Book Marketing Case Study: The Gorgeous Books That Get Ignored

Case Study;

Getting Professionalism Wrong
or The Gorgeous Books That Get Ignored

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A long time ago, as time is measured in the publishing world, I received a beautiful hardcover book with a slick, arresting dust cover in the mail . Everything about it yelled “professionally published!” right down to the fact that it was written by the president of a well respected company. The trouble was, I hadn’t requested it, there was no personal note, and the letterhead on an enclosed sellsheet didn’t give me an e-mail address. I used the phone number supplied. A pleasant woman couldn’t answer my questions and took my number, but I never heard back from either her or the author. I promptly forgot about it. Then I received a note from one of my SharingwithWriters newsletter subscribers who edited the book asking if I had received it. I told her I hadn’t so she had the PR agency handling the book send me another.

Horrors. I now had two copies of the book. I wanted to bury my head in the sand but instead I thought I’d admit my mistake like any good professional and maybe help the author in the process. Here is my apology and the letter I hope gave her the information she needed to help the--obviously busy--author: 

Dear [Subscriber],

I apology for my part in a minor marketing fiasco. It is story we can learn from—a minor disaster that could be a major one if it is repeated many times. A minor disaster caused by an omission of contact information and a failure to followup on contacts. I hope we can both learn from this experience.

I received the second book you had your PR person send. When I saw it, I remembered that I did get the earlier copy. There was a letter in it both times, but it didn't mention you or our conversation we had. Nor did it include enough contact information to make it easy for recipients to gain access to the author or any other live person. Though it is a beautiful book, I get about two or three unrequested  and unexpected books a week and assumed it was one of those. Still, I take pains to try to contact people who send books to me as a matter of courtesy.  But there was no e-mail so I called. There was no personal contact on the phone, either. Just a person saying they would give the busy author a message. I received nothing back. So, I did a little more than usual. I went to the Website where there was also no personal contact information so I added the e-mail to my contact list, thinking that might work eventually. Apparently the author’s agency/handler did receive one of my e-mails and unsubscribed. So, I finally wrote off the whole experience as an impossible mess..

I don't know what contact/relationship you have with the company who promotes this book or with the author, but as professional as everything looks from the book to the letterhead, there are some gaps in this approach to marketing this book. I suspect the author cares enough about having his book read to pay a small fortune to get the word out there. I also suspect he is a busy businessman depending on other professionals to do what needs to be done to get it read.

And this is exactly why I wrote The Frugal Book Promoter. That is, I want authors to be very clear that no matter who publishers their books, does their publicity, their marketing...well, the more authors know and the more hands-on the process can be, the better it works. 

I hope you'll pass this long to that author if you are in a position to do so. The author is lucky to have you on his side. His book does seem to be full of information that will help many. It is a book that is professionally edited and produced and would therefore make a handsome gift.  Still, I can't help—make that don't have time to help--anyone who has chosen a publishing path so different from what works and that is to make it as easy as possible on the media and other gatekeepers to give them the exposure they need to sell books.. I only hope I am an isolated case.  For his sake and the sake of his prospective audience.

I hope you can see I wouldn't have taken the time to write you this treatise if I didn't care. I am certain you care!

Very best,

Carolyn

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 Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

Thanks to BookBaby.com you can have my multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter free!

This month I’m doing something kind of special for my readers. I have partnered with BookBaby.com, online publishers that offers a free track for publishing books and lots of professional help, too. They are offering the e-book iteration of the second edition of my The Frugal Book Promoter to their customers free because they believe in it as an aid for their—well, book babies. 

I figured my SharingwithWriters subscribers and visitors should benefit from this promotion, too. If you already have the paperback, you will benefit from having an e-copy because of the ease of using it as a reference by searching important keywords for promotion. If you only have the first edition, this edition has been updated and expanded. If you already have the e-book, why not pass this link along to a friend you have been coaxing to get it: http://bit.ly/1JVMv8n. 

This is one of BookBaby’s ads. I love that they agree with me that "you need this book." (-:

Welcome to BookBaby!

You need to read this book.
So we’ll give it to you for free!

For a limited time BookBaby is offering you a free copy of the second-edition of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s classic, The Frugal Book Promoter. http://bit.ly/1JVMv8n

Get it at http://bit.ly/1JVMv8n

PS: You know how fast things on the Web change? Well, as hard as I try to use permanent links to resources in my books, sometimes the worst happens. The Bookbaby’s e-book offer iteration has been updated just for this promotion. Eventually the updates will take effect in the regular books, too. But until then, you’ll have the most recent links.

PPS: And an after-after thought that it also a lesson in asking for what you need. It's great promotion as long as you let your reader or contact know it comes from a place of caring and passion. Won’t you please look into Bookbaby’s services if you:

1.   Have a book that has been with an agent too long.

2.   Are considering self-publishing a book and weren’t one hundred percent satisfied with the last publisher/printer who published a book for you.

3.   Just need a little nudge or some inspiration. This offer of The Frugal Book Promoter will cost you nothing; you are certain to get a new tip or whole new idea for marketing your book; and it will be the nicest thank you possible for this newsletter that comes to you with my love every month.

No, BookBaby didn't ask me to say this. As you know from the title of this blog, I believe in sharing good resources

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 Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

Authors Forget How Useful Media Announcements Are!

Refresher on Media Announcements

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Here is a mini excerpt from the second edition of The Frugal Book Promoter—just in case you’ve forgotten how handy using a media announcement can be! If it’s been a while since you reviewed a good format for the usual size media (press) release, maybe it’s time you cracked up your old copy of The Frugal Book Promoter (-:.  It gives you everything you need--even step-by-step formatting!

Media announcements or a different version of your release might be faxed or e-mailed a few days after your first release about an event goes out.

So what's a media announcement?  

Media announcements are shorter and sometimes, to the eyes of an editor, sweeter than media releases. They are especially useful as follow-ups, as introductions to a planned media blitz of well-spaced releases (each touting a different angle), or to notify editors of an upcoming event.

Media announcements read like bare bones invitations. They include:

• The term “Media Announcement” as a header.
• Contact information.
• A captivating headline.
• A pithy lead.
• Follow up with the place, time, date, and a resource for gleaning more information.

Media announcements are quickies. Don’t put much more than what’s on this list into yours.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The multi award-winning second edition of The Frugal Editor; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

Great PR As Damage Control: Authors Learning from Big Guys' Boo Boos

It seems Abercrombie and Fitch mmmm . . . borrowed the name "Hollister" from a California town for one of its lines of clothing.

Seems after they did, they wouldn't even put an outlet in the town to help the Hollister folk with their economy (the economy being another story entirely!).

Seems a local woman decided to use her own town's name on a small line of her own jeans.

Seems A&F didn't like that. Now it seems that the whole town is up in arms. They want to reclaim their name and they're publicizing the injustice done them everywhere!

Seems to me that A&F made a whole string of public relations booboos here. Seems to me that A&F should backtrack. Say, "I'm sorry." Hire the Hollister woman to design jeans for them. When the economy does an upturn, put in an outlet and use that magnanimous gesture to glean all kinds of counter publicity. Ahem!

Authors can learn from the mistakes made by the big guys. Keep a pulse on when your name is being praised and/or taken in vain (use Alerts features from Google and others). Have a considered plan before catastrophe stikes. Admit your wrong-doing (if any) immediately and aplogize. Fight back immediately when necessary but don't blame others.

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Information on this PR snafu came from the LA Times, an article written for the business section by Hugo Martin.
CHJ

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Book Marketing: "The Secret" to Being Your Own "Secretary of Selling It"

The LA Times headline (P. A13, Tues, March 24) “Obama lacks a Secretary of Selling It” caught my attention. For me the word “selling” translates into “marketing” or at least, “public relations.” I know. It’s a sickness.

And I was a bit puzzled by the headline at first because Obama himself is a great marketer--even if he hasn’t quite mastered the “selling” part in his mere 70 or 80 days in office. But the article points out that he chose his advisors and secretaries for their expertise and their “ability to think creatively about problems and to work out solutions to what is admittedly a very complex issue.” So says Alice M. Rivlin, budget director under President Clinton. And, of course, that’s not a bad thing.

The article is right, though. One of the reasons that Obama must appear in public so often is that his advisors aren’t very good at it. Sumner, as an example, made big time boo-boos as President of Harvard--notably with his remark about women’s mathematical ability--so he’s been sort of hidden away wherever presidents hide the people who have value but can’t be trusted in public. Then Geithner, who looks adorable, but comes off wonky, stressed, and unprepared on TV, didn’t exactly sell his program to Wall Street even though now it appears they approve. Too late. Obama has stepped in to do the selling. Geithner will just have to be satisfied seeing the stock market take off instead of dip. Or is it too early to tell?

So how does all this relate to authors? Well, we are for the most part our own Secretaries of Selling It!

We all know that selling is very, very important indeed. We want to sell our books. But we can’t do it until we understand that great PR and marketing comes before selling. And we can’t do that until we’ve developed the skills to do it.

So, the question we should be asking ourselves is, what are we doing to better our skills? For speaking, I suggest Pam Kelly’s Speak with Power! Speak with Passion! For feeling inspired, I suggest the book, CD or video, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. There is nothing new in it, mind you, but if you really use it by listening to it until the secrets permeate you pores, you may find your passion so palpable that you’re your marketing and PR efforts materialize into sales before you know it. You'll find the how-tos to go along with those skills in The Frugal Book Promoter.

Happy Writing, Promoting and, Yes, Editing, Too!
Carolyn Howard-Johnson

PS: Another lesson I’ve been learning from politics lately (and from The Secret), is that if you feel you must criticize someone or something, it’s better if you turn that urge on its ear. Praise Instead. And offer a positive alternative. Enough bitching already.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.