by Scott Lorenz | Author Advice, Blog, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Publishing, Marketing a Book, Promoting a Book
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
Over the years many authors have complained about the time, energy, harassment, and money required to get bookstores to stock their book. They bemoaned the fact that there was not a better way and dealing with bookstores seemed like a necessary evil to be endured, and endured and endured again.
Well, now there is a better way and authors who don’t want to invest themselves or their money in bookstores have another choice. I will wait until the loud and wild applause subsides before continuing.
A business associate and friend, Brian Jud, has come up with an alternative, revolutionary method to help authors sell their books to non-bookstore buyers on a non-returnable, commission basis.
Instead of dealing with dozens of bookstores, the author can instead tap into thousands of sales persons to sell their books to buyers in schools, corporations, associations, and government agencies.
Writers working with Brian Jud’s Premium Book Company, LCC, will have their books shown in a catalog used by 65,000 commissioned sales people to sell to buyers, on a non-returnable basis, with whom they have a relationship. When an order is taken the seller buys the book from the author at 60 percent off the list price and the seller pays the shipping charges.
Writers who sign up with Premium Book Company will:
- Have sales representation to non-bookstore buyers for as long as the book is in print.
- Have their book displayed on the company’s search engine accessible by even more sales people.
- Pay a one-time set up fee of $250 for the first title, $175 for the second title and $125 for each additional title added to the catalog.
- Have an option of buying quarter-page, half-page or full-page ads in the catalog.
- Be able to exhibit books at major premium shows.
- Have access to video tutorials which show how authors can tap the non-traditional book store market.
In effect, the author hires a national sales force of 65,000 for $250. “We know who and where the buyers are, and what they want, and so are equipped to do all the selling and negotiating for the writer,” Brian tells me. “The author gets incremental revenue without having to do any of the selling. And once the one-time catalog set-up fee is paid we sell on a commission-only basis.”
The advantage to his approach is that the author can focus on writing and appearing at book signings or seminars and leave the selling to others. So there should be a shorter time between books which allows the author to build his reputation amongst readers even faster. I share the same advice with writers about why they should hire a professional PR firm to market their books.
While a good idea in general, attending book fairs and exhibits also can rob authors of valuable time that could be spent researching and writing their next book. It is necessary, of course, for authors to attend book signings but there is no reason why they should not rely on the Premium Book Company to represent them and display their book(s) at trade shows, conferences, and book fairs.
If you want to know more about this unique sales approach and how it might benefit you personally contact Brian Jud at [email protected]. He’s a busy guy but he had time to talk with me so I’m pretty sure he will take time to talk with you. You can also check out his website at: http://premiumbookcompany.com/
I would not want any writer, however, to misinterpret my comments about traditional book stores with selling books, especially digital books, at online book outlets. Any author seeking to be a best seller needs also to make their book available on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and similar online outlets and hire a professional PR firm to make sure readers know the book is available.
The Bottom Line: Check out the non-bookstore option because once a book is sold into this channel its stays sold unlike the traditional bookstore channel where books are ‘sold’ on consignment.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Author Advice, Book Events, Book Marketing, Social Media
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
One creative way to get publicity for your book is to tie it to a holiday or special event. You’ll be able to reach out to the media who often need a ‘reason’ to showcase your book right now. Furthermore, you may be able to reach your audience on a more personal level by promoting your book alongside a national holiday, theme month, or cause. There are thousands of holidays that celebrate various concepts as well as traditional holidays that can be used to market your book; you just have to find them.
There are a couple of terrific websites that are perfect for authors by providing a searchable list of national days of ‘this or that’ for every day of the year. On Days of The Year site, I searched ‘book’ and found dozens of relevant days. For example, November 1st is National Author’s Day. Who knew? The site provides background about who started an event, when it started and just enough info for you to tie your book in to the holiday.
Another site is Holiday Insights. They have listings for each day of the month. There are plenty of examples I could enumerate but check it out and see for yourself. With so many possibilities, finding holidays that can be linked to your book will be no problem. Check them out at these links: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/ and https://www.holidayinsights.com/
How do you tie your book into a national month like Breast Cancer Awareness month? I once promoted Jackie Miles, author of Cold Rock River, during Bipolar Disorder Awareness Month because she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. I also tied a promotion of a horse rescue group into the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont races because the country is focused and interested in horses during that time of year.
I also once got television and newspaper coverage for a dentist when we came up with a sugar-free Easter basket. We offered parents tips on how to give non-sugar-filled treats over the holiday and received tremendous exposure by doing so. This would be a perfect technique for a dentist with a book as well.
I also promoted a book about sports clichés tapping into the season of each sport and the author’s commentary and collection of clichés about that sport during its season.
For example, we pitched sports writers about football during the time they are covering it and baseball during the summer months. I know it may sound basic, but people don’t want to hear about hockey in the summer, so you have to tailor your pitch and timing accordingly.
In my experience, subjects such as military books and novels do very well before anniversaries of dates of military and historical events like Memorial Day, July 4th, D-Day, Pearl Harbor Day, 911 etc.
Books on the topic of overcoming breast cancer will see increased sales during October due to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Simply think about the subject matter of your book or any cause that is close to you, personally, and promote your book alongside the specific occasion, cause, or holiday.
Other holidays and cause or theme months to consider include:
- January
- New Years
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Chinese New Year
- February
- Black History Month
- Groundhog Day
- Valentine’s Day
- President’s Day
- Ash Wednesday
- March
- Women’s History Month
- Read Across America Day
- St. Patrick’s Day
- First Day of Spring
- April
- Autism Awareness Month
- Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month
- April Fools Day
- Easter (Sunday)
- Earth Day
- May
- National Pet Month
- Social Media Month
- May Day
- Cinco de Mayo
- Mother’s Day
- Armed Forces Day
- Memorial Day
- June
- LGBT Pride Month
- D-Day Anniversary
- Father’s Day
- First Day of Summer
- July
- Independence Day/ 4th of July
- August
- Friendship Day
- “Back to School”
- September
- Labor Day
- Grandparent’s Day
- Patriot Day (9/11)
- International Day of Peace
- First Day of Fall
- October
- National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Columbus Day
- Sweetest Day
- National Boss Day
- United Nations Day
- Halloween
- November
- Veteran’s Day
- Thanksgiving
- December
- Pearl Harbor Day
- First Day of Winter
- Christmas
- New Year’s Eve
The Bottom Line: Find a way to tie your book to special events or holidays and you’ll increase your chances of getting media coverage.
Members of the press are looking for unique and interesting twists on every holiday. Create the angle that will entice them to interview YOU!
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Author Advice, Author Spotlight, Book Marketing, Interviews, Social Media
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
Walter Isaacson uses it. NY Times journalist David Carr uses it. Author Emily Gould, Journalist Ben Smith, and Entrepreneur Elon Musk use it too. What is it?
It’s an effective site for authors called MEDIUM.
It was founded by Twitter co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone in August 2012. On this exclusive site the authors post to a communal blog, then the site groups the posts together to create broad topics such as “Creative Writing” “On Publishing” and “Online Marketing.” https://ev.medium.com/writing-in-medium-df8eac9f4a5e
The thought behind the interworking of Medium.com according to the founders, was to provide a place where the authors could write a post longer than 140 characters—Medium length content. Medium provides the “what you see is what you get” experience to provide the right amount of formatting. According to the website, you cannot change fonts, font color, font size. You can’t insert tables or use strikethrough or even underline. Here’s what you can do: bold, italics, subheads (two levels), links, lists, and block quotes. Anil Dash, cofounder of @thinkup and @activateinc said, “It’s true: Medium has the best web-based editor I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen them all.”
According to the media experts at Medium, “Notes are one of the best parts of Medium and useful for lots of things: They help improve writing. They add valuable supplementary information. They incorporate new viewpoints. They give meaningful feedback to those who write things. And they let people connect over ideas.” Excerpt examples of a note edit:
Medium.com Features
The collaboration of ideas among others and readers is another main idea of Medium. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Steve Job’s biographer Walter Isaacson said,” My book was formed by being posted and allowing people to make edits.”
“While I was writing The Innovators, I posted the chapter about software and received many ideas from people within the technology field. I like that there is a way to collaborate with books online, where the author is the curator and others could contribute their edits. In the end we would split the royalties,” said Isacson. Isaacson is the bestselling author of the biographies of Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein and most recently Steve Jobs.
David Carr, Journalist for the New York Times spoke about his experience while using Medium and said, “The writing tool is intuitive enough to seem psychic. Just when you search for some function, it pops up out of the background. Medium’s most important feature may be all the stuff it leaves out, including endless options for sizing text or positioning pictures.”
Evan Williams, co-founder of Medium said, “Our goal is to make Medium the best platform possible for everyone to share great ideas or stories. This should certainly include those whose profession is doing so.”
The Bottom Line: MEDIUM, a site for serious collaboration and the verification of facts. Tap into the brainpower of MEDIUM and allow others to comment on your not yet published work. It’s the perfect way to crowd source, fact check and edit your work all while gaining insight from some of the best minds on any given topic.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Blog, Book Awards, Book Events, Book Fairs, Book Festivals, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Marketing a Book, Writers Conferences
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
Writers Love to Help Fellow Writers – What Better Way to Meet Them Than Writers’ Conferences?
There are several good reasons why writers should invest the time and effort required to attend writers’ conferences.
Attending a writers’ conference only takes a few hours or days at the most, a few bucks, and a little effort to register and arrange travel and lodging, but the payoff can be big.
If the book you are working on is almost finished, attending a writers’ conference gives you a great chance to network with other authors, pitch your book, learn about the major publishing houses, meet book editors and book marketing specialists. If your book is six months or a year from being finished, you can meet people who will give you ideas on shaping your book and give other advice to help you wrap up when you return home.
Or maybe you have been working on your book for a few months and are feeling unsure about whether you really can be a published author. Attending a conference is a good way to get a reality check from book editors or literary agents who can give you a professional opinion on your plot and characters and help you determine whether you are on the right track.
Most important, attending a writers’ conference provides you with a great opportunity to learn about the publishing business by purposeful interaction with insiders. Some conferences offer an opportunity to get honest and helpful professional assessments from book editors that will be more than worth the cost and effort of attending the conference.
Of course, you will want to prepare for any writers’ conference you attend by having a plan of what you want to find out and what you will do while there. You will want to develop an elevator speech pitch of your book that you can deliver in one minute. Have handouts available such as promotional bookmarks or book covers, or a one-page written pitch with website URL, email, and one paragraph book summary.
Now that you are ready, here are some writers’ conferences in the coming weeks and months you should consider attending:
Here are some upcoming writers’ conferences in 2025 for your consideration:
February 6–9, 2025: San Francisco Writers Conference. (Hyatt Regency San Francisco, Embarcadero Waterfront – Immerse yourself in over 20 years of rich literary culture. We’re dedicated to empowering writers by creating opportunities for meaningful connections with publishers, editors, agents, and more.) https://www.sfwriters.org/
February 7–8, 2025: The 2025 Online San Diego Writing Workshop. (Online. A two-day online “How to Get Published” writing event. Writers are welcome to attend virtually from everywhere and anywhere.) https://sandiegowritingworkshop.com/
February 22, 2025: The 2025 Las Vegas Writing Workshop. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, February 22, 2025: Hampton Inn Tropicana and Event Center, 4975 Dean Martin Drive | Las Vegas, NV 89118.) https://lasvegaswritingworkshop.com/
March 1, 2025: The 2025 South Carolina Writing Workshop. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, March 1, 2025: DoubleTree by Hilton Charleston Mount Pleasant, 1330 Stuart Engals Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464.) https://southcarolinawritingworkshop.wordpress.com/
March 7–8, 2025: The Online 2025 Texas Writing Workshop. (This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on March 7-8, 2025. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published.) https://texaswritingworkshop.com/
March 7–8, 2025: North Carolina Writers Workshop. (FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2025: Charlotte Marriott SouthPark, 2200 Rexford Road, Charlotte, NC, 28211 & SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 2025: The McKimmon Conference and Training Center at NC State, 1101 Gorman St, Raleigh, NC 27606.) https://carolinawritingworkshops.com/
March 14, 2025: The Alabama Writers Conference (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, March 14, 2025: Embassy Suites Birmingham, 2300 Woodcrest Place, Birmingham, AL 35206.) https://alabamawritingworkshop.com/
March 15, 2025: The 2025 Writing Workshop of South Florida. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, March 15, 2025: Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port, 400 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, FL 33004.) https://writingworkshopsouthflorida.com/
March 15, 2025: Atlanta Writing Workshop (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, March 15, 2025 — at the Le Meridien Atlanta Perimeter by Marriott (north central suburbs), 111 Perimeter Center W, Atlanta, GA 30346.) https://atlantawritingworkshop.com/
March 22, 2025: The 2025 Oklahoma Writing Workshop. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, March 22, 2025: Residence Inn Oklahoma City Airport, 804 S Meridian Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73108.) https://oklahomawritingworkshop.com/
March 22, 2025: The 2025 Chesapeake Writing Workshop. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, March 22, 2025 — at the Hilton Arlington, 950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, VA 22203.) https://chesapeakewritingworkshops.com/
March 26–29, 2025: The AWP Conference & Bookfair. (Los Angeles Convention Center – The AWP Conference & Bookfair is the essential gathering for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers. Join thousands of attendees, explore hundreds of events and exhibitors, and immerse in four days of vital literary community and celebration in Los Angeles!) https://s2.goeshow.com/awp/annual/2025/index.cfm
March 28, 2025: The 2025 Connecticut Writing Workshop. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, March 28, 2025: Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, 155 Temple St, New Haven, CT 06510.) https://connecticutwritingworkshop.com/
March 29, 2025: The 2025 Boston Writing Workshop. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, March 29, 2025 — at the Hilton Boston Logan Airport, One Hotel Dr, Boston, MA 02128.) https://thebostonwritingworkshop.wordpress.com/
April 4-5, 2025: The 2025 Ohio Writing Workshop. (ONLINE: Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2025 OWW is an Online Conference, on April 4-5.) https://ohiowritingworkshop.com/
April 5, 2025: Writers Conference of Minnesota (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, April 5, 2025 — at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront, an IHG Hotel, 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55101. (651)292-1900.) https://minnesotawritingworkshop.com/
April 11, 2025: The 2025 Sacramento Writing Workshop. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, April 11, 2025: Sacramento Convention Center (SAFE Credit Union Convention Center), 1401 K St, Sacramento, CA 95814.) https://sacramentowritingworkshop.com/
April 11 (Orlando) and April 12 (Tampa): 2025 Florida Writing Workshops. (FRIDAY. APRIL 11, 2025: Crowne Plaza Orlando-Downtown, an IHG Hotel, 304 W Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32801. SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2025: Hyatt House Tampa Airport / Westshore. 5308 Avion Park Dr, Tampa, FL 33607. (813) 207-9500.) https://floridawritingworkshops.com/
April 25, 2025: Get Published in Kentucky Conference (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, April 25, 2025 — at the Kentucky International Convention Center, 221 S 4th St, Louisville, KY 40202.) https://kentuckywritingworkshop.com/
April 26, 2025: Tennessee Writers Workshop (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, April 26, 2025 — at Music City Center, 201 Rep. John Lewis Way South, Nashville, TN 37203.) https://tennesseewritingworkshop.com/
April 26, 2025: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, April 26, 2025 — at Drexel University (inside the LeBow College of Business), 3220 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104.) https://philadelphiawritingworkshop.com/
April 26, 2025: Bluegrass Writers Coalition – Conference of Writers (April 26, 2025, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Kentucky State University’s Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm in Frankfort KY.) https://bluegrasswriterscoalition.com/conference/
May 2, 2025: The 2025 Arizona Writing Workshop. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, May 2, 2025: Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix Airport North, 3838 E Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ 85008.) https://arizonawritingworkshop.com/
May 2–3, 2025: The 2025 Washington Writers Conference (May 2-3, 2025, Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville, MD) https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/page/the-2025-washington-writers-conference
May 3, 2025: Michigan Writing Workshop (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, May 3, 2025 — at the Embassy Suites Detroit – Livonia/Novi, 19525 Victor Parkway, Livonia, MI 48152.) https://michiganwritingworkshop.com/
May 3, 2025: The 2025 Writing Conference of Los Angeles. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, May 3, 2025 — at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, 5711 W. Century Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90045.) https://writingconferenceoflosangeles.com/
May 9–10, 2025: The 2025 Pittsburgh Writing Workshop. (ONLINE: Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2025 PWW is an Online Conference, May 9-10, 2025.) https://pittsburghwritingworkshop.com/
May 10, 2025: Seattle Writers Conference (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, May 10, 2025 — at the Seattle Marriott Bellevue, 200 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004.) https://theseattlewritingworkshop.com/
May 17, 2025: The 2025 Cincinnati Writing Workshop. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, May 17, 2025: DoubleTree by Hilton Cincinnati-Blue Ash, 6300 E Kemper Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45241.) https://cincinnatiwritingworkshop.com/
May 9, 2025: The 2025 Portland Writing Workshop. (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, May 9, 2025: Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel, 8235 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97220.) https://portlandwritingworkshop.com/
May 15–18, 2025: 38th Annual Pennwriters Conference (Thursday, May 15, 2025, 8:00 AM until Sunday, May 18, 2025, 12:00 PM – Pittsburgh Airport Marriott, Coraopolis, PA 15108) https://pennwriters.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=522048&module_id=378066
June 13-14, 2025: The 2025 California Writing Workshop. (ONLINE: Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2025 CWW is an Online Conference, on June 13-14.) https://californiawritingworkshop.com/
June 21, 2025: The Writing Workshop of Chicago (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, June 21, 2025 — at the Congress Plaza Hotel.) https://chicagowritingworkshop.com/
July 20–25, 2025: Napa Valley Writers Conference (Sunday, July 20 to Friday, July 25, 2025, Napa Valley College, Napa, CA) http://www.napawritersconference.org/
July 25–26, 2025: The 2025 New England Writing Workshop. (ONLINE: Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2025 NEWW is an Online Conference, on July 25-26.) https://thenewenglandwritingworkshop.com/
July 31 – August 2, 2025: Mendocino Coast Writers Conference (Daytime events will take place at the K8 School – 44261 Little Lake Road. Evening events will take place at Crown Hall – 45285 Ukiah Street, Mendocino, CA) https://mcwc.org/
August 21–24, 2025: Killer Nashville Writers Conference (c/o American Blackguard, Inc., 314 Watercress Drive, Franklin, TN 37064-3234). https://www.killernashville.com/
Select a writers’ conference of interest to you and be prepared to enjoy the benefits of meeting other writers, acquiring knowledge you can use immediately, learn about different genres, find a new market for your book, elevate your professional effectiveness, meet editors, agents and publishers, become inspired and return home energized.
The Bottom Line: Make a commitment to attend at least one writers’ conference this year. You’ll be glad you did!
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Blog, Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Book Title Generator, How to title a book, Marketing a Book, Writing a Book
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
Using Numbers in Your Title Might Help Make Your Book More Memorable.
On LinkedIn, J.D. Gershbein, a global speaker and social branding specialist, raised the question, “Does a numbered step approach to titling a book have a positive effect on sales?” This particular question and subsequent thread made me delve deeper into the use of numbers in book titles and whether or not it makes sense.
Book titles are extremely important. As an author, creating a memorable title should be a high priority. Numbers in book titles work with items that already quantify. For example, a book titled ‘Get 6-Pack Abs in 6 Minutes a Day’ makes sense. I like using numbers in a book title when it’s relevant and useful in describing what the book is about.
An example that really works is ‘The 4 Hour Work Week’ by Tim Ferriss and his ‘4 Hour Body’. That number stops you in your tracks because it is shocking. How can you work just 4 hours a week? How can you have a good body in just 4 hours? Ferriss has capitalized on his branding of ‘4-Hour’ and ‘The 4-Hour Chef.’ He owns that number now. He’s branded his name with ‘4-Hour’ and will be able to incorporate it in his future work.
A number is a quickly comprehended visual because it’s a symbol and is represented by a minimal number of characters. For example, ‘One Thousand’ spelled out is represented by 12 characters, but only four characters if used as a number: 1000. This can save space on your cover and in this digital world sometimes a savings of a few characters can make a difference whether your complete book title is displayed by Google or even on Amazon. Furthermore, there’s a magic number of 65 characters for some search engines before it gets truncated or cut off. Another often overlooked benefit is that a number rises to the top of a list when alphabetized right along with symbols like ‘@’ or ‘$’ for example.
Here’s a list of a few well-known books that have used a number in the title:
1. Catch-22
2. The 4-Hour Work Week
3. The 4-Hour Chef
4. The 4-Hour Body
5. Europe on $5 a Day
6. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
7. Fahrenheit 451
8. 1984
9. The 39 Steps
10. 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe
11. Around the World in 80 Days
12. 1001 Arabian Nights
13. 13 Reasons Why
14. 3:10 to Yuma
15. Beneath the 13 Moons
16. Size 12 is Not Fat
17. 13 Little Blue Envelopes
18. 13 Treasures
19. The 6th Target
20. The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts
21. 7th Heaven
22. 10,001 Ways to Live on a Small Budget
23. The $100 Startup
24. The 48 Laws of Power
25. Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
26. The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals
27. 5: Where Will You Be Five Years From Today?
28. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
29. 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She’s 30
30. 17 Cents and a Dream (a book from one of my clients, Daniel Milstein)
Whenever possible I use numbers in my article headlines because it drives home what the article is about. Here’s a sample:
22 Tips on What to Wear For a TV Interview
52 Ways to Promote Your iPhone App
33 Radio Interview Tips
55 Reasons to Send Out a Press Release
15 Tips for Great Book Cover Design
The Top 25 Book Fairs and Book Festivals Authors Should Attend.
You can find even more articles on book promotion topics at http://book-marketing-expert.com/articles.htm.
On LinkedIn, the question received many insightful responses. One I particularly liked was from James Cosenza, a software engineer, “I think the numbered approach is especially useful for self-help and how-to books. People want to know that they can change their lives or learn a new skill in 5, 10 or 15 ‘easy’ steps. I don’t know about saturation, but I think conflicting titles on the same subject might be off-putting. For example, do you buy ‘Install a New Patio in 10 Easy Steps’ vs. ‘A New Patio in Seven Simple Steps’?
Ethan de Jonge Kalmar, founder of Make Your English Work, says, “I think that it depends on your content and audience. Numbered lists certainly work well for blog posts and on social media sites, but given the speed of information now, and the tendency to want to have everything in concise, easy to digest form, I think that many readers of books (by which I mean works of at least 100 pages or so) are looking for more in-depth insight, and numbered list titles do not exactly communicate that the book provides that.”
“For a short promotional e-book, or perhaps the self-help/entrepreneur market it might work well. Also, I think that if you are providing information that is comprehensive because it covers many different things, it might work well, as in James Cosenza’s example of 1000 Places to See before You Die.”
Tim Lemire responded from an author’s perspective, “I never worried about coming up with a good title; I knew the publisher was going to assign their own title to the book anyway.”
Keep in mind, not every book title needs a number. For example, the number 7 is overused because people are trying to capitalize on Covey’s books. Even he came out with the “8th” Habit to stay away from the number 7. So, if you’re thinking of tacking the number “7” into your book’s title, think again because it will not stand out.
Should you decide to incorporate a number into your book’s title, make sure it adds to the book. Do not shove a number in the title because you think it might be a good idea. Not all book titles need numbers. However, some books might sell better because of the number in their title.
The Bottom Line: Coming up with the right name for your book is beyond important it’s critical. Creating a memorable title is really the point. Using numbers in your title might help make it even more memorable.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
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