Know-How Exchange : Strategy

The appropriate strategy has me puzzled.
Rather than just promoting the book/ sending a marketing letter, and hoping they will buy it for their clients/members, it probably also needs something else.

OZ1, it sure does.

In todays high tech viral marketing world people who are effectively releasing their new books these days are trying to take advantage of multiple purchases and referrals right out the gate.

I'VE GOT SOME IDEAS FOR YOU...
I can send you about 4 types of solicitations coming from some of my well known on-line authors. Just send me an email saying "I WANT IT ALL" and I'll get it together for you. This will cost me sometime and energy and your worth it. For example Brian Tracy has used this methods multiple times which leads me to believe it's working for him. Notifying his current newsletter subscribers of his new book on-line and suggesting multiple book purchases is a big thing these days.

HERE ARE SOME MORE IDEAS FOR YOU FROM BRIAN..
from Brian Feinblum the Director of New Business Development at Planned Television Arts. If you would like me to put you in contact with him send me an email saying "I NEED BRIAN'S NUMBER"...again I'll do this for you because I want to see you succeed. Here is the information Brian sent to me recently on 4-4-05 so the information is hotter than a heater.

For over 40 years Planned Television Arts has promoted thousands of authors from every genre to the news media, from best-selling authors out of major publishing houses, to self-published unknown, novices. With each successful PR campaign, we have found many common denominators on what an author should consider when looking to get his or her book promoted.

HERE ARE TEN TIPS:

1. You must get your message to the news media via a PR campaign. Advertising is cost-prohibitive and not as effective. A well-written book on a timely topic or interesting subject deserves media attention.

2. Timing is key - get the word out early and often. Tell everyone you meet or know about your book.
3. Set a budget aside to invest in PR - it will pay off with book sales, prestige and positioning for future book deals.

4. Start with radio - it’s the least expensive, but a very effective means to promote yourself.
5. Don’t expect national TV until you do some local media or gather press clippings.
6. Book reviews are not always the best way to go - broad coverage off the book page is better.
7. Be prepared to summarize the highlights of your book in 15 seconds. That’s how long you have to convince someone your book is worth looking at.

8. Bring in a professional to promote you, just as doctors don’t treat themselves and lawyers would never represent themselves.

9. Look at getting PR for your book as a way to build up your name recognition. People like to read or buy from someone they have heard of.

10. Do book signings, tour colleges, create book clubs and take a grass roots approach.


Your 80,000-Word Book Needs To Be

Expressed In A 30-Second Sound Bite

by Brian Feinblum

Writing a 250-page book is not as hard as reducing all of that to a 30-second sound bite, but that’s exactly what you need to do when promoting and marketing your book. When you meet a stranger or even when you want to explain to a friend what your book is about, you need to do it in a concise and interesting way so that by the end of your description they will want to buy it or ask more questions. A good PR campaign doesn’t tell people what’s in the book: it makes people want to know more!

You’re not here to educate people while doing your radio interviews or television appearances. No, you’re here to be a tease. When you want someone to date you, you don’t just stand in the street naked. You instead put on the outfit that reveals just enough and covers up just enough to make people want more. Works the same way with the news media.

To get someone interested in you just give away a few pieces of information. Once you schedule a media interview, you can reveal a little more, but not much more. Convince people with your energy and enthusiasm and perhaps a catchy phrase that what you have is unique, new, different and better than what’s out there. Convince them with your inviting voice and a look of confidence that you will address their needs. And remember: the less you say, the more likely people will want to buy your book.


MAKE IT PERSONAL
by Brian Feinblum

We know that creating your book is a labor of love -- and time and money. But the biggest step you have to take comes once the book is printed and ready to be sold. You need to have an aggressive publicity and marketing plan -- or else your book gets lost in the tsunami of 175,000 new books published annually. And when you're promoting your book, particularly to the news media, you need to make it stand out.

The best way to show off your book's uniqueness is to make it personal. To differentiate your book from others on a similar topic is not to highlight the contents, but to spotlight your very own story. No one, no matter the subject they write on, can have your story. You are one of a kind -- at least until cloning takes over!

Every day I receive calls from authors and potential clients. They have a diet book, a first-time novel, a tome on how to make money, a book on how to improve one's relationship, literature on how to cook up 500 tasty recipes, or a book on how God spoke to them. In one week I may have spoken to several people in each genre. Multiply that a hundred fold and you get an idea on what you're up against. My advice is to link your work to who you are -- your experiences, your credentials, your personality. We must be able to hear a unique voice from the author even when the books begin to look alike.

So the next time you discuss your book, discuss yourself.


IF I CAN HELP PLEASE LET ME KNOW...Is there anything else I can do for you? I love making my clients happy.

Your Servant, Deremiah, *CPE (Customer Passion Evangelist)

PS
I ( Create Positive Excitement )

I'm adding ideas to the great list you've already received from our MrktgProfs. colleagues.

Contact AARP about submitting an article highlighting the best points of your book or a scaled-down version of one of the chapters that you think might be exceptionally attention getting for the AARP market. AARP has reduced its membership age to 50, and people under 50 read the magazine subscriptions of the older people in the households.

You could also run an ad in their magazine.

I also suggest you try to submit an article to women's magazines -- like Woman's Day, Red Book, Good Housekeeping -- since more women are now taking a bigger role in money matters and retirement accounts, especially single women.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck.