Tips Guides Resources

As a self publisher you can market and promote your book on a shoestring budget, thousands of independent publishers have done it; be careful about your promotion and marketing dollars and don’t plunge into unknown waters — test, test, and test some more. Self publishers need to have a good marketing plan to sell books and it should be written prior to writing your book and in place a year prior to publishing your book. Your book selling, book marketing, and book promotion planning should begin before the manuscript is completed.

Mail a press release to at least 1000 print and broadcast contacts just prior to publishing your title and again and again after you publish; you can never send too many. Make sure your press release spells out the ‘who, what, where, when, and why.’ Press releases can generate thousands of dollars in sales when picked up by national trade or print media.

Make sure you have at least one good press release, written in AP style, which you can send out for the lifetime of your book. Learning to write and use powerful optimized press releases can often drive tons of traffic to your website while providing multiple back links that can lead to increased page rank and numerous top ten search engine rankings for your targeted keywords. Using press releases for marketing or promoting your book or book’s website has become increasingly popular as publishers discover the powerful benefits of using press releases.

Invest in press release submitting software and set aside time every week to send out a press release online to the press directories. Don’t underestimate the value of a good press release for making book sales.

Create an online contest and list it in online contest directories to drive traffic to your website. Make sure your sales letter or flier is first class; this is your formal presentation of your title to the prospective buyer. Make sure not to overlook the Internet; get yourself interviewed or profiled for sites both about writing, publishing and about the topics covered in your book.

Your sales letter or flier should include an eye-grabbing headline, the benefits to the buyer, the book features, book sales information and testimonials. Remember to make sure your book is listed in Books-in-Print; don’t assume it’s already listed. Submit articles to online article directories that focus on your book’s topic to drive customers to your website.

Build a web site that provides another avenue for ordering, a virtual online press kit and link exchanges with sites that relate to your topic. I’ve seen publishers lose a lot of money paying for expensive display ads, so beware if you do this; I don’t advise it in the beginning — get your feet wet first so you know what you’re doing. Arrange to speak at local, regional and national events that relate to your book topic; bring books along and have an associate sell them at the back of the room.

It’s important to publish a website that focuses on your title; you’ll be able to refer editors and customers and all interested parties to your book information with the click of a mouse. You can give away your book in a raffle at a local function to get more book recognition. If your book fits a specialty market, find a store that fits the genre and offer to leave books on consignment; many publishers have sold thousands of books this way.

Contact any companies, corporations or organizations that might use your book for promotions; offer significant discounts for volume orders or for thousands of copies offer a specified amount above book production costs. Women buy more books then men; see how you can fit your book into the women’s market.

Be your own publicist and send a press release along with a review copy of your book to publications in your book’s genre and to book review magazines. Market your book to your number one market first, and then go after the secondary markets.

Now promote, promote, and promote your book some more! Use your book promotion and book marketing dollars wisely; go after the free and cheap resources daily. If you apply yourself every day and you promote your book like crazy, you can achieve that ultimate goal of selling thousands of copies of your book, many self publishers have done it.

For more information on book marketing tips and selling more books go to http://www.TwinPeaksPress.com founded in 1982, specializing in help for authors, self publishers, ebook and book publishers with tips, advice and resources, including information on media, library and other mailing lists, and press releases - online, wire service and offline distribution

It’s one thing to write a book, but an entirely different thing to write one that’s saleable, viable, and marketable. With careful planning you can market, promote, and get (free) publicity (publicity is always free) on a limited budget; you can take the cheap and easy way. In today’s publishing environment, a book’s success depends greatly on a strong marketing plan.

Using press releases can be a very effective marketing tool if used properly. Your book press release should not be written as you would a sales letter or flier, it should be written for the editor and tell about your book in a factual way, no opinion or glowing remarks. Learning to write and use powerful optimized press releases can often drive tons of traffic to your website while providing multiple back links that can lead to increased page rank and numerous top ten search engine rankings for your targeted keywords.

Send out the same press release to the editor of your local daily newspaper every week until you are called for an interview or are written up. Make sure your press release spells out the ‘who, what, where, when, and why.’ Using press releases for marketing or promoting your book or book’s website has become increasingly popular as publishers discover the powerful benefits of using press releases.

Press releases can generate thousands of dollars in sales when picked up by national trade or print media. Send out at least 10 press releases to the print and broadcast media in your area every month.

Make sure your sales letter or flier is first class; this is your formal presentation of your title to the prospective buyer. When you get a nice write up or feature about you and/or your book, have it laminated and set it up on an easel at trade shows. Print and online publications provide longevity to your marketing campaign in terms of having something tangible for people to reference ongoing.

Your sales letter or flier should include an eye-grabbing headline, the benefits to the buyer, the book features, book sales information and testimonials. Women buy more books then men; see how you can fit your book into the women’s market. Place free ads periodically for your book’s website on Craigs List in different categories to drive even more traffic to your website.

It’s important to publish a website that focuses on your title; you’ll be able to refer editors and customers and all interested parties to your book information with the click of a mouse. Submit articles to online article directories that focus on your book’s topic to drive customers to your website. Create an online contest and list it in online contest directories to drive traffic to your website.

Market your book to your number one market first, and then go after the secondary markets. Remember to make sure your book is listed in Books-in-Print; don’t assume it’s already listed. Contact non-bookstore booksellers and offer to leave books on consignment.

Arrange to speak at local, regional and national events that relate to your book topic; bring books along and have an associate sell them at the back of the room. Local radio shows and television appearances are good but are often forgotten within hours of the broadcast; make sure to make or get a copy of any television broadcast for future promotions.

Make sure not to overlook the Internet; get yourself interviewed or profiled for sites both about writing, publishing and about the topics covered in your book. Be your own publicist and send a press release along with a review copy of your book to publications in your book’s genre and to book review magazines.

The success of any book marketing effort depends on a good book and just plain hard work; its been done many times before and you can do it too. If you apply yourself every day and you promote your book like crazy, you can achieve that ultimate goal of selling thousands of copies of your book, many self publishers have. One of the biggest problems self publishers and book publishers tell me about is the hundreds of books they have in inventory they haven’t set up a marketing plan for; don’t let this happen to you — get prepared now.

For more information on book marketing tips and selling more books go to http://www.TwinPeaksPress.com founded in 1982, specializing in help for authors, self publishers, ebook and book publishers with tips, advice and resources, including information on media, library and other mailing lists, and press releases - online, wire service and offline distribution

Yes, the Information Age is dead. We stand at the cusp of a new era. We used to live in the Information Age, but you know how it goes when everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Too much of a good thing became a bad thing. I know you feel it. We both know that everyone is glutted with more information than we know what to do with. You surf the web and there is page after page of information, right? But how do you sort and sift through it all and solve your problems? How do you get what you need quickly?

We used to want information, but now we want something better. That is why we are at the dawn of a new age. The Recommendation Age. People don’t want information. They want solutions to their problems, and that means they need information filtered through the expertise of someone who has gone before them. And that’s going to be you! You will write your book and become a noted expert in your field.

In his book, The Long Tail, Chris Anderson wrote about the dawning of this new age. He said that what people want is not more information, but a trusted guide who can give context to the content.

Your Life Experiences and Passion position you with the natural readiness to make recommendations to others. It’s human nature. You do it all the time in small ways. Think about it. Haven’t you ever told a friend or even a stranger to steer clear of a product that doesn’t live up to expectations? Haven’t you ever suggested a tasty dish at a restaurant, or told a friend why she would absolutely love a movie you just saw?

I know you have. We all do this. That’s the power of Recommendation Marketing. It’s time to cash in on a natural human tendency. Since four out of five people want to write a book, chances are excellent that you have always dreamed of telling your own story and leaving your own legacy.

It’s time for you to write your book and become an expert millionaire.

Where do people go when they have a problem? The Internet. This is where you should start. Get your book online.

We are drowning in information. The Internet’s greatest advantage is that it level the playing field. Now everybody with a computer and an internet connection has access to the same information. But the greatest asset has also become the greatest annoyance. Today we are drowning in information. We are over-communicated to.

What will you recommend? How will YOU solve other people’s problems. The type of writing that sells the best on the internet is non-fiction. People want help solving their problems.

What problems will you solve for people? Look to your own life. What do you do naturally that other people struggle with? What challenges have you overcome?

The information age is dead. We are drowning in information. What people want now is for an expert to recommend a solution. The Recommendation Age is here. Take your place as an expert and cash in on the Recommendation Age by writing your book starting now!

Glenn Dietzel Author, E-Publisher, Mentor, Speaker…Authoring system used with clients the world over. http://www.AwakenTheAuthorWithin.com

Publishers know they can save a lot of money joining others in joint or cooperative mailings. Co-op mailing is not a new concept or idea, but finding other publishers who want to mail to the same lists isn’t easy.

A free service is helping publishers sell more books through cooperative mailings with other publishers. Publishers submit listing information, as to what kind of mailing they want to do, the nature of the books or items they want to promote, and contact information. DVDs, audiobooks, CDs, software and other items work easily here too. The information is published each month free in a newsletter for entrepreneurs and publishers - ‘Helen Hecker’s Biz Hotline.’ We aren’t involved in helping with any arrangements you decide on. We only help you find others who are interested in joining with you by publishing the information in the newsletter, free.

You arrange with others and send out your fliers in co-op mailings to, for example, public libraries, independent bookstores, new age bookstores, children’s bookstores, hospitals, hospital gift shops, elementary schools, high schools, college libraries, college newspapers, colleges & universities, various departments in elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities, to medical libraries, military libraries, museums, and Christian and religion-related lists, etc.

You arrange with others and send out your press releases to daily newspapers, editors, travel columnists, health columnists, medical columnists, weekly newspapers, major magazine and trade publications in the genre field of the book - business, health, medical, disability, travel publications, etc. I’ve mailed several of my own press releases, successfully, in one business-size envelope third class ( bulk mail) for many years, promoting several of our books, videos, DVDs, titles and services and reaping a ton of orders for us in return. We’ve had thousands of write-ups -articles, items and features in many publications over the years. I think the envelopes are opened in the mail room and the editors never see the envelopes that press releases come in. Also they’ll never know if it arrived by priority mail, first class or third class (bulk) mail.

For many years I ran a sideline fee-shared cooperative mailing service to help our publishing company branch and other publishers, promote titles and sell more books through press releases to the print media (newspapers and magazines, for example) and news releases to the broadcast media (radio station talk shows, TV shows, Oprah, Today show, Good Morning America, etc.) Also we sent fliers to libraries, schools, hospitals, hospital gift shops, newspapers, independent bookstores, new age bookstores, etc.

The costs to do a co-op mailing are established by you and your co-op partners, for the amount necessary to do the mailing, then divided up and paid for well in advance of the mailing. This would include the cost of buying and printing #10 business-size envelopes, the cost of renting the labels, postage cost determined by the weight of the piece and other factors, and cost for the mailing house to do the mail out. All fliers are shipped directly to the mailing house with instructions on the box as to which mailing it’s for. The lead person gives them instructions so they know the boxes are coming.

We’ve always had good results from cooperative mailings and many others have reported they have too. Publishers need to know what markets their genres fit into. No two books or products are exactly alike. So one can’t compare the outcome for titles of books in mailings others have done, to their own titles and potential outcome.

Doing co-op mailings is a good way for book publishers, self publishers, (entrepreneurs and other types of business owners too) to distribute their press releases and fliers, and to save a lot of time and money. And this free cooperative mailing service is a good way for you to find other publishers with the same marketing goals.

Helen Hecker helps book & self publishers, heads Twin Peaks Press, a PR, offline-online marketing, mailing list, consulting, publishing co. Do AP press releases. Publish books, ebooks. Helen Hecker’s Biz Hotline for biz owners. Free co-op mailing service. Since 1982.
http://www.TwinPeaksPress.com