book: ตุลาคม 2008

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 30 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Super Profitable Techniques for Selling Books By Mail

The total number of books sold by small, part-time mail orderentrepreneurs is growing each year. Total sales each year for thepast five years have increased by almost 30-percent over theprevious year's sales. Two "angles" have greatly contributed to this phenomenalgrowth in total sales. One is the practice of offering a wide selection of books via"mini-catalogs" The other "angle" is the practice of sendingthese "mini-catalogs" to prospective buyers as "inserts" inprinted materials the prospect has already ordered. Mini-catalogs are usually printed on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets ofpaper, then folded in half along the length, and simply slippedinside the covers of a magazine or the folds of a newspaper.Often-times, a mini-catalog is folded and sent out as aself-mailer. Both of these methods of obtaining circulation arevery profitable. A book-selling "mini-catalog" is made up of a "full-pagecommercial" on the front page. This is your main sales thrust, orprimary attempt to sell a "featured" book with ease of yourmailings. The second, third, and half of the last page of themin-catalog should be two columns of listings of other books youhave to offer. Each listing should consist of the title of the book offered,followed by a short description of either the book itself, or howthe book can benefit the buyer. This is then followed by thecatalog number of the book, and the price. The bottom half of the page of your mini-catalog should bedevoted to your customer order coupon. The "mini-catalog" shouldbe typeset, and printed on a different color of paper for eachmailing. Recent sales results indicate that the better qualitypaper your mini-catalog is printed on, the more sales it bringsin for you. Once you've got a mini-catalog with which to advertise yourbooks, you must bring all your efforts to bear on the problem ofobtaining maximum circulation of your mini-catalog among theprospective book buyers. The easiest and least expensive method is as follows: Check atyour newspaper offices for a listing of all their distributorsand/or route carriers. Contact these people and ask them to giveyou a price they would charge to include one of yourmini-catalogs with each paper they sell or deliver. Determine howmany "mini-catalogs" you'll need for this kind of distributors,have that number of mini-catalogs printed, hand them out to yourcontracted distributors and newspaper carriers; then sit back andprepare to fill book orders. It's simple and easy, but best ofall it really results in big profits for your book-sellingbusiness! Another simple method would be to line up students fromdifferent junior high schools in your area, and pay them each $10per thousand to deliver your mini-catalogs door-to-door. If youhave junior high school age children, this could be the easiestand least expensive method of distribution for you. Major cities also have professional distributing services whichdeliver advertising material to the residents. Check your localphone directory for their names and addresses. The orders which you develop through the local distributionmethod can be filled by mail. To expand your market beyond the local area, you need tosolicit the business by mail. Several excellent books areavailable on developing sales by mail. Follow these steps then sit back and prepare to fill book orders. It's simple and easy. Note to editors: To show my appreciation to the editors that use my articles, I offer a free solo ad. Simply send an email to me by using the form on the contact me page on my website to tell me the url the article was used on or send me a copy of the ezine it was used in. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ DeAnna is the publisher of the ezine, Prospecting and Presents. Subscribers get one free ad per week. Subscribe today by visiting <A target="_new" href="http://www.pnewsletter.com">http://www.pnewsletter.com</A> $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Navigating the Amazon Sales Ranking

First, the disclaimers: Since the algorithm Amazon uses to generate its sales ranking is proprietary, the details contained herein are extrapolated from research and field tests. The resulting consensus finds Amazon's system to provide marginal sales data at best. To whit, read Amazon's own definition of its system, slightly paraphrased from their FAQ: "The Sales Ranking system exhibits how books are selling. The lower the number, the higher the sales. The calculation is based on sales and is updated each hour to reflect recent and historical sales of every item sold. We hope you find the Amazon.com Sales Rank interesting!" This last sentence seems to indicate Amazon's own perspective on the importance with which the sales rankings should be viewed. You're not supposed to find the sales rankings informative or helpful. You're supposed to find them interesting. In actuality, the process is somewhat more convoluted than they let on. Only the top 10,000 books are updated every hour and the ranking does not depend upon the actual number of books sold, but rather, on a comparison against the sales figures of the other 9,999 books within that same hour. Simultaneously, a trending calculation is applied to arrive at a computerized sales trajectory. So, hypothetically, a book that held a ranking of 2,000 at 2pm and 3,000 at 3pm, might hold a 4,000 ranking at 4pm, even if it actually sold MORE books between 3-4 than it did between 2-3. Books with rankings between 10,000 and 100,000 are recalculated once a day, rather than once an hour. Current projections, as well as historic sales information play a key role in these calculations. In fact, the predictive nature of the Amazon ranking system is what makes it possible for a newly-released book to outrank an older established title, even though the actual sales figures for the latter far exceed the former. Books with rankings over 100,000 are also recalculated every day and applied with historic sales information and projections, although in the case of these books, history takes a back seat. Sales projections and trending take an active role here, which is why a book's ranking can leap from 900,000 to 200,000 in the span of 24 hours or less. Does this mean the book has sold 700,000 copies in 24 hours? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that recent activity (i.e. purchases) for that book is trending higher than those 700,000 books it just surpassed. But, don't get excited just yet; since the activity of those 700,000 other books range from slow to stagnant, one or two orders are sufficient to catapult a ranking. If a book's ranking breaks into the top 100,000, the sales history calculation starts to rear its head, which is why a "phenomenon" book has a hard time maintaining a high, legitimate ranking. A phenomenon is defined by a book that leaps from the high hundred-thousands into the lower thousands (or better) in the span of 24 hours or less, usually due to some concentrated marketing initiatives. Since Amazon's sales history for that title doesn't support the leap, the spike occurs and then quickly drops again. HOW DOES ALL THIS TRANSLATE TO ACTUAL SALES FIGURES? Since the data is recalculated every hour and/or every day (depending upon a book's current ranking), it's impossible to get cumulative sales figures, although those figures are applied to the algorithm during the calculation. No, to get a very rough idea of the actual number of books being sold, the sales ranking has to be dissected dynamically, with the same immediacy as the ranking being calculated, (hourly for top 10,000 books or daily for top 100,000 books). Chart the ranking of a top 10,000 book every hour for 24 hours and divide by 24 to arrive at its average daily ranking. In the case of a top 100,000 book, take its ranking every day for 7 days and divide by 7 to arrive at its average weekly ranking. Bear in mind that this next piece of information is extremely arbitrary, based upon sales ranking/sales figure comparisons and data received from third party sources. In other words, it's probably completely wrong. But rather than disclaiming this chart until the cows come home, I'll just say this: It is difficult to make sense of something that doesn't make sense. But it sure is interesting, and now, perhaps, even slightly helpful. If the book's average ranking is: 2,000,000-plus, then perhaps a single inventory/consignment copy has been ordered. 1,000,000-plus, the current trends indicate total sales will most likely be under 40. 100,00-plus, then current trends indicate total sales will most likely be under 200. 10,000-plus, you can estimate between 1 ? 10 copies are being sold per week. 1,000-plus, you can estimate between 10 ? 100 copies are being sold per week. 100-plus, you can estimate between 100 ? 200 copies are being sold per week. 10-plus, you can estimate between 200 ? 1000 copies are being sold per week. In the top 10, you can estimate over 1,000 copies are per week Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press Publishing at <a target="_new" href="http://www.outskirtspress.com">OutskirtsPress.com</a> and author of Publishing Gems: Insider Information for the Self-Publishing Writer. Information at <a target="_new" href="http://outskirtspress.com/publishinggems">http://outskirtspress.com/publishinggems</a>

Sell More Books With an E-mail Newsletter

NOTE: Because many words in this article are likely to trigger sp^m filters, we've disguised them with symbols (e.g. sp^m). This will ensure a higher delivery rate if you use this article in your e-zine. If you're selling your book online, you're practically guaranteed to increase sales by publishing an e-mail newsletter, or "e-zine." Why? Well, for a start, it's a super way to give readers a taste of your expertise and style along with samples of your content. This ensures they'll come to be familiar with you, trust you, and hopefully buy your book when they're ready for more information. Also, it's a great way to *capture prospects* who aren't ready to buy your book when they visit your site, but are still interested in the info you have to share. Based on my own experiences in marketing my manual, 'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine,' here are 7 ways to help increase book sales using an e-mail newsletter. <li> First thing: Encourage e-zine SIGNUPS on your Web site where you promote your book. Before you even begin publishing, start collecting e-mail addresses. Place a signup form in many places on your site to invite visitors to subscribe to your free e-zine. This way, if a visitor isn't interested in buying your book today, she can sign up for your free e-zine. Now you haven't lost her, and she'll learn even *more* about your book from being a subscriber. E-zine publishers also report GREAT signup results using pop-up and pop-under boxes at their Web sites. Examples: On my main site, http://www.ezinequeen.com, I feature a signup form on EVERY page, as well as a pop-up box. On my book sales site, http://www.ezinequeen.com/tutorial, I have a pop-under box that appears once you close the main window. Remember: NEVER sign anyone up without her permission!</li> <li> Feature EXCERPTS and/or TIPS from your book in your e-zine. These can be either direct excerpts or short tips that summarize some of your content. Go through your book and highlight individual tips or small sections that could stand well on their own. Just don't give away the whole store! For example, giving your readers a whole chapter of your book in each issue is going overboard. Besides lifting material directly from your book, try some other spins on your topic such as a list of top 10 tips, a how-to article, a list of resources, or a review of a trend in the industry. Example: One of my clients, a life coach, has a hard-cover book out right now that features 101 tips on how to attract what you want in life. Each issue of her weekly e-zine features one of those tips, along with a brief explanation of how to implement it.</li> <li> Directly after your article, give a quick PROMO BLURB that shamelessly plugs your book. Why right after the article and before anything else? If someone reads your article/tip and says to themselves, "Gee, that was great information," they'll be ready to hear what else you have to share on that subject. Really pump it up and have a good time with it. Example: "Did you like today's article? If you did, you'll LOVE my new book, 'Double Your Business in Six Months.' It's jammed with more than 257 great ideas to help you grow your business FAST. Learn more and order now at [Web address here]. You can begin using my best tips within minutes!"</li> <li> In each issue, offer a TESTIMONIAL from one of your book purchasers. Let your readers know that many other people just like them ARE buying your book and LOVE it. Idea: Create a small section in your e-zine for this purpose. In each issue, feature a short testimonial from one of your readers here. Example: "What 'Beauty Blastoff' Readers Are Saying: 'I can't tell you how much your book has helped me improve my appearance. Thanks to your tips, I've lost 20 pounds, cleared up my skin, and rid of all my unwanted hair. Now my rich ex-husband even wants me back. You're a saint!'" - Suzy Smitten, Los Angeles, Calif.</li> <li> Offer your readers a SPECIAL DISCOUNT for a l1mited time. Make your readers feel special by offering them a special discount on your book when you can. For best response rates, make it a limited time offer to lend a sense of urgency. I did this with my manual when it first came out and got great results. Example: "For Subscribers Only: Buy my book before midnight this Friday and receive a 20% discount!" If you can't give your subscribers a discount, offer something else to make them feel special, such as a bonus report or free phone consultation with their purchase.</li> <li> Mention your book in as many other places as possible in your e-zine. Bottom line: The more you mention your book, the higher your chances they'll buy. While your opportunities are endless, here are a few ideas to start with: <ul> <li>in your masthead (This is where you give the reader info about your publication - usually at the very top.)</li> <li>in your editor's or publisher's note (This is where you give a personal note to your readers.)</li> <li>in your article (If you mention a certain point that you cover wonderfully in your book, say so!)</li> </ul> </li> <li> To attract even more prospects, advertise your e-zine in your everyday e-mail SIGNATURE FILE. You know what a signature (or "sig") file is, right? It's that little blurb with contact info that you can automatically insert at the end of every e-mail you send. Besides your obvious contact information, give a quick plug for your book AND e-zine. Why? Well, if you just advertise your book, some people will read your sig file and think, "That's cool, but I don't want to buy anything right now." BUT if you advertise your FREE e-zine, they'll likely take advantage of your offer. THEN you've got them on your list. Example: Here's what I have at the END of my sig file, after my contact information: "BOOST BUSINESS by publishing your own e-mail newsletter! Learn how now - sign up for fr*ee how-to tips at http://www.ezinequeen.com."</li> (c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights reserved. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at <a target="_new" href="http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/" onMouseover="window.status='http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/'; return true;" onMouseout="window.status=''; return true;">http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/</a>

วันพุธที่ 29 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Top Six Lies About Book Marketing: (And the Truths to Set Your Book Free!)

If you're like me, you have a book and the passion to spend the rest of your life making it a success. But, with all the ways to market your book, the costs and the inevitable sinking feeling of utter helplessness, what can you do? You COULD run around in circles trying to get your book in every bookstore in town. You COULD write Oprah or the Today Show, and hope for a call-back. You COULD spend months crafting a book proposal and wait another six months for the exact right time to send it to the exact right editor at the exact right publishing house with the exact right level of interest to stand behind your book. But those are lies (well, for most of us, most of the time, they are) and here are the TOP TEN LIES and how you can avoid believing them: Lie #1: You NEED to get your book in bookstores. No, you don't. Visit your local bookstore-any bookstore-and you'll see thousands (maybe millions) of books crammed, piled, stacked and displayed. Do you really think that simply adding your book to this haystack will catapult you to success? Truth: The right bookstore at the right location selling the right kind of books to the right customers CAN catapult your book to success. What is the right bookstore? One that sells your kind of book, whether it be a Christian bookstore, a success store, a health store, etc. For my book, "101 Ways To Pray Better And Get Faster Results," I am targeting Christian bookstores in my area, especially bookstores in churches. They will give me the greatest amount of exposure to the people who will actually be interested in my book. Who buys your kind of book? What is the best place to sell it? Maybe it is at a grocery store, a pet store, or at an airport. Lie #2: You MUST get on Oprah. Yes, it would be nice to get on Oprah. Certianly, it could not hurt your book sales. But most people with this goal ask themselves the wrong question: "How do I get on Oprah?" Getting on Oprah is not the point, albiet a good objective, though a long-shot for most authors. However, as a natural optimist, I must admit there's no reason for you not to try! Truth: The RIGHT question to ask yourself is: "How can I create a book that Oprah would want on her show?" Why is this a better, more powerful question? First of all, it is focused on Oprah's needs, and she will only care about your book if it helps her and her show get more people watching and talking about (you guessed it) her. After all, you want people to read and talk about your book, don't you? That's why you're reading this article. Start with the right question, and you will end up the right answers. So how do you create a book that will appeal to Oprah? Write one that appeals to her television audience, mostly women who are at home at the time of her show. You can get more detailed, of course, and you should. Case Example: the new book "He's Just Not That Into You." Oprah has had one of the co-authors of that book on her show twice since its release. Lie #3: You MUST get a big advance from a big publishing company. Again, good idea, but it doesn't guarantee succes anymore than carrying around a four-leaf clover ensures good luck. You need more than big bucks to get people to read your book. In fact, the only thing that a big advance gives you is the knowledge that the publishing company will try hard to make people buy your book. Yes, that's a plus. Yes, you want that. But it takes more than that to squeeze into the ranks with Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Seth Godin (author of Purple Cow, among others). Truth: What you really need is a good book, written well, formatted with the reader in mind, that entertains, informs, pursuades and gets customers talking to each other. No easy job, I assure you. But it can be done. And is done. Here's how you can do it, too: *Gather up the most popular, talked-about books in the last five years (Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code, among others). *Ask yourself, "What makes people talk about these books?" *Copy the strategies, change/add/delete whatever you need to make your book more success-friendly. Also, create something (a flyer, a bussiness card, a bookmark, something) that your customers can pass on to each other. Or post up on a wall or keep in their purse or wallet. Make it good, funny, entertaining, informative, but make it something people actually want to keep (like a good article on book marketing =). Lie #4: You MUST get radio or television interviews. Like the other lies, this one seems true because all the big-name, big-book, big-salary authors do them. And I must admit that we, if possible, should do them. But, the lie is that you actually NEED them to boost your book sales. They might and they might not. Truth: What you REALLY need is to get your book in the hands of people who are ready, willing and able to buy them. How do you accomplish this? First, sit down and write out a description of the people who are most likely to be interested enough in your book to fork over money for it. Second, figure out where these people congregate: online, conventions, magazines, etc. Where do these type of people go to find the type of information which is in your book? Be specific. Write it down. Third, and lastly, get your book infront of those people in those places. For example: My book is on prayer, so I want to get it infront of people who are interested enough in the topic to trade thier hard-earned money to learn how to improve their prayer lives and get closer to God. So, in addition to attmpting the normal routes (getting book in bookstore, creating a website, trying to get book on Amazon.com), I also will contact Christian groups and organizations to give FREE talks on prayer, after which I'll offer my book. Lie #5: The MOST important part of book promtion is having a good book. Sorry, no that is not true. Yes, you should try to write the best book possible and give it a great, eye-catching cover, with a mind-grabbing title to boot. But, none of those savvy stratigies are the MOST important part of your book promotion. They only work if you can do ONE thing... Truth: The MOST important part of book promotion is (drum roll please) getting the right people to experience the great benefits of your book. If your book entertains, then that is the benefit. If your book explains or teaches, then that is the great experience. Who are the right people? People who will tell others about your book. *What are the three MAIN benefits of your book? *Who should experience them? Lie #6: If you do all the things in this (or any one else's) article, your book will out-sell the Harry Potter Series. Truth: The outcome of your book promotion will be the result of your tenacity, creativity, passion, talent, and willingness to try new things until somthing clicks. If you can do that, you will one day succeed. And, my friend, I hope that day comes soon for you. If you enjoyed this article, why not print it out and share it with a friend or your writing group! Good luck! Christopher Kokoski is the author of "101 Ways To Pray Better And Get Faster Results," <a target="_new" href="http://www.lulu.com/ck">http://www.lulu.com/ck</a> His passion to write great books(fiction and non-fiction) and help others succeed with their own books. He wishes you well and a quick rise to publishing success.

Publishing Your Book?What Way is Best For You? - Part 1

Your print or ebook is nearly finished. You wonder if you should try to get an agent to represent you to the publisher. Maybe you've already sent out your query letter to some agents. You dream how great it would be to be taken under the publisher's wings. What's wrong with this picture? Even if an agent has given you the go and asks for a book proposal that has specific marketing information in it (takes three-seven months to write), you still have to face reality. FACT: Like Oprah, publishers and agents choose only 1-2% of proposals submitted. Let's say for now, you are chosen. The point is, are you fortunate to be chosen? Are you willing to wait on the traditional publishing process 12 months more? Are you willing to accept around 2-5% of the profits? Do you realize that after a few months of one initial book tour (of which you must pay all costs from your book sales), you are on your own? And, it you don't put a lot of time into promotion, your book will fade away within 2 months from the brick and mortar book store shelves. All unsold and coffee-stained books left will be returned, and the cost is deducted from the author's royalties. Unless you are a favored celebrity or famous author, publishers put little time or money into your book's promotion. Get the Right Help the Right Way Who says you can't publish the book yourself? It will certainly cost you less than you imagine, even under $1000. It will bring you all the profits. It will put you in charge to make suitable and favorable writing, publishing and promotion decisions. With a little help from professionals! These entrepreneurial experts such as book coaches, book designers, and eBook specialists can guide you through publishing success. These people may give teleclasses, small group coaching experiences, inexpensive ways to learn the ropes. These pros will shorten your learning curve too, so you get the right help right away to write the right book right away. When you think you still have to promote your books, even with a publisher, why not keep most of the profits and do some of the work yourself? Learn from your coach's experiences, "Do What You Do Best-and Hire the Rest!" (That doesn't mean you can't barter for services). Check out the methods below and see which one suits you best, is more rewarding and far more profitable. Why Self-Publishing? In self-publishing, you are the boss. You get to choose the cover, the style, the layout, the message, even the format (eBook or Print Book). Since you are the one enthused about it, you will be able to capitalize and can promote far better than many publishers. In self-publishing, who do you think can sell your book the best? You, the passionate author in love with his or her book, or the rookie publisher's employee in charge of publicizing your book? On Print Books--Print on Demand Two Ways 1. Hire the Publisher/Printer yourself to just print your book from your word file. Companies like Deharts.com (ph: 408-982-9118) or Alexander.com will put it into Portable Document Format (PDF) to sell on your web site or another site you choose to sell your books. A complete explanation of these opportunities are included in the "How to Write your eBook or Other Short Book--Fast!" In Print Quantity Needed (similar to POD) you keep all of your book's rights. This method helps you make much more profit from your effort and you will get your book out to the buyers so much faster, making faster profits. The turnaround is around 6-8 weeks, so it pays to plan ahead. A $15 book may cost $4 to print for a small of around 100 run using "print on demand" (POD) or "print quantity demand," (PQN). If you sell it at the back of the room or on your own web site you will make $11 each book. When you order 500 books, the price drastically drops. 2. Hire Full-Service Print on Demand Publisher/Printers who each charge you an up front fee to set up. They too take your word files and put into Portable Document Format. The Upside of this choice? Some will list you with Ingraham, one of the largest book distributors in the U.S., linked to most bookstores. For a fee from $400-$600, these companies will give you an ISBN number if you plan to sell your book on someone else's web site. They will list you in BooksinPrint.com, and some will format your book. These companies offer you their Web site to sell your book. The downside? Check to see if you need these services. You don't need an ISBN # if you sell from your own web site. You probably won't sell your book in a brick and mortar book store. Think about your book and where your best market is. Opinions from Dan Poynter, John Kremer, and myself say, "Bookstores are a lousy place to sell books." Walk ins are not looking for an unknown author's book. Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at <A target="_new" href="http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml">http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml</a> and over 140 free articles. Email her at <a target="_new" href="mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com">mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com</a>

Top Ten Non-Techie Steps to Market your Book Online

Are you an author who is looking for new ways to promote your book or business? Does the traditional promotion you do take too long and not bring you top results? Are you willing to investigate easy non-techie ways to get more book buyers? Check out these ten steps within "Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market your Book Online:" Step1. Ten Steps Preparation and Foundation When marketing your book Online, you need to attract the right customers to your Web site. Online promotion is cheap, convenient, saves time, and beats traditional ways 10 times over. What costs less works best. Discover 10 ways to get ready to reach your target audience who want your book. Step 2. Why Use Articles to Market your Book on the Internet Want to reach 10,000 to 500,000 of your targeted readers each day? And spend nothing? With the largest sales? Discover this number one Online book promotion technique for lasting exposure and thousands of willing visitors will visit your Web site and keep coming back. Solve non-working traditional promotion with Judy's short cut secrets for fun and easy. Get your book into the hands of your best audience--the one on the Internet. Step 3. How to Write Your Short Article Get from unknown to known with short articles you share Online with thousands daily. Write short articles in less than an hour, and leverage one article into five to attract new potential book buyers to your Web site. New content seen often by your audience turns lookie loos into buyers. Step 4. How to Submit Your Articles to Opt-in No Spam Ezines Millions of ezine subscribers in your field want your free information. They subscribe to ePublishers who distribute your articles. You benefit because you don't have to build your own email list. Judy shows you the steps to join, submit, and increase book sales exponentially. Her delegation tips will help you get listed in the top 20 Websites and quadruple your profits in no time. Step 5. How to Submit Articles to Top Web Sites Send your articles to high traffic Web sites related to your book's topic to get well known on the Internet. Judy shows you the seven simples steps to submit new content. Viral marketing like this not only brings new visitors coming to your Web site and keeps repeat visitors. More time on your site equals more book sales. Step 6. Market Your Books Through Your Own Ezine To attract trusting, faithful ongoing customers, create your own ezine. Benefit them with tips, announcements, articles, and resources to build your targeted subscriber list. From a few to thousands a year. When you give them reasons to buy, they become your 24/7 sales team to help your readers and sales grow. . Step 7. Sell Your Books With Your Own Book-Selling Web Site and Blog Before you call your Web Master, power write your Web site home page. Give your visitors a reason to buy so your book sales will explode. Save yourself time, money, and frustration because not all Web Masters know selling. Judy shows you how to write ad copy for each product or service--that bios and welcome signs don't sell. Try out a blog (Web log) and bring new visitors who will want more. More time on your Web site=more book sales. Step 8. How to Drive Targeted Traffic to Your Book Site Promoting your Web site brings book sales. Without it, no one visits your site. Why pay to fail with high effort, expensive, traditional marketing? Learn Judy's High Level Activity approach and proven Online techniques to get known throughout Cyberspace and to keep visitors coming back. Step 9. Generate Targeted Traffic Through Reciprocal Links Reciprocal linking with related high traffic Web sites brings multiple traffic to yours. Like testimonials, link exchanges imply approval and recommendation. Apply Judy's six free ways to find linking partners and get seen by your audience through this great viral marketing technique. Step 10. Online Networking: It's an Adventure, Not a Job! Know that you are not an island; you are more than your computer. With a friendly note attached to a business exchange, you create not only more book sales, but also more adventures and friendships. Get published in large ezines, exchange ads and shares success stories that can be yours. The Internet playing field has leveled, and people yearn for contact and collaboration. High yield natural marketing means developing relationships. Give and receive to keep this "friendly marketing" going. Now that you know the steps contact a professional bookcoach who knows Internet marketing and promotion, or another good resource who can help you with the how to's. Books and the Internet--A marriage made in heaven. Judy Cullins ?2005 All Rights Reserved. Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Judy is author of 10 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Power Writing for Web Sites That Sell. She offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The BookCoach Says...," "Business Tip of the Month," blog Q & A at <a target="_new" href="http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml">http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml</a> and over 170 free articles. =============== Email her at <a href="mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com">Judy@bookcoaching.com</a>. Phone: 619/466-0622 -- Orders: 866/200-9743

วันอังคารที่ 28 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Authors Should Be Optimistic

A client wrote me recently and asked what I thought of his using a publicist to promote his book - to the tune of $4,000 per month. In my usual blunt fashion, I responded by telling him most self-published books never sell more than 100 copies, that 2000 sales is considered excellent in the industry and that the number of people who sell between 50,000 and 100,000 can probably be counted on one hand. I just wasn't sure the publicist would give him the facts, since said publicist stood to make a lot of money off this author, whether he sold a book or not. After a while I started thinking that I'd painted a rather bleak picture of the entire industry and realized that while yes, many self-published books make very little money, there are exceptions, and his book - or your book, could well be the exception. Success stories are not hard to find. There's MJ Rose for instance, who published her first book electronically and later sold it to Doubleday. Since then, her career as an author has taken off and she recently announced the sale of three paranormal thrillers. One of my former clients, Paul Clayton, used Booklocker to produce his war novel Carl Melcher Goes To Vietnam and it was picked up by traditional publisher, Dunne Books. Likewise, Marnia Robinson whose Peace Between the Sheets, was also purchased by a traditional publisher after its release through Booklocker. I had another client, also published through Booklocker, interviewed on both 48 Hours and Good Morning America. Yet another sold almost 1000 books in two days, although he did not use any self-publishing company and managed the project independently. According to industry experts (read: those who stand to make gobs of money if you self-publish) there's little chance that a new author will be able to sell a book to a traditional publisher in today's market. At least one company owner will quickly assure you that even if you do manage to sell your book, you won't get a large advance, if you get one at all. Perhaps. Whether it's true or not, this certainly wasn't the case for 27-year-old Marisha Pessl whose first novel recently sold at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The fact is that if you have a good book and there's a market for it, there's no need to let others dissuade you from trying to find an agent or traditional publisher, if that's the way you want to go. There are also many reasons to self-publish (particularly if you have a niche market). Just make sure the advice you're receiving is unbiased. Cathi Stevenson is a former newspaper writer and editor who has more than 2,000 published articles to her credit. In publishing since 1981, she opened her own book cover design company in 2000 and since then BookCoverExpress.com has created more than 650 book covers for independent publishers and presses of all sizes. Read more of Cathi's articles about publishing at: http://www.thoughtblog.net

Top 10 Ways to Know your Book Concept will Sell--Before you Invest Time and Money

Make your book stand out from the crowd! Test your book's significance, find your market before you write, and treat your book as part of your business. 1. Test your book's significance -fun, humor -easy to read -teach something interesting, new? -original, unique info? -potential to positively affect the reader's life? -create a deeper understanding of life? -give skills and info to help people? How to's sell well -do you already have an audience who wants it? You only need 2 significances to have a book that will sell. 2. Find your market before you write. Who out there needs or wants your information? Without knowing a preferred audience as your write, your writing may be too general and not compel your audience to keep turning pages. In my eBook "Write eBook or Other Book Fast" in ch. 3 --"The Essential Hot Selling-Points," I discuss how to gage which audience is best for your book. 3. Know your best audience. Remember the 100,000's Online too. Write your audience a letter on why you are writing the book and how it will benefit them. 4. Keep your book short. Most audiences want to learn something fast and easily. 5. Unleash your passion for at least 2 years for one book. Love your topic and don't quit. 6. Get some help with a book coach. Try an introductory 1/2 hour book coaching session for only $35. 7. Intend to have your book vision manifest. Know your book will be published, name your outcomes-- what you will hear, see, and feel now that it's done and people are reading it. 8. Treat your book as part of your business. Make a plan -when to write, how much to write each week, when you will finish, what your next step is--approach a book coach professional. 9. Know you will eventually have to spend some money to make your book a top seller. If you work a full week, then see if you can put 10 hours a week in on your book including its promotion. 10. Solve your audience's challenge and you not only will sell a lot of books, you'll also have a 24/7 sales person for your book. When you write your book aimed at your best audience, and spend enough time on it, you can produce a successful E or print book. Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at <A target="_new" href="http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml">http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml</a> and over 140 free articles. Email her at <a target="_new" href="mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com">mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com</a>

28 Reasons Why Publishers Will Buy Your Book

Editors will buy a book for one or more of the following reasons. By knowing what these reasons are, you can then design a marketing plan with those features in mind. 1. The author's previous books have sold well. 2. They love a book and think it will sell. 3. They think a book will sell. 4. They love it enough to publish, regardless of its commercial potential. 5. It's a book that deserves to be published because of its value to a cause or the country. 6. An editor is passionate enough about it to overcome any doubts the house may have about the book. 7. A new editor has arrived from another house and its building a list. 8. The publisher has the opportunity to reflag a successful author from another house. 9. The book will be the first in a series with strong growth potential. 10. The idea for the book is brilliant. 11. The idea for the book is timely. 12. The writing is superb. 13. The title alone will sell books. 14. An author's promotion plan guarantees a book's success. 15. The author is a media magnet who can guarantee enough publicity to make a book successful. 16. The author has a national platform such as a column or a radio or television show that will guarantee continuing exposure for the book. 17. The publisher thinks that a book will back list and become an evergreen (like evergreen tree -- sells for long long time). 18. The book has subsidiary rights potential including book clubs, audio cassettes or foreign, electronic or movie rights. 19. The book has adoption potential in schools or universities. 20. The house has published similar books with success. 21. The book is on a subject that the house has or wants to build a list in. 22. Overcome by auction fever, publishers convince themselves that, despite the profit-and-loss statement rated to determine a book's value, they pay whatever it takes to outbid their rivals. 23. The author wants to switch houses. 24. The editor discovers a book on a trip to a book fair and thinks it will sell, or is caught up in the excitement surrounding a book, or wants to justify the trip. 25. The publisher is sending the industry the message that because of new management or despite changes in the house, the houses a player. 26. The book being sold may not be a big one, but future books will have bestseller potential. 27. The author has a personal connection with someone in the house with the power to buy the book. 28. Publishing the book will enhance the house's prestige. This is not a definitive list. John Saul, a novelist, observed if publishers don't want to buy a book, they say "It's been done to death." If they do want to buy that book, they'll say, "Always works." (c) copyright 2004, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved. Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing & Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.abundancecenter.com">http://www.abundancecenter.com</a> blog: <a target="_new" href="http://abundance.blogs.com">http://abundance.blogs.com</a>

Plain Speaking ? 4 Secrets For Getting Your Book Purchased

What can be more infuriating to a potential purchaser of a non-fiction book than chapter headings which give no clue as to their contents? After all, if someone is looking in the non-fiction section of a book store, it implies they want facts, not a fancy and "clever" table of contents! Here are 4 sure-fire ways to make your text grab the reader's attention: 1. Make sure the text on the front and back covers is compelling. It should state plainly and simply what the book is about. For example: "Buy this book, and learn how to master the craft of teaching in 15 lessons". 2. Why should anyone buy the book from YOU? Don't waste limited space on the back cover telling the potential reader about your 3 cats ? unless it's a book about cats, of course! Write something like: "The author has been a practising teacher for 13 years, and writes regularly for the Teaching Times." 3. Organise the table of contents so that the chapters fall into easily-identifiable sections. For example: "Section 1: Before you face your first class; Section 2: The first year" and so on. 4. Make sure that the chapter headings actually MEAN something. You may think it's great to have chapters like "All that glitters" and "Every cloud has a silver lining", but I' have news for you: nobody else is impressed! When people are browsing they want to know right away what they will get for their money if they buy the book. They don't have time to look at each chapter to find out what it's about. The chapter headings should tell them everything they need to know. For example, have chapters like: "Chapter 3: Maintaining order in your classroom; Chapter 4: Where to find excellent resources for your lessons", and so on. You have just a few seconds to impress a potential buyer. Don't waste them! Terry Freedman has nearly thirty years experience in education, and nearly 20 years experience as a writer. A member of the UK's Society of Authors, Terry has had around a dozen books published, and over 800 specialist articles in leading newspapers and magazines. His website provides free access to many of his articles, a free newsletter and more, or visit his blog.

วันจันทร์ที่ 27 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Quiz: Will Online Book Marketing Help Sales?

Most authors sigh a sigh of relief when they finish their book. Then comes the awesome task of marketing the masterpiece. You may choose the traditional route--to give talks, write press releases, or do book signings. While good up to a point, your bigger sales are through Online book marketing. Will you be successful in this arena if you know nothing? A little something? Use these 10 questions as a guide to know what book you'll want to investigate and invest in to widen your selling success. 1. Do you consider yourself a "newbie" on the net? "non-techie?" If so, are you willing to spend some time and money on learning the best ways to promote your book online from teleclasses, one on one coaching, or group coaching? It takes a few exposures to such skills as writing articles and submitting them to free opt-in ezines. 2. What are your resistances to learning Online book promotion and marketing? Right now, write down some of your resistances to both marketing and marketing on the net. Maybe the time to learn, the cost to learn, and the final cost to implement. Remember that smart people delegate and you can too. 3. Do you know the old adage for business insanity? Keep doing what you are doing and you'll keep getting the same results! While we don't want to change, Bill Gates says there will be two kinds of businesses in the 2000's--The ones who use e-commerce (check the non techie sales letter here for the exact quote.) Write down one or two goals or changes you are willing to make to sell more books Online. Three years ago your coach knew nothing! Cajoled and coaxed by savvy friends and associates, she leaped over her doubts and created a business so successful, she can travel when she wants as well as remodel her home and buy a new car. 4. Do you write two or three major marketing goals down in the pages of your organizer and look at them each day? Remember the payoff of these goals. You don't just want to make money. You want to make enough money so you can take that needed vacation, send your kids to college, or buy that long needed car. 5. Do you practice at least three "high-level" activities each workday on your main marketing goals? If not, start writing down three each day in your organizer. Don't distract to other projects until these three are finished. 6. Do you write your "high-level" activities down in your organizer the night before, so you can get a running start in the morning? Let your subconscious work on your goals all night while you get your needed rest. No more worrying and by morning, you'll be yelling, "Eureka! I'm stoked on Internet Marketing." 7. How disciplined are you with your book being a success? Remember that discipline is to stop doing what hurts you. How are you wasting your valuable time, not doing what will give you big rewards? Write down one or two self-destructive habits you are willing to stop 2 or 3 days a week. Remember the payoff--you'll be getting your valuable information into the hands of more people who need and want it. 8. Are you easily distracted and keep pushing important to do's to the next day, next week, or next month? Treat your book as a business and know the wonderful rewards of being known by many as the savvy expert, earning the money you deserve, and enjoying an easy path of lifelong income. You'll soon stop talking on the phone to much, and start depositing those many checks and credit card orders. 9. How much time are you willing to put into learning how to do Online marketing each week? Once you learn a little, you'll see the great results and how easy it is to implement this easy and fun way to share with others. Thousands and more Online users are waiting to buy your book. They surf web sites and sign up for free ezines for free information they need. Your book's topic will please them, and it takes so little time! 10. Are you organized? Do you have all the parts you need to market and promote your book in files you can find in a minute? We waste over 150 hours a year looking for important paper. After I hired my low-cost computer assistant from a local school, I reduced my workload over half and can find anything in a minute because Erica does all my computer filing. More time to play--and that's another plus. Bonus: How's your money, honey? It's best to set aside marketing money and time each month. When lean times come, you can keep going just like the bunny. When you operate a business without this important tool, you'll stay in kindergarten. As soon as I spent marketing money from $200-$700 a month, my book sales skyrocketed far above my investment. Once you get aware of what needs to be done, and you are willing to take a baby-step, your book will keep on helping others as well as yourself. Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at <A target="_new" href="http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml">http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml</a> and over 140 free articles. Email her at <a target="_new" href="mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com">mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com</a>

Three Powerful Tips on Selecting a Book Topic that Sells

The topic of your book or eBook counts-big time. Which would you buy-The Art of Kissing or The Art of Courtship? The kissing book sold over 60,500 while the other sold only 17,500 copies. Before you choose your topic pay attention to your audience. What do they want and need? What will they be willing to pay for your information? Try these three powerful tips: 1. Write a book your audience needs or wants. Think of a particular audience's challenge or problem then solve it with your book. People want how-tos and skills. While sex is still a top seller, people want related topics such as successful Online dating, or how to create a life partner relationship Challenges like making money and saving time still attract book buyers. Business books sell well. People need writing, reading, speaking, computing, communication, math, sales, marketing and Internet skills. Non-fiction how to books sell best. When your nonfiction books sell well, you can finance your novel. 2. Survey your market. Brainstorm with and ask for feedback from friends and associates. Let them vote on the best ten topics, titles and subtitles, even chapter titles. Ask them what words convince them to buy the book? If they are lukewarm about your title, ask them to give you one. While some authors get their title instantly and know it's the right one, many of us need help. When you use the synergy of more brain power, you receive so many more ideas. Don't be attached to your choices. If the title is the number one thing that sells your book, wouldn't you want the right one? Feedback always helps build a better book. 3. Create a winning vision for your book. Know that your book will be published. Specifically name the outcomes you will see, hear and feel. Place this winning vision in color on a card. Put it near your workstation. Sample: Place today's date including the year at the top of your card. Then state: "Now that my book (title and subtitle) is finished and is a huge seller." I see---thousands buying it from my book-selling site I hear---applause from multiple audiences affirming it I feel---exhilarated, confident and pleased it's such a hit. Most writers write first, then hope someone will buy their treasure. It's always the other way around. People won't buy unless they feel your $20 or more book is worth their hard-earned money, and they won't buy unless they feel they must have your information Suit your preferred audience and sell many more books. Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at <A target="_new" href="http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml">http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml</a> and over 140 free articles. Email her at <a target="_new" href="mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com">mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com</a>

Top 10 Tips for Book Titles that Sell Well

A clever title is great if it is clear, but a clear title is always preferable. The best? A clear and clever title. A shorter title is better than a longer one. Your reader will spend only four seconds on the cover. While some long titles have succeeded, usually the shorter, the better. A title is part of your book's front cover. Busy buyers including bookstore buyers, wholesalers, distributors and your audiences buy mainly because of the cover. Dan Poynter, author of Writing Nonfiction, says, "The package outside sells the product inside." Make your cover sizzle. Start with a working title before you write your chapters. Include your topic, your subject and use the book's benefits in your sub title if possible. Here's your ten tips for titles that sell: 1. Create impact for your title-check out magizine print and radio ad headlines. Check out other authors' titles on the bookstore shelves. Your title must compel the reader to buy now. Which title grabs you? Elder Rage or Caregiving for Dad? 2. Include your solution in your title. Does your title sell your solution? Make sure it answers the question rather than asks one. For instance, Got Minerals?, or Minerals: The Essential Link to Health. Use positive language instead of negative. For instance, Without Minerals You'll Die can be Minerals: The Essential Link to Health. 3. Make it easy for readers to buy. Readers want a magic pill. They want to follow directions and enjoy the benefits the title promises. For example, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer gives at least 1001 ways for authors and publishers to market their books. 4. Expand your title to other books, products, seminars, and services. Make sure that your title will work well with the title of your presentations, articles and press releases you'll need to promote the book. Such seminars and teleclasses titled "How to Write and Sell Your Book- Fast!" and "Seven Sure- Fire Ways to Publicize your Business" come under the umbrella "fast book writing, publishing and promoting." 5. Use original expressions--a way of expressing one idea for your book--yours alone. Sam Horn, author of Tongue F?!, puts her special twist on defusing verbal conflict. 6. Include benefits in your subtitle if your title doesn't have any. Specific benefits invite sales. For instance, Marilyn and Tom Ross' Jump Start Your Book Sales: A Money-Making Guide for Authors, Independent Publishers and Small Presses. 7. Choose others' book covers in your field as models. Go to your local bookstore with five-colored felt tips pens and paper. Browse the section your book would be shelved on. Choose five book titles and covers that attract you. Photo copy or sketch those, noting the colors, design, fonts, and sizes of fonts. Add other colors you like. Place the book cover you love near your workstation to inspire you. For the final copy, use professional cover designers if possible. 8. Be outrageous with your book title. People do judge a book by its title. Your reader will spend only four seconds on the front cover and eight seconds on the back cover. It must be so outstanding and catchy that it compels the reader to either buy on the spot or look further to the back cover. Take a risk. Be a bit crazy, even outlandish. 9. Be your strongest salesperson self. Choose the strongest words, benefits, and metaphors to move your audience to buy. Titles do sell books. 10. Include your audience in your title. This gives your book a slant. When your title isn't targeted other famous authors' titles win out. Always make your title clear and make it easy for your audience to recognize they need your book. Your title and front cover is your book's number one sales tool. Short titles are best, say three to six words. John Gray didn't get much attention with his book "What Your Mother Couldn't Tell You and What Your Father Didn't Know." He shortened it to the now famous, "Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus." An outstanding title sells books. Make sure to give this part of your book, the number one essential "Hot-Selling Point," some time and effort. Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at <A target="_new" href="http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml">http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml</a> and over 140 free articles. Email her at <a target="_new" href="mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com">mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com</a>

Ten Ways to Make Your Book Outsell Another

Wouldn't you rather write a book that sells well than be stuck with unsold inventory? When you plan ahead with the 10 tips below, you will sell thousands rather than hundreds of your unique and important information or inspirational products. 1. Write non-fiction first. These books are 90% of total book sales. After non-fiction success, you can use your profits to partially finance a fiction project. 2. Write short books to start. Short books in any format, like eBooks, booklets, guides or special reports are faster, easier, and cheaper to write than full-length books of 200-300 pages. They can be as short as five pages (special reports), to eBooks that can be 5-100 pages (even longer). 3. Market to a book-buying audience. Women buy far more books than men, about 75%. If your message benefits women, you'll do well in sales. If your book solves a problem it will sell more. It's best to see the need and fill it rather than have an idea-then look for an audience. 4. Choose your cover and title with care. Image is almost everything. You have four seconds to impress your potential buyer. Be clear, use metaphor and make sure your title elicits a picture or an emotion. Keep your title short, preferably 5-7 words. What solutions and results does your book promise? See more free articles including "Titles Sell Books" on <A href="http://www.bookcoaching.com">www.bookcoaching.com</A>. 5. Expand your book into a series. Think of the huge success of the Chicken Soup Series. They have one cover for all the titles. The latest count is 68 million. Think of spin-off products that relate to your book. Some people prefer to learn by listening to a cassette. You may also want to serialize your eBook, sending one part or chapter a week through an autoresponder. These formats actually help you sell more books. Other spin-offs include coaching, consulting, speaking, seminars, columns, or videos. 6. Impress your potential buyer within eight seconds with your back cover copy. The biggest mistake authors make is putting their title on the back cover. Since it's already on the front cover, you need to instead, put your sparkling headline at the top. For example, "Imagine 1000's Buying Your Book Next Month!" It must hook your readers, stir up their emotions, and hit their desire. In 75 words or less, include the benefits your book offers. How to get more money, heart-centered relationships, more fame, and more health. Less stress and time spend in a project. Include from 3-5 bullets of benefits, what specifics your book promises its readers. Finally, testimonials are the number one way to turn your potential buyer into a "take-out-their-credit-card-buyer." For information on how to get testimonials ask a book coach. 7. Create your written marketing plan before you finish chapter one. This plan covers your first year's launch period and lifetime plan. You'll want to market at least two years. Inexperienced authors wait until publication and lose a great deal of sales. Your plan could include how many books you want to sell, your 30 second tell and sell, book reviews, news releases, the Online articles to market your book, the book signings, talks, electronic newsletters, and a book Web site. Without a written plan, an author creates vague results. 8. Put as much time into marketing as you did the writing of your book. Your goal is to have people read and learn from your unique message. Why plant a garden if you don't harvest it? John Kremer, book marketing guru, and author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book, says to do five things each day. Five calls, five press releases, five online contacts or a combination of tasks. The book coach says spend 6-9 hours a week on online promotion. 9. Include online marketing to sell more books. While you can sell your books on other sites, such as Amazon.com, you will eventually want your own. You will make much less with Amazon and you have to pay for shipping too. An author without a Web site is like a person without a name. As an entrepreneur, your site needs to attract visitors and sell your products and service. Here you include testimonials, benefit driven headlines, and your sales letter to get your visitor to become a customer. 10. Start promoting your book several ways. If press releases, book signings, and back of the room sales dim, include online promotion such as writing and submitting how-to articles to top ezines and web sites. When you use his virtual marketing machine-the Internet- you will keep your book dream alive--getting it into the hands of thousands of readers rather than a few. Start marketing your book right now, even if you don't have a Web site. Research by reading articles, contacting professional book and web coaches, or take a teleclass to find out how to learn non-techie ways to start your lifetime book promotion journey. Master book marketing like you would eat an elephant--one bite at a time! Watch your sales grow! Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at <A target="_new" href="http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml">http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml</a> and over 140 free articles. Email her at <a target="_new" href="mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com">mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com</a>

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 26 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Five Book Back Cover Mistakes and How to Solve Them

Did you know that your back cover information is, after the cover, the best way to sell more books? And, that most authors, emerging and experienced, miss this opportunity to engage more potential buyers? Your book's front cover and sizzling title must impress your buyers in four-eight seconds. If they like it, they will spend ten-thirty seconds or so on your back cover-a great opportunity to convince them that your book is necessary for their pleasure or success. Does your back cover pass the test? Five Best Solutions to the Biggest Book Back Cover Mistakes: 1. Mistake: Too many non-powerful words and too busy to have a focus. Solutions: A back cover of 6 by 9 inches should have fewer than 60 words. Use sound bites; picture and emotional words; benefits, not features; and testimonials to capture your readers' attention to keep your message focused. Make every word count and be willing to get five-fifteen edits. 2. Mistake: Too much superfluous material on it such a long author's bio or large photo. Potential buyers want to know how the book will help them, teach them a skill, or entertain them. Solutions: Print only a one or two-line bio on the back cover. Put your photo and more bio on the inside of the back cover. Omit features such as format information, which belong in the introduction. Connect with your buyer emotionally with specific, powerful ad copy. For self-help books use bullets with specific benefits, and enough of the right kind of testimonials (specific benefit driven) to sell your book in 30 seconds. For fiction, modify to include a bit of plot, with a powerful quote or dialogue. Use bookstore models to assist you. 3. Mistake: Repeating the book's title at the top of the back cover. Solutions: Since your potential buyers already know the title and are stimulated enough to look at the back cover, hook them with an emotional question or statement to read on. Create a "Hot Headline" that compels your reader to buy. Notice the headlines in your newspaper. Visit your bookstore and notice other best selling authors' headlines. "What's So Tough About Writing?" by word smith Richard Lederer, author of The Write Way; "Imagine Being an Author," in Dan Poynter's Writing Nonfiction; "To Age is Natural?To Grow Old is Not! In Rico Caveglia's Ageless Living, or "Imagine 1000's of People Reading your Book Next Month! for your coach's "How to Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast!". 4. Mistake: Omitting testimonials. Solutions: Testimonials sell more books than any other information on the back cover. Put at least three up. Contact a variety of people. Use one from a top professional in your field, one from a satisfied reader, one from a celebrity who cares about your topic, and one from a famous media person. In her book, "A Kick in Your Inspiration," Ruth Cleveland got one testimonial from an ex convict! Jacqueline Marcell, author of Elder Rage, took eight months to get forty testimonials from celebrities. Her book is endorsed by: Steve Allen, Ed Asner, Dr. Dean Edell, Dr. John Gray, Dr. Nancy Snyderman/ABC, Regis Philbin. Jacqueline Bisset, and Phyllis Diller. It was worth the effort, because in April 2001, she made the cover of the AARP Bulletin distributed to over 35 million readers. It included a feature story, some how-tos and contacts and pictures of the author and her book. She had to dance fast, and order 10,000 books to get distributed by the time the piece came out. After it came out, she was inundated with speaking engagements. There's a problem you might love to have! After you write several books and become rich and famous, you, like other professionals, will fill your back cover with testimonials. You won't even need to add benefits, because people have already bought your other books and liked them. Potential buyers will purchase when they see people they trust and know recommend the book. Besides filling the back cover with testimonials, you may want to even add extra testimonials in the front pages of the book. The more testimonials, the better! 5. Mistake. Independent publishers submitting galleys to reviewers, distributors, and wholesales without ANY back cover information. Solutions: "Make the back cover your first area of concern," says Susan Howard, Director of Consulting Services at top publishing firm, The Jenkins Group Inc., who write "The Publishing Connection" She adds, "Waiting for testimonials is generally the reason the back cover of a galley is left blank. Failure to realize the value of the back cover seems to equate with the failure to realize that the text for the finished back cover can always be changed before the printing of the book." It's important for writers to "market while they write"-- To make each part of their book sell copies. The back cover is all-important. Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at <A target="_new" href="http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml">http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml</a> and over 140 free articles. Email her at <a target="_new" href="mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com">mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com</a>

Raise Your Hand If Youd Consider Giving Up The Rights To Your Book Forever

If Random House pulls up to your house with a U-haul filled with millions and wants to buy your book, maybe you'd consider giving up the rights forever. But, let's come back to the real world. In the real world, many authors find that the best way to launch a writing career is to essentially self-publish by using a print-on-demand (POD) publisher. The problem is that the POD buffet is filled with the equivalent of healthy choices (publishers who charge low or no publishing fees and allow authors to terminate the contracts at anytime) and unhealthy choices (publishers that charge exorbitant upfront fees and lock authors into contracts for years). Often the writer's eyes are bigger than her stomach ? she makes a move for the first publisher who tells her that her work is great. Signing a POD contract impulsively is always a mistake. Unless you are trained as a lawyer, deciphering a POD contract can be tricky since many POD publishers have paid some hefty legal fees to have attorneys sculpt contracts that could easily crush an unsuspecting author. If you can't afford to hire a lawyer to review your POD contract you need to arm yourself with some knowledge before signing one. In my book, The Fine Print (www.book-publishers-compared.com), I take the legalese commonly found in most POD contracts and explain it in terms that will actually make sense. I also tell you the types of clauses in a POD contract that should cause you to run away from a publisher as quickly as possible. If you don't want or can't purchase The Fine Print, here are three tips that may help you avoid a bad publishing experience. 1. Never pay more than $500 in up front POD publishing fees. The most reputable POD publishers charge between $300-$500 for the publishing package which should always include customized cover art, formatting, placement of your book on Amazon, etc.; and ISBN number, bar code, and a sales page on the publisher's website. If you are paying more and not getting at least the services mentioned above, you are getting taken. 2. Only Sign a Contract That You Can Terminate When You Want The best contracts are those you can terminate at any time (usually by giving 30-90 days notice). Some POD publishers that don't charge or charge very little for their services require a longer commitment on your end (1-2 years) before you can terminate. Because they have money invested in you this is understandable. Never sign a POD contract that you can't get out of easily. Some POD publishers require that you give them the rights to your book for the term of the copyright. When you see this run fast! The term of the copyright is for the life of the author, plus another 70 years ? basically forever. 3. If the Publisher offers less than 30% Royalties on the Gross Sale Price Find Another Publisher The royalties paid should, at a minimum, be 30% of the sales prices of each book. Be wary of contracts that give you some high percentage of the net sales price. This is where fuzzy math can creep in and take away almost all your profits. The factors you should use to determine whether or not the proposed royalty is acceptable are: ? Whether it is based on the gross or net sales amount (and if based on the net sales amount, the calculation must be on hard numbers (production costs, credit card processing fees, etc.) and not vague items ("administrative costs", etc.); ? The actual production cost of the book (Production costs on POD books should be between $3.50 and $5.50. Anything higher than that and you can bet that the publisher is padding this amount to lower your actual royalty); ? The size of the publisher's distribution network and traffic to the publisher's online store (the more places your books are for sale, the more chance people have to find them); and ? Marketing efforts the publisher engages to inform readers of your book (if a publisher actually spends money to help sell your book, a lower royalty is not out of line). ? Whether the publisher treats itself like a third-party retailer (e.g. Amazon.com) and gives itself a trade discount to sell you book (For example, for a $15 book, Amazon gets $7.50 for each book sold, then the remaining $7.50 is divided between the author and publisher based the royalty agreement. Some publishers give themselves a trade discount so in effect they end up making 80% of each sale for a book that you paid them to publish!) Again, these are just the basics of the basics, but they provide the building blocks of the foundation of knowledge you will need to have before you sign a POD publishing contract. Mark Levine is the author of The Fine Print (<a target="_new" href="http://www.book-publishers-compared.com">http://www.book-publishers-compared.com</a>), which dissects, analyzes and ranks the publishing contracts and services of 74 of the top POD publishers. He is also the president of Click Industries which provides business incorporation services (<a target="_new" href="http://www.clickandinc.com">http://www.clickandinc.com</a>) and copyright registration services (<a target="_new" href="http://www.clickandcopyright.com">http://www.clickandcopyright.com</a>)

The Bible Of Self Publishing

Any book that is in its 14th edition must be doing something right. Such is the case with author Dan Poynter`s, The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book. Poynter, in addition to authoring The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book, has written more than 100 books, 50 monographs and over 500 magazine articles. The latest edition of The Self-Publishing Manual is required reading for anyone contemplating self-publishing. Succinctly, it is a "soup to nuts" manual that takes you by the hand and reveals all of the intricacies that you must know about self-publishing. Divided into twelve chapters, the book opens with what are the publishing choices available to authors. Poynter explores various possibilities- big publishing firms, medium size niche publishers, vanity or subsidy publishers, and finally self-publishing.It is the last one which much of the book revolves around, and where the author presents a very extensive overview of self-publishing. Poynter acknowledges that self-publishing is where you will make more money, get to press sooner and keep control of your book. Although, as mentioned, "you will invest your time as well as your money, but the reward is greater. You will get it all." The author no doubt has done some rigorous research and every chapter is substantiated with invaluable information covering specific topics as: writing your book, starting your own publishing company, announcing your book, how to evaluate your book's worth, promoting your book, targeting your market, advertising, moving your book out the door, electronic book publishing and promotion, and coping with being published or once you are published what do you do know. At the back is a well- presented information section containing excellent resources for publishers, recommended reading, book production and promotion resource, a calendar to keep you on track while you go through the various phases from writing to completion, and a glossary. Readers seeking to learn the hard facts about self-publishing do not need to go elsewhere-it is all wrapped up here in 430 pages that just about answers everything you want to know.However, as the author points out in his preface, there isn't sufficient room in one manual to include everything. Consequently, as a compliment the book, the publishers, Para Publishing, have prepared several supplemental reports (called documents, special reports or instant reports) that are referred to throughout the book. These can be found on the author's web site. Appendix 2 lists all of these resources. Norm Goldman is the Editor of the Book Reviewing site, <a target="_new" href="http://www.bookpleasures.com">http://www.bookpleasures.com</a> and the travel site, <a target="_new" href="http://www.sketchandtravel.com">http://www.sketchandtravel.com</a> Norm is also a travel writer and together with his artist wife, Lily, them meld words with art focusing on romantic destinations. You can view their articles and art work at <a target="_new" href="http://www.sketchandtravel.com">http://www.sketchandtravel.com</a> Bookpleasures comprises over 25 international prestigious book reviewers who come from all walks of life. They review all genre.

Seven Really Truly Unique Ways to Sell More Books

These marketing tips aren't for the weak at heart. Use discretion and know where the ego and self-promotion boundary stands for you. 1. Use a fold over business card. Place your book information inside the fold. The title on the bottom side of the fold so it is seen first when the card is opened. Only one book to sell right now, no problem. To fill up the page, add the book's tag line or this book is about paragraph. On the top of the fold, list three places the book can be purchased. 2. When you are paying your bills, slip one of your fold over business cards inside. 3. Hand your card out to everyone you have a conversation with. Whether it's the server, a desk or grocery store clerk, or anyone else. This isn't boasting, this is marketing. I've done this on many trips it always increased my mailing list and sales in big ways. 4. When you tell others about your topic and they ask for a tip. Give them two and then tell them what chapter they can find more in. If your card lists several books, circle the book that continues to give them more tips. 5. Always carry one of your books in your hands, cover facing out, wherever you go. Even parties. Keep a dozen books, protected well for frequent shifts and temperature changes, inside your car. Not the trunk. 6. Wear a T-shirt with a copy of the book's cover on the back and your URL at the bottom and on the front. Or list's Amazon.com's URL if you prefer. Get T-shirts for the rest of the family too. When the whole family is wearing one in an unusual color the information will always get inquiries. 7. Create Get a member page and profile on Amazon.com and the other online booksellers. Know and understand member profiles on Amazon.com (<A href="http://www.amazon.com">http://www.amazon.com</A>). On Amazon, select help and type in member profile. Be on Amazon's bestseller list. Sell any damaged books in Marketplace on Amazon. Catherine Franz is a Marketing & Writing Coach, niches, product development, Internet marketing, nonfiction writing and training. Additional Articles: <a target="_new" href="http://www.abundancecenter.com">http://www.abundancecenter.com</a> blog: <a target="_new" href="http://abundance.blogs.com">http://abundance.blogs.com</a>

FAQs about Book Signings

Since I self-published my first book, "101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly," in 1998 and began doing book signings shortly afterward, many people have asked: 1. What do you get paid to do a book signing? It depends on where the book signing occurs. Most bookstores do not pay authors to do a book signing. Linda Ligon, Interweave Press, says that her authors are paid an honorarium by craft stores. The "pay" is most often an opportunity to interact with readers, increase the sales of your book, and enhance your status as an expert. 2. How much money do you make on a book signing tour? It depends-and you may never know precisely. It depends to a large extent on how well your events are publicized because more people attend when excitement is created about the event. It depends on your presentation and interaction with the audiences. You may know how many books were sold during the event, but that is not the end of the story. One bookseller says that more than 60% of the sales are made after the author leaves the store. 3. Why would anyone go to a book signing? To meet the AUTHOR! In many sections of the country, just being an author makes you a celebrity. You are the authority. Having an autographed copy of your book sets the reader apart. In one city a lady purchased several copies of "101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly." With each request, she told me something about the recipient so that I could tailor my comment for that individual. 4. What's in it for authors who do a seminar or talk on their book? By presenting a mini-seminar or discussion at a book signing, you demonstrate your knowledge on the topic. You can elaborate on the contents and tell stories about things that happened while you were in the writing process. You also have an opportunity to develop a rapport with the readers allowing them to experience you as a "real person." Event sponsors will like you because you have provided a free service for their clientele. They will be most likely to welcome you back with your next book. 5. What if nobody shows up? Even celebrity authors occasionally have a "no show," so don't give up! The most important thing is how you react when nobody shows up. Keep smiling and draw on your positive mental attitude. Often people will be in the aisles between the shelves, not wanting to be the first to step forward. Walk over to the section where your book would be, introduce yourself to people there, and invite them to the presentation. Offer them a free flier or handout. After the event sponsor has read the introduction you provided, wait a few minutes, and then begin your presentation at the appointed time with a welcoming message. If a microphone has been provided, use it. If no one shows up after two or three minutes, bring your talk to a close with an invitation to people milling about to visit the table later. Usually, managers will ask authors to sign some extra copies. Be gracious and uncomplaining. Later, review your actions and see what might be improved upon. 6. How do you find the time to set up a tour? Conducting a book signing is like presenting a play. There are several roles-the author designs the tour (venues and dates), prepares a mini-seminar, discussion, or speech, and does the signing. The support staff makes the contacts and provides publicity material, orchestrates the travel details, and does the follow-up to be certain that everything is synchronized. A separate person or company may be involved in the publicity effort, depending on the expertise of the support staff. 7. Assuming that you have had "no shows," what's the best book signing event you have ever held? It is seldom that a "no show" occurs. The best book signing event I have had was at a large Barnes and Noble bookstore in El Paso, TX, where I signed "Take Charge of Your Life." The event was preceded by interviews on three television shows (affiliates of national networks) and a radio interview. The El Paso Times newspaper published an article about the book on the day of the signing. It was on the front page of the "Living" section with a color photo of the book cover. That evening, after the bookstore staff brought all the chairs in the store into the presentation section, people were standing along the sides. Most of the audience stood in line long after the presentation to talk with me and get their books autographed. You, too, can have such events. We can help you. Jo Condrill has done book signings across the country and she can show you how to. She is an award-winning author, speaker, and consultant with over 25 years of experience in business, government and volunteer organizations. She is coauthor of "From Book Signing to Best Seller: An Insider's Guide to Conducting a Successful Low-Cost Book Signing Tour." This book was named the 2002 Best Writer's Reference Guide by the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. Listen to an interview with Jo at <a target="_new" href="http://www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/rr.condrill.cfm">http://www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/rr.condrill.cfm</a> for more information, visit her website <a target="_new" href="http://www.publishandprosper.com">http://www.publishandprosper.com</a> <a target="_new" href="http://www.publishandprosper.com">http://www.publishandprosper.com</a>

วันเสาร์ที่ 25 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Navigating the Amazon Sales Ranking

Looking to Sell Your Book for a Good Price?

Many self-publishing authors plan on eventually selling their book to a large publisher at a good price. The fast track way to achieve this goal is to push up the market value of a book with a push v. pull strategy. This article shows you how to do exactly that, using a simple Internet strategy that any self-publisher can afford. PUSH v. PULL EXPLAINED Books with push like Harry Potter push customers through the doors, and the registers go kachink, kachink. With self- published titles, booksellers must pull customers through the door and that costs money. Put yourself in their shoes. Giving preference to books with built-in push makes sense. Remember this formula: push stacks chips on your side of the bargaining table and pull sweeps them away. With a transferable Internet presence strategy, you can stack chips to the ceiling just like the big boys do. WHAT THE BIG BOYS ARE DOING The push is on with major publishers to build market value for their intellectual properties with the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) system. A DOI is a permanent Internet address for your book. No matter how many times ownership of a book changes hands, the DOI Internet address is permanently bound to the book, just as tightly as the binding. This is why hundreds of big publishers have registered over 16 million intellectual properties with the DOI system with millions more on the way. Who fueled the creation of the DOI system? Computer experts? No. From a market asset valuation standpoint, that makes as much as sense as going to a Sushi Chef for a vasectomy. (Better idea ? get the Sushi afterwards!) Rather, it was senior publishing executives and their financial gurus who pushed for the creation of the DOI system. When you sit down at the bargaining table with a DOI, you'll be talking their language. PLAYING WITH THE BIG BOYS The Internet is like an elephant, it remembers everything and it can remember a lot! You can always include your email address or your web site address but these things point to a business identity ? not the work, itself. Use the same DOI on every web page, ezine article, review, blog post, etc. and it becomes a 24/7 market value builder that follows the work. If something changes, like your email or web site address, one simple update is all it takes. No more annoying "page not found" or "no such e-mail recipient" errors. Use your DOI the right way, and every little stitch of web presence marketing you've done becomes one more chip on bargaining table. Remember, the big guys speak DOI. DOI BENEFITS ARE IMMEDIATE Getting good book reviews is so miserably hard these days, especially for self-published authors. What if your book finally gets that fabulous review you've hoped for long after publication? Will it be orphaned from the book marketing information you've already published on the Internet? No. One quick update of your DOI and everything that it references on the Internet will immediately begin broadcasting your fabulous review to the online world. START ADDING MARKET VALUE TODAY Each day, try to add more market value to your book. A blog post here, an ezine article there. These things cost nothing, and yet they can push huge amounts of sales-generating traffic at your book. As a self-published author, you've got to keep your eyes on what the big guys are doing, and when you can emulate them on the cheap, you do it! WHEN TO GET YOUR DOI The best time to register your DOI is after your books are available for purchase on Amazon.com and other online bookseller sites. This way, you can create menu options in your DOI that link to online bookseller pages for immediate sales results. Be sure to ask your publisher or vanity press if they offer a DOI service. One that does is Your Own World Books (Yowbooks.com). Their Author Advantage program includes a transferable DOI. If your publisher does not offer a DOI service, that's OK. As the copyright holder, you can register your DOI with an independent DOI hosting service like DOIeasylink.NET. The annual cost of a DOI is comparable to one-month web site hosting fee. Plus, you get a 1-page Internet response page and descriptive menus with multiple Internet links. USE A DOI TO HIT CRITICAL MASS If you remember only one thing from this article, let it be this. Think like the big boys. Use this strategy to add more market value by continually broadcasting information on the Internet with your DOI. Eventually, you'll hit critical mass. People will buy your book, and large publishers will see this and be impressed! Free Publishing Guidelines: You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. DOIeasylink.NET: We Add Value to Your Book - Learn More: <a target="_new" href="http://doieasylink.net">http://doieasylink.net</a> - <a target="_new" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2122/doieasylink">http://dx.doi.org/10.2122/doieasylink</a> - Marshall Masters, President - <a target="_new" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1572/marshall.masters">http://dx.doi.org/10.1572/marshall.masters</a> Marshall Masters is a publisher, self-published author, radio personality and Internet technologist. His published titles include Godschild Covenant: Return of Nibiru, Gold Fever, Indigo- E.T. Connection, and Orange Blossom. He founded DOIeasylink.NET to make the DOI system available to self-publishers and small presses. Drawing upon his decades of consulting experience with notable firms such as AT&T, Oracle, HP, Lockheed and Sun Microsystems, he created a simple, affordable DOI solution for self-publishers and small presses.

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 30 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Super Profitable Techniques for Selling Books By Mail

Navigating the Amazon Sales Ranking

Sell More Books With an E-mail Newsletter

วันพุธที่ 29 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Top Six Lies About Book Marketing: (And the Truths to Set Your Book Free!)

Publishing Your Book?What Way is Best For You? - Part 1

Top Ten Non-Techie Steps to Market your Book Online

วันอังคารที่ 28 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Authors Should Be Optimistic

Top 10 Ways to Know your Book Concept will Sell--Before you Invest Time and Money

28 Reasons Why Publishers Will Buy Your Book

Plain Speaking ? 4 Secrets For Getting Your Book Purchased

วันจันทร์ที่ 27 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Quiz: Will Online Book Marketing Help Sales?

Three Powerful Tips on Selecting a Book Topic that Sells

Top 10 Tips for Book Titles that Sell Well

Ten Ways to Make Your Book Outsell Another

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 26 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Five Book Back Cover Mistakes and How to Solve Them

Raise Your Hand If Youd Consider Giving Up The Rights To Your Book Forever

The Bible Of Self Publishing

Seven Really Truly Unique Ways to Sell More Books

FAQs about Book Signings

วันเสาร์ที่ 25 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Navigating the Amazon Sales Ranking

Looking to Sell Your Book for a Good Price?

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