Authors Should Model Nathan Handwerker

 

Who is Nathan Handwerker, you ask?

He was a Polish immigrant who came to Brooklyn at the start of the last century and launched what would become a national sensation, Nathan’s Famous. As in hot dogs. And the company he built just sold for $450 million.

In 1916, at 24, he started selling hot dogs from a push cart on the street corner of Surf Avenue and Stillwell Avenue, in Coney Island, for five cents a piece, undercutting his competition. He needed startup money and he was seeded some funds from two singing waiters, Jimmy Durante and Eddie Cantor, and he sold his possessions to raise $300. Then would come the building that is now a historical landmark and the site of the annual July 4th hot dog eating contest.

Ok, so why should authors follow the lead of a hot dog vendor-turned-millionaire entrepreneur?

Nathan did several things of note along the way to building an iconic brand. Authors, pay attention. This is your MBA moment.

First, he pursued a dream and hustled his way to success. He worked hard because he had to. What is a guy in a new country with little education to do when he has a family to feed? You, too, need to push past any self-imposed limitations and pour in your blood, sweat, and tears — and time, equity, and energy to make your dream come true. Work harder, smarter, longer than others. That is the recipe.

Second, he took a risk and borrowed money to launch a business. Don’t mortgage the home to market your book but get ready to alter your lifestyle budget if you are serious about being a writer.  Will you need to make changes and choices in order to get the money you need, even borrow some, so that you can properly market your book? Absolutely.

Third, his product was a low-cost basic item, one that anyone could produce and sell, but he found a way to beat the competition. His wife created the winning hot dog recipe and family helped to cook, clean, and run the business. He made it a family affair. The lesson here is to get help and do what you can to be better or to differentiate. His price was lower than others. His dogs tasted better. You need to write a better book but you also need a team of paid or volunteer help.

Fourth, he did business where customers already were, meeting and not creating a demand. He was not the first person to sell a hot dog and he was not the only food vendor in the area. But he sold something that people want and sold it where people always congregate — by a beach and an amusement park. You need to market your book where your book genre’s readers exist, whether online or in person. Find your beach!

We know that far more startups fail than survive, and even far fewer break out with wild success. Nathan’s is admittedly a special case but it is not a unicorn. The principles behind its success, on some level, can be replicated by authors right now: Work hard; borrow and sacrifice; get help; sell where customers already congregate.

The fifth principle? Expand. His thick, ridged French fries are the best in the world. He did not just rest on the hot dog. He built a menu around the tastes and preferences of his clients. You too can diversify and build a portfolio of various genre books and in a variety of formats.

Ok, go out there and launch your literary version of Nathan’s Famous!

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum 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 5,400,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 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 2026.

 

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 was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

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

 

 

Where Are The Book Vending Machines?

As a child of the 70s and 80s, I remember vending machines selling cigarettes, candy bars, potato chips, sodas, etc. Later, we would see vending machines for movie rentals and now we have ones that sell condoms, women’s hygiene products, and Narcan. I thought I had seen it all, and then I came across a pet toy and snack dispensary machine in the Las Vegas airport. It got me thinking: Where are the book vending machines?  

Apparently, some version of this has existed for over two centuries?  

HuffPost.com reports: “The first book-dispensing vending machine was built by Richard Carlile in England in 1822. Carlile was a bookseller who wanted to sell seditious works like Paine's Age of Reason without being thrown in jail. His answer was a self-service machine that allowed customers to buy questionable books without ever coming into contact with Carlile. The customer turned a dial on the device to the publication he wanted, deposited his money, and the material dropped down in front of him. It's unclear whether this was an automated process, but that didn't stop England's own automated process from convicting one of Carlile's employees for selling "blasphemous material."”  

In 1937, Penguin Books launched the “Penguincubator” in London, selling cheap paperbacks for sixpence.  

A more recent version sold 50 titles for a quarter each, back in 1947. The Book-O-Mat helped sell millions of paperbacks. An advertisement back then hailed the machine as “a revolutionary advance” and it boasted of a way to achieve “round-the-clock sales.”  

In the 1970s and 80s, vending machines sold manga in Japan. By the early 2000s, train station vending machines were sprinkled across parts of France.  

The biblio-Mat was created in 2012. A vending machine that dispensed a random used book for a set price.  

Modern-day book vending machines continue to evolve and pop up, but really, I can’t say that I ever see them anywhere. But they do exist. BookVending.com sells book vending machines for schools at a price ranging from $6000 to $7000.  

It would seem that book vending machines would do well where people travel (airports, bus stations, train stops) and where people shop – malls, supermarkets, drugstores, big box stores – or where they have long waits – government agencies, doctor offices, or courthouses. There are book deserts across the nation. A book vending machine can’t replace a book stores, but it’s better than nothing.  

NPR.com recently ran a story about LitBox a book vending machine in Washington, DC. It was created to help promote the books of local authors and smaller presses, which were not getting enough play in town.  

I did find something called Bookworm Vending Machine at bookvending.com that identified how over 11,000 locations have their machines, serving over 5.4 million students each year, and selling some 12.6 million books annually. 

Could we one day see pets up for adoption or sex toys in a vending machine? I would not rule it out, but as for books, it would be cool to see the vending machine concept catch on in a widespread way.

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum 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 5,250,000 page views. With 5,400+ posts over the past 14 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 was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

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

 

 

Go See The Bookstore, A Delicious Play

 

Is a life well-lived defined by the people in their life or the books they have read?  

Well, it is some measure of both. Perhaps our reading is done in proportion to our loneliness, though plenty of people live active lives, socialize, and read many books.  

In a delightful new play for bibliophiles, The Bookstore explores why people read books and examines if it matters what they read.  Books shape who we are.

The play centers around a woman who owns an indie bookstore and runs it with the help of two young women, both aspiring writers. The owner also befriends a young gay man (played by Quentin Chisholm)  who sought refuge in the store after being the victim of a hate crime. The four of them form a family-like bond, where books connect them in ways that blood just can’t. 

The play is an ode to books and what they mean to us, but it is also about loneliness and defining what it feels like to truly be alive, and how books can comfort us in sickness or in health.  

So many questions were aroused by viewing this play: Are we the sum of the books that we read? Are we to be seen based on what we say we have read— even if we had not read some of those books? Are books a mirror to reflect who we are or a window into who we are not? Is reading a book active living? Does it supplement our lives or get in the way of living them? 

The set was great – you felt like you were in the bookstore, where all of the action takes place. Produced by New Jersey Repertory Company, the lead was played well by Janet Zarish and I loved everything about the acting of Ari Derambakhsh, a beautiful woman with a wonderful character. Arielle Goldman was very believable as the frustrated writer who spends much of her time away from the bookstore, alone, working on her novel that never se4ems to be quite ready.

If you love books, and value the indie bookstore, you will enjoy a play that serves up a love letter about all things books.  

It has a limited engagement at the newish and intimate theatre, 59E59, in New York’s midtown, on the East side. Go see it.  

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum 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 5,400,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 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 2026.

 

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 was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

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

 

 

Why The Ten Year Affair Is A Great Novel

 

I just read The Ten Year Affair and loved it. 

It spoke to me on a number of levels. I read it in three days. It consumed me, filling me with memories of long-dormant curiosities and it fueled me with exploratory fantasies of the present. The book felt comforting and threatening at the same time, for confronting one’s desires is a very tricky thing.

This novel awakened something in me. It was like reading one’s personal diary of fantasies. It was about a young woman seeking refuge in a Mommy playgroup by talking to the one guy in the group, a stay-at-home dad. She begins to have an affair with him, well, at least in her mind.

The book focuses on a few key questions: Is it cheating if you merely think about having an affair all the time and imagining it with a specific person? Should one act on their desires, regardless of the consequences? Is living out a fantasy ever as good as imagining it?  

I love how the author spent a substantial portion of the book obsessing over an affair of the heart that was not being realized, and how she shows a split-world timeline of what Cora, the main character, felt deeply and thought about in contrast to her real-world actions. What she did not actually do was the most powerful thing.   

Real life always coexists with some level of fantasy —both because and in spite of it. Fantasy compensates but it also forces us to confront what we want and can’t have — unless we are ready to take a risk and pay a price.  

Her insights have a way of coming across as if we are invited, one-on-one, to the intimate conversations we have in our heads. This story is about one woman’s relentless desire, almost as if out of obligation, to chase what may or may not fulfill her.   

Is the destiny of all obsessions to end with one’s attempt to fulfill them? Does one desire another based on the anticipated merits the physical act could bring – or is it desired merely because it is something forbidden, something desired, something other?   

Can she go without ever realizing her fantasy? Is every conversation, real and imagined, mere foreplay to an act that may not happen?  You need to read it to find out what happens.

This is a lively, well-written, realistic look at one woman’s battles with who she was, accepting who she is, and wondering what she will become. 

I also wonder if the author penned this book as her confessional, whether it is about her own fantasies or perhaps her own affair masked as fantasy. They say one writes what they know.  

Only the author, Erin Somers, knows the truth, but by now the fantasy, if that is all it was, is so immersed in her life. It has become an experience of its own, and now that it is in book form, it seems even more concrete; this thing that was fleeting now has shape and form, something others can see and discuss and no longer is it just the domain of her imaginative mind and private compulsions. Others can now co-opt her fantasy and make it theirs.  

By the way, I love how her author photo is taking up the entire back cover. Though obviously staged — the forced positioning of her hands trying to look natural give it away. No doubt her photographer suggested it. But the black and white imagery is a nice touch. Sitting sideways shows she won’t reveal all of herself, even though her writings say so much. The horizontal lines of her shirt focus us to look one way, while her tilted head, eyes glancing away, lips ever so slightly parted express a desire and a curiosity.   

Or, I just attached a lot of shit to something that was unintentional and not at all there. We all tend to do that.

This is what happens when we look at anything. We only have a singular vantage point to look upon and we can only contextualize based on our experiences, observations, and learnings, which by no means suffice as an accurate and complete understanding of all that is.  

It doesn’t surprise me that the book is great. She has written for The New Yorker, Esquire, New York Times, GQ and The Atlantic. Her debut novel, Stay Up With Hugo Best, was voted by Vogue as Best Book of the Year. She is also the news editor for Publishers Lunch.  

This is a book, billed as humorous literary fiction, that questions and pushes our boundaries – and the ripple effects of one’s actions and inactions. It has the reader wondering what the young woman will do with her predicament, walking us up to various lines, some of which get crossed and redrawn – and some that can’t be seen but exist nevertheless.

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum 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 5,400,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 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 2026.

 

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 was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

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

Interview With Business Book Author Kenneth L. Lloyd, Ph.D.

1. What inspired you to write this book? I wrote the first edition of this book in 2009, and the key inspiration for writing this new edition is based on the widespread improvements to the performance appraisal process over the past 15+ years. The days of the stand-alone and dreaded annual performance appraisals are going the way of the dinosaur and are being replaced by new processes and practices that meet the needs of today’s employers and employees. 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for? Large numbers of employees at all job levels are experiencing dissatisfaction, distress, and resistance regarding performance appraisals—and this is not surprising. The problem is that in a vast array of organizations, it is not uncommon to find appraisal systems that are outdated, out of touch, and out of step with the needs and objectives of today’s employers and employees. This book provides readers with the latest hands-on tools, steps, and strategies to make performance appraisals more productive in every respect.  

One major development is that the days of the stand-alone annual performance appraisals are drawing to a close. With myriad issues associated with delayed feedback, inaccuracies, halo and horn effects, recency bias, and skewed ratings, these reviews are now being replaced by quarterly or biannual reviews in many organizations—but that’s not all. As this book discusses, one of the most compelling changes is the use of “continuous feedback.” Through prescheduled weekly or biweekly meetings between managers and each individual on their team, these meetings are a source of timely and accurate feedback as well as “feedforward.” Premised on two-way communication, the sessions are coaching-oriented and focus on specific aspects of performance improvement along with upskilling, joint problem-solving, recognition, new initiatives, work-life balance, and goal attainment, plus any issues or questions that the employees would like to raise. When it’s then time for the biannual or quarterly appraisals, continuous feedback has eliminated the widespread dissatisfaction and dysfunction typically experienced by employees and managers through stand-alone annual appraisals. With continuous feedback in place, the door opens for truly constructive performance-related discussions.  

With this framework in mind, the book shows readers how to handle all aspects of the appraisal process which include planning and navigating through each step, identifying and capitalizing on the wide-ranging benefits generated by these appraisals, avoiding the common problems and errors, handling the logistics, leading highly productive discussions, jointly establishing performance and development goals, and building leadership and coaching skills. To further facilitate and enhance the appraisal process, the book also contains over 3,300 phrases that focus on the central areas of job performance and provide suggested language to help make feedback and feedforward even more impactful.   

This book is written for individuals in leadership positions who want to build the success, performance, growth, and development of the individuals on their team. The book is also a useful source and resource for members of the Human Resources team, while also providing supervisors, managers, and executives with the newest and most effective ways to make the appraisal process a significant additional source of improved performance, collaboration, motivation, engagement, and career development. 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? The real hope that the readers of this book will understand how today’s performance appraisals can truly enhance the employee performance, growth, and development, while also enhancing managerial effectiveness as leaders and coaches. 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? As part of the For Dummies series published by John Wiley & Sons, the title and widely recognized cover design were predetermined by the Wiley publishing team.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Writing is an ongoing process, whether you are at a keyboard or not. Your book-in-process is always with you, incubating in the recesses of your mind. With this in mind, one piece of advice is to be ready for the next great idea to arrive. You may be running errands, drifting off to sleep, or awakened in the middle of the night. So, have your phone nearby to send yourself a note, or even go as basic as having a pen and pencil nearby so that you can jot down your latest inspiration instantly. It’s easy to think that you’ll remember that new insight later, but it can easily drift away.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? At this point, the major trend in the book world appears to be the role and influence of AI. Writers will be increasingly relying on it, especially in terms of such areas as editing, opening up new and related topics, generating supportive research, and providing other literary support as needed. From the publishing standpoint, one key development is likely to be the increased role of publishers and authors using their websites and platforms to sell books directly to consumers. 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Some of the experiences that came in handy when I was writing this book include research skills developed and utilized in pursuit of my Ph.D. at UCLA, working as a management consultant in organizational development for 20+ years, teaching MBA classes at the UCLA  Anderson School of Management, and serving as VP of Employee Planning & Development at one of the largest manufacturers of medical apparel in the U.S.

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? My writing style is readable, fast-paced, based on research and experience, and replete with hands-on tools, tips, and strategies. My most recent book, Performance Appraisals & Phrases for Dummies, is similar in structure and style to many other For Dummies books in providing information in a highly practical, usable, and reader-friendly style.

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? The main challenge associated with writing this book to the keep the book within the length parameters preferred by the publisher, while at the same time fully covering the changes, upgrades, and updates in the performance appraisal process. 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? For readers who are in supervisory, managerial, or executive positions, as well as for readers who aspire to reach such positions, this is an excellent book to start reading today. Rather than suffering through the archaic stand-alone performance appraisals that do little more than generate dissatisfaction and distress for those providing and receiving such feedback, this book provides all of the key strategies and easy-to-apply steps to make this process more effective—especially when it comes to improving employee performance, building managerial coaching skills, enhancing collaboration and cooperation, and contributing to employee growth and career development through accurate and timely feedback and feedforward. 

 

About The Author: Ken Lloyd, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized management consultant, author, and speaker who specializes in organizational development, human resources, and employee coaching. He has consulted across the U.S. and Canada in a vast array of industries including healthcare, apparel, financial services, electronics, high-tech, and entertainment. His weekly workplace advice column ran for more than 20 years in numerous newspapers and in their online editions, and for ten of those years, his column was syndicated by the New York Times Syndicate. Over the years, Dr. Lloyd taught numerous management classes in the MBA program at UCLA Anderson School of Management. He has lectured at several universities, and he has been a guest speaker at company meetings, conferences, and business gatherings. He also served as Vice President of Employee Planning and Development for more than 18 years at a major manufacturer and distributor of medical apparel and footwear. Ken has authored/co-authored eleven business books, and he has made several television and talk-radio appearances that include Good Morning America, CNN, Morning Edition on NPR, KABC, KTLA, and Fox Morning News, along with numerous podcast appearances on GlobalBusinessNews. He received his B.A. from UC Berkeley and his Ph.D. in Industrial Relations and Organizational Behavior from UCLA, and he is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the Society for Human Resources Management. Please see: www.jerksatwork.com

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum 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 5,400,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 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 2026.

 

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 was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

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