat should decide what health care you get. Sign here if you think bureaucrats should butt out of your health care.

Same inflammatory language. Both inaccurate. But that's politicians when they use words to inflame.

If you click on Franken's ad, you are sent to a petition that reads:

politicians distort language

Again, here's how a Republican response could look:

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Petition: A Nameless Bureaucrat Is Not My Doctor

Dear Democrats:

Nameless bureaucrats are not my doctor. My health care choices are none of the government's business - and none of yours, either.

Seriously - what's wrong with you guys?

Democrats want to put nameless bureaucrats in charge of your health care.

Are bureaucrats doctors? Probably not. And even if a bureaucrat is a doctor, do you really want bureaucrats deciding what kind of health care you're able to get? Think DMV and food stamp offices.

If Democrats get their way, you could be denied coverage for end of life choices or any other treatment bureaucrats don't feel like you should have. Think 16 oz. diet cokes.

Don't let Democrats turn nameless bureaucrats into your doctor. At least you can talk to your boss.

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Now, personally I don't want my boss to decide my health care choices (although, in my case, I am my boss so, yes, I do make those choices, but if I worked for someone else, I wouldn't want them making my health care choices).

But I also don't want nameless bureaucrats making my health care choices. Actually, this scenario is scarier to me because bureaucrats hide behind rules. Not just government bureaucrats but also corporate bureaucrats. But at least with corporate bureaucrats, you can always choose to opt out. With the new Obamacare rules, you can't. That's sad.

I don't usually rant about politics, but the distorted use of emotive language by Franken rankled me - just as any other distorted use of emotive language would.

And, truth be told, I'm saddened by the Supreme Court ruling today. It opens the door for government intrusion into all areas of our personal lives. Not just a crack but wide open. Very disturbing.

John Kremer

Bureaucrats are bad

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

F Scott Fitzgerald on How to Make a Fortune

Here is a great tip on how to make a fortune from one of America's greatest novelists.

"The cleverly expressed opposite of any generally accepted idea is worth a fortune to somebody." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Notebooks of F. Scott Fitzgerald

F Scott Fitzgerald

Think about that. Don't always swim with the flow. Sometimes, it's good, smart, and profitable to go against the flow. It might be worth a fortune to you.

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15,000 Eyeballs Internet Marketing Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/15000eyeballs.htm - Ten lessons on how to get thousands of impressions for you, your book, your blog, or your website. $50

Blog Tour Palooza: http://www.bookmarket.com/blog-tour-palooza.htm - How to carry out a blog tour or virtual book tour that gets millions of impressions, builds your brand, and sells thousands of books. $297

Real Fast Book Marketing: http://www.bookmarket.com/realfastbookmarketing.htm - How to sell 100 to 200 copies of any book in two weeks or less. $97

Book Marketing Magic: http://www.bookmarket.com/novelmarketing.htm - How to market novels, children's books, memoirs, and more. $48

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Seth Godin on the Coming Book Publishing Crisis

Below is an excerpt from a blog post Seth Godin wrote over at The Domino Project:

Seth Godin on MediaI did a show at the NBC headquarters in NY a few weeks ago. I’m guessing that it costs them about $6,000 a minute to make a news show in the studio. That counts the painters, set guys, three camera operators and their assistants, lighting guys, producer, executive producer, on-air talent, makeup people - all working from some of the most expensive real estate in the world.

Cable shows cost less. And now online shows are being made by people like Demand Media for the cost of about $2000 a minute. Video podcasts and professional YouTube stuff is down to, I’m guessing here, less than $500 a minute.

What happens to the market leaders when there’s no restriction on what gets on the air and when the competitors have a cost basis that’s 10% of yours?

The same thing just happened to books. A New York City publisher probably needs $2000 a page to acquire, edit, typeset, print and distribute a book (making up a number from thin air). A self-published ebook author needs $1 a page.

If the viewer/reader doesn’t treat the two products as fundamentally different, if reading or watching one is a replacement for the other, then a crisis is right around the corner.

John's Comments: But a crisis is only around the corner for the big publishers who spend way too much on publishing books by celebrities and not enough on books with real substance.

That's the real crisis: The total lack of true book curation by the larger publishers. Where are the great book editors of the 1930's?

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15,000 Eyeballs Internet Marketing Program: http://www.bookmarket.com/15000eyeballs.htm - Ten lessons on how to get thousands of impressions for you, your book, your blog, or your website. $50

Real Fast Book Marketing: http://www.bookmarket.com/realfastbookmarketing.htm - How to sell 100 to 200 copies of any book in two weeks or less. $97

Book Marketing Magic: http://www.bookmarket.com/novelmarketing.htm - How to market novels, children's books, memoirs, and more. $48
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