Customer Reviews

Book Marketing DeMystified: Enjoy Discovering the Optimal Way to Sell Your Self-Published Book, Practical advice from the inventor of print-on-demand (POD) publishing

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It often comes as a shock when newly published authors discover that they must bear most of the burden of marketing their books to the general reading public -- even if they are fortunate enough to be published by one of the major New York publishing firms like Random House, Simon & Schuster or Penguin-Putnam. For self-published authors that marketing responsibility is completely theirs. Most authors are aware of the many 'how to' books that are available to them for the purpose of helping them master the craft of writing, There are also instruction books on turning raw manuscripts into finished books. What is not so obvious is that there are a number of excellent instructional guides for authors on how to market their books after they have been published. One of the best of these marketing manuals is "Book Marketing De-Mystified" by Bruce Batchelor, the man who founded Trafford (Canadian based and one of the larger POD companies servicing North America) and is widely acknowledged as the creator of the print-on-demand (POD) publishing process that has shattered the book publishing monopoly of the traditional publishing firms by allowing anyone to easily become their own publisher. This 167-page compendium of practical advice offers an especially 'user friendly' introduction to the art and science of book marketing because of its conversational style, it comprehensive coverage of book marketing issues, and Bruce Batchelor's unique perspective. It should be noted that the Midwest Book Review is positively cited (page 120) as a resource for authors and independent publishers. "Book Marketing De-Mystified" is especially useful in terms of its discussion of where to sell books, price/value setting, personal sales, paid advertising, sales promotions, publicity and public relations. Simply stated, every author and every small press publisher needs to have a competent marketing plan -- and Bruce Batchelor's "Book Marketing De-Mystified" specifically and effectively addresses that need.

Reading this book is like having the pieces of a puzzle come together! I started my book 18 months ago and after reading BMD I was inspired to finish it and make a marketing plan that reflects my goals and is actually achievable. Whether you are an indie POD author or working with a big name publisher, this book provides a wealth of information that helps anyone understand the publishing world. It is full of specific information, real ideas and examples and it really gets you thinking about how you might market your own book. A must have for any author.

I liked a lot of this book. I liked the underlying information that the author has provided from years of experience as a publisher, author, and marketing instructor. I liked the blurbs regarding numerous indie authors and their self-published books. And I liked the clear concise writing style that made the book a pleasure to read. The book's title informs us that it will demystify what book marketing is all about. And for many I think it will shed considerable light on the process.

For sure, this book is more up-to-date and relevant to the indie author than "The Complete Guide to Book Marketing" (ISBN: 1581153228). However, I felt it was lacking in the same way. Both books tend to highlight the methods the big publishers and small book marketing firms employ to market books. Said another way, both books tend to talk about tradition marketing tools and techniques rather than leveraging the power of the Internet to the exclusion of traditional means. I might add, that for the most part the traditional means are not economically feasible anyway. So why even mention them?

The book is centered around what the author calls the "Book Marketing Mix Template." He includes a copy of it as an appendix. But since the entire book focuses on explaining this template I think I would have enjoyed the book a lot better if the template had been moved to the front of the book and introduced to us in Chapter 1. Then the remainder of the book could have more fully explained the template.

Unfortunately I am not a huge fan of the template. The author reminded us of the 4 Ps of marketing that I learned about in college. And he says he thinks the 4 should be expanded to 14. Well, OK, but some of those 14 should be consolidated in my humble opinion. For example, chapters 1 and 12 had much in common regarding purpose and profits. They should have been combined. Chapters 2 and 6 had much in common regarding products, services, and unique selling propositions. They should have been combined. Chapter 7 should have been included as a subset of "Promotional Mix" since strategic relationships help generate sales. And chapters 4, 13 & 14 all kind of related. I would have combined them into one chapter.

I think the target audience of this book is indie authors who want to successfully market their tomes. In my humble opinion they don't really need what the author tells them in this book EXCEPT for historical knowledge and tactics to probably avoid. An indie author today should become expert at Internet Book Marketing tools and techniques. The following books will help an indie author become expert on that topic:

>>Plug Your Book! Online Book Marketing for Authors, Book Publicity through Social Networking
>>The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion with a High-Tech Twist, Second Edition
>>Sell Your Book on Amazon: The Book Marketing COACH Reveals Top-Secret "How-to" Tips Guaranteed to Increase Sales for Print-on-Demand and Self-Publishing Writers
>>Marketing to the Social Web: How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business
>>Web Business Success: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Web Sites That Work
>>Coaching Millions: Help More People, Make More Money, Live Your Ultimate Lifestyle
>>ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
>>The Author's Guide to Building an Online Platform: Leveraging the Internet to Sell More Books
>>Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day
>>Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business!

I've read all of these books just listed and posted book reviews on Amazon for each. Also, I encourage you to take a look at the Table of Contents for Mr. Batchelor's book. It can be found at the Search Inside feature at Amazon. 4 stars!

This is a morale builder, a practical and encouraging how-to for selling books in an industry completely transformed by digital technology. Most authors set out to be writers, not marketers, and, faced with repeated rejection of their work by a series of publishers, turn only reluctantly to self-publishing. While past guides to self-publishing have dwelt on the art of haggling with bookstore owners over credit for returned books (how much scuffing of the cover is too much, etc), Batchelor reveals surprising new opportunities, and shows how authors take advantage of the changing situation. He notes, for example, that publishers have traditionally rejected manuscripts on the basis that they are written for audiences that are "too narrow." The internet has turned that upside down by making it practical to identify and sell to niche audiences. Thank goodness! This book is stuffed with information about the changing structure of the publishing business, who does what, relative costs, how to figure out what to do, and then how to go about it. This is what the overwhelmed author needs to figure out a rewarding course of action. Good stuff.

This is a good book and was a good read. It is now with my other dozen book-publishing and book-marketing books. What is unique and most beneficial with this are the individual stories and interesting strategies that independent authors used to help their book succeed (or not). While I took only a few notes throughout the read to add to my marketing plan and many "to do" lists, I am very glad I read this. It could have been more specific rather than just food for thought, but what it is is something most of the other books don't have: food for thought. This isn't so much a business reference book as it is a collection of stories and ideas to help you think outside the box and take new apporaches to getting your book out there.

Wow, who knew there was so much to know! Explains clearly your many options so you can make informed marketing decisions. -Very informative... tons of interesting examples, learn do's and don'ts from the experiences of authors around the world. Definitely 5 stars. By far the best book on this topic that I've read.

All marketing books i've read lately give the same advice, however, this book went a little further and i actually found a few things that i will use. I would say skip the other marketing books and start with this one!

A well-written book for anyone serious about marketing their books. I took notes as I read and will consider the sage advice as the next steps of my novel unfold. Although it seems much has changed in the biz since this book was written, the main points will be valid for years to come. I felt well-informed and liked that it was upbeat but honest; the anecdotes were wonderful. This is not a get-rich-quick approach to marketing, but rather an honest explanation of how best to market a book. The author's experience is valuable - especially when it comes to Print On Demand and Internet marketing.

If you have ever wanted to publish a book, you'll be familiar with the excitement you feel over the possibility of seeing your writing in book form and then the fear and dread of having to learn all the ins and outs of book publishing and book marketing. After reading this book, all my fears are gone.

Bruce knows about book marketing. In the introduction, he tells of the decades spent both in the book publishing industry and being a marketing expert. Beyond his long list of credentials, the thing I appreciated the most was how he was able to explain all of the complex aspects of marketing and the book industry in a friendly, easy to grasp manner. Rather than just bombarding the reader with tips or book marketing "recipes", instead Bruce explains the purpose behind each marketing technique and then goes on to give examples of authors who have successfully used this technique to sell their books.

Speaking of author examples, while I came away from this book with a lot of new insight, I really appreciated reading about all the self-published authors and how they used their ingenuity to sell books and achieve the success they desired. Not only were their stories inspirational, but reading their retrospective thoughts on their marketing endeavors was beyond helpful.

The other aspect of this book I found beneficial was the questions Bruce posed to help the reader get an idea of what their true purpose and motivation for publishing is. Often times, when you want to self-publish a book, you get lost in trying to figure out how the book is going to come together and forget exactly why you want to publish and how doing so will impact your life. Throughout the book, the author keeps you on track with your purpose so that, when you have your purpose defined, you can make the best marketing choices for your book and your life.

The advice and knowledge offered in this book is plentiful. Bruce explains everything from the many ways you can potentially sell your book to the many forms your book should take (ebook, audio) to the myriad of ways you can promote it. There's a good mixture of pulling back the curtain to explain how books get into stores and the many options available to a self-publisher along with creative ideas an author can use to stand out and get their book attention.

Most importantly, I came away from this book understanding that a book is a product. When you're working on something as personal as a book, your emotions get entangled in the process. Thanks to this book, I view book creation very differently. While a book needs to be fueled by passion, to have it sell, you need an understanding of what appeals to your audience and what inspires them to buy. After reading Book Marketing DeMystified, I feel confident an author can find a perfect balance--write a book you are proud to sell and market it so others will have the opportunity to know it exists, buy it and then tell everyone they know about it.

A must read for those venturing into the book publishing world. It helps tremendously to make your project a success. Highly recommended.