Book Marketing Matters™
Brian Jud's free, bi-weekly ezine dedicated to helping you get your fair share of sales in special-sales (non-bookstore) markets, and sell more books profitably
Volume 14, Issue 114, Number 332 July 6, 2015 |
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| | Greetings!
Here is your July 6 edition of the Book Marketing Matters special-sales ezine by Brian Jud. It contains regular columns with tips from Dan Poynter, John Kremer, Guy Achtzehn, Rick Frishman, Eric Kampmann, Paulette Ensign, Judith Briles, Tonya Evans and Roger C. Parker. The guest columnist in this issue is Carol Topp.
This newsletter is sent by subscription only. Please pass this information along to people you feel may benefit by it. If there were any problems with this delivery, please let me know. If you prefer to have this sent to you as a pdf, please reply with "pdf" in the subject line or body copy. If you no longer wish to receive this -- or if you received it in error -- please reply with "Remove" in the subject line. All of us at Book Marketing Works wish you success in your book-marketing efforts, Brian Jud Click here to view this newsletter as a pdf document |
(The Association of Publishers for Special Sales -- formerly SPAN) | | Do you want to find potential buyers in bookstores, libraries, businesses, media, associations, movie producers and more? Then create and send an email with your customized message to these targeted, interested prospects? APSS entered into an agreement with a company (AMP) to give you the individualized marketing attention that most publishers provide to the top 2% of their authors. AMP will analyze your content (fiction and non-fiction), find prospective buyers, create a custom book kit and send it to potential buyers on your behalf. Work on a month-by-month basis with no long-term contract Special pricing for multi-title publishers and distributors Excellent results for fiction and non-fiction books Conduct a national rollout of your book -- without leaving home Contact bookstores, libraries and alternate venues in your target markets Use this system to set up speaking engagements, local author events, and sponsorships Arrange radio, television, newspaper and magazine interviews AMP designs your custom book kit based on what book buyers want to see Use a follow-up feature to have us follow up with book buyers for you Your book can be pitched to movie producers and Hollywood studio execs Webinar describing the program FAQ Testimonials Sign Up Here For more information contact BrianJud@bookapss.org _____________________________________________________
Discover This Week's "Marketing Tips" - at www.bookapss.org (changed every Thursday) - Top 10 Tips for Closing Sales
- Get your book cover or marketing message on promotional items such as coffee mugs, pens, pads, bookmarks, key chains, shirts, umbrellas or any of hundreds of other promotional products. Get free consulting on using promotional items
- Find sample marketing plans for selling books in many genres
- Are you solving the right problem? Find out how you can. Get Unstuck with a new idea every week
- Novel Ideas for selling fiction. This week see this site: Buried in the Slush Pile - If you've ever wonder what editors and publishers are thinking, and even if you haven't but feel you need to stay informed, this site offers the straight story.
- Read It and Reap -- A new book business book is reviewed each week
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| We can sell your books to non-bookstore buyers -- non-returnable | | Do you want us to sell your books?
Commission-based special sales. Non-returnable. We pay shipping
We get about 3,000 hits per month  on the ESP search engine. Most of the titles in our program receive some action on a regular basis. We cannot show them all, but here is a list of the direct inquires for which we send sample books. We usually customize them with the customer's logos or with a tip-in insert page. www.premiumbookcompany.com |
Notes From the Front Lines (Excerpted - with permission - from the Book Publishers' Handbook, by Eric Kampmann, President, Midpoint Trade Books ekampmann@aol.com) | | I see seven key decision points that need to be addressed as a book is being prepared for publication. As a distributor, we often are forced to reject books because not enough care was put into one or more of the key decisions before we saw the project. In fact, it would be best if the publisher would enlist the help of the distributor, or some other experienced advisor before arriving at a final decision. Here are the seven key decisions as I see them. First, print the right number of books. Err on the side of caution if you are unsure. Remainder tables are always full for a reason. Second, price the book for your market. If you are selling retailers, then your price should be lower. If your market is very specialized, then you may be able to price up. Third, use an experienced designer for your book jacket. Fourth, chose your printer carefully. Do they have a good reputation for service and fast turnarounds for reprints? Fifth, should you pay the traditional royalty rate or is there another way? Sixth, do you have a distributor and if not, how do you plan to sell your book? Seventh, what is your marketing plan? Do you know your market and do you know how to reach it? |
| | | Help the information-seeking potential customer to make a buying decision. Give enough information on the book. Provide the same shopping experience they have in a store. If you are publishing fiction, put the first chapter on your site as a free read. The first chapter in a creative work will give the reader a taste and is designed to keep the buyer reading. If your work is nonfiction, provide the first page or so of each chapter to give the browser an idea of what is in thebook. |
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A small-size book calls for a large image. This is a photo of the northern lights manipulated in photoshop to create a stunning image for such a context. Simple, bright, and blurry, as if it were a crude photo of an actual angel. The type is classic but feels modern. Yellow is used only for the author's name because white would have been too flat. |
| The Book Shepherd - Judith Briles (Judith Briles is the Chief Visionary Officer of www.AuthorU.org. She's known as The Book Shepherd ( www.TheBookShepherd.com), and is the author of 30 books including Show Me About Book Publishing and Author YOU: Creating and Building the Author and Book Platforms. Download podcasts from Judith's radio show, Your Guide to Book Publishing at: http://rsrn.us/youpublish | | Always remember that books have legs. They may not take off the week, the month, even the year that they are first published. Some take a long them to mesh with their readers-to-be ... to be found. Don't give up. Your marketing efforts, your willingness to support your book will kick it alive. And then, all of a sudden ... eureka. You are found. For fiction, it's not uncommon for book #3 to create the discovery, than go back and pick up #1 and #2 for the ride. My combined books have never hit a NY Times list, and yet have sold more than a million copies-and they didn't really start selling until I started selling them as both author and publisher. |
You're On The Air (Eric Marcus, Author of Breaking the Surface and former producer for Good Morning America and CBS This Morning) | | I love to go on tour. I meet store managers and other people, building relationships over the years. Then when I come out with my next book I tell them, "I've got my new book out. Will you talk to me?" And they do |
The Very Idea (Editorial by Brian Jud) | | 
Gutenberg taking a "selfie" |
Ideas for Selling to Non-Bookstore Buyers Guy Achtzehn (President of The Promotional Bookstore, offering commission-based sales of books to non-bookstore buyers, guy@msgpromo.com) | Sell your book, by selling someone else's book. By selling your book to companies and business customers, you have found that there is a target market. If you have a cookbook.... Target may be people who cook. A financial book.... banks, credit unions etc.... But, if you have a cookbook, why not partner with authors who are equally interested in selling their books. Then merge ideas to sell each others' books as well. This opens the door for each other, in different areas of the country and provides additional opportunities for your book. Meet by phone at least monthly and discuss target markets etc. We can help you find people and join forces to conquer the world! |
Leadership and Growth Concepts - Tom Hill (Founder and CEO of the Eagle Goal Coach, an organization devoted solely to assisting others find and follow their life's passion. Tom can be reached at tom@tomhillwebsite.com) | I recently recommended the book Traction by Gino Wickman. One segment that stuck out was how he viewed long term planning. Most of us write a 5-year business plan and some even have a 10-year plan and all of us probably can throw the business plan away after the first year as everything changes. Gino Wickman's recommendation is to set a "10-year target", a "3-year picture" and a "1-year plan". We like the idea of a target, a picture and a plan; it's so much more accurate. |
Marketing Planning (Excerpted from Brian Jud's e-booklet, Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan: 461 Tips for Profitable Marketing Planning; www.bookmarketing.com) | Begin by knowing where you want to go. Preparing goals is the start of the planning process, the foundation upon which your implementation and evaluation occur. Objectives must be clear so there is no misinterpreting their intent; specific so there is no doubt about whether or not you reached them; measurable in their objectivity, eliminating indeterminate goals such as "be the best in the business;" attainable in a limited time period; written to make them indelible and not subject to later interpretation. Set your goals within the realm of what is possible for you to accomplish. Arrange them from the most to the least important, from broad to specific targets so you do the most important tasks first. |
Book-Marketing Tips - Roger C. Parker | | There's more to editing than proofreading. Authors sometimes view the need for editors as a sign of weakness. They often think: "I've probably made some grammatical or spelling mistakes, and I guess I need an editor to fix them." But, there's more to editing than "fixing" grammar and spelling. A good editor can save you months of wasted effort by helping you identify what you're trying to accomplish before you begin writing. The above process is called "developmental" editing. It takes place before you write your book. Developmental editing involves working with a book coach in order to fine-tune your goals for writing a book, identifying the contents and organization of your book, and creating a marketing plan for your book. A book proposal is the result of working with a developmental editor. A book proposal is a business plan for your book. It describes the market you're writing for, the benefits they're going to enjoy, the competition your book will be judged against, the contents that will make your book unique, and how you're going to market your book. Why can't you do this yourself? You could, if you had experience and time! But, working with a developmental editor can help you prepare your book proposal faster and better than you could by yourself. The process of conversation and collaboration gets your book started on the right track, without the isolation that comes from trying to do everything yourself. Good developmental editors are often published authors who understand publishing and are who available to work with you as you explore options and develop a content plan and marketing plan for your book. |
Marketing Strategy
(Excerpted from Brian Jud's e-booklet, The Buck Starts Here: 635 Tips for Creating Successful Marketing Strategy; www.bookmarketing.com) | Expand from your core market to special-sales (non-bookstore) buyers. The book-buying public grows at the same rate as population growth, so making more and better books will not necessarily increase sales. |
Legal Matters That Matter to Writers (Contact Professor Evans at Legal Write Publications, info@legalwritepublications.com or www.legalwritepublications.com; The information contained in this column is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you need advice regarding a specific legal matter, consult a lawyer as each case is fact-specific.) | | What a Copyright Owner Has the Right to Do. In general, the Copyright Act gives a copyright owner the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do (or preclude others from doing) the following: - Reproduce the work (make copies)
- Prepare derivative works based on the original (create a motion picture based on a novel or a novel based on a motion picture)
- Distribute copies of the work to the public (publish) by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending
- Perform the work publicly (a public reading)
- Display the work publicly (hang a painting in an art gallery)
- Perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission (DAT), in the case of sound recordings
Collectively, these rights are often referred to as an author's exclusive bundle of rights. To find out what copyright does not protect, order the e-Report titled What Copyright Does Not Protect or the book Copyright Companion for Writers |
Booklet Ideas - Paulette Ensign | | What's your purpose in writing anything, whether it's a book, article, blog post, tips booklet, or anything else? Is it because you want to be rich and famous, or only rich or only famous? Do you want to primarily be helpful to people, which may or may not be easier to do once you are rich and/or famous. Do you have a message you want to spread, to reach as many people as you can? By now you may have realized there are lots of ways to accomplish your purpose. Some of those ways take longer and are a lot of work. Yet others have a shorter path to greater results and can actually be a fun journey. Remember those bits of brilliance you have to share with people, those bits that can become a tips booklet? Yes, there are traditional ways to compile and publish them, whether online or in hard copy. Creating a group of well-edited tips is also a valuable resource, a reservoir to tap for applying in truly endless ways. A recent magazine article mentioned a person walking down a busy city street wearing a tee-shirt that had a how-to tip on it, with the website address of the tip originator right below the tip. One of the many people who saw the shirt visited the website which had exactly what the person was seeking, and a substantial sale was made --- all from seeing a person walking down the street wearing a tee-shirt with a tip and a website address on it. Something similar happened from someone stopping at a traffic light in a local community, seeing the mini-van next to them. A pithy how-to tip and a website on that van triggered a huge sale that most likely would not have happened otherwise. While a walking tee-shirt or a promotionally wrapped mini-van may not suit your company's image, the content you distribute, or you as the company owner, there are many other ways to expand your message, your reach, your revenue, and your overall enjoyment of what you are doing in your business. And you can do all of that by testing first and investing next. The very first thing to do, though, is to create a file of how-to tips that represent your expertise. That is the piece of clay that can be shaped into many forms, some that come to mind more quickly than others. The tee-shirt and mini-van, while maybe not your choice, are easy to imagine once you've got the content. There are many more that are equally or even more effective for you, your company, and your buyers. ACTION - Create a file of how-to tips, telling the reader what to do, with a maximum of 30 words, though less is better. Realize that list can be licensed to companies and associations for them to use for their purposes, and also that you can offer in various formats - on jigsaw puzzles, in customized fortune cookies, on kites, as skywriting - with the website address of whoever is using the tip, whether that is you or your licensee. You will have extended your reach and made more money by re-purposing those tips in ways you may never have imagined. |
Guest Columnist - Carol Topp, CPA (Carol Topp is an accountant and author of Information in a Nutshell: Business Tips and Taxes for Writers. She may be reached at Carol@CarolToppCPA.com ) | Usually you can use your own name as your business name and do not need to file a fictitious name registration, called a DBA (Doing Business As) name filing, with your state or county. If you form a publishing company you will probably choose a business name. Check with your Secretary of State to see if the name is available and to determine their name-registration requirements, Search www.business.gov and use the keywords "fictitious business name" for requirements for filing a fictitious business name in each state. |
Kremer's Korner (Excerpted - with permission - from John Kremer's Sixth Edition of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. Contact John at http://www.bookmarket.com) | | When creating sales literature for librarians, list the publication dates for your new and forthcoming titles so librarians can be sure when your books will be available; then be sure to meet those publication dates. List the month and year of publications for your backlist titles as well; librarians like to know how current the information is in any book they order. Providing the copyright date and ISBNs also helps librarians to avoid ordering books or editions they already have. |
| | | To write a nonfiction book, it's crucial to set achievable goals and create workable plans to achieve them. Unless you're into experimentation or just want to meander along for the ride, you need a road map; you need to know where you're going. You must be clear about your objective, what you want to achieve. So, the first step is to clarify your goals. Understanding your goals can be elusive and that they too can change. The first goals that pop into writers' minds are not what they truly want. Or they mature and develop and their goals and values change. The best way to determine your actual goals is to ask yourself non-judgmentally why you want to write a book. Be honest. Dig deep to find the actual reasons why you want to write your book, because they can influence the choices you make and the direction you chart. Do you have a point to make, a story to tell, or a feat to accomplish? Admit if you want fame, fortune, and recognition, but understand that they may be difficult to attain. Before you begin to write, after you are clear on why you want to write, create a step-by-step plan. Think about the best way to get information and understand your topic, how you can find out what you should read and whom you should interview. Assess the competition, learn how you differ, and identify your niche. Set financially realistic goals, which means don't expect to make a fortune from your book. In fact, don't write a book to make money, because you will probably be deeply disappointed. As Louis Patler points out, even books that sell well may make questionable financial sense. |
Helpful Website of the Week - Adele M. Annesi
(Adele is a freelance writer and an editor with a high-tech analysis firm in Stamford, CT and may be reached at a.annesi@sbcglobal.net) | 
Writer Unboxed http://writerunboxed.com
This site began as a collaboration between two aspiring novelists who tried to understand what makes good novels work. The site now includes contributors from all walks-from the not-yet-published to bestselling authors and industry leaders-and has grown into a rich community for writers interested in the craft and business of fiction.
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| | The Art of Crowdfunding for Books By Amanda Barbara July 9 - 6:00 pm ET Creating a professional and marketable book requires not only time, but money. Pubslush, a pre-publication platform that helps writers prepare to publish, will discuss marketing and financing your own books by crowdfunding.
Selling More Books On the Air and in Personal Presentations By Jackie Lapin
July 23, 6:00pm ET Get inside information from 35-year PR veteran Jackie Lapin, founder of Conscious Media Relations, a PR agency specializing in servicing people who are committed to personal and global transformation and Conscious and Transformational Speakers, a unique speaker's bureau serving those on a mission. Discover: - How to distinguish yourself
- What tools to have in your tool box
- How radio has captured the world...
- What are media biting on...how to craft your hook
- What's the one entrée that opens media doors
- How to write a compelling pitch letter
- Taking center stage-what does it take to get you there
- How to be compelling to an event or venue booker
- How to get booked
- The short cuts to getting you in front of audiences
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Get Links to All of Jud's
Book Marketing Webinars | I have conducted over 50 webinars that can help you sell more books. Watch and listen as I describe how to increase your sales to non-bookstore buyers, how to get on TV and radio shows, get more publicity, conduct bookstore events, get more reviews and awards and more.Get links to recordings of my 60 - 90 minute webinars.
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Buy Lines -- Free Information | Do you need a jump-start to get your sales moving? If so, consider a one-hour consultation with Brian Jud. Get answers that will ignite your sales efforts. Brian can help you create a quality product, distribute it to markets you may not even know exist, price it profitably and promote it more effectively so you can...
Sell more books
Beat your competition
Become more profitable
Sell in untapped, lucrative markets
Minimize -- if not eliminate - returns
Contact BrianJud@bookmarketing.com for more information |
| Book Lemur - Promote your eBook and get results |  BookLemur connects ebook readers to books and authors and we enjoy finding new authors and books and introducing them to thousands of subscribers. So there are 6,800+ subscribers, and it's growing at about 100 per day!
APSS members receive a 20% discount to promote their titles
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| Sell More Books, Make More Money In Special Sales |  Now Available - the most current and complete resource for increasing your sales and profits in non-bookstore markets.
The ultimate do-it-yourself guide to selling your books in large quantities with no returns. Not just who to contact, but when and how.
By Brian Jud -- $24.95
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| Do You Want to Increase Your Sales, Revenue and Profits? |  A one-day workshop in your office -- customized to your titles -- shows your staff how to make large-quantity sales |
| |  Increase Your Profits with Sales Promotional Items Get your book cover or marketing message on promotional items such as coffee mugs, pens, pads, bookmarks, key chains, shirts, umbrellas or any of hundreds of other promotional products. See more examples at www.bookapss.org/PromoItems.pdf Find out how you can use promotional items to: · Lure new customers · Remind procrastinators to buy · Encourage repeat purchases · Create brand awareness · Boost sales · Create customer loyalty · Attract more people to your trade-show exhibit · Spread word-of-mouth advertising · Have a fun giveaway for book signings and other events Contact Guy Achtzehn at The Promotional Bookstore, guy@msgpromo.com or (717) 846-3865. Provide your APSS membership number for a 10% discount on promotional items
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Contact Information for Brian Jud
| | For copies of all the previous issues of Book Marketing Matters visit www.bookmarketingworks.com/mktgmattersnews To subscribe to Book Marketing Matters click here: I won't share or sell your email address. Discover even more information about non-bookstore marketing by visiting the Special-Sales Tip of the Week at www.bookmarketing.com
Brian Jud now offers commission-based sales to buyers in special markets and several other programs to contact prospective buyers in special markets for you through personal sales calls, customized mailings and telephone calls. There is a program for any budget. www.premiumbookcompany.com Brian is also an author and book-marketing consultant helping publishers market and promote their books to increase their sales and profits. Find rated lists of suppliers to publishers at www.bookcentralstation.com. Brian is a media trainer, frequent speaker at publishing events and host of the online Publisher's Bookstore listing many discounted titles on publishing, publicity, planning, marketing, publishing law, design and writing.
Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com
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I wish you success in your book marketing efforts. There are several ways in which I can help you sell more books more profitably. Let me tell you how by emailing your contact information to me at brianjud@bookmarketing.com. Sincerely, Brian Jud
Book Marketing Works |
| | | Brian Jud now offers commission-based sales to buyers in special markets and several other programs to contact prospective buyers in special markets for you through personal sales calls, customized mailings and telephone calls. There is a program for any budget. www.premiumbookcompany.com Brian is also an author and book-marketing consultant helping publishers market and promote their books to increase their sales and profits. Brian is a media trainer, frequent speaker at publishing events and host of the online Publisher's Bookstore listing many discounted titles on publishing, publicity, marketing and writing. Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (860) 675-1344; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com |
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