Free Personal Marketing Advice from Proven Marketing Expert

Before posting in this marketing forum, please try to read 10 Step Plan to Promote Your Book: Online Book Marketing on Any Budget. This forum is mainly for followup questions and discussion after reading that book. This forum does indeed allow for much broader discussion of marketing and promotion than just that book, but it's good for everyone to be on the same page about the basics.

Please note, this forum is not for self-promotional plugs. It's for discussing how to promote your book or other writing.
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Scott
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Free Personal Marketing Advice from Proven Marketing Expert

Post by Scott »

I'm a proven marketing expert. My website OnlineBookClub.org has over 140,000 members. My book Achieve Your Dreams earned over 4,000 downloads in the first week it was out on Kindle. In fact, one day it earned over 1,700 downloads on Kindle in a single day.

GET MY ADVICE FOR FREE NOW -- COMMENT HERE ASKING ME YOUR MARKETING QUESTIONS! I WILL ANSWER YOU!

It does not have to be about books and reading. It can be about marketing books, but it doesn't have to be. I'm happy to give you my advice on marketing in general. :)
"That virtue we appreciate is as much ours as another's. We see so much only as we possess." - Henry David Thoreau

"Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco." Virgil, The Aeneid
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RJRees
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Post by RJRees »

Hi Scott how and what is the best marketing advice for an Aurthur with a very limited budget

-- 23 Apr 2017, 04:21 --

noted
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Scott
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Post by Scott »

RJRees wrote:Hi Scott how and what is the best marketing advice for an Aurthur with a very limited budget

-- 23 Apr 2017, 04:21 --

noted
@RJRees

My most important marketing tip for everyone is this: 99% of marketing is product development. Great advertising only makes a bad product fail faster.

In almost every industry, including books, you probably don't need a huge raw advertising budget, but you do need a decent overall budget. That's because you do have to invest heavily in product development. You need to spend a ton of time and money before you even get to the advertising stage; and that's true across industries not just for books. There's really no way to avoid that, but you can get someone else to invest in your product.

Trying to produce and publish a book without a good budget is like trying to open a restaurant selling Grade F beef in a building with mold growing on the walls because the restaurant opener cannot afford a good building and good ingredients. The typical way for an author to get an 'investor' is to find a publisher. A traditional legitimate publisher will pay for the professional editing, professional cover design, professional file formatting, and so on. Publishing is expensive, and self-publishing if done right is expensive.
"That virtue we appreciate is as much ours as another's. We see so much only as we possess." - Henry David Thoreau

"Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco." Virgil, The Aeneid
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Post by kirby »

Hi, it's been months since my first book was published and till now i have not received the attention i had wished for. Help me out# i just want more readers. Wanna keep my book lively.
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maire gomez
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Post by maire gomez »

Thank you so much for this advice
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Scott
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Post by Scott »

kirby wrote:Hi, it's been months since my first book was published and till now i have not received the attention i had wished for. Help me out# i just want more readers. Wanna keep my book lively.
@Kirby For a general book marketing plan, I recommend you follow my 10 Step Plan to Promote Your Book.
"That virtue we appreciate is as much ours as another's. We see so much only as we possess." - Henry David Thoreau

"Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco." Virgil, The Aeneid
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Post by nathcc »

Hi. I think my biggest problem so far is finding a literary agent in the genre of my fictitious novel, which covers drama, romance, thriller, humour. I'm well aware this doesn't play well for me, but my imagination struggles to keep still.
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Rebecca Henderson
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Post by Rebecca Henderson »

Scott, when marketing yourself and a certain service you provide--let's say it's proofreading--what do you find is the best marketing approach, specifically online? Do you start out with free and discounted services to gain clients and notoriety, or keep your rates at an affordable price while marketing like mad? Thanks in advance! :)
Latest Review: "From Drift to SHIFT" by Jody B. Miller
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Scott
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Post by Scott »

nathcc wrote:Hi. I think my biggest problem so far is finding a literary agent in the genre of my fictitious novel, which covers drama, romance, thriller, humour. I'm well aware this doesn't play well for me, but my imagination struggles to keep still.
@nathcc I'm working on a free service for OnlineBookClub.org that would create a database of literary agents with reviews from writers who have used those agents. That way folks like you can easily find legitimate high-quality agents.
Rebecca Henderson wrote:Scott, when marketing yourself and a certain service you provide--let's say it's proofreading--what do you find is the best marketing approach, specifically online? Do you start out with free and discounted services to gain clients and notoriety, or keep your rates at an affordable price while marketing like mad? Thanks in advance! :)
@"Rebecca Henderson" My biggest marketing tip is always this: 99% of marketing is product development. What's more important than whether you sell your services free versus discounted is providing an amazing service that is worth more than the price people pay for it and so great that they tell their friends. You want word of mouth advertising. Whether free or discount is better to gain your first customers to get that word of mouth advertising depends on many factors. You will definitely need to sell at a lower price until you have that reputation and testimonials. A fresh from law school lawyer simply can't charge the same amount as an experienced lawyer with a list of recommendations from happy clients.
"That virtue we appreciate is as much ours as another's. We see so much only as we possess." - Henry David Thoreau

"Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco." Virgil, The Aeneid
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Colin Devonshire
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Post by Colin Devonshire »

I am not asking for advice at this moment, I would just like to say a big thanks to you Scott and everybody who writes in, I enjoy reading the comments and Scott's answers.
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midnight 31
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Post by midnight 31 »

how can an author get their books into bookstores or libraries
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Post by william2233 »

I'm new here self published for 12 years now. I've done different things trying to market my books. Bumper stickers, business cards now I'm doing pens-writing type. I'm a school custodian for 30 years and just moved to a new school that I was at 7 years ago before it closed. Reopened. I love it as I walk to to work five minutes away.

I sell about two books a month until it picks up soon. Bumper stickers are out, to many parents told me don't want on newer cars. Another thing I'm trying is volunteering in my community from a web site that promotes happening's in your neighbor hood. I go around my town's streets and pick up papers on my weekends.. I mention to people who say thank you on this site that I also write children books. I've paid for ads at a local theater in 2005 for $1,500 a month three months but did ad wrong. also did a neat ad by plane flying over my town with lights under wings by using power point, pretty neat. Expensive in away $75.00 for a fly by, so many times minimum. So I'm here now trying this site.

Whats your most extreme way that you advertised? Mine I tried out for Americas Got Talent in Holly Wood few years ago. Reason? Let me do my act and boo me off the stage and I'll tell every one I write children books helping four locals schools in my area.

Happy advertising to all...
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Post by maggiechap »

In relation to a question asked above, what is the minimum you would suggest for a budget in pre-launch of a book?
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gregol
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Post by gregol »

Hi Scotty!

How would you promote/advertise a self-published philosophy book, which contains a new type of philosophy?
It is a book, which offers a spanking new approach to Scientific Naturalism (a philosophical movement which was first created about the time of French Revolution). And it brings about a novel holistic approach to philosophy.

In addition, the book could be truly appreciated (most likely) only by those people who know a lot about such subjects as modern hard sciences, metaphysics, theology, history and theory of education and much more...

The book may be interpreted as politically incorrect in many modern intellectual circles.

This is predominantly because it argues (in a very logical way though...) against all traditional dogmatic religions and against many modern semi-religious beliefs (pertaining to sexual revolution and other "sacred cows" in modern Western thinking and culture).

Furthermore, it is a large book which contains many pages of intense philosophical arguments.

If this kind of book is a "no hoper" on a modern market - I would like to know it anyway.

Otherwise, I would love to hear some great fresh insights from you how to advertise and/or promote it.

Best regards,

Gregol
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aanchalkaura
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Post by aanchalkaura »

Thanks for sharing your views.
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