A contribution by: Liberal Arts Colleges

Source: http://www.liberalartscolleges.org/blog/2010/10-things-to-consider-before-self-publishing/

Self-publishing enables the writer to control every aspect of the creation and promotion of their book. It’s an appealing option for creative people who have the confidence and time to undertake such a large task. But most writers enter the process not knowing what to expect, relying on their well-honed research skills to learn the ins and outs of the publishing biz. Before you dig too deep, read through the list of 10 things to consider before self-publishing and determine if you’re up for the challenge.

1. The success rate is tiny
Very few self-publishers experience success because they simply don’t know what they’re doing. In many cases, they lack the foresight and perseverance required of a self-proprietor. Some of the common problems encountered by first-time self-publishers include the refusal to seek the help they need, the use of unprofessional covers and weak titles, overprinting and lazy marketing. It takes a lot of time and effort to write, print and market a book, so plan accordingly.

2. Do it for the right reasons
Because of the amount of risk involved, it’s wise to go into the process not expecting to make money. In other words, don’t expect self-publishing to become your primary source of income – if it generates any income. Also, don’t self-publish because you don’t feel that you need any help. If your book has been rejected by multiple publishers, then it could likely use a change or two.

3. It helps to have a niche
Most successful self-publishers are experts in a field with a narrow target audience. If you’ve already made a name for yourself in that niche – perhaps through lectures or previously published articles and papers and you have at least a modest audience, then you could market the book to those same people. Professors often utilize this strategy because they don’t immediately intend to mass market their books.

4. You’ll be running a business
That means a business license is required. You’ll need to know the cost of the operation – as you’ll see below – and you’ll need to devise a marketing strategy if you intend to reach an audience beyond the modest one that may already be established. As a publisher, you’ll need to create a name that include -books, press or publishing- so that people will know what it represents.

5. You’ll need money
Self-publishing is a big investment. In addition to the cost of printing, money must be set aside for marketing and hiring an editor, illustrator and/or graphic designer. A traditional publishing house is normally responsible for those costs, but since you’ll be doing it on your own, they’ll be your responsibility. Be sure to research and establish a budget beforehand so that you won’t encounter any unforeseen financial problems.

6. You’ll still need an editor
Because you won’t be dealing with a publishing house, you’ll need to find an editor to look over your work and offer his or her sage advice. Self-publishers hire freelance developmental editors to perform those tasks – they ensure you have an interesting and readable book. The final say on all matters is still yours, but their expertise will be needed if you have little or no previous publishing experience.

7. Know the details
Before your book hits the shelves, it’ll need an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and a Library of Congress catalog number. The ISBN enables book retailers to identify the title amid their vast collections of books. You can obtain one from the RR Bowker Company. The Library of Congress catalog number enables you to get your book into libraries.

8. Sales will be your job
As previously mentioned, self-publishers must know how to run a business. In order for a business to be successful, it must have an efficient sales team – in this case, it’s you. You’ll need to convince brick-and-mortar bookstores, online bookstores, distributors and wholesalers that your book will be profitable. It’s important to know that different buyers require a different cut of the sales, so don’t demand for every buyer to take the same amount. And remember, patience is a virtue – your books won’t fly off the shelves all at once.

9. Respect will be hard-earned
If you’re fortunate enough to earn respect, it will be hard-earned. Reviewers tend to ignore self-published books because self-publishers tend to be amateurs who, honestly, produce unappealing work. It’ll be entirely your responsibility to get your work noticed by reviewers, retailers and readers. The process by which you compose your book will help determine how much success you’ll have.

10. It’ll never be too late to sell your book to a commercial publisher
If you successfully reach your intended market and have shown there’s potential to reach an even larger audience, then a commercial publisher will likely express interest in taking over the title. But this doesn’t always mean they’ll push it into the next stratosphere of sales. Make sure the people with whom you work will have as much interest in promoting the books as you have – otherwise, the transaction will be pointless.

Related Posts
Zero Cost Self Publishing and How to Get It
The Elements of a Successful Career in Self-publishing

Bookmark and Share:

Connect to us via our other social media buttons. Just pick your click!

Source: http://www.newsletterjournal.com/information/book-marketing/book-marketing-101-book-publicity-for-authors-creating-a-book-publicity-campaign.html

Written by: Ray Robinson

Publicity is that elusive thing that can make or break your book – in all sorts of ways! Learning to promote you and your book is something that can take a bit of “re-training” for most new authors (and many old-timers too). Publicity is really all about selling your idea (and you), but all too often the word “selling” brings up images of polyester clad used-car salesmen, telemarketers, and strong-arm sales strategies that do nothing but alienate your intended customer.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

True “salesmanship” is all about creating a deep connection with your intended reader or reviewer by providing unique, useful and rewarding information about your book. It’s all about creating a relationship that you will both benefit from and to which you can return time and again. It’s about creating the awareness that you are an EXPERT about the topic of your book.

Good publicity is also regular and consistent publicity – there really is no such thing as an overnight success. Remember that you never know who is reading or listening — it just might have been someone who could lead you to bigger and better things.

Here’s some ways to create a great relationship with the editors and reporters that can provide your book the long term exposure it needs to succeed:

1) It’s ALL about your intended audience – and very little about you. You might be brilliant, but the editor only cares about their audience. As a matter of fact, more often than not if you come across as thinking you are too wonderful, you’ll most likely turn out to be a turn off to the editor or reporter. This is where “blanket” press releases that go to thousands of outlets fail – they typically focus on you the author, and unless you are already a household name, guess what? No one cares.

You MUST tailor your release to the intended audience – and it must be unique. Focus on the benefits you will provide their audience. Think about the publication or program you are trying to approach – what do they provide to their audience and does your book contribute to their goals? Don’t under any circumstances make your pitch sound like an ad for your book – if you have a good fit, and have good information inside your book, then it will generate interest in the book. The goal here is to make the editors, reporters, and audience understand that you are an expert on your topic, and that your book contains lots of good information – by PRESENTING some of the information… not by TELLING them you are an expert.

2) Target your pitch. Be confident knowing that reporters and editors have lots of need for information. But also understand the one of the quickest ways to get rejected is to pitch the wrong person – you’ll waste both of your time (and probably annoy the editor or reporter) – do you homework and find out who is the correct contact for your book. Once you’ve found the right person – ask them what they want. Only pitch your idea if it’s a fit. Be sure to respect his or her time – everyone in the media industry works on unbelievably tight deadlines. Ask if they are under a deadline and if so, could you call back at a better time.

Be short, sweet, and to the point – which means get to the point quickly. The audience will eventually want more detail than the reporter or editor – but for your reviewer, be able to sum up your book in 30 seconds or less. “Talk less, listen more” – let the editor or reporter drive the conversation after you have them interested. They will have specific needs and questions – so stop talking and answer them explicitly.

3) Approach ALL types and sizes of publications and media. Don’t be afraid to contact the “big guys” and don’t neglect the smaller ones. Any one in the media has to aggressively pursue getting new and fresh content for their shows, magazines, and newspapers. This is especially true of anyone who needs to fill space on a daily basis. They are almost always on the search for people who can present information on exciting and interesting topics and trends. The biggest outlets are always on the search for an unknown that they can highlight.

The smaller journals and outlets often have a very focused and influential audience – and you never know who might be reading them or listening to their show . The smaller publications can also be “gateways” into the larger ones . Almost every single size of publication has value in your publicity campaign. Your chances of getting into smaller publications is probably higher than the larger ones, so set your time and effort accordingly.

4) Treat your contacts with unfailing respect and politeness. Yes, you are very busy – you might even be far busier than the publicist or producer that you are trying to approach. But you need them to help you out – and being constantly aware that they are very busy themselves will keep you focused on getting your materials to them in a timely manner. Never ever be late in submitting materials for a review or interview.

5) Understand that publicity isn’t a “one shot success” effort. It is all about sustained and consistent awareness of your product. Marketing research indicates that a consumer will need to see your name about 7 times before they will remember it. Try to keep your interviews and reviews spaced out a little bit – frequency and consistency are critical. Don’t ever let up on your publicity campaigns – even the most successful product lines in the world (think Nike and McDonalds) continue to consistently spend millions on awareness campaigns for their products. Very rarely is anyone an “overnight success” – even the best-selling authors spent years building their reputations.

Follow these 5 steps while conducting your publicity campaigns, and your level of success will be far greater than those who have either ignored or never learned these basic steps.

If you like this information (and found it helpful) please feel free to post it on your site, put it in a blog, toss it in your newsletter, or in general spread it around. Please just give us credit here at www.dogearpublishing.net

May you have success in your creative efforts!

Ray Robinson is a partner in Dog Ear Publishing http://www.dogearpublishing.net a self publishing services company specializing in delivering “high touch” services to the author community. His company provides a full range of services to authors, from editorial to page layout to marketing and fulfillment.

Related Posts
Publicity for Buzz Marketing for Authors
Have You Written A Press Release Yet To Get Your Book Free Publicity?

Bookmark and Share:

Connect to us via our other social media buttons. Just pick your click!

Source: http://www.sellingbooks.com/income-streams-for-authors

by Irene Watson

New authors often have the misconception that they will sell a million books and be wealthy for the rest of their lives. But the book is just the beginning; authors shouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket—better to use the egg to hatch more golden egg-laying geese. One book can lead to a product line and multiple streams of residual income.

The author who gets rich on just one book, or even has the luxury just to stay home and do nothing but write books, is a myth, especially today, but in truth it always has been. It is the rare author throughout history who only had one book, one golden egg. Even authors who became famous and wealthy based on one book did not solely become famous because of the book.

Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind, is a perfect example. She only wrote one novel, but she leveraged it into income not only from book sales but also movie rights and foreign book rights. Today J.K. Rowling does not make money solely off one Harry Potter book. She used the first book to build a series of novels, which also resulted in a film franchise and countless other merchandise products including wrist watches, lunchboxes, book lights, and board and video games. In addition, she gets paid for book signings and speaking engagements.

You may never reach the fame level of J.K. Rowling, but it doesn’t hurt to aspire to it, and more importantly, like Rowling and Mitchell, you can create multiple streams of income. The book is just the beginning—it is the lead-generation tool to plenty of other work, income, and success coming your way.

A successful author is also a successful businessperson. He might begin with a book, but he uses that book to become an expert so he can offer many services or products that will be in demand. For example, once an author publishes a book, other people who want to publish books come out of the woodwork—they want to know how he did it; they want him to help them with their books. The author thought everyone would want to talk about his book—his novel, his characters, his ideas. Instead, he gets asked to talk about how to get published. If he’s smart, soon he branches into offering seminars on publishing, writing books on the publishing industry, and leveraging his experience to create income for him—he might also sell some of his books for additional income. Different authors may similarly choose some other avenue of the publishing world to provide income. They become publishing coaches, literary agents, editors, book reviewers, printers, cover design artists, magazine columnists—often they become several of these, wearing multiple hats. The book was not the golden egg. It was the goose that laid all these golden eggs.

But publishing may be just one basket. Put your eggs in several baskets. Multiple streams of income that have little to do with books are possible for authors. The people above love books—they always wanted to be writers. But there are authors who don’t even like writing. These authors wrote their books to prove they were experts in their fields. Many one-book authors are life coaches, public speakers, doctors, personal trainers, investment coaches, or politicians. They wrote their books so they could get their messages out and so they would gain credibility. Think about it—if you’re planning an event and have an option between a speaker who has published a book and one who hasn’t, chances are you’ll hire the author because that person appears more talented, knowledgeable, credible, and professional—all qualities you want in a keynote speaker.

Often one book is enough. You might create multiple incomes by writing multiple books, but you could use that one book to give you the edge you want in other ways. Your book can get your foot in the door to generate income through teaching workshops, speaking engagements, business consulting, or a variety of other opportunities. People also want current books, but rather than constantly producing new books, you can capitalize on the credibility a book gives simply by coming out with a second, third, fourth or revised edition, updating the information, adding a new chapter, giving the book a new look. Then the book is new and you did little work to make it so.

Remember that many formats are available for publishing one book. Most books published are paperbacks, but don’t overlook those customers who like hardcover books. Print a number of hardcovers so your customers have an option—they may only buy a paperback for themselves, but they will be willing to spend money on a nice looking hardcover to give as a gift. You could even come out with special limited collectible editions and charge quadruple prices for them if you think the market will bear it.

And what about e-books? There are multiple e-book formats out there. Yes, you might make more money on your print copies—but it depends on how you sell them. If you’re selling through a book distributor, you might only get 5-10% off your cover price for each book sold. But with e-books, you may collect 50%. The income from a print book at 10% versus an e-book at 50% may be equal—the e-book might even provide you greater profit. And don’t forget the value of your time. Print books require time spent working with printers, delivering, mailing, and storing books. Once set up, e-books require nothing more than collecting your income—residual income. Nothing is better than money that keeps coming in that you don’t have to labor for (other than initially having written the book of course).

Create products that complement your book. Why not sell your self-help book with special affirmation cards that can be purchased separately or packaged with your book? Provide a free copy of your book with ten hours of coaching sessions. Create a workbook to go with your book. Create coloring books or paper dolls to go with your children’s book. How about a trivia game to go with your history book? Any product that helps generate continued interest in your book is fair game. Brainstorm the possibilities. Your book is a lead-generating tool to more and more income, more and more opportunities to get your message out there, and more and more chances to live the author lifestyle you always dreamed of living. I guarantee it won’t be exactly how you dreamt it—it may not be as grand—but it will still be fun and exciting.

Your book is a goose. It can lay golden eggs for you. Just don’t put all your eggs in one basket, and let some of those eggs hatch to create more geese to produce yet more eggs.

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.

Related Posts
5 Tips To Start Selling Your Self-Published Book
Tips to Effectively Pre-sell Your Books

Bookmark and Share:

Connect to us via our other social media buttons. Just pick your click!

By: Jill Exler
Source: http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/140980/publishing/5_tips_to_start_selling_your_self_published_book.html

Here are five simple tips to help you get started.

1. Figure out your market.

“Bookstores are lousy places to sell books,” says self-publishing guru Dan Poynter in USA Weekend . “Find the places where your audience gathers and sell directly to them. If your book is about cats, go to pet stores.”

To start selling your book, take the time to research your target audience. Who will be interested in purchasing your book and sharing it with their friends?

Once you know your target market, look at the places they shop and spend their leisure time. What media venues do they watch, read and listen to on a regular basis?

Create a list of all potential organizations, business and groups. This will give you a good understanding of the online sites and brick-and-mortar locations where you need to focus your marketing efforts.

2. Spread the word.

When you are ready to start selling, don’t be shy. Talk about your book, carry a copy around with you and look for every opportunity to mention it. Also be ready to give copies away to influential people who will build buzz about your business.

If you are a good speaker, try to give presentations to groups catering to your target audience. You can partner with various organizations to promote your appearance and build word-of-mouth. This may include issuing a press release, giving books away during radio or television interviews or getting involved with charitable activities.

“Speaking to local, target audiences is a great way to start building buzz about your products and services,” says Melanie Rembrandt, small business PR expert and owner of Rembrandt Communications, www.rembrandtwrites.com. “But in order to build credibility, you need to offer valuable information pertinent to your book’s subject without being sales-oriented. You can always have a book-signing after your presentation to sell your books and meet potential customers.”

Another trick is to leave a copy of your book at your local bookstore or library. If visitors pick up the book and read it, they will ask for a copy of it. Then, the person at the counter may contact you to purchase additional copies.

3. Venture outside your target market.

After you’ve pursued all venues focusing on your specific audience, start marketing your book to other groups outside your target market.

Look for secondary sources that may be interested in purchasing your book as a gift for a friend, co-worker or family member. Perhaps you can partner with a business, charitable organization or hobby-group related to your book-topic?

Think “outside of the box” and try to let as many people know about your book as possible. You can issue a press release, offer special discounts and create newsworthy events to draw attention to your book. And these activities don’t need to cost a lot of money. You just need to think of some ways to stress the unique benefits of your book and take the extra time and effort to plan, coordinate and follow-through with your ideas.

4. Take advantage of business relationships.

If you used an online publisher in developing your book, advertise on their site. If you used a local printer, ask if you can leave a couple copies at their front desk.

Visit all of your local establishments and leave some kind of information about your book. If you are a regular customer, most of these businesses will be happy to help you and the local economy.

And when preparing these “leave-behinds,” think about the benefits for the business and customers. Perhaps you can print up small calendars, checklists, quick tips, bookmarks and other items that advertise your book while offering something of value to potential readers.

You may even be able to partner with various businesses to offer special joint coupons and discounts. Use your imagination, but always keep the benefits for the customer in mind.

5. List your book online.

This may be obvious, but you really need to list your book online to reach the broadest possible market and increase “buzz.” Review your target audience and try to get information about your book posted on all of the pertinent sites they visit.

Also create a simple website. And don’t worry. Today, there are many services that offer cost-effective or free websites to self-published authors. You don’t need to be a technical genius or have a lot of money to take advantage of these services and create an online presence.

However, in your online copy, be sure to stress the unique benefits of your book and provide customer testimonials (for credibility). Also include some information about your background to help you stand apart from others in your genre.

Once your site is up and running, research free, press-release posting sites. Also look for online organizations that may be willing to post reciprocal links to your site to help build search-engine optimization.

These are just a few, simple tips. There are many ways to sell your self-published books. But you can start by focusing on your target audience, work the business relationships you already have and be creative. And soon, you’ll be well on your way to being a top-selling author!

For more tips and information, visit www.jexbo.com.

About The Author, Jill Exler

Jill Exler is a Mompreneur and founder of jexbo, http://www.jexbo.com.

Related Posts
Tips to Effectively Pre-sell Your Books
Tips to Pre-Sell Before You Publish Your Book

Bookmark and Share:

Connect to us via our other social media buttons. Just pick your click!

Source: http://www.sellingbooks.com/working-with-book-distributors

by Irene Watson

Working with a distributor gives you the advantage of having your book accessible to multiple stores across the country. The costs incurred are worthwhile in the long run.

Authors who are traditionally published have an advantage in that the publisher already has connections with book distributors to get books into stores.

Self-published authors, however, will wonder whether it is worthwhile to partner with a book distributor. While there are costs involved that can bite into your take home income from book sales by reducing your profit per book, ultimately the result can be more books sold.
As self-published authors, we often hear that the advantage is we get to keep all the profit, rather than just a small percentage, such as a royalty of 5-10% with a traditional publisher. But what does “keep all the profit” really mean?

Let’s say you paid $7.00 to print your book and have it shipped to you, and you’re going to sell it for $20.00 plus your state’s sales tax. Had that book been traditionally published and you got a 10% royalty, you’d have made $2.00 a copy (remember you didn’t have any printing costs).

If you sell your self-published book directly to a customer, you get to keep all $20.00, a profit of $13.00 per book.

By contrast, if you sell through a bookstore, gift shop, or other outlet, you have to give the bookstore a percentage, typically 40%, although it can vary by store. At 40%, that means you receive back $12.00. That’s still a $5 profit and nearly a double return on your investment.

A book distributor is going to want a bigger percentage because it will resell your book to a bookstore that will want 40%. Typically, book distributors want somewhere around 55%, giving them a 15% profit. That means you would receive $9.00 for your book, leaving you with only a profit of $2.00 (10% like your royalty might have been).

On top of that, the distributor will order books from you that you have to pay to ship, and if the books do not sell, the books will be returned to you—frequently with bent or worn covers that make it difficult for you to resell them independently. In other words, you could end up with books that aren’t sellable and no money from your efforts.

So why work with a book distributor?

Because a book distributor can get your book into multiple stores across the country. An author can only do so much on his or her own. You can easily deliver books in person to stores in your area, maybe even in your state, but the costs of gas, postage, and your time quickly make it impractical to try to market your book directly to stores outside of your area. Bookstores in the neighboring state are not likely even to know about your book if you don’t tell them, and even nearby bookstores may not be able to, or may not want to, work with you as an individual.

Certain corporate bookstores such as Barnes & Noble require that all their stores order only through a book distributor rather than dealing with individual authors. Other stores may just prefer to order only from a distributor because it’s easier to pay one vendor than keep track of invoices for fifty individual authors. If you want your book in a major bookstore chain, you’ll need a distributor.

Will book distributors market your book to these stores? No, they won’t individually talk to each store about your book, but they regularly produce catalogs that will have your book listed. These catalogs go to thousands of bookstores across the country, and while your book is competing with the hundreds of other books in the catalog, or at least the few dozen in the same category as yours, your book is more likely to be seen by more decision makers in more bookstores than you could have done on your own.

Furthermore, bookstores are often leery of self-published authors because they think self-published authors may not know industry basics such as the need for an ISBN number. A book distributor will not promote a book that doesn’t meet industry standards so being in a distributor catalog lets bookstores know your book looks “professional.”

Your book is still one of hundreds in the catalog, but sometimes distributors have special catalogs, such as a regional catalog that will market your book to its target regional audience. You can also take out ads in the catalogs. Ads can cost anywhere from about $50 to a few hundred dollars, but if you get enough orders, the ad will pay for itself.

If you’re still unsure whether you should work with a book distributor, give it a try. Contracts are generally only for a year or two and most distributors will be willing to negotiate the contract somewhat.

The major distributors to choose from are Partners, Ingram, and Baker & Taylor, but smaller distributors exist that handle only specific regions or specialize in distributing specific types of books. Do a little research online and talk to your local bookstores to find out which distributors they use and what they would recommend.

Hopefully, your book will soon be in many more stores.

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.

Bookmark and Share:

Connect to us via our other social media buttons. Just pick your click!

By: Phyllis Zimbler Miller

Source: http://www.millermosaicllc.com/build-bond-with-readers

In order for readers to spend their money on a novel, they must have the desire to spend time (plus their money) in the world that you the author have created.

To encourage readers to want to do this, you should provide information that helps them enter into your world.

One way to do this is to provide the first chapters for free on your website so that prospective readers can get a good feel for the story and characters. You can do this with PDF downloads or audio or video recordings or all three methods. And you can encourage book groups to choose your book by providing book club discussion questions off your website.

If you have other information related to your book that you can share on your website, do so. For example, if your novel is connected to an historical event, you can include photos or videos or commentary about that actual event.

Or let’s say you wrote a novel about a woman fighting breast cancer. You could include on your website names and contact information for organizations that help breast cancer patients.  By sharing such information with your prospective readers you’re creating a bond between you and them.

Of course, there is the basic question of do you need a website at all? Couldn’t you put your book club discussion questions and sample chapters on book author websites and forget about having your own website?

Yes, you could. But you’d be foolish to pass up the opportunity to have a destination URL for you and your books.

On the other hand, there is an alternative to having a website designed for you. You could do what many people are doing now – using WordPress blog software to create a website. This is usually less expensive and easier than having a programmer design a website, and you have the added advantage of more easily changing content.

With your own website featuring sample chapters, helpful information and book club discussion questions, you will be providing prospective readers with a number of reasons to say yes to reading your book. – P.Z.M.
___

Yes!  You can use this article in your ezine, blog or website as long as you use the article in full and include the following resource box:

Phyllis Zimbler Miller is a National Internet Business Examiner at http://www.InternetBizBlogger.com as well as a book author, and her power marketing company http://www.MillerMosaicLLC.com combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands.

Related Posts
Your Book Marketing Plan – Winning Strategies and Tips
Book Marketing — The Importance of an Open Mind for a Successful Campaign

Bookmark and Share:

Connect to us via our other social media buttons. Just pick your click!

By: Steve Manning

Source: http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/141466/publishing/zero_cost_self_publishing_and_how_to_get_it.html

Ever heard of product placement in movies? The star walks into the kitchen, opens the refrigerator door and pulls out a can of Coke. The concept had it’s modern beginnings when E.T. was lured from his hiding place with Reece’s Pieces. And it reached its zenith in the movie Castaway (the whole film could have been seen as a subtle infomercial for FedEx). Corporations pay money for that sort of stuff. And you can understand why. It’s the equivalent of an endorsement of the product by the star or the movie itself.

How can you do that with your self-published book? It’s not difficult. I know one author who wrote a book on business etiquette and mentioned several specific business machines. Before she self published the book, she went to the manufacturer, let the director of marketing know about the product placement and asked if they’d like to sponsor the publication of the book. They did.

Another author wrote a romance that took place on a wonderful Caribbean island nation. She sent the manuscript to the director of tourism and asked if they’d like to either sponsor the publication of the book, or buy 3,000 copies for $10,000. They chose the later, but $10,000 underwrote the entire press run of 6,000 copies. The author got 3,000 copies of her book for free!

In each case, the author asked the sponsor or buyer for only one condition. The self-published books the sponsors received for their financial involvement could only be either given away free, or sold for the full cover price. That way, the author was never undercut on price.

Would major companies, government agencies and other large entities really want to be involved with your self-published book? Hey, if you take a look at the cost of advertising, the cost of self-publishing a book is cheap! $20,000 for a single page in a national magazine. And then you come along and give them a promotional tool that has the legitimacy and the integrity of a published book, at a price that’s almost insignificant when compared to their total annual budget.

These steps will make it easy for you.

Make sure your book is complete, but in manuscript form.

Make a list of 20 companies that could benefit from the topic, direction, setting, entertainment value, or information your book has. Make one copy of your manuscript and insert specific product placement throughout the book. By product placement, I mean specific products, or specific strategies that some companies use, or locations, or whatever you think puts the idea of the product before the reader.

About The Author, Steve Manning

Steve Manning is a master writer showing thousands of people how they can write their book faster than they ever thought possible. Here’s your free Special Report, http://www.WriteABookNow.com/main.html

Related Posts
How To Be A Successful Self-Publisher
The Elements of a Successful Career in Self-publishing

Bookmark and Share:

Connect to us via our other social media buttons. Just pick your click!

For this month of September, we bring you trails of discovery from Al Andalus, and lessons of faith and life from Dr. Sandra M. Levy.

Featured Book

Besides having a unique genre on its own, Al Andalus – A Trail of Discoveries is a tapestry of vivid and memorable images of a group of people who may have been difficult to understand. They were known as the last anarchists of Europe, and aspired to be the first and last real Spaniards. Al Andalus – A Trail of Discoveries explores the regions of the Andalucian psyche. The book carries facts and valuable information about this eccentric and different people. If you have the interest and the passion for cultural history, then Al Andalus – A Trail of Discoveries is a must read.

Read more about Al Andalus – A Trail of Discoveries by Michael Misfud at this link: http://www.bookwhirl.com/bookshelf/1.html

Featured Author

Dr. Sandra M. Levy

With her latest book, Imagination and the Journey of Faith, Dr. Sandra M. Levy has created a masterful work dealing with imagination. Imagination and the Journey of Faith teaches its readers to reflect and deepen their spiritual lives.

Dr. Sandra M. Levy is the author of over 60 research articles in scientific and theological journals. Apart from writing books, Dr. Sandra M. Levy is a clinical psychologist and an Episcopal priest. She currently serves as a priest associate at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia.

Read more about the interesting life of Dr. Sandra M. Levy at this link: http://www.bookwhirl.com/Authors-Corner.html

Connect to us via our other social media buttons. Just pick your click!

GREEN BAY, WI (9/20/2010) –BookWhirl.com’s featured book and author for the month of September is about spiritual reflections and cultural discoveries. The featured book is Al Andalus – A Trail of Discoveries by Michael Mifsud, and the featured author is Episcopal priest, Dr. Sandra M. Levy.

Al Andalus – A Trail of Discoveries is a book about the last anarchists of Europe. It’s a book where readers can follow through and learn the significance of a people who have been misunderstood because of their intransigence and passion. Al Andalus – A Trail of Discoveries includes interesting facts and information about this kind of people. Moreover, the book also challenges the ability of a united people to shape aspirations and cultural longings.

“The art of a good writer in my humble opinion is not just the words chosen, it is the ability to transport the reader to places and times they have little or no knowledge of and leave them feeling a real part of the writer´s experience, as if it had been their own. I have to say that Michael Mifsud has this special skill in multiples of ten,” a review from Lynne Curtis.

To learn more about Al Andalus – A Trail of Discoveries and the author, Michael Mifsud, visit http://www.bookwhirl.com/bookshelf/1.html.

BookWhirl.com’s featured author is Dr. Sandra M. Levy. She is works as a priest, clinical psychologist, and writer. Her career reflects her passion for the study of human behavior and religion. She has published two books, namely: Behavior and Cancer, and Imagination and the Journey of Faith.

Dr. Sandra Levy currently serves as an associate priest for St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia. She has a background in Psychology and Religion from Indiana University – Bloomington and the Virginia Theological Seminary, respectively. Dr. Sandra Levy has been Episcopal priest since 1996.

For more information about the Dr. Sandra M. Levy and her book, Imagination and the Journey of Faith, visit her official website at www.sandralevy.net.

About BookWhirl.com

BookWhirl.com is an online book marketing services provider, specializing in providing low-cost, high-quality marketing services for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books. Through its unique, inexpensive book marketing services, BookWhirl.com helps authors promote their published works more effectively and connect to readers in a more effective, more efficient system.

Bookmark and Share:

Connect to us via our other social media buttons. Just pick your click!

source: http://www.newsletterjournal.com/information/book-marketing/book-signing-fun-and-profit-for-writers-and-readers.html

by: Jo Condrill

Have you ever walked into a bookstore when an author is scheduled to do a book signing and found no one in the audience? Do you shy away from autograph tables, perhaps fearing that someone may ask you to buy a book? Consider the other side of the equation. A book signing is an opportunity to learn about the author and what makes a person undertake the challenge of writing a book. If you’re a reader, you can delve into background information about the book. If you are an aspiring author, you can learn from another author’s experiences. Every book signing is an opportunity to learn-without obligation to buy anything.

Book signings can be held almost anywhere. Is your book about gardening, nutrition, or money? Why not have an event at a large garden supply outlet, a spa, or a banking institution? Are you writing about an exciting period of music or interesting musicians? Then consider one of the big local music stores for the seminar. On the other hand, if you’re a speaker or professional seminar leader, why not sign your books in a nearby bookstore in addition to selling them at the back of the room when you give your next presentation?

To help publicize a book signing, coordinate it with a special day, like Grandparents Day, or some topical holiday that has special meaning in context with the subject matter of your book. Several Internet web sites offer hundreds of dates that you can use for a public relations opportunity. Think of different and innovative ways to connect your book and your ideas to something that is already scheduled to happen in the area. For instance, if your book has anything to do with women’s health, you may tie into a local Race for the Cure event, which supports research on breast cancer. Or, dream up a day of your choice to publicize your book. “Today is national TAKE CHARGE day!” Couple a book signing with seminars or speeches you have already scheduled, a family reunion, or other special event. Where would your target audience likely gather? Find that place and go there!

Provide a mini-seminar on the topic of your book. Some people in your audience may have already read it and want to pose specific questions. Prepare comments, anecdotes, and insights in advance. Greet your public enthusiastically and welcome their questions.

Book signings can be exciting for writers and readers and profitable for everyone.

Jo Condrill is a professional speaker, author, and consultant. She has conducted successful book signings across the US, including one in Rockefeller Center in New York City. “From Book Signing to Best Seller: An Insider’s Guide to Conducting a Successful Low-Cost Book Signing Tour,” which was coauthored by John B. Slack, was named the 2002 Best Writer’s Reference Guide by the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. http://www.publishandprosper.com

Related Posts
Your Checklist For A 5-Star Book Event
Book Events That Really Sell

Bookmark and Share:

Connect to us via our other social media buttons. Just pick your click!