The Big Bad Book Blog

There isn’t much to say about YouTube that hasn’t already been said, but it would be careless to exclude this mammoth of social media from our series. And “mammoth” is no exaggeration: YouTube is big, hairy, and, er, tusk-wielding. Well, at least it’s the first of those three, unless we were to explore some extended metaphor. Get this: YouTube has the eighth largest audience on the Internet, pulling in 55 million unique visitors each month, according to Nielsen/Net Ratings. Read: YouTube’s no fad. Google doesn’t pay $1.65 billion for fads. And fads don’t hold this much book marketing and publicity potential.

So, what exactly does YouTube—or at least the technology it employs—mean for book publishing? continue reading

Planned Television Arts, the nation’s largest and oldest book promoter, celebrated their 45th anniversary last month, and in honor of reaching this milestone, we are pleased to offer on their behalf 45 free tips on what authors need to know about getting published, promoted, and distributed. If you have further questions, please contact PTA’s Chief Marketing Officer, Brian Feinblum, at feinblumb@plannedtvarts.com. Please feel free to visit their website and download The Million-Dollar Rolodex, a great publishing resource, at no cost. You can also sign up for their free e-newsletter at the site. And now, the tips. continue reading

Rushing a book to market without understanding all the consequences of your decision is about as bright as marrying someone you meet in Las Vegas after a fifteen-hour drinking binge. Even if the reasons behind the rush seem legitimate, beware of the beer-goggle effect—your book won’t look nearly as attractive when it comes off the press as it does in your head when you’re deciding to skip vital steps in the publication process. There are three areas where rushing will come back to haunt you with particular vengeance: continue reading

Contributed by Brian Feinblum

We know that creating a book is a labor of love—and time and money. But the biggest commitment you’ll make that will have the greatest effect on sales comes once the book is printed and ready to be sold. You need an aggressive publicity and marketing plan—or else your book will be lost in the wave of 175,000 new books published annually. That’s five hundred books published every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. And when you’re promoting your book, particularly to the news media, you need to make it stand out.

The best way to show off your book’s uniqueness is to make it personal. If you want to differentiate your book from others on a similar topic, don’t just focus on the content—spotlight your own story. No other authors, no matter their subject matter, can offer your story, your perspective. You are one of a kind (at least until cloning becomes legal), so make the most of it!

Every day I receive calls from authors and potential clients with diet books, first-time novels, tomes on how to make money, books on how to improve relationships, compilations of 500 tasty recipes, or literature about how God spoke to them. In one week I may speak to several people with books in each genre. If you want to be noticed, my advice is to link your work to who you are—your experiences, your credentials, your personality. We must hear a unique voice from the author, particularly when the books begin to sound and look alike.

So the next time you promote your book, discuss yourself and you’ll leave a more memorable impression.

Brian Feinblum is the Chief Marketing Officer of Planned Television Arts, one of the nation’s leading book publicity firms. Consult www.plannedtvarts.com or contact Brian at feinblumb@plannedtvarts.com.