Book Marketing Matters™
Brian Jud's free, bi-weekly ezine dedicated to helping you get your fair share of the special-sales markets, and sell more books profitably
Volume 8, Issue 13, Number 179 June 29, 2009
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Here is your June 29 edition of the my special-sales ezine. It contains regular columns with tips from Dan Poynter, John Kremer, Marcella Smith, Penny Sansevieri, Rick Frishman, Eric Kampmann, Pam Lontos, Paulette Ensign, Judith Briles, Robin Bartlett, Dick Margulis, Dana Smith and Roger C. Parker. The guest columnist in this issue is Ann Leedom.
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I wish you success in your book-marketing efforts, Brian Jud
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| Notes From the Front Lines
(Excerpted - with permission - from the Book Publishers' Handbook, by Eric Kampmann, President, Midpoint Trade Books ekampmann@aol.com) | Book Marketing. Marketing is a very misunderstood word when it comes to selling books through bookstores. With most consumer brands, marketing is based on sophisticated and expensive testing. Almost nothing is left to chance, which is not so much a guarantee of success as it is a reduction of the cost of failure. Book launches involve little or no testing and therefore might be compared to a baseball batter taking a swing at a curve ball. If he hits the ball one third of the time, he is considered a star. So it is with many trade books on a publishers list. A few home runs pay for many swings that miss. Publishers try to mitigate this situation by finding well-known authors who have previous successes, or barring that, they use the media as extensively as possible to create buzz and sales. So one reason book publishing is a risky business is because most of the marketing is done after the launch when the investment in books has already been made. This would suggest that for most books a conservative first printing would be the wisest course of action.
| Poynter's Pointers
(Excerpted - with permission - from Dan Poynter's Fifteenth Edition of The Self-Publishing Manual: http://www.parapublishing.com) | Help the information-seeking potential customer to make a buying decision. Give enough information on your book. Provide the same shopping experience they have in a store. If you are publishing fiction, put the first chapter on your site as a free read. The first chapter in a creative work will give the reader a taste and is designed to keep the buyer reading. If your work is nonfiction, provide the first page or so of each chapter to give the browser an idea of what is in the book.
| The Cover Story - Dotti Albertine
( Dotti Albertine is an award-winning book cover designer. Contact her at www.AlbertineBookDesign.com )
| I love exciting book covers! The title for this non-fiction book was so provocative, and I wanted an energetic image to mirror the title. I can spend hours finding the best image for a book, and when I see it, I know it's the one. Because life energy feels hot, warm colors felt like the best choice. Rockets (book title spelled with an "i" intentionally by the author) are smooth and round, so a corresponding font was chosen.
For the back cover, I like to stay in the color palette of the cover for an integrative look. It's all one piece of art. You cannot read the back cover copy here; however, Karen gave an opening paragraph that suggested "pain" followed by bulleted items that list why you have the pain, then goes on to explain that her book will tell you how to get out of the pain. Next come a great testimonial and a paragraph outlining the author's qualifications - wonderful formula for a "how-to" book. Karen's headshot has the same warm colors as the book cover.
| Marcella's Magic
(Marcella Smith, Small Press Business Manager, Barnes & Noble) | It's essential, for a non-fiction title in particular, for the author to promote it because nobody can address the audience about the subject in the book in the way that the author can. So the author is essential to the success of the book.
| The Book Shepherd
(Judith Briles, www.TheBookShepherd.com Follow me on Twitter, http://twitter.com/JudithBriles) | Always use caps in your email and website addresses. Email and website addresses rarely are just one word wonders, especially when it comes to book titles. The typical, ww.thenameofmybookisfantastic.com is too hard for your reader's eyes. Not to mention that a whole bunch of letters strung together could actually spell out something that you didn't intend to say. Help them out-print your websites and emails with caps on your cards, correspondence, emails, letterhead - everywhere as www.TheNameOfMyBookIsFantastic.com. Contact me at Sue@TheNameOfMyBookIsFantastic.com. Guaranteed, you will have a much better chance of them remembering you and your title.
| You're On The Air
(Lori Dolney Levine, Senior Talent Executive, Fox After Breakfast) | You've got to look at your book and say, "What's the most important thing I have to hit?" And you've got to say it in about two sentences. That's all the time you get.
| Kremer's Korner
(Excerpted - with permission - from John Kremer's Sixth Edition of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. Contact John at http://www.bookmarket.com) | Most mass-market paperback rights are sold for a term of five years to seven years. Other rights might be sold for the life of the copyright. Others, such as serial rights, are only for one-time use.
| Interior Designing
(Dick Margulis, editor and book designer, New Haven, Connecticut.
Contact Dick at dick@dmargulis.com) | A picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe. This is a continuation of a discussion begun in the last issue...
Some images are okay to use in books and others are not. There are three general criteria to consider:
1) Does the content and composition of the image add value for the reader (even if the value is purely decorative)? (Covered in the June 15 Issue of Book Marketing Matters)
2) Is the image legally available to use?
3) Is the image of a technical quality that can be successfully printed?
2. Can you legally use the image? "I found it on the Web" does not mean an image is free to use. Every image, whether it is a photograph or a drawing or a chart or a diagram was created by someone, even if you don't know who that someone is. Some images are in the public domain and you can use them freely. But most images are available for use only if you license them or obtain written permission to use them from their lawful owners. (There are several websites where you can license commercial images for use in books at quite reasonable prices.)
Photos in your family collection are trickier. Perhaps the only photo you have of Uncle Ed is a proof of a studio portrait taken by a commercial photographer who died thirty years ago. Can you use it in your memoir? That's not always clear, and copyright law is murky on such orphan works. Or maybe you have snapshots you took of your army buddies. If you took the pictures, you own them. But that doesn't mean you can print photos of other people without their permission. If you don't have model releases and one of your buddies who is still alive would prefer you not use his picture, you might have a problem.
These situations get complicated very quickly. Your best bet is to discuss the matter with an experienced permissions editor.
To be continued...
| Author 101
(Excerpted - with permission - from Author 101: Bestselling Book Publicity, by Rick Frishman and Robyn Spizman; FRISHMANR@PlannedTVArts.com or www.author101.com) | Since publishing houses are commercial enterprises, acquisition decisions are market driven. At every stage of the process, editors, committee members, and other company personnel will examine whether they think the book can make money. Salespeople and executives may seek the opinions of large retail booksellers. A book will seldom get the green light unless all involved believe that it will turn a profit.
| The Very Idea
(Editorial by Brian Jud) | 
What you see is often a function of how you look at something. For example, some publishers look at libraries as one homogeneous niche. But not all libraries are the same. There are public libraries, hospital libraries, school libraries, military libraries, prison libraries, children's libraries, corporate libraries, law libraries, religious libraries and more. They buy for different reasons, so you have to market to each differently. Look for the opportunity in every market. Things are not always as they seem at first glance.
| Marketing to Non-Bookstore Buyers
(Excerpted from Beyond the Bookstore a Publishers Weekly book by Brian Jud http://www.bookmarketing.com) | Pitch your books to home-shopping-network buyers from the perspective of what is important to the viewer. Exclusive product launches and unique products offered for the first time are always of interest to them. Typically, programming is thematic; part of the product selection criteria is based upon how it will fit within existing programs.
| Savvy Self-Promotion
(Penny Sansevieri, author of From Book to Bestseller, penny@amarketingexpert.com. Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bookgal) | If you're still confused about what Twitter is, check out this easy-to-understand YouTube video:
Twitter in Plain English: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o
Ready for more fun Twitter applications?
TwitterMail: http://twittermail.com/ - supplies you with a personal email address. If you send an email to that address it will be posted to Twitter.
Is Twitter a popularity contest? Yes, without a doubt. Find out how you rank in the grand scheme of Twitter fame: Twitter Quotient http://web.forret.com/tools/twitter-tq.asp Find out if you're a Twitter hero or BIG zero
Addicted to Twitter? You're not the only one. Check out the most popular micro-blogs on Twitter: http://www.twitterholic.com/
Ready to update Twitter from your phone? Check out Twitter Fone: http://www.twitterfone.com/
Wanna write now and Tweet later? You can do that with Tweetlater.com (http://www.tweetlater.com/) store up your tweets for delivery at a later date!
Ready to follow some other Twitters but not sure who you should be following? Head on over to Who Should I Follow (http://www.whoshouldifollow.com/), plug in your Twitter user name and it'll pop up results appropriate to your Tweets.
| Booklet Ideas - Paulette Ensign
(Paulette is President of Tips Products International, Paulette@tipsbooklets.com; Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/pauletteensign) | Notice the product format and marketing uses of products around you. Companies who are a good match to your expertise who are already using "get this free gift with purchase" may be good candidates to approach with your information product. They have the budget and already have the understanding. Which ads do you need to go back to look at again with that in mind?
| Pam's Publicity
(By Pam Lontos, Owner of the publicity firm PR/PR and author of I See Your Name Everywhere; sign up for free publicity tips at www.prpr.net) | Once you've established contact with media professionals, maintain the relationships and follow up for more exposure. Send a thank you note. Call to ask when the article will be published or when the show will air. Try to offer a new bit of information in your follow-up call. Remember to reintroduce yourself, because reporters and producers talk to many different people every day.
| Book-Marketing Tips - Roger C. Parker
(Roger C. Parker is the $32 Million Dollar Author. Test your Book Publishing IQ at his www.publishedandprofitable.com) | Recommended format for adding dates to filenames. Here's an easy way to keep track of the latest versions of manuscript drafts and mind maps. Simply insert the current year/month/date ahead of the filename when saving the file, or using the File>Save As command, i.e., 090629Filename.doc. This way, the next time you use the File>Open command, the files will appear in the correct order. For example: 090609Filename.doc 090611Filename.doc 090616Filename.doc 090629Filename.doc
There are two things to bear in mind, however. First, you must use numbers, rather than spelling out the names of months. Second, you must use two digits to indicate months or years. To indicate a June date, you have to enter 06, rather than just 6. Single digits throw off the sequence.
| Bartlett's Quotations on
Powerful Publishing Ideas
(Robin Bartlett is a former member of the IBPA Board of Directors and is the Publishing University Chair rbbartlett@aol.com) | Prepare, prepare, prepare. The more familiar you are with your topic, the more confident your presentation becomes. To insure that you are as prepared as you should be, as yourself: (1) Do I know my material so well that I don't have to refer to notes? (2) Am I able to manipulate my emotions and presentation style to ebb and flow with the content of my presentation? (3) Am I flexible and confident enough in my topic to adjust with any question I am asked?
| Marketing Planning
(Excerpted from Brian Jud's e-booklet, Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan: 461 Tips for Profitable Marketing Planning; www.bookmarketing.com) | Planning is simply the process of evaluating the pros and cons of possible alternative actions and analyzing how each alternative will impact other aspects of your marketing programs.
| Marketing Strategy
(Excerpted from Brian Jud's e-booklet, The Buck Starts Here: 635 Tips for Creating Successful Marketing Strategy; www.bookmarketing.com) | Where do prospective buyers look for information about your topic? That's where you should be selling your books. Is it online? Through word of mouth? From reviews? Do your prospective readers buy through the mail? If not, where could they go to buy your book?
| Online Book Promotion -- Dana Lynn Smith
(Book marketing coach Dana Lynn Smith is the author of The Savvy Book Marketer's Guide to Successful Social Marketing, http://www.SavvyBookMarketer.com. For more book marketing tips, visit http://www.BookMarketingMaven.com.) | Promote your book on your Facebook profile. Facebook is a wonderful networking and promotional tool, but I'm amazed at how many authors don't even mention their book on their profile. Here are some tips for maximizing promotion on your Facebook profile page.
Just below your photo is a small box where you can enter a concise description of what you do, including the title of your book. The About Me box (under Personal Information) is a good place to describe your book. In the Contact Information section you can enter multiple website addresses. Post your book cover in your photo album and display it in the left column of your profile.
| Guest Columnist - Anne Leedom
(Anne is the owner of Net Connect Publicity, an online content management and placement agency for authors. Contact Anne at anne@netconnectpublicity.com)
| Here is one of the critical ways you can avoid being taken advantage of and avoid losing precious ground in your media campaign. If it sounds too good to be true...it is. Beware of any company who makes extreme claims. We often help with damage control when clients have been taken in by the most abused claim heard today..."we can submit your content to 100 sites or more..." Simply put, there are not that many credible websites on which to place your content. This is a red flag. A credible online publicist knows that real success comes in working with the best 10-20 sites and making those placements count.
| Helpful Website of the Week |
Dr. Charles Darling developed The Guide to Grammar and Writing in 1996 to help students write reports and research. This site enables grammar students of all ages and interests to easily get the answers to grammar questions free of charge.
| Buy Lines -- Free Information |
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Do you need a jump-start to get your sales moving?
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If so, consider a one-hour consultation with Brian Jud. Get answers that will ignite your sales efforts. Brian can help you create a quality product, distribute it to markets you may not even know exist, price it profitably and promote it more effectively so you can...
Sell more booksBeat your competitionBecome more profitableSell in untapped, lucrative marketsMinimize -- if not eliminate - returns Contact BrianJud@bookmarketing.com for more information.
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Authors & Small Presses
Literary Publicist Stephanie Barko is giving away a FREE Virtual Author Tour next month. Check your eligibility for it at www.theauthorsassistant.blogspot.com/2009/06/free-virtual-tour.html
| | Sell More Books, Make More Money In Special Sales |  Coming in July 2009 - the most current and complete resource for increasing your sales and profits in non-bookstore markets.
The ultimate do-it-yourself guide to selling your books in large quantities with no returns. Not just who to contact, but when and how.
| | | Beyond the Bookstore is now available in Softcover and as a pdf document
( to order go to http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/beyondbookstore.htm)
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| | I wish you success in your book marketing efforts. There are several ways in which I can help you sell more books more profitably. Let me tell you how by emailing your contact information to me at brianjud@bookmarketing.com.
Sincerely, Brian Jud
Book Marketing Works | | | | Contact Information for Brian Jud
For copies of all the previous issues of Book Marketing Matters visit http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/mktgmatters.asp
To subscribe to Book Marketing Matters click here: <mailto:brianjud@comcast.net?subject=subscribe>
Discover even more information about non-bookstore marketing by visiting the Special-Sales Tip of the Week at www.bookmarketing.com
Brian Jud now offers commission-only sales to buyers in special markets and several other programs to contact prospective buyers in special markets for you through personal sales calls, customized mailings and telephone calls. There is a program for any budget. www.premiumbookcompany.com
Brian is also an author and book-marketing consultant helping publishers market and promote their books to increase their sales and profits. Find rated lists of suppliers to publishers at www.bookcentralstation.com. Brian is a media trainer, frequent speaker at publishing events and host of the online Publisher's Bookstore listing many discounted titles on publishing, publicity, planning, marketing, publishing law, design and writing. Visit his blog at http://blog.bookmarketing.com and contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com
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