In May 2007, I hosted a free teleseminar on how you can use teleseminars and webinars to create new content, write new books, promote your books, and sell more books.
It was a fantastic teleseminar that included some creative tips on how to create relationships that are out of this world!
To listen in on this teleseminar, go to: http://bookmarketingbestsellers.com/using-teleseminars-and-hangouts-to-create-new-products
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Book Titles Matter
In a recent column in the New York Sun, David Blum wondered why Joshua Ferris's wonderful novel Then We Came to the End never made the NYT bestseller list. Here's one of the reasons he came up with:
“In the case of Little Brown and Mr. Ferris, some attention to the novel's cumbersome title might have helped. Was Then We Came to the End really the best title for this wonderful novel? I doubt it. By allowing his impossible-to-remember title to remain on the book, everyone involved willfully ignored the pragmatic truths of the 2007 literary marketplace: Sometimes the catchier title wins. It's no coincidence that the cleverly-titled Heyday sold better, even though it's hard to believe any readers preferred Mr. Andersen's self-conscious artifice over Mr. Ferris's heartfelt tour de force.”
Even the editor of Ferris’s book admitted that “Nobody ever remembers the title exactly right. Usually they call it the office novel or something.”
Blum had a great comment on that: “Try asking for the office novel at Barnes & Noble and see how far you get.”
===
In a blog post written about a year ago, blogger Rohit Bhargava had this to say about book titles:
“Why the Irish Saved Civilization was a very average book released with a perfectly crafted title just engaging enough for all Americans who claim some amount of Irish heritage to buy it for other Americans with similar backgrounds. It probably sold well in Ireland too. But my guess is that only 10% of people who bought the book ever actually read it. The title is what sold the book.”
Don't let your book titles ruin your chances of success. Keep working on the title until you come up with something memorable. If you need help, take advantage of my Book Title Critique service. It only costs a $125, and it's worth every penny. Call me at 575-751-3398 to set up an appointment or email me at JohnKremer@BookMarket.com.
“In the case of Little Brown and Mr. Ferris, some attention to the novel's cumbersome title might have helped. Was Then We Came to the End really the best title for this wonderful novel? I doubt it. By allowing his impossible-to-remember title to remain on the book, everyone involved willfully ignored the pragmatic truths of the 2007 literary marketplace: Sometimes the catchier title wins. It's no coincidence that the cleverly-titled Heyday sold better, even though it's hard to believe any readers preferred Mr. Andersen's self-conscious artifice over Mr. Ferris's heartfelt tour de force.”
Even the editor of Ferris’s book admitted that “Nobody ever remembers the title exactly right. Usually they call it the office novel or something.”
Blum had a great comment on that: “Try asking for the office novel at Barnes & Noble and see how far you get.”
===
In a blog post written about a year ago, blogger Rohit Bhargava had this to say about book titles:
“Why the Irish Saved Civilization was a very average book released with a perfectly crafted title just engaging enough for all Americans who claim some amount of Irish heritage to buy it for other Americans with similar backgrounds. It probably sold well in Ireland too. But my guess is that only 10% of people who bought the book ever actually read it. The title is what sold the book.”
Don't let your book titles ruin your chances of success. Keep working on the title until you come up with something memorable. If you need help, take advantage of my Book Title Critique service. It only costs a $125, and it's worth every penny. Call me at 575-751-3398 to set up an appointment or email me at JohnKremer@BookMarket.com.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Newspaper Book Review Sections
In recent days, again, many book publishing commentators are lamenting the paring down or elimination of newspaper book review sections. Well, I'm not one of them. Most of these sections have been doing such a poor job that they don't deserve to continue to exist.
Too many of them review the same, same books (all from New York publishers) when they should be reviewing books that would truly interest their local and regional readers. Far too many of them ignore books from local and regional publishers, books that would truly interest their readers.
As I've traveled around the country, I've noticed that most book review sections review the same books, write about them the same way, etc. It has been a long, long time since newspaper have served their local readers with reviews of local books. Once in a while, they throw in a review of a local book, but most newspaper book review editors review, as many have told me, "only major novels, major memoirs, and major nonfiction," which, of course means, no local or regional books for us.
No wonder no one reads the book review sections anymore. No wonder newspapers are dropping them like flies or paring them down to nothing. No wonder so many major newspapers now feature reviews syndicated from other newspapers. They might as well. If they had written their own review, it would have sounded the same anyway.
Seth Godin, my favorite business blogger and the only one I read regularly, wrote a post about the demise of newspaper book review sections (and other mass media options). You should read it. Check it out here: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/05/ reaching_the_un.html.
Too many of them review the same, same books (all from New York publishers) when they should be reviewing books that would truly interest their local and regional readers. Far too many of them ignore books from local and regional publishers, books that would truly interest their readers.
As I've traveled around the country, I've noticed that most book review sections review the same books, write about them the same way, etc. It has been a long, long time since newspaper have served their local readers with reviews of local books. Once in a while, they throw in a review of a local book, but most newspaper book review editors review, as many have told me, "only major novels, major memoirs, and major nonfiction," which, of course means, no local or regional books for us.
No wonder no one reads the book review sections anymore. No wonder newspapers are dropping them like flies or paring them down to nothing. No wonder so many major newspapers now feature reviews syndicated from other newspapers. They might as well. If they had written their own review, it would have sounded the same anyway.
Seth Godin, my favorite business blogger and the only one I read regularly, wrote a post about the demise of newspaper book review sections (and other mass media options). You should read it. Check it out here: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/05/ reaching_the_un.html.
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