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

Instead of asking, "What is the next book we can publish?" ask, "What can we do to sell more of the books we already have?"

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

What English words rhyme with orange, purple and silver? There are no words in the entire English language that rhyme with them. For additional trivia, there are only two words that end in "-gry:' angry and hungry. There are only three that end in "-ceed:" exceed, proceed and succeed. And liquefy, putrefy, rarefy and stupefy are the only four words ending in "-efy." (The Little Book of Answers, by Doug Lennox)

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

When architects look at an opening between two rooms and think "door," that is what they design. But what if they think "passageway?" Then they may design something much different, like a hallway, atrium or tunnel. Different words bring in different assumptions and lead your thinking in different directions. The Association of Publishers for Special Sales (www.bookapss.org) is your passageway for greater sales to non-bookstore buyers, in large, non-returnable quantities. It takes work, but those who are willing to do it can be profitable.

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

Planning is important as a first step, but shouldn't consume an inordinate amount of time, especially for a start-up. Focus on your customers, then start on your path in a considered direction. Then experiment, evaluate and iterate.

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

I was listening to Billy Joel's song "An Innocent Man" and the opening lines ("Some people stay far away from the door, if there's a chance of it opening up") reminded me of the way some authors feel about book marketing. They aren't willing to do what it takes to make their book successful. I believe you have to move out of your comfort zone at times to do what is necessary to sell books. This may include picking up the "200-pound phone" to call a prospective corporate buyer. But after each call, the phone feels a little lighter.

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

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 – November 24, 2018

Today's trivia: Dr. Seuss pronounced his name so it would rhyme with rejoice. He also coined the word nerd in his 1950 book, If I Ran the Zoo ("The Book of Useless Information," by Noel Botham)

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

"Fitting it all in is impossible – but designing a plan to do what matters most is very possible." Tammy London

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

Don't just ask what customers want. Ask why. You can learn what they really want even if they don't know it.

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

Secret to success? Early to bed, early to rise, work like heck and advertise

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

Planning for 2019 is a process, not an event. See my four-part series of articles on this process: Step One: Marketing Strategy Rules; Step Two: Marketing Choreography (Planning); Step Three: The Hidden Power of Marketing; and Step 4: The Measure of Marketing. Find these among many other free articles at http://tinyurl.com/85o9f3k

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

"The success of an online video marketing campaign is based 50 percent on actual content, 15 percent on the title, 20 percent on the thumbnail image of the video and 15 percent on promotion of the whole package."  Siobhan Tyrrell, digital marketer

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

What English words rhyme with orange, purple and silver? There are no words in the entire English language that rhyme with them. For additional trivia, there are only two words that end in "-gry:' angry and hungry. There are only three that end in "-ceed:" exceed, proceed and succeed. And liquefy, putrefy, rarefy and stupefy are the only four words ending in "-efy." (The Little Book of Answers, by Doug Lennox)

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

Take a daily walk to clear your mind. Charles Dickens took three-hour walks every afternoon, and what he observed on them fed directly onto his writing. Ludwig von Beethoven took lengthy strolls after lunch, carrying pencil and paper with him in case inspiration struck. (Readers Digest)

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

Use a creative process to build your 2019 marketing plan. Ask yourself, and answer, questions stimulating innovative ideas. How many titles will I publish? At what price will they be sold? How will they be distributed in traditional and nontraditional markets? How can I use publicity, advertising, sales promotion and personal selling techniques to promote them? What will all this cost and how much can I expect to make at the end of the year? How will all that position my business for future growth? Your answers create your plan.

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

Book marketing is like going on a diet. You are motivated to accomplish something and set a measurable, realistic goal. You research different ways to accomplish your objective, choose one and create a plan leading to reach it. You might have to give up some things you enjoy doing, and do some things you don't like doing, but know are necessary. You may become tempted to quit when you don't see results quickly, but you persist until you reach your goal. As you experience a sense of pride, you soon realize that to maintain your new circumstances, you must keep doing what you did to get there.

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

What do a cat and a refrigerator have in common? They both have a place to put fish, they both have tails, and they both come in a variety of colors. What similarities does your book concept have with a recipe in a cookbook? A bud about to open? Building a house? Making a law? Raising a child? Waging war? To what can you compare your idea? How can that help you approach your book marketing in a new way?

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

People set high expectations for their books, and create a plan to get there. But when things don't go their way in a few months they lose heart and soon quit. But what if the plan were wrong? Or poor implementation of a good plan? Don't quit. Evaluate your actions, make necessary changes and try again

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

When something doesn't make sense, why do we say, "It's neither rhyme nor reason"? After reading a manuscript that was submitted to Sir Thomas More for publication, he told the poet-author to rewrite it in order to make his point clear. After his friend reworked the manuscript, More read it again, and this time he approved, commenting, "That's better, it's rhyme now anyway. Before it was neither rhyme nor reason." (The Little Book of Answers, by Doug Lennox)

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

Growing your business depends in large part on your ability to innovate – both content and marketing. Moving from your core business (trade sales) into special (non-bookstore) markets is an example. Joining a mastermind group can help you access the combined knowledge of others to help you make the move. The Association of Publishers for Special Sales has mastermind groups that create an environment in which people feel comfortable, willing and able to innovate. Such a support system makes it easier to be creative since your colleagues both supports and expects new ideas.

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

If you get a voice-mail message or email from someone you don't know, what do you do? Ignore or delete it? Company buyers do the same when you contact them – if they have never heard of you. Develop an awareness of you and your content (networking, publicity, direct marketing, referrals) before you contact buyers. They will be more likely to respond to your call or email.