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The New Edition of The Hot Sheet

by Richard Smith
Bowker | Tue Jan 16, 2018

The Hot Sheet

If you’re an author and want to stay on top of the important issues in the world of publishing — issues that affect you — you need The Hot Sheet.

With all the chatter out there, it will help you sort through the noise with stories that focus on relevant topics from across the publishing spectrum. From author success stories to key industry statistics, you’ll find what you need to know in The Hot Sheet. 

In the latest edition of The Hot Sheet:

Inside Publishing
News & Resources
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Monkey Traps and Marketing

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jan 9, 2018

 
There is a unique way to trap monkeys in the islands of the South Seas. The natives drill a small hole in a coconut, hollow it out and fill it with rice. Once a monkey puts its hand in the coconut to get the food, it cannot remove its clenched fist. Refusing to let go of their prize, the monkeys are unable to escape. 
 
Publishers can get caught in a similar trap if they become conditioned to avoid risks and persist in using strategies that were successful in the past, without evaluating whether they are still relevant today. Their grasp on a comfortable feeling of security yields the same sense of contentment the passengers on the Titanic experienced moments before it struck the iceberg. 
 
Don't just do something, stand there!
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Sell More Books with “Method Acting”

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Jan 2, 2018

 
Do you know your audience?
 
If you’ve ever questioned whether or not what you’re doing is working, then the answer might not be yes. 
 
It’s worth spending some time in your genre to become a fan and get to know what your audience is really looking for. 
 
Although this may not seem like it will translate into sales, it’s the book marketing piece that can make or break your success as an author. Because writing the book is the easy part.
 
Method Acting
You may have heard of an acting technique known as “immersion” or “method acting.” The actor takes a role and runs with it in every aspect of their lives. In essence, they become the character.
 
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Stop Promoting and Start Communicating

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Dec 12, 2017

 
Book marketers tell me they spend hours and significant sums of money promoting their books, but experience little results. They do not understand that the impact of promotion is not the number of press releases, emails and media appearances that they conduct. It is the lack of communication and engagement with the recipients. If they do not understand why they should buy your books, they won’t.
 
People are inundated daily with mass communications that are directed to a general audience. Your prospective buyers are busy, and will not read or listen to a message if they don’t think it will improve their circumstances in some way. Be more successful breaking through the clutter by first getting their attention, giving them some reason to learn more and then act. 
 
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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The Universal Pitfall

by AC de Fombelle
Bowker | Mon Dec 4, 2017

 
 
We all are disappointed when we miss an objective, but did we really do what was needed to reach it?
Working towards success is a bit like riding a bike. First, you need to get on the bike, preferably a good one. Actually, first, you’ll need to make sure your bike is ready to roll, adjust the saddle and lights, check the brakes, chain, and tires. Then, you get on the bike.
 
You’ll also need to pedal, and not too slow, otherwise you’ll just stay in the same spot and fall/fail miserably. You will then put your bike into the right gear depending on the difficulty. Get the wrong gear and you’ll overtire yourself for no reason; either using way too much energy on an easy road or struggling on steep paths. Finally, you’ll need to keep in mind where you are trying to go otherwise, all this effort will be for nothing. You’ll end up going in circles, backwards or in a totally useless direction.
 
Inside Publishing
Writing
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Stop Doubling Down on a Failing Strategy

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Nov 21, 2017

 
Are your sales at the point where you expected them to be when you published your book? Are you doing the same things you always did to try to sell them? Low sales are a fact of life for most authors, but they have probably not heard the maxim, “If you do what you always did, you’ll get what you always got.” If your sales are below forecast, maybe it is time to try something different.
 
You may have your book on Amazon, and you are probably active on social media. You feel that have too much time and money invested in getting to where you are, so you will keep doing what you have been doing until it works. 
 
Why in the world would someone do that? Based on my discussions with many authors there are at least three reasons.
 
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Update Your Marketing to the 21st Century

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Nov 14, 2017

You most likely use 21st century Internet-enabled book-marketing processes. However, your sales are probably occurring at dial-up speed if you are implementing mid-20th century marketing actions.

You wouldn’t put up with a 1930s-era phone system, or forego the benefits of modern technology, but that is what you are doing when you fail to sell your books to non-bookstore buyers. These could be retailers (discount stores, supermarkets, airport stores) or non-retail buyers (corporations, associations) who could buy in large, non-returnable quantities.

Selling to these special-sales buyers is not a major leap for many publishers. In many cases, you already have the programs in place to do it. Selling to non-bookstore retailers uses many of the distribution partners with which you already work. Begin there, and then expand your sales to build upon your current base, giving you a solid foundation and focal point to grow your sales.

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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How to Find New Places to Sell Your Books

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Nov 7, 2017

 
Many product ideas came from observing a phenomenon in one area of life and applying that to a totally different product. The idea of Velcro arose when Swiss engineer George de Mestral took his dog for a walk. He noticed how burrs of the burdock plant stuck to the dog’s fur. He replicated that to invent the product. As another example, Clarence Birdseye was on vacation in Canada when he saw some salmon that had naturally frozen in ice and then thawed. When cooked, they tasted fresh. That was the origin of the frozen food industry. 
 
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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How to Perfect the Art of Media Pitching

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by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Oct 31, 2017

With the media’s attention becoming more and more difficult to capture, it’s more important now than ever to create the perfect pitch. And it’s a bit of an art form. Why, because especially with national media, but also with regional media, and even bloggers, it’s important that each aspect of your pitch be on point. Today, I’m writing to help you learn the art of the perfect pitch, and teach you some great practices to consider.

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Segment Your Prospective Buyers for More Sales

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Oct 24, 2017

 
You could sell more of your books if you can answer two questions honestly. First, how often do people think about your book? Second, how often do people think about their own problems? You will probably agree that people think more about how they can solve their problems, learn something, improve themselves or be entertained than they do about your book. However, if you can show them how they can help themselves in some way by reading your book you are likely to increase your sales and revenue.
 
Defining your target reader. 
When asked who their target reader is, many authors reply, “I do not know,” or “everybody who likes (their topic).” Either answer will reduce your sales and profits. If your book is for everybody, how much would it cost you to reach them frequently enough to make an impact – if you could find a way to do so?  
 
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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