John Kremer is a book marketing veteran and the author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book. His website offers plenty of free book-marketing tips. We’re pleased to interview John Kremer for the BookBuzzr blog today.
BookBuzzr: On your website – http://www.bookmarket.com – you have an entire section devoted to explaining the importance of having a good book-cover. How important is a book-cover with the advent of e-Readers like the Kindle? Is a well-designed book-cover still an important factor when it comes to selling more copies?
John: A great book cover is always important, especially when the cover is a small thumbnail on a website. A good book cover attracts attention, tell the audience if the book is for them or not, and tells us something about the book.
BookBuzzr: You tested your book-covers before releasing your book. Do you have any advice for an author who wants to test their book-covers? What is the best way for a new author to test variations of their book-cover?
John: Two options: Go to your local mall/church/library and ask people which book cover (of the two to four you present them) they would pick up first. Do NOT ask which they like. What people like and what they will pick up and buy at generally different.
Second option: Put your covers on a high-traffic website (you’ll have to get their permission and cooperation) and ask the people to tell you which cover they would pick up first.
BookBuzzr: Which is the best book cover that you have seen in the last 3 months?
John: Mine. 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. Sorry, I haven’t been paying attention to covers recently except to critique some professionally.
BookBuzzr: If you can give just 3 book-marketing tips for an author, what would they be?
John: 1. Learn how to create relationships and then create them. Marketing is all about creating relationships.
2. Speak. Speaking is the best way to create avid fans who will spread the word about your book.
3. Offer good content to the top high-traffic websites that are already attracting your audience. When you offer them content and they feature it on their website, they are obligated to provide a link back to your website (or blog, or sales page).
BookBuzzr: What inspired you to write your book ‘1001 Ways to Market Your Books’? What made you choose the field of book marketing?
John: Customer demand. That simple. I wrote the book because my customers needed it. It didn’t choose the field; my audience demanded me to flesh out the info about book marketing.
BookBuzzr: What’s a typical day like? How do you spend your time?
John: I spend 40% of my time answering email and handling social networks.
Another 30% doing teleseminars, interviews, etc.
Another 30% researching and creating new products.
I spend a lot of time working on the computer. I take breaks playing with my dogs, talking to my wife, and walking with all three.
BookBuzzr: What are the services that you offer to authors?
John: Book marketing and planning consulting, seminars, books, teleseminars, ebooks, databases. Also book title and book cover critiques. I don’t carry out promotions for any authors. Simply don’t have the time.
BookBuzzr: Do you have any tips for authors looking to market their books on Amazon.com?
John: Build up a strong reputation on the Internet. Send traffic to your website or to Amazon.com.
At some point, learn how to run an Amazon bestseller campaign, find joint venture partners, and carry out a campaign.
There are dozens of ways on Amazon to associate your book with other books, including Listmania, So You’d Like to…, reviewing related titles, blogging via Amazon Connect, encouraging testimonials, encouraging customers to tag your book appropriately, encouraging customers to review your book on Amazon, and more.
BookBuzzr: What is the best way for an author to get celebrity endorsements for his or her book?
John: Ask. It really is that simple. Find a way to contact the celebrities you want testimonials from and ask them. If they don’t respond right away, ask again. Don’t be shy. Do be persistent, but don’t be obnoxious. A fine line there.
BookBuzzr: Do you think the importance of the Kindle will get diminished with the advent of the iPad?
John: I think the Kindle and iPad will grow the ebook market together. Both have good qualities that the other doesn’t have. So both will continue to exist together for a long time. And help sell lots of ebooks.
BookBuzzr: What should authors know about book-distribution?
John: Get a distributor if you can get one. If you can’t on good terms, then forget about bookstores and focus on direct sales and web sales.
One option I recommend to many authors: Hook up with a small book publisher who also does distribution and let them be your distributor. They will often work with a one-book publisher where distributors generally don’t. For a list of such publishers who also distribute, check out my Choosing a Distributor ebook ($30 from BookMarket.com).
BookBuzzr: You also run a website called Ten Million Eyeballs. What is this site all about?
John: That is an online seminar and membership site that teaches you the four best ways to get millions of eyeballs for you, your book, your website, your blog, your ideas, or whatever else you want to promote. Very detailed, step-by-step info. Well worth the cost (which is medium high).
John Kremer, President
Open Horizons
P O Box 2887
Taos, NM, 87571
Work: 575-751-3398
Email: JohnKremer@BookMarket.com
Website: http://www.bookmarket.com
I can teach you how to get more exposure via the Internet.
Check out http://www.TenMillionEyeballs.com
The Book Marketing Ambassador of Fun
Author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book
