Is Your Book Marketing An Expense Or Investment?

 

 

To market your book, you will need to put in a certain amount of time, mindshare, and money into it. Is this an expense or an investment? What is the difference?

When you take $7500 and put it into a CD and earn four percent interest for a year, you are guaranteed to make money — $300 to be exact. One would say you invested your money.

If you take $7500 and put it into amazon stock and within a year it goes up 10%, you make $750, more then double the guaranteed return of a CD. That was an investment with risk.

If you take $7500 and bet on a craps table, that is gambling, an investment with greater immediate risk and reward potential.

But in all cases, the outlay was an expense in the sense that you don’t have access to that money, as if you never had it. Each type of investment has varying degrees of profitability potential and several has loss possibilities.

Well, putting money into book marketing is the same thing. It is initially an expense, but it has the potential to turn a profit or provide a non-monetary payoff of some value. Book marketing is somewhere between having a hobby and running a business.

Yes, I don’t mean to play word games, and yes, by no means do all publicity campaigns bring one riches, but, the assumption that there is a cost and no return hampers authors.

Like with anything, we invest with no guarantees. We invest in our children and not all turn out like we hoped. We invest in a spouse and half of us get divorced. We invest in stocks and some go south. But, we do so because we believe in these things and try to do something to better our lives.

Guaranteed: no investment, no return, and if you don’t get more of what you want, you lost something. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You can’t put money under your mattress and expect to be better off tomorrow.

You, in my view, should be open to book marketing, and instead of fearing or dismissing it, embrace it. The only question should be: What should you do specifically, not on whether to do anything at all. Also, who you choose to work with is the issue, not whether to work with someone.

So, take the initial expense on book marketing and turn it into a worthwhile investment.

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 5,400,000 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 A Blog Sell Lots Of Books?

 

I get asked often by many authors as to what works to help sell their books. The answer is always the same: Plenty of tings – provided you do them well, have a good book that’s priced right, and remain persistent in your efforts. One of these areas is to have a blog. 

Authors can use their blogs to:

·         Build up site traffic and get people to discover your books.

·         Showcase your writing skills and personality.

·         Post on social media something of substance.

A blog works best when: 

·         You publish consistently (ie: every Tuesday or every 1^st and 15^th of the month).

·         You publish often (ie: weekly).

·         Your content relates to your book (s), on being a writer, or about your background if it is linked to your book’s themes.

·         It is well-written.

·         Not too long (usually no more than 1,000 words) and not too short (no less than 450 words).

·         It has a catchy, short headline and an attractive image to draws a reader in.

·         It concludes by mentioning the name of your book, your website, and if you like, a tagline about who you are.

 

So, what should you write about, you ask?

 

You can:

 

·         Interview other authors or experts related to your book. This allows you to not have to create content while still having the blog post link to their list of people and expose you to new people. They may decide to return the favor and you can be interviewed on their blog and gain additional access to his or her platform.

 

·         Discuss writing techniques, challenges to dialogue writing, how you develop characters m trends in your genre, or the challenges and rewards of being a writer.

 

·         Provide storis that relate to the subject matter that you write about. If you write fiction, discuss tips and ideas that are helpful. For instance, if you write a historical fiction romance story, write a blog about “how romance in 1850 differs from today” or provide “7 ways to date a woman in 1865.”

 

·         Look at www.brownielocks.com and see if nay one of over 1500 honorary days, weeks, months, holidays or anniversaries of significant events can prompt you to write about something that connects to these special dates. 

 

·         Publish poems, essays, or short stories as a blog post, showcasing your work.

 

·         Make outrageous claims, pose provocative things, start a debate, or protest, launch into a tirade, or anything else that makes your post viral worthy.

 

·         Give advice, tell jokes, celebrate something, or provide a favorite list or resources. 

 

Your blog should reflect your creative spirit, cover topics of interest that connect to your books, and above all, be interesting enough to inspire people to want to check out your books.

 

A blog can help you sell books, provided you follow my tips AND promote the blog on social media. Try it.

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 5,750,000 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 2025.

 

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

 

Interview With Carnegie Hall Performer & Suspense Thriller Author Nick Greenberg

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?

I'm passionate about music and food. When I decided to put pen to paper, or rather, fingertips to keyboard, these were the subjects that came to mind. The story itself seemed to have a mind of its own. 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for?

Buried Treasure, set in Cincinnati, follows Danny Pasko, a struggling musician whose fortunes change when his golden retriever unearths a colossal truffle in the woods. When a chef neighbor eagerly pays cash for the prized fungus, Danny is introduced to a hidden gastronomic economy where rare ingredients are worth killing for — and where the line between culinary passion and criminal obsession is dangerously thin.

The audience for this book is anyone who likes food, music and a dash of mystery.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

A good story. Perhaps a laugh or two. Also, some fascinating and unexpected knowledge about truffles.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

I thought the title was a perfect description for these underground jewels we call truffles. 

I wanted the cover to give a hint about the plot, but not give too much away.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers –
other than run!?

Write. Write every day. Keep writing no matter what.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think
the book publishing industry is heading?

I am a musician and writer. This is way above my pay grade.

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in
handy when writing this book?

When I'm writing, I always try to pull in experiences from my life and career. I believe this helps give the story some authenticity. Except the crime part. I don't know anything about any of that. 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is
your writing similar to?

If I had to define my writing style, I guess I would call it humor-forward. As far as which books are similar to mine, I've always been uncertain about that. 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?
The usual author issues: Finding an agent, getting published, selling books.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it
be yours?

They should read this book because it's funny, they might learn some interesting culinary facts, it features a golden retriever, and it will make them hungry.

Author Bio: I am a bassist, composer and writer. I have performed in a wide variety of styles including classical, jazz, rock, Broadway shows, and even the occasional polka gig. I have played at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, as well as international stages in Taiwan. My previous novel, The Culinary Caper was published in May of 2025. My short story EAT was published in the literary journal, Jelly Bucket. You can learn more at: https://nickgreenberg-author.com/ or connect with me on Instagram @nickgreenbergauthor. 

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 5,600,000 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

 

 

 

Do Avid Book Readers Improve Their Lives Or The World?

“82% of US adults reported reading fewer than 10 books in 2023, according to data analytics firm YouGov,” reports USA Today. It added: “An elite 1% reported reading 50 or more books annually.”  

My first instinct was to merely react to the obvious, and conclude that a handful of people do a lot more reading than most, and I wondered why so few read a lot and so many so little. 

Of course, I quickly mumbled: “Why aren’t people more curious? Why are so many people dumb? What’s wrong with our education system that it fails to produce readers?” 

But maybe I was drawing the wrong conclusions and not properly putting things into a fresh context.  

I got fixated on the article’s use of the word “elite” instead of the use of “rare.” 

Elite, as defined by Oxford Dictionary, is “a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society.”  

Is it really a “superior” quality to read more books than others?  

Don’t get me wrong, I love reading books and treasure the knowledge, inspiration, wisdom, comfort, and entertainment that they can provide, but who are we to judge people merely based on how many books one reads? What matters most is what kind of books we read and how we convert what was consumed to living a better life and contributing to the lives of others. 

In other words, what good does it do to read bad books, or to poorly read them, or to consume them selfishly and not improve much of your life or the world around it as a result?   

Books can provide some amazing things but they also can waste one’s time, fill us with useless facts, focus our thoughts on the wrong things, and allow us an escape from life when we may actually need to engage it. As much as I embrace the beauty and power of books, like anything else, it can be used in a good, bad, or useless way.   

Everything is like that.   

A gun can be used to kill or commit crimes; it can be used to protect and save lives. 

Food can bring joy and energy; it can cause deadly diseases and chronic health problems. 

Sex can be an act of love and even produce a human being; it can be used to rape and hurt others. 

A parent can nurture and raise us well; or abuse, abandon, and fail us. 

A car can put us on a journey of exploration or at least get us to work and do errands; or it can be a weapon for terrorists and a danger posed by drunk drivers. 

Books are the same way.  

They can tell us things that alter our feelings and mood in a good or bad way; they show us things that can cure, fix, and heal people and problems or cause us more harm; they can inspire us to do good things or enable us to do bad. Even the act of reading takes us away from something else. Was that other activity always second to reading a book, or did we lose out?   

What one reads is important — and what we do with it matters. Elite or not, all book readers should strive to read better books, not just more — and to apply what is read to doing good in the real world.  

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 5,600,000 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