Book Marketing Tip of the Week
April 21, 2009: Blood Sugar Day, Firehouse Pole Day, Mr. Personality Day, Look-Alike Day, Bustle Birthday, Tuna Rights Day, Thank You for Libraries DayDetails on these days — and 18,500 others! — can be found in
John Kremer's Celebrate Today Special Events Data Files.In this issue . . .
-- Getting sponsorships for your books
-- Getting marketing services and book exposure for free
-- Reader question: Top 700 Independent Bookstores
-- SelfGrowth.com book promotion, with lots of gifts
-- Reader success storyGetting sponsorships for your book
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The following article was sent to me by Irving "Pete" VigdorI was appointed to the adjunct faculty of a S.U.N.Y college although I had no pedagogical training or experience. I didn’t like the textbook the school used and so, I brought in handouts. By the end of the first semester, they totaled 103 pages. I had the print department bind them into a single document which spawned the idea to write text around the handouts. It didn’t work, but I caught the writers’ bug. I soon began writing magazine articles.
I met the president of a trade association and we were having a get to know each other drink and I mentioned my book idea. He showed interest. They had 6,000 members and a book would be a long lasting, innovative handout at their annual convention. “Let me look into it and I’ll get back to you,” he said.
Three months later, we worked out a deal whereby I would receive 500 copies of the book plus $4,000 in cash ($8,000 total). I was too excited to do anything but accept the offer immediately. Had I thought, their cost was only $1.33 per member, plus printing. There was nothing they could offer at nearly that cost which would be as impressive and useful as a book which became a desk reference for a number of executives for years. I realized my mistake in hindsight.
Then, I wrote articles for trade magazines and columns for some in-house organs. I had become an author’s equivalent of a junky. I had to write.
Years later, I approached a non-profit organization in Washington, DC after a friend gave me a name to contact. I phoned and found Ms. Doe receptive. I sent her a copy of my old book, requested her to read it, and let me have her thoughts. I heard nothing. However, as it happened, I needed to go to Washington for a meeting. I phoned Ms. Doe and got an appointment.
I was surprised when we met. She was an attractive blonde and admitted to being 27 years old. I noticed she carried my book with her, but I said nothing about it. At one point, she picked it up and said, “We’re interested in your book proposal. How do you work?’
“I do sponsorships only on a fixed fee basis. My minimum is $20,000,” I said tongue-in-cheek with a smile.
“Are you negotiable?”
“No. In fact, the figure for a full sponsorship is $40,000. However, if you give me the right to recruit other sponsors, I’ll take the risk and start you at $20,000.”
We made the deal and Ms. Doe secured a $5,000 sponsorship for me. I found a $10,000 sponsor through similar networking. My second book was far better than the first one and it was reprinted six times. I am preparing to try again with my first novel.
You are probably asking, “Why is this man troubling to go into such detail?
I am doing this because I think my novel will be my final major work. More important, I hope to open a new avenue of thought for authors. This kind of networking requires thought and research to find a few targets. The second step is to get a name and make a judgment call. The president? Vice-President? Who else? With whom would you be better off? That’s all there is to it.
Can you see that it is much easier to find a $10,000 sponsor than it is to find ten $1,000 sponsors.
Finally, don’t make the mistake of believing you need to be different. You need only to be innovative and think on a larger scale.
Getting marketing services and book exposure for free
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Doug Kretkowski, author of From an Oak to His Acorns, sent along the following story:I have been a disciple of yours for the past few years and have incorporated dozens of your tips & tricks into marketing my recently self-published book From an Oak to His Acorns: Essential Lessons for Life (www.FromAnOak.com). Your book, website and teleconferences are absolutely priceless to new and seasoned authors alike.
About half way through writing the book, I partnered with the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and will be donating 50% of book, e-book and Kindle sale profits to them. I decided to take such action after my colleague's infant daughter was diagnosed with cancer (thankfully she is doing very well a year later).
When I finished the book last month, and without me even asking, the Director of Development said he would promote the book to their donor base. This symbiotic relationship benefits us both, especially in these tough economic times when charitable donations are at all time lows.
I have also successfully used the partnering approach to obtain marketing services at no cost. For example, I asked a voice over talent agency to record my brief Introduction. Then I simply applied the audio to pictures I already had to create a special, heartwarming Flash promotional video (www.FromAnOak.com/introduction). It usually takes nothing more than adding the partner's link or banner on your site to seal the deal.
Reader question: Top 700 Independent Bookstores
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Reader question: Before I buy your database of the Top 700 Independent Bookstores, I want to ask:1. It says I will get different types of contact information for each bookstore. So I guess it is up to me to contact each bookstore which would be a large task. Is this how it works? Is there an efficient or best way or just contact each one and see if they want to stock my book?
2. How should I contact each one - mail, e-mail, phone, etc.?
John's answer: For most bookstores, you'll get buyer's name, owner, phone, fax, email, and address.
How you contact them is totally up to you. It depends on what you want them to do and how much time or money you have. Less time, use email or mail. More time, use phone. Less money, use email. More money, use direct mail. That's how you might decide, but again, it's totally your choice.
If you contact them and ask them to stock your book, nothing will happen. You have to tell them what you are doing to promote your book: publicity, speaking, web promos, etc. Then tell them how they can conveniently order your book (preferably not from you directly, but via a wholesaler or wholesalers.
Give them a reason to buy, and they will probably stock your book. But you have to give them a very good reason.
SelfGrowth.com book promotion, with lots of gifts
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David Riklan, the founder of the #1 self-improvement website in the world, SelfGrowth.com, is offering a brilliant book delivered in the format of 101 of the greatest success secrets, brought together with a bonus gift bundle worth $957 -- and you can have it all for less than $15!You will get 101 quick, simple and proven success secrets from the top experts in the world and gain access to the gold nuggets of success.
David is so confident you will love it that he is backing it up with a solid guarantee.
As part of David's 24-hour promotion you will get over $957 in bonuses.
Here’s the link for you to go directly to his offer:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=2972187Reader success story
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Dr. Diana Kirschner is a psychologist and love expert who created a one-woman show, Finding Your Own True Love, a PBS Pledge Special, based on her new bestselling book, Love in 90 Days. She ran the 90 Day Love Challenge on Fox’s Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, appeared many times on The Today Show, as well as on Good Morning America, CBS Early Show, Access Hollywood, Nightline, World News with Charles Gibson, NPR and hundreds of other TV/radio talk shows. She also hosted a field segment for Montel and starred as the Love Specialist on The Simple Life.Dr. Diana has been quoted in the New York Times, USA Today, New York Post, LA Times, Time Magazine, Cosmopolitan and People Magazine.
Because of her PR platform, her new book, Love in 90 Days: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Own True Love, was sold at auction and published by Hachette Book Group as their focus book for Spring, with a national front-of-store marketing campaign. In her workshops Dr. Diana has helped thousands of singles create romance, love, and happy marriages.
Dr. Diana has been able to do all this because not only does she know about how to create love, she also knows the secrets of creating her own PR! And here’s a big surprise: Almost all of the PR activities were achieved not with a pricey PR firm, but through Dr. Diana’s own efforts. And at little or no cost!
Quotable Books
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May you build a ladder to the stars, and climb on every ring,
and may you stay forever young. — Bob Dylan, singer and songwriter
Click on the above book cover to order this great collection as a Word ebook for only $7.00.
More great quotes and quotable books at http://www.quotablebooks.com
Index: http://www.bookmarket.com/tipsindex.htm
Copyright © 2009 by book marketing expert John Kremer
Email: JohnKremer@bookmarket.com
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