Book Marketing Tip of the Week
February 22, 2010: American Popcorn Day,
Cat Pride Day, Be Humble Day, Five & Dime Day, Golf in America Day, Pro Wrestling Birthday, TV Internet Day, National #2 DayDetails on these days — and 18,800 others! — can be found in
John Kremer's Celebrate Today Special Events Data Files.
In this issue . . .
-- Giving books to radio/TV hosts
-- Tweets you don't want to miss
-- Using a Virtual Assistant to Help You Sell More Books
-- Amazon.com #17 hit
-- Turning lemons into lemonade: website feedback you can use
-- Reporter Connection
-- specialty retailersGiving books to radio/TV hosts
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Here is an emailed note from Marilyn Belleghem, an ezine reader, who offers a good point to follow in dealing with radio/TV hosts...One point you might want to make to your readers is that giving a book to a radio or TV host when you are on their program is good PR. I have heard of writers who expect to sell a book to the people at the station. I just got this quote from an appearance on a news show when I was talking about infidelity and David Letterman.
"Questing France is an emotional roller coaster ride from start to finish. It doesn't matter if you're in a happy successful marriage, or one that is falling apart, there are still so many lessons to be learned while reading this book. I was thoroughly captivated by Marilyn's struggles and how she dealt with them. I was particularly moved by the moment she found herself on the mountain. Great book for anyone in a relationship!" - Cindy Csordas, CHCH News
I have also given books away free on other occasions and I'm talking hard copy not eBooks.
John's Comments: You don't sell books to your TV/radio hosts. You give them a copy if they want one. Good point.
In most cases, I recommend giving away PDF ebook copies of your book if you are doing a campaign to give your book away via high traffic partner websites. But, if you are doing a person to person campaign, you might consider giving away hard copy books. Just note that giving away hard copies is far more expensive (but also more impressive).
Tweets you don't want to miss
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Here are a few more John Kremer-related tweets you might find of value:=> You do not need self-published books in bookstores to be considered a legitimate author. But you do need to sell books.
=> Want more free publicity by being written-up in top magazines, newspapers and websites? http://bit.ly/aLKppN (affiliate link)
=> Gave my wife a dozen yellow roses and a rice krispie bar (her favorite) for Valentines. John's comment: I guess you could have missed this one.
=> RT @MariSmith "I recommend you follow people back. Twitter is a relationship platform not broadcast." - @JohnKremer
=> Looking to sell a first-time novel? Check out http://bit.ly/7Etyt. Features list of 400 publishers who published a first-time novelist.
=> @ZimblerMiller is spoke Wed eve for my People You Should Know
teleseminar series. Topic: How to make your website sell books!=> Attn: Novelists - @ZimblerMiller @FrugalBookPromo offer free fiction
blogging report at http://www.fictionmarketing.com.=> Free Twitter Mania Manual: http://www.bookmarket.com/50waysto
tweet.htm - Free, no charge, no sign up, just great Twitter advice=> Tony Eldridge's new video ebook, Conducting Effective Twitter
Contests: http://bit.ly/a7DPOU=> 155 people have already checked out the new Red Oak shopping cart
service at http://bit.ly/aJjVmn. Neat stuff here.=> Want to get on national TV? Make news in major magazines? Check out free teleseminar on Thurs 2/25 - http://bit.ly/97RlDB
Using a Virtual Assistant to Help You Sell More Books
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February 24th - Sharon Williams, founder of The 24 Hour Secretary and the International Association of Virtual Author Assistants. Topic: Learn about 24 services authors need most that personal virtual author assistants know how and when to do.If you'd like to take part in this informative series of teleseminars, you can sign up for less than $1 per seminar here: http://bit.ly/jwu6K.
For more information on the people and topics for upcoming teleseminars,
click here: http://www.bookmarket.com/friendsteleseminars.htmAmazon.com #17 hit
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Dharmesh Shah and his two co-authors have a real Amazon bestseller on their hands. Their book, Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs (The New Rules of Social Media), hit #17 as one of the most sought after books on all of Amazon. How did they get their book that high? Simple: social media.On February 10th, Dharmesh Shah, CTO of HubSpot and developer of Book.Grader.com, spoke on my People You Should Know teleseminar series. He described many of the ways to use social media and blogs to get more traffic to your website and sell more books.
If you sign up for my People You Should Know teleseminar series for only $37.00 (sign up here: http://bit.ly/jwu6K), you'll be able to listen in on his recorded teleseminar as well as listen in on 51 other great teleseminars on book marketing and publishing.
If you only want to listen in on his teleseminar, you can do it for only $10 by clicking here: http://bit.ly/aG8tKk
Turning lemons into lemonade: website feedback you can use
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Here is another ezine reader's note on the controversy with the YoungEntrepreneur.com using content from my hobby website at
http://www.collegedropoutshalloffame.com without any recognition.Featuring YoungEntrepreneur.com stealing your content is making lemonade out of lemons--a cool way to get attention for your website. (FYI, I see your comments about the material being copied from your site are back up on their page.) Since you don't intend to ask them to take it down, how about insisting on a backlink? I'm hoping they learn from this experience and that you create awareness about the issue (and about your other websites).
Even though yours is a hobby site, you never know when it might get you national attention, as this episode points out.
As a website visitor who's already a huge fan, I have a couple of suggestions for your college dropout website that I don't think would take much time to implement.
1. I'd suggest having an "About Me" page with your bio and photo.
2. I'd like to a little more on the home page about why you think this is an important topic. (I agree it is, but think a few more explicit and personal paragraphs would be powerful.)
3. I'd like to see you asterisk the people who succeeded without a degree during the last 20 years or so. (I think people will be less inspired by names like Pearl Bailey and Jack Benny because our culture wasn't so credentialized back then.)
4. I see the link called "John Kremer's Ten Million Eyeballs Internet Marketing Events," but there's no context for it and it's not really self-explanatory. I'd suggest instead a little box on the left or right that says something like:
Visit my other websites--
John Kremer's Ten Million Eyeballs Internet Marketing Events
Book Promotion AdviceThe Golden Rule can sometimes get ya in trouble. By the way, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books is on the shelf over my computer with about 200 sticky notes protruding from the pages that serve as tabs so I can see my keywords and find various sections quickly.
In any event, thanks for your encouragement and inspiration over the years. Yours is one of the few e-mail newsletters I never delete without reading.
John's Comments: I'm not going to ask YoungEntrepreneur.com to provide a back link. They already are aware of what they did. I expect them to give me credit without me having to ask for it. I'll wait for them to do it. Just my way. Now, if someone were taking content from my money site (BookMarket.com), I would ask them to take down the content or give me appropriate credit.
I agree that hobby sites can feed traffic into your major sites, and can even draw national media attention.
1. Your suggestion for an About Me page is good. I'll have to implement that. Just have to find the time in the day to do it.
2. The home page should have more about why my hobby topic is important. Again, just haven't had time yet to write that up.
3. Good suggestion on highlighting the more recent people. I'll figure out a good way to do that.
4. I like keeping those links subtle right now, but I will think about making those commercial links more prominent in some way.
I always appreciate feedback. Thanks.
Note to readers: This feedback for my site might well apply to your website as well. Be sure to read this feedback with the idea of improving your author or book website.
Reporter Connection
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Reporter Connection is a new free service offer by Steve and Bill Harrison of Bradley Communications. It's a neat new service to help you connect with media people looking for experts or show ideas.The easiest time to get publicity is when a journalist or producer has already decided to do a story on your subject -- and is actively seeking
people like you to interview.How do you find media deciders at that specific time -- when they are ripe and ready for you? Well, one way is to join Reporter Connection.
Reporter Connection is completely free (but they do have other stuff you can buy, and if you buy, I'll earn an affiliate commission).
To check out their free service, go to: http://bit.ly/aLKppN
specialty retailers
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Here are a few specialty retailers who sell books as well as gifts, DVDs,
videos, supplies, and related items.Audubon Sanctuary Shop, Audubon Naturalist Society, Woodland Nature Sanctuary, 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815; 301-652-3606. Email: bookshop@audubonnaturalist.org. Web: http://www.auduconnaturalist.org. Features nature and birdwatching books and gifts.
Brunswick Railroad Museum Shop, 40 W Potomac Street, Brunswick, Maryland 21716; 301-834-7100. Email: contact@brrm.net. Web:
http://www.brrm.net. Features railroad gifts, toys, books, art, and collectibles.Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, Museum Store, 461 W Outer Drive, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830; 865-482-1074; Fax: 865-481-4889. Email: chmor@bellsouth.net. Web: http://www.childrensmuseumofoakridge.org.
Features children's books, toys, gifts, etc.The CMNN Gift Shop, Mary Ann Weiss, Manager, The Children's Museum of Northern Nevada, 813 N Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada 89701; 775-884-2226; Fax: 775-884-2179. Email: info@cmnn.org. Web: http://www.cmnn.org. Features children's books, puzzles, toys, kits, apparel, and more.
Hands-On Science Center Gift Shop, 101 Mitchell Boulevard, Tullahoma,
Tennessee 37388; 931-455-8387. Email: hosc@charter.net. Web:
http://www.hosc.org. Features science kits, books, toys, posters, gifts,
apparel, and more.Kay's Quilter's Stash, 308 Thompson Street, Curwensville, Pennsylvania
16833; 814-236-0378. Email: info@kaysquiltersstash.com. Web:
http://www.kaysquiltersstash.com. Features quilting supplies, gifts, and books.Mountain Spirit Co-op, 107 N Cortez #100, Prescott, Arizona 86301; 928-445-8545. Web: http://www.mountainspiritco-op.com. Features new age and wellness gifts, books, art, crystals, jewelry, classes, and workshops.
National Museum of the American Coverlet Shop, 322 S Juliana Street, Bedford, Pennsylvania 15522; 814-623-1588. Web: http://www.coverletmuseum.org. Quilting and fabric books, etc.
Rippavilla Museum Shop, Tennessee Museum of Early Farm Life, 5700 Main Street, P O Box 1169, Spring Hill, Tennessee 37174; 931-486-9037. Email: info@rippavilla.org. Web: http://www.rippavilla.org. Features books and gifts related to early farm life, Confederate and Tennessee history, etc.
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Order either or both of the above ebooks / multimedia programs by clicking on the appropriate cover above or one of the links below:
Novel Multi-Media Program: http://bit.ly/7qd4FC Still only $127.00.
Literary Agents Ebook: http://bit.ly/9daLNQ Still only $30.00.
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Quotable Books
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For a decision—the freest of my actions just happens like hiccups
inside me or like a bird singing outside me. — Alan Watts, author
More great quotes and quotable books at http://www.quotablebooks.com
Index: http://www.bookmarket.com/tipsindex.htm
Copyright © 2010 by book promotion expert John Kremer
Email: JohnKremer@bookmarket.com
Open Horizons, P O Box 2887, Taos NM 87571