Book Marketing Blogs

We had a great show with host Penny Sansevieri leading a discussion on why book reviews matter, how to get your book reviewed and pitfalls to avoid when seeking reviews. Our special guest was Amy Collins.

About our guest: Amy Collins is the owner of The Cadence Group, a sales and marketing service provider for the publishing industry. In 2008, The Cadence Group launched New Shelves Distribution, a full-scale book warehousing, sales and fulfillment company selling publisher’s books directly to the national chains and independent bookstores in North America. Learn more at http://www.thecadencegrp.com.

Do reviews matter? 

Yes, despite all the changes in the publishing world and how books are promoted, reviews are still important. The difference between now and then is that 15 years ago a really good review from a respected review outlet would convince a national chain and most of the top independent bookstores to carry the book. These days there are fewer chains or independent bookstores so a good review doesn’t have the same impact.

Publishers Weekly (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Authors wanted reviews back then because a good review was worth a couple thousand units to the library market alone. Now, Amy says, libraries don’t have that kind of budget anymore, so a good review is not an automatic buy – just a better chance to be considered.

There are more places to get reviews in this new world, although the review space is highly competitive. (more…)

About 10 months ago, I listened to Gary Vaynerchuck talk about this new site called Pinterest. He was really excited about it, though at first I didn’t get it. “Get on Pinterest now!” Gary encouraged. I didn’t listen, thinking “oh, dear, not another social network!”

 However, Pinterest has proven to be anything but another social network. First, its growth has been extraordinary. According to several reports, including a blog post shared on Mashable, from September 2011 to December 2011, unique visitors on Pinterest increased by 429%. That kind of growth has never been seen in a social network and while it’s still early for Pinterest, we’re seeing a lot of staying power, especially with established brands like Macy’s, Land’s End and magazines such as Real Simple – which got more traffic from Pinterest in October 2011 than from Facebook.

For those of you who haven’t been on Pinterest, the concept is almost deceptively simple. You sign up for an account (there’s a waiting period right now as Pinterest tries to manage traffic and new accounts, once you sign up it should take about a week before you can get in). The site is a collection of boards, sort of like virtual bulletin boards that you name and add to your page. You can have as many boards as you want and name them whatever you want (though make sure to read through the Pinterest terms of service so you know you’re not violating any of their regulations). The boards can describe your brand, book, message, or business. We’ll look at some board ideas in a minute but for now, think bulletin board. (more…)

Ready to be a bestseller? Ken Atchity has worked with hundreds of authors and books and as many bestsellers. In this in depth conversation Ken shares his views and insider tips on how to be your own success story. You can learn more about Ken at http://www.storymerchant.com/

How to be a Bestselling Author!

Here’s a roundup of some of the best book marketing Tweets from the past week, courtesy of bloggers, marketers, authors and others. The topics include using Facebook for book publicity, building hype on Goodreads, improving your Google ranking, and much more. Happy marketing!

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* Even More Ways to Master Facebook’s Timeline

Now that Facebook has officially switched Pages over to the Timeline format learn some additional tips and tricks:

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/even_more_ways_to_master_facebook_timeline.php (more…)

As of March 30, Fan Pages on Facebook underwent significant changes. I’ve asked our Facebook expert Amy Porterfield to share some insights into these changes.

First up, Amy can you tell us what the biggest difference is with the new Fan Page changes?

Here’s the thing, it is no longer about the number of Likes.  Just because you have a lot of likes, a lot of fans, doesn’t mean you’re going to have success on Facebook.  If you want bottom-line results you must create ways to keep fans coming back for more, collect leads from quality fans and get them to take action inside and outside of Facebook.

With all the new changes, Pages are now more visually stimulating, which means that you can actually get more engagement just by the fact that there’s a new layout on your Facebook page.  To couple that with some of these strategies we’ll talk about in this article, you’ll have some surefire ways to get more action from your Facebook fans. (more…)

Guest post by Adria Saracino:

Finishing a book is hard work, so the last thing you want to hear at this point is that there’s still a lot of work to be done. You’re exhausted, you’ve pored over everything and you just want to get it out there – so imagine how miserable you’d feel if you sent it on its way only for it to be ignored by the big wide world.

If you want people to notice your book, it’s got to look great. People do judge books by their covers (you’re probably even guilty of it yourself). Publishing houses spend a lot of money on the cover of a book, so how are you supposed to compete on a modest budget?

The answer is stock photos. Using stock photos in your design is an affordable way of creating a professional looking cover, something a lot of book publishers both big and small do. However, there are a lot of considerations if you plan on going this route. Here is a how-to guide to using royalty free images.

Cover Design

The look of your book says a lot about what’s going on inside. Do your research and find where your book should be placed in the market, try and figure out what works for bestsellers in a similar genre. Get inspired and learn from the big guys – after all, they’re the ones you’ll be competing with. The Book Designer: http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/01/3-secrets-to-e-book-cover-design-success/ offers practical and easy to understand advice for those delving into book design for the first time. (more…)

Enjoy a collection of some of the best book marketing Tweets from the past week, courtesy of bloggers, marketers, authors and others. The topics include maximizing your LinkedIn profile, getting bookstores to carry indie books, promoting an author’s books on Pinterest, improving your ebook sales, and much more. Happy marketing!

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* How Authors Promote Each Other’s Books on Pinterest

It never hurts to help your friends, especially if they are authors. Here’s how you can use Pinterest to promote friends’ books:

http://publicityhound.net/how-authors-promote-each-others-books-on-pinterest/

* How To Pitch Your Book to Online Outlets

One author explains how he got some great online coverage when he was promoting his book:

http://workflowwriting.com/659259/how-to-pitch-your-book-to-online-outlets.php (more…)

Guest post by Steve Moore:

Recently an edition of the NY Times featured an article on Barnes & Noble bookstores in the business section.  A summary of the article:  B&N thinks that it’s doing everything it can to survive.  My observation:  No, there are things it could do but doesn’t want to do.  Since we are in the middle of a paradigm shift in the publishing world, I wouldn’t dare make predictions on how eBooks and indie publishing are going to affect legacy publishers.  I can warn them to look out, though.  I remember opting for betamax because it was technically the best option, but VHS won the day (and now, no one uses either one!).  Predicting the fickle fate of modern technologies is best left for people that don’t eat enough protein and can use the egg on their face.

So, what things would I do if I were B&N?  (I’ll ask the same question of small mom and pop bookstores below.)  First, I’d bring out a competitor to the Kindle.  Check that off.  I don’t like the Nook, but I know people who do.  When I say Kindle, I’m referring to the e-ink low glare screen version I have, the one where you can only read books and newspapers.  The Fire is a Nook is an iPad—I don’t like any of them because I’m not an apps-icon pusher.  Apps are baby computer programs, the computer version of drug addiction.  I get along just fine without them and probably always will. (more…)

When I first published in 2000, I had no idea how helpful a book would be to my business. My initial goal for writing it was to share my knowledge, but the book did so much more than that: it helped advertise my business in a way that wasn’t advertorial, pushy, or ran the risk of getting ignored.

First, let’s go through some of the reasons to publish a book and then a few issues that might arise.

Books are a business card

Most business owners know that getting word out about your business is crucial, especially now. If your business has a national audience, all the better. Even if it doesn’t, there are still many benefits to writing and publishing a book. I’ll list more of those later in this article. Think of it this way: while you’re out there working your business, your book can be out there, too, helping you grow your audience.

Expert status and credibility

Books have a great way of growing your expert status and enhancing your credibility within your market. Yes, generally authors are considered experts and no, not all of them are. But consumers in general assume that if you’re written a book on a particular subject, you probably know a whole lot about it and therefore, you’re an expert. Expert status and credibility are also helpful if you’re looking to gain more media attention. (more…)

Here’s a look back at some of the best book marketing Tweets from the past week, courtesy of bloggers, marketers, authors and others. The topics include what to pin to your Facebook Timeline, the top 10 social networks for marketing, tips for hitting the #1 spot on the Amazon store, how to drive more traffic to your site with Google+, and much more. Happy marketing!

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* 7 Steps to Gain More Fans and Followers Organically

Discover the secrets to growing your following with these practical tips:

http://socialmediatoday.com/lauren-parajon/473583/7-steps-gain-more-fans-and-followers-organically (more…)