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