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In This Issue:
Rob speaks at ECPA Leadership Summit
April Rankings for CBA Publishers
Article: Is Consistency Part of Your Marketing Plan?
Author Empowerment University
Client Success Story: Mary DeMuth
ECPA Summit 
Rob Eagar to speak at ECPA Leadership Summit:
Rob Eagar will be presenting at the ECPA Executive Leadership Summit in San Diego, CA on April 28th.
 
His presentation, If You Build It - Will They Buy? discusses the latest research into author websites and how publishers can utilize author sites to increase book sales.
 
For more information, click here.
 
Quick Links:
 
 
 
 
 
 
About Rob Eagar:
Rob Eagar
Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing who helps authors and publishers spread their message through innovative marketing strategies. He has trained over 100 authors from beginners to best-sellers. The results his clients enjoy include: 
 
● Larger book sales.
● Increased media exposure.
● More speaking events at higher fees.
● Enhanced website activity and online influence.
 
April Amazon 
Comparison of ECPA Publishers
Amazon
Click here for a spreadsheet of our April rankings.

WildFire Marketing tracks the top 15 ECPA publishers according to the average ranking of their 20 best-selling books on Amazon.
 
Comparing this monthly data over time helps authors and publishers identify who is best utilizing this important online sales channel.
 
Note: Amazon rankings do not reflect accurate sales figures. However, they can help determine how specific publishers or titles perform over time versue their peers.
 
WildFire Marketing E-Newsletter
April, 2009
Is "Consistency" Part of Your
Book Marketing Plan?
 
When you market your book, don't make the mistake of expecting perfection from every activity. For example, some authors demand exceptional results from their newsletter, blog, or radio interview. But, if the results don't feel extreme enough, then they suddenly cease these marketing efforts.

Let's say you send out a monthly newsletter. But, after a few weeks, no one invites you to do a speaking engagement, conduct a media interview, or buy your books. Was your newsletter a failure? Not necessarily. There are many variables that affect people's buying behavior. For instance, research shows that most Americans need to hear about a product or service 4 - 7 times before they decide to act.

Book marketing isn't about striking-it-rich with every activity you do. Instead, your goal should be to build a "body of work" that generates momentum and draws attention to you. People are sick and tired of authors who constantly push their books. But, people are hungry for experts who can provide information that helps solve a problem or improve their life.

Your "body of work" consists of all the various ways to let people know that your message can help them, regardless if it's non-fiction or fiction. For example, you can send newsletters, post advice on a blog, speak in public, get articles published, conduct media interviews, keep your website updated, produce spinoff products, create podcasts, etc. When you do several of these activities on a regular basis, then you position yourself in a way that draws people to your book.

Don't worry about which marketing efforts are the cheapest. Most of the tactics listed above are easy to do and relatively inexpensive. Instead, focus on staying consistent with several efforts that give you a broad-based reach to connect with your target audience.

Over time, you may realize that some promotional activities aren't producing results. Those problems usually become obvious, and you can discontinue those efforts. For instance, if you blog every few days for three months and no one reads it, then you've got a problem to address. But, don't just stop a specific marketing activity without analyzing the issue or replacing it with something else.

You cannot demand immediate gratification from your book marketing plan. It can take months for people to get familiar with your message and develop trust. Sadly, too many authors expect instant results, get frustrated, and stop marketing just before their audience gets interested. So, relax and cut yourself some slack. Even great authors fire bullets that miss the mark. But, authors who market wisely learn to stay consistent.

Remember the famous Wayne Gretzky quote, "You miss 100% of the shots that you never take." Yet, don't forget, you can't shoot if you never get into the game. So, don't enter the game of book marketing and retire in the first quarter just because no one has cheered yet.

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Concepts in this article are based on the work of Alan Weiss, author of Money Talks and Million Dollar Consulting. For more information, visit: www.SummitConsulting.com

 

Announcing the
Author Empowerment University

Rob Eagar is offering a new, affordable, group-based coaching service called the Author Empowerment University. Here's the details:

What is Author Empowerment University?

  • 3 months of advanced book marketing instruction taught by Rob Eagar.
  • Group coaching with a minimum of 5 authors and a maximum size of 8.
  • Weekly instruction via group teleconference calls.
  • All teaching sessions will be recorded for students who miss calls or want to listen again.
  • Students will have individual follow-up access to Rob via phone and email.
  • Specialized tutorials and teaching guides provided by Rob.
  • Students will enjoy encouragement and accountability by learning together as a small group.
What subjects are covered during the teaching sessions?
  • Teach author how to make their website capture readers and market books better.
  • Learn how to acquire more media interviews and increase book sales on the air.
  • Discover how to obtain more speaking engagements and craft powerful keynote speeches.
  • Create resources and pass-on tools that help spread word-of-mouth.
  • Establish a unique brand and differentiate a book's message in a crowded marketplace.
  • Utilize newsletters and social networking to build ongoing relationships with readers and leaders.
What result can students expect? (figures based on the success of Rob's previous coaching participants):
  • Increased author book sales by 15 - 25%.
  • Doubled author website and blog traffic.
  • Newsletter growth of over 100 new subscribers per month.
  • 30% increase in annual speaking events.
  • Speaking fees increased by 30%.
  • Contact with over 250 new targeted leaders.
  • Ability to secure an extra 5 - 15 media interviews with press releases.
The fee to enroll in a group is only $2,500 per author for the 3-month program. Most authors can easily recoup this fee by landing one new speaking engagement or boosting their website sales. This is the best deal available to get focused, weekly instruction at the advanced-level with Rob Eagar.
 
Space is limited on a first-come, first-serve basis. A new group will start as soon as five people register by either May 1st or May 15th.
 
If you would like to sign-up or get more information about the Author Empowerment University, please call 1-800-267-2045 or email: [email protected]

 
 
 
Client Success Story: Mary DeMuth
 
Daisy ChainCongratulations to Mary DeMuth on the quick success of her new novel, Daisy Chain. Her book just launched on March 1st, but her publisher (Zondervan) has already gone into a 3rd printing in two months! That is an incredible feat in such a tough economy.
 
Mary's credentials include being a finalist for the 2007 Christy Award. So, if you're a fan of fiction and aren't familiar with Mary, you need to check out her books, such as Watching the Tree Limbs and her latest novel, Daisy Chain.
 
Mary_DeMuth_videoMary was also gracious to recently participate in a video testimonial about her experience as a WildFire Marketing client. To get a sense of how Rob Eagar helped Mary grow her platform, click here to watch her video.
 
We're proud of Mary and the role model she serves to other authors!
 
 
For more client success stories, click here.
 
Stay the Course
 
During tough and prosperous times, consistency is the key to growing your author platform. Don't take for granted the "grunt-work" of sending out newsletters, networking, and creating free resources. Sometimes, it's no fun. But, staying consistent with your marketing plan will generally produce results over time.
 
I hope this newsletter issue has encouraged you to stay the course. Please feel free to share your feedback about what's working well for you in your book marketing efforts.
 
And, if you'd like to explore how we can help you, don't hesitate to call 1-800-267-2045. All initial phone consultations are free.
 
Thanks for subscribing to this newsletter, and please take a moment to forward this newsletter to your author and publishing-industry friends.
 
Thanks!
 
Rob Eagar
WildFire Marketing
Spread Your Message
Phone: 1-800-267-2045
Email:
[email protected]