Book Awards – Resting On Your Laurels and Other Thoughts on Winning Book Writing Competitions

Competing for a writing award is an often-overlooked tactic in the book marketing list of “To-Dos”. But is it worth it? Let’s take a look. Back in the day – I mean way back – citizens of the Greek Empire knew they had made it big when they were crowned with a wreath made from bay laurel leaves. You know …

Noisetrade – A Hidden Gem for Book Marketing

The Author’s Dream There you are, sipping coffee and cognac by the stone fireplace at a lodge near Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Your muscles are warm and loose from a day of skiing, and your mind is on the fine meal planned for the evening. Recent sales of your best seller have funded this little getaway, and you can’t believe how easily …

Big Exposure for Authors – Trade Publication Reviews

Of all the tactics an author can use to become noteworthy, getting your book reviewed by the New York Times is right up there. A thumbs up from the likes of Publishers Weekly or the Library Journal is not just some stroke for the author’s ego. It can translate to big bucks in terms of buy-in for your book. The …

Book Publicity Media Kits – The 5 Essential Elements Journalists Need

Successfully marketing your book basically means letting people know that it exists. After all, you wrote down your best ideas so that others would read and enjoy them. Getting more book sales translates to more people sharing your best ideas – fact or fiction— and benefitting from them. As the person who’s primarily responsible for promoting your book, one smart …

Traditional Media Exposure = Rocket Fuel for Your Book Launch

There are several thousand ways to successfully publicize a book that I’m aware of, and some are more effective than others. For example, you can promote your book by selling it back-of-room during speaking engagements, and you may actually make thousands of sales this way. The problem with this approach is that your own involvement limits the number of sales …

Book Reviews: How to Get Book Reviews on Amazon

As an author, the best thing that can happen for your book is that titillating four-letter word we all love and fear at the same time: BUZZ. Getting people to read and talk up your book is what it’s all about. Buzz is the reason for those late nights hunched over your keyboard with an empty cup of something at …

The Write Stuff – Choosing the Best BISAC Genre for Your Book

In the beginning, the world was void – formless, nameless, unreadable. Then everything got categorized, and we’ve been trying to file it ever since. It makes sense, doesn’t it? So too with books. Just as soon as an author writes something, somebody comes along and categorizes it. The most successful authors categorize their work first, then write it. When you …

How to Write a Press Release for a Book Launch

For authors seeking that elusive “best-seller” status, self-promotion can be your best tool for driving laser sharp traffic and increasing book sales. Of all the self-promotion options available, distributing press releases is probably the most overlooked method. It’s unfortunate because it can be highly effective – especially if your press release is picked-up by a major news outlet, journal or …

Smarter Amazon Listings for Books, eBooks and Audiobooks

Getting a book into tens of thousands of readers’ hands is no easy task. One of the greatest challenges an author faces is overcoming the problem of obscurity. Digital book catalogs have unlimited shelf space, making it increasingly difficult for interested readers to find your book. Over the weekend, I had an interesting conversation with a senior executive from Amazon.com. …