Archive for February, 2009:
February 27th, 2009
Posted in Book Jump Start Your Book Sales A Money Making Guide for Authors Independent Publishers and Small Presses
Discover How You Can Sell Thousands More Books!
Turn yourself into a marketing master and make tens of thousands of extra dollars with the ideas in this incomparable resource. Get your books into catalogs, rack up lucrative bulk premium sales, and do author signings and radio interviews that get outrageous results. Find the secret to generating lots of free publicity, then discover how to fully capitalize on it.
Add to that insider information on how to make the Internet a fabulous sales generator, penetrate libraries, sell to book clubs, and get onto the QVC Home Shopping Network and you can’t do without this guide. It’s like a whole marketing library in one volume. For less than 6 cents a day, you can turn the next year into a wealth-building bonanza! Get this book today.
Whimsical illustrations and a witty writing style sets the stage for fun.
Real-life success stories motivate and inspire you.
Web sites galore put you on the cutting edge of technology.
Helpful forms, checklists, and samples make your job easier.
Resource lists with full contact information save you time and hassle.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Well Researched – Provided Excellent Assistance to Me
through the self publishing process of my new book. More than a notion, self publishing is very rewarding but extremely time consuming, and SUPER hard work. I thought writing the book was hard. Ha! That was the easy part!!! Thank goodness I bought this book, as its given me many great ideas for marketing and promotion. It’s wonderful to have written the best book in the world, but it doesn’t mean anything if no one knows about it! Thanks Marilyn!!!!
4 Stars Great information for authors
I think that this book can be very helpful to any writer that wants to sell his/her book. I am using several of the ideas that I recieved in the book to sell my book 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and collectibles. it has increased my sales. Daryle
5 Stars It’s Never Too Early to Start Marketing
Do you know when you should start marketing your book? Marilyn Ross does, and in “Jump Start Your Book Sales” she reveals the answer. (Hint: It’s before you start writing it!)
Before, during, and after — in fact. Regardless of where you are in the writing and publishing process, book marketing should be at the forefront of your thinking. Is your book even marketable? What is the market? What length of book are those people used to buying? Why would they buy yours instead of (or in addition to) all the other similar books on the market? What will differentiate yours? These are the kind of questions you should be asking yourself even before you put pen to paper, or fingers to keys, as the case may be.
These strategic concepts are the bread and butter of the pages comprising “Jump Start.” Don’t be surprised if you find meat in the middle that you can really sink your teeth into. This isn’t another rehash of duplicative information available for free from countless websites. This is the real deal, written by the co-founder of the Small Publishers Association of North America. Highly recommended reading before you start writing, before you start publishing, and after you think you’ve marketed it all. – Brent Sampson, author of Self-Publishing Simplified
5 Stars If you write, you need this book
I’ve never read a more informative book. It not only points out what you should do to promote, it actually gives you the tools to do it. Both phone numbers and websites that will really help you. It is the first self help book that doesn’t tell you what it is going to tell you, IT JUST TELLS YOU. How novel. It will take me weeks to implement all the information, but each step is clearly presented. If you write to sell you need this book as flowers need rain.
5 Stars Great book for self-published authors and small publishers
The position of a first-time self-published author is not an enviable one; you’ve already written your manuscript, invested money in typesetting, cover design and an initial print run, you’ve purchased an ISBN number and your book is in Ingram’s database, so it can be ordered in stores. You wait a week, and then another, for book sales to start coming in. Finally, realization begins to set in – just because it is possible for someone to walk into a book store and order your book, it isn’t very likely that it will happen, because nobody knows about it.
Marilyn and Tom Ross have written an excellent resource for self-published authors and small publishers who want to get their book sales going, and their techniques are considerate of the budgets that most self-published authors are constrained by.
If you successfully self-publish your book, there are three steps for you to follow:
1. Write a solid, clear and engaging book that people will enjoy reading. Refer to books about clear and effective writing.
2. Work your way through the publishing process. Refer to Dan Poynter’s “Self-Publishing Manual”.
3. Get the word out about your recently published work – this is exactly what the Marilyn and Tom Ross show you how to do in “Jump-Start Your Book Sales”.
In short, if you are a self-published author, are considering self-publishing, are a small publisher, or even if you’re a traditionally published author who wants to take a more active role in the promotion of your book (which most publishers will expect you to do anyway), you should read this book.
Danny Iny
Author of “Ordinary Miracles – Harness the power of writing and get your point across!” (ISBN 1-4116-7252-6)
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February 24th, 2009
Posted in Book Marketing Metrics 50 Metrics Every Executive Should Master
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Carry This Book with You
If a marketer really wants to be a good business person, then they should carry this book with them. I dislike hearing recent graduates say “Buy One Get One Free” when asked for promotion ideas. If you understand the financial consequences of that type of promotion then it’s OK to suggest it. But the point is this book helps you think about the many types of measurements. At one point in my career I had three Product Managers work for me. This book would have been one that I insisted they read.
3 Stars ok
While most of these metrics are true, they are not always relevant. I guess if you use it as a reference, this is a good book and will do fine. But it is not necessarily something that will turn your world upside down with new knowledge.
4 Stars Is it Really About Metrics..But There’s More To it Than That
I think this book is an important tool in terms of measuring marketing and trying to ensure that you have the opportunity to understand your marketing outreach.
I also liked the newly released book, “Value Acceleration” by Mitchell Gooze and Ralph Mroz and think it should serve as a companion to this book in terms of truly identifying how marketing and sales can successfully work together and in terms of lean process, keeping the global competitive edge way beyond metrics.Value Acceleration: The Secrets to Building an Unbeatable Competitive Advantage
4 Stars Good Primer for Marketing People
This is a good fundamental description of different marketing measurments. These metrics used to be taught to people in the business as they worked their way up the ranks. Unfortunately, today there is virtually no marketing training being done at most organizations. This book can help those people who want to know how to look at a marketing from a more analytical basis and do a better job at managing the marketing for their company. I have already given it to two clients to help them do their job better.
5 Stars Excellent but for the presentation
There is alot of excellent material in this book. My only criticism is the layout. It appears choppy and could use a better design that would make it easier to read. Hopefully, the next edition will take this into consideration. But all in all, an excellent book on a subject that is long overdue.
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February 19th, 2009
Posted in Book Three Weeks to eBay Profits Go from Beginner to Successful Seller in Less than a Month
Over one million people list an item for sale on eBay every day—and 600,000 of these are professional full-time sellers. Now anyone with ambition and a dream can realize financial success on eBay. Whether readers are looking to be their own boss or launch a part-time business, eBay guru Skip McGrath walks them through a series of easy steps designed to generate income in less than a month. This practical guide reveals how to find products to sell, successfully compete in the crowded eBay marketplace, and optimize and grow one’s business. Three Weeks to eBay Profits offers instant answers to anyone who dreams of running this or her own business and realizing financial freedom.
Skip McGrath is currently a Gold Level Power Seller on eBay. He has written seven books on eBay selling, including The eBay Power Seller’s Manual and The Complete eBay Marketing System. His Web site, www.auction-sellers-resource.com, is one of the most visited eBay-related sites on the Net.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Three Weeks to eBay Profits
Skip Mc Grath takes you step by step from a beginner, to a seller in a very short time if you read and put into practise his instructions.
He also tells you what to sell on eBay giving you a lot of ideas where to find what is easy to sell and how to promote it.
I would recommend this and other books published by this author to anyone who wants to make money on eBay, because he really know what he is talking about. And for my understanding he is a born teacher because he has the pacience to explain in detail what to do and how to do it.
5 Stars Three Weeks To Ebay Profits
I’am new to selling on ebay and was looking for some helpful books.
This is one I purchased, and it has helped me alot. I would recommend this
book to anyone selling on ebay, it has alot of helpful information.
5 Stars Good nuts ‘n bolts book
Was getting started on ebay and looking for some guidance. This book combined with ebay’s on-line tutorial is loaded with enough information to get a new ebay seller headed in the right direction. Would recommend to anyone contemplating selling on ebay.
5 Stars Excellent guide
Well written comprehensive guide to getting started on E-bay. You do have to actually put the effort and creativity into any business to make it work. But, if you follow the outline of this book you will have a better chance of making it work. This book also contained unique information by the author. It dovetailed with the other books I bought by the same author.
5 Stars Concrete Help
I don’t review books unless I genuinely like them, and I liked this book. The concrete, clear steps are excellent. I decided to use this book in teaching college students how to use the Internet more effectively.
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February 18th, 2009
Posted in Book Smart Start Ups How Entrepreneurs and Corporations Can Profit by Starting Online Communities
Praise for Smart Start-Ups
“Silver’s new book is a masterpiece of clarity concerning the next great entrepreneurial wave, and my only problem with it was the charley horse in my elbow I got turning the pages.”
-Robin Richards, founding President, MP3.com, and CEO, Notification Technologies Inc.
“Silver is a modern-day Prometheus. For community entrepreneurs, Smart Start-Ups contains the secrets of fire from the heavens. If you work with communities of any kind, you ignore this book at your own peril.”
-John Szeder, former senior game developer, Digital Chocolate, Inc., and CEO, Mofactor, Inc.
“Silver dives in and pulls the naked truth out of the world of online communities. There’s nothing like it on the shelves. He speaks with the best and brightest in the mobile and online community markets.”
-Sean Malatesta, founder, Yack Media Services, and Vice President, Indiagames, Inc.
“Smart Start-Ups is a must-read for any aspiring Internet entrepreneur. Silver cuts right to the heart of the important fact that communities are like entire nations, but without geographic borders, and they’re creating the greatest transformation since the Industrial Revolution.”
-Clarence Briggs, founder and CEO, AIT.com
“Silver’s book is an excellent, captivating, ingenious, and essential read for anyone who wants to know how to create wealth by starting an online community. One mark of a great book is that it makes you see things in a new way; Silver certainly succeeds in that respect.”
-Kyle E. Gillman, founder and CEO, Forgefinder, Inc.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars The best online business ideas evaluation for new eEntrepreneurs
I bought this book about one or two weeks from its debut, and I was thinking it would be in another line to cover communities topic. I run a business to build and manage communities and I was anxious to read about my fav topic. But instead, the book was a source of knowledge about how can an average person [well, an entrepreneur is not so average] start to earn really good money with Web 2.0 ideas.
Since the begining of the book, its author covers topics from Success Stories, Fundraising and even Float generation.
I strongly recommend you to read it. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read.
They even have a website you can check right now: [...]
5 Stars Invaluable for all entrepreneurs!
After reading countless books that all seem to re-hash the same general “nuts-and-bolts” information, this book blew me away. David goes as far as telling you what to do, how to do it, why you should do it, and how to make millions doing it. Truly a one-of-a-kind book and author. I recommend this book to all entrepreneurs, whether starting or running an online, or offline business. The insight is pricesless.
5 Stars One of the best books I’ve ever read
This book is a phenominal book. If you are an entrepreneur and looking to build a cutting edge company, this is a must read!!!!! The ideas described and the central theme of where the Internet and Mobile age is moving is dead on. David provided some very insightful examples that, given some thought, can be applied to many different areas of business. I have read the book a few times and it keeps getting better and better each time I read it. If you don’t read this book before embarking on your new journey, you will be short-changing yourself in a monumental way. Keep it up David. Looking forward to the next book!!!!!
5 Stars Wow!
I think this book is going to change my life.
Q: How many books truly have that potential?
A: Not many.
Buy this book. You won’t regret it.
5 Stars Page Turner
When the desire to start a social network hit, i began scouring the web for information, how to’s and how not to’s. As an entrepreneur information overload can cause you to burn out. David Silver’s book is an eye opener and a page turner, giving the essence without fluff. I read through all the reviews before I purchased his book and it was the one stars that convinced me that the book was worth a read as the reason the reviewer gave the one star was what i wanted. Excellent, Excellent book for any one who has their eye on the future
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February 16th, 2009
Posted in Book Herbs for Sale Growing and Marketing Herbs Herbal Products and Herbal Know How Bootstrap Guide
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars the in-betweener
i found this book interesting to read. but i do not think that it is as helpful as i was lead to believe in reading the other reviews. the stories tend to be rather vague as far as information wise. also the book seems to be a bit outdated. but i did find the reference section at the end of each chapter helpful, it’s nice to have a starting point. and a book that gives pointers on some persons and companies to contact in order to learn more. i did find myself a little dissapointed, which probably wouldn’t have happened if the book wasn’t so touted.
5 Stars Very interesting read!
I found this book to be both very interesting and educational as well as just plain “down-to-earth”. It makes you realize that you can do it too!
I really liked the reference pages that were included at the end of each chapter. You can either go to your library and look things up, call or get websites.
Very good book.
5 Stars Herbs for Sale: Growing and Marketing Herbs, Herbal Products
This book is excellent in helping the average herb lover learn how to earn money from that love. Great resources, very inspirational, excellent ideas to get you started in the herb growing business. So glad I have it! Offers great encouragement with stories of people having an herb growing business, loving it and making money!
5 Stars Considering starting a herb business? Read this.
I am an extension specialist who counsels people daily on new business opportunities in horticulture. This is one of the main books I recommend for someone who is considering starting a herb business. It is delightful to read and full of stories from folks who have done it.
4 Stars Herbs for Sale
I bought this book also off of Amazon.com and it is a wonderful book with great sugesstions. It is a little complicated, though, and I at times had to read a paragraph more than once to understand it. Otherwise, it is a good book.
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February 15th, 2009
Posted in Book Clicks and mortars doubly dismal customer service Last Call An article from Customer Interaction Solutions
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This digital document is an article from Customer Interaction Solutions, published by Thomson Gale on February 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1115 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Clicks-and-mortars: doubly dismal customer service.(Last Call)
Author: Tracey E. Schelmetic
Publication: Customer Interaction Solutions (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 25 Issue: 9 Page: 36(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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February 15th, 2009
Posted in Book Small Business Marketing for Dummies Second Edition
Having your own business isn’t the same as having customers, and one is useless without the other. Whether your business is a resale store or a high-tech consulting firm, a law office or a home cleaning service, in today’s competitive environment, strategic marketing is essential.
Small Business Marketing For Dummies, Second Edition is updated from the original version that won rave reviews and inspired thousands of small businesses on their way to becoming big businesses. Updates include more information on online marketing, a whole new section on getting and keeping customers, new cost-effective, fast-acting ideas for instant impact, and more. The book covers:
- Marketing basics that prepare you to rev up your business and jumpstart your marketing program
- Information to help you define your business position and brand
- Advice on bringing in professionals
- A quick-reference guide to mass media and a glossary of advertising jargon
- How-tos for creating print and broadcast ads that work
- Ideas for getting the word out without advertising, including information on direct mail, brochures, publicity, promotions, and more
- Ten steps to follow to build your own easy-to-assemble marketing plan
With pages of ideas for low-cost, high-impact marketing from author Barbara Findlay Schenck, a marketing consultant with more than 20 years experience with clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, Small Business Marketing For Dummies, Second Edition helps you reach and keep new customers. Whether you’re running a home office, a small firm, a family business, a nonprofit organization, or a retail operation, you’ll discover how to:
- Custom design your own marketing program
- Create effective marketing messages
- Produce marketing communications that work
No matter what field you’re in, Small Business Marketing For Dummies, 2nd Edition will help you make your dreams come true. If you buy it, read it, and implement some of the marketing strategies discussed, customers will come.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars A good book covering the basic marketing options available to a small business.
I purchased this book back in 2005 when it was hot off the presses. I skimmed it back then, and thought it was a good book. Last year I started working as a SCORE volunteer, and about the same time I started reviewing some of the business books I own. Since this book does not set my world on fire regarding small business marketing, I have not made it a priority to post a review. It’s raining and miserable outside right now. So I’ve found some time to write this review and post it.
I enjoyed reading this book, and I think it has some very good content. Many of my clients at SCORE are so new to writing business plans and understanding small business mechanics that they would benefit greatly from reading this book. It covers the topics of (1) advertising, (2) public relations, (3) publicity, (4) online marketing, and (5) customer service. I think it was missing some information on the “sixth topic” called self promotion that includes such techniques as writing articles, writing books, and doing talks, presentations, seminars, and workshops. Then, of course, there is also the topic of networking that could have been included.
In her bio the author says she has a background in writing, public relations, and advertising. With a background like that I suspect she could have written a better book on how to market nonprofits rather than a book aimed at helping small business. But that’s just a hunch of mine.
When I counsel my SCORE clients I rarely even discuss advertising as a marketing option. I really don’t see a place for advertising in a small business owner’s marketing arsenal. The exception to this rule is when the client runs or wants to run a retail business. However, I usually poo-poo dreams to start retail businesses since I think they are too capital intensive and usually not worth the effort to run.
But the beauty of this book is that it gives an overview of five of the seven areas a small business should consider and use when marketing his or her small business. There could have been lots and lots more on online marketing sure enough. And the title of the book probably leads many potential readers to think it would. But that subject can be, and is, covered better and in more detail in other books.
A small business owner should not ignore the potential benefits it can get from creating a public relations plan and publicity plan within its overall marketing plan. And the author does a nice job of making this point. Sure, there could have been more written, but there are other books out there that are doing that already.
The oddest thing about this book to me is that it is about marketing and it appears no marketing has gone in to promoting this book. There are currently just 4 book reviews for it listed at Amazon, and ALL are for the previous edition published in 2001. The author does not have an Amazon profile attached to her book listing, and as a result she does not have an Amazon Plog. I generally expect someone who writes about marketing to practice what they preach, and I don’t see it in the author for this book. That doesn’t mean the book is bad, but I certainly think less of it as a result. 4 stars!
5 Stars Especially Helpful with Marketing Communications
If you are running a small business, then a knowledge of marketing can be crucial for your success. But marketing is a very broad topic, and you won’t master it by reading just one book.
While there are plenty of good marketing books to choose from, this one is a particularly good source of advice on such topics as advertising and public relations. For example, to help you create effective print ads, this book offers checklists that explain how to write a catchy headline, how to write interesting copy, and how to present your prices to maximum advantage. In addition, there are checklists comparing the pros and cons of print, broadcast, and outdoor media, helping you select the best advertising media for your needs. The section on web site design offers enough basic information that after reading it, you’ll likely have more confidence communicating with a web site designer.
This book is well worth reading in entirety as an introduction to basic marketing. On the other hand, if you are already familiar with basic marketing principles, keep it on your shelf for handy reference. Remember to consult it before undertaking each marketing communications project, and you’ll likely achieve better results with less frustration and less wasted effort.
Paul Francis Musgrave, author of Indispensable Marketing Strategies – How to Outwit Your Competition, Attract and Retain Customers, and Multiply Your Profits – Powerful Marketing Strategy Secrets for Profitable Small Business Management
4 Stars Very good with one caveat
I really liked this book overall. It brought a lot of things together for me. But, I think too much of the book is dedicated to advertising, which a really small business or startup may not have the funds to do. I think more on promotion and “guerilla” tactics would have made this a really outstanding book.
5 Stars Not just for dummies!
Don’t let the title mislead you. Even if you already have a background in marketing, you’ll love this book– I did.
Barbara Schenck clearly explains the jargon, terminology, value, and implementation details of each facet of marketing, using real-world (and often humorous) examples. This book is so accessible to non-marketeers that our company has made Chapter 21 (Customer Service) required reading for each member of our team.
This book is empowering, informative, inspirational. If you’re rethinking your marketing (and what business isn’t constantly obsessed with satisfying their customers), then make this book your road map. As instructed by the simple exercises in each chapter, I took notes while making my way through the book. Then following the instructions in the final chapters, I was able to create a Marketing Plan in just a few hours. I found the process invigorating, and our clients can already feel our enthusiasm– and we haven’t even started implementing yet!
3 Stars Nice book
It’s a nice book with some good tips. I haven’t really had the idea that the book gave me some real new ideas for my business, it’s all quite standard.
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