In the realm of book marketing, there’s an axiom that goes like this: “If I say it, it’s up for debate; if someone else says it, it must be true.” Third-party validation is a sure-fire method of getting people to draw a conclusion about me or my book. In fact, a well-known endorser has proven to add instant credibility to …
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. …
Book Marketing – The Achilles Heel of Authors
He was in his 50’s and his steel-blue eyes could bore a hole through a sheet of steel. “What do you mean I need to launch a $25,000 marketing campaign?” Rod’s voice was steady, from years of practice leading teams for technology companies. “Listen Bryan, I didn’t sign up for this – press releases, blog posts, cowtowing on social media, …
LIBRARY DISTRIBUTION: THE SWEET “Shhhh” OF SUCCESS
When you write a book, getting book distribution is a major component of publishing success. Getting the widest distribution possible for your book should be your main goal. Once you’ve gone to the trouble of writing your best ideas and publishing them, you’ll want as many people as possible to engage with you. As a publisher, a number of the …
Has anyone got a tattoo of your brand? 3 Steps to Grow Brand Recall
A brand serves as an important placeholder for your company’s reputation. This means good business for you and peace of mind for your customers. When people have a good experience with a brand, they’re more likely to make a repeat purchase. In other words, they become brand loyal, even when given the choice to buy a competing product. This leads …
The Inclusion/Exclusion Principle of Branding
When did you attend your last professional networking event? It was probably not too long ago. From holiday parties to corporate mixers, we’ve all been there. Mixing and mingling is what it’s all about, getting to know interesting looking people around us, meeting new colleagues, letting our hair down and finding glamorous new opportunities. Ah, what an exciting concept! But …
Creating Desire: The Heart of Branding
People make buying decisions with their hearts and try to justify those decisions with their heads. Yet true desire can’t be rationalized. How many times have you yourself said, “I dunno… I just WANT it!” Brand advertising takes an otherwise ho-hum product and incites a burning passion in the buyer’s mind. The product becomes associated with a certain lifestyle, frame …
Could Your Brand Inspire A Gold Rush?
Have you ever experienced the frenzy of a gold rush? I have, so let me tell you a story of what it is like to experience the exhilaration of a gold rush! My experience was not a gold rush in the traditional sense. You see, a traditional gold rush looks like this… I live in Seattle which has roots in …