Book-Marketing Tip of the Week - November 24, 2008

A broad-line strategy has market segmentation as its main competitive weapon. It identifies pockets of demand, each with distinct characteristics. In this case you would extend your line with different titles for deeper penetration into each segment. This strategy led Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield to create many different Chicken Soup for the Soul titles such as Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Week - November 17, 2008

If your special-sales mission statement were to read: Describe the top retirement locations in the country to help people 50+ years of age plan for their post-career lives. You could reach them by selling books through bookstores. But you could also do it by selling books to real-estate companies for their agents/brokers to give as gifts to people selling their homes, to alumni associations to use as fundraising items, through the bookstore of the National Council of Teacher Retirement or by listing it on Boomers International.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Week - November 10, 2008

There are five major components to consider as you determine the retail price of your book. The first three are hard numbers, distinct and explicit: 1) your direct costs, 2) the discounts taken by your distribution partners and 3) the profit you expect to make. The other two are more intuitive: 4) the goals you have set for yourself, and 5) the psychological impact your price has upon the prospective buyer.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Week -- November 3, 2008

An author does not have to be a media performer or professional speaker to perform promotional events. Nor does he or she have to suffer through a lonely booksigning at a bookstore. Authors can hold popular events that dwell on their topic of interest, such as demonstrations, workshops, readings or in-home parties, with product sales occurring as a result of imparting important information.