How Do Writers Really Celebrate?

 

Writers are so used to being rejected, criticized, or discouraged by others, from publishers, editors, and reviewers to teachers, family, and friends. From a young age, they are told they are not good enough. Some writers will start to believe it.

So how do authors celebrate their success? 

I was recently at the NYC Big Book Awards and Independent Press Awards dinner, and I saw how adults, many middle-aged or older, dressed up and partied like it was prom night back in high school. What a wonderful scene. 

When an author was announced as a winner of an award and they were called up to get their trophy or medal, music was played, just like baseball players have a song played as they step up to the plate to hit.  

The walk-up songs of these authors, all chosen by each author, are as different as each of the authors and their books. I was struck that out of about 100 songs played, not one was duplicated. I don’t even think the same artist was even used.  

These authors have their own stories to share, their own origin stories, and their own approach to writing. These song choices reflect their uniqueness but most of the songs are recognizable and say something that speaks to each writer.

Some ran up to the stage. Others slowly walked with a quiet step. On stage, some prolonged their two seconds of fame or made gestures of pride and excitement with their arms up in the air. A handful were allowed time to speak. Some thanked others for their support, but one thanked her childhood self, for making sure she had fulfilled that child’s passions and goals. I loved that. 

Most importantly, it was great to see so many terrific books and authors recognized for their accomplishments. Really, they were rewarded for their hard efforts to create and stick with it in the face of challenges, rejection, and a lack of support.  

All writers should celebrate their work, and play their walk-up songs even if they did not win an award. And if you are still struggling to find your way, just play the theme song from Rocky.

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,200,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

Authors Should Talk This Way!

 

As an author, you wrote a book, and share tens of thousands of words to convey a story or information  But when you want to promote your book and talk about it, what do you want to say? How will you communicate its message or selling points?  

You might put pressure on yourself to say something so interesting, witty, or amazing, but rather than focusing on perfection, stick to coming across as authentic. Speak with candor and sincerity. Speak with passion and conviction.   

People want to know why they should read your book. What will benefit the reader. Do they get entertained or learn something or feel something? Will they want your book because they believe it’s worth sacrificing their time to read it and their money to buy it?  

Use the power of words. Your energy and body language, and your story-telling ability to convey something of value to your potential readers. Lead them to what you want them to see, think, feel, and do.   

“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care,” says John Maxwell, author of The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication  

He says people want to feel empowered. Whether you are talking with one person or a large audience, he says you should do these five things: 

 

• Embrace people’s potential
• Give people permission to succeed 
• Invite collaboration
• Encourage ownership
• Ask them to hold themselves accountable  

Above all else, remember to speak to people at their level of needs, wants, or desires - and not out of your desperate need to sell a book. In other words, be focused on others and not yourself. Help others and they will then see your book as a solution. 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,800,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

Can Authors Enjoy The Marketing Of Their Books?

 

 

Authors hate to market their books.

But do they?

They hate failure. I think most authors would be fine investing some mindshare on marketing if they see positive results, like sales or recognition.

They hate feeling out of their depth. But if they could feel comfortable when wearing their marketing hat, they would not feel insecure, uncertain, or awkward about marketing themselves.

They hate wasting their time. It is a valuable commodity, to be used for writing, making money, and enjoying life — and not on fruitless pursuits.

They hate spending large sums with low returns. But they would invest any amount of money if they felt more assured of generating a level of good results.

So, what can authors do to make marketing their books more fun?

1. Learn before leaping.

2. Vary the tasks implemented during your dedicated book marketing time.

3. Diversify your book marketing portfolio of hired help.

4. Enjoy getting the praise from ordinary readers, critical reviews from professionals, and feedback from book awards and writing contests.

5. Just go about your book marketing with faith and confidence. Really give it your all and don’t hold back in your efforts, avoid author-envy, and don’t make excuses.

You don’t have to hate selling your book, and when you secure some positive results, you may even come to love marketing your book!

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,950,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

How Do You Get More People To Read Your Book?

 

How do authors get more readers?

The better question is: How much money and/or time are authors willing to invest in order to get more readers?

You can get lots of readers by giving away thousands of digital and/or free print books— but it can leave you in a financial hole. That is okay — if you can afford it — and it serves some greater goal of yours, which could be as simple as ego, a business strategy to sell something else, a loss leader to introduce other books that you have published, or to simply help others by giving the gift of your book.

You might say that in order to get more readers, just: “Write a great book,” but if no one knows it exists, no one is reading it.

So, if you have a great book, what would you do to let people know it exists?

First, you need to demonstrate why your book is great. You can say it — or someone else can. Getting third-party validation is critical. This means you need to:

* Seek out influential testimonials
* Pursue earned and paid book reviews
* Find or encourage readers to post positive Amazon customer reviews
* Won or place high in writing contests and book awards

Post the comments and recognition on your:

*Web site
*Social media
*Amazon page

Include them on your book cover, inside your book, and in your press kit.

You might, to get more readers, explore using any or all of these resources:

* News media interviews/feature or news stories/ byline articles

* Advertising

* Speaking engagements

* Your social media

* Your own blog, podcast, or newsletter

* Building a web site

* Telling your network

* Getting others to sell for you/affiliates

* Give-aways

* Discounted books

* Bundling your book with some other book, product, or service

* Handing out fliers

* Doing targeted postcard mailings

* Conducting a direct e-blast campaign

* Having a catchy mantra or tagline or jingle

*Handing out attractive business cards on quality stock

*Including your book on your email signature

*Using automated email responses

*Scheduling your email and social media posts 

*Circulating Fliers

*Sending out Postcards

*Having a 10-second Elevator pitch

*Being active in Content creation, such as articles

*Making a Free download available on your site for those who sign up (build your mailing list)

*Having a solid Web site that gets updated regularly

*Speaking engagements

*Conference events display

*Having a partner in crime

*Getting Investors

*Doing a Taste test on potential products/books/services

*Executing your own Research and Development

*Using Focus groups or beta readers

*Crafting an attractive Logo

*Giving some proceeds to a partnering charity

*Sequel then series then spin-offs 

Promoting and marketing your books successfully comes down to implementing a few key strategic approaches well, having the right attitude, dedicating the proper amounts of time, energy, money, and mindshare, and turning a lot of core basic things into real opportunities to gain an advantage. There is also a need for your creativity, courage, luck, timing, planning, and of course, having a decent product that is marketable against the landscape of competition in the marketplace. 

Long story short: there are many ways to get more readers, so get to it!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6.100, 000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

Should You Lie To Sell Your Book?

 

 

We all tell lies. It is just a matter of to what degree and how often we do so that separates each of us. Our lying is on a spectrum. For some, the stakes are high, like when a life is on the line — or a career, marriage, or business deal. Other times we lie for ego, friendship, convenience, and even for fun. But we all lie, and if not to others, to ourselves.

Should authors ever lie to market or sell their books?

Politicians lie. So do the police, lawyers, doctors, teachers, salespeople parents, store owners, anyone on a date, the military, and even dog walkers. We lie with the full intention to cover-up a negative, hype a positive, to stay away from a problem, or to position ourselves for a payday.

* We lie by cheating: in sports, relationships, and taxes.
* We lie by omission and intentional silence.
* We lie by not asking, reviewing, or researching.
* We lie by distortion.
* We lie when cheating or stealing.
* We lie by knowingly making empty threats.
* We lie by suppressing our feelings or views.

Oh, the lies we tell, so many, so often, to plenty of people on so many possible contexts. See this article about a study on lies and liars. It gives you insights on who lies and why they do so: https://www.uwlax.edu/currents/how-often-do-people-lie/

Should an author lie for an advantage — or at least not to be at a disadvantage? How can an author lie? Here are some examples:

* Fail to mention a bad review or only quote from the positive part of a mixed review.
* Do not double-check the information in their books.
* Plagiarize passages.
* Make up quotes in their non-fiction book.
* Hype a book they know is ordinary at best.
* Fake their background qualifications or origin story.
* Pay for something, like a customer review or use AI, but do not make it clear that they did so.
* Get testimonials from friends/family but a conflict-of-interest is not stated.
* Make up reviews or endorsements.
* Intentionally pass along fiction as fact.
* Distort or manipulate images as being natural.

There is a long list of liars and the types of lies they perpetuate. Some people use lying as a default, addicted to saying untruths and avoiding the fallout of real-life wrongs. Their go-to is simply to overstate positives, understate negatives, obfuscate, avoid unfavorable truths, and manipulate information, images, and ideas in order to position them for an undeserved advantage, pay-off, or advancement.

Today’s world lives on a trust-truth spectrum that ranges from serial liars to one-time white lie perpetrators. It could be illegal, certainly is not ethical, and sometimes can be very costly. Writers should not lie, but they might do so at times. But lying cannot be a strategy, a tool that you keep resorting to. Eventually you get caught or feel the guilt of lying and the fear of getting caught. It eats at you.

We should never lie to market or sell a book, but each author has to make a choice as to what he or she will do. 

What will you do?

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,850,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum