Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Self-published Author Enjoys Book Promotion Success

One thing I love about teaching my two online book promotion courses is the quality of the students. They are smart and inquisitive. And they are in the course to discover how to get the media exposure their books deserve, so they are quick to implement what they learn in class.

Tom O'Malley, author of the self-published Canadian Divorce and Separation Made Easier, was one of my favorite students in the February class because he is so intelligent and so motivated to get the word out about his new book. Tom came to the class prepared -- he had read a lot of books and done some online research, so he knew what he wanted to get from the four-week course. If he had questions that weren't covered in the course materials, he asked them on the Q&A forum so others could learn from the answers, too. He shared information about resources he found helpful. And, most importantly, he did his homework for the class and implemented the feedback so that his end products were as useful as possible.

This is why I'm so pleased with the success this attorney is enjoying as he begins promoting his book. Tom is starting with a local book publicity campaign before expanding to other Canadian markets, discovering what works and what doesn't in a more "forgiving" marketplace. And after securing three local TV interviews and two newspaper articles about his new book, he is beginning to expand his reach. An association for counselors and psychologists -- the people often advising individuals in troubled marriages -- has agreed to include information about Tom's book in its next newsletter, and Tom will follow that with advice articles in the newsletter.

Tom created a solid publicity plan in the class, one that included goals, a strategy for reaching them, specific tactics, and a timeline that guides how and when he implements those tactics. Because he can't devote an eight-hour day to book promotion -- any more than the rest of us can -- he generated a plan that is reasonable and appropriate for the time he has available for this type of work. I have absolutely no doubt that he will stay with the plan for the long term, shifting strategies or tactics as needed over time. Tom will meet his sales goals.

Please visit Tom's Web site to learn more about his book and how he's promoting it and to request his free special report on the "7 Serious Mistakes That Many Spouses Make In Their Separation or Divorce."

The next "Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz" courses for authors are offered June 2-27, 2008. We have a lot of fun while learning and sharing; I hope you'll join us. Teaching this course and becoming friends with the students -- then watching them succeed -- is one of my most favorite activities! Learn more here. If you have questions about how the course works, feel free to either post them here as comments so others can learn from the answers, or send me a note -- sbATbuildbookbuzz.com.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As Tom's wife, I have seen firsthand the success he has had with his book already even after just a few short week's on the market. Our local Chapters Bookstore has commented that it is the fastest selling self-published book they have ever had on the shelves and his first seminar was packed to the hilt. I also know I will be the only one with a copy of his divorce book inscribed "To my lovely wife, thank you for all your support..."

Speaking of support I would like to thank you Sandy...I know that Tom is a dedicated student, but your helpful suggestions throughout the course have made such a difference to him. He speaks very highly of you and all that he has learned from your course and most importantly from your feedback.

Thanks, Jennifer O'Malley