Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 31, 2017

Use risk reversal in your offer. Make it so your retail buyers come out so far ahead by dealing with you they would be silly not to. Even if they decide that your product is not for them and they return it - they still come out of the deal with the refund and many bonuses that they never had before dealing with you. The stronger the risk reversal and the longer the guarantee, the fewer number of returns and complaints – it's a fact.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 30, 2017

Negotiating with a corporate buyer for a large-quantity sale of your books has both rational and emotional elements. See my series of three articles on this process: The Process of Negotiating, Emotions of Negotiating, Managing Post-Sale Emotions. Find these among many other free articles at http://tinyurl.com/85o9f3k -- scroll to the bottom of the page

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 29, 2017

According to Fortune, "Grow your business more quickly by getting input and ideas every day, whether through product reviews or posting content. The more brains you enlist inside or outside your company to help you tackle whatever big opportunity or challenge you are facing … the greater your odds of shaking up your industry." Consider joining an APSS Mastermind Group --  www.bookapss.org/MastermindGroup.pdf

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 28, 2017

The word "intelligence" comes from the Latin inter ("between, among") plus legere ("choose, read"). To be intelligent is literally "to choose among." A little creativity gives you the options from which to choose. For example, alternatives for selling a children's book could be children's libraries, PTAs, daycare centers, airport stores, supermarkets, government agencies, toy stores, and gift shops at museums or zoos.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 27, 2017

If you are crafting a corporate gifting program you need to keep the selections fresh. Allyson Krichman says, "If you want to make an impact, select items that people find motivating and new – something that represents the latest trends of today's marketplace. Also, select items that appeal to their demographic that are also on trend with today's retail demands." One way to do that is to team up with other APSS members to offer an assortment of current titles.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 26, 2017

When you try something new – like selling to non-bookstore (special sales) buyers -- expect some of your efforts to fail. If you expect things to always succeed, you're probably not far enough out on the learning edge.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 25, 2017

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 23, 2017

Protect the optimism of your firm. "The minute I spot chronic complainers I fire them. I don't care how much money they bring in because negativity kills optimism and belief in the future." Barbara Corcoran, Founder, The Corcoran Group

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 22, 2017

Do you have 2020 vision? What will your publishing business be like in the year 2020? Do you have a plan to get there? Improve your 2020 vision with four sights: 1) Foresight. Create possible future scenarios and then plan your new mix of product, distribution, pricing and promotion decisions accordingly. 2) Hindsight. Evaluate what you did in the past and learn from your mistakes. 3) Insight. What is the unique difference that separates your product from competitors? 4) Outsight. Create a mastermind team – a group of professionals with various backgrounds and meet regularly to evaluate your position and plans.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 21, 2017

"Grow slowly. We got to 10 stores and said, "Perhaps we can open 10 more." Don't wake up one morning and say you want 100 stores, because you'll stretch yourself and your resources too quickly," says Jay Stein, Chairman and CEO, Stein Mart. This applies to book marketing, too. Start media appearances locally, and then expand. Meet with local businesses first to hone your presentation and negotiation skills, then move on to larger corporations.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 19, 2017

Have faith. "You can't be overconfident, but you have to believe in your ability to get the job done. I may jump from a 70-year-old plane one day to a two-year-old state-of-the-art jet the next. All planes fly differently, but there's a certain faith that the plane will take me from point A to point B, as long as I'm doing my job right."

   Rod Lewis, Pilot and Founder, CEO of Lewis Energy

See a10-Step training course to get from A to B when selling books in large, non-returnable quantities at http://bit.ly/2tdA8Eg

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 19, 2017

"Creative people often bristle at the suggestion that they have to stoop to market their ideas. It's pleasant to think that the idea's brilliance is self-evident and doesn't require the theater of marketing. But whether you're an author or entrepreneur, the difference between a brilliant new idea with bad marketing, and a mediocre idea with excellent marketing can be the difference between bankruptcy and success."  Derek Thompson, Hit Makers

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 18, 2017

Have a point of view. "I wrote copy explaining the history, aura and sensibility of the things we sold. It gave the business a point of view, and the merchandise became both a revenue producer and a brand enhancer." Stephen Gordon, Founder of Restoration Hardware

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 17, 2017

Why are you writing your book? Is it to satisfy an internal desire to be a published author or to use your book as a building block in your business? Write to your passion but have a clear plan to translate your purpose into marketable product. That will sustain you through the months or years of writing, and it will also maintain your attitude through the years of marketing it.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 14, 2017

Spend 30 minutes per day on self-improvement (reading, practice, researching). How much better off would you be now with 182.5 more hours of self-improvement in the past 12 months?

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 15, 2017

"Don't ride the crest of a wave in particular industries. We had more than 3,000 units in Houston in the early '80s when the price of oil dropped from $40 a barrel to $8.50. The local economy crashed because it depended on the energy industry – and we went down with it. So spread your risk." Howard Ruby and CEO, Founder Oakwood Worldwide. Sales to non-bookstore buyers can spread the risk of closing bookstores.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 14, 2017

Be a student of time management. You will be the desired choice if you can produce more than your competition in a shorter amount of time. Anyone can learn a skill given enough time. The winners learn it faster and cheaper. APSS can help you learn about selling more books to non-bookstore buyers -- faster and cheaper.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Weekend – August 12-13, 2017

"Have four eyes that go around your head. Look out for the competition at every turn and observe what's happening around you. You have to be mindful of changes and where the markets are going." Howard Ruby and CEO, Founder Oakwood Worldwide

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 11, 2017

Did you ever have a great idea, only to have it shot down by a "Devil's Advocate?" Here is where that term originated.  During the Roman Catholic proceedings leading to the assignment of sainthood, a person is given the job of investigating the candidate and the validity of any associated miracles. He then argues against the canonization by denigrating the potential saint on behalf of the devil. His official Vatican title is the Devil's Advocate.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 10, 2017

Do you write children's books? For more than a decade, growth in children's books has substantially outpaced the rest of the publishing industry. Why? Because as parents, "We love the books, too. And in the best of them, find many of the same satisfactions that we find in adult literature. The stories may be simpler, but that doesn't make them simple-minded." Wall Street Journal, August 5, page C1

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 9, 2017

Your written marketing material should reflect the 7Cs: creative, credible, complete, concise, current, convincing and clear

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 8, 2017

"Can't get started? "Focus on the "joy of completion' to motivate you. Instead of dwelling on how much you dislike the task, focus on how good it will feel when it is done."  Julie Morgenstern

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 7, 2017

Just do something. When one author was asked how to be creative, he replied, "It's simple, you just take something and do something to it. Then you do something else to it. Pretty soon you've got something."

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 6, 2017

There are three reasons why people change. 1) They have learned something new. 2) They have suffered enough. 3) They are tired of doing the same things and not getting different result. APSS can help by 1) showing you something new in our webinar series, supporting your efforts and coming up with new marketing techniques. Check out www.bookapss.org

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 5, 2017

Upper- and lower-case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower' because when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the 'Upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, 'lower case' letters.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 4, 2017

People buy for rational and emotional reasons. Market to the head (price, size, form) and heart (benefits, value)

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 3, 2017

Arrange a library tour around the country. Here is a list of the most gorgeous libraries in every state -- http://bit.ly/2vqQuOy

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 2, 2017

See a list of the 37 top book awards for authors in 2017 at https://book-publicist.com/2017/03/10/35-top-book-awards-for-authors-in-2016/

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – August 1, 2017

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.