Self Publishing a book

Welcome to the latest edition of the Ink Tree Report. We have recently revised the newsletter and changed the format just to keep things fresh. So, you'll find new sections and new information in this edition and in those to follow.

We are also in the process of updating and revising our Self Publishing and Book Marketing Packages on our website, so be sure to keep checking back.

At Ink Tree we are constantly asked this question: “Will you market my book for me?”. The most common reasons for the request are that self publishers don't feel they have the time to take on the marketing task, or they simply don't know how.

Our most common reply to this query is, “Who knows your book better than you do?” .You are the best person to approach volume buyers, corporations and book clubs because you are the ideal person to explain the benefits of your book. The benefits are what you are actually selling, not the book itself. Buyers always want to know the answer to this question, “What’s in it for me?”. Who is best qualified to answer that question? You are, of course. Also, you are the person who knows the “story behind the story” of how your book came to be. You are the best person to respond to questions about what qualifies you to write about the subject matter of your book. Those are the reasons that we published the Kits on our website (www.inktreemarketing.com). We at Ink Tree want you to have the tools, the contacts and the confidence to manage your own marketing and publicity campaigns. The most attractive and unique feature of our information kits is the FREE consulting time that we provide by email.

Our other response to “Will you market my book for me?” is to ask you how many books you want to sell in order to pay for someone else to market your book? If you have to pay thousands of dollars to buy the time of a marketing expert or a publicity person, you must be clear about the number of book sales that are required to pay for the service. You may never have a profitable publishing venture if all of your profits go into paying other people. Once you have achieved success with your first book, you can then think about hiring marketing professionals. Until then, your best option is to manage your own sales and publicity campaigns. Gain experience and expertise before you give away all of your profits, and you will be qualified to assess the efforts of the professionals you hire in the future. A small investment in education now will pay huge dividends in the long term. After all, your goal is to sell many books to make money, which is the reason you started a publishing company... isn't it?

© Ink Tree Ltd. 2008
www.inktreemarketing.com

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Questions from Self Publishers

Q: "Should I sell my CD or DVD with my book or should I sell it separately?"

A: It is not uncommon to sell a book and DVD combination - you just include the cost of the DVD in the retail price. Because DVD's are usually sold in a separate section of book stores, most people will not bother to search out the DVD and pay for it separately. Also, customers feel as if it's too costly to have to buy two separate items.

Do you have a publishing question you'd like to see featured in our newsletter? Send it to us at info@inktreemarketing.com with the subject line: "Newsletter Question".

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Links and Resources for Self Publishers

Do you need a publicist and a copywriter who can really understand you and get your business the publicity it needs to grow?

I've actually used this service myself and have been very happy with the service and the results. Check it out!

Check out our FREE Articles page on our site for articles on all areas of Self Publishing. New this month: Some Words of Advice on Book Design for Self Publishers

Don’t forget to submit YOUR book! You'll find instructions at the end of this section.

Available at: book retailers near you, or email bridges2hlth@aol.com

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Little Blue Penguin's emotions shine colourfully when a journey from the toy store takes him to a new home and into a playmate's arms. His world is happy and loving until an outing at the zoo finds him lost and alone. What colour will Little Blue Penguin shine now?

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Have strange items materialized in your refrigerator, while others simply disappeared? Does your new car have an excess of buttons with no discernible function? Does your loved one have quirks that drive you crazy? These are some of the challenges of daily life explored in the book "Who, Me? Paranoid? Humor Humor Everywhere" . Women especially will find themselves nodding in agreement as they can readily identify with the writer of these essays.
Actor and comedian Shelley Berman wrote "(She) keeps us thoroughly entertained. . . Entirely her own woman -- original to a fault -- Erica Stux writes in the superb tradition of Erma Bombeck and Dorothy Parker."

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***The intention of our Mention My Book section is to give free exposure to self published books. Every bit of publicity counts! If you want to submit your book for mention, please send an email with the subject line “Mention My Book!” to us at: info@inktreemarketing.com***