Why We Need Our Independent Bookstores Now!

The book universe stretched far and wide before the corona shutdown. You could buy a book in so many places — from chain bookstores, gift shops, and church basements to backyard sales, indie bookstores, online, and elsewhere. But after several months of living in isolation, the only places I could find printed books in person is at the supermarket and big box stores like Walmart and Target. How disappointing.

Over Memorial Day Weekend I made it to a Target and a Walmart for the first time since corona entered our lexicon. They fell far short of providing me the satisfaction I would normally get when being in the same room as books. The sorely lacking experience serves as a strong reminder of why we need a diverse, independent, widespread book universe.

It was not all that long ago that I used to partake in my favorite activity – to just browse wantonly at a bookstore, guided by nothing but my curiosity and love of books. Now that seems like a faded memory, a luxury that I am no longer afforded.  Though we mourn the ability to connect in person with people the way we used to, we also feel quarantined from the books we love touch, smell, and flip through.

Target and Walmart offer such a tiny fraction of all the books that bookstores sell. These huge stores offer just a few shelves to my beloved books. It was a tease to see books on display but then, upon further inspection, to find only a handful of works, mainly from bestselling authors, for sale. They didn’t separate books by genre because the only genre they had was commercial books. Too bad. I would give anything to be able to put my hands all over a new book, one that awaits me in a bookstore.

We need our independent bookstore back. The local store knows us and meets our reading needs. It is there to make sure the community comes to gather to celebrate ideas, events, and imaginations.

I know when stores re-open, things won’t be the same for the next year or so. We will see limits imposed on how many people can be in a store, where customers can congregate, or how we can interact with each other. Gone will be the days when you could just rummage through books, read all that you want, and not buy a thing. Gone will be the days of just hanging at a bookstore, reading a book over a cup of coffee, and scanning the shelves for your next purchase. 

Corona has  ushered in a new era, one of inconvenience, fear, product shortages, inflation, Zoom, and trikinis – and a starved book world.

We have to work around corona to enjoy what we have always enjoyed: books. 

The times change and challenges will arise but we must persevere, overcome, and be resilient. We need bookstores more than ever, and soon we will get a reminder of what used to be – and insights on what could be again.

I can’t wait.

Please See These Related Posts

It Is Essential For The Book World To Re-Open

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/is-it-essential-for-book-world-to-re.html.

We Shall Defeat The Coronavirus Epidemic

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/we-shall-defeat-coronavirus.html

How Authors Must Promote Books During A Plague

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/how-should-authors-promote-books-during.html.

A Book Marketing Pandemic Playbook

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-book-marketing-pandemic-playbook-for.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 ©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.

What Does Great Book Marketing Boil Down To?

To promote and market a book, one has many resources at their disposal. Social media, advertising, public appearances, online seminars, traditional media, and email campaigns are some of the most common and effective routes. But things take time, money, and brain power. To successfully execute a PR campaign, what is the best way to go?

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing, whether it is a book, a service, a restaurant, a product, or a non-profit. What works for one, fails another. Luck, timing, location, price, competition, and dozens of other factors will determine the fate of any marketing venture.

Now, this does not mean that success comes randomly or without reason. No, there are best practices out there, and certain approaches make more sense than others. But it is not guaranteed. The secret sauce recipe is not firm. The formula for authors and publishers can change — and does.

Let’s look at the core basics and have you make a checklist as to whether you are positioned to make your book publishing career a winner. Again, nothing guarantees success, but we can narrow down the window for failure. Take a look at these factors:

·         Authors need a strong willingness to embrace risk: risk of failure and risk of success. Be willing to experiment and try new things that don’t always seem like a sure thing.

·         Success comes to those who call upon their resources – your connections, money, time, knowledge, skills, enthusiasm, and attitude.

·         Be willing to learn more and grow your skill set. All of your training, experiences, and education come into play here.

·         Authors have a better chance of success when they are full of energy and guide it in the right direction.

·         Their attitude is not ego-driven but rather it is results-oriented and the source of an author’s motivation should be to advance their ideas and writings, to help others, and to grow their careers.

·         When you set goals – and keep pushing yourself to meet them – you increase your chances of succeeding. And should you reach a goal, set another.

·         Act out of a strong conviction for your work. Believe in yourself and it will show in your interaction with others.

·         You need to be packing some street savvy as well. This can’t be taught, but the gullible must toughen up.

·         Being organized, a planner, and one who measures results is important as well. If you fail to monitor, analyze and plan you will have a road map to no where.

A great book marketing campaign is similar to one’s investment portfolio approach. You don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. You diversify, limit exposure, and take action based on research and reasonable analysis.

Sometimes, book marketing feels like a heavy lift with slow results and lots of expenses or time invested. It can seem like a diet, the one where you feel food-srarved and exercise-exhausted. But then, as time goes by, if you put in the hard work and take small steps, you come to realize that you have lost weight and made progress. The same holds true with your book publicity efforts. 

Give it some time and plenty of hustle – and you will start to see positive results.

PLEASE CONSULT THESE TIMELY RESOURCES

How Should Authors Promote Books During A Plague?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/how-should-authors-promote-books-during.html

Is It Essential For The Book World To Re-Open Now?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/is-it-essential-for-book-world-to-re.html

10 Tips For Pitching Books To The Media Now

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/10-tips-for-pitching-books-to-media-now.html

The Right Social Media Strategy For Authorshttps://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-right-social-media-strategy-for.html

Here’s My Graduation Address to the Class of 2020 on A Writing Career

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/my-graduation-address-to-class-of-2020.html

Are You Really Ready To Write, Publish & Market Your book?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/are-you-ready-to-write-publish-market.html

Powerful 2020 Book Marketing Toolkit -- FREE

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-2020-book-marketing-pr-toolkit.html

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

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-do-authors-promote-books-when-media.html

The Bestseller Code For Book Marketers & Authors

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-bestseller-code-for-authors-books.html

32 Book Deal, Discount & Promotion Sites For You

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/32-book-deal-discount-promotion-sites.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 ©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 

11 Insights For Marketing Books

Here are 11 insights on how to market your book successfully. They will only serve you well if you open your mind and heart and learn how to adapt to change, find new ways to do things, and put in the hard work necessary.

1.      Seek to apply other lessons in life to how you go about marketing a book.

2.      Re-frame your failures as opportunities to learn and grow.

3.      Know what you are good at and accelerate your efforts in those areas. For the areas you fall short, either dismiss them or outsource for the help you need.

4.      Always dream big but act at the level dictated by your skills, knowledge, resources, and opportunities posed. Fund a truthful blend of reality and hope.

5.      Don’t deny or avoid real issues. Handle them head-on.

6.      Get your facts straight and only act on what you know.

7.      Improve your communication skills – style, vocabulary, voice, energy, enthusiasm, and follow-up.

8.       Observe, listen, learn – then act, share, and collaborate.

9.       Be opportunistic. Don’t wait for someone to invite you to the dance – go out and create opportunities for yourself.

10.   Follow the rule of favors. Offer to help someone now so that you can ask for more later.

11.   Your greatest asset to sell books? Your words! Yes, use certain words, in the right order and length, to present a need or desire of others to buy an encased collection of other words.

PLEASE CONSULT THESE TIMELY RESOURCES

How Should Authors Promote Books During A Plague?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/how-should-authors-promote-books-during.html

Is It Essential For The Book World To Re-Open Now?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/is-it-essential-for-book-world-to-re.html

10 Tips For Pitching Books To The Media Now

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/10-tips-for-pitching-books-to-media-now.html

The Right Social Media Strategy For Authorshttps://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-right-social-media-strategy-for.html

Here’s My Graduation Address to the Class of 2020 on A Writing Career

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/my-graduation-address-to-class-of-2020.html

Are You Really Ready To Write, Publish & Market Your book?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/are-you-ready-to-write-publish-market.html

Powerful 2020 Book Marketing Toolkit -- FREE

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-2020-book-marketing-pr-toolkit.html

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

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-do-authors-promote-books-when-media.html

The Bestseller Code For Book Marketers & Authors

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-bestseller-code-for-authors-books.html

32 Book Deal, Discount & Promotion Sites For You

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/32-book-deal-discount-promotion-sites.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 ©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.

Can You Harness The Power Of Perception When Marketing Books?

Is life how we actually live it--or how we perceive it?

Okay, I didn’t mean to get too philosophical here, but this is a relevant question, is it not/ When it comes to book publicity and marketing, it’s all about perception. Perception is reality.

It’s important that you embrace this adage: What’s real is what people think, not what is. It’s what they feel, not what is. It’s what they fear or desire, not what is. 

With book publicity, you market to perceptions, not realities.

Many people react based on emotions, not just the facts. They make choices based on perceptions and guesses, not always on science-tested principles or hard accounting numbers.

You must promote your book, ideas, and brand in a way that plays to people’s perceptions. There’s no use trying to convince someone they’ll need an umbrella on a sunny day nor is there any reason to market a burden over a benefit. For instance, you don’t tell someone how hard it will be to lose 30 pounds. Instead, you just talk about the end result, of how great they will feel and look once it’s lost. But if you tell them what they have to do to get to that point you will have turned them off. 

Do you highlight a problem--or its solution--or how things will be once it’s solved? See the difference between the three components? People want to hear good news, not bad. They want to know things can get better, not worse. They want to envision their aspirational world and feel they don’t have to do a lot to get there. 

How you market will determine your success, not so much the quality of your book. That’s the reality we live in. Sizzle sells the steak. Remember to sell yourself in a way that’s powerful, positive, and with a pay-off for others. 

When you try to sell your book to potential readers, present it as a cure. Your book has to be seen as filling a need, fulfilling a desire. Or helping to stave off a future problem. They want to hear benefits, features, and rewards. No reason to give them details they don’t need or to present your book in a way other than how they want to hear about it.

When you pitch yourself to the media, present yourself as an expert, resource, or personality who has something that will serve the needs or desires of their readers/listeners/viewers. You are there to help the media and to be seen as helpful--not as someone who has an agenda or only cares about herself. 

How people perceive you--and how you present yourself--trumps reality. Perception is nine-tenths of book marketing.

PLEASE CONSULT THESE TIMELY RESOURCES

How Should Authors Promote Books During A Plague?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/how-should-authors-promote-books-during.html

Is It Essential For The Book World To Re-Open Now?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/is-it-essential-for-book-world-to-re.html

10 Tips For Pitching Books To The Media Now

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/10-tips-for-pitching-books-to-media-now.html

The Right Social Media Strategy For Authorshttps://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-right-social-media-strategy-for.html

Here’s My Graduation Address to the Class of 2020 on A Writing Career

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/my-graduation-address-to-class-of-2020.html

Are You Really Ready To Write, Publish & Market Your book?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/are-you-ready-to-write-publish-market.html

Powerful 2020 Book Marketing Toolkit -- FREE

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-2020-book-marketing-pr-toolkit.html

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

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-do-authors-promote-books-when-media.html

The Bestseller Code For Book Marketers & Authors

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-bestseller-code-for-authors-books.html

32 Book Deal, Discount & Promotion Sites For You

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/32-book-deal-discount-promotion-sites.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 ©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.

How To Stop Procrastinating Over Marketing Your Book

You probably saw the headline to this blog post and put off reading what I have to say.

I understand.

We all procrastinate on something – and we all need a work around -- or we will allow for something to stifle our lives and writing careers.

I confess I have a problem. I procrastinate over certain things, such as preparing documents for my accountant to do my taxes. But I also know that many people procrastinate in areas of writing, editing, book promoting, and selling books. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

So what do we do when we procrastinate?

·         We write ourselves notes and reminders to do the very thing we are avoiding.

·         A little voice tells us day and night to do what is needed

·         We hear from those closest to us asking us when we ill get to the thing we keep putting off.

·         We will get frustrated with ourselves and question why we are not doing what is needed.

·         We will try to avoid thinking about what we are avoiding and put our energy into some small reward-based task to help us feel productive.

·         We will hit our addictions harder – junk food, binge TV watching, drinking, doping, porn viewing, gambling, smoking, video-gaming – or whatever we do to escape life.

Whenever I actually complete the task I had been putting off, I always react the same.

I say:

"Oh, that was not as bad as I thought.,"
"i wish I had dome that sooner."
"Next time I will do things differently."
"If I can do this, I will tackle other things that I have avoided.'"

Then time goes by. Old habits settle in. Boom, we are back to square one, as if nothing ever happened, returning to our procrastinating ways.

So what is the cure -- or the vaccine? How do we avoid putting ourselves in these situations?

I wish I knew the answer. I don't.

But I have some ideas on how we can get this under control. Here is a half-dozen of them:

1. Simply do not let the thing that you are avoiding beat you up any more than it has to. Set a deadline to start attacking it. Break up the big task into smaller pieces, and before you know it, it is all done.

2. Ask for help. use your resource.s Don't suffer alone.

3. Talk it out. See if a friend or therapist can help you see that you can handle the thing you are letting overwhelm you.

4. Stop making excuses as to why you are not doing what is supposed to get done.

5. Use your addictions not to comfort your stalling ways, but as a reward for when you actually complete the task at hand.

6. Remind yourself you have performed tough, laborious, boring, or costly tasks before -- and survived and succeeded. You will get through this, just as you have before.

Human psychology is an amazing field to study. We can diagnose others, hand out advice, and see where people fall short. But our radar is broken, when we look at ourselves. Somehow our microscope's lens is shattered when we turn it inward.

Authors procrastinate because they:

• Don't feel confident they will succeed at the task at hand.
• Fear failure and don't feel motivated.
• Let doubts and questions get in the way of action.
• Lack resources, help, or support.
• Feel out of their comfort zone.
• Simply just want to write and want to ignore editing, marketing, or finding a publisher.

But authors can do more -- and better. I understand the procrastination beast well. I also know that we can see our energy, brainpower, and emotional currency towards building something, rather than tearing ourselves down. Don't delay -- act now!

PLEASE CONSULT THESE TIMELY RESOURCES

How Should Authors Promote Books During A Plague?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/how-should-authors-promote-books-during.html

Is It Essential For The Book World To Re-Open Now?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/is-it-essential-for-book-world-to-re.html

10 Tips For Pitching Books To The Media Now

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/10-tips-for-pitching-books-to-media-now.html

The Right Social Media Strategy For Authorshttps://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-right-social-media-strategy-for.html

Here’s My Graduation Address to the Class of 2020 on A Writing Career

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/my-graduation-address-to-class-of-2020.html

Are You Really Ready To Write, Publish & Market Your book?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/are-you-ready-to-write-publish-market.html

Powerful 2020 Book Marketing Toolkit -- FREE

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-2020-book-marketing-pr-toolkit.html

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

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-do-authors-promote-books-when-media.html

The Bestseller Code For Book Marketers & Authors

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-bestseller-code-for-authors-books.html

32 Book Deal, Discount & Promotion Sites For You

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/32-book-deal-discount-promotion-sites.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 ©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.