Take A Folding Chair Book Marketing Tour

While I was at my neighborhood Barnes and Noble for a session of writing over coffee – and buying another book about books, I came across several authors doing simultaneous book signings.  There were three or four of them, each sitting around their own table and folding chair.  They were local authors hoping to seduce passerbys to buy their books while utilizing the opportunity to speak to customers. Good idea.

Why not expand the idea to everywhere?

Authors should see if they can set up a table in the back of other stores, not just bookstores.  They can approach colleges, non-profits, government agencies, and any locations where people gather.  Just by being in front of people you have a better chance of selling your book than if you were nowhere to be found.

Call it the folding-chair book marketing campaign.

Go ask your local coffee shop if you can set up a table in front of their stores. Talk to a supermarket or pizza joint and see if they’ll allow you to set up a table, maybe even cutting them in on some of the profits.

You have nothing to lose.  You may end up selling some books and promoting your brand to neighbors and community members.

Of course, you should seek to setup a table based on a few factors, including:

·         Is it a high-traffic location?

·         Do those patrons tend to buy books?

·         Is your book’s subject matter going to appeal demographically to those who frequent the business you are seated by?

In some situations, it makes sense, to set up a table with other authors.  It increases the chances someone will visit the table, wanting to check out a number of books – possibly yours.  The more authors that are involved, the more your group will promote the event.

Think about the time of day or day of week that you’ll set up a table.  Some days or times will be dead, others will be busy and provide an opportunity.

One of the best places to set up a table could be at a fair or conference, where your books directly relates to the theme of the event.  Don’t look to sell poetry at a hedge fund manager conference and don’t expect children’s books to sell at a liquor store.

Map out your town – or nearby towns – and think of logical gathering spots of people – malls, parking lots, restaurants, theaters, sports arenas, churches, schools, etc. and see where and when you can pull up a chair and table and find your readership.

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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.

21 Books Marketing Ideas For All Authors

There are literally hundreds of things one can do to properly promote a book, market an author’s brand, and generate increased book sales.  Some are more important than others, but every step of the way, every single day, you must do something useful to get the word out about your book.

1.      Create a website that not only showcases your book, but turns your book or brand into a bigger movement. For instance, if your book is about parenting, take ownership of that space and turn your website into a key resource for parents.

2.      Join as many social media sites that you have time to contribute content to and invite new connections to join. Twitter and Facebook are the top two, but Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn and others may help further your writing career as well.

3.      Give out copies of your book to influencers and respected experts in your field. Just one of them publicly responding can bring you more followers and a useful testimonial.

4.      Create a YouTube channel and fill it with dozens of short videos – 45 to 90 seconds in length – that share information, humor, stories, advice, and ideas your target readers will love.

5.      Post fliers for your book on any public bulletin boards – Starbucks, libraries, parks, churches.

6.      Leave conversation-provoking business card-size cards in strategic locations. Ask provocative questions that lead people to your website.

7.      Create a blog dedicated to the principles of your book and use it in your social media exchanges.

8.      Hire a public relations professional to assist in promoting your book to the news media.

9.      Come up with an ad budget, especially for Facebook or Google ads.

10.  Pay for some reviews, to ensure someone with authority can comment on your book, hopefully for the better. Those that will write about your book for a fee include Publishers Weekly Select, Kirkus Reviews, The Foreword, and others.

11.  Reach out to reviewers at goodreads.com and consider using netgalley.com

12.  Offer your book as a raffle prize to local organizations. Also donate it to a number of libraries and to schools that hold fund-raisers and sell your book to the highest bidder.

13.  Make sure your book is listed everywhere, from your e-mail signature, business card, and social media profile,s to anywhere your name appears.

14.  Consider, if applicable, creating a companion workbook, spin-off title, or webinar that goes with your book and create new streams of income for the same content.

15.  Network with others who can help you – either in person, online via email, or on social media groups.

16.  Set up speaking engagements, even if for free with local businesses, schools, government agencies, non-profits, temples, bookstores, libraries, and community events.

17.  Offer to write articles for websites or publications – even for free – to get exposure for your book.

18.  Consider a billboard advertisement for a brief time – if it can ensnare media attention due to being controversial.

19.  Personally ask everyone that you know for help – and identify exactly what you want them to do for you.  Think of their resources, personality, needs, and the degree of your relationship and then make your ask.

20.  Think of whom you can partner with and package your book with their products or service.

21.  Think big and experiment.  Do something out of your comfort zone and take a risk.  It’ll be worth it.

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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.

Interview With Animal-Loving Author & Emmy-Nominated Sesame Street Writer Kama Einhorn

TRUE TALES OF RESCUE is a middle-grade narrative nonfiction series on animal sanctuaries around the world, each narrated by a rescued animal at a sanctuary. This chapter-book series is six full-color love letters to threatened, vulnerable animals and the humane humans who offer them hope and haven. It launches in November with several titles, created by Kama Einhorn, a former teacher, author, and Emmy-nominated writer for TV’s Sesame Street. Here is an interview with Kama (www.kamaeinhorn.com):

1.      What inspired you to write series?

After almost 20 years in children’s media (at Scholastic and currently at Sesame Street) and more than 40 published books, I was eager to combine my twin passions: animal welfare and writing for children. I believe that words can save lives, and I has a passion for compassion.

Animals are my people!

And I’ve always had a curious love for wombats. So I took two trips-of-a-lifetime to Australia, where I spent a total of one month at Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary, learning the ways of these cheeky, charming marsupials.

I turned this enchanting experience into a photographic nonfiction book—an exploration of the concept of animal sanctuaries and the humane humans that rescue, rehabilitate, and release wildlife. And as I was writing the first draft, I realized I could replicate the idea for any sanctuary and visit animal sanctuaries all over the world.

I needed to tell their stories because they don’t have voices. They can’t make a case for themselves. I knew I could use the best parts of being human to do the job for them.

2.      What is so unique about Welcome, Wombat?

It’s creative nonfiction, told from a sanctuary wombat’s perspective (he’s addressing a newcomer—an orphaned joey [baby wombat]. Wombats are weird! They’re quirky, dusty, and stubborn—big teddy bears of the bush. They burrowed their way into my heart and I wanted to introduce them to kids, since most people in the U.S. don’t know about them. So with the help of heartwarming, full-color, original photographs by two local nature photographers, the wombats can be seen in all their playful, sleepy, muddy, natural glory, in poignant moments of sanctuary life. I wanted to make kids fall head over paws with these clumsy bundles.

How does Sweet Senior Pups instill a love for older dogs?

Like each of the books in the series, it's done by giving the old pups unique voices and highlighting each of their stories, so that kids start to see each animal as an individual. Lots of kids have old dogs themselves, so these stories are likely to be familiar to them—how to help a blind dog find her food, for instance. And when readers see how ready the dogs are to love and be loved, they realize love never grows old! Like the classic Velveteen Rabbit, it doesn't matter how old and worn out you are...being loved is the most important thing in the world.

3.      What do new generations need to know about various animals and their preservation?

We’re not the only ones living on Planet Earth, not the only creatures who need safe places to live. As human population grows, animals lose their habitats, and we need to find ways to co-exist…even if that just means slowing down on roads that wildlife cross.

4.      How can we encourage more people to be involved in animal rescue?

I think the only real way is to introduce people to individual creatures, letting them meet just one character who goes straight to their hearts (think Wilbur and Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web—I don’t kill spiders because “It’s just like Charlotte” automatically runs through my head, even as an adult). And to turn kids on to unusual animals and all their fascinating facts. And helping them to enjoy and appreciate the outdoors. People take care of what they love. Like writing, it’s about showing, not telling.

5.       Environmental issues and conservation challenges seem to be in the media daily. Is our planet going to survive?

I wish I could be more optimistic (especially these days) about the future. I wish we were leaving our children a cleaner, healthier, saner world, but they’re going to have a lot of work to do. What I do know is that a little change goes a long way and that all life forms—and the planet itself—can be extremely resilient and heal from a lot of damage, if humans begin to act more responsibly. It sounds cliché but the kids our really our best hope. That’s why I wanted to reach them at this age, when they can really begin understanding the complex issues around habitat loss and environmental destruction.

6.      You have been nominated for an Emmy for your work at television’s Sesame Street. How rewarding – and challenging – is your work there?

It’s an honor to write for the Muppets, who live deep in my heart (I was born the year Sesame Street started)! The challenge every day is living up to the brand, which is of course rooted in the genius of the late great Jim Henson. It’s a tough act to follow and though the writing is playful, I’m dead serious about making sure it reaches kids where they live. That means being able to access my younger, more impressionable, more vulnerable self every day.

7.      You used to be a school teacher. What was it like trying to mold young minds?

I didn’t view my job as molding them, rather enriching and expanding what their developing brains were already doing—I was meeting them where they were. But hopefully, through my modeling, I helped kids develop empathy, kindness, compassion, and moral reasoning. Those make for a good life as much as knowing one’s multiplication tables does.

Environmental education was taught in the school I worked in, and a big piece of that was conservation, which was great. I also found that whenever an animal was involved (a visiting service dog, an owl used as an education ambassador by a wildlife rescue group, and so on), the kids responded and learned differently. Animals have a way of reaching us (maybe even molding us!) in a profound way, with no words at all.

8.      What advice do you have for authors?

Find the thing you are totally crazy about, no matter how weird it is. What can you not talk about without tearing up? What could you go on and on about, even at the risk of boring people or having them thing you’re weird? Work with what makes you weird—that’s what Cheryl Klein, one of Arthur Levine’s editors, says in The Magic Words. Because that’s where your own unique magic is. Friends and family sometimes lovingly teased me about being “crazy wombat lady.”

They were right, and that was just fine, because being a little crazy is how I turned my interest and passion into a book.

I felt as if I had no choice but to write this series—the idea grabbed me by the shoulders, shook me, and wouldn’t let me go until I made it happen. I wouldn’t allow myself to stop until it was in print, and it took me two years to find the perfect champion and home for it (Erica Zappy Wainer at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) That’s how passionate you have to be about your project, because it’s a long and often heartbreaking path to publication.

9.      Where do you see book publishing is heading?

I wish I had a crystal ball! I look to people like Brian Feinblum for answers to questions like this.

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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.

Are You In Bibliotopia?

I just read one of the best books about books, though much of the text was more in list form than in traditional sentences and paragraphs.  It was more like a mini-encyclopedia slash atlas, featuring hundreds of entries that is sure to interest bibliophiles, bibliomaniacs, and bibliopoles – but not biblioclasmists, bibliophobiatics, or bibliokleptomaniacs.

I recently discovered the 2005 book at a used bookstore so I don’t know if in the past 13 years things have changed, but Bibliotopia or Mr. Gilbar’s Book of Books and Catch-all of Literary Facts and Curiosities compiled by Steven Gilbar is a gem.

Here are some book facts you may appreciate:

Oldest bookstore in the U.S. – the Moravian Book Shop in Bethlehem, PA was established in 1775 and is believed to be the longest-operating bookstore in the nation.

First-American Book Club – The Book–of-the-Month Club was established in 1926.

Most Ever Paid for a Book – In 2000, an original 4-volume subscription set of Audubon’s The Birds of America sold at auction for $8.8 million.

First Book Copyrighted – The Philadelphia Spelling Book was registered by its author, John Barry , on June 9, 1790.

First Book Printed in English – The Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye was translated and published by William Carton in 1475.

First Printing Press in the New World – Mexico City, 1533.

First Printing Press in America – Cambridge, MA, 1638.

Fist Book Printed in America – The Bay Psalm Book (1640) was the first bound book printed in the British Colonies.

Biggest-selling Children’s Book Series – The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling.

Oldest Library in Existence – The Vatican Library, 1431.

Largest libraries in the U.S. based on number of books – 1.Library of Congress 2. Harvard University Library 3, New York Public Library.  They rank, in the world, 1, 6, and 9 respectively.

World’s Longest Novel – Marcel Proust’s 13-volume book, In Search of Lost Time, contains 9,609,000 characters.

Nobel Prize in Literature Refusals – Two writers declined their honor. Jean-Paul Sartre in 1961 and he’s refusing the prize on the grounds that such awards could interfere with a writer’s responsibility to his readers.  In 1958, Boas Pasternak was forced by the Soviet Union to refuse it.

Oscar Winners Based on Novels – Scores of Oscar-winning movies are based on books, including Gone with the Wind, All the King’s Men, In the Heat of the Night, The Godfather, Kramer vs. Kramer, Schindler’s List and Lord of the Rings:  Return of the King.

Many TV Shows are Based on Books – Sex and the City, Lassie and Little House on the Prairie are good examples.

First American Novel to be Adapted to the Stage – The Spy, in 1821, by James Penimore Cooper, premiered.

Great Novels – Turned-Into –Plays – Ragtime, Man of La Mancha, Showboat, Camelot, Damn Yankees, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, and Les Miserables come to mind.

First Exclusive Paperback Bookshop – City Lights Book Shop in San Francisco, 1953.

Famous American Pseudonyms – Ayn Rand was really Alissa Rosenbaum, Dr. Seuss was Theodore Seuss Geisel and Mark Twain was Samuel Clemens.

First Novel Published in the U.S. – The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown, in 1789.

Most Prolific American Author – Lauran Paine (1916-1995) wrote over 900 books, mainly westerns, romance novels, and mysteries, under an array of pen names.

Oldest Professional Society of Authors – In 2019, the Authors Guild will turn 100 and be the nation’s oldest and largest professional society of published authors.

Some Authors Who Were Rhodes Scholars – Naomi Wolf, Brian Greene, and Jonathan Kozol are some.

American Writers Who Never Went to College or Dropped Out After a Short Stint of College – Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Gore Vidal, Edith Wharton, Ernest Hemingway, and Eugene O’Neill come to mind.

Famous British Pen Names – George Orwell was Eric Blair; John Le Carre was David Cornwall; George Eliot was Mary Ann Evans.

First Novel Ever – the first full-fledged novel is Lady Murasaki’s The Tale of Genji, circa 1011, a chronicle of 10^th century Japanese Court life.

Bibliotopia has many random lists, including the last words uttered by famous writers; the closing words of famous books; various awards winners; clichés from English literature; maxims of George Bernard Shaw; national historic landmarks associated with literary figures; etc.

Gilbar, now 77, has penned other books, including Good Books; A Book Lover’s Companion and Reading in Bed: Personal Essays on the Glories of Reading.

“Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.”

--H.L. Menchken

“A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.”

--Mark Twain

Please feel free to join me on LinkedIn --https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/.

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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference.

What’s To Love & Loath About Books & Publicity

Nearly three decades ago I entered into the world of book publishing and book publicity.  I’m still at it today – and enjoying a career of working to help authors, promote great stories and ideas, and market terrific books.  But not all is fun and fame here.  This is my list of 10 things I love about the industry and 10 things I could do without:

10 Things I Love About The Book & PR Industries

1.      Working closely with intelligent, passionate and creative people – writers. To help them realize a dream is an honor and a fun challenge.

2.      Seeing the books that I market make a difference in people’s lives is quite fulfilling.

3.      Remembering to see each book like a person, to be treated with compassion and care, is a wonderful experience.

4.      Feeling like you make a difference in a writer’s life is a great feeling.

5.      Being able to exchange ideas with intellectually talented individuals is a pleasurable experience.

6.      Knowing that I helped land a big media booking for an author is always an adrenaline rush for me.

7.      Needing to be informed, news-savvy, and creative to do this job well are things that come naturally to me and never feel like work.

8.      I believe books make a difference in society and in our lives, and I’m so proud to be associated with them.

9.      Who can complain when they have to read books to earn a living?

10.  I like to see the powerful tool of public relations being used to promote not widgets and corporations but books, people, and ideas.

10 Things I Hate About The Book & PR Industries

1. I loathe seeing fake news stories put out by lying promoters who seek to manipulate the news media.

2. I feel depressed when I see books that are researched, written and edited poorly.

3. I wish that self-published authors had more access to bookstores and mainstream reviews, though it’s been improving. 

4. I fear Amazon is taking over the world, including the book world, unless others stand up to it.

5. I wish neighborhoods would show support for their bookstores and that more towns would open a bookstore.

6. I wish book publishers did more for their authors and that they would level with and encourage their writers to work with outside publicists.

7. I could do without ego-centric authors who expect to get publicity just because they think they’re great or that their book is amazing -- even though there’s lots of evidence to the contrary.

8. Authors need to understand that buying FB ads and Google clicks is not the same as executing a PR campaign – and that their social media, account activity needs to improve if they are to really advance their brand.

9. I wish authors who think they can’t afford to invest in book publicity could realize they can’t afford not to.

10. I would hope that Barnes & Noble figures out how to stop losing money.

There are plenty of good things going on in the book world and they far outweigh the bad. I hope that we can enjoy the many positives while doing something about some of the negatives.  Do your part and go buy a book, read a book, and talk about a book.  Then go write one.

Please feel free to join me on LinkedIn --https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/.

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Great book -- or great marketing?

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/08/great-book-or-great-marketing.html

How do you find more book reviewers?

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/where-do-you-find-book-reviewers.html

When writers can’t find time to write and market their books

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/08/when-writers-cant-find-time-to-write-or.html

Authors really need to be SUPREME in their book marketing

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/08/authors-can-be-supreme-in-their.html

How to use the right words to market your book

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-to-use-right-words-to-market-your.html

Best Book On Fake News Shows Us How To Defeat The Lies

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/08/best-book-on-fake-news-shows-you-how-to.html

Valuable Info On Book Marketing Landscape For First-Time Authors

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-book-marketing-landscape-for-first.html

Scores of Best-Selling Book PR Tips from Book Expo PR Panel

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/best-selling-book-pr-tips-from-book.html

How should authors sell themselves?

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-should-authors-sell-themselves.html

Enjoy New 2018 Author Book Marketing & PR Toolkit -- 7th annual edition just released

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/2018-book-pr-marketing-toolkit.html

Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute Conference