Authors & Publishers

Authors: Why you shouldn’t respond to bad book reviews

5/18/2012 By Joan 5 Comments

One of the most powerful tools for marketing your books is the treasure trove of online book review and book recommendation sites like Goodreads, AuthorsDen and Shelfari.

You can create a community of hundreds or even thousands of raving fans who will examine which books you’ve placed on your virtual bookshelf. They’ll discuss, review and recommend your books. They’ll ask you questions about your characters or plot lines, and sometimes hang on your every word.

But with the good, comes the bad.

Prepare for Negative Reviews

Somebody, somewhere, won’t like what you’ve written and respond with a bad review that they believe is completely fair and accurate.

Resist the urge to respond! Here’s why:

If you do, you’ll most likely invite another comment from the reviewer that’s nastier than the original. You won’t be able to help yourself. Before long, you and the reviewer will be in a drawn-out debate that looks and sounds like sour grapes.
You’ll come across as too sensitive, unable to accept criticism, and resentful. Do you really want your followers to see you that way?
You’ll turn off other potential reviewers because they might fear that you’ll come back at them with both guns drawn.
People don’t all like the same things. Go over to Amazon and look at some of the best-sellers. You’ll see negative reviews mixed in with reviews that gush about the book.
You might develop a reputation on blogs and discussion boards as an author who can’t stand the heat.
Those public comments might show up when people, including publishers and journalists, do a Google search for your name or book title.

What to Do Instead

Practice acceptance. Know that you are not alone. And move onto the next project.

If your’e still angry, walk away from the computer. Take a walk. Take a nap. Resist the urge to keep going back to the bad review and reading it again, hunting for any inaccurate morsel.

Don’t appeal to your fan base and ask them to write good reviews to “push down” the bad one. Don’t ask them to stand up for you in the debate.

Instead, read this lively discussion about “reviewer abuse” on Goodreads..

As a publicity expert who teaches reputation management, I know how damaging these public squabbles can be.

Am I wrong?

Filed Under: Authors & Publishers Tagged With: author's den, bad book reviews, goodreads, publicity expert, reputation management, shelfari

How to write and market your book simultaneously

4/27/2012 By Joan 2 Comments

Mistake #1 Made by Many Authors:

They wait until their books are written to figure out the target market.

Mistake #2:

They give no thought whatsoever to marketing the book until it’s printed.

How do I know?

Because over the years, several hundreds authors have called me for help when they can’t sell their books. The first question I ask is, “Who’s the target market for your book?”

Often, this is what I hear: “My Aunt Sally loves the book and says she thinks everybody should read it. So I guess the answer to your question is everybody.”

Dear author, you’re saying, then, that you want your book to compete with every other book out there? And you’re tying up, in some cases, several years writing, rewriting, editing and proofing, yet you have no idea who should buy it? And you don’t know how to craft a specific sales message to a targeted audience?

Learn to Spin Two Plates at Once

You need to force yourself while you’re writing your book to figure out the many ways you’re going to market it. By working on the marketing and the writing simultaneously, you will end up writing a better book.

By forcing yourself to think about how you’re going to sell the book, you’ll end up improving the content. In fact, I compiled this list of 10 questions you should ask before writing your book.

Spinning two plates at the same time is particularly important if you’re hoping to lure a major publisher. And every publisher will want assurances that your book will sell. They also want to know that you’re willing and able to shoulder a major part of the publicity effort, even though their publicist will be working on your behalf for about six months.

Let Peggy McColl Help

Author Peggy McColl teaches the “market and write simultaneously” trick to authors. Peggy really knows how to sell books. She has catapulted her own book to the Amazon, Barnes & Noble and New York Times Bestseller Lists.

She has an ingenious yet simple, five-step formula any author can use to make their book a bestseller at almost no cost. She has used it to generate $35,618.52 in sales the very first time out of the gate.

She’ll explain it during a free 90-minute webinar (or telephone seminar) at either 2 or 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 3, when Steve Harrison interviews her on “How to Make Your Book a Bestseller Even If You’re a Marketing Novice. Register here.

You’ll hear why her method works for all types of books, fiction or non-fiction, regardless of subject including self-published, POD, ebooks, newly-published—even those that have been out for years.

Peggy will also discuss Facebook pages, and why you need your own page just for your book. As for selling your book on Amazon, learn the big mistake most publishers make on that site.

I promote this free webinar as a compensated affiliate because I dislike hearing from sad authors who don’t know their target market, and can’t park in their garages because of stacks of cardboard boxes filled with books they can’t sell.

Filed Under: Authors & Publishers Tagged With: Author Promotion, best-sellers, book marketing, how to write a book, peggy mccoll, steve harrison

Author U Extravaganza May 3-5 has all-star lineup

4/10/2012 By Joan Leave a Comment

When I attended Judith Briles’ Author U last year as a presenter who taught authors how to use social media to promote their books, I practically filled a notebook while seated in the audience listening to the other speakers. It was a lineup of the best of the best in the publishing industry.

This year promises to be no different. If you’ve written a book, you’re in the process of “birthing” one, or you’re just thinking of writing one, Denver is the place to be May 3-5. Briles puts on one heck of a conference.

Here’s the lineup:

Florrie Binford Kichler will forecast what’s happening in the indie world.

Publicity expert Steve Harrison, who hosts the National Publicity Summit and the Quantum Publicity workshops, will explain how to get every producer to call you.

Brian Jud will speak on how to market fiction, from craft fairs to summer festivals.

Social networking expert Georgia McCabe will give dozens of tips for promoting your book in social media.

Marty Dickinson will show you how to take your book to the next level with Google+.

Mobile marketing expert Mary Barnett will help you create a marketing platform with your phone.

Nick Zelinger will show you the latest trends in book design.

Dan Pacheco will share the inside secrets of why the Huffington Post and the local Denver Post are selling gazillions of books and how you can immediately implement their techniques.

Janita Cooper will show you how to create audio and video from your books, and snazzy book trailers too!

Daniel Hall, the master of all things Kindle, will show you how to do it yourself whether you want to create an ebook from scratch, or convert a printed book.

Here are five more reasons you should consider attending:

1. All three days are packed with solid content. This is not a pitch fest.

2. They feed you. You get a continental breakfast and lunch Friday and Saturday, dinner Friday night, and dinner on Thursday for those who sign up for the special John Kremer dinner workshop.

3. You’ll find convenient electrical outlets at all the tables. So leave your 25-foot extension cord at home.

4. Wifi is free.

5. It’s well-organized. Briles didn’t miss one little detail last year.

Register here before it’s filled. I’m promoting Author U as a compensated affiliate because book writing and publishing is just too difficult to attempt on your own, without guidance from pros of this caliber.

Filed Under: Authors & Publishers Tagged With: author u, brian jud, dan pacheco, daniel hall, florrie binford kichler, georgia mccabe, janita cooper, John Kremer, judith briles, marty dickinson, mary barnett, nick zelinger, steve harrison

Publicist needs ideas for promoting fitness book

4/10/2012 By Joan 10 Comments

Fitness trainer Sandi Berger

Publicist Roberta Stein of Skokie, IL, writes this Help This Hound question:

Sandi Berger, my new client, wrote a new book, “Fitnevision: Create Your Lifestyle Vision Starting From The Inside Out.”

“At her website, , and in her book, Sandi shares the story that healed her and led to her becoming a personal trainer and life coach in Chicago.

“In the 1970s, Sandi experienced both depression and crippling panic attacks. The doctor she sought help from advised her to take medicine in the benzodiazepan family, such as Valium or Xanax. She knew these drugs were potentially addicting and felt that if she took them, she would be exchanging one problem for another. She decided to try her own self-styled cure….adopting a lifestyle of exercise and positive thinking. These practices DID cure Sandi.

“In her book, she tells readers how they too can find a healthy, stress-free life. Because there is a lot of documentation, both on and offline, that backs up Sandi’s findings, I have thought of finding a psychotherapist, to be interviewed with Sandi, attesting to the validity of the message in her book.

“But I’m wondering if your Hounds can think of additional ways to promote this new book. I welcome their ideas. Thanks, in advance, for any help you can send my way.”

Filed Under: Authors & Publishers Tagged With: benzodiazepan, fitness, fitness training, positive thinking, sandi berger, Valium, Xanax