OTHER BLOG

On the weekend I watched the movie Julie and Julia. Now there's an example of dedication to a blog and to a research project! I was amazed - truly. The blog author wanted to become a "writer" so she completely immersed herself in her blog and all of the cooking it involved for a full year. She researched Julia Child and she followed each recipe to the letter. Quality was uppermost in her mind at all times. Good for her.

That is how successful publishers are. They spend at least a year researching the publishing industry and what it takes to create a great book. They and/or the author spend countless hours researching the subject that they are planning to write about and publish. They write and they re-write and they re-write and then they seek help from a professional editor. The final product will be as near to perfect as they can make it. They hire a designer to create a book that will pass the "judge the book by its cover" cliche with flying colors.

When I co-authored and co-published my book, I took over two years to get the book to market. I went to meetings and presentations by successful authors, researched everything I could find about publishing, spent countless hours in libraries and book stores picking apart my competition, wrote the book over and over, spoke to numerous professionals in every aspect of publishing - and only then did I look for printing quotes. Whew!! It was a lot of work but it paid off in spades.

That is what I want to see my clients do - pour your heart and soul into your book project. Don't be satisfied with a cookie cutter "publishing service" if you want to sell lots of books. Publishing services have a definite place for people who want to publish a few books to give to family and friends, or to sell during personal appearances or to sell via a website. If you truly want to create a best seller - don't settle for second best.

Go for it!

Denise

NEWSLETTER

What fun! We sent out a survey to our mailing list, asking them for opinions on our newsletter content. The response so far has been very favorable and also very informative to us.

It's one thing to be sending out information to people, but it's also amazing to actually communicate with the people who are on the receiving end. Communication is a two-way street - listening is a large part of the communication process.

One thing I have learned in life, is that whether comments are negative or positive, one always learns something from another person's point of view.

It's also illuminating to hear what the person on the listening end is thinking. Talking, talking, talking can fall on deaf ears if you are just talking about your own interests. Knowing what the other person wants to hear opens the lines of communication and makes your message effective.

Thanks to the responders to our survey for teaching us about what to teach you.

You can also comment on this blog - feel free. Our ears are open.

Denise

NOT MUCH NEWS TODAY

It was minus 30 degrees Celsius here last night - a record low for this time of year. Brrr... Just when I'm recovering from a cold and laryngitis. Where is that global warming happening? - not here. Send us some of it, whoever has it. Please.

The cold and my cold have put my brain into a bit of a deep freeze, knocking out my inspiration. Well, you can't be on top of things all of the time.

I am shopping for books as Christmas gifts, though. What a fun gift a book is. You have to think about the recipient: what are their interests, why genre do they like to read, which authors do they favor, etc. Just picture their face when they open the gift! The beauty of books as gifts is that there certainly is something for everyone.

If you are in the process of writing a book, think about the future recipients. What will appeal to them - and write for them. After all, they are your future customers and you want to please them.

Denise

BAD PUBLICITY

Publicity is an essential part of your book marketing campaign. You just cannot manage without it. If no one knows about your book, no one will buy it. The best way to attract buyers is viral - the word needs to spread. Using the media to encourage the spread is very effective because a third party endorsement lends great credibility to your book. A good book review is perceived to be a third party endorsement.

But, what do you do about a negative review? Don't panic. As the old saying goes, There is no such thing as bad publicity. So, use a "bad" review to your advantage. The first step is to write a letter to the reviewer, thanking him or her for drawing attention to your book. The second step is to give a positive spin to the review, in a very polite manner, correcting the misconceptions that the reviewer has about your book. You might even agree with some of the points but in your own sweet way you tell the reviewer what you actually said in your book. Thank the reviewer for drawing those misconceptions to the attention of the public, thus allowing you the opportunity to clarify your message.

Lastly, use that bad review and your corrections in your media kit and in your interviews and public appearances. Using the bad review gives you control of the matter and allows you to refute any negative perceptions that future readers, viewers and listeners might have misinterpreted.

No matter what or who you are, not everyone will embrace your work. Your job is to take control of anything that the media throws your way, whether negative or positive. Always thank the media person who reviewed your book even if it makes you want to gag. Think of the attention that was brought your way and say, "Thank you."

At Ink Tree, we can help you create a great news release and a stellar media kit. Just go to our website at www.inktreemarketing.com. Don't forget - we offer FREE email coaching and a free news release critique.

Denise

SELLING IN OTHER COUNTRIES

The question has arisen about selling books in another country. What is the best way to handle orders? The answer is not simple. There are a couple of ways to approach the issue:

manage the sales yourself or sell the rights to foreign publishers.

If you receive an order but you don't have distribution in a foreign country, you can invoice directly. Make sure that the buyer pays for the shipping and that they pay in advance for the books as well, since this is considered a special order. Often you don't have to give as big a discount as you would to a trade book store. Ask them what their usual terms are.

If you can find distributors in other countries and if you are willing to do the publicity to drive the sales, you might be able to manage it yourself. However, you will need tax numbers for each country and you will either have to ship books or find a printer in each country. If there are sales taxes you will need to know how to submit them to each country's government.

There is much to consider. Seek professional advice from an accountant and perhaps from a lawyer who is familiar with international trade laws.

If it all sounds too complicated and more work than you can manage, you have the option of selling the rights to your book to foreign publishers. You can still do the publicity but they will manage distribution, returns and money.

At least you have choices.

Denise

PUBLICITY

I just received an email from a client who is frustrated with the lack of results in her media campaign. I so understand how difficult it is but we must all understand that producers, editors, and hosts are inundated with "stuff" every day.

True, without stories, they have no audience. The trick is for media persons to decide which of the many daily submissions to use.

That is why your news release must be outstanding. "Author XYZ publishes new book titled ABC" just does NOT work!! Your news release also must be sent to a person, not a general mailbox. When No One is responsible for something, No One will respond.

Then you must follow up, follow up. Often your email is just deleted because there is no time to pay attention to it so make sure that the subject line of your email is VERY interesting. Send it out and then follow up, follow up.

If you are not getting a response, perhaps you need to send out a different news release with a different headline. Try, try again.

Don't forget to contact radio shows, especially talk-back radio if you have a topic that makes a good discussion or that a wide range of listeners can relate to and feel inspired to call the show.

Keep trying.

Denise

BACK COVERS

I recently received a sample of someone's back cover ideas so back covers seemed like a good topic for this blog.

The back cover is your silent sales force. It is the first thing that potential buyers look at after they are attracted to your front cover. People pick up a book, look at the cover and immediately flip the book over to read the back cover. That is your few second opportunity to hook the reader.

And what does the reader want to know - what's in it for me? They don't want to hear you talking about yourself. They want to know what they will gain by reading your book. Will you answer questions for them, will you solve some problems for them, will you make them feel better about something or will you entertain them?

You have to convince the reader that he or she cannot live without this book. The information that the book contains is very, very real, needy and relative for the reader. They need the answers that they will find in the book.

It is OK to add a small photo of yourself to the back cover because people do like to know what the author looks like, but primarily potential buyers want to fulfill a need.

An endorsement or two on the back cover because endorsements are third party recommendations. They lend credibility.

Most importantly, though, you need to sell the potential buyer on the benefits of the book.

I hope this information is helpful.

Cheers,

Denise

HOW TIME FLIES

Oh, my goodness, I can't believe that it has been so long since I blogged!! Not good and I won't make excuses. Today I heard an author being interviewed on television. When asked about his publishing contract, he mentioned that the publisher gave him two years to write the book. His reply to that was, "Oh, no, write the contract so that I have to write fifteen pages every two weeks and it will actually happen." I need someone like that to keep tabs on me, apparently.

But, it's a good idea when you are writing a book to make a schedule. The same goes for your publishing time line. Part of your business plan needs to include dates for the completion of projects and goals or life just gets in the way. So often I have just gone off to play with my grandchildren rather than sit down to write and yet when I do sit down to write, the words just flow. What is my problem?

I need some of you out there to be my cattle prods - give me a nudge. Go to our website at www.inktreemarketing.com, click Contact Us and send me an email. Write "Where is today's blog?" in the subject line and also let me know if you have any publishing questions that you would like addressed.

Denise

PRESS RELEASE

I was just helping someone to edit her news release. Here are a few points that need to be mentioned:

1. Have a killer headline. Create controversy or at least have the reader stop and say, "What?"

2. Keep the press release to one page.

3. Place the contact information at the top.

4. Open with a strong statement.

5. State the benefits of your book in bulleted points.

6. Use only one strong endorsement.

7. Include a quote from the author.

8. End by stating that the author is available for interviews.

9. Place this symbol at the bottom of the page to indicate "The End": ###

Denise

Learn more about publishing at: www.inktreemarketing.com

BOOK TITLE

Just a quick note about titles: you want to claim the title as yours to discourage other publishers from using it. You want the title to become a household word that most people recognize, or at least most people in your target market. Of course, you already know that the title needs to be short, snappy and relevant, but did you know that you can claim first ownership by using the trademark symbol (™) after the title? It's not a registered trademark, but it does carry some significance to others who might want to copycat. That's just a little tip that I learned from my lawyer.

Denise

ACHIEVING GOALS

This is not about books actually - it's about achieving a goal - it's about fulfilling a dream. A friend of mine will soon run a marathon in Greece from Marathon to Athens. A few years ago he decided to lose weight and begin an exercise program which has led to this amazing feat. I can only think, "Wow! Good for you." Few people actually follow their dreams to completion.

I'm not going to prattle on and on about this. I only want to say that if publishing a book is your goal, good for you and if you actually carry the project through to the end, that's amazing. You will never regret pursuing the dream.

Denise

BOOK PROMOTION

Labor Day is over. Our thoughts now turn to planning our Fall and Winter schedules. Horror of horrors, some of us must begin to plan for Christmas sales - I shudder to think of snow, especially since flowers are still blooming in my yard and there are tomatoes and zucchini to harvest. But, here it is: September.

For those of you who have a published book, you should have your marketing plans in place to take advantage of Christmas sales. If your plans are not firmed up, get on with it! Book stores may have already placed their orders so you have some selling to do if you are not on the list.

The same goes for catalogs and for corporate buyers. They place their orders early. But, the corporate market is quite flexible so you still have time to achieve something there.

I won't go into the details of how to market in this blog, as that is the job of our Ultimate Book Marketing Kit (www.inktreemarketing.com), but I do urge you to make some plans and get them in action.

Denise

ANOTHER QUESTION

Today's question:

Can I publish my book in more than one language?

A. You can publish in as many languages as you like. The problem is: where will you publish in all of those languages? If you are planning to publish in multiple countries, you are setting yourself up for huge work and problems. Where will you have the books printed? If not in the country where you are printing you must consider shipping costs. What about distribution? Who will handle that in each country? What about publicity? Who will handle that in each country? What about the tax laws of having a business in each country? The list goes on and on.

That is why we recommend a good foreign rights agent. He/she will negotiate foreign rights contracts in other countries on your behalf.

Denise

PUBLISHING QUESTIONS

Some recent questions we have received:

Q. Should I self publish in another country or should I find a publisher in that country?
A. Unless you plan to find a printer in the foreign country and manage your own distribution and publicity there, it is best to have an agent find a publisher for you. Shipping books from your country would be ridiculously expensive.


Q. How do I get a bar code for my book?
A. Your printer should arrange that for you.


Q. Should I have my photo on the back cover?
A. Yes, but just a small photo unless you are already very famous.


Q. Should I have endorsements on the back cover?
A. Yes, but only a few. Save room to list the benefits of the book. The back cover is your silent salesman. You can add more endorsements in the front pages of the book.

Hope these are of some help.

Denise

BACK FROM HOLIDAYS

All good things must come to an end. I am just back from a trip to visit my brothers, nieces and nephews. It was so good to see all of them after a year, which is far too long but distance prevents frequent visits. C'est la vie. Sigh...

While away, I started reading a book that I thought would be compelling reading (which is of course why I chose the book) but the writing was sadly disappointing. Since reading is so personal the title will go unmentioned because other people might enjoy what was not great to me.

Interestingly, though, the writing in said book is good but I found that the story meandered in directions that seemed irrelevant and therefore uninteresting. My attention frequently wandered and I would catch myself having to go back a page to find out what my brain just skipped over. Consequently, I will not finish reading that book. It is going to charity, hopefully to find someone who will like it much more than I did.

My point in writing about this at all is to caution writers about writing for themselves and therefore losing the audience. The author is familiar with the story so to him or her everything is relevant and the author knows exactly where the story is going. The reader does not and does not want to slog through chapters and chapters before having a light bulb moment - "So that's why those characters or that plot line was in the book way back there!!"

Always write for the reader. Keep in mind that the reader has no idea where the story is going, which is the thrill of reading -following the story to the unknown and hopefully fascinating ending. Make the story so compelling that the reader absorbs every word and does not want to put the book down. Rambling writing is just boring.

Do people recommend boring books? Not likely, but they certainly do talk about books that thrilled and fascinated them. What sells books? Word of mouth. Think about it.

Denise

THE BUSINESS OF SELF PUBLISHING

It is so exciting to work with a client who has been willing to learn about the process of self publishing BEFORE he completes his manuscript and book cover. He is also on the right track in maintaining all of the rights to his book.

Now he is working on the marketing of the book before he goes to print. His plan is to joint venture with a charitable organization, creating a profit sharing situation. The author has fronted the money for the book's design and the joint venture will provide funds for the printing of the book. Now he has a win-win means of getting the book out to many potential buyers, creating instant sales and a return on investment.

This client is such a great example of the need to think about a book as a product that will be sold, as well as a product that will help many people with the information and support included in the book.

The whole self publishing concept is not rocket science. It is a system that can be learned - all that is needed is a willingness to search out a source of information, create a plan and follow that plan to success.

Denise

VOLUME BOOK SALES

I have been having some difficulty in communicating the different ways to do bulk sales to one of our clients. Maybe if I write it here, I can make it clear:

1. You can sell your book to a company and offer a discount for large orders. For instance, if someone wishes to purchase 5,000 copies of your book you might offer a 60% discount. For example:

Retail price $20.00
Discount 60%
Sale price $12.00
Profit $8.00

However, YOU must pay for the printing of the books and wait for payment, perhaps up to 180 days.

2. You can offer a licensing agreement. That means that you sign a contract with the buyer that allows the buyer to print a certain number of books, for a specified time period, in a certain territory for a finite time period and you retain ownership of the copyright. You are paid before the books are printed so you incur no costs. The profit will likely be less but there is no risk and you do not have to finance the printing, which can be a big risk if the purchase falls through.

I hope that clarifies the issue. I like the licensing agreement option and have personally used it several times.

Cheers,

Denise

WHEN TO SEARCH FOR PUBLISHING INFORMATION

People ask me all the time: when should I learn about self publishing? Should I write the book first?

Absolutely not! Don't write the book first and especially don't print the book first or you may completely miss your target market.

What authors need to understand first and foremost is that they are publishing a book which is a product that is meant to be sold for profit. Shocking idea to many authors!

What do you mean? My book is just a product to be sold? But I just want to be a published author, sell lots of books and be rich and famous. Not going to happen if no one buys the book.

When you are writing your book you must write with the reader (a.k.a. the buyer) in mind. If you are writing for yourself, keep it to yourself. Write your thoughts in a journal and enjoy reading the journal to yourself whenever the mood strikes you.

If you want other people to read (and buy) your book, you must keep the reader in mind. What interests the reader? Are you entertaining the reader or are you informing the reader or are you solving a problem for the reader? As the author you must keep those points in mind as you write so that your book has a purpose or a message or it is meant to entertain a specific audience.

These points will all be important as you look for buyers and as you do your publicity campaign. You will be talking to someone in particular, not just anyone. If you write for anyone, no one will buy your book.

Who needs a garage full of books? Not you!

Cheers,

Denise

BACK FROM HOLIDAYS

How the time has slipped by. It's over a month since I last posted anything and now it is time to put my creative hat on again.

So, during my vacation I read The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, just because I had never read the book but had always wanted to. It was so well worth the time. Great writing is such a treat. You are taken on adventure in your mind that tranports you into another dimension. You find it difficult to put the book down because the experience of that other dimension is so engrossing.

So what, you ask? Well, if you are writing a book, or if you intend to write a book, I highly urge you to read some classics because you will see and experience the difference between OK writing and something special. Great writers don't write things like, "On a hot summer day when the sky was blue and the fluffy white clouds blew across the sky, the young girl awoke to hear birds singing." A great writer (which I am not) will set the scene in a way that compels you to enter into the story. The scene is set without you even realizing that it is happening.

I wish that I was a great writer, but I am just a publishing coach. You, however, should aspire to be great if you are writing or if you are planning to write.

Read great books, take writing courses, join writers' groups and create something wonderful that will compel people to enter into your other dimension.

I look forward to hearing about you and to reading your book.

Denise

CANADA DAY

It's Canada Day. Get out your maple leaf gear and go out to celebrate living in the world's most wonderful country - that's our opinion and we're sticking to it. :-)

No matter where you live, enjoy the best of where you are and celebrate your freedoms. Work to keep those freedoms. Become involved.

Today is a good day to read newspapers, which are full of Canadian history and information.

Again, no matter where you live, keep in touch with what is going on in your area, your country and the world. You will sometimes find ideas that connect with your book and can lead to news releases and media interviews to discuss ideas of interest to you.

Have a great day, eh?

Denise

PUBLICITY AND BOOK GENRE

Here is today's question from an affiliate. Is a book with some religious content acceptable to the media?

The answer is: maybe, and only maybe, some media will review the book.

Most media, whether print, radio or television, shy away from books with a religious or a spiritual slant because they do not want to appear to support any particular religious point of view.

You can imagine the backlash that they might experience from people of various religious persuasions and the media would be labeled as a supporter of one particular group.

That is not to say that you cannot find media who will review the book, but choose them carefully. You can target religion sections of newspapers, religion magazines, radio and television shows, religion websites and chat groups, etc.

The point is, you need to target media who are interested in your genre, religious or otherwise.

Enjoy your interviews.

Denise

SELLING BOOKS

When we at Ink Tree talk to people who have either written or want to write a book, most of them want to be published, acknowledged and then make money, so in essence they know in their mind the end result.

However, the end result is actually the hardest part of the process of writing a book. It might seem at the time that all the effort and time spent in writing would be the biggest chunk and the hardest work – NOT!

Don’t get us wrong, we are not trying to undermine the importance of the time, effort and thought process that went into you achieving your dream and writing your book, but the fact of the matter is that in the word of books and publishing, it is very hard to sell your book and make money.

Most people seem to think that once the book is written the book stores will immediately open their doors and display your book front and centre – okay, slight exaggeration here, but this is not necessarily true – and this is why you must put great thought into how you will “Sell Your Book” once it is written and ready to go.

If you are with a Publishing House you are likely to get a short “publicity” tour for your book and it will definitely end up in the bookstores, but after your book is no long “front list” a publishing term that really means “new and current” and this time period ends somewhere between 6 months and 1 year, the Publishing House will move on to their new prospect and unless you have had mega sales or are some kind of “celebrity” you will be pretty much dropped and left to your own devices to help them promote your book and if things don’t go well or continue to go well for your book you will make no money and in some case may have to return any or some of your “advance” they might have given you! It’s a very tough business.

On the other hand, if you have self published you have much more control over your book and marketing your product, but getting it into the bookstores and selling it in other markets and areas is completely and totally up to you! So, in advance of actually writing your book you need to identify where your story fits in, what kind of twist and difference it has or can make and who and what is your target market. Once you have established this then the bookstores will open their doors more readily to selling your book.

But, that is only one area of marketing your book and it can be a slow process. Unfortunately you only get paid by the bookstores for the books they actually sell, if they decide your book isn’t a “big seller” and return your books you have to pay for the shipping back to yourself and like I said they will only pay for what they have sold, and they don’t pay in advance!.

So, with this kind of situation it is a complete MUST to have other areas of marketing your books, other places to sell large quantities. Here are a few ideas below of how to sell your book outside of the tradition book store:

You MUST have a website to direct buyers to whether it be through the publicity that you will do, or if you are with a Publishing House what they will do for you.
Amazon.com is also a MUST. Everyone all over the world knows about this huge internet “bookstore” and if someone cannot find what they want in a bookstore they will always go here
Volume Buyers:

-Book Clubs
-Corporations
-Catalogs
-Display Retail Companies, etc

There are many, many more avenues to research and promote your book to for volume sales and corporations that perhaps you can align yourself with to help promote your book as they in turn promote their product ie: A health company who may purchase a large volume of your book to give-a-way with their product.

We are Ink Tree Marketing Ltd., can also help you out with much more information on the above subject. We have marketed our own books as well as those of our clients to many, many different areas with great success so take a look at our website and or call us – we want you to be as successful as you possibly can.

So, the bottom line is this. If you know you want to achieve your dream and write a book and you know you want to be successful and make money then before you start, make sure you know what appeals to the market, what is current, what hasn’t been done before, what has a twist and is different and what is your competition! Then try to incorporate some aspect of this into the writing of your book.

The next step is then to research and look into other areas (per above) of selling your “upcoming book” so you can open up your possibilities of selling your book and making money. It’s not easy but worth the time and effort and if you plan ahead then your chances increase by huge amounts for monetary success.

Once you have one successful book on your hands, you can then turn for more professional help with a second book but you will never have a profit with your publishing venture if your “profits” go to pay other people to do something that in the beginning you can do yourself – you have to be very careful what and who you pay to help you and be sure you always get the “best bang for your buck”.


Debbie

SELLING BOOKS

I wonder how many people think about where they will sell their books after the books are published. From my experience, most people don't think about selling at all.

Here is a thought. What is a book? A book is a product, pure and simple. A book is an item that you are creating to sell - for profit - just as if it was a widget, a water bottle, a paper clip or anything else.

So, if you were planning to sell a widget, would you not research the market for widgets? Who would buy them, why would they buy them, where would you find the buyers, how much would the buyers pay for the widget, what would make the widget most appealing to the buyer, who are the competitors, where would you sell the widget? - and on and on.

Before you publish a book, write each question down and learn the answers to all of those questions - and then do your research to find the answers. You will have a much more clear idea on how to write your book because you will know the target market and you will write with that market in mind. You will know what appeals to that market which will give you direction in finding markets where the buyers hang out, so to speak. You will know what style of book appeals to your buyer. You will know your competition which will inspire you to produce a better and different product.

We can help guide you through the process.

Denise

Publicity - Just How Important is it?

I was talking to someone the other day who had written a book and was looking to publish it herself. Wonderful! Always fabulous to see someone following through on something they have always wanted to do. So I asked her the big question "What are you doing for Publicity once your book is published"? She looked at me with this blank stare on her face and I thought to myself "Uh oh, here we go again"...

As we talked more I realized that she did actually want to make money from her book and wanted to have it in Chapters, Indigo etc. but had never placed any importance on anything else other than writing her book, getting it edited and then finding a way to self publish. She didn't realize that what she had accomplished so far was the "easy" part.Sadly, this is a common thing that we at Ink Tree hear all the time. Depending where an author is when they come to us will depend on whether or not we are able to help them avoid costly mistakes and follow their dream and/or make the best of where they are in their venture.

It's wonderful to finally write your book, tell your story, offer some great advice on something you are passionate about but here's the thing...how can anyone buy your book, know it actually exists (other than family and close friends) if you don't do PUBLICITY!!The fact is in order for people to remember you and have some recollection they need to see or hear about you at least 7 (seven) times. We are not talking about speaking with your friends and family, they will remember you and go buy your book right off the bat, they are not your concern. In order to be successful with your book and make sales, therefore make money one of the most important things you need to do is get exposure to the general public.

The main channels of publicity and exposure are TV, Radio and Newspapers, along with a website to drive people to when you are doing the aforementioned media. Publicity is not cheap and often because it hasn't been considered by a "wannabe" author it hasn't been figured into their costs and they are left with a garage full of books and very few of them going out the door. Publicity and as well other areas of marketing your book need to be front and center when you are actually writing your book. With certain genres of the book world flooded with new authors daily, your book needs to have something different, an edge on what else is out there or something completely new and exciting - this in turn will garner the interest of the media and get you some of that exposure you want.

Yes, there is a certain amount of work "you" the author can do to get yourself some publicity for your book and your "local" media are often the best place to start but eventually you will need expert advice or someone to help you with this. One of the most important things you must do though is to have a website for your book, distribution is very hard to find and at least you can direct interested buyers here to purchase your book.How would anyone know these things? Often they don't and therefore disappointment hits many authors as well as huge expenses with no way of knowing how to make their book profitable.

We at Ink Tree have our "Ultimate Marketing Kit". This is a must for every "wannabe" author out there. Our kit will guide you through every single thing you need to know from the "thought in your head" to the "finished product on the shelf". This kit is a saving grace that will keep you on target, know what it takes and not make those costly mistakes. It also gives great information on publicity and especially how to market your book in other areas than just the "book stores".It would be great to have every potential author know about our "Ultimate Marketing Kit" before they start their book, however even if someone has a finished manuscript or their published book we can still help them and they will get great benefit from our product.We at Ink Tree want to see every single person who dreams of writing a book reach their goal with the greatest opportunity of success, but knowledge and information is the key to this. We've been there and done it all - know our way around and have been able to create our Ultimate Marketing Kit to make this process easy and successful. We believe in dreams. T

ell everyone you know who wants to follow this path to check out our website and let us help them by providing them with the best tool they need - The Ultimate Marketing Kit.!!

Debbie Black
VP Publicity

THE PRINCIPLE OF A BOOK

Don't you sometimes wonder why books are so fascinating? Often you hear someone say, "Have you seen Such and Such movie?" - and the response is often "Yes, but the book was better."

Books live in our minds. Movies are fleeting images that flash through our minds but we can't revisit the scenes as easily as we can revisit thoughts that formed in our heads as we read a book. We are in charge of our own imaginations and the characters and the scenes in the story are as we want them to be not as someone else has imagined and flashed through our heads.

According to Guy Vanderhaeghe, author of The Englishman's Boy, "you can control a book - by rereading a chapter, rereading a paragraph, rereading a sentence. A book invites argument, invites reconsideration, invites thought. Like feeling, it simply is. The principle of a book is persuasion; the principle of a movie is revelation."

A book wants you to ponder and to form new thoughts and to discuss YOUR ideas with others. That is why books are so important, whether they are fiction or nonfiction.

Keep on writing. You, your books and your ideas are important.

Denise

CHOOSING A BOOK TITLE

I have been working with a client on choosing the title for his upcoming book. It's such a struggle, expecially when you are the author. There are so many ideas running through your head and you are so busy with editing and formating that the title just escapes you.

Most authors go for the professorial sounding title, but that type of title belongs on a text book. If you are targeting the average person you want to stand out from the crowd. Unlike a text book, the title that you will be marketing must ring in people's ears. They must be able to say, "Oh, yes, I've heard of that book" and then they must feel compelled to buy the book. People have to buy text books for study purposes but no one HAS to buy your book. You must sell them on it.

The subtitle is the place for clarification - the place where you can say in a phrase what the book is about. The title needs to "say" what the book is about in 3 or 4 words only. Think: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, which you probably know is a book about money management.

The funny thing is that the title is usually right there in the book. You just didn't think of it as a title.

Write your book, and then consult with me. We'll figure it out. My current client and I just had an Ah, Ha moment this morning. There it was - he wrote it in the list of symptoms of the medical condition about which he is writing. It just jumped out at me but he was too close to the project to see it.

What fun!!

Denise

Hmmmm...

It seems that some of my blog postings were erased. Don't you just love technology? When it works, you have to love it but when it doesn't work, oh boy....

Well, let's see what happens today. It's a good day to write anyway - another cold, rainy Spring day. Where, oh where is that global warming happening?? I know it's somewhere.

Anyway, I read an interesting quote today:

Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books.
Bell Hooks, O Magazine, December 2003

That's true for me, certainly. One of the best books that I ever read was All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum. My copy is a keeper because it is timeless wisdom. Without having to surf the internet, I can take a few quiet moments to read a chapter, laugh and think about how true the simplest wisdom is.

Anyway, get a copy of the book and see if any of it inspires you to write simple, interesting advice for the rest of us.

Denise

Books and Summertime

As I sit here watching our "ritual May snow fall" my thoughts are taking me back to this past long weekend and my wonderful time spent at a good friend's home on the lake in Montana.

There was no set agenda on this wonderful weekend, it just flowed. Like most weekends away and holiday times it comes (or should come) with thoughtful and reflective hours with "no guilt". I had packed some magazines but didn't bring a book - no need to worry because everyone has books in their homes and especially a place like this.

It's fun and relaxing to find a well worn book on a shelf, or something new and interesting picked up from the sale basket of a good bookstore or even a cookbook filled with favorite "lake recipes" and then settling down and just running your fingers over the pages - I did this and it felt really good.

I never did finish the newer book I picked up and started to read, I did however enjoy a few of the recipes that became a reality for my tongue and I realized how much importance books play in the story of our lives.

With summer just around the corner (hopefully) and time on our hands to relax and leave the stress of our regular lives behind us I cannot imagine this scenario taking place without "books". Whether it's a romance novel we'll leave behind somewhere for someone else to enjoy, a book on fishing or some other leisure sport that we would like to undertake I realized how just how important books are to the feel, smell or memories we make and especially during our "Summertimes".

A friend of mine said that she reads one of her most favorite books every single year! She never tires of this book and it's usually the summertime that she will pull it off the shelf and read it again and often with her feet planted firmly in the sand. That just makes me smile.

As an established author or a wannabe author never under-estimate the value of what you already do or want to do. People love to read, need to read and whatever you write about there will be someone out there that will get great joy and value from what you have to offer. Keep doing what you do or follow your dream.

Books are with us forever, old or new, like music they help to tell the stories of our lives...

ISBN QUESTION

Just a very quick note today about ISBN's (International System of Book Numbering). I was recently asked how the ISBN relates to the bar code on a book. Have a look at books and you will see that the ISBN is embedded in the bar code. The bar code identifies the title, edition, publisher and price for book stores, libraries and other buyers. It is a must to have an ISBN number if you are planning to sell your book anywhere. The number avoids confusion for future editions and for future sales of the book.

I must be quick today, so hope this information helps some of you.

Denise

FIRST QUESTION WHEN PUBLISHING

I am pleased to be in a position to help people and to answer their publishing questions. I receive questions on a daily basis from our clients and I will try to share some of them with you.

However, my first question to new publishers is this: "Why do you want to publish a book?"

There is no right or wrong answer - only the answer that makes sense to you.

You might have expertise that you want to share, knowledge that will help people solve problems, life experience that can help people to avoid life mistakes, a story to tell, recipes to share or just simply you want to entertain people. All are good reasons.

But --- the most important question for you again, is "Why do you want to publish?" The answer will direct your marketing plan, if indeed you need one. You might just want to publish a few books for family and friends, or for an interest group that wants to do some fund raising. You might want to sell books at the back of the room when you speak in public, or, you might want to create a bestseller and sell the book in book stores and many other places.

Think about the long term goals for your book venture, because the goals will identify the difference between publishing as a hobby and publishing as a business.

Cheers,

Denise

LONG WEEKEND THOUGHTS

It's early in the morning on the May long weekend. I am definitely not away from home because I detest long weekend traffic, preferring to stay home and enjoy the quiet as hordes of people leave the city.

Sometimes a break from all that is busy is good - do some gardening (teach a grandchild how to plant potatoes), some reading; spend time with family; catch up on chores.

Therefore, my only connection with books this weekend is to read one.

Aaaahhh....

Denise

MARKETING YOUR BOOK

I just received the most amazing email from a client of our ULTIMATE BOOK MARKETING KIT. He obviously took our advice to heart and he has obviously thought long and hard about creative ways to sell - and his book is nonfiction. So, if anyone tells you that selling fiction outside of book stores and without a fortune spent on publicity, think again.

There are so many new and unique strategies for selling books, so many ways to find new markets and so many techniques for connecting with new buyers. The internet has opened a whole new world for publishers - a new world that does not rely on traditional book selling techniques.

I can't disclose our client's strategy, but rest assured that he will sell thousands of books in one day. IN ONE DAY. Wouldn't you love to do that? The first step is education about publishing in general. If you want to be a bestseller, you must first produce a professional book and you must be a professional publisher. That means that you maintain control of your book. That does not mean that you find someone else to put the book together, publish the book and sell the book. You must get serious and passionate about the project.

It always amazes me how few people take advantage of our free coaching. Wow. Do that many new publishers really know all about the process????

Anyway, I have been impressed with our creative client all along and now he is off to the races.

So can you.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com

BOOK TITLE

Here is today's question: "What do you think of my proposed book title?"

The answer is usually, "Not much". Stop trying to make the title sound professorial and stuffy. People want to read a book, not take a university course on your subject matter. If you're writing a text book, fine, make the title very specific to the subject matter.

Otherwise, the title should be catchy and it should impart the message in a friendly way. Think of the books that have sold many thousands of copies:
-The Wealthy Barber
-Rich Dad, Poor Dad
-The Secret
-Fit to Cook
-One Smart Cookie

A book's title needs to be memorable, not something like How to Invest Money for Your Retirement. Boring! The Wealthy Barber is much more likely to be remembered.

Somewhere in the content of your book there is a great title, so find it and use it.

Cheers,

Denise

PUBLISHING CONTRACTS

I want to talk about practical matters today. There are many things that people need to know before signing publishing contracts, particularly with publishing "services". Now, there is nothing wrong with publishing services, BUT, you need to know why you are hiring that type of service.

Publishing a book is a business venture. So many people just don't "get" that. It is a business. You are producing a product that you want to sell - usually to make money. So, if you are starting a business, do you just put a sign on the door and hire someone else to actually plan the business, hire the staff and control the hours and conditions of operation? That's crazy. If you do that, it's not your business - it belongs to someone else. They say that they will send you a percentage of the profits. Why did you bother? That's what happens if you hire a publishing service to "publish" your book.

Some people, on the other hand, just want to have a few books to give to family and friends, or to sell at the back of the room during speaking engagements. In that case, a publishing service might be what you want and need. However, if you want to create a bestseller and you want to sell books for profit over an extended period of time, beware of what you sign. You may just be giving your book away to someone else and the profit is all theirs.

Now, I got that off my chest. Contact me at info@inktreemarketing.com if you wish to discuss this issue further.

Cheers,

Denise

READING TO CHILDREN

Reading to children is such a special joy. Yesterday I was reading to my little granddaughters who are 4 years old and 22 months old. Both of them brought books to me, crawled up into my lap and settled in for a cuddle and a story. The four year old loves books about dinosaurs, which are her special love. The 22 month old is fond of books about babies, especially if the babies have sweet faces. Having the little ones sit with me for those special moments are memories that I will forever cherish.

The love of reading is so easy to establish. It starts at birth. That is when I began reading to my own children. We would sit in the rocking chair and as the baby nursed, I read little stories and rhymes. Now I get to re-live the experience with all four of my grandchildren because they are all fond of books, having been introduced to them as infants. The 22 month old even has to hold a book as she goes to sleep.

Reading to children is incredibly heart warming. All of the busy-ness of life is suspended as we join Winnie the Pooh, Cinderella and Lightning McQueen on their adventures. Children ask amazing questions as the books unfold and the children offer incredible insights into life from their own perspective.

There is nothing more special to hear than "Nana, please read me a story" and there is no greater feeling of awe and warmth as the little one backs up to me and sits on my lap.

Read to your children every day. You will benefit even more than the child does. Trust me - it's true.

Denise

BACK AT IT

For some strange reason I could not access this blogging website for a period of time. Who knows why? Technology is great - when it works. But, when it doesn't work I am just frustrated and stumped. Why does it work one day but not the next? I will never understand....

That takes me back to the thread of e-books. They are absolutely great but I just don't seem them as being a complete replacement for books. Say you're on the beach, happily reading your book, and the reader decides it wants to give up the ghost. Aaaaggghhh! The six books you decided to take with you on vacation have been wiped out. Or, what if you're at the pool, your child runs up and bumps into you and over the reader goes into the water? Fried - all six books.

Just plan to have a hard copy of your book as well as an e-book version so that all of your bases are covered. It's merely another reason not to put all of your books into one basket.

Cheers for now.

Denise

BOOK TITLES

I loved Debbie's blog of yesterday - it was actually Deb, not Joni who wrote it.

Anyway, today I was listening to a discussion of names on the radio. The host was discussing her family's decision to change their names to a western version when they moved to North America from China, although they did also keep their Chinese names. She mentioned how the change of names altered their self perceptions and their feelings of belonging to their heritage. She mentioned that a name is vital to one's identity.

That led me to thinking of book titles and how important they are. Do people judge a book by its cover? You bet, they do. They also need to identify with the title, which must illicit a positive reaction from the reader. A book's title brands the book, giving it an image in the reader's mind. Imagine how different you feel about a book titled "How to Groom Your Dog" than a book titled "Doggie Do's." The book is about the same thing but the second title makes you smile and implies that the author enjoys dogs and that taking care of a dog is fun, while the first title just makes you yawn and feel that the book is just going to make taking care of your dog a chore.

Just be sure to think long and hard about your book's title. Be creative and use the title to brand your expertise.

Densie

"E-book or not E-book - That is the Question"?

So, there I was, sitting in the walk-in clinic waiting for my turn. I knew from past experience that whenever you go the walk-in route it could be hours before you get seen so I came prepared - I brought a really good book with me, smart thinking.

After a while I decided to do that "people watching" thing which I love to do and noticed sitting to my left was a lady with the new electronic book...an "E-book Reader" (could also known as a Kindle). I found myself watching her as she sat there with this compact device doing the same thing as me..."reading her book". As I watched her I realized something about myself, even though I had heard about this and knew of its benefits I knew I would never be able to give up the "feel of the book" and the page turning which for me, added to the enjoyment of reading a book!

So there we sat, her and I, both enjoying a good book in a very different way and I started thinking to myself, this whole "E-book versus Real Book" is a lot like "Cilantro", I think you are going to either love it or hate it.

My husband thinks that the "E-book Reader" is just awesome and cannot wait for Fathers Day, his Birthday or Christmas to receive one of these. He loves the concept, the ease it provides to have as many books as you want right at your finger tips and just how compact it is and can fit so nicely and easily to take just about anywhere. Even though I completely agree with him, we as husband and wife are definitely a divided camp. I see the advantages but will never be able to give up the feel, the look and the page turning of the traditional book that I so love. Yes, shelf space throughout my house is getting less and less for my collection but there's something warm and inviting about those two shelves in my bedroom filled with colorful and special books that I am either about to read or have done so and just love having them around.

So, I guess the moral of this story is that is really doesn't matter which way you go with books, all that matters is that you continue to read for whatever reasons you have and depending on your lifestyle and preference - I guess you are covered!

Now, from a business side of things I would say it is a MUST to cover all areas and when publishing and it makes good sense that your book is available both traditionally and electronic so you can cover all those "divided camps" and not lose a very important and lucrative stream of income! Knowing whats going on and keeping up with the ever changing world of publishing is one of the differences between success and failure. Oh and a sideline....perhaps I may in the future find myself using an "E-book Reader" or at the very least "sharing with my husband" so that I do not run out of books when I am sitting on the beach in Mexico!!

...and YET THEY REMAIN THE SAME

Whew, we're avoiding the blizzard that is raging to the south of us. There is always something to be grateful for.

So, yes, changes are coming in the book world with the growing prevalance and popularity of electronic products. Change is something to be aware of and to be prepared for.

It seems, though, that hard copy printed books are in no danger of a complete demise in the near future. Amazon.com has just announced the building of a large distribution centre in Canada to expedite the shipping of books throughout the country. When a huge corporation makes a large financial investment you know that considerable research is behind the decision. I take this move by Amazon to indicate that they still believe that a large part of their business remains and will remain in the printed book.

Time will tell whether I am right or wrong. I suggest that you hedge your bets: market your books in more than one format.

Denise

CHANGES IN THE BOOK WORLD

Yesterday we talked about needing ISBN's for all versions of your book. From what I have read, the ebook version of your book will soon account for 50% of your sales. That will create massive changes in the publishing and book selling industry, from how many books to print, to the reduced importance of book distributors, to the greater need for a good website and so on.

World markets will open up to you. After all, what will it matter if the publisher is in the U.S. or in the Antarctic? No physical books will need to be shipped. Publicity can be managed anywhere in the world and sales can be achieved in any country.

There will always be a market for physical books, but their role will be only part of your publishing plan. Be sure to plan for an ebook version of your book right from the beginning or you stand to be left out of the digital world.

Denise

ISBN numbers

It's the middle of April and here we are in the snow again. The poor tulips are up, poking through the white stuff on the ground. I guess that's one of the conditions of life at 3,500 feet above sea level. Never mind, we will just wait for one of our famous Chinook winds to breeze through and raise the temperature by 20 degrees in an hour - like magic it will be Spring again.

So anyway, some people wonder if they should buy blocks of ISBN numbers. There is no correct answer for everyone, but if you plan to publish more than one book, or more than one edition of each book, or more than one style of book (ebook, CD version, etc.) you should buy a block of at least 10 numbers. Use a different number each time you produce your book in a different format, and use a different number for each new book you publish.

Some people purchase in blocks of 100 numbers, but that can be costly. If you have room in your budget and you have plans to publish many books this is a cost saver. However, if your budget is limited as you launch your publishing business, it might be wise to wait until you have acquired some profits before you make such a large financial commitment. Canadians have the advantage in the ISBN number issue. The Canadian government supplies the numbers at no cost as a supportive measure for the publishing industry - not only health care is free. :-)

Denise

GREAT BOOKS cont'd

So, as I was saying when I so rudely interrupted myself with life and work, writing great books is a skill that can be learned. There are many ways to do so. For instance, read many good books in your genre of interest. I suggest that you avoid the "bestseller" list if the author is repeatedly on the list. Not that bestselling authors are necessarily not the greatest of writers, but they do seem to develop a "formula" that sells to the masses which causes each book to be more of the same. Go to the library and browse through books of interest to you. Read selections from many books. Find books that grab your interest. Examine the writing style. Really good authors don't write in simple narrative using simple sentence structure. There is definitely something special about good writing, and the more you read the more you will recognize the difference between mediocre and great. As Oprah Winfrey has said in the past, the first sentence of a book has to grab her or she puts the book down. Good writers can set the location, the time period, the mood and the character in one sentence without writing something as simple as: It was a snowy day in 1792 when Prince Zorga made his way through the dark forest on horseback.

There are writers' groups in most cities that host writing skills workshops. Do some research in your area to find some of those groups. There is also usually a Writer in Residence who mentors other authors. Most basically, though, before you do that, take a first year university English class to brush up on the basics of good grammar.

So, I challenge you to be the best that you can be. Don't rush the writing process. Create something great.

Denise

GREAT BOOKS

Oh, shoot, I missed a day. Well, onward from this point.

So, I've been reading a good book and it occurred to me that I should discuss what makes a good book. There are so many factors, but as Oprah says, if the first sentence on the first page of the first chapter doesn't grab your attention, choose another book. So, excellent writing is a huge criteria. But what is excellent writing? I really don't know how to describe it but a well written book "speaks" to me. I feel drawn in and engrossed, immediately, and I want to continue reading. Good writing is definitely a skill - which can be learned. It takes practice, practice, practice and then more practice. You have to re-write everything until the words just sing and the reader is enthralled by the song.

I have to run, so more on this subject next time.

Denise

TARGET MARKET

Today is just a non-book day for me. Some days are like that - nothing really constructive to say other than be sure that you are clearly targeting your market. Who specifically is your audience? Who will actually buy your book, and that's different from who needs it. I know that everyone needs my healthy lifestyle cookbook, but who will actually buy it? - only people who are willing to make some simple changes in their lives. Not everyone is willing.

Cheers,

Denise

MORE MEDIA TIPS

Wow, three days in a row. Don't expect weekends, though. :-)

More about media appearances today. There are some do's and dont's about media appearances that you should take seriously. Your goal is to make a positive, lasting impression so you must look and sound professional, knowledgeable and relaxed. A sense of humor is good.

To sound great during an interview, you must have all of your information on the tip of your tongue and you must be able to "spit it out" very easily. Interviews usually last only three to five minutes, so your "sound bites" have to be clear and concise.

Appearances do count as well. Do people judge a book by its cover? Absolutely. You are the sales force for your book, so look good. Hair and makeup (if appropriate) and clothing are important. You don't have to look like a movie star, but wear casual dressy at least. Avoid prints, loud colors and white - the cameras do not like them.

Be prepared. If you are being interviewed for television, watch the show in advance. If you are being interviewed on radio, listen to the show (you can do that on-line). If you are being interviewed in print, read the publication ahead of time. You must know the audience for each interview, and you should be familiar with the philosophy of the interviewer.

Those are just some quick words of advcie from someone who has been there.

Denise

MEDIA TIPS

I know, I know - two days in a row of blogging. It's amazing. However, I just need to say a bit about publicity.

If you're Canadian, and even if you're American, the media is buzzing about a certain person named Ann who is speaking at Canadian universities, promoting her anti-racist books. The students in Ottawa protested so much that she had to cancel her engagement, but, because of the protest, international media is all over the issue thus proving that there is no such thing as bad press. The speaker will be in Calgary today, followed by international papparazzi. Wow. She will definitely sell books now.

So, if you want to get media attention, create some controversy. Think about the content in your book and if you can give the media something to talk about, send out news releases that make people take sides. Tie into current events and issues. The media loves it!!!

Denise

COMMUNICATING YOUR MESSAGE

Wow, time flies by when you're having fun. I just can't get at this sitting down to blog on a regular basis because there are already so many commitments in life. Do you find that? Computers and internet are so great in so many ways, but they also consume much of one's life. I don't know if that's good or bad...

Anyway, what I want to talk about is goals. So many authors ask me for advice on marketing their books but upon questioning them, I find that they do not know how to quickly communicate what their book is about nor what it will do for the reader.

When you are marketing your book, people will ask you all of the time what your book is about and you need to be able to give them a 25 word or less quick synopsis. When you are asked why you wrote the book, you need to respond with a 25 word or less story. If you don't convey the book's content and your story quickly and concisely, you have just lost your audience.

Here's what I suggest: write an essay that explains your motivation for writing the book. What was your inspiration? What will the reader gain by reading your book? Take as much time and paper as you need. Let your passion shine through.

Then, begin the editing process. Condense what you have written by half, then by half and so on until you have several 25 word or less sound bites that define the book, that tell your story and that clearly communicate how the book will improve the reader's life.

Let me know how you do.

Denise

SPECIAL SALES FOR BOOKS

I wonder how many publishers know that markets for books extend into the corporate world? Is there a better place to sell books? Not that I can think of. Who else buys books in the thousands of copies? No one.

Special Sales is an area that publishers must pursue if they want to be successful in their business. My book sold over 250,000 copies, most of which were sold to corporations. Let me tell you, it's much easier to sign a contract for thousands of copies than it is to plug away at sales of one or two or even hundreds of copies.

Give it some thought.

Denise

CELEBRITY FOREWORD OR ENDORSEMENT

Here is one of my pet peeves - people who receive our newsletter but don't actually READ it before they send questions about the information we have provided. Note to self: it seems that authors cannot necessarily read. OK. Now I got that off my chest, I feel better. :-) By the way, you can sign up for our newsletter at www.inktreemarketing.com.

Now, here is a legitimate question: how do I approach a celebrity to write a Foreword or an Endorsement for my book? My personal opinion and personal experience is this: call them. They are just people and usually they are very nice, helpful people. Sometimes you have to approach a celebrity through a publicist, an agent or an assistant and that is just fine. Put on some charm and tell them what you want, but be sure to present them with the benefits of being in your book. All celebrities, no matter how famous, need constant attention from the public or they risk being forgotten. If you can promise them that they will be part of your media campaign, you have one foot in the door.

At some point, you have to put your request into writing. Make your request friendly and flattering but don't be ridiculous about it.

That's all there is to it. They will say either yes or no.

Cheers,

Denise

SELLING TO CORPORATIONS

It's a beautiful, sunny day - a great day to feel positive about the future. It's easy to become overwhelmed by life's challenges, but just put your sunglasses on and keep plugging.

So, people often ask me how to contact corporations. Well, the internet is a fabulous tool. Just google them, find a phone number and call. Ask for the Director of Marketing and make your pitch. You do need to have a pitch prepared in advance so that you can convince the first person who answers the phone that you can help them to increase their sales or to improve their goodwill, etc.

It's as easy as that. They'll either say yes or no. If they say no, it's on to the next one and just consider it their loss. If they say yes, yeah!!

Denise

Vacation Time is Over

Isn't it amazing how quickly a vacation whizzes past? I guess that's what makes us appreciate holidays so much - they are a delightful morsel of time that we can savor again and again in our memories.

Getting back to work and routine is also nice. Creativity is as crucial to mental well-being as rest and recreation time are to physical wellness.

So, that being said, what can I say that will inspire your creativity? Perhaps we can draw on the recent Winter Olympics in Vancouver. They were fabulous, by the way!! We can all learn from the dedication and perseverance of the athletes. Broken bones don't deter them. Why are we detered by times of frustration? We all need to learn to pick ourselves up, give our heads a shake and get to work with a smile on our faces. Life is one big challenge, so just get on with pursuing your goals.

If writing a book is your dream, pursue the dream. Don't give up. Step away from the computer for a few moments, go to the window, take a deep breath, have a stretch and be grateful that you are where you are. Life is good.

Now, take that positive thought and let your own thoughts flow.

Denise

VACATION TIME

It's vacation time! Yeah!!! It's time to put the brain on pause and head for warmer climes. Oh, I can't wait to shed the coats, boots, scarves and gloves and trade them in for the bathing suit. The only books that I plan to read will be "brain candy" - something that is pure entertainment and does not need active thinking.

Just before I go, though, I want to remind you to think about your readers when you are writing, or choosing a title, or designing the cover. Put yourself into their head space. What will attract them? What problem can you solve for them? How can you make them feel better? Remember that your book is a product that you plan to sell for a profit, so make it something that people want to buy.

Now, adios for a couple of weeks.

Denise

BOOK QUALITY

OK, OK, I'm not being good at blogging. It's just not yet on my daily radar, but I plan to be more diligent. Please bear with me. :-)

Something that comes up frequently in phone calls from clients is the saleability of their books. I cannot stress this enough: do people judge a book by its cover? Absolutely.

If you see a beautiful book on a book shelf, you are much more inclined to reach for that book than another one that has an amateurish appearance. It's like anything else - beauty is attractive and perceived value is appealing. If two books each cost $24.95 but one has a beautiful cover and a great title while the other book looks like it was created by an amateur, guess which one will sell first? The beautifully designed book speaks of professionalism, which is where the buyer wants to put his/her money. Wouldn't you?

Before you hire someone to design or edit your book, make sure that you ask for samples of their work. Also, do your research. Go to book stores and spend lots of time there looking at books in your genre. Stand back and look at the books on the shelves: which books catch your eye? Pick them up and:
- look at the frontcover and decide what you like or dislike about it.
- look at the back cover. Does it sell the book? Does it make you want to open the book and begin reading?
- open the book. Look at the pages. Is the white space balanced? Are there hyphens at the ends of lines ? (There shouldn't be any.) Do you like the font? Is it easy to read?

The physical appearance is very, very important if you want corporations or volume buyers to find your book appealing. They are trying to project a professional image, which is just not possible with a book that does not look good.

Don't be satisfied with second best if you want to sell books.

Denise

FOREIGN RIGHTS SALES

The call is out once again for Foreign Rights Sales applications. If you're interested in having your book presented to foreign publishers, contact us at info@inktreemarketing.com.

Our clients' books have been sold to a multitude of countries around the world. Acquiring a foreign rights contract gives your book credibility and it gives you a bit of extra money for no work on your part. It is very unlikely that you would want, or be able to, take on the sales and distribution of your book in other countries, so selling your rights is a win-win proposition.

I love to see my book in its Polish version, as well as in the other versions that were sold to large corporations. It was all money in my pocket for no effort from me.....

Denise

Ebooks

Did you know that last year the sales of ebooks in the U.S. were about $150 million but the projection for 2012 is in the $ billions? Get on the bandwagon!

Creating and selling ebooks is definitely on our agenda for 2010. We have much research to do, and so should you. Don't wait until someone drops the information into your lap. There is officially a new verb in the dictionary, "google" - take action.

We'll let you know what we learn as we go along, but you can also share what you learn with us, either on this blog or to info@inktreemarketing.com.

Cheers,

Denise

Book Writing Progress

How is that book writing project coming along? Did you learn anything over the Christmas break that could inspire you? There are many opportunities to study human nature when you're standing in line or pushing through crowds of shoppers. You can also learn from watching children at play - how do they negotiate what they want? Everyday life can be translated into business books, self help books, children's stories, novels and many other genres. Write from what you know. Get your creative juices flowing.

Denise

A NEW DECADE - A NEW YEAR - A NEW BEGINNING

The first decade of the twenty-first century is over! Thank goodness. There was a horrific negative energy that seized the entire planet in all areas: personal, financial, environmental, political and anything else that I can think of.

It's over! Now is the time for everyone - you, me, everyone you know and all of the world leaders to embrace a positive mood and a positive philosophy of behavior.

Let's focus on making our own lives the best that we can and on encouraging our leaders to think of the long term benefits for their people.

Isn't it great to be part of this new opportunity?

Denise and Joni