by Scott Lorenz | Blog, Book Cover Designers, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publishing, Writing a Book
A Good Book Cover Can Help Sell a Book- A Bad Cover Can Kill a Book
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications Book Marketing
Being a book publicist and book marketing guy, I often weigh in on book cover designs. Sometimes it’s in the nick of time sometimes it’s too late to make a change. Here’s the situation, authors, please – do not underestimate the importance of a book cover’s design. Not only do potential book buyers judge a book by its cover but so do members of the media. Many reporters receive dozens of books every day! Do you really think they read the book flap and your pitch? Ha!
Here are some important items to consider when making decisions on book cover design:
Use a subhead to create more description. If you have a 10-word title, you have not properly named the book in the first place.
Check with Google on the words that are most searched on your topic. To do this, type in the word that best describes your book in the search box and then see what the next most important or popular words are in that list. That ranking is very relevant marketing- wise so try to use those words in your title or subtitle. Consider using the genre in the subtitle too because that’s what people are searching on.
Visit bookstores and look at the covers of all types of books. What catches your eye? Look at the book face and look at the spines. Which ones are readable and why?
Will it play on Amazon? Go to Amazon.com, BN.com, Good Reads, Smashwords and search for competitive books in your space. Notice the book covers that catch your eye and the ones that do not. If your cover does not show up well in an Amazon thumbnail, then you are going to lose sales.
Contrast. Don’t let your graphic designer get started without keeping contrast in mind. The reason black ink works so well on white paper is because it produces the best contrast possible. Yellow ink on green paper in a small font simply does not work.
How does your book look in black and white? Not every publication will be printing it in color.
Font size. Many designers are young with great eyesight. But your buyer may not be able to read the tiny font some designers insist upon using. Be practical.
The spine. Can you read it from five feet away? If not, neither can browsers in a bookstore.
Blurbs. Keep them relevant and short. Consider including a mention on the cover of a foreword written by a famous person or author. “Foreword by J.K. Rowling” or “Foreword by Oprah Winfrey” or “Foreword by Best Selling Author Brian Tracy.”
Do not overlook creating content on the back inside flaps because consumers pick up a book after looking at the spine, front cover and back and then open the book to find the price or more information.
Print your cover out on a laser printer. Don’t just review your cover on a computer screen which will make it look considerably better. Print it out actual size and make a determination using that printed version.
Pictures are worth 1000 words. Use photos and illustrations to describe what would take too long to explain.
When choosing a book design ask yourself how the cover will look on your website home page. Branding is important so you’ll want to use the same design elements on your website that you do on your book cover.
Show your cover designs to as many people in your target group of potential readers. Get their reactions and opinions. It costs you nothing and you’ll likely find out something you did not realize before.
Here are 38 book cover designers and services to consider for your next cover:
1. 99 Designs – https://99designs.com/
Having been faced with the task of helping out authors in the cover design process many times, a recent experience led me to one service that really did a terrific job. 99designs.com uses graphic designers from around the world who compete for your business by actually designing the book cover on speculation, ie no charge. I commissioned a cover for an author using 99designs after the author was not happy with the creations from his own designer. I mentioned several design elements such as the title, subtitle, what the book was about etc.
Figuring more is better, we got 65 different cover designs in 5 days! The most difficult part was narrowing down the selection to 8 then having friends, family, co-workers vote on their favorites from all corners of the world all online. They also added their comments, insight and logic behind liking or disliking a cover design right under the image of that cover. They voted over several days and the comments were able to be read by our team, also scattered all over North America. The cost was about $700. Currently 99designs book covers range in price from $299 to their top-of-the-line platinum package at $1,199. This was an excellent process that delivered a NY Times bestseller quality cover that I highly recommend.
2. Foster Covers – https://fostercovers.com/
George Foster of Foster Covers is a book cover designer who has earned more than 300 awards and created covers for 134 bestsellers. His work has appeared on over 1,000 books.
3. Fiverr – https://www.fiverr.com/
Fiverr gives you many options for just $5. These are fast and obviously cheap, but I’ve seen some pretty nice work. Order from 2 or 3 designers at the same time. Hey, it’s only $5 bucks!
4. Draw Big Design
Draw Big Design produces smart visuals that stand out from the ordinary.
5. Killer Covers – https://killercovers.com/
KillerCovers.com offer various packages for your book cover needs including web pages, Facebook pages etc. They are based in Australia, and I’ve used them and recommended them several times.
6. Book Cover Express – https://bookcoverexpress.com/
Book Cover Express has a competitive flat rate so you can work with your ideal budget.
7. Author Support – https://www.authorsupport.com/
The designers at AuthorSupport.com are a great resource.
8. Book Creatives – https://www.bookcreatives.com/
Book creatives offers book cover design and eBook design for authors.
9. Alexander von Ness – https://www.nessgraphica.com/
Alexander von Ness is a book cover designer with over twenty years of professional experience in graphic design, including over a decade as art director in a branding agency. In the last decade his main area of focus has been book cover design. His website Nessgraphica is among the top trusted sites for book cover design services overall.
10. Karrie Ross
Karrie Ross from BookCoverDesigner.com specializes in book cover design for the self-publishing industry.
11. Damonza – https://damonza.com/
Damonza has over 30 years combined experience in the design and advertising industry.
12. Robin Ludwig Design – https://www.gobookcoverdesign.com/
GoBookCoverDesign.com specializes in providing superior book cover design services utilizing professional equipment and software.
13. Andy Carpenter Design, https://acdbookcoverdesign.com/
Any Carpenter Design is a boutique design firm for self-publishers and small presses.
14. Self-Publishing Lab – https://selfpublishinglab.com/
Self-Publishing Lab has been voted the best website for authors, so be sure to check it out.
15. Lulu – https://www.lulu.com/
Along with publishing services Lulu provides design quality at a competitive price.
16. David Airey – https://www.davidairey.com/books
David Airey is a creative book cover designer.
17. Book Cover Genius – https://jjfast.com/bonuses/bcg-tna53a
Great sales pitch about why you should download their software to design your own book cover. Worth a look.
18. CreateSpace – https://kdp.amazon.com/createspace-transfer
CreateSpace allows you to work with their professional design team to custom-create an affordable, striking cover that broadcasts your book’s key messages with distinct colors, fonts, and one central image. Their price $349 is not bad and several of my clients have use them including one 92-year-old author.
19. BookBaby – https://www.bookbaby.com/ebook-cover-design/
BookBaby offers a straight-forward approach to finding a budget and designing your book cover. Price ranges from $149 to $279.
20. Guru – https://www.guru.com/
Guru.com is a great website to utilize to find freelance book cover designers from around the world. Very cool.
21. 1106 Design – https://1106design.com/
1106Design.com offers editing, proofreading, cover design, Interior page layout, eBook formatting, Printing and more.
22. Infinity Publishing – https://infinitypublishing.com/
With Infinity Publishing you have complete control over the cover design and layout of your book.
23. Abacus Graphics – https://johnraymondwebster.com/abacus-graphics/
Abacus Graphics is an intimate award-winning design studio creating exceptional image building graphic designs for print and the web since 1979.
24. Albertine Book Design
Albertine Book Design offers complete design and production services for children’s books, tabletop books, cookbooks, textbooks, fiction and non-fiction hard cover and paperbacks.
25. Book Covers for All – https://bookcoversforall.com/
One designer boasting over 18 years of experience with 1000+ books to his credit.
26. Reedsy – https://reedsy.com/design/book-cover-design/
This is very interesting in that the book covers are already designed; you just add the title! There are some very high-quality covers priced at $25 and up. Definitely check this out.
27. Elaine Gignilliat – https://romancebookcoverart.com/
Elaine Gignilliat is one of the foremost romance book cover artists. She has painted covers for over 350 romance books representing more than 150 authors.
28. Extended Imagery – https://extendedimagery.com/
Carl Graves is a professional book cover designer who has a fire sale on book covers with more than 2,000 book covers on hand. Very high-quality covers that just need your title only $200 per cover. These are really amazing must see covers.
29. Illumination Graphics – https://illuminationgraphics.com/
Illumination Graphics provides affordable and dynamic design for books, both book cover designs and book interior layouts.
30. BookWise Design – https://bookwisedesign.com/
BookWise Design has designed over 1200 book covers and strives to provide the most experienced and helpful book production services.
31. ExpertSubjects – https://www.expertsubjects.com/
Expert Subjects has several cover artists, and you can choose to create a fully customized book cover depending on your budget constraints. They also provide an array of services including typesetting, editing, critique and undertake publishing & distribution too.
32. Canva – https://www.canva.com/create/book-covers/
Canva’s book cover maker makes book covers amazingly simple to design – even for non-designers.
33. The Cover Collection – https://www.thecovercollection.com/
I’ve used them for memes too. Here’s a way to get a high-quality book cover for under $100 using premade book cover designs. Authors receive multiple drafts to choose from and a choice of font options. I’ve checked out their covers and they are top notch.
34. TS95 Studios – https://www.ts95studios.com/
TS95 Studios is a Daily Deviation award-winning artist on DeviantArt.com. He designs e-book and full jacket covers, crafting elaborate realistic scenes from stock photos for fantasy, horror, mystery, and sci-fi novels.
35. Bianca Bordianu Design – https://moonpress.co/
Bianca Bordianu is a professional cover designer who works with bestselling authors, publishing houses and indie authors in all genres. She delivers high quality designs for competitive prices.
36. Lance Buckley – https://www.lancebuckley.com/
Lance Buckley is a book designer with over 10 years of experience. Says Lance, “I’ve worked for 8 years as a Design Specialist at CreateSpace before Amazon consolidated things and axed CreateSpace altogether. For the last 4 years I’ve been designing book covers and interiors for authors. You can view some of my work on my website. I try to keep my pricing as low as possible while still providing a very professional design.”
37. Julia Rohwedder – https://www.lunaryxdesign.com/
Julia Rohwedder is a freelance photo illustrator & designer living in the southwest of Germany. She has been creating digital photo illustration since around 2006. She loves book cover art commissions for Fantasy genres, like Dark Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy.
38. eBook Launch – https://ebooklaunch.com/
Since 2011, eBook launch has designed hundreds of creative book covers for independent authors and publishers in nearly every genre. Check out their book cover portfolio here. https://ebooklaunch.com/custom-book-cover-portfolio/ They also handle book editing, formatting as well.
You can and should spend a few hours going through all of these web sites. You’ll be glad you did. I know I was enlightened myself in creating this list of book cover designers.
The Bottom line: Get involved early in the entire book publishing design process and get at least several creative concepts for the front cover, back cover, and spine. Don’t let it be the ‘last thing’ you do.
And finally, the most important rule in book publishing and marketing – Know Your Reader! All books have a target reader, and, in all genres, there are varying degrees of readers. Targeting the reader who is most likely to purchase your book is critical. Authors who know the demographics of their readers are equipped to assemble the fonts and graphics best able to grab the reader’s eye and instantly convey the message that “this book is for 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://www.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 Events, Book Fairs, Book Festivals, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Publishing, Marketing a Book, Promoting a Book, Writers Conferences
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
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 a couple days at the most, a small investment, and a little effort to register and arrange travel and lodging, but the payoff can be big.
Attending a writers’ conference gives you a great chance to pitch your book, learn about the major publishing houses, meet book editors, agents and book marketing specialists. If your book is six months or a year from being finished, you can meet people who will give you valuable ideas on shaping your book and provide other advice to help you wrap up your project when you return home.
Or maybe you have been working on your book for a few months and are feeling insecure or unsure whether you really can be a published author. Attending a conference is a good way to get a reality check from book editors to get a professional opinion on your plot and characters and to determine whether you are on the right track.
Most importantly, attending a writers’ conference provides you with an opportunity to learn about the publishing business from fellow authors. You will also 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 pitch’ of your book that you can deliver in 30 seconds. Have a one pager available with your book cover, author headshot, short 50-word synopsis, short bio, website URL, Twitter handle and your contact information. You never know who’ll you’ll meet so be prepared for that moment.
Now that you are ready, here are some writers’ conferences that you should consider attending:
Here are some upcoming writers’ conferences in 2023 for your consideration.
February 3-4, 2023: Boston Writing Workshop (Online)
March 3-4, 2023: Chesapeake Writing Workshop (Online)
March 10, 2023: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
March 11, 2023: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
March 11, 2023: Cincinnati Writing Workshop (Cincinnati, OH)
March 11, 2023: Writers Conference of St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)
March 25, 2023: Minnesota Writing Workshop (St. Paul, MN)
March 25,2023: Kentucky Writers Conference (Bowling Green, KY)
April 13-15, 2023: Las Vegas Writers Conference (Las Vegas, NV)
April 14-15, 2023: Writing Workshop of San Francisco (Online)
April 22, 2023: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
April 29, 2023: Michigan Writing Workshop (Detroit, MI)
April 29, 2023: Washington Writers Conference (Rockville, MD)
May 12, 2023: Storymakers Conference (Provo, UT)
May 12-13, 2023: Florida Writing Workshop (Online)
May 13, 2023: Writing Conference of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
May 18, 2023: Pennwriters Conference SCBWI (Coraopolis, PA)
May 25-27, 2023: Writing Heights Writers Conference (Fort Collins, CO)
June 2-3, 2023: Tennessee Writing Workshop (Online)
June 18-23 2023: Santa Barbara Writers Conference (Santa Barbara, CA)
July 7-8, 2023: Carolina Writing Workshop (Online)
July 29-30, 2023: The Muse & the Marketplace Writers Conference (Boston, MA)
July 30 – August 4, 2023: Napa Valley Writers’ Conference (Napa, CA)
August 3-5, 2023: Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference (Fort Bragg, CA)
August 17-20, 2023: Killer Nashville’s International Writers’ Conference (Franklin, TN)
August 17-20, 2023: Writer’s Digest Annual Conference (New York, NY)
September 1-4 , 2023: WriterCon 2023 (Choctaw, OK)
September 23, 2023: Missouri Writers Guild Annual Writers Conference (Columbia, MO)
October 6-8, 2023: James River Writers Conference (Richmond, VA)
October 13-14, 2023: Seattle Writing Workshop (Online)
December 8-9, 2023: Writing Workshop of Chicago (Online)
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://www.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, Blog, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publishing, Marketing a Book, Promoting a Book, Television, Writing a Book
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
With hard work, perseverance and a little luck, your book could be “Cruisin” with Smokey Robinson to the bestseller list and you will be “Dancin’ in the Streets” with Martha and the Vandellas.
Who doesn’t love the music of Motown? Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Lionel Richie and The Four Tops – their classic songs have entertained people from all walks of life for over 50 years.
I recently noticed that the titles of some of the biggest Motown hits also suggest some important themes that can help guide authors to improve their careers. Let’s have a look:
“What’s Goin’ On” (Marvin Gaye) advises you to educate yourself on what is going on in the publishing industry. It’s a moving target; what worked last year might not work today. It’s imperative that authors keep abreast of the changing publishing industry by reading books and magazine articles, going to book fairs and festivals and attending writer’s conferences.
“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (Marvin Gaye) tells you to use today’s version of the grapevine, social media such as Twitter and Facebook, to promote your literary work. Authors should be sure to stay up to date about what others are saying about them, their work, and what their competitors are publishing as well. Be sure to keep your page updated and have frequent interaction with your followers to retain their interest.
“Respect” (Aretha Franklin) reminds you to treat others the way you want to be treated. Share resources and knowledge with fellow authors. Respond to comments and questions on social media. Take on a mentee. Be kind. Network. Respect the time and effort you’ve put into your craft and help others to do the same.
“Shop Around” (The Miracles) advises you to “shop” for the best book publisher, publicist, and others who can help make your book a success. This is not similar to shopping for commodities at the mall or grocery store; you should go with the person who provides the best quality for your needs, rather than the one with the lowest price. An investment in good editing, good book cover design and good marketing will help create a solid foundation in the long run.
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered” (Stevie Wonder) When signing a publishing deal make sure to look over the fine print, and ask questions about the contract. You, as the author, do not want to be obligated to terms that you were not aware of. Remember, “Ain’t Nothin’ Like the Real Thing” (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell) so make sure you ask a lawyer to look over the contract before you sign.
“It Takes Two” (Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston), and “Rescue Me” (Aretha Franklin). Don’t be afraid to ask for help because publishing and marketing a book can be a nerve-wracking and overwhelming task for a first-time author. Do not wait until you need a rescue before calling in the professionals. As a book marketing expert, I’ve seen many authors make costly decisions that have to be rectified, which include bad titles, bad covers, bad editing, or lack thereof. “Stop in the Name of Love” (The Supremes) for your book.
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell) inspires you to be steadfast and resilient in order to be successful. For example, 100+ publishers rejected Mark Victor Hanson, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, but he had the tenacity to keep searching for someone who would publish him.
The Bottom Line: “You Can’t Hurry Love,” (The Supremes). Success will not happen overnight and it’s not always easy as “ABC” (Jackson 5). But it doesn’t have to be a “Ball of Confusion” (Temptations.) With hard work, perseverance and a little luck, your book could be “Cruisin” with Smokey Robinson to the bestseller list and you will be “Dancin’ in the Streets” with Martha and the Vandellas.
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://www.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, 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://www.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://www.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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