Sell More Books!: Book Marketing and Publishing for Low Profile and Debut Authors, Rethinking Book Publicity after the Digital Revolutions by J. Steve Miller, Blythe Daniel, Stephanie Richards, and John Kremer
Book Review by Lorilyn Roberts
When I read the title, Sell More Books! I couldn’t imagine anything that would help ME to sell more books. After all, I had done nearly everything that had been suggested by marketing gurus and experts. What else was there that I hadn’t already tried?
Originally, my marketing plan consisted of a little bit of this and a little bit of that, hoping something might work. I was so afraid that if I didn’t try everything, the one thing I didn’t do would be the difference-maker. Why I took this approach, I don’t know, except to acknowledge that marketing is far more overwhelming and complicated than writing a book.
Oftentimes we are bombarded with a zillion suggestions from well-meaning marketing folks, and being the newbie that I was, I tried most of them. What I found, however, is that many of those highly touted things didn’t work (and don’t work for most new or low-profile authors). Do you really need a publicist, for instance? What about all those press releases that cost a lot of money? And drawing up a marketing plan? What would that consist of, anyway? Sell More Books! will help.
Originally, my marketing plan consisted of a little bit of this and a little bit of that, hoping something might work. I was so afraid that if I didn’t try everything, the one thing I didn’t do would be the difference-maker. Why I took this approach, I don’t know, except to acknowledge that marketing is far more overwhelming and complicated than writing a book.
Oftentimes we are bombarded with a zillion suggestions from well-meaning marketing folks, and being the newbie that I was, I tried most of them. What I found, however, is that many of those highly touted things didn’t work (and don’t work for most new or low-profile authors). Do you really need a publicist, for instance? What about all those press releases that cost a lot of money? And drawing up a marketing plan? What would that consist of, anyway? Sell More Books! will help.
Once I began reading Sell More Books! I realized what I needed were not new methods or ideas but a strategy to help me evaluate what I had already done. And Sell More Books! did not disappoint. I never thought about incorporating what had worked into a marketing plan that would fit my needs and budget in the future. I think it’s just human nature, like a cow, to think the grass on the other side of the fence is greener. Whatever we haven’t done is what we think we need to do because somebody somewhere says so—and we think they know more than we do.
Sell More Books! made me realize I was not alone, but by following some common sense and inexpensive suggestions, I could resurrect my lagging sales and achieve better results. Simply put, I needed to look at those things that had worked and continue to pursue them. And lastly, but also very important, I was challenged not to sit on those ideas but to put them to good use. When you become discouraged, oftentimes the hardest part is just getting started again. And because Sell More Books! helped me to see the mistakes I had made, and I felt I could trust Steve Miller on other aspects of marketing I wasn’t as sure about.
Not everybody sells tons of books from TV and radio appearances—really? I thought I was the only one. What worked for me, I found myself asking? What about all of those wonderful book reviews I have posted on Amazon and other websites? Why not get some more? After all, you can’t have too many.
These are just two ways to market out of dozens outlined in Sell More Books. The suggestions run the gamut for every type of book in print and every type of person. Yes, we are all different. Go with what works for you and throw out the rest. Don’t feel like your book is a failure if something worked for someone else but doesn’t work for you.
In addition, Steve Miller shares many stories from authors he has talked to first-hand regarding marketing—and has concluded, as I did, that many things are a waste of money. I wish I had read Sell More Books two years ago. I could have made better choices in marketing Children of Dreams, saving myself a lot of time, money, and discouragement.
Sell More Books is the best marketing book I have read. Buy yours today and don’t repeat the mistakes others have made. You will be encouraged to keep on keeping on in the difficult world of marketing.
I second everything Lorilyn said! Steve is a very giving person with lots of great ideas, so you can't go wrong with buying a copy, whether you are self-pubbed, e-pubbed, or publisher-pubbed, or even if you don't have a book out yet, but want to know how to prepare for that day in advance. Steve shares his successes and failures so we can learn from both. J. Steve Miller truly has a servant's heart.
ReplyDeleteYes, Lorilyn, you are so right! it is the strategy in this book that makes it so unique. J. Steve Miller lays everything out so well and gives you tools to actually implement his ideas. I loved this book!
ReplyDeleteSteve's book offers much more than most books like this. He gives examples of how one method might work well for marketing one type book, yet it may not work well for another. He defines those differences and makes it easier to learn from his trial and errors. Great book for all authors to have on hand.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, this is one of my all-time favorite marketing books. Steve makes everything seem so simple and so easy, that someone like me can do it. I would recommend this book to every author out there ~ old and new!
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