7 Mental Marketing Principles for Authors and Solo Professionals by Sheri McConnell—President of the National Association of Women Writers 1. Try new things. It is crucial that you stay involved in your industry and network with other professionals. You will learn the techniques that really work and build phenomenal long-lasting … [Read more...]

The 13-Digit ISBN: What it Means For You To be a successful publisher, you must be a knowledgeable publisher. The publishing world is constantly changing. Being aware of the changes that affect your publishing business is essential. R.R. Bowker’s change to a 13-digit ISBN is an important change to be aware of and this article will help you … [Read more...]

Talking to a Prospect as if to a Friend While working with a new coaching client, I asked to hear her sound bite. Everyone needs a good sound bite. A sound bite, sometimes also called an "elevator speech," is a 10- to 15-second commercial on what your company does, offers or stands for. Use it when you meet someone new in business, use it at … [Read more...]

BEA Blog by Fern Reiss, CEO, PublishingGame.com/Expertizing.com Book Expo America is the largest book event for the trade held in the U.S. (and second only to the Frankfurt Book Fair internationally.) Nonetheless, not all authors and small publishers are able to make it to Book Expo; indeed, some have never attended. Experiences at Book Expo … [Read more...]

Mid-Brain Marketing Have you ever had an unexpected idea, or crunched numbers to calculate a budget? If so, you have used right-brained or left-brained thinking. The concept of these two separate modes of thinking can be transferred to book marketing. Right-brained marketing is embodied in the “aha” factor, the source of a creative press … [Read more...]

The first month of the Publishing Basics PodCast was a resounding success. Interviews with POD/Vanity Press/Subsidy Press insiders confirmed many of the past Ask Ron articles on the “pay to be published” industry. If you are considering paying a publisher to publish your book, you should make sure you listen. http://www.wbjbradio.com/ … [Read more...]

Should I buy the printing for my first book directly from a printer to save money? As a printer with over 35 years experience, my answer should be an obvious yes. However, my answer is a resounding NO. Let me tell you a story which explains why. Last month I was an exhibitor at Book Expo America in New York. This year’s booth was a mix of the … [Read more...]