Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Wait On Line If You Want To Successfully Market Your Book


Image result for opportunity images

You never know where opportunity lies.

Last month I was a speaker at the Independent Book Publishers Association conference.  I was one of several dozen speakers over a multi-day conference in Chicago.  My session competed with three others simultaneously.  I was given the last time slot of the day.  Not an ideal situation.

But it didn’t matter.  My talk ended up being attended by only 16 people – out of 300 attendees.  But my goal was achieved.  I came there for three reasons – to generate business for the book publicity firm that I work for, to meet with writers and support what they do, and to help educate others on what they can do to promote their books.

Throughout the conference you have many opportunities to meet people, whether by intention or fate.  Of course, one makes their own opportunities, as I did with an author while we were on line to order a glass of $12 house wine.

I don’t recall who spoke to whom first, but the woman in front of me began to tell me what her book was about once she found out I am a book promoter.  We hit it off during that brief encounter that lasted no more than five minutes and exchanged business cards.

She followed up with me after the conference by sending me a copy of her book.  She’s now a client of mine.

I tell you this story for two reasons.  First to encourage you to network and to reach out to others anytime, anywhere, as you never know who can help you if you only ask.  Second, I caution it doesn’t always work out that way.  Many conversations lead nowhere.  But one should keep trying and putting themselves out there so that good things can unfold.

To promote a book you need some strategy, a good story, and lots of gumption.  Your strategy revolves around your targeted readers.  Once they are identified by you, please circulate where they can be found.  On the marketing side, determine where they gather so you can attend events and speak at them.  Locate them on social media so that you can engage them.  Learn which media they consume and seek to be interviewed or reviewed by them.  Advertise on platforms where your readers tend to be.

When it comes to being assertive, aggressive, or in dogged pursuit of those who could help you buy, promote, or sell your book, there’s not much to debate.  Let yourself be positioned for success.  You don’t have to let yourself fail.  Let yourself succeed.  Open your mouth.  Send an email.  Mail a book reach out to any and all who can help you.  No time to be shy or filled with doubt.  Just put yourself out there and allow for new doors to open.  

And don’t forget to talk to the person waiting behind you on line.


DON”T MISS THESE!!!
How Book Publishers Grow Their Brand & Sales With Their Authors’ Help

How Authors Get Bulk Sales Now

A podcast on book publicity that you need to listen to today

How Authors Can Market To Libraries Successfully

Unfu*k Your Book Marketing

How Authors Get A Yes Out Of Others

Some key principles to rally your book marketing around

How to write powerful, effective book advertising copy that sells tons of books

So what is needed to be a champion book marketer?

The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers

How authors can sell more books

No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE

Catch Me At Book Expo America May 31


Don’t Forget To Give Back
Don’t some of your book proceeds to a worthy charity. Feel free to consult these reosurces:

This nonprofit is dedicated to finding worthy giving opportunities.

This ranking system evaluates tons of charities.


Here are the 100 largest U.S. charities.


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 ©2019. 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.

Great Book PR Workshop At Book Expo in NYC



Image result for book publicity image

Catch Me At Book Expo America May 31

I will be moderating this panel -- which consists of my colleagues:
The “Why Now is a Good Time to Promote Your Book” panel will present innovative ideas and proven strategies, along with pointing out productive resources applicable at any stage in the process to publicize a book, from, six months prior to launch to six months after publication.  Attendees will learn from the experiences of seasoned, senior managers and publicists from NYC-based Media Connect,  the nation’s largest independent book publicity firm in the country. Following up on our previous standing-room-only workshop from last year (“Bestseller Book Publicity”), publicists, agents, editors and authors will be provided real tools to help navigate the ever-changing terrain of today's traditional media and digital publicity 

DON”T MISS THESE BLOG POSTS!!!
How Authors Get Bulk Sales Now

Some key principles to rally your book marketing around

How to write powerful, effective book advertising copy that sells tons of books

So what is needed to be a champion book marketer?

The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers

How authors can sell more books

No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE

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 ©2019. 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.

Interview With Author Reena B Patel



My Friend Max, A Story About A Friend With Autism
Kind Eye Publishing



1. What inspired you to write this book? I have been working in the field of Autism since the mid 90’s and have seen first hand how the prevalence has increased. I have always wanted to find resources that taught children who did not have Autism about compassion and inclusion. I could not find a book that I could share in classrooms and homes that I would recommend to educators and parents about teaching what Autism was and how to develop friendships with others who had Autism. Thus, the development of my book.

2. Who should read it — and why? The chances of your child having a child with Autism in their class is high. CDC reports 1 in every 59 children have Autism. Parents, Children, and Educators should read this book and share with others. It is a myth that children with Autism do not want friendship, they just need others to understand how best to interact with them. My goal is to have this book in every classroom and teachers should read this to their students. I have received so many positive responses. This story opens up a discussion that children should have.

3. How is it better or different from others in its genre? I haven't found a children's story book that shares what it is like to have an friend with Autism from a typical child’s perspective. The story is written from a child's perspective, thus making it reader friendly for a school age child. Also, I could not find a story book with professional tips by an Autism expert at the end.

4. What challenges did you overcome to write your book? I started to write this book in 2013 and stopped because I wanted collect more information and observe what I saw in classrooms and homes when children with AUtism were present. I wanted that book to be realistic. That takes time, and so the book took a longer to develop.

5. What lasting messages do you hope your readers are left after consuming your book? The biggest take away I would want readers to have is the specific tips on how to make friends with someone who has autism and to teach kindness, compassion, and inclusion. “In a world where you can be anything, be kind”

6. What advice do you have for struggling writers? I would advise to be true to yourself as a writer. Write about what inspires you, but write something that would be meaningful to others. A resource or tool they can use.

7. Where do you see the book publishing industry heading?  
The publishing industry is becoming more open to using children’s stories to address prevalent mental health issues and help teach children about important topics in a compassionate and inclusive way.

For more information, please consult: www.reenabpatel.com


DON”T MISS THESE!!!
How Book Publishers Grow Their Brand & Sales With Their Authors’ Help

How Authors Get Bulk Sales Now

A podcast on book publicity that you need to listen to today

How Authors Can Market To Libraries Successfully

Unfu*k Your Book Marketing

How Authors Get A Yes Out Of Others

Some key principles to rally your book marketing around

How to write powerful, effective book advertising copy that sells tons of books

So what is needed to be a champion book marketer?

The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers

How authors can sell more books

No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE

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 ©2019. 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.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Interview with Author Yanique Beliard-Michel



Unique In America


About Unique In America: Raised by her divorced, self-sufficient mother, Yanique is seen as a privileged kid by her townsfolk of Cap-Haitian, Haiti. At home, she endures the wrath of her mother, who sees her daughter as the obstacle to her new life with her boyfriend, Julio. Still Yanique follows her mother’s main advice—to obtain a college degree. By marrying Brunel Michel, she materializes her plan of a conventional family. They immigrate to the United States, and together they struggle to succeed in their new country. Then Brunel dies of cancer. Left alone in the harsh, unwelcoming environment reserved for immigrants, Yanique fights to build a future for her daughters while she faces what she fears the most: single motherhood. Will Yanique commit the mistakes for which she reproaches her mother? Or will she catch herself in time to avert those mistakes? What will she sacrifice to hold on to the promises she made not to abuse her children?
Yanique leads us on a deeply personal and emotional journey, one where maturity, loss, guilt, accountability, acceptance, and hope are explored through her life’s circumstances—and one that will resonate with readers as they see themselves in Yanique’s story.


1. What inspired you to write this book? The misconception money can make you happy.  I was a privileged kid. People in my hometown assumed I had no problems and was happy. The struggles I fought during my journey as an immigrant in America.

2. Who should read it and why? Readers interested in the challenges of motherhood and those intrigued by the intricacies of the immigrant journey.

3. How is it better or different from others in its genre? In my book you find SURVIVAL: the constant struggle to create a space where one could grow and find contentment. There is also WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: when women are giving opportunities they can perform as well as men. RESILIENCE: the will to try, to take chances after failing. HONESTY: the choice not to get involve in profitable, unlawful deals.

4. What challenges did you overcome to write your book? I had to convince myself that it was worth telling my story. Then after writing the first manuscript I realized that all I did was taking my revenge by presenting my mom as a bad person and myself as an angel. So I had to rewrite the book.

5. What lasting messages do you hope your readers are left after consuming your book? A message of optimism: to never give up and keep trying. Also we must learn to forgive and appreciate the efforts parents and relatives made to create a path for us. Love prevails.

6. What advice do you have for struggling writers? My advice to them is to keep writing. Only by writing can they better their craft and also produce material to present and sustain their claim that they are writers. Use any negative review to their advantage by applying the reviews/critiques to correct their text.

7. Where do you see the book publishing industry heading? Traditional publishing is a space crowded with books written by politicians and famous people. So the self-publishing market will continue to grow.

For more information, please see: https://www.facebook.com/resilienceperseverance/


DON”T MISS THESE!!!
How Book Publishers Grow Their Brand & Sales With Their Authors’ Help

How Authors Get Bulk Sales Now

A podcast on book publicity that you need to listen to today

How Authors Can Market To Libraries Successfully

Unfu*k Your Book Marketing

How Authors Get A Yes Out Of Others

Some key principles to rally your book marketing around

How to write powerful, effective book advertising copy that sells tons of books

So what is needed to be a champion book marketer?

The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers

How authors can sell more books

No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE


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 ©2019. 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.

Interview with Author Jeffrey Hayzlett, Chairman & CEO of the C-Suite Network




The Hero Factor: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations and Create Winning Cultures

Entrepreneur Press


1. What inspired you to write this book?
I wrote the book because I wanted to highlight all the good things businesses are doing to create a culture that’s based on a great vision and mission statements and deeply ingrained values while helping the world be a better place – all without sacrificing profits.

2. Who should read it — and why?
The book is for everyone in the organization, not just CEOs or c-suite executives. It’s for anyone currently in leadership looking to elevate their skills as well as for anyone looking to become a leader in the future. People should read this book because everyone in the company, regardless of level, should be cognizant about what values guide the company. Everyone needs to be on the same page in order to have a cohesive culture that leads everyone to greatness.

3. How is it better or different from others in its genre?
I feel that, in America, we’re currently at a crossroads, both economically and with leadership. Corporate America always gets a bad reputation for a number of things and I wanted to change the negative perception, or at least offer a different perspective, that many have of business and bring back the focus to company values rather than just operational excellence.

4. What challenges did you overcome to write your book?
Finding the time to gather my thoughts and put them down was the most challenging part. I’m always on the move – traveling for keynotes, meetings, and other events, traveling home to South Dakota. I’m on the road for the better part of the year, so sitting down & putting it all together was certainly hard. Out of all my book, this has been the most personal for me and once I got past the initial roadblocks, the entire process because a whole lot easier.

5. What lasting messages do you hope your readers are left after consuming your book?
I hope that anyone who reads the book takes a good, hard look at themselves and how they’re running their company and honestly assess where they stand in their hero factor’s intensity chart. There are four quadrants – the 1st is operational excellence, businesses who increase their profit margins but offer no value to the community. The 2nd quadrant is about values and companies who value people over profits. The 3rd quadrant are the ‘do-gooders’ – businesses with strong hero values but little operational value. The last quadrant is nothing but the “asshats” who rip people off.    

6. What advice do you have for struggling writers?
Make sure you have something to say first. Putting pen to paper can be daunting, but putting pen to paper doesn’t have to be a pretty process either. It can be messy at first. That torrent of information that goes into the paper will organize itself as you move forward. It’s all about the “organized chaos.” Also, have a plan in place to promote it and add shelf life to the content. For example, you have about 2 weeks to promote the book & after that period, even your mother is sick of hearing about it. Try to extend it past that 2-week period by repurposing the content. I decided to make every chapter 140 characters or less, which gives me about 35 tweets. After that, I got 35 more days of activation. Then I wrote short blog post of about 250-500 words, which gave me 35 additional activations. I also included a two-dimensional, branded bar code that I got through a vendor/client friend of mine, where people could text me, that led me to create a video for every chapter to talk about what they’d see in every chapter – a total of119 extra days of activation.


7.  Where do you see the book publishing industry heading?
People are moving away from traditional publishing to independent publishing because of the speed-to-delivery issues traditional publishers are facing. It could take about 2 years to publish a book – from soup to nuts. Independent publishers have created a bottleneck of inventory and competition. It’s a lot easier to get published these days, but harder to get noticed, so authors need to get more proactive with the distribution and marketing of their book(s). Authors need to flip the business model by sometimes having to give books away in order to open other non-traditional doors and search for alternative opportunities. The publishing industry is being disrupted very much like other industries. It’s all moving more online and everyone needs to get more creative.

For more information, please consult: http://hayzlett.com/


DON”T MISS THESE!!!
How Book Publishers Grow Their Brand & Sales With Their Authors’ Help

How Authors Get Bulk Sales Now

A podcast on book publicity that you need to listen to today

How Authors Can Market To Libraries Successfully

Unfu*k Your Book Marketing

How Authors Get A Yes Out Of Others

Some key principles to rally your book marketing around

How to write powerful, effective book advertising copy that sells tons of books

So what is needed to be a champion book marketer?

The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers

How authors can sell more books

No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE

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 ©2019. 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.

The Death Of Writer Warren Adler – But Not Of Hopes & Dreams for Authors




 Image result for warren adler

“That’s it!” said the enraged octogenarian writer.

He had just ripped up a check after backing out of on agreement to have the publicity firm I was working for to represent him.  What was to be a publicity campaign for an accomplished author was now an epic failure.  I never had a client do that before – nor since. 

That gentleman was the irascible Warren Adler.  The incident happened almost a decade ago, and it flooded back to me as soon as I read his obituary in the New York Times.  The news saddened me deeply.

He eventually became a client, about a year after his outburst in my office.  I emailed him out of the blue, and asked if he’d like to go to lunch.  A friendship would develop from that moment that I’ve cherished ever since.

I don’t recall what set him off, but I know Warren took an extreme disliking to a colleague that would’ve been on the PR team and he simply called off the campaign just as we were about to celebrate its commencement.  But that incident merely delayed what would be a publicity campaign for one of the most admirable writers I’ve ever worked with.

Warren, who died at the age of 91, could be rough around the edges.  He’d tell you what he wants and wouldn’t mince words.  But he was intelligent, sensitive, and driven to succeed.  He really represented the every writer, a man who despite 50+ books published, never made a major best-seller list. Though a number of works were optioned to movie and TV studios, just a few became movies, but he has one work that will forever be his most memorable.

In 1981 he wrote War of the Roses, a book that didn’t sell well but got the attention of Hollywood.  The 1989 movie – released three decades ago – starred Danny DeVito, Kathleen Turner, and Michael Douglas – and grossed what would be in today’s dollars $178 million just n the U.S.  It was a book about marital warfare and the ugliest divorce ever.  That story was then turned into a sequel, The Children of the Roses.  The original story became a play and has been produced in several dozen cities overseas.  The Broadway version is slated to debut in 2021.

But aside from War of the Roses, almost all of his books are not literary staples.  Most people would not even recognize the author’s name, and if they do, would be hard-pressed to name three other novels of his.

He contributed to the growth of writers with his work at NYU and Jackson Hole Writers Conference and blogged regularly on writing at The Huffington Post. He also had his books sold overseas in 25 languages. By most accounts he was successful as a writer, but something toiled deep within him. He wanted some type of everlasting recognition that few get to receive.

Warren said to me on numerous occasions that he wanted his legacy to survive his lifetime and for the authorial authority of his works to grow.  But he understood the many challenges of the 21st writer – overwhelming book competition, low royalties, and the growth of so many diversions arising from technology devices.  He would lament that writers chase “hopes and dreams.”

We never found the secret formula to branding him as a significant writer.  Too many best-selling authors who owned a genre had cornered the market on fame.  Warren was challenged by his unwillingness to just settle into one genre. He wrote on a number of topics in a variety of genres, though he did establish one series, a nine-book collection about a homicide detective that mystery readers embraced.  The Fiona Fitzgerald series.

Warren tended to hone in on certain themes and was dubbed the Master of Dysfunction, as many of his books revolved around fragile family relationships, the complex nature of love and attraction, the corrupting of power of money, the aging process and how families cling together when challenged by the outside world.

He reminded me that all writers want what he wanted - to be prolific, to be heard, to be appreciated.  Even at age 91 and up until his dying day he was writing and planning the release of a backlog of books written but not yet published.  Knowing Warren, he may end up breaking through after his death, giving him the fame and peace of mind he sought all these years.

Interestingly, he didn’t start producing books until he was in his 40’s.  He had owned and run a public relations and advertising agency, helped the 1968 presidential campaign of Richard Nixon, and helped launch a society magazine called The Washington Dossier.  He also owned four radio stations and a TV station.  But once he started writing books he never found a need or desire to slow down or step away from the pen.

One of his earliest jobs was working at The New York Daily News and later became the editor of an award-winning weekly newspaper, the Queens Post.  The Brooklyn-born son of Jewish immigrants served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War as a correspondent for Armed Forces Press.

Warren, I know your family, friends, and colleagues will miss you – and hopefully your works will continue to pick up new readers.  I can still feel the presence of your booming voice, your hearty laugh, and the sincere search you were on.  That journey for “hopes and dreams” did not die with you.  Your published words will see to that.


DON”T MISS THESE!!!

How Book Publishers Grow Their Brand & Sales With Their Authors’ Help



How Authors Get Bulk Sales Now



A podcast on book publicity that you need to listen to today



How Authors Can Market To Libraries Successfully



Unfu*k Your Book Marketing



How Authors Get A Yes Out Of Others



Some key principles to rally your book marketing around



How to write powerful, effective book advertising copy that sells tons of books



So what is needed to be a champion book marketer?



The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers



How authors can sell more books



No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE



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 ©2019. 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.