Customer Reviews

Jump Start Your Book Sales: A Money-Making Guide for Authors, Independent Publishers and Small Presses

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

At first I was concerned that Jump Start Your Book Sales might be all fluff and no substance, filled with a lot of tips that I had already thought of.

Well, my concern was not justified. I had not gotten past page 10 before I realized I had better get out my pen and start taking notes. I was getting dozens of ideas and tips that were supercharging my own ideas about how to publish and market books. And this after going to some $1,000+ seminars on the same topic! So I'm not a complete newbie in this area.

The authors have been in publishing for over two decades. And I really got the impression that they were dedicated to putting down everything they have learned in this jewel of a book. They held nothing back. And I have gained a great deal from reading it.

Multiple areas, from selling your books to traditional bookstores, getting a distributor, to going off the beaten path and selling your books in non-traditional ways, including getting book in mail-order catalogs, and having a company use your book as a premium to help them sell a product or service. They do not just suggest that you check out these avenues. They tell you how to do it, and what to expect, including the price points and types of contracts that will be offered. Every chapter contains a host of resource material that gives you what you need to completely implement the plan yourself.

They also provide key insights on how to build the marketing of your book right at the very start when you are writing it. These were the points I found the most stimulating and helpful. The authors lives and breathe publishing, and it shows in the generous offering in Jump Start Your Book Sales. I will be re-reading my copy, that is for sure.

SPECIAL NOTE: I have to apologize. Did I only give this book 4 stars? I wish I could add another star. I have just had my 5th book published and of course I still sit around and wonder at night how to get anyone to read it - and almost by accident I came across my old, highlighted and tattered copy of Jump Start Your Book Sales. After a few minutes of shuffling the pages together (I had carefully torn out the pages I wanted to use **right now!** several years back) I realized how much I really love this book! I cannot tell you just how much you really need this book if you EVER plan on selling ANY copies of YOUR book!

I have read every book on book marketing I could lay my hands on, and some are worthless, some are written to publishers, but mention authors just enough so they can SELL to authors, and a very few are truly great. This is one of the greatest books on the subject ever. The best part is that even if you don't like half of the ideas you read here, the other half can make you fantastically wealthy (and somewhat famous). My original review follow, but all in all I strongly encourage you to buy this book and start promoting yourself!

Okay - so admittedly I didn't like it very much at first. This book is HUGE! It covers so much ground that you can easily get lost during your first read. But I diligently came back two weeks later (after reading it the first time) and I slogged through all of the details. This book is THE encyclopedia of book marketing for authors who want to make REAL money (whether you self-publish or work with a p. house).

I have self-published and worked with publishing houses, so I can see both sides of the fence. This book is a MUST HAVE no matter what patch of grass you want to play in (they are both green). But here's why you must own this book:

If you self-publish, you will make a LOT more money. There is no contest. You keep 50-70% of the selling price of your book (remember printing and ad costs). This book has resources for publicity (like the mighty Joe Sabah!), SPAN, Publisher's Weekly, as well as media contact methods and the occasional agent recommendation. All good stuff. This book pays for itself over and over.

If you publish through a publisher (small or large), you KNOW that you alone are responsible for the success of your book. Your agent has told you that you must get out there and "promote, promote, promote!" This book shows you how. I didn't like the binding (it falls apart quite easily), but you are paying for the information, not the binding.

This is one to add to your collection! Good luck with your new book(s)!

:-)

This book had a wealth of information about book marketing including contact information for buyers and how to get publicity for little or no cost. Writing a book is only half the battle, maybe even less, and trying to let the world know that your book exists is the truly challenging part. This book will get you well on your way.

... I LOVED The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing by Tom and Marilyn Ross, and was very excited to read this volume...but was extremely disappointed. This book is a re-hash of information from the Guide to Self-Publishing, and much of it is contradictory ... What was most frustrating, though, were the constant ads for the authors' services. Every chapter (and almost every page) had a pitch for their editorial or marketing business. I'm sorry, but the Ross' would have benefited from a good editor. Invest your money in The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing.

Also recommended: The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing by Tom and Marilyn Ross; 1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer ...

You CAN make money publishing and this great book
provides hundreds of practical tips you can implement to make it
happen. Writers, self publishers and small presses as well as
those who create their publicity can all benefit by
reading this book.

Here are the steps to publishing success:

1) Buy this book and other reference books from
experienced, successful authors and publicists who have
started by self publishing themselves. Tom and Marilyn
Ross, Dan Poynter, John Kremer and M.J.Rose
all started by self publishing and they have
helped hundreds of other authors do the same.
The money you spend on their books will be well worth it.
If you need more inspiration, read the
publishing success stories on John Kremer's website.

2) Study, study, study and then adapt their experiences and tips
to the specifics of your subject and your book.

3) Create a quality product.

4) Use the suggestions in these books to create your own
dynamic marketing plan. Continue to market even if days,
weeks or months pass without a book sale.

5) Don't give up. It takes time to let readers know about
your product, especially if you need to market on a shoestring.

6) Join publishing organizations, such as SPAN, SPAWN
and Publisher's Marketing Association. There are other
people out there who are on the road to publishing success.
Benefit from their experience.

7) No one said it was easy, but all success takes persistence
and commitment.

Anyone who would rather write than promote needs this book because it teaches you how to write publicity and promotion points into your book, starting with the book idea. Every page is stuffed with information---no "fillers". And how did they manage to make me feel enthusiastic about this chore? Jumpstart Your Book Sales alerts you to pitfalls other books don't mention(example: obtain the copyright to your book's advertising). The Websites, Wisdom and Whimsey section at the end of each chapter offers research clicks to super sites related to that chapter. The phone number for Cecil is here, plus phone numbers I have not seen in other books. Besides print promotion and publicity, they cover radio, television, and book tours (I want the online autographing party). I could write pages of praise about this book's 25 chapters, but wouldn't you rather be increasing your book's sales potential by actually using Jump Start Your Book Sales? Write the publicity and promotion points into your book! Yea!

If you are looking for a book filled with many ideas on how to sell more books-this is the book for you. Some of the ideas will cost money, others are basically cost-free to implement.

Please note: The greatest method to improve you book sales (promotion) is YOUR imagination. You have to use your creativity. You have to improvise many of the ideas in this book to best suit your needs. So put on your thinking cap and get to work!

The truth is, the greatest way to make your book a runaway best seller is by word of mouth. You have to create a great product, a book that people will LOVE. A book that they will love to tell their friends about. Once you have people talking, you don't need to do any more work-they will sell the book for you.

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

I am the author of a technical book--Active Directory for Dummies. I sat down with Jump Start Your Book Sales on a Friday afternoon and immediately found an idea to put into use. Within the first hour of using this newfound technique, I watched my book's ranking on Amazon.com climb from a ranking of almost 7000 to just below 1000. I am thrilled! And that is just after using a single technique from the book. I highly recomment it to any author who desires additional exposure for their book.

I am a bookstore owner and author and this is by far the best resource available on book promotion. I see too many authors who don't understand that publishing a book is just the beginning. No book can be successful without a solid marketing plan and ongoing effort.

I always recommend this guide by the Tom and Marilyn Ross. It is loaded with simple and straight-forward ideas and advice. In fact, if you are publishing a book, you should read this before you even get started! You won't be sorry.

"When you need bankable ideas for marketing, promoting and selling ten's of thousands of books and ancillary informational products, you'll buy Jump Start Your Book Sales. You'll discover successful trade secrets and visionary strategies guaranteed to maximize your book sales. It's required reading for authors, self-publishers, independent presses, entrepreneurs, direct marketers-everyone who wants thousands of repeat customers. With the Rosses 25 years of book marketing expertise and wisdom to guide you, this classic bestseller is priceless!" -Andrew S. Linick, Ph.D.,The Copyologist® Visionary Direct Marketing/PR Strategist™ Founder/Copywriter's Council of America