• John Kremer and Judith Briles on Marketing Books
    2024/11/08
    Host a Podcast and Be a Podcast Guest!John Kremer: Every author should have a podcast. I still believe that. I've been promoting it for a long, long time.I still really believe that because I think podcasting is one of the most powerful tools you have for getting the word out about yourself.The neat thing in today's world, it's easy to create a combined audio-video podcast that you can syndicate on 40 or 50 platforms.Judith Briles: How many people come in and start a podcast with absolutely amazing intentions? Kind of like when people are going to do a blog and then within six months the blog is dead. Is there any stats on the startup for podcasts that start petering out?John Kremer: I don't know of any specific stats, but I do know from my own anecdotal experience that probably 80 or 90% of podcasters give up on their podcasts within six months. It becomes too much work. It's too hard. It's every week. But the thing is, you don't always have to do a podcast that's going to be a forever podcast. You could do a limited edition 10-episode podcast.Some of the most popular podcasts in the world are limited podcasts. They cover a true crime case, and then once you're done covering it, the podcast is done. But the podcast lives on in all the podcast syndication sites. It lives on in Audible. It lives on in Amazon. It lives on in lots of places.Judith Briles: Some of the news shows I'll pick up once in a while, they have both the ongoing, like in perpetuity, like ours has been, and we're seven years old now. But they also have limited edition episodes, almost like a serial book and then it's over. And then maybe they'll come back again when they have a new serial to start up.John Kremer: Even a limited podcast series still gives you the benefits of a podcast, especially the power of syndication.One of the incredibly powerful things about podcasts is that it puts you on 30, 40, or even 50 of the major websites on the Internet, including Apple, Amazon, Audible, Google Play, Spotify, Pandora, and more!You know the power of a podcast because you built up a listenership for your podcast, and you've had millions and millions of listens and possibly views because I know you also put it up on YouTube.Podcasts not only allow you to syndicate it to all these powerful websites, but it also gives you the opportunity to exchange views and podcast episodes with other podcasters.Ask key influencers and authors this question: I'd love to interview you for my podcast, but I would really like it if you would also interview me for your podcast. I think we have complimentary audiences that would like to hear both of us talk on each other's podcasts.The Book of the Month ClubJohn Kremer: I'm going to talk about the Book of the Month Club. Now, this isn't the old line Book of the Month Club, which died a sad death.Judith Briles: So, how do we create our own Book of the Month Club?John Kremer: I met somebody once at one of your seminars, and I'm still trying to track down his name now because I seem to have misplaced it in my move to Arizona.But he offered a book of the month club. He was a business speaker and consultant to corporations. What he did is he wrote 12 short books. I'm talking about short books, 96 to 128 pages, somewhere in there.Then whenever he'd go out and speak or whenever he attended a convention, whenever he met somebody that might be a potential client or customer or speaking agent, he added them to his book of the month club.Once a month, he mailed out real books to his prospect list, a list of about 500 potential customers. He kept adding people to the list as he spoke in different venues and met people on planes, in hotels, or at convention sites.His book of the month bluc not only justified him printing hundreds or thousands of copies of his books but it also impacted his speaking engagements and his corporate consultations.From a business standpoint, his book of the month club made perfect sense for him because he picked up all kinds of coaching clients, speaking engagements, and corporate programs that he would do.To be successful with such a club, first you have to write 12 books. And you can't produce junk. You have to produce real content worth reading, something that would showcase your experience and help to sell people on other products and services you have to offer.The neat thing is that at the end of every book, of course, he included a pitch for his coaching and his speaking and his corporate programs.His book of the month club was designed for a business audience. But the thing is, novelists, memoir writers, cookbook authors, and other writers could release five to 10 pages per week instead of releasing a book a month.One chapter per month, a recipe per week, something like that. They could email it out. Or they could podcast out episodes. They could even do YouTube videos.I just ran across an old friend of mine, Peggy Glenn, who's now doing videos under the name Grandma Potty Mouth where she ...
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  • The First Secret of Success Is Very Simple
    2024/07/25

    The first secret of success is very simple: Tell the truth. That is how you build relationships with potential customers. This first secret does not change, no matter how successful you become. You must always tell the truth. — John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books

    Truth is the easiest thing to sell. — Daymond John

    The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. — Socrates

    Be truthful, gentle, and fearless. — Mohandes Gandhi

    Web: https://www.BookAuthorAuthority.com

    Web: https://www.BookMarketingBestsellers.com



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookmarketing.substack.com/subscribe
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  • Video Marketing for Books and Authors
    2024/04/21

    Have you thought of creating videos to market your books, writing, and other products and services? If so, here are a few statistics that should encourage you to do more with video in the coming year.

    Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% in text.

    More businesses are now using video than ever before. 90% of businesses plan to use video for marketing in 2024.

    85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound.

    66% of people will watch the full video if it’s less than 60 seconds.

    1 in 4 consumers have made a purchase after seeing a video story on Instagram.

    The sweet spot for video ad length is 6-10 seconds. Short-form videos offer a great return on investment.

    80% of consumers want to see more short-form videos this year.

    For American adults, the average daily social media time for video is plateauing. Still, video consists of 60% of social media time among American adults.

    84% of people claim to have visited a website after watching a video promoting a product or service.

    Video production is often outsourced. Many marketers also use AI to create marketing videos.

    Book Marketing Success is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookmarketing.substack.com/subscribe
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    3 分
  • A Is for Asterisk *
    2024/04/12

    I’ve just completed a new book, A Is for Asterisk * - An A to Z Guide to Punctuation and Related Symbols (from the new ABC Book Series).

    According to the grammar experts, there are either 14 or 16 primary punctuation marks, but there are also mathematical operators, newly invented punctuation marks, emojis, and other symbols that are becoming popular as people write and post to social media.This new book is an A to Z guide to many of these punctuation marks and symbols. Enjoy!

    My hope is that this short book will help you become a better writer. I think you'll enjoy the book.

    Book Marketing Success is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookmarketing.substack.com/subscribe
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    2 分
  • Lesson 3: Back Cover Copy That Sells Books
    2024/03/08

    One of my readers shared another key idea for back cover copy: testimonials. Linda Condrillo had a suggestion for the back cover:

    Visualize what you want on the back cover—including rave reviews from prolific authors. Then send your final (perfect) manuscript to those authors, or other prominent people you admire or even know. Ask them to write a review for your back cover (and also have a sample of suggested text waiting, just in case they ask you for it).

    You may be very surprised at the responses! I did just that. Voila!

    Linda’s strategy outlined above is the same strategy I’ve used on the back cover of my 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. Here’s the latest version of my back cover:

    If you collect the right testimonials from a variety of people talking about how they use your book in a variety of way, those testimonials can really sell a book. Are you convinced by any of the testimonials above. I know that I get inspired by the testimonials whenever I read them. They keep me going.

    Web: https://www.BookAuthorAuthority.com

    Web: https://www.BookMarketingBestsellers.com

    Book Marketing Success is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookmarketing.substack.com/subscribe
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    4 分
  • Lesson 2: On Writing Back Cover Copy
    2024/03/07

    First, a few notes from yesterday’s podcast episode.

    1. The author of Power and Petroleum died shortly after I reviewed her back cover copy. Apparently her book was never published.

    2. I write promo copy for all authors, no matter where they are on the political spectrum. My job is to write great copy for any author who hires me to copywrite for them.

    Here’s my copywriting on environmental policy and promotion:

    If you want people to be worried about global warming, don't talk about global warming.

    Too big. Too hard to grasp. Too hard to figure out how to help.

    Tell the story of one lone polar bear cub who is losing its home as it melts around him.

    We will respond to that.

    3. I have no problem with people speaking Spanish. For the past 18 years, I’ve lived in two bilingual states: New Mexico and now Arizona. I interact with Spanish speakers all the time. I studied Spanish in college. It’s a beautiful language. But in the context of the sales copy for the book, I did essentially denigrate Spanish. I apologize for that.

    A Novel of Ancient Rome

    This novel had a front cover that looked much more like a nonfiction academic title than a novel. It needed fixing.

    The back cover read: “A thought-provoking story that is truly original — Copernican in nature. The premise meshes well with historical evidence, which lends startling merit to a sequence of events exquisitely revealed in this gripping novel. The theory proposed will inspire intriguing debate among readers, historical scholars, and theologians for decades to come.” That’s it.

    There's nothing in the back cover copy to draw the reader into the drama of the novel. Is the novel truly gripping just because the back cover says so? The cover also says other things — none of which indicates the novel is gripping. The rest of the copy says that the book is a theory, an academic think piece. Nothing wrong with an academic think piece, but think pieces are not novels. Not ever.

    My guess — and it is only a guess based on the jacket — is that this book has a great story to tell, but where is it? Stories involve people, not ideas. Focus first on people. Then focus on the plot. Only then can you move on to tell stories about those people struggling with ideas or conflicts.

    Besides better descriptive copy, the back cover needed a few testimonials or reviews. The copy was too sparse to sell the book to most readers.

    Website: https://www.BookMarketingBestsellers.com

    Website: https://www.BookAuthorAuthority.com

    Book Marketing Success is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookmarketing.substack.com/subscribe
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    4 分
  • Lesson 1: Creating Back Covers That Sell Books
    2024/03/06

    As you may know, I critique book covers as part of the consulting services that I offer. A number of years ago I had the challenge of reviewing a number of book covers for a client. One of the books was titled Power and Petroleum. Now, the front covers of the books were okay, but the back cover copy was terrible. In this episode, I’ll critique the back cover of Power and Petroleum.

    First, the title is boring. It has no power to convince people to pick the book up.

    The back cover of this book was too focused on abstract ideas rather than immediate impact. Here is the original back cover copy:

    A Wake-Up Call!

    Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is the successor to Fidel Castro as the enemy of the United States in the Western Hemisphere!!

    Read quotes from Chavez's speeches to know his intentions: To absorb Colombia and form La Gran Colombia, with Castro as his guide; and with China assisting in future adventures!

    This warning is by a former resident of Venezuela, and former advisor to the Venezuelan oil industry.

    In writing the above copy, the author used four exclamation points. There’s only one reason why the writer used so many exclamation points: The copy was weak.

    Note: Exclamation points do not create excitement. Details create excitement. If you don’t believe me, read my rewrite below:

    In the coming years, gasoline prices will triple.

    Cocaine will be on every street corner.

    Cuba will dictate U.S. policy in the Americas.

    South America will be ripe for revolution.

    Mexico will fall.

    Communists will be knocking at our door.

    Terrorists will be streaming in through our porous borders.

    You will be sitting in jail—along with three of your children.

    No one will be safe.

    Are you listening?

    If Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, has his way, the above headlines will be the norm in just a few years. Venezuela and Columbia will join with Cuba and China to create a new reality for the Western Hemisphere. It's time Americans woke up.

    In Power and Petroleum, Emma Broussard, a former adviser to the Venezuelan oil industry, reveals the hidden intentions of Chavez and his cohorts. You have a choice: Read this book, or learn how to speak Spanish and keep your head down.

    Notice how the details above created more drama, more urgency. Now that’s drama (whether it’s a true projection or not). It gets attention. And it’s not out of line with what the old cover copy hinted at.

    Whether the book matches the back cover copy, that I don’t know. I didn’t read the book. But I could certainly sell lots of copies with a back cover with the drama outlined above.

    How is your back cover copy?

    Ask yourself:

    Does your back cover copy get readers excited about picking up your book and buying it?

    Does it make them want to start reading the book right away?

    Does it create urgency and excitement?

    If it doesn’t, rewrite it. Add more details. Create more urgency. Give people reasons to open your book.

    If your back cover copy does succeed, congrats. You’ve take the first step in selling more copies of your book.

    Website: https://www.BookAuthorAuthority.com

    Website: https://www.BookMarketingBestsellers.com

    Book Marketing Success is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookmarketing.substack.com/subscribe
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    4 分
  • Free Book on Why You Should Write a Book
    2024/02/01

    I’ve just published a new book on why you should write a book. It’s called The Book Authority Guide on Why You Should Write a Book by John Kremer. It’s now available on Amazon in Kindle ebook format ($2.99), paperback ($12.99), and hardcover ($19.99).

    But you can get the book free as a PDF by clicking here: https://bookmarketingbestsellers.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Book-Authority-Guide-on-Why-Write-a-Book.pdf.

    Enjoy. It’s my gift to you! It’s a full-color ebook as well as a full-color print book available on Amazon. The PDF, of course, is also full-color!

    Want to know more? Just call me at 928-767-4022. Or email me at JohnKremer@BookMarket.com.

    Book Marketing Success is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookmarketing.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 分