Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – March 31, 2018

How did the rabbit and eggs become the symbols of Easter? The word Easter comes from the ancient Norse word Ostara, which is what the Vikings called the festival of spring. The legend of a rabbit bringing Easter eggs is from German folklore, which tells of a poor woman who, during a famine, dyed some eggs, then hid them in a chicken's nest as an Easter surprise for her children. Just as the children discovered the nest, a big rabbit leaped away, and the story spread that it had brought the eggs. (The Little Book of Answers, by Doug Lennox

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – March 30, 2018: Audience: Friend or Foe?

Brian Jud  recently read Fools and Mortals, by Bernard Cornwell, a novel about Shakespeare. It included this paragraph about the audience for a play, but it struck him as relevant for today's speakers, too. 

 

"We are players, and we love an audience. Sometimes, if a play is going badly, it is easy to think of the audience as an enemy, but truly they are part of the play, because an audience changes the way we perform. We can rehearse a play for weeks, as we were doing with Midsummer Night's Dream, but the moment when the playhouse is filled with people, so the play is transformed. There is a new nervousness, but also an energy. We often ran a whole play in the theatre without any audience, simply as a rehearsal, and often it would be dull and dreary, grown stale by too much rehearsal, yet next day, with two thousand people gaping at the stage, it would come alive."

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

Ideas that are truly innovative -- those that can reshape your business model (i.e., selling to non-bookstore buyers) -- typically go against the grain of conventional (collective) understanding. Take bold, creative, yet considered action to reach your goals this year. Take the first step in selling to non-bookstore buyers today. See www.bookapss.org

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – March 28, 2018

"When you're 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you're 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you're 60 you realize no one was ever thinking about you in the first place." Winston Churchill

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – March 27, 2018

Books are valuable to non-retail buyers for two reasons. First, the information in your book can help them improve, educate, or entertain their customers in some way. Second, they can purchase books inexpensively in relation to their perceived value. People generally hold books in high esteem and are reluctant to throw them away. They keep books, giving them long shelf lives in customers' homes, schools, libraries, and offices. This could also stimulate positive word-of-mouth advertising, leading to more sales for you and your clients.

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – March 26, 2018

What is the origin of the phrase, "tabloid journalism"? On March 4, 1884, A British drug company registered the word tabloid for a very small tablet it was marketing. About the same time, large broadsheet newspapers were challenged by small-format journals, and because tabloid had come to mean anything small, that's what the new papers were called. These tabloids often resorted to gossip instead of hard news, which gave sloppy reporting the name "tabloid journalism."

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – March 25, 2018

I recently read a novel about Shakespeare, Fools and Mortals, by Bernard Cornwell. It included this paragraph about the audience for a play, but it struck me as relevant for today's speakers, too, Agree?

"We are players, and we love an audience. Sometimes, if a play is going badly, it is easy to think of the audience as an enemy, but truly they are part of the play, because an audience changes the way we perform. We can rehearse a play for weeks, as we were doing with Midsummer Night's Dream, but the moment when the playhouse is filled with people, so the play is transformed. There is a new nervousness, but also an energy. We often ran a whole play in the theatre without any audience, simply as a rehearsal, and often it would be dull and dreary, grown stale by too much rehearsal, yet next day, with two thousand people gaping at the stage, it would come alive."

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

If you do what you always did, you'll get what you always got. If you are satisfied with what you have, do more of what you have been doing. If not, try something else, like selling to non-bookstore buyers.

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

What does your book do? Say it in one sentence: (Title) helps (your target readers) who want (problem they want to solve) get (the reward they seek). Example: "How to Make Real Money Selling Books" helps authors and publishers who want non-returnable sales get greater profits from sales to non-bookstore buyers.

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

When Shakespeare was born, there wasn't yet a professional theater in London. His education had prepared him for a job that didn't even exist. "You should be encouraged to learn that this has been true for every generation: four of today's largest companies did not exist 40 years ago. One of them, Apple, was cofounded by someone who said that the most important topic he ever studied was not engineering, but calligraphy. The best way for you to prepare for the unforeseen future is to learn how to think intensively and imaginatively." (Scott Newstock in Wall Street Journal)

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

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 – March 20, 2018

Two frogs fell into a bucket of cream. The first frog, seeing that there was no way to get any footing in the white fluid, accepted his fate and drowned. The second frog didn't like this approach. He thrashed around and did whatever he could to stay afloat. Soon his churning turned the cream into butter and he was able to jump out. How persistent are you?

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

Can you be too passionate about your project? Passion tends to appeal to nonprofessional investors eager to fund the next great idea. But it's a different story when it comes to long-term success, and professional investors have a different perspective. They typically discount founders' passion and pay the most attention to preparedness. Research reveals that persistence has more to do with results than passion a few years out. (Harvard Business Review)

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

How did the shamrock become a symbol of St. Patrick? In the fifth century, Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, transformed that country from its pagan roots to Christianity. During an outdoor sermon, Patrick was struggling to explain the Holy Trinity when he spotted a shamrock. He used its three leaves to illustrate how the Father, Son and Holy Ghost grew from a single stem, symbolizing one God sustaining the trinity, and ever since, the shamrock reminds the faithful of that lesson. (The Little Book of Answers, by Doug Lennox)

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

Take some of the pressure off your pursuit of your goals. Some goals have a fixed deadline (April 15, BEA) but others have a flexible deadline (pub date, promotional campaigns). Which of your goals have flexible deadlines?

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

Be "positively negative." When most people see a new idea, they feel uncomfortable and have a natural, negative bias. Instead, think of the acronym PIN when you have a new idea. First make a Positive comment, then something Interesting, and if necessary make a Negative observation. And when making that observation, be "positively negative" by offering a twist that could make the idea potentially successful. An idea is like a round peg that won't fit into a square hole. It needs some re-shaping. What is positive about your latest "round" idea?

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

You've heard, "Ask and you shall receive." But you have to ask the right question to receive what you want. Google founders Page and Brin didn't ask, "How can we create a search engine?" They asked, "How do we organize the entire world's information and make it accessible and useful?" Don't ask, "How can I write a great book?" Ask, "How can I deliver a message that will help my readers transform their lives?"

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

"In an age when entertainment is knocked for being homogenous (movies), mean-spirited (the Internet) or trashy (reality TV), podcasts, for the most part, seem to generate positivity – provoking thought and curiosity, fostering community and connection." All Podcasts Considered, The Wall Street Journal,

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

Your ability to package your proposal into an irresistible story that moves the hearts and minds can make you more successful selling your books in large, non-returnable quantities to corporate buyers

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

What 25 relationships do you need to nurture? Make a list of all the people who can help you double the size of your business – including the next five major customers you need. Figure out how to cultivate and deepen these relationships before you ask for any favors. "Establish how the relationship will benefit the other person, how you can help make them more successful," says Keith Ferrazzi, author of "Never East Alone"

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

At some point you will meet with prospective buyers (publishers, distributors, funders…) face to face to convince them of the value of your content. What will you say? Discover in the "How to Make a Persuasive Presentation," webinar TONIGHT at 6 pm ET, https://tinyurl.com/y8nrpjgy

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – March 7, 2018

Follow up if you are rejected. Here is an example why. Jenna Lee was rejected after applying for a position as a TV news reporter. So, she inquired seeking feedback that could help her improve her demo tape. The response was they didn't like her accent. But she felt she had no regional accent, and followed up again. They found that a different person, Jennifer Lee, did have an accent, and was disqualified. They assumed they were the same person and never saw Jenna Lee's demo tape, but did later. She was hired.

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

"Luck occurs at the intersection of random chance, talent and hard work. There may not be much you can do about the first part of that equation, but there's a lot you can do about the other two. People who have a talent for making luck for themselves grab the unexpected opportunities that come along." (Wall Street Journal, March 8 p C3)

 

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

Put yourself under a microscope. I always admired the inventor of the microscope (Mr. Micro?). He devised a tool to see what he didn't even know was there. Why did he even think of looking for something he couldn't see? Good question. And it's the same with your book marketing. Look for or create sales opportunities where you don't currently know they exist – in corporations, associations, schools, military.

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

Check out the "Quick Pick of the Week" at www.bookapss.org. It gives you contact information for a different buying segment each week. This week describes how to find museum gift shops related to your topic. #bookmarketing  #APSSbrianjud

Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – March 2, 2018

Take some of the pressure off your pursuit of your goals. Some goals have a fixed deadline (April 15, BEA) but others have a flexible deadline (pub date, promotional campaigns). Which of your goals have flexible deadlines?