Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Authors Should Read Old Books If They Want To Succeed


A list of 430 Books in Marilyn Monroe’s Library.books were a refuge and a companion for Marilyn during her bouts of insomnia. Marilyn Monroe Fotos, Marylin Monroe Pictures, Marylin Monroe Body, Cinema Tv, Groucho Marx, James Joyce, James Dean, Woman Reading, Reading People

Too many of us want to know what is new and the latest in book publishing and book marketing.  I say you should read stuff that has been published several months or years ago.

Wait, what did I just say?

That is right. In addition to staying current and consuming information about publishing trends and media opportunities, one should look back in order to move forward.

By reading old posts and articles or books, you will gain a better perspective of who has been a good authority of predicting trends. You will also get a chance to digest what may be more established fact now than when it was first published back then.

It is pretty interesting to look at books, especially when it comes to marketing or publicity, that are over a decade old. What you will find is certainly some dated thinking but you will also see tried and true principles, especially when it comes to sales and communications, that are as relevant today as they were then.

A lot of what we do – writing, researching, communicating or selling – comes down to timeless human principles. Sure, technology changes and there are new means or platforms to engage others, but no matter what you do, it comes down to how you present something, from the words you select to the level of energy displayed.

Whether you speak to a room of people, tweet something out, email people, make a phone call, zoom with someone, or send a letter through the mail, any of that stuff will succeed or fail based on core things such as the value and presentation of a proposition. Be modern in your approach, but be old school in the substance of what you share.

People still read classic advice books because they still work. We like to read and re-read Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Stephen Covey, Norman Vincent Peale, and Ken Blanchard because they speak to us, even though their world is decades and lifetimes ago. Even reading a blog post from three years ago can give us insight to things for today.

I often like to read newspapers that are days, even weeks old, because I know what happens after these were published, and it is interesting to see how things were covered or5 opinionated about vs what eventually happened. We can learn from reading anything, of any age.

It is certainly appropriate to put a premium on the latest expert wisdom, but don’t forget to seek out a balanced, historical perspective on how to market, promote, and sell your book.


PLEASE CONSULT THESE TIMELY RESOURCES

How Do Authors Promote Books When The Media Is Corona Centric?

Advice to Authors From A Book Promoter of 30 Years

How Are Authors Selling Books Through A Pandemic?

A Book Marketing Pandemic Playbook

What Types of Books Can Get Media Coverage Now?

The Bestseller Code For Book Marketers & Authors

What Should You Do to Market Your Book?

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 ©2020. 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.

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