Book Marketing 104:192 Marketing Ideas I’ve

Learned from Other People

A Mini-Guide

by John Kremer

Copyright © 2007 by John Kremer

All rights reserved.

Open Horizons P O Box 2887

Taos NM 87571505-751-3398

Email: JohnKremer@bookmarket.com

Web: http://www.bookmarket.com

Table of Contents

While I am considered by many as America's foremost expert on book marketing, I still find that I have much to learn. So I still read about 100 magazines every month as well as five or ten books on marketing, publishing, publicity, the Internet, and more. Below are some of the things I've learned while reading a few other books and magazines or while attending various seminars.

The Rules of the Garage — Ideas 1 to 11

The Meaning of Success — Idea 12

About the Author — Ideas 13 to 20

Seven Strategies in Every Bestseller — Ideas 21 to 27

Guerrilla Marketing for Writers — Ideas 28 to 34

A Bestseller's Take on Selling Books — Ideas 35 to 39

ProfitMaker 5 Seminar — Ideas 40 to 51

How to Gain Paradise … or Some Modicum of Success — Ideas 52 to 57

The Success Secrets of Country Music Stars — Ideas 58 to 64

10 Secrets of Publishing Success — Ideas 65 to 74

How Not to Be a Good Talk Radio Guest — Ideas 75 to 82

Getting More PR by Doing More for the Media — Ideas 83 to 93

Patches of Light Seminar: 21 Pearls of Wisdom — Ideas 94 to 114

Book Marketing Tips I Learned While Watching TV Commercials — Ideas 115 to 150

The Quotable Writer — Idea 151

The Top 5 Tips from Guerrilla Publicity — Ideas 152 to 156

What Are You Worth? — Idea 157

Making Choices — Ideas 157 to 163

What Is Success? — Ideas 164 to 169

Ten Principles of Underdog Marketing — Ideas 170 to 179

Confidence: The Name of the Game — Ideas 180 to 185

Creating Great Book Covers — Ideas 186 to 192

Ideas: 1 to 11

The Rules of the Garage:What It Takes to Succeed

by John Kremer and Hewlett Packard

In a two-page advertisement in USA Today several years ago, Hewlett Packard described the principles which had helped it grow in the beginning — and which it hoped would help its new web initiative also grow. They called these principles the Rules of the Garage (HP having been started in a garage). Let's look at these principles. I believe that we can all benefit from following them in our book publishing and marketing.

Rule 1: Believe you can change the world.

In some way, the primeval impetus of all books is this belief — that we as authors can change the world in some way. As publishers, I'm sure we all feel the same. Otherwise we'd be working for some dot.com and collecting stock options, flashy cars, and a new lingo. We write, we publish, for one basic reason: to bring something new into the lives of our readers. We hope to entertain them, inform them, inspire them, even enlighten them. If you start from somewhere else in writing your book or in publishing it, you are off to a bad start. Somewhere, deep down inside, you need to believe in your book, or you will never weather the vicissitudes of promotion and distribution.

Rule 2: Work quickly, keep the tools unlocked, work whenever.

As an author, I know that I can't always control when things will fall into place — and the writing becomes alive with meaning and power. To me, keeping the tools unlocked means being ready at any

time to strike when the impulse is hot, to act when I can do nothing else but act. My best work as an author — and my best work as a marketer — comes when I reach down to my toes and bring out the passion in all its undeniability. Then the news releases and catalog copy that I write moves people to act, to respond.

Rule 3: Know when to work alone and when to work together.

There are things you can do on your own because you do them well. But there are many other things you cannot do on your own. You need help. Get to know when you need help. Then seek out the best help you can get. And do not pinch pennies when it comes to getting the best. It is far better to pay $2,000 or $3,000 for a great book cover than to settle for a so-so cover.

We can't do everything in marketing our books. We do need help. We need bookstores to help us sell books to the ultimate consumer. We need wholesalers and distributors to help us reach those bookstores. We need media to get our message out. We need UPS and the post office to help us get our books to readers. While Ken Harper might have sold nearly 9,000 copies of his self-published book, Give Me My Father's Body: The Story of Minik, the New York Eskimo, primarily through his general store on Baffin Island, most of us don't have that kind of outlet. We must rely on others. Personally I am glad I don't have to get out on the street corner to sell my book direct. I can sell far more copies by working through bookstores, the Internet, and direct mail.

Rule 4: Share - tools, ideas. Trust your colleagues.

One of the things I really like about the publishing community is its general tendency toward sharing. In some industries, no one works with anyone else. No one shares. Everyone is suspicious of others. But in my experience, publishers are different. They share ideas, key contacts, procedures, and resources. I'd much rather live in this world of trust, than in some paranoid world of commerce.

Rule 5: No politics. No bureaucracy. (These are ridiculous in a garage.)

I hate politics. I hate bureaucracies. They don't have a place in most publishing houses. Yes, we have publishers and marketing directors and sales directors and editors, but we also have open lines of communications — or should have. Because some of the people who know the most about our customers are those who sell to them direct, whether by phone or by sales visit. We need to listen to these people. We need to draw them into our planning. That is one reason publishers have sales conferences with their reps — not just to pass on down their thinking about the market and audience for a book, but also to hear what the reps think about the new books. That's also why BookExpo America can be so important. The feedback we get from booksellers there can change the way we market a book.

Rule 6: The customer defines a job well done.

Since beginning my company, I've always made it clear to any employees that there is one firm principle when it comes to dealing with customers: The customer is always right — even when they are wrong. I would not change this rule. I still believe in it, even after 18 years in the business.

Rule 7: Radical ideas are not bad ideas.

I'm a firm believer in thinking outside the box. One of the main weaknesses of New York publishers is that almost every book they publish is marketed exactly the same way. Through the same channels, through the same media, through the same procedures. One of the great strengths of independent publishers is that they are willing to do things differently. They are even willing to fail.

Rule 8: Invent different ways of working.

Like Rule 7, this rule requires us to keep asking ourselves how we can do things better. Neither of these two rules, however, say that we can't do many things the same tried and true ways we've done

other books. They simply ask us to continue challenging our assumptions. I wrote my book, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, so authors and publishers wouldn't get stuck selling books in only a few ways. I wanted to give you options, because then you can be selective. Without options, you have no choice. With options, you can select the best.

Rule 9: Make a contribution every day. If it doesn't contribute, it doesn't leave the garage.

I have one basic rule I give to every one of my consulting clients and a rule that I pass on in every one of my speeches. It is this: No matter what else you do, do at least five things to market each and every one of your important books each and every day. This persistent, continual marketing push is a far better way to handle marketing than a fast and furious two-week blitz — and then on to the next book. I have found that those independent publishers who do the best are those who continue to promote their key books day after day after day.

Rule 10: Believe that together we can do anything.

There are no limits, except those you create yourself. When you feel down, when things aren't going well, when no one seems to be saying yes, that's the time to go out and find someone who will say yes. Ask others for help. Don't carry the burden alone. Create a mastermind group of advisors, friends, and co-workers who can help you through any obstacle. There is no reason ever to do it alone.

Rule 11: Invent.

And have fun. If you don't enjoy marketing your books, do something else. Why waste time doing something you don't like. Create a passion and live that.

Idea: 12

The Meaning of Success

by John Kremer

Hours from the city. A twenty-acre backyard.Nothing to do but count snowflakes.

Define luxury for yourself.— from a magazine ad for Lincoln Navigator

At the Buy-Books-on-the-Web Conference in 2000, I was asked to define what success meant to me. That got me to thinking. Here is a version of the answer I gave at that conference.

What does success mean to me? It means having choices, legitimate choices, real choices. It means being able to do what I want when I want. I love being able to set my own schedule, to work at my own pace, to set my own priorities.

What does success mean to me? It means being able to live where I want — which, for me, means living out in the countryside of Iowa. I don't like crowds. I hate traffic. I detest city noise. My wife and I live on a graveled country lane where we call it a traffic jam if two cars go by in the same hour. Our nearest neighbor is a quarter mile away. The only noise at night is the sound of crickets and an occasional owl. The air is fresh. The stars are brilliant.

Yesterday I went walking with my dog Lisa, just as the birds were singing the sun down. Lisa scared up three pheasants who whooshed away. I love walking with Lisa. She's a mix between a golden retriever and chow. She is an incredible runner. For every mile I walk, she runs five. How could she live in a city? How could she run free even in a town? And she deserves to run free.

What does success mean to me? It means having enough money to buy the things I need and to take care of my family. I don't need a lot of money. Just enough. I make a comfortable but not extravagant living publishing books. I do just enough to make what I need. The rest of the time I do what I want. I explore new territories. I play.

When my mother was dying of cancer, I was the only one of my family who could take time off to be with her, to care for her. I spent more than a month with her. My business went on without me. I would not trade that time I had with her for anything in the world. It was an incredible time.

What does success mean to me? It means being able to help people, to make it easier for them to live their dreams. Did you know that all of marketing ultimately comes down to just one thing? Do you know what that one thing is? All of marketing is ultimately a matter of creating relationships. Making friends. I love making friends. That's why I love marketing.

One man worked all his life as a door man at a famous Atlanta hotel. He never made a lot of money. He retired recently, with just a small nest egg. But did he feel poor? No way. As he put it, you can measure a man's success by the number of friends he has made in his life. This man had a lot of friends, including people like Jesse Jackson who insisted on being greeted by this man every time he came to Atlanta. You can't buy that kind of success.

We all have to define what success means to us. In fact, that is one of the first questions I ask of any new consulting client — What is it you want to get out of publishing this book? Or this series of books? What is your goal? Where do you want to end up? These questions can only be answered if you know what success means to you.

What does success mean to you? I know what it means to me. I've just touched the tip of the iceberg. I could go on for pages about the various meanings of success, but that would be silly. You need to set your own standard of success. You should do it now. Probably the worst mistake beginning publishers make is that they have no such

definition. Without it, you have no guiding light, no standard by which to judge the actions you take or the options you have.

Sit down today and answer this question for yourself. It could make all the difference in the world. What does success mean to you?

There is only one success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.

— Christopher Morely

Success to me is having ten honeydew melons and eating only the top half of each one.— Barbara Streisand

The ultimate of being successful is the luxury of giving yourself the time to do what you want to do.

— Leontyne Price

Ideas: 13 to 20

About the Author:The Passionate Reader's Guide

by Alfred Glossbrenner and Emily Glossbrenner(summary and comments by John Kremer)

About the Author by Alfred Glossbrenner and Emily Glossbrenner, is a reader's guide to more than a hundred English and American authors, primarily novelists. If you love books, you'll like the authors' stories and recommendations. They devote two pages to each author, primarily focussing on the person's biography and major titles. Every once in a while, though, a tidbit or story would spark a marketing idea. Below are a few of the stories told in the book.

13. When Terry McMillan's first novel Mama was published in 1987, her publisher only sent out press releases and review copies (their standard low-level effort for first-time authors). So Terry took the promotion into her own hands. She wrote more than 3,000 letters to bookstores, colleges, chain stores, African-American groups, and other groups asking them to stock and/or promote her book. She offered to do readings wherever they would give her space. The response was so good that she ended up doing her own book tour to 39 cities. Her efforts gained plenty of rave reviews for her book as well as two reprintings in six weeks.

Lesson: Get your authors involved in the promotions of their books. They can work wonders.

14. Donald Fine, head of Arbor House, liked Elmore Leonard's early novels so much that he decided to go all out for the book. He

sent key reviewers Leonard's next novel in manuscript form, then in galley form, and finally in bound format. Each time, he accompanied the novel with a personal letter. As the focal point of his promotion, he repeated John D. MacDonald's blurb, “Who is Elmore Leonard?” Fine's efforts took Leonard from an unknown author admired by a select few to a hot discovery.

Lesson: Buzz can be created if you are committed. Word of mouth rarely starts on its own. It usually takes at least one committed person to take passive enjoyment of a few to the kind of word of mouth that really sells books.

15. Broken Moon Press published Rebecca Wells's first novel, Little Altars Everywhere, and sold 20,000 copies — a good sale for a small press. When HarperCollins reissued the novel after Wells's second novel, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, hit the big time, the book sold an additional 800,000 copies.

Lesson: First, don't be too quick to sell reprint rights to your author's books. Or, if you do, be sure to share in all on-going sales. Second, if you are the publisher of an author's second title and it sells well, look to see if you can reissue their first title to build on the name recognition you have built for them via their second title.

16. Novelist James Michener is quoted as saying, “I have only one bit of advice to the beginning writer: Be sure your first novel is read by Rodgers and Hammerstein.” He was speaking from his own experience. Their movie of his first novel, Tales of the South Pacific, earned Michener enough money that he was able to write full time.

Lesson: Get other people involved in your book. Can you partner with any other person, company, or group who will also benefit from the promotion of your book? You can't get Rodgers and Hammerstein now, but you might be able to get Paul McCartney, Greenpeace, Quaker Oats, or Samuel Jackson to work with you in some way. Be creative. Think of ways these people or groups could

get involved. The possibilities are endless, but you must appeal to their interests not yours.

17. Many of Mark Twain's books were published by subscription publishers. Before the book would be published, the publisher would get interested readers to pay in advance. When enough people paid, the book was published. Seeing how successful this method was in getting his books published, Twain published the memoirs of President Ulysses S. Grant through subscription.

Lesson: With the Internet, it is now possible to pre-sell a book to a wide audience. Why not try a subscription model for your next titles? In a sense, this is what Stephen King was doing when he published his novel serially as a downloadable e-book. He said he would only continue if enough people bought the earlier sections. I believe subscription publishing and/or sampling publishing will become key ways of selling books in the near future — not just for e-books, but also for printed books.

18. Bernard Malamud, author of The Fixer, wrote most of his stories three times: “Once to understand it, the second time to improve the prose, and a third to compel it to say what it still must say.”

Lesson: When you write news releases and other promotional copy, you should take the same three-step approach. Write the first draft to get the main points down. Rewrite it to make it read better. Then rewrite it once again — perhaps even taking a hammer and an axe after it — until the copy really creates a reaction in people. Your news releases must move people. First drafts rarely get that kind of movement. It often takes several stabs at writing a new release before the real release comes out, the one that moves people.

19. The original title for Herman Melville's Moby Dick was The Whale. After newspapers reported the story of a real-life sea chase involving a white whale named Mocha Dick, the publisher suggested the new title in order to piggy-back on the publicity. In

this case, the title change, while a good one, still didn't help. During Melville's life, only 3,715 copies of the novel were sold.

Lesson: One, never give up on a book. Some books are ahead of their time. It takes awhile for the public to catch up. Melville's novel now sells thousands of copies every year. Two: When creating titles, put a name to it. The same is true for ideas and principles. Give them names. Moby Dick is far more brandable and sellable than The Whale. One of the things that has continually amazed me in my consulting practice is how often people neglect the value of branding when they give titles to their books. Often when I am doing my book cover critiques, I spend most of the time talking the author or publisher into redoing the title. Why put all the effort into promoting one book when you can promote a brand — from which you can sell more books and, perhaps more important, sell all sorts of merchandising rights?

20. Did you know that Lewis Carroll, author of the Alice in Wonderland books, also invented the idea of dust jackets? He suggested to his publisher that The Hunting of the Snark feature a printed paper cover showcasing the title of the book.

Lesson: Listen to your authors. Sometimes they come up with great ideas.

These are just a few of the insights I found in About the Author. Read the book to discover more insights on your own. If you do, please send them to me. I'll pass them on. Email me at JohnKremer@bookmarket.com.

Ideas: 21 to 27

Seven Strategies in Every Best-Seller

by Tam Mossman(summary and comments by John Kremer)

Here are some of the things I learned while reading Seven Strategies in Every Best-Seller by Tam Mossman (Marietta, Georgia: Tam Editorial, 1998). While this book is poorly designed, both inside and out, the author makes some important points. In this book, he lays out seven strategies for creating books that remain in print, year after year, with absolutely no publicity or advertising. He asserts that every classic novel and successful self-help book includes these seven strategies.

21. Strategy #1: The Paranoia Factor

The Paranoia Factor states that every bestseller has two components: 1) It promises dire consequences if you don't keep on reading, and 2) it offers a reward if you do keep reading. As Mossman points out, “Best-sellers employ bi-polar motivation.” First, the stick; then, the carrot. He provides many examples, including the preachers of hellfire and damnation to the ads of Charles Atlas to bestsellers such as Ben-Hur, The Divine Comedy, Spontaneous Healing, and Reviving Ophelia. Obviously, any bestselling novel uses this technique to move the plot along: life-and-death situations, twists and turns, delayed gratification, crisis and resolution.

Bestsellers often use the two-edged Paranoia Factor even in their titles. Here are a few of the examples Mossman pointed out: Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex But Were Afraid to Ask, How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years, and Dr.

Atkins' Diet Revolution: The High Calorie Way to Stay Thin Forever.

22. Strategy #2: Best Seats in the House

Bestsellers take readers to where the action is. For novels, this means taking us to Paris, Las Vegas, Hollywood, Miami, Rio. For nonfiction, this means giving readers an inside look from a successful perch. The other element of this strategy is to also take readers to when the action is. That's why the best novels start with the story already in action. That's why the best nonfiction books might begin with a hard-luck story but they always end with success.

23. Strategy #3: Gifted Underdogs

Everyone roots for the underdog. That's why the main characters of most major novels have a major flaw. Often they are parentless or a single child. Sometimes poor. Sometimes rebellious. But they are also gifted: motivated, energetic, decisive, curious, determined. Not surprisingly, many authors of nonfiction bestsellers have many of the same characteristics.

24. Strategy #4: A Kind and Trusty Guide

According to Mossman, that's what readers want from you, someone they can trust, someone they can follow. They want reassurance from you that you can and will give them what they want, whether it's entertainment, instruction, inspiration, or whatever. Remember, as Mossman points out, “You, the author, are always a character in your own book.” That doesn't mean that you should focus on yourself, but at least part of you should be in the book. As the old Tibetan proverb says, “Great men breathe from their toes,” and that's the way great writers should write.

One way to help readers trust you is to share your failures as well as your successes. As a leader or trusted guide, you cannot sit way

above your readers, speaking like a god from above. You must often start where they are, or even lower, and guide them from there.

25. Strategy #5: Every Fact Tells a Story

While naïve writers might think that this strategy requires revealing everything to the minutest detail, that is not the case. Bestselling authors only use facts that are relevant — and they always explain why the facts are important within the context of their story or thesis. Every good nonfiction writer features many case histories or stories but, as Mossman emphasizes, “For any fact to be truly fascinating, it must impact on a specific human being.”

The best books tell stories, stories about real people overcoming real problems. What do readers like to read about most? Simple. They like to read about people. Remember that when you are writing any nonfiction book. Remember it also when you are writing your news releases and other promotional material.

26. Strategy #6: The Slope of Curiosity

The essential statement of this strategy is simple: For a book to qualify as a good read, something must happen on every page. The book must be a page-turner. The reader must continue to ask one crucial question: What happens next? This continual questioning must be true for non-fiction as well as fiction. But, remember one thing: At some point you do have to answer their questions. You can't end the book without answering those questions.

27. Strategy #7: Progress, Wisdom, Evolution

Every good book ends on a high note. It lets us know that we've gotten somewhere, that the journey was worth it. In great novels, the characters learn, grow, evolve — and we grow with them. In great non-fiction, we come away having learned something, something that could change our lives. As Mossman notes, “Best-sellers leave you with the shards of lessons that only a lifetime's experience affords.”

Indeed, Mossman follows his own advice. Here are his final words: “Precious few moments in life are so delightful as when you're putting the last, loving touches on a great job — on a job you know is great. Being the kind and trusty friend that you are, why not spread that joy around?”

In his book, Mossman covers much more than the seven strategies outlined here. For writers, he also sprinkles 22 lessons from the slush pile throughout the book. Every writer should heed these lessons. They mark the difference between amateur authors and professional writers.

Ideas: 28 to 34

Guerrilla Marketing for Writers

by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman,and Michael Larsen

(summary and comments by John Kremer)

I am once more featuring some ideas that I came across while reading a new book on marketing. The book, Guerrilla Marketing for Writers, was written by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, and Michael Larsen (Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Press, 2001). As with other books in the Guerilla Marketing series, this book features more than a hundred low-cost ways to market your books and other writings. While some of the ideas in the book are very general and obvious, others aren't. The Guerrilla Marketing series has always been known for its creative approach to marketing. In the following column, I'll showcase a few of the ideas that tickled my fancy.

28. Viral Marketing

Viral marketing consists of getting your customers (or others) to pass on information about your books to their friends. On the Internet, the most visible form of viral marketing is the email message (generally jokes or absurd stories) that get passed on from friend to friend, usually within hours. To encourage new readers for the nautical novels of Patrick O'Brian, W.W. Norton included certificates in every copy of his latest novel offering to send a free copy of the first book in the series to anyone the buyer chose. What a great way to make it easy for readers to pass on a good author to their friends.

29. Guerrilla's Golden Rule of Reciprocity

In his books, Jay always encourages networking, with one proviso: “Ask of others only what you are eager to give in return.” What can the people in your network do for you (and you for them)? Here are just a few of the authors' suggestions on what you can do for others and others can do for you: Be mentors. Tell all the people they know to buy your book. Link you with others, especially media and key decision makers. Share resources. Trade web links. Review your books. Share expenses. In other words, almost anything a friend would do for a friend.

Make friends with other authors. Then help each other out. The possibilities are far greater when two are working together than when each is working alone.

30. Book Covers

They offer this simple quote from Terri Lonier: “Anyone who says you can't judge a book by its cover has never met the category buyer from Barnes & Noble.” That's really all you have to say about the importance of good book covers.

31. Fusion Marketing

I love it when I discover a new term for something I've been doing all along. Fusion marketing, according to the authors, is “joining forces with businesses and nonprofits for win-win projects.” They list more than a dozen ways that organizations can help you in marketing your books. Here are five of them:

Name you as a spokesperson. Connect you with key people in the field. Hire you as a speaker at their conferences. Buy books to resell to their members. Create joint marketing efforts.

32. The Rule of Seven

This is a rule I've spoken about many times: It takes people anywhere from seven to twenty-one times to hear about your book before they are moved to act (i.e., buy your book). It turns out, according to publicist Rick Frishman, that the same rule applies to media people. He asserts that “it takes seven contacts to obtain bookings for authors.” That's why the three rules of publicity are follow-up, follow-up, follow-up. If you think you've done your job as a book promoter when you've made one or two contacts, you are sadly mistaken. It just doesn't work that way. The people who make the news, the authors who get the talk show bookings, are the ones who keep on knocking until someone answers “Yes!”

33. Your Platform

Here's another one of those great concepts that is so simply boiled down to two words in this book. Your platform is that thing which gives you on-going national visibility. It's the thing that makes you valuable as an author because it gives you immediate and continuing access to your key audience. Your platform could be a TV show, a syndicated column, a newsletter, an ezine, a magazine column, a speaking career — whatever exposes you and your ideas to key audiences again and again and again.

Why do you think that the big publishers love to publish celebrities. Very simple: Celebrities have a platform. The more visibility you have, the easier it is to get media coverage, bookstore displays, sales reps pulling out your book to showcase. The bigger your platform, the great your sales. It's that simple. When are you going to start building your platform? (Note: Platforms are built one plank at a time. Get started today.)

34. The Opportunity of 10,000!

Just to get your juices pumping, here's one final tidbit from the book: “Every day more than four thousand radio and TV shows book more than ten thousand guests.” What an opportunity.

Sometimes we forget how many opportunities there are for us. Remember: Each day there are thousands of broadcast shows alone that are hungry for good guests. Guess what happens if they don't find you? Dead air. Help them out. Let them know you are available. All you have to do is book one show out of four thousand. Heck, a dodo bird can do that.

For more good ideas, read Guerrilla Marketing for Writers. You'll be happy you did.

Ideas: 35 to 39

A Bestseller's Take on Selling Books

The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson

(summary and comments by John Kremer)

I find marketing lessons wherever I turn. Recently I read the book that has been #1 on the nonfiction hardcover bestseller list for most of this year. I figured such a book would be a good place to look for some new book marketing tips. And I was right.

The book? The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. While you might think that a religious title wouldn't have anything to offer a book marketer, the reality is that religion is all about life and life is all about marketing.

In the book, Bruce describes the five-phrase prayer that Jabez prayed, a prayer that brought him great prosperity. Let's see if that same five-phrase prayer can bring you prosperity as well.

35. First phrase: Oh, that You would bless me indeed.

As Bruce notes in his commentary on this phrase, “Even though there is no limit to God's goodness, if you didn't ask Him for a blessing yesterday, you didn't get all that you were supposed to have.” Surprisingly, the same principle applies to anything we do. If we want to get action, we have to ask for it. And ask more than once.

The people who get publicity are those who keep knocking on the doors. And knocking. And always boldly. The people who get their

books into bookstores, book the speaking engagements, and have people knocking on their doors to buy their books — these people also are good at asking for what they want. My experience is that the world is ready to bless us, to do our bidding, but we do have to let the world know what we want.

36. Second phrase: And enlarge my territory.

In his commentary on this phrase, Bruce makes a succinct point: “To pray for larger borders is to ask for a miracle.” Now this makes sense to me. If you don't believe in a higher power or a higher purpose — that is, if you don't believe in miracles — you'll never be a good book marketer. If your aim is small, the results will be small. If your aim is large, the results will be large. Very simple math. But absolutely accurate.

In my consulting work over the years, I have found that the people who have the greatest long-term success in marketing their books are the same ones who have great belief in their projects. I have found it to be the ultimate determiner of success or failure. Ask yourself: Do I believe in my project?

37. Third phrase: That Your hand would be with me.

I don't know any book marketer who can do the whole thing by himself or herself. We all need help, all the way along the process, from editing and designing the book, to printing and binding, to distribution and publicity. What's more, we all feel overwhelmed or outmatched at times. That's when, if you are smart, you ask for help.

Get to know what you do best. Hire out for the things you don't like to do or don't do well. And never give up. If you have something good to offer, stick to your work in promoting your book. You'll be surprised how often help comes to you at the right time IF you do your part by just sticking to what you do best.

38. Fourth phrase: And that You would keep me from evil.

In commenting on this phrase, Bruce notes that “without doubt, success brings with it greater opportunities for failure.” I've seen more than one publisher go down because they thought they could do no wrong. Bestsellers have bankrupt more than one publisher.

In my many years in this business, I have discovered one incredible truth: Your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness. “Keep me from evil” means simply this: Don't let me be blind to my own weakness. While working from your strength, be aware that it is also your weakness. If you continue to do things the same way every time “because that's what works for me,” you'll eventually fail. Shake things up sometimes. Do things differently. Break all the rules. Create some new rules. Have fun. If you do these things, you will be safe from evil.

39. Fifth phrase: That I may not cause pain.

I have found that if your book or marketing program harms anyone, you will not have the success you could have if you cause no pain. If you have any doubt about your book or how you are marketing it, that doubt will leak out. People will pick up on that. You can't gloss it over. You can't hide it. You can't ignore it. Nor should you. Instead, fix it. To get rid of the doubt, make your book better. Upgrade your marketing plan. Do the best work you can do. Then, when you go out to sell your book, you really can give it your unqualified support. That's what it takes to create the kind of word of mouth that sells books.

Ideas: 40 to 51

ProfitMaker 5 Seminar

Notes by John Kremer

While at the ProfitMaker 5 Seminar in London, England several years ago, I realized that there was a lot that we as book publishers could learn from entrepreneurial information sellers. Here are a few of the points I found of value during the conference:

40. People only buy what they want. They never buy what they need.

41. Five ways to make money selling information products:

1. Pick a market that has money.

2. Sell direct.

3. Sell multiple copies.

4. License to others (sell reprint rights).

5. Sell master rights.

42. It's always easier to find fewer customers for a higher-priced product than it is to find lots of customers for a lower-priced product.

43. The way to create products: Provide solutions.

44. Never sell yourself short.

45. Most entrepreneurs under-price their products and services.

46. Michael Crichton's keys to success as a writer: Focus (the ability to focus your attention on a subject) and time (enough uninterrupted free time to develop the project you're focused on).

47. How to succeed 100% of the time: Treat everything in life as a test.

48. The secret of getting ahead is getting started. Do something now.

49. People love books with small bytes of easy-to-digest information.

50. “Whatever you want to do in this life, do not wait. Do it now. There are only so many tomorrows and so often, tomorrow does not ever arrive.” — Michael Landon, a few days before his death

51. “If you have the right product, you won't need much money to make it successful.” — Bill Myers

Read the above list more than one time. Each time you read the list you'll discover another little gem that could have a dramatic impact on your bottom line.

What do you deserve? Decide, and then go out and get it.

Ideas: 52 to 57

How to Gain Paradise …or Some Modicum of Success

by Mohammad and John Kremer

I recently came across a quotation from the Prophet Mohammad. In it, he guarantees paradise if you do six things. I thought it would be interesting to take these same six actions and apply them to gaining success in book sales.

Here is what he said: “If you guarantee me six things on your part, I shall guarantee you Paradise. Speak the truth when you talk, keep a promise when you make it, when you are trusted with something fulfill your trust, avoid sexual immorality, lower your gaze (in modesty), and restrain your hands from injustice.” (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1260)

52. Speak the truth when you talk.

Always tell the truth — in your books, in your advertising, in your news releases, in your talks with customers, in your dealings with every relationship. This is one of the major secrets of success in any endeavor. You can't hide lies, no matter how smooth a talker you think you are. But, if you always speak the truth, you set a standard that people will come to rely on.

What happens when you consistently tell the truth?

Media people love working with authors and publishers they can rely on. Reporters will call you back and use you as an expert source if they know they can trust what you say.

People who hear you speak will want to hear more — and want to buy your books.

Bookstores like to stock books from publishers who actually follow through on their marketing and publicity promises.

Sales reps are more likely to promote books from a publisher they know will follow through on all their commitments.

53. Keep a promise when you make it.

When you guarantee something, stand by it. Ideally, this principle should apply to all your commitments. One of the worst things you can do in book publishing is to fail to deliver books on time. I'm not just talking about delivering books to customers, although that is important, but I'm also talking about the books you commit to publishing. Anytime you fail to publish a book you promised to publish, you hurt yourself with your distributor, sales reps, wholesalers, bookstores, and customers.

If there is one place where I've fallen down in my own publishing business, it is on this score. I've failed to publish some books, I've missed deadlines, and I am often late with new editions. It's not good for business. This much I know. It has cost me many sales, eaten up a lot of time in making explanations, and disrupts normal relationships with wholesalers, distributors, and bookstores. My problem, of course, is that I think I can do more than I can. I've learned that I have to wait until I complete something before I announce it.

54. When you are trusted with something, fulfill your trust.

Remember: All of marketing is ultimately based on creating on-going relationships. To create effective relationships, you must keep your word. Without trust, there are no relationships. Without relationships, you have no marketing, you have no sales. It really is that simple.

55. Avoid sexual immorality.

I'm not sure how to apply this principle to book publishing, except that you should avoid sex discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. It keeps things simpler.

56. Lower your gaze (in modesty).

This is another principle that, at first, might appear incongruous. But, if you take it to mean, keep focused and don't get distracted, then it makes complete sense. If you get distracted by glossy advertising opportunities or pie-in-the-sky promises, you never get around to doing the basics you have to do to market a book effectively. Create a plan and then stick to it. Focus on those steps you know will work for a book before you begin experimenting with off-the-wall or secondary opportunities.

57. Restrain your hands from injustice.

Don't do wrong. Don't speak badly about competitors. Don't cheat on your taxes. Don't exploit your employees. Don't cheat your authors. Speak no evil. Instead, uphold your integrity. Stand by your authors, your employees, and your customers. Help them to help you. Give the best that you have. Expect the best back.

None of this advice will guarantee you paradise, but it should help you to market your books more effectively. And, I think, if you follow these points, you will actually have more fun at the same time.

Ideas: 58 to 64

The Success Secrets ofCountry Music Stars

by Country Weekly and John Kremer

A recent issue of Country Weekly magazine revealed how musicians get from the mean streets to Easy Street. I thought their advice also applies to book authors.

58. Make the right fans. The magazine's example: When George Strait came to Nashville for the second time, he had the help of Erv Woolsey, the former owner of a San Antonio club where George played. Erv, by that time a music industry executive, worked hard to bring Strait to the attention of key decision makers.

As I've said many times, the key to the success of most books is word of mouth. If you can create fans, you'll eventually reach key decision makers who can really have an impact on your book sales.

59. Let yourself be heard. Their example: A songwriter heard Faith Hill singing along to the radio in the office of another singer. He brought her in to make some demos. The rest is history.

No matter where you are, let people know that you are an author (or a publisher) — in elevators, in airplanes (talk loudly like Harvey Mackay), in restaurants, on the street, in a grocery store. You get the idea. You can't be heard unless you speak up.

60. Think outside the box. Their example: Martina McBride sent a demo tape to a record label marked “Requested Material” — even

though no one had. Fortunately, one executive did open the package and liked what he heard.

What can you do to get the attention of key media or book buyers? Don't get stuck in a rut. Do something original.

61. Have support at home. Their example: Alan Jackson got his break when his wife Denise, a flight attendant, met Glen Campbell in an Atlanta airport. Glen was kind enough to hook Alan up with his song publisher.

Do you have the support of your family? Don't underestimate what they can do for you in helping you to make key contacts. Do you have a cousin who works for Target? A step-brother who works at BookSpan? A friend of an uncle who works for Oprah? Make use of these connections to reach the people you want to reach.

62. Hit the road — hard. Their example: Fans are earned one concert at a time. As Ira Dean of Trick Pony reported, “We did 323 dates with a van and a trailer before we got signed.” At four or five shows a day, they did 1,284 shows before being signed.

How dedicated are you to reaching success? Every day I hear the sob stories of authors or self-publishers who claim they are not being heard. It's a conspiracy. It's someone else's fault. The system is set against us. Well, get over it. You can't make these excuses until you've done your 1,284 events — radio interviews, bookstore appearances, speeches to local garden clubs, whatever it takes, wherever someone will listen.

63. Be prepared to work. Their example: Competition is tough, so you've got to be tougher. As Chris Cagle notes, “If there's somebody out there working harder than you, then they deserve the brass ring.”

This key advice is right on target if you want to get reviews for your books or interviews for your authors. You must be persistent. The three rules of success in doing PR are follow up, follow up, and

follow up. It really is that simple. I just got an email from someone who convinced several key book reviewers to take another look at the book she was promoting. They did take another look and liked what they saw.

64. Slow and steady wins the race. Their example: Carolyn Dawn Johnson is quoted as saying that you become a singer by setting goals, meeting little goals here and there, until you realize that you are getting closer and your goal of becoming a singer might become a reality if you keep working at it.

In the past year or two, I've been telling everyone that you should plan on a three-year marketing campaign for any book you really love. This kind of persistent campaign is required for any author or publisher who is not famous. No large publisher thinks this way — and probably doesn't need to — but unknown authors or publishers do have to make a commitment to on-going marketing efforts for the long term.

Ideas: 65 to 74

10 Secrets of Publishing Success

by USA Today and John Kremer

On the last day of 2002, USA Today featured the 10 Secrets of Movie Success (headline from the front page). The article in the Life section was subheaded “10 things studios ought to learn from this year's winners and losers.” I found this article had as much to say about the publishing business as it did about movies. Here are the points USA Today made, followed by my comments on how these insights apply to book publishing.

65. Audiences love the Everyman (and Everywoman). Spiderman begins as a geeky nerd. My Big Fat Greek Wedding also celebrates ordinary people over the beautiful. In the book business, you can see the same phenomenon in books like Ruby Ann's Down Home Trailer Park Cookbook, When I Am an Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple, White Trash Cooking, Everyday Grace, The Sweet Potato Queens books, The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club, and The Bad Girl's Guide to the Party Life. If you want to sell a lot of books, appeal to people who buy books. You can target the elite readers, or you can target the masses. Either way, you can sell books.

66. Julia Roberts isn't the only woman who can propel a romantic comedy. Their examples: Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama, Jennifer Lopez in Maid in Manhattan, and Nia Vardalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. In the book business, you don't have to pay big bucks to Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts, or Barbara Taylor Bradford when you can discover someone like Alice Sebold and her book The Lovely Bones. Small publishers are much

better off discovering first time writers rather than trying to attract big-name authors they can't afford.

67. Urban films can appeal to everybody. Their examples: Barbershop, Drumline, and Brown Sugar. For years, major publishers ignored black authors; that is, until black authors started publishing and selling their own novels. It took most publishers a long time to realize that black people read. They do read, and in great numbers. Not only that, but the novels and other books they write can and do appeal to everyone.

68. Story lines count more than star lineups. Their examples: Major flops like The Adventures of Pluto Nash and I Spy. One of the major story lines in the news recently has been the decreasing sales of some bestselling authors, from King and Grisham to Steel and Clancy. For independent publishers, bestselling authors are not a concern, but story lines are always important. Since most book sales are generated by word of mouth, content is vital. People will always buy a book with a good story line, no matter who the writer is. Witness The Lovely Bones.

69. Hollywood by the season is over. Their examples: Spider-Man opening big in May, Perdition released in July, and The Scorpion King opening in April. Publishers have to get over the idea that there are only two seasons for books. Booksellers have to get over the idea of looking for the big fall book. For smaller publishers, the answer to success is very clear: You must publish books that don't have a season, don't have a flash-in-the-pan lifespan, and don't depend on a few days' sales. You must publish books with great backlist potential.

70. Old-fashioned animation is over. Their examples: two-dimensional animated movies such as Treasure Planet and Wild Thornberrys. What old technologies are we clinging to? How many directory publishers are still putting money into big printed directories? Is that smart? Look how Hoover's took their printed directory and established it online. In 2002, Hoover's online

database, offered on a subscription basis, accounted for 79% of the company's revenue. In December 2002, Hoover's Inc. was sold to Dun & Bradstreet for $117 million.

71. Bond is eternal. Whether spoofing Bond with a new Austin Powers movie, emulating him with XXX, or being him in Die Another Day, Bond still sells. What are the perennial topics that continue to pay off for publishers: Cookbooks, regional books, children's books. Take your pick. Look for the titles in your catalog that sell year after year and find additional titles to feed off those sales. Publish where you are strong rather than where you're weak.

72. Unless they're rappers, singers should keep their day jobs. While Eminem did well, Britney Spears and Aaliyah “had critics and audiences singing the blues.” Somewhere along the way, major publishers have gotten stuck on putting too much attention on books written by celebrities. Well, most of those books aren't really worth the paper they're printed on. And many fail. Learn to separate the wheat from the chaff. If the content is good, then publish the book. So much the better if it is written by a celebrity. But choose content over celebrity rather than celebrity over content.

73. Unless you're Scooby-Doo, TV should remain on the small screen. Boob tube-based movies such as I Spy, Hey Arnold!, and Powerpuff Girls bombed. I'm not sure how to apply this point to books since many books do quite well tying in with TV chef shows, long-time TV series hits (such as Star Trek, Buffy, and The Sopranos), and key cable channels such as Discovery, The History Channel, and A&E. For smaller publishers, though, rather than trying to transfer an expensive TV show's rights to books, you'd be better off creating a book or series that can build a brand that can be transferred to TV sales. In other words, rather than buying rights to republish TV properties, sell rights from your books to TV. Much more profitable.

74. As much as we gripe, we love our franchises. While movie people often belittle sequels, they pay the bills. Three out of five of

the most successful movies of 2002 were sequels (two based on books): Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars. Well, we as publishers also need our franchises: book series and brands that sell year after year. The science fiction and fantasy trilogies that grow into series that run on and on. Travel guides like the Moon Handbooks, the Lonely Planet series, the Frommers and Fodors. The brands such as Chicken Soup for the Soul, Dummies, and Worst Case Scenario Handbooks. The publishing brands such as Klutz Press, Workman, Llewellyn, and Zagat. What are you doing to create a franchise within your company?

I hope these ideas will help you to create a stronger vision for your company and upcoming book lists. Let the successful ideas that operate in any content industry (whether movies, books, software, games, or music) help you to design a more effective editorial and marketing program for the coming years.

Ideas: 75 to 82

How Not to Be a Good Talk Radio Guest

by Roberta Gale and John Kremer

The following is adapted from an article by Roberta Gale in Talkers magazine. After spending more than 20 years as a radio talk show host, Roberta is now president of Roberta Gale Media Coaching. You can reach her by calling 520-444-0173 or emailing bertagale@yahoo.com. The bold points are hers: They tell you what not to do. The rest are my comments: They tell you what you should do instead.

75. Never get to your main point. One of the big no-no's of being a good guest is meandering. Get to the point fast. Rarely will you answer any question with more than two or three sentences. If you do, you'll lose the audience and your host.

76. Be totally unfamiliar with (or ignore) the host's style, format and time requirements. If you want to be a good guest, do your research. Have an idea of who you are talking to. Are you doing a morning zoo show or an afternoon talk show on a talk station? Is the format of the station AC (adult contemporary), CHR (contemporary hit radio), AOR (album-oriented rock), classics, hip hop, news talk, country western, religious, or what? If you don't know the format of the station, you can't talk to its audience. The audience demographics for each type of station is dramatically different. As soon as possible, match your answers and style to that of the host. You won't get anywhere being too serious on a morning zoo show. On the other hand, you can't be too flippant on a religious talk show.

77. Use insider jargon, obscure facts, and as many big words as possible. Learn to talk in the language of the people, using shorter words and shorter sentences. When you have to use a word that listeners might not know, define it right away.

78. Overuse statistics. Don't get statistics happy in an interview. No one will remember them. One or two stats to highlight a problem can grab people's attention - if the stats are dramatic, but you can lose an audience really quickly if you continue to spout out stat after stat.

79. Speak rapidly and don't repeat or explain what you say. Slow down. Sometimes when you get excited, you can talk too fast. Then no one will understand you. Remember to slow down, especially when you want the audience to remember your point. I usually recommend that talk show guests limit themselves to three main points. Tell them in the beginning what those three points are, then explain them throughout the interview (with some great stories), and then, to close the interview, tell them what you told them. Remember that most people listening to radio are also doing something else at the same time (working, driving, cooking, diapering a child, cleaning). By repeating your most important points, you give them a chance to really appreciate what you have to offer them.

80. If you don't know the answer, just make one up. Never lie. Never cover up. Tell the truth at all times. If you don't know the answer, admit it. Then tell them where they can find out the answer for themselves. Or tell them that you will research the question and post the answer on your web site within two days. Now, you've got them coming to your web site. Isn't it wonderful to be ignorant!

81. Sound rehearsed, tired, and bored. You should be prepared for your interview, with a clear idea of the points you want to make. You should also have some great sound bites ready. But you should never sound as if you're reading your answers. Remember: You are having a chat with the host and via him or her, a chat with the

audience as well. Sit back and relax - and enjoy. Then your audience will, too.

82. Speak softly with a monotone. Be sure to talk clearly and loudly enough that you can be heard. Vary your tone. Be enthusiastic and upbeat. Have fun.

Ideas: 83 to 93

Getting More PRby Doing More for the Media

by John Kremer and the National Publicity Summit

During the National Publicity Summit in New York City, I made notes as the media people there described what you can do to make their jobs easier - and increase your chance of getting exposure through their outlets. Here are some of those notes:

83. Know the media.

Pat Towers, Features Director for O magazine, and Heather Gowen, News Editor at Parents magazine, both emphatically made this point: Read their magazines before submitting stories. Other writers suggested reading the last three to six issues of a magazine to get a really good idea of the magazine's style, content, and direction. For TV shows, watch the shows for several weeks (you can videotape the shows and fast forward through a week's worth of shows in an hour).

You have to get to know the media well if you are going to do a good job of pitching to their needs. You don't have to research every media in detail, but you should get to know the most important ones related to your book.

84. Answer this question: What's in it for the reader?

Dawn Raffel, Executive Editor for O magazine, pointed out that you need to tell her as soon as possible what her readers will get out of

the story you are pitching. Srikumar Rao, a freelance writer for Forbes and Business 2.0 magazines, made a similar point: “Be crystal clear on what the reader gets out of it.” Radio and TV producers make the same point: Tell us what our viewers will get out of your appearance on our show.

If you want media to like your story, pitch your story through the eyes of their readers. What do you have to offer that would entertain, inspire, or educate their audience? Answer that question, and answer it well.

85. Fit into larger stories.

Several of the freelance writers as well as several producers asked that you let them know how your story fits into a larger story. Are you an expert that can provide background information on a breaking news story? Can you comment on some on-going crisis? If you focus on your book, you will get no takers. If you focus on how the content of your book ties into something bigger, then you have a chance.

86. Do their job for them.

Nona Aguilar, Editor of Leadership Strategies, emphasized one point: Do my job for me. Her voice as she talked actually underlined those words. Her point is simple: If you help me do my job better by filling in the gaps, then I'm more likely to use your story over someone else's.

Srikumar Rao made the same point. If you can him a story on a platter, then he's going to work hard to write a story around your work. For Rao, that means he wants to know about the things that don't work as well as the things that do. As he pointed out, “We always get pitched the perfect situation.” But what he likes is the dirt on some company. Or at least provide him with the names and contact information of competitors so he has a chance to incorporate both sides in a story.

Note: All media like to appear objective, so they appreciate any help in locating people with alternate points of view. Why not provide that info in your initial pitch? You're much more likely to get a yes if you do.

87. Be crisp.

When phoning or emailing media, be short and precise with your pitch. When calling, know the key points you want to make and make them fast. If you want to get past articles editor Stephanie Abaranel's assistant at Woman's Day magazine, create a sense of urgency. That hint, of course, applies to any busy media person. If you want to get their attention, tell them why they need to talk to you now, not three days later.

88. Move quickly.

Pat Towers of O magazine: When you have a really good idea, move quickly. You never know when someone else could come up with a similar idea and get there ahead of you.

89. Be surprising.

Again, from Pat Towers: Tell me something I don't already know. Surprise the media, and you will get your story told. Bore them, and bite the dust. Do you have something new to tell? Then pitch that right up front. Give them a startling new statistic. Report on a new survey. Tell a story that zings. But don't tell them that God told you (unfortunately, that one they hear every day).

90. Include print clips.

Sum Min, a producer at 48 Hours, noted that TV people are impressed by print clips, so be sure to include any magazine or newspaper articles about you or your book when sending a media kit to TV producers. This suggestion surprised me since I've always thought that print media were more impressed by TV guests than the

other way around. I knew to enclose print clips, but I didn't know how much TV producers relied on those clippings to pick guests.

Min also made one point specific to her show: 48 Hours is not character driven but plot driven. That's great for us non-celebrities since we can create a story with a great plot much easier than we can manufacture a celebrity status.

91. Listen to their questions.

Claire Berman, a freelance writer for Woman's Day and Family Circle, begged people to listen to her questions. When you are being interviewed by the media, listen carefully. Answer their questions. Once you've done that, you can expand to include some of your story line. But they won't be open to your story line if you haven't answered their questions first.

92. Be energetic.

Gwen Gowen, a field producer for ABC's 20/20, emphasized the importance of being energetic and passionate whenever you are being interviewed, whether live on camera, during a phone pre-interview, and even in your original pitch. Media people are quick to spot people who really like what they are doing and believe in their message. You can't fake real passion. But when you have it, don't hide it. The media are hungry for great guests.

93. Email works.

Almost every media person attending the National Publicity Summit said that their preferred method of contact was email. That's a significant change from even a few years ago. Most media, as anyone who does regular pitching knows, is now protected by telephone mailboxes and other screens that make it almost impossible to pitch them by phone. There's a good reason for that: Phone calls interrupt their days. On the other hand, they can check email at their leisure. Plus, email is far easier and quicker to check than snail mail or faxes.

One of our goals, now, at Book Marketing Update is always to provide you with an email address for any contacts we feature.

Ideas: 94 to 114

Patches of Light Seminar:21 Pearls of Wisdom

by John Kremer and Mitch Axelrod

Several months ago, Mitch Axelrod had the privilege of attending one of marketing expert Gary Halbert's legendary Patches of Light seminars. The entire seminar consisted of people sitting in a hot seat and getting their marketing problems solved by Gary Halbert and John Carlton. As Mitch noted in a memo to me: “The two men at the front of the room leading the roast have had more marketing success over the past 30 years than most of the top ad agencies. Between them, Gary Halbert and John Carlton are responsible for a billion dollars of products and services sold and are considered two of the finest marketing minds in the world.”

Out of this seminar, Mitch came away with 21 pearls of wisdom. He sent them to me. Here they are. His words are the numbered points. My comments follow.

94. 1. Don't worry about improving your image. Improve your substance. The world is starved for substance. Most people are working on image. Few work to improve substance. Those who do will stand head and shoulders above the rest.

John's Comments: Listen to this advice. It's the only way that smaller publishers will ever get the true attention of the media, the reading public, and the bestseller lists. You can't fool people for very long. If you want to build a company, create solid books.

95. 2. Fail fast. Drop losing projects immediately. After trying to find a solution to a marketing problem that simply didn't exist, Gary wrote three words on the white board that most of us were thinking in our heads: DROP THIS PROJECT! It's not easy to let go of things we're emotionally attached to, but it's necessary to move on.

John's Comments: Set priorities. Choose the books you're going to focus on. Let go of books that aren't worth the effort or aren't generating good word of mouth. Build upon your success.

96. 3. Most people are self-absorbed. Appeal to their selfish side. Forget your point of view. It doesn't matter. If you want to sell Johnny Jones what Johnny Jones buys you MUST see Johnny Jones through Johnny Jones eyes. What does he want more than anything?

John's Comments: I prefer to sell to people's selfless side myself. But you do have to get into their point of view. You can't sell people from your point of view; it has to come from their point of view. Take their point of view into consideration not only when you are trying to sell to them but also when you are creating the book in the first place.

97. 4. If I found the cure for AIDS, everyone would get it. How much money I make would not be an issue. When you discover something important enough, the goal is to make sure everyone who wants or needs it can get it. Shift attention from how much can you make to how many people can you help. The money will come.

John's Comments: My sympathies exactly. While I am a firm supporter of selling books and making money writing and publishing books, there are some books that I would be happy to give away. In fact, in some way, that's what I am doing with 1001 Ways to Market Your Books — since I sell the book for $27.95 when I could easily get three times that much from many readers.

98. 5. Nothing is risk-free. Life is not risk-free. You're a heartbeat away from a Christopher Reeve moment. If you can't accept risk,

you are living on the wrong planet. What risk can you take that might alter the quality of life as you know it?

John's Comments: Some publishers try to get rid of all risk. What happens then is that they end up with pablum. If you want to get people's attention, don't publish pablum. Don't publish empty books by celebrities. Don't publish knock-offs. Take a risk. Publish something truly original.

99. 6. Hire experts. Don't even try to do everything yourself. Especially when it comes to the most important parts, including copyrighting and crafting your sales message. Don't spend a fortune on the unimportant things, then economize on the pivotal items. Know when to bring in the experts.

John's Comments: If you are self-publishing, hire a good substantive editor, someone who can help you to create a truly meaningful book. Pay a good cover designer. Hire good marketing help if you need it. Find someone who can help you write a great news release. This is one lesson I learned early on. And it's one I continue to heed.

100. 7. Outspend the other guys. Many businesses do things on the cheap. Shoestringing and bootstrapping are successful strategies when money is tight. When money is there, spend it. A business campaign can rise or fall based on the money behind it. Don't hesitate to invest money, especially on the important things. If you don't have it, find someone who does and share the bounty. 100% of nothing is still nothing!

John's Comments: I love doing guerilla marketing and using low-cost techniques, but there are times when you have to spend money to do things most effectively. Back when my local consulting rate was $25.00 per hour, one man refused to hire me for a second hour of consulting. Instead he spent more than $150,000 doing all the wrong things. He lost his home as a result. If you're going to spend money, learn how to do it effectively.

101. 8. You don't want to sell just one million books (widgets, etc.). You want anyone who wants what you have to be able to buy it. Don't set arbitrary limits. Find a way for everyone who wants what you have to get it. You will be enriched in the process.

John's Comments: I am a firm believer in sharing things. What I share most are ideas. I give many of them away via my Book Marketing Tip of the Week email newsletter. What I have found as a result is very simple: People who read the email newsletter eventually want to subscribe to this print newsletter. I also give away a lot of my consulting time when I speak, attend conventions, talk to people on the phone, eat dinner with others, and so on. I give away a lot of great ideas. But the smart people come to me again to get the even greater ideas.

102. 9. Don't become a student of products. Become a student of markets. Know your markets better than you know your products. If you fall in love with your product, it will blind you to reality. Fall in love with markets. If there isn't a market, reconsider or drop the product.

John's Comments: In making a marketing plan for a book, I always encourage people to focus on the audiences for the book first. Then focus on the ways to reach those audiences. If you can't name at least five audiences for your book and at least five ways to reach each of those audiences, you need to write or publish a better book.

103. 10. Don't do LMS (lesser mortal shit — a favorite Gary Halbertism). Delegate everything except your highest value work. If you run out of highest value work, do the next most valuable work. If you earn $100/hour, for every hour you spend doing $10 work, you need a $190 hour just to break even. Don't do $10/hour work or you won't ever reach your highest and best value.

John's Comments: I still haven't learned this lesson. I don't know if I ever will. But I am trying to learn it. Speaking from my experience, I heartily recommend that you learn this lesson as soon as you can. There are a lot of people you can hire to do the $10/hour

or $25/hour work involved in publishing books. Find them. Pay them. Get on to doing the things you can do best.

104. 11. Two things get a person's attention and interest: showmanship and the reason why. To get the attention of the person you're after, a little theatre will go a long way. Be creative. If you've have an important message and 20 centers of influence, don't send them a letter. Send them a courier! Then gain their interest with a powerful reason why. Why would they, why should they give you their time and attention? What's the most compelling "reason why" you can give that satisfies their self-interest? If you don't know, ask your buyers.

John's Comments: This advice also applies to writing news releases and promotional copy for your books. Get people's attention with a good lead and then hit them with a reason to buy your book. Most publishers forget to get people's attention first. Then they wonder why people aren't knocking down their doors.

105. 12. Understand the Triangle of Marketing: copy, message and audience. Copy is #3, the message #2, and the audience #1. Put your focus on the audience. Make sure you have the right/best/hungriest/rabid audience, or your message and copy won't ever get seen, heard or read. A mediocre message to a great audience will always do better than a great message to a mediocre audience. Know your audience, hone your message, and don't scrimp on copy. Like an interesting story, good copy gets read.

John's Comments: Any direct marketing veteran will tell you that the most important asset you have in the business is your customer list — your captive audience. Grow that audience, and you grow your business automatically. Learn what your customers need, tell them you have it, sell it to them, and expand your business indefinitely.

106. 13. Don't care about what anyone thinks. Ask yourself, “So what?” How often do we hesitate and delay because of what others might think? We thwart our success and happiness worrying

about what other people think. We don't regret the shots we take, even when they don't work out. We regret most the shots we don't take. Do what your heart desires. Don't worry about what others think. So what?

John's Comments: Believe in yourself first. Believe in your ideas. Act on those. But, please note, the above advice does not apply to listening to the advice of others more experienced that you are. You can listen to good smart people. Just ignore the opinions of those who don't know or don't care about your passions.

107. 14. Tell your story. A powerful story creates an emotional link. I call this the E-Link. John Carlton, one of the world's highest paid copywriters, says personality is missing in most marketing messages. He suggests we “pinch them on the butt” and tap the passionate sweet spot. Tell a story. Connect it to what the person can do (achieve, accomplish), and how the person will feel (the strongest E-Link). What story can/will you tell?

John's Comments: Every good book tells stories. Every good news release tells stories. What is the one thing people like to read about most? Simple. They like to read about people. They love to read stories about people. Whenever you feel that your writing, editing, or marketing is getting stale, tell a story.

108. 15. Greedy people lead lives that suck. Enough said.

John's Comments: No good ever comes from greed. Publishing and writing are all about sharing. If you're not willing to share, you're in the wrong business.

109. 16. Gun to the head thinking can get you out of a jam or tough time. If someone had a gun to your head, and to save your life you had to craft the best message you could, what would you say?

John's Comments: I know this works for some people, but it's not the way that I work. But do try it if you get stuck. Alternatively, you

can try this advice from Stephen Levine: “If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?”

110. 17. There's too much bad news. We can't hear the voices of light. Cats find the sun spots. They seek the patches of light. How can you be a source of light?

John's Comments: If you want to stand out in today's world, one of the best ways is by becoming a source of light. This will always be the case, no matter how dark or how light the current situation is. You will always stand out if you are a source of light.

111. 18. Speak from down below ... if you want your credibility to soar. Don't speak from your mouth; speak from your pelvis. Imagine your entire chest cavity as one big voice box. Speak from down below and you will create a stronger, more powerful presence.

John's Comments: You should act and believe from that level as well. In fact, I've always gone by the old Tibetan proverb: Great men breathe from their toes. I believe that all great people believe from their toes as well. And act from there. Then your entire body is involved. That's when magic happens. Try it sometime.

112. 19. You're not in the marketing business. You're in the arithmetic business. If your arithmetic doesn't add up, you won't have a business for very long. Start counting.

John's Comments: This is good basic advice that anyone in business should follow. Learn to count. It will help you make sense of things when other things go wrong.

113. 20. You want to sell your products and services to addicts... profound, irrational, passionate, rabid, insane people who buy frequently and spend a lot. That's your ideal buyer. Where are they? How can you reach them? What will you say to them?

John's Comments: In other words, you want to create repeat buyers. They are out there. They come to you when you provide products and services of great value to their passions. If you want to find them, set the trap and then wait. They will come.

114. 21. 10,000 hours... how long it takes to become really good at something. That's 2,000 hours per year for five years. It can take doctors and other professionals twice that long (10 years), and most self-made millionaires take four times that long (that's right, 20 years is the average time it takes for self-made millionaires to achieve overnight success). You can't invest a few hours in something and expect to become an expert. There are many self-proclaimed pseudo-gurus who emerge after one or two successes and claim expert status. Experts hone their chops over time.

John's Comments: A great ending point. I don't believe any of us have to take that long to succeed. Most of us take that long simply because we're not willing or sometimes able to learn from the mistakes and successes of others. Study others, especially those who are successful, and you can get really good at something in a much shorter time.

Bonus point: Things I disagree with most can often be the truth which does me the most good. Beware of what you defend, protect and reject. It just might be a life-changing gift in disguise.

Again, I want to thank Mitch Axelrod for taking these wonderful notes during his weekend with Gary and John. Visit Mitch's web site (http://www.axelrodlearning.com) or email him at mitch@axelrodlearning.com to learn more about what his company, Axelrod Learning, can offer you. He has lots of info on consulting, training, getting testimonials, gaining success, and more. Plus, while you're at his web site, sign up for his free newsletter and get a free copy of his 8-page Success-Abilities™ report.

You might also want to check out Gary Halbert's web site: http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com. Lots of great resources, and it's all free. Gary's business is Cherrywood Publishing, 3101 SW 34th Avenue, Ocala FL 34474-7447; 305-534-7577; Fax: 352-861-1665. Email: nosexgary@aol.com.

Ideas: 115 to 150

Book Marketing Tips I LearnedWhile Watching TV Commercials

by John Kremer

In my continual search for book marketing ideas, I've sampled many media. One of the results of my on-going research is that I've learned a lot by watching television commercials. During the past year, here are a few of the things I've learned about book marketing and design from TV commercials:

115. The average work day lasts longer than a few hours. (Aleve painkiller) — If you expect to sell more books, you have to commit some time. Most publishers do not spend enough time following up on key contacts.

116. You're free to be and do what you choose. (Always pads) — It's your choice how successful your books are.

117. In a world of technology, people make the difference. (Ameritech) — Publishing is a people business. If you treat your customers right, they will come back to buy more. Also nurture your key contacts. They are the source of most of your business.

118. The freshest ideas are right under your nose. (Bounce fabric softener) — Most of your best book ideas and marketing ideas can be found right under your nose. Look around.

119. There are no small parts — only small lizards. (Budweiser beer) — Think about it.

120. Sometimes you gotta break the rules. (Burger King) — If you know the rules, it's all right to break them if you have a good reason.

121. It's time to kick back and have some fun. (Cadillac DeVille) — Every once in a while, you need to kick back and relax. Step back, re-evaluate, and reinvigorate your marketing plans.

122. Part of setting a goal is finding a way to reach it. (Charles Schwab) — You have to create a marketing plan (a way to reach your goal) or your goal is simply a pipe dream.

123. Finish what you're doing. (Chevrolet) — The key rule of publicity is follow up. You're not finished with your media campaign until you've done your follow-up.

124. While all cars appeal to our practical side, the great ones appeal to our more passionate side. (Chrysler) — The same is true of books.

125. Relationships can be a gamble. (Clairol Loving Care) — When entering a relationship with a new distributor or special market, be sure to check them out. Be cautious.

126. You want to get somewhere? Then work. (Coors Light Beer) — Always a true observation.

127. Listen to your children. (Crystal Light Body Refreshers) — And to other real people. They can often tell you where your marketing program has gone wrong. Or give you other valuable feedback about your book's content and design.

128. Take time to enjoy the magic. (Disney) — But take time to enjoy as well. Otherwise, what's all the fuss about anyway?

129. It's amazing what happens when you change everything. (Dodge Intrepid) — If nothing's working, change everything. See what happens.

130. We're all looking for stories with a happy ending. (Ford) — People like to read about people. They like stories. Make sure all your nonfiction books contain lots of examples and stories. They make the book more interesting. Also write your press releases so they also tell a story.

131. Do one thing. Do it well. (GMC Trucks) — Good advice. Set your priorities and work them hard.

132. Size does matter. (Godzilla movie) — Sometimes.

133. If you're going to go, go all out. (Hardee's) — Make a commitment to your books. Why publish if you're not going to do the work to get the word out?

134. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. (Head & Shoulders) — That's one of the reasons covers are so important.

135. A day at the beach in a diaper is no day at the beach. (Huggies Little Swimmers) — Keep your perspective.

136. The world has boundaries. Ignore them. (Isuzu Rodeo) — Or expand them.

137. Touch them with tenderness, and you will give them love. Touch them with love, and you will give them the world. Touch

their todays, and you will touch their tomorrows. (Johnson & Johnson) — To build word of mouth for your book, you need to touch people's hearts, or minds, or inner souls.

138. Simple is good. (Kellogg's Corn Flakes) — Keep things simple. It rarely pays to complicate things.

139. The world is calling. Answer it. (Lexus) — Remember: The world needs what you have to offer. Don't do a disservice to it by not doing your job. Answer the call.

140. It's the simple things that make life so rich. (Milkfuls candy) — Simple is good. Enjoy.

141. The side you show the world is up to you. (Monte Carlo) — Make it your best side.

142. Move quickly. (Oldsmobile Intrigue) — Don't waste time.

143. We all have everyday needs. (One-a-Day Vitamins) — Meet their needs, and you will sell books. Meet their wants, and you will sell more.

144. Love doesn't come in a box. (PetSmart stores) — But it sometimes comes in a book.

145. Rules to live by: Make waves. Blow your own horn. Have your cake and eat it too. (Pontiac Sunfire) — Don't expect someone else to blow your horn. You'll have to take charge yourself.

146. If you hesitate, you could miss your chance. (Powerball Lottery) — Don't hesitate when opportunities come your way. But, at the same time, don't treat your business like a lottery.

147. Success is earned. (Salomon Smith Barney) — It always is. Do something TODAY to earn it.

148. Show them where your heart's at. (Sears) — When writing a book, be sure to let people see your heart in your writing. That makes your writing live. And that's what creates word-of-mouth.

149. How do you keep the world's leading companies 100% satisfied? Just make them 100% successful. (Siebel) — That's also how you sell books. By satisfying the needs of your readers.

150. Trust your own taste. (Sprite) — Ultimately, you have to be the final judge of your books. Use your judgment to create the best books you can. Trust your judgment.

Idea: 151

The Quotable Writer

by William A. Gordon

Want to know more about marketing books? Well, then listen to some of the top experts on publishing and marketing books. The following excerpts are taken from William A. Gordon's The Quotable Writer (published by McGraw-Hill). For more details about his book, contact Bill via email at BGordonLA@aol.com.

 “The main difference between marketing a book and marketing soap is that a book is a one-shot deal . . . and a book usually only has 90 days to make it or it's dead.” — Carole Dolph, former promotional manager, Doubleday & Company, interview with Publishers Weekly

 “In an industry where little money is spent on advertising, free publicity is the name of the game.” — “In Today's Marketplace, It's Hype, Hype, Hype,” U.S. News and World Report, December 5, 1983

 “[Be] shameless. Try anything within reason to get your book noticed.” — William Targ's advice to editors, “What's an Editor,” Editors on Editing

 “Even if you have the next Gone With the Wind, it will not sell itself.” — Barbara Grier, vice president, Naiad Press, Small Press, November/December 1985 

“A new book is just like any new product, like a detergent. You have to acquaint people with it. They have to know it's there. You only get to be number one when the public knows about you.” —

Jacqueline Susann, quoted in Lovely Me: The Life of Jacqueline Susann by Barbara Seaman

 “Some 42,000 books are published in the United States each year . . . The ratio of new books to those we have space to review is about 175 to one.” — Editorial, The Nation, November 20, 1982

 “One would expect an industry that trumpets the public's right to know, the journalist's courageous quest for truth, to celebrate the book. The expectation is not fulfilled, partly because . . . newspaper editors fear and resent the greater thoroughness and sophistication of books.” — Carlin Romano, “Extra! Extra! The Sad Story of Books as News,” essay in Publishing Books edited by Everette E. Dennis, Craig L. LaMay and Edward C. Pease

 “No matter how prestigious or enthusiastic your publisher is, your book probably won't be treated the way it should be. It's not that publishers don't want to support your books, or that they don't know how to generate sales; it's just that they don't have enough staff and money to give each book the attention it needs and deserves. As a result, most general-interest titles fizzle out fast.” — Judith Appelbaum and Florence Janovic, The Writer's Workbook: A Full and Friendly Guide to Boosting Your Book's Sales

 “If you have a book coming out, you have to get heavily—and intelligently—involved in marketing it or prepare to see it fail.” — Judith Appelbaum, author, How To Get Happily Published, interviewed in WritersWrite: The Internet Writing Journal, June 1998.

 “In today's market, writers can't just be writers. They have to be performers and publicists as well.” — Novelist Joshua Henkin, “Writer with a Roadshow” (op-ed page article), New York Times, July 5, 1997

 “One of the wonderful, sad and desperate things about this business is that nobody really knows how to sell books.” — Roger Strauss III, publishing executive, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, August 2, 1990

 “Don't expect anyone to do your selling for you. That's your job.” — John Kremer's warning to writers, 1,001 Ways to Market Your Books. [John's note: It's also a valid warning to publishers. And, see, I can even learn from myself.]

 “I've never quite bought the idea that the public buys or takes what it deserves. I think that . . . publishers to a measurable extent dictate public tastes. They're really more powerful than we want to admit.” — Van Allen Bradley, literary critic, quoted in Conversations by Roy Newquist

 “If you can't describe a book in one or two pithy sentences that would make you or my mother want to read it, then of course you can't sell it.” — Michael Korda, editor-in-chief, Simon & Schuster, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, June 26, 1984

Ideas: 152 to 156

Guerrilla Publicity

by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, and Jill Lublin

152. Introduce yourself with a sound bite. Few people have time to listen to the full story. Use language that will grab and captivate the media, show them your star potential, and make them want to move mountains to advance your career.

153. Come from the heart. To successfully promote your product or service, you must honestly believe in what you're promoting. You can't fake it.

154. Follow up. The magic formula for getting publicity is follow up, follow up, follow up.

155. Get others to spread the word. To build a successful business, you need networks, strategic alliances, etc. to help advance your cause. Everyone you know, hear about, meet, and do business with is a prospect for your network.

156. Speak before groups. Speaking before groups increases your visibility, reputation, and stature in your industry. It establishes you as an authority in your field, draws media attention, and makes you more attractive to potential customers and clients.

— Guerrilla Publicity: Hundreds of Sure-Fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for Minimum Dollars (Adams Media Corporation, $12.95).

Idea: 157

What Are You Worth?

by John Kremer

A few weeks ago, I received an email from an author asking me to consult with him about marketing his book. After I told him my fee ($500 per hour), he balked. As he noted, “I think $250 dollars an hour is a bit steep considering you are not a lawyer or doctor.”

Below is my reply, with some expansion. I share it with you because I make a key point in my reply. Too many people undervalue their time and their services. I do not. What are you worth? Think about it.

My Reply

I charge $500 per hour, $250 per half hour. It is expensive, and more than many doctors or lawyers. But, please note, I couldn't charge that much if I weren't worth it. I know I am worth that much — and the people who use me know that. In most cases, I save people that much money by keeping them away from expensive marketing options, by cutting down their planning and marketing time, and by steering them towards the most cost-effective use of their time, money, and ability.

Unlike a doctor or lawyer, I don't depend on consulting for my living. I write and publish books for my living. So consulting is a sideline that I do to help other authors and publishers. I have to charge them what my time is worth to me. That is $500 per hour. When I am not consulting, I'm writing and publishing — which is worth $500 an hour to me. To charge less for consulting would cost me. I'd have to stop consulting altogether.

You might not think it, but I am very generous with my time and my expertise. I do plenty of pro bono consulting when I speak at writing and publishing seminars. I offer lots of free material on my web site as well as via my free email tip of the week. In addition, I give lots of free advice by phone and email to people who ask. At some point in the conversation, of course, I stop offering free advice and draw their attention to my consulting work.

In fact, one of the reasons I charge $500 per hour (other than because I'm worth it) is to cut down on my time spent consulting. I don't want to consult full time. I have so many other good things to do with my life, from sharing time with my wife and my dogs to doing volunteer work in my area to watching the sun set (I'm not convinced it would set without me). I don't need to consult to make a very good living or to have a good life. I do it as a courtesy, but I make sure people value my time.

How do you value your time? Are you setting limits? Are you giving priority to the things that are important to you? Do you allow other things to get in the way of writing, publishing, and marketing your books? What are you worth? Any marketing plan you come up with has to answer these questions or it isn't worth a plug nickel.

Ideas: 158 to 163

Making Choices

by Paul Myers and John Kremer

I read the following piece in an email newsletter I get called TalkBiz News, written by Paul Myers. With his permission, we are reprinting it here (with some editing by me) following my introduction. Here are a few reasons why I think you should read Paul's article:

158. One of the major failings of most marketers is that they fail to make choices. So, they try to do everything. Which means, inevitably, that they will do lot of things, but do little well. I believe that the best salespeople are those who set priorities (make choices) and then commit all their money, time and talent to working those priorities.

159. I find that so many self-promoting authors flit from one thing to another, never settling down to commit to doing the hard work that sometimes has to be done. They mail out a few letters, make a few phone calls, do a mass mailing — and then wonder why no one is paying any attention to them. They've never actually made a choice. If they don't choose to live, breathe and continually promote their books, why should anyone else care? The truth is that one book out of a million takes off without any work. Every other book requires consistent application of elbow grease, telephone fingers and tongue lashings (gentle ones).

160. You've got to love your book. Really love it. Love it so much that no matter what anyone else says or does, you will continue to sing its highest praises everywhere. Do you choose to

listen to your heart? Or, do you choose to listen to someone else's doubts? It's your choice. Each time you hear someone else doubt your book, you must choose again to listen to your heart.

161. 90% of what you do in marketing your book will be wasted. That's not a bad thing. We can choose to get despondent over each no, or we can choose to pick ourselves up and move on. My experience is that those who are successful in selling books are those who choose to pick themselves up and move on.

162. Move on. If there is one quality that stands out in successful marketers, it is that quality — the ability to make a choice to move on. To continue saying “yes” to their books. To dance to the beat of their drum and no other. This isn't some positive-thinking mishmash. It is the truth as I have come to know it, derived from deep observation of book authors and publishers for more than 25 years. Always and everywhere, it is your choice — and only yours — whether your book succeeds or fails. Which do you choose?

163. The One Commandment

by Paul Myers, Editor, TalkBiz News (Email: paul@talkbiz.com; Web: http://www.talkbiz.com)

After many adventures, a young woman realized she had something to tell the Universe. She tried to tell it by leaving behind some suggestions. She boiled it down to 20, and realized that anything that long would be taken over by a priesthood, who would become the official arbiters of the Truth. Her words of personal liberation would become tools of control. Not good.

She boiled it down further to 10, and then to 3 suggestions. Still too much room for them to become the commandments of a new religion.

She finally boiled it down to two words. A phrase that would spread her message, and defy the wannabe Torquemadas of her future. Two very powerful words. One Commandment: Choose again.

Everything is a choice, including failing to choose.

The problem is that people too frequently confuse choice, decision and commitment. A decision is simply a choice which we've made more rigid than it needs to be. Usually, we invest ego into it, and thus become less open to choosing again. We limit ourselves, often sticking to a choice that we would prefer to change, because we think we'll look flaky or indecisive to others. Or to ourselves.

The word “decision” itself is loaded with all sorts of unhealthy social connotations that restrict the person making it. If we look at decisions as choices, the resulting change in perspective can be amazingly liberating.

A commitment is a different thing. It is two (or more) people mutually choosing to depend on the others to do their part in some specific arrangement. It often involves ongoing adjustments, negotiations and a level of cooperation and teamwork that goes far beyond simpler choices. But even a commitment is a choice.

Failing to choose is a choice. It's the choice to allow events around you to dictate the course of your life.

Most people think of choices as permanent. Nothing could be further from the truth. To choose, and then treat the choice as an immutable fact of reality, is simply to refuse to consider choosing again in the future. It becomes a default choice.

Changing your mind is not a crime. Changing it BACK is not a crime. Choosing, really choosing, not to change isn't a crime either.

If you don't like the results, choose again!

Ideas: 164 to 169

What Is Success?

by Diane and Virgil Miller

The following points are excerpted from Become a Success Magnet by Diane and Virgil Miller. The points were featured in the March 1998 issue of Book Marketing Update.

164. Decide what success means to you. Your definition of success is what is important. You will feel more productive and enjoy life more doing things that are meaningful to you. Always do a goal evaluation to measure your accomplishments against your priorities.

165. Be conscious of your goals. Take time to list your goals that will help establish your success. Make time each day to meditate, visualize and affirm your goals.

166. Learn something new each day. Participate in new activities to broaden your life experience. Try not to limit your knowledge to just one subject or activity.

167. Make your word law. Start today to empower your words. First, no longer will you lie to yourself. Second, stop lying to others by learning to say No.

168. If you give your word, keep it. You will accommodate others because you want to, not because you have to. Now when your words are spoken they have power.

169. Discover the expert within. All of us have an expert inside. It may be something we enjoy doing now like a hobby or craft. It may be something that we want to learn and know we will enjoy. True happiness comes from doing what we love for a living. Do what you love and the money will follow.

Ideas: 170 to 179

Ten Principles of Underdog Marketing

by Edmund Lawler

The following ten principles are excerpted from Underdog Marketing: Successful Strategies for Outmarketing the Leader by Edmund Lawler (published at $19.95 in 1995 by MasterMedia Limited). This article originally appeared in the June 1996 issue of Book Marketing Update newsletter.

170. Motivate employees by emphasizing the greater size and might of a competitor and reminding them that it's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. Some underdogs go so far as to demonize the leader.

171. Unless you're the low-cost producer, don't challenge the leader to a price war. Big dogs have deep pockets and can generally win a war of attrition.

172. When directly challenging a leader, use “corporate judo” to force the big dog to turn its weight and size upon itself.

173. Bark like the big dogs by taking on the look and feel of a leader. Upstarts should create a larger-than-life shadow to cast on the market to establish credibility and momentum.

174. Create a distinctive personality. Youthful, hip, irreverent—even brash personalities are more engaging and memorable.

175. Differentiate. Rather than challenge the leader head-on, differentiate your product or service from the leader's. Unless it poses a direct competitive threat, the leader won't pursue an underdog into a niche.

176. Stake your reputation on one, but not all of the following: innovation, remarkable customer service, best price, or highest-quality product. Focus on the strongest of those four attributes in marketing communications.

177. If a dogfight erupts, respond swiftly and loudly. The media and the public love a good fight and will often empathize with the underdog.

178. Charge a premium. Barring a price war, the market leader's prices can serve as a base from which a service-savvy or quality-conscious underdog can charge a premium.

179. Level the playing field with smart use of technology. The trick is to get wired first or become better wired than the top dog whose breadth is often a disadvantage.

Ideas: 180 to 185

Confidence: The Name of the Game

by John Kremer

Every week I get somewhere between 20 and 40 phone calls and emails from people asking me to help them out — not just to give them some great advice, but actually to take over their marketing program for them. They don’t have the time, they claim. They’ve tried, but nothing works. Wouldn’t I like to be their partner? Gosh, think of all the money I could make when their product hits and they’ve shared their bounty with me at a nice 20%?!?

Too many authors, self-publishers, and even publishers are looking for someone to bail them out, someone to do the work for them. Well, that isn’t the way the world works. Never has been, never was, never will be. Never.

Why do you think no one wants to promote your book? I’ll tell you why. It’s really very simple: YOU DON’T WANT TO MARKET YOUR BOOK!!! Why should we bother, when you give no indication that you really care about your book, when you have already demonstrated a decided lack of passion for your book?

I actually got so worked about this after the tenth such call one day that I wrote a Get Off Your Behinds rant on my Book Marketing Bestsellers blog (http://openhorizons/blogspot.com).

In that rant, I defined the true book author as someone who has so much passion for her book that she will not give up until the world knows about her book. A book author with boiling blood flowing in her veins doesn’t wait for someone else to champion her book. She would climb the highest mountain if need be, parachute into

Windsor Palace (true event, real author), or even stand in front of a speeding truck — if that’s what it took to get noticed.

If you don’t understand this need of the true author, then you are not one of those authors. You are simply a dilettante. Go pay someone to promote your book. Watch them spend your money and see where it gets you. I’ve seen this happen many times. Authors spending anywhere from $15,000 to $180,000 paying other people to promote their books but never getting involved themselves.

Pah. Poo. Pookie. Sorry, that was me blowing off some steam.

Now, in my rant, I ended by simply saying this: Get off your Buts…

Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End

A few days after writing my rant, I was reading Reader’s Digest in my library (or, as some of you might call it, your restroom). One of their articles this month featured an interview with Rosabeth Moss Kanter, author of the bestselling Confidence book (full title above in the subhead).

Well, that article explained a lot of the things I’ve been trying to tell authors for so many years. As Kanter explained, “Confidence is the expectation of a positive outcome.” That’s the core of a true author’s being. That’s what lies at the core of my being. No matter how grumpy I might get some days, no matter how overworked, no matter how overwhelmed, my core being still believes that everything will work out fine. My job is simple: Just be there when it happens.

Most people are absent when the world is ready to hear them. They stopped long ago. They didn’t stick around long enough for the world to respond. There is an ancient hardcore rule of life: That what you put out into the world comes back to you multifold. The

sad thing is that most people don’t understand this. So they don’t stick around. They give up.

Trust me in this: The world always gets around to you if you give the world a legitimate chance to respond. That means that you have to put forth a legitimate effort to get the world’s attention. And it also means that you wait around for the answer. And, while you wait, you keep putting forth more effort.

Now, that’s the way the world works. Down deep at its very core. Anyone with passion for their work understands this.

If you don’t know this down to your toes, if you don’t dance to this tune, then you need to develop more confidence — in yourself and in the world. As outlined in the Reader’s Digest article, here are some tips from Kanter to help you boost your confidence.

180. Take the Toes and Shoulders Test.

Chris Wallace, general manager for the Boston Celtics, could pick out which basketball players were going to make it as a pro just by watching their body language. The poor players stayed too close to the ground and their shoulders sagged while the good players were on their toes all the time and they always stood tall and straight. He called it his toes and shoulders test, and it never failed.

In her book, Kanter described research done in the 1960s by Harvard researcher Robert Rosenthal who demonstrated that people who were labeled as high potentials were always more successful than those labeled as low potentials, even though the labels were assigned randomly! Another study of competitive tennis players showed that you can affect a person’s reaction time simply by saying “good shot” or “bad shot” during their play. Those hearing negative comments were always slower.

If you want to grow your business, start sharing some praise with your authors, sales people, order takers, editors, and flunkies. One of the first actions Kanter recommends to her clients to boost morale is

simple: Redecorate the workplace. A workplace that looks and feels successful will be more successful. Always.

181. Get to Carnegie Hall.

Have you heard the joke about the tourist who asks someone on the street how to get to Carnegie Hall? Well, the answer was simple: practice, practice, practice.

For Kanter, that means to always work on keeping your mind positive and prepared. If you are getting rejected by editors and producers, then start over. Prepare a new pitch, practice it until you can do it in your sleep, and then knock on those same doors again. If you are still getting some resistance, Kanter offers a simple solution: Get success somewhere else in your life. Success in other parts of our lives always inspires success in the dark corners as well. And positive feelings are contagious.

182. Fly without Spoons.

Kanter tells the story of a flight attendant at Continental Airlines who noticed that the plane was being delayed simple because the catering department hadn’t provided any spoons. Well, since the key airline goal that year was online departures, she took it upon herself to clear everything for takeoff. And she would take the responsibility to tell the passengers.

Sometimes we simply have to fly without the spoons. We can’t have everything perfect. Just go. Do something. Get moving. You can always take care of the little things later.

Kanter recommends that you “avoid individuals who suck your energy and diminish your confidence…. Hang out with the people who see you at your best…. Pessimists drag you down, as do whiners and critics.” So dump them.

183. Keep an Angry Email File.

Sometimes after a setback, you might need to vent. Well do so. Get it out. Write that angry email or letter. Just don’t mail it. File it.

Then, reach out to friends. If you are down, do what Kanter did after the death of her two parents within a short time of each other. She called friends and asked them to go on a walk with her. And she invited herself over for dinner more than once. When we are having trouble in one area, it is essential that we break the gloom by sharing some good times with family or friends.

184. Begin the Confidence Games.

In her consulting work, Kanter stresses the importance of recognition and praise: “Bosses who have both big plans and the human touch, who walk through corridors acknowledging and complimenting people, can make a huge difference in the confidence level” and, in turn, success of their companies.

One year, baseball manager Tom McCraw offered his Houston Astros players $100 every time they drove in the winning run. Now these guys were professionals earning millions of dollars a year and yet that $100 reward was enough to inspire better play from them. They hungered for that little bit of extra recognition.

We all hunger for recognition. Isn’t it time you offered a little reward to authors who bring you good books from other authors? Or offered a reward vacation to those booksellers who come up with interesting displays for your books or who increase their sales of your books by some percentage?

185. Remember Kanter’s Law.

Kanter’s Law says that everything can look like a failure in the middle. If you act on this law, then nothing you can do can be a failure. You’re still in the middle, that’s all. In short, don’t give up. Just keep plugging away.

A corollary of Kanter’s Law is Vinatieri’s Kick. This rule of New England Patriot fans says that the game isn’t over until Vinatieri kicks. This rule came into being on December 29, 2002, when Adam Vinatieri kicked a 42-yard field goal in the last seconds to defeat the Miami Dolphins. Vinatieri’s Kick rule has dominated Patriot football since that time, with a Vinatieri kick helped the Patriots to win several more Super Bowls as well as other key games, always in the last seconds.

What is your version of Kanter’s Law? Is it when you reach for the phone one more time to call another media? Is it before or after the 23rd rejection? The 58th? The 101st?

The truth is this: We are always in the middle. We really cannot fail, at least not as long as we keep moving.

Your job now is simple: Keep moving. If you do that one thing, you’ll always be there when the world is ready to respond.

Ideas: 186 to 192

Creating Great Book Covers

by Kate White, editor of Cosmopolitan,and John Kremer

In a February 2006 issue of DM News, they featured an article where Cosmo editor-in-chief Kate White revealed her secrets to good covers. These same secrets apply to book covers, back cover copy, news releases, and other promotional copy. Here are her secrets:

186. Follow the 80-20 rule. Though the cover is a small part of the magazine, she spends several weeks a month on cover lines and images. How much time do you spend on your covers?

187. Choose your own cover cocktail — What goes into giving the cover its persona. For example, you want a cover model the reader would be willing to drive cross country with. “If Jay Leno isn’t talking about the cover every four or five months,” she says, “then I know I’m doing something wrong.” Do your covers have a persona? Do they give the reader a good idea what is inside the book? Has Jay Leno ever talked about your book?

188. Create a trademark look. Cosmo has a trademark look to its covers. So does Star, Men’s Health, Seventeen, and Vanity Fair. Do your book covers have a trademark look?

189. Trust your gut, but train it first. She uses reader polls, focus groups, and online surveys to get a sense of what her readers want. Are you talking to your potential readers or are you just trusting your untrained gut?

190. Do a carpet post-modem. She does a carpet post-modem where she throws various covers on the floor to see if she can see any patterns. One thing she discovered is that the poorest selling issues featured dark-haired models. Now Cosmo only features blondes. Do you ever put your covers to the test to see how they stand out in a crowd of other titles?

191. Write killer cover lines. Find where the universal meets the specific need. Make hard promises and sell the magazine like a can of corn. Do you do this with your book covers.

192. Ensure you have a dream team. Covers are easier to create when you have a supportive team, including the editor, art director, and production director. Are your people working together to create a great book cover?

Author Bio

John Kremer is author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books as well as editor of the Book Marketing Update newsletter.

He is also available as a consultant for publishers and authors who want help in creating their marketing plans, setting priorities, and discovering new markets for their books. The charge is $250 per half hour. Call 505-751-3398 for details.

Or email: JohnKremer@bookmarket.com.