Category: Book Marketing

Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Reviews

Self-publishing Book Marketing: Magazine Reviews

The following list comes compliments of ForeWord magazine in the interest of helping you secure reviews with not only their magazine, but all magazines you pursue.

1. Become familiar with the magazine
2. Read the submission guidelines for each magazine before submitting your book for review
3. Create a good cover letter
4. Include a sales sheet (ask your self-publisher or publishing rep).
5. Follow-up

The best way to familiarize yourself with a magazine you want to review your book is to read the magazine first.

You can usually find submission guidelines for magazines on the magazine’s website.

When sending your book out for review, always include your contact information so the reviewer can get in touch with you if necessary. This should be a part of your cover letter. You can also politely request that a reviewer notify you when/if they review your book (but realize that many may choose not to do this).


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Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Viral Marketing

Viral Book Marketing: Video Trailers

Successful self-publishing authors know that book marketing and promotion are part of the deal, and ready to hit the ground running upon publication. Today’s market provides so many new venues to get the word out, including this cool new thing: book video trailers.

This tool alone isn’t going to make you a bestselling author, but used right, could be a colorful piece in your marketing map. Check out the web some interesting dialogue on the topic, and ask your publisher about book video trailers.


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Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Choosing a Publisher, Self-Publishing

Self-publishing Marketing Tools

Whether you’ve self-published several books or just now penning your first manuscript, elements of book marketing and sales techniques are no doubt on your radar. Quality self-publishing options provide them. It’s never too early, or late, to begin your research into relevant marketing tools and options like:

Amazon Search Inside
Book Video Trailers
Co-op Advertising in places as relevant in as the New York Times Book review.

How are you going to employ those? The possibilities in today’s marketplace are endless.


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Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Self-Publishing, Viral Marketing

Marketing your Self-published Book: The Law of the Shovel

If you want to dig a big hole, you’ve got to know where you’re digging and stay in one place.

I work with many writers who come to me with a manuscript and say, “Publish this! It’s going to be a bestseller!” I celebrate confidence and enthusiasm. Indispensable characteristics in successfully marketing your self-published book.

The reality is, publishing what we often consider to be a bestseller is akin to winning the Heisman or starring across from Meryl Streep. That it is a bestseller makes any book exception to the rule. Something of such unique and timely nature that it just might appeal to everyone. But everyone cannot digest everything. Ask yourself this: who is, and where are the readers that will enjoy, benefit from, and share my book?

Once you’ve answered that, start digging. Try to dig in too many places, you’ll likely barely scratch the surface.


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Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Choosing a Publisher, Self-Publishing, Uncategorized

4 Myths about Book Publishing Today

There is a lot of confusion, controversy, and questions surrounding the terms self-publishing, vanity press, print-on-demand, etc. As you decide the best publishing path for you, let’s clarify some misconceptions some may have propagated.

1. MYTH: Whoever owns the ISBN owns the rights.
FACT: This used to be true. Nowadays, it is no longer true. Good self-publishing options assign the ISBN for the authors’ convenience, but still allow authors to keep 100% of the rights to their books. Be sure to check the contract.

2. MYTH: Independent self-publishing is different from publishing with an established organization because that publisher owns the ISBN.
FACT: It is true that the ISBN identifies the publisher of record. With reputable options, authors can supply their own ISBN as an option. Of course, if an author prefers the publisher to assign an ISBN for them, that should be an option too. And that’s what self-publishing is about – author choice and author control.

3. MYTH: New York publishers promote and market all their books.
FACT: New York publishers usually devote the lion’s share of their marketing budget to the top 1% (Harry Potter, for example) of the books they publish. The other books published during that season are victims of the sliced marketing budget. The majority of traditionally published authors are referred to as “mid-listeres” and don’t get much support from their publisher at all.

4.MYTH: Printing a book with an off-set printer is the same as self-publishing it.
FACT: Printing a book is one facet of publication. Before a book can be printed, it needs to be designed. Then it needs to be printed. Then it needs wholesale distribution through Ingram and availability online with retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Then it needs fulfillment of orders and invoicing.

Printing a book with an offset printer accomplishes one of those steps. Publishing a book with a leading self-publishing option accomplishes all of them. Almost anyone can “print” a book, but what about all the other stuff that is required?


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