Book Marketing, Publishing, Author Resources
Dr. Mack received accredidation from Success University but does not always use the prefix as his professional name… but I always refer to him as Dr. Ben Mack.
Here’s a clip from from Dr. Edward Bernays on the David Letterman show that explain it clearly
Guest post by Phyllis Zimbler Miller
Publishing a non-fiction book will usually make it easy for you to write a blog dedicated to your book. The non-fiction subject of your book and related topics can provide ample blogging material.
For example, if you wrote a book on cooking low-fat diets, you could post one low-fat recipe a day along with insider tips to ensure the recipe turns out well. Or if you wrote a book on new social media platforms, you could write each post about one new social media platform and probably never run out of new posts.
The problem of writing ongoing book blog posts really presents itself to fiction writers. If you’ve written a romance novel or a mystery novel, what are you going to write about in your blog posts?
With a little imagination (and you are a fiction writer, aren’t you?) you can come up with interesting posts for your book’s blog. Let’s look at some examples:
You write a novel that takes place in 1970 during the Vietnam War. Because the Vietnam War plays an important role in the novel, you could write posts about historical events that took place during that era or historical events that led to that era. And you could write about the military today fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan and about military families back home. There’s no need to mention your book in every post; the overall context of the blog is about your book.
Now let’s stretch our imagination farther. You write a mystery novel about a series of medical-related murders. You could write posts about deaths that were not murders but were actual medical mysteries. You could also write posts about new hospital procedures that are being implemented to reduce medical-related deaths. And you could write posts telling the family of hospital patients what to look for in suspected medical malpractice.
What if you’ve written a children’s picture book about family members learning to get along? Children are not going to read your blog and their parents aren’t going to read your blog aloud to their children. You could write posts about parent-child issues; if you’re not an expert, you can quote other experts. You could review other children’s picture books on similar topics. You could write posts about children’s literacy issues.
The truth is that you can cast your imagination net far and wide for subjects on which to blog. Just remember that every few posts you should mention your book in connection with that post. For example, if you were writing a post about children’s literacy issues, you could mention that a specific second-grader in your book could read long words but not short words and that her teacher suspected dyslexia.
Or you could quote an entire (short) scene from your novel to illustrate a point you’re making. And, yes, it’s okay that people reading your blog may not know who the characters and situation are. If you choose an appropriate scene, most readers will be able to understand the context of the excerpt.
Fiction authors should be as active as non-fiction authors in the use of blogs to market books. Give your blog readers interesting and well-written posts, and they will read your blog and hopefully buy your book.
For the free report 7 DYNAMIC REASONS FOR TAKING A VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR and other book marketing information, visit http://www.queensofbookmarketing.com. Follow Phyllis Zimbler Miller on Twitter at @ZimblerMiller and connect with her on Facebook and LinkedIn as Phyllis Zimbler Miller.
I just received an email from an author hoping to drive his book to best seller status on Amazon.
This is a common question I get.. Authors learn that sales on one day can boost them to best seller status, the know that best seller on Amazon will add to their credibility and give them one more advantage in all the other promotion and marketing for their book.
Just how many books do I have to sell?
The simple answer comes from Amazon.. Sell one more book than the highest ranked book that didn’t make the list. #1 sells more than #2, which sells more that #3.
On some days, and in some categories, there are thousands of copies of a book sold. Others categories, especially over longer periods of time, result in less books sold, and the best sellers are books that continually promote.
If you book is not selling well, going to Amazon with some sales from one day will not make for a good marketing program. By itself, the rank won’t change your unseccessful book to a success.
You spend months, or years writing and getting to the point where you have a published book. Congratulations on that accomplishment. If that’s what your goal was, you should be proud that you have a published book.. most of the authors and writers I talk to are still stuggling to get to that point.
The real questions should be Why did you write the book? and What do you want to accomplish now that you’ve become an author?
If your goal is to say that you are a best seller.. Our best seller campaigns will get you that. But I suspect that when you think about it.. you really won’t be satisfied with that as your end goal. I suspect that you are like the clients I’ve worked with.. success as an author is not your primary goal life.. You want to get your message out to more people who need it, attract business leads from people you can help, and boost your career as an author.
Most authors never make money from their books.. especailly their first book. Most successful authos make more money, advance their careers and spread their message to wide audience by leveraging the process of becoming a best seller. They follow the advice of mega best seller Mark Victor Hansen of the Chicken Soup series:
“Getting the book published is 10% of the work an author does.. The other 90% is promoting the book and author”
To be a best seller, first look at book marketing and promotion as a means to an end. Getting to your real goal.
Our authors tell us that a best selling book is the best thing they ever did for their business. The payoff comes in many ways, but rarely in the form of a royalty check for books sold. The differnce is.. successful authors have a book marketing strategy
Think about your long term strategy?
Here’s a hint: If it’s “to sell as many books as possible” you may want to think beyond that. Decide what selling a lot of books would allow you to do. If that is anything other than “cash big checks and maybe write more books” you have a good chance of getting it.
My friend Ross Goldberg put on Internet Marketing seminars.
I’ve spoke at Ross’s events before, and seen how he delivers three action packed days of training.
Many of my readers have been to the Master’s Seminars, but others have said that the time away from home and expense of traveling makes it difficult to attend.
So you’ll be glad to know that Ross has a new way to experience this exclusive traing for under $10
Read about the virtual seminar deal and grab a seat before Ross sell this out.
I’ll be speaking on what it take to get your own book and online social marketing program as part of the program.
I’m getting many interview requests as author of Twitter Revolution, but still find time to help authors market their books.
Jim Kukral has become a good friend over the past few months. He’s a blogging and social media genius and wanted to know more about my Book Marketing Strategy course
So I gave him carte blanch to ask any question he wanted, provided he post it for you to see.
Listen know to learn more about book marketing