Guerrilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson: 100
No-Cost, Low Coast Weapons for Selling Your Work. This is a fat book that helps
writers build marketing techniques to promote their books, maximize their
sales, and strengthen proposals. Although this book has mixed reviews, if you’re
looking for a list of options you can explore to help you with these things,
flip through the pages of this book.
Some of the ideas they offer are TV, radio, print
interviews, media kits, press releases, webcasts, giveaways, surveys,
reading/book discussion groups, newsletters, articles, and audio. They also off
“Guerrilla Tactics” that help you take their advice to the next level.
Inside the pages you’ll also find their 15 most important
marketing secrets, which include:
1. Content
2. Commitment
3. Investment
4. Consistent
5. Confident
6. Patient
7. Assortment
8. Subsequent
9. Convenient
10. Announcement
11. Measurement
12. Involvement
13. Dependent
14. Armament
15. Consent
To delve deeper into these, you’ll have to check out this
book.
Another book a lot like Guerrilla Marketing is 1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kramer. I found many of the same tips in these two
books, but in 1001 Ways, there was more discussion about making it onto the
bestsellers list and how to get the attention of Publisher’s Weekly and New
York Times.
John Kramer also suggests publishing in the off seasons:
July and August.
An odd marketing tip is to name a street after yourself or
your book.
Both of these books can help you to form a checklist of
ideas to try.
QUESTION: Do you have a favorite marketing book?
I've heard of both these titles, but haven't checked them out. Thanks for the reviews, Chrys!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Madeline!
DeleteI have the second one but I've not checked out the first one yet.
ReplyDeleteI think they're both great.
DeleteOh dear. I know I should be more motivated, but I find marketing so dry and so hard to do...
ReplyDeleteMarketing is hard to do, but I find that when I look at things like this, and see all the different ideas, I get a little excited to try it.
DeleteSure sound like they will help try and kick things into gear. But marketing? What's that? I think the cat just walked away lol
ReplyDeleteWould the Cat consider marketing to dogs? :P
DeleteNo, I don't have a favorite marketing book, but I should have one. Thanks for the info. on these.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Tamara!
DeleteThe only marketing book I've ever read was for creative businesses and using social media. I bet there are some similar ideas.
ReplyDeleteI've looked at a few for social media. :)
DeleteI have both of those books. 1001 ways is so invaluable.
ReplyDeleteI got them from the library. I wished I owned them. lol
DeleteI don't recall any marketing books off the top of my head that I've read or run across. Most of the marketing advice I've seen has come from the writing and publishing blogosphere. So many people (not just writers) don't understand effective marketing, and seem to think it just consists of nonstop Tweets or Facebook posts begging people to buy the products.
ReplyDeleteNonstop tweets do get on my nerves.
DeleteI learned early on that librarians are a writer's best friend and that you can serve bugs for breakfast as long as you present them right. Aside from that, the idea of marketing sits in a drawer like an itchy old shirt I hope to grow out of before I ever have to wear it. However, this"Guerrilla Marketing" concept has me thinking fondly of camouflage stilettos ;-) I like the July and August idea too. Thanks for the tips, Chrys!
ReplyDeleteYou'e welcome, Diedre!
DeleteI've never looked at any marketing books (yet!). I'll have to keep these in mind. :)
ReplyDeletePlease do. :)
DeleteI haven't read any marketing books, just writing ones, but these sound like good tips. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think I've read more marketing books than writing books. :P
DeleteThanks for the tips with these books Chrys.......may come in handy one day.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
I like to hear that, Yvonne.
DeleteI need help, that's for sure. My marketing is pitiful. May take a look. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou'll only benefit, Beverly. :)
DeleteAs you know, Chrys, I haven't got around to marketing yet. Still 'girding my loins' as they say, waiting on finishing my Paris novel. I have marketing books on my Kindle. Must get around to reading them. The first you mentioned sounds a bit complicated. There's lots of help out there. In my post today, I've posted some of the helpful comments from my IWSG post, where people offered some experience and advice on self-publishing.
ReplyDeleteIt's never too early to start drafting a marketing plan. :)
DeleteI think this would help many writers because, from what I have red, many have a hard time to market themselves so any tips would be most useful. On another note I am wondering if anyone would like my new name...Chestnut Lane
ReplyDeleteIt is tough. I even struggle with it. The more advice you can get, the better.
DeleteChestnut Lane? I like it. Almost reminds me of a horses's name. :P
These sound like very helpful marketing tips. Interesting idea to publish books during July and August. There's plenty of food for thought here.
ReplyDeleteJulie
And food for thought is what we need. :)
DeleteThese are great suggestions. I haven't read either but will definitely add them to my list. I find most of my marketing advice through online articles these days.
ReplyDeleteOnline articles are full of great advice.
DeleteThanks for the marketing book tips. It's an area that I know nothing about, but probably should learn more about.
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice to start learning as soon as you can.
DeleteGreat resources, Chrys. Thanks for sharing them. I've only heard of the first book. One thing to think on is the difference between marketing a physical book vs. an e-book. There are so many differences. I personally found it much more time consuming and also fun to market the physical book. Also, like Deidre said earlier, Libraries are a great outlet. They also have a system for e-books now. This is an important topic because even if a writer has an agent, they are often responsible for their own marketing. It's not an easy feat.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right!!!! The problem I had for the longest time was that I only had short story and novella ebooks available. Now that I have print books, the marketing is different. There's more ways to marketing and they are more fun, too. :)
DeleteSince I don't have a book out there yet, I haven't paid much attention to marketing other than collecting blog posts on the subject. Funnily enough, I posted today about marketing tricks for Amazon that I learned from an interview with Chris Fox.
ReplyDeleteStarting to jot down ideas that you could do or would be interested in trying would be a great place to start now.
DeleteEvery time I find marketing gold I put it in my magic folder. Not everything works for me, if you know what I mean. hehehe
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Not everything works for me either. lol
DeleteSounds like a great help for writers.
ReplyDeleteThese books sure are. :)
DeleteI don't buy marketing books because I'd rather find out on my own through trial and error than use someone else's formula. What works for one person is never guaranteed to work for another person. We're more interested in finding what works best for us, and that's not a problem because we're never at a shortage for crazy marketing ideas.
ReplyDeleteI like to get ideas from the marketing books and tweak them for myself. Trial and error is how it is done, for sure.
DeleteJust thinking of marketing makes me feel tired. But I need to shake it off and check out the book.
ReplyDeleteMarketing can have that effect.
DeleteI bought John Kremer's book when I started out in publishing my children's activity books about 10 years ago. That's the only book on marketing books I've bought and . . . though it was thoroughly informative, can't say it's helped, even less so now that the ways of marketing have changed since its publication.
ReplyDeleteThat is true. Marketing changes each year.
Delete