#SellBooks#PlacesToSellBooks

From bookmarketingbuzzblog:

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Why It Pays To Pen Books

Writers often make money because of their book- but not from it. Yes, the not-so-secret truth is that the vast majority of authors make money, not from book sales, but from the boost a book brings to their credentials. The book becomes the calling card and as a result, other income streams develop.

For instance, if you are a consultant, having a new book can net you PR, which in turn, gets you more business. Further, people perceive you differently once you have a book. They now will pay you more for the same service you previously rendered.

Books are great for netting speaking engagements. You may earn a fee for these speeches and/or have an outlet to sell books, but more importantly, it builds your brand and adds to your resume. Further, you will benefit from networking at the events you speak at, leading to more business.

For novelists, a book can lead to more deals. You’d be surprised to learn how many books are optioned to Hollywood and never get made.

Books are great ways to get the attention of the news media. Whereas the local newspaper or TV station may ignore you as a consultant, all of a sudden a book allows you to sell ideas and position you as an expert.

There are many, many ways to cash in from having a book but writers mistakenly think it is from book sales. That may be one of the least effective ways to earn money.

Of course, many write books because they feel implored to do so. They have something they want to share with others. It’s a gift to write and to be able to influence the minds, hearts, and souls of others. Perhaps that is your biggest pay-off! 

Sell Books, 

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com

#PublishingSuccess

More and more people are turning to self publishing, but with what kind of success? It is true that there are many places online to purchase self published books, but in fact, how many people actually sell a substantial number of copies?

According to data from a new survey from Digital Book World and Writer’s Digest, the median income range for self-published authors is under $5,000 and nearly 20% of self-published authors report deriving no income from their writing.By comparison, authors published by traditional publishers had a median income range of $5,000 to $9,999 and “hybrid authors” (those who both self-publish and publish with established publishers) had a median income range of $15,000 to $19,999.

At the high end of the spectrum, 1.8% of self-published authors made over $100,000 from their writing last year, compared with 8.8% of traditionally published authors and 13.2% of hybrid authors.“Few authors are getting rich off of their writing or even earning enough from their writing to quit their day jobs,” writes Dana Beth Weinberg, Ph.D., professor of sociology at Queens College in New York City, and lead researcher for the study.

What is the problem? Mainly, it is lack of education about publishing - in all of its forms. How many people would start a plumbing business without first learning about plumbing? Very few, certainly.

Yet, many people choose to self publish with very little experience or knowledge of the industry. They think that $100.00 is too much to spend. I wonder how much it costs to become a plumber?

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com

#SpeedReading#ReadingBooks#PublishingBooks

Here is something for book publishers to think about: a new speed reading app is being marketed. 

Apparently you can learn to read a 10,000 word novel in a few hours by scanning the sentences for key words. You can zip through Gone with the Wind in record time. 

What I want to know is: how is that a plus?

Doesn't the reader want to spend time with the story? Doesn't the reader want to enjoy the experience of relaxing with a good book?

Doesn't the author want the reader to savor the images that he or she has worked so hard to craft? 

Doesn't the publisher want the reader to have such a wonderful time with the book that she or he will want to read more by the same author?

For me, reading the descriptive phrases in a book are a special joy. Consider this paragraph from The Fig Eater by Jody Shields: That night, Erszebet dreams she is sleeping under a fig tree. A menacing figure, a woman in a black robe, leans over her. She senses the woman is about to speak, her lips part, but then Erszebet suddenly wakes up terrified, her breath coming in gasps. Fear opens new routes for her blood to take; the throbbing of her heart is mapped out over her whole body.

You don't even know the story, but doesn't your pulse quicken a bit? 

Imagine if you had merely picked out a few key words: menacing, leans, terrified, gasps, fear. It just doesn't have the same impact on your emotions or on your identification with the character.

When you are doing publicity for your book, encourage readers to take the time to enjoy the experience.

Denise


www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#PublicityTipsForPublishersand#Authors

Words of wisdom from Marsha Friedman at www.marshafriedman.com, an excellent publicist:

• Use a nugget of information from the article or interview to show its value. A fun fact, helpful tip or other information will help your post stand out and will do more to get readers to click on your link.  A businesswoman who's been interviewed about the growing number of female U.S. business leaders might post, "The number of women-owned businesses in this country is growing 1.5 times faster than the national average!  Here's why."

• Ask a question that's answered in the link you're sharing. Say you're a financial advisor who was interviewed about retirement planning for 40-somethings. Your post might read, "What are the 4 things you should be doing for retirement while you're in your 40s?" 

• Share a photo or video. Some social networks, including Facebook and Google+, are very visual. A photo from the article or broadcast, or a photo or video relevant to the content, will attract more eyes than text alone.

• Light up your post with a gif! A gif (Graphics Interchange Format - Picture Format) is a little graphic element that you can create yourself or borrow from any one of the many websites that post libraries full of them. Some are drawings, some photos, and some seconds-long animations set to repeat ad infinitum. They may be funny, inspirational or cute, and they catch people's attention. If you don't have an image to post, look for a relevant gif. (Of the largest social network platforms, only Google+ supports the animated gifs.)

Learn from the experts.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com

www.publishacookbook.com

#Publicity#Media#ContactLists

It's both sad and wonderful to be back home from a Spring vacation. Now it's time to get back to work again. 

I just received some information that might be useful to you. As you likely know, if you are a self publisher, publicity is vital to the success of your book. If no one knows about it, no one will buy it. 

The challenge is, how to contact media persons. Editors and Producers are elusive people who are guarded by receptionists. There is no point in sending anything to a media outlet in the hope that "someone" will notice your news release and will actually respond. The chances of that happening are slim to none.

Therefore, you need to purchase media lists that are kept by companies that stay on top of the correct contacts that you need. You need names, phone numbers and email addresses. Without them, you are lost.

If you are a client of ours, we will provide you with lists to companies that sell media lists.

Let us know.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#ForeignRightsSalesForBooks

It is that time of year again. Foreign Rights agents are lining up books that they will represent in Frankfurt, Germany during the Frankfurt Book Fair in October.

Personal representation is crucial. There are thousands of foreign publishers looking for books and hundreds of thousands of books being displayed. Make sure that your book stands out above the competition.

Contact us for representation.


Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#SellBooksToCorporations

If you would like to sell thousands of copies of your book, nonreturnable, there is help available. A great resource is www.premiumbookcompany.com. Sign up for the newsletter on their website for more information and for updates.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#EbookAwards

Not only paper books qualify for awards. That honor is now showing up for ebooks as well. 

Here is one to apply for


http://globalebookawards.com/



Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#SellYourBook

The primary reason for publishing a book is to sell it. 

The main issue is: who are your competitors?

It is rare that a book is written about a subject for the first time. Almost inevitably, there is a similar book on the market unless you are writing your own biography (don't bother unless you are already famous).

Once you know who your competitors are, you must ensure that your book is different but better than them. That can happen only if you have your book professionally designed and professionally edited. There is no getting around it. Period.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publsihacookbook.com

#SelfPublishOrGetPublished

We often hear the dilemma of self publishers: should I self publish or should I find a publisher for my book?

So many make the mistake of hiring a vanity publisher (means that you pay someone to publish your book - THEY own the files), thinking that they are self publishing. 

When you self publish, you SELF publish. That means that you hire your own graphic designer, editor and printer. You maintain complete control and YOU own the files that allow you to change publishers whenever you choose to do so. Anything else, and you are just living in self deception.

If you want to own the book and the profits, YOU must be the publisher.

No matter which route you choose, YOU have to market the book (see our course at www.inktreemarketing.com). 

If you choose to be published by someone else, find an agent who specializes in your genre.

Denise


www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#BookAwards#NautilusBookAwards

Here is a book award site where you can enter your book:

http://www.nautilusbookawards.com/Guidelines_for_Entering_DI3.html

Denise


www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#UseOneBookToMarketAnotherBook

I just read another book marketing blog which inspired me to pass along some good advice for fiction writers. 

Use a nonfiction book to gain recognition for yourself and then indulge your desire to write fiction. Really?

Why not? If you already have expertise in a genre, for instance you are a police officer, you might publish a nonfiction book that advises people on crime prevention. It is much easier to get media attention if you have information that helps people than it is to just tell a crime story.

However, once producers and editors know you as an expert in the field of criminal matters, they will have you back to promote your fiction book. 

Think about your own area of expertise. Become a well known author. Use that leverage to become a successful fiction writer. Brilliant.

Denise


www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#SpecialBookSales

Where do most publishers sell large quantities of books? Most people think that their best bet is the big box book stores but that is sadly untrue - not that book stores aren't an important part of a publisher's sales program. They are, but you must create those sales through an extensive publicity campaign. Keep in mind, that "sales" to book stores are returnable if your book sales are slow.

A better source of book sales is in special markets where buyers buy in large quantities - nonreturnable. Don't overlook this category and don't be afraid to spend a few hundred dollars for representation to special markets buyers: "nothing ventured, nothing gained". 

Here is a useful link to special market sales representation: www.bookapss.org.

Denise


www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#HowToWriteaBook

I received the quote below in a newsletter. It's great advice for those of you who want to write a book. It won't happen unless you begin writing. Just do it. Editing can happen later. Get your thoughts on paper.

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." 

~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#RadioPublicity

Radio publicity is a wonderful way to promote your book. I have used radio many times and found it to be very successful. 

At Ink Tree, we no longer do hands-on publicity, preferring to teach authors how to manage their own publicity campaigns, thereby keeping their profits in their own pockets.

However, we do encourage authors to use services that can be of help yet do not cost a ridiculous amount of money. Here is one that you should investigate:

www.radiopublicity.net.

Denise 

www.inktreemarketing.com

www.publishacookbook.com

#SelfPublish

Self-publish. What a misunderstood term!

So many "self-publishers" really do not understand what the term means, so they find a vanity publisher to do the work for them. They pay thousands of dollars to a company whose business is to pump out a formula-style book for them and to "market" the book on the vanity publisher's website. Really?!!

Well, you get what you pay for usually but in this case, you might as well take your money and set fire to it.

Self-publish means that YOU are the publisher. YOU hire your own editor, graphic designer and printer. YOU take ownership of the project. YOU assume responsibility for selling the book. 

YOU are the business owner - the PUBLISHER. 

If you take shortcuts, you will be short-changed.

It's just that simple.



Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#CompetitionForAuthors

Every author has a story. Every author deserves a chance.
                                                    Ink Tree Ltd.

The above words are from our group at Ink Tree. We hosted a competition for authors several years ago.

It is time to run the competition again.

Stay tuned.

Denise



www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#LittleFreeLibrary

Have you heard about http://littlefreelibrary.org/ ? 

What an amazing, simple concept. I have seen them in neighborhoods in my city. They're awesome.  

One of the grocery chains here has a similar concept - drop off books, pick up books for free. I love it and have found many delightful books that I would never have found otherwise.

Look into it.

Denise


www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

What is a Little Free Library? It’s a “take a book, return a book” gathering place where neighbors share their favorite literature and stories. In its most basic form, a Little Free Library is a box full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book to share. You can, too!

#FreePublicityInformation

If you have published, or plan to publish, a book you need to familiarize yourself with publicity strategies. 

There is absolutely no point in paying to advertise a book. No one pays attention to such ads. I know of publishers who have spent thousands of dollars on ads not to sell a single book. Publicity, on the other hand, generates great attention to your book if done well.

There are chat groups that can help you but if you want one-on-one free help, become a client of Ink Tree Ltd. Go to www.inktreemarketing.com.


Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#BookAwardTime

If you are proud of your self published book, submit it to some award contests. Why not? Winning an award adds great prestige to your book and often opens the doors to the media. Many editors and producers are looking for a story behind a book. Award winners definitely attract attention.

Here is the last call for the Hoffer Award:

www.HofferAward.com 

Check the website for entrance criteria and if you qualify, apply.

Denise


www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#EbookPublishers

There are services out there for publishing ebooks. Some offer international distribution, which might be a service of value.

However, don't just sit back and expect the sales to flow in unless you put in some - no, make that a lot - of your own effort.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#BackToWork

Today is the first day back to work after a nice long break from routine. The change was wonderful but the mind begs to be challenged again.

The new year is a good time to learn new things. I am refreshing my French language skills by listening to CD's while driving my car, which is generally quite a time waster but now I feel productive while sitting in traffic.

For those of you who are planning to publish a book this year, consider a way to carve out some time for yourself to study the business of publishing. You will find that it is time very well spent in the long run.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com