What's Working for You?

[John Kremer]

I'd like to start a new forum where people can talk about what's working for you right now in marketing your book.

I think this will help other authors to prioritize their activities if they can find out what's working for other people. This would be especially valuable to new authors.

I've share the hottest tool that I'm using right now. And that's Twitter. As you will note on the main page of this Book Marketing Network website, both my http://www.bookmarket.com website and this network have been rising in Alexa ranks (and visits) because of my use of Twitter.

[albertasequeira]

Hi Steve,

The most I sold at book signings has been 12 books; maybe a little more. But, at a speaking engagement at the Providence Marriott Hotel in Rhode Island, with 150 women and a priest, I sold 26 out of 32 in a box. They asked me to do another one on Dec. 12th to their Boston Chapter.

I think another person who said, "Go to your audience," hit it right. This is what I need to do more often. I also got paid (not knowing). So, we can charge for these speaking engagements.

[Steve Miller]

Yes, the "go where people are already gathered" makes a lot of sense to me. I'm trying it in social networking, where rather than trying to gather a big following (through my blog or twitter), I try instead to concentrate on commenting on other people's popular blogs and articles, where the crowd is already gathered.

I think both ways can work, but when time is limited, I think that going where they're already gathered makes good sense.

[albertasequeira]

I'm in the process of scheduling a speaking engagment at the Lakeville Public Library in Lakeville, MA. The director wants me to talk to the public on the topic "The Affects of Alcoholism on the Whole Family."

She plans to put it into five surrounding newspapers. I'll then have the opportunity to sell my books. These big events have more benefits to get known and sell lots of books instead of book signing at bookstores. Although, every step is growth.

[Steve Miller]

Wow, that's great free publicity! An added benefit is that an event like this helps build your platform better than a traditional book signing. If this goes well, you get a quote from the librarian and attendees about how they benefited from your talk. Then, you put these quotes on your site. Whenever you try to schedule future talks of the same nature in different locations, you can show the scheduler the blurbs of how well the last one went.

Before long, you could be nationwide!

[albertasequeira]

That's a good idea, Steve. I have papers for students to fill out at the end of my classes to rate my workshops. I never thought of doing it for this talk. I'll make them up and pass them out before I begin my talks.

Thanks for the idea. Glad we all have each other.

[Susan Klopfer]

Alberta: That is so inspiring! How did you find the women's group in the first place?

[albertasequeira]

Hi Susan,

About seven years ago, before I even had a thought of becoming a writer, a girlfriend took me to the Providence Marriott Hotel in RI to the woman's Magnificat breakfast. They have a lot of prayers, singing and then for an hour or longer, you listen to another woman talk about her spiritual changes during her lifetime. It's a Catholic Woman's Ministry.

I went to a few and stopped. Once I wrote my first memoir in 2006, I decided to go to see if I could sell some of my books after an event. Pat, the woman who runs it, said I had to become a speaker first and then she'd allow it. GULP, 150 women and sometimes more along with a priest!

I decided to push my fear aside and deal with it when the time came. So, I wrote an hour speech on the subject of spiritual changes that brought me back to the Church, my life with a father who was a Brigadier General, becoming a writer, and losing both a husband and daughter to Alcoholism.

Another president of the Boston Chapter was there and has me speaking Dec. 12th at her location. Pat has also asked me to talk next year at a weekend woman's seminar on the Affects of Alcoholism on the Whole Family.

I didn't mean to make this a long story but was trying to show how important it is to network and attend places you can talk. From one event, it can open doors to another.

I've got two other woman's organization in town who want me to talk. I'm just getting the courage to say I charge $50 and the opportunity to sell my books with an hour talk. For some reason, I feel guilty charging, especially if it's women you know. But I feel there comes a time if you're becoming a speaker, you need to get ahead to invest that money into buying books or travel.

Someone told me that an author is taken more seriously if you do charge. The larger the crowd, the more I'd charge. The Magnificat gave me $200 ( which I had "no" idea of being paid for it. I was looking to get known). Add on the 26 books sold and I had a wonderful day of being seen, known, heard, and people buying my books and putting money into my account which paid for my next order of books.

Does anyone charge for their talks and what is considered a normal fee?

[Sally B. Watkins]

I am brand new just today on this website and want to chime in here about book signings. At first I found it discouraging as the sales were slow, but the bookstore would order 20 or more copies for the event which I authographed and were sold later, and I gave out lots of cards which may have resulted in sales. I made myself a name tag with my book cover on it, stepped up to people and announced "I'm the author. This is my book. I'm here today giving free advice about.... and found many people curious and willing to engage. I also became acquainted with the bookstore staff and got them interested in my book and hopefully recommending it. So even if only 5 books sold in two hours it felt like I planted some seeds.

[nancy y. bonar]

Not yet marketing as cookbook isn't completed. Came across Brian Judd's new company today. Not for book stores as sales sources but, rather, for sales reps who sell to corporations, nonprofits, etc.

What does everyone think?

http://www.premiumbookcompany.com/index.php

[Steve Miller]

Nancy,

I got in on Judd's new company because it made sense that my book could sell in those areas. I just started this summer and haven't seen results yet, but I didn't expect to, since I know that this type of sale is more of a marathon than a sprint. I also have a lot of respect for Jud because of his books and Webinars. He seems to understand selling outside of the bookstore better than anyone. If you do join, keep my up with the results!

J. Steve Miller
Author of Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, Invest It and Give It
http://www.amazon.com/Enjoy-Your-Money-Make-Invest/dp/098187567X/re...

[Joel Friedlander]

Nancy,

The idea looks very good, and Steve may have real-life results to report back. Note though that this is a start-up, and not all of the catalogues seem to even be in existence yet, so a little caution is probably a good thing.

Certainly the non-bookstore sales channel can be very helpful for many books, and Dan Poynter has pushed this idea for years. Judd's company would be really helpful because there are few ways to explore these non-bookstore opportunities without a huge investment of time and energy.

Cookbooks particularly lend themselves to non-bookstore marketing. I mean, food is all around us. I remember buying a really good chili book at a car wash once, waiting for my car!

[Steve Miller]

As several have recommended, I'm commenting on blog posts and articles that speak to the themes of my book. I'm considering doing a virtual book tour (blog tour). Have any of you done a virtual tour? Did it work for you? Do you have recommendations from your experience?