Can Authors Get A Break?

Authors just need a lucky break in order for their book to take off. But is it really a matter of wishful thinking that leads to a breakthrough moment — or is it something else?

They pray for a big news media hit, to get a testimonial from a celebrity or best-selling author, a major book review, a large, targeted speaking opportunity, an influencer’s praise on social media, a post that goes viral, to win a prestigious book award, or to get a call from a Hollywood executive.

Many of us go through different stages of life feeling like the author, where you believe in your abilities and yourself, yet you feel like the grasp of success is just out if your reach, that is in the hands of others.

Looking for your first job — but lacking experience? If only someone would hire you and give you a chance, you know that you can do well. Remember that?

Hoping to enter into a solid relationship — but can’t seem to find the right person.  If only someone would give you a chance to go on a date — and get to see beyond surface impressions. Remember that?

Whether you applied to college, tried to make new friends, or tried out for a sports team, in each situation you just needed a chance at a lucky break.

But you and I both know that you make your own luck — with your attitude, perseverance, hard work, constant seeking of improving your skillset or base of knowledge, ability to endure setbacks, openness to try new things or to do them using new ways, and a willingness to listen to constructive criticism.

Can you get a break? The question is: Are you working towards one? Are you deserving of it? Be honest.

You need to work harder, smarter, longer, and differently. You need to experiment and take risks. You need to conquer fear, limit your bias, and make sacrifices.

It is true that you can seemingly do everything right and still have shit to show for it. No matter. You keep going. Do not give up — you could be on the brink of breaking through.

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.25 million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, 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 www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity 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, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

A Trump Tariff On Free Speech?

 

 

Tariffs are doing far more harm than good to Americans right now. That is not politics. It is a financial fact. But what is worse than having to pay more money for goods that we want or need is the fact that Trump just issued a tariff that threatens the enjoyment of free speech in America.

He delivered a bombshell to Americans and Hollywood by announcing a 100 percent tariff on films made overseas. What this does is as follows:

* Allows the government to influence which movies are made or seen in America
* Forces ticket, and possibly streaming service, price increases
* Could limit the distribution of foreign films in America.
* Might spur retaliatory tariffs in other nations against American films, which could shrink viewership.

How would the government go about assessing tariffs on a product that is not physically shipped through a port? It is creative content. What is next? Websites, newsletters, and magazines get taxed?

Who is going to figure out what percentage of a film is foreign made? Where it was written, filmed, or edited can vary as a percentage as to what was done where and by whom.

Will we do the same with television shows, too? Or a traveling ballet company — or a foreign orchestra? Americans need to have a choice of voice and art — what we choose to view, read, or hear is up to us. And how the arts get crafted and where they are conceived or developed is not the government’s business.

It is bad enough cities compete to give tax credits to inspire studios to film there. These bribes could influence how their city is depicted in the movie or if it is depicted at all.

 

Within 24 hours of announcing his tariff, he then walked it back and made it sound like he is strongly considering it. His on again, off again approach is part stupidity, part negotiation ploy. So, who really knows if there will be a tariff, how much it will be, how long it will last… but even the contemplation and public suggestion of such a tariff is bad news not only for the economy and businesses, it is bad for free speech and what this country stands for.

We need our films and creative arts to remain untouched by the government. Keep the arts and all media tariff-free!

 

 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.25 million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, 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 www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity 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, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

Do Authors Need A Book Marketing GPS?

 

 

I can't drive anywhere without a GPS. Perhaps I’m not wired for maps and directions. I have no sense of direction or location. I can get lost going home from five blocks away. It occurs to me that many authors can’t go forward on their promotional journey without using a book marketing GPS.  

Here are six ways to craft your customized book marketing GPS:

 

1. In order to go anywhere, you need a destination to be set. So, where do you want to go? Where will you journey to-- speaking, social media, book reviews, book awards, advertising, book clubs, traditional media? Decide on one or more paths and learn what’s needed to achieve success.  

2. Follow some directions (instructions, advice). If you, say, decide to try to sell your book to libraries, you will need some direction. Whichever entity, consultant, website, or source that you use to learn how to sell to libraries, please follow their advice if you trust them. If they know the way, let them lead you.  

3. Realize that just as the GPS shows you multiple ways to get to your destination, there is a best-practices recommendation. A car GPS shows you the fastest way to go; your book marketing GPS will tell you what has the best ROI on your efforts. Follow that.  

4. Further, realize that circumstances can change over time, and as a result, a recalibration of traffic takes place on a GPS, and sometimes a route is altered. So too with your book marketing. GPS, new information or changes in circumstances may dictate you to alter your path.  

5. Maybe you find a better way to go from point A to B. For instance, under optimal conditions I can make it from my house to Montreal in about five hours and 45 minutes. Yes, I might speed too. But what if I scrap the car for something else, like a plane, that gets me there much quicker? Same with your book marketing GPS. You might switch the means and methods you planned to use to achieve your success. Feel free to be flexible.  

6. Though a GPS tells you how to get to your destination, it does not take cost into account - tolls, gas, and wear-and-tear on the car. Same goes with your book marketing GPS. You need to explore if the costs involved - time, money, energy, mindset - are worth the journey.  

Set your book marketing GPS for new destinations. Pack up your resources and give it your all to make sure the journey is productive and efficient. 

 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.25 million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, 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 www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity 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, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

Can Writers Get Past Book Marketing Block?

 

 

 

Authors often do not approach book marketing from a healthy perspective. In fact, they are fearful, insecure, suspicious, uninformed, misinformed, and delusional when it comes to what they think promoting a book is all about.  

Now, I get some of that, I really do, but I also know that for a book to succeed, there needs to be real marketing muscle behind it. So, whatever your hang-ups are, whether warranted or not, you need to promote your book. To stay on the sidelines is to kill your book. 

Published authors need a boost of inspiration and confidence to get out of their bubble and to start doing pro-active things that can promote a book. The best type of things that can be helpful are these:

 

• Social media
• Book awards
• Mainstream media
• Speaking engagements 
• Author website
• Book reviews
• Direct marketing
• Networking 
• Testimonials
• Advertising

Having a plan and reserving a budget of time and money to execute each piece of the plan over time is what you need to put your energies into. Worrying, avoiding, or feeling crippled by a decision is a waste of time and energy, and eventually costs you money and opportunities.  

Authors mistakenly:

 

• Let a bad experience color all of their efforts 
• Hear about marketing fails of other authors and assume the same will happen to them
• Dismiss things like social media without understanding that there may be useful and easier ways to use it than they think
• Assume something won’t work when it can 
• Hear something that sounds good but they don’t really understand it and should not partake in
• Think they can hire or outsource all of their marketing 
• Focus only on writing and not much on marketing  

Authors need to examine a number of things, such as:

 

• Who your targeted reader is 
• Where that reader lives, plays, and turns up
• How to appeal to their ideal readers
• How much time, money, mind shape, and resources they really need to commit to marketing a book
• Less expensive ways to get their books published 
• Why they expect sales when they do little or nothing to generate book discovery 

Often, your marketing efforts need to be ongoing and holistic. You need to do things before publication, during your book launch, and after your book is published. What you do to promote one book could have a residual pay-off to promote prior or future books. Marketing a book is less a singular event and more a way of life. 

Open your eyes- and heart - and wallet - to the book marketing possibilities that are out there for you. Embrace the opportunity to promote, don’t evade or shun it. You start at a deficit and need to use marketing as a way to propel your book forward.

 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.25 million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, 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 www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity 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, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

Do You Need A Book Marketing Coach?

 

Authors need coaching, not just on what to do and how to do it, but inspiration and encouragement to get them motivated and feeling confident. Most aspects of our life would benefit from a coach, therapist, parent, or trainer. Book marketing coaching is what I do -- I do it well and love it, and you too should do it. 

Coaches can help you in so many ways:

 

• Save you time on research, strategy, and exception 
• Save you money on mistakes that you will likely make 
• Hold you accountable to take action by a deadline
• Focus you on what you must do -- and what to avoid 
• Limit the trial-and-error approach to book marketing 
• Strengthen your strengths and weaken your weaknesses
• Challenge your fears and assumptions with facts and faith
• Help you become aware of where you fall short - and provides real solutions to plug the gaps up
• Show you why something is working or not working 
• Bring their experience, research, opinions, and resources to help you grow 
• Give you a trusted advisor to be on your side and champion you through the minefields 
• Brainstorm on big ideas and also grounds you on the core basics 
• Make introductions or provide recommended resources 

Your book marketing coach should have the right credentials, including:  

• Years of experience in successfully promoting/ marketing books and authors – not widgets
• A pleasant personality, professional style, and soothing voice
• A level of marking sophistication, but the ability to dumb it down for you 
• Organized and, focused, on time, and responsive to you 
• Have lots of references/ testimonials and a good image when you conduct a Google audit 
• Someone who not only works with authors but who has worked in your genre specifically 

Like any industry, there are some terrific book promoters and book marketing coaches, but there are plenty who suck. Some lie and grift their way to your inbox; others are well-intentioned, but are just not so effective at what they do. But you are people-savvy and will need to judge what you are told -- and what is not shared or stated. 

Book marketing coaches can infuse you with an energy that’s needed to get shit done. Marketing exposes you to rejection, failure, or defeat. A coach will keep your spirits high and will give you the tools and ideas to break through. Hire one now!

 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.25 million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, 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 www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity 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, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum