Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 30, 2018

"While there is not a simple formula for determining whether a book has been profitable or not, a rough rule of thumb for calculating revenue is to take the cover price, divide it in half to reflect the retailer's share, and multiply it by the number of units sold. To determine profit, costs such as overhead, printing, marketing and the advance must be deducted." (The Wall Street Journal)

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 29, 2018

"If you are stuck on where to start, maybe you have confused a project with a task. It's easy to make the mistake of putting a giant task on your to-do list as a single item: doing taxes, for instance. Because it's such a big job you might put off getting started. The secret is to break down the project into a series of doable tasks," says Julie Morgenstern in her book, Making Work Work

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Brian Jud is the Executive Director of APSS (www.bookapss.org) - formerly SPAN. He is also the author of How to Make Real Money Selling Books. Brian offers commission-based sales of books to buyers in non-bookstore markets. Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT  06001-0715; (860) 675-1344; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or www.premiumbookcompany.com   twitter.com/bookmarketing

Book-Marketing Tip of the Weekend – January 27-28, 2018

 Radish is an app for serialized fiction, designed for the mobile generation. https://www.radishfiction.com/ "On Radish you can write, share and monetize your bite-sized serial fiction stories, perfectly suited for reading on smartphones. Using a freemium model, writers on Radish can earn an income from their work – creating stories that will go on to become the source of the most popular blockbuster movies, TV drama hits and addictive games."

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 24, 2018

Make it right. "The standard reimbursement for moving breakages used to be $ .06 per pound. If we broke a 10-pound table we'd be liable for $ .60, but that's not right. So, we used to give an 'I'm sorry' box to customers, with a coffee mug and gift certificate in it, along with fixing whatever we broke. It made a big difference." Mary Ellen Sheet, Founder, Two Men and a Truck

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 23, 2018

Ignore doubters. "A professor at a local college told me, 'You have nothing to franchise.' An attorney told me, 'You'll need hundreds of thousands of dollars to franchise. Don't bother.' I say, don't be dragged down by people like that." Mary Ellen Sheet, Founder, Two Men and a Truck with franchises in 40 states

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 22, 2018

"The Key to Success? Doing Less" is an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal (Jan 13-14, p C1). "… top performers mastered selectivity.  Whenever they could, they carefully selected which priorities, tasks, meetings, customers, ideas or steps to undertake and which to let go… Hard word isn't always the best work. The key is to work smarter."

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 21, 2018

The publishing marketplace is like an iceberg. There are visible opportunities (bookstores), making it easy to chart a course. But there are many obstacles and hazards (returns) that are potentially perilous for those who proceed unsuspectingly. Look to non-bookstore markets for smooth sailing and a steady course. APSS can steer you to the large, hidden market of non-returnable sales

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 20, 2018

 

"It's not creative unless it sells," goes the advertising line. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can't sell it you won't get very far. What are three reasons that someone would want your idea or product? What benefits does it provide? What does it promise? How can you make your idea more attractive to other people?

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 19, 2018

Authors correctly think "dialogue" is a critical technique when writing fiction. But a twist on that concept is useful in writing non-fiction. Break up your copy by including quotations from others to support your theories. Getting the permission of notables in your field will give you easier access to them, perhaps get them to provide a peer review, and they may help spread the word about your book since they are in it.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 18, 2018

When you ordered a sandwich in a delicatessen, did it come with a pickle? You probably did not order that, but it came anyway. What unexpected advantage can you give your prospects that they do not anticipate (nor expect to pay for)? What added benefit can you provide that increases the perceived value of your product without increasing the price (or your cost) inordinately?

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 17, 2018

Think minimum instead of maximum. Do not look at special sales as a big project requiring you to change your business model overnight. Instead, what is the minimum you can do to get started? Just commit to spending 15 minutes a day this week thinking about how a corporation could use your content to help them. How about an association? Could a school use your material? Then next week spend 20 minutes a day searching for potential companies, associations and contacts in the home-school market. As you begin to experience success your enthusiasm will overtake you and you will launch yourself into a new way of doing business – without giving up the old.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 16, 2018

When things change quickly and when corporate buyers face great uncertainty, they want to deal with a company and people they know and have a vision of their (the client's) needs and interests that goes beyond price. Create relationships with corporate buyers for more sales.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 15, 2018

"A Cure for Our Fixation on Metrics" is an interesting article in this weekend's Wall Street Journal (Jan 13-14, p C4). It says that the general (yet erroneous) belief is that "people are best motivated by attaching rewards and penalties to their performances." It goes on to say, "not everything that is important is measurable, and much that is measurable is unimportant." It's a good article with some thought-provoking concepts.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 14, 2018

What do you need to succeed in book publishing? Your first thought may be money, particularly OPM -- Other People's Money. However, that is not as critical as you may think. Money will come when you do everything else right. The most important attributes that lead to success cannot be purchased. Here are the Top 10 "Must Haves" for success in book publishing: 1) information, 2) skills, 3) contacts, 4) plans, 5) ideas, 6) accountability, 7) feedback, 8) camaraderie, 9) support, and 10) resources. The Association of Publishers for Special Sales (APSS) can help you have a meeting of the minds. Learn more at  www.bookapss.org/APSSMastermindGroups.doc

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 13, 2018

Failure doesn't do something to you, it does something for you. It doesn't take something out of you, it gets something out of you. Learn the lessons from your mistakes and then move on, applying your new-found-knowledge in different ways.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 12, 2018

"When you're first starting a business venture, it pays to say yes to everything… But once you get clear on your strategy, you should turn down more opportunities than you embrace. Aim for a 20-1 ratio of noes to yeses, and you'll achieve the laser focus you need to beat competition." (Fortune)

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 11, 2018

According to the article, "How Our Brains Judge Art in Seconds" (Wall Street Journal, Dec 8, page D1) people judge art as more attractive and appealing when told it is hanging in a gallery. This third-party reference might be beneficial when selling books to corporate buyers. Tell them it is on the shelf at B&N or a non-bookstore retailer or being used as a promotional tool by a non-competitive company.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 10, 2018

Book-marketing checklists. The book-marketing process does not start when your first books are delivered. There are many marketing actions you can take before your book is published. APSS created a timeline to help you plan them: www.bookapss.org/PrePubTimeLine.pdf   There are also virtually unlimited combinations of book-marketing actions you can take after your book is published. Here is a checklist you can use to get started: www.bookapss.org/PostLaunchChecklist.pdf

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 9, 2018

Want an idea for a corporate tie-in for selling your book? The Subaru Loves Learning initiative conducts the annual Science Books & Film Prizes for Excellence competition to recognize outstanding scientific information (fiction and non-fiction) for young audiences. They not only recognize the best science books for kids, they "distribute" books to schools around the nation. See www.subaru.com/partners for more information.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 8, 2018

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 – January 7, 2018

Here are some tips from Chris Anderson, president and curator of TED about making a memorable TED talk. These points are excerpted from his book, TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking.

 

·         Ask yourself if you have something to say. Focus on identifying the kind of idea that a listener would receive as a gift.

·         If you have landed on something solid, the next step is to slash back the scope of your talk so that you unpack that idea properly. The single biggest mistake speakers make is to try to cram too much in. Everything you say should be related to your main idea.

·         Give people a reason to care. Make a human connection and stirs their curiosity. Use intriguing, provocative questions to explain why something needs a closer look.

·         Build your case piece by piece, using words and concepts familiar to the audience. Metaphors make the complex easy digest. Stories help to bring people with you one step at a time.

·         Finally, practice

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 6, 2018

  

Here's a creative marketing idea: Henry Ford invented the modern charcoal briquette from sawdust and scrap wood generated in his automobile factory. Ford encouraged people to use their cars on picnic outings by offering barbecue grills and Ford Charcoal at his auto mobile dealerships. ("That's A Fact Jack!" by Harry Bright). How can you apply similar creativity to sell more of your books?

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 5, 2018

Many publishers focus on the production process as the means of creating value. Their success is measured in terms of units moved to keep the pipeline filled. But you cannot control sales. You can only influence them by your marketing actions. Focus on what you can control (promotion, distribution, pricing), not what you cannot control (sales and revenue)

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 4, 2018

Jolt your creativity. The more often you do something in the same way, the more difficult it is to think about doing it in any other way. Break out of this "prison of familiarity" by disrupting your habitual thought patterns. Start writing your book from its conclusion. Walk up to a stranger and introduce yourself. Start your day with a brisk walk. Eat ice cream for breakfast. Make a phone call to a prospective corporate buyer. Disrupting your routine will lead to new ideas. How can you jolt your thinking?

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 3, 2018

Create a syndrome about your topic and be the expert on it. For example, if you have a cookbook become the expert on treating first-degree burns on grilled chicken. A children's book on prehistoric mammals? Become the expert on dino-sores. A book about addiction? Create an addictionary of special terms. Or, more seriously, being known as the expert on post-partum depression in men might get you more media appearances. If you can't be first, be different.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – January 1, 2018

DARE to do better in 2018: Discover new markets in which to compete. Adapt your marketing plans to better fit your books, personality, goals and resources. Rid yourself of negative thoughts that could be dragging you down. Empower yourself. Don't let the naysayers hold you back. Set your sights on a firm objective and don't let go. Keep marketing your books with a dogged determination and you will see your sales grow. APSS wishes you success and happiness this year.