WE'VE MOVED!

By Susan Kendrick
Write To Your Market, Inc.

Greetings! We hope you are working on writing a book to build your business and other branding or re-branding projects that get the word out about what you have to offer.

All is well on this end. We have simply moved to a new location.

Our Book Cover Coaching & Business Branding blog is now being posted on our newly designed website, www.WriteToYourMarket.com.

We've been around for a long time, but so had our website, so it was time for a new look and a better way to show some great examples of book covers, e-book covers, professional speaker kits, websites, and more that we've been developing for our clients. We wanted you to see examples of how you can build a brand, business, and more with the help of a book that showcases your expertise.

Please visit us at our new website and blog location. Take a look around. Below is a list of what you will find there so you can click to whatever you may be working on or interested in right now.

Branding

Name Your Business
Personal Branding

Books / Covers
Book Titles and Subtitles 
Book Back Cover Text
E-Book Covers
Manuscript Development
Book Cover Design
Samples By Topic


Marketing Solutions
Website Content
Media Kits 
Professional Speaker Materials

Blog +

Read Our Blog
Critique & Consultation

About
About Us
Testimonials

Store
"Cover That Book"

Contact
Contact
    
Please feel free to contact us with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy the new website and everything there. Email us at info@writetoyourmarket.com or call 715-634-4120.

Book Cover Coaching: Why to Build a Book Cover Team

Featured Client:
Dr. Brad Case
How to Use the Team
Approach to Create an
Award-Winning Book Cover

By Susan Kendrick

* Download our Free Book Cover Timeline--an easy, one-page checklist of
   what to do, when to do it, and how to work with your book cover team. 



Dr. Brad Case stays in touch ... a lot. That's because he's always announcing some new award he's received or project he's involved in as a result of his book Thugs, Drugs, and the War on Bugs. My partner, Graham Van Dixhorn, worked with Dr. Case to create the marketing concepts and language for his book cover copy. We also work with a select handful of book cover designers and book interior designers, like the ones listed below, as well as book editors. See how a team approach to your book cover can get your book seen and sold, and give you expert status.

We started by asking Dr. Case a simple question.

Q. "Given the success of your book to-date, what stands out for you about the role or contribution of your cover?"

A. "In my experience, by the time a book is written, the author is too close to the project to be able to see how others will see their book and to know how to sell it. You really need some objective eyes to help you formulate a great selling cover, which is the basis of all your marketing efforts. Though you should be involved, don’t try to do it all on your own. This entire dust jacket was really a group project. I turned to Graham and Susan’s expertise because they really know how to sell books." 

Awards, Exposure, and Business Leads

Here's just a sample of what's been happening.

• Thugs, Drugs and the War on Bugs won the Gold Medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards contest for the Health/Medicine/Nutrition category. Over 3,000 books were entered in the overall contest. "I don’t know exactly how many books mine was up against," says Case, "but it apparently beat them all!"
• Thugs was also a Finalist in ForeWord Reviews’ Book of the Year contest, and it was awarded the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award last year.
• Dr. Case was also recently interviewed by Wisdom Magazine. Its May/June issue included a lengthy, four-page interview. They also posted the entire first chapter of Thugs on their website
• This interview led to Case being invited by an East Coast filmmaker to be in a documentary on the healing power of foods. 

Book Covers From Mars ...

"I’ve received so many complements on my book cover," says Case. "The only thing that’s gotten more comments is my title. In fact, when I spoke to John Gray, author of the Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, and told him the title of my book, he literally laughed out loud, asked me to repeat it, then laughed again. I’m sure the title made an impression on him and eventually led to him endorsing the book. His endorsement led to others endorsing it." 

Who to Include on Your Book Cover Team:

Since any book should be marketed well before the actual release date, your cover is essential for that marketing to begin. Here are the three main functions you will need help with to produce a professional, "buy-me-now!" book cover. And, here is Dr. Case's take on how that team approach worked for him:


Book Cover Marketing Copy

"The back cover sales copy gets potential buyers’ attention with a hard-hitting headline and bullet points. The rest of the back cover copy expands on those benefits. The inside flap copy continues that conversation, with a more detailed synopsis, reasons to read the book, and what the reader will get out of it.

"I came up with the title. Graham came up with the much-needed subtitle. He did a great job capturing my dry humor in a subtle way. For the rest of the book cover copy, the credit goes to Graham. I basically gave him a bunch of my information and ideas. He got a feel for the overall tone and content of the book, then formulated all my disjointed ideas into a cohesive book cover that sells the book. Graham and I also played off of each other to build bullet points and the About the Author section.

"I use all the book cover language he developed as the branding and sales copy in my other marketing efforts for the book as well, such as my book website and my main website, as well as my page on Amazon. Graham also came up with the domain name for my website: HealthIsNatural.com.

"All of this came together to make a great cover, which led to my getting more endorsements and receiving awards—more selling points that have also found their way onto the cover." 
 

Book Cover Design

"George Foster was the cover designer. Not only is he a great designer, he’s a great guy with a great sense of humor. The front cover is a bit provocative, but so is the title and the rest of the book, so they all fit together. If my title and subject had been less in-your-face, the cover would have had to reflect that tone, but with a title like Thugs, Drugs and the War on Bugs, we needed a cover like this. It also makes a great poster that really draws the eye in. It catches your attention and raises curiosity in potential readers."

Book Interior Design

I also had my book internal designer, Shannon Bodie, create a great logo for me. My publishing company is called “New Renaissance Books.” Shannon created a professional looking logo that resembles a book morphing into an aloe plant or a lotus, which, depending on what you see, fit the themes of either natural healing or awakening, both of which I resonate with. It perfectly reflects the blending of reading a New Renaissance book and the Natural Healthcare Revolution—all in one logo. 

For an easy, one-page checklist of what to do, when to do it, and how to work with a book cover team, download our free Book Cover Timeline.

Get more "Book Cover Coaching ..."

Subscribe to this blog and get more tips about what goes into developing a great book cover. For our help developing your book cover, book website, personal or business brand, and more, email us about an initial consultation at info@WriteToYourMarket.com or give us a call at 1-888-634-4120.

© 2011, Susan Kendrick, Write To Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Creating Ebook Covers - The Power of Back Cover Sales Copy

Profile #2:
"What's Great About This Ebook Cover?"

By Susan Kendrick 

My partner, Graham Van Dixhorn, and I are judges for the Ebook Cover Award category in Dan Poynter's Global Ebook Awards program. To give these authors and experts more visibility for their ebooks, and to use these covers to share the strategies we teach and use in our own work creating book covers, we're featuring many cover entries right here on our blog.

The Pathway to Love
Julie Orlov

Visit Julie Orlov's website. Her, ebook, book, Kindle edition, workbook, and audio guide are available on her Products Page. The Kindle edition is also available on Amazon.

Ebook "Back Cover" Sales Copy

I'm going to focus on Julie Orlov's back cover copy because she did such a good job on the cover itself and the way she uses this book marketing copy throughout her website. That is the great benefit of back cover sales copy, even for an ebook--it creates a powerful, brand consistent, at-a-glance marketing message that promotes your book or ebook wherever you use it. Here's what makes this ebook cover special:

Know What Your Audience Needs and Wants

If your book or ebook is a solution to a problem, you need to understand that problem. Julie Orlov handles this beautifully. The first paragraph of Julie's back cover starts with, "Discover the secrets to creating more understanding, acceptance, and love in your relationships."  She gets right to the point. She doesn't waste any time connecting with her reader and what they're looking for. You have about 10-15 seconds to get someone's attention and get them to see the value of what you book. Make every second count.

Show What's Unique About Your Solution

Julie then moves right into the second sentence, which shows exactly how her approach to relationships is unique: "Through the art of storytelling Julie Orlov reveals how relationships grow from fantasy to love in four phases." She uses storytelling and she reveals four phases.  ... What are those phases? Am I in one of those phases? Which one? ... This is the possible response from someone reading this copy. It does two things. It draws them in and gets them to keep reading.

Create a Sense of Abundance About What the Reader Gets From the Book

Next, Julie uses the "Not Only" copywriting technique to show the range of help available from her book. The third sentence reads, "The book not only empowers you to create the relationships you want but demonstrates how your relationships mirror what you need to see, thereby providing the perfect conditions to heal, grow, and transform."

Here is a simple but important point. Notice in the back cover copy the use of "you" and "your." Notice, too, how you can create energy and momentum with phrases ranging from "not only empowers you to create" to "providing the perfect conditions." This kind of language gets your prospective buyer excited about the possibilities in this book. And, that is exactly the role of the back cover, to get prospects interested enough to read the book and to buy it.

  

Use a Few Powerful Bullet Points to Seal the Deal

Great book covers use visual chunks of copy to draw in the reader. Bullets are the place to highlight the most compelling benefits of your book in an at-a-glance format. See the bullet points on The Pathway to Love when you click the image (right) from the softcover print version of The Pathway to Love.

On Julie's website home page, those three back cover bullets take center stage. As Julie has also done, you can then tweak your back cover copy to suit the needs of an individual website page-
-whether you are promoting your ebook, book, or overall brand and expertise. In this case, Julie added a fourth bullet that mentions "relationships at work," a significant part of her expertise and the kind of consulting and speaking she wants to attract more of. As you look at other pages on Julie's website, you will continue to see other parts of her back cover copy.

On a tactical note, bullet points should each start with an active verb to further continue the energy and momentum of your marketing message. Julie's bullets start with "Distinguish," "Understand," and "Transform,"  and on the website, "Enhance."

Get High-Profile Testimonials

The impact of testimonials is more about who is saying something about your book than what they are saying. Again, you want to create your back cover in various, high-visibility chunks. Testimonials do not need to be long to support your book, but they have to be by experts your audience recognizes, trusts, and respects. Julie has just two, but one of them is by Bernie Siegel, MD, and the other is from a highly credentialed expert in her field, an MD, PhD from UCLA and company president. See more in our article on how to get and select book cover testimonials.

Ebook Cover Design

There are many good things to say about Julie Orlov's ebook cover design. The main point is that from the color--the soft green, clean white, and bright spot of red in that heart--to the simple image of the orchid, and font style, it has been designed with Julie's core audience in mind. Women buy the vast majority of books. Even for books that are written for men, it is women that buy the books for the men in their lives--husbands, sons, fathers, partners, etc. 

As you can see in Julie's YouTube videos, men attended and spoke very highly about her  book launch event. But for books on relationships especially, women are the core audience of readers and buyers, and this cover reaches out to them on this topic with a sense of beauty, lightness, and promise. The marketing copy is fresh and authoritative. The overall effect is that Julie's book cover positions her as a trustworthy authority on her topic with a lot to offer her readers.

  * * *

Get Your Free Copy

"10 Steps to Ebook Covers That Sell" includes tips for creating book title and subtitles, back cover sales copy, and book cover design. It also serves as the judging criteria for the Ebook Cover Award. Request a complimentary copy by emailing us at info@WriteToYourMarket.com.

* * *

Think about entering your ebook in Dan Poynter's Global Ebook Awards. There are dozens of award categories. Check out 10 Reasons to Enter on YouTube.

Subscribe to this blog and learn more about what goes into developing a great book cover. See examples, including those we develop for our clients, and get tips you can use throughout all your book marketing. For help developing your book cover, book website, personal or business brand, and more, contact us at info@WriteToYourMarket.com.

© 2011, Susan Kendrick, Write To Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Creating Ebook Covers: Less is More

Profile #1:
"What's Great About This Ebook Cover?"

By Susan Kendrick

My partner, Graham Van Dixhorn, and I are two of the judges for the Ebook Cover Award category in Dan Poynter's Global Ebook Awards competition. In addition to picking the best covers from those submitted--and being on the team that decides the ultimate winner--we will be featuring many covers right here on this blog with a brief "What's Great About This Ebook Cover?" write-up. We will use each ebook cover we feature to point out important ebook cover components and strategies. Think about entering your ebook. There are dozens of award categories. Check out 10 Reasons to Enter on YouTube.

Request a Copy

Participants in the Book Cover Award category receive our "10 Steps to Ebook Covers That Sell." It contains checklists for creating ebook/book titles and subtitles, back cover sales copy, and book cover design. Request a complimentary copy at info@WriteToYourMarket.com.

Selene of Alexandria 
A Novel by 
Faith L. Justice

There are many reasons we chose to feature Selene of Alexandria as an example of a successful ebook cover. Overall it has a highly professional look and feel, which seems simple but is often difficult to achieve. Here's what makes this cover special:

Visit author Faith L. Justice's website. The ebook is also available on Amazon.

Ebook Title

Short and Clear
Many book titles try to be clever at the expense of clarity, but there is power in simplicity. Selene of Alexandria also suggests a certain stature, that this is a story worth knowing.

Unique
There are no other books or ebooks on Amazon with the same title. This ebook cannot be confused with any other book, old or new, or in any way be diminished by sharing its name with other books, music, etc.

Search Engine Key Words
Selene of Alexandria is about a fictional character in a real place and time--the ancient city of Alexandria, Egypt, during the fifth century. For historical fiction, which has a large following, using the key word "Alexandria" helps lead readers to this period piece. A search for "Selene of Alexandia ebook" currently shows up as #3 in Google.

Ebook "Back Cover" Sales Copy

Click on the cover above to see larger images. 

The question comes up, "Does an ebook need a back cover?" The short answer is, yes. Ebooks should take advantage of all the book marketing opportunities available to print books, including buy-me-now, 10-second sales copy. Request the PDF above and see the introduction to the "Back Cover Sales Copy" section. See why your back cover text is the most important ad copy you will draft for your ebook and where you will use it.

Selene of Alexandria had already been published as a softcover in November 2009, so it had its back cover sales copy ready for use in marketing the ebook version. 

Headline
A headline can take many forms, one of which is a high-profile testimonial. In this case, praise comes from an award-winning author. This gives the book immediate credibility--we're willing to trust that an expert in the field thinks this is a great read. 

Clean, Crisp, Inviting Copy
Right away we get a feel for the setting and the conflicts in this story. The copy is energized by colorful language that reaches out in subtle ways to a wide reading audience.

Author Bio

Faith L. Justice's author bio is a refreshing counterpoint to the setting of her 5th century story. It starts with "a self-styled science geek and history junkie ..." It wraps up with her significant accomplishments and a call to action to engage prospective buyers in her other offerings, "Visit her website to read her award-winning short fiction, articles, interviews, and sample chapters of upcoming novels."

Ebook Cover Design

Available on Amazon

Here is where Faith L. Justice's Selene of Alexandria shines. Here are just a few of the ebook cover design criteria that this book embodies so well.

Make One Strong Visual Statement
She uses one powerful graphic image with a color and lighting that stands out against the black background. This cover looks good in any size, even as a thumbnail image, from iPads to smart phones.

Avoid Clutter

Imagine for a minute what could have happened to this cover. In addition to the sculpture it could have had a cityscape in the background to play up the Alexandria part of the title, or the added real image of a young woman. The classic sculpture all by itself gives this book the feeling of, well, a classic.

Title Is Easy to Read
It's big and easily readable. And, with a longer word like "Alexandria" in the mix, emphasizing "Selene" in larger type is a smart move. Trying to put the whole title in the same size font might have looked cramped or just made the whole title illegible. Again, this strategy will ensure the title stands out even in smaller viewing formats.

Author Name Is Big Enough to Read
Again, no fancy fonts, no special effects. Just the author's easily identifiable name.

Easy-To-Read Font
Interestingly, even with straightforward font choices, the name Selene is big, bold, and contemporary like a living, breathing character. By contrast, just like in the story, "Of Alexandria" evokes the time and place of the ancient setting.

A Few Strong Colors

Black, gold, and white create a strong, authoritative feel. This is a book you pay attention to and an author you take seriously. The quality of the cover image--color, lighting, resolution--all play a part in the high-quality feel of the entire cover. Choose any cover graphic and colors with great care.

* * *

Subscribe to this blog to see all the ebook cover entries and comments we post as judges in Dan Poynter's Global Ebook Award. For one-on-one feedback on your project, contact Graham and me, Susan, at info@WriteToYourMarket.com.

© 2011, Susan Kendrick, Write To Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Create Book Cover Brands That Look Great Online

Creating Book Titles and Subtitles That
Still Work in the Smallest Online Formats

By Susan Kendrick

www.WriteToYourMarket.com

The last article here was What Makes a Good Subtitle and How Long Should it Be? There's another reason the length of titles and subtitles is coming up a lot lately, and that is because of the variety of ways your book is now seen.

A Brief History of the Book Cover

Think about it. A book cover used to be written and designed primarily as a physical billboard for your book. The book needed to create interest when seen on the shelf at the bookstore or anywhere else it was displayed for sale. Then came those small thumbnail versions on amazon and other online retailers. Your book cover still has to draw people in, even in its reduced size. But, now that miniaturization goes one step further as book covers make their appearance on Kindle, ipad, and smart phones.
 

Check These Out:

(Take a look at the books on this bestseller page on amazon. Which ones do you think stand out in their smaller format and which ones don't.)

One author of two published books recently questioned whether or not her third book even needed a subtitle, since it would hardly be visible online. We strongly encouraged her to keep her subtitle for the reasons a subtitle has always been, and continues to be, pivotal to the branding and marketing of your book. Again, see previous article.


PLUS!

Your subtitle will show up in search results for your topic, in the product text on amazon, and any other place your book appears online. Don't waste this opportunity.

An Exception to This Rule?

An interesting exception to standard subtitle use is Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier. This book does not have a subtitle, but it does have an endorsement, "Ignore this book at your own peril," by Seth Godin. It also gets a huge credibility boost from bestselling authors like Tom Peters and William C. Taylor, Founding Editor of Fast Company.This book's uber-clean cover and bold, off-the-grid feel--plus the quirky Godin-esque endorsement and amazon review--surely speak to the intended audience for this book and set it apart on a planet of its own.

Is This a Wasted Opportunity?

I wonder, though, what the back cover does for this book--it doesn't show up as a "Look Inside" option on amazon. And, when you look under "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought," the subtitles for each of those other books are included in the text box under the  book cover image. They get the benefit of this additional positioning and sales copy for their books.

Avoid Piercings and Tatoos ...
 

... Especially if you're going it alone. If you do not have a magic-carpet ride of high-end endorsements in place for your book, and especially if your book will be self-published, your cover needs to be of the highest quality and adhere to every industry standard to "look legit" and avoid looking self-published.

It's like going in for a job interview--the higher-end the position, the more tailored and professional you need to look. Your book is a candidate, too. It has to stand out from all the other books on the topic. Everything about the packaging must be impeccable. And, depending on your audience ... no tongue piercings, visible tatoos, or stilettos. There are better ways to get noticed.

Getting the Right Help Will Get You Noticed

From a branding standpoint, it is your title that is the basis of the iconic look for your cover, so do consider how your title will look even the smallest formats. Use as few words as possible and short words when possible. And, make sure your book cover designer knows how to turn those words and your overall cover into a an immediately recognizable visual brand--an iconic look that will get your book noticed at any size.

Happy Publishing!

Susan

© 2010, Susan Kendrick, Write To Your Market. All Rights Reserved.

Even Branding Experts Need Help Expanding Their Brands

How This Branding Expert Created a
Book Series to Reach Out to New Markets

By Susan Kendrick
http://www.writetoyourmarket.com/


Click book cover images at left to see this client's back cover text.

Meet corporate branding expert Brenda Bence. Her new book series and website are outstanding examples of how
to use book publishing to expand an already highly
successful brand, this time into new niche markets. Take a look at these book covers and Brenda's website to see how her new "How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo" series title we developed for her can help you in your own branding or re-branding process.

In the World of Branding -- You Can't get Much Better Than This

With more than 25 years experience within Fortune 100 multinational corporations--from Procter & Gamble and Bristol-Myers Squibb to Mattel and Pizza Hut--Brenda has been responsible for marketing some of the world's biggest-selling brands in almost 50 countries across four continents.

Also a certified career coach, Brenda married her passion for brands and her passion for coaching to develop the first and only personal branding system. This system, based on the same methods successful companies use to create powerhouse name brands, outlines step-by-step how to define, communicate, and master your personal brand for greater success at work and in life.

In fact, she was already using "YOU™ -- The Trademarked You" as a central component of her identity and marketing message to mean "your personal brand."

"We actually DID go out and register this trademark," says Brenda. "No one we talked to thought it would be possible to trademark this, because “YOU” is such a common phrase, but we did it! it took three years of legal battles, and we now own “YOU™” as a registered trademark--another important element of this brand or any brand."

To expand her YOU™ brand to new markets and further increase her visibility, credibility, and revenue by doing so, she created first a book and then a book series. This time, she brings her expertise not to big business, but to individuals. Each book in her series fluently translates the strategies she uses to help corporations build successful consumer brands into ready-to-use techniques for professionals, job seekers, and college grads.

How Brenda's Book Cover Expands Her Brand

My partner, Graham Van Dixhorn, created Brenda's new "How You Are Like Shampoo" brand for her book title and series name. He then developed the positioning that would both establish her expertise in the personal branding market and elevate her expert status in the corporate market. Here is an excerpt from Brenda's back cover:

"This groundbreaking book provides you with a start-to-finish system for defining, communicating, and taking control of your personal brand at work. Modeled after the world’s most successful big-brand marketing methods, How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo guides you step-by-step through proven corporate branding techniques never before adapted for personal use."

This positioning and "elevator speech" create the transition from Brenda as business branding expert to go-to corporate and personal branding strategist.

The Back Cover Also Includes Other Essential Elements:

- The headline
- At-a-glance bullet points
- An expert/author endorsement, which Graham created for source approval,
a great endorsement technique
- High-profile bio and lead generator
- A technique that drives traffic to Brenda's website, which includes a
name-capture device once they get there, in the form of a newsletter sign-up

Getting Bigger Shouldn't Dilute Your Brand--It Should Make It Stronger

Notice that expanding Brenda's trademarked YOU™ branding into "How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo" does not detract from her status as corporate branding expert--it reinforces it. The allure for professionals, job seekers, and college grads is that they now have access to the same branding strategies Brenda uses to help the likes of Kraft and KFC, through a series of books created just for them.

"Extending the franchise to college students," says Brenda, "provides me additional speaking opportunities. Whenever I’m working with corporate clients in various locations, there are inevitably colleges nearby where I can speak. This allows me to connect with and help students with their job-searches, and Career Services are happy to have me speak, so they pay me a fee and offer to sell my books in the back of the room.

"But even more importantly," she says, "those smart college students will be managers in a few years’ time, looking to hire a speaker, trainer, and coach. So, I collect students’ e-mail addresses for my data base in order to build up a relationship with them that hopefully will last for years to come. I already have a number of university bookings set up for this year."

This Book Cover IS Your Brand

Creating your book's front and back cover positioning language is intended to be a once-and-done function. You are not just creating a "back cover blurb," you are choosing how to identify and communicate your brand. With her first three "How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo" books in place, Brenda can continue to extend her expertise to other niche markets through additional books that will continue to add value to her series and overall brand.

Use It Across ALL Marketing Platforms

The positioning you develop as the your core marketing message for your book cover now functions as the key branding message you use across all your marketing platforms--your website content, book website content, media kit, press releases, social media profiles, public speaker materials, and any other sales collateral. Again, see Brenda Bence's website for good examples.

3 Goals for Creating a Book Title with Branding Power

Here is what to strive for on not just your books, but also your ebooks, information products, speaking topics, and any other parts of the your brand marketing:

- Create a book title that makes people see their world differently
If you can tie your brand to some tangible part of people's lives, you can trigger thoughts of you when people see it. In Brenda's case, the image of "How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo" triggers a connection any time you are faced with a sea of shampoos, competing for your attention on your grocery store shelf. It may even make you stop to think about why you choose one brand over another and what your personal brand says about you.

- Establish a book title that is flexible enough to function for a book series
This way, you can accommodate your growth into known and not-yet-identified markets. With the right title, simply inserting the word "For" after the title can link your message to any audience you decide to reach out to.

- Develop positioning that attracts more of your ideal client
Just as the individuals in Brenda's new niche markets are attracted to her international reputation as the brand expert to the corporate stars, she also elevates her expert status in the eyes of her corporate market as a now published author. As a published author, she gains exponential credibility in the eyes of all her markets. That is exactly why that back cover sales copy--the foundation for Brenda's marketing--intentionally makes that corporate expertise a high-visibility part of her marketing message.

What Will Your Next Book Do for You and Your Brand?

What do you want your book to do for you and your expertise? Make you more visible to your target market? Be a lead generator to your ideal client? Help you stand out in a crowded market or create a new niche and dominate it right from the start? Whether you need to re-fresh your brand to make it more current and relevant or accommodate new growth and directions, your book cover is the place to start. Master your branding message on this one piece of marketing real estate, and you have everything you need to market with power and precision across all marketing platforms.

We Write Book Covers, and Create Bestselling Brands in the Process
Contact us if you are thinking about writing a book or if you are already in the manuscript or book cover process. We will answer your book cover questions about when to get started and more. And, we will create a bestselling cover for you that builds, refreshes, or expands a profitable brand for you and your business. We can also refer you to a book cover designer to handle the visual part of your brand.

Email us at info@WriteToYourMarket.com or call us 1-888-634-4120.

Susan Kendrick and Graham Van Dixhorn, Write To Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Professional Critique and Consultation Package

Year-End Special -- One Week Only

For you ... or a great gift for a colleague, friend, or client
(Click on the box to open.)

Happy Holidays!
What a busy time of year, so we'll keep this short and sweet.

Here's your special year-end package. We offer this super-low pricing
only twice a year, for one week only.

-- Order now and deduct it on your 2009 taxes
-- Use it any time in the next 12 months, whenever you're ready
-- Use it yourself or gift it to a colleague, friend, or client

ONE WEEK ONLY:
Offer expires December 29

Please click on the link below for details.
http://writetoyourmarket.com/YearEndHolidayOffer2009.html

What are you working on next?
Creating A Brand . Re-Branding Your Business . Book Cover .
Website . Call-To-Action . Media Materials . Speaker's Kit .
Business Name and Tagline . Social Media Outreach

Whether you're an emerging or established author, expert, speaker,
entrepreneur, this package can help you. Check it out.

Warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday with family and friends,
Susan Kendrick and Graham Van Dixhorn

No Book Cover Testimonials? No Problem

Create Powerful Book Marketing Copy-- Even When You Don't Have Big-Name Endorsements

Susan Kendrick
Susan@WriteToYourMarket.com


Click on image at left to see final front cover and back cover sales copy for this new book, released November 11, 2009.

A big concern for authors and experts is getting endorsements. You add credibility to your business, books, products, services, consulting, and speaking when you have recognizable names or organizations behind you.

"A testimonial from a well-known industry expert can be a powerful addition to your book's cover. However, for a first time author these can be difficult to land," says Steve Pavilanis, author of A Life Less Anxious. Steve did end up getting an endorsement from an author / expert in his field that he used on the front cover. The back cover, however, relies solely on solid marketing copy.

Getting testimonials, especially from big-name industry experts and authors, is a process that takes time for an author. Because many authors and experts are publishing books to meet specific goals and deadlines, they often don't have the time, even when they do start the process early. In that case, know that there are at least 10 essential marketing elements that you can use to build your back cover copy, and just one of these relies on having testimonials.

Steve's book is a great example of powerful back cover copywriting that does not rely on testimonials. It makes such a compelling case for the message in the book and the authority of the author that you don't even notice. What would actually be worse is adding a quote from a "nobody," someone that means nothing to your readers or other decision-makers. Those kinds of quotes can be dangerous in that they can actually detract from your credibility instead of add to it.

Use These Same Book Marketing Copy Tactics on Your Book Cover

Take a closer look at the back cover copy that my partner, Graham Van Dixhorn, wrote for this book. Analyze the headline, the opening positioning paragraph, the conversational style, the bullet points, the feeling of this book marketing copy being fresh yet authoritative, intelligent yet accessible. Even if you are not looking for the particular solutions that this book offers, you can see how it would appeal to someone eager to find answers from such a trustworthy resource.

Knowing that you have many choices for creating powerful sales copy is important, especially when you see so many books that use only testimonials as their back cover copy, to the exclusion of any other sales copy. If you'll notice, these are usually books by authors who are already well-known and widely read, and often the book is their second, third, fourth, and so on. You also see endorsements-only copy on fiction books, which is a format often used for that genre. Many of these books will have the story summary and author info on the book cover flaps.

You are different if, like so many authors and experts we work with, you are publishing a book to establish yourself as an expert in your field and you want your book to be a serious lead-generator back to you and your services. In that case, you need powerful back cover copy that does that job.

One other thought that may help is that if and when you do get the testimonials you want once your book has been released, you can add them as a high-visibility section of your website and to subsequent printings or editions of your book. You can also use those testimonials as a way to stay in touch with your list, the media, and others you want to keep updated on the success, newsworthiness, and credibility of you and your message.

If you have any questions about how to write your book cover copy or testimonials for approval, or if you have questions about how we can do that for you, please feel free to contact us at info@WriteToYourMarket.com.

To the success of you and your books,
Susan


Susan Kendrick, Write To Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1-888-634-4120.

Advice for New Authors--Do These Six Things Now

A Look at One Author's Successful
Book Launch and How She Did It

By Susan Kendrick
Susan@WriteToYourMarket.com

It’s always a pleasure to feature a new book from one of our book cover and marketing clients. We couldn't be happier to see Susan Berg launch her timely and important book, Choose on Purpose for Twentysomethings: Finding Work You Love, Places to Grow, People Who Care. If you have a special twentysomething in your life, consider Susan’s book as a gift for them. It’s that good.


Hit the Road Running!

As an author, take a look around Susan Berg’s Choose on Purpose™ website. It’s a good example of how you can have an all-in-one book and brand presence, actively promote your book and your services, and engage on many levels with your online visitors.

Even better, in this article you hear directly from Susan Berg about what she’s been doing to not only successfully market her book, but to use her new book to get speaking engagements, be invited as a featured guest on a national webcast, line up workshops, be a guest blogger, and more.

What’s Working for This New Author Can Work for You

After going back and forth with Susan Berg over the last few months about all the good things that are coming together for her, she and I compiled the following list of marketing musts that are working for her and can work for you, too. Check out what Susan Berg has to say about her book-marketing journey.

1. Submit Your Book for Review

… For attention from Library Journal, B&N, and others
“On the book front,” says Susan Berg, “some very good news. Both Barnes & Noble college and retail have approached me to sell the book in stores. We're very excited about this, as the book made it through those high walls all by itself. That’s the book cover copywriting and design at work. I also got a review from Library Journal. According to Dan Poynter, that can be good for sales of anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 books. I'll take it!”

… The American Marketing Association
“More good news,” says Susan Berg, “is that the American Marketing Association approached me in August to do a national webcast. There were more than 1,000 people signed up from companies and colleges all over the country! The AMA even purchased 25 books to promote the webcast. I believe this invitation came through someone at the AMA keeping up on professional book reviews, and she caught the Library Journal review of my book. So, submitting your book for reviews, while it can feel futile, can pay off.”

… Twitter group following, and more
“What's also important about this AMA webcast is that we got a Twitter group following from it as well as inquiries for follow-up materials and a request to be a guest blogger. Most of all, my daughter and Chief Outreach Partner, Kirsten Berg, and I got a chance to work together. That was wonderful.”

2. Make Public Appearances

“As for getting the word out about my message, public appearances of any sort are the ticket for me. And, whether it is speaking, workshops, or presentations, the book is my calling card.

The Media
“One outlet for connecting with the media has been HARO (Help A Reporter Out). For someone like me who doesn't want to invest in a paid newswire service while they’re still learning the ropes, it’s a way to see what kinds of stories and interviews people are looking for. I have gotten interviews through HARO, so again, that’s something that has been worth trying. The media kit (go to “Media Downloads” on this page) you and Graham developed for me has been invaluable in getting these interviews."

Speaking Engagements
“All the speaking engagements I am getting I have gone after myself. My media kit and of course my website have been a big help for showing who I am and what I can do. I work through my contacts to find people willing to talk to me, then I meet with them and propose a speaking engagement. Other new authors and speakers should know that it can be a lot of leg work, and you have to be patient. It usually takes weeks to get the appointment, then months to actually have a speaking engagement. For example, a friend who works at a liberal arts college introduced me to the director of the Career Center in July. In August she agreed to schedule me to speak. I will be conducting the workshop in early November."

More on the Power of Speaking for Authors:
For more information on the effect speaking can have on your book sales, see my last post, “The ‘Rules of Fives’ for Successful Book Marketing.” If you would like more information on how to create a speaker one sheet to promote yourself to meeting planners and speakers bureaus, contact us and we’ll walk you through the components of a typical speaker’s kit. As Susan Berg mentioned, above, the media kit we created for her (again, see “Media Downloads”) can double as a speaker's kit, at least in getting started.

3. Connect With Colleagues

“The other thing that is working for me,” says Susan Berg, “is ‘top of mind’ phone calls to colleagues with whom I have been out of touch. I don't ask for a thing. I call only with the intention to reconnect. But, what I'm finding is that my passion about the book somehow gets other people excited about getting involved. I've found, as a result, at least one opportunity for a workshop with an old colleague who will help me promote the book, as well as a new relationship with a non-profit with whom my advisory board can get involved. This helps us further promote our work. Just calling and talking to people who know you does wonders! Sometimes it generates opportunities, but it at least always results in a pick-me-up and validation for the work I'm doing. Some days, that’s enough.”

4. Get a Book Cover That Opens Doors

“As for the book cover, for me it is everything. The positive response I get to the front and back cover copywriting you created for me does its work everyday. The language is so simple; it reaches people on contact. My ability to turn that copywriting over and over into marketing sound bites and content I use on my website and elsewhere allows me to use my time more effectively. I’m not constantly re-inventing the wheel. You perfectly mirrored the book’s content with wording that is comfortable and compelling. That message, complimented by the cover graphic, is consistent with the reader’s experience throughout the book.”

Check out these links for more info on creating book titles and subtitles and for creating book back cover sales copywriting.

5. Build a Great Website

“How important is my website? CRITICAL!” says Susan Berg. “I point people to it for detailed information on me and my work. I especially have them look at the Media Room page for insight on my speaking approach. Nobody wants to look at hard copy anymore. It's all on the web. Having links to Amazon and B&N also makes me look credible. This is where the copywriting you created plays a big role. I re-use it or adapt it, so I’m not creating everything from scratch. And again, it ensures that the website mirrors the book content. You hit a home run aligning the marketing message on the book cover to the book and my work”

6. Get a Professional Media Kit

“Having a good media kit is really important. I have had several people tell me they were impressed with the thoroughness of the media kit (see media downloads) your partner, Graham, created for me. People who accepted my responses to HARO make this comment as well as publicity people. They are impressed, for example, that the kit already includes interview questions they can use. A media-friendly kit like this makes you look professional and like you know what you’re doing, even when you feel like the learning curve you are on is 100% vertical, and you're figuring things out as you go."

Whether you are in the planning stages for your book or coming down the home stretch, Susan Berg and her Choose on Purpose book, brand, book cover, website, media kit, and her experiences as a new author can help you see what you can do to successfully launch and promote your own book.

Questions?

If you have any questions about anything discussed in this article or how Graham and I can help you with your book cover, website, or media kit, do not hesitate to contact us. You can also call us at 1-888-634-4120.

To the Success of You and Your Books!
Susan

Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.writetoyourmarket.com/. 1-888-634-4120.