Book Cover Coaching: The Book-Marketing Holiday Quiz

The Book-Marketing Holiday Quiz:

Test your book-marketing know-how.
Can you answer these 10 questions?

By Susan Kendrick

It's officially the holiday! I hope all your stockings are hung and you are relaxing either by a cozy fire or on a lawn chair, depending on where you live.

Now for some fun. Here's a way to keep your book marketing savvy sharp, even as you take much-needed time to reflect and recharge.

It's our First Annual Book-Marketing Holiday Quiz!

First, go to www.Amazon. Search "Books" then click on the "Bestsellers" link at the top of the page. Each of the questions below is from the first 25 books on that list:

1.) About which book and author did Oprah say, "I've been counting down the days to this show!"?
HINT: This show aired in September 2007.

2.) Which two books have the shortest back cover copy, but speak right to the heart and identify their target audience in the process?
HINT: Would you dare to go to this extreme of less-is-more on your back cover?

3.) Which books are part of a series of FIVE or more books?
HINT: There are three of them.

4.) Which book title is an example of a "neologism"?
HINT: "Neologism" means a new word or expression and is the book marketing secret behind such bestselling phenomenons as Freakonomics.

5.) Which non-fiction books use their subtitles to describe specific benefits or solutions to the reader?
HINT: I count four.

6.) Which books use their subtitles to make memoir or personal experience more relevant to the reader, which by the way is one of the most challenging aspects of creating covers for these kinds of books. Do you think the ones here succeed?
HINT: I count four of these books as well.

7.) Which book uses the front cover to promote the author's TV and nationally syndicated radio shows?
HINT: This much copy could be a real mouthful on a front cover, but this book still has a clean, lean, billboard appeal.

8.) Which two book covers use quotes by other bestselling authors to help market them?
HINT: One is fiction and one is non-fiction.

9.) How many book title strategies do you see represented by the books there?
HINT: There are at least 10 -- some are included as articles on this blog.

10.) Which book title is part of a poem that is found in the book itself?
HINT: This book has just been made into a movie.

Bonus Round!

11.) Now look at the top 50 Amazon Bestsellers. Which book made it to this list . . . and hasn't even been released yet?
HINT: This book is available right now as a "pre-order" only. But this author is already making money on this book. Not bad! How will you use your cover to pre-sell your book?

How did you do?

If you absolutely can't find the answers, hang in there. I'll post them next time. But, right now it's time to enjoy the snow and my family. Best wishes to all of you for a relaxed and inspired holiday with those you love.

Susan

© Copyright 2007, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.http://www.writetoyourmarket.com
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