Before we get to this month’s tip: Two Important Announcements From Shel

1. In these tough times, I want to do my part. I’ve just released some things to save you money: A brand new e-book called Painless Green: 111 Tips to Help the Environment, Lower Your Carbon Footprint, Cut Your Budget, and Improve Your Quality of Life—With No Negative Impact on Your Lifestyle,  http://www.painlessgreenbook.com – and a website where you can get that e-book and all my books at a discount: http://www.RecessionBusterBooks.com

2. If you haven’t gotten your book done yet, or you know someone looking to become a published author, my new coaching program can help: Shel Horowitz’s Exclusive Ethical Expert Book Publishing Program. I’ll be announcing this in my speech Saturday at Willie Crawford’s Birthday Bash in front of several hundred people, but I wanted to let you have first crack. Especially since I’m offering it at a reduced price this first time out, and because the number of available seats is sharply limited: I’ve told the conference planners to stop taking offers when we reach 30 seats at the Gold level, and only FIVE at the Platinum level, which includes private coaching from me.

And now, on to this month’s tip:

How Organizations Benefit by Partnering With You

It’s absolutely vital to understand how an organization will benefit from your book <i>before</> you make the initial contact–because you must answer that question in your proposal letter. This brief adaptation from Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers provides some possible answers:

The key question to ask yourself is this:
How does this organization genuinely benefit from using my book?
There are many possible answers; finding the correct answer may be the key that will turn your prospect into a buyer. Usually, the correct answer will involve drilling down with “so what” questions, until you find ways to either increase sales of the organization‘s products and services and/or increase the organization’s status in the minds of its customers, prospects, employees, vendors—and in some cases (especially to counterbalance negative publicity) the general public. Among many possibilities, the organization might want to:

• Show people how to use the organization’s product or services in creative or expanded ways.
• Establish its own expertise and/or disseminate its ideas to a wider audience.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the community (as when a local bank sponsors a history of the town).
• Overcome bad press.
• Show off the organization in time for an important anniversary or milestone.
• Woo lucrative clients, investors/donors, or business-venture partners with interesting and useful gifts.
• Use the book for internal training.
• Convey a point of view about a hot-button issue of the day (for instance, a organization might give out copies of a book to legislators, regulators, or policy makers).
• Demonstrate that it is a caring and concerned organization willing to help.

One I don’t mention in the book is more important these days than ever before: create (or supplement) a revenue stream through product sales.

Rather not wait until the end of June to get started? Grab copies of my award-winning books, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, and Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers. Use this link to get the paperback editions at the discounted price of $41.95, combined (plus shipping), or this link for the e-book editions at just $34.95 (no shipping charge). Between those two books, you’ll get lots of ideas on how to form win-win partnerships that move quantities of your book. ). Of course, you can also buy just one book, at the usual price.

–> Can an Org Use Your Book? Part 2: Types of Organizations
What kinds of organizations are we talking about? The possibilities are limitless; here are a few ideas…

–> Friends Who Want to Help You (February 2009)

• Dr. Mani is giving away a report that explains eight force-multipliers that will help business owners boost profit. I’ve seen the report and it’s well done.  Biz Multiplier Free
• Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski offer a short thought on the topic of either Relationships or The Freedom to Be Fabulous each day –  5 days a week. No cost. Here’s the first one, which they did for Valentine’s Day:
  With Valentine’s Day coming, Be Fabulous by expressing your genuine care and enjoyment to all those you love.
  AND be sure to RECEIVE their appreciation and all that they give to you.
  Want more? http://www.judithandjim.com/receiving

–> Hear and Meet Shel, Late Feb/March 2009

• Make Yourself More Marketable with a Book, Allison Nazarian’s Do It Yourself Marketing Training Series, Tuesday, March 3rd, noon ET/9 a.m. PT.
• Innovative Solutions to Reduce Direct Mail Expenses, Association of Strategic Marketing/Lorman Education Services, March 11, 1 pm ET/10 a.m. PT.$199 and qualifies for 0.5 credit toward CMM certificate.
• I’m speaking at Willie Crawford’s 50th Birthday Internet Marketing Conference in Orlando, March 26-28
  
• Book Marketing for Authors, CAPA University in Hartford, May 9, and probably again at Book Expo America in New York, May 29 or 30.
• Paulette Ensign’s Publishing Prosperity Mastermind is another high-value, low-cost teleseminar series that’s already started, and again, you get all the recordings. I’m speaking on September 10 on “Frugal, Ethical, and Creative Book Marketing–By the Book, Or By the Boxcar”
• How to be a Success in Business and Still Hold Your Head Up High, webinar for You Speak Easy.com (five-star rating by attendees). Through the end of March, you can get the replay at no charge. After that, it’ll be $14.95.
• Cross-Marketing: How to Turn Competitors into Partners, an earlier webinar for the same group. Through the end of March, you can get the replay at no charge. After that, it’ll be $14.95.
• Small Biz America Interview on Business Ethics. This was a really fun one; we got to talk about small businesses who violate good ethics, and how that backfires, and also how lawyers and compliance issues get in the way of real communication (e.g., this bag of peanuts contains peanuts. Hello, that’s why we’re buying it).
• On the Wealthy Freelancer website I’ve just published a light-hearted and very useful article, Five Tips for Frugal Freelance Success–think of it as a bonus tip for this month. Maybe I should make this category hear/meet/read
• This is the last month to hear my InspireMeToday.com luminary interview at no charge.
• Principled Profit: The Good Business Radio Show, alternate Mondays, 4 p.m. Eastern, over http://www.valleyfreeradio.org (in the Northampton, MA area, 103.3 FM). 3/9/09 Ken Foster of Shared Vision Network. 3/23/09 Peter Shankman of HARO, the reporter-source matching service.
  
• Replay of my book marketing teleseminar for HappyAbout.com
• Replay of my Webinar, How Ethical Business Practices Can Drive Your Success, for B2B Power Exchange

Click here for all the links.

–> Recent Media Coverage of Shel and His Work
A new feature: spotlight on some of the places where Shel’s been featured recently.

–> A No-Cost Way to Connect with Reporters Seeking Stories
My friend Peter Shankman, a very well-connected PR guy in NYC, has started a no-charge service called Help A Reporter Out. He sends queries from reporters a few times a day, and if there’s a good fit, you answer the journalist. And he gets some leads that never make it to Profnet/PR Leads. This should be a no-brainer–but don’t abuse it. Only answer if you’re approrpiate for the query, or else you’ll spoil it for yourself and everyone else . If you get one good lead in a year, it’s worth it. He has passed on leads from the NY Times and Washington Post, as well as lesser venues. Sign up at www.helpareporter.com

–> Which of Shel’s Books is Right for You?

–> Latest Additions to the Websites

–> Administrative Information
Subscribe, unsubscribe, back issues, etc.

–> Don’t forget to play our games, at the top of any page on FrugalFun.com– no fees to play, prizes to win, and you help me continue to bring all this good information to you.

Published monthly since July, 2007 by Shel Horowitz
16 Barstow Lane, Hadley, MA 01035 USA
413/586-2388

What kinds of organizations are we talking about? The possibilities are limitless; here are a few ideas:

• Nonprofit or not-for-profit charities (the difference is in their tax structure and doesn’t affect you, except that registered nonprofits have more clout) involved with medical or social issues
• Social service agencies
• Government agencies (federal, state, county, local)
• Public or private schools
• Other educational organizations
• Museums
• Trade and professional organizations within one profession
• Trade and professional organizations spanning many professions (e.g., Chambers of Commerce, BNI groups, organizers of business trade fairs
• Meeting planners and conference/convention organizers

Find them through your own networks, their websites and newsletters, trade or professional associations and directories, Chambers of Commerce, tourist information kiosks, Yellow Pages, and a thousand other ways.

Part 3 of this series will look at ways organizations might use your books, part 4 on the types of books that can work (you may be pleasantly surprised), and part 5, how to approach the organizations. And as a bonus, part 6 will apply what you’ve learned to bulk purchases in the corporate sector.

If you don’t want to wait 5 months for all this information, you can buy copies of my award-winning books, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, and Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers. Use this link to get the paperback editions at the discounted price of $41.95, combined (plus shipping), or this link for the e-book editions at just $34.95 (no shipping charge). Between those two books, you’ll get lots of ideas on how to form win-win partnerships that move quantities of your book.

–> Can an Org Use Your Book? Part 1-Advantages
When an organization buys your book, in quantity, there are many advantages to you beyond the dollars in your pocket. Not that those dollars aren’t a good thing; they most certainly are. But the cash in your pocket may not be worth as much as the massive marketing benefit you can get from it.  (Click here to continue reading.)

–> Free Call Today For those Looking to Become Better Speakers
Susan Levin and Jack Barnard will be doing a call focused on the art of speaking well, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT *tonight* (Monday, 1/26) The call will cover
- Tap into your authenticity, innate creativity and spirit
- Position yourself as a credible expert and get to the next level
- Command-Brand your message with a phrase that pays
- Streamline your ideas into a well-organized presentation with a proven template systematic work plan
- Select irresistible topics and titles that grab attention
- Produce presentations that captivate and attract attention and motivate action and get results
- Create a clear focus and deliver ideas effectively with confidence that inspire any audience to accept and remember your message and take action.

This is a preview call for Susan’s bootcamps in Los Angeles March 4-8 and Portland, Maine, May 13-17. I attended one of Susan’s bootcamps a few years back and found it tremendously useful.

Get the call info at http://www.speakerservices.com/teleclasses/detail/125/879810

–> Special limited offer while supplies last: As a thank-you for being one of their “luminary” interviewees, InspireMeToday.com gave me ten free one-year premium memberships. They are having great people in all sorts of fields, and members get access to the archives (including my interview) as well.

I’m keeping one for myself…and that leaves nine to give away. The first nine people who order at least two of my books directly from me can get a membership; just put inspiremetoday in the comment field. If you want to know if I still have any left, you can even call (8 a.m. to 10 p.m. US Eastern) 413-586-2388 and ask me.

–> Be Fearless! Discover the wise and fearless presence of a bright new power that lives within you… Best-selling author Guy Finley’s newest book is a step-by-step guide to realizing your ultimate potential as a human being. It reveals fundamental secrets of our living Universe, and contains practical techniques to help you find the truly fearless life. Today marks a special release of the book, and buyers today receive a host of free gifts from over 70 leading authors and experts. Click for details: http://www.EssentialLaws.org/special/1353/

–> Hear and Meet Shel, January 2009
Wednesday, February 11, How to be a Success in Business and Still Hold Your Head Up High, webinar for You Speak Easy.com. Register at http://www.brighttalk.com/webcasts/2349/attend

–> Friends Who Want to Help You
* Do you speak? Susan Levin from SpeakerServices.com is offering a no-charge webinar with Geoffrey Zimpfer, “Get Paid for Speaking Without Ever Leaving the Comfort of Your Home,” register and she’ll send you the recording.
* Marcia Yudkin is giving away a 12-page report,”33 Keys to Thriving During a Recession” that she wrote at the request of a few clients. It is available for downloading at no cost, and you also have permission to share the report. Download it at http://www.yudkin.com/recess.htm
* Another recession-buster from Biana Babinsky: the no charge report, “5 Keys For Getting Clients During Recession.”
* For years, Joan Stewart has published one of my favorite e-zines, The Publicity Hound. And every year, she publishes a free “The Best of the Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week” ebook. Pick up the 2008 edition here.
* Radio host David Ewen writes, “Hello, at COS Radio we are looking for guests to join us on Book World News. On this weekly show, we talk about what is new in publishing, book marketing, and anything else new in the book world. We talk about anything from inside an independent press, book events, new technologies, new ideas in marketing, etc. In the past we’ve had great guests like Google Books, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Our shows can be found on www.cospRadio.com To be a guest on our show, email TodaysAuthor [AT] yahoo.com.” I’ve been a guest on his show as well. If you haven’t done radio before, this is an easy and safe way to get your feet wet.
* Two very high-quality membership-based teleseminar series are featuring me later in the year. Paulette Ensign’s Publishing Prosperity series has already started. I’ve heard a few of the calls, and they’re excellent–the one with Marcia Yudkin was especially awesome. And Allison Nazarian, a new friend via Facebook, starts her last-Thursday-of-the-month Do It Yourself Marketing Seminar series (with such worthies as Willie Crawford, Kathleen Gage, and yours truly) in January–and is offering all 16 sessions at just $6 per class if you register by January 14.
* Kelly Sonora just posted a list of 100 useful blogs for business. I am familiar with about half a dozen of the blogs on this list, and those happen to be among my favorites–there’s even a section on frugality. So it’s probably a pretty good list .

–> Recent Media Coverage of Shel and His Work
A new feature: spotlight on some of the places where Shel’s been featured recently.

–> How to Get Grassroots Marketing for Half-Price
Over 300 pages of solid information on lowering your marketing cost, boosting your return

–> A No-Cost Way to Connect with Reporters Seeking Stories
My friend Peter Shankman, a very well-connected PR guy in NYC, has started a no-charge service called Help A Reporter Out. He sends queries from reporters a few times a day, and if there’s a good fit, you answer the journalist. And he gets some leads that never make it to Profnet/PR Leads. This should be a no-brainer–but don’t abuse it. Only answer if you’re approrpiate for the query, or else you’ll spoil it for yourself and everyone else . If you get one good lead in a year, it’s worth it. He has passed on leads from the NY Times and Washington Post, as well as lesser venues. Sign up at www.helpareporter.com

–> Finally–An E-Book Site Puts Authors’ Needs First
Writers: Mark Victor Hansen (of Chicken Soup fame) has just launched a very author-friendly e-book/multimedia content distribution site at http://www.youpublish.com/referredby/shelhorowitz. No fee to set up, no fee to upload your files (wide range of types), 50% commission.

–> Facebook Teleseminar with Mari Smith
If you’re not on Facebook yet, you may be missing valuable business opportunities. If you are on Facebook, are you getting the most out of it for your business? Recently, The Blog Squad grilled Mari Smith about why you need to be on Facebook and how to use the social networking site to be smart about building your business. Now you can get access to the audio program from the live teleseminar for an investment of only $20.

–> You’re invited to join Foundercontact
Christophe Poizat, founder and chairman of the International Network of Social Entrepreneurs (INSE) has invited you to receive a free membership with Foundercontact. Foundercontact International Ltd is a web 2.0 online marketplace designed to bring entrepreneurs into contact with 3500 investors for seed, early stage, or growth capital. With members from 5 continents and 93 different countries, it opens up international business opportunities for entrepreneurs. Sign up at http://www.foundercontact.com/user/register

–> Which of Shel’s Books is Right for You?

–> Latest Additions to the Websites

–> Administrative Information
Subscribe, unsubscribe, back issues, etc.

–> Don’t forget to play our games, at the top of any page on FrugalFun.com– no fees to play, prizes to win, and you help me continue to bring all this good information to you.

Published monthly since July, 2007 by Shel Horowitz
16 Barstow Lane, Hadley, MA 01035 USA
413/586-2388

When an organization buys your book, in quantity, there are many advantages to you beyond the dollars in your pocket. Not that those dollars aren’t a good thing; they most certainly are. But the cash in your pocket may not be worth as much as the massive marketing benefit you can get from it:

• Third-party validation. When an organization buys your book, it’s the highest kind of endorsement. The movers and shakers of that organization are telling their members that your work contributes valuable knowledge in the field where they’re the recognized experts. Is that cool or what?
• Access to the organization’s members. Depending on how the group plans to use your book (we’ll talk about some of the possibilities next month), it may tell its members about you through newsletters, web sites, member events that feature you as a speaker, presenter, consultant, or visiting celebrity. The group could even bring you in as a paid spokesperson!
• Ability to mention this relationship in your other marketing. If, for example, you’re approaching a journalist to pitch your heart-disease recovery book, or talking to a medical book club about carrying your title, don’t you think you’ll get more attention if you can say honestly that you’re partnering with the American Heart Association?
• Potentially, you could even get access to the organization’s other partners, including for-profit businesses that might also buy your book in quantity, sponsor appearances, etc.
• If the arrangement is made before you go to print, you can lower your print costs by increasing volume to supply the organization’s purchase.

For all these reasons, it’s worth coming to a deal. Unless it’s a very small purchase, don’t be afraid to discount. If you can do better than break even, that’s terrific. But if you at least cover your costs, the deal still works in your favor, long-term.
Part 2 of this series suggests several types of organizations that might work for you. Part 3 will look at ways organizations might use your books, part 4 on the types of books that can work (you may be pleasantly surprised), and part 5, how to approach the organizations. And as a bonus, part 6 will apply what you’ve learned to bulk purchases in the corporate sector.

If you don’t want to wait 6 months for all this information, you can buy copies of my award-winning books, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First, and Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers. Use this link to get the paperback editions at the discounted price of $41.95, combined (plus shipping), or this link for the e-book editions at just $34.95 (no shipping charge). Between those two books, you’ll get lots of ideas on how to form win-win partnerships that move quantities of your book.

Today’s Book Marketing Tip is a guest article form Susan Kendrick, of Book Cover Quick Start, discussing (among other things) the important distinction between readers and buyers, and how that affects your book. And by the way, if you order a copy of my seventh book, Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers, directly from me, one of the two free e-books you get is “How to Write and Publish a Marketable Book”-which includes a full chapter on covers.

Take it away, Susan!

-Shel

Does Your Book Cover Have a Hidden Target Market?

One Book–Multiple Target Markets?
Discover the Hidden Buyers for Your Book
(That Can More Than Double Your Sales!)

By Susan Kendrick

By now you must have heard or read at least once that you should narrow
your niche, know your target audience and market exclusively to them on
your book cover. I’m going to tell you to forget all that for a few
minutes, because I want to help you see the hidden sales opportunities you
could be missing.

For the next few minutes, I want you to think about your book in terms of
readers and buyers, two often separate target markets you need to make an
impact on with your book cover.

But aren’t readers and buyers the same person?

Not always. Keep reading. (more…)

–> The Difference Between Book Buying and Book Reading Audiences: Book Marketing Tip, Dec. 08
Today’s Book Marketing Tip is a guest article form Susan Kendrick, of Book Cover Quick Start, discussing (among other things) the important distinction between readers and buyers, and how that affects your book. And by the way, if you order a copy of my seventh book, Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers, directly from me, one of the two free e-books you get is “How to Write and Publish a Marketable Book”-which includes a full chapter on covers.

–> Special limited offer while supplies last: As a thank-you for being one of their “luminary” interviewees, InspireMeToday.com gave me ten free one-year premium memberships. They are having great people in all sorts of fields, and members get access to the archives (including my interview) as well.

I’m keeping one for myself…and that leaves nine to give away. The first nine people who order at least two of my books directly from me can get a membership; just put inspiremetoday in the comment field. If you want to know if I still have any left, you can even call (8 a.m. to 10 p.m. US Eastern) 413-586-2388 and ask me.

–> Boost Your Biz with a Blog: How to Build a Professional Blog that Turns Prospects into Clients
Been putting off starting your blog? Get a ton of free advice from the recognized experts: Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, a/k/a The Blog Squad (is that great branding or what?). They’re doing a free call just for my subscribers, January 8, 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.  Click here to register.

–> Friends Who Want to Help You, January ‘09

• Do you speak? Susan Levin from SpeakerServices.com is offering a no-charge webinar with Geoffrey Zimpfer, and a $100 discount on a 4-part series, Webinar Marketing Secrets Revealed
• Marcia Yudkin is giving away a 12-page report, 33 Keys to Thriving During a Recession
• Another recession-buster from Biana Babinsky: the no charge report, “5 Keys For Getting Clients During Recession.”
• For years, Joan Stewart has published one of my favorite e-zines, The Publicity Hound. And every year, she publishes a free “The Best of the Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week” ebook. Pick up the 2008 edition here.
• Radio host David Ewen of COS Radio is looking for guests to join Book World News.
• Two very high-quality membership-based teleseminar series are featuring me later in the year. Paulette Ensign’s Publishing Prosperity series has already started. I’ve heard a few of the calls, and they’re excellent–the one with Marcia Yudkin was especially awesome. And Allison Nazarian, a new friend via Facebook, starts her last-Thursday-of-the-month Do It Yourself Marketing Seminar series (with such worthies as Willie Crawford, Kathleen Gage, and yours truly) in January–and is offering all 16 sessions at just $6 per class if you register by January 14.

–> Recent Media Coverage of Shel and His Work, 12/27/08
A new feature: spotlight on some of the places where Shel’s been featured recently.

–> How to Get Grassroots Marketing for Half-Price
Over 300 pages of solid information on lowering your marketing cost, boosting your return

–> A No-Cost Way to Connect with Reporters Seeking Stories
My friend Peter Shankman, a very well-connected PR guy in NYC, has started a no-charge service called Help A Reporter Out. He sends queries from reporters a few times a day, and if there’s a good fit, you answer the journalist. And he gets some leads that never make it to Profnet/PR Leads. This should be a no-brainer–but don’t abuse it. Only answer if you’re approrpiate for the query, or else you’ll spoil it for yourself and everyone else . If you get one good lead in a year, it’s worth it. He has passed on leads from the NY Times and Washington Post, as well as lesser venues. Sign up at www.helpareporter.com

–> Finally–An E-Book Site Puts Authors’ Needs First
Writers: Mark Victor Hansen (of Chicken Soup fame) has just launched a very author-friendly e-book/multimedia content distribution site at http://www.youpublish.com/referredby/shelhorowitz. No fee to set up, no fee to upload your files (wide range of types), 50% commission.

–> Facebook Teleseminar with Mari Smith
If you’re not on Facebook yet, you may be missing valuable business opportunities. If you are on Facebook, are you getting the most out of it for your business? Recently, The Blog Squad grilled Mari Smith about why you need to be on Facebook and how to use the social networking site to be smart about building your business. Now you can get access to the audio program from the live teleseminar for an investment of only $20.

–> You’re invited to join Foundercontact
Christophe Poizat, founder and chairman of the International Network of Social Entrepreneurs (INSE) has invited you to receive a free membership with Foundercontact. Foundercontact International Ltd is a web 2.0 online marketplace designed to bring entrepreneurs into contact with 3500 investors for seed, early stage, or growth capital. With members from 5 continents and 93 different countries, it opens up international business opportunities for entrepreneurs. Sign up at http://www.foundercontact.com/user/register

–> Hear and Meet Shel, January 2009

–> Which of Shel’s Books is Right for You?

–> Latest Additions to the Websites

–> Administrative Information
Subscribe, unsubscribe, back issues, etc.

–> Don’t forget to play our games, at the top of any page on FrugalFun.com– no fees to play, prizes to win, and you help me continue to bring all this good information to you.

Published monthly since July, 2007 by Shel Horowitz
16 Barstow Lane, Hadley, MA 01035 USA
413/586-2388

–> Going From Self-Published to Major Publisher
Some people think this is every self-publisher’s dream. Well, having been a big-publisher author (Simon & Schuster, 1993) and being married to one (D. Dina Friedman: Simon & Schuster AND Farrar, Strauss, Giroux, both in 2006), I can tell you that both methods have their advantages.  For me, every book is different, and for each book, there are reasons to do it one way or another.  (click here to continue reading)

–> Holiday Special: Principled Profit
Get a special deal on Principled Profit this holiday season, perfect for gift giving! Order 4 to 9 copies for just $12.95 each plus shipping (actual shipping if they’re all shipped to the same address, or $4.30 each if you’d like them shipped to different addresses), or order 10 or more copies and pay just $10.50 each plus shipping. For foreign orders, order 4 and pay $12.95 each plus $12 shipping, or order 10 or more copies and pay $10.50 each plus shipping. Please note if you’d like a gift acknowledgment included and/or autographed copies.

–> Do Your Holiday Shopping With Us–Discounts on Books for Your Favorite Entrepreneurs
With the holidays coming up, this is a great chance to save money on Shel’s books–they make fabulous gifts for the entrepreneurs, authors, marketers, and business managers in your life, or for those who’d like to be authors or marketers.

–> Recent Media Coverage of Shel and His Work
A new feature: spotlight on some of the places where Shel’s been featured recently.

–> How to Get Grassroots Marketing for Half-Price
Over 300 pages of solid information on lowering your marketing cost, boosting your return

–> Friends and Colleagues Who Want to Help

• Real-Life Law of Attraction Success Stories: Real Stories of People Manifesting Health, Wealth, and Happiness is the name of a brand new and very nice book being released today (December 1) by Rich German and Robin Hoch.
• OS Radio is looking for guests to join them on Book World News.
• Yvonne Perry has a nice new e-book focused entirely on book promoting online, called Book Marketing in the Digital Age: Online Promotion Made Easy.
• Among the more interesting people I’ve found on Twitter is Kenneth Yu.
• Marcia Yudkin is giving away a 12-page report,”33 Keys to Thriving During a Recession”
• Small Business CEO is a nice new magazine available online at no cost, from the good people at Healthy, Wealthy N Wise.

(Click here to continue reading)

–> A No-Cost Way to Connect with Reporters Seeking Stories
My friend Peter Shankman, a very well-connected PR guy in NYC, has started a no-charge service called Help A Reporter Out. He sends queries from reporters a few times a day, and if there’s a good fit, you answer the journalist. And he gets some leads that never make it to Profnet/PR Leads. This should be a no-brainer–but don’t abuse it. Only answer if you’re approrpiate for the query, or else you’ll spoil it for yourself and everyone else . If you get one good lead in a year, it’s worth it. He has passed on leads from the NY Times and Washington Post, as well as lesser venues. Sign up at www.helpareporter.com

–> Finally–An E-Book Site Puts Authors’ Needs First
Writers: Mark Victor Hansen (of Chicken Soup fame) has just launched a very author-friendly e-book/multimedia content distribution site at http://www.youpublish.com/referredby/shelhorowitz. No fee to set up, no fee to upload your files (wide range of types), 50% commission.

–> Facebook Teleseminar with Mari Smith
If you’re not on Facebook yet, you may be missing valuable business opportunities. If you are on Facebook, are you getting the most out of it for your business? Recently, The Blog Squad grilled Mari Smith about why you need to be on Facebook and how to use the social networking site to be smart about building your business. Now you can get access to the audio program from the live teleseminar for an investment of only $20.

–> You’re invited to join Foundercontact
Christophe Poizat, founder and chairman of the International Network of Social Entrepreneurs (INSE) has invited you to receive a free membership with Foundercontact. Foundercontact International Ltd is a web 2.0 online marketplace designed to bring entrepreneurs into contact with 3500 investors for seed, early stage, or growth capital. With members from 5 continents and 93 different countries, it opens up international business opportunities for entrepreneurs. Sign up at http://www.foundercontact.com/user/register

–> Hear and Meet Shel, September through December 2008

–> Which of Shel’s Books is Right for You?

–> Latest Additions to the Websites

–> Administrative Information
Subscribe, unsubscribe, back issues, etc.

–> Don’t forget to play our games, at the top of any page on FrugalFun.com– no fees to play, prizes to win, and you help me continue to bring all this good information to you.

Published monthly since July, 2007 by Shel Horowitz
16 Barstow Lane, Hadley, MA 01035 USA
413/586-2388

Last week, I signed a contract with John Wiley & Sons to do a book based largely on my 2003 self-published book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First.

Some people think this is every self-publisher’s dream. Well, having been a big-publisher author (Simon & Schuster, 1993) and being married to one (D. Dina Friedman: Simon & Schuster AND Farrar, Strauss, Giroux, both in 2006), I can tell you that both methods have their advantages.

For me, every book is different, and for each book, there are reasons to do it one way or another. I chose to self-publish Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First because I wanted absolute control; the ideas were pretty revolutionary at the time, and I didn’t want anyone watering it down. I also wanted to seize a moment that I wasn’t sure would still hold in the two years before my work would see the light of day with a big publisher. But I always hoped the day would come when I could resell that book to someone else.

Another book I’m circulating a proposal for needs a big publisher and a large advance. It will take far too much research time to do on my own, and the people I need to interview hide behind a lot of gatekeepers. Those gates swing open a lot more easily if a big publisher has backed the project. If I don’t sell that book, I simply won’t write it.

A project I just managed for a client went to the printer last week. Speed was essential, because the story is very relevant to a major movie being released in January. We only started working together in June, and most of the work took place after September. A big publisher simply wouldn’t do that for anyone other than a superstar celebrity. I found a copy editor, cover and interior designers, and a printer, and the book will be out in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, I wrote a letter that the client used to build a relationship with people at Paramount Pictures, and wonderful things might happen.

Also, that book hadn’t been in shape to be taken seriously by the publishing world. It needed cleanup and rethinking, and most big-house editors these days aren’t willing to put that kind of effort into a book unless they know they’re going to sell many thousands of copies.

Which leads me to the key point: the big houses no longer buy many manuscripts on the basis of their merits, but on the author’s strengths as a marketer. They will take a mediocre or adequate book with a superstar marketing platform any day over a fabulous book with no platform.

The reason I got to sign this contract with Wiley is because out of 32 pages (not counting sample chapters) in the proposal, 27 of them deal specifically with marketing and the market for the book, including changes to make the book more user-friendly and marketable, involvement of a celebrity co-author, a market analysis, recognition the book has already received (awards, endorsements, foreign republications, etc.)—and six entire pages about my platform: my speaking, writing, e-zines, media interviews, social networking communities, and perhaps most important, a credible and substantiated argument that I can reasonably expect to use pre-existing relationships with various newsletter publishers (relationships I’ve carefully cultivated over the years) to reach about five million people with news about its publication, when the time comes.

Is this the only way to get a big-publisher contract? Certainly not. But it did propel a self-published book with relatively modest sales into a book that the New York publishing world is taking seriously.

Given that, here’s a homework assignment: Over the next month, write down every useful connection you’ve established, every credential you’ve earned–and then, if you ever want to pursue a big publisher, you’ll have something to work into a marketable proposal.