Book Marketing Roundup

Welcome to my weekly roundup of book marketing news and resources.

Do you have a success story to share about landing a powerful endorsement for your book or getting a review in an influential publication or blog? Please share in the comments section below and you might be featured in my upcoming book, How to Get Your Book Reviewed.

The New York Times ran an article about independent bookstores charging admission for author signings and other events.  What do you think about this practice?

Shelley Hitz has just released a terrific new resource that shows nonfiction authors exactly how to build their platform, promote books and generate revenue through teleseminars. Book Marketing With TeleSeminars includes an ebook, instructional video, and several bonuses.

Thank you to D'vorah Lansky for her review of The Savvy Book Marketer's Guide to Successful Social Marketing. Stay tuned for news about the launch of D'vorah's new book, Book Marketing Made Easy: Simple Strategies for Selling Your Nonfiction Book Online.

Comments

[Candice]

I've paid to see writers speak at museums and other venues. I have no problem with independent bookstores charging for similar events. At the same time, I think there are very few authors that will be able to pull in a significant paid audience.

Tried to take your survey, but it keeps sending me to a "thank you for taking this survey" page.

[Dana Lynn Smith]

Thanks for your feedback Candice. I agree that many people will pay to see famous authors but probably not someone they have never heard of. Sorry you had trouble with the survey. That message is supposed to appear to people who have already completed the survey.

[L.J. Sellers]

As a self-published author who went to a small press, then back to self-publishing, I feel lucky when I get reviews at all. Yet Mystery Scene magazine reviewed my first Detective Jackson story on a recommendation from Seattle Mystery Bookshop. Mystery Scene called it "a thrilling, eye-opening read." The magazine went on to give rave reviews to the second and third books in the series, finally saying:

“Sellers, the author of the excellent The Sex Club and the just-as-good Secrets to Die For, knows how to wring as much tension as possible from her intricate, socially relevant plots, but it is her talent for creating intriguing characters that makes her suspense novels so memorable. In fact, she’s so good that it’s surprising she hasn’t yet broken through into suspense super-stardom.”—Mystery Scene magazine

This all resulted from my setting up a signing in Seattle, sending a sample book in advance, and driving up there for the event. The store blogged about my book and gave it a great review, which I used in my promotional material when sending out other review copies. Sometimes the efforts I make don't seem cost-effective on the surface, but the payoff in ripple effects.

[Isabel Anders]

Two of my books were reviewed in these publications:

http://www.blogher.com/book-review-becoming-flame-mothers-day-gift

http://blog.al.com/living-times/2011/02/blessings_and_prayers_for_marr.html

[Jason Wood]

Great Article with a lot of really helpful tips & information. I will definitely be following some of your advice in this since I am just starting out in the marketing world. Thanks, -JW

[Dana Lynn Smith]

Hey, thanks Jason. Be sure to click the "Resources" and "Marketing Tips" links at the top of this page to find lots of book marketing information. Good luck with your book!

[Suzanne G. Beyer]

Our co-written book, The Inventor's Fortune Up For Grabs, received favorable reviews from Mid West Review. Also, last fall, we were honored with a book signing at Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association convention in Portland, OR.

Most importantly is Investigative Discovery T.V. "The Will" noticed our story and filmed all of the "characters" this spring. The episode will air in October or November. Date to be set in September.

Please see our website for further information about our book, the story and the authors.

www.theinventorsfortune.com

Best,
Suzanne

[TT]

Hello,

In the recent Savvy Book Marketer Newsletter - from Dana Lynn Smith she mentioned that you were looking for success stories in self-promotion.

My self-published book, A GREAT PLACE for a SEIZURE has been on the market (post my press-release) for a month. It is selling well on the US and UK Amazon websites.

I recently did a BBC radio interview. The opportunity came by accident. I attended a book-reading by an author who I learned later was a BBC radio presenter. I went to the event to see how a "book-reading" was done in case I ever had to do one.

As we were talking about her book, after the reading was over, she started asking me more questions about my novel, A GREAT PLACE for a SEIZURE. We got along well. At the end of our conversation she suddenly asked me if I would be willing to be interviewed as part of a series that she is doing on 60 authors, established and new, who will discuss their books. Those 60 authors include J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown.

LESSON LEARNED: Once you've written the book, get into the trenches go around to learn how book promotion is done from the "pros" who are doing it already. You cannot merely read about it. That can prepare you for what is out there (I have several books myself). You also have to supplement that theoretical knowledge with real,live experiences (seminars, book-readings, conversations with other authors). Watch the "pros" in action. If you're a novelist go where novelists promote their book. If you're a business self-improvement author soak up events in which the "successful" business authors participate. Also, when opportunities fly in your face suddenly, be ready to grab them.

Some self-publishing manuals will tell you to try to hide the fact that you are self-published.

I think we should be honest and open about self-publishing. When I was talking to the BBC presenter I made it clear that I was self-published and she was still interested. I think the stigma from being self-published is going to disappear with e-books. Don't let the fact of being self-published hinder your pride about your book. The publishing world is changing and even people in traditional large media institutions (like BBC) are starting to recognize that sea-change. Therefore we don't have to rely on book-bloggers and word of mouth.

There is great potential for big media interest in your book, even for the self-published author. I'm very glad to be part of this revolution that is self-publishing. I think we are part of a massive shift in the publishing industry. Choice will be back in the hands of the readers and writers, not in the hands of a a few hundred editors and marketing executives in the big-publishing houses.

Regards,

TT

author A GREAT PLACE for a SEIZURE

[Lisa Espich]

When I made the decision to independently publish my book, "Soaring Above Co-Addiction", I almost skipped the pre-publication review process. Over and over I had read how difficult to impossible it was for a self or independently published book to receive one of these reviews.

I'm very glad that I decided to go ahead and have review galleys printed and sent to the major pre-publication reviewers. I made sure that the galleys and media kits were of the highest quality. I avoided putting my name (the author) on any contact information, so that it wasn't obvious that my book was self-published.

As a result of sending these galleys I received highly-recommended reviews from Library Journal, ForeWord Review, and Mid-west Book Review. These reviews really jumpstarted my sales and resulted in library sales of over 1200 copies in the first few months of publication.

For anybody independently publishing or self-publishing I urge you not to skip this vital opportunity for your book. Don't listen to the naysayers -- if your book is high-quality, and you send a professional looking media kit and galley, you have a chance at gaining these lucrative reviews