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Tag Archives: Personal Marketing Assistant

Top 4 Ways Self-Publishing Authors Can Shatter the “Field of Dreams” Myth

Have you ever seen the movie Field of Dreams? Do you remember the infamous line, “If you build it, they will come”? True enough, the field was built and “they” came.

Marketing a book is a bit different, though. Publishing a book is not enough to make the theoretical “them” appear. You need to market your book, and this means more than just telling your family and friends about it. You want to market it to the people who are already waiting to read your book – which (oddly enough) is usually not your family and friends.

Believe it or not, there is a group of people all across the country (or even the globe) who are already interested in what you’ve written about. The thing is – you haven’t found them yet. They can’t find you, because they aren’t aware that you or your book are “out there”. You have the upper hand. You know they exist. So, how do you find them and get them to buy your book? You have to start with creating a book marketing plan that sells. Here are a few tips to get started:

  1. Figure out who they are. Your book was written for a unique audience. No book, no matter how well-written, should be read by “everyone”. Find out who can benefit from your book. That’s your target audience/market.
  2. Find out what makes them buy. Do they buy for status? Do they buy for entertainment? Do they buy out of sheer need? Pinpoint what makes them “tick”. That’s your hot button.
  3. Figure out how your book meets your target audience’s needs. Do you solve a problem for them? Do you entertain them? This is your marketing message.
  4. Get the word out about your book. Everything counts, as long as it is a medium that’s relevant to your potential reader. If your target market consists of the more spiritual folks among us, you may consider advertising in a magazine that caters to spiritual enthusiasts. This is your marketing medium/method.
Every author should go through a thought process that involves at least the four steps outlined above. This is a very basic beginning to a book marketing plan.

Don’t want to “go it alone”? You shouldn’t have to. A Personal Marketing Assistant can help you develop or redefine your book marketing plan.

Have you published your book yet? Your audience is waiting…

 
2 Comments

Posted by on October 13, 2011 in Advice

 

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Meet Margaret, Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistant

Successfully marketing a book can be a lot of work. A Personal Marketing Assistant (PMA) is ideal for authors who want marketing assistance that is personal and specific.

Some things your PMA can assist you with include:

  • Soliciting book reviews
  • Contacting local bookstores
  • Completing the verbiage on an author’s webpage
  • Improving your Amazon tactics
  • Scheduling/coordinating book signings
  • And much more!
These services are available to both Outskirts Press published authors and authors that have published their books elsewhere.

Meet one of the Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistants:

MargaretFMargaret has been providing Personal Marketing Assistant services for Outskirts Press since December 2010. She has 12 years of marketing and communications experience with diverse organizations and individuals. She consults with several businesses on marketing, operations, and research.

Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, she earned a BA from the University of Virginia, a Masters in Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina, and a Masters in Business Administration from Vanderbilt University.

Margaret currently lives in Denver, Colorado and enjoys hiking and camping on the weekends, exploring new restaurants, and traveling to unexpected places.

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Testimonial from Eden Sterlington, author of SatisFillment:

“Margaret Foster is a professional, thorough, and knowledgeable Personal Marketing Assistant. The marketing plan she put together for me yielded immediate and measurable results. I will definitely be buying more time with her. She’s the real deal.”

 

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The Personal Marketing Assistant is available as an a-la-carte option or as part of the Book Blast package where authors can save 25% on 5 powerful marketing services to blast their book into the stratosphere! Outskirts Press authors can easily and conveniently add the Personal Marketing Assistant option or the Book Blast package at any time from the Marketing Options screen of the Publishing Center.

Outskirts Press has a team of Personal Marketing Assistants ready to help you in your book promotion efforts today!

Ready to get published and start receiving
marketing support and services like this?

 
5 Comments

Posted by on September 14, 2011 in Marketing Options

 

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Meet Terri, Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistant

Successfully marketing a book can be a lot of work. A Personal Marketing Assistant (PMA) is ideal for authors who want marketing assistance that is personal and specific.

Some things your PMA can assist you with include:

  • Soliciting book reviews
  • Contacting local bookstores
  • Completing the verbiage on an author’s webpage
  • Improving your Amazon tactics
  • Scheduling/coordinating book signings
  • And much more!
These services are available to both Outskirts Press published authors and authors that have published their books elsewhere.

Meet one of the Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistants:

Terri was born in Amarillo, Texas and lived in Fort Worth for most of her adult life. She has been a “newlywed” for 29 years and has two amazing sons and daughter-in-laws. Her first granddaughter is due in August.

Professionally, Terri has worked in the marketing department for an PPO Plan, where she was responsible for designing marketing collateral, revamping the website, and writing copy for all marketing materials. She has designed sales presentations and marketing email “blasts” for various organizations.

She went on to start her own business offering marketing expertise.


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Testimonial from Frances Jones (for Author Dr. Paul A. Jones), author of American Due Process:

“How exciting. I have just gotten into all the recent emails. I am looking forward to exploring all the information.

I just wanted to tell you again how happy we were with the article. Paul
commented after my other email, “It sounds like she read my mind, it sounded
like something I would have said.

Thanks again.

Frances”

 

 

The Personal Marketing Assistant is available as an a-la-carte option or as part of the Book Blast package where authors can save 25% on 5 powerful marketing services to blast their book into the stratosphere! Outskirts Press authors can easily and conveniently add the Personal Marketing Assistant option or the Book Blast package at any time from the Marketing Options screen of the Publishing Center.

Outskirts Press has a team of Personal Marketing Assistants ready to help you in your book promotion efforts today!

Ready to get published and start receiving
marketing support and services like this?

Start Publishing

 
3 Comments

Posted by on July 5, 2011 in Marketing Options

 

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Top 10 Best Selling Books in Self-Publishing for April 2011

Top 10 Best Selling Books in Self-Publishing for April 2011

Outskirts Press, the fastest-growing full-service self-publishing and book marketing company, today announced its top ten best selling titles for April 2011 according to combined data from Ingram Book Wholesalers and Outskirts Press Direct via http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore. These authors have likely created a solid book promotion strategy and put it into motion either by themselves or with the help of a Personal Marketing Assistant.

In alphabetical order, the top ten best selling books in self publishing during the month of April 2011 were:

Congratulations to our best selling authors for the month of April 2011!

How can you get your book on the bestseller list? While we can’t make any guarantees on sales success, many of our most successful authors invest time and money in marketing themselves and their book. Some of our most popular services are the Personal Marketing Assistant, Virtual Book Tour, and Custom Press Release/PR Publicist.

All these books, and other Outskirts Press titles, are available from all major online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powells, Books A Million, and others, plus conveniently from the Outskirts Press Direct bookstore at http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore for discounts ranging from 10% – 55%.

Are you ready to put a book promotion strategy in place for your self-published book?

Start Publishing

 
2 Comments

Posted by on May 24, 2011 in Top 10, Uncategorized

 

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Meet Elise, Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistant

Successfully marketing a book can be a lot of work. A Personal Marketing Assistant (PMA) is ideal for authors who want marketing assistance that is personal and specific.

Some things your PMA can assist you with include:

  • Soliciting book reviews
  • Contacting local bookstores
  • Completing the verbiage on an author’s webpage
  • Improving your Amazon tactics
  • Scheduling/coordinating book signings
  • And much more!
These services are available to both Outskirts Press published authors and authors that have published their books elsewhere.

Meet one of the Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistants:

With a background in the online marketing industry, Elise brings several years of marketing experience to Outskirts Press authors. She began her career working in the radio broadcasting industry. Since then, she has gained experience in finance, government, retail, customer service, and online marketing.

Elise is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Technical Management (Emphasis in Technical Communication). Outside of work, she enjoys surfing the internet, watching reality TV shows, and traveling.



Testimonial from Earle (Doc) Van Gilder, author of Said the Spider:

Of course we can’t valuate the success of the tour yet but I certainly can attest to your effort, professionalism, advice and tenacity. I’ll be happy to give that testimonial regardless. I doubt if anyone could have accomplished more in such a short time.

 

 


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The Personal Marketing Assistant is available as an a-la-carte option or as part of the Book Blast package where authors can save 25% on 5 powerful marketing services to blast their book into the stratosphere! Outskirts Press authors can easily and conveniently add the Personal Marketing Assistant option or the Book Blast package at any time from the Marketing Options screen of the Publishing Center.

Outskirts Press has a team of Personal Marketing Assistants ready to help you in your book promotion efforts today!

Ready to get published and start receiving
marketing support and services like this?

Start Publishing

 

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Get Started On The Other 80% of Publishing a Successful Book with the Book Blast Package

Get Started On The Other 80% of Publishing a Successful Book with the Book Blast Package

You’ve written and published a book, which means you’ve done 20% of the work required to becoming a successful self-publishing author. Now it’s time to get started with the other 80% – marketing. If you’re a published Outskirts Press author, you’re in luck. We’ve bundled our most popular marketing options under one umbrella making it extremely easy to jumpstart your book promotion efforts. Meet our Book Blast Package which contains all of the following:

1. Custom Press Release

The Custom Press Release combines information solicited from the author with the expertise of our writers. The result — a professional release that is focused on showcasing your book.

Your Custom Press Release will be:

  • electronically distributed to a database of approximately 100,000 media contacts, newsrooms, industry analysts, and freelance writers who receive daily email listings of press releases which match their filter criteria
  • posted to syndicated news feeds on other web sites through our XML/RSS news feed
  • optimized for search engine placement

2. PR Publicist Campaign

With the PR Publicist Campaign, a publicist will further distribute your Custom Press Release. We will e-mail it directly to book reviewers and editors in print, radio, television, trades, E-zines, syndicates, and wires — locally, regionally, and nationwide. This additional distribution circuit consists of over 21,000 national media contacts.

Then, we send you every resulting media lead. Usually those leads will come in the form of a book review or interview request. You will also receive a sample cover letter to use when following up on each lead.


3. 60 Second Book Video Trailer and Digital Viral Distribution

Movie trailers (commonly called “previews”) are shown at the beginning of movies. They let you take a sneak peek into an upcoming film. What if you could promote your book the same way? Well, you can. Our Book Video Trailers allow you to engage your audience’s eyes AND ears. Each trailer includes:

  • Music — you provide your own or we choose a piece from our collection.
  • Text — we briefly describe your book
  • Images — you provide your own or we choose from our database of over 1 million images
  • Distribution — YouTube, MetaCafe, Vimeo, etc.

BONUS: Your video will also be embedded into your Outskirts Press author webpage for you.

Press play to see a sample of a recent book video trailer:


4. Book Review Submission

Reading We have identified 10 book reviewers who have all demonstrated a tendency to review alternatively-published and self-published books. When you purchase our Book Review Submission Service, we will submit your book to these reviewers (or 10 others of your choosing) for you. Included in the submission to these reviewers is everything they typically require to consider writing a review, such as:

  • a professional cover letter
  • a professional press release
  • your sales sheet
  • a complimentary copy of your book for the reviewer to consider and keep

Positive reviews on popular websites and blogs or within popular journals can improve sales and lead to positive word-of-mouth, which is a precursor to the viral publicity and “buzz” that all authors dream of.


5. Personal Marketing AssistantBook Marketing Assistant

What’s a busy author to do to stay on top of follow-up that may result from a viral video, an amazing review, and/or a potential flurry of interview requests from a publicist campaign? Sit back and relax while their Personal Marketing Assistant follows through on these things for them.

Upon purchase, you will be entitled to a 5 hour block of one-on-one assistance. That block includes an initial 30 minute phone consultation. Here are just some of the many things your Personal Marketing Assistant can help you with:

  • PR Publicist Campaign lead follow-up
  • Suggesting advertising venues for your book and placing ads for you
  • Calling bookstores in your area to pitch your book and/or arrange book signings
  • Other book marketing tasks as needed

Is it time to get published and receive marketing support and services like this?

Start Publishing

 

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Outskirts Press Now Offers Personal Marketing Assistants For All Self-Publishing Authors

Outskirts Press Now Offers Personal Marketing Assistants For All Self-Publishing Authors

The Personal Marketing Assistant Option offered by Outskirts Press is an ideal choice for authors who recognize how much time and work is required to market their own books and who want professional, one-on-one marketing assistance specific to their own books’ sales strategies. This option, previously available to only Outskirts Press authors, is now being offered to all authors, regardless of where their book was published.

October 12, 2010 – Outskirts Press, the fastest growing self-publishing and book marketing company, announced today it is offering all authors their own Personal Marketing Assistants, regardless of where their book was published.  Personal Marketing Assistants work with authors by phone and e-mail to help them define a clear list of goals and objectives, craft the appropriate steps to achieve those goals and assist with the necessary steps, thereby helping increase sales of their books.

While it has always been true that writers must also be salespersons for their books, never has that been more true than in today’s competitive publishing market.  Successful promotion of one’s book requires time, industry and ingenuity; most writers now find they need help in marketing their books.

Outskirts Press’ professional Personal Marketing Assistants all have strong marketing backgrounds and years of experience helping clients market their products.  Award winning pianist, composer, author and radio personality Sally Shields, for instance, is an Outskirts Personal Marketing Assistant whose own book is a perennial bestseller on amazon.com.  Another Outskirts Personal Marketing Assistant, Caroline Moore, has a long corporate communication history in developing and writing advertising strategies and campaigns.

“My Personal Marketing Assistant worked with me on a particular aspect of my marketing strategy.  She was great!” says author Alvin Ureles.  “I went from asleep at the switch to back on the trail thanks to this option.”

Ureles’ book, Following Joe, became a top ten Outskirts Press bestseller in the month following his purchase of the Personal Marketing Assistant option.

The option is offered in five hour blocks and the consultation and advice is always tailored specifically to a particular author’s work.  By avoiding a generic cookie-cutter marketing approach, successes like those of Sally Shields and Alvin Ureles can regularly be achieved by authors with the help of Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistants.

For more details or to order the Personal Marketing Assistant option, visit http://outskirtspress.com/options/16379_personal_marketing_assistant_5_hours.html

About Outskirts Press, Inc: Outskirts Press, Inc. offers full-service, custom self-publishing and book marketing services for authors seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books worldwide while retaining all their rights and full creative control. Available for authors globally at www.outskirtspress.com and located on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, Outskirts Press represents the future of book publishing, today.

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Outskirts Press, Inc., 10940 S. Parker Rd. – 515, Parker, Colorado 80134
http://outskirtspress.com 1-888-OP-BOOKS

 
2 Comments

Posted by on October 12, 2010 in Outskirts Press News, Uncategorized

 

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Introducing Sonya, Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistant

Introducing Sonya, Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistant

Successfully marketing a book can be a lot of work. A Personal Marketing Assistant is ideal for authors who want marketing assistance that is personal and specific. The Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistant is available to work with authors (regardless of where your book was published) to promote your book in accordance with your plan and goals.

The Personal Marketing Assistant will correspond with you to arrive upon a marketing action plan. You will agree upon the specific tactics that will be taken which may include things like soliciting book reviews, contacting local bookstores, completing the verbiage on an author’s webpage, improving your Amazon tactics, or any number of tasks.

Meet one of the Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistants:

Sonya Gregory-Hayes’ professional background includes over 15 years of marketing, public relations and communications experience with such nationally-respected companies as United Way/Crusade of Mercy, J. Walter Thompson Advertising and Burrell Communications Group.  In 1994 Sonya launched Sonya Hayes Consultants, a comprehensive marketing and PR consulting business.  Between 1994 and 2009 Sonya built a nationwide client roster that encompassed the political arena, as well as the cosmetics, packaged goods, not-for-profit and entertainment industries.

Sonya holds a B.A. degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago and resides in IL with her husband and two teenage daughters.  In her spare time, Sonya is an avid reader and teaches “ole skool” dance as a form of exercise.  She loves jazz, classical and “ole skool” music, is becoming quite the “vegan chef.”  She ran her first 5K race last year and is looking forward to doing it again (if her knee co-operates)!

Testimonial from Brad Bradbury,
We’ve Never Had a King:

Sonya, a very personable lady, immediately generated a feeling of compatibility. Her consideration for this first-time author’s preferences was evident. You can rest assured that she has the ability to establish an immediate rapport with your next client, regardless of his or her demeanor.

Outskirts Press published authors can order the Personal Marketing Assistant option at any time from within their author’s center: CLICK HERE

Not published with Outskirts Press? That’s okay!  Our Personal Marketing Assistant option is available to all authors, regardless of where you published.  CLICK HERE for more details and to order now.

 

Ready to get published and start receiving
marketing support and services like this?

Start Publishing

 
1 Comment

Posted by on October 7, 2010 in Testimonials, Uncategorized

 

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What Self-Publishing Authors Have To Say About Personal Marketing Assistance

From Kaakyire Akosomo Nyantakyi, author of Practical English Level 365 Vol 1

Outskirts Press assigned Melanie Solomon as my Personal Marketing Assistant when my book, Practical English Level 365 Vo. 1, was published. It’s been just about six months since but I am inclined to show my heart-felt appreciation by officially acknowledging the recognition she so well deserves.

Melanie shows so much concern to ensure that my book gets nothing but excellent promotion prospects. Efficiency with courtesy attached is a rare combination in most of today‘s work places, but Melanie combines both with alacrity. If there is an Award at Outskirts Press, I do not hesitate to nominate Melanie Solomon.

From Ed Benjamin, author of Cash In on the Obama $3 Trillion Spending Plan!

I have had the privilege of working with Ms. Sally Shields as my Personal Marketing Assistant. Sally has helped me market my book, Cash In on the Obama $3 Trillion Spending Plan!: How to make large amounts of money by conducting business with or receiving grants from federal, state, and local governments.

Sally Shields is a phenomenal force of nature and when it comes to advising people on how to market their book, there is no equal. She speaks from experience having learned the lessons she promotes in her counseling sessions from selling her own book, The Daughter-in-Law Rules: 101 Surefire Ways to Manage (and Make Friends with) Your Mother-In-Law! Her book is a perennial best seller on Amzaon.com and other venues. (I know this for a fact because I checked her out on Amazon myself.)

Her advice is timely and thought provoking and is targeted toward helping her client maximize sales of his/her book. There is no one whom I would rather have in my corner than Sally Shields.

Would I recommend Sally as a Personal Marketing Assitant? The answer is an unqualified YES!, YES!, YES!

From Birinder Bhullar, author of The Supreme Being

My experience with the entire team of Outskirts Press has been highly exceptional at all stages. The sweetest part of my experience came in the end. Every author publishes to sell a book. This is a stage every author looks forward to. The Personal Marketing Assistance offered by Outskirts leaves the author asking for nothing more. My experience with Maritt Bird and the concern with which she helped me exalted my previous rating of Outskirts from extraordinary to Supreme. Believe me I am not overstating even one bit.

Ready to get published and start receiving
personal marketing support like this?

Start Publishing

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Posted by on June 30, 2010 in Testimonials

 

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Setting Kindle Pricing for Self Publishing Success

The Kindle edition of Moonlight by Keith Knapp has been one of the Outskirts Press bestselling books in the Kindle store for months, currently in the number two spot. 

 

Knapp set the price for his Kindle edition at just $.99, and recently his paperback format hit the Outskirts Press bestseller list.

According to Knapp, “I chose the low price to get some readers willing to try out a new author. It’s not easy for someone to read a book by someone they’ve never heard of before – lots of people probably like to stick with the writers they love. But for a buck, some people will take a chance.

When it gets right down to it, it’s all about word of mouth, which I’m very thankful for. I don’t like marketing much, or promoting, or plugging my stuff…it takes away time I could be writing. But you have to do it from time to time in order to start to get the word out there to spread.”

Fortunately, Outskirts Press offers a wide variety of marketing solutions for self-publishing authors, including a Kindle edition and submission service and a Personal Marketing Assistant option, which Outskirts Press authors can purchase at any time from within their Author’s Center.

Is it time to get published and start receiving marketing services like this?

Start Publishing

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