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 by: Jay Johnson Be sure to check out The Aton Project Newsletters at: http://www.self-publishinghelp.com/TheAtonProjectNewsletters.html. This newsletter, by author Tony VanSluytman, has been receiving rave revues despite it not being directed to writers. In addition, we encourage you to visit The Book Doctor at: http://www.self-publishinghelp.com/TheBOOKDOCTOR.html. You'll find his articles to be a must read for writers at all levels of accomplishment. We are quite proud of the contributions of these two dedicated authors and wish for you to learn more about them. *** Moonspinners Writer's Page (http://www.maureenmcmahon.com), the website of Maureen McMahon, has been voted one of the 101 Best Websites by Writer's Digest 2006 - specifically her Ask The Experts section, created in collaboration with fellow author Fran Silverman (http://www.maureenmcmahon.com/bookmarketing.html). The Experts Site is composed of 150 subscribers to Fran’s newsletter, Book Promotion Newsletter (http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com), who answer book marketing questions at no charge. Download: 10 Ways to Promote Your Book... Welcome our two (2) sponsors... ADRdomainsPlus.com for Your Domain Names and Internet Products  BOTH have GREAT rates and EXCELLENT service!  A new radio show devoted to book marketing made its debut on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 on Achieve Radio, noon to 1 p.m., MST. Host Francine Silverman will talk with authors, publishers and publicists, providing listeners with a unique perspective on book promotion. To access Book Marketing with Fran, go to http://www.achieveradio.com and click “Click to Listen” at top of page. Should you miss the show, click “Shows & Hosts” on the left and scroll down to Fran’s show and click, “More-Click Here” for the archives. Patricia Fry, president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network) and author of 24 books, will be Fran’s first guest. Patricia’s latest book is The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (Matilija Press 2006), a comprehensive guide for hopeful and struggling authors. Fran is author of Book Marketing from A-Z and editor publisher of Book Promotion Newsletter, http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com Issue 88: July 5, 2006 ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 88: July 5, 2006 EDITOR: FRANCINE SILVERMAN http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com http://www.nystatetravel.com Issued every other Wednesday since 2003 Need a room of your own to write, think, sleep or breathe? MY RETREAT is for you ! 90 miles from NY City. Shared cottages/private units. Clean, quiet and reasonable (mention Book Promotion Newsletter for 10% discount) http://www.myretreat.net INTRODUCTION Greetings from the Amalfi Coast of Italy!! If the hotel in Positano is as gorgeous as pictured on its website, http://www.villafrancahotel.it, I may never leave!! In recent years, we only travel far away to celebrate a milestone - this summer it's my husband, Ronnie's, 65th birthday. We'll be back on Sunday, July 8th In This Issue: 1)Feature Article 2)Promotional Coups 3)Grist for your Mill 4)Feedback 5)Progress Report 6)Surprises 7)Wonderful Websites 8)Kudos Please consider adding http://www.AuthorsandExperts.com and http://www.SchoolBookings.com to your list of resources. These are great places for authors, experts, and speakers to connect with members of the media, those searching for speakers, and schools. Free to schools and media members and an economical resource for authors and experts. 1) FEATURE ARTICLE This article is taken from Anne's quarterly newsletter, "Seamless Selling" for sales and marketing executives seeking to grow their business. The life-lessons in Anne's article can be applied to all of us. JUXTAPOSITIONS IN LIFE & BUSINESS by Anne Miller Every so often we find ourselves in opposing circumstances within a short period of time, which tend to remind us of things about life, relationships, or business we may have forgotten. Experience #1: UNDER THE SKIN As the plane touched down on the tarmac, I had mixed feelings about the week that lay ahead. In a few days I would be presenting two seminars, "The Best Presentation of Your Life" and "Negotiating Successfully" at a MicroFinance Conference in Budapest for bankers economists, lawyers, and researchers from Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States such as Hungary, Poland, Romania, the Ukraine, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Croatia, and Slovakia. (FYI, Microfinance organizations lend money to people, often women, on the lower rungs of the financial ladder. It may be $75 to a woman in a village to start a dress-making business or up to $25,000 to a small tool manufacturer. Remarkably, these poorer people pay back their loans at a better rate than large corporations often do. By empowering these people economically, the MicroFinance world helps build more stable societies, enabling poor people to provide their kids with education and healthcare otherwise unaffordable. They also help the next generation rise out of poverty and increase the independence and power of women.) I have taught seminars in Asia, South America and Western Europe, but for some reason, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would the seminars succeed? Would the principles we teach here apply to people in these newer, less affluent, growing economies, not to mention work within their cultures? Would people participate? Happily, I needn't have worried. The attendees were a hoot! Though they certainly weren't as fashionably dressed as people often are at US events, though they spoke English with an accent, and though the conference itself was in a very plain hotel, they were as attentive as any group I have ever led. They literally inhaled everything I had to give them. As we got to know each other socially over the three days, I had the same discussions that I would have had with any group. People worried about life-work balance issues and their career paths. East or West, we were all equally awed at the opening ceremony that took place in the opulent House of Parliament, several people shamelessly taking pictures to show their friends at home. At one point, I heard people wondering if they were going to be Walmart-ized as more of the large banks like Deutsche-Bank and Citibank get into microfinance. And, while it wasn't the Forbes yacht, the boatride down the Danube on the last night was as lively, beautiful, and convivial as any on the famous publisher's boat. LESSON #1 The whole experience reminded me again that there is more that unites people than divides them (fanatics and terrorists obviously not included here). At the end of the day, people are people. And that reminder transfers to how we treat prospects and clients. Like everyone else, at root, they seek what we seek. They don't want their time wasted. They need to see value in what we are offering, and they want to be treated with respect and fairness. If more time was spent by salespeople thinking about, and being responsive to, these basic human needs, sales calls would be far more productive and profitable. Experience #2: A MILLION HERE, A BILLION THERE A second juxtaposition made a different point. In the MicroFinance world, a portfolio can be quite small. One organization held a portfolio valued at only $4 million dollars, which had made a profit of $150,000 for the year. This is quite a contrast to what I read shortly after about Goldman Sachs' announced quarterly revenue, a client for whom I have also worked over the years. They reported net income for the second quarter of more than $2 BILLION dollars. I don't begrudge Wall Street its outsized profits, but coming off the Budapest experience, the difference in scale of both numbers was staggering. LESSON #2 It is so easy to lose perspective, not just on business, but on everything in our lives, and assume that everything happens the same way, and on the same scale, in every situation. Clearly not so. Experience #3: TEXAS COWBOY & NEW YORK BANKER Just before and after I returned from Europe, another interesting juxtaposition occurred with implications for selling. This one involved President Bush and Hank Paulsen, former CEO, Goldman Sachs, and now Bush's new Secretary of the Treasury, the former a poor communicator, the latter, an outstanding one. On May 26, Bush did a verbal about-face and admitted that he needed to be "more sophisticated" in choosing his words. He acknowledged that his tough talk..."in certain parts of the world was misinterpreted" (Wanting Bin Laden "dead or alive;" announcing he was going after the 911 perpetrators by "smoking them out of their holes;" and arguably the most damaging phrase, taunting terrorists to "bring it on"--which, as we all noticed, they so obediently proceeded to do.) Contrast the President's loose talk with one of the key reasons why Hank Paulsen has been brought into the Treasury role. In addition to being brilliant and enormously capable, much has been made of his ability to communicate to Congress and the public the consequences of various policy choices. As Business Week noted, Paulson is known as "an exceedingly effective communicator. If he can translate Wall Street's language of speculation into something the public and politicians understand, the President's gamble in appointing him will pay off for everyone." (6/12/06) LESSON #3 Words matter and not just in politics. Language is a salesperson's currency. You can spend it foolishly or you can spend it wisely. The former gets you into trouble. The latter most often gets you recognition and results. In the limited face time we get with clients, taking the time to craft our messages is always time well-spent. CONCLUSION We all rush around so quickly that sometimes even the smallest incident has the power to make us stop, re-think our premises, and remind us of what's really important. And that is not a bad thing. c. 2006. Anne Miller, http://www.annemiller.com. If you are interested in receiving future copies of her newsletter, write Anne at amiller@annemiller.com Anne's latest book is METAPHORICALLY SELLING (Chiron Associates 2004) . 2) PROMOTIONAL COUPS Roz Van Meter wrote that she was inspired by the ideas in the last issue. Here's her email to me: Alas, my forthcoming book, PUT YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES ON AND DEAL WITH IT, doesn't have a nice discrete niche I can aim for. It's for women of all ages. However, this issue of the newsletter has given me some ideas, and since my pub date is Spring 2007, I have time to come up with some others. The most thought-provoking ones for me are pasted below, to jog my memory. This book, unlike my others, was bought by a publisher, so I won't make a lot of money on bookstore sales - only about a dollar a book. However, I can buy copies at wholesale and make small sales on my own. • I already have arranged to have a signing party at my favorite restaurant. • Since my title phrase is already on mugs/T-shirts/napkins, maybe I can find Hallmark stores that carry them. At the very least, I can give away some of those gift items as door prizes at signings. • Maybe there are boutique lingerie shops that would be interested - a press release opportunity for both the store and me. I envision a pile of all styles of panties, from thongs to comfy cotton high-rises, and I could provide ruffle-bottomed little-girl panties as a further prop. • My beauty salon already offers various kinds of gift items, and I have a friendly relationship with everyone there. They would probably be more than happy to sell my book, perhaps for a small percentage of its price. • I will offer the book on my websites: http://RelationshipWiz.com http://SexualityCoach.com and http://CoachRoz.com Rather than a conventional credit card shopping cart, I prefer to be paid via PayPal. It is easy for the buyer and costs me very little. I am already selling an e-book, SIZZLING SEX IN 30 DAYS: SECRETS AND SOLUTIONS FROM A CERTIFIED SEX THERAPIST. 3) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL Catherine Franz, a Certified Master Business Coach, is offering a free eBook on how you can earn $5,000 quickly. Simply email her at host@letstalkmarketingshow.com Catherine works with service professionals, including speakers, non-writers, and authors to capture their knowledge and develop it into residual-generating products. Since 2000, she has helped 384 people generate from $3,800 a month to seven figures a year. Listen to Catherine on the radio every Tuesday in Fairfax, VA: http://www.LetsTalkMarketingShow.com My publisher, Infinity Publishing, is holding its 7th annual "Express Yourself..." Author's Conference, from Friday, September 29, 2006 to Sunday, October 1, 2006, in Valley Forge, Pa. Publicity guru Paul Krupin joins this year's line-up of leading publishing professionals. In his presentation, How to Make The Media Fall in Love With You, he will describe many of the successful tactics he uses in his fee-for-service news release distribution business. The conference is geared to all authors, regardless of their publisher. Bring a friend and share a room at the Sheraton Park Ridge and share the $869 registration fee. (You'll save $204.50 off the individual registration fee of $639). For more information, visit the website, http://www.infinitypublishing.com 4) FEEDBACK Christina Whitcher writes a column and was asked by someone who loved her article about how horses are good for children if she could put copies into all the pamphlets she sends to young riders. Christina wanted to know how other writers handle the distribution of their writing in publications such as pamphlets. http://www.CFrancine.bizland.com Dar Hosta responds: Here would be the things I would ask the "reader" who wants to use her column: 1. What is her line of business? Is she selling something? 2. Is my article going to help her sell something -- riding lessons, for example? 3. How long does she plan to use this column? I would require the following: 1. All her information on what she does and who she is. 2. A copy of the "pamphlet". 3. That I format the insert, whether in Word or whatever, so that all my contact information is included, byline, address, book titles, etc. 4. A simple contract that clearly outlines usage and gives permission--as well as stipulates the usage fee, if applicable. If Ms. Whitcher had a book, this type of distribution would be great for sales; however, it appears as though she is a columnist and this isn't as much of an issue. I would, however, caution her against being too casual and loose about giving permission for this type of thing because it sets up a precedent for business practices that might not be professional enough for the future. Anyone who asks for something like this must be prepared to sign some type of usage agreement and the fact that the person called for permission indicates that she understands this to be so. Dar is publisher of her two award-winning children's books: I LOVE THE NIGHT (2003), and I LOVE THE ALPHABET (2004). http://www.browndogbooks.com Nancy Madison had written about having book signings in her local Hallmark gift shop and promoting her books through her hairdresser. Carolyn Howard-Johnson responds - I enjoyed Nancy's promotion ideas. It's especially important to actually ask people to recommend your book. People sometimes do that on their own, of course, but these are readers, not writers (mostly). So, if you let them know how much it helps you to have them pass on the good word, they make an effort. My hairdresser actually displays my books for me -- all four of them--and has sold more of them than some bookstores. Again, it's that personal touch. Plus--obviously--there is no competition at a salon! She won't take any commission, either. Believe it or not, she even sells The Frugal Book Promoter well. Now, who would guess there would be that many writers or wannabe writers coming into a hair salon! Keep at those nontraditional ways to sell book, Nancy! They're the ones that work best. 5) PROGRESS REPORT Margaret E. J. Broderick will be the guest of David Wolf on his Smallbiz America radio show on August 12, 2006. http://www.smallbizamerica.com Margaret has more than 17 years of management experience and the company she started received the 2000 and 2001 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist Award, and the WNBA finalist of Entrepreneurial Spirit and Achievement Award (one of four out of 150 nationwide). She is author of PASSION v. ARROGANCE: A DANA & GOLIATH STORY OF WINE, WOMEN & WRONG! (Passion Power Press 2005) http://www.passionpowerpress.com John Klar's interview with John Loeffler on his Steel on Steel Radio Program on the Information Radio Network, originally scheduled for June 28, was re-scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, July 6, 2006 at 2 p.m., EST. http://www.steelonsteel.com. John is author of CHRISTIAN WORDS, UNCHRISTIAN ACTIONS: GEORGE W. BUSH AND THE DESECRATION OF CHRISTIANITY IN MODERN AMERICA (Wine Press Publishing 2006). [Editor's Note - Just call me a Matchmaker. Well, some matches are truly made in heaven. John Klar was invited back on Rick Stanley's show, Standing Up for America on Truth Radio, http://www.truthradio.com and was told by Rick that he's the first person out of 500 interviewees he's ever interviewed twice. John lives in Vermont but he and his wife are traveling to Denver next week, where they are having dinner with Rick and his wife!] Follow-up “The radio interview for the Good Life Show [hosted by Jesse Dylan broadcast daily coast to coast in the USA on Sirius Satellite Radio, and, in Canada, on the Chum Radio Network] went well last Friday,” reports Anne M. Fletcher…..But they never told me ahead of time that they were going to offer callers free copies of my book. I thought that was very nice of them until I found out a day or two ago that they expect me to donate the books to the four callers. (A first for me.) It's not a huge deal, and my publisher agreed to send out the books. Just thought you might want to warn other authors about this.” http://annemfletcher.com [Editor's Note - I contacted Sam Mednick, the producer, and here's his response: “No it's not a requirement but we usually ask them and like to do it if they don't mind. It was a misunderstanding with Anne I'm sorry about that. If you can ask your guests ahead of time, or I will, then we'll be on the same page next time for sure"]. Myrna Lou Goldbaum has repeatedly been invited back on May Lelani's Universal Spiritualist show on Achieve Radio. http://www.achieveradio.com She has been a guest three times. The first two shows she conducted palm readings. Dates on archives April 11, May 16. On June 13 in archives she discussed all three of her books. “The last show will be a combo of book discussions and readings which will be on Aug. 8 from 3 to 5 PM, Myrna reports. “Listeners scan their palms on computer and email them to me prior to the show. I work them up and give mini-readings to the participants. I am the only Palmist in the world doing this - so it is unique.” Myrna is author of MAY I SEE YOUR HAND (Woman in the Moon Publishing 1997), SOUL MATE CONNECTIONS (Infinity Publishing 2003) and DIARY OF A PALM READER (Infinity Publishing 2004). http://www.myrnaloupalmistry.com http://soulmateconnections.blogspot.com Lana Jordan was interviewed about homeschooling by Carrie Lauth, a homeschooling mom of four young children, at Natural Moms Talk Radio in late June. Lana has been homeschooling her children for the last ten years. http://NaturalMomsTalkRadio.com Lana is the author and publisher of two books: JOURNEY TO MOTHERHOOD (Lullaby Mountain 2001), a guide to pregnancy and childbirth from a mother's perspective, and THE SLEEPYTIME PONIES TRICK A TRICKSTER (Lullaby Mountain 2004), a read-aloud storybook about magical flying ponies that take children and their mother on an adventure to Thailand. http://www.jorlanpublishing.com http://www.lanajordan.com http://www.flyingponies.com I announced in the last issue that Stephanie Chandler and Tricia Molloy were invited on the Growing Your Business show and quoted the release sent on behalf of Stephanie since she was scheduled for June 19, 2006 - before my newsletter was published. I mentioned that I would probably receive a release prior to Tricia Molloy's appearance on June 26, 2006 and I was right. This is a nice feature of being on that show. The hosts, Fred Hueston and Lyna Farkas, send releases out to the media prior to their guest's appearance. The couple wrote in their release, “We will be interviewing Tricia Molloy, author of the Divine Wisdom at Work [Aha! House 2006]. "This should be a great show. Unlike all other business principles this show will explore a whole other aspect of succeeding in business. We will be talking about Universal Principles, The Law of Attraction and much more.” The archives are available at the site. http://www.alltalkradio.net 6) SURPRISES Alycia Ripley, author of TRAVELING WITH AN EGGPLANT (Trafford 2005) had two surprises. She was “asked to speak at the Clarence (a very old, beautiful and historic suburb of Buffalo, NY) Association's 80 person book club the first week of December 2006,” she says. “It is the first Q and A appearance I have ever been PAID for speaking at and the readers in the club are very enthusiastic and excited about the book. In fact, the leader of the club actually tracked me down (rather than vice versa as it usually is) to ask if I would appear and said her fellow book club friends were really hoping she could get me to come! I couldn't be more excited about it! They heard about the book through an article on it that was featured in The Buffalo News and various other magazines and newspapers and the title seems to be sticking in people's heads!" Alycia says the group will consist of various ages and she's anxious “to see which aspects of the novel hit home to which demographic groups and to be part of a discussion about themes and symbolism!” The second surprise was that a friend told her that while in Seattle, WA she saw someone she didn't know carrying a tote bag with a 'Traveling With An Eggplant' photo on it that the person got from Alycia's website. “My friend said she ran up to this person and told them how she's friends with the author and it was so great to see her promoting the book. Apparently my friend made a new friend (and a new publicity helper contact) through this! I'm so glad to see word of the book starting to catch on!” http://www.alyciaripley.com 7) WONDERFUL WEBSITES I had Lori Leigh, author of historical romances, and her publicist, Karen Simpson, on my radio show. Karen is co-owner of Coffee Time Romance at http://www.coffeetimeromance.com The site does book reviews, interviews, holds contests, has live author chats (with authors of various genres), author pages, and reader's and author's boards, and a wealth of resources for both emerging and veteran authors. Karen is from Georgia and exudes Southern hospitality. “We treat you like family,” she says. While romance is the main focus, there are books reviewed on women's interests, exercising, gardening, and hobbies. I asked Karen if there is a charge and she said no. 8) KUDOS Husband and wife best-selling authors Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski were interviewed by Bridal Guide magazine for its Nov/Dec issue based on their latest book,THE SMART COUPLE'S GUIDE TO THE WEDDING OF YOUR DREAMS (New World Library 2005). They also do a weekly "Relationships 101" segment for Time Warner's Capital News 9 that runs throughout upstate New York. http://www.judithandjim.com Cynthia Brian just returned from Ireland and reports that her trip was “a HUGE success.” “I was the keynote speaker and MC for Father Pat McGrath's Ruby Jubilee in Limerick,” she says. “My work was so well received that I did two radio interviews - one for over two hours on Radio Limerick One and another on the hip station 95 FM.” Cynthia also had three features in various newspapers with a front page in the Limerick Leader. “And, Father McGrath and I were honored by the Limerick Mayor and councilmen at a Civic Reception complete with additional radio and TV coverage,” she adds. "California sunshine glows on Ireland with the arrival of Hollywood self-help guru, Cynthia Brian" touted the newspapers and other media. “Hundreds of copies of my book, Be the Star You Are! were sold to the Irish with more orders enroute. Everywhere we went, people stopped to talk, ask questions, and offer congratulations. I also was the enrichment lecturer for two nights at the luxurious Temple Spa in Horseleap, where I empowered women to be more by doing less.” “And now I'm being asked back to speak in 2007 in Ireland at a conference on growth and change,” says Cynthia. “Father McGrath says he is 'over the moon with joy' from all the publicity and celebrations on his behalf. So it was a great trip with more to come. I am definitely an honorary Irishwoman and proud of it.” Cynthia is author of BE THE STAR YOU ARE! 99 GIFTS FOR LIVING, LOVING, LAUGHING, AND LEARNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE (Ten Speed Press 2001), CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE GARDENER'S SOUL (HCI 2001), THE BUSINESS OF SHOW BUSINESS (Starstyle Productions 2002), and MIRACLE MOMENTS®,” originally published in 1986 and now in its ninth printing. http://www.starstyleproductions.com http://www.cynthiabrian.com Francine Silverman is author of CATSKILLS ALIVE (second edition) and LONG ISLAND ALIVE, both published in 2003 by Hunter Publishing and geared to every interest. To learn more about her guidebooks and for links to hundreds of attractions on Long Island and in the Catskills, visit Fran's one-stop website at http://www.nystatetravel.com BOOK MARKETING FROM A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005) is written by 325 paid subscribers to Book Promotion Newsletter and available at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com (Category: Marketing) and at http://www.amazon.com Subscribers are entitled to a 20% discount. Contact Fran at franalive@optonline.net for code. The publisher's toll free number does not work outside the continental US and orders cannot be processed from its website for shipping outside the US. Subscribers in foreign countries who wish to purchase the book with the discount may email Michelle at michelle@buybooksontheweb.com or fax an order (610/941-9959). She will provide confirmation that your order has been received and will be processed promptly. When using these options subscribers should put everything to Michelle's attention and reference the Promotional Code (contact Fran for code). If emailing Michelle, DO NOT put your credit card number in any email correspondence as this is not secure. Mail: Infinity Publishing, 1094 New Dehaven St, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428 Issue 89: July 19, 2006 ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 89: July 19, 2006 EDITOR: FRANCINE SILVERMAN http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com http://www.nystatetravel.com Issued every other Wednesday since 2003 * Want to Be On National TV? Ex-Oprah Booker Tells How.... You're invited to a free 90-minute telephone seminar on Thursday, July 20th on "The Three Big Secrets for Getting Publicity As a Guest on Top National TV Shows" You'll hear from a former Oprah guest booker, Fox News producer and others. Register now at: http://www.FreePublicity.com/Call85 In This Issue: 1) Promotional Coups 2) Grist for Your Mill 3) Wonderful Websites 4) Progress Report 5) Kudos Publicists for Hollywood Movie Producer Michael Z. Gordon~producer of “Narc”, and L.A. Screenplay Writer Daniel Guardino~18 movie scripts -Rolling Seas Promotions Pty Ltd. are also book reviewers to publishers and authors. Rolling Seas Reviews not only review books but continually search for fabulous stories for production. Our Editors create Marketing Reviews to send to media outlets worldwide - on request. All Rolling Seas Reviews are FREE. To send any Marketing Review to thousands of media outlets - $88. Contact: Marketing Director - Rolling Seas Promotions Pty Ltd. - Pamela Faye pamela@rollingseas.com.au - P.O. Box 316 – Cotton Tree 4558 – Queensland – Australia. Website: http://www.rollingseas.com.au rspromotions@optusnet.com.au 1) PROMOTIONAL COUPS In the May 10, 2006 issue I used the promotional idea of one of my radio interviewee's Lynn Tolson. To market her book, Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor's Story, she sent 50 letters to national suicide coalitions suggesting that her book would be of interest to their member agencies and asking them to forward her letter to them. I had asked for your ideas regarding your own books, but received no responses. Then I received a Q&A from a new subscriber, Patricia Dischler, who unknowingly presented a response. Her experience also illustrates the power of the Internet in a promotional campaign. Patricia knew that she needed to target her audience, which, for her first book, FROM BABYSITTER TO BUSINESS OWNER (Redleaf Press, 2005), was family child care providers. Since she's in the field, Patricia knew that every provider is a member of a resource and referral agency and has a newsletter. So, she wrote an article and sent it to every one in the country. “I offered the article to them for free, as long as they included the blurb [listing her book and where to buy it]. As they almost never get material from published authors, most jumped at the chance. I used the Internet to find them and sent the article by email, so all it cost me was my time. “Second, I began doing lectures at the state early childhood and family childcare conferences. I get paid to travel there, to speak, and I sell a lot of books. Again, I used the Internet to find the organizations by state, and then sent emails with my lecture proposal. It's helped me to become established as a leader in the field, so now the groups are contacting me instead!” Patricia also used the Internet for her second book, BECAUSE I LOVED YOU: A BIRTHMOTHER'S VIEW OF OPEN ADOPTION (Goblin Fern Press, 2006). She found a website that lists every adoption agency in the country by state, but soon discovered that almost half the email addresses bounced back. “Still, two months before the book release, I sent out my book flyer attached to a short letter to a group of 10 agencies at a time, doing as many as I could find time to in a day,” she recalls. “It took about a week and they were all out. I got over 100 pre-orders for the book and had people start to contact me for speaking engagements. By the time the book was released (May, 2006) I had the endorsement of every major national adoption office - the word had spread just from that one email campaign.” In both cases, says, Patricia, “I knew who the bulk of the books would get sold to and I started with them. I found websites that listed their organizations, then started emailing my book flyer to them. So far I've always done it as an attachment, with a low-pressure, short letter inviting them to visit my website and read a sample chapter to see if it would be a helpful resource for them. “It's been less than a year for both books since their release, so I know I have a lot to learn about promotion, but I know these techniques have gotten 'the buzz' going, which will be a great foundation to build off of for other promotional efforts.” http://www.patriciadischler.com D. Clayton Meadows II, author of OF ICE AND STEEL (Leatherneck Publishing 2006), an exciting sea adventure, offered these samples of good promotions: Check in your area for hotels that offer a Manager's Reception (Happy Hour). See if the General Manager will let you set a up a small table and sell your books. I'm in the hotel business and we like it when we can offer the guest something rare and neat. Lots of folks stay at hotels and you never know who you will meet. You'll score even bigger if your book deals with local interest, or history. http://www.oficeandsteel.com Before writing her first book, PSYCHOLOGY: A BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH (McGraw Hill 1979), Malinda Muzi approached marketing in a methodical fashion: “What I did was establish my credentials as an expert in my field - child development and parenting - by writing textbooks before turning to the trade market,” she says. “It is imperative, before a person writes a book, to be especially qualified to write about that subject. This means doing the background work.” Malinda says she approached book promotion like she does everything else in life - “by learning as much as possible about the process.” She studied the top self-publishing how-to books on the market, as well as a half-dozen books about the marketing of books and “attended Book Expo in order to interview distributors and make contacts.” The most important thing she's done was to “hire an award-winning company to do her interior design, cover design, brochure, logo, stationary and website. “I also found a top notch printer,” she says. “Finally, I hired a PR firm to send out press releases about the new book. I am in the process of sending out 200 pre-release books to reviewers across the country.” Malinda's latest and fourth book is YOUR KIDS, THEIR LIVES: A PARENT'S GUIDE TO RAISING HAPPY, COMPETENT, CARING CHILDREN (Pink Roses Publishing 2006). http://www.pinkrosespublishing.com Sometimes "word of mouth" promotion means your own mouth. "I've become a bragging 'talking machine' since my book came out," relates Chuck McCann about his book, SHORT, SHORTER AND SHORTER STORIES, FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO WAIT (Nightengale Press 2005), a finalist in ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year contest. "Any time I see a reader, I ask about their book, then mention I'm a writer. If a person is sitting, doing nothing, I mention how nice a book of short stories might fill their time, mentioning my book." http://www.chuckmccann.npauthors.com Need a room of your own to write, think, sleep or breathe? MY RETREAT is for you ! 90 miles from NY City. Shared cottages/private units. Clean, quiet and reasonable (mention Book Promotion Newsletter for 10% discount) http://www.myretreat.net 2) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL Linda Pynaker will be providing free psychic readings on the Universal Spiritual Connection Program hosted by May-Leilani Schmidt from 8-10 p.m. PST the first Monday of each month. You may tune in online at http://www.achieveradio.com/~leilani. Linda is author of MAKE IT HAPPEN! USE YOUR INTUITION AND POSITIVE SPIRALS (Linda Pynaker 2005) and TIME TO HEAL: A NOVEL (Infinity Publishing 2003). http://www.lindapynaker.com Carolyn Howard-Johnson was interviewed by Valerie Connelly on "Calling All Authors," a Global Talk Radio show (http://www.globaltalkradio.com/show/callingallauthors), Tuesday, July 18, discussing promotional ideas from Carolyn's award-winning book THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T (AmErica House 2001). The book was named USA Book News “Best Books 2004” in the professional book category and won the Irwin Award, the Book Publicists of Southern California's most prestigious award. http://carolynhowardjohnson.com Lee-Ann Butler Owens contributed the following: Lullalee Productions and Services & the Just For Mom Foundation have announced their Partnership for Literacy. Projects for Literacy are: The Mom's Choice Award; Shriners Hospitals For Children-Los Angeles; and Lullalee/Just For Mom-Skyline Documentary A few of the facilities that have received books from Lullalee/Just for Mom are: Skyline College Children's Center; I AM Foundation; and Kedren Head Start - serving 27 facilities. Future book giving projects are Project Learn-Louisiana and Hwawon Middle School in Korea http://www.lullaleepublications.org Please consider adding http://www.AuthorsandExperts.com and http://www.SchoolBookings.com to your list of resources. These are great places for authors, experts, and speakers to connect with members of the media, those searching for speakers, and schools. Free to schools and media members and an economical resource for authors and experts. 3) WONDERFUL WEBSITES I found this blurb in the newsletter of subscriber Penny Sansevieri. You can list your book for free or upgrade for a fee. It's easy to add your book. I did so for free - time will tell if it helps sell books: Authors can list their book(s) on bookhitch.com. There are thousands of unrecognized authors throughout the world, and bookhitch offers all of them a chance to list their books on its Web site, for free. It is a unique Web site because authors create their own accounts, can list an unlimited amount of books, which can then be viewed and searched immediately (other sites approve listings and sometimes even accounts). It is also unique in the fact that authors provide a link next to their book description so that readers can click on it and be taken to where they can buy the book. This means that authors can direct readers to their own Web site to buy the books, or send them to a publisher (thus cutting out many of the middlemen who take a percentage of the profits....bookhitch does not take any profits). Check it out at http://www.bookhitch.com 4) PROGRESS REPORT These are the radio spots I found for my clients: Sigrid Macdonald, author of GETTING HIP: RECOVERY FROM A TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT (AuthorHouse 2004), will be on The Good Life Show at 1 p.m., EST on August 1, 2006. The pre-interview is July 31. The show is hosted by Jesse Dylan and broadcast daily coast to coast in the USA on Sirius Satellite Radio, and, in Canada, on the Chum Radio Network. http://www.tglshow.com http://sigridmacdonald.blogspot.com Follow-up Lana Jordan, a home-schooling mom, was interviewed by Carrie Lauth on the Natural Moms Talk Radio show - http://NaturalMomsTalkRadio.com. The program will eventually be on the archives page. Lana is author of JOURNEY TO MOTHERHOOD (a guide to pregnancy and childbirth from a mother's perspective) and THE SLEEPYTIME PONIES TRICK A TRICKSTER (a read-aloud storybook about magical flying ponies that take children and their mother on an adventure to Thailand). http://www.jorlanpublishing.com David Spero, RN, was a guest of Jesse Dylan on The Good Life Show on Monday, July 1, 2006 at 9 a.m., PST. According to the producer, Sam Mednick, “the show is live and interviews are usually 30 minutes, often with an open line segment. You can have someone listen either on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 114 or they can log onto http://www.lime.com.” The show's website is http://www.tglshow.com. David is author of ART OF GETTING WELL (Hunter House 2002) and the forthcoming DIABETES: SUGAR-COATED CRISIS http://www.art-of-getting-well.com 5) KUDOS Walter Brasch and his book, “Unacceptable,” were the subjects of a feature article in his local paper, The Ridgeway Record, detailing the shortcomings and blunders that led up to the tepid response to Hurricane Katrina. http://www.ridgwayrecord.com/articles/2006/06/30/news/news02.txt Anne Fletcher has won The American Dietetic Association's 2006 Media Excellence Award for "consistent nutrition reporting" in her books, magazine and newsletter articles, website writing, and media appearances over the course of her 24-year career as a health and medical journalist. Anne will receive the award at the American Dietetic Association's annual convention in Hawaii this fall, where she'll be presenting findings from her forthcoming book, Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off-And What They Want Parents to Know (Houghton Mifflin, January 2007.) Anne is the author of the best-selling Thin for Life book series, as well as the award-winning book, Sober for Good. She has appeared on "The View", the "Today Show", "Donahue", "Good Morning America", "CBS This Morning", Cable News Network, "The Larry King Radio Show”, and National Public Radio's “Talk of the Nation”. http://www.annemfletcher.com Marilyn Meredith's Christian horror, DEEDS OF DARKNESS (Treble Heart Books 2003), won an honorable mention in genre-based fiction from the Hollywood Book Festival. Marilyn is also author of WISHING MAKES IT SO (Hard Shell Word Factory 2006), CALLING THE DEAD (Mundania Press, August 2006), CUP OF DREAMS (Treble Heart Books 2005) and THE CHOICE (PageFree Publishing 2002). http://fictionforyou.com http://www.marilynmeredith.blogspot.com “Sharing with Writers,” the newsletter edited by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, received the highest honor from another newsletter for writers, Scribe and Quill - a Virtual Quill. http://www.scribequill.com “Sharing with Writers” is an entity of Authors' Coalition, founded by Carolyn. http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com Carolyn is author of THIS IS THE PLACE (AmErica House 2001), a collection of creative nonfiction, HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED (AmErica House 2001), and THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER (Star Publish 2004) named USA Book News' Best Professional Book 2004. http://carolynhoward-johnson.com At the request of St. Martin's Press, James Conroyd Martin penned a fictional follow-up to his first novel, PUSH NOT THE RIVER (originally self-published), a story based on the actual diary of a countess in 1790s Poland. AGAINST A CRIMSON SKY (St. Martin's Press 2006), has won a prestigious recommendation from BookSense, a network of 1200 independent booksellers. Reviewer Nicola Rooney called the book "An enticing blend of history and fiction set in 19th-century Poland, with characters you come to care about as you share their joys and disappointments. James Conroyd Martin will please readers who might not usually consider historical fiction" Asked how St. Martin's Press heard about his self-published book, James explains: "In short, I published POD with Xlibris in 2001 when POD book prices were still reasonable. I sold about 2500 books on my own, consignment, and at Polish festivals. Then I joined Publishers Marketplace and put up one of their mini-sites asking for agents of editors to consider it. ["With the subscription," explains James, "they send out daily newsletters about the biz: job opportunities, ads, success stories, and all the new deals. When a senior editor showed interest, I went back to a former agent who sold it to St. Martin's within 30 days."] "When you join, you can set up your own little listing of what property you have and what/who you're looking for, like agent, foreign representation, editor, etc. I'm not sure how they refer to what I'm calling a mini-site. And since finding my publisher, I don't belong." http://www.JamesCMartin.com Lori Leigh was thrilled to report: LAIRD OF THE GAME just came out on July 1, 2006 and it just got a 5 Beacon review from Lighthouse Literary Reviews! ON THE WINDS OF LOVE [Avon 2005] also just got a 5 Fallen Angel review from Fallen Angel Reviews!" Lori is also author of ON THE WINDS OF DREAMS (2007). All the books are published by Vintage Romance Publishing. http://www.lorileigh.com Francine Silverman is author of CATSKILLS ALIVE (second edition) and LONG ISLAND ALIVE, both published in 2003 by Hunter Publishing and geared to every interest. To learn more about her guidebooks and for links to hundreds of attractions on Long Island and in the Catskills, visit Fran's one-stop website at http://www.nystatetravel.com BOOK MARKETING FROM A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005) is written by 325 paid subscribers to Book Promotion Newsletter and available at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com (Category: Marketing) and at http://www.amazon.com Subscribers are entitled to a 20% discount. Contact Fran at franalive@optonline.net for code. The publisher's toll free number does not work outside the continental US and orders cannot be processed from its website for shipping outside the US. Subscribers in foreign countries who wish to purchase the book with the discount may email Michelle at michelle@infinitypublishing.com or fax an order (610/941-9959). She will provide confirmation that your order has been received and will be processed promptly. When using these options subscribers should put everything to Michelle's attention and reference the Promotional Code (contact Fran for code). If emailing Michelle, DO NOT put your credit card number in any email correspondence as this is not secure. Mail: Infinity Publishing, 1094 New Dehaven St, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428 Betty B's Arcana Connection by Betty Bradford Byers INNER-VIEWS WITH CELEBRITIES Short Stories Corner Poetry Corner Write On Southwest...Book Reviews by Connie Gotsch The BOOK DOCTOR Book Reviewer's Corner Public Service links And so much more! | Return Home | The BOOK DOCTOR | The BANYON NETWORK | The Banyon Buzz Newsletters | The Aton Project Newsletters | Contact Us | |
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