Pose for the paparazzi. Autograph your books.
Write like a dream, promote like a rock star.
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Friday, October 1, 2010

TGI marketing Friday

I subscribe to quite a few mailing lists, but the one email I always open is from John Kremer, marketing guru to litpreneurs. Why would The Celebrity Editor fool around with marketing, you may ask?

To paraphrase Ecclesiastes 10:19, marketing answereth all things. A writing purist, I learned this wisdom the hard way. Now whenever a client approaches me with a new book idea I immediately ask, "What's your marketing plan? What's your distribution plan?" How will you ever become a writing superstar if your books don't sell? I know it sounds mercenary, but for me, writing well and getting paid go hand in hand.

Here are some interesting Kindle stats John sent out today:

  • 44% of Kindle owners make more than $80,000 a year (Nielson).
  • 83% of their parents would allow or encourage their children to read books on an e-reader (New York Times).
  • 27% of Kindle owners have Master's degrees or doctorates (Nielson).
  • For every 100 hardcover books Amazon is selling, it sells 143 Kindle ebooks (Jeff Bezos).
  • Some publishers are now considering including advertising in their ebooks (Wall Street Journal).

It's this kind of information that keeps you current with new digital formats and can increase revenues. I love a book that I can hold in my hands, but I'm no fool. I see which way the wind is blowing.

In fact, I'm getting a Kindle specifically for travelling. I've been known to pack more books than clothes when going on a trip. With airlines charging more and more for luggage poundage, that can get pretty expensive. But with Kindle, I can pack as many books as I want and read to my heart's content. 

BTW, if you haven't already, subscribe free to John Kremer's Book Marketing Tip of the Week.

Donna Marie

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