Putting It on Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces That Sell Books

Rating:
Summary: What to do after writing the book
Review: After pouring sweat over the newest book, it's time for the next step, getting it out there for people to buy. Unlike the Field of Dreams, if you write it, they won't necessarily come unless you're John Grisham, Mary Higgins Clark, or Patricia Cornwell. If you are one of them, "Hi! I'm a fan of your books!" Not all authors have a publisher to do the press releases and promotional material work or at least, enough to spread the news.

In Putting It on Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces that Sell Books, Dawn Josephson walks through the steps of developing a book marketing campaign with a press kit which typically includes and she covers all items: a cover letter, a press release, a mock book review, an author bio, a sell sheet, a catalog, a give-away item, and an article. However, it doesn't stop there. The advice isn't just applicable to authors of books. It's also valuable for writers who want to promote newsletters, services, and other published works.

I've seen my share of media kits for books and products. Some don't have any benefit for my needs while others sounds like a stereotypical used car salesman trying to make the sale in an uncomfortable way.

Josephson walks the talk since her book, of course, came with a media kit and it's one of the better ones I've seen. Based on this, the book describes how to create a media kit like hers using questions and answers, key points, templates, and real-life examples using the templates. The examples are exactly what I like to see in a press release and other materials in a media kit.

Publicity is hard that authors and publicists print a general kit and send the same thing to everyone. That might make it easier, but it won't be as successful has tailoring the kit to the recipient's needs. With word processors that do mail merge saving us time, it shouldn't be a problem to give the target reader the information needed.

Creating promotional materials may sound dull, but the book actually gives it a fun spin with its 160 pages of solid advice. Applying the tips and ground rules from Putting It on Paper, any author or publicist run a successful book marketing campaign.

Rating:
Summary: Wow! Just What I Needed!
Review: After writing a book and then reading all the other books on how to promote it, I was stumped. I had great ideas on which outlets and reviewers to approach, but I had no idea what to send them. Do I send a book to review with a quick note? Do I send a full package of materials that's longer than the book itself? What kind of information did the media and bookstores want to see? These are all the questions I had, and this book answered each and every one. By the time I finished reading Putting It On Paper, I had every element of my press kit created, and the results are outstanding. I've already had numerous media outlets contact me as a result of my press kit, and my book just got picked up by a large distribution house. Plus, I was able to arrange for three book signings with local bookstores. I highly recommend Putting It On Paper to anyone who has published a book.

Rating:
Summary: Wow! Just What I Needed!
Review: I wish everyone who sent me a book for review had read this book. "Putting It On Paper" contains all the basics of what a bookseller should and should not include in their press kits. Areas covered by the book include the media kit, the cover letter, the press release, mock interviews, author biographical information, a book sell sheet, a catalog sheet, extra sales materials, and even writing an article to achieve back door sales. The bottom line is that you may have the best book ever published but if readers don't know it exists then they will not buy it. That is where promotional pieces come in. Getting the book reviewed, getting distributors to carry it, or getting independent bookstores to sell it, no matter what your marketing direction you will need a promotional piece. The advice is thorough and detailed including sample layouts and templates. If you want your book to sell, "Putting It On Paper" is the road map to creating the right promotional pieces the first time and a recommended read.

Rating:
Summary: Good Information for a Focused Audience
Review: If you have written a book and published, you know that the writing and the publishing were the easy parts. The most vital-and most difficult-task is promoting the book so that people will buy it. Distributors are fond of saying to authors, "Our job is to get the book onto the shelf; your job is to get it off."

In ten chapters, this author presents the how-to, step-by-step, of how to promote a book to distributors, retailers, and consumers. She covers a lot of ground to help authors get the word out. Plenty of examples to give authors guidance. Ground Rules In Action sections and Key Points summaries at the end of the chapters added value

Josephson is founder and president of Cameo Publications, a firm that has published eight books, including this one. Her experience includes writing over 1,000 articles. From my research on amazon.com, this appears to be her first book. She uses herself heavily in her examples, to the point that this reviewer felt the book was bordering on self-promotion. With her experience as a publisher and a magazine editor, she has gained a body of knowledge that is valuable for authors. The knowledge is conveyed effectively in this book. Authors would be well-advised to read and heed the advice in these pages.

Rating:
Summary: Every author should read this book!
Review: It's full of excellent examples for all kinds of relevant book promotion. Dawn's book will answer most of your questions about what to say, how to say it and who you should say it to. Authors need to learn that promoting their book is up to them. Putting It On Paper shows you how!