Bestsellers

Trying to Game the Bestseller Lists?

Bestsellerlists
Remember my article years ago? The Dark Site of Bestseller Lists. Or did you read Karen Ballum’s story: How Much Would You Pay to Be a Bestselling Author?

Since then the methods may have changed a bit, and some new, creative, money-sucking players came up, but in principle, it is the same game: Bestseller Manipulation.
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“New York Times, USA Today Bestseller status, it’s no big deal anymore, thanks to a handful of individuals who have figured out how to make a ton of cash and inflate sales numbers to shoot 20+ author box sets onto the lists.  Has anyone ever heard of the authors in these mega-sets?  Do they ever go on to sell any other books after “getting letters”?  Let’s get serious: When everybody is a bestselling author, the marketing benefits from such manipulations decline substantially in value.”  I found this story on the Passive Voice blog.
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I just found one of these “offers” on my Twitter timeline: “Rip into killer fiction with this thrilling box set. 14 bestselling authors bring you 14 thriller novels! Launching May 2016. Pre-order now for just 99¢!” Never heard from these authors before…
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“According to one box set organizer, Amazon assured her that everyone at Amazon is perfectly fine with her methods, and the way she tells it, Amazon’s in her pocket with this gig.  Amazon has no problem with authors gifting thousands of copies of books to readers who then use those gift book credits to purchase the box set, making it look like a legitimate sale.  We’re not talking about chump change here, either, folks.  The “buy-in” for these box sets is anywhere from $500 -$2000 per author.  At 20+ authors per sets, the organizer is collecting between $10,000 – $40,000 per set and self-reports eight sets have made the lists (out of dozens of sets managed).  Not counting the sets that did not make lists, eight box sets have raked in $80,000 – $320,000.”

“Even more disturbing, the same organizer says that she spoke with PayPal and PayPal is fine with her methods of asking authors to pay her thousands of dollars of business transactions via “friends & family” transfers – which PayPal does not report to the IRS as taxable income and are not covered by PayPal Buyer Protection, or even worse, Amazon Gift Cards so that customers can not get a refund via PayPal dispute, which has happened multiple times to the organizer.”
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“Of course, any author who dares speak up, question the methods or ethics, or consults silly documents like the Amazon TOS and PayPal TOS is immediately bombarded with an internet tirade from the organizer.  Past customers of the organizer have been so bullied and harassed that they have had to change to pen names and start over.  Current customers of this organizer have money tied up with her, and since they know there is no way in hell they’ll get a refund, they sit in silence until they can get away without making waves.”
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Let’s take a look at how this is happening:

  • Organizing multi-author box sets with the advertised goal of hitting USA Today & NYT Bestseller lists, for payment per author of $500 – $2000.  For the typical 20-author box set, the organizer is paid $10,000 to $40,000.
  • Threatening legal action when anyone questions the business methods used to get bestseller status; posting long rants on social media to encourage followers to wage internet war against anyone who displeases them.
  • Social media campaigns targeted against numerous authors in the industry who have spoken out about shady dealings/practices.
  • Using an online google spreadsheet sign up form for readers to sign up to receive thousands of gifted copies of new releases in order to manipulate Amazon sales rank and appear to have enough sales to make bestseller lists (USAT, NYT, etc).
  • The gifting of thousands of books is assigned to assistants and authors in the set so gifted books are not all coming from one KDP account, and therefore, no red flags go up on Amazon’s end.
  • Also, coordinates massive gifting of books on Apple and Nook.
    Gifts books to readers directly via vendors (Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iBooks) with the express intent to look like organic sales and manipulate sales rank
  • Paying box set authors to buy books; Pays authors to download on Nook, iBooks, Kobo, and Amazon offers $4 towards additional “advertising” for a box set they already paid her to participate in
  • Paying readers with a $5 incentive to PRE-ORDER books on Nook; $10 if the reader pre-orders the book on both Amazon and Nook.

There is More:

  • Advising clients who pay for their services that they should pay via PayPal’s “friends & family” option to avoid PayPal fees; claiming they are not receiving business funds, but that it is “charity” and they have some super exclusive relationship with PayPal who said it’s okay.
  • Refusing to refund authors for services not rendered; starting online hate campaigns against authors who question business practices or ask for refunds.
  • Asking readers to circumvent Amazon’s review policy so that street team member reviews will appear organic.

There’s a difference between creating buzz using free books (same way even traditional publishers do) – or gifting your way onto a bestseller list – also called “bestselling service” by the provider (for more details see pages 52, 53 and 54 at the KindleBoards.com website.

Due to the sudden influx of authors into the ranks of the bestseller lists, the meaning, impact, & prestige of titles such as the USA Today Bestseller and New York Times Bestseller holds very little weight anymore.  Most of the time, these organizers pile hundreds of unknown authors into box sets simply based on no qualifications other than their ability to pay for it.”

Read the whole article here:
http://insideindie.weebly.com/case-1-the-bestseller-list-box-set-gig.html

On KindleBoard are in the meantime 54 pages of people’s opinions and experiences:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,250491.0.html

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How to Write a Bestseller: The DNA

Bestseller-DNA
You might have read about this computer program, which after scanning 20,000 books could predict with eighty-four percent accuracy a book’s success.  The authors of The Bestseller Code mined the texts of 20,000 novels, published over the past 30 years.  
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Scientists had developed an algorithm which analyses a book and predict whether or not it will be a commercial success.  A technique, called statistical stylometry, which mathematically examines the use of words and grammar, was found to be “surprisingly effective” in determining how popular a book would become.
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Which Book Topics and Trends are Promising?
More important than the genre where the topics of:

  • Human Closeness (not necessarily romance)
  • Relationships / Marriage
  • Work / Technology

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Genre Doesn’t Predict Success.
The old saying: “Write Romance or Mystery, stay away from Memoir or Western if you want to land a bestseller” seems to be more or less a myth when you look at bestseller lists.  Think Stephen King, who writes horror, Annie Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain, a M/M romance, or Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl.  Then there is the erotic genre with 50 Shades of Grey, Harry Potter books, which are classified as fantasy.  Thumbing through bestseller lists shows a very wide genre-variety.  Lets look at two examples of “Human Closeness” in famous writers’ bestselling books:
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Danielle Steel:
“With glamorous tales of love and heartbreak she has captivated legions of book buyers” wrote the Washington Post once.  And Danielle Steel explains in an interview: “I write about the struggles, defeats and victories we all experience in a wide variety of situations, and I think people get caught up in the stories and identify with them and the characters because they see themselves in them.  And often, readers find hope in what I write, that they, too, will survive whatever they’re going through.
Almost 150 books, and an estimated 800 million readers worldwide, she has also written children’s books, lyrics and poetry – all while mothering 9 (in words: nine) children.  She is very disciplined, and writes in long hour stretches.
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Jodi Picoult:
Her last eight books were all number one on the NYT bestseller list. Human closeness can be found for example in her book Small Great Things, when she tackles the profoundly challenging yet essential concerns of our time: prejudice, race, and justice, but also parental inadequacy and children in peril.
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What About Book Series?
Many serialized books are in bestseller lists, which signals that this is what people like to read.  Series can be connected in different ways: the setting, theme, characters, profession, or a common element.  Publish your series of novels in fast succession!  Publishers aren’t interested in waiting five years for a sequel.  Nor are Amazon readers…
Barbara Freethy wrote: “Is there anything better than stumbling on the first book of a series, falling in love with the writing, the characters, or the story world, and then realizing that there will be many more stories set in that world?  There are some series I wish would never end.  The characters have become incredibly real to me, and it’s almost as if the world actually exists outside of the books!  One of the fun things about creating a connected series is being able to develop a bigger story arc over the entire series.”
And J.A. Konrath wrote in his recent blog:  “Series are a very good way to establish your name”.
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Writing Style.
Long sentences are rare in bestsellers – James Joyce might get away with it, but a newbie probably won’t.  And keep your title short too.  Use a “series title”.  A series title builds a ‘brand’.
Looking at The Da Vinci Code and Fifty Shades of Grey shows that they are almost exactly matched in terms of fast and slow moments in their pacing.  Most super-bestsellers have symmetrical pacing, so-called page-turners.  Bestsellers usually have sex scenes around halfway through.

J.A. Konrath: “If you read a romance novel, you get the first kiss or sex scene at a third or halfway in, which drives the plot curve that follows: will they get together?  And successful erotic writers know that.  But when you know the rules, break them.  You could have a sex scene on page one, like a modern crime writer will have a dead body in the first line.”
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What Else is Important?
Have you ever wondered how some books could reach bestseller status?
We are not talking about how to buy your way onto a bestseller list… It should be – according to Author Media: 

 

  • Certainly: excellent writing.
  • An essential internal factor is your author platform.
  • An external factor is luck.
  • And last, but not least: Write a book the world needs. To write a bestseller, often you have to say something unique that the world is ready to hear.
    .

 

The Secret Ingredients of a Bestseller.

A computer program found The Circle by Dave Eggers had the perfect DNA.  It is not a page-turner like The Da Vinci Code, because it was brief, it has a plot, but it also has big ideas – and three popular topics: technology, jobs and “human closeness”.

Amazing also the variety of reviews: 5 star 27% – 4 star 28% – 3 star 19% –
2 star 15% – 1 star by 11% of Amazon reviewers.  A book with bestseller DNA – but not THE bestseller, at least not in terms of millions of copies sold – yet.

As Harper Lee said: “I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.”
And Nora Roberts: “You have to have the three D’s: drive, discipline and desire. If you’re missing any one of those three, you can have all the talent in the world, but it’s going to be really hard to get anything done.”
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Helpful Reading:
How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author
by Janet Evanovich
https://www.amazon.ca/How-Write-Secrets-Bestselling-Author/dp/0312354282

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression (Series)
by Angela Ackerman
https://www.amazon.ca/Emotion-Thesaurus-Writers-Character-Expression/dp/1475004958/

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Why Your Book Won’t Be a Bestseller – Yet

Bestseller
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You might have read too many authors who are bragging over their bestselling works.  And your first or second book is just not moving… You get more depressed from day to day and don’t even want to check your sales pages on Amazon or look at their Bestseller lists. Even worse for you is to check the weekly NYT Bestsellers. Becoming a bestseller author seems to be totally out of reach – or is it? Here is what you can do about it, but first some hard facts to consider:

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7 Million Self-Published Titles: Stiff Competition.
Since 2010 roughly 7 million new self-published books appeared, almost all at online retailer’s websites. And these titles will be offered for many years to come, as most of them are in digital format. The “gold rush” seems to be over.

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How NYT Bestsellers are “Made”.
Bestseller does not mean an outstanding book in quality-writing, it means only: sold in high numbers during a certain period, compared to other books who sold less copies. And it means a print book, mostly in hardcover and sold at book chains and mass market in the United States. This way excluded are: ebooks, audiobooks, books sold in other countries than USA, and self-published books.

If you can spend between $60,000 and 100,000 for marketing, you can use the services of a promotion company, e.g. San Diego-based ResultSource.com who will buy your books en masse in chain stores to get your book into the bestseller lists … We explained in detail “The Dark Side of Bestseller Lists”, first investigated in The Mystery of the Book Sales Spike by Jeffrey Trachtenberg in WallStreet Journal.

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More Roadblocks for Independent Writers.
Did you buy your own ISBN? No? Without your personal ISBN (not from a POD company) and without national distributors e.g. Ingram, LightningSource etc., bookstores will / cannot even order a book for a customer. If your book is not internationally listed at Bowker, bookstores cannot find it in their computer.
Big media reviewers do not even accept 10% of the submissions they receive – and as an independent author you are competing with traditional publishers (who know these reviewers for many years and might even be friends with them – and mostly also are their advertising customers – you get the idea?).
Bookstores are still very reluctant to order self-published books from CreateSpace – after all, Amazon is their hardest competitor.
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See your writing and publishing as an evolving process –
consider it as a marathon and not as a sprint to riches.
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Yes, there are writer-millionaires, such as James Patterson, J.K. Rowling or Stephen King, but they are not even 1% of all writers and it took them dozens of years or even longer to come to this fame and wealth, not to speak about the portion of good luck or to be at the right spot at the right time.
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Dreams Don’t Work – Unless YOU Do!
Bestseller Authors who are the most successful understand that publishing is a business. If no one knows about your book, then how can you expect to make sales? Nobody ever made money writing a book – only by selling it!
Here at SavvyBookWriters.com/blog we have more than 1,500 articles, explaining authors in detail how they can overcome all these obstacles. Succeeding at self-publishing means also to use some traditional marketing methods, and a budget, including anywhere from 5-10% for your overall book marketing, including website, paying for IT help, designer, or Google ads.
Start early and do first a market research before writing your book! Authors, and especially self-publishing authors need to study their competition carefully too: Read their books, study book covers, pricing, reviews, and the marketing of competing books.

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Bestseller Authors Need Years …
Authors are most of all: artists – just as musicians, sculptors, ballet dancers, actors or painters. They all study for years in their field of arts and it takes a long time, at least five years, or 10,000 hours to become a master of their craft. Building up an audience takes lots of time, so it is surprising, that authors dream of their first book as a potential bestseller, and don’t realize that it takes a long time and hard work to get an audience, one reader at a time – especially if they did not do the groundwork to build a huge following at Social Media, in reader forums or in real-life before they start publishing.
A book marketing professional has to learn years and years.
.
Why, as an author, not take advantage of their knowledge to keep your head free for writing and interacting with readers? No one would start a catering business without learning to cook, and knowing how to present food or how to find customers. Writing a book does not make for a publisher. Take the time to build your author platform and establish a brand, it will eventually give you an advantage in the market, no matter if self-publishing or going with a trade publisher.

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Print is a Must!
Print books still make up for about 60% of the book market, depending if you look at book sales numbers or revenue per book. The audio-book market is certainly growing too. Libraries order both book forms, however prefer hardcover with spine. How to sell / distribute to libraries is explained in detail in our blog article. Books for library-use need a Library of Congress Catalog in Publication block or, for a self-published book, Publishers Catalog in Publication block and / or a listing with Bowker word wide.

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One more tip:

Be very carefully in which categories you place your book, and also with the right keywords, especially on Amazon and other online retailers, so that readers find you easily and that you are not placed in a category with too much competition.

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How to Get Prestigious Book Reviews.
Check out professionally published books: Many of these trade books have either on their back cover (paperback) or on the binding flap (hard cover) several snippets of the book reviews, as well as endorsements from bestselling writers or other professionals, that were already written before the book was printed. It is not easy to get your book reviewed in these journals; however, it is possible – if you have written several books already.

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Find Professional Networks.
Long before your manuscript is finished (or even better: before you start your book) get yourself into professional networks:

 

  • Join lots of Reader Communities, such as Goodreads, Wattpad, LibraryThing etc.
  • Write for Newspapers / Magazines – the best way to get a name as an author! And earn money at the same time.
    Why? These networks with editors and publishing professionals will not only help you to improve your writing portfolio (and maybe even get you paid for it) but it also improves your chances to get coverage by your “colleagues” – in contrast to begging a prestigious newspaper / magazine to review your book.
    Clever Marketing and reaching millions of people can be done totally free (other than your time). Just use your creativity and imagination!
  • Be self-assured and don’t hesitate to pitch international newspapers / blogs. It takes as much time as to pitch your local neighbourhood paper.
  • Write something of value for readers – which is “by chance” part of your book, such as travel tips to the location of your books plot, museums, festivals or public transportation that are mentioned in your book.
  • You have to do your research anyway, why not use the material you gather and write several articles that you can offer – always mentioning your book.
  • As a writer you know how to write, just learn how to write online content by reading lots of online articles and how they are set-up
  • Have a stunning photo on your books cover!
  • Prepare a Media Kit on your website – and in print, with perfect book description and professional photos.

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Send out Advanced Reader Copies:
ARC’s, or advance review copies (8 – 6 months! before your publication date), to booksellers and journalists. Because ARCs may not have been put through the entire editing process, the copy will often differ slightly from the standard edition of the book. You need professional reviews to entice pre-orders and early readers / reviewers.

Study these Magazines’ / Newspapers’ review submission guidelines – and follow to the point! Read also their previous columns, maybe a book review fits into this column, rather than the book review editors section.
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Online Marketing and Social Media.
Blog / Website
“At the very least, new authors should be blogging” – that’s what publishers and agents expect. Blogs are an essential tool of any writer. Not only does it get you writing on a regular schedule, it lubricates your writer’s brain, eases that fear of putting yourself out there in the world.
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Social Media Networking.
In order to be found on the Internet’s Search Engines you need to be on Google+.  Second comes Goodreads where all the book lovers are, and then Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Try to stick with readers, reviewers and book bloggers on these Social Media platforms.
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Become Friends with Book Bloggers and Reviewers.
Careers everywhere depend on networking, same with a writing career. Start making “friends” with reviewers, long before your book is finished: Search on your social media sites for reviewers, reviews, book bloggers, etc. when using the search function on top of Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook and Google+ pages. At Goodreads, reviewers are listed, so you can conveniently choose them as friends and follow them for a while, see which book genres they prefer, before you approach them.
Check out the bestsellers in your genre (in bookstores or online) and find names of reviewers. If these reviewers have a blog (and most do), comment on their articles. Offer them well-written guest blogs, geared to their topics and readership.
Joining reader communities, such as Wattpad and posting sample chapters also helps to attract book lovers who often are approachable for review inquiries.
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Here are a Half Dozen Links to Book Marketing

Checklist: How to Organize Your Book Marketing

7 Tips to Promote Your Book for FREE

17 Tips How to Successful Run Book Giveaways

Benefit of Writing Contests and Book Awards

Successful Book Selling – The Non-Traditional Way

How to Choose the Right Genre for Your Book

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Conclusion:
The possibilities to market your book are endless, and it should be an ongoing process to build your author brand and to establish a huge platform from where you can interact with your readers. However to become a recognized and “real” author with lots of book sales, you need to write at least 3 to 5 books and dozens of magazine or newspaper articles for your portfolio. It will take time – a couple of years – but you will eventually become a Bestseller author. Take Stephen King as a role model and never, ever give up! Have fun writing and meeting your readers.

These are just a couple of Book Marketing Tips. Detailed descriptions how to implement the best methods in transferring your books to bestseller status can be found in our e-books on Amazon.

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Recipes for Writing and Publishing Success

Writing-Success

Snippets from:
111 Tips on How to Market Your Book for Free
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If anyone has earned Bestseller status for a book, than it is YOURS. You worked very hard for years on your first novel, invested in a professional editor and you chose one of the best book cover artists.

But your book sales are still disappointing… and your friends are postponing their promised book reviews from week to week.  You get more depressed from day to day and don’t even want to read tweets or posts on Social Media where authors are bragging over their bestselling works.  Even worse for you is to check the weekly NYT Bestsellers.  Becoming a bestseller author seems to be totally out of reach – or is it? Here is what you can do about it, but first some hard facts:
.
7 Million Self-Published Titles: Stiff Competition.
Since 2010 roughly 7 million new self-published books appeared, almost all at online retailer’s websites.  And not only new books will launch every day, but also these titles will be offered for many years to come, as most of them are in digital format. The “gold rush” seems to be over.
.
How NYT Bestsellers are “Made”:
Bestseller does not mean an outstanding book in quality-writing, it means only: sold in high numbers during a certain period, compared to other books who sold less copies.  And it means a print book, mostly as hardcovers and sold at book chains and mass markets.  This way to count numbers excludes: ebooks, audiobooks, books sold in other countries than USA, and self-published books.

If you can spend between $60,000 and $100,000 for marketing, you can use the services of a promotion company, e.g. the San Diego-based ResultSource.com who will buy your books en masse in chain stores to get your book into the bestseller lists …  We explained in detail “The Dark Side of Bestseller Lists”.  First investigated while writing “The Mystery of the Book Sales Spike” by Jeffrey Trachtenberg for the Wallstreet Journal.
.

Roadblocks for Independent Writers
– and How to Overcome them.

  1. Without your personal ISBN (not from a POD) and without national distributors e.g. Ingram/ LightningSource etc., bookstores will / cannot even order a book for a customer. If your book is not internationally listed at Bowker, bookstores cannot find it in their computer.
  2. Big media reviewers do not even accept 10% of the submissions they receive – and as an independent author you are competing with traditional publishers – who know these reviewers for many years and might even be friends with them – and mostly are also their advertising customers …. you get the idea?
  3. Bookstores are still very reluctant to order self-published books from CreateSpace – after all, Amazon is their hardest competitor.

.
Dreams Don’t Work – Unless YOU Do!

Bestseller authors who are the most successful, understand that publishing is a business. If no one knows about your book, then how can you expect to make sales? Nobody ever made money writing a book – only by selling it!

.
Plan a Budget.
Here at SavvyBookWriters.com/blogg we have more than 1,230 articles, explaining authors in detail how they can overcome all these obstacles.  Succeeding at self-publishing means also to use some traditional marketing methods, and a budget, including anywhere from 5-10% for your overall book marketing, including a website or blog, paying for IT help, a web designer, or Google ads.
.
Start early and do Your Market Research!
Authors, and especially self-publishing authors need to study their competition carefully too: Read their books, study book covers, pricing, reviews, and the marketing of competing books.
.
Bestseller Authors Need Years.
Building up their audience takes lots of time, so it is surprising, that authors dream of their first book as a potential bestseller, and don’t realize that it takes a long time and hard work to get an audience, one reader at a time – especially if they did not do the groundwork to build a huge following at Social Media, in reader forums or in real-life before they start publishing.
.
Get Help from a Publishing Professional.
A book marketing professional has to learn years and years.  Why, as an author, not take advantage of their knowledge to keep your head free for writing and interacting with readers?  No one would start a catering business without learning to cook, and knowing how to present food or how to find customers.  Writing a book does not make for a publisher.  Take the time to build your author platform and establish a brand, it will eventually give you an advantage in the market, no matter if you are self-publishing or if you go with a trade publisher.
.
Print is a Must!
Print books still make up for about 60% of the book market, depending if you look at book sales numbers or revenue per book. The audio-book market is certainly growing too. Libraries order both book forms, however prefer hardcover with spine.  How to sell / distribute to libraries is explained in detail in our blog article.

Books for library-use need a Library of Congress Catalog in Publication block or, for a self-published book, Publishers Catalog in Publication block and / or a listing with Bowker word wide.
.
Choose the Right Categories.
Be very carefully in which categories you place your book, especially on Amazon and other online retailers, so that readers find you easily and that you are not placed in a category with too much competition.
.
How to Get Prestigious Book Reviews.
Check out professionally published books:  Many of these trade books have either on their back cover (paperback) or on their binding flap (hard cover) several snippets of the book reviews, as well as endorsements from bestselling writers or other professionals, that were already written before the book was printed.  It is not easy to get your book reviewed in these journals: however, it is possible. Librarians read reviews — at least those in Library Journal and Kirkus.  Both are paid reviews, so are a couple other professional book reviewers, which are often used by Trade Publishers, and are open to independent authors as well.
Study the Magazine’s / Newspaper’s review submission guidelines – and follow to the point!  Read also their previous columns, maybe a book review fits into this column, rather than in the book review editors’ section.
.
Find Professional Networks.
Long before your manuscript is finished (or even better: before you start your book) get yourself into professional networks: Join lots of reader communities, such as Goodreads, Wattpad, LibraryThing etc..
Joining reader communities, and posting sample chapters (immediately after you write them) also helps to attract book lovers who often are approachable for review inquiries.
.
Send out Advanced Reader Copies.
ARC’s, or advance review copies to booksellers and journalists: 8 – 6 months BEFORE your publication date! Because ARCs may not have been put through the entire editing process, the copy will often differ slightly from the standard edition of the book. You need professional reviews to entice pre-orders and early readers / reviewers.
.

Turn Writing Content Into Income.
Why?  These networks with editors and publishing professionals will not only help you to improve your writing portfolio (and you even get paid for it) but it also improves your chances to get coverage by your “colleagues” – in contrast to beg an editor of a prestigious newspaper or magazine to review your book.  Clever Marketing and reaching millions of people can be done totally free (other than your time).  Just use your creativity and imagination!

  • Be self-assured and don’t hesitate to pitch international newspapers / blogs. It takes as much time as to pitch your local neighbourhood paper.
  • Write something of value for readers – which is “by chance” part of your book, such as travel tips to the location of your books plot, museums, festivals or public transportation that are mentioned in your book.
  • You have to do your research anyway, why not use the material you gather and write several articles that you can offer – always mentioning your book.
  • As a writer you know how to write, just learn how to write online content by reading lots of online articles and how they are set-up
  • Have a stunning photo of yourself on your books cover!
  • Prepare a Media Kit on your website – and in print, with perfect book description and professional photos.
    .

Online Marketing and Social Media
“At the very least, authors should be blogging” – that’s what publishers and agents expect.  Blogs are an essential tool of any writer.  Not only does it get you writing on a regular schedule, it lubricates your writer’s brain, eases that fear of putting yourself out there in the world.
.
Social Media Tips.
In order to be found on the Internet’s Search Engines you need to be on Google+.  Second comes Goodreads where all the book lovers are, and then Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.  Try to stick with readers, reviewers and book bloggers on these Social Media platforms.
.
Become Friends with Book Bloggers and Reviewers.
Careers everywhere depend on networking, same with a writing career.  Start making “friends” with reviewers, long before your book is finished: Search on your social media sites for reviewers, reviews, book bloggers, etc. when using the search function on top of Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook and Google+ pages.  At Goodreads, reviewers are listed, so you can conveniently choose them as friends and follow them for a while, see which book genres they prefer, before you approach them.
Check out the bestsellers in your genre (in bookstores or online) and find names of reviewers.  If these reviewers have a blog (and most do), comment on their articles.  Offer them well-written guest blogs, geared to their topics and readership.
.
Learn from these Writers:
In previous blogs we explained how: “Smart Authors Get Paid for Marketing Their Books!” and “FREE, Brilliant Book Marketing to a Million Audience“. 
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Write Something of Value for Readers.
– which is “by chance” part of your book, such as travel tips to the location of your books plot, museums, festivals, restaurants or public transportation that are mentioned in your book.  You have to do your research for your books anyway, why not use the material you gather and write several articles that you can offer – always mentioning your book.  One more way of content writing: Try to write as many guest blogs as possible for top bloggers that are high on Google and Alexa rankings.  It will give you and your books more exposure and new readers.
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Why Asking for (media) Book Reviews?
When you could get both: book promotion and at the same time (often) being paid? I know, it is a new concept to many writers, but when you think about it – it makes really sense: why use your time and effort to chase reviewers, when you can use your energy to leverage your books content and your research content – to create articles that you can pitch to both, print and online newspapers and magazines?”
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Perfect for Shy Writers.
Content book marketing is also perfect for shy writers who might cringe at stepping outside their comfort zone. They can promote their books at the end of each article they write and even add links to their website or book sales page.  Writing content will not transform your book into an overnight success, but it is a wonderful option for a long-term strategy, to build an author’s platform and it gives your readers a sample of your writing.  BTW: Traditional media is more and more outsourcing, barely any full-time writing staff is left, which means they are open to pitches from freelance contributors…
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Josh Pigford, a Social Media Marketing Guru:
“The bottom line is that people trust editorial content more than they trust advertisements.  Do the right mix.  Whether your business is as big as Colgate or whether you are a one-person start up, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to utilize this simple fact in order to engage your audience and build your customer base.” 
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Do’s and Don’ts in Content Writing / Blogging.

  • Headline attention – encourage readers to read the next line
  • Use keywords that resonate with your audience
  • Use simple and direct works
  • Exciting, interesting, controversial, sensational all work well
  • Numbers / lists / real data works / infographics are popular

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Your Email Newsletter:
Don’t forget to install an opt-in email list to be able to contact your fans!  Lori Taylor wrote in an article: “Ask any serious blogger the biggest blogging mistake they have made.  All of them will tell you the same thing.  Their biggest regret is failing to set up an email list as soon as they started their blog.  Money is not an issue – nor is it difficult to set up a list.  MailChimp.com is free – if your email list is under 1,500 email subscribers, while you can try out AWeber.com for just $1.  Adding a signup form to the sidebar of your blog is simply a case of copying and pasting some html code.
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Conclusion:
The possibilities to market your book are endless, and it should be an ongoing process to build your author brand and to establish a huge platform from where you can interact with your readers.

At our online seminars we help you to get ideas how to use your books’ content to write, promote and how you can even make money with your articles.

However to become a recognized and “real” author with lots of book sales, you need to write at least three to five books and dozens of magazine or newspaper articles for your portfolio.  It will take time – a couple of years – but you will eventually become a Bestseller author.  

Take Stephen King as a role model and never, ever give up! Have fun writing and meeting your readers!

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Here Some Links to Professional Book Marketing Tips:

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/11/14/checklist-how-to-organize-your-book-marketing/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/7-tips-to-promote-your-book-for-free/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/08/24/17-tips-how-to-successful-run-book-giveaways/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/benefit-of-writing-contests-and-book-awards/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/successful-selling-books-the-non-traditional-way/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/how-to-choose-the-right-genre-for-your-book/

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3 Facts About Bestseller Lists and Launch Timing

HowtoPublishaBook

 

Are you wondering why some of the best print books you ever read are not in the bestseller lists and other titles you might not find well written make it into the New York Times?  In a former article How Bestsellers are Made I explained that being listed as a #1 bestseller title doesn’t necessarily mean an outstanding, brilliant book, it just shows that it was sold in a certain week, by certain vendors, in its category more often than other books.

1. There is not only one bestseller list, but many.

2. January is the #1 launch time for Self-Publishers to land a bestseller.

3. What’s an Author To Do To Compete?

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1. There is not only one bestseller list, but many.
The New York Times and Publishers Weekly rank books up to the top 15, while USA Today ranks just the numbers, no separations, no categories, just the 150 top sellers of a certain week.  USA TODAY surveys book sales and gathers weekly sales data to create a list, comprised of the week’s 150 best-selling titles. The USA TODAY print edition publishes the first 50 titles and the online list includes all 150.  USA TODAY also pulls these titles onto a single list, whereas the New York Times divides these lists up by genre.  Publishers Weekly compiles 9 different lists from statistics that are  compiled at 3,000 bookstores. PW’s lists are meant to be useful to bookstores,librarians, literary agents and publishing houses.
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The NYT list is reporting book sales (of about 60-75% of book retailers) relative to a specific week, which means: a title will land on the NYT Bestsellers list if it sold “the most” books in a certain category in a certain week. And only certain bookstores or booksellers are reporting to the New York Times. There is also the consideration of sales surge. This surge often happens during a very short period of time and doesn’t always have to equate to huge numbers, it’s the velocity of the push that matters. But it gets even more complicated…  See this Wikipedia articles and its resources.

Heather MacLean, herself a NYT bestseller explains: “A #1 NYT Bestseller in one category could have sold 10 times as many copies as the #1 Bestseller in a different category. Similarly, the #1 NYT Bestseller in one category might have sold considerably less than the #21 book of a more competitive or crowded category that didn’t get to make the list.” “You can break onto the NYT List in certain categories with sales as small as 3,000 copies sold. It all depends on the category and what else you’re competing with in a certain week.”

NYT Bestseller status, and be it only for one week, is certainly an exceptional promotion and sales argument for your book – if it is not self-published – as the NYT does not count Indie ebooks.  Read more details on Heather’s blog.

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2. January is the #1 launch time for Self-Publishers to land a bestseller.
Trade publishers divide their catalogs and book launches into three seasons: Fall, including the holidays, Spring, and Summer. The Fall season is the most important one, the time where they launch their mega bestsellers from celebrity authors. During this time all other writers have to compete against all the big names – all the way through the holiday season when the most books are purchased.

During this time it is almost impossible for non-brand name writers to hit the bestseller lists. Bestseller author Kristine Rusch  calculated that in November and early December, it might take ten to 100 times more copies per week for a book to hit a bestseller list than it does in any other season. She advices to publish it in January with a lot of publicity.
“Publishers try to spread their publication dates away from other companies’ brand names for just that reason.  No one wants a Stephen King book to go head to head with a James Patterson book and a Nora Roberts book in the first week of publication (for all three books).  Only one of them would be able to hit number one on the list.”  The next best time is the early Summer season, May and June, think summer reading!

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3. What’s an Author To Do To Compete?
How many copies you need to sell of your book will often depend on when you release it. The January release might a good one, alone for the fact that many people get Amazon gift cards and use them for new books.  Never have your books’ sales starting on a Friday or God-forbid on a Saturday.  Rather start at the beginning of the week. If you go with a big publisher make the launch month and the day of the week part of your author contract.  During slower weeks you will be able to hit the list with fewer sales than you may need in weeks saturated with popular releases. However, 99% of all bestseller list status is unpredictable anyway…
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The Midwest Book Review advices:
To make the USA TODAY lists, you will have to promote to Books & Co. in Dayton, Hungry Mind in St. Paul, Kroch’s & Brentano’s in Chicago, Oxford in Atlanta, Tattered Cover in Denver, Ingram in Nashville and sell to the chains B. Dalton, Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, Crown, Bookland, Books-A-Million, Bookstop/Bookstar, Brentano’s, Doubleday Book Shops, Lauriat’s, Royal Discount Book Stores, and Scribners Bookstores. Other national lists appear in the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.

Important: Have your book in print, not only as an e-book, preferably by a publisher – this can be your own company if professionally set-up.  Have your book through distributor channels (Ingram, Baker & Taylor) that are delivering to book sellers, reporting to the New York Times and USA TODAY, such as Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Costco and Target.

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Don’t forget what Heather MacLeans advices to authors: “If your wonderful book doesn’t make it to the NYT, remember that there are many other marketing tools that can help propel your title just as well: other newspaper lists, awards, editor’s recommendations, reviews, and word of mouth. If your book is good, people will find it and love it!”

Get also tips what you can actively do to make your book a success story in articles by Michael Hyatt and by James Altucher.

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer for three months all this and more – for only $179 – or less than $2 per day!
Learn more about this customized Online Seminar / Consulting for writers: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 1,150 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? There is also the “SHARE” button for easy sharing at Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

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Hyper Smash

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Tony Robbins: MONEY Master the Game

Great Christmas or New Years Gift

 

MONEY  Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom
by Tony Robbins 
 

#1 Best Seller in Motivational Self-Help, 689 pages

222 customer reviews with 5-stars already

all proceeds go to charity!

Kindle $18.19


 

Tony Robbins has coached and inspired more than 50 million people from over 100 countries. More than 4 million people have attended his live events. Oprah Winfrey calls him “super-human.” Now for the first time—in his first book in two decades—he’s turned to the topic that vexes us all: How to secure financial freedom for ourselves and our families. 

Based on extensive research and one-on-one interviews with more than 50 of the most legendary financial experts in the world—from Carl Icahn and Warren Buffett, to Ray Dalio and Steve Forbes—Tony Robbins has created a simple 7-step blueprint that anyone can use for financial freedom.

Robbins has a brilliant way of using metaphor and story to illustrate even the most complex financial concepts—making them simple and actionable. With expert advice on our most important financial decisions, Robbins is an advocate for the reader, dispelling the myths that often rob people of their financial dreams. 

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TWO DAYS IN JUNE

 

Two-Days-in-June

Two Days in June


TWO DAYS IN JUNE
 John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History  by Andrew Cohen.

In June 1963, John Fitzgerald Kennedy has been president of the United States for almost two and a half years.  That spring he is grappling with the two seismic forces of the early 1960s:  the proliferation of nuclear arms and the struggle for civil rights.  On two consecutive days, in two lyrical addresses, he appeals to Americans to see both the Russians and the “Negroes” as human beings.

His speech on June 10 leads to the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963, the first arms control agreement of the Cold War. A day later, his next speech on June 11,  leads to the famous Civil Rights Act of 1964, a watershed in American history.  In lily-white, Cold War America, this kind of language is unprecedented, if not almost subversive.

Andrew Cohen, an award-winning journalist and bestselling author, evokes the writing of William Manchester and Theodore White as he presents a president pivoting dramatically and decisively on the two biggest issues of his time. Based largely on hours of unseen documentary film shot in the White House and the Justice Department on these two days, as well as fresh interviews and a rediscovered draft speech.  Two Days in June elegantly captures Kennedy at the high noon of his presidency in new, rich, granular detail.
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There were 1,036 Days in the Presidency of John F. Kennedy
Moment by moment, JFK’s feverish forty-eight hours unspool in suspenseful, cinematic clarity as he addresses “peace and freedom.”

Kennedy faces down George Wallace over the integration of the University of Alabama, which Cohen shows was not scripted, as many argue.  In this tick-tock of the presidency, we see Kennedy up close as never before: signing a bill on pay equity for women, and planning a secret diplomatic mission to Indonesia, reeling from the midnight murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers.  Big issues converge while smaller ones emerge – open immigration, lower taxes, physical fitness, space exploration…

Under Cohen’s steady gaze, we see Kennedy’s extraordinary relationship with his brother, Robert, who acts as field marshal as the administration manages George Wallace;  his partnership with Theodore Sorensen, his gifted if mercurial speechwriter; and his affair with Mary Meyer, a free-spirited painter.
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About the Author
Andrew Cohen is an award-winning journalist and former Washington correspondent whom the New York Times has called one of “Canada’s most distinguished authors.”
He has had an interest in the Kennedys from the time he learned of the president’s assassination as a third grader at Roslyn School in Montreal.  He attended Choate Rosemary Hall (where JFK went), McGill University, Carleton University and the University of Cambridge.

Among his Best-Selling Books

 

He has written for United Press International, the Financial Post, the Financial Times of London, Time and the Globe and Mail from London, Berlin, Toronto and Ottawa, where he is a professor of journalism and international affairs at Carleton University.  In Washington, he covered the Clinton administration and reported on his impeachment and trial and the disputed election of 2000. He made several trips to the South, writing about the re-opening of civil rights cases from the 1960s.  He has won three National Magazine Awards and two National Newspaper Awards, and he has been twice been awarded the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal. Cohen writes a nationally-syndicated column for the Ottawa Citizen and appears as regular commentator on CTV News.

What’s New in: Two Days in June
Two Days in June is an original, intimate reconstruction of two momentous days in the presidency of John F. Kennedy. It is a chronicle like no other in the Kennedy literature, brimming with fresh insights and revelations, drawing on hours of newly-uncovered documentary film shot in the White House on June 10 and June 11, 1963, as well as the days before and after.  Andrew Cohen is said to be the first to see the raw footage since it was shot for a celebrated documentary broadcast fifty-one years ago.

In revisiting these two days, the single most important resource is Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment, the 52-minute cinéma vérité film made by Robert Drew, one of the pioneers of the genre in the United States. Drew, a photographer at Life, would become one of the acclaimed documentary filmmakers of his time. In making Crisis, Drew had unprecedented access to President Kennedy in the White House and to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in the Justice Department over these feverish days. Drew also sent crews to Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Birmingham and New York City with Richard Leacock, Greg Shuker and D.A. Pennebaker, all emerging filmmakers. The subject was the confrontation between George Wallace and the Kennedys over the integration of the University of Alabama, which climaxed on June 11, 1963, what some historians call the most important day in the civil rights movement. Crisis aired on ABC in the United States on October 23, 1963, less than a month before JFK was assassinated. Its reputation grew. In 2011, it was named to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, one of twenty-five films a year deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant.

The archivists believe that Andrew Cohen is the first to see the film since they received it sixteen years ago, and quite possibly, since it was made fifty-one years ago.  Two Days in June also draws on the recently opened diaries and letters of Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., the eminent historian and presidential assistant, as well as those of Charles Ritchie, Canada’s Ambassador to Washington that spring.

 

Excerpt from a press release of McClelland & Stewart Doubleday Canada Publishing Group, part of Random House of Canada Ltd

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5 Reasons Your Book Will Not Be a Bestseller

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Bestseller

Or Better Said: Your First Book Won’t Be a Bestseller – Yet

If anyone has earned Bestseller status for a book than it is YOURS. You worked very hard for years on your first novel, invested in a professional editor (who also edits for big trade publishers) and you chose one of the best book cover designers. But your book sales are still disappointing… and your friends are postponing their promised book reviews from week to week.  Read More: 


Tagged: 7 Million Self-Published Articles, How Bestsellers are made, How to publish a book and become a bestseller, NYT Bestseller List, Roadblocks for Indie Writers

Your Book Won’t Be a Bestseller – Yet

Key

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If anyone has earned Bestseller status for a book than it is YOURS. You worked very hard for years on your first novel, invested in a professional editor (who also edits for big trade publishers) and you chose one of the best book cover designers. But your book sales are still disappointing… and your friends are postponing their promised book reviews from week to week.

You get more depressed from day to day and don’t even want to read tweets or posts on Social Media where authors are bragging over their bestselling works. Even worse for you is to check the weekly NYT Bestsellers. Becoming a bestseller author seems to be totally out of reach – or is it? Here is what you can do about it, but first some hard facts:

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7 Million Self-Published Titles: Stiff Competition
Since 2010 roughly 7 million new self-published books appeared, almost all at online retailer’s websites. And these titles will be offered for many years to come, as most of them are in digital format. The “gold rush” seems to be over.

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How NYT Bestsellers are “Made”
Bestseller does not mean an outstanding book in quality-writing, it means only: sold in high numbers during a certain period, compared to other books who sold less copies. And it means a print book, mostly in hard cover and sold at book chains and mass market in the United States. This way excluded are: ebooks, audiobooks, books sold in other countries than USA, and self-published books.

If you can spend between $60,000 and 100,000 to spend for marketing you can use the services of a promotion company, e.g. San Diego-based ResultSource.com who will buy your books en masse in chain stores to get your book into the bestseller lists … We explained in detail “The Dark Side of Bestseller Lists”. First investigated in The Mystery of the Book Sales Spike by Jeffrey Trachtenberg in Wallstreet Journal.

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Even More Roadblocks for Independent Writers
Be aware that:

  • Without your personal ISBN (not from a POD) and without national distributors e.g. Igram, LightningSource etc., bookstores will / cannot even order a book for a customer. If your book is not internationally listed at Bowker,  bookstores cannot find it in their computer.
  • Big media reviewers do not even accept 10% of the submissions they receive – and as an independent author you are competing with traditional publishers (who know these reviewers for many years and might even be friends with them – and mostly also are their advertising customers – you get the idea?).
  • Bookstores are still very reluctant to order self-published books from CreateSpace – after all, Amazon is their hardest competitor.

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Dreams Don’t Work – Unless YOU Do!

Bestseller Authors who are the most successful understand that publishing is a business. If no one knows about your book, then how can you expect to make sales? Nobody ever made money writing a book – only by selling it!
Here at SavvyBookWriters.com/blog we have more than 1,130 articles, explaining authors in detail how they can overcome all these obsticles. Succeeding at self-publishing means also to use some traditional marketing methods, and a Budget, including anywhere from 5-10% for your overall book marketing, including website, paying for IT help, designer, or Google ads.
Start early and do Market Research! Authors, and especially self-publishing authors need to study their competition carefully too: Read their books, study book covers, pricing, reviews, and the marketing of competing books.

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Bestseller Authors Need Years
Building up their audience takes lots of time, so it is surprising, that authors dream of their first book as a potential bestseller, and don’t realize that it takes a long time and hard work to get an audience, one reader at a time – especially if they did not do the groundwork to build a huge following at Social Media, in reader forums or in real-life before they start publishing.
A book marketing professional has to learn years and years. Why, as an author, not take advantage of their knowledge to keep your head free for writing and interacting with readers? No one would start a catering business without learning to cook, and knowing how to present food or how to find customers. Writing a book does not make for a publisher. Take the time to build your author platform and establish a brand, it will eventually give you an advantage in the market, no matter if self-publishing or going with a trade publisher.

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Print is a Must!
Print books still make up for about 60% of the book market, depending if you look at book sales numbers or revenue per book. The audio-book market is certainly growing too. Libraries order both book forms, however prefer hardcover with spine. How to sell / distribute to libraries is explained in detail in our blog article.

Books for library-use need a Library of Congress Catalog in Publication block or, for a self-published book, Publishers Catalog in Publication block and / or a listing with Bowker word wide.

One more tip:
Be very carefully in which categories you place your book, especially on Amazon and other online retailers, so that readers find you easily and that you are not placed in a category with too much competition.

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How to Get Prestigious Book Reviews
Check out professionally published books:  Many of these trade books have either on their back cover (paperback) or on their binding flap (hard cover) several snippets of the book reviews, as well as endorsements from bestselling writers or other professionals, that were already written before the book was printed.  It is not easy to get your book reviewed in these journals; however, it is possible.

Librarians read reviews — at least those in Library Journal  and Kirkus.  Both are paid reviews, so are a couple other professional book reviewers, which are often used by Trade Publishers, and are open to independent authors as well.
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Find Professional Networks
Long before your manuscript is finished (or even better: before you start your book) get yourself into professional networks:

  • Join lots of Reader Communities
    such as Goodreads, Wattpad, LibraryThing etc.
  • Write for Newspapers / Magazines
    Why? These networks with editors and publishing professionals will not only help you to improve your writing portfolio (and maybe even get you paid for it) but it also improves your chances to get coverage by your “colleagues” – in contrast to begging a prestigious newspaper / magazine to review your book.
  • Clever Marketing and reaching millions of people can be done totally free (other than your time). Just use your creativity and imagination!
  • Be self-assured and don’t hesitate to pitch international newspapers / blogs. It takes as much time as to pitch your local neighbourhood paper.
  • Write something of value for readers – which is “by chance” part of your book, such as travel tips to the location of your books plot, museums, festivals or public transportation that are mentioned in your book.
  • You have to do your research anyway, why not use the material you gather and write several articles that you can offer – always mentioning your book.
  • As a writer you know how to write, just learn how to write online content by reading lots of online articles and how they are set-up
  • Have a stunning photo on your books cover!
  • Prepare a Media Kit on your website – and in print, with perfect book description and professional photos.
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Send out Advanced Reader Copies:
ARC’s, or advance review copies (8 – 6 months! before your publication date), to booksellers and journalists. Because ARCs may not have been put through the entire editing process, the copy will often differ slightly from the standard edition of the book. You need professional reviews to entice pre-orders and early readers / reviewers.

Study these Magazines’ /  Newspapers’ review submission guidelines – and follow to the point!  Read also their previous columns, maybe a book review fits into this column, rather than the book review editors section.
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Online Marketing and Social Media
Blog / Website 
“At the very least, new authors should be blogging” – that’s what publishers and agents expect. Blogs are an essential tool of any writer. Not only does it get you writing on a regular schedule, it lubricates your writer’s brain, eases that fear of putting yourself out there in the world.
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Social Media
In order to be found on the Internet’s Search Engines you need to be on Google+. Second comes Goodreads where all the book lovers are, and then Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Try to stick with readers, reviewers and book bloggers on these Social Media platforms.
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Become Friends with Book Bloggers and Reviewers
Careers everywhere depend on networking, same with a writing career. Start making “friends” with reviewers, long before your book is finished: Search on your social media sites for reviewers, reviews, book bloggers, etc. when using the search function on top of Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook and Google+ pages. At Goodreads, reviewers are listed, so you can conveniently choose them as friends and follow them for a while, see which book genres they prefer, before you approach them.
Check out the bestsellers in your genre (in bookstores or online) and find names of reviewers. If these reviewers have a blog (and most do), comment on their articles. Offer them well-written guest blogs, geared to their topics and readership.
Joining reader communities, such as Wattpad and posting sample chapters also helps to attract book lovers who often are approachable for review inquiries.
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Here are a Half Dozen Links to Book Marketing

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/11/14/checklist-how-to-organize-your-book-marketing/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/7-tips-to-promote-your-book-for-free/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/08/24/17-tips-how-to-successful-run-book-giveaways/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/benefit-of-writing-contests-and-book-awards/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/successful-selling-books-the-non-traditional-way/

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/how-to-choose-the-right-genre-for-your-book/

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Conclusion:
The possibilities to market your book are endless, and it should be an ongoing process to build your author brand and to establish a huge platform from where you can interact with your readers. However to become a recognized and “real” author with lots of book sales, you need to write at least 3 to 5 books and dozens of magazine or newspaper articles for your portfolio.  It will take time – a couple of years – but you will eventually become a Bestseller author. Take Stephen King as a role model and never, ever give up! Have fun writing and meeting your readers.

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $179 for three months – or less than $2 per day! Learn more about this customized Online Seminar / Consulting for writers: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 1,130 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? There is also the “SHARE” button for easy sharing at Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook etc.

.

Hyper Smash

Pingate

17 Bestseller Tips – from Trade Publishers

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Bestseller-List

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If you ever see Marketing and Advertising from traditional puplishers, it’s for their Bestseller authors only, such as: Advance Book Reviews, posted on their book’s cover, Book Tours and Signings of celebrity authors, media coverage including reviews, speaking engagements, and placing at major bookstores who report to Bestseller lists.  How can author-publishers use the methods of global trade publishers to promote their self-published books?  You don’t need to travel to the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, like Johannes Kepler did in 1620 – yes, self-publishing was en vogue already four hundred years ago!

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7 Million Self-Published Titles:  Stiff Competition
Since 2010 roughly 7 million new self-published books appeared, almost all at online retailer’s websites.  And these titles will be offered for many years to come, as most of them are in digital format. The “gold rush” seems to be over and self-publishing has been dropping almost 50% per year, obviously “separating the wheat from the chaff”.  You’re not a New York Times bestselling author. You don’t have a publicist. And your Amazon sales numbers are awful. Should you quit writing books?  No, absolutely not!

For those of you who want to succeed at self-publishing, use also some traditional marketing methods, create a Business Plan and a Budget, including anywhere from 5-10% for your overall book marketing, including website, paying for IT help, designer, or Google ads.
Traditional publishing uses multiple ways to promote. Self-published authors attempt to market their books to the entire world via Amazon, social media, and their website it seems.  Publishers select books in order to stay in business, and also to determine what the publishing house’s identity is.  Here’s how you can copy traditional ways to market – adjusted to self-publishing.  One step at a time, but continually every day – split in small tasks.
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1. Start Early
Market Research – the very first step to do!  An editor will need to make a case that the book fills a market need. And to do that, the publishing house will look carefully at what’s out there. Has the competition a recent publication in this sub-genre? Does it have similar scope? Is it widely available?

Authors, and especially self-publishing authors need to study their competition carefully too:  Read their books, study book covers, pricing, reviews, and the marketing of competing books. The most powerful and essential steps you can take toward promoting your book begins long before the actual writing of the book. At least two years before the book is published, start building a network of supporters and reviewers.
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2. Print!
Traditional publishers concentrate on print books, which still make up for about 60% of the book market, depending if you look at book sales numbers or revenue per book.  Audio Books: The audio-book market is certainly growing, and Trade Publishers are not only investing in digital (even so it took them a very long time) books, but also in audio-books.

E-book authors might be happy with their sales on Amazon, Apple, Kobo or Barnes & Noble. You might have even turned it into an audio book. But the questions for a “real” book, paper back or hard-cover copy from conservative friends or elderly family members are nagging… And wouldn’t it be nice to walk into a Chapters or Baker & Taylor or one of these rare independent book shops and see your book in the shelf?  You will not earn a fortune, not even a living, but for a couple of months it is a nice pocket change. Only months… yes, because longer than this, barely any book will stay in the book store, unless it really is a bestseller and gets re-printed. If you go the indie route and choose for example the POD services and worldwide distribution through Lightning Source, (provided you have at least 3 books to be considered a small publisher) your book is printed on demand and will never get discarded (good: no-return-policy in POD worldwide distribution). See this article How to Distribute Your Book Worldwide.
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3. Book Sales at many outlets
Imagine you could buy all books from Penguin only in one book chain… Publishers distribute their books to as many outlets as possible, to brick-and-mortar stores, independent book sellers, mass markets, online book sellers, even via Affiliate programs.

Authors: Sell your books, e-books and audio-books not only through Amazon, but as well on Barnes&Noble, Apple and Kobo websites, to have your “eggs in more than one basket”. And don’t forget the potentially huge potential market for hardcover books, selling them to libraries all over the country!  However, there are way more online retailers for e-books and books than just Apple , Sony, Diesel, Kobo or Barnes & Noble.  Sign up with a book distributor / fulfillment company for your print-version of the book. Distributors mostly require just three books to be listed as a publishing business, and if authors have not written three books yet, they can band together with other authors to reach this minimum.  Traditional publishers and the books of their authors can be found on Bowker’s global database of books.  How to get into “Books in Print”, a worldwide database and to register your book for FREE! with Bowker is the topic of another blog posts.

Books available for future publishers:  Aaron Shepard has written two books about the topic of book distribution: POD for Profit and Aiming at Amazon, both contain very detailed information for small publishers. Another great source is Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual, a classic publishing guide-book.
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4. Sell books to Libraries
All traditional publishers sell their books to libraries.

According to statistics from the American Library Association and the Book Industry Study Group, libraries yearly purchase books for nearly $2 billion. But not only books, also audio-books and other forms of publications. Around 95% from major publishers.  Imagine, you sold your $15 book at a 50% discount to only 10% of these libraries, you will earn more than $75,000. But how can you tap into the lucrative library market?  It is explained in detail, including valuable links of wholesale companies who sell to libraries, on SavvyBookWriters here and here.
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5. Book Shows & Fairs
Representation at the applicable trade shows includes bookseller trade shows like the Bookseller Expo America (BEA) or one of the regional bookseller shows, like the New England Booksellers Association, Book Shows for the Library Association (ALA) and certainly the world’s most important, the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany every October.

Which Book Fairs or other Literary Events will you attend in the coming months to present your work?  How to organize your participation and how to attract visitors is explained in detail in this blog post, pointing out the do’s and don’ts at book fairs.

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6. Book Signings
An author tour can take various forms. Two weeks of travel, flights from city to city, an author appearance every day, twice a day if possible.  Publishers often make their choice on the basis of three factors:  if the book can sell in quantity in bookstores; if the book can be reviewed in newspapers, not simply journals;  and if the author is presentable.

How you can organize your own book signing is explained in detail, even with a time-table, here on this blog post at SavvyBookWriters.com/blog
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7. Book Clubs
Traditional Book Publishers sometimes sponsor book clubs, or invite them to participate in a contest, such as the one offered by Random House of Canada “Book Clubs are Beautiful”.  Members suggests four or five books that they must have read and then the voting and lobbying begins until they’ve got their list. member suggests four or five books that they must have read and then the voting and lobbying begins until they’ve got their list.

Authors on the book clubs list have attended a meeting or contacted them by phone or email. Writers can find easily contact addresses of book clubs via Google. Offer them a free copy of your book, just as big publishers do. Don’t overlook virtual book clubs at Goodreads, Wattpad, Bibliophile etc.
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8. Writing Contests
Many published authors compete in writing contests, and publishing houses sometimes organize contests.

How to Get More Readers from an Award:  Publicity around a book award will boost your book sales. Contests are a great way to hone your craft and show the world how much better you are than other writers. Winning a book award for your self-published fiction or nonfiction book is a great way to gain recognition and approval. You will not only see an increase in your book sales – if you market it well – you also can add the award sticker to your cover and mention the achievement on your back cover, in your books’ description, and in all your marketing and promotions – online or offline. 25 Writing Competitions You Should Enter
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9. Content Writing for magazines & newspapers
World-famous bestseller writers from big publishing houses, such as Ernest Hemingway, Margaret Atwood, Tom Chiarella, Gloria Steinem and Stephen King did it: Writing occasionally short stories and magazine articles – before blogs became fashionable.

Your book has been launched months ago or even last year. NOW readers need to see something NEW from you. It doesn’t need to be a whole new book:
The three main assets you have already
– your writing skills
– the content you already penned
– the research you have done for your book(s) can be used to write at least 20 – 30 articles or blog posts – and if regularly posted on Google+ it is raising your Search Engine Ranking on Google tremendously.

More benefits of writing content:
– it is a subtle way to promote your book
– you receive valuable back links to your website or blog
– you will have lots of possibilities to post on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Facebook.
– include links to your articles in email newsletter (that you hopefully send out regularly to your readers)

Post these articles on your blog or contribute guest blogs to other sites that are focused on the same topics as your book.
Content is used to draw in your ideal readers / reviewers, it will link to your book sales page or your website and it helps a lot to build a platform. Last but not least it gives you a lot of material to post and to tweet. The result: you will increase your exposure, show your writing skills, grow a loyal following and attract reviewers – in one sentence: you will achieve success with your writing – and in many cases, even get paid for it.
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10. Press Kits on your website
Bestseller authors at traditional publisher have the support of the publisher’s in-house (or out-sourced) publicity department. How much publicity support depends on many factors, but there are the basic elements that a publicity department will likely provide:  Book Press Materials.  Near publication date, the book’s publicist will email the electronic version of the press kits to a large number of applicable editors and producers to garner interest in the book. Book Media Follow-Up is the next step. The book publicist will follow up with any media outlet that responds to the mailings or e-mailings, will mail additional copies of the finished book, and will make additional calls or emails to other outlets to remind them the book is in their in-box.

To get the word out about the upcoming book launch, to receive positive articles in newspapers., magazine, book blogs, or to get interviews, writers should professionally deal with anyone who could tout their book – not only national press or TV.  Don’t make these common errors:  Not having a press page on your website for example.  Unfortunately most writers are not aware that journalists, bloggers or radio hosts need a bit more information than what they see on your Amazon page. And they won’t just copy and paste your “about the author” or the description of your book on the sales page. Check out Stephen Kings website, see how he organized his page for the media, where journalists can download high-resolution press photos.

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11. Advance Book Reviews in magazines and newspapers
Did you ever wonder why brand new books had already reviews?  New author-publishers can learn a lot in book stores:  Check out how professionally published books look like: Many of these trade books have either on their back cover (paperback) or on their binding flap (hard cover) several snippets of the book reviews, as well as endorsements from bestselling writers or other professionals, that were already written before the book was printed.
Traditional publishers may budget anywhere from fifty to several hundred “free and review” copies. Advance Review Copies (ARC’s) are what they send out half a year before book launch date.

How these pre-editions Galleys) are produced and to whom they should be sent is explained in How to Get Reviews Before Your Books Launch.  Prepare your book review query well in advance and learn what to avoid when pitching to reviewers.  Valuable tips can be found at Prestigious Reviews and How to Get Them.
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12. Radio Interviews
Bestseller authors often appear as guest at TV or radio stations. Publicists for major publishing houses have longstanding contacts to their editors and arrange interviews for bestseller authors.

Authors can go the same route, starting with internet radio stations, such as this one: The Book Report.  Don’t forget when you plan the marketing of your public events, to announce it for free on Google+ and on Goodreads, use their free Event pages.

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13. Speaking Engagements
Keynote Speakers and Motivational Speakers get handsomely paid, often $10.000 to 15,000 for a two-hour speech!  Most celebrity authors, found as speakers, are writing Non-Fiction books.

Speaker agencies, or organizers of Writers Conferences are the best approach if you want to earn more with speaking engagements than with your book.  If you are really serious about publicly speaking, join first Toastmasters.com and then the Certified Speaking Professional Association where you can get certification in public speaking.

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14. Foreign Rights
Basic subsidiary rights that publishers contract with their authors include translation into foreign languages, foreign rights, and reprint of selections by other publishers, just to name a few. An American publisher may also license a book to a British house for separate English-language publication in the UK and the Commonwealth

Foreign Rights  as well as translations into other languages can be a great way to leverage the value of your manuscript – but don’t expect big numbers right away. Additionally, it will add an international, professional image to you and your books. Revenue will be an advance and approximately 6 – 10% royalty of the retail price, minus percentage for the agent. Try to get the highest advance possible. It’s also a long-term project as it takes around 18 months until the book is translated and finally available online and in bookstores – and another half year for royalties to arrive.
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15. Bookstore Placement
Placement in bookstores, both chain and local (especially bookstores that report numbers to the Bestsellers List)  William Germano explains in his book:
Trade publishers’ marketing departments issue all kinds of catalogs to promote books—ones you see and ones you won’t unless you’re a librarian or a bookseller. The trade catalog is a publisher’s principal tool for making sales to bookstores.  Publishers with two trade catalogs bring out one per publishing season. The fall season usually begins in September and continues through the winter. The spring season begins in February or March, and continues through the summer. Books to be announced in a catalog must be securely in place at the publishing house up to a year ahead.

For those of you who want to succeed at self-publishing, use also some traditional marketing methods, create a Business Plan and a Budget, including anywhere from 5-10% for your overall book marketing including your website, paying for IT help, designer, or ads.

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16. Placement of books in big box stores
Wandering into a Walmart or Shoppers DrugMart outlet, you will most likely find close to the entrance / cashier desk the shelves of magazines and books, often from Bestseller authors. Big publishing houses sell tons of books to these big box stores – at steep discounts I must add.

If your books are selling like hot cakes, consider selling in bulk too.  Book wholesalers or websites such as ChainStoreGuide.com and TheSalesmansGuide.com, provide contact information for hundreds of buyers. You could also visit the websites of your most coveted outlets. Target even maintains a “vendor hotline” to answer questions by phone. However, be aware that having at least a dozen books is the minimum before you approach buyers at big box stores. They will not order single titles. If you have a book that should go into a specific department, for instance Sporting Goods, Electronics, Childrens, etc. contact your local store manager and ask who the buyer is for that specific department.

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17. Book Sales Page
Many big publishers and major online retailers sell from their own website print and digital books – and so can you!  How?

Get all the information you need to start selling your books from our former article:  How to Sell Your Books From Your Own Website.
Make at least 30% more on your books. Get your revenue immediately and get to know your readers, a very important point for your future marketing and to keep in contact with your customers.
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Conclusion:
This is just a small selection of the many book marketing activities that authors can copy from major publishers – beside Social Media networking.  “Just Because You Wrote a Book, Readers Won’t Line Up To Buy It!”  Yet, authors who take their publishing endaveor seriously and work as hard on their publishing business as they do on their writing, will always succeed. Read this article regarding the “Book Sales Plateau”.
Find many more detailed tips and links to all aspects of author-publishing and book marketing at SavvyBookWriters, especially how you can act like a professional publisher and take your books to the next level.  Remember that you don’t have to do all of this at once!

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Tagged: 7 million new self-published books, book marketing activities, Book Reviews in magazines and newspapers, Book Sales Page, Book Shows & Fairs, book signings, bookstore placements, radio interviews, Writing Contests