Stumble It!
Video 4 - a “plug-and-play” action plan…
We’re about halfway through the Rich Author video series, and the response has been phenomenal.
The content is so rich, so powerful, that I’m getting loads of emails begging for the next one almost as soon as I get the latest video posted!
So without further delay, here’s Video 4 of the Rich Author Training series.
http://www.automaticbestseller.com/rich_author
Inside you’ll discover…
–Why 90% of all books will never sell more than 50,000 copies (and how you can blow this figure out of the water)…
–The secret to turning your book into a selling platform for other higher-priced products…
–14 simple ways to ignite a blazing inferno of book sales…
–11 power principles of becoming a best selling author…
–My “plug-and-play” action plan for writing your entire book in just 7 days…
–How changing one word in your book title can increase sales by 1000%…
–A little-known technique (borrowed from the Yellow Pages) for making your book jump off the shelf and into the buyer’s hands…
And much more!
This one is KILLER folks–block off time right now to take a look.
http://www.automaticbestseller.com/rich_author
Don’t forget to tell me how you like this video by posting a comment below…
Chris
May 8th, 2008 at 11:04 am
It’s amazing how we, at least I, didn’t think of all of this earlier. It could have made my life so much easier. For example, joint venturing for your book sales. I never would have thought of that.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I totally understand and can relate to the e-blasts that he is referring to. I attended 1 Excel Seminar for work, and now I get about 4 emails a week, plus Newsletters in the mail.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Can anyone explain what he is talking about when he is referring to the Bestseller push? Something about counting the sales as 1 book even if you order 2 or more. I’m not real clear on that one.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I love the postcard idea. You can use this like you would if you were a Real Estate Agent. Go to your County Courthouse and do a development research.
May 9th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Some of these methods are aggressive. I would call them guerilla tactics. Tony, I know what you mean about those e-blasts, and I can tell you, they work.
May 9th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I can vouch for the effectiveness of e-blasts. Many times if it were not for their persistence, I would have lost out on some good opportunities.
May 9th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Well when is an e-blast not spam? I guess it could be argued that as long as it’s specifically targeted to a captive audience, it’s in their general interest.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Marcia, that’s a great question that I really wish I could answer. I think that an e-blast is not spam if you are targeting the audience that is interested in your product, or has shown interest before. I do think it’s a fine line though.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:00 am
Well I think that it is the technique that determines whether or not it is an e-blast or spam. If you are just sending it to random people repeatedly, I consider it spamming.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:03 am
Joseph, you seem to have at least a little bit of experience with e-blasts. Do you have any special tips on how to go about e-blasts to make them the most effective and efficient?
May 10th, 2008 at 1:30 am
Mike, yes, these are some really aggressive methods, but at the same time, if we aren’t aggressive enough about it, we won’t make it. You have to be aggressive to make it in the world today.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:38 am
Definitely - being aggressive is a valuable trait these days. It is nearly impossible to get by in the business or entertainment industries without marketing yourself in the ways mentioned in the video.
May 10th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Corporate sales is a real good idea and I think any group sales in general would work almost as well. Any special group that would find your book of interest should be targeted.
May 10th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Yes, aggression is vital to surviving in the business world, but you have to be careful that you are not being too aggressive. Being too over the top can actually turn people away from you.
May 10th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Has anybody here started doing some type of marketing strategy? Any tips that you want to share with those of us who have yet to actually start? How has it been working out for you?
May 10th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I’m still mapping out my own business plan, but after watching this I’ve changed it to include postcards. Beatrice, I never knew just how effective they could be.
May 10th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
VirginiaT, you said that you should be careful about being too aggressive. What do you feel would be too aggressive of a marketing campaign?
May 11th, 2008 at 10:36 am
In regard to the thing about postcards, I went to an authors forum not long ago and almost all the published authors had stacks of postcards that people who dropped in could take away. So they weren’t even paying to send those postcards out, and they were better than flyers.
The other kind of cute marketing thing I saw there was specially wrapped sticks of gum with the title printed on it. That might be more expensive than postcards, but I did see people taking the gum and saving the wrapper with the name on it.
May 11th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
The sticks of gum idea sounds really interesting. I wonder how much that costs though? Seems like you should already be profiting before you try something like that, but who knows?
May 11th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Setting out the postcards and using them as fliers is a great idea. You save a lot on postage, but you probably reach a much more captive audience.
May 11th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
I’m still thinking about what kind of postcard I would want to use, and how I could make one. Does anybody have a real estimate of how much postcards could cost?
May 11th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Not to put words in Virginia’s mouth, but in my personal opinion, I think that going over the top would be spamming on the internet. I also would be careful about how you present yourself to others both in person and online. You don’t want to have a personality that’s too aggressive either.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:15 am
I think that you hit the nail on the head, Loren. I don’t think you should go out of your way to bombard people with things they may not want. Target your audience properly, like Chris suggests.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:19 am
Loren got it right. It’s important that you are making a good impression. Don’t ruin your reputation by sending out empty and useless advertisements. Just be cautious.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:28 am
I made it to the LA book fair last month and saw some great marketing strategies, though Chris basically touched on all of them. I think he’s spot on with these techniques.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:36 am
I wish I could have made it to the LA book fair. I heard that there were a lot of great authors there. How did the speakers there compare to Chris? I can’t imagine them giving a more thorough talk than this one!
May 12th, 2008 at 12:46 am
I loved the video of course, but writing a book in only seven days seems near impossible! I don’t know if it will work out for me, but I guess I can try. I just don’t want to set goals for myself that are unattainable.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:50 am
Everybody wants to achieve the goals that they set, Constance, but how can you achieve your goals if you never set any? You have to aim high, reach high.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:55 am
Seven days isn’t a lot of time, but it’s manageable if you follow Chris’ advice. He knows what he’s talking about, and if he gives you a time, you can do it.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:57 am
I understand what you’re talking about now in relation to the aggression, VirginiaT, and I agree with you. Nobody wants unsolicited junk in their email, but at the same time, sometimes you have to reach out to some people who might not seek you out, and let them know who you are. Otherwise you’ll never get anywhere.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:00 am
The “plug and play” seems do-able. I think it’s a good way to go about it, even though it seems tough. I’m a bit weary to start right now, even though I don’t want to procrastinate. I guess I just need to finish the videos!
May 12th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Haha, sticks of gum with a company or person’s name on the wrapper sounds fantastic. I’m just not sure how effective that is. I’ve only ever seen people save the wrappers to put their gum in when they throw it away!
May 12th, 2008 at 1:08 am
I don’t think I’ve ever written anything in seven days.
This would be a good place to start though. I just want to make sure I have everything in place before I start. It sounds great!
May 12th, 2008 at 6:05 am
Caleb86- I have not used e-blasts as a tool myself, except to say that I’m the targett of several of these e-blasts. It is their timeliness and persistence that makes them valuable because many times I would have missed some good offers.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:12 am
The truth be told, not all unsolicited mail is unwanted or is a bother. I have saved spam mails to further look into them because they are of interest to me.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:52 am
I don’t think the e-blasts would really be considered spam. The recipients are giving you their information. If they don’t want to be bothered with them, they shouldn’t give out their addy’s.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Anything is possible if you put in the effort. I believe we can get our books done in seven days. Like he keeps saying, map out the plan, and stick with it!
May 12th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I think that the marketing ideas in the video are genius! I can’t imagine better techniques to entice your readers. I don’t consider the e-blasts to be spam if these people are giving you their information. i think it’s a brilliant method of gaining exposure.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
We might not all agree on the whole e-blasts issue, but I think that we can all agree that Chris has amazing method and technique that we KNOW work. If they didn’t I’m sure that the majority of us wouldn’t even be watching the videos. Keep up the great work! You are a true motivating force!
May 12th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Constance I’m with you there. He does know what he’s talking about because he made it. He has the success that we are all looking for, and I think it’s awesome that he’s willing to share with us!
May 12th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Chris lists a variety of ways to put yourself out there. I was most drawn in by the viral articles. So many people spend time surfing the web, why not write a few articles so they might stumble upon one of them? It’s such an easy way to get your name out there, I can’t imagine why I didn’t think of it before.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Putting out press releases and putting articles online are both great ways to advertise. I love to peruse random articles online when I get the chance, and have actually found books I enjoyed because of it. I think it’s very effective.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Chris is right that the appearance of a book is so important. For example, I won’t pick up a book with just the title on it anymore. There has to be something more - an enticing picture, an interesting subtitle - almost anything that catches my, really.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Was anybody else surprised by the number of books that Chris has made this year using one technique alone? Do you think that you will ever get to that point of success that you can write multiple books a year and hit it big with each one?
May 13th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Responding to an early comment/question. An e-blast in not spam when you have signed up to receive emails from the sender. So even if you are interested in the topic and you did not request the info, itis still classed as spam.
May 13th, 2008 at 7:58 am
In relation to using the wrappers from sticks of gum. I think there would have to be a headline that pulls the reader’s interest that would compel them to actually get more information on the book.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Writing a book in seven days for the average person is pretty near impossible, however, I believe if proper arrangement is made and the time is dedicated then it can work.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:05 am
You would have to have the various steps properly arranged, for example in order to get the bullet points for the title and back cover you would need to get that from your readers. So you have to put things into place to ensure you got that, If you had to wait 2-3 to get all ten responses then that would push you back. Remember you are not established yet, so people won’t necessary be flocking your site to give you their opinions.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I see, so really I would have to make sure I have my steps properly set out, have my websites ready to take information. Question, how do I get those people to actually respond to me?
May 13th, 2008 at 8:09 am
There are many ways, what I have noticed since I am on the WWW is that people give away valuable things and information in exchange for your email address or your opinion. So maybe you could write and article or ebook on something they want generally and give it away.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Chris made some suggestions as to how to get a captive audience in the video. You could start with any one that you are actually able to do effectively. He mentioned press releases, free teleseminars, advertising with PPC etc.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Benji, article marketing is really a good choice because many people are starting blogs and after a few months or so they will start looking for good content to ensure their website has good quality information, so it’s a good idea to put yourself out there.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Loren, I am not surprised at the amount of books Chris was able to put out this year. The fact is that he us very seasoned and comfortable in what he does, he’s and expert on it so it’s basically second nature. We can do it too, I am sure.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:09 am
The other thing is that Chris already has books out there which he makes sure sells the other books. He has the website address for each book at the top of every page. So if I buy one and read it and want more info I will simply go to the website where I will be put on to other books.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Not only that, he has taken the time to purposefully build a foundation and then he gives the customer what they ask for, so he continues toplease them and that I think is the key to effective marketing and actual high volume sales.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:14 am
He mentioned joint ventures as one of the ways to get the word on your book out. I was wondering do other authors readily help you to get word out on your own book, or would you have to join with another product or promotion?
May 13th, 2008 at 9:16 am
I am not sure how these joint ventures will work, perhaps if you know a best selling author, you could align you book at a special half price for any one who buys his book, something like that, I am not sure if that would work.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Chris has reinforced for me just how important credibility is. His techniques obviously has worked for him as the success of his books can attest.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:38 am
The success of these techniques left me to wondering just how organised he must be to keep up with all his writings, and manage the various parts of his book empire. I’m excited.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:53 am
I agree that cover design is a major consideration. Many times I have bought a book while browsing in a bookstore, because the information on the cover appealed to me.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Joseph, I have done the same thing. The cover has to have a “pop” to draw the customer to it. Something that will really entice him/her to actually want to buy the book.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Corrine, not only would it have to be a book, it could be anything related to the topic of your book. Say for example you are writing an excerise book, find a supplier that does maybe ankle weights and kinda partner in with them.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I’ve never seen a book that references its website on the top of every page. Has anyone else come across this? It’s a good idea, but like I said, have never seen it.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Reputation and credibility and quality goes hand in hand. There is no one in spurning out one book after another if the content is substandard, so much research must be done.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Ok Tony, I think I get it, so I basically create a new product that is related to my book that will also help to sell my book when it eventually comes out.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Marcia, I think Chris must be extremely organized or he has a very good manager. I am sure he does not do some of this stuff himself, as he has told us, outsource, outsource, outsource and then concentrate on the things that needs your direct attention. (That actually adds value.)
May 13th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Jake, I am with you on that one, I have never seen a printed book with website address on each page, that’s a new concept, I have however seen it on ebooks and it doesn’t really leave a bad impression.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I haven’t seen it idea, I am just thinking about it though and I think it would look a bit odd at the top of the page.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
A web address on each page isn’t too strange to me, I think it would really get the message across, and people, in general, wouldn’t be put off by it.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I think Chris does a great job of making us realize that reputation and credibility are extremely important. That’s one of his main points, as it should be. If you don’t plan on making a good impression on people, don’t plan on selling many books. It seems like common sense, but at the same time, so many writers don’t consider it.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
A good way to get your name in articles is to contact people who run blogs and see if they will maybe read your work and write something about you. Chris is excellent at finding marketing techniques, it’s so weird to think that any of us could be as successful as him in the future.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Rogerk82, if there isn’t something on the cover to get me to pick up the book, I won’t even bother either. If there’s nothing on the cover, it has to at least have a very interesting title. Just look at the books Chris showed us as an example. He always puts a little something extra.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Seven days didn’t seem reasonable until I saw the plan that Chris has laid out. It seems difficult, but nobody said it would be easy! I think Chris has a great technique, I just can’t wait to get started.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I am one who has trouble being aggressive, but Chris mentions a lot of ways to target my potential audience without setting myself up to be embarrassed.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I never thought the TITLE of the book would be so important. I’m definitely learning something here. I never knew about a lot of these things, subtitles, testomonials, all that sort of stuff. Now I do
May 13th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
There are so many ways to market your book — press releases, email blasts, tele-seminars, viral articles, corporate sales etc. He’s very right about corporate sales, companies want to buy what other companies have bought, so that can stay on top of things.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Yes, of course Trip. If another company has already bought several of those items before you then that gives it reputation power. The more of a push that you can get in that way the better off you will be.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
I never liked the term ‘viral’ when it is applied to a genuine article like this. Viral suggests something that propagates without permission where as these articles are picked up because the person chooses to pick them up and publish them on their own site.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I agree that it’s not really viral in the way that computer viruses are, but certainly the way that they spread can have a similar affect.
I have always been good with writing articles, but not so good at getting them picked up. I seem to write things that are only of interest to me. I need a million mes if I going to become a best selling author, huh!
May 13th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I wonder if we should be telling people that we are using the survey results to choose things like the book title? Do you think that it matters if we don’t spell that out?
May 13th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I don’t think that it’s hugely important, especially if the surveys are anonymous. It’s not like they can claim part of your profits really, for clicking a radial button on a survey!
May 13th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Now, my friends and I have always been big on lending each other books. I have to date only found one book that I would lend to no one, and it is a novel that I loved rather than an informational book that is now out of print.
So I am really curious as to how to truly lock someone into holding onto the copy of the book that they buy.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Justa, the title is the thing that will give people a first impression of the book you are trying to sell, so yes, it’s important! Horribly so-it has to be good.
I don’t think that this could be stressed strongly enough.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
I agree, but having an early letter of the alphabet doesn’t always work. Places like the local Barnes and Noble have the shelves stacked in such a way as the books at eye level may very well be the Zs, or the Ts, or whatever. Yes, you might go from A if you find the section in the right way, but I never seem to.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:43 am
That’s true, and, as he says, they don’t even need to buy a whole lot of copies, even if they buy one you can put the company name on the cover, and that helps with the credibility issue.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:01 am
That’s an absolutely great idea ! books with freebies and discounts definitely increase the value of a book. Thanks for an incredible suggestion
people are always looking for the best value for their money.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Thanks for the information about Amazon ! that’s some information I would never have gotten from anyone else. I never knew about that. That’s something you can learn only from experience.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:14 am
So Barnes and Noble counts groups of purchases as one. I think it’s totally unfair of them, I definitely will be selling via Amazon instead of them. B&N should not be cheating people of sales that should count towards their “bestseller” status.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:33 am
Free seminars are a totally AWESOME idea. You can talk to people one-on-one, your readers can actually meet their favorite authors, and they can see you and see how much you want them to succeed.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:40 am
I really love the “bonus package” idea. Just to have a HUGE package of other stuff, it’s like a present, like it’s Christmas in July. This huge pile of stuff, and it’s all for this small price.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:43 am
A joint venture is something I’d never have thought about myself. We’ll get better coverage if we help each other to sell our packages because other authors might have readers that you haven’t reached, and vice versa.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:46 am
Viral articles rock ! publications are always looking for free articles. If we write one and allow anyone to pick them up and reproduce them in their magazines, we’ll have free publicity. Absolutely brilliant idea
May 14th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Press releases are great too. Magazines and newspapers can have a circulation in excess of a million people. A press release is a good cheap way to reach all their readers.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:01 am
The Amazon vs Barnes and Noble secret is a good and interesting sample of the secrets he knows and is probably not revealing in the free videos. I’m betting that he will reveal more interesting “secrets” in his inner circle.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:20 am
Free consulting is also a great idea. Imagine being able to call the author if you have a question about a book. It’s the ultimate in interactivity, direct instant access to the author.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:41 am
It’s amazing that you really CAN write a book in seven days. It’s almost childishly simple, the book almost writes itself. All you really have to do is put it together, get a good title and a good cover design.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:45 am
Now this I can handle. It’s just cut and paste. I think a lot, I should probably record all of it down. At the end of it I’ll have enough content for a book.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:47 am
What Chris says about the title is very enlightening. The title is the first thing anyone sees when they look at the book. If they don’t “get” the title, they won’t even pick up the book, let alone actually look inside it. That’s something I learned today. Thanks, Chris
May 14th, 2008 at 2:51 am
Yes, like he says in the video, first they look at the title, then they look at the subtitle, then they pick it up and look at the back cover. If all this isn’t attractive and doesn’t catch the attention and interest of the buyer, they won’t even look at the content.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:59 am
“Our website is on every single page in every single book”.
That’s a pretty cool way to draw people to the website. Of course people want to visit the website if their reading the book, it adds to the overall experience.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:02 am
Yes, these things are so simple, yet it’s never been said before until now. Until Chris happened, everyone was guarding all these simple secrets like their lives depended on them. It’s very generous of him to reveal all his secrets to everyone.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:05 am
I’m sure he didn’t reveal ALL his secrets, he must have more secrets in that inner circle of his. I’m gonna join it and see if I can learn any more from it.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:26 am
It just keeps getting easier and easier. In the earlier videos it looked a little difficult, but as I watched the videos, it just kept getting easier. By the end of the series it should be almost impossibly simple to write a book
May 14th, 2008 at 4:02 am
Alfred, even if they do let others borrow the book you’re getting your name out there, and the people who borrow your book could be potential buyers in the future if they enjoy your work. Maybe some type of referral program for people who recommend you to a friend?
May 14th, 2008 at 4:45 am
I wonder which microphone recorders are best for recording this sort of thing. I’m thinking maybe one of those small micro-recorders, or maybe a cellphone that records audio (is there such a thing ?)
May 14th, 2008 at 5:57 am
I wouldn’t exactly say that it’s all copy and paste. If you aren’t putting any effort into it at all, you’re not going to be as effective as you should be. Chris has told us that there’s some work involved, it’s not all easy.
May 14th, 2008 at 7:02 am
I too have wondered why others are not so willing to share their success. There is enough to go around, and I don’t think that it’s right to be greedy. I am very grateful for Chris.
May 14th, 2008 at 7:32 am
Sex sells. Is that the trust sentence in the industry or what ? you definitely need to give people a reason to look at the cover, because if you don’t look at the cover, you don’t pick up the book.
May 14th, 2008 at 7:36 am
That’s exactly right, your book is out there in the middle of thousands of others, or it might be on a website among millions of other websites, so you definitely need a reason for someone to stay and read the website or pick up the book.
May 14th, 2008 at 7:49 am
He pointed it out correctly. When I heard him saying in the middle of the video that people who do online marketing forget about offline marketing, I had to realize that he was right. I was so focused on online marketing that I had forgotten traditional offline marketing tools. Thanks for pointing that out.
May 14th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Is there a hidden message in this video as well ? he mentioned that a book idea was suggested to him. That’s definitely another way of figuring out what to write about. After all, if it’s what people want to hear about, then it’s what you want to write about, right ?
May 14th, 2008 at 8:07 am
We write books for people to read, not for us to read. It’s your goal, as Chris says. for them to read every chapter and every word. Then they can use the methods to change their lives. Then they either buy the next book or refer it to their friends. That’s how it starts.
May 14th, 2008 at 8:19 am
“The sales process actually begins when they buy your book.” that’s great advice. People always think that the sales process ends when something is sold.
May 14th, 2008 at 8:25 am
The “flow” of the book has to be good, that’s what I wholeheartedly agree with. The chapters have to be in order, the book must progress smoothly from beginning to end, the chapters can’t be disjointed.
May 14th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Yea it’s easier to sell one copy to a million people than it is to sell a million copies to one person
corporate sales are great, does that apply to schools as well ?
May 14th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Email “blasting” is a great way to keep people updated on the new books you have. It’s a great tool for keeping people “in the loop” so that they can make better purchasing decisions.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Brad, I had to listen to that one twice too. It never occured to me that the selling process actually started (not ended) with the sale of the book. I always thought it was the other way around. It makes more sense this way though.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Joint ventures can also take the form of recommendations. You often see on websites when you buy a book, the check-out screen recommends other books that you might be interested in. That helps sell the book too.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Those full-color postcards are definitely going to set you apart from the competition. I can see how it will work in the long run. It must be hard to ignore an oversized, full-color postcard.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Also it’s very appealing, it’s a great sales tool, and shows your prospective customers what the quality of your product is like. It will make a great impression on people for sure.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:35 am
I just have to say that it really does get faster and more fun. When I started watching I didn’t know it would work, ir even how to work it. Now I almost know how to work it, and I know it will work. Thanks Chris
May 14th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
I like the idea of the sales processing beginning with a sale. It motivates you to want to continue selling to that person, and working towards gaining a new fan base at the same time. That’s the most effective way to sell books - appeal to the familiar people and the strangers.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
E-blasting can be helpful for those who may have forgotten about you. It definitely reminds them that you are out there, and there’s definitely no harm in letting them know.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
When it comes to grabbing a captive audience, which method that Chris mentioned do you personally feel would be the most effective for you? I personally think that articles would do the trick.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
It’s crazy to think that just changing the TITLE can have such a effect on a book ! I’m going to be thinking a lot about the titles of my books now.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
I’m finally getting the idea. It’s not just about selling a book, it’s about building a community. With his methods you can ensure a steady stream of books, and definitely repeat customers. It’s about building brand loyalty.
May 15th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
The title can make a huge different, or so I’m finding out. You could call your book just “The Diet Book” or you could think up something creative to entice more people who want to lose weight. I think Chris has a great point. I’d be more likely to pick up the book with the creative title.
May 15th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Brand loyalty is exactly it, Scriber. Building a community is the way to get repeat sales, as Chris has been showing us, and it’s just amazing how much easier it is when you have the internet to make sales. This has been a valuable resource for me.
May 15th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Scriber, what makes it such a great strategy is that it seem to be one process but there are so many benefits to it. The same info is used to create various products.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
And you have to remember that with the internet there is almost no limit, it’s like you have the world at your finger tips ready to offer your product.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
A title change can make so much of a difference. It’s really amazing though how one title would appeal to us and another wouldn’t. I thinks title that appeals to the emotions are more captivating.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
If e-blasting is used properly you can reap very good rewards. I have unsubscribed from quite a few lists because I they do is try to sell.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Same here, on the other hand, I have stayed on a least one list and bought repeatedly because I felt that the marketer genuinely cared about my success by even responding to my emails for clarity.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
A little care and customer service goes a long way. Some persons in advertising their products don’t see the need in helping the people they are trying to get to buy their products.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Chris spoke about how you can get your book sold more than fifty thousand copies. I am sure helping your clients as you go along is a must, otherwise you will find yourself very lonely.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
It is really amazing how using the book idea as a platform can blossom into such a wonderful experience, I am really looking forward to getting started.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I am still finding it rather cool to hear the difference between Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Your total sales will still be the same, so your profits won’t change, but wow-what a difference as far as making steps towards the best seller list!
May 15th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Right! I mean, if making the best seller list is on your list of ambitions (and for reputation sake, and for the sake of future sales it should be)then this is the kind of tactical knowledge that we all need.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Articles too-I know lots of people who write them and have written some myself but I would never have considered them as a way in which to advertise my product-or even my website for that matter.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
The freebies-you know, I just love freebies. I couldn’t count just how many things I have bought just on the promise of the freebie within.
I can see that being hugely successful.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
You know, I’m still kind of chuckling at his joint ventures. I would never have considered having the cart already pre-loaded with the one item so that they have to de-select the item to check out just one thing.
That’s got to catch a lot of new sales.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
As should speaking about your book. Could you also arrange signings at local book stores?
I know that would again bring in the lowered commission, but you are likely to end up having to sell something through a store at some time.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
So, does Amazon keep it’s own best seller listing? Given that it updates every hour it seems like if wouldn’t take long to register once you have reached best seller status.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I don’t know how Amazon views things or updates them, but I guess it might pay to find out. Do they make that information public?
May 16th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
I would think that is the sort of thing that they keep private-from the competition if nothing else.
How do you guys go about setting up joint ventures?
May 16th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
I haven’t done this yet myself, but I would start by approaching authors of similar, but not competing books and products. Something that would complement what you have produced without either taking away from the other.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I would say that you will get a good many turning you down to begin with at least in part because you don’t have any reputation power with which to try and sell a joint venture.
But once you get past the first book then you will have more power to approach people.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
I guess that this is the same as selling larger volumes of books to various corporations-the first time it is very hard but the next time around it gets easier, and it’s easier to sell to other companies with the reputation that previous sales gives you.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Exactly. People are wary of buying from unknowns, and wary of trying something for the first time. But you won’t be an unknown and it won’t be the first time forever-you just need to break through that first set of sales.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
I would imagine that this is where the freebies come in. They are a good way of encouraging people to buy that first product.
Then, if your product is good enough then you can win their loyalty as well as the reputation boost that word of mouth from them might give you.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Affiliate sales-this is another area where reputation is important-wow, I am now seeing how it all comes together! Once you start to build your base then you can get the affiliate sales working for you.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
The affiliate sales worry me a little. There is the room for a bad reputation through bad affiliates, who either don’t follow through with delivering the goods, or who mark up the product a huge amount.
I guess you would need to tread lightly there.
May 17th, 2008 at 6:13 am
I like the part of upselling other products associated with your book; the products can revolve around the theme of the book and provide a steady stream of supplementary income. Thanks for the tips.
May 18th, 2008 at 10:07 am
liowkc, it’s not just a matter of can do-it’s must do! You will make little per copy of a book sold through a shop. The real money is made by selling other products, seminars, anything else that especially does not have multiple other people taking a cut from it.
May 18th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
E-blasts - yeah, I agree it’s a fine line. It’s one thing sending out a newsletter or promotion, but multiple e-mails a week results in a spam card from me, and I’m sure most people as well. When it gets to that point, I don’t even bother reading the e-mails anymore. It’s harassing and annoying.. counterproductive.
May 18th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
JakeG - I’ve never come across a book with it’s website on top of each page. Personally, I would find it annoying. On the cover, index, back cover… that’s fine. And then I’ll go to the site if I want to. Frankly, repetition doesn’t mean that people are going to be more likely to click on it… often times, it means it starts to become invisible to them and they ignore it instead. You have to find a balance.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I agree. I’ve never seen the website in places other than throughout the actual context and front/back of the cover. I would guess that he was talking about that for the e-book?
May 19th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Having it in many places in the ebook would make more sense because people could actually follow the link. But I still think it could get annoying ultimately.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I have unfortunately junked a good number of newsletters that started coming too frequently. I don’t mind if the letters themselves contain something of use or of interest-that being the case I would think you could manage to not annoy too many people.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Yes-it’s a fine balance indeed. You don’t want to give too much information away so that they don’t need to buy your book, but at the same time you need to give them enough that the email isn’t viewed simply as spam.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Well at least this part is something that we all have experience of. We all know what annoys us when we are on the receiving end, and hence perhaps we can use that knowledge to avoid doing that to people.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I don’t junk the mails I get for the list I sign up to, I just file them away to be read at a later date. Even though I rarely go back to them, at least they are there if I need them.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I think if ‘junk mail’ is properly targeted, a higher percentage will be considered beneficial by the recipients. I’ve recieved more than a few such mails that I was interested in.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
The bulk of junk mail is just that - junk. But like both Lily and Marcia has said, I tend to browse through the all and from time to time, I come across an offer that interests me.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
There have been times in the past where I felt like I wanted to go through junk mail and see if there was anything good, but I have always been weary of opening that I am unsure of. I don’t want to open a virus.
I guess a good piece of advice would be to just make sure that your subject line and email don’t look like they’re dangerous to your targeted audience.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
That’s a good idea Blake, you don’t want to sound strange, you want your emails to flow and not seem too mechanical. I really need to think about that before I send anything out.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Email marketing is a genius idea, but yes, it is important to be cautious when you are sending them out. You also don’t want to sound especially spam-like because you don’t want your name to have a bad reputation.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
I hope that I can sell more than fifty thousand copies. That seems like such a large number, but at the same time, I don’t think Chris would fill our heads with false promises. I think I can do it if I follow all the logical steps.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I was skeptical when I read that Chris could help me sell so many copies of my book, but after watching the videos it wiped all my skepticality away. I can’t imagine not following the advice that Chris has laid out for us.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Chris certainly does deliver the goods. I think that he’s giving us his best efforts, and he does have the personal experience to tell us what to do and how to do it. He’s a very intelligent person to have accomplished as much as he has.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
There are so many phonies out there who are just trying to get your money. The fact that these videos are free is just a testament to how much Chris wants to helpful to us. I am very inspired by him.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I have found him to be extremely helpful as well, as well as inspiring. He really makes me want to pick up the pen and get straight to work. I love the videos so far and I think he’s getting us all on the right track.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I have just put together a schedule to get me to start writing, inspired by Chris. He finally just made me realize that if I don’t start now, I never will. Procrastination is my biggest enemy.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
I put together a schedule a while back but it was just too hard for me to follow. I think that Chris has some great ideas on how to get a schedule put together, especially with the plan that he has put together. I think I’m going to try that next.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
The “plug and play” plan will hopefully work for me. I think I’m going to start now that the videos are all done coming out. I have pages of notes to work off of now, so I’m not worried.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I am pretty sure that the “plug and play” action plan can work for everybody - it’s all a matter of your own perseverance. Just keep up with it and everything will go smoothly as planned.
May 21st, 2008 at 11:37 am
Keep the videos coming, they’re great. New writers who are looking to make their presence known to the world need some motivation to give them a push, and things such as this blog can really help. These videos have a lot of information, so I would suggest referring back to them in the future, as a lot of people may need to see them multiple times, but do not realize it until they are told so.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Yes, these videos are definitely the kind that can be used as reference, to go back and remind you of some piece of information you forgot — or just to get that inspiration all over again when you feel like things are slowing down.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:21 am
When promoting your books you have to make sure that you are not violating any terms of service. This includes using eblast and others programs like that. The last thing you need is not to get a response and to be banned from the use of a site or email company. Some of the these are very aggressive methods of marketing and you need to be very careful.