Book Editing: 5 Writing Tips for Authors

Book Editing: 5 Writing Tips for Authors

By Susan Kendrick

Barbara McNichol - Book Editor

Whether you are writing a brilliant message inside your book, or packaging your book to sell on the cover, the same basic writing principles apply. Be clear and vivid. Talk to your readers, not at them. Be conversational yet concise. And, above all--use good grammar to make it all work.

In my last post I showed how a recent client of ours worked with us and the rest of his team to create his book cover. Now meet another member of your book-publishing team, your book editor. For both long and short copy--inside your book and out—flow, organization, and grammar combine to make your message shine and give you maximum credibility as an expert in your field.
Check out Barbara McNichol's five guidelines below to instantly improve the way you write the inside of your book by thinking like an editor.

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Authors: How Can You Think Like an Editor?
By Guest Blogger -- Barbara McNichol

As an author, you take your observations and experiences, draw insightful conclusions, and translate them into messages on paper (or computer screens). You don your writer’s hat to express your messages in the written word.

But don’t stop there. You then need to put on your editor’s glasses and focus on fine-tuning those words to make sure they communicate with your intended audience. That requires you to read your piece as if you have never seen it before and think like an editor.

A skilled editor examines every phrase and asks:

·       Is it necessary?

·       Is it clear?

·       Is it concise?

When you review your own writing, you likely won’t answer “yes” to all these questions. So take off your writer’s hat and look through your editor’s glasses. Then make changes based on these five common writing problems.

1. Use the active voice. (WHO does WHAT to WHOM.)

Passive: It was decided that everyone would take the class.
Active: The principal decided everyone would take the class.

2. Make subjects and verbs agree. (No mixing singular and plural.)

Incorrect: A group of writers were in town. ("Group" is singular while "were" is plural.)
Correct: A group of writers was in town. ("Group" is the subject here, not "writers.")

3. Use parallel construction. (Give your writing rhythm.)

Weak: We’ve learned to read, write, and we’re making sure information is shared.
Stronger: We’ve learned to read, write, and share information.

4. Make the subject obvious. (Don’t let your participles dangle!)

Yucky: Driving down the highway, the new stadium came into view. (Who was driving down the highway? The stadium?)
Better: We could see the progress on the new stadium as we drove by it on the highway.
5. Use specific, vivid verbs and nouns. (And don’t overuse adverbs and adjectives.)

Dull: I saw some really pretty yellow daffodils.
Interesting: I reveled in a riot of daffodils.

When you wear your editor’s glasses, make sure every word counts. What are your favorite writing/editing tips that will enhance someone’s writing? Please share them on this blog.

  

Barbara McNichol is passionately committed to helping authors achieve accuracy and artistry, clarity and creativity through the written word. She delivers expert editing that puts your book on the pedestal it deserves. Since founding Barbara McNichol Editorial in 1994, Barbara has worked with 200+ amazing authors. She says, “Enjoy the credibility authorship brings you with a well-edited book you can market with pride.”

To further support authors, Barbara has created a word choice guide called Word Trippers (www.wordtrippers.com) and produces Add Power to Your Pen, a valuable ezine for improving your writing. Contact: www.BarbaraMcNichol.com, email editor@barbaramcnichol.com or visit her blog www.nonfictionbookeditor.com.

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.

Where to Use Your Book Cover to Market Your Book

10 Places You May Not Have Considered

Susan Kendrick
www.WriteToYourMarket.com


I had an interesting conversation today with a self publishing author whose back cover copy we just finalized. This author has good marketing sense, a great book, his gorgeous new front cover, and an innovative way of looking at things. So, we were both surprised when I suggested that he use his front cover on one side of his new business card for his medical practice, and he said he had never thought of that. He said this was the solution to the question that's been running through his mind--how to mention his book on his card.



But why just mention your book when you can show it?

This was just his particular blind spot, But, we all have them, so I thought it would be a good idea to create a list of the places you can use your book's front cover to get as much visibility for your book, your brand, and your credibility as a published (or soon-to-be-published) author as possible.

Now that this author has his completed front cover (title, subtitle, tagline, and design) and his back cover copy in hand, he can start promoting and building buzz for this book while he's completing it. One of the first things he's going to do is use his new front cover and back cover copy to approach the people from whom he most wants to get endorsements. We can then add these endorsement to the back cover (where we have left room) before his book and cover go through final production and printing.

As he gets the rest of his book publishing and book marketing efforts going, here are the places he can use his book cover to get the most visibility on a daily basis. Whether you have a new book on the way or have already published a book, consider using these ideas, too.

10 Places to Use Your Book Front Cover:

_ Signature on your emails
_ Your business card and letterhead
_ Each page of your website
_ Your blog
_ Your comments on other blogs
_ With articles you submit to online newsletters
_ In the package you send out to get testimonials
_ Each page of your book's media kit
_ Your speaker one sheet

_ ANY place in your social networking profiles where you are currently using your own photo
Happy Book Publishing!
Susan

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

How to Get BIG Name Testimonials

One Author's Story

By Susan Kendrick

One of the questions we get asked most often about book covers, websites, speaker materials, media materials, and other marketing vehicles, is "How do I get testimonials?"

My last post, Want Killer Testimonials? Write Them Yourself, presented some basic background and how-to's on how to write those testimonials for your quote sources to review and approve. What I want to do now is show you a good example of an author we worked with who learned to be very self-sufficient about getting big-name experts and bestselling authors to endorse her book. Part of that process involved, you guessed it, helping to craft those testimonials herself.

She Got 20 Big-Name Quotes -- from Brian Tracy, John Assaraf, Debbie Allen, and more!

Laura Cardone, founder of Profits With Purpose, Inc., is the author of Motivation at Work: Transform Your Business in Six Extraordinary Steps. As you can see on her Book Back Cover, she ended up creating that copy almost exclusively from those big-name endorsements, which she got all on her own. She originally started out with more sales copy. But, when those endorsements came pouring in, she saw an opportunity to give her book tremendous credibility and used those quotes instead. She even quoted herself from her book, putting her in good company with these other bestselling authors. And, if you think Laura's back cover endorsements are impressive, check out Laura's Book Front Cover and the endorsement from Brian Tracy.

Now, take a look at how Laura uses those quotes on various pages of her website, from her home page to her tools and services page. In fact, another reason I chose Laura as an example is because of her topic. She may be of interest to you if you are a busy entrepreneur (who isn't?) who wants to "add more zeros to your bottom-line AND more time for yourself."

Two Things You Can Learn From This Book Cover ... and This Author

(1.) As I pointed out in writing testimonials, work with your quote sources to make the process as easy, stress-free, and as positive an experience as possible. And, don't just think of the endorsement process as you asking someone for something. Think of what you can do for someone by giving them visibility on your book cover, website, etc., with a well-written testimonial that makes them look good, too. As in all parts of marketing, you are creating partners. Follow Laura Cardone's example. She didn't just go asking for quotes, she created mutually beneficial relationships.

NOTE: Laura says she created additional value for both her readers and her quote sources by including information about her sources' unique gifts and talents inside the book as well. "When we pass along referrals for products and services we believe in, we feed the web of life," says Laura. "We share helpful information and everybody wins!"

(2.) You, too, can become self-sufficient in your marketing when it comes to getting big-name testimonials. Being able to put a quote from Brian Tracy on the front cover of your book is proof of that. What Laura did is follow some basic advice and then take it from there. Here's what she says about that process. I have to admit that this is a plug for our double-CD set, but if getting killer testimonials like Laura's sounds good to you, you should know how she did it:

"This program helped me attract powerful testimonials from more than twenty bestselling authors and business leaders, including Brian Tracy. The tools and templates eliminated unnecessary bottlenecks, costly mistakes, and revisions. Thank you for sharing your expertise!”

To do what Laura did, check out Bestselling Book Cover.

Too Late to Add Testimonials to Your Book Cover?

Fine! Add them to your website, your speaker materials, your media materials, every piece of marketing where you want to boost your credibility as a highly regarded expert on your topic. When you start the testimonial process early, you can usually get the ones you want for your book cover. But you will continue to get endorsements after your book is published, so use them throughout your marketing, and on your book cover when it's time to reprint.

Still to come ... details on how to avoid the most common copywriting mistakes when writing testimonials for source approval.

Happy Publishing!
Susan

© Copyright 2008, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.WriteToYourMarket.com/ 1-715-634-4120.

5 Reasons to Write Your Back Cover Copy While You're Still Writing Your Book--part 5

#5. Turn your Book Cover into a Speaker One Sheet

By Susan Kendrick

Here it is, the fifth and final post in our 5-part series. Enjoy!

Books and speaking have always helped each other: Being an author improves your ability to get speaking engagements, and speaking increases your ability to sell and pre-sell your books. Here's how to take that relationship one step further and use your book cover copy and design to create your speaker one sheet.

Start with your Book Title and Subtitle
If you are currently a speaker or want to start speaking on the same topic as your book, you can use your book’s title and subtitle as the topic title and subtitle for your one sheet. Doing so helps you build a consistent brand for your message and your expertise—as both as an author and speaker.

If you will be speaking to a more tightly targeted group or situation, you can add that identifier to the title. You can even create a series of presentations targeted to different audience needs or circumstances. For example, a book titled “Top 10 Leadership Secrets” can become more tightly niched speaking topics:

- “Top 10 Leadership Secrets--for a Down Economy”
- “Top 10 Leadership Secrets--for IT Managers”
- “Top 10 Leadership Secrets--for Keeping Your Most Talented Employees”
- Etc.

Now, Borrow Your Book’s Back Cover Copy
For non-fiction books, the copy components you should have on your back cover are similar to those that belong on your speaker one sheet. One thing to keep in mind is that your back cover copy is usually written as a one-on-one conversation with your potential reader. Your one sheet copy, on the other hand, is directed to meeting planners and other decision-makers that will hire you based on what you can do for their audiences and how that will ultimately help those companies and organizations.

See how the following copy elements from your back cover translate onto your one sheet:

- A headline that immediately speaks to some hot-spot need, dilemma, question, statistic, or desire for improvement
- Stand-out-from-the-crowd positioning copy that shows why you and your message are the solution your potential clients are looking for
- Powerhouse bullet points that tell what the audience will take away from your presentation
- Killer endorsements. If you are just starting out and don’t yet have endorsements specifically about your speaking, you can usually get permission from your sources to tweak their book quotes so that they speak not just to your book, but to your overall expertise on your topic
- A high-profile bio that reinforces your credibility, expert status, and related services

To complete your one sheet, now add these elements to your copy:

- “Short List” of High–Profile Clients
Like testimonials, this list speaks to your credibility by showing who else has already made use of your expertise and services. Again, if you are just getting started in speaking, this list can represent companies and organizations for whom you have provided consulting or training. Many new speakers will even offer to speak at well-known, big-name organizations or companies for free to be able to include them on their list of clients and to fine-tune their presentation delivery.

- Media Appearances (Not necessary if none are available yet)
Keeping your target audience in mind, list where you have been featured in major media outlets—radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, industry publications, and websites.

- Additional Topics List
This is a list of the topic titles of other presentations you deliver as either keynotes or seminars. It demonstrates the range of your expertise and your ability to deliver on a variety of related and sought-after topics. It is a great way to generate repeat bookings right from the start.

- “Educational Materials” List
This is the place to list your book and one or two other relevant products, workbooks, etc. Most companies and organizations have an “Educational Materials Budget” that may be used to order books, etc. for their audience participants.

Graphics—Look to Your Book
Again, borrow from your book cover to create the layout and design for your one sheet. This will give you a cohesive "visual brand" across all your marketing materials. Your speaker one sheet can be designed with the same color, fonts, and overall look of your book cover. You should also have a photo of you on each side of your one sheet. And, include the name and contact information of the speaker’s bureau that is promoting you, or your own name and contact information if you are promoting yourself to meeting planners.

The point is, you don’t have to wait for your book to arrive from the printer before you can start benefiting from the credibility and expert status that book gives you. You are already an expert; your book is just the culmination of that expertise. Get out there and enjoy the rewards of your hard-won knowledge and wisdom, even if you are still working on your book. And, let your book cover work as hard as you do to make that happen.

For more help on how to create your speaker one sheet or your complete speaker’s kit, email us at info@WriteToYourMarket.com or call us at 1-888-634-4120.

Happy Publishing … and Speaking!
Susan

© Copyright 2008, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.WriteToYourMarket.com/ 1-715-634-4120.

Book Cover Coaching: 5 Reasons to Write Your Back Cover Copy While You're Still Writing Your Book--part 3

#3. Get Those High-End Endorsements You’ve Been Fantasizing About!

By Susan Kendrick

Having your back cover copy in hand--at least a solid, working version of it--is a great way to get endorsements for your book while you're still working on it. You can then add the endorsements you get to your back (or front) cover before you finalize it and the book goes to press. Starting this endorsement process while you’re still working on your manuscript is important because getting endorsements can take time—time to decide who to approach, time to build enough of a relationship to get in the door, time for the endorser to respond, time to accommodate his or her travel and work schedule, etc.

Why Timing Makes the Difference for a Successful Book Cover
Starting the endorsement process while you're still working on your manuscript lets you to complete this task in time to use those endorsements on your book cover. Many authors start the endorsement-getting process too late and miss the opportunity to include pending endorsements on their cover. This usually happens when there is another deadline in place, like needing to finalize and print your book for a big speaking engagement or marketing event. This time-crunch also happens when the author is trying to meet an arbitrary, self-imposed publication deadline he or she feels compelled to meet, even when extending that date to include some really great endorsements would be worth the wait. This timing is a balancing act between getting the elements you need in place for your cover and getting your book to press and to market. Starting the endorsement process early helps you achieve the best of both worlds.

Worth the Wait?
Yes, remember that endorsements--from experts in your field, bestselling authors, satisfied clients or customers, celebrities, or other “household names” recognizable to your target audience--are critical for establishing your credibility and are perhaps the most powerful selling feature on your book cover. Endorsements are one of the first things both readers and buyers look for on your book cover—who is saying what about you and your book. For “The 3 P’s” of getting and choosing endorsements for your cover, check out this Book Cover Coaching article.

But wait, how can you ask for endorsements when your manuscript isn’t even finished? Don’t you need your manuscript to show those people you want to endorse your book? Yes, but you can provide them with either a completed manuscript, or in many cases, just your Introduction and several key chapters to give them a feel for your message and your level of expertise. Send these chapters along with your front cover and your working back cover copy.

Your back cover copy does three things to help you get the endorsements you want:
-- It tells potential endorsers what the book is about and the importance of that message to people they care about as well
-- Like your front cover, it shows that this book is “real,” with a well-developed intent and marketing message
-- It allows each potential endorser to see the rest of the back cover on which his or her comments and name will appear

This last point is especially important for gaining the trust of potential endorsers in you, your message, and how you will professionally showcase them on your book cover. If you have already secured other endorsements, all the better, because new endorsers will be able to see who they will be appearing with on the back cover of your book and therefore on your website and other marketing outlets. Done right, your back cover copy goes a long way toward showing potential endorsers the benefit to them of appearing on your book. It’s a good way to start what should be a mutually beneficial relationship.

For more information on the benefits of starting your book cover as early as possible, and for step-by-step how-to's for using the book cover secrets of today's bestsellers, please visit http://www.BestsellingBookCover.com

Happy Publishing!
Susan

© Copyright 2008, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.writetoyourmarket.com/ 715-634-4120.

Book Cover Coaching: When Should You Start Your Book Cover

When Should You Start Your Book Cover?
Or, Why Your Book is Like an iPhone


By Susan Kendrick

Which comes first, the book or the book cover? This seems like a simple chronological question. You write a book and then you cover it, right?

But to really answer this question, first think about your book cover as the packaging for this great, new product. Just like you saw and heard about the iPhone, for example, long before you could get one, you can use your book cover to create a demand for your book before it ever hits the streets. The good news is, your job is even easier--you don't have to appeal to the world, just your target market.

Your book cover is where you describe and show your book to your target market in such mouth-watering detail that they can't wait to get their hands on it. It is the beginning of all your branding and marketing efforts. Start your book cover as soon as possible, today, to give your book "the iPhone advantage."


Start your book cover while you're writing your book ...
or as soon as you get an idea for a book!

We end up working with a lot more authors and experts these days who are ready to start their book covers during the book writing process. They already know the advantages; they come to us to help make it happen. Credit for so many educated authors should be given, in part, to Dan Poynter, creator of the bestselling book The Self Publishing Manual for being an advocate of this get-started-early approach to book covers.

An Important Note:
Please be aware that you can create your book cover while you are writing your manuscript, but you don't have to finalize your cover until your manuscript is complete and it is time to go to print. This lets you use your cover to market and accept pre-orders for your book and to get support and endorsements. But, it also gives you the flexibility to make final adjustments to the cover--like adding a great endorsement--before your book goes to print.

What To Do in What Order

1.) Book Title and Subtitle
As soon as you confirm your title and subtitle, you can mention and promote your "forthcoming" book on your website, blog, in speaking engagements, articles, interviews, newsletters, ads, and more. This is also the time to establish your book series name and brand if you will be writing more than one book.

2.) Book Cover Design
Enlist the help of a good book cover designer to create your cover design as soon as you have confirmed your title and subtitle. With your front cover design in place, you can not only mention the title and subtitle, you can show people your new book. Post your fully designed front cover on your website, your blog, speaker One Sheet, even on amazon and other online booksellers. On amazon, look around at the books that say, "Pre-order this item today." Those are books that typically exist only as a front covers and are not yet completed and/or printed. On your own website, offer incentive for pre-ordering your "forthcoming" book.

What's so important about having the completed front cover--writing and design? It makes your book real and therefore credible, especially in the eyes of those you would like to align with as potential partners and affiliates, as well as those you want to approach for endorsements.

3.) Book Back Cover Copy
Your back cover is that all-important "elevator speech" for your book--the pitch to your readers and marketing partners. Note: Have your book cover designer start working on the front cover design as soon as you finalize your title and subtitle. It's a great feeling to be working on your back cover copy, knowing that your cover designer is busy developing book cover design concepts for you.

The sooner you create your book's back cover positioning and sales copy, the sooner you can start marketing and pre-selling your book. Having that back cover copy in front you also makes it easier to write your book. It gives focus to your manuscript writing process. You told readers what the book will do for them on the back cover. Now you can build your book to deliver on that promise.

It's Just Good Marketing

Starting your brand development and packaging while you're still writing your book, or even as soon as you get an idea for a book--or any product--is simply good marketing. What better way to release your new book than to have people waiting for it!

To get your book cover off to the right start--Title, Subtitle, Series Name, Cover Design--purchase a copy of Cover That Book: Insider Secrets to Writing and Designing a Bestselling Book Cover, with an Introduction by Dan Poynter. Go to Book Cover Quick Start to order this double-CD set and free 20-minute coaching session with either me or Graham.

NEXT: In my next post, you'll get five reasons to create your book's back cover copy while you're writing your book. For now, get a copy of our free report, "From Back Cover to Best Seller" to see what to put on your back cover and why.

Happy Publishing!
Susan

© Copyright 2008, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc.All Rights Reserved. http://www.writetoyourmarket.com/ 715-634-4120

Book Cover Coaching: 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.

NOTE: The two book covers posted with this article are from independent publisher Victor Loos, Founder and President of Bayou Publishing , in Houston, Texas. I worked with Victor to develop the titles, subtitles, and back cover positioning and sales copy for both of these books.

Interestingly, all or most of Bayou Publishing's books fall into this category of having to appeal to the reader and those that work with the reader. The Guys-Only Guide to: Getting Over Divorce and on with Live, Sex, and Relationships will be released soon. Start Talking: A Girls Guide for You and Your Mom about Health, Sex, or Whatever was just released. Great job as always, Victor!

Back to your cover:

First we'll look at readers. Readers are your traditional target market, the people you think about when writing and designing your book cover. You ask yourself all the right questions to come up with a compelling title, subtitle, and back cover sales copy that will create an irresistible pull on them, make them know that your book was written with them in mind, that it's the solution they are looking for.

OK, done. No problem.

Now, let's look at your hidden target market--your buyers. Buyers? Yes, because buyers and readers aren't always the same person. Consider, for example, a book written for teens about health and sex, like Start Talking. Given that teens have some interest in this topic, they still are not typically the ones who are going to see the need for this kind of book, search it out, and pay money for it. Their funds are destined for iTunes, movies, and shopping. It's their parents, and most likely their mothers, who will see that they need a reliable resource on health and sexuality.

So, the parent buys the book for the teen, who will then hopefully read the book. Now stop and think about the dilemma this causes for the cover. A book cover that appeals to a parent may not necessarily appeal to a teen, and a cover that really speaks to a teen may not feel like a trusted resource to the parent. The biggest challenge in writing your book cover to both the reader and the buyer is that you have to do so without alienating or patronizing the reader.

Give your readers and buyers good reasons to trust you

It's the same with the Guys-Only Guide book posted here. This book reaches out to guys who are or have gone through divorce and are pulling the personal parts of their lives back together. The book cover has to appeal to them so that they see its relevance to them and will read it. It also has to appeal to the co-authors' peers and associates, other counselors and therapists the authors want to partner with to buy and recommend the book to their male clients going through divorce. In both of the book examples in this article--the credibility factor for the buyer is huge.

For the book reader, there has to be a clear message of solidarity--that this book is for them and not just something someone else wants them to read. In the cases of the two books here, both straight-talking, tell-it-all Q&A formats, the reader gets everything the cover promises them.

The Thirsty-Horse Syndrome

You know the saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink? It's the same with a book. It can be pure, thirst-quenching information and advice, but unless readers see that for themselves on the cover, they won't read it. You want your cover to create an irresistible thirst for what's inside while you're getting the buyer on board, too.

Book Cover Quick-Start

Get expert advice from four leading experts on how to confidently navigate the book cover process--writing and design. Save 15% instantly, plus get a free 20-minute coaching session. Click here for details.

Common Reader / Buyer Combos

Here are a few, common examples where the reader and the buyer are not always the same person. We've worked with books that represent these combos and more. Feel free to post your comments about the reader / buyer combos you've encountered.

Teen ... Parent
Husband ... Wife
Employee ... Business Owner
Health-Conscious Consumer ... Health and Wellness Practitioner
People in Change or Crisis ... Therapists and Counselors

THE BIG PAY-OFF

Always explore your buyer opportunities before you start your cover. In discovering hidden buyers for your book early on, and appealing to them in even small ways on your cover, you open the door to approaching them as referring partners who can help you publicize and sell your book.

Ask yourself these two questions

"Who else works with this reading audience?" and "Who else would like to reach this reading audience?" The answers to those questions will help you create a cover you can use to make it easy for those people to partner with you in ways that are highly beneficial and lucrative to you both.

NEXT: How to effectively use your cover to speak to multiple audiences!

© Copyright 2008, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.writetoyourmarket.com/ 715-634-4120

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
715-634-4120

Book Cover Coaching: Price Your Book to Sell

How to Price Your Book:
Use These 3 Factors to Help You Decide

By Susan Kendrick

Pricing is one of the most important decisions you will make for your book, and one of the final decisions in the book cover process. You can determine the price based on three factors: competition, page count, and printing cost. Think of these as the three C's. Ideally, all three of these factors work together to help you arrive at a price that's best for your book.

Pricing is just one component of your book's back cover. For a complete 10-Step guide to creating your entire back cover "elevator speech" for your book, please download a complimentary copy of our easy-to-use 17-page report, "From Back Cover to Bestseller."

Competition
If your book will be shoulder to shoulder with other books on Amazon, in bookstores, catalogues, book clubs, etc., one way to decide on price is to do some comparison shopping. What is the price range for other books on your topic, for a similar audience, and of similar length? Determine the low and high end of that range, and then either price your book comfortably in the middle or slightly higher.

Price and perception of quality are closely linked, so if you charge too little, you risk undermining your book's credibility. In other words, if your book is one of the cheapest on your topic, it may be assumed that your book doesn't have as much to offer as other, competing titles. On the other hand, if you price your book at the highest end of the price range, depending on your target audience, you risk losing buyers who may not be ready to spend that much. Of course, some authors and publishers will intentionally price their books high to enhance the perception of value and exclusivity of certain titles. Knowing your competition and the buying habits of your target audience will help you find your best price fit for your market.

Page Count
The following calculations come from the website of Morgan James Publishing, whose author-friendly Entrepreneurial Publishing™ model is a great resource for self-publishing authors looking for the book marketing perks of working with a publisher. Here is the MJ breakdown of how to calculate the price of your book based on both manuscript word count and page count. They note that the price is determined in part by competing titles, and that you can increase or decrease the price of your book for competitive reasons.

Manuscript . . . . Page Count . . . . Recommended
Word Count . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Price Range
20,000 (or less) . . . . . 75 (or less) . . . . . . $ 8.95 - $10.95
40,000 . . . . . . . . . . . 120 . . . . . . . . . . . . $10.95 - $13.95
60,000 . . . . . . . . . . . 180 . . . . . . . . . . . . $13.95 - $16.95
80,000 . . . . . . . . . . . 240 . . . . . . . . . . . . $15.95 - $19.95
100,000 . . . . . . . . . . 300 . . . . . . . . . . . . $17.95 - $21.95
120,000 . . . . . . . . . . 360 . . . . . . . . . . . . $20.95 - $23.95
140,000 . . . . . . . . . . 420 . . . . . . . . . . . . $22.95 - $26.95
160,000 . . . . . . . . . . 580 . . . . . . . . . . . . $25.95 - $29.95
180,000 . . . . . . . . . . 540 . . . . . . . . . . . . $27.95 - $31.95
200,000 . . . . . . . . . . 600 . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95

Printing Cost
The following section on estimated printing costs is from Dan Poynter's website:

But what does it cost to publish? Let's compare prices for traditional ink-press printing, PQN (Print Quantity Needed) and POD (Print-On-Demand, one book at a time such as DocuTech). We will compare a softcover (perfect bound) 144 page 5.5 x 8.5 book with black text and a four-color cover. Press (ink on paper): $1.55 each but you have to print at least 3,000 to get a price this low. So, your print bill will be $4,650. See below. Digital printer (short run): 500 copies for $2.80 each or a print bill of $1,400, or 100 copies for $5.17 each and a print bill of $517. POD (single copies): May run $6 to $10 and are often bundled with other services. Print-On-Demand is a good option when a book has run its course, your inventory is exhausted and you still receive orders for a couple of copies a month. Rather than invest in inventory, you can have books made one-at-a-time as needed.

Dan notes that for hardcover books, printing traditional hard or "case" binding runs about $1.00 extra per book.

Like so much else about your book cover, pricing is also about positioning and perception of quality. And, as you can see above, book pricing also needs to take into account production costs and other profit-loss calculations. Use the three pricing factors above to confidently decide what's right for you and your book.

Do you have questions about the book cover for your book?
Please give us a call at 715-634-4120 or email info@WriteToYourMarket.com

© Copyright 2007, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Book Cover Coaching: Book Titles--Use Four-Letter Words

Book Title Strategy No. 4
Use Four-Letter Words (OK, Five)

By Susan Kendrick

Just as one word titles have great visual impact (Book Title Strategy No. 2), so do a few short four- or five-letter words. They possess that same authority and presence. They are the "Strong, Silent Type" of the book title world--all marketing muscle and no flab. They mean business. They make you look. They command attention and respect. You can't help but take in
these titles in at a glance and immediately want to
know more.

These titles also look good at any size

Because of the dimensions of a typical 6" x 9" book cover, short words can be used to create a vertically stacked title that works well with those cover dimensions. Even as an online "thumbnail" graphic, which is how most covers appear on websites, blogs, and Amazon, this short stack holds its power at any size to create a billboard look for your book.

Sold? Here are some examples.


To show you the visual "pop" of these short-word book titles--and maybe more importantly, to see what a major New York book PR firm looks for in the titles it promotes --take a look at the following Bestsellers on Rick Frishman's Planned Television Arts website.

Nonfiction:

__ New Ideas From Dead CEOs

__ 3-Hour Diet

__ The Birth Order Book
__ The Last Link

Fiction:
__ The Rule of Four
__ Evil Inc.

__ Big Bad Wolf

Will your book cover pass the PR test?

In a recent email exchange with Rick, here was his comment that came up about the importance of your cover: "The way your book is packaged tells us a lot about you and your message. Bring us something we can sell. Give us a book cover that can help make that happen!"

Rick, president of Planned Television Arts, is also
executive vice president at Ruder Finn, and executive
publisher of Mega Book Publishing--a division of Morgan
James Publishing. Take a look at these website links to see how the marketability of your great content, starts with a great cover, AND how the title and subtitle is the foundation of that cover.

Now, imagine what could have happened to these titles

We often use and teach others to use a fill-in-the-blank exercise (several of these phrases together actually make up another one of our title strategies). One of these phrases, to get you to summarize your basic
message and think in sound bites, is:

This book is the ultimate guide to ______________________

Let's use New Ideas from Dead CEOs for this exercise as an example of how to go from a title of long words to short words. Imagine that this title started out like this:

Take 1 -- This book is the ultimate guide to ...
"Business Principles from the Corporate Legends Who Developed Them "

OK, that sums it up. But, keeping in mind that we want to find short words to say the same thing, so far we only have "from." The next round could go something like this:

Take 2 -- This book is the ultimate guide to ...
"Business Ideas from Legendary CEOs"

OK, so now we have substituted "ideas" for "principles" and "CEOs" for "Corporate." Notice how the process of tightening the message into shorter words is helped by being more specific each time as well. "Corporate" becomes "CEOs" specifically. And, if it already says "CEOs," does it really need to say "business"?

Todd Buchholz is known for his edgy take on things. So to bring his personality into the mix as well, let's move right to the edge with these words, too:

Take 3 -- this book is the ultimate guide to ...
"Ideas from Dead CEOs"

Almost there. What would really give this title some pop, make it stand out as the fresh new business book it is, and give it one final irresistible twist? Here it is--the paradox of "new" ideas from "dead" guys, getting the point across that these time-tested principles are still as relevant as ever:

Take 4 -- This book is the ultimate guide to ...
New Ideas from Dead CEOs

Now, stack each word on top of the other and see the final impact. The dark humor of the cover graphic completes the look ,without competing with the sheer word power of the title itself.

The Four-Letter-Word title strategy is one of many, and most stand-out titles represent a combination of these strategies--we use and teach at least 23. Now, look at that Bestsellers page again. There are examples of at least four other other kinds of title strategies. We'll cover these in coming articles. Now, Click Here to see what else Rick, Dan Poynter, John Kremer, Tom Antion, and seven authors have to say about the book marketing power of your book cover.

And, remember to check back here for more book title strategies over the next few weeks.

Questions? Please give us a call at 715-634-4120 or email info@WriteToYourMarket.com

© Copyright 2007, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.writetoyourmarket.com
715-634-4120

Book Cover Coaching: Writing Books With Blogs

Google News Alert for:
Book Titles and Subtitles

By Susan Kendrick

Google News Alerts are a regular feature on this blog. Subscribe now (see form on left) to get these News Alerts and the commentary you will find only at "Book Cover Coaching."

PR.com -- Seattle, WA, October 21, 2007
Tom Masters, Orion Wellspring, Inc.

“Blooks” Are in Bloom: Author Helps Writers Go from Blog to Book
"Authors are discovering that blogging offers them a new way to create their work, build a readership, and land a book deal."

What this Google News Alert means for you
The reason that this PR.com article came up as a Google News Alert under "Book Titles and Subtitles," is because of this quote in the article:

" . . . blogs share many structural similarities with books: title, subtitle, table of contents (categories) and topic-focused content (posts)."

The article shows that a blog is a "parallel universe" for your book--a place to write, expand, research, try out ideas, and create a valuable body of work. And, with a blog you are doing all that for actual readers, people who read your blog. Writing to your target audience becomes a real thing, not just an exercise in visualization. Also, in line with our advice here at "Book Cover Coaching," the article shows that working out your title and subtitle is as much a part of the development process for your book as creating the content itself. And, of course, to that we would add that developing your back cover sales copy is also part of that process.

Which came first, the cover or the book?
The answer should be "Both." Your title, subtitle, and back cover sales copy are all things you can be working on before you write your book and certainly at the same time you are developing your book content. This does two things:

(1.) The outside influences the inside, and vice versa. Your book cover is a great place to focus your goals for your book, what it will offer your readers, and how it will stand out in its market. For example, if you envision telling your readers on the cover of your book that you have 9 ways to help them solve a problem or achieve something really amazing in their lives, you can structure the book into those nine chapters, or make that a central chapter in the book. The same goes for including helpful checklists, website addresses, exercises, interviews with other experts on your topic, etc. How you want to position the book informs how you write the book, and how you write the book determines what you can say about it on the cover to get people to buy it.

(2.) Developing your cover as your write your book enables you to have your front cover and your back cover sales copy ready to go before your book is released. And, this lets you promote and sell your book before it's released! Why wait to start getting paid for your expertise as an author? To see examples of authors who are doing this--on their websites and on Amazon--go to: http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=664602.

How to start a blog
If you haven't already, I hope you will start a blog to make writing your book (and developing your book cover title, subtitle, and back cover sales copy) easier and more rewarding right from the start. Here are three good blogging options to consider:

http://www.blogger.com/

http://www.typepad.com/

http://www.wordpress.com/

See this Google News Alert on Book Titles and Subtitles in its entirety at:
http://www.pr.com/press-release/57032

Questions? Please give us a at 715-634-4120 or email info@WriteToYourMarket.com

© Copyright 2007, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc.
http://www.writetoyourmarket.com
715-634-4120