Wednesday, November 30, 2022

8 Best Book Marketing Practices

 




Authors always ask me three things: 

* What should I do to market my book?

* Do I have to use social media?

* How do I land a literary agent?

Today, we’ll answer the first question: What should I do to market my book?

1. Have A Plan - And A Timeline To Execute It

No plan gets you to nowhere fast. Make a marketing plan that identifies what you will do, how much you’ll spend, how you’ll budget your time, and what your goals are.

2. Explore A Diverse Portfolio Of Marketing Areas

To sell books, your effects will include some measure of things like blogging, being active on social media, speaking publicly, getting news media exposure, securing book reviews from professionals and consumers, advertising, pursuing book awards and writer contests, networking, and guerrilla marketing tactics.

3. Identify The Targeted/Niche Markets For Your Book

No one’s book is for everyone, though some books certainly can appeal to much wider readership than others. Think about who is ideally the kind of person who would buy your book. Then think about to find or reach them- and what will push them to buy your book. 

4. Get Your Collaterals In Order

Have a website, business card, social media accounts, an email signature, a mantra or tagline, an elevator speech, a press release (with several versions), access to images (photos of your book, self, and subject matter, and fliers/postcards at the ready).

5. Buying, Donating, Trading, & Begging Your Way To Sales

Claw your way to success. Think opportunistically. How do you get what you want - and what are you willing to do to get it? Will you donate books to a non-profit to secure a needed testimonial? Will you beg friends to buy the book  -- and do you other favors? Will you pay an influencer to post on social media or write your foreword? Will you agree with other authors to trade book reviews for each other’s books?

6. Giving Away Content To Build A List

To make money in books, be prepared to give content, services, and items away. On your site you need a sign-up button. To get someone’s email address, give them free, high-incentive content (ie: writers, resources, images, lists). Consider using the book as a freemium – a loss-leader to sell something more expensive.

7. Cross- Selling Products & Services: Yours Or Of Others

It’s much easier to sell several things than just one product. Write several books - and try to package them. Sell the books of others in conjunction with yours -- and see if they will do the same. Have a course, service, webinar, newsletter, or other monetized content/service along with your book. 

8. Identify New Distribution Channels

You may think your book is sold just on amazon or a bookstore like Barnes & Noble. Wrong! Your book can be sold on many other online book sites and carried by other bookstores. It can be sold anywhere from giftshops and conferences to airports and big box retailers. Open up your mind to seeing your book sold in non-traditional bookstore and, marketed in non-traditional ways. Think about selling your book to non-profits, schools, businesses, trade associations, religious groups, government agencies, sports leagues, and so many other specialty organizations and institutions. Sell beyond the U.S boarders. Sell your book’s rights -- film, theater, foreign languages, audio, etc. 

Please Contact Me For Book PR Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

 

Read This!

Top 24 Book Marketing Blog Posts of the Year

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/11/top-24-book-marketing-blogs-of-year.html

 

Great Book Marketing Podcast Interview With Book PR Pro Brian Feinblum

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/great-book-marketing-podcast-interview.html

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.2 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past decade, 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 WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs 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, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, NewsdayThe Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami 

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Who Will Buy Your Book?


 

Whom is your book for? Who is its likeliest fan and buyer? You need to know who you are selling to in order to target them, find them, and appeal to their needs, interest, and desires.  

Here are the five steps to reach potential book buyers:

  1. Be aware of ALL possibilities.
  2. Narrow down your core target.
  3. Identify where your consumer exists.
  4. Make attempts to learn more about your targeted readers.
  5. Put your book in front of your targeted reader. 

Let’s now explore each of them: 


  1. Be Aware Of All Possibilities

Your book could be sold to the general public, niche marketplaces, and micro-retail channels. So, what’s even possible? Explore these outlets/markets:  


·         Bookstores

·         Libraries

·         Churches/Temples

·         Non-Profits

·         Government Agencies

·         Corporations

·         Small Businesses

·         Street Fairs

·         Museums

·         Schools K-12

·         College Campuses

·         Gift Shops

·         Airports 

·         Military

·         Supermarkets

·         Gas Stations

·         Trade Associations

·         Catalogs

·         Book Fairs

·         Conventions

·         Big Box Stores

·         Specialty Stores: Pet Shops, Clothing Stores, Restaurants

·         Drugstores

·         Variety Stores

2.                  Narrow Down Your Core Market

Look over the above list. Realistically, which ones seem like a path to your potential reader? Identify the markets that you want to pursue. Prioritize them.  

3.         Identify Where Your Customer Exists

Let’s say you choose several targeted markets. Great. Now think about where they can be found. For instance, if your likely reader is a woman who shops at gift shops, research online a directory of gift shops. Find out if any big wholesalers or distributors sell to them, and see if they will carry your book. Further, think about what gift store owners read or consult to keep them informed. Can you learn by reading those same publications? Can you advertise in them? Can you buy an email database of these stores? Are there trade shows or conferences where giftshop owners gather -- and can you network there? Create distribution where your buyers tend to shop, work, go to school, or play. 

4.                  Make Attempts To Learn More About Your Targeted Readers

You need to know why a reader would buy your book. So, you can sell these attributes to others. You also need to know what such a reader wants, needs, or desires. What are their demographics -- and how can you use this information to find, and sell to them?

5.                  Put Your Book In Front Of Your Targeted Reader

Now that you know who will buy your book, where they tend to circulate, and why they’d buy a book like yours, you have to market to them. Will you use some combination of advertising, speaking, cold-calling, direct-mailing, social media, news media, book awards, and other means to find -- and sell to -- them? Determine a game plan and execute it. 

 

Lots of book sales can be secured when you follow the five stops listed above. Go get ‘em!  


Please Contact Me For Book PR Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

 

Read This!

Top 24 Book Marketing Blog Posts of the Year

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/11/top-24-book-marketing-blogs-of-year.html

 

Great Book Marketing Podcast Interview With Book PR Pro Brian Feinblum

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/great-book-marketing-podcast-interview.html

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.2 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past decade, 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 WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs 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, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, NewsdayThe Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum

 

 

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Top 24 Book Marketing Blogs Of The Year

  


 

With over 3.2 million page views, I am proud to say that my award-winning book publishing blog is not only being read by many in the book industry, but it is helping authors and publishers to get a better, more informed handle on how to market books -- and to understand the critical role that publicity plays in a book’s success. Below are the best two dozen posts of the past year from Brian Feinblum’s BookMarketingBuzzBlog.  

With over 30 years of experience as a book marketer, editor, promoter, and writer, I am delighted to continue to assist others to navigate through the world of books and media.  I have helped thousands of authors, including those who are indie-published, self-published, university press published, and traditional, best-selling authors. I hope you find the informative posts below to be enjoyable. They are relevant to authors of all genres, from fiction to non-fiction, and from poetry to children’s books.  

Please feel free to share them with others. Should you need one-on-one help with your book publishing and marketing needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out directly to me at brianfeinblum@gmail.com   

May today be your next step towards fulfilling your book publishing and marketing dreams.   


1.      New Year’s Resolutions For Writers & Book Lovers

Make some promises for the new year and commit to succeeding as a writer.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/12/new-years-resolutions-for-writers-book.html

 

2.      Interview With A Leading Book Marketer For Over 30 Years, Brian Feinblum

Listen and learn from an interview with a top book publicist.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/interview-with-leading-book-marketer.html

 

3.      Ask This Powerhouse PR Pro Anything About Book Marketing

It is easy, free, and fast: Ask any question from a veteran of book marketing wars.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/12/ask-me-anything-about-book-marketing.html

 

4.      A Lifetime Marketing Timeline For Today’s Author

Know what you need to do today, this month, next year, and always.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/01/a-lifetime-marketing-timeline-for.html

 

5.      Are There Alternative Methods To Market Your Book?

Find out what could and should be done to promote your book without missing na opportunity.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/are-there-alternative-methods-to.html

 

6.      25 Messages That Sell Lots Of Books

What to say in order for someone to buy your book.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/01/25-messages-that-sell-lots-of-books.html

 

7.      How Do Authors Get More Book Reviews?

The book review process is demystified.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/how-do-authors-get-more-book-reviews.html

 

8.      Do’s, Don’ts, and Maybes For Authors Marketing Books

What all authors need to know and do when it comes to promoting books.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/dos-donts-maybes-for-authors.html

 

9.      What Should You Do To Promote Your Book?

Here’s a list of possibilities and probabilities of how to promote your book.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/01/what-should-you-do-to-promote-your-book.html

 

10.  The Truth That Authors Need to Hear

What every writer needs to understand when it comes to their book’s fate.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-truth-that-authors-need-to-hear.html

 

11.  Book Publishing Expose For Authors From An Insider

After three decades in the book industry, a few secrets are revealed.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/book-publishing-expose-for-authors-from.html

 

12.  Would A Book That Reveals A Cancer Cure Sell?

No book just sells on its own, no matter how great, interesting, or important.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/11/what-if-book-cured-cancer.html


13.  Interesting Literary Factoids For Writers & Readers

      Cool factoids about the literary world.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/08/interesting-literary-factoids-for.html

 

14.  Advice For Authors Who Say Nothing Works

I am talking to you: If you whine and complain about book PR, read this!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/07/advice-for-authors-who-say-nothing-works.html

 

15.  Author Costs & Rewards

Learn the price of doing things – and of not doing them – when it comes to publishing and promoting a book.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/author-costs-rewards.html

 

16.  Do Literary Agents & Authors Need Couples Therapy?

            Shotgun wedding? How authors and agents need to collaborate better.

      https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/07/do-literary-agents-authors-need-couples.html

 

17.  Why Bad Books Outsell Yours

Less talented writers, with dumber or duller books, sell more copies than your do.  Why?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/05/why-bad-books-outsell-yours.html

 

18.  Can You Sell 5,000 Books?

What will you commit to doing to ensure a steady flow of  more book sales

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/10/can-can-you-sell-5000-books.html

 

19.  Do Most Authors Play Book Review Games?

Pay-to-Play, handshake deals, and trades will get you reviews. Will you play along?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/10/must-authors-play-book-review-games.html

 

20.  Your Book Marketing Stinks: Here’s A Fix

There’s no reason to live with mediocre or poor marketing. Follow me!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/10/your-book-marketing-stinks-heres-fix.html

 

21.  How Do You Get Your Book Discovered?

Your book doesn’t exist – unless you make the effort to alert people to it.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/08/how-can-your-book-get-discovered.html

 

22.  How Do Authors Spend Their Time?

Time management skills for all writers to obey.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/09/how-do-authors-spend-their-time.html

 

23.  Blogging 101 For Authors

Everything you needed and wanted to know about blogging effectively to sell books.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/08/blogging-101-for-authors.html

 

24.  Cheap Promotions For Authors

Low-budget tricks of the trade for authors needing a boost.

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/06/cheap-promotions-for-authors.html

 

Please Contact Me For Book PR Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.2 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past decade, 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 WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs 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, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, NewsdayThe Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum