Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 31, 2016

Say "yes," and then figure out how to do it.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 30, 2016

Think "Inside The Box" and sell books to Wal-Mart. See my article on how to do that at http://tinyurl.com/85o9f3k  -- scroll to the bottom

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 29, 2016

If corporate buyers are not familiar with using books as promotional tools (premium, gift-with-purchase, ad specialty), you must start with a basic sales pitch about how and why they could use your book as one.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 28, 2016

A book should have the same image as the outlet through which it is associated. For example, a book sold through Dollar Stores will have a much different image than a book offered as a premium for a $300 suede coat from Eddie Bauer. Additionally, the concept of product placement functions as much and as well in the publishing industry as it does in television shows and movies. If a brand name is mentioned in a book, the owner of that brand becomes a likely sales prospect. Furthermore, the capabilities of digital printing make it easier to change the name of the product if it is necessary to sell to a different buyer.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 27, 2016

Retailers (discount stores, warehouse clubs, airport stores) buy on a returnable basis, but non-retail buyers do not return books.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 26, 2016

Expect the unexpected. Columbus was looking for India. Bell was trying to invent a hearing aid. Colonel Sanders set out to sell his chicken recipe to restaurants. Often what we're looking for leads us to something much different. What are two unexpected things that might happen to your current project?

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 25, 2016

Penguin Random House Audio launched an app called Volumes, offering free sample chapters and advance copies for journalists, bloggers and booksellers

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 24, 2016

Penguin Random House Audio launched an app called Volumes, offering free sample chapters and advance copies for journalists, bloggers and booksellers

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 23, 2016

In today's Wall Street Journal (July 23, page A13) there is an interesting article about the relevant content of a book first published 80 years ago: "How to Win Friends and Influence People." There are two excerpts that I thought were particularly relevant to selling more books to corporate buyers. First is what author Dale Carnegie calls "the law of human attraction: Always make the other person feel important." Second is "We are interested in others when they are interested in us." Show buyers that you are more interested in helping them solve a business problem than you are in selling your book. Then you will sell more books.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 22, 2016

Discover what makes a great book cover in the next APSS webinar, "Anatomy of a Book Cover" by Michele DeFilippo; July 28 at 6:00 pm ET; Register at http://tinyurl.com/z65y4ju

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 21, 2016

Eliminate boomerang books. Returns don't come from consumers. They come from people in your value chain (retailers, distributors, wholesalers). Why do they return books? Because they aren't sold. Why aren't they sold? Because people are unaware that your book is available, or don't know why they should spend their money on your book instead of something else

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 20, 2016

When making a sales presentation, speak more persuasively with a low-pitched voice. This inspires confidence from those around you, according to a study from McMaster University in Canada. You don't have to fake it – relax before speaking by keeping your lips together and repeating mmm-hmm a few times, suggest Forbes body language expert Carol Kinsey Goman. Stress can constrict your vocal cords, making your voice come out higher than usual.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 19, 2016

Listen to customers, understand their needs and develop products (not just books) and services to meet those needs

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 18, 2016

Uber (the world's largest taxi company) owns no vehicles, Alibaba (the world's most valuable retailer) has no inventory, and Airbnb (the world's largest accommodation provider) owns no real estate. Stop thinking in terms of selling tangible products (books) and start selling the benefits of your intangible content.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 17, 2016

E T A O I N S H R D L U C M F G Y P W B V K X J Q Z  This is the alphabet in order of its frequency of use in written English

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 16, 2016

Being on the continuous product innovation treadmill is expensive and unnecessary. Ask customers what they want and give it to them. Search your backlist titles for answers

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 15, 2016

Strategy is deciding what your unique value proposition is for each prospect and then how to communicate it and convince them that they are better off with your proposal than with any other decision they can make. 

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 14, 2016

Have a new book by tomorrow. There are two things you can do immediately to create a new book. First, change the format of your existing book to deliver your content in the form most desired by your prospects. Second, change the way you present your content so your potential buyers see it differently – as a way they can solve their problems. Presto – you have a new product in the eyes of the beholders.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 13, 2016

Many of our personal goals are stranded on a little island called, "Someday I'll." Don't wait for your idea to happen. Motivate yourself to make it happen. As adman Carl Ally put it, "Either you let your life slip away by not doing the things you want to do, or you get up and do them." What are three things you can do today to reach your goal?

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 12, 2016

Plan. When your book takes off like a rocket, make sure you are inside and in control, not outside hanging on for dear life.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 11, 2016

Preparing a marketing plan is analogous to what tracks are to a train. They keep the train heading towards its destination but they do not propel it forward. It is up to you to perform the actions, creating the power and energy for forward motion.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 10, 2016

Focus on the real truth. Two men went to court to settle a dispute. After the plaintiff made his case, the judge said, "That's right." Then the defendant made his case, and again the judge said, "That's right." At this, the clerk of courts said, "They both can't be right!" The judge replied, "That's right." Moral: the truth is all around us. What matters is where you place your focus. Where should your focus be?

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 9, 2016

Expect resistance. You may have heard, "The only person who likes change is a wet baby." Two basic rules of life are, 1) change is inevitable, and 2) most people resist change. What resistance do you expect to your idea? How can you overcome it?

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 8, 2016

Use good ideas. "Don't let your search for the great idea blind you to the merely good idea," advises inventor Bob Metcaffe. "Reject everything except for the very best and you'll end up with nothing." Educator Donald Kennedy has similar feelings: "A lot of disappointed people have been left standing on the street corner waiting for the bus marked Perfection." What good ideas can you use?

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 7, 2016

Do you play to win or play not to lose? People who play the book-marketing game to win (vs. not to lose) take a little more risk than others. This could be exhibited through content that is more cutting edge, or less typical than that of competitors. They may seek reviews in niche markets with the understanding that while a negative one could reduce their sales, they can still learn from it. These "play-to-winners" re-invest their profits knowing that it takes money, time and effort to sell books. They dream big and set goals that are beyond their reach, but not out of sight. Promotion seekers are more likely to look for sales opportunities in special-sales markets, outside of the traditional bookstore outlets.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 6, 2016

Watch this fun, three-minute video with several significant lessons about building a following for your book or business: http://tinyurl.com/yc8cncj

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 5, 2016

See Brian Jud's latest (July 4) free book-marketing newsletter with columns by Brian, John Kremer, Guy Achtzehn, Judith Briles and others. http://tinyurl.com/3urj5fg

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 4, 2016

Happy "Independents" Day – to all Independent Publishers

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 3, 2016

The single biggest mistake speakers make is to try to cram too much in. Everything you say should be related to your main idea

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – July 2, 2016

"I have accomplished nothing without a little taste of fear in my mouth." Beyonce